Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

will do so until they are delivered by Him whom they shall look upon, and acknowledge for their Messiah and Deliverer. St. Mark thus explains this word 'immediately' he says, 'In those days, after that tribulation,' &c. (Mark xiii. 24.) And Luke writes thus; And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled.' (Luke xxi. 24.) So you see the treading down of Jerusalem, the times of the Gentiles, is the 'tribulation' spoken of, which was to begin 'immediately,' and last till the period which I firmly believe we are now entering upon, wherein 'there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.' (Luke xxi. 25, 26.) These predictions may be literally fulfilled. I think it very likely; but certain it is that already they have begun to be spiritually realized. The events of the last two years have seen the shaking of civil and political powers, even to their very centre: these I consider as typified by the 'sun' and moon ;' while the 'stars,' the emblem of the Churches, are falling from their high and proud position, and popular commotions, debates, and strife, are the order of the day ; in other words, the sea and the waves are roaring.' I ask you, my friends, is not this true? have I not plainly set before you the real state of kingdoms, churches, and people, at the present time? Well, therefore, may 'men's hearts fail them for fear, and for looking for those things that are coming on the earth.' (Luke xxi. 26.) And what happens next ? We will follow St. Luke, who tells us, that then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.' (Verses 27, 28.) Observe, troubles of various kinds, political, civil, ecclesiastical, and individual, are to precede the Saviour's coming; for, 'as surely as we know by the budding forth of the trees that summer is at hand, so surely, he tells us, when we shall see all these things come to pass, to know that he is nigh, even at the doors.' (Matt xxiv. 33; Mark xiii. 29. But some people vainly imagine that the moral state of the world will be improved, and fitted for the advent of the great Messiah but this is a grievous mistake; yea, our

[ocr errors]

6

Lord himself asks this question, 'When the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?' (Luke xviii. 8.) Alas! no. He tells us that instead of this being the case, Iniquity shall abound, therefore the love of many shall wax cold.'

"My dear friends," continued Mr. C――, with great energy, "suffer the word of exhortation, 'Prepare to meet your God.' Deeply sensible of the importance of our subject, I would implore you to consider your ways, and fly for refuge to Jesus the Saviour and Friend of sinners. He has left these words upon record, as a voice of warning to all the world: he charges us to Watch: for we know neither the day nor the hour of his coming.' (Matt. xxiv. 42.) He charges us to take heed 'lest at any time our hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon us unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.' (Luke xxi. 34, 35.) These are not my words, but Christ's. He warns you to watch and pray; he shows you your danger, he points to you your place of refuge, your ark, your hiding-place, in that awful day. Believe in him and you shall be safe: not a hair shall perish belonging to his redeemed ones: on the contrary, they are to look up, and lift up their heads, for their redemption draweth nigh.' That emancipation and freedom for which they have so long waited, will then take place, and they shall dwell for ever in His blessed presence, with whom there is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore.' (Psal. xvi. 11.) I have now brought this deeply interesting subject to a close: time fails me to enter more fully into it—but oh! as you value the safety of your immortal souls, lay to your hearts what you have heard, and pray for a blessing upon it. I charge you to rouse yourselves from your carelessness and unconcern; say not, with the thoughtless crowd, 'Where is the promise of his coming?' (2 Pet. iii. 4.) I have proved to you that he is nigh at hand, nearer, I expect, than many of you think. I have endeavoured to be faithful, and earnestly do I hope that in that day you and I may be found in him, without spot and blameless, washed in the blood of sprinkling, and sanctified by the Spirit from on high."

6

R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic]

LONDON: HOULSTON AND STONEMAN,

65, PATERNOSTER ROW.

THE

NEW TESTAMENT HISTORIES.

THE subject of Mr. C's last exposition had left a deep and abiding feeling upon the minds of his hearers; they saw its infinite importance, and justly argued, that as the threatened vengeance had been fulfilled to the utmost extent towards Jerusalem, it was an earnest of those future manifestations of the Divine power and justice which we ourselves may expect. They compared the prophetic warnings with the present state of things, and were aware that the time is drawing nigh when the universal dominion of Jesus, the Messiah, will be made manifest to all.

Hyford and Mr. Hill rode into Worcester to attend the market; and the crowded streets, and business-like appearance of the people, struck the worthy old man as something more than usual, though the fact was, his mind was filled with the important subject to which we have alluded; and then he compared it with the almost parting words of his beloved pastor-"Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares." (Luke xxi. 34.) And, as if nothing should be wanting to complete the warning voice, a bridal party dashed through the town, the very picture of gaiety, thoughtlessness, and trifling. The good old farmer's heart was full when the time came for him to rejoin his friend, and after riding for some time in silence, he at length exclaimed, "Oh, neighbour! I was ready to stop every one I met to-day, to ask them if they would be ready for the time when Jesus should come again in the clouds of heaven. I saw no single soul looking serious, at least not as if they expected that: they pressed on to the market, they filled the shops; the corn and hop markets were crammed with folks, all complaining of the times and bad prices, and noisy enough, in all conscience; and after grumbling till they were tired, I saw many of them afterwards going to forget it all at the inns,

where they would spend the rest of the evening_in drinking, by way, as they say, of drowning care. Had I said to one of them, 'Prepare, sir, for the day of the Lord is at hand,' they would have voted me a fool, perchance, and told me to leave preaching to the parsons. And then that wedding; you know, neighbour, they are to go on marrying and giving in marriage until the ceremony is stopped by the archangel's trumpet. I never felt so much as I did to-day; for Christ is very near, and the poor thoughtless people are not aware of it. Oh! I wish every town, every parish, every house, could have our dear Mr. C- and then that day, would not come upon them unawares.'

[ocr errors]

Mr. Hill was both amused and instructed by the earnestness of the excellent old man. Violent by nature, his energetic feelings were now under the influence of the Gospel; and no sooner did he see and appreciate any particular truth, than he entered into it with all his powers, and tried to render others as interested in it as himself. The subject of our Lord's second advent was quite new to him; he had heard it slightly hinted at, but never before had it been brought home to him.

He now

saw his personal interest in it; he felt that either he would, by virtue of his union by faith with his gracious Lord, be a partaker of the joys of the first resurrection, or amongst those who, being alive at his coming, will be changed and glorified; in fact, living or dying he felt he belonged to Jesus, and consequently the love that had softened his once hard, impenetrable heart, shed abroad its sweet influences, and filled him with affection for his fellow-men, to all of whom now he was ready to cry, "Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction." (Micah ii. 10.)

The friends separated at length, each to return to his home; and both were delighted the next day to hear the subject of their discourse most beautifully treated of in the pulpit, when Mr. C preached from Rev. xxii. 20: "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Would time permit me, I could tell you much of the substance of that sermon: how he showed the manner of our Lord's appearing, from Matt. xxiv. 30, 2 Thess. i. 7, and 1 Thess. v. 2, and several other texts; then, why he is to come, even to accomplish the great work of salvation, 1 Pet. i. 5;

« EdellinenJatka »