Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

poor, enervated, crazy body, will (to the everlasting glory of free grace) be made like unto Christ's glorious body.

I live with my mother and sister. Our method is, every morning at nine, when we breakfast, to read a verse or two from the Bible, and make it the subject of our conversation. The other day, we were reading in Psalm lxxxiv. 4. Immediately a doubt arose in my mind, how the fact, which is here affirmed, could possibly happen. Could the sparrows and swallows build their nests, lay their eggs, and hatch their young, on God's altar, which was every morning and evening statedly, and I suppose many other times in the day occasionally, surrounded by crowds of worshippers, on which the sacred fire was constantly burning, and which was in a manner covered with flame and smoke, whenever the sacrifices were offered. Now to have birds lay aside all their fear of man, their greater dread of fire, and make such an altar their house, is strange, is scarce credible, and must, if true, be miraculous. Consulting Houbigant, I find he was sensible of the difficulty, and solves it, not from any manuscript, but from his own invention, thus: "Nos vero, ne oratio trunca maneat, supplemus ante hæc duo verba, Ego vero quando tandem, tacito verbo, adero ad, quod solet reticeri.”

I have met with other bold strokes in this commentator, which I want to submit to your examination. But these let me postpone, in order to desire your opinion concerning the plan of my new work; which, with a weak hand and a desponding heart, I have sketched out, determined to try, (though with very little hope of being enabled to execute), resting satisfied in this persuasion, that the issue of things is in the hand of the Lord, and he will frustrate or accomplish, as he knows to be most expedient.

The Plan of the Supplement to Theron and Aspasio.

PLEASURE and happiness of Christ's religion; (for I am of the same mind with Mr Marshall in his

Treatise on Sanctification, namely, that we must partake of the comforts of the gospel, before we can practise the duties of the law.) Theron oppressed with fears, on account of his numerous sins. Discouraged with doubts, on account of his imperfect obedience. The cordials of the gospel re-administered, with some additional spirit and strength. Objections to assurance of faith, stated, discussed, answered. Vital holiness; its nature, necessity, excellency. Its grand efficient, the blessed Spirit. Its principal instrument, true faith; mixed with which, the Scriptures, the Lord's supper, prayer, the divine promises, are powerful and effectual means; disunited from which, they are a dead letter and insignificant ordinances. The evangelical principles of holiness, such as, "I beseech you by the mercies of God-Ye are bought with a price-Ye are the temples of the living God," &c.; all these privileges, though not hereditary, yet indefeasible; or the final perseverance of the believer. Our friends part; renew their correspondence; Theron desires to glorify the God of his salvation, asks advice concerning the best method of family-worship, educating children, instructing servants, edifying acquaintance. On each of these particulars Aspasio satisfies his inquiry, enlarges on the subject of education, especially of daughters; as that seems to be most neglected, or the proper way of conducting it least understood. Letter on the covenant of grace, comprising the substance, and being a kind of recapitulation of the three foregoing volumes. Aspasio seized with a sudden and fatal illness; his sentiments and behaviour in his last moments.

If, dear sir, you see any thing in this plan that is improper, correct it; any thing that is defective, supply it; and if any thoughts occur on any of the topics, be so kind as to suggest them. Pray have you ever seen a book, lately presented to me, and entitled, The Marrow of Modern Divinity, with notes by Mr Boston? If you have seen it, you will not deny me

the satisfaction of knowing your sentiments concerning it. Yesterday a learned minister (a stranger) called upon me, and, among other subjects, we talked of that remarkable passage in Isaiah, "She hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." What do you think is the exact meaning of the prophet? "GEKELIM" is a peculiar word. Houbigant translates the clause, " Postquam pro peccatis suis multis dedit Domino duplices poenas ;" and supposes the two captivities, Assyrian and Roman, to be the double punishment. My pious visitant referred it to the satisfaction made by Jesus Christ. I objected, that God, not the church, received this. To which he replied, That the church receives the benefit of the satisfaction; and the expression might be synecdochical, the thing purchased for the thing purchasing. This interpretation, I fancy, would have been clearer and less exceptionable, if he had used the word punishment, instead of satisfaction. Then, as Christ and the church are one, his sufferings might be called hers, and his righteousness is reckoned hers. Vitringa gives a future signification to the verb "LAKETHE:" She shall receive, not double punishment, but double blessings, agreeably to that doctrine taught by St Paul, Where sin hath abounded, grace shall much more abound." I shall be glad of your opinion on this point; glad of your assistance in my purposed work; and, above all, glad of your fervent prayers for, dear sir, your obliged and faithful friend.

