Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

ECCL. i. 2. Vanity of vanities, faith the Preacher; vanity of vanities,

all is vanity.

After the Author had pointed out the fum of the difcourfe, given an
account of the penman, an analytical explication of the words, and
had obferved a doctrinal propofition from them, the following topics
of difcourfe are undertaken,

PROV. XXX. 12. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes,

and yet, is not washed from their filthiness.

The words being briefly explained, produce three doctrinal propofitions.
The FIRST is, That fin is a pollution and defilement. From this ob
fervation, the following heads of method are propofed, viz.

The SECOND doctrine is, That purity is an excellent thing, and of abfo
lute neceffity, to denominate a tru faint, a true Ghriftian. And from
this propofition the following general heads of method are profecu-
ted, viz.

1. The nature of this purity, opened up,

2. Some of the qualities of it, mentioned,

3. The neceffity thereof, enquired into,

4. The excellency of this purity, pointed out,

5. The application of the whole fubject effayed,

(1.) The difference between juftification and sanctification,

[blocks in formation]

439,

The THIRD doctrine is, That self-conceit is incident to a multitude of
profelfors. In the illuftration of which propofition, the following
general heads of method are handled, viz.

The connexion, fcope, and explication of the words being difcuffed
and a doctrinal obfervation laid down, the following heads of method
are propofed,

1. To prove and clear the truth of the doctrine,

485

2. To enquire what it is in the world we are not to be conformed to,

491

To point out what this difconformity to the world imports, 490

4. To affign the reasons why we are not to be conformed to the world,

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Awake, Ofword, against my Shepherd, and against the man that is my Fellow, faith the Lord of hofts.

T

HIS text, Sirs, is a very wonderful one, as ever a poor mortal man preached upon; for in it there is a cloud, a black cloud, a cloud of divine wrath and vengeance, a bloody cloud, the cloud of Chrift's bloody paffion, which we are to celebrate the memorials of, this day; but, like the cloud that led Ifrael in the wildernefs, though it had a black fide towards Chrift, yet it has a bright and light fide towards all the Ifrael of God; for this cloud of blood diftills in a fweet fhower of bleffings unto poor finners: there is a light in this cloud wherein we may fee God, in Chrift, reconciling the world to himself.

This verfe prefents us with a clear prediction of the fufferings of Chrift; and the difpofition of his dif ciples thereupon; "Smite the Shepherd, and the fheep shall be scattered; and I will turn mine hand upon the fhaH little ones:" Which our Lord exprefly applies to himfelf, and his difciples, Mat. xxvi. 31. Mark xiv. 27. So that we need not ftand to enquire, of whom the

This was an Action-fermon, preached immediately before the celebration of the Lord's fupper at Dunfermline, July, 3d, 1720.; and hath now undergone four impreflious.

prophet here, or rather, of whom God here fpeaks; for, the words of our text are the words of God the Father, giving orders and commiffion to the fword of his juftice, to awake against his Son, when he had undertaken to become our Surety. More particularly, in the words you may notice these three things,

1. A folemn Call and Summons given to God's vengeance, or vindictive juftice, to rendezvous its forces, and march forth in battle array, in all circumftances of terror; "Awake, O fword."

2. The Party against whom this dreadful battle is proclaimed, this terrible fword is brandifhed; muft it not be against finners? nay, but the finner's Surety :

against my Shepherd, and against the man that is my Fellow:" not against the fheep, but the Shepherd; not against a Shepherd fimply, but against My Shepherd; not against mankind, but a' man; not against a man fimply, a mere man, but the Man that is My Fellow; Mine Equal.

3. By whofe Orders, or at whofe Inftance this fummons to the bloody battle is given; why, it is the Lord of Hofis that fays it: it is he that gives the commiffion, and orders the fword to be drawn.

Now, the Summons is very awful," Awake, O fword, against him" if he will be a Surety, he must be a facrifice; if he will be a facrifice, he must be flain; for, Without fhedding of blood, there is no remiffion.' It is not a charge to a rod to correct him, but to a fword to flay him; for, "Meffiah, the Prince, muft be cut off, though not for himself," Dan. ix. 26. It is not the fword of war to which he gives this charge, that he may die in the bed of honour; but the fword of justice, that he may die as a criminal upon an ignominious tree. This fword muft awake against him; it must not reft, cannot be quiet nor fatisfied, till it be drunk in his heart's blood. It is not called upon to awake and Fright him, but to awake and Smite him. Not with a lazy, drowsy blow, but an awakened one; even a horrible, terrible blow.

The

The Party against whom the fword is called to awake is very glorious; the defcription. of him here is very magnificent; "Awake againit my Shepherd, and against the man that is my Feilow:" defcribed in his office, my Shepherd; in his perfon, God-man, MY Fellow. Men thrust him through as a foolish fhepherd, and God thurfts him through as the good Shepherd, as his own Shepherd, the Shepherd of his own flock, that he might purchase the flock of God with his own blood. As Mediator, he is God's Shepherd, who undertook to feed the flock, and to lay down his life for his fheep: and against the man that is my Fellow; or, the man my Fellow; the man who is God as well as man, who thought it no robbery to be equal with God.

Finally, The Party giving thefe Orders to incenfed juftice to awake against him is as wonderful; the Lord of Hofts; that JEHOVAH that has all the hofts of heaven, earth, and hell at his call: the Lord of bolts; that is, JEHOVAL, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God, effentially confidered, giving a commiflion to infinite juftice to awake against the fecond Perfon of the Godhead, confidered as Surety and Mediator, God-man.

Now, from the words thus fhorty opened, we might obferve many doctrines, but I confine myfelf to this one, namely;

OSER. That by fpecial orders from JEHOVAH, the great God of hofts, the man Chrift, his Shepherd and Fellow, did fall a facrifice to the awakened fword of infinite juftice. Awake, O fword.”

[ocr errors]

When nothing among the creatures could be found to deliver the foul of the finner, from going down to the pit, God himself found a ranfom; he found an atonement, Job xxxiii. 24. by fetting forth Chrift to be the propitiation, thro' faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufnefs, that he might be juft, and the juftifier of him that believeth in Jefus, Rom. iii. 25, 26. We finful creatures, both minifters and people, fhould all have fallen a facrifice to the fword of God's wrath and vengeance for ever, becaufe of our fins: but behold VOL. I.

C

he

« VorigeDoorgaan »