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only weigh it once. I refer to the reasons which | distinction, with his usual precision and prudence: Paul assigns to the Hebrews, when explaining to "So much as we have of the Spirit, so much have them,-why God was "not ashamed to be called" we of heaven in present enjoyment, and so much the God of the patriarchs. "They desired a evidence of its future fulness. He is in all reheavenly country; wherefore, God is not asham-spects, completely an earnest. For that a thing ed to be called their God." Heb. xi. 16. Thus be an earnest, it is required that it be a part of the apostle plainly intimates, that God would have the whole, of the same kind and nature as the been ashamed "to be called their God," if the whole; and, that it be a confirmation of a propatriarchs had been ashamed to confess "that mise and appointment :-first, the whole is prothey were pilgrims and strangers on the earth;" mised; then, the earnest is given for the good or ashamed to avow before the world, that they and true performance of that promise. God gives desired "a better country.' "" But they were not us the promise of eternal life. To confirm this, ashamed to do so. They said and did things he giveth to us his Spirit,-which is as the first which "declared plainly," both that this world part of the promise, to secure us of the whole. was not their rest," and that they sought a city It is the Spirit himself personally considered, that which God had "prepared for them." is said to be the earnest."-Owen on Communion with the Holy Ghost.

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What a flood of explaining and humiliating light, this one fact throws upon our experience! How often we have both wandered and wept, because we found so much difficulty in calling or considering God, as "our God!" How often have you and I said, "If God were, indeed, my God, in covenant, or in Christ, would he not manifest himself to me as such, or as he does not manifest himself unto the world?"

"When I can say, my God is mine,
When I can feel his glories shine,
I tread the world beneath my feet,
With all that earth calls good or great :"

but how seldom, and how slightly this occurs!"

You see one great reason of this now. You have not only been ashamed to avow before the world your desire for a heavenly country; but you have been very slow of heart to cherish that desire; and, therefore, God has very properly been ashamed to reveal himself to you, as your God in Christ. For how could he be otherwise? Consider this. How can the Heavenly Father manifest himself with propriety, as our Father, whilst there is little or nothing heavenly in our spirit or conversation? If our "Father's house" is hardly ever thought of, except as a far off and final refuge from hell, how can our Father's heart take much interest in our comfort?

I will not strain this point, nor turn it too sharply against you. Like myself, you may have found much difficulty, even when trying to set your thoughts and affections on heavenly things. You may have deemed it useless, if not presumptuous also, to meditate on heaven, whilst you could hardly see how you could obtain either a title or meetness for that glorious inheritance. Well; if you would really be glad to think often of heaven, could you only see your own warrant and welcome to hope for it, remember, that the Holy Spirit himself is "the earnest of the inheritance," even when his comforts are not exactly foretastes of heaven.

I did not make this distinction, in the essay on the love of the Spirit in sealing believers. There I wrote just as we usually talk and think on the subject, when we are not absorbed with it. But, now that we are much ashamed and not a little afraid, because of our want of heavenly-mindedness, I must be explicit, and say at once, that the Spirit himself, and not his comforts, is the earnest of the inheritance. Dr. Owen has drawn this (16)

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It is by overlooking this simple fact, that so many of the timid and tempted are afraid to look at heaven, as their own home. It is not the Spirit himself, but "strong consolation," which they reckon the earnest: whereas, he himself is so, whether comforting or humbling, whether cheering or checking us. As Owen says, “so much as we have of the Spirit, so much have we of heaven." That great and good man knew his Bible too well to say,-so much as we have of comfort, so much have we of heaven. He knew also, that meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light, is as truly going on in the soul, when the Spirit is carrying on our humility, or our penitence, or our sense of dependance, or even our sense of utter weakness and unworthiness, as when he is carrying us "out of the body," by an abundance of revelations; or within the veil, as upon eagles' wings. It is not, indeed, so easy to regard the Spirit as the earnest of heaven, when he is thus, as it were, burying us in the dust of self-abasement, or leading us through fires and waters of conflict, as when he is witnessing to our adoption, or ministering to our comfort: but even then, he is leading us to the " wealthy place;" for these emptyings, and straits, and struggles, are as really preparations for the rest and rapture of glory, as the peace or the joys which are the foretastes of heaven. We have, therefore, the earnest already, just in proportion as we have the Spirit himself leading and sanctifying us. The good work he is carrying on in us, warrants us to carry out our thoughts and hopes, to "glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life:" for our spiritual discernment, is heavenly light; our spiritual desires, heavenly taste; our spiritual character, heavenly purity; just in proportion as we judge, and feel, and act, above earthly principles and motives.

It will not do, to think of heaven merely or chiefly as rapturous joy, or as perfect peace, when judging of the love of the Spirit in becoming the earnest of heaven. Heaven is worship as well as joy; and he is the earnest of it, whenever he helps our infirmities in devotion, by enabling us to pray with the heart, or to praise with the understanding. Yes; it is always heaven begun on earth, and going on too, whenever we get beyond formality in devotion, and somewhat into the spirit of worship. All the Sabbaths, and sacraments, and seasons of prayer, which are not "a weariness" to us, are preludes to that perfect

worship, by which the saints in glory serve God, |mation which shall fill the universe with the grand "day and night without weariness." We may "Alleluia! the kingdoms of this world are benot call them preludes nor pledges of heaven; come the kingdom of our God and of his Christ." but they really are so. Their remote connection I will not go on writing, as if I had always with eternity, is not lessened by their immediate looked at heaven in this light; nor as if I thought bearings upon time. Their present influence that this strain would fall in at once, and as a upon our character and steadfastness in this world, matter of course, with your habitual views of heais, indeed, what we notice oftenest and feel most; ven. For even if you are prepared to throw your but they anticipate the future, as well as help at thoughts, in future, into this channel, you cannot present. afford to detach them from any of the common ideas of heaven, as a place of rest, and reward, and purity, and perfect felicity. These sweet and soothing views of our Father's house, are just as necessary to sustain us under trials and temptations, and in order to keep up the spirit of home piety and secret devotion, as more enlarged and practical views of heaven are, in order to inspire and regulate public duty. He is not doing nor enduring much in the personal Christian warfare, (whatever be his public bustle,) who never needs to lay a throbbing head nor an aching heart, upon the soft pillow of eternal repose.

In like manner, all lively interest and willing efforts for the glory of God on earth, are heaven begun on earth. Never say nor suspect, that the Holy Spirit of promise is no earnest of the inheritance to you, if you have ever rejoiced over the repentance of a sinner; or ministered with delight to the wants of a dying Christian; or gone willingly to bless little children; or put your hand to the plough of doing good in your neighborhood; or had your heart warmed when good news came from a far country. All this is part of the bliss of angels. It is more. It is "the joy of thy Lord" himself! Whilst Jesus was going about "doing good" on earth, he hardly felt himself to be out of heaven. Hence he called himself, "the Son of man, who is in heaven." And there is nothing more heavenly in Paradise itself, than a deep interest in the glory of God on earth.

Tell me not, therefore, and let no one tell you, that the Spirit is not much the earnest of heaven now. Tell those who say this, that he was never so much the earnest of the heavenly inheritance, since the apostolic ages, as now. It is not the heaven of their Bibles they are thinking of, who cannot see in the church, the hope of glory, now that the habits and alms of the glorified are so prevalent in the church. All her relations to the poor and the perishing throughout the world, whether by sympathy or zeal, by good-will or by enterprise, are identifying relations with all around the eternal throne, and even with the Godhead upon the throne.

The Spirit not the earnest of heaven! Who then raised up hundreds of thousands of Sunday school teachers, who, like the Lord of glory, welcome little children to their arms and their hearts? Who then sent out into the lanes and alleys, the garrets and cellars of our towns, the thousands who, like him, "stand at the door and knock," that they may be invited in to counsel and console? The Spirit, not now making believers "partakers of the glory to be revealed!" Grieve him not by this ungrateful and unjust charge: for what are our Bible and Missionary Societies, now immoveably planted at home, and immutably pledged to the world, to fill the whole earth with the glory of the Lord, but incarnations of the love, the benevolence, and the zeal of heaven?

I have no sympathy, certainly, with sleepy or lazy notions of the "rest" of heaven; but I have no respect for the piety, which has no longings for moral perfection, or no relish for the prospect,

"There shall we see His face,
And never, never, sin."

