Page images
PDF
EPUB

nounces a blessing upon those who resemble their Father in heaven, in this important respect: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

39

Fourthly. Another striking feature of resemblance to the image of Satan, consists in every species of deceit. For he is "the father of lies; and our Lord says of him, "he abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him." He uttered a falsehood, even in paradise, to Eve; he was "a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab's prophets;" and he put it into the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira to assert a deliberate falsity to the Holy Ghost. Religious hypocrisy in particular is one species of deceit which characterizes his likeness; for he well knows how to transform himself into an angel of light. He that "feareth the Lord and serveth him," must do it, as Joshua urged upon the people of Israel, "in sincerity and truth;" for "the Lord looketh not upon the outward appearance, but upon the heart:" he has pronounced, "Cursed be the deceiver;" and has numbered the "liar” among those "who shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone."

Fifthly. Various spiritual sins, such as presumption (to which Satan tempted Christ himself), the denial of the truth of God's holy word,

and idolatry, are striking features of the image of the devil. The last, indeed, is peculiarly so; for idolatry, in all its forms, is the worship of the spirit of darkness, instead of the living and true God. The heathen live in this respect most plainly within the limits of Satan's visible kingdom; but even too many who call themselves Christians are not far removed from it, and every ungodly man is a member of it by his idolatrous preference of the world and sin to the service of the Most High.

But, not to dwell longer upon the enumeration of those features which constitute the peculiar image of Satan in the corrupt heart of man, let us apply the subject to our own cases. Whose are we, and whom do we serve? Whose image and superscription does our character bear? Are we the children of God, or the slaves of Satan? Let us judge of our true condition by the foregoing test. Are we earnestly endeavouring to mortify the above mentioned, and all other, evil affections opposed to the will of God, and at variance with that moral and spiritual image of our Creator in which our forefather was formed, but which has become defaced by the introduction of sin? We must not think to lay the blame of our unholy tempers or conduct to our spiritual adversary; for though he may suggest what is evil, yet ours is the guilt if we fall into it. He has no en

couragement to assault us, but what we give him by our own readiness to yield to his suggestions. He is not all-wise or all-powerful, like Him who is on our side, and who, if we look for his divine assistance, as we are privileged to do, will lift up a standard against this our enemy. If we resist the devil, he will flee from us. It is only when we parley with his temptations, when our own corrupt hearts unite in league with his suggestions, when we bare our bosom to his fiery darts, that he is suffered to obtain the victory over us. Let us then the oppose of Satan by the power power of Christ in the hour of peril, let us look to the Strong for strength: and let us "put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; for we wrestle not only against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

279

SERMON XXIII.

CHRIST MADE UNTO US SANCTIFICATION.

1 Cor. i. 30.

Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

THE entire passage from which these words are taken is as follows: "Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." The relation which our blessed Saviour bears to the Christian, in each of these points, is highly important; but it is intended, in the present discourse, to confine our attention chiefly to the third-He is made unto us sanctification. The importance of this subject is very great; and it behoves us to guard against the injurious mistakes which men are apt to make respecting it. The doctrine of the necessity of holiness is one which is by no means pleasing to the natural mind. There are many persons who allow the

duty of maintaining an upright and moral character, who still are ignorant of, or are unwilling to admit, the necessity of that renewal of heart, that spirit of vigilance and prayer, that deadness to sin and the world, that sacred communion with God, that zeal for his glory, that active benevolence and charity towards our fellow-creatures, which are implied in the idea of sanctification. Others, perhaps, are not unwilling to receive the promises of the Gospel, to claim its privileges, and to espouse some of its most peculiar doctrines, if only they may be excused that holy warfare, that strict self-denial, that lowliness and integrity of heart, and that active obedience to God, which our Redeemer requires from all his followers. It is easy to profess the Gospel in a manner so careless and indifferent as for it to have no influence on our character, as to require no sacrifice of our evil propensities; as to lead neither to prayer, nor humility, nor obedience. It is a most important part of the Gospel, that "Christ is made unto us righteousness;" which implies, that we are justified wholly by his death and merits, through faith; a doctrine greatly opposed to the unrenewed feelings of the human heart; one which our natural reason could never have discovered; and one which is expressly intended to exclude boasting, and to keep us low in the very

« PreviousContinue »