ページの画像
PDF
ePub

"That which is conceived in thee, is of the holy ghost." These words to Mary, show that God was the father, and she the mother of Christ; hence he was both the son of God and the son of man. Hence also, although Christ is properly in some sense, and by way of eminence, the only begotten of the Father; yet, is every real member of his mystical body, the church, a true born son or daughter of God; an heir of God, and joint-heir with Christ: seeing in such there is properly a diviné birth, "born again of God, not of corruptible, but of incorruptible seed, by the word of God, that liveth and abideth forever." "He that sanctifieth, and they that are sanctified, are all of one; hence he is not ashamed to call them brethren." "Christ, the first fruits," "the first born of every creature," "the beginning of the creation of God," hath in all things the pre-eminence. Yet every member of his body is a real branch of him, the true vine, and being ingrafted into the good olive-tree, they partake of the richness and fatness thereof; and grow thereby, from stature to stature, till they arrive, if faithful, "to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Christ is formed in them, and is in them the hope of glory. They know that unless he be in them, they are reprobates. "The world seeth me not, but ye see me," is his language unto them. This regards not his outward appearance, for the world saw him in that, and crucified him too; but the sense in which he here speaks of himself, is as he is the Eternal Word, the light whereof is the light of the world; the same in substance as another expression, wherein he calls himself, "the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not."

The world, and worldly Christians, and outward-court wor shippers, want something outward, that they can see with their eyes, or readily apprehend with their natural abilities. Hence, the many inventions of outward forms, and the practice of many outward ceremonies. These being easily attained to and performed, and inward spiritual worship and waiting requiring much subjection of that which loves to make haste, and to be always ready: and a clear, full, and living acquaintance with the workings of the spirit of truth, in the inner man, not being attained, but through the death of our own wills, and a cessation

from depending on our own natural wisdom and understanding. Hence, for the sake of ease, most men take up with what is almost continually presenting in the chambers of imagery, in their own minds. Hence, the vast variety, not only of outward forms, and modes of worship, but of opinions concerning God, Christ, the scriptures, man's will, and many other articles.

This I am certain will continue to be the case, till men learn to trust to the teachings of God, who has promised to teach his people himself, and lean less to their own natural understandings. Not that the natural understanding of man is useless, and ought to be rejected; but kept in its proper place, and in proper order, as that through which the communication of divine things is made, and understood. "Ye were some time darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord," said the apostle, to the believers.

Here we see that the natural man, with all his learning, understanding, and abilities, is in a state of spiritual darkness, so that, though, through the adorable goodness of God, the divine light shineth in his heart, even in his natural state, yet it is but as in a dark place" in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not." And though the shining thereof is expressly "to give the knowledge of the glory of God," many are so dark, so far from comprehending it, that they deny it to be divine; as if a natural light could give the knowledge of HIM who is a spirit, and can only be spiritually discerned!

Our understanding, our reason, and every faculty is given for valuable purposes; but still in subordination to, and dependence on the illuminations of heavenly light, in every thing concerning true religion, and the saving knowledge of God. A fool, and even a madman, has the sense of feeling, of seeing, of hearing, &c. yet all these senses, though in full vigour, are not always sufficient to keep him from rushing precipitately and voluntarily into the fire or water, or from doing himself or others injury. Here we see how these inferior senses are dependant on the superior powers of the mind for direction, and that their usefulness to us, in a sound state, is greatly owing to the mental faculties, the exercise of reason and the understanding; and yet we do not infer from this, that the senses are useless--far otherVOL. II.-40

wise they are, under proper direction, of very great use; but, without the aid of superior help, can answer but little good purpose. So it is with our superior endowments; unless divinely helped, illuminated, and directed, we know nothing clearly of divine things, and can do nothing religiously useful: yet this no more supposes we must lay aside or reject our mental faculties, in things spiritual, than the little real use the sensitive faculties are to the ideot, or madman, supposes we ought wholly to discard their use in things natural.