If, therefore, I am at all teaching you a new lesson, I am not setting you to unlearn any old one. For again, I say, you cannot afford to give up any of those familiar ideas of heaven, to which the soul turns when weary and heavy laden, and by which the heart is soothed and healed, when torn with care, or bleeding with sorrow. The things which are unseen and eternal were made visible to faith, that patience might counterbalance the things which are seen and temporal, when they are trying; and that watchfulness might counteract them, when they are ensnaring and flattering.Never forget this fact. But do remember another. You have the earnest of the Spirit at home, when you live with your family as "heirs together of the grace of life;" in the circle of your pious friends, when you live and love as children of one Father; in the fellowship of the church, when your heart mingles, and your hand acts, with those who are preparing for heaven; and in the communion of the universal church, when you sustain her evangelizing enterprises, or share in her "joy of harvest at home" or abroad.

This is the kind of heaven upon earth, which is most wanted for the world, and best for the church. It answers all the purposes which the raptures of retirement did, when cells and solitudes were almost the only places in which heaven could be realized; and it does what no secret joy ever can do, add to the bliss of heaven, by adding to the number and variety of the heirs of glory.

Those who cannot see in all this, any thing of heaven on earth; or who would recognise more of it in dazzling visions and mental raptures, are more Mahometanized than they intend or suspect. They refine, certainly, upon the Turkish Para- Do, adjust your hopes and habits as a Christian, dise, who conceive of heaven as mental pleasure to the state of things which the dispensation of only; but they are not heavenly minded, who see the Spirit has brought on in the world and the no glory in rejoicing with angels over the repent-church. You cannot make nor see your way to ance of sinners; nor in joining with "the souls heaven alone, as your fathers did. The voice of under the altar," in crying, "how long" shall a world crying for "help," was not sounding on Babylon stand? nor in preparing for the consum- the four winds of the world, in their time. Bel

that everlasting life was free to all who would believe on Christ for it.

had not bowed down, nor Nebo stooped, nor Ethiopia stretched forth her hands unto God, nor Buddh and Bramah began to totter on their Thus the Saviour dealt with individuals, on this thrones, nor the islands of the sea to wait and solemn point. In the same way he dealt with weep for missionaries, when our fathers, as pil-groups of his stated hearers, when he taught them grims and strangers, found the smallest and ob- to pray: "If ye then, being evil, know how to scurest houses of God, "the very gate of heaven." give good gifts unto your children, how much Neither Grecian chapels nor Gothic cathedrals can be so now, except the glorious gospel sound forth from them, as well as in them. Churches must be the lights of the world, and the salt of the earth now, if they would find their ordinances or their fellowship, "the savor of life unto life."

In a word; the Spirit is the earnest of the whole inheritance of glory, and not of that part of it which falls in most with our taste. Think of this! What do we more than the world, when we think of heaven, only as a better world, where sorrow and sighing will for ever flee away, and where there will be no more death or separation? We require, indeed, to take and to keep this view of the heavenly rest; for we have both cares and sorrows which need this antidote. But we have no more right to confine the work or the witness of the Spirit to the hopes which are popular, than to confine his teaching to the truths which are most pleasing. His office as a Guide is, to "lead unto all truth;" and his work, as the earnest of heaven, is to bring down glory to the heart, in those forms which the circumstances of the world require most, and which the church wants most. It is not, therefore,

"In secret silence of the mind,"

now, that the church can find, most readily, her "heaven," or her "God." She must look for them in working, as well as in watching.

No. XV.

ON COMMENDING THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THE Saviour always took care to couple the assertion, "ye must be born again," with some kind assurance, which made the grace of the Spirit appear as free as it is necessary; and free just because necessary. Even to the woman of Samaria, he said," If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." Thus he wooed her attention to the work of the Spirit. In like manner, he preached to Nicodemus all "the fulness of the blessing of the gospel," in connection with the doctrine of regeneration. Neither the ignorance nor the cavils of Nicodemus, prevented the Saviour from throwing the love of God and the glory of the atonement, like a rainbow, around the work of the Spirit. "God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, might not perish, but have everlasting life," was the "small still voice" which followed the thunder,-"Except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God." The man was told, at the same time, and as often,

more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Thus the Spirit is presented as the paternal gift of God, and as more surely forthcoming, in answer to prayer, than even food is to our children, when they apply to us.Now, this is the form and the spirit in which the necessity of the renewing of the Holy Ghost, should be spoken of by those who would honor him, or bring sinners to submit to Christ. He stands in the same relation to their spiritual wants that household bread does to the wants of our children: and that is not certainly, a discouraging connection. Who would deny bread to a hungry child? Much more will not a paternal God withhold his Spirit from them that ask him. This is an appeal which all classes can understand, and somewhat appreciate too; it comes home so directly to the bosom and business of both young and old, rich and poor.

