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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 wmmmmm^ / m Xf .^ D V f ■ 1, • v' WARNING ^^=^^- AND WELCOME SERMONS PREACHED IN ZION PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BRANTFORD, DURING 187C. REV, WILLIAM COCHRANE, D. D. (Author of the " Heavtnli/ Vi/iion,'' " Christ and Christiun Li/e," dtc.) ,» T< IKONTO : Au.ui Stevenhun il Co. ; and Willino it Wilua.mbon. Btiavtford : Jonx Stttherlakd. 1S77. w ■f ,tf# Daily ExpoHiTOK Steam Ppintinu Housh, <^tor(;k St., Urantfohi). 4 i TO 4- ^r. l^oW T^iitm, Cincinnati, Ohio, U. S. WHOSE GENEROUS KINDKESS THE WRITER HOLDS IN GRATEFUL 1^ REMEMBRANCE. THESE PAGES Are Afpbctionatelt Dedicated. ir ^ PREFATOBY NOTE. The Sermons in this Vohime ai-e addressed cliiefly to the unconverted. The simphcity of the Gospel offer— its freenoss and fuUness— and the reasonableness and neces- sity of immediate surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ are the topics discussed. In several oases the words as spoken have led to decision,— may many more who read them, " beHeve and live." Hrantford. Out., January 1st, 1877. 56S81 «> 41 t- C N T E N T S. t PAOI. I. Warning \nd V\'klc!omk. " Whosoever heareth the Roiud of the trumpet, and taketh not warning, his blood Hhall be upon hiH own head. * « * ^ Say unto them, An I Uve, saitli the Lord God, I have no plea- riure in the death of the wicked ; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O houKe of ; Israel?" — Ezeriki. 38rd, V. 4 and U .' n. " But He "Was a Leper." " Now Naamon, captain of the host of the King of Syria, wan a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria : he was also a mighty man of valor ; but he was a leper." — 2nd Kings 5th, y. 1 m. Sowing and Reaping. " Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy: break up yonr fallow ground ; for it is time to sf^ek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you."— Hosba 10th, v. 13. IV. The AccEPTEi; Time. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." — 2nd Corinthians 6th, v. 2 14 •ifi .18 A Soul Forsaken. " God is departed from me."~lsT Sauuel 28th, v. 15, 49 VI CONTENTS, VI. Keeping the Heart. " Kiitip thy heart with all (lili|: r.ATiON 22nd. v. 17 7.H VIII. The Nature of Faith. ' ' If they hear not Moses and the prophets neither will they be be persuaded thouj^h one rose from the dead." — Lokb 16th, V. 81 IX. 85 " The Voice of Spring." " My beloved spake and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past ; the raiu is over and gone; the Howers appear upon the eartli ; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is hoard in the land : the tig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." — Song of Sonob 2ud, V lO-l.S 1)7 X. Calvary. " And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, EU, Eli, lama sabacthani ? That is to say. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" — Matthew 27th, V. 46 109 XI. •' Nothing but Leaves." "When He came to it. He found nothing but leaves. '—Mark xi., 18 121 ^ J "d'l. «? CONTKNTH. VII •^•v «? XII. ThK (iortPEI, HlUDKN. "But if our guBpel bo hid, it in hid to thorn thnt ar(> IohI : In whom the God of thin world hath hlittdt>d tho niindH of thum which heliovc not, leHt tliu li^ht of the ^hiriiiiiHf^tmpcl of ChriHt, who JH tho imago of (iod, should Hhiiic imto tlii'm." — 2kt> Coiuh- THIANB, iv. »-4 -. . . 181 XIII. Skntimkntal Kkligion. "Autl thiTc followed him agrent company of pfoplu, and of wrmii-u. which hIho bowiiilcd and lamented him. 15ut .Ichuh tiiminK uuto them, said. Daughters of tTeruRalem, weep not for me. hut weep for yourselves and for vour cliildreii." - Lukk xxiii.. V. 27. 2H . . . . ". ." 14(1 XIV. Thk Fatheus Lovk. "It })lea8ed the Lord to hruise him. He wa^ l)ruised for our ini- quities.'*— Ihaiah liii., V. 10, 5 I5m XV. The Dying Malekactok. "And he said unto .lesus, Lord, remember me when thou eomest into thy Kingdom," — Lfke xxiii., v. 42 IH'.> XVI. Doubts. 'Hilt Thomas, one of the twelve called Did.ymus, was not with them when Jesus camo. The other disciples therefore .said iinlo him, We have seen tlu. Lord. But lie said unto theui, Kxcept I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of tlu! nails, and thrust my hand inti> his side, I will not believe." — .Ioijn xx.. v. 21, 2") 1^1 XVII. HeHOJ.D TlIK L\MI!. "liehold the Tjumb of (lod. wliidi takcth iiway the sin of tin- world. .loHN i., V. 2!) '. \W XVIIl. Changks AM) Chastisemknts. •'Moab bath been at ease from his youth, and he hath :>ctll-lBAiAii Iv., v. 6 307 XX. Not Saved. 'The hHi-vuHt in paHt, the Bummcr Ih onded, and wo are not naTed." — .iKBEMiAn Tiii., ▼. 20 299 XXJ. A Personal God. " Ah tLit hart panteth after tlic wntcr brookfl, ho pantoth my nou) after thee, O (tcxI. My kouI thirsteth for Ood, for the living God: when nhall T eonic lunl appear before tiod?" — Psalm 42nd, V. 1-2 " (i, Ood, Thou art my (i(xl: early will I seek Thee: My soul thirnteth for thee ; my flesli longeth for Thee in a dry and thirnty laud where no water iK." — PnAiiM Oiird. v. 1 2tl XXII. ('KiiciFYimi Chkist. " They crucify to themHclves the Son of Ood afresh, and put him to an open shame." -Hebhews 0th, v. 7 2fi3 xxm. The Dkceitfulnes* or Sin. ■■ And Diivid'rt anger was preatly kindled against the man ; and lie said to Nathan, A.-> the Lord livetli, tho man that liath ilime thin thiuj( shall hureiy die." — 2MD Rami i:i. 12tl). v. T).. . •• And Hnziiel said. But, wlial I is thy sorvent a do^' that he sliouM do thit! {jreat thin.i,' ? " -2Nn Kinos 17tli, v. l.'J " The heart is tleeeitfiil abi)Ve all tilings, and desju-rately wicked. Who can know it'.'"- Jkiikmiau 17tli. v. •) 2r».') XXIV. Confession and ForgiVeniss. •• 1 acknowltxlge my sin unto Thoe, and mine iqiqnity have 1 not hill.* — P8AT.M 52ud, V. 5 ' If wr conf'^^M ouv H.'c, He ii. fiitlJ.il ;oid j\i' t to forgive ua onr sins, and t^ clr.ai:fc«> us froai all u:uTgbt6'5ua::c .;■.'— let Jony l-3t. V. y 27h iri t^f f WARNING AND WELCOME. " Whosoever hcaroth the nonnd of the tnimpet, and taketh not warning, his blood, I have no pleasure in the d(>ath of the wicked ; but that the wicked turn from liin way and live. Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil wayH ; for wliy will ye die, O houBo of Is- rael ?''—Kzekiel 38rd, verses 4 and 11. Ezekiel'fl ofiice was that of watchman to the housA of Israel, during the period of the Babylonish captivity. Hii commission, as given in the earlier part of the prophecy, reads as follows : "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel : therefore, hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die ; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, be shall die in bis iniquity ; but thou hnst delivered thy soul." Faithfully and fearlessly did tlie prophet make full proof of his ministry in times of peculiar danger and national sorrow, when the temptations were great to prophesy smooth things, and quiet the widespread terror and auzioty that everywhere prevailed. In a previous WARNING AND WELCOME. - *he voice of the Almighty speaking in thunder tones to Christian communities. Those thus chastised were not guilty of flagrant crimes beyond the average of men. '• Suppose ye," said Christ to the self-righteous Jews, " that those Galileans, whoso blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices, were sinners above all the Galileans be- cause they suffered such things'? I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." In addition to these public calamities, the many breaches that have been made within the more restricted limits of the household are intended to awaken serious concern for eternity. Doiith is often a more powerful preacher than the pulpit. His arrows stick faster and pierce more acutely. These direct calls ought not to pass nnheedod. Tlipy may constitute the final effort of a loving Savions ere ho ends your earthly probation nnd summons you to the bar of judgment. 8 WAllNINO AND WELCOME. Finally, unconverted men have been warned by the alarms of conscience and the strivings of the Holy Spirit. Some consciences are so terribly seared that they eive no oocasion for anxiety. Judgments and mercy alike pass over them unimproved, leaving them more impenitent and defiant than ever. But with the mass of men it is different. There are times when tbe better part ©f their nature assert! its sovereignty and reveals to the awakened soul the terrors of the Lord, and the majesty of violated law. It is hardly possible that rational and intelligent men should sit under the ministrations of the sanctuary without occasional feelings of uneasiness. That they are slow to confess such mental torture, and endeavor to wear a happy countenance and look at the bright side of life, is no evidence of the contrary. Because we see no tears in the church, we have no ground to doubt the existence of serious concern. Oh, that these better promptings would but lead men to instantaneous action and compliance with the invitations of the gospel. A soul asleep — a conscience passive and unconcerned, is the precursor of eternal misery. By all these methods of warning, then, the trumpet has sounded. You cannot bo ignorant of its meaning* God has a controversy with you. He is grieved at your impenitence. He seeks your restoration. He waits to be gracious, but how long none of us can tell. It is possible to weary the patience of the Almiglity and draw down the vials of his wrath. " Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way." The danger of despising these warnings is brought before us in the text. " His blood shall be upon his own head." The sinner dies by his own band. In the sigh^ '^r WARNINa AND WELCOME. 