which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that Man whom He hath
ordained, and raised from the dead.
Whether men believe it or not, that is true which Christ spake--Heaven
and earth shall pass away; but My words shall not pass away; at least
till He has put down all rule and all authority and power, and delivered
up the kingdom to God, even the Father, that God may be all in all.
"That one far-off divine event, toward which the whole creation moves,"
will be, not the resumption, but the triumph, of Christ's rule; of a rule
which began before the world, which has endured through all the ages,
which endures now, punishing or rewarding each and every one of us, and
of our children's children, as long as there shall be a man upon the
earth. For by Christ's will alone the world of man consists; in Christ's
laws alone is true life, health, wealth, possible for any man, family or
nation; out of His kingdom He casts, sooner or later, all things which
offend, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. He said of
Himself--Whosoever falleth on this rock shall be broken; but on
whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.
SERMON X. THE LAW OF THE LORD.
PSALM I. 1,2.
Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stood in the path of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law will he
exercise himself day and night.
The first and second Psalms, taken together, are the key to all the
Psalms; I may almost say to the whole Bible. I will say a few words on
them this morning, especially to those who are coming to the Holy
Communion, to shew their allegiance to that Lord, in whose law alone is
life, and who sits on the throne of the universe, King of kings, and Lord
of lords: but I say it to the whole congregation likewise; nay, if there
were an infidel or a heathen in the Church, I should say it to them. For
in this case what is true of one man is true of every man, whether he
knows it or not.
We all should like to be blessed. We all should like to be, as the Psalm
says, like trees planted by the waterside, whose leaves never wither, and
who bring forth their fruit in due season. We should all wish to have it
said of us--Whatsoever he doeth it shall prosper. Then here is the way
to inherit that blessing--"_Blessed is the man whose delight is in the
law of the Lord_, _and who exercises himself i
|