Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

Faith cometh by hearing, and life cometh by faith. And it is also true, as has been said, that where is the gospel, there is life. No where is it prayerfully read, or faithfully preached, for any considerable time, without its quickening effects are made visible. Minds are inclined to thought, to Christ, to heaven; and of some there it may be said, "You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." Emphatically, therefore, is the word of life a proper representation of the gospel.

4. I only add, further, that it likewise supports life. It is to the spiritual principle what the soil, the sun, and the shower are to the plant. It is the divinely prepared nutriment for the soul; it is to it what food is to the body: it is the pabulum of life. The living soul has an appetite, and without it is fed by the word, there is great debility, if not the extinguishment of vitality. Hence the exhortation of the apostle: "As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby;" as also the striking remark of Christ: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." One principal reason why the cause of piety declined in the fourth century, after it had become so generally diffused, was, that this support of the word was taken away. The preacher's voice could not always sound, and there was then no printed page. This cut the sinews of strength. And the cause why religion now languishes in any heart is, because that heart does not sufficiently draw from the gospel stores. Sanctity them through thy truth: thy word is truth." The thriving soul has the wholesome diet of the word, and by vigor thus communicated, approaches the stature and the strength of a perfect man in Christ. Vigor of divine life cannot be sustained, without an earnest and constant use of the Word of God. The pale and sickly growth of a plant in a dark cellar is an apt similitude of the piety of those who make little use of the word of life. The intenser beams of the Sun of Righteousness, steadily playing upon the soul, are indispensable to give the soul the flush and vigor of health." So peculiarly appropriate is the title "word of life" to the gospel, it reveals life, produces it, exalts it, and sustains it. It is enlightening, quickening, and imperishable; and when it shall be every where known and studied and believed, and "the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth," this earth, so long the valley of death, and the charnel-house of unnumbered abominations, shall be like to Paradise above. We come,

III. To the mode in which this life should be held forth by · Christians. "Holding forth the word of life."

1. They should hold it forth by a public avowal of their belief of it, and their purpose to obey it.

This is an unbelieving world. Christ "came unto his own, and

his own received him not.” men." His gospel, too, finds many who deny the divinity of its origin, and multitudes more who view its contents as of trifling importance. It devolves then upon those who heartily believe the gospel, who have felt its convicting and converting power upon their souls, to declare this their belief. Never should they when they hear it spoken lightly of, never should they when thrown into the society of the doubting or skeptical, fail to speak of their high appreciation of it, and that they bow in reverence to its authority. This, however, is not all. As it is the will of Christ that his people should live not solitarily, but in visible association, as he has commanded them openly to join themselves to him, every sincere believer of the gospel is solemnly bound to connect himself with those of kindred sentiments and feelings, and to enter into covenant with Christ. According to inspiration and established usage, he is to do this publicly. The broken body and shed blood of the Redeemer depict in rays of light his mediatorial character on which salvation is founded; and when "we eat of that bread and drink of that cup," we are expressly told that we thereby "show forth the Lord's death." It is the duty of believers thus to show it forth. "Do this," says Christ, "in remembrance of me." He well knew what effect his table, covered with the symbols of his suffering love, and his children seated around it, would have upon an unbelieving world; he knew that it was calculated to produce thought, and to open the sluices of penitence, and to multiply conquests to the truth. Hence the plain command to his friends to set that table, and to place themselves around it, and, from that heavenly place in Christ Jesus, to hold forth his word of life. The believer there says: "I acknowledge that I possess that guilt and depravity which rendered a Divine interference in my behalf necessary; I believe that such a work was undertaken and finished by the great Redeemer; I embrace his gospel and himself; and here, sitting at his table, with the memorials of his affection and compassion in my hands and at my lips, I proclaim him to be the all-sufficient and only Saviour of mankind!" Who does not see that such a confession before men is a confession that they must understand and feel; and that when Christians thus come together, and thus explictly and harmoniously declare their sentiments, that there goes from them a power to arrest attention and promote inquiry, and an influence most favorable to righteousness? Hence the stress laid upon the duty of professing religion by Jesus Christ, and the sin of those who shrink back from discharging this duty. The word of life is to be held forth by individuals in their collective capacity as a church. It is thus that their light, blending with the light of others, emits a splendor that is seen, a splendor which is far pervading, and which attracts, like the star of Bethlehem, to the person of the Saviour!

"He is despised and rejected of

2. Again Christians are to hold forth the word of life by their consistent, exemplary deportment. As He who hath called them is holy, called them to resemble himself, called them to be his representatives on the earth, while he is gone to prepare a place for them in heaven; so they are to be holy in all manner of conversation. If there is any thing just, pure, lovely, and of good report, the gospel enjoins upon us to practise it; and if there is any thing sinful, base, and dishonorable, the gospel enjoins upon us to avoid it. Those then who profess to believe the gospel and to make it "the man of their counsel and the guide of their lives," are expected, and properly expected, to be bright examples of the power of godliness. And when they are so-when there is a correspondence between their principles and their lives, when their profession is followed by legitimate fruits, then are the mouths of the wicked stopped, and the honor of God advanced upon the earth. Believers are called "the Lord's witnesses;" they witness, by their profession and conduct, to the excellence of his word. When this word meets the eyes, or is proclaimed in the hearing of the impenitent, it is designed that the force of it upon their minds and hearts should be augmented by the daily exemplary walk of Christians. If this walk is not exemplary, the contradiction between the word and the witness makes the word of none effect. On the contrary, if the arrows of truth are pointed and winged by the silent eloquence of the holy lives of the people of God, they reach the conscience and bring the rebel to submission. True religion is indeed experimental, and in this respect, as a matter between us and our Maker, is concealed from public view. The spark of grace is not kindled in the heart by observation. The soft gales of the Spirit, which subdue and regenerate, go, like the wind, where they please. But when they have once savingly visited a soul, they sanctify what is social, kind and tender in that soul, and produce appropriate results in the behavior of their subject. Then does he commune with Christ; then is the breath of prayer sweet; then is the gospel precious; then does he pant after assimilation to the Divine image; and then his affections, instead of being chained to earth, rise above earth, and fasten upon the skies. This cannot be, and be unnoticeable. A walk so different from the worldling, the avaricious, the ambitious, will be referred to a difference of principle, whose foundation is the word of life, and thus will he "adorn the doctrine of God his Saviour." This is preaching by action, the most effective of preaching.

