Page images
PDF
EPUB

comprehends all the interests of his kingdom, as it spreads before him in this lower world. With spiritual discernment, he knows in what hearts his reign has commenced, and to what extent the borders of the kingdom have been enlarged. He perceives to what extent his followers have obeyed his command to evangelize the nations, and what progress is now making in the recovery of the world from Satan's empire, and what prospect there is that the millennial triumph will soon be achieved. He observes the spirit of the various hosts of his armies as they advance, and marks their victories; and he knows what bearing every event will have on Zion's prosperity. He knows what obstacles are to be encountered in urging on the extension of his kingdom, what forces are required in securing its advancement, and what use he can make of sinners converted and sanctified, in filling up the ranks of his armies, and making them the instruments of glorious achievements. Every converted man becomes a soldier of the cross, or herald of salvation, and according to the talents and opportunities given him, is to be employed in extending the influence of the gospel. It must be then, that Jesus, with his views of the greatness and importance of the kingdom, and his benevolent regard for its interests, desires the conversion of sinners, that they may become subject to his reign, and that they may be workers together with him in extending his kingdom through the earth. And when his converts, in obedience to his commission, preach his gospel to impenitent men, and they hesitate concerning a compliance with the proffered mercy or a rejection of it, he knows what will be the results of their decision. He can trace all the minute bearings which the conversion even of one soul will have upon the interests which lie so near his heart. Perhaps the sinner, on whom the Savior's heart fixes with yearning anxiety, is a parent, and were he sanctified, might teach his tender offspring to know the Lord and train them up for Christ; and ordering his household after him, his children and his children's children, to the latest generation, might be found walking in the truth. Perhaps he is a teacher of youth, and his labors and pious influence are needed in the extensive system of Sabbath instruction, by which the church is endeavoring to train all her children to a saving acquaintance with the word of God. Perhaps he has talents, and property, and influence, and is wanted, in the place of the fathers who continue not, to sustain the interests of the church and prosecute plans of benevolent enterprise. Perhaps he is young, and gifted, and ardent, and, if sanctified, might become a champion of the cross amid the widespreading desolations of his own country; or a missionary to bear glad tidings to the heathen, and pour the light of heaven on their darkness. With these views, Jesus, looking down upon the impenitent hearers of his gospel, desires their conversion, and no wonder if he should weep that they are so slow of heart to believe.

But his views are not limited to the spread of the gospel, and the extension of his kingdom on the earth. His mediatorial work has reference to the more enlarged, and perfect, and permanent establishment of his kingdom in that renovated state of things which shall exist when the heavens and the earth, which now are, shall be no more. He looks forward to the period when the gospel shall have been preached to all nations, and the last of his redeemed ones shall have been gathered in, and the earth, the scene of probation, shall have passed away, and all the ransomed of the Lord shall be assembled around his throne in the heavens, and with angelic hosts, constitute an everlasting kingdom. And he desires the conversion of sinners, that they may belong to the happy numbers

who shall meet on the heavenly hill, and bring honor to the Lamb that was slain, and ascribe salvation to his blood.

In this world, we have but little knowledge of heaven. We catch but faint glimpses of the glories of Him who occupies the eternal throne, and the happiness of those who bow before him. But Jesus has full conceptions of the glories and the joys of the eternal state, and he desires the conversion of sinners, that they may enhance those glories and share in those joys. He desires their conversion, that they may come to the grave in peace, and look forward upon the untried scenes of eternity undismayed. He desires their conversion, that when, amid attending angels, he shall ascend the throne of judgment, they may stand before him washed in his blood and clad in the robes of his righteousness, and worthy to share in the inheritance prepared by his love. He desires their conversion, that, when he shall have fulfilled the transactions of the great day, and shall leave the judgment-seat to conduct his redeemed ones up to take possession of the New Jerusalem, they may swell the triumph of his train, and sing, Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. He is now gathering from among the sinful children of men the subjects of that kingdom whose central city has gates of pearl and streets of gold, where flows the river of life clear as crystal, and where the glory of the Lord is so resplendent, that they have no need of the sun or the moon. And he desires the conversion of sinners, that they may belong to that innumerable company whom no man can number, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, who cast their crowns at his feet, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and honor, and glory, and blessing.

