PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Horae Homileticae — Volume 2 of 21
Simeon, Charles, 1759-1836 · 273,224 words · 589 reading sections
316 Deuteronomy, X. 1, 2. [200.
e Amos viii. 7. f 2 Cor. vii. 11. s Heb. viii. 12. cc. Deut. x. 1,2. At that time the Lord said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of tvood : and I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, …
423 wordsSECTION 302200.1 Replacing The Tables Of The Covenant. 317
God, after he had published by an audible voice the law of the Ten Commandments, wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them to Moses upon Mount Horeb, that they might serve as a memorial of what all who entered into covenant with him were bound to perform. But when Moses, on descending from the mount, fou…
410 wordsSECTION 303318 Deuteronomy, X. 1, 2. [200.
afterwards given in a different way. This mode of conveying such instruction repeatedly occurs in the Holy Scriptures. The Prophet Jeremiah tells the Jews that God would " make a new covenant with them;" from whence St. Paul infers that the covenant under which they lived, was old, and " ready to vanish away d." T…
459 wordsSECTION 304200.1 Replacing The Tables Of The Covenant. 319
they were of pre-eminent importance, and were in- tended to convey the most valuable instruction. Mark, 1. The renewing of the tables which had been broken — [This intimated that God was reconciled towards them, and was still willing to take them as his people, and to give himself to them as their God. The very f…
485 wordsSECTION 305320 Deuteronomy, X. 1,2. [200.
have access to him to hear his instructions p. This denoted their incapacity to comprehend the law, till Christ should come to remove the veil from their hearts % And precisely in the same manner the putting of the law into the ark denoted the incapacity of man to receive it as it is in itself, and the neces- sity…
485 wordsSECTION 306200.1 Replacing The Tables Of The Covenant. 321
But as given on Mount Sinai, it was " a fiery law ;" and so terrible, that the people could not endure it ; and " even Moses himself said, I exceedingly fear and quake a." But in the ark, Christ Jesus, its terrors are abated : yea, to those who believe in him, it has no terror at all : its demands are satisfied in…
494 wordsSECTION 307Cci.
REASONABLENESS AND EXCELLENCY OF GOd's COMMANDS. Deut. x. 12, 13. And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his tvays, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and to keep the com- mandments of the Lord,…
341 wordsSECTION 308201.1 Excellency Of God'S Commands. 323
Son ; and by the very name we bear, we profess our- selves the followers of Christ, and the servants of the living God. Our duty, then, is " to serve our God," and to serve him in the very way prescribed in our text. We must serve him, 1. With reverential fear — [Never for a moment must we forget that we are sinn…
473 wordsSECTION 309324 Deuteronomy, X. 12, 13. [201.
the essence of every acceptable service. We value not the efforts of friends by their intrinsic worth, so much as by the measure of affection displayed in them : and much more is this the standard by which the Almighty will try, and estimate, our services to him. It was this which rendered the widow's mite a more …
465 wordsSECTION 310201.] Excellency Of God'S Commands. 325
for them, they could not doubt God's right to every return which it was in their power to make. How much stronger his claim is to our obedience, must be obvious to every considerate mind. Think of yourselves, Brethren, as redeemed from death and hell by the blood of God's only dear Son, and then say whether you ar…
474 wordsSECTION 311326 Deuteronomy, X. 14—16. [202.
requited the Lord ? Oh ! compare your lives with what has been before spoken, and with what you cannot but acknow- ledge to have been your bounden duty. Which of you, in the retrospect, has not reason to blush and be ashamed ? And as for the generality amongst us, is there not just ground to utter against them tha…
342 wordsSECTION 312The Electing Love Of God An Incentive To Holiness.
Deut. x. 14—16. Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them ; and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, …
451 wordsSECTION 313328 Deuteronomy, X. 14—16. [202.
But, whilst he has the same right over all his intelligent creatures, he has seen fit to bring some, and some only, into a nearer connexion with himself. Into this state he brings them of his own sove- reign will and pleasure — [Abraham was an idolater, as all his family were, when God first called him by his gra…
712 wordsSECTION 314328 Deuteronomy, X. 14—16. [202.
Perhaps it may be said that election is, and has always been, conditional. But this is not true. As far as related to the possession of Canaan, the election of the Jews might be said to be conditional: but on what conditions was the election of Abraham, or of Isaac, or of Jacob, suspended ? On what was the electio…
289 wordsSECTION 315330 Deuteronomy, X. 14—16. [202.
strongly to the performance of them. Moses says, " God has chosen you ;" " circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart." Here observe, 1. The duty enjoined — [We are all by nature a rebellious and stiff-necked people. We wonder at the conduct of the Israelites in the wilderness: but in that we may see a perf…
677 wordsSECTION 316330 Deuteronomy, X. 14—16. [202.
