CHRISTIAN WARFARE AND TRIUMPH. JANUARY 21. 29 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge, will give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also who love his appearing. THE palm tree, among many of the ancient nations, was an emblem of victory. Hence its branches were used to adorn triumphal processions. The general, whose victories the triumph was designed to celebrate, carried a small branch of it in his hand, and was thus recognised as a conqueror. When, therefore, the redeemed are described in the figurative language of scripture, as having palms in their hands, we are reminded that they were once soldiers, who were not ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified,but fought manfully under his banner, and by the strength of their arm completely conquered every enemy. The saints on earth, indeed, are warring the same warfare in which these glorified beings were engaged; and are continually obtaining victories in it; but then they must wait till all the days of their warfare are accomplished, before they can have the triumphal chariot and the palm. The soldier never triumphs till the war is ended, and the enemy completely subdued. The saints in heaven have finished the painful conflict, and are now gone up for their reward to Jehovah's temple. Splendid surely are their triumphs! glorious indeed their spoils ! Well may everlasting shouts of victory and songs of joy ascend from their ranks; for their triumph is a never-ending triumph their palms will never wither: their robes of honour will never fade the lustre of their crown never can be tarnished. The light of day will be extinguished, and the stars of heaven be darkened, but the brightness of their glory will be as incorruptible as the throne of God. There is every thing to inspirit the christian warrior. God has proclaimed himself on his side; and he will not leave to struggle unaided, the spirit that leans on him for support. Jesus Christ too is on his side. The ability of an earthly friend to serve us, might fall short of his inclination; but Christ with every disposition to help, is able to save to the uttermost. A cloud of witnesses, who have fought and conquered are on his side. All the wise and good who are yet in the flesh are on his side. Shall we not, then, clothe ourselves with the whole armour of God; having on the breastplate of righteousness; taking the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit? He that is entirely of the world finds it a world of conflicts, and cannot escape many a wound from it. But the worst of his case is, that he has no physician to apply to, "though the sorrow of the world worketh death." What a blessed calling it is to fight for the truth; for the honour of God; for everlasting life; to strive for the noblest prize; to wear celestial armour; to have free access to that tree, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations, and which heal every wound upon the immediate application; to fight with the Captain at our side, and to be sure of the victory. Stand up, my soul! shake off thy fears, And gird the gospel-armour on ; March to the gates of endless joy, Where thy great Leader, Christ, has gone. 30 IMAGE OF GOD ON THE SOUL OF MAN. JANUARY 22. Man is the image and glory of God. THERE is nothing in our nature as it comes from God which is not worthy of consecration. We answer the purpose of existence, when our souls reflect fully the image in which they were created. Every native attribute being good in itself, abuse is all which is to be dreaded. Human nature, created as it is in the image of God, is a reasonable nature, and the reasonable nature of man has no evil tendency; for there is no tendency to evil in the divine mind. The reasonable nature of man directs to the pursuit of wisdom and virtue, and to suppress all corrupt desires. Passion, in its perturbed and unnatural state, is a perfect alienation of the mind from all holy exercises and affections. But passion may become restorative, as abuses work their own cure. The heart of man has been considered allegorically, as an island, almost level with the water which bathes it. On the pure white marble of the island are engraved the holy precepts of the law of nature. Near these characters is one who bends his eyes respectfully on the inscription, and reads it aloud. He is the love of Virtue, the Genius of the island. The water around is in continual agitation. The slightest zephyr raises it into billows. It then covers the inscription. We no longer see the characters. We no longer hear the Genius read. But the calm soon rises from the bosom of the storm. The island reappears white as before, and the Genius resumes his employment. The mind of a sinful man is darkened and disturbed by passion, and, except some occasional feelings of terror, gives no indication of the existence and character of the Deity. It is like the ocean lying under a threatening sky, and ruffled with the wind, which gives no distinct reflection of the lights of the heavens, yet catches and flashes back an occasional gleam, which indicates their existence. When the soul is restored to the favour of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, it is as when God says to the sea, "Peace, be still,” and immediately its fury subsides, and its heaving