Page images
PDF
EPUB

dren; but Moses was miraculously preserved. At the birth of Christ, Herod slew the infants in Bethlehem; but he was saved in Egypt, where Moses had been saved before. As the minister of God he was mighty in words and deeds, which is the very character given of Jesus of Nazareth by the two disciples who were walking to Emmaus. Moses received his authority when God appeared to him, and spoke to him, from a flame of fire in a bush; and Christ received his honour, when the voice came to him from the excellent Glory (2 Pet. i. 17). Moses ascended up into the Holy Mount of God, and received the divine law, which he gave to the people; as Christ ascended, and gave the word of his Gospel to be preached by his Apostles, and received by all the people of the world. Moses shewed his power in slaying an Egyptian, as a sign to the people, that God would deliver them from their enemies by his hand; as Christ shewed his power over Satan, the enemy of mankind, to convince the people that he was sent to be the Saviour of the world. And accordingly as Moses delivered the people, and brought them out of Egypt, so hath Jesus Christ delivered us from the power of Satan, and brought us out from this wicked world. L 4

But,

But, what is the most wonderful of all, and with which St. Stephen confounds the Jews; this great Moses, this mighty worker of miracles, this deliverer of his people from the greatest misery and servitude that ever were upon earth, how was he received? how was he treated? He was thrust away and refused by his brethren! So was Christ rejected by the Jews. Therefore as Moses, though refused and thrust away, was sent from God to be a ruler and deliverer; so was Jesus Christ, though hated and set at nought by his brethren, and resisted in his mighty works, and condemned and crucified; yet was this same Jesus Christ sent to be the true Messiah. he had not been persecuted and refused, he would not have been a prophet like unto Moses; if he had not been sold by his brethren, he would not have been, as Joseph was, the saviour of his family, and of the Gentile world. All these things considered, I am to remember, first, that I am the disciple of a despised and persecuted Master, and must bear in this world, as Moses did, the reproach of Christ; and count it of more value than the favour of a court, or the wealth of the whole world. If I do good, I must be content to be spoken of as an evil doer; if I

If

would

would be glorified with him hereafter, I must suffer with him here.

Secondly, I must not regard the humour of the world, nor follow a multitude to do evil when Moses was absent with God in the mount, the people below forgot him, and made a calf and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced at the work of their own hands: so is Jesus Christ forgotten by his people since his departure into heaven; and they sit down to eat and drink, and rise up to play; not considering that as Moses came down unlooked for, and executed judgment on the offenders, so will Christ return at an hour when they are not aware, to judge those who have forgotten him, and take vengeance on their impiety and disobedience,

[ocr errors]

THE QUESTIONS.

Q. Who was it that urged for the truth of Christianity against the Jews, from the history of their lawgiver Moses?

A. St. Stephen, in the 7th Chapter of the Acts.

Q. What did Moses himself say?

A. That the Lord should raise up a prophet like unto him,

Q. In what respect was Moses like unto Christ?

A. First in his birth; at the time of which there was a massacre of infants; and he was saved in Egypt, where Christ was saved from the power of Herod.

Q. What was the character of Moses?

A. He was a prophet mighty in words and deeds; which is the character of our Saviour.

Q. What great work was Moses sent upon? A. To deliver the people out of Egypt, as Christ came to save us out of this sinful world.

Q. How was Moses received by the people?

A. When he came to deliver them, they quarrelled with him, and disputed his authority.

Q. Was that any argument against Moses? A. None at all; for although they refused him, yet did God truly send him, to be their saviour from the miseries of Egypt.

Q. What argument doth St. Stephen draw from hence?

A. That if Christ was the true Saviour of the world, and like unto Moses, it was necessary he should be rejected, and thrust away by his own people.

[ocr errors][merged small]

Q. How were the Jews, who had crucified Christ, affected by this argument?

A. It was so strong, they could not bear the force of it; but gnashed at St. Stephen with their teeth, to signify how ready they were to devour him.

Q. Does St. Stephen carry his argument beyond Joseph and Moses?

A. Yes; he tells them their fathers had persecuted all those prophets, those just men, who foreshewed the coming of the just one, Jesus Christ.

THE TEXT.

Acts, chap. vii. ver. 19 to 40.

XVI. THE CHAPTER OF THE BODY OF MAN.

AS the body of man is made up of dif ferent members and limbs, all intended for their several uses, and some of them in higher, some in lower stations; so in like manner are different men formed together into one body, in what we call society; wherein men are as necessary to one another, as the different

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »