JEWELS from JAMES
(Choice devotional selections from
the works of John Angell James)
We
must learn it by painful experience!
The death of Christian friends should
impress us with, even
as it shows us—the vanity of the world.
All that poetry ever
wrote, even the most mournful, beautiful,
and pensive of its
strains—all that philosophy ever argued—all
that morality ever
taught, conveys no such view, and is
calculated to produce
no such impressions, of the emptiness of the
world—as the
desolate chamber, the vacant place, the
deserted chair, the
picture—of some dear object of our heart's
affection!
It is at the tomb of that loved, lost
friend, the world stands
stripped of its false disguise, and is
presented to us as a
shadow! Gloom now covers everything. Scenes
that once
pleased, please no more. Favorite walks are
shunned, or
re-trodden only to remind us of the dear
companion that
once shared their beauties with us. Seasons
return, but
not to bring with them the delights with
which the presence
of one beloved object associates them. We go
about in the
bitterness of our spirit, crying, "Vanity of
vanity—all is vanity
and vexation of spirit!" We are ready to
sigh for death to
relieve us from the tedium of existence, and
the sense of
emptiness!
Be it so! It is all true! The world is
empty! And it was intended
by God that it should be! The world contains
no satisfying bliss!
It is a cistern, a broken cistern, which can
hold no water. God
told us so, but we would not learn this by
His word—so now
we must learn it by painful experience!
If we cannot be
taught by 'faith', since we must learn—we
are in mercy taught
by 'feeling' it to be empty!
Oh let us go to the fountain that is full,
flowing, open! Let
us go to the fountain of living waters! If
there is emptiness,
nothingness, in the world—there is fullness
in God! Is there
enough in Him to satisfy millions of
millions, and not enough
to satisfy us? Let us crucify the world.
There is more
happiness in a crucified world, than in an
idolized one!
If our hearts cannot die to the world
anywhere else—let
them be crucified at the tomb of those we
love!
The plough and the harrow
In some people we discover a striking and
beautiful
mellowness of character, as the result
of God's
chastening hand. The roughness,
harshness,
arrogance, and haughtiness of their
conduct, which
once rendered them annoying and offensive,
are
scraped off—and a sweet gentleness,
humility,
meekness, and softness of manner, and a
tenderness
of spirit have come in their place. There
is now . . .
a gentleness in their speech,
a mildness in their look, and
a kindliness and cautiousness in their
manner,
which tell us how the haughty spirit has
been broken,
and the proud loftiness of their mind has
been brought
down. An unusual loveliness has been
spread over their
character, a holy amiableness has been
infused into their
temper, and a stubborn self-will has
yielded to a kind
consideration of the wishes and feelings
of others;
which convince all around them, how much
the Spirit
of God has done in them, and for them, by
the afflictions
they have endured. How
the plough and
the harrow
have broken up the hard soil, and
pulverized the rough
clods of their stubborn nature, and
prepared it for the
growth of the precious seed of the
kingdom.
"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but
now I keep Your
word. It is good for me that I was
afflicted, that I might
learn Your statutes. I know, O Lord, that
Your judgments
are righteous, and that in faithfulness
You have afflicted
me." (Psalm 119:67, 71, 75)
These predominant sins
Almost all of us have 'favorite pet
sins'—which there is not
ordinarily that concern and labor for
putting them away,
which there should be. They are
indulged, instead of being
resisted. Thus they gain strength by
such indulgence, and
most sadly disfigure our character and
disturb our spiritual
peace!
Prosperity, like sunshine upon
weeds, often causes them to
grow rapidly! And then God in great
faithfulness, love and
mercy sends adversity, like
frost, to kill them. Upon a bed of
sickness, and in other severe
trials—they are often remembered,
understood, and seen in all their
sinfulness. They are then
lamented, confessed, and mortified.
Nothing can be a darker sign than for a
professor's conscience
to be so dull and drowsy during a time
of trial, as to leave him
unadmonished respecting
these
predominant sins.
It is sometimes a blessed fruit of
tribulation, that
these
predominant sins have been
weakened, if not eradicated.
It is worth any amount of suffering to
secure this result.
Happy the Christian who comes out of the
furnace, with
his dross removed by the fire! No matter
what he has lost
—he has gained freedom from these inward
enemies of
his
peace and purity.
We all know
more than we do; and we
should be
more solicitous to reduce to practice
what we already
know, than to acquire still more of
'mere theory'.
Pulpit buffoonery
One characteristic of Whitefield's
manner which deserves particular
attention, was his solemnity.
He never degraded the pulpit by low
humor and low wit; abounding in
anecdote—but he was uniformly solemn.
His deep devotional spirit contributed
largely to this, for his piety was the
inward fire which supplied the ardor
of his manner.
He was eminently a man of prayer;
and had he been less prayerful, he
would also have been less powerful. He
came into the pulpit from the closet
where he had been communing with God,
and could no more be trifling, merry,
or humorous at such a time, than could
Moses when he came down from the fiery
mount to the people! Happily the age
and taste for
pulpit buffoonery is
gone, I hope never to return.
It was the stamp and impress of
eternity upon his preaching that gave
Whitfield such power. He spoke like a
man who stood upon the borders of the
unseen world, alternately enrapt in
ecstasy as he gazed upon the
felicities of heaven; and convulsed
with terror as he heard the howlings
of the damned, and saw the smoke of
their torment ascending from the pit
forever and ever. His maxim was to
preach for eternity. He said if
ministers preached for eternity they
would act the part of true Christian
orators.
We need pastors imbued with his
spirit, his piety, his dependence upon
the Spirit of God, his love for souls,
his devotedness, and his earnestness!
And tell me, my brethren, what are all
the prettinesses, the beauties, or
even sublimities of human eloquence;
what are all the similes, metaphors,
and other garniture of rhetoric which
many in this day are aiming at, to
move, and bow, and conquer the human
soul—compared with "the powers of the
world to come?"
The great moral magnet
"As for Me, if I am lifted up from
the earth I will
draw all people to Myself." (John
12:32)
So said the Savior of men. The cross
is for all ages and
all countries
the great moral magnet
to draw men . . .
from barbarism to civilization,
from sin to holiness,
from misery to happiness,
and from earth to heaven!
"One
thing I do!"
Philippians 3:13
Human life is so short, and the
faculties of man are so limited,
that he who would do some great
thing, must do but one; and
must do that one with such a
concentration of his forces, as,
to
idle spectators who live only to
amuse themselves, looks like
enthusiasm, and almost draws upon
him the charge of fanaticism.
It is
never to be forgotten,
amidst all the fluctuations
of opinion, all the vicissitudes
of earthly affairs, and even
the advance of civilization,
science, and social improvement
—that human nature, in its
spiritual condition and its
relation
to God, remains unchanged. The
lapse of ages will never
improve our natural corruption,
nor will the progress of
science and advance of
civilization eradicate it. Man
as he
is born into the world in sin,
and grows up in it, will still,
as ever, need both the
redemption and the regeneration
of the gospel of Christ.
The great
stream of the population is
dashing in one
mighty cataract over the
precipice of impenitence and
unbelief—into
the dreadful gulf below!
Oh
wonderful, ineffable,
inconceivable exchange!
The SUDDEN DEATH of a real
Christian, is an
unspeakable blessing. Such a
one is spared . . . .
the languors of sickness,
the racking pain,
the anguish sometimes
almost intolerable,
and all the other terrible
harbingers of death
protracted
through wearisome nights and
months of vanity! To be
exempt from the
heart-rending pangs of
separation at
the last faltering adieu; to
be saved from those gloomy
apprehensions which
sometimes arise in the minds
of the
strongest and holiest of
believers when contemplating
the portals of the tomb; to
be carried through the iron
gates of death before we
knew we were drawing near
to them; to wake up in a
moment, as from a dream, at
the sound of the seraphim's
song—and exchange in an
instant of time the sights
of earthly objects for the
glorious realities of
heaven—and the society of
friends
below for the innumerable
company of angels; to find
ourselves suddenly in the
presence of God and the
Lamb,
and see the smile of welcome
upon the countenance of
the Savior—and with a burst
of astonishment and
gratitude to exclaim,
"And is this heaven? and am
I there?
How short the road! How
swift the flight!"
Oh
wonderful, ineffable,
inconceivable exchange!
"In vain our fancy
strives to paint
The moment after death,
The glories that surround
the saint,
When he resigns his
breath!
