SERMON IX.
ItEN tIagar tted into the wilderness from the face of ber mistress, she vas visited by an Angel, vho sent ber back; but, together, -ith this implied reproof of ber impatience, he gave ber a word of promise to encourage and console ber. In the mixture of humbling and chcerful thoughts thus rought in ber, she recognized the presence of ber iIaker and Lord, vho ever cornes to tlis servants in a two-fold aspect., sevcre because He is holy, yet soothing as abotmding in mercy. In consequence, she called the naine of the Lord that spake unto ber, " Thou Goal seest me." Such was the condition of man before Christ came, favoured vith some occasional notices of God's regard for individuals, but, for the most lart, instructed merely in tlis geneml t)rovidence, as seen in the course of human affairs. In this respect even the Law was deficient., though it abounded in lroofs that God was a living, all-seeing, ail recompensing God. It was deficient, in comloarison of the Goslocl, in evidcnce of the really-existing relation bctween each soltl of man and its lIaker, independently of everything else in the world. Of h[oses, indeed, itis said, that "the Lord Slake unto him face to face, as nan sleaketh lmto his friend." 1 But this xvas an esl)ecial 1)riilege vouchsafed to him only and some others, as to IIagar, xvho records it in the text, hot fo all the Ieople. ]ut, under the lgew Covenant, this distinct regard, vouchsafed by Almighty-God to every one of us, is clearly revealed. It xvas foretold of the Christian Church; "'All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and g'eat shall Le the peace of thy children." When the Etenm.1 Son came on eaoEh in out flesh, men saw their invisible. hIaker and Judge. IIe showed IIimself no longer thmugh the mere powers of nature, or the maze of human affairs, bnt in ont o-n likeness to IIim. "God, vho commanded the light to shine out of darkness, bath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge ot the glory of Goal in the face of Jesus Christ;'' that is, in a sensible form, as a really existing individual being. And, at the saine rime, IIe forth'ith began to sieak to s as i_ndividuals. ]Ie, on the one hand, addressed each of us on the other. Thus it was in some sense a revelation tace fo face. This is the subject on which I l_ropose now fo make a few remarks. _And fn'st, let me observe, itis very ditfictflt, in si»ire of the revelation ruade us in.the Gospel, to toaster the idea of tlfis lartictflar lrovidence Exod. xxxiii. 11. Isa. liv. 13. - 2 Cor. iv. 6.
of God. If we ailow oursclves to float down the current of the xvorld, livfig as other men, g,thering u 1) our notions of rcligion hcre and thcre, as it nmy be, ve huvc little or no truc comlorehension of a larticular l'rovidcnce. We conceive tht Ahnighty God works on a l:rge 1)lan; bat ve cannot realize the -onderful truth that tIe secs and thinks of individuals. 1Ve cannot be]ieve Ho is really 1)rescnt ever'here, that He is whercver xve are, though unseen.:For instance, we can understand, or think we understand, tiret He was prescrit on Mount Sinai, or within the Jewish Temple, or tlmt I[c c],ve the ground under Dathan and Abiram. But we tic hot h any sufficient sense believe that He is in like manner « about out lath, and about out bed, and spieth out ail our vays. '' Ve cannot bring ourselves to get fast hold of the solcmn fact, that Ite secs vht is going on among ourselves at this moment; that this man fttils and that man is exalted, at His silent, invisible appointmcnt, Ye use, indeed, the prayers of the Church, and intercede, hot ouly for ail conditions of men, but for the King and the lobilit.y, and the Court of Parliament, and so on, clown fo individual sick leol)le in out om larish; yet in sloite of ai1 this, we do hOt bring home to our minds the truth of Itis omniscience. We know He is in heaven, and forger that He is also on earth. This is the reson 'hy the multitude of men are so lorofane. They use light vords; they scoff at religion; they ailow themselves to be lukeu'arm and îudifferent; they take the lart of xvicked Iaen; they lush forward wicked measm'es; they defeld bjustice, t's. cxxxîx. 2.
