Page images
PDF
EPUB

tual union to Christ, in time. In | mies, and becoming his real proof of this point, see Romans friends. It implies a real conix. 11-14. "For the children formity of heart to the characbeing not yet born, neither having ter of God, and all those duties done any good or evil, that the which arise from the law of their purpose of God according to elec- relation to him, both as creation might stand, not of works but tures and as sinners. This prinof him that calleth. It was said ciple is very extensive in its naunto her, the elder shall serve ture and exercises, as it hath the younger. As it is written respect to a great variety of obJacob have. I loved, but Esau jects, and relative duties; but have I hated." See also, that it is all summed up in one comdeclaration of the Most High, prehensive term-it is the exby the prophet Jeremiah. "Iercise of true, supreme love to have loved thee with an everlast- God. This is what is implied, ing love, therefore with loving- and the whole that is implied in kindness have I drawn thee." reconciliation to God. The soul Remember, it is God in Christ thus reconciled, is freely and who reconciles the world unto cheerfully disposed to take his himself. God, in Christ, loved proper place and character, and the elect sinner from eterni- give God the throne. He is ty and it is only in Christ that willing that Jehovah should be God hath any complacency in God, which none others are; the sinner after his conversion. and he has such a feeling sense -But, of his own criminality, in being ever opposed to God, and his government, that he sees, and feels and acknowledges how holy and righteous God is in the threatenings of his law, and that he would be perfectly just in making him the monument of his eternal wrath and vengeance. He therefore accepts the punishment of his iniquities, exercises repentance towards God, and submits himself unconditionally into his hands. Again,

2. Positively. To be reconciled to God implies a great, a thorough and essential change, in the feelings and affections of the sinner; as great as is the difference between variance and reconciliation, hatred and love. It implies that the sinner before he is reconciled is at variance with God, and in the temper of his heart wholly opposed to his character and law; for, if he were not, there would be no propriety in speaking of his becoming reconciled, or exhorting him to it, since he hath that already in which reconciliation consists: for, so far as he is not opposed to God, he is essentially reconciled to him. It is plain, that the command or exhortation is addressed to God's enemies; for reconciliation implies friendship, agreement, and harmony, and their becoming reconciled, is their ceasing to be his ene

He loves the character of the Saviour who hath taken the part of God, in utterly condemning the sinner, and magnifying and hon→ oring the divine law by his obedience unto death. The mediatorial character will appear lovely and glorious in the view of him who is truly reconciled to God; and from the sense which he has of his own character, as a sinner and transgressor of God's holy law, an insolvent

debtor to divine justice, and exposed to and deserving of eternal punishment, he will feel his dependence on sovereign mercy, and put his trust alone in Christ, as his only and all-sufficient Sa

to thine own conscience, as thou must hereafter to thy Judge. ASAPH.

delity.

N every age there hath ap

IN

viour, who is the end of the law An evil Heart the source of Infi. for righteousness to all them that believe. Such is the nature, and such the distinguishing exercises of reconciliation peared in the hearts of men to God. Were it proper, in this a natural indisposition to receive essay, we might greatly enlarge the truth. The truth condemns upon the subject, and trace the them, and whatevever condemns operation of this divine principle them they endeavor to reject. of love to God, as it extends it- There can scarcely be found a self through all the various remore remarkable instance of lations of being. Do this, rea- this, than in the conduct of the der, in thine own meditations, Jewish rulers in their treatment and come to a ready and imme- of Jesus Christ, at the hour of diate compliance with the duty his sufferings. "Likewise also of being reconciled to God. the chief priests mocking, said This, as I have endeavored to among themselves with the explain, is nothing less than the scribes, He saved others, himexercise of supreme love to God. self he cannot save. Let Christ And doth not thine own con- the king of Israel, descend now science tell thee, that this is thy from the cross that we may see immediate and indispensible du- and believe."-The chief priests ty? Only consider what a glo- and scribes, who spoke these rious and good being God is words were men of education, what infinite obligations thou art instructors and judges in their under to him! What great own nation, and accustomed, in things he has done for thy sal- other matters, to examine, comvation, in giving his Son to die-pare and weigh the strength of what means he hath used, and is evidence; so that their infidelistill using with thee-how long he hath already waited upon thee what light and advantages thou enjoyest under the glorious dispensation of the gospel, to know thy duty, and comply with his will; and canst thou feel, that thou hast any cloak for thy impenitency, or the least possible color of excuse, why thou shouldst, for another moment, neglect to love God and be reconciled to him! Is not the exhortation perfectly reasonable, and the duty infinitely binding upon thee? Answer these questions

