ex libr.is
to. CharibD. Martin!
THE
Negro in the Christian Pulpit;
OR, THE
TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES,
AS DELINEATED IX
TWENTY-ONE PRACTICAL SERMONS.
BY J. W. HOOD,
33is3a.op of tls.e Hv£. 33. Zion Ol3.ia.rcl2—
WITH AN APPENDIX,
CONTAINING SPECIMEN SERMONS BY OTHER BISHOPS OF
THE SAME CHURCH.
INTRODUCTION
By Rev. A. G. HAYGOOD, D. D.,
Author of "Our Brother in Black," &c.
RALEIGH :
EDWARDS, llROUliHTON & CO., STEAM POWER PRINTERS AND BINDERS.
1884.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1884, by
J. W. Hood,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
INTRODUCTION.
At the request of Bishop Hood, I cheerfully write this
brief introduction. His long, faithful, able and useful
work among his people commend him to the respect and
confidence of those who have knowledge of him. In ad¬
dition to what I have learned of the author of this volume
of Sermons from the public prints, I have both from
Southern and Northern men of high character the most
unreserved expressions of approval. It seems to me that
we understand a book better when we know something
of the man who wrote it. It is in order to present at this
place a few facts concerning the life of the preacher who
speaks to us in this volume of Sermons.
James Walker Hood was born in Kennett township,
Chester county, Pennsylvania, May 30, 1831. His father,
the Rev. Levi Hood, and his mother, Harriet Hood, were
Methodists, and were among the thirteen families that, in
1813, founded a separate colored Methodist church in
Wilmington, Delaware. Some years after their marriage
and settlement in Wilmington, the parents of the future
Bishop moved to a farm nine miles from the city and
situated on the line between Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Here several of their twelve children were born—among
them the subject of this sketch. The farm belonged to
Ephraim Jackson. The Jacksons were numerous in that
neighborhood and several of the Hood children were
brought up in their service. The preacher's father was
opposed to " binding " his children to service, as being too
4
INTRODUCTION.
much like slavery. But, accepting his word as sufficient,
the children were taken on verbal agreements that they
should work for "food, clothing and six week's school¬
ing annually till they were sixteen years old." The Jack¬
son, into whose hands James Walker fell, retired from
business soon after his semi-apprentice came to his family.
The lad was thrown out of employment and, as it turned
out, grew up with very limited educational advantages.
In Philadelphia and New York the youth spent several
of the following years, doing such work as opportunity
allowed. He was fortunate enough to escape, during this
period, an attempt to kidnap him; he was also brought
under religious conviction, and at the age of eleven ex¬
perienced, as he now believes, a true change of heart.
The extravagant pretensions and superstitious conceits
of many of his race, with whom he had religious associa¬
tion, had the effect of bringing the young convert into
much doubt and spiritual distress. God's blessing on the
common sense and steadfast piety of his parents delivered
him from the plague and peril of this sort of unbelief, and
in his eighteenth year, "resting in the doctrine of justifi¬
cation by faith,'' he found true and lasting peace.
When he was Lwenty-five years old, he realized his call
to preach, and his unfitness for the work upon which he
was about to enter. But he was " licensed to preach," and
began to do what he could both to preach and to improve
himself. These Sermons show that, considering his op¬
portunities, he surpassed many who have had even-
advantage.
In 1859 he was "received on trial " into the New Eng¬
land Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion
INTRODUCTION.
5
Church. In 1860 he was ordained deacon, and sent as a
Missionary to Nova Scotia. In 1862 he returned to the
session of his Conference, was ordained Elder, and returned
to the Nova Scotia Mission for another year. In 1863 he
was stationed in Bridgeport, Connecticut. During this
year he was sent to North Carolina ,c as the first one of
his race appointed as a regular Missionary to the freed-
men in the South." During the following eighteen years,
North Carolina, the southern counties of Virginia, and
the northern counties of South Carolina, have been the
field of his chief labors. During that time in this field
nearly 600 churches have been formed and about 500
church buildings erected.
Mr. Hood was elected a Bishop in his Church by the
General Conference which met in Charlotte, N. C., in 1872.
As one of the "General Superintendents" of his widely
extended Church, Bishop Hood has travelled the Con¬
tinent to and fro. His ability, his eloquence, his zeal and
his usefulness, have commanded the respect and confi¬
dence of the best people of both races. As one of the
members of the Ecumenical Conference that met in Lon¬
don in 1881, Bishop Hood made a lasting impression.
These sermons speak for themselves. Their naturalness,
their clearness, their force, and their general soundness of
doctrine, and wliolesomenessof sentiment, commend them
to sensible and pious people. I have found them as use¬
ful as interesting.
Those who still question whether the negro in this
country is capable of education and uplifting," will
modify their opinions when they read these sermons,
or else will conclude that their author is a very striking
6
INTRODUCTION.
exception to what they assume is a general rule. Bishop
Hood entertains many broad and important views as to
the wants and duties and future of his people. He be¬
lieves that their best interests are to be conserved in pre¬
serving the race from admixture of other bloods. They
should, lie thinks, hang together, and he is persuaded
that if his people are to succeed permanently and broadly
in this country, they must largely " work out their own
salvation." Men like Bishop Hood deserve encourage--
ment in their good work. They have a great work to
do in the United States. May we not believe that in do¬
ing that work they are being trained for the yet greater
work of redeeming Africa?
ATTICUS G. HAYGOOD.
Emory College, Oxford, Ga., /
October 16, 1884. \
THE APOLOGY.
And why should there be an apology for publishing a
book of sermons? New publications are continually
appearing. It is, however, customary to give a reason for
the appearance of a new work. There are extraordinary
reasons for the appearance of this work :
First. The absolute absence of such a work from the
pen of a colored Methodist minister. This class of min¬
isters is numbered by thousands, and their ministry has
covered a period of nearly one hundred years. It seems
time that a sample of their pulpit deliverances was put
in the form of a book for public criticism. A single sermon
from some distinguished one of them has occasionally
appeared, and more frequently a short sketch, but some¬
thing more than this seems to be demanded.
Secondly. In the course of studies laid down for our
candidates for the ministry, the reading of sermons is in¬
cluded. It seems to me that if we require our young men
to read printed sermons, we ought to produce them.
Thirdly. I .have been urged, for several, years, by the
ministers among whom I have labored to publish my
sermons.
With a single exception, the sermons herewith pre¬
sented were written befoie the title of the book was
selected. The harmony, therefore, of a course of sermons
written upon a single topic may to not be expected, as
they are selections from sermons prepared for ordinary
8
THE APOLOGY.
pulpit effort. This fact will also prepare the reader to ex¬
pect a more frequent repetition of the same illustration
and scripture quotation than would be expected in a
course of Sermons written for publication. My constant
travels, connected with Episcopal duties, have forbidden
my reading the proof with as much care as X desired. I
notice some errors which were corrected in reading the
proof, but still appear.
On page 22d, line nine, " could " is erroneously repeat¬
ed ; on page 40, sixth line from the bottom, "state"
should be "change"; on page 56, line eight, "their
friendship " should read : " these friends," same page, 14th
line, should read, " It was mysterious love " ; on page 61,
the first line of poetry should begin with "In," not
"And"; on page 83, line six, "of Luther" should read
<£ by Luther "; on page 90, seventh line from the bottom,
instead of "those days" it should read "—day
which"; on page 101, ninth line from the bottom,
" trembling " should read " tumbling " ; on page 110, fifth
line from the bottom, " light" should read "life"; on
page 150, after the word " torch," in line seveetiteen,
" for " should be inserted ; on page 165, sixth line from
the bottom, after speaker, *'of" should read '"in"; on
page 189, fifth line of poetry, instead of " unfathomless "
it should read " unfathomable." These are some of the
more vexing errors. Critical readers will discover others,
the true reading of which will be apparent at a glance.
I requested contributions from my colleagues, three of
whom furnish a sem^n each, and the fourth two ser¬
mons. These productions present a rich variety of doc¬
trine, of style and of thought; which add much to the
value of the work.
THE APOLOGY.
9
The introduction by Dr. Haygood is another evidence
of the interest which that great philanthropist feels in
advancement of the interests of the Black Brother, by
which he has placed us under lasting obligations. He
has our best thanks. For suggesting the idea of soliciting
Dr. Haygood to write the introduction, and for opening
correspondence on the subject, I am indebted to Rev. J.
C. Price, M. A. I am also indebted to Rev. L. S. Burk-
head, D. D. (of the M. E. Church, South), and Hon. A. W.
Tourgee of "The Continent,'' published in New York, for
letters to Dr. ITaygood, commendatory of myself and
work. These, with the Bishops who have furnished ser¬
mons, will please accept grateful thanks.
THE AUTHOR,
CONTENTS.
Pack.
Introduction—By Rev. A. G. Haygood, D. D., Author of "Our
Brother in Black," &c., - 3
The Author's Apology,_. (<
SERMON I.
The Claims of the Gospel Message, 9
SERMON II.
Personal Consecration, — 20
SERMON III.
Exemplified Attachment to Christ and the Reward, 33
SERMON IV.
Divine Sonship the Sequence of Wondrous Love, — 49
SERMON V.
Why was the Rich Man in Torment, 61
SERMON VI.
The Marvelous Vitality of the Church, 79
SERMON VII.
On Easter, 90
SERMON VIII.
Creation's First-born, or the Earliest Symbol of the Gospel, 105
SERMON IX.
The Soul's Anchor, 122
SERMON X.
The Loss of the Soul, - - 136
SERMON XI.
The Two Characters and Two Destinies, - 148
SERMON XII.
Man's Natural Disinclination to turn in his Distresses to his Maker,.. 165
SERMON XIII.
The Streams which Gladden God's City, 178
12
CONTENTS.
SERMON XIV. ^
The Perfect Felicity of the Resurrected Saints a Result of Confoimity ^
to the Divine Likeness, '
SERMON XV.
The Doom of the Hypocrit's Hope, ~ ~ ~0;!
SERMON XVI.
The Glory Revealed in the Christian Character, — 222
SERMON XVII.
A Desirable Consummation, - 23^
SERMON XVIII.
Loss of First Love, 247
SERMON XIX.
The Helplessness of Human Nature, - 262
SERMON XX.
The Christian Characteristics, 27S
SERMON XXI.
David's Root and Offspring, or Venus in the Apocalypse, 290
APPENDIX.
SERMON I.
The Unpai'donable Sin, by Bishop J. J. Moore, D. D., 307
SERMON II.
The First Pair Banished, bv Bishop J. P. Thompson, M. D.,--_ 315
SERMON III.
The Love of God—Its Objects, Gift and Design, by Bishop Thomas
H. Lomax,
SERMON IV.
A Farewell, delivered before the Kentucky Conference by Bishop S T
Jones, D. D., 1
AN ADDRESS,
The Good Samaritan, by Bishop S. J. Jones, D. D.,
Electrotypes of Bishops contributing Sermons, in a group, ^04
SERMON I.
THE CLAIMS OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
'1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the
things that we have heard, lest at any time we should let them
slip." Heb. II, 1.
The object of writing the Epistle to the Hebrews seems
to have been, to confirm the faith of those who had em¬
braced the Gospel, to prevent them from being drawn
away, and apostatizing therefrom, and to convince the
unbelieving of the importance of the Gospel message.
The apostle, at the opening of his discourse, set forth
the fact that the Gospel economy was more excellent
than the Jewish, which it was wholly to supersede, and
that it was a more complete revelation of the mind and
will of God, than he had ever before communicated to
man—a revelation which proclaims, in all its richness,
fulness and efficiency, the plan of salvation, secured
through the suffering of the Son of God, for the perishing
millions of the human race.
In the text we are reminded of the attention which
the subject demands. Being more excellent and more
important than any former message ever sent from
God to man, it demands more earnest heed. The
apostle desired that his Hebrew brethren should enjoy
all the abundant blessings which it affords, and to
10
THE CLAIMS OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
this end he urged that they should give it the necessary
attention—that they should grasp, and hing on to the
subject, as one upon which their eternal interests hinged.
He unites himself with them to avoid appearing invid¬
ious, or suspicious of any special indifference on their
part. It has been remarked that people are not so ready
to receive exhortations, which the}7, suspect are urged
upon the ground of undeserved blame. He therefore
expressed himself in such a way as to indicate that the
duty urged Wfas of general concern, and not singular to
them ; but because the Son of God, by whom the Father
has sent this great message of mercy to the human race,
is a person so infinitely more excellent and glorious than
any by whom he has ever spoken to man before; because
the message he brings is so vastly more important than
any former message communicated to man, and because
this great and glorious messenger suffered so much to
secure to us the blessings offered in this message, "there¬
fore we ought to give" it " the more earnest heed" ; more
than was given to any former message, yea, more than for¬
mer messages (which were less important) deserved, and
more than we have hitherto given to this. Not being duly
impressed with its importance, we have not, hitherto,
given it the attention we should. Let us, therefore, cease
this indifference and heedlessness, call in the wanderings
of our minds, and turn them to the contemplation of
this great and all important subject of the soul's eternal
salvation, contained in the words spoken by the Son of
God. Such in brief is the sense of the text.
Let us enter into the spirit of the apostle, endeavor to
grasp his theme, and make it our own. There is no sub-
the CLAIMS of the GOSrEL MESSAGE.
11
ject of so much importance to us, as this, and hence none
which has so strong a claim upon us. The Gospel offers
to all, who will embrace it, blessings rich, abundant and
eternal.
Our theme ig, The Claims op the Gospel Message.
And our thoughts first revert to the grounds upon which
these claims rest. Why ought we to give heed to the
things which we have heard respecting the Gospel mes¬
sage ? There are several points from which we may urge
attention to this subject;
L Its source, origin, author.
The message is divine, it is from God. This is the point
at which the apostle begins. Indeed it was necessary for
him to settle this point, else he could not hope to induce
the Hebrews to embrace it. Hence, he starts off with the
following declaration : " God, who at sundry times and m
divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
Son." Thus he shows that the Gospel message is from
God, the only living and true God, the same who spoke
to the fathers by the prophets, the God of Abraham, of
Moses and Elijah. This was the first great fact to which
the apostle admonished the Hebrews to give heed. He
was not calling upon them to renounce the God of their
fathers, nor to embrace a new religion, but declares that
the same God, who had for ages been revealing his will
unto the fathers at sundry times and in divers manners,
had now at one time, by one whole message, in a more
complete manner, and by a more glorious meesenger than
Was ever before employed, revealed himself to the sons of
nien \n q, new and living wajT. \i \^s3 therefore, not his
12 THE CLAIMS OF THE GOSrEL MESSAGE.
purpose to lead them away from the God of their fathers,
but to lead them to him, by his own better way of ap¬
proach, which he had revealed by his Sou. By this we
are reminded that as to authority, the Gospel message is
fully equal to any former message, and, as we shall see,
it is in all other respects superior.
1. It is superior in its completeness.
God had never given a complete revelation of his mind
and will to Loan before. He had gradually unfolded his
benevolent purposes, but had not fully revealed the mys¬
tery of redemption, in any of the messages'given by the
prophets to the fathers.
The former revelations were given by degrees, a part
at "a time—"at sundry times." The order and extent of
creation was revealed in Adam's time. The general judg¬
ment and future rewards and punishments were made
known to Enoch. To Adam, it was also made kno»vn
that victory over the enemy of man should be obtained
by the seed of the woman. To Abraham, it was made
known that in his seed afl the nations of the earth should
be blessed. Jacob, looking down the line of the tribe of
Judah, saw the promised seed of the woman and of Abra¬
ham, as a peaceful prince, to whom should the gathering
of the people be. To Moses, it was revealed that Messiah
should be a prophet, whose predictions wTould claim uni¬
versal attention. To Isaiah and other prophets, many
important truths were revealed. Among other visions of
Isaiah, he saw the world's Redeemer as a mighty con¬
queror, coming up from Bozrah, meeting man's enemy,
single handed and alone, and vanquishing him, stainino-
Jiis gaiRieuts with the blood of the vanquished, and e
THE CLAIMS OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE. 13
ulting in his power to save. Isaiah viewed him, until, by
his suffering and triumph, he secured man's redemption,
and obtained victory oyer death. Thus gradually and
in parts, had God formerly revealed his mind and will,
and the progress, triumph and victory of his kingdom,
unto men. Not only had he given his former revela¬
tions at sundry times, but in divers manners, by dreams,
by visions, by audible voices, and by the appearance of
angels. Now the Gospel is God's last message to man,
•complete in itself, and delivered in all its fulness and
completeness, by one messenger; not in dreamsor visions,
not in types, shadows or dark sayings, as in the past, but
in plain and popular language, which carries conviction
to the heart, fills the understanding with knowledge and
the heart with hope ; not in words of terror, (as that voice
which caused Sinai to quake, and filled the Israelites
with mortal dread, so that they desired " that God should
not speak to them any more,") but with a voice of infi¬
nite tenderness, with words that contain eternal life.
" Therefore, we ought to give" it " the more earnest
heed."-
2. But the apostle refers to the medium through which this
message comes to us, the exalted character of him who brings
it, the sacrifice he made, and the suffering he endured to obtain
man's redemption.
" By his Son." This is the second" point from which
he would have us view the importance of the Gospel,
namely, that God regarded it so highly, that he would
entrust it to no less person than his Son. That which is
of little worth, we will intrust to any one; not so with
that which we regard as of great value. The necessary
14 THE CLAIMS OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
conclusion is,, that a message which God regarded Sf>
highly, must be of infinite importance.
The apostle stops not here, but to heighten our ad¬
miration, and to carry our thoughts up to the loftiest
summit where we can view the subject in all its gran¬
deur and glory, and have a full realization of its momen¬
tous consequences to man, lie proceeds to. portray the
characteristics of the Son of God. " This is he whom he
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom he made the
worlds." The saints are sometimes called sons of God,
but on none of the saints hath he conferred the title of
creator, or the honor of universal inheritance or empire.
Angels are called sons of God, but " unto which of the
angels said he at any time, Thou art art my Son, this day
have I begotten thee." " And again, when he bringeth
his first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the
angels of God worship him." IIeb. i, 5, 6. He is the Son
of God in a sense that no other being can claim aonship,
All other beings are the work of his fingers, or breath
of his nostrils, but the Son is the product of his redeem¬
ing love, his first and only begotten Son—his second self,
the offspring of his bowels of compassion, the eternal Son,
his Son from all eternity, co-equal, co-essential and co-
eternal with the Father. He is not only a Son in a sense
that no other being can be, hut he occupies an honor
that no other being has attained to. "To which of the
angels said he at any time, Sit thou on my right hand
till I make thine enemies thy footstool." Jesus, as the
Son of God, has by inheritance a right to sit at God's
right hand.
But there was a further fact in connection with this
THE CLAIMS OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
15
Gospel message to which the apostle had especially re¬
ferred, namely, the sacrifice made by the Son of God, to
meet all the exigencies of the sinner's case. That man
might enjoy the benefits of the Gospel economy, much
needed to.be done for him. He had lost the power to do
anything toward delivering himself, as completely as a
man shut up in an iron prison, or in a grave, hence he
is said to be dead and buried ; therefore he that brought
to him the message of mercy, had also to give him power
to receive it. Man by disobedience had dishonored God,
broken his law, and made himself a transgressor. This
separated him from the divine favor, involved him in
spiritual death, and condemned him to natural and
eternal death. To meet man's condition, and deliver him
therefrom, Jesus offered himself a sacrifice. For man's
disgraceful conduct, he deserved to be put to shame, and
for his transgression to suffer pain ; hence Jesus, as his
ransom, suffered both shame and agony on the cross. But
man also deserved death, and Jesus died for him. Thus
Jesus met all the necessities of man's helpless condition,
and hence it is written, " the chastisement of our peace
was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed." He
rendered unto God an acceptable sacrifice, God himself
bearing witness to its a.ccep!ance by sitting him at his
own right hand—" when he had by himself purged our
sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty 011 high."
" He ever lives above
For me to intercede,
His all redeeming love.
His precious blood to plead:—
Forgive him, oh forgive, they cry,
Nor let the ransomed sinner die."
1G the claims of the gospel message.
II. Let us consider tiie exhortation.
We are exhorted to give heed, earnest heed, yea "more
earnest heed " to the things that we heard respecting the
gospel message, and its claims upon us, and thus avoid
the danger of letting the things, which make for our peace,
slip from us, or, in other words, avoid the danger of loos¬
ing our interest in them. Thoughtlessne&s and heed¬
lessness are most prevalent, and also most dangerous
evils. Those misquote God's word, who say, "he that
runs may read." They put it wrong end foremost. It
should be, " he that reads may run." You must stop and
read, and then run. You cannot read while running.
Coming to the point at which two roads meet, if you rush
on, you are as likely to take the wrong road as the right
one, but if you stop and read the direction on the sign¬
post, and thus learn the right way, you may then go for¬
ward with all possible speed. That saying, " Be sure you
are right, and then go ahead," is a wise one.
The admonitions to take heed are numerous, and are
found in almost every part of £he sacred volume. Moses
thus writes: " Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy
soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine
eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all
the days of thy life." Deut. iv, 9. Again, "Take heed
unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord
your God, which he made with you." Ye rse 23. Solo¬
mon admonishes us to ponder the paths of our feet, and
Jesus frequently gives this solemn injunction, " He that
hath an ear to hear, let him hear." To his disciples, after
he had explained the parable of the sower, he said, "Take
heed what ye hear," Mark iv, 24 ; and in another place
THE CLAIMS OP THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
17
he said, " Take heed, therefore, how ye hear." These
passages indicate that inattention to the soul's interests is
a prevalent evil, and that the tendency of the mind to
drift away from the things that pertain to our eternal in¬
terests is so strong, that it needs to be held up to them,
as a ship needs to be held up by its helm, in order to
make head against a contrary wind. When the wind is
contrary, but little head is made, if the man at the helm
is careless or neglectful of duty. In our voyage across
time's billows, the wind is always contrary, and nothing
but the most caieful attention to duty, the most ceaseless
energy and watchfulness, will enable us to make head.
This steadiness of purpose, energy of soul, unceasing
watchfulness, and constant holding of the mind and at¬
tention up to the things which most concern us is, what
so many, even professing christians lack. Many are
wholly thoughtless, heedless and indifferent. They are
warned that they are in the broad road to ruin, that
their way is dark and leads to hell; but they don't take
heed. The charming sound of the Gospel fills their ears,
the wrath and indignation of Almighty God is pro¬
claimed in thunder tones, the brink upon which they
stand is pointed out by the solemn and sorrowful warn¬
ing voice of faithful ministers, but all to no effect; they
don't take heed; along the downward road they pursue
their dark and woful way. 0 heedless mortal! we appeal
to you on this first Sabbath morning in the new year.
0 stop and think! Give heed and hear, turn to God,
and your souls shall live.
But the text is especially addressed to those who are not
wholly heedless—those who have heard. It is to the
18 THE CLAIMS OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
things that we have heard, that we are exhorted to give
heed, lest at any time we should let them slip. It is our
duty to hold what we hear, but by heedlessness we let go
that which we ought to hold on to. In the revised ver¬
sion of the New Testament it is rendered, " Lest haply
we drift away from them." The sense is about the same.
The idea is, that if the things are not retained, it is our
own fault. Mr. Benson thinks "run out" would be a
better rendering, that it alludes to a leaky vessel, which
Jets out the water many ways, which is poured in one
way. Preaching is represented as watering men with
the word, and receiving the word by faith is represented
as drawing water from the wells oi salvation. If we do
not retain what is poured into us by preaching, and re¬
ceived through faith, we may be charged with letting it
run out, or slip from us.
But our attention is called to time. " Lest at any time."
Some persons would hold 011 to and reap the full benefit
of what they have heard, if all seasons were favorable.
When they have no cross nor vexation, and are enjoying
the flood tide of divine blessings, both spiritual and tem¬
poral, they run well. But we shall not reach a state here
on earth that is free from vexations. Vexations are the
natural products of time's soil, and so long as we are
creatures of time, wTe shall be subject to various, chang¬
ing seasons and circumstances, and therefore in danger
of letting the good things we have heard slip from us,
or of drifting away from them.
Some drift away under the soft and balmy breezes of
worldly prosperity, some are driven by the storms of ad¬
versity, some are the subjects of peculiar temptation
THE CLAIMS OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
19
God sometimes suffers his people to be severely tried,
that they may be confirmed to the Captain of our salva¬
tion, who was made perfect by suffering. Jesus himself
was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness that he
might be tempted by the devil, and no mortal can tell, or
even conceive, what he endured during those forty days.
We are taught to pray, " Lead us not into temptation."
While God tempts no man, yet he leads us in the path of
duty, and Satan lays his snares in that very path, and
unless we can prevail with the Lord to lead us to duty
by some other path, we shall have sore trial. In these
trying times many are drawn away from their steadfast¬
ness, let their grace leak out, make shipwreck of faith,
lot slip the things which they have heard, lose all the
good effect of the word, and drift away from the truth.
Such is J,he result of heedlessness. This evil effect is
sometimes suddenly produced, but more frequently like
■water from a leaky vessel, the good effect of the word
gradually runs out of the soul, till it becomes empty.
The only sure preventative against this evil is to take
heed. " Therefore we ought to give the more earnest
heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time
we should let them slip."
20
PERSONAL CONSECRATION.
SERMON II.
PERSONAL CONSECRATION.
"And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day
Unto the Lord ?" 1 Chronicles xxix, 5.
Our text is associated with the effort, which David put
forth to induce his people to supply the material neces¬
sary for the erection of the Lord's house, which Solomon
his son was ordained to erect. It was in David's heart to
build this house himself, but it was not God's will that
he should. There was no objection, however, to his
gathering together such materials as he could, and David
was quite content to do such part of the work, as it pleased
the Lord that he should do. There are some men who,
if they can't do what they choose, won't do anything. Not
so with David, he was so deeply interested in the Lord's
work, that he was ready to do whatever part God would
permit him. Finding that it was notGod's pleasure that he
should erect the building, nor even know the plan of it,
yet being permitted to do so, he went to work, with all
his might, to collect the materials ; some of his collections
being the most costly, of which that magnificent structure
was composed, namely, silver, gold, even the gold of
Ophir, and stones most precious. In collecting the ma-
PERSONAL CONSECRATION.
21
ierials, he drew both upon his own private resources, and
the public resources of his kingdom. Yet all of this he
considered not enough, but believed that a work of so
much importance should be engaged in by all of the
people. He therefore made a personal appeal, in the
language of the text, to each individual. He prefaced
his appeal with a statement of the grounds upon which
it was made :
(1). The youthfulness of his son, whom God had chosen
to erect this building. (2). The vastness of the w7ork.
(3). The grandeur and glory associated with it. The pal¬
ace was not for man, but for the Lord God, who was to
dwell therein, or be therein represented by a glorious
splendor, the bright symbol of his divine presence. It
was therefore a work worthy of their best effort, to push
it forward. The more rich, costly and abundant their
gifts, the more splendid would be the adornment, and
tlie more suitable would be the house for its divine occu¬
pant. (4). He referred them to his own example. He
had contributed of his most costly and precious posses¬
sions, had given the best he had, not for show or any
vain or selfish motive, but from love toward's God's
house. " Moreover, because I have set my affection to
the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good,
of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of
my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the
holy house." When what we do for God springs from
love toward him, we may be sure that both our person
and work are accepted.
Having presented the grounds, David makes his ap¬
peal direct and personal. " Who then is willing to con-
22
Personal consecration
secrate his service this day unto the Lord?'' I repeat,
this appeal was direct and personal. It went directly
home to each and every one, to whom it was addressed.
No one could feel that he was not included, that it did
not mean him; but each one must have felt that he was
required to respond for himself. There could have been
no looking about to see who was referred to, but each
must have felt a personal responsibility, that he could
could not shirk or shake off.
In like manner, direct and personal, does the text come
home to each of us to-day. I wish that each one present
would regard the text as a personal appeal to himself.
"Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day un¬
to the Lord?" Not merely a little seriousness, which might
be produced by a thunder-storm, a hurricane, or a sudden
death ; not a little amendment of our ways, the breaking
off of our viler habits merely; but a consecration is called
for—a consecration of our service unto the Lord. Conse*
crate is from the Latin con and sacro, to make or declare
sacred, to separate from a common to a sacred purpose, to
set apart, to dedicate, to devote to the service and worship
of God. It carries with it the idea of perpetuity. He
that comes to consecrate his service unto the Lord, should
come with his mind fully made up, never to separate
himself from the divine service, but to say with the poet,
t' The covenant I this moment make,.
I'll ever keep in mind,
I will no more my God forsake,
Nor cast his word behind."
There is peculiar wickedness attached to the desecra¬
tion of sacred things, and those who are thus guilty are
PERSONAL CONSECRATION.
23
sure to feel the divine displeasure. The ark of Gud so
plagued the Philistines that they were glad to get rid of
it; and Belshazzar was punished with death, for profan¬
ing the sacred vessels taken from the temple of the Lord
at Jerusalem.
Now we are called upon to consecrate our service unto
the Lord; to do it this day. All Scripture appeals are
put in the present tense. " To-day " and " this day " is
the language inwhich appeals are made. Such is the lan¬
guage of the Psalmist, " To-day if ye will hear his voice,"
Psa. xcv, 7. And Paul reminds us that this was not
merely the language of David, but of the Holy Ghost;
" Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To-day if ye will
hear his voice." Heb. iii, 7. Joshua thus addressed Israel,
" Choose ye this day." Joshua xxiv, 15. Likewise Moses
said unto Israel, " See, I have set before thee this day
life and good." There is no intimation that another day
will be given, or that this offer will ever be made again.
The text, it seems to me, has a peculiar force to-day. This
is the first Sunday in the new year, and it happens upon
the first day of the year. Some of you have no recollec¬
tion of new year's day falling on the Sabbath before.
The periods that elapse between the times that the first
of January falls on the Sabbath, are five, six, and eleven
years. We have just passed the longest period, which
occurs only once in twenty-eight years. Many of us will
never see this long period elapse again. Some will never
see the first of January come on the Sabbath again. Some
will never see another new year's day. Some, perhaps,
will never see another dajr. How solemn the thought!
Even before this day is gone we may go to eternity, be-
24
Personal consecration.
fore this day is closed we may close our eyes in death.
How important, then, that we should consecrate our ser¬
vice unto the Lord to-day.
I. Let us notice what this consecration implies.
It is a complete and entire separation from every other
service, and includes a surrender of all our physical and
mental powers to God, to serve him with our bodies which
are his, to esteem him as the chief good, and to render
unto him the adoration of the whole heart.
1. We must abandon Satan's service entirely.
Our consecration to God's service will not be complete
so long as we do any work for Satan, nor will God accept
our service so long as Satan has a share. We cannot
serve two masters, and the attempt to do so will prove
fatal to our spiritual prospects for the future. We must
not only abandon Satan's service, but must live at the
greatest possible distance from his dominion. Thousands
are ruined by settling too near to the border of Satan's
kingdom. They complain that Satan troubles them.
They can expect nothing else, while they live so near to
him. If you don't want to be troubled by him, you
must move further from him. If we live near to Christ,
the devil can't harm us. If we are constantly employed
in divine service, the devil will have no opportunity to
entice us.
2. We must abandon creed service.
The sum total of some men's religion is their church
and its peculiar forms, ceremonies and doctrines. You
would never know that they made any pretense to piety,
were it not for their activity in the sanctuary on the
Sabbath day, Their zeal vyould be a good thing, if it was
PERSONAL CONSECRATION.
25
for God's glory, if it were God's work in which they en¬
gage ; but it is not. It is not the kingdom of Christ
they are laboring to build up, but a kingdom of their
own fancy. Whether souls are saved or not is not their
concern, but the enlargement of what they are pleased to
style " the church," and the means employed, like Peter's
words, savor more of the things that be of men than the
things of God. There is much more of earth than of
heaven in all their labor and toil; much more of the
wisdom of this world, than of that which cometh from
above, which the apostle tells us, " is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy
and good fruits, without partiality and without liypoc-
ricy." James iii, 17.
3. We must abandon self service.
We are naturally selfish. Self seeks to be gratified,
to be indulged, to be extoled and exalted. We are self
willed, self opinionated, self conceited. God demands the
sacrifice of self, and reminds us that without it accepta¬
ble service to him is impossible. " If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself." Matt, xvi, 24. To sac¬
rifice self requires the greatest possible effort; it is repre¬
sented as the cutting orf of a hand and the plucking out
of an eye. The poet also reminds us how unwilling man
is to make this sacrifice :
" If self must be denied,
And sin forsaken quite,
They'd rather choose the road that's wide,
And strive to think it's right."
Men persuade themselves that their way is right, be¬
cause it is congenial to their selfish inclination. Some
26
PERSONAL CONSECRATION.
mistake self will for divine impulse, and claim to be in¬
spired to do that, to which they are induced by naked
selfishness. We have an instance of this in the man who
is now on trial for the assassination of President Garfield.
He would have us believe iliat he was led to the commis¬
sion of that most heinous crime by divine inspiration ;
and it appears that he had worked himself up into the
notion that it was all right, before he could nerve him¬
self to commit the crime. There are thousands of evil
deeds of less magnitude, to the commission of which men
work themselves up in the same v. ay, and selfishness lies
at the root of the evil. We serve self. Be assured that
if we would consecrate our service unto the Lord, self
must be sacrificed, crucified, die and be buried.
3. We must abandon our sinful state.
By nature we are sinners, and we cannot serve God in
our sins. The heart, the carnal mind, is enmity against
God, is not in subjection to his will, and cannot be, there¬
fore the carnal mind must be removed. The old man
and his deeds must be cast out. We must have a new
nature. You might as soon expect a stream to run up
hill, or a fish to live on dry land, as to expect a sinner to
serve God in his sins. Remember the language of Christ
to Nicodemus, " Except a man be born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God." If we had not had our natu¬
ral birth, we would never have seen the light of this
world, likewise except we are born into the kingdom of
Christ, we can know nothing of it. We must be born
into the kingdom of God, in order to live and move and
act our part in it, and we need the divine nature to qual¬
ify us to render service acceptable to God.
personal cg-nsecuation.
27
4. Fhially, ive must make a public entrance upon the divin$
service.
We must get up boldly and leave the devil's camp,
renounce our allegiance to him and publicly declare our¬
selves the servants of the Lord. Why not? we have
served the devil publicly, why not forsake h;s service
openly? Otherwise, Satan may charge us with sneak¬
ing away from him. He may claim our service on the
ground that we have not given him proper notice that
we have quit him. All work for God must be done in
his vineyard. To render acceptable service to him, vye
must unite with those who are i,u his service.
II. Let us notice the nature o,f acceptable service.
It must be voluntary.
Hence the language of David, " Who is willing?'*
Revelation lays great stress on the will. " "\Vhoseever
will, let lilm take the water of life freely." The will is
the fountain whence all our moral actions flow. The
will determines our course, and is responsible for every
act of ours. We r^iay be acted upon against our will, but
if we act $t all, our will consents. To consecrate our
service unto the L.ord, therefore, it is only necessary to
get the consent of the will. "Who then is willing?-"
God will not have the service of constraint, he demands
the free consent of the will. Inanimate matter is gov¬
erned by fixed laws, laws that it cannot resist, in con?
nection with which there c^n be no will hut that of him
who governs it. The inferior creatures are governed by
instinct, but man is a moral free agent, and therefore
responsible. He has the power of reflection and the fac*
ulty of reason. lie can bring matters to the scales of
28
PERSONAL CONSECRATION.
judgment and weigh them. He can think and form con
elusions. He can form resolutions and act upon them.
He is, therefore, morally free and responsible. God de¬
clares, " He hath showed thee, 0 man, what is good ; and
what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, love
mercy and walk humbly with thy God?" The right
way is made plain, and if we walk not in it, it is because
we will not.
The fatalist would rob man of his moral free .agency,
and make him a mere machine, incapable of doing good
or evil, and hence not responsible. This doctrine would
exclude the necessity, or even the possibility of a judg¬
ment. There would be no virtue to reward and no vice
to punish. But God, in his Word, declares that there
will be a judgment, both of the just and the unjust. He
has been reiterating it ever since the days of Enoch, that
men wiil be judged according to their deeds, and that
whether we are rewarded or punished depends upon our
conduct in this life; that good and evil are set before us,
and that grace is given us to reject the one and choose
the other. Such is the import of the text, " Who then is
willing to consecrate his service unto the Lord this day?"
And this language stands not alone, as we have seen,
but besides the passages we have quoted, the following
are of equal force : " They hated knowledge, and did not
choose the fear of the Lord. * * Therefore, shall they
eat the fruit of their own \vay, and be filled with their
own devices." Prov. i, 29 and 31.
There are two ways set before the sons of men, and
they are permitted to choose which they will. Our des¬
tiny and happiness depend upon our choice. Jesus said
PERSONAL CONSECRATION.
29
of Mary, she " hath chosen that good part." Fate has not
made it hers, but she has made it her choice; she has
not possessed it by the force of necessity, but by her own
free will. Thank God, He adds, " it shall not be taken
from her." It was not forced upon her, and it shall not
be forced from her. God will see to it that none shall
take us out of his vineyard by violence. We are free to
consecrate ourselves unto his service, and free to continue
in his .service, for none can pluck us out of his hand.
Having been made free from sin, we become the servants
of God, have our fruit unto holiness, and the end ever¬
lasting life. All of this is offered to us freely, but we
must accept it freely. There are many reasons why we
should fly from the road to death, and seek that which
leads to life, yet, we are free. A gaping hell, with howling
demons, making it hideous with more than ten thousand
terrors, awaits the sinner in the road to death, but you
are free. You can force your way, if you will, down to
that burning lake, over the prayers of a loving mother*
a faithful minister, over the blood of a crucified Saviour'
and all the means employed to keep you back.from the
pit. This you can do, because you are morally free.
Heaven with all its glories awaits you at the end of
the road to life. There the enraptured host of glorified
saints await to welcome you to the blissful regions of
God's eternal domain, and to the joys of eternal day.
There that darling babe that angels rocked to sleep, is
waiting to meet and embrace you, and to fill your ears
with such music as heaven alone can afford. All these
and untold millions of charms, unknown to mortals here,
so
PERSONAL CONSECRATION.
await you in the glory world, and invite you there; but
you are free; you can reject then} if you will; you can
have them if you will. Who then is willing ? W ho will
close in with the offered blessings this day ?
2. This is a pleasant service.
I am aware of the fact that some professed christians
complain and whine about their troubles and vexations.
They will have it that their lot is a hard one. I am quite
sure that a sinner would find it hard work to serve God
in his sins. Yea, impossible. A hypocrite would make
jio better head, and it is possible that there may be some
sincere seekers after the right way, who are so weak and
feeble, th^t duty may seem a load and worship a task.
But to the sound, healthy christian, the service of God is
really delightful. It must be so, for the true christian
loves the Lord with all his heart, and can it be hard
work to serve one we love with all the heart? Does the
lover find it hard work to serve his spouse? Does the
bridegroom find it hard work to serve his bride? Doe3
the loving mother f}nd it hard work to serve her helpless
infant? I anticipate the answer, there can be bat one.
In all these cases love makes the service delightful, an4
the more that can be done, the more happiness there is
afforded.
It is midnight! The cloud hangs heavy and dark,
lleaven's artillery shakes the earth. Lightning flash
chases lightning's flash. Yet, in the midst of this storm
find darkness I see a man leave his bed, dress himself
and prepare to brave the storm. Where goes that man
fn tjie stopui and darkness reigning without ? "\yijy Joes
PERSONAL CONSECRATION.
31
he leave bis comfortable bed, and comfortable room, and
go forth to grope his way in the dark? He is a loving
husband, his wife is suddenly ill, he goes for the doctor
who is five miles away, the streams are swollen, bridges
are afloat, so that crossing would be dangerous in day
light, yet the husband ventures. Love lends speed to
his pace, which he slacks not until the desired object is
reached. Was it hard work to get that man out of his
bed ? It would have been hard work to have kept him
in it. It would have taken chains, and strong chains, to
have held that man back. Why? Because he loved
his wife.
Now if we love God with all our heart, it will be our
chief delight to serve him. The angels don't find it hard
work to serve God, it is their delight. Jesus sajrs: " My
yoke is easy, and my burden light." Solomon says,
"her ways are ways of pleasantness." If we have on a
heavy yoke, it is not the yoke of Jesus; if your way is
not pleasant, it is not the way to. heaven. There is a
kind of good and evil equal bent, more a devil than a
saint state, that some get into, and it's a hard road. 0
get out of it to-day, if any of you have gotten into it;
and you may be sure that you have, if you find it hard
work to serve God. The truly pious find it joyful work
to serve God ; hence they sing, " Let the children of Zion
be joyful in their king," and again, " Rejoice in the Lord
alway, and again I say rejoice."
3. Bat this is a profitable service.
The devil, in his attempt to slander Job, by mistake
uttered a very important truth. He said that Job did not
32
PERSONAL CONSECRATION.
serve God "for nought." It is true. The christian does
not serve God for nought. lie that serves God has
the assurance of an abundant reward. Godliness, says
the apostle, is profitable. The sinner toils in vain, and
labors all his day to reap eternal woe. But he that serves
God is assured of an inheritance with the saints. God
grant you grace to " consecrate your service un(o the
Lord this day."
ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND THE REWARD. 33
SERMON III.
EXEMPLIFIED ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND
THE REWARD.
"Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall
we have therefore ?" Matt, xix, 27.
I haye thought, that, if the advantages which Chris¬
tianity offers to its votaries, were sufficient to overcome
Peter's extreme selfishness, and induce him to forsake all
and follow Christ, there is no good reason why any other
heart should not yield to its influences. Selfishness was
one of the most prominent features in Peter's nature: to
this our attention is directed on several occasions. First,
at his call. On other occasions, Jesus simply said," Follow
me," and was obeyed. I am not certain that Peter would
have left his nets, if nothing more than this had been
said to him. Knowing his natural selfishness, Jesus
added the promise : "I will make you fishers of men.
And they straightway left their nets and followed him."
Matt, iv, 19, 20. Andrew, it is true, was with him, but it is
my notion that it was to meet and overcome Peter's selfish¬
ness, that the promise was added in this case, which we
find in no other. The second occasion was that on which
Jesus began to show his disciples, how he must go unto
2
34 ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND Til EC REWARD.
Jerusalem, and suffer many tilings of the elders, chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the
third day. Matt, xvi, 21. Here Peter's selfishness over¬
leaped all bounds, so that he took Jesus and began to
rebuke him, saying, " Be it far from thee, Lord : this shall
not be unto thee." For this, he received the most severe
rebuke that ever a disciple of Jesus received from his
master, " Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence
unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of
God, but those that be of men." Matt, xvi, 23. The
third occasion was that of the transfiguration, on which
Peter, having got into a good place, wanted to build and
stay. He held a commission to gather the lost sheep
who were perishing in the valley, yet he was so filled
with thoughts of his own comfort, that he was ready,to
let them perish in the valley, if he could but continue to
enjoy the rapture of the mount of divine glory* These
passages most clearly indicate that Peter was naturally
a most selfish man ; and would not have embraced the
religion of Jesus, had he not had the best reason to believe
that it was most advantageous to do so. Nor was a mind
like his likely to be deceived ; he was never satisfied with
a cursory view of a matter, but sought to fully inform
himself. When he, with John, came to the sepulchre on
the third' morning, John outrunning Peter, reached the
tomb first, and simply stooped down and looked in ; but
Peter, coming a little later, went in and carefully exam
ined the grave clothing. John xx, 5, 6. This same da-
sire to know it all, appears also in the text.
If, however, there is any selfishness exhibited in the
text, it is a commendable selfishness. In this he is not
attachment to christ and tiie reward. 35
rebuked, nor is there any hint that his interrogatory
savors of any thing not commendable. So far from this,
Jesus gave a full and complete answer to the question
propounded. An answer that seemed to allay all anxiety,
even in Peter's mind.
We conclude, therefore, that it is quite in accord with
the divine will, that we should consider the benefits of
religion ; that we are encouraged to inquire and act
upon a well matured judgment. And, blessed be God !
the religion of Jesus will bear the most careful scrutiny,
the most rigid examination, and when subjected to the
severest ordeal, every grain of it will stand as pure gold ;
and confirm the apostle's declaration, that godliness is
profitable unto all things, not only for the life to come,
but also for this life. Genuine attachment to Christ,
secures blessings, rich, abounding and eternal.
I. But the text leads us to contemplate the nature
of acceptable attachment to christ.
It i3 exclusive and self-denying. The language of the
text grew out of the refusal of a wealthy young man to
give up his earthly possessions, as a prerequisite to his
possessing treasures in heaven. I don't understand that
he was required to sell his property and scatter all of his
money without care. He was simply required to exchange
his property for money, that he might have it in a con¬
venient shape to give as occasion required. I don't think
that there is much virtue in giving thoughtlessly. It is
our duty to see to it that our gifts are bestowed where
they will do good. This young man was unwilling to
trust the Lord, which is the fruitful source of disobedience,
and, at least, one great reason why there are not more
36 ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND THE REWAKt).
genuine, wholesouled christians. A confidential reliance
upon God enables us to turn loose the things which are
seen and to lay hold of those things which are not seen.
All systems of religion are connected with sacrifice.
The worshippers of Moloch caused their children to pass
through the fire. As a test of Abraham's faith and
obedience, he-was required to give up his son, the son
through whom the promised seed should come. I do not
believe that this young man would have been any more re¬
quired to render himself penniless, than Abraham was to
render himself childless. If he had shown his willingness
to obey, Jesus, no doubt, would have said," it's enough."
The consent of the will is what he demands. An entire
surrender of soul and body to him, a sacrifice of self.
The Jewish economy was connected with many sacrifices.
The blood of beasts, and of birds, the burnt offerings, the
sin offerings, the wave offerings, and many others.
Jesus, by the sacrifice of himself, has superseded the
necessity of these. Neither the blood of beasts, nor
human beings, is required under the christian dispensa¬
tion. And yet there is a sacrifice required. I repeat, a
sacrifice of self, self-will, self-indulgence, self-gratification,
self-exaltation, self-conceit, and self-adoration must be
sacrificed. We must sacrifice everything that hinders a
full reliance upon the divine promise. This sacrifice is
not made without pain to the natural man; to make it
does violence to the carnal inclinations. It is represented
as the plucking out of an eye, or the amputation of a
member. But who would not sooner lose an eye, hand
or foot, than to lose the whole body.
This young man who had kept the whole law, so far
ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND THE REWARD. 37
as he had learned it, up to that time, asks: " What lack
I yet? " Only one more test was required, and he would
have been perfect, namely, a sacrifice of his property.
When he heard that saying, he went away sorrowful; for
he had great possessions, in which, it seems, he had more
confidence than he had in the promised possession.
None who forsook Jesus ever went away happy.
Jesus said unto his disciples: "How hardly shall they
that have riches, enter into the kingdom of God—it
is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God,"
that is, if he trusts in his riches. The disciples, in their
astonishment, asked, who then can be saved.
Men have tried to whittle away this passage, and try
to make it appear that Christ did not mean what he said.
The trouble is, they overlook what he did say, and try to
fix up a plausible meaning in accordance with their own
shortsightedness. If we read enough df God's word to
understand it, we won't have any need to exhibit any
such bungling attempts at fixing it up; it is already fixed.
We have been told that Jesus did not mean a needle's
eye, but a gate in Jerusalem, called by that name. This,
seems to me to be far fetched. I have never been able to
accept it. Whatever he meant was something impossi¬
ble with man. The doctors seem to have overlooked this
fact, and try to get up a possibility: hence they manage
to get their camel through their needle's eye, after getting
him down 011 his knees, and his burden off his back.
This interpretation finely illustrates the importance of
humility, but humility was not just the point that Christ
was illustrating at that time. He was showing the folly
38 ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND TIIK P.EWAKD.
of trusting in riches, and the impossibility of any one
getting to heaven, who trusted in riches, or who, like this
man, had more confidence in riches than he had in Christ.
The record in St. Mark makes it clear that stress was laid
upon the trust. "Children, how hard it is fcr them that
trust in riches, to enter into the kingdom of God."
Mark x, 24. While all things are possible with God, all
things are notconsistent,norin accord with the established
order of his government. It would be inconsistent for
God to lie, to deny himself, or to change the arrangement
of his own plan of salvation. He could take a camel
through a needle's eye, with more consistency and less
difficulty, than he could take a man to heaven, who had
more confidence in his own possessions than in God's
goodness. The camel and needle being irrational crea¬
tures, he could do what he would with them, without
coming in conflict with any of his own laws or purposes.
To send a camel-through a needle's eye would simply be
to work a miracle. But man is a moral free agent. God
himself has devised the plan of salvation, which includes
trust in him; and, whosoever will go to heaven in that
way, enters,and he only. This plan includes a willing¬
ness to renounce all things for Christ's sake. This man
was not willing to do that. It includes a faith to let go
the things we see and grasp those things which are not
seen. This man had no such faith, and it appears that
the love of richevS deceived him and kept him from it,
Jesus had announced that to be his disciple a man must
deny himself. This man was unwilling to do that. I
think, therefore, while with God ail things are possible,
it must be clear to any thoughtful mind, that there are
ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND 'THE REWARD. 39
almost insurmountable difficulties in the way of taking
u man to heaven, who won't, give up his trust in riches.
God would have to get him in on some new plan, not
contemplated in his own plan of salvation. The mediator
of the new covenant made no arrangement for any except
those that embrace the plan proposed. It must be equally
clear, that there would be no such difficulties for him to
overcome in getting a camel through a needle's eye.
He, to whom all things are possible, could easily pass a
camel through a needle's eye.
The language of Jesus and of Peter indicates that the
disciples understood that he required a willingness to
give up all things, if necessary, to do service for him.
Peter answered: "Behold, we have forsaken all and
followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" And the
answer which follows indicates the same: "Verily, I
say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the
regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne
of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judg¬
ing the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath
forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's s%ke,
shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting
life." If this does not show that Christ demands a total
surrender of all things, then words are useless to convey
ideas.
To be a follower of Jesus, we must be willing to en¬
dure any pain for conscience's sake. Christianity, or at
least the form of it, has become so popular that it is very
seldom that we have to resist unto blood, striving against
sin; and yet many have not counted their lives dear, if
40 ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND THE REWARD.
spent in the vindication of the truth, find if they were
thereby able to finish their course with joy.
To be followers of Jesus, we must leave our sinful state.
We were shapen in iniquity and born in sin. We are
by nature heirs of death. We have no good in us, are
corrupt and alienated from God, without hope and with¬
out God in the world. No amendment will help our
case. Our old nature cannot be purified. We must be
formed anew. We must be killed and made alive again.
There must be a complete transformation, a complete com¬
ing out of our old nature, and the entering into a new.
Like Abraham, we must cross the flood and come out of
of Chaldea, and like Ruth we must leave the land of
our nativity. We must be changed from nature to grace;
must "put off the old man with his corrupt deeds, and
put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge,
after the image of him that created him." We must
die unto sin and be raised again unto righteousness; or,
in the language of Jesus, we " must be born again," not
naturally, as Nicodemus supposed. A second natural
birth, nay, a thousand natural births would not help our
case. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, no matter
how often so born. We must be born of the Spirit, to
become spiritual. "That which is born of the Spirit is
spirit." A natural figure is taken to represent a spiritual
state. The change is one that no man can explain to
the natural understanding. Jesus would not undertake
to explain it, except by the natural figures he employed,
and great fool would I be should I attempt it. It would
be folly to expect an unborn child to understand the
things of this world, and equal folly to expect one not
ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND THE REWARD. 41
born of the Spirit to understand spiritual things. Much
ignorance prevails respecting scriptural doctrines, because
we fail to realize that many expressions are figurative.
The figure is not the fact, it is only a way of representing
the fact. A natural birth in this case is not the change
which must take place, but a way of representing it, and
yet falls a3 far short of the thing represented, as the pic¬
ture of a man falls short of being a man, or the shadow
falls short of being the substance. A good picture bears
some resemblance to its original, and likewise this figure
bears some resemblance to the fact, but we must bear in
mind that it is not the fact. If Nicodemus had been
mindful of this, he would not have asked: "Can a man
enter a second time into his mother's womb and be
born ?" he would not have persisted in his demand for
an explanation, " How can these things be?" We need
not expect a change visible to the eye of sense. It is not
seen except in its effect. " The wind bloweth where it
listeth." No man has ever seen the wind, no more can
you see God's Spirit. You see light matter flying before
the wind, houses blown (fown, trees torn up by the roots,
and the ocean's billows lashed to fury, but you don't see
the power effecting it. We likewise see wonderful changes
effected in human nature. A persecuting Saul of Tarsus
becomes the most abundant laborer in the vineyard of
the despised Nazarene. A vile, degraded, miserable,
poor, blind and naked sinner is transformed, clothed with
garments of righteousness, and occupies a place among
the saints; the drunkard leaves Lis cups, the gambler
burns up his cards; he that delighted in vulgar jargon
for song, or low sentimentalism, has learned the music of
42 ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND THE REWARD.
Zion ; the swearer prays, and the maniac sits at the feet
of Jesus, clothed and in his right 'mind. We see all this
accomplished, but not the operation of the Spirit in work¬
ing the wonderful change. By our spiritual birth we
are brought out of our natural state. We leave the City
of Destruction and come out of spiritual Egypt. We are
no more strangers, aliens, nor outcasts, but are fellow-
citizens with all the saints.
But to follow Jesus, we must leave our former associ¬
ates. We cannot be the companions of worldlings and
the friends of Jesus. The influence of the world is chil¬
ling. " Blessed is he that walketh not in the counsel of
the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sife-
teth in the seat of the scornful." I cannot understand
how it is that one delivered from spiritual death, should
deliberately return, but such is the case; and I have
noticed that association with the dead leads to death. In
other words, association with sinners leads those who have
been delivered, back into sin. Two years ago when we
were trying to ratify an act prohibiting the sale of intox¬
icating drinks, there were many professed christians who
took counsel of rumsellers in preference to that of God's
own chosen ministers, yea, they took up their stand with
them, and to-day they are sitting in the seat of the scorn¬
ful. To grow in grace, to maintain the divine favor, to
be truly followers of the meek and lowly Jesus, we must
choose the people of God as our companions. Not the
theatre nor ball-room, but the assembly of the saints must
be our delight. Those people who find it too warm or too
cold to go to church, but not too unpleasant to go to
places of amusement, are not following Jesus closely.
But we must abandon our way of living. Our sinful
ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND THE REWARD. 43
habits must be forsaken. There is no better evidence of
a change of heart than a change in our conduct—our man¬
ner of life. " If ye know that he is righteous, ye know
that every one also that doeth righteousness is begotten
of him." The life is the best evidence of our spiritual
state. To be a follower of Jesus we must forsake all sin.
" Behold, we have left all." This was literally true
of the apostles; they had literally left all. James
and John were in the boat with their father, mending
their nets; but at the command of Jesus they left their
nets with their father, and followed him. Levi was sit¬
ting at the receipt of custom; but at the command of
Jesus he left that lucrative employment, and engaged in
gathering revenue for heaven's treasury. Peter and An¬
drew were fishing; but at the call of Jesus they took up
the Gospel net, and went fishing for the souls of men.
And thus, they had been employed from the day that
they were called. This is still required of the ministry;
they have no business with secular employments, except
in a case like Paul's, in which it may be necessary to
show a little independence. But it is not meant that the
mass of mankind shall thus give up their lawful and
necessary business engagements, and yet they must to¬
tally abandon the world as the object of their affection and
trust, and must forsake all sin. " Whosoever is born of
God doth not commit sin ; for his seed remaineth in him."
We know that seed will produce its own. If therefore
the seed of righteousness is sown in the heart, and it pro¬
duces anything, it will be righteousness. If sinful
words, tempers and actions appear, after a profession
44 attachment to christ and the reward.
of righteousness, we have good reason to fear that such
professors are mistaken. The chains of habit are strong,
and it sometimes requires very great effort to break them;
yet I have seen some very complete revolutions. The
gambler, drunken and profane, have forsaken all at once
so completely, that the thought of indulging in either
would cause a shudder. It is those who don't see any
need, of so much strictness, who make a compromise with
sin, and live a slack-twisted christian life, that are not
able to overcome their wicked habits and needless self
indulgences. By a determined effort, with divine assist¬
ance, we can wholly overcome longstanding wicked hab¬
its, and follow Jesus fully.
" Behold, we have forsaken all and followed thee."
We must find the paths he trod, and walk therein. It is
the path of humility. He humbled himself. It is the
path of purity; there was no guile in his mouth. He
has given us a perfect example and requires that we shall
work by the pattern he has given us.
II. But the text leads us to consider the reward of
attachment to christ.
"What shall we have, therefore?" Dominion, honor
and glory, are among the things that are promised
" Shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes
of Israel." This idea seems to be borrowed from the
reign of Solomon, in whose time the kingdom of Israel
reached the zenith of its glory. Solomon enjoyed a peace¬
ful reign over the twelve tribes of Israel. The grandeur
of his throne and the glory of his kingdom exceeded any
thing ever seen on earth. We are told that the great
ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND THE REWARD. 45
Ethiopian queen heard, in her far-off country, of the fame
of Solomon, and came to see his wisdom as displayed
in his kingdom; and when she came, she was unuttera¬
bly astonished, and declared that all that- she had heard
was true, but that the half had not been told her; that
his glory far exceeded the fame thereof. This exceeding
grand earthly kingdom is taken by the Savior to repre¬
sent the glory of his saints above. But their glory shall
be twelve times greater; they are not only to judge twelve
tribes, but are to sit upon twelve thrones) each represent"
itig twelve tribes, making a hundred and forty-four tribes.
