PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Horae Homileticae — Volume 8 of 21
Simeon, Charles, 1759-1836 · 282,151 words · 604 reading sections
462 Isaiah, Lv. 4. [982.
Such conduct would be deemed a heinous offence even to a creature like ourselves : how much more offensive then must it be to him! it is nothing less than "making God a liar." This is the interpretation which God himself puts upon such conducts Let us dread lest we be found guilty of this sin; and let us " be stro…
506 wordsSECTION 422Of Seeking The Lord In Time.
glorify his name." I call on you therefore to verify this pre- diction, and " not to receive the grace of God in vain." It is in this way only that you can shew to the Jews what blessings you enjoy, and stir them up to seek a participation of them. And in this way alone can you " walk worthy of your high calling,"…
357 wordsSECTION 423464 Isaiah, Lv. 6. [983.
manifest tokens that they are strangers to the Divine presence ? Can it be said of such persons that God is with them of a truth ? But where the external deportment is blameless, and where the outward form of godliness is maintained, how little is there, for the most part, of its power ! Many read the Bible, and …
488 wordsSECTION 4241)83. J Of Seeking The Lord In Time. 4G5
our endeavours, that so many of us seek him throughout our lives, and never obtain a saving " acquaintance with him." We must also seek him in and through Christ: for it is by Christ only that we can ever come unto the Father"1.] III. There is a time coming, when, though we should seek him, he will not be found of…
463 wordsSECTION 425466 Isaiah, Lv. 7. [984.
1. To the young — [To you God has given an express promise that you shall not seek his face in vainb. Seek then to resemble those whose names are recorded for your encouragement, as having obtained mercy in their earliest years c, and as being highly distinguished among the saints of God. And let not these years,…
308 wordsSECTION 426984.] Encouragement To Turn To God. 1(57
Isai. lv. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abun- dantly pardon. WE may discern many of the attributes of the Deity, as wisdom, power, and goodness, in the works of creation : but …
457 wordsSECTION 427408 Isaiah, Lv. 7. [984.
We must turn to him in humility. All of us, without excep- tion, are guilty before God. Let us, even the best amongst us, only mark what our thoughts most easily recur to, and what they fix upon with the greatest frequency and delight, in those seasons when there is nothing particular to engage them, and we shall …
469 wordsSECTION 428984. ] Encouragement To Turn To God. 469
He will " abundantly pardon" transgressions, how- ever multiplied they may have been — [They whose iniquities have been heinous and long-con- tinued, are apt to despond, and to imagine themselves beyond the reach of mercy. But none need to despair : God's mercy is infinite: though our sins may have been numerous a…
421 wordsSECTION 429Dcccclxxxv.
entangled therein, and overcome" by it, without any danger to their souls ? Let them know, that they are fatally deluded ; and that, if they do not awake from their stupor, " their last end will be worse than their beginning." If the mercy of God do not stimulate us to an unfeigned renunciation of all sin, and an …
366 wordsSECTION 430Gods Ways Above Ours.
471 985.] was intelligent and docile : or if we purposed to confer any favour, we should look out for an object that was worthy of it. But God acts in a very different manner. He takes the poor in preference to the richb the ignorant before the wise c and, in many instances, the vile before those, whose lives ha…
459 wordsSECTION 431472 Isaiah, Lv. 8, 9. [985.
wound their consciences, to defile their souls, and to grieve his good Spirit, by the commission of sin ? Yet these are the ways in which he deals with them, and it is by these means that he " fulfils in them the good pleasure of his goodness i." Nor is this a mere arbitrary appointment : for, by these means, he d…
445 wordsSECTION 432Resemblance Of The Gospel To Rain And Snow.
say, even in the most afflictive circumstances, " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him11."] 3. How should we acknowledge God even in the most trivial occurrences ! [There is no occurrence really trivial, or unimportant: for there is such a concatenation of causes and effects fixed in the Divine purpose, tha…
377 wordsSECTION 433474 Isaiah, Lv. 10, 11. [986.
and have every fear swallowed up in the contempla- tion of his power and grace. These considerations are proposed by God himself as an encouragement to us to return from our evil ways ; and, in the words before us, we are assured, that the blessings which he will convey to us through the medium of his word, shall…
426 wordsSECTION 43498G.J Gospel Compared To Rain And Snow. 475
the words of Ehud to Eglon, " I have a message from God to theeV] But the resemblance between the word and the rain is yet more strongly marked, II. In their operation — The "rain and snow" are the means of rendering the earth fruitful — [If the earth be only a few months without rain, the most calamitous conse…
406 wordsSECTION 435476 Isaiah, Lv. 10, 11. [<)86.
