3. There are two things enlarge our thoughts and apprehensions about the power of God ; they are mentioned ver. 17, ' Whom he believed, even God who quickeneth the dend, and calleth those things that be not as though they were.' We have to do with a God that can say to the dead, Live. God's power can bring life out of death, something out of nothing ; resurrection and creation are easy to him. He that can quicken the dead can quicken those that are dead in tres- passes and sins. By the word of his power he maketh all things to be that are not ; ' Let there be light,' and there was light ; ' Lazarus, come forth,' and he came forth. He causeth things to appear and exist that had no being before.
Thirdly, The fruit and effect of his faith ; an exact and constant obedience : Isa. xli. 2, ' Who raised up the righteous man from the east, and called him to his foot.' The righteous man is supposed to be Abraham, often designed by that character; and he was called to his foot, to go to and fro at God's command ; as the centurion said. Mat. viii. 9, ' I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me, and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth ; and to another. Come, and he Cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.' There are two great instances of Abraham's obedience —
1. His self-denial in leaving his country: Heb. xi. 8, 'By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should
SERMON UPON ROBIANS IV. 18-21 189
after receive for an inlieritance, obeyed, and lie went out not knowing whither he went.' It was a sore trial to forsake kindred, friends, lands, father's house and inheritance, and to seek an abode he knew not where. Such a total resignation there must be of ourselves to tlie will of God. This was done by him, and must be done by all that will be saved. We know where the land of promise is, and the way to it, but it lieth in an unknown world.
2. Another trial was, Heb. xi. 17, 18, ' By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promise offered up his only-begotten son, of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called.' Because God would make Abraham an example of faith to all future generations, therefore he puts him to this trial, to see whether he loved his Isaac more than God, Now Abraham gave him up wholly to God's disposal, even Isaac, on whom the promise was settled ; being assured of God power, he made all things ready for the sacrifice.
Use. Let us get such a faith, even such a sincere, hearty, giving up ourselves to Christ, firmly to rely upon the promises, and faithfully to obey all his commands delivered in the gospel. The gospel is a sum- mary of what we are to believe and do: Ps. cxix. 166, 'I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.' Stick to this what- ever trial is made of you, and you have the faith of Abraham.
SERMONS UPON MARK III. 5.
SERMON I.,
And Jesus looked round about on them with anger, being grieved f(yr the hardness of their hearts. — Mark iii. 5.
In the first verse of this chapter we read that ' there was a man which had a withered hand,' who came to Jesus for relief on the sabbath-day. Here was a fair occasion offered to the pharisees to display their malice. The sabbath was of high esteem and veneration among the Jews, and therefore now they thought by this means to blast the repute of Christ among the people. In case he should heal on the sabbath-day, their noise and clamour against him might seem to be justified ; therefore it is said, * They watched him whether he would heal on the sabbath- day,' ver. 2. But Christ is not daunted ; he goeth on with his work for all their prejudices ; nay, to make the miracle more manifest, he biddeth him ' stand forth,' ver. 3. However, to satisfy tlie people, he disputeth with them ; they themselves would do more to a beast than he was requested to do to the man with a withered hand : ver. 4, ' He saith unto them. Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath-day, or to do evil ? to save life, or to kill ? ' In Mat. xii. 10, it is said they pro- pounded the question to him ; and in the 11th verse, by way of answer, he maketh use of an argument from a beast fallen into a pit : ' He said unto them, What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath-day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out ? But they held their peace.' They could reply nothing by way of answer and sufficient confutation, and they would reply nothing by way of approbation and consent. At their malicious silence Christ is both angered and grieved. There is an excellent temper and mixture in his afiections. In Christ's anger there is more of com- passion than of passion ; he knew how to distinguish between the man and the sin, and to manifest his displeasure and grief at the same time. The cause of both is assigned in the text, ' for the hardness of their hearts,' eVl t^ iraypcaaet Tr]<i KapSlas avrwv. He was softened for their hardness.