Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

" about it." Some think this phrafe alludes to the cherubim that kept the way of the tree of life with flaming fwords: others to the fiery chariots round about Dathan, where Elisha was; but most think it to be an allufion to an ancient custom of travellers in the defarts; who, to prevent the affaults of wild beafts in the night, made a circular fire round about them, which was as a wall to them. Thus will God be to his people a wall of fire, which none can scale. So Exod. iii. 3, 4, 5. we have an excellent emblem of the church's low and dangerous condition, and admirable prefervation. You have here both a marvel and a mystery. The marvel was to fee a bush all on fire, and yet not confumed. The mystery is this, the bufh reprefented the fad condition of the church of Egypt; the fire flaming upon it, the grievous afflictions, troubles, and bondage it was in there; the remaining of the bufh unconfumed, the strange and admirable preservation of the church in thofe troubles. It lived there as the three noble Jews, untouched in the midft of a burning fiery furnace and the angel of the Lord in a flame of fire, in the midst of the bush, was nothing else but the Lord Jefus Chrift, powerfully and graciously prefent with his people amidst all their dangers and fufferings. The Lord is exceeding tender over them, and jealous for them, as that expreffion imports, Zech. ii. 8. "He that toucheth "you, toucheth the apple of mine eye." He that ftrikes at them, ftrikes at the face of God, and at the most excellent part of the face, the eye, and at the most tender and precious part of the eye, the apple of the eye. And yet, as a learned modern obferves, this people of whom he uses this tender and dear expreffion, were none of the best of Ifrael neither; but the refidue that ftaid behind in Babylon, when their brethren were gone to rebuild the temple; and yet over these, he is as tender as a man is over his eye.

REFLECTION.

And is the fecurity of the church fo great! and its preservation so admirable, amidst all forms and tempefts! then why art thou fo prone and fubject to defpond, O my foul, in the day of Sion's trouble? Senfible thou waft, and oughteft to be: but no reafon to hang down the head through difcouragement, much lefs to forfake Zion in her diftrefs, for fear of being ruined with her.

What David fpake to Abiathar, 1 Sam. xxii. 23. that may Zion. fpeak to all her fons and daughters in all their diftreffes: "Though "he that feeketh thy life feeketh mine alfo; yet with me fhalt thou "be in fafeguard." God hath entailed great falvation and deliverances upon Zion; and bleffed are all her friends and favourers; the Rock of ages is its defence. Fear not, therefore, O my foul, though the hills be removed out of their place, and cast into the midst of the fea. O let my faith triumph, and my heart rejoice upon this ground of comfort. I fee the fame rocks now, and in the fame place and condition they were many years ago. Though they have endured many

ftorms, yet there they abide; and fo fhall Zion, when the proud waves have spent their fury and rage against it.

M

THE POEM.

ESOPOTAMIA, fituate in the feas,

May reprefent the church; or, if you please,
A rock, o'er which the waves do wash and swell,
May figure it; chufe either, which you will.
Winds ftrive upon those feas, and make a noise,
The lofty waves fometimes lift up their voice,
And, fwelling high fucceffively, do beat
With violence against it, then retreat.

They break themselves, but it abides their fhock;
And when their rage is spent, there ftands the rock.
Then they are out that do affirm and vote,
Peace, pomp, and fplendor is the church's note.
And they deferve no less reproof that are
In Zion's troubles ready to defpair.

This rock amidst far ftronger rocks doth lie,
Which are its fence; fo deep, fo thick, fo high,
They can't be batter'd, fcal'd, or undermin'd:
And thefe, environ'd by them, daily find
Their bread ascertain'd; waters too fecur'd:
Then shout and fing, ye that are thus immur'd.

[ocr errors]

CHAP. XII.

What dangers run they for little gains,

Who, for their fouls, would ne'er take half the pains !■

OBSERVATION.