"Thus much, and this is all
we know—
They are completely
blessed,
Are done with sin, and care,
and woe,
And with their Savior
rest!"
Sudden
death to a real Christian—is
one mighty bound
from earth to heaven! Sudden
death to an unconverted
sinner—is one dreadful
stumble into hell. Oh,
unutterable
horror—to be surprised,
overwhelmed, confounded in a
moment—by exchanging the
pleasures, the friends, the
possessions, the prospects
of earth—for those doleful
shades, where peace and hope
can never dwell.
You, too, may die
suddenly. Are you ready,
quite prepared
by repentance towards God,
faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ,
and a holy life—for
death—for speedy death—for
sudden
death? Prepare to meet your
God! Prepare for death, for
judgment and eternity!
Prepare! Prepare!
You will certainly die!
"But you must not eat from
the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, for on
the day you eat from it,
you
will certainly die!"
(Genesis 2:17)
Every dying groan,
every tolling death-bell,
every funeral procession,
every opened grave,
proclaims the evil of sin,
and is a warning against
it!
"For the wages of sin is
death." (Romans 6:23)
Death is the dreadful
gate, the dark passage to
eternity!
True believers pass
through this solemn scene
uttering
the song of triumph,
"Thanks be to God, who
gives us
the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ!"
Old age, apart from
moral excellence, is an
object of
detestation and
loathing. A wicked old
man is
the most
shocking spectacle upon
earth—with
the exception of
a wicked old minister!
Dumb dogs!
"Epaphroditus, my
brother, fellow
worker, fellow
soldier"
(Philippians 2:25)
Some people seek the
pastoral ministry, as
an office which
provides a good
income—while they
disregard all its
duties
and its obligations.
Such doubtless there
are, men who seek
the ministry for the
indulgence of a
literary taste, or for
the
gratification of a
propensity to
idleness. It is too
true that all
sections of the church
are cursed with some
ministers of this
description, who are
each looking for his
gain. "His watchmen
are blind, all of
them, they know
nothing; all of them
are
dumb
dogs, they
cannot bark; they
dream, lie down, and
love to sleep.
These dogs have fierce
appetites; they never
have enough. And
they are shepherds who
have no discernment;
all of them turn
to their own way,
every last one for his
own gain." Is.
56:10-11
But look at the true,
the good, the faithful
minister,
as described in
Scripture. He is . . .
a laborer,
a watchman,
a fisher,
a soldier,
a builder,
a wrestler;
all terms that employ
toil, vigilance,
effort, perseverance,
and enduring
self-denial. There are
some men, whose lives
and exertions justify
the employment of such
figures of
speech. They do labor
. . .
in the closet
by wrestling
supplication;
in the study
by intense
application;
in the pulpit
by earnest preaching;
in the church
by pastoral oversight;
in the houses
by counsel, reproof,
and warning;
by their pens as
well as their tongues;
on week days and on
Sundays;
at home and abroad.
The faithful minister
must be classed among
those who
have no leisure. As
he maintains a holy,
blameless and
consistent life, many
are . . .
impressed by his
example,
enriched by his
beneficence,
blessed by his
prayers, and
instructed by his
principles.
Truth and love are
the two most
powerful things
in the universe!
It is by the 'silken
cord of love',
united with the
'golden thread of
truth', that the
church must draw the
world to Christ.
The Bible is
the central
luminary
around which all
true
Christians
revolve, in nearer
or remoter orbits,
reflecting
the splendor of
its beams, and
governed by the
power of
its attraction.
See how well
the world goes
on without them!
(John Angell
James, "The
London
Missionary
Society" 1849)
Christ can do
much by the
weakest
instrument; and
He can do
altogether
without the
strongest. He
that could do
without apostles
and prophets,
after he had
removed them by
death, can
dispense with
us!
This should
check the
inflation of
some proud men's
minds, and
repress that
overweening
conceit by which
they destroy in
part their own
usefulness.
It would
surprise and
mortify many,
could they come
out of their
graves ten years
after they had
entered them,
and still
retained the
ideas they once
entertained of
their own
importance—to
see how well the
world goes on
without them!
If the death of
ordinary
individuals be
but as the
casting of a
pebble from
the seashore
into the ocean,
which is neither
missed from the
one nor sensibly
gained by the
other; the death
of the more
extraordinary
ones is but as
the sinking of a
larger rock
into the
abyss beneath—it
makes at the
time a rumbling
noise and a
great splash;
but the wave
which it raises
soon subsides
into a ripple,
the ripple
itself as soon
sinks to a
placid level,
the tide flows,
ships pass,
commerce goes
on, and shore
and ocean appear
just as they did
before the
disruption!
Ah! my brethren,
let us seek to
have our record
in heaven, where
it will be
engraved in
characters which
will stand
forever on the
Rock of Ages!
For it will soon
be effaced here
on earth, where
it is only as a
footprint upon
the sand, which
the next wave
will speedily
and entirely
obliterate
forever!
A
censurable,
disgraceful,
and
destructive
habit!
"That you
not become
slothful,
but
imitators of
those who
through
faith and
patience are
inheriting
the
promises."
(Hebrews
6:12)
Slothfulness,
in every
aspect in
which it can
be viewed,
and
in
every
relation to
human
affairs, is
a
censurable,
disgraceful,
and
destructive
habit!
With that
incalculable
source of
energy
which every
rational and
healthy mind
carries
about within
itself,
and with the
many
occasions
and demands
for its
exercise,
which
in this busy
world
surround
us—it is a
sin and a
shame for
any
man to
"stand idle
all the day
long."
Indolence,
in reference
to the
concerns of
this world,
is bad
enough. But
where shall
we find
language
sufficiently
strong to
describe the
present
guilt and
future
misery of
indolence
and
sloth in
reference to
the soul and
the soul's
concerns? Of
all
the
instances of
folly, sin,
and misery,
which the
inhabitants
of earth
present, the
most
astounding
must be the
sight of an
impenitent
sinner,
slumbering
in careless
security
over the
over the
bottomless
pit!
One would be
led to
imagine, did
not
experience
testify to
the
contrary,
that there
is enough in
that one
word
'eternity'
to
rouse all
men to the
most intense
concern, and
to the most
laborious
diligence!
Could that
happy spirit
who has
lately left
our world be
permitted to
address you
from her
throne of
glory, with
what an
emphasis
would she
say,
"Beloved
friends,
with
whom on
earth I took
sweet
counsel, and
walked to
the
house of God
in company,
could you
conceive of
but a
thousandth
part of the
glory which
now
surrounds
me,
you would
account that
world which
so sinfully
engrosses
your
attention
scarcely
worth a
passing
glance, or a
momentary
thought! Do
not be
slothful,
when heaven
or hell
hangs upon
your life!
Do not be
slothful,
when
eternity is
before you!
Do not be
slothful,
when
infinite
joy, or
endless woe,
attends on
every
breath!"
How perilous
to yourselves,
how corrupting
to others,
how
discreditable
to religion,
how
displeasing to
Christ,
is
slothfulness
in the
Christian
profession!
The
highest
class in
the school
of Christ
"So that
you may
not be
sluggish,
but
imitators
of those
who
through
faith and
patience
inherit
the
promises."
Heb. 6:12
By
patience,
we mean a
quiet
waiting,
amidst
sufferings
and
sorrows—for
the
heavenly
kingdom.
Patience
is an
uncomplaining
willingness
to remain
any length
of time,
and amidst
any
tribulation,
for the
glory to
be
revealed.
No
circumstances
of life,
(and let
the
sufferer
hear and
drink
in the
soul-comforting
thought,)
no
circumstances
of life
seem
to ripen
the
Christian
so fast or
so
perfectly
for
heaven—as
the
experience
of sorrow
and
affliction.
Oh! then
let our
comforts
go, then
let our
eyes weep,
then let
our hearts
bleed—if
our
Father is
thus
ripening
us for
everlasting
fruition
and
inconceivable
bliss!
"But
patience
must
do its
complete
work, so
that you
may
be mature
and
complete,
lacking
nothing."
(James
1:4)
James
intimates,
that when
we are
enabled to
exercise
the
grace of
patience,
we have
reached
the
highest
class in
the
school of
Christ,
have
nothing
more to
learn upon
earth, and
are ready
and fit to
depart,
and to be
with
Jesus—and
have
then
obtained
as much
grace as
can be
possessed,
short of
glory
itself!
Patience,
then,
sufferer,
patience!
