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SERMON VI.

THE SINNER MEETS WITH DESERVED PUNISHMENT.

DELIVERED ON THE THIRD SABBATH IN DECEMBER, 1819.

1 PETER IV. 17, 18.

"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?"

PERHAPS there are but a few passages of scripture, in the whole of the sacred volume, which contains more of weighty and important matter, in so few words, than is expressed in the one just read in your hearing, as the foundation of our present labours. While contemplating the vast extent of subject, the great variety of matter, and the important and solemn nature of the whole, the speaker feels, very sensibly, the impotency of his powers to do his subject justice, by dividing the word of truth in such a manner, as to give a suitable encouragement to the virtues of our religion, and at the same time, judicial discouragement and terror to evil doers, preserving a due regard to the dictates of divine authority, especially in those cases wherein human traditions are preposterously opposed to the divine testimony.

Human invention and ecclesiastical authority have established a tradition concerning this text, which we feel bound to oppose; because they have extended, by the use of this passage, the severity, of the divine judgments infinitely beyond the plain and most definite denunciations of the divine law,! which is certainly deserving of more respect than

it receives from those erroneous doctrines by which it is so directly opposed.

It is well known by you all, that this passage is generally used in support of the doctrine of future endless misery, and so explained as to indicate that the ungodly and sinner, who obey not the gospel, must suffer in a future state, and to all eternity, the indignation and wrath of Almighty God.

If this use of our text was only known as a piece of ancient history, of some opinion entertained in the dark ages of popery, the necessity of considering and disproving it now could hardly be maintained; but, my brethren, it is the present efforts which are now making to perpetuate this use of this and many other passages, which calls for our careful attention, that what may be done to do away this superstition, so dishonourable to our heavenly Father, should by no means be omitted. But the moment we open our mouth to plead for the mercy of our heavenly Father, in opposition to the endless unmerciful punishment contended for by tradition, a mighty host of superstition presents a most formidable and imposing front, and raises its terrific voice, denouncing vengeance upon us for heresy, and accusing us of denying the validity of the divine threatenings. With a confidence which defies all reason, and a pertinacity which is blind to truth and deaf to argument, the advocate of the ungracious doctrine of never-ending punishment will allow no chastisement for the crimes of the wicked, unless we subscribe to the popular creed, which annihilates divine charity, and dooms the erring offspring of the Father of spirits to the regions of despair, beyond the reach of the Redeemer's grace. But standing firm on the never-failing rock of unalterable truth, we may venture to take a more reasonable position, contend for the judg ments of God to the extent of the divine severity, and yet allow that where sin abounds, grace abounds much more.

Our labours, therefore, on the subject before us, will be directed to set the several parts of our text before the hearer, in their own true sense, without an attempt to restrain any part from its most natural application. The following particulars require to be distinctly considered:

1. The house of God in distinction from those who obey not the gospel.

2. The judgments of God on both, and their relative severity.

3. The nature of that salvation which is indicated in our text by the following words: "If the righteous scarcely be saved." And

4. Ascertain the meaning of the words, "Where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?"

By house of God, we are to understand the brotherhood of believers in Christ Jesus, who were united as children of one family, and were faithful to the laws and ordinances of God. Jesus called his disciples the house of his Father, in John xiv. "Let not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." St. Paul very clearly expresses this subject in the following passages: Heb. iii. "And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." Here we learn that believers belong to this house as long as they hold fast their confidence. Gal. vi. "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." This household of faith is the house of God. Ephes. ii. Speaking to Gentile believers, the Apostle says, "Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the

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apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone."

By the passages here noticed, we learn that the church of believers in the gospel were called the house of God, the household of faith, &c. in distinction from those who believed not. But we must make a distinction even among those who were unbelievers, who did not obey the gospel of God. Those of whom the apostle speaks in our text, as not obeying the gospel, must, of necessity, be those who had rejected it; for people in remote parts of the earth, who had had no opportunity of hearing of Christ or his doctrine, could not be justly denominated disobedient to its laws. This distinction you will all allow is a very natural one; for surely to speak of the judgments of God on people for not believing and obeying the gospel of which they had had no knowledge, would be a most unreasonable thing.

Our minds are therefore directed toward those who had heard the gospel, who had seen the wonderful and miraculous works of God, designed as evidences of its divinity. In a word, it is perfectly consistent with all circumstances relative to our subject, to fix the words of our text, "What shall the end be of them who obey not the gospel of God," on the Jewish nation, and particularly on Jerusalem, the sect of those authorities, which perpetually persecuted the believers in Jesus, and especially those who taught in his name.

It seems that we have the two classes mentioned in our text, clearly designated before us. The persecuted church of believers in Jesus on the one hand, and the Jews, who rejected the Messiah, persecuted and put him to death, and continued to persecute and vex his disciples, on the other.

The attention of the audience is now invited to the consideration of that judgment mentioned in our text, which began with the house of God, but ended on that wicked and adulterous generation, on whom Jesus denounced all the blood which was

shed, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias. At the time Jesus denounced on Jerusalem this judgment, it seems that their iniquity was not full; for we read in the 23d of Matthew as follows: "Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them that killed the propl:ets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers. How can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city; that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation."

In this portion of our Saviour's words, we learn that those Jews who refused him and his doctrine, would also refuse his disciples and persecute them, for which they would be visited with those awfully severe judgments, which he not only in this place denounced on them, but which he so fully set forth to his disciples in the 24th and 25th chapters of this gospel, as well as in other passages recorded in the New Testament.

Now the relative severity of the sufferings of the house of God, and those devoted Jews, who obeyed not the gospel, is intimated in our text in the following words: "And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" That is, if we who adhere to the testimony of Jesus, and are faithful to his righteous cause, are visited with these sufferings from the hands of those who are the enemies of our Lord and master, and who have been his persecutors and murderers, what must be the punishment of their wickedness? The conclusion is evident; it

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