9 of heaven he commits suicide. The excuses that men put forth for procrastination are unworthy of reasonable be- ings. One says, " I do not doubt but these warnings are intended for me. I cannot get rid of uneasy sensations. I have moments when I am brought to tlie very brink of despair, and find no refuge anywhere from my awful soul questionings. But I have no leisure to investigate matters of such overwhelming importance, or devote to spiritual duties. How can I neglect the pressing calls of the pre- sent for those that are unseen ? " It is the old excuse, *' While thy servant was busy here and there, the man was gone." Another says, "I do hope to attend to religion before I die. The trumpet will sound again, and when the danger is greater I will take heed. I have no intention of always living as I do now. I feel the im- portance of what you say ; but I am still young — many days arc before me — the snows of age are yet far distant." So men deceive themselves and tamper with Providence until an old age has been reached, when reflection upon eternal realities is a burden to the impaired and shattered reason, and unconsciously the soul passes away to receive its eternal doom. 't I must not leave you without the alternative presented by the prophet. "He that taketli warning sliall de- liver his soul." "As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that tlie wicked turn from his way.ai\d hve , turn ye, turn from your e\il ways; for wliy will ye die, house of Israel'.*" Chango your Hves. Reform your character. Abandon e\'il habits that are dragging you do\vn to perdition with cwift and cei-tain steps. Follow after- a nobler idea of Christian manhood, and sook by God'd blessing to attain a i)osiiion in WARNINGS \NI» WKI.i'OMK. ill society where you can exert a lualtlifuJ iutiiu nee upon your fellowmen. There in no reason why any man thould become disheartened in the Cln-istian Hfe, nor why the ;4ieatest [)rolii^ate should not cleanse his ways and amend his conduct Christ came for the very purpose vf making known the 'ufhiite resources of his nature and elevating the fallen. Make proof of his gracious promises and your redemption is certain. The favor of heaven may at all times be s( cured, and the fears of coming wrath overcome. Why suould (rod have pleasuiv in the deiith of the wicked? It is true that the justice of (lod shall be lionored and his holiness vindicated in the condemnation and eternal punishment of impenitent sinners. Whatever be the issue of the overtures of reconciliation, God's law will remain pure and untarnished. But will not the sulvation of wicked men, rather than their damnation, add new lustre to the Messiah's crown ? The glimpses that are given us of the employments and delights of the heavenlv inhabitants arc sufticient to show that the re- demption of a fallen world is to them occasion for the deepest joy. " There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that re])enteth." And if at the retm-n of each prodigal the angels strike their lyres and sound their liarps for joy, can it be that the Lamb upon the throne is indifferent and unconcerned ? Nay, it is only in so far as he regards with feelings of delight each returning sinner tliat they rejoice. It is only in so far as his honor, and majesty and glory are concerned that they see cause for raptuKuis praise and adoring wonder. To sapjioso r.ha: tho mother aliould rojoce at the destvutt-aUvt oi iiCi' jii"ut-bo.'i_ babe i^ iat.»iLbtroui>. The WARNIN<; AND WKJ.rOMt. II agony uiiiltagoue before its but li- -the anxiou> care lujd weary watcliinj^s maintained all through its infancy — the fond affoctiou incessantly lavished upon it, mk it lies alumboruig or crying in its cradle — all this tells that h mother's love for her offspring is greater than that for her own existence. And shall we deny such feeling's of com- passion — only in an inhnite degree — to the great 1 AmV When man was created in the image of his Maker — his heart throbbing witli immortality — was it simply that the Creator might show his power in his destruction and gratify a feeling of revenge ? It cannot be I If tliere is anything of love and mercy, forgiveness and long-suffering in the human heart, it is but a faint reflection of that wondrous pity that exists in God. In his estimation the loss of material worlds and suns and systems are matteis of insignificance compared with the loss of nno immortal soul. the The "Tuin ye, turn ye, why will ye die V "" Po haps 1 am met with the objection that the sinner is unal>le to compl\ with the command. Unquesljoiiably thtie are great difB . culties to be overcome in turning li'om ;i hie ol Ibijy. Evil habits long practised and vices long indulged in are sevious obstacles in beginning a life of holiness. When a man foi a long period has been going down hill it is no easy mat- ter to stop the downward tendencies and rev- rso his move ments, in certain railways extra locomotive power is appUed when ascending steep grades, until the level has been gained. And in the matter of the sinner's conversion God's grace supplies this very want. There is no com mand in Scripture without the most ample provision for the required obedience. There is nothing unreasonable in God's dealings with men. So soon as the faintest desire is 12 WARN1N<; AND WELCoMK. formed within the breast, diviiit.' power is vouchsafed to cany out our better resolutions. Have you ever attempted to break loose from the bonds (»f wickedness? Have you ever cried for gracious assistauci^ in overcoming sin ? Have you ever honestly resolved to abandon your godless career ? If not, the objection of inability is simple mockery. It is an insult thrown in Jehovah's face for any man to parade his weakness and wickedness as an excuse for uon-com- pUanco with the invitations of the gospel. Why will ye die ? Ai*e you so much in love with end- less misery and eternal torments as to covet death ? Do you doubt the veracity of such threatenings, hke Eve of old, who believed the serpent that said, "Thou shalt not surely die." What strange hallucination has come over your mind that you dream life away in fond complacency, undisturbed by fears as to the future ? Life is sweet to most men, and for it anything valuable will be sacrificed. Much more important surely is the happiness of the soul throughout eternity ! Why will ye die ? The question is put to every man and woman. Tliou art the man — thou art the woman to whom God speaks. You, young man in the prime of life, with buoyant step and eager countenance, diinking of the sparkling streams of pleasure and flying from folly to folly, as the bee skips from flower to flower. You, young woman, fascinated and entranced with the treacherous and hollow flatteries of gay admirers, whose smiles and devotion will avail you nothing in the hour of death. You, man of busi- ness, overwhelmed with the rasping cares of life — chasing after wealth with dizzy brain and feverish pulse, forgetful of the footsteps of the destroying angel, who tracks your WARNING AND WKLOUMK- 13 pathway as tho bloodliomul tracks its victim. And yon, aged one, whose hoary locks and furrowed brow indicate unmistakeably that the Hmit of existence is ail but reached ; — to one and all I put tho question : " Why will y$ die ' " Why will ye die? Have you ever thought what it means to die? Not to cease existence. Not simply to shuffle off this mortal coil and lie down peacefully in tho narrow house. Not simply to endure a few weeks or months of jiain, and then enter upon rest. If that were all, death to the impenitent sinner would bo no dreaded enemy. Death is endless, unmitigated torture, — " where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched." If this is what you have been toiling for through life, better far you had never been born, and never heard the sound of mercy. T "BUT HE WAS A LEPER.'