SERMON I.
AWAKE THOU THAT SLEEPEST AND ARISE FROM THE DEAD.
EPHESIANS v. 14.—Wherefore He saith, Page 1
Awake thou that sleepest, and arise
from the dead, and Christ shall give
thee light.
[Preached January 10th, 1830, 1st
Epiph., {vii} and at Chester
Cathedral, August 1st, in the same
year.]
SERMON II.
THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST.
EPHESIANS iii. 8.—The unsearchable riches of Christ. 20
[Preached January 9th, 1831, 1st Epiph.]
SERMON III.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FLOOD.
GENESIS vi. 7.—It repented the Lord, that He had made man 38
upon the earth and it grieved Him at His heart; and the Lord
said, I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face
of the earth.
[Preached February 6th, 1825, Sexag.]
SERMON IV.
THE PRESERVATION FROM THE FLOOD.
GENESIS vi. 8.—Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 56
[Preached February 13th, 1825.]
SERMON V.
DO THIS GREAT WICKEDNESS AND SIN AGAINST GOD,
GENESIS xxxix. 9.—How then can I do this great wickedness 76
and sin against God?
[Preached March 6th, 1825, 3rd Lent.]
SERMON VI.
ON THE JOURNEY TO EMMAUS.
LUKE xxiv. 32.—And they said one to another, Did not our 95
heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way,
and while He opened to us the Scriptures?
[Preached April 13th, 1828, 1st Easter, and at Chester
Cathedral July 12th, 1829.]
SERMON VII.
IF THEY HEAR NOT MOSES AND THE PROPHETS.
LUKE xvi. 31.—If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, 114
neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the
dead.
[Preached June 1st, 1823, 1st Trin.]
SERMON VIII.
PERFECT LOVE CASTETH OUT FEAR.
1 JOHN iv. 18,—There is no fear in love, but perfect love 134
casteth out fear: because fear hath torment; he that feareth
is not made perfect in love.
[Preached June 16th, 1822, 2nd Trin.]
SERMON IX.
HUMBLE YOURSELVES UNDER THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD.
1 Peter v. 6.—Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of 154
God, that He may exalt you in due time.
[Preached June 19th, 1825, 3rd Trin.]
SERMON X.
THOU ART THE MAN.
2 Samuel xii. 7.—And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. 172
[Preached July 14th, 1822, 6th Trin., and at Chester
Cathedral July 6th 1823.]
SERMON XI.
THE WAY OF THE LORD EQUAL.
EZEKIEL xviii. 25.—Ye say, the way of the Lord is not equal. 189
Hear now, O house of Israel; is not My ways equal? are not
your ways unequal?
[Preached October 10th, 1824, 17th Trin.]
SERMON XII.
THE NEW MAN.
EPHESIANS iv. 24.—That ye put on the new man, which after 209
God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
[Preached October 13th, 1822, 19th Trin.]
SERMON XIII.
THE WEDDING GARMENT.
MATTHEW xxii. 2.—The kingdom of heaven is like unto a 230
certain king which made a marriage for his son.
[Preached October 31st, 1824, 20th Trin.]
SERMON XIV.
WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD, BE FRUITFUL AND INCREASING.
COLOSSIANS i. 10.—That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto 252
all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and
increasing in the knowledge of God.
[Preached November 9th, 1823, 24th Trin. and at Chester
Cathedral, August 20th, 1826.]
SERMON XV.
THE WORD OF THE LORD PRECIOUS.
1 SAMUEL iii. 1.—The word of the Lord was precious in those 271
days; there was no open vision.
[Preached December 9th, 1827. 2nd Advent]
SERMON XVI.
DISTINCTIONS TO BE MADE ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
MATTHEW xxiv. 40.—The one shall be taken and the other left. 290
[Preached December 12th, 1824, 3rd Advent.]
SERMON XVII.
GOD MADE MAN UPRIGHT; MAN MAKES HIMSELF MISERABLE.
ECCLES. vii. 29.—Lo, this only have I found, that God hath 310
made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions.
[Preached August, 1828, and at Chester Cathedral, June 28th,
1829.]
SERMON XVIII.
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD REVEALED TO THEM THAT FEAR HIM.
PSALM xxv. 14.—The secret of the Lord is with them that fear 329
Him; and He will shew them His covenant.
[Preached November 19th, 1826, and at Chester Cathedral,
July 29th, 1827.]
SERMON XIX.
RESIST THE BEGINNINGS OF EVIL TEMPTATION.
PROVERBS iv. 14, 15.—Enter not into the path of the wicked, 349
and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by
it, turn from it, and pass away.
[Preached October 10th, 1830.]
SERMON XX.
THE LOVE OF CHRIST FOR THOSE WHO DO THE WILL OF GOD.
MARK iii. 35.—Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same 366
is My brother and My sister and mother.
[Preached February 3rd, 1828.]
SERMON XXI.
ON SEEKING OUT THE WORKS OF THE LORD AND PRAISING HIM.
PSALM cxi. 1, 2.—I will give thanks unto the Lord with my 385
whole heart; in the assembly of the upright and in the
congregation.
The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that
have pleasure therein.
[Preached November 23rd, 1828.]
SERMON XXII.
DILIGENCE AND PERSEVERANCE IN THE CHRISTIAN RACE.
PHILIPP. iii. 13, 14.—Brethren, I count not myself to have 404
apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
[Preached March 28th, 1830, and at Chester Cathedral,
September 5th, in the same year.]
SERMON I.
AWAKE THOU THAT SLEEPEST.
EPHESIANS v. 14.
_Wherefore_, _he saith_, _Awake_, _thou that sleepest_, _and arise
from the dead_, _and Christ shall give thee light_.
IN this chapter the Apostle has been reminding his Ephesian converts of
the state in which they were, before they had received and obeyed the
call of the gospel. The people of Ephesus were highly endowed, in the
world’s estimation, not only with riches, but also with talent and
learning, and refinement; with all the arts and ornaments of civilized
life. And yet, how does St. Paul describe them in the 8th verse? “Ye
were sometimes darkness;” how in the 12th? “For it is a shame even to
speak of those things which are done of them in secret.”
