Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

vens. A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man,' Heb. viii. 1, 2. "Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful to him that appointed, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house, hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a son over his own house: whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end," Heb. iii. 1-6. "We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?" Heb. ii. 1-4. "He that despised Moses' law, died without mercy, under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" Heb. x. 28, 29.

Having now, in the course of these exercises, through a series of years, endeavoured to trace the history of mankind, in a series of characters, from Adam to Moses, copied from the original portraits which the pencil of inspiration has itself vouchsafed

i

to delineate; the whole in general, and every one particular, referring themselves to one great ORIGINAL, fro whom their meaning, use and importance are derived-I hasten to conclude my plan, by turning over to the gospel history, which exhibits that same Moses, whom we saw expire on mount Nebo, and "buried in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor;" whose dying benediction yet trembles on our ear, and whose funeral eulogy we attempted to sing, alive again on mount Tabor, and giving personal testimony and homage to him whom he prefigured and foretold. The history of Moses is not properly ended till then: and in vanishing from our sight on the mount of transfiguration, he becomes a glorious harbinger of the "life and immortality which are brought to light by the gospel."

HISTORY OF MOSES.

LECTURE XIV.

And it came to pass, about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter, and John, and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias; who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter, and they that were with him, were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

-LUKE ix. 28-35.

IN the narrowness of their conceptions and the presumptuousness of their pride, men are apt to consider themselves as the only, or at least, the chief inhabitants of the creation of God. A false patriotism, or rather a spirit of insolence and selfishness has gone farther, has ascribed the consequence of a whole universe to some insignificant little region or district of

this little globe, and has represented the men who breathe on such a spot, and converse in such a language, as the only persons who are worthy of consideration. We reflect not, what a speck our own country is, compared with the whole earth: what a point the earth is, compared to the vast solar system: and how the solar system itself is lost, in the contemplation of infinite space. We reflect not on the myriads of "just men made perfect," from the death of "righteous Abel," down to the expiring saint, whose disengaged spirit is just now on the wing to the bosom of his God; of those who, lost to us, yet live to their Creator. We reflect not on the myriads of, probably, more glorious beings, who people the greater and more glo. rious worlds which surround ours. We reflect not on the myriads of pure spirits who never left their first estate, that innumerable company of angels who "excel in strength," "the least of whom could wield these elements."

Sound reason and "the wisdom which is from above" correct our narrowness of thought and pride of heart; and teach us to say, in the words which our immortal bard puts in the mouth of Adam, first of men, addressed to his fair consort→→→

"Nor think, though men were none,

That heaven would want spectators, God want praise:
Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth,
Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep;

All these with ceaseless praise his works behold,
Both day and night."

If our ears were not dull and limited as our spirits

"How often, from the steep

Of echoing hill or thicket should we hear
Celestial voices to the midnight air,

Sole, or responsive each to other's note,

Singing their great Creator! Oft in bands,

While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk,
With heavenly touch of instrumental sounds,

In full harmonic number join'd, their songs

Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to heaven."

We foolishly imagine the world of spirits to be at a vast distance, whereas in truth we are upon its very confines. We consider its inhabitants as entire strangers to us, whereas they are constantly about our path and our bed, attending our going out and coming in, our lying down and rising up. If our eyes were not held, we should even now behold them joining in and assisting our praises, rejoicing together, when, by the ministry of the word of divine grace, sinners are converted, and saints edified. Little did the three disciples think, when they ascended mount Tabor, that they were so near to an interview with Moses and Elias. Moses, and Elias, and Christ, are not far from us; it is our folly and infirmity to think ouselves far from them.

When we look back to the latter end of Moses, the man of God, we attend him up to mount Nebo, and behold him taking from Pisgah a last look and a last farewell of the glory of this world. We see his eyes closing in peace, and breathe a sigh over his tomb, and bid him a long farewell, and think we have lost him forever. But it is not an everlasting adieu. On Tabor we have found him again, after a lapse of fifteen eenturies; we find not only his name, his memory, his writings, his predictions, his spirit, alive and in force, but his very person, still employed in ministering to the salvation of the Israel of God: and hence we look forward to the lapse of a few years more, at the expiration of which we hope to meet him indeed, not armed with that fiery law which condemns and consumes, but a minister and a fellow-partaker of that grace which redeems and saves.

We cannot consider ourselves therefore as having yet concluded the history of Moses, while that memorable event of it, which is the subject of this evening's reading, remains unconsidered; and as the evangelic page has exhibited him to us alive from the dead, let us devoutly attend to the reason and end of this glori

« PredošláPokračovať »