As it is true that the fool and madman run about wild, know not whither they wander, and do little or no good to themselves or others, in things natural, even though they pretend to be, and really think they are, very knowing, wise, and useful; though they affect to do great things, and imagine they achieve very grand matters; apprehend themselves to be mighty monarchs, or commanding officers; so also it is equally, and not less sadly true, that many, in the busy exercise of their mere rational faculties, are vainly wandering about in many zealous performances, thinking they are doing great things, and that they are. very knowing in religion, and that they are of mighty importance to the future welfare of mankind; imagining that they influence the minds of great numbers to the love of divine things, and yet, for the want of that which alone is able rightly to assist their faculties, and qualify them for usefulness, in things of this nature, all the mighty toil is as much imaginary, as much beside the realities of religion and true devotion, and as useless to mankind, in things spiritual, as are the great activity and anxious agitation of the lunatic, in things natural. And not only so, but both often do a great deal of mischief; and, in order to determine which does most, we need but compare the importance of temporal and eternal things, and look at the various species of idolatry which this religious haste and activity, without divine aid, has introduced, and still, from age to age, is introducing among men; insomuch that the many changes from creed to creed, and from form to form, are often little or nothing better,-in short, are nothing else than a change from one image and one form of idolatry to another. I suppose few, if any, who worship images, have ever thought themselves idolaters,

and yet they certainly are; and so are all who attempt to worship God without divine influence and qualification: and the same hasty, active disposition, which prompts people now to these formal performances, in their own set times, and in their own forward wills, has also introduced every kind of idolatry, imagery, and babel of confusion, that have at any time appeared in the world. Let us look at the consequences of this will worship, and of that of zeal which has promoted it, and we shall easily see, which does the most harm among men.

What bitterness and persecution, what bloodshed and butchery, as well as false doctrines and absurd opinions, has this ever ready, ever restless and active disposition, caused in the earth! Yea, doctrines which have induced, perhaps millions, to rest the eternal salvation of their immortal souls upon a mere broken reed, upon "imputed righteousness" without regeneration; or to set down at ease, upon some other foundation, equally imaginary, equally dangerous; covering themselves with a covering, and not of God's holy spirit; whereas every other covering will utterly fail in the day of trial, though the wo denounced against such will never fail: for nothing but the one safe covering can keep that dreadful wo from the souls of any.

Some may think this bears too hard upon self-activity and religious haste, and that surely, in this age of irreligion and debauchery, and every evil work, men ought not to be deterred. from embracing almost any religious creed and form of worship, supposing it better to worship God, (as they call it,) in any mode, and even in the mere ability of man, than not to worship him at all; especially as men will have some object, and be in pursuit of something; and therefore, if not engaged in some kind of devotion, will be apt to take up with some of the current amusements and dissipations of the day, and settle into an habitual life of impiety and alienation from all good.

But let it be considered, we do not contend for the casting off the fear and reverence of God-far from it. But that our fear and reverence ought to be so real, so deep and awful, as to prevent our forward, hasty attempts, to come before him with outward vocal offerings, before we are assured of his requirings

and assistance therein, lest he reprove us with, "who hath required this at your hands ?"

The safe state is that of a careful, inward waiting for direction, looking to the Lord for help, in times of awful silence and profound stillness before him, and in reading the scriptures and other books, or in viewing the works of creation and Providence. God alone can give the right turn and direction to our minds, and profitably influence our thoughts, meditations, inferences, conclusions, and devotions in any of these times and occasions. Haste is almost always dangerous, but waiting on the Lord for clearness, direction, and qualification, is always safe, and never, if rightly exercised, fruitless; though I fear many who seem very religious, in what they can do of themselves, are yet so unacquainted with the real, certain openings, directions, and qualifications, which are and may be received through waiting on the Lord in the light, that they do very sincerely doubt and disbelieve them; esteeming what others declare of them, to be whimsical and imaginary; and concluding there is no readier way for people to grow notional and be overcome with imagination and delusion, than to be inwardly still and attentive to what passes in their own breasts, especially as it is sorrowfully true, that divers have given them occasion, pretending a divine inspiration, a commission immediately from Heaven for the performance of unreasonable, extravagant, and even wicked actions.

It is indeed greatly to be regretted, that the same hasty disposition, which keeps up such a round of forms, ceremonies, and lifeless devotions, has carried away many in different ages, who have had or pretended to have had faith in inward manifestations and openings: but so far from destroying the reality of divine openings, impulses, and manifestations, these are pregnant instances of that mischief which arises from making haste, and not waiting in the patience for a clear discerning and discovery of divine things. Satan is a transformer and can assume the likeness of an angel of light. Is there therefore nothing certain? If so how came it ever to be known with certainty that satan could thus resemble a pure intelligence? Surely every coun

« 前へ次へ »