Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

of every talent, a circumspect conversation, and endeavouring to "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things," and to recommend religion to all around him.

The Lord, on his part, answers the expectations of those who walk with him. He supplies their wants, interposes in their emergencies, and evidences his care of them he meets them in his ordinances, teaches them from his word, answers their prayers, accepts their services: he communicates, by his Spirit, wisdom, strength, and consolation to their souls, and is indeed their guide, companion, and counsellor, through life: and, at length, he meets them at death, and takes them into "his presence, where is fulness of joy." Thus ends the walk of faith; for thenceforth they walk by sight, and see Him as he is; being for ever with him, and like him in holiness and felicity.

But "Enoch was translated, that he should not see death”: (Heb. xi. 5, 6.) In the prime of life, according to those times, he was taken from earth to heaven, in the body, without feeling the pangs of death, having "received this testimony, that he pleased God." Therefore, on earth "he was not"; neither his friends nor his persecutors could find him. He was a preacher of righteousness; and if we may judge by the specimen left on record, (Jude 14, 15,) his plain and alarming address could not fail greatly to enrage the daring sinners, among whom he lived.

Man, in his best estate, is altogether vanity!-He is born, raises up a family, and dies! These are his

memoirs; all else is a cipher, or a blot, except he walks with God. The page of history records the splendid actions of the great and illustrious: the report of the day proclaims the wealth, which some have accumulated and left behind, and of which they are gone to render an account: the monuments of the dead are often inscribed with pompous titles and flattering commendations: but may it, with truth, be engraven on my tombstone, or whispered in the obscurest corHe walked with God, and was not, for God took him"! and, so far from envying their distinctions, not even Enoch's privilege shall be anxiously desired; but, as one expresses it—

ner,

66

I'll hail the sharpest pangs of death,
Which break my way to God.

THE FAULT OF AN OVER-SCRUPULOUS MIND.

THE time of the morning sacrifice at Jerusalem was chosen for this miracle (recorded 2 Kings, iii. 20), to intimate to the whole company, that the deliverance was vouchsafed to them through the sacrifices and the worship there performed.-It may here very properly be noted, that neither Elijah, nor Elisha, seems ever to have resorted to the worship at the temple [in Jerusalem], or to have required the people, under the government of the kings of Israel, to do so; though that worship was appointed by God, and it is evident

that his spiritual worshippers had respect to it. The peculiar circumstances of Israel were such, that, without uninterrupted miracles, or subverting the foundation of the civil establishment, the people could not exactly observe the ritual law. The prophets were therefore directed, by God himself, to accommodate their conduct to these circumstances; and to spend their lives in recovering or preserving the people from idolatry, and in teaching them the grand essentials of acceptable religion.

In every age, hitherto, considerate and faithful Ministers have found it impracticable for them to rectify every external deviation from what to them appeared most Scriptural: but, having attained to the distinction between what is desirable, and what is attainable-between the essentials of true Religion in every age, and matters more circumstantial—they have accommodated themselves to that state of things, which they could not alter; and endeavoured to bring men to repentance, faith in Christ, and holiness of life, and to as Scriptural an external worship as they could. And, though some of their brethren have censured them, the Lord God of Elijah and Elisha has evidently pleaded their cause, by making them the instruments of numerous conversions, and great revivals of religion: whilst others, scrupulously exact in external forms, and earnest to magnify them, have worn out their lives in vainly attempting to new-model the church and the world, and have missed their opportunity of more essential usefulness.

In due time the Lord will regulate every thing externally, as well as internally, in the best manner. In the mean while, we must make the best of things: we must aim to be satisfied respecting our own conduct, as in the sight of God; to be moderate and candid in our own judgment concerning those who differ from us, and patient under their censures of us; and-learning what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice-to be careful not to lose sight of the great end of all religion, for the sake of some of the disputable means of attaining it. For, at last, nothing availeth in Christ Jesus, but Faith which worketh by love, and A new creature, manifested in newness of life.

METHODICAL REVIEW OF LIFE.

IN reviewing this abstract of the Lord's conduct towards Israel, as a people, from the choice and call of Abraham to the days of Nehemiah, (Nehem. ix. 7-31.) we perceive a continued display of His power, wisdom, truth, and love; requited by persevering ingratitude and perverse disobedience.

But, especially, we should each of us STUDY OUR OWN HISTORY. Let us divide our lives past into distinct periods; and carefully investigate the mercies and the transgressions of each, until we have brought down the inquiry to the present hour; praying, all the while, that the Holy Spirit may assist our recollection, and enable us to form a proper estimate of the Lord's

dealings with us, and our behaviour towards him; and so deduce proper conclusions from the whole, with suitable affections. And if prejudice, ignorance, or self-flattery, do not blind our minds, we shall certainly see abundant cause for deep humiliation, and for admiring gratitude; and to acknowledge that all our sufferings have been justly merited, all our comforts mercifully bestowed.

Besides the temporal provision which we have from the Lord's bounty (though not by miracle), we are favoured with means and opportunities of becoming wise unto salvation, even beyond what Israel enjoyed, in their most favoured times. We have the sacred oracles, now completed, and ever at hand, to give us light, and to show us the way in which we should go. We have the Gospel preached among us, and the holy sabbaths and ordinances of our God: but have we never neglected, profaned, and despised them? We have not been without salutary chastisements, and merciful deliverances, perhaps in answer to prayer: but have we not requited them by returning unto sin? We have had not only the testimony of God's servants, but the strivings of His good Spirit: but have we never hated and despised the one, and quenched the other? Nay, we are especially under the ministration of the Spirit; yet, perhaps, have neglected to pray for His gracious influences, and derided those who did. And have not we proudly cast off the authority of God's law, and as proudly endeavoured to justify ourselves before him?

« AnteriorContinuar »