John 4:34.

John 4:34.

  I.      What Christ has declared of the Father—

God himself is invisible to the eye of sense: even Moses was permitted to see only his back partsb. But Christ had a peculiar relation to the Father as “his only-begotten Son;” and a most intimate acquaintance with him, as being from all eternity, and at that very hour, “in his bosom.” He has made known the Father to us, and declared,

  1.      His nature—

[Mankind had gross conceptions of the Deity as a material Being: but Christ has assured us of his perfect Spirituality. Nor was the Unity of God clearly ascertained among the Gentiles: but Christ has left no room for doubt upon this subject. He has, moreover, revealed to us a Trinity of persons in the Godhead. He has affirmed in the plainest terms his own Oneness with the Father. He has spoken of the Holy Ghost as co-existing with himself and with the Fatherf, and has joined the Three together as equal in authority and honour. Thus has he enabled us by faith to “see him who is invisible.”]

  2.      His perfections—

[God had long since proclaimed his own name to Moses; but Christ has afforded us more abundant discoveries of all his attributes. He has clearly shewn us that his goodness is unbounded, his sovereignty uncontrolledk, his power irresistible, his justice inflexiblem, his mercy infinite, and his truth inviolableo. There is not any thing relating to his Father, the knowledge of which could be at all serviceable to us, that he has not revealed.]

He did not however merely utter these things like the prophets of old:

  II.      How he declared him—

Christ had formerly spoken of God in and by the prophets; but now he declared the Father in a different manner:

  1.      By exhibiting a perfect pattern of him—

[He was himself an exact resemblance of the Father, and in his conduct exhibited every perfection of the Deitys. Hence a sight of him was, in fact, a sight of the Father himself.]

  2.      By making known his counsels—

[Much of the Father’s counsels had lain hid from the foundation of the world, or had been very imperfectly revealed. Christ opened them to his hearers as they were able to bear them. He made known God’s intention to admit the Gentiles into his Churchx, and assured us that the most abandoned of mankind should be cordially received the very instant he returned to God; but that none of whatever character could be saved, unless they sought acceptance with God through his mediationz. Thus by these declarations he has enabled us to attain a more perfect knowledge of the Father’s mind and will.]

  3.      By exerting a secret energy on the minds of men—

[No man could know the Father unless Christ revealed him inwardly by his Spirit, as well as outwardly by the word. His very Disciples understood not until he opened their eyesb: nor can we attain to a true knowledge of God in any other way. The “word must come to us in power and in the Holy Ghost,” or it will come in vain; but, when applied by his Spirit, it shall teach us plainly of the Fatherd.]

  INFER—

  1.      How glorious a person must Christ be!

[The description given of him shews his superiority above every created being: He is not the Son of God by creation, as the angels are, nor by regeneration and adoption, as men; but by an inexplicable generation, his “Only-begotten;” and, as well in his incarnate as in his pre-existent state, was continually “in the bosom of the Father.” Nor was any other worthy to reveal the Father to us. Let us then entertain just conceptions of his worth and dignity, and manifest our delight in him as the saints in heaven dof.]

  2.      How precious ought the Scriptures to be to us!

[Job and David had but a small portion of the Scriptures in their hands: yet did they value them above every thing in the world. How much more should we, who possess the sacred oracles entire! In these is recorded every thing that Christ has declared; and by these we may be made wise unto salvation. Let us then search them with diligence, and treasure them up in our hearts; nor let a day pass without our digging into those invaluable minesi.]

  3.      How inexcusable are they who are ignorant of God!

[It is to our shame that many of us are still ignorant of God: we have not that knowledge of him that produces correspondent affections towards him. But what excuse can we offer in extenuation of our guilt? Has not Christ declared the Father in order that we might know him? And is he not willing also to reveal him in us by his powerful energy on our souls? Some, doubtless, are more guilty than others in proportion as they have possessed means of instruction; but all will find the consequences of their ignorance most tremendous. Let all begin then to inquire after God with their whole hearts, nor rest till they have attained that knowledge of him which is life eternalm.]

MDCI

CHRIST THE LAMB OF GOD

             John 1:29.

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

IN the general estimation of the world, they are reputed great who bear sway over their fellow-creatures, and are surrounded with pomp and splendour. But, with God, men are accounted great according as they possess a knowledge of his ways, and advance the ends of his government. Hence we are told by our Lord himself that John the Baptist, a plain rustic man, clothed with coarse raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle, and subsisting on the spontaneous produce of the wilderness, was the greatest of all men that had ever been born. And what was it that so exalted him, not only above all the monarchs of the mightiest empires, but above Abraham, or Moses, or David, or any other of the prophets? It was this: they had seen Christ only at a distance, and spoken of him only in dark prophecies; but he beheld him personally; and, having discovered him by an infallible sign from heaven, pointed him out to others as that very Lamb of God, who should take away the sin of the world. Through the goodness of God, we may be as much exalted above him, as he was above others, if we behold Jesus in the character which is here assigned him; because the completion of his sacrificial work, together with the more perfect revelation of it, which we have in the New Testament, enables us to enter far more deeply into the mystery of redemption, and more fully to comply with the ends and designs of God in it. To forward therefore your truest advancement, we shall,

  I.      Illustrate the character of our Lord as it is here described—

[Under the law there were lambs offered every morning and evening in sacrifice to God; and it is to these, and not to the Paschal Lamb, that St. John refers. They were to be of the first year, and without blemish: and by the continual offering up of them God was pacified, as it were, so that his wrath did not break forth to destroy his people on account of their daily transgressions. Such a lamb was Christ: he was the Lamb, whom all the others typified. He was truly without spot or blemish; and was offered on the altar of his cross, not merely for the good, but in the stead, of sinners. He was really a propitiatory sacrifice, inasmuch as he bore in his own body the curse due to sine, and expiated all its guilt. As there was no variation of the daily sacrifices, but only a repetition of the same, so his one offering of himself is the sole cause of our acceptance with God: nor need that to be repeated, because the virtue of it extends from the beginning to the end of time; “he is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Nor is it the sin of one nation only that he takes away, but the sin of the whole worldg. He was eminently the Lamb of God, having been chosen to that office by God, and being accepted by him on our behalf in the discharge of it: He was “an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.”]

  II.      Call more particularly your attention to him—

  1.      Let the careless sinner “behold” him—

[It is but too evident that they, who live in the neglect of God and their own souls, know little of the evil and malignity of sin. But let such persons view the Son of God leaving the bosom of his Father, and assuming our nature to atone for sin: let them go to Gethsemane and behold him bathed in a bloody sweat through the agonies of his soul: let them follow him to Calvary, and hear him crying in the depths of dereliction, “My God, my God! why hast thou forsaken me?” Let them view him expiring under the curse and condemnation of the law; and then let them judge, whether sin be so light and venial an evil as they imagine? Let them bethink themselves, “if such things were done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” Let them behold him whom they have pierced, yea, whom they are daily crucifying afresh, and mournk. Let them know that what he suffered was for them; and that, if they be only willing to humble themselves for their iniquities, the benefits of his death shall extend to them. O that we might all so behold him, as to experience the efficacy of his blood in the removal of our sins!]

  2.      Let the self-righteous moralist “behold” him—

[How strange is it that any one, who bears the name of Christ, should expect salvation by the works of the law! Why should that Lamb of God have come down from heaven to expiate our guilt, if sin could have been taken away by means of any repentance or righteousness of ours? What truth could there be in the Baptist’s assertion, if pardon were to be obtained in any other way than through the sacrifice of Christ? Yea, for what end could so many thousands of lambs have bled upon the altar, but to shew, that “without shedding of blood there could be no remission;” and consequently, to lead the attention of all to that Lamb of God, that should in due time be offered on the cross? Let such indignity then be no longer shewn to the Saviour of the world: but, as it is his office to take away our sin, let us renounce all self-righteous hopes, and trust entirely in his all-atoning sacrifice.]

  3.      Let the mourning penitent “behold” him—

[No sight under heaven can be so welcome to a contrite soul as a sight of Jesus dying in the place of sinners: for, can we suppose, that he was appointed of God to make atonement for us, and that he executed his commission by dying on the cross, and that, after all, he is unable or unwilling to take away our sin? Was he designed to be a “propitiation for the sins of the whole world,” and is there such malignity in the sins of any individual, that there is not a sufficiency in his blood to atone for them? Let us put away such disparaging thoughts of this Lamb of God: let us view him as infinite both in power and grace: let us listen to his encouraging invitation, “Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:” and let us, whatever be our state, trust in him, as “able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him.”]

  4.      Let the professor of godliness “behold” him—

[Well may you rejoice in the sufficiency of your Saviour’s merits; well may you glory in the security which his blood affords you. But remember, it is not the guilt of sin only that he removes, but the power of it also: and the experience of the latter is our only evidence that we have experienced the former. “To redeem us from the love and practice of iniquity, and to purify us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works,” was no less the intent of his death, than to deliver us from condemnation.” While therefore we behold the Lamb of God as the ground of our hope, let us also behold him as a pattern for our imitationo. Let us follow his steps in all meekness and patience, in all purity and holiness: and let us convince the world that faith in Christ, so far from relaxing our zeal for good works, is the strongest incentive to the performance of them.]

MDCII

SIGHT OF JESUS, A SOURCE OF JOY

  John 1:45.

Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

A GENERAL expectation of the Messiah prevailed in Israel at the time of our Saviour’s advent: and when his forerunner, John the Baptist, was sent, very wonderful were the effects produced by his ministry. Though he did no miracle, yet he excited the attention of the whole Jewish nation. The sanctity of his character, and the power of his words, soon gained him the name of a prophet: and, as there had been no prophet in Israel for the space of about four hundred years, his labours were hailed as a return of God’s love to his people; and persons of all ranks and orders flocked to him, and submitted to his baptism. Many began to suppose that he was the Messiah himself. That, however, he disclaimed: but he avowed himself to be the person spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah eight hundred years before, as sent of God to make known the Messiah, who was already come. Accordingly, he pointed out the Lord Jesus Christ to them, as “the Lamb of God that should take away the sin of the world.” This testimony of his, supported by the visible descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Lord Jesus at his baptism, gained credit with some. We do not read that Jesus had yet awhile wrought any miracle: but there was in his appearance what seemed amply sufficient to justify John’s testimony respecting him; and those who were introduced to the knowledge of him were very desirous to impart to others the benefit they had received. The first to whom the discovery of the Messiah was made, was Andrew; and he immediately communicated the glad tidings to his brother Peter. The next to whom Jesus made himself known was Philip: and he also, like Andrew, sought some friend to whom to impart this joyful intelligence; and, on finding Nathanael, endeavoured to make him a partaker of his joy, saying, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

That you, also, may be partakers of the same joy, I will shew,

  I.      How amply the Lord Jesus Christ is described in the writings of the Old Testament—

We may notice it,

  1.      More generally in the writings of Moses—

[At the very beginning of the world, even whilst man was yet in Paradise, Moses informs, that the Messiah was foretold, as “the seed of the woman who should bruise the serpent’s head,” and deliver men, though not without grievous sufferings to himself, from the fatal effects of Adam’s transgression. He, at a period far distant from that, announces the Saviour as a descendant of Abraham; and as one “in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessedc. Afterwards, he comes more fully to declare both the time of his advent, and the character he should sustain. He informs us that this Almighty Shiloh should come into the world before the power vested in the tribe of Judah should have departed from it. All the other scribes should long since have been reduced to a dependence on foreigners: but Judah’s dominion should remain, and not be utterly destroyed, till the Messiah should have appeared in the world. Moreover, he should come as a prophet; as “a prophet like unto Mosese;” uniting in himself the offices of a Legislator, an Instructor, a Mediator, a Governor, a Saviour.

Thus fully did Moses speak of him, independently of all the types which most accurately and minutely delineated the whole of his work and office.]

  2.      More particularly, in the writings of the prophets—

[Nothing can be conceived more ample or minute than the descriptions given of the Messiah in the prophetic writings. The family from which he should spring was restricted to that of David. Yet he should not be born in a way of natural generation, but of a pure Virgin. The place of his birth was distinctly foretold: it should be Bethlehem: and not the Bethlehem in the land of Naphtali, but Bethlehem Ephratah in the land of Judah. The time also was fixed; for he must come whilst the second temple was yet standing. In his appearance, however, he should be so mean, that it should raise many doubts amongst his followers, and prove a stumbling-block to many: he should be “as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he should have no form nor comeliness in the eyes of those who beheld him, nor any beauty for which he should be desired.” In consequence of his having none of the attractions of carnal men, he should be despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: men should hide their faces from him, as one despised and held in no esteem.” The end of his coming was also very fully declared: he should come to “bear the sins of many,” “to be wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was to be upon him; and by his stripes we were to be healed.” The mode in which he should conduct himself under all these trials, was also made known: “He should be led as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so should he not so much as open his mouth.” The manner in which he should be put to death was to be by crucifixion; though that was not a Jewish, but a Roman punishment. And yet he should be exempted from that which was a customary attendant on it—the breaking of his legs: for, though pierced in his hands, his feet, his side, “not a bone of him was to be broken.” Time would fail me to speak of the incidents which were foretold relative to his treatment whilst yet upon the cross, the insults they offered him, the giving him vinegar to drink, the casting lots on his vesture, their putting him to death between two malefactorst; or the mode of his interment in the tomb of a rich man, though in his death he was numbered with the most abject of the human race:—I will pass over these things, and only mention his resurrection, with the precise time it should take place, even the third day, before his body should have seen corruption; and his ascension, also, to the highest heavens; and his sending down of the Holy Spirit, to testify of him, and to qualify his Disciples for the work of propagating his Gospel, and establishing his kingdom in the world. Let all these things be considered; and you will say, there was such a body of evidence relating to the Messiahship of Jesus, as, in any considerate mind, must preclude a possibility of doubt.]

The joy expressed at the finding of Jesus will lead me to shew,

  II.      What an acquisition He is to all who can truly say, “We have found him—”

A distant prospect of him, from the remotest ages, had been a ground of very exalted joy—

[We cannot doubt but that our first parents rejoiced much in the promise given them relative to “the seed of the woman;” and that Abel also felt rich consolation in his soul, whilst offering up a firsthng of his flock, in token of his dependence on him. But in the case of Abraham we are not left to conjecture: we know infallibly, that he did foresee the day of Christ; and that, in the prospect of it, he greatly rejoiced. Indeed the designation given him by the prophet, as “the Desire of all Nations,” clearly shews in what light he was regarded by those who had any insight into his proper character.]

At the time of his advent, and during his sojourning on earth, the discovery of him was deemed a subject of self-congratulation—

[As announced by the angelic choir to the shepherds, we behold him in this view: “Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” And how his Virgin Mother gloried in him, you well know: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviourd.” In truth, all who waited for his coming, looked for him as “the Consolation of Israel.” The delight expressed by Andrew and Philip, on their introduction to him, has been already noticed: and we cannot doubt but that all his Apostles, who so willingly left their all to follow him, found in him an ample compensation for all that they had lostf. In truth, the experience of Zaccheus must have pervaded multitudes, whilst they listened to his words of grace, and felt, in their bodies and in their souls, the mighty working of his power —]

The joy of his servants, after the publication of his Gospel, was yet greater, in proportion to the clearer discoveries which they had of his transcendent excellence—

[Behold the thousands on the day of Pentecost! What a change was wrought on them by the revelation of Christ to their souls! In the morning, their hearts were as full of all malignity as that of Satan himself: in the evening, you find them “eating their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, blessing and praising God.” The people of Samaria, the Ethiopian Eunuch, the Jailor and his family, all, as soon as they heard of him, found the sure accompaniment of faith in himi. And what shall I say of the Apostle Paul? No man ever had so much of his own to glory in as he: yet did he account it all but loss for Christ; yea, he counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord.”]

And is there any difference in the experience of his servants at this day?

[None at all. I will appeal to all who know him. I will ask, Whether, in their estimation, he do not fully answer to “the treasure hid in a field;” and to “the pearl of great price,” which every one who finds, will sell all that he has to purchase? What, though we behold him not with our bodily eyes, is our joy the less on that account? No: for “though we see him not, we love him: yea, though now we see him not, yet, believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving even now the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls.”]

  In conclusion, I would beg to ask two QUESTIONS:

  1.      Have you attained this happiness yourselves?

[The Lord Jesus Christ has been fully made known among you, and “has even been set forth, as it were, crucified before your eyes.” Observe on what slight evidence of his Messiahship his first Disciples rejoiced. Neither he, nor John his Forerunner, had wrought any miracle: yet, because the Holy Ghost had descended in a visible shape upon him at his baptism, both John and others believed on him. They, moreover, could have but very indistinct views of his character; and yet they rejoiced in him. How strong, then, should be your faith, and how exalted your joy, now that you have a full discovery of his glory; a discovery, which not even the angels in heaven enjoyed, till it was given to them through the medium of the Christian Church! Surely you have cause to be ashamed, if, amidst all your privileges, you remain ignorant of the Saviour’s love, or strangers to the salvation which he has obtained for you.]

  2.      Are you endeavouring to impart it to others?

[You find not any in the days of old, who, having found the Saviour themselves, did not endeavour to make him known to others. It is indeed impossible to feel our need of him, and to be experimentally acquainted with the blessedness of his salvation, and not to labour, according to our ability, to make others partakers of our joy. I know full well, that a zeal for his glory, and for the salvation of our fellow-men, will entail upon us a considerable measure of reproach, as enthusiastic, and “righteous overmuch.” But why should we regard such a contemptible imputation as that? It is remarkable, that Philip was under a mistake, when he announced Jesus as “of Nazareth;” for he was not of Nazareth, but of Bethlehem. Yet because Philip supposed him to be of Nazareth, where he was not born, but had only sojourned, he willingly proclaimed his Master as of that place, notwithstanding the obloquy universally attached to it. So let us never be ashamed of Christ, because of the odium that attaches to a profession of his name. We should not indeed, by ignorance and inadvertence, put a stumbling-block in the way of any: but, if despised for the sake of Christ, we should welcome the shame, and rejoice that we are counted worthy to bear it. No consideration whatever should intimidate us: but, having found “Christ precious to our own souls,” we should “confess him openly before all,” and commend him to all around us, as “all our salvation, and all our desire.”]

MDCIII

EVIL, AND CURE, OF PREJUDICE

  John 1:46.

Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

KNOWLEDGE is not given to any man for himself alone. As “a light is not put under a bed or under a bushel, but is set on a candlestick, that it may give light to those who are in the house;” so knowledge is imparted by God, in order that it may be rendered subservient to the good of those who are in intellectual or spiritual darkness. The example of those who were first called to attend upon our Lord is worthy of imitation in this respect. Andrew, having been directed to Christ by John the Baptist, and having been convinced, by personal intercourse with Jesus, that he was indeed the Messiah, “he finds his own brother Simon, and says to him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus.” The next day, Philip, who was of the same city as Andrew and Peter, was called to follow Christ: and “he, also, finding Nathanael, said to him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” In the mind of Nathanael, however, there existed a prejudice against Nazareth, as being the last place from whence a person of so exalted a character would ever proceed: and therefore he asked, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” It is generally supposed that this prejudice was called forth by Philip speaking of Jesus as belonging to Nazareth; when it was known that the Messiah was to be born at Bethlehem. But, had that been the case, I conceive that the answer would rather have been, “Can the Messiah come out of Nazareth?” and not, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” For, though Bethlehem was to give birth to the Messiah, it was not the only city from whence any good could proceed. I rather imagine, therefore, that it was to the general bad character of Nazareth that Nathanael referred; intimating, that, so far from giving birth to the Messiah, it was scarcely possible that any good whatever should proceed from it. This prejudice was not altogether without foundation; for Nazareth was deservedly infamous even in Galilee, the whole province of which was considered as less honourable than any other part of Judæa. The conduct of the Nazarenes, both at the first opening of our Lord’s ministry theree, and on a subsequent occasion, clearly shewed, that they were a blind and wicked people. Yet that was no reason why nothing good should come forth from thence. And, if this prejudice had not been corrected, it might have terminated in a continued ignorance of Christ, and a consequent lost of his salvation.

