BY THE REV. JOHN MACDONALD, CALCUTTA.
IV.
(Continued from p. 108.)
Say not, “I have done my best.” No, you have not done your best; and even if you had, the Law will receive no excuse, nothing short of perfect obedience in every thought, word and deed. Hear what it saith to you, even to you: “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the Law to do them” (Gal. iii. 10). Oh, I would to God I could make you see what an awful thing it is to be thus under the curse of the Almighty God who made you! for His curse is no vain words: Cursed in life, cursed in death, cursed through Eternity, cursed in every thought, in every word, in every action, cursed in every morsel you eat, in every drop you drink, in every breath you breathe, the Earth a curse to you, for it tempts you to sin, Heaven a curse to you, because you shall be shut out from it, and Hell the sum of the curse, because you shall be forever tormented by yourself, by devils, by the damned, and by the exceeding fierceness of Divine wrath, in that awful lake of fire and of brimstone, of weepings, of wailings, and of gnashings of teeth! Over that pit you are every moment hung by the much provoked forbearance of God as by a hair; the weight of another sin may break that hair, and where are you? Far beyond the reach of Mercy’s voice! Oh! think seriously of these words of God Himself: “Because there is wrath beware lest He take thee away at a stroke; then a great ransom cannot deliver thee” (Job xxxvi.). These are awful sayings; but they are true; and true you will find them to be, perhaps on a death-bed, but certainly on the judgment-day, if you take not warning now.
“My God, I feel the mournful scene;
My bowels yearn o’er dying men;
And fain my pity would reclaim,
And snatch the firebrands from the flame!”
My dear young friends, it is to you, in this very condition, weak, mortal, sinful, condemned, and every moment in danger of everlasting destruction, that the offer of salvation is made. It is therefore to you, as such, that I address this important query, in the words of Jesus Himself: I. “What think you of Christ?” What is the answer of your heart to this? Do you wish to pass by this question unanswered; then, indeed, I do pity your poor unfortunate heart, when the very mention of Christ’s name, when the bare recollection of all those sorrows and agonies which He endured on our behalf, cannot for one moment stop the current of your vain thoughts. Oh, do not think it trouble for one little moment to pause and consider this matter! I do not wish to torment you, but to save you from torment. If, however, you harden yourself, and pass by this question with indifference, then you have, with a firm foot, advanced one step nearer to destruction, you sin against love unsearchable. Well, what say you? Is your answer, “I don’t know what to think of Him.” This will not do. What! did the well-beloved and eternal Son of God endure all those awful sufferings for sin, that a vile worm, whom He could in a moment crush into misery, should dare, in His very presence, to say, “I know not what to think of Thee!” O cruelty! had you with that hard heart been with the Jews, you, too, would have cried out, “Crucify Him, crucify Him”
(To be continued.)
Searmoinean leis an Arramach Honghas MacMhaolain.
Searmoin X.
xc. Sailm, 11 Rann.
“Co d’ an aithne neart t-fheirge, agus a reir t-eagail
do choruich.”
(Air a leantuinn o t.-d. 70.)
- Anns an àite mu dheireadh, cha ‘n ‘eil eagal corruich Dhe idir na eagal gun aobhar; oir ciod an t-aobhar eagail as mo a dh’ fheudas a bhi aig creutair sam bith anns a chruitheachd, na corruich an uile-chumhachdaich? Tha choruich so na h-aobhar eagail do chumhachdaibh an dorchadais; tha na deamhain a creidsinn, agus a criothnachadh: agus nam biodh clann nan daoine a creidsinn air an doigh cheudna; bhiodh an saoghal uile air chrith le eagal feirge Dhè. Ach tha luchd-àiteachaidh an t-saoghail anns a choitchionn a deanamh miodal riu féin, agus ga’ mealladh féin le dòchas faoin, a tha ga ‘n eumail aig fois anns a pheacadh. Gidheadh, cha ‘n ‘eil anns an fhois so, ach fois a bhàis, fois a tha dearbhadh gu bheil iad marbh ann an ea-ceartaibh, ‘s ann am peacaibh, fois a tha gan ullachadh air cionn an ionad anns nach fhaigh iad tamh no fois gu siorruidh. Nam biodh mothochadh geur aig daoiné air an cionta, nam biodh iad a tuigsinn an cunnart, agus a creidsinn gu bheil Dia ann an corruich riu gach là, cha ‘n fheudadh iad a bhi aig fois, cha b’ urrainn doibh a bhi saor o eagal. Tha eagal mòr a deanamh greim air cuid do na h-aingidh gu tric, mu ‘m bheil iad a fágail an t-saoghail so; tha iad a dol sios do ghleann dorchà sgàil a bhàis lan eagal; ach ciod air bith meud na h-imcheist anns am bheil iad, cha ‘n ‘eil i idir os ceann aobhar an eagail. Bithidh na h-aingidh uile làn eagail aig la a bhreitheanais; bithidh na gaisgich a bu treise, a bu mho misneach a bha riamh air thalamh, air chrith, o mhullach an cinn gu bonn an coise; cha bhi neach a’ measg an t-sluaigh do àireamh a bhiteas air laimh chlith a bhreitheamh, nach bi ‘g eìgheach a mach le h-eagal—”Co dh’ fheudas seasamh?” Ach ciod air bith co mòr ‘s a dh’ fheudas eagal nan aing’each a bhi aig uair a bhàis, no aig la a bhreitheanais, cha ‘n fheud e air chor sam a bhi os ceann aobhar an eagail; oir “co d’ an aithne neart feirge Dhé? co dh’ fheudas fuireach ann an dian theas a chorr-uch? amhluidh mar a ta eagal mòr-san, tha lasair fheirge d’ a réir.”