* "Mow Naaman. captain of the hont of the Kitifi: of Syria, was a great man with hin manter, and honorable, becaubo by him the Lord had given deUvorance unto SyriH ; he waa alno a mighty man of va- lor; but he was a leper." — '2nd Kings 5th, 1st. Nanmnn was no commonplace character. He was a Syrian nobleman— commander-in-chief of the armies — a great man with his master, the King, and held in honor by the nation on account of his valorous deeds and brilliant victories. Ho was a soldier of tlie truest type — a man bom to command, and at the same time endure hardship and trial when exposed to danger ; courageous on the battlefield — skilful and cunning in military tactics, and ever ready to vindicate the honor and demand the rights of his sovereign from all oflfeuding nations. Such in brief is his history as given within the short compass of a single verse. That he was the sworn enemy of Israel, need not lead us to detract from his military bravery or moral qualities. We can admire a hero, though fighting against what we consider truth and justice, and in behalf of error and injustice. And indeed at the time when Naaman lived, it is hard to say whether Benhadad. the Syrian BUT UE WAH A LKPBR. U kin>?, or Ahab, tlio kiup of Israel, wore the worst of men. Certainly tlie Ktatement in tho verse before us, that " by him tlje Lord had pivon dehveranee to Syria," goes far to show that Benhadad, the Syrian kinp, and Naauian, the Syrian captain, were not alwavH in the wrong when figliting against Israel. Ahal) was one of the greatest tyrants that ever sat upon a tlirone. Ho was not only dreaded by otlier nations, but he was hated by his own ; so that not only to Syria, but to the world, it was a positive delivcranco when he was killed. We find no such mourning at his death as followed the good kings of Judali and Israel. His people gave him decent burial in Samaria — more than he dj^served, when we take into account the bloody cruelties of his reign — and while one washed the chariot, stained with the blood that str'^amed from the dying monarch, the dogs assisted in licking up liis blood. Striking confirmation of the prophet's words as to his tragic end ! And so died Ahab, leaving lienhadad, the Syrian king, and Naamau, the Syrian cajitain, masters of the field. The commander-in-chief of a nation's armies, if suc- cessful in war against foreign powers, cannot fail to gain the favor of the monarch and the alVections of the inhabitants. Such men as Wellington and Washington and Havelock and Campbell and (iiant, who have rescued the honor of their country from disgrace and preserved intact her liberties in the hour of ])eril, deserve all respect from those whose homes and altars their brav«^ry and daring have defended. Such a man was Naoman. No charge of immorality ii; brought agaaist him. lie was an idoUtor, it is true; but, cute i do of .Judah's torritory, tliu world 'M hi'o (lay Uad uoiiikig eLc*.- to o^W fo* maa'a 16 BUT HE WAS A LEPER. acceptance but idolatry. He was no court sycophant, who by flattery ingratiated himself in kingly favor, and veiled the cowardice of his heart under loud sounding professions of valor. What reputation he enjoyed was honestly acquired. His bed had often been the tented field — his voice and commanding presence had often cheered and inspired his men to battle, and led them on to victory. In a word, the Syrian captain was the right hand man of the monarch and the controller of his destinies. Of all his possessions none were half so pre- cious, and among all his statesmen none so rehable. Behold, then, this Syiian commander, and tell me is he not — ^judged by the standard of the world — an object of envy ? A great man and a great warrior, occupjdng all but the highest place in the kingdom, a favorite with the king and the idol of the people. Surely if any man should be happy and contented with his lot, it was Naaman. And yet the humblest soldier in the ranks and the poorest in- liabitant of Syria were infinitely more happy than this Syrian captain. Naaman was a great man with his master and honourable — a mighty man of valor, — but he was a leper. There were different kinds of leprosy in Syria and Palestine, but it was the most loathsome type of that loath- some disease w'ith which Naaman was afflicted. Had Naa- man been a Jew, and treated according to the laws and customs of the Jews relating to lepers, he would have been denied the privileges of society and the shelter of a house. Not even his high position could have saved him irom in- voluntary exile. But the Syrians had no such contempt for lepers as the Jews, and therefore Naaman, though af- flicted with this revolting diaoaae, was still admitted to tiie Hi BUT HE WAS A LEPER. 17 royal presence and permitted the discharge of his official duties. But this fearful malady clouded his life and sha- dowed his every joy. V/hat to him was the wealth of a universe, or the gold and purple and fine linen that kings' attendants and statesmen wear ? What to him the hosan- nas ef the populace, and th? victorious wreath of honor thut adorned the conqueror's hrow '/ All these things were no equivalent for this one great drawback. He was a leper, gradually sinking under the terrible disease, and soon to become the food of worms. For this affliction was not simply loathsome, but incurable by human wisdom. The seal of death whs already visible in his countenance. " That eye which had so often flashed defiance on his countries enemy's was already lustreless and without ex- pression — the brow which once wore the stamp of decision and stern command was wrinkled, relaxed and scaly — the arm which had so often reined in the fiery war steed, and wielded the glittering sabre or the battle axe, now hung listless and nerveless by his eido — the voice, whose cheer- ing sounds had rung through the tumult of the fight, was harsh and husky — the heart, which had beaten so high and strong, lacked power to send the flagging current through the '"bstructed channels — the well springs of the life were drying, like the brook in the desert." Such was Naaman. in spite of his wealth and honors, and such are many at the present day, who with all their worldly acquisitions cannot purchase one day's freedom from bodily pain and mental anyuish. There is many a sicUy, tormented and agonized frame under jewels and gay attire. No man's greatnes^s, or wealth, or honorable standing in soci> ty can purchase exemption from the sorest calamities that flesh is heir to. What does all the 18 fiUX BE WAS A LEPER. riches of this world profit the millionaire racked with pain, panting with breathlessness, or in the delirium of a raging fever ? Naaman euvied the humblest soldier in the ranks. Sound and healthy, clear-skinned and hearty, he possessed what the wealth of Syria could not purchase. As Bishop Hall remarks, ** Naaman was as great as the world could make him, yet the basest slave in Syria would not change skins with him." We learn from Naaman's case that there is no posi- tion in life without some trial. Every man has his own cross. There is a crook in every lot. There is a shadow in the happiest household, and a drawback to every earthly joy. Ever aeekiog after exemption from suffering, we never attain it, nor ever will while in the body. Man, if not made to mourn, by his Creator,has through sin become a life-long mourner. A man's countenance and outward walk in life are not always true indicators of his cir- cumstances. Men who appear to have reached the highest summit of earthly felicity have sorrows and trials, which pierce them like a sword. However different may be our lot in life, and however diverse the experiences of rich and poor, we are all linked to each other by a universal bond of suffering. Incidentally, also, we are taught the priceless value of a sound physical frame. It is only when we come to a aick-bed and spend lonely nights and wearisome days, shut out from all intercourse with the world and the enjoyments of life, that we really know the blessedness of health. It in not simply tlie bodily pain th«,t we suft'er on a bed of affliction, but the feeling tlmt we are a burden upon the kindness of others, and that there is a hmit to the sym- pathy and watchful care of the nearest and the dearest BUT HE WAS A T.KPER. 19 friend. "The monotony of tears" is hard to hear, and friendship gets worn out by our lamentations. While health and vigor are continued, let us gratefully use them in his service, who at first formed us, and has ever since flustaii dus. Leprosy it need hardly be said is an emblem of sin. There is no man or woman in this assembly but are, or have been, lepers in God's sight. Wc cannot so easily detect the moral leper in our congregations, as the Jew suffering under this horrible malady was suigled out from his fellows. The leprosy of sin is often hidden and cannot be deteeted in the outward life — moral lepers often pass for pious Christians in the church. But the leprosy of Old Testament times was easily detected. It hardly needed r physician to pronounce upon the disease. The body, crumbling away atom by atom, declared too plainly tiial the fatal poison was approaching the citadel of life. The poor leper was commanded to rend his clothes and wear a shroud, and live apart from the dwellings of men and the precincts of the temple. Regarded as not simply a natural calamity, but a special mark of Jehovah's displeasure, the victim was denied the companionship of his fellows and the favour of heaven, Now what must sin be in its essence and workings, that demands such a repulsive disease to symbolize it.' And in the tyes of a holy God, how desperate must then condition be, who sinking under the terrible plague, never seek to wash in the fountain of Christ's blood '> You may by the graces and amiabilities of a moral life,coucoal your real state. In the eyes of your fellowmen, you may seem loveable and pure ; — in the church you may pass for a de- voted and earnest Christian, and yet in the sight of Him 20 UUT HE WAS A LEPEB. who searches the heart and knoweth the secrets of men, you are vile and loathsome as the poor 8yrian leper. It is the heart that needs purification. It is the inner life, not the bodily organization that requires to be regenerated. The root must be made good, else the leaves and fruit re- main poisonous and deadly. The fountain must be cleansed, or the waters will remain impure. That little word "but" spoils many an otherwise beautiful character. "But" he was a leper, — how sadly does this little sentence change our estimate of Naamau's happiness ? Yonder sits a lovely girl, blooming into womanhood. Fair and captivating, guieless and winning, simple and artless as a child, she is the pride of her home — the ideal of her parents' heart, and the light of the social circle; Her talents and accomplishments — her sincere de- votion to the cause of Christ and her labors for the good of souls are matters of commendation. So far as human eye can jud^e, she is as near perfection as mortals can attain in this imperfect state, and greatly needed in her sphere of labor. Z?t/f she is consumptive. See that hectic flush upon the cheek — that strange supernatural flush upon the eye iu moments of excitement, and listen to that short hacking cough, wliich convulses the frame and prostrates the energies of the entire system ! She is indeed very beautiful and good, but she is marked as a victim for the grave and soon must pass away. And yonder is a man, who so far as the present world is concerned, has no cause for complaint. He is rich and honoured ; he holds a prom- inent position in the government of his country and in the councils of the land ; his name is a passport to the great ones of the earth, and bis notice eagerly sought by the great mass of bis fellow citizens. Btit notwithstanding BUT HE WAS A LEPER. 