The view we have thus given of Christ may instruct his followers. You see, Christian friends, what are the feelings of your Master towards a world lying in wickedness. You see with what emotions he regards the multitude of those who enjoy the means of grace, hear the preaching of the gospel, and receive the influence of the Spirit, and yet remain in impenitence and unbelief. And I would take the example of your Lord to awaken in your minds feelings of deep interest in their behalf. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; for if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Taking a deep interest in those things on which the Savior's heart is fixed, and laboring to fulfil his desires, you evince your discipleship, you show yourselves the true subjects of the kingdom, and worthy to be partakers in the joys and honors of its eternal state.

Follow your Lord through the walks of Judea, and see with what affectionate earnestness he publishes the gospel of peace. How laborious and persevering, how regardless of dangers, how unwilling to abandon the sinner to his chosen way. See him on the Mount of Olives, and witness his tears, as he looks upon Jerusalem, and weeps over those who had killed the prophets and stoned them that were sent unto them, and were now filling up the measure of their iniquity. Remember what he has done and suffered to prepare for himself a redeemed people, and what are the longings of his mind that lost sinners may share in the benefits of his redemption: and ask yourselves, how he expects you, who have been redeemed by his blood and sanctified by his Spirit, will feel and act in the circumstances in which he has placed you. How does he expect you to feel and act, in reference to those of your acquaintance and kindred who assemble

with you in the house of prayer, and hear the preaching of his gospel, and feel the strivings of his Spirit, and yield not to their influence? As you look around on your friends and kindred, and fix an eye upon your beloved offspring, yet unsanctified, and remember the opportunities they have enjoyed, and the grace they have resisted, while your tears fall, and your prayers ascend in their behalf, is it not the language of your grief, O that thou hadst known, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace?

Will you not aspire to follow after the example of your Lord, in taking a wider view of the interests of his kingdom? and with hearts affected with the desolations which sin has spread abroad on the earth, and with lively apprehensions of the abundance of that grace by which the souls of men are redeemed, and the richness of their inheritance, if they make that grace their refuge, will you not gird yourselves anew in gospel armor, and urge on the conquering car of your Redeemer ?

I have one motive, by which to urge the impenitent to give their hearts to God. Jesus Christ desires it. I see before me sinners, hardened under the influence of the gospel, those who though guilty have been bought with blood, and have heard the proclamations of pardon, and have felt the strivings of the Spirit. And while, my friends, I could weep over your condition, I would hope that the things of your peace are not already hid from your eyes. And knowing what are the feelings of my Lord, whose commission I bear, I am constrained to make one more effort to persuade you to repent. Though guilty, condemned, and in danger of eternal death, there is a refuge in the arms of Jesus, and by repentance and faith you secure pardon, and life, and blessedness. And I would persuade you to repent, for Christ desires it. I present before you the bleeding Lamb of God, weeping over the sins and follies of men, being grieved that they are so reluctant to come to him for cleansing.

I might use other arguments. I might tell you of the command of God, and urge you by the authority of him who reigns in heaven. I might tell you of the joys which flow when sin is pardoned, and the sweet peace of conscience secured by the humble penitent in the day of his conversion. I might tell you of the blessedness of living under the approving smile of Heaven, and having God for your friend in the hour of death, and of the happiness of that world where no sorrow comes. I might bring before you friends and parents and dearest kindred, and cause you to hear their prayers and see their tears, and tell you of the floods of joy with which they would greet you as a child of God. I might refer you to the desires of angels, who hover around you while you hear the truth, anxious to bear to the court of heaven the joyful tidings which swell the eternal anthem over a returning penitent. But I pass by these considerations, often urged-I pass them all by, and point you to the tears of Jesus. He who had compassion on you, and shed his blood to redeem you, wept over those in your condition. let him gratify the feelings of his benevolent heart in your salvation.

[ocr errors]

You know but little of sin and its consequences. But he who knows the length and breadth of the evil, who bare our sins in his own body on the tree, proposes your deliverance. You know little of the riches of his grace.

But he who paid the ransom proposes to wash you in his blood. You know little of the future glories of the kingdom. But he who fills its throne and conducts its interests proposes that you become an instrument of his glory, and live and reign with him for ever and ever.

