Page images
PDF
EPUB

should have the gospel preached to them, as that they should escape the wrath to come, and secure the salvation of their souls. If the character of Christ were exhibited to them, they would have an opportunity of exercising that faith, without which it is impossible to please God and obtain eternal life. For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Though God intends to give unto his Son the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession; yet there is no ground to expect this desirable event, until the way is prepared by the universal spread of the gospel. If christians did but duly realize, that it is only in Christ, that God means to reconcile the world to himself, they would be more zealously engaged to send the gospel of his grace into all the dark corners of the earth. Were there to be a general diffusion of gospel light through the heathen world, there is abundant reason to hope that God would make the knowledge of Christ a savor of life unto life to those who are perishing for the lack of vision. It becomes all the friends of Zion to pray that God would make known his way upon earth, and his saving health among all nations. For he has assured them, that their prayers and exertions are necessary to bring about this great and glori

ous event.

3. If God means to try the hearts of men, and prepare them for their final state through the medium of the gospel, then he has an important purpose to answer, by sending it where he knows it will be rejected. Though he clearly foresaw and predicted that the inhabitants of Judea would generally shut their eyes, and stop their ears, and harden their hearts, under the preaching of the gospel, yet he commanded the apostles to begin their ministry at Jerusalem, and make the first offer of salvation to the Jews. And when the gospel had tried their hearts and produced the effect foretold, Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." God meant to give his degenerate people a fair opportunity to see and hate both him and his Son, and in that way to ripen themselves for their final ruin. And he now puts the same price into the hands of those, who, he knows, will have no heart to improve it. The gospel is no less adapted to fit men for eternal misery, than for eternal happiness. This alarming truth the apostle Paul frequently exhibited in the most plain and striking light; and appealed to the consciences of men, whether God may not make the gospel a medium of destruction to some, as well as a medium of salvation to others. "What if God, willing to show his wrath and make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruc

tion: and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory?" And again he asks, "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded." It seems to have given him great encouragement to preach the gospel, to be assured that it should be the means of preparing both saints and sinners for their final state. "Now thanks be to God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other, the savor of life unto life." The word of God never returns to him void, but always accomplishes his purpose of saving or destroying those to whom he sends it.

4. If the exhibition of Christ be designed to form men for their future and eternal state, then they are in a very solemn situation while they are hearing the gospel. It is quick and powerful, and sharper than a two edged sword. It will infallibly penetrate and try their hearts, and leave impressions there which never can be eradicated. Though they may come to the house of God for mere amusement, and hear the gospel with as much levity and indifference as if they knew it were a cunningly devised fable, which could have no influence upon their future state, yet they will sooner or later feel the evil effects of their criminal stupidity and presumption. God told Ezekiel that his vain and contemptuous hearers should reap the bitter fruits of their sin and folly, in despising his solemn messages. "Lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them." And Christ forewarned his unbelieving hearers that his word would not be lost upon them, but prove the ground of their final condemnation. "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him at the last day." Whenever sinners come within the walls of the sanctuary, they are under a moral necessity of embracing the gospel, or of rejecting the counsel of God against themselves; which is the most critical and interesting situation they can possibly be in, this side of eternity.

5. If the gospel tries the hearts and forms the characters of those who hear it, then sinners may easily and insensibly fit themselves for destruction. Many seem to think that the gospel will do them no harm unless they openly and violently oppose

VOL. VI.

58

it. They flatter themselves, if they never say any thing against it by way of complaint or contempt; but, on the other hand, treat it with respect, acknowledge it to be divine, and hear it with decency; they are in the fair way to salvation. They verily believe that the Jews were highly criminal for their violent opposition to Christ, and the doctrines he taught; and they view all open infidels and scoffers as walking in the same broad road to destruction. But they mean to shun such shocking examples, and pursue a more wise and prudent course as long as they live. They intend to sit and hear the gospel with as much patience as possible, and never suffer their hard thoughts and inward enmity to break out into open violence to Christ, or to those who preach in his name. And so long as they constantly and seriously hear the gospel, they fondly hope it will prove a saving benefit to them. But this is a gross and dangerous delusion. Internal opposition to Christ is as fatal to the soul as external, and will as infallibly destroy it. How many serious, and apparently well disposed persons, sit under the gospel from Sabbath to Sabbath, with secret opposition to Christ, and to the way of salvation through his mediation and atonement! They see no form nor comeliness in him, wherefore they should desire him; but heartily hate his person, his doctrines, and his terms of mercy, which is a silent and insensible way to destruction. So long as sinners thus sit under gospel preaching, and hear and hate, hear and hate, hear and hate, they are constantly preparing, whether they realize it or not, to unite in the feelings, and share in the torments, of the incorrigible enemies of God, who shall lie down in everlasting sorrow.

