Page images
PDF
EPUB

3

thousands and millions of such worlds as this! And was sin indeed such an infinite evil, that nothing could expiate it, but such a sacrifice as this! Sin, which we, stupid mortals, see so little evil in. And did the eternal Father value the honour of his law and government more than the life of his Son! And if these things were done in the green tree, what will be done in the dry! Where will the unrighteous and ungodly appear when this Jesus comes in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel! How vain will it be to cry for mercy! how vain to hope that impartial justice will relent! The Son of God prayed, “ O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;" and even agonized in blood! But it was not possible: justice must be satisfied; the Son of God himself must die: therefore impenitent Christless sinners cannot escape; nor can they ever be released: But "the smoke of their torment will ascend for ever and ever."

That God is in earnest, when he threatens to punish impenitent sinners with eternal damnation, cannot be made more evident than it is by the cross of Christ. However, it may be more attended to, and so work a more universal conviction. Yet their eternal damnation itself, will not be a greater proof, that God was in earnest, than the death of his Son on the cross. The whole intelligent system have here the strongest evidence of the impartial rectitude of the divine nature, and of the inflexibility of the divine justice, that can possibly be given. And at the same time, the boundless goodness of the divine nature set in the clearest point of light. Wherefore to conclude, let us here behold the " glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ;" that beholding "in this glass the glory of the Lord," we may be changed into the same image, from glory to glory. That so the Gospel may become the power of God to our salvation. That while Christ crucified is to some a stumbling-block, and to others foolishness, he may be to us the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Now to him" who loved us and gave himself for us, be glory, honour, and praise for ever and ever." Amen. Even

TO HIM, who is " the Alpha and the Omega, the Almighty, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, who is God, the true

God, the mighty God, the holy one of Israel, sitting on a throne high and lifted up, God over all blessed for ever, by whom and for whom all things were created," even to HIM let every knee bow in heaven and on earth ;" and it will be so far from derogating or detracting from the honour, that it will be " to the glory, of God the Father." For," he and his Father are ONE." Yea, " there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are ONE." And to this ONE GOD in three persons, to whom we were dedicated in baptism, and from whom all blessings flow to us, even to HIM, be ascribed “ the kingdom, power, and glory, for ever." Amen.

THE

MILLENNIUM.

REVELATION xx. 1, 2, 3.

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil and satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled.

IN a great variety of respects, the BIBLE is the most re

markable book in the world. In it we have God's moral character clearly exhibited to view, by a history of his conduct, as moral Governor of the world from the beginning: and the nature of fallen man painted to the life by a history of their behaviour for four thousand years. In it we have opened the glorious and astonishing method, that has been entered upon to disappoint all satan's designs, by the interposition of the Son of God; and are informed of his birth, life, death, resurrec tion, ascension, and exaltation, and of the glorious designs he has in view. And the whole is so contrived as to be admirably suited to all the circumstances and needs of a good man; that, as it were designed to be the good man's book, in a peculiar sense, so it is perfectly suited to his case. It is "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to all good works." (2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.)

That sincere concern for the cause of truth and virtue, for the honour of God and interest of true religion, which is peculiar to a good man, whose character it is to love Christ above father and mother, wife and children, houses and lands, yea, better than his own life, must naturally subject him to a

peculiar kind of solicitude. Even as a child of a truly filial spirit, is pained when it goes ill with his father's family, to whose interest he is closely attached; and has a whole system of inward sensations, that a stranger intermeddles not withthe BIBLE, the good man's book, is therefore wisely adapted to ease the good man's pained heart, and afford consolation in this interesting and most important point; as it gives the strongest assurances that the cause of virtue shall finally prevail.

How insupportable must the grief of the pious Jews have been, sitting on the sides of the rivers of Babylon! "There we sat down," say they, "yea, we wept when we remembered Zion." And, " on the willows they hung their harps," nor could any thing divert their minds. "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth." (Psal. cxxxvii.) How insupportable, I say, must their grief have been, while their glorious holy temple, and their holy. city, the place of all their sacred solemnities, were laying desolate, and God's people in captivity, had it not been for that promise, so often repeated, that after seventy years God would visit them, and cause them to return to their own land. God knew before-hand the anguish which would be apt to fill their hearts, the sinking discouragements, and all the train of dark and gloomy thoughts, they would be incident to; and before-hand provided a remedy. Yea, no sooner had he denounced their doom in the 39th chapter of Isaiah, but immediately in the next chapter, and for ten or twenty chapters together, does he provide for their support. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people; speak comfortably to Jerusalem," &c.:

So, how insupportable would have been the grief of the church of Christ, through the long, dark, cruel reign of mystical Babylon, while they beheld error and wickedness universally prevail, satan getting his will in almost every thing, and to appearance no signs of better times, but all things wearing a dreadful aspect before their eyes: how great their grief; how sinking their discouragements; how almost insuperable, their temptations to apostatize, and forsake a cause that hea-; ven seemed to forsake, had not the day of deliverance been

« PreviousContinue »