ページの画像
PDF
ePub

that men

:

dation, and hope is his anchor, and death is his harbour, and Christ his pilot, and heaven is his country and all the evils of poverty, or affronts of tribunals and evil judges, of fears and sadder apprehensions, are but like the loud wind blowing from the right point, they make a noise and drive faster to the harbour; and if we do not leave the ship, and leap into the sea; quit the interest of religion, and run to the securities of the world; cut our cables, and dissolve our hopes; grow impatient and hug a wave, and dies in its embraces; we are as safe at sea, safer in the storm which GoD sends us, than in a calm when we are befriended with the world.-Presently it came to pass were no longer ashamed of the cross, but it was worn upon breasts, printed in the air, drawn upon foreheads, carried upon banners, put upon crowns imperial-presently it came to pass that the religion of the despised Jesus did infinitely prevail; a religion that taught men to be meek and humble, apt to receive injuries, but unapt to do any; a religion that gave countenance to the poor and pitiful, in a time when riches were adored, and ambition and pleasure had possessed the heart of all mankind; a religion that would change the face of things, and the hearts of men, and break vile habits into gentleness and counsel. That such a religion, in such a time, by the sermons and conduct of fishermen, men of mean breeding and illiberal arts, should so speedily triumph over the philosophy of the world, and the arguments of the subtle, and the sermons of the eloquent; the power of princes and the interests of states, the inclinations of nature and the blindness of zeal, the force of custom and the solicitation of passions, the pleasures of sin and the busy arts of the devil; that is against wit and

power, superstition and wilfulness,
fame and money, nature and empire,
which are all the causes in this world
that can make a thing impossible; this,
this is to be ascribed to the power of
GoD, and is the great demonstration of
the resurrection of Jesus. Every thing
was an argument for it, and improved
it; no objection could hinder it, no
enemies destroy it; whatsoever was
for them, it made the religion to in-
crease; whatsoever was against them
made it to increase; sunshine and
storms, fair weather or foul, it was all
one as to the event of things; for they
were instruments in the hands of GOD,
who could make what himself should
choose to be the product of any cause;
so that if the Christians had peace,
they went abroad and brought in con-
verts; if they had no peace, but per-
secution, the converts came into them.
In prosperity they allured and enticed
the world by the beauty of holiness;
in affliction and trouble they amazed
all men with the splendour of their
innocence, and the glories of their pa-
tience; and quickly it was that the
world became disciple to the glorious
Nazarene, and men could no longer
doubt of the resurrection of Jesus,
where it became so demonstrated by
certainty of them that saw it, and the
courage of them that died for it, and
the multitude of them that believed it;
who by their sermons and their actions,
by their public offices and discourses,
by festivals and eucharists, by argu-
ments of experience and sense, by
reason and religion, by persuading ra-
tional men, and establishing believing
Christians, by their living in the obe-
dience of Jesus, and dying for the testi-
mony of Jesus, have greatly advanced
his kingdom, and his power, and his
glory, into which he entered after his
resurrection from the dead.

BISHOP TAYLOR.

London: Published for the Proprietors, by T. GRIFFITHS, Wellington Street, Strand; and Sold by all Booksellers in Town and Country.

Printed by Lowndes and White, Crane Court, Fleet Street.

[blocks in formation]

Romans, viii. 16, 17.-" The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of GoD: and if children, then heirs; heirs of GOD, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

THE value of any testimony in our favour is determined by the value of the character of the person who gives it. The testimony is received or rejected according to the impression which such an one has produced. To be spoken of for our knowledge, by a comparative fool, is of idle account; whilst a word from the wise, from the man as deeply as variously informed, how good is it? To be spoken of for our valour by a coward is a vain matter; whilst the commendation of the man who has been distinguished for his personal exposures, and prowess in the battle-field, is sometimes of great moment. To be spoken of for our domestic duties and for our religious compliances by one who has lived careless and reckless of them all, is a worthless service; whilst to be so by the man who bears the name of a good father, a kind husband, a dutiful son, an affectionate brother, by the man whose life is that of the pious follower of Christ, is of sterling weight and importance.

