PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Horae Homileticae — Volume 18 of 21
Simeon, Charles, 1759-1836 · 232,894 words · 530 reading sections
U2 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2223.
Contemplate now this mystery. A Mediator ! that Mediator, God! — that God, man! — that Deity in- carnate, suffering! — those sufferings, vicarious! — his whole obedience, too, accepted as vicarious, and im- puted to sinful man ! — man, so rescued, brought into a state of peace with God ! — man, so rescued, restore…
336 wordsSECTION 4222223.] Richness And Fulness Of The Gospel. 413
powerful for us, through the work of Christ; and in us, through the operation of his Spirit on our souls. Behold its power for us ! Satan had ruined our first parents, and, with them, their descendants also throughout the whole world ; over whom he had usurped and exercised the most despotic sway. Hence he is cal…
383 wordsSECTION 423441 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2223.
men, and the weakness of God was stronger than menk : and " this stone, cut out without hands, shall break in pieces all the powers of the universe" that shall attempt to withstand it1. And as the Gospel is thus powerful for us through Christ, so shall it also be powerful in us, through the influences of the Holy…
371 wordsSECTION 4242223. J Richness And Fulness Of The Gospel. 445
has undertaken to " glorify Christ," and to render his word effectual for all the ends and purposes for which it has been proclaimed ; and the miracle wrought by Peter on the man lame from his birth is still realized, in a spiritual way, from day to day: " for the name of Jesus, through faith in his name, does st…
365 wordsSECTION 425446 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2223.
of a deeper and more abiding character ; not only because it is of a less abstract nature, but because it applies itself more to the best feelings of our hearts. But, whilst I enter on this part of my subject, I feel that, from the mode in which I propose to illus- trate it, I may, to those who are not conversant …
382 wordsSECTION 4262223.] Richness And Fulness Of The Gospel. 447
consider Adam after the fall as summoned into the presence of his Maker, and as having the same liberty accorded to him as had been vouchsafed to these favoured servants of the Deity ; if we suppose the Almighty saying to him, in like manner as to Solomon, " Ask what I shall give thee," in order to the restoratio…
380 wordsSECTION 427448 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2223.
will proceed to suppose Adam, after he had fallen, standing in the presence of his Maker, and addressed by his Maker to the following effect : ' Thou hast fallen ; and all thy descendants, whose head and representative thou hast been, are fallen in thee. But I have designs of love and mercy towards both thee and …
376 wordsSECTION 4282223.] Richness And Fulness Of The Gospel. 449
' No ; in order that he may sympathize with thee, he shall assume thy natures; and from his own ex- perience of temptation, be prepared and qualified to succour thee in thy temptations11. " I will prepare him a body " for this very end1 : and, that he may not inherit any taint from thee, I will form him in the wo…
371 wordsSECTION 429450 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2223.
' He shall make an atonement for thy sins, and work out a righteousness for thee and for all thy believing posterity x. He shall also, by the influence of my Holy Spirit, whom he will impart unto thee, restore thee to mine image, which thou hast losty: and he shall be ever at my right hand, to plead his own merit…
386 wordsSECTION 4302223.] Richness And Fulness Of The Gospel. 451
the remission of thy sins, and by whose effectual grace thou hast been sustained even to the end ; He, whose interests are bound up in thine, and who is to possess thee as the reward of all his travail ; even He, I say, who witnessed all thy tears, thy struggles, thy services, thy pleas ; He, who has been thy Savi…
380 wordsSECTION 431452 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2223.
t Phil. iii. 9. effectual grace he shall " transform thee into mine image, in righteousness and true holiness11." •' Dost thou desire that, as thy Mediator, he may be ever present with thee, to learn thy wants ; and at the same time be ever present with me, to obtain for thee a supply of them ? This also shall be…
375 wordsSECTION 4322223.] Richness And Fulness Of The Gospel. 453
saying, I will not let thee go except thou bless me," and yet, instead of being reproved as guilty of pre- sumption, was commended for his perseverance, and was honoured with the name of Israel in remem- brance of it1; and, above all, if it be borne in mind that not one word has been put into Jehovah's mouth whic…
357 wordsSECTION 433454 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2224.
acquisitions but " as dung and dross, in comparison of them." This was, beyond all doubt, the judgment of the Apostle Paul, who says of all his high privi- leges and attainments, " What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ ; yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of …
287 wordsSECTION 4342224.1 Suitableness And Sufficiency Of The Gospel. 455
*» Phil. iii. 7, 8. » 2 Cor. iii. 18. ° Eph. iii. 18, 19. 1 Tim. i. 11. The glorious Gospel of the blessed God. 1 Cor. x. 3, 4. They did all eat the same spiritual meat ; and did all drink the same spiritual drink : for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them : and that Rock was Christ. ON entering u…
420 wordsSECTION 435456 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2224.
