Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Pfalmift may be deduced the two following leffons of religious importance.

First, That the general Truth of God's Promises is not to be questi oned, by reason of any casual Appearances to the contrary.

Secondly, That we have the greatest Encouragement to maintain our Integrity, in oppofition to this, and every other Temptation; because the Effect of Virtue, fooner or later, must be Happiness.

1. That the former of these lessons fhould have been inculcated upon the Jews was peculiarly requifite, because, being subject to a law, that promised all temporal good things to as many as obferved it, and threatened all manner of evil things to thofe who brake it, they might be disheartened from their obedi

VOL. II.

P

ence

ence, when they faw the ungodly triumph, and the righteous perfecuted and oppreffed. And we find in fact that examples of this fort had an unhappy influence upon minds otherwife well difpofed: Who knew not how to reconcile fuch feeming irregularities with the wif dom and justice of Providence, till they went into the factuary of God; i. e. till they thoroughly examined the matter upon cool and religious principles. And then they quickly perceived that the flourishing state of wicked perfons was only for a moment; but that the virtuous and the godly were notwithstanding the favourites of Heaven. The fplendid images of the former vanished out of the city, disappeared on a fudden, like those of a dream when one awaketh; whilft the latter inherited the earth, were delivered from much evil, and died in peace.

But if, under the Jewish economy,

many

many circumstances were to be weighed and adjusted, before any prefumed to impeach the administration of divine government upon these accounts ; how fhall we be excused, if, under a better covenant, established upon better promises, whereof thofe of the law were but typical, we fuffer our love of God and of his righteoufnefs to wax cold, and withdraw our faith in Christ, upon a pretence fo utterly unreasonable, as that the workers of iniquity do abound and profper? For what affurance of any distinguishing favours, merely of a temporal kind, does the gospel afford even it's most zealous votaries? It was, we know, the caution of our Lord himself to his first followers, that they should not expect worldly peace from the Religion He was about to introduce, but rather divifion and the fword; to be hated and perfecuted unto death for his name's fake. And though, it must be granted,

P 2

granted, fuch extraordinary ill usage was more naturally, as it was fatally, incident to those earlier days, yet have true and faithful Chriftians at all times but too much reason to adopt that declaration of St. Paul, that, "if in this life only they have hope in Christ, they are of all men most miferable." I say true and faithful Chriftians, in contradiftinction to fuch as are Chriftians only by name and profeffion; and who, having virtually renounced their fpiritual birthright of faith and hope, have as little refpect to the laws, as they have to the promifes, of the gospel. And what wonder, if perfons void of all religious principle, and ready to clofe with every opportunity of fenfual pleasure or worldly gain, fhould live in a state of habitual indulgence, increase in riches, and appear at least happier than much better men? Such as fear not God, neither regard man, but where their own imme

diate interest is concerned, have a manifeft advantage in this refpect over the pious and upright; who flee all finful pleasures, and dare not intermeddle with the emoluments of corruption.

The characteristick of every fincere Christian is, that he lives by faith and not by fight; by faith in the promises of God, not in conformity to the examples of a vain and deceitful world. His converfation (as the Apoftle expreffes himself) is in Heaven; forafmuch as his thoughts and meditations, his views and expectancies, are finally fixed upon thofe happy regions, where he is fully affured his home and his inheritance are. It is not therefore for fuch an one to be diverted from his main purfuit either by the allurements or the difficulties that he may meet with in the way. If a land flowing with milk and honey be the object infallibly promifed, why, like the foolish

P 3

« AnteriorContinuar »