1. The importance of attending the preached word — [We know not when it is that God intends to send his word home to our hearts ; and therefore we should always be found waiting upon him in the way of his appointment. The man who was healed at the pool of Bethesda had been there many years ; and if he had absente…
488 wordsSECTION 436The Change Wrought By The Gospel.
harness, and cause it to pierce our inmost souls '■. Let us then pray that God would direct and assist the minister, and render his word effectual to our good. Thus shall we secure to our- selves a blessing, and, like the refreshed earth, bring forth fruit suited to the culture bestowed upon usa.] z 2 Kings xxii. …
351 wordsSECTION 437478 Isaiah, Lv. 12, 13. [987.
gratifications, he may possess: but lie is as destitute of spiritual enjoyments, as the brute creation are of intellectual pleasure. His state however is wonderfully changed when he receives the word of God in truth. At first indeed he feels trouble and anguish ; but as soon as ever he has obtained a sense of his …
484 wordsSECTION 438987.1 The Change Wrought By The Gospel. 479
a sweet savour of the knowledge of Christ ; they shall be un- fading ornaments in the place where they grow ; and instead of wounding, like the brier, all that come in contact with them, they shall, like the myrtle, emit the sweeter fragrance the more they are bruised, and perfume, as it were, the very hand that b…
432 wordsSECTION 439480 Isaiah, Lv. 12, 13. [987.
will be discovered in the plan, whereby he has effected their restoration to his favour ! What marvellous patience will he appear to have exercised towards them under all their back- slidings ; and what unbounded mercy in pardoning their mul- tiplied transgressions! Nor will his poiver be less an object of admirat…
448 wordsSECTION 440Acceptance For All Sincere Worshippers.
late us on the change? Look then next to the tempers and dispositions of the soul : have the low grovelling desires of the carnal mind been made to ascend to heaven; and the natural aversion to holy exercises been exchanged for an unfeigned delight in them? In short, is God now glorified in the whole of our deport…
414 wordsSECTION 441482 Isaiah, Lvi. 4—7. [988.
Since God has a people scattered over the face of the whole earth, he will now have his Church open for the admission of every child of man. In making known these gracious purposes, the prophet sets before us, I. The character which God approves — At no period did God ever approve of those who confined their obe…
420 wordsSECTION 442988. J Acceptance For Sincere Worshippers. 483
most prominent features in all who are truly upright before God : Whilst the world at large make the Sabbath a day of carnal ease or pleasure, and the generality of those who profess some regard for it sanctify only a part of it to the Lord, and that rather for conscience sake than because they have any pleasure i…
446 wordsSECTION 443484 Isaiah, Lvi. 4—7. [988.
promises, under the Christian dispensation, to admit all without any exception, provided their dispositions and habits be such as he approves ; yea, God himself will " bring them to his holy mountain e," by sending his shepherds to search them out, and to bring them upon their shoulders rejoicing. Moreover, God wi…
487 wordsSECTION 444989.] The Majesty And Holiness Of God. 485
shall it assuredly be fulfilled in its season B. Even at this time have they the earnest of these blessings in their souls ; and in due time they shall possess them in all their fulness11.] Improvement — In this view of our subject we have, 1. An antidote to despondency — [Those who are upright in heart are still…
355 wordsSECTION 445486 Isaiah, Lvil 15. [989.
Isai. lvii. 15. — Thus saith the high caul lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy ; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. THERE is nothing more vain than creature-c…
400 wordsSECTION 446989. J The Majesty And Holiness Of God. 487
itself tells us that " his greatness is unsearchable0;" nor can we sum up our knowledge of him better than in those expres- sive words of Moses, " From everlasting to everlasting thou art Godd."] 2. His holiness — [The " name" is that whereby any person is known, and, as applied to God, comprehends every thing wh…
413 wordsSECTION 447488 Isaiah, Lvii. 15. [989.
that are around the throne are all " equal to the angels them- selves"1." Once indeed they were defiled by sin; but they were washed from their sin in the fountain of Christ's blood ; and were renewed after the divine image by the Spirit of their God. Amongst these God " dwells in the high and holy place ;" and th…
458 wordsSECTION 448989.] The Majesty And Holiness Of God. 489
[It is common for moral and sober persons to think that God entertains as high an opinion of them as they do of them- selves; and to despise the poor and contrite as weak enthusiasts. But what warrant have they for their presumptuous confidence? Can they find any declaration of God in their favour? Has he ever sai…
466 wordsSECTION 449Dccccxc.
man stand in need of a taper, while he enjoys the light of the meridian sun? Away then with all ungrounded jealousies on this head. Let us seek to experience the comforts of religion, instead of ignorantly asserting that there are none to be found. And, instead of reprobating the communications of grace and peace …
688 wordsSECTION 450492 Isaiah, Lvii. 17, 18. [990.
But Divine chastisements, unattended with the ope- rations of grace, never produce the desired effect — [Notwithstanding ten successive plagues, Pharaoh con- tinued to harden his heart against God. Thus it is with sinners in general: they either relent not at all, or, like metal taken out of the furnace, relapse i…
705 wordsSECTION 451492 Isaiah, Lvii. 17, 18. [990.