us freely — and communicating to us fully — and securing to us finally, all the blessings which it has provided for us. First, it offers them to us freely. It requires nothing to be done by us, in order to merit its bless- ings, or to earn, if I may so speak, an interest in them. They are altogether a free gift o…
382 wordsSECTION 4362224. J Suitableness And Sufficiency Of The Gospel. 457
deserve its blessings, what could we do ? or what hope could we entertain of acquiring an interest in it ? Were an offer of salvation now made to the fallen angels upon such conditions, what would it avail them ? They, in their present state, are inca- pable of doing any thing to merit God's favour in the slighte…
382 wordsSECTION 437458 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2224.
first to last, be received as a free gift of God for Christ's sake1. This is not pleasing to the proud heart of man ; because we are ever looking for something within ourselves, as a ground of self-preference or self- complacency. But, what if God had waited till Israel had done something to merit the heavenly f…
377 wordsSECTION 4382224.] Suitableness And Sufficiency Of The Gospel. 459
passage, and cited it, and declared it to be that very day fulfilled in their ears"1. Now, conceive of man in every state that can be imagined ; conceive of him as bowed down with a sense of guilt, or harassed with temptations of Satan, or sinking under persecu- tions from men, or under the hidings of God's face, …
385 wordsSECTION 439160 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2224.
us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption p." But that which renders the Gospel pre-eminently suitable to us, is, that it finally secures to us the full possession of its blessings. It represents salvation, with all its attendant benefits, as contained in an everlasting covenant, and made o…
383 wordsSECTION 4402224.] Suitableness And Sufficiency Of The Gospel. 461
restraint imposed upon him as a test of his fidelity, he fell ; and, by his fall, brought death and destruc- tion upon all his posterity. Now, in restoring men to his favour, God says, ' I will not commit your eternal interests into your own hands : for if I do, weak as ye are, and surrounded with temptations, an…
398 wordsSECTION 441462 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2224.
fear, and rest in perfect confidence, that " what he has promised, he is able also to perform6." Now, then, see how suitable to us the Gospel is, in this point of view. It shews us where our hope is ; and that, as " Christ is able to keep us from fall- ing, and to present us faultless before the presence of his g…
377 wordsSECTION 4422224.] Suitableness And Sufficiency Of The Gospel. 463
guilt, by his own sufferings unto death ? What would he wish to add to this ? What can, by any possibility, be added to it ? If this be not sufficient, what can be ? His sins, even though they were as numerous and heinous as those of Manasseh himself, are but finite : whereas the atonement offered for him is of v…
393 wordsSECTION 443464 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2224.
singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein : for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel"." Only let the Gospel descend as dew upon any place, and " the wilderness will be glad, and the desert will rejoice, and blossom as the rosex :" for " the Lord will comfort Zion ; he will c…
353 wordsSECTION 4442224.1 Suitableness And Sufficiency Of The Gospel. 465
maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater ; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of mv mouth : it shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. . . . Instead of the thorn shall come …
391 wordsSECTION 445466 1 Timothy, I. 11 [2224.
him : yet, when the Lord Jesus had given an answer of peace to his soul, he was not only reconciled to his trials, but actually took pleasure in them. " I take pleasure," says he, " in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake : for when I am weak, then am I str…
388 wordsSECTION 4462224.J Suitableness And Sufficiency Of The Gospel. 467
then is the whole of this experience proper for us also, as well as for him : and in it we see, that the Gospel is sufficient to perfect every thing that concerns us ; and so to carry us through things temporal, that we may finally attain the things eternal. Such, then, is the spiritual food which God com- mends …
393 wordsSECTION 447468 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2224.
the same time, we must take care to shew that we are really invigorated by this heavenly food, and fitted to prosecute our journey through this dreary wilderness. In a word, whilst we take it to ourselves as suitable, we must shew to others its sufficiency for all that our necessities can require. Let none despise…
363 wordsSECTION 448The Excellency And Glory Of The Gospel.
1 Tim. i. 11. The glorious Gospel of the blessed God. Eph. iii. 18, 19. Be able to comprehend tvith all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knoivledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. FROM no part of Holy Writ do we obtai…
340 wordsSECTION 449470 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2225.
finite imagination fully to comprehend ; and that he regarded a discovery of that excellency as the appointed means of accomplishing in men the whole work of divine grace, and of ultimately filling them with all the fulness of God. Hence it will be seen how appropriate these words are to our present sub- ject ; w…
345 wordsSECTION 4502225.] Excellency And Glory Of The Gospel. 471
least of them in the smallest possible degree. Now, it is manifest that we have broken them in ten thou- sand instances, and are consequently obnoxious to its heaviest judgments: and yet we say to those who believe in Christ, that they have nothing to fear ; for that " there is no condemnation to them that are in …
380 wordsSECTION 451472 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2225.
