Page images
PDF
EPUB

rection and subsequent never-dying state of existence are certain; and our Saviour, when he comes to judge the world, will award to every one according to the deeds done in the body; and no person's labour shall be in vain in the Lord. Let us be steadfast and immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Steadfast in the belief of the truths taught by our Saviour, and not to be moved away from the hope of the Gospel; which looks to a complete deliverance from divine wrath, and from all evil, and an eternity of inconceivable happiness, all accruing to us through the finished righteousness and perfect work of our exalted and adorable Redeemer.

And the person who has this hope in him, should abound in all Christian tempers, and in all virtuous practice, according to the duties of his station, holding forth the word of life, whether by a declaration of divine truth, or by an example which shall edify others.

Now, as to labouring in the Lord, it is self-evident that a person must first belong to Christ; and it is not merely having received the rite of baptism in infancy, that constitutes us Christians in the high and beneficial sense which will be finally availing. By baptism we are made members of the visible church; but ere we can be united to Christ, we must be born again. If any man be in, Christ, or be a genuine disciple, he is "a new creature;" he is converted, or turned, or changed; he is made a new man. From the universal prevalence of death, may be argued the universal existence of sin and guilt; but Sacred Scripture is explicit in declaring that all mankind have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; that in consequence of sin, and alienation of mind from God, human beings are universally deserving of his displeasure.

Indeed, till persons by repentance and faith return to the Lord, and become united to Christ, the Divine Being is very little in their thoughts, his displeasure is not feared, his favour is not valued, the wonders of mercy and condescension, displayed in the work of human redemption,

excite little or no regard; this state of mind, although accompanied with the decencies and common moralities of life, is characteristic of those who do not yet belong to Christ, or who have backslidden from the good ways of the Lord. If, indeed, we violate the moralities which are universally approved for the general good of society, we certainly have no claim to the Christian character; but it is possible to observe these moralities, and still our hearts not be right with God. In a Christian mind, God is the supreme good, his revealed will is the standard of conduct, his declarations of human guilt are confessed to be true, his revelation of mercy, through Christ, is received with deep gratitude, sometimes with grateful exultation, the ordinances of religion, whether personal, domestic, or in the public assembly, give pleasure, because they are the means of what the Scriptures call "Communion with God;" the taste is elevated, it becomes more intellectual, rational, and spiritual, and acquires a disrelish for many of the frivolous and time-killing amusements which are so keenly followed by a large portion of society. The mind, in this state, possesses calm and silent joys which the world knows not of, and which the world can neither give, nor yet take away. The Lord of the universe permits the Christian to call him Father-his reconciled God; and, in adversity, so strong is the Christian's affiance in his Almighty Saviour, he can say with Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him ;" and when dying, death has no sting.

March, 2, 1822.

Those whose lot it is to visit distant countries, look naturally with longing affection to the land of their childhood, and to the place of their fathers' sepulchres; but it may never be their happiness to return thither, for death spares neither age nor sex. Death waits not till man attains his wishes. He arrests his victims in foreign lands, as well as at home. He sometimes hurries man from earth within

sight of the desired land; there can therefore be no excuse for deferring a preparation for death. Heaven has not promised to ward off death till man chooses to be ready; the compassionate Saviour does not hold out any such hopes. The stroke of death cannot be delayed; but, habitual preparation for it, and a heart set on heaven, makes death's stroke harmless. If we reach our heavenly Father's HOME, and attain to a happy resurrection, it matters not whether our mortal remains be interred in Britain or in China.

As an apology for this brief Exhortation, or Discourse, on such a subject, it may be right to state, that the Congregation consisted only of four grown persons; and it is here inserted as a simple "Memorial."

DISCOURSE IV.

PREACHED IN THE HOUSE OF THE RESIDENT, LIEUT. COL. FARQUHAR, SINGAPORE, APRIL 5, 1823.

INTRODUCTION.

[After the death of the late indefatigable Missionary, the Rev. Dr. Milne, in June 1822, Dr. Morrison, having completed his Chinese Dictionary, resolved on a visit to the Anglo-Chinese College at Malacca, and repaired thither in the Spring of

1823.

Having revised and put to press the then unprinted portions of the Chinese Version of the Sacred Scriptures, he visited Singapore, the newly occupied settlement, at the eastern end of the Straits of Malacca, and was most hospitably received by the Resident Authorities, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles and Lieut. Col. Farquhar. At this flourishing settlement there now reside, under the British Government, about 4,000 Chinese, 5,000 Malays, and 4,000 Bugis, Arabs, Hindoos, &c.

On the top of Government Hill, which overlooks the roads, Sir Stamford lived, in a temporary bungalow, at one end of which he kindly accommodated Dr. Morrison with a room, whilst arranging the projected union of the Anglo-Chinese College with a Malayan College, to be founded by Sir Stamford. In that deal-board and mat-covered apartment, on Saturday, the 4th of April, 1823, the following Discourse was composed; and next day, after reading prayers, was delivered to the Europeans of the settlement, in Col. Farquhar the Resident's house, on the sea beach, amidst a heavy shower of rain, which beat so heavily and loudly on the Malayan covered tent, as to nearly drown the sound of the speaker's voice.

Since that period, we are happy to hear that a pious clergyman, son of the late General Burn, has been appointed Chaplain to Government at Singapore.]

A SPIRIT OF LOVE ESSENTIAL TO HUMAN

DUTY.

MARK XII. 30, 31.

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

"Do you not therefore err, because ye know not the

Scriptures, nor the power of God?" was the answer which our Saviour gave to some Jewish sceptics, who denied that there was any resurrection, in which denial the sect also included a denial of the existence of separate spirits. The reasoning from Scripture, which accompanied this remark, put to silence the cavilling opponent; and at the same time it seemed to confirm the belief of a bye-stander, who was listening to the conversation. He was a scribe; i. e. a man skilled in the doctrines and the precepts of the Mosaic law. Perceiving that Jesus had answered the sceptical Sadducee well, he too put a question, not with a good design, but, as St. Matthew says, "to tempt," or to try him; thereby discovering a spirit not unfrequently found amongst pretended enquirers, who ask questions, artfully framed, in order to puzzle, and darken, and confound distinctions between truth and error; not with any design of eliciting what is favourable to piety and virtue.

The question put by the Pharisee, otherwise called a scribe and a lawyer, was this-" Which is the first commandment of all?" or, as St. Matthew expresses it, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" Had this question been put to ancient or to modern philosophers, or were it now put to us, as individuals, it is not likely that any would

« PreviousContinue »