deny or ridicule; and when, though offended and determined to go no more, they cannot but be found again and again in the assembly -What is this but a voucher of the divinity of their mission? and a testimony which God gives to the word of his grace? "Felix trembled"-See the deceitfulness of the human heart. If what Paul said was not true and important, why did he tremble ? If it was, why did he tremble only? Why did he not follow out his conviction? Yea, why did he endeavour to get rid of it?— But what does he? He has recourse to delay-"Go thy way for this time." This is the common device of Satan, and ruin of souls. It is not positive refusal, but putting off the thing for the present. Then he pleads another frequent delusion, engagement-"when I have a more convenient season I will send for thee." A more free and leisure period to attend to the things of the soul is not likely to be found as we advance further in life and get more into the world. Yet suppose it could arrive-It did arrive to Felix. But the opportunity came without the disposition. He saw the preacher, but said nothing about the faith in Christ now. He saw him frequently, but no trembling, now-The good feeling was gone for ever! "He hoped that money should have been given him," and disappointed in his avarice, and "willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound." Behold another deception. If men reach what they have looked forward to as the most favoured period, they are not the same they once were. They are less disposed to that which is good and has been disregarded so long. Evil propensities have grown by continuance. The disease has gained strength by neglect; and the shrub by being left has become a tree, and is too radicated to be removed. Bless God if you tremble at his word; but remember, conviction is not conversion. Depend not on excitement in religion, without principle. Pray that you may tremble to purpose. Let your fear induce you to flee for refuge, to lay hold of the hope set before you. Beware of losing your burden on the wrong side of the hill. Lay it down no where but at the feet of him who cries, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." FEBRUARY 16.-"Ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance."Heb. x. 34. THE righteous is more excellent than his neighbour. He is above them in character, in condition, and in prospect. He is more happy; more wise; more honourable; more free; more safe; more affluent. He has much in hand; but he has far more in hope. Hence says the Apostle to these Hebrews, "Ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance." But How came Christians to be possessed of property? They were originally destitute; they were by nature poor even as others. For a time indeed they were proudly deluded, and said, "I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." But when they 1 were brought to a knowledge of themselves, they confessed with Paul, "In me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." And they also now acknowledge, that whatever they have gained has not been earned by their exertions, or procured by their worthiness; but was provided for them by another, even by him who said, "I will cause them that love me to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasure." And the way ye know. Yes, Christians, ye "know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." Here you see the liberality of his design-It was not only to relieve you, but to enrich; not only to clothe you, but to adorn; not only to draw you from the dust and the dunghill, but to set you among princes, even the princes of his people. And now all things are yours. You also see the expensiveness of the medium -It is through his poverty you are enriched. He was in the form of God: but in this form he could not be your redeemer, your sacrifice, your sympathising friend, your example in duty and suffering. He therefore "made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Thus he abased himself that we might be exalted, and emptied himself of his glory that we might be filled with all the fulness of God. And if such a medium was expedient and necessary, (and the fact itself is the proof,) what an idea must we attach to the greatness and difficulty of our salvation! and what ought we to think of the Saviour's "grace!" "He sunk beneath our heavy woes, To raise us to his throne; There's not a gift his hand bestows, But let us examine the wealth of his people. It is substance characterized by three things. By its residence. It is substance in heaven-The abode of the glorified, the habitation of angels, the dwelling-place of God himself. Whether this is either of the shining worlds over us, or any other invisible to the eye, we cannot determine. But said Jesus, "I go to prepare a place for you; and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where I am there ye may be also." Since he is there, our hope is said to be laid up for us in heaven; for we are blessed with all spiritual blessings "in heavenly places in Christ." And no wonder we have our conversation in heaven: for where our treasure is, there will our heart be also. By its pre-eminence-It is better substance. Better than what? Better than the goods which the Hebrews had lost; and of which the Apostle speaks in the words immediately preceding: "ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods." He allows that the things of which they had been deprived were good in themselves, though often abused. But he says, this substance is better. Better in its nature. It is spiritual; and so suited to the wants of the soul. Better in enjoyment. It yields satisfaction; while as to worldly wealth, a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesses; and in the midst of his sufficiency he is in straits. Better in acquisition. Worldly riches are commonly the mammon of unrighteousness. Few acquire them without some moral injury or degradation. He that maketh haste to be rich, says Solomon, shall not be innocent; and Paul says, "they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." But in the pursuit of this substance there is no need of meanness and hypocrisy, of running down others, of hating rivals, of wishing people dead. The love of this wealth refines, enlarges, elevates, and ennobles the possessor, and does this in the same degree in which he is covetous after it. By its permanency-It is enduring substance. This is an attribute that attaches to nothing here. Riches make to themselves wings and flee away. They are therefore called "uncertain riches." They are destructive in themselves, and they are liable to a thousand outward disasters; storms, floods, fires, war, wicked and unreasonable men, buyers who never mean to pay, and borrowers who never mean to restore. Hence the exhortation of our Saviour: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt. and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." Here then are durable riches with righteousness. There is in them no principle of decay; and they are safe from external invasion and injury. A Christian therefore does not feel like men of the world, who have their portion in this life. They are alarmed and miserable at the changes which endanger "all the happiness they know." But the Christian is calm, and his soul dwells at ease, because whatever befalls him, he knows his treasure is secure; independent of the body and its diseases, the world and its revolutions, time and its vicissitudes. The heavens may pass away with a great noise, and the elements melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, may be burnt up-but he is no loser even then-"For, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness." "All, all on earth is shadow; all beyond Is substance-The reverse is folly's creed. "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." FEBRUARY 17.