Sayfadaki görseller
PDF
ePub

for his help, to the holy Jesus for his mediation, and to the Spirit of grace for sanctification. Scripture and experience prove, that "we are not sufficient of ourselves;" but He is all-powerful to bless, all-mighty to save; and this power and this might is only equalled by his longsuffering and abundant mercy. We have his express promise, that those that come unto him shall in no wise be cast out. He justly expects that we should acknowledge our dependence on him, by asking his aid; and if we are too proud, or too negligent, he leaves us to the consequences. But some may say, "We have prayed as well as endeavoured, and all to no purpose." I would here ask, How have you prayed? Only, perhaps, as a matter of course, without much persuasion that it would do you any good, without penitence and humiliation, without attention and earnestness, without an entire prostration of mind, and a perfect devotion of soul, body, and spirit, to your God and his Christ; or at least, without due perseverance; and what can you expect from such prayers?

Supposing, however, that you are satisfied with yourselves on these heads, what plea have you made to God for his pardon and help? "That of his infinite mercy?" But his mercy flows to mankind in a particular channel. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself;" as the verse before the text teaches. Have you then applied through Jesus? For if not, if you seek to be reconciled without him, it is a shadow and no substance that you pursue; it is not reconciliation, but condemnation. You will all, perhaps, be ready to say, "We have prayed in his name constantly." Still has it been with a proper sense of what he has done for you; of what he is to you; with a real faith and trust in his atonement and grace, disclaiming all merit of your own; with a fixed and active resolution to "take his yoke upon you," and observe his appointments, in order to attain his likeness? Possibly you will plead, "that such faith and resolution are not in your power: "they are the gift of God,"† as appears from Scripture, and therefore it is none of your fault if you have them not. I say, brethren, it is in your power to yield to his Spirit "when he strives with you," to dwell on his convictions of your sins, and of your danger; to cherish high desires and holy aspirations for spiritual grace; to endeavour at what you are commanded; to use the means which the gospel prescribes. If you have done this, persevere in the same course, and you will infallibly succeed; be ye faithful unto death, and Christ will give you a crown of life. If you have not, this is the method which, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead," to take, that ye may be reconciled to God.

66

He is infinitely wise, and therefore knows what is best for us. He is infinitely good, and therefore his directions point it out to us. He is perfectly just and holy, and therefore loves his creatures to eschew evil and do good; to seek peace, the peace of God, and ensue it. His power is irresistible, and therefore he can reward or punish to the utmost. His veracity is unquestionable, and therefore he will reward or punish according to his word. And he has expressly told us in that word, that "the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous to life eternal." What can we then promise ourselves by Matt. xxv. 46.

2 Cor. iii. 5.

+ Eph. ii. 8.

disobedience? What may we not promise ourselves by obedience ? Our worldly enjoyments at best are few and uncertain; our sufferings many and severe. What a situation is this, if we are to take it for our all,without God, and without hope! We are indeed apt to flatter ourselves with the prospect of pleasure and advantages soon to come; but if we look back, what great and lasting satisfaction hath the highest and the happiest of us ever enjoyed? and what better ground is there to expect any such in the remainder of our days?

We have undoubtedly much to be thankful for; far more indeed than we have deserved. But is that a reason why we should desire nothing further? Shall we, created in God's image, and after God's likeness, feel satisfied, on cool reflection, at the close of life, that following in the same track, the broad way it is to be feared, which we have hitherto too often pursued; shall we, I repeat, feel satisfied that we have done the work of an immortal soul? especially while heavenly and eternal bliss, the paradise lost by the first, regained by the second Adam, lies within our view, and within our reach!

