Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

words of the text will be the test as a trial or standard, by which we must be judged; but the sentence to be pronounced will be a little varied, he that is unjust let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still: Then a life of piety, though in a corner of obscurity and shrouded in abject poverty, will shine conspicuous, and out dazzle all the pomp and grandeur of this world. Self denial, meekness, and charity, will be most brilliant gems in the heavenly crown. The sceptres and badges of kings and princes, of popes and emperours, will fade away and shrivel as a scroll, when compared with those little things, which will serve to show that a man is found faithful in that which is least. Let us then now realize the true import of the saying of the Saviour to his disciples: Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily, I say unto you, He shall not lose his reward. And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. Let not the account of that little sum, two mites, which the poor widow cast into the treasury, be forgotten nor despised by us. Though a little thing, it is recorded for instruction, and has a direct bearing on our character. Perhaps some would hope for divine approbation, neither from great nor little things; but from neutral ground, or not openly opposing religion. Let me draw an arrow from the divine quiver, sharpened and made ready by the blessed Redeemer. He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad. I see another character of. quite a different form. It is one who glories in a wonderful conversion, like that of the apostle Paul. The heavens seemed opened, and the angels of God, and the Son of man, appeared in all their glory.

But, friend, have you none of those little things which are credentials, essential to a Christian character? Oh no! I think it not worthy to trouble myself about such things. My past conversion is all I ask, to make my calling and election sure; and a life of godliness would be an intolerable cross to me. Alas deluded man! Satan has appeared to you transformed into an angel of light; and if you do not yet repent, and begin to walk in newness of life, he will meet you at last in the clouds of the air, and drag you down to the region of despair. The secret motives of the heart, words, and retired places for prayer, will be sources of joy to some and of consternation to others. Let us recollect that Naaman, the Syrian leper, was not required to do some great thing in order to effect his cure. Then let us take

the simple and only safe means which God has given, to save from hell and raise to heaven. If we seek to do great things and for these to be saved, we die; but if we neglect not those little things, which the word of life points out as essential to our forming a Christian character, we live. Yes, live in glorious immortality, when these heavens and this earth shall

be no more.

REFLECTIONS.

1st. In the light of this subject we may see, that our great concern should not be to know what the world may think of us; but how we are esteemed in the sight of God. It is desirable to have the good opinion of others; and earthly friends in this pilgrimage state, are important. If an upright and courteous conduct will secure the esteem of our fellowmen, we should endeavour to obtain their good opinion, that we may be the more useful. Still we should not seek to be men-pleasers, but the servants of God. And when our name is evil spoken of, when our motives and character are questioned by others, our solicitations should be to obtain the ap

us.

probation of the Searcher of hearts. Our fellowmortals may be deceived, or from some evil design may judge us uncharitably; but it will be a strong consolation, if the Lord, who cannot err, smile upon Better to have all the world in hostile array against us, and to suffer the most bitter persecution, if we have heaven on our side, than to please all men, and not be the servants of Christ. As it is desira ble to have the friendship, sympathies, and aids of our fellow-mortals, so it is infinitely important to have that communion, and those joys, which are the effect of being reconciled to God through the death of his Son. Happy is that man, who has a good report amongst his fellow-men; but blessed is the one, who, like Enoch, walketh with God, and who enjoyeth the smiles of his reconciled countenance, and that peace which passeth understanding.

2d. When we see criminals arraigned before human tribunals, we should exercise compassion and pity, rather than scorn and contempt. They may not be more guilty than some of the spectators. Suppose for instance, a person is condemned for having robbed another of a thousand dollars. Do we look upon him with abhorrence and dread? Perhaps he would not have committed the deed, had he not been in straitened circumstances. Or could he have obtained but a dollar at a time by some other dishonest means, he might not have had recourse to robbery. Probably he would rather have obtained the same sum from several persons than from one. Yes, and the person who habitually cheats but a gill of grain, or a cent at a time, has the same dishonest principle and views. He might be alarmed and deterred from taking a large sum dishonestly, or all that any man possessed. But let his base heart insinuate that a man is wealthy, and that the loss of a thousand dollars would be a mere trifle; if he should have opportunity to cheat or overreach without any means of detection, quickly would his

[ocr errors]

avarice grasp the dishonest gain. And let the same person be brought to want, he might be more odious and more to be dreaded, than the arraigned criminal. The only difference between the most secret and trifling dishonesty, and the most open and daring robbery, is merely circumstantial. The principle is the same; for he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much. A change of condition and the depravity of the human heart, would be sufficient to lead such an one into the most enormous crimes. Then when overt acts, disgrace any of our fellowmortals, let us inquire of our own hearts, if we cherish the secret lurkings of such a principle in our breasts. 3d. This subject may serve to show, that though the gain of sin be small, the guilt may be great. One great principle to be inferred from the text, is, that he who has sinned, though to a small amount in respect to the fruit or profit of the transgression, has, by so doing, incurred a full condemnation. He who has just passed over a forbidden limit, which was distinctly known to him, is unfaithful in the least; and is also guilty in much. For a vindication of this, it is evident, That by a small act of fraud, the line which separates the right from the wrong, is just as effectually broken over, as by a great act of injustice. The Saviour, in the words of the text, speaks to the man who is only half an inch within the limit of forbidden ground, in the very same terms by which he addresses the one who has made the fartherest and the largest excursions over the boundary. Grant that he is but a little way upon the wrong side of the line of demarkation! But why is he upon it at all? It was in the act of crossing that line, that he entered upon the contest between right and wrong; and then it was decided. That was the instant of time at which principle struck her surrender. The great difficulty was to pass the partition wall; for, after that was done, the moral principle has no barriers to obstruct his progress over the whole extent of the

forbidden field but what may be easily surmounted. If he is but a little way within the unlawful territory, even upon its margin, the God who finds him there, will reckon and deal with him as a bold transgressor. In the words of the text,the Saviour has taken his stand on the mere dividing line between what is lawful and what is unlawful; and he gives us to understand, that the man who enters by a single footstep on the forbidden ground, immediately contaminates his person with the full hue and character of guiltiness. He does not make the difference between right and wrong to consist in a gradual shading of the one into the other; and thus obliterate the distinctions of morality. He allows no imperceptible intermixture between the nature and margin of virtue and vice; but gives a clear and decided delineation. It is not a gentle transition for a man to step over from honesty to dishonesty, and from truth to falsehood. There is between thein a wall, rising up unto heaven: and the authority of God must suffer violence, ere one inch of entrance can be made into the field of iniquity. The Saviour never glosses over the beginning of crimes. His object is effectually to fortify the limit, to cast a rampart of exclusion around the whole territory of guilt, and to rear it before the eye of man in such characters of strength and sacredness, as should make him feel that it is impregnable.

Again: We may see, that he who is unfaithful in the least, has incurred the condemnation of him who is unfaithful in much; because the littleness of the gain, so far from lessening the guilt, is in fact rather a circumstance of aggravation. It is certain that he who has committed injustice for the sake of a less advantage, has done it on the impulse of a less temptation. He has parted with his honesty at an inferiour price, by bartering it for a mere trifle. And does this lessen his guilt? Certainly it proves how small is the price which he sets upon his eternity; and how cheaply he can bargain away the favour of God, and an inherit

« PreviousContinue »