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THE CHURCH.

"Built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone."-Eph. ii. 20.

JULY, 1856.

THE WORKERS OF INIQUITY HIDING THEMSELVES.

BY THE REV. JOHN FOSTER.*

"There is no darkness or shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves."-Job xxxiv. 22.

"Workers of iniquity." A general idea of the character so described is instantly formed in every mind. The thoughts do not stay upon the mere description; the actual substance, the exemplification, is too conspicuous. But the text marks a special circumstance in their character,― viz., that they are men who wish, or will wish, to hide themselves; that there is that in their dispositions and practice which they would wish concealed from all knowledge and judgment; that they would be delighted, inexpressibly, by the assurance of a veil of eternal darkness. But why so? for this is contrary to the social character-nature-of man, that loves communication, confidence, and sympathy. And also, is it not strange that a man should wish to be for ever accounted other than he really is, even while he loves himself as he is? Is it that there is a malignant supreme power over the creation, with which there is to be an everlasting contest between the will to detect and the power to conceal ? What a wish it is that Omniscience were extinct! that its grand sphere might be invaded on all sides, narrowed more and more to the centre: that is to say, that there were no God! And all this because God is just! for this wish to hide is an acknowledgment that there is justice over the creation, that there is a righteous and retributive power inspecting everywhere, with the consciousness that there is something obnoxious to justice. But for this consciousness, all would be "children of light." "He that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God." If, therefore, we could compute the sum of all that men would wish it possible to keep from the light, as being consciously wrong-bad-we should have a mighty and a sad deposition against mankind (just imagine the whole amount of all that which men would be glad if God could not know), especially if we take into account how partial and imperfect after all, is conscience, in the greatest number!

The text chiefly respects the impossibility of concealment from God, and the wish that it were possible! But to a certain extent it might be truly said also with respect to human inspection and judgment:-There is a great care of concealment from even that judicial inspection, and with but partial success. It is true that many seem little to care for exposing some of their iniquities to the inspection of their fellow-mortals, e. g.,

VOL. X.

*The Rev. John Foster's own Notes of a Sermon.

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intemperance, profaneness, maliciousness, and cruelty. But still there is a great system of concealment, a respectful dread of human opinion and apprehension of its practical consequences, and therefore an immense quantity of truth and fact which it is desired and endeavoured to keep from the light. Think how much is kept carefully shrouded within the soul,-think of all that hypocrisy labours to cover,-how many things are endeavoured to be screened from inspection and censure by a laboured train and complication of artifices, pretences, and falsehoods,-all the designs plotting among small combinations of the workers of iniquity,figure to yourselves the retired haunts and dens which there are for the preparation of crimes, and for devising more!

But we have said that the declaration in the text is applicable in part even to this view of the condition of the workers of iniquity, that it is but imperfectly that they can hide themselves. There are innumerable vigilant eyes and minds exercising a keen inspection. Men are watching one another in default of inspecting themselves; there is a never-sleeping suspicion; the self-interested feelings, and the malevolent ones, create sagacity; disclosure is made through untoward accidents and circumstances; the wicked often betray one another; sometimes conscience also forces out a black secret that has tormented it, especially in the approach of death. It may be added that in these times there is far more than ever before of the means and the spirit of discovery; there is so much more communication throughout society; and with regard to persons departed recently, or even long since, "who made a figure in the world," it has become a practice to search out all the obscure memorials of them. On the whole, a vast deal becomes known concerning men which they wish should not be known. Still how much there must be in the dark reserve, known only to God! And here it is a striking reflection, that the workers of iniquity are more concerned for concealment from men, than awed by the certainty that they cannot hide themselves from God! We might be lost in wonder at such a fact! Think of a man in the approach to a deed of iniquity: his precaution, exact survey of situation and circumstances, earnest vigilance, alarm at slight incidents, sounds and appearances, as if everything were a spy to betray him to man, but, little signifies to him the fact that God fills all the place! Or, suppose him to have effected his wicked intention, and as exulting that he is not detected. "The hazard is past,-a sin without detection,-clear again! -so he congratulates himself. "Happy man," we might add, you have now none to fear but God." Or, suppose that full detection comes upon him in the guilty hour, or speedily after, this is but breaking away a thin shade, that he may be exposed to some creature of the same-his ownkind, whereas he was already perfectly exposed to the view of the Almighty; but there is not a look that scorns him, nor a voice that execrates him, that does not inflict a more grievous sensation than any thought of God does!-But will sinners never, never be persuaded to reflect, how inexpressively trifling a matter it is whether they can or cannot veil themselves from the knowledge and condemnation of men, in comparison with that other circumstance in their condition, that they are for ever under the meridian of the light and power of the Almighty. "There is no darkness or shadow of death."

