even I, am he that comforteth you. Who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man that shall die, and of the son of man that shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy Maker, which hath stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth?" Equally applicable are the same considerations to the more open, but on that very account less dangerous enemies, the learned unbeliever and the innovating demagogue; for while the others do more harm to the Christian than to the church, these do more harm to the church than to the Christian. With respect to the one we know, that God "will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent;" and it will be well if those who have endeavoured to extinguish our light, shall find in the blackness of darkness which envelopes the grave, a light of their own which can disclose to them a path to immortality. As to the others, we are assured that "the lying lips shall be put to silence," that cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully speak against the righteous, in that day, when, as we are told, "the Lord cometh, with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all; and to convince all that are ungodly among men of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have - spoken against him." But remember, brethren, that ere these dreadful denunciations are fulfilled, it is our duty to offer our earnest prayers in behalf even of those who would not only overturn the goodly fabric of the church, but beguile to destruction unstable souls that the Lord in his infinite mercy would yet open their eyes to the tremendous judgment they provoke, and give them repentance to the acknowledgment of his will; that, like Paul, they may yet honour the Saviour whom they now blaspheme, and glorify him in their conversion, not their condemnation, as "brands plucked from the burning," rather than as "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Such then, Christian brethren, should be your motives to obey the divine charge, as it respects them: but, oh! what encouragement have you to obey it, as it respects God and yourselves; nothing less than the sure prospect of a "far more exceeding weight of glory." Allow to the temptations of which I have spoken the utmost force which they are capable of possessing, they are still comparatively the "light affliction which is but for a moment;" but "the righteousness that ye know shall endure for ever, and the salvation of which ye are made partakers to the age of ages." It is true, that for this you have the evidence only of faith-faith in the divine word and promise; but the very nature of the case precludes the evidence of experience, for who has ever returned to tell the secrets of the unseen world; and what would it more avail if one did return, unless the revelation were made separately and individually to ourselves, which presumption itself would not dare to require? We have "the more sure word of prophecy"-the more satisfactory evidence of miracles-the universal and present testimony of the statutes of the Lord, which, when brought home to our hearts by the influence of the Spirit, as I trust they are to many hearts in this congregation, are "more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb;" and which bear so clearly and so indelibly the impress of celestial truth, that if we "believe not Moses and the prophets, neither should we be persuaded though one rose from the dead." But why should I expatiate upon this, when the word of God has come home with power to your hearts-when "he that believeth hath the witness in himself," a witness, the authority and energy of which a worldly man cannot even conceive-when every day of your lives, while you are prostrate before the throne of God in prayer, you have "the Holy Spirit bearing witness with your spirit that you are the sons of God; and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ?" Could we for an instant reduce in imagination the order of things to the primeval chaos, and admit for truth the wild vagaries and absurd contradictions of the unbeliever and the atheist, even then, on their principles, what have you to lose? But take the better and brighter side-gaze on the light that emanates from the Sun of righteousness-accept that word, to the truth of which angels have testified, for which apostles have suffered, and martyrs have died-which has been in the lips of ten thousand thousand expiring saints the presage and earnest of eternal glory, and to the divine faithfulness of which your own hearts bear daily testimony, and what have you to gain? "A righteousness that shall endure for ever: a salvation to the age of ages." Yes, little flock, to whom it is your Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom that was purchased by your Saviour's blood-ye who are living evidences that the church of England is indeed a true and lively part of the church of Christ, hear your Lord and Saviour declaring, even by my feeble voice-" Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, the earth shall wax old as a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished." SERMON VI.* THE CONTINUANCE OF LOVING-KINDNESS TO THEM THAT KNOW GOD. PSALM XXXVI, 10. "O continue thy loving-kindness to them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.” THROUGHOUT the whole of those Scriptures, which, being given by inspiration of God, can alone be reasonably considered to exhibit an accurate and faithful delineation of the Divine character, the connection between the Deity and his rational creation seems to be studiously represented under a twofold aspect: the first, a general relation, extending equally to all without exception; the second, a particular relation, comprehending only those individuals with whom it has been per * This Sermon was preached on the 7th of November, 1830, when it was expected that His Majesty would honour the citizens of London, in the ensuing week, by a visit to the Guildhall. |