Here, you observe, we have a remarkable declaration from the mouth of an
Apostle, that a people, however talented and learned, were still wrapt in
the mantle of darkness, with regard to their real good and happiness;
with regard to their religious and moral condition. Whatever nature had
done for them, to whatever eminence they had been raised by art or
industry, they were left far short of the object which it concerned them
most to attain—an acquaintance with God, a knowledge and practice of His
law; a peace with Him and with their own consciences. So far were they
from this, that their characters were stained with the most debasing
vices; their secret sins were too abominable even to be mentioned.
Thus we see how little the instructions and advantages of this world have
to do with reforming the conduct, or amending the depraved heart of man.
And what was true in this instance, is true in all; there is no teaching,
there are no rules of prudence, no maxims however wise, no manners
however polished, that can cleanse the heart of its natural
unrighteousness, and curb its natural propensity to evil: give what you
may, educate as you may, man, if left to his own wisdom and strength,
will remain what he is by fallen nature, a weak, a wayward, and a wicked
being; an enemy to holiness and to God. There may be a shew of wisdom
“falsely so called;” there may be a refined conversation and a polished
outside; but there will always be uncleanness remaining within. The evil
principles may wear a dazzling veil, and the vices may be clothed in
fashionable garments, but they will be evil principles and vices still.
There is but one means by which the darkness of nature can be scattered,
and that is by the light of God’s truth; but one means by which the evil
spirit of the natural man can be cast out, and that is by the Spirit of
God. The blessed Jesus came into the world to reclaim and redeem it from
the grossness in which it was sunk; to open a new scene of things; to
impart a new life; to banish the thick cloud of error and of sin, in
which the world hopelessly and irrecoverably lay; and to raise it to the
knowledge and service, the favour and blessing of an offended God. This
is the description of the happy effects which the gospel is intended and
fitted to produce; “the people that walked in darkness have seen a great
light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath
the light shined.” {4} All, without the gospel, are in this miserable
condition, whatever they may think of themselves: all who sincerely
embrace it, are enlightened and happy, however poor and humble, and of
whatever else they may be ignorant.
Poor and humble did I say? It is to them, that this light is the most
easily, and frequently, and effectually communicated. The prosperous and
the great too often resemble the wealthy Ephesians, “having the
understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the
ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;” {5}
revelling in the self-sufficiency of their earthly comforts, proud of
their acquirements, fond of their own way, they disdain to be taught the
humbling truths of the gospel from a fellow-creature like themselves: and
often has the minister of the gospel to be thankful to his Lord and
Master, that, when he finds his message rejected and despised by his
wealthier hearers, it still makes its way into the hearts of some of the
poor: grieved he is indeed, that those, who ought to know it best and
love it most, should be so deluded by worldly vanities and follies, as to
continue, amidst all their advantages of education, in spiritual darkness
and death; set against the messenger, because hating the truth of his
message: yet, is it a comfort to him, sincere and unspeakable, that he
meets with more success among the ignorant, as they are called, and the
children of the poor: that there he finds wisdom, “the wisdom which is
from above;” and there he finds friends among the friends of God.
It was so in the Apostle’s day; and with some bright exceptions, it has
been the same in every day: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that
not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are
called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound
the things that are mighty: and base things of the world, and things
which are despised hath God chosen; yea, and things which are not, to
bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his
presence.” {7}
All these observations have been made, to connect and explain the first
word of the text, _wherefore_; “wherefore, he saith, awake thou that
sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”
Inasmuch as it is impossible for thee to know and to please God, to
attain unto holiness and happiness, to save thy soul, by the light of
nature, (for nature is in fact, of itself and for such a purpose, no
light at all,) turn to the way, which is opened to thee by the shining of
the Sun of Righteousness; to that one way, which is opened alike for all
mankind, rich and poor, learned and unlearned; turn to thy Redeemer, in
humble faith and hearty desire, and “He shall give thee light:” learn of
Him and He shall teach thee all that thou needest to know: seek of Him,
and He shall guide thee into all righteousness and truth; lean on Him,
and He shall support thee, through all the course of thy earthly
pilgrimage; and conduct thee in peace and safety to thy journey’s end.
“Wherefore, he _saith_;” there is no particular passage in the Old
Testament, in which these words of the text are found; but they seem to
allude to several expressions of similar import, in the prophecy of
Isaiah. In the 26th chapter, there is a passage which describes the
deliverance of God’s people from a state of degradation, both political
and spiritual, under the figure of a resurrection from the dead: “Thy
dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake
and sing, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and
the earth shall cast out the dead.” {8} And again, in the 52nd chapter:
“Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful
garments, O Jerusalem, the Holy city; for henceforth there shall no more
come in to thee the uncircumcised and the unclean; shake thyself from the
dust; arise and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of
thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion: for thus saith the Lord, ye have
sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money:” {9a}
a powerful call upon the Jewish people to cast away their transgressions,
through which they had been brought into a state of grievous captivity,
and to throw themselves on the Lord’s mercy, and return to the Lord’s
service, that He might break their bonds asunder, and visit them with His
salvation. One more passage there is, to which the Apostle clearly
alludes, in the opening of the 60th chapter: “Arise, shine, for thy light
is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the
darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the
Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” {9b}
Here the prophet foretels the glorious dawn of gospel light, and calls
upon the Church to arise and behold it, shining from afar; to behold it
with the eye of faith; to look forward to that Saviour, that great
“fountain for sin and uncleanness,” which the law and the prophets did
all with one voice proclaim. The prophet adds, “And the gentiles shall
come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” The first
coming of the gentile world was visible in the footsteps of the wise men,
who came “from the east to Jerusalem,” {10} to worship the infant Jesus:
and ever since our Lord’s return to the heavens, the gospel has been
preached to all nations; and accepted, more or less, by the kings and
potentates of the earth.
And, as the prophet called on the people of old, to awake and arise and
turn to the coming light, so St. Paul invited and animated his converts
and their brethren, to awake and behold the glory of the Lord, after it
had been fully revealed to the dark and sinful world; and so do the
ministers of Christ, in every age, call upon their hearers to arouse from
their benighted and lost condition, and let this light shine upon their
understandings and hearts, and direct them in the way of life and
salvation. For grieved are we to say, that notwithstanding these bright
beams of grace and truth have been so long pouring forth their splendour
upon the earth, yet are there many dark corners; and many eyes awfully
closed against the light: and still more grieved are we to say, that even
in the land where these beams have shone brightest, even in this land,
vast numbers yet remain total strangers to their enlightening influence
and converting power: numbers who have had the benefit of being educated
under the gospel, who have witnessed its happy effects; who have seen
what it has done for their relations, or friends, or neighbours, have yet
ungratefully and disdainfully turned away from the heavenly light, and
“walked on still in darkness;” have sided with the world and Satan and
sin, and resisted the salvation of their souls.