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Not to dwell on the general consideration of the Divine omniscience, for which there is no need, note the impossibility of concealment from it in any of those particular kinds of darkness in which sinners would seek to hide themselves.

1. The darkness of profound dissimulation is hardly to be named. It has great success among men, and a pagan might think to practise it

towards his gods, and a papist towards his saints; but believe that there is an all-pervading, all-discerning Spirit, and this resource is gone, so that it rests upon the mind as a perfect certainty, that not one deception can be put upon God to all eternity.

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2. The denomination, "darkness," might perhaps be applied to deep solitude. This is not, indeed, a situation generally sought by "the workers of iniquity;" many of the designs of iniquity require concert and coöperation; and, besides, there is generally a consciousness haunting the workers of evil, which impels them to some kind of society for relief from themselves. But there are cases in which the worker of iniquity may choose to be alone, both for design and action. His mind deeply works, and ponders, and devises, in a retired apartment, on a lonely heath, in a dark wood; and then he advances to the action, unconfiding, unaided, unaccompanied; in deep silence; there is only one tread of feet, -only one shadow cast. This requires great hardihood of spirit in a wicked man, at least in some kind of crime. And, indeed, wickedness, risen to a certain height, may have a kind of courage by its own inspiration, and peculiar to itself; a kind of demoniac energy, a stern desperation. There might even be a kind of pride in being thus alone,— tempt of needing assistance or encouragement. But, alone, does he think? Is there no intimation, then, of another there? Should not the silence of other voices aid him to hear one? that one to which the dead would listen if he called them! Should not the breeze convey, as it were, solemn whispers ? Can even he look on the walls and not see something like what Belshazzar saw,-see it with his mind's eye? Even his breathing, and the beating of his heart, and the action of his mind, might not these suggest the presence of a Being? &c. Should not the thought strike him, "How brutish I were not to apprehend anything here but what I see! (The thing is not what he sees, but what sees him!) I have withdrawn from men, but is there no one to watch me come hither, and silently remain observing me? I meet the glance or glare of no visible eyes, but Those feeble spirits clothed in flesh are not here; but that Spirit! dare I even question whether he be there, lest he should give me some terrible proof of it? The society is, indeed, reduced to two; but who are those two? for one of them all created intelligences had to me better be substituted!"

3. "Night" may be named as another mode of darkness in which the workers of iniquity seek to hide themselves,-the "accepted time" for sinners, and the part of time in which probably the greater portion of wickedness of the deeper kind is perpetrated. While we are contemplating, how much more dark the shade seems to become,-how much like the "shadow of death," by the moral blackness of sin thrown into it! But let sinners reflect. Till God made the sun could he see nothing? Was it for his own use that he lighted that great lamp? At its rising again in the morning, can he but conjecture what may have been done since it set? Will the record be each second page blank, or unlettered shade? or, does he give up the night exempt from his laws? The great majority around us are asleep; but when is his time to slumber and sleep? When the day dawns shall sinners say, "Now God is awaking." And will the works of iniquity done in the night pass away as a part of the vanishing shades? "Nothing of all this absurdity," the workers of iniquity will answer with scorn; "idle fictions for the very children of pagans and savages." What then, is it come to this, that you will take for your crimes the very season which seems to belong peculiarly to Him, -in which He alone can see,-as if you would go into the very recess of a temple to insult the Divinity!

4. If we change the view to a moral or spiritual sense, we may give the denomination of darkness to a delusive state of notions respecting religion. They may change the light of religion into darkness, and shroud them. selves in it. Not expressly rejecting what God has revealed, sinners may nevertheless flatter themselves, in a thoughtless way, that the Divine holiness, the Divine law, the threatened retribution, cannot be such absolute things as are often represented; that to God such offences can be no such mighty matter; that his goodness may be easily very tolerant and excuse; that his justice may punish but lightly; that his power and wisdom may easily overlook such offenders. Thus turning the Divine truth into a lie, it is made a delusion, a darkness." Or, they may reject revelation, and then question whether there will be a divine judgment or not! Or become atheists, and so leave no God to judge and avenge! Most truly this is "the shadow of death! In such darkness of their own creating they may seek to hide themselves; from their own depravity they may exhale a cloud to obscure the sun; but neither will this avail them. They ought to be alarmed; to reflect whence it is that they have raised this protective shade, which is to defend sin from fear! This very thing might warn them that it is the very light of truth that they are endeavouring to shroud themselves from. It is by that unchangeable light that the Sovereign Judge is beholding them; and their wilful temporary delusion, when it passes away, will but have been the cause why that light will glare the more intensely upon them; and by it, when it comes on them, they will see the true quality of that departing shade. A peculiar severity of regret will attend the breaking up of that darkness which is sought in the wilful misapprehension of truth.

