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our existence. We are only learning how sin has degraded the human race, and are cheered with the thoughts of a Saviour's love. Many are living, through God's mercy, under the guidance of pious parents, who strive, through the merits of a crucified Redeemer, to turn our young hearts to wisdom, and teach us that one great truth, "that Christ died for us."

Summer comes; our pleasures are inore widely extended; perhaps "home" is less valued then. Our feelings may be more matured-may have lost some of their early freshness; but are we the happier for the change? No! the heart still clings fondly to those well-remembered scenes of early "home;" scenes, too, perhaps, of our most blessed moments. Even the most vicious will sometimes be obliged to acknowledge, though such an acknowledgement brings bitterness with it, that it was not always thus with them. A time there was in memory's span, when other and better thoughts were instilled into their now hardened hearts ; and those thoughts are probably connected with the remembrance of the first early instruction of their dearly loved mother, received in their father's house, and strengthened by the pious discourses of their village pastor. How many sinners have been reclaimed through God's mercy, by the timely recollection of some blessed link, connected with childhood's earliest home. What a blessed encouragement is this to all parents and teachers, who are endeavouring with God's assistance to fulfil their duty towards the precious charge committed to their care.

The reflections of autumn are more sombre in their character. The drooping flowers, the seared leaves, the scanty herbage, the shortening days, all remind us that we are drawing nearer to the grave--that we are all bending our steps towards our long home.

The feelings of autumn are to me always more melancholy than those of winter; everything around us bespeaks change,-each day we perceive some alteration-some bright tint has disappeared, the prospect looks more drear, the vegetation droops, and the last yellow leaves of autumn drop off,-sad emblem of man's fall! "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away."

Well would it be for us all, if these feelings of the happiness and comforts of our earthly home were always connected with the holier and more pious aspirations towards our heavenly home, that region of bliss, where sorrow has no dwelling-place, and where the tears are wiped from every eye. Then might we indeed feel, in winter's dreariest hour, the benefit of that light which shines from above, and rejoice in those bright rays of hope and love which are given to cheer the Christian on his way, and experience the blessing of those heaven-sent thoughts which speed the hours that intervene betwixt us and eternity. Then should we perceive and understand each coming season, so fraught with lessons to human kind; how many blessings should we know the value of, which are now, alas! despised; and how thankful should we feel for each and every link that connected our wayward

hearts with home and heaven!

The early flowers, that blossom and droop so soon, are but the emblem of blighted innocence; those of maturer growth, wasting and decaying their freshness under the influence of the summer's heat, bring to our mind days and years we have wasted under the baneful influence of this world's brightest rays.

Autumn, alas! brings to view the memory of muchloved friends, departing and departed; each fading leaf is but the type of some one or other of our fancied earthly joys, soon, like ourselves, to be mouldering in the dust. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." There are few amongst us who have not to mourn the loss of some dearly-loved associate or relative, endeared to us in childhood's earliest years, and few, perhaps, who have not sorrowed deeply from the be

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How many a parent can recall the time when a joyous throng pressed round the homely board, but who are now widely dispersed, perhaps destined never to meet again in this world. The recollection of a happy home is with some all that remains on earth.

But to return to my favourite season, winter, when all looks dark and drear, as if nature herself mourned for the loss of all that is bright and fair on earth; then, in that apparently blank and hopeless time, when even sorrow for sin lay almost dormant in the human breast-when crime and vice darkened the horizon of this world's light; then, in this awful benighted state of the human race, the blessed light of the gospel first broke in upon us, and we hailed the birth of a Saviour, all things were renewed, even when all around looked dead and withered, and whilst we lay under the ban of life's great curse, death--for all have sinned. Can we be too thankful for such a season of hope and promise? Such a season of faith and trust? "For we walk by faith, not by sight." Let us ever remember that "God is not the God of the dead but of the living." Winter is not our last season, we look to a joyful resurrection, a bright spring-time of heavenly promise far beyond the grave. "In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you." And again, "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? H. S.

THE WORSHIP OF HEAVEN :* A Sermon,

BY THE REV. W. T. HOPKINS, M.A. Rector of Nuffield, Oxon.

REV. vii. 9-12.

"After this I beheld, and lo a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: blessing and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

THERE are many things regarding the happiness of heaven, concerning which we feel anxious to be informed, but respecting which the scriptures are silent. Yet the sacred volume has given us varying and numerous representatious of the felicity of the celestial state. The happiness of the future world is conveyed to us by many figurative and emblematical representations. We are here often in a state of weariness, at times almost ready to sink under the painful exertions and peculiar trials by which we are harrassed

See portion of scripture read instead of the epistle on Trinity Sunday.

and exhausted; heaven, therefore, is compared | ye, buy and eat; yea come, buy wine and to a rest from all our fatigues and labours; milk without money and without price." "there remaineth a rest for the people of God." "And the Spirit and the bride say, come; and We are here in a wilderness exposed to spiritual let him that heareth say, come; and let him enemies, and innumerable dangers; heaven, that is athirst come. And whosoever will, therefore, is compared to a city, secure and let him take the water of life freely." unassailable "a city whose builder and maker is God." We have a representation of the happiness and glory of heaven in the passage before us. The redeemed are here represented as coming out of every nation, and language, and tongue; are represented as clothed in white robes, having palms in their hands, standing before the throne of God and the Lamb, and united with angels in ascribing salvation to him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb.

Let us, in reliance on the divine blessing, direct your notice, in the first place, to the view which is here given of the worship and worshippers of heaven, and, in the next place, to the nature of the praise which is offered.

I. In adverting to the scene which is here presented to us of the worship and the worshippers of heaven, we may observe, that this view is illustrative of the freeness and greatness of the mercy of God. "I beheld, and lo a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb." We see amongst those who have been redeemed by the love of Jesus, the greatest transgressors; those who were once foremost in the ranks of the enemies of the cross; who distinguished themselves as persecutors and blasphemers, injurious and profane. We see Manasses who filled Jerusalem with the blood of the innocent; we see Saul of Tarsus who breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the church, and who made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and committing the unoffending disciples of Jesus to prison; and we observe, amongst this countless multitude, Corinthians who were impure and profanein ignorance and unbelief, serving the creature man, not the Creator-changing the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible man, and four-footed beasts and creeping things-in the very lowest state of moral degradation; we see multitudes of those who were once idolaters, changed to the image of God's own son. From this representation of the exalted happiness of the worshippers of heaven, we see that the mercy of God is free, and very great; it is free to all, whatever may be their circumstances or characters. "There is no difference between the Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come

Again, we may observe under this head, that the worshippers in heaven have nearer access to God: they "stood before the throne and before the Lamb." When our first parents revolted from God, they were left under the malediction of the law; they were left to experience the effect of this curse-God withdrew his presence. But through the efficacy of the great atonement, God's favourable countenance is restored. To those that believe in his Son, the joy of God's salvation is present. But those of us, who know any thing of the grace of God, know that what we have of his presence here is but sparingly realized; though we have access continually to his throne, that we do not avail ourselves, as we ought, of this delightful privilege, and that we are, comparatively at least, in a state of distance from our Father. Though heaven is our home, our hearts are often wandering, as persons with diseased appetites, to the very ends of the earth, in search of its unsatisfying and unsalutary enjoyments. Now the blessedness which is reserved for the people of God in heaven, is continual nearness to God. It is, indeed, impossible for us to conceive what is meant by nearness to the throne and presence of God, but we know that the saints will have complete happiness in heaven; they will have discoveries of the nature and perfections of the designs and ways of God, of which we cannot now form any adequate conception; they will have sources of enjoyment opened upon them at the throne of God; there will never be even a passing cloud to intercept the view of the glory of God in Jesus Christ. And, my brethren, if one glimpse of this glory fills us with overpowering love, and desire, and joy and hope in the present life, what will be our enjoyment, when, instead of occasional views, and those dim and indistinct, of his glory, we shall see his face continually, and we shall behold, and “ we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is?" "They stand before the throne and before the Lamb."

