Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

We admit all your Old Testament prophecieswe recognise Christ as the son of David after the flesh-and as he was born literally as the Son of David, so we believe that he will occupy literally the throne of David. We can go all this length with you; therefore come thou with us and we will do thee good; for the Lord has spoken good concerning Israel. We hold you out a crucified Saviour; we show you the true Lamb that has been sacrificed, of which yours was but the type, and we show you that blood that cleanseth from all sin. Come, and look at it. Come, and believe it. Come, and be saved by it. Do not think that for one moment we rob you of the coming glory of your Messiah; we cannot indeed give up his cross, but now we look for the crowning and glory of him who was crucified. And, my dear brethren, let me say to each of you, how should you all seek a personal interest in this hope? Oh! it is at the resurrection of the just, it is when the Lord's people shall come with him in glory, it is when we shall be raised to be kings and priests unto God, that all this glory will be accomplished. And, is it nothing to you and me, whether we shall have part in that glory? Is it nothing to you and me, whether we are sanctified by God the Father, and justified through Christ Jesus, and called? Shall we

consider these things as mere matters of idle speculation? Shall we look at this question as one of mere curiosity? Shall we turn over our Bibles, and see the harmony of prophets and evangelists, of types and antitypes, and shall we merely be pleased with the beauty of the scheme, and admire the purpose of our God, and shall we forget our own individual need of that meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light, without which no man shall see the Lord? Oh! my dear brethren, I had not stood before God in this pulpit to-night, and before you, if it had not been from the solemn and deep conviction that these truths have the most practical bearing. I know the power of these things upon the heart of the Christian who lives in them and who lives upon them, having them applied to his soul by the mighty working of the Spirit. And so far from their being cold, inoperative, speculative truths, leading people astray, if you will only study them in simplicity, looking for the grace of God, and waiting upon him for his teaching, there is no motive so constraining as this blessed hope to kindle in you all diligence and stir you up to all holiness;—nothing that will so much tend to keep you standing with your loins girt about and your lamps burning.

Therefore, my prayer to God this night is, that

[ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

by means of these Lectures you may not gain information merely, though that is absolutely necessary for your soul's health (for knowledge and grace must always go together); but that the Holy Spirit, who hath indited these blessed promises, may sanctify you by all the truth preached to you on these occasions, and thus make you meet for the heavenly inheritance; that you may be presented together with us and all his saints at that glorious appearing, when Jesus shall take the throne of David, and come to be fully and for ever a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel.

LECTURE V.

THE FIRST RESTORATION FROM BABYLON.

BY THE REV. W. W. PYM,

RECTOR OF WILLIAN, HERTS.

JEREMIAH XXIII. 5-8.

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all

countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land."

THIS passage of Holy Writ, is one justly valued by those who are interested in the destinies of Israel. It clearly refers to the Divine purposes concerning the seed of Abraham, and will, therefore, form a befitting ground-work for the following meditations.

The subject, which is to be brought before you this evening, is,

The first restoration from Babylon; and the following question has been raised upon it:Whether the predicted restoration of Israel from his dispersions was fulfilled by that event?

The simplest method of discussing the subject will be,

as

To consider some chief features of the predicted restoration of Israel: from which it will appear, we proceed, Whether the deliverance from Babylon

answers to them.

to which I would direct

I. The first feature described by the prophets, your minds is, That the children of the dispersion shall be gathered from the four quarters of the globe. In almost every part of the world with which we are acquainted, we meet with some of the scattered seed of Abraham; and, though they be

« PoprzedniaDalej »