feeling in other things, but here the senselessness regards “the things of the Spirit." Feeling, though not the noblest of our senses, is the most necessary and extensive: other senses are confined to particular parts, but feeling is diffused over the whole body. When there is no feeling in a member there is no more intercourse of the animal and vital spirits: and where feeling is totally absent there are no remains of life. There may be life where other senses are wanting. A man may be deaf and alive, blind and alive, scentless and alive; but if he has no feeling he must be dead. Upon the same principle the Apostle says men are "dead in trespasses and sins;" and as a dead body is insensible to material things around it, so it is with the unrenewed soul! it meets all the objects and agencies of the spiritual world with indifference and unconcern. Though he is charged with numberless transgressions, and the wrath of God abideth on him, he is sensible of no burden, and though destruction and misery are in his ways he is secure and analarmed. A hard heart is an inflexible heart. It does not yield to the dictates of his word. At this a good man trembles. As he turns to the Scriptures he says, I will hear what God the Lord shall speak: but the hardened sinner says, with Pharoah, "Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice ?" He may not indeed in so many terms, but he really says unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." Though God reproves, encourages, asserts his authority, displays the reasonableness of his commands, addresses our hope and our fear, draws back the veil that hides the eternal world, and sets life and death, blessing and cursing, before them, they turn away from him that speaketh, and reject the counsel of God against themselves. It does not yield to the dispensations of his providence. God begins perhaps with others; and a good man when he sees their visitations, says with David, "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments." It is the design of them: "I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; but they rose up, and corrupted all their doings." He then comes nearer, and strikes themselves. He afflicts them in time, that they may not be condemned for ever. But they regard the suffering as the effects of chance; they feel the pain, but never think of the procuring cause, which is sin, or the final cause, which is their spiritual profit. Yea, sometimes instead of falling in with the design, they directly oppose it; when stricken they strike again; they rush upon the thick bosses of his buckler, and "say in the pride and stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars." Nothing can be more offensive to God than such stubbornness as this;-"In the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz." It is equally inflexible to kindness and mercy. Other creatures live upon God, but they are incapable of knowing the source of their supplies; but the inspiration of the Almighty giveth man understanding, and enables him to see the cause and author of all good; and a tender heart would love and acknowledge the donor in his bounties. They are designed to encourage and allure us they are cords of a man and bands of love, by which he would draw us to himself. And "the ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." It yields not to the motions of his Spirit. When Paul reasoned before Felix of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled; but instead of cherishing the conviction he endeavoured to get rid of it, by dismissing Paul till a more convenient opportunity; and carefully avoiding the topic when they met. Israel not only rebelled, but "vexed his Holy Spirit." The old world, by the preaching of Noah, was addressed and often excited, as we find implied in the words, "My spirit shall not always strive with man upon the earth." Who has not felt motives which have almost persuaded him to be a Christian? Who has not formed resolutions to abandon the world, and cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart? Who has not had softenings of heart, in which he was drawn into retirement, and pouring out tears unto God, said, Lord, I am thine, save me? What difficulties have many had to overcome before they could advance in a sinful course? They had to break through mercies and judgments: to throw down friends and parents who kindly opposed them; yea, to trample under foot the Son of God, and do despite unto the spirit of grace O seek deliverance from this evil if you are the subjects of it. Remember that it is a most dreadful curse, and will be sure to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath. But reflect still more upon its vileness, and say, O what a hateful heart is mine that feels nothing! Yields to nothing! Pray earnestly. And be encouraged by the promise, "I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Place yourselves near the cross; and look on him whom you have pierced. "But I know And if you are saved from this evil be thankful. not that I am saved from it. I feel such unsuitableness to duty, and such dullness, such deadness in it!" But if you were impenitent, how could you feel this? You should rather say, with Ĉowper, "Cold as I feel this heart of mine, Yet, since I feel it so, It yields some hope of life divine OCTOBER 10" All thy children shall be taught of the Lord."-ISAIAH liv. 13. ALL therefore want tuition. We are naturally ignorant, as well as guilty, and depraved, and helpless. Knowledge is not innate but acquired. Some are always extolling nature at the expense of art yet what would the earth be without cultivation ? What would a garden be if left without keeping and dressing, but a little wilderness of barrenness and rudeness, of weeds and thorns? Such would a child be if left to himself. What makes the greatest difference between one man and another? Not the body, the limbs, the senses-In all these the savage may have the advantage: but the difference is in their minds: and the difference in their minds is VOL. II. 17 chiefly owing to education. Few indeed will deny this; but many are unwilling to acknowledge their spiritual ignorance, and in the concerns of religion suppose that the way of man is in himself, and that it is in man that walketh to direct his steps. Yet though vain man would be wise, he is born like a wild ass's colt. The world by wisdom knew not God; with all their advances in civilization and science, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And what is the fact with regard to every unconverted sinner? He is alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him, and because of the blindness of his heart. To enable a blind man to see it is necessary not only to bring the lamp, but to open his eyes: and the Scripture speaks of opening the eyes of the understanding, and giving us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. God's teaching therefore is twofold. First, external. He thus teaches us by all his works, which praise him. The heavens declare his glory, the firmament showeth his handy work, and there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. But he has magnified his word above all his name. The Scripture is given by inspiration of God. The knowledge of the grand truths in the Gospel depended entirely on the sovereign pleasure of the Almighty. We had sinned, and were left to his mercy; and it was for him to determine whether we should be saved, and in what way. And how could this determination be discovered? Not