time that he comes to Christ for mercy, must ac- knowledge, that he is justly condemned by the law ; and that, if, for his transgressions of the law, he be cast into the lake that burnetii with fire and brim- stone, it will be no more than his just desert. And this must he acknowledge, not in mere words only, tha…
392 wordsSECTION 4522225.] Excellency And Glory Of The Gospel. 473
rendered, either in himself or in his divine Surety, a perfect obedience to the law : in a word, he will regard the Lord Jesus Christ as " the end of the law for righteousness to the believing soulb," and trust in him altogether under that character, " The Lord our Righteousness0." Thus you perceive that the Gosp…
372 wordsSECTION 453474 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2225
profess to have obtained salvation through Christ without having this humiliation under a sense of sin — this conviction of his lost estate — this acquiescence in the justice of God as consigning him over to perdi- tion— this consciousness of his inability to repair his breaches of the law — this persuasion that t…
374 wordsSECTION 4542225.] Excellency And Glory Of The Gospel. 475
any other. For instance, suppose that man, with all his descendants, had been consigned to misery : the justice of God would have appeared ; and his truth also would have been seen : but it would not have been known that there existed in the Deity any such attribute as mercy ; or that, if it did exist in him, it …
379 wordsSECTION 455476 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2225.
that it has merited at the hands of God. Behold, then, for the honour of God's justice, the cup is put into the hands of our blessed Lord : and the very dregs of the cup of bitterness are given him to drink : nor is he released from his sufferings, till he can say, " It is finished." Contemplate, now, this mysteri…
368 wordsSECTION 4562225.] Excellency And Glory Of The Gospel. 477
contribute any thing to the happiness or honour of their God — of creatures, millions of whom, if neces- sary for God's honour, could be created in an instant, in the room of those that should perish ; that mercy, I say, might be shewn to these, shall the God of heaven divest himself of his glory ? shall the Creat…
392 wordsSECTION 457478 1 Timothy, I. Ii. [2225.
whether mercy be not glorified in this astonishing mystery, which the Gospel has so fully revealed ? And truth, also, has derived to itself no less a measure of glory from this stupendous mystery. God had said, " In the day that thou eatest of the forbidden fruit, thou shalt surely die." When, there- fore, man ha…
357 wordsSECTION 4582225. ~] Excellency And Glory Of The Gospel. 479
would derive an immense advantage from it, in that, from seeing how great a sacrifice was necessary to restore man to happiness, they must of necessity form a higher estimate of the happiness that has been freely conferred on them : and, in proportion to the sense which they feel of the obligations conferred upon …
342 wordsSECTION 459480 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2225.
prophecies relating to the sufferings and glory of our Lord, he says, " Which things the angels desire to look intop." The very word he usesq refers to their bending posture, which I have before mentioned. And that they are brought to more enlarged views of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ, by the revelati…
375 wordsSECTION 4602225. J Excellency And Glory Of The Gospel. 481
fallen. But what is his happiness in glory now! What views must he have of the divine perfections ! What a sense must he feel of " the love of Christ, the breadth and length, and depth and height, of which are utterly incomprehensible !" If, as behold- ing the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, man is on a…
394 wordsSECTION 461482 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2225.
power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing :" therefore, " Bless- ing and honour and glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever11." Say now, Whether there be not a glory and ex- cellency in the Gospel, not only beyond any thing w…
350 wordsSECTION 4622225.] Excellency And Glory Of The Gospel. 483
if taken separately, might be thought to approximate rather to darkness than to light. But if the more brilliant rays were taken alone, though they might produce a glare, they would never make light. It is the union of all, in their due proportion, and in simultaneous motion, that constitutes light : and then onl…
368 wordsSECTION 463484 1 Timothy, I. 11. [2225.
whole deportment : and if we so employ our powers, we may be sure that our progress in the divine life will be advanced, rather than impeded, by these holy self-abasing exercises. In truth, if with David we desire that " the beauty of the Lord our God may be upon usa," it is by this assemblage of graces, so quali…
394 wordsSECTION 464Christ Came To Save Sinners.
And now, having closed my subject, I humbly " commend you all to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified8." s Acts xx. 32. 1 Tim. i. 15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into…
328 wordsSECTION 465486 1 Timothy, I. 15. [2226.
2. How he came into the world — [He was born like other men ; but he was not begotten in the way of ordinary generation. He was formed by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of a pure virgin, that he might partake of our nature without inheriting our cor- ruption1'. He was born under circumstances of peculiar …
415 wordsSECTION 4662226.J Christ Came To Save Sinners. 487
saying:" it is attested by the accomplishment of prophecies the most numerous, the most minute, the most opposite and irreconcileable ; of prophecies, which no human wisdom could have devised, no human power could accomplish. It has been credited by thousands who were at first most adverse to it : it has always ap…
437 wordsSECTION 467488 1 Timothy, I. 16. [2227.
