Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

2. The explicit declaration which he makes of the intent of his coming

[We should never have sought him: we are like a lost sheep, that never traces back its steps to the fold it has deserted. He therefore came to "seek' us. However solicitous we had been to avert the wrath of God, we never could have done it by any means within our own power. He therefore came to "save" us; to save us by his blood from the guilt of our sins; to save us by his Spirit from the power and pollution of them.

To form a just idea of our state by means of his advent, let us once more consider the state of those in hell. Let us suppose that he went down to hell itself, and there proclaimed liberty and salvation to those who would believe in him: the state of his auditors there would exactly represent our state: and if we do not take the same interest in the glad tidings that they would, it is because we do not feel ourselves so utterly lost as we really are.

But whether we will believe it or not, this is our state, and to deliver us from it was the great end of his advent. It was for this, that the Son of God humbled himself to become a son of man; and, if we will believe in him, he will exalt us children of men, that we may be sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty."]

APPLICATION"

1. To those who deny that they are utterly lost and undone

[Produce one person that is not wholly lost, and we will shew you one that has nothing to do with Christ, any more than Šatan himself has. It was only them that are lost that Christ came to seek and save. Let proud self-justifying sinners consider this.]

2. To those who desire to obtain salvation

[The person that came to seek and save you was fully equal to the task. He was God as well as man; and therefore there can be no want of efficacy in his blood to pardon, or in his grace to sanctify, you. Trust in him, and he will prove himself able to save you to the very uttermost.]

t John i. 12.

u The latter part of the subject is so plain and easy, that the youngest minister can be at no loss to illustrate it.

MDLXII.

THE POUNDS.

Luke xix. 12, 13. A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

MANKIND are prone to amuse themselves with prospects of earthly grandeur, and to neglect the most important ends and purposes of life. The Jews were expecting their Messiah to erect a temporal kingdom; the Disciples themselves also were led away by this fond conceit. At our Lord's last ascent to Jerusalem, this expectation prevailed amongst all orders and ranks of mena. To rectify their notions and turn their attention to their proper concerns, he delivered to them this parable. Christ is the Christ is the person here intended by the nobleman; he has committed to every man something which is to be improved for him; and he is shortly coming at the day of judgment to reckon with us. These points are so clear that we need insist on them only in a way of APPLICATION— I. Has not Christ given us something to improve for him?

[We are ready enough to fix a high value on what we possess, when we think it will reflect honour on ourselves: but we are apt to think lightly of it, when we are reminded of the responsibility connected with it. Few indeed have great talents or extensive influence; but every person has at least a pound committed to him. Have we not, in the first place, been endued with reason? This surely is capable of great improvement. Have we not also enjoyed many sabbaths and ordinances? These might have been turned to a good account for God: Have we not also had access to the Holy Scriptures?

a ver. 11.

b The parable states, that a nobleman, having been invested with royal dignity, reckoned with his servants to whom he had committed money, and punished the citizens who had refused submission to his authority. These being perfectly distinct, we shall treat them separately, and confine our attention at present to the former.

The value of the mina is not ascertained: some think it was equal to about three guineas; others, that it was rather more than five.

From these we might have learned all the mysteries of godliness. We should therefore have studied them with all humility and diligence. Have we not experienced many convictions of conscience, and gracious operations of God's Spirit? These are inestimable, and may be made subservient to our eternal welfare. Have we not received many calls and warnings from God in his Providence? These, if duly attended to, might have been occasions of much good to our souls: and all these things are mercies, of which we must hereafter give an account.]

II. What improvement have we made of his favours?

[The injunction given to all, is, "Occupy, that is, Trade, till I come;" and all these things are given us to be improved for God. What use then have we made of the pound committed to us? Have we employed our reason in search of Divine truth? Have we spent our Sabbaths in meditation and prayer? Have we profited by the ordinances as we might have done? Have we taken the Scriptures as a guide to our feet and lantern to our path? Have we obeyed the dictates of conscience, and the motions of God's Spirit? Have we laid to heart the various dispensations of Providence which we observed in our own concerns, and in the world around us? Have we, in short, laboured to improve our time, our money, our influence for him who has entrusted them to our care? laboured earnestly to fulfil that apostolic injunction -?] III. What excuse have we for neglecting to improve them ?

