was the Spirit that animated him, why should he "refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ?” Why should he "esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt?" Why had he such "respect to the recompence of reward ?” Why should he "forsake Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the King," and "endure" all the hardships and sorrows of exile? Is it not the prime explanation of all this, that he acted and suffered " as seeing Him who is Invisible?" And what but the same temper and the same aim could have carried him so well through the painful, tempting, and extreme difficulties of his office as Commander and Lawgiver in the wilderness? Was not the main fear which oppressed him amidst discouragements, lest the name of God should be dishonoured before the heathen? And was not this his plea in his powerful and affecting intercessions for Israel? Caleb and Joshua too, on the same scale, rose to their eminence of character and favour. But time would fail to trace this pervading and controlling motive in the solemn life of Samuel, the stern character of Elijah, the aspirations of David, Asaph, and the Author of the hundred and nineteenth Psalm, the fidelity of Nehemiah, the devotion of Daniel, the zeal of Ezra, the visions and songs of Isaiah, the tears of Jeremiah, and the parables and symbols of Ezekiel. All is full of God. Towards him their reverence bowed, their affection glowed, their confidence looked, their desire breathed, their praise ascended, their action moved, their life tended, their being sought its end. GOD WAS ALL IN ALL. The intermediate case standing alone between the old and new dispensations is worthy of present notice, for this reason, that all we knew of John the Baptist, is his glorifying God. We see him in no other character. It was this lustre which made him "a burning and shining light." With this awful, though lovely splendour, he bursts on the world, and then suddenly retires; and we catch no glimpse of him, but in this glorious radiation. His object, his course, his spirit, were in this respect, all illustrious. He was sent "to prepare a way for the Lord and a highway for our God." We contemplate his exalted character as it appeared in his awful warnings which thrilled through the very heart of Judea, in the stern fidelity which awed the Galilean Court, but most of all, in the humble and selfdenying complacency with which he anticipated the greater influence of his successor and Lord : must increase, but I must decrease." * "He And now we pass on to the first disciples of our Saviour. When we mark the conduct and spirit of these men in the days of Christ's personal ministry, it does indeed appear that they feebly, too feebly recognised the glory of God as the great end of what they did. Their views were obscure, their motives often carnal, their spirit far too selfish, their piety dwarfish, and their whole character but ill-formed for the high end which led forward the mind of their divine Master. We look at them immediately after the day of Pentecost; and we ask are these the same men? How changed! These babes and dwarfs are suddenly transformed into heroes and giants. What comprehensive views do we now discover in them! * John iii. 30. What exalted aims! What freedom from secularity and ambition! What spirituality! What devotion! What firmness of purpose! What consecration of heart, of powers, of life to God! How largely imbued with the Spirit of their Lord! What cordial and eager entrance into his views and purposes ! How little did they now seem to think they were their own! And all this was sustained by the subsequent doctrine, labours, sufferings, steadfastness, spirit and lives of these men of God: "IN ALL THINGS APPROVING THEMSELVES AS THE MINISTERS OF GOD, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers and yet true; as unknown and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."-From men who could thus carry themselves, the avowal of a predominating desire to glorify God, was no empty vaunt, no visionary and fantastic notion, no unmeaning or false pretension. It was all truth, reality and 'action. It was demonstration, living and acting. It challenged the severest scrutiny. It bade defiance to every charge and every evil construction which derogating and wicked malice might put upon it. It baffled every attempt to misinterpret it. Every effort then, and every effort now, to account for the "The conduct of the apostles on any principles than those which they avow, must be weak and futile. glory of God," shines so brightly around them, that it discovers and puts to shame the malice that attempts to darken, or obscure, or misrepresent their deeds and character. From these the Apostle Paul stands out somewhat circumstantially distinct and separate, inasmuch as he was later in his participation of this spirit which was common to them all; and as its indications are more isolated, more prominent, more numerously detailed, and more easily traced. He also wrote largely. What a man writes by way of argument, or system, or even of sentiment, if designed and practised, is not always an indication of his motives, and dispositions. But when in writings, at various and distant periods of life, addressed to different parts of the world, some to communities on various occasions, and some to friends in confidential counsel and affection, there are references to one object-references frequent, yet natural, impassioned, yet easy, sudden yet unforced; we should conclude that it was a favourite, valued and cherished object. It may be instructive to run hastily over the writings of Paul, and omitting the many instances in which this object is mentioned as a matter of doctrine, or precept, note those only, in which it breaks from him in the unstudied ardour of personal feeling. "To whom be glory for ever and ever. "To God Amen.' only wise be glory, through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen." + "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father, to whom be † Rom. xvi, 27. Rom. xi. 36. AA glory for ever and ever. Amen." "And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me to his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." + "Unto him be glory in the Church, through Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end." ↑ "Through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, for ever and ever. Amen."§ "Now unto God and our Father, be glory for ever and ever. Amen."-That these adoring attributions were the genuine overflowings of a heart all devoted to its object, is apparent, not only from the unaffected mode in which they were expressed, but from the entire christian and ministerial course of the Apostle, by which they were sustained and justified. His ascriptions were not more glowing than his life, nor his words more godly than his actions. His regard for his Maker's glory began when he exclaimed, 66 Lord what wouldst thou have me to do;" ¶ it wrought and shone in his decision, his devotion, his preaching, his toils, his sufferings, his controversies, his defences, his lowly, self-denying, self-renouncing spirit; and it closed on earth in his cheerful surrender of life itself in the cause of his God and Saviour. III. The same spirit has descended to the church of God in all subsequent ages. The Reformation presents it in a strong light. The great spirits of that movement pursued this high end with enlightened decision, with steadiness of purpose, with intrepidity, with ardour, with incessant and painful labours, and with admirable self-denial. What re markable examples are Luther, Calvin, Knox, Lati * Gal. i. 5. † 2 Tim. iv. 18. Phil. iv. 20. Eph. iii. 21. |