Now in this way the greatest and best, and richest of all testimonies are the testimonies to the soul of the sincere believer, for they are of the

VOL. II.

utterance of the Spirit of GoD. They are the witnessing of the Holy Ghost. He who dwells most on the character of the Spirit will be the fullest acquainted with their value, will be the strongest in desire to become distinguished by their application. These testimonies do more for a man than to raise him in the admiration of his fellow, than to give him a | perishable place in the annals of the brave, or in the records of the wisethey do more for a man than to grace his memory for the beauty of his walk amongst the courtesies, and sympathies, and virtues of human life-they do more for a man than the obtaining for him a commutation of his sentencethe testimonies of the Spirit do infinitely more than all this. But St. Paul's words must needs be more powerful than mine, and you will now see the compass they take in the summing up of the text. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of GOD: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

I would now, with the Divine guid

EE

ance, lead your thoughts to some few | freely, hath forgiven you fully-you

know, and are assured, that a great change hath passed upon you, as from death to life—you know, and are as

reflections on these verses in the following form-The author of the testimony-The substance of the testimony -The inference from the testimony-sured, that you are justified from all The condition of Christians under the testimony-The exaltation of Christians affected by the testimony. May He who commandeth light to shine out of darkness, enable me so to discern and to speak, that your souls may be filled with the knowledge of GOD, and that his name may be blessed for Christ's sake.

THE AUTHOR OF THE BELIEVER's TESTIMONY-The Spirit!

The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit. The Spirit is the accompanying presence that speaks with us, and through us; he is the one who testifieth secretly and openly. Secretly in the sense which he conveys of our personal interest in the great scheme of Christ's atonement, by the gift of faith. Secretly in the conviction that the true light is afforded by which the soul discovers its own estate, obtains a right view of the nature of sin, of sin in the depths of its blood-guiltiness, of sin in the strengths of its reigning dominion, by which the soul holds also a full and correct estimate of the excellencies of the Divine truth, of the Divine righteousness, of the Divine justice, of the Divine holiness. Secretly, in the inward persuasion that the soul is become subject to the pardoning exercise of the love of a God in Christ, that the soul is become subject to the renewing and renovating influences of the grace of a God in Christ, that the soul is become subject to the justifying operations of the mercy of God in Christ, that the soul is become subject to the accepting manifestations of the favour of a God in Christ, that the soul is become subject to the peace-enriching communications of the mind of a God in Christ. Yes, Christian! you know, and are assured, that GOD, who hath loved you

things through the mercy of Christ, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses-you know, and are assured, that you are received back again by the Father from whom, like the prodigal, you had so recklessly wandered, that you have a home for a wilderness, and the bread of life for the husks of a sore famine-you know, and are assured, that the consolations which you experience, and the holy joy with which your soul so frequently aboundeth, are not of the world, but are of God. And what, I would ask, is this knowledge and assurance but the secret testimony of the Spirit, the inward witnessing of the Spirit with your spirit?

But there is also an open testimony-a testimony of sight—the Holy Spirit bears it to the Christian before the eyes of the world, that the world may take knowledge of his work. The man who lives in all moral compliances with the spirit and the law of the Gospel, but whose life before exhibited all moral resistances, this is a testimony-the man who made self his god, but hath now trodden self in the dust-the man who loves truth, and justice, and equity, and charity, but who formerly believed in a lie, held the deceitful balances, shut his hand to his brother's need-the man who is heavenly-minded, but was earthly-minded, who walks in the fear of God, but formerly in the defiance of GoD-who makes His name the subject of a devout reverence and of holy hymns, which name was once uttered wantonly and profanely-who now loves holiness as much as he loved sin, and hates sin as much as he hated holiness-who once reviled the Lord Jesus and spurned his every overture, but now is a weeping candidate for his mercy, glorying in

the cross which he had hitherto contemned-this is a testimony. The man who is calm when others are spiritually agitated-who is walking beside the still waters, and in green pastures, where others are in barren solitudes of rock and sand-who has a living well for a broken pitcher-the man who in the afflictions of life suffers meekly and contentedly, bowing to the storm as the yielding reed, where others, by an opposing attitude, are rent, and torn up by the roots-the man who at the last has a smile on his lips for a brow of agony, a hymn for a groan, a prayer for a curse, faith for distraction, hope for fear, assurance for despair-this is the outward and open testimony, the Spirit's witnessing through the life and the death of the believer in Jesus!

:

ness with our spirit that we are the children of God."

In what way does this testimony discover itself? What is the evidence by which they who were formerly aliens and strangers by reason of their evil works, show themselves, or are shown to be the children of GOD, to be verily and truly of God's own and chosen family? There will be a filial love to his person, in its bodily expression though Christ Jesus our Lord-and do you love him, love him in his name, in his character, in his gracious offices? There will be a filial trust and dependence upon the supplies of GoD-and in the sense of your own personal weaknesses and wants, casting all the promises of self back again as void, do you simply, and unreservedly, and solely rely on his care? There will be a filial lowliness in the posture-and are you walking humbly with your God? There will be a filial fear-and do you shrink from touching the forbidden thing-do you refrain from all exciting causes of Divine displeasure? There will be a filial confidence in his wisdom-and do you submit yourselves in all teachableness of the Spirit, to be taught by him? There will be a filial resignation to his

