b. Charge to believers
6. Applications
a. Warning to the lost
And now, where are the scoffers of these last days, who count the lives of Christians to be madness, and their end to be without honor? Unhappy men! you know not what you do. Were your eyes open and had you senses to discern spiritual things, you would not speak all manner of evil against the children of God, but you would esteem them as the excellent ones of the earth and envy their happiness. Your souls would hunger and thirst after it; you also would become fools for Christ’s sake. You boast of wisdom, so did the philosophers of Corinth—but your wisdom is the foolishness of folly in the sight of God.
What will your wisdom avail you, if it does not make you wise unto salvation? Can you, with all your wisdom, propose a more consistent scheme to build your hopes of salvation on, than what has been now laid down before you? Can you, with all the strength of natural reason, find out a better way of acceptance with God than by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is it right to think your own works can in any measure deserve or procure it?
If not, why will you not believe in Him? Why will you not submit to His righteousness? Can you deny that you are fallen creatures? Do not you find that you are full of disorders, and that these disorders make you unhappy? Do not you find that you cannot change your own hearts? Have you not resolved many and many a time, and have not your corruptions yet dominion over you? Are you not bond-slaves to your lust, and led captive by the devil at his will?
Why then will you not come to Christ for sanctification? Do you not desire to die the death of the righteous, and that your future state may be like theirs? I am persuaded you cannot bear the thought of being annihilated, much less of being miserable forever. Whatever you may pretend, if you speak truth, you must confess that conscience breaks in upon you in your more sober intervals, whether you will or not, and even constrains you to believe that hell is no painted fire. And why then will you not come to Christ? He alone can procure you everlasting redemption!
Haste, haste away to Him, poor beguiled sinners. You lack wisdom; ask it of Christ. Who knows but He may give it you? He is able, for He is the wisdom of the Father; He is that wisdom which was from everlasting. You have no righteousness; away, therefore, to Christ: He is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth. You are unholy; flee to the Lord Jesus: He is full of grace and truth; and of His fullness, all may receive that believe in Him. You are as if afraid to die; let this drive you to Christ: He has the keys of death and hell. In Him is plenteous redemption; He alone can open the door that leads to everlasting life.
Let not, therefore, the deceived reasoner boast any longer of his pretended reason. Whatever you may think, it is the most unreasonable thing in the world not to believe on Jesus Christ, Whom God hath sent. Why, why will you die? Why will you not come unto Him that you may have life? Oh! every one that thirsteth, come unto the waters of life and drink freely: Come, buy without money and without price (Isa 55:1). Were these blessed privileges in the text to be purchased with money, you might say, “we are poor, and cannot buy.” Or were they to be conferred only on sinners of such a rank or degree, then you might say, “how can such sinners as we expect to be so highly favored?” But they are to be freely given of God to the worst of sinners!—to us, says the apostle: to me a persecutor; to you Corinthians, who were unclean, drunkards, covetous persons, idolaters.
Therefore, each poor sinner may say then, “why not unto me?” Has Christ but one blessing? What if He has blessed millions already by turning them away from their iniquities, yet He still continues the same. He lives forever to make intercession, and therefore will bless you, even you also. Though, Esau-like, you have been profane and hitherto despised your heavenly Father’s birth-right (Gen 25:30 ff.); even now, if you believe, Christ will be made to you of God, “wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”
b. Charge to believers
But I must turn again to believers for whose instruction, as I observed before, this discourse was particularly intended. You see, brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, what great blessings are treasured up for you in Jesus Christ your Head, and what you are entitled to by believing on His name. Take heed, therefore, that “ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Eph 4:1). Think often how highly you are favored; and remember, you have not chosen Christ, but Christ hath chosen you.
Put on, as the elect of God, humbleness of mind and glory; but let it be only in the Lord, for you have nothing but what you have received of God (1Co 4:7). By nature ye were as foolish, as unholy, and in as damnable a condition as others. Be pitiful, therefore, be courteous; and, as sanctification is a progressive work, beware of thinking you have already attained. Let him that is holy be holy still; knowing that he who is most pure in heart shall hereafter enjoy the clearest vision of God. Let indwelling sin be your daily burden; and not only bewail and lament, but see that you subdue it daily by the power of divine grace. Look up to Jesus continually to be the finisher, as well as the author, of your faith (Heb 12:2).
Build not on your own faithfulness, but on God’s unchangeableness. Take heed of thinking you stand by the power of your own free will. The everlasting love of God the Father must be your only hope and consolation; let this support you under all trials. Remember that God’s gifts and callings are without repentance (Rom 11:29); that Christ having once loved you, will love you to the end. Let this constrain you to obedience, and not only be your wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, but also your complete and everlasting redemption. “Glory to God in the highest” (Luk 2:14)!