O, that they could be brought, O for the grace of God’s Holy Spirit to
bring them, to listen to the warning words of that merciful Saviour, to
whom, if they now continue to despise Him, they will one day lift up
their hands in vain: these are His words, “if the light that is in thee
be darkness, how great is that darkness.” {12} If, after all the
gracious offers of pardon and life, which thy Redeemer has made thee, by
His own mouth, and the mouth of His messengers, thou still choosest
unforgiveness and death, going on in the heedlessness of thy impenitent
heart, and wantoning in sin, how dreadful is thy condition! how
infinitely more dreadful, than if the voice of mercy had never sounded in
thine ears. Be convinced: let the love of thy Saviour work upon thee;
let the love of thine own immortal soul move thee to fly unto Him, the
great, the only, the everlasting Redeemer. Leave thy way of misery and
ruin, and turn to Him for comfort and deliverance. Turn, while thou hast
the power; the night is fast coming. Thou knowest not how many more
sabbaths, how many more invitations and warnings, will be vouchsafed:
many thou hast had already; enough of them thou hast already slighted.
Come, ye that are strong, for the strong are often laid low; come, ye
that are young, for the young are not always spared; come, ye aged, for
your hour of trial _must_ be nearly run out. Come all, while ye may, to
the Lamb of God, for acceptance and for blessing: there is no safety, and
no hope in any other: and no hope in Him, when the door is once shut; “we
pray you, in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” {13}
The text says, “Awake thou that sleepest;” it means, awake from the sleep
of sin; and very fitly is the state of the sinner compared to a state of
sleep: he is quite insensible of his true, his awful condition; he fears
not, perceives not, the doom that is awaiting him. Satan has bound up
his senses; the eyes of his understanding are closed, and his knowledge
of good and evil is utterly prevented. He is to the spiritual world,
what the sleeping man is to the natural, unconscious of what is going
forward to his advantage or his injury. Speak to him of mercy, he hears
not: “sing him one of the songs of Sion,” it is all in vain: speak to him
of divine wrath, of eternal punishment; to what purpose, while his ear is
closed? The whispers of conscience, the counsel of friends, “the tongues
of men or of angels,” are alike unprofitable, while a deep sleep is cast
upon the soul.
And there is a further resemblance: the sinner dreams, of happiness
arising from worldly prosperity, from plenty and pleasure: and as the
brain of a poor or disconsolate man, in a state of sleep, is often filled
with ideas of such things, and he awakes and finds them sadly untrue;
awakes from his pleasant dreaming to his state of drudgery and
discomfort; so is the sinner often constrained to feel and confess, that
his notions of happiness were no better than a dream; that they were
unsubstantial and unreal, promising much and bringing little: still he is
unconvinced; pursues his course of trifling, his disappointed dreamings,
till at length he awakes in another world, and thoroughly perceives the
wretchedness of his condition, which it is then too late, impossible to
change. From this dreadful, fatal sleep of sin, the gospel is designed
to rouse us: and I pray God, that our conscience may be effectually
alarmed and awakened; that we may be alive and active in perceiving and
following “the things that belong unto our peace!”
The text says further, “Arise from the dead;” from the death of sin; from
the state of misery and ruin, in which ye insensibly lie. Here is
another significant figure: the impenitent sinner is not only plunged
into a condition of helpless wretchedness, but he has no energy to
recover from it, no quickening or effectual desire of better things; no
more perception of spiritual interests, of heavenly objects, than a
corpse has of the natural world. When once the breath has left the body,
the busiest scenes of earth can affect it no longer; nothing can “charm
the dull cold ear of death:” when the breath of a divine life is not in
the soul, when the new-creating spirit of God is not received and
cherished, the beauty of holiness and the all-important interests of a
spiritual and eternal world produce no effect upon the forlorn
understanding and the deserted heart: no representations of spiritual
truth can move the heavy ear of a besotted and determined sinner; none,
while he is resolved, so to remain: not even the voice of the Son of God,
“charm He never so wisely.” Till the heart be moved to repentance, till,
the faculties of the soul are recovered from the fascination of stupor
and sin, no living impression can be made, even with all the force that
truth can carry. How often do we find this to be the case! how often
does the sinner acknowledge the justice, the certainty, the necessity of
what is urged upon him, but without any alteration in his character;
without any effectual or lasting alteration. His heart is unchanged: the
slave of sin; dead in sin; not alive or open to the force of truth, to
the doctrines of righteousness or salvation.
Infatuated sinner! thine own conscience accuses thee; thou believest that
there will be a world to come, a world of recompence, and yet thou
turnest not to prepare for it; pray, when thou fearest; pray, when thou
thinkest of these things; cry earnestly to thy Saviour, that he may
deliver thee from this “gall of bitterness and this bond of iniquity;”
pray for the convincing, converting, life-giving Spirit, that He may “set
thine heart at liberty” from the thraldom of sin; and thus enable thee to
listen to the call of the gospel, and turn thy feet in earnest to the
Redeemer of thy soul. For if thou listenest and turnest not, “dead thou
art while thou livest;” and when thou diest, eternally dead; dead to all
comfort and happiness for ever; dead in a world of woe.
But if we will (and God grant that we all may) awake and arise, “Christ
will assuredly give us light:” “He is the true light, which lighteth
every man that cometh into the world;” {18} ready to shine upon every
soul, to lighten it in darkness and quicken it in death. Believe in Him,
and live in Him, and the clouds of ignorance shall be scattered away; and
the drowsiness of the soul shall be cast off; and the cold heart of the
natural man shall be warm with life again. In the midst of this world’s
temptations and trials, troubles and perplexities, we shall see our way
clear, our way to the heavenly Jerusalem; a brightness, the brightness of
God’s presence, will be resting upon our souls; the world sees it not,
but we shall see and enjoy it every hour: dark things will be made light,
and “crooked things will be made straight, and the rough places plain:”
we shall be living above the world, for “our life will be hid with Christ
in God:” {19} cheerful we shall be when nature is sad: inspirited when
nature is languishing; full of praises and thanksgivings when nature is
mourning.
