Page images
PDF
EPUB

the mind, from a sense of guilt and terror, was the result of that salvation, which could only take place on their embracing the truth; on their believing the gospel. If we would know who are those that are saved, upon commencing believers, the Redeemer himself informs us; And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

As these were the parting words of our blessed LORD, in the moment of his being received up into heaven, we ought not to dispute them. Indeed it is impious to question the truth or consistency of any of the sayings of our LORD, for he spake at all times as never man spake. An adulterous generation is ever asking after a sign. Here are signs, infallible signs, marks and evidences of true faith."

Thus, it is abundantly plain, you can gain nothing by leaving Christ Jesus and his baptism, for John and his baptism. This or something of this nature would very probably fall from the lips of this devoted and faithful servant, this believing witness and harbinger of our divine Master, to any applicant who should contemplate leaving the rock of ages, and reposing on him who was at best a reed shaken by the wind.

Although the Apostles of our LORD were divinely taught, and consequently spake as moved by the Holy Ghost; although Paul might plant, and Apollos might water, yet they preached not themselves, but Christ Jesus the LORD. Should we therefore leave the Master, and turn to the servants, should we appeal to Peter and to John, they would answer, "Why refer to us? We are men of like passions with yourselves. We do nothing but in the name, and by the power of that Jesus, you are leaving;" should we call upon the Apostle to the Gentiles, he would reply, by pertinently asking, "Was Paul crucified for you? I am as you are, a sinner; once indeed, I imagined myself righteous, and, that as touching the law, my life was blameless, but now my eyes being opened, I see the vanity of all those expectations, which I so arrogantly cherished, while in the same moment, I was suffering in the want of what I now richly enjoy, that is, the assurance of understanding, that is, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and that blessed confidence, that

nothing could ever separate me from the love of God which | is in Christ Jesus our LORD." This faithful servant would i further say to every one, who would turn to him, saying, I am of Paul. "I beseech you, my friends, be as I am, for I am as you are. Are you sinners? So am I, nay, my transgressions surpass yours, for I am the chief of sinners. Yet have I redemption in the Beloved, which redemption is equally yours. If I am accepted in the beloved, so also is every individual of the human family. Am I complete in Christ Jesus? So are you. Did Jesus Christ put away my sin by the sacrifice of himself? Remember he put away yours also. Did he reconcile me unto himself by Jesus Christ? So, let me assure you, precisely so, was he reconciling the world unto himself, and the ministry, which God our Saviour was graciously pleased to commit unto me, was the ministry of reconciliation, viz. that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing unto them their trespasses.

"It was, my enquiring friends, when you and I, and all mankind were like sheep going astray, that the LORD laid on him, Jesus, the iniquities of us all, that those accumulated and collected iniquities, being found upon him, the punishment and death which the law denounced upon the offender, might fall upon the head of every offender, that the cause and effect might be forever removed.

"Instead, therefore, of your leaving this blessed, this dear, this blessing, this ever blessing Redeemer, in whom you, and all the families of the earth are already blessed. Instead, I say, of your leaving him, the fountain of light, who hath died to redeem you, and coming to me, who am unequal of myself even to think a good thought, with whom evil, when I would do good, is ever present. Instead of an application so irrational, it is both your interest and your duty to turn from the servant to the LORD and Master, whose grace, is at all times sufficient for you, and, suffer me to entreat, to charge you, if you would possess that peace, which passeth understanding, to trust solely in the LORD Jesus, to trust in him as made of God unto you, exactly in the same manner, that he was unto me wisdom, that so neither you nor I may die for lack of knowledge; who is made of God unto you, and unto me your fellow sinner Righteousness, that so through all eternity, we may inherit what the unrighteous never could inherit,

that is, the kingdom of God, which kingdom consisteth not in meats nor in drinks, but in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, who is made of God unto us in whom, that is, our flesh, dwelleth no good thing, sanctification, that so in him we may be presented before God, without spot, and blameless in love, and finally who is made unto us redemption; for, from ancient times he hath been manifested as the Redeemer, and when he condescended to clothe himself with our nature, as with a garment, it was that he might redeem us from all iniquity."

