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The Power and Policy of Satan bounded and baffled by the Lord Chrift,

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LUKE Xxii. 31, 32. And the Lord faid, Simon, Simon; bebold, Satan bath defired to have you, that he may fift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, Strengthen thy brethren.

After a fuitable introduction to the fubject, and the words analized and explained, the following general topics of discourse are laid down, viz.

1. Some remarks offered upon the circumftances of the time and occafion wherein these words are spoken,

2.

3.

Upon the circumstances of the text,
Upon the warning itself,

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4. Some obfervations concerning Satan and his temptations, 367,-383 5. Some meditations on the whole text,

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6. Some concluding advices,

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Redemption by Chrift, fhewn to be of God, first Cause; and to God, as the last End,

as the

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1 COR. i. 30. REV. v. 9.-Who of God was made unto us redemption. For thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy blood.

The Author having taken a view of the words as they stand in themfelves, and as compared together, and having expreffed their meaning in a general propofition, the following general heads of method are profecuted, viz.

1. Some propofitions offered concerning this redemption, 2. How redemption is of God as the first cause, evinced, 3. How it is to God as the laft end, enquired into,

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ibid.

4. Application made of the whole fubject, by deducing fix inferences, 422

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The True Chrift, no New Chrift,

HEB. xiii. 8. Jefus Chrift the fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever.

The words being viewed, both in themfelves and their connection, a doctrinal propofition laid down, and confirmed from parallel texts of fcripture, the following heads of method are handled; viz.

1. The import of Chrift's immutable identity and fameness, enquired into,

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2. Wherein, or in what refpects, he is the fame, pointed out, 3. The neceffity of knowing this, efpecially in fhaking times, evinced, 439 4. The application of the whole fubject, in a variety of inferences, 444

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Temple Defolation making Way for Temple Reftora

tion,

458 JOHN ii. 19. Jefus answered and faid unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

The Author having taken a view of the defign of the words, and confidered them both in themselves and scope, and deduced a doctrinal obfervation from them, the following heads of method are difcourfed, viz.

1. Some remarks offered for the explication of the text and doctrine, 462 2. Some reasons affigned for the confirmation thereof, 3. Some inferences deduced for the application of the whole,

4. Some useful leffons offered as a conclufion to the whole,

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AS in the beginning of the preceding chapter, we

have the Lord reproving this people for their flothfulness in building the temple, which provoked God to contend with them; and exhorting them to reform and profecute that good work; fo, in the clofe of it, we find the people applying themfelves to that work, and the Lord himself animating them therein. Now, in this chapter, the prophet is, in the Lord's name, giving them further encouragement to this work. And,

1. He encourages them, by affuring the builders, that the glory of this houfe they were now building, fhould exceed that of Solomon's temple; though not in outward glory, yet in fpiritual fplendor, particularly by the coming of Chrift, the Defire of all nations, who would fill it with glory, by his coming to it, from ver. 1,—9.

2. He encourages them, by affuring them, that though their fin, in delaying to build the temple, had

This fubject was difcourfed in two fermons, viz. on the Sabbath, evening and Monday, immediately after the celebration of the Lord's fupper at Kinclaven, June 1738,

hinder

hindered their profperity, yet now that this work was happily begun, he would blefs and profper them. God had fmitten them with blafting and mildew, ver. 17.; and they had been a long time incorrigible, and might eafily obferve, that, as long as they continued in neglect of temple-work, all their other affairs went backward; but when they began to lay the foundation, or to raise the structure upon the foundations that had been laid fometime before, they might observe, from that time, yea, from that very day, a remarkable turn for the bet ter, to all their affairs: Is the feed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree hath not brought forth from this day will I blefs you," ver. 19. Nothing appears, might he fay, to promise a good harvest and vintage next year; nature doth not promife it: but now, that the foundation of the temple is laid, and you apply yourselves in earneft, to this temple-work, the God of nature promifes it, and that with a blefling. From this day will I bless you.

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In which words you may obferve thefe five things. 1. A great privilege under the name of bleffing. 2. The author of this bleffing, in the pronoun I. 3. The objects thereof, in the pronoun you. 4. The certainty of it, I WILL blefs you. 5. The term of its commencement, From THIS DAY will I bless you.

1. The great privilege here mentioned under the name of bleffing. What bleffing is here spoken of? It is not indeed, temporal profperity, and outward plenty only; but, when thefe come with a bleffing, and are promifed as fuch, they come in among the number of fpiritu al bleffings, and include alfo fpiritual profperity, as well as temporal. A man may have outward profperity, and yet be curfed in his basket and ftore; but when he hath it with God's favour, fo as to be bleffed in his basket and in his flore, then it comes in among the rank of faving bleffings. The privilege then here is fuch as includes all faving bleffings.

2. The author of this bleffing is God: I will bless you. The bleffing here fpoken of, is God's bleffing; than which nothing can be defired more to make a creature

happy:

happy; for, "The bleffing of the Lord maketh rich ;" and thofe whom he bleffes, are bleffed indeed. God's bleffing is much worth. Men may blefs, and yet at the fame time God's curfe may make them miserable: but when God bleffes, men's curfes can do them no harm; for, God's bleffing takes away the curfe both from croffes and comforts.

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3. The certainty of it, I will bless you. It is fixed by God's unchangeable will; and his will is determined in his unchangeable word of promife: when God fays, I WILL blefs you, it is impoffible but the blefling muft take place; and when God's I will is heard by faith, it brings in full affurance, and firong confolation. As when God fays, I will take away the heart of stone, and give the heart of flesh; I will put my Spirit within you; I will fprinkle you with clean water; I will be your God;" faith's echo is, Amen, Lord, thy will be done.' And when God's I will and our Amen meet together, then our will goes in to God's will, and the thing willed is certain and fure; yea, firmer than mountains of brafs for God's will is unalterable, his promife unchangeable; he has faithfulness for the girdle of his loins.

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4. You have the objects of this bleffing, in the pronoun you. It is true, this you is not in the original; but is fitly enough fupplied by our tranflators; for it is plainly understood, though the words run, From this day will I blefs: As if he had faid, Hitherto curfes and miferies have taken place among you; but henceforth blesfings and happiness fhall take place; In bleffing I will blefs. But whom will he thus blefs? Why, the perfons understood here, are thefe, who, through grace, are determined to apply themfelves to temple-work, and temple-reformation. And fo,

4. You have the term or time, from which the blef fing commences, From THIS DAY will I bless you: that is, from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid. And here lies the principal emphafis of the text; and therefore, we have this from four times repeated; "Confider now from this day and upward; from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month; even from

the

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