heavenly light attending such reproof, than can be by all the reproofs of the tongue without it. The wicked see in such examples the mirror that reflects the glory of the Deity, the authority of his law, the excellence of virtue, the deformity of sin. They stand "Abashed, and see how awful goodness is." And in the midst of such exhibitions of character they pass on themselves the verdict of condemnation for their sins. Nor is there any impropriety in bearing to the wicked this form of reproof. Your right to obey the God of heaven-to show your loyaltyno man can wrest from you. You need only be loyal and be virtuous among your companions, and the living reproof is carried home to their consciences. As it has been eloquently remarked of our republican country, that her very existence carries up a reproof to the throne of tyrants, and a refutation of all the arguments by which they would uphold arbitrary rule, so the very existence of stern piety and virtue is itself a stinging reproof to the wicked, and a loud condemnation of their guilt and folly. 3. You may reprove the wicked by direct address to their consciences. The highest form of reproof is that of bearing to the wicked the direct expression of virtuous grief and indignation which their conduct excites in your souls. When, in refusing communion with them in their evil deeds, or in exhibiting before them virtuous examples, you tacitly convey reproof to their consciences, it may not be so apparent to them that you design particularly to reprove them for their ways; and they may neglect, on their own part, faithfully to make an application to themselves of a reproof which they share in common, with many others. But when, in the spirit of meekness that disarms opposition, you go to the sinner, and pour into his ear the recital of his crimes, the complaints * of injured virtue, the warnings of interceding grace; his conscience owns, in you, a messenger of God; come to administer the righteous and merciful reproofs of incensed, yet forbearing love. This direct address, is reproof that singles him out to his own conscience; and forces him to draw off his attention from the guilt of others to his own, with the irresistible application, "Thou art the man." He views his crimes through the unprejudiced feelings of a friend to virtue. science is against him, and with his reprover: and there arises a mighty struggle in his mind betwixt the opposing powers of sin and virtue; a struggle which must end, either in the awful victory of guilt over conscience, or in the victory, for ever blest, of conscience over guilt. Nor is there any impropriety in using this most powerful and most salutary form of reproof. Your tongues were given you for use; and though there are certain bounds of propriety and wisdom in the use, with respect to the age, and station, and character, and circumstances of those whom . you address, of which God has given all of you, I hope, reason and common sense enough to judge; yet these limitations of wisdom form no argument against the legitimate use. To what use can they better be appropriated than to doing good? Some may make too much of their tongues in this matter; but others, too little. Yet no man can deny you the right to use for the benefit of others this glory of your frame. You should, therefore, stand firm in this liberty wherewith God your Maker has endowed you. With this view of the proper methods of administering reproof, I would now turn your attention to some of the considerations which should inspire you with resolution to perform the duty. 66 .1. You have on your side the authority of God. God said, through Paul, to his children at Ephesus, while surrounded with the crimes and iniquities of the gentiles, and says in effect to his children in all ages, respecting the iniquitous among whom their lot is cast, "Reprove them." He has issued forth his warrant to all his friends in the earth to be reprovers of the vicious. He has bid them take the counsels and warnings of his word, and administer the reproofs of his offended, yet waiting love, to those who are his enemies. The command has reached your ear. Reprove them," by every method of wisdom and love. With the warrant of his authority, you are safe. He will protect you and bless you, while on his errands of mercy; and give you a mouth and wisdom which no adversary will be able to gainsay or resist. Carry home the power of religion to their hearts. "Who will harm you," if, under his authority, "ye be followers of that which is good?" Will you shrink before his enemies? Shall a face of flesh and blood move you from your purposed obedience to God? How, from so humiliating a vanquishment, can you return to the throne of grace, or appear at the throne of judgment, and face the God of all power? Have faith in God; and be strong to reprove his enemies. 