Let me then, from this history, shew you,

  I.      The evil of prejudice—

Prejudice is deeply rooted in the heart of fallen man: and it is productive of most injurious effects,

  1.      To those who are the objects of it—

[Prejudice has always some ground. It may indeed be founded on error, as well as on truth: but the very existence of it supposes that the person exercising it beholds, in his own opinion at least, something blame-worthy in him who is the object of it: and it usually operates most forcibly in those who have taken the least pains to ascertain the truth. Nicodemus no sooner heard of the Lord Jesus as belonging to Nazareth, than he concluded, from that very circumstance, that he could not be the true Messiah: and he even appealed to Philip, whether any good thing could come out of Nazareth; insinuating, that on so plain a point, there could not be any reasonable doubt: “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Now here was extreme injustice done to the people of that city: for though the majority of them might be worthless, there might be some as estimable characters as any in Israel. But it is in this way that prejudice condemns both things and persons in the mass. Nations will entertain these very notions respecting each other; so that the belonging to a rival nation shall be sufficient to make a person our enemy, though we are utter strangers to his character. The same malignant principle operates also very strongly between different societies belonging to the same nation. As, in Catholic countries, rival orders of men hate each other; so even in this Protestant land, where greater liberality might be expected to prevail, churchmen and dissenters are ready to question whether almost any measure of truth or piety be in the party to which they are opposed. It is scarcely necessary to say how strongly this unhallowed disposition prevails against individuals. A man may have embraced sentiments which are deemed strict and precise; and may, in conformity to them, be living a more holy, mortified, and self-denying life than others around him; and this shall be quite sufficient to render him odious and contemptible to all around him. From that moment, every one shall feel himself at liberty to speak evil of him; and nobody shall dare to defend him. All he says, and all he does, shall be an occasion of offence. John Baptist, because he was of secluded and mortified habits, was said “to have a devil:” and our blessed Lord, because he was of more “easy and social habits,” was called “a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber.” And so, if we be truly religious, it will be done to us: whether we “pipe or mourn,” we shall find no sympathy, but be alike objects of condemnation; every thing being viewed through the medium of prejudice, and therefore deemed extravagant and absurd. Every one who will follow the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity shall surely find that he has this cross to bear: he shall be despised, and hated, and “have all manner of evil spoken against him falsely, for Christ’s sake. In truth, the real Christian does not live under the same laws as others; nor must he expect that measure of protection that is accorded to other men. He may be traduced, insulted, injured by all: and no one will take his part: whilst, if he were to act, in one single instance, towards others, as every one feels at liberty to act towards him, the mouths of all would be opened against him, and a fire would be kindled which would not readily be extinguished: so true is that saying of the prophet Isaiah, “He that departeth from evil, maketh himself a prey.”]

  2.      To those who indulge it—

[Prejudice blinds the mind to truth, and utterly indisposes us for the reception of it. A person under its influence can see no good in him whom it condemns, and will listen to nothing that shall tend to the vindication of his character. We have a remarkable illustration of this, in the conduct of the people of Ephesus. When they perceived that the preaching of the Apostle Paul was likely to lessen the veneration of many for the goddess whom they worshipped, they set the whole city in an uproar: and when a person, named Alexander, stood forth to vindicate him, the people, as soon as they saw that he was a Jew, instead of listening to a single word that he had to say, all, for the space of about two hours, cried out, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” Thus they shut out all means of conviction, and kindled in their own breasts the keenest resentments against those who sought only to make known unto them the way of life and salvation. In the common affairs of life, men act not thus. Our blessed Lord placed this matter in its true light, in answer to those who in the same perverse way rejected him: “When ye see a cloud rising in the west, ye say there will be rain, and it comes to pass. And when the south wind blows, ye say there will be heat: and it is so. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the earth, and of the heavens; and how is it that ye discern not this time?” The truth is, that if prejudice once blind the eyes, nothing whatever will suffice to remove it: and men will rather ascribe the miracles of our Lord to Satanic influence, than acknowledge the plain and obvious inference that should be deduced from them. Thus, whilst this hateful disposition vents itself against the most deserving objects, it inflicts the deadliest wound on him who indulges it; inasmuch as it calls forth into activity all his basest passions, and shuts up his soul in impenetrable darkness.

Happily for Nathanael, he had a friend, who, if not able to satisfy all his doubts, was capable of giving him such advice, as, if duly followed, would issue in the removal of them.]

In this advice of Philip we shall see,

  II.      The remedy of it—

Inquiry is the obvious remedy to be applied, in all cases. To all then, who are under the influence of prejudice, I would say, “Come and see.”

  1.      To the profane Atheist—

[I will grant that your prejudices are not wholly destitute of some plausible grounds whereon to stand. There are in the world many things which seem calculated to impress the mind with an idea that there is no controlling Providence, to protect the good, and to punish the workers of iniquity. It does appear strange that the ungodly should be permitted so to triumph, and that the righteous should be so exposed to their malignity. But, whilst I grant that these things may prove a stumbling-block to the inconsiderate, I must say, that, on a closer inspection, there will be found such evidence of a Divine agency in the world as will be abundantly sufficient to remove all doubts upon the subject. If we look at the earth, we cannot conceive that it came into existence by a fortuitous concussion of atoms: nor, if we survey the heavenly bodies, and trace them in their various courses, can we imagine, that they are left to themselves, without any one to uphold them in their orbits. If we behold a watch, or any other complicated machine, we never suppose that it made itself, or that it needs not the superintendence of an intelligent agent to regulate its motions. How much less, then, can we contemplate the infinitely diversified objects of the whole creation, all preserved in their order for thousands of years, and not confess a creating power, and a superintending Providence? Only let any man “come and see,” and his doubts will vanish, like the mist before the noon-day sun.]

  2.      To the proud infidel—

[You, too, have specious reasons for disbelieving the Holy Scriptures. There are in the sacred volume many things which you cannot comprehend. But is this a just ground for denying its divine authority? Are there not truths in human sciences which surpass your comprehension? Why, then, may you not expect to find such in a revelation from God? Look at the evidences of our holy religion: see whether the prophecies, so numerous, so minute, so incapable of being accomplished by any collusion or confederacy whatever, do not determine, beyond a possibility of doubt, that they were inspired by an omniscient and Almighty God. Mark the miracles, too, by which the doctrines both of the Old and New Testament were confirmed; and say whether they do not, of necessity, commend themselves as of divine origin. Only “come and see” with a candid mind, and you shall be fully satisfied that the Scriptures are indeed the word of God.]

  3.      To the self-justifying moralist—

[You persuade yourself, that because we deny to works the office of justifying the soul before God, we discourage the performance of them; and that, consequently, the doctrine which we preach, of salvation by faith alone, cannot be true. But your conclusions are erroneous altogether. If you will but examine for yourselves, you shall find, that no other way of salvation than that which the Gospel has proclaimed is suited to fallen man; nor will any other be found worthy of Almighty God. His justice must be honoured, as well as his mercy; and it is only by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ that its demands are, or can be, satisfied. And as to the performance of good works, respecting which you are so jealous, look and see whether any person, from the foundation of the world, ever exhibited a brighter pattern of morality than Paul; who yet said, “I desire to be found in Christ, not having my own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God by faith in Christ.” Only be candid in your examination of this point, and it shall force itself upon your mind with an evidence that is irresistible.]

  4.      The licentious worldling—

[‘How can that be a source of happiness, which would rob me of all that T have ever delighted in, and constrain me to mortify my flesh; and, after all, would subject me to the contempt and hatred of all my friends?’ This appears to you a difficulty that cannot be removed. But I would say to you also, “Come, and see:” try what religion will really do for you: see whether its ways be not ways of pleasantness and peace: see whether there be not a more refined pleasure arising from self-denial for the Lord’s sake, than in all the self-indulgence that you ever experienced. Come, and see what happiness there is in communion with God, in the testimony of a good conscience, and in a prospect of a blessed immortality. I will venture to affirm, that if you give the experiment a fair trial, you shall find incomparably greater happiness in God than you ever found in the gratifications of sense.]

  LEARN then, from this subject, how to act,

  1.      In reference to your own prejudices—

[Every man living is more or less influenced by this principle. Piety itself will not altogether exempt us from it. Nathanael was “an Israelite indeed;” yet, though “without guile,” he was not without prejudice: and therefore it becomes us all to be open to conviction, and to be willing to have our prejudices removed: we should never decline using the means of information that are open to us; but should be intent only on ascertaining the truth. Whether our prejudice refer to persons or things, we should find a real delight in having our views rectified, and should spare no pains to acquire a more perfect way.

In this point of view, the Bible Society has rendered most important services to the Church of Christ. It has brought together multitudes who were once, through the force of prejudice, alienated from each other; and has diffused among them a principle of mutual love. And if we were to cultivate more of a friendly spirit with those of the Jewish nation, it is highly probable that our mutual animosities would be soon abated, and that an easier way might be opened for them into the fold of Christ. At all events, on our own part, prejudice should cease; and on every subject, and towards every man, our minds should be unbiassed, and our souls be intent only on rectitude and truth. We should “prove all things, and hold fast that which is good.”]

  2.      In reference to the prejudices of others—

[Be not offended if you see in others the infirmities which you feel in yourselves. Be careful, too, not to irritate or despise those who labour under them: but, with kindness and gentleness, endeavour to guide them to the knowledge of the truth.

In this respect, as in all others, our blessed Lord must be our example: “Learn of me,” says he; “for I am meek and lowly in heart;” that is, I can bear with your ignorance, and be content to administer instruction in a way suited to your capacity. Philip’s conduct, too, was worthy of imitation: for, though fully convinced himself, he did not begin to argue and dispute with Nathanael, but invited him rather to examine and judge for himself. Thus we also should act: we should adopt such methods of instruction and persuasion as are most likely to remove the veil that is on our brother’s heart; and should labour, not so much for the establishment of our own dogmas, as for the best interests of his soul. And, if we find any persons disposed to hold fast their delusions, we should “in meekness instruct them, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth.”]

MDCIV

AN ISRAELITE INDEED

  John 1:47.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

IT is comfortable to reflect, that there are many whose hearts are upright before God, while, from a variety of circumstances, they are unknown to the world. Nathanael was not yet evangelized; nor had he attained that eminence in the divine life whereby he was afterwards distinguished: yet was he among the Lord’s “hidden ones,” and justly entitled to the encomium passed upon him in the text. We shall,

  I.      Consider the character of Nathanael—

If ever the character of any human being deserved particular attention, surely that must, which was drawn by our Lord himself. Let us notice,

  1.      The terms in which our Lord’s testimony is expressed—

[The whole body of the Jews were called Israelites as being descended from Jacob, to whom the name of Israel was given by God himself. But we are taught to distinguish between those who were “Israelites after the flesh,” and those who were Israelites in a higher and more appropriate sense; fur “all were not Israel who were of Israel:” those only who partook of Jacob’s spirit, were numbered amongst his spiritual seed: and hence it was that Nathanael, being a heavenly-minded man, and an earnest wrestler with God in prayer, was called “an Israelite indeed.” But Jacob was represented as “a plain man,” in opposition to his brother Esau, who was “a cunning man:” and though on two occasions his conduct was far from corresponding with this character, yet, on the whole, he was a person of guileless simplicity: and it is in reference to this that Nathanael is further said to be, a man “in whom was no guile.”]

  2.      The facts by which that testimony is confirmed—

[The first evidence which we have of Nathanael’s integrity, is his openness to conviction. He laboured under the prejudices which obtained through the whole of his nation, and thought that nothing good could proceed from Galilee: but when invited by Philip to “come and see” for himself, he instantly complied, in order that he might form a right judgment respecting the momentous question that was then agitated, the Messiahship of Jesus. Such candour uniformly characterizes the true Israelite — — —

The next thing we notice in him is, his readiness to follow his convictions. What were the particular circumstances that had taken place under the fig-tree, whether Nathanael had been adverting to Jacob’s vision, or had been praying for divine instruction relative to the expected Messiah, or indeed what had been the precise workings of his mind, it is not possible for us to say: but Jesus intimated to him that he knew all that had passed there, and had approved the workings of his mind. This declaration, accompanied with a decided testimony respecting his character, convinced Nathanael that he was the true Messiah; and drew from him an unequivocal acknowledgment of his divine mission. Such a readiness to receive the truth is a further ingredient of guileless integrity — — —

We have yet another proof of his sincerity in his determination to approve himself to God at all events. He could not but know that the prejudices he had imbibed, were common to the whole nation; and that to become an open follower of Jesus would expose him to much obloquy and contempt. But he would not confer with flesh and blood: having found the truth, he embraced it boldly; and from that moment became a stated attendant on his Lord. This, above all, displayed the uprightness of his soul: and this decided conduct, this prosecuting of his duty without any fear of consequences, is the surest test of radical and unalloyed integrity — — —

If our Lord’s testimony stood in need of confirmation, we could not wish for more ample proof of its truth than arises from the facts that are here adduced.]

After such a delineation of Nathanael’s character, we may well,

  II.      Commend it to your imitation—

It is not to gratify our curiosity, but to edify our souls, that so many bright examples are set before us in the Scriptures. St. Paul exhorts us not only to be followers of him, but to “mark those who walk after his example.” That you may be induced to imitate the example now set before you, consider,

  1.      The excellence of such a character—

[The righteous is deservedly said to be “more excellent than his neighbour.” To compare a guileless person with one that is sensual or profane, would be to compare “light with darkness, and Christ with Belial.” Let us therefore institute the comparison rather between a true Israelite, and the most moral and specious of those who retain any allowed guile: and then the superiority of a Nathanael will appear in its true light: the hypocrite may have clearer views of divine truth, and appear in many respects to greater advantage before men, but he is radically a lover of sin, and a vassal of the wicked one; while the guileless person is transformed into the divine image, and is a friend, a favourite, a child of God.

Shall not this consideration operate upon us? Can we need any other inducement to imitate the glorious character before us?]

  2.      The importance of attaining it—

[The time is shortly coming when all of us must appear in the presence of Christ: and, as he discerned the character of Nathanael so as to pronounce upon it with infallible certainty, so does he now weigh our spirits, as in a perfect balance, in order that he may give to every man his proper portion of censure or applause. Of those who were truly upright he will say, ‘Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom was no guile: I saw him under the fig-tree; I heard his groans; I saw his wresthngs with God in prayer; I treasured up his tears in my vial; and I testify before all, that his heart was right with God.’ But of those who harboured any secret iniquity he will say, ‘Behold a man that was called an Israelite, but he was in reality a dissembler with God: he had “ a name to live, but he was really dead:” I saw him under the fig-tree; I marked the secret lusts which he harboured in his heart, and the allowed neglects of which he was habitually guilty: he would follow his convictions, and devote himself to me as far as his ease, his honour, and his interests would permit, but no further: and therefore, on account of his secret reserves, and his allowed guile, he must take his portion with the hypocrites and unbelievers.’

Who can reflect on the consequences of that decision, and not desire so to live that Jesus may bear a favourable testimony on his behalf?]

  ADDRESS—

  1.      Those who do not so much as profess to be true Israelites—

[You boast perhaps that, whatever you are, you are not hypocrites: but, though you make no profession of religion before men, the very calling of yourselves Christians implies that you acknowledge yourselves bound to follow the steps of your Divine Master. Compare then your conduct with your obligations, and think what your doom must be in the day that he shall judge the world.]

  2.      Those who are Israelites, but not in truth—

[If it were as easy to deceive God as it is to maintain a blameless appearance before man, we should be less anxious about your eternal interests. But the Lord Jesus searcheth the heart and trieth the reins; and will adjudge men to happiness or misery, according to the real state of their souls. We are told that he who committeth sin is of the devil; and, that whosoever is born of God sinneth not. This must certainly imply, that if we have any allowed guile, we are not true Israelites, nor can we have our portion with them. O lay to this to heart; and seek “that ye may be found of God in peace, without spot and blameless,”]

  3.      Those who are Israelites indeed—

[The ungodly world may brand you with the name of hypocrites and deceivers; but the Lord Jesus looks upon you with pleasure and delight, and will now in your hearing, as it were, and ere long in their hearing also, bear testimony to your integrity, to the unspeakable comfort of your souls. O be careful to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man. Remember that, as your comfort depends on the preservation of your integrity, so does his honour. The ungodly may do what they will, and no reflections are cast upon religion: but if an Israelite do any thing unworthy of his profession, the Gospel itself, yea, and the Lord Jesus Christ also, is condemned for it. Cut off occasion then from those who seek occasion to calumniate the way of truth; that while you have the comfort of your integrity, God may be glorified by it, and his enemies be put to silence.]

MDCV

THE WATER TURNED INTO WINE

  John 2:11.

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his Disciples believed on him.

AFTER thirty years of privacy, the time was come for our Lord to enter on his public ministrations. He had received both visible and audible testimony from heaven, and had been pointed out by his forerunner, John the Baptist, as “the Lamb of. God, that should take away the sin of the world.” Now at a marriage feast he begins in a private and unostentatious way that series of miracles to which he afterwards appealed as incontrovertible proofs of his Divine mission. Who the parties were, whose nuptials were here celebrated, we know not: but, from the peculiar interest which the mother of Jesus took in accommodating the guests, we think it highly probable, that they were some friends or relatives of her own. But, however that might be, our blessed Lord made that feast the occasion of working his first public miracle, and thereby of manifesting forth his glory.

The two points for our consideration are,

  I.      The manifestation which our Lord here gave of his glory—

He, by a miraculous power, turned water into wine—

[It is probable, that, when it was known that Jesus was to be at the feast, more guests came than had in the first instance been expected. Hence, after a time, the wine which had been provided, was exhausted. On this account the mother of Jesus intimated to him, that this would be a good occasion for exercising that miraculous power which she knew him to possess. But this was a liberty which she was not authorized to take: and therefore our Lord gently and respectfully reproved it; saying, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” From the direction which she immediately gave to the servants, it is evident that she did not consider the answer as a refusal, but only as an intimation that the time and manner of displaying his own glory must be left altogether to him. (We may here observe, by the way, that, if she was reproved for offering him advice when he was on earth, what shall we think of the Papists, who pray to her to issue her commands to him, now that he is on his throne in heaven?) At the season he saw fit, he ordered the servants to fill with water six large water-pots, which had been placed there with a view to some purifications or ceremonial ablutions, and they were immediately “filled to the brim.” He then ordered the servants to draw out from those vessels, and to carry the cup to the governor of the feast. The governor, unconscious of the miracle that had been wrought (which, however, the servants who had drawn the water knew), commended highly the superior flavour of this wine, and thus unintentionally proclaimed the miracle to the whole company. It was a miracle that did not admit of any doubt: for the vessels, being all filled to the brim, did not admit of any wine being mixed with it: and all the servants were vouchers for the miracle, and witnesses that no collusion had been practised.]

By this miracle he manifested forth his glory—

[By it he demonstrated his sufficiency for the work he had undertaken: for after that act of omnipotence and love, what was there that he either could not, or would not, effect in behalf of those who trusted in him? Whatever might be their wants for the body, he could supply them in an instant; or, whatever might be their necessities for their souls, he could make ample provision for them in the hour of need. And if in this instance he had wrought a miracle to give them what might easily have been dispensed with, what would he not do for them which was essential to their well-being either in time or in eternity? He might indeed withhold for a season, what they, through impatience, were too eager to obtain: but he would grant to all his believing people whatsoever should be needful for them, only reserving to himself the times and the seasons of imparting his blessings, together with the manner and the measure which his own wisdom should see most conducive to their welfare.]

Such being the manifestation which he here gave of his glory, let us notice,

  II.      The effect produced by it on the minds of his Disciples—

Nathanael had been convinced by one proof of Christ’s omniscience, and exclaimed, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” Thus this one miracle, which displayed his omnipotence, was sufficient to confirm and establish the faith of his Disciples: “He manifested forth his glory; and his Disciples believed on him:” that is, they were filled with a deeper conviction of his Messiahship; they were stirred up to place a more entire affiance in him as their Saviour; and they were quickened to surrender up themselves more fully and unreservedly to his service. This was right; this was what the occasion called for, and what the miracle which they had seen, fully justified.