"Thus shall we best proclaim abroad
The honors of our Saviour God;
When his salvation reigns within,
And grace subdues the power of sin."

Here is "the living epistle," and it will be read—it cannot

fail of being read; and when the world, as they look out upon the professed disciples of Christ, see the light and savor of their holiness so continually diffused-see the beauties of holiness beaming from their whole deportment, "they will be constrained, by what they thus behold, to glorify God in the day of visitation." In this way, therefore, are Christians to "hold forth the word of life," by showing in their conduct what the word, believed and obeyed, can do; how it can renew, and spiritualize, and elevate, and inform the whole man, with the spirit of the Agent who inspired it.

3. Again: Christians are to hold forth the word of life by making direct efforts for the conversion of sinners. The first inquiry of the new-born soul is, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" And the reply is, Employ your personal energies in renovating this ruined world. As you have been called from darkness to light, endeavor thus to call others; as you have been introduced to Jesus, introduce other souls to him. As angels rejoice over one sinner that repenteth, contribute to their joy. As "he that converteth a sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins," be faithful to that circle of impenitent acquaintances with which you are surrounded, and speak to them in behalf of Christ. "Hold forth the word " to your darling child, your intimate friend, and your thoughtless neighbor, by kindly conversing with them with reference to their spiritual state and prospects. Exhibit their guilt and danger; break up the foundations of every self-righteous system of hope; bring the objects of the future world near; unfold the necessity and value of the atoning blood of Christ, and induce them to embrace him as their Saviour. Thus Andrew brought Peter. "We have found," said he, "the Messias." Thus the woman of Samaria brought her fellow-citizens: "Come, see a man that told me all that ever I did; is not this the Christ?" And thus thousands, by lending their individual and personal influence to bring men to repentance, have, by the Divine blessing on their labors, been a sweet savor of Christ in their salvation.

[ocr errors]

Christians are not released from the obligation to hold forth the word of life in this way. The institution of the gospel ministry does not absolve them. "He that heareth" is to " say come,' as well as "the Spirit and the bride." This is expressly said. "Am I my brother's keeper?" was the impious exclamation of a murderer. No Christians can have Cain's spirit; believing the Bible, and hence believing that their unregenerate friends and neighbors are under condemnation, and hastening' to the pit where the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever," they will feel a deep interest in them; they will pray for them, and will speak to them in the voice of Christian counsel and affectionate entreaty.

200

When Christians thus "hold forth the word of life" very powerful is the effect. It is not regarded as the discharge of professional duty; it can be resolved only into a solicitude perfectly justified by their belief, and legitimately flowing out of it. It is not public declamation; it is not preaching at arm's length: it is in private conference, fellow-man with fellow-man. Then it is, that truth comes warm, and comes in vital contact, and "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," pricks the heart, and changes it from stone to flesh.

Harlan Page remarked, that "he could never be left alone. with an impenitent sinner, without feeling that he stood beside an immortal soul, whose salvation or damnation depended on the passing moment." Hence he improved that moment; never after could that sinner say, "No man has cared for my soul." This was as it should be; this was true Christian devotedness; this was "holding forth the word of life;" and when all professing Christians shall imitate this exemplary disciple, converts will multiply like "the drops of the morning!"

I only add, that Christians are to hold forth the word of life by contributing of their substance to disseminate the gospel. It is a principle of their faith, that Christianity is universally to triumph. They are taught to pray in the name of their Master, that "his kingdom may come," and that "his will may be done on earth, even as it is done in heaven." They are pointed to the field of the world as white for the harvest, and it devolves upon them to spread throughout this field the knowledge of their Saviour. This work requires their contributions. They are to "hold forth the word of life," by supporting the various societies which are sending abroad that life. There are six hundred millions of degraded, brutalized heathen, who are dying at the rate of sixty thousand a day; and an appeal to Christians to evangelize and save them from perdition comes from every mountain, and plain, and island, and sea. They are told that Christ died to redeem these souls from pollution and torment; they are told of their obligations to this Redeemer for dying for them-that he is entitled to the most zealous devotion of all their powers, to all they are and have; they are told that they have solemnly professed and engaged to consecrate to him their influence and property; they are told that there is no want of access to the heathen-that they await the impress of Christianity; they are told that young men in the dew of their youth are waiting to be sent out as missionaries-that all which is now wanting are resources, and that "God loveth a cheerful giver." Appeals are thus made to their compassion, gratitude and sense of duty, to spread the tidings of salvation over the earth. They are thus called generously to "hold forth the word of life," till the world shall be illumined by it.

« PreviousContinue »