21 the outward polish and refinement of manner, he is a drunkard — a debauchee — a blasphemer of God's name — a Sabbath-breaker — a violator of the most solemn bonds of domestic life — unjust and unscrupulous in his private dealings — in a word, a moral leper. Yonder sits a Chris- tian woman, whose face with all its sweetness, cives indi- cation of secret sorrow. Is it that she is pinched with poverty, notwithstanding her apparent respectability? No— for she tells you her husband more than supplies all her wants. Is it that her family are a source of grief — has any son or daughter, in spite of her care and anxiety, plunged into a career of vice and stained the family name? No — her sons and daughters have grown up to honorable manhood and womanhood, and are consistent members of the christian church. What, then, is the grief that lies so heavily on the mother's heart ? There is a but some- where could we only find it. My husband, she says, is the kindest of men. He loves me fondly. He lives Tor my happiness. In all our social arrangements there is neither jar, nor contention, nor angry words. But he is not a Christian. He npver prays. He never reads God's Word. He has nc relish for religious conversation. He laughs at profrssors of religion, and regards them as hypocrites. He is what the world calls a moral man, but he is a stranger to those lasting joys that spring from a good hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. I can fancy many in this congregation saying, I am not of the class described. I live in accordance with the laws of morality ; I pay my honest debts; I provide for my family ; I honor the institutions of religion, and give of my mertus for their support ; I attend the house of God occasionally, and occupy no mean place in the estimation of my neighbors. In a word, I consider myself above re- n BTTT HK WAS A LEPKR. ;i i I proach. It is true that I am not a church member, but my conduct will bear comparison with many that are, and who, because they are, think themselves fully assured of heaven. I am ready to confess short-comings, for these are inseparable from humanity, but I refuse to be classed with the worthless and degraded characters you speak of. Cautiously, my good friend, you are the very man whose ear I wish to gain. I am not speaking of reprobates — of men openly convicted of heinous crimes — nor of some poor publican who stands afar off, saying, •' God be merciful to me, a sinner ! " I am speaking of men who say with the utmost sincerity, " God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican," aud I tell you frankly, that with all your fancied excellencies and rigid morality you are a leper in the sight of God. You are trusting to your own unaided efforts to secure his favor here and his condemnation hereafter. You have never yet realized your sinful condi- tion, nor your need of a Saviour. And just so long as you retain such convictions of your own worthiness and blame- lessness in life salvation is not possible. Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners. " They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." Ah, the saddest thing about your case is your ignor- ance of danger and year marvellous composure, when the next moment may find you alone and unprepared before the bar of that Saviour whose blood you despise. The souls that appal us are the i*juls at ease. Those who doubt of their salvation because they detest their own ways, they are seeking God. Even at the last hour they will find Him. But minds disturbed by no doubts, grieved by no remorse, tortured by no questions ; souls that allow them- selves to be borne onwards by pleasant dreams towards a BUT HE WAS A LEPER 28 comfortable future — the peace of such souh, makes one M-embic. The di'ead of dying before one has found Jesus is a reasonable dread. The misery of living without God admits of no consolation, and the horror of dying without God, should awaken the most callous and hardened smner to instant and earnest cries for mercy. Nothing can compensate for the want of an interest in Christ's death and the cleansing efficacy of His blood. "If I wash me with snow water, and make mv hands never so clean, yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine own clothes shall abhor me. Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine, iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord." The Syi'ian Captain had tried many experiments to remove his leprosy, and called in the wisest physicians to consult as to a cure, but all had failed. The disease was too deep-seated for ordmary treaiment — nothing indeed but miraculous interposition could stay the plague. And so it is with the malady of sin. Unless the Holy Spiiit opens the sinner's eyes to see his danger, and bring him helpless and humble to the cross, perdition is assuredly his portion. The most fatal of all diseases arc i^hose that gradually and imperceptibly undermine the foundations of life, and suddenly snatch their victim from time to eternity. They are none the less deadly, that they occasion no pain. Did you ever succeed in convincing a consumptive patient, that such was the disease, until about the very last ? The most deceitful symptoms are laid hold of as a ground of hope. The spring with its freshness, its invigorating breezes, its buds and blossoms, and cheerful song of birds, is sure to bring back the colour to tlio clieek and force the c'lUTent of lii'e witli new energy througli the system ! But Bpring comcB with its beauty, and summer too, with its 24 BUT HE WAS A LEPER. I'i! I i! I ' rich harvests and golden sunsets ; and autumn passes with its bahny zephyrs and gorgeously tinted forests, but all fail to resuscitate the languid energies of the dying man. Nay, at the very moment when he imagines himself almost .xecovered, the frail, flickering spark expii*es. Even in the case of leprosy no pungent agony was felt by the sufferer. The patient's general health was not affected, until the malady had made fatal progress. And is not this the in- variable characteristic of souls bhnded by Satan to a sense of their danger ? They cry peace, peace, where there is no peace. Conscience is asleep, and the spuitual sensi- bihties deadened. They imagine all is well and shall be well at the hour of death. Nay, in some co,?e8 they pass away into the world of spirits unconscious of their doom. Perhaps there are some here, who have sat so long under the preaching of the gospel and so continuously and obsti- nately refused the offer of j^ardon, that now they fear that the day of grace lias passed. There are certain diseases that baffle all liuman skill. When they have advanced a certain stage, death is but a question of time. All that can be done is but to alleviate the pains of dying and smooth the pathway to the grave. But oh, impenitent man, I come to tell you that there is hope even at the olovonth hour. The advanced stages of spiritual leprosy tiie as susceptible of cure in God's hands as are the incipient ones. For every form of the malady of sin there is balm in Gilead and a physician there. No case is so desperate as to be bevond the skill of the Lord Jesus Christ. When on earth he healed many of mortal diseases and raised the dead to hfe. That omnipotent power he still exercises in behalf of all who are sin-stiicken and desii'c a remedy. Though your sins be as scarlet,they shall be wliito as snow —red like crimson, thoy shall be white as wool. SOWING AND HEAPING. "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy: break up your fallow ground : for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." — Hosea 10th, v, 12. in if The liistory of the Jewish Nation from first to last is a verification of the proverb, that what a man sows, that shall he also reap. Eliphaz the Temanite, when endeavoring to account for Job's terrible sufferings in the existence of secret sins, says : " Even as I have seen, they that plough iiiiquity and sow wickedness reap the same." " They have sown the mind, and thoy shall reap the whirlwind," says the prophet, in a preceding chapter. In these and similar declarations of Scripture, we have a brief but ac- curate declaration of the method of God's dealings with men and nations. Wrong doing, sooner or later carries with it vengeance. In conformmg to the dictates of truth and purity, and yielding ourselves to the authority of Hea- ven, we choose the only way to permanent happiness. The Jewish Nation had wilfullv determined on an- other course ol action. They imagined they could with impunity violate moral law and trample on the most sacred obligations. They set themselves systenaatically to dro- ■H 26 SOWlN(i AND REAPING. i i . ! 