ページの画像
PDF
ePub

lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

- Christianity is designed to refine and soften; to take away the heart of stone, and to give us hearts of flesh; to polish off the rudenesses and arrogances of our manners and tempers; and to make us blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke. Lord Chatham, in one of his Letters to his Nephew, finely says, "Politeness is benevolence in little things." "Religion should make us the most polite creatures in the world; and what persons of rank do from education, we should do from principle; yielding our own desires and claims to become all things to all men, if by any means we may gain some: and be not only sincere, but without offence, until the day of Christ.

-If so, some professors of religion have much to learn. They think of nothing but their own indulgence. They know nothing of bearing with infirmity of waiting for improvement; of watching for opportunity. They are decisive, and dictatorial, and hasty, and severe. They pride themselves only on what they call faithfulness, and which is the easiest thing in religion to them, because it falls in with their own natural temper-not to say, that frequently what they mean by fidelity is only rudeness and insolence. But while we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth, we are required to be courteous; and to pursue whatsoever things are lovely, and of good report.

And without this, professors will not only render religion unamiable and repulsive; but will lower themselves in general estimation, and lose the influence which is derivable from reputation and esteem. Who can regard the haughty, and the selfish? But for a good man some would even dare to die. An inoffensive, self-denying, lovely disposition and carriage wins the heart. It is not In our power to love; but it is in our power to be

loved. Our loving another depends upon him; and here we have no control: but another's loving us, depends upon ourselves; and he that will have friends, must shew himself friendly.

Doddridge buried a most interesting child at nine years of age. The dear little creature was a general favourite: and he tells us in his Funeral Sermon, that when he one day asked her, how it was that every body loved her-I know not, she said, unless it be that I love every body. Tell your children this. Also read to them-"The child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men."

"For he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us, therefore, follow after things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."

MAY 5.-" If thou knewest the gift of God."
John iv. 10.

As if he had said to the woman-Thou mistakest me for a mere Jew, wandering, and weary, and sitting thus on the well, and asking for the refreshment of water, seemingly dependent on the kindness of a stranger. But if thou wert acquainted with me-that I am the Mercy promised from the beginning; the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth; that I am come into the world to save sinners; and that in me all fulness dwellswhat an opportunity wouldest thou find was now afforded thee-"if thou knewest the gift of God"—

He calls himself the gift of God, because he came not according to the course of nature. A body was prepared him. A virgin conceives, and

What

bears a Son; and the holy thing born of her is called, The Son of God.-We go also further. A preternatural interposition might have taken place in a way of wrath; and this is what seemed most probable in the case, and would have been the foreboding of our guilty minds. But God sent not his only begotten Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He therefore came, not according to any rule of desert. A few years ago, we heard much of the rights of man; and though the expression was abused, and brought into contempt, there is a propriety in it. Man has rights, with regard to his fellow-creatures. Children have rights, with regard to parents; and subjects, with regard to sovereigns. A man has a right to enjoy the fruit of his labour; he has a right to worship the Supreme Being according to his conscience. But what were his rights with regard to God? What right to protection has a subject that has become rebellious? right to wages has a servant that has run away from his master? As sinners, we had forfeited all expectation from God-except a fearful looking-for of judgment and fiery indignation. We could have no right to the bread we eat, or the air we breathe. What claim, then, had we upon God for the Son of his love? He was a gift infinitely free; and not only free as opposed to desert, but also as opposed to desire. Was he withholden till we felt our need of him, and became suppliants at our offended Maker's feet? Ages before we were born, the plan was formed, and accomplished, and announced. And when we are desirous of obtaining the blessings of it, we find them provided; and hear a voice, saying, Come, for all things are now ready. All other good, too, is insured by him. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Yea, he has given us all things in him; and whatever

insights into the history, and, above all, the experience of good and great men. And in this ode we see the workings of David's mind-before, and-under, and-after the affliction.

Before the affliction: "And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong"-He had not said this in words; but his views, and feelings, and actions, were all vocal with God. And do we not here see the danger of indulgence? How little can we bear without self-security, without presumption, without losing the heart of a stranger! Hence the necessity of a change, and the advantage of those trials that cry to our hearts, "Arise, and depart hence, for this is not your rest."

Under the affliction: "Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. I cried to thee, O Lord: and unto the Lord I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? Shall it declare thy truth? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper." Cain, in his distress, goes to building. Saul sends for music. Few turn to Him that smiteth them. But prayer is the design, the sanctification, the resource, of affliction-Is any afflicted, let him pray.

After the affliction: "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever." He has done it

"His hand has loos'd my bonds of pain,
"And bound me with his love."

Therefore I will serve him with my best powers, and for ever

And his practice corresponded with his profession. No sooner had he taken possession of his new

palace, than "the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the Ark of God dwelleth within curtains." And then it was that he availed himself of a pious and ardent frame of mind, to swear unto the Lord, and vow unto the mighty God of Jacob. "Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob." How different the disposition of the selfish Jews, on their return from Babylon! "Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?" And what gained they? Them that honour me, says God, I will honour. "Ye looked for much, and, lo! it came to little; and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house."

MAY 3.-" To reveal his Son in me." Gal. i. 16.

To reveal, is to lay open something which, though in existence before, was yet unknown. The knowledge of the Son of God is necessary to all the use we can make of him. And we may observe a four-fold revelation of him. The text only speaks of one of these: but they are all true; and they are all profitable.

There is a revelation of the Saviour to us. This is found in the Scripture, which therefore we often call emphatically "revelation." It discovers many things; but he is the principal subject: and we are persuaded nothing has found a place in it, but

« 前へ次へ »