Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

not be of man, nor "according to our works," it is this, the gracious design of "saving them that believe," by Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

66

is at length executed, bears no manner of resemblance to the original design. Man performs what he may, because he cannot eflect what he would. He is governed by circumstances over which he has no power. But the distinctions of past and future, vanish away from before the eye of God. There can be no difficulty in the way of almighty power, nothing concealed from the view of omniscience. The duration of a world shrinks into a single moment before Him who is "from everlasting to everlast- ing." Contingency and chance can have no effect on the counsels of Him "who seeth the end from the beginning," and saith, "My counsel shall stand, and I will fulfil all my

Christianity as old as the creation! It boasts a much more ancient date. The creation is of yesterday, the world is not yet six thousand years old; but christianity is of the essence of God himself. It bears date "of old, even from everlasting." "This pure river of water of life" proceeds out of the throne of God, who dwells in inaccessible light. Imagination wearies itself, thought is lost, in tracing it up to its source. Bless the Lord, O my soul, who from eternity, in the greatness of his might, in the plenitude of his goodness, in the incomprehensibility of his wisdom, condescended to fix the bounds of thy habitation, to arrange the events of thy mortal existence, to prepare thy place in the heavenly mansions; who "before the world began" surveyed with complacency and delight his own benevolent design, his own glorious work, the universe which he was about to speak into being, the bit of clay he was to fashion into a man, the immortal spirit which his breath was to inspire, the needy, perishing wretch whom his mercy was to redeem. But,

II. This leads us forward to observe, that as the work of redemption is JEHOVAH's own peculiar purpose, so it is a purpose of grace. The thoughts of "the Father of Spirits," are unfolded, and they are thoughts of peace." Transporting view! Behold the greatest and most glorious of all beings employing himself in devising the means of doing good, of communicating happiness, of relieving the miserable; and forming a scheme of benevolence which extends from eternity to eternity, and comprehends innumerable myriads of rational beings restored, recovered from ig-pleasure." norance, from guilt, from misery, to wisdom, to holiness, to perfect and exalted felicity. Blessed purpose! The formation of man, the creation of an universe are only parts of it. Man was formed that he might be redeemed; was sent into this world to be prepared “for heavenly places in Christ Jesus." The firmament was expanded, adorned, lighted up, to witness the display of "the exceeding riches of the grace of God, in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus;" and every successive opening of the plan of Providence is only a new discovery, a more endearing expression of the love of Christ, "which passeth knowledge," of "the peace of God which passeth all understanding." Think, O guilty man, think, O my soul, what a purpose of justice, think what a purpose of wrath would have been, had "God sent his Son into the world to condemn the world!" The spirit fails at the dreadful thought. Behold an insulted God descending to confound the pride and presumption of the builders of Babel; and mark their speedy dispersion. Behold a righteous God descended on a purpose of fiery indignation against polluted Sodom; and consider, in trembling silence, the smoke of her torment ascending up to heaven. Behold a whole world of ungodly men overwhelmed with the waters of a deluge; and learn how dreadful, how inconceivably dreadful a deliberate purpose of ven-merciful plan of salvation to its consummageance is. And, when you have pondered it well, reflect with wonder, gratitude, and delight, that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life;" that Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. Again,

III. This purpose of God, this purpose of grace was formed before the world began. Human purposes are feeble, fluctuating, unenlightened; obstructed by unforeseen events, they are constrained to change their direction, and to assume a new form. The imperfect work which through many difficulties

*John iii. 16.

