Page images
PDF
EPUB

Sermon I.

WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1801.

The Reason of the Hope of a Chriftian, which he ought always to give to him who afketh it of him.

1 Peter, iii. 14, 15. And be not afraid of their terror, neither be ye troubled; but fanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that afketh you a reafon of the hope that is in you, with meeknefs and fear.

[ocr errors]

HE apoftle Peter had a fpecial commiffion to preach the gofpel to the Jews, which did not exclude a regard to the uncircumcifed Gentiles. He therefore writes this epiftle to the Jews who were difperfed from the land of Ifrael, into various places in the Leffer Afia, and had embraced Chriftianity; with whom the Gentiles are included, who had become Chriftians, and had joined with the believing Jews. In confequence of their becoming Chriftians, they were hated, and fuffered perfecution by the unbelieving Jews and idolatrous Gentiles; who were difpofed to inflict on them all the evils which were in their power; efpecially the former, who exercifed the fame ill will towards them which Paul had and acted out before his converfion, and which they manifefted towards the apoftles and all Chriftians; of which we have the hiftory in the Acts of the Apoftles.

The Apoftle, in this epiftle to them, mentions many things to fupport and comfort them in their afflicted, fuffering ftate, and encourage and animate them to persevere in the profeffion and practice of Chriftianity, to whatever reproaches, worldly loffes and perfecutions they might expofe themselves hereby; and gives them

B

many

many directions for their conduct in all circumftances, and towards all perfons; especially in the prefent state of things. Of the latter we find an inftance in the words now before us. The Apostle here alludes to the words of Ifaiah in the eighth chapter of his prophecy. When the inhabitants of Judah were threatened with an invafion by the neighbouring nations, he tells them not to be afraid of them, but to fanctify the Lord of Hofts, and make him their fear and their dread. So the apoftle tells Chriftians, when threatened with the greateft evils that the enemies to Chriftianity could inflict, not to be afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but fanctify the Lord God in your hearts. To fanctify the Lord in their hearts was to love him fupremely, and trust in him alone, défiring that he might be exalted and glorified above all creatures forever. The fame word in the original is tranflated hallowed, which is here rendered fanctify. "Hallowed be thy name:" that is, may thy facred name and glorious character be made known, displayed and glorified to the highest degree, by all things that take place.

"And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you the reafon of the hope that is in you." Chriftians are directed to be always able, ready and willing to give the reason of their hope, to every one who afketh it of them. This must be understood with fome limitation. By every one who afketh, is meant every one who afketh in a proper, decent manner, and with an apparent, profeffed defire to know what reasons Chriftians can give for their hope. If any afked them to do this, with an apparent defign to ridicule and mock them, and to get fome advantage, and matter of accufation against them, which would expofe them to fuffering; they were not obliged to anfwer fuch, as it would be contrary to the command of Chrift: "Give not that which is holy to dogs, neither caft ye your pearls before fwine, left they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rent you."

"With meeknefs and fear." Chriftians are not to be haughty and infolent in giving the reafon of their hope, nor enter into oftentatious and angry disputes with unbelievers. They muft not defpife and treat them with contempt for their unreasonable difbelief; but pity them, and treat them with condefcenfion, tenderness and benevolence, not fhewing or having any angry refentment for any injurious treatment they may have received from them; but fuffering and bearing all injuries with a meek and quiet fpirit and behaviour. All this is implied' in meeknefs. Fear is here put for Chriftian humility, in oppofition to high-mindednefs, and felf-confidence, boafting of their privileges and character; by which they are favoured and diftinguished from thofe who are in a state of darkness and unbelief. It implies a fenfe of their own exceeding unworthiness, and utter infufficiency in themselves to defend and maintain the honour of the Chriftian cause, without conftant fupport and affiftance from divine grace; and continual liablenefs to fail of their duty, and difhonour Chrift, by not fpeaking and behaving as becomes their Chriftian calling and profeflion. This fear is effential to the Chriftian character, and becomes Chriftians at all times. The apoftle Paul exhorts Christians not to be high minded, but fear; to work out their own falvation with fear and trembling ;" and tells the Chriftians at Corinth, that he was among them in fear and much trembling.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

The fubject propofed to be confidered, in a further improvement of the words before us, is, the hope of Christians, and the reafon they have to give, and ought always to be ready to give, for this their hope, when properly required of them.