1 i vokc tho Almighty. "They plowed wickedness and reap- ed iniquity, and cat the fruit of lies." And yet notwith- Htanding the terrible waywardness and guilt of their past career, the hope of amendment is held out to them. If they would but renounce their former idolatry and give over their apostacy and rebellion ; if they would only change the purposes and actions of their life, and anew dedicate themselves to the service of Jehovah, they might yet enjoy his favour, and secure a return of those national blessings that had distinguisjied thorn in former days. The fallow ground is that portion tl' tho farm, which is left unploughed and unrcaped for a space of time, that it may be rendered all the more productive, when the seed is once more cast into the furrow. The fact that it is ly- ing "fallow," implies that the ground from some cause is in a languishing condition, and needs just such careful nursing as does the sickly body. Too much perhaps has been expected from it and taken out of it in time past. Rest is now imperatively demanded, and such treatment as will prepare it for future productiveness. While the Held lies fallow, the husbandman may also take occasion to cut down and burn the weeds, which suck u^) and drain the vital forces of the earth, leaving them to rot upon the very spot where they grew, and thus making tlieui yield some small repaiation for the barrenness they have caused. When after a sufficient time the ground has lain fallow, and has been enriched by artilicial and natural a])i)liances, then the plough turns up its furrows and the seed is sown, that a plenteous harvest may be gathered. In our coun- try, we break up our fallow ground with the ploughshare, but in oriental countries a preparatory work was neces- SOWING AND REAPING. 27 sary, bot'ovo tlie plouglisliaro could bo used. Tbe ground, long covered with water and hardened by the fierce rays of the sun, was broken up by axes, as a prehminary to cultivation. It is doubtless this fact that the prophet had before his mind, when he calls upon the Jewish nation, to ])egin the initiatory work of repentance, by breaking up the fallow ground. It is easy to see the appropriateness of the figure when ai^plied to backsliding Israel. There were periods in their history when they were fruitful in good works and lioly deeds. ]iut these seasons were exceptional. There were long blanks in their history as a fruitful vineyard ; when the ground lay fallow — when weeds and noxious shrubs and vermin rendered crops impossible — when in plain language, the hearts of the people were unprepared for the reception of heavenly blessings. Such was Israel in the days of the prophet Hosea, when he calls upon them to break up the "fallow ground." Having exhorted them "to plough up the fallow ground" he adds : " Sow to yourselves in righteousness — reap in mercy." Or, as it should read " sow to yourselves for righteousness." Righteousness is not the seed, but the fruit — the object to be sought — the end to be gained. Make righteousness your aim and you shall reap an abun- dant harvest. This result is not the reward of merit, but of grace. It is according to the overflowing mercy of the almighty, and not in proportion to mere human efforts however praiseworthy and energetic. Unlike the operations of nature, it is scarcely ever too late to reform one's conduct. If the farmer postpones seeding until far on in spring or summer, the harvest will 26 SOWING AND IlEAPINO. i| ( il ' i be a failure. The cokl and frosfcH of wintor will be upon him, before bis grain can ripen. The seed nui.st bo sown in its Hcason, otherwise tliere is no good ground for antici- pating an adequate return. It is very true also, that in human conduct the rule holds so far good, that an early dedication of the soul to God, is the surest method to at- tain a happy and useful life. I5ut for the encouragement of those, wbo have neglected the salvation of the soul, and allowed youth to pass without improvement and serious concern regnrding eternity, it is of unHpcakable value to know that God still waits to be gracious: — that he is pa- tient and longsuffering beyond the conception of mortals, and that an earnest desire to change the life, and a radi- cal transformation of character, is hopeful even to old age. Apart from this blessed truth, the pulpit would loose all its power in dealing with large unmbers in every con- gregation. While we plead with the young to give them- selves unreservedly to the service of God in the morning of existence, assuring them that his ways are pleasantness and that all his paths are peace, we do not the less ur- gently, implore the aged and indifferent to forsake their sins and follow after holiness. You are not yet beyond the pale of mercy — you are not outside the sweep of God's love and the reach of his almighty condescension. The exhortation of the prophet addressed to Israel is tantamount to saying : — So live that you may now and evermore enjoy the favour of God. Control your actions — purify your conversation — mould your entire being in liar- mong with the law of God. Let what is base — low — im- pure — unholy — sinful and selfish be henceforth despised and shunned, and what is noble, virtuous, generous and Godlike, be sought after as the controlling elements of your SOWING AND REAPING. life. Keep in view a duy of reckoning. It in now the spring time, l)ut liarvcst will follow. The account will bo called for and according to life's probation, will bo tbe never-ending destiny of every iunnortal soul. Now is the time to decide what eternity shall be — what the judgment of the great white throne shall be — wbat place you shall hold in the estimation of the good on earth, and what dig- nity you shall attain among the sons of God in heaven. The command is addressed to those who have proved by sad experience, the evil results of following a different line of conduct. The Jews had set up a new code of morals from that of Mount Sinai. The glory of God was held subservient to their own carnal lusts and desires. The present pleasures of sin which last only for a season, had usurped the place of tboso higher and purer enjoy- ments that befit immortal beings. And the result was re- morse, shame, disaster : the withdrawal of the favour of heaven, and the endurance of all that is terrible in human suffering. Surely if men are not utterly blind to the teach- lugs of divine truth, in the bitter experience of misguided Israel, they may see the infallible certainty of God's judge- ments upon evil doing, and that though hand join hand, the sinner shall not go unpunished. These things are written for our instruction, and I am here to declare, that as with Israel in the past so with every impenitent sinner in the i)resent. Do I need to ar- gue the question ? Are men so blind to the facts of God's providence as not to recognise the sure doom of the un- godly and the reprobate ? Is not the daily record of hu- manity, a vindication that such are the ways of God to man, and that a course of sin, invariably eads to ruin of Boul and body ? I could call up before you the names of 80 SOWING AND REAPING. n ; 'i i> ii 1 ':| I n men in tliis very community, whose mournful and sliamc- ful fall and melancholy death, is enough to verify tlio statement of God's word and terrify men from such a fatal course of action. Have you not known such, who witli unblushing hardihood violated all moral and religious ob- ligations ; — laughed to scorn the penalties of divine and human law; — pursued a course of conduct, crooked, hy- pocritical, unmanly and heartless towards their fellow- creatures; — endeavoured if possible to shut out the Al- mighty from all interference with their plans and projects, and run on unchecked in a career of vice and prodigality ? For a season they prospered beyond all human expecta- tion, and apparently in direct opposition to the statements of inspiration, but in the end with sudden and swift des- truction, they passed away from the knowledge and memory of men. " Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world: they increase in riches;" — so in our unbeHef we sometimes think, when perplexed by the inequalities and strange admixture of good and evil that now exists in the world. ]3ut mark the issue ; " How are they brought into desolation as in a moment ! tlicy are utterly consumed with terrors ! as a dream when one awak- eth, so, Lord, when thou av/akest, thou shalt despise their image." I am not teaching that mere morality and outward irreproachableness of life are the highest excellencies of christian character ; nor that men who are honest, pure and blameless in their conversation are the noblest types of humanity. I do not say that these outward graces alone, commend any man to the favour of God. ]>ut what we maintain is, that where such elements of charac- ter exist, we have good grounds for believing that they proceed from a gracious principle within. I know well SOWING AND REAriNG. 