6. We learn from what has been said in this discourse, that all who hear the gospel may know, before they leave the world, what will be their future and final state. God has given them a glorious and infallible sign. He has clearly exhibited the great and amiable character of the divine Redeemer, and told them, if they look at it and love it, they shall live; but if they look at it and hate it, they shall die. They have only to determine how they have felt or do feel in view of the Saviour, and draw the inference justly, in order to know with certainty whether they are friends or enemies to God, and prepared to enjoy his favor or feel his displeasure for ever. If they love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, they may assure themselves that because he lives they shall live; but if they remain conscious of hating the Lord Jesus Christ, they may assure themselves that because he lives, they must die. His character will be for ever exhibited to the view of all intelligent creatures; and those who view it with complacence and delight must be perfectly blessed; but those who view it with directly the opposite feelings, must be completely and for ever miserable.

SERMON XXXV.

GOD LOVES THOSE THAT LOVE HIM.

1

I LOVE them that love me. - PROVERBS, viii. 17.

THIS is the language of divine wisdom, speaking throughout this chapter. It is not, however, very easy to determine whether divine wisdom is here to be taken in a figurative, or literal sense. Some suppose that Solomon uses the term wisdom here, and in other parts of this book, to denote true religion, or that wisdom which is from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Some suppose that the wisdom speaking in the text, is Jesus Christ, who is called the Wisdom of God. But some are more inclined to think that wisdom is here personified, and denotes God himself, who is often represented by one of his essential attributes, as the Almighty, Holy One, &c. These several expositions of wisdom very nearly coincide, so that we cannot deviate from truth, by adopting either of them, though we may not exactly hit the precise meaning of the sacred writer. But I choose to consider God as speaking in the text, and saying, "I love them that love me." The plain and obvious import of this declaration is,

That God loves none but such as first love him.

To illustrate this subject, I shall,

I. Show what kind of love God exercises towards them who love him.

II. Consider what is implied in men's loving God.

III. Inquire why God loves only such as first love him.

I. I am to show what kind of love God bears towards them who love him.

There is the love of benevolence, and the love of complacence. These two kinds of love are of the same nature, but distinguished by the objects upon which they terminate. The love of benevolence terminates upon percipient being, and extends to all sensitive natures, whether rational or irrational, whether they have a good, or bad, or no moral character. God desires and regards the good of all his creatures, from the highest angel to the lowest insect. His benevolence is bounded by nothing but an incapacity to enjoy happiness and suffer pain. He is good to the evil and to the unthankful; yea, he is good unto all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. Every creature has a share in his benevolent affections and his benevolent exertions, in exact proportion to his worth and importance in the scale of being. He so loved the whole wicked world as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. His love of benevolence extends to sinners, as well as to saints; to the worst, as well as to the best of mankind. But his love of complacence is wholly confined to moral beings, who are possessed of moral excellence. Nothing but virtue, or goodness, or real holiness is the object of his complacence. He loves holiness in himself, and wherever he finds it in any of his creatures. He sees it in all those who love him, and therefore he loves them, not only with benevolence, but with complacence. When he says in the text, "I love them that love me," he means to declare that he feels that complacency towards those who love him, which he does not feel towards those who hate him. He loves those who hate him, with the love of benevolence, but not with the love of complacence. It is, therefore, the peculiar love of complacence, which God bears to them, and to them only that love him.

ter.

II. Let us consider what is implied in men's loving God. 1. This implies some true knowledge of his moral characThere is reason to fear that many who live under the light of the gospel, and believe the existence of God, yet have no just conceptions of his nature and moral attributes. Though they have some right apprehensions of his self existence, independence, almighty power, and all his natural perfections, yet they are ready to imagine that he is altogether such an one as themselves, in his views and feelings. But this is a great and dangerous mistake. God is love. He formed all his purposes from eternity, under the influence of pure, disinterested benev olence, and is immutably determined to govern all events, and to dispose of all his creatures, so as to promote the highest holiness and happiness of them that love him. It is impossible to exercise true love to God, without some just conceptions

« PreviousContinue »