Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

THE

CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. ADVOCATE.

JULY, 1832.

Keligious Communications.

LECTURES ON THE SHORTER CATE-
CHISM OF THE WESTMINSTER AS-
SEMBLY OF DIVINES-ADDRESSED
TO YOUTH.

LECTURE LXVIII.

The manner in which the word of God is to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation, is to be the subject of the present lecture, and is thus stated in our Catechism-"That the word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer; receive it with faith and love; lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives."

To secure the salvation of the soul, must be acknowledged to be the great concern and chief business of life, by all who profess to believe in a future state of rewards and punishments. If this be so, and if it is from the word of God alone that we can learn the way of salvation, then it is obviously not too much to say, that an attention to the word of God should be regarded as the principal object of our existence in this world, and that we ought to treat it accordingly. How few, alas! do this; and yet, in doing it, consists our giving that attention to the divine word, the revealed truth of God, which our duty demands, and the answer before us enjoins.

Ch. Adv.-VOL. X.

Our Catechism teaches us, that the duty we here contemplate, is to be performed

1. With diligence; that is, says Fisher, "with a careful observing and embracing of every seasonable opportunity that may offer in providence, for reading and hearing the word of life." How easily, my young friends, do we find time and opportunities to think of what we love; to attend to that in which our hearts and affections are much interested; to pursue after and improve in that in which we find our happiness, and in which we believe our highest and best interests are deeply involved? Now, let the reading and hearing of the word of God be the thing which we thus regard, and we shall find much time to read and meditate on the Holy Scriptures, and we shall seize many an opportunity to hear the gospel preached, which we should otherwise neglect; and this too, without permitting one duty to crowd out another, or being chargeable with the neglect of any obligation, which our place or station in life imposes on us. Believe it, my dear youth, the want of diligence in reading and hearing the word of God, arises principally from the want of love to the exercise. If you could, with truth, say with the Psalmist, "Thy testimonies are my delight 2 N

and my counsellors-The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver-O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day-How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! -Therefore, I love thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold-I prevented the dawning of 'the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word-Mine eyes prevented the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word-I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil."-Were this, I say, the very language of your hearts, how many books of little value, to say nothing of those of pernicious tendency, would you lay aside, for the reading and studying of the bible? What a blessed familiarity would you acquire with its holy truths? How clearly would you understand, and how faithfully apply them? How readily would you forego every place and opportunity of even lawful, not to speak of unlawful amusement, if it interfered with the hearing of a sermon, a lecture on the sacred Scriptures, or any occasion of acquiring religious instruction or improvement? And be assured, if the word of God shall ever become effectual to your salvation, it will, in some good degree, produce these very effects on your hearts and practice. You will, in this manner, prove that your attention to the reading and hearing of God's word has been diligent.

2. Preparation; that is, some special preparation, for reading and hearing the word of God is necessary, if we hope to experience its salutary and saving effects. The human mind is so constituted, that it cannot readily pass from one subject to another of a different character, without some prepararation; and least of all is it reasonable to expect this, when the transition is to be made from sensible objects, to spiritual contem

plations. We must take some time, and put forth vigorous efforts, to make our thoughts quit their hold on the world, and become concentrated on divine and invisible things; to change their employment from thinking on secular occupations and pursuits, to meditations on sacred, revealed truth; to turn their current from earth and time, to heaven and eternity. In making this preparation, "we should consider that the word has the authority of God stamped upon it; that it is Himself that speaketh to us therein; that it is his ordinance for our salvation; and will be the savour either of life or death unto us." We should "duly consider how we need instruction, or, at least to have truths brought to our remembrance, and impressed on our heart; as also that this is an ordinance that God has instituted for that purpose: And as it is instamped with his authority, so we may depend on it, that his eye will be upon us, to observe our frame of spirit under the word: And we ought to have an awful sense of his perfections, to excite in us a holy reverence, and the exercise of other graces necessary to our en gaging in this duty, in a right manner."t The chief reason why the reading and hearing of the word of God produces so little ef fect is, that people go to it in a careless, thoughtless manner. If they would endeavour to prepare for it, in the manner that has now been briefly stated, we should witness other results; its power and influence would be seen and felt, far oftener and more generally than they are, both in the convic tion and conversion of sinners, and the edification and comfort of the people of God. Especially would this be the case, if to what has been recommended, there should be added

