III. What is meant by "rendering double unto thee." Render double; this is a strong mode of speech to assure them of finding therein the utmost safety. Double for all thy fears; fear not to make the effort; struggle through thy fears, and I will pay thee double! Oh! the love of God! See how he confirms his promise. I declare I will do it: believe my promise. As I live I will fulfil it.-I positively assure thee I will perform my word.―This is equal to his oath; as if he had sworn by himself because he could swear by no greater. What heart of stone. Query, may not this be considered as the proclamation of the king who is mentioned just before as coming to his people? They had been enslaved, and he had provided their ransom, and calls on them to flee to his strong hold. IV. The time when he will do all this: " To-day." When? No need to put this off to the day of thy death; God is now, yea, always ready; to-day is my time, says God; perhaps to-morrow would be too late.-But, again, in that day when thou turnest to me with all thy heart.-Ere that clock strikes. *** The to-day, therefore, refers to God in the first instance, and to man in the second. In that day when thou art willing to see thy danger, and willing to run to my strong hold, and take shelter beneath the cross, on that very day I will give thee that security and protection, and that peace in thy heart which will prove the earnest of heaven. Application.-Ye prisoners of hope, &c., &c., I advise you now to flee to the strong hold; it may be the last invitation you will receive before you are hurried to the tribunal of God.-(The barren fig-tree.) The sword is whetted and brandished over your devoted heads; and God may this day withdraw the last beam of his oft-neglected Spirit: "Behold, I stand at the prison door and knock." (Having enforced the motive of fear, enforce the motive of love in our text.) Mind not the scoff of the atheist, &c. -If he will engage to answer for you at the day of account, why then give religion to the moles and the bats; but if you must answer for yourselves, fly into your strong hold. SERMON LIII. THE FAR OFF MADE NIGH. Ephes., ii., 13.-"But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." WHEN Paul first went to Ephesus, he found them awfully given up to idolatry. Ephesus was a city of considerable importance-capital of Asia Minor-and well calculated to spread her pagan worship: the temple of their goddess Diana was there the pomp and splendour, &c.—the inhabitants made a gain of their godliness. On these accounts, great was the opposition he met with in preaching, but the success was equally great. They received the truth in the love of it, and were made free: when he wrote this, they appear in a blessed state-going on unto perfection-and hence this is the most valuable of his epistles. That their minds might more than ever adore the riches of the grace of God, he reminds them of their former state: such remembrances are profitable, and we are here addressed. I. Our past situation. II. Our present privilege. III. The means whereby the change was effected. I. Our past situation. 1. The meaning of this is in the 12th verse-" Ye were without Christ:" 1. As a teacher from God-not subject to his instructions-filled with your own ways: 2. As a redeemer-ye were under Satan's bondage, and none to redeem you, or break off the yoke; led captive at his will: 3. As a Saviour-nothing of Christ in you" aliens from the commonwealth," common weal-knew nothing of this privilege of Israel-the term is expressive-how was it given ?—Jacob was praying-all darkness, internal and external-one drew near, and he prevailed with him; and his name was changed to Israel, "because as a prince hast thou power with God and with men." He then exclaimed, "I have seen the Lord"-the term Israel means both-this was your common weal-you were aliens to it-explain the word-Providence, "strangers," &c. No promise is made to a sinner as such; they are without Christ, "having no hope"-no true hope; the Christian's hope is "Christ in you the hope of glory," "without God," &c. Atheists-not, perhaps, professing ones; query, if there are any ?—but practical; professing in words, in works denying-independent of God! not in all their thoughts! they think not of accounting. II. Our present privilege. Not now" without Christ”—have him as their teacher, and want to be assured that all they do is right—have him as their redeemer-bondage at an end. God appeared to Moses, &c., so he saw you; having begun to follow his teaching, he led you to him as the atoning High-priest, and his blood was applied to your consciences, and his spirit powerfully delivered you from the thraldom of Satan. Have him as your full salvation; "for because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father"-your king! Not now" aliens," &c.