Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

4. With respect to our exertions for the good of others. Who knows, says the pious parent, but God may shew mercy to my rebellious and unhappy child! I have offered up many affectionate prayers for him, given many unheeded warnings and instructions, and my heart has often been grieved: yet who can tell? There may still be hope in Israel concerning this thing. Who knows, says the faithful and laborious minister, though I have hitherto toiled and caught nothing; yet peradventure, if I again let down the net, one successful draught may make me ample amends for all my former endeavours? Many sabbaths have I spent my strength, and wasted my spirits to no purpose; yet who knows, but God, by putting efficacy into the means, may make this an accepted time, and a day of salvation to some hitherto-unmoved and incorrigible sinner! I will draw the bow at a venture: perhaps God may direct the arrow. This may be the time of his love, in which he will pass by some guilty and polluted creature, dead in trespasses and sins, and say unto him, Live!

To conclude,

(1.) Let us improve this consideration so as to restrain and keep under a peevish, fretful, and impatient spirit. When troubles come, let us not say as the king of Israel did, This evil is of the Lord: why should I wait for him any longer! But rather, with David, let us say, Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him. This may particularly be applied to an attendance on divine ordinances. I sought him, says the church, whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. What then? I will arise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth. Those who truly love the Saviour, will not rest contented till they have found him, though they may wait long for his appearance. I waited patiently for the Lord, says Da

[blocks in formation]

vid; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. In the last day many shall strive to enter in, and shall not be able: but here every one that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

(2.) Whatever encouragement we may take from God's supposed inclination to help us, yet that help is only to be expected in the use of appointed means. Whilst we trust in the Lord, we must keep his way. Why criest thou unto me, says the Lord to Moses: speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward, Diligence without dependence is folly and madness: dependence without diligence is presumption and arrogance.

(3.) Does any one obstinately persist in an evil course, to gratify his lusts at all adventures, on the presumption that he may find mercy at last? Let him remember what is written: If it come to pass, when any one heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst, the Lord will not spare him. But then the anger of the Lord, and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven! (Deut. xxix. 19, 20.) If any should say, who knows, according to the text which I have heard to-day, but God will return to me, though I do not return to him; who knows but he may pardon my sins, though I do not repent of them; may accept me through Christ, though I do not believe in him; may grant me repentance and faith, as he did the dying thief, when I am on the verge of an eternal world. .....! Who knows, do you say? Why, I know. And tenderness, as well as faithfulness to thy soul, constrains me to let

thee know, that this can only be the language of a resolute and obdurate sinner whom God will not spare, but will pour out upon him the vials of his wrath and indignation. Oh sinner! If thou goest hardened through the world, thou art likely to go hardened out of it, and wilt be miserable for ever. God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses. Perhaps thou dost not mind any thing that I say: it has been so formerly, and it may be so now. Hear then what God says: Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you: I will make known my words unto you. Prov. i. 23. Psal. Ixviii. 21.

Thy laws, dear Jesus, I have broke,
And cast away thine easy yoke;
Nor threats nor promises could move,
Nor frowns nor smiles, nor wrath nor love.

Oh soften this hard heart of mine,
And let thy face upon it shine!
Make me to hear thy cheering voice,
And bid the broken bones rejoice.

If I should perish, thou art just;
But though I tremble, 1 will trust;
My Lord and Saviour, I will flee
From sin, the world and self, to thee!

The beloved disciple.

SERMON XI.

JOHN XIX. 25, 26.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, the disciple whom he loved.

EVERY circumstance relative to so important an event as the death of our Saviour is deserving of attention, and among the rest that which is here recorded. Though the rest of the disciples forsook him and fled, according to that prediction, Smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; yet John followed him into the high priest's palace, and was an afflicted spectator of his sufferings upon the cross. This may be ascribed in part to the greatness of his courage, and in part to the strength of his affection.

John himself is the narrator of this event; and such was his modesty and humility that he does not mention his own name, but speaks of himself as one whom Christ had distinguished by peculiar marks of his favour: The disciple standing by whom Jesus loved. This resembles the conduct of Paul, who when about to mention the extraordinary revelations with which he had been indulged, speaks of himself in the third person: I knew a man in Christ, above fourteen years ago, who was caught up to the third

heaven. In this way do the sacred writers love to conceal themselves, when speaking of their own attainments or enjoyments.

We have here the character and situation of the beloved John-he was a disciple-the disciple whom Jesus loved-and was standing by the cross at the time of his death.

I. The character of John.

He is called a disciple.

1. This implies that he was teachable, or had an apiness to learn. As Christ is qualified to give instruction, so his disciples are prepared to receive it. God has opened their ears, that they are capable of spiritual instruction; and their understandings, that they are capable of spiritual discernment. They have senses spiritually exercised, whereby they are able to distinguish between truth and error, and also between good and evil. Like others, they were igno rant and foolish, and therefore needed to be taught; but they are also sensible of their ignorance and folly, which others are not, and therefore are desirous of being taught. The pride and haughtiness of their hearts are brought down, and they are willing now to become fools that they may be wise. The disciples of Jesus receive with meekness the ingrafted word, and in no other way can it be received. The Lord resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble-The meek will be guide in judgment, the meek will he teach way. Psal. xxv. 9.

bis

2. He was not only apt to learn, but was actually taught; not only like Lydia, who attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul, after that the Lord had opened her heart; but like the noble Bereans, who received the word with all readiness of mind. My sheep, says Christ, hear my voice, and they follow me: they cordially embrace his doctrines, and yield unfeigned obedience to his commands. To what men or

« ForrigeFortsæt »