This we say is the true and proper tendency of the doctrine in our text. The Jews, if they had justly appreciated the favours vouchsafed to them, would have been the holiest of all people upon earth : and so will Christians be, if once they be sensible of the obligations conferred upon them by God's electing and r…
275 wordsSECTION 317332 Deuteronomy, Xi. 18—21. [203.
2. Let those who boast of their obligations to God not be inattentive to their duties — [They who " cry, Lord, Lord, and neglect to do the things which he commands," miserably deceive their own souls. And it must be confessed that such self-deceivers do exist, and ever have existed in the Church of God. But let th…
335 wordsSECTION 318203."! The Scriptures Recommended To Us. 333
Deut. xi. 18 — 21. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou…
516 wordsSECTION 319334 Deuteronomy, Xi. 18—21. [203.
[The Jews, putting a literal construction on the passage before us, wrote portions of God's word on scraps of parch- ment, and wore them as bracelets on their wrists, and as frontlets on their heads. But we shall more truly answer the end of this commandment by consulting the Scriptures on all occasions as our sur…
433 wordsSECTION 320204.1 The Great Alternative. 335
and impious discourse be suppressed ? Would not sin of every kind receive a salutary check? Would not many of the diseases, the troubles, the feuds, and the miseries that result from sin, be prevented ? Would not many of the judgments of God which now desolate the earth, the wars, the famines, the pestilences, be …
424 wordsSECTION 321336 Deuteronomy, Xl 26—28. [204.
Deut. xi. 26 — 28. Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day ; and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God. ON whatever occasion these words had been spoken, they must have appeared…
373 wordsSECTION 322204.1 The Great Alternative. 337
people were required to give their consent to these terms, acknowledging the justice of them, and professing their willing- ness to be dealt with according to themd. Now, I ask, who could obtain salvation on such terms as these ? who could even venture to indulge a hope of ultimate acceptance with his God? It is o…
471 wordsSECTION 323338 Deuteronomy, Xi. 26—28. [204.
other; and that, whatever were their occupations, whatever their difficulties, they must on no account forget to serve and honour God. Accordingly, as soon as Joshua had conquered Jericho and Ai, and had obtained possession of that spot of ground, notwithstanding he was surrounded by enemies on every side, he conv…
450 wordsSECTION 324204.] The Great Alternative. 339
1. Inat ministers must faithfully execute their high office — [It was not from a want of tenderness that Moses thus faithfully declared the whole counsel of God, but because his duty to God, and to the people also, constrained him to declare it: and there is something peculiarly instructive in the direc- tions he…
469 wordsSECTION 325340 Deuteronomy, Xi. 26—28. [204.
indispensably necessary to our salvation : they are as necessary under the Gospel, as under the law : the only difference is, that, according to the strict tenor of the law, they were the ground of our hope ; whereas, under the Gospel, they are the fruits and evidences of our faith. To found our hopes of salvation …
517 wordsSECTION 326205.] The Prohibition Of Eating Blood. 341
willing in the day of God's power6." He is drawn indeed, but it is " with the cords of a man, and with the bands of love." On the other hand, no man is sentenced to misery, who has not first chosen the ways of sin. He perishes, not because God has " ordained him to wrath*," but because " he will not come to Christ…
334 wordsSECTION 327342 Deuteronomy, Xii. 23—25. [205.
Deut. xii. 23 — 25. Only be sure that thou eat not the blood : for the blood is the life; and thou may est not eat the life with the flesh: thou shaft not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water : thou shalt not eat it, that it may go well tvith thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do…
549 wordsSECTION 328205.1 The Prohibition Of Eating Blood. 343
as well as natives. Now I ask, Would this prohibition have been so peremptorily* given, so frequently repeated, so solemnly enforced; would such particular directions have been added; and would they have been made so universally binding, if there had been nothing mysterious in this appointment?] We may be sure tha…
448 wordsSECTION 329344 Deuteronomy, Xii. 23—25. [205.
II. The prohibition reversed — It is reversed, as it relates to the use of blood — [To the first converts indeed it was enjoined, that they should abstain from the use of blood g, no less than from for- nication itself : and hence it has been supposed that there was a moral evil in the one, as well as in the other…
509 wordsSECTION 330205.] The Prohibition Of Eating Blood. 345
drink indeedV Here the command is as universal, as, before, the prohibition was. Need we to explain this to any of you ? We would hope, there are few so ignorant as not to know what was designed by our blessed Lord : he meant, that, as he was about to give himself as an ofFering and a sacrifice for sin, we must al…
512 wordsSECTION 331346 Deuteronomy, Xii. 23—25. [205.
them. In fact, the commission of every sin very much resem- bles this of which we are speaking. God has allowed us every species of gratification, if we will take it in the way and manner prescribed by him : but we say, ' No ; I will have it in my own way ; I will not be content with the flesh, but I will have the…
516 wordsSECTION 332Ccvi.