ty in this instance, and after all that they had seen, their requiring other evidence that Christ was the Son of God, evidently arose from an indisposition to receive the truth. It proved that when divine restraints were withdrawn and their hearts were rancorously fixed against the truth, no possible degree of evidence was sufficient to silence their cavils, or reconcile them to their duty.

The same heart is now found in men. After the full and complete evidence, which God has

furnished for Christian doctrines and moral duties, they call for more; and they would do the same, if an angel were to come from heaven, and in their hearing confirm the words of divine revelation.

there were many. In these writings of Moses and the prophets, almost every thing was foretold literally which related to the birth, life, miracles, doctrines, and sufferings of Christ. His family, the place of his birth, the history of his life, and his griefs as well as his glory were written aforehand, by those prophets whom they accounted true.-It was de

and despicable in the eyes of mankind; that he should be denied and rejected; that he should be smitten for our iniquities; that the chastisement of our peace should be upon him ; that he should go to his suffer

The question with the chief priests and scribes was, whether or not Jesus Christ was a prophet sent from God; for if this were allowed, they must ac-clared that he should be poor knowledge the truth of the doctrines he taught, and that all his injunctions to duty ought to be obeyed. Their demand was for more evidence-" Let him now descend from the cross that we may see and believe." Let us enquire what evidence these per-ings, as a sheep that is dumb sons had, who still required more; and if we find it was sufficient to satisfy reasonable and honest men, we must ascribe their infidelity to an evil heart of unbelief, which blinded their understanding, because they hated the truth which reproved them. And if we attend only to a summary of the evidence set before them, we shall be surprised, that they could demand, "Let him descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe."

before the shearers; and that he should die for the sins of the people. All these things were foretold, not only typically, but expressly; so that the very sufferings which they beheld, and his hanging on the cross, which they upbraided, were a principal part of the evidence that he was the Christ of God.

Or if they looked to his moral conduct, how pure! how chaste! how humble! how temperate! how benevolent! how They were in possession of disposed to instruct men in the Moses and the prophets, whom most important duties! how filthey professed to believe, and it led with reverence of God, and is probable they did believe them, love of his law! In all things so far as sinful men can receive how divine!-Neither were his the pure oracles of God. In doctrines or manner of teaching these were the promises made less evidential of his mission as to the fathers, of a prophet who a prophet, a priest, and king should be the Saviour of men. come from the Lord to bless a On these promises they relied, guilty and miserable world. In and the expectation of the peo-his doctrines he taught the beple that the Messiah would come ing, the infinite perfections, the about this time, was so highly law, the providence, the governraised, that although they reject-ment of God, who was the Faed Christ, they encouraged evether and Lord of all men by crery seditious person and pretend- ation, and his own Father in the er to divine authority, of which highest sense, as he claimed to VOL. VI. No. 3. N

be one with him, and proved his claim by his works.

er descended from the cross, which he was abundantly able to do, is there any probability that these sinners would have believed? On a brief review of the evidence they before had resisted, we shall doubtless agree there is no probability, this would have softened their obdurate hearts. It was not want of evidence, but a sinful heart, which

disliked the doctrines of Christ, and the duties he required; they could not bear his just reproof, and therefore determined to resist the highest evidence, that he was a teacher sent from God and the Saviour of the world.