The first
moment,
and the
first
glance of
heaven
will be an
infinite
recompense
for all
you
suffer—for
all you
lose on
earth! If
every step
on earth
is a step
of
suffering—then
let each
be a step
of
patience!
Weep you
may—murmur
you must
not.
Nature may
pay the
tribute of
a
groan—but
grace must
pay it
with a
smile.
The shower
of your
tears may
fall—but
in the
rays of
the
Sun of
Righteousness
must
reflect
the
beauteous
rainbow
of the
promise.
Christian,
you make
your way
to glory
along the
path of
patient
resignation,
which, if
it is like
the Valley
of
Weeping,
and has
its briars
and its
thorns—has
also its
refreshing
rain-pools
of
heavenly
consolation!
The
base
cares
and the
petty
enjoyments
of the
present
world
Sin is
raging
all
around
us!
Satan is
busy in
the work
of
destruction!
Men are
dying!
Souls
are
every
moment
departing
into
eternity!
Hell is
enlarging
her
mouth,
and
multitudes
are
continually
descending
to
torments
which
knows
no
mitigation
and no
end!
Heaven
expanding
above
us!
Hell
yawning
beneath
us!
Eternity
opening
before
us!
How
astounding
is it
sometimes
to
ourselves,
that,
favored
with a
certain,
though
distant,
view of
the
celestial
city,
living
almost
within
the
sight of
its
glories
and the
sound of
its
music,
the
base
cares
and the
petty
enjoyments
of the
present
world
should
have so
much
power
over us,
as to
retard
us
in our
heavenward
course,
and make
us
negligent
and
indolent,
heedless
and
forgetful.
Time
is
short,
life
uncertain,
death
at
hand,
and
immortality
is
about to
swallow
up our
existence
in
eternal
life—or
eternal
death!
Love
of
deception
They
are a
rebellious
people,
deceptive
children,
children
who do
not
obey
the
Lord's
instruction.
They
say to
the
seers,
"Do
not
see,"
and to
the
prophets,
"Do
not
prophesy
the
truth
to us.
Tell
us
flattering
things!
Prophesy
illusions!
Get
out of
the
way!
Leave
the
pathway.
Rid us
of the
Holy
One of
Israel."
(Isaiah
30:9-11)
A wish
to be
deceived
is a
state
of
mind
by no
means
uncommon.
This
was
the
case
with
the
Jews
at the
time
when
this
prophecy
was
delivered.
Their
national
crimes
were
bringing
destruction
nearer
and
nearer.
Their
political
horizon
was
perpetually
becoming
darker,
and
signs
of the
accumulating
vengeance
of
Heaven
were
multiplying
around
them.
The
prophets,
bearing
the
burden
of the
Lord,
represented
him as
a holy
Being,
whom
their
transgressions
insulted,
and
whose
justice
must
necessarily
be
roused
to
avenge
wrong.
One
denunciation
followed
another,
until
the
people,
alike
unwilling
to be
reformed
and to
hear
of the
punishment
which
would
come
upon
them
for
their
impenitence,
were
anxious
to
change
the
tone
of the
prophets'
faithful ministrations.
They
could
not
bear
the
pungent
warnings
of
those
holy
men;
they
trembled
under
the
solemn
and
impassioned
appeals
of
Isaiah
and
his
fellow-prophets,
and
endeavored,
either
by
threats
to
silence,
or by
bribes
to
corrupt,
the
oracles
of
heaven.
The
holiness
of God
was a
subject
peculiarly
offensive
to
them—hence
the
exclamation,
"Rid
us of
the
Holy
One of
Israel!"
They
wanted
to
hear
only
of his
mercy.
They
would
have
disrobed
him of
his
garments
of
light,
and
silenced,
if
they
could,
the
song
of the
seraphim,
uttered
in
praise
of his
unsullied
purity.
The
deity
they
wanted
to
hear
of,
was an
indulgent
being,
who
would
overlook
sin,
and
never
punish
the
transgressor.
They
wished
to
hear
no
more
of the
rigid
and
strict
requirements
of the
law—but
to
listen
only
to the
soothing
sounds
of
promise;
they
were
anxious
that
the
terrible
thunders
of
justice
should
die
away
midst
the
soft
whispers
of
mercy.
They
were
determined
to go
on in
sin,
and
therefore
desired,
whatever
might
be
"right
things,"
to
hear
only
smooth
things,
and to
be
left
to go
on
unmolested
in
their
career
of
iniquity.
Happy
would
it be
for
multitudes,
if
this
love
of
deception
had
been
confined
to the
Jews—if
this
demand
for
"smooth
things"
had
been
made
only
by
them.
But,
alas!
they
have
many,
very
many
followers
under
the
present
dispensation.
The
faithful
ministers
of
Jesus
Christ
meet
with
the
same
reception
from
many
of
their
hearers,
as did
the
prophets
of the
older
economy.
There
are
not
lacking
in our
age
many
who
are
anxious
to
save
their
own
souls
and
those
that
hear
them;
who,
in
their
solicitude
to be
clear
from
the
blood
of all
men,
shun
not to
declare
"the
whole
counsel
of
God."
Their
aim is
not to
please
men—but
to
profit
their
hearers;
not to
satisfy
their
taste,
or
amuse
their
fancy,
or
lull
them
into a
false
peace,
or
wrap
them
up in
unfounded
security—but
to
save
them
from
the
wrath
to
come.
Hence,
they
are
anxious
to
convince
them
of
sin,
and by
"the
terrors
of the
Lord
to
persuade"
them
to
urge
the
all-important
enquiry,
"What
shall
I do
to be
saved?"
They
know
that
without
previous
conviction,
alarm,
and
penitence,
there
can be
no
true
comfort
and
therefore
their
aim
is,
like
that
of the
skillful
surgeon,
to
probe
the
wound
before
they
attempt
to
heal
it.
This
many
of
their
hearers
cannot
endure;
they
want
smooth
things,
not
right
things;
they
cannot
bear
to
have
their
consciences
roused,
their
fears
alarmed,
and
their
minds
rendered
uneasy.
They
wish
the
preacher
to
avoid
all
harsh
themes,
and
confine
himself
to
more
agreeable
and
palatable
topics.
The
people
to
whom I
here
allude,
are
those
people
in our
congregations,
who,
though
they
attend
an
evangelical
ministry,
have
never
yet
been
converted
by the
grace
of
God—but
are
still
living
either
in
open
sin,
or
predominant
worldly-mindedness;
who
know
that
if
religion
is
indeed
what
they
hear
it
often
described,
they
can
make
no
pretensions
to it;
who
have
no
intention
of
altering
their
course,
and
who
wish,
therefore,
to be
left
to
pursue
it,
without
being
disturbed
by the
voice
of
ministerial
faithfulness.
Churches
should
be
purified
as
much
as
possible
from
all
secularity,
and
conducted
as
much
as
possible
in
simplicity
and
godly
sincerity,
without
the
admixture
of
that
fleshly
wisdom
which
guides
the
affairs
of
this
world.
They
should
be
divested
of
earthly
pomp,
guided
by
men
of
piety,
and
most
cautiously
preserved
from
that
self-importance
and
self-dependence,
which
all
imposing
organizations
of
numbers,
wealth,
and
influence,
are
apt
to
produce.
True
religion
True
religion
is
.
.
.
a
principle
of
the
heart;
an
element
of
the
character;
the
habit
of
thinking,
feeling,
and
acting
aright
in
all
our
social
relations;
the
basis
of
every
virtue;
the
main
prop
of
every
excellence;
the
fear
of
the
Lord,
by
which
men
depart
from
evil;
faith
working
by
love;
such
a
belief
in
the
gospel
of
Christ,
as
leads
to
a
conformity
to
His
example.
True
religion,
though
founded
on
a
belief
of
doctrines,
and
nourished
by
the
exercises
of
devotion—diffuses
its
influence
over
the
entire
character
of
man.
True
religion
is
the
belief,
the
love,
the
worship,
the
imitation
of
Jesus.
True
religion
is
sound
morality,
animated
and
sanctified
by
the
spirit
of
true
devotion
to
Christ.
True
religion
prescribes,
not
only
homage
to
God,
but
follows
him
into
the
domestic
circle.
Imagining we are going on to heaven
"The human heart is more deceitful than anything
else and desperately wicked!" Jeremiah 17:9
Oh, the idea of imagining we are going on to
heaven—when step by step we are advancing
to hell!
Is this possible? It is! And the very possibility
should awaken our alarm.
