Chapter Viii. Absence Or Defect Of Personal Religion.
CHAPTER VIII. ABSENCE OR DEFECT OF PERSONAL RELIGION.
It was surely not without reason or meaning that the Apostle, charging first the elders, and afterwards the Bishop of the Church of Ephesus, places a personal caution first in order—“Take heed to yourselves—to yourself.” 654 For how awful is it to appear as a Minister, without really being a Christian! to have competence, and even (by continual exercise) an increase of Ministerial gifts, while our real character is only that we “have a name that we live, but we are dead!” How difficult! how dreadful! to preach an unknown Saviour! Our Lord’s prayer that his servants might be “sanctified through the truth” 655—strongly sets out personal holiness as the basis of public usefulness. All the Ministerial appellations—such as the “salt of the earth “—“the light of the world” 656—imply the same responsibility. And indeed it is this that gives ‘power and unction to the commission, which we profess to deliver from the mouth of God. The Roman orator has told us that no man can be truly eloquent on a subject with which he is unacquainted.657 Nor indeed can the exhibition of unknown and unfelt truth be expected to produce permanent effect. Even Mr. Locke reminds us—‘He is very unfit to convert others, who was never converted himself.’ 658 Baxter remarks with his characteristic solemnity—‘Truly, it is the common danger and calamity of the Church to have unregenerate and inexperienced Pastors, and to have so many men become preachers before they are Christians; to be sanctified by dedication to the altar as God’s Priests before they are sanctified by hearty dedication to Christ as his disciples; and so to worship an unknown God, and to preach an unknown Christ, an unknown Spirit, an unknown state of holiness and communion with God, and a glory that is unknown, and likely to be unknown forever.
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He is likely to be a heartless preacher, who does not have in his heart the Christ and the grace that he preaches.’ 659
Though indeed the blessing is in the institution, not in the instrument, yet a deficiency in the instrument ordinarily weakens the power of the institution. The lack of personal religion is therefore a most serious hindrance to Ministerial efficiency. In the general work of instruction, the experience of the power of the Gospel is necessary to direct our treatment of the different cases of our Ministry.660 The recollection of the means by which we were enlightened, and subsequently confirmed and established in the truth, is most important to connect the perplexities of our people. In the work of conviction, what but an experiential perception of our own sinfulness can enable us to expose the deformity and deceitfulness of sin? Or how can we exhibit the exceeding breadth and spirituality of the law of God, unless we have ourselves felt its condemning, killing power? In the more delightful work of encouragement, the power of administering the consolations of the Gospel is connected with the reception of them in our own hearts.661 The love of the Saviour, the faithfulness of his word, the beauty of holiness, the prospect of eternity, will of course be most effectually exhibited by those who can say—“We also believe, and therefore speak.” 662
Little fruitfulness can be expected in our pulpit department, in the absence or defect of heart-felt religion. ‘I will be sure to live well,’ (said George Herbert on the day of his induction to Bemerton) ‘because the virtuous life of a clergyman is the most powerful eloquence to persuade all that see it to reverence and love, and at least to desire to live like him.’ 663 Indeed, what persuasiveness can there be in the wearisome task of speaking of Divine things without Divine affections? A man who cannot persuade himself to be holy, will have little hope of succeeding with the
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consciences of others. ‘I would advise such preachers’ (says Baxter) ‘to go to the congregation, and there preach over Origen’s sermon on Psalm 1.16, 17;664 and, when they have read this text, to sit down, and expound, and apply it by their tears; and then to make a free confession of their sins; and lament their case before the assembly; and desire their earnest prayers to God for pardoning and renewing grace; and so to come close to Christ in heart, who before admitted him no further than into the brain; that hereafter they may preach a Christ whom they know, and may feel what they speak, and may commend the riches of the Gospel by experience.665 Neither genius, nor the eloquence of the schools, nor oratorical declamation are required for public effect; but that Christian eloquence of feeling and of love which marks the impression of the spirit as well as the letter of the Bible—that genuine pathos and simplicity with which ‘a good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth that which is good.’ 666 This ‘rhetoric of the life,’ Leighton justly pronounces, ‘gives to the instructions of the pulpit an energy far beyond the reach of the loftiest strains of unhallowed oratory.’ To obtain this most desirable qualification, we must ourselves taste the word before we distribute it to our people. We must carefully connect it with our devotional reading. A sermon, however well digested, can never be well preached, until it has first been preached to ourselves.667 It is the present experience, nourishment, and enjoyment, that gives a
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glow of unction far beyond the power of adventitious accomplishment; and it makes us not only edifying to our people but (what is more rare and difficult) profitable ministers to ourselves. To bear our message written upon our hearts, is the best method of conveying to our people deep and weighty impressions of the things of God. We must bring them not only—“that which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon,” but something—“which our hands have handled of the word of life,” if we desire them to have “joint fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 668 Like John the Baptist,669 we should point out the Saviour to our people from our own perception of his glory and love.
