Page images
PDF
EPUB

It is in dangerous sickness, especially, that He "manifests himself unto His disciples as He doth not unto the world," breaks the natural sympathy between their debilitated suffering bodies and their minds, revives the remembrance of His precious promises and past tokens of His love, and makes celestial visions to throng around their pillows. Then it is, that the Christian feels God's distinguishing kindness towards him, in converting him from the error of his ways, justifying him by His grace, and sealing him by His Spirit. Then he finds "godliness to be indeed profitable for the life which now is," receives the benefit of a close walk with his Creator, and enjoys the luxury of an approving conscience.

7. In sickness also, Christians often glorify God, and are made the instruments of much good.

Many careless, unbelieving ones have received their first serious impressions from viewing the deportment of devoted Christians in the season of illness. In the humility and cheerful submission of these pious ones, in their spirituality, strong confidence, and lively joy; the impenitent have seen something which they had not, and which they were sensible that they wanted and must have. Thus have multitudes been "chosen in the furnace of" others' " afflictions," there had their attention arrested, their hearts touched and changed, and their " affections set on things above." Many trembling timid believers too, have been cheered and animated in their heavenly course, by the sight of their brethren sustained under severe bodily pains by the truths of their common religion. "They know" anew "in whom they have believed,"-are convinced that their foundation is sure, and that the same grace, the signal triumphs of which they now witness, will not be withheld from them, when placed in similar circumstances. Thus in the sickness of Christians, as in that of Lazarus, is "the Son of Man glorified," truth established, and religion honored. Thus does sickness "yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness," to other than "those who are exercised thereby."

8. Nor must we fail to mention another advantage of sickness; viz. that it makes us more highly to prize health.

[ocr errors]

Blessings brighten as they take their flight;" and it is not till sickness is experienced that health is valued. Our common mercies too often cease to be considered mercies, because they are common. He whose teeth are sound thinks not of his teeth, and he whose eye-sight is perfect thinks not of his eyes. The absence of all trouble respecting them, and all sensations except that of constant pleasure, makes them unheeded. So with health. It is he who has been an invalid, alone, who properly appreciates it. A short respite from pain awakens in his breast emotions of gratitude; and it is to him that nature is decked with charms, by others unseen, who for weeks and months has been shut out from beholding them by the walls of a sick-room. With what feelings does

66

such an one walk abroad for the first time after his illness! All nature is music to the ear, and fragrance to the sense. The smiling sun makes him smile. The arched sky, expanding his soul into sublimity, lifts it up to the great Spirit; and his heart leaps with impulses wild and glad, as he looks over the swelling hills and sloping vales of the earth, sees the trees waving their foliage, and inhales the balm with which the cool wind comes charged. It is the convalescent one; whose bosom a glow of thankfulness pervades; and it is he who when well once more, carefully avoids those excesses and exposures which would bring on sickness again. 9. And to mention but one other advantage of sickness,-it endears unto the Christian, heaven.

There, we are told, "the inhabitants shall not say I am sick." This, the Christian believes; and, as he lies upon his couch of distress, "faith brings that better world to view," and makes it more desirable and delightful from contrast. Here, there may be darkness, but there, light; here, restlessness, but there, ease; here, distraction, but there, peace; here, tears, but there, "sorrow and sighing flee away;" here, clouds and storms, but there, the genial rays of the Sun of Righteousness shine constantly and always.

To return to the volume which has suggested these remarks; it has two divisions; thoughts in sickness, and during convalescence. We know not the author, but he wields a graceful pen, has been comforted in sickness, and now would" comfort others with the comfort wherewith he himself hath been comforted of God." With an extract from the second division of the book, which will give some idea of its style and matter, we close our article.

66

The Master having raised thee up, calleth thee to return to that little flock, the Sunday-School, from which sickness has separaied you so long, and, there, as an evidence of your love to Him, to feed his lambs, and though thou dost but follow in "the footsteps of the flock," far behind most of thy companions, yet, if thou art diligently and faithfully following, the kind Shepherd will often "pass that way," and grant thee an approving smile. Delightful work to sow the good seed in so susceptible a soil-to devise ingenious plans to arrest and fix attention, and to study the best forms of presenting divize truth to the tender mind. Yet, even here, there are discouragements, and these must be sustained by the promise, that "they that sow in tears shall reap in joy," and that though a Paul plant and an Apollos water, it is God that giveth the increase.

Indeed, obey quickly the summons to any new duty; and not only engage in in it with alacrity, but endeavor to economize time, in order to have more to spend in the immediate service of thy Saviour. Not merely giving what thou canst conveniently spare of any of the talents committed to thee, but with an ardent gratitude consecrating ALL to Christ. Continually looking for

opportunities of doing good, many will be thereby found which would be otherwise overlooked.

Go, and endeavor to deserve the appellation which Christ gave His disciples when he said, "Ye are the light of the world." Reflect how much is comprehended in this metaphor, and feel how great a responsibility resteth upon thee. Go, and "be faithful unto death," that thou mayest receive a crown of life."

[ocr errors]

pp. 85, 90. Kind and wise counsel to one, brought up by Divine grace from a bed of sickness. And did our limits permit, we would gladly make other quotations from a book, whose contents are the natural gushings of a smitten heart.