THE SUBSTANCE OF THE TESTIMONY. This, as immediately brought before us in the text, is, "that we are the children of GOD." All intelligent and existing creatures may be called, and justly called, "the children of GOD." We are by nature one family, whose head and father is GOD: all are created by his power, fashioned by his wisdom, nourished and sustained by his goodness and love: but God has aworld within a world, a creation within a crea-will-and in the dark dispensation, is tion. There are two senses in which he stands as Father, universally and particularly in the one by the agencies of his hand, in the other by the agencies of his Holy Spirit. All, as I have said, are the members of one world; but few, comparatively very few, of the other. All, in a common and ordinary sense, may call GOD Father; but there are but few, very few, who can realize the meaning of the term in the strengths and tenderness of its true relationship; where this takes place, the work is the work of the Holy Ghost. "Ye have received," saith St. Paul, in the verse preceding the text," the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father." "The Spirit itself beareth wit

yours an unmurmuring voice-in its every falling upon you, can you kiss the rod and bless the hand which chastises, because it is the hand of the Father? There will be filial obedience-and is the law of GOD in your hearts-do you bear it as a frontlet betwixt your eyesdo you run gladly in the way of his commandments? There will be a filial likeness to GoD your Father-and are you becoming holy as he is holy-do you reflect the beauties of Christ's walk? There will be a filial delight in his presence and are you much with GOD, the world being shut out and He alone standing before your worshipping and adoring soul? And is it a pain when he is not so? What are the

times of your communion-are they like Daniel's? What are the desires of your communion-are they like David's ? "As the hart panteth after the water brook, so panteth my soul after thee, O GCD; my soul thirsteth for GoD, for the living GOD; when shall I come and appear before GOD?" What are the extents of your communion-fall they not far below Christ's? What are the exercises of your communion are they like Paul's for their elevation and intensity, so that "whether in the body, or out of the body, you cannot tell?”

Again, there will be a filial joy in the contemplation and in the declaration of the Divine love. And as you behold the love of God for your soul, as you dwell upon the strength of its devotion and the richness of its sacrifices, are there continual thanksgivings within your hearts and continual praise upon your lips-are you ready to sing the Lord's song all the days of your life? These are some of the Spirit's witnessings that you are the children of God!

THE DEDUCTION FROM THIS TESTIMONY "if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ."

What a volume of privileges is there in these few words! "if children, then heirs," not one in a family, but all heirs— not heirs who may lose their inheritance by premature death, or be defrauded of it by the villainies of men, or have it wasted away by the delays and chicaneries of law, but an heirdom where the possession is certain as universal, and full as certain-" an inheritance that fadeth not away, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal."

The heir of GOD! To the heir of a king what glorious expectancies are there? of a throne, of a crown, of a treasury, of a nation! But how poor in promise, what shrunken things, and things of nothingness are these, to the objects before the heir of Gop!-before the

soul of the most insignificant and despised of his family! The heir of God! of all things temporal, spiritual, and eternal, of all which a GoD can devise and bestow for our good. The heir of GOD-the partaker of the Divine nature, the being clothed upon with his own image, the being admitted to a mansion in his own kingdom, the passing from glory to glory in his presence!" heirs of GOD, and joint heirs with Christ.”

What a further unfolding is there here? How affecting for its sympathies! how magnificent for its provisions! what honour for the disciple thus to be associated with his master, the servant with his Lord, the poor and miserable sinner with his all-sufficient Redeemer, his ever-living intercessor! What! shall I be a joint-heir with Christ? Be raised with him, be crowned with him, be enthroned with him, receive my everlasting portion with him in the unspeakable blessedness of the heavenly world? Art thou speaking, poor child of the dust, who sayest thou art a worm and no man-who art low as Lazarus, and helpless as the paralytic at the pool? Yes; the privilege is thine, the joy of the exaltation and possession shall be thine. Oh! the heights, and lengths, and depths, and breadths of the Divine love; it is passing knowledge. "Leap, ye feet that are lame; burst into song, ye lips that are dumb; for the Lord hath said it, and he shall bring greater things than these to pass."

THE CONDITION OF THOSE WHO RECEIVE THE TESTIMONY.

It is a suffering condition, "if so be that we suffer with him”—with Christ. If we are to be co-heirs with him hereafter, we must not forget that he is our elder brother here that we are of the same family-that we must bear the same likeness to him who was the marred more than any man, and his form than the sons of men. Was he the despised and rejected? Did he suffer desertion, and poverty, and

« 前へ次へ »