Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

fhould reft on a lefs formal proof, than the refurrection, it is of no great confequence: for, if the refurrection be fully proved, nobody can well deny the afcention. If the teftimony of the Evangelifts be allowed to prove the one, their word may be taken to cftablish the other.

With regard to "the right hand of God," it is a feriptural expreffion, ufed merely in conformity to our grofs conceptions; and is not intended to imply any diftinction of parts, but merely the idea of pre-eminence.

We believe farther, that "Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead."

This article contains the most serious truth that ever was revealed to mankind. In part it was an article of the Heathen creed. To unenlightened nature it feemed probable, that, as we had reafon given us for a guide, we fhould hereafter be accountable for its abufe: and the poets, who were the prophets of early days, and durft deliver thofe truths under the veil of fable, which the philofopher kept more to himfelf, give us many traits of the popular belief on this fubject. But the gofpel alone threw a full light upon this awful

truth.

In examining this great article, the curiofity of human nature, ever delighting to explore unbeaten regions, hath often been tempted, beyond its limits, into fruitless enquiries; fcrutinizing the time of this event, and fettling, with vain precifion, the circumftances of it. All curiofity of this kind is idle, at least, if not prefumptuous. When the Almighty hath thrown a veil over any part of his difpenfation, it is the folly of man to endeavour to draw it afide.

[ocr errors]

Let us then leave all fruitless enquirie about this great event, and employ ou thoughts chiefly upon fuch circumftances e it as moft concern us,-Let us animate ou hopes with the foothing reflection, that w have our fentence, in a manner, in our own power, that the fame gracious gospel which directs our lives, thall direct the judgment w receive, that the faine gracious perfon fhal be our judge, who died for our fins-and that his goodness, we are affured, will still operate towards us, and make the kindest allowances for all our infirmities.

But left our hopes fhould be too buoyant, let us confider, on the other hand, what an awful detail against us will then appear. The fubject of that grand enquiry will be all our tranfgreffions of known duty-all our omiffions of knowing better-our fecret intentions

our indulged evil thoughts-the bad motives, which often accompany our most plaufible actions--and, we are told, even our idle words." He that hath cars to hear, let him hear."-Then hall it be known, whether we have anfwered the great ends of life? Whether we have made this world fubfervient to a better?-Whether we have prepared ourselves for a state of happiness in heaven, by endeavouring to communicate happinefs to our fellow-creatures upon earth? Whether we have restrained our appetites and paffions, and reduced them within the bounds of reafon and religion? Or, whether we have given ourselves up to pleafure, gain, or ambition, and formed fuch attachments to this world, as fit us for nothing elfe; and leave us no hopes either of gaining, or of enjoying a better? It will be happy for us, if, on all thefe heads of enquiry, we can anfwer without

See particularly the 6th Book of Virgil's difmay.--Worldly diftinctions, we know, will then be of no avail. The proudest of

them

tem will be then confounded.

"Naked me we into the world, and naked muft we turn." We can carry nothing beyond the grave, but our virtues and our vices.

I fhall conclude what hath been faid on the laft judgment, with a collection of paffages on this head from Scripture: where only our ideas of it can be obtained. And though most of these paffages are figurative, C yet, as figures are intended to illuftrate realiries, and are indeed the only illuftrations of which this fubject is capable, we may take it for granted, that these figurative expreffrons are intended to convey a juft idea of the truth.-With a view to make the more impreffion upon you, I all place thefe paffages in a regular feries, though collected from various parts.

"The Lord himself fhall defcend from heaven with his holy angels-The trumpet fhall found; and all that are in the grave thall hear his voice, and come forth.-Then fhall he fit upon the throne of his glory; and all nations fhall be gathered before him-the books fhall be opened; and men fhall be jedged according to their works.-They who have finned without law, fhall perish (that is, be judged) without law; and they who have finned in the law, thall be judged by the law. -Unto whomsoever much is given, of him fhall be much required.-Then fhall he fay to them on his right hand, Come, ye bleffed, inherit the kingdom prepared for you. And ts them on his left, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire prepared for the deviland his angels.-Then thall the righteous fhine forth in the prefence of their Father; while the wicked fhall go into everlasting punishment: there fhall be wailing and gnafhing of teeth.-What manner of perfons ought we then to be in all holy converfation, and

godlinefs? looking for, and haftening unto, the day of our Lord; when the heavens being on fire, fhall be diffolved, and the elements fhall melt with fervent heat.-Wherefore, beloved, feeing that we look for fuch things, let us be diligent, that we may be found of him in peace, without fpot, and blameless; that each of us may receive that bleffed fentence, "Well done, thou good and faithful fervant: thou haft been faithful over little, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

We believe, farther, in "the Holy Ghost;" that is, we believe every thing which the Scriptures tell us of the holy Spirit of God.- › We enquire not into the nature of its union with the Godhead. We take it for granted, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, have fome kind of union, and some kind of diftinction; because both this union, and this diftinétion are plainly pointed out in Scripture; but how they exift we enquire not; concluding here, as in other points of difficulty, that if a clearer information had been neceffary, it would have been afforded.

