PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Horae Homileticae — Volume 15 of 21
Simeon, Charles, 1759-1836 · 259,427 words · 557 reading sections
124 Romans, V. G— 10. [1841.
2. He would render void all that he himself had done — [He has given up his own life a ransom for us, and has actually reconciled us to God by his own obedience unto death. Can we conceive, that, after he has done all this, he h Eph. i. 4, 5, 11. 2 Thess. ii. 13. Rom. ii. 5. 1 John xvii. 2, G, 9, 11, 24. k Isai. …
745 wordsSECTION 122124 Romans, V. G— 10. [1841.
4. He would falsify all his own great and precious promises — [How express is that promise which he has made to all his sheep, that " none shall ever pluck them out of his handsM" Will he be unmindful of this? or is he become so weak that he is not able to fulfil it ? He said to his Disciples, " Ye have not chose…
325 wordsSECTION 123126 Romans, V. 6—10. [1841.
must we finally attain complete salvation? We must be " saved by his life;" that is, we must from first to last live by faith on the Son of God, looking to his death as the merito- rious ground of our acceptance, and to his renewed life in heaven as the one source of all our stability, and the surest pledge of our…
518 wordsSECTION 124Happiness Of The More-Advanced Believer.
Rom. v. 11. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom ive have now received the atonement. THOSE remarkable words of the prophet, " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him," are usu…
345 wordsSECTION 125128 Romans, V. 11. [1842.
of the great body of the Church at Rome, says, " And not only so," (that is, we not only enjoy the fore-mentioned blessings,) " but we also joy in God himself through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." In discoursing on these words, we shall be led to shew, I. The happy state of …
415 wordsSECTION 1261842.] Joy 0F The More Advanced Believer. 129
shall all be pardoned, and it shall be said to him, " The Lord hath put away thy sin ; thou shalt not die." " Though his sins may have been as crimson, they shall instantly become as white as snowV The healing virtue of the brazen serpent was not felt by those only whose wounds were of a less dangerous nature, but…
459 wordsSECTION 127130 Romans, V. 11. [1842.
to the believer who is accustomed to seek his all in God, and to " live altogether by faith in the Son of God, who loved him, and gave himself for him ! "] 2. As his covenant God and Father — [God, in the new covenant which he has made with us, has stated this as an inseparable provision of that covenant, that he…
493 wordsSECTION 1281842.1 Joy Of The More-Advanced Believer. 131
[At this hour do " we preach peace to you by Jesus Christ y;" and " as ambassadors of God, we beseech you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." To all without exception is this invitation given. For every sinner in the universe has Christ " purchased reconciliation through the blood of his cross ;" and to e…
433 wordsSECTION 129Death By Adam, And Life By Christ.
Rom. v. 18, 19. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteous- ness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. THE more…
332 wordsSECTION 1301843.] Death By Adam, And Life By Christ. 133
by the sin of Adam we all were brought under guilt and condemnation — [Adam was not a mere private individual, but the head and representative of all mankind. Hence what he did in eating the forbidden fruit, is imputed unto us, as though it had been done hy us : and we are subjected to the punishment that was den…
453 wordsSECTION 131134 Romans, V. 18, 19. [1843.
fore rendered either useless or uncertain ; for, as from Adam we receive a corrupt nature, so from Christ we receive a holy and divine nature : and as all our personal disobedience aggra- vates the guilt and condemnation which we derived from Adam; so our personal obedience, after we have been justified in Christ …
473 wordsSECTION 1321843.] Death By Adam, And Lifk By Christ. 135
It is much to be regretted, that the great mysteries of religion are but too often made the subjects of mere speculation. But every doctrine of Christianity should be practically improved, and especially a doc- trine of such vital importance as that before us. From the doctrine of our fall in Adam and our reco- v…
466 wordsSECTION 133136 Romans, V. 18, 19. [1843.
But what shall we say of the appointment of the Lord Jesus Christ to be a second Covenant-Head, to deliver us by his obedience from the fatal effects of Adam's disobedience? Here we are perfectly lost in wonder and amazement. For con- sider, Who Jesus was? He was the co-equal, co-eternal Son of God Consider, What …
496 wordsSECTION 1341844.] The Abundant Grace Of God. 137
depend on the skill of the captain ; or that the management of the vessel had not been committed to ourselves ; or that God, when he formed the world, placed a rock in that particular situation, notwithstanding he foresaw, from all eternity, that our ship would be wrecked upon it : all such thoughts at that time w…
352 wordsSECTION 135138 Romans, V. 20, 21. [1844.
Rom. v. 20, 21. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound : that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. FROM eternity God determined to glorify his grace : for this end he permitted sin to enter into the world. The publicati…
433 wordsSECTION 1361844.] The Abundant Grace Of God. 189
II. How grace has much more abounded — God determined that his grace should be victorious, and that it should establish its throne on the ruins of the empire which sin had erected. For this purpose he gave us his Son to be a second Adamk. He laid on him the curse due to our iniquities : he enabled him to " bring …
440 wordsSECTION 137140 Romans, V. 20, 21. [1844.