Now then this is the effect that should be produced on our minds:

  1.      We should receive him as the true Messiah—

[We cannot wish for clearer evidence than that which the miracles of our Lord afford us. Our blessed Lord appeals to them as decisive and incontrovertible proofs of his divine mission, and consequently of the truth of all that he spoke, and of the efficacy of all that he either did or suffered for the redemption of the world. Let no doubt then ever rest on your minds in relation to this matter: but say with Peter, “We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”]

  2.      We should place full affiance in him under that character—

[“Our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our complete redemption,” should be sought in him alone. We should see “all fulness of spiritual blessings treasured up in him for us,” and we should “receive them daily out of his fulness,” even “as a branch receives its sap from the vine,” or a member of our body its energies from the head. “The life which we now live in the flesh we should live altogether by faith on the Son of God, as having loved us and given himself for us.” The whole world should be to us as nothing in comparison of him; and we should “determine to know nothing,” either as an object of confidence or as a ground of glorying, “but Jesus Christ and him crucified.”]

  3.      We should surrender up ourselves entirely and unreservedly to his service—

[This is what all his Disciples did. Matthew left his receipt of custom, and Peter and John their nets, and all his followers their respective vocations, to follow him, and consecrate themselves to him. And this is what we also must do: we must “deny ourselves, and take up our cross daily for him, and forsake all for him;” “not counting even life itself of any value,” if it may be sacrificed for him, and to the honour of his name. This is what the whole of his mediatorial work calls for at our hands; and this is no more than “a reasonable service” for every one of his redeemed to render to him.]

  From a larger view of what passed on that occasion,

I would yet further SUGGEST two useful hints:

  1.      It is our privilege to seek, and to enjoy, the presence of the Lord Jesus in our social meetings—

[Religion is far from encouraging a morose seclusion from society, or from prohibiting even occasional festivities, provided they be conducted with prudence and sobriety. Doubtless what we call conviviality may easily be carried to excess: but I conceive that the very circumstance of our Lord’s working his first miracle at a wedding feast, and of his supplying of more wine for the use of the guests during the remainder of the feast, was intended to mark the difference between the dispensation which he introduced, and that which his was intended to supersede; the Jewish dispensation consisting mainly of restraints, (“touch not, taste not, handle not;”) but Christianity “giving us all things richly to enjoy.” But, that our liberty may not be turned into licentiousness, we should always invite the Lord Jesus Christ, if I may so say, to be a guest with us: for he has promised to “come unto us, and to sup with us, and to manifest himself unto us as he does not unto the world.” And need I say how sweet our feasts will then be? Who that has ever enjoyed Christian society in a truly Christian way, has not found an infinite distance between the conviviality of the ungodly world and the refined enjoyment of heavenly converse? The very best of worldly intercourse is but “ as the crackling of thorns under a pot,” where the blaze that brightens the scene for a few minutes, soon expires in offensive smoke. But, where the Lord Jesus Christ vouchsafes his presence, the savour of the feast still abides upon the soul, and affords reiterated gratification in the recollection of it. Such seasons, however long since enjoyed, will afford us comfort even in a dying hour; so truly is it found on all occasions, that our blessed Saviour gives us the best wine last. Let Jesus be present at our feasts, and there will be in them neither levity nor excess; but our very festivities, instead of contributing to sensuality, shall be made to administer to the good of our souls.]

  2.      If we will leave our concerns to his disposal, he will surely glorify himself at last—

[If at any time our necessities be at all urgent, we are too apt to dictate to our Lord as to the time and manner of our relief. But such presumption, whoever may be guilty of it, will surely meet with a rebuke. It is sufficient for us to know that Jesus is both able and willing to supply our every want, and that he has pledged himself, that “they who seek him shall want no manner of thing that is good.” Who has not already on many occasions found, that his own impatient desires, if gratified at the time, would have proved injurious to him, and that the very delay of which he once complained, has proved of most essential service to his soul? Let us then habitually commit our concerns to our all-wise and all-gracious Lord, and look to him to glorify himself in his own time and way. Then shall we have reason, ere long, to say, “He has done all things well;” and shall find at the last, that our very straits have contributed to his honour and our own eternal good.]

MDCVI

BUYERS AND SELLERS DRIVEN OUT

             John 2:17.

And his Disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

WE are apt to think that we receive no benefit from what we read or hear, unless it produce an immediate effect upon us: but the word, like seed, often springs up long after it has been sown. God often brings it to our minds by some great and singular occurrence: and then we see a beauty and importance in it which we never saw before. The Apostles themselves forgat many things which were spoken to them by our Lord, till the Holy Spirit brought them to their remembrance. They had often heard the Psalms read in their synagogues; but probably never reflected on the passage before us, till our Lord’s conduct suggested it to their minds, and cast the true light upon it.

We shall consider,

  I.      The circumstances which brought these words to their remembrance—

Our Lord, for the first time after his entrance on his public character, went up to Jerusalem at the Passover. There he found that the temple of God was scandalously profaned; and he immediately set himself to rectify the abuses that were there tolerated—

[The outer court of the temple was appropriated to the use of the Gentiles: but many of the Jews had rendered it a place of merchandize. There they exposed for sale the cattle that were proper to be offered in sacrifice, and stationed themselves with tables of money for the accommodation of the strangers who might want to exchange their foreign coin. Thus they insulted the Gentiles and greatly dishonoured God. To correct this evil, our Lord exerted his divine authority. He drove out the cattle, and ordered the doves to be removed. He overturned the tables of money, and commanded all the traders to depart; nor did any of the people dare to oppose his sovereign command.]

This act of his could not fail of attracting universal notice:

It discovered,

  1.      His holy indignation against sin—

[Such a profanation of the temple was indeed a grievous sin: nor could his righteous soul behold it without the utmost abhorrence. His anger was justly excited by the indignity offered to his Father. To have felt it less, would have been a crime; and to have refrained from manifesting it, a mark of cowardice. We indeed are not called to manifest our displeasure in the same authoritative way; but we should never behold sin but with pain and grief; nor can our indignation be ever sinful, provided it be directed against sin as its object, and be felt only in proportion to the malignity of the offence committed. We can never err, if we follow the example of those eminent saints—.]

  2.      His courageous zeal for God—

[The priests themselves were accessary to the dishonour done to God: if they did not encourage it for gain, they at least promoted it by connivance. Thus they, no less than the traders, were interested in maintaining the abuse, and, no doubt, would be forward to uphold it with all their power; but Jesus feared not the face of men, though all should combine against him. He resolutely determined to suppress these gross abominations, and, without any regard to consequences, set himself to perform his duty. Thus should we move undaunted in the way of duty; nor ever be deterred from it by the dictates of carnal policy.]

  3.      A miraculous power over the minds of men—

[What but this could prevent their rising against him? He detected their hypocrisy, reproved their impiety, mortified their pride, opposed their interests, and loaded them with disgrace. He did this singly, unarmed, unsupported, and in opposition to the existing authorities: yet, behold, they were all constrained to yield submission to his will. We cannot doubt but that he miraculously overawed their minds: nor was this a less exertion of omnipotence than any other of the miracles which he wrought.]

The sight of these things particularly affected his immediate followers, and brought to their recollection a portion of Scripture which they had never before noticed,

  II.      The words themselves—

The words were justly quoted in reference to Christ—

[In their primary sense indeed they had their accomplishment in David. David elsewhere expresses in very strong terms his zeal for God: nor can we forget how he manifested it when he danced before the arke. But David confessedly personates the Messiah: some parts are applicable to himself, and some to Christ, alone. The words before us may very properly be applied to both; indeed the strength of the terms would almost lead us to confine them to Christ. His holy soul was inflamed with incessant zeal for God’s honour; nor did he ever suffer one opportunity of promoting his glory to pass unimproved. The occasion now before us called forth the strongest exertions of his zeal, and manifested the full accomplishment of this prophecy in his person.]

  They are also replete with useful INSTRUCTION to us—

They reprove the shameful want of zeal amongst his followers—

[God is greatly dishonoured by men on every side: his name is blasphemed, his word despised, his authority rejected. Does it become his people to behold these things with indifference? Should they not resemble Paul when he beheld the idolaters at Athens? Should they not imitate Johnh, and adopt the words of Jeremiah? Should they not reprove sin in others as well as abstain from it themselvesk? But how miserably defective are even good people in this particular! How often do fear or shame restrain them from bearing their testimony for God! Alas! what a sad contrast does our conduct form with that of our Lord! Have we not reason then to be ashamed, and mourn for our neglect? But many, so far from rebuking sin in others, indulge it in themselves: even in the very house of God they harbour worldly and carnal thoughts; nor are at all concerned to have their hearts purified from vile affections. Surely this cannot but be most offensive to the heart-searching God. Let us remember the solemn caution given us by the Apostle—. With respect to others, let us never presume to use the petulant language of Cain—, but rather endeavour to obey the injunction which God has given usn—; and, with respect to ourselves, let us seek in all things that conformity to Christ which is required of us—.]

They afford us a proper example for our imitation—

[Phinehas of old was called to execute the judgment he inflicted on Zimri. Thus Jesus, as the Prophet of the Most High, was called to vindicate God’s honour. In the same manner we should do whatever our place and station require: we must not all take on ourselves the office of magistrates, or assume the authority which does not belong to our situation and circumstances. Our zeal must be regulated by the word of God. It must be in a good cause; and in support of truth and virtue: it must be pure; and free from bigotry, ostentation, or wrath: it must be discreet, not precipitating us into unbecoming conduct: it must be proportioned, in a measure, to the occasion that excites it; and it must be uniform, opposing sin in ourselves, as much as in others. Such a zeal as this cannot be too vigorously maintainedu. An intemperate zeal will injure the cause it attempts to serve; but that which is duly tempered with meekness and wisdom, will be productive of much good. Let us then check the unhallowed zeal that would call fire from heaveny, and cherish that which is meek, humble, pious and benevolent. Thus shall we approve ourselves to be God’s peculiar peoplea; and, while we please our God, shall be a blessing to all around us.]

MDCVII

THE RESURRECTION, A PROOF OF CHRIST’S MESSIAHSHIP

  John 2:18, 19.

Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

THE work of reformation usually involves in difficulties those who undertake it. They who are the objects of it, however justly reproved, are sure to take offence, and to condemn the zeal which censures them. No one can doubt but that the turning of God’s House into a place of merchandize was a very shameful practice; or, that to suppress it was highly commendable: yet, when our blessed Lord exerted his authority to check this abuse, the people, instead of applauding his zeal, expressed great dissatisfaction, and demanded of him, what right he had to interfere in that matter. The very awe which was impressed on all their minds, whereby they were constrained to yield to the rebukes of a poor man unsupported by any human, authority, might have convinced them, that a power more than human existed in the person of the Lord Jesus: and, if they had taken occasion to make inquiries respecting him in a becoming spirit, he would no doubt have given them all reasonable satisfaction: but, as their demands arose from mere petulance, he declined satisfying them by any fresh miracle, and referred them to an event yet distant, which, when accomplished, should be a perfect answer to every inquiry.

To place this matter in a just point of view, we shall shew,

  I.      To what event our Lord referred—

The occasion on which the words were spoken, will reflect considerable light on the words themselves. It was common with our Lord to make the things which were immediately before him subservient to his purpose of conveying spiritual instruction: and this he did on the present occasion. He had purged the temple from the abuses to which it had been exposed. The act itself, all things considered, was miraculous. A miracle was required of him to prove his right to exercise such authority: but he, not choosing to gratify this unreasonable demand, told the Jews, that, as they had defiled the material temple, so they would destroy the temple of his body: and that, as he had purged the one, so he would in three days rebuild and restore the other: and that this latter miracle would abundantly vindicate his claim to the authority he used.

In this figurative prediction he intimated,

  1.      That his own body was typically represented by the temple—

[Both were formed, the one by man, and the other by God himself, as a residence for the Deity; and in both God vouchsafed to dwell: in the one symbolically, by a visible cloud; in the other really, personally, bodily, even in all his fulnessb — — —]

  2.      That they would in due time destroy it—

[His words are not to be construed as a command or advice, but simply as a prediction. He knew what they would do: he knew “what his heavenly Father had determined before to be done:” he knew what he had undertaken both to do and suffer for us: and he frequently, from his very first entrance on his ministry to the close of it, foretold the precise manner of his death, together with the various circumstances which should accompany it — — —]

  3.      That he, by his own power, would raise it up again in three days—

[“He had power to lay down his life, and power to take it again:” and he declared that he would put forth this power to the confusion of all his enemies. He fixed the time of his resurrection, agreeably to the predictions of the prophets concerning it; a time amply sufficient for ascertaining the reality of his death, though not sufficient for his body to contract any corruption. On the accomplishment of this prophecy he rested all his pretensions to the Messiahship; and by it he would prove, that “he was indeed the very Christ” — — —]

The accomplishment of this event need not at this time to be insisted on: it is more to our purpose to shew,

  II.      How it proved his Divine authority—

We are told that Christ “was declared to be the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead.” If it be asked, How did his resurrection prove his Messiahship? we answer,

  1.      No impostor would rest his pretensions on such an appeal as this—

[An impostor would rather confirm his authority by an appeal to something which he might accomplish in his life-time, in order that his credit might be raised, and his hands be strengthened for the furtherance of his designs. At all events, he would not found his hopes of success on a matter so entirely out of the reach of all human power, where the failure might be so easily, so speedily, so demonstrably ascertained: to do this would be to counteract all his own wishes, and to expose himself and his adherents to utter contempt. Such conduct would be perfect madness: and therefore we cannot suppose that our blessed Lord, who on all occasions manifested such consummate wisdom, could have pursued it. Had he been an impostor, he would at least have selected some other test, more within the bounds of credibility, and less open to detection.]

  2.      Supposing such an appeal made in support of an imposture, God would never work a miracle to sanction and confirm it—

[That God has permitted wonderful things to be wrought by liars and impostors, is certain: but he has at the same time afforded means for discovering the imposture; or rather, he has permitted those very wonders for the purpose of manifesting his own superior power, and confirmed thereby the faith of his people, whilst his enemies were hardened in their own wilful delusions. But in raising up Jesus from the dead, he has not only given us no contrary testimony to counteract the impression, but has left us no room for doubt. This must have been done by himself alone: none but an Almighty power could effect it. On this one point the whole weight of our Lord’s pretensions rested. Our Lord was willing to be thought an impostor, if this miracle were not wrought in his favour. What shall we say then? If God knew him to be an impostor, he himself interposed to give weight and efficacy to his imposture: he interposed to deceive his own people, and to blind the eyes of those who were most desirous to serve him aright. But can this be true? Can we for a moment admit the thought? The inference then is clear and undeniable; that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world — — —]

But it is not in speculative truths that we should rest. We proceed therefore to inquire,

  III.      What practical instruction is to be gathered from it—

In this part of our subject, we shall limit our observations to the event as it stands connected with the occasion on which it was foretold. We have before seen that it was referred to in confirmation of the authority which our Lord had exerted. It shews us therefore,

  1.      That God is indignant with those who pollute his temple—

[It is common to imagine, that the frequenting of the house of God at certain seasons must of necessity be a service pleasing and acceptable in the sight of God. But can our bodily presence there be pleasing to him, if our hearts be altogether occupied with the world? If our farms and our merchandize, our lusts and our pleasures, fill our minds, what will it profit us to bow our knees, or to repeat our forms of prayer? It is not thus that we are to worship God: “we are to worship him in spirit and in truth;” and our external services, while destitute of spiritual affections, are gross hypocrisy: and we, in presenting such services, are no better than those whom our Lord accused of turning his Father’s House into a house of merchandize.

But it is not from the outward temple only that evil should be expelled: our hearts are “the temples of the Holy Ghost,” and are therefore, at the peril of our souls, to be preserved pure: “If any man defile the temple of God,” says the Apostle, “him shall God destroy.” What reason have we all to tremble at this solemn declaration! Consider, brethren, what grievous abominations have been harboured there! what a mass of filthiness, “filthiness both of flesh and spirit,” has God seen in us! what pride, envy, malice, wrath! what worldliness! what sensuality! alas! alas! “It is indeed of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, even because his compassions fail not.” We may plead custom, and a variety of other excuses, just as they did who defiled the material temple: but if our hearts be not now purged by the grace of God, it is in vain to hope that he will ever make them his residence in a future world. Let us then beg of him to drive out every hateful disposition: and, whatever scourge he may see fit to use for this purpose, let us never wish to be delivered from the pains it may inflict, till we have fully experienced its sanctified effects.]

  2.      That whatever pollutes his temple shall yield to the almighty power of Christ—

[When we see the extreme depravity of our hearts, and compare it with the purity of God’s holy law, we are ready to say, that it is impossible for us ever to become what God requires. But he who exerted such power over the minds of those who “made the temple a den of thieves;” who could literally have destroyed the temple and built it again in three days; and did actually raise to life again his own “crucified body;” He, I say, can easily effect the renovation of our hearts: with him all things are possible: whatever difficulties we may have to surmount, “his grace is sufficient for us” — — — We need only look to his Apostles, “who were men of like passions with us,” and we may see what he can do for us. “It was by the grace of God that they were what they. were:” and God is still the same as in the days of old; “his arm is not shortened that it cannot save; nor is his ear heavy that it cannot hear” — — — It is to carry on his work in our hearts that Jesus is risen: “I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.” Let us then pray that we may know him in the “power of his resurrection,” and “be sanctified wholly;” and that “our whole spirit, soul, and body, may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Faithful is He that hath called us, who also will do itf.”]

MDCVIII

THE NATURE AND NECESSITY OF REGENERATION

  John 3:3.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

AS there is an essential distinction between divine and human knowledge, so is there a very great difference in the ways by which each of them is to be obtained; the one being attainable only by rational investigation, the other only by faith. Reason indeed must judge whether such or such things be revealed; but when that point is clearly ascertained, faith must receive the truth simply on the authority of God; and that too, no less when it lies beyond the sphere of our reason, than when it may easily be comprehended by it. The manner in which revealed truths are inculcated seems to imply this; for the prophets enforced their declarations, not with arguments, but with, “Thus saith the Lord:” and our Saviour, with an authority which none but himself ever presumed to exercise, and which strongly marked his equality with the Father, disdained to use any other confirmation than that of his own assertion: this appears, as in numberless other passages, so particularly in his conversation with Nicodemus; when, instructing him in the mysterious doctrine of regeneration, he required a full assent to it upon the testimony of his own word. May we bow to his authority, while we consider,

  I.      The nature of regeneration—

The mistakes which very generally obtain respecting this subject being first rectified, the truth will be more clearly seen—

Many suppose that baptism is the same with regeneration—

[In the early ages of Christianity these terms were often used as synonymous, because it was taken for granted that none but truly regenerate persons would submit to a rite which engaged them to separate themselves from an ungodly world, and exposed them to the most imminent peril of their lives. But there is a wide difference between the two; regeneration being absolutely necessary to salvation, while baptism, as in the case of the dying thief, may under some circumstances be dispensed with. Besides, it was doubtless the great design of our Lord and his Apostles to regenerate and convert men: but were they so intent on administering the rite of baptism? Our Lord, we are told, “baptized no man;” and it is said of Paul, that “God sent him not to baptize;” yea, he himself “thanks God that he had baptized none but Crispus and Gaius:” but if he had regenerated none other, would he have thought that a proper ground for thanksgiving? Again, if baptism and regeneration be the same thing, we may use them altogether as synonymous terms: now it is said that “Whosoever is born of God overcometh the world,” and that “he neither doth sin nor can sin, because he is born of God.” But if we should say the same of all that are baptized, would not the worldly and sinful lives of many flatly contradict us? It appears then from the superior importance of regeneration, from the design of Christ and his Apostles respecting it, and from the properties ascribed to it in Scripture, that it neither is, nor can be, the same with baptism. Baptism is an outward work of man upon the body; regeneration is an inward work of God upon the soul.]