Finally, in the grave,-in the state of the dead in the other world,there will be no hiding-place of darkness. A most effectual concealment from men, whose inspection alone they were solicitous to elude, while on this narrow ground of watchful inspection,-the place of human judg. ment. And now they are gone off from it into the wide universe,-and whither? But what signifies it whither ? It will not, indeed, be left to their choice whither; but if it were, and they might see or fly to the remotest orb, there would be no more resource! No corner of the universe has a veil from its Creator,-no recess into which a spirit cannot slide. There are the same all-seeing power and Almighty justice everywhere, and "if they make their bed in hell, He is there." And if they look forward through time, there is in prospect the great day of manifes tation, of which the transcendent light will be such as to annihilate the darkness of all past time. It will be not only as the light of seven days, but as the light of thousands of years, all at once.

But, in conclusion, why will the creatures of God seek or wish to hide themselves from him,-from him the supreme God, the source of light and eternal joy; who beams upon them in beneficence, compassion, invitations, and promises; who has given his revelation to show the way to him; who has sent his incarnate Son to reconcile them, to atone for them, to redeem them, to display the glories of heaven to them, as what himself has to give,-unless they will prefer the spirit and works of darkness, and the gloom of seeking at last, in vain, for a darkness to hide them from the Divine justice? May the Divine mercy grant that this doom may not be ours!

THE AMAZING CONTRAST.

BY THE REV. JOHN COX.

"Behold the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me."— John xvi. 32.

"I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you."-John xiv. 18.

The great disease of human nature is selfishness. Under the influence of this vile and absorbing principle, God is forgotten, and man is neglected. The grand discovery of divine love is seen in the selfsacrificing spirit of Jesus; he pleased not himself, sought not his own glory, and in thus acting, glorified God, and benefited others. We can only be saved from selfishness and its curse, by faith in him. By believing on Christ we get rid of the enormous guilt which we have incurred. It is by faith also that the heart is purified, and brought into sympathy with Christ.

This process is not completed while we remain in this world; and sometimes the followers of the Saviour sink back into selfishness in some form or other, which shows that they are out of sympathy with Christ, and have failed as regards living by faith on him. Such was the case with the Apostles of Christ soon after he addressed these words to them. They were not aware how weak their faith was, and how clearly it would be manifested that selfishness was yet strong within them. The Saviour knew all, and in answer to their professions of faith and attachment said, "Do ye now believe? I perceive that soon your faith will fail, selfishness will triumph, you will all flee and leave me alone." It is a mercy that the love of Christ to them did not depend on their faith in him, else he had ceased to love them in that dark hour when unbelief prevailed. But we must not think lightly of unbelief, as this state of mind dishonours the Saviour, robs our souls, and pleases Satan. When the Saviour was risen from the dead he displayed the firmness of his affection by seeking out the wanderers, speaking peace to them, and reinstating them in their offices, but he faithfully reproved their unbelief and hardness of heart. Let us take warning from their fall, and make their devoted conduct after their restoration our example. But most of all let us seek grace to learn more of the Saviour's love, by studying these prophetic and pathetic words, which have been so mournfully and yet mercifully fulfilled. These two passages reveal a solemn crisis,-contain a striking contrast,-and suggest some solacing and sanctifying considerations.

1. A coming crisis is foretold. "The hour cometh, yea, is now come." This language shows the Lord's perfect knowledge of all that should befal him, and the importance which he attached to one particular period. Upon that awful season, on which so much depended, he was just then entering. He calls it "an hour:" we have termed it "a crisis," which means the decisive point of any time or affair." We call that a crisis which various things conspire to produce, the workings of which are strange and wonderful, and the results of which are very great. Every nation almost has had its crisis, so have individuals and communities; but this was the world's great crisis; something was about to happen that would constitute a new era in the world's history, yea, would remain a memorable event throughout eternity. The misery of man, the malice of hell, the mercy of God,-all united to bring it about. The events crowded into it were of surpassing interest. It was hour of reckoning, of conflict, of sorrow, of love.

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The hour when the

great Surety paid down the invaluable ransom price,-when the Captain

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