AN COMH-DHUNADH.
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Anns a cheud àite, feudaidh sinn fhoghluim o’n teagasg so, gu ‘m bheil am peacadh ‘na olc ro mhòr, ‘na olc a chaidh thar gach uile eòlas. ‘S e ‘m peacadh an t-olc as mo, ‘s as milltich a th’ anns an t-saoghail gu h-iomlan. Chuir e dealachadh eadar Dia agus daoiné; chuir e ‘n creutair agus an cruith-fhear an aghaidh a cheile; agus tha e gu tric a tarruing corruich an Uile-chumhachdaich o na flaithéis air luchd-àiteachaidh na talmhainn. ‘S e ‘m peacadh a b’ aobhar do bhròn anabarrach, agus do bhàs amhgharach an Tighearn Iosa Criosd. ‘S e a b’ aobhar do gach plaigh is breitheanas, leis an d’ rinn Dia Cinnich cheannairceach an t-saoghail so a smachdachadh, o thoiseach gus an la ‘n diugh; agus ‘s e aobhar gach truaighe, as eigin do na h-aingidh fhulang ann an ifrinn trid saoghail nan saoghail. O cia mòr ar feum air saorsa fhaotaann o ni mhallaicht’ so, am peacadh!
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Feudaidh sinn a thuigsinn o ‘n teagasg so, gu bheil e ‘na ni eagalach do pheacaich neo-iompaichte, tuiteam ann an lamhaibh an Dé bheò. Ann an aon seadh, tha peacaich neo-iompaichte ‘n comhnuidh ann an lamhaibh an Dé bheò; tha iad gach là ann a shealladh, fo a uachd-aranachd, agus buailteach do ‘n fhearg a ta ri teachd. Feudaidh Dia ruigheachd orra uair sam bith as toileach leis a lamh a shineadh; feudaidh e am maor a chuir nan deigh, greim a dheanamh orra, agus an toirt an làthair cathair breitheanais, uair sam bith as àill leis. Ach ‘s ann gu sonruichte aig uair a bhàis, agus aig la a bhreitheanais, a tha peacaich a tuiteam ann a lamhaibh; agus an uair a tha iad a tuiteam anns na lamhaibh cumhachdach so, cha ‘n ‘eil dol as aca gu siorruidh. Mar nach ‘eil namhaid sam bith comasach caoraich Chriosd a spionadh as a lamhaibh, ni mo tha creutair sam bith comasach na h-aingidh a shaoradh o chumbachd na feirge, leis am bi iad air an claoichd tre bhith-bhuantachd, ann an ionad na dòrainn.
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Tha e soilleir, nach eil creutair sam bith comasach seasamh fo chumhachd feirge Dhé. Ma sheallas e air an talamh ann an corruich, criothnuichidh e; ma bheanas e ris na sleibhtibh, theid deatach uatha; agus ma lasas a choruich ach gu beag an aghaidh dhaoin, fainichidh an eridhe, agus theid as d’ am misneach; “oir spiorad leòinte co dh’ fheudas a ghiulan?” Co tha comasach seasamh roimh corran geur a bhàis? na dol as anns a chath ris an namhaid dheireannach? C’ àite am bheil an gaisgeach, a bhios comasach seasamh an aghaidh na feirge a bhios air a foillseachadh aig la a bhreitheanais? Air an la mhòr agus eagalach so, gheibhear righrean, ceannardan, agus daoine cumhachdach an t-saoghail so, anmhunn mar uisge, air chrith mar dhùileach, agus ag éigheach ris na sleibhtibh tuiteam orra, agus am folach o ghnuis an ti a ta ‘na shuidhe air an righ chaithir, agus o fheirg an Uain.
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Feudaidh sinn fhoghlum o ‘n teagasg so, co feumail ‘s a tha e do pheacaich, teicheadh o stoirm corruich Dhé, a dh’ ionnsuidh an Tighearn Iosa Chriosd. Tha Dia ann an corruich ri peacaich neo-iompaichte gach là, tha ‘fhearg a gabhail comhnuidh orra, agus cha ‘n ‘eil dol as aca o ‘n fheirg so, ach le teicheadh a dh’ ionnsuidh Chriosd. Uime sin, tha e feumail do na h-uile le ‘n àill dol as o thruaigne shiòrruiddh, am peacadh a threigsinn, dealachadh r’ an iodhalaibh, agus teicheadh gun dàil, chum dion, agus fasgadh fhaotainn d’ an anamaibh ciontach, fo sgaile fuil, agus fireantachd Chriosd. An uair a thainig an dìle air an tlamh, bha e na aobhar taignealachd do Noah gu robh an Airc ullamh, a dorus fosgailte, agus cothrom aig air dol a steach, agus e féin fholach o ‘n stoirm.