And now remember how the Saviour preached the work of the Spirit to the multitude. "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood, and cried with a loud voice, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive." John vii. 37. This appeal was made

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any man" amongst all the assembled thousands of Israel, although the people had just said to Christ, "Thou hast a devil;" although many of them wanted to kill him, and some of them "sought to take him." Neither their malignant blasphemy, nor their murderous designs, prevented him from crying, “with a loud voice, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." This he spake of the Spirit to them! To whom, then, should we speak of him in warning only? How few cases can come before us in which it is not our first duty to point to him as standing at the fountainhead of the river of life, saying, “Come; whosoever will, let him come, and take of the water of life freely." This would be imitating Christ. Whereas, to tell men of their need of the Spirit, without showing them the fulness and freeness of his grace, is almost to contradict Christ.

It is easy to say, "Who enforces the necessity of being born again of the Spirit, without at the same time informing and assuring the unregenerate, that his redeeming grace is free grace, and certainly forthcoming in answer to prayer?" This is, indeed, happily true now, upon a large scale— but still, the improved tone of the pulpit has not improved the tone of public opinion very much yet. The delaying and the undecided still manage to remain "at ease in Zion," by excuses drawn from their want of the Spirit, or from the sovereignty of his influences. Now, although there be no mode of treating this subject which would put an end to all excuses, still the number of them might be reduced, and the character of the rest changed. An unconverted man should not have it in his power to say, or insinuate, or suspect,

that he cannot help his unregeneracy. This, ther from his thoughts than the idea of the Spirit however, he will pretend, whilst the work of the designing or desiring to comfort him. The SaSpirit is oftener presented to him as a work of viour knew that this suspicion is "in man;" and, power than as a work of love. Calling it even "a therefore, he calls the attention of the world to work of grace" will not cure him; for he under-"what the Spirit saith unto the churches;" that stands by grace, not sovereign favor, in the scrip- whoever had "an ear to hear," should hear for tural sense of that expression, but favoritism-themselves both the promises and warnings adand, therefore, regards the Spirit rather as a dressed to the churches. This was a fine meamighty eagle, sailing and alighting arbitrarily, than sure for commending the love of the Spirit to the as a gentle dove, fond of the habitations of men, world, and for securing attention to his impartialiand for ever hovering around them. Take any ty. So much had been said to the churches in the man who is halting between two opinions, and try apostolic epistles, about the care, and kindness, him upon this point, and you will find that it is and tenderness of the Comforter towards them, not as the dove of love, but as the eagle of power and so little, comparatively, of the breathings or he is resisting the Holy Ghost. I mean, he does bearings of his love to the world, that the apocanot think that he is standing out against a heart lyptic epistles were added to prevent the very full of love, and a hand full of grace, to himself. suspicion of partiality. Hence, whilst each of He does not believe that the Spirit loves him at them is addressed to a specified church by Christ all. He may have some idea that the Holy Ghost himself, all of them are re-addressed to the world has designs upon him in the way of alarming, thus," he that hath an ear, let him hear what the humbling, and checking him; but nothing is fur-Spirit saith unto the churches."

THE END.

THE

REASONABLENESS

OF

CHRISTIANITY,

AS DELIVERED IN

THE SCRIPTURES.

TO WHICH ARE ADDED

AN ESSAY ON THE UNDERSTANDING OF ST. PAUL'S EPISTLES;

AND

A DISCOURSE ON MIRACLES

BY JOHN LOCKE.

WITH A

BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY, AN APPENDIX,

AND NOTES

BY A LAYMAN.

NEW-YORK:

THOMAS GEORGE, JR., SPRUCE STREET.

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