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its own ftandard; not by the true standard, the word of God; they fupport what is termeď, a very refpectable character. They are, on the whole, punctual and honeft in their dealings; grave and decent in their manners; not apt, under ordinary circumftances, to ufe profane language, or to fly out into paffions and quarrels; generally prefent, once at least on the Sabbath, in the public worthip of God; and attendants perhaps, more or lefs frequent·ly,

on the facramental table. Poffibly you enquire, "Are not all these things right?" That is not exactly the queftion which you fhould propofe. The true queftion is; Suppofing this conduct, as far as it advances, to be right; is it fufficient? Is it living unto Chrift in fuch a manner as the Scriptures declare to be neceffary to falvation? Now, in fuggefting this enquiry, far be it from me to encourage any of you cenforioufly to pry into the character of others. But moft earnestly let me importune each of you thoroughly to examine his own; that he may discover whether it has been exhibited in the

preceding picture. To the question, then,

whether the conduct which has been defcribed be not right as far as it advances; the Scriptures reply, that it is right, if it has originated from right principles, from Chriftian motives.

If you have been temperate only for the fake of preferving your health; if you have been decent in your converfation, grave in your deportment, honeft and quiet in your dealings, and regular in prefenting yourselves in the house or at the table of the Lord; only for the fake of your reputation, or for some other selfish and worldly reason: there has been nothing in all these things of living unto Chrift. But let us make a more favourable fuppofition. Be it admitted that your conduct has flowed in fome degree from the love of Chrift. I cannot fuppofe, if you belong to the clafs of which I now fpeak, that it has flowed principally from the love of Chrift. Had that been your principal motive; it would have given birth to far other fruits. But your conduct flowed, in part, from love to Christ. Poor and deficient indeed, has been your love for the Lord Jefus; if you have been fatisfied with, manifefting it by fuch feeble tokens. And poor and deficient is knowledge of your Bible; if you think that thew that love of Chrift, which the you Bible requires of every true Chriftian! What faith the old Teftament? Thou shalt love. the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy might (c). (c) Deut. vi. 5.

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What faith the New? Ye, are not to live unto yourselves; but unto Chrift who died for you. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God; that God may in all things be glorified through Christ Jefus (d). Interpret by these comprehenfive yet moft perfpicuous explanations the import of the direction, Learn to do well. Behold what it is to keep the heart with all diligence! Behold what it is to be holy in all manner of converfation and godliness! Behold what it is to love your neighbour as yourself! Behold what it is to keep under your body, and bring it into fubjection! Behold a talk which demands. fervent zeal, affectionate gratitude, unabating vigilance, unwearied exertion. At home and abroad to be actively employed in doing good; to visit the fatherlefs and the widow in their affliction; to withstand corrupting example, and keep ourselves unfpotted from the world; to adorn day by day with encreafing holiness the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; to let our light fhine before men for the very purpose of leading them to glorify our Father who is in heaven; to labour to be holy be cause our Lord is holy, pure because he requireth purity, just and true and merciful be

(d) 1 Cor. x. 31. 2 Cor. v. 15. 1 Pet. iv. 11.

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cause he loveth juftice and truth and mercy; this it is to learn to do well, this it is to have the grace of God, this it is to live unto Chrift, this it is to crucify the flesh with the affections and lufts.

III. The characteristics which have hitherto been propofed as tefts, by which you may be affifted in forming a judgement whether at present you belong to Chrift, have principally been deduced from your proceedings as to the government of unhallowed inclinations and defires, and from your tempers and condu& as exercifed towards man. Not that the frame of your heart towards God has been thrown into the back-ground. Love to God through Chrift has been affumed as the bafis of felf-government, and of love to man. From that root muft fpring every ramification of duty. From that fountain of living waters every Chriftian grace muft derive never-ceafing fupplies. The difpofition, however, of your foul as to fubjects more immediately and closely fpiritual than those which have been specified is the leaft dubitable of all the tokens, to which you can resort for infight into your actual state. Place then before your eyes the divine plan of Salvation. Con

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template its nature. Behold it representing itself as in every point a system of free and unmerited mercy. Behold it cafting down the pride of man extinguishing his vaunted pretenfions: exacting the unqualified renunciation of his imaginary righteousness: fummoning him to fall proftrate as a condemned criminal at the foot of the crofs: and conftraining him to exclaim in the anguish of confcious guilt; "Lord! I look for deliverance "from everlasting punishment, and for ad"miffion into thy eternal kingdom, folely "because thou waft flain that thou mightest "redeem me unto God by thy blood. Lord!"I look forward in hope of being enabled to "will and to do that which is well-pleafing in "thy fight, to conquer myfelf, to fhun or to

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repel the fiery darts of Satan, folely because

thy grace is made perfect in weakness." Is this plan of falvation, thus humiliating to human arrogance, thus declaratory of man's utter debility and corruption, acceptable to you? Do you receive it not merely with acquiefcence, but with complacency, with delight? Is Chrift crucified, to multitudes on the one hand a fumbling-block, to multitudes on the other, foolishness, to you the Power of God, and the wifdom of God (e)? Are you cheer(e), 1 Cor. i. 23, 24,

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