This was a discovery of grace that infinitely transcends the comprehension of men or angels.] 3. In the peculiar advantage with which it was attained — [If Adam had retained his innocence, we also should have stood in him as our representative. "We should however have possessed only a creature's righteousness; bu…
330 wordsSECTION 138The Gospel Secures The Practice Of Holiness.
Rom. vi. 1 — 4. What shall we say then ? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound ? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein ? Know ye not, that so many of us as ivere baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death ? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into de…
321 wordsSECTION 139142 Romans, Vi. 1—4. [1845.
[It greatly magnifies the grace of God in the salvation of fallen man. It sets forth that grace, in all its freeness, and in all its fulness. It offers salvation freely, " without money and without price." It offers salvation through the righteousness of another, even the righteousness of our incarnate God and Sav…
447 wordsSECTION 1401845. J Gospel Secures The Practice Of Holiness. 143
sanctifying principle, all sentiments, of whatever kind, will be ineffectual for the purification of his soul. A man may profess the greatest regard for good works, yet not perform them ; or he may profess the greatest regard for Christ, and not render to him the obedience of the heart : on the contrary, he may " …
434 wordsSECTION 141144 Romans, Vi. 1—4. [1845.
professes to have been delivered1. But, in the midst of all he must say, ' This course of life does not proceed from my prin- ciples ; nor is it in accordance with them. No : it is altogether in opposition to my avoived sentiments, and is one continued violation of my most solemn engagements. The Gospel is not to …
463 wordsSECTION 1421845.] Gospel Secures The Practice Of Holiness. 145
were made to him to " sin, that grace might abound," he would reply with indignation and abhorrence, " God forbid ! " To you, then, I say, be diligent in your inquiries, and candid in your judgment. Where, amongst the self-righteous moralists, did you ever find such attainments in holiness as in the Apostle Paul ?…
491 wordsSECTION 143The Christian Risen With Christ In Newness Of Life.
persons I would say, be steadfast in your course, and endeavour to " abound more and more." And, that you may see what heights are to be attained, set the Lord Jesus Christ before you both in his death and resurrection ; that, " being planted in the likeness of the one, ye may be also in the likeness of the other"…
375 wordsSECTION 1441846.1 The Christian Risen With Christ. 147
to have the actual experience of it before he was baptized ; so that he must be a hypocrite, and no true believer, if he was not holy both in heart and life. To this effect he speaks in the whole of the preceding context a ; and in the words which we have just read, he confirms the idea, and founds upon it an ani…
428 wordsSECTION 145148 Romans, Vi. 8—11. [1846.
[It is not in his death only that the believer is conformed to Christ, but in his resurrection also. As the believer has an " old man," which dies, so he has also " a new man," which lives : and in the latter, no less than in the former, he resem- bles Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ, in his risen and ascended state…
468 wordsSECTION 1461846.1 The Christian Risen With Christ. 149
am alive unto God, as Christ himself is ; and must live unto God, as Christ himself does. There is not an act performed by Christ either in providence or grace, which has not respect to the glory of his Father : so, " whether I eat, or drink, or whatever I do, I must do all to the glory of Godg." As for being sati…
448 wordsSECTION 147A Promise Of Victory Over Sin.
Rom. vi. 1 4. Sin shall not have dominion over you : for ye are not under the law, but under grace. IT is often made a ground of objection against the Gospel, that it is unfavourable to morality. But the very reverse of this is true ; for the Gospel not only inculcates moral duties as strictly as the law itself, …
385 wordsSECTION 1481847-3 A Promise Of Victory Over Sin. 151
proved sufficiently, " that there is not a just man on earth that liveth and sinneth not :" and that, " if any say they have no sin, they deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them." Nor does the Apostle mean that sin, even of a grosser kind, shall never, in any instance, be found in a child of God ; for, as…
430 wordsSECTION 149152 Romans, Vi. 14. [1847.
heirs of his glory, he never will leave them under the power of a corrupt nature; because that would incapacitate them for the fruition of his glory, even if they were admitted to a partici- pation of it : an unholy nature would utterly unfit them for the services and enjoyments of heaven But there is yet another …
468 wordsSECTION 150Conversion A Ground Of Thanksgiving. 153
1848.] 3. But none have any reason to despair on account of the inveteracy of their lusts — [Were it required of us to purify our hearts by any exertions of our own, we might well despair. But holiness is not only enjoined; it is promised ; it is promised by Him, who is able also to perform. Let none then say, " …
283 wordsSECTION 151154 Romans, Vi. 17. [1848.