2. You have on your side the examples of all the wise and holy. God and all his faithful servants have ever acted as reprovers of sin. God, in the laws of his government, the arrangements of his providence, and the messages of his word, is engaged in administering solemn reproof to his enemies. The Lord Jesus, the high pattern you propose to copy into your lives, during his embassy to earth, and while dwelling among, the enemies of God, was no idle spectator of those sins by which they were wounding infinite purity and goodness, and ruining themselves and others. He took the part of God against an evil world; and resisted all its temptations and offers; and held before it the unsullied light of his example and precepts to show its deformity. He addressed to its hardened sons the reproofs of indignant love,-not consulting to please himself, but to perform his duty,-till he could cry, with the prophet, unto God his Father: "The reproaches of them that reproached thee, fell on me." The Spirit of Grace, in the mission he is accomplishing, is engaged in reproving a guilty world of sin, and in carrying home to the consciences of individual sinners the stern rebukes of God's unbending word. You are countenanced in reproving sin by all the faithful servants of God; by Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Lot, and all the patriarchs; by Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and all the prophets; by Peter, James, Paul, and all the apostles; by all the friends of God, from the foundation of the world to this day, whose bodies are deposited with us, whose souls are in heaven, and whose memories are embalmed in the records of the church; and by all, in every place on earth, who are now the followers of Christ in sincerity and truth; in whose lives and on whose lips dwells the law of truth and kindness. All this cloud of worthies, with the great God at their head, have arrayed their example before you, while surrounded by the filthy conversation of the wicked, to have no fellowship with them, but boldly to reprove. Will you not then associate yourselves with this company of the worthy, in their noble deeds? How can you expect to meet their approbation, or share in their triumphs, if you enter not with them into their labours of love? 3. You have on your side the interests of the church. How long will it take the professed followers of Christ to learn that they cannot maintain a neutrality in the world? that the enemies of God are enemies? and that the mere attempt at neutrality is a concession made them, next to base submission? Oh, how humiliating to be governed, and trampled on, and triumphed over, by the enemies of God, when a decided fidelity, and a bold reproof administered to them for their sins, would lift you high above their power, and put ten thousand to flight! The church of God is not capable of flourishing, except as she embosoms within her that energy of holy purpose and example, and speaks forth the word of God in that tone of boldness, which administers reproof to the negligent, the worldly, the vicious, the hardened, who surround her, and who assail her peace and welfare. Arrayed in this glory, she strikes dismay into the hosts of her foes; she spreads abroad the conquests of her King; and even collects the vanquished with joy around her standard of Eternal Life. The time of her reproofs is the time of her safety and her triumphs. Within her borders is purity, light, hope, joy; and without, terror, dismay, shame, submission. Even they that despised her come bending to her, calling her, the city of the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Yield not up, then, the everlasting interests of religion and the church to the follies of man. Assert the honour of your high calling, and boldly carry reproof to the enemies of Zion. Self-defence, the first law of nature, and defence of Christ's cause, the first law of Christianity, unite to call you to this holy purpose, and to arm you with a vigorous resolution, 4. You have on your side the welfare of sinners themselves. The works of sin and darkness to which they addict themselves are unfruitful in any thing but evil. They are ruining themselves and their companions in guilt for the wages of sin is death. They will not escape, unless they are reclaimed from their sins and errors. They are searing their consciences, blasting their reputation, destroying their comforts, and plunging their souls in eternal flames: and how shall they be recalled to virtue and to happiness, if they are neglected, unrestrained, and unreproved, by the friends of God? Where is their hope, if none possess disinterested love enough to address to them the reproofs that are necessary to their salvation? A sinner unreproved, grows bold in iniquity. A sinner unreproved, spreads wide the contagion of sin. He is daily adding to his guilt, and fitting himself