We observe again the importance of personal religion—in confirming our testimony with a Christian example.670—‘Men judge things more fully by the eye than by the ear; consequently Ministers’ practice is as much regarded, if not more than their sermons. So that—suppose in the pulpit they should resemble Holy Angels, yet if in conversation they are found but very ordinary, carnal men; ‘tis not a thousand elaborate discourses, which will be able, either solidly to impress their hearers with the faith of reality in religion, or in any way to engage their souls practically to fall in love with the same.’ 671 Fenelon well observes in his Dialogue on Eloquence—‘that moral instructions have no weight or influence, when they are neither supported by clear principles, nor good examples. Whom do you see converted by them? People are accustomed to hear such harangues, and are amused by them as with so many fine scenes passing before their eyes. They hearken to such lectures, just as they would read a satire, and they look at the speaker as one that acts his part well. They believe his life more than his talk; and when they know him to be selfish, ambitious, vain, given to sloth and luxury, and see that he parts with none of those enjoyments which he exhorts others to forsake; though for the sake
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of custom and ceremony they hear him declaim, they believe and act as he does. But what is worst of all, people are too apt to conclude that men of this profession do not believe what they teach. This disparages their function; and when others preach with a sincere zeal, people will scarce believe this zeal to be sincere.’ 672 We must build up with both hands—with our doctrine and our life. We must be what we preach; exhibiting the pattern, the motives, and the principles of godliness to our people: ‘not only putting the copy before them, and leaving them to write; but taking the pen, and showing them how to form each letter.’ 673 The minister is a continual—not a periodical character. “The beauty of holiness” must not be merely the supplement of the Sabbath. A holy sermon is but for an hour. A holy life is his perpetual sermon—a living, practical commentary of his doctrine—the gospel to the senses. Thus (as one of the Fathers 674 observed of our Divine Master), he will often ‘preach when he does not open his mouth,’—like a faithful shepherd—who, “when he puts forth his own sheep, goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” 675 It was truly, though quaintly, remarked by the old divines, that a Minister’s life is the life of his Ministry. For (as Bishop Horne observes) ‘he who undertakes to reprove the world, must be one whom the world cannot reprove.’ 676 We should each of us consider ourselves as the appointed luminary in our respected spheres—placed as the centre of the system—the source of light and warmth to all within our circle. We should thus be “burning” as well as “shining lights.” 677 We need not always blaze, but we must always burn. There must be love as well as light—the light of holy love.’ 678
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How “painfully has this subject been illustrated in the deep wounds of the church from ungodly ministers! “The sin of Eli’s sons was very great before the Lord; for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.” 679 The successors of these young men are found in men pressing the Gospel upon others, while neglecting it themselves—in profession they are the servants of God; but in principle they are serving themselves—“building again” with their lives “the things which they had destroyed” by their doctrine, and making “themselves transgressors” with a guilty load of responsibility! 680 On the other hand, how convincing is the power of a consistent Ministry! When Levi had “the law of truth in his mouth, he turned many away from iniquity.” 681 The holiness of the faithful ministry of John struck awe even into wicked Herod; added to which “many for a season,” and many probably for more than a season, “rejoiced in his light.” 682 The Apostle’s success in Thessalonica is mainly attributed to the same cause.683 ‘Happy are those labourers in the Church, the secret savour of whose life and conversation attracts people after Christ.’ 684
The Missionary Eliot ‘imposed a law upon himself, that he would leave something of God, and heaven, and religion, with all that should come near him; so that in all places his company was attended with majesty and reverence. We cannot say that we ever saw him walking anywhere, that he was not walking there with God; and it might be said of him, as it was said of Origen,—‘Quemadmodum docet, sic vixit: and quemadmodum vixit. sic docet.” 685 Now such a habitual Ministry, spreading the atmosphere of heaven over the secular employments, proves the stamp of a Divine impression; and in its “manifestation of the truth it commends itself to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” It is like the “angel standing in the sun”—the undoubted representative of the Divine Majesty.
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We might further remark the power of Ministerial godliness—as enabling us to water the seed sown with fervent prayer. For as prayer is the life of spiritual religion, it follows of necessity, that a spiritual Minister will be a man of prayer. But having already expanded this point of detail,686 we only now refer to it, to mark the mutual relations and bearings of every department of the sacred office.
