On the strong foundation of GoD's Holy Word, you shall be enabled to see inscribed those eternal promises which exhibit to the returning sinner an ample satisfaction for his past transgressions in the atonement of the Cross; and, to the despairing child of affliction, the example of the "Man of sorrows," Who was to suffer these things, and to enter into His glory, and Who has left by His Apostle the promise, "If we suffer with HIM, we shall also reign with HIM." Then shall you become sensible of the Presence of the Almighty JESUS, the LORD of comfort and of peace; and, if you feel the need of His support, as life draws on to its close, and beseech HIM, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent," He will go in and tarry with you. Behold," He says, "I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with ME." Nor will He vanish out of your sight; a morning shall succeed that evening, the everlasting day which shall never set; whose dawn shall be in Paradise, whose noon shall see the resurrection of the dead, when your eyes shall behold HIM, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see HIM not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." 66 H. T. 1 Isa. liii. 2 2 Tim. ii. 12. 3 Ver. 29. 4 Rev. iii. 20. SERMON XLV. THE GREAT BENEFIT OF GOD S WORD, AND THE RIGHT USE OF IT. St. Mark's Day. EPHESIANS IV. 11, 12, 13. AND HE GAVE SOME, APOSTLES; AND SOME, PROPHETS; AND SOME, EVANGELISTS; AND SOME, PASTORS AND TEACHERS; FOR THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS, FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY, FOR THE EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST: TILL WE ALL COME IN THE UNITY OF THE FAITH, AND OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, UNTO A PERFECT MAN, UNTO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULNESS OF CHRIST. How manifold and wonderful are the gifts of GODHis natural gifts even-how many ways He has of doing us good, and some in this way, and others in that! So it is also in His spiritual world; His various ways of doing good to our souls, or the methods He takes in order to perfect souls to HIMSELF-in order to build up men into a living temple of GOD-in order to bring us into oneness of faith, oneness of knowledge, the knowledge of the Son of GOD. Amongst those ways, one, of course, of the most striking and effectual helps we have of GOD is the gift of His Holy Word-His Word, which, when we read or hear it, is meant to strike downward into our hearts, and bring forth fruit both unto knowledge and holiness. And here too what an excellent variety ! Here too we have Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, by different methods, assailing the strongholds of sin and ignorance in our hearts; and still, though dead, speaking to us by that Word which they spake of old, being moved by the HOLY SPIRIT thereto. It is in thankful remembrance of God's mercy to His Church, in giving some, Apostles; some, Evangelists; some, Prophets; that Christians have set apart several days in the year, commonly those on which the holy men we then commemorate, departed from the miseries of this sinful world to their own place of blessed rest, to be kept in honour of them. Thus, this day has been appointed to be observed in honour of the blessed Evangelist St. Mark, who is commonly supposed to be the same with John, surnamed Mark, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, and of whom several particulars remain to us. It has even been thought that the house afterwards mentioned as his mother's, was that in which that large upper chamber was, in which our LORD and His disciples kept the Passover for the last time. He himself is thought to have been that young man, who having perhaps gone from the house where they ate, to the garden of Gethsemane, followed HIM when apprehended, having a linen cloth cast about his body. His zeal thus far for our LORD, if indeed it was St. Mark, was resented, we learn, by those who were leading away our SAVIOUR, who laid hold on him, and he was forced to leave the linen cloth in their hands, and to flee from them naked. After our LORD's Ascension, we read of the Apostles again meeting in an upper chamber, probably the same-and, therefore, in St. Mark's mother's house; but at the time that Peter was delivered from prison by the Angel, it is expressly said that it was in her house that the brethren were gathered together for prayer, when Peter knocked at the door. This may show how early St. Mark was mixed up with the cause of the Cross. It would seem that this Mary, his mother, was the sister of the Apostle Barnabas. When, therefore, Saul and Barnabas, after having taken the alms of the faithful up to Jerusalem, were returning to Antioch, they took with them John, whose surname was Mark. Afterwards, when sent forth to preach the Gospel, they had also John to their minister. But, even from the greatest saints we still learn how weak and sinful we are. St. Mark, on this occasion, discouraged as it would seem by the danger and fatigue of their undertaking, soon after departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. This conduct of his had the unhappy effect afterwards, of separating his uncle Barnabas and his great friend and fellow traveller; for, St. Paul proposing to Barnabas a second voyage, the latter determined on again taking with them John, whose surname was Mark. This however, St. Paul peremptorily opposed, because he had before departed from them, and went not with them to the work; the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other, and Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, and Paul chose Silas. Yet this contention had its good effects. "Let the righteous smite me, said David," "it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me: it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break my head." So it seems to have been in this case.. St. Paul's just censures upon Mark's conduct, though to Barnabas they seemed too severe, no doubt sunk deep into St. Mark's own heart and conscience, so that subsequently he justified by his behaviour, the more favourable opinion of his mother's brother. St. Paul mentions him afterwards along with Lucas and others, under the emphatic title of his fellow-labourer; begs the Colossians, should he come to them, to receive him, reminding them that they had received directions concerning him; and Timothy to take Mark, and bring him with him when he came, "for he is profitable unto me," says he, "for the ministry." Thus restored to St. Paul's good opinion, he had also by this time become the great friend and attendant of St. Peter, who was also at Rome, where indeed his martyrdom took place. St. Peter calls the Evangelist "Marcus, my son,"—either because he may really have been the first to convert him, or because he had become so dear to him as to deserve the name. He on his part hung upon the discourses and preaching of St. Peter, which was so well known, that the Christians of Rome begged him to put in writing the account of our LORD, of His life, and His miracles, that St. Peter had furnished him with. This he did accordingly; and the history so produced, is the Gospel which is called after his name. After St. Mark had finished it, St. Peter desired to have it read over to him, and having approved of it, it was thenceforth ordered to be read amongst Christians in their religious assemblies. The Evangelist himself was afterwards sent by St. Peter into Egypt, where he founded, at Alexandria, a very great and important city of Egypt, a church of great strictness and purity. But his labours extended thence into other parts of Africa, till at last his preaching against heathenism, brought upon him the wrath of persecution, having, as is related, his feet |