Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

1;

showeth us light; bind the sacrifice with | after whereas vice is ruinous to all our cords, even to the horns of the altar." most valuable interests; spoils the native Adore "God, who first commanded the beauty and subverts the order of the soul light to shine out of darkness," that by the renders us the scorn of man, the rejected discoveries of his word, and the operations of God, and, without timely repentance, will of his Spirit, he hath "shined in your hearts, rob us of a happy eternity. Religion is the to give you the knowledge of his glory, as health, the liberty, and the happiness of the reflected from the face of his Son.' soul; sin is the disease, the servitude, and Let us, therefore, who live under the destruction of it. It will perhaps be said, gospel, the most gracious dispensation be- that the sons of vice and riot have pleasure stowed by God to mankind, "count all in sensual indulgences. This we allow ; things but loss, for the excellency of the but must observe, that it is altogether of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord;" and lowest kind-empty, fleeting, and transient; not suffer ourselves, by the slight cavils of "like the crackling of thorns under a pot, so unbelievers, to be "moved away from the is the mirth of the wicked." It makes a hope of the gospel." Let us demonstrate noise and a blaze for the present, but soon that we believe the superior excellency of vanishes away into smoke and vapor. the Christian dispensation, by conforming to On the other hand, the pleasure of reliits precepts. Let us show that we are Chris-gion is solid and lasting, and will attend us tians in deed and in truth; not by endless through all, even the last stages of life. disputes about trifles, and the transports of a When we have passed the levity of youth, blind zeal, but by abounding in those "fruits of righteousness, which are, through Christ, to the praise and glory of God."

and have lost all relish for gay entertainments; when old age steals upon us, and stoops toward the grave, this will cleave fast to us, and give us relief.

Clad in this immortal robe, we need not fear the awful summons of the king of terrors, nor regret our retiring into the chambers of the dust. Our immortal part will wing its way to the arms of its Redeemer, and find rest in the heavenly mansions. And though our earthly part, this tabernacle of clay, returns to its original dust, and is dissolved, our joy, our conwe have a solation, our confidence is, that " building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

From what has been said, we may clearly perceive how groundless all those prejudices are which some conceive against religion, as if it were a peevish, morose thing, burdensome to human nature, and inconsistent with the true enjoyment of life. Such sentiments are too apt to prevail in the heat of youth, when the spirits are brisk and lively, and the passions warm and impetuous; but it is wholly a mistake, and a mistake of the most dangerous tendency. The truth is, there is no pleasure like that of a good conscience; no real peace but what results from a sense of the divine favor. This alone can supSuch will be the happy consequences at port the mind under all the various and tendant on all those who strictly adhere to unequal scenes of the present state of the Christian religion, and diligently, through trial. This lays a sure foundation of an the course of their lives, follow the precepts easy, comfortable life, of a serene, peaceful laid down by their divine Master, the great death, and of eternal joy and happiness here- Saviour and Redeemer of the world.

MIRACLES, PARABLES, AND DISCOURSES OF JESUS.

OUR Saviour's miracles were exceedingly numerous, various, and benevolent, in their character, but only a very small number of

them are specifically mentioned. The following is, therefore, only a list of those more particularly noted of the miracles of Christ :

[graphic]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Demoniac cured

Five thousand fed

[ocr errors]

Canaanite woman's daughter cured

Man deaf and dumb cured

Four thousand fed

[ocr errors]

Blind man restored to sight

Boy possessed of a devil cured

Man born blind restored to sight

Woman of eighteen years' infirmity cured

Dropsical man cured

Ten lepers cleansed

Lazarus raised from the grave to life

Two blind men restored to sight

[ocr errors]

Fig-tree blasted

The ear of Malchus healed

[ocr errors]

Wondrous draught of fishes

Parable, a comparison or similitude, in-cient on record (Judg. ix. 7-15). Our geniously and impressively representing Saviour's parables are most instructive (Matt. moral or religious truth (Matt. xiii. 3, 10, xiii. 53, 54); and the following are the prin18, 23). Jotham's parable is the most an- cipal recorded :

[graphic]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]

The following list of the remarkable discourses of Christ will illustrate his wisdom and his doctrine:

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small]

THE blessed Saviour of the world having fulfilled all things prophesied of his mission here on earth, and having, in a most solemn manner, taken leave of his disciples, visibly retired before their eyes to eternal rest in his Father's kingdom. With hearts full of grief and admiration they deplored the loss of the presence of their dear-loved Lord; and, with longing eyes, paid their last attendance till he disappeared. They continued, for some time, fondly looking toward the place where their Lord was gone, till at length two angels in the shape of men, and gloriously apparelled, appeared before them, and delivered a message of consolation to this effect: "Forbear, Ŏ Galileans, your further admiration your gracious Lord, whom even now you beheld ascending to heaven, shall one day come to judge the world in as glorious a manner as he has now departed from you. He hath not absolutely left you, but is gone to take possession of that kingdom which he

:

will continue to govern to the end of the world."

