Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

and without strength; and how the dead in sin are to perform such conditions, is another riddle. which can never be explained.

The spouse, under the old œconomy, received many consolations from the types and shadows, while she eyed her beloved Saviour as the object of her future hopes; she called the two covenants her two breasts, and eyed the Mediator as the end of the law and the author of faith, and had light enough, under that dark dispensation, to see that no day's-man was fit to make up the breach, but him. Feeling his love, she says, "A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts," Song i. 13. Her faith viewing him as the fulfiller of the law, and the glory of the gospel, she rests satisfied with the sanctuary service, until the blessed period should arrive, when her beloved Lord should be revealed. "Until the day-break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense," Song iv. 6.

As for the caution against allegorizing and spi ritualizing the word of God, I see the Saviour and his apostles perpetually at it.

Solomon's preference given to the lowly mind, in the presence of the prince, Prov. xxv. 7; is brought in by the Saviour as a check to the pride of Pharisees, in their choice of the highest seats, and is intended to shew, how he differs from the humbled believer, who, like the prodigal Son, begins his religion with a sense of the plague of his

own heart, and a keen hunger for the bread of Heaven, before he sits down to feast on the fatted calf, Luke xv.

Elihu's comparing his heart, filled with divine inspiration, to a bottle that had no vent, Job xxxii. 19, is brought in by the Saviour to shew the necessity of a new heart, and a new spirit; but new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved, Matt. ix. 17.

Job's description of the eagle, Job xxxix. 30, is introduced by the Lord to shew the destruction of Jerusalem under the Roman eagle; but much more to shew the entertainment of heavenly minds, who by faith feed on his own flesh and blood, as their spiritual meat and drink, John vi. 53; and sweetly prefigures the certain protection of the elect beneath the shadow of his wings in the great and terrible day,

The two mountains mentioned by Moses, Gerizim and Ebal, Deut, xxvii, 12, 13; are an allegory. Mount Gerizim, where the blessings were to be pronounced, prefigured the church of Christ, on which the Spirit of God pronounces the benediction, and was a figure of mount Zion; "for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore," Psalm cxxxiii. 3.

Mount Ebal, from which the curses were to be pronounced, prefigured mount Sinai, where the law and its curse were given, and is Hagar in the allegory, and agreeth with Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children, Gal. iv. 25;

and reaches to every work-monger in the whole world; "for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse," Gal. iii. 10. And so it will appear in the great day, when the Judge will say to Zion, on which himself was crowned King, Come, ye blessed of my Father; but to Hagar, and her bond children, who rejected his reign, Go, ye cursed. These two will appear to be mount Gerizim and mount Ebal with a witness; and there the blessing and the curse will remain to all eternity.

Ahimaaz. The things which you have mentioned, my brother, are consistent with the analogy of faith, and your method is well calculated to bring the word of God down to a holy familiarity with the weakest believer; which certainly is a method that every man of God ought to adopt, or aim at, more than shewing his human learning, or knowledge of the languages; for Paul says, he would sooner speak five words to the edification of the church, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue, 1 Cor. xiv. 19. For as he observes, an unintelligible teacher is a barbarian to the people, which made the apostle determine to use great plainness of speech, 2 Cor. iii. 12. And to be sure I have often felt the binding effects of legalizing the gospel myself, since I set out in the paths of wisdom; and have been entangled more than once by their legal ministry, Gal. v. 1.

But as for you, my brother, you have certainly great natural parts, a very strong memory, and

have been very studious in the scriptures; this is plain, for you appear a ready scribe, well instructed in the law.

Cushi. I believe men of the greatest natural parts in all the world, are at this time either deists or atheists. The greatest scholars are in the greatest confusion; the most studious men are the most ignorant of God; and those of the strongest memory are the most freighted with the rubbish of heathenism. The greatest natural logician is the farthest from the basis of sound reason; and he that is wisest in his own conceit, is the greatest enemy to the wisdom of God.

Natural abilities are the gift of God; and if they are not influenced by the Holy Ghost, they are always turned against the giver. But the spiritual man will own with Paul, that if a man be wise in divine mysteries, the word of wisdom is given him. If discerning, it is in divine light that he sees light, If stable in confidence, the word of faith is given him. If divinely knowing, the word of knowledge is given him. If strong in memory, it is the spirit that brings all things to his remembrance, whatsoever the Lord hath said unto him. All these things worketh that one, and the self-same spirit, dividing his gifts severally as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 11. God will never give the glory of his grace to men's brains, nor his praise to graven images, Isaiah xlii. 8.

Ahimaaz. True, my brother; "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and

cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning," James i. 17. And every gracious man will acknowledge this to the honour of the great benefactor; for, as the prophet says, "let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me; that I am the Lord, which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord," Jer. ix. 24. And indeed I have always found the most pure liberty, the greatest love, and the greatest encouragement to confidence in God, ministered to my soul from such pure and evangelical conversation as yours. But I would wish to be led by the voice of my teachers, and so to steer between the two extremes, For my part, I am for the middle way,

Cushi. I do not rightly understand thee, my brother. If by way, you mean the way to God, the middle way is one of your own devising. There are but two ways to heaven that God has devised; the one is by perfect, spiritual, and perpetual obedience, agreeably to the command; He that doth these things, even he shall live in them, Rom. x. 5. "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." The other.way is, by faith in Christ, which Paul calls "a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh," Heb. x. 20,

« AnteriorContinuar »