Tracts for the Christian Seasons. THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. Obedience ever increasing. PROPER LESSONS: Morning, Deut. iv.; Evening, Deut. v. THE proper lessons out of the Old Testament are not taken at random; they are chosen to suit the day; sometimes they set forth in type the great doctrine of the season, sometimes they speak of it in the language of prophecy, sometimes they suggest the tone of mind, and point out the duties that arise from the particular truth which at the time stands out before us. What is there then in these chapters of Deuteronomy which befits the third Sunday after Easter? What is the idea and the thought which they impress most strongly on the mind? The law of the Ten Commandments, and the end of those who break it, were contained in the lessons for Easter Tuesday, why is the same subject brought up again to-day? Let us seek an answer to these questions, and try as loving children of the Church to gather up the words of instruction with which our mother would make us wise unto salvation. Look carefully at the parts of the Old Testament which have been already chosen during Easter, and you will see that the mercy of God in Christ was as it were acted over beforehand in type and figure with His Church of old; so that as we go on with the account of the delivery of Israel out of Egypt, we shall find that in it the great truths of this joyful season are one by one shadowed out to us: each day seems to bring its doctrine; one day spoke of our delivery from the bondage of sin and death; another of our election in Christ and our adoption into His family by Baptism; another told us that after having been saved, we are not to return again into the power of our enemies, but are to come out from the abode of evil" with a high hand;" on another day we heard of the spiritual kingdom which Christ set up for us on earth, and of the laws which are to govern His people; and Korah warns us of the fate of those who without authority venture to minister before God; and Balaam comforts us by the assurance that the gates of hell cannot prevail against Christ's Church, that the curse is turned into a blessing; Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, 27 neither is there any divination against Israel:" all these merciful truths have been set before us for our encouragement; God has done great things for our soul; He assures us of His favour and His blessing; and now what remains but to receive these benefits with grateful hearts, to make them principles of action, and to walk worthy of so holy a calling. With a view of guiding us in this endeavour, the lessons are now for several Sundays taken out of Deuteronomy, and the thought which they bring home to the mind is that of obedience; they call on us, they urge us forward, they exhort us to obey Him, "who hath taken us and brought us forth out of the iron furnace to be unto Him a people of inheritance as we are this day." Consider the subject of obedience well, regard it from every side and you will see that, I. There are many motives for obedience; we may obey because we fear, we may obey from love and gratitude; as God's servants, or as His children; this distinction is plainly marked in God's dealings with Israel; the law was twice given, at the beginning and at the end of their wanderings in the wilderness; but how different was the way in which God spake to His people on these two occasions: the first time He spoke to them Himself, "with thunders and earthquakes and burning," with every thing that could alarm the conscience and arouse it to the feeling of sin; God" came to prove them, that His fear might be before their faces, that they sin not." The second time He spake by man, by the voice of Moses His servant, who had shared their sorrows and ministered to their wants, and been to them a brother and a friend; all was mild, gentle, and gracious when he spoke. This distinction of motives still remains; we may obey because God hates sin and unfaithfulness, because His favour depends on our works; we may obey out of gratitude to Him who has redeemed us by His blood and regenerated us by His Spirit, who for our sakes having emptied Himself of His glory and come down on earth, there spoke to us in the form and with the words of man. We may begin by fearing Him who hath power to cast into hell; it is right that we should begin with this feeling; it suits those who have just come out of sin lest they return to it; we may go on to love Him who loved us, to give ourselves up to Him who regards us as parts and members of His own body, as children of His own family, as citizens of the kingdom of heaven. The law of nature leads us to tremble lest we should not obey enough, the Gospel would have us love, that we may obey more fully and more abundantly. Surrounded by so many proofs of Christ's mercy and bounty, in the midst of the most happy season of the year, though we may not cast out fear, yet love is the motive which now most befits us, love is the feeling which should animate our souls. When children love their earthly parent, that affection influences their whole existence; they run at his call; a single word, a single look is enough; they need not exhortation and constraint; it is scarcely an exercise of the will; they esteem it a favour to do their parent's bidding; they strive among themselves who shall do it most readily, who shall make themselves most useful to him, most conducive to his comfort, most deserving of his love. Such obedience is rare no doubt, and few parents are at pains to cultivate it in their children; still none I think are without instances of this happy blessed spirit, none but may in this way learn, in what consists that ready cheerful devotion, which the children of God owe to their heavenly Father, learn to seek His favour with eagerness, to be keenly alive to their duties toward Him, to love His service and hasten into His presence. |