31 that the highest type of character — true christian man- hood, is the fruit of God's spirit dwelling in the soul. But we by no means dissuade any man from beginning a new course of conduct and adopting a higher standard, because he is not tlioroughly convinced that he is really a child of God and the subject of regeneration. Do what conscience tells you is right, — abandon evil practices — strive after what is pure and good and true in character, and lean upon the strength and wisdom of God to attain perfection. " If any man will do his will — honestly and prayerfully seek to conform to the demands of God's law — he shall know of the doctrine, whither it be of God." By practice we come to understand both doctrine and precept. If I were asked then to paraphrase the prophets words, I would adopt the language of Paul. " FinRlly Brethren, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever thinj are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things." Before we decide as to a man's chauge of heart we should have certain evidences in his life. I5ecause a man whose conduct has been notoriously wicked and inconsistent, is seen in the company of Gods people, and for a short season seems devout and attentive to religious duties, we are not hastily to conclude that he is a new creature in Christ Jesus. The Jews were exceed- ingly fitful in their religious proclivities. Now they wor- shipped Baal and again Jehovah : now they ^(^ere found at tliebasc of Sinai covenanting to be the Lord's forever, and again fallmg down and worshipping the golden calf. And j-o with many men at the present day. A wave of religious excitement passes over a christian connnunity, and certain men and women, hitherto recognised as "of the earth, 32 rtOWINCr AND REAPINft. ! earthy," become all of a sudden serious and prayerful. The Bible that they formerly discarded, now takes the place of the daily newspaper. They can hardly speak on secular affairs, and fear that by mingling with the average of christian discipleship, their high-strung religious feel- ings should suffer and decline. Nay, thoy are not slow to speak of worthy church members, whose religion has been a silent but steady growth from infancy, in the most un- charitable and iir lovely terms. '* Stand back, I am holier than thou " — is the language of their lips. " The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord arc wc " — is the unmistak- cable sentiment of the heart. Far be it from us to judge such people as they judge others. We fondly hope they are all, they say they are. Saul of Tarsus was changed in a moment from a wicked persecutor, into a gentle, meek- minded christian, and hardened criminals, by a single flash of God's spirit borne in upon the soul, have often been miraculously and savingly converted. But these are ex- ceptions. In most cases where conversion is genuine, it is preceded by repentance and contrition of soul, and follow- ed by such a radical change of feelmgs, principles and l)ractice, that leaves no room for doubt. Men must sow before they reap. But lest any should imagine that the recompense is of works, the prophet adds " reap in mercy." The encou- ragements and rewards to holy living are many in the pre- sent and the future, but they are all of grace. By patient continuance in well-doing, wc are to inherit the promises which belong to a higher state of being, as well as the en- joyments of this life, — but not as a right or purchase. It is not a bargain between man and his maker. The conjunc- tion of holiness and happiness — the union of a blameless life with a bhssful experience, while it is the decree of hea- i SOWING AND REAPING. 88 • i' veil and the law that governs the intclhgent creation, is the result of sovereign grace, which makes it possible for man to enjoy God's favour. Every good emotion of the hu- man soul — every pure impulse that stimulates to action — • every heavenward tendency, — every Godward aspiration, is due to the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, which calls us to be sons of God. Apart from divine stimulants and guidance we can do nothing to transform our lives or mould our destinies. Every good thought and gracious disposition is the gift of Leaven. If we only reaped according as we sowed, our harvest would be j)oor indeed. If justice were meted out to the holiest of men, the recompense would be small. Take the best of christians, and judged by the standard of God's word, how far shore do they come of the demands of the law of rectitude. If men had only the prospect of getting their deserts, they would spend a miserable eternity. But our judge is merciful and takes into account our manifold imperfections ; our faithfulness is measured in the light <'f our feebleness and in view of the many obstacles that hind- er us iu christian effort. '' Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many," is the lan- guage of the Master, There is therefore encouragement to perseverance — for according to the sincerity of our endeavours to advance God's glory, shall be our success. Ill proportion to our individual hol})lossness and ignorance divine strength and wisdom are afforded us. Our Maker is not a cruel taskmaster towards those who seek to know and do his will. With a loving solicitude ho nourishes every pure aspiration and manly resolution, until it is per- fected in action. " Them tlii't honour me I will honour," saith tiie Lord. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust ; M SOWING AN1> REAl'lNCi. also in him and he shall briug it to pass : and ho shall bring forth thy rigbteousuess as the light, and thy judg- ment as the noonday. ** It is time, says the pvophet, to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." It is more than time, the words imply. The day of grace is near an end. Opportunities for seeking and finding the Lord are quick- ly passing. That hi, patience has not long since been ex- hausted, is evidence of hir infinite long-suffering. It is more than time for many who hear me, to seek the Lord. They did not think it v, lite time in youth, and they could not find sufHcient leisiu.'e in riper years, and now when old age is upon them, they have not time to seek the Lord ! When will it be time, I ask you in all seriousness '? Not surely when racked with pain upon a deathbed, and when the tongue is palsied in the agonies of dissolution. Trifle not with the message of mercy, I beseech you, "Seek, until he comes and rains righteousness upon you." J>(> not intermit prayer because the answer is delayed, but ex- ercise a holy importunity, saying like the patriarch of old : " I will not let thee go, imtil thou bless me." Seek as for pearls and diamonds and precious stones — as for the liid- den gold that lies buried in tie earth. Give not sleep lo thine eyes, nor slumber to tl uie eyelids, until you have tokens of God's favour and an assurance of his love. Anxiouslv — diligently — with the consecration of all the powers and energies of 3'our being pursue this object, a^s •above all things necessary to your highest welfare. Tiie reason why so many fail ni seeking the Lord, is because they make it but a secondary matter in the business of lit'e. Seeking the Lord is confined to Sabbath days and sacra- mental seasons. Spasmodically, fitfully and by impulses ■^ SOWING AND REAPING tit) ■^ .. I tlioy are serious and solemn, but tliere is no continuity of religious fervour, and no results of an abiding character are gained. If years ago, they had begun and prosecuted tlie work as faithfully, as they have attended to the inter- ests of their busiiiess, they would long ere this have found joy in believing, and been numbered with the people of God. Thus seeking, he will come and rain righteousness upon you. The seed in the furrows makes but little pro- gress without the timely rains and nightly dews. Our own results are meagre without the effusion of God's spirit. In this is our hope. "He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass : as showers that water the earth. I will bo as the dew unto Israel ; he shall gi"OW as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon : his branches «hall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon." In such circumstances barren- ness is impossible. The church becomes a well watered garden. Tlie buds and blossoms of piety ripen into gor- geous fruit, and are scattered far and wide for the healing of the nations. " He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth iiis fruit in his sea- son ; his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Those that are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in old nge ; they shall be fat and flourishing.' The breaking up of the fallow ground is a laborious work, and the awakenmg of a soul deadened by sin and sensual pleasures, is often arduous and painful. But is it not better to sutler the upturnings of God's providential ploughshare, than remain callous and insensible ? Tht 36 SOWING END