IV. The blessed Author of this gracious, everlasting purpose, has revealed and bestowed it in his own way. He "hath saved us," "not according to our works," nor in the way of our own wisdom-it is given us in Christ Jesus. From the formation of the

tion in glory, the necessity of a mediator is never for a single moment left out of view. His name, like a sweet perfume, is wafted on the wings of every wind. Survey the world of nature through all its vast extent, and in its minutest particle, and we behold the omnific "WORD by whom all things were made, and without whom nothing was made that is made." He also "upholdeth all by the word of his power;" "all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth." Open the history of redemption at whatever page, and it still unfolds the mercy of God through Christ Jesus our Lord. Conducted of the Spirit back to the eternal days of uncreated light, admitted to the deliberations of the councils

and understand; he compares the model with the structure, and finds the tabernacle erected in the plain, the perfect counterpart of the pattern delivered in the mount-He finds the scriptures fulfilled, the predictions verified, the types explained, realized, justified; all things finished in and by the Lord Christ.

of peace, we hear the Son of God proclaim, "I am Alpha," "the beginning." Carried forward in joyful hope to the day when he shall "make all things new," the same voice still proclaims, "I am Omega," "the ending," "who was, and is, and is to come." Search the Scriptures; consult the prophets; to him they "all give witness." Meditate What hath been executed! He hath abothe promises; "all the promises of God in lished death, that hated, hideous spectre, him are yea, and in him amen, unto the through fear of whom the fallen posterity of glory of God." Examine the record; this is Adam are" subject to bondage." He hath the record, that God hath given to us eternal restrained the power, put an end to the dolife; and this life is in his Son. He that minion, annihilated the existence of the king hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not of terrors. Through sin death gained adthe Son of God hath not life."* Consider mission into the world; in sin his empire is the ministration of angels; the covenant of founded; by sin he is armed with a mortal promise" was ordained by angels in the hand sting. By the great propitiation for sin he of a Mediator." Hearken to a voice from is banished thence, his reign is terminated, the most excellent glory: "This is my be- his sting is plucked out. Ask that sickly, loved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear pining creature, what it would be to have him." All is light and glory; but not a sin- the disease which is perceptibly preying upon gle ray of light is transmitted through any his vitals abolished?. Ask that dejected primedium but this. All is grace-free, sove- soner of despair, what it would be to have his reign.grace; but there is not one intimation debt discharged, and the writ of his confinegiven, not one act of favour conferred, but ment abolished? Ask the wretch condemned, through the "one Mediator between God what it would be to have the fatal handwriand man, the Man Christ Jesus." To him ting of judgment that is against him abolishlet every knee bow, to him every tongue ed? And let the answers you would receive confess, of things in earth and things in convey, as well as they can, a sense of the heaven. What saith the scripture "He obligation under which we lie, to Him, who putteth no trust in his saints, and his angels hath done away the deadly plague which he chargeth with folly." Is not this a plain wastes, which threatens, which destroys the declaration, that the highest and holiest of soul; to Him, who hath paid the enormous created beings are imperfect and dependent; debt " to the uttermost farthing," purchased that they stand in need of a Mediator and a release, set open the prison doors; to Him Advocate in order to their acceptance with a who hath cancelled the awful sentence of a holy God? And is it not for this reason, righteous God, "nailing it to his cross." He that, "when he bringeth in the First-begot- hath abolished death, with all the wo that ten into the world, he saith, And let all the leads to it, all the dreadful wo that is in it, angels of God worship him?"-It being the all the more tremendous wo that succeeds: fundamental law of God's everlasting king- sickness and pain, anguish and old age: the dom before the world was, and after it shall bitter pang that rends asunder the body and be burnt up and pass away, with all that it the spirit; the hell that follows. And by contains, under patriarchs, prophets, and what wonderful means hath all this been apostles, under the legal and under the evan- effected?" through death" he has destroyed gelical dispensation, under the dominion of" him that had the power of death." Into grace and in glory, on earth and in heaven, his own snare the deceiver has fallen; by that there should be access to hope in, and his own weapons the enemy has been disacceptance with God, for men and for angels, armed; his own triumph hath proved his ruin. only through the Son of his love, the eternal" O death, where is thy sting? O grave, Word which made and supports all things.

V. In conformity with this glorious purpose and grace in Christ Jesus, what hath been executed? Every thing worthy of a design so grand, every thing worthy of its great "Author," worthy of the glorious "Finisher of our faith." His appearing hath made it manifest. The clearest sighted of the prophets, like the blind man only half restored to vision, saw men but as trees walking, but now, under the gospel, the dullest and most despised among believers sees every thing plainly; he sees the eternal purpose of God written in characters which he can read

* John v, 11, 12.

where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.”*

What hath been executed? He hath brought life and immortality to light. It is more than flattering hope or fond desire; it is more than the speculation of a philosophic mind, or the presumptuousness of reasoning pride; it is more than patriarchal confidence, or the dawning light of Mosaic revelation. It is desire warranted, and hope supported by facts: it is reason justified and confirmed by demonstration; it is the morning light of

* 1 Cor. xv. 55—57.

promise, advanced to the perfect day of dis- no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilcovery and accomplishment. "He that rais-led.”* "Wo be to him who striveth with ed up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken his Maker." Sinner, learn wisdom in time; your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth cease from the ruinous contention; "it is in you."* "For if we believe that Jesus hard for thee to kick against the pricks;" died, and rose again, even so them also which thou art wounding, destroying only thyself. sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."+" Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye peThis is not the cold peradventure of a sage, rish from the way, when his wrath is kindled saying, "If in this I err, I willingly err;" but a little. Blessed are all they that put but the blessed assurance of an apostle, say- their trust in him."t ing, "I know whom I have believed, and I Christians, be of good courage; "in paam persuaded that he is able to keep that tience possess ye your souls." God will which I have committed unto him against support and vindicate the cause that is his that day." "I am now ready to be offered, own. His truth and faithfulness, evinced by and the time of my departure is at hand. I the interposition of ages past, are a full secuhave fought a good fight, I have finished my rity for his care and attention through ages course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth to come. Time, which impairs all things there is laid up for me a crown of righteous-else, gives stability, force, and effect to the ness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, purposes of Heaven. The dissolution of the shall give me at that day: and not to me only, frame of nature is the consummation of the but unto all them also that love his appear-work of redemption: As the writings of ing."

And can it be necessary to inquire who caused this light to arise? Who removed the veil, and disclosed the hidden glories of eternity? What power could tune the human tongue to such raptures, and inspire a mortal breast with such holy and triumphant joy? "God is the LORD, which hath showed us light." It is "the revelation of Jesus Christ, who showeth to his servants things which must shortly come to pass." "By the gospel life and immortality are brought to light;"Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory."||

66

Learn hence the folly and danger of all opposition to the plans of eternal Providence. "He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against Him and hath prospered?"¶ Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The LORD shall have them in derision. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."**"If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God." "Verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in

* Rom. viii. 11. † Thess. iv. 14. § 2 Tim. iv. 6-8. Col. i. 26, 27.

1 2 Tim. i. 12. T Job ix. 4.

** Psal. ii. 2, 3, 4.6.8. tt Acts v. 38, 39.

Moses are an improvement upon the traditional knowledge of the antediluvian world; and as the gospel is an improvement upon the law and the prophets, so, "according to his promise," we look for a new economy, which shall be an improvement upon, and an extension, confirmation, and accomplishment of the gospel dispensation.

Learn to aspire after the honour and happiness of working together with God in forwarding this gracious design. It is the glory of the most exalted of all beings; and therefore, surely, deservedly claims the employment of the noblest powers of man. What heart would not rejoice in putting forth a helping hand towards rearing this blessed fabric, were it but to drive a pin, or fasten a cord. Remember that carelessness here is highly criminal; that to sit still is not only robbing yourself of the most exquisite pleasure, and declining the highest honour of which your nature is capable, but is at the same time the highest insult to your Creator, and the most certain means of incurring his displeasure. Look around you, and observe these myriads of fellow-creatures, less favoured of heaven than you are; consider them well, and be to them in the place of God. Extend to them that compassion which the Father of mercies hath extended toward thee.

See, my brothers, they are deformed, diseased in body; they are distressed in their circumstances; they are grieved in mind; alas, they "are dead in trespasses and sins!" Lost to God, lost to all the valuable purposes of existence, better for them they had never been born. But yet they are your brethren; they are susceptible of pleasure and pain like you; the same sun enlightens them; the gospel aims at relieving them as well as you; the same God created, and sustains, and cares for you both. Have pity upon *Matt. v. 18.. † Psalm ii. 12.

them; strive to restore them to peace with | of heaven shall be shaken, and the heavens themselves, to peace with the world, to peace with God. "It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."* "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy upon them." Let the purpose of grace comprehend them, even them also.

Son of God, who didst restore agility to the lame, sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, the faculty of speech to the dumb, life to the dead, and who givest wisdom to the wise,-thou shalt renovate all things, thou shalt abolish death and point out the path of life! O, I shall bless thee with transports of joy ineffable, in the day when the powers

*Matt. xviii. 14.

pass away with a great noise, and the earth with all that it contains shall be consumed! Then thy suffering creatures, delivered from all the ills which oppressed them, shall be clothed upon with a glorious and immortal body, fashioned like to thy glorious body; shall be perfectly conformed to thy blessed image-the image of the first-born among many brethren! Then the Saviour of the world shall pronounce, not from the expiring agony of the cross, but from the radiance of a throne above the skies, "It is finished!" Then He who "maketh all things new," shall with complacency contemplate this second glorious creation, and proclaim “all is good, yea, very good!"

HISTORY OF MOSES.

LECTURE LVI.

And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount, in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount; and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.-EXODUS xxiv. 15-18.

of a flaming furnace and live? But is it possible to remove from God an instant of time, a hair's breadth of space? No: God is about our path and our bed, is watching our going out and coming in, our lying down ond rising up. God is in this place: and, were our eyes opened, we should even now behold his face clothed with the frowns of just displeasure, or beaming with the smiles of paternal love.

BREAD is not more necessary to the sup-cing to the summit of the burning mountain port of human life, than religion is to the to meet God. Who can walk into the midst happiness of a rational being. Man, in his better, his immortal part, "lives by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." In more than one instance the miracle has been exhibited, of sustaining the body without food, and yet no pain nor inconveniency felt; but for the soul to exist, and to exist in comfort, undirected by the precepts, unenlightened by the discoveries, unsupported by the consolations of religion, is a miracle not to be performed. It is the Was the law given by "the disposition of more to be lamented that the attempt is so angels," arrayed in all their majesty and often fatally made, of living "without God might? O how benign their aspect, how in the world;" of pursuing a happiness that affectionate their assiduity, how vigilant is independent of the great Source of light their care, could we but behold them, while and joy; of seeking peace, rest, and enjoy- they aid the preaching of the everlasting ment in the neglect or violation of his com- gospel, while they attend the assemblies of mandments. Happy it is for men, if after a Christian church, and minister to them who having made the fruitless experiment of "seeking the living among the dead," and after having at length discovered that success is vanity, and that disappointment is vexation of spirit, have been persuaded, before it was too late, to draw their felicity from the pure and never-failing sources of faith and a good conscience; happy they, who, reconciled to God through Christ Jesus their Lord, enjoy real tranquillity in life, and well-grounded hope in death.

are the heirs of salvation! As the awfulness and solemnity of the prophet's condition are not peculiar to him, and to that important occasion, so neither are the privileges which he enjoyed, nor the communion to which he was admitted, peculiar and personal. Christian, you have but to retire into your closet and to shut the door after you, and you are immediately on the top of a higher mountain than Moses climbed, and are near to God as he was in the most precious moWe tremble as we behold Moses advan-ments of the most intimate communication.

Alone, or in company, we have access at all times to the throne of grace; and we have what gave him safety and confidence in drawing nigh unto God-an Advocate with the Father, a great High Priest, a Mediator betwixt God and us.

