THE STRANGER BROUGHT TO GOD, Being the Substance of a Sermon on 1 Kings viii. 41, 42, 43.

Preached at Holmfirth Church, Yorkshire.

The

MEMORABLE was the occasion when the words of the text were uttered. Solomon at the command of the Most High erected the temple. dedication was attended with numerous sacrifices and rich discoveries of the divine glory. The prayer offered up on the occasion was sublimely devotional and richly experimental: it discovers a mind deeply impressed with the majesty and greatness of God, the deep depravity of the heart, the value of the divine favour, and the happiness resulting from the enjoyment of the Lord's presence. The words selected for our meditation, though they have an immediate reference to those who become proselytes to the Jewish church, yet are applicable to the state of every vessel of mercy who is brought to enjoy the fulfilment of the promise, "Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer."

We consider the words of the text therefore, first, as descriptive of the sinner who is brought by Jehovah out of the world. Various are the names by which the unrenewed character is December, 1838.]

described. He is described as ungodly, stout-hearted, far from righteousness, and also a stranger. This latter term may justly be applied to the unconverted sinner, for he is a stranger to God: he has no true knowledge of God in his glorious perfections, eternal and unalterable favour, rich and exhaustless consolation. He is a stranger to Christ: he has no perception of the glories of his character, his precious righteousness and complete salvation; no knowledge of the happiness of communion with him, the rich enjoyments which he imparts to his people under trials. He is a stranger to the Holy Spirit: the Holy Ghost is described as the life, the Comforter and the Guide of the servants of God; but to all his life-giving influence, blessed manifestations of divine favour, and rich discoveries of Jesus, he is a stranger. Nor does the miserable condition of the unrenewed character end here: for he is a stranger to the spiritual character and consoling influence of the ordinances of God; he is a stranger to the pleasures of religion both in private and public, and to all the holy mournings and holy aspirations of the family of God. In this state he has no communion with the Israel of God; their conduct, their prayers, their speech are strange to him. The

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misery of the unconverted sinner is also increased by his situation: he is dwelling in a far country-far distant from God as it regards any enjoyment of him, far distant from Jesus the Sun of Righteousness-in a land of the shadow of death. He dwells upon the borders of destruction, and but for the eternal purpose of Jehovah must perish. But the eye of everlasting love follows the stranger in all his wanderings; the arm of omnipotence protects him from evils which he neither sees nor feels. At the period fixed by eternal wisdom the promise is fulfilled (Ezek. xxxiv. 11, 12). His eyes are opened to see his state, and he is brought to experience the fulfilment of the declaration in Ephesians ii. 13.

But we consider the text as descriptive, secondly, of the means by which the sinner is brought out of the world. Various are the means which Jehovah employs to accomplish his eternal purposes: but generally it is by the preaching of the gospel he brings out the recipients of his love (1 Cor. i. 18). The gospel announces the character of God—his eternal and everlasting love-his sovereign, free, and boundless mercy-his rich, tender, and endless compassion-his constant and unlimited faithfulness: it describes Jehovah as represented in Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. The gospel proclaims the glorious character of Christ as a Saviour, a Friend, and an everlasting portion; it proclaims his eternal love, perfect righteousness, complete atonement, finished salvation; it announces the blessings that he has to bestow― pardon, peace, comforts, eternal life. The gospel proclaims all those precious but despised truths connected with the divine glory, and comforts of the family of God. The sinner is brought under the sound of this gospel, perhaps it is with the natural prejudices of mind, but the Lord's purpose must be accomplished: his prejudices are removed, his heart is opened, his

affections are raised to things above, and the declaration is verified, “ Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." The Israel of God now becomes his delight, and his language is, "Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." His desires are different, the word of God becomes his joy, and his dependence is upon the Lord the Spirit for holiness, comforts, and preservation. The design for which the sinner is thus brought out of the world is "Jehovah's name's sake," to manifest the glory, freeness, and sovereignty of that grace which raises the sinner from the pit of corruption; the rich and unchangeable nature of that love which contrived the mighty plan of salvation; the tender compassion, omnipotent power and faithfulness of Jehovah (Isa. xliii. 21). The sinner thus brought by invincible grace to the Lord, enters into a state of the richest enjoyment; the promise is fulfilled, From this day will I bless thee." Amidst all the trials which the Lord in his covenant love may see fit to exercise him with, what happy moments does he at seasons according to the Lord's pleasure enjoy at a throne of grace. How precious the moments he walks with God! How sweet the manifestations of divine wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness in his walk and warfare ! How blessed at seasons the visits of a precious Christ, in the fulfilment of the promise "O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me." The richer however his enjoyments, the deeper is his humiliation. He becomes daily more and more a debtor to grace; wonders at that love which earnestly remembers him still; and falls asleep in Christ, saying, "Not unto me, not unto me, but unto thy name be all the praise."