Rom. vi. 17. God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which teas delivered you. EXEMPTION from the punishment of sin is doubtless an inestimable blessing ; but deliverance from its power is equally precious. The most ad- vanced Christians greatly de…
435 wordsSECTION 1521848.1 Conversion A Ground Of Thanksgiving. 155
The blessedness of this change will appear if we consider, III. How great a cause of thankfulness such a con- version is — The Apostle thanks God that they were no longer slaves of sin — [Sin is at all times a ground of shame and sorrow s. Paul esteemed it so in his own particular case h : every saint of God vi…
347 wordsSECTION 153156 Romans, Vi. 21. [1849.
delayed. O that all such persons might know the day of their visitation ! Let all cry to God for his converting grace : nor let any rest in an external or partial change. Nothing but a cordial compliance with the Gospel, and a real conformity to it, will avail us in the day of judgment.] 2. To the regenerate — [T…
292 wordsSECTION 1541849.] Unprofitableness And Folly Of Sin. 157
Rom. vi. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. AS an appeal to the judgment of men is, when just, the most powerful mode of silencing the con- tentious, so an appeal to their conscience is the strongest possible method of convincing the ignoran…
458 wordsSECTION 155158 Romans, Vi. 81. [1849.
same measure of guilt upon their consciences, as they would have had, if, like the others, they had " run into every excess of riot •" but if, as must be confessed by all, they have lived to themselves, and not unto the Lord, we must put the same question to them, Have you found real happiness in your ways? Have y…
465 wordsSECTION 1561849.] Unprofitableness And Folly Of Sin. 159
we not then wish that we had paid more attention to the Saviour, and lived under the influence of his blessed Spirit ? Still more, when standing at the judgment-seat of Christ, will it be any joy to us, that, whilst in this world, we took so little pains to obtain mercy of the Lord, and to secure his favour ? Alas…
422 wordsSECTION 157160 Romans, Vi. Si. [1849.
2. That he has bartered for such trifles an immor- tal soul — [The loss of the soul is scarcely thought of, when the fascinations of sin are strongly felt : but after a man is awakened to see, that " the end of these things is death," what folly and madness does a life of sin appear ! Even if the whole world coul…
635 wordsSECTION 158162 Romans, Vi. 23. [1850.
man's desert, and god's mercy. Rom. vi. 23. The wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. THE distribution of rewards and punishments in the day of judgment will be in perfect agreement with the works of men ; the righteous will be exalted to happiness ; the wicked…
815 wordsSECTION 159164 Romans, Vi. 23. [1850.
This gift however is bestowed only " through the Lord Jesus Christ" — [All possibility of regaining happiness by the covenant of works was prevented by the very terms of that covenant : in token of which, the way to the tree of life was obstructed by a fiery swordg. But another, and a better " way, is opened to i…
680 wordsSECTION 160Mdcccli.
1 Rom. ii. 5. m Jude, ver. 21. n 1 Cor. vi. 20. DEADNESS TO THE LAW, AND UNION WrITH CHRIST. Rom. vii. 4. My brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. THAT the Gospe…
343 wordsSECTION 1611G6 Romans, Vii. 4. [1851.
are born : and on the terms prescribed by it we look for happi- ness or misery in the future world. The connexion between us and it is indissoluble ; like that of an husband ; our obligations to whom nothing but death can dissolve.] But by the death of Christ we are liberated from it — [Christ, our incarnate Lord,…
492 wordsSECTION 1621851.] Deadness To The Law: Union With Christ. 1()7
[Under this idea he is frequently spoken of in the Old Testament6 The same is also frequently applied to him in the New Testament11 In some sense indeed it is the espousal only that takes place in this world1 The consummation is deferred till our arrival in the world above k ] In this relation we should cordially…
465 wordsSECTION 163168 Romans, Vii. 7. [1852.
[It was " to those only who knew the law," that the Apostle addressed himself in our text?: others could not have understood his meaning, but would have accounted all his representations " foolishness q." Thus shall we also be incapa- ble of entering into the sublime import of this passage, if we do not understand…
302 wordsSECTION 1641852.] The Spirituality Of The Law. 169
Rom. vii. 7. What shall we say then ? Is the law sin ? God forbid. Nay, I had not knozvn sin, but by the law : for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. THERE is not any thing, however good, which has not been abused to the vilest purposes. The blessings of providence are rendered s…
499 wordsSECTION 165170 Romans, Vii. 7. [1852.
a less spiritual law than this ; and this will be found both "just and good6/' if we consider, II. Its use — Many are the uses of this law both to saints and sinners, but there is one use in particular mentioned in the text ; and to that we shall confine our atten- tion. The nature of sin is but little understood…
407 wordsSECTION 166The Spirituality Of The Law.
refuge in him who bore its curse for us ? Do we see the need of him to "bear the iniquity of our holy things?" Let us then bless God for such a Saviour, and " cleave to him with full purpose of heart."] 3. What regard are we yet daily shewing to the law? [We are indeed delivered from its penal sanctions ; nor ou…
345 wordsSECTION 167172 Romans, Vii. 9. [1853.
