Imatges de pàgina
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While man is unmindful of the poor, God has exalted them above others in respect of

1. Their present portion

[Faith is that precious gift which he has bestowed on them: and though few among the rich regret their want of it, yet is it a most inestimable blessing. The smallest portion of it is sufficient (provided it be a true and living faith) to prove their election of God"-To secure to them the remis sion of sins to bring peace into their conscience—and to sanctify their hearts The smallest portion of it is a peculiar gift bestowed on very few-and one which neither men nor devils ever shall deprive them off-Yet God has not chosen them to enjoy a small portion of it, but "to be rich in it:" he would have them "strong in faith, not staggering at any promise," but "living," both for temporal and spiritual things, altogether "by faith in the Son of God," fully assured, that all things needful shall be supplied for their bodies, and that all things shall work together for the good of their souls.

The Levites were not suffered to have any inheritance among their brethren; but the Lord their God was their inheritance. And this, so far from being a grievance to them, was deemed their highest privilege. Thus privileged are the poor: they have little of this world; but, if they have God for their portion, they are the richest people upon earth.]

2. Their eternal inheritance

[God has provided "a kingdom for them that love him;" a kingdom worthy to be possessed by those, whom God delights to honour. And it is his will that "the poor of this world" should not only aspire after it, but consider themselves as "heirs" to it. While they are destitute, perhaps, of food to eat, or of raiment to put on, he would have them like minors that are heirs to a large estate, who delight to survey the grounds which they are speedily to possess; he would have them survey all the glory of heaven, and say, "That is my patrimony: the instant I attain the age appointed by my Father's will, I shall have an host of angels sent to bear me on their wings to the mansions prepared for me."]

To vindicate the ways of God, we shall proceed to shew

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II. Why he has chosen this portion for them in particular That God has chosen this portion for the poor is be-. yond a doubt

[If the apostle had only affirmed it, no room would have been left for doubt; but he ventured to appeal even to the rich themselves respecting it, and that too at the very time that he was reproving them for their contempt of the poor; yea, he even grounded the reproof itself upon that very appeal. He could not possibly express more strongly his own persuasion of the truth in question. But it is capable of abundant proof both from scripture and experience, Who were the people that received the testimony of our blessed Lord? "Did any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believe on him?"m Who constituted the great majority of the church in the apostolic age? St. Paul informs us; "Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish, the weak, the base, the despised, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are." And we might appeal to you at this day; Who are they that crowd the churches where the gospel is preached, notwithstanding they meet with the same contemptuous treatment that the Apostle so justly complains of? Who are they that "receive the word with meekness, and have it engrafted" in their hearts, and exemplified in their lives? are these the rich? A few there may be; but it is "to the poor chiefly that the gospel is preached," and it is "the common people that hear it gladly."]

Nor are we at a loss to assign reasons for this pro. cedure

[God has thus distinguished the poor, in order to stain the pride of man. Men, if they are exalted above their fellow-creatures in wealth or dignity, are ready to conceive that they are as great in the eyes of God as they are in their own eyes. They think themselves (I had almost said) above God himself: they are too wise to learn of God, and too great to, be controlled by him. God therefore pours contempt on them, as they do on him." He will let them see that their possessions or endowments, however great, are not a child's portion,

n 1 Cor. i. 26-28.

m John vii. 48. • How many will open their pews to a rich or well dressed person, that would suffer a poor man, however pious or infirm, to stand" during the whole service, without ever offering him a seat, when they had room enough to accommodate many! Yea, how many rich persons will absent themselves from the ordinances, and lock up their pews, to prevent their being occupied! What Would St. James have said to these things? See ver. 2, 3, 4, 9. 1 Sam. ii. 30.

Matt. xi. 5.

Mark xii. 37.

but only as crumbs cast to the dogs. He will render the poor as superior to them in spiritual things, as they are to the poor in temporal things: he will "lift up the beggar from the dunghill, and set him among the princes," while he casts down the mighty from their thrones to the lowest abyss of shame and misery.

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Moreover, in thus distinguishing the poor, God further designs to magnify the riches of his own grace. If God bestowed his favours principally on the rich, we should be ready to think that they had some peculiar claim upon him, and that his attention to them was no more than their due: or perhaps we should rather conclude, that their superior talents enabled them to unravel the divine mysteries, and to attain heaven by their own unassisted efforts. But when we see the gospel “hid from the wise and prudent, and revealed to babes," we are constrained to acknowledge the marvellous condescension, and uncontrollable sovereignty of our God.]