The great Jehovah, having delivered in every circumstance of magnificence that could excite attention, procure respect, and enforce obedience, that law, whose general nature, tendency, and design, together with its relation to the evangelical dispensation, were the subject of a former Lecture, proceeded to regulate their civil polity. But not by an audible voice, in the ears of all the people, as he had done the law of the ten commandments, but in private conference with Moses, to be by him delivered to the people, he delivered those institutions of a civil and political nature, which regarded their social and national capacity. In studying these, the lovers of scripture will rejoice to trace the justest and most comprehensive views of human nature, the noblest and most liberal ideas of legislation, the most perfect equity, the profoundest sagacity, and the most unbounded kindness and benevolence. But it exceeds our strength, and it consists not with our plan, to go into the detail of these excellent statutes. We pursue the history. The voice from Sinai having, in dreadful glory, proclaimed the conditions of this new covenant, directions are given for the solemn and public ratification of it. This was done that the obligation, which was originally, invariably, and necessarily binding upon the parties, might acquire additional force from voluntary consent, and from the intervention of august and significant ceremonies. I trust it will be neither unentertaining nor uninstructive to attend to the description of these ceremonies as they stand upon the sacred record. They are highly interesting, whether we consider them as the venerable remains of a very remote antiquity, being no less than three thousand three hundred and forty-three years prior to the present time;* or as the original compact in the constitution of an ancient, important, well-known, and generally interesting national government; or as forming part of the plan of a divine administration, whose force can never be spent, whose influence on human virtue and happiness can never expire.

God has "spoken once in his holiness," in a sensible manner, has made himself seen, heard, and felt by a whole people together. But it is neither consistent with his dignity, nor favourable to man's improvement, that he should always or often make himself known in that manner. He has spoken thus once, that every hearer might have a personal reason for acknowledging and adoring the dread Jehovah, the Fountain of all power,

* A. D. 1792.

[ocr errors]

the supreme Author of every establishment. And he speaks thus but seldom, that all men may learn to revere conscience, his vicegerent upon earth, to study his word, the interpreter of his nature and will; and to respect, and "be subject to the powers which he ordained of God, not only for wrath, but for conscience' sake." Directions are accordingly given to ratify the covenant, not by the whole people in person, but by their representatives. The persons summoned to attend on this great occasion, are; first, Moses himself, who was to represent the Mediator between the high contracting parties; then Aaron and his two sons, Nadab, and Abihu, who represented the Levitical body, or order of priesthood; and finally, seventy of the elders of Israel, who were to act in the name of the congregation at large. When we observe the names of Nadab and Abihu in this respectable list, and look forward to their dreadful and untimely end, we are led to a reflection of no small importance in studying the sacred volume; namely, that the destination of Providence in raising particular persons to eminent, honourable, and important stations in civil society, is something extremely different from "the election according to grace." A Cyrus and a Nebuchadnezzar may be the servants of God, to execute his vengeance or his love, without knowing any thing of their Employer; and their private and personal character may remain unaffected by their public conduct. The man according to God's own heart, in the view of some great object of public utility, has sometimes been found dishonouring God by private vice, and degrading, destroying himself, while he has been materially serving the world. This most serious consideration dictated to the great apostle of the Gentiles that necessary rule of conduct. "I keep under my body and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast away." "* And it is a loud call to every one who acts in a public capacity, to support and adorn it by private virtue and unaffected piety. While the great God was thus putting honour on these seventy-three persons in the eyes of all the people, he sees it necessary to put and to keep them in mind of their distance and dependence; "Worship ye afar off: Moses alone shall come near the Lord, but they shall not come nigh.”

This message being reported to the people, they express their cheerful and unanimous consent. "All the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do." Moses upon this reduces into writing the articles of the treaty between God and the people, to be recited aloud in the hearing of all the parties concerned, previous to the solemnities of the † Exod. xxiv. 3.

* 1 Cor. ix. 27.

« AnteriorContinuar »