But twelve is a figurative number; it signifies complete*
ness, or perfection, and indicates that the glory of the
saints will lack nothing ; that they shall be possessed of
all their hearts' desire. This figure reminds us of the
dignity of the christian character • that it far exceeds any
thing that earth affords.
1. There is dignity of birth.
Men are wont to boast of high birth and of their line*
age. The Jews boasted of their descent from Abraham.
" The first families of Virginia " is proverbial. Well, the
christian is born high—born of God, born from above,
born of the Spirit, born of incorruptible seed. No honor
that earthly descent can confer can be compared with
what is meant by these expressions. The saints are sons
of God, children of the heavenly king, the divine pro¬
geny.
2. Then wealth affords dignity, and the children of the
kingdom are rich.
They are born rich. "Ye," says the apostle, "are be-
48
ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND TttK REWARD.
gotten unto an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and
that fadeth not away." An incorruptible inheritance is
not vouchsafed to the children of this world, nor have we
any unfading portion here. All is fading here ; the trees,
which in the spring and early summer appear so flour¬
ishing and gay in their green dress, with beautiful, yel¬
low, white, red, blue and purple spots, appear in autumn
ragged, and in winter naked ; the flower faded, the leaf
withered, dried, and fallen to the ground ;-and thus giv¬
ing to thoughtless mortals the sad and solemn lesson,
that we soon, like them, must wither and decay; that
all our earthly possessions will likewise fade, and that
we have no enduring riches here. But those who forsake
all these sublunaryithings and follow Jesus, are assured
of riches that are fadeless, incorruptible and eternal.
3. There is dignity of association also.
It is regarded as a great and desirable honor to enjoy
the association of wealthy, noble, great and good people.
I have known persons who were utterly wretched because
they were not admitted into what was regarded as the
best society^ Those who leave all and follow Jesus, rank
and associate with the first and noblest of all created be¬
ings. Paul in Hebrews xii, 22, 23, 24, expresses the dig¬
nity of association to which the followers of Jesus have
come, as follows; "But ye are come unto mount Sion,
and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jeru¬
salem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the
general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are
written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to
the spirits of just men made perfect,"and to Jesus the
ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND THE REWARD. 47
mediator of the new covenant." All earthly social cir¬
cles dwindle into insignificance, into nothing, in compar¬
ison with this celestial array of divine majesty, eternal
honor, infinite dignity, unlimited power, incomprehensi¬
ble grace and beauty, matchless worth, immutable gran*
deur, unfading glory, and innumerable multitude of
charming associates, with whom the followers of Jesus
shall assemble; not to mingle for a. moment merely, or
just long enough to learn that the anticipated cupful of
blessing is never realized, as is the case with earthly
pleasures, every sip of which is mixed with poison, and
within every sugar-coat, a pill, most bitter : but there we
shall drink in the divine presence from a cup full of un¬
mixed joy.
" What shall we have ?" A hundred fold for each and
every loss we have sustained as a follower of Jesus here.
For the land we have forsaken, we shall .have unlimited
area; for the houses we have left, we shall have innu¬
merable mansions ; for the friends we have lost, we shall
enjoy the association of the whole of the blissful inhabi¬
tants of heaven. But we shall have everlasting life,
which includes victory over death ; for the last enemy
that shall be destroyed is death. We shall be strength¬
ened to meet this last enemy. Many have feared the
conflict, have trembled at the thought of it, and yet have
been astonished at the ease with which they got the vic¬
tory at the trying hour. It is our duty to make all pos¬
sible preparation for death, to be ever on our watch look¬
ing 'for the coming £>f the Lord daily, and yet I never
expect to feel just like till death comes. Then, if
48 ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST AND THE REWARD.
faithful till then, we are assured of victory. We shall
not shrink back from, nor fear the approach of, the grim
monster, but shall welcome his approach, and
"Dying, find our latest foe
Under our feet at last."
This will end the conflict, and then we shall grasp the
victor's wreath, and seize and wear the victor's crown,
and with the victor's palm in hand, raise the triumphant
shout, "O death, where is thy sting? 0 grave, where is
thy victory?"
DIVINE SONSHIP THE SEQUENCES OF LOVE. 49
SERMON IV.
DIVINE SONSHIP THE SEQUENCES OF WON¬
DROUS LOVE.
" Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world
knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we
the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be,
but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope
in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." 1 John iii, 1—B.
The text directs our attention to the love of God, as ex¬
hibited in the results of that redemption, by which guilty
and wretched sinners are delivered from the thraldom of
sin, and the penalty of God's violated law, restored to the
divine favor, and brought into the enjoyment of all the
blessings of divine sonship.
"Behold, what manner of love." What love, both in
kind and degree! The text suggests the idea of amaze¬
ment, and well it may. for it is love surpassing far the
love of all beneath. In kind, if is most tender. When
we consider our natural depravity and worthlessness,
when we consider our ungratefulness, and what vile and
rebellious sinners we have been, we may well be amazed
at the divine display of that more than fatherly tender-
50 divine sonship the sequences of love.
ness, which, disregarding our vileness and rebellion,
adopts us as his own dear children, and puts within us a
spirit which cries, " Abba, Father." It is love of the
highest degree. The love that adopts a poor, friendless
orphan, and gives him a home, a parent's affection and
care, is the highest degree of love that mortal beings
can exhibit to the friendless. It is love far surpas¬
sing this that God is constantly presenting to the as¬
tonished gaze of both angels and men. To this aston¬
ishing exhibition the apostle invites our attention. "Be¬
hold, what manner of love!" Let us.notice,
I. What divine sonship implies.
Men are wont to boast of their lineage, the royal an¬
cestors, or noble stock from which they are descendants.
But from what ancestry can come such honor as divine
sonship implies? Earthly honors, titles, distinctions,
connections and inheritances, are valueless in comparison
to what is implied in divine sonship. To be called sons
of God implies,
1. A transformation.
By nature, we are children of the wicked one, sons of
Belial; aliens, strangers, outcasts, without hope and with¬
out God in the world. This is the natural condition of
the whole of Adam's posterity. To become sons of God,
our nature must be transformed. The image which Sa¬
tan has fixed upon our nature must be defaced, the heart
of enmity must he taken away, and the carnal mind re¬
moved. The apostles speak of this transformation under
various terms. It is called passing from death unto life,
a resurrection from the dead, the washing of regenera¬
tion, and being born again. We frequently call it coil-
-DIVINE SGNSHIP THE SEQUENCES OP LOVE.
51
version, and, it includes all that this word embraces—
change of feelings, change of front, change of state. We
are brought out of darkness into the marvelous light of
the gospel. The rebellion and stubbornness of the will is
removed, and it cheerfully bends in submission to the
divine will. The pollution is removed from the affec¬
tions, and they are made pure. The guilt is removed
from our conscience, and its burden no longer distresses
us.
2. It implies the abandonment of the world as the object of
our affection.
" If any man love the world, the love of the Father is
not in liim." "The world knoweth us not, because it
knew him not." We have nothing in common with the
world. Our aspirations, habits of life, manner of conver¬
sation, objects of pursuit, sources of pleasure, hopes and
fears are all different. But in nothing, is this difference
more conspicuous than in the objects of our affection, and
the more complete our sanctification, the more marked
will this difference appear. We are thus admonished,
" Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed."
Let your transformation be complete. There is no better
mark or evidence of our real state than the objects of our
affections." " Where your treasure is, there will your
yeart be also." If our hearts are set upon the world, it
is evident that the world is our treasure, our trust,
our hope, our all, and that we are not sons of God. If
the frivolities of earth charm and delight us more than
the solid and important concerns of the soul and eternity,
it is evident that we are essentially worldly.
The sons of God have set their affections on the things
52 DIVINE SONSHIP THE SEQUENCES OF LOVE.
which are above. Secret communion with God, a devo¬
tional spirit, a love for the asSembling of the saints, attach¬
ment to the house of God, a delightful attention, to all the
exercises of the sanctuary, and a reverential regard and
longing for its privileges, are all distinguishing char¬
acteristics of the sons of God. They are in the world,
but not of it; they are passing through it, and making nil
needed use of it, but they realize that it is not their home;
hence, their hearts are not set upon it. With the eye
fixed upon the better land, they sing,
" Yonder's my house, my portion fair,
My treasure and my heart are there,
And my abiding home."
3. It implies that we have the spirit of Christ.
" If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of
his." " Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in
us, because he hath given us his spirit." By " spirit" we
understand motive, that by which we are actuated. The
Savior applied it to that, in his disciples which induced
them to ask, if they should burn up the Samaritans with
fire from heaven. He replied, " Ye know not what man¬
ner of spirit ye are of" He intimated that they were
actuated by a wrong spirit, that it was not the vindica¬
tion of his offended dignity that they were seeking, but the
gratification of their own malice. They hated the Samar¬
itans, and therefore were glad of an opportunity to vent
their spite. This was not the spirit of Christ. He could
never have redeemed the world with such a spirit.
" Fury was not in him ;" he prayed for his enemies, those
who set at naught and sold him, pierced and nailed him
to the tree, even for them he prayed, " Father, forgive
DIVINE SONSHIP THE SEQUENCES OP LOVE. 53
them, they know not what tliey do." A meek and lowly,
tender, kind and forgiving spirit, were constantly mani¬
fested in him. If we are the sons of God, we have the
same spirit.
4. It implies 'participation in all the divine blessings.
For if we are sons, we are heirs, joint heirs with Christ
of " an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fa-
detli not away." This inheritance includes all temporal
needs. " No good thing will he withhold from them that
walk uprightly." Having committed our all to him, we
may rest assured that he will keep what we have com¬
mitted to his care. It includes a constant supply of
needed grace. Without this, our spiritual life could not
be maintained. The great enemy would overcome us.
Jesus reminded Peter that Satan had desired to have him,
that he might sift him as wheat, but he had prayed for
him. Peter warned the christians of his time, that their
enemy, the devil, was going about seeking what soul he
might devour. All this indicates that there is a fearful
influence, constantly employed to separate us from our
relationship to the Father, to draw us away from God.
Indeed, we do not need to look into the Bible to see this,
we have only to consult our own feelings. We shall find
in our every-day experience temptations and inclinations
to evil. We shall have them while we remain in this pro¬
bationary state. No amount of piety can exempt us from
them. It is the devil's business to tempt, a business to
which his nature impels him, a business in which he will
continue to engage so long as God permits him. We need
not, therefore, expect exemption from temptation, nor
need we desire it. We can get along as well with, as
54 DIVINE SONSHIP THE SEQUENCES OF LOVE.
without temptation, if we will, for in tlie time of the most
severe temptation, if we will listen, we will hear Jesus
say, " My gra^e is sufficient for thee," " be not afraid, it
is I." It is not, therefore, exemption from temptation
that we need, but the grace of God to sustain us under
temptation, and this we can have, in all its overflowing
abundance, sufficient fcr all our need, both for living
and for dying.
II. Notice THE MEDIUM THROUGH WHICH THIS TITLE IS
OBTAINED, AND THE CONSEQUENT BLESSINGS SECURED.
The love of God. " Behold, what manner of love."
Love moved God to give his only begotten Son to die for
the redemption of the world.
What wondrous love is this,
How passing great, beyond degree,
That God should give his only Son
To bleed and die for me.
Of all wonders, the love of God in Christ is the sum
total. When it reached its culminating point, in his
death upon the cross, angels, struck with wonder, gazed
upon the scene, nature stood agh-ast, the rocks asunder
rent, the sun withdrew his beams, and in darkness veiled
the earth. The love of God in Christ constitutes the song
of the ransomed millions, who move in shining ranks,
and, sweeping through the gates of the new Jerusalem,
gather beneath the bows of the tree of life, and cease not
.to sing that enrapturing song, " Unto him that loved us
and washed us from our sins in his.own blood, and hath
made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to
him be glory and dominion forever and ever," Th§-
DIVINE SONSHIP THE SEQUENCES OF LOVE.
55
apostle rejoiced in this theme, " He loved rae and gave
himself for me." " Behold, what manner of love."
1. It was disinterested love.
It was love springing from pure generosity, and be¬
stowed upon objects who were wholly unworthy of it;
love flowing from the inexhaustible fulness of divine be¬
nevolence; love reaching as deep as the sinner's guilt,
and extending to every child of man. " Herein is love,
not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his
Son into the world to be a propitiation for our sins." 1
John iv, 10. We were not in a state in which favor coijld
be expected, but the opposite. If we had loved and
obeyed him, we might have expected love from him, but
so far from this, we hated him without a cause, and did
not even desire his favor. In this is the nature of divine
love displayed, as writes the great apostle, " God com-
mendetli his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us." Romans v, 8. The extent of
human love is reached when a man lays down his life for
his friend. So He, that knoweth the heart of man, hath
declared, " Greater love hath no mar) than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends." John xv, 13. A
few instances are recorded in which men have laid down
their lives for their friends, yet this has very seldom oc¬
curred, and its occurrence marks the purest friendship
and highest benevolence of which the human heart is
capable. The apostle thus refers to the rarity of such
benevolence : " For scarcely for a righteous man will one
die ; yet, penul venture, for a good man some would even
dare to dio." The friendship between Jonathan and
L>avid was so strong that one would, probably, have been.
56 DIVINE SONSHIP THE SEQUENCES OF LOVE.
willing to die for the other. Then we have the case of
Damon and Pythias. Damon had been condemned to
death. Promising to return at the hour appointed for
his execution, he got permission from the tyrant Dio-
nysius to go and settle his affairs, Pythias becoming liis
surety. He returned just in time to save his friend from
being executed in his stead. The tyrant was so struck
with the fidelity of their friendship that he remitted the
punishment and desired to share their friendship. The
sacrifice that Pythias was willing to make, was for his
friend, and this, I repeat, is the extent of human love.
But the love of Christ goes beyond this, he died for his
enemies.
2. It was a mysterious love.
Wondrous, incomprehensible love ! it constituted the
great mystery that the angels desired to look into. Yea,
passing by all the wonders of creation, the holy and
happy, bright and intelligent host of heaven become the
students of the cross, and exhaust the force of their celes¬
tial powers in the attempt to sound the depth of redeem¬
ing love—the love of God to man. Why such love to
sinners, to beings so entirely unworthy and worthless?
God did not need us, his happiness was complete with¬
out us. He could have sent us all to the world of woe.
He could have blotted us out of existence, and created
beings every way more worthy in sufficient numbers to
have filled every throne in heaven. Why, then, such love
to sinners? Simply because he delights in mercy. He is
"The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering,
and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for
thousands, and forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin."
DIVINE SONSHIP THE SEQUENCES OF LOVE. 57
Exodus xxxiv, G. Isaiah tells us that the Lord " will
wait, that he may be gracious unto you, * * that he may
have mercy upon you." Isaiah xxx, 18. What a grand
idea of divine goodness ! He keeps mercy, and waits,
not to pour out his wrath upon the guilty, but to see a
motion in the sinner's heart, indicating his willingness
to receive mercy. He waits and watches for a sympa¬
thetic cord in the sinner's heart, that he can touch and
melt his hardness into love. O sinner! he waits on you
to-day, he waits to see in you a desire for his favor and
love.
"Has waited long, is waiting still,
You treat no other friend so ill."
3. It is all victorious love.
It overcame all obstacles in the way of man's redemp¬
tion. The enmity of the human heart, the malice of the
devil, and the terrors of death and hell.
" Sink down, ye separating hills,
Let sin and death remove ;
'Tis love that drives my chariot wheels,
And death must yield to love."
Love was the moving power in the Father's breast
when he exclaimed, "Deliver him from going down to
the pit; I have found a ransom." And this his only
begotten Son, the darling of his bosom, the Father gave
in sacrifice for the sins of the world. It was love that
moved the Son to respond to the Father's merciful in¬
clination, "Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it
is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God :
yea, thy law is within my heart." Psa. xi, 7, 8. Im-
3
58
DIVINE SONSIIIP TIIK SEQUENCES OF LOVE.
pelled by a burden of redeeming love, lie left those bright
regions of glory and bliss to dwell in human flesh.
" O for this love, let rocks and liills
Their lasting silence break,
And all harmonious human tongues
The Saviour's praises speak."
But mortal tongues can never speak his matchless
worth, nor can they give the praises due Jehovah's love.
Words are inadequate, language utterly fails to meet the
demands of the divine theme; earth has no song, nor
songster, sufficient to do it justice, hence the poet leaves
earth and draws his requisition upon heavens's store:
" Angels, assist our mighty joys,
Strike all your harps of gold;
But when you raise your highest notes,
His love can ne'er be told."
Love led him to endure a forty days' fast and tempta¬
tion in the wilderness; over the valleys and mountains
of Judea on errands of mercy, through hunger, scorn and
reproach, and at last to the judgment hall, to Pilate's bar,
and to the cross! Here, amid untold and incomprehen¬
sible agonies, he expiated the sins of the world, satisfied
all the demands of justice, and made it possible for God
to be just and yet the justifier of the ungodly. Only the
lost soul in torment will ever know what agony Jesus
bore, and God forbid that any one who hears me this
day shall ever know or feel such pain as he endured.
You may expect to feel something of pain in conviction
and conversion. The great change will hardly be effected
without pain; it is not well for us that it should be; as
our experience will be ail the brighter, by reason of the
divine sonship the sequences of love.
59
pain endured. Thousands are weak and puny because
their experience has not been more vivid. You should
not, however, be discouraged if your winter has passed,
and your spring ushered in, you will know it by the
budding of holy desires, by the putting forth of the
flowers of love, even though the March winds failed to
blow. The warmth of Christian love in the heart is the
best evidence of summer in the soul.
III. Now let us glance at the benefits of divine
worship.
1. We have the divine favor and love.
And his favor is life, his loving kindness better than
life. The present portion of the sons of God is princely
and abundant, but the future will fill all our soul's desire.
We are not permitted to know just what we shall be in
the future state. " It doth not yet appear what we shall
be." But we have this much revealed, that we shall be
like him, and it is intimated that this likeness shall re¬
sult from beholding him"; hence, the apostle adds, "For
we shall see him as he is." Our bodies shall be raised in
the likeness of his glorious body, and our souls shall be
filled with all the fullness of divine knowledge.
Finally, there are the duties involved in divine sonship.
" Every one that hath this hope in him purifieth him¬
self even as he is pure." Purity of thought, heart, soul
and life is the best evidence of divine sonship, and also
necessary to divine acceptance.
How bright and beautiful young people bud and bloom
forth into manhood and womanhood—fair as the first
rose that bloomed in Eden ; the joy of their parents, in¬
spiring hope that they will become examples to society,
60 DIVINE SONSHIP THE SEQUENCES OF LOVE.
gems in the church, and useful to humanity. But, alas!
how soon all our expectations are blasted, and our hope
faded. Impure thoughts arise out of impure hearts ; im¬
pure actions follow; and the result is, a shipwreck of
good character, and the loss of happiness and hope.
Forget all that I have said in this discourse, if you will,
but don't forget the words of the apostle, " Every one
that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he
is pure." To the same effect are the words of Jesus,
" Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
To have, to retain this hope, we must be pure.
WHY WAS THE RICII MAN IN TORMENT?
61
SERMON V.
WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT?
" But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime
receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but
now he is comforted, and thou art tormented." Luke xvi, 25.
Our text is a part of the only conversation we have any
account of, between a spirit in hell and a spirit in heaven.
The picture presented is that of the condition of the souls
of two beings, who were once mortal and dwelt upon earth;
one vastly rich, the other miserably poor. One fared
sumptuously every day, the other begged crumbs at the
rich man's gate. Both died, and after death found them
selves in circumstances the opposite of what they were on
earth. The rich man lifted up his eyes in torments, the
beggar was lodged in Abraham's bosom. The poet thus
describes the variety of scenery in the two states:
'' And what confusion earth appears,
God's dearest children bathed in tears,
While they, who heaven and earth deride,
Riot in luxury and pride.
But, patient, let my soul attend,
And, e'er I censure, view the end :
That end, how different! Who can tell
The wide extremes of heaven and hell ?
See the red flames around him twine,
62
WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT?
Who did in gold and purple shine,
Nor can his tongue one drop obtain,
To allay the anguish of his pain.
While round the saint, so poor below,
T'nnil rivers of salvation flow,
On Abranvs breast he leans his head,
And banquets on celestial bread."
The rich man desired that Lazarus should be sent to
dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue.
Our text is the response. The doctors differ as to whether
this is a statement of facts, or a mere parable. Mere
opinion is all that any one can give, and under the cir¬
cumstances, mine would naturally be expected. I incline
to the opinion that the characters are real. I will simply
give one reason, viz.: the fact that Jesus did not give the
rich man's name. I suppose that people in his day were
much like they are now. With us, it matters not how a
man lived, if we speak of him after he is dead, we are
expected to put him in heaven ; and if we are not prepared
to do that, we had best not speak of him at all in the
presence of those who loved him.
Now, the care that Jesus took to avoid giving unnec¬
essary offence, would suggest tiiat in speaking of a man
in torment, who had lived and been highly respected in
Jerusalem, he would withhold his name. This is just
what he did in the case before us, while the name of the
man who had gone to heaven is given. If we regard it
as a mere parable,this difference cannot well be accounted
for. But if we regard the discourse as a narration of
facts, the reason for the difference is obvious.
It is not at all necessary, however, to any purpose of
mine, on the present occasion, <o view it in this light. It
WIIY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT?
63
matters not which way we understand the passage, the
doctrine, the lesson taught, is the same. If a history, it
is a statement of what lias been; if a parable, it is a pic¬
ture of what may be. It is, at least, a picture of possibili¬
ties. It sets forth the fact that a man may be in the en¬
joyment of the very fat of the land, esteemed and hon¬
ored by his neighbors, and regarded as among the very
best on earth, aud yet die and go to .the world of woe.
Taking into consideration this whole narrative, or par¬
able, (whichever we understand it to be,) as recorded
from the nineteenth verse to the end of the chapter, I
want us to think on this important question: Why was
this man in torment f Perhaps you will say, " I never
thought about that beforeIf so, I think it is time you
had. Jesus certainly meant that wre should think about
it, or he would not have taken such pains to tell us about
it. But I have a special reason why I want this question
to engage our thoughts; it is this: there are so many
people who don't think they are in any danger of tor¬
ment, because they don't consider themselves great sin¬
ners; hence, when urged to flee the wrath to come, they
ask, "Why?- what harm have I done? I don't think I
am a great sinner; I am honest, I pay all my just debts,
(and I suspect they have forgotten their greatest debt,
what they owe to their Maker,) I don't swear, nor gamble,
I don't rob any one, I am not a drunkard, extortioner,
nor libertine." Well, suppose you are not guilty of any
of these things. Suppose you are what the world calls a
good, honest, upright man ; or, to go a step further, sup¬
pose you have done no harm, as many are wont to say,
will that free you from condemnation ? Take the twenty-
64
WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT?
fifth chapter of Matthew, and you will find three classes
of characters that were condemned, neither of which had
done any harm. One had failed to take oil in their ves¬
sels, but what harm was that? Another had not im¬
proved his talent, but what harm was there in that? he
had not asked his lord to loan him the money, and he
was careful to return just what he received. The third
had not exercised themselves in acts of mercy, such as
feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, &c. The com¬
plaint against them was, not that they had done harm,
but that they had done nothing; and for this they were
condemned. Then, if you are prepared to show that you
have done nothing, that will be your condemnation. You
will be judged out of your own mouth, and condemned
by your own testimony. We did not come here to do
nothing.
Coming back to the text, we ask, what harm had this
man done? Whom had he injured? I know it is the
custom to load him down with a great many crimes. I
think it is Dr. Clark, who remarks, " That men do this,
it seems, to justify the Almighty in sending him to tor¬
ment." God does not need any such help at our hands.
We spoil his word by our bungling attempts to improve
it. In some Bibles, the words " the rich glutton " avre
written over this chapter. Who dare write such a head¬
ing there9 There is no warrant for assuming that this
man was a gluttdn. Jesus does not tell us that he was a
glutton. He undertook to tell us what there was in this
man's case; he had the ability to do it, and I claim that
he told us whatever there was of any importance to
us. He says nothing about gluttony. The nearest he
WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT?
65
comes to it is the statement that he had a daily sumptu¬
ous repast—plentiful, rich, costly and splendid; well
prepared and splendidly served by well trained servants.
But I doubt whether any of his entertainments amounted
to twenty-two covers, as did an entertainment given by
our Secretary of State a few days ago. Might we not
with equal propriety call our distinguished Secretary a
glutton ?
Men have treated this passage as though the object of
it was to show that a very wicked man went to torment.
This fact is set forth in many passages, but the one before
us is not one of them. That the notoriously wicked will
be banished from the divine presence, is a fact generally
recognized by those who take the Bible as their guide.
But the passage before us goes furthert: i teaches us that
not only those who are notoriously wicked, but others,
who are very differently estimated by the human stand¬
ard, will also be banished from the divine presence.
Here we see a man in torment, against whom nothing of
a notoriously wicked character can be alleged. He was
what the world would call a splendid specimen of hu¬
manity; a grand, good fellow ; a gentleman of the first
order. Why, then, was he in torment ?
Well, we are told that he was rich ; but is that a good
reason for his being sent to torment? If so, there are
thousands who cannot hope to get to heaven. There are
thousands who are rich, and thousands more who want
to be, and I suspect it is as bad to want riches as to have
them. It is not money, but the love of it, that is said to
be the root of all evil.
He also dressed well—" was clothed in purple and fine
66
WHY WAS THE KICH MAN IN TOKMENT ?
linen." But was this a sufficient reason for sending him
to torment? If so, what will become of the people of
this generation ? This might well be called the dressy
age. When in London, a few weeks ago, I attended a
reception given by the Lord Mayor, at which there was
a large attendance both of English and American ladies,
principally the wives, sisters and daughters of Methodist
ministers. Among them I saw ladies who were not sat¬
isfied with the amount of dry goods they could carry on
their backs, but had a lot beside, trailing on the floor, so
that there was constant danger of getting one's feet tan¬
gled in their trails. A correspondent, describing one of
the grand receptions at Washington City, would not
think his work complete, if he failed to mention the
style of dress in Which the guests appeared, and a lady
would make herself notorious by appearing in a plain
dress. Nor is the desire for fine, costly, and extravagant
dress confined to those in high life; we meet it every¬
where, in all our walks. The desire is almost universal,
and the indulgence is limited only by the want of means.
What, then, will become of us, if this man was sent to
torment for wearing fine and costly dress ?
We have already mentioned the fact thai, he fared
sumptuously, but in this he was not an exception, as all
who feel able to do so, enter largely into the enjoyment
of the good things that God has provided for us. And
there is no hint that anything beyond this was indulged
in at this man's table. I have no idea that there were
four or more different wine glasses, for a corresponding
jiumberof different kinds of wine at each plate, as I have
eeen on the tables of professing christians. Certainly no
Why Was the rich man in torment?
67
such hachanalian exhibitions, as are witnessed at both pri*
vateand public dinnersin many of our cities, was witnessed
at this man's feasts. Why, then, was he in torment?
It has been said that he was so mean and stingy that
he would not allow Lazarus to have "the crumbs that fell
from his table. But there is no warrant for this state*
ment, and a little reflection will make it clear that it is
most erroneous. Jesus said that he was laid at the rich
man's gate, and was desiring the crumbs. You see the
desire continued; if he had been denied the crumbs or
cold pieces, he would not have been continually laid there
until the dogs become so well acquainted with him as to
have compassion on him, and to do him those services
which men neglected. Then it must be remembered, that
that man was rich, that he had a daily feast, and wo-uld
therefore not want the cold pieces returned to his own
table. His appetite would only take that which was
fresh. There are many crumbs which fall from the ta¬
ble of such persons; often much more than the servants
can make use of, and whether the balance goes to the
dogs or beggars, is a matter about which the wealthy
don't concern themselves. There seems to be an inti¬
mation here that this beggar and the dogs were compan¬
ions, and fared alike. The fact that the rich man suffered
this beggar to lay at his gate, where he could receive l;t*
tie donations from his wealthy neighbors, as they passed
in and out, may be mentioned to his credit. There are
some men so meau and cruel-hearted that they would
not have suffered him to lay there, The fact that he
knew him as soon as he saw him in Abraham's bosom,
indicates that he was quite well armuainted with that
G8 WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT?
countenance, and leads us to conclude that, lie had fre¬
quently seen this man at his gate. Moreover, Lazarus is
selected before all others in heaven, as the person most
likely to be willing to do him the desired kindness. Can
we account for this on the supposition that he had treated
Lazarus rudely? On the contrary supposition, we can
imagine the rich man, on beholding Lazarus, saying:
" Why, yonder is Lazarus, that used to lay at my gate
and receive the crumbs from my table. Surely if he can
help me out of this misery, he will do it." Every cir¬
cumstance in the case points to the fact, and irresistibly
leads us to the conclusion, that he received the crumbs.
It may be said that the rich man might have done a lit¬
tle better than that for this beggar. Rich as he was, he
might have done as the Shunamite woman did for Elisha,
he might have made a little chamber on the wall for him,
and had a bed and stool and candlestick put therein.
See 2 Kings iv, 10. Yes, he might have done this, and
we are assured that he would not have lost his reward.
But there are thousands who don't put themselves to that
much trouble to provide for poor beggars, especially when
they are loathsome by reason of many sores, as this man
was.
After the study of years, I have not been able to see
much difference between this man and the mass of
wealthy worldlings: the difference is all in his favor. In¬
deed, there are many professed christians whose outward
life is not better than his. Are they numbered with the
people of God ? So was he. He addressed Abraham an
" Father," and Abraham acknowledged the relationship
by responding, "Son." He belonged to the favored race,
WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT? 69
and enjo}red their dispensation of grace. Why, then, was
he in torment ?
I think we shall find the answer in the words of our
text. Abraham mentions two facts; the first of which
includes the reason for his being in torments, and the
second, in addition thereto, gives the reason why he must
remain there. " Son, remember that thou in thy life
time receivedst thy good things. * * And beside all
this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed."
" Thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things."
That which he esteemed good he had received. As a
moral free agent, he had made his choice, which did not
include heaven. He was admonished as to the better
part, but diet not regard the admonition. He thought
he knew better than his Maker what was good for him.
Such is the infirmity of human nature, that man sets up
his judgment against that of his Maker. This man was
urged to lay up for himself treasure in heaven, but he
chose rather to lay it up on earth. He chose the things
of this world as his portion, and pronounced them good.
They were his good things, good in his estimation, and
he had received them in his life time. He had made
no choice, no provision, no arrangement for the here¬
after. No sensible man can expect to have that which
he has rejected, and refused or thrown away. Now, in a
word, this man was in torments, simply and solely be¬
cause he failed to prepare for heaven. He allowed the
things of this world to so fully engage his attention, that
thoughts of the more important concerns of the soul were
excluded ; and hence the night was upon him before his
work, for which the day was given him, had been begun.
70 WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT ?
His time was out, before the work, for which time was
given, was commenced. How many here to-day are
copying his example? All who do, will cry in vain for
relief, when lifting up their eyes in the world of woe. 0
my dear, dying friends, listen to the voice of mercy.
" Now God invites, liow blessed the day,
How sweet the Gospel's charming sound ;
Come, sinners, haste, O haste away,
While yet a pardoning God is found."
But possibly some of you have listened to the sophis-
tries of latter-day skeptics, who are too good natured to
believe in future punishment. We may punish men for
their crimes, to maintain the majesty of the law and the
safety of society, but God, the sovereign of worlds, may
not. Is it quite safe to trust to this? Would it not be
better to be on the safe side ? Even skeptics admit that
genuine religion is a good thing, yea, even the best of all
things. " Their rock is not like our rock, even uur ene¬
mies themselves being judges."
What do we know, or can we know respecting these
matters, except by what is revealed ? We don't know
much about this world, except wThat we have gathered
from the hints that have come out through divine reve¬
lation. Much is said of science, but scientists ure indebted
to revelation for every useful thing they have learned.
Certainly, on the subject before us, we can know noth¬
ing except what we learn from revelation.
What, then, are the statements of revelation ? We need
only mention a few: " The wicked shall be turned into
hell, with all the nations that forget God." Psa. ix, 17.
"Upon the wicked he shall rain suares, fire and brim-
WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT ?
71
stone and a horrible tempest, tins shall be the portion of
their cup." Psa. xi, 0. " It is better for thee to enter
into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be
cast into hell fire." Matt, xviii, 9. If there is no place
of punishment, what do these passages mean? The
skeptic will tell you that the hell referred to is the grave ;
that hell is translated from a Greek word which means
the grave. I admit that it sometimes is, but not always.
Our English word "hell" is. translated from three
different words. But I do not propose to attempt any
thing like a learned argument. I think there is a better
way. It would require a knowledge of the originals to
enable each to appreciate a learned argument. We don't
need a knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew, nor much of
the English : it only needs a little good, hard, common
sense, to enable us to see that hell is mentioned in con¬
nections in which the grave cannot be meant. Take
Luke xii, 4, 5 : " Be not afraid of them that kill the body,
and after that have no more that they can do. But I will
forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after
he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto
you, Fear him." Does the Son of God thus solemnly warn
us against the grave digger, or the man who puts the
body in the grave? Is it the disposition of the body
after death that concerns us most of all things? Are we
to stand in mortal dread of those who put the body in
the grave? If hell means no more than the grave, this
must be the meaning. Can any man with common sense
believe it? But it is said that the rich man lifted up his
eyes, being in torments. Then, it is a place of torments.
We are also fold that there is "weeping and wailing
72 WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT ?
and gnashing of teeth." Are these torments in the grave?
Have you ever heard a wail coming up from the silent
tomb? Where is your graveyard? Let us visit that
solemn place. Let us listen all day, all night, if you
will. Is any sound heard? In the grave the eye weeps
not, the ear hears not, the heart heaves not,—all is silent
there!
"The eyes that so seldom were closed,
By sorrow forbidden to sleep;
Now wrapped in their silent repose,
Have strangely forgotten to weep."
Then the place of torments and of weeping cannot be
the grave. There must be another place, if these pas¬
sages mean anything. Where is it, 0! where? But we
read, that " Their worm dieth not, and the fire is
not quenched." Mark ix, 46. Well, there are worms
in the grave, but I suspect they die. But it is not
worms, but " their worm." What is it? What is the
worm that dieth not? It's the misery that shall prey
upon the lost soul through all eternity. This was men¬
tioned three times by the Son of God in one discourse.
He borrows these words from a prophecy in Isaiah:
" They shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the
men that have transgressed against me: for their worm
shall not die, neither shall their lire be quenched."
Isaiah lxvi, 24. The picture brought to our view here
is the carnage of a battle-field—the carcasses of the slain
eaten by worms; to heighten which the valley of Hin-
nom, in which idolaters sacrificed their children to the
god Moloch, is added. But the worms which ate the
bodies of the slain eventually died, and the fire which
why was the rich man in torment? 73
consumed the fiesh of infants went out; but in the place
into which those who transgress against God are con¬
signed, their worm ciieth not and the fire is not quenched.
I repeat, where is that place? It cannot he the grave,
for as. we have seen, there the worms die, and there is no
fire in the grave. And if the fire mentioned refers .to
whatever it is that consumes the body in the grave, then
it certainly means that the soul shall not be consumed
as the body is. But the skeptic will say, these are figures,
pictures, or shadows, only shadows ! Yea, this is the con¬
clusion to which I arrived at many years ago. Nor am
I indebted to the skeptic for any light on the subject.
This seems to me to be the natural construction to be put
upon all such passages. It is impossible to convey the
idea of invisible things to mortal beings, except by
figures drawn from visible things. I have no idea that
there is a real worm which shall gnaw the soul, or fire
and brimstone that shall burn and torment the flesh in
the future state, or that they shall eat wormwood and
gall, or that actual smoke shall rise from a bottomless
pit. Thus far I agree with the skeptic. I admit that
these are figures, pictures, shadows, " only sltydows" But
it strikes me that the skeptic has failed to notice the
natural and logical sequence of this admission. A shadow
is the lightest possible part of any thing. If these are
figures, what are the facts that they represent? If pic¬
tures, what is the original from which they are drawn?
If shadows, what is that fearful substance which sends
forth such horrible shadows ? If you see the shadow of
a man on the wall, you know there is a man there, or
there would be no shadow. Yes, these are "shadows,
74 why was ttik rich man in torment?
only shadows;" and that is what makes them so fearful.
" Theru their worm dieth not,and thefire is not quenched,
and that is only the figure. What is the fact it represents ?
" The smoke of their torment shall ascend up forever and
ever," and that is only a picture; what is the original
from which it is drawn? "Death and liell shall be
turned into a lake which burneth with fire and brim¬
stone." This is only a shadow; what is the substance?
Well, let us see if we can solve this fearful problem.
What will constitute the torment of the lost soul ? I
think it is intimated that memory will be a fruitful
source of torment. Memory, I think, will constitute the
undying worm. Memory will bring back to the mind
all that has passed, no matter how unpleasant. We have
said and done things, which, after a moment's reflection,
we wished had not transpired, and the thought thereof
pained us. But gradually the remembrance of such things
dies away, until entirely forgotten. Now, in the world of
woe, we have reason to believe that memory will bring
back to, and retain in the mind, every unpleasant thing
that ever passed through it. This alone, it seems to me,
would constitute a burden too intolerable to be borne. But
we shall see things then as they are, and realize what we
have lost by the course we pursued, and memory will
bring back to mind the opportunities we have thrown
away, and the golden moments we have wasted. We shall
remember that we had tne privilege of selecting for our¬
selves a place among the blessed, where we should have
been eternally happy. Possibly, we shall have to remem¬
ber that, at some period in our lives, we came very near
to the turning point, were almost persuaded, felt the flame
WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT? 75
of love kindling in the soul, but suffered the propitious
moment to pass without seizing it. The remembrance of
those things which have been in reach, and 3'et lost to us
forever, because slighted or neglected until the opportu¬
nity to seize them passed, I think will constitute a weight
of remorse which will sink all who have been favored
with Gospel privileges far beneath the Sodomites.
Many will call to remembrance the prayers and plead¬
ings of sainted mothers, the sermons of faithful pastors,
and the wooings of the Holy Spirit, all of which were
employed in vain. The groans of agony and bloody
sweat of Jesus in the garden, and the tragic scene of the
suffering and dying Son of God on Calvary, will come
back to the mind, and memory will testify that all this
was endured for the lost soul. And why lost? Simply
because of its own neglect. Yes, its own neglect will sink
it down to mourn in endless woe.
A second fruitful source of torment will be the sight
of the saints in glory. Yea, the rich man saw Lazarus
in Abraham's bosom. It seems impossible to escape the
conclusion that those in torment will see the saints in
glory. 0 agony of all agonies, to be in sight of heaven
and yet forbade to enter ! Looking out from the dark¬
ness of black despair into the noontide of heaven's glo¬
rious brightness, the soul in torment will see his mother
in glory, mingling her songs with those of the saints of
all ages, bathing her soul in seas of endless rest, and
drinking from the living streams of bliss which burst
forth from the throne of God, while he, condemned to
endless woe, drinks of the wrath of God poured out with¬
out mixture from the cup of his indignation, and from
7G
WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT?
the lowest regions of the burning pit, tormented souls will
see the Lamb that was slain for sinners, and will exclaim :
"Yonder stands the lovely Saviour,
With the marks of dying love,
O that I had sought his favor
"When I felt his Spirit move:
Doomed, I'm justly,
For I have against him strove.
All his warnings I have slighted,
When he daily sought my soul,
If some vows to him I'd plighted,
Yet for sin I broke the whole :
Golden moments,
How neglected did they roll."
And turning their eyes toward the shining throng of
enraptured saints who stand upon the sea of glass, dressed
in robes of snowy whiteness, with crowns of gold upon
their heads, and harps within their hands, the souls in
torments will continue their woful poetic wail:
" Yonder stand my godly neighbors,
Who were once despised by me,
They are clad in dazzling splendor,
Waiting my sad fate to see:
Farewell, neighbors,
Dismal gulf, I'm bound for thee."
And turning their eyes downward, and surve}dng the
blazing ranks of frightful demons, foaming out their ma¬
licious rage, and making hell hideous with their fierce
and fearful howls, while still descending the steps which
lead to the fiery lake, they will again take up their poetic
lamentation:
WHY WAS THE MCII MAN IN TOEMENT ? 77
"Hail, ye ghosts that dwell in darkness,
Grovelling, rattling of your chains,
Christ has now pronounced my sentence,
Here to dwell, in endless pains,
Down I'm rolling,
Never to return again.
Now experience plainly shows me,
Hell is not a fable thing,
Though I see my friends in glory,
Round the throne they ever sing,
I'm tormented
By an everlasting sting."
Lastly, we have here the declaration that the state of the
tormented is endless. " Beside this, there is a gulf fixed
between us and you, so that those who would pass can¬
not." The thoughts of woe to come will increase the
torment. No matter how great our pain here, we have
the consolation to feel that it will soon bo over, but in
torment, the eternal thought will be, wrath to come.
Now, my beloved friends, there are three strong mo¬
tives presented in the Gospel to win us away from tho
world and to induce us to become the servants of God,
namely : the love of God, the hope of heaven, and the fear
of hell. He that takes away either of these, takes away
a part of revealed truth and puts himself in danger of
losing his part in the book of life and the holy city, Rev.
xxii, 19. He that fails to present these three motives,
fails to preach a whole gospel.
It has been my endeavor to present these throe motives
with what force God has given me ability to command.
The subject here considered is drawn from the most
striking picture of the world of woe that is found on
78 WHY WAS THE RICH MAN IN TORMENT?
record. If the love of Christ has failed to draw you, and
the hope of heaven has failed to interest you, certainly
this fearful picture should at least alarm you. If not,
then your wound is incurable—your case is hopeless!
But I hope better things. The thought of giving you
up for lost moves my very soul. O, that I knew what
sentence, what line, what word, what syllable would move
you. Tell me, my unconverted friend, how shall I win
thee? Hast thou a tender spot, a sympathetic cord that
I can touch—no, not I, but the Holy Spirit—and melt
thy heart into love? Would weeping win thee, I would
exhaust the fountain of tears. Oh ! repent and believe,
turn now to the Lord and seek salvation, and thou shalt
be able to fold thy arms and sing praises unto the Lamb
that was slain for thee.
THE VITALITY OP THE CHURCH.
79
SERMON VI.
THE MARVELOUS VITALITY OF THE CHURCH.
"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman
clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her
head a crown of twelve stars : and she being with child cried,
travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there ap¬
peared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon,
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his
heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven,
and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the
woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child
as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who
was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was
caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into
the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they
should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore
days." Rev. xii, 1—6.
Possibly an explanation of the text, at the beginning,
will enable us more easily to comprehend the subject.
By the woman, brought to view in the text so splendidly
adorned, we have a beautiful figurative representation of
the Christian Church. By the sun, with which she is
clothed, we are reminded that the Church is invested
with the rays of the Sun of Righteousness. The moon
under her feet, indicates the exalted position of the
Church ; and also that the moonlight of the Jewish
economy is lost in the splendor of the rays of the Sun of
Righteousness. The crown of twelve stars upon her
lieud, is a symbol of the lives and labors of holy men,
gq the vitality or the ctiuech.
Which have adorned tl.e Church in all its ages especially
the twelve apostles. Her travail and ,-atn fitly symbol-
izes the persecution and suffering through which the
Church has passed, while continuing to bring forth sons
and daughters unto God. The man child she brought
forth was Constantine, the Great. By the great red dra¬
gon, which stood before the woman, we understand the
persecuting Roman Empire. By the wings which the
woman received, we understand the Divine protection.
I am quite sensible of the fact that this vision has re¬
ceived a very different interpretation at the hands of dis¬
tinguished authors. Some have applied it to Mary and
the birth of Jesus. But they forget that prophecy con¬
cerns the future. John heard a voice which said, "Come
up higher, and I will show thee things which must be
hereafter." The birth of Jesus was not a future but a
past event, and could not then be the subject of prophecy.
Nor could it with propriety be said of Mar}T, that she was
clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet.
Neither was she the object of persecution, as was the
woman in the text. Nor can ths description of the great
red dragon be well applied to Herod the Great. But in
applying this vision to the Church, every figure will ap¬
pear to perfection, as we shall see hereafter.
Keeping these points in view, let us notice :
I. The grandeur and glory of the Christian
Church, as symbolized by the metaphors in the text.
It appeared to John as a great wonder, or sign in heaven
We are not to understand that John was in heaven, or
that there are really such things in heaven as appeared to
Inm. John was on the Isle of Patmos; yet so enveloped.
THE VITALITY OF THE CHURCH.
81
and filled with the divine Spirit, and his mind so occu¬
pied with the mystery of the triumph of God's kingdom
on earth, that he was insensible to all material things.
The thoughts of celestial things so filled up his mind
that he entirely lost sight of his terrestrial connections
and surroundings. The scenes which he beheld were not
real, but imaginary : they were pictures, presented to the
mind, of coming events. The events symbolized by these
pictures were to transpire, successively on earth, through
the whole period of time—till God's purpose respecting
his church on earth should be accomplished. This suc¬
cession of events is indicated by the different degrees in
which John was enveloped by the Spirit, the different
openings he beheld, and by the deepening mystery of the
revelation as it proceeds. When the Lord Jesus first ap¬
peared to John, he was simply in the Spirit. His medi¬
tations were heavenly and divine; his mind was occu¬
pied with spiritual things, and he may have been in a
state of ecstacy, but not so much as to lose sight of ma¬
terial things. His physical senses were still "performing
their functions, and conveying to his mind a sense of his
material surroundings; he was still sensible of his con¬
nection with the isle of Patmos. He was still in a state
in which the- divine appearance disturbed him—caused
him to fear and tremble, and to fall at the feet of him
that talked with him. After that, he became still
more occupied with the divine vision, until finally he
entirely lost sight of earth and of his connection there¬
with. The celestial scenery presented to his mind ab¬
sorbed his entire attention. What he was first commanded
to write related to the things that then were, viz : the
4
82
THE VITALITY OF THE CHURCH.
seven churches in Asia, and their condition. Aftei that,
he beheld a door open in heaven, and heard the com¬
mand : " Come up hither, and I will show thee things
that must be hereafter." The things to which his atten¬
tion had been called before, had already transpired, or
were then transpiring. But the things symbolized by
the pictures as recorded from the fourth chapter onward,
were evidently to transpire after the time of the vision.
He obeyed the injunction and ascended, not in body,but
in spirit. After that, he saw the temple in heaven open,
and finally heaven itself was opened. First a door, then
the temple, then heaven itself. In each of these open¬
ings the mystery deepens; just as our natural vision be¬
comes less distinct in the dim distance—indicating most
clearly the great distance into futurity, to which he was
permitted to extend his gaze.
Our text is found under the second opening,the opening
of the temple. The period in the history of the Church at
which the special events here symbolized transpired, was
the latter part of the third century. It was then that the
Church brought forth a man child, in the person of Con-
stantine the Great. Many snares were laid for his life,
but he escaped them all, and ascended the imperial
throne. It is called the throne of God, because God
made it subservient to his holy purpose respecting his
church. Constantine, having embraced Christianity,
became a most zealous defender of the christian church
and religion. He put a stop to the persecution of chris¬
tians, and proclaimed that Christianity should be the
religion of his empire.
At this point we notice a remarkable coincidence; that,
THE VITALITY OF THE CHURCH.
83
so soon as the woman brought forth a man child, and he
had ascended the throne, she was compelled to flee into the
wilderness, where, in obscurity, she was protected of God
for twelve hundred and sixty prophetic days—literally
speaking, twelve hundred and sixty years—from the time
of Constantine till the reformation of Luther. " And
she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all na¬
tions with a rod of iron : and her child was caught up
unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into
the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God,
that they should feed her a thousand two hundred and
tljree score days." Why did not this offspring of the
woman protect her? He was enthroned; he ruled all
nations with a rod of iron ; his pleasure was law; and at
his fiat she that brought him forth could have dwelt in
safety in any part of his vast dominions. Yet, while he
is receiving homage from all nations, she must flee from
his presence and dwell in obscurity.
We find the explanation of this singular circumstance
in the text. He was a " man child." Constantine was
not converted to Christianity by the ordinary means of
grace. He had so little of the grace of God in the heart,
that he was unwilling to be baptized until his last mo¬
ments, lest he should backslide and be lost. It was the
name of Christianity that he embraced, and the form of
the christian religion that he protected. It was not so
much to secure treasure in heaven that he became a
christian, as to secure dominion on earth. He embraced
Christianity, because he believed he would thus insure
the attainment of the end of his ambition. It is said that,
as he inarched at the head of his army, he saw, in the-
84
THE VITALITY OF THE CIIURCn.
clouds the form of a luminous cross, 011 which werd in¬
scribed words which signify a~Conquer by this. He
went forth and conquered; and the cross being the sym¬
bol of the christian religion, he embraced the name—the
shadow of that religion. He may have had something
of the substance, but he was very far from using divine
means to propagate the christian religion. As a " man
child," he introduced human means to subjugate the
world to the Church—the sword, the glitter of wealth,
pomp and splendor, and ail other means employed by
men to extend and strengthen their dominions.
Before the time of Constantine, all the victories of the
Cross were won by the bow of truth. The word of God,
or treasure of divine truth, conveyed in earthen vessels,
(weak mortals,) had proved the power of God unto salva¬
tion to every one that believed it. In an earlier vision,
John saw a rider upon a white horse, with a bow. going
forth conquering—a picture which most beautifully sym¬
bolizes the peaceful and blissful effects of the Gospel tri¬
umph. This is God's means of evangelizing the world;
but Constantine departed from this divinely appointed
method. In his time, it is said that corruptions were intro¬
duced into the Christian Church, which did more to de¬
stroy genuine religion than all the fires that ever persecu¬
tion kindled. And from his timetillthe Reformation,(a pe¬
riod of about twelve hundred and sixty years,) the woman,
the true Church, was nourished in the wilderness. Dur¬
ing all this period the reign of the beast and the false
prophet, (Papacy and Mohammedanism,) the " witnesses
prophecied in sackcloth," the truly pious worshipped God
in obscurity. The Bible was closed, and true religion
THE VITALITY OF THE CHURCH.
85
was only found among those who worshipped God in se¬
cret. The worship in the public assembly was mere
form—a mixture of Judaism and Paganism, in the name
of Christianity.
We remarked, that in applying this vision to the Chris¬
tian church, every figure in the text appears to perfec¬
tion. For instance, the Church is frequently represented
by the figure of a woman. In Isaiath lxiv, 1-7, Jehovah
is represented as addressing the church, as his spouse,
and calling upon her to sing for joy, in contemplation of
the multitude of children that should be born unto her.
Her Maker declares himself her husband; for a small
moment she had been forsaken, but should be remem¬
bered with everlasting kindness. The Apostle tells us,
Gal. iv, 27, " The Jerusalem that is from above is free,
and is the mother of us all." He also says to the Cor¬
inthian church : " I have espoused you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste virgin unto Christ."
2d Cor. xi, 2. In the forty-fifth Psalm the church is re¬
ferred to as the king's daughter, adorned with gold, and
dressed in raiment of needle-work. When to the fore¬
going we add that the church is spoken of as the " bride,
the lamb's wife," it seems impossible to conceive of any
other interpretation of the text than that we have given.
We are told that it was the custom with the ancients
to represent their societies by the figure of a woman in
some peculiar dress, as we find upon some of their coins.
On one of the Roman coins a woman is seen standing
upon a globe ; on another, the crown is ornamented with
the moon and stars. The figures in the text are there¬
fore borrowed from the customs of the times in which
86
the vitality of the church.
this book was written, but exceed in grandeur anything
before produced.
Mr. Benson remarks : " That to stand amid a glory
formed by the beams of the sun, to wear a crown set with
the stars of heaven as jewels, and to stand upon a pave*
ment formed by the soft rays of the silvery queen of night,
is a scenery more grand and sublime than anything the
ancients ever imagined." This was the resplendent view
of the Church presented to the gaze of the beloved disciple.
I. Notice, she was clothed with the sun.
That is, invested with the rays of the Sun of Righteous¬
ness. Solomon, in his Songs, gives us a figurative rep¬
resentation of the Church, much like that in the text we
are considering, as follows: "Who is she that looketh
forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as tho sun,
and terrible* as an army with banners?" Sol. Songs vi, 10.
In the first dispensation of grace, the gray dawn that
broke over the deep darkness produced by sin and the
fall, the Church looked forth as the morning. This dawn
lasted for many ages. The Sun of Righteousness was
expected, but did not make his appearance. Yet by his
rays, dimly seen, believing patriarchs were able to find
their way to the blissful regions of eternal day. In the
second, the Levitical period, she appeared fair as the
moon. In the Gospel period, she appears clear as the
sun; the dawn is superseded, the moon has gone down,
or her rays are lost in the splendor of his from whom she
borrowed them, for the Sun of Righteousness has risen
with healing in his wings, and goes forth proclaiming,
"I am the light of the world : they which sat in darkness
*It should be glorious,
THE VITALITY OP THE CHURCH.
87
have seen the light thereof, and to them that were in the
valley and the shadow of death, light has sprang up." It
was this glorious Gospel light, which shines forth light¬
ing up the dark places of the earth and dispelling the
gloom of sin's dark night, which John beheld, appear¬
ing as a garment upon the woman, and hence the lan¬
guage of the text, " clothed with the sun."
II. Notice " THE MOON UNDER HER FEET."
There are three respects in which this figure will ap¬
pear appropriate:
1. As representing the typical period, as a basis upon which
the Christian dispensation rests. The blessed Saviour
frequently referred to the fulfilment of the types, shad¬
ows and prophecies, as indispensable to-the establishment
of Christianity.
2. ^4s a symbol of Judaism, the moon may be said to be
under her feet. The severest conflicts which the Church
had in the early ages of Christianity were with Judaism.
Abundant evidence of this may be found in the epistles
of the apostles. The Judaizing teachers struggled hard
against the establishment of Christianity, but she finally
triumphed and put Judaism under her feet.
3. As representing the exalted position of the Church. The
Church, composed of true believers, rises above all sub¬
lunary things. They set their affections on things which
are above. "Risen with Christ," their aspirations are
heavenward. They rise in the scale of being, mount up
as eagles, and dwell on high.
Born by a new celestial birth,
Theyiscorn the vanities of earth;
Their hearts all taken up in love,
They seek the blissful realms above.
88
the vitality of the church.
Contemplating the joys already felt, the believer breaks
forth in song:
" I rode on the sky,
Freely justified, I
Did not envy Elijah his seat;
My soul mounted higher
In a chariot of fire,
And the moon was under my feet."
III. She had a crown op twelve stars upon her
head.
She had no need of stars to give her light when clothed
with the siln. These were, therefore, simply ornaments
in her crown. These allude to the twelve apostles; but
the symbol is not necessarily confined to them. The
number twelve is figurative, signifying many; hence, the
martyrs and confessors are included; yea, all who let
their light shine. Every man, who truly lets his light
shine, is an ornament to the Church, a star in her crown;
especially those who turn many to righteousness, " they
shall shine as stars forever."
IV. Notice her labor and fruitfulness.
She was travailing in birth. The Church has suffered
many persecutions, but has continued to multiply. Her
most fruitful seasons have been the times of her se¬
verest persecutions. Forty days after the crucifixion
of her founder, three thousand were added to her num¬
ber. And whenever persecutions scattered them abroad,
they went forth bearing the light of truth, and sowing
the seeds of righteousness, which took root in every
soil.
THE VITALITY OP THE CHURCH.
89
V. Notice HER PLACE OF SAFETY.
She fled on eagle's wings to a place of safety. The
wings of the eagle, which is the strongest, and soars the
highest of all birds, bear her in triumph to a place of
safety, where the everlasting arms are about her, the
munition of rocks is her defence, and the shelter of the
Eternal Rock protects her from all evil.
What, though the elements shall melt,
And stars their orbits leave,
And nature's pillars be removed,
And dried up be the seas :
Yet, 'mid the crash of falling worlds,
The Church of God shall stand,
Surrounded by his arms of love :
Protected by his hand.
God grant each of us a place within her courts.
90
ON EASTER,
SERMON VII.
ON EASTER.
"He is not here : for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the
place where the Lord lay." Matt, xxviii, 6.
This is the day set apart by the Christian world to cele¬
brate the resurrection of the world's Redeemer.
I fear that in our effort to steer clear, of Romanism,
and too much formalism, we have fallen into the oppo¬
site evil of neglecting some things which are of special
importance. In avoiding the superstitions which attach
too much importance to days, times and seasons, we seem
to have lost sight of those eventful days which rightfully
claim our deepest reverence.
Beside the weekly Sabbaths which we are commanded
to keep holy, there are three other days, upon which
christians should bestow more than a mere passing notice.
These days should be hallowed as Sabbaths, special Sab¬
baths. The events which transpired upon them deserve
to be brought constantly before the mind ; and that we
may be more deeply impressed with their importance,
their annual return should be made use of, to instruct
the ignorant, to call back the thoughtless wanderer, and
to encourage and edify true believers. I refer to the
on easter.