Will you withhold your confidence and refuse

your consent to his gracious purposes? Will you refuse to let him bless you? If Jesus were to come down again from his heavenly throne, and have his dwelling with men, may we not suppose that he would labor and preach, and pray and weep, as he did in the walks of Judea and the streets of Jerusalem? May we not suppose, that, coming into the assemblies of those who hear the gospel, he would repeat the history of his dying love, and show them the wounds. in his hands and in his side, and in his infinite tenderness urge his proffered grace. And when he should see their unbelief, would he not, with a heart ready to break, lament over them and say, How shall I give thee up? O that thou hadst known-at least in this thy day—when probation is enjoyed, and the truth is proclaimed, and the Spirit is urging-O that thou hadst known the things which belong unto thy peace! And remember, impenitent hearers, the day may come, when it shall be added, But now they are hid from thine eyes! You may be abandoned, as were the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to walk in your own ways and receive the fruit of your own devices. And it may be said to you, When I called ye refused-Behold your house is left unto you desolate. The compassionate Jesus will shortly be the enthroned Judge, and you may be compelled to hear from his lips, "Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." O that you were wise, that you understood these things, that you would consider your latter end !

SERMON CXLII.

BY REV. S. L. POMROY,
BANGOR, MAINE.

PRACTICAL EXAMINATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE.

HEB. vi. 4, 5, 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance: seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

On

DIVERS opinions are entertained respecting this passage. Some maintain that the persons here described are doubtless true Christians, and that the paragraph plainly proves that such not only may, but sometimes actually do, fall from grace, and become altogether impenitent and unbelieving; and thus overthrow, as they think, the doctrine of the saints' perseverance in holiness. the other hand, it is contended by some, that the description of character here presented does not necessarily imply the possession of true religion, and is therefore irrelevant to the question of the saints' perseverance. That selfdeceived persons and hypocrites should fall away from the appearance of piety, say they, is nothing strange. Some have thought that the word "impossible" ought to be understood, not in an absolute, but in a limited sense, as meaning

exceedingly difficult; while others understand it as designed to convey the idea that God cannot consistently, and of course will not, renew again to repentance such apostates as are here spoken of. Such being the diverse and clashing opinions respecting this passage, many good men have been perplexed, and found it difficult, if not impossible, to determine what is truth. With the hope of throwing a little light on the obscurities and difficulties of the text, we shall propose, and endeavor to answer, the following inquiries.

1. Does this paragraph relate to real Christians? This question we are inclined to answer in the affirmative, for the following reasons. In the first place, the whole epistle is addressed to Hebrews who had made a public profession of Christianity. The writer calls them "holy brethren"-" partakers of the heavenly calling." He exhorts them to "consider attentively the Apostle and High-priest of their profession"-to "hold fast the profession of their faith without wavering." Indeed, it is the principal object of the epistle to guard those addressed against the danger of apostacy from their religion. This being the case, it is reasonable to suppose that the apostle considered them Christians. For surely he would not have taken so much pains to warn a company of hypocrites and unbelievers against defection from a faith which they had never received. Such a course would have proved, beyond a doubt, that he was "beside himself," and verily "mad." If then the epistle, as a whole, was addressed to Christians, it would seem not at all improbable, to say the least, that the portion of it under consideration has reference to the same class of persons.

Furthermore, that this passage has reference to real Christians seems quite evident from the language itself. The persons spoken of are described as having been "enlightened," i. e. instructed with regard to the true nature, doctrines, and duties of the Christian religion. They are said to have "tasted the heavenly gift;" i. e. to have known by experience the kindness and love of God as exhibited in the truths, promises, and privileges of the gospel. "Partakers of the Holy Ghost." "I understand this," says a learned commentator, "of the extraordinary gifts and influences of the Spirit." "Tasted the good word of God;" i. e. "enjoyed the consolations administered, or the hopes excited, by the divine promises of the gospel." For, according to scriptural usage, "good word" signifies promise; and "tasted," in its metaphorical sense, means "known by experience." To" taste of death," for instance, is to experience death. Certainly, then, the persons here described had the fullest evidence of the divine origin and nature of the religion of Christ. And if experimental knowledge of the truths, promises, and hopes of the gospel does not make a man a Christian, what does? Besides, it is added, "If they shall fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance." This must put the question at rest. For if the writer does not suppose them to have exercised genuine repentance, why does he speak of the impossibility of their being renewed again—i. e. a second time— to repentance? It is then sufficiently evident that the persons referred to in the text were considered by the apostle as real Christians, and not mere professors.

2. What are we to understand by the supposition, " If they shall fall away?" The answer is at hand. For a Christian to "fall away" in such a sense, and to such a degree, as to render his recovery again to repentance "impossible," it

« PreviousContinue »