[Jan. 29th, 1860.] I. Who is the Lord? II. In what sense does he reign? III. How this gives ground for rejoicing. I. The Lord is Jehovah, the infinite, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, almighty God. The Lord is the Logos, the Son, the second person of the Trinity. Proof of this. The Lord is the Theanthropos. The Redeemer. The risen and ascended Saviour. II. In what sense does God or the Lord reign? 1. Over the angels. 2. Over the external world. 3. Over the affairs of men as individuals, determining every thing concerning their external circumstances, and their internal life.
-
Over the nations of the earth and all that concerns them.
-
Over the Church; its general destiny, and the course of every denomination. Over the dispensations of his Spirit and over the history of its several individual members.
III. Why the earth should rejoice.
- Because the events of the world are not ordered by chance. Nor by fate. But by infinite wisdom, power and love.
Hence the assurance that all things, or the general course of the world will be guided to the accomplishment of the great object God has in view. For example:—
The condition of the Israelites in Egypt.
Their long sojourn in the wilderness.
Their subsequent dispersion and captivity.
Their being so widely scattered over the world before the advent.
So the persecutions of the Church in every age. The civil war in England, the restoration of the Stuarts, and all great changes in the world.
So now in the present affairs of Europe, and in our own country, we may be sure that God will overrule all things for good.
-
As to the affairs of the Church, its times of declension and revival, the failure of particular enterprises, of particular missions, the loss of great and good men. We may be sure if the Lord reigns: if the Lord who loved the Church and gave himself for it, has all power in his hands, that all will turn out for the best.
-
When we regard ourselves we may rejoice that the Lord reigns, that he who loved and gave himself for us, who loves us more than a mother her infant, directs everything concerning us, our health and sickness, our living and dying, our success or failure. Everything shall work for our good.
-
Hence the duty of submission and resignation.
-
The duty of cheerful hope and confidence.
-
The duty of alacrity and diligence in the discharge of all our duties.
This government of God is, 1. Universal.
-
It is absolute—a sovereign.
-
It is consonant with his nature and that of his creatures.
-
It involves the use of second causes and agents.
-
It is mysterious.
-
It is infinite, wise and benevolent.
Joseph Addison Alexander
He was four years old when his father came to Princeton. His whole education was here.
I. It was conducted in a great degree in his father’s family. He had teachers, of course, and went through college. But he was mainly self-educated. His disposition to study was such that he was left to follow his own tastes. Before fourteen he read through the Koran, then Persic, then Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldee. Then Greek and Latin. Then the modern languages.
II. His literary culture, or familiarity with the literature of all these languages, and especially his own, was unparalleled.
III. His vast stores of learning in the departments of history, antiquities, of Scriptural interpretation and criticism. All works on all these subjects he had read.
IV. His intellectual powers. 1. His wonderful memory. 2. His power of logic. 3. His comprehensiveness of mind and the power of combination. 4. The vigor and chasteness of his imagination.
V. His ability as a writer, in the possession of language, in conciseness and clearness, purity and vigor of style.
VI. His sincere devotion to the truth. His faith in the infallible authority of the gospel, and his reverence for the word of God, and his thorough orthodoxy notwithstanding his familiarity with all forms of modern, historical, and doctrinal scepticism.
VII. His deep unassuming piety.
← 238. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Cor. 2:9 · Contents · 240. As I was allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel. 1 Thess. 2:4 →