THE JEWS' LEADING OBJECTION TO CHRISTIANITY CON- SIDERED. Deut. xiii. 1 — 3. If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us…
696 wordsSECTION 333Ccvi.
The caution here given is certainly most solemn. That we may give it all the force of which it is capable, we will notice distinctly these three things ; The supposition here made ; The injunction given notwithstanding that supposition ; and The argument founded on that injunction. First, mark the supposition her…
424 wordsSECTION 334350 Deuteronomy, Xiii. 1—3. ["206.
working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of un- righteousness in them that perish3." He has more- over told us that these false prophets should " shew such signs and wonders as to deceive, if it were pos- sible, the very elect b :" nay more, that in the last day …
663 wordsSECTION 335352 Deuteronomy, Xiii. 1—3. [206.
Hence then God enjoined his people not to regard any person who should attempt to draw them to idolatry, even though he should work a miracle before their eyes, or foretell an event that should afterwards come to pass. They had had abundant evidence, that the religion they had embraced was from God: they possesse…
889 wordsSECTION 336354 Deuteronomy, Xiii. 1—3. [200.
k Deut. xxvii. 26. Gal. iii. 10. make void the law, but establishes the law1:" and has no hope of salvation in anyway, but such as "magnifies the law and makes it honourable"1 ;" and it is his earnest desire that you should agree with him in this matter; because he is sure, that, when once you come to understand …
720 wordsSECTION 337356 Deuteronomy, Xiii. 1—3. [206.
I am aware that in calling you to worship the Lord Jesus Christ we appear to you to be transferring to him the honour due to God alone. But if you will look into your own Scriptures, you will find that the person who was foretold as your Messiah is no other than God himself. Examine the Psalm before referred to0,…
699 wordsSECTION 338358 Deuteronomy, Xiii. 1—3. [206.
Consider the miracles also : these were bevond all comparison greater and more numerous than Moses ever wrought. The healing all manner of diseases was the daily and hourly employment of the Lord Jesus for the three or four last years of his life. The whole creation, men, devils, fishes, elements, all obeyed his …
821 wordsSECTION 339360 Deuteronomy, Xiii. 1—3. [206.
evermore ! It is for your partiality in this respect that God has punished you now these eighteen hundred years, and is punishing you at this day. He told you, " he would require of you" your rejection of this Prophet; and he has required it more severely, than he has all your other sins ever since you became a n…
425 wordsSECTION 340Guilt And Danger Of Departing From God.
Deut. xiii. 6 — 11. If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the ivife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; namely, of the gods of the people which are r…
378 wordsSECTION 341362 Deuteronomy, Xiii. 6—11. [207.
treason, and murder ; and, by the general consent of mankind, the principals who are found guilty of those crimes are put to death. Now, in the tempting of men to idolatry, both these crimes were contained : there was treason against the King of kings ; and there was murder, not indeed of the bodies, but of the so…
519 wordsSECTION 342207.1 Guilt And Danger Of Forsaking God. 363
should mention it was precluded from all exercise of mercy, and was constrained to proceed against him according to this law ? Thus then provision was made to prevent the possibility, as it should seem, of the nation ever yielding to idolatry, or pro- voking God to abandon them according to the threatenings which …
463 wordsSECTION 343364 Deuteronomy, Xiii. 6—11. [207.
whether our idolatry be open and carnal, or secret and spiritual: and though he does not authorize man to proceed against us, he will take the matter into his own hand, and inflict upon us the punishment we deserve. It is in reference to this that St. Paul utters that severe denunciation against all who decline fr…
509 wordsSECTION 344207.1 Guilt And Danger Of Forsaking God S65
influence ; lest, whilst they think that they are shewing kind- ness to man, they be found in reality fighting against God. Let me remind them, that, whether they succeed or not, their guilt is the same ; they have made the proposal, and for that proposal they shall die : and would to God that the being stoned to …
500 wordsSECTION 345The Duty Of Charity Enforced.
is purchased for you ; and then say whether any thing in this world can have such a claim to your regards as the Lord Jesus Christ has. Only get your hearts impressed with a sense of his love, and the vanities of time and sense will be to you no more than the dirt under your feet. Only commit yourselves to Christ,…
449 wordsSECTION 346208.1 The Duty Of Charity Enforced. 367
usefulness and dependence. Even in the state that was formed by God himself, it was ordained that such a diversity of ranks should subsist a. Still, however, it never was the divine intention that some should be left destitute of all the comforts of life, while others rioted in opulence and prodigality. To prevent…
403 wordsSECTION 347368 Deuteronomy, Xv. 7—11. [208.
