Volume II Part 12 (1/2)
In conceiving of the destruction of this hateful dominion, we may realize it as _certain_. Although the issue of the war between good and evil, Christ and Belial, heaven and h.e.l.l, be deferred to a distant age, it is not doubtful or precarious. It is ever present in the eye of G.o.d, and forms a part of that irresistible destiny which infernal power cannot avert. There is no escape from the chains of darkness which Omnipotence will finally rivet on; and this irreversible doom of fallen spirits is essential to the final arrangements of that wonderful period, which will develope ”the consummation of all things.”
It is the glory of the religion of Christ, that none of its promises or plans are precarious. The hopes of Christians cannot be lost in the crush of nature or the wreck of the world; and the condemnation of impenitent sinners and of Satan cannot be averted by any mistake of evidence, by any confusion, of mult.i.tude, or by any unevenness of balance in the scales of justice in the day of judgment.
The destruction of Satan and his power may be considered as _gradual_ in the mode of its accomplishment. The whole system of revealed truth, from the period of the first prediction, points to this predestined end; and the whole scheme of Providence, including the rise and fall of empires, the work of Christ, and all the events of time through successive generations, respects this mighty and this marvellous result--a result connected so essentially with the glory of G.o.d, the honour of Christ, and the felicity of a redeemed universe.
”For this purpose the Son of G.o.d was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.” But it was not deemed fit to do it at once, and at a single blow; if it had, he who commanded the boisterous winds and the raging seas, and they were still--he who expelled demons at a word, and cured diseases by a touch--he whose creative energy restored lost limbs to the victims of misery--who reanimated the dead and the putrifying, and remanded their spirits from an invisible state--could have withered at a touch the power of h.e.l.l, crushed in a moment the throne of diabolical authority, and bound the dragon himself in his eternal chain. But the wisdom of G.o.d, which at first permitted evil to stain his moral creation, designs to admit the reign or influence of Satan for an appointed period, and to overturn his dominion by a gradual establishment of truth and righteousness in the earth. The great adversary was smitten by his hand when the first promise of salvation was given to our race; the stroke was repeated, in successive predictions to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and the death-blow inflicted when the expiring Redeemer exclaimed on the cross, ”_It is finished_!” Still, like a dying monster, who raves amidst his agonies, and terrifies spectators by his terrific aspect and more terrific efforts, and destroys or mangles all who venture within the reach of his arm, Satan still rages and raves--sometimes languis.h.i.+ng into comparative inaction, at other times breathing out threatening and slaughter against the church of G.o.d--still conscious that his power is declining, and that the whole system of providence is preparing for his final overthrow.
This overthrow will be _complete_. He will never more ascend from his confinement, to fill the earth with plagues or the church of Christ with terror. The ”new heaven and earth wherein dwelleth righteousness,” will never be exposed to his awful revisitings--the contest will have for ever ended--the struggle eternally ceased; and the harps of angels, with the holy hymnings of ten thousand times ten thousand before the throne--
”Blest voices, uttering praise!”
will proclaim the full, the final, the everlasting victory. And in the heavenly city ”there shall be no more curse; but the throne of G.o.d and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord G.o.d giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” (See APPENDIX.)
Dorcas.
Chapter X.
Joppa ill.u.s.trious on many accounts, particularly as the residence of Dorcas--she was a Disciple of Christ--Faith described as the Principle of Disciples.h.i.+p--the inspired Testimony to the Character of Dorcas--she was probably a Widow or an aged Maiden--Remarks on the Reproaches commonly cast upon the latter Cla.s.s of Women--Dorcas exhibited as a Pattern of liberality, being prompt in the Relief she afforded--her Charities abundant--and personally bestowed--Observations on the Propriety of visiting the Poor--the Charities of Dorcas often free and unsolicited--wise and conducted upon a Plan--the Pretences of the uncharitable stated and confuted--Riches only valuable as they are used in bountiful Distribution.
Seven of the most celebrated cities of antiquity (Smyrna, Rhodes, Colophon, Salamis, Chios, Argos, and Athens) are said to have disputed the glory of having given birth to Homer; and it must be admitted that places and families acquire an importance from their connection with names which appear conspicuous on the page of history, and have been praised by the united voices of successive generations. We cannot hear, without an instinctive glow, of the cities of Rome, Athens, Sparta, Syracuse, and others which respectively produced a Caesar, a Demosthenes, a Lycurgus, and an Archimedes; of the islands of Samos and aegina, whence emanated the resplendent genius of a Pythagoras and a Plato; of the villages of Alopece and Andes, immortalized as having produced a Socrates and a Virgil.
