Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

1. The monthly numbers usually contain two Sermons.

II. Price One Dollar, in advance, annually; Cne Dollar and Twentyfive Cents, if payment is delayed six months; or One Dollar and Fifty Cents annually, if payment is delayed twelve months. Seven copies for Five Dollars in advance.

III. Such as do not pay up arrearages, and give the Editor notice of a desire to discontinue taking the work, are responsible for payment while it is sent, and on commencing a new volume are responsible for its twelve numbers. New Subscribers may commence with any number they choose, on advancing payment for a year.

Postmasters are authorized to receive and forward payments to the Editor, at his risk, (as well as names of new subscribers ;) to them receipts will be returned, to be shown to subscribers. No mode of conveyance is found more safe than the mail.

Correspondents will be careful in naming the individuals to whom credit is to be given, and the Post Office and State to which the work is to be sent. Letters of business may be directed, post-paid, to

JOHN S. TAYLOR,

151 Nassau-street, New-York.

CONTRIBUTORS.

UPWARDS of fifty Clergymen, of five Christian denominations, and belonging to sixteen different states, most of whom are well known to the public as authors, have allowed the Editor to expect from them Sermons for this work ; among whom are the following:

Rev. Dr. Richards, Professor in the Theological Seminary at Auburn; Rev. Dr. Proudfit, Salem; Rev. Drs. Tucker and Beman, Troy; Rev. Dr. Sprague, Albany; Rev. Drs. Milnor, Matthews, Spring, Woodbridge, Skinner, and De Witt, New-York City; Rev. Drs. Alexander and Miller, Professors in Princeton Theological Seminary; Rev. Professor M'Cleland, Rutgers College, New Jersey; Rev. Drs. Green, M'Dowell, Cuyler, and Tyng, Philadelphia; Rev. Dr. Bishop, President of Miami University, Ohio; Rev. Dr. Fitch, Professor of Divinity, Yale College; Rev. Asahel Nettleton, Killingworth, Conn.; Rev. Dr. Wayland, President of Brown University; Right Rev. Bishop Griswold, Salem, Mass.; Rev. Dr. Griffin, President of Williams College; Rev. Dr. Humphrey, President of Amherst College, Mass.; Rev. Dr. Beecher, President of Lane Seminary, Cincinnati; Rev. Professors Woods, Stuart, and Emerson, of Andover Theological Seminary; Rev. Dr. Fisk, President of the Wesleyan University, Middletown, Ct.; Rev. Daniel A. Clark, Bennington, Vt.; Rev. Dr. Bates, President of Middlebury College; Rev. Dr. Matthews, Hanover Theological Seminary, Indiana; Rev. Dr. Baxter, Union Theological Seminary, Va.; Rev. Dr. Tyler, Portland, Me.; Rev. Dr. Lord, President of Dartmouth College; Rev. Dr. Church, Pelham, N. H.; Rev. Dr. Leland, Columbia, S. C.; Rev. Dr. Coffin, Greenville, Tennessee; Rev. Professor Halsey, Western Theological Seminary; Rev. Drs. Perkins and Hawes, Hartford, Conn.; Rev. President Wheeler. Vermont University; Rev. Prof. Howe, Columbia, S. C.; Rev. Dr. Chapin, President of Columbian College, D. C.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

MATTHEW V. 25, 26. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whils thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary de liver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

OUR Lord, in the preceding verses, enjoins it upon the man who had injured his christian brother, to go and be reconciled to him immediately, before he presumed to go to the altar of God, and there offer his gift. From this controversy between man and man, he makes a natural transition to the controversy between man and God, and directs the sinner to agree with his offended Maker quickly, while in the way of reconciliation with him, lest he should lose the precious opportunity of obtaining his favor, and fall under his just and everlasting displeasure. The text, without any further comment, obviously contains this serious and interesting truth :

That sinners must perish for ever, unless they become reconciled to God, their adversary, while he is in the way of reconciliation with them.

