Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

But his offence principally consisted in two things 1. An idolatrous regard to the world

[He imagined that the world was capable of rendering him happy

And that the enjoyment of it would be permanent for many yearsd

But what could be more absurd than such expectations as these?

Can affluence secure freedom from pain either of body or of mind?

Can it ward of personal afflictions, or compose domestic troubles?

Is there more real happiness in palaces than in the humble cottage?

Does not the experience of Solomon attest the reverse of this?e

And has not our Lord himself affirmed the same?_

But, if wealth were capable of making us happy, can we secure the continuance of it a single day?—

Are not all exposed to such calamities as reduced Job to poverty?

Is not the instability of riches declared in the strongest terms?h

Or, if they were more stable, can we prolong our own lives?

Has not the voice of inspiration warned us against any such

vain idea?

And did not the event manifest the folly of the rich man's expectations?———

Well then might God address him by that humiliating appellation'

Well might he deride his fruitless anxieties, and delusive hopesTM

And justly did he cut him off as a warning to others] 2. An utter disregard of God

[Amidst his prospects of carnal happiness he had no thoughts of God

He addressed his soul as though it had no existence beyond the body, nor any capacity superior to the beasts

Had he regarded God, how different would his speech have

been!

"Soul, thou hast hitherto been too solicitous about the body

d Ver. 19.

g Job i. 13-19.

"This night, &c."

e Eccl. ii. 11.

h Prov. xxiii. 5.

f Ver. 15.

i Jam. iv. 13-15.
1 " Thou fool."

m "Whose shall those things be, &c.”

"But now the body, through the bounty of Providence, is amply provided for

"From henceforth therefore banish all anxiety about carnal things

"And occupy thyself about thy spiritual and eternal in

terests

"Thou shalt now be the one object of my care and attention

"And the body shall be altogether devoted to thy service"God hath provided for thee a far richer portion than this world can give

"Now therefore set thyself to serve him with all thy faculties and powers

"Bless him that he has not "required thee of me" unpre

pared

"And the more time thou hast lost, exert thyself the more to redeem the moments that may still be allotted thee"Such an address would have been a just requital of the divine goodness

Nor would it ever have brought upon him the judgments experienced

But such reflections were far enough from his mind

The bounties of Providence served but to confirm his sensual habits

And the donor was eclipsed by the very gifts which he bestowed

Surely then the divine displeasure was not more than adequate to his demerits?-]

The improvement which our Lord made of this parable leads us to enquire

II. Whether there be not amongst ourselves also similar objects of his displeasure?

A man anxious about the world and regardless of his soul is a very common character in every place

[To make provision for ourselves and families is by no means sinful"

Such prudent care will very well consist with fervent piety°— But our concern about earthly things should not preclude an attention to the soul

[ocr errors]

Our first duty is to "lay up treasure in heaven"

By embracing Christ and his promises we may be "rich in faith"

And by exerting ourselves in his service we may be "rich in good works"

Thus, however poor with respect to this world, we may be "rich towards God"

n 1 Tim. v. 8.

• Rom. xii. 11.

But how few amongst us make this their chief employment!

How languid is our desire after "Christ's unsearchable riches," when compared with our anxiety about the unrighteous mammon!—

How cheerful, constant, and indefatigable is our labour for the body, while that for the soul is at best feeble, occasional, and reluctant!-]

Every such person resembles the rich fool in the pa

rable

1. In his folly

[He shews that he disregards his soul in comparison of his body

And that the concerns of time appear to him more important than those of eternity

What can exceed the folly of living in such a state?—

How will such an one, if not stupified by sin, condemn himself in a dying hour!

How will he stand amazed when he shall appear at the tribunal of God!P-]

2. In his punishment

[Every worldling indeed is not cut off without a previous warning

But, whenever he be taken away he is summoned before God in wrath

He is torn from the idols which he had cherished in his bosom

Not the smallest portion of his former comforts is left him— He is called by an incensed master to give an account of his stewardship

And for his folly is consigned over to everlasting burnings-] We cannot CONCLUDE without remarking, how widely different God's sentiments are from those of men

[Men account us wise in proportion as we prosecute our temporal interests

And consider a diligent attention to our eternal welfare as a mark of weakness and folly

But God forms a very different estimate of human actionsThe amassing of wealth is in his eyes like the "loading oneself with thick clay"

But the laying up treasure in heaven is the very beginning of wisdom'

Let us then study to be like-minded with God

And let us be content to be despised by man if we may but receive a plaudit from our Judge

P Wisd. v. 4.

a Ps. xlix. 18. r Hab. ii. 6.

• Ps. cxi. 10.

Let us not however carry our disregard of the world to a criminal excess→→

While we are in the world we should diligently perform the duties of our station*—

But our first and greatest care should be to obtain an eternal inheritance

So, whenever our soul shall be required, we shall give it up with joy

And possess our portion when the vanities of time shall be no more-]

t 1 Cor. vii. 24.

CCL. THE WATCHFUL SERVANT.

Luke xii. 35-37. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

SUCH is the uncertainty of life, and such the importance of eternal things, that one would suppose every one should feel the necessity of standing ready for death and judgment, even though no injunctions had been given us to that effect-But our Lord frequently insisted on that subject, and, in parables as well as in plainer terms, inculcated the duty of continual watchfulnessIn the parable before us he mentions

I. Our duty.

All of us are servants of one common Lord and Master-He is absent, and has commanded all of us to wait for his return

1. In certain expectation that he will come

[The time of his return is the time of death and judgment This may be protracted, so that scoffers may say; Where is the promise of his coming?-But "he is not slack concern

a Ver. 45. with 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4.

ing his promise"-He is only exercising his patience and longsuffering toward the ungodly world-And at the expiration of the time allotted them, he will surely come-]

2. In constant readiness to receive him

[This is the more immediate import of the metaphors in the text-We should gather in the affections which too often entangle our feet" Unite my heart to fear thy name," should be our daily prayer-Whatever obstructs us in the way of duty should be put away-Our graces too should be kept in lively exercise-And the one desire of our soul should be, so to have every thing within us regulated according to our Master's will, that the very instant he shall knock, we may receive him gladly and without fear-]

To enforce the practice of this duty our Lord subjoins II. Motives to the performance of it

The motives suggested in the parable are of very different kinds

1. Encouraging

[Thrice does our Lord pronounce the watchful servant "blessed"-Indeed what can be more blessed than to be prepared to meet our God?-To such servants he promises the most exalted honour-We do not indeed conceive that Jesus will repeat in heaven any such act of condescension as he once submitted to on earth-But there is no expression of kindness which the meanest servant could manifest to the most beloved Master, which Jesus will not manifest to his faithful servants in heaven-He has prepared the richest banquet for them; and will "feed them, and lead them unto living fountains of waters"-And should not this prospect stimulate us to watchfulness? who would not perform the work when they are promised such wages?-]

2. Alarming

[What indignation would a nobleman feel, if, having ordered his servants to be ready for his reception, he should be kept a long time knocking at the door at midnight, and find not a servant awake, or so much as a light in his house!And will not Jesus be justly indignant, if he shall find such

b 2 Pet. iii. 9.

It was the custom to wear long garments, which they girded up when they were about to do any thing that required activity and exertion. And lights or torches were used at their nuptials, which were usually celebrated in the evening. d Ver. 37, 38, 43.

e The Romans waited on their slaves at the feasts of Saturn; but we do not suppose that our Lord alluded to this, because his hearers probably were not acquainted with the fact. Rev. vii. 17.

« AnteriorContinuar »