Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

LECTURE XV.

Hiftory of Balaam.

202

2 Pet. ii. 15, 16.-Thefe are gone aftray, following the way of Balaam, the fon of Bofor, who loved the wages of unrighteoufnefs. But was rebuked for his iniquity : the dumb afs, fpeaking with man's voice, forbad the madness of the prophet.

LECTURE

XVI.

History of Balaam.

216

Numb. xxiii. 10.-Who can count the duft of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Ifrael? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

LECTURE XVII.

History of Balaam.

228

Rev. ii. 14-But I have a few things against thee, becaufe thou haft there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to caft a ftumbling-block before the children of Ifrael, to eat things facrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

SACRED

SACRED BIOGRAPHY.

LECTURE

2 TIMOTHY i. 8, 9, 10.

I.

Be not thou therefore afhamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prifoner: but be thou partaker of the af flictions of the gospel, according to the power of God; who hath faved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpofe and grace, which was given us in Chrift Jefus before the world began; but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who hath abolifhed death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

EVERY difpenfation of the Divine Providence

feems to be the basis and the preparation of a farther difplay of wisdom and goodness. The last discovered purpose of the Eternal Mind, is the continuation, the extenfion and the improvement of that which immediately preceded it; and the glory hitherto displayed in the ways and works of God, however excellent, is haftening to lose itself in "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" yet to be revealed. Periods of immeafurable, incomprehenfible duration had flowed, before this fair and majestic frame of nature was VOL. IV. called

B

called into exiftence. For we read of a purpose of grace formed and given "before the world began,' and of "a kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world ;" of an election made, and of "eternal life promised, of God who cannot lie, before the foundation of the world." Who can tell what fyftems have preceded that which now exifts? We know from feripture that one more glorious is to fucceed it. "According to his promife, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteoufnefs." And who can tell what future fyftems may arife in endless progreffion? As well might the fluttering infect, which was born in the morning and perishes at night, prefume to dive into the ages beyond the flood, or with bold, adventurous wing attempt to foar into the heaven of heavens, and declare the wonders of the world of fpirits.

But though fyftem may fucceed fyftem, though difpenfations change, one thing is immutable," the gracious purpofe of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." One great object was kept in view before the world began, is ftill kept in view through the whole extent of its duration, and is to be pursued through the endless ages of eternity. Do you need, chriftian, to be told what it is? The falvation of the world by Chrift Jefus. It is a little thing to fay, that Abraham faw his day afar off: that of him Mofes wrote, Isaiah prophefied, David fung and Paul preached. "These things the angels defire to look into." On this exalted theme the everlafting counfels of peace revolved; to mature them, the powers of heaven and earth were fhaken; and to bring them to their confummation, a new creation fhall expand infinite space, and a fucceffion of ages that are never, never to expire. Placed at whatever point in this immense sphere, our eyes are still attracted to the glorious Centre, from which all light and life and

2 Pet. iii. 13.

[ocr errors]

and joy iffue, and in whofe light every inferior orb revolves and fhines.

The epiftle of the great apostle of the Gentiles from which I have taken the fubject of this Difcourse, is addreffed to Timothy, whom he styles his "dearly beloved fon in the gospel," and who had been ordained firft bishop of the church of the Ephefians. Paul himself was at that time a prifoner at Rome, and totally uncertain refpecting the iffue of a caufe which affected his life, before the imperial court. What mercy, what juftice was to be expected from such a prince as Nero-the monster who could fire his country, fhed the blood of his virtuous preceptor, and deftroy his own mother? But we behold in the prifoner a fpirit much exalted above the fear of a tyrant, a mind prepared for the worst that could befal him, and expreffing anxiety, not about perfonal fafety, but about the fuccefs of the gofpel, and the ftedfastness of a beloved difciple. He folemnly charges that disciple not to fuffer himself to be one moment fhaken in the faith, by the perfecution to which the cause of Chrift had expofed himself, or the ills which he might ftill be called to endure for the teftimony of Jefus: and, to enforce his charge, he fuggefts a view of the gofpel which eclipfes all created glory, "ftills the enemy and the avenger," plucks from death his fting, and robs the grave of its boasted victory. He reprefents Timothy and himself as engaged in a cause, which the great God himself, before all worlds, regarded as of fuperior importance, and made peculiarly his own; which "at fundry times and in divers manners" he disclosed, and which at length, "by the appearing of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, he made manifeft" to all men. Paul glories in the idea of being a worker together with God in this generous defign; in his appointment to the office of a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles," in the great mystery of godlinefs; in difplaying and difpenfing to a guilty, perifhing world, the unfearchable

B 2

[ocr errors]

riches

riches of Chrift-who had "abolifhed death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gofpel."

In tracing the hiftory of the patriarchs who lived both before and fince the flood, from Adam to Abraham, and from Abraham to Mofes, we have endeavoured to point out this unity of defign, this steadinefs of co-operation, this progrefs of difcovery. By whatever name the typical perfon is defigned, patriarch, prophet, high-prieft, under the Old Teftament difpenfation; whatever be the defignation of the miniftring fervant under the New, apoftle, evangelift, paftor or elder, the office and the end of the inftitution is one and the fame-to declare the Son of God, the Saviour of men, "for the perfecting of the faints, for the edifying of the body of Chrift, till all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift."*

Borne down the current of divine revelation, we have arrived with Ifrael at the mountain that burned with fire, and at awful distance, with trembling eyes, beheld its fummit involved in clouds, clothed in terror; and with wonder and joy contemplated the cloud difperfing, the thunder ceafing, the terror done away, and Mount Sinai transformed into Mount Zion. Whatever farther progrefs we make, in whatever direction we proceed, we fhall find this exceeding high mountain ftill in view; and, whether under the conduct of the leader and commander of Ifrael, or of the Champion of Christianity, we are equally led by “one” and the fame "Spirit" in "one hope" to "one Lord, one faith, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all."t

We shall endeavour to connect our past and following Course of Lectures, by the view here prefented to us by the apoftle, of the plan of Providence in the redemption of the world; and the execution of it, " by

* Eph. iv. 13.

† Eph. iv. 5, 6.

the

« AnteriorContinuar »