Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

XI.

We both labour, and fuffer reproach, because we truft in the living God.-1 Tim. iv. 10.

Our

THAT holy and indefatigable labourer in the vineyard of the Lord, the Writer of this epistle, tells his beloved convert, Timothy, in this paffage, that trust in God enabled him to undergo all the labours and diftreffes of his apostleship. His labours and diftreffes were abundant. labours are infignificant, and our diftreffes, commonly, mere trifles, in comparison with his. It is true, we have not that firmness-that heavenly aid, and apoftolic vigour, which St. Paul had. But our fufferings are in proportion to our abili ties; and we have the fame ground for going cheerfully through our labours, and for bearing our distresses, which this holy apostle had. We may all, if we please, truft in the living God.

All the attributes of God administer comfort to man, except his justice. Here we naturally

recoil.

rec. That man, with all his guilt about him, fhould ftand before infinite juftice, prefents an idea which cannot but make an awful impreffion. Yet even here we have great room to truft in the living God. His juftice, infinite as it is, is tempered by mercy equally infinite; and to this is added, the powerful mediation of a bleffed Redeemer.

But among all the grounds of comfort which we receive from our gracious Creator, with regard both to this world and the next, the contemplation of his wifdom, and his promifes, is the moft reviving. The former fets our mind at reft in this world, the latter carry us happily to the next.

The wifdom of Providence, which orders all the events of this world with fuch unerring certainty, as to be most beneficial not only to mankind in general, but to every individual in particular, fhould be a conftant argument with us to submit to every event, however harsh it may appear. If we fully trust in an unerring Provi dence, it will be impoffible not to acquiefce: if we do not acquiefce, it is impoffible we can fully truft. At the fame time let us confider, that this full truft in the unerring providence of God,

[ocr errors]

is the only way to fecure our happiness among the disasters of life. Nothing else can administer a full remedy for the many fufferings we must unavoidably feel.

The other great comfort, which a trust in the living God procures for us in the distresses of this world, is, that they will end in the happiness of the next. We have God's promise for this hope, which turns into certainty. I fpeak of fuch only as obey God; and indeed they are the only perfons who feek for comfort from thefe divine fources.

This trust therefore in the promises of God, is our grand comfort in the distreffes of life. It is the leading-star which carries us to Bethlehem; and makes all our journey to that blessed refidence of our Redeemer, full of happy expectation,

[blocks in formation]

XII.

If riches increafe, fet not thy heart upon them.Pf. lxii. 10.

WE are cautioned here, not fo much against riches, as against the increase of them. When a man poffeffes only what he has been long accustomed to poffefs, the danger is lefs: ufe has made his poffeffions, whatever they are, familiar to him; but when the poffeffion increases beyond the ordinary capacity of receiving it, (which is almost always the cafe of a fudden increase of wealth,) the moral danger becomes great. Am I then, if riches increase by the bleffing of God, on a fair and honest profession, to reject the bleffing, and stop in the midst of golden opportunities?It is a happy thing when a man can set bounds to his acquifitions, and fay, I have enough. That, however, is not eafy the word enough is regulated by fuch a variety of circumftances, that the fame definition of it can hardly touch the cafes of any two people.

But

But though it may be difficult to give rules to estimate a fufficiency, yet whatever our poffeffions may be, very good rules may be given to prevent our fetting our hearts upon them. If we fet our hearts upon them, they become at once what the scripture calls, the mammon of unrighteousness; or, the temptations to every mode of wickedness: for the love of money, we know, is the root of all evil.

In the first place, their fugitive nature should prevent our setting our hearts upon them. We are told, they often make themselves wings, and fly away. And if they do not leave us, we shall certainly, in a little time, leave them. And then the question stares us in the face, Whose shall thofe good things be which we have provided?— or, in other words, why did not you make a proper use of them in your life-time?

Secondly, we should reflect, how we came by our riches; and, it may be hoped, we fhall acknowledge we received them from God, the author and giver of all good. Whether we obtained them by our own agency, or by any other means, ftill they are his gift.

This being fettled, it follows next to ascertain for what purpose God gave them to us. We

[blocks in formation]
« ForrigeFortsæt »