PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Horae Homileticae — Volume 8 of 21
Simeon, Charles, 1759-1836 · 282,151 words · 604 reading sections
996.1 The Righteous A Prey To The Wicked. 523
either condemning us, or acknowledging the folly of their own ways. This latter they do not choose to do : and therefore, in self-defence, as it were, they adopt the former, and load us with obloquy on account of our needless, or hypocritical pre- ciseness. They will pretend indeed to cast the blame on our princip…
484 wordsSECTION 482524 Isaiah, Lix. 19. [<J97.
it is to the Saviour, who came down from heaven for you, and died upon the cross for you, and bore all the curses of God's broken law for you. Did he then, for the joy that was set before him of saving your souls, endure the cross and despise the shame ; and will you bear no cross, and encounter no shame for him ?…
373 wordsSECTION 483997.] The Means Of Spiritual Victory. 525
Isai. lix. 19. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. THAT there will be a time when all the nations of the earth shall be converted unto God, is attested by every part of Holy Writ. But the seasons of great awakenings in the Church have always been …
856 wordsSECTION 484997.] The Means Of Spiritual Victory. 527
3. By persecution — [This was the engine which Satan used from the begin- ning : he instigated the first-born of man to murder his own brother, for no other crime than his superior sanctity g. What d Hos. v. 11. e Gal. ii. 12,13. f 1 Kings xix. 10. and xxii. 6, 13. s 1 John hi. 12. effects were made in succeeding…
472 wordsSECTION 485528 Isaiah, Lix. 19. [997.
hands of their inveterate foe. Wherever the doctrine of the cross was exhibited, it proved " mighty through God to the pulling down of the strong holds" of sin and Satan: and at this moment, though delivered in much weakness, it is " the power of God to the salvation of many souls" ] 2. By the dealings of his prov…
429 wordsSECTION 486998.] The Perpetuity Of Christs Kingdom. 520
may be, or however careful to give him no advantage against us. Let us then " watch and be sober, putting on the breast- plate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of sal- vation." Let us " resist the devil ; and he shall flee from us."] 2. Of direction — [In the warfare which you are called to maintain w…
287 wordsSECTION 487530 Isaiah, Lix. 20, 81. [998.
Isai. lix. 20, 21. The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My Spirit that is upon thee, and my icords which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy…
667 wordsSECTION 488530 Isaiah, Lix. 20, 81. [998.
2. His future advent, to unite in one glorious Church the whole world, both of Jews and Gentiles — [Of the conversion of the Gentiles the prophet speaks in the words before the text : " They shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun." And of the restoration of the Jews…
329 wordsSECTION 489532 Isaiah, Lix. 20, 21. [998.
by saying, that the Apostle, as was customary with him, quoted from the Septuagint Translation : but when there was such a distinction observable between the former and the latter advent of the Redeemer, the adoption of the translation was peculiarly proper. But, to the point — The Redeemer shall come again to con…
434 wordsSECTION 490998.] The Perpetuity Of Christ'S Kingdom. '>■)■)
Redeemer to extend his kingdom over the face of the earth. Then shall Pentecostal scenes be renewed throughout the world ; then " shall a nation be born in a day ;" then shall the whole Jewish people " look on Him whom they have pierced, and mourn ;" and " the two sticks of Israel and of Judah be- come one," " nev…
474 wordsSECTION 491531 Isaiah, Lx. 1. [999.
that " word like fire, or like a hammer, that breaketh the rock in pieces." Once sanctified by the word and Spirit of God, you will know the full blessings of redemption : they will flow into your souls like a river, and be an earnest of your blessed- ness in the eternal world.] 2. As a public concern, to the whol…
401 wordsSECTION 492999.] Duty From The Advent Of Christ. 535
Isai. lx. 1. — Arise, shine ; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. THE prophetic style is wonderfully sublime : its figures are so bold, its transitions so quick, its descrip- tions so animated, that all the most admired composi- tions of Greece and Rome sink in our estimation when…
460 wordsSECTION 493536 Isaiah, Lx. 1. [999.
our Lord's ascension, did not see that the partition-wall between Jews and Gentiles was to be broken down : whereas we, who are Gentiles, not only know this truth, but are " graffed on that stock, from which the Jews themselves have been broken off."] These tidings are indeed joyful : but, that they are to have a…
434 wordsSECTION 494999.]] Duty From The Advent Of Christ. 537
stars indeed can shine only when the sun is withdrawn ; but the brighter the Lord Jesus shines, the more shall we reflect his image. Let us then " walk in the light as God is in the light V and let " our path be as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect dayq.] Address — 1. Those who, thou…
470 wordsSECTION 495Millennial Piety Described.