ARTICLE VIII.

AN ANALYSIS OF ECCLESIASTES.

By REV. JAMES M. MACDONALD, Jamaica, L. I.

Subject.

THE vanity, on the supposition that there is no hereafter, of life and the present world; or the insufficiency of the world to afford happiness, if men are without religion. The Preacher proposes this subject at the outset, as a sort of text, repeats it and refers to it, in every part, and formally re-announces it at the close.

Management of the Discourse.

As to the management of the discourse, there are two things worthy of distinct notice as giving it its peculiar character. 1. The Preacher constantly refers to his own experience. Solomon was not a misanthrope, disappointed in his attempts to obtain worldly happiness, but a rich and powerful king, who had made trial of the most costly pleasures. The Book was undoubtedly written late in life, after he had been drawn from his allegiance to God, by idolatrous women (I. Kings 11: 1-14 and 23-40), and may be regarded, like the fifty-first Psalm of David, as his standing confession, which, in consideration of his eminent position and grievous fall, it is the will of God should be read in the church over the whole world and to the latest ages. Let those who would find some license or apology for their sins in the sad defections of Solomon, and his more illustrious father, behold these royal transgressors, as they stand daily in the church, penitently confessing and deploring their folly. 2. It is in the main what THIRD SERIES, VOL. V., NO. 1.

10

may be styled a hypothetical discourse; i. e., he seems to admit the monstrous doctrine of the infidel, or the implied position of the thoughtless worldling, whose conduct is an emphatic disavowal of belief in a future state, and then employs the argumentum ex absurdo with overwhelming effect: "all is vanity," or all would, indeed, be vanity if there be no hereafter, if life has no higher end than sensual and worldly pleasure. When Solomon says, "vanity of vanities, all is vanity," it is not his object to disparage temporal blessings, or to advance a doctrine different from that of another inspired writer, that "every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving, being sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (I. Tim. 4: 4, 5); but he means to answer the question, "Hast thou made all men in vain ?" (Ps. 89: 47) affirmatively-he means that even the creation of the world itself was a signal blunder, if there be no state of retribution to succeed the present. But let us proceed with our proposed analysis.

The subject announced.-Ch. 1: 1, 2.

I The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem. * Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.

As Solomon was the only son of David who was king of Jerusalem, he is here as distinctly pointed out as the author of this sermon, as if his name had been given. We have a king for a preacher, and his discourse is worthy of his reputation for wisdom. HENRY shrewdly suggests, that while he conceals his name, because of the reproach which his sins had brought on himself, his kingdom and the cause of his God, he refers to his parentage and his office, as greatly aggravating his wicked conduct. The second verse is the text; it contains the proposition which the royal preacher proceeds to establish, illustrate, and apply, in this discourse, viz. :

THAT ON THE SUPPOSITION OF THERE BEING NO FUTURE STATE, TO WHICH THIS IS ΤΟ BE REGARDED AS BUT PRELIMINARY, THE WHOLE SCENE OF HUMAN AFFAIRS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A VAIN AND EMPTY SHOW, AND THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, AND OF MAN, MUST BE PRONOUNCED A BLIND MISCARRIAGE.

Introduction.-Ch. 1: 4-11.

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also, ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full : unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new?

it hath been already of old time, which was before us. "There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

We have here a graceful and exceedingly appropriate introduction-appropriate, because it bears directly upon the main position laid down as the basis of this discourse. If the principles of Rhetoric require that unity should be preserved throughout, in the introduction as well as in other parts of a discourse, we have them exemplified here. From the full soul of the Preacher there comes, at the first opening of his lips, a burst of eloquence, not for display, or merely to arrest attention, but which agrees admirably with the argument; nay, which seems to suggest the method by which it is conducted, in the body of the discourse. In this respect, it is one of the happiest models which modern preachers can study.

He looks upon the stage of human action, and sees generation follow generation,

"Like shadows o'er the plain,"

and asks, what purpose, if this be the only stage on which these beings are to appear, worthy of their creation, or of the toil and suffering to which they are subjected, is answered? The earth which abideth for ever is but a great theatre, where this empty pageant-this mock tragedy-is to be enacted without end. He glances at the vast machinery of the universe; the sun making his daily and annual course through the heavens; the wind veering from point to point of the compass; the rivers coursing through almost every valley of the earth; the ocean ebbing and flowing, and sending up its exhalations to supply the rills and mighty streams which feed, but never fill it: "All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it." And age after age the same thing is enacted over and over again;-nothing new. If it be but a theatrical show, got up and maintained at so vast an expense, why not, like players, change the scene? why this dull uniformity? But who can believe that God created this great universe; lighted up that mighty sun to rise and set, to go from tropic to tropic; bespangled the heavens with stars; channelled out the rivers; set to the heaving ocean its bounds; and gave ordinances to the shifting wind, only to build and embellish a splendid stage, on which poor, short-lived men, generation after generation, might labor, and struggle, and die? or only to erect a stately mausoleum for entombed and annihilated nations? Is this universe such an aimless thing, and its Maker so blind a trifler?

Arg. 1. The vanity of great learning if man be not immortal.Ch. 1: 12-18.

19 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem 13 And I gave my heart to

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »