Part 19 (1/2)
The law has no fellows.h.i.+p with the sinner-offers no pardon to the sinner-cannot cure the love of sin in his heart-cannot give a spark of life, without perfect obedience, and full satisfaction for past offences.
Therefore some accuse the law of cruelty-cannot set forth the superior glory of the gospel, without representing the law as a tyrant or a vagrant. But it is not the cruelty of the law, but the righteousness of the law, that condemns the sinner. This is the reason that it has no alms-house, nor city of refuge, in its dominion. Yet ”the law is our schoolmaster, to bring us to Christ.” By convincing us of sin, it shows us our need of a Saviour. It meets the sinner on his way to h.e.l.l, and drives him back to Calvary!
But the gospel is more glorious. It enters the sinner's heart, and casts out the love of sin, and scourges the traffickers from the temple of G.o.d.
It enters the prisoner's cell, knocks off his fetters, and bids him go free. It descends into the valley of dry bones, makes the mouldering skeletons living men, and leads them to Mount Zion with songs of everlasting joy. It gives eyes to the blind, ears to the deaf, feet to the lame, tongues to the dumb, health to the sick, life to the dead, and revives such as are fainting under the terrors of the law. It is ”the power of G.o.d unto salvation to every one that believeth.”
The Moravian missionaries in Greenland preached several years on the great doctrines of natural religion, and the requirements of the moral law, without producing any visible reformation in their hearers; but under the very first sermon which exhibited ”Jesus Christ and him crucified,” many were p.r.i.c.ked in their hearts, and led effectually to repentance.
We have a striking ill.u.s.tration of the distinguis.h.i.+ng glory of the gospel-its mercy-in the parable of the prodigal son. The young man, having received his portion from his Father, went into a far country, and spent all his substance in drunkenness and debauchery. Reduced to the last extremity of want, the proud young n.o.bleman hired himself to a citizen of that country, and became a feeder of swine-the meanest employment to which a Jew could be degraded. On the very verge of starvation, we see him s.n.a.t.c.hing the husks from the mouths of the detested animals to satisfy his hunger. Now he contrasts the present with the past. ”My father's house! O, my father's house!” A trembling hope springs up in his bosom, ”I will arise and go!” I see him coming, full of guilt and shame-halting-trembling-ready to turn back, or lie down by the wayside and die. While yet a great way off, the father beholds him-O, not with an eye of anger and revenge! and runs to meet him-O, not with a drawn sword, or an uplifted rod! He feels within him the yearning of a father's heart, leaps to embrace the prodigal, and pours upon him a mingled shower of kisses and tears. Not a reproachful word is uttered-not the slightest censure-nothing but love. ”Father, I have sinned! I am not worthy to be”-”Peace, my son! Servants, bring a robe, a ring, a pair of shoes; and haste to kill the fatted calf; and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive, was lost and is found!” ”And they began to be merry.”
Such, my brethren, is the unspeakable mercy of the gospel, which const.i.tutes its distinguis.h.i.+ng glory. It is the law that creates the famine in the ”far country” of sin. The poor prodigal goes about, begging for bread; but none will give him a crust, or a crumb. The desert of Mount Sinai is a poor country for a starving soul. There is no bread in all that region, and no toleration for beggars. If the sinner offers to work for any of the citizens-either for Mr. Holiness, or Mr.
Justice, or Mr. Truth-he is sent into the fields to feed swine, till he is thoroughly convinced of the nakedness of the land, and the misery of his lot; and if he faints through famine or fatigue, and fails to perform his task, he is thrust into the house of correction, and placed upon the tread-wheel of remorse, till the ministers of mercy come to his relief.
It is the gospel that whispers-”Return to thy father!” It is the gospel that inspires the hope of acceptance. It is the gospel that meets him with more than paternal welcome, and rains upon him the baptism of blessings and tears. It is the gospel that brings its robe of righteousness, and its ring of favour, and spreads its feast of joy, and calls the angels to merry-making ”over one sinner that repenteth.”
O, the love of G.o.d! O, the riches of Christ! His salvation is more than a restoration to the joys of Eden. He came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly. Where sin abounded under the law, grace hath much more abounded under the gospel. It is an ocean of blessings-”blessings of the heaven above, and of the deep that lieth under”-the blessings of Jacob, ”prevailing above the blessings of his progenitors, unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills”-blessings which cannot be circ.u.mscribed by time, pa.s.sing over the mountains which now divide us from the promised land, and flowing down on the other side into the pacific vales of immortality!
Such is ”the glorious gospel of the blessed G.o.d.” You have seen the evidence of its divinity, and the peculiar excellence of its character.
Suffer me to ask, do you believe its doctrines? do you obey its precepts?
do you enjoy its blessings? do you delight in its promises? It commends itself every way to your faith, and your affections. It is worthy of all acceptation. It is the light of the world-walk ye in it! It is a feast for the soul-eat and be satisfied! It is a river of living water-drink and thirst no more!
How miserable is that man who rejects alike its evidences and its offers!
How miserable in the hour of death! As Thistlewood said of himself, when on the drop at Newgate, he is ”taking a leap in the dark!” How miserable in the day of judgment! G.o.d saith-”Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hands all the day long, and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught my counsel, and would none of my reproof; therefore I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh-when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind-when distress and anguish cometh upon you!”
SERMON XVII.
THE SONG OF THE ANGELS.
”_Glory to G.o.d in the highest_, _and on earth peace_, _good will toward men_.” Luke ii. 14.
THE most important event recorded in the annals of time, is the incarnation of the Son of G.o.d. Anointed to be ”the Apostle and High Priest of our profession,” it was necessary that he should humble himself, to a.s.sume our degraded nature, and enter into our suffering condition. Had he appeared on earth in the unmitigated glory of his G.o.dhead, the children of men could not have borne the revelation, and could not have been benefited by his personal ministry; neither could he have been ”touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” nor have offered himself a sacrifice for our sins. His manifestation in the flesh was essential to the great objects of his advent; and no wonder the heavenly host descended to announce his coming, and poured forth their delight in this joyful strain;-”Glory to G.o.d in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Let us consider, _first_, The incarnation of the Eternal Word; and, _secondly_, The song of the angels on the occasion of his birth.
I. Though it is impossible for the immutable G.o.d to be made a creature, yet the Divine nature was so closely and mysteriously joined to the human, that the same person was ”a child born,” and ”the Mighty G.o.d”-”a son given,” and ”the Everlasting Father.” The Divinity did not become humanity, and the humanity did not become Divinity; but the two were so united as to const.i.tute but one glorious Mediator.
Though his incarnation did not destroy, or even tarnish in the least, the essential glory of the Deity; yet was it a mighty and marvellous condescension, for him who is ”over all, G.o.d, blessed for ever,” thus to a.s.sume our frail and suffering flesh. Solomon asked-”Will G.o.d in very deed dwell with men upon the earth?” A question which neither men nor angels could answer. But G.o.d hath answered it himself, and answered it in the affirmative. ”The Word” that ”was in the beginning with G.o.d, and was G.o.d,” in the fulness of time, ”was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
We can form no idea of the natural distance between G.o.d and man. But the infinite vacuum is filled up by the Messiah. He is ”Emmanuel”-”the true G.o.d,” and ”the Son of Man.” ”He thought it not robbery to be equal with G.o.d, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh.” Pa.s.sing by the n.o.bler nature of angels, ”he took on him the seed of Abraham.” Nor did he join himself to humanity in its original perfection and glory. He came into the mean condition of fallen creatures, sharing with us our various infirmities and sufferings. Yet he was free from all moral contamination. He was ”holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.” He ”knew no sin.” He ”did no iniquity, neither was guile found in his mouth.”