Isai. lx. 8. — Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows ? THERE is much spoken in the Holy Scriptures respecting the glory of the latter day. This whole chapter is occupied with the subject. The predic- tions contained in it have never yet been verified. Great as was the spread of the …
329 wordsSECTION 4961000. J Millennial Piety Described. 539
then come to Zion's light, and kings to the brightness of her rising : " and with them they will bring whatsoever they have whereby they may glorify their God ; their whole land, as it were, being covered with their retinue. " The multitude of camels shall cover thee," says the Lord, " the dromedaries of Midian an…
493 wordsSECTION 497540 Isaiah, Lx. 8. [1000.
Daniel repeatedly declares, that " the stone which has been cut out without hands shall break in pieces all the kingdoms of the earth, and become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth," and " stand for ever1;" and that " all people, nations, and languages, shall serve" our adorable Redeemer; and that " his do…
472 wordsSECTION 4981000.] Millennial Piety Described. 541
deserving imitation ? Instead therefore of saying, Who are these ? we must rather say, " Where are there any, who ily as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?" If some there be; still, in comparison of the bulk of nominal Christians, they are but as " the gleanings of the olive, two or three upon the topmost…
462 wordsSECTION 499542 Isaiah, Lx. 13. [1001.
text. Though the work itself is God's, yet it is to be accom- plished by human means. If salvation be through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through him alone, he must be made known to the benighted heathen : for " how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed ? and how can they believe in Him of whom they h…
407 wordsSECTION 5001001. J Excellency Oe The Church Of Christ. 543
Isai. lx. 13. — The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee ; the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary : and I will make the place of my feel glorious. WHILST we admire, as of necessity we must, the richness and diversity of the imagery which is em- ployed to depict t…
378 wordsSECTION 501544 Isaiah, Lx. Vs. [1001.
level with the meanest of his subjects. The axe must be laid to the root of all his pride and self-sufficiency, and he must be felled by the operation of the word and Spirit of God. Every man is a sinner before God : every man must be made to feel and acknowledge his guilt : every man must seek lor mercy through t…
502 wordsSECTION 5021001.] Excellency Of The Church Of Christ. 545
I now proceed to notice, II. The excellence of that constitution — In our text, this particular constitution is set forth, 1. As ornamental to the Church itself — [Let any one view the Church as so constituted. Let the loftiest " firs and pines" be viewed in union with the humble " box;" the kings and princes of …
464 wordsSECTION 50354G Isaiah, Lx. 13. [1001.
eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you ; nor can the head say to the feet, I have no need of you." Every member has its proper place, and its proper office : and, if one were wanting, the whole body would be defective, and deformed. But in Christ's body not one member is wanting: every place is occupied…
497 wordsSECTION 5041001.] Excellency Of The Church Of Christ. 547
shrub in all the woods of Lebanon is as dear to him as the loftiest cedar there : yea, the weaker they are in themselves, the more tenderly he watches over them for good, that he may " display in them the excellency of his own power0," and " perfect his own strength in their weakness1'." Even the least and meanest…
466 wordsSECTION 505The Future Prosperity Of The Jewish Church.
[Low as the state of the Church at present is, it shall one day, like the stone which Nebuchadnezzar saw, " become a mountain, and fill the whole earth11." " The mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the moun- tains ; and all nations shall flow unto itx." The stateliest trees shall then b…
379 wordsSECTION 5061002.1 Future Prosperity Of The Jewish Church. 549
but only so to reveal them, that, when they shall have occurred, we may know them to have been fore- ordained by him, and to have fulfilled his eternal counsels. The chapter before us is altogether a de- scription of that event. As for any tiling which took place at the return of the Jews from Babylon, or even in…
381 wordsSECTION 507550 Isaiah, Lx. 15, 16. [1002.
away their sins. Does any doubt remain on the mind as to the Apostle's meaning ? His next words will dispel it utterly : " As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes ; but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes." There can be no doubt, therefore, but that the Apostle under…
514 wordsSECTION 5081002.1 Future Prosperity Of The Jewish Church. 5.51
words of my text, " Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated ;" and so on. Thus have I cited the whole preceding context, to shew, that it is all one continued address to the Jewish Church ; and that, from beginning to end, there is not one syllable that can warrant the application of it to the Christian Church. …
428 wordsSECTION 509552 Isaiah, Lx. 15, \G. [1002.
minister to the Church's welfare. This is more plainly de- clared in another chapter, where God says, " I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people : and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders ; and kings shall be thy nurs…
512 wordsSECTION 5101002.] Future Prosperity Of The Jewish Church. 553
virtues, and abounding in the sublimest graces ; " their very brass becoming gold ; their iron, silver ; their wood, brass ; and their stones, iron." Such was the change wrought on the converts on the day of Pentecost : and who could be at a loss to find the Author of it? The creation itself does not more loudly p…
434 wordsSECTION 511554 Isaiah, Lx. 15, 16. [1002.
shall this blessedness be transient, as in former days : " the Lord shall be to her an everlasting light ; and the days of her mourning shall be ended." At all former periods there have been sons of Belial to dishonour and afflict her : but in that day " her people shall be all righteous, even trees of righteous- …
761 wordsSECTION 512556 Isaiah, Lx. 19, 20. [1003.
