[They who have greatly improved their talents will be greatly rewarded_ They whose sins have been peculiarly aggravated will be more severely punished-] A more important consideration than this cannot enter into the mind of man II. The improvement which he made of it This subject is extremely awful even to the best of men [The most eminently pious are conscious of many defects They know also the deceitfulness of their hearts Hence not even St. Paul himself could fully rely on the verdict of his own conscience"] But it is full of "terror" to the ungodly [To see him as their Judge, whose dying love they despised! To be confronted with all their accomplices in wickedness- To wait the dreadful sentence from the mouth of their Judge! To have nothing but an eternity of unmixed misery before them! What can be more terrible"?-] Paul well "knew" this terror of the Lord He therefore laboured "to persuade men", [He persuaded men to "flee from the wrath to come, and to lay hold on eternal life" He spared no pains to attain this object of his wishes-He regarded no sufferings if he might but prevail on -] .some APPLICATION [We would improve this subject as the apostle did We know most assuredly these terrors of the LordWe, on account of our office, are peculiarly interested in the events of that day — We therefore would persuade you to repent, and believe the gospel ' Rom. xv. 19. 1 Cor. ix. 19-22. 1 Luke xii. 47. n Rev. vi. 14—17. We P 2 Tim. ii. 10. Acts xx. 24. 9 Heb. xiii. 17. If this subject were addressed to the Clergy, this thought should be amplified. Mark i. 15. We would persuade you by every alarming or encouraging consideration Consider the certainty of that day-the nearness of itthe greatness of the preparation necessary-and the consequence of dying unprepared Consider the free remission, and the almighty assistance now offered you, and the blessedness of being prepared to meet your God May we all lay these considerations to heart! May we at the last be found, not only almost, but altogether Christians!-] VII. CHRIST'S ADVICE TO THE SELF-DECEIVING PROFES SORS OF RELIGION. Rev. iii. 17, 18. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, thut thou mayest see. GOD is of purer eyes than to behold iniquityNevertheless he exercises wonderful patience and longsuffering towards sinners This was evident in all his conduct towards the Antediluvians, the Canaanites, the Jews But most of all is his forbearance manifested towards his church and people He sees thousands who name the name of Christ without departing from iniquity-* Such there were even in the earliest ages of Christianity→→→ Our Lord therefore, in an epistle to the Laodicean church, denounced his judgments against them, v. 16.— But before he inflicted his judgments he gave them this affectionate advice I. The state of self-deceiving Christians Experience proves that in spiritual as well as temporal concerns, pride and ignorance go together This was remarkably verified at Laodicea; "Thou sayest, &c. but knowest not, &c." The same habit of mind obtains almost universally at the present day 1. Pride [Almost every one esteems himself "rich" in good works They, who cannot justify their actions, give themselves credit for good intentions The longer we live, the more we "increase" in this per suasion We imagine that we "need little or no help" from aboveWe think that we have a sufficiency of wisdom and strength in ourselves What pride and arrogance does this betray! It argues too a deplorable ignorance of our real state-] 2. Ignorance [The scripture gives a most humiliating view of man's depravity It represents us also as destitute of any help in ourselves; "wretched," &c. But the generality have not the least idea that they are in such a state They would be ready to consider such a representation of their state as a libel on human nature Such was the ignorance of many when the profession of Christianity was attended with much difficulty and dangerWe must not wonder therefore if it be so now-] It is extremely awful to be under such a delusionOur Lord however is full of mercy and compassion towards such persons II. The advice which our Lord gives them The person who gives the counsel is the Lord Jesus Christ What he advises cannot but be worthy of the deepest attention His counsel in the text is exactly suited to our condition He exhorts us to come to him for a supply of our several wants 1. For gold tried in the fire [By "gold" he means divine grace, which is the richest treasure This a It is he who appeared to St. John, Rev. i. 17, 18, and who is described at the beginning of every one of the epistles to the seven churches: in this to Laodicea he is called "the Amen, the faithful and true witness. This alone will stand the "fiery trial" of temptation— But though we are to "buy" it of him, we must " buy it without money and without price b" Without this, we must of necessity be poor, whatever else we may possess― With this, we cannot but " be truly rich"-] 2. For white raiment [By white raiment is meant a justifying righteousnessIt is that which is "unto all and upon all them that believe". It is the same as that with which the glorified saints are clothed Every man has needed this since the fall It seems to have been typified from the beginning, by the skins of the sacrifices with which God taught our first parents to clothe themselves— None but Christ can furnish us with this. No "filthy rags of our righteousness" will supersede it~ Clad with this we shall stand before God without spot or blemish -] 3. For spiritual eye-salve [The influences of the Spirit are here compared to “ salve" We all need the illumination of God's Spirits eye It is Christ's office and prerogative to send the Spirit to us h Without receiving the Spirit from him we must for ever continue blind— But by means of it the weakest will be made wise unto salvation1-] INFER 1. What a glorious fulness must there be in Christ! [The whole Christian world are in a state of extreme indigence Yet Christ counsels all of them to come and buy of himWherever they be, and whatever they want, he can furnish them all at the same instant* How inexhaustible then must his fulness be!— Let us endeavour to obtain just views of his greatnessLet us seek to "receive out of his fulness grace grace"] for 2. What an unspeakable blessing is the preached gospel! b Isai. lv. 1. c Rev. xix. 8. Jer. xxiii. 6. h John xvi. 7. 1 John i. 16. [It e Isai. Ixiv. 6. 1 John ii. 27. [It is the gospel which holds forth Christ in all his characters It is by the gospel that he communicates out of his fulness→→→ Thousands in all ages of the church have experienced its illuminating, sanctifying, and saving efficacy Let us then attend with diligence and constancy to the word preached Let us improve it to the obtaining of a deeper sense of our own indigence Let us be led by it to Christ, that we may participate his blessings-] VIII. THE DOXOLOGY OF THE REDEEMED. Rev. v. 11-13. I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I, saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. WE know at present but very little of the blessedness of heaven Yet the word of God enables us to form some faint conception of it St. John draws aside the veil, and reveals to us I. The assembly which he saw The inhabitants of heaven are composed of angels, and glorified saints [The angels are those who, "kept their first estate" from which others fell The saints are spoken of under two characters," the beasts, or living creatures," and "the elders" The former are supposed to represent the ministers of Christ, and the latter, the members of the church' They a In the peculiar qualities of the four living creatures an allusion is probably made to the talents requisite for the ministerial function. The preacher of the gospel ought to be bold, patient, compassionate, and discerning. Rev. iv. 7. b They are 24, probably in allusion to the 12 patriarchs and 12 apostles, who were the heads of the Jewish and Christian, i. e. of the universal church. |