Is it common? It is! And this should carry our
solicitude to the highest pitch.
What did Christ say on this matter? Read with awe
and trembling. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord,
Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he
who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive
out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will
tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me,
you evildoers!'" Matthew 7:21-23.
Read, I say, this passage in which our Lord with His
own hand, sounds the alarm through the whole church.
Ought you not to examine? Is not there need of it? Is it
not all but madness to go on without it? Mistake! What
in such a matter as salvation? Mistake! What in a matter
in which an error will require an eternity to understand,
and an eternity to deplore it!
Very many know the theory of divine truth, without
feeling its influence on the heart, or exhibiting it in
the conduct. They often see the right way; without
walking in it. Only those who are renewed and
sanctified by the truth, will be eternally saved.
A holy, moral, useful, happy man
Explain to them the moral attributes of the great GOD. . .
His holiness as opposed to all iniquity,
His truth as manifested in the accomplishment of His word
His mercy which inclines Him to pity the miserable.
Endeavor to make them understand the exceeding sinfulness
of SIN, as breaking through all the obligations imposed upon
the conscience by the majesty and goodness of God. Strive
to lead them to a knowledge of the total corruption of their
nature, as the source and spring of their actual transgressions.
Unfold to them their situation, as under the wrath of God on
account of their sins. Show them their inability, either to
atone for their guilt or renovate their nature.
Lead them to CALVARY, and develop the design of the
Savior's death as a sacrifice for sin, and teach them to
rely upon His merits alone for salvation.
Direct them to the HOLY SPIRIT as the fountain of
grace and strength for the renewal of their hearts.
Lay before them all the branches of Christian DUTY;
those which relate to God, such as faith, repentance,
love, obedience, and prayer; and those which relate
to man, as obedience to parents, honesty to their
employers, kindness to all. Enforce upon them the
obligations of public worship.
Particularly impress upon them, that genuine religion,
while it is founded on a belief of God's word, does not
consist merely of abstract feelings, or occasional duties,
but in a principle of submission to the revealed will of
Jehovah, implanted deep in the human heart, pervading
the conduct, and spreading over the whole character,
so as to form a holy, moral, useful, happy man.
The impious mask of a cowardly heart
A man says there is no God, because he wishes there
were none. He scorns spiritual religion, because spiritual
religion condemns him. He is an infidel because he is a
sinner. He is a scoffer because he is an infidel.
The true and ultimate source of scoffing at true religion
is an unrenewed, unsanctified mind—a heart that hates
God, and abhors his image.
The religion of the Bible is . . .
too humbling for the pride of their intellect,
too holy for the corruptions of their heart,
too strict and too rigid for their indulgent lives,
and they cannot endure it. And being unable to
confound it by logic, or overwhelm it by eloquence,
they treat it with derision.
In some cases the scoffing may be traced up to fear,
united with dislike. The scorner secretly trembles at
the idea of a God, and of a judgment to come. He
fears that there may be a reality in religion, and if
there is—what is to become of him! The poor creature,
like a scared child whistling as he passes through a
graveyard to keep up his courage, or laughing at the
story of a ghost, to conceal the palpitations of his
heart, ridicules true religion to allay, if possible, the
rising alarms of his conscience, and to avoid the
terrors of his affrighted imagination.
The sneering countenance is often the impious mask
of a cowardly heart and of a trembling conscience.
The abominable adage!
"Exhort the younger men to be sober-minded."
Titus 2:6
There are many things which tend to nourish the
love of sensual pleasure in the
youthful bosom. At
their age care sits lightly on the heart, the passions
are strong, the imagination is lively, the health is
good, the social impulse is felt in all its energy, the
attractions of friends are powerful; and this they
imagine is the ideal time for them to take their fill
of pleasure. They think that they shall settle down
by and by, when the season of youth is past; and
that sobriety, morality, and religion will all come
in the proper order of nature.
Worldly pleasure, decked in the voluptuous attire
and the gaudy ornaments of a harlot, appears to
their heated imagination, with all the attractive
charms of a most bewitching beauty. They yield
themselves at once to her influence, and consider her
as abundantly able to afford them all the happiness
they desire. Their great concern is to gratify their
senses. The soul and all its vast eternal concerns
is neglected for the pleasures of fleshly appetites!
We frequently hear the abominable adage,
"Youth is the time for pleasure,
manhood is the time for business,
and old age is the time for religion."
It is not possible for language to utter, or mind to
conceive, a more gross or shocking insult to God
than this!—which is in effect saying, "when I can
no longer enjoy my lusts, or pursue my gains—
then I will carry to God a body and soul worn
out in the service of sin, Satan, and the world!"
The monstrous wickedness and horrid impiety
of this idea is enough, one would think, when
put clearly to him, to shock and terrify the most
confirmed and careless sinner in existence!
Thoughtless and sensual young man, who has
no idea of happiness but as arising from fleshly
indulgence, and who is drinking continually the
intoxicating cup of worldly pleasure—pursue your
course if you are determined on this mode of life;
gratify your appetites; indulge all your passions;
deny yourself nothing; eat, drink and be merry;
disregard the admonitions of conscience, trample
under foot the authority of Scripture—but do not
think that you shall always prosper in the ways of
sin, or carry forever that air of jollity and triumph.
The day of reckoning is at hand, when for all these
things, you will be called into judgment! God now
witnesses, and takes account of all your ways, and
will one day call you to His judgment, and repay you
according to your doings! "For God will bring every
act to judgment, including every hidden thing,
whether good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:14)
God's flock
"I exhort the elders among you: shepherd God's flock."
(1 Peter 5:2)
The flock which is committed to their care is the God's flock
—which is thus denominated to teach us that believers are the
special property of Christ, which He owns, loves, and protects
—in distinction from the wicked (who, are a kind of wild beasts
in whom He has neither peculiar property nor pleasure). They
are thus denominated also, to teach us that Christians are not
to live solitarily and unconnected, but are to unite themselves
with each other in visible communion and brotherly love, and
are to submit to the guidance and directions of their great
Shepherd, and in all things to manifest the simplicity,
harmlessness, and innocence of which the sheep is the
natural emblem.
Handel's "Messiah"
Concerning Handel's "Messiah" with what sentiments
may it be supposed the Son of God beholds the scenes
of His suffering life, atoning death, and final appearance
in judgment—blended with all the hilarity of a musical
festival, and sung by graceless men and women—for
the entertainment of the multitude!
Let those whose spiritual vision is not quite obscured by their
musical taste, compare the scenes of an oratorio when "the
Messiah" is being performed—and those of the house of God
when the Lord's supper is celebrated—and remembering that
the subject is the same in both, let them ask if both can be
right? Is the cross on which the Savior loved and died rightly
appropriated—when it is used for the purposes of amusement,
gaiety and fashionable vanity?
The subject of the "Messiah," as revealed in the Holy
Scriptures, is given for the purpose of bringing men to
repentance, faith and salvation; to be the great means,
through faith, of overcoming the world with all its lusts
of the flesh, lusts of the eye, and the pride of life; to
give a death blow to the love of the world in the heart
of man; and to subjugate the senses and the imagination
to unseen and eternal things.
While in Handel's "Messiah", the cross of Christ,
instead of crucifying us to the world, and the world
to us, is employed as an amusement to add new
attractions to earth, and to yield new gratifications
to sense, and thus to make man more effectually
the captive of that world—of which he should seek
by faith to be the conqueror.
For what purpose is this 'sacred music' performed?
It is for amusement! Purely for amusement! Is it, then,
done, for the glory of God—to convert the most solemn
and sacred topics of divine truth into a source of public
entertainment? No! It is done to draw people together
to hear the sufferings of the Messiah set forth for much
the same purpose as they are called to be entertained
by a dramatic representation of the sorrows of Hamlet
or Romeo!
He will carry them in His bosom
"He will tend his flock like a shepherd; He will gather the
lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young." Isaiah 40:11
He will carry them in His bosom—where He could not
only hear, but feel every bleat they uttered; and have all
the tenderness of His own heart excited by the anxious
and fluttering pulsations of theirs!
See Him in the midst of his disciples . . .
how feeble were their perceptions,
how weak their faith,
how worldly their expectations,
how slow their growth!
Yet how kindly did He bear with their dullness,
and how gently did He chide their imperfections.
Wealth
The responsibility attached to wealth seems to be poorly
understood.