91
birth-day of Jesus (Christmas), the day of his crucifixion
(Good Friday), and the day of his resurrection (Easter
Sunday). I don't know but I should have made it five
days, adding the day of Ascension and the day of Pente¬
cost. The resurrection, it is true, is celebrated upon
every Sabbath, and evidenced by the change of the Sab¬
bath from the seventh to the first day of the Jewish week;
nevertheless, I think an annual celebration must be well-
pleasing to God, and. most beneficial to his people. It
does not matter whether we have the precise day or not;
it is not the day, but the event, we celebrate. Since,
however, he was crucified at the time of the great feast
of the Jews, we can hardly be far amiss as respects the
day.
But, as already remarked, it is the event with which
we have to do—an event, than which nothing could be
more wonderful, grand and sublime; nothing so calcu¬
lated to inspire hope, and give to the believer the assur¬
ance of his own resurrection from the death of sin to a
life of holiness. " And," says the apostle, " if Christ be
not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins."
1 Cor. xv, 17. We shall notice,
I. Some of the things necessarily involved in the
resurrection of clieist.
Prominently among these we must consider his death
and burial as essential to his resurrection. If he did not
die, and was not buried, then he could not have risen.
The apostle declares that the Gospel he preached em¬
braced these three facts, viz.: the death, burial, and res¬
urrection of Jesus. Cl For I delivered unto you first of
all that which I also received, how that Christ died for
92
ON EASTER.
our sins, according to the Scriptures : and that he \va3
buried, and that he rose again the third day, according
to the Scriptures." I Cor. xv, 3, 4. Following the apos¬
tle's example, we must demonstrate his death and burial,
as necessary to the resurrection. We refer,
1. To his arraignment.
He was arrested, tried, and condemned to die. His
trial, it is true, was the most cruel mockery ever exhib¬
ited to mortal gaze. He was arrested without a warrant,
placed on trial without an indictment, declared innocent
by his judge, and yet sentenced to death I When Pilate
asked, " What accusation bring ye against this man?"
they answered, " If he were not a malefactor, we would
not have delivered him up unto thee." Did you ever
hear such a response, in any other court, to the demand
for a bill of charges against the defendant at the bar?
Pilate is required to believe the prisoner guilty, to con¬
clude that he is guilty, to act upon that conclusion, and
declare him guilty, and to order his execution, with no
other evidence against him, except the fact of his having
been arrested by his blood-thirsty enemies and delivered
to the judge. He was taken from Pilate to Herod, where
the same farce was enacted, and again back to Pilate,
who, for the second time, declared that he found no fault
in him, and then washed his hands of his blood. Yet,
after all, because of the clamor of the multitude, and in¬
cited by the priests, scribes, and other rulers, Pilate de¬
livered Jesus to be crucified. The enmity of the Jews
pursued, him to the cross, and at last prevailed over all
the other influences that were operating upon Pilate's
mind, and thus he was condemned to die.
ON EASTER.
93
2. We behold his crucifixion.
This act was performed in the presence of a vast mul¬
titude of every class of Jerusalem's inhabitants. The
clamor of the Jews, the cries of " Away with him ! cru¬
cify him," having prevailed with Pilate, and he having
delivered him into their hands, they hurried him away
to Calvary, to Golgotha, the place of a skull—the place
where the bones of criminals lay scattered over the
ground. They mocked and insulted him in every possi¬
ble way ; they placed a crown of thorns upon his head,
and saluted him, and bowed the knee in mockery; and
when they had inflicted every other torture that Jewish
malice could contrive, they lifted him up upon a cross,
driving great nails through his feet and hands. There
he hung for three hours, suffering the most intense agony,
and finally expired; gave up the ghost, committing his
soul into the hands of his Father. All nature felt the
shock, the vail of the temple was rent from top to bot¬
tom, the earth quaked, the rocks were rent, and the graves
of the saints were opened; (but they could not leave their
tombs until Jesus had broken their chains and relieved
their bodies from the power of the grave.) When the Ro¬
man officer saw and heard these things, he feared greatly,
and said, "Truly, this man was the.Son of God."
As the following Sabbath was a high day, the Jews
besought Pilate that the legs of the criminals might be
broken, to hasten their death, that the bodies might be
removed. -The legs of the criminals which were cruci¬
fied with him were broken, but when they came to Jesus,
they found he was already dead ; nevertheless, a soldier
pierced his side with a spear, and forthwith came there
9-1
ON EASTER.
out blood and water. His executioners pronounced him
dead, and it was evident to all that he was dead ; there¬
fore, the evidence of his death was conclusive. It has
never been denied, and for the very good reason, that it
was so well attested that no one could deny it, with a
hope of being believed.
3. Then he was also buried.
Joseph of Arimathea, a rich disciple of Jesus, went to
Pilate and begged the body, and with the assistance of
Nicodemus, John, and a few faithful women, he laid it
in his own new tomb. When the sun went down on that
eventful day, the Son of Man lay silent in the tomb. But
lie had said he would rise on the third day. Therefore,
the Jews went to Pilate and desired that the tomb be
made secure until the third day had passed. They were
troubled in mind ; they had seen him perform so many
miracles, that they expected him to fulfill this last en¬
gagement, and determined to provide against it, if possi¬
ble. Pilate gave them the desired band of soldiers ; the
sepulchre was hewn out of a rock, and the entrance was
closed with a large stone ; this was sealed, so that to open
the sepulchre would have been an unlawful act. Every
precaution possible having now been taken, the tomb
was left to the care of the watch, who were responsible
for the safe-keeping of the body till after the third day.
To have suffered the body to have been stolen, or to have
left the tomb, by any negligence on their part, would
have rendered each of them liable to the penalty of death.
With such a charge, and the danger of such a penalty
hanging over them, it is not likely that any one would
sleep while on duty. The occurrences of that day, no
on easter.
95
doubt, occupied the thoughts of the sentinel on his beat,
and was the theme of discourse in the camp. The pos¬
sibilities of the near future would also constitute food for
reflection, as also the character of the incomprehensible
being whose body was resting in the tomb. If these did
not afford sufficient matter to engross their attention and
keep sleep from their eyes, it is impossible to conjecture
what would.
II. But let us notice the resurrection as attested
by the discoveries of the third morning, and the im¬
mediately succeeding days.
1. We have the empty tomb.
To this the text directs our attention : " He is not here ;
* * Come, see the place where the Lord lay." This was
the language of the angel who, seeing the disappointment
of the women that came first to the tomb with sweet
spices to anoint him, spoke unto them these words of con¬
solation. It appears that the women must have left the
tomb on the day of his burial, before the setting of the
watch and sealing of the stone, for they were saying
among themselves, " Who shall roll us away the stone?"
They would hardly have thought of this as their chief
difficulty, if they had known that the stone was sealed
and guarded. They found, however, every obstacle to
their approach to the tomb removed, for the angel, with
his wing, had pushed the stone aside, and by the bright¬
ness of his countenance, had filled the soldiers with such
terror that they, at first, swooned away, and when they
had sufficiently recovered, they went in haste to their
employers, to tell the wondrous story of the resurrection.
Thus it happeped that the women found nothing to ob-
9G
ON EABTEH.
struct them in their approach to the tomb; but, on reach¬
ing it, tliey found not the object of their visit. The body
was gone, the tomb was empty. John and Peter, having
heard from the women that he was risen, also came in
haste to the sepulchre, and found the grave clothing and
the napkin, but they found not the body. I presume
there were thousands who visited that empty tomb, but
a thousand witnesses would make no impression upon a
mind that could doubt the testimony of those already
named. Peter and John, and at least three women, viz.,
the two Marys and Joanna, and an angel from heaven,
six in all, or double the number that is required to es¬
tablish any fact—all these testify to an empty tomb.
That the tomb had given up the sacred charge, there can
be no doubt. What became of it?
The enemies of Jesus were aware that this question
would have to be answered, that the absence of the body
would have to be accounted for, hence they invented and
circulated the ridiculous story, that his disciples stole him
away while the soldiers slept, and bribed the soldiers to
assist them in circulating this report.
No doubt the soldiers had reported the truth to many
on their way, but they were now to contradict themselves
as far as possible, cease to report the truth, and thus
make way for the circulation of the falsehood. The sol¬
diers were promised security from blame or punishment
for the pretended crime of sleeping while on duty, or
negligence in suffering the body to be stolen, and thus
the attempt was made to deceive the world, to prove
Christ an imposter, and his disciples body snatchers. But
let us examine this story by the light of reason;
ON EASTER.
97
(1). Is it likely that his disciples, who all forsook a liv¬
ing Saviour, would have the courage to steal his dead
body, guarded, as it was, by a band of Roman soldiers,
the best in the world? The courage of Peter, which ap¬
peared great before Christ was arrested, forsook him when
he saw his Master in the hands of his enemies. John was
the only one of the eleven who ventured near the cross
011 the day of his crucifixion, and he alone, if any, was
at the burial. There never was a man more completely
deserted by his friends than Jesus. Had he not risen,
his memory would have perished. What possible use
could his disciples have made of his body ? A dead Sa¬
viour had no charms for them ; it grieved them, yea, put
them out of patience to hear of his death. Peter rebuked
him for speaking of his death, saying, " Be it far from
thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee." Matt, xvi, 23.
No, all their interests were centered in a living Saviour:
hence, so soon as the}' found him hopelessly in the hands
of his enemies, they forsook him ; and during the period
that he lay in the grave, they were the most dejected,
heart-broken wretches ever beheld. And if he had not
risen from the dead, they would have been, of all men,
most miserable. Such, in substance, is the language of
the apostle, " If in this life only we have hope in Christ,
we are of all men most miserable." But if the body was
stolen, why was not a reward offered for it? Why were
not the apostles arrested ? Why were they permitted to
declare publicly, without contradiction, his resurrection ?
This they did in Jerusalem, in the presence of thousands,
and they were not contradicted. Why were not the sol¬
diers punished for sleeping on their post, and thus suf-
98
ON EASTER.
fering their charge to be taken out of their hands? If
the soldiers had been thus guilty, the Jews would have
prosecuted them to the bitter end. The very means that
the Jews employed to hinder the fulfilment of Christ's
predictions respecting his resurrection, proved to be
among the best evidences of their fulfilment. The stone,
the seal, the watch, are all witnesses of the resurrection:
the}' testify with one voice against tha absurdity of the
story started by his enemies, that he was stolen while the
soldiers slept. These witnesses are unimpeachable. Rea¬
son brings them to the bar, and justice, judgment, and
truth are stamped upon their testimony, and their united
declarations force the conviction of the fact that his dis¬
ciples had no hand in the removal of the body.
(2). But if the soldiers slept, how could they tell what
became of the bod}7', or what took place during that pe¬
riod ? Is not infidelity pretty hard pushed when it has
to bring sleeping witnesses to the stand? Would any
judge in the land take the testimony of a sleeping wit¬
ness? You see that absurdity is stamped upon the face
of this entire story. It is absurd to suppose that the dis¬
ciples, who forsook a living Saviour, would have the
courage to steal his corpse. It is equally absurd to sup¬
pose that his enemies, believing such a thing, should
have made no effort to recover the body. It is absurd to
suppose that the soldiers, to whom were committed sucli
an important trust, could neglect that trust, and not be
called to account. I repeat, the whole story bears the
stamp of absurdity upon its face; and this absurdity is
all that infidelity can offer against the testimony of the
believers in a risen Saviour.
ON EASTER.
99
2. We remark that his resurrection is attested by many
creditable witnesses.
Not, however, by those who saw him rise. It was not
the will of God that one single human being should have
advantage over another in this respect. No mortal being
saw him rise. The truth of the resurrection is received
by each and every one in the same way, namely, on the
testimony of others.
(1). The first witness is the angel. Whether angels saw
him rise or not, is an unsettled question with me. Whether
by the fact of seeing him rise, or by his absence from the
tomb, or by seeing him after his resurrection ; it does not
matter by what means the knowledge was obtained, the
angel first bore testimony to the resurrection. Such is
the record of three of the Evangelists. " And the angel
answered, and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I
know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not
here: for he is risen, as he said." Matt, xxviii, 5, 6.
" And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, clothed in along white garment,
and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be
not affrighted : ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was cru¬
cified : he is risen ; he is not here." Mark xvi, 5, 6. In
Luke xxiv, 5, G, we read as the language of the angel,
" Why seek ye the living among the dead ? He is not
here, but is risen." It is seldom that we find a matter
recorded by three authors, in so nearly the same language,
as is this record. The expression of the angel as recorded
by the three Evangelists is in substance the same, and a
part of it in exactly the same words, yet there is sufficient
100
ON EASTER.
difference in the manner of expression of the passage to
show that one is not copied from the ot er. ^
(2) The second witness was Mary, bhe received the
information of the resurrection from the angel, which
was confirmed to her by Jesus himself, and with her com¬
panions she reported this fact to the disciples. Thus the
angel was sent to tell Mary, (not the mother of Jesus, but
Mary Magdalene,) and she was sent to tell the disciples,
and they were sent to tell the world.
Besides his appearance to Mary, on the morning of
his resurrection, he appeared at sundry other times for
the space of forty days. On the day of his resurrection,
as two of the disciples were journeying to a village a few
miles from Jerusalem, it is said that "Jesus himself drew
near and w7ent with them." But they did not know him ;
he talked with them by the way, stopped with theni at
a village, and made himself known to them in breaking
of bread. See Luke xxiv, 13—31. He appeared on the
night of that same day to the eleven, who were together
in a room with the door closed. Luke xxiv, 36; John
xx, 19—25. On the following Sabbath evening, he as¬
sembled with them again, and after that, he showed
himself to them at the sea of Tiberias. See John xx,
26, and xxi, 1—14.
Of the witnesses of his resurrection, the Apostle thus
speaks: "And he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve.
After that lie was seen of above five hundred brethren at
once; of whom the greater remain unto this present,
but some are fallen asleep. After that he was seen of
James, then of all the apostles. Last of all, he was seen
of me as one born out of due time." I Cor. xv 5—8.
on easter.
101
After showing that the whole christian fabric rests upon
the resurrection, that if Christ be not risen, there is no
resurrection, that preaching is useless, and faith vain, he
concludes by the bold assertion : " But now is Christ risen
from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that
slept." I Cor. xv, 20.
IIT. Let us indulge a few thoughts respecting the
resurrection as an accomplished fact.
1. It ivas an event most necessary.
The resurrection is the keystone of the arch in the
plan of salvation. We have already referred to the Apos¬
tle's declaration, that without this both preaching and
faith are vain, and that ye are yet in your sins. We may
add that his triumph was not complete without this.
" He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his
feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."
I Cor. xv, 25, 26. Therefore, to complete his triumph,
he must place his foot upon the neck of this last enemy.
He had met the great enemy on other battle fields and
conquered. His first great btittle is represented as hav¬
ing been fought on the shining plains of glory, beneath
the shade of heaven's high dome. There he met the
rebel host and sent them trembling over heaven's battle¬
ments down to regions of dark despair. His second en¬
gagement was in the wilderness, where he met the prince
of the powers of disobedience and thrice repulsed him.
His third great battle was in the garden ; and his fourth
on Calvary. In all, he had been more than conqueror
In all of these battles, however, he had appeared as on the
defensive. The contest appeared, so to speak, as forced
upon him. The field, the time, and the manner of attack,
ON EASTER.
seem all to have been chosen by the eremy. But in this
w ereat conflict, the scene changes: the victor selects
the field of battle; he carries the contest into death's do¬
minions. The choice of weapons are now his, and he
appoints his own time: "Tear down this temple, but
in three days I will raise it ap again." He had pro¬
claimed victory by the mouth of the prophet, saying: "I
will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will
redeem them from death: 0 death, I will be thy plague;
O grave, I will be thy destruction." Hos. xiii, 14. He
is described in the book of Job as thirsting for the con¬
flict, impatient to engage the enemy, scenting the battle
from afar, swallowing the ground with fierceness and
rage, so that the distance between him and his enemy is
as nothing. We must remember that this is Jehovah's
description of the contest, for it was he that spake to Job,
in person, as follows: "Hast thou given the horse
strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? The
glory of his nostrils are terrible. He paweth in the
valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to
meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not
affrighted ; neither turneth he back from the sword. The
quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the
shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and
rage: neither believeth that it is the sound of the trum¬
pet. He saith among the trumpeters, Ha! ha! and
he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the cap¬
tains, and the shouting." Job xxxix, 18—25. With his
eye fixed upon this tremendous conflict, and with full
assurance of victory, he exclaims: "Now is the judgment
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103
of this world, now shall the prince of this world be cast
out." Thus, with pressage of victory sitting upon his
brow, he enters death's dominions, attacks Satan in his
own territory, meets the hosts of the powers of darkness
and conquers. He breaks the bands of death, and draws
out his sting; bursts wide the grave, and robs it of its
victory. Bearing away the gates of death, and'standing
with his feet upon the neck of his vanquished enemy, he
exclaims : " I am he that liveth, and was dead, and be¬
hold, I am alive forever more."
2. Ihe resurrection was necessary to fulfill the types and
prophecies of ihe Old Testament.
They all represent him as rising. Joseph was brought
up out of prison, Daniel out of the lion's den, and Jonah
out of the sea. Peter quotes the language of the Psalm¬
ist, and shows most conclusively that it was a prediction
of the resurrection of Christ. " Thou wilt not leave my
soul in hell, nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption."
See Acts ii, 25—31. When Jesus fell in with two of the
disciples on the day of his resurrection, and they spoke
of that event as an astonishing thing, he exclaimed, " 0
fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets
have spoken : ought not Christ to have suffered these
things, and to enter into his glory?" Luke xxiv, 13—27.
3. This grand achievement was surrounded with circum¬
stances of peculiar glory.
"And behold," says the Evangelist, " there was a great
earthquake"—a mighty shaking of the earth. And an
angel descended from heaven, whose majestic counte¬
nance flashed forth as lightning, and his raiment glit¬
tering with a snowy whiteness, the lustre of which no
104
on easter.
mortal eye could bear, and for fear of him the keepers
did shake and became as dead men—that is, they swooned
away. When they returned to consciousness, the stone
was rolled away, and the tomb was empty. They were
there prepared to resist the attempt of mortal beings to
remove the body, but they had not contemplated an en¬
counter with an angel, who had power to shake the earth ;
therefore, seeing that the tomb was empty, they fled, and
reported what had happened.
4. This was the grandest of all Christ's achievements.
He exhibited extraordinary power in his former mira¬
cles. To raise another was an act of stupendous power,
but having, after being delivered unto death, loosed the
pains or cords thereof, because it was not possible for
them to hold him, he showed himself the Prince of life,
the Plague of death, the Spoiler of hell, and the Captain
of eternal salvation. In Him, death has lost its terrors,
for those who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Through Him, we are assured of our own resurrection,
which assurance removes the gloom from the grave.
Application.
Believer, this is your Savior. He has gone to prepare
a place for you, that where he is, you may be also.
Sinner, we offer him to you. He died for your sins,
and rose again for your justification. Seek him while
he may be found, call upon him while he is near.
The grace of God be with you all. Amen.
THE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
105
SERMON VIII.
CREATION'S FIRST BORN, OR THE EARLIEST
GOSPEL SYMBOL.
"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
Gen. i, 3.
This opening passage, in Jehovali's own account of his
own creation, written by the inspired pensman, is a most
striking illustration of his divine power. Men have ex¬
hausted their best efforts to account for the existence of
the things which do appear, in some way different from
that recorded in the book divine. Infidel scientists have
set up their theories, one after another, but have failed
to produce one that will bear the light of reason, or any
favorable comparison with the plain and simple state¬
ment of the inspired historian. Nor can they agree upon
any theory to which they will stick. In their last great
effort they have led us back to protoplasm, and there left
us to grope our way in eternal darkness. Can that be
considered a high order of intellect, which is willing to
lose itself in a little speck of matter ? which finds its crea¬
tor in what can be handled by the creature? Infidels
have not made much progress since Isaiah's time, and
what motion they have exhibited, is in a retrograde di¬
rection, from gold backwards to protoplasm. " They lav-
5
106
THE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
ish gold out of the bag, * * * and hire a goldsmith ; and
he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set
him in his place, and he standeth." Isaiah xlvi, 6, 7.
It does seem to me that this boasted age of science and
research ought to be able to find a god who can move
out of his tracks. But excepting the God of the author of
the book of Genesis, none can be found who has exhibited
less helplessness than the one described by the prophet.
In adopting the account of creation, as given by Moses,
as our theory, we are not hard pressed to make it appear
plausable. When we accept as a fact the statement of
revelation, that there is one only living and true God,
who is the Creator, the great First Cause of all things,
himself uncaused and eternal, we stand at once upon
solid ground ; yea, upon a rock, in comparison with which
all else is as sand. By this method of solving the mys¬
tery of the origin of the material universe, we steer clear
of a thousand difficulties that meet us on any other line.
You must find bottom some where. You must find a
foundation upon which to build any theory you may
be inclined to set up. You must get back to first prin¬
ciples, must find a first cause. We find the Intelligent,
Eternal, Almighty God to be that First Cause, and our
theory is, that he is the author of all things, and we as¬
sert that for any other theory you have nothing but con¬
jecture. Is it said that ours is conjecture, we answer, it
is supported b;y what purports to be a divine revelation,
and until it can be demonstrated that it is not, we have
something better than conjecture. We are not left to
wander in the darkness of nnsanctified human reason,
THE EARLIEST GOSrEL SYMBOL.
107
but bask in the sunbeams of divine truth, revcaled.in
connection with such evidences as leave no room for dis-
belief or doubt.
The evident and indisputable fact is, that we find
ourselves surrounded by a vast creation—how vast, the
mind of man is inadequate to conceive. We live in a
period, by all accounts, not much less than six thousand
years from that in which Jehovah spake and said, " Let
there be light;" and yet, in all these years no substantial
progress has been made by unassisted human reason in
solving the mystery of creation. We are amazed at the
small attainments of man in his effort to find the origin
of the material universe. Suppose you could collect the
knowledge of all the doctors and professors in the land,
unless I am mistaken, (and no one can prove that I am,)
it would not all amount to what our father Adam knew
on the day that he was created. He was made in the im*
age of his Creator, who is the fountain of knowledge.
And for what little we do know, we are largely indebted
to divine revelation. The key to the knowledge of astron-
omy seems to have been borrowed from that sublime dis¬
course which God delivered to Job out of the whirlwind,
as recorded in chapters thirty-eight to forty-one inclusive
of the book of Job.
Who had been able to solve the question, " Whereupon
are the foundations of the earth fastened?" Job xxxviii, 6.
The ancients had their notions, but we know how ridic^
ulous and absurd many of them were. Who had demon'
strated, or even hinted that a line was stretched over the
empty place, and the earth hung upon nothing until God
declared it. Who, even at this day, can give a saticfac-
108
THE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
tory answer to all the questions propounded in that in¬
imitable discourse ? On the question, " Canst thou bring
forth Mazzaroth in his season?" much has been written ;
but even the learned admit that they do not certainly
know the meaning of the term. And the fact that those
who profess to know, differ, makes it evident that none
know to a certainty. On the question, " Canst thou bind
the sweet influence of Pleiades?" much had been written,
and ages had elapsed before even astronomers had any
idea that that interesting group had any special influ¬
ence.* Taking a hint, however, from the question pro¬
pounded by Jehovah, their investigations have led them
to conclude, pretty generally, that Alcyone, the central
star in that group, is the great central sun of all systems,
that all other suns and systems roll around it, and that
it holds the universe in poise. This is truly a sublime
idea; but it is borrowed from the book divine. It was
he whom we call God that gave out the hint, which
turned the astronomer's mind into the line of thought
which led to this conclusion. The hints thrown out in
that wonderful discourse afford themes for thought, and
lessons of instruction sufficient to keep the world's stu¬
dents employed for many ages yet to come, before they
will have learned them all. We commend these hints
to the consideration of skeptics.
We may ask, How shall we account for the fact that
He, whom we acknowledge and adore as God, knew so
much more, over three thousand years ago, than the
wisest know even at this day ? If our notion of his be-
*What we call the " seven stars," There are only sis visible to
the natural eye.
THE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
109
ing, and estimate of his character be correct, the mystery
is solved. If we accept the language of the text as our
guide, and admit the declaration of divine revelation,
that God is the author of all things, our vision becomes
clear, every difficulty vanishes. Our soundings are no
longer fruitless, our thoughts no longer sink into a bot¬
tomless abyss, but fly back until they reach and find a
substantial lodgement in the Eternal Source of all things,
the Almighty Maker, and are swallowed up in the glory
of his divine perfections.
The characteristics that revelation ascribe to him, ren¬
der him fully competent to "be the author of all things.
A God of unlimited duration, wisdom and power, could
easily accomplish the work of creating all that we behold,
yea, infinitely more than we can conceive of; and with¬
out such a being, we are left to grope in the darkness of
human conjecture, with the feeble taper of superstition,
which only tends to make the darkness more visible.
The account of creation found in the book before us, is
the only tangible account we have, or can have. What
a grand and sublime opening the inspired pensman gives
us! There is no labored preface, no apology for writ¬
ing no introduction ; but the stupendous subject bursts
forth upon us from the inspired mind, and is at once set
forth in all its grandeur and immensity. " In the be¬
ginning God created the heaven and the earth/' Then
follows a statement of the original stateof matter; it was
" without form and void; and darkness was upon the
face of the deep.'* The Almighty determined to bring
this world of ours into being, he stepped forth in the
majesty of his might, and brought his creative energies
110
THE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
to bear upon the void immense ; the latent caloric heard
his voice, and to the astonished gaze of the morning staid,
light, creation's first born, leaped from the womb of chaos.
"God said, Let there be light: and there was light." At
his mandate that brightest and must beautiful image of
its Almighty Author burst, forth into being. Infidel and
skeptical philosophers are wont to treat with derision,
what they consider a great blunder on the part of the
inspired pensman, in representing the creation of light
as taking place before the creation of the sun, moon, and
other luminaries. But they betray their own amazing
stupidity, in failing to comprehend the fact that he who
had the power to create the sun, moon and stars to give
light, could as easily have created light independent of
them as with them. He is not dependent upon any sec¬
ond cause; his resources are infinite; he doeth what he
will in his own way, according to his own pleasure. He
is the great fountain of light, and in him is no darkness,
but light ineffable and eternal, lie could not, therefore,
give an exhibition of himself without producing light.
And because he is in everything that exists, latent or
hidden heat, by which light is produced, exists in all
things. Hence the Apostle says he " was the true Light,
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." It
shineth, or existeth in the darkness, even though not seen.
I have chosen the text with the view of considering
that system by which light and immortality are brought
to light in the Gospel. It is Gospel light we wish to il¬
lustrate. We can conceive of no symbol of the Gospel
more striking than light. I may also remark, that the
idea of a resemblance between light and the Gospel is
THE EARLIRST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
Ill
frequently presented in the Scriptures, and the effect of
natural light is taken to illustrate that of the Gospel.
Thus the great Teacher illustrates it: "The people that
sat in darkness saw £reat light; and to them which sat
in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up."
And the evangelical prophet employs this same figure to
represent the Gospel day, and the effect of the Gospel
light upon this benighted world. " Arise, shine; for the
light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon
thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall rise
upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And
the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the
brightness of thy rising.'' Now, the prophet did not mean
that the sun, moon and stars should cease to shine, and
that natural darkness should prevail, but that there would
be a time of gross spiritual darkness, and that over this
darkness should the Sun of Righteousness arise and send
forth the rays of Gospel light into all the dark places of the
earth; and that the Gentiles, yea, even kings of the
earth should be lightened by its gentle rays. I need not
to remind you that this prophecy has been largely ful¬
filled in the spread of the Gospel. Paul, in his second
epistle to the Corinthians, gives substantially the same
illustration : " For God, who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ."
Now the Gospel resembles light in its source.
Light i:j the offspring of Deity, the product of his in¬
finite wisdom and almighty power. He spake, and it
112
TIIE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
heard his voice; lie commanded, and it came forth. Like¬
wise, is the Gospel the offspring of Deity. The Gospel,
says the apostle, is not " cunningly devised fables" : it is
not the invention of human imagination, or the product
of human ingenuity, but it is the glorious Gospel of the
Son of God. It bears his image and reflects his glory in
every line: m it all his attributes shine forth. Here,
merey and truth meet, righteousness and peace kiss each
other, and wisdom, power and almighty love shine forth
in all their divine splendor.
But the Gospel resembles light in its design.
The light makes manifest. By it, we behold things of
which we would ever have remained ignorant without it.
There might be innumerable beauties around us, and
our 0-rgans of vision might be in their perfect state, but
without light we could never enjoy the pleasure of be¬
holding them, but should remain ever ignorant of their
existence. Paul, with all his learning, was ignorant of
his natural depravity and the deeeitfulness of his heart,
until the Gospel light shone around him, and the scales
of ignorance fell horn his eyes. He thought he was of¬
fering acceptable service to God, when he was persecu¬
ting the saints, and opposing the doctrines of the despised
Nazarene, until the Gospel light revealed to him the
beauty and saving power of the religion of Jesus. This
is the great object of the Gospel—to make manifest; to
throw light into our dark understanding; to point out
our danger, and our refuge; to show us our disease, and
the remedy,* to show us the pit into which we are sink¬
ing, and the benevolent hand that is stretched out to de¬
liver us. By the Gospel light, we see our sinful state,
THE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
113
our lost and undone condition ; in it we also see our Sa¬
viour. It lights up our path from earth to glory; it is a
lamp to our feet, and a " light to shine upon the road
that leads us to the Lamb." It lights up the valley and
shadow of death, throws a divine radiance over the tomb,
and bright rays of joy and hope into the dying chris¬
tian's eye, by which he has strength to exclaim, ill tho
expiring moment;
" Come, wpleome death, the end of fear,
Thy terrors I regard no more."
But the Gospel resembles light in the mildness of its
motion.
There is nothing so mild in its motion as light. All
other bodies, when put in rapid motion, are more or
less destructive. The stream, when swollen to a flood,
sweeps away all before it. The air, which is balmy and
health-giving in its quietude, yet, when agitated, it tears
up trees by the roots, levels costly structures with the
earth, rolls up the waves of the sea, and engulfs majestic
ships beneath the swelling billows. We have heard of
hurricanes, which have swept away whole trains of cars,
including massive locomotives. Not so with light:
though it travels at the rate of twelve millions of miles a
«minute, yet it falls upon the eye with a mildness truly
pleasant. So with the Gospel, in which there is neither
lightning, nor thunder, nor tempest, nor smoke, and
nothing to frighten or drive us away. It simply says,
"Come!" "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt, xi, 28.
When the law was thundered forth from Sinai, the
trembling Israelites moved back from the mount, ai)<i
114
THE EARLIEST GOSrEL SYMBOL.
besought Gocl not to speak to thein any more, except
through Moses, in whose voice there was no thunder.
The law proclaimed the terrors of the Lord, his wrath
and indignation, which those, who obey not his voice,
shall feel through the endless ages of eternity. " Cursed
is every one that continueth not in all things which are
written in the book of the law to do them." " The soul
that sinneth, it shall die."
" When to the law I trembling fleet*
It poured its curses on my head,
I no relief could find :
This fearful truth increased my pain,
. The sinner must;be born again,
O'erwhelmed my troubled mind.
Again did Sinai's thunder roll,
And guilt lay heavy on my soul,
A vast, oppressive load :
Alas ! I read and saw it plain,
The sinner never born again,
Must drink the wrath of God.
But while I thus in darkness lay,
Jesus of Nazareth passed that way ;
I felt his pity move ;
A sinner, by his justice slain,
Now by his grace is born again,
And sings redeeming love.
To heaven the joyful tidings Hew,
And angels tuned their harps anew,
And loftier strains did raise,
All hail! the Lamb that once was slain,
Unnumbered millions born again,
Shall sing thine endless praise."
The Gospel is a message of mercy : it.comes to cheer
us. Like light, it js alj tenderness, mildness, and heav-
THE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
115
enly softness. It tells us, that " God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be-
lieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
lifethat " It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all ac¬
ceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners and that " Jesus stood and cried, If any man
thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." What gra¬
cious words, what heavenly tenderness, what enrapturing
mildness! I repeat, there is nothing in the Gospel to
frighten us ; its light is sent to cheer us. So said the an¬
gel, who first proclaimed the Savior's birth : " Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people."
But the Gospel resembles light in its 'purity.
How beautifully transparent is light! There is no foul
mixture in it. It may pass over districts infected with
disease ; but, unlike the air, it inhales no contagious
matter; unpolluted, it sweeps on through space, dispens¬
ing joy and gladness, but nothing hurtful or unpleasant.
The Gospel is likewise pure ; it is a system of purity: its
purifying influence is called the "washing of regenera¬
tion." It removes sin's guilt and pollution, and diffuses
purity: it sanctifies and makes holy. It has come in
contact with every foul system—heathenism, paganism,
Mohammedanism, and all the corrupting influences that
have operated against the Christian Church, and yet it is
pure. Stripped of the garments in which sectarians have
tried to conceal the beauty of many of its passages, it still
remains the pure Gospel word, the sincere milk of which
gives strength to the bodies and souls of men. It is heal¬
ing and invigorating.
116
THE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
The Gospel resembles light in its effect upon our happi¬
ness.
Solomon says, " Truly the light is sweet." It is only
those whose " deeds are evil " that " love darkness more
than light." To all others, light is moredesirable,and con¬
ducive to their happiness. See that poor blind man, how
timid and doubtful his motion. The sun pours forth his
rays; but the unhappy man gropes his way at noon.
The beauties of nature surround him, but he knows noth¬
ing of their charms. See that poor, benighted traveller,
lost in the lonely desert, exposed to the wild beasts of
the forest, the hissing serpents, and the howling tempest.
See that tempest-tossed mariner, who has lost his reckon¬
ing. No star in the heavens, nor lighthouse on the shore,
warn liim of danger, or cheer him with hope. What joy
would light bring to such distressed mortals ! Such is
the sinner. He is blinded by the god of this world, is
in the darkness of his lost state, and in the road to death.
He is tempest-tossed upon the billows of his guilty con¬
science, and exposed to the breakers of divine wrath. He
is lost in the wilderness of sin, and is " without God and
without hope in the world." To this blind, bewildered,
tempest-tossed wretch, the Gospel brings light. It opens
his blind eyes, to behold wonderful things in the king¬
dom of grace. It dispels the gloom of sin's dark night,
and ushers in the light of Gospel day. It calms the rag¬
ing billows, drives away the clouds of despair, raises the
star of hope, and brings to view the lighthouse on the
shore. The Gospel fills the understanding with the light
of knowledge, the conscience with the light of peace, the
the earliest gospel symbol.
117
heart with the light of joy, and the expectation with the
light of hope.
" It scatters all the guilty fear,
And turns the hell to heaven."
Now it is Jehovah's mandate that the Gospel light shall
shine in all the dark corners of the earth. " Go ye into
all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.'*
Let us notice the means by which the Gospel light
is to be diffused.
By the Church, which is the visible kingdom of God on
earth, he designs to accomplish his purpose of filling the
world with the light of divine knowledge. In solving1
the mystery of the seven candlesticks, in the midst of
which John saw him standing, Jesus said, "The seven
candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches."
As the candlestick holds, and thus displays the light, so
does the church.
By the life and labors of the ministry. " The seven stars,'"
said Jesus, " are the seven angels of the seven churches;"
that is, the ministers, like stars or planets, reflect the
rays they receive from the Sun of Righteousness. It is
their work to diffuse light, as burning luminaries, to
chase away the gloom of hellish night. Their mission
extends to earth's remotest bounds; and they are encour¬
aged by the assurance of the divine presence. " Lo, I am
with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Thg
ministry is God's great agency in the work of diffusing
Gospel light. He has chosen them as his special instru-
ments, weak and frail, it is true, in themselves, but
mighty through God, in the accomplishment of his pur-
118
THE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
pose, to fill the worM with Gospel light. Take a com¬
munity, sunk in the very depths of darkness, sin and
degradation; let a live, whole-soul Gospel minister go
among them, and walk out and in before them, and you
will soon see a change in that community. The deep
darkness will disappear, and light will spring up and
continue to shine, so long as the man of God is among
them. Gospel light shines forth from a holy member¬
ship. It was Christ's command: "Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Brethren,
we are to be lights in this benighted land. To each and
to every one of us he says, " Let there be light." If we are
not letting the light shine, we are not fulfilling our mis¬
sion.
A few weeks ago in the town of Charlotte, N. C., they
held an election to decide whether or not license should
be granted to men, to deal out to that community " liquid
damnation." At this election, there were a number of
persons, who professed to be christians, that voted what
they called " the wet ticket"—that is, they voted to license
the. sale of intoxicating drinks. I heard of one class-
leader, who voted the wet ticket. What shall we say of
such a leader? Where is he leading the people to? Cer¬
tainly, not into the true Gospel light, but into the dark¬
ness of intemperance. We would not sit in judgment
upon the christian character of our neighbors; but how
a man, who supports the whiskey traffic, can imagine
himself a christian, is a mystery beyond my comprehen¬
sion; and as a watchman upon the walls of Zion, I feel
in duty bound to warn the people of the evils of the pres-
THE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
119
ent day. I know of no evil so destructive to every inter¬
est of both soul and body, so wide in the extent of its
ravages, so exacting in its demands, or so fearful in itsu
consequences, as the evil of intemperance. We, as a
race, have lately escaped from a bondage most oppressive,
degrading, and evil in its consequences—a system de¬
nounced by a great and good man as the "sum of all
villainies." Whatever were the evils of that system, (and
they were never half told), and whatever were the horrors
to the enslaved class, or the curses upon the slaveholder,
yet the victims of that system were in no such evil
case as are the victims of intemperance ! These are en¬
slaved, both soul and body. Death released the victims
of our late system of slavery, and we have no doubt that
thousands of them were conveyed by angels to Abraham's
bosom. We have no such hope respecting the victims
of intemperance. Death sinks them deeper. The Apos¬
tle reminds us that the drunkard shall not inherit the
kingdom of heaven, and Jesus warns us that there is a
danger of having our hearts overcharged with drunken¬
ness, and that day come upon us unawares. Drunken¬
ness seems not to have been a prevalent evil in his day.
Very little is said of intemperance among the people of
God at that period. No doubt there was drunkenness in
that day, but it was among those who made no profes¬
sion of righteousness. The wickedness of intemperance
was so generally acknowledged, it was not necessary for
Jesus to say much about it. It is the sin of all sins of
our day. It is the fruitful promoter of every evil under
the sun. Like the grave, it never says enough. Like
hell, it is never eatisfied with the number of its victims.
120
THE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
Like the great red dragon that stood before the womau,
this monster seems to have been waiting the results of
the emancipation proclamation, that it might seize upon
the freed people and enslave them again, before they
were strong enough to resist its power. Our penitentia¬
ries are filled with its victims; and the auction block has
often been surrounded by horses, mules, cows, and all
manner of implements of husbandry, the property of one
who had a fair start and was doing well, before he fell
under the power of the whiskey traffic. The wretched¬
ness and woe so fearfully prevalent, the ragged and half-
starved children, the heart broken wives and mothers,
the empty school benches, the half-finished churches, the
half-supported preachers, and the vast and untold num¬
bers that are crowding the downward road, all go to show
how completely this monster has, in many cases, wholly
nullified the intended effect of the freedom proclamation.
And yet, there are men among us, professing christians
too, even ministers, who indulge in the intoxicating cup,
and who oppose the efforts that are put forth to remove it
from the land. Some even go so far as to threaten to
withhold their support from ministers who speak against
this evil. The minister who would swerve one hair's
breadth from his duty for fear of men, is not worthy of
support. They forget that he who opens and no man can
shut, has said, " Your water is sure, and your bread shall
be given."
What then is he whose scorn I dread,
Whose savage threat makes me afraid,
A BAR-ROOM PIMP, TO RUM A SLAVE,
A bubble on the drunken wave.
TIIE EARLIEST GOSPEL SYMBOL.
121
If we are to wander forty years in this wilderness, I
can see no cause for it but intemperance. Now God says,
" Let there be light." Let the light of temperance shine
in all our dwellings. Let us drive out King Alcohol,
and thus make way for the blessed reign of King Em¬
manuel.
God grant us grace to diffuse light by a holy example,
and thus hasten the day when the kingdoms ol this
world shall become the kingdoms of our God.
122
tiie soul's anchor.
SERMON IX.
THE SOUL'S ANCHOR.
"Which hope wh have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
steadfast, and "which enteretli into that within the vail : -whither
the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest
forever after the order of Melchisedec.'' Heb. vi, 19.
At the commencement of the chapter, of which our
text is a part, the Apostle intimates his purpose of ad¬
vancing to the consideration of sublimer truths, and ex¬
horts his Hebrew brethren to leave the first principles,
and advance with him. He exhorts them to aspire after
greater proficiency in the knowledge and practice of Gos¬
pel principles, as a means of preventing their backslid¬
ing and final apostacv, which would result in their
eternal ruin. Verses 1—S. He expresses a hope that
they would persevere in the good way on which they had
entered, and thus secure the reward of faith and obe¬
dience, in the complete salvation of their souls. Verse 0.
By pointing to the life and labors of those who had al¬
ready obtained the promise, he endeavored to urge them
on to greater diligence. He would comfort believers with
a view of God's goodness, in the engagements he had con¬
descended to enter into, and which he had confirmed by
an oath : " Wherein God, willing more abundantly to
THE SOUL'S ANCHOR.
123
show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his
counsel, confirmed it by an oath : that by two immutable
things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we
might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge
to lay hold upon the hope set before us." Then follows
the text: "Which hope we have." " We," that is, the
Apostleand every other believer, who, having been awak¬
ened to the sense of a lost and undone condition, have
fled to and laid hold of the promises of God, and made
them our refuge, or, as the Apostle puts it, are heirs or
inheritors of the promises, " have this hope as an anchor
of the soul." All we, who conscious of our natural de*
pravity, weakness, guilt and wretchedness, have, for safety
from deserved -wrath, laid hold upon the promises set
forth in the Gospel, have a strong and consoling assur¬
ance that our confidence is well placed, and that our
refuge is sure, The Apostle mentions two rocks, or solid
foundations, upon which our confidence rests, and inti*
mates a third. " That by two immutable things, in which
it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong
consolation." One immutable thing would have been,
sufficient to have sustained all who would confide in it,
but in the inexhaustible abundance of God's goodness,
he gives beyond measure. He presses it down in the
measure, shakes it together, pnd then runs it over; yea,
more, he doubles and trebles his blessings.
The two immutable things,of which the Apostle speaks,
are, first, the promise of God, (and his promise is sure);
and second, the oath by which the promise is confirmed,
"The oath," says the Apostle, " is the end of strife." It
puts fin end to <il 1 contradiction. That which is swor$
124
the soul's anchor.
to, is regarded as settled, unless there is strong counter¬
vailing testimony. And there can be no testimony
against the declarations of him that cannot lie, there can
be no oath to rebut his; and because he could swear by
no greater, he swore by himself. Therefore, we have as
a ground for our hope the promise of God, who cannot
lie, and the oath of God, which cannot be broken. In
addition to this, the Apostle mentions the further fact,
that Jesus, our forerunner, has entered also within the
vail, and there abideth forever a high priest. A fore¬
runner is one who goes before to prepare the way for
others to follow. Jesus said to his disciples, " I go to
prepare a place for you." Into this prepared place,
he received the penitent thief, whose faith pierced the
vail of ignominy which enveloped the crucified Nazarene,
and beheld in him the King of saints, and trusted in
him as such. The Apostle here claims him as the fore¬
runner, who has entered heaven for us. lie has taken
possession of heaven, and prepared it for the accommo¬
dation of his people. He has prepared a highway lead¬
ing to it, and has engaged to conduct us safely, and afford
the assistance of his grace, to enable us to finish our
course, to fight the good fight of faith, and to lay hold
upon eternal life.
L Let us notice the characteristics op the chris¬
tian's hope.
The Aposlle calls it the soul's anchor—" Which hope
we have as an anchor of the soul." The anchor is thai
which, when cast, holds the ship steady amid the storms
and keeps it from being blown upon rocks and dashed to
pieces, or drifting off with the tide. There are times
TlTE SOUL'S ANCHOR.
125
when sailing becomes dangerous; when the black tern-
pest sweeps the swelling billows, the boiling surges mix
with the clouds, death rides upon the storm, and the
mariner fears destruction upon the rocks; the anchor is
then his only hope; if it fails him, his ship is lost.
Amid the storms of life, hope is the christian's anchor.
When friends all fail and foes all unite; when subjected
to cross providences, or strange afflictions; when the
enemy comes upon us as with a flood, all things seem to
be against us; and, like old Job, we are constrained to
cry out in the bitterness of our soul: " Oh ! that my grief
were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the
balances together : for now it would be heavier than the
sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.
For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison
whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do
set themselves in array against me." In such an hour,
hope holds the soul steady, and sweetly whispers:
" Peace, troubled soul, tliou needest not fear,
Thy great deliverer still is near,
His tender love protects thee still,
Be calm, and sink into his will."
Thus encouraged, the confiding soul exclaims: "All
the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change
come."
The Apostle calls this a "sure" hope. It is not every
hope that is sure. We read : " The hypocrite's hope shall
perish, whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall
be a spider's web." Bat the christian's hope, like David's
covenant, is ordered in all things and sure. It is a hope
that sustains him in every discouragement in life, and
126
TIIE SOUL'S ANCHOR.
forsakes him not in death—a hope full of immortality
and eternal life.
It is " steadfast"—unyielding, unmoved. The violence
of the storm can neither break it nor drag it from its
moorage. The thunders roar, the lightnings play among
the clouds, the winds howl, the waves lash themselves to
fury, but the sheet anchor of hope holds on, and safely
keeps the soul until the storm of life has passed —
Till hope in fruition dies,
And faitli is lost in sight.
Finally, the Apostle refers to the celestial anchorage,
"It entereth into that within the vail." Within the vail
of the temple, which separated the holy from the most
holy place, was the ark of the covenant resting upon the
mercy seat; the two tables of stone, upon which was the
law written by the finger of God; the pot of manna,
and Aaron's rod that budded; all of which were over¬
shadowed by the cherubim, wrought by the hand of a
cunning artificer. Into this holy place the high priest
entered once a year to offer sacrifice, first for himself, and
then for the people. Behind this vail, except that of the
high priest, mortal eye was never to look. This sanctum
sanctorum was a type of heaven, the holiest of all, where
God sitteth upon his glorious throne, over which Isaiah
beheld the six winged seraphs praising the divine Maj¬
esty. Here, Jesus, our forerunner, sits at God's right
hand, and from this divine presence the Holy Spirit
comes forth to bear witness with our spirits, that we are
the children of God. Within this vail our anchor of
hope is cast; the divine Triad is our anchorage, and faith
the soul's anchor.
127
is the strong cablo that holds us fast. The Son of God
offered himself, as a sacrifice for us, the Father accepted
the sacrifice, and the Holy Ghost bears witness that we
are accepted in the Beloved.
II. Let us consider the grounds of the christian
hope.
Keeping in view the Apostlo's metaphor, the anchor,
we are reminded that to hold a vessel steady in the
storm, the anchor must be cast, and must take hold upon
good, solid ground. If the ground yields, the anchor
will drag, and the ship will be cast upon the fatal break¬
ers. Likewise hope, to sustain us amid the storms of
life, must be an active, well-grounded hope. Such is the
christian's hope. It is a lively hope. The anchor is not
carried as an useless encumbrage on the vessel's deck,
but it is there to be employed, to be used, to be cast oil
good and solid ground. And the anchor of hope should
not be cast on the shoals of formality, nor in the deep sea
of philosophy, nor amid the rocks of heterodoxy, nor in
the quicksands of superstition ; but upon the good and
solid grounds of intelligent, heartfelt, practical, pure and
undefiled religion.
Now, the believer's hope is grounded upon divine be¬
nevolence. " God so loved the world that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life." This was
the Apostle's boast," lie loved me and gave himself for
me." Surely, the amazing exhibition of divine love, as
displayed in ihe mjTstery of redemption, affords ground
upon which the christian's hope may safely rest, and bid
defiance to the tempest's rage.
128
THE SOUL'S ANCHOR.
The believer's hope rests, also, vpon the finished work of
Christ. He has wrought out for us a complete salvation.
By his suffering, death and resurrection, he has procured
the right and the power to present us without fault be¬
fore the throne. The sacrifice he offered met all the de¬
mands of insulted divine majesty: in him mercy and
truth met, righteousness and peace kissed each other;
and through him God can be just, and yet the justifier
of the ungodly. Divine truth demanded the infliction
of the death penalty, as an atonement for the broken law.
Divine mercy, in the person of Jesus, by the oblation of
himself once offered, rendered full and complete satisfac¬
tion for man's disobedience and sin. He said : "I will
magnify the law and make it honorable;" I will restore
to it all that man's disobedience has taken from it. By
man's rebellion, peace had departed from the sons of
men, divine indignation was kindled, and wrath was
threatened. To appease the divine anger, an atonement
made by the nature that had rebelled was required, and
it was also required that the atonement should be per¬
fect; but there was not a just man upon earth. Divine
mercy, in the person of Jesus, interposed. " A tody thou
hast prepared me, it will I offer." JL>ost thou demand
obedience ? " Lo ! I come, in the volume of the book it
is written of me, I delight to do thy will, 0 God; yea,
thy law is within my heart. I will declare thy right¬
eousness in the great congregation, and thy loving kind¬
ness unto the sons of men. By his righteousness he hath
justified many; he has reconciled man to his Maker, re¬
stored peace to earth, and good will to man. By the sac¬
rifice of himself, he gave glory to God and peace to man,
THE SOUL'S ANCHOR.
129
and also a glorious exhibition of bis loving kindness and
tender mercy. By his death upon the cross, by his res¬
urrection and ascension to glory, he finished his en¬
gagements, put an end to the power of sin, made rec¬
onciliation for iniquity, brought in an everlasting right¬
eousness, and gave to his ministers the mystery of recon¬
ciliation. I repeat, the believer's hope rests upon this
finished work of Christ.
But it rests also upon his mediatorial intercession. Hav¬
ing offered himself a sacrifice for sin, he entered death's
dominion, spoiled principalities and powers, broke the
fetters of death, robbed the grave of its victory and death
of its sting, ascended to his Father's throne, and ever
liveth to make intercession for us. "A priest forever
after the order of Melchisedec," not after the order of
Aaron, which was changeable, descending from father
to son, "because they were not permitted to continue by
reason of death," but like that of Melchisedec, his abides
in himself. Like Melchisedec, there was none of his line
who filled the office before him, and none will succeed
him. Like Melchisedec, there was a mystery hanging
over both his birth and his death ; and yet, like his type,
lie was born and also died. He did not receive his priest¬
hood by descent like the sons of Aaron, but by an oath
like Melchisedec. Hence, the language of the Psalmist,
quoted by the apostle: " The Lord hath sworn, and will
not repent, Thou art a priest forever." The apostle con¬
tinues, " By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better
testament. And they truly were many priests, because
they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
but this man, because he continueth ever, hath an un-
6
130
THE SOUL'S ANCHOR.
changeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save
tliem to the uttermost that come unto God by him, see¬
ing he ever 1 ivetli to make intercession for them." The
believer's hope rests firmly upon this intercession, and he
is encouraged, with the immortal Charles Wesley, "To
bid his soul arise, shake off its guilty fear, and behold the
bleeding sacrifice in its behalf appear."
*' He ever lives above, for me to intercede,
His all redeeming love, his precious blood to plead,
Which blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.
Five bleeding wounds he bears, received on Calvary,
They pour effectual prayers, they strongly speak for me:
Forgive him, O forgive, they cry,
Nor let the ransomed sinner die.
The Father hears him pray, his dear anointed one,
He cannot turn away the presence of his son,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God."
Upon this God-blessed assurance of the effectual inter¬
cession of our high priest above, the believer's hope rests,
and all the mad billows rage and foam and lash them¬
selves to fury in vain.
'1 For still the Christian's bark outrides
The blustering winds and swelling tides."
He who intercedes for us knows our weakness, the se¬
verity of the temptation to which we are exposed, and
also the enmity and subtlety of the enemy of our souls.
He once dwelt in a frail tenement like ours, and was in
all points tempted as we are. He passed through a fiery
ordeal, a bloody sweat, a painful agony and exceeding
THE SOUL'S ANCHOR.
131
sorrow of soul—" he trod the wine press alone, and of
the people there was none to help himyet he triumphed
through it all and thereby secured for us the blessing of
divine favor, and the assurance of divine sympathy.
" Touched by a sympathy within,
He knows our feeble frame ;
He knows what sore temptations mean,
For he has felt the same."
But the believer's hope rests also upon his ow n personal
experience. His knowledge of the forgiveness of his sins,
his acceptance with God, his justification by faith, the
peace he enjoys within, and the sustaining grace by
which he is enabled to stand, and maintain the conflict,
and after all to stand ; are all connected with a sure hope.
Divine, love, the finished work of Christ, and mediatorial
intercession, will all go for nothing, unless they are con¬
nected with a personal experience, a knowledge that the
kingdom of God is within us—that he reigns in our
hearts. We must have the Spirit of God in us, bearing
witness with our spirits that we are the children of God.
We must know by God-blessed experience, that we.
have passed from death unto life—that the old man
with his deeds have been cast out—that our nature has
been changed and the new creation formed within. We
must be able to say with our favorite poet:
'' My God is reconciled, his pardoning voice I hear :
He owns me for his child, I can no longer fear;
"With confidence, I now draw nigh,
And Father, Abba Father, cry."
To have a sure and steadfast hope, each must know
for himself, that these blessings are his. He must have
132
THE SOUL'S ANCHOR.
the witness in himself, must know the time and place of
the shaking of his dungeon, and the falling off of his
chains. A mere hope that he is a christian is not suffi¬
cient ; he must " know." He must know that the burden
of sin has been removed, that its heavy load has passed
from his back, and that he is no longer oppressed by its
weight. He must know that the gloom, distress and fear
of sin's dark night have been cleared away, and that
they have been superseded by the light of liberty, peace
and joy, which are the fruits of justification by faith.
If we have them not, we cannot have a sure hope of
heaven. The ship, the cable, the anchor cast, are all im¬
portant, but their utility depends upon their connection.
The kingdom of grace set up in our hearts, is the sub¬
stantial sea-worthy craft, which alone will convey us
safely across the tempestuous ocean of time; faith is our
strong cable, which must be made fast to the anchor of
hope, cast within the vail; and while this connection is
maintained, we are safe.
"Though by winds and waves we are tossed and driven,
Yet while freighted with grace we are bound for heaven."
Now if we are in deed and in truth believers in Christ
Jesus, if we have made the promise of God our trust, if
we have fled thereto for refuge, if we have laid hold upon
the hope set before us in the Gospel, and are holding on
thereto, we have the strong consolation these blessings
afford, and may unite with the Apostle in appropriating
the language of the text: " Which hope we have as an
anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which
entereth into that within the vail, whither the forerun-
the saul's anchor.
133
ner its for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest for
ever after the order of Melchisedec."
Finally, the believer's hope is grounded upon his long¬
ings for home. These are the Spirit's implanting; they
lead us homeward and make us pant for the living
streams of bliss.
#
" I cannot, I cannot forbear
These passionate longings for home ;
O when will my spirit be there,
O when will the messenger come Vy
He who has his anchor cast within the vail, has his
affections set upon things above, where Christ sitteth at
the right hand of God—his heart and his flesh crieth out
for the living God. His desires go onward and lead him
toward his home, and while standing upon some lofty
peak, the heavenly breezes bear to his enraptured soul
the fragrance of Eden's flowers, and while his eye feasts
upon the golden beams of that glorious light which flows
through the city of God, he exclaims:
" Yonder's my house, my portion fair,
My treasure and my heart are there,
And my abiding home."
III. But notice the consolations op the christian's
hope.
" That by two immutable things in which it was im¬
possible for God to lie, we might have strong consola¬
tion." The promises of God, and the oath by which
they are confirmed, are consoling; they afford strong con¬
solation. There are many and sore trials through which
most of God's people have to pass in this howling wil¬
derness. Afflictions arise from the temptations of the
134
THE SOUL'S ANCHOR,
devil—be will vex, if he can do no more—from the frailty
of our nature, and from our business, social or domestio
cares. Under the burden of these afflictions, distresses
and cares, we are consoled by the hope of future and eter¬
nal felicity. We are consoled by the assurance, that "our
light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for
US a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
which shall be revealed in us."
We are consoled by the assurance, that whatever our
trials and difficulties, whatever dark nights of sorrow
and affliction, whatever dark paths duty compels us to
pass through, a hand divine is leading us, and will cheer
us, (for he "giveth songs in the night,") and will lead us
safely and with rapture to the city of everlasting habita¬
tions.
We are consoled by the assurance, that however we are
buffeted by the enemy, whatever sore conflicts we may
have, whatever wounds we may receive, however hard
pushed we may be, however numerous,,or strong, or ma¬
licious our enemies, however long the conflict may last—•
in a word—whatever the nature of the engagement, we
shall more than conquer through him that loved us and
gave himself for us.
We are consoled by the assurance, that however strange
and unaccountable the dispensations of Providence, yet
all things shall work together for the good of those that
love the Lord, that—
" Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face."
Consoled and strengthened by such invigorating and
soul-stirring assurances, we are enabled, not only to stem
THE SOCJL'S ANCHOR.
135
the current ourselves, but also to encourage the weak
ones, and cheer them by our songs.
^ome on, my partners, in distress,
My corm-~a PS through the wilderness,
Who still your*w<3;os fly
Awhile forget your griefs aiwt
And look beyond this vale of tears,
To that celestial hill.
