Our merciful Lord, on withdrawing His visible presence from this world, sent, according to His promise, another Comforter; a Comforter, who should “guide His people into all truth;” should “give them a right judgment in all things,” and spread a holy influence over their affections and desires. And now, when we are reading His word, when musing upon it with devout meditation, and conversing with one another upon its exalted truths, its heavenly purposes, its abundant promises and blessings; and now, when we hear the word from the lips of those ministers, who, however unworthy in themselves, are commissioned to speak in His great name, our hearts may burn within us, and “our eyes may be opened to behold wondrous things out of His law;” [107] we may still be powerfully impressed, if we have, what we are taught by our church to pray for, “grace to hear meekly the word, and to receive it with pure affection, and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit.”
May I not appeal, in justification of these remarks, to some of you here present? Have not your minds, when intent upon the doctrines of the gospel, and taking a view of heavenly things, been sometimes visited with a holy illumination, which has seemed to raise you above the world, and to make you feel more sensibly, that “you have your conversation in heaven?” [108] Have not the ties of earth been loosened, while your soul was expatiating on the deep things of God, on His wisdom and power and love, on the dealings of His providence and grace, on the glories of His eternal presence? Have you not, in some such moments, been so impressed, as to return to the world with a degree of reluctance; and, like the disciples at the transfiguration, almost tempted to say, of your spiritual and heavenly visions, “it is good for me to be here?” These are no enthusiastic imaginations; they are the sober and solid effects of the realized presence of our Redeemer; they are the burnings of heart, of which the disciples spake; they are the foretaste of our knowledge and joy and light and life above. Doubtless they are to be encouraged with humility and sobriety; doubtless they may degenerate into enthusiasm; for there is no spiritual good, which may not be abused: but the fear of enthusiasm is not to hinder us in gathering comfort and delight from the study of scriptural truth, from holy and exalted meditation. The world may call it weakness and folly; for it cannot be understood by the world; but the Christian knows for it a better name; and few eminent Christians have there been, who would not readily bear witness to the truth of these things, who have not felt the inspiriting, uplifting power of divine contemplation.
And this, like all other exercises of true faith and piety, is of great practical importance; it is fruitful in righteousness to all who “think soberly;” it serves them, when they return to the busy scenes of earth, as an animation to duty; it purifies their affections and renders the world little in their eyes; it arms them for conflict, and reconciles them to trouble: in the midst of trials, of disappointments and bereavements, of struggles and difficulties, of frowns and oppositions, they remember, with thankfulness and comfort, the spiritual joys they have experienced, and expect to be blessed with them again: yes, in their darker hours, they remember, that the Sun of righteousness, has shone brightly upon them, and the beams are still reflected; though they cannot at present perceive Him so clearly, though He seems, like Jesus with the disciples, to have “vanished out of their sight,” He has left a glory behind, and will again visit them with the fulness of His favour; and they go on their way “not faithless, but believing.”
To those who have been thus in the habit of pious and scriptural meditation; of intently dwelling upon the sublime mysteries, and the gracious promises, and the noble examples, and the striking histories of the word of God; to them it is needless to recommend a continuance of the good work; it is a christian obligation, which they can never think of declining; and besides this, the delight and improvement, which it affords, are its own sufficient recommendation. But upon all, who have unhappily neglected this their great privilege and duty, I would most earnestly press the importance of attending to this point, as a matter of bounden necessity. It is not enough to form an acquaintance with the leading truths of the gospel, as a matter of faith and profession; there is much to be learnt upon a nearer inspection, much indeed that can never be learned without it; much to enlarge and exalt the understanding; to renew the heart and regulate the life. The necessary intercourse, which most of us have with the world, is of a lowering and defiling nature; estranging the heart from a love of holiness and of God: and in order to correct this evil, scriptural study and spiritual consideration, as well as fervent prayer, are indispensable.
Let not any day pass over your heads without some portion of the Bible, some subject of divine revelation, being brought distinctly to your view. The exercise will interfere with none of your earthly duties, but will help you in the performance of them all; will smooth whatever there be of ruggedness in your way; will strengthen you in the hour of temptation, and comfort you in perplexity and trouble. Many an encouraging promise and many an enlivening assurance will recur to your memory; and “a word in season how good is it:” examples of suffering and patience, of striving and perseverance, of warfare and triumph, will kindle in your breast an emulous ardour, and you will say, ‘By the help of the Lord, I will “go and do likewise.”’ Thus will the Bible be a never-failing source of strength and consolation all the day long; as the waters, which flowed from the flinty rock, accompanied and refreshed the Israelites, ever and anon, in their journey through the wilderness, so will your spiritual musings, suggested by the very hardships or troubles of life, be a perpetual stream of refreshment to your souls, even “in a dry land thirsty land, where no water is.” [113a]
And by this means you will be preparing and training your souls for a happier communion with the Saviour in another world; where all the dealings of His providence, and all the wonders of His grace, will be more fully and gloriously manifested. And if the heart of the Christian now burn within him, at the contemplation of heavenly truth and redeeming love; now, in his frail tenement of clay; how unspeakable will be his delight, when these things are revealed to his pure spirit, in the realms of perfection and bliss. Then will he know more of “the love of Christ which passeth knowledge;” then will he see more of “the length and breadth and depth and height” [113b] of the mystery of mercy; he will see God “face to face” and “know even as he is known.”
SERMON VII.
IF THEY HEAR NOT MOSES AND THE PROPHETS.
Luke xvi. 31.
If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Let us advert to the occasion on which these words were delivered, to the parable of which they form a part. The case there presented to us by the description of the rich man is unhappily of frequent occurrence in every age. Surrounded by all the luxuries that wealth could furnish, he looked for nothing beyond them: how many fellow mortals there were near his dwelling, deprived of the necessities, while he was revelling in the superfluities of life, was no care, no consideration of his; the selfish enjoyment of this world entirely absorbed his affections, and threw a veil over all expectation of a world to come: satisfied, that he had “goods laid by for many years,” he imagined that he had nothing to do, but to “eat, drink, and be merry.”
But such ignorance and insensibility did not prevent him from being called to account; such forgetfulness of his latter end did not retard the evil day. He died—and was buried, we may conclude, with costly preparation answerable to the splendour in which he had lived. This however, was the last service which his riches were able to render him; and melancholy it was, when contrasted with the state, in which his soul was existing, while his treasures were employed in doing honour to the lifeless body. He found in that state, what he might have discovered before, that riches, if selfishly employed in purposes of vanity and pleasure, are a deadly snare; that earthly indulgences, if pursued with excess, to the neglect of duty towards God and man, instead of being a blessing, are paving the way to misery; he found, “what an evil and bitter thing it is,” to squander the favours of heaven without remembering “the author and giver of every good gift.”