2. Those who have been more exemplary in their lives — Do not imagine that you are able to save yourselves : if you have not been such profligate sinners as others, still you are " sinners," and must be saved by Jesus Christ, or not at all. You are but too apt to overlook all that Christ has done and suffered for…
255 wordsSECTION 468Mmccxxvii.
Paul's conversion. 1 Tim. i. 16. For this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering, for a pat- tern to them ivhich should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. THE first question that should occur to our minds, is this, Have I obtained mercy ? If a favourab…
482 wordsSECTION 469490 1 Timothy, I. 16. [2227.
[He might have had many opportunities of seeing and hearing Christ, on a supposition he had chosen to embrace them. But, like proud and ignorant bigots of later ages, he would not condescend to hear one who was so generally de- spised. He probably believed all the scandalous reports that were circulated respecting…
820 wordsSECTION 470492 1 Timothy, I. 16. [2227.
This then was one principal end of so marvellous a conver- sion, namely, that the exceeding riches of the Redeemer's grace e Acts xxvi. 10, 11. f Acts viii. 3. and xxii. 4, 5. s Acts xxvi. 10. h Acts xxvi. 11. J Acts ix. 1. Gal. i. 13. and 1 Tim. i. 13. k 1 Pet. hi. 20. 1 2 Thess. i. 3 0. might be displayed befor…
514 wordsSECTION 471Salvation For All.
all consider this ; and, renouncing all dependence on them- selves, trust in Christ alone, and seek " life everlasting" solely " by believing in him" ] 2. No evil that can have been committed, shall exclude us from mercy, if we believe on Christ — [This is the grand scope of the text, and of the discourse upon it…
360 wordsSECTION 472494 1 Timothy, Ii. 3, 4. [2228.
attempting to be wise above what is written, that we involve ourselves in all these difficulties. If we would be content to take the Scriptures as they are, and to leave the reconciling of them unto God, by whose inspiration they were written, we should find them all admirably calculated to produce the ends for w…
358 wordsSECTION 4732228.1 Salvation For All. 495
1. For all, without exception, has God given his only dear Son — [This is affirmed by our Lord himself: " God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that tvhosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life0." And with this agrees what God spoke to the Messiah by the Prophet I…
433 wordsSECTION 474496 1 Timothy, Ii. 3, 4. [2228.
livem?" What answer can any man, who maintains the doc- trine of absolute reprobation, return to this? But, to put the matter beyond the possibility of doubt, God makes it also the subject of a solemn oath : " As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn fr…
438 wordsSECTION 4752228.] Salvation For All. 497
vengeance on them" in the great and awful day1. In con- firmation of this truth, St. Peter appeals even to our own consciences : " What shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of Godu?" Our text informs us, that we must " come to the knowledge of the truth," yea, and to the acknoiv- ledgment of it alsox.…
430 wordsSECTION 476The Mediation Of Christ.
1 Tim. ii. 5, 6. . There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. IT is deeply to be regretted that the Holy Scrip- tures, instead of being improved for the ends for which they were given, have been made an occasion of …
314 wordsSECTION 4772229. J The Mediation Of Christ. 499
we have just read are a strong-hold for those who adopt the sentiments which are called Arminian. And how does the Calvinist get over them ? how does he make the universality of redemption accord with his particular election ? He knows not how to do it in a way that shall agree with his own system ; and therefore…
394 wordsSECTION 478500 1 Timothy, Ii. 5, 6. [2229.
he is treating of, finds an easy and natural tran- sition to Christ, and especially when speaking upon any thing connected with Christian love, of which the love of Christ to us is the great exemplar. This is discovered chiefly in his mediation between God and man : and of that mediation we are led to speak, I. A…
419 wordsSECTION 4792229.1 The Mediation Of Christ. .501
Let us next view the mediation of Christ — II. As executed by himself — " He gave himself a ransom" for sinful man — [A ransom is a redemption-price. Man was in bondage to sin and Satan, death and hell ; and to liberate him from this was the end of Christ's mediation. But how was this deliverance to be effected? …
459 wordsSECTION 480502 1 Timothy, Ii. 5, 6. [2229.
ungodly, and especially to those to whom the Gospel of salva- tion had been sent, " I tvould, but ye would ?iot." Here again then we see the propriety of interesting our- selves with God in behalf of all, since for all without exception did Jesus die.] It will be proper to consider the mediation of Christ yet far…
424 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical edition (1832-33); scan/OCR from Internet Archive.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.