Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

the singing men and singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel, and, behold, they are written in the Lamentations." Some may not wonder that Jeremiah should have mourned over him; he was "the weeping prophet," and he foresaw what would be the consequence of this dispensation. But perhaps they do wonder that "all Judah and Jerusalem" should have so mourned, and that it was made even an ordinance to learn and to sing the mournful dirges for the occasion. But good men have a witness in the consciences of bad men. Witness Balaam, who said, "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!" "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." And want endears and increases worth. As Young says,

"How mercies brighten as they take their flight!"

While the living minister is neglected, the dying one may be lamented, and lamented the more when dead because he was neglected while living. The children of Israel were always complaining of Moses, and frequently threatening him; yet they wept for him on the plains of Moab thirty days, and, we are persuaded, sincerely.

JAN. 29. Nevertheless, let us go to him. John xi. 16. THE Saviour is never too late in his movements, or too confident in his resources. We often mistake: we undertake enterprises which we are not able to conclude. We begin what we are not able to finish. Then, there are different degrees of weakness and of strength. Bring two men to a staff: one will be able to break it, and the other not. But bring them to a mast, and they will both fail. But God has all power. "Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah there is everlasting strength." "Nevertheless," says the Saviour, "let us go to him." Observe-to him; not to them. "Why, for what purpose? It is too late―he is dead." "It may be too late for you, but not for me. I turn the shadow of death into the morning. Your extremity is my opportunity. I love not only to do what is needful for my people, but to surprise them. I love to do for them above all they can ask or think. I love to help them when all helpers have withdrawn, and because they have withdrawn."

"Go to him?-why, he is laid out! he is dead!" Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? Can the grave praise thee? He cannot receive thy visit! "But he can; he can hear me, he shall see me. He shall find that I am the resurrection and the life." And did he go in vain? Ah! Christians have their spots to which they retire; they often go to the grave to weep. Ah! could they fetch out the remains there deposited? Could they bring back a mother, a sister, a wife? It is in vain they stand there. But Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth!" and immediately he came forth. Oh, what a journey was that! Nevertheless, "let us go unto him." Had you seen him you would only have seen one like yourselves. One of the disciples would here have stepped back and said, "Do you know who that is?" "No." "Why, 'tis Jesus of Nazareth. Lazarus, a friend of his, is dead, and he is going to make his lungs heave, and to cause his blood again to flow in his veins; and the next night he means to sup with him and a large party." Oh, you would have said, "Let us go with him; he does all things well." There are the Jews by the shore of the sea. They are to go forward. What! are they to go into the sea? Yes. What are they to be drowned? No; he has all power, and will deliver them. Well, then, let us be no longer faithless, but believing.

JAN. 30.-God commanded me to make haste. 2 Chron. XXXV. 21.

WE have already noticed these words in their connection. We now take them independent of the circumstances under which the command was originally given, and consider them as language which we may and ought to adopt as our own. God commands us also "to make haste." Any truth may furnish us with matter for meditation; and, if there be a truth in the Bible, (and we cannot either deny or question this,) this is one, that God has "commanded us to make haste" concerning some things and principles. But the question is, what is haste? Haste is not hurry. Hurry always implies a kind of disordered and confused. effort, as if something had been forgotten or overlooked, and seems always to infer a single and transient exertion. This is not the same with speed, nor is it favourable to speed. "I have too much to do," said one, "ever to be in a hurry."

There are

some persons, indeed, who seem always to be in a hurry or bustle, and they would appear to be persons of business and despatch. No such thing; they are "important nothings in a juggler's box." Some who ought to rise at six are coming to life about eight, and running for hours after their work, and then doing it superficially and slatternly too. But by haste is meant application, diligence, zeal; something opposed not to entire omission or neglect, but to slow and careful performance requiring excitement. It means exertion; but it is that exertion which arises from reflection rather than that which is the result of impulse, and which was exemplified by David when he said, "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies; I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments."

JAN. 31.—God commanded me to make haste. 2 Chron.

XXXV. 21.

THERE are three things concerning which God "commands us to make haste." The first is, to secure the salvation of the soul. This is to be our principal concern. Our first question is not to be, "What shall I eat, and what shall I drink, and wherewithal shall I be clothed?" But, says the Saviour, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness." Why, what is our condition? We are ready to perish. And what is it to perish! We are required therefore to "flee from the wrath to come," like Lot and his family when the fiery deluge was coming down. God says to us, as he said to them, "Escape for thy life; look not behind thee in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." We are to flee to Jesus, "as the doves fly to their windows" when they see the gathering storm coming. We are to "fice for refuge to the hope set before us;" as the manslayer, under the law, fled in order to escape the avenger of blood. A man may be considered in a state of salvation when he is pardoned, and when he is renewed in the spirit of his mind. But this is not all which is to engage our attention and zeal. This haste may be applied, Secondly, to a course of godliness. "As we have received Christ Jesus the Lord," says the apostle, "so walk in him." "The grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and

godly in the present world." Zeal is to appear in every thing here. Our faith is to be active as well as real; for unless it produce good works it is "dead, being alone." Our hope is not only to be living, but lively. "We are to love one another." But is this all? "We are to love one another with a pure heart, fervently." "We are to pray." But is this all? "We are to pray and not to faint." "Then shall they find me," says God, "when they seek me with all their heart." The apostle, in addressing the Romans, says, "Be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." The Greek word is "boiling hot," in opposition not to coldness only, but to lukewarmness. And we should remember the address of our Saviour to the professors of Laodicea :—“ Because thou art neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth." We are engaged in running a race, and surely a race requires haste; and thus it is that we are enjoined "so to run that ye may obtain." But we are not to be concerned only to grow in grace ourselves, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, but this haste will apply, Thirdly, to our efforts in seeking the welfare of others. This also has devolved upon us. We are required to "look every man, not on his own things, but on the things of others." We are not only required to be diligent in gaining good, but in doing good. "As we have opportunity," we are to "do good unto all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith." There are a thousand ways in which we may be useful, if we are so disposed; "and be not weary," says the apostle, "in well-doing, for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not." We should be concerned to obtain the Saviour's approbation, who said of one of the churches, "Thou hast laboured and hast not fainted; and I know thy works, and the last to be more than the first." And there should be no delay hereno indolence here. Solomon says, "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee." We are commanded, therefore, to make haste to be useful.

[merged small][graphic]
« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »