Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

far greater degree, the merciful kindness of God in our salvation bears to the mercy once shewn to him; let us, as did that Syrian, shew forth a lively and grateful sense of our deliverance. "From hence

forth," said he to the Prophet, "will I “offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice "unto other gods, but only unto the "Lord.”—Let our devotion, in like manner, testify our gratitude for all the things which God hath done for us. Let it be our frequent, our daily delight. In the hours of busy life let us remember God: in silence and retirement let us meditate upon His mighty love: and in this house of worship ever celebrate His praise. It is, or should be, our highest comfort to know, that the Almighty, from His throne far above the heavens, vouchsafes to hear the meanest of His creatures, and to hearken to their prayers. This service, then, of prayer and praise let us perform with good-will unwearied; being fully convinced, that He will reward our piety, -that He will conduct us by an unseen

hand through all the changes and chances of this mortal life, and finally place us in those glorious mansions, where we shall dwell before Him ages without end.

SERMON XVI.

ST. LUKE xvi. 31.

And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses, and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.

WHEN our Lord entered upon His public ministry, and called the people of the Jews to repent, and to receive the laws of the Gospel, He performed many and great miracles. These wonderful works were displayed to prove to them that He spake by authority from God, and that they were, therefore, bound to reverence Him, and to receive the doctrines and obey the precepts which He delivered. The effect of His miracles was great and extraordinary: "the multitude," we read,

66

66

glorified God, and cried out, it was "never so seen in Israel;"*-and " this "is of a truth that Prophet which should come into the world."† Such were the sentiments of the well-disposed part of His hearers but, others amongst them, unwilling to be convinced, were frequently demanding to have some greater proofs of His divine commission,-some sign from heaven displayed to them that they might believe. As a general answer to all such demands, Christ delivered the account of the rich man and Lazarus; the latter of whom, after death, was carried by Angels into paradise into Abraham's bosom, while the rich man was doomed to the place of torment. In that hopeless condition, with respect to himself, the rich man intercedes with Abraham to send Lazarus to his brethren, who were living in sin and security, lest they also should come into the same place of torment. The answer of Abraham to this request, which was repeated with earnestness, is most awful, and worthy the attention of all: "They † John vi. 14.

* Matt. ix. 33.

"have Moses and the Prophets; let them "hear them ;-but, if they hear not Moses "and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the "dead."

[ocr errors]

What a wonderful and alarming declation! especially when we consider that it came from the lips of our Redeemer-of Him who knew all the heart of man better than does man himself. We do not, we cannot disbelieve the truth of what He so solemnly pronounced. But besides, the experience of all ages bears testimony to it. Of all those wonderful means which God saw fit to employ in the days of old, to awaken and to recover great sinners, the miracle, in almost every case, failed to produce its proper effect. It did, indeed, cause the offender to tremble for the present, and to form some serious resolu ́tions of repentance and amendment so long as he was filled with terror: but these resolutions were as suddenly broken as they had been suddenly made ;—the terror passed off, and the intended reformation was no more. Thus acted Pharaoh and

« EdellinenJatka »