Page images
PDF
EPUB

"wrought up to rapture by the view of our bliss; and the skies are rent by them with affectionate gratulations. In deed, on this day, 'mercy and truth are met together,' the Law and the Prophets present themselves, Saints and Angels are assembled, God and Man are united, to manifest, proclaim, and extol the wonderful goodness of the Creator, and the singular honour and happiness of his human creatures. And who, amidst the grandeur and the transport of the scene, can avoid partaking of the general glow? Who among the sinful offspring of Adam, has not cause to leap as an hart, at the tidings of redemption; especially when assured, that his Redeemer is mighty, even the Holy One; and his Intercessor, the beloved Son, in whom the Father is ever well pleased?" Vol. I. p. 285.

We pass over a short but edifying sermon, the twenty-fifth, on the Circumcision, to arrive at the two next, on New-Year's Day: the first teaching us, from Ephes. v. 16, to" redeem the time;" the second applying the parable of the fig-tree cumbering the ground, from Luke xiii. 7, 8. There are indeed, in these sermons, as in some of their predecessors, no very striking beauties to redeem them from other imperfections, in style and arrangement, which these volumes often exhibit.

sions, for which, amidst so much excellence, it is rather difficult to account, we shall proceed, without further animadversion, to the three The sermons on the Epiphany. first of these, from Isa. lx. 8. enters at large upon the dealings of Divine Providence, with the Gentiles coming to the light of the Gospel, and the Jews rejecting it in wilful blindness. The next, from Matt. ii. 9-11. delineates duct of the wise men coming from more fully the character and conthe East to Jerusalem. The third, from John viii. 12, demonstrates the blessings of Him who said, "I am the light of the world;" more especially, in contrast with the situation of mankind before his rising, their deplorable ignorance and wretchedness, and the world, as to its religion, morals, and expectations, overcast with clouds, and filled with blindness and debasement. At the approach of the Divine purposes, it is true, "Prophets, like the planets of night, while yet the sun was unseen, glowed with his beams, and, in harmonious concert, proclaimed the certainty of his existence, and instructed the devout to be waiting for his appearance." p. 343, Oppor

"The wanderings of the Patriarchs, in the first ages, carried a knowledge of the true God among the Canaanites, the Egyptians, the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, and many countries of the East.

In the first sermon, after speak-tunities had before been offered for ing of the impossibility of recalling the acquisition of saving knowledge. the moments which, once gone, are gone for ever," until we find them in the eternity of God, at the day of judgment," testifying for or against us, the Bishop hints, more than once, at a very questionable mode of atoning for their loss, and so recalling them. "We may, by increased fidelity, make some atonement to our Creator for past prodigality, and some return for his mercy in still prolonging our being." p. 300.

And again, he speaks of what "should make us tremblingly solicitous to regain what we have lost, and atone for what we have abused." P. 303.

But having before protested against these occasional expres

The captivities of the Jews, under the Mosaic dispensation, brought the Divine name and character among the Assyrians, the Medes and Persians, and many polished neighbouring nations. The dispersion of the tribes, and, indeed, the commercial intercourse of the Hebrews with other nations, must have introduced the mention of the true God

among the inhabitants of Europe and Asia, and of all places whither they went. The prevalence of circumcision among some heathen nations, and many parts of the mythology of others, are, to this day, vestiges, defaced vestiges, of the course of truth; monuments of opportunities afforded all men to become

acquainted with the true theology." Vol. I. pp. 319, 320.

And the Bishop gives it as his opinion, that

The Holy Ghost did frequently

strive in the hearts of the heathen.

This blessed Spirit, which the mediation of the Son hath purchased for the children of men, lifts his still small voice' in the bosom of every man. Whatever attainments in true wisdom or virtue we find in the heathen world, all was the fruit of the assistance of that blessed Spirit by which we are sanctified. His motions enabled them to shew the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean 'while accusing, or else excusing, one another.' And had they yielded to his gracious influences, he would, no doubt, bave led them to God and virtue. But they preferred their carnal inclinations and depraved lusts. They resisted and quenched the Spirit. And God, surely, was not obliged, in justice, to preserve them supernaturally from the consequences of their wickedness. No creature can claim any thing of him as a right; much less sinuers the interference of his mercy." Vol. I. p. 319.

The preacher here clearly places an important inquiry on its right basis. He speaks nothing of the powers of unassisted reason; nor of that still remaining and only half-extinguished light of nature, in which some modern Pelagians are so prompt to discover, or rather to fancy, the dignity of fallen man. Whatever of good was found amid the dreary waste of human depravity, that he carries up to the secret but sanctifying influence of God's Holy Spirit: whatever of evil, to the voluntary departure of man's depraved will from the guidance and governance of God. The extent of the evil we know no where drawn out in more just or glowing descriptions than those of our American instructor; and we seem as if irresistibly borne away, by his fervent and grateful acknowledgments of our own Gospel light, to the duty he so appropriately recommends.

"Let me entreat you, to look upon

the multitude of heathens, upon whom the light of the Gospel hath not shined. While their dark, degraded, dismal condition excites your gratitude for your if you have means or opportunities, Christian felicities, let it prompt you, faithfully to use them for extending to the benighted heathen the instructions and hopes in which yon are happy. Means and opportunities, have you none? Yes. You may give them your prayers. And what Christian will neglect to do this, when he considers, that peace cannot be among men, till it is shed upon them by the Redeemer; and that Jerusalem must be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.'

"Which brings me, in the last place, to observe, that upon God's ancient people, our elder brethren, we should bestow the look and the wishes of an holy and anxious regard. If the fall of them have been the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulness?' They are kept, yet, to acknowledge the Messiah, whom they have rejected. They are reserved to be the crown of our Lord's rejoicing, the consummating triumph of his word and power. He came to our earth to be not only the light which should lighten the Gentiles,' but also the glory of God's people Israel.' Let us then, as our church teaches us, offer our prayers for all Jews,' as well as Turks, Infidels, and Heretics;' that God would take

from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of his word;

and

so fetch them home to his flock, that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites; and made one fold, under one Shepherd, Jesus Christ, our Lord."" Vol. I. pp. 336, 337.

The many animated appeals of the latter kind, and the deep interest and profound views with which Bishop Dehon seems to consider the case of God's ancient people the Jews, cannot fail, we trust, of stimulating many of his readers to join in the pious efforts now making, with abundant promise, for their spiritual benefit. Never was the boasted charity of the Christian world, and even its prophetic sagacity, more strangely deficient in its proper fruits than in this case: and even the present age is not wanting

in those who spiritually say to that unhappy race," Depart in peace; be ye warmed and filled:" whilst they contribute nothing themselves and even think scorn of any undertakings that are contributing to give them such things as they have need of.”

We are unable to quote, as we had wished, a strong practical appeal to Christians of the present day, gathered from the example of the bold and disinterested sages of the East. Perhaps, however, here, as elsewhere, our divine shews a preference for the contemplative topics presented by Christianity. These seem ever to inspire him with fresh matter," thoughts that glow, and words that burn,"-almost as if at times forgetful of some who require to be led step by step, and who would wish to appropriate to themselves from the blazing Sun which he ever presents for their contemplation, a single ray to guide them through the intricate windings of human duty, or over the dangerous quicksands of worldly temptation. And this has struck us with some force in the following series, stretching for five sermons to the thirtyfifth inclusive, on the Temptation.

In this interesting assortment, the preacher has before him the fullest possible range of practical topics;-adverting, in the first, to the ends for which our Blessed Saviour was tempted; in the se cond, enlarging on his remarkable and mysterious fast; and, in the third, fourth, and fifth, considering respectively the three special temptations recorded in the pas sage of St. Matthew, chapter iv., which furnish texts for the whole series. In the first of these, the ground is particularly well taken; and giving, as it does, the reasons for our Saviour's temptation,—that he might be shewn to be without sin-that he should triumph over the prince of darkness-that he should be to his brethren a full and perfect example-that, as our High Priest and Judge, he should feel

with us, and make that tender allowance for our frailty which the best men need, it is obvious it might have embraced on all these points, a high strain of discriminative practical remark. The degree in which temptation may act without guilt incurred the degree in which we share, or ought as Christians to share, the triumph of our Saviour over temptation-how far he becomes by his humanity an example to us-and, above all, that most important inquiry to what extent, or in what sense, allowance is made for the frailty even of the best of men by a compassionate Redeemer, would have been points most worthy the acute and masterly handling of Bishop Dehou. And much might have been expected from a preacher who could discriminate as follows on the subject of one of our Lord's temptations.

"He had just withstood the most powerful solicitations to distrust: while full of confidence in the truth and good providence of God, the tempter hopes to seduce him into presumption. The Most High is able to preserve thee: he has promised to do it: cast thyself down.' But the Author of our religion

was too calm and considerate to vibrate he avoided evil, was under his own conto extremes. The velocity with which trol. He knew the narrow line where

virtue borders upon vice. It was a vain expectation, that he would not distinguish between faith and vanity, between trust and presumption. His regard for the Scriptures undiminished by the abuse of them, he recurs again to the treasures of truth, for a weapon of defence; he finds it in the reproof of Moses to those who, in the wilderness, demanded miraculous tokens that Jehovah was with them; and he, at once, repels the subtle deceiver with, It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'" Vol. I. p. 382.

Perhaps to some other observations in these sermons, the author's own remark might be applied: "It is of less consequence to know in what way the Saviour was conveyed to the battlement of the temple, than how he converted his situation into a place of triumph.".

The following sermon, the thirtysixth, on Repentance, equally belonging to the season of humiliation, confirms and illustrates all our wishes with respect to the exercise of Bishop Dehon's practical powers. It is in truth a very delightful and most edifying effusion: delineating strongly the ground and occasion which all have to practise repentance, in the certainty of their sinfulness; and the great inducement to repentance in the certainty of its efficacy; from 1 John i. 8, 9. Much, we doubt not, will be augured from the following distinc tions respecting this great Christian duty.

"To distinguish it from the compunction of the devils-for they, in their chains and torments, regret their ini. quities-it must proceed more from a love than a fear of God; it must be less a sorrow that we are endangered, than that our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier, has been offended. To distinguish it from the remorse of Judas-for he is said to have repented-it must be mixed with confidence in the mercy of the Being to whom the confession is made; the awe must be pious, and not selfish; the fear filial, and not base, which the conviction produces. Indeed, it springs from faith. It is nursed by hope. And when it speaks, it speaks with the feelings of a child to the ear of a father. Christian repentance is sorrowful, but not distracted. It is not more a turning from the wrath of God, than a turning to his love. The companion whom it seeketh is, moreover, Charity." Vol. I.

p. 398.

An appeal in proof of our sinfulness is most forcibly made to our own self-observation and experience. The morality of Jesus Christ is strongly delineated as rendering the law of God more strict, more spiritual, more complete; and therefore the situation of every transgressor is more awfully perilous. Repentance itself is placed on its proper basis, as not able to mend the broken law of God; or to found any claim to favour or reward. Yet, as the preacher continues, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and 40 cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'

What! is God in 'justice bound to receive us, when we return to him? Is the Most High obligated to forgive us, when we truly repent? Herein is dis closed the wonderful mystery of his mercy, He bath bound and obligated himself. Foreseeing the condition into which we should fall, our merciful Father provided a way in which the requirements of his justice might be satisfied, and yet sinners be forgiven; in which he might be just, and yet the justifier of those who believe in Jesus.' He gave his Son, who, by his one oblation of himself, once offered, hatu made upon the cross a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.' When, therefore, the penitent believer returns to God, he finds that the penalty which was his due his Saviour hath sustained; that the debt which was charged against him, his Divine Surety hath paid. And the just God, he is confidently assured, will not twice exact that which his love doth but once require. The everlasting Father, moreover, hath promised to the Son, as the reward of his obedience and sufferings,

[ocr errors]

that he should see of the travail of his

soul;' and, also, to all those who truly repent, aud unfeignedly believe his Gospel, the pardon and remission of all their sins. And he is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or bath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?'" Vol. 1, p. 403.

The Bishop, in illustrating the certain efficacy of repentance, falls into the erroneous method of expression which we have before alluded to, when he says, that "it was for his repentance David was forgiven." (p. 404.) Our Article more correctly says: "We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings."