Say, Christian people, have ye never seen the triumph of faith over
nature’s weakness and Satan’s power? have ye never, in the hour of trial,
witnessed that the Saviour was near? never observed the fainting spirit
animated and sustained? never beheld the closing eye, of the dying saint,
beaming with heavenly fire; and the pale features lighted up with the
smile of satisfaction and composure and peace? If ye have not, the dying
Christian will shew you these things—go to his bed, and learn the lesson;
go, and catch the hope, that “Christ will give you light.”
SERMON II.
THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST.
EPH. iii 8.
_The unsearchable riches of Christ_.
THERE is no passage, in the whole range of Scripture, in which the
benefits and blessings of the gospel are more strikingly and fully
represented, than by these few words: it is elsewhere described as the
“pearl of great price,” as “the treasure that fadeth not away,” as “the
true riches;” but here, as if in addition to the former descriptions, it
is called, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, “the unsearchable
riches of Christ:” impossible for men, impossible for angels to search
out and discover its full excellency and value. The more it is examined,
and the more it is experimentally known, the more is the believer
convinced of the propriety and truth of this description; without a deep
enquiry indeed, without a vital experience of its blessedness, it is not
for any one to understand even the nature of its transcendent riches; to
the world at large they are known only by name: but the sincere
Christian, who makes them his own, is brought to admire their
inexhaustible fulness; and to perceive, how utterly they extend beyond
his comprehension, how highly they are removed above his loftiest
thoughts and his most ardent imagination: “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.” {21} They lie entirely out of the
reach of the natural man; and even the spiritual man does but imperfectly
understand them.
These unsearchable riches it was the province of St. Paul especially to
declare unto the gentile world, that is, unto the world at large, when
the offer of them had been rejected by the Jewish nation: in consequence
of which blessed communication to the gentiles, the knowledge of them was
conveyed, in process of time, to our favoured land.
Many learned persons have believed, that St. Paul himself preached in
this island; of this, however, there is no certain evidence; it is enough
for us to know, that we are partakers of the benefit of his preaching,
that the sound of the gospel, which he sent “forth into all lands,” has
long ago reached us; and that we are now in the full enjoyment of this
inestimable privilege. He declares, in the chapter, before us, that
Jesus Christ, by express revelation, made known to him the great mystery,
the unfathomable purpose of His mercy; “which in other ages was not made
known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto the holy Apostles
and Prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and
of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel.”
Unto me, he says, “who am less than the least of all saints, is this
grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ. And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the
mystery, which, from the beginning of the world, hath been hid in God,
who created all things by Jesus Christ.” {23}
You perceive here the object of the Apostle’s preaching; it was, that all
mankind, we among the number, might be brought acquainted with the
glorious scheme of eternal redemption, and be made partakers of its
unspeakable blessings. And is there a heart so cold, as not to beat with
gratitude, in the remembrance of such mercy; as not to take an interest
in such a testimony of divine love? If we knew no particulars respecting
it, the very announcement and promise of an infinite treasure, of a
treasure in the mansions of eternity, were sufficient to awaken our most
profound attention: it often does so, when carried by the missionary to
the heathen and the stranger; they, who never heard before the good
tidings of salvation, are arrested by the voice of the messenger, and
hang upon his lips with a longing anxiety, and receive his message to the
comfort of their souls: and can we remain unmoved by such considerations;
we, who know the purport of the heavenly message; we, who profess to
believe that it is sent for our everlasting salvation from sin and death;
to reconcile us to an offended God, to deliver us from the intolerable
bondage of Satan, to make us happy while we live, happy when we die,
happy for ever in another world, in the kingdom of heaven? Though the
mercy is too great to be adequately understood, though “the love of
Christ passeth knowledge,” shall this prevent us from contemplation and
enquiry? shall we not rather, on this very account, entertain a more
fervent desire to understand and know, of this mystery of goodness, all
that is possible to be known? Whoever, indeed, has not this desire,
cannot take any lively interest in the revelation which he professes to
believe, cannot have sincerely embraced it; knowing, as he does, the
subject and purpose of the gospel, he is in a worse situation than many
an ignorant heathen; his heart more hard and unimpressible; his eyes more
closed against the light; his affections more difficult to be roused and
engaged. May the Lord touch the heart of all such heedless professors;
or the very publicans and sinners, the darkest and most despised of the
earth, will “enter into the kingdom of heaven before them.”
Hoping that we all are deeply concerned in this important matter, that we
do place a most exalted value on the riches of Christ, and earnestly
desire to partake of them, I beg that we may enter together, with humble
minds and spiritual desires, into some examination of their nature and
excellency; and enquire in what respects, and for what reasons, they are
unsearchable.
1. In the first place, what is the foundation of all our blessedness and
all our hope, as the redeemed and adopted children of God; as brought
from a state of enmity and rebellion, into favour with Him; as having any
claim upon His mercy; any prospect of recovering our lost happiness, of
saving our souls alive? What, I say, is the foundation on which we
expect these marvellous acts of grace? It is, that the everlasting Son
of God left “the glory which he had with the Father before the world
was,” {26a} and “took upon Him the form of a servant,” {26b} the nature
of man: it is, that the “Word, who in the beginning was with God and was
God,” “was made flesh” and came and “dwelt among us, full of grace and
truth.” {26c} Here then, in the very outset, is unsearchable mercy; the
immensity of the divine Redeemer’s condescension and love! Who can
search, who can understand it? “It is higher than heaven, what canst
thou know” of it? Admire thou mayest, and adore and love; but it is
beyond the stretch of thy created powers to conceive, beyond the capacity
of any creature. The great truth is revealed and the work is
accomplished; and here thou must leave it, in humble faith and
overwhelming emotion.