It should ever be borne in mind that the exercise of mercy
and charity is represented by our Lord in his description of
the judgment day, as one of the principal topics of scrutiny
in that season of final retribution. What a spectacle of horror
and amazement will the rich man then present, who lavished
in selfish extravagance that princely fortune which was
entrusted to him for the benefit of society. Let such men
read the parable of Dives and Lazarus—its salutary and
impressive warnings were delivered expressly for them!
Wealth, considered as a means of sensual gratification,
ranks but one step above the acorns of the swine; while
as a means of relieving misery, wealth opens sources of
felicity, as lofty and sublime as the joy of angels!
Exhibit in their conduct
Those who profess to believe in the truth of Christianity,
should be careful to exhibit in their conduct . . .
the purity,
the benevolence,
the meekness, and
humility of the gospel.
Let every Christian embody in his own character and
conduct, the evidence of Christianity, and prove that it
is from heaven, by showing that it makes him heavenly.
The ungodly should consider their dreadful situation,
hastening . . .
from sinning to dying,
from death to judgment,
from judgment to the bottomless pit, and
then from age to age of torment without end or
mitigation! They are kindling for themselves a fire
which shall burn to the lowest hell.
An unholy minister
An unholy minister is the most dreadfully guilty, and
the most fatally mischievous person in existence! He is
a living curse, a walking pestilence, diffusing a savor of
death around him wherever he goes; from whom, as to
any voluntary association, every godly person should flee
with greater horror than from a person infected with the
plague. His name is Apollyon—his work destruction.
It is dreadful to reflect what multitudes are now in
the bottomless pit, who were conducted there by the
damnable heresies of such men's lives; from whose
imprecations, envenomed by despair, the guilty authors
of their ruin will find neither escape nor shelter through
everlasting ages, but feel the guilt of blood forever upon
their wretched souls!
A mere pedestal for the preacher's fame!
"We preach Christ crucified!" 1 Corinthians 1:23
From the cross, as the tree of life, hang in maturity
and abundance—all those fruits of grace which are
necessary to the salvation of the soul.
Are we guilty—here is pardon.
Are we rebels against God—here is reconciliation.
Are we condemned—here is justification.
Are we unholy—here is sanctification.
Are we agitated with conscious guilt—
here is peace for a wounded spirit.
My brethren in the ministry—the pulpit is intended to
be a pedestal for the cross. But alas! even the
cross itself, it is to be feared, is sometimes used as
a mere pedestal for the preacher's fame! We
may roll the thunders of eloquence, we may dart the
coruscations of genius, we may scatter the flowers
of poetry, we may diffuse the light of science, we
may enforce the precepts of morality from the pulpit
—but if we do not make Christ crucified the great
subject our preaching, we have forgotten our
purpose, and shall do no good.
Satan trembles at nothing but the cross. And if we
would destroy his power, and extend that holy and
benevolent kingdom of Jesus, it must be by means
of the cross.
"For I determined to know nothing among you except
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in
weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech
and my proclamation were not with persuasive words
of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and
power." (1 Corinthians 2:2-4)
Fresh communications
The Holy Spirit is not only the efficient cause
and author of our spiritual life; but He is also
the sustainer of it.
We need fresh communications of His grace
every step of our course, to keep before us . . .
the glory of God as our center, rest, and end;
the loveliness, beauty, and preciousness of Christ;
the evil of sin;
the transcendent excellence of holiness;
the sublimity and importance of heaven, and eternal life.
The true believer . . .
seeks God as his supreme end,
enjoys God as his chief good,
obeys God as his Sovereign Ruler.
It is an act of amazing love that God should
not only give us his Son—but his Spirit also!
That God should make a temple for the Holy
Spirit in our hearts, is a display of infinitely
greater condescension, than for the greatest
monarch upon earth to take up his dwelling
in a mud hut.
One thing is certain—you are a sinner,
a poor, miserable, and perishing sinner!
The door of mercy is open, and you are
welcome to enter in! You can go to God
in no other way, but as a sinner. God meets
His repenting enemies, only at the cross!
"I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32
No declension in piety
We are not to conclude that our piety is declining,
merely because our feelings are not so lively and
flashy as they once were. If there is a growth . . .
in humility and meekness,
in tenderness of conscience and self-denial,
in a sense of the value of Christ,
in dependence upon the Spirit,
there is no declension in piety, although there
may be less of vivid emotion than there once was.
Just as there is no decay of strength in the human
body, where the sprightliness and efflorescence of
youth are gone, if the grave robustness of manhood
remains. Nor should the aged believer mistake the
'decay of nature' for the 'decline of grace'. He hears,
he prays, he reads, he remembers, and enjoys with
less ability than he once did; but this is the effect
of old age, and not of backsliding.
Declension in piety
There are three stages of departure from God—
1. spiritual declension
2. actual backsliding
3. final apostasy
They are intimately connected, and lead on, unless stopped
by divine grace, from one to the other. There have been
many people in these states in every age of the church—
there are some now. Professors are continually falling away
from Christ, some only in heart, others openly in conduct;
some partially and for a season, others totally and forever.
The hopes of pastors and churches are continually receiving
the bitterest disappointment from the relapses of those who
"did run well." Like the blossoms in the spring, for a time they
excited the most pleasing anticipations—but a blight came on
—the blossom went up as dust, and the root appeared to be
rottenness.
Declension in piety, means a diminution of its vigor at the heart;
a loss of the power of godliness, or, to use a scriptural phrase,
"a leaving of our first love." There is no immorality; no open sin;
but an utter decay of pious affection. The whole amount of piety
that is left—is cold, heartless, dead formality. The fundamental
doctrines and precious truths of the Gospel, though not
renounced, are not relished and fed upon with that eager
appetite, keen relish, and exquisite zest which they once were.
The means of grace, though not neglected—are mere forms,
imparting no quickening power, and yielding no spiritual
enjoyment. Pious affections of peace, joy, love, delight in
God, and hope of heaven—are almost extinguished. The
vigor of watchfulness, spirituality of mind, and the severity
of mortification of sin are relaxed—under the idea that so
much strictness in religion is not necessary. The tenderness
of the conscience is blunted—and little sins of temper, of the
heart and the tongue, are committed with far less repugnance
than formerly. Besetting sins, once nearly subdued—acquire
fresh life and power. In short, piety has lost its hold upon the
mind, the heart, and conscience, as an elevating, sanctifying,
and satisfying reality. Delight in God, the love of Christ, the
joyful hope of heaven, have well near ceased!
Those in affliction
Those in affliction should restrain their grief, and not be
swallowed up of overmuch sorrow. An excessive degree
of distress, a refusal to be comforted, a disposition to
nourish grief—is a temper dishonorable to a Christian,
who, in the darkest and dreariest scenes of human life,
ought never to appear like those who are without God
and without hope.
PATIENCE must have its perfect work, that you
may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.
RESIGNATION must not only suppress the murmur,
but dictate words of confidence and peace. "Though
He slays me, yet will I trust in him," must be your
declaration, as well as your purpose.
FAITH—strong, steady faith—which cleaves closer
to Christ, in proportion as other things fail, must
be in exercise.
HOPE, as the anchor of your soul, must keep
your little bark safe amidst the storm.
MEEKNESS must put forth all its power and beauty in
preventing peevishness, and producing a sweetness
of temper in the midst of perplexing and ruffling
circumstances.
ASSURANCE that all things are working together for
good, should bear the soul above the low and cloudy
horizon of present trials, and enable it to spot eternal
sunshine beyond the storm; and rendered the brighter
by the gloom, from the midst of which it is contemplated.
While at the same time, a deep concern should be
manifested for a sanctified use of every affliction.
Concern should be manifested . . .
to glorify God in the fires,
to have every corruption mortified,
to have every grace strengthened;
to die to earth,
to live for heaven.
A showy and extravagant style of living!
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the
things that are above, where Christ is, seated at
the right hand of God. Set your minds on things
that are above, not on things that are on earth."
(Colossians 3:1-2)
Avoid, I beseech you, a showy and extravagant
style of living! Do not be ambitious of obtaining . . .
a large, luxurious house,
elegant furniture,
fine, expensive clothing,
and a country residence.
What are these things to a man whose heart should
be set on things that are above, not on things that
are on earth?
The worm of pride feeds upon the root of piety!
Pride will prevent that deep humiliation before God,
that self-abhorrence, that self-annihilation, that entire
dependence, and sense of ill-desert which are essential
to the spirit of true piety; and, at the same time, pride
will call into active operation many tempers most
inimical to godliness.
