66 3. His protection of his Church against all its enemies, spiritual and temporal. The attempts of the former he defeats, by the above-mentioned methods, the influence of his Spirit to preserve us from sin, and the efficacy of his intercession, to procure us pardon on the most equitable terms, whenever we fall into it. As for the latter: upon the first opposers of his Church, the Jewish and Roman persecutors, his vindictive power hath been most remarkably exercised and the succeeding adversaries of religion, in every age, have served, and shall serve, only for a trial of "the faith and patience of the saints:"8 generally, without prevailing to their harm even here; and always being subservient to their happiness hereafter till at length the appointed time shall come, when "the kingdoms of this world shall become the king"doms of the Lord and his Christ,"9 and having reigned on this earth, till its period arrives, he shall resign up to God his kingdom of grace, its end being accomplished; and reign over his saints, in that of glory, for ever and ever: fully performing that valuable promise, "To him that overcometli " will I grant to sit with me in my throne: even as I also overcame, and am set down with my "Father in his throne."1 66 66 : These things being so, instead of amusing ourselves with the speculative consideration of his ascension, and the reason of it, we should learn, from his departure, to prepare for his return. To this was the attention of those, who saw it, directed by the angels. "Ye men of Galilee, why "stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you, shall so come, in like manner as ye have seen him go "into heaven." The present Article of our Creed 66 (8) Rev. xii. 10. (9) Rev. x. 15. is, that "he sitteth at the right hand of God." The next is, that "from thence he shall come to "judge the quick and the dead." And what should this very close connexion teach us, but that we all be careful to behave in such manner, that we may be ready to "meet our Lord"3 at his coming, and enter with him "into his joy?" He hath descended upon earth to procure us a right to future happiness; and instruct us how to obtain it: he is now ascended up into heaven, "to "prepare a place for us;"5 there, seated in glory, he invites us to him. What then remains, but that we fix "our hearts where our treasure is?”6 and "set our affections on those things that are "above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of "God ?" But in vain do we rejoice in a glorified Saviour, unless we become "his friends, by doing "what he commands us ;"8 in vain do we lift up our eyes and our wishes to this happy abode; un less, by resembling him now in purity and holiness, we qualify ourselves to partake, hereafter, the resemblance of his glory. "Who shall ascend into "the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in "his holy place? Even he that leadeth an uncor "rupt life, and doth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart. He that hath "used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to "his neighbour, and hath not slandered his neigh"bour. He that setteth not by himself, but is "lowly in his own eyes. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned: but he honoureth them "that fear the Lord. He that hath clean hands "and a pure heart, and hath not lift up his soul "unto vanity. He shall receive the blessing from "the Lord, and righteousness from the God of "his salvation."9 66 66 (3) 1 Thes. iv. 17. (7) Col. iii. 1. (4) Matt. xxv. 21. (8) John xv. 14. (9) Psal. xv. and xxiv. LECTURE XII. CREED. Article VII. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. THIS is the great and awful doctrine, which makes all the preceding ones so important to us: that "God hath appointed a day, in the which he "will judge the world in righteousness by that "man, whom he hath ordained:" a truth, the belief of which, it infinitely concerns every one of us to settle well in our souls, and be duly affected by it. The reason of our minds, and even the feelings of our hearts, give us very strong grounds to be persuaded of a future judgment, had we no further evidence. We are, all of us, by nature, capable of perceiving what is just and right for us to do, and what is otherwise; we are all capable of acting according to this preception; we all see it is fit we should; and fit we should suffer for it, if we do not. When we behave according to our duty, there springs up a delightful peace and serenity within our breasts: when we knowingly transgress it, we not only disapprove and accuse ourselves, whether we will or not, but experience a foreboding expectation of just recompenee. "For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, "is very timorous: and being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous things." Nor do these horrors relate only, or chiefly, to what we have deserved to suffer in this world: but (1) Aets xvii. 31. (2) Wisd. xvii. 11. when our share in it draws to an end, and death approaches, then our fears grow stronger than ever, concerning somewhat, which is yet to come." And thus are all men "a law unto themselves; "and show the work of the law written in their "hearts, their conscience also bearing witness."+ That some persons are able to overwhelm these apprehensions under business and pursuits, to drown them in debauchery and intemperance, to divert them by pleasures and amusements, to set up little cavils against them, and even affect to ridicule them, is no objection in the least to their being just and well-grounded. The feeling is plainly natural: every one of these methods to get rid of it, is plainly a force upon nature. Often it returns with double terror for having been unjustly driven away; and seldom, or never, can the most thoughtless, or most hardened person, lose entirely those fears, which are seated in the very bottom of our souls; and which, if we could lose, we should only be the more surely miserable; for still the foundation of them would remain unshaken. Still it would be true, that there is a God, who made us, and is at all times intimately present with us; who, therefore, with unspeakably more ease perceives all that passes in our hearts, than we do one another's outward actions; who, being perfect in knowledge, dintinguishes, in every case, what is good from what is evil; and, being perfect in holiness, approves the one, and abhors the other. Even we are thus affected in some degree; and his infinite purity must, therefore, be infinitely more so. Now, what he hates, he can punish as he pleases; and reward what he loves; for all power (3) Επειδαν τις εγγυς η τε ει:σθαι τελευτησείν, εισηχείαι αυτο φιβίων και φροντις περὶ ὧν εν τω προσθεν εκ εισηει. Plat. de Rep. lib. 1. (4) Rom. ii. 15. is in his hands; all natutre depends on the word of his mouth; and he is the "same yesterday, to-day, "and for ever."5 Think, then, will the righteous and holy King of the whole earth, when he hath planted his laws in our hearts-when he hath made us for the very purpose of obeying them-when he hath filled us with so deep a sense of what will follow, if we disobey them-suffer us, after this, to despise and dishonour him, to injure his creatures, abuse ourselves, and disappoint the great design of forming us; and yet take no notice? Doth he govern the world, to the very least parts of it, with so much wisdom and care, in every other respect; and will he be so unwise and negligent, as to overlook the one thing, that deserves his attention above all; and make no distinction "between "him that serveth God, and him that serveth "him not ?"6 It cannot be; and the conscience of every one of you, at this moment, tells you cannot. it If, then, such a distinction will be made, when and where will it be made? Here, in this world, it plainly is not done, to a degree that the Almighty Governor of it can possibly think suffi cient. Perpetually we see "just men, to whom "it happeneth according to the work of the "wicked; and wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous."7. Amidst all this disorder, there are, indeed, evident marks of a Providence; but of a Providence that gives only specimens and earnests of its justice at present; reserving the full vindication and display of itself for that future state, in which our souls, being naturally immortal, are evidently destined to exist; and where all men shall receive, ac (5) Heb. xiii. 8. (7) Eccl. viii. 14. (6) Mal. iii. 18. |