a prayer he would not answer. Whether therefore we consider this prayer as coming from David, the figure of the man after God's own heart, or from Christ himself, the substance of that figure, we are equally assured of a propitious response. To the believer in Jesus Christ this prospect is inexpressibly pleasing. Especially when he considers in what the wickedness of the wicked consists. First, deception is wickedness, wickedness most heinous; the wickedness of the wicked. It originated with him in paradise, he deceived our general Mother, and, because he did this deed, he was cursed; and when the beast and the false prophet that deceived the nations, are both taken alive, and cast into the lake of fire, then, the cause being removed, the effect must of necessity cease ; then, the wickedness of the wicked shall most assuredly come to an end. But as the root shall die, so also will the branches. Bigotry and superstition are the effects of deception, and are most certainly the wickedness of the wicked; these likewise must come to an end Backbiting, lying, and slandering are confessedly the wickedness of the wicked, for he hath, from the beginning, been the whisperer that separateth between choice friends; and he is a liar, and the father of lies. Secondly, destruction of every species, if we except the destruction of evil, is the wickedness of the wicked, and hence we are told destruction shall come to an end. From whence come wars and fightings; come they not of lusts that war against the soul? All wars, or which is much the same, all thirsting for blood and treasure, is the wickedness of the wicked. Hence we are assured wars, and rumours of wars, shall cease to the ends of the earth; and the nations shall learn war no more. Blessed prospect, halcyon days, come, thou Prince of Peace! Desire of nations, come. Finally, as the wickedness of the wicked must come to an end, the consequence is unavoidable; the people shall be all holy. He who bought them with his own blood, is faithful and just, not only to forgive them their sins, but to cleanse them from all unrighteousness, and this we are assured he will do, for it was for this end he both died and rose again. Behold then I show unto you a great mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. Perhaps, both the one and the other of these particulars, were to the people of Corinth mysterious; but God showed them to Paul: and Paul showed them unto the people. He abundantly manifested, that what was corruptible, weak, and dishonourable, should be incorruptible, powerful, and glorious. To conclude, the prayer in my text is neither more nor less than entreating God to grant what the apostle Peter saith he hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy prophets ever since the world began. Acts, chapter iii. 21. "The heavens must receive his (Christ's body) until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy prophets, ever since the world began." But when will this restitution of all things take place? When the wickedness of the wicked cometh to an end.* The christian man cannot sorrow as him who is without hope. He knows in whom he has believed. He knows he is faithful who has promised. He knows that he will perform all his pleasure. He therefore can with confidence repeat, O thou destruction, thou shalt, thou art come to a perpetual end. Yet a little while, and all we reckon evil is no more; the storms of sin and death shall quickly pass, "and one unclouded spring encircle all." Farewell, my friend, can I exhibit to your view a more blissful, a more sublime prospect? May you hold fast that faith which gives you to look with a single eye to the complex character of the Lord Jesus. * The wickedness of the wicked came to an end, in the view of Deity, when our Saviour finished transgression and made an end of sin, When he cried out upon the cross with a loud voice, it is finished-We know that before the comprehensive gaze of Deity one eternal now is constantly exhibited. But the individual members of the body of the Redeemer are blinded by the God of this world; and many there be, who will not enter into complete possession of their immaculate inheritance in their own particular characters and comprehension until the morning of the Resurrection. 1 LETTER VII. ACCEPT now, my friend, as near as I can recollect, the subject of two discourses which I have recently delivered, selecting for my text John, i. 29, 30. "The next day, John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world! "This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is prefered before me: for he was before me." You have, my friends, wished to see me, you have for a long season been looking out for the messenger of peace, and you have been expecting him with that earnest solicitude, which naturally attaches to the importance of the tidings, with which you presumed he would be fraught. You have been anxious to hear what God the Lord would say unto you: for you were convinced his words. would be the words of consolation, and of truth. For me, I have often anticipated the pleasure which I felt assured I should experience, in labouring to investigate the doctrine of God our Saviour, in the midst of a people so eminently desirous to attend to the life-bestowing