or cruelty, or soEcrilege, or infidelity; because they bave no asp of a truth, which nevertheless they hoEve no intention to deny, that God sees them. There is, iudeed, a self-wi]_l, and self-deceit, which would sin on even in God's visible presence. This was the sin of ]3ulaam, who took loErt with the enemies of Israel for rewoErd; and of Z[mri, the son of SOElu, a prince of the Shneonites, on x'hom Phineas did judgment; and such the sin of Sad, of Judas, of AnanioEs and Sapphira. Alors! doubtless such is the sin of many OE man now in England, unless human nature is othcr than if was aforetime; alas! such a sin is in a measure out own from rime to time, as any one may knov for certain who is used to selç-examination. Yet, over and above this, certainly there is also g'eat deal of l»rofane sinning froln out foycttig, hot comprehending tlmt we are in God's presence; hot comprehending, or (in othcr words) believing, that tic secs and heurs and notes clown everything we do. This, a.gain, is offert the state in which persons find themselves on falling into trouble. The world fafls them, and they despah; because they do hot realize to themselves the loving-ldndness and the 1)resence of Goal. They final no comfort in a truth hich to thela is hot a substance but an opinion. Therefore if was that Itagar, when visited h the wflderness by the Angel, called the naine of the Lord tlmt spake unto ber, "Thou Goal seest me!" If came as a new truth to ber that; amid ber trouble and ber waywardness, the eye of God was npon her. The case is the saine non'. bien talk in a general way of the goodlmss of God, ttis benevolence, compassion, and long-suffering; but they think of i as of a flood pouring itselï out all through the wofld, as the ligh of the sun, hOt as the continu;flly repeated action of an intelligent and living Mind, contemplating whom i -isits and intending wha if effects. Accordingly, when they corne into trouble, they can but say, "I is all for the best—Goal is good," and the like; and this does but fifil as cold cemfort upon them, and does hot lessen their sorrow, because they have hot accustomed their minds to feel that I[e is a mercifitl God, regarding them individually, and hot a mere universal l'rovidence acting by general lws. And then, perha.ps, ail of a sudden the truc notion breaks on them, as i did uporl t [agir. Some especial l'rovidence, amid theh- infliction, runs right into their heart, and brings i close home to them, in a way they never experienced before, tha God secs t.hem. And then, surprised af this, which is a something quite new to thcm, they go into the other exfreine, in proportion to their former apathy, and are led to think tha they are especil ol)jects of God's love, mo'e than all other men. lnstead of taking hat bas hal)pened fo them as an evidence of His loarticflar l'rovidence over al_l, as revealed in Scripture, they still will hot believe a jot or tittle more than they sec; and, while discoverhg He loves thcm individutlly, they do hOt advance one step, on that account, to the general truffe, that He loves other men individually also. 2çow, had they been all along in the loractice of studying Scripture, they would bave been saved from both errors their first, which was blindness to a loarticular Providence altogether—their second, which was a narrow-minded limiting of if to themselves, as if the wofld af large were rejected and reprobate; lot Scripture represents this privflege as the portion of all men one by one. I SUliose if is scurcely necessury to prove to those who bave allowed their minds fo dwell on the Gosl»els, that the pecltliar churacter of out Lord's goodness, as disllayed therein, is ifs tendeïaess and ifs considerateness. These qualities are the very ierfection of kindness between man and man; but, from the very extent and COmllication of the world's system, and fi'om ifs Maker's being invisible, our inmgination scarcely succeeds in attributhg them to IIim, even when otr reason is convinced, and we wish to believe accordingly, tIis Providence manifests itself in general laws, if moves forward uion the lines of truth and justice; if bas no resiect of persons, rewarding the good aud 1)unishing the bad, hot as individuals, but according to their character. Itow shall Ite who is Most Itoly dh-ect Itis love to this man or that for the sake of each, contemplating us one by one, without infi'ingng on Itis own lerfections? Or even were the Sulreme ]eing a God of mmixed benevolence, how, even then, shall the thought of Itim corne home to our minds with that constraining power wlfich the kindness of a human Iriend exerts over us? The eatest acknowledgment we can make of the kindness of a suierior, is fo say that he acts as if he were iersonally interested in us. The mass of benevolent men are kind and generous, because if is their way tobe so, irresiectively of the loerson whom they benefit. atuml remiser, a flow of