LETTER CXLIII.

Friday evening.

MY DEAR FRIEND,-As to the matter of defending ME, I think non est tanti. I am ten thousand times more for your conversing like a Christian on every occasion. Take all proper opportunities of glorifying your divine Master, and be spreading abroad the savour of his blessed name. It would bring dignity to your character, I am persuaded, and

would command reverence even from gainsayers, if you was sometimes to make a frank declaration on this head, and act accordingly. Do not scruple to bid your patients seek to God for a blessing; when they are recovered, remind them of their obligations to the Almighty Physician: they are restored to health, not for the poor purposes of eating and drinking a little more, but to acquaint themselves with Christ Jesus, to prepare for eternity, and make their salvation sure. This would be truly graceful, might do much good; and should any one find fault with this practice, he must not pretend to the piety of a Christian; he has not the religion of a Heathen. Such a one should remember the conduct, and consider the sentiments of your brother Iapis.

Non hæc humanis opibus, non arte magistra
Proveniunt; neque te Ænea, mea dextera servat;
Major agit Deus, atque opera ad majora remittit.

VIRG. EN. lib. xii.

No mortal work is THIS; no cure of mine;
Nor art's effect, but done by hands divine:
'Tis God Æneas to the battle sends;
'Tis God preserves his life for greater ends.

Thanks for your advice about what I recommended to your consideration, and about my own health: God has been better to me than my apprehensive heart expected. O that, so long as I have breath, it may be employed to his honour, who forgiveth all our sins, and healeth all our infirmities, and when he heals them not, will make them a blessing.

Do, my dear friend, persist, in a prudent way, to bear your testimony for a Master, who has bought you with his very life, and intends to make you partaker of his everlasting kingdom. If this does you or yours any real harm, reproach me with it when we shall both stand in the presence of the whole world, and before the tribunal of our Judge.—Ever yours, while, &c.

P.S.-You tell me, that " your business has lain so wide, and you have been so much hurried this

sickly time, that you have scarcely had a quarter of an hour to yourself for these last three weeks." O, my dear friend! how much soever you may be hurried by the distance and the multiplicity of your avocations, do not forget to pray for that wisdom which is profitable (or useful) to direct us (Eccl. x. 10.) even in the smallest matters, much more in all great and weighty affairs. You who move in so conspicuous a sphere, so large a field of action, must have very particular occasion, very pressing necessity for divine direction; and therefore that important ejaculation, DIRECT ME, O LORD, should ever be uppermost in your thoughts. "Take ye heed, watch and pray;" this is the kind admonition of the blessed Jesus, who well knows the human frame, and sees how very liable we are to be drawn aside by a variety of temptations with which we are daily surrounded.

LETTER CXLIV.

DEAR SIR,-As the interval between the hour of our dissolution, and the day of resurrection, will, in all probability, be very considerable, much longer than the time of our continuance on earth; it is a very reasonable and important inquiry to examine into the circumstances of this state. The Scripture, our infallible director, which is (so copious upon all the grand articles of religion, and) silent upon nothing that relates to the true happiness of mankind, has not left us without information in this particular : Whereas all other writers grope in the dark; not one of them has been able to draw back the curtain, or give us (any) the least insight into the invisible world; it is to them, and in all their systems, an absolute terra incognita. A few of the scriptural discoveries may be seen in the answer to the following queries.

1st, When the souls, the souls of the righteous, depart from the body, by whom are they received?

« AnteriorContinuar »