Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

King! when they have no need of temples in which to perform their worship, nor inftrumental duties to accent and kindle their devotion! for the Lord God. Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof. Bleffed indeed are they that dwell in God's house above; they will be ftill praifing Him.

I fhall only add, that that which will complete their happiness, is, its everlasting duration. They fhall go into life eternal; and this endears the manfions of glory to the righteous, as much as it will imbitter the gloomy regions of hell to the wicked. No. years nor ages measure the delights of heaven. The ranfomed of the Lord, when they come to Zion, have everlasting joy on their heads. The inheritance is incorruptible, and fadeth not away. It is an eternal, as well as exceeding weight of glory; and, when millions of ages are past and gone, a happy immortality is fill before them. And what an accent will it give to the praifes of the redeemed, when, in the triumph of full fecurity in the Divine promifes, they can fay," This God is our God for ever and "ever!" Here is happiness, as it were, redoubled by the comfortable reflection, that He will be their por tion through eternity, and that they fhall be ever with the Lord.

Thus I have endeavoured to give you fome imper fect account of that eternal life, which is promised to the righteous in a future world.

And now, have we not the highest reason to admire and adore the exceeding riches of God's goodnefs? This reward is entirely of grace, and not of debt. The infinitely great Jehovah, was perfectly happy in the enjoyment of his own effential glory. He had no need of our fervices, far lefs was under any obligation to reward them. Juftly then may we exclaim with the pious pfalmift, "Lord, what is ·66 man, that thou art mindful of him? or the fon of 66 man,

<< man, that thou fhouldft thus vifit him?" Upon our apoftafy from Him, he might juftly have doomed us all to endless mifery, without giving us the most distant prospect of happiness. What reason, then, have we to adore and worship Him, who, in his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again to a lively hope, and given encouragement to feek after eternal life through his Son!

But again, what returns of gratitude and praise do we owe to our Bleffed Redeemer, who laid down his own precious life, that we might obtain falvation and eternal glory! If the Son of God had not come into the world, life and immortality had not been brought to light by the gofpel. How did he abafe himfeif, that we might be exalted! For our fake he became poor, that we, through his poverty, might be made rich: Nay, he cheerfully fubmitted to death, even the death of the cross, that we might inherit eternal life. What obligations, then, do we ly under to the Bleffed Redeemer, through whofe merits and intercefon it is, that we are admitted into the mansions of glory!

But further, hence we fee, that it is no vain thing to ferve the Lord. No; verily there is a reward for the righteous. God will give grace and glory, and he will withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly. Let it then be your greatest concern, you who are ftill unbelievers, and thus have no title to eternal life; let it be your greatest concern, that; you may be of the happy number of the righteous, who fhall at laft go into it. Give all diligence to get an intereft in the imputed righteoufnefs of Chrift; that, being juftified by faith, you may be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Labour after inherent holinefs. Implore Divine grace to make a fanctifying change in your nature. Take up with nothing fhort of it. Dream not of entering ino the kingdom of God without being born from ave. Remember, you must live the life of the righ

2 K

teous

teous, if you would have your latter end like his. For it is an established truth, that without holiness no man fhall fee the Lord.

And how fhould the profpect of this eternal and exceeding weight of glory animate you, who are fincere believers in Chrift Jefus, to be daily purifying yourselves even as he is pure! If any spark of true ambition dwells in you, will not fuch a profpect kindle it? will not this enliven your affections, and arm you with facred refolution? An eternity of joy, a kingdom with God, a crown of life, and righteoufnefs that fadeth not away; How can you think of these, and not be preffing forward toward the mark, for the prize of our high calling that is with God, through Jefus Chrift?

You are now indeed in a militant ftate; a ftate of trial and conflict. But, take comfort; this warfare will foon be over, and then will come the day of everlasting peace and triumph. If you are now faithful to the death, your exalted Redeemer has promised to give you the crown of life; and that in the mean time his grace fhall be fufficient for you. Wherefore, be. ye ftedfaft, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forafmuch as ye know, that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

And now, may the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Chrift Jefus, make you perfect, táblifh, ftrengthen, fettle you: To Him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE

THE SUBSTANCE OF

A SERMON preached at Strathmiglo, on the DEATH of the Rev. GEORGE LYON,

BY

The Rev, JAMES LISTER, A. M. Minifter of the Gofpel at Auchtermuchty.

Pfalm cxvi. 15. Precious in the fight of the Lord is the death of his faints.

TH

HIS houfe in which you have often experienced the goodness of the Lord, is to-day an house of mourning. Nor are you the only mourners in Zion on this occafion; others are affembled to weep with you, and to bewail the lofs which you and the church of Chrift have fuftained. Painful is the task affigned to me; but if, in this cafe, the feelings of defpondence ought to be checked, our forrows will furely be greatly alleviated, while we refiect, that "precious in the fight of the Lord is the

"death of his faints."

It is evident, that fome remarkable deliverance from great forrow and trouble, is celebrated by David in this pfalm; and the different opinions refpecting the event to which it refers, do not affect the fenfe of the text. The fentiment exprefied in thefe words, naturally rifes in a pious mind, when reflecting on the gracious interpofition of heaven in the hour of imminent dan2 K 2

ger

66

ger and diftrefs. "The forrows of death compafed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me:1 "found trouble and forrow." In this fituation, be is described as calling upon the name of the Lord to deliver him.-Nor did he call in vain : the Lord bowed down his ear; he heard his fupplications, and helped him.

With grateful emotions of heart, the Pfalmift now celebrates the praifes of his Almighty Saviour "Return unto thy reft, O my foul, for the Lord "hath dealt bountifully with thee." This leads him to remark as a general truth, that " precious in the "fight of the Lord is the death of his faints."

Thefe words evidently point out to us, what I propofe, in the following difcourfe, to confider; Fir The character of thofe who are here denominated faints; And, Secondly, In what refpects their death is precious in the fight of the Lord.

I. The first thing propofed, is to offer fome re marks concerning the character of thofe who are mentioned in the text. The term, faints, literally fignifies holy perfons, both in the original language, and in our tranflation. It is a defignation frequently given to the godly, as expreffive of their genuine character; and it would be no less abfurd, to call an unholy perfon a faint, than to call a righteous perfon a finner. The Lord, who is glorious in holiness, and the inexhauftible fountain of perfection, can have no delight in the ungodly and impure. Hence, an irrevertible decree hath paffed in heaven, that “with“out holinefs no man shall see the Lord;" and as the flame confumeth the ftubble, fo will the fire of his holinefs burn up the ungodly, who with fallen fpirits hall have their portion in that lake of torments, whofe fmoke is afcending for ever. Hene, God faith of his own people; "Thou art a holy people « unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath

[ocr errors]

chofen

« AnteriorContinuar »