Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

faith, and hope, and charity, in the eyes of all mankind; so that men shall look at each other aghast, and shall say, as they did of him who is the author and giver of all these gifts," Is "not this the son of a man like ourselves?" Whence hath this man all these things? But they cannot long mistake whence it proceeds: -when such a light shines before men, they cannot but say, "Truly this is God's work!" and many may be led to look for that treasure, which they see can produce such glorious riches.

SERMON V.

MATTHEW, X. 28.

Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

If an inhabitant of some distant part of the universe,-some angel that had never visited the earth, had been told that there was a world in which such an invitation had been neglected and despised, he would surely say : "The in"habitants of that world must be a very happy

166

people ;-there can be but few among them that labour and are heavy laden;-no doubt they must be strangers to poverty, sorrow, "and misfortune;-the pestilence cannot come

466

66

nigh their dwellings, neither does death ever "knock at their doors ;-and, of course, they "must be unacquainted with sin, and all the "miseries that are its everlasting companions."

If such were our case, we might let our Bibles moulder into dust, and "refuse to hear "the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely;"-even of him who says, "Come

66

"unto me, and I will give you rest.” So that the first thing we are naturally led to consider in this, as in every other invitation, is the kind of persons to whom it is addressed: for if we do not find that we correspond to the description, it would be a waste of time to expend any further consideration upon the subject.

It is addressed to those that labour and are heavy laden: so are all the promises of the Gospel. They are all made in language of the fondest, the kindest, the most affectionate consolation. It is language that could not be understood, that would be utterly unmeaning, if addressed to those who were perfectly at ease in their feelings, and had no weight upon their minds. To him that is at ease in his possessions, the Gospel speaks in a solemn and hollow voice: "Thou fool, this night thy soul may be "required of thee, and then, whose shall all "those things be?" But to those whose hearts are disquieted within them, it speaks in a tone of the softest tenderness, and the most enchanting compassion.

How is the office of our Redeemer described, first by the prophet, and afterwards by himself?" The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

U

66

because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he hath sent me "to bind up the broken-hearted,—to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of "the prison to them that are bound ;--to com"fort all that mourn;-to give unto them

66

66

beauty for ashes,-the oil of joy, for mourn"ing,-the garment of praise, for the spirit "of heaviness."

Now this is what our Saviour came to perform; it is the formal description of his office; and you perceive he is sent to the brokenhearted,―to the captives,-to them that are bound, to them that mourn,-to them that are in the spirit of heaviness. At one time, he is beautifully represented as speaking " a word "in season to him that is weary;" at another, he is described as "the Sun of Righteousness, rising with healing on his wings." He opened his ministry with blessings "on the poor in

66

66

66

Spirit;" with blessings on them that "mourn." He answered the accusations of the proud men who were at ease in their possessions, and who felt not heavy laden, that he "came "not to those that were whole, but to those

"that were sick;" and then he points to the humble publican who came heavy-laden to the house of God, so that he could not lift up his eyes unto heaven, under his burden,—and that man found rest unto his soul. And when that Redeemer was about to depart,-that Redeemer, whose office it was to bind up the broken-hearted, to comfort them that mourn, to give rest to the heavy-laden,-what did he promise? "Another Comforter, that should

"abide with us for ever." Such is the strain of the Gospel from beginning to end. It is the ministry of consolation, that therefore, from its very nature, speaks only to them that need to be consoled.

The Gospel is" a word in season to him "that is weary;" therefore it speaks only to him that is weary, to him that is seeking rest and finding none; and to him it brings relief, refreshment, and repose. It finds you a bruised reed, it props and supports you. It finds you weeping, and it wipes away all tears from your eyes. It finds you fearful, cheerless, disquieted, and it gives you courage, hope, and tranquillity. There is a wilderness before her,

-

« AnteriorContinuar »