spirits, or a ttu'n of good fooEune, oI)ens the heart, which poufs itself out lrofusely on friend and enemy. They scatter benefits as they nove along.:Now, at first sight., itis difficult fo see how our idea of Ahnighty God can be divested of these carthly notions, eithcr that IIis goodness is imperfect, or that it is fated and necessary; and wondcrfttl indeed, and adorable is the condescension by which IIe has met our infirmity. IIe bas met and aided if in that saine Disiensation by vhich IIe redeemed our souls. In order that we naay understand Ihat in spire of IIis mysterious Ierfections IIe bas a scparate knowledge and regard for individuals, IIe bas taken pon IIim the thoughts and feelings of our owa nature, which we all understand is calab]e of such personal attachments. ]3y becoming man, tIe laas cut short the lerplexities and the discussions of our reason on the subject, as if IIe vould ant out objections for argument's sake, and SUloersede them by taking out ovn ga-ound. The naost vinning prolerty of our Saviour's naerc (if i is right so to speak of it), is ifs delendence on rime and Ilace, lerson and circumstance; in other words, its tcnder discrimination. It regards and constflts for each individual as he conaes before it. It is called forth by some as it is hot by others, it cannot (if I naay say so) naanifest itself to every object alike; it bas ifs particùar shade and mode of feeling for each; and on some men it so bestows itself, as if He depended f»r tIis own halIiness on their well-being. This naight be illustrated, as is offert done, by our Lord's tender behaviour towards Lazarus and his sisters, or IIis tears over lerusalem; or by Itis conduc towards St. Peter, belote and after his denial of tIin, or tovards St. Thomas 'hen he donbted, or by ]tis love of }Iis mother, or of St. John. Dut I 'ill direct your attention rather fo ttis treatnent of the traitor Judas; both because is hot so commonly refea'ed fo, and, also, because if there vas a beig in the -hole -ofld vhon one night sUi»lose fo be cast out "of ttis lresence as hateful and relorobate, it vas he ho He foresaw vould betray tIim. Yet we sha]l find that even this 'retched man 'as fo]lo-ed and encompassed by IIis serene though grave regard till the veT hourhe betrayed titre. Judas vas in darkness and hated the ligt, and "'ent to his o'n llace; '' yet he round if, hot by the nere force of certain nattral prineiples wor-king out their inevitable eslflts—by sone nnfeeling rate, vhich sentences the v'icked fo hell—but by a Judge -ho surveys ldm from head to foot, throngh and through, to sec if there is any ray of hope, any latent sloark of faith; who lleads with him again and again, and, at lenoh abandoning him, nourns over him the whfle v-ith the wounded affection of a friend ather th-m the severity of the Judge o-f the v'hole earth. or instance, £rs a starfling warning a year lefore his trial. "ttave hot I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devfl?" Then, vhen the rime was corne, the lowest act of abasenent towards one vho soon to betray Itim, and to surfer the unquenchable £re. "tic riseth from supper, and 10oureth water into a bason, and bega.n to 'ash the disciples' feet, '' and Judas in the nmnber. Then a second John ri. 70; xiii. 4, warning ai the saine rime, or rather u sorrowful iament spokeu as if fo Itimself, "Ye are hot ull clean." Then openly, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, thoEt one of you shall betray Me." "The Son of man goeth as itis written of tlim; but woe unto that man by whom the Son of anan is betrayed! if had been good for that man if he had hOt been born. Thefi Judas, which betrayed IIim, answered and said, Iaster, is if I? tic said tmto him, Thou hast said if." Lastly, when He was actually betrayed by him, « Friend, wherefore art thou corne?" "Judas" (He addresses him by naine), "betrayest thou the Son of man with a ldss? '' I ara hot attempting fo reconcfle ttis divine foreknowledge with this sl)ecial and prolonged anxiety, this personal feeling towards Judas; but wish you only fo dwell upon the latter, in order fo observe what is given us by the revelation of Almighty God in the Gospels, riz., un acquaintance with I-Iis providential regard for individuals, raaking His stm fo fise on the evfl as well as on the good. /hd, in like manner doubtless, ai the last day, the wicked and impenitent shall be condemued, hot in a mass, but one by oneone by one, appearing each in his own tutu before the righteous Judge, standing under the full gtory of His countenance, careIully weighed in the balance and found wanting, dealt with, hot indeed with a weak and v:avering 1)url»ose, where God's justice claires satisfaction, yet, ai the saine rime, with all the circumstantial solicitude and awfitl care ot one who would fain make, if tic cottld, the fruit of ttis tassion more numerous than if is. Mati. xxvi. 24, 25, 50; Luke xxii. 48.
This solemn reflection may be firther enforced by considering our Lord's behaviour towards strangers who came to I[in. Judas was II[is friend; but we have never seen IIim. How will IIe look, and how does He look upon us? Let IIis lnanner in the Gospels to'ards the lnultitude of men assure us. All-holy, Ahnighty as IIe is, and has shown Itimsclf fo be, yet in the midst of tIis Divine M:ajesty, IIe could dis!»lay a tender intcmst in all who approachcd IIim; as if IIe could hot cast IIis eyes on any of IIis creatures vithout the ovcrflo'ing affection of a parent for his child, regarding if with a full satisfaction, and simply desiring ifs happhess and highest good. Thus, when the rich young man came fo him, if is said, "And Jesus beholding him, lovcd hi, and said uuto him, One thing thou iackest." When the l'harisees asked a sign, "Ite sighed deeply in IIis Spirit," Af another rime, "He looked round about on them"—as if on every one, fo see if here or there perchance there might be an exception to the general unbelief, and fo condemn, one by one, those -ho were gtdlty '' IIe looked round about on them -ith anger, being grieved for the hardness of their heaoEs." Again, ,hen a leper came fo Itim, IIe did hot simply hcal him, but, "moved with comloassion, He put forth Itis hand." e IIow gacious is this revelation of God's partictrlar providence fo those who seek Him! how acious to those who haYe discovered that this world is but vanity, and who are solitary and isolated in themselves, Mark x. 21; viii. 12; iii. g. 2 Vide also l.Iatt, xix. 26; Luke xxii. 61; bIark iii. 34; i. 41.
ever shadows of power and happiness sun'ound them! The mullilmde, indeed, go on withofll these thoughts, either from insensibilit, as nol underst.anding their own wants, or chnging from one idol to another, as each successively t:ails. 13ttt men of keener hearts would be overpowered by despondency, and wotfld even loathe existence, did t.hey suppose themselves under the mere operation of fixed laws, powerless to excite the pit.y or the altention of tIim who has appointed them. Whtt should they do especially, who are cast among persons umtble 1o enter into their feelings, and thus strangers to them, though by long custom ever so mach friends! or who bave perplexities of mind lhey cannot explain to themselves, mach less remove, and no one to help them; or who bave affections and aspirations penl up within them, because they bave nol mel xvith objects to which to devote them; or who are misunderstood by those around them, anti find they have no words to set themselves righ with them, or no lrinciples in common by way of appeal; or who seem to themselves tobe without place or purpose in the world, or tobe in the way of others; or who bave to follow their own se.nse of duty withoul advisers or supporters, nay, to resist the wishes and solicitations of superiors or relatives; or who have the burden of some labdtfl secrel, or of some incommunicable solitary grief! In all such cases the Goslel narrative SUlplies ottr very need, hot sianply presenting to us an unchangeable Creator to rely upon, but compassionate Guardian, discriminating Judge and Helper. God beholds thee individuall)5 vhoever thou art.
