Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

good news to the poor awakened sinner. There fore let the earth hear the voice of the corn.

II. The earth is to hear the wine. To wine the cleansing blood of Christ is compared; and it is set forth by this emblem in the Lord's supper, and was by the Lord himself, who says, "My blood is drink indeed." And there is a voice in this; and it is called the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel, Heb. xii. 24. It speaks pardon and cleansing, reconciliation and friendship with the Lord, the abundance of peace and communion with God through Christ. And no voice so suitable as this to a convinced and convicted sinner, when first awakened; and with this voice the apostles went forth. "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Let the earth hear the voice of the wine.

Again: by wine we are to understand the love of God in Christ Jesus. This is wine on the lees well refined. "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine." Now my text says, that he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and it is most certain that there is a voice that attends the rod. "Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it." The wine hath her first voice to us in the rod. "As many as I love [there is the wine], I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent," Rev. iii, 19.

III. The oil also has a voice to the earth. And by oil we are to understand the Holy Ghost; for with this oil of gladness was Christ anointed above all his fellows; and the Spirit speaks an invitation to all that feel their need. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come." Yea, the Spirit is held forth to all that Christ smites. "Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you." Again: by oil we are to understand joy, for Christ gives us the oil of joy for mourning. Now the oil of joy has a voice; it has a voice to all mourners; for they that mourn shall be comforted. In the day of prosperity be joyful, in the day of adversity consider; God also has set the one over against the other." The voice of joy and comfort always speaks to the afflicted; he shall comfort all that mourn. "As ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." And, last of all,

These, all these, are to hear the voice of Jezreel, whenever Jezreel's great day shall come God himself will hear her in time to come.

on.

66

For, as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sake," Rom. xi. 28. Christ will hear Jezreel when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in. For, Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled;" but no longer. Then the Jews shall serve the Lord, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them, Jer. xxx. 9. The Gentile church shall hear Jezreel cry, and she shall

obtain mercy through their mercy. Yea, the corn, the wine, and the oil, shall hear the cry of Jezreel. What a day must that be with the Jews when the Messiah, whom their fathers rejected and murdered, and whom their posterity ever since have despised and blasphemed; when these come to unite together, and to appoint by choice this covenant Head over them; when they join with the Gentiles in serving the Lord, and David their king, whom God will reveal to them; and that same Saviour, that has been loaded with so many blasphemies by them, shall with one heart receive him as the most blessed and only Saviour of them. And sure I am they shall never see the Lord Jesus as he is, nor shall they embrace him as their Messiah, until this time comes, and they are prepared to heap ten thousand blessings on him. "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Hence I conclude, that the voice of God in his covenant, the voice of Christ in the promises, the voice of saints in their prayers, the voice of the atonement, and the voice of the Holy Spirit, will all attend to the cry, and speak to the comfort of Jezreel.

VII.

THE WISE PUPIL, AND HIS DOMESTIC TUTOR.

PROVERBS Xvi. 23.

"The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips."

FOR method's sake, and to inform my reader's judgment, and to assist his memory, I will lay down my intended plan of operation in the following manner, and execute it under the following heads.

I. Treat of this man's wisdom, "The heart of the wise."

II. What we are to understand by the heart; for it is his heart that teacheth his mouth.

III. Who it is that furnishes this man's heart with all this wisdom, and these mighty works. And,

IV. The progress that he makes in learning; his heart not only teacheth his mouth, but adds learning to his lips.

First, I have treated largely of the wisdom of the wise in this little work before; but, as that subject is copious, much more may be said upon it.

It lies principally in these four things:

I. In the divine instruction which is given to

X

the soul by the Holy Spirit of all grace when he condescends to regenerate and renew the soul, and to lead it into the truth as it is in Christ. "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

[ocr errors]

1. That the Holy Spirit and his grace are meant in the above passage, appears plain, by its being first pure. God sprinkles clean water upon us, which is his Spirit, in order to purify us, and to cleanse us from all our filthiness, and from all our idols.

2. The Spirit testifies of Christ as our peacemaker; and one fruit of the Spirit himself is peace, for he fills us with joy and peace in believing.

3. Gentle. It is under the Spirit's humiliating and meekening operations that the turbulent soul is tamed and made tractable. "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them," Isaiah xi. 6.

4. This wisdom that is from above is easy to be entreated, but cannot be driven; as may be seen in the prophet Elijah, who had much of the spirit of power upon him. For, when king Ahaziah sent a captain of fifty with his fifty to the prophet with this message, "Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down, and Elijah answered

« ForrigeFortsæt »