righteousness. But they will be graduated by our Christian fruits. Christ will give to every one according to his works." Judgment and eternity will show that to have sought first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, was indeed the one thing needful. And this fact will brighten in the soul, whether in bliss, or in wo, for ever. But then the day of probation will be past. 'He that is holy, shall be holy still; and he that is filthy, shall be filthy still." Saints will rise, and sinners will sink in the results of their choice in time, ages without end. The one passing from glory to glory; the other from one degree of horror and torment to another, for ceaseless ages. Now is your time, O saint, to brighten your crown. And now is your time, O sinner, to obtain that crown, instead of plunging yourself into endless wo. Look, O mortals, on the heaven described in the close of the Apocalypse. Read and consider its bright glories;-how far beyond all that is earthly. Grant it may not be a literal delineation; but it is the best man is able to conceive; and the reality will be far from falling short of it. O lose not such a world, for one that is at best but vanity and vexation of spirit!
"And his Name shall be called Wonderful."
Things deep and high as heaven, and to man dark,
In Jesus meet, and richly harmonize.
May these be ever graven on my heart!
Christ is the life and soul of Revelation.
In him its rays converge. He is the soul
Of the Apocalypse; that closing touch
Of the Almighty's hand to his blest book.
He is Immanuel, known as God with us.
One of three equal Persons found in God:-
Equal in nature; not in offices
For man's salvation. God reveals himself
To man, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
The Father over all superintends.
The Son deigns to redeem and mediate.
The Holy Ghost to sanctify and seal.
Three in one Godhead, indivisible.
The Son the way and only way to God.
His death furnished the price of man's salvation.
In the event, lost man drew his own likeness,
And, in the same event, God drew his own.
The one, depravity and deadly hate.
The other, grace and justice richly joined.
Bright specimen of bringing good from evil.
Surely the wrath of men shall praise him; and
Remainder of that wrath will God restrain.
O dwell upon the wonders found in Christ.
The very God; yet man. In natures two;
In person one; Creator; creature; Lord.
Dependent; independent; ever present;
Yet at times "gone,”-
'-as the spouse testifies.
Object of prayer; yet when on earth he prayed.
Object of praise; yet One above he praised.
To man God says-in thunder-" Worship thou
The Lord thy God; him only shalt thou serve."
"Before me, thou shalt have no other gods."
This, saints obey; and yet all worship Christ.
Upholding all things; yet himself upheld.
One with the Father; yet himself distinct.
One without father; yet the Son of God.
Calls God his God, and ours; his and our Father.
Without beginning; yet God says to him,
My Son, this day have I begotten thee.
Begotten; Father of eternity. (Heb. of Isa. ix. 6.)
Known in his word, the High and Lofty One:
Dwelling in temple never made with hands.
Yet dwells in every humble broken heart.
The Governor of worlds; himself yet governed :-
All power, officially, to him being given.
Searcher of hearts; omniscient, final judge.
Yet knowing not (he says) the day of judgment.
(To some, he then will say, I know you not!
Yet knows enough of them to judge their hearts.
The time exact of the great judgment day
Christ never received of God to unfold to man.
Officially, he therefore knows it not.)
Our very God; yet pleads with God for us.
Eternal Lord; yet made both Lord and Christ.
The First, and Last; Almighty; yet he said,
"I am a worm, and no man; sorrowful
Exceedingly, and even unto death."
"Reproach of men; despised among the people."
Nailed to the cross!-the Life, the Prince of Life,
Dead and entombed! his enemies in triumph.
But triumph, O how short!-bright specimen
Of the confusion which awaits all foes.
In Christ, round contradictions seem to meet.
Yet there are none. Each, in its sense, is true.
That sense then learn; and see him Wonderful.
Whom, though not seen, true saints devoutly love,
And hence may say, my life is hid with him.
Dwell on his glories, till they fire the soul.
First born of every creature; Elder Brother,
Bridegroom of Zion, Husband, Head, and Lord.
Her wisdom, Righteousness, and Sanctifier.
Her Balm in Gilead; her Physician there.
Redeemer, both from sin, and endless wo.
The Lord our Surety; and the Lord our Strength.
Most kindly knocking at the human heart.