Beyond the bounds of time and space,
Look forward to that heavenly place,
The saints secure abode ;
On faiths strong eagle pinions rise,
And force your passage to the skies,
And scale the mount of God.
Who suffer with our Master here,
They shall before his face appear,
And by his side sit down;
To patient faith the prize is sure,
And all that to the end endure
The cross, shall wear the crown."
136
THE LOSS OF THE SOUL.
SERMON
THE LOSS OF THE SOUL.
" For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the wliole world,
and lose his own soul ? or what will a man give in exchange for
his soul ?" Matt, xvi, 26.
Jesus having entered the coast of Cesarea Phillippi,
inquired of his disciples as to what were the sayings re¬
specting him, " Whom do men say that I, the Son of
man, am?" They answered that there were a variety of
sayings respecting him. Some said he was John the
Baptist, risen from the dead. This, it is said, was Herod's
opinion. I have a notion that Herod hatched this opinion
to quiet his conscience. To satisfy his brother Phillip's
wife, whom he had unlawfully taken to himself, he had
John beheaded. John had rebuked this wicked couple
for their unlawful conduct, and the woman planned for
his destruction ; the king falling in with, and executing
her plan, became responsible for the deed. Wicked as
he was, he had not quite sold himself to the devil, hence
this act of wickedness disturbed his conscience. There¬
fore, he would find relief in persuading himself that this
was John, risen from the dead ; as, in that case, he could
console himself with the idea that he had not done him
much harm, after all. It often happens that men regret
THE LOSS OB1 THE SOUL.
12/
the consequence of their own doings, when it is too late
to undo them ; but they foolishly fall back upon the hope
that God may overrule in such a way as to, at least, nul¬
lify the effect of their misdoings. Suppose he should?
That won't help their case. No matter what God may
do for his own glory, their sin remains the same, until
they repent. Repentance and faith alone will remove
guilt and give substantial peace of mind. The more ex¬
cellent way, however, is to do only that which an enlight¬
ened conscience, on calm reflection, will justify.
The disciples further told Jesus, that some said he was
"Elijah; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets."
He then asked, "But whom say ye that I am? And
Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God." After assuring them that that
profession of faith was the rock upon which his church
should be built, and securely stand, he proceeded to in¬
form them of what should soon transpire respecting him¬
self. " From that time forth began Jesus to show unto
his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and
suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."
At this Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying,
" This shall not be unto thee." But Jesus said, •' Get thee
behind me Satan ; thou art an offence unto me, for thou
savourest not the things that be of God, but those that
be of men." Peter had learned his christian lessons but
poorly; he had been taught the importance of self-
denial ; that it is the basis upon which discipleship
must rest: he, on the contrary, had exhibited selfish¬
ness as a most prominent feature in his character, and
138
THE LOSS OF THE SOUL.
which controlled his action ; yea, it was the corner and
capstone thereof. He is here taught that this foundation
must be dug up, and a new one laid, from which every
particle of selfishness must be removed. And for this,
the following reason is given : " For whosoever will save
his life, shall lose it." He that would save his life by
shrinking from his duty, shall lose it. " And whosoever
will lose his life for my sake, shall find it." He that, for
love to Christ, does his duty regardless of consequences,
and thereby loses his life, shall find it again in heaven.
He shall find in the end that he has really lost nothing.
Then follows the text: " Fcr what is a man profited, if
he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?"
To impress them with the importance of the subject,
he employs a method with which men engaged in mer¬
cantile pursuits are well acquainted, namely, loss and
gain. The merchant who does not pay attention to this
rule, will be most likely to suffer loss. If he does not see
to it that something is gained by all his transactions, 1)0
had best close up shop. If he pays more for what lie
buys, than it will bring when sold, if the outlay is more
than the income, it is clearly a losing business; and if
he continues thus, all eventually will be lost. To ascer¬
tain the value of any business in which we are engaged,
we must consider the entire outlay. If this subtracted
from the income, leaves a balance, then it is evident that
the business pays. But if the outlay is the larger of the
two, he is admonished by the rule that he cannot sub¬
tract a larger number from a smaller, that it is a losing
business, and if continued failure will be inevitable. The
the loss of the soul.
130
text leads us to apply this rule of profit and loss to the
eternal interests of the soul.
I. Let us consider the imaginary gain.
I say imaginary, for it is not real. He that embraces
this world, or sublunary things as substantial good, is
deceived. Let us suppose a case in which a man goes
into the stock market and a picture of great wealth is
held up before his eyes, to be the result of making a cer¬
tain investment. He is carried away by the promise of
great riches; he is encouraged by old stock gamblers,
and enraptured with the view of the splendid air castles
formed in his mind, and is intoxicated with the idea
that he will soon be a millionaire. He at once resolves
to invest all his available cash. But this does not satisfy
his ambition: "Ventures make millionaires as well as
merchants," and he feels a desire to sink his bottom
dollar in this one great effort. He, therefore, mortgages
all his property, raises all he can thus, and invests it,
also. Well, he has spent all, and while he awaits the
moment at which he is to realize the expected fortune,
he buys on credit, and borrows from his neighbors, until
his credit is exhausted and he can borrow no more;
because his failure to meet his payments promptly, has
shaken the confidence of his creditors. He is surprised
that those who had always trusted him should be unwil¬
ling to make him further advances. He has not realized,
as yet, what he expected from his investments, but has
no d^ubt of their soundness and great productiveness in
the end. But the conduct of his neighbors renders him
unhappy; he is vexed at the idea of their lack of confi¬
dence, and he says to himself, I will wait no longer; I
140
THE LOSS OP THE SOUL.
will sell my stock at what it will bring; I will pay my
debts, lift my mortgages, and if I have not reached the
object of my ambition, I will yet have comfort and ease,
and I will make my neighbors ashamed of the want of
confidence they have shown. Thus musing, he goes into
the stock market to offer his stock for sale; but he there,
to his astonishment, learns that it is not worth a cent.
He has spent all, and lost all. Can you imagine a more
wretched being than that man, when he awakes to the
full sense of his situation ? I repeat, he has invested all,
and lost all. He has lost his expectation, his valuable
property, his money, his credit and standing in society—
yea, hope and all is gone. He is poor and penniless with
a helpless family on his hands, a family refined and edu¬
cated; but they have learned only the livery of high life,
of labor they know nothing. They have known nothing
of his financial transactions, and consequently nothing
of his financial ruin ; but they must know it. How can
he face that loving wife and those darling children, and
break to them the doleful story of their poverty and dis¬
grace9 The shock is too great, the shadow of despair
hovers over him—it falls ! and reason leaves its throne,
the vacant stare of the lunatic settles upon his counte¬
nance, the last sad act, self-destruction, follows, and all is
over: no, not all, he has changed lives, but not states.
The hell from which he flees, when he cuts his throat
and leaves this world, meets him in another, intensified
a thousand fold.
Such is the wretch, who barters away his soul for the
things of this life, or setting too great value upon them,
pursues them to the neglect of his soul—in the end he
THE LOSS OP THE SOUL.
141
loses all. What if he has gained much? Suppose he
has accumulated wealth, honors, titles, dominion and
glory ; has seen many years of prosperity, has flourished
as the green bay tree? Suppose he has gained the world,
ten thousand worlds, if possible, what will it all amount
to in the dying hour, when he is brought to face the stern
realities of eternity ? Alas, it won't purchase for him
one poor drop of water to allay the anguish of his pain,
or cool his scortching tongue ! It is like the worthless
stock in the hands of a broken gambler; it will yield
him nothing of any value in the dying hour.
But let us consider this imaginary gain a little more
critically in the light of the text.
"If he shall gain the whole world." Then, it is not
certain that the whole world can be obtained, even at
that fearful price. The " if" implies a doubt; but it is
more than doubtful; it is certain that we cannot gain the
whole world. No man ever did gain the whole world ;
and if one had it, he would not know what to do with it,
or with himself after he had possessed it. It is said of
Alexander, (sur-named the Great!) that when he sup¬
posed he had conquered the world, he sat down and wept
because there were no more worlds to conquer. . Alas!
poor man ! he was not happy after all, in his fancied
possession of the world. But suppose he did possess the
whole world, what does it avail him now? Where is
Alexander the Great, the mightiest conquerer that ever
led armies to victory—the " He goat" of Daniel's proph¬
ecy, that is described as going forth from conquest to
conquest with such rapidity that he touched not the
ground—he who snatched laurels from conquerers and
142
THE LOSS OF THE SOUL.
placed them upon bis own brow—who made toys of the
crowns of kings, and seized upon the gold of Ophir as
his treasure—I repeat, where is Alexander the Great?
The world he conquered and seized upon as his own, no
longer affords him a home. He has passed away. Let
us follow him to that eternity to which he has gone, and
ask him to instruct us on the momentous interrogatories
of the text. Supposing that lie lost his soul, he has now
endured the agonies of the lost for more than two thou¬
sand years. Suppose we draw aside the curtain, raise the
hatches of hell, and getting assurance from the angel
Gabriel of a safe return, we descend that dark abode, and
inquire of Alexander the Great, " what is a man profited
if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"
What, think you, will be his answer? Yonder he sits
upon the bosom of a burning lake. His mighty captains,
too, are there, companions of his woe. I see no laurels
now upon his brow, no crown upon his head, nor sceptre
in his hand ; neither are there any marks of conquest,
nor tokens of victory. He no longer sighs for other
worlds to conquer. He looks not like a conqueror, but
wears the visage of one that has been conquered. He
looks dejected and hopeless. An angry scowl rests upon
his brow, woeful sadness fills his eye, and anguish wrings
his soul. He is terrible to behold and fearful to approach;
but I accost him from a point beyond which Gabriel
warns me not to venture. I ask, "Alexander, what is a
man profited who gains the whole world, and loses his
own soul?" Hark, his answer: "Profit! profit!! there
is no such word in hell's vocabulary. It is all loss here—
loss, loss, eternal loss ! " " What, then, will a man give
the loss of the soul,
143
in exchange for his soul ? " To this he answers : " When
I was on earth, I was a fool; I grasped at shadows and
missed the substance. I thought there was value in
crowns and kingdoms—in earthly honors, titles and do¬
minion, but I have learned by sad and woeful experience,
that there is but one thing of real value to man—that is
his soul. Go back! go back ! and bear from me this
solemn message to the sons of men, yet in time : Forget
the imaginary value of wealth, honors and titles; forget
everything else—but don't forget that no price set upon the
soul can mark Us value! Its value is beyond computation—
it is priceless. Disregard this truth if you will; trifle
with it, treat it derisive^ and contemptuously, or break its
force upon the mind by sophistry or ridicule; crowd it
out by worldly amusements, or whatever the world can
offer you—but learn as I have learned, that the one re¬
gret that will eternally gnaw as the undying worm, will
be the regret that the soul's value was not learned in the
season of salvation."
II. Let us now consider the loss of the soul.
What is it? What is the loss sustained by those who,
setting too much value upon material things, pursue
them to the neglect of the soul's eternal interests, or barter
away their souls to obtain them ? I repeat, what is the
loss of the soul? What mind can solve the fearful prob¬
lem? I confess my inability to grasp the mighty theme.
The mind staggers at the thought of attempting to pene¬
trate the momentous meaning of the five following words :
Eternal loss of the soul- If there are five words in any
language more expressive of all that is to be feared,
their soijnd ha§ jiever fallen upon my ears.
14 i
THE LOSS OF THE SOUL.
There are two thoughts involved. First, of " the soul.
What is it? It is the life, the product of God's breath.
" God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and
man became a living soul." Elihu tells us that it is the
spirit in man which receiveth instruction from the Al¬
mighty. The soul in its purity is the divine image, and
possesses kinship to Deity; is capable of feeling Jehovah's
touch, as a man the touch of his fellow. It is undying in
its nature, must eternally exist somewhere; hence its loss
cannot mean annihilation. Socrates, who came nearer
to the knowledge of the truth than any other heathen
philosopher, arrived at this truth from the light of reason.
He will most certainly arise in the judgment to the con¬
demnation of many who have refused to walk in the light
of revealed truth. Revelation most plainly teaches thi3
truth: "These shall go away into everlasting punish¬
ment, but the righteous into life eternal." Yes, we must
eternally exist somewhere, but where? "Man dieth and
wasteth away, yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where
is lie?" Such was the cogitation of Job's mind; and the
thought equally concerns us. And the language of the
poet may well be sung in every land by every tongue:
" Soon as from earth I flee,
What then will become of me ?"
This brings us to the second thought referred to, viz.,
the " soul's loss." What is it to lose the soul ? It evi¬
dently includes the loss of every kind of pleasure. If the
soul is once lost, we shall never know another moment's
ease or comfort while eternal ages roll. To lose the soul
is to lose whatever of bliss God has reserved for his loved
ones, It is to endure whatever of pain God will inflict
THE T.osa OF THE SOUL.
145
upon the disobedient. We know nothing of what either
is, except by the pictures in which God, by his Spirit,
has painted them in the book of revealed truth, and upon
the tablets o£our hearts. We know by experience some¬
thing of joy, of grief, and of pain, and by these we may
be instructed. We have five avenues through which
either comfort or misery are poured into the soul—hear¬
ing, seeing, feeling, smelling, and tasting. If we have
only so many in the future state, the pictures we have
seen of heaven lead us to the thought that the blessings
are sufficient in quantity and variety to keep all the ave¬
nues continually crowded. The loss of the soul is the
loss of all this.
There are in heaven innumerable beauties, such as
mortal eyes never saw. It is represented as a four-square
city, with gates of pearl, and streets of gold. There are
gardens and pleasant walks, and heavenly music most
charming to the ear. We love to hear the music of a
well-trained choir, but oh ! when the music of heaven's
songsters bursts upon our ears, mingled with the music
of millions of harpers, the sweetest songs of earth will
cease to be remembered as music. The pictures of heaven
include abundant provision of most delicious fruits, the
product of the tree of life, standing upon both sides of
the river, which flows out of the life-giving fountain.
Then there are fragrant flowers which fill the heavenly
atmosphere with a rich perfume, so that every breath in¬
haled will be pure and sweet. Then, our hearts shall be
filled with a fullness of joy unmixed and eternal. The
loss of all this is included in the loss of the soul.
Then hell is the opposite of heaven in every thing but
tiie loss of the soul.
canities which in heaven form ave.«««
duration. AUthe^Bure .. (o ^ ^ jn
throug * ^ aVenues through which wretchedness
^nd^vvoe will be poured into it forever. Instead of
heavenly music, will be sounds of agony and woe. Out¬
bursts of angry demons will make hell hideous. Chil¬
dren will be heard cursing their parents, and charging
them with their damnation. Then, there will be the wails
of lost souls, and these sounds of agony, woe and sorrow,
together with the angry outbursts, will be continual and
eternal; for they that worship the beast shall never have
rest. Then there will be soul-sickening sights, from which
the eye can never turn—gastly and horrid forms, " if form
that can be called, which neither shape nor form presents,
in member, joint or limb." And, from that sink of all
filth and corruption, will constantly arise a stench more
obnoxious than that emitted from the most filthy cesspool
of earth. And from this sickening odor the nostrils can
never turn. We sometimes pass by filthy places in large
cities, from which we hasten away, holding our breath
to avoid the inhalation of unwholesome and unendura¬
ble odors; but there will be no getting away from this
offensive odor in the world of woe. Unendurable it may
seem, but must be endured. And of this there is no ces¬
sation—no interval in which an agreeable or wholesome
breath is breathed. No, the inhabitants of torment will
never enjoy a sweet or pleasant breath. But the pictures
by which the meat and drink furnished for the inhabi¬
tants of torment are represented, are extremely uninvit-
w°iHiwood and gall—a most bitter repast. We
are also told that " they shall drink of the wrath of God,
THE LOSS OF THE SOUL.
147
which is poured out without mixture in the cup of his
indignation."
And finally, the entire being will he tortured with most
excruciating pain—pains such as never racked the mor¬
tal frame. In Rev. xiv, 10, 11, we find the following:
" The same (the lost) shall be tormented with fire and
brimstone in t]he presence of the holy angels, and in the
presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment
shall ascend up forever and ever, and they have no rest
day nor night." This is only the shadow, what then
must be the substance which sends forth such fearful
shadows? This is the picture only; what must be that
fearful reality from which it is drawn? Deep and dread»
ful must be that condemnation which requires such fear¬
ful figures to represent it.
I repeat, the loss of the soul is the loss of every kind of
enjoyment. It is more; it is to feel every kind of misery
of which the soul is capable. The loss of the soul shuts
out from it every ray of joy, so that it will never feel a
moment of peace any more. " What then is a man prof¬
ited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul? or what will a man give in exchange for his soul ?"
A proper appreciation of this subject is calculated to
induce us to lay the axe at the root of our own selfish¬
ness, to unhinge our affections from the things of this
world, and hang them on the things that make to our
eternal peace.
148 TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES.
SERMON XI.
TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES.
" And these shall go away into eternal punishment; but the
righteous into life eternal." Matt, xxv, 46.
The words of our text were uttered by the Soil of God,
the Saviour of the world, and are found in one of his
latest discourses—a private discourse delivered to his dis¬
ciples. He had administered that fearful rebuke to the
hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, in the temple, which
is recorded in the 23rd chapter of Matthew, in which he
intimated that their sins would eventually bring upon
them the destruction of their temple and government. He
closed with the following lamentation : <{0! Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, which killeth the prophets, and stoneth them
that are sent unto thee ! how oft would I have gathered thy
children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens
under her wings, and ye would not! Behold your house
is left unto you desolate."
As he passed out from the temple, his disciples called
his attention to the grandeur of the buildings, but he
said, they should be utterly destroyed, so that not one
stone should be left upon another, which should not be
thrown down. As he sat upon the Mount of Olives, his
disciples came to him privately, and said : " Tell us, when
TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES. 149
shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy
coming, and of the end of the world?" After giving
them suitable instruction, by which they might escape
the horrors of the destruction of Jerusalem, and by at¬
tention to which, thousands of christians did escape
them, he turned to the consideration of the last question
they had propounded—that respecting the general judg¬
ment, or the end of all material things—when shall the
end come? What he had to say on this subject, begins
with this 25th chapter, runs entirely through it and ends
in the words of our text. We remark, that he did not
answer their question directly. He did not tell them
when the end would come. It has not pleased the Lord
to tell us when the end will come. That is a secret which
he has hid in his own heart; and it is folly for man to
attempt to search it out, as God has determined not to
reveal it till the time comes. Silly men have attempted
to fix the time, but their followers have found their
prophecies delusive. In 1848, they had a day fixed, and
some wfent out and sat on the hill sides, but they might
have sat there till now, if they had lived so long and
been foolish enough, and yet not realized their expecta¬
tion. Indeed, I cannot see what good a knowledge of
the time would do the world. I suppose, if it were re¬
duced to a certainty that the judgment would come to¬
morrow at twelve o'clock, scores of people would not
think of commencing to get ready till half-past eleven ;
so much is mankind disposed to put off till the last mo¬
ment that which ought to be attended to first. For this,
or some other good reason, God has kept this matter to
himself. He tells us that he will come at an unexpected
150 TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES.
hour—at midnight, (figuratively,) the hour at which peo¬
ple sleep most soundly. While he did not tell them
when the end would come, he did tell them what would be
the condition of things, in respect to his kingdom, and
the relation of mankind to it. Under three figures, lie
presented the human family into two classes. One class
received favor, reward, and eternal enjoyment; the other
disappointment, punishment, shame and everlasting
misery.
First, he described them under the figure of two classes
of virgins, one wise and the other foolish. They all went
forth at night with lamps to meet the bridegroom, but the
foolish neglected to take oil to recruit their lamps. This
was truly foolish, for the time of his coming was not
fixed, and such feasts were often attended at a very late
hour. I may here remark, that the lamps were not such
as we use.— It was a lamp, or torch—what we would call
an outdoor, torchlight procession. When I was a boy,
we used to go fire fishing, for which we made a torch of
broken flax—a good bunch of which we wrapped tightly
around the end of a stick, and soaked it well with oil.
This made a good light and burned a "long time; but
when the oil was exhausted, our lamps went out and left
us in darkness. To provide against this, we carried a
vessel of oil to recruit them when we had need to do so,
that is, when we intended to stay out till a late hour. As
one of the Evangelists speaks of smoking flax, I am in*
clined to the opinion that it was a torch of this kind
that was carried by these virgins; if so, it is easy to un¬
derstand how important the vessel of oil was. During
the delay of the bridegroom, the virgins all fell asleep.
TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES.
151
While Jesus delays his coming, many generations of
both classes have fallen asleep in death, but he will come,
by and by, and awake them. It was at midnight that
the virgins were summoned to arise and meet him; and
those whose lamps were trimmed and burning, went
in to the marriage, but the others were shut out. He
next described them under the figure of servants, among
whom their lord distributed talents. Some improved
them ; one did not. Those who improved their talents,
represent the practical christian, who works out his own
salvation, while God works in him, both to will and to
do of his own good pleasure. The other represents
the fearful and unbelieving. He brought the talent back,
and told his lord that he knew him to be hard to please,
and that he was afraid. There are many of those who
tell us that they are afraid to make a start, lest the work
should be too hard for them, and they should not be able
to hold out. 0 wretched,shameful cowards! Is it manly
or womanly to be afraid to undertake what thousands
are accomplishing with apparent ease? The want of
courage and energy on this man's part consigned him to
endless weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth ; and
those, who, like him, are afraid to make an effort, in
hope for nothing better.
The final representation of the two classes of charac¬
ters, into which the world is divided, is that which closes
with the text. He draws a picture of the Judge of all,
seated upon a glorious throne, the nations of the earth
assembled before him, the separation line drawn, the
character of each declared, and the sentence pronounced.
At this point the righteous, astonished at the commenda-
152
TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES.
tion for good works, inquired when they were performed.
"Lord, when saw we thee a hungered, and fed thee? or
thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a
strapger, and took thee in? or naked and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto
thee?" He answered, " Verily, I say unto you, Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me." Even7 deed of
charity he acknowledges as work acceptable to him. On
the other hand, those who were condemed for the neglect of
charity, also asked, " Lord, when saw we thee a hungered,
or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison,
and did not minister unto thee?" He answered, "Verily,
I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the
least of these, ye did it not to me." To neglect the hum¬
blest mortal in his distress, affliction, or want; to disre¬
gard the poorest beggar at the gate ; to refuse relief to the
raggedest urchin in the street—is to slight the Saviour,
incur his displeasure, and risk his condemnation.
Then follows the text: "These shall go away into
eternal punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."
"These," who have no oil in their vessel, (grace in the
heart); he, who has not improved his talent, (has not
worked out his salvation by repentance, faith, and prac¬
tical godliness); and " these" who have neglected the
demands of charity, shall depart from the divine presence,
and abide in perpetual distance; shut out from the mar¬
riage supper of the Lamb, forsaken, abandoned, and cry¬
ing in yain for admission—shall be taken away from the
palace, and bound in prison, in outer darkness, where
there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth : they
TWO CHARACTEKS AND TWO DESTINIES. 153
shall be separated from the company of the blessed; feel
the infliction of divine wrath, and the punishment, pre¬
pared for the devil and his angels.
" Far on the left with horror stand,
And doomed to endless woe."
" But the righteous into life eternal." " The righteous."
Those who have the lamp of profession in full blaze—are
letting their light shine, have the oil of grace in their
hearts, go forth in the practice of every duty; are using
the talents which God has given them, embracing every
opportunity to do good, and waiting patiently on the
Lord, who in his own good time will reward them: such
shall have an eternal life, in fulness of joy, and pleasure
in God's glorious presence forever more. Such, in short,
are the two characters, and the two destinies, as set forth
in the text, and in the discourse of which the text is the
conclusion.
But the fact that there are two characters and two des
tinies is not alone supported by the passage before us,
but is also taught in many other portions of revealed
truth. In Proverbs it is written, "The righteous hath
hope in his death, but the hypocrite's hope shall perish."
In the midst of the wickedness, and consequent famine,
oppression and anarchy in Jerusalem, Isaiah delivered
this message: " Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be
well with him : for they shall eat the fruit of their do¬
ings. Woe unto the wicked : it shall be ill with him :
for the reward of his hands shall be given him." What
can be more reasonable, or just, than that a man should
enjoy the benefits of his own crop ? Here we are assured
7
154 TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES.
that if one produces righteousness, he shall enjoy it. If
wickedness, he can only expect a reward of wickedness,
the natural product of that state. Finally, the Apostle
Peter, in his first general epistle, propounds the solemn
interrogatory, " If the righteous scarcely be saved, where
shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" If those who make
it their business to serve God, that they may be accepted
of him ; and thus manifest their affection for, and confi¬
dence in him, and their obedience to his commands, and
declare themselves strangers and pilgrims here,, are
scarcely saved, what shall become of those who, so far
from making any effort to please God, are at enmity and
in rebellion against him, and treat his offer of mercy
with contempt? If his own dear, loving children are
scarcely saved, what shall become of those who hate him ?
Those who
" Set at naught and sold him,
Pierced and nailed him to the tree 21'
If, in the light of the foregoing passages of Scripture,
chosen as illustrations to enforce the theme under con¬
sideration, there is one mind that can doubt the truth
set forth, to-wit: that there are two distinct characters, as
widely different as light and darkness, and that in the
future they will occupy states and conditions as different
as are their characters, that mind is beyond the reach of
reason, and beyond the persuasive power of the Gospel.
But I have good hope that many are so far convinced,
that they will follow us prayerfully as we advance in the
further illustration of this important truth*
two characters and two destinies. 155
I. Let us consider a little more fully the two char¬
acters.
Whatever lines men may draw, whether social or sec¬
tarian ; however men may class themselves as to wealth,
lineage, or intellectual development, God regards them
only as belonging to one or the other of two classes.
Jesus says, "He that is not with me is against me." I
said to a young man once, " Are you on the Lord's side?"
He answered, " No." "Why?" I further asked, "what
has the Lord done to you that you are against him ?"
(( Oh," he said, " I am not against him." This man fan¬
cied he was occupying a middle ground, and was neutral,
but the declaration of Jesus is, that there is no middle
ground upon whioh a single mortal can stand; that the
line is sharply drawn, and that each occupies a position
on one side or the other, either for Christ or against him.
And there is another delusion which Jesus exposes in
the same passage, viz: the notion that you are doing
nothing. Some say, " Though I am not with you, I am
not doing anything against you." That is to say, I am
not at work on either side. The following words of Jesus
knock the props from under this position : " He that
gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad." Matt, xii, 30.-
This passage teaches most clearly that each and every
one is either with Christ or against him, and at work on
one side or the other. Each one is doing something in
the work of gathering to Christ, or scattering from him.
There is no neutral ground, and no idlers in this strug¬
gle between Christ and Beelzebub; all are engaged in
the-conflict, and each soldier has the mark of his sover*
eign, which fixes his character. Those who are with
156
TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES.
Christ are righteous, those who are against him are not.
Whatever they may think of themselves, or whatever we
may think of them, they are not righteous in the eye
of Jehovah, as is evident from revelation. And we can
know nothing of what is righteousness in the sight of God,
except by what he has revealed in his word. We may fix
up a righteousness in our own fancy, but it won't amount
to anything when we come to stand before God. The
Scribes and Pharisees had what they supposed to be a
very excellent righteousness. And it must'be admitted
that it was in many things highly commendable. They
fasted twice in a week, had eighty forms of prayer,
never entered a house without praying, prayed in the
streets and in the market places, paid tithes of all they
possessed, were strict in the observance of the written law
and the traditions of the elders; so strict were they that
there was a generally accepted adage, that if but two per¬
sons were saved, one would be a Scribe and the other a
Pharisee: and yet Jesus made, to the multitude upon
the mount, the astonishing announcement: "Except
your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the
Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the
kingdom of heaven." Bear in mind, it was not their
wickedness that he was finding fault with, but their right¬
eousness. It was not the hypocritical Scribes and Phari¬
sees lie was finding fault with on this occasion, but the
sincere ones. It was not their badness, but their good¬
ness, he was condemning: their goodness was not good
enough. We need not to look into the Bible to discover
that there are two separate, distinct, and widely different
characters in every community of this christian country,
TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES. 157
There are those who profess to have passed through a
spiritual change, or transformation, figuratively spoken of
as a new birth, by which they are enabled and obliged to
lead a new life. In consequence of this change, they claim
to enjoy peace with God, and to have a sure hope of a
blessed immortality. Then there are those who make
no such profession, and claim no such hope. The great
majority of those who make this profession, are members
of the christian church, in its various branches; while the
great majority of those who do not make this profession,
are not members of the christian church. There is very
great variety in both of these'characters. Among chris¬
tian professors there are some who are bold, fearless,
strong, active christians; full of good works, of self-sacri¬
fice, of love to God, and love to man : you have no room
for doubt that they are, at least, thoroughly in earnest,
think what you may of their wisdom or intellectual bal¬
ance. Then there are those whose faith is so weak, grace
so small, good works so few, and love so cold, that it
would require a microscope to discover any christian life
in them. Yet, if they really have any faith, any grace,
any genuine good works, any love to God and lo the souls
of men, they are on the Lord's side: however young, if
babes only in Christ, they are numbered with the right¬
eous, and are on their way to heaven : however weak,
sickly, or pun}7, if christians at all, they are on the Lord's
side, and are numbered with the righteous.
It is the transformation, the new birth, which changes
the nature and forms the christian character. It is the
grace of God, poured into the soul, through justifying
faith, which, working by love, purifies the heart, produces
158 TWO CHARACTEBS AND TWO DESTINIES.
r and becins the life of righteousness.
the trans orraa , through faith, and that not of
"By grace are ye savea, mi b > T .
yourselves, it is the gift 01 God. Ephes 8. It ,,
evangelical obedience, and practical godliness which
maintains and continues the reign of righteousness in
the soul. That there are persons who make such pro¬
fessions, and whose life and labors testify to their honesty,
no candid individual will deny. On the other hand
there are those who make no such profession : they
know nothing of the new birth, for the reason that
they have not been born again. An unborn child is
not expected to know anything of this world ; nor can
we expect a person not born of the Spirit to know
anything of the spiritual nature. They know nothing
of justification by faith, they doubt the reality of such a
thing. They know nothing of divine grace as a means
of justification, through faith, they have not tasted that
the Lord is gracious, and in their notions of the suffi'
ciency of human nature, they can feel no need of grace,
They know nothing of the Holy Spirit, or of his sancti*
fying influences: they have no faith in his operation.
They don't hunger and thirst after righteousness, and
therefore are not filled. The bread and water of life is
spurned; the invitation to the great feast of oxen and
fatlings is slighted, and the inviting messengers are put
off with vain excuses. The broad way and its many
travellers are preferred to the narrow way and the pil¬
grims journeying therein—who acknowledge themselves
strangers and sojourners, as their fathers were; and that
they can tarry but a night. They love the world su¬
premely : it is their portion, their trust, their hope, and
two characters and two destinies. 159
their all. Its wealth, its fashions, its titles, its honors,and
glory are their good things, in which they trust, and for
which they labor. That this class of characters exist is
evident, and that these two classes make up the human
family is equally evident, from our daily experience
with those around us.
To consider the character of the righteous a little
more definitely, we may remark,
1. That it is an imputed righteousness.
It is the righteousness of Christ, freely offered to all
who will accept it " in faith, believing on him who raised
up Jesus from the dead, who was delivered for our offences,
and raised again for our justification." Connected with
the imputation of Christ's righteousness, is the non-im¬
putation of our own iniquity. When Christ's righteous¬
ness is imputed to us, that which had been crooked in
our conduct is not imputod, what was amiss is not held
against us, we are treated as though there never had been
any wrong in us, but as obedient children, beloved of tho
Father. Also, in connection with imputed righteousness
is the forgiving of transgression, the putting away, cov¬
ering or hiding of sin, and the emptying the heart of all
its guile. To transgress is to pass over a boundary, to do
what is forbidden. All have transgressed, and hence all
need forgiveness. Hence, also, it is written, that by the
deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified, because in the
flesh the law has been violated. A citizen who has never
violated the law is entitled to all the rights of citizenship,
but so soon as he becomes a violator, his condition is
changed. Let us suppose that a man has lived in a com¬
munity for fifty years, as a most upright citizen, with
160
TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES.
not a stain upon his character; but at the end of
his fiftieth year, he breaks open a neighbor's house
and steals his goods; is not that man, in the eye of the
law, as much deserving of punishment as any other
criminal? Has he not spoilt the whole fabric of his fifty
years' righteousness? This is the meaning of the pas¬
sage which asserts that the man who misses the hundredth
only, is guilty of the whole. I think we would under¬
stand it better, if we should simply say, he is guilty, not¬
withstanding his former correctness. He has no power
to redeem himself; the law holds him for punishment.
If the penalty was death, " Even a great ransom could
not deliver him." Such was the condition of human na¬
ture; righteousness was lost, through disobedience; man¬
kind stood guilty before God, and justice cried for the in¬
fliction of the penalty, which was death—temporal, spir¬
itual, and eternal. It was when man was in this condi¬
tion, in his extremity, that mercy interposed, and God
cried, "Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have
found a ransom." I have found one who, by his right¬
eousness, hath the right and power to redeem, and to
proclaim righteousness in the great congregation, for the
law of his God is in his heart. lie also hid, covered,
or put away siD out of sight. We have no power to put
away sin, we must not attempt to hide our sins, and yet
they must be hid. This fact was set forth in the type of
the scape-goat, over whose head the priest confessed the
sins of the people, after which it was led away to a land
not inhabited. To put away our sins, and to bring in
an everlasting righteousness, Christ, the antitype, ap¬
peared. Upon him God laid "the iniquity of us all,"
TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES. 161
and through him the multitude of believers have escaped
the consequences of sin, and have been made righteous.
With the heavy load of human guilt upon him,lie was led
away to Calvary, a land not inhabited by the living—to
" Golgotha, the place of a skull." Accepting the pardon
offered in his blood, our sins are no more remembered
against us; and, so long as the divine injunction, " Look
not behind thee," is obeyed, they will no more trouble
us. The Holy Spirit removes the guile from the soul,
bears testimony to the new creation formed within, and
gives to the believer a realization of the blessedness
spoken of by the Psalmist: "Blessed is he whose trans¬
gression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the
man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in
whose spirit there is no guile." Psa. xxxii, 1, 2.
2. It is the righteousness of faith.
" Not of works, lest any man should boast." It is said
that Abraham believed God, and his faith was counted
unto him for righteousness. We quoted, a while ago, the
passage which represents grace as being received through
faith. In that passage faith is represented as the medium
through which grace is poured into the heart of the be¬
liever. We have sometimes illustrated the idea here pre¬
sented by the New York aqueduct. The people of that
city found themselves in want of sweet, fresh water. Now
there was an abundance of pure water in the Croton
river, which, however, was many miles distant from the
city. To overcome this difficulty an aqueduct was built,
through which the water is conveyed all that distance,
emptied into a great reservoir, and from thence conveyed
to all the houses in the city, through pipes prepared for
162 TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES.
the purpose. Now, it was pure water that they needed,
but they could not have had it without the aqueduct.
And no more can we have grace without faith. What if
there was an abundance of water in the Croton river? It
would not have benefited the people; without the aque¬
duct, its waters would have flowed on in their God-ap¬
pointed channel. And what if God's grace is abundant?
It cannot benefit us except it can reach us, and it can
only reach us through faith. If, therefore, we have no
faith, we can have no grace. Faith is a confidential re¬
liance upon the divine promises. The Apostle onty made
a common-sense statement, when he said, " Without faith
it is impossible to please God." No man is pleased with
you, when you disbelieve his solemn statements. I do
not suppose you could vex a man more, in any way, than
by showing that you did not believe a word that he said,
especially if he was deeply in earnest, and regarded his
message as important. How then can God, who can
neither trifle nor lie, feel toward one who will not believe
him? Faith is what God demands, and when he sees it
in us. he imputes it unto us for righteousness.
Finally, the righteousness which is accepted of God is com¬
plete. It must enter into every fiber of our nature, and
run through the warp and woof of our lives. The Apos¬
tle speaks of this completed character as a soldier, stand¬
ing, clothed in his full armor; with salvation for his head¬
piece, righteousness his breastplate, his loins girded
with truth, his hand grasping the sword of the Spirit, his
feet shod with the Gospel; and the great shield of faith
completely covering him, and protecting him from the
poisoned arrows of the <3evil, It was in this complete
TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES.
163
armor that the poet represents the pilgrim standing when
Satan met him. He was just from the armor-house, too,
and every piece was shining brightly. Satan eyed him
for a while, and finally thus addressed him:
'1 Good morning, brother Pilgrim:
Pray tell to me your name ?
And whence it is you are travelling to,
Likewise from whence you came ?
Pray, what is that upon your head,
Which shines so clear and bright?
Likewise the covering on your breast,
Which dazzle so my sight?
What kind of shoes are those you wear,
On which you boldly stand?
Likewise that flaming instrument,
You hold in your right hand ?"
To which the undaunted pilgrim responded:
'' My name! It is bold pilgrim,
To Canaan I am,bound,
I'm from the howling wilderness,
And the enchanted ground.
With glorious hope upon my head,
And on my breast a shield,
With bright sword I mean to fight
Until I win the field.
My feet are shod with gospel grace,
On which I boldly stand ;
I mean to fight until I die,
And gain fair Canaan's land."
In conclusion, let us spend a few further thoughts Upon
the concluding words of the text, "The righteous into
life eternal." The love of life is deeply seated in human
nature, indeed in all animate nature. All things love
164
TWO CHARACTERS AND TWO DESTINIES.
life, and cling to it. This feeling, no doubt, is divine in
its origin ; it is of the hand planting of Deity. Bat love
this life as we may, we cannot keep it.
'' Our wasting lives grow shorter still,
As days and months increase,
And every beating pulse we tell,
Leaves but the number less."
The withering grass, the falling leaf, the fading flower,
all testify that our days on earth are but a shadow, and
there is none abiding. To the lovers of this world, this
is a gloom-producing truth. Thousands of young people
refuse to permit their thoughts to stoop, linger, and con*
verse with death. With what rapture such persons
would receive the assurance that they should never get
old, and never die. Such an assurance cannot be given
to mortals here; the experience of all ages is against it.
But the righteous have a far better assurance. It is this,
that mortality shall be swallowed up of life, that when this
earthly house of our tabernacle is dissolved, we shall have
a building of God, an house not made with hands; that
this corruptible state shall end, and that a state of incor-
ruption, of immortality, of eternal life, shall succeed it—a
life of undisturbed peace, of uninterrupted enjoyment, of
unclouded and unending day, of unmixed blessedness, of
endless delights.
Give joy, come grief, give ease or pain,
Take life or friends away,
But we shall find them all again
In that eternal day.
Man disinclined To turn to his maker. 165
SERMON XII.
MAN'S NATURAL DISINCLINATION TO TURN IN
HIS DISTRESS TO HIS MAKER.
" By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the op¬
pressed to cry : they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.
But none saith, Where is Grod my maker, who giveth songs in the
iiiglit ; who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and
maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven ?" Job xxxv, 9—11,
I know of no histor}7 more replefee with sublime sen¬
tences than this truly wonderful book contains. Sotran-
scendently wondrous are the scenes which are brought
to view in rapid succession, that many have been inclined
to set the whole book down as an allegory. I think there
is no necessity for such a conclusion: fact is stronger
than fiction, and what the human mind is capable of
imagining, God is much more than capable of bringing
to pass.
There are several interesting characters brought to view
in this book, but none more so, I think, than Elihu, the
speaker of the text. He is the last actor brought upon
the stage: he does not close the scene, but he plays his
part among the closing exercises. He seems to be a puz¬
zle to many learned commentators. Who was he? is the
question upon which much thought has been spent. A
very sensible writer remarks: " He was the son of Baraehel
166 MAN DISINCLINED TO TURN TO HIS MAKEIi.
the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram. Neither Scripture
nor histor}T tells us more respecting him, and to push our
inquiry further, is timply a waste of time to no purpose."
All beyond this is mere conjecture. He appears to have
been a man of fine talents, and of great candor. He was
much younger than either Job or his three friends. Ac¬
cording to the custom of that age, his youthfulness kept
him from taking any part in the controversy, until his
seniors had, by their silence, indicated that they had ex¬
hausted their store of arguments, and had nothing fur¬
ther to say. The silent attention he had given to their
discourses was of much benefit to him, and gave him de¬
cided advantages, as he was thereby enabled to discern
the weak points on both sides, and to profit by the strong
ones. Notwithstanding he was younger than they, he
was prepared to rebuke them all. This he did, however,
in a fair and most respectful manner.
It is remarkable that, though God rebuked Job for his
rashness of speech, and declared that his wrath was kin¬
dled against his three friends, yet (unless his first remark,
" Who is this that darkeneth counsel with words without
knowledge?" can be so considered,) he does not utter a
word of rebuke to Elihu. The words of the Almighty
seem to be addressed to Job, and not to Elihu. Then
the Lord answered Job."
I have long held to the opinion that Elihu was the
writefof this truly interesting history ; and notwithstand¬
ing the many arguments that I have read to the con¬
trary, and especially the plausable and forcible arguments
of Mr. Barnes in his introduction to the book of Job, yet
I have not given up my opinion. Like others, mine is
MAN DISINCLINED TO TUHN TO HIS MAKER. 167
only an opinion, and one that the limits of a sermon is
too short to discuss, yet I think it a well founded opin¬
ion. He certainly had all the advantages necessary to
the performance of the work. He was a silent listener
to, and I think the recorder of, the discourses of Job and
his three friends. He was, no doubt, acquainted with
both the former and latter history of Job's life. Seven¬
teen discourses had been prepared and delivered in his
hearing, during which time he said nothing and did noth¬
ing, unless, as I suppose, he was taking notes, or record¬
ing the discourses. Mr. Barnes doubts Elihu's ability,
and remarks that in the discussion he advances but one
idea. That is true ; but that idea was nearer to the point
than any other that had been advanced: it was an idea that
nearly solved the question at issue. But I would call the
attention of the learned to Job xxxii, 15—17. To whom
was Elihu speaking, when he said, " They were amazed,"
&c? verse 15. Certainly not to Job or his three friends.
Hardly to by-standers, I should think, for they would not
need thus to be informed. To whom, then, if not to those
who should read the book or history he was writing?
To whom was he speaking, when he said, " When I had
waited, (for they spoke not, but stood still, and answered
no more,) I said, I will answer also my part; I also will
shew you mine opinion "? Twenty years ago I first care¬
fully observed these verses, and I thought I had found
the author of the book of Job ; and I have seen nothing
since to change my opinion.
In the chapter in which our text is found, Elihu criti¬
cises Job's rashness of speech: " Thinkest thou this to
be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than
168 man disinclined to turn to his maker.
God's?" Verse 2. Job had not said this in so many
words, but his expression was capable of this construc¬
tion. He ha3 insisted upon his own righteousness, and
yet charged God with multiplying his wounds without
cause. Chapter x, 17. Thus it would be inferred that
he was more righteous than God. Indeed, God himself
intimates the same complaint: " Wilt thou disannul my
judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest
be righteous?" Chapter xl, 8.
Under severe trials, we need to be especially careful
not to so express ourselves as to appear to impeach the
goodness of God. Elihu reminds Job of the infinite dis¬
tance between God and himself, and that neither his
righteousness nor his wickedness could affect the Al¬
mighty: his conduct might benefit or injure mortal be¬
ings, but not the Great Immortal. Then follows the text,
in which it is declared that the great reason why men do
not find consolation under affliction, is because they do
not apply to the right source. If Elihu meant to apply
this to Job's case, he was certainly wide of the mark ; yet,
applied to mankind in general, his declaration is entirely
correct. " They cry out by reason of the arm of the
mighty." They cry, but not to the Lord. " None sayeth,
Where is God my maker?" God alone can give relief to
those in trouble, but men will not apply to him. In him
is light, elsewhere is darkness; in him is life, without
him is death. In him is joy and peace, out of him is
endless woe. God says, "0 Israel, thou hast destroyed
thyself; but in me is thine help." Yet, men go to dream-
books, fortun-tellers, and everywhere else, rather than to
MAN DISINCLINED TO TURN TO HIS MAKER. 169
the only source of consolation. " None sayeth, Where is
God ray maker, who giveth songs in the night?"
T. Notice THAT MORTAL BEINGS ARE SUBJECT TO SEA¬
SONS OF DARKNESS.
" Nights," seasons of distress, sorrow, wretchedness and'
woe. These are common to humanity: few are exempt
from distress of some kind.
1. They arise often from the oppression of the mighty.
Those who are in power, or those who are so situa¬
ted that they can oppress or afflict others. " The arm of
the mighty." Those who are strong or mighty, and who
are thus able to oppress such as they choose to render
the victims of their malice or covetousness. The dispo¬
sition in man to oppress his fellowman seems to be of
long standing, and deep-seated. Cain appears upon his¬
tory's page as the progenitor of the long line of oppres¬
sors, and Abel as the first victim of persecution unto
death. Since their time, the lines of the oppressed and
the oppressor have run parallel. On the one side, the
head, heart, and hands have been engaged in the inven¬
tion and employment of means of oppression. On the
other side, the head is dizzy with pain, the heart with
anguish wrung, and bleeding at every pore; and the
hands with fetters torn.
Of the seasons of darkness and distress through which
mortal beings have been called to pass, the history of
Joseph forms a most striking illustration. What a night
that ancient servant of God was caused to pass through !
How long and dark! Torn away from a happy home,
deprived of a loving father's affectionate care, sold into
bondage in a strange land, falsely accused of a most hein-
170 MAN DISINCLINED TO TURN TO HIS MAKER.
ous crime, and finally lodged in prison with no prospect
but an ignominious death; and all this by reason of the
arm of the mighty. He was the victim of the oppressor's
scorn and hate.
The history of Israel in Egypt, in Babylon, and else¬
where in captivity; indeed, the history of the world, on
almost every page, is full of illustrations of the text. This
world from its infancy has presented a vast " Valley of
Baca," in which the tears of the oppressed have been
poured out in streams. Look at Micaiah imprisoned in
the days of Ahab, Jeremiah in the pit, Daniel in the lion's
den, Paul and Silas in Phillippi's prison, Peter, and many
others, suffering martyrdom,and you behold a most mel¬
ancholy picture of the victims of oppression and the arm
of the mighty.
2. Then there are nights, or seasons of darkness, which
come upon men from notural causes.
There are seasons of disease, sickness,and bereavement,
which are common to man, from which fetv are exempt.
"Peter's wife's mother lay sick of a fever;" the centu¬
rion's servant is sick; the daughter of Jairus is dying; at
Bethesda a multitude of sick people are assembled; the
widow of Nain follows her son to the tomb, and Lazarus
has " lain in the grave four days already." But why
need we select instances from Holy Writ? Where is
there a family that disease has passed by? Who has
not lost a friend ? And there are few who have never
been sick.
3. Then there are nights of strange providences.
There are unaccountable afflictions through which
many are called to pass. Such were the afflictions of
man disinclined to turn to his maker. 171
Job: these followed one another in rapid succession.
The sound of the voice of one messenger had hardly
ceased to fill the ears of Job, when the feet of the second
were heard, and a third, and a fourth came, eaoh bring¬
ing a more heart-rending message than the former—the
last bringing the doleful tidings of the terrible death of
all his children. But his distress did not end here: he
was afflicted in his own person with a most loathsome
disease; his wife, instead of trying to comfort him,.gave
him the most wicked counsel—" Curse God and die;" and
to fill his cup of bitterness to the brim, his confidential
friends became his accusers, and charged him with hy»
pocrisy. What a long and dark night was his I
We have seen persons strangely afflicted—one trouble
has followed another, until they have been brought to
the lowest depths of grief. Strange diseases, too, have
been the lot of some-—diseases that have baffled the skill
of the best physicians, who, for weeks, months, and even
years, have labored in vain to find their seat and effect
a cure. These seasons of darkness and distress extort a
cry from the afflicted.
XI. This brings us to consider the natural disincli¬
nation of mankind to turn to his maker in time of
distress.
" None sa3reth, Where is God my maker, who giveth
songs in the night?" The mind of man does not natur¬
ally turn to God. Without the aid of divine revelation,
he knows not God. The most enlightened mind knows
not God, except by supernatural agencies.
i. We notice that distressed human nature turns to selft and
172 man disinclined to turn to his maker.
that self-sufficiency and self-conceit aJte predominant feelings in
the human heart.
It is the nature of man to exhaiist all the resources in
himself before he turns to any other source. Men love
to boast of what they are, what they have done, and what
they can do. Listen at the boasting of the king of Baby¬
lon : "The king spake, and said, Is this not great Baby¬
lon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by
the might of my power, and for the honor of my maj¬
esty?" Daniel iv, 30. Now this haughty uplifting of self
keeps the soul from God, hence Christ declares the re¬
nunciation of selfishness to be essential to discipleship.
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself."
It is said of the proud Pharisee, that he stood by himself
and prayed, and thanked God for his own goodness:
" Lord, I thank thee that I am not as other men are."
He was so full of himself, that he forgot what he went
up to the temple for. Instead of praying for needed grace
and blessings, he occupied his devotional hour in telling
God how much better he was than his neighbors. The
result was he failed to obtain a blessing, for the very good
reason that he had not sought one. He had gotfen into
the habit of calling on the name of God like thousands
of others, who think not upon the sacred name they are
taking in vain, but self really ciowded the Lord out of
his mind.
2. Distressed human nature turns to its fellow.
When self fails him, man turns next to his fellowman.
Hence, we have the Magi, witches and wizzards of an¬
cient times, and the astrologers and fortune-tellers of
man disinclined to turn to his maker. 173
every grade of the present. In ancient times even mon-
archs consulted those who had familiar spirits; that is,
those who professed to talk with the dead. We well re¬
member what a hold spiritualism had upon many a few
years ago; and there are thousands now who depend
upon dream-books and fortune-tellers, for almost every¬
thing they want to know—especially, if they have afflic¬
tions that they cannot account for. They seek relief, but
not from the Lord, who invites us to bring our burdens
to him. The whole system of soothsaying grew out of
this inclination in man to turn to his fellowman, when
burdened with unaccountable distresses. The cunning
and crafty learned to practice upon and make money out
of the superstitions of the ignorant and credulous. What
a fearful hold these have upon the human mind; how
they keep the mind from God. Men have even turned
to devils. Isaiah tells of some who had made a league with
hell and a covenant with death. It thus appears that man
turns everywhere but to his Maker for solace in affliction.
This Elihu gives as the reason why relief is not found :
" None sayeth, Where is God my maker?"
III. Let us notice the attributes Elihu ascribes to
the Almighty, to whom men refuse to bring therr
burdens.
"God, my maker, who giveth songs in the night."
"God," the supreme Being, the infinite and eternal Spirit,
the Sovereign of the universe. " My maker.'; He that
formed me of the dust, breathed into my nostrils the
breath of life, and made me a living soul. The great
First Cause of all things, himself uncaused and eternal;
the Creator, who gave me an upright form and a reason-
174 MAN DISINCLINED TO TURN TO HIS MAKER.
able mind, and thus distinguished me from the rest of
the animal creation; making me, indeed, liable to sor¬
row, but capable of possessing and enjoying the endless
bliss of which He himself is the fountain.
1. Elihu refers to God as man's Malcer.
The Author of our being. This idea includes wisdom
and might, for I am "fearfully and wonderfully made."
It also supposes his pre-existence; he that created all
things that had a creation, must himself have bad an
eternal existence. He was before all things which had a
beginning, or was brought into being. He alone inhab-
iteth eternity, he is the Ancient of days. He existed in
himself and by himself, before time was, before the wheels
of nature were set in motion; before the north was
stretched out over the empty place, and the earth was
hung upon nothing; before the pillars of nature were
hewn out, or the corner stone of earth's foundation was
laid; before the Master's trestle-board received the impress
sion of creation's plan; before the blue canopy, decked
with shining orbs, was stretched out; before the void iru»
mense in astonishment awoke at the sound of Jehovah's
hammer, beating crude matter into form, or chaos felt
the pang that pierced her when light, creation's first
born, leaped from her womb ;
'' Before the liills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same,"
The mind staggers at the thought of attempting to
trace this eternal, unsearchable Being back through the
unsurveyed regions, into that eternity where he conceals
MAN DISINCLINED TO TURN TO HIS MAKER. 175
himself with curtains too thick for mortal thoughts to
pierce. We shall not attempt it. But we rejoice to be¬
hold his wisdom as displayed in his works. Job says,
"He is wise in heart"; Elihu says, " He is mighty in
wisdom"; and the Psalmist says, *'The heavens declare
his glory, the firmanent sheweth his liandywork."
But nowhere is his wisdom more fully displayed than
in the constitution of man. A minute description of the
human body alone would afford much more than enough
material for a sermon, to say nothing of the soul, which
constitutes the real man. Solomon, however, in the 12th
chapter of Ecclesiastes, gives an interesting synoptical
description of those parts of the human structure, which
most sensibly mark the approach of dissolution and decay
—careful attention to which will serve to illustrate the dis¬
play of divine wisdom in the formation of the human body.
"The keepers of the house"—the shoulders, arms, and
hands, the principal means of subsistence and protection.
" The strong men "—the back, thighs, and legs, in which
the main strength of the body consists. " The grinders"
—the teeth, which grind the food. " The lookers out of
the windows "—the eyes, the lids of which, like window-
shutters, are either open or closed. " The doors "—or lips
through which the food passes into the throat. '.'The
streets"—which lead to the stomach. "The daughters
of music "—the vocal organs, which are exercised iii mak¬
ing music. " The silver cord "—the spinal column which
goes down the backbone, having a white and silvery ap¬
pearance. " The golden bowl "—the brain, which has a
yellow and golden appearance, and formed in shape like
a bowl. "The fountain"—the right ventricle of the
176 MAN DISINCLINED TO TURN TO HIS MAKER.
heart, which is understood to be the spring or fountain
of life, " The pitcher "—the great vein which carries the
blood to the " fountain." "The cistern"—the left ven¬
tricle of the heart. " The wheel "—the great artery which
receives the blood from the "cistern," and distributes it
throughout the body, fitly called the " wheel," because it
is the grand circulating medium. When it ceases to per¬
form its wonted functions, the lamp of life goes out, and
the dust returns to the earth as it was. The study of this
fearfully and wonderfully wrought structure, in connec¬
tion with divine revelation, and under the influence of
the Holy Spirit, necessarily forms within the mind a de¬
sire to know more of him who formed it, and should pro¬
duce faith in, and reliance upon, him.
2. But to his benevolence are our thoughts especially directed.
" He giveth songs in the night." He is the God, or
source, of all consolatiou. He succors the distressed,
banishes fear, chases away the gloom of night, and gives
peace to the troubled breast. " He giveth songs." Freely,
without money and without price, it is his pleasure to
give. " In the night." In the season of darkness through
which many are called to pass, those who take their
troubles to him, will enjoy a full realization of this truth.
It is the experience of all who have carried their bur¬
dened souls to him, they have received songs, yea, songs
for joy. He gives songs when they can be obtained from
no other source. "When mother forsakes me, if ever,
then will God care for me." " Songs in the night." He
not only made me capable of enjoying happiness, but if
I will apply to him, when in distress ever so deep, or
however dark the season may be, he will not only relieve
MAN DISINCLINED TO TURN TO HIS MAKER. 177
me of my distress, but he will fill my soul with melody,
and put songs into my mouth. Or, as the Psalmist has
it, will "compass me with songs of deliverance."—will
give mo songs in the night. What can be more cheering
than the sound of a choir of sweet singers breaking upon
the ear at the midnight hour! There might have been,
fear and trembling, anguish and wretchedness of soul,
but the songs would dispel the gloom, and drive away
the fear. Such is the relief that God gives to those who
apply to him in their night of sin, ignorance, or calamity.
8
178 THE STREAMS WHICH GLADDEN GOD'S CITY.
SERMON XIII.
THE STREAMS WHICH GLADDEN GOD'S CITY.
'' There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city
of God." Psalms xlvi, 4.
In this Psalm, we have an expression of the confidence
which the church has in God. The Psalmist declares
what God is to the church : " God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble." Therefore, we
have no need to fear: no matter what changes or calami¬
ties there may be, we are safe. Though there should be
a removal of the earth, and carrying away of the moun¬
tains, by such a swelling of the waters as was seen at the
deluge, yet, the true people of God should still enjoy a situ¬
ation so highly favored, so completely encompassed by the
everlasting arms, that no evil could approach them.
While the inhabitants of the earth may be destroyed by
the unusual swelling of the waters, yet that river, which
supplies the inhabitants of God's city, shall flow on in its
usual peaceful way, unri-ppled and undisturbed. Though
all other waters may be agitated and swollen, until the
riversarelost in the general upheaval,yet there is one river
which is not agitated by the flood, its streams pour out
the wonted supply—not foaming with madness, nor an¬
gered by the storm, but clear and calm as usual. Ilence,
the streams which gladden god's city. 179
" Its streams make glad the city of God. Such, in short,
is the declaration of the text; the obvious meaning of
which is, that it matters not what troubles there be in
the world, the Church, the body of believers in Christ
Jesus, shall still enjoy abundant peace, consolation, joy,
and gladness.