and others for more aggravated wo. You are then guilty of a cruel neglect of his welfare and influence; if, while knowing his faults, and knowing how freely they are published and censured behind his back, and knowing how they are bringing down on his soul the insupportable judgments of Heaven, you do not, at once, bear into his presence the rebukes and counsels of Infinite Love. The Scriptures impliedly charge this cruelty on those who neglect the duty, by the form in which they enjoin it :-"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour; and shalt not suffer sin upon him." But when you administer the faithful rebukes of love to sinners around you, you are secking by necessary means the high object of "saving their souls from death, and hiding a multitude of sins." Their feelings may be wounded, while stung with a view of their deformities and the indignations of virtue; but you are only probing, to heal; you are but administering the necessary medicine to effect a recovery. Their consciences, even at the time, and for ever afterwards, do justice to you, in testifying to your self-denying kindness; and if, subdued and melted by your reproofs, they are recovered to virtue, their hearts will for ever bless you, as the kindest of benefactors. Hundreds now on earth are joyfully walking, arm in arm, the way to the heavenly Zion, who once met each other in the unpleasant relation of reprovers and reproved; and were mingling over reproved guilt their tears of bitterness. And thousands now in glory, are praising God, for those kind benefactors who, overlooking the trials they might meet with from ingratitude and guilt, dared, unsolicited, to address to them the rebukes of Infinite Mercy.. The very welfare of sinners, then, here and in eternity, demands of you fidelity in this duty;-demands that you have no fellowship with them in works of darkness, but that you boldly reprove. In view then of the methods in which you may convey reproof to sinners, and of the considerations which encourage and embolden you to do it, I would call upon all the friends of God among you to perform this duty. There is always a sufficient call for its performance in this world of evil. You need not go back to the ancient heathen of Ephesus-you need not go abroad to benighted Pagans-you need not search out the dark portions of this Christian country-you need not probably look beyond the limits of your own neighbourhood—to find those who are engaged in the unfruitful works of darkness. It is your lot, as it has been of the church in all ages, to be surrounded by the wickedness of blinded sinners. Travellers with you to eternity-without God and without hope they imperiously demand of you a faithful discharge of this duty. "Be strong and do it." Let no leaven of iniquity among yourselves, corrupt with inefficiency the whole mass. Let no root of bitterness spring up to defile many ;-to hide the light of example, and stifle the voice, that would administer reproof. Fear not the sneers of the impious, or the dis- per "Be strong and do it." pleasure of the reproved. with you the interests of formance of this duty. "Be strong and do it." And Zion shall arise. The glory of the Lord shall compass her as with walls of fire. Her enemies shall be subdued into contrition. Converts shall be multiplied as the drops of the morning. Joy shall be awakened on earth and in heaven over reclaimed and forgiven sinners. In view of this duty, and the considerations which urge it upon the friends of God, I may surely warn the workers of iniquity to receive reproofs with humility and gratitude. You are reproved by the word of the living God. You are reproved by your own conscience. And, if you are not that hardened scorner, who mocks at all things serious, you may be favoured with the reproofs of man. Remember, that he, who in love reproves you, is a friend--a true friend--a tried friend-whose love has broken through many obstacles to meet you with its warnings; and who brings to you the appeals of truth and soberness-who comes, commissioned of God, and countenanced by all the good and wise, to urge the interests of true piety, and to seek the salvation of your soul. I adjure you by the living Saviour, trifle not with reproof. It is one of the last remedies of divine forbearance. Unless you are humbled by it before God; I am compelled to say, you are fast ripening for ruin, Slighted reproofs accumulate the stores of divine wrath. He that will not receive severe remedies, and who cannot be restored by mild ones, must die! Oh, hear it, ye that sport yourselves in your own deceiv-. ings, on the borders of eternity,-hear it ;—it is the last kind warning of injured, insulted Mercy:-" HE THAT, BEING OFTEN REPROVED, HAR DENETH HIS NECK, SHALL SUDDENLY BE DESTROYED, AND THAT WITHOUT REMEDY!"--Sinners, there is awful meaning in those words of God! |