Address to the Children

My dear children. Jubilee! Jubilee! What a sweet word, what a joyful sound is this, as you will know, when I explain its meaning. You have heard a great deal about it of late in reference to myself. I have just completed the fiftieth year of my happy ministry to the congregation assembling in Carrs Lane Chapel, and they have kindly determined to mark the event with some public token of their favor.

I was very unwilling that you should have no share in the joys of the occasion, and therefore requested that, instead of receiving anything to gratify the appetite, or having an excursion, which however innocent would be soon over and forgotten, you might be assembled to hear an address from Mr. Dale, and to accept a little book, written by myself for the occasion, and which, after you have read it, you might carefully preserve through all your future life, as the memorial of an event in which I believe you take an interest.

In considering what subject I should choose for this address, I soon decided that it should be in strict harmony with the occasion, and such as would help you to remember it. I shall therefore set before you three Jubilees--that of the Jews, my own, and yours.

I. You will find an account of the JEWISH Jubilee in the twenty-fifth chapter of the book of Leviticus, from which, when you read it, you will learn that it was a festival to be observed by the Jews every fiftieth year; when all slaves were to be made free, all debts to be cancelled, and all estates that had been sold by the people, were to be restored to the families to whom they originally belonged. The word jubilee signifies to restore, or bring back, in reference to the circumstances just mentioned. This festival was ushered in by the blowing of trumpets at early dawn, and by the songs and shouts of the people.

What a joyful time it must have been! With what delight the poor slaves and debtors would go to bed on the eve of that happy morning which was to set them free! I suppose they would not sleep for joy; and when the day dawned, and the sound of the trumpets was heard, what shouts would fill the land! How the slaves would be seen running about the streets, shaking each other's hands, with smiles upon their countenances, and tears of joy running down their cheeks, saying to each other, "We are free! We are free! The year of Jubilee has come!" There was no ringing of bells, no firing of cannon, for neither bells nor cannon were invented in those days; but the land would be filled with the sound of rejoicing.

My dear children, praise God that you live in a country where even the mild slavery that God permitted to the Jews does not exist. I hope you often repeat the beautiful verses—

I thank the goodness and the grace
Which on my birth have smiled,
And made me in these latter days,
A happy English child.

I was not born a little slave,
To labor in the sun,
And wish I were but in my grave,
And all my labor done.

The Jubilee was a striking proof of God's wisdom and mercy to the Jews. It served many kind and gracious purposes in reference to them, some of which I will now briefly enumerate.

It reminded them that God was their supreme ruler, and had a right to dispose of them and their property.

It taught them a great lesson of kindness to their brethren.

It prevented them from sinking into lasting poverty.

It kept up the distinction of the families and tribes of the Jews, so necessary to prove the pedigree of Christ's human nature, as descended from the tribe of Judah and the family of David.

But, my dear children, there was another design of the Jubilee, which I will now explain. You know it was a part of that law of Moses of which the Apostle says, "The law was a shadow of things to come, but the substance is the Messiah." Did you ever read the book of Exodus and Leviticus? If so, you have perhaps been surprised to find so much said about the priests, the sacrifices, the feast days, and also the form, and furniture, and services of the temple; and have been led to wonder why God should concern himself so much about what may seem to you to be such little things. The reason of all this is, that those little things under the law and in the Jewish worship, were emblems of greater things under the gospel. God taught the Jews spiritual truths by outward signs, just as you know he teaches us the influence of his Holy Spirit by baptism, and the death of Christ by the Lord's Supper.

Now the Jubilee was a type, or emblem of the blessings of salvation which were obtained for us by the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. All mankind, you know, and you among the rest, have sinned against God, and are both guilty and in bondage to sin; and are thus debtors to God, and have lost their heavenly inheritance. Children, do you ever think of this? What a solemn thought it is, that you have already, though so young, sinned against God! Now "God so loved the world as to give his only begotten son" to die for us on the cross. God laid upon him our sins, which he willingly bore in his body on the tree.

And now whoever sincerely repents of his sins, and truly believes in Christ, is delivered from the slavery of sin, has all his debts, that is, his sins, freely forgiven, and will have everlasting life. Thus you see, the preaching of the gospel and its blessings, constitute our Jubilee. Every time you hear the gospel preached, it is to you what the blowing of the trumpet on the first morning of the Jubilee, was to the Jews. Yes, my children, sabbath after sabbath your minister is saying to you, "the year of Jubilee has come." I will refer you to two passages of scripture, one in the Old Testament and the other in the New, where, no doubt, express allusion is made to this subject, and which are proofs that the Jubilee was intended to set forth, in emblem, Christian blessings. Isaiah 61:1, 2; Luke 4:16, 19. Before you go further, take your Bibles, and read these beautiful passages.

My children, what wondrous love it was in God to send his only begotten Son to die for you upon the cross. Yes, I say, for you as much as for me. How true is it that God is love. What a glorious description of God this is! do dwell upon it, God is love! And this is the commendation and manifestation of his love, to give Jesus Christ to suffer the cruel and ignominious death of the cross for our salvation. I have read of a family that lived in a country where people were sold for slaves. In time of a dreadful famine, the parents proposed to sell one of the children for a slave, to buy bread for the rest.

It was a painful situation to be in. "Which shall it be?" they said. The eldest? "No! he is our first-born, we cannot part from him." The second? "No!" says the wife, "he is so like his father, I cannot spare him." The third? "No!" says the husband, "he is the very image of his mother, I cannot give him up." The youngest? "What!" said both parents, "yield that young and tender boy? impossible!" So they resolved to starve together, or trust in God for further preservation, rather than sell one of their children. This was parental love, and a beautiful instance of it too, was it not? What then, is the wondrous love of God? "Who spared not his only begotten Son, but freely delivered him up for us all."

Oh, my dear children, have you ever thought of this love, and the love of Jesus in being willing to die the tormenting and ignominious death of the cross for you? Have you ever gone to him and asked him to deliver you from the slavery of your evil tempers, for you know you have some? Do they not make you unhappy, yes, as wretched sometimes as a poor slave in his fetters, and even more so? Go to him and ask him to forgive your debts, and to give you your heavenly inheritance which you have lost by sin.

Dear children, while the Jubilee trumpet of the gospel is sounding in your ears, and saying, "If the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed," go to him and say, "Lord Jesus, though I am so young, I am a sinner, in mercy forgive my sins. I have many evil tempers which bring me into bondage, O give me your grace to renew my heart and make me free, that when I die I may have the inheritance which is "incorruptible, undefiled, and that fades not away." Oh what a blessed thing it will be for you, to be one of the liberated captives of the Christian Jubilee!

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