2. We may consider, in the next place, the preciousness, the value, the
efficacy of the incarnation and sufferings of our Redeemer. All the
attributes of the Godhead are perfect and infinite; His holiness and
justice, as well as His mercy. Man, by transgression, fell into a state
of unholiness; his nature became corrupt; his understanding debased, his
affections and passions and desires all sinful; as such he could not
possibly be accepted or blest by the infinitely holy God, by Him “who is
of purer eyes than to behold iniquity:” he became, to borrow the language
of men, vile and hateful in God’s sight; he resembled Satan and the
wicked spirits, who fell, for their transgression, from the heavens. And
so, with regard to justice; the infinitely just God could not, without
some means of atonement or satisfaction, shew favour to a disobedient,
offending, rebellious creature; it was contrary to His essential
character and nature so to do: nor can we form any true idea of the value
of that sacrifice, on the part of another, which could be held sufficient
to reconcile the great Jehovah to a creature “laden with iniquity:” the
displeasure being infinite, the distance and separation between God and
His creatures infinite, the sacrifice must be infinite also, and
exceeding the bounds of our comprehension. And yet, strange to say,
though the means of the sinner’s re-admission, to the favour and blessing
of a holy and just God, must of necessity be beyond our powers of
conception, there are persons, who object to the Christian doctrine of
the atonement, solely on the ground of its being incomprehensible. But
we, my brethren, “have not so learned Christ;” we are ready to bow with
thankfulness to the revelation of the great Jehovah, by whose
unsearchable wisdom and mercy the plan of our redemption was formed: we
are ready to acknowledge with reverence, that “great is the mystery of
godliness; God was manifest in the flesh.” {29a}
3. Intimately connected with this consideration is the recollection of
God’s exceeding love towards us, in that “while we were yet sinners
Christ died for us.” {29b} In our very state of guilt and rebellion it
was, that He came into the world; that He did and suffered so much, “to
seek and to save that which was lost.” Suppose that man had never
transgressed; and that God had sent an angel, to shew him the way to a
happier and higher condition, than that in which he was created: this
would have been an act of free and undeserved mercy; but that He should
have sent His beloved Son, to “suffer for sins, the just for the unjust,”
{29c} to be born and to tabernacle in a world of guilt and sorrow; to be
exposed to rejection and scorn, to indignity and cruelty; to endure the
conflicts of Satan and the bitterest agonies of death; this was indeed an
act of love, surpassing the bounds of thought; a mystery of goodness
“into which angels desire to look,” but cannot penetrate. Every
believing soul must be overpowered by such a contemplation; must be lost
in wonder, love, and praise.
4. Nor can we learn the manner or degree, in which our merciful Lord is
at this moment bestowing blessings upon His Church, and upon every
individual believer. When He ascended up to heaven, His work of
mediation was not finished; He then took upon Him the office of
interceding for His people in all ages: presenting their prayers, and
desires, and all their services, for acceptance at the throne of grace;
pleading His merits for them; observing all their necessities and wants;
and sending His holy spirit and His holy angels, to minister to their
infirmities: not a wounded spirit, but He is still ready to bind up and
heal; not a sigh from a contrite heart, but He knows and answers; not a
child of ignorance, but He is willing to instruct; not a returning
prodigal, but He meets; not a prayer or thanksgiving, not a godly thought
or wish, of a sincere worshipper and pious servant, but He accepts and
blesses: He is ever with us, though unseen; with us by His providence and
grace; “about our bed and about our path;” pouring his benefits upon us,
temporal, and spiritual: yea upon all His people, at every moment of
time, throughout the whole world. We are lost in this mystery of
mercy—we can but believe, and gratefully apply the benefit to our souls.
5. And what are the privileges of Christ’s redeemed people? What their
present state, what their glorious inheritance? How unsearchable both
the one and the other! The humble believer, the repenting sinner, the
sincere and faithful servant derives, from the fountain of mercy which is
opened unto him, a perpetual stream of increasing satisfaction and
delight; he finds, that “there is no end thereof;” that it is a fountain,
which he never can fathom. The sense of pardon and reconciliation with
God affords a comfort to his soul, which flows the more abundantly, the
longer he dwells upon it; as he journies onward in the way of salvation,
his hopes are more enlivened, and his fears more calmed; even when he
began to walk with his God, he felt that all around him was joy, and
deemed his recompence in this life amply sufficient; but, at every step
he advances in communion with his God and Saviour, he perceives more and
more that “His ways are ways of pleasantness and all His paths are
peace;” {32} and this experience will be enlarged the longer he lives,
even beyond his present anticipation. The word of God has fresh stores
for him every day; of knowledge, of comfort, and of grace: the Spirit of
God has fresh supplies; to succour his infirmities, to elevate him in
prayer and meditation, to guide him in perplexity, to strengthen him in
trial, to console him in trouble and affliction, to raise him above the
world, and place his affections in heaven. Thus will his joy in the Lord
increase, till he comes to the end of his pilgrimage: and, in the end,
the riches of redeeming love will be infinitely enhanced: who shall
number or declare them? Which of us can now understand the preciousness
of a Christian’s hope, the comfort of a Christian’s peace, at that hour,
when his soul is struggling for departure? Who can now enter, as the
dying man does, into the vast difference between the bright hope of being
saved, and the gloomy fear of being lost; between the prospect of being
for ever with the Lord, and the dismal foreboding of the terrors of the
evil one? We have now but a slight conception of the feelings and views,
in that momentous hour; but we shall one day know: God grant that the
knowledge may be peace!
And if we die in peace, then shall we be more than ever convinced of the
truth of the text; we shall then perceive, how little we comprehended, in
our mortal state, of the blessedness of the saints at rest, of “the rest
that remaineth for the people of God.” And, at the resurrection, other
scenes will follow, with more abundant tokens of confirmation: who can
conceive the happiness of rising with the just; of hearing with joy the
trumpet of the archangel; of beholding, with an eye of rapture, the
beaming of that glorious morn; of meeting the smile of a compassionate
Judge and Saviour; of being called to His right hand, “come, ye blessed
of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world:” {34a} what mind on earth is equal to these things?
And then will succeed the consummation of our felicity, “the new heavens
and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness;” {34b} the enjoyment
of the presence of God and the Lamb; the personal sharing of the service,
the honour, and the delight of angels and archangels, through all
eternity. Of this we cannot pretend to form an estimate in our mortal
condition; while the veil is hanging before our eyes; the holy Spirit, by
many a sublime image, lifts our imagination as high as it can be carried;
but still, the representation must be feeble, when compared with the
glorious reality; after all that has been said, if we arrive at the
heavenly city, the appearance will be new, the happiness new to us all.
Unsearchable it is now, unsearchable it will be then; a wonder of love
that will never be satisfied, a mansion of glory that will never be
completely surveyed.