REAPING. harsher dealings of the Almighty should be welcomed, if these are the only means that can produce reflection. Anything rather than mifruitfulness and the seal of God's unchangeable displeasure and unrelenting "wrath. Let judgments come — let worldly disasters fall fast and thick — let sickness and bereavement invade the household — let the foundations ' secular prosperity be undermined and sha- ken as by an earthquake — let hopeful plans and enterpri- ses be blasted and ruined — what matters it, if the higher riches and nobler enjoyments of eternity are gained ! If it is God's purpose iv save, he will not spare the plough- share. Deep inv' • '^he furrows of the heart he will drive His afflictive me.sscii • :-s, until the barbed arrow of convic- tion finds the ert of cvj'. Whatever hinders and opposes hd will rend iiii r-iyfes, and overturn as the ploughshare scatters the co)xpacted clods of earth. Those refuges of lies, where the smne? has avvelt so secure for years — un- holv lusts and unbridled affections, and the skilfullv con- cocted plans of life — he will unearth and spoil, until the sinner discovers the folly of living at variance with God, and in antagonism to his own best interests. Bend or break the sinner must. Half v/ay measures avail nothing. Evil habits that, like grappling irons, enslave the soul must be abandoned, and all dallying with temptation end- ed. The old English proverb says : "The horse is not clean escaped, that drags his halter." So long as the halter drags, tlore is hope of catching the runaway. If you cannot take him by the head, you can jjtealfchily put your foot upon the halter's end and hold him fast. Thus it is with many men, who never entirely break with their sins. Their judgment condemns their actions, but the eye and the passions hold them fast. They cannot bring them- selves to a sudden and abrupt transition from vice to vir- -'•5^' SOWING AND REAPING. 37 1 tue and from Satan to the Saviour. They fail in asserting their freedom. The halter drags. The reformation is only partial and ends in moral and eternal ruin. To such we say : " Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." THE ACCEPTED TIME. 4- " Bebold, now is the accepted time ; behold, now is the dav of sal- vation."— 2kd Corinthians, vi and 2nd, Several years ago a small vessel was neariiig a dan- gerous spot in tlie Britisli Channel. The captahi stood on the deck, his watch in his liand, and his eye fixed upon it. A terrible tempest had swept over the ship and left it a sad and almost hopeless scene of desolation. The wind and tide still continued to drive the shattered bark on- ward — nearer and nearer to the sullen rock, on which many noble ships had foundered, and where many crews had perished. No one on board dared so much as ask •' Is there any hope '?" Every tongue was silent and every cheek was pale. Still the captain stood motionless and speechless, watch in hand. Suddenly his eye <5lanced across tiie sea — he stood erect and cried, " Thank God, we are saved — the tide has turned — in one moment more we should have been upon the rocks. ' ' That captain and crew, if they had never before realized the value of time, were taught in that fearful crisis how precious was the briefest moment. •^;> f TUli ACCKPTEU TIME. ;j!) A '<#^ ? lu his narrative of his voyage to the Polar regions, Kane, the celebrated Artie Explorer, tells us how he and his brave companions found themselves on one occasion between two mip;lity moving icebergs, that tljreatened in- stant destruction to the ship and all on board. There was not a breath of wind to fill the sails. The vessel lay mo- tionless upon the water, as if paralyzed with terror she awaited her doom. Just at tbat moment a sm.'ill iceberg, set in motion by some unknown current, came floating past the ship. It was barely possible, tliat could they di- rect their course in the wake of this floating iceberg, they might be saved a watery grave. As it passes them, they plant an anchor in its side, and now begin to move on- ward, whether to destruction or safety no one can predict. Meanwhile the two great icebergs, whirling on their axes, and roaring and grinding through the sea, came nearer and nearer to the ship. The Channel was now narrowed to forty feet. Another moment and their fate is sealed. In the energy of despair, the sailors fly to the rigging and brace the yards to clear the ice walls. They pass clear by a very hair's breadth, and "never did men acknowledge with more gratitude, their merciful deliverance from a wretched death."' In such circumstances men know how to value time, and how fearful mav be the loss which a reckless profligacy involves. Had v'3 xuch dudiences from Sabbath to Sabbath, as we present the claims of heaven and reveal the terrors of hell, how easy it would be to reach the conscience and gain the assent of the understanding ! Men would then readily believe, that in regard to the in- terests of their immortal souls — "Now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation." The special truth taught in these words is, that there is a time of grace and a day of salvation, and that time is I 40 THE ACCEPTED TIME. now. It is no new doctrine that is unfolded, but one fa- miliar to the ears of Gospel hearers from childhood, and so often reiterated in their hearing that it fails to produce the faintest impression of its overwhelming importance. We all accept as true the words of the Poet : " There ia a tide in the affairs of men Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune ; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows, and in miseries" — but we strangely deny the existence of the same law, in the sphere of morals and religion, and act as though the salvation of the soul was a matter in which we had no in- terest. .*W Such is the practice of the great mass of men. Their profession as to the claims of religion is very different. There are few men in any christian congregation who do not intend at some future time to give attention to the con- cerns of the soul. However immoral in their life and in- different to the startling calls of providence, few pass on from year to year without making resolutions of amend- ment and reform. There is always in the distance some period of rest and leisure, when the things of eternity shall receive the consideration they deserve. But this period, alas ! never arrives to many. Repentance is dek ed and preparation for death is postponed, until disease and pain banish all thought of an hereafter. The habit of procras- tination grows with men's growth and strengthens with their strength, so that the hoary bairs of age are as little conversant with the realities of religion as the inexperience and heedlessness of youth. Years of busy intercourse with the world and worldly men ; continued association with the frivolous, the giddy and the profane ; mere nominal if THE ACCEPTKI) TIME. 11 church attcmlanco without the saving power of a preached gospel upon the licart, render salvation all hut hopeless to the aged sinner. A zealous minister tells of a conversation ho had with one of his hearers — a man of unstained moral charac- ter and exemplary attendance upon ordinances. In the course of pastoral visitation, addressing him and his fam- ily, he urged upon all a hearty and instantaneous accept- ance of Christ. When the minister had left, his friend accompanied him, and when together on the road thus ad- dressed his pastor : — " Spend your time and strength upon the young ; lahour to briny them to Jesus. It is too late for such as mo. I know that I hava never heen a christian. I fully believe that when I die I shall go down to perdition, but some how I do not care. I know perfectly all you can say, but I feel it no more than a stone." This man died, with just such words upon his lips. He had delayed seek- ing God in youth, and grown up a mere formalist, until his heart became as adamfint. Are there any liere in this sad condition, or are there any approaching it ? To such we address these words, " Behold ?jott' is the accepted time, and mm is the day of the salvation." There is a point be- yond which God's long-suii'ernig mercy cannot be experi- enced, and when salvation is impossible. " There is a time, wo know not when, A point, we kuow not where ; That marks, the destiny of men, For glory or despair. O' where is this mysterious honrn, By which onr path is crossed : Beyond which, God liimself hath sworn, That he who goes is lost ? How far may we go on in sin ? How long will God forbear '.' Whore does hope end, and where begin The contiues of despair ?" 