the affections with enthusiasm; and these retorting, in their turn, a hasty reproach of lukewarmness and indifference; all (as it would appear) from want of duly appreciating and honouring the necessity and assistance of either to other; and when, at the close of such a chap1 Cor. xii. ter, I hear the Apostle saying, Yet show I unto you a more excellent way, and that way is CHARITY; then it becomes sure, that the chapter is for us, and for our children, of some power towards effectual holiness; though we were neither Apostles, nor workers of signs and wonders, but Ps. lxxxiv. only doorkeepers in the house of our God. 31. and ch. xiii. 10. But it is necessary to pause upon a theme, which is inexhaustible. If the position taken in the outset has been, thus far, made good; if the exemplifications of it do really and fairly serve to their intended purpose; if Scripture does indeed thus show us to ourselves, and we cannot deny the truth of the resemblance; if it neither conceals deformity, to tempt us, nor yet drives us into extremity, so as to overwhelm us; if it neither threatens, nor promises too much; could it have proceeded either from one that did not know us, or from one that did not love us? There is yet another general view of its adaptation to the real state of human nature remaining to be taken, before we come to speak of its sufficiency for individual cases; which view is to be seen in the characteristic speech and conduct of its successive ambassadors, both under the elder and the later dispensation. This, which offers a topic of much interesting reflection, will form the subject of the next Lecture. LECTURE VI. JOHN ii. 25. For he knew what was in man. WE proceed to the last exemplification proposed of this particular position in the text; as it is to be inferred, concerning holy Scripture, "from the manner of speech and general character of its "successive ambassadors both under the elder "and the later covenant." If the preceding statements, which have been advanced, be in any measure sound and just; if holy Scripture be truly represented as one continuous appeal from the Almighty to his creatures, made at sundry times and in divers manners to the same human nature; we shall expect, according to that harmony of colouring, that proportion which may reasonably be looked for, in a volume of inspired and everlasting truth, to find a suitable difference perceptible in the points above mentioned. We shall not look for exactly the same character and manner of address to their hearers, in the "Prophets," in "our Lord," and ix. 53. 22. in his "Apostles." We shall look, indeed, for consistency of spirit in all; and expect all to have See Luke their faces set the same way, as though they would Hebr. xii. go towards Jerusalem; (agreeably to that which John iv. 37. our Saviour has himself represented; And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth; the field of labour must be one ;) but, with this, we may reckon upon `finding their respective methods of procedure influenced by the consciousness of delegated power in each, and by the extent of their entrusted commissions. 10, &c. 54, 55, 56. For example; when Elijah called down fire from 2 Kings i. heaven upon the messengers of Ahaziah, he knew well that his appeal would be answered from on high. He acted suitably to his commission; and the effect he desired was produced. But when the Luke ix. Apostles James and John would have had recourse to a like demonstration, it stands on record, that they knew not the Spirit of the dispensation whereunto they were called. How much less could we expect to convince others, by appealing now to powers, which we could not command! or how could Scripture commend itself effectually to the reason and the conscience at once, if we found it countenancing any reference to present visible terrors, which we know, from the analogy of settled experience, to be no longer executed! A law, which should thus invalidate its own authority, would certainly fail of proof, that it knew what was in him, for whom it was intended. |