Images de page
PDF
ePub

of those members that are more strong; for they are often lain with a weight upon the minds of others; hence we read of some who are borne upon the sides, and dandled upon the knees, of Zion; which would not be the case, if they had but good use of their own feet. "I was feet to the lame," says Job. "Confirm the feeble knees," says Paul. The feet seem to want the most attention of any; for they are the same in the body as the ewe great with young is in the flock. And the devil often bruises this heel of Christ, as Amalek did in the wilderness, who could not reach the front, but fell upon the rear, and cut off all that were faint, and feeble; and God swore that he would have war with him for ever for so doing, Exod. xvii. 16.

"Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body." The hand, to me, appears to be one whose faith is come to some degree of maturity, who hath laid hold on eternal life, and who holds fast and abides close by the covenant head. He holds fast the form of sound words, and continues stedfast in the apostles' doctrine, and is able at times to hold forth in private the word of life, a word of reproof, instruction, counsel, admonition, exhortation, comfort, or encouragement, to others. And he may be called a hand, because of his ability to assist, and willingness to communicate, to the necessitous; as wisdom describes the church as reaching out her hand to the poor and needy. The foot at times may be provoked to jealousy,

the

is it therefore not The ear appears to

and be led by Satan to envy the happiness of such who seem to excel, and to draw conclusions from thence that, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; "But is it therefore not of the body?" "And if the ear shall say, Because I am not eye, I am not of the body; of the body?" 1 Cor. xii. 16. be an attentive hearer. And how delightful is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear; an ear that is circumcised to hear and understand the Shepherd's voice; an ear that can try the word as the mouth tasteth its meat; which can discover and disrelish perverse things, such as the allurements of designing men, who lie in wait to deceive; and who, knowing the joyful sound, is able to detect the Lo here, and Lo there, of the minister of Satan. The ear is not to say,

"Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body." The eye appears to me to be a real minister of the gospel, or a cherubim, one of John's living creatures, full of eyes before and behind, who have the first views and discoveries made to them of the mysteries of the kingdom, and whose work is to call others to come and see. Hence John is called a burning and a shining light, because he let his light shine before men. And if thine eye be single, saith the Lord, liberal and bountiful, seeking Christ's honour, and the good of his chosen (for it is a bountiful eye that will pity the poor, Prov. xxii. 9,) and deal out truly, freely, and bountifully, the truths, promises, and blessings, of

the everlasting gospel, to the enriching and enlarging the poor in [spirit; such an eye being single the whole body shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give the light. But, if the eye be evil, the whole body is full of darkness; as are many congregations of poor formalist Arminians, heretics, and hypocrites, like the kingdom of the beast of Rome, full of darkness. The ancient name of a minister sent of God is that of a seer, because the light of God shined into him. And another name is that of a watchman, who requires eyesight to see into the dark designs of thieves and robbers, and look after the fafety of the citizens. The name of shepherd also, which takes the oversight of the flock. Another of their names is that of seraphim, which signifies inflaming, because the Lord makes his ministers a flame of fire, to warm, enlarge, and inflame, the souls of the saints. And much fire such want, in order to set forth the ever-blessed Spirit of God, the eternal love of God, the joy of God, and the comforts of God. And this fire gives a true light to them; and much light they want in order to look into the mysteries of God, into arch impostors and deceivers, who are ministers of Satan transformed. And they want eyes to discern spirits, false from true; and to read hypocrites and saints, to distinguish the vile from the precious, and a work of grace from devilism; which is Satan's craft, intended to imitate the work of God upon the soul, that he may sow tares among the wheat, in order to deceive. A near

VOL. XVI.

sighted seer, a blind watchman, and a shepherd that cannot understand, are Zion's worst enemies. And this was Israel's case, as God complains: "His watchmen are blind; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand,” Isaiah lvi. 10, 11.

"If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?" If the whole church were ministers, where would be the hearers? God gives the discerning eye to his church, that his people may be fed with knowledge and understanding; and he gives the obedient ear also: "As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me." And the Lord hath blessed both: "Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear."

"If the whole body were hearing, where were the smelling?" The mystical body of Christ is not without a nose. This is twice commended by the Lord in the seventh chapter of the Song of Solomon. All Christ's garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia; and the whole of his sacrifice is a sweetsmelling savour, a savour of life unto life to all that believe; and a quick-scented believer is of great use in the body, in smelling out wolves and foxes, who, like the flies in the apothecary's ointment, send forth a stinking savour.

"And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you." The head of the church is

How

Christ; and though it is true we have all need enough of him, yet I do not know that it can be said of him that he stands in need of us. ever, the mediatorial King will have his subjects; the great Shepherd will have his flock; the Captain of salvation will have his good soldiers; the Husband will have his wife; the everlasting Father will have his children about him; and the Head will have his body. These characters, which he is pleased to assume, make the other necessary. And sure I am, that the covenant Head never will say to his little ones, no not to the least, "I have no need of thee;" though perhaps the most ancient and most honourable members in a church, who are sometimes called elders, may be meant here by the head, because the ancient and the honourable he is the head of a society; and the prophet that teacheth lies he is the tail; but Christ's body has no such tails to it. However, the most ancient and honourable member cannot say to the least and lowest I have no need of thee; for without such there would be no increase, no succession, and of course the church must discontinue.

"Nay much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary." I know of nothing belonging to the human body that are more feeble than the hairs of our head; and yet even these are all numbered, and not one of them shall perish, Matt. x. 30. Luke xxi. 18. And, as weak believers are sometimes compared to these, a third part of the hairs cut off from the

« PrécédentContinuer »