word. At length we are met together, our mutual wishes are gratified, and, as my visit has been so long, and so unexpectedly delayed, I have this morning been particularly solicitous to present before you, that which you might unanimously acknowledge was worth waiting for. Turning, in this disposition of mind, to the treasury of our God, the passage I have read presented itself before me; I readily accepted it, and I said of it, as David said of the sword with which he cut off the head of the uncircumcised Philistine, there is nothing like it. Yet, there are difficulties to get over, not in my subject but very possibly in the minds of my hearers. Some, many perhaps, are well persuaded of the truth as it is in Jesus. To such individuals this sight will be truly pleasing. But if there be any who have not been taught of God, but on the contrary are receiving for doctrines the traditions of men, they will find some difficulty in attending to the sayings of the Lord. Assuredly it is a very considerable disadvan tage, under which the preacher of Jesus Christ labours; who, while investigating the grand truths of the gospel, is called to encounter prejudices of long standing, the cherished opinions of centuries. Yes, I feel the magnitude of my subject, and hourly experience teaches me the insufficiency of my powers. But humbly petitioning the aid of the elucidating spirit of truth, I shall proceed to consider: Ist. What are we to understand by the world? 2dly. The character pointed out by the Holy Ghost. The Lamb of God. 3dly. The testimony of the Divine Spirit respecting this Lamb of God-He taketh away the sin of the world. 4thly. That this Lamb of God was the identical individual, of whom John spake, when he said, he is prefered before me. 5thly. And whence this preference? First, What are we to understand by the world? - How are we to proceed? Are we in conformity to the course of this world, to make void by the traditions of men, the word of the Lord? or shall we attend simply to the divine testimony, saying neither more, nor less than the Lord saith? Here our difficulties become manifest; we are as him who would build a house, on which stood a mighty fabric; before he lays a single foundation stone, he must labour to remove all the rubbish which appertained to the old edifice. We have been taught to believe that the world did not mean the world; and I know a preacher, who, after wording this precious text, thus commenced his discourse. "I shall undertake to prove the Lamb of God did not take away the sin of the world!" this was indeed a bold attempt, a most daring undertaking! I have two reasons for not treading in his steps. First, I am not able, and secondly, I am not willing. Yet, if I should not, I shall contradict the united testimony of many illustrious names, in many respects truly admirable; and I do assure you, I take no pleasure in being at variance with such individuals. But I must be at variance with them, or with the author of my text; and I have many reasons for accepting the evidence of the Baptist, in preference to modern commentators, however splendid in reputation, however dignified in character. It would look like insult, were I to stand in this desk, and selecting a passage from any one of these approved writers, say the word of God as written in the 10th page of the Reverend Mr. Henry's comment on the New-Testament. But why, I beseech you, would : : : it not be as consistent to give Mr. Henry, or Mr. Pool, or any other comment. In these sacred Oracles the world is invariably spoken of in the same sense; and in no instance, is this term used to distinguish either the elect of God, or the believers in Christ Jesus. On the contrary, we hear our Divine Master declaring in his appeal to the Father, O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee. We hear an apostle say, We know that we are of God, and we know that the whole world lyeth in the wicked one. Our Saviour instructs his disciples, If ye be of me the world will hate you, and praying for them, he adds, I pray not for the world; thus distinguishing between the world, and those whom God had given him out of the world. In the like manner, an apostle speaking of Jesus, informs us that he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. In fact, the character every where given to the world, in holy writ, is the reverse of every thing that is wise and good. The world is always spoken of as ignorant of God, and consequently enmity against him. Thus saith the Redeemer, addressing his disciples : "These things shall they do unto you, because they know not the Father, nor the Son," they are unacquainted both with the divine and human nature. In one word, the whole world wandereth after the beast! yet, be astonished, O heavens! and give ear, O earth! this is the world that God so loved, as to give them his Son, the immaculate Lamb of God. Behold! the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. When revolving time brings together long separated friends, after customary interrogations relative to their health, &c. &c. the usual inquiry succeeds, what news do you bring to us? is the political horizon clear, or cloudy? and at this interesting period of time, our solicitude is both natural and rational. |