Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

To deny the inftitution of a gospel-miniftry, or to vilify fuch an order of men, on account of their personal faults, or the decisions of their courts, is moft unjustifiable. Apply fuch reasoning to civil magiftracy, and it's abfurdity appears in a moHowever contemptible and base minifters may fometimes render themselves to the people, ftill the office is of God. And what he has fet up, Faithful ministers are as

ment.

let no man pull down.
watchmen on the walls, fhepherds over the flock,
and ftandard-bearers in Meffiah's army. Theirs it
is, to proclaim the jubilee of the Lord, to befeech
finners to be reconciled to him, and to efpouse
them to him as their husband, Luke xxiv. 47.
2 Cor. v. 20. and xi. 2. To our highest esteem
therefore they are entitled for their work's fake,
1 Theff. v. 13. And when the chief Shepherd fhall
appear, they shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth
not away, 1 Pet. v. 4.

2. Let us have the fcriptures in the highest efteem. In them the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a ftandard against the enemy. In them there is light, in oppofition to his darkness; truth, in oppofition to his lies; and eternal life, in oppofition to that death whereof he has the power, Heb. ii. 14. In them we have light, whereby to walk; manna, whereupon to feed; and a fword, wherewith to fight. As the word of God is the standard; fo alfo the fword of the Spirit, Eph. vi. 17.: and of it, we may fay, as did David of Goliath's, There is none like that, 1 Sam. xxi. 9. This two-edged fword let us take in our hand to execute vengeance on the enemy. Amidft all our conflicts, to

this ftandard let us ftill repair; under this banner let us quit ourselves like men, and fight the battles of the Lord.

[ocr errors]

And what an animating motive in the example of our King! When conflicting with the enemy, he took to him this armour of God. Him he repelled with arrows drawn from this quiver: It is written, faid the Son of God, to the tempter, Matth. iv. 4, 7, 10. Thrice did the waves of temptation roll, and thrice he repelled them with the word. The enemy could not beguile him, as the word properly is, Pfal. lxxxix. 22. He beguiled the woman; the man Chrift, he could not *. Herein let us follow Chrift, and fight as he fought. We wrestle not only with flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against Spiritual wickedness in high places, Eph. vi. 12. Against this enemy let us display the banner of the word, in it's precepts and it's promises. By thefe let us keep ourselves from the paths of the deftroyer. Let the one direct our prefent practice, and the other support us against all the fears of futurity. If the enemy come in with a flood of temptations,

* Our verion reads, The enemy shall not exact upon him. But it is obvious, that the word fignifies to deceive, beguile, or feduce. It is the very word used by the woman, Gen. iii. 13. The ferpent beguiled me. We find it fo rendered, Ifa, xxxvi. 14. Let not Hezekiah deceive you. So alfo in Jer. iv. 10, and xlix. 16. Obad. ver, 7. The judicious will readily fee the propriety of retaining the fame fignification, in Pfal. lxxxix. 22. If ever there was exaction, that was, Fall down and worship me, Matth. iv. 9. A higher exaction Lucifer could not make: but though he exacted upon him, he could not deceive him.

to try and to trouble us, let us lift up the ftandard of the Spirit, the word of the Lord, against them all. This rod of God let us take in our hand, and leaning on it, pafs as through fire and water, till we reach the wealthy and the holy place. As faithful foldiers let us cleave to the standard of the Lord, in fpite of all oppofition. It is only in believing the word, that we can fight the good fight of faith. Deferting this ftandard, we must fall into the hands of the enemy, and be carried away as with a flood.

3. From what was faid, we may fee the neceffity and advantage of Confeffions of Faith, inafmuch as thereby we come to know one another, and are more firmly united in the faith against the common enemy. It was observed above, and on this hinge alone we could let the argument for Confeffions turn, that though the fcripture reveals God's mind to us, it cannot reveal our minds to one another. We must use our own words for this purpose, and accordingly fee wherein we agree, or differ. To profess that we believe the fcripture is far from being fufficient. We must declare in what sense we understand it. We have just now feen, that the father of lies came as with a Bible beneath his arm-pit, to the Son of God: It is written, faid he, He fhall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, left at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone, Matth. iv. 6. re fcripture is adduced by the tempter to fuphis bafe fuggeftions. But, how miferably e pervert it! Our bleffed Saviour rejected nfe which the devil would have put upon it, , It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the

Lord thy God. Here the ferpent and the feed of the woman, both quoting fcripture; the one to lead to fin, the other to keep back from it: the one in the most erroneous fenfe; the other in the true. Now, if the ferpent quoted fcripture to colour his tentation, may not his feed do the fame to patronize their damnable herefies? They have done fo, times without number. They pretend fcripture; and the faith of the true church rests upon it. Therefore, left men privily bring in damnable herefies, it is neceffary that they come to an eclaircisement; and, in their own words, tell their fentiments. To give an inftance in one fcripture instead of all: Our Lord faid, My Father is greater than I, John xiv. 28. The Arians believe this text; and fo do the orthodox. But when they come to explain in what fenfe they understand it; how widely they differ! Eaft and weft are not more oppofite than they. The one party understand the words, as Satan quoted fcripture, abfolutely, and without any restriction. The other understand it in a limited fense: and therefore, like the Saviour, they quote another fcripture to fhow in what fenfe this must be taken. Though it is written, My Father is greater than I; they know it is written again, That Chrift being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, Phil. ii. 6.

It is obferveable, that the enemies of truth are always decrying Creeds and Confeffions. What a ftruggle was made of late, to get rid of the thirtynine articles of the church of England! And are there not numbers among us, who would rejoice Z

to fee the Weftminster Confeffion laid afide?— Mean while, it is obvious, that fuch are not in this inftance going forth by the footsteps of the flock. Creeds are of great antiquity in the church, And as herefies began to fpread, it was neceffary they should be enlarged. At whatever quarter the enemy was coming in, there it was neceffary that a ftandard fhould be lifted up. The fword was still to be pointed against him; and, like that of flame, to turn every way to keep the way of truth, the tree of life.— And what though men can devise means to evade the truth, in subscribing to Creeds or Confeffions, which they do not believe? Confeffions are not therefore to be laid afide in the church, no more than oaths in the state, because many can swear falfely.

4. We may fee the LAWFULNESS of entring into the most public engagements to ferve the Lord, and to oppose and extirpate, by every lawful mean, whatever is contrary to his will. The enemy had come into our land like a flood, and our renowned anceftors entred into a folemn covenant to oppose him. Thus they lifted up a standard. And did they fin in doing fo? Surely not. Whatever weaknesses might attend their manner of acting, in blending matters political and religious, nants under civil pains, &c. for them, folemnly to engage God, and not for another. If it be the duty of every individual to engage himself to ferve the Lord, it cannot be the fin of a society, however extensive, to enter into the like cngagement. If one man may fwear unto the Lord, Pfal. cxix. 106.. why

impofing the coveSurely it was lawful themselves to be for

« EelmineJätka »