But we shall doubtless behold, on seeing “face to face,” more of the
fulness of the riches of Christ; shall penetrate further into that
mystery of divine love, which planned the merciful work of our redemption
before the foundation of the world; shall see more of the meetness of the
Saviour’s sufferings; of His mighty conquest over sin and death; of the
greatness of His kingdom and the “majesty of His glory.” We shall then
see and admire that now invisible bond, by which the whole company of the
Lord’s servants and people, heavenly and earthly, have been sustained and
kept together: how men below, and saints at rest, and angels in heaven,
have been bound in spiritual union, through all the ages of time; how the
vast multitude of holy creatures in the universe have felt a common
interest and benefit in their blessed Lord. {36} When they are all
assembled together in adoration round His throne, we shall know more of
this endearing bond; it will then be manifest, and be perfected for ever.
I need not attempt to go further; certainly none of us will deny the
unsearchableness of the riches of Christ. Certainly every one of us is
ready to exclaim, O that I may be partaker of them; all this world, nay,
a thousand worlds are nothing in comparison. These riches are now
offered to you: they are waiting your acceptance; receive them with all
your heart, and they are yours; you do not expect them to be forced upon
you; you do not expect this happy portion without choosing it, without
prayer and without striving for it; ask earnestly, seek diligently, and
it shall be yours; your inexhaustible treasure, in time and to eternity.
SERMON III.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FLOOD.
GENESIS vi. 6. 7.
_It repented the Lord_, _that He had made man upon the earth and it
grieved Him at His heart_; _and the Lord said_, _I will destroy man_,
_whom I have created_, _from the face of the earth_.
THE expression in the former clause of the text has, to some persons,
afforded matter of surprise; and certainly the language is remarkable;
representing the Almighty as repenting of the work of creation, and
grieved at the heart, not merely on account of the wickedness of man, but
that he was ever made. Yet the language, when properly considered, is no
more remarkable, than that of numberless other passages in Holy Writ; it
is stronger perhaps; it may carry the customary mode of speech somewhat
further; but that is all. We are perfectly aware, that the Godhead is
incapable of being affected and changed by contrary passions, as we are;
the purpose of Jehovah is fixed, upon the basis of infinite wisdom, from
everlasting to everlasting; nothing can occur, of which He was previously
ignorant; nothing to afford any grief or uneasiness; “known unto God are
all His works from the beginning of the world;” {39} and it is impossible
for us to interpret the text, or any similar phrase, according to the
sense in which we understated such words, when applied to creatures like
ourselves.
It was absolutely necessary for the inspired writers, in describing the
nature and dealings and dispensations of God, to have recourse to such
terms, as we are in the habit of using towards one another. His constant
observance of us is represented by saying, that the _eye_ of God is upon
all our ways; His gracious readiness to answer our prayers, is
represented by saying, that His _ear_ is ever open: but who ever supposes
that eye or ear, or any bodily parts, are possessed by the Godhead? So
neither are we to impute to God, who is a pure spirit, any bodily
passions; though He is said to love and to hate, to be angry and to be
pleased. Of course it only means, that the effect of any particular
conduct or transaction of His creatures upon Him, is similar to what it
would be upon us, when under the influence of our natural passions; that
He rewardeth good, as we do, when we love or are pleased; and punisheth
evil, as we do, when we hate or are angry. The text merely intimates the
measure, which the Almighty was determined to adopt, in consequence of
the great and universal wickedness of mankind; of their having so far
fallen from the noble end of their creation.
Having tried many gracious methods of indulgence with them, and sought to
reclaim them by every probable and possible means, and having found that
His goodness and forbearance, instead of “leading them to repentance,”
only hardened them in guilt, He now saw fit to change His overtures of
mercy into the sentence of condemnation; and to send a deluge for the
destruction of that people, who would not “turn and live:” and this is
all that can be intended by God’s repentance and grief.
But it happened in those days, as it has too frequently happened with the
sinful and rebellious ever since, that the people believed not the
threatenings denounced against them; whether they doubted the power of
God to inflict so extraordinary a punishment; or whether they built their
hopes upon the vain expectation of His mercy; or whether the wickedness
of their hearts and lives led them entirely to cast off the belief of God
and His word, and to plunge unheeding into the gratifications and
pollutions of vice; whatever were the operating motive, “they would not
turn and seek after God.” Yet these infatuated people were not lost for
want of further instruction and admonition. God mercifully thinks of His
creatures, though they are forgetful of Him. He had raised unto them
preachers of righteousness; and sent His Holy Spirit to work upon their
consciences, to convert them from the delusions of evil, to teach them
the knowledge of His ways, and persuade them to desist from their work of
self-destruction. But there is a day, to nations as well as to
individuals, beyond which the goodness and patience of God will no longer
forbear: “My spirit,” says He, in the chapter before us, “shall not
always strive with man.” It had been working in the human heart, ever
since the fall; inspiring His servants to point out the way of salvation;
and struggling with the wayward inclinations, the perverse opposition of
His creatures; to mortify the power of sin, and lead them to recover the
favour and happiness, which their first parents by transgression had
lost. But it shall not _always_ strive; and the approaching termination
of their trial was thus graciously declared to this “disobedient and
gainsaying people.” God spake thus by the mouth of Noah: “The days of
man (the time which I will allow, to see if ‘haply he will repent and
seek after Me,’) shall be a hundred and twenty years.” {43a} All this
period was to elapse between the denunciation of the divine vengeance and
its execution; and to this St. Peter alludes, when speaking of “the
long-suffering of God, that waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was
preparing;” {43b} while Noah himself, the great “preacher of
righteousness,” warned all around him of the certainty and the terror of
this impending calamity. All entreaties, however, and warnings, and
threatenings; all present mercies and past experiences, were vain. They
despised the faith and rejected the preaching of the patriarch, and
ridiculed his preparation of the ark; but they could not “make the word
of God of none effect;” His judgment overtook them in the midst of their
rebellious career; the flood came at the appointed time; desolation was
spread over the face of the earth; and all its inhabitants, with the
exception of one family, were indiscriminately involved in the
wide-wasting ruin.