66

God, be it ever borne in mind, is our Maker and Lord; this entitles him to our faithful service. He is our Benefactor: by all that he has given, and all that he is ready to give ; by his inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ;" by the means of grace which he has bestowed already; by the hopes of glory he has implanted in our hearts, to encourage us in our duty; this demands our most affectionate gratitude. And if we deny him either our obedience or our love, he will and must show to the whole creation which he governs, that they who sin, unless they apply for pardon in the manner directed by him, shall suffer in proportion. Now they do not suffer here, therefore they will hereafter. Are you then content, rather than be reconciled to God, not only to lose the promise of his favour, but to undergo, first the terrors, then the torments of his future displeasure, such as his word has described them?" the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is not quenched ?" Some foolish persons, regardless of the things that belong unto their everlasting peace, sink under the apprehension of being despised and ridiculed for their piety and virtue by their neighbours and friends; but shall they not be approved and applauded by the wise and good-by the Judge of all, and his holy angels, at the last day? To others the burden of their sins may be so heavy, that they scarcely venture to lift up the eyes to God, much less expect that He, the wise and only good, will help, or ever forgive them ; and certain it is, such persons can have no well-grounded hope; but still both reason and revelation forbid even them to despair. If they are frail, God is gracious. If their sins are as scarlet, the precious blood of Christ can make them white as snow. The very forbearance and long-suffering, indeed, which has hitherto spared, carry with them a degree of pardon. Repenting and confessing, and striving against their sins, must improve their condition, and may, through redeeming love, reconcile them to their Father in heaven. How far this mercy may be carried rests with God alone, and therefore if further encouragement is needed, let them look into his holy word. There he hath granted knowledge of "salvation to his people, by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us, to give light

to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Nay, our Benefactor, our Lawgiver, our Judge, not only permits, but beseeches you to be reconciled. Nor has he sent his request by a common messenger, but by his only Son, "who had glory with him, before the world was." Nor has he sent him barely to make a publication of it from heaven, and return, but to take upon him our nature; to endure the inconveniences of a low condition of life; to suffer indignities, mockings, persecution, and death; to reconcile forgiving goodness with justice and wisdom. Nor, after all this, has he left men to remember his gracious invitation, or to forget it as they please, but has established a perpetual succession of persons, authorized and commanded to repeat it, in public and in private, to every age, every nation, every sinner; and to enforce it by the strongest motives that can influence the human heart, especially that most engaging one which follows the text, "Be ye reconciled to God, for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

So astonishing a method, we may be sure, would never have been taken, had not our case been too bad for less powerful remedies. And the goodness of our heavenly Father in appointing this, of his Son in submitting to it, of his Holy Spirit in applying it to our diseased hearts, is, as the apostle justly expresses it, "a love that passeth knowledge."

But then this mercy is conditional: its final effects depend upon ourselves; and "how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?"§ Every step taken for our recovery will but aggravate our guilt, if it be taken in vain. And there remains no more sacrifice for sins; no other ministry of reconciliation for those who omit to be reconciled by this: are we then convinced of our fallen and lost condition, of the imperfection, the insufficiency, the sinfulness of what is best in us? Let us humble ourselves before "the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity." Are we sensible of our need of pardon and grace, thankful believers in the satisfaction of his Son, and the sanctifying influences of his Holy Spirit? Let us pray to him daily in private from the bottom of our souls. Let us constantly attend the ordinances of his public worship with our minds, as well as our bodies. Let us diligently examine our outward behaviour, and our inward movements of heart, as in his presence; let us yield ourselves up to his will, and make it our great aim to serve and please him, not only in acts of faith and devotion, but in a conduct of benevolence and equity, of mildness, and usefulness to all our fellow-creatures; in lowliness of mind, chastity, sobriety, and temperance; in a word, in newness of life. Always remembering, that every degree of sin remaining, is a degree of enmity remaining. Who then has not need to be reconciled more completely? If we look into ourselves, the best of us must see many things which we cannot approve. If we have any sense of God's goodness to us, we shall earnestly wish and labour to be more pleasing to him, and more like him. If we have any right apprehension of the dangers that surround us, we must fore

• Luke i. 77-79.
Eph. iii. 19.

+ John xvii. 5.

§ Heb. ii. 3.

see that, unless we press forward, we shall be driven back; but the farther we advance, on the surer ground we shall stand.

And if we have any just zeal for the glory of our blessed Redeemer, we shall deeply lament that our failings have so frequently given others occasion to "blaspheme that worthy name whereby we are called ;"* and shall use our best endeavours "to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things."t

MISCELLANEOUS.

COMMENTARY OF THEODORET, BISHOP OF CYRUS IN SYRIA, ON ST. PAUL'S EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

THEODORET was born at Antioch, A.D. 386. His studies were pursued under Theodore of Mopsuista and Chrysostom, from the works of the latter of whom the present commentary is by many esteemed little more than an abridgement. This, however, on comparing the writings of both those Fathers, can hardly perhaps be admitted in its fullest sense, but rather in that in which Theodoret himself represents it, when in his preface to St. Paul's Epistles, speaking not of Chrysostom, or Theodore, who himself also had composed an exposition of those Epistles, but generally, he says, Τὰς ἀφορμὰς ἐκ τῶν μακαρίων συλλέξω πατέρων, συντομίας δὲ ὅτι μάλιστα φροντιῶ.