Christ Jesus hath finished his warfare, and when the Redeemer cried with a loud voice, it is finished, he immediately gave up the ghost, and thus having taken away the sins of the world, he appeared in the morning of his resurrection without sin unto full salvation. No wonder then, that joining issue with the apostle Peter, we uniformly and devoutly ask, "LORD to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal LIFE."

SKETCH CII.

JOHN X. 36.

First, THE Jews considered it blasphemy for the Saviour of the world, to call himself the Son of God. What I beseech you is blasphemy? Is it not speaking evil of God? Did the Jews consider it speaking evil of God for Emmanuel, the God-head clothed in flesh, to call himself in his human character the son of God? Father and Son are relative terms, Producer and Produced. The divine Nature produced the human Nature, and, therefore, the Deity assuming a robe of flesh accommodated himself to our understanding by styling himself, in several passages, the son; although in reference to the divine Nature, he elsewhere affirms, that the Father and he are one, and these important facts are reconcileable when we revert to the same Almighty being condescendingly exhibiting himself to the children of men in various characters.

But, Secondly, Our Saviour appeals to these accusing Jews in the verses immediately preceding my text. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said ye are gods?

If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scriptures cannot be broken. แ "Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemist, because I said I am the Son of God."

In the eighty-second Psalm, Asaph affirms, "I have said, ye are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High: but ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes."

If it were not plasphemy to attach to the mere children of men the term God; how strange was the accusation preferred against Emmanuel! But our Saviour observes,

If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

But the condescending, the benign Redeemer of lost men had said, I and my Father are one, and for this truth, the enraged multitude impiously stoned the God-man, the Redeemer of the world.

use.

Thirdly, Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified. What are we to understand by the term sanctified? It is to separate or appoint any person or thing to any holy office or The first born under the law were sanctified. Exodus xiii. 2, "Sanctify unto me all the first born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast; it is mine." The LORD is said to be sanctified, when his glory is made manifest to the work of his hands. Numbers xx. 12, 13, "And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

"This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them." The blessings of providence, the various gifts of God are sanctified. The first epistle to Timothy iv. 4, 5, "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."

[blocks in formation]

To separate or ordain any person or thing, as in our text, say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified, c.

Things animate and inanimate are said to be sanctified. God said unto Moses, Joshua vii. 13, "Up, sanctify the people, and say, sanctify yourselves against to-morrow; for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you." In various parts of this book of Exodus, the breast of the wave offering, the altar, the tabernacle, &c. &c. are said to be sanctified.

Fourthly, The Son of God was sanctified before he was sent into the world. He was consecrated as the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world, to be the Saviour of the world. Was he made holy? Was he not always pure, always holy? Was he not holy both in his conception, and in his birth? Did he then blaspheme in calling himself the Son of God, when even his figure, the figure of him who was to come, was called the Son of God, and when the offspring of the general head, even before they received the spirit, were considered sons of God? Galatians iv. 6," And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Paul informs us, Romans viii. 14, "That as many as are led by the spirit of God, are the sons of God." Thus, it appears, that before and after they were led by the spirit of God, they were the sons of God, and it is unquestionably true, that the first man, the earthy Adam, was called the son of God, and that all his offspring are styled the offspring of God. Have we not all one Father? Is not God the Father of the spirits of all flesh?

Thus, to be made pure is to be sanctified. We are already sanctified in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians i. 2, "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon Jesus Christ our LORD, both theirs and ours." But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; that according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the LORD. Thus are we, even at this period, in Christ Jesus; but when he who saveth his people from their sins shall appear, then shall we resemble him, even in our individual characters. Such the testimony of Isaiah, Thy people also shall be all right

« PreviousContinue »