I. We notice the city designated—"the city of God."
Not his invisible, celestial metropolis; not his holy
habitation on high, where he dwells in uncreated light,
and receives homage from the six-winged seraphs, which
continually surround his throne with anthems of praise;
but his visible city, the city of his saints on earth : the
Church, in its universal aspect, composed of all who have
repented, and truly believe. " The city of God, the holy
place of the tabernacle of the Most High." His earthly
abode, his terrestial residence. Every true believer is a
tabernacle of the Most High, in which he dwells, is hon¬
ored, loved and praised. " Know ye not," says the Apos¬
tle, " that ye are the temple of the living God, and that
his Spirit dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor. iii, 16. And again,
" What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the
Holy Ghost, which is in you?" 1 Cor. vi, 19. And again,
" For ye are the temple of the living God ; as God said, I
will dwell in them, and walk in them." Jesus pronounces
a blessing upon those servants who are found watching
when their Lord cometh, that openeth the door immedi¬
ately when he knocketh." Luke xii, 36, 37. To John
on Patmos, he said, " Behold, I stand at the door, and
knock : if any man hear my voice and open the door, I
will come in to him." Rev. iii, 20. These and other
passages represent the heart of the believer as the habi*
180 THE STREAMS WIIICII GLADDEN GOD's CITY?
tation of God; and the church, or association of believer?;
the balk, body, or collection of these divine dwellings, or
tabernacles, constitute the city of God, his earthly me¬
tropolis, the centre of his grandeur and glory—the
place where his light shines forth, and his perfections are
visibly displayed. The Church, then, is filly styled " the
city of God," because it is coin posed of divine habitations.
The Apostle speaks of christian believers as fellow citi¬
zens with the saints, fitly framed together, and built up
for a habitation of God. " Now, therefore, ye ai*e no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints, and of the household of God ; and are built upon
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief corner stone, in whom all the
building fitly framed together, groweth up into a holy
temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are built together
for a habitation of God through the Spirit." Ephesians
ii, 19—22. It may fitly be called the city of God," be'
cause he is the chief ruler. Paul tells us that he is the
chief Shepherd and Bishop of souls. John saw him with
a crown, and again with many crowns \ipon his head.
He introduced himself to Joshua as the "Captain of the
Jjord's host." Paul says, " He is the head of the body, of
the church, who is the beginning, the first born from the
dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence."
And again, " And hath put all things under his feet, and
gave him to be head over all things to the church." The
church also reflects and displays the divine glory : it is
a city whose light emanates from him: its inhabitants
walk in his light, and show forth his glory,
THE STREAMS WHICH GLADDEN GOD'S CITY. 181
II. Notice THE RIVER, MENTIONED—THE STREAMS OP
WHICH GLADDEN GOD'S CIT7.
By this we understand the Gospel dispensation. The
Gospel is called glad tidings, tidings which produce joy,
a message of reconciliation. " With joy shall ye draw
water from the wells of salvation." " I will pour water
upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry
ground." " Ho ! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters." " And let him that is athirst come. And who¬
soever will, let him take of the water of life freely." All
these beautiful passages, with many others like them,
evidently refer to the Gospel, and chime in with the
music to which the Psalmist's harp was tuned, when he
expressed the language of the text.
1. The Gospel, like a river, cleanses thoroughly all who are
subjected to its power, without losing any of its cleansing effi¬
cacy.
The flowing of a river keeps its waters pure; thousands
may wash, and yet a pure stream is flowing. Likewise,
the Gospel removes all impurity, and washes away all
pollution. Itfccleansing process is called the washing of
regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. It is
said that " Christ gave himself for the Church, that he
might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water
by the word ; that is, the Gospel word." The evangelical
prophet utters these soul-cheering words : " Though your
sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." The
Gospel cleanses thoroughly, and still retains its cleansing
power undiminished. Though millions of filthy mortals
have plunged into its crystal waters and been washed.
182 THE STREAMS WHICH GLADDEN GOD'S CITY.
yet those waters are clear, sweet, and pure as ever; and
when millions more have washed their stains away, its
waters still will be pure. Like the water of a river, the
Gospel removes the poison as well as the pollution of sin.
A most sure cure for the bite of a venomous reptile, is to.
stand in a flowing stream, and keep the wound open, and
the blood flowing freely. The poison will soon thus run
out, and be washed away. Sinners are bitten by that old
serpent, the devil; his deadly poison is infused into the
life-blood, and has affected the entire nature; but the
Gospel stream is all-healing, all-cleansing, all-invigora¬
ting, and also an all-sufficient antidote for the most fatal
virus from satan's fang.
2. Like a river, the Gospel is inexhaustible.
Its supply is abundant, its resources never-failing.
Springs go dry, the waters of a well are soon exhausted,
and small streams fail; but an army may drink from a
river without perceptibly diminishing its waters. Like¬
wise, the Gospel affords a supply sufficient for the human
race. It flows through every land, causing the wilder¬
ness and the solitary places of the earth to rejoice, the
parched ground to become a pool, and the desert to bud
and blossom as a rose.
il Its streams the whole creation reach,
So plenteous is the store :
Enough for all, enough for each,
Enough forever more."
3. Like a river, the Gospel is peaceful.
A river, in Scripture, is a symbol of peaee. " His peace
shall be as a river." Seas are ever in motion—" cannot
rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt"; but a river
THE STREAMS WHICH GLADDEN GOD'S CITY. 183
flows peacefully on. Likewise, the Gospel: it is called
the Gospel of peace. " Mow beautiful upon the moun¬
tains is the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that
publisheth peace." The Apostle quotes this beautiful
language of the evangelical prophet, and applies it to the
preachnig of the Gospel: " And how shall they preach
except they be sent, as it is written, How beautiful are
the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, that
bring glad tidings of good things." Romans x, 15. The
Gospel brings peace with God. God is angry with the
wicked, and the heart of the wicked is enmity against
God. The carnal mind is not in subjection to the will of
God, biit rebellious, striving, yea, fighting, against God.
Foolish as is this warfare, ruinous as its final results will
be to the sinner, yet it is continued, and would be con¬
tinued until the sinner was crushed by the hand of Om¬
nipotence, were it not that the Gospel brings peace. It re¬
moves the enmity, subdues the carnal mind, puts down
the rebellion, proclaims the Saviour's love, offers mercy,
brings about reconciliation, and makes peace—yea, " the
peace of God which passeth all understanding." The
rebel grounds the weapons of his rebellion, sits at the
feet of Jesus, and sings, " Oh Lord, I will praise thee, for
though thou wast angry with me, thine angry is turned
away, and thou comfortest me."
(1.) The Gospel brings peace of mind. It puts down the
war in the members. The sinner is not at peace with
himself. The conscience, the will, the judgment, and the
affections, are constantly at war. The Gospel makes the
conscience tender, breaks down the stubborn will, en-
htens the judgment, purifies the affections, and thus
184 THE STREAMS WHICH GLADDEN GOD S CITY.
establishes peace in the soul-a peace which the world
can neither give nor take away. It brought the raving
maniac to sit peaceful at the feet of Jesus.
(2 ) Finally, it brings peace among the brethren. It may
not bring them all to see alike in all things: however
desirable this may be, it is not at all essential to christian
harmony. There is harmony in music, composed of dif¬
ferent parts ; harmony in a rainbow, of different colors;
and harmony in an army, composed of different regi¬
ments, with different kinds of arms, and different modes
of warfare. Likewise, there may be peace and harmony
among christian men, differing from each other in many
things. The Gospel makes men respect the opinions of
good men who differ with them: it teaches them that
God made men to differ. It enforces peaceableness, and
proclaims a blessing upon the peacemaker, declaring such
to be the children of God. An angry broiler does not
adorn the doctrine of our profession, but peaceableness
bears excellent testimony to the professor's sincerity.
III. Notice THE PECULIAR CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS
RIVER.
"The streams whereof make glad the city of God." It
differs from all others in that, it has no tributaries, no
contributing branches. It flows from one source only—
it rises out of one fountain alone. Other rivers are made
up from different sources: springs, lakes and small
streams. Our beautiful Cape Fear is made up of many
waters; nearly a dozen smaller rivers empty their waters
into it. Not so with this river, the streams whereof
gladen the inhabitants of God's city: it borrows noth¬
ing, save from the one original source. It springs up
THE STREAMS WHICH GLA.DDEN GOD'S CITY. 185
from the exhaustible fountain of divine benevolence: it
is poured out of the bowels of God's infinite compassion ;
it flows from the fullness of redeeming love—the love of
God to man. The love of God is the only source of this
Gospel river. John, in Revelation, calls it the river of
life*and says he saw it proceeding out of the throne of
God, and the Lamb. This was not his judicial or great
white throne, from the presence of which the heavens
and earth shall flee away, and from the glorious radiance
of which sinners shall seek in vain for a hiding place;
nor was it that throne from which he displays his sov¬
ereign power, in superintending innumerable worlds;
but, his throne of grace ; hence th^ Lamb's connection
with it—" the throne of God and the Lamb." Out of
this throne of divine grace, pity, loving-kindness, and
tender mercy; this life-giving, this health-infusing, soul-
invigorating, heart-cheering river, gushes. " Its streams
make glad the city of God." While the Gospel river,
which rises in the love of God, has n<? tributaries, yet
there are streams running out from it. While it borrows
not, it lends; nay, more, it gives to a thirsty and perish¬
ing world streams of living waters, which overflow the
parched soil, causing the wilderness and the solitary
placus to rejoice, and the desert to blossom as a rose.
" Whose streams," &c. In countries where it seldom
rains, the land is sometimes watered by streams running
out from the river. Thus Egypt was watered from the
river Nile, and thus some of our cities are supplied with
water by outlets from rivers. I presume the idea in the
text is borrowed from the manner in which the land of
Egypt was watered, by streams from the river, or, possibly,
186 THE STREAMS WHICH GLADDEN GOD's CITY.
from the manner in which some city was supplied by
a stream from a river. There are many streams flow¬
ing out from the Gospel river," which make glad the
city of God." The Gospel is glad tidings. It is good,
wholesome, and soul-cheering news, a gladening message:
tidings which are productive of joy in the highest degree.
Takeaway the Gospel message from the church, and all is
dull and cheerless. It was the dawn of Gospel day—a ray
of Gospel light, dimly seen through the telescope of
prophecy, that cheered the believing patriarchs while on
their pilgrimage. Faithful Abraham saw it, and rejoiced;
and David, the sweetest singer of Israel's tribes, his harp
to sweetest note distune, and highest strain did raise—
but even he, of cunning, great beyond degree, had neither
word, nor tune, nor skill, to match the thrill of joy that
pierced his soul, as rising on the wings of faith, he saw
the gladdening stream of Gospel grace.
Idolatry, Mohammedanism, and infidelity are systems
dark and cheerless, because they have no wells of salva¬
tion, no living waters of grace, no river of life ; sending
out streams of loving kindness and tender mercy, to over¬
take the perishing, and relieve their thirsty souls with
draughts from an ever-flowing fountain. But this is the
glory of the Gospel; it gladdens; its streams make glad
the inhabitants of God's city. There are many streams
flowing out from th^Gospel river, which make glad the
city of God. We cannot enlarge upon them; the limit
of this hour's service forbids more than the mention of
a few, and a few hints upon the thoughts suggested.
1. There is a stream of divine illumination.
Of spiritual enlightenment, of heavenly influence, of
THE STREAMS WHICH GLADDEN GOD's CITY. 187
experimental knowledge, of God-blessed assurance of di¬
vine acceptance. " Ye shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free." All who accept in their hearts, in
faith believing the stream of Gospel truth which is poured
into their ears, have thesoul-cheering, thejoy-kindling, the
enrapturing assurance, that they are freed from sin,
are accepted in the Beloved—that they have passed
from death unto life, that they are new creatures, that
old things have passed away and all things become new.
The Spirit, which Jesus promised to send forth, testifies
within them, bearing witness with their spirits that they
are born of God. They know in whom they believe,
on what their hope rests, and have a foretaste of joys im¬
mortal.
" Rejoicing now in glorious hope,
Tliey stand, and from the mountain's top
See all the land below:
Rivers of milk and honey rise,
And all the fruits of paradise,
In endless plenty grow."
2. There is a stream of sanctifying influence.
The Gospel is a complete system of redemption; it is
the power of God unto full sanation. It is the divine ar¬
rangement for the salvation of, and restoration to man, of
all that was lost by the fall. Jesus prayed—"Sanctify them
through thy truth." Then there is the declaration, that
God wills our sanctification. If our will accords with his,
there is nothing to hinder our sanctification at any time.
The apostle tells us that Jesus suffered without the camp
to secure our sanctification by his blood. He also reminds
us, that if the blood of beasts put away the filth of the
188 THE STREAMS WHICH GLADDEN GOn's CITV.
flesh, much more shall the blood of Christ cleanse us from
all sin. The stream of sanctifying influence is destined
to sanctify, and make holy all who are subjected to its
power, and to bring them into that state of perfection,
in which they shall feel the fulness of divine love, and
be wholly freed from sin. This is God's will, and to this
end he pours out his Spirit, sends out a stream of sancti¬
fying influenoe, gives his all-sufficient grace—not by
measure, but in all its overflowing abundance. Hence,
we sing:
" Oh joyful sound of Gospel grace,
Christ shall in me appear,
I, even I, shall see his face:
I shall be holy here."
If we seek holiness of heart, we shall obtain it, and he
that is holy must be happy.
3. There is a stream of joyful consolation.
The author of the Gcspel is called the God of all con*
solation. And the consolations which stream forth from
the Gospel are numerous, rich and cheering. The world
through which the believer journeys is a wilderness, of
dark nights and clouds, and gloomy fea.s—but the Gos¬
pel is full of consolation^ Listen to the voice of Jesus:
"Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom."
Paul reckons that the sufferings of the present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall
be revealed in us. There is one expression which, it
seems to me, should quiet all our fears. It is this: "All
things work together for good to them that love God."
It matters not, then, what trials, what afflictions, what
THE STREAMS WHICH GLADDEN GOD'S CITY. 189
disappointments, what losses, what pain, what suffering,
toil, labor, sorrow, persecution or distress we may have to
endure; it is all a part of the divine arrangement, on our
behalf, and to result in our eternal good—our highest
well-being.
'' God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform:
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Deep, in unfathoruless mines,
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will;
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take—■
The cloulds you so much dread,
Are big with mercies and shall break
In blessings on your head,*'
190
felicity of the resurrected saints.
SERMON XIV.
THE PERFECT FELICITY OF THE RESUR¬
RECTED SAINTS, A RESULT OF CONFORMITY
TO THE DIVINE LIKENESS.
"As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness : I shall be
satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." Psa. svii, 15.
There is nothing more evident than the fact, that this
World does not afford an adequate supply of bliss to nreet
the cravings of the human mind. The eye is not satis¬
fied with seeing,nor the ear with hearing; neither is the
heart filled with joy. Solomon was wise above all that
\vere before him: he piled up gold, until it lost its en¬
chantment and became a burden. He feasted upon good
things, until his soul loathed the honey-comb. He drank
from earth's fountain of bliss, until it became insipid and
nauseating. He inhaled the fragrance of flowers and
feasted his e}res with their beauties, until their ver}7, love¬
liness was a burden to his soul. He plunged into sensual
indulgences, until nature revolted against itself. And
yet, when he could take in no more of earth's bliss, he
was not satisfied. He wrote upon it all, " Vanity of van*
ities, all is vanity."
The soul that can be filled with earthly good, must be
miserably small. Good men of all ages have realized
FELICITY OP THE RESURRECTED SAINTS. 191
that earth affords not a perfect satisfying portion for the
soul.
'' This World can never give
The bliss for which we Sigh.'*
The Psalmist fully realized this, and living in an at-*
mosphere nearly akin to that purer state, his soul thrilled
with rapture at the thought of perfect satisfaction in the
glorified state. " I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with
thy likeness." In the verses which precede the text, the
Psalmist prays for deliverance from his enemies, whom
he calls the sword of the Lord. God frequently employs
the wicked to punish his people for their sins; hence
this language, " Deliver my soul from the wicked, which
is thy sword." He characterizes them as men of the
world—men whose hearts are set upon the world, whose
thoughts are occupied with its vanities, whose time is
spent in the pursuit of them, and who, though merely
passengers through 9, world that is swiftly passing away,
are content to enjoy its beggarly portion, and seize upon
its wealth, honors and pleasures, as the best objects of
human aspiration. He had previously referred to his-
own integrity in verse 3, " Thou hast proved mine heart/
Thou knowest exactly what manner of man I am, fotf
thou hast searched and discovered the secrets of my soul.
By temptations, afflictions and vexations, thou hast tested
my sincerity. " Thou hast visited me in the night,"
when no other eye could pierce the darkness—when others
slept. In the season when wicked men do their dark
deeds, thou hast watched and found 110 wickedness in
me. And having passed the ordeal of divine scrutiny
102
FELICITY OP THE RESURRECTED SAINTS.
and not found wanting, I am determined that my future
life shall be pure. " I am purposed that my mouth shall
not transgress." However much I may be persecuted, I
will keep a strict watch over all my words and actions.
" I will keep my tongue from evil, and my lips from
speaking guile." And while the wicked are before me,
vexing and tempting me to sin, "I will keep my mouth
as with a bridle." After thus expressing his assurance
of the perfect work of God in his soul, he, in the language
of the text, expresses the hope naturally arising there¬
from : " As for me, I will behold thy face in righteous¬
ness : I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy like¬
ness." I do not envy the wicked their portion, nor men
of the world the felicity they may hope to reap there¬
from. They may, if they will, cleave to these fleeting
vanities; but as for me, my hopes are bent in a very dif¬
ferent direction. My hopes centre in the felicity I ex¬
pect to enjoy in the glorified state, when in my resurrected
body I shall appear in the likeness of my Redeemer.
Temporal things are not my portion; the vanities of
earth cannot fill the desire of my soul: I have laid hold
upon the hope set before me, of joys which are immortal
and eternal; and to these I shall cleave.
"As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness."
I will labor to maintain that imputed righteousness which
will qualify me to see thy face. " Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God." The wicked, if they will,
may labor for the meat that perisheth ; but I will labor
to maintain that purity and meetness in which I shall
behold thy face, and appear in thy likeness.
felicity of the resurrected saints. 103
Our Iheme is the perfect satisfaction of the saints
in t1ie glorified static.
And we may remark, that perfect satisfaction can only
be enjoyed as the sequence of perfect conformity to the
divine likeness. We shall not be satisfied until all that
was lost in the fall is restored, and all will not be restored
until we awake with God's likeness 011 the resurrection
morning. Hence, our happiness will be complete then,
and then only.
I. We observe that God's work in us is designed to
restore us to the divine likeness. and to raise us to
the enjoyment of all the happiness of the glorified
state.
This was man's original state. "And God said, Let 11s
make man in our own image, after our likeness." The di¬
vine likeness shone forth in every faculty of man's original
nature. Like his Maker, he was holy, and consequently
happy. He was God's vicegerent, his visible representa¬
tive, the visible head of his creation, and monarch of all
below the skies. Si« robbed man of his purity, defaced
the divine image, stripped liim of his glory, tore the
crown from his head, sowed the seeds of disease in his
nature, and exposed him to death and decay; yea, to
eternal death. Now the design of the work of grace in
us is to restore all of that, of which sin has robbed us,
namely, holiness, happiness, and eternal life.
1. For this, was the Son of God, sent into the world.
That, " As we have borne the image of the earthy, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly." This was God's
eternal purpose. Knowing from all eternity, even before
man was created, that he would fall, he arranged in the
194: FELICITY OF THE RESURRECTED SAINTS.
counsel of his grace for his deliverance and restoration.
So wrote the great Apostle of the Gentiles : " For whom
he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son." Romans viii, 28. It was God's
■eternal's purpose, appointment, determination, will and
pleasure, that all those, whom he knew would truly re¬
pent and believe, should be conformed to the likeness of
his Son, should bear his image and be like Christ, viz.,
u holy, harmless, and separate from sinners "—that we
should have the mind that was in him, and walk as he
walked.
2. To this work, of bringing us to a conformity to the divine
likeness, is the Iloly Spirit appointed.
He will not only teach us all things, and guide us into
all truth, but will make us every whit whole. The influ¬
ence of the Holy Spirit, operating upon us, leads us to
holiness. Jesus says, " It is the Spirit that quickeneth."
We are raised from the death of sin to a life of holiness
by the power of the Holy Spirit, which quickens our dead
nature, and testifies within us that v^e are born again.
The Apostle Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit as the grand
agent in bringing about this change in our nature. "But
we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of
the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory
to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Cor. iii,
18. Here we are represented as "beholding" the divine
"glory," and being "changed into the same image." But
the Spirit of the Lord is the efficient agent by which this
wonderful change is effected. The Spirit is He who has
prepared the glasses, through which we behold the glory
of the Lord. The Gospel is one of those glasses, and this
felicity of the resurrected saints. 105
was written by the Spirit's inspiration. The human na¬
ture of Christ is another glass, and this the Spirit formed
in the womb of the blessed virgin. The Spirit tears the
vail away from our eyes, opens our understanding, trans¬
forms our nature by his renewing and sanctifying power,
and thereby fixes upon us the divine likeness.
II. But we notice that perfect conformity to the
divine likeness is not attainable in this life.
And here we must distinguish between things that
differ. Christian perfection is one thing, but the perfect
conformity of the resurrected saint, in the glorified state,
to the divine likeness, is another, and a very different
thing; yet, if we attain to the former, and live and die in
it, we are sure of the latter. Christian perfection is a
characteristic of the saint on earth; but perfect conform¬
ity to the divine likeness is a characteristic of the saint
in glory. The sanctified state is a degree of that con-
formity, but not that perfect fullness of it that we shall
possess in our resurrected bodies—when we shall awake
with the divine likenws.
Perfection under the Mosaic dispensation fell far short
of that under the Christian dispensation, for Jesus tells
us that John the Baptist, who was the' greatest of the
prophets, was less than the least in his kingdom. Likewise,
christian perfection falls short of the state of the glorified
saints.- Christian perfection is an attainment belonging
to this state. The perfect likeness and consequent hap¬
piness contemplated in the text belongs to the future
state.
There is, however, a degree of conformity to the divine
likeness attainable here; and to. possess, and live in this
196 FELICITY OF THE RESURRECTED SAINTS.
state was the fixed purpose of the Psalmist, as declared in
the text. " As for me, I will behold thy face in righteous¬
ness." I am resolved to possess and maintain that right¬
eousness, in which I shall behold thy face. This righteous¬
ness no man possesses by nature, nor is it acquired by edu¬
cation : men are not trained into it. It is called the right¬
eousness of Christ, and we receive it from him as an un¬
speakable gift; also the righteousness of faith, and is re¬
ceived through faith —" not of works, less any man should
boast." Ii ts experimental: he that possesses it, knows it.
He is not left to guess that he is righteous, but he has the
God-blessed assurance of it. He knows the time when*
and the place where, " his dungeon shook, and his chains
fell." He knows when he was relieved of his burden,
when the load was removed from his back, and his soul
went skipping up Zion's hill. He knows when the night
of sin ended, when the darkness gave way, when the
morning star arose, and the light of day broke into his
soul. The change from darkness to light is so great that
all who really pass through the transformation, are sen¬
sible of it. All will not have exactly the same kind or
same degree of emotion. The emotions may be as great
in variety as the number of the redeemed. With some,
the change may be sudden and violent, and accompanied
with much distress. Some may be so powerfully wrought
upon, as to imagine that they had a bodily sensation.
Paul had the impression of a voice, and a light shining
round him. With some, the experience is less vivid :
their winter passes out so mildl}' and the spring comes in
so gently, that they need to consult their spiritual chart,
or calendar, to tell just when the change did take place.
FELICITY OF THE RESURRECTED SAINTS.
197
While the experiences through which believers pass, in
being made righteous, differ, yet in some things there is
an agreement. Each one can sa)T, " whereas I was blind,
now I see." I know that which no man could teach me,
which the unregenerate mind has never grasped, and can¬
not; "For except a man be bjrn again, he cannot See
kingdom of God." He that is made righteous is sensi¬
ble of the relief from the burden of sin, and can testify
that he has peace with God. All who are made right¬
eous also feel their relationship to the Father, for into the
hearts of the sons of God he sends the Spirit of his Son,
which cries, " Abba Father."
But righteousness is practical as well as experimental,
and capable of being demonstrated. There is an out¬
ward as well as an inward righteousness; a righteousness
in the life, conduct and conversation, as well as in the
heart of the believer. That in the heart is the vine or
branch; that in the life is its fruit. If the branch is
righteous, it will bear the fruit of righteousness, nor can
it retain its relation to the vine in a fruitless state. For
Jesus says; " Every branch in me that beareth notfruit he
taketh away." Our righteousness must conform to the
pattern given. It must be Christ's righteousness, work¬
ing in, running through, and governing all our thoughts,
words, and actions. To be like him in the resurrection,
we must be like him in the regeneration. The trans¬
formation effected in the regeneration is the prelude to
the transformation effected by the resurrection. We
need the resurrection from the death of sin to a life of
righteousness, to have a sure hope of a future resurrec-
198
FELICITY OF THE RESURRECTED SAINTS.
tion; and the fruit of righteousness is the best and only
sure evidence of a regenerate nature.
1. We must have all the characteristics of Christ's humanity.
Be like him as a man, follow his steps, walk in his
ways—in a word, our life and conduct must be like his.
Ii*e was distinguished for meekness and humility, and
he said : " Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for
I am meek and lowly in heart." And again : " Tell ye the
daughter of Sion, behold, thy King cometh unto thee,
meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of ail
ass." As an example of humility, he washed his disci¬
ples' feet. And the Apostle tells us that he humbled him¬
self, that he made himself of no reputation, and took the
form of a servant, notwithstanding his equality with the
Father. The Apostle, therefore, urges lowliness and hu¬
mility of mind. He was distinguished for great self-
denial. He demands this of us, and lays it down as the
basis of acceptable discipleship. Our conformity must
include filial obedience—a loving, cheerful obedience;
an obedience which is the fruit of a right state of heart.
Jesus is represented as saying, to the Father, " I delight
to do thy will;" and again, " Not as I will, but as thou
wilt." To his parents, who had sought him for three
days, and who complained of the trouble and anxiety
he had caused them by his absence, he said : " Wist ye
not that I must be about my Father's business?" Thus,
must we render unto God a hearty and cheerful obedience
in all things.
2. We can possess some of the characteristics of his divine
mature.
We can be just, in such degree as we have light. The
FELICITY OP THE RESURRECTED SAINTS. 199
good man walks in the light of the knowledge he pos¬
sesses. He deals justly, just in proportion as his mind
is enlightened. A good man may mean well, and yet do
a great injury to one whom he desires to serve, because
he lacks an enlightened judgment. In order that a
judge may dispense exact justice in every case that comes
before him, he must know the merits of every case. Yet
he has done his duty, when, after giving due attention to
the case, he decides it according to his honest convictions*
Still persons mightgo from the bar of a judge, who was per¬
fectly honest, unjustly condemned, on account of the want
of better knowledge on the part of the judge. God can
dispense perfect justice, because he has perfect knowl¬
edge. Human justice, though not exactly equitable,
if the intention is pure, and every possible means to
obtain information has been exhausted, is perfect. This
is christian perfection in judgmeut. But if the light
that is in you be darkness, you must stumble; that is, if
your judgment be at fault, you are likely to err, no mat¬
ter how good your intention. The intention, however, is
what God regards: if that is pure and holy, we are ac¬
cepted of him. To this extent, we can possess the like¬
ness ot divine justice here.
We can also be holy here, and must, ' for without ho¬
liness, no man shall see the Lord." None but the pure in
heart have the promise that they shall see liim ; and,
therefore, to have a well-grounded hope of this unspeak¬
able privilege, we must purify ourselves, as he is pure.
Our affections must be pure, our thoughts pure, our
words and actions pure.
200 FELICITY OF THE RESURRECTED SAINTS.
Finally, we must have divine love.
Human love extends to its own, and to them only.
" If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?"
The love that God commends, takes in those that hate
us. " Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you, that ye may be
the children of your Father which is in heaven." This
is divine love: he that has it, has this feature of the di¬
vine likeness. The great commandments are, " Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all 'thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with
all thy strength. This is the first commandment, and
the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neigh¬
bor as thyself." " Love is the fulfilling of the law, and
perfect love castetli out fear." He that loves God with
all his heart, will serve him with all his might. He
that loves his neighbor as himself, will treat his neigh¬
bor as he wTould wish his neighbor to treat him. He that
keeps these two commandments is a perfect christian—is
perfect, so far as perfection can be obtained here. , What
a happy world this will be, when all humanity comes up
to this standard of perfection. For this all true christians
are praying daily, "Thy kingdom come, tin7 will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven." This pra}rer will event¬
ually be answered, for at the sounding of the seventh
angel, there were heard great voices in heaven saying,
" The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms
of our Lord and his Christ." But even this state of things
on earth would not give entire satisfaction. I repeat,
"Tliis world can never give
The bliss for which wo siyli."
FELICITY OF THE RESURRECTED SAINTS.
201
No matter what our condition here, either temporal or
spiritual; 110 matter what temporal wealth, social stand¬
ing, or official honors we may enjoy; no matter what
attainments of grace or spiritual rapture we may reach,
we shall still be affected with the impression that this is
notour home. We shall still feel that,
"Beyond this vale of tears
There is a life above;
Unmeasured by the flight of years,
And all that life is love."
For this happy state the christian sighs. He longs to
put off mortality, and be swallowed up of life. To this
gratifying state of perfect felicity the text directs our
thoughts.
III. Notice, THE RESURRECTED SAINTS IN THEIR GLORI¬
FIED BODIES, WILL BE COMPLETELY CONFORMED TO THE
DIVINE LIKENESS, AND WILL THEREFORE BE ENTIRELY SAT¬
ISFIED, OR HAPPY.
" I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."
All our desires will then be met, all our expectations
more than realized, and every aspiration of the soul en¬
tirely satisfied.
"Of all my heart's desire
Triumphantly possess'd;
Lodged in the ministerial choir,
In my Redeemer's breast."
In what state the saints shall be, from their departure
from time till the resurrection day, is not part of our
present inquiry. There are different opinions advanced
by the learned, which we have not time now to consider.
The text bears us across that period, without permitting
9
202
FELICITY OF THE RESURRECTED SAINTS.
us to linger for a moment, and lets us at once behold the
light of the resurrection morn. " I shall be -satisfied,
when I awake, with thy likeness"—when I arise from
the dead, with my glorified body; with the image of
Christ indellibly fixed upon my entire nature—(for " as I
have borne the image of the earthy, I shall also bear the
image of the heavenly.")
1. We shall be satisfied, because our souls and bodies,
which were separated at death, will be united again.
It is written, " All that are in their graves shall hear
the voice of the Son of God, and shall come forth " the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incor¬
ruptible," " and we (who are on the earth) shall be
changed in the twinkling of an eye"—" mortal shall put
on immortality." The glorified body, with which we
shall be clothed, will be a source of great and endless
satisfaction. The old body was a burden—a body of
death. It was afflicted with disease, sickness, infirmity,
pain, age, decrepitude, death and decay. But when we
awake with our glorified bod}', these will all have passed
away. Not an ache, nor pain ; no infirmity, deformity,
nor age: these terms are not found in heaven's vocabu¬
lary. Youth, health, vigor, and beauty, will be among
the characteristics of our glorified body.
2. We shall be satisfied, because we shall be in the likeness of
our Redeemer.
This is spoken of as one of the unspeakable blessings
secured by the surpassing love of God. " We shall be
like him, for we shall see him as he is." "If we have
been planted together in the likeness of his death, we
shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." Our
FELICITY Op THE RESURRECTED SAINTS, 203
souls shall be completely conformed to his, and our bodies
transformed and made like unto his glorious body. So
wrote the Apostle, " * * The Lord Jesus Christ, who
shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like
unto his glorious body," &c.
3. We shall be satisfied, because ive shall be permitted to gaze
upon his divine perfections.
" I will behold thy face." There were certain Greeks
(who, having heard of Jesus, in the days of his incarna¬
tion, when only occasional rays of his glory shone out,)
came to the disciples, saying: ".Sirs, we would see Jesus."
If a sight of him in the days of humility was so much to be
desired, with what rapture will the saints gaze upon him,
when they shall see him as he is! When they shall
see his glory—the sight for which Moses longed but
could not behold. He was permitted only to stand in
the cleft of the rock, while God caused his glory to pass
by, he being hid, by the Almighty hand, from the over¬
whelming rays of his glorious face; yet, this mere glimpse
of Jehovah's glory, gave to the face of Moses a radiance
upon which the Israelites could never look. Ever after¬
ward, he appeared before the congregation only with a
veiled face. If, by chance, a ray from his naked face
beamed forth, its incomprehensible radiance filled them
with awe. But when we awake with the divine likeness,
we shall not only behold the unveiled face of Moses, but
we shall see Jesus—we shall behold him that sitteth upon
the throne! We will not need to be covered by the di¬
vine hand, or that he turn his face from us, or give us
merely a transient view; but we shall gaze upon him,
204 FELICITY OF THE HESURRECTED SAINTS.
have an abiding view—see him just as he is. We shall
neither be afraid, nor ashamed, to fix our gaze upon him.
4 We shall be satisfied, because we shall know all we want to
know.
One of the most vexing things of this state, is the want
of knowledge. And the mors we know, the more fully
we realize how little we do know. When we awake with
the divine likeness, there will be no more mysteries. Ig¬
norance will not vex us in the gloried state—" we shall
know." Our knowledge will be unlimited. We shall
sit at the fountain whence streams of knowledge flow,
and drink ; and to enable our intellectual capacities to
receive the never-ceasing stream, which will flow from
the living fountains, to which the Lamb shall lead
us—they will be continually expanded and enlarged.
We shall never feel the want of knowledge, for the mo¬
ment the desire arises, the supply will meet it. Before
this unceasing flow of knowledge, all mysteries will fade
away forever, and we shall dwell in the noontide of celes¬
tial light.
Beloved brethren, have you a sure hope of enjoying
this endless* felicity of the glorified saints? I don't ask
do you sometimes think about it?, I don't ask, would
you like' to be there ?—'but can you say with the Psalmist,
" I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be sat¬
isfied, when I awake, with thy likeness?"
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
205
SERMON XV.
THE NATURE AND DOOM OF THE HYPOCRITE'S
HOPE.
"He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall
hold it fast, but it shall not endure." Job viii, 15.
The afflictions which passed upon Job, in rapid suc¬
cession, and the depths of wretchedness into which he
was suddenly plunged, were a puzzle to his neighbors.
They could not understand why the most wealthy of all
men among them, and possibly the wealthiest man then
living, should in so short a period be reduced to poverty,
and become the most miserable of all on earth; and their
astonishment was heightened by the fact, that he was re¬
garded as the most righteous of all men.
" Job's substance was seven thousand sheep, three thou¬
sand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred
she asses." Besides this, it is said that he had " a very
great household; so that this man was the greatest of all
the men of the east." His wealth, together with his seven
sons and three daughters, was all swept away, as with a
besom of destruction, and the news thereof reached him,
by four messengers, one following the other as rapidly
as they could tell the doleful story.
But this was not all: he he was afflicted with sore boils
206
THE HYPOCKITE's HOPE.
from his crown to the sole of his feet, so that he was a
mass of putrefaction, and his breath was corrupt. His
neighbors hearing of his affliction, came to comfort him;
but they were so astonished at 1 lie wretchedness in which
they found him, that they sat for seven days, regarding
him in silent amazement. Nor was the silence broken,
until, in the depths of agony, Job opened his mouth, and
in doleful accents expressed the bitterness of his soul.
During the long silence, those who came to comfort him
had been casting about, in their minds, to fix upon the
eause of his affliction; and three of them seem to have,
arrived at one conclusion, namely, that Job had been
guilty of some great wickedness, unknown to them, but
known to the all-wise God, and for this God was punish¬
ing him. They believed that only by the acknowledg¬
ment of his sin, would he be restored to the divine favor;
and hence, they undertook, by arguments, to lead him to
conviction, repentance and confession. No doubt they
set out with the good intention of breaking unto Job
their suspicion by gentle words, and thus to lead him to
repentance; but, the first speaker had not uttered half a
dozen sentences, before he had waxed warm, and was de¬
livering himself in language which must have pierced
Job's very soul: and the second, at his opening, indicated
most clearly his belief that Job was a hypocrite. The
third charged him with falsehood and mockery; and thus
they continued, with argument, ridicule, sarcasm and
irony, to express the thoughts of their hearts. Bildad,
the speaker in the text, attempted to draw an argument
from the prevailing opinion, that worldly prosperity was
an evidence of divine favor, and that afflictions were a
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
207
sure token of God's displeasure. It will be remembered
that the prosperity of the wicked almost caused David to
stumble. When he saw the wicked flourishing as a green
bay tree, his feet were well nigh gone.
While Bildad's premises were false, and while he wholly
misunderstood Job's case, and therefore misapplied his
illustrations; yet he, as it were, stumbled upon a very
important truth. It is this: that our happiness—our real
well-being, depends upon our being in our right and
proper element. All creatures have their own element,
or state in which they perfectly enjoy their existence.
Some creatures cannot live at all out of that condition :
birds thrive in their native air; but, caged up, where
the air is impure and unwholesome, they soon die: water
is the element in which the fish lives; remove it there¬
from, and it perishes. Now man's true element is to enjoy
the love and favor of his God : in this he must dwell, if he
would be happy: out of this, no matter what his circum¬
stances, he cannot be happy. The divine favor will con¬
stitute our happiness here, and will be the source of our
enjoyment hereafter.
" To dwell in God, to taste his love,
Is the full heaven enjoyed above :
The real bliss of christians now,
Is heavenly love enjoyed below."
This is the truth which, it seems to me, Bildad stum¬
bled upon; for he does not seem to have fully realized
the force of his own illustrations. The first is drawn
from plants: " Can the rush grow up with mire? or the
flag without water?" Verse 11. Can that kind of plants,
which are the peculiar product of miry and watery sec-
208
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
tions, still live and grow, if transplanted on high and
dry land ? " Whilst it is yet in its greenness, and not
cut down, it withereth before any other herb." Verse 12.
While the high land herbs all around it flourish, the
transplant from the miry and watery soil withers and dies,
because it is out of its native element.
" So are the paths of all that forget God." Such is the
end to which the paths of all that forget God leads. They
will perish: their path leads to destruction. " And the
hypocrite's hope shall perish; whose hope shall be cut off,
and whose trust shall be a spider's web." All who trust
in anything, except in the living God, will miss their
expectation, will lose their hope, will meet with disap¬
pointment, will come to grief; and will find that in which
they trusted, as frail and flimsy as a spider's web. " He
shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he
shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure."
When the spider has finished, first its outer wall, and
then its dwelling, in one corner of the enclosure, it goes
over every part of it, and tries its strength. When it is sat¬
isfied therewith, it goes into its little house, and standing
upon its hind legs, it holds on with its fore legs, and thus
leans upon its house, and holds it fast; but woe be unto
it, when the housekeeper comes along with her broom :
just when it feels most comfortably situated, this spider-
web destroyer sweeps the spider, its web and all its hopes
away. Such will be the end of the hypocrite, and of all
who forget, or fail to put their trust in God. He is the
only sure refuge, and out of him there is no safety. He
is the rock, all else is sand. He that builds upon this
rock shall not be confounded; but he that builds upon
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
209
any other foundation will, with his house, be swept away
by the relentless flood of divine displeasure, that will
gather around the wicked, when God pours out his wrath
and indignation upon them.
The subject before us embraces two classes of hetro-
doxy. The atheist who forgets God or leaves him out of
his calculations entirely, and the hypocrite who admits
that there is a God, but comes short of the duty which
that admission necessarily involves, namely, that they
should worship him as God.
The text leads us to contemplate some of the structures
which men build for themselves, and upon which they
lean ; or, in other words, the false premises upon which
men base their hopes; and the frail material of which
they erect that in which they trust. There are three
things of importance in erecting a building : first, a good
foundation; secondly, good material; and thirdly, to con¬
nect the entire building with the solid foundation. The
text especially directs our attention to the materials. The
spider's web is very frail material to build a house of.
The Apostle cautions us as to the material of which we
build, even on a good foundation. After declaring Christ
to be the only foundation, he says : " If any man buildeth
on the foundation ; gold, silver, costly stories, wood, hay,
stubble; each man's work shall be made manifest: for
the day shall declare it, because it is revealed by fire;
and the fire itself shall prove each man's work, what
sort it is." (I Cor. iii: 12, 13. Revised Version.) Gold,
silver, and a certain kind of stone will stand the fire; but
wood, hay and stubble will soon be consumed by the
flame.
210
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
We remark, that a sense of divine displeasure and of
the indispensable necessity of a means of escape from
impending wrath, naturally forces itself upon the human
heart. Man would drive away this impression if he
could, but he cannot. Sometimes daring ones exhibit
their pride, and their ambition to be gods, themselves,
and to usurp prerogatives which they do not possess; but
ere long they are made to feel their littleness. The king
of Babylon, who boastingly " spoke, and said : Is not this
great Babylon, which I have built by the might of my
power, and for the honor of my majesty?" (Daniel iv,
30,) was brought, by power divine, to realize his weak¬
ness and insecurity, and the need of something in which
to trust, more substantial than any power he possessed.
Now, God has a variety of means by which he awakens
in the minds and hearts of men a sense of human help¬
lessness. Sometimes he unfolds his strange providences, as
in the case of the king just mentioned, who was driven out
from among men, and ate grass as an ox: his body was
wet with the dew of heaven ; his hair became as eagle's
feathers, and his nails like birds'claws; until seven times
(seven years) passed over him, and until he knew and ac¬
knowledged the power of the Most High. He then lifted
up his eyes to heaven and praised and honored Him that
liveth forever.
Sometimes, ordinary afflictions are the means of lead¬
ing men to reflect, and to seek a refuge for the soul. Men,
who are thoughtless and indifferent, yea, even hardened
and scornful in health, are brought to repentance in sick¬
ness, and tremble at the approach of death. Indeed, af¬
fliction seefns to be a challenge from the Almighty, a call
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
211
to man to give an account of his stewardship ; and many
are thus awakened, and brought to repentance.
Sometimes, the motion comes from an internal sense
of guilt. A.t the hour of midnight when no other, but
the Eye that never sleeps, sees them, men are troubled,
and lie in sensible recognition of the heart's palpitations.
Sometimes, the mental excitement is so intense, that the
flesh is moistened with perspiration produced by fear.
Such is a most critical moment—it is sometimes the
last effort of the Holy Spirit to obtain entrance into the
heart. If a genuine sigh for relief ascends to heaven, as
the result of this final wooing of the Spirit, he draws
nearer and knocks; if he finds an open door he enters,
drives out the foes and fills the soul with peace, love and
joy. But sometimes the Spirit is insulted, is driven
away, and never returns! More frequently, however, the
struggle is continued until some kind of a compromise
is effected—a compromise suggested by the evil one; and
one which involves the erection of such a structure as
he shall suggest. Knowing the peculiar turn of mind
with which he has to deal, he, in every case, suggests
what is most likely to be adopted. Whatever he sug¬
gests, you may be sure is a refuge of lies.
With the text in view, let us notice some of the spider-
web houses on which Satan induces men to lean; and to
which they hold fast, to the neglect of the sure refuge.
I say some, for they are too numerous to mention, even
if we knew them all. And they are all Satan's devices,
and all equally delajsive. They are all frail and flimsy
as the spider's web. You may lean upon them, but they
212
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
will not stand; you may hold them fast, but they will
not endure.
First among the false systems, (if system it may be
called) is Atheism. But, if we follow the example of the
inspired pensman, we shall not attempt to argue with the
Atheist. The folly of the man, who can look abroad and
behold the vast universe which surrounds him, and the
evidence of design upon every hand ; who can contem¬
plate the harmony and regularity in the motions of the
heavenly bodies, rolling through the vast expanse—con¬
ducted, as they evidently are, by an unseen but unerring
hand; each in its appointed path, from age to age: who
can mark the accomplishment of events, wholly out of
the range of the means which appear to be employed ;
who can contemplate his own body, fearfully and won¬
derfully made, and yet deny the existence of an All-
wise and Almighty Creator, can only be fitly characterized
by the language of the Psalmist: "The fool hath said
in his heart, There is God." X suspect that the character
mentioned by the Psalmist wa,s ashamed to utter such
an idea with his lips, and hence is described as saying
it " in his heart." The Apostle Pai}l declares Atheism to
be inexcusable folly: "For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."
Romans i, 20. With these examples before us, of the
manner in which the inspired writers treated Atheism,
we feel justified in dismissing all \\ho trust in this frail
structure, with the solemn words of our text: "He shall
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
213
lean upon his house, but it shall not stand : he shall hold
it fast, but it shall not endure."
Infidelity is another frail tenement to which men cling,
which we don't think deserves more than a passing no¬
tice. The man who rejects the Bible, is Dot likely to pay
much attention to anything we can say. We should
have more faith in Infidelity, however, if its advocates
would hold out to the end; but they do not. They do not
•die Infidels. We have never known nor heard of one who
■did. The testimonies of dying Infidels are all against
the system. Doleful and distressing have been the last
words of many Infidels. They have been known to
tremble at the approach of death—what then, must have
been their horror, when they entered the dark valley and
shadow! If their confidence failed them on the banks,
how did they fare in the billows of Jordan? A system
that only sustains you when you don't need it, is not
worth the name.
We have touched upon fatalism in another discourse,
and need not enlarge upon it here.
But the text leads us especially to consider the hypocrite's
hope.
"The hypocrite's hope shall perish." I doubt whether
the Atheist, or Infidel, has much hope. It is more an
•exhibition of bravado—an effort to appear daring. But
there are hypocrites who suppose themselves to be what
they are not, and therefore have a hope, which their real
state does not warrant. This seems evident from what is
said to the church at Laodicea, Rev. iii, 17: " Because
thou sayest I am rich," &c., " and knowest not," &c.
These were evidently deceived, and did not know their
214
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
wretchedness. I fear there are thousands just in this
condition. They have a name that they live, but are
dead. They are among God's people, but not of them.
They say, " Lord, Lord," but do not the things which God
requires. They have the form, but not the power of god¬
liness ; they have entered the vestibule, but not the temple
of grace. Their affections are on the world ; and they
have much more love for theaters, balls, parties, and other
worldly amusements, than they have for the services of
the sanctuary. A little rain, or cold, or heat, is sufficient
to keep them from church ; and when there, they can't en¬
dure to be crowded—must have plenty of room; but to the
theater they can go in heat, cold, or storm, and crowd
into uncomfortable seats without a word of complaint.
In church the services are too long and dry, especially if
the minister repeats himself; but they can sit for hours
in a theater, and enjoy the stale nonsense, which they
have heard over and again. If collections are frequent
for church expenses, or charitable purposes, there is much
complaint in consequence. " Its money, money, all the
time money: I don't see what they do with so much
money." But they can go to the theater, and pay money
every night. Now Jesus says, " Where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also." Is it not pretty evident
that the hearts of such people are set on the world, and
that the world is their portion, their treasure, their all?
If their treasure was in heaven, would they not have
more interest in heavenly thiugs? Can such persons be
genuine christians? If not, they must be hypocrites—
''lukewarm." Jesus says, "I would that thou wert cold
or hot, * * because thou art lukewarm, I will spew thee
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
215
out of my mouth." I imagine some of my congregation
are saying, " That don't fit me, I am not a professor."
Some people think that there are no hypocrites but such
as are members of the church. There could be no greater
mistake. There are thousands who imagine themselves
not far from the kingdom; but if they are not in it,
they are as far from being acceptable to God as the
most wicked. They are " lukewarm." I said once to a
lady friend, " I fear you are lukewarm." She was decid¬
edly amiable, and might have passed for a right good
christian; but she had not embraced the Saviour, nor
had she united with God's people. To my remark, she
answered, " 0, I hope I am not in that disgustful state."
"Very well, let us see," I replied. "There are three
states—cold, hot, and lukewarm. Which is yours ? Are
you cold ? Have you no interest in religion ? Do you
hate the people of God ? Do you believe them all a set
of miserable hypocrites? Is that your state ?" I asked.
With a discouraged look, she answered, "No." I con¬
tinued, " Have you then the heat of divine love in your
soul? While musing, does the fire burn? Is there a
flame of heavenly rapture kindled in your heart by the
assurance of your acceptance in the Beloved ? Can you
say,' I know that my Redeemer liveth,' that ' my name
is in heaven—my record is on high ?' Is that your state ?"
I asked. With an effort to maintain her composure, she
%
answered, " No." " What then ?" After a few moments'
silence, she answered, " I suppose I must be lukewarm."
And this would be the answer of very many, if they would
acknowledge the truth. This is, as she characterized it,
a very " disgustful state." There is no state more so in
216
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
the sight of God. Men ought to be one thing or the
other. If they believe in religion, they ought to embrace
it. If they don't believe in it, they ought not to encour¬
age it, by their presence in the sanctuary, nor their gifts
at the altar. Every time you contribute to the cause of
God, you testify that you are not cold. Religion is either
a grand and glorious reality, or a most detestable fraud.
If a fraud, it deserves to be exposed, and voted out of so¬
ciety ; if a reality, it has claims which we can only with¬
hold at our peril—claims that no honest man can with¬
hold ; and he that hopes to escape the hypocrite's doom
by refusing to enroll himself with the people of God,
will find in the end that his trust is a spider's web, and
utterly useless.
But " time enough,'* I suspect, has a large and heavy
burden of souls leaning upon it; and, oh, what a fearful
sweeping away there will ultimately be, of souls that are
leaning upon " time enough !" You admit that you know
that you must die, and that a preparation for death is
necessary, and that it must be made in time; but still
you put it off. Is this wise ? Is it in accordance with
our practice in other matters? If we were promised a
million of dollars in gold, which we could get by simply
going to the bank and asking for it, would we sa}', " Its
time enough?" I think not. Why, then, put off this
matter in which the eternal interest of a priceless soul is
involved?—a soul that must forever liye in raptures or
in woe? "Time enough," was the language of a young
man who lived in New Berne, N. C., some years ago. He
was greatly respected, and worthily go, too; for he was
genteel, good-natured, and free frotrj the grosser vices of
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
217
youth. But like the young man in the Gospel, he lacked
the one thing most needed. Hasty consumption seized
upon his vitals, and in a few days he was at death's door.
I approached him, as his feet touched the waters, and
asked him if it was well with his-soul? He answered:
" You know it is no time to talk upon that subject now." It
was all that I could get out of him, and soon after that
he dropped into eternity. My brethren, time is flying,
and with it we are being hurried on to the house ap¬
pointed for all living.
" Our wasting lives grow shorter still,
As days and months increase,
And every beating pulse we tell
Leaves but the number less."
What if our pulse should cease to beat before our work
is done? "Time enough !" If you could have seen that
young couple sitting in church at Edenton, on a Sunday
night, as I saw them some moths ago; if you had heard
their merry voices as they returned to their home at a
late hour, (for the services were protracted,) you would
have thought there was plenty of time for either of them
to prepare for death. The husband was, to all appearance,
in perfect health when they retired and fell asleep; but
sometime before day the wife awoke and found the life¬
less form of her husband lying by her side! " You may
lean upon that house, but it shall not stand."
We shall mention but one more of these flimsy struct¬
ures, upon which men lean, and to which they hold fast.
It is near of kin to the one last considered. I refer to
death-bed repentance, I presume that in this christian
land, there are more people depending upon death-bed
218
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
repentance than upon any other delusion. They say
they don't mean to be lost; they expect to get to heaven ;
they mean to attend to their soul's interests, but when?
To-day? "No." To-morrow? "No." Next week? '"No." Next
year? " No." No, they have not fixed upon any time to
commence this work, but expect to be ready when death
comes. There seems then to be nothing left but death¬
bed repentance. I have not the greatest faith in death¬
bed repentance. I will not say that none are saved on
their death-bed : but it is not the most satisfactory expe¬
rience. I have known persons who thought they got re¬
ligion, on what they thought would be their death-bed:
it proved otherwise, and they found afterward that they
had no grace. What if they had died with what they
afterwards found was not religion? I would not dis¬
courage the effort, even in the last moment, for there i3
too much at stake to think of giving up while there is a
single ray of hope. Especially may they be encouraged
who, like the dying thief, have not had favorable oppor¬
tunities before. But after all is said, now is the best time.
" Behold, now is the day of salvation."
"Now God invites, how blest the day,
How sweet the gospel's charming sound."
Much is said about quiet deaths. " I think he died all
right," says one, " he died very quietly, just as though he
had dropped asleep." What if lie did drop off quietly,
what does it signify ? Would it be a strange thing, that
a person who had not enough mental and moral energy to
raise a sigh to heaven while in health, should be too lazy
to raise a groan when dying? The testimony of one life
TEE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE,
210
spent in the service of God is worth a thousand quiet,
deaths.
But you may not have any death-bed. You are, per-:
haps, anticipating a long spell of sickness; during which
time you will have nothing else to do but to get read}'
to die; you will then repent, give God your heart, and
thus prepare to die. But you may not have this linger-^
ing illness. You may not be confined to 3rour bed for a
long period. You may be suddenly cut off. I could tell
of numbers who died suddenly. Some time ago, a friend
came to convey me to one of my appointments, and on
his way he stopped at a neighbor's gate, talked with him
a few moments and started on ; he had not driven but a
little way when a cry arrested his attention, and looking
back, he saw his neighbor's wife trying to raise the life*
less form of her husband, to whom he had just before
been talking ! Oh, how uncertain is life ! We know not
what a day may bring forth—not even what an hour may
bring forth!
1' And yet how unconcerned we go,
Upon the brink of death."
But I admit that the chances are that you will die in bed;
most people do. But you are not sure that you will be
granted repentance at the last hour, or that you will have
the grace given you to call on God for mercy. Remember
you cannot come unless God draws, also that he says:
" My Spirit shall not always strive with man." And again ;
" Woe also unto them, if I depart from them." We are
also reminded that if once the good man of the house
rises up and shuts the door, our crying without will be
220
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
in vain. Remember also the young man who said, that it
was no time to talk about th^ soul's interests at the dying
hour. Sometimes the mind loses its balance, and the
light of reason goes out, before the lamp of life ceases to
burn. My unconverted friends, don't lean upon death¬
bed repentance. It is one of Satan's delusions; it is a
spider-web refuge; it is one of those frail and flimsy
structures which will eventually be swept away. As we
have already intimated, they may be swept away before
we have passed from time. We may realize their worth-
lessness when it is too late to lay hold of anything
stronger. However this may be, they surely will be
swept away in the floods of Jordan.
But blessed be God, there is one sure refuge—the Gos¬
pel. This is not only God's great means of showing men
their danger, but it also points to the only ark of safety.
It throws a full flood of light upon the subject of the
weakness and helplessness of human nature ; it also tells
us in whom is our help. He who trusts his soul upon the
Gospel promises, will find that they will sustain him.
The Gospel establishment will stand when all else fails.
The rains may fall, the desolating floods may beat upon
it; the thunders of God's wrath may shake the pillars of
nature out of their sockets, and his fiery indignation
burn the seas; yet amid the crash of falling worlds, the
Christian edifice will stand. Yea,
Those who make the Lord their trust,
And faithful to the end endure,
Shall stand in Jesus' righteousness—
Stand as the rock of ages, sure.
THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE.
221
Yea, with folded arms, they may stand and sing:
Hail, sovereign love, that first began,
The scheme to rescue fallen man;
Hail, matchless, free eternal grace,
Which gave my soul a hiding place!
Enraptured in dark, Egyptian night,
And fond of darkness more than light,
Madly I ran the sinful race,
Secure without a hiding place.
Vindictive justice stood in view,
To Sinai's fiery mount I flew;
But justice cried, with frowning face,
This mountain is no hiding place!
But, lo! a heavenly voice I heard,
And Mercy to my soul appeared,
She led me on, with pleasing face,
To Jesus Christ, jny hiding plaes.
And now I feel thq heavenly flame,
My trust is all in Jesus' name;
I all his sovereign truths embrace,
And find in him my hiding place.
Should storms of seven-fold thunders roll,
And shake the globe from pole to pole;
No thunder-bolt would daunt my face,
For Jesus is my hiding place.
A few more rolling suns at most,
Will land my soul on Canaan's coast;
There, I shall sing the song of grace,
Safe in my glorious hiding place.
2£2 THE GLORY JN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER,
SERMON XVI,
THE GLORY REVEALED IN THE CHRISTIAN
CHARACTER.
[An Eulogy, by Bishop J. W. Hood, on the life of Robert
Harris, late Principal of the State Colored Normal School,
delivered at Evans' Chapel, Fayetteville, N. C., Novem-
ber 14, 1880.]
REPORTED STENOGRAPHICALLY BY C. W. CHESNUTT, FOR
THE STAR OF ,ZION.
(' For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in
us," Komans viii, 18.
If the Apostle Paul, under the many afflictions, perse¬
cutions, trials, pains, and labors that he passed through,
could use this language; if, after carefully calculating
the difficulties attending the labors of the pioneers in
God's cause, he could come to the conclusion that those
sufferings were " not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us," it seems to me that
there is scarcely a mortal being who ought to complain
of suffering.
Paul knew what suffering was. He was caused to
THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 223
suffer from various causes: from false brethren; from
being misunderstood by his own brethren—those who
were connected with him in the ministry—in the cause
of God; yea, even by these was he caused to suffer.
