Beyond a doubt, it will lead the person, in whom it is, 1. To renounce all false confidences [Man, whilst ignorant of God, is always leaning on an arm of flesh. See God's ancient people, how continually were even they, notwithstanding all their advantages, trusting in the creature, rather than in God. To Egypt or Assyria they looked, in their troubles, rather than to their heavenly Protector. Indeed, there was not any thing on which they would not rely, rather than on God. But, when they were made sensible of their folly, and had discovered the real character of God, they instantly renounced all these false confidences, saying, "Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in Thee the fatherless findeth mercy." The same proneness to creature-confidence is found amongst ourselves. Who does not, at first, rely on his own wisdom to guide him, his own strength to support him, and his own goodness to procure for him acceptance with God? But, in conversion we learn where alone our hope is to be placed, even in "God, who worketh all our works in us," and "in Christ, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemptions." This was the effect of conversion in St. Paul, who accounted all his former attainments to be but "loss for Christ, and desired to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, which was of the Law, but the righteousness which was of God by faith in Christ." And the same effect invariably follows from a discovery of God as reconciled to us in Christ Jesus.] 2. To rely solely upon God [Yes, indeed, "they who know his name will trust in him." See in David the confidence which such knowledge inspires. "The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want"." See him when he goes forth against Goliath: "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." See him when all around him were reduced to despair: "In the Lord put I my trust; how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? for, lo, the wicked bend their bow; they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart: and if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" What? "The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven; his eyes behold, his eye-lids try the children of men:" and, as he knows all their machinations against me, so he knows all my necessities; and will assuredly deliver me out of their hands. His deliberate sentiment, on all occasions, was this: "Shall I lift up mine eyes unto the hills? (to any earthly powers?) From whence, then, cometh my help? My help cometh of the Lord, who made heaven and earth," and, therefore, is infinitely superior to both. Of St. Paul's confidence I forbear to speak, because that must of necessity occur to the minds of all who read the Holy Scriptures: but this I will say, that there is nothing more severely reproved, throughout the inspired volume, than diffidence and distrust; nor any thing more highly commended than faith.] What, then, is my ADVICE to all? To every one amongst you I say, 1. Study the Holy Scriptures [From human writings you may learn something of God: but from the Scriptures alone can you acquire such a knowledge of him as it is your privilege and your duty to possess. In reading them, mark his every perfection, as displayed in his dealings with the children of men. If you notice facts only, you will read to little purpose: it is his glory, as beaming forth throughout the whole, which you are chiefly to contemplate: and, if your mind be habituated to contemplate that, you can never want a ground of consolation or of confidence in any state to which you may, by any possibility, be reduced.] 2. Follow the examples of the Scripture saints [In comparing the character of those who profess Christianity with that of the saints recorded in holy writ, one would be tempted to think that they were of a different species, and belonging to two different worlds: for really, if we heard of persons inhabiting one of the planets, they could not differ more widely in their sentiments and habits, than the nominal Christian differs from the Scripture saints. What, for instance, were St. Paul's sentiments? "I count all things but loss for y Ps. xi. 1-4. Bishop Horne's translation. the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord." And what were his habits? "To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those that are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Compare this with the great mass of Christians around us, and say what resemblance there is between them. Verily, if we will serve God aright, we must be followers of the Apostle, even as he was of Christ. As for the world's judgment, whether they will approve it, or not, we are not to regard it. We must approve ourselves to God; and both put our trust in him and serve him, as those who know they shall be judged by him in the last day. If we follow the footsteps of the flock, then shall we be numbered among the sheep of Christ, and dwell in his fold for ever and ever.] DIII. THE DANGER OF FORGETTING GOD. Ps. ix. 