The apostles and disciples of our Lord (among whom was Mary the mother of Jesus, and some other pious women who had attended him in his ministry) being greatly comforted by this divine message, immediately returned to Jerusalem, where they spent their time in acts of religious worship, assembling daily in a certain upper room, which they had made choice of for that purpose.

Peter had thought it necessary that a proper person should be chosen to supply the place of the perfidious Judas, that the number of the apostles might be twelve, as was originally appointed by their Master. To effect this, in one of their assemblies (which consisted of one hundred and twenty) Peter addressed himself to his fellow-apostles in a speech the substance of which was to this effect: "Ye know, brethren, what the royal prophet

David (Ps. xli. 9) foretold, and which has been punctually fulfilled, concerning Judas, who was of our society, a fellow-disciple, and an apostle chosen with us. For a sum of money he betrayed his Master to his enemies, after which, being troubled for what he had done, he returned the money to the priest, who, not daring to put it into the treasury, bought a field with it for the interment of strangers. This fact, and the fate of Judas, were universally known to all that dwelt in Jerusalem, and therefore the field that was bought with that money was vulgarly known by the name of the Field of Blood. To Judas, therefore, belongs that which is mentioned by the holy psalmist (Ps. lxix. 25, and cix. 8), not by way of execration, but of prediction: that, as he should come to a desperate miserable end, so the office which he had held with the rest of the twelve, should be bestowed on another. It is then our duty, according to this prophecy, to make choice of some one of these persons that are present (and who have continued with us ever since our Lord undertook the charge and care of us, till his ascension into heaven) that he may succeed Judas in the apostleship."

The proposition made by Peter was unanimously approved of by the assembly; upon which two candidates were immediately nominated, namely, Jonas, surnamed Barnabas, and Matthias, one of the seventy disciples. The choice of one of these two was to be determined by lot, previous to which the apostles solemnly invoked the divine direction in the following words: "Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether

* PENTECOST (Ex. xxiii. 16), "the feast of harvest, the first-fruits of thy labors" (Ex. xxxiv. 22; Deut. xvi. 10), "the feast of weeks" (Num. xxviii. 26, cf. Lev. xxiii. 17), "the day of firstfruits." The second of the great festivals of the Hebrews. It fell in due course on the sixth day of Sivan, and its rites, according to the Law, were restricted to a single day. The most important passages relating to it are, Ex. xxiii. 16, Lev. xxiii. 15-22, Num. xxviii. 26-31, Deut. xvi. 9-12. The time of the festival was calculated from the second day of the Passover, the 16th of Nisan. The Law prescribes that a reckoning should be kept from "the morrow after the Sabbath" (Lev. xxii. 11, 15) to the morrow after the completion of the seventh week, which would of course be the fiftieth day (Lev. xxiii. 15, 16; Deut. xvi. 9). The fifty days formally included the period of grain-harvest, commencing with the offering of the first sheaf of the barley-harvest in the Passover, and ending with that of the two first loaves which were made from

of those two thou hast chosen, that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas, by transgression, fell" (Acts i. 24, 25). Having said this, they proceeded to draw lots, which happening to fall on Matthias, he was accordingly elected into the number of the twelve apostles.

The number of the apostles being now complete, on the day of Pentecost,* they all assembled together at their accustomed place, in order to perform their religious duties. While they were thus employed, a prodigious noise (much like the rushing of a mighty wind) suddenly filled all the house in which they were, and a kind of fiery vapor, or exhalation, formed in the figure of a man's tongue, but divided a little at the tip, sat on the head of each; whereupon they were all immediately filled with the Holy Ghost, and, by its divine inspiration, were enabled to speak in several different languages.