Let us pause for a moment, to apply the consideration of this part of the
history to ourselves. To all who are wilfully walking in the ways of
sin, the good and gracious God is continually addressing His warning and
expostulating voice; by His holy word, abounding with the most awakening
admonitions and awful examples; by His appointed ministers, superadding
their feeble endeavours to inculcate the doctrines and set forth the
terrors of that word “by line upon line and precept upon precept;” by
various occurrences in life, by reverses and privations and afflictions
and sickness and death; by the strivings of the Holy Spirit, and the
alarms of conscience; by flashing at intervals, in vivid colours, the
conviction of an hereafter upon the mind and heart; and compelling the
sinner to see, whether he will heed it or not, the peril and the
dreadfulness of his situation. Of all who hear me there cannot be one,
but has experienced, more or less, these manifestations of mercy and of
terror: Are there not some by whom they have been disregarded? We have
all of us been instructed and reminded and admonished, in a great variety
of ways; have we “profited withal?” Have we been awakened from the
dreams of sensual pleasures, from the stupor and infatuation of sin? Can
we now lift up our hearts in sincerity to God, and thank Him that we have
been brought, by this or that warning, into nearer and holier communion
with Him; to serve Him in righteousness and truth, and to seek, in right
earnest, the salvation of our souls? If it be otherwise with us, if we
have neglected the seasons of grace, or if we have returned, after a
temporary humiliation and conviction to the vanity of our former habits
and pursuits, let us, if we believe the word of God, lay seriously to
heart the solemn declarations on this head, with which that word
abounds—that there is a limit prescribed even for the divine compassion
and forbearance; a period marked out, beyond which God will not manifest
His favour, “though it be sought with tears;” beyond which, “His spirit
will not strive with man;” and whenever that spirit shall be withdrawn,
the conscience will become hardened, the understanding benighted, and the
sinner “given over to a reprobate mind.” God allows, indeed He has
already allowed, to every one of us, abundant space and opportunity for
repentance, as He did of old to the ante-diluvian race; and if we, like
them, are negligent of His merciful admonitions, we must expect, like
them, to go on from one degree of wickedness to another, till the
“measure of our iniquity be filled;” till we are hurried into everlasting
perdition.
No doubt, when the threatenings of the Almighty began to be executed;
when the mighty waters were descending from above, and rising in billows
from the deep below; when these people saw the ark, whose building and
preparation they had despised, floating in security upon the surface of
the waters, gladly would they have been admitted: no longer did they
question the power of God, or the truth of His word; or hold in contempt
the preaching of His prophets; earnest then, no doubt, was their
supplication for mercy; and they must have wished, in the bitterness of
their hearts, that they had listened to the declarations and instructions
of that holy minister of God, who was provided with a refuge; who was
escaping unhurt amidst the rolling of the waves, which threatened _them_
with immediate and inevitable destruction. But their conviction came too
late; the days of reconciliation were ended; the door of the ark was
shut; never to be opened again, till the flood had wrought its vengeance,
and exterminated the sinners from the earth.
Has not the like, the parallel of this dreadful case, been frequently
discovered by ourselves? Have we not seen, or at least heard of persons,
who have held out impenitently all their lives long against every means
of grace and reclaim, by which they have been visited, and then at last,
when suddenly overtaken by a sickness unto death, have distressfully
desired that comfort and refuge, which they have never appeared to find?
Their attention has been called, their eye directed to the ark of
salvation, the gospel of the blessed Jesus; but having taken no interest
in it before, having discarded and rejected it, they have seemed to
behold it only in dismay and despair. Man, it is true, is not an
adequate judge in such a case; he could not possibly decide, whether they
were saved or not; but there was fear all around; their friends were
denied the consolation of persuading themselves, that the door of mercy
was opened; the sinner cried in agony, but there was no visible sign,
that the cry was heard; no respite to the afflicted conscience; and no
repose upon the countenance, that betokened the blessedness of peace.
Suppose not, that this is a scene pourtrayed for the mere purpose of a
momentary excitement or present effect; it is a true description of what
has too frequently occurred; and it falls indeed, as every representation
must fall, infinitely short of the terrible reality. Readily can we
imagine the sufferings and sorrow and distress of the people, who were
drowning, with the ark before their eyes; and must we not conclude, that
the impenitent sinner under the gospel, when he comes to die, will
behold, with even deeper feelings of anguish, the ark of righteousness
into which he has never sought to enter; when he finds or fears, that the
overflowings of ungodliness are sinking his soul to ruin, can any
description exaggerate, can any description equal, the wretchedness of
his condition?
The very idea and contemplation of these things may well lead us, with
all sincerity and fervour, to implore the grace of God, while it is so
freely offered, and to “seek Him while He may be found;” and O that it
may lead us gladly and unfeignedly to embrace the covenant of safety,
which is graciously propounded to us in the gospel; and to “give all
diligence” to fulfil every condition which that covenant contains. We
shall not, if we value our eternal welfare, think it sufficient not to
“deny the Lord that bought us,” not to despise the means which He has
provided for our preservation and deliverance; we shall turn to Him with
all our heart, grateful for the means of salvation, and anxious to employ
them all. “Lord what wilt Thou have me to do?” {50a} “Speak, Lord, for
thy servant heareth;” {50b} this is the language that befits a sinner,
who has no hope but in God’s covenanted mercy.
“Our time is in the Lord’s hands;” we know not, if little or much remain:
Arise, defer not a day. His spirit is now striving within us; to purify
our affections, to change our corrupt nature, to form the christian
principle and temper in our souls; let us then, without doubt or delay,
humbly and thankfully concur with His holy operations, and strive with
Him, while we may: not lingering and loitering about the ark with
thoughtless indifference, as if our minds were not made up, whether it be
worth while to enter; but, in the full and perfect and abiding
persuasion, that it is the only refuge for man, let us secure, as far as
it is possible, our rest and habitation there; and then we need not fear
the overwhelming of the waters, come they ever so suddenly or ever so
soon; we shall be raised above them all, unhurt and undismayed; we shall
ride safely and triumphantly over the foaming billows; and settle at last
upon the heavenly Ararat, the “mountain of the Lord of Hosts,” the
everlasting abode of tranquillity and bliss.
But of this happy termination we shall have occasion to speak more at
large, in another discourse; when we come to treat of the character of
Noah, and the circumstances of his wonderful preservation. In the mean
time, let us observe, that the deluge is a subject of most awful
consideration; not merely in itself, as sweeping away into perdition
almost all the human race, and changing the very form and structure of
the globe; but also as being a resemblance and emblem of other
visitations of an offended and avenging God:—in the first place, of the
overthrow of Jerusalem, and the miserable and general destruction of its
rebellious people. “As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of
the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they
were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day
that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took
them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be;” {53a} so
unlooked for, so amazing, so disastrous to His enemies.
