صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

The only question relates to his power. But his power is as infinite as his wisdom and goodness. All things are possible with him. All his creatures are the workmanship of his hands-and has he made creatures whom he cannot govern? No, my hearers, the Lord reigneth. "He sits on no precarious throne." "He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him what doest thou ?"

[ocr errors][merged small]

SERMON XXV.

Christ standing at the door.

Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door. I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me.-REVELATIONS iii: 20.

THE text is the language of Christ. The methods which he adopts to secure attention to what he has to say, are many and interesting. He condescends to adapt himself to the language and practice of mortals.

"Behold I stand at the door and knock." This language is suited to rouse and attract attention. Who is he?-Where is he?-At what door does he stand?—At the door of thy heart, O sinner. Though invisible to mortal eyes, he is here, whether you regard it not.

[blocks in formation]

By his word-by a preached gospel-by the admonitions of conscience and by the strivings of his Spirit. Nor is this all.

He calls. "Unto you O men, I call, and my voice is unto the sons of men." He calls by all the invitations of mercy contained in the Bible. "Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely." "Come for all things are now ready." Open unto me-open unto me, is the language of Christ.

He threatens. "Because I have called, and ye

refused-I also will laugh at your calamity." "Wo unto them when I depart from them."

"If any man hear his voice"-What is it to hear his voice? To pay a respectful attention to his word-to listen to a preached gospel-But this is not all. Hearing in the language of the text, implies obedience. "Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live."

"And open the door”—And what does this imply? Alas! it implies that the hearts of sinners are closed against Christ. They are closed

By prejudice.

By pride.

By unwillingness to receive the Saviour.
By excuses.

By unwillingness to see their lost condition.

Effort to prevent conviction, is an effort to exclude Christ from the heart. Thus sinners fortify their hearts, and make them as strong and stout against Christ as possible.

To open the door to Christ, my hearers, implies a willingness to see and feel what sinners you are. Painful as may be the sight, you must be willing to see it.

Again to open the door to Christ, implies a willingness to turn out every opposing enemy. There are many idols lodged in the sinner's heart. With none of these, will Christ consent to dwell. If you love any object more than you love him, you are none of his. Search, then, every corner of your heart, and turn out every opposing enemy.

. Again-to open the door to Christ, implies a willingness to confess the very worst of your sins, and to for

sake them. "He that covereth his sins, shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

"I will come in to him”—And what does this mean? It is a glorious promise that he will set up his kingdom in the heart of the sinner. And will God in very deed, dwell with men on earth? It is even so. Said one to our Saviour, "How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us and not unto the world?" He said, "If any man love me, my father will love him, and we will come and make our abode with him." Thus the strong man armed is overcome, and Christ sets up his kingdom in the heart of the sinner, who is translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son.

"And I will sup with him, and he with me."

It is with the sinner a joyful time. As when the prodigal returned, there was great rejoicing.

Reflections.

The text is introduced by a note of admiration. "Behold!"

Behold then, 1. The greatness of our Redeemer. He is every where present. And is it so ?-that he knocks at the door of a sinner's heart here-of another's there-and of another's there? And is it true that he meets with two or three of his disciples assembled here—and with others assembled there, and in different and distant parts of the world at the same time? And is that true which he said on earth, "even the Son of Man, which is in heaven?" He must then fill heaven and earth at the same time. And O, what can those do, who deny the omnipresence of the Saviour?

He calls, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest ;" but if he is not omniscient, where shall they find him? They have no Saviour to go to. But, my friend, say not in thine heart, who shall ascend unto heaven to bring him down or descend into the deep to bring him up-He is nigh thee-He is every where present. Sinners need not leave their seats, but only open their hearts, and he will take possession.

2. Behold the depth of Christ's condescension. The high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity, dwelling in the high and holy place, condescends to take up his abode in the hearts of men. He comes not to the palace; but to poverty and wretchedness--to sinners, and to those who have long rejected him-to those who have been ashamed of him. He does not knock at the door of his friends merely, but at the door of his enemies. He knocks at the door of the vilest of

sinners.

"When the Eternal bows the skies,

To visit earthly things,

With scorn divine he turns his eyes,

From towers of lofty kings.

He bids his awful chariot roll,

Far downward from the skies,
To visit every humble soul,
With pleasure in his eyes.

O, the depth of his condescension! Is it possible! And will he stoop so low, as to take such vile sinners— heirs of hell-and make them the sons of God-heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ to an eternal inheritance?

3. Behold the extent of his willingness to receive

« السابقةمتابعة »