And the case is the same with those, who at the present day,

He taught the nature of moral virtue, as it was never taught by a mere man; the depravity of human nature; the necessity of a new heart and a new life, both for our duty and our happiness; the grace of God in forgiving sin, together with the terms of acceptance, faith, repentance and new obedience; and this obedi-held them in unbelief. They ence he enforced by the solemn consideration of a judgment to come, and a state of eternal rewards. While he held himself up as the Saviour of men, these were the doctrines which he taught and enforced with all authority; doctrines which encourage virtue, reprove sin, and at the same time place the well-pretend to doubt of the essential being of man on the sovereign doctrines, duties and institutions grace of God, and his attention of religion. Either through a to his own duty.-To all this ev- dislike of the truth, they will not idence, he added that of such examine the evidence; or they mighty and miraculous works wilfully determine to reject it, as no other ever wrought. He and call for other evidence, gave sight to the blind, hearing which is impracticable in the nato the deaf, speech to the dumb, ture of things, or which would and life to the dead. While one give no additional light if it were hour he fed an immense multi-granted. They say, we wish tude with a basket of loaves and for stronger evidence, and that fishes, the next he commanded the truth might be made still the evil spirits and they obeyed plainer; little considering, that him. The winds and seas hear-the darkness is in themselves, in ed his voice, and by directing their own sinful hearts, in their the laws of nature in their course, opposition to the holy doctrines he proved himself to be the God of God, in their dislike of duty, of nature; and all these things and their reluctance to part with he did in his own name. the pleasures of iniquity. It This is but a summary of the was the sinfulness of the chief heads of evidence which those priests and scribes, which made persons had, that he was a pro- them overlook all the miracles phet from the Lord and spiritual which Christ had wrought in king of Israel; still they said, the sight of their whole nation, Let him descend now from the and call for a new miracle; socross that we may see and be- it is the sinfulness of modern lieve. If this presumptuous de- disbelievers and immoral permand had been granted, and the sons, which makes them overSon of God had by his own pow-look a system of past evidence,

which is as perfect as infinite the completion of the sacred cawisdom could form it, and call non, may now be more distinctfor new light, new evidence to ly understood than it possibly make things still plainer. If could have been at the time of new evidence could be granted, Christ's death; both the harand God were pleased to give it, mony and the usefulness of the with the hearts which they now Christian doctrines are more aphave, something further would parent; the mighty working of be demanded. The difficulty is providence in favor ofthe church, not from a deficiency of evi-and the power of the Spirit in dence, but from a heart unwil-converting sinners from the evil ling to receive and obey the of their ways, and supporting his truth. Although a sinful heart people under their troubles; the of unbelief is no excuse for a fulfilment of the Christian prosinner, it will always make di-phecies in every age, and in none vine things appear obscure to him by hiding their beauty.

more remarkably than the present; together with the preserSo long as men endeavor to vation and gradual increase of disbelieve, and quiet their con- the church in opposition to all sciences in disobedience to the the power and art of its oppogospel, they will continue to say, sers, are a volume of evidence we need some clearer evidence; for the truth, which hath been and they will mistake the blind-increasing from the time of ness of an evil heart, for a de-Christ to the present day; and fect in the light that is set be- it will continue to increase by fore their understanding; still the mighty working of divine this will not excuse them before providence, until the glory of an impartial Judge. When we the Lord, and his church shall consider the evidence offered to fill the earth. How inexcusathe Jews, we are ready to con-ble are those, who, through a demn them for requiring that he should come down from the cross as authority for them to believe. This was demanding an unreasonable sign, and done in a cruel manner.

distaste to the truth and their own duty, neglect to search whether these things be so! or who, to quiet themselves in unbelief, say, we wish for clearer evidence that we may know our duty.

It is acknowledged that doubts on particular subjects may honestly arise; also, that all truths are not of equal importance; but when we see persons who have been educated in the midst of a Christian land, with the fairest advantages for instruction, questioning the whole scheme of revelation; we may justly impute their doubts to unholi

Those, who now disbelieve, should consider the additional evidence, which hath since arisen for the system of Christian truth and duty, and that as they sin against greater light, they must finally appear more guilty in the sight of the Judge, for crucifying Jesus Christ afresh, and putting him and his doctrines to open shame before the world. The method of salvation through a divine Redeemerness of heart. They dislike the by the merits of his blood, and restraints, they do not love the the sanctification of the Spirit, by duties of religion. When any

« PreviousContinue »