Prosperity
"Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world;
they increase in riches." Psalms 73:12
Worldly-mindedness is a very common fruit of prosperity.
O how difficult is it to maintain this pure, spiritual, unearthly,
heavenly taste—in the midst of prosperity! How difficult is it
to help loving the world—when it puts on all its charms,
smiles upon us, and caresses us!
Many prosperous Christians are miserably low in spiritual
piety, have little enjoyment of God, and little communion
with Christ.
Prosperity, by multiplying the sources of earthly gratification,
tends to take us off from those which are spiritual and divine.
Prosperity tends . . .
to carnalize our affections,
to vitiate our holy taste, and
to wither our devotion.
Nothing is more beautiful in our world than the manifest
association of humble piety and temporal prosperity; it is
the temper of heaven united with the possession of earth.
The man who makes this attainment, is great in the
kingdom of God. His prosperity is maintained without
injury to himself. Let the prosperous Christian aim at
this beautiful combination.
"Keep vanity and lies far away from me. Don't give me either
poverty or riches. Feed me only the food I need." Prov. 30:8
Inconsistent professors
"We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and
charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who
calls you into his own kingdom and glory." 1 Thes. 2:12
Multitudes have staked the truth of Christianity
on the conduct of its professors.
Inconsistent professors, therefore, are the abettors
of infidelity and irreligion. They are mere caricatures
of piety, which they represent with hideous and
distorted features, and commend to the ridicule
and disgust of onlookers.
Inconsistent professors are traitors in the camp, and
betray the cause which they profess to defend. They
are destroyers of other men's souls! No sins have so
much power to do mischief as theirs; and none have
been so destructive. Hell swarms with souls whom
inconsistent professors have hurried on to perdition!
The faith, and love, and holiness of believers, are one
of God's ordinances for the conversion of sinners, and
it is an ordinance that has been greatly blessed. The
beauties of holiness displayed in all their symmetry
and harmony, as they are embodied in the character
of eminent Christians, have been employed by the
Spirit of God to soften prejudice, and subdue enmity.
Many who turned with disgust from religion as it was
seen disfigured and deformed in some inconsistent
professors; have, by a more pure and lovely
manifestation of holiness, been charmed into
admiration, affection, and imitation.
Our influence!
The influence of one lively, ardent, active Christian,
is a blessing to the whole church of which he is a
member. His prayers at the meetings, and his
conversation in the companies of Christian friends,
tend not only to stop the spreading lukewarmness
of many others; but to kindle a similar spirit to his
own, in the hearts of those with whom he associates.
He keeps up the spiritual atmosphere of the church,
and makes it amiable, spiritual and heavenly.
While on the other hand, the influence of one worldly
minded, convivial professor, whose spiritual
affections,
if not wholly extinguished, are smouldering
under a
heap of earthly cares and tastes—depresses
and chills
the piety of all who come near him. He is . . .
a hindrance to pious conversation,
an interruption to the fellowship of the saints,
an extinguisher upon the devotion of the church.
However profitable the fellowship may have been
before he entered the room, he soon contrives, by
anecdotes, politics, or business, to turn the current
into some low and earthly channel.
It is of immense consequence that we should all
consider the effect which our influence has upon
others. Our influence is always acting upon others;
and their influence is always acting upon us! This
is a solemn consideration, which we should never
forget for a single hour. This applies universally.
We are all perpetually sending forth, and receiving
influence.
An incarnation of love
Jesus Christ was an incarnation of love in our
world. He was love living, breathing, speaking,
acting among men!
His birth was the nativity of love.
His sermons the words of love.
His miracles the wonders of love.
His tears the meltings of love.
His crucifixion the agonies of love.
His resurrection the triumph of love.
A stronger and a holier affection
Christian! Would you be crucified to the world, and
have the world crucified to you? Would you indeed,
and in truth, have the spirit of the world cast out of
you? Would you cease to be characterized as
'minding earthly things'?
Go daily by sacred meditation, to Mount Calvary,
and while all the mysteries of redeeming love, as
concentrated in the cross, there meet the eye of
faith—and as the visions of celestial glory, seen
most distinctly from that spot, attract and fix the
transported gaze of hope—you will see the beauty
of the earth fade away before you, amidst the
splendor of a more excellent glory, and feel the
love of the world die within you, under the power
of a stronger and a holier affection.
The neglect of domestic piety
There is probably scarcely any deficiency of the church
in the present day, more apparent than the neglect
of domestic piety.
Family prayer is not performed with that constancy,
solemnity, and fervor, which is calculated to interest
and to edify.
Parental authority is not maintained with that
steadiness which is adopted to inspire respect, and
that affection which is likely to secure obedience.
As to the judicious, diligent, and engaging Biblical
instruction, which is necessary to inform the mind, to
enlighten the conscience, and to form the character;
it is in some families almost entirely neglected.
Far more solicitude is felt, and far more pains are taken
by many, to educate their children for this world than for
the future eternal world; and to fit them to act their part
well for time, than to prepare them for the scenes of
eternity.
In many Christian homes, family piety is but the
form of godliness—without its power.
The religion of today has lost something of its
steadiness, its seriousness, and its dignity; and
has acquired too much of the flutter and the
vanity of a thing of fashion and excitement.
True religion ought to be sustained, in all its
exercises and habits, with an appropriate
seriousness, dignity, and conscientiousness.
A substitute for personal piety?
Zeal in Christian service cannot be a substitute for personal piety. The attendance at the committee cannot be an excuse for neglecting the closet. The financial support of a church can be no apology for neglecting to mortify a corruption. Yet there is a tendency in this day to forget this. There is an imminent danger of losing sight of religion as a personal, private, and individual concern. We are too much drawn away from our closets and our own hearts, as we lose the habit of silent meditation.
We are so accustomed to excitement, that there is a dullness in solitude. Private prayer is neglected for that which is social; the Bible is neglected for the sermon; and the closet is neglected for the committee-room. The great system of revealed truth is not sufficiently brought before us in its grandeur, glory, and demands—as a matter for our individual contemplation, reception, and application.
The evidence of genuine piety is to be found in . . .
real humility,
self-distrust,
hungering and thirsting after righteousness,
sorrow for sin, and
a continual effort to regulate your thoughts,
feelings, and conduct by the Word of God.
Genuine piety will not thrive and increase without
effort—but is of so tender and delicate a nature as
to require great, constant, and persevering concern,
watchfulness, and care.
He will not forget the lambs
(John Angell James, "The Christian Professor")
"He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather
the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom."
(Isaiah 40:11)
Are you alarmed at the difficulties and dangers of
the wilderness way? Consider that you enjoy the
notice, the love, intercession, and the support of
the Great and Good Shepherd, who gathers the
lambs in His arms, and carries them in His bosom.
He will not forget the lambs—their feeble bleat
attracts His notice, their helplessness draws His
attention, and for them he puts forth all His
pastoral kindness and skill.
Cunning artifices, deep devices, artful machinations
It is one of the cunning artifices, the deep devices, the artful
machinations of Satan—to lead men into self-deception, when
he can no longer hold them in careless indifference; to ruin
their souls in the church, when he cannot effect it in the world;
to lull them asleep by the privileges of church fellowship, when
he cannot continue their slumber amidst the pleasures of sin.
O how many is he leading captive this way? How many is he
conducting to perdition, whom he has first blindfolded with
the bandage of a false profession? How many are there in all
our churches, who are in this dreadful state!
Consider Jesus!
"Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a
heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle
and high priest of our confession." Heb 3:1.
Jesus was so dead to this world, that He renounced
wealth, rank, ease and fame.
Jesus was so holy that He could appeal to the most
malignant of his foes for the sinless purity of His conduct.
Jesus was so submissive to the divine will, that
He drank the deepest, fullest, bitterest cup of human
woe, without a murmur.
Jesus was so meek and lowly, as to bear the greatest
injuries and insults with unruffled serenity and placability.
Jesus was so full of benevolence, as to pray for His
foes, to die for them, and save them.
Yes, we say to the world, "Look at Jesus of Nazareth in
His holy and beneficent career, or in his ignominious and
agonizing death—see him whose whole character was a
compound of purity and love—there is our model."
We confess that the salvation of immortal souls is
the most momentous interest in the universe; and
that our time, influence, talents and property—are
at Christ's command.
We profess that we have received Christ as the end
of our very existence.
We profess that we have ceased to live for wealth,
ease, or reputation, as the supreme object of pursuit.
