Page images
PDF
EPUB

30 Blind Thamyris.

35

And Dorian, fam'd for Thamyris disgrace,
Superior once of all the tuneful race,
Till, vain of mortal's empty praise, he strove
To match the seed of cloud-compelling Jove.
Too daring bard! whose unsuccessful pride
Th' immortal muses of the light of day
Depriv'd his eyes, and snatch'd his voice away;
No more his heavenly voice was heard to sing,
His hand no more awaked the silver string.
HOMER'S ILIAD.

and blind Moonides.

A sir-name of Homer.

36 And Tiresias.

36

A celebrated prophet of Thebes: he was deprived of sight, in disputing with the gods; it is said that Jupiter made him amends, by bestowing on him the gift of prophecy.

and Phineas prophets old. A king of Thrace: the cause of his blindness is a matter of dispute; some say, it was inflicted on him for cruelty to his grandson; others, that it proceeded from his having rashly attempted to develope futurity.

42 Day or the sweet approach of even or morn. Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. Psalms, Ixv. 8. 51 So much the rather thou, celestial light. Shine inward.

For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ.

For which cause we faint not; but, though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 2 Cor. iv. 6, 16.

58 High thron❜d above all height.

I saw Jehovah sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. Isaiah, vi. 1.

Addison remarks, that, if Milton's majesty forsakes him any where, it is where the divine persons are introduced as speakers. One may, I think, observe, that the author proceeds with a kind of fear and trembling, whilst he describes the sentiments of the Almighty. He dares not give his imagination full play; but chuses to confine himself to such thoughts, as are drawn from the books of the most orthodox divines, and to such expressions as may be met with in scripture. The beauties, therefore, which we are to look for in these speeches, are not of a poetical nature, nor so proper to fill the mind with sentiments of grandeur, as with thoughts of devotion. The survey of the whole creation, and of every thing transacted in it, is a prospect worthy of omnicience.

63 The radiant image of his glory sat,

His only son.

That this great, this illustrious, this divine person, should have laid aside these robes of celestial light, to array himself in mortal flesh; not only that he might reveal his Father's will, and speak to us in his name, but that he might redeem us to God by his blood! What shall we say? We will receive the message he brings us, with all thankfulness: we will seek his favour

70

98

132

with more earnest solicitude: we will congratulate his exultation with loyal joy. O triumphant, transporting thought, that Jesus is enthroned above all heavens; that he is anointed with an unequalled effusion of the oil of gladness! With angels we will fall down and worship him, as our Lord and our God. Our hosannahs shall proclaim it, that he is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, and that God hath engaged to make his enemies his footstool.

[blocks in formation]

The great enemy of God and man.

1 made him just and right.
God made man upright. Ecles. vii. 29.
Man therefore shall find grace,
The other none; in mercy and justice both.

Jehovah, the God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, and forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin; but that will, by no means, clear the guilty. Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.. 134 But mercy first and last shall brightest shine.

Mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Thy mercy, O Jehovah, endureth for ever. Psalms, cxxxviii. 8. The purest motive of human action, is the love of God. There may be motives stronger, and more general, but none so pure. The religion, the virtue which owes its birth in the soul to this motive, is always genuine religion, always true virtue. Well might our blessed Saviour preach up, as he did, the love of God: it is the source of every thing which is good in PALEY.

man.

153

that be from thee far.

That be far from thee, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Gen. xviii. 25. 168 Oh Son, in whom my soul hath chief delight.

This is no other than Jesus Christ, the promised deliverer, who was born of woman, that he might, in our nature, pay a full obedience to the divine commandments and endure the punishment inflicted by Divine justice for man's transgression. He lived a holy and unspotted life. He was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, being typified in the sacrifices of old, believed in by the ancient patriarchs, and described by the inspired prophets.

170 My word, my wisdom and effectual might.

[merged small][ocr errors]

And his name is called the Word of God. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh, a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

but

Freely vouchsaf'd.

grace in me

In that Revelation which God has given us, we learn that faith which is necessary to salvation, we are presented with numerous instances of persons who have lived and died in the enjoyment of it. By considering their examples, we not only see the beauties of virtue, and are charmed with the

[merged small][ocr errors]

191

excellencies of an humble, contented, temperate and pious life; but we gather from the information concerning the kingdom of God. We see what animated them in their progress through a troublesome world. What enabled them to resist temptation, to overcome difficulties, to brave persecution, and to encounter the terrors of death without dismay? It was not the native energy of their own minds, nor a philosophical indifference to pain and pleasure; but a belief in the "great mystery of godliness," which the Messiah undertook to accomplish for the salvation of a lost world.

Invites.

[ocr errors]

while offered grace

We beseech you, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. Now is the accepted time: now is the day of salvation. 2 Cor. vi. 1, 2.

[blocks in formation]

A state of darkness and corruption succeeded to that of light and purity, and the whole world was found guilty before God. To obey, in every point and to the utmost extent, the Law of God, was out of the power of man, whose faculties were weakened, perverted and defiled. In this state stood Adam and all his posterity; cut off from the Divine favour, and doomed to perdition by the justice of the Almighty. It is necessary that this important fact should be felt; otherwise, the volume of inspiration will be a sealed book, and the scheme of redemption must be perplexed and unintelligible. The promise of the Redeemer was made as soon as the offence came.

« PreviousContinue »