The present state of mankind is one in which there
are few exempt from suffering. "Sickness and sorrow,
pain and death," are the common lot of humanity. I
doubt whether a man has ever lived on this earth that
never felt pain.
But, I presume, in the passage before us, the Apostle
had special reference to the sufferings peculiar to good
men. While all suffer, there are some sufferings which
are peculiar to the people of God—sufferings which they
have to endure, that others are exempt from; trials
through which they have to pass, that others know noth¬
ing of. A,nd as the Apostle had been pointing out the
characteristics of a perfect man, and the blessings con¬
nected with that state, it is fair to conclude that his mind
was still occupied with that character. Now, the suffer¬
ings of a good man arise from various causes, among
which we notice—
1. From the envy of the wicked.
I place this first, because it stands first in the history of
a good man's sufferings. The envy of the wicked stands
recorded as the source of the first attack ever made upon
a human being. It was envy that caused Cain to kill
his brother Abel. Abel had done nothing to him ; he
hud simply offered sacrifice in accordance with the di¬
vine command, and had received the commendation of
his God. That was all there was against him—all the
224 THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
provocation he had given his brother, if that can be called
a provocation. If to be good—to serve God, fulfill the
divine requirement, is sufficient to provoke envy, then
Cain had a provocation; and that was the only provoca¬
tion for the first murder. It was envy that moved the
sons of Jacob to destroy Joseph; it was envy that caused
Haman to scheme for the destruction of all the Jewish
nation, in the kingdom of Ahasuerus; it was envy that
caused the princes of the Persians to plot against Daniel's
life; and last, but not least, it was envy that caused the
Jews to crucify the Son of God.
2. Then there are sufferings arising from " the ignorance of
good men's contemporaries—the ignorance, or want of in¬
formation in those that surround him.
A really good man desires, and labors for, the good of
his fellow men. Many around him content themselves
with the false notion that they have done no harm, while
he is distressed because he has done so little good. He
fully realizes the fact that he did not come here simply
to do no harm, but to do good; and he is anxious to ful¬
fil the end of his being, to serve mankind and to glorify
God. This desire on his part leads him to consider, to
investigate and find out in what way he can best accom¬
plish his desire, to benefit his fellow men. His turn of
mind, his habit of study, his deep-toned piety are re¬
warded in a large expansion of his intellect. His mind ex¬
pands and goes out to grasp the duties that are before him.
He is enabled by his investigations to see what he can
do, where he can begin that work, and how best complete
it. The way of duty is made clear to him. He lives
five, ten, twenty, even forty years ahead of his genera-
THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 225
tion. William Lloyd Garrison was full forty years ahead
of his generation, and. he was a martyr to the principles
he taught.
So it has ever been with men who are good and great.
They are frequently so far ahead that they are out of
sight of the multitude, like Moses when he went up into
the mount, into the presence of God. During this period,
some who were between him and the multitude, took ad¬
vantage of their position to poison the minds of the mul¬
titude against the good man, and make them believe he
was not what he pretended to be. "As to this Moses,we
do not know where he has gone; let us make gods to our¬
selves." These men were so much nearer the multitude,
both in lack of intelligence and piety, that for the time
being they had the advantage; but it does not last.
After awhile the multitude comes up higher; the light
shines so clearly on the good man's way that if they were
disposed to blame him before, when they catch up with
him, as they do, those who honor Christ acknowledge
themselves in the wrong. The good man is not under¬
stood—if better understood the multitude would not unite
against him ; yet because he has no time to go back and
explain, his enemies hang upon his rear and harass him.
Although he has no use for the bridges which his ene¬
mies burn behind him, as he never intends to retreat, yet
it grieves him to see that mode of attack.
It is the lot of the good man, however, to be bush¬
whacked and attacked in every way except from the front.
How mean the attack on JJaniel! Hear the language of
his enemies: "We shall not find any occasion against
10
226 THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
this Daniel, except we find it concerning the law of his
God." We shall not find anything against him unless
we attack his righteousness. What a strong testimony
this is to Daniel's rectitude! He was chief of the presi¬
dents, the affairs of the empire were in his hands, and
yet his enemies testify that his management of these af¬
fairs was without fault—his rectitude was absolutely per¬
fect, and therefore they could not attack him upon his
character. They could not find any thing amiss with
his management of affairs. They could bring no charge
against him in this. So they could only attack him upon
the point where his conscience would not give way.
This is ofttimes the case. A man's enemies seek to
find out his opinions on some point, and knowing he is
honest, straightforward and unyielding, they seek on that
very point to attack him. They know that the multi¬
tude are not in that way of thinking, and therefore find¬
ing out his opinions they prepare to attack him upon his
righteousness, and to condemn him because he is right.
The enemies of Daniel, however, were angels in com¬
parison with men who lived since their time. They
would have scorned to raise a false report about Daniel.
They might have gotten together and hatched up some
nice story; the}7 might have outsworn Daniel, as
they were in the majority—being many against oneJ
and with a large crowd of followers, they might have
maintained a falsehood against Daniel. But they would
have disdained to do it. Men do not scruple in this day
and time to coin lies out of nothing, for the purpose of
attacking good men, and by misleading the multitude,
make them believe that good men are bad men, and that
THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 227
black is white, because the multitude are ofttimes not
well informed.
But I must not dwell longer upon these things. And
I stop not to make applications. You must make your
own applications. I have referred to these events, to
these attacks upon good men in former ages, for the pur¬
pose of illustrating the Apostle's declaration respecting
his sufferings; to show that there are sufferings peculiar
to good men. The good men of all ages have had to suf¬
fer from these sources ; from the envy of the wicked, and
from the want of information on the part of those by whom
they have been surrounded. Ofttimes because a man's
real worth is not understood, because he is not known—
he lives among people who do not know him—don't know
the depth of his knowledge, nor the breadth of his intel¬
lect, the purity of his heart, the honesty of his purposes:
and for these reasons good men are caused to suffer; their
hearts are pained. It is not pleasant to go through this
world, and have the world against you ; but the good
man must expect this; the world is no friend of his.
But I repeat, we must not dwell longer upon these things.
The Apostle declares that they are " not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
They are not worth taking into account—they are of lit¬
tle consequence, because they last, such a short time.
" What will all my sufferings amount to, if I can but join
that raptured host above?" " I can tarry here but a
"The sufferings of this time will soon end." Only a few
days, a few moments. Our life is as a span, a bubble on
the wave, and when brought down to the smallest calcu¬
lation, it is nothing—it is only momentary. What are
228 THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
ten, twenty, or fifty years, compared with the endless life
above? Suppose you should have to suffer; suppose
things should go contrary to you here; suppose neigh¬
bors, friends and relatives should turn against you in
this world, what does it amount to ? God will reward
you. It " is not worthy to be compared to the glory
which shall be revealed in us."
" The glory which shall be revealed in us." There is a
revelation of glory in the child of Qod. Not simply the glory
after awhile; not simply the glory of God in Heaven—
the glory of the sanctified host, the glory of the angelic
army around the throne of God ; but the " glory revealed
in us." God's glory is revealed in the good man's life.
And this is the command, "Let your light so shine be¬
fore men, that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father which is in heaven."
This glory is revealed in the life of a good man.
His life testifies for God. A good man is a walking
evidence, a walking monument of the divine character—
the character of God is displayed in the good man's life.
Well, how is it displayed ? A good man " loves his ene¬
mies, blesses them that curse him, does good to them that
despitefully use him, persecute him, and say all man¬
ner of evil against him." Have you not thought it very
strange, sometimes, when you have seen a man who had
been abused and lied about, go up to his enemy and give
him a kindly hand and indicate that after all he did not
mind it, but was ready to forgive it, and say to that very
enemy, " Come and go with me to heaven ?" He is ready
to ask God's blessing upon him. He won't take down
his flag, he won't pull down his standard; he will dis-
THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 220
charge his duty if the heavens grow black; but he will
discharge it in such a manner as not to hurt any body
else if he can help it—in such a manner as to indi¬
cate that he does it because he loves to do good—because!
conscience leads him, because he is guided by the hand
of God. He"goes on boldly, determinedly, yet lovingly.
He indicates his love for mankind, and thus glorifies
God.
" God sends his rain upon the just and the unjust." So
the good man treats his enemies with the same dealing
as his friends. He discharges his duty toward them and
theirs in the same way as toward his best friends. There
is a glory revealed in such a character. Is not that a
glorious character? The character of that man who,
notwithstanding all that is said or done against him,
threatens not; but led as a lamb to the slaughter, he goes
on his way; he does not turn around to murmur and
complain, but puts his trust in God, and indicates that
he feels it his duty to take care of God's cause and let
God take care of his character. It is glorious to see such
men ; such a course of conduct is glory revealed in us—
it is God's work within us. A man cannot do this unless
he has God in him; unless he has the Divine hand to
lead him. If this were all, it would be enough—to know
that we are able to show forth the glory of God in our
lives, would be enough to induce us to bear patiently all
the sufferings of this life.
But there is also a revelation of God's glory in the good
man's perseverance.
It is said that " the righteous shall hold on his way ;
he shall persevere; he shall not stop." He knows he
230 THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
must fight—he must meet the hosts of night. He counts
the cost, makes up his mind, puts on his armor, goes out
for the fight, and is not satisfied if he does not get into a
fight. When soldiers are well drilled they burn for a
fight; their swords are well rubbed up, their ammunition
is in good order, and everything is ready for the fight.
" Hast thou given the horse strength ? Hast thou clothed
his neck with thunder? The glory of his nostrils is ter¬
rible. He scentetli the battle afar off." And the good
man, like Job's war horse, wants to fight. He goeth out
to the battle; he holds on his way, perseveres; and he
cares not how many enemies he has, so long as they are
in his front. They harass him some, but if they will
stay in front of him, he is always ready; he does not
fear an open enemy; he expects them, he is ready to meet
them. God's glory is revealed in him, in the manner in
which he stands the contest. He throws himself in the
battle; he says, " I must fight, if I would reign ;" and if
he feels any weakness, he cries, " Increase my courage,
Lord." He glorifies God in overcoming the world; he
shows in his life and character that God has power to
bring his saints out " more than conquerors." The man
of God will go on his way ; you cannot stop him.
But I must pass on. The glory of God is revealed in the
death of a good man.
He dies in triumph! He more than conquers death.
Having lived a righteous life, meeting his last enemy, he
is not afraid. He says; " Come, welcome, death ; the end
of fear—I am prepared—I am standing joyful on the mar¬
gin of Jordan. The golden bowl will soon be broken, the
silver cord loosed; the doors shut in the streets; the
THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 231
sound of the grinding is low." In that hour, the death
of the child of God is a revelation of glory. Have you
ever stood by the bedside of a dying Christian ? There
may be no rapture—sometimes there is; but there is a
peace, a calm, which even death cannot distrub. In the
hour of dissolution, when death is untying the heart
strings, breaking the pitcher at the fountain, and the
wheel at the cistern, I hear the departing spirit ask:
" What, what is this that steals upon my frame? Is it
death ?
If tliis be death, I soon shall be,
From every pain and sorrow free;
I shall the King of glory see:
All is well!
Weep not, my friends, weep not for me,
My sins are all pardoned—I am free;
There's not a cloud, that doth arise,
To hide my Jesus from my eyes,
I soon shall mount the upper skies:
All is well!"
And, while standing upon the banks of the mystic Jor¬
dan, awaiting the coming of heaven's chariot, the dying
saint beholds the heavenly host moving up the shining
avenues of the-golden city; heaven's armies on dress pa¬
rade upon the sea of glass, and the harpers near the
throne, and, filled with rapture he exclaims:
" Tune, tune your harps, ye saints in glory,
I soon shall join your pleasing story;
The angels are from glory come,
They are 'round my head, they are in my room,
They 5ve come to bear my spirit home:
All is well! "
232 THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
And as the pearly gates of the celestial city open to re¬
ceive the triumphant saints, he salutes the heavenly
hosts:
" Hail! all hail! ye blood-washed throng;
I've come to join your rapturous song,
Now all is peace and joy divine,
Heaven and glory now are mine,
O, hallelujah to the Lamb:
All is well!
Now permit me for a moment to refer to the experience of
our departed brother.
During his illness some months ago, he had, as he after-
terwards informed me, a most joyful and glorious expe¬
rience ; a happiness so great, a joy so complete, a fullness
of glory which is the result of holiness of heart. As he
expressed it—"I had got to Beulahland; that happy
place where the Christian rests after his labors. He had
connections here, friends here, that were pulling hira
back; but his mind was going after God." If he had
departed in that state at that time, he would, he said, have
been perfectly happy. He was sanctified then, but he
stayed here eight or nine months longer. He was one
sanctified soul who remained upon earth after sanctifica-
tion. And that is better than all argument—the testi¬
mony of a living witness, one who feels that perfect rap¬
ture. What complete resignation he showed to the will
of God! and that I claim as the key-stone in the arch of
sanctification. This state of resignation which comes from
a complete yielding of everything, body and soul to the
will of God, brings with it a peace which we generally
call sanctification; and you must get there before you go.
THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 233
Blessed be God! brother Harris had got there. I have
his testimony—the testimony of a dying man—that he
had gotten there; a testimony from the gates of death.
''Lord," he said, "I am willing to go now up to heaven,
or to stay here, as thou seest fit."
Then there is a revelation of the glory of God in a good man
at the judgment
I had almost said that this would be the most complete
revelation. There is a revelation of glory at the judg¬
ment in the fact that the good man shall be entirely vin¬
dicated. It is said that " a lie will go a thousand miles
while truth is getting its boots on." But at the judg¬
ment, truth will catch up. And that is one great pur¬
pose of the judgment—that all wrongs may be made
right, and that a good man may be vindicated before all
who ever heard of him. Slander can outrun the truth;
and, therefore, if there were no judgment at which all
nations should be called together, the truth would never
bo made known to all—the falsehood would never be ex¬
posed. But we shall all be at the judgment; all who
did, and all who did not hear of us, will know the truth,
and the good man's character will then shine. We shall
then see the heart, the motive, the intent, as God sees it.
"Then we shall be like Him; we shall see Him as he
is" we shall know even as we are known." As the
Apostle says, "We shall no longer know in part," but
absolutely. We may not know all that God knows—we
may not be able to grasp the infinite—but everything
that our minds shall come iu contact with, everything
that is necessary to make us happy, we shall know.
There will be no mysteries then. Our knowledge will
234 THE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
be ever increasing. I do not know when we shall get to
it all, but when we come to it, we shall know it. And in
seeing the real character of every man that is born of
God, we shall see the real glory of the christian character.
Finally, there is a revelation of glory in the christian char¬
acter through all eternity.
We shall be constantly entering into new revelations
of divine glory. " These sufferings are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
God's glory shall be revealed in us throughout all eter¬
nity ! We shall outshine the sun ! We shall have palms
of victory, crowns of glory ! We shall there never hun¬
ger, there never thirst! We shall have no sickness there;
we shall bathe our souls in the river of eternal pleasure;
and through endless ages we shall sing " the song of
Moses and the Lamb."
Oh, may God lead us to seek this glory: to seek to ex¬
hibit what belongs to us in our lives. Then like our be¬
loved brother, who is departed, we shall be able in the
dying hour, to fold our arms in peace and die the death
of the righteous.
Let me say to the Conference, we have often met Bro.
Harris in our assemblies; we have loved to have him
with us; we have enjoyed his talents; we have received
instruction from his counsels. He was an honor to the
connection, and to the General Conference of which he
was a member; an honor to Christianity.
Adieu, my brother. We shall soon meet where part¬
ing shall be no more.
As I said of him the other day, of all men whom I
have met, there was never one whom I would have been
TIIE GLORY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTICR. 235
more willing to call " Master." When in his presence I
felt the shadow of a great man resting upon me; I felt
little. I have never been able to sound his depth, to
measure the breadth of his mind, and I do not know the
man who has.
We do not know the extent of our loss, in the State, in
the community, in the church. But, 0 blessed be God !
our loss is his eternal gain ; and He that knoweth all
things, and doeth all things well, knows what is best for
us. No doubt he had some good purpose in taking him
away from us. Let us imitate his virtues, and seek to
conform to the will of that Saviour he loved and cher¬
ished. So that when our days are numbered here below,
we may meet him on the shining shore.
To his weeping relatives I would say, weep no more ;
dry up your tears. He is gone where
"Sickness, sorrow, pain and death,
Are felt and feared no more."
He will have no more distresses, no more dark nights,
no more burning fevers. But in the presence of God, he
shall shine forevermore. May God help us to live right,
to die right, and we shall then, like him, be saved to all
eternity!
236
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
SERMON XVII.
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
"Made ready before it was brought thither." 1 Kings vi, 7.
It will be seen that the text is not a complete sentence.
It is taken out of its connection, in such a way, that its
full import is not apparent. This is done for the purpose
of presenting, forcibly, the points we wish to illustrate.
The text suggests the idea cf a preparation, for an end in
view—" made ready." It also indicates the time and place
in which this preparation must be made, if made at all,
" before it was brought thither." The whole verse reads,
" And the house, when it was in building, was built of
stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that
there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron
heard in the house, while it was in building." The house
referred to was the temple built by Solomon at Jerusalem,
which was erected according to the divine plan as a place
of divine worship and service; wherein God might dwell
among his people in visible appearance. This was the
most interesting and beautiful structure ever erected by
mortal hands, and was a type of that building not built
by man, but eternal in the heavens. We shall not at¬
tempt anything like a minute description of the temple,
but will speak only of a few of its features. It was three-
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
237
Score cubits long, thirty in height and twenty in breadth-
The common cubit was about eighteen inches—about
the distance from the elbow to the extremity of the mid*
die finger, or the fourth part of a well proportioned man's
structure. Its length was, therefore, about ninety feet,
its height forty-five and its breadth thirty. There were
towers extending up to the height of a hundred and
eighty feet. Its length was from east to west, and its
breadth between north and south ; and represented what
was anciently supposed to be the shape of the world, viz:
an oblong square. There was a porch extending across
one end, ten cubits broad and thirty high. Besides the
supporting columns of this porch, there were two massive
pillars set up as monuments, or ornaments, or both.
There has been a question in controversy respecting the
height of these columns, as in Chronicles, they are said
to have been thirty-five cubits high, in Kings eighteen.
It is possible, however, that they were cast in one piece,
and then cut in two, and that in Chronicles, the length
of the whole piece is given. The statement in Kings is
best supported by other facts. It is accepted by the great
Jewish historian, Josephus, and to say nothing of chapi¬
ters and globes, a column of thirty-five cubits could not
be set up under a porch only thirty cubits high.
There was some reason, I have no doubt, for the mas¬
sive proportions of these columns. Of an ordinary well-
proportioned column, the height is supposed to be about
nine times its diameter. The diameter of these was four
cubits, indicating a column of thirty-six cubits. Their
names seem also to indicate extraordinary proportions.
The name of the one on the left hand was Boaz, which
238
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
denotes strength, the name of the other Jachin, signify¬
ing, "It shall be established;" hence the worshippers,
coming up to the temple, beholding these massive pillars
and calling to mind the signification of their names,
would exclaim : "In strength is this house established."
And to us, there is in them a typical signification of the
strength which God will put forth to establish his church
and to defend his people, against all the assaults of the
powers of darkness. Some suppose that the object of
Solomon, in setting up these columns, was to represent
the two imaginary pillars that the ancients supposed
were placed at the equinoxes to support the heavens :
this would account for their massive proportions. But
if tradition should be admitted into consideration, we
should prefer to conclude that they were erected to com¬
memorate the two pillars, said to have been set up by
Enoch before the flood. Enoch enjoys a most honorable
distinction among the antideluvians. Jude informs
us that he was a prophet, and that he foretold the de¬
struction of the world by fire, and a judgment, to be fol¬
lowed by an eternal state, either of happiness or misery.
Tradition informs us that Enoch, vexed by the wicked¬
ness of his time, assembled those in whom he had confi¬
dence, (including Adam, Seth, Jared and Methuselah)
and implored their assistance in stemming the tide of
wickedness, which was overflowing the world.
It is said, that at this time he communicated to them
the terrible prophecy of the destruction of the world by
either fire or water, and that to preserve the sacred mys.
teries, committed to his charge, he built two great col¬
umns on a high mountain. Not knowing whether the
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
230
destruction would be by water or fire, he built one of a
kind of granite, which is said to resist the fire, and the
other of brass, which he supposed would resist the force
of a flood. We are told that the granite column was
overturned, swept away, and washed into a shapeless
mass by the force of the flood; but the other, by the
providence of God, stood firm. If this tradition is true,
the mystery of these columns is solved. They were two
in number, to commemorate the original two, and com¬
posed of brass, to commemorate the one which withstood
the force of the flood. They were cast hollow, and were
the depository of the archives. The chapiters were
adorned with wreaths of net work, lilly work and. pome-
granite, symbolizing the unity of the three master minds
engaged in the work (Solomon, King of Israel; Hiram,
King of Tyre; and Hiram, the architect and beautifier
of the temple); and also the peace, plenty and prosperity
which the people enjoyed under their direction aud care.
Upon one of the balls, which surmounted the columns,
was traced maps of the earth's surface; upon the other,
a view of the heavenly bodies.
The temple was built of stone so completely squared,
that it was difficult to find the joints, and so white, says
one writer, that it resembled a large snow-bank. Its
gold-covered top, when viewed in the sunlight, presented
a brilliancy which dazzled the eyes of beholders. Grand
and complete as this building was, it is said to have been
erected without the sound of any iron tool being heard,
on it while it was being constructed. Iron was considered
polluting. In Deuteronomy xxvii, 5, we read that God
commanded Moses to build an altar of stone, but not to
240
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
lift ail iron tool upon it. Also, in Exodus xx, 25, we
have the following: "And if tbou wilt make me an altar
of stone, thou shalt not make it of hewn stone: for if thou
lift thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it." For this,
with other reasons, no iron tool was used in the erection
of the temple. Bat how could such a splendid structure
be erected without the sound of some iron tool being
heard? The Hebrews are said to have a tradition that
the stones were not formed and polished by human in¬
dustry, but by a worm called samir, which God prepared
for that purpose; and that the stones come together of
their own accord, and were erected by angels. We have
also read a Mohammedan tradition, that Solomon, being
annoyed by the noise made by the workmen in prepar¬
ing the materials, offered an imprisoned genii his liberty
if he would inform him how the hardest materials could
be worked without noise. The genii admitted that he
possessed no such knowledge, but said it might be learned
from the raven. Take (said he) the eggs from a raven's
nest and cover them with a crystal bowl, and thou shalt
see how the mother bird will cut it through. Solomon
followed the instruction, and soon a raven came and flew
about the bowl, but finding that she could not get at
her eggs, she flew away, but soon returned with a stone
in her beak, called samur, with which the bowl, being
touched, fell into two halves. Solomon procured a nura
ber of these stones and divided them among the work¬
men, who were thus enabled to continue their work
without the slightest noise or confusion. From these
fabulous traditions, it is evident that it was geneially
known that the tempje was erectecj without noise or con-
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
241
fusion—which fact is attempted to be accounted for
by the putting forth of these traditions. But respecting
this and everything else in the history of God's ancient
people, the Scriptures are the most satisfactory—most
certain, full and complete source of information. In re¬
gard to the matter under consideration, the text supplies
a most reasonable solution: "The house was built of
stone made ready before it was brought thither." The
preparation of the stone only, is mentioned ; but the ex¬
pression is hyperbolic, in which a part is mentioned for
the whole. The preparation of all the material is in¬
tended to be included. There were three places in which
the materials were prepared. The stones were prepared
in the quarry, the wood in the forest, and the metals in
the clay ground, on the banks of the river, between Suc-
coth and Zeredatha.
The statement of the text is given for our instruction,
to remind us that in order to our being admitted as a
living stone for that spiritual building, a preparation
must be made before we cross the narrow stream of death.
We have remarked that this Jerusalem structure was a
type of the temple of the saints on high—composed of glo¬
rified believers. To prepare us for a place in the temple
not made with hands, is the purpose of the arrangements
of grace in the plan of redemption.
1. There is an external preparation.
We some times call it a professional preparation.# It is
our duty to make a public profession of faith in Christ.
We should neither be ashamed nor afraid to stand up for
Jesus, to tell the world that we are no longer in love
with it; that it has no charms sufficient to hold us longer.
242
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
This we can do, and this God requires of us. He never
does what man can do; hence he did not take away the
stone from the grave of Lazarus. He wanted to teach
them that they had a work which it was their duty to
do. They could not bring Lazarus back from the dead:
he did that himself; but they could take the stone away,
and that he required them to do. The joining of the
church, like the taking away of the stone, is our part.
We cannot ungrave ourselves, and come forth from our
death of sin to a life of righteousness: that is God's work.
We must break away from our sinful habits, and strip
ourselves of all dependence in anything we have or can
have, growing out of ourselves. No matter what we have,
whether a favorable lineage, wealth, honors, titles, or any¬
thing else of a worldly nature, it will not give us admis¬
sion to the enjoyment of the saints in light. We shall
be stripped of all these in the ante-chamber of death, and
if we enter heaven, it will be without them; and the
work of stripping from our affection the Jove of the
things of this world, is a most important part of the work
of preparation for heaven. "Love not the world," says
he that spake as man never spake, " for if any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him." So long
as we love, and trust in, the things of this world, we
shall not be prepared for that which is to come. We
must wear this world as a loose garment, and be ready to
drop jt off at any time. We must be ready and willing,
if necessary, to part with all things here to obtain an
eternal inheritance. This is most frequently taught, and
yet what dull students we are: how slow we learn that
the life is more than meat, and the body more than rai-
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
243
ment; that we must put off the filthy rags of unright¬
eousness, and be clothed with the garment prepared for
us—the wedding garment, the garment of salvation,
which constitues our vital union with Christ, and gives
us a title to, and a meetness for all the blessings of the
marriage supper of the Lamb. The outward sign of this
vital union with Christ, is a public declaration of our
having accepted the offered grace by uniting with the
church—the people of God. To refuse to make this pub¬
lic profession is rebellion: it is sin—it is robbery. It robs
God of the affectionate homage and honor due him. It
robs the soul of the peace this secures, and robs the church
of the influence that we should exert in its behalf.
2. There is an internal preparation.
A preparation of the heart. The heart, by nature, is
deceitful and desperately wicked. The guile thereof must
be removed, the stony nature must be taken out—its hard¬
ness must be melted, and its coldness consumed by the
flame of divine love. The rough and unpolished state
of the stone in the quarry, the timber in the forest, and
the metal in the quartz, is a fit emblem of human nature
in its fallen and depraved state. There is much rubbish
of sin to be removed from our nature, much earth to be
shoveled off from our affections, and much dross to be
burnt up, before we shall appear as stones squared, pol¬
ished and numbered lor the building, or as sparkling
gems, or as gold tried by fire. This transformation from
our natural deadness to the enjoyment of spiritual life, is
a most important part of the preparation for a place in
the heavenly structure.
244
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
3. There is a practical preparation.
There is work to be performed—not meritorious work—
not work which produces righteousness, but work which
is the fruit of righteousness, by which our righteousness
is evinced. " By their fruits ye shall know them," said
the great Teacher. The secrets of the heart may be read
in the conduct—in the life an individual lives. Men im¬
agine that they pass through the world unknown, but it
is a mistake : those who are observing, read the charac¬
ter of their neighbors in their manner of life. Indeed,
there ard many who wear their marks so prominently,
that none need be deceived. However well the cautious
ones may conceal their defects, there is one Eye from
which none can hide; and because it is the eye of the
Inspector General, under which we must pass, it is of the
utmost importance to us that our works are such as will
bear inspection: only such as spring from love to God
and humanity will be accepted.
We remarked that there were three places in which
the material for the Jerusalem temple was prepared.
There are also three places in which the material for the
New Jerusalem temple is being prepared, viz: the family,
the social circle, and the church. We must not forget
that children have souls as well as bodies, which must
be fed and clothed. While we are trying to outdo our
neighbors in providing fine dress for our children, we
must not neglect to endeavor to secure for them the gar¬
ment of salvation which is freely offered. Then there is
the social circle, in which much work is to be done, or
great loss will be sustained. Brotherly love and relief
are used as motors in society ; but their demands are not
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
245
fully met by administering to the wants growing out of
bodity afflictions. There are distressed, afflicted, and
perishing souls, which must be relieved, and clothed
now, or being found naked at the judgment, will be
ashamed. Whatever is done by us to advance the hap¬
piness of others, is a help to prepare ourselves for the tem¬
ple above; for, in watering others, our own souls shall
be watered also.
4. There is the church, and its circles, ivhich constitutes the
chief place of preparation.
All its energies are put forth to the end that there may
be no lack of material for completion of the building.
The mateiial from the quarry and the forest was all pre¬
pared before it went down to the sea. Likewise, the ma¬
terial for the heavenly structure must be prepared on this
side of the waters of death.
5. Let us notice briefly the end in view.
This is a place in the building. And about this, we
need not concern ourselves, if we are prepared. Every
stone prepared will find its place in the building. In
Psalms we read that, "the stone which the builders re¬
fused became the head of the corner." This suggests the
idea that a stone must have been carried up for inspec¬
tion, which, owing to the ignorance of the inspectors, was
refused, but afterwards had to be accepted, as it proved
to be the key-stone to a principal arch in the building,
without which it could not have been finished. The
Master overseer of the heavenly building will make no
such mistake: he knows the place for every piece, whether
corner or cap-stone. Just here I may remark, that this
passage has been sometimes taken as a foundation of dis-
246
A DESIRABLE CONSUMMATION.
courses delivered to benevolent societies, which have
been greatly praised as promoters of human happiness.
Whether they are or not, depends largely upon their sub¬
ordination to evangelical religion. If they claim soul-
saving efficiency, encroach upon religious duties, or
claim the time or talents which belong to the church,
they are guilty of userpation, and are a curse to man¬
kind. From such I would say, "Arise and depart; for
this is not your rest." Only that which tends to fit us
for heaven, is really useful to us. God grant that our
preparation may be perfected in due season, and then we
shall be admitted, as lively and living stones in His spir¬
itual temple.
LOSS OF FIRST LOVE.
247
SERMON XVIII.
LOSS OF FIRST LOVfi.
"Nevertheless, I have a few things against thee, because thou
hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from whence thou
art fallen; and repent, and do the first work: or else I will come
unto you quickly, and will remove thy candlestick oat of his
place, except thou repent." Rev. ii, 4, 5.
Our text is a part of the message which God gave unto
his servant to write in a book, and send unto the seven
churches in Asia.
John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, having survived
all his companions, became the special object of the per¬
secuting enemies of the christian church and worship.
Other attempts having failed to silence him, he was
finally cast upon the isle ofPatmos by the Emperor Do-
mitian (it is generally believed). While thus in exile on
account of his testimony to the truth, it pleased the Lord
to give him a prophetic view of the conflicts and triumph
of his kingdom on earth. The things which he beheld
in this vision, he was commanded to write in a book and
send unto the churches, over which he is supposed to
have been the presiding Bishop.
God sometimes permits men to remove his servants
from a particular field of usefulness, but not to hinder
them from doing good. Indeed, it has often happened,
243
LOSS OF FIRST LOVE.
that the very means employed by men to hinder, God has
overruled to accomplish his purpose. If a man wants to
be usefully employed, God will find means to employ
him, let men do what the}' may to prevent it. John
Bunyan was cast into Bedford jail, to keep him from
preaching and comforting true believers, but while there,
he wrote a book that has gone forth preaching in all the
earth.
Likewise, while John, the disciple, was in exile, God
employed him in writing a work, which will carry com¬
fort to the persecuted followers of Jesus, through all ages,
till time shall be no more. Before entering upon his
prophetic vision, John was instructed to write a special
message to each of the seven churches named. The
epistles, each begin with some attribute of the Redeemer.
Thus, "These things sayeth He, that holdeth the seven
stars in his right hand"—" These things sayeth the Amen,
the Faithful and true witness." Then follows the decla¬
ration, " I know thy works." After ihis there is a state¬
ment of the condition of the church designated, a com¬
mendation of that which was good, and a condemnation
of that which was bad. In two of the churches, Smyrna
and Philadelphia, there was nothing to condemn: in one,
Laodicea, there was nothing to commend. The other four
was a mixture of good and bad. To three of them there
is an exhortation to repentance.
Ephesus, to which the language of our text is addressed,
was not in quite so bad a condition as Laodicea or Sardis,
yet we have no account of its improvement, by reason of
the exhortation sent, and its total extinction affords a strik¬
ing evidence of the infliction of the punishment threatened
LOSS OF FIRST LOVE.
249
in the absence of repentance. For many ages there was
not a single christian in the city, indeed the place itself
was for ages without an inhabitant. To this church,
John was toid to write thus, " I know thy works, and thy
labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear
them which are evil, and thou hast tried them which
say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them
liars, and hast borne and hast patience, and for my
name's sake hast labored and hast not fainted. Never¬
theless I have somewhat against thee," etc.
Notwithstanding there was much in this church to com¬
mend, there were also a few things amiss, and we have
reason to believe that the evil finally predominated, to
the exclusion of every thing that was good. Such is the
prevailing and growing nature of sin that, unless it is
rooted out by repentance, faith and obedience, it will
eventually root out every good desire, and leave its vic¬
tims in a state of entire destitution.
I wish upon this occasion to apply the text to the con¬
dition of this church.
A little over a month ago, while steaming down the
Tar river, on board the steamer Greenville, I was studying
this passage, not with a view to preaching from it at any
time, but simply for my own edification. I was suddenly
impressed, however, with the idea that I was called upon
to bear the message contained in the text to this church.
This church, or its condition, had not been in my thoughts
during that da}7, or for days, until that moment, but the
impression was so vivid, that I felt it^my duty, if called
upon to preach here during the meeting of the Bishops>
to discourse from this subject. I confess that a very dif"
11
250
LOSS OF FIRST LOVE.
ferent subject would have been ray choice, had I been left
to select without any special inspiration. Nevertheless,
I think it best to follow the dictates of the Holy Spirit.
A God-called ministry have ro business with the conse¬
quences: they have only to follow the directions of the
iSpirit and word of God, in the use of such means as God
gives them ability to command. The more I thought
upon this subject, the more I felt the burden of the mes¬
sage resting upon me. Nor did I feel relief until I began
to write down the cogitations of my heart.
There is certainly some resemblance between the situa¬
tion and history of this church and the church at Ephe-
sus. That was the first church named among those to
whom a message wassent—most likely the first one formed,
and the chief of those over which the Apostle presided.
Ephesus was a flourishing maritime city, possibly the
most flourishing of its time. Likewise, this church is
situated in the first of American cities, and was the first
African Methodist Episcopal church formed upon earth.
It stands forth as the great pioneer in the contest, in
which the race has had to engage against caste—preju¬
dice. Before the foundation of any other of the early
African M. E. churches was laid, her walls were towering
up toward the heavens, and her sons and daughters were
frequenting her courts. When Richard Allen, the foun¬
der of the Bethel connection, was, according to their own
history, a local preacher in the M. E. Church, Zion's lay
preachers were upon her walls raising the horn of salva¬
tion, and declaring their determination to enjoy the
blessings of religious liberty.
LOSS OF FIRST LOVE.
251
But the context refers to the characteristics of the church
at Ephesus.
"I know thy works, labor and patience." This was
also once a working church. Some of you can remember
her labors of love in years gone. Both the ministry and
the laymen were untiring in their efforts for the salvation
of souls. Young men united in bands to attack the pow¬
ers of darkness in their strong holds, and by their per¬
suasions and prayers brought sinners out from their
haunts of iniquity, and gave them no rest until they found
rest in Jesus. Night after night, week after week, and
month after month, they were found at the sanctuary.
The word "tire" was not known to them. And the sis¬
ters—the daughters of Conference and daughters of Zion
connected with this church, made sacrifice and performed
labor, the far reaching results of which will only be fully
known, when they are read in the light of eternity. Many
a poor minister, dispirited and ready to give up a poor
field, received such substantial encouragement from the
charitable sisters of this church, that they were caused to
return with joy to their labor, and thus church after
church was planted, and the borders of Zion were extended
East, North, West, and finally South.
Ephesus was commended for her patience, under the
reproaches and persecutions. Certainly, no church ever
bore her persecutions with more patience than Zion has.
I have thought at times that her patience had ceased to
be a virtue. The slanders of her enemies have passed
into proverbs, and are believed because not contradicted.
Every misrepresentation that malice could set afloat, has
been kept in circulation for nearly a century, and she has
252
LOSS OF FIRST LOVE.
suffered them to take their rounds unchecked by even a
denial.
The church at Ephesus was commended for its aversion
to evil-doers: " And how thou canst not bear them that
are evil." Likewise this church has been fearless in its
opposition to evil-doers. Oar fathers opposed every kind
of evil, so far as they had light on the subject of evil.
Some of our ministers refused to administer the sacra¬
ment to persons who came to the table with rings on
their fingers, or in their ears, or with flowers in their
bonnets. You may call this "old fogy ism," but it was
their idea of what religion required. Plainness of dress
was a part of their religion, and, to their notion, there
was no religion without it; hence, they insisted upon it.
As they opposed vanity, so they opposed whatever else
seemed to them evil.
The church at Ephesus was commended for its acute-
11 ess and faithfulness in detecting imposters. " And thou
hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not,
and hast found them liars." Likewise has this church
been rigid in its examination of those who claimed to be
called to the ministry. She has admitted none but such
as gave evidence of a divine call
Such is the favorable—the bright side of the picture we
have to present. I would that there was no other side to
it; but alas! there is, and the text leads us to contemplate
it: "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because
thou hast left thy first love." Notwithstanding the gen¬
eral commendation of the church at Ephesus, there were
some things that were not approved. And I fear that if
judgment was laid to the line, and righteousness to the
loss of first love.
253
plummet, the same complaint would truly be brought
against old Zion. Come now! you have been with me
thus far, you must go with me to the end. Face the
truth : if it is unpleasant, the fault is not in God or his
word, but in us. If we are not wholly acceptable with
God, the lack is not in him, but in us, and the sooner we
know it, the better. I told you in the beginning that I
was not following the line of my choice, but of duty.
Notice the complaint.
" Thou hast left thy first love." Literally, thou hast
lost, remitted or let down thy first love—thy early affec¬
tion. It has become less glowing and ardent than at first:
love to Christ and to the souls of men has declined. The
doctrines of religion probably are still maintained and
error still opposed, but that glowing zeal which moved
thee to make any reasonable sacrifice in the interest of
the Redeemer's kingdom, thou hast lost. There is still
an attendance upon divine worship, but it is cold and
formal. There is little of that holy, burning Christian
love which fills the heart with joy at the thought of en¬
tering the sanctuary—a joy which was once so overflowing
that it broke forth from the lips, in the language of the
Psalmist, " I was glad when they said unto me, let us go
up into the house of the Lord—our feet shall stand within
thy gates, 0 Jerusalem."
It is not an uncommon thing, either with individual
christians or with churches, to lose their first love. You
have often seen young converts start out so full of zeal
and good works, as to throw old christians in the shade;
and the same may be said of churches. They are formed
under the influence of a great revival, or a godly zeal,
254
LOSS OP FIRST LOVE.
which takes possession of a portion of the members of an
old organization, and causes them to break away from
their cold and formal associates, and form a new organi¬
zation for the promotion of holiness. Such were the cir¬
cumstances under which the Methodist Church was
formed. Sometimes larger religious liberty is desired.
This desire gave birth to the A. M. E. Zion Church. These
young organizations, like young converts, usually show
great activity; but after a time, they lose the fire of their
zeal, and become as formal and dead as the older bodies
from which they sprang. This is seen in the Wesleyan
church in England ; it is seen in the Methodist Episco¬
pal Church ; it is seen in our own church. This declina¬
tion of love is the result of various causes. With indi¬
viduals, it is often the result of neglect of God's house,
and the various means of grace—sach as reading the
Scriptures, fasting, meditation, prayer, and other holy
exercises. The enemy is so deceptive and crafty, and
leads men away so gradually, that his influence is not
discovered until one finds himself cold, and almost with¬
out hope. Awakening to a sense of his condition, he
exclaims:
"Ah where am I now!
When was it, how
That I fell from my heaven of grace?
I am brought into thrall,
I am stripped of my all,
I am banished from Jesus' face.
Hardly yet do I know
How I let my Lord go,
So insensibly led from his love.'"
LOSS OF FIRST LOVE
255
Worldly association, and the indulgence of the inclina¬
tion to worldly pleasures, have a chilling effect, and tend
to the declension of love.
Some are led away by temporal prosperity. Abundant
blessings from our Heavenly Father ought to fill our
hearts with gratitude, and lead us to greater devotion
and thankfulness; but alas! the opposite is too often
seen.
Sometimes people get too respectable to have much
love to God, or for the souls of men. As churches are
composed of individual members, whatever tends to the
declension of love iti the members, affects the entire body.
There is such a thing as a church being ate up with re¬
spectability—too respectable to be a working church.
Wrapped up in old moth-eaten garments of self-righteous¬
ness, they imagine themselves well dressed, in old-fash¬
ioned finery—than which nothing looks worse. There is
such a thing as a church wearing its old clothes, till they
are entirely out of fashion and threadbare; or, in other
words, living the past—what it has been—old-time re¬
spectability. Sometimes the members of a church get so
respectable, that they don't want anybody in church but
themselves. They are especially opposed to new comers.
They can pay the minister themselves, if they can have
one to order; and what is the church for, but for their
comfort, and credit, and glory?
Sometimes a set of old officers cling to the offices long
after their usefulness as such has ceased, and think it
would be sacrilege to diffuse any fresh blood into the body;
and the result is, the church goes to seed. It loses all
healthful growth and vigor; and from its scattered seed,
256
loss of first love.
there springs up around it a number of young and vig¬
orous plants, whose branches shoot out and cover all the
ground, leaving the old respectable stock in the shade.
Is this picture too striking? If so, I would have you
view it until it disgusts you beyond endurance—until
you resolve to shake off that spell of lethargy that has
dwarfed your efforts, and rise up in God's might and en¬
graft into the old stock a sufficiency of youthful energy to
reproduce the healthful growth which distinguished the
early days of Zion.
II. This brings us to consider the exhortation.
The duty or exercise required as an antidote for the
evil complained of is—
• 1. jRemembrance. " Remember, therefore, from whence
thou art fallen." Call to mind the eminence Old Zion
once occupied, when her gates were crowded with happy,
enthusiastic worshippers, coming up to the sanctuary to
worship the God of Jacob. Think of the influence Zion
once wielded in this city. She was the great centre of
attraction: the other little bodies exh ibited only a reflected
light, borrowed from the refulgence of her poured-out
splendor. She was the queen of christian beauty, send¬
ing out her rays to enlighten the dark places of the earth.
When her sister churches were struggling for existence,
she was floating on the bosom of prosperity. We are
urged to recollect—to remember, to bring up into our
minds a remembrance of our former state; to think of the
warmth of love, the ardor and zeal that once character¬
ized this church. Such a recollection of our former state,
when religion has declined in our hearts, or in the church,
will most likely produce a good effect. Nothing is better
LOSS OF FIRST LOVE.
257
suited to produce a good effect upon a backslidden chris¬
tian, or a backslidden church, than to get them to think¬
ing about the former happy days, until their thoughts
burst forth in song—till they sing:
"What peaceful hours I once enjoyed!
How sweet their memory still!
But they have left an aching void,
The world can never fill."
As our thoughts rest upon the blessedness we knew
when the love of God was blown to a flame in our hearts,
by the soul-refreshing view of Jesus and his word; holy
desires spring up, and holy resolutions are formed,—and
by the aid of divine grace, we are encouraged to call back
the insulted Spirit.
"Return, O! holy dove, return
Sweet messenger of rest:
I hate the sin that made thee mourn,
And drove thee from my breast."
We will then feel a desire to have Jesus reign in the
soul, and to this end—ask help from on high.
"The dearest idol I have known,
What e'er that idol be,
Help me to tare it from thy throne,
And worship only thee.
So shall my walks be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb."
A remembrance of former happy days will remind the
backslidden of what they might have enjoyed, had they
continued as they began—how much good they might
258
LOSS OP FIRST LOVE.
have accomplished, and how great attainments they
might have reached. Think of what vast results this
church might have accomplished, if she had continued to
weild the influence she once wielded: she might have
been sitting here in the garden of prosperity, with a large
number of full grown and flourishing daughters in this
and neighboring cities. We have sent you from the
South hundreds of promising lambs, but you have suf¬
fered them to be gathered into other folds.
2. We are exhorted to repentance. " Repent and do thy
first works." Let there be in you a change of mind, pur¬
pose and action. All of this is included in the word " re¬
pent"—a godly sorrow for sin, disobedience and slothful-
ness—a fixed purpose, a firm and active resolution to for¬
sake sin, and engage in the practice of every virtuous and
benevolent work. Sometimes there is a desire in the heart
of backsliders to return to the practice and enjoyment of
religion, but they don't know how. And there may be
those who long for the prosperity of Zion, but they don't
know where to begin. The text directs us: " Do thy
first works." God has done his works once and for all.
The work now is ours: you will not be happy now until
you work. It is not so much the loss of faith that causes
people to backslide as it is the neglect of duties. It is
work that has been neglected, and work that is required.
The unregenerate are justified by faith, but believers can
only feel the evidence of divine reconciliation, by actively
and continually engaging in works of righteousness, which
are the fruit of the Spirit. If you have backslidden, and feel
cold and lifeless, and desire to feel the joy of former days, go
to work for the Lord, for the salvation of souls, for the up-
loss of first love.
259
building of the church; and you will soon feel the flame
of love re-kindled in the bosom. Don't sit in silent med¬
itation, waiting for some supernatural influence—some
special visitation from above, to call you back and restore
you to the joys of better days, but get up and go to work.
The counsel of the Savior to those who have left their first
love; is, " To do their first works,"—to engage themselves
at once in doing what they did in the days of their early
piety, the days when the light of heaven shone upon their
path, when they went about doing good—when no kind
of wTeather, and no kind of amusement kept them from
the prayer-meeting, or class-meeting. "The day of thy
espousal." Do you wish to see the borders of Zion en¬
larged ? Go to work as our fathers did in the early days
of the church, and as you did when in the enjoyment of
your first love. Bring in the stragglers, call back the
wanderers, raise up the fallen and gather the lost sheep,
and let Zion's gates be crowded with a throng of happy
worshippers. We can not regain all that has been lost by neg¬
lect, but there is much ground that can yet be occupied, and
cheered by the hope of future possibilities: let us live, and
work for God and Zion. Let us emulate the holy deter¬
mination of the evangelical prophet. " For Zion's sake
will I not hold my peace, for Jerusalem's sake will I not
rest until the light thereof goes forth as the brightness,
and has glory as a lamp that burnetii."
III. Notice the fearful consequences of neglecting
this admonition.
" Or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove
thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." The
church at Ephesus was the spiritual light-holder for that
2G0
LOSS OP FIRST LOVE.
city—the means of dispensing light; which, if removed,
darkness would prevail. This was the punishment that
God threatened to inflict, if they repented not: He would
put out the light and leave them in darkness. The ob¬
vious meaning is, that the church in that place should
cease to exist—the light go out, to be lit no more. We
have already remarked how fully this judgment was
inflicted. Mr. Gibbon, though not a believer in revelation,
bears testimony that will show with what exactness the
prediction in regard to this church has been accomplished.
Speaking of the conquests of the Turks, he says: "In
the loss of Ephesus, the Christians deplored the fall of
the first angel, the extinction of the first candlestick; the
desolation is complete; and the temple of Diana, or the
church of mercy, will equally elude the search of the
curious traveller." Thus it appears that the heathen tem¬
ple of Diana, at Ephesus, and also the Christian church
there, have both passed away, and nothing remains but
unsightly ruins. What God did in Ephesus in the ful¬
fillment of his word, he has frequently done, both to
individuals and to churches. He has removed the light,
and left them in darkness. During the last ten years I
have frequently seen church buildings in which a sermon
has not been preached for years. Others have been turned
into barns and dwellings, and not a member to be found
who will own the name—"Christian." God forbid that
his light should ever go out in this church or city, or that
any backslider should be left in eternal darkness. But
fruits meet for repentance is the only preventative.
Perhaps some will feel discouraged, as so much time
has been lost. You have no need to be. Let each do
LOSS OF FIRST LOVE.
261
bis part now. Whining over the past will avail nothing.
We have nothing to do with the past3 except to be admon¬
ished and instructed by its experience. To the future we
must look. Thank God there is a future—a bright and
glorious future—a future for the Church on earth—a
future for old Zion, I fully believe. A future in which
the youth, whose eyes are now sparkling with delight,
will take the helm, and man the old ship Zion, and steam
her across the pitching and tossing waters of prosperity,
and bring her into port laden with a full Christian cargo.
Then there is another future, an eternal future, for the
promise is, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat
of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise
of God." The fruit of this tree is eternal life.
" O what are all my sufferings here,
If Lord thou count me meet
With that enraptured host to appoar,
And worship at thy feet.
Grive joy, give grief, give ease or pain,
Take life or friends away;
Bat let me find them all again,
In that eternal dav."
262
THE HELPLESSNESS OF nUMAN NATURE.
SERMON XIX.
THE HELPLESSNESS OF HUMAN NATURE.
"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent
Hie draw him." John yi, 44.
Jesus, having heard of the death of John the Baptist,
left Nazareth, passed over the sea of Galilee, and retired,
with his disciples, to a desert belonging to Bethsaida. To
this place the multitude followed him, received his in¬
structions, and many were healed of their diseases. His
miracles, and the force of his doctrines, held the atten¬
tion of the people so long, that the disciples thought
they needed rest and refreshment, and they suggested
that for this purpose he should dismiss and send them
away. The Lord Jesus, however, had compassion on the
people, and said to Philip, (who was a native of that
country), "Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?
And this he said to prove him : for he himself knew what
he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pen¬
ny worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every
one of them may take a little." Andrew remarked that
there was a lad present with five barley loaves and two
fishes, but that these would go but a little way among so
many. Jesus commanded the multitude to be sauted
upon the grass : he gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it
THE HELPLESSNESS OF HUMAN NATURE.
263
to bis disciples, and they gave it to the multitude. After
all were satisfied, they took up twelve baskets full of the
fragments that remained. This miracle convinced many,
of them that Jesus was the Messiah promised them, and
they were desirous to crown him and proclaim him king ;
which, when he perceived, he retired to a mountain alone.
After his mysterious departure, his disciples took ship,
and returned to Capernaum ; but as Jesus went not with
them, the multitude remained. The next day, however,
when other ships, passed by, they also crossed the lake.
To their astonishment, when they reached Capernaum,
they found Jesus there. As he did not embark with his
disciples, nor go in any of the ships which followed, they
could not imagine how he had reached that shore. It
had not occurred to them that he, who could multiply a
few loaves and fishes into a meal sufficient to feed thou¬
sands, could also walk upon the bosom of the deep.
Hence, they asked : "Rabbi, when earnest thou hither?"
He refused to gratify their curiosity by giving them an
account of his passage over the watef, but proceeded to
criticise their motive in following him, and to teach them
the lesson they should have learned from the miracle he
had wrought the day previous. "Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracle,
but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat
which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of
man shall give unto you : for him hath God the Father
sealed." They had not been duly impressed with the
purpose for which the miracle had been wrought; he,
therefore, took the occasion to teach them, that they
2G4 THE HELPLESSNESS OE HUMAN NATURE.
, ... ii r-v.ipf obiect to obtain nourish-
should not make it the hlp«winffs which Derish
ment for the body, or temporal blessings, which perish
with the using Of them, and at most can only give mo¬
mentary satisfaction, but that their chief object should be
toTbtain that spiritual food which gives eternal life, and
secures to us those blessings which are lasting, and that
felicity which is eternal. " Then said they unto him,
What shall we do to work the work of God? Jesus an¬
swered and said, This is the work of God, that ye believe
on him whom he hath sent." All the work required of
a truly penitent enquirer after righteousness, is faith in
Christ. It is this wrork—the exercise of faith—that God
is well pleased with ; nor do we begin the work, which
he requires, until we believe on his Son. The perverse-
ness of the hearts of most of his hearers, however, caused
them to reject this way of salvation: not all, for some
believed on him, and of them he declared that all those
whom his Father gave him should come to him, and that
he would not cast them out. But the Father, according
to his own plan could only give him such as believed on
him, for they alone are acknowledged as his. All who
remain in unbelief are children of the wicked one. Some
of his hearers, notwithstanding they had seen his latest
miracle, yet desired a sign as evidence of his Messiahsbip.
They intimated that, in comparison with the miracle by
which Moses had fed their fathers for forty years in the
wilderness, the one he had performed was but a small
thing. "Our fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, as
it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat."
But he answered, "I say unto you, Moses gave you not
that bread from heaven ; but my Father giveth you the
true bread from heaven." That was not the gift of Moses
THE HELPLESSNESS OP HUMAN NATURE. 265
but of God ; it came not out of heaven, but out of the air.
The Psalmist spake of manna simply as a type of the
true bread, which God has now given out of heaven, and
which giveth life to the world. When Jesus declared
himself this bread out of heaven, which God had given
to the world, some of the Jews were displased, and said :
"Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?" To this Jesus
answered, " Murmur not among yourselves." Don't mur¬
mur at my sayings, as though they were incredible, or
hard to be believed: it is not the want of truth in
them, but your prejudice against me, and the perverse-
ness of your will, which cause you to reject them.
For such is the degeneracy of your nature, such the
hardness of your hearts, such the stubbornness of your
will, and such your depraved and helpless condition, that
nothing but the power of grace divine can prevent your
eternal ruin. " No man can come to me, except the
Father which hath sent me draw him." The text is one
of those passages which emphatically declare the univer¬
sal degeneracy and helplessness of human nature, and
the absolute impossibility of restoration, without divine
aid. Mankind is so weak and helpless, so under the
reigning power of sin, that he cannot come to Christ until
drawn by cords divine. He cannot savingly believe until
God helps his unbelief. He cannot open his eyes to be¬
hold the light of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus
Christ, unless God gives him strength to do so. Hence
the language of the poet:
"How lost "was my condition,
Till Jesus made me whole;
There is but one physician,
Can cure the sin-sick soul."
26G the helplessness oe iimman nature.
A figure, however, representing a more helpless state
than that of sickness, is frequently employed to represent
the soul's condition, namely, death. It is dead—dead in
sin. Ilence the Apostle exclaims, " Arise from the dead."
And the change is spoken of as passing from death unto
life, and also as a resurrection from the dead. If these
figures do not express a state of utter helplessness, none
could. The sinner is spiritually dead—destitute of spir¬
itual life, of the image of God, which is the essence of
vital union with him; of his favor, which is life, and his
loving kindness, which is better than life. The sinner
is judicially dead—dead by sin through the law. "Sin,"
says the Apostle, " finding occasion through the com¬
mandment, beguiled me, and through it slew me." (Re¬
vised version.) The sinner is doomed to natural death,
and exposed to the danger of eternal death.
I. But the text reminds us of the spiritual and moral
distance which sin has wrought between man and
his Maker.
Sin has separated man from the Author of his being,
caused man to take his departure from his God, to go
away from him—not out of his sight; for if I borrow the
wings with which the rays of morning light fly across
creation with incomprehensible speed ; and with them fly
—and dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth, his all-
seeing eye shall follow me : not beyond his power; for if
I take up my abode in hell, that ie his prison, and his
hand shall hold me there: but away from his holiness,
away from his reconciled love; away from that vital
union with him, which constitutes our spiritual life and
joy unspeakable,—
THE HELPLESSNESS OF HUMAN NATURE.
267
"Away on the mountain wild and bare,
Away from the tender Shepherd's care."
Now the object of Christ's visit to this world was to
bring man back to God. " He came to seek, and to save
the soul which was lost."
"We all like sheep had gone astray,
"We had left the fold of God:
Each wandering in a different way,
But all the downward road."
We had all departed from God, and the distance was
continually growing greater. Christ left heaven to bring
us back to God. By the sacrifice of himself, in the humil¬
ity, poverty, shame, and the agony of his incarnation and
death ; and by His resurrection; He has made an atone¬
ment, which meets all the demands of divine justice*
" He was bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of
our peace was upon him,and by his stripes we are healed.''
But in order to our being brought back to God, we must
come to Jesus. We can approach God only through him.
He is the way, and there is no other. He is the door;
and there is no other entrance: by him, if any man en¬
ters, he shall be saved. He is the true way; all else is
deceptive—is false. He is the life; without him is death-
He invites us to come to him: " Come unto me all ye that
labor and are heavy laden." He urges us to come—ex¬
hibiting his wounds—his pierced hands, his feet, his side}
his temples torn by a crown of thorns, and his back fur¬
rowed by a wire whip. He dwells upon the easiness of
the terms: "Without money and without price." He
proclaims the richness and costliness of the provisions—
" My oxen and my fatlings are killed, all things are ready
2G8
the helplessness of human nature.
come!" And when every effort has been exhausted in
vain, he complains: "Ye will not come to me, that ye
may have life." (Rev. Version.) It is our interest to
come to Christ: our well-being in this present life hinges
upon our coming to him; nor can there be any present
peace, security, or real happiness here without him. That
we may be truly happy here,
'' Christ must be tlie sea of love,
Where all our pleasures roll;
The circle where our passions move,
The center of our £oul."
Then, our future well-being depends upon onr coming to
Christ: all the immortal concerns of eternity are involved
—heaven, with all its glories; and hell, with all its ter¬
rors, urge us. It is our duty to come to Christ; to refuse,
is rebellion—is sin, yea, sin unto death—temporal, spirit¬
ual and eternal. Hence, finally, we must come to Christ,
or be forever lost and undone—"For there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must
be saved."
