III. *Behold Christianity in its native form! as delivered by its great Author! This is the genuine religion of Jesus Christ. Such he presents it to him whose eyes are opened. See a picture of God, so far as he is imitable by man! A picture drawn by God’s own hand! Behold, ye despisers and wonder and perish! Or rather,wonder and adore! Rather cry out, Is this the religion of Jesus of Nazareth? The religion which I persecuted! Let me no more be found even to fight against God. Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do?—What beauty appears in the whole! How just a symmetry! What exact proportion in every part! How desirable is the happiness here described? How venerable, how lovely the holiness?—This is the spirit of religion: the quintessence of it. These are indeed the fundamentals of Christianity. O that we may not be hearers of it only! Like a man beholding his own face in a glass, who goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. Nay, but let us steadily look into this perfect law of liberty, and continue therein. Let us not rest, until every line thereof is transcribed into our own hearts. Let us watch and pray and believe and love, and strive for the mastery, ’till every part of it shall appear in our soul, graven there by the finger of God: ’till we are holy as he which hath called us is holy, perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect!
SERMON XXIV.
UPON OUR LORD’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
Discourse IV.
Matt. v. 13, 14, 15, 16.
Ye are the salt of the earth. But if the salt hath lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel; but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
1. *THE beauty of holiness, of that inward man of the heart, which is renewed after the image of God, cannot but strike every eye which God hath opened, every enlightened understanding. The ornament of a meek, humble,loving spirit, will at least excite the approbation of all those who are capable in any degree of discerning spiritual good and evil. From the hour men begin to emerge out of the darkness which covers the giddy, unthinking world, they cannot but perceive how desirable a thing it is, to be thus transformed into the likeness of him that created us. This inward religion bears the shape of God, so visibly imprest upon it, that a soul must be wholly immersed in flesh and blood, when he can doubt of its divine original. We may say of this, in a secondary sense, even as of the Son of God himself, That it is the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person: ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ· The beaming forth of his eternal glory; and yet so tempered and softened, that even the children of men, may herein see God and live: χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ· The character, the stamp, the living impression, of his person, who is the fountain of beauty and love, the original source of all excellency and perfection.
3. If religion therefore were carried no farther than this, they could have no doubt concerning it: they should have no objection against pursuing it with the whole ardor of their souls. But why, say they, is it cloged with other things? What need of loading it with doing and suffering? These are what damps the vigour of the soul and sinks it down to earth again. Is it not enough to follow after charity? To soar upon the wingsof love? Will it not suffice, to worship God who is a Spirit, with the spirit of our minds, without incumbring ourselves with outward things, or even thinking of them at all? Is it not better, that the whole extent of our thoughts should be taken up with high and heavenly contemplation? And that instead of busying ourselves at all about externals, we should only commune with God in our hearts?
4. Many eminent men have spoken thus: have advised us “To cease from all outward actions;” wholly to withdraw from the world; to leave the body behind us; to abstract ourselves from all sensible things: to have no concern at all about outward religion, but to “work all virtues in the will,” as the far more excellent way, more perfective of the soul, as well as more acceptable to God.