Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

while the Redeemer is calling from his throne of glory in heaven, look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth; every eye would be directted towards the place, from whence came the joyful sound. And while his Servants are following up the same blessed proclamation, in delivering his message on earth, that Christ Jesus is come to save sinners; every heart would be warmed, to receive with rapture, and thanksgiving, that faithful saying which is indeed worthy of all acceptation.

In natural things, such is universally the case. You never find many arguments necessary, in order to prevail upon a poor, naked creature, to accept a garment to cover him. Neither, will the hungry, or the thirsty, need much persuasion, to induce them to receive a supply to their wants. But in spiritual concerns, the sinner, who is totally void of all covering in himself, to appear before God, cannot be prevailed upon, by all the reasoning of men, to accept the robe of Jesus's righteousness, to clothe him: nor though perishing, will he take of the bread of life, or the water of life, notwithstanding, they are offered to him freely, without money, and without price.

That these things are so, will hardly I should suppose be questioned, for the matter is certainly too obvious, to admit dispute. But it will very naturally arise in the minds of the truly se

rious

rious, to enquire into the cause.

Do such characters it may be asked, really believe, what all the ordinances of the Christian religion are supposed to teach, that they are sinners before God and have broken his righteous laws? Yes! Few men are hardy enough to suppose, but that in many things they have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But hath it been properly repre

sented to them also, what is the sure consequence of these things? Yes! it is perfectly un+ derstood, and no man in the present day of knowledge, is supposed to be uninformed in this particular, that the wages of sin is death: and that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

But it may yet be questioned further, hath the Gospel's gracious proclamation, of pardon, and peace, in the blood of the cross, been held forth to them, at the same time, as a full, free, and finished salvation? Yes! Faithful preachers of the word, are extremely cautious, that they keep back nothing, that is profitable to the people, but daily both in the temple, and in every house, cease not to teach and to preach in all his person and offices, Jesus Christ.

To what cause then, can it be ascribed, that total indifference, and that strange insensibility, which men manifest to divine things, and by

I

which

which they live in the very midst of light, and knowledge, as without God in the world?

That there must be, some latent source of evil, wrapt up in the very heart of man, to induce such effects, in an endless succession, from age, to age; can hardly be a doubt. But mankind, would for ever have remained, both ignorant of the cause, and of the means of recovery, if God himself had not graciously interposed, and condescended to have given the information. He hath mercifully taught us, in his holy word, that man since the fall, is by nature, in a state of blindness, and darkness, and ignorance respecting divine things; and as unconscious, of the spiritual apprehension of any one object, of a spiritual nature, as if it had never been proposed to him.

From this unquestionable authority, we learn, that our first Father, when he lost his integrity, together with it, lost his knowledge of his Maker. And that this was the death, which in dying, he died. A spiritual, not a natural death; for as to animal faculties, and functions, he lived many years after, in the full enjoyment of them. But by this awful apostacy from God, he lost all spiritual knowledge of God. And begetting a Son in his own likeness, as it is said; that is, not in the likeness of his Maker, in which he was himself created, but in a fallen, faded, sinful,

dark,

dark, and ignorant likeness, all his posterity, are by nature, partakers of the same.

Hence, though man possesseth the exercise of rational powers, and by the help of these, can reason even upon divine subjects, with a degree of accuracy which is sometimes astonishing; yet all the while, in respect to a real spiritual apprehension of those things, untaught by the Spirit of God, he will for ever remain unconscious of them. For his apprehension of these things, is derived from the information of others, not from any knowledge in himself: like one who relates a narrative of what he hath heard, not of what he himself hath known, or seen, like the Pharisees who beheld the miracles of Jesus, and therefore could not deny the facts; but though compelled to exclaim, from whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works? yet felt, no conviction to believe in him.

The Apostle Paul, in a single verse, of his inspired writings, hath both established the certainty of this doctrine, and explained the cause of it. The natural man (he says) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. * And as if to draw a line of discrimination, between persons of this description, and those of a contrary character, whose spiritual senses, are brought into life, and I 2 exercise,

*1 Cor. 2. 14

7

exercise, to discern both good and evil, by the quickening operations of the Holy Ghost; he immediately adds, in the same verse, but he that is spiritual judgeth all things,

And hence, all those scriptures, which define the essential properties, between a state of unawakened, unregenerated nature, and that of grace; While the one is said to have the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart being past feeling and given over to work all uncleanness with greediness: nay even dead in trespasses and sins: the other, is declared to be renewed in the spirit of the mind and to be begotten again from dead works to serve the living and true God.

It is, to this one source therefore, of our fallen nature, while remaining in an unawakened, unregenerated state, as to the fountain head of all our misery, we trace up the whole of that indifference, and insensibility, which mark the character of the world, in the rejection of the gospel. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Hence, those very awful sights with which human life abounds. Some like Mary sunk in sorrow. Others lost in care. Multitudes swallowed up, in the vortex of the world's pursuit: ambition, pleasure, wealth, and honor,

With

« AnteriorContinuar »