thoughts of God himself.' Yet this was the appointment of him who never errs, and whose 66 ; mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him." This fully shews, my friends, how vain and presumptuous it is in us to judge of the purposes and dispensations of God, according to our views of what would be proper for man to do in a proposed similar case: to inquire what he ought to do, and what a wise and good man would do, if called to decide and act on such an occasion and having settled this, to conclude in a sort of triumph, that God hath acted thus, and could not act otherwise and this sometimes, when the conclusion is diametrically opposite to his sure and holy testimony! but would any wise and good man, if it could have been left with him, or ought any man, on such a supposition, to have deliberately appointed death by scorching flames, as the proper termination of so pious and benevolent a life as that which has been described? Yet did not God appoint this? "Shall there be evil in the "city, and the Lord hath not done it?" Hear his voice, therefore, "Be still, and know that I am "God." "My thoughts are not your thoughts, "neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so "are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Let us learn to keep to our own place, and to do our own duty; and not presume to judge and determine, what it becomes the infinite God to do, or to appoint in his government of the universe, or to reveal in his Am. ii. 5, 6. Is. xlvi. 10. Ps. lv. 8, 9. holy word. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth "do right?" But, if one could in the prospect say, 'I'll hail the sharpest pangs of death, Which break my way to God.'1 still viewing those pangs as future; if Peter, who had long before been informed by his Lord, " by "what death he should glorify God," even by that kind of death, which his Lord himself had died; if, with this dreadful prospect before his eyes, and when fully contemplating it, he could say, with sweet composure," Knowing that I must shortly "put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Je"sus Christ hath shewed me:" 2 what will each of the blessed company think and say, on the review of their sufferings, when they are looked back upon as past? and when full light shall be poured on the most mysterious ways and works of God respecting them? Will not each exclaim, "He hath "done all things well?" The stroke and shock were alarming; the anguish bitter : but I was supported; it is now over; it hath conduced to increase my present felicity. Had I foreseen it, the prospect might have produced more permanent distress : but it was unexpected; it was transient; and the event ineffably delightful: "Glory to God in the 66 highest.”—This, and far beyond this, I am fully persuaded, is the language, the adoration, the thanksgiving, of her whose painful death we are considering. Great stress is laid by numbers on the conduct and words of religious characters at the closing 'Dr. Doddridge. 2 John xxi. 18, 19. 2 Pet. i. 14. scene; and in many cases they doubtless have 'great emphasis and power of conviction. Yet it is remarkable, that little or nothing is spoken concerning the closing scene of most of those who "through faith obtained a good report" in the word of God. And, when the living testimony of Christians has, for years, been clear and decisive, their dying testimony may be the less needful, Being dead they yet speak," and often to the hearts and consciences of those who did not attend to them when alive. In such a case as the present little could be expected: yet that little as I shall shew at the close, was far more satisfactory than could have been supposed. "These are they who have come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and "made them white in the blood of the Lamb."The apostle saw the company clothed in "white "robes:" but their robes had not always been "white: for "they had washed them and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." They were not like the holy angels, who never stained their garments by sin: they wore not the robes of spotless innocence, and native purity, and unsullied virtue, as some affect to speak. Had this been the case they would not have needed washing. Neither had they washed them in the tears of their godly sorrow or repentance, or by their subsequent virtues and good works; no, not even by that "charity which covereth a multitude of sins." They had not washed them away in baptism, or by attending the holy sacrament at certain seasons; much less had they done it by self-imposed penances and human devices. Nay, they who sealed their testimony by martyrdom, had not "washed their "robes and made them white" in their own blood. No doubt they had repented and turned to God, and led holy lives, and wrought good works, and patiently endured: but according to the apostle's vision, all this, in itself, had done nothing towards the washing and purifying of their garments. For they had washed their robes and made them white "in the blood of the Lamb." "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I "shall be whiter than snow." The idea of washing garments in blood, and so rendering them "white as snow," could hardly have entered into the thoughts of man, if it had not been suggested by revelation: and, indeed it can hardly be rendered intelligible except through the doctrine of the atonement, and redemption by the blood of Christ; and "the fountain" which, on the cross, he "opened for sin and uncleanness." "We must all appear" before God; but in what apparel must we appear before him? For we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righ"tcousnesses are as filthy rags." ” 2 We are like Joshua the high priest after the captivity, as he was seen in vision by Zechariah. Appearing in his office as Israel's typical mediator, instead of his rich sacerdotal robes, or even the clean linen garments of the priests, he was "clothed in filthy garments."3 Thus it is with us. We can neither appear before God, as accepted worshippers, a spiritual priesthood, before his throne of grace; nor stand before his throne of judgment on the great 66 'Zech. xiii. 1. 2 Is. Ixiv. 6. 3 Zech. iii. 1-6. decisive day; nor be admitted into his presence, as sitting on the throne of glory in heaven; without "change of raiment." We must have" the wedding garment," if we would share "the marriage 66 66 supper of the Lamb." We must know the import of those words of the redeemed church of God, as spoken by the prophet Isaiah, "I will "greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joy"ful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with "the robe of righteousness."2 We must "put on "the Lord Jesus Christ," 3 both for justification and sanctification. We must be "washed, and sancti"fied, and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, "and by the Spirit of our God."4 As sinful creatures we need deliverance from guilt, by a free forgiveness, and " the gift of righteousness, unto "justification of life." He who, as a true believer, "is thus far washed, needeth not save to wash his "feet: but he needs washing from the guilt of his daily sins of omission and commission, and from the imperfections, if not from the defilements of his very best services. As good Bishop Beveridge says, 'When I preach, I sin; when I pray, I sin; ' when I receive the Lord's supper, I sin; my repentance needs repenting of, and my tears of godly sorrow need washing in the blood of Christ.' Or, as the judicious Hooker observes, The best things that we do, have something in them to be 'pardoned: how then can we do any thing meritorious, or worthy to be rewarded? We acknow 'Matt. xxii. 11-13. Rev. xix. 7-9. Rom. v. 17, 18. |