This subject may lead us to observe, 1. Of what importance it is to search out the hidden corruptions of our hearts ! [Covetousness is a sin of which scarce any persons in the world acknowledge themselves guilty: nor, however much they be under the power of it, do they see any occasion for humiliation before God,…
307 wordsSECTION 452494 Isaiah, Lvii. 20, 21. [991.
from us in the ordinances, and withholds the influences of his Spirit, we should still more earnestly inquire, wherefore God contendeth with usy? Perhaps we should find that God is " wroth" on account of our pride, ambition, worldliness, or some other hateful lust ; and that, as he would not hear the Jews even " w…
337 wordsSECTION 453991. J No Peace To The Wicked. 495
Isai. ivii. 20, 21. The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. WE need not wait till a future life in order to dis- cern the difference between the righteous and the wicked : it is plainly discoverable now in their …
462 wordsSECTION 454496 Isaiah, Lvii. 20, 21. [991.
God's terms, because they would not submit to have their conduct regulated by his holy law : indeed they account the experience of it to be the height of enthusiasm, and suppose that they who profess to have attained it are actuated by pride, and blinded by delusion. Can it then be any wonder that such persons sho…
403 wordsSECTION 455991.] No Peace To The Wicked. 4'97
every renewed failure; but the wicked have not peace, because they neither cry to the Lord to pardon their evil tempers, nor pray to him for grace to subdue them. Whatever be their besetting sin, they will fall into it as soon as ever a temptation occurs. Is it pride ? they will be inflamed at the smallest insult …
480 wordsSECTION 456498 . Isaiah, Lviii. 1. [992.
[Men live in sin under the idea that it will make them happy ; but though they " roll it as a sweet morsel under their tongue, it proves the very gall of asps within them V It is that which robs us of all solid peace : it is that which renders us altogether incapable of peace, as long as it retains an ascendant ov…
430 wordsSECTION 457992.] The Ministerial Office. 409
Isai. lviii. 1 . Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the hoity.e of Jacob their sins. CERTAINLY, one of God's richest mercies unto man has been the appointment of an order of men to be his ambassadors to a guilty world, and to beseech their fellow-si…
418 wordsSECTION 458500 Isaiah, Lviii. 1. [992.
rather than design, and of temptation rather than of any inve- terate propensity to evil.] 2. Those also who are called " God's people," and who consider themselves as " the seed of Jacob," are not a whit less in need of instructors than the care- less world — [See the account given of those to whom the prophet w…
407 wordsSECTION 459992.] The Ministerial Office. 501
and lift up their voice as a trumpet," if by any means they may awaken the drowsy consciences of those to whom they speak. Viewing themselves as ambassadors from God, they must speak with all authority, fearing the face of none ; but declaring the truth, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear : and th…
428 wordsSECTION 460The Services Which God Requires.
must declare, that " God is not mocked ; but whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap : he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption ; and he only who soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Do not imagine that God will judge according to the estimate which you …
451 wordsSECTION 461993.] The Services Which God Requires. 503
bear the most decided testimony. The injunction given to the prophet was, " Cry aloud, spare not ; lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." And what were the transgressions that were to be so severely censured ? Was it an entire neglect of ordin…
330 wordsSECTION 462504 Isaiah, Lviii. 5—11. [993.
injured, or from deceiving them by " vain promises" of com- pensation ; and to " break entirely every yoke," whereby they had galled and oppressed their brethren — these were the very first acts required to evince the sincerity of their repentance; since with the commission of such cruelties not the smallest measu…
461 wordsSECTION 463993.] The Services Which God Requires. 505
Now this leads me to shew, II. What God requires of us at this time — There is a special call, both from God in his provi- dence, and from the highest authorities in the realm, to humble ourselves at this time in fasting and prayer. But we must be careful not to think that a mere outward service will be of any av…
442 wordsSECTION 464506 Isaiah, Lviii. 5—11. [993.
without it, our external sacrifices will be no better than " the cutting off a clog's neck, or the offering of swine's bloocK"] 2. He extends to us the same encouragements — [There is in the minds of many religious people a very undue jealousy on the subject of charity, as entailing on those who abound in it a ric…
481 wordsSECTION 465Observance Of The Sabbath Enjoined. 507
994.] [Though the outward tokens of humiliation should not be neglected, the inward rectification of the soul should be our chief aim. We should " break off our sins by righteousness, and our iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor'1." To do justly and to love mercy are the chief things which God requires of us a…
377 wordsSECTION 466508 Isaiah, Lviii. 13, 14. [994.