Others think that regeneration imports no more than an outward reformation, or at most, a partial change of the inward man—

[But can we conceive that, when a ruler of the Jews came to our Lord, acknowledging him to be a teacher sent from God, and desiring to be instructed in those things which he was come to reveal, our Lord would tell him that wicked men could not be saved without reforming their lives? Did Nicodemus need such information as that? Or, if this was all that our Lord meant, would this teacher in Israel have been so astonished at it? And would not our Lord have instantly rectified his misapprehension, and shewn him that there was no cause for astonishment? Can we imagine that our Lord would have confirmed the mistake, by representing this doctrine as an incomprehensible mystery, which man can no more fathom, than he can ascertain the hidden causes, or mark the exact boundaries, of the wind? Yea, would he have left this man so bewildered, saying, How can these things be! if he had meant no more than, that a wicked man must reform his life? Nor is it less evident that regeneration does not consist in a partial change even of the inward man. To what purpose should we boast of having experienced the illumination of Balaam, the humiliation of Ahabd, the confession of Judas, the faith of Simon Magusf, the confidence of the unbelieving Jews, the attention of Ezekiel’s auditorsh, the reformation of Herod, or (what perhaps includes all these together) the promising appearance of the stony-ground hearersk, if, like them, we rest in any partial change? Surely, if our righteousness exceed not theirs, we cannot hope that we shall be happier than they in our final doom.]

In opposition to all such erroneous notions, the Scripture itself defines regeneration to be “a new creation, wherein old things pass away, and ALL things become new.”

[The author of this work is the Holy Spirit, who by a supernatural agency renews our inward man, and makes us partakers of a divine nature. Our faculties indeed remain the same as they were before; but there is a new direction given to them all. Our understanding is enlightened, so that we behold ourselves, and Christ, and the world, yea, every thing else too, in a very different light from what we ever did before — — — Our will is changed, so that instead of following, or even desiring to follow, our own way, we surrender up ourselves altogether to God’s government, saying most unfeignedly, Not my will, but thine be done — — — Our affections also are exercised in a very different manner from what they were before, so that, instead of being called forth principally by the things of time and sense, they are set upon things spiritual and eternal — — — We say not that this change is perfect in any man, (for there still are sad remains of the old and corrupt nature even in the best of men; the leprosy is never wholly removed till the walls be taken down.) But the change is universal in all the faculties, and progressive throughout our lives: nor can it be effected by any efforts of man, or by any other power than that of God.]

As the Scriptures give this extensive view of regeneration, so they fully declare,

  II.      The necessity of it—

“The kingdom of God” sometimes imports the kingdom of grace on earth, and sometimes the kingdom of glory in heaven. Indeed both are one and the same kingdom, subject to the same Head, composed of the same members, and governed by the same laws: grace is glory begun; glory is grace consummated. But for the purpose of illustrating our subject, we observe that, without regeneration,

  1.      We cannot enter into God’s kingdom of grace—

[There are many duties to be performed, and many privileges to be enjoyed, by the subjects of God’s spiritual kingdom, which an unregenerate man can neither perform nor enjoy. Who can doubt whether it be our duty to “repent in dust and ashes,” to “live by faith on the Son of God,” or to “crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts?” But can an unregenerate man do these things? We acknowledge that he may restrain in many respects his outward conduct; but can he root out from his heart the love of the world, and the love of sin? Can he truly lothe and abhor himself as well for the unhallowed corruptions of his heart, as for the grosser transgressions of his life? As well may he attempt to create a world as to effect these things by any power of his own. Again; it is the Christian’s privilege to enjoy that “peace of God which passeth all understanding,” to “abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost,” and to be transported with that “joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.” But can an unregenerate man possess that peace, when his iniquities are not forgiven? Can he look forward with delight to the coming of the day of Christ, when all his desires and pursuits terminate in this lower world? Can he be so elevated with holy joy, when there is nothing in his state which does not rather call for rivers of tears? But if any one doubt what answer he must return to these questions, let him go to his chamber, and see whether he be competent to form his mind to these sublime employments; and he will soon find that no power but that which created our souls at first, can form them anew after the Divine image.]

  2.      We cannot enter into the kingdom of glory—

[There is a meetness for the heavenly inheritance, which every one must attain, before he can enjoy the felicity of the saints in light. As, on earth, no occupation can afford us pleasure, if we have not an inward taste and relish for it, so, in heaven, we must have dispositions suited to the state of those above. But where is this disposition to be obtained, if not in this life? Can it be thought that there shall be “repentance in the grave,” and that we shall become regenerate in a future state? Shall he, who never supremely loved his God, become at once inflamed with devout affection towards him? Shall not he, who never was renewed after the Divine image, rather behold with dread and horror the holiness of God, and tremble at the sight of that Lamb, whose dying love he despised, and whose blood he trampled under foot? Shall he, who never sought one hour’s communion with God in secret, delight to have no other employment to all eternity? No; “as the tree falleth, so it lieth;” “he that was unjust will be unjust still; and he that was filthy will be filthy still.” As there is this reason on the part of man, so is there a still more cogent reason on the part of God. God has declared, with repeated and most solemn asseverations, that “except a man be born again, he shall never enter into his kingdom.” And has he spoken thus merely to alarm us? “Is he a man that he should lie, or the son of man that he should repent?” Will he dishonour himself to favour us? Will he violate the rights of justice, holiness, and truth, in order to save those, who, to their dying hour, rejected and despised his proffered mercy? If all the world tell you that you shall be admitted into heaven, believe them not: for the Judge of quick and dead has with the strongest possible asseverations declared, you never shall. Let us not then deceive ourselves with such vain hopes: for they can terminate in nothing but disappointment and ruin.]

  ADDRESS—

  1.      The unregenerate—

[You cannot surely be at a loss to know your real state, if you will examine candidly whether you have ever experienced such a change in your views, desires, and pursuits, as has been before described? O, let every one put home to his conscience this question, Am I born again? And know that neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision will avail you any thing, but a new creation. You must be born again, or perish — — —]

  2.      The regenerate—

[St. Peter, writing to such persons under the severest persecution, begins his Epistle with congratulations: and St. Paul bids us under the heaviest calamities to be thankful for renewing graceu. Do ye then bless God in every state, and “shew forth the virtues of him who hath called you to his kingdom and glory” — — — Let your renovation be progressive; and never think that you have attained any thing as long as any thing remains to be attained.]

MDCIX

THE BRAZEN SERPENT A TYPE OF CHRIST

  John 3:14, 15.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

A MORE instructive portion of Scripture than this before us we cannot easily find. The conversation of our Lord with Nicodemus was intended to lead him to the knowledge of salvation: and, being directed to a person of his rank, and high attainments in morality, it will serve as a model for our instructions to the greatest and best of men. The first point which our Lord insisted on was the necessity of a new birth: for, whatever our attainments be, it is impossible for us to enter into heaven till this has taken place in our souls; since we brought nothing into the world with us but what is carnal; and we must possess a spiritual nature, before we can be capable of enjoying a spiritual kingdom. But besides this, it is necessary also that we be interested in his atoning sacrifice: for, having once contracted guilt, we must be purged from that guilt, before we can be admitted into the Divine presence: and there is nothing but his atoning sacrifice that can avail for this. Hence our Lord, after shewing Nicodemus that he must experience a change of nature by means of a new and heavenly birth, tells him, that he must prepare to see the Messiah crucified for the sins of men, and must look to him for the healing of his soul as the dying Israelites did to the brazen serpent for the healing of the wounds inflicted by the fiery serpents in the wilderness.

The parallel which our Lord here draws between the brazen serpent and himself, represents that as the type, and himself as the antitype: and, that we may fully understand it, I will trace the resemblance,

  I.      In the occasion on which the type was instituted—

The Israelites were dying of the wounds received from the fiery flying serpents—

[They had provoked God by their murmuring and rebellion — — — and to punish them God had sent fiery serpents which they could in no wise avoid, and whose bite was mortal. To heal themselves was beyond their power. Multitudes died: and many, finding that they must die, unless God should graciously interpose for them, entreated Moses to intercede for them: and in answer to his intercession God appointed that a brazen serpent should be erected, and that by looking to it they should be healed.]

Similar to this was our state when God gave his Son to be nailed upon the cross—

[Through the agency of that old serpent the devil, sin had entered the world, and inflicted a deadly wound on every child of man. To heal ourselves was impossible. Death, eternal death, awaited us. And, as the only means of averting it, God, in tender mercy, sent his only dear Son into the world to die for us, and to save all who would look unto him for salvation.

But if there was in this respect a great resemblance between the occasions that existed for the erection of the serpent, and the exaltation of our blessed Lord upon the cross, there was also a material difference between them; the one being in answer to the prayers of men, the other being given unsolicited and unsought: the one also being appointed as a mere arbitrary ordinance, that had no suitableness to the end proposed; the other being appointed to make satisfaction for the sins of men, and to merit in our behalf the Divine favour.

In both cases, however, the occasion was the same: death was inflicted as the punishment of sin; and the remedy, the only remedy, against it, in either case, was to look to the object, proposed by God, and lifted up by man, for our relief.]

But let us contemplate the type yet more particularly,

  II.      In the end of its appointment—

The serpent was erected that all who were bitten might look unto it and live.

[An assurance was given to Moses, that all who looked to the brazen serpent should live. And so it proved, in fact. Not one who directed his eyes to it, died. However desperate his wounds might be, or however distant he might be from the object, so as scarcely to have any clear view of it at all, yet, instantly on looking to it he was healed.]

And does not the crucifixion of our Lord ensure the same benefit to those who look unto him—

[It matters not how long, or how grievously, any man may have sinned, provided he look truly and humbly to the Lord Jesus Christ as dying for him. As for the brazen serpent, it had no suitableness whatever to the end proposed. It was a mere arbitrary appointment of the Deity: and was available in that view alone. But the Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross under the guilt of all our sins, and offered a full and perfect satisfaction for them to Divine justice. True, indeed, to the judgment of carnal reason, that also appears “foolishness;” but it was in reality the most stupendous effort of “divine power and wisdom;” and it has in itself a proper suitableness and sufficiency for the salvation of all who trust in it. We may therefore safely assure every child of man, that, if he believe in Jesus, “he shall never perish, but shall have eternal life.” Nor shall the conferring of this benefit be delayed. The sight of the brazen serpent healed instantly the dying Israelite: and so shall a sight of Jesus instantly remove the guilt of all our sins, and infuse into our souls a new and heavenly life. Nor shall the blessing ever terminate. The benefit that accrued to those who looked to the brazen serpent lasted but for a time: but that which the believer in Jesus shall receive, shall endure for ever and ever.]

  ADDRESS—

  1.      Those who feel not their need of such a remedy—

[Such persons existed in the camp of Israel: but where shall one be found in our camp? Where is there one whose whole man is not impregnated with the venom of sin? If you feel it not, that only shews that your wounds are the more deep and deadly: but know assuredly, that, unless you be brought to a sense of your perishing condition, your doom is sealed; and in a little time you will perish for ever.]

  2.      Those who would substitute some other remedy in the place of Christ—

[What would have become of any man who should have persisted in devising some mode of healing himself, instead of looking to the brazen serpent? He must of necessity have died. And no other fate awaits you, if you will be substituting your own works, whether in whole or in part, in the place of Christ. Every other hope must be utterly renounced, and Christ alone be made the one object of your affiance.]

  3.      Those who desire the healing of their souls—

[Make the Israelites a pattern for yourselves. When they felt in themselves that they were dying, they sought after God through Moses their mediator; and confessed their sins, and implored mercy, and thankfully availed themselves of the proferred benefit, seeking it humbly in God’s appointed way. Thus then do ye also: seek your God through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only mediator between God and man; and with deep contrition implore mercy at his hands: then direct your eyes to the cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified for you; and doubt not but that you shall be made monuments of his grace and mercy to all eternity. Let no doubt about his sufficiency or your own worthiness keep you from him: for he “is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him;” and “whosoever” believeth in him shall assuredly be saved.”]

  4.      Those who doubt whether this mode of healing will not encourage sin—

[Such doubts were entertained in the Apostle’s days: but he spurned at the idea with holy indignation: “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid.” What think you? Would an Israelite have taken one of the fiery serpents to his bosom, because he had been healed of his wounds, and because the same means of healing were yet open to him? How much less would one who has felt the bitterness of sin, cherish it any longer in his bosom, because he has obtained deliverance from its guilt and condemnation? When he reflects that nothing but the crucifixion of the Son of God could heal him, will he think lightly of his sins? Will he not rather “look on him whom his sins have pierced, and mourn, and be in bitterness, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born?” Truly this is the proper effect of faith in Christ, who, if he redeem us from guilt and condemnation, will also “purify us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.”]

MDCX

THE LOVE OF GOD IN GIVING HIS SON FOR MAN

  John 3:16.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

THE doctrine of our reconciliation with God through the death of his Son, is calculated to impress our minds with a deep sense of the love of Christ in undertaking for us; but, if not cautiously stated, it may give us very erroneous conceptions respecting the Father. If, for instance, we imagine that the Father needed the mediation of his Son to render him propitious, then we must ascribe all the glory of our salvation to the Son, and consider the Father merely as acquiescing in the Son’s wishes, and shewing mercy to us for his sake. But the whole plan of our salvation originated with the Father: the very gift of a Saviour was the fruit of the Father’s love; and therefore, in contemplating the wonders of Redemption, we must trace them to their proper source, the love of God the Father.

To this view of things we are led by the text; in elucidating which, we shall not form any particular arrangement, but simply take the several expressions contained in it, and use them as so many mirrors to reflect light upon one central point, the love of God the Father in sending his only-begotten Son to die for us.

Consider then, first, the Giver—

[If man confer a benefit upon his fellow-creature, we are not surprised; because there is no man so elevated, but he may need the assistance of his inferiors; nor is there any man so depressed, but he may, at some period or other, have it in his power to requite a kindness. But “God” is totally independent of us; “our goodness extendeth not to him;” “it is no profit to him that we are righteousb:” he would have been equally happy and glorious, though no creature had ever been formed; and he would remain so, if every creature in the universe were annihilated. How wonderful, then, was it, that he should condescend to look on us; yea, that he should take such an interest in our affairs, as to supply, at a most incalculable price, our pressing necessities! Even in this first view of his love we are lost with wonder.]

But our admiration will be greatly increased, if we reflect upon the gift—

[It was his Son, “his only-begotten Son,” whom he vouchsafed to give. It was not a creature; no, not the first of all created beings, but his co-equal, co-eternal Son; who from eternity had been in his bosomd, and “daily his delight.” A less gift than that would not have sufficed for our relief: and a greater, God himself was not able to bestow. In comparison of this, ten thousand angels would have been as nothing; yea, all the hosts of heaven would not have been more than a grain of sand is in comparison of the universe. Yet God, seeing our wants, “sent his own Son to be a propitiation for our sins.” What manner of love was this! How “incomprehensible are its breadth and length, and depth and heightg!”]

Additional lustre will be reflected on this mystery, if we consider the manner in which he bestowed this gift—

[He waited not to be solicited: indeed no creature could have asked for such a favour: the thought could not have entered into the mind of any created intelligence; nor, if it had occurred, could he have presumed to utter it. But God needed no suggestion from his creatures: his love prevented their requests; it even provided for their wants before those wants existed, yea, before the creatures themselves had any being. He himself is lovei; and the exercise of mercy is his delight. He neither had, nor could have, any inducement from without: all his motives were found within his own bosom: the displaying of his own unbounded love was a sufficient reason for his utmost exertions: he shewed mercy for mercy sake; and “gave,” because it was the joy of his soul to give.]

But how will this stupendous love be heightened in our esteem, if we take into consideration the persons on whom this gift was bestowed!

[It was not vouchsafed to angels, though angels needed it as much as we. This was a mercy reserved for fallen man, even for “the world” that lieth in wickedness. To form an estimate of the world, let us look around us, and see to what an awful extent iniquity abounds: or, if we would have our judgment still more according to truth, let us look within our own hearts, and see what horrible abominations are harboured there. We know nothing of others, but by their words and actions: but we have a juster criterion within our own bosoms: we may search into our own thoughts and desires; we may discern the base mixture that there is in all our motives and principles of action: in short, we may see such “a world of iniquity” within us, as may well constrain us to say, with David, “My heart sheweth me the wickedness of the ungodly, that there is no fear of God before his eyes:” yes, in our own hearts there is an epitome of all the evil that is in the world: and, if we know any thing of ourselves, we shall stand amazed that God should look upon such a world as this, and give his only dear Son to save those who so richly merited his hottest indignation.]

We cannot do justice to this subject, if we do not further notice God’s ultimate design in bestowing this precious gift upon us—

[We must, but for this marvellous effort of divine love, have perished in our sins. Having resembled the fallen angels in their sin, we must have resembled them also in their misery. But “God would not that we should perish.” Notwithstanding the greatness and universality of our guilt, he would not that we should suffer according to our desert; and therefore he interposed for our deliverance. But this was not all. He desired to restore us to our forfeited inheritance, and to bring us to the possession of “everlasting life.” It was not enough for him to save us from perishing; he must also renovate us after his own image, and make us partakers of his own glory. What stupendous love was this! That he should ever think of receiving such hateful creatures into his presence; that he should lay a plan for the exalting of them to thrones and kingdoms in heaven; and that he should even give his only-begotten Son out of his bosom to effect it! How infinitely does this surpass all the comprehension of men or angels!]

The condition which he has imposed for our participation of these benefits, yet further illustrates and magnifies his love—

[Suppose God had said, “Find me fifty righteous, or forty, or thirty, or twenty, or only ten, and for their sakes I will pardon and save all the rest:” we must have perished, because among the whole human, race there is “not one righteous, no, not one.”

Suppose that, instead of this, he had said, “I will give my Son to die for your past offences, and will bring you back to a state of probation; whereby, if you fall not again from your righteousness, you shall be saved:” the offer had been exceeding kind and gracious; but we should not long have reaped any solid advantage from it: we should soon have broken the covenant again, and been involved in the same misery as before.

Suppose God had said, “I foresee that a renewal of your former covenant would be to no purpose; and therefore my Son shall work out a righteousness for you; and I require nothing of you, but to add to that a righteousness of your own, that the two righteousnesses together may form a joint ground of your acceptance with me:” alas! we should have been in as deplorable a state as ever; for we never have done, nor ever can do, one single act, which, if weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, will not be found wanting.

But suppose God yet further to lower his demands, and to say, “I will give you a complete salvation through the blood and righteousness of my dear Son; and I will require nothing of you, but only to render yourselves worthy of it;” still had our state been altogether hopeless; for we can no more render ourselves worthy of such a mercy, that we can create a world.

This was well known to God; and therefore he proposed none of these things: he requires only that we should believe in his Son, and accept freely what he so freely offers. It is true, that, if even this depended on ourselves, we should perish: because without the grace of God we cannot exercise saving faith: but still this is the condition, which alone is suited to our helpless state; because it implies a total renunciation of all merit or strength in ourselves, and leads us to Christ, that we may find our all in him. O how does this enhance the love of God! And in what bright colours does that love appear, when viewed in the light which so many mirrors reflect upon it!]

If any thing can add to the lustre with which his love already shines, it is the extent in which the offers of these benefits are made—

[There is not a human being upon earth, who shall not be a partaker of all these benefits, if only he believe in Christ. There is no limitation, no exception: God gave his Son, that “whosoever” believeth in him should not perish. Past sins, however numerous or heinous, are no bar to our acceptance with God, if only we accept his mercy on the terms on which it is offered. This is the uniform testimony of Holy Writ — — — O let us magnify God for his mercy; and be telling of the wonders of his love from day to day!]

  INFER—

  1.      How aggravated must be the condemnation of them that reject the Gospel!

[Our Lord says, “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” Let this sink down into our ears: for, if such love cannot melt us into contrition, and such goodness bring us to repentance, we may well expect a most accumulated weight of vengeance at the hands of an offended God.]

  2.      How groundless are the fears of many who embrace the truth!

[Many sincere Christians are troubled in mind; some on account of their temporal wants, and others on account of their spiritual necessities. But “if God has delivered up his own Son for us, will he not with him also freely give us all things?” And “if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” These are unanswerable arguments; and they should compose our minds under trials, of whatever kind.]

  3.      How deeply should we all be affected by the love of God!

[Pungent indeed is that question, “What could I have done more for my vineyard, that I have not done?” The more we consider HOW God has loved the world, the more we shall see, that he has indeed done all for us that he could do, consistently with our free agency, and his own honour. And when he has so loved the world, are we at liberty to forget him? Does such love call for no return? or are we to requite it only by increased impiety? O let every one of us say, “What shall I render to the Lord?” And let his love to us constrain us to devote ourselves unreservedly to him.]

MDCXI

THE END FOR WHICH GOD SENT HIS SON

  John 3:17.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

AN expectation generally prevailed among the Jews that their Messiah would interpose on behalf of their nation alone, and bring all other kingdoms into subjection to them. Our Lord took frequent occasions to rectify this mistake, and to shew, that he was to be the Saviour, not of one people only, but of the whole world. In this discourse with Nicodemus, he introduces this important subject in such a way as to inform his mind, without shocking his prejudices. Having explained to him the nature and necessity of regeneration, and shewn him, by reference to a well-known type, the way of salvation, he declares, that the whole world, Gentiles as well as Jews, were to participate the benefits of his coming; and that God, in sending him into the world, had as much respect to the welfare of the benighted heathens as of his chosen and peculiar people. To elucidate the words before us, we shall shew,

  I.      That, supposing God to send his Son into the world, it was far more probable that he should send him to condemn the world than to save it—

That God should ever send his Son into the world at all is such a mystery as must for ever fill the whole universe with amazement. But supposing him to make known his determination to do so, the probability certainly was that it should be for our destruction rather than our salvation—

  1.      Consider what was the state of the world at the time he did send his Son—

[Had he seen the greater part of mankind lamenting their fall, wishing earnestly that some way could be devised for their recovery, and struggling, but with unsuccessful efforts, to get free from sin, we might have supposed that God would exercise mercy towards us, and open a way for our restoration through the sacrifice of his Son. But when the whole mass of mankind were up in arms against him, when not one of the whole human race (except a few whose hearts he himself had touched) desired reconciliation with him; yea, when all were utterly averse from it, and desired nothing so much as to live in sin with impunity, and wished for no better heaven than the unrestrained indulgence of their lusts; for what end could God send his Son, but to execute upon them the vengeance they deserved?]

  2.      Consider for what end God had before sent messengers from heaven—

[God had on some remarkable occasions commissioned angels to perform his will: and though, when sent to some highly-favoured individuals, they were messengers of mercy, yet, when sent to the avowed enemies of God, they were, for the most part, ministers of wrath to execute the most signal vengeance. Who can contemplate Sodom and the cities of the plain; who can call to mind the Egyptian first-born; who can survey one hundred and eighty-five thousand soldiers lying dead in the Assyrian camp; and not tremble at the thought of a messenger being sent from heaven? Suppose then we should hear that God was about to send his own Son from heaven to execute his will with respect to the whole world, and especially such a world as this; what would any one imagine, but that, as it was not a particular city or nation that God was about to punish, but a whole world, he had determined to employ his own Son; and that the judgments he was about to inflict, would be great in proportion to the power and dignity of the executioner? As for conceiving the idea that he should send his Son to save the world, it would not so much as enter into the mind of any created being.]

  3.      Consider that God certainly foreknew the way in which the world would treat his Son—

[If God had not certainly foreknown all future events, he might perhaps have reasoned thus: ‘I have sent to that wretched world my servants the prophets, and instead of attending to them they have persecuted them even unto death: but if I should send them my SON, surely they would reverence HIM; they would not dare to lift up a finger against him; they would be so struck with wonder at my condescension and love, that they would return instantly to their allegiance. Rather therefore than they should perish, I will send them my Son to save them.’ But God knew that instead of reverencing his Son, they would no sooner see him, than they would exclaim, “This is the heir; come let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.” He knew full well that, however manifest the credentials of his Son, and however indisputable the evidences of his divine mission, they would not believe in him, but would cast him out of the vineyard and slay him. What then must we suppose God would say on such an occasion? Surely he would speak to this effect: ‘If I could hope that they would reverence my Son, I would overlook all the injuries done to my prophets, and would even send my Son for their salvation: but I know they would all thirst for his blood; they would pluck me from my throne if they were able; and, if I should put my Son into their power, they would load him with all manner of indignities, and put him to the most ignominious death: shall I then, foreseeing these things as I do, put him into their power? No: that were unworthy of my majesty, and degrading to my Son. I may possibly send my Son; but, if I do, it shall not be to save the world, but to condemn them according to their desert.’]

These considerations fully evince the improbability that God should ever use the mediation of his Son in a way of mercy towards us. Yet we must add,

  II.      That, notwithstanding it was so improbable, God did really send his Son, not to condemn, but to save the world—

The frequency with which we hear of this stupendous mystery, prevents the surprise which the declaration of it must otherwise excite. But, whatever the ignorance of scoffers, and the pride of infidels may suggest, be it known to all, that God did send his Son,

  1.      To expiate sin—

[God knew that it was impossible for man to atone for sin — — — Yet it was also impossible that sin could be forgiven, unless an adequate atonement were offered to the Divine Majesty — — — What was to be done? The angels, even if they were willing, were not able to undertake our cause. There was but one, even in heaven, that was competent to the mighty task of appeasing incensed Majesty, and of satisfying offended justice: there was none but Jesus, the best-beloved of the Father, who from eternity had lain in his bosom. And would the Father give HIM? Yes; “He spared not his own Son, but delivered HIM up for us all.” “He prepared him a body,” and “sent him to be a propitiation, not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world” — — — What amazing love! Eternity will not suffice to explore and celebrate this stupendous mystery.]

  2.      To work out a righteousness for us—

[Mankind were as unable to provide for themselves a righteousness wherein they might stand before God, as they were to make an atonement for their past offences — — — But, behold, God would not leave us destitute; he gave his Son to fulfil the law which we had broken, and, “to bring in an everlasting righteousness,” “which should be unto all and upon all them that believe” — — — The name given him on this very account is, “The Lord our Righteousness.” Clothed in his unspotted robe, the vilest of returning prodigals may stand perfect and complete in the presence of their God — — — Every one of them may say, “In the Lord have I righteousness and strength.”]

  3.      To exalt us to glory—

[It was not only to begin, but to carry on and perfect our salvation, that the Father sent his Son into the world. He is to be both “the author and the finisher of our faith” — — — Having delivered our souls from the guilt of sin, and from the powers of darkness, he will raise up our bodies also from the grave, and exalt us to sit upon his throne for evermore — — — Never will he cease from his work, till he has fully and finally accomplished it on behalf of his people — — — How wonderful is this! Surely it almost exceeds belief: that, instead of condemning the world, God should send his Son to save it, to save it by laying down his own life a ransom for us, and by managing all the concerns of every one of his elect till he shall have finally established them in the possession of their heavenly inheritance! Hear, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth: yea, let all the choirs of heaven make it the everlasting subject of their highest praises — — —]

  ADDRESS—

  1.      Those who are regardless of their own salvation—

[Alas! how little effect do the wonders of redemption produce on the world at large! But what an aggravation of their guilt will it be to have poured contempt upon the Son of God! Surely God’s greatest mercy will prove their heaviest curse. The very devils will have more to say on their own behalf than they. Satan himself may say, “I never had salvation offered me; I never sinned against redeeming love.” But careless sinners are daily “trampling under foot the Son of God,” who lived and died to save them. O lay this to heart, and seek an interest in him who alone can deliver you from the wrath to come.]

  2.      Those who are ready to doubt whether they ever can be saved—

[Many such there are in the Church of Christ — — — But did God send his Son to execute a work which he was not able to perform? or has Jesus discovered any backwardness to fulfil his engagements? — — — Let not any be afraid: for if a whole world is to be saved by him, he cannot but have a sufficiency to supply all our wants, provided we commit ourselves entirely to him — — —]

  3.      Those who are enjoying salvation—

[While you are reaping the blessed fruits of the Father’s love, surely you will often say, what shall I render to the Lord? If he gave up his dear Son for my salvation, shall not I give up a bosom lust for his glory? — — — Think how much you are indebted to him; and endeavour to glorify him with your body and your spirit which are his.]

MDCXII

MEN’S HATRED OF THE LIGHT

  John 3:19–21.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

IT appears strange to many, that the everlasting happiness or misery of the soul should be made to depend on the exercise of faith. The declaration of our Lord, That “he that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned,” is regarded by them as a “hard saying;” they see no proportion between the work and the reward on the one hand, or between the offence and the punishment on the other. In the words before us we have a solution of the difficulty. We are taught that faith and unbelief are not mere operations of the mind, but exercises of the heart; the one proceeding from a love to what is good; the other from a radical attachment to evil. Our blessed Lord had repeatedly inculcated the necessity of believing in him, in order to a participation of his proffered benefits. He had also represented unbelievers as “already condemned,” even like criminals reserved for execution. To obviate any objection which might arise in the mind of Nicodemus in relation to the apparent severity of this sentence, he proceeded to shew the true ground of it, namely, That, in their rejection of him, men are actuated by an invincible love of sin, and by a consequent hatred of the light which is sent to turn them from sin.

In opening the words of our text, we shall shew,

  I.      What is that light which is come into the world—

Christ is called “The light of the world,” “The true light,” “The Day-star,” and “The Sun of righteousness that arises with healing in his wings.” But,

It is the Gospel which is here said to have “come into the world”—

[The glad tidings of salvation were now published by Christ himself; and both the manner in which that salvation was to be effected, and the manner in which it was to be received, were clearly revealed. Our blessed Lord had in this very discourse with Nicodemus declared, that “the Son of Man was to be lifted up upon the cross, as the serpent had been in the wilderness,” in order that all who were dying of the wounds of sin might look to him and be healed. He had repeated again and again this important truth, on which the salvation of our fallen race depends. This mystery had from eternity been hid in the bosom of the Father; but now it was made fully manifest. This “light was now come into the world.”]

The Gospel, in this view of it, is fitly designated under the metaphor of “light”—

[Light is that, without which no one thing can be discerned aright. And how ignorant are we, till the light of the Gospel shines in our hearts! We know nothing of ourselves, of God, of Christ, or of the way to heaven. We cannot even appreciate the value of the soul, the importance of time, the emptiness of earthly vanities. We may indeed give our assent to the statements which we hear made upon these subjects; but we cannot have an experimental and abiding sense, even of the most obvious truths, till our minds are enlightened by the Gospel of Christ.

Light causes all other things to be seen in their true colours. Thus does also the Gospel: in setting forth the Son of God as dying for our sins, it shews us the malignity of sin; the justice of God which required such an atonement for it; and, above all, the wonderful love of God in giving us his only dear Son, in order that we might have peace through the blood of his cross.

Light carries its own evidence along with it. Thus does also that glorious Gospel of which we are speaking: it is so peculiarly suited to the necessities of man, and at the same time so commensurate with his wants; it is so calculated to display and magnify all the perfections of the Deity, and is in every respect so worthy of its Divine Author; that it commends itself to us instantly as of heavenly origin, the very masterpiece of Divine wisdom.]

One would imagine that such light should be universally welcomed: but since this is not the case, we shall proceed to shew,

  II.      Whence it is that men reject it—

It is but too evident, that, as in former ages, so now also, men reject the light. But whence does this arise? It is not because they have any sufficient reason to reject it—

[If there were any thing in the Gospel that rendered it unworthy of men’s regard, they would have some excuse for rejecting it. But,

They cannot say that it is inapplicable in its nature.—We will appeal to the world, and ask, What is there, that guilty and helpless sinners would desire? Would they wish for a Saviour? Would they be glad that the whole work of salvation should be committed into his hands? Would they be especially desirous that nothing should be required of them, but to receive with gratitude, and improve with diligence, what the Saviour offers them? In short, would they be glad of a free and full salvation? This is precisely such a salvation as is provided for them in the Gospel.

They cannot say that it is inadequate in its provisions.—If the Gospel brought salvation to those only who were possessed of some amiable qualities, or to those who had committed only a certain number of offences; if it made any limitation or exception whatever in its offers of mercy; if it provided pardon, but not strength, or grace to begin our course, but not grace to persevere; if, in short, it omitted any one thing which any sinner in the universe could need, then some persons might say, ‘It is not commensurate with my necessities.’ But we defy the imagination of man to conceive any case which the Gospel cannot reach, or any want which it cannot satisfy.

They cannot say that it is unreasonable in its demands.—It does indeed require an unreserved surrender of ourselves to God: and on this account it appears to many to be strict and severe. But let any one examine all its prohibitions and all its commands, and he will find them all amounting in fact to these two; “Do thyself no harm;” and, “Seek to be as happy as thy heart can wish.” If there be any thing in the Gospel which bears a different aspect, it is owing entirely to our ignorance of its real import. The more thoroughly the Gospel is understood, the more worthy of acceptation will it invariably appear.]

The only true reason is, that they “hate the light”—

[Till men are truly converted to God, “their deeds are universally evil;” yea “every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts is evil, only evil, continually.” Now the Gospel is a light which shews their deeds in their proper colours.

It reproves their ways.—They have been “calling good evil, and evil good; and putting bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.” In reference to these things, it undeceives them. It declares plainly, that they who do such things as they have done, and perhaps have accounted innocent, shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ii mortifies their pride.—It not only shews them that they are obnoxious to the wrath of God, but that they are incapable of averting his displeasure by any thing which they themselves can do. It brings down the proud Pharisee, and places him on a level with publicans and harlots. It requires every man to acknowledge himself a debtor to divine grace for every good thing that he either has or hopes for. All this is extremely humiliating to our proud nature.

It inculcates duties which they are unwilling to perform.—Humility and self-denial, renunciation of the world and devotedness to God, enduring of shame and glorying in the cross; these, and many other duties, it enjoins, which to our carnal and corrupt nature are hateful in the extreme: yet the Gospel inculcates them with a strictness not to be lowered, a plainness not to be misinterpreted, and an authority not to be withstood.

These, these are the grounds on which the Gospel is rejected. If it would admit of persons following their own ways, or of their accommodating its precepts to their own views or interests, they would give it a favourable reception. But as it requires all to be cast into the very mould which it has formed, and will tolerate not the smallest wilful deviation from its rules, it is, and must be, odious in the eyes of the ungodly: “they love darkness rather than it; nor will they come to it, lest their deeds should be reproved.”]

A just view of these things will prepare us for contemplating,

  III.      Their guilt and danger in rejecting it—

Doubtless every kind of sin will be a ground of “condemnation.” But men’s hatred of the light is that which chiefly, and above all other things,

  1.      Aggravates their guilt—

[The Gospel is a most wonderful provision for the salvation of fallen man. It is the brightest display of Divine wisdom, and the most stupendous effort of Divine goodness. The rejection of this therefore, especially as proceeding from a hatred of it, argues such a state of mind as no words can adequately express. The malignity of such a disposition rises in proportion to the excellence of the Gospel itself. We presume not to weigh the comparative guilt of men and devils, because the Scriptures have not given us sufficient grounds whereon to institute such a comparison: but the guilt of those who reject the Gospel far exceeds that of the heathen world: the wickedness of Tyre and Sidon, yea, of Sodom and Gomorrha, was not equal to that of the unbelieving Jews: nor was the guilt of those Jews, who rejected only the warnings of the prophets, comparable to that of those who despised the ministry of our Lord. In like manner, they who live under the meridian light of the Gospel in this day will have still more, if possible, to answer for, than the hearers of Christ himself; because his work and offices are now more fully exhibited, and more generally acknowledged. And in the day of judgment the Gospel will be as a millstone round the neck of those who rejected it: not having been a savour of life unto their salvation, it will be a savour of death unto their more aggravated condemnation.]

  2.      Insures their punishment—

[If men did not hate the Gospel itself, there would be some hope that they might in due time embrace it, and be converted by it. If they would even come to the light in order that the true quality of their works might be made manifest, then we might hope that they would be convinced of their wickedness, and be constrained to flee from the wrath to come. But when they dispute against the truth, and rack their invention in order to find out objections against it; when they indulge all manner of prejudices against the Gospel; when they withdraw themselves from the ministry of those who faithfully preach it, and say, as it were, to their minister, “Prophesy unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits;” what hope can there be of such persons? Their hearts are so hardened, that it is scarcely possible to make any impression upon them: if a ray of light do shine into their minds, they will endeavour to extinguish it as soon as possible; they will go to business, to pleasure, to company, yea, to intoxication itself, in order to stifle the voice of conscience, and to recover their former delusive peace. Alas! they are not only perishing of a fatal disorder, but they reject with disdain the only remedy that can do them good: they therefore must die, because they persist in drinking of the poisonous cup that is in their hands, and dash from their lips the only antidote and cure.]

  APPLICATION—

In so saying, thou reprovest us—

[Behold! we declare unto you, that light, even the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ, is now come into the world — — —

Ye lovers of darkness, reject not this blessed Gospel. Little can sin contribute to your happiness, even while you are most capable of tasting its pleasures: but what it can do for you in a dying hour, or in the day of judgment, it is needless for me to say. Let it not then keep you from coming to the light. Surely it is better that “your deeds should be reproved,” while you have opportunity to amend them, than that you should continue in them till you experience their bitter consequences. You would not travel in the dark when you could enjoy the light of day, or refuse the assistance of a guide that would lead you into the path which you professed to seek. Only then act for your souls as you would do in your temporal concerns, and all shall yet be well. Believe in Christ, and you shall yet be saved by him; as well from the commission of sin, as from the condemnation due to it.

Ye who profess to love the light, be careful to “walk as children of the light.” Bring every thing to the touchstone of God’s word. Try your spirit and temper, as well as your words and actions by this test. See whether you take the precepts of Christ as your rule, and his example as your pattern. For the sake of the world too, as well as for your own comfort, you should come continually to the light. If you would conciliate their regard for the Gospel, or remove their prejudice from yourselves, you should “make your works manifest that they are wrought in God.” You should let your light shine before men, that they, seeing your good works, may glorify your Father that is in heaven.]

MDCXIII

CONVERSION OF SOULS A GROUND OF JOY

  John 3:29, 30.

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.

OF all the passions in the human breast, there is none more hateful than envy. When suffered to reign without controul, there is not any thing which it will not perpetrate. The rage of Cain, the conspiracy of Joseph’s brethren, the implacable enmity of the Jewish priests against the Lord Jesus Christ, clearly shew to what cruelties it will impel those who are under its dominion. Doubtless in those who have the smallest degree of piety, this malignant principle is weakened, and in a measure subdued: but it is not eradicated: it is one of those corruptions, which, by varying their appearances, retain possession of us under the semblance of good: nor, till we have made very considerable advances in the divine life, are we able fully and effectually to guard against its deceitful workings. We are assured that Joshua was truly pious; yet from an envious zeal for his Master’s honour he was desirous of silencing those who by divine inspiration prophesied in the camp. The Disciples of our Lord were actuated by no better principle, when they forbad a person to cast out devils in his name, because he did not follow with them. The complaint which John’s disciples also made to him respecting the multitudes who submitted to the baptism of Jesus, originated in the same feeling. Some Jews had taken occasion, from Jesus rebaptizing the disciples of John, to represent John and Jesus as “opposing each other; and, from the difficulties of determining which of the two was right, they maintained, that it was better to adhere to the lustrations appointed by Moses, than to comply with the rites which these rival innovators were introducing. The disciples of John, fearing that their Master’s credit would suffer, and his influence be subverted, come to him to complain of Jesus for usurping an authority that did not belong to him, and for undermining the authority of John, from whom, in fact, he had, as they thought, derived his influence. In answer to this complaint, John reminds them, that the very testimony which he had borne to Jesus, was sufficient to shew them their error: for he had from the beginning represented his own office as a short and temporary one, which was to cease, as soon as the attention of men should be turned to Him, whose forerunner he was: and consequently, that the accomplishment of this great object should be to them a source, not of pain and grief, but of gratitude and thanksgiving. This idea he illustrates by the similitude of a bridegroom delighting in his bride, and thereby exciting in his friends, not an envious repining, but a sympathetic joy. As for the diminution of his own influence, this, he tells them, was agreeable to the very design of his coming; and, like a star which had served its purpose in the night, he was contented to be eclipsed, now that the Sun of Righteousness had risen to illumine the world.

From this general view of our text, we observe,

  I.      That the conversion of souls to Christ is a ground of joy—

The success of a bridegroom who has obtained possession of his bride, is usually deemed a ground of joyful congratulation. Now the conversion of a soul to Christ is fitly represented under this similitude. The Scripture often speaks of him as the Husband of his people, and of the Church as his bride. To mark this correspondence, is needless: indeed, it is better to take it in a general view, than to attempt to trace it in particularse. Suffice it to say, that the metaphor is just; that all who are truly converted give up themselves to Christ, and are thereby made partakers of all that he possesses.

Contemplate now what a ground of joy this is,

  1.      To the believer—

[Consider from what a state he is taken: how mean by nature! how vile by practice! — — — Consider to what a state he is raised: to what exalted honour! to what immense wealth! to what unspeakable felicity! — — — Has not such an one good reason to rejoice?]

  2.      To the heavenly Bridegroom—

[We know that, strictly speaking, he is not capable of having his happiness increased by any thing that we can do: he is altogether independent, and self-sufficient. Nevertheless, the Scriptures speak of him as still affected with joy and sorrow, just as he was in the days of his flesh. In conformity then with them, let us think, what must be his feelings, when he sees the blessed ends of his incarnation and death accomplished! — — — To convert and save sinners was the end of all that he did and suffered for us; and when he beholds them converted to himself, “he sees of the travail of his soul, and is satisfied.” To illustrate this idea, he gives us a variety of parablesh; yea, he condescends to use by the prophet the very similitude in the text, in order to express the satisfaction of his soul in such events — — —]

  3.      To the Bridegroom’s friend—

[As the friends both of the bride and bridegroom are often accessary to their union, and rejoice when they see the wishes of all the parties accomplished, so the friends of Christ, his ministers especially, exert themselves to bring sinners unto him. It is for this they labour, for this they pray; yea, for this they live, and for this they are content to die. Their one object is, that sinners may be born to God, and be united to Christ in the bonds of an everlasting covenant. In the pursuit of this, their labours, their anxieties, their sufferings are great — — — Can they then do otherwise than rejoice, when they see that they have not “laboured in vain or run in vain?” If they “travail, as it were, in birth, whilst they stand in doubt,” must they not rejoice, when their doubts are all dispelled? See how Paul rejoiced in the conversion of men: and such are the feelings of every minister, in proportion as he is animated with Christian zeal and love — — —]

Whilst the Baptist thus disinterestedly declares that the conversion of sinners to Christ was to him a source of joy, he predicts,

  II.      That it shall advance in despite of every obstacle—

Those who are the instruments of diffusing the knowledge of Christ must wax and wane: however distinguished they may be for a time, they must soon “decrease.” But Christ, and his interests, must “increase.”

He must increase,

  1.      In the estimation of his chosen people—

[The envy of some, and the malignity of others, will be exerted to damp the ardour of our affections, and to shake our fidelity towards him: and, where a profession of regard for him has been lightly taken up, the enemies of Christ will succeed in drawing us from our allegiance to him. But, if we “have received the grace of God in truth,” we shall never yield to their solicitations: and, “if any go out from us, it is because they were not of us: for, if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us.” The true Spouse of Christ may be tried and tempted; but she will never renounce her connexion with him, or be unfaithful to her engagements. The more she is assaulted from without or from within, the more she will flee to him for succour: and her experience of his kindness will endear him to her ever more and more; so that her love to him will be more ardent, her affiance in him more uniform, and her adherence to him more determined. Never will he be more dear to her, than when she has suffered the loss of all things for him. The language of her heart will be, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee:” and “all other things will be counted but dross and dung in comparison of the knowledge of him.” In short, she will “grow in grace, as she grows in the knowledge” of her Divine Husband — — —]

  2.      In the estimation of the world at large—

[The Baptist’s words were soon verified: for, in the space of a few years, the knowledge and love of Christ were diffused throughout all the Roman empire. But his influence is yet only in its commencement. There is a time coming when it will extend to the remotest corners of the earth: “All kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall do him service.” “All shall know him, from the least unto the greatest;” and “all the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of our Lord” — — — “Then shall his Wife have made herself ready, and the marriage of the Lamb shall come: and blessed indeed will they be who shall then be called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” This is “the increase” which we assuredly look for; and of it there shall be no endn.”]

  ADDRESS—

  1.      Those who profess to desire an union with Christ—

[Happy they who feel a desire after him! — — — But there must be in every one of us a meetness for him, before he will acknowledge us as his. Let not this however be misunderstood. There cannot be in us any thing that can deserve his love, nor any tiling that shall induce him to set his love upon us: we have not a good thought or desire which has not been first of all given us by him. But still, if we would be his in deed and in truth, we must have our desires supremely fixed on him, and every adulterous affection mortified. It is not a divided heart that he will accept: we must give ourselves wholly to him; or he will never admit us into the relation of his Spouse. See what holy jealousy St. Paul manifested on this head; and with what tender concern he urged the consideration of this subject on his Corinthian converts — — — So, beloved, we would urge it upon you. Deceive not your own souls. In forming human connexions, we may impose upon one another: but we can never impose on him: and if we would be acknowledged by him as his bride, we must present ourselves to him as a chaste virgin, with a determination to be his, even his alone — — —]

  2.      Those who profess to be actually united to him—

[It is scarcely needful to say, that you must endeavour to “walk worthy of your high calling.” If you profess to stand in such a relation to the Lord Jesus Christ, “what manner of persons ought you to be in all manner of conversation and godliness!” See then that you live in a state of constant communion with him, and of entire dependence on himq — — — Be zealous for his honour, and studious to bring forth the fruits of righteousness to his praise and glory — — —

Endeavour also to commend him unto others. There is no room for jealousy here. The light of his countenance, like the light of the sun, will not be the less enjoyed by you because it is imparted to others: on the contrary, the more successful you are in bringing others into a participation of his benefits, the more will your own souls overflow with joy. And the very weakest amongst us, that is really the Bridegroom’s friend, shall find that he does not testify of Christ in vain: however incapable he may feel himself to recommend the Saviour to others, he shall see some fruit of his labour, and have reason to say, with John, “This my joy is fulfilled.”]

MDCXIV

THE NECESSITY OF FAITH IN CHRIST

  John 3:36.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

A FAITHFUL minister will find many occasions of rectifying the views and dispositions of his hearers; nor will he fail to improve the opportunities that occur of leading them to a more intimate acquaintance with their Lord. Some of the followers of John the Baptist having heard of the popularity of Jesus, were envious of his success, and jealous for the honour of their own teacher. But this holy man answered their complaints with much wisdom and humility; and having, in the strongest terms, given his testimony to the Divine mission of Jesus, he confirmed his word with the solemn declaration which we have just read. This record contains the sum and substance of the Gospel. It sets before us,

  I.      The one condition of our salvation—

We do not mean to say that there is any thing to be done, whereby we are to earn or merit heaven (in this respect our salvation has no conditions except those which were performed by Christ) but that,

We must believe in Christ in order to obtain salvation—

[The duty here enjoined is not so easy as men generally suppose. If it merely imported a consent to the truth of Christianity, it might then be performed without any difficulty or self-denial. But to “believe on the Son of God” is, to believe, that he is the only, and the all-sufficient, Saviour of our ruined race. If we do not feel our need of him; if we be not convinced that we can never obtain salvation by any works of our own; if we do not make earnest application to him at a throne of grace; and if we do not trust altogether in his blood and righteousness, we cannot believe aright. This, and nothing less than this, is the condition of our acceptance with God.]

Nor is there any other condition so suitable as this—

[We may be ready to think that the performance of good works were a much fitter condition than faith. But if salvation were by works, no flesh living could be saved; because no man ever has kept, or ever can keep, the whole law of God. Nor should we be at all more safe, if sincere obedience were the term of our acceptance; because as no man has perfectly fulfilled the law, so no man has done all that he might have done; in many instances we might have mortified our sinful dispositions more, and approved ourselves more diligent in the discharge of our duty. Besides, if we were saved by any works of our own, we should have whereof to glory, and might ascribe, even in heaven itself, the honour to ourselves. Whereas the appointment of salvation by faith secures happiness to the most unworthy, if really penitent; and necessitates all to give the glory of their salvation to God alone.]

The Baptist having thus made known the condition of our acceptance with God, proceeds to declare,

  II.      The state of those who comply with it—

About this, which might have been thought a dubious point, no doubt whatever is expressed. The believer has,

  1.      A title to eternal life—

[There is not any title whatever to an earthly inheritance so secure as that which the believer has to heaven. He has the promise of Jehovah. He has a covenant sealed with Emmanuel’s blood, and confirmed with the oath of God himself—and, provided he can appeal to God respecting his unfeigned reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ, he may put in his claim even at the bar of judgment, and demand, if we may so speak, all the glory of heaven as his unalienable inheritance. God hath said, “He that believeth shall be saved;” and if we only prove our performance of the condition, we need never doubt the fulfilment of God’s promise.]

  2.      The beginning and earnest of it in his soul—

[The life which a believer has in his soul is of the same kind with that which he shall possess for ever. He has the same reconciliation with God, the same delight in him, and the same sense of his favour. The Spirit of God that is within him is often called “an earnest” of his inheritance; because that Spirit, in his enlightening, sanctifying, and comforting influences, is a foretaste of heaven, and a pledge, that the soul possessed of it shall in due time enjoy all the glory and felicity of the heavenly world. He has only to wait the appointed hour, and his abode shall be in the presence of his God, where nothing that can trouble or defile him shall ever enter. Say, brethren, could an angel from heaven announce to you more joyful tidings than these?]

But it is not thus with all. Widely different is,

  III.      The state of those who do not comply with it—

Here we may observe the same strength of assertion as in the former case. The text positively affirms, that

They shall not enter into heaven—

[Unbelievers often seem as confident of obtaining eternal happiness as if all the promises of God had been made to them in particular. But they will be awfully disappointed as soon as ever they enter into the invisible world. “They will knock at the gate of heaven, crying, Lord, Lord, open to us: but he will answer them, Depart from me, I never knew you.” A flaming sword will prohibit their entrance into Paradise, and an impassable gulf be fixed between them and the celestial spirits. This is the declaration of God, nor can it ever be reversed.]

They shall be made eternal monuments of God’s wrath—

[They will not be persuaded that God is angry with them; and because they feel not his judgments now, they think they never shall. But God even now is filled with wrath against them; and they are preserved only as condemned criminals in a dungeon, till the hour appointed for their execution shall arrive. God’s eye is ever upon them, not for good, but for evil. He views them as guilty of the most flagrant disobedience. He regards them as contemners both of his majesty, and of his mercy. He is incensed against them for “trampling under foot his dear Son, and doing despite to his Spirit.” And soon the wrath, which even now “abideth on them,” “shall come upon them to the uttermost.”]

  APPLICATION—

[Let all inquire seriously whether they do indeed believe — — — Let those, who have not hitherto come to Christ as lost and perishing sinners, guard against those workings of self-righteousness which would keep them from him — — — And let “those who have believed be careful to maintain good works” — — —]

MDCXV

CHRIST A FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATER

  John 4:10.

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

OUR blessed Saviour, though “Lord of all,” was a man like unto us in all things, sin only excepted: he hungered, he thirsted, he was weary. He put forth his Almighty power to heal the maladies of others; but would not exercise it for the exempting of himself from human infirmities. In journeying from Judæa to Galilee, he was overcome with weariness; and was necessitated to ask, from a woman of Samaria, who was come to the well by which he was sitting, a draught of water to quench his thirst. I conceive that, from the beginning, his object in addressing her was more to impart good to her, than to obtain relief to himself: for, instead of noticing, as he might well have done, her backwardness to comply with his request, he lost not a moment in revealing himself to her, as the Messiah, the Saviour of the world.

From his address to her, we shall take occasion to consider,

  I.      The characters under which our Lord here presents himself to our view:

  1.      He first speaks of himself as “the great Gift of God” to mankind—

[Such indeed he was. In comparison of HIM, all other gifts are as nothing; nothing, in respect of internal worth; and nothing, in respect of the benefits accruing from them. HE is no other than “Jehovah’s Fellow.” Yet to such a degree did God love the world, that he gave HIM, even his only-begotten Son, to become a man for us. Nor was it to instruct us only that God sent his Son, but to save us; to save us by bearing our iniquities in his own body on the cross; and by working out a righteousness, whereby we might be justified, and find acceptance with him. No other gift that God was able to bestow was of equal value with this, or could have effected this great end. Well, therefore, may all other gifts vanish from our sight before him, as the stars are eclipsed by the noon-day sun: and well may He, by way of eminence, be called “The gift of God.”]

  2.      The Fountain of all good—

[Little did this woman think who it was that thus addressed her. He appeared to be a mere man, needing a little water to quench his thirst: but he was indeed “the fountain of living waters,” the one only source of good to a ruined world. By “living water” we understand all the blessings of salvation; “all fulness” of which is treasured up in him at this moment: and “out of his fulness may every sinner in the universe receive.”]

Our Saviour’s address to her yet further shews us,

  II.      The benefits which will accrue to us from the knowledge of him—

If once we get a just view of his character,

  1.      We shall surely apply to him for his benefits—

[If temporal blessings, however great in value, were spread before us, we might conceive of their being beheld with indifference: a conviction of their emptiness might well raise our minds above them, so that we would not condescend even to ask for a participation of them. But can all the blessings of grace and glory be contemplated with indifference? Can we behold an inexhaustible treasure of them laid up expressly for us, and not desire them? No: it would be impossible.; especially if we knew that they were all to be obtained by asking. To every creature under heaven may our Lord justly say, “If thou knewest what I have to bestow, thou wouldest ask of me.” We may as well suppose hell to be opened to our view, without calling forth a desire to escape it; and heaven, without creating a desire to obtain it; as imagine a view of Christ, under the foregoing characters, to be disclosed to the soul, and no desire to be excited there for the enjoyment of his blessings.]

  2.      We shall infallibly be made partakers of them—

[Not even the Samaritan woman, stranger as she was, and profligate, should have solicited his favour without obtaining it: much less shall any person now be suffered to seek his face in vain. He says to all, “Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Nor would he have us straitened in our requests: his promise to the trembling suppliant is, “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Nothing would be too great for him to give, if only we sought him in humility and faith. Pardon, peace, holiness, and glory, should all be poured into our souls in rich abundance; yea, “his Spirit, which he would give us, should be within us a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life.”]

  KNOW then, all of you,

  1.      That the Lord Jesus Christ is here present with you—

[We see him not corporeally, as the Samaritan woman did: nevertheless, he is spiritually present with us, as he has said, “Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world;” and, if you will seek communion with him, you shall not be disappointed of your hope. He is, in reality, the same as ever he was. Still is he the great gift of God to man. Still is he the fountain of all spiritual good. Still does he complain of our forgetfulness of him, and declare he will impart out of his fulness to every inquiring soul. He put the Samaritan woman upon asking of him; saying, in fact, “Ask of me.” So says he now to every one of us, “Ask of me, and I will give you living water.”]

  2.      That you, no less than the poor Samaritan, need the blessings which he offers—

[Which of you needs them not? Which of you can find any other fountain from whence to quench your thirst? Which of you will not one day bitterly lament that you lost the present opportunity? I pray you, then, avail yourselves of your Lord’s present condescension and grace; and let your souls take of him, and live for ever.]

MDCXVI

THE LIVING WATER

  John 4:14.

Whosoever drinketh of the wafer that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

OUR Lord invites us to learn of him. To encourage us, he declares that he is meek and Jowly in heart. Never was this disposition more displayed than in his conversation with the Samaritan woman. She was of the most abandoned character; yet he condescended to instruct her. And, when she slighted his proffered mercies, endeavoured to recommend them to her more favourable acceptance. We shall consider,

  I.      What is that water which Christ will give—

The woman understood our Lord only in a literal sense. But in his words there was a mystical meaning. By the water which he offered her, he meant the Holy Ghost—

[The Holy Spirit is often represented in the Scriptures under the figure of water. It is he of whom the prophet Isaiah speaks when he says, that God will pour out water upon thirsty souls. Ezekiel also explains himself as referring to him, when he promises to the Church, in Jehovah’s name, that clean water should be sprinkled on them to cleanse them from their pollutionsb. We are taught by God himself to put this interpretation on similar expressions used by our blessed Lord. By the help of these passages we ascertain beyond a doubt the import of that before us.]

This water he had full authority to give—

[Jesus had not received the Spirit by measure only, like other prophets: he had the residue of the Spirit abiding in hime; yea, he had all the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily. As mediator he was commissioned and empowered to bestow this Spiritg. Hence he frequently arrogated to himself this power. He actually exerted it while he continued upon earthi; and in a more abundant measure after his exaltation to heaven. The effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost is expressly ascribed to him. Hence we may understand why the Holy Ghost is so emphatically called the Spirit of Christl.]

To excite her desire after it, he proceeded to set before her,

  II.      The properties it possesses—

Contrasting it with that which he had solicited at her hands, he told her it was,

  1.      Satisfying in its nature—

[Water from an earthly spring will quench the thirst only for a short time; nor will it at all allay our appetite another things. The men of this world are insatiable in their desire after the vanities of time and sense. The more they have of pleasure, riches, or honour, the more they want. But a draught of this living water will satisfy the soul: of this heavenly spring indeed, all who have once tasted, will wish to drink again; yea, they will pant after it as the hart after the water-brooks. But their desire of earthly things will be greatly abated. The consolations of the Spirit will be regarded by them as the only satisfying portion: they will make every thing else appear insipid, as the beholding of the meridian sun will obscure in their eyes the splendour of all inferior objectso.]

  2.      Heavenly in its tendency—

[The supplies of water in “a well” are constant and uniform: so the Spirit operates in the heart of man. There will indeed be seasons when his operations will be less manifest: but he will always reside in us as a principle of life: he will excite holy and heavenly affections in our breastsq: he will keep heaven itself in our view: and the one aim of all his motions will be to lead us to everlasting life: nor, if we cherish his motions, will he fail of bringing us to the possession of its.]

  INFER—

  1.      How glorious a person must Christ be!

[The Holy Spirit is God equal with the Father: yet Christ has power to send him into our hearts. He can as easily bestow him on us, as we can give a cup of water from a spring. Even though the whole world should ask him, he could impart the Spirit to all of them at the same instantu. Let us then entertain worthy thoughts of him, and look to him for constant supplies of this living water.]

  2.      How earnest should we be in our application for this heavenly gift!

[The worldly man is indefatigable in his pursuit of earthly vanities: but which of them can be compared with this living water? Which of them can give us life? or satisfy the soul? or bring us to glory? O that we might thirst after this, and this alone! Then would the invitations of Christ be precious to our souls, and we should speedily receive his promised blessings.]

  3.      How dead ought we to be to all earthly things!

[Our Lord represents all who have received his Spirit as thirsting no more. Hence we can have no evidence that we have drunk of the living waters, but in proportion as our thirst for other things is abated. Let those, who profess to have the Spirit dwelling in them, consider this. The Scriptures that confirm this truth are numberless. May God impress them deeply on our hearts! Let the world then be crucified unto us, and us unto the worldb: and if we would indeed be found partakers of Christ, let us both live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit.]

MDCXVII

SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS

             John 4:22.

Salvation is of the Jews.

THIS is part of the answer of our blessed Lord to the Samaritan woman. He had taken occasion, from an observation of hers, to shew her that he was well acquainted with the most secret history of her past life; and not from report merely, but from his own omniscient mind, from which nothing could be hid. He had told her, that “she had had five husbands;” (all of whom, it is probable, had put her away for her adulteries;) and that “the person with whom she was now living was not her husband.” She, wishing to get rid of so painful a subject, proposed a question relative to a controversy which then existed between the Samaritans and the Jews, as to the place where God was to be worshipped. Our Lord, satisfied with having discovered to her his character as a prophet of the Most High, graciously waved the prosecution of a subject which was so painful to her, and turned his attention to that which she had submitted to him. In reply to her question, he informed her, that the time was coming when all distinctions of places should be lost; so far, at least, as related to acceptable worship: for that all, of whatever place or country, who should worship God in spirit and in truth, should be accepted of him. At the same time he informed her that the question itself must be determined in favour of the Jews. The Samaritans, indeed, had much to say in their own behalf, and in support of the cause which they maintained. They could say, that on Mount Gerizim, for the sanctity of which they pleaded, Abraham himself had built an altar, as had Jacob also; (for Sichem, or Shechem, where he built it, was so close to Mount Gerizim, that a man’s voice might be distinctly heard from the one to the otherb:) and that, consequently, that place had a prior claim to Zion, on which no altar had been raised, till many hundred years had elapsed. They could also with truth affirm, that Moses himself, under the special direction of Jehovah, had commanded, that all the congregations of Israel, as soon as they should gain possession of the Promised Land, should assemble round Mount Gerizim; and that from thence the blessings of Jehovah should be pronounced, whilst his curses should be declared from Mount Ebal, which was near to it. They could also appeal to the Jewish Scriptures, that Joshua and all Israel had actually complied with this command; and had thereby sanctified that mountain in a more especial manner, and marked it out as the place which God had chosen for his more peculiar worship in all future ages.

But, in answer to all this, our Lord informed her, that the Samaritans “knew not whom they worshipped.” Though they occupied the land of Israel, they were not Israelites, but foreigners, whom the king of Assyria had sent to occupy the land, when he carried captive the ten tribes of Israel. Nor did they, in reality, know the true God: for it was only in consequence of the judgments which God had inflicted on them for their idolatries, by sending lions to devour them, that they had ever thought of worshipping him at all. To avert his displeasure, they had desired that a Jewish priest might be sent back to the land, to instruct them how to worship Jehovah; but, at the same time, they retained their own idolatries; thus “fearing the Lord, and serving other Gods.” The Jews, on the contrary, worshipped Jehovah alone; (for never after the Babylonish captivity did they return to idolatry;) and they possessed that revelation of God’s will, through the knowledge of which alone any human being could be saved: “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship; for salvation is of the Jews.”

Thus was the controversy determined in favour of the Jews. But that being no longer of any consequence to the Church, we forbear to notice it any further; and shall fix our attention on that general declaration, which is still of as great importance as ever, that “salvation is of the Jews.”

It is of them originally, as derived from them; and it is of them instrumentally, as communicated altogether by them.

  I.      It is of the Jews, as being originally derived from them—

The way of salvation has been one and the same, from the very moment that the promise was given in Paradise, that “the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head.” But, having been only traditionally handed down, it was but very imperfectly known, even in the family of Abraham; and by the world at large it was almost, if not entirely, forgotten. But it pleased God, when he brought out from their bondage in Egypt the descendants of Abraham, to give them a written revelation of his will, and to make known to them the way of salvation, not only in its great leading article, the sacrifice of Christ, but in many minute particulars, as we shall see by an investigation of their Ceremonial Law.

The Jewish religion, so far as the way of salvation was concerned, was founded altogether on sacrifice. No person could approach unto God without a sacrifice: but by means of sacrifices specially appointed, every one might hope to obtain forgiveness of sin, and acceptance with his reconciled God. For this end there were sacrifices offered every morning and every evening throughout the year; and on the Sabbath-day they were doubled: but on the great day of annual atonement they were multiplied, with the most significant rites that can be imagined. The high priest was to take the blood of the sacrifices, and to carry it within the vail, and to sprinkle it upon the Mercy-seat, and before the Mercy-seat, in token that the hopes of all Israel were founded upon the sacrifices thus offered as an atonement for their sins. After that was done, he was to offer incense, and then to come out and bless the people.

But, as has been observed, there were many peculiar ordinances appointed for their instruction, as to the more minute points to be attended to in this great work. On some occasions, the offenders themselves were to lay their hands upon the head of their sacrifices: on some, the blood of the sacrifices was to be sprinkled on the offerers: on some the blood was to be sprinkled, mixed with water. And the efficacy of all these offerings was pre-eminently marked in the ordinance of the scape-goat. One goat having been killed, and its blood carried within the vail, another goat, called the scape-goat, which had been chosen by lot for this purpose, was brought forth, and had all the sins of all the Children of Israel laid upon it by the hands of the High Priest; and it was then led, with all the guilt of Israel upon its head, into the wilderness, never more to be seen by man; that so all the people might see that their iniquities were taken away, and that the punishment due to them should not be inflicted.

Now, all this was designed to shadow forth to that people the way of salvation. And, in truth, to those who had any spiritual discernment, salvation was exhibited with a clearness quite sufficient for the circumstances under which the people were. They were children; and were to be taught like children, by types and shadows: and all who looked through those types to the sacrifice which they shadowed forth, were saved as effectually as we are by looking back upon the offering which has now been once offered upon Calvary.

In all this was Christianity depicted. On what are the hopes of Christians founded, but on sacrifice, even the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ? Except through his atoning blood, not a creature in the universe can ever come to God. In presenting that offering, he himself was the Priest, as well as the victim: and having offered himself up to God upon the cross, he rose from the dead, and went with his own blood within the vail, there to present it before the Mercy-seat: and on that he founds his all-prevailing intercession.

But, let us come to a few particulars, and we shall see how the light beams upon us from every part of the Jewish Scriptures. We have said, that, on some occasions, the offender laid his hands upon the head of his offering, just as Aaron did on the scape-goat, when he confessed over him all the sins of all the Children of Israel. And this teaches us, that it is not sufficient for us that the Lord Jesus Christ has been offered for our sins: we must go to him: we must confess over him, as it were, our sins: and we must by faith transfer to him our guilt, and declare before God, that we have no hope whatever but in his atoning blood. It has been said also, that on some occasions, the offerer was sprinkled with the blood of his offering: and this, also, must we do; taking, as it were, the bunch of hyssop in our hands, and dipping it in the Redeemer’s blood, and sprinkling our own souls with it, as the only possible means of purging our consciences from guilt, and of bringing us into a state of peace with God. It is in reference to this that we are said to “have come to the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than that of Abel.” The sacrifice of Abel received, indeed, a sweet token of God’s favourable acceptance; but the blood of our sacrifice washes all our sins away, and gives us a title to an everlasting inheritance.

It has been observed, that, on some occasions, the blood was mixed with water, and then sprinkled on the offerer. This shews us, that we must have the Holy Spirit also poured out upon us: according as it is said, “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you.” The Lord Jesus Christ, we are told, “came not by water only, but by water and blood:” and this very mystery was intimated at the time of our Saviour’s crucifixion, when the soldier pierced our Saviour’s side, and forthwith came, in two distinguishable streams, blood and water: the one to cleanse us from the guilt of sin; the other, from its power: according as it is written, “Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

We might prosecute this subject in a great variety of particulars, and shew in all of them the correspondence between the salvation shadowed forth by the law, and that exhibited by the Gospel. But we wish to keep the subject as simple as possible, and not to perplex it by too great a variety. There is, however, one point which it is of great importance to mention. It will be remembered, that, when Moses was about to make the tabernacle, a very strict and solemn command was given him, (the injunction is repeatedly mentioned in the Pentateuch,) “See thou make all things according to the pattern shewn to thee in the mount.” The same injunction was given to David, also, when he was desirous to build the temple. And St. Paul very particularly notices the former, as of vast importance. But whence was it that such stress was laid on this apparently unimportant matter? It was from hence: The law was given to shadow forth the Gospel: and it was to be the model to which the whole edifice of Christianity was to be conformed, in every the minutest particular. Now, if there was any one thing added to the tabernacle, or omitted in it, or altered in any respect, it would not be a perfect representation of Christianity. But the two were to correspond with each other, as the impression with the seal: and if there were any thing in the tabernacle superfluous or defective, the correspondence would be lost, and God would be greatly dishonoured. But the necessary care was taken: Moses was faithful in all his house as a Servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after: and the same fidelity has Christ shewn as a Son, whose house are we, if we “hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of our hope firm unto the end.”

Thus it appears that we have received salvation originally from the Jews; to whom, in every particular, it was first revealed. But we go on to observe, 2dly, That we have also received it instrumentally from them, in that it has been altogether communicated to us through their ministrations.

It was first preached to us by Moses and the prophets. We had known nothing of a Messiah, if they had not pointed him out. We have already seen how much we are indebted to Moses for his writings: which make known to us the very first prophecy of a Saviour; and shew us how Abel, and Noah, and Abraham, found acceptance with God. To him we owe it, that the model shewn to him in the mount was so carefully copied, that there is not so much as a pin in his tabernacle which has not its corresponding article in the Christian Edifice. From him we have such a view of Christianity as the Gospel itself can scarcely be said to afford. Doubtless, till the ceremonies prescribed by him had the true light reflected on them, they were very obscure: but now that they have been explained to us from above, we see the Gospel embodied, as it were, and made visible even to the eye of sense. Who that contemplates one goat offered in sacrifice to God, and the other bearing away all the sins of all the people of Israel that had been laid upon his head, does not see, before his very face, what the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, is daily effecting for all that believe in him? Even the moral law itself, which Moses also has recorded, has the very same tendency, and, in the ears of all who understand it, proclaims the utter impossibility of being saved, except by the sacrifice that should in due time be offered; insomuch that St. Paul calls it “a schoolmaster, to bring us to Christ.” All the prophets concur with him in the very same testimony; and proclaim with one voice, that “there is no remission of sins but by blood;” and that “there is no other name given under heaven whereby we can be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ.” We are told, that “to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Ask we of Isaiah? His testimony is, “He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed.” To the same effect speaks also the Prophet Daniel: “Messiah shall be cut off; but not for himself.” “He shall make an end of sin, and make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness.” And Joel points him out, as “that Lord, on whom whosoever shall call, shall be saved.”

The last and greatest of all the prophets was John the Baptist: and he pointed out the very Saviour himself in these emphatic words; “Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!” Here we see the union of the law and of the Gospel to be precisely such as we have represented it. The lamb was at that very time offered every morning and evening in sacrifice to God for the sins of Israel; and here was Jesus pointed out as the Lamb that should take away, not the sins of one people only, but of the whole world.

And what was the testimony borne by our Lord himself? Did he not declare, that He was come to “give his life a ransom for many?” Did He not, when he administered the sacramental cup to his Disciples, say, “This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins?”

But what said his Apostles, when the time was come for the full disclosure of the great mystery of Redemption? They with one voice declare, that “he died the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God;” that we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins; and that “all who believe in him are justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses.” In the Epistle to the Hebrews the parallel between the law and the Gospel is distinctly drawn; so that nothing is left to fancy or conjecture; but all is declared on infallible authority to have been accomplished in him, to the unspeakable advantage of our souls; since, “if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge our conscience from dead works to serve the Living God.”

And to whom are we indebted for all this knowledge? To Jews, from first to last: to Jewish prophets and to Jewish Apostles: yea, the very Saviour himself who effected this salvation, and to whom they all bare witness; he himself proclaimed it; he himself displayed its power whilst he yet hanged on the cross; and after his resurrection he gave this commission to his Disciples, “Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: and he that believeth not, shall be damned.”

Now, what of all these things can we learn from the philosophers of Greece and Rome? No more than from the beasts themselves. It was hidden from them altogether. If we want to know what kind of a Saviour was to come, we must learn it from Jews. If we would know what ground there is to believe that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies; to Jews we must go, to obtain the desired information. If we would learn how we are to come to the Saviour, and to obtain acceptance through him; we must sit at the feet of Jews, and receive instruction from their lips. We have not a hope that is not founded on their word; nor can a ray of consolation shine into our souls, that is not emitted from their writings. We do not sufficiently consider this: but we ought never to forget how greatly we are indebted to the Jews: since, whether in its primary structure or its subsequent conveyance, our “salvation is altogether of them;” of them originally, of them instrumentally, of them exclusively: so that not a soul amongst us shall ever go forth from this devoted land to the mountains of eternal bliss, but as instructed, instigated, and assisted by a Jew.

From this subject we cannot but learn our duty in two important respects: first, to seek this salvation for ourselves; and next, to exert ourselves in order to impart this salvation to those from whom we have received it.

First, then, let us seek this salvation for ourselves.

It cannot be that Almighty God should have done so much for our salvation, and we be at liberty to neglect it. The Apostle’s question is full of awful and impressive energy, “How shall ye escape, if ye neglect so great salvation?” Surely, if God has given his only dear Son to be a sacrifice for sin; if, in order to prepare the world for the reception of him, he shadowed forth all his work and offices with such precision, that it should be impossible for any considerate mind not to see and understand the way of salvation; if Prophets and Apostles, for such a series of ages, bare witness to him at the peril of their lives, in order that we might know him, and be partakers of his benefits; does it become us to despise it all, as if it were no better than a cunningly-devised fable 2 Surely, we must see that it is our bounden duty to flee for refuge to this hope that is set before us. We must remember what the very term “Salvation” implies: it implies, that we are lost: for if in ourselves we be not lost, we cannot need a Saviour. But we are lost, every one of us; for we are sinners, condemned by God’s righteous law; and “the wrath of God abideth on us.” I fear it will appear harsh to say, that we are in this respect on a footing with the fallen angels, even with “the spirits that are already in the prison” of hell. But, if I say the truth before God, this is the only difference between them and us: they are lost beyond redemption; whereas we, though lost, have salvation offered to us: but, if we neglect this salvation, we shall perish, under a load of guilt beyond all expression aggravated, and under a punishment beyond all conception terrible. Whatever may have been the guilt of the fallen angels, from this, at least, they are free; they have never poured contempt on a redeeming God, never rejected a proffered salvation: but these are the sins that will be charged on us, if we embrace not the salvation which is revealed to us in the Gospel.

I say, then, to every soul before me, seek this salvation which the Jews have brought unto you: seek it simply, mixing nothing with it, but relying altogether on the atoning blood of Christ, “who, though he knew no sin, was made sin for you, that you, who had no righteousness, might be made the righteousness of God in him.” And seek it humbly, confessing over the Lord Jesus Christ your every sin, and transferring it by faith to his sacred head. In point of dependence, you must renounce your most righteous acts as much as your vilest sins; and you must look to his blood to cleanse you from the iniquity even of your holiest things. Seek it constantly too: it was every day in the year that the offerings for sin were made: and every day and hour must you look to your great Sacrifice, if you would have it available for your eternal good. Seek it, moreover, unreservedly. Neglect not the water, any more than the blood. It will be a fatal mistake to think of ever being saved by the sacrifice of Christ, if you be not renewed and sanctified by his Spirit. These two are inseparably joined by God himself; and it will be at the peril of your souls, if ever you attempt to put them asunder. Lastly, I would say, seek it to the full extent of your necessities. I have purposely deferred till now all mention of the sacrifices that were appointed for the sins of ignorance. They are particularly stated in the fourth chapter of the Book of Leviticus. There you will see, that, if a man had ever so ignorantly and unintentionally contracted defilement, (say, by the touching of a bone or a grave, or any thing that had been previously touched by one unclean,) he must bring his offering, as soon as ever he discovered that he had transgressed: and, if he should refuse to bring his appointed offering, he must be cut off from the Lord’s people, as a despiser of the law, and a rebel against his God. Thus must we do, even for the slightest inadvertence or defect. And if, from an idea that our offence has been light and venial, we hope to remove its guilt by any other means than the blood of Christ, we shall surely perish. If we had never violated God’s holy law but once, and that only by an inadvertent thought, there remains for us but one way of salvation, one only door of hope: and, if we will not enter at that door, and walk in that way, “there remains nothing for us but a certain fearful looking-for of wrath and fiery indignation to consume us.” I say then, again, to every soul amongst you, seek for salvation in Christ alone. There was but one brazen serpent erected in the camp of Israel: and there is but one Saviour appointed for the whole world. “There is no other way unto the Father but by Him:” but “those who come to God in his Son’s name, he will in no wise cast out.”

Next, let us exert ourselves to impart this salvation to those from whom we have received it. I appeal to all: if we are so indebted to the Jewish people of former ages, should we not endeavour, in some respect, to requite them by shewing kindness to their descendants? and if we are constrained to say that “salvation is of the Jews,” should we not, now that the Jews themselves are ignorant of that salvation, endeavour to impart to them the light which we enjoy, and constrain them, in their turn, to say, “Salvation is of the Christians?” For, surely, if it be of them in its commencement, it is, and ought to be, of us in its progress and consummation. And I would ask, is it not a scandal to the whole Christian world, that they should have so long and so shamefully neglected those to whose ancestors they are so greatly indebted? It was never God’s design that we should “hide our candle under a bushel,” and conceal it from the very persons who have put it into our hands. On the contrary, St. Paul expressly says, that as we have been benefited by their unbelief, so we should strive to benefit them by our faith: “As we in times past have not believed God, but have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; so have these also now not believed, that through our mercy they also may obtain mercy.” Whilst, therefore, we withhold from them the instruction which God has qualified us to impart, we defeat the very designs of God himself, and may well have required at our hands the blood of all who perish through our neglect.

If we would know in what way we ought to exert ourselves for them, we need only inquire how they exerted themselves for us. Behold the Prophets and Apostles, in the different ages in which they lived: which of them all, with the exception of the Prophet Jonah, did not engage in his work with zeal, and execute it with fidelity? Of all the Apostles, there was but one who did not actually seal the truth with his blood; as John also was willing to do, if he had been called to it. And all the first Christian converts, when driven from Jerusalem, “went everywhere preaching the word,” happy if by any means they might impart to us benighted heathens the salvation which they had found. Should not, then, some measure, at least, of that zeal be shewn by us? Should not their souls be precious in our eyes, as ours were in theirs? It is a shame to us that we think so lightly of this matter; and that we, who ought to take the lead in every thing that is good and great, are so backward to exert ourselves in this holy cause. I well know that sloth and indifference will furnish us with reasons enough for delay: but I would ask, what reason has any man for neglecting this duty, which might not have been urged with still greater force by the Jews for a neglect of us? The attempt to convert the Jews might have been deemed visionary a few years ago: but shall it be judged visionary now? I say, without fear of contradiction, that the efforts which have been made within these few years have produced a great effect, if not in numerous conversions, yet at least in that which must precede conversion; and which conversion may reasonably, in many instances, be expected to follow; I mean, the conviction of their minds of the truth of Christianity. I do say, that this effect is seen, felt, and acknowledged by the Jews themselves: and if the periodical publications which are issued forth on this subject were perused, the truth of this assertion would most abundantly appear. Permit me, then, to call the attention of this assembly to this momentous subject; and to press on all who hear me this day, to “come to the help of the Lord against the mighty,” even against the mighty prejudices of the Jewish people, and the no less formidable indifference of the Christian world. A good example here would be felt throughout the land, and would tend not a little to diffuse, both among Jews at home and Jews abroad, the light which we possess, and the salvation we enjoy. I ask, is that true which our Lord has spoken, “If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins?” If this be true, then are that whole people perishing by millions. And shall we suffer them thus to “perish for lack of knowledge?” God forbid. If any of us know what salvation is, we ought to impart it to others. We feel this obligation in some measure to the heathen, to whom we are not at all indebted; and yet overlook it in reference to the Jews, from whom we have received all the light and knowledge we possess. This ought not so to be: this should not continue one hour longer: we ought all to rise, as one man, to repair, as far as possible, our past neglect, and to fulfil our duties to God and man. But, if we will still continue to hide our talent in a napkin, know all of you, that you shall be called into judgment for it, and that the doom of the unprofitable servant must await you. But “let me hope better things, though I thus speak, even things that accompany salvation.” I thank God that some at least have awaked to the calls of justice and of mercy; of justice to God, who has entrusted them with their talents; and of mercy to the Jews, who so greatly need their improvement of them. And I pray God that this spirit may abound more and more; and that they who embark in this good cause may soon have the happiness to see that “they have not laboured in vain, nor run in vain.”