But it may be asked—Do we sufficiently consider how much our personal religion is endangered from the very circumstance of religion being our profession? The decorous restraint induced by a regard to our sacred office is essentially distinct from vital religion. While on the other hand the continual exercise of our gifts, both in their excitement and acceptance, may be only a shadowy exhibition of the true substance. Great indeed is the danger of resting in professional piety—in public religion. Awful indeed is the reflection—how much of the fervid animation of the pulpit is purely mechanical!—it is impulse rather than spirituality! Therefore, in going through the duties, putting on the appearances, speaking the language, and exhibiting the feelings of religion—what care! what watchfulness! what tenderness of heart! what earnest prayer! is required to preserve the spirit of religion. Do none of us have cause to complain—“They made me keeper of the vineyards: but my own vineyard I have not kept?” 687 Does not the cultivation of the wilderness lead us sometimes unconsciously to overlook the growth of the weeds within our own garden? Are we ever satisfied with being the instruments of grace, without being habitually the subjects of it? Yet how little moment it is to “minister grace to our hearers,” if we do not minister it to ourselves! Is not conscience often rebuked by the assumed identity of our personal and official character? For, though the concentration of our employments in Divine things has clothed us officially with a spiritual garb,688 yet who of us can have failed to discover that spirituality of doctrine is not always connected with corresponding spirituality of heart or conduct? The best of us are probably far more spiritual in our pulpits than in our closets, and we find less effort required to preach against all the sins of our people, than to mortify one of them in our own hearts. Oh! how much more easy it is to preach from the understanding than from the heart! to expound the truth with satisfactory clearness to our people, and with delusive complacency to ourselves; than to be so moulded into its spirit ourselves, as to enjoy a holy preparation of heart in the previous
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study of it, its heavenly savour at the time of the delivery, and its experiential and practical influence in the after-recollection.
This difficulty springs out of the particular self-deception by which we are apt to merge our personal with our professional character, and to forget the Christian in the Minister. But time must be found for spiritual feeding on Scriptural truths, as well as for a critical investigation of their meaning (or for a Ministerial application of their message). For if we were to study the Bible more as Ministers than as Christians—if we study more to find matter for instructing our people than finding food for the nourishment of our own souls—then we neglect to place ourselves at the feet of our Divine Teacher. Our communion with him is cut off, and we become mere formalists in our sacred profession. Mr. Martyn seems to have been tenderly conscious of this temptation—‘Every time’ (he remarked) ‘that I open the Scriptures, my thoughts are about a sermon or exposition—so that even in private I seem to be reading in public.’ 689 We cannot live by feeding others; or heal ourselves by the mere employment of healing our people. And therefore, by this course of official service, our familiarity with the awful realities of death and eternity may be like that of the grave-digger, the physician, and the soldier, rather than the man of God viewing eternity with deep seriousness and concern, and bringing to his people the profitable fruit of his contemplations. It has been well-remarked that ‘once a man begins to view religion, not as a matter of personal importance but merely of professional importance, he has an obstacle in his course with which a private Christian is unacquainted.’ 690 It is indeed difficult to determine whether our familiar intercourse with the things of God is more our temptation or our advantage. For what accurate self-observer has not verified Butler’s remarks on the repetition of passive impressions,691 and found the effect of formal Ministerial repetition to be of a rapidly and powerfully hardening
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Character! 692 As the natural consequence of going through the daily and Sabbath routine without renewed fire from the altar, the doctrines of the Gospel will be maintained, while the assimilation of our character to their heavenly spirit will be totally neglected. And in the absence of this spiritual character—what is our Ministry more than a beautiful and lifeless mechanism, unvisited by the Spirit of God, and unblessed with the tokens of its acceptance?
Upon the whole, therefore, we observe the weighty influence of personal character upon our Ministrations. “Simplicity and godly sincerity,” impartiality, humility, and general integrity of profession—are an “epistle known and read by all men.” Indeed, character is power. The lack of it must therefore blast our success, by bringing the genuineness of our own religion, and the practical efficacy of the Gospel, under suspicion. Apart also from the natural effect of our public consistency, there is also a secret but penetrating influence diffused by the habitual exercise of our principles. Who will deny that—had he been a more spiritual Christian—he would probably have been a more useful Minister? Will not the one who is most fervent and abundant in secret prayer, most constant in his studies, most imbued with his Master’s spirit, most single in his object, most upright and persevering in the pursuit of it—be most honoured in his work? For is he not likely to be filled with an extraordinary unction? Will he not speak most “of the abundance of his heart?” And will not his flock “acknowledge him,” as living in the presence of his God; and “receive him” in his pastoral visits and pulpit addresses “as an angel of God—even as Christ Jesus?”
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