Peter, Lord, to whom should we go; thou hast the words of eternal life;* or of Job, though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him. other dependence will fail, "I know that every and that every other hope will end in shame and confusion; I know that in the hour of death the soul, which has no reliance upon the Son of God, will make haste to possess itself of any shelter from the terrors of His wrath: I know that in the day of judgment, those who have no interest in a Saviour will be ready to call upon the rocks and mountains to hide them from the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb:‡ but my hope will never deceive me. I am fixed upon the rock of ages, and the end of my faith will be the salvation of my soul !" Having thus endeavoured to explain the meaning of the prophecy, let us attempt to make some useful application of it. Among the persons who compose what is called a Christian congregation we may notice generally three classes. 1. Those who are building upon no foundation for a future world. 2. Those who build upon a wrong one. * John vi. 68. + Job xiii. 15. Rev. vi. 16. 3. Those who have discovered the true foundation, and by the grace of God, have fixed themselves upon it. Let us speak, 1. To those who are building upon no foundation, but are utterly thoughtless and unconcerned. How awful does it appear, that creatures who are aware of the shortness of this life, and who admit the certainty of a future state, should pass the few moments of time allotted them here without any serious thoughts about the concerns of eternity! How strange is it that men should be so little awake to their real interests! that with an acknowledgment of the importance of salvation they should scarcely ever pause to reflect upon the subject! Bring the matter home, my brethren, to your own consciences, and fairly put it to yourselves upon what principle of reason can this conduct be defended? Look at the admonition of Almighty God; the text is introduced with a loud call upon attention:-Behold! I lay in Zion a foundation! Behold! it is a spectacle worthy of all your regard! it is one at which angels, who have no need of a Saviour, look down with admiration and amazement! it is one which the apostate spirits, who have no hope of redemption, observe with dismay; and shall man alone--man, for whom this foundation was laid, and who is invited by God himself to behold and to trust in it, pay no regard to the invitation? What is this but deliberately to turn a deaf ear to his Maker? to despise the riches of his grace? to pour contempt upon salvation? to make a mock of the unspeakable realities of an eternal state? to trample upon the cross of Christ? How different will these things appear, when God shall arise in his wrath! when that stone which was proposed to us for a foundation shall fall upon the careless sinner and grind him to powder. 2. There are others who seem to be in earnest, and who believe themselves to be secure and who are, nevertheless, building upon a wrong foundation. Such are all those who rely upon their own righteousness; upon their attention to the means of grace; upon the estimation in which they are held by their associates; upon the discharge, as they deem it, of every social and * Matt. xxi. 44. public duty. It frequently happens that men place confidence in things of this sort, and then appeal to that confidence as a proof that all is right. But, my brethren, let us not forget that there is such a thing as a false peace; and it is very possible that we may be under a delusion on this head, till a future world shall convince us of our error. If it be true that Christ is the only foundation, it follows assuredly that whoever rests for salvation on any thing else, whether in whole or in part, than the pure mercy of God through faith in His Son, will at last be confounded. It is an awful symptom of a deceived heart and an unawakened conscience, to be contented and secure upon unscriptural grounds; to derive comfort from the unwarranted persuasion that it shall be well with us, when the hour is speedily approaching, which must subvert every vain imagination and dash to the ground the delusive fabric of our hopes. Be careful then to build upon the right foundation; renouncing every plea in the sight of God, but that which he has kindly supplied and commanded you to adopt, the cross and passion of your Saviour. Let it not be your condem nation, as it was of the Scribes and Pharisees, that the stone which was appointed to be the head of the corner becomes a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence.* Such it will be to all who are unwilling to renounce their own righteousness, that they may accept the righteousness of Christ; to all who listen to the suggestions of an evil heart and are governed by the opinions of an evil world. Whatever sacrifice it may cost, let it be your determination to receive the truth in simplicity of spirit; to substitute, for your own wisdom, the wisdom from above; to know nothing in this respect but Jesus Christ and Him crucified: to stand with holy resolution upon this tried stone, as the only ground of present peace and of everlasting salvation. 3. With regard to those who have thus built upon this sure foundation, I would observe in the last place, how ample is their security, and how blessed their lot! Let them only persevere and they shall not make haste; they shall not be confounded: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. We talk of the solidity of rocks, of the stability of mountains, of the firm foundations *Rom. ix. 33. |