Behold his emblems,-full of grace and truth,-
The Bread of life; the Wine; the Tree of life;
The Rose of Sharon; Lily of the valley;
True Vine; Life of the branches; living Head;
Fountain for cleansing; Sea of glass and fire;
Refiner's Fire, to purify the saints;
The smitten Rock, sending forth living streams;
Healer of fiery serpent's stings; more sure,
By far, than was his brazen type of old;
River of life; True Shepherd; and the Door;
The Corner Stone; the Temple of salvation;
The Sun of Righteousness;-our sun his type;
Saints' hiding place; Rock in a weary land;-
(Refuge and shade for the poor traveller.)
Shadow from burning justice of the Law.
O Zion see in Christ your great salvation.
Let all your glorying be in him alone.
And stand prepared to meet him on that day,—
"Great day for which all other days were made!"
All good and bad, shall then burst from their graves,
In bliss, or wo, in twinkling of an eye,
To meet their Judge, and give their last account.
Behold the amazing difference of their states !
One in despair unspeakable; and one
In joy unspeakable and full of glory.
True friends now meet; and meet to part no more.
Their graces all have ripened to perfection;
Their "well of water" reached eternal life.
Saints in their Judge behold their heavenly Bridegroom;
And feel he has procured their whole salvation.
Life's crystal river flows through every heart,
Filling with social, rich, and endless joys.
O sinners; shall such blessedness be lost,
And worse than lost, for your vile trash of sin?
Wake from such madness; fly from wrath to come,
Take and improve the life now urged upon you;
Hear the most friendly warning from above,-
"Seeing that all these things must be dissolved,
What kind of persons ought ye hence to be?"
Professors; love and hail that blessed day;
See that your lamps are furnished well with oil;
Be in continual active readiness
To meet the glorious judge of quick and dead.
Dwell on the theme; able (with one) to say,
"I think of nothing else; I see, I feel it!"
Saints there commence their full eternal harvest:-
Harvest secured in time by faith alone;
Bought only with the righteousness of Christ;
But graduated by their Christian fruits.
"Behold, I come; (Christ says) with my rewards,
To give to all according to their works."
Dear brethren; heralds of this mighty Saviour;
Behold our Principal, our Pattern, Lord!
May his bright glories fill our every eye;
And his examples fix and charm our hearts.
Behold this trait of him;-"made himself of
No reputation;" sought no selfish glory.
Supported doctrines hated by the world.
Urged duties upon men which they abhorred.
Exposed, condemned the darling sins of men;
Sins common, gainful, and most popular.
In these, Christ persevered 'gainst threats and flatteries;
Till, in mad rage, they nailed him to the cross.
Now take thy cross, (Christ says) and follow me.
Go, and do likewise; do as I have done.
Tell men what I have done, and now demand.
In all things be my true ambassadors.
We must obey; or fail of his salvation;
And fail, as base invaders of his glory,
To seek our own; a vile idolatry
Which heaven will never fail to reprobate;
Tis not enough to preach things popular.
Our business, Christ has marked by word, and deed.
Preach the whole counsel of the grace of God.
Shun nought-but error;-" earnestly contend
For the faith once delivered to the saints."
Obey the charge,-"reprove, rebuke, exhort,
With all authority," received from heaven.
Do all too, with long suffering, and with love.
Of others' sins by no means be partakers,
By union with them; or by soft connivance!
Make the abominations of men known.
And tell the wicked they shall surely die!
Preach my whole truth ; “diminish not a word!”
If we obey, Christ's legacy is ours,-
Lo, I am with you always to the end.
You shall not fail to shine with me in glory.
And is it much, after all Christ has done
For us, to plead his cause with fellow men?
No! we will plead it; by his grave we will
At every risk;-and take our lot with him
Who is our Saviour, God, the Wonderful!
Flight of the Pilgrims to America, in 1620.
Paraphrase on Rev. 12: 13. See Lecture 15, page 180.
See bands of Jesuits rise, Christ's cause to sacrifice;
From pope just freed.
These hosts of Satan raise scaffolds and fires to praise
Th' old harlot, and amaze Christ's holy seed.
Hundreds of thousands bled. Legions of saints fell dead
By dragon's breath.
All Protestants should die, or to far countries fly;
While rights of conscience lie prostrate in death.
This outrage of fell foes, Christ saw; and soon arose
To work defence.
A chariot, hung on wings of eagle, down he flings
To Zion's priests and kings; to bear them thence.
Enter, Christ said, this car! It soon shall bear you far
What though your flight be long? These mighty wings are Flee then, this murderous throng; Arm of the Lord!
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