[blocks in formation]

3. Prayer. This is, indeed, essential. We are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." "Without me," said the Saviour, "ye can do nothing." Let us never forget that it is God alone who can rightly dispose and effectually enable us to perform any religious duty-perform it so as to be either acceptable to him, or profitable to our own souls. If, therefore, prayer to God for his gracious aid be neglected, all other means or efforts for obtaining edification, will be likely to prove entirely fruitless. We ought to confess with humility before God our inability to hear his word in a right manner, without his special, gracious assistance; and to plead his condescending promise to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Devotional exercises of this kind, have a natural tendency to put us in a suitable frame of mind to read or hear divine truth with advantage, as well as to obtain those divine succours on which profitable reading and hearing must always depend. Especially when we are about to go to the publick worship of God in his sanctuary, we ought to pray that God would assist his ministers in preaching his word, so that what they deliver shall be agreeable to his mind and will; and also, that it may be carried with resistless power to the consciences and hearts, both of ourselves and of all our fellow worshippers. O that there were more fervent and effectual prayer, that divine truth might be purely and faithfully set forth, and be made the power and wisdom of God unto salvation, to those who hear it! O that the ministers of the gospel, and the teachers of sabbath schools and Bible classes, had a larger share in the fervent pleadings of God's people, for the right discharge of their sacred duties, and for his special and signal blessing on their

faithful labours! Then should we see, more conspicuously than we have yet seen, the fulfilment of the promise-"My word shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

66

4. In order to the word of God becoming effectual to salvation, we must receive it with faith and love. The sacred writer speaks it to the high praise of the Bereans, that they received the word with all readiness of mind;" and the apostle, in writing to the Thessalonians, uses this remarkable and emphatick language-"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." In these passages of sacred writ, we have both the sanction and the illustration of the doctrine of our Catechism, in the points now before us. To receive the word with all readiness, is to open our minds freely and thankfully to the teachings of the Holy Spirit in the lively oracles, indited by his own inspiration-to give to them that welcome reception into our minds, which we yield to a message of our best friend, in relation to our most important interests. We receive the word in faith, when it comes to us as being, not the word of man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, on which we place the most implicit reliance, as being a communication from that great and glorious Being whose attribute it is, that he cannot lie, and on which, therefore, we may rest whatever relates, not only to our happiness in this world, but to our eternal well-being

rest all our interests, hopes, and expectations, as on a foundation more stable than the pillars of creation; "for heaven and earth shall indeed pass away, but my words,"

says the Saviour, "shall not pass away." Whether the word of God therefore speak to us in promises, or in threatenings, of facts, or in doctrine, we shall, if we receive it in faith, take all that it declares as the most unquestionable verity, and as such bring it home to our hearts and consciences, according to its import, as applicable to our own state and character, and as it relates to others, to the church of God and the world of mankind. This faith, moreover, will work effectually in them that thus believe; that is, it will be "a faith that worketh by love." We shall cordially love the word of God; love it just as we have it in the sacred volume; love the whole and every part of it; love that which warns and reproves, as well as that which encourages and comforts us; love to apply it, and love to obey it. For we are to add,

5. That we must lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives. Laying up the divine words in our hearts, is a striking and beautiful expression, full of important meaning. It teaches us to regard the truth of God contained in his word, as a precious and invaluable treasure; and our hearts as the place of deposite, where we are to lay it up for safe-keeping, and for constant use, as we have occasion to draw upon it. Happy, indeed, is he who does this: happy the man whose memory is richly stored with the word of God; whose understanding, aided and enlightened by the Spirit of grace, apprehends its true scope and design; whose will readily and delightfully chooses all that it enjoins, and refuses all that it forbids; and whose affections are most powerfully attracted by it, most firmly attached to it, and most delightfully exercised under the influence of its sacred truths. Now, in whomsoever this is realized, the whole life and conversation of the party concerned will receive its colour, tone, di