ADDRESS

1. Those who despise the portion that God has chosen [It is to be lamented that many even among the poor themselves are regardless of the "true riches."" But what madness is it to reject that which would assuage all their present sorrows; and to render themselves infinitely more destitute in the next world than they are in this! O that they would accept the portion that God offers them!

The rich too almost universally despise the gospel. But how painful will their reflections be in that day when the parable of Dives and Lazarus shall be realized in them! O consider, ye are not excluded; God is willing to bestow the same inestimable blessings upon you. Seek then to be rich in faith, and heaven itself shall be your everlasting inheritance.]

2. Those who desire to possess that portion

[Blessed be God, there are some among the poor that know and enjoy their privileges. But whence is it that they discern what is hid from others? Had they any thing in themselves more than others;" any thing which they have not received?" No: they would never have chosen God, if God had not first" chosen" them. Let them then adore that grace which has been thus magnified towards them.

Do any of the rich enquire, What shall we do to get a share in this inheritance? Shall we cast away all our riches, and reduce ourselves to poverty? No: there is an infinitely better

1 Sam. ii. 8.

I Cor. iv, 7.

Mat. xi. 25. y John xv. 16.

u 2 Cor. vi. 10,

and safer way; "LOVE GOD." You may give away all your goods, and be nothing profited: but if you "love God, the kingdom is absolutely promised to you." The poor cannot be saved, unless they be rich in faith: and you, if you exercise faith and love towards our adorable Saviour, shall also be saved with an everlasting salvation.]

z 1 Cor. xiii. 3. Thrice is this expressly repeated in that forecited passage, 1 Cor. i. 26-28.

DXII. THE PRIVILEGES OF CHRIST'S FLOCK.

Luke xii. 32. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

AMONG the many faculties which exalt man above the brute creation, that of being able to look into futurity is by no means the least-But while this in many instances elevates him with hope, in many other instances it depresses him with fear-Hence he is often filled with anxiety to secure the good he hopes for, and to avert the evil which he dreads-To discountenance this solicitude, and to teach men to live dependent upon God, is the scope of our Lord's discourse before us-And, in the text, he fortifies his own peculiar people against fear and anxiety, by reminding them of the distinguishing favour of God towards them, and the glorious provision he has made for them-To elucidate his words we shall enquire I. Why the Lord's people are called "a little flock"

The metaphor of sheep is often used to characterize the followers of Christ-Ingenuity might easily suggest a variety of particulars wherein the parallel between them may be drawn-But, to limit our views within the strictest bounds of propriety, we observe that

They are called "a flock" principally from the peculiar regard shewn them by the Lord

[All, who love and fear God, once "went astray like sheep that are lost"-But they have been brought home by Christ, the great and good Shepherd-And have been united together by him in one fold-They are kept inclosed, as it were, and distinct from the world-They hear their shep

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herd's voice and follow him"-He "leads them into pastures" which he himself has provided for them-He administers to all their wants, "strengthening the diseased, healing the sick, and binding up the broken"The lambs he carries in his bosom, and gently leads them that are with young"-And, however they may feed in different pastures, he considers them all as under his peculiar care-]

They are called "a little flock" because they are but few in number

[In every age and every place their numbers have been small-They are "the few that find the narrow way"-When indeed they shall be all assembled at the last day they will be more than the stars of heaven or the sands upon the sea shore for multitude-But before that period they will receive an astonishing increase-The whole earth shall be overspread with them; and that too in successive generations for a thousand years-Till that day of God's power they will be a little flock when compared with the herds of the ungodly-At present they are only "like the gleanings of the olive-tree, two or three upon the topmost branch"]

Interested as we must be in what relates to them, let us enquire

II. What they have to fear

They are not exempt from the common calamities of life-In some respects they are more exposed to them than other people-They have reason therefore to fear 1. Wants

[Though man may provide for to-morrow, he cannot secure what he has provided-Hence all are so desirous of placing themselves as far as possible out of the reach of any disastrous contingencies-In making such provision the true Christian labours under many disadvantages--He cannot use those means of acquiring wealth which the generality of the world employ without any scruple He cannot devote all his time, and all his attention to secular engagements-He dares not neglect his soul, even if he could gain the whole world by it-Moreover, he has many in the world who would be glad enough to ruin him; but few, very few, that will exert themselves much to help him forward-On these accounts he may at times be tempted to indulge excessive care, and to harbour fears of want and embarrassment-]

Ezek. xxxiv. 16,

b Isai. xl. 11.

e Rev. vii. 9.

d Rev. xx. 4.

e Isai. xvii. 6.

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