0 Rom. xi. 15. Mill. Isai. lx. 19, 20. The sun shall be no more thy light by day ; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee : but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down ; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be…
661 wordsSECTION 513556 Isaiah, Lx. 19, 20. [1003.
II. To the eternal state — Then the figurative expressions in the text will fall short of, as much as now they seem to exceed, the truth. The happiness of the Church shall then be, 1. In God only — [There will be no room for carnal enjoyments in heaven : there " they neither marry nor are given in marriage ; but …
325 wordsSECTION 514558 Isaiah, Lx. 19, 20. [1003.
no glory by reason of that which excelleth' : here our best frames have an alloy of sorrow, and are of short continuance : but there our happiness will be without mixture, intermission, or end.] This subject cannot fail of suggesting such reflec- tions as follow : 1. How evidently is religion a source of happines…
474 wordsSECTION 515Miv.
Christ's commission. Isai. lxi. 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 pro- claim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptab…
376 wordsSECTION 516.Wo Isaiah, Lxi. 1—3. [1004.
office of the Messiah0. Indeed, he was called Messiah, and Christ, from that very circumstance of his being " anointed with the oil of gladness above all that ever had partaken" of that heavenly gift*1.] By that unction too he was qualified for the dis- charge of the office committed to him. [Though, as God, our …
662 wordsSECTION 517562 Isaiah, Lxi. 1—3. [1004.
Thus far our Lord himself applied the passage : but the prophet adds, III. The ends for which he executes this commission — Our Lord in every part of his work connected two great ends : 1. The benefit of man — [Though " once we were planted a noble vine, we are become the degenerate plants of a strange vine ; an…
646 wordsSECTION 518Blessedness Of The Lord'S People.
Arise then, and sing, thou that sittest in the dust ; put off thy sackcloth, and gird thee with gladness. Be not afraid, as though the tidings were too good to he true : the jubilee is come, and the trumpet now sounds hy the command of God himself: you have not to pay any thing for your deliverance ; but to receiv…
685 wordsSECTION 5191005.] Blessedness Of The Lords People. 565
3. They will be so to all eternity — [All their present privileges and blessings are only pre- paratory to their future state, when their happiness will be perfect, unchangeable, and everlasting. They are to be "made meet for their inheritance" in this world; and, when they are completely ready for their nuptials …
494 wordsSECTION 520566 Isaiah, Lxi. 9. [1005.
they are in reality its votaries, as much as if they were follow- ing it in the more accustomed way. The monk in his cell lives to himself and to the flesh, as much as the voluptuary or the man of business Now here is another visible mark of distinction between the children of God and others : they may possess, an…
498 wordsSECTION 5211006.] The Garments Of Salvation. 567
Advice — 1. Let all be ambitious to attain this honour — [To be acknowledged as the friends and favourites of earthly monarchs were no honour at all in comparison of that which is mentioned in our text. Yet this is within the reach of all. As for that common objection, " If God has not chosen me, how can I help m…
303 wordsSECTION 522.068 Isaiah, Lxi. 10. [1006.
Isai. lxi. 10. — I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God ; for he hath clothed me with the gar- ments of salvation, he hath covered me tvith the robe of right- teousness, as a Bridegroom decketh himself tvith ornaments, and as a Bride adorneth herself tvith her jewels. THE abruptness …
409 wordsSECTION 5231000.] Ti1E Garments Of Salvation. 5G9
for him by God himself. In the 6th verse of this chapter the Jews are informed, that " they (not the tribe of Levi only, but their whole nation) shall be named the priests of the Lord, and the ministers of their God." Now lor the priests there were certain garments appointed, wherein they were to minister, especia…
517 wordsSECTION 524570 Isaiah, Lxi. 10. [1006.
is begun within him, to be progressively advanced and " per- fected unto the day of Christ r."] In this he may well boast — [So far is it from being an act of presumption to boast in this, it is the believer's duty to do so : for the Prophet Isaiah expressly says, " Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righte…
395 wordsSECTION 5251006.] The Garments Of Salvation. 571
were, for himx: and in due time the union will be perfected in glory. And does not this call for joy and thanksgiving ? See what feelings it will create in heaven, the very instant that the period shall have arrived when the Spouse shall be presented to her Lord, to be happy for ever in more immediate fellowship w…
480 wordsSECTION 526512 Isaiah, Lxi. 11. [1007.
in our text ? Yet that shall be : nor shall all the powers of darkness ever prevent it. Be strong then, and of good courage, thou desponding soul ; and go unto thy God with the prayer of faith. Then, though thou hast been like the prodigal in extravagance and sin, thou shalt be clothed in the best robe that is in …
320 wordsSECTION 5271007.1 Conversion Of The World To God Promised. 573
Isai. lxi. 11. As the earth bring eth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are soivn in it to bring forth ; so the Lord God, will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. TRUTH when delivered in simple terms, does not so forcibly impress the mind, as when it is emb…
401 wordsSECTION 528574 Isaiah, Lxi. 11. [1007.