This stupendous event may also be regarded as typical of another period,
infinitely surpassing all the rest in terror and in awe;—the coming of
Christ to judge the world, to execute His final vengeance upon those who
would not be reclaimed by His mercy. The face of nature will then be
destroyed by another process; by a direful and universal conflagration.
“By the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out
of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being
overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are
now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the
day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” {53b} “Nevertheless we,
according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, (a new
state) wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that
ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in
peace, without spot, and blameless.” {54a} All that have ever lived
shall be summoned again into existence; the righteous to be separated,
and “caught up to meet the Lord in the air,” {54b} and to be conveyed
into the regions of eternal blessedness; the wicked, to perish, to die,
not a bodily but a spiritual death; to be consigned together to a place
of banishment and wretchedness and horror and despair. The miserable
unbelievers and the obstinate transgressors, in the days of Noah, shall
then return to the earth from which they were swept away; not to enjoy
again their revelry and licentiousness; not to be favoured with another
day of grace; but to receive, with all their companions in evil, with all
that have ever “followed their pernicious ways,” the full and eternal
recompence of their deeds. This will indeed be a day of desolation, “of
lamentation and mourning and woe,” of “weeping and wailing and gnashing
of teeth;” of which awful day no words, no example, no past event, nor
even imagination itself, can afford an adequate representation.
God Almighty grant, that we may never know its terrors; that we may
profit from the warnings and experience, which are mercifully vouchsafed
unto us; may embrace, with all our hearts, the covenant of salvation into
which we have professedly entered; and, amidst the wreck and ruin of the
world, may be delivered with an everlasting deliverance, for the sake,
and through the merits, of that omnipotent Saviour, who was with Noah in
the ark; who has guarded, and will continue to guard, the ark of His
Church in all ages; whose mercy and truth are pledged for the final
preservation of His faithful people: God Almighty grant this blessing
unto us all, through the aid and operation of that “Holy Spirit, whereby
we are sealed unto the day of redemption.” {55}
SERMON IV.
THE PRESERVATION FROM THE FLOOD.
GENESIS vi. 8.
_Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord_.
IN a former discourse, your attention was called to the execution of
divine vengeance upon the sinful race of man, by the tremendous
visitation of a universal deluge; I would now direct your contemplation
to another point of view; to a fulfilment of the gracious promises of God
made to a distinguished believer and a faithful servant; to his
preservation from the general ruin; to the covenants of mercy established
with him; to the blessings and deliverances thus proclaimed and typified
to the Church of God in all ages.
Noah, be it first observed, was possessed of that principle, which is the
sure and only foundation of true righteousness; and to which the Almighty
has, in every age, manifested His especial favour—the principle of
_faith_; of a settled, vital, influential belief in the sovereignty, the
providence, and the word of God: he doubted not the truth either of a
threatening or a promise, and withheld not the obedience, which his
belief implied or required. Of this St. Paul assures us; “By faith Noah,
being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared
an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world,
and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith;” {57} he
condemned the world, inasmuch as his example, his preaching, and his
deliverance furnished matter of accusation against them; he pointed out
and led the way to a place of safety; he escaped destruction, and the
rest of the people might have escaped also; and thus he proved, that they
justly perished in the unbelief and obstinacy of their hearts. Hence he
became the heir of those promises and that happiness, to which the
righteous believer, by God’s mercy, is entitled; he was blessed, not
merely with that temporal preservation, which the ark afforded him in the
flood; but also with that spiritual and heavenly salvation, of which the
ark was an emblem and a sign.
And further; Noah is described, in the verse following the text, as “a
just man and perfect in his generations.” His faith, as we have already
intimated, was not, like that of many professors of religion, a mere
outward and formal assent; it resided in his heart, as well as in his
understanding; and shewed itself in his disposition, his character, and
his life. Believing in the goodness of God, he loved Him; in the power
and justice of God, he feared; in the infallible truth and authority of
God, he obeyed. With an enlightened reason and conscience, he studied
the duty of ordinary life; his duty to God and man; and he performed it
faithfully. “He was perfect in his generations;” not that he had
attained unto absolute, positive perfection; for that is impossible to
any mere man, in his fallen condition; it was only “the man Christ
Jesus,” the incarnate God, that was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners;” {59} but Noah, in the midst of a “disobedient and
gainsaying people,” was sincere and upright; he lived in no wilful or
habitual opposition to his God; he had that degree of perfection, which
is the mark and fruit of genuine faith; and shews, that the frail
creature is brought into a state of acceptance with his Creator. He
engaged heartily in the cause of religion; there was nothing in the
world, which he was not ready to renounce for it; there was no ordinance,
nor command of God, which it was not his unbending purpose to obey;
desirous was he “to serve Him, in holiness and righteousness all the days
of his life.” And therefore it is yet further said, that “he walked with
God;” {60a} “setting the Lord (as David speaks) always before him;” {60b}
living in a perpetual sense of the divine presence; acting as under the
continual observation of that Almighty Being, who was acquainted with all
his ways; and whose word was “a lamp unto his feet and a light unto his
path.” {60c} He walked in communion with God, by his life and
conversation, as well as by faith, and meditation, and prayer; and he
preached to a “backsliding and stubborn generation,” by his example as
well as by his word.
We cannot wonder, that such eminent holiness and obedience, shining forth
in the midst of so much profligacy and corruption, were honoured with the
signal favour of Almighty God. A righteous character, which is always
“of great price in the sight of God,” is peculiarly honourable in an age
overspread with impiety and guilt. The man, who stands forth to maintain
the cause of God against a universal host of enemies; who is untainted by
the moral contagion which is every where diffused around him; who
perseveringly opposes the mighty stream of iniquity, which is ready to
overwhelm his soul; that man is a spectacle for angels to behold with
joy; and one in whom the holy God Himself is well-pleased; he is as “a
light shining in a dark place,” made more conspicuous and attractive by
the surrounding gloom. Such was Noah; and God distinguished him
accordingly by especial tokens of favour and blessing: for He said,
“Behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy
all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every
thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my
covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy
wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.” {62a}