But let not the enchanting annals of Roman literature or Grecian wisdom detach our minds from the n.o.bler records of inspiration, or diminish the conviction which religion must ever inspire, that the birth place of benevolence and piety is more ill.u.s.trious than the birthplace of genius and philosophy. On this principle we look with admiration upon the town of Joppa, which, if it cannot boast a prodigy of valour, talent, or learning, is nevertheless conspicuous as the residence of one ”of whom the world was not worthy.” She was not, indeed, rich in wealth, but in good works. She was not a conqueror of nations or a distributor of crowns, but a giver of alms. She had no name on earth beyond the limits of a small Christian church, but her record was on high, and her memorial has not perished with her.
Joppa was the nearest seaport to Jerusalem on the Mediterranean. It was situated in the tribe of Dan in a fine plain, and has acquired the modern name of Jaffa. This place is frequently mentioned in Scripture. The materials for the construction of Solomon's temple were sent thither in floats, by Hiram, the king of Tyre, whence they were easily conveyed by land to Jerusalem. Jonah, in his flight from the presence of the Lord, embarked at this port, and gave occasion to the mythological fable of Andromeda. Here the apostle Peter enjoyed that remarkable vision, in which he saw heaven opened, and a great sheet descending to the earth, which seemed to contain every variety of beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air; intimating to him the abolition of the Mosaic law, and the removal of those distinctions which had so long separated the Jews and the Gentiles. It is probable Philip preached the Gospel here in his progress through various cities to Cesarea; but the history of Dorcas, or, as she was originally called in the Syriac dialect, Tabitha, has given it peculiar prominence in the sacred page.
The memorial of this excellent woman is short, but replete with instruction. Her character is sketched at a stroke, and by the introduction of an incident as full of significance and interest as can well be imagined. Dropping those minute details and accidental circ.u.mstances which are not necessary to character, and which the New Testament so seldom mentions, the most instructive part of her story is preserved and set in the most brilliant point of light.
She is simply announced, in the first place, as ”a certain disciple,” or one that embraced the faith of Christ, and professed it by baptism and a public union with his church. Whatever might be her situation in other respects was of little consequence; this was her best, her most substantial distinction. It invested her with a real glory, which however overlooked by those who are chiefly attracted by exterior splendour, surpa.s.sed every vain and glittering honour of the world. It raised her to the dignity of a name in the volume of inspiration, and the unfading distinction of a place in the annals of eternity.
How poor and how perishable is human fame; and yet with what eagerness is it universally sought! What is it but like a bubble, excited by some accidental cause, to sparkle for a moment on the stream of pa.s.sing ages, and then to disappear for ever! And yet the love of fame has been called, and perhaps with propriety, the ruling pa.s.sion; for so much does it blend itself with human motives, that there are comparatively few of our actions, at least such as are visible to the public eye, which may not be traced to this feeling, or which do not receive a tone from its influence.
But how shall we describe that faith which is often mentioned in the New Testament, which so marked the character of Dorcas, and which, perhaps, may not be inaptly called the _principle_ of disciples.h.i.+p?
This term is of various import, and of very extensive application in Scripture. It signifies belief, and refers to testimony either human or divine; but is restricted in its evangelical use to the latter. Revelation in general is the object of faith: and those invisible realities which it discloses to the mental eye are seen with equal distinctness, and believed with equal conviction, as if they were capable, from possessing some material quality, of impressing the corporeal senses. Faith glorifies its great Object and Author by paying an implicit deference to his authority.
It asks no other bond than his promise, no other evidence or attestation than his veracity. It not only ranges through worlds which mortal eye could never explore, but which human reason could never discover: and as by transgression man has fallen under the dominion of his senses, it delivers its happy possessor from this state of degradation and wretchedness.
But though this be a general signification of the word, its more precise and appropriate use in the Gospel is expressed by the phrase, ”believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of G.o.d.” Here the general and the particular use are necessarily blended. Faith is belief--but belief in ”the truth as it is in Jesus.” To believe, in the ordinary sense, is to admit a fact, to a.s.sent to the statement of an accredited or respectable witness; to believe in Jesus as the Son of G.o.d, is to acknowledge his real character, to perceive his true dignity, to view and to love him, not only as distinguished by perfect excellence; but as specifically the Saviour of lost sinners; for ”whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of G.o.d.” Faith comprehends what he is, contemplates him in all his glorious offices, and from the manger of meanness traces him to the throne of power, relying upon what he has suffered and said as the infallible pledge of what he will accomplish. It is not only well informed, but humble. It resided in his heart who exclaimed, ”Lord, save me!” It dictated his language who cried out, ”Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” It gave efficacy to the prayer of that humble pet.i.tioner who said, ”Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” It is pleasing to G.o.d, essential to salvation, and his own gift: for ”Enoch had this testimony, that he pleased G.o.d”--”a man is justified by faith”--and ”by grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of G.o.d.”
Faith is not dormant, but active and operative. It resembles good seed sown in the cultivated soil, which expands, and grows, and produces fruit.
