sake, for the love of the Spirit," and by your own eternal wellbeing by the wisest, the most sacred and the tenderest reasons which can influence the human being, that you grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. But who can tell how oft he offendeth? Watchfulness is needful-watchfulness of ourselves, to repress every vain and wicked movement; watchfulness against temptation, lest the enemy enter at some unguarded post; watchfulness of the Spirit, that we may be ready for His every suggestion, wait upon Him with lowly dependence, open our hearts to His influence, follow His leading, and "stir up the gift of God which is in us." (2 Tim. i. 6). It is a cheering and joyful thought, that if the Spirit is grieved by our sin, He is likewise pleased by our obedience. As the sculptor sees with delight feature after feature, limb after limb, rising into shape, in significance and beauty, under the skilful chisel, so the Spirit rejoices over His works with a Divine joy. When they were finished, He pronounced them very good. The work of the Creator Spirit on our mind, will, and affections, is nobler than the other, and the renewed man rejoices Him more. As a father rejoices over the success, honor, and happiness of his dear son, so the Spirit will rejoice over every soul He brings to "glory, honor, and immortality." When Bezaleel and Aholiab in the desert, with the skill which God had given them, had accomplished the work of the tabernacle, according to God's commandment and the pattern which was showed in the mount, Moses blessed them in the name of God. Their work was pleasing in His sight; He approved of it as a dwelling, and His glory filled the tabernacle. So when the temple of the Church, which, under the Spirit's inspiration and direction, is now a-building in secret, shall at last be uncovered, God's glory shall take up therein an everlasting abode, and the Spirit will rejoice in His work. May we, brethren, share in the gladness of that day! May it be ours thus to please the Spirit! May His seal, Christ's mark upon us, never be effaced; but, being carefully guarded, become ever more evident unto the day of redemption ! "So when at last our weary days Are well-nigh wasted here, And we can trace Thy wond'rous ways "When in Thy love, and Israel's sin, We read our story true, We may not all too late-begin "Long-loved, long-tried, long-spared as they, That, by Thy grace, our hearts shall stay The Preacher's Finger-Post. STRENGTH AND STILLNESS. "Their strength is to sit still." Isa. xxx. 7. THE Context reveals two things. First: A great national danger. The Jewish people now stood in terror of having their country invaded, and their city destroyed by Sennacherib the king of Assyria. It was an hour of terrible anxiety to the nation. The national firmament was black with threatening clouds. Secondly: A great national sin. To meet the danger, to ward off the threatened blow, instead of looking for help to the God of nations, they sought for an alliance with Egypt. They trusted to an arm of flesh, rather than in the Almighty God. Isaiah, the holy prophet, is missioned to lift his earnest protest against this iniquity. "Woe to the rebellious children,' &c. And in the text he tells them wherein their strength lay. It was in sitting still, calmly relying on the promises of God. Wherein is the truth of the statement, that man's strength is in sitting still? or, rather, what is meant by sitting still? We answer at once, that it is not the stillness of INDOLENCE. Indolence is weakness-is ruin. Physical indolence, is physical ruin; intellectual indolence, is intellectual ruin; moral indolence, is moral ruin. Activity is the condition of strength. Industry is essential to progress in all that is great and II. STILLNESS OF CONFIDENCE IN RELATION TO YOUR FU TURE HISTORY IS "STRENGTH." Do not busy yourselves about what will occur to you or your children in the future. Leave your future to the management of that paternal Providence, which clothes the lilies of the field, and feeds the fowls of heaven. "Take no thought for the morrow," &c. Sit still in relation to the future, and sing, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want," &c. III. STILLNESS OF CONFIDENCE IN RELATION TO PRESENT PROVIDENTIAL TRIALS IS 66 STRENGTH." The Israelites, with piled mountains on each "And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God."