Under this head we may observe also, that the saints in heaven are represented as in a triumphant state; they were not only clothed with white robes, emblems of their purity, but they had palms in their hands to denote a state of triumph. Whilst they were on earth they had many severe conflicts with sin in all its forms, and some of these trials of which we know nothing; they all came out of great tribulation; the work of grace went on, but

it went on slowly, struggling with many difficulties and impediments. How many imperfections still cleaved to them; how much were they "compassed with infirmities," how much disposed to live at a distance from God; how weak was their faith! what pride! what evil passions! what worldly dispositions! All these were the remains of corruption, and all were to be done away before they could obtain admission into God's heavenly kingdom. O! what a wonderful change will be accomplished in every believer, even the most eminent, at the hour of death. All the infirmities which cleaved to his nature will be done away all will be perfect holiness, perfect spirituality of mind, perfect conformity to the divine image. The understanding, strengthened and enlarged, will be filled with heavenly knowledge; and the heart, purified and elevated through all its affections, will be filled with love to God and Christ; "equal unto the angels," he will be fitted for uniting with them in the worship of God for ever and ever. My brethren, we are now in the state in which the saints were placed when on earth-in a state of trial, fighting against many enemies. Doubts and fears, and sorrows, and difficulties surround, and often entangle us; we are sometimes ready to be altogether overcome-to abandon the contest in despair. But let us not give way to despondency; the persons who are here represented as having palms in their hands, and as having come out of great tribulation, were once subject to the same trials; they had the same doubts and fears-the same difficulties; they had the same evil world to contend with, and were exposed to the same fiery darts and insidious wiles of the devil; "for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Further, we may observe, that the redeemed in heaven are represented, in the passage before us, as being united to angels, in the happiness and glory which they enjoyed; they are so in many other passages of the book of Revelation. The angels have indeed taken the deepest interest in the work of redemption. Some of them came down from heaven to minister to their Lord before the light of the sun had begun to dawn on the mountains of Palestine; they assisted to roll away the stone from the door of the sepulchre; and, after the apostles went forth to fulfil their commission, and to proclaim the glad tidings of great joy, the angels took a lively interest in the progress of the gospel. They were present in the church rejoicing and beholding the success, and they are, even in the present day, "ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." It is impossible for us to say

all the offices of love and kindness which they perform for us. We have reason to think that they are, if not always, at least frequently, in our worshipping assemblies, and we doubt not, that, at the hour of death, they will be present around our bed, to convey the spirits of the redeemed to the paradise of God, to introduce them to the Redeemer, by whom they may be presented "faultless before the presence of his glory," "to be for ever with the Lord.” In this passage, then, the angels are represented as united with the redeemed in the worship of heaven; they must indeed have strengthened energies, for they have been long engaged in this exalted worship; they have had a very long period for discovering the perfection of God, his works and his ways; and they are now, with enlarged powers and capacities, united with the redeemed in ceaseless adoration; "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." They, it would seem, occupy a different position from the redeemed, for we are told of the redeemed, of those whom no man could number of all nations and tribes and people and tongues-we are told of them that they stood before the throne, whilst of the angels it is said, that they stood around the throne and around the elders, and fell before the throne on their faces and worshipped God. It would seem that the redeemed in heaven will have nearer access to the Redeemer, as their Father and their friend, as their Lord and Saviour, than the angels. They have a peculiar interest in him; he veiled his glory on their account; he "made himself of no reputation, and humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," and it was in anticipating their blessedness that "he endured the cross, despising the shame." The prophet tells us that now he beholds them as the "travail of his soul." This intense and peculiar interest, which the Saviour feels in all his redeemed people, can scarcely be conceived by men in their present imperfect state. It is only when they shall see him as he is, when they shall see his glory, when they shall behold him as the "only-begotten of the Father," "the image of the invisible God," that they shall be able to form something like adequate conceptions of him, and of the great debt they owe him, and which they can never, through eternal ages, forget. The redeemed shall continually stand before the throne, near the Redeemer: the angels indeed, stand round about the throne at a distance, but there is no enmity, no feeling of jealousy in heaven-they all behold the glory of God; they are filled with ineffable happiness, and rejoice to be instruments in advancing the kingdom of God.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAGAZINE.

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It is our duty and our II. Let us now briefly advert, in the second | triumphant state. place, to the subject of the praise of the re- privilege, to pursue the same path, that as deemed in heaven, "They cried with a loud followers of them we may inherit the provoice, saying, Salvation to our God which mises. They entered in by the same means, sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." they passed through the same trials, and now Here we see that redeeming mercy is the they are perfected in their Redeemer, seeing burden of their song, salvation from sin and God not as on earth, through a glass, darkly, its guilt-from the dominion of Satan, and but face to face, enjoying the sinless pleafrom the second death; salvation procured sures around his throne, and receiving from by the mediation and sufferings of Jesus him the boundless stores of his exhaustless Christ. Doubtless they shall make clear dis- love and favour. And, brethren, even the coveries of the wisdom, and the power, and weakest believer is encouraged to look forthe goodness of God; but they can never ward to this blessed participation, and to perforget that they were alienated from God, and severe in the narrow way which leadeth unto slaves to sin and Satan, and children of dis- life; for, amongst those who stand before obedience. This is a truth which all the the throne, and are clothed with white robes happiness of heaven shall never be able to and have palms in their hands, doubtless there And whilst they are many who, as sojourners on earth, believed efface from their minds. remember the misery from which they have perhaps with doubt, even as to their safety; been rescued, and the means employed by in- and all had to encounter inward corruptions finite power and mercy for their recovery, and outward sufferings, an evil world and and whilst they at the same time breathe the evil spirit; but as they, so we may grace come by the blood of the Lamb, by the freely the atmosphere of glory which surrounds them, and feel every faculty of their which is in Christ." Let us, then, persevere; souls expanding with the indwelling Deity, let us go on with increasing strength, animated they shall never cease to sing, "salvation to by the love of Christ, and the hope of immorour God who sitteth upon the throne and unto tal glory. Discharging all the duties which the Lamb." Sinners in the present life may fall upon us, bearing with cheerful resignaspeak of what they have done, and of what tion all the afflictions which we are called they can do, and of their own righteousness, on to endure, let us abound more and more as constituting, either in whole or in part, in the work of the Lord. "The time is something like a ground of hope and even short," but the glory and happiness, which of confidence before God; but in heaven they will follow to the sanctified believer, will be shall all speak of the salvation of the cross, eternal. "His light afflictions which are but and of the blessings included in that salva- for a moment"-light and but for a moment, tion; of the perfect righteousness of the Re-"will work out for him a far more exceeddeemer, by whom alone they are admitted into the prepared mansions, and the purchased inheritance: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive wisdom and power and glory." In heaven there will be a much more vivid impression, a much more lively discovery, of the obligation of the redeemed to their Redeemer than the most devoted Christians feel in the present life. The impressions made on our minds here, even in our best frames, are weak and imperfect, and we can have no idea of what we shall become susceptible, in a more pure and elevated state of being. Every day, every moment in heaven, our discoveries will be greater, and through the boundless stages of immortality, our impressions deeper, of our obligations to the mercy of God: "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the praise."

We
Te may learn from the subject before us,
the course we ought to pursue, and the en-
couragement which is given us to persevere
in it. We see that in heaven the redeemed
are clothed in white robes-that they are per-
fectly pure and righteous, that they are in a

ing and eternal weight of glory." Lonely
and rugged may be his path on earth; his
once bright prospects of earthly joy may have
become darkened; his withered hopes may
hang as blighted blossoms around his grief-
worn heart; in silence and in sadness, but
still with unshaken confidence in the wisdom,
the love, the all-sufficiency of his chastening
Lord, he may stand a spectacle to a thought-
less world of one stricken and forsaken of
him. His spiritual joys may seemingly, and
to his desponding mind, be clean dried up,
and his spiritual consolations indefinitely sus-
pended; yet he knows in whom he has be-
He knows that
lieved, and that he is able to keep that which
he has committed to him.
yet a little while and this shifting scene shall
have passed away for ever, and he shall be
admitted into the presence of that Saviour
whom he loves. His days of mourning will
be over; he will become a joyous inhabitant
of that new heaven and new earth, where
"the sun shall no more light him by day,
neither for brightness shall the moon give
light unto him: but the Lord shall be an
everlasting light, and his God his glory."

Soon shall he have joined the blessed com-
pany of those made perfect through suffer-
ing; soon shall he tread with them the streets
of the new Jerusalem, and share in their
eternal bliss; his robes as white, his crown
as splendid, and his songs as loud. Yes,
soon with the celestial host shall he chant
the eternal praises of the Redeemer, "Thou
art worthy for thou wast slain and hast re-
deemed us by thy blood. Blessing and
honour, and glory, and power, be unto him
that sitteth upon
for ever and ever." May we be supported
and animated by these glorious hopes, and,
whilst we contemplate, by the eye
of faith,
these visions of blessedness to be unfolded in
all their beauty and magnitude in heaven, let
us now desire and strive to fix our thoughts
and affections more and more intensely on
our unseen Saviour. May "our conversa-
tion be in heaven, from whence we look
for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who
shall change our vile body that it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious body, accord-
ing to the working whereby he is able to
subdue all things unto himself."

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It is not stated precisely what were his reasons for abandoning the medical profession. It may by some be suggested that he entered the church rather for the sake of its endowments or an opportunity of indulg

the throne, and unto the Lambing his taste for literature, than a sincere desire to enter on the solemn duties of the ministerial office; but there seems no just grounds to impute to him any such motive. Is it not fair to suppose that his mind might have had some misgivings as to the dissenting system, as to its polity and its workings, and that he might think it far wiser to embrace the medical profession where he might entertain his own opinions on matters of religion? It appears, in fact, from two letters written by him while in Paris, both dated previous to Mr. Butler's, that he was greatly dissatisfied with the divisions and disturbances that then prevailed amongst dissenters. What the feelings of such a man would have been, with respect to their position now, it is not difficult to divine.

Biography.

THE MOST REV. THOMAS SECKER, D.C.L., ARCH-
BISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

IN a memoir of bishop Butler, which appeared in the
pages of this work*, the name of archbishop Secker
is introduced as that of one who was mainly instru-
mental in the promotion of that distinguished prelate;
and to that memoir, as containing much which need
not here be again introduced, the reader is referred.
Had he never himself been raised from the humblest
situation in the church, the name of Secker would
always have been remembered in connection with that
of Butler.

As to entering the established church, the prospect of obtaining orders, much less preferment, must have appeared to Mr. Secker almost hopeless, and assuredly, if he wished to soothe the pillow of disease, or speak comfort on the bed of death, the profession he chose would have afforded him abundant opportunities of so doing. To enable him to obtain a degree with greater ease at Oxford, he took that of M.D. at Leyden; his exercise for that degree testifying that he was no mean proficient in medical acquirements. He then entered as a gentleman commoner of Exeter College, Oxford, graduated in about a year, by especial request of the chancellor, and having been ordained deacon and priest by bishop Talbot, in St. James' Church, was, on the death of Sir George Wheler* collated to the rectory of Houghton-le-Spring.

The early advancement of Dr. Secker, to such a valuable piece of preferment as that of Houghton, testifies how highly the bishop must have thought of his qualifications. In October, 1725, he married Miss Catherine Benson, sister of bishop Benson, who resided with the widow and child of Mr. Talbot, the bishop of Durham's son, who had died in Dec. 1720), of small-pox, and when on his death-bed had commended Mr. Secker to his father's notice. Mrs. Tal

Thomas Secker was born at the village of Sibthorpt, in the vale of Belvoir, Notts, in the year 1693, where his father, a respectable protestant dissenter, lived on a small family estate, his mother being daughter of Mr. George Brough, a gentleman farmer in that county. His father gave him a liberal education, with a view to his entering the dissenting ministry. The friendship existing between bishop Butler and himself commenced while students together at Glou-bot and her daughter+ immediately came to reside at cester, a friendship which never, in the slightest degree, diminished. Mr. Secker, however, though he had most diligently applied to his studies, did not follow up the design of his father. To whatever cause it may be ascribed, he resolved to enter the medical profession, and with this intention went to study in London, in 1716, and subsequently to Paris, in 1719, at which latter place he became acquainted with Mr. Martin Benson, afterwards bishop of Gloucester.

* August 10, 1839, Part xxxix, No. 178.

+ In the reign of Edward II. Thomas de Sibthorpe founded a chantry in the church of this parish, and subsequently erected a college, adding four chapels.-See Lewis, Top. Dict.

Houghton, and continued to live with Dr. Secker, until his decease. Here he continued to exercise his talents and acquirements for the amelioration of the temporal as well as spiritual maladies of his hearers. To his residence in this extensive parish he always reverted with pleasure. Mrs. Secker's health declining however, and this being referred to the situation

* See Memoir of Sir George Wheler, No. CCXXIV.

+ Miss Catherine Talbot, well known as a woman of polished mind and high education, and as the authoress of "Reflections on the seven days of the week," essays, letters, dialogues, &c., &c., for her correspondence with Mrs. Elizabeth Carter. She died June 9, 1770.

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