OW exceeding folicitous and adventurous are feamen for a fmall portion of the world? How prodigal of ftrength and life for it? They will run to the ends of the earth, engage in a thoufand dangers, upon the hopes and probability of getting a fmall eftate. Per mare, per terras, per mille pericula currunt. Hopes of gain make them willing to adventure their liberty, yea, their life, and encourage them to endure heat, cold, and hunger, and a thousand ftraits and difficulties, to which they are frequently expofed.

APPLICATION.

How hot and eager are men's affections after the world! and how remifs and cold towards things eternal! they are careful, and troubled about many things; but feldom mind the great and neceflary matter, Luke x. 40. They can rife early, go to bed late, and eat the bread of carefulness; but when did they fo deny themfelves for their poor fouls? Their heads are full of defigns and projects to get or advance an eftate: "We will go into fuch a city, continue

το

"there a year, and buy and fell, and get gain," James iv. 13. This is the top, the mafter-defign, which engroffeth all their time, studies, and contrivances. The will hath past a decree for it, the heart and affections are fully let out to it, They will be rich, 1 Tim. vi. 9. This decree of the will, the Spirit of God takes deep notice of; and indeed it is the clearest and fullest discovery of a man's portion and condition for look what is higheft in the estimation, first and laft in the thoughts, and upon which we spend our time and strength with delight; certainly, that is our treasure, Matth. vi. 20, 21. The heads and hearts of faints are full of folicitous cares and fears about their spiritual condition; the great design they drive on, to which all other things are but apipya, things by the by, is to make fure their calling and election. This is the pondus, the weight and bias of their fpirit; if their hearts ftray and wander after any other thing, this reduces them again.

REFLECTION.

Lord, this hath been my manner from my youth, may the carnalminded man fay; I have been labouring for the meat that perifheth; difquieting myself in vain, full of designs and projects for the world, and unwearied in my endeavours to compafs an earthly treafure; yet therein I have either been checked and difappointed by Providence, or if I have obtained, yet I am no fooner come to enjoy that content and comfort I promised myself in it, but I am ready to leave it all, to be ftript out of it by death, and in that day all my thoughts perish: But, in the mean time, what have I done for my foul? When did I ever break a night's fleep, or deny and pinch myself for it? Ah! fool that I am! to nourish and pamper a vile body, which must fhortly lie under the clods, and become a lothfome carcafe; and, in the mean time, neglect and undo my poor foul, which partakes of the nature of angels, and must live for ever. I have kept others vineyards, but mine own vineyard I have not kept. I have been a perpetual drudge and flave to the world; in a worfe condition hath my foul been, than others that are condemned to the mines. change my treasure, and change my heart: O let it fuffice that I have been thus long labouring in the fire for very vanity: now gather up my heart and affections in thyfelf, and let my great defign now be, to fecure a special intereft in thy bleffed felf, that I may once fay, "To me to live is Chrift."

THE POEM.

HE face of man imprefs'd and stamp'd on gold,
With crown, and royal fceptres, we behold.

[ocr errors]

No wonder that a human face it gains,

Since head, heart, foul, and body, it obtains.
Nor is it strange a fceptre it fhould have,
That to its yoke the world doth so enflave.
Charm'd with its chinking note, away they go,
Like eagles to the carcafe, ride and row.

Lord,

Thro' worlds of hazards foolish creatures run,
That into its embraces they may come.

Poor Indians, in the mines, my heart condoles,
But feldom turns afide to pity fouls,

Which are the flaves, indeed, that toil, and spend
Themselves upon its fervice. Surely, friend,
They are but fextons, to prepare, and make
Thy grave, within thofe mines, whence they do take
And dig their ore. Ah! many fouls, I fear,

Whofe bodies live, yet lie entombed there.

Is gold fo tempting to you? Lo! Chrift ftands,
With length of days, and riches in his hands.
Gold in the fire try'd he freely proffers,
But few regard, or take those golden offers.

T

CHAP. XIII.

Millions of creatures in the feas are fed :
Why then are faints in doubt of daily bread?

OBSERVATION.