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. THE most eminent saints are represented in scripture as weeping over an ungodly world. Nor would this exercise of compassion be so rare, if we duly considered how great occasion there is for it. The words before us are a plain and unequivocal declaration from God himself respecting the doom which awaits every impenitent sinner. May God impress our minds with a solemn awe, while we shew, I. Who they are whom God esteems wicked If we consult the opinions of men, we shall find that they differ widely from each other in their ideas of moral guilt, and that they include more or less in their definition of wickedness according to their own peculiar habits of life; every one being careful so to draw the line that he himself may not be comprehended within it. But God does not consult our wishes, or accommodate his word to our partial regards; he denominates all them wicked, who "forget" him. Doubtless there are degrees of guilt: but all those are wicked in his sight who are, 1. Regardless of his laws [These ought to be written on our hearts, and to be the invariable rule of our conduct. It should be our constant inquiry, What is duty? what does God command? But if this be no part of our concern, if our inquiry be continually, "What will please myself; what will advance my interests: what will suit the taste of those around me;" are we not wicked? Do we not in all such instances rebel against God, and become, as it were, a God unto ourselves? Yet who amongst us has not been guilty in these respects?] 2. Forgetful of his benefits [Every day and hour of our lives we have been laden with mercies by a kind and bountiful benefactor. And should they not have excited correspondent emotions of gratitude in our hearts? Yea, should they not have filled our mouths with praises and thanksgivings? But what shall we say to that greatest of all mercies, the gift of God's dear Son to die for us? Has not that deserved our devoutest acknowledgments? What then if we have passed days and years without any affectionate remembrance of God? What if we have even abused the bounties of his providence, and poured contempt upon the riches of his grace? What if we have "trodden under foot the Son of God, and done despite to the Spirit of grace?" Are we not wicked? Do we account such ingratitude a venial offence, when exercised by a dependent towards ourselves?] 3. Unmindful of his presence Now it [God is every where present, and every object around us has this inscription upon it, " Thou, God, seest me." is our duty and privilege to walk with God as his friends, and to set him before us all the day long. But, suppose we have been unmindful of his presence, and have indulged without remorse those thoughts, which we could not have endured to carry into practice in the presence of a fellow-creature; suppose we have been careless and unconcerned even when we were assembled in God's house of prayer; suppose that, instead of having him in all our thoughts, we have lived" without him in the world;" are we not wicked? Is it necessary to have added murder or adultery to such crimes as these in order to constitute us wicked? Does God judge thus, when he declares that they who are thus without God, are at the same time "without hopea?"] While we rectify our notions respecting the persons that are wicked, let us inquire, a Eph. ii. 12. II. What is to be their final doom The word "hell" sometimes imports no more than the grave; but here it must mean somewhat far more awful; because the righteous go into the grave as well as the most abandoned Hell is a place of inconceivable misery— [Men in general do not wish to hear this place so much as mentioned, much less described, as the portion of the wicked: but it is better far to hear of it, than to dwell in it; and it is by hearing of it that we must be persuaded to avoid it. Our Lord represents it as a place originally formed for the reception of the fallen angels; and very frequently labours to deter men from sin by the consideration of its terrors. And who that reflects upon that "lake of fire and brimstone," where the wicked "dwell with everlasting burnings," and "weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth," without so much as the smallest hope of deliverance from it, and where "the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever;" who that considers what it must be to have the devils for our companions, and to have the vials of God's wrath poured out upon us, without intermission and without end; who that considers these things, must not tremble at the thought of taking up his abode in that place?] Yet must that be the portion of all that forget God [Now scoffers make light of eternal torments, and puff at the denunciations of God's wrath; but ere long they will wish that "the rocks might fall upon them, and the hills cover them" from his impending judgments. But however reluctant they be to obey the divine mandate, they must "depart;" they will be "turned" into hell with irresistible violence, and with fiery indignation. Their numbers will not at all secure them against the threatened vengeance: though there be whole " nations," they will not be able to withstand the arm of God; nor will they excite commiseration in his heart: neither will their misery be the less because of the multitudes who partake of it; for, instead of alleviating one another's sorrows with tender sympathy, they will accuse one another with the bitterest invectives. The power and veracity of God are pledged to execute this judgment; and sooner shall heaven and earth be annihilated, than one jot or tittle of his word shall fail.] INFER 1. How awful is the insensibility in which the world are living! b 2 Cor. v. 11. c Luke xii. 5. Mark ix. 43-48. |