The manner also of performing this duty is as strongly en- joined as the duty itself. We must act bountifully towards the poor, proportioning our alms to our own ability, and, as far as possible, to their necessities^ We must also administer relief cheerfully. Grudging and niggardly thoughts are apt to arise in ou…
415 wordsSECTION 348The Release Of Bond-Servants.
thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest" Supposing our motives and principles be such as the Gospel requires, and our alms be really the fruits of faith and love, the Scriptures assure us that they shall be followed with blessings temporal n — spiritual ° — eternal p. Yea, God, speaking afte…
393 wordsSECTION 349370 Deuteronomy, Xv. 12—15. [209.
and divorce were suffered, on account of the hard- ness of the people's hearts, and in order to prevent the still greater evils which would have resulted from the entire prohibition of them. Slavery also was per- mitted for the same reasons : but still there were restraints put upon men in relation to these things…
398 wordsSECTION 350209.1 The Release Of Bond-Servants. 371
As surely as ever Moses was sent to the oppressed Israelites to deliver them, so surely are the tidings of salvation now sent to us : and though our tyrannical master may use his utmost efforts to keep us in subjection, he shall not prevail. The Lord Jesus Christ is come to deliver us ; and " if the Son make us fr…
413 wordsSECTION 351312 Deuteronomy, Xv. 12—15. [209.
are told, " His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel f." And when once they were liberated from their bondage, what incessant kindness did he shew them, administering to all their wants, and fulfilling all their desires ! This was the conduct which the Hebrew masters were to imitate : and this tender- ness, t…
509 wordsSECTION 352210. ] The Bond-Servant Devoting His Services. 373
with a price," let us strive to the uttermost to " glorify him with our bodies and our spirits, which are his1."] Address, 1. Those who are yet in bondage to sin and Satan — [Why should you continue in bondage another day ? May not the past time suffice to have served such hard masters ? and is not liberty at thi…
357 wordsSECTION 353374 Deuteronomy, Xv. 16, 17. [210.
Deut. xv. 16, 17. And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee, (because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee,) then thou shaft take an aivl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. THE work of redemption was typified, not onl…
425 wordsSECTION 354210. ^ The Bond-Servant Devoting His Services. 315
nature, he would not go back from the engagements which he had entered into with his Father, but condescended to be born of a virgin, and to become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. He loved the work he had undertaken ; he delighted in the prospect of glorifying his Father, and saving our ruined race ; and …
474 wordsSECTION 355376 Deuteronomy, Xv. 16, 17. [210.
Trusting that we have not been guided by fancy in our interpretation of this type, let us inquire into, II. The practical instruction to be deduced from it — As a civil ordinance, it seems to have been well cal- culated to instil into the minds both of masters and servants a strict attention to each other's happin…
428 wordsSECTION 356210.] The Bond-Servant Devoting His Services. 377
servant to prevent him from perpetuating his bondage. He might fear an alteration in the behaviour of his master, and comfort himself with the idea of liberty. In like manner we may paint to ourselves many trials that may be avoided, and many gratifi- cations that maybe enjoyed, by declining the service of our God.…
480 wordsSECTION 357Redemption To Be Ever Borne In Mind.
be henceforth kept in a willing captivity to him. " If Baal be God, serve him : but if the Lord be God, then serve him."] 3. Those who profess themselves his willing and devoted servants — [Shew to the world that his service is a reasonable and a dehghtful service. Let not the difference between you and others be…
355 wordsSECTION 358211.1 Redemption To Be Ever Borne In Mind. 379
namely, to keep up in the minds of that people, to their latest posterity, the remembrance of the typical deliverance : and with the same object in view, I would now call your attention to the Resurrection of our blessed Lord. Beloved Brethren, it is a sub- ject of supreme importance : and to every one of you I w…
356 wordsSECTION 359380 Deuteronomy, Xvi. 3. [211.
must we apply, " sprinkling it on our hearts and consciences1,'' and expecting from it the most perfect deliverance k To those who use these means, there is no danger l to those who neglect to use them, there is no escape™ ] 2. By more diligent endeavours after universal holiness — [What the meaning of the unleav…
489 wordsSECTION 360Christian Perfection.
you engage with your whole souls m securing the blessings which the Redeemer's triumphs, as on this day, have obtained for us ] Deut. xviii. 13. Thou shalt be perfect ivith the Lord thy God. IT seems strange that any who have ever heard of Jehovah, should need to be put on their guard against alienating their hea…
306 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical edition (1832-33); scan/OCR from Internet Archive.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.