billows begin to rock themselves to rest, while the clouds gradually disperse, and the sun shines out upon it, and its reflections become more distinct and more general, and the whole scene assumes an air of quiet cheerfulness. But when the soul shall be for ever delivered from the influence of all agitating passions, and shall be brought into the presence of God, it will be as a calm expanse of water lying under a serene sky, with the sun falling full upon it, which then gleams and sparkles with a brightness that is overpowering to human vision. Then every feature in the majestic and lovely character of God will have its respondent reflection on the souls of his people; and, as the untroubled ocean reflects in succession the various exhibitions of the works of God, presented by a revolving and perpetually changing sky, so their souls will be the subjects of ever varying affections, excited by a continued succession of new and wonderful displays of the character and attributes of Deity. God! in my spirit may thy spirit shine, IMPORTANCE OF FIRST PRINCIPLES. JANUARY 15. 23 This is life eternal,-to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.-Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart; and thy neighbour as thyself. No doctrine is a fundamental, a necessary article of a christian's faith, but what is so plainly and distinctly revealed, as that an ordinary christian, sincere in his inquiries, cannot miss of the knowledge of it. It is not the character of God to leave things at uncertainties. A kind Creator and watchful Preserver cannot but delight in and desire the happiness of his creatures. He has done and will do all, that is consistent with his illustrious attributes, for the ad-` vancement of his free subjects. All the conditions from such a Being must be level with human powers. It is not sufficient that a proportion be clearly revealed, to make it fundamental, but a belief in it must also be made an express term of happiness in the sacred scriptures. Whatever is incidental, not bearing on doctrine or practice, is important only as it illustrates the essential fundamental parts of scripture. The texts at the head of this day's reflections, contain fundamental truths. They should be for a token upon the hand of every christian, and for frontlets between his eyes;-they should be written upon the posts of his door, and engraven on the table of his heart. Get a distinct knowledge of fundamentals: It is the emptiness of our minds that makes us preposterous in our researches. Many a Christian loses himself in a sea of opinions, before he has squared himself with the first grounds of religion. Remember this, that the first truths do support and maintain the rest, as the corner stone the rest of the building, and are as the original will, which decides many scruples in law. Hence is it, that some men doubt about special conclusions, because they are ignorant of the general principles, which, were they distinctly known, the falsity of any conclusion would easily become evident to them. Men usually dispute first, and know last; as if a soldier would range an army before he has learnt to handle his weapons. How very common is it to hear disputes on original sin-on predestination-on redemption-on faith and justification—on assurance and obedience-on the degrees of grace and duty and on the direct and absolute way of life. I say it is common to hear some arguing of these, who yet are ignorant of the nature of words. But Paul's method was, to lay down his foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God; which if Paul thought fit to teach, I think fit for us to learn. That ship rolls least which is well bottomed; and that house shakes least which is well founded; and that Christian doubts least who is well instructed in the main points of religion; for besides this, that primitive proofs give an aim to all truths, so likewise they uncase all errours, and heresies, and opinions, and arguments, which come to pervert the mind another way. Next to thy God, thy neighbour place, And let thy favour to thyself Measure and rule thy love to him. 24 RELIGIOUS ENTHUSIASM. JANUARY 16. I know thy works that thou art neither cold or hot.-Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.-. He that is not for me, is against me.---If these should hold their peace, the very stones would cry out. It is good to be zealously affected in a good thing; and a great errour in those who exclude from religion all warmth and sensibility, as the offspring of enthusiasm and as proof of a weak mind. Shall we, then, regard the most illustrious individuals whom the Scriptures present to our view, as weak and enthusiastic? Does Job exhibit any striking marks of a feeble mind? Or must we suppose, that his uneasiness proceeded entirely from the state of his worldly affairs? We should certainly do him great injustice, if we imagined that "his harp was turned into mourning, and his organ into the voice of them that weep," because he had ceased to dwell " as a king in the army." Who will call David a weak enthusiast? and yet in whom can we find a more ardent spirit of piety, a keener sensibility, or a heart more occupied with religion? In every department of worldly affairs, men are praised for zeal and diligence; they are honoured in proportion to