Page images
PDF
EPUB

vanities and lusts, than the threatened tempest of

the wrath of God.

A richer pearl is now presented merchant who sells all that he

to the enlightened has to purchase it. The miser, in the very act of counting his gold, carelessly drops the precious metal from his relaxing grasp, when the gold of Ophir is presented to his view; and he gives up his trifling and easy numbered wealth, for those riches which are unsearchable. The lust of the sensualist becomes in a measure neutralized by the love of Christ, and the glory of the world, which the ambitious man so eagerly desires, now fades and sinks, as the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, shines full upon his soul. This glory becomes too allur→ ing for us to withhold our gaze. We, like Moses, are constrained to turn and see this great sight; and having had but a glimpse we can never close our eyelids, but we perpetually turn our straining eyes to the object of our affection, that we may behold more of the glory of Him, whom we shall one day see face to face.

I would now address those whose minds the god of this world hath blinded. We have been to you like children in the market-place; we have piped for you, but ye have not danced, we have mourned for you, and ye have not wept." We have held up to your view, that glory of God in the face of Jesus. Christ, which is too dazzling for your vision. In setting before you the glory of Christ, we appear

you

to you as one that mocketh. We are like persons speaking to the blind of the beauties of colours, to the sick, of the blessings of health. We are like those addressing the savages of the South, in the polished languages of the West, to whom, all they utter is unintelligible. All knowledge is communicated to us by the senses, but you have no sense whereby the knowledge of the glory of God can be communicated to you, for the eyes of your understandings are unenlightened, so that you cannot see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus. Satan hath blinded the minds of which believe not; he is lord and possessor of the chamber of your hearts, and excludes every particle of light from entering therein. You, like him, cannot bear the light, for he delighteth in darkness, and you, his children, take pleasure in the same. This is your condemnation that you "love darkness rather than light;" you wilfully shut your eyes against the light of the Gospel, which is too painful for you to behold. You are like the moles, who, upon the perception of light, which they cannot bear, immediately shroud, entomb, and bury themselves in the darkness and obscurity of the earth. While I am now addressing you, and endeavouring to collect those rays, that issue from the halo of glory which shines in the face of Jesus, and to bring them focus-like to bear upon your darkened minds, to give light to them;

1

at this very moment do your minds shrink within themselves, like the leaves of the sensitive plant, when touched by the kind and fostering hand of the gardener.

I would now address those into whose heart God hath shined. Beloved, know you not that the light of the morning gradually breaks in upon the chamber, which during the night was in darkness? The light at first being faint, we discover few of its contents; but as the sun shines full into it, we discover the paintings on the walls,-the very motes that float in the air. The light, in like manner, which God may first communicate, may discover to us but little of the iniquities that dwell in the chambers of our hearts; but when the light encreases, and, like Ezekiel, we enter the chamber of imagery, we, like him, behold still greater abominations, and view " every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols portrayed on the walls round about." You may at present know but little of yourselves, but let me assure you that the knowledge of God and the knowledge of oneself, are two lines which ever run exactly even and parallel to one another; one line cannot be drawn without the other. Recollect that the force of a stream is felt in proportion as we swim against it. If God has made you deeply sensible of the darkness of your understandings, hasten to receive more of the light of the knowledge of his glory

66

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Be not afraid of the

in the face of Jesus Christ. Pray God to shine more into your hearts, that the light of the glory of God in the face of the Messiah may be more reflected upon your souls. The new-born infant át first can bear but little light,-by degrees only bear the full light of day but be ye no longer children, but be ye men. light, but like the eagle, gaze fully on the sun, that more of its rays may penetrate the eye of vision. Keep your eyes steadily fixed on this glorious object, let nothing turn them away from beholding this great sight; rest not satisfied with the hitherto but faint view of the glory of God, which has already been exhibited to you in the face of Jesus Christ. Recollect that even under the law, God exhibited his glory to Moses in answer to his unreasonable prayer; do you in this respect imitate Moses, and pray that the Father would reveal his Son in you. Beseech him to give you "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him ;" that the eyes of your understandings may be more enlightened, and that he would shine more into your hearts, to give you the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ. And let me assure you, that if the Almighty answered the unreasonable and unwarranted request of Moses, he will infinitely more answer these your reasonable and justifiable requests, which you can offer and present to him in the name of Christ, with

humble confidence, and full assurance of faith. And I tell you of a truth, Christ will manifest himself to you as he does not unto the world. Let me assure you all, that unless in this world there is this spiritual manifestation of Christ to the soul, we shall never experience it in the world to come, or behold and be partakers of that glory which he hath given us. Amen.

2

« PreviousContinue »