HERE are multitudes of living creatures in the fea. The Pfalm

ift faith, there are in it, "Things creeping innumerable, both "fmall and great beafts," Pfal. civ. 25. and we read, Gen. i. 20. that when God bleffed the waters, he faid, "Let the waters bring "forth abundantly, both fifh and fowl, that move in it, and fly about "it." Yet all thofe multitudes of fish and fowl, both in fea and land, are cared and provided for, Pfal. cxlv. 15, 16. "Thou giveft "them their meat in due feafon : thou openeft thy hand, and fatis"fieft the defire of every living thing."

APPLICATION.

If God take care for the fishes of the fea, and the fowls of the air, much more will he care and provide for those that fear him. "When "the poor and needy feeketh water, and there is none, and "their tongue faileth for thirft; I the Lord will hear them; I the "God of Ifrael will not forfake them," Ifa. xii. 17. "Take no "thought for your life, (faith the Lord) what ye fhall eat, or what "ye fhall drink; or for the body what ye fhall put on :" Which he backs with an argument from God's providence over the creatures, and enforceth it with a much rather] upon them, Matth. vi. 25, 31. God would have his people be without carefulness, i. e. anxious care, 1 Cor. vii. 32. "And to caft their care upon him, for he careth for them," Pet. v. 7. There are two main arguments fuggefted in the gofpel, to quiet and fatisfy the hearts of faints in this particular: the one is, that the gift of Jefus Chrift amounts to more than all these things come to; yea, in beftowing him, he has given that which vir

[ocr errors]

66. us

all;

tually and eminently comprehends all thefe inferior mercies in it, Rom. vili. 32. "He that fpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for how shall he not with him freely give us all things?" And 1 Cor. iii. 22. "All things are yours, and ye are Chrift's, and Chrift " is God's." Another argument is, that God gives these temporal things to thofe he never gave his Chrift unto, and therefore there is no great matter in them; yea, to those which, in a little while, are to be thrust into hell, Pfal. xvii. 14. Now if God clothe and feed his enemies, if (to allude to that, Luke xii. 28.) he clothe the grafs, which to-day is in its pride and glory in the field, and to-morrow is caft into the oven, into hell: how much more will he clothe and provide for you that are faints?

This God, that feeds all the creatures is your Father, and a Father that never dies; and therefore you fhall not be as expofed orphans that are the children of fuch a Father. "For he hath faid, I will "never leave you nor forsake you," Heb. xiii. 3. I have read of a good woman, that in all wants and diftreffes was wont to encourage herself with that word, 2 Sam. xxii. 47. The Lord liveth. But one time, being in a deep diftrefs, and forgetting that confolation, one of her little children came to her, and faid, Mother, why weep ye fo? What is God dead now?" Which words, from a child, fhamed her out of her unbelieving fears, and quickly brought her fpirits to reft. O faint, whilft God lives thou canst not want what is good for thee.

[ocr errors]

How sweet a life might Chriftians live, could they but bring their hearts to a full fubjection to the difpofing will of God? to be content not only with what he commands and approves, but also with what he allots and appoints. It was a fweet reply that a gracious woman once made upon her death-bed, to a friend that asked, Whether the ' were more willing to live, or die?' She answered, I am pleased 'with what God pleafeth.' Yea, (faith her friend) but if God 'fhould refer it to you, which would you chufe?' Truly, (faid 'fhe) if God would refer it to me, I would refer it to him again.' Ah! bleffed life, when the will is fwallowed up in the will of God, and the heart at reft in his care and love, and pleased with all his appointments.

REFLECTION.

I remember my fault this day, may many a gracious foul fay. Ah! how faithlefs and diftruftful have I been, notwithstanding the great fecurity God hath given to my faith, both in his word and works! O my foul, thou haft greatly finned therein, and difhonoured thy Father! I have been worse to my Father than my children are to me. They trouble not their thoughts with what they fhall eat or drink, or put on, but truft to my care and provifion for that; yet I cannot trust my Father, though I have ten thoufand times more reafon fo to do, than they have to truft me, Matth. vii. 21. Surely, unless I were

« AnteriorContinuar »