the ardour with which they engage in their respective pursuits. Ought such conduct to be excluded from religion alone, where it is most becoming; where there is every thing grand to elevate the mind, and every thing most excellent to excite desire? If the heart ever rejoice, it should be in the light of God's countenance; if it mourn, it should be for the loss of that which the treasures of the world cannot replace. If religion never touch the affections here, it will not confer its happiness hereafter. He whom it never enlivens by its influence in this life, whom it never teaches to rejoice or to grieve, must not expect to enter into that state, where, with every thing to occupy the intellect, and enlarge it, there will be no cold and barren speculation, but where every thing will inspire delight, and animate the devotions of them that serve God continually in his temple. Why should men expect so entire and so sudden a revolution in all their feelings, and in all their tastes ? They watch over every motion of the heart; check every tendency to warmth of feeling; and study to preserve, till the very close of life, a coolness approaching to indifference; and yet they hope, in a moment, to be transported to a state where every pure affection shall be carried to its highest exercise. Let those who anticipate a happy eternity in the presence of God, begin now to taste those pleasures which will be perfect, when they join the Lamb on Mount Zion, and sing the song which no man can learn but the redeemed of the Lord. Can any immortal being, with the seriousness which belongs to human nature, not have earnestness, anxiety and enthusiasm about religion? Enthusiasm is an attribute of superiour minds. It has wrought the wonders which history eulogizes. It is reason; it is philosophy; it is christianity. To be unapprehensive about the dangers which encompass, the temptations which threaten, and the issue which awaits us, is stupidity. To be animated by God's works, by the Saviour's example and by our immortal destination, is profound wisdom. Grant me to feel on earth that love Which fires the seraph saint above. ELOQUENCE OF THE SCRIPTURES. JANUARY 17. 25 Stand thou still awhile, that I may shew thee the word of God.--All scripture, given by inspiration of God, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.-O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever. SUBLIMITY lies not in the expression so much as in the sentiment. It is the elevation of the thoughts; and it is the subject which raises the style, not the style which gives dignity to the subject. When we cast our eyes over the Scriptures, we perceive in them an extent and sublimity of conception, which make the works of the boldest and most comprehensive genius appear mean and grovelling. The ideas held out by the sacred writers, of God and his perfections; of the dependence of all creatures upon him as the Author of their existence; of his power over all nature, whose fiercest elements yield unresisting obedience to his will; of his universal government; of the designs of his providence; and of the issue of his administrations, are perfectly original-immediately recommend themselves to our reason, and convince us, that it was from a higher source than reason that they flowed. The unassisted human mind is incapable of thinking so nobly on divine things. We debase the loftiest of all subjects, by the meanness of our sentiments, and the flatness and insipidity of our language. A system, therefore, which displays such elevation of thought, and is so agreeable to our best conceptions of God, may well be supposed to have emanated from himself, who alone can enable the stammering tongues of mortals to speak of him in a manner worthy of his infinite dignity. We cannot find in any other book the stamp of divinity. The scriptures are majestic in their simplicity, sublime in their doctrines, glorious in their objects, astonishing in their effects, immortal in their sanctions. Justly does the apostle argue, that the faith of the Corinthians was founded, "not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God," because his preaching among them was "not with the enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and in power." For the truth is vindicated from every doubt, when, unassisted by foreign aid, it is sufficient for its own support. But that this is the peculiar property of the Scripture, appears from the insufficiency of any human compositions, however artificially polished, to make an equal impression on our minds. Read Demosthenes or Cicero ; read Plato, Aristotle, or any others of that class, I grant that you will be attracted, delighted, moved, and enraptured by them in a surprising manner; but if, after reading them, you turn to the perusal of the sacred volume, whether you are willing or unwilling, it will affect you so powerfully, it will so penetrate your heart, and impress itself so strongly on your mind, that, compared with its energetic influence, the beauties of rhetoricians and philosophers will almost entirely disappear so that it is easy to perceive something divine in the sacred Scriptures, which far surpasses the highest attainments and ornaments of human industry. O may these heavenly pages be My study and delight ; And still new beauties may I see, |