42 TIIK ACCEPTED TIME. I l To whom does he go to make known his terrible condition ? To that very man, who had sternly reproached him for his wickedness in former days. He accounted him his worst enemy, when alive, Jut now when he ips dead, he regards him as his best and truest friend ! And is it not so with many sinners, who are only brought to sober reason, when on the boundaries of the unseen world ? Then they lament the folly that led them ! :. (}(> A SOUL I'OKSAKKN. to despise the faithful rebukes of friends, whoso admoni- tions no longer trouble them. In bitterness of heart, they mourn over counsels neglected and reproofs despised. Some who hear me, may bo brought to a death-bed, where conscience long repressed and stiffled, will assert her supremacy and place before the mind their real state. The fact that "God has departed," will then flash upon the soul, with terrible vividness of perception. To whom then will you go for comfort and counsel ? Who will be the most likely to prove steadfast in the hour of death as they have been in life ? You who have despised the appeals of parents — who have abandoned home — broken the hearts of godly mothers, and disgraced the purity and chastity of loving sisters — who have by a life of rottenness and cor- ruption brought yourselves to a speedy grave — who, I ask, would you wish most earnestly to be near you in those hours of mortal agony, preceding dissolution ? were it pos- sible at Buch a time, to call back departed spirits, who would be your choice? Would it be the gambler and sabbath- breaker and drunkard, from whom you learned the way to ruin ? Ah no ! whatever be the depth of degradation, there is no man so abandoned as to choose such compan- ions and advisers in a dying hour. Your cry then will be : — •' Bring me up the father or mother, the sister or broth- er, the minister or Sabbath-school teacher, who faithfully set before me the terrible consequences of my folly and pled with me to desist. Bring me up such, that I may but hear their voice again, though it pronounce my irre- vocable doom!" Ah, were it possible in our dying hour to call from the grave, the forms of those we now so sadly miss, we should but hear from them our condemnation : " Wherefore dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is de A SOUL lOKSAKLN. 61 parted from thee, and is become tliine enemy" would be the answer to our call. In the account given of the exploration of the Ama- zon a few years ago, mention is made of the peculiar notes of a bird, heard by night on the shores of the river. The Indian guides call it — •' The cry of a lost soul," and many of the Indians believe it to be so : " In that black forest, where, when day is done, With a snake's stillness glides the Amazon : Darkly from sunset to the rising sun, A cry, as if the pained heart of the wood — The long despairing moau of solitude — Startles the trayeller with a sound so drear. His heart stands still, and listens like his ear. The guide, as if he beard a dead — bell toll. Starts — crosses himsdlf and whispers — "^ Lost Soul .'" " Poor fool," with hope stiil mocking his despair He wanders, shrieking on the midnight air, For human pity and for Christian prayer. Saints strike him dumb ! No prayer for him, who sinning unto death Burns always in the furnace of God's wrath." The Indians superstition, alas ! is not mere fancy. That there are cries of lost souls, who can doubt ? The awful wail, " God is departed from me," shall echo throughout eternity, as the torments of perdition become more ex- cruciating and unbearable ! \'o til KEEPING THE HEAET. " Keep thy heart with all dilligencc, for out of it are the issusa of life."— Provorhs 4, v. 23. Among tho many wise and instructive proverbs of Solomon none surpass this. Commending itself to the good sense and judgment of every reader, it gains accept- ance -wii^.out lengthened argument or persuasion. And yet how many young men th'ire are who subscribe to the sentiment, but despise or at all events neglect the coimsel ! The heart is the last and least of all things that concerns them,while they run riot in vicious indulgence, and abandon themselves to everv form of bin. The word heart is used in the scripture with various significations ; sometimes for one faculty of the mind, at other times for the entire inner being. The apostle Paul, in describing the character of the . igan world before the dawn of Christianity, says : — "They became vain in their im- agination, and their foolish heart was darkened." The word heart in this case evidently signifies the understand- ing. In other passages it means the affections, as when !ii KEEPING THE HEAKT. G3 in Solomon's proverbs we read, " My son, give mc thine heart." In other places it refers to the memory, as when David says, — "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Again we find it used for the conscience, — " If our heart condemn us ; God is great- er than our heart, and kuoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." In the greater majority of instances, however, it is used in a wider signification, embracing all the powers, faculties and affections of the soul ; — whatever gives charac- ter to the judgment or colour to the conduct. Says the Psalmist, — " Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart ;" or as Solomon says, — "Keep thy heart with all dilligence, for out of it are the issues of life." The religion of the Bible differs from all human sys- tems of morality, inasmuch as it seeks purity of conduct from holiness of heart. It does not merely cut off the ex- crcsceiicos of the life which shock the moral sense and of- fend the taste ; it docs not simply destroy the branches, which are decaying and withering by reason of the unseen worm that is gnawing at the root ; it docs not seek simply to prop up and brace the character by artificial rules, as men bandage broken limbs, or prop up tottering houses, that need new foundations to secure their prosperity ; but it goes back to the source of all outward action, and de- mands rectitude and purity in the inwai\l parts. All mere outward conformity to law, and all external compliance with the demands of scripture, which are not the legiti- mate fruit of love t' I God, it pronounces worthless and unacceptable. The fountain must bo pure or the stream will be polluted ; the heart mubt be clean, or the hfe will I ) J \ 1' 'J 64 KEKPlNCi THE HEAKT. be stained by greater or less impurities. God's law thus differs from human law. Human tribunals can only take cognizance of outward actions, but the higher law ot Christianity, as expounded by Christ upon the Mount, re- cognizes the motives and purposes and ruhng passions of the soul, which give birth to thoughts and words and ac- tions. How necessary then to keej) the heart with all dili- gence ! "If you would keep the apple of the eye from in- jury, a sense, for the loss of which not thousands of gold and silver could compensate ; if you would keep in a casket, under lock and key, a jewel fit for a monarch's diadem ; if you would keep as a most sacred deposit the last token of a dying parent's love, much more keep the heart, which is the organ of the moral nature, which is the key of character and conduct, and between which and the outer world, a busy correspondence is kept up." It is true that mere diligence on our part is not a sufficient safeguard against temptation ; but Almighty strcDgth is always imparted to tlic earnest soul. We do not come in- to the world with hearts pure and spotless, with no bias to sin and no inherent tendencies to wrong. Our own ex- perience confirms the testimony of inspiration that we en- ter life infected with sin — soul-diseased — liable to catch the infection of every pestilence that breathes in the moral atmosphere. It should therefore be the constant effort of every rational being to shun the path of danger ; to keep the heart tender and sensitive, guileless and guiltless — as near as possible to that state of innocence which man en- joyed before sni entered our world, and marred that sweet communion wliich existed between the creature and tlie Creator. i i I, ^■p KEEPING THE HEART. 66 **Keep the heart with all dilHgeuce," or keep it with all keepiiujs or ahore all kccphu/s. More than all things else, let this be the chief business of life. Above all other watching, i,'uarcl the heart. Defend it as men defend the fort and citadel that is attacked, or the garrison that is besieged. By every means prevent the enemy from pas- sing the stronghold and entering within the busy city. Once a lodgement is effected, all hope of salvation is well nigh gone. It is a much harder thing to expel the invader than to prevent his ingress. Like the entering in of the wedge, when once an incision has been effected, it is com- paratively easy to drive it home. Keep the heart defended at every point. The avenues of approach are legion. There are sins and temptations adapted to every opening. In times of blockade and war, where large frigates cannot go, gunboats that draw but little water skim the shore and pass into port unnoticed, under the very muzzles of the guns intended to destroy the menacing fleet. It is a hard mat- ter to maintain a perfect blockade by day and by night. Some black privateer will at the fitting opportunity pass out into the open sea, or some vessel full of stores and am- unition will gain an entrance to the forbidden port. Even the warrior clad in mail may be pierced by the arrow shot at a venture. Babylon with its hundred gates of brass, and walls eighty-seven feet thick, and tbree hundred and fifty feet high, defended by the deep bed of the river Eu- phrates, seemed nideed impregnable to any hostile army. But the enemy without firing a single shot, having drained the river's bed, passed in throngli the open gates, aud taking possession of the city, slew Belshazzar in the midst of his godless revelry. It is so with the human heart. It is like ancient Thebes with its hundred gates, out of which thousands of warriors marched to the conflict. There are ^- ■ I' ! 1 fiC KKKl'IN