With regard to the operations of the Holy Spirit of God (befides which, little more on this head is revealed), we believe, that it directed the apoftles, and enabled them to propagate the gospel-and that it will affift all good men in the confcientious difcharge of a a pious life.

The Scripture doctrine, with regard to the affiftance we receive from the Holy Spirit of God (which is the most effential part of this article), is briefly this:

Our beft endeavours are infufficient. We are unprofitable fervants, after all; and cannot please God, unless fanctified and affifted by his Holy Spirit. Hence the life of a good man hath been fometimes called a standing

D 6

miracle;

miracle; fomething beyond the common course of nature. To attain any degree of goodness, we must be fupernaturally affifted.

At the fame time, we are affured of this affiftance, if we ftrive to obtain it by fervent prayer, and a pious life. If we truft in ourfelves, we fhall fall. If we trust in God, without doing all we can ourselves, we fhall fail likewife. And if we continue obftinate in our perverfenefs, we may at length totally incapacitate ourfelyes from being the temples of the Holy Ghoft.

part

As to the manner in which this spiritual affiftance is conveyed, we make no enquiry, We can as little comprehend it, as we can the action of our fouls upon our bodies. We are fenfible, that our fouls do act upon our bodies and it is a belief equally confonant to reafon, that a divine influence may act upon our fouls. The advocate for natural religion need not be reminded, that among the heathens a divine influence was a received opinion. The priests of every oracle were supposed to be infpired by their gods; and the heroes of antiquity were univerfally believed to act under the influence of a fupernatural affiftance; by which it was conceived they performed actions beyond human power. This fhews, at least, that there is nothing in this doctrine repugnant to reason. Gilpin.

Church, Sc.

And indeed what is there in all this, which common life does not daily illuftrate? Is any thing more common, than for the intellect of one man to affift that of another? Is not the whole fcheme of education an effufion of knowledge and virtue not our own? Is it not evident, too, that nothing of this kind can be communicated without application on the of the learner? Are not the efforts of the $47. Creed continued.-The Holy Catholic teacher in a manner neceffarily proportioned to this application? If the learner becomes languid in his purfuits, are not the endeavours of the teacher of courfe difcouraged And will they not at length wholly fail, if it be found in the end they anfwer no purpofe? In a manner analogous to this, the Holy Spirit of God co-operates with the endea vours of man. Our endeavours are neceffary to obtain God's alliftance: and the more earneftly thefe endeavours are exerted, the measure of this grace will of courfe be greater.

But, on the other hand, if thefe endeavours languish, the affiftance of Heaven will leffen in proportion; and if we behave with obftinate perverfenefs, it will by degrees wholly fail. It will not always ftrive with man; but will leave him a melancholy prey to his own vicious inclinations.

We believe, farther, in the " holy catholic church," and the "communion of faints." "I believe in the holy catholic church," is certainly a very obfcure expreffion to a proteftant; as it is very capable of a popith conftruction, implying our truft in the infallibility of the church; whereas we attribute infallibility to no church upon earth. The most obvious fenfe, therefore, in which it can be confidered as a proteftant article of our belief, is this, that we call no particular fociety of chriftians a holy catholic church; but believe, that all true and fincere chriftians, of whatever communion, or particular opinion, shall be the objects of God's mercy. The patriarchal covenant was confined to a few. The Jewish church food alfo on a very narrow bafis. But the chriftian church, we believe, is truly catholic: its gracious offers are made to all

mankind;

1

mankind; and God through Chrift will take out of every nation fuch as shall be saved.

The "communion of faints," is an expreffion equally obfcure.; and whatever might have been the original meaning of it, it certainly does not refolve itfelf into a very obvious one to us. If we fay we mean by it, that good chriftians living together on earth, fhould exercife all offices of charity among themselves, no one will contradict the article; but many perhaps may ask, Why is it made an article of faith? It relates not fo much to faith, as to practice: and the ten commandments might just as well be introduced as articles of our belief. To this I can only suggest, that it may have a place among the articles of our creed, as a teft of our enlarged ideas of christianity, and as oppofed to the narrow-mindedness of fome chriftians, who harbour very uncharitable opinions against all who are not of their own church; and fcruple not to fhew their opinions by uncharitable actions. The papifts particularly deny falvation to any but those of their own communion, and perfecute thofe of other perfuafions where they had the power.-In oppofition to this, we profefs our belief of the great chriftian law of charity. We believe we ought to think charitably of good christians of all denominations; and ought to practife a free and unrestrained communion of charitable offices towards them.

In this light, the fecond part of the article depends upon the first, By the "holy catholic church," we mean all fincere chriftians, of whatever church, or peculiarity of opinion; and by the communion of faints." "A kind and charitable behaviour towards them.

-We are affured, that this article, as well as the "descent into hell," is not of the fame antiquity as the reft of the creed *.

We profefs our belief farther in the "forgiveness of fins."-The Scripture-doctrine of fin, and of the guilt which arifes from it, is this: Man was originally created in a state of innocence, yet liable to fall. Had he perfevered in his obedience, he might have enjoyed that happiness which is the confequence of perfect virtue. But when this happy state was loft, his paffions and appetites became difordered, and prone to cvil. Since that time, we have all been, more or lefs, involved in fin, and are all therefore, in the Scripture-language, under the curfe;" that is, we are naturally in a ftate of unpardoned guilt.

66

In this mournful exigence, what was to be done? In a state of nature, it is true, we might be forry for our fins. Nature, too, might dictate repentance. But forrow and repentance, though they may put us on our guard for the future, can make no atonement for fins already committed. A refolution to run no more into debt, may make us cautious; but can never discharge a debt already contracted †.

See Bingham's Antiquities, vol. iv. ch. 3. †Thus Mr. Jenyns expreffes the fame thing: "The punishment of vice is a debt due to justice, "which cannot be remitted without compenfa"tion: repentance can be no compenfation. It

may change a wicked man's difpofition, and "prevent his offending for the future; but can any one, by profligacy and extravagance, con"lay no claim to pardon for what is paft. If "tracts a debt, repentance may make him wifer, "and hinder him from running into farther diftreffes, but can never pay off his old bonds,

"for which he must be ever accountable, unless they are difcharged by himself, or fome other

Though it is probable this was not the original meaning of the article, yet as the reformers of the liturgy did not think it proper" to make an alteration, we are led to feck fuch" in his ftead." afcafe as appears moft confiftent with feripture.

View of the Intern. Evid. p. 112.

I

|

In this distress of nature, Jesus Christ came believed their fouls were immortal from their into the world. He threw a light upon the own feelings, fo impreffed with an expectation gloom that furrounded us. He fhewed us, of immortality-from obferving the progrefthat in this world we were loft-that the law five ftate of the foul, capable, even after the of nature could not fave us-that the tenor of body had attained its full ftrength, of still that law was perfect obedience, with which higher improvements both in knowledge and we could not comply-but that God-through in habits of virtue from the analogy of all his mediation, offered us a method of regaining nature, dying and reviving in every parthappiness-that he came to make that atone from their fituation, here fo apparently incomment for us, which we could not make for plete in itself; and from a variety of other ourfelves and to redeem us from that guilt topics, which the reafon of man was able to which would otherwife overwhelm us-that fuggeft.-But though nature could obfcurely faith and obedience were, on our parts, the fuggeft this great truth, yet Chriftianity alone conditions required in this gracious covenant-threw a clear light upon it, and impreffed it and that God promifed us, on his, the pardon with a full degree of conviction upon our of our fins and everiafting life-that we were minds. first therefore to be made holy through the gofpel of Chrift, and then we might expect falvation through his death: "Us, who were dead in trefpaffes and fins, would he quicken. Chrift would redeem us from the curfe of the law. By grace we fhould be faved thro' faith; and that not of ourselves: it was the gift of God. Not of works, left any man thould boaft." Gilpin.

§ 48. Creed continued-Refurre&ion of the Body.

We believe farther " in the refurrection of the body."-This article prefumes our belief in the immortality of the foul.

What that principle of life is, which we call the foul; how it is diftinguished from mere animal life; how it is connected with the body; and in what ftate it fubfifts, when its bodily functions ceafe; are among thofe indiffoluble questions, with which nature every where abounds. But, notwithstanding the difficulties which attend the difcuffion of these queftions, the truth itself hath in all ages of the world been the popular creed. Men

But the article before us proceeds a step farther. It not only implies the immortality of the foul, but afferts the refurrection of the body-Nor was this doctrine wholly new to nature. In its conceptions of a future life, we always find the foul in an embodied ftate. It was airy indeed, and bloodlefs; but ftill it had the parts of a human body, and could perform all its operations.

In thefe particulars, the Scripture does not gratify our curiofity. From various paffages we are led to believe, that the body fhall certainly rife again: but in what manner, or of what fubftance, we pretend not to examine. We learn," that it is fown in corruption, and raifed in incorruption; that it is fown in difhonour, and raised in glory; that it is fown a natural body, and raised a spiritual body:" from all which we gather, that whatever famenefs our bodies may have, they will hereafter take a more fpiritualized nature; and will not be subject to those infirmities to which they were subject on earth. Farther on this head, it behoves us not to enquire.

Instead, therefore, of entering into any me

taphyfical

« ZurückWeiter »