صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

:

marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the god of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 1 John 4. 3. and 2. 22. Dan. 7. 25. and 11. 36-39, 45. and 7. 26, 27. Rev. 13. 3-8. and 19-21.

:

What evidence have you that you do not belong to the kingdom of antichrist?

100. What is St. Paul's description of the Christian Armour ? Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of GOD: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Eph. 6. 13—18. || and 6. 10-12. Rom. 13. 12-14.

Are you fighting the fight of faith? Are you clad in the Christian's whole armour?

101. What doth the Lord, our God, require of us individually?

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?- For the grace of GoD that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us, that, denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live

soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great GOD, and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Mic. 6. 8. Tit. 2. 11-14. Eph. 5. 15, 16. || LET US DEVOUTLY SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

DAILY AND LEARN OUR DUTY.

Have you rendered to man the things that are man's? and unto Gop the things that are GOD'S?

102. Is not the Moral Law binding upon all mankind?

Sanctify yourselves therefore and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you.- Render to Cesar the things that are Cesar's, and to GoD the things that are GoD's.- And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes-and it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our Gon, as he hath commanded us.- Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Lev. 20. 7, 8. Mark 12. 17. Deut. 6. 24, 25. Rom. 3. 19. || Jam. 2. 8–10. Rom. 7. 7—12. and 13. 7. Deut. 10. 12, 13.

What MORE or what LESS could the rightful Governor of the universe require of any moral agent, than to render to GoD his due, and to creatures their dues? Have you felt your obligations to obey Gon's law? Have you been abased in the dust for violating them?

103. Does not a conviction of the purity, extent, and spirtuality of the Divine law, tend to endear Christ (who "is the end of the law for righteousness) to every one who believeth ?”

For I delight in the law of God, after the inward man: But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of GoD, but with the flesh the law of sin.There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, GoD sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned

[ocr errors]

sin in the flesh. That the righteousness of the law might be ful filled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner. Rom. 7. 2225. and 8. 1-4. 1 Pet. 2. 7. || Mat. 9. 12. Gal. 3. 13, 14, 24. Has Christ been esteemed infinitely precious by you? Do all your hopes of justification centre in him?

104. What sublime and impressive scenes preceded and attended the promulgation of the MORAL LAW?

And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And mount. Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and GoD answered him by a voice.And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear : but let not GOD speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for GoD is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.- See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Ex. 19. 16, 18, 19. and 20. 18-20. Heb. 12. 25-27. || Deut. 5. 22. -27. Ex. 15. 11. Ps. 77. 18.

Would those scenes have been terrible to your sight? Will you not another day witness still more tremendous scenes? Are you prepared, not merely to behold a mountain covered with flames; but to stand with composure, amidst the flames of a burning world? What emotions will that blast of an Archangel's trumpet, whose sound shall wake the slumbers of every grave, give you?

105. Is idolatry forbidden, and are awful threatenings denounced against it in the word of God?

[ocr errors]

Thou shalt not have no other gods before me.- Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; (For the Lord thy God is a jealous GoD among you;) lest the anger of the Lord thy GOD be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy GOD, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. Ex. 20. 3. Is. 26. 4. Deut. 6. 14, 15. and 8. 19. || Jer. 25. 4-7. Josh. 24. 20. Eph. 5. 5. Col 3. 5.

Little children have you kept yourselves from idols? Have you loved nothing better than you have God? What have been the nature and the degree of your attachments to yourselves, your relatives, your possessions, or pursuits?

106. Is image worship forbidden by JEHOVAH?

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy GOD am a jealous GOD, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.- I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of GOD, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of ' his name. Ex. 20. 4-6. Is. 42. 8. Rev. 14. 9-11. || Deut. 4. 15, 16, 23. Is. 2. 8-12, 18-21. Ez. 8. 12, 18.

May not man be guilty of image worship, by misconceiving the character of Gon? Have you never considered him all mercy and no justice?

107. Is it our duty to worship the God of heaven by prayer in secret, in private and in public?

[ocr errors]

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord. Mat. 6. 6. Ps. 116. 17-19. || Ps. 96. 8, 9. Mat. 18. 19, 20. Is. 56. 7.

What more reasonable, than that dependant, accountable, and sinful beings, should live prayerful lives? Have you done it?

108. What form of prayer has our blessed Saviour given us?

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (q) Mat. 6. 9-13.

How concise yet how full the Lord's prayer! Did you ever devoutly use it? Can the unforgiving use it without virtually praying that GOD would not forgive them?

109. How did Daniel pray when in captivity?

And I set my face unto the Lord GOD, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the Lord my Gon, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments. Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our GoD, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our GoD is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and

(q) See Appendix, Note Q.

« السابقةمتابعة »