[None are so blind as to think they have never sinned : but the generality suppose that they have never sinned in any great degree, so as to endanger their eternal happiness, or to justify God in consigning them over to eternal misery. If in some respects their actions have been incorrect, they have had no bad int…
473 wordsSECTION 1681853.1 The Spirituality Of The Law. 173
must see the spirituality of the law as extending to every thought and motion of the heart, and the holiness of the law as unalterably consigning over to the curse every one who shall transgress it in the smallest particular. Then his hopes from it will for ever vanish ; and he will seek for mercy solely through t…
425 wordsSECTION 169Spiritual Conflicts Of Believers.
[Are we lost? it was such persons that Christ came to seek and to save. Have we nothing to present to God in order to obtain salvation ? He requires nothing at our hands, but to receive it freely from him " without money, and without price" Let " the law then be to us as a schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ;" a…
408 wordsSECTION 1701854.1 Spiritual Conflicts Of Believers. 17.5
" God forbid :" and in like manner we reject with indignation the remotest idea that we would make the Gospel an occasion of sin. But, whilst St. Paul vindicated himself from this charge, he shewed, that, as a woman who had lost her husband was at liberty to be married to another man, so the law to which he once …
372 wordsSECTION 171Its Romans, Vii. 18—23. [1854.
As for the opposition which the person here spoken of makes to his sinful propensities, it is nothing more (say they) than the ordinary conflict between reason and passion ; and it may therefore properly be interpreted as experienced by an ungodly man. But to this we answer, that, though an ungodly man may feel s…
485 wordsSECTION 1721854.] Spiritual Conflicts Of Believers. 177
he uses. It is certainly strong language to say of himself, "I am carnal, sold under sin." But this differs as widely from what is said of Ahab, who "sold himself to work iniquity," as the motion of a volunteer differs from the motion of a person who is dragged in chains. To understand the Apostle, we must conside…
448 wordsSECTION 173178 Romans, Vii. 18—23. [1854.
the line : sometimes it biasses the judgment, so as to incline us, without any distinct consciousness on our part, to smaller deviations from it: sometimes with force and violence it impels the passions, so that we cannot regulate our steps with perfect self-command : and sometimes it operates to delude the con- s…
495 wordsSECTION 1741854.1 Spiritual Conflicts Of Believers. 179
defects : and we doubt not but that St. Paul's spirituality of mind led him to complain more bitterly of the defects, which, with all his exertions, he was not able to prevent, than he would have done in his unconverted state of more plain and palpable transgressions. It might be supposed that the more holy any ma…
446 wordsSECTION 175180 Romans, Vii. 18—23. [1854.
the incense of his intercession1. Guard then against all conceit of meriting any thing at the hands of God : guard also against self-complacency, as though you had wrought some good work in which no flaw can be found. If God were to lay a line and plummet to your best deeds, there would be found inconceivable obli…
564 wordsSECTION 176182 Romans, Vii. 24, 25. [1855.
Paul's spiritual conflicts. Rom. vii. 24, 25. O wretched man that I am ! ivho shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. THE Epistle to the Romans, as a clear, full, argu- mentative, and convincing statement of the Gospel salvation, far exceeds every other part of Hol…
677 wordsSECTION 177182 Romans, Vii. 24, 25. [1855.
That we may not imagine these things to be pe- culiar to St. Paul, we proceed to shew, II. Wherein our experience must resemble his — 1855.1 Paul's spiritual conflicts. 183 " As face answers to face in a glass, so doth the heart of man to man :" and every one who is con verted to God will resemble the Apostle, 1…
534 wordsSECTION 178184 Romans, Vii. 24, 25. [1855.
his goods out of his ship merely to keep it from sinking, and wishes for them again as soon as he is safe on shore ; but like one racked with pain and agony by reason of an abscess, who not only parts with the corrupt matter with gladness, but be- holds it afterwards with horror and disgust, and accounts its separ…
467 wordsSECTION 1791856.1 The Privilege Of True Christians. 185
Christ Jesus. As for those who dream of sinless perfection, I marvel at them. Let them explain their notions as they will, they put away from themselves one-half of the Apostle's experience, and suffer incalculable loss, in exchanging true scriptural humility for Pharisaic pride, and unscriptural self- complacency…
338 wordsSECTION 180186 Romans, Viii. 1. [1856.
Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them ivhich are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. TO establish that fundamental doctrine of our religion, the doctrine of justification by faith alone, is the main scope of this epistle. Having argued the point, and shewn t…
396 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical edition (1832-33); scan/OCR from Internet Archive.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.