—" We have seen the Lord, and live”—you prevailed-you are now the Israel of God, sons and princes!-such honour have all his saints-yours is a "commonwealth"-partakers of a common faith, a common benefit, a common hope, &c.-they mingle as citizens of the same heavenly country. You are the subject of their intercessions-the cloud of glory! the pillar of fire the showers of manna! the water from the rock, Christ! "fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;" "not strangers and foreigners:" promises all yours in Christ!-are you fatherless ?-bereaved?-poor? -afflicted by bodily infirmities?-walking in deep waters of sorrow?-in the fiery trials?-grievously tempted?—if a promise in the Bible to your circumstances, it is yours. Some mistake here; Paul corrects them in the Hebrews: "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee:" this was to Joshua-all the promises are yea and amen.-Bank-notes to bearer. Not now without hope: 1 Peter, i., 3. Quickened with Christ. Romans, v., 5: "And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Not now "without God," &c.: all your works tend to glorify him as your governor, led by him-as your master, do his will-as your Father, you delight in and reverence him; you know God, and are known of him! Happy soul! how great the alliance!-walk with God! III. The means whereby the change was effected. "Not by works, lest any man should boast." The blood of Christ! of the new covenant sprinkled on you by faith in the merits, &c. God and you met here at the covenant altar -the insuperable distance was overcome-sacrifice is provided-God provides himself the Lamb! it is slain, and the new covenant ratified by its blood! God holy, and man vile, lay hold on the victim-the same altar for both!-the Lord's Christ, our Jesus-the Lamb of God, our sacrifice-God's Son, our Saviour-all is effected in our very sinful flesh! 1. This blood, then, brings us nigh, Romans, v., 1, 2; guilt on the conscience kept us off; this blood removes it, and washes the foulest-then boldness! 2. By it, continual access to the throne of grace-worship God in the spirit, &c. "No condemnation❞— 3. In death all our theme; nothing to rest our hopes on then but this blood. "I the chief of sinners am, yet Jesus died for me"-Wesley's words-no Pharisees; and, again, "The way into the holiest," &c. Yes, after death the way is the same-the passport, "the blood of Christ"—it is taken into the holiest. 4. When arrived there, the glory in heaven will be "Jesus, thy blood," &c.; and the theme, "Worthy the Lamb," &c. This Jesus will be all our theme. -Sinner, apply now to be made nigh-for the blood to be sealed on thy hearts. "O Love Divine!" let it not be wasted on thee. His blood follows thee, crying Mercy! spare, &c. Now determine-Heaven waits-angels bend. "In thy strength I will wait upon thee." Mourner! Christ pronounces thee blest. Comfort thyself -God is thine! Follow on-" the day-spring from on high" will visit thee-say not thy crimes are too great-there are those in heaven whose crimes were greater-yet washed, not a spot! Oh! believe the record true! Believer! remember thy obligations! SERMON LIV. THE KING OF ZION. Micah, v., 2, 3, 4.—But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. THIS Scripture was applied to the Messiah by the Jews, and that when Jesus was an infant, and when there were no prejudices. *** All eyes were turned to this, the star, the wise men. * * * Herod moved, and all Jerusalem with him-a council of priests was summoned-he asked or demanded of them where Christ should be born, and they answered his question by the text. The subject presents us with the character and claims of Him who is the hope of the Father, and was sent as a sacrifice for sin. We shall select the prophecies which refer to Jesus as this Christ. I. Consider the promised Messiah in his true nature-a man-" come out of Bethlehem"-Jesus had his birth there. *** All Scripture argues that he must be partaker of flesh and blood. But he was more than man. The prophet speaks of a twofold going forth, of Bethlehem, and "from everlasting." These words apply to more than man, the Son of God— God of God, eternal streaming forth of the Father. These remarks enable us to ascertain who this Messiah was. Many others came from Bethlehem, came forth of Bethlehem; but we know only one who ever pretended to come forth in the second sense, and his acts manifested it. If accomplished, then, in Jesus, it makes him the true God as well as man. |