He "calls thee by thy naine." ]Ie sees thee, and understands thee, as Ite Inade thee. tIe knows vhat is in thee, all thy own loeculiar feelings and thoughts, thy disl»ositions and likings, thy strenh and thy wcakness, tIe vicws thee in thy day of rejoicing, and thy day of sorrow, tle syml»athizes in thy holes and thy temptations. IIe interests ttimself in all thy anxieties and remembrances, all the risings and thllings of thy spirit, tIe bas numbered the very hairs of thy head and the eubits of thy stature, tte compasses thee round and bears thee in IIis arms; IIe takes thee up and sers thee down. IIe notes thy very eountenanee, whether smiling or in tears, vhether healthful or sickly. Ite looks tenderly upon thy hands and thy feet; tIê hears thy voiee, the beating of thy heart, and thy very breathing. Thou dost love thyself better than tte loves thee. Thou canst hot shrink from lain more than He dislikes thy bearing it; and if Ite lmts if on thee, if is as thou vilt put if on thyself, if thott art -ise, for a greater good afterwards. Thou art hot only IIis creature (though for the very sparrows Ne bas a care, and loitied the "much cattle" of Nineveh), thou art man redeemed and sanctified, Itis adopted son, favoured with a portion of that glory and blessedness -hich flows from IIim everlastingly unto the Only-begotten. Thou art chosen to be IIis, even above thy fellows who dwell in the East and South. Thou wast one of those for whom Christ offered up His last lorayer, and sealed it with IIis lorecious blood. Yhat a thought is this, a thought almosg too great for oui" faitll! Scarce can we refrain ïrom acting Sarah's part, when we bring it before us, so as to "laugh" from tmazemcnt and 1)erplexity. What is man, what are we, what am I, that the Son of God should be so mindful of me? What am I, that He should bave raised me from a]most a devil's nature to that of an Angcl's? that l[e should bave changed my soul's original constitution, new-ruade me, vho from my youth up bave been a trans'essor, and shou]d ttimsclf dwell personally in this vcry heart of mine, making me ttis temple? What am I, that God the Ho]y Ghost should enter into me, and draw up ny thoughts heavenward "with p]aints unuttcrable?" These are the meditations 'hich corne upon the Christiau to console him, while he is with Christ upon the holy mount. _And, vhen he descends to lfis daily duties, they are sti]l his inward strength, though he is hot al]owcd to tel] the vision to those around him. They make his countenance to shine, make him cheerfu], collccted, serene, and firm in the midst of all temptation, pcrsecution, or bereavement. _And dth such thoughts before us, how base and miserable does the world appear in all its pursuii. and doctrines! tIow truly miserable does it seem to seck good from the creattrre; to covet station, wealth, or credit; to choose for ourselves, in fancy, this or that mode of life; to affect the manners and fashions of the ]'eat; to sl»end out rime in follies; tobe discontented, quarrelsome, jealous or envious, censorious or resentfu]; fond of unprofitable talk, and eager for the news of the day; busy about public matters vhich concern us not; hot in the cause of this or that interest or party; or set Ul»On gain; or devoted to the increase of barren knoqedge! And af the end of our days, when flesh and heart raff, vhut 'ill be out consolution, though we bave ruade ourselves rich, or hure served an office, or been the firs nan araong out equu]s, or bave depressed u rival, or managed things ottr own -ay, or bave settled splendidl; or bave leen intimate 'ith the great, or bave fared sumptuously, or bave gained u naine! Say, even if -e obtain thtt 'hich lasts longest., u place in history, yet, after ail, hat ashes shall we bave eaten for bread! And, hx thtt wful bout, xvhen deah is in sight, -ill tle, whose eye is now so loving towards us, and -hose hand fails on us so gently, 'ill He acknowledge us any more? or, if sri11 speaks, -ill Itis voice bave any power fo sth" us? rather will if hOt repel us, as if did Judas, by the vel tenderness 'ith 'hich it votdd invite us fo Ilim? Let us then endeavour, by tlis gïace, rightly fo understand 'here -e staml, and what I-Ie is towards us; rnost tender and pitiftfl, yet, for all Itis pity, hot passing by the breadt.h of a single hair the eternal lines of truth, holiness, and justice; IIe -ho can condemt fo the voe everlasting, though tte veeps and laments beforehand, and 'ho, hen once the sentence of condemnation bas gone forth, xvill wipe out altogether the remembmnce of us, "and know us hot." The tres were "bound in bundles" for the burning, indiscriminately, promiscuously, contemptuous]y. "Let us then fear, lest promise being left us of entering into test, any of us should seem to corne short of î."