Mere civil* persons, the apostle saith of them, 2 Tim, iii. 5, they ai'e such as ' have a form of godliness, but deny the power of it.' All that rabble- ment that he names there, they have ' a form.' A form is easy, but the power of it is not so easy. Therefore, let us justify our religion by our conversation. Let us justify the ordinances of God, the preaching and hearing of the word of God, by reverence in hearing it as the word of God, and labour to express it in our lives and conversations, or else we think it nothing but the speech of man. Let us 'justify' the sacrament to be the seal of God, by coming reverently to it, and by finding our faith strengthened by it. So labour to 'justify' every ordinance of God, from some sweet comforts that we feel by them ; and then we shew that we are true mem- bers of Christ, that we are like Christ, who 'justified himself in the Spirit.'
Beloved, it is a great power that must make a true Christian, no less than the ' power of the Spirit, that raised Christ from the dead ; ' as it is Eph. i. 20, St Paul prays that they might ' feel the power that raised Christ from the dead.' It is no less power for Christ to shine in our dark hearts, than to ' make light to shine out of darkness.'
Now, what power is in the lives of most men ? The ' power that raised Christ from the dead' '? Certainly no. What power is there in hearing the word, when many are so full of profaneness that they altogether neglect it ? What power is there now and then to speak a good word, or now and then to do a slight action ? Is this the ' power that raised Christ from the dead,' when by the strength of nature men can do it ? There must be somewhat above nature, to justify a sound, spiritual Christian. We must have something to shew that we have our spirits raised up by the Spirit of Christ, to justify our profession in all estates. In prosperity, to shew that we have a spirit above prosperity, that we are not proud of it. Then in adversity, then we justify that we are Christians, by a spirit that is above adversity ; that we do not sink under it, as a mere natural man would do, when we have learned St Paul's lesson, ' in all estates to be content,' Philip, iv. 11. In temptation we justify our Christian profession by arm- ing ourselves with a spirit of faith, to beat back the ' fiery darts of Satan,' Eph. -vi, 16. When all things seem contrary, let us cast ourselves, by a spirit of faith, upon Christ, That argues a powerful work of the Spirit, when we can, in contraries, believe contraries, * That is, 'moral.'— G.
'19G THE FOUNTAIN OPENED.
Thus let us show that wo arc Christians ; that wo have somewhat in us ahovo nature ; that when the course of nature seems to be contrar}', yet we can look with the eye of faith through all discouragements and clouds, and can sec God reconciled in Christ. That will justify us to be sound Chris- tians. Therefore let us labour, not only for slight outward performances, that are easy for any to do, but by an inward frame of soul, and by a car- riage and conversation becoming our profession, that we may ' walk worthy of our profession,' fruitfully and watchfully, carefully and soberly, as be- comcth Christians every way. So much for that : I proceed to the next words,
' Seen of angels.'
The word is not altogether so fitly translated, for it is more pregnant than it is here rendered, ' He was seen.' It is true. But he was seen with admiration and wonderment of angels. He was seen, as such an object presented to them should be seen, and seen with wonderment. It implies the consequence of sight. Sight stirs up affection. It stirs up the whole soul. Therefore it is put for all the rest [j).
1. They saw him with iconderment. For was it not a wonder that God should stoop so low, as to be shut up in the straits of a virgin's womb ? that Christ should humble himself so low, to be ' God in our flesh ? Was not here exceeding wondrous love and mercy to mankind, to wretched man, having passed by the glorious angels that were fallen ? And exceeding wis- dom in God, in satisfying his justice, that he might shew mercy ? It was matter of admiration to the angels, to see the great God stoop so low, to be clothed in such a poor nature as man's, that is meaner than their own. This doubtless is the meaning of the Holy Ghost : they saw it with admiration.
(2.) And because he was their head, as the second person, and they were creatures tu attend upon Christ, their sight and wonderment must tend to some fractice suitable to their condition. Therefore they so see and wondered at him, as that they attended upon Christ in all the passages of his humiliation and exaltation — in his life, in his death, in his resurrection and ascension.