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But the words of the text may be considered as descriptive, thirdly, of the holy feelings of the sinner who is by divine grace brought out of the world. The sinner in his natural

state is a stranger to real prayer; this is clear from the declaration re

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specting Paul, Behold he prayeth:" called by grace, the sinner comes with delight to the throne of grace and the temple of the Lord; there he supplicates for manifestations of divine favour, saying, "Remember me with the favour which thou bearest unto thy people:" there he supplicates for pardon, saying, "Pardon mine iniquity, O Lord, for it is great :" there he supplicates for grace to keep him amidst all the temptations and trials of the world, saying, Hold thou me up and I shall be safe:" then for the continual dew, and consolations, and guidance of the Lord the Spirit. The prayer of the sinner thus brought out of the world is at first with trembling anxiety, many discouragements from Satan and his own heart. And O how necessary this prayer for him, "Do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for." O how great his need, how rich the God to whom he comes ! And is there not the richest encouragement to believe, that the prayer of the coming sinner shall be answered? Hath not a faithful God said, "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him?" Is he not rich in mercy to all that call upon him? Mourning penitents then rejoice! Never would the Lord have drawn your desires to himself if he had not intended to bless you. Jehovah hath said, and he who is a sovereign in his consolations, gracious visits, and dispensations, will fulfil the promise "I will accept them with their sweet savour." This subject calls for gratitude from the servants of God, Now ye are no more strangers." O then exalt and extol your God. This subject gives us encouragement with regard to the conversion of sinners, "They shall hear of thy great name," John

x. 16.

Holmfirth Parsonage.

R. E. L.

THOUGHTS ON SALVATION.

SALVATION is a glorious subject; a subject that brings glory to God, deliverance to the poor sin-bound captives, and peace to the troubled mind, O that writer and reader may be enabled so to realize an interest in it, as to rejoice in it, with joy unspeakable and full of glory. The term salvation, implies deliverance (Exod. xiv. 13): let us for a few moments look at its origin. "Salvation is of the Lord." The great Jehovah chose his people to salvation, before the foundation of the world; for, the apostle says, he" has not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thess. v. 9. Why did the Lord choose his people, and appoint them to salvation? because he loved them, and he loved them, because it was his will to love them. So then beloved, salvation flows from the sovereign will, unchanging purpose, and everlasting love of our covenant God (2 Tim.i. 9).

Salvation supposes that the elect of God were lost: yes, indeed they were lost and ruined by the fall, and must have remained in that state for ever, had it not been for sovereign grace, which took them out of the ruins of the fall, and set them on the Rock of Ages. Remember, dear reader, by grace thou art saved (Eph. ii. 7): therefore let grace have all the glory, for I am sure, you and I deserve none. Not unto us, not unto us, but unto our God, be all glory ascribed for ever. But how was the great work of salvation accomplished? I reply, by the active and passive obedience of our most glorious Christ; by the former, he fulfilled and magnified the law which we had broken; by the latter, he satisfied divine justice: in this way, the church is justified and saved for ever, and can never come into condemnation (Rom. viii. 1). Thanks be unto God, for the unspeakable gift of so able, so willing, and so glorious a Saviour, who is able to save to the

uttermost, all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them (Heb. vii. 25). Should the reader enquire how they are saved, I reply, they are saved honourably, that is to say, so as to secure the glory of their salvation to the eternal God. He that desires to glory in the plan of salvation, must glory in the Lord (1 Cor. i. 31). All creature-boasting is excluded, and if you, dear reader, boast at all, let it be of a free grace salvation, as says David, My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad." Psa. xxxiv. 2. And Paul says, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Gal. vi. 14.

