Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

heaven in the soul, and they assure to us a complete and everlasting possession of it. Even in the day of judgment itself this holy confidence will remain: they who possess it now, will go forth with joy to meet the bridegroom; "they will stand before him with great boldness;" and, assured of their relation to him, will exclaim, "This God is our God for ever and ever."]

INFER

1. How careful should we be in every part of our conduct!

[Every thing we do is written in the book of God's remembrance; and our own consciences will hereafter, if not now, attest the truth of God's record. How anxious then should we be, that every day and every hour should record something good, rather than what will distress us in the day of judgment. Let us then beg of God to "put truth in our inward parts:" let us exercise ourselves day and night to keep a "conscience void of offence both towards God and man:"s and let us say with Job, "My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live."]

2. How attentive should we be to the voice of conscience!

[Conscience, if we would listen to it, would tell us many plain and wholesome truths. If we would submit to its reproofs, it would keep us from much evil, and lead us safely to heaven. Let none of us then stifle it, or bribe it, or despise it: but let us rather get it well informed, and cherish with care its salutary admonitions. Let us carefully conform ourselves to its dictates, and "judge ourselves, that we may not be judged of the Lord.""]

3. How thankfully should we bathe in the fountain of Christ's blood!

[There is not a day or an hour wherein conscience does not contract some defilement: nor is there a probability of pacifying it, but by continual applications to "the blood of sprinkling." Let us then rejoice that there is "a fountain opened for sin and uncleanness;" and let it be our care day and night to cleanse ourselves in it from every fresh contracted stain. If we neglect this, "our mind and conscience will be defiled;" but if we "abide in him, we shall have confidence in expectation of his appearance; nor shall we be ashamed before him at his coming.""]

e 1 John iv. 17. b Job xxvii. 6. ! 1 Cor. xi. 31.

f Wisd. v. 1.
iRom. ii. 15.
m Tit. i. 15.

8 Acts xxiv. 16.
k Acts xxiii. 1.
u John ii. 28.

[ocr errors]

CCCCXIX. AGAINST A DISPOSITION TO RELINQUISH THE LORD'S SERVICE.

Luke ix. 62. Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

SO infinitely important is the service of God, that nothing can ever justify the withdrawing of ourselves from it, or the relaxing of our diligence in the discharge of our proper office-However innocent any earthly employment may be, yea, however decorous, or even necessary, in its place, it must give way to the more urgent calls of our duty to God-Of this our Lord constantly warned his hearers, in order that they might fully count the cost before they became his followers-His answers to three different persons upon this subject are worthy of our particular attention-To the first, who voluntarily tendered to him his services, he replied, that he must expect no worldly advantages in following him, but rather lay his account to meet with poverty and disgrace-In his address to the second, whom he had enjoined to follow him, and who wished to defer his obedience till he should have performed the last offices for his deceased father, our Lord required him to leave those offices to others, who were not occupied in higher pursuits, and instantly to comply with the direction given him; because nothing, however proper in itself, should interfere with the execu tion of a positive command-To the last, he gave this caution; That since his carthly relatives would most probably prove a snare to him under his present circumstances, he must make up his mind to forsake all for him; for that a wavering mind would unfit him both for the service of God on earth, and the enjoyment of God in heaven

The request of this last person seems to have brought to our Lord's mind the circumstances of Elisha, when he was called to serve Elijah: and it is to Elisha's occupation that our Lord alludes in the answer he gave him

1 Kings xix. 19, 20.

From his words we may deduce two important observa

tions

I.,When we engage in God's service, we should determine, through grace, to continue in it

When we put our hand to the plough" we engage

in God's service

[It is obvious that, as God's creatures, and more particularly as redeemed by the blood of his dear Son, we are bound to serve and obey him-Now the obedience which he requires; is, that we renounce the world, and mortify sin, and yield up ourselves to him unfeignedly, and without reserve-And when we begin to make a profession of religion, we do, in fact, declare, that henceforth we will walk conformably to the example, of Christ, and the precepts of his gospel-Our very putting of our hand to the plough is, as it were, a public declaration of our intention to prosecute and finish the work assigned us by our divine Master-]

But it is of no use to begin the Lord's work, if we do not resolutely adhere to it

[When first we turn to the Lord, we propose to ourselves two ends, namely, to glorify God, and to save our own souls: and while we continue faithful to our engagements, we find no reason to complain of disappointment-But the very instant we recede from our work, we proclaim, as it were, to all around us, I have tried religion, and found it but an empty name: I have served the Lord, and experienced him to be an hard Master: I have weighed the world and its services in a balance with God and his service; and I bear my testimony,' that the world deserves our preference-By such conduct as this a person pulls down all that he has built: he brings incomparably more dishonour to God than ever he brought glory, and sinks his soul into a far deeper condemnation, than if he had never known the way of righteousness-As a man who' should begin to plough, would render himself of no use, if he should relinquish his work as soon as he had proceeded to the end of a single furrow; so an apostate from religion renders' his divine Master no service by a temporary obedience, but rather defeats, yea, most completely reverses, the ends proposed

Nor is it an open apostasy only from our holy pro fession that is so fatal to us: for

VOL. IV.

b Ezek. xviii. 24. 2 Pet. ii. 21.

Rr

[graphic]

Lake is Jail to in, No man hit
hand the plug, and baking back, in fit fortegn
of Gall

SO infly important is the service of Gold
ding can ever justify the withdrawing of ourschran
it, or the relaxing of our diligence in the discharge of or
-However innocent any cardly empl

ment may be, yes, however decorous, or even place, it must give way to the mure urgatal do God-Of this our Lord constand and shears, in order that they might fully count des bere they became his followers-His answers t dent persons upon this subject are worthy of or Scale station-To the first, who colantari servis, he replied, that he mast expat wally advantages in following him, but rather ant to meet with poverty and disgrace-In s dress to the second, when he had enjoined to f who wished to defer his obedience till he s firmed the bst dies for his deceased ficher Land quired him to leave those offices to others wat occupied in higher pursuits, and issu with the dinction given him; because

itself should interfere with the c To the last, he gave this That sice his earthly relatives would must p pre a stare to him under his present circumst best make up his mind to forsake all for b warning mind would unfit him both fr siz of God on earth, and the enjoyment of G

[ocr errors]

The must this list person seems to have brough tour Landsaid the circumstances of Elish, when was called to serve Elijah and it is to Elisha's occ in that our Lord allocks in the answer he gave in

[ocr errors]
[graphic]
« ÎnapoiContinuă »