rection, and character, from the temper of the heart: "For out of the abundance of the heart, said our Lord, the mouth speaketh." "The tree is known by his fruit, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things." He whose heart is right in the sight of God, will discover it by obedience to all God's commandments. He will be a truly devout man. Communion with God will be his delight. He will be cordial and exemplary in the worship of his Maker, both in private and in publick. He will feel such an indebtedness to his Redeemer, that he will withhold no effort or service, by which the cause of his dear and adored Lord may be promoted. He will be ready to speak a word for his Saviour whenever a favourable opportunity of fers. He will contribute liberally of his substance, according to his ability, for supporting and extending the influence of the gospel. He will feel the importance of endea vouring to adorn and recommend the religion of Christ, in his whole life and conversation. His light will so shine before men, that they will take knowledge of him that he has been with Jesus; and seeing his good works, they will be led by his example to admire the grace of God in him. His religion will appear in every thing with which he has a concern. It will make him conscientious in all that he does. By the influence which the gospel has upon him, he will be rendered a better man in all the relations of life, in every connexion which he holds with society; he will be a better husband, a better father, a better son, a better neighbour, a better friend, a better citizen. He will be just and up; right in all his dealings; he will endeavour to owe no man any thing but a debt of love; he will fulfil all his engagements and contracts with punctuality; and his regard to truth will be so sacred, that his

[ocr errors]

word will be as much accredited as his oath.

My beloved youth-It is a regard to this last part of the answer before us-it is by practising the truth of God in our lives-that our character is to be ascertained. It is only the man who lives religion, that is truly and savingly religious. The inward principles of faith, love, and a renewed heart, are, indeed, the source and spring of a holy life, without which it can never appear in its genuine excel

lence and lustre. But men may =talk and profess much-and someE times they do-about their inward feelings and exercises, when their lives are far from exemplary; and all this religion of the tongue is extremely suspicious, while they do not practice what the gospel requires. "Show me thy faith by thy works"-is the demand which we have a right to make of every man. Let nothing, I entreat you, short of this, satisfy you in regard to your own spiritual state. If you have clear views of God's holy law, and right apprehensions of yourselves, you will indeed see cause continually to lament your imperfections and short comings in all you do. Yet you may have, and ought to have, "the testimony of your conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, you have your conversation in the world." You may know, and ought to know, whether you do sincerely endeavour to discharge every duty that you owe both to God and man; whether you lament your defects, ask divine assistance, and put forth your strenuous endeavours to correct every error, to amend whatever you do amiss, and to live in all things as becomes the disciples of Christ ever imperfect, and yet ever pressing forward after perfection, as an object of earnest desire, and of gradual approximation. Thus do

ing, you will have evidence that the word of God "dwells in you richly, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding," and that it will eventually and surely be made effectual to your eternal salvation.

EXTRACTS FROM THE LATELY PUB-
LISHED WORKS OF THE REV. RO-.
BERT HALL.

The subject of the first article of the Eclectic Review for March last,

is, "The Works of the Rev. Robert Hall, A. M." It contains, among other things, a number of extracts from his sermons not heretofore published-and none of them fully written out.

But Mr. Hall could scarcely write or speak what was not worth preservation; and some of these unfinished discourses are considered by his friends, and by the Reviewers, as containing passages not inferior, in solid excellence, to any of the publications which received the finish of his own hand, and were published before his death-that is, they contain as much bullion, though not as beautiful a form, or as high a polish. In making a selection for our readers, we have felt at a loss what to take, and what to leave, for we must leave more than we take. We have determined, on the whole, to give the following portion of the Review, just as it lies in the work:

"One of the most finished sermons in the fifth volume, is the xxxivth, on the Third Commandment. Having, in the first place, briefly shown that, in this commandment, are alike forbidden, perjury, and the profane use of the name of God on trivial occasions, whether in mirth or in anger; the preacher proceeds to evince the criminality and impiety of the latter practice, by showing that it is, 1. in direct opposition to those passages of Scripture which identify the character of God with his

« ElőzőTovább »