LECTURE LIV.

THE MEMORY OF THE JUST.

PROVERBS X. 7.

"The memory of the just is blessed.”

THE mind often goes back in review of the past human world. The vision stretches away, from the immediate past to the remotest ages, from the point where we are standing to the remotest horizon or Time. And on this great field there are presented all the grand varieties of character. They come to view in great divisions and assemblages-in mass, as it were-bearing the broad distinctions of their respective ages, nations, and religions. They are beheld placed in the crowded scenery of the events and transactions among which they lived. But here and there, in the throng of these great assemblages, individuals stand up conspicuously to view-of extraordinary and pre-eminent character and action. Such pre-eminence in their time they must have had to remain now conspicuous in the far-off retrospect, or even to be seen from the shorter distance of a few ages or a century. When we come down to the time within our own memory, some that were not in themselves so eminently remarkable are often, individually, brought to our recollection.

Now reflect,-in what different lights, in what different aspects of character, the human beings of past time are presented to our thoughts. How many of them are there that an odious and horrid character perpetually rests upon? They seem to bear eternal curses on their heads. A vindictive ray of Heaven's lightning seems continually darting

down upon them. They appear as the special points of communication and attraction between a wicked world and the Divine Vengeance. Cain stands high in sight, stained with a brother's blood. There are all the bloody conquerors, -the cruel tyrants,-the persecutors of the servants of God, the unjust judges. Also the enemies of truth, and perverters of the human mind;-the inventors of false religions-the grand impostors ;-the contrivers of a system to falsify and debase the religion of Christ itself, to subserve the worst passions and purposes on earth!—the great infidel labourers and zealots for the subversion of Divine truth; the profligate men of talents and genius, who have devoted their utmost energy to deprave their fellow mortals. And, more within the compass of our own actual knowledge, various individuals malignantly wicked, odious in disposition, speech, and conduct. We have but to add, the great and countless multitude, collectively, that have gone away into the past, and are there indistinctly seen, as strangers to religion and holiness, and enemies of God. And, what an awful retrospect is all this! A race, whose business here, every one, was to serve God,-to grow into wisdom and excellence,-to do good to one another,-to mature and prepare for another life. And all these gone away into another state, another world, and that a state of retribution! And gone, in that same character unaltered in which they lived on earth! And think! here on earth, indeed, they are now only subjects of history or objects of memory,-only images of the mind; they do not actually with their presence darken the living scene any longer; but somewhere, they are actual existences, in the full reality of the properties they bore away with them. And reflect,-if sometimes the mind, in contemplative mode, feels an awful sense of evil-feels something at which it shudders and recoils, in but entering closely

ainong the very images of them, what would it be to be in their actual presence? to be plunged among them, with all their evil in immediate living manifestation and action? And those who are following them, in the same spirit and course, what do they think of being added to such an assembly? Do they expect to find them in a realm of peace? Or, that any heaven in the universe will smile auspicious over such a community ? Or, that the continual accession to the dark host will exalt them into successful defiance of

Almighty Justice ? What do they think of the social condition, and the sympathies, of such an assemblage, continually augmented? which of all the charities of existence can live in a continual condensation of evil? can the effect be other than the mutual explosion of deadly flames ?

They who are themselves going, as fast as time can carry them, toward another world, should consider whom, what class, they are going after, and to be added to. And in order to press this consideration powerfully on the mind, it will be wise to dwell sometimes on the memory of the wicked; always recollecting, as a warning excitement, that the same fallen nature, which appears under so dark an aspect and malediction in such a review, that this very same nature is ours. And that for us there is an absolute necessity for the operation and the indwelling of the Divine Spirit, in order to secure that we shall be added to a better assembly, when we shall pass away to remain no longer but in memory on earth.

This gloomy part of the retrospect will, by contrast, add to the lustre of the more pleasing one-" the memory of the Just."

There has been "a multitude that no man can number" bearing on earth, and bearing away from it, the true image of their Father in heaven;-of many nations and languages – of every age of time,-and of all conditions in mortal life.

An infinite number of spots, if we may express it so, in time and place, have been marked by the fact of a just man, -in many instances more, or many, just men,-being there. The traveller in different portions of the earth is often, unknowingly, on a spot where a just man has stood,walked-meditated-prayed,-perhaps died. It will sometimes occur to thought, when treading a long frequented path, how many have trodden it that are gone to heaven. A similar thought still more positively occurring in a place long dedicated to the true worship of God. The saints of God in the past time are presented as a general comprehensive object to our memory; while comparatively few of them are singly prominent in record or recollection,—we see with certainty, in the retrospect, a bright, ample appearance composed of their multitude; like that luminous tract in the starry heavens, where we cannot (with the unassisted eye) distinguish, individually, the stars, but know that it is an incalculable profusion of them that constitutes the appearance. There may be some spirit's eye to which this vast tract of dim light in the sky is all resolved into its distinct lustres. And who can tell whether good men may not at length receive so mighty an enlargement of faculty as to be empowered to note individually all the good men of their whole race? It must be a faculty capable of admitting a distinct perception of a vast variety of objects at once; so different from the present state of our mental being, in which we can give a pointed special attention to but one object at once. But surely there is no difficulty to conceive that there may be a grand change in this respect hereafter.

But, besides this view of "the cloud of witnesses," this innumerable assemblage, as it were confused into one appearance, we have many of "the just" retained to memory

as individuals. Some that will be memorable all over the

Christian world, and to the end of time; Patriarchs;Prophets;-Apostles ;-the most eminent of the promoters of religion and truth, through the subsequent ages;-some of the martyrs ;-the reformers;-the missionaries ;-the philanthropists;- -an illustrious array of the noblest servants of God, and benefactors of the world. And of more limited sphere, and in the private circle, some have been known to us who remain unalterably fixed and cherished in memory, in the character of “the just." They abide there, and ever will, kept alive, as it were, the images, the examples, the personifications of what we approve, admire, and feel that we ought to love and to be.

Now, their memory "is blessed," self-evidently so, for the mind blesses it, reverts to it with complacency, mingled with solemnity, returns to it with delight from the sight of the living evil in the world, sometimes even prefers this silent society to the living good. We can devoutly bless God that they were such,-and that as such we have had the happiness to know some of them. They show, in the most evident and pleasing manner, the gracious connexion which God has constantly maintained with a sinful world. His uninterrupted connexion with it by justice and sovereign power has been manifest in mighty evidence: but his saints have been the peculiar illustration of his grace, his mercy, acting on this world. Not all the repulsion of our evil nature could prevent his benignity coming in operative contact with it. Here and there, as it were with his finger, instinct with vivifying energy, which emanated from it, he has touched the dead corrupted mass, and imparted life-and, wherever touched, it became sensible of the vital power; a soul rose up in spiritual life, to live for ever; and blessed the irresistible grace. Wherever such have been, there having been such has left a bright trace on the world,

VOL. II.