SERMON I. ON ORDINATION. ISAIAH Ixi. 1-3. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called Trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. THIS scene which the prophet unfolds, exhibits almost all the characters that compose the subjects of human misery; we behold the poor, the brokenhearted, the mourner, the captive; and surely this scene will call forth the compassion of the Most High. It is calculated to awaken our liveliest sympathy; and we hear a personage who appears bearing from the Most High a commission of mercy; and thus he unfolds its interesting import: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to VOL. II. 1 comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called Trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." No doubt can exist with respect to the personage who thus delivers his gracious commission; the evangelical prophet contains the most minute. delineations of the character and offices of Jesus Christ; we cannot, therefore, hesitate instantly to refer to him a passage which so well suits the gracious and compassionate character and office of the Saviour of the world. The correctness of this application is established by our Lord himself. Soon after he commenced his ministry, by preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease, entering, as was his custom, a synagogue at Nazareth, to unite in the worship there celebrated, he was called to officiate as a reader, and opening the book of the prophet Esaias, which was presented to him, he found the place where this passage was written; and having read it, he expounded it, and proclaimed to the people wondering at the gracious words which proceeded out of his lips, "This day is the Scripture fulfilled in your He thus declared that he was the gracious Personage pointed out in the passage of the evangelical prophet. ears." Applying then this passage to Jesus Christ, we behold, 1. His solemn inauguration to office; and, 2. The gracious functions with which he was invested. The consideration of these particulars will lead to remarks suitable to the present occasion, of admitting to the office of the Christian ministry. 1. We behold the inauguration of Christ to his divine offices. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me." But did he not, from all eternity, possess the Spirit without measure? The eternal Word, was he not with God from the beginning, or ever the world was-was he not God! The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last, is he not the Almighty? The brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person, did not the eternal Son make the worlds? The King of kings and Lord of lords, is not his throne for ever and ever? Yes-and therefore at his name every knee bows, and every tongue confesses that he is Lord. But this eternal Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; the brightness of the Father's glory took upon him the nature of man; and he was thus made flesh, and clothed with our nature, that he might become the Mediator between God and man, the Saviour, the Intercessor, the Prophet, the Priest, and the Ruler of his redeemed people. Not, therefore, in his character of "God over all" did he receive the anointing of the Spirit, but in that character of the Son of man which he assumed when he was born of a virgin. By the Spirit of the Lord was he inaugurated to the office of Mediator between God and man. The Holy Ghost was the agent in this august solemnity. In the eternal counsels of love towards man, it SERMON XXX. ON THE DANGER OF INDECISION ON THE SUBJECT OF RELIGION. NUMBERS xxii. 18. And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more SERMON XXXI. page 403 THE FRIENDSHIP OF THE WORLD ENMITY WITH GOD. JAMES iv. 4. The friendship of the world is enmity with God: whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God 415. SERMON XXXII. JESUS CHRIST THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. JOHN xiv. 6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life no man cometh unto the Father, but by me SERMON XXXIII. · 431 THE SCRIPTURES THE SOURCE OF HOPE AND CONSOLATION. Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope SERMON XXXIV. REGENERATION AND RENOVATION. TITUS iii. 5. 441 The washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost 453 SERMON XXXV. REGENERATION AND RENOVATION. TITUS iii. 5. The washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost 476 SERMON XXXVI. REGENERATION AND RENOVATION. TITUS iii. 5. The washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost 493 SERMON XXXVII. REGENERATION AND RENOVATION. ROMANS xii. 2. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds - 508 SERMON I. ON ORDINATION. ISAIAH Ixi. 1-3. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called Trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. THIS scene which the prophet unfolds, exhibits almost all the characters that compose the subjects of human misery; we behold the poor, the brokenhearted, the mourner, the captive; and surely this scene will call forth the compassion of the Most High. It is calculated to awaken our liveliest sympathy; and we hear a personage who appears bearing from the Most High a commission of mercy; and thus he unfolds its interesting import: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to VOL. II. 1 |