Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

SERM.
IX.

SERMON IX.'

On our Prefent IGNORANCE of the WAYS of GOD.

JOHN xiii. 7.

Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, What I do, thou knoweft not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

T

HESE words of our Lord were oc

cafioned by a circumstance in his behaviour which appeared myfterious to his disciples. When about to celebrate his last paffover, he meant to give them an instructive leffon of condefcenfion and humility. The mode which he chose for delivering

IX.

delivering this inftruction, was the em- SER M. blematical action of washing their feet. When Simon Peter faw his Mafter ad-dreffing himself to the performance of fo menial an office, he exclaims with the greatest surprise, Lord, doft thou wash my feet? Our Lord replies, in the words of the text, What I do thou knoweft not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. "My behaviour in this inftance, may seem "unaccountable to you at prefent; but you shall afterwards receive a fatisfactory explication of the intent of that "fymbol which I now employ."

66

[ocr errors]

The expreffions of a divine perfon, on this occafion, can very naturally and properly be applied to various inftances, where the conduct of Providence, in the administration of human affairs, remains dark and mysterious to us. What I do, thou knoweft not now. We must for a while be kept in ignorance of the defigns of heaven. But this ignorance, though neceffary at prefent, is not always to continue. A time shall come when

M 2

SER M. when a commentary shall be afforded on

[merged small][ocr errors]

all that is now obscure; when the veil of mystery shall be removed; and full fatisfaction be given to every rational mind. Thou shalt know hereafter. This is the doctrine which I purpose to illustrate in the following discourse.

I. OUR Saviour's words lead us to obs ferve, that many things in the conduct of Providence are at prefent mysterious and unintelligible. The truth of this obfervation will not be called in question. It is indeed very readily admitted by all; and ever fince the beginning of the world has been the foundation of many a complaint, and of much scepticism concerning the government of heaven.-That human affairs are not left to roll on according to mere chance, and that Providence interpofes in them to a certain degree, is made evident by various tokens to every candid mind. But the perplexity and trouble of the thoughtful iniquirer arifes from obferving that Providence

appears

IX.

appears not to purfue any regular or con- S ER M. fiftent plan. An unaccountable mixture of light and darkness presents itself to us, when we attempt to trace the affairs of the world up to any wife and righteous administration. We fee justice and order begun; but on many occafions they seem to be deferted. The ray of light which we had traced for a while, fuddenly forfakes us; and, where we had looked for the continuance of order, we meet with confufion and disappointment.-For inftance; when we examine the constitution of the human mind, we discern evident marks of its being framed with a view to favour and reward virtue. Conscience is endowed with fignal authority to check vice. It brings home un-eafinefs and remorfe to the bad; and it fooths and fupports the righteous with felf-approbation and peace. The ordinary course of human things is made to coincide in fome degree with this confti tution of our nature. The worthy and the good are, in general, honoured and esteemed.

IX.

SER M. esteemed. He that walketh uprightly, is, for the most part, found to walk furely. The chief misfortunes that befal us in life can be traced to fome vices or follies which we have committed; and it almost never happens but the finner's own wickednefs is made, fooner or later, to reprove him, and his backflidings to correct him.

All this carries the impress of a just Providence, of a wife and a benevolent administration of the universe. We cannot avoid perceiving that the Almighty hath fet his throne for judgment. At the fame time, when we pursue our inquiries, the Almighty appears to hold back the face of his throne, and to spread his cloud upon it*. For in looking abroad into the world, how many fcenes do we behold, which are far from correfponding with any ideas we could form of the government of Heaven? Many nations of the earth we see lying in a state of barbarity and misery; funk in fuch grofs

ignorance

• Job xxvi. 9.

« AnteriorContinuar »