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The salvation of which I write, is a free salvation-free for the vilest of the vile, who feel their need of itfree for the wretched and the poor, for it is without money, and without price (Isa. lv. 1): it is the free gift of God-it flows from his love- was wrought by the labour of his sonis freely revealed in his word-freely communicated by the Holy Spirit, for "the Spirit and the bride say come, and whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely." If the Spirit of God has created a thirst in thy soul, dear reader, for this salvation, thou art welcome to come to the fountain of living water, drink and allay thy thirst: but this is also a full salvation, for the glorious work is finished; "it is finished," said our dying Lord, and shook the gates of hell. Yes beloved, he has finished transgression, and brought in everlasting righteousness: if it was not a finished work, which was wrought by our Lord, I am sure I do not know who could finish it, man could not, the angels could not, but blessed be God, the glorious work was completed by the gaping wounds, the streaming blood, amazing power, stupendous

love, and dying groans, of our once crucified, but now exalted Redeemer (John xvii. 4. and xix. 30). The happy consequence subsequent on which, is that every believer is complete in him. Again, this is an everlasting salvation, it took its rise from the deep laid counsels of heaven, long before the foundation of the world; and must stand when the world is destroyed, for that fire, which will destroy the world, will not be able to touch the book of life; no, dear fellow traveller, when the last fire burns all things here, the salvation of the elect family of God will stand secure, and Israel shall (not may) be saved in the Lord, with an everlasting salvation, and shall not be ashamed or confounded, world without end (Isa. xlv. 17). When the mind of God can change, the blood of Christ lose its power, and the word of God, become no longer the word of infallible truth; then may the saints fall from grace, and lose their interest in this salvation: but as our God is of one mind, and none can turn him, as the blood of Christ cannot lose its power, and as the word of truth must ever remain what it is, all the saints of the most high, shall take the kingdom, and possess it for ever and ever (Dan. vii. 18). Hallelujah, praise ye the Lord.

When the blessed Spirit brings a poor sinner, to know and feel his lost and ruined condition, then does he begin to enquire after salvation, saying, "what shall I do to be saved," and begins to work as hard as he can, in order to weave a robe to hide his shame, and when he has wrought it, he is ashamed of it, for it is no better than filthy rags, and wont do to appear in before God. He now sees and feels the necessity of a change of raiment, and of being saved by Christ alone: being taught the utter insufficiency of his own works to save him, he comes to Jesus, and crys, " Lord save, or I perish," Jesus kindly hears him, and sends him salvation, pardon,

peace, righteousness, and every blessing both for time and eternity, so that he can rejoice and sing

"Salvation, O the joyful sound,

A pleasure to my ears;
A sovereign balm for every wound,
A cordial for my fears."

In pursuance of this highly interesting subject, I will endeavour to show from what the Lord saves his people.

1. He saves them from sin: "His name shall be called Jesus, because he shall save his people from their sins;" not in them, but from them, not from indwelling sin, but from its reigning power, and from the love of it, for sin we read, shall not have the dominion over those who are not under the law, but under grace (Rom. vi. 14). Those who are called by the grace of God, are taught to hate sin, and to love holiness: hear what Paul says Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein, for we are his workmanship created unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph. ii. 10. Good works are the fruits of divine grace.

2. He saves them from the curse of the law. Christ was made a curse for his people, as it is written," cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." It was on the cross, Christ bore the curse for his people; became the end of the law for righteousness; wrought out, and brought in an everlasting salvation, from the curse of the law, and it is through his holy life, and suffering death, that all that believe, are justified from all things from which they could not be saved by the law of Moses. It is from this curse that the saints of the most High are freed, from the claims of the law, and from all the demands of divine justice; for the law of the spirit of life, in Christ Jesus makes them free from the law of sin and death (Rom. vii. 2, 3). Stand fast in this liberty.

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3. He saves them from all their fears, When sinners are brought to know themselves, their fears are, that they shall never be saved: but when they hear their shepherd say, fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure, to give you the kingdom," their fears are removed, and they rejoice in hope of the glory of God; and while their mountains stand strong, they think they shall never doubt again. But they do, again and again, yet are saved.

4. Christ saves his people from the vanities of the world, by engaging their hearts with the wonders of his cross, the preciousness of divine truth, and the glorious realities of the world