But notwithstanding the humility of his appearance in Bethlehem, such was the dignity of his person, and such the magnitude and grandeur of the work for which he came into the world, that angels descended from heaven to publish the glad tidings to the children of men. True, no amba.s.sadors were sent to the Sanhedrim at Jerusalem-none to the Senate of Rome, to proclaim the coming of the Prince of Peace; but never was there such an emba.s.sage on earth, to announce the birth of a royal son, as that which came to the shepherds of Bethlehem. When he appeared among men, the order was given in heaven, that all the angels of G.o.d should wors.h.i.+p him; and their example was followed by wise men upon earth. The prophet Isaiah said that his name should be called Wonderful; and the angel informed Mary that he should be great, and should be called the Son of the Highest; and that G.o.d should give unto him the throne of his father David, and he should reign over the house of Jacob for ever. ”Though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich.” He humbled himself that we might be exalted-was bruised and wounded that we might be healed-died the most shameful death that men could inflict, that we might live the most glorious life that G.o.d can confer!
II. Let us now consider the import of the anthem, sung by the heavenly host, when he was born in Bethlehem. ”Glory to G.o.d in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
1. ”Glory to G.o.d in the highest.” The s.h.i.+ning light between the cherubim, on the mercy-seat, was called ”the glory of the Lord,” being a supernatural representation of his presence in the sanctuary. Three of the apostles saw the same glory upon the mount of transfiguration, and all believers have seen it by faith. The word ”glory,” in the anthem of the angels, refers to the divine honor and praise resulting from the humiliation of Christ. The redemption of sinners, through the blood of the cross, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, is not only consistent with the glory of G.o.d, but highly promotive of his glory, as our Creator and Lawgiver. It brightens all the gems previously visible in his crown, and reveals others that were concealed. His glory, as seen in the works of creation and providence, is the glory of wisdom, power, and love. His glory, as seen in his law and its administration, is the glory of holiness, justice, and truth. These are essential to his nature and his government. But in the incarnation and the cross of Christ, we behold a new glory, a glory nowhere else displayed, the glory of mercy. G.o.d was known before to be the friend of saints, but here he shows himself the friend of sinners. His character as previously revealed was matter of admiration and praise in earth and heaven, but this new revelation occasions new wonder and rejoicing to men and angels. Angels delighted to bear the joyful news to men, and this was the burden of their message:-”Behold, we bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be unto”-the righteous? the benevolent and charitable? no; but-”unto all people.” And what are these tidings? ”To you is born, this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” Here is the Lawgiver embracing the rebels; his the glory, theirs the benefit; while angels partic.i.p.ate the joy of both, singing-”Glory to G.o.d in the highest, and on earth peace.”
2. ”On earth peace.” Not by a compromise with Satan, as he proposed when he tempted the Son of G.o.d in the wilderness. Not at the expense of the Divine law, but by magnifying and making it honorable. Not a peace with enmity, for Christ hath slain the enmity by his cross. Our peace flows from the reconciling blood of Jesus. Nothing else could satisfy the claims of Divine justice, and procure pardon for the penitent believer.
Without the atonement, there is no peace for sinners. There is an accusing witness within. Behold that king in the banqueting-house! Why changes his countenance? Why tremble his knees? Have the wise men of Babylon interpreted the mystic writing upon the wall? No; but conscience has. Conscience has given dreadful intimations of its meaning, before Daniel comes into the presence of the king, and the Hebrew prophet only confirms the previous interpretation. Every sinner bears about with him that internal tormentor. It may be bribed; but not for ever. It may be lulled to sleep; but it will awake with increased energy, and augmented wrath. The gnawing worm may be stupified for a season, but cannot be killed. The devouring fire may be temporarily stifled, but cannot be quenched. How dreadful are its torments, when it wreaks all its anger upon the guilty! To be drowned in the Red Sea, like Pharaoh-to be swallowed up by the earth, like Korah-to be hewn in pieces, like Agag-to be eaten of worms, like Herod-is nothing in the comparison.
Where shall we find peace? We have heard of a stone which nothing but blood can dissolve. Such a stone is the human conscience. But all the blood shed on Jewish altars could never effect the work. It must be the blood of Jesus. He is ”the Lamb of G.o.d that taketh away the sin of the world.” At his cross, the believer's conscience finds a.s.surance and repose. He is the good physician, and his blood is the sovereign balm.