Chapter 4. Showing a characteristic Difference between a Child of God and a Hypocrite
Chapter 4.
Showing a characteristic Difference between a Child of God and a Hypocrite A discriminating difference is shown between a child of God and a hypocrite: the one serves God from a principle of delight, the other does not. "The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver," Psa 119.72. With what delight a covetous man tells about his thousands! But God's law was better to David than thousands; a child of God looks upon the service of God, not only as his duty, but his privilege. A gracious heart loves everything that has the stamp of God on it:
The Word is his delight — "Your words were found and I ate them, and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart," Jer
15.16.
The Sabbath is his delight — "If you turn away your foot from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight," Isa
58.13.
Prayer is his delight — "I will make them joyful in my house of prayer," Isa 56.7.
Hearing is his delight — "Who are these that fly like doves to their windows?" Isa 60.8. The gracious soul flies like a dove to an ordinance, upon the wings of delight.
The Sacrament is his delight — on this day the Lord makes "a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines well-aged, of rich food full of marrow, of wines well refined," Isa 25.6.
A sacrament day is a soul-festival day; here Christ takes the soul into his banqueting-house and "displays His banner of love over it,"
Song 2.4. Here are heavenly delicacies set before us. Christ gives us his body and blood. This is angels' food; this is the heavenly nectar; here is a cup perfumed with the divine nature; here is wine spiced with the love of God. The Jews at their feasts poured ointment on
their guests; here Christ pours the oil of gladness into the heart. This is the King's bath where we wash and are cleansed of our leprosy: the withered soul, after receiving this blessed eucharist, has been like a watered garden, Isa 58.11, or like those Egyptian fields after the overflowing of the Nile, fruitful and flourishing. And do you wonder that a child of God delights in holy things? He must be a volunteer in religion.
But it is not this way with a hypocrite. He may be forced to do that which is good, but not to will that which is good. He doesn't serve
God with delight. "Will he delight himself in the Almighty?" Job 27.10. That he has none of this complacency and delight, appears thus: because he serves God grudgingly; he brings his sacrifice with a wicked mind, Pro 21.27. Such a one was Cain. It was long before he brought his offering, Gen 4.3. It was not the first-fruits. And when he did bring it, it was grudgingly; it wasn't a free-will offering, Deu
16.10. It is probable that it was the custom of his father's family to sacrifice; and perhaps conscience might check him for forbearing so long. At last the offering is brought, but how? As a task rather than a duty; as a mulct or fine rather than a sacrifice. Cain brought his offering, but not himself. What Seneca says of a gift, I may say of a sacrifice — it is not gold and silver that makes a gift, but a willing mind. If this is lacking, the gold is only parted with, not given. So too, it is not prayer and hearing that makes a sacrifice, but it is a willing mind. Cain's was not an offering, but a tax; not worship, but penance.