Isai. lviii. 13, 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day ; and call the Sab- bath a delight, The holy of the Lord, Honourable ; and shall honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine oivn words : then shall thou de- light t…
470 wordsSECTION 467994.] Observance Of The Sabbath Enjoined. 509
2. Honourable — [If any man, under the Law, had regarded the Temple, the sacrifices, and the vessels of the sanctuary, in no other light than as a common house, or common utensils, or common food, he would have been considered as greatly dishonouring God. Thus the very sanctity of the Sabbath should render it " h…
461 wordsSECTION 468510 Isaiah, Lviil 13, 14. [994.
such things as are really necessary, we are authorized to say, that " God will have mercy, and not sacrifice :" but it becomes all to be on their guard, that they do not deceive their own souls ; for God can easily distinguish the hidden motives of the heart; and will surely judge our actions as good or evil, acco…
495 wordsSECTION 469994.1 Observance Of The Sabbath Enjoined. 511
And shall the Sabbath, in this view of it, be ac- counted a day of gloom? No; we shall have far other sentiments of it, if we consider, III. The benefits we may expect from a due obser- vance of it — Whatever reference there may be in our text to the return of the Jews from their captivity in Baby- lon, we canno…
432 wordsSECTION 470512 Isaiah, Lviii. 13, 14. [<)94.
their Sabbaths, and what efforts they made to glorify God in their public, private, and social duties, we should soon find the reason of their slow progress. As our Lord said of some particular evil spirits, " These go not out, but by prayer and fasting," so we may say of the evils which are predominant in many pr…
456 wordsSECTION 471No Peace In The Way Of Sin.
have been secured in that time, if all those Sabbaths had been sanctified to the Lord! and what judgments does not he merit, who has wasted all of them in a wilful neglect of God ! Little as we think of Sabbaths now, we shall find ere long, that the profaning of them has greatly increased our guilt and misery. The…
356 wordsSECTION 472514 Isaiah, Lix. 8. [995.
example would justify : I shall satisfy myself with exhibiting, I. The characters here described — Of human nature, as born into the world, I forbear to speak : but of men's actions our text gives a just and universal description. We need not go back to the Jews : we need only to look amongst ourselves ; and we …
419 wordsSECTION 473995.] No Peace In The Way Of Sin. 515
altogether by faith on the Son of God;" and " determined to know nothing, and trust in nothing, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified?" Say, Brethren, can you indeed appeal to God, that, from day to day, he witnesses your sighs and groans and tears, in your secret chamber, and sees you fleeing to the Lord Jesus Chri…
443 wordsSECTION 474516 Isaiah, Lix. 8. [995.
of God's presence, and all thought of death and judgment. Let but the thoughts of eternity rush into their minds, and there is an end of their gaiety at once: their mind is appalled: and they can find no relief, but in dissipating their unwelcome reflections, and drowning them in business or pleasure. Their peace,…
474 wordsSECTION 475995.] No Peace In The Way Of Sin. 517
[No, verily, there is no peace for the wicked there. At the instant of the departure of the soul from the body, all delusions vanish, and every thing which God has spoken is ful- filled. Then how glad would the sinner be, if rocks or hills could fall upon him, and hide him from the face of his offended God! But th…
465 wordsSECTION 476518 Isaiah, Lix. 15. [996.
to the Lord, and with " compassion to those who are yet ignorant and out of the way" In particular, if a bro- ther be drawn aside into any crooked path, be careful to " restore him in a spirit of meekness ; considering yourselves, lest you also be tempted0" In truth, you must never forget how liable you yourselves…
373 wordsSECTION 477996.] The Righteous A Prey To The Wicked. 5 1 9
Isai. lix. 15. He that departethfrom evil maketh himself a prey. IT may sometimes appear unreasonable to take portions of Scripture which describe the state and character of the Jews in former days, and to apply them to ourselves at this day. But it must be re- membered, that human nature is the same in all ages …
432 wordsSECTION 478520 Isaiah, Lix. 15. [996,
the prophets in succession reviled and persecuted by the people amongst whom they dwelt : as our Lord says, " Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute?" Every one of them might adopt the language of David, and say, " They that render evil for good are against me, because I follow the thing that good is…
487 wordsSECTION 479996. J The Righteous A Prey To The Wicked. 521
life who would declare s?" so may it be said of all his followers: their accusers are bold enough : but their defenders are not to be found, even in the seasons of their greatest need. Nor is it to one description of persons only that the godly are obnoxious : the rich and the poor, the moral and the im- moral, ar…
457 wordsSECTION 480522 Isaiah, Lix. 15. [996.
ledge, that this is not the case ; but that, on the con- trary, the person who takes this step will infallibly " make himself a prey." And whence arises this ? It is chiefly owing to these two things, namely, that, in departing from evil, 1. He irritates and incenses Satan — [Satan is " the strong man armed, who …
483 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical edition (1832-33); scan/OCR from Internet Archive.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.