Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

such be the case with the negatively good, what I must be his fearful responsibility who is actively bad?-who lives only to be a curse: who exists only to blot, obliterate, and efface that goodly order of things which God has mercifully established in the world: and in the place of peace, tranquillity, and happiness, the natural result of that merciful arrangement-sows the seeds of vice and misery, unhappiness and ruin? Language cannot utter, for idea cannot conceive, the punishment every where denounced in scripture against such a one! To this add, (if any addition can be made thereto) the curse of the living and the execration of posterity.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

2. How desirable is it to be a blessing to others. Abraham lived not to himself. Had this been his principle of action, he had not made those unheard of sacrifices which a selfish man never could or would have made. "Christ, says the Apostle, pleased not himself;" "Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good, to edification." The true patriot is the true Christian. At the call of his holy religion, he is not only ready for every good work, to scatter blessings with a liberal hand, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to comfort the distressed: but even where God has not given him the means of

doing good in this sense, his example, his faith, his piety to God, his benevolence to mankind so have a pervading influence, even in cases where he is permitted to do but little; and yet without that little, such as personal care, soothing and attention, larger means of conferring good would want much of their efficiency. Thus actively benevolent, and rich at least in good works,. the poorest son of Abraham, the poorest member of the Christian community, has an inestimable blessing to impart.

To be a blessing in this sense, is an honour for which all may contend-high and low, rich and poor. "To do good and to distribute, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." But we have seen that doing good is assuredly not to be restricted to distributing to the needy from the fulness or sufficiency of our worldly stores, any more than so to distribute is always to do good. Infinite are the ways and occasions in which both may beneficially be exercised: even as infinite as are the objects. Charity and alms giving, though forming an essential and therefore an important means of conferring a blessing, are not the whole-will not, of themselves entitle a man to the high and distinguished appellation of being a blessing. The faith of

Abraham, the silent unostentatious influence of piety and goodness, like the beams of the sun, warm and pervade. The same disinterestedness, the same benevolent example of Abraham; the same self-denial which resigned all that was near and dear to him, will effectually ensure to us his blessing. With him we shall come to our graves (if not full of years) at least full of honour, of peace, of immortality. From our ashes shall ascend the blessing of him whom we have, if not relieved with our worldly stores, edified and comforted by our example.

Lastly. How gloriously pre-eminent is the character of our Lord Jesus Christ; the greatest blessing the world ever enjoyed: the glorious fulfilment of the original promise made to Abraham his type, "In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;" for " To Abraham and to his seed were the promises made." This blessing we have and enjoy through the faith of our father Abraham; this we appropriate by imitating that faith. By forsaking all, as he did, and following Christ in this world, we shall attain to that typified rest in heaven which remaineth for the people of God. By sacrificing our firstborn-the Isaac of our affections-by surrender. ing our choicest pursuits, at the call of duty and

conscience in a word, by suffering with Christ, we shall also reign with him; from following him here in the regeneration, and in newness of life; from faith we shall pass to fruition; from being a blessing to others we shall also ourselves be blessed with faithful Abraham.

Sermon XV.

TRUST IN GOD.

MATTHEW VI., 25, 26.

Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

IT is the duty and privilege of the Christian to repose unbounded faith and confidence in his God. He cannot believe the doctrine of an universal Providence, whose mercy is over all his works, and not also believe that he himself is a special object of his upholding care, and sustaining hand: and believing this,

« VorigeDoorgaan »