--1 Kings xix. 8. THE context presents Elijah to us in three aspects. (1) In the greatest despondency. Alarmed at the threat of Jezebel, he goes into the wilderness, and there, sinking into the utmost dejection of spirit, he sits down under a juniper tree and entreats the Almighty to take away his life (verse 4). Here is one of the most towering spirits in the lowest valley of despondency, one of the most daring natures cowering with the profoundest dread. To what reactions of soul are we subject while here! Great natures are liable to terrible rebounds. Here we have Elijah (2) Twice fed by a celestial messenger (verses 5-7). Angels are ministers to the good. "He will give out means, according to His pleasure. Let us not trust in means or secondary causes, but in Him who is the "Fountain of Life." his angels charge concerning | may do it with means, or withthee," &c. Here we have Elijah (3) Miraculously sustained. "He went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights," &c. This incident suggests three things. The pos I. AN UNDESIRABLE POSSIBILITY IN HUMAN LIFE. The fact that a man lived forty days and forty nights without food, certainly impresses us with the possibility of his being kept in existence without food for ever. sibility is obvious. But such a state would clearly be very undesirable. Were men to continue here without food, a disastrous inactivity would ensue. Want of food keeps the world in action, keeps the limbs and faculties of men going. What would life be without action? a weak and worthless thing. This incident suggests II. THE SUPPORTING ELEMENT OF ALL LIFE. What is it that kept Elijah alive without food? The Will of God, nothing else; and this is that which supports all created existences every moment. "Man cannot live by bread alone." God's will can starve men with bread and sustain them without it. It is He, not material substances, not food, that sustains life. He This incident suggests III. THE DIVINE CARE OF A GODLY LIFE. Elijah, notwithstanding his imperfections, was a true man, and a faithful servant of the Most High; and his Great Master watches over him, takes care of him in the wilderness. That God takes care of His people individually is (1) Accordant with reason. (2) Taught by Scripture. (3) Attested by the experience of the good. THE GOSPEL ITS PREACHERS, HEARERS, AND REJECTORS. "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you."Gal. iii. 1. THIS text presents three subjects for thought. I. THE WORK OF GOSPEL MINISTERS. What is their work? To present Christ crucified to men. "Christ crucified," or the "Cross of Christ," are phrases which, in Paul's writings, stand for the whole Gospel of God. Hence, he says, "We preach Christ crucified." And again, "I am determined to know nothing among you, save Christ and him crucified." And again, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Why should this subject be graphically presented before the eyes of men? First: It is the subject essential to rouse the religious thoughts of men. Religious thought is essential to salvation. There is no subject within the whole range of human knowledge that can rouse this rightly, but the Crucifixion of Christ. With this subject Peter startled the minds of thousands, on the day of Pentecost. The extraordinariness of the subject and the relative importance of the subject, give it a soul-rousing force. Secondly: It is a subject essential to generate religious feelings in man. It awakens (1) Deep penitence for sin. (2) Supreme concern for the soul. (3) A solemn dread of wrong. Thirdly: It is a subject essential to meet the religious wants of men. Man wants (1) Forgiveness of sin. (2) Purity of soul. The cross of Christ provides these. This text presents— II. THE DUTY OF GOSPEL HEARERS. What is their duty? "To obey the truth." The truth is preached not for mere speculation, or polemic dis III. THE FOLLY OF GOSPEL REJECTORS. "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you," &c. First: The folly of rejecting the Gospel is most infatuated. "Who hath bewitched you?" The word translated "bewitched," here means, to enchant, to fascinate, to delude by magical charms, &c. The folly was not the mere native stupidity of the individual mind, but it was to a great extent the result of the deluding influence exerted on than by some wicked spirits. "Who hath bewitched you?" Who hath made you such fools as to reject the highest good? It is suggested-Secondly: That the folly of rejecting the Gospel is most lamentable. foolish Galatians." There was a wail of sad emotion in these words, "O foolish Galatians!" The great apostle knew the terrible consequences involved in the rejection of the Gospel. |