This holy vegetation exists in very different degrees of vigour, according to the diversities of Christian character, but it is apparent in all--the mark of true religion, the pleasing verdant hue that covers the whole surface of the spiritual creation. We cannot point to every pious person as a Dorcas, who presents a singular fertility of some of the n.o.blest graces; but of all it may be said, ”the root of the matter is found in them,” and ”their root shall not be rottenness, nor their blossom go up as dust.”
It is the nature of genuine faith to stimulate to the most laborious duties, to sustain amidst the most poignant sufferings, to produce the greatest purity of character, to communicate the n.o.blest kind of happiness of which a creature in the present state can be susceptible, to nerve the feeblest arm with strength, to give the dullest eye perception, above all, to ”work by _love_.” For these reasons, and because of its transforming influence, we denominated it the principle of disciples.h.i.+p. It operates by love to its object and to all its subjects, as well as to the divine commandments in general; and influences its possessor to practise universal philanthropy. To the latter our particular attention is now directed by the example of Dorcas; but it must not be forgotten, that though the particular specimen of her excellence be taken from the common offices of kindness and the act of almsgiving, the existence and proportionate vigour of the great principle from which her minor charities resulted must be presupposed, as by observing the fertility of a branch, or the verdure of a twig, or even the greenness of a leaf, we infer the growth of the tree, its root, its stem, and all its various ramifications.
While we contemplate this flouris.h.i.+ng plant of grace, we know that it was deeply ”rooted and grounded” in faith.
The inspired testimony is as follows: ”This woman was full of good works and alms-deeds, which she did.” Amongst other acts of beneficence, she was accustomed to make ”coats and garments” for ”the widows.” Her own circ.u.mstances are not specified. If she were _poor_, as the ma.s.s of Christian converts in the apostolic times appears to have been, her readiness in furnis.h.i.+ng these supplies was admirable indeed. As Paul testified of the Macedonian believers, she contributed to the utmost, yea, and beyond her power: nor are these solitary instances of persons willingly impoveris.h.i.+ng themselves in obedience to the fine impulse of a pious sympathy. While others have calculated, they have acted, incapable of a cold arithmetic and a measured benevolence. If Dorcas were _rich_, she is perhaps ent.i.tled to a still higher commendation. So many are the obstructions which ”great possessions” cast in the way of charity, so many temptations to a lavish expenditure, beset the opulent, and to support this, on the other hand, to a parsimonious, _saving_ habit; so easy is it to frame excuses, and by trifling precautions to escape importunity, or at once to silent it; that it may well excite both wonder and delight to find charity a.s.sociated with splendour. It is surprising, however, and no less deplorable than surprising, that persons of this cla.s.s will not consider for a moment, how easily, with how few sacrifices even of time or money, they might be extensively useful. A single drop of supply from their replenished cup of worldly prosperity, would often make ”the widow's heart sing for joy,” and prove a healing cordial to the sufferings of peris.h.i.+ng humanity. A slight taxation upon even acknowledged superfluity, would in some cases produce an ample revenue for many indigent families, although religion claims on their behalf more than a scanty and unwilling pittance; for ”he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, _so let him give_; not grudgingly or of necessity, for G.o.d loveth a cheerful giver.”
From the sacred narrative, we are led to infer that Dorcas was either a widow herself, possessed perhaps of a moderate competence, a state which seems of all others the most favourable to a benevolent disposition; or one of the cla.s.s of females, sometimes designated by the reproachful epithet of _old maids_. And having introduced the term, it may not be improper to make a short digression upon this subject.
It cannot be doubted that a life of celibacy is unnatural, and contrary to the general appointment of Infinite Wisdom; consequently, a voluntary seclusion of this kind from the duties of our proper sphere as social beings, unless the case be very remarkable, and the counteracting obligation singularly clear, must deserve censure. By this conduct whatever important results are connected with the marriage union by the law of Providence, are deliberately opposed, and the principle is no less sinful than it is pernicious. But the case of determined celibacy is far less common among females than with the other s.e.x, and where it does exist, is usually attended with less evil effects upon the good of society.
In respect to the two most frequent occasions of continuing single, among women of piety, the one demands admiration, the other pity; but neither can, without a total dereliction of all reason and propriety, excite ridicule. The first which has been made, is that of a voluntary resignation of the pleasures and solicitudes of matrimony, for the sake of more extensive usefulness, and at the call of duty. Such is the case of women who deem themselves required, or are considered by others as remarkably qualified for foreign and missionary service in the cause of G.o.d, or who, from the high tone of their irreligious feeling, have ascended to an unusual degree of spiritual elevation of character, and whether called to labour abroad or at home, are desirous of an entire and incessant self-devotement to Jesus Christ. These instances are indeed rare, and can scarcely be estimated by ordinary rules, but they were not unprecedented in the primitive age of Christianity. Dorcas might possibly be a woman of this extraordinary character. Her works were at least worthy of one who was thus bearing the cross, for ”the kingdom of heaven's sake.”