MDCXVIII

THE WORSHIP WHICH GOD REQUIRES

             John 4:24.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

BRETHREN, you are all upon the brink of eternity. You are all sinners. As sinners, you stand in need of mercy at the hands of God: and God is willing to bestow mercy upon every one of you, without exception. But he must be inquired of, in order that he may do this for you: and he must be inquired of, not in a cold and formal manner, but in sincerity of heart; for “He is a Spirit; and all who worship him, must,” as my text informs you, “worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Let this declaration sink down into your ears; and let it operate strongly on your minds, whilst we contemplate it;

  I.      As an answer to a particular inquiry—

Our Lord was conversing with a woman of Samaria, and had shewn to her that he was perfectly acquainted with all the evils she had committed in her former life, and with those in the indulgence of which she was still living. She, not wishing to hear any thing further upon a subject so painful to her mind, sought to turn the conversation into another channel; and for that purpose inquired what his sentiments were on a point that was at issue between the Jews and the Samaritans, namely, whether God was to be worshipped at Jerusalem, or at Mount Gerizim in Samaria? Our Lord, in reply to her question, tells her, that the time was now come, when the Father was no longer to be worshipped in any one place more than another; but that in every place under heaven, those, and those only, should have access to him, who “worshipped him in spirit and in truth.”

This directly met the inquiry which had been made—

[Till that time “bodily exercise” had certainly prevailed in the services of God’s people, whose access to him was chiefly in the use of prescribed forms, which were shadowy and typical, and were confined to one city, and to one particular building in that city. The directions which God had given in relation to this matter, even before his people came into possession of the promised land, were very specific: “Unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither shall thou come; and thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings, &c. &c. and there ye shall eat before the Lord your God.” At the time when the temple of Solomon was consecrated, the people were instructed, that, if they should go out to battle, or be carried captives to a foreign land, they must turn towards that place, when they made their supplications to the Lord for help or mercy: and an intimation was given, that, even if they should “return to God with all their heart and all their soul,” it would not suffice, unless they also “directed their prayers towards that place.” From hence, as well as from the examples of their holiest prophetsc, they were led to suppose, that no prayer would be accepted, but such as should be offered in that precise manner. There was indeed under that very dispensation ample evidence that that conclusion was erroneous: for God had said, “The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word.” Still, however, this matter was not generally understood, till our blessed Lord proclaimed, that Jehovah was a Spirit, and therefore not confined to any place, but pervading all space, and accessible to all who desired to draw nigh unto him. He no longer now was to be approached with mere bodily service, or in carnal ordinances, but “in spirit,” as opposed to the one, and “in truth,” as opposed to the other: and they who so approached to him should never be permitted to “seek his face in vain.”]

In this view it is of importance to us also—

[We are apt to lay an undue stress on externals; and to imagine, that a peculiar measure of acceptance is to be found at the table of the Lord, more than at any other time or place. (Let me not be here misunderstood, as though I would undervalue the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper: for it is our bounden duty to commemorate our Lord’s death in that ordinance; and from a spiritual and believing participation of the bread and wine, we may undoubtedly expect the richest benefits.) But from a mere formal attendance on that ordinance we receive no more good, than from a similar attendance on the common services of the Church. It is to the heart alone that God looks: if that be not right towards him, no service whatever can be “acceptable in his sight:” but, if that be under the influence of penitence and faith, its offerings, under whatever circumstances they be presented, shall surely come up with acceptance before him.]

That this truth may be more fully brought before you, I shall consider the text,

  II.      As an instruction suited to all times and circumstances—

The thing which God expects, is, that there be a correspondence between the feelings of our heart, and the offerings of our lips—

[If, for instance, we confess our sins before him, it is not sufficient that our words be humble; our spirit must be humble too, and a holy penitential sorrow must fill our hearts. If we present our petitions before him, it is not sufficient that we ask for such things as are good and desirable, but we must feel an ardent desire after them in our souls, and plead for them with an importunity suited to the importance of them. So also, if we return thanks to God, we must not rest in unmeaning compliments, but adore and magnify our God from our inmost souls. If there he not this correspondence between our feelings and our words, what “truth” is there in us? Our services are no better than a solemn mockery, that must offend, rather than please, the Majesty of heaven.]

Such sincerity the very nature of God requires—

[“He is a Spirit,” that pervades all space. He is equally present with all his creatures; nor is there a thought in the heart of any person in the universe, that is not “naked and open before him.” Were he able to behold our actions only, he might be pleased with our services, though unaccompanied with any devout affection: but when “he searcheth the heart, and trieth the reins,” and “weigheth” with infallible accuracy “our very spirits,” how can he listen to our heartless addresses with any satisfaction? Verily such prayers must be, as he declares they are, an utter “abomination unto him.” When some under the Jewish dispensation brought to him “the blind, and the lame, and the sick, for sacrifice,” he appealed to them, “Whether it was not evil?” “ Go,” says he, “offer these now unto your Governor; will he be pleased with you, or accept your persons?” What then must he say to those who think to impose upon him by prayers which proceed “from the lips only, whilst the heart is far from himf?” Assuredly he will say, “Bring no more such vain oblations,” ye hypocrites, for “in vain do ye worship me:” “your most solemn services are an iniquity” which I utterly abhor, and “I am weary to bear them.”]

  Unite with me then, whilst I make your prayers a subject of strict INQUIRY—

[It is to be feared that many of you, who would yet wish to be thought good Christians, live without even the form of prayer. Look back only to this very morning; look back to the past week; look back throughout your whole lives; and see, whether you have ever spent one single hour in secret prayer to God? Ah! does not conscience condemn the greater part of you? Have not many of you, as far as prayer is concerned, lived rather like brute beasts, than as rational and immortal beings? — — — Or, supposing you have kept up a form of prayer, has it not been a mere form? You who teach your children to repeat some form of prayer in your presence, know very well that theirs is not prayer: and what is yours better than theirs? Your heavenly Father, in whose presence you read or repeat your forms, knows how to estimate them, whilst they are offered without any suitable emotions. The way for you to judge of them is this: set before your eyes a person perishing in the sea, and supplicating deliverance from his perils; and then compare your feelings with his. His feelings you can easily conceive: and if yours have no correspondence with them, no such sense of danger, no such desire of help, no such thankfulness for the efforts used in your behalf, you have yet to learn the nature of prayer, and yet to begin that work, without which you must perish in your sins — — —]

  But let me not conclude without adding a few words of ENCOURAGEMENT—

[It is not improbable that some may be ready to write bitter things against themselves, because they find sot fluency in prayer. But it is not by our fluency in utterance that God judges of our prayers, but by the humility of our minds, and the fervour of our desires. A sigh, or groan, proceeding from a broken and contrite heart, is of more value in his sight, than the richest effusions of eloquence that ever proceeded from the lips of man. Never was there a more acceptable prayer offered by mortal man than that of the Publican, “God be merciful to me a sinner!” Take courage then, ye who are dejected because ye find not such utterance as ye could wish. “God knoweth the mind of the Spirit:” and it is in sighs and groans chiefly that “his Spirit maketh intercession in us.” Only let there be a sincerity of heart before him, and. your very breathings shall be heard, and descend in blessings on your souls; for “he seeketh such to worship him,” and will fulfil the desire of them that so approach him. If only you “look to him, you shall be lightened;” and if you hope in him, you shall assuredly be made partakers of his kingdom and glory.”].

MDCXIX

CONVICTION OF SIN, A PREPARATIVE FOR SALVATION

             John 4:29.

Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

LITTLE do we know what a day or an hour may bring forth. It was probably owing to an unexpected temptation that this Samaritan woman fell into the sin which led to that vicious and abandoned course which she afterwards pursued. And to what the world in general would call a most accidental circumstance, she was indebted for the salvation of her soul. It happened, as we say, that the Lord Jesus Christ came to relieve his weariness and thirst at Jacob’s well, whither she also had come to draw water. There, contrary to what might have been expected, the Saviour entered into conversation with her, and brought conviction to her mind, and revealed himself to her as the promised Messiah; and made her, who had been an occasion of evil to many, to become to many the means of their salvation: for, on being interrupted in her conversation by his Disciples, who had gone into the adjacent city to purchase food, she herself went into the city, and said to all whom she met, “Come, and see a man who told me all things that ever I did! Is not this the Christ?”

In considering this address of hers to her fellow-citizens, I shall take occasion to shew,

  I.      The power of God’s word to produce conviction—

Our Lord had told her what were undoubtedly the most remarkable occurrences of her life, that “she had had five husbands, and that the man with whom she was now living was not her husband.” This brought all her former life so strongly to her recollection, that it seemed as if he had “told her all things that she had ever done.” And this is no uncommon effect of God’s word upon the mind and conscience; as St. Paul has told us: “If all in a Church prophesy, (that is, preach,) and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.” It then appeared, and frequently does also at this hour, that a preacher may be led to touch on some points so forcibly and circumstantially, as to seem as if he had been actually made acquainted with the secret history of one or other of his hearers, and were intentionally developing to his audience the history of that particular individual. Now, whence is this? I think it may be well accounted for, by considering what the Spirit of God effects, when he applies any single word with power to the soul.

  1.      He “opens the eyes of the understanding”—

[A man that is blind cannot see any thing: but when his eyes are opened, he sees all the things that are before him, and within the reach of his visual organs. Thus it is when God is pleased to give us a spiritual discernment: we do not see this or that particular sin only, but our entire defection from God, and our whole life, as one continued course of rebellion against him.]

  2.      He discloses to us the inmost recesses of the soul—

[The soul of man may fitly be compared to the chambers of imagery in Ezekiel’s vision. All is transacting there in secret; and nothing is known but to God himself; till God directs his servant to a hole in the wall, by which a variety of things may be discerned. Now, thus it is that the Spirit of God opens sometimes a hole, and sometimes even a window or a door, by means of which the interior of the soul is made manifest, and the sinner is enabled to see things of which he had before a very indistinct idea. We may conceive a painted sepulchre, beautiful to behold by those who see only its exterior. But, when it is laid open, and all its foul contents are exposed to view, it is too lothesome an object to look upon without the utmost disgust and abhorrence. It would not be necessary to take an accurate survey of the offensive object in all its parts: a person would readily say, ‘I have seen it all.’ And so, when God gives to a man a sight of his chief corruptions, it appears as if every transaction of his life had been made to pass before him.]

  3.      He awakens conscience to a discharge of its proper office—

[Conscience, in an unawakened man, neglects its duty altogether. It ought to observe and weigh our every act, and to report to us its true character, even as it appears before God himself. But, when the Spirit of God awakens it by the word, it estimates aright our whole character, and without flattery makes us known to ourselves. It exerts itself then with authority: it makes the whole life pass before it in review: it sits in the throne of judgment: it speaks in the name of God himself: it passes sentence even on the most secret actions of our lives; it takes into its account all attendant circumstances of aggravation; and anticipates the judgment of the last day.

Thus we may account for the impression made on the mind of this Samaritan, and the report she gave on leaving the Saviour’s presence. Though every thing that she had ever done had not been distinctly told her, it appeared as if it had; and the effect upon her mind was the same as if it had.]

But, that the power of God’s word may yet more clearly appear, let us proceed to notice,

  II.      The effect of conviction, when produced—

Mark the effect of it on her: you see in her,

  1.      A desire to receive instruction—

[Man in his natural state has no wish for instruction in the things that relate to God. He is satisfied with his own crude notions, and is averse to have them tried by the standard of Holy Writ. “He hates the light, and will not come to it, lest his deeds should be reproved.” But when the Spirit of God has fixed conviction on the mind, a man will be glad to know the truth: his very first inquiry will be, “What must I do to be saved?” Thus the woman, thinking that that was true which Jesus had said to her respecting his Messiahship, and that his perfect knowledge of her secret history was an evidence of it, was desirous that her fellow-citizens should give her their judgment concerning it: “Come, and see a man that told me all things that ever I did! Is not this the Christ?” She thought them competent to judge, and took for granted that they would give her their unbiassed opinion upon this momentous question: and though it was but too probable that the notoriety of her character would bring upon her some cutting reflections, she cared not for it, if only she might obtain satisfaction to her mind. It is particularly noticed, that “she left her water-pot behind her!” and this she did, not merely that she might not be detained; (for the detention could at the utmost have only been a few minutes;) but probably forgetting for the time her earthly business, through the ardour of her mind in the pursuit of heavenly knowledge. And thus it is that every awakened soul will act. It will desire knowledge: it will pursue it at the risk of all the obloquy which may attach to a desire after it: and it will postpone all earthly things, to the acquisition of it.]

  2.      A candour in our inquiries after it—

[Where the heart is unaffected, incredulity and scepticism usually take the lead; and a greater degree of evidence than the subject well admits of, is required. But, where a person feels his guilt as a sinner, and his utter incapacity to save himself, he will feel a predisposition to receive the truth. He will not with sceptical indifference say, “Is this the Christ?” but, with a wish that his pretensions to that character may be found true, “Is not this the Christ?” It may be said, that here was an undue bias. But I deny that it was an undue bias. In a matter which is itself indifferent, we may be indifferent: but in a matter which concerns the glory of God and the salvation of the whole world, indifference would be highly criminal. The misery of man is seen, felt, acknowledged. Here purports to be a revelation from heaven, and a Saviour sent us by Almighty God for the redemption of man. This is not to be a matter of speculative inquiry. It should be examined with a desire that it may be true. The precise state of mind which every person should experience, is that which was experienced by the man whose eyes the Lord Jesus Christ had opened. The Lord Jesus asked him, “Dost thou believe in the Son of God?” The man answered, not coolly and indifferently, “Who is he?” but, with becoming anxiety, “Who is he, that I may believe on him?” Though credulity is not good, neither, on the other hand, is incredulity: there is a just medium between the two, a readiness to believe on sufficient evidence. The readiness of the other Disciples to believe in Jesus was commended, whilst the incredulity of Thomas was blamed. And this shews us the precise state of mind which deep conviction generates; a candour in our inquiries after truth, with an unfeigned desire to embrace it the very instant it is fairly laid before us with a weight of evidence sufficient to sustain it.]

  3.      A wish that others also may be partakers of it—

[It was not from a mere desire to ask their judgment that the Samaritan woman went into the city, but with a hope that her fellow-citizens might participate in the blessings which she had experienced in her soul. This is clear: for they themselves said, that they had believed because of her word: so that she had not been a mere inquirer, but a preacher also. And this is the invariable effect of deep conviction on the mind; it will stir up the person to make others acquainted with the same important truths as have been useful to his own soul. No truly enlightened person will keep his discoveries to himself. He will say to his friends and neighbours, “Come, and see.” This is declared by our Lord in various parables: and, in confirmation of it, the Church, in most appropriate and expressive language, says, “Draw ME; and WE will run after thee.” Draw me, and I will never be content to come alone: I will draw all I can along with me.]

We have hitherto noticed only the acts of this woman. But we should not entirely overlook her person and character, which may well supply us with our concluding observations.

  OBSERVE, then,

  1.      How unbounded is the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ—

[We have seen how his word wrought conviction on her soul; and eventually imparted salvation to her, and to others by her means. But we have not sufficiently considered either who she was, An alien and a hostile Samaritan; or what she was, Even such an abandoned wretch, that it was a shame even to be seen speaking to her. Yet to this woman did our Lord reveal himself more fully and plainly than he had done to any one of his Disciples. How sweetly encouraging is this fact! Who that considers this, can despair? Or, rather, who does not here see an intimation of the grace that should afterwards be shewn to the Gentiles, and of the mercy that should be exercised towards the chief of sinners? Know, then, that no past iniquities shall be any bar to your acceptance with him, if only you will humble yourselves before him, and believe in him, as the Christ, the Saviour of the world.]

  2.      What encouragement we all have to exert ourselves for him—

[It was but little that she knew: and little could be expected from any testimony of hers. Yet, what she spoke sank down into the ears of all that heard it, and was rendered instrumental to the bringing of them to Christ. Let none then say, “I am ignorant: I am sinful: I, as a female, am unauthorized to speak.” Though every one is not authorized to preach, every one, in his own proper circle, is bound to declare what God has done for his soul: and if every one would exert himself as this woman did, especially in bringing others to the means of grace, that they may hear for themselves, we should see conversions far more numerous, and blessings far more widely diffused through the world. The lepers of Samaria, when they found plenty in the deserted camp of the Syrians, said, They did not well to keep the glad tidings to themselves. And can we, after having found salvation, do well in keeping it to ourselves? No: we should invite others to participate the blessings we enjoy; and, being converted ourselves, should do all in our power to strengthen and to save our brethren.]

MDCXX

CHRIST’S DILIGENCE IN SERVING GOD

             John 4:34.

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

OUR blessed Lord, throughout his whole life, was the most illustrious pattern of condescension to man and of fidelity to God. Both these dispositions were eminently displayed in the history before us. Notwithstanding he was already exhausted with a long and fatiguing journey, he had been labouring for the salvation of a most abandoned adulteress: and when urged to intermit his exertions for a little while in order to recruit his strength by some necessary refreshment, he declared, that food was not so delightful to a famished body, as the prosecuting of the great ends of his ministry was to his soul.

From his words we shall take occasion to,

  I.      Consider our Lord’s example—

Jesus, in his human and mediatorial capacity, was the Father’s servant. And the work assigned him was, to reveal in a more perfect manner the will of God, and to save mankind by his own obedience unto death.

In this work he engaged,

  1.      With fervent affection—

[Nothing could exceed the delight with which he undertook the arduous task: nothing the zeal with which he accomplished it. Whether we view his private addresses to God, or his public ministrations among mend, we shall see that in him was that prophecy accomplished, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”]

  2.      With indefatigable diligence—

[From the commencement of his ministry to the end of it not a day was unemployed. Frequently, after having laboured all the day, he spent the night in prayer, and resumed his labours with the returning light. Like the sun in the firmament, he proceeded in one steady course through all the cities, towns, and villages; nor ever ceased from his work, till he could say, “It is finished.”]

  3.      With undaunted resolution—

[What “continual opposition” did he endure! He was truly “a sign spoken against,” or a butt of contradiction. There was not any thing however perverse, scandalous, or contemptuous, but his ears were assailed with it from day to day. From the very first discourse he uttered till the hour of his crucifixion, his enemies never ceased to seek his life. Yet did he persevere in the face of every danger, and at last complete his obedience, by surrendering up his life upon the cross.]

That we may profit from this great example, we will,

  II.      Propose it for your imitation—

We also have a work to do for God—

[Our work is great; but O! how different from that which was committed to our Lord! We have not to satisfy the demands of justice, or to endure the wrath due to sin: blessed be God! that was the Redeemer’s, work; and it has been finished by him on our behalf. The work which we have to do is to believe in Christ, and, from a sense of his love to us, to devote ourselves unreservedly to his servicei.]

Let us then engage in it,

  1.      Heartily—

[“Whatever our hand findeth to do, we should do it with all our might.” A lukewarm service is unacceptable, yea, hateful to Godl. Let us then first labour to know the will of God, and then endeavour to do it with our whole hearts. Let us be “fervent in spirit, while we serve the Lord.”]

  2.      Uniformly—

[It is not an occasional act of zeal that will please God, but a steady conscientious, uniform discharge of our duty. Our spirit, alas! is often faint; and even, when “the spirit is willing, our flesh is weak.” But we must counteract our sloth, and “give all diligence to make our calling and election sure.”]

↑ Back to top