Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

unto the throne of grace, to obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need. (Heb. iv. 16.)

Let us remember and imitate the conduct of the Great Captain of our Salvation; and, like him, let us learn to resist Satan, that he may flee from us. Like Christ, let us maintain such an humble dependance on the Divine blessing as never to venture out of the way of it, be the necessity ever so urgent: nor let us ever expose ourselves to unnecessary danger, in expectation of extraordinary deliverance. Like him let us learn to overcome the world, and to despise all its pomps and vanities when offered at the price of our innocence.

To furnish us for such a combat, let us take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Let us not only make ourselves familiarly acquainted with the words of scripture, but let us study to enter into the true design and meaning of it; that so, if Satan should attempt to draw his artillery from thence, we may be able to guard against that most dangerous stratagem, and to answer perverted passages of holy writ by others more justly applied.

Once more; when the suggestions of Satan grow most horrible, let us not conclude that we are utterly abandoned by God, because we are proved by such a trial; since Christ himself was tempted even to worship the infernal tyrant. But in such cases let us resolutely repel the solicitation, rather than parley with it, and say in imitation of our Lord's example, and with a dependance on his grace, Get thee behind me, Satan.

If our conflict be thus maintained, the struggle will ere long be over; and angels, who are now the spectators of the combat, will at length congratulate our victory.

SECTION VI.

JOHN I. 19-28.

AND this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed and denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us: What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord,

as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not: He it is, who coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara, beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

How remarkably were the words of our blessed Redeemer fulfilled in John, he that humbleth himself shall be exalted! (Luke xviii. 14.) He declined assuming the name of any of the servants of God among the prophets; and yet our Lord bore testimony to him as of a higher rank than any of the prophets, than whom there was none greater among those that had in a natural way been born of women. (Luke vii. 28.)

Did John, this great and illustrious saint, speak of himself as unworthy to untie even the sandals of Christ; what reverence then do we owe him; and what reason have we to admire his condescension, that he should honour us, who are so much more unworthy, with the title of his servants?

Let not any, the most distinguished of that happy number wonder if they be unknown by the world, and perhaps too, slighted and despised; since it appears that even Jesus himself, not only at his first appearance stood unknown among the Jews, but afterwards was rejected by them, when his claim was solemnly entered and his miracles most publicly wrought.

Vain, and worse than vain, was this message and inquiry which when answered, was so soon overlooked and forgot. May Divine grace teach us to inquire as those that are in earnest in our search! and then shall we know to saving purposes, if we thus follow on to know the Lord. (Hos. vi. 3.)

SECTION VII.

JOHN I. 29-42.

THE next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel,

therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven, like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the

Son of God.

Again the next day after, John stood, and two of his disciples: And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, thou art Simon the son of Jona: Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is, by interpretation, a stone.

Let our faith daily behold Jesus under the character of the Lamb of God, a Lamb indeed without blemish and without spot; by whose precious blood we are redeemed, as by an infinitely more valuable ransom than silver and gold. (1 Pet. i. 18, 19.) As such let us humbly apply to him to take away our sins, and rejoice that (as the apostle John elsewhere expresses it) he is the propitiation not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world; all ages and nations being interested in the benefit of his atonement. (1 John ii. 2.)

Let us consider him as anointed by the Holy Spirit, and as baptizing his church with it; and learn, after the example of John the Baptist, to bear our testimony to him again and again, with continued steadiness and growing zeal.

Our satisfaction in him, as the great and only Saviour, will

surely grow in proportion to our acquaintance with him. If Divine grace hath discovered him to us, and taught us to repose the confidence of our souls upon him, let us, like Andrew in the passage before us, be concerned to make him known to others; and especially to lead our nearest relatives and our most intimate friends into that acquaintance with him which is so absolutely necessary to their eternal happiness!

Let the condescending readiness with which our blessed Redeemer accepted and even invited the visit of these two disciples, engage every preacher of righteousness most willingly to give his private as well as his public labours and his time (valuable as that treasure is) to the service of those who are seriously affected with the concerns of their souls, and are inquiring after the way to salvation. We are sufficiently honoured, if, by any means, and by all, we may be instrumental in promoting that cause which employed the daily labours of God's incarnate Son, and at length cost him his very blood!

SECTION VIII.

JOHN 1. 43-51.

THE day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say

unto you, Hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

How cautiously should we guard against popular prejudices, which possessed so honest a heart as that of Nathanael, and led him to suspect that the blessed Jesus himself was an impostor, and that no good could be expected from him because he had been brought up at Nazareth! But his integrity prevailed over that foolish bias, and laid him open to the conviction of evidence, which a candid inquirer will always be glad to admit, even when it brings the most unexpected discovery.

How amiable is the character here given of Nathanael! An Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile! May the attainment of so excellent a character, and a resemblance to him in it, be the daily aim and emulation of all who have the honour to be called into the Israel of God!

A constant intercourse with God in secret devotion will be a happy expression of one branch of this sincerity, and an effectual means of promoting the rest. Let it therefore be our care that the eye of him that seeth in secret may often behold us in religious retirement, pouring out our souls before God, and humbly consecrating them to his service. The day will come when those scenes of duty which were most cautiously concealed shall be commemorated with public honour; and when he who now discerns them, and is a constant witness to the most private exercises of the closet, will reward them openly. (Matt. vi. 6.)

Happy were those who saw the miracles performed by the Son of man while he was here on earth! and happy those favourite spirits of heaven which were ascending and descending as ministers of his to do his pleasure! But in some degree yet happier are they who, having not seen, have believed; John xx. 29. As their faith is peculiarly acceptable, it shall ere long be turned into sight. They shall behold much greater things than ever were seen below, and more extraordinary manifestations of his glory than they can now conceive; and, being brought with all his people to surround his throne, shall join in those nobler services which attendant angels render him above.

« ForrigeFortsæt »