Page images
PDF
EPUB

SERMON XLIX.

THE CHORUS OF ANGEL S.

REV. V. 12.

Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour and glory, and bleffing!

T was a good report which the queen of

IT

Sheba heard, in her own land, of the wisdom and glory of Solomon. It leffened her attachment to home, and prompted her to undertake a long journey, to vifit this greater King, of whom he had heard fo much. She went, and fhe was not disappointed. Great as the expectations were, which he had formed from the relation made her by others, they fell fhort of what fhe faw and heard herself, when he was admitted

E e 3

mitted into his prefence. Good, likewife, is the report of the gospel. It has a powerful effect upon those who receive it by faith. It is abundantly fufficient to convince them, of the comparative infignificance, of all that they moft admired and efteemed in this world. From that hour, they become strangers and pilgrims upon earth. They fet out, in the way which God has prescribed, in hopes of feeing him who is greater than Solomon; and the report they have heard of him, is their fubject, their fong, and their joy, while they are on their journey, and their great fupport, under the difficulties they meet with on the road. What then will it be to fee him as he is? As yet, the one half is not told them. Or, at least, they are not yet capable of conceiving the half, or the thousandth part, of what they read in the fcripture, concerning his wisdom, his glory, and his grace. We weaken, rather than enlarge, the fenfe of fuch a paffage as this, by our feeble comments. We must

die, before we can understand it. To the bulk of mankind, Wait the great teacher, death; is cold, is dangerous advice. If they are not taught by the gospel, while they live,

live, the teaching of death will be too late. Dreadful will be the condition of those, who cannot be convinced of their mistakes, till repentance and amendment will be impracticable. But death will be a great teacher, indeed, to a believer; he will then know more by a glance, and in a moment, of the happiness he is now expecting, than by all he could collect, from the enquiry and experience of a long courfe of years, in this world.

The scenery of this chapter, if attentively confidered, is fufficient, to snatch our thoughts from the little concernments of time, and to give us some anticipation of the employments and enjoyments of heaven. Come, all ye that are wearied and burdened with afflictions and temptations, look up, and for a while, at least, forget your forrows! The Lamb is upon his throne, furrounded by a multitude of his redeemed people, who, once, were afflicted and burdened like yourselves; but now all tears are wiped from their eyes. They have a fong, peculiarly their own, and are represented, as taking the first and leading part in worship and praife. The angels cannot fing their fong, they were not redeemed

E e 4

redeemed to God by his blood; but they are interested in the subject. Their highest views, of the manifold wisdom of God, are derived from the wonders of redemption. Therefore they join in the chorus, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom and frength, and honour and glory, and blessing. If you have a humble hope, of bearing a part, in this immortal fong, will you hang down your heads like a bulrush, because you have the honour of following your Lord, through many tribulations, to his kingdom?

The number of the angels is expreffed, indefinitely, ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; myriads and millions; to intimate to us, that, with respect to our capacities and conceptions, they are innumerable. Their number is known to him, who telleth the number of the ftars, and calleth them all by their names; and to him only. The fcripture intimates a diversity of ranks and orders among them, Thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers; but as to particulars, there is little faid, that might gratify our curiofity. It is enough, for us, to

* Pf. cxlvii. 4.

know

know that the highest of them, and that all of them, worship him who is clothed in our nature. My text exprefsly informs us, that the object of their worship is the Lamb that was flain. Not that the humanity of Christ, which is but a creature, is, fimply and formally, the object of their worship. But they worship him who has affumed the human nature into personal union with himself; God manifeft in the flesh, God in Chrift. Though the world cenfure or defpife us, for honouring the Son as we honour the Father *, we have here a good precedent, as we have, in many places of fcripture, the warrant of an express command. Whether men are pleased or not, we will, we muft, worship the Lamb that was flain. To animate our devotion, let us thankfully confider, Why he was flain, and How he was flain.

I. Why he was flain. The redeemed fay, For us. He loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood +. They were finners. and enemies. They were flaves to fin and Satan, yet he loved them, and died to redeem them. It is by virtue of his blood and death, that they are now before the throne.

* John v. 23.

+ Rev. i. 5.

Nothing

« PreviousContinue »