Instead of proceeding at length, as we could have wished, with our author to the consideration of the events of Passion-Week, Good-Friday, Easter-Day, Ascension-Day, and Whitsunday, and the doctrine taught us on Trinity-Sunday, we must, for want rather of space than of inclination, abridge our obser

vations and extracts. On the Passion-week, in two sermons, he improves, "the time to mourn," and remarks:

"We are entering upon scenes, by which the heavens and earth are affected; upon scenes, filled with pathos, and surprising providence; upon scenes, which involve the eternal destinies of man. All is great; all is amazing; all is mournful, in this week of the Saviour's Passion." Vol. I. P. 418.

The introduction to the three succeeding sermons, on Good-Fri day, is truly sublime.

"Here is no glorious light from heaven, as on the morning of the Nativity; but the sun withdraws his shining, and the heavens are shrouded in gloom. Here are no multitudes of the heavenly hosts, uttering their joyful acclamations; but, in the darkness of the skies, imagination pictures angels and archangels hovering in amazement over their suffering Lord, and all the hosts of the Almighty meditating, in mute astonishment, the issue of the stupendous event. Here is no peaceful scene; no pulse of joy shot through the bosom of nature at the descent of her God; no shepherd returning with joy, nor wise men approaching with gifts; but horror reigns! The earth quakes; rocks are rent; the dead are moved; a wonder-struck multitude, who had gone out as to a common spectacle, are returning, smiting their breasts." Vol. I. pp. 429, 430.

The following quotation is correct, eloquent, and solemn.

6

"There are ever men, to whom all the ways of heaven are grievous; whom nothing pleases but the vain offspring of their own proud minds. To these, it is to be expected, the cross of Christ' will yet be foolishness.' From the doctrine of their depravity; from the mysterious nature of Christ; and from their own views of the character of the Deity, they will attempt to raise a scorn upon the sufferings of the Redeemer, for our salvation. But shall our faith, which rests upon the fullest evidences of the truth of the Gospel, be shaken by the cavils of speculative men? Shall we, who have found, in the doctrines of Christ, that rest for our spirits which they need, quit it because it presents to us wonders which surpass our comprehension. There is, indeed, something in our redemption through the blood of Christ, which fills

us with amazement. The Apostle styles it, the mystery' of the cross. And what is not mysterious with which we are acquainted? Can we more clearly discern the wisdom of the arrangements for our present subsistence; or the mercy of the Deity in the miseries with which the earth is filled? Badly, then, must it become us to doubt the expediency of the means which the Most High hath chosen for our salvation. Whether any other way might have been devised for man's deliverance; why the expiatory sacrifice was deferred to so late a period; whether the sufferings

of the Saviour might not have been dispensed with, or diminished, it is not our business to inquire. It is enough for us to know, that those things which God had before shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Consider, then, ye doubtful, the evidences which encompass you; that we are born in sin, and are the children of wrath.' Reflect how imperfect, with all your efforts and attainments, is the purity and virtue of your character. Contemplate yourselves as going into the presence of the infinitely holy, and awfully just God, and ask yourselves, if you have not need of a Mediator with him; of something more than your own merits to propitiate his favour. But turn from the Son, whom he hath set forth as your Redeemer, aud to whom else will you go? Will you make atonement for your own transgressions? Ah! wherewith will you make it? Look back and see, every where, the indications which man has given of his sense of the need of an expiation of his guilt. See, in the thousand libations and the ten thousand sacrifices, with which he hath sought to propitiate his God, his want of something more than his own virtue to commend him to his Maker; his want of something more than his sorrow, to turn away the wrath of the Most High. Rejoice, then, that God hath condescended to provide for the world, a sacrifice, which would be acceptable in his sight; whose blood would be of sufficient value and efficacy to take away sin. Under your consciousness of the wounds of the serpent, for the healing of which, Jesus, by Divine appointment, is lifted up upon the cross:

Look to him, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.'" Vol. I. pp. 453—455.

Passing on to the second volume, which opens with four sermous on EASTER-DAY, we find the same animated flow, and vivid

« PreviousContinue »