Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

the power of his Spirit, the people are "born again," and made" new creatures in Christ Jesus; old things pass away, and all things become new." They are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit; they walk not according to the flesh; they are enabled to crucify the old man of sin, and to put on the new man of grace; and to live, in some degree, in that holiness, without which no man can see the Lord. So St. Paul speaks to the converted Romans, "God be thanked, that (though) ye were the servants of sin, ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.' Rom. vi. 17, 18.

[ocr errors]

3. We are all, by nature, captives of the World: or, as the scripture expresses it-" Walk according to the course of this world," willingly carried along with the stream of sin, and foolishly thinking we shall do well, because we do like others; forgetting that "broad is the road that leadeth to death, and many there be that walk therein ;" while the narrow way to life is found by very few. By nature we are conformed to the world; to its foolish customs, maxims, dress and amusements; and also to its dangerous, mistaken notions of religion. People are afraid to think for themselves; they take the religion of their neighbours on trust, without examining, by the word of God, whether it be right or wrong, true or false.

But our blessed Lord " gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from the present evil world," from the sins, snares, customs, and fashions of the men of this world. St. Peter speaks of being redeemed from "our vain conversation, received by tradition from our fathers." It matters not what we were brought up to, nor what our forefathers lived in: if it was wrong, we must forsake it. We must confess Christ before men, or he will deny us before angels: and we shall not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, if we know it to be the power of God to our own salvation; but rather glory in the cross of Christ, by which we are crucified to the world, and the world to us. Then are we the true disciples of Christ, when we are not of the world, even as he was not of the world.

4. We are all, as sinners, captives and prisoners to the broken Law and offended Justice of God. The law justly demands of us perfect and perpetual obedience. If we fail in one point, we are guilty of all; and fall under its fearful curse. The law demands our obedience, or our blood. If we disobey but once, our lives are forfeited. We are condemned already; and, if death finds us in that state, it shuts us up for ever in hell.

But, glory be to the Lamb of God, that he came into the world to save sinners and as there could be no remission of sins but by the shedding of blood, he freely gave himself up for us, and died for our sins, "the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." Thus he gave himself a "ransom" for us; and "redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us," Gal. iii. 13. Hereby, all who believe in him are "delivered from the wrath to come." "There is therefore now no condemnation to them." They have passed from death unto life; and "who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died." In consequence of this they are entitled to peace of consc nce, even the peace of God that passeth all understanding.

Finally, we are all, by reason of sin, doomed to Death, and shall shortly be prisoners of the Grave. This is the house appointed for all living; to this dark abode we must soon remove, and there remain till the great day, when there shall be a resurrection both of the just and the unjust.

But the glorious Redeemer has said of his people, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction!" Yes, Jesus is made unto us redemption; namely, "the redemption of the body;" and "the creature itself," that is, the body, "shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God," Rom. viii. 21. Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

APPLICATION. And now, my friends, what think you of Redemption? Does it appear to you a little or a great matter? How are your hearts affected with it? Do you know that you are, or once was, in this miserable bondage? You can never desire deliverance, nor love the deliverer, till you know this. When Israel was in Egypt, "they sighed by reason of their bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of their bondage." Again, when Israel was in Babylon, "they sat down by the rivers and wept! yea, they wept, when they remembered Zion." Depend upon it, if you never saw this to be your condition, it is your condition now. If you never sought redemption, you never partook of it. If you never saw any excellence and preciousness in Christ, you are yet "in the gall of bitterness, yet in the bond of iniquity." Be advised, when you go home, to retire to some secret place, and, on your bended knees, implore the blessed Redeemer to set you free. Say, with the Psalmist, "Draw nigh to my soul, and redeem it." Look through the bars of your prison to heaven. Cry to the Lord in your trouble, and he will save you out of your distresses. Hear him saying,Wilt thou be made free?" He stands ready to knock off thy fetters, and set thee at liberty. If it was necessary for you to pay the price of redemption, you might well despair! but the price is paid; nothing on your part is wanting, but a heart and a hand to receive it. Come then, for all things are ready. "Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption," Ps. cxxx. 7. Here is the sum of the gospel. Here are glad tidings of great joy to souls burdened with sin. Are you afflicted with a sense of your sin and misery? Well, there is hope in Israel concerning this. "Hope in the Lord;" not in yourselves, nor in your own works, but in Jehovah; and your encouragement to do so is" with him is mercy,"-grace, goodness, bounty. He is, of his own nature, disposed to forgive; and there is this furtherencouragement-" with him there is plenteous redemption." Christ has shed his precious blood as the ransom price. The redemption is plenteous. The boundless stores of grace and mercy are fully equal to all your wants. Hope then in the Lord, and let your expectation be fixed

alone in him; for " he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities."

And you, who, through grace, have believed to the saving of your souls, come, and consider the sad state you were in; from which nothing could deliver you but the astonishing ransom of the Saviour's blood. O see the malignity of sin, in the Redeemer's bloody sweat in the garden, and in his dreadful pains on the cross. O see what sin has done! See and detest the murderer of thy gracious Lord. Hate it with a perfect hatred, and resolve to wage eternal war against it.

Come and meditate on the love of Christ," who loved you, and gave himself for you," and who has, by his Spirit, brought home the Redemption to your heart. There was nothing good in you to engage him to do this; for" while we were yet enemies, Christ died for us." O be thankful for your wonderful deliverance. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy." Had a generous fellow-creature delivered you from Turkish slavery, or from a Spanish inquisition, how would you express your thanks?"O, Sir, would you say, I am under inexpressible obligations; I have not such another friend in all the world; I shall never forget your kindness while I live." But no earthly friend can redeem your soul from sin and hell. "O would to God, (said a holy man) I could cause paper and ink to speak the worth and excellency, the high and loud praises of our brother Ransomer! Oh, the Ransomer needs not my report; but if he would vouchsafe to take and use it, I should be happy if I had an errand to this world, but for some few years, to spread proclamations of the glory of the Ransomer, whose clothes were wet and dyed in blood; if even, after that, my soul and body should return to their original nothing."

Thus, my friends, let us think of Christ: and, thus thinking of him, let us shew our love by keeping his commandments; ever remembering, that "we arenot our own, for we are bought with a price; therefore let us glorify God in our body and in our spirit, which are God's." Remember, you are yet in the body, a body of sin and

death and though, through grace," you delight in the law of the Lord after the inward man, yet is there another law in your members, warring against the law of your mind." "Watch against it then, lest at any time it should bring you into captivity of the law of sin." Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free; and rejoice in hope of the complete, everlasting, and glorious liberty of the children of God in a better world.

SERMON VII.

REGENERATION, OR THE NEW BIRTH.

John iii. 3. Jesus answered, and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdoin of God.

THE

HE two grand truths of the Christian religion are, our ruin in Adam, and our recovery in in Christ: and till we know both these, we can perform no duty, nor enjoy any privilege aright; we can neither serve God here, nor enter into his glory hereafter.

You must have observed, that the Scripture always divides mankind into two classes-the wicked and the righteous; sinners and saints; believers and unbelievers ; heirs of hell and heirs of heaven. These are all mixed together on earth, but they will be separated at the day of judgment; and their eternal state will then be fixed, according to what was their true character here. What then can be of greater importance to us, than to know our real state at present? And observe, that though there is that difference between men, which was just mentioned, we are all by nature in one and the same condition: that is, sinners and children of wrath. So that, unless a change passes upon us, we continue in it, live and die in it, and are lost for ever.

This is the solemn truth, which Jesus Christ in our text declared to Nicodemus. Perhaps you may like to know who he was, and how Christ came to say this to him. I will tell you. Nicodemus was a great man among the Jews. He was a teacher, and a ruler; and having heard that Jesus Christ had said and done many wonderful things, he came to him one night, being ashamed to come

« FöregåendeFortsätt »