At the death of his parents he distributed his whole inheritance to the poor, reserving nothing for himself. About the year 420 he was, against his own will, appointed to the bishopric of Cyrus, to which diocese he became a great benefactor, both spiritually and temporally; extirpating heresy oftentimes at the risk of his life; in private charity and public improvements expending almost all his church revenues; neither receiving himself, nor permitting his domestics to receive any thing of any man to conciliate favour; but throughout fulfilling the part of a good and active shepherd in all his doings and conduct. Although in those troublous times of mutual accusation and recrimination, suffering awhile under suspicions in the matters of Nestorius, his innocence and orthodoxy were finally established at the council of Chalcedon, under the emperor Marcian, A. D. 451, from whence retiring to his diocese he passed the rest of his life in quiet, engaged in his labours on the holy Scriptures, and at length died A. d. 457.

"Of all the Fathers, who have composed works of different kinds, Theodoret is one of those," says Dupin (tom. iii. part 2,) "who has been very happy in every one of them. There are some who have been excellent writers in matters of controversy, but bad interpreters. Others have been good historians, but bad divines. Some have good success in morality, who have no skill in doctrinal points. And very rare is it for those who have addicted themselves to works of piety to be good critics. Theodoret had all these qualities, and it may be said, that he has equally deserved the name of a good interpreter, divine, historian,

[blocks in formation]

writer of controversies, apologist for religion, and author of works of piety. But he has principally excelled in his compositions upon the holy Scripture, in which, according to the judgment of the learned Photius, he has outdone almost all other commentators. 'He passes over nothing,' says that writer,' which needs explication, nor can we find any who unfolds all manner of difficulties better, and leaves fewer things obscure.""

It may be remarked, in conclusion, that the points of divinity which he chiefly urges, and of which indeed he seems never to lose sight, are those connected with that leading mystery of our religion, the divinity and consubstantiality of our Lord, both because this was the specific point on which the heretics of his day chiefly erred, and against the denial of which consequently he directed his arguments: and that he distinctly maintained the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father only. Ἐπειδὴ (τὸ πνεῦμα) ὁμοούσιον ἐστὶ πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἐκ πατρὸς μὲν ἐκπορεύεται. Rom. viii. 11. Ἴδιον δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ, εἰ μὲν ὡς ὁμοφυές, καὶ ἐκ πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον ἔφη, συνομολογήσομεν, καὶ ὡς εὐσεβῆ δεξόμεθα τὴν φωνήν· εἰ δὲ ὡς ἐξ Υἱοῦ ἢ δι ̓ Υἱοῦ τὴν ὕπαρξιν ἔχον, ὡς βλάσφημον τοῦτο, καὶ ὡς δυσσεβὲς ἀποῤῥίψομεν. Answer to Cyril's Anathem. &c. Pearson on the Creed. Art. VIII.

ARGUMENT.

Various and comprehensive is the doctrine which the holy apostle unfolds in the present epistle. Its general scope is this-worthy of all awe and adoration to the sincere believer as is the mystery of the divine incarnation, clearly manifesting, as it does, the loving mercy of God; they nevertheless who are involved in the darkness of infidelity, and have not admitted the light of intellectual illumination, scorn that which not even the company of angels can worthily celebrate, as the inspired apostle distinctly says in his Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. i. 18). "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to them that are saved it is the power of God." In this Epistle to the Romans, therefore, he exhibits the indispensable necessity of this saving gospel, together with its utility and advantage to all mankind, Jews or Greeks. In order to which, in the first place he convicts the Greeks of having palpably corrupted the moral sense of good and evil, implanted in their constitution by their Maker, and transgressed the natural law; and secondly, the Jews of having, although in the enjoyment of the written instructions of the divine laws, yet rejected the benefit arising from them, and rendered themselves thereby obnoxious to the heavier retribution. After this, he shows that our God and Saviour came not for the condemnation and punishment of sinners, but to bring pardon for their offences, to promise victory over death, and proclaim eternal life.

Again, perceiving that the Jews clung but too much to the law, and those who savoured of the errors of Marcion and Valentine, with the

*

Resembled those heretics of later times in their denial of the authority and inspiration of the Old Testament.-E B.

« ÖncekiDevam »