-"Now, there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul."-Acts xiii. 1. THERE were no less than sixteen Antiochs in Western Asia, founded in honour of Antiochus, by Seleucus Nicator his son. The Scripture only mentions two of them. The first was the capital of Pisidia; the second, the capital of Syria. The text alludes to the latter of these. Its situation, extent, honours, riches, trade, and the freedom and privileges the Jews enjoyed in it, may be easily ascertained from history. We have other things to notice. The most important fact ever connected with it was the arrival of the Gospel. This was occasioned by the persecution that arose about Stephen; for some of those who were scattered by that event reached so far, and there preached the Lord Jesus. "And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem; and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch: who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." There has been much dispute here; and it is not perhaps possible to determine, whether this name was imposed by way of reproach, or by a divine intimation. But the name was obviously derived from the Founder of Christianity; and we wish his followers had never been called by any other. God has his set places, as well as times, in which to favour Zion. This church at Antioch, though of recent formation, flourished abundantly; and was remarkable for members and ministers. There were in it "certain prophets and teachers." Do these signify two classes of officers? or the same men exercising two functions? That is, not only preaching the word, but occasionally foretelling events? Five of them are here mentioned by name. First, Barnabas. He was a Levite of Cyprus; a man of property: but who sold his estate, and threw the money into the common stock. He was first called Joses, but afterwards Barnabas; which signifies the son of consolation: because he refreshed the bowels of the poor, was tender in his disposition, and preached affectionately. He was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost; and the father of many converts. The second was "Simeon, that was called Niger." This must regard his complexion. He was probably a negro. We trust he was; for we love every thing that sheds a ray of comfort, honour, or hope, over that sinfully degraded race of our brethren-if some will allow us to call them so. If not, he was a man of very dark and swarthy colour. Many a fair and beautiful form has enshrined a truly ugly mind. And on the other hand, a lovely soul has sometimes inhabited an ungracious body. Let us learn to value intellectual and moral qualities above corporeal-" As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman without discretion." "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." The third is "Lucius of Cyrene." Of him we know nothing more, except his being mentioned by the Apostle among his saluted friends, in the close of the epistle to the Romans: "Timotheus my work-fellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.' Some have thought whether he was not Luke the physician and Evangelist, and the writer of this book. VOL. I. 10 The fourth was "Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch." This Herod was not Herod the Great, who massacred the infants in Bethlehem, but his son. To him Manaen was fostet brother; that is, he was the son of his nurse; and therefore in his infancy, reared along with him. Let us not pass this slightly over. What different courses do men take who were once in the same condition! Here we see Herod and Manaen, brought up together in the same house: the one becoming a profligate, a persecutor, the actual murderer of James, and the intentional murderer of Peter, awfully ending his course, being smitten of an angel of the Lord, and eaten of worms; the other becoming a disciple of Jesus, and a preacher of the Gospel-So diverse were the characters of these two individuals, brought up together, playing in the same room, hearing the same voices, and surrounded with the same examples, during the most impressive period of life! Why did Herod reject Christianity? and why did Manaen embrace it? The one was perfectly inexcusable; the other had no reason to be proud, but much reason to be thankful. Men destroy themselves, and will feel guilty in their ruin. But by grace are we saved. The Lord makes us to differ from others; and we have nothing but what we have received. Manaen therefore was a person of some distinction and quality; and had probably renounced considerable worldly advantage for the sake of religion. Had he joined with his young and royal companion in sin, he might it is likely have gained a place under government, as every kind and degree of relationship is provided for in such cases at the expense of the public; but he resembled Moses, who when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. And was he a loser? He could not be a loser. The lips of truth have said, "There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." God generally chooses the poor of this world to be rich in faith. Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But there have been always a few; and we should be thankful when we meet with such instances: for though their souls are no more precious than the souls of the vulgar, they are so placed and circumstanced as to be able to be more serviceable in their generation. Thus, as Manaen was a man of education and address, these advantages were now sanctified; and he was therefore immediately and advantageously employed. The fifth was "Saul;" a character endeared to us as the Apostle of the Gentiles; and one of the most extraordinary individuals retorded in history. We know much concerning him; much from his own writings; and much from the narratives of Luke. When we consider his pharisaism, his persecutions of the Church, his conversion, his zeal, his journeys, sufferings, and services, we readily join him in the acknowledgment: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant to me ward." And we glorify God in him. What an assortment! What an assemblage was here! |