II. This brings us to notice that while we are invited
to come to Christ—it is our duty and interest to come
to him. and we must come or perish eternally.
Yet, such is the helplessness of human nature, that no
man can come to Christ except the Father draw him. Such
is the language of the text, and it was uttered by the Son
of God. " Then," eays the sinner, " if I am not divinely
drawn, I am lost." Precisely so. If God should pass
you by, you are forever lost. " Then my case is both
helpless and hopeless, unless the Lord be pleased to draw
me?" It is verily so. " Then I have nothing to do, but
THE HELPLESSNESS OF HUMAN NATURE. 2G9
to wait God's time?" This is a false suggestion of the
devil, in which, as usual, he mixes a little truth with his
falsehood. It is true that we must wait God's time, but
it is not true, that we have nothing else to do. If you
were expecting a very dear friend by a particular train—
one you loved more than all others—you might have to
wait the arrival of that train, but you would hardly be
doing notfeing, while waiting. If nothing else, you would
be wishing the train might come on time; notwithstand¬
ing, this wish might be fruitless. But we have the assu¬
rance that a sincere desire for the Saviour's love is
never breathed in vain. Yours would be an anxious
waiting; it would not be regarded as a marvellous thing
for you to go to the railroad station and wait there.
I repeat, it would be an anxious waiting—something
like that expressed by the Psalmist, when he says: " My
soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for
the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the
morning." He repeated it to exhibit the force he wished
to throw into it. You can imagine how a shipwrecked
mariner, alone upon the bosom of the deep, would watch
for the morning—for light, by which his signal of dis¬
tress could be seen. The Psalmist declares that his wait¬
ing for the Lord had in it an energy of soul, an agony, a
thirsting, yea, a longing for the Lord, more intense than
the agony of any distressed, benighted mortal, who
watches for the morning. It was said of Simeon that he
waited for the consolation of Israel, but he was found
waiting in the temple. He had drawn as near to the
Lord as he could get. This is a waiting in which there
is no folding of the arms, no indifference, but an energy
270
THE HELPLESSNESS OP HUMAN NATURE.
of longing, which sets every fiber of the soul in motion.
Yes, you must wait God's time; but that is now. He
proclaims it, "Behold now is the day of salvation."
Hence, you need wait no longer, but come! Come now,
while he is drawing you ; for, blessed be God, he passes
none by: he leaves no soul to perish in its sins—not until
love's utmost efforts, in its behalf, have been exhausted in
Vain. While power is given to the Son to save all who
come to God through him, yet the Father is not an idle
spectator of the glorious work. He is not only watching
the process through which sinners are passing in the
washing of regeneration, but is also engaged continually
in drawing souls to Christ, that they may be saved. Do
you say you don't un-derstand the divine drawings ? You
must remember that the instrumentalities by which ob¬
jects are drawn, are as various as are the objects to be
drawn. An apple is drawn from the limb of a tree to the
ground by the power of gravitation: that is, when the
hold, by which it was held to the twig, has relaxed, then
the power of gravitation, takes hold of it, and draws it to
the ground. Till then, the power of gravitation is not
strong enough to bring it down. Likewise, when our
affections relax their hold upon the things of this world,
we are easily drawn to God by the cords of divine love.
This earth, with all its sattellites is drawn around the sun
bjr the joint action of the centre-seeking and centre-flee¬
ing forces. The one keeps the earth from flying off into
unlimited space, the other keeps it from tumbling into
the sun. A train of cars is drawn by the power of steam,
and a wagon is drawn by horse-power—brought to bear
upon traces attached to it. Thus you see that matter is
THE HELPLESSNESS OF HUMAN NATURE. 271
drawn by forces suited to its nature. But there is some¬
thing in man that is not matter, and in that something
is the spring of all his moral actions. We call it the
soul. As the body has a heart, or fountain out of
which life's blood flows, so has the soul a heart,
centre, or mainspring of all its action. This main¬
spring of the soul, I am inclined to believe, is the
will. I have heard men speak of doing things against
their will, than which there could be no greater mis¬
take. We act only when the will acts: that which is
done against our will, is not our act, but the power of
forces which we either cannot or will not control. To
make the matter plain: Suppose I lay my band upon
this Bible, a desperado rises up before me and shouts
out, "Take that hand up!" I answer, "No, I won't."
" Take that hand up, or I will blow your brains out!" he
exclaims. Now, if my will does not yield to the force of
the danger before me, my hand will still remain un¬
moved. If I don't say it, in so many words, my act says,
" Crack away ! I won't move my hand." But if I am
not willing to risk having my brains blown out, or am
more willing to take up my hand than to take that
chance, my will runs down into that hand and it comes
up. It comes up by the consent of my will too. That
the force operating upon the will was strong, I grant; it
had lo be stronger than the will, in order to make it
yield. Likewise the will must yield to the divine influ¬
ence ; hence, the cords by which men are drawn, are such
as can be brought to bear upon the will. Jehovah says,
I draw them by bands of men. There are peculiar cords
by which human nature is drawn, and which operate
272
THE HELPLESSNESS OF HUMAN NATUKE.
upon the will, which I have declared to be responsible
for every moral act. And I may here remark, that God
lays great stress upon the will. It is, " whosoever will.'
To the man who had laid thirty-eight years at the pool,
Jesus said, " Wilt thou be made whole?" The consent of
that man's will was all that was required. And that is
all that is required of many here, this day. There are at
least three strong cords, which operate upon the will and
draw men to Christ—the cords of fear, the cords of inter¬
est, and the cords of love. The fear of hell, the hope of
heaven, and the love of God, are the three grand motives
prominently set forth in the Book Divine, and they are
designed to draw men to Christ. Man is an intellectual
being: he has understanding; he can think, he can rea¬
son, he can take subjects into his judgment, (the mind's
balances,) and weigh them. He can reflect, consider, de¬
cide, and act. He has conscience capable of emotions,
and affections which can feel the touch of love, ai>d are
moved in response to its influence. There came once a
man to church, filled with his notions of his own impor¬
tance: it was during a revival season. I said to him,
" Would you like to go forward to the altar for prayer?"
He gave me a look, which seemed to say, " I don't want
3'our praters!" Now, I might have talked with that man
for a month, while he was in that state of mind, without
movinghim. To have gotten thatman tothealtar,I would
have had to apply physical force, and then only his body
would have been there. But the services continued, the
Spirit of God touched that man's conscience, tears stole
down his cheeks, his head was bowed, and finally he arose
and went to the altar, and found peace. That man's con-
THE HELPLESSNESS OF HUMAN NATURE. 273
science was touched, and through his conscience his will
was reached, and caused to yield to the divine influence;
and it would have taken strong chains to have held him
back from that altar, to which he could only have been
dragged, a little while before. Some months ago, there
came a man to church, who was an unbeliever. He lis¬
tened to a sermon in the morning, in which human help¬
lessness was set forth. In the afternoon the minister
presented an argument, in which the way of salvation,
through faith in Christ, was made plain. Before the
services closed for the day, that man, who had come in
the morning a thoughtless unbeliever, found that peace
which he had never before thought of seeking for. His
understanding grasped the truth, which he thought had
never before been so plainly set forth, and reason said,
" Why not accept the Saviour now?" That man's will
yielded to the force of reason, and he was thus drawn to
Christ, and saved. Let us suppose a lady, who is a mil¬
lionaire, is approached with the request that she take the
place of a servant and become a child's nurse. What is
the result? You have kindled the wrath of that lady,
until she could burn you up with her anger, if such a
thing were possible. What! she descend to the position
of a servant! She scorns the thought. But let that lady
be a loving mother, and let her child be at the point of
death, and where will you find her? Clothed in scarlet
robes, decked with jewels of gold, and entertaining the
gay and thoughtless mortals who delight only in exhibi¬
tions of sublunary grandeur ? No! Where then? You
will find her near that sick child, watching and waiting,
and serving—a servant of the child. That lady has come
12
274
THE HELPLESSNESS OF HUMAN NATURE.
down from her high notions—her scorn of labor, toil, and
service. What brought her down? She was drawn down
by the cords of affection for that child. Her will was
reached through her affections, and yielded to the force
of love. God says, "I draw them with cords of love;"
and again, " With everlasting kindness have I drawn
thee." You were all drawn to church this day, as you
have often been, but I see not the cords by which you
were drawn : and yet some of you were drawn so hard, that
it would have caused you pain to have stayed away. You
would have been unhappy at home, on account of your
great desire to be here. Some were not drawn so hard,
but they are here. A little rain would have held some
back, because they were not drawn by the kind of cords
which draw people through all kinds of weather. You
were drawn here by a variety of forces. Some were drawn
by the cords of affection for the house and worship of
God. Like the Psalmist, you were glad when they said
unto you, " Let us go up unto the house of the Lord."
You said with heart-felt love, with glowing rapture, "Our
feet shall stand within thy gates, 0 Jerusalem." Some
were drawn by the cords of duty: though you felt not
that burning desire which at times has drawn you, yet
there was a sense of duty impelling you. There may be
a sorrowing soul, who has come seeking comfort, or a sin-
sick soul may have come to inquire for the Great Physi¬
cian. Of such, the Matchless Speaker has said, "Blessed,
are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." Per¬
haps some have been drawn by the cords of curiosity;
possibly, some by the cords of vanity—something new to
exhibit. " The bands of men," or cords by which they arc
THE HELPLESSNESS OP HUMAN NATURE.
275
led about, are truly various, and there are very many ways
by which the Father draws souls to Christ. The danger,
therefore, is not that we shall not be drawn, but that we
may suffer the divine influence to be employed in vain.
For, I repeat, it is a blessed truth, that God passes none
by. He leaves none to perish, until all the cords by
which he draws men to his Son have been employed in
vain. Dojou sa}r, " I have never felt the divine draw¬
ings?" Possibly they were so gentle and tender, and you
so thoughtless and indifferent, that you failed to notice
the heavenly influence. If you had been like the Psalm¬
ist, waiting for him more anxiously than they that wait
for the morning, you would have felt the divine opera¬
tion. Many are brought to Christ through a painful pro¬
cess, because they will not yield to the milder means.
With some, severe providential interpositions have to be
employed, before they will yield—such as the furnace
of afflication, bereavements, and other domestic troubles.
Are you inclined to hang back until the strongest and
most severe cords are employed to draw you? Is it not
more reasonable to yield to the milder influences? Is it
not unfeeling to put the Father to so much trouble to
bring us to Christ? No man can truly say, he has never
felt the divine drawings. Have you ever felt guilty, or a
moment's remorse of conscience? Have you ever felt
sorry for sin, or wished yourself better ? Such feelings
only come through the divine influence; they are his
drawings: if yielded to, they will bring us sweetly and
joyfully to Jesus. I once knew a man who said he lived
to the age of thirty years without having one good impres¬
sion, or the least remorse of conscience. I never expect
276 THE HELPLESSNESS OF HUMAN NATURE.
to meet another, who can truthfully say the same. Is
there one here who can? If so, let him now stand up
I conclude there is none. Then you have all been drawn—
perhaps time and again. Don't you remember a time in
which you were aroused at midnight—a night so dark
that it seemed as though every star had been blotted out,
and the stillness was so profound that it appeared as
though all creation was at silence for a while? And
don't you remember that, notwithstanding the stillness,
you felt a horror as though you were in some dreadful
presence? That was God drawing you by filling your
conscience with tormenting fear? Have you at times, like
Agrippa, felt that you were almost persuaded to be a
christian? God was then drawing you by the cords of
reason. Were you almost ready to accept the Saviour,
while urged to do so by your dying mother ? He was
then drawing you by the cords of tenderness which you
felt toward that sainted parent. If you have yielded to
these influences, you are happy in the Saviour's love; if
not, you have resisted the strivings of the Spirit: and God
says, " My Spirit shall not always strive with man."
The time will come, and you know not how soon, when
God will cease to draw you, and then you will be forever
undone. 0 yield now, while you are under the divine
influence.
" Almost persuaded" now to believe ;
" Almost persuaded" Christ to receive ;
Seems now some soul to say,
"Go, Spirit, go Thy way,
Some more convenient day
On Thee I'll call."
THE HELPLESSNESS OP HUMAN NATURE.
" Almost persuaded," Come, come to-day;
" Almost persuaded,1' turn not away;
Jesus invites you here,
Angels are lingering near,
Prayers rise from hearts so dear:
O wanderer, come!
" Almost persuaded," harvest is past!
" Almost persuaded," doom comes at last!
" Almost" cannot avail;
" Almost" is but to fail!
Sad, sad the bitter wail—
11 Almost—but lost!"
278
THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
SERMON XX.
THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
"And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne,
were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. And
the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a
calf, and the third creature had a face as of a inan, and the
fourth creature was like a flying eagle." Revelation iv, 6, 7.
(Revised Version.)
In the three chapters of this book which precede the
one in which our text is found, we have a description of
the state of the Christian Church as it existed in John's
time, as revealed to him by the Son of God. This descrip¬
tion is called the things that then were. After giving
suitable direction and encouragement to the churches and
their pastors, his attention was directed to a second vis¬
ion, in which things were revealed which should trans¬
pire after that time—that is, things that should succes¬
sively come to pass from the time of the vision until the
mystery of God, respecting mankind on earth, should be
accomplished. In this vision God is represented as seated
upon his heavenly throne in the midst of his saints. His
glorious majesty and infinite perfection are set forth in
the most lively, beautiful, and expressive images that
finite mind could possibly imagine. The picture includes
THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
279
a view of the church triumphant before the throne en¬
gaged in unceasing adoration and praise.
As no language of mine can equal that in which the be¬
loved disciple paints this sublimely glorious and heavenly
scenery, I transcribe his language : " After this I looked,
and, behold, a door was opened in heaven; and the first
voice which I heard was as it were a trumpet talking
with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show
thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately
I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in
heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was
to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there
was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto
an emerald. And round about the throne were four and
twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty
elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on
their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne pro¬
ceeded lightnings and thunderingsand voices: and there
were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which
are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne
there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the
midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were
four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first
beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and
the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast
was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of
them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes
within : and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy,
holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and
is to come. And when the beasts give glory and honor
and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth
280 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down
before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that
liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the
throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory
and honor and power: for thou hast created all things,
and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
In this vision John beheld a door opened in heaven ;
so it appeared to him; and he had the gratifying promise
of a further insight into the divine mystery. There are
several of these openings mentioned in this book, by each
of which John gained a new and more extended pros¬
pect. Here a door was opened, afterward the temple of
God in heaven (chaps, xi, 19; xv, 5), and still later heaven
itself was opened (chap, xix, 11). John was bidden to
ascend, which it appears he did immediately, not in body
but in spirit. " He beheld a throne sat in heaven." We
are not to understand this description as literal, but fig¬
urative. His mind received the impression of a picture
of Jehovah seated on a throne of majesty, arrayed in
robes of glory, as a king, governor, and judge. The ap¬
pearance of three precious stones, connected with the rain¬
bow, the lustre of which attracted the attention of the
evangelist, seem indicative of his purity, or righteous¬
ness, justice, mercy, and truth: and show, that in him
mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and
peace have kissed each other. The jasper is white, signi¬
fying his purity and righteousness. The sardine stone
is red, and denotes his justice, in executing vengeance
upon his enemies. The emerald is green, and betokens
mercy to the penitent. The rainbow signifies his truth
in keeping his covenant: he is true to all his engsge-
the christian characteristics. 281
merits. Around the throne, in a circular form, were four
and twenty seats, upon which sat four and twenty elders.
These, I think, represent the Old Testament church.
Their robes seem to correspond with the patriarchal and
Jewish costume,especially that of the Jewish priests: their
harps and golden vials seem to indicate their connection
with the tabernacle and temple worship. Their golden
crowns indicated that they were made kings and priests
unto God. Understanding the elders to represent the
Old Testament church' I think we must regard the four
beasts as a representation of the Christian Church.
Dr. Doddridge remarks, that it was a very unhappy
mistake in our English translators to translate this word
beasts: it should have been translated " living creatures,"
as it is in the Revised Version. One had wings, and an¬
other the face of a man, neither of which belong to beasts.
I, therefore, adopt the term " living creatures;" and shall
consider them as representing the Christian Church.
These were nearest the throne. Their number indicates
♦universality, and corresponds with the Christian Church,
which is to extend to all nations. The new song which
they sang—"Thou hast redeemed us out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation," would not well ap¬
ply to the Jewish church, for it was composed of one na¬
tion only; much less to angels, who were not redeemed.
The elders sang of creation, with which the ancient
church was best acquainted, the living creatures sang of
redeeming love.
I. Let us consider the characteristics of the Chris¬
tian Church, as set forth in the description of
these living creatures.
282
THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
Some think that by the living creatures, the charac¬
teristics of the Christian Church at different periods is
intended to be set forth; that in the first age, the Church
was distinguished for undaunted courage; that in the
second age, when the people of God were slain like sheep
for the slaughter, the Church was distinguished for un¬
wearied patience; that further on in its history, intelli¬
gence was its peculiar characteristic ; and, finally, when
all the enemies are overcome, and every obstacle re¬
moved, she will go forth upon wings as an eagle, extend¬
ing her conquests to earth's remotest bounds. I think,
however, that the picture is intended to represent the
complete christian character: that the creatures named
include a combination of characteristics, which should
adorn every disciple of Christ.
1. The idea of undaunted courage is set forth.
" The first living creature was like a lion." How fre¬
quently this lion-like courage has been exemplified in
the life and character of the people of God : undaunted
they have gone forth, as it were, with their lives in thei»
hands—few in number, but facing thousands. Forty days
after the crucifixion of the Founder of the Christian re¬
ligion, Peter stood up, in the city of His death, and boldly
charged His death to the enmity of the Jews; and de¬
clared that God had raised Him from the dead. Kings,
princes, and potentates forbade the disciples to speak in
the name of Jesus; but they answered, " We should obey
God rather than men," and continued to speak in his
name. While in all civil matters, they both taught and
practiced obedience to the ruling powers, yet in matters
of religion, they regarded not the edicts of sovereigns.
THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
283
Paul stood before Felix, Festus and Agrippa, and fear¬
lessly professed his faith in the despised Nazarene. The
disciples faced danger and death in the cause of their
Master, and counted not their lives dear if spent in de¬
fence of the truth. Paul at Athens, the seat of science,
charged the learned Grecians as being in the darkness of
ignorance and superstition, and urged them to repent
and embrace the light which is revealed in the Gospel.
To king Agrippa, associated with his beautiful sister
Bernice, he put truth so pointed that he drew from the
king's lips the acknowledgment that he was almost per¬
suaded to be a Christian.
To-day we see men and women of God, going forth as
missionaries in foreign lands, bearing the lamp of truth
into the dark regions of heathenism, regardless of dan¬
ger—not with carnal weapons, but with weapons that are
mighty, through God, in pulling down the strongholds
of the devil: not by secret stratagem, but with open
boldness.
2. The picture reminds us that Christianity includes pa¬
tience—unwearied patience.
" The second creature was like a calf," (or ox.) Horses
are sometimes balky, and mules grow stubborn ; but not
so with the ox: I have seen him when the load was
heavy get down on his knees, and hang to it, until his
eyes seemed ready to start from their sockets. There is
also a quiet submissiveness in the well-trained ox, that is
not seen in other beasts of burden. Now patience is a
most commendable virtue. We are thus admonished by
the Apostle James: " Let patience have her perfect work,
284
THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
that ye may be entire, lacking nothing." He also refers
us to the prophets, as an example of suffering and pa¬
tience ; and to Job, who endured to the end, and thereby
secured the gracious favor of God. James v, 10.11. Also,
the Apostle Paul exhorts us to be imitators of those who,
through faith and patience, inherited the promises-
Speaking of the suffering and endurance of the Old Tes¬
tament saints, he says, " they were stoned, they were sawn
asunder, were tempted, were slain with the -sword; they
wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being des¬
titute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was not
worthy: they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and
in dens and caves of the earth." Hebrews xi, 37. Ypt
through all of this they possessed their souls in patience,
and obtained a good report—were faithful to the end.
These things being said of them, reminds us that patience
especially becomes us as christians. How fully this virtue
was displayed by the early christians is plainly seen in
the history of the martyrs. Patient resignation to the
will of God, under every dispensation of his providence,
is, in our judgment, the capstone of christian perfection.
'' Who suffer with our Master here,
They shall before his face appear,
And by his side sit down ;
To patient faith the praise is sure,
And all that to the end endure
The cross shall wear the crown."
The Captain of our salvation was made perfect by suf¬
fering; and we, to be conformed to him, must patiently
endure our sufferings.
THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS. 285
3. The figure in the text reminds us that Christianity
bears the marks of intelligence.
The third living creature had the face of a man. The
religion of Jesus is not a system of dark sayings, nor a
mass of ambiguities, as were the responses of the heathen
oracles: it is not superstition, nor fanaticism, nor cun¬
ningly-devised fables. It is truth capable of being dem¬
onstrated, and worthy of the deepest meditation, and the
profoundest thought of the highest order of intelligence.
We are told that the angels desired to look into it: yea,
breaking off from the contemplation of every other ob¬
ject in God's dominion, they exhaust the utmost effort of
their celestial powers in studying the mystery of redemp¬
tion. It is the true wisdom, which cometh down from
heaven—from God, the fountain or source of all knowl¬
edge. They who embrace it are not mad, as Festus sup¬
posed Paul to be. He, who had been so mad that he
dwelt among the tombs in a nude state, cutting his flesh
with stones and could not be held with chains, was
brought by its power to sit at the feet of Jesus, clothed,
and in his right mind. " Then shall we know," says the
prophet, "if we follow on to know the Lord." There is
no limit to the knowledge secured through the religion
of Jesus: we shall reach the source whence knowledge
flows in streams divine. The idea of intelligence is not
only expressed by the face of a man, as a characteristic of
one of the living creatures, but "they were full of eyes."
It would be impossible to present the idea of intelligence
more forcibly than by the representations in this vision.
They were full of eyes round about and within. They
280 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
liad not only eyes without, but within also to see them¬
selves. Those who only have eyes without, cannot see
themselves. They can see everybody else, can detect the
smallest defect in the character of others, but not in their
own—can see a moat in their brother's eye, but not the
beam in their own eye. The genuine christian has large
self-knowledge: he discerns his own faults; can see
wherein he is wrong; discovers evil in his own nature;
studies and knows himself; finds the plague in his own
heart, and rests not until it is removed. Light and
knowledge, and their natural product—joy and peace,
increaseth, wherever the religion of Jesus prevails. Ev¬
ery ery thing beastly in humanity vanishes, as Christian¬
ity goes forth bearing on its face the beams of angelic in¬
telligence.
4. But the representation also includes the idea of
unceasing activity.
" The fourth creature was like a flying eagle." It is
also said of the creatures, that they "rest not day and
night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which was, and is, and is to come." They also had each
six wings. It must be a dull mind that does not perceive
the idea of activity in this three-fold figurative representa¬
tion. Activity is the general order of created things. The
subordinate planets cease not to perform their stupen¬
dous revolutions, and the burning orbs, which are suns
and centers of planetary systems far from us, have each
their path in unlimited space, over which they never cease
to travel. Even Satan's crew are always busy. For it is
written, " They have no rest that worship the beast."
Mark the difference. The hosts of heaven rest not, but
THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
287
those who worship the beast have no rest. The heavenly
hosts employ themselves in the delightful service of holy
adoration. The hosts of hell are kept busy: they cannot
rest; their agony forbids rest; tossed upon the bosom of
a burning lake, they shift and turn, like one upon a bed
of thorns, seeking ease or rest, but find it not. Even
here on earth they have no rest; their master, the devil,
keeps them busy. Some he employs in useless vanities—
such as going to the circus, card-playing, dancing, and
other vain amusements; others he employs on coarser,
baser, and more daringly wicked work—such as slander,
adultery, robbery, drunkenness and murder. They are
not only kept busy, but they are kept in pain.
*' In pain they travel all tlieir days
To reach eternal woe."
If the wicked cannot rest on earth, or in the world of
woe, and saints in heaven will not rest, or cease their holy
exercise; surely saints on earth, or those groaning to be
such, ought not to let their hands hang down, until they
have done all in their power to bring themselves, and all
others within their circle, into that meetness and perfect-
ness of heart and life, which will insure the divine ac¬
ceptance.
We are urged to activity by the flight of time. "My
days,'" says Job, "are swifter than a weaver's shuttle."
David says, " Thou hast my days as an hand breadth"—
only four inches of time, but he reduces it still—" Mine
age is as nothing before thee." But we are admonished,
by the vast concerns that hang upon these fleeting mo¬
ments. The immortal poet shall tell it:
288 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
" Lo 1 on a narrow neck of land,
Twixt two unbounded seas I stand,
Secure, insensible,
A point of time, a moment's space,
Kemoves me to that heavenly place,
Or shuts me up in hell."
Short as time is, our souls, if saved at all, must be saved
while time lasts. Our eternal interests, if secured at all,
must be secured while time lasts. We conclude with the
following lines of poetry, which speak volumes:
" No room for mirth or trifling here,
For worldly hope, or worldly fear,
If life so soon is gone;
If now the Judge is at the door,
And all mankind must stand before
The inexorable throne!
O God, mine inmost soul convert,
And deeply on my thoughtful heart
Eternal things impress:
Give me to feel their solemn weight,
And tremble on the brink of fate,
And wake to righteousness.
Before me place in dread array,
The pomp of that tremendous day,
When thou with clouds shall come
To judge the nations at thy bar ;
And tell me, Lord, shall I be there,
To meet a joy doom?
No matter which my thoughts employ,
A moment's misery or joy,
But, O! when both shall end,
THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
289
Where shall I find my destined place?
Shall I my everlasting days
With fiends or angels spend?
Nothing is worth a thought beneath,
But how I may escape that death
That never, never dies!
How make mine own election sure,
And when I fail on earth, secure
A mansion in the skies.
Jesus, vouchsafe a pitying;
Be thou my guide, be thou my way
To glorious happiness.
Ah! write the pardon on my heart,
And whenso'er I hence depart,
Let me depart in peace."
290
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.
SERMON XXI.
DAVID'S ROOT AND OFFSPRING, OR VENUS IN
THE APOCALYPSE.
1' I am the root and offspring of David, the bright, the morn¬
ing star." Revelation xxii, 16. (Revised Version.)
The human vocabulary has been exhausted in vain
attempts to find language, sufficiently expressive, to set
forth the characteristics of the world's Redeemer. Words
are too sparse, and language inadequate, to express the
beauty, the glory, the Wisdom, the power and the grace
of this immutable and incomprehensible Being who ap¬
pears as our Daysman. The inspired penmen have em¬
ployed the most beautiful and expressive figures that
heaven and earth afford, to aid our limited comprehen¬
sion ; and yet, they have failed, as all finite effort must
fail, to grasp the Infinite. He is the " Branch," the " Da}'-
spring," the " Plant of Renown" ; a " Rock," a " Refuge,"
a " High Tower," a " Shield," a " Hiding Place," a "Shel¬
ter from the Storm," a " Covert "; the " Shadow of a Great
Rock in a Weary Land," the " Way, the Truth and the
Life," the " Rose of Sharon," the " Lilly of the Valley,"
the " Fairest among Thousands," and the " Altogether
Lovely." In the text he is the " Root and Offspring of
David, the Bright, the Morning Star."
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.
291
The figures in the text are used by Jesus himself. He
had employed an angel to show many things unto his
servant John, but he came forth himself to close up the
prophecy. He introduces himself as the Alpha and
Omega, but this language is not sufficiently broad and
expressive: he, therefore, adds the figures in the text.
" I Jesus have sent my angel to testify unto you these
things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of
David, the bright, the-morning star."
The first figure is expressive of the two-fold character
of Jesus as God and man—" the root and offspring." If
he possessed but one nature, and that the divme, he might
be the root, but not the offspring of David. If he had
but one nature, and that the human, he might be the
offspring, but not the root of David. In his divine na¬
ture, he is the root, the source, the first, the underlying
principle; hidden from view, but upholding and sustain¬
ing all things. As a root, he sends forth the bough and
branches of the visible creation—unseen, but as surely
sustaining all things as the unseen root sustains the
tree. He is elsewhere spoken- of as God's fel^w and
companion; his possession in the beginning of his
way, before his works of old—before the mountains
were brought forth, before time was born, or light con¬
ceived. We feel back through countless ages, but can¬
not touch the beginning of his way: we throw our
thoughts back through the mental telescope, back, back,
back! and attempt in vain to survey the eternal regions,
in which he hides himself with curtains too thick for
mortal thoughts to pierce. He is the Everlasting Father
and Eternal Son, the great First Cause of all things,
292
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.
Himself uncaused and eternal. He is also the offspring
of David—sprang from David. This eternal, self-exist¬
ing Being condescended to appear in human form, as the
descendant of a mortal. He, who in the beginning was
with God, and was God, became flesh and dwelt among
us in mortal form—was really and truly man, with all
human infirmities, sin excepted. As a man, he was
hungry, thirsty, and weary—as a man, he ate and slept.
He had the human passions of love, desire, fear, sorrow
and joy. He was really and truly man—had a human
body, and a human soul and spirit; had a will of his
own, separaWfrom, but in all things yielding to that of
his Father. He said to his Father, "Not as I will, but
as thou wilt." That he might die for us, he took upon
himself our nature in all its weakness and infirmity, ex¬
cept sin. Like Adam, "sufficient to have stood, yet free
to fall." Hence he is called " the second Adam."
The other.figure in the text, "the bright, the morning
star," is a symbol of his subordinate character—the char¬
acter he assumed, in the form of a servant, to become our
Daysman. In his divine nature, he is the Eternal Son.
As such, the planet referred to would not fitly represent
him: the sun would be a better figure. The star re¬
ferred to is the planet Venus, which, like our own planet,
the earth, is a dark body, which shines only by reflection.
If Venus is inhabited, (as is most likely,) to its inhabi¬
tants the earth appears as Venus does to us, except much
brighter. In the first place, the earth is larger; and sec¬
ondly, it having an orbit outside of Venns, the inhabi¬
tants of that planet view its whole illuminated surface,
when at its nearest point; at which time it must reflect a
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.
293
light most beautiful to behold. We only see the whole
illuminated surface of Venus when it is farthest from us :
when it is on the other side of the sun, a hundred and
fifty-six million miles away. When at its nearest point
to us, we only see its rim, like the new moon. Being be¬
tween us and the sun, most of its illuminated surface ig
turned from us.
This star, or planet, is a fit emblem of the human na¬
ture of Jesus. The beams which occasionally shone out
from him were the reflection of the rays of his Father's
glory. The true character of Venus is only seen when
in transit across the sun's disc. Its illuminated side is
then wholly turned from us, and it is seen in its true
character, as a dark body. Likewise, the human nature
of Jesus was most clearly seen when he hung upon the
cross, when the rays of the divine glory were wholly
withdrawn from our view, and his lifeless body hung be¬
tween the heav'ens and the earth. His suffering and
death were convincing evidences of his humanity, while
his miracles testified of his divinity, especially the last
great miracle by which he broke the bars of death, bore
away its gates, spoiled principalities and powers, drew out
death's sting, snatched victory from the grave, and came
forth as the spoiler of hell and conqueror of death, and
exulting in his possession of universal dominion. These
reflected rays of the divine glory, however, were fre¬
quently displayed, in a greater or less degree, by the per¬
son of Jesus, through the whole period of his incarnation.
It was the rays of the divine glory, reflected by him, that
brightened the morning of his advent—amid which light
angels broke the silence, and to the astonished ears of
294
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.
Bethlehem-shepherds proclaimed his birth in songs of
praise:
" Shepherds, rejoice, lift up your eyes
And send your fears away;
News from the regions of the skies,
Salvation's born to-day."
" For unto you is born, in the city of David, a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord."
I cannot think that the manger and the swaddling
clothes in which they were to find the child wrapped,
were alone the sign to which the angel alluded ; but also
the light—the divine glory, which he bid them not to
fear—this, no doubt, illuminated their path, and guided
them to the place where the young child was. It was
the rays of divine glory reflected by him that caught the
attention of the far-off eastern wise men, and guided thein
to Jerusalem, to which they came, saying, " Where is he
that is born king of the Jews, for we have seen his star in
the east, and have come to worship him." We are not to
understand that they saw this star to the east of them;
but that they were in the east when they first saw it,
westward from them. Looking toward the west, they
discovered a light which appeared to them as a star-,
which they had never noticed before. They called it his
star, and no doubt it was a brightness emanating from
him: possibly the same that appeared to the shepherds.
It was a sure guide, designating the very spot where he
dwelt. Just before they reached Jerusalem, its rays were
withdrawn, that they might inquire, and thus announce
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.
295
his birth to the reigning king. So soon as the divine
purpose was accomplished and they had started to Beth¬
lehem, they again beheld the light, which differing from
other stars, to which you never seem to get nearer, it
stood over the place where the young child was, and
guided them to the very spot, which, when they reached,
they found not a star, but the infant Jesus, amid the
splendor of divine glory. The lustre of this brightness
distinguished him so clearly, that, had there been a thou¬
sand children present, they would have known this one
to be the Messiah, the Christ—the anointed of God. The
divine rays were reflected by him, when at twelve years
old, he sat in the temple among the doctors, asking and
answering questions with such wisdom and grace that
all who heard him were astonished.
In the miracles of Jesus also, as before mentioned, his
divinity shone forth. Before the splendor of his divine
power, darkness fled, and a flood of light rushed into the
eyes of those who were born blind. Infirmities retreated
at the approach of his rays; diseases sought in vain for
a hiding place from his all healing power, and icy death
itself melted away before the lustre of his brightness.
A display of divine wisdom was exhibited in the an¬
swers of Jesus to those who tattempted to catch him in
his words. Behold the Scribes and Pharisees, with a
woman, an adulteress; they have brought her for him to
judge, that they may accuse him; but they find them¬
selves condemned, and the woman left without an accuser.
They thought to place him, either in the attitude of con¬
tradicting Moses, which would Tbave moved the enmity
of all who revered the memory of that great prophet,
296
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.
historian and law-giver—or of assuming the functions of
a magistrate, which would ha^e brought the Romans
down upon him—or of refusing to take cognizance of the
case, which would have been inconsistent with his kingly-
claims. They thought they had him completely cor¬
nered, and therefore pressed him for a decision. They
declared the case to be a clear one, the woman was taken
in the very act, and could make no defence. There was
nothing left but to decide as to what disposition should
be made of her. " Now Moses in the law commanded,
that such should be stoned, what sayeth thou ? " When
he stooped down and wrote upon the ground as though
he heard them not, they pressed him for an answer with
an energy which seemed to be inspired by a feeling of
assured triumph; but when he arose, he easily swept
away the webs they had woven around him. He neither
contradicted Moses, nor assumed the authority of a mag¬
istrate, nor denied his authority in the matter; but he
demanded that the innocent should begin the execution
which they said the law required. " He that is without
sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." At
this their guilty heads went down, and they retired, con¬
founded by his wisdom and penetrating power; and the
woman was left, without an accuser; alone with Jesus,
to hear, in accents of matchless tenderness, the encour¬
aging words, " Go in peace and sin ao more." In com¬
pany with the Herodians, the Pharisees made a second
great effort to catch him in his words: they came with
a question about the tribute money, and thought they
had him securely cornered. " Is it lawful to give tribute
to Caesar or not? " This, it seems, they thought was not
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE. 297
sufficiently direct, as he might have simply referred them
to the law, hence, they quickly added, " Shall we give, or
shall we not give? " Mark xii, 14, 15. If he had said
that they should give tribute, they would have said that
he was a pretty king, teaching his subjects to pay tribute
to another! The throne of David, which it was promised
that Messiah should restore, would not be restored, in its
former grandeur, so long as they were tributary to a for¬
eign power, and besides this, the people looked upon the
tribute as a burden under which they groaned ,• and they
held those in contempt who justified it. We our¬
selves know in what contempt our own revenue officers
are held by many. On the other hand, if he had said
they should not pay tribute, they would have accused
him before the Roman court. It will be remembered,
that this accusation was brought against him before Pi¬
late, but was not sustained. If they could have proven
this, they would have had a case against him. Thus it
will be seen that they felt sure of bringing him into dis¬
credit with either the Romans or the multitude. But his
wisdom compelled them to decide the question them¬
selves, by acknowledging that the tribute money belonged
to Caesar; and it necessarily followed that Caesar must
have his own:—" Render unto Cassar the things that are
Ctesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." In
other words, if by your wickedness you have fallen un¬
der Cajsar's subjection, if you are reminded Of that sub¬
jection by every financial transaction, if you have no
currency but Caesar's, both the laws of God and man re¬
quire that jou should support the power that protects
you and provides the means of intercourse with your
13
298
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.
neighbors. But remember that, notwithstanding this,
there are also duties which you owe to God, the perform¬
ing of which alone will relieve you of the burdens under
which you groan.
The Scribes, Pharisees and Herodians having been
silenced by his wisdom, the Sadducees came next, with
a question by which they thought to render the doctrine
of a future state ridiculous. The Sadducees disputed the
doctrine of the resurrection, and a future state, and held
that there was neither angel nor spirit. Coming to Jesus,
they recited the law of Moses, which required a man to
marry the widow of his deceased brother, in case the
brother died childless : they named a case, in which un¬
der this law seven brothers had married one woman, all
of whom had died, leaving no children, and last of all
the woman died also. They asked : " In the resurrection,
when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them,
for they all had her to wife?" They, no doubt, thought
they had pictured a delightful heaven, where seven men
would be'quarreling over one woman! But he answered,
"Do ye not therefore err, because ye do not know the
Scriptures, neither the power of God ?" They had not
known that in the world to come they don't need to
marry. Here sickness wastes, and death depopulates,
and marriage is necessary to maintain the human species.
There death is unknown : sickness, sorrow and pain have
no place; for the heavenly atmosphere is untainted with
disease, and marriage is unnecessary to maintain the
population of the better country. Neither did they know
the power of God. He who at the beginning made two
natures out of one, can as easily transform them again,
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.
299
and give them an angelic nature, who neither marry,
nor are given in marriage, " For in the resurrection they
neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the
angels of God in heaven." Matt, xxii, 30. He then
turned upon the Sadducees, and said; " But as touching
the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which
was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of
Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
God is not tjie God of the dead, but of the living." Then
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are living, and as they live,
we shall live also. After this we are told, they asked him
no more questions, and thus acknowledged themselves
confounded by his wisdom.
But he is the Bright and Morning Star. Venus is pre¬
eminently the bright morning star; appearing as such
for months at a time, rising a little before the sun. Mer¬
cury is so near to the sun that it is seldom seen. Mars,
Jupiter and Saturn, having orbits outside of the earth,
arise at all hours of the night, and at times shine all night
long; their rising and setting, therefore, do not mark any
particular period of the night. But Venus, having an
orbit inside of ours, in making its journey around the
sun, it never rises over about three hours above our hori¬
zon, and therefore never rises more than three hours
ahead of the sun; its average being only one hour and a
half ahead of the sun ; hence, when it rises, we know that
day is coming—that its dawn will soon appear. It is
truly the certain harbinger of day. Other lights may
mislead, deceive and disappoint us, but it, never! When
it arises, we know that the sunlight will soon follow. It
18 the forerunner, the usher, the introducer of day. Now
300
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.,
Jesus may be called the Morning Star, because ho intra-
duced the first ray of hope into this sin-cursed world.
Man had lost the divine image and favor, the last ray of
hope had faded from his soul, and there was nothing but
a fearful looking for the blackness of eternal darkness—
a darkness so dense that no star was seen, nor was there
hope of a morning to follow. In the midst of this dark->
ness the Morning Star of hope arose out of the promise:
" The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head."
This promise gave hope to a lost world: it was the har-<
binger of the day dawn ; it ushered in the morning of re¬
demption; it introduced the day of salvation,, and pro-*
claimed the approach of the dayspring from an high. In
its light the patriarchs walked; its rays illuminated their
path, and cheered them on their journey to, the Celestial
City. As the Mdrning Star, Jesus ushered in the day of
freedom from the rigor of the legal economy. What a
burdensome system that was; what an almost endless
round of ceremonies, of new^moon feasts, and many kinds
of offerings, of fasts, affliction of soul, and long and te-.
dious journeys to the place of worship. These were.types
of the one offering for sin, of the intense agony of him
who should be bruised for our iniquity, upon whom our-
chastisement should fall, and by whose stripes we should
be healed. His coming in the flesh lifted the burden of
these rites and ceremonies from our shoulders, and pro*
claimed the day of Gospel liberty—a day in which we
have no need to make a pilgrimage to some high moun*
tain, or to Jerusalem to worship, but wherever two or
three are assembledl in his namet truly helieving» there
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.
301
we may expect his presence, yea, wherever a holy aspira*
tion ascends from a sincere heart, the answer of peace is
assured;
(' Not heaven's wide range of hallow'd space
Jehovah's presence can confine;
Nor angels' claim restrain his grace,
Whose glories through creation shine.
It beam'd on Aden's guilty days,
And traced redemption's wondrous plan "•
From Calvary, in brightest rays,
It glowed to guide benighted man.
Jts sacred shrine it fixes there,
Where two or three are met to raise
Their holy hands in humble prayer,
Or tune their hearts to. grateful praise."
In this glorious day, we have no need to wait at the
pool for the troubling of the water, but a physician awaita
the approach of the impotent folk.
l< Free froin the law, oh happy condition,
The star hath appeared and there is remission,
]STo burdensome rite henceforth on us laid,
For Jesus the price of redemption hath paid."
As the Bright and Morning Star, he ushers into the
goul, the light of joy and peace. What darkness envel¬
opes and fills the soul of the sinner! He is represented
by the Great Teacher, as sitting in darkness, in the val¬
ley and shadow of death—in 'gross darkness. And we
who have been called out of darkness into God's marvel'
pus light, can testify how dark that night of sin waSjand
302
VENUS IN THE ArOCALYPSE.
with what rapture we beheld the rising of the Morning
Star. As its glorious rays brightened the morning of our
espousal, we sang:
In darkest shades, when he appeared,
My dawning was begun:
He is my soul's bright morning star,
And he my jusipg sun.'*
I can think of nothing more appropriate, with which
to close this discourse, than the closing words of Jesus,
to the beloved disciple—the prophetic valedictory: "And
he saith unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy
of this book; for the time is at hand. He that is right¬
eous, let him be righteous still i and he that is filthy, let
him be made filthy still; and he that is holy, let him
be made holy still. Behold, I come quickly; and my
reward is with me, to render to each man according as
his work is. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the
last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are they that
wash their robes, that they may have 4 right to come to
the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the
city. Without are the dogs, and sorcerers, and fornica*
tors, and murderers, and idolaters, and every one that
loveth and maketh a lie. J Jesus have sent mine angel
to testify unto you these things for the churches. I am
the root and offspring of Pavid, the bright and morning
star. The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that
hearetb, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let
him come: he that will, let him take of the water of life
freely. I testify unto every man that heareth the words
of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto
VENUS IN THE APOCALYPSE.
303
them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are writ¬
ten in this book: and if any man shall take away from
the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take
away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy
city, which are written in this book. He which testifieth
these things saith, Yea; I come quickly. Amen: come,
Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
all the saints. Amen."
THE END.
BISHOP S. T. JONES.
BISHOP J. J. MOORE.
BISHOP J. P. THOMPSON.
BISHOP THOS. H. LOMAX.
Appendix.
SERMON I.
THE UNPARDONABLE SIN.
by bishop j. j. moore, d. d.
"Verily, I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons
of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never
forgiveness." Mark iii, 28, 29.
Upon this subject men and women's minds have been
much exercised. The great difficulty that has attended
a proper solution of this grave subject, has arisen from
the confounding of passages of Scripture referring to other
classes of sins, with this sin, to which the text refers, and
from not properly understanding the nature of the sin
as named in the text.
There are three classes of sins in which men may put
themselves beyond God's pardoning mercy in this life,
beside the sin referred to in the text.
I. There is the sin unto death ; as referred to in 1 John
v, 1G, " If any man see his brother sin a sin, which is not
unto death, he sh^ll ask, and he shall give him life for
them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death:
I do not say he shall pray for it." This same class of
sins is alluded to in Numbers v, 27, 30, 31: ."And if a
308
APPENDIX.
soul sin through ignorance, * * the priest shall make an
atonement for the soul when he sinneth by ignorance,
before the Lord, and it (his sin) shall be forgiven him.
But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, * * that
soul shall be cut off from among his people." In the
passage in 1 John v, 16, the Apostle has no reference to
the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, as allu¬
ded to by the Saviour in the text. Although it is, or
was a sin that put the perpetrator beyond a chance of
being forgiven, yet it was not the sin of blasphemy that
Christ sealed with eternal damnation. This sin unto
death, which many confound with the sin of blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost, has an exemplification in the
case of the prophet or man of God sent by the Lord to
reprimand Jeroboam, the King of Israel, for his practic¬
ing idolatry at Bethel. See 1st Kings xiii, 17—24. This
man of God sent to Bethel was instructed by the Lord,
when he had delivered his message, not to tarry at Bethel,
nor eat bread, nor drink water in the place, and not to
return by the same way he came. There was an old lying
prophet at Bethel, who heard of the man of God that had
delivered the message to Jeroboam : his sons were pres¬
ent at the altars of worship or sacrifices at Bethel; they
saw all that had transpired, and told their father (the ly¬
ing prophet), all that had happened. The old lying
prophet went to bring the man of God back to eat with
him. The man of God disobeyed the divine injunctions
given him by the Lord, not to eat bread nor drink water
in that place, but he both eat bread and drank water.
Thus disobeying the Lord, God prepared a lion, and as
THE UNPARDONABLE SIN.
309
the disobedient prophet started from the old lying proph¬
et's house to go on his way home, the lion met him and
slew him in the highway.
This sin of disobedience was immediately punished
with death ; therefore it was a sin unto death, or a single
sin that the Lord punished with death. In the case of
Ananias and Sapphira, (Acts v, 1,) we have two other
instances where a single sin was punished with immedi¬
ate death—their sin of lying unto the Holy Ghost. They
told a wilful lie to God's apostles about their earthly pos¬
sessions. These Apostles were acting under the power of
inspiration—were acting in Christ's stead, under the di«
rections of the Holy Spirit, therefore in lying unto the
Apostles, Ananias and Sapphira lied unto God, and the
Lord punished them with death, and gave them no space
for repentance. In the case of the man of God in 1 Kings
xiii, 17—24, he was acting under the immediate influence
of the Holy Spirit, yet disobeyed God, made the sin at
once damnable, and visited immediate retribution upon
the offender, not allowing mercy unto him. In the case
of Ananias and Sapphira their lie was told, notwithstand¬
ing they were under the influence of the Holy Ghost,
therefore it was a damnable sin, and beyond mercy;
hence, none but such as were circumstanced as they were
could sin the sin unto death. It required a person to be
favored with the highest evidence of the influence of the
Holy Spirit to sin the single sin unto death.
2. There is another condition in sin, in which men may
place themselves beyond God's pardoning mercy in this
life; which condition is sometimes confounded with the
case of the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, or
310
APPENDIX.
the sin referred to in our text, pronounced by Christ as
unpardonable. This sinful condition, to which we here
allude, or act of sin, is that of apostasy. This sin is
treated by the Apostle in Hebrews vi, 4—8: u For it is
impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have
tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of
the Holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God,
and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall
away, to renew them again unto repentance." See Luke
xi, 24, on this subject. As this condition of sin, spoken
of by Paul in the Scripture just read, excites anxiety
among many common backsliders, I would here say that
there was a great difference between those apostates al¬
luded to by Paul, and common blacksliders of God's
church in this day. Common backsliders now do not oc¬
cupy the position those Jewish converts did; hence apos¬
tasy, or common backsliding now, is not attended with
the impossibility of repentance as then. The Christians
may now, as was the case of the Jewish converts, be " en¬
lightened," and they may have tasted of the " heavenly gift,"
and of the " good word of God," and of the 11 'powers of the
world to come," as did the Jews when converted, but we are
not made partakers of the Holy Ghost in the sense they
were. Hence, we can't apostatize as they did, being dif¬
ferently circumstanced religiously. Apostasy with the
Jew was the falling away of Christian converts, who had
been favored with the miraculous demonstrations of God's
power under two dispensations of his grace—a people who
had been chosen to peculiar divine favors. Those whom
the Apostle warns against the sin of apostasy, were fa¬
vored with the testimony of tho(se who were the living
the unpardonable sln.
311
witnesses of Christ's incarnation: they had seen and
handled the Messiah before and after his death and res¬
urrection. They had witnessed the Church's miracle-
working endowments. They had been invested with all
the saving power with which the Christian Church is in¬
vested, even to the resurrection power. Upon them was
bestowed heaven's highest gift, the special gift of the Holy
Ghost, by the laying on of hands, which Christians-now
do not enjoy. Is it any wonder, if they wilfully fell
away from this condition, that they could be renewed
unto repentance again ? This was a very different state
from that of common backsliding, which is not a state of
sin on which the door of mercy is closed ; the backslider,
therefore, may find pardon, if he will return to his of¬
fended Saviour: he is not in a condition to commit the
unpardonable sin, which Jesus seals with damnation in
the text. " Turn, 0 backsliding children, saith the Lord .
Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your
backslidings." Jeremiah iii, 14, 22.
3. We come next to consider what is called the un¬
pardonable sin, or the sin of blasphemy against the
Holy Ghost—the sin which the Saviour declares in the
text would never be pardoned. This is the sin that
those that are solicitous about it, want explained. In
considering this grave question, we must not simply take
into account the mere act of blaspheming against the
Holy Ghost, which was in itself, according to the com¬
mon meaning of the term, speaking irreverently of the
Holy Spirit, or the Deity, or Holy One. So far as the
simple act is concerned, persons might blaspheme against
the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, and yet be within reach
312
APPENDIX.
of pardoning mercy. It was the nature of the act of bias*
phemy, that caused Christ to seal it with eternal retribu¬
tion. By the nature of the act, we mean two things:
first, the feeling, or disposition of heart, that prompts to
do the act; and secondly, the circumstances with which
the act stood connected.
First, we notice the feeling or disposition that incited
them to that act of blasphemy.
(1.) The feeling of malevolence or extreme hatred: as the
Scripture states, "They hated me without a cause."
(2.) They were prompted by a spirit of arrogance or
pride. They were too proud to admit the divine work of
the Saviour.
(3.) It was prompted by a deliberate, determinate obsti¬
nacy, to resist every evidence of Christ's being the Son of
God.
First, it was prompted by falsifying their convictions,
declaring what, in their minds, they did not really believe
and feel in their hearts—that the Saviour cast out those
evil spirits by the prince of devils: their knowledge and
conscience told them better.
Secondly, let us notice some of the peculiar circum¬
stances connected with their religious experience, that
added to the enormity of the act.
(1.) They had been favored with the highest develop¬
ments of God's miracle-working power in their behalf.
They had seen and confessed the works of the Holy Spirit
-—confessed His power in other instances, which they
now blaspheme.
(2.) They here blasphemously deny the highest attesta¬
tion of the divinity of Christ.
the unpardonable sin.
813
(3.) No people ever have bad God's special and super¬
natural interposition in their behalf, as had the Jews,
yet they presumed to pour out blasphemy in God's face,
because it was uttered in the face of Jesus Christ. Those
are the aggravations of that awful sin of blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost, that Jesus sealed with eternal
damnation. This sin none but a Jew was circumstanced
to commit; therefore, men and women need not be solic¬
itous about committing it now.
But there is a condition, or state of sin, into which
men may place themselves in this life, and put them¬
selves beyond God's pardoning mercy. That is the state
of reprobacy. Men and women may reach this state in
sin, and still remain on earth for a time. This condition
is alluded to in various passages of Scriptures. Prov. i,
22—30: " How long, ye simple ones, will ye love sim¬
plicity ? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and
fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold,
I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known
my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye re¬
fused ; I have stretched out my hand, and no man re¬
garded ; but have set at naught all my counsel, and would
none of my reproof. I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear
cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a
whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon
you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not an¬
swer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find
me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose
the fear of the Lord." Again we have this condition of
sin referred to in 2 Thess. ii, 11, 12: " And for this cause
314
APPENDIX.
God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie: that they all might be damned who be¬
lieved not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteous¬
ness." Again in Rom. i, 28: " And even as they did not
like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them
over to a reprobate mind." Again in 2 Cor. xiii, 5:
" Know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is
in you, except ye be reprobates?" Luke xiii,'34, 35: "0
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killeth the prophets, * *
behold your house is left unto you desolate."
This is a condition that sinners in these days can fall
into. It is a state of sin that not only individuals have
reached, but the antideluvian world of mankind reached
this condition. It is a state of sin that nations have
reached ; and there could be with them nothing but the
certain fearful looking for of the fiery indignation of God.
This is a state into which every sinner living can reach
by often rejecting God's proffered mercy. Heb. x, 22.
That men may not procrastinate their acceptance of
mercy, and get beyond the reach of pardoning mercy,
a warning is given them in Proverbs xxix, 1: " He that
being often reproved liardeneth his neck, shall suddenly
be destroyed, and that without remedy." This is a loud
warning voice to sinners to shun the sin of reprobacy,
which is the sin that fills up their cup of iniquity, which
seals their fate, putting them beyond God's pardoning
mercy, as were those that blasphemed against the Holy
Ghost.
THE FIRST PAIR BANISHED,
315
SERMON II.
THE FIRST PAIR BANISHED,
BY BISHOP J. P. THOMPSON.
('He drove out the man." (Jenesis iii, 2i.
Never was there a sight so solemn, or a scen&so mourn¬
ful, as that displayed in the banishment of man from the
garden of the Lord. The sentence had been heard, but
still they were unapprized that banishment awaited them.
They had learned that they were doomed to toil and to
die, but they doubtless consoled themselves with the re*
flection that they might spend their Sabbaths amid the
bowers of Eden and repose at night within the sacred en¬
closure, or rest at noon beneath its ample shades: but
alas! they discovered that they were soon to be hurried
away to parts unknown. The preparations which were
being made by Deity himself for clothing them with
coats of skin, betrayed a purpose to send them forth to
less salubrious climes to a rigor in which the fig-leaf cov¬
ering of JSden would not protect them. " Unto Adam
and to his wife did the Ljord God make coats of skin and
clothed them." How changed their condition! Thus
rudely clad, they stood as silent spectators of this mystqr
nous work of Peity> whose wrath seemed strangely
316
APPENDIX.
mingled with compassion. They queried the meaning :
what need of clothing beyond the fig-leaf, where chilling
winds had never blown, and frost had never nipped the
virgin flowers that bloomed on the plains or skirted the
rivers of Eden ? They doubtless guessed as to the de¬
signs of God, and longed to know the worst. A hush
most deeply solemn was in the garden—a stillness per*
vaded the earth and the sky. No sound was heard save
only a moan of distress, mingled with a sound of confu¬
sion in the breeze, which came over from the world of
animals among the neighboring hills that seemed por*
tentous of evils before unknown. On the far-off sky the
first dark clouds were seen. The first storm gathered
thick and fast—the lightnings, it may be, played on its
bosom. New-born thunders shook the heavens, but in
the garden all was calm. On golden pinions angels
gathered among the trees while God in silence pre-*
pared to drive them forth into the world of' tempests
without the gates of Paradise, which was then to them
forever lost. The man looked on the woman—her glory
had departed: with anxious solicitude she returned the
gaze upon the man, and he was a fallen monarch I How
appalling the scene! They fain would have talked of
the thrilling scenes which were enacting around them ;
but they were culprits and dare not speak. Indeed, no
time had been allowed them for consultation, from the
time they had first partaken of the forbidden fruit until
the time of their condemnation. Step by step they had
been hurried from their hiding place in the garden ta
their trial, their sentence and their banishment.
New sceuea were about to he revealed; new trials
THE FIRST FAIR BANISHED.
317
awaited themx and new developments of wrath were soon
to be disclosed, and still no time was afforded for consul¬
tation. Amid the trees a Trinity were seen in council
as to the manner of disposing of the culprits, whose lives
had been spared by the interposition of the promised
seed. "And the Lord God said, Rehold the man is be¬
come as one of us, to know good and evil ;• and now, lest
he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life,
and eat, and live forever: therefore the Lord God sent
him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground
from which he was taken. So he drove out the man."
Until then, perhaps, they had never ventured beyond the
gates of paradise, but now the Deity, with angels and
cherubim who thronged the sacred place, prepared ta
conduct them to. the world beyond. With despairing
look they gazed upon the much loved spot, then turned
away in all the agonies of despair, and slowly and with
faltering step retired to the world of their future toil.
The sun, perhaps, was just retiring from the wesfern sky,
when the guilty pair passed out o,f their native Paradise*
to return no more. How solemn their reflection as they
cast a lingering look; upon their forfeited inheritance,
How lonely the spell that came over them, when they
saw the glittering trains of the Almighty disappearing
in the distance, while they^ in solitude, were left upon
the untented field* with no other covering than the deep
blue sky 1 A time for reflection h^d arrived, the culprits
were alone in a state of banishment from their native
home. No angel voice was heard ; no whispers of mercy
were in the breeze! They felt that they were banished
io a strange land with none to help and none to pity,
318
APPENDIX,
Never did solitude appear less charming, and yet no way
of escape was seen. They fain would have ventured back,
but Qod had driven them forth, and they knew they could
not return, and to make the attempt would be to incur
his greater displeasure. The night approached; the
beasts of the field were reposing in slumber; all nature
was hushed in silence; no sound was heard save now and
then perchance the growl of the tiger as he passed, the
howl of the wolf among the neighboring hills, or the
lonely hoot or startling shriek of the owl of the wilder¬
ness. The world around them was desolate. Thistles and
thorns were the product of the soil, and rank and abun¬
dant did they grow. No bowers of peace were there.