[What is the very religion of such countries, but a mixture of the darkest ignorance with the most gloomy superstition ? And if such he their religio7i, which is under regula- tion and restraint, what must be their habits when subjected to no restraint ? A desert, or a wilderness, that brings forth nothing but bri…
442 wordsSECTION 5291007.1 Conversion Of The World To God Promised. 575
From the image in which the prediction is conveyed, let us turn to, II. The change itself, which is predicted in it — The passage primarily belongs to the Jews ; and declares, as the whole preceding and following con- texts do, their restoration to God, to the admiration and astonishment of the whole world. We ne…
416 wordsSECTION 530570 Isaiah, Lxi. 11. [1007.
that God is almost banished from this lower world ; and that the Saviour, who came down from heaven to redeem it, is scarcely known, or known only to be dishonoured and blas- phemed? Verily, it is a wonder that a world so lost in wickedness is not burnt up, as Sodom and Gomorrah. Indeed it would be so, but for the…
480 wordsSECTION 5311008.1 The Church A Royal Diadem. 577
cursing : whose end is, to be burned." Pray rather to God, that his Holy Spirit may be poured out upon you, as " rain upon the mown grass* ;" and that your beloved Saviour may " come down into your souls, as into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits11." And be not contented with any measure of fruitfulness whic…
341 wordsSECTION 532578 Isaiah, Lxii. 3. [1008.
Isai. lxii. 3. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. IT was promised to our blessed Lord, that, " when he should have made his soul an offering for sin, he should see a seed, who should prolong their days, and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper…
483 wordsSECTION 5331008.] The Church A Royal Diadem. 579
Church and people : and this it is, which, in the judgment of the angelic host, brings " glory to God in the highest." It is this in which " the exceeding greatness of his power, according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead," is pre-eminently displayed0; …
482 wordsSECTION 534580 Isaiah, Lxii. 3. [1008.
Seeing, then, that God esteems his people so highly, we may perceive, II. The interest which we also, from this considera- tion, should take in their welfare — They should undoubtedly be dear to us. We should take a lively interest in, 1. The Church at large — [We are taught, in our daily prayers, to make this a…
458 wordsSECTION 5351008.] The Church A Royal Diadem. 581
2. The Jewish Church in particular — [It is of them that the prophet speaks in the whole con- text, and to them chiefly that the words in my text refer. They were God's chosen people from the beginning ; even from the moment that God called Abraham their father, and entered into covenant with him. It was to them t…
526 wordsSECTION 536582 Isaiah, Lxii. 3. [1008.
of the Lord," and profess to serve him, in the name of Almighty God I say to you, " keep not silence, and give God no rest, till he establish and make Jerusalem a praise in the earth c I"] As a further improvement of this subject, I wish you particularly to observe, 1. What obligations we are under to look well to…
438 wordsSECTION 537Mix.
god's delight in his people. Isai. lxii. 5. As a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee : and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee*. AMONGST those who have paid attention to the sacred Oracles, no doubt exists but that very glorious days are near at han…
350 wordsSECTION 538584 Isaiah, Lxii. 5. [1009.
relation to himselfe. " To himself he betrothed her, in loving- kindness and tender mercies, and in unchanging faithfulness f:" and he assumed to himself the title and character of her Hus- band : " Thy Maker is thine Husband : the Lord of Hosts is his nameg." Yea, notwithstanding her unfaithfulness to him, he sti…
653 wordsSECTION 539586 Isaiah, Lxii. 5. [1009.
II. His delight in them — There is no earthly joy superior to that which a bridegroom feels on his wedding day, in the presence of his bride — [Now all his wishes are accomplished. Whatever fears or anxieties may have filled his breast during the period of his attendance on her, he now finds them all entirely dis…
662 wordsSECTION 5401010.] Duty Of Interceding For The Church. 587
2. Let those who profess to stand in this near rela- tion to their God, walk worthy of it — [What advice would any of you give to a beloved daugh- ter, on the day of her nuptials, especially if she had been taken 1 Jer. xxxii. 41. u Prov. xi. 20. x John xiv. 21. y 1 John i. 3. z Ps. xlv. 10, 11. a Ps. xci. 14—16. …
301 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical edition (1832-33); scan/OCR from Internet Archive.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.