by any process of reasoning, but by testimony, and his own testimony: "As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so, the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." And this book contains all the information God chooses to afford us on this side the irradiations of eternity. Jesus, near two thousand years ago, was the finisher as well as the author of faith, and a curse was annexed to the man who should add to the words of the book, as well as to him who should take away. As we look for no new doctrine, prophecy, promise, or precept, so we need none. Here is information enough, if we understand, and feel, and practice it. And it is the office of the Spirit to lead us into all truth And thus the Lord teaches internally. For revelation does not supersede our dependence on the agency of divine grace. David, who had the word, yet prayed, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." Here is the book, but who teaches us to read? Who removes our carelessness, and fixes our minds? Who subdues our prejudices, and gives us a holy taste, so that our delight is in the law of the Lord, and we meditate in it day and night? Who shows us not only the reality, but the beauty and glory of divine things, and gives them by faith a residence and an empire in the soul? What a difference is there between speculation and experience? Between the convictions of the judgment and the decisions of the will and the ardour of the affections? The knowledge he imparts descends from the head into the heart. The illumination he spreads is not the cold barren light of the moon, but the shining of the spring sun, which not only enlightens, but warms and enlivens, and fills the earth with fertility and beauty. Let this direct and encourage us. It is the Lord alone that teaches us to profit: he alone can render the most common truth impressive and influential. Moses had seen the Egyptians destroyed in the Red Sea, and all the multitudes of his brethren buried in the wilderness. And needed he to be taught the doctrine of mortality? Knew he not that the days of our years are threescore years and ten? and that the period of human life is as uncertain as it is short? Yet he felt that no less a teacher than God was necessary to instruct him properly: and therefore he prays, So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." And do we not see the need of this continually? Our neighbours fall around us. Death enters our houses. We feel the attacks of disease; and the decays of nature; and yet how do we live? as dying creatures? or as those who suppose they are to live here always? 66 But while we feel our need of this teaching let us remember that he gives his holy Spirit to them that ask him. If we perish for lack of knowledge, our sin will lie at our own door. "If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." We are incapable of conducting ourselves, but here is an infallible Director, who offers to accompany us, and would never leave us nor forsake us, and requires nothing but our submission-May the language of my heart be, "Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day." OCTOBER 11.-"Man dieth."-JOB xiv. 10. 66 But how came he to die? He was not made mortal like the beasts that perish. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, because all have sinned." But now there is not a day, or an hour, or a moment, in which man dieth not. The frequency of the occurrence hinders much of the force and seriousness of the impression it is otherwise so adapted to produce. "They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it." And not only the commonness but the irksomeness of the event is unfriendly to consideration. The subject is too gloomy and repulsive to engage the thought of the generality of mankind: and the main concern of thousands is to keep it, or banish it from their minds. Yet their putting the evil day far off is not putting it away. The way to die safely is to die daily. Young says, "Familiar thoughts will smooth the road to death :" and the royal preacher tells us, "sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart." We often see a fellow-creature in situations and circumstances peculiar to himself, and in which we shall not be called to follow him: but when we see man dying we behold an emblem and an in stance of our own destiny; and we should bring home the case, and say, by-and-by I shall require these attentions-What I now hear and see I shall experience-My soul will refuse dainty meat-a shivering will seize my trembling limbs-and the world will recede from my view, and appear like land to the mariner entering the ocean. Infinitely diversified as human conditions are, they all terminate in the same result. All are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Death is the way of all the earth And what is it for man to die? It is an event the most solemn and affecting, whatever view we may take of it. It is the termination of all his busy concerns in life, and suffers him to interfere no more in any thing that is done under the sun. It is his farewell to earth with all its possessions and attractions; his eye will no more see good. It is the disruption of all his ties of friendship and kindred here; to say to corruption, Thou art my father, and to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister. It is the destruction of his body, so fearfully and wonderfully made, and the reducing of it to such a state of loathsomeness, as compels the survivors to bury their dead out of their sight, and to inscribe over the sepulchre "How loved, how valued once, avails thee not, To whom related, or by whom begot: A heap of dust alone remains of thee, It is his entering into a new and untried mode of being; his transition from a course of action to a state of retribution. It is a thing that cannot be repeated, and the consequences of which are irreversible: it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judg ment. So far one event happeneth to all: but there is a vast difference in men's dying, according as they are morally and religiously considered. The wicked is driven away in his wickedness. His death, indeed, is not always very dreadful in the manner. There is sometimes a strange senselessness that attends it. Frequently even the danger of dissolution is concealed from him, and he dies "a slow sudden death." The poet's words are not true, "Fools men may live, but fools they cannot die :" for observation shows us that commonly men die as they live. The Scripture says of many of them, They have no bands in their death, but their strength is firm." This is sometimes indeed affected rather than real. When they have died with a kind of levity and sportiveness it has been by way of diversion. They would indeed have it supposed to be a proof of the absence of fear; but it is the effect of its prevalence-So the schoolboy passes the churchyard "whistling aloud to keep his courage up." I have heard from dying lips exclamations of anguish and horror, which I should not like to publish. These are often attributed to disease; and the poor wretch is supposed to be under the influence of delirium-and it may be so-But whatever may be the manner of departure, as to those that die in their sins, the consequences are dreadful beyond imagination. If they even fall asleep as gently as lambs, they awake with the devil and his angels. But the dying chamber of the children of God and the heirs of immortality is none other but the house of God and the gate of heaven. |