We profess that we receive Christ as our pattern and
example, and that we are determined, as God shall
assist us—to conform ourselves to Him in our spirit,
temper, and conduct.
Let your light shine!
"You are to live blameless and pure lives, as children of God
without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which
you shine like stars in the universe." Philippians 2:15
There is an ineffable beauty in the Christian character, as
delineated by our Lord Jesus Christ in His personal ministry,
and by His holy apostles.
A Christian ought to be a character of universal loveliness
and holiness. He not only seeks freedom from and abhorrence
of greater sins, but adds a sensitiveness to lesser sins, and a
studious effort after universal purity. Perfection should be
our wish and our aim. A Christian is not to allow himself to
practice any degree of any sin; and is to seek every possible
degree of every holy virtue.
"You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before
men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your
Father in heaven."
Oh, that dreadful future!
There are three questions which every considerate man will
propose to himself in reference to his present state of being.
What am I?
Where did I come?
What is my purpose here on earth?
And there are three more which he cannot help
sometimes asking concerning the future.
Where am I going?
What will I be there?
How shall I prepare for eternity?
There, before us, at no great distance, is the grave—into the
solemn and mysterious obscurity of which, neither sense nor
reason can dart one illuminating ray; nor can they extort
from its sullen silence one whisper of information.
Oh, that dreadful future!
Into what will that one first step from the 'stage of earthly
existence' plunge us? To unaided human reason, the future
is an unbounded, mystifying, starless, midnight darkness
—without one luminous point through infinite space!
What shall we be in eternity? Who shall reply? Think
how profoundly this question, this mystery, concerns us
—and in comparison with this—what are to us all questions
of all sciences? What to us, are all the scientific researches
into the material nature? What to us, are all the investigations
into the history of past ages? What to us, are all the future
career of events in the progress of states and empires? What
to us, what shall become of this globe itself, or of all the
systems of the universe? What, where, shall WE be ourselves,
is the matter of surpassing, infinite interest. This an issue of
such great magnitude and solemnity, that it transcends and
overwhelms our utmost faculty of thought!
Man is a creature capable of happiness or misery, and tastes
much of each on earth—and is anxious to know which will be
his lot beyond the grave! He is conscious of sin, and feels
solicitous to be informed whether the consequences of his
sin will pursue him into an invisible state!
The world by its wisdom, knew not God, nor immortality,
nor heaven. Unaided human reason, we repeat, never did,
never can, assure us that there is a future state at all. If
it
could ascertain this, it could not tell us whether it is a
limited or an endless duration. If If it could ascertain this,
and it were certain that there is to be everlasting existence,
it would be at a loss to tell us whether it were a state of
unmixed bliss, or misery, or a mixture of both. If it could
ascertain this, it would still be unable to inform us how
eternal felicity is to be obtained, and eternal misery
avoided. Unaided human reason fails at every step!
The whole world is longing for an immortality
to relieve them from the burden of . . .
their sufferings,
their cares, and
their labors.
"And now He has made all of this plain to us by the
coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the
power of death and showed us the way to everlasting
life through the Gospel!" 2 Timothy 1:10
What are all the volumes which philosophy ever wrote,
compared to these few golden sentences! By the cross of
Christ, the dark screen that blocked our view, and hid the
realms of glory from our sight, is rent asunder, and the vista
of heaven and eternal ages is laid open to the eye of faith!
Immortality, seen only as a dim object of hope, amid the
midnight darkness of Paganism, and only as a dim object
of faith amid the twilight of Judaism—is beheld amid the
noontide splendor of Christianity in its magnitude and
grandeur, as at once the object of a strong and steady
faith and a lively and a saving hope.
It is hard to conceive that I, born after the manner of the
brute creation; and like them sustained by the earth—a
poor, frail, feeble creature of yesterday, and crushed
before the moth—who, after a few fleeting years at most,
shall return to the earth from which I sprang, and seem to
be utterly blotted out from existence—shall continue to
exist in some mode, and in some scene of existence, for
millions of ages! How utterly surpassing all this to reason,
and almost incredible to faith, when it contrasts this
wondrous eternal existence—with the present little,
insignificant, momentary creature—who flutters out his
tiny being in this present, temporal, earthly, little world!
Everlasting felicity is something so vast, so wondrous, so
magnificent—that unaided human reason never could have
concluded that this gift, so rich, so splendid, so extraordinary,
could be bestowed on a sinful child of dust!
The great mass of professing Christians, do not really believe
in eternal felicity. Their conduct is utterly at variance with
such a belief. Is the impress of immortality upon their
character or their conduct? Are they not infinitely more
swayed by the present time—than a future eternity? Has not
earth infinitely greater attractions for them than heaven?
Is not all their labor bestowed upon the present—while the
endless future is neglected and forgotten? Immortality is
not really believed by the great mass of professing
Christians! It is a mere name, an opinion, a speculation;
anything but a deep practical conviction!
There is a tearless world
Many are the afflictions even of the righteous. Though they
are the children of God and the heirs of immortality, even
they are not exempted from the common lot of humanity,
as described by the patriarch of Uz, where he says, "Man
is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards!''
There is a tearless world—but it is reached by a valley
of tears! As those who are exposed to such a variety
and such a constant recurrence of trials, we need some
principle to sustain us under them. We must find some
source of consolation.
We are in danger in times of trouble, of resorting to many
things that are inimical to our peace and to our holiness.
Afflictions are not only hurtful in themselves, but are likely
also, if care be not taken, to produce evil. They not only
always lead to sorrow—but often to sin. A wounded spirit
has frequently been the occasion of a burdened conscience.
The wormwood and the gall of sorrow have fermented into
the poison of iniquity, by impatience under the hand of
God, and by revengeful feelings towards the human
instruments of our griefs. How apt are we to sink into . . .
heartless inactivity,
hopeless despondency,
sinful distrust and
overwhelming sorrow.
In the dark and gloomy night of tribulation, when the sun
of our prosperity has set; when the clouds of adversity
have so overspread the heavens that not a star twinkles;
and the tempest rages—how much do we need something
to cheer us, something to keep down those unbelieving
thoughts of God and His Providence which are then so
apt
to rise, and to relieve that intense wretchedness
which
then too often takes full possession of the soul.
One sinner!
"I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance." Luke 5:32
"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!"
Luke 15:2
It is a sight . . .
for heaven to wonder at,
for angels to rejoice over,
for devils to hate,
for man to imitate,
for and God to delight in;
to see a poor creature polluted with almost every
sin, broken-hearted yet not despairing; penitent
and turning with loathing from his sins, and yet
confidently relying upon the mercy of God in
Christ, for a full, free, and cordial forgiveness!
"There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels
of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:10
Pleased or profited?
"The word preached did not profit them." Hebrews 4:2
What countless millions of sermons seem to be preached
in vain, so far as regards any appreciable result! What a
small amount of profiting in the way of increased holiness!
To be truly profited from the hearing of sermons, is to have
Scriptural truth deeply enstamped upon the heart and visibly
upon character; the transformation of the whole heart and
soul into the image of God and the mind of Christ; the
cultivation of a godly temperament; and a fitness for glory.
This, and this only, is profiting from the preached Word.
Multitudes are pleased by sermons, who are not in the
smallest degree profited by them!
The fault is partly to be ascribed to the preachers. Either
their aim is often something else than the profiting their
hearers, or else they know not how to accomplish this.
One would suppose it impossible to hear a great deal of
today's evangelical preaching of this age, without asking
the question, "Who can be profited by this? What is there
in all this, to instruct, sanctify, and comfort believers? It
is all very fine—there is much to please the intellect, to
gratify the taste, to exercise the imagination; but what
spiritual edification is there in it?" It is my sad and serious
conviction, that the evangelical pulpit is losing its power,
just because it is losing sight of its object and its aim.
A philosophized Christianity is finding its way into our
pulpits; which, aided by a rationalistic taste, and set off
by an aspiring intellectuality, is seducing the church
from
the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus!
The goal of most preachers is to please their hearers;
not to profit their souls.
May Christian parents pray for the salvation of their children?
We must consider what these prayers for their conversion imply.
They must proceed from a heart that really desires and longs for
their conversion. It should be an intense yearning—a longing in
some measure proportioned to the object itself. Their children's
conversion must be the first object concerning them, to which
all others must be subordinated. Their children's conversion
must be sought by all the appropriate means of godly training
and example. Everything must be done that would conduce to
their conversion to God, and everything kept away that would
hinder it. There must not only be instruction—but in the fullest
sense of the term, godly education. The character must be
formed; and in order to this, the parent must present a model
of exemplary piety in himself. And with these conditions, the
father may go and pray for his children's conversion, and expect
their conversion. Prayers so presented and so followed up, will
very generally be answered.