At this time there were at Jerusalem many Jews and proselytes, who had come thither from different parts of the world, to the celebration of the feast. When these, therefore, were informed of the great miracle which had taken place with the apostles, and were convinced of the truth of it by hearing them speak the languages of their respective countries, they were greatly astonished, and knew not what to make of so singular an event. Some of them argued among themselves to this effect: " How have these men, who are natives of Galilee, and have continued all their lives there, acquired this knowledge? For in our respective languages we hear them preaching the doctrine of the wheat-harvest, at this festival. It was the offering of these two loaves which was the distinguishing rite of the day of Pentecost. They were to be leavened. Each loaf was to contain the tenth of an ephah (i. e. about 3 quarts) of the finest wheat-flour of the new crop (Lev. xxiii. 17). The flour was to be the produce of the land. The loaves, along with a peace-offering of two lambs of the first year, were to be waved before the Lord and given to the priests. At the same time a special sacrifice was to be made of seven lambs of the first year, one young bullock and two rams, as a burnt-offering (accompanied by the proper meat and drink offerings), and a kid for a sinoffering (Lev. xxiii 18, 19).

There is no clear notice in the scriptures of any historical significance belonging to Pentecost. But most of the Jews of later times have regarded the day as the commemoration of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. - Bible Dictionary.

A. B.

[graphic]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Christ, and the wonderful things God hath death. Hear what David the royal psalmist wrought by him. This certainly must imply says: I have set the Lord always before me; something of very great moment. But because he is at my right hand, I shall not others were of a different opinion, and, in a be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and scoffing manner, ridiculed the miracle, at- my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest tributing the powers possessed by the apostles in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in to arise from inebriation: These men,' hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One said they, are full of new wine." to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the To destroy this calumny, and to open the path of life; in thy presence is fulness of eyes of the yet deluded and perverse Jews, joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures forPeter, in the name of the rest, addressed the evermore. Give me leave, brethren, to speak multitude in a most admirable speech, the freely concerning David, who thus prophesubstance of which was to the following sied. He died like other men, had a solemn effect: "Ye men of Judæa, and all that at interment, and we have his monument this this time see and hear what the Lord hath day to show, and whence he never arose. done, be assured these things are not the Therefore, he spake not of himself, but by effect of wine: ye know in your consciences way of prediction of the Messiah, whom he It cannot be so, since it is but the third hour knew would infallibly spring from his loins, of the day.* But this is the completion of and be a prince and ruler of his church. a famous prophecy of Joel, who saith, In the These words of his were prophetic, and liter last days I will pour out my spirit upon all ally verified in the resurrection of Jesus, flesh; your sons and your daughters shall whose soul did not continue so long in a state prophesy, your young men shall see visions, of separation as that his body should be corand your old men shall dream dreams. (See rupted; and accordingly God raised him up Joel ii. 28.) All ranks and qualities of men in three days, of which all we apostles were shall receive the effusion of the Spirit of God, eye-witnesses. He having, therefore, assumed and those who were never brought up in the his regal state and office in heaven, and God schools of the prophets, shall be enabled to having given him power to send the Holy preach the gospel of Christ wherever they Ghost, he hath now punctually fulfilled his go. And after that there shall be fearful promise in sending it on us in the most exand astonishing sights and prodigies, and tensive manner; one great effect of which many great slaughters in Judæa, as forerun- yourselves can testify, by having heard us ners and prognostics of the destruction which speak languages which, a short time before, shall befall this people for their crucifying we did not understand. This great and imChrist, and from which the only way to rescue portant truth, therefore, I now proclaim to yourselves is, to repent and acknowledge you, that God the Father hath raised up that him, which is the design of this miraculous Christ, whom ye Jews have crucified, and descent of the Holy Ghost. Observe and that he now sits on the right hand of him in attend, ye men of Israel, for you are chiefly the kingdom of heaven." concerned in this great affair. This Jesus of Nazareth being demonstrated to be sent from God by the mighty works he did among you, all which you know to be true; him, I say, being permitted to fall into your hands, you apprehended and barbarously crucified; him, whom God, by his determinate council, had given to retrieve you from your lost condition, ye, with profane hands, have slain. This same Jesus, whom ye thus treated, hath God raised again, delivering him from the power of death; and, besides many other things, the prophecies concerning him required that he should not long lie under

* That is, nine o'clock, the time of morning prayers, to which the Jews generally went fasting.

This speech, or rather sermon, of Peter's, so wrought upon the minds of the people, that they called out most passionately to him and the rest of the apostles, requesting their advice what measures they should pursue, in order to shake off that guilt with which they had been so long loaded. Peter readily complied with their request, and in a most tender and affectionate address, told them, that in order to lay aside their infidelity, they must, with true contrition, acknowledge their sins, enter upon the Christian profession with a firm resolution of never falling from it; and that they must receive ized to proclaim remission of sins to all true baptism from the apostles, who were authorpenitents. "Repent and be baptized every

« AnteriorContinua »