I. It is to be confidered what is included in the hope of Chriftians.

This hope indeed implies and comprehends more than words can exprefs, or the moft enlarged mind on earth can conceive. The greateft Chriftians do in this ftate comprehend and know but a finall part of what is con

tained in this hope. And they depend on the enlightening influences of the Spirit of Chrift, for the increafing knowledge of this which they may and ought to obtain in this life. Therefore the apoftle Paul prays for the Chriftians at Ephefus," that God would give unto them the fpirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; the eyes of their understanding being enlightened, that they might know what was the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the faints.' Chriftians may be affifted in their meditations on this pleafing and important fubject, by attending to the following brief and fcanty reprefentation of their hope, taken from the holy fcriptures.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Jefus Chrift is the Chriftian's hope. What is contained in his perfon and character; in what he has done and fuffered; in the manifeftations he has made of the divine perfections; in his revealed defigns and promifes to his church, and to every believer, is all the Christian can hope for, or can defire, and far, infinitely far, exceeds his higheft expectations, and the utmoft ftretch of his conception and imagination. Jefus Chrift has an infinite fulness for finners. He has all they want, and they cannot conceive or wifh for any greater or other good. And he gives himself, and all he has, his infinite fulness, to every believer.

1

Chriftians hope by Chrift to obtain the free pardon of all their fins, however many and great they are, and to be delivered from the curfe of the law of God, even eternal deftruction and mifery, and from all evil. As the children of God, they hope for his kind protection to defend them from all real evil while in this world; that what is in itself evil fhall be made to them a real good, fo that all things fhall confpire to promote their greatest good. They hope, in the best way and manner, and the most proper time, to be delivered from all fin and moral depravity, and made perfectly holy, by Chrift their Saviour; and that their falvation fhall be for the glory of God and the Redeemer forever; otherwife, it would be no falvation to them. They trust in

the

the wifdom and goodnefs of Chrift to order the time and manner of their death fo as fhall be moft for his glory and their good. They hope that when they drop their bodies into the grave they fhall immediately enter into a world of light and complete happiness, being wholly transformed into the moral likeness of Chrift; and in the enjoyment of him, and of his favour and love, and beholding his glory; and in the happy fociety of the redeemed, fhall enjoy uninterrupted, increafing felicity without end.

The Chriftian's hope includes in it an affured and pleafing profpect that Chrift will deftroy the works and kingdom of the devil on earth, and fet up his own kingdom, and give his people the poffeffion of the world, for at least a thoufand years; which happy time for the meek, the faints, to poffefs the earth, and delight in the abundance of peace and happiness, fhall commence and continue in a time and manner moft agreeable to Infinite Wifdom and Goodnefs. And the Chriftian expects the fet time will come, and is haftening on, when Chrift will come to judgment, raife the dead, and affemble all the children of Adam before him, when he will fentence the impenitent wicked to everlafting punishment, and invite and bring his friends into the poffeffion of his eternal kingdom, to enjoy perfect and progreffing happiness forever; and that they fhall fee, and have a moft pleafing and eternally increafing conviction, when all the enemies of Chrift are put under his feet, and all things are adjufted and brought to their proper and defigned iffue, that all events which have taken place, even all the evil, fin and mifery which has been, and will exift for ever, are included in the divine purpofe and plan, which was in the highest wifdom and goodnefs fixed and ordained from eternity, and are necessary, in the most proper and defirable manner, and to the higheft poffible degree, to promote the glory of God in the moft clear manifeftation and brighteft dif play of the divine perfections, and produce the highest happiness and glory of the eternal kingdom of God.

« PreviousContinue »