No bow of promise was on the cloud. No gentle mur*
murings of the brooks of Paradise were^heard. The stars
were brightly twinkling in the distant sky; but to them
they had no charms, as they only disclosed the barren
waste of the sin-cursed world, with which they were
surrounded. Gloomy beyond description were their re¬
jections, as they mutely sat upon the ground. They
remembered the pleasures of Paradise from which they
had been driven—their nightly rambles amid its bowers
—their fearless star-light musings and unbroken slum¬
bers within its walls. But with respect to these, they
were then as those who dreamed. They could scarcely
realize, while retrospecting their former glory, riches, and
power, that they were then reduced to poverty, toil, and
peril, in a state of lonely exile from that glorious kingdom
over which the Almighty had so recently given them
dominion. They fain would have fancied it all a dream '
but alas! the anguish of spirit they felt, the goadjngs of
THE FIHST PAIR BANISHED.
319
conscience they endured, and the damp and chill which
distressed them, demonstrated clearly that all was lost.
With sleepless vigilance they watched the foes with which
they were surrounded, and longed for the approach of
day. Angels, it seems to us, might well have wept, when
silently gazing on the banished pair, as they nerved
themselves to resist the first pangs of their depraved
moral nature, and the first sorrow of their fallen state.
With sleep they struggled as with a foe, for they did not
dare to slumber, as the moan of death to them, seemed
sounding in every coming breeze, in the far-off heavens.
The glittering spheres were wheeling, and glowing, then
as now; but that with them was not the moment for
meditating upon nature's beauties. Their thoughts were
turned upon themselves—reflections upon their own
melancholy future held pre-eminence, and a burden of
grief, almost intolerable, overwhelmed them. Bitter were
their recollections of the past, and bitter the tears that
were shed for the ruin they had wrought upon themselves
and the unborn millions of the race for all ages then to
come, 0 ! what a night was that first spent beyond the
gates of Paradise ! Crushed hopes and tormenting fears
were blended with bodily pain, from fatigue and exposure
to the damps of earth and the piercing chills of the night-
winds of heaven. Among all the stars that twinkled in
the dusky depths of the sky, there was to them no star
of hope—no gleam of joy. They watched the seemingly
slugglish movements of the spheres and longed for day,
that they might see the worst of the untried theatre as¬
signed them, and seek some means of safety and support.
The day dawn came! With what tears of joy they saw
320
APPENDIX.
the coming morn! as the sun's first beams gilded the
eastern sky—as the king of day arose, and nature stood
forth revealed to the eye of man. But oh! how changed!
The earth was cursed ; weeds and briers sprang forth fiorn
the ground where once the liliy grew, and the guilty pair
were compelled to eat the herbs of the field for their
morning repast. They thought of the fruits of the gar¬
den, and resolved to return and risk the vengeance of
God rather than perish in the wilderness world with
which they were surrounded. Slowly and with anxious
solicitude they retraced their steps. In the distance they
beheld the garden of the Lord, and lo! it was in full bloom
as in days gone by. To it the curse had not extended.
Its trees, as at first, were bending with fruits; its foun¬
tains were gushing and flowing amid its bowers; in the
east of the garden was the Tree of Life, and thither they
bent their way, with joyful expectation of partaking of
its fruit that they might live forever. But suddenly they
paused, as though some danger threatened 1 A sentinel
was there! Grim and terrible ho appeared; a flaming
sword was in his hand and fiery indignation in his eye-
They retreated from this awful presence, and the last ray
of hope was gone.
This awful banishment is recorded for our instruction
and improvement. This was the punishment inflicted
for the first act of human disobedience. In it, God gives
us the first picture of the exceeding sinfulness of sin a
picture painted by the hand of Infinite Purity, and dis¬
playing in fearful colors the evils of disobedience. If by
this one sin,the original Paradise was forever lost, we have
much cause for care, lest there should be in us a spirit of
THE FIRST PAIR BANISHED.
321
disobedience, producing presumption, which may rob us
of the_ promised inheritance—the Eden on high, where
the Tree of Life, laden with immortal fruits, flourishes
on either side of the river.
May God grant unto each of you grace to listen to the
warning voice, to give earnest heed to the importance of
obedience, as designed to be taught by the historical fact
we have briefly delineated ; that you may finally be ad¬
mitted to the everlasting enjoyment of that Paradise which
the second Adam has prepared for all who are partakers
of His nature.
Grace, mercy, and peace, be with you, and keep you
in the love of God the Father. Amen.
14
322
APPENDIX.
SERMON III.
THE LOVE OF GOD—ITS OBJECTS, GIFT AND
DESIGN.
BY BISHOP THOMAS H. LOMAX.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." John iii, 16.
Can this extraordinary announcement be received as
actual truth? Dare we credit it, or lift up our guilty
hearts to comprehend its terms? It is so exceedingly
strange and thrilling, that it seems to stunn us, and only
on recovering from our amazement, are we able to grasp
this blessed declaration. There is so much of God in it,
that we recognize his awful presence, and fear, as we are
entering " into the cloud." " God so loved the world." If
I may use the expression, God created the world, or God
preserves the world, or God governs the world. The lan¬
guage I employ is, to my mind, the symbol of infinite
wisdom, power, and benignity. But when I repeat this
statement, " God so loved the world," the apparently sim¬
ple clause reveals at once a depth of meaning at which
the mind is almost startled into incredulity: and yet these
precious words afford the true explanation of many mys-
THE LOVE OF GOD.
323
teries in God's providence. Why, for example, may the
saint exclaim, I have been redeemed, I have been brought
into the conscious possession of divine peace and joy—•
and the dark shadows that lay on my mind have all fled
away ; or, Why does the throne of the universe now stand
out as a throne of grace, to which there is for me daily
access, continuous welcome, and rich response? or, Why
are there in heaven the spirits of our human kindred,
whose bodies are lying yet in the darksome pollution and
thralldom of the grave ? Are not such changes, privileges
and blessings to be traced upward and backward to the
grand and ultimate fact, that God loved the world f
Now, the introductory shows that this text presents
itself as the reason for the previous statement. The ref¬
erence in it is to a remarkable incident in the history of
ancient Israel. They had in one of their periodical fits of
national insanity, so provoked their divine Protector,
that he sent among them fiery serpenfs, and many of
them were bitten and died. But, to modify the chastise¬
ment, and make its terror of salutary effect, Moses was
commanded to frame a brazen figure of one of the poison¬
ous reptiles, and place it upon the summit of the flag-staff,
so that any wounded Hebrew might be able to see it from
the extremity of the camp, and every one, no matter how
sorely he felt the poison in his fevered veins, if he could
only turn his languid vision to the sacred emblem, he
was instantly healed.
It is then asserted that salvation is a process of equal
simplicity, facility and certainty. Jesus Christ must be
lifted up, and he that looks may live and be saved from
death. This is a pledge of safety and glory to the be-
324
APPENDIX.
liever. " He that believeth shall be saved." The scheme
of salvation is here presented to us in its origin, its
means and its designs; or we may contemplate the love
of God, first in its object—the world ; secondly, in the
provision he has made for its deliverance—the gift of
his Son ; and thirdly, in the instrumentality by which
this provided salvation is brought into individual pos-
eession-^-the exercise of faith.
1. The object of God's love.
Again we recur to the startling thought, if God so
loved this guilty world, what an unplurnbed depth of
grace must be in his heart! For the object of his love is
not the world in its fairest condition, such as it was when
his eyes resting on it with beaming complacency, he pro¬
nounced it "very good," but that same world ruined by
sin, and condemned for its apostasy. There would have
been no wonder had the divine Lawgiver assumed the
stern functions of the Judge and doomed our guilty earth
to the death which it deserved. Might it not have been
enveloped in flames, which, gleaming far into other
orbits, would have taught other creatures that " our God
is a consuming fire"? But, though he had armed his
law with a terrible penalty, and allowed the incipient
elements of the menace to fall upon the sinner; though
the holiness of his nature and the interests of his gov¬
ernment seemed to demand that punishment shall in¬
stantly and immediately follow transgression, yet, with¬
out any change in our claims or character, he loved us.
And that love is not a mere relenting which might lead
to a respite, or a simple regret which might end in a
sigh, but, thrice blessed be his name, it is a positive af.
THE LOVE OF GOD.
325
fection. It is as true as his existence, as real as our sin.
Now there is no merit in loving what is lovely, for by a
necessity of our emotional nature, our affection throws
itself out upon any object that presents an aspect of love¬
liness. Such an instinct within us is only the reflection
of a similar law in the character and actions of God.
He cannot but love what bears his image, and therefore
the bright and happy essences who surround his throne
are forever sunning themselves in his ineffable smile.
But, ah! man has washed out and lost his moral loveli¬
ness: originally like God, he is now as unlike him as he
can be, and there is nothing about him but his misery
to attract the Divine attachment. Paradise loathed and
expelled him, and the globe into which he was exiled
out of Eden, has been cursed for his sake—" the whole
creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together"; the
bleak rock on which no seed can vegetate; the eternal
snows where no animal breathe; the blasted oak of
the forest, stretching its leafless arms to the wintry sky;
the beach spread over with the wreck and corpses of the
hurricane; the desolations of volcanic fires and the rock¬
ing and chasms of the earthquake; the bed on which
tosses the invalid, to whom wearisome days and nights
are appointed ; the hand which the laboring man uplifts
to wipe the perspiration from his brow; and those mon¬
uments of victory that tell of thousands lying beneath
them uncoffiued and unknelled—these are tongues by
which nature proclaims in melancholy emphasis that
she has wandered from her God. And this sin of man
is not his misfortune, but his fault. Sometimes those
around us are overborne in providence; wave after wave
326
APPENDIX.
breaks upon them, and,, as they stagger and fall, they are
more to be pitied than to be blamed. Alas! on the con¬
trary, man is not only a ruined, but a self-ruined creature ;
he has lowered himself to what he is—the victim of his
own pride and disobedience.
I presume not to solve the mystery of the origin of
evil. I cannot tell why, with God's possession of infinite
power and purity and love, sin was ever permitted ta
find its way into our world ; but this I know, that amidst
all subtile speculations 011 this dark theme—amidst all
daring and devious attempts to climb these heights of
eternal Providence—this one truth is very apparent;
" God made man upright, but they have sought out many
inventions;" there is, therefore, no palliation for our
crime. Our Master is not an "austere" one reaping
where he had not sown, and gathering where he had not
strewn. The law under which man was placed was holy,
and just, and good; and he was furnished with power of
perfect obedience. The test by which he was tried was
an easy one, and he was, but for one restraint, lord of the
world: besides, it was simply a respect for the divine will
which could lead him to obedience. There was no com¬
mingling motives such as that which spring out of nat¬
ural relationship and originates moral obligations; but
man broke this simple covenant, and wantonly disobeyed
the clear injunction not to eat of the tree. And yet that
world, which has in this way made itself so guilty and
helpless through its perversity and disloyalty, is not
thrown off by God—is not flung into oblivion by him,
and covered with his frown—is not merely tolerated, or,
like a condemned criminal, indulged with a few provi*
THE LOVE OF GOD.
327
dential and minor kindnesses; but is really loved by him.
The marvel is this, there is nothing he hates so much as
sin, and yet no one he has loved so much as a sinner. In
spite of our alienation and hostility ; in spite of our low
and loathsome repugnance ; in the midst of so much that
he hates and condemns and nauseates, God has loved,
yes, has "so loved the world!" What infinite grace in
this amazing love of God ! Let me sing,
'' Thou shalt walk in robes of glory;
Thou shalt wear a golden crown;
Thou shalt sing redemption's story
With the saints around the throne,
Thou shalt see that better country
Where a tear-drop never falls,
Where a foe may never enter,
And a friend ne'er said farewell.
Where upon the radiant faces
That will shine on thee alway,
Thou wilt never see the traces
Of estrangement and decay."
2. If God loved, and so loved this little world, surely his love
was wholly disinterested in its nature.
Should some large and important province of an em¬
pire rise in rebellion, the sovereign will use every means
to induce it to return to its allegiance ere he proceed to
arms against it; but should an insignificant region be in¬
volved in insurrection, summary vengeance will be taken
at once on its folly. Now, our rebellious world was only
a small portion of God's universe. What a melancholy
thought did we look up to the sky and see in every orb
a wreck and in every star a prison of ruined spirits!
The great unfallen universe is a vast territory on which
328
APPENDIX.
its Creator can still look with complacency. If, therefore,
worlds unnumbered roll around his throne, brighter in
their glories of light and mass of structureand motion than
ours; if the absence of our earth from creation would be
as little felt as the removal of a single particle of sand
from the mound which girds the ocean ; and if another
divine fiat could at once fill its place with a new orb,
and with another population whose obedience should be
coeval with existence and co-extensive with their faculties
—will it yet be affirmed that it was from any selfish mo¬
tive, or with any selfish purpose, that God has prolonged
our existence, when life and all its enjoyment has been for¬
feited? or that we are of so much importance to himself,
his happiness, or the harmony of his empire, that, rather
er than allow us to perish, he gave up his only begotten
Son to death, even the death of the cross ? " When I con¬
sider the heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and
stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou
art mindful of him ? and the son of man, that thou vis-
itest him ?" Higher beings are even the servants of
humanity.
Of highest God, that loves His creatures so,
And all his works with mercy doth embrace—
That blessed angels he sends to and fro,
To serve to wicked man—to serve his wicked foe.
The same truth has been pictured out to us by the great
teacher. The shepherd had a hundred sheep, and only one
had gone astray. But his fond anxieties go out after it;
and leaving the ninety and nine in comparative neglect,
he flees into the wilderness and seeks everywhere, till he
THE LOVE OF GOD.
329
comes upon the object of his solicitude—the one poor
wanderer; and when he finds it, there is more joy in his
bosom over the recovery of the solitary straggler, than
over the entire flock that had not deserted the fold. Oh,
there is more of the heart of God exhibited in our salva¬
tion than in all his benignity to the universe, in which
this orb is truly a " little one;" and yet it has called out
emotions which other and mightier spheres have failed to
elicit. Now, such is its moral magnitude, that in its con¬
nection with Christ, it stands out in unrivalled glory from
other worlds, and over its redeemed inhabitants is the
chant raised, this my son " was dead and is alive again;
and was lost, and is found." Therefore, we may exclaim
" The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." " Not unto
us, 0 Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory,
for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake."
3. If God loved ihis world, this world of fallen men—and
not of fallen angels—his love must be sovereign in its essence,
for man ivas not the only sinner in his dominions.
Beings of higher original nature, and having their po¬
sition in heaven itself, were mysteriously involved in the
guilt and doom of apostasy, and expelled from their
bright domain. And yet, though they dwelt in heaven,
they are not summoned back to it; no pardon is offered
to them ; no means of purity are provided for them; no
mediator has taken on himself the nature of angels, in
order to make atonement for them: they are left to the
endurance of death—death for ever—ever sinning, ever
suffering, while pardon and restoration have been pro¬
claimed to the human family—our weak and erring race I
330
APPENDIX.
So nearly allied to the ground they tread, so proud in
their debility and so impious in their thraldom, would
it not have been a more natural operation, so to speak, to
have saved these lofty exiles, and called them again to
the heaven in which they once lived, and for which they
were created, than to select this distant and miserable
world, and by an abnormal and mighty process to purify
and refine its wretched earthy outcasts for a realm of
existence to which they are strangers, and to which they
reason, inducing infinite wisdom to make this choice?
We may neither search nor maintain this preference of
fallen man to fallen spirits, as the recipient of divine love
can only be resolved into a mysterious exercise of uncon¬
trolled sovereignty. The loved of earth and hell both
might have been punished with eternal penalty, and
neither the one nor the other could have complained of
the equity of its doom, and both might have been forgiven
and redeemed, and the one and the other would have
equally felt its salvation due to the blessed Jehovah's ten¬
der pity. Nay, though hell had been taken and earth
had been left,—though the earliest transgressor only had
been saved, and brought again to the awful presence be¬
fore which they once mixed, and the hallelujahs which
they once sang, while this world was left to pine and grow
hopeless and helpless. But Christ's universal and ever¬
lasting kingdom hath b$en gloriously set up.
Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
Doth his successive journeys run;
His kingdom spread from shore to shore,
Till moon shall wax and wane no more.
the love of god.
381
4. The gift of God's love.
Now, we estimate the value of a gift by various criteria.
First, the resources of the giver must be taken into con¬
sideration. If a man be loaded with the blessings of
fortune himself, and occasionally part with some of his
superfluity, such a fraction, if estimated by its propor¬
tion to what remains behind it, is really far less in value
than another gift that does not possess it semblance of
magnitude. Our Lord reckoned by this scale, when he
declared that the poor widow, who cast her last mite into
the treasury, gave truly more than the wealthy worship¬
pers with the ringing shekels and talents of their abun¬
dance, for " she gave her all." Nor can the motive of the
giver be left out of the calculation ; one may heap favor
upon the head of a fallen foe to wound his pride and
produce within him a rankling sense of his inferiority.
But such a donation suffers a sad discount when com¬
pared with other and in themselves smaller benefactions
bestowed in cordial warmth and generosity of spirit. The
manner, too, in which a gift is conferred, must enter into
the estimate; if it be withheld till it be rung out of the
donor by repeated and humiliating importunity, or if it
be offered in a surly spirit, and its amount enlarged upon
with undue exaggeration, or if it be meted out slowly and
with a prolonged comment upon the trouble and self-
denial it has cost the benefactor—it sinks at once in im¬
portance, especially if placed in contrast with a lesser
boon given. The reader may note that God gave his
only begotten Son. Look, then, with enlightened vener¬
ation at the resources of the Giver—are they not infinite
332
APPENDIX.
and endless? The riches of the universe are at his dis¬
posal. But oh, when he gave his Son. did he not give his
all? What other gift remained superior to him—equal
to him—or next to him ? There was no second Christ
to confer, the divine treasury containing many gifts.
5. The design of God's love.
But the same fervor of the divine love is seen, too, in
the end contemplated, and in the peculiar instrumentality
by which that end is achieved. He gave his only begot*
ten Son for this purpose, that " whosover believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The
language plainly implies that the race were all in a lost
condition. The Son of God is given to keep them from
perishing—from sinking into irretrievable ruin. It was
a perdition great aAd terrible which sin had produced.
What a frightful spectacle I a soul in ruin—away from
God, and hostile to him; his image gone; his glory in the
dust; a darkened mind; a distracted or sensualized heart •
a spirit in thraldom ; appetite predominates; the divine
law forgotten; conscience bribed, hushed, or quelled; and
the end of man being not unrealized, of all enjoyment.
Life, how eagerly cherished by all; the sick man tugs for
it; the bad man dreads its termination, and the good
man prays for its continuance. The whole struggle of
world is for life—for means to enliven and prolong it. It
is full of contrivances to shut out the idea of death. Now,
if there be such anxiety for the life that now is—a life that
is brief and chequered by clouds and trials—a life that is
rarely stretched to three score and ten years, and it is
ended amidst spasms and tears—Oh, what intense aspi-
THE LOVE OF GOD.
333
rations and prayers and wrestlings should there not be
after a life that is not measured by centuries or by mil¬
lenniums—a life far above change and sorrow—a life se¬
rene as the bosom of its Giver, and endless as God's own
eternity I
"Let every tongue thy goodness speak,
Thou sov'reign Lord of all;
Thy strenejth'ning hands uphold the weak,
And raise the poor that fall."
6. The result of God's love to the world.
In the stead of the church he died, to deliver her from
death, the sentence which so righteously lay upon her.
The death of the Son of God is a true and mighty sacri¬
fice. That death might be viewed in a variety of as¬
pects; for while it was an instance of undaunted bravery
and a confirmation of his sincere attachment to men, it
was also an example to all his followers, inspiring them
with that patience which they must evince during their
lives, and with that calmness and fortitude which must
not forsake them, even in the hour of trial and desola¬
tion. But it was more than a tragedy or a martyrdom.
To suppose the Saviour to be the victim of human perse¬
cution is true; but to suppose him nothing more is but
to give an ordinary termination to his extraordinary ex¬
istence. To bring into one fold all who will conform to
His divine laws is one of the designs of the blessed Jesus;
also it is his design to bring into the church of God all
who are in the fellowship of the church—the communion
that its members enjoy, one with another. The end of
this fellowship is the maintenance of sound doctrine and
834
APPENDIX.
of the ordinances of christian worship. We will preach
Him to all and cry in death, " Behold the Lainb."
"How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer's ear;
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
'Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest."
A FAREWELL TO KENTUCKY CONFERENCE. 335
SERMON IV.
A FAREWELL DELIVERED BEFORE THE KEN-
TUCKY CONFERENCE.
BY BISHOP S. T. JONES, D. D.
After adoption, amid great enthusiasm, of a memorial
to the General Conference for the return of the Bishop to
this District, and a short recess, the Conference re-assem¬
bled to hear the farewell, which was as follows:
'' Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of
peace."—Ephesians iv, 3.
No apostolic admonition possesses deeper, broader, and
more significant meaning, or is capable of a more general
and beneficial application than that contained in the text.
Sin has not only exhibited its hostility against God in its
stubborn and defiant attitude of disobedience and oppo¬
sition to his just requirements, but it has also developed
a spirit of bitter antagonism and savage encounter be¬
tween man and his fellows.
The first important event recorded in the history of
the race after the fall is a sad commentary upon the
truthfulness of this declaration. Cain, with premeditated
336
APPENDIX.
purpose and murderous intent, invites his unoffending
and unsuspecting brother into the field, and, in open day,
coolly and without any just provocation, smites him to
the death and leaves him weltering in his blood.
Thus early in the history of the human family were
our parents summoned to look sadly on the legitimate
results of their own rash act, and the unmistakable de¬
velopment of the malice and hate, the envy and murder
which it had produced. The cause and excuse for this
beginning of fratricides was, that God had respect to the
offering of Abel and had none for that of Cain. The exercise,
therefore, of a preference on the pa:rt of the Almighty
toward one of his own loyal subjects, led to the commis¬
sion of the first foul murder; and how many have since
been murdered in character, reputation, good name, and
even deprived of life itself—simply on account of prefer¬
ence ?
Such is the envious character of the human heart that
if you will traduce your neighbor, acquaintance, or asso¬
ciate, you excite for him pity; but commend him—speak
of his merits, his ability, his rightful claims to consider¬
ation—and you have aroused for him in the bosom of
your hearers, feelings of jealousy and bitter hate. David
would have had but little to fear at the hands of Saul
or any of his sympathizers, if, after he had slain Goliath
of Gath, it had been said of him by the popular crowd,
that there was but little valor about his exploit; that it
had been performed in an awkward and bungling man¬
ner; and that after all, the credit and glory of the
achievement were mainly due to Saul and his brave army,
fiind not to the mere accident of this youthful rustic, fresh
A FAREWELL TO KENTUCKY CONFERENCE. 337
from the sheepfold. But, the startling and significant
cry which rang out on the evening air, and whose in¬
spiring eloquence and enchanting cadence, as it issued
from the lips of the fair damsels of the land, quickened
the pulsations of every patriotic Israelite was—"Saul
hath slain his thousands, but David his tens of thou¬
sands!"
Not, even, with credit announced with equal sweetness
from the lips of the same fair maidens—that Saul and
his confederates had slain their " thousands "—could they
brook the announcement, truthful as they kuew it was,
that David had slain his "tens of thousands."
"All this availeth me nothing," said the jealous, wicked,
envious Hainan, "so long as I see Mordecai the Jew
sitting at the king's gate." His banqueting, wining
and dining with the king and queen, to the exclusion
of all the other members of the royal court, the honor of
the second place in the kingdom, the rich emoluments of
office and all the glittering glories of the house of Haman
were soured—blighted to ashes—by this slight, but well-
merited mark cf respect awarded to that horrible Jew.
And thus does jealous envy and secret hate, armed with
murderous weapons, stalk abroad through all the land
to-day scheming, plotting and planning, with a view to
circumvention and destruction.
It has not remained in the field where it perpetrated
its first dark design ; it has not been content to plot its
foul mischief and murder in kings' palaces, but, restless
of the ordinary walks of life, it has lifted its slimy, ser¬
pentine folds into the very inner courts of the visible
church, and even essays, and that with alarming success,
338
APPENDIX.
to desecrate and pollute the sacred oracle. It were by
110 means difficult to prove that the desolating wars
which have drenched so large a portion of the earth in
blood have been the almost invariable fruits ot envy,
jealousy and hate, that ascendency to the thrones of earth
have been more numerous through treachery and mur¬
der than by lawful claims or lawful means. The legiti¬
mate elements of sin are pride, selfishness, arrogance;
these lead to discord, dissension, division, and bitter
strife; then come uncharitableness,unmercifulness, wicked
conspiracies, sinful plottings, envy, jealousy, hate, and
murder—often bloodless, but, nevertheless, murder; for
he who hates his brother, under any circumstances, is
charged in the Scriptures with murder, though he does
not actually shed blood. Hate cherished in the heart—
fostered and brooded over—carried to its desired end—
means murder as its objective point—its cherished aim.
It misrepresents, defames character, destroys reputation;
and, in the language of Shakespeare, takes that from
another which we cannot give; and is, in the eye of God,
equally infamous with the taking of life. It needs no
warrant from Scripture to prove that many of those who
are converted, justified children of God by many infallible
signs, are far from being perfectly freed from indications
of the lingerings of these offshoots of sin'—the remains
of the carnal mind.
Even among the devout and holy men engaged in es¬
tablishing the Christian Church, we find, at least, one ex¬
ample of the spirit of bitter contention, which distracts
the church, and finally leads to division, envy and unholy
strife. Paul and Barnabas, by far the more earnest and
A FAREWELL TO KENTUCKY CONFERENCE. 339
successful of the apostles, and, doubtless, equally pre-emi¬
nent in piety, differ so widely and so fiercely about a
matter in which complete harmony might reasonably
have been expected, that these good men separated in
consequence of the sharp contention that arose between
them, long and beneficially as they had traveled and la¬
bored together; and, so far as we are informed, they never
associated in their labors subsequently. Thus early in
the history of the church, and among its most distill
guished advocates, do we find the seeds of discord sown,
and, taking root, to spring up, as evil seed is sure to, in
envy, strife and division. We could hope, for the sake of
that homogenial spirit, that harmony of operation, which
is the ornament and beauty of christian character, as well
as for the power, influence and success of the Christian
Church, that this divergence of holy men of God frotn
that path of peace and love which appeared so prominent,
so uniform and so captivating in the early experience of
the church, were left isolated and alone in its subsequent
history and progress; that this huge malformation, marr*
ing so greatly the otherwise symmetrical and beautiful
form of the Body and Spouse of the Lord, was the single
instance of its kind to which infidelity could refer, op
anti-christianism take exception against the claim of the
church as the repository and dispenser of divine knowl*
edge; but the truth is sadly otherwise.
The implied claim and boast of superiority in judgi
ment; in aptness to teach; in clearer or more correct
comprehension of the word of God; in clearness of per*
ception on doctrinal points; in appropriate and fitting
ceremonials; in precise Scriptural modes, and in various
340
APPENDIX.
other less important matters, have, at one time and
another, originated the most rancorous dissensions, re¬
sulting in the most unfortunate divisions. And many a
Paul and Barnabas, whose christian intercourse had been
most pleasant, whose fellowship in Jesus had been sweet,
and whose labors together in the vineyard of the Lord
had been crowned with most brilliant success, have sep¬
arated, never again on earth to be as lovingly united in
a common cause as before. Add to these the jealous envy
even in the same society which comes frequently of the
seeming preference which the Almighty exercises by en-
dowing one or more of his servants with more ability,
more influence and power, and, by consequence, more
success than others, and which, not unfrequently, mani¬
fests itself in open or covert demonstrations, kindred to
those by which Cain sought and finally succeeded in de-
troy ing his brother, and you have an inventory of the
vast magazine of means with which Satan carries on such
formidable warfare against the unity, peace and success
of the church.
From these and other considerations, the importance
and necessity of christian endeavor in the direction of
the careful and prayerful maintenance of the spirit of
unity,will readily appear.
First—Let us notice briefly the principle urged, " unity."
The term signifies-^oneness, concord, agreement; in
such manner as to insure harmony, friendliness, peace.
Differences of views, opinions, doctrines and creeds are
likely to exist for an indefinite period; possibly, and most
probably, to the end of time. Denominational diversi¬
ties arising from honest and sincere differences of inter-
A FAREWELL TO KENTUCKY CONFERENCE. 341
pretation of the word of God, seem, therefore, unavoida¬
ble; and any serious attempt at uniformity in these re¬
spects, much as they may appeaf desirable, is likely to be
unsuccessful and futile.
Uniformity in maternal care, and early training in
education, in literature, in lines of thought, and in all the
conditions, accidents, and circunastances which enter into
the formation and development of mental and moral
character, must, in the nature of things, precede any hope-
ful attempt at uniformity in this respect; and, as noth¬
ing in the near future encourages a hope of a uniformity
go strange, it would seem useless for us to waste our en¬
ergies in efforts to accomplish that which seems not only
of doubtful accomplishment, but of equally doubtful ad'
vantage or benefit.
Christian unity, as urged in the text, is not, conse-
quently, dependent upon either the abrogation of de¬
nominational distinctions—not in themselves invidious—
or uniformity in any of those circumstances and condi¬
tions in human development which render mankind so
diverse in their thoughts and actions; but it accommo¬
dates itself to all these" circumstances and shades of dif¬
ference, and so blends and harmonizes them as to render
each subservient and helpful to the other, and alike bene¬
ficial to all.
Secondly—-We observe that the nature of the unity,
for the maintainance of which we are urged by the Apos*
tie to put forth an earnest endeavor, is " unity of spirit
union, agreement, harmony of spirit; that condition of
mind wherein the sentiments, desires and affections are
so happily influenced, directed and controlled by a feel-
842
APPENDIX.
ing of friendliness and good will, that the one all-perva*
ding, all-controlling and predominating spirit, which
disposes us to deal prudently, friendly, kindly and even
magnanimously with each other at all times, and under
whatever real or imaginary provocation, shall hold its
ascendency over every other feeling that would seek to
antagonize it, with its banner joyfully thrown to the
breeze, floating in triumph over all human selfishness,
emblazoned with the Christian motto, "good will to
men."
The fostering and exercise of this spirit would prove a
panacea for the effectual cure of nearly all the maladies
which enervate the church, and shear it so fearlully of
its influence and power for good.
However widely we may differ in our opinions, our
creeds, our views of church polity, our modes of admin¬
istration ; however diversified our gifts, graces and call¬
ings in life; whatever may bo our denominational diver*
gencies, we may, and ought to be, firmly and harmoni¬
ously united in a spirit of fraternal love. As in nature
harmony is made up of diversities or seeming contrari»
eties; as in music, it depends upon alternate chords and
discords, so also in the Christian Church, infinite wisdom
and goodness, by a seeming predetermination, has diver¬
sified the elements of usefulness in harmony with the
order of things thioughout the universe, and in loving
accommodation to similar diversities in the human family,
to the end that all may avail themselves of the means of
salvation, and every one may be left without excuse.
There is, consequently, nothing in the dissimilarity ex¬
isting among ©en, either a§ individuals or associations,
A FAREWELL TO KENTUCKY CONFERENCE. 343
that is necessarily incompatible with Christian unity. It
may be difficult for men, influenced and blinded by self¬
ishness, or dilated to lofty dimensions by pride and vanity,
or bending at the shrine of the common prejudices of the
times, to comprehend either the possibility or the fitness
of a strict observance of the divine injunction. In view
of the fact that the Church is composed of what seems to
them a crude, heterogeneous mass, made up of all nation¬
alities, all complexions, all grades and conditions, they
regard it as being a most unsavory and incongruent com¬
mand. And there are those who occupy high positions
in the visible Church who share, with the Apostle Peter,
the same lofty feeling of superiority, and evince the same
loathing repugnance, when summoned like him to a
practical recognition of the full brotherhood and uncon¬
ditional equality of the children of God; who, while the¬
orizing with captivating eloquence, force and beauty, upon
the doctrine and indispensable necessity of Christian
unity, practically evince such selfish and repulsive man¬
ners; such an unholy and unlovable course of conduct;
such harsh and uncharitable criticisms, and such a mani¬
fest disregard for the tender sensibilities of the brethren,
as constitute a standing repudiation of the doctrine they
teach. In vain to them is the vessel filled with a hetero¬
geneous mass of living creatures let down from heaven;
in vain to them comes the voice from the throne of the
universe: "Rise, Peter, kill and eat." They still insist
that whatever to their refined and fastidious tastes seems
" common and unclean" must necessarily be so regardless
alike of the judgment and commands of heaven. Con¬
vinced of the logical sequence of the startling conclusion
344
APPENDIX.
at which Peter arrived, they are nevertheless wanting m
the magnanimity with which he confessed his conviction
of the fact by the bold announcement, "God is no re¬
specter of persons," and in the earnestness and impar¬
tiality with which he subsequently maintained his posi¬
tion, notwithstanding its unpopularity among his coun¬
trymen. To this class of professors the command in the
text may seem neither practicable nor desirable; but to
the unselfish and thoughtful it is not only practicable,
but, aside from its God-required observance, there is a
beauty and fitness connected with it that commends it to
the favor and hearty acceptance of all who are capable of
comprehending and appreciating the harmony of natural
things and their application to those harmonizing influ¬
ences among men, and especially among Christians, which
accord with their best interests. The materials entering
into the composition of a house are widely dissimilar;
yet, the insignificant and seemingly inferior portions of
it are as essentially parts of the building as are the more
conspicuous and apparently useful—each and all con¬
tributing its share to the stability, the beauty and utility
of the dwelling. Thus, by the appropriate and beautiful
figure of the human body, the Apostle strikingly illus¬
trates the unity and harmony of the Church under the
symbolical representation of the mystical body of Christ;
assuring us here as elsewhere that whatever diversities
exist in the Church of God, exist in conformity with the
divine arrangement, and for the interest and edification
of the entire body—no part is wanting, none superfluous.
Just as each member of the human body is a part of the
A FAREWELL TO KENTUCKY CONFERENCE. 345
whole, so each member of the Christian Church constitutes
a part of that Church.
The real or apparent inferiority of some parts as com¬
pared with others does not destroy their identity nor super¬
sede their usefulness; each performs its function, however
inconsiderable, and each makes its contribution to the
symmetry, harinony and beauty of the whole.
So intimately are they connected, so harmoniously are
they blended in the human system, that the loss, or even
the serious interruption of any one member, will be sen¬
sibly felt by the entire body. So, likewise in the Chris¬
tian Church, we are all members of the same body, and
whatever affects one affects all.
True, we belong to different nationalities; we are born
in different localities; we belong to different denomina¬
tions, and worship under different forms. We differ in
color, in tastes, in conditions and circumstances in life.
We differ quite as widely in intellectual endowments;
but, having received the same heavenly recognition, the
indwelling testimony of the Divine Spirit, we sustain per¬
fect equality before God, and any invidious distinction
made as between the children of God is insulting to him,
and in its highest degree anti-christian.
There are, indeed, diversities of gifts and operations;
some possess, in a remarkable degree, the spirit of wis¬
dom; others, the word of knowledge; others, the working
of miracles; others, diverse tongues; some prophesy, some
teach and some are evangelists; some exert a wider in¬
fluence than others, and are more successful. But all
belong to the same body, are members one of another,
are governed by the same head, are seeking the same
15
346
APPENDIX.
object—the glory of God—and therefore should seek and
maintain unity of spirit. It may be very desirable to be
the eyes, ears, or hands of this body, and we may seem
even to quarrel with our Maker, because we do not occupy
what seems to us the more important positions, and we
may become envious of our brethren, and, like Cain, seek
to injure them on account of this seeming preference ex¬
ercised on the part of the Almighty. But this course will
never alter these conditions; and, so far from deriving
any permanent advantage from the adoption of a course
of such extreme folly and wickedness, it is destined to
bring signal disaster upon the heads of its perpetrators.
The sad history of Cain, of Saul and of Hainan, who were
conspicuous in this reprehensible practice in the early
history of the race, abundantly illustrate the truth of this
averment. And who but recalls some one or more whose
premature downfall and ruin was the legitimate conse¬
quence of jealous envy? He who digs a pit for his brother
is sure, sooner or later, to fall therein himself, with equal
or more saddening results than he intended. Many a Ha¬
inan has, by divine permission, been made to suffer the
penalty of his envious guilt upon the same gallows which
he had erected for some innocent and unsuspecting Mor-
decai I
Proper consideration will readily convince us that
most, if not all, the causes which constitute the grounds
of envy and jealousy, resulting in discord and uncharita-
bleness toward our brethren, are matters over which
neither they nor ourselves have any control, but are the
result of divine arrangement; and so far from causing
disquietude or alienation, they were designed to be benefi-
A FAREWELL TO KENTUCKY CONFERENCE. 347
cial to all. And in the exercise of a liberal, generous
spirit of christian charity, they would prove to be a bond
of perfectness—a golden chain possessing—indeed multi¬
form, multifarious and multinominal links—but never¬
theless, a chain, uniting in spirit every believer in Christ
into one bond of peace, harmony and love—so strong that
no power on earth could sever it. And with the great
link firmly held in the omnipotent grasp of the Head of
the Church, no power in hell could seriously disturb its
harmony and security.
Let us not, therefore, cherish, much less exercise, any
feeling of jealousy or envy in reference to any one; since,
as the context assures us, " God hath set the members
every one of them in the body as it hath pleased Him."
Neither let us despise any one; since each one is part
of the whole. Let not the eye envy the ear, because of
its ability to try sounds to the exclusion of the other
members. Let not the hand despise the foot, because it
occupies the lowest position; for the ear cannot see, the
hand cannot hear, neither can the feet manipulate. Each
serves a desirable purpose peculiar to itself, designed of
God, and conducive to the comfort of all.
Equally absurd and senselessly wicked are those in¬
vidious distinctions, so inimical to this unity of spirit,
founded on race, complexion, beauty, deformity, or wealth;
since these are either accidental or they are in accordance
with divine arrangement; and the variety here as else¬
where should be made productive of harmony and love
rather than of discord and strife, and especially when
Christ is formed in the heart.
Third—Having spoken of the importance of Christian
348
APPENDIX.
unity, its spiritual nature and its entire practicability, let
us briefly inquire into the method of maintaining it. " En¬
deavor" is the word used in the text, which signifies to
try, to labor intensely. Nothing important is accom¬
plished without an effort. Let us, therefore, in view of
its beneficial results, both to ourselves and those with
whom we have intercourse, as well as -the cause of God,
which will be so greatly promoted thereby, put forth* an
earnest, faithful and prayerful endeavor, to maintain the
unity of spirit at all times and at whatever cost, by the
cultivation of a spirit of meekness, or that disposition
which checks the tendency to provocation in ourselves
and overcomes the disposition to provoke others; by low¬
liness of mind, or such modest views of ourselves, our
position, attainments, ability or opinions, as excludes all
pride and arrogance, and which prompts us to regard
with respectful consideration the views, opinions and
ability of others. By longsuffering, or the disposition
which enables us to bear slights, insults and injuries
without fiery resentment or a desire to revenge, but dis¬
posing us to hold the same kind, generous and loving
tenor of our way, prompts us to seek to confer the largest
amount of good upon those who have sought, and are
seeking, to do us the greatest harm. By a spirit of loving
forbearance, predisposing us to cast the mantle of charity
over the faults and infirmities of our brethren from con¬
siderations of lo^ e; by forgiving one another, as we are
wont to have others forgive us, we shall find, on a careful
review of our Christian life, many things for which we
can with difficulty forgive ourselves. Others doubtless
find as much, or more, quite as difficult to forgive in us*
A FAREWELL TO KENTUCKY CONFERENCE. 349
Let this mutual view of kindred offenses, arising from
similar infirmities, so humble us as to prompt us as freely
to forgive each other as we forgive ourselves, or hope to
to be forgiven of the Lord. Let us frankly speak what
we conscientiously believe to be the truth in reference
to our brethren ; but in such manner, and under such cir¬
cumstances, as will bring it within the category of " speak¬
ing the truth in love."
Much that tends to acrimony and strife, leading to
discord and alienation among brethren, arises from mis¬
representation; either wilful, or the result^of improper
information. In our seeming haste to publish what we
have heard, or at best know very imperfectly, we frequently
indulge—however undesignedly—in gross misrepresent¬
ations seriously affecting each other's reputation. No
possible loss, either to ourselves or community', could be
sustained by a little delay in circulating what tends to
the injury, of a brother; and delay would,in many in-
staces, put us in possession of such facts in the case as
would relieve the story of most, or all, of its injurious
effects.
If the time, ability and research so carefully devoted
to contentions about modes and ceremonial forms among
denominations—to misrepresentations, or insidious efforts
to inveigh character, among brethren, by innuendo, by a
meaning smile, or by a manifestly false apology for one
whose good name is being traduced, in which, by attempt¬
ing a lame excuse, we admit the facts contained in the
slander, although we do not believe them, and thus crys-
talize into truth what we might easily have branded and
silenced as a falsehood.'
350 APPENDIX.
If the time, effort and skill thus devoted to the interest
of discord were utilized in zealous efforts to cement more
closely the ties of Christian brotherhood, what a vast
amount of peace, prosperity and success would result to
the Church. Infidelity and skepticism would be disarmed
of their most formidable weapons, and Christ would be
gloriously enshrined in thousands of hearts, wherein Sa¬
tan now presides in grim majesty.
Far more time and study are employed in attempts to
belittle each other as Christians and as members of com¬
munity,. than is enlisted in battling against the common
enemy, or in* studied, honest and prayerful endeavor to
establish the cause of Christ " With what measure you
mete the same shall be measured to you again," is a trite
truism, that should serve to remind us that the thorn-seeds
wilfully sown by us for the goading of others to-day, will
be harvested and resown to-morrow, with the vast in¬
crease which the crop "will yield, to recompense us for
our toil with the largest interest by and by. The pupils
before whom we recite a slander, a misrepresentation, or
any belittling or depreciating lesson against our brother
or sister to-day, are carefully appropriating our manner,
our skill and our tact, to unite with their own, with which
to recite a similar lesson against us to-morrow with all
these damaging improvements. So that every effort of
this character is throwing dust in the air, with the cer¬
tainty that our own eyes will be filled with it, painfully,
in the sequel.
It is not only, therefore, an unchristian course of con¬
duct, but a wicked and costly folly.
Finally, if we would cultivate Christian unity and love
A FAREWELL TO KENTUCKY" CONFERENCE.
if we would encourage the diffident and strengthen the
weak ; if we would counteract the sourness of spirit, which
leads to alienation and estrangement; if we would con¬
tribute toward that oneness of heart which signalizes all
the special and fuller manifestations of divine power and
success in the Churcfi of God, let us carefully avoid what
we know to be reprehensible, and as carefully practice
what we know is commendable.
Thus shall we foster that unity and harmony of spirit
which infidelity cannot gainsay, the world cannot suc¬
cessfully resist, which Satan condemns and God approves.
This will embrace whatsoever is true, honest, just, pure
and lovely; and, if we would faithfully and successfully
serve the cause of God and advance the interest of Zion,
let us " think on these things."
And may God make our hearts one.
THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
353
AN ADDBESS.
THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
BY BISHOP S. T. JONES, D. D.
Delivered before the Independent Order of Good Samaritans
and Daughters of Samaria at Knoxville, Tenn.
" And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from
Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him
of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him
half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that
way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And
likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on
him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan,
as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he
had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his
wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast,
and brought him to an inn, and took c ire of him. And on the mor¬
row when he departed, he took out two pence and gave them to
the host and said unto him, Take care of him: and whatsoever
thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which
now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that
fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on
him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."—
Luke x, 30—37.
Wo have here briefly narrated an account of one of
those attempts which are frequently put forth by the
skeptical, to bring into disrepute and ridicule the loved
doctrines of our holy religion, that they may substitute
354
APPENDIX.
instead, their own peculiar views of right, however er¬
roneous.
A lawyer—a man learned in the law—approaches the
Saviour with all the seeming gravity which the subject de¬
mands, and inquires: " Master, what shall I do to inherit
eternal life ?" Notwithstanding the solemnity of the ques¬
tion, the sequel proves that this man, like thousands of
others since his day, was far more anxious to justify his
own course of conduct, right or wrong, than to learn
what was the good and acceptable way of the Lord. For,
in answer to the Saviour's questions, " What is written
in the law? how readest thou?"—afier answering very
promptly and very correctly by repeating the two lead¬
ing commandments embracing love'to God and to.man,
comprehending piety and philanthropy, the soul of all
true religion, the end of the law and the aim of the proph¬
ets—he shows either his ignorance or his disregard of the
spirit of these commandments, or both, by asking," Who
is my neighbor ? "
To cure at once his ignorance and narrowminded con¬
ceit, the Saviour puts the case in the strongest possible
light, by giving either the historical facts or the striking
parable of the unfortunate Jew, who, on his way from
Jerusalem to Jericho, encountered a band of thieves,
which, having stripped him of all he had, even to his
raiment, and having beaten him unmercifully, left liim
wounded and bruised and half dead on the wayside.
The lawyer is reluctantly forced to admit that, whoever
came to the succor and salvation of this unfortunate
man—whether an acquaintance or a stranger, a fellow-
countryman or a foreigner, a former friend or foe, whether
THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
355
of kindred persuasion or different creed, whether clad in
the sacred vestments of the sanctuary or in the tattered
garments of the mendicant—proves himself to be neigh¬
bor to the sufferer, the friend of humanity, and there¬
fore the friend of God.
First. I remark, that extensive endowments, vast
powers of usefulness, the robes and sanction of the Church,
are not to be relied upon as evidences of love to God.
Nothing seems more evident than that the Saviour de¬
signs to teach us in this narration that there is a wide
contrast between the mere forms and ceremonies of Chris¬
tianity and the reality of it; the mere profession—how¬
ever ostentatiously made, however loudly claimed—and
that indwelling of the divine principle which is as cer¬
tain to make its presence and influence known and felt
by all who are within reach of that influence, as are the
rays of the sun to effect, beneficially, every form and
species of vegetable and animal existence and life with
which they may come in contact.
He presents to us the mitered priest—the recognized
leader of a Church founded in infinite tenderness and
love for mankind by a Being who, in His remarkable
self-forgetfulness and matchless devotion to the interest
of those who had fallen among thieves and even been
left helpless by the wayside, excites the astonishment and
challenges the admiration of the universe—this high
functionary who was to imitate the example of his divine
Lord and Master by lifting the fallen, cheering the faint,
and binding the broken-hearted—this distinguished
representative of the High Priest of his profession nears
the scene over which angels hover in deep sympathy;
356
APPENDIX.
but devoid of that tenderness of heart which weeps with
those who weep and mourns with those who mourn, un¬
mindful of his solemn obligations and lost even to those pa¬
triotic impulses which should have prompted him to come
to the relief of one of his own countrymen and creed, he
gathers his priestly robes about him and passes on the
other side. Doubtless we all would have been electrified
had we listened to the sermons and lectures of this divine,
in the temple of the synagogue; our sympathies would
have been aroused in the interest of suffering humanity,
as he discoursed with burning eloquence on that subject,
just as they are to-day, when we listen to the touching
appeals to those sympathies from the pulpit or read them
in the writings of distinguished men in the Church, who,
like this same priest, when practical sympathy—action,
and not words are required—almost invariably pass by
on the other side.
What a vast number of poor unfortunate beings, vic¬
tims of injustice and wrong inflicted by those whom it is
unpopular to condemn, are passed by unassisted and un-
comforted. Most of the evils which afflict mankind,
originating in man's inhumanity to man, might be effect¬
ually remedied if the priesthood—the ministry of the
sanctuary—would take time to stop by the wayside and
have hearts to sympathize with God's poor unfortunate
ones who in one way or another have fallen among
thieves who have stripped them of rights and privileges
common to all men in this highway of life, and left them
friendless and comfortless. These men will find time and
convenience too to stop to discuss the impropriety, the
crime, of plucking an ear of corn on the Sabbath day,
THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
357
even if it be to meet the most pressing demands of na¬
ture ; they can stop to defend the peculiar dogmas of their
church, its rites and ceremonies; they will find time to
stop to resent an insult, however slight, offered to some
one of distinction or wealth, and raise their hands in holy
horror at an injury inflicted upon these; but obscure
humanity, suffering from whatever wrongs, burdened
with whatever sorrow or cares, pleading with whatever
pathos, is passed by on the other side. Matters of mint,
anise and cummin—these formulas in religion are care¬
fully looked after; but the weightier matters of the law,
justice, judgment, humanity, mercy, are criminally neg¬
lected—passed by on the other side.
Thus it seems clear that the highest positions, the
costliest robes and the most emphatic sanction of the
church, do not necessarily prove the possession of Chris¬
tianity, since he who practically denies his love to man,
whatever may be his theory on that subject, ignores
thereby all claim of saving love to God.
We come next to notice the conduct of the second per¬
sonage whom the Saviour brings to view in this instruc¬
tive narrative—the Levite, the attendant of the priest, the
representative of that distinguished class in the Jewish
church which in consequence of its loyalty to the divine
government and its zeal for the divine worship were
made the guardians of sacred things, the exponents of
the law and the teachers of the people. It might be ex¬
pected if the superior officer of the sanctuary had, like
his predecessor Aaron at the foot of Mount Sinai, so far
forgotten for the time his duty to God and humanity as
to patronize this popular golden-calfship—if he, in his
358
APPENDIX.
character of one of the chief shepherds, had coldly passed
by this maimed and bleeding sheep of the fold rather
than provoke popular criticism by stepping to his relief—
this under-shepherd, this middle-man between the priest
and the flock, whose office and labors brought him into
more immediate contact with the people, and whose feel¬
ings and sympathies are consequently supposed to have
entered more fully into their wants, cares and burdens—
it might easily be expected, I repeat, that the imploring
look and sad and touching moans of this wounded man
of Israel would have been responded to by this Levite.
But he, too, following the cruel example of his superior,
passed by on the other side.
Second. This brings me to remark, that Church or¬
ganizations, religious zeal and loud professions of charity
are no proofs of christian character. As the priest rep¬
resented the ministry, so the Levite may be taken as the
representative of the membership, the laity of the Church,
and we see in his conduct in this case a striking illustra¬
tion of that trite scriptural phrase, " like priest like
people."
And thus we see it to day. Leading, wealthy, influen¬
tial members of the Church are not wanting in osten tatious
exhibitions of so-called charity; interests wherein pomp and
display hold sway are patronized with lavish munificence,
while those which involve the well-being of the masses,
.the poor, the unfortunate, the lowly sufferers of earth—
interests which do not provoke popular applause—are
passed by on the other side. True, there are exceptional
cases, but such is the rule.
There are but few evils of a general character but might
THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
359
be cured, or at least checked, if the power and influence
wielded by the Church were marshalled against them.
But alas! for suffering humanity, the Church, divinely
appointed to hear the cries and administer to the wants
of the fallen and forlorn, has partaken of the popular
frenzy, and the popular frenzy is to give prostrate hu¬
manity the go-by, unless it be distinguished humanity.
The Church which eloquently proclaims a gospel which
assures us that there is no respect of persons with God,
emphasizes its faith in that gospel by practicing the most
invidious distinction. In the privileges and immunities
of government; in the necessities and comforts of life;
in social intercourse; in tender sympathy; in its approach
to the sacred altar of worship ; and even in death itself—
in all these it leaves out the lowly and obscure, and passes
by on the other side.
Evidently, church membership and religious observ¬
ances and zeal are no warrant of eternal life.
Third. Finally, we notice that human kindness, acts
of humanity impartially bestowed upon our fellow men,
are the unmistakable outgoings of a heart imbued, influ¬
enced and controlled by the Divine Spirit, and are the
unfailing signs of true piety.
In the person of this Samaritan we have a man who is
on a journey, and therefore had but little time to wait on
the way; he might have easily excused himself and
silenced his conscience on this ground, and passed on ;
but he did not. In the next place, this traveler is a Sa¬
maritan, identified with a people who cherished a most
inveterate hatred toward the Jews, and were equally
d.espjsed by theip. It was a marvel to the Samaritan
360
APPENDIX.
woman at the well, that even Christ, being a Jtw after
the flesh, should be sufficiently civil even to ask her for a
drink of water. " How is it," said she, "that thou, being a
Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?
for the Jews haveno dealings with the Samaritans." From
the facts of history it is hardly possible to conceive of
anything much lower in the scale of humanity than the
Samaritans were held by the Jews ; and as this hostility
was mutual, it required no ordinary degree of humanity,
large-heartedness, and love for man because he is a man,
to have induced this Samaritan traveler to perform the
kind offices he so generously bestows on the unfortunate
Jew. But he was equal to the emergency. His feelings
of humanity conquer all personal animosities, all race
pride, all religious differences, and proudly holds the
mastery. . He does not plead immunity from duty on the
grounds that the priest and Levite, whose special duty it
was to look after this member of the Jewish Church, have
passed by. He does not hesitate to ask himself the ques¬
tion, will it be popular to relieve this Jew, or will I gain
notoriety in so doing, or will I be criticized damagingly
for my recognition of him, or will it in any way advance
my interests by eliciting the good opinion of the public
or the favorable comment of the chroniclers of events, or
will it expose me to the contemptuous scorn of my sect?
He does not even stop to contemplate the possible danger
to his own life and person on this lonely road, where at
any moment he might meet the same band of highway¬
men which had perpetrated this foul deed of blood ; but,
forgetful of all else save the succor of a fellow mortal, he
approaches the ghastly forra with a heart and purpose to
THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
361
relieve him. He does not stop to ask him a number of
needless questions as to his business, his politics, his na¬
tionality, his faith and order; he does not stop to lecture
him about his tattered garments which still hung upon
him, or his filthy appearance, or his want of prudent
caution, and all this. No, he would first prove himself a
friend by kind, generous, helpful treatment - then lecture
him, if need be, when he had time and heart and strength
to hear, comprehend and appreciate a lecture. But now,
these gaping, bleeding wounds and painful bruises fiie to
be bound up and mollified and soothed with ointment;
strength is failing from loss of blood and from the agony
of pain; the spirits are fast sinking, and the life of a
fellow being is trembling in the balance. To meet these,
the Samaritan at once addresses himself. He tenderly
closes the gaps, binds up the wounds and pours on the
soothing oil; thus he allays the pain. He next admin¬
isters a cup of wine to the parching lips of the sufferer;
this revives the sinking spirits. He then lifts him up
and sets him on his own beast, and supporting him there,
carries him to the next inn, places him in charge of
proper attendants, orders him to be given every attention
till fully recovered, pays down part of the expenses and
promises to pay on his return, whatever additional ex¬
penses might have been incurred.
Such, my hearers, is the practical philanthropy which
the religion of Christ infuses into the hearts of all who
possess that religion ; such is the example of our divine
Lord and Master, and such is the religion of the Bible.
It matters little what is our creed, our office and standing>
our gifts and qualifications, our nationality or complex-
3(52
APPENDIX.
iou, our church relations and religious zeal or our claims
to piety—it matters not b}* what name, order or associa¬
tion we are known—if we lack this practical humanity,
this genuine philanthrophy, this distinguishing mark of
Christian character, wo are wanting in the most essential
element on which to base our claims to eternal life.
The founders and patrons of the order which I have
the honor to address at this time—"The Independent
Order of Good Samaritans and Daughters of Samaria "—
doubtless designed that the association, having the name
of the distinguished philanthropist whom we have been
considering, should also emulate his illustrious example.
Hence, your declaration of principles commits you to the
grand, ennobling and God-like work of hunting up the
outcast, the degraded and forlorn, and especially the ine¬
briate ; to relieve and to rescue them, to close up the gaps
and bind up the wounds which a wicked and profligate
course of life has inflicted, as well by your example as by
your precept, and to pour in the oil and wine of sympa¬
thy, material aid and spiritual consolation; to lift them
up by your personal efforts and influence as well as by
your prayers and tears, and, bearing them in the arms of
love and affection, bring them to the spiritual inn—the
Church of the living God—for final healing and full res¬
toration to society and heaven.
See that the noble principles of your Order are supple¬
mented and crystalized by the noble example of this
Good Samaritan; and, while your constitutional obliga¬
tions make it your first duty to look after each other, let
the recollection of the common brotherhood of mankind
THE GOOD SAMARITAN. 363
prompt you to extend your influence and aid to all within
your reach, passing none by.
Remember your motto, " Love, Purity, Truth." Exem¬
plify this-beautiful and appropriate trio by love to God
and to all mankind, by purity in principle and practice,
and by truth in all things. Love the principles, rules
and regulations of your Order ; see that they are observed
in all their purity. Be true to each other, true to God,
and true to humanity—then you will be true to your*
selves. Finally, imitate, in all your intercourse with
mankind, the example of the great prototype of the
Good Samaritan—Jesus Christ—who never passes by, but
stoops to lift up suffering humanity in every form and in
every place, and your organization will prove a lasting
blessing.