I. I shall show, what is implied in God's being an adversary to sinners.

[blocks in formation]

II. Show what is implied in God's being in the way of reconciliation with them. And,

III. Show that if they refuse to be reconciled to him, while he is in the way with them, they must perish for ever.

I. What is implied in God's being an adversary to sinners. Adversary, signifies one who is an opposer, an antagonist, an enemy. In this sense it is used in the text, to denote that God is at variance with sinners, has a controversy with them, and is alienated in his heart from them. This, however, does not mean, that he feels any such thing as malevolence towards them; for he is good unto all, and his tender mercies are over all his works; God feels truly benevolent to the evil and unthankful, to the disobedient and most incorrigible sinners. But his being an adversary to them implies, that he is really displeased with them. His benevolence hates their selfishness; his holiness hates their sinfulness. He is of purer eyes than to behold sin, without the utmost abhorrence and detestation. His infinite love. to holiness creates an infinite aversion to unholiness. He is angry with the wicked every day, and his wrath continually abides upon them, when they lie down, and when they rise; when they go out, and when they come in; when they tread his courts, and when they neglect to attend them; and all the while they live to themselves, instead of living to him. He knows, that every imagination of the thoughts of their heart is evil, only evil, and that continually. He knows that all their affections are alienated from him, and all their actions are so many transgressions of his holy law. It is, therefore, morally impossible for him not to be displeased with them, while their hearts and lives are thus full of evil. And now his holy displeasure at sinners necessarily makes him their adversary, and sets him against them. How often does he say to the sinner, "I am against the?" He says this no less than twelve times in the prophets. This is an awful declaration! It implies not only that the heart of God is against sinners, but that all his perfections are against them. His benevolence, his goodness, his justice, and his omnipotence, are all arrayed against them. "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no God with me; I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and 1 heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand; I lift my hand to heaven and say, I live for ever. If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Such a holy, just, and omnipotent adversary is God to sinners; who not only hates them, but, if they continue

impenitent, will assuredly punish them as long as he and they exist. But yet,

II. He is in the way of reconciliation with them; which implies,

1. That he proposes terms upon which he is willing to be reconciled to them. And the terms he proposes are extremely gracious and condescending. He requires nothing more on their part, in order to a reconciliation, than that they should love him, whom they have hated without a cause, and return to him, from whom they have unreasonably revolted, in the way he has appointed. He has appointed his Son to be a Mediator between him and them. And as Mediator, he has suffered and died in their room, and made complete atonement for their sins; so that God can, through the medium of his Son, become reconciled to them, as soon as they renounce their enmity, "accept the punishment of their iniquity," and cordially embrace the divine Redeemer. It was great condescension and grace in God to take the first step towards a reconciliation, by removing an insurmountable obstacle in the way of it, by giving the Son of his love, to suffer and die on the cross, to open the door of mercy; and it is great grace in God, after this, to propose a reconciliation upon the terms of the gospel. But he does graciously tender to sinners, pardon and salvation upon the terms of love, repentance, and faith. He says to them, "I love them that love me; and they that seek me early shall find me." "Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord." "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land." "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live. forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God. for he will abundantly pardon." Here God proposes to be reconciled to sinners, and invites them to accept his gracious proposals. He treats them more kindly than they treat one another. They insist, that the offender ought first to propose terms of reconciliation to the offended, and not the offended to the offender. But God makes the first advance towards a reconciliation with sinners, and proposes the most reasonable terms; which demonstrates, that he is more ready t be reconciled to them, than they are to him. He is in the way of reconciliation with them, while they are fleeing from him.

Let the wicked

2. God not only proposes terms of reconciliation to sinners, but waits upon them to accept his gracious proposals. They ought to agree with their adversary quickly, while he is in the way of reconciliation with them; but being averse to a reconciliation, they are extremely prone to refuse and neglect to comply with his gracious proposals. Instead of returning to God, they love to wander from him; and instead of accepting his terms of mercy, they obstinately reject them, for which they deserve to be denied any further invitations. But God still waits to be gracious to them, and exercises great patience and forbearance towards them. He had rather they would accept than reject his offers; he had rather save, than destroy them. This he solemnly declares in his word, "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from nis way and live; turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God and not man." Agreeably to these merciful declarations, God has exercised astonishing patience towards sinners in every age of the world; nor has his forbearance yet failed. He is this day waiting upon thousands and millions of delaying sinners, who have, for many years, refused to hear and accept the terms of salvation. So long as God thus continues to propose terms of mercy to sinners, and waits upon them to accept his terms, he is certainly in the way of reconciliation with them. His long patience and forbearance towards them, are plain and infallible tokens of his sincere desire to be reconciled to them. His conduct perfectly harmonizes with his declarations.

3. God not only proposes terms of reconciliation to sinners, and waits upon them to accept the terms he proposes, but he uses a variety of means to induce them to become reconciled to him. He has appointed and authorized an order of men to carry on a treaty of reconciliation with mankind, and directed them to exhibit the most solemn and weighty motives before the minds of his revolted subjects, to acquaint themselves with him and be at peace. Hence, says the apostle, "All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though

« AnteriorContinuar »