It is, no doubt, a fact that very many do pray and see little result
of their prayers—their children do not become godly. Why? I would
by no means suggest that it is in all cases to be traced up to parental
neglect. I would not pour vinegar upon the wounds of many a lacerated
heart, bleeding under the misconduct of a prodigal son, by asserting
that parental sins have led to this. But at the same time, there can
be little doubt of the general principle—that godly training, carried on
from the dawn of reason, through childhood and youth—with wisdom,
uniformity, consistency, and affection—enforced by an eminently holy
and consistent example—and sanctified by believing prayer—would be
followed, in most cases, with the blessed result of their conversion
to God.
God has no speechless children!
Nothing seems too hard or too difficult for prayer
to do. Prayer has a kind of omnipotence; for it
moves the hand which moves all things!
Faith and prayer are the two arms by which
the soul hangs upon the neck of infinite Love,
and grasps the hand of omnipotent Power!
Prayer is the homage of a dependent creature
paid to the author of its being, and the source
of its happiness.
Prayer has a moral reflex influence on the soul
of him who presents it, making him the holier
by his own devotions.
Prayer is a relief and comfort to the troubled soul.
Prayer is the communion of the regenerated
soul with its Divine Parent.
Prayer is God's own instituted means of obtaining
blessings from Him, the Fountain of life.
Prayer must be sincere—we must really be
desirous to obtain the blessings we ask.
Prayer must be holy—for if we "regard iniquity
in our heart, the Lord will not hear us."
Prayer must be pious—seeking to obtain blessings,
not for our own gratification merely—but for God's glory.
Prayer must be importunate—for it is the effectual,
fervent prayer of a righteous man, that prevails.
Prayer must be submissive—asking only for what
it is God's will to bestow.
Prayer must be in love—for if our brother has anything
against us, we must first go and be reconciled to our brother.
Prayer must be reverent—for our God is a consuming fire.
Prayer must be humble—for we are base, and sinful,
and unworthy to lift up our eyes to heaven.
Prayer must be persevering—for men ought
always to pray, and not to faint.
Prayer must be particular—for generalities
mean little or nothing.
Prayer must be universal—entering into everything,
all the concerns of life, all the means of grace.
Prayer must be of all kinds—social, domestic,
private, spontaneous.
Prayer must be grateful—abounding in thanksgiving.
Prayer must be expectant—waiting and
watching for answers.
Prayer must be believing—we must ask in faith.
Prayer must be consistent with the Word of God
—we may ask for everything God has promised.
Singularly, solemnly, and perilously critical
"Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the
victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."
1 John 5:4
The situation and circumstances of the Christian during
his state of discipline and probation upon earth, are
singularly, solemnly, and perilously critical. His
attention
is divided between two worlds. He is placed
amid the
scenes, the duties, the possessions, the trials
of one
world, all of which are ever appealing to the
senses,
and urging their claims upon the faculties
and instincts
of his nature; claims which he cannot,
dare not,
altogether resist or neglect.
And yet amid these earthly objects always present to
him, he is supremely to value, pursue, and enjoy the
objects of another, eternal world, of which he knows
nothing but by report.
He must not omit the just and proper interests of this
present life, to which he is related by his both various
and tender ties; and yet he must regard, practically and
constantly, as his highest interest, the life that is to
come. He must, to a certain extent, attend to the things
on earth, and yet his affections must be set on things in
heaven. The visible must not be neglected, yet the
invisible must be supremely regarded. The temporal
must be attended to in due season and measure, and
yet the eternal must predominate.
Mortification and vivification
Mortification of sin is but half the work a Christian
has to do; for there is also vivification of graces,
which is the other half.
No man ploughs his field, or tills his garden, merely
to kill weeds—but to sow corn and to plant flowers.
A room may be clean—and yet empty.
It is not enough for our hearts to be swept of sin
—unless they be also furnished with graces.
A man may not in disposition be a tiger or a demon
—and yet he may not be a saint or an angel.
Now our religion requires not only putting away our
pride, our malice, our covetousness, and our injustice
—but also cultivating humility, liberality, and love.
True religion is of an aspiring nature, requiring us
to proceed from grace to grace . .
to faith adding virtue,
to virtue adding patience,
to patience adding temperance,
to temperance adding godliness,
to godliness adding brotherly-kindness,
and to brotherly-kindness adding love.
Thus ascending by degrees, until at length the top
of the lofty staircase reaches to heaven, and lands
the soul so qualified in the mansions of glory!
Nothing but faith can enable the soul to accomplish this;
and this it does, by obtaining through Christ that aid of
the Holy Spirit, by whom alone our good works can be
accomplished.
Earth would reflect the face of heaven!
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful
or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way.
Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it
has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but
rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives
up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures
through every circumstance." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
These few verses are worth incalculably more than all the
volumes the pen of moral philosophy ever wrote! What a
happy world, how nearly resembling heaven, we would live
in—if this were the rule of conduct everywhere, always, in
all things, and for all men. Earth would reflect the face of
heaven, even as in the mirror of a peaceful lake, the quiet,
noiseless, blue sky is to be seen.
We must love all for whom Christ died
"God is love, and all who live in love, live in God,
and God lives in them." 1 John 4:16
Realizing the love which Christ has towards His children,
viewing them as the purchase of His blood and the
objects of His tenderest affection—our hearts will by
a kind of necessity, be knit to them. Every fresh view
of the cross will endear them to our hearts.
How frequently, how variously, and how earnestly
are we enjoined both by our Lord, and by that
disciple whom Jesus loved, and who by leaning
on His bosom seemed to have caught most of His
spirit—to love our brethren.
Love to the brethren is the law of Christ's kingdom,
"This is my commandment, that you love one another."
Love to the brethren is the badge of discipleship,
"Hereby shall all men know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another."
Love to the brethren is the evidence of conversion,
"We know that we have passed from death unto life,
because we love the brethren."
Love to the brethren is the grand inference from the
cross, "Beloved, if God so loved us—we ought also to
love one another."
Love to the brethren is . . .
the natural yearning of the renewed heart;
the instinctive promptings of the new nature;
the reaching forth of the arm too feeble and too
short to clasp the neck of the Divine Father, to
entwine around His image in His children!
Why is it that the children of God do not love one
another more, and allow such comparatively trifling
matters to alienate them from each other? How is it
that sectarianism gains such an ascendancy over the
members of the redeemed family, and introduces so
much coldness, distance, and even hostility?
We must love all for whom Christ died.
Did we more powerfully realize the fact that . . .
Jesus has died for us all,
Jesus loves us all,
Jesus claims us all,
Jesus delights in us all;
would not the effect of this persuasion be to
check the progress of alienation and draw us
closer to each other?
When the full power of the cross is felt in the hearts
of believers—when all the constraining influence of the
love of Christ is experienced—then will we be rooted
and grounded in love.
"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue;
but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18
Faith overcomes the love of worldly things
"Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the
victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."
1 John 5:4
Faith overcomes the love of worldly things. That eager
ambition after wealth and affluence, for the sake of the
luxuries and splendors which it enables its possessor to
command—is transmuted by faith, into a desire to give.
Instead of an anxiety to obtain . . .
noble mansions,
elegant furniture,
handsome equipages,
expensive entertainments, and
all the other luxuries of taste and fashion;
the followers of Jesus should be distinguished
by an obvious simplicity of habit and living.
Many professors spend too much upon selfish luxuries.
Followers of Jesus should shrink their luxuries, that
they may enlarge their charities. Frugality of living,
should provide resources for liberality to those in need.
Nominalists, evangelical formalists,
and legalistic pharisees!
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my
Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your
name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then
I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me,
you evildoers!'" Matthew 7:21-23
These are words solemn enough to fill the whole church
with anxiety and alarm. How prevalent, according to this
passage, is self-deception! MANY will say. How far it may
be carried—even to the judgment tribunal! How unlikely
are the subjects of it—professors, preachers, workers of
miracles!
I tremble as I write! I tremble for multitudes all around!
Never, no never, were professors more in danger of self
deception than in this age. If the standard of true religion
is the New Testament, then a great proportion of the
members of all our churches cannot be true Christians
—but are merely nominalists, evangelical formalists,
and legalistic pharisees!
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