Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

The history of the "woman who was a sinner," but whose sins were forgiven because "she loved much"; with the accompanying parable of the creditor and two debtors, is recorded by St. Luke alone; the parable of the Pharisee and Publican is in St. Luke alone; the parable of the lost piece of silver, showing the earnestness of GOD to search and seek out wanderers from the truth, is in St. Luke alone; St. Luke alone has preserved to us that most beautiful, affecting, and instructive parable of the returning prodigal ; St. Luke alone has told us how salvation came to the house of Zacchæus; but for St. Luke alone, we should never have heard that miracle of mercy, the pardon of the penitent thief. St. Luke alone has preserved those words of CHRIST'S Commission to His disciples, "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name among all nations." And the Acts of the Apostles are nothing but a history of this preaching, and the conversion of souls by the great doctrine of CHRIST crucified, received by faith, and effectual through repentance.

Now, my Brethren, that we may obtain the blessings which we have this day implored, that all the diseases of our souls may be healed by the heavenly doctrine delivered by St. Luke, let us consider the few instances we have above noticed, and which are peculiar to that Evangelist. Let us consider what that repentance and faith are, which will heal all the diseases of our souls, —that is, all our sins; for sins are the diseases of the soul.

which most of all speak of mercy and remission of sins to the returning penitent, we should see that most of these would be found in the Gospel of St. Luke exclusively."-Williams, ubi supra.

1 St. Luke xxiv. 47.

3

That we may then, my Brethren, profit by the advice of this good spiritual physician, we must first of all allow him to tell us that we are diseased. "They that are whole," says our LORD, "need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."1 If we will not allow ourselves to be sinners, we shall not experience the attentions of the Heavenly Physician. If we will not allow ourselves sinners, we do not allow CHRIST for our SAVIOUR, for from sin it is that HE saves us." Contemplate St. Luke's examples of true repentance. The penitent woman washes her SAVIOUR'S feet with tears of contrition. The penitent publican exclaims, "God be merciful to me a sinner !”1 the prodigal comes to himself, that is, sees his lost condition, and exclaims, "FATHER, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee !" Zacchæus confesses his extortion, and false accusation." The thief on the cross admits, or rather avows, "We receive the due reward of our deeds."7 Here, then, my Brethren, is the lesson that the physician Evangelist would teach you. Do you, with the penitent woman, fall in sorrow and adoring love at the feet of JESUS? With the publican, scarcely lift up so much as your eyes unto heaven? Do you, with the prodigal, feel that you are no more worthy to be called the children of your heavenly FATHER? And when His afflicting hand is upon you, and His just but merciful correction stretches you on the cross of tribulation, can you say from the heart, do you acknowledge with all the soul, that you

1 St. Luke v. 31, 32.
3 St. Luke vii. 38.
"St. Luke xv. 18, 21.
7 St. Luke xxiii. 41.

2 St. Matt. i. 21.
4 St. Luke xviii. 13.

6 St. Luke xix. 8.

GOD

are receiving the due reward of your deeds? then be thanked, my Brethren! you have so far profited by the medicine of His servant St. Luke; you have seen your disease, and may you have grace to search on and find the remedy! But if this is not your case, this is at least what you have prayed for; and until you have realised this, you have experienced no effectual return to your prayer.

To be partakers of the remedy, as well as to know the disease, let us examine further the same cases, which the pen of this great Evangelist has recorded for our benefit. In all these cases, the sense of sin produced an ardent desire of mercy, and coming to GOD. All cried unto the LORD in their trouble. The sinful woman's heart was too full for words; but her tears, her kisses, her costly balm, spake even more eloquently: and HE Who knew her heart, knew that "she loved much." The publican's prayer is simply for mercy, "GOD be merciful!" The prodigal goes to his father, and implores, "Make me as one of thy hired servants." Zacchæus seeks to

CHRIST, and receives HIм joyfully. The dying thief prays, "LORD, remember me, when THOU comest into Thy kingdom." To feel that we are sinners is not all Judas knew this when he exclaimed, “I have sinned";-but there must be an earnest desire to attain to God's mercy, a fervent prayer that He would remember and receive us; there must be a ready and immediate acceptance of CHRIST and His salvation. Like the sinful female, we have no words to utter; like the debtors in the parable, we have "nothing to pay"; like the publican, we have nothing to plead ; like the prodigal, we have nothing to bring; like Zacchæus and the thief, we come stained with sins;

but if we now abhor those sins, and will resolve to forsake them, we may attain to that mercy which those parables declare, and which those histories exemplify.

Further, we learn from the Evangelist's doctrine, that our repentance must be accompanied with restitution wherever that is possible, or it is no true repentance. Restitution to GoD is impossible. St. Luke has recorded those words of our LORD, "When ye have done all things that were commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do." Hence, neither the publican and prodigal in the parables, nor woman and the thief in the histories, could make any restitution. But restitution to man is very possible; and wherever we have done any sort of injury to our brother, whether it be in property, or in mind, or in reputation, or in any other matter whatsoever, restitution to the very uttermost of our ability is necessary to a true repentance. Mark the condition of Zacchæus in this respect: "Behold, LORD," he says, "the half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." That is, in all the cases in which he could recompense his frauds, he did so fourfold; while, to put off, as far as was possible, the guilt of what he could not restore, he gave the half of his property to the And this may poor. show us that even where we cannot afford compensation for injuries done, some sacrifice is necessary on our part, by way of acknowledgment, and to render our repentance acceptable in the eye of GOD. The sin of Zacchaeus was fraud and extortion; but the same principle applies to other sins. If he has been

1 St. Luke xvii. 10.

idle, the penitent will be industrious; if he has been sensual, he will be pure; if he has been revengeful, he will now be filled with Christian affection-he will walk circumspectly, not as a fool, but as wise, redeeming the time. He will bring of his best to his SAVIOUR, as the woman brought her precious ointment. He will lay at the feet of his LORD his heart, his substance, his intellect, his labours. He will deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow HIM.

66

The instruction of the Evangelist further directs us that the object and sure accomplishment of our faith and hope are JESUS CHRIST. He spake to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee;" Zacchæus received HIм joyfully; and the suffering malefactor could see in the crucified JESUS, when deserted by all, and in the pangs of a servile death, One Who did what never man did beside, "nothing amiss "; One Who was still a king, and going to a kingdom; One Whose remembrance would profit him when all earthly memories should be no more. But if we pass from St. Luke's Gospel to his other great work, the Acts of the Apostles, we shall find faith magnified throughout it-we shall find it preach throughout the doctrine it records as delivered by Paul and Silas: "Believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and thou shalt be saved." Much as that text and others of like import have been distorted from their true signification, we must not conceal them, nor deprive ourselves of their real blessing. The Philippian jailer .understood those words to include Baptism and good works, as is evident from his subsequent conduct: "for he took Paul and Silas the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all his, straight

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
« AnteriorContinuar »