Have we

[The slothful servant cast the blame upon his lord: nor are there wanting amongst ourselves those who resemble him. We say, God requires more than he will enable us to perform: but can this be affirmed with even a shadow of truth? Do not his promises extend to all our wants? May not every one adopt the words of the Apostle Paul-? Even if this assertion were true, it would not justify our supineness. The more "austere" our Lord were, the more we should fear to provoke him: we should endeavour at least to approve ourselves to him as we could. If we could not do all, it is no reason that we should do nothing. If we could not improve his money by trading, we should "put it into the bank." Our excuses then will only turn to our confusion. God will justly say to us, "Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee."] IV. What recompence have we reason to expect?—

[Our Lord will reward every man according to his works. Are we ready then to give up our account to him? Can we

d 1 Cor. xii. 7.

e 1 Pet. iv. 10.

f Phil. iv. 13.

say, "Lord, thy pound hath gained ten, or five pounds?" Can we say upon good grounds that it hath gained even two? Happy for us, if we have the testimony of our conscience respecting this. We shall gladly, like the good servants, ascribe the honour to our Lords: we shall adopt the language of the Apostle, and of David: nor will our Lord be backward to reward our faithful exertions. He will recompense every one in proportion to his labour and success; and to every one he will give what infinitely exceeds the value of his services'. But, alas! are there not many who have hid their money in a napkin? What recompence then must such slothful servants receive? Christ will shortly deprive them of the means of grace they possess, and make them monuments of his everlasting displeasure: nor will this be the reward of those only who dissipate his money: it will be the certain recompence of unprofitableness. Let not any one therefore hope to be approved while he continues idle: let not any one be satisfied with mere negative holiness: let our exertions in our Master's service be unwearied: let us, like the saints of old, look to the recompence of rewardm and let us stand ready to give up our account with joy. So shall we have confidence before him, and not be ashamed at his coming".]

They do not say I have gained, but, " Thy pound" hath gained: they knew and acknowledged that they had nothing of their own to trade with.

h 1 Cor. xv. 10.

i 1 Chron. xxix. 14.

k 1 Cor. iii. 8.

1 The government of five or ten cities is a rich compensation indeed for the improvement of one pound.

m Heb. xi. 26.

n 1 John ii. 28.

MDLXIII.

THE REBELLIOUS CITIZENS.

Luke xix. 12, 14. A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return-But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

THERE is scarcely any one to be found who does not imagine he loves God. Men form erroneous notions of the Deity, and then approve of him as corresponding with their views of his character. But, if all his attributes were faithfully set before them, they would rather turn from him with hatred and disgust. The Jews conceived, that, when their Messiah should

come, they should all be ready to welcome his arrival. But, when he really did come, and declared that his kingdom was not of this world, they poured contempt upon him, and persecuted him unto death. To shew them this conduct of theirs was foreseen, our blessed Lord advertised them of it before it came to pass. And, to rectify their views, spake to them the parable before us.

"The nobleman who went into a far country to receive a kingdom," represented our Lord Jesus Christ

[We are not to look for any hidden meaning in the title here given him: but it was well suited to the Lord Jesus as the only- begotten Son of Goda. His journey" to a far country to receive a kingdom," to us appears dark; but to a Jew, it would be exceeding clear and apposite. The ecclesiastical and civil governors were at that time appointed by the Roman emperor; and were frequently sent for, either to be confirmed in their authority, or to answer for their abuse of it. This was well known to the Jewish nation; so that, as applied to the Messiah, the allusion would appear both obvious and elegant. The Lord Jesus, though he was a king from the very hour of his birth (for he was "born King of the Jews"), never assumed any thing of royal dignity, but lived in so mean a condition, that sometimes "he had not even where to lay his head." But on his ascension to heaven, he was "exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour"," and was invested with authority over all the powers of heaven, earth, and hell."]

The conduct of the citizens towards this nobleman marks the conduct which would be observed towards the Lord Jesus both by Jews and Gentiles

[They "hated him," we are told, "and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us." Thus the Jews treated our blessed Lord whilst he was yet in the midst of them; for they even put him to death for making himself a king, and declared, that they "had no king but Cæsar." And after his ascension they strove to the uttermost to prevent the establishment of his kingdom upon earth, persecuting to imprisonment and death all who called themselves his subjects.

And what is the treatment which he receives from us at this day? The conduct of those citizens, as expressed in their message, marked deliberation, union, virulence and with these

a

* ἀνθρωπός εὐγενής.

b Acts v. 31.

C

Eph. i. 20-22.

« AnteriorContinuar »