HOR^E HOMILETIC^E:
ou
DISCOURSES
(PRINCIPALLY IN THE FORM OF SKELETONS)
NOW FIRST DIGESTED INTO ONE CONTINUED SERIES,
AND FORMING A COMMENTARY
UPON EVERY BOOK OF
THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT;
TO WHICH IS ANNEXED,
AN IMPROVED EDITION OF A TRANSLATION OP
CLAUDE'S ESSAY ON THE COMPOSITION OF A SERMON,
IN TWENTY-ONE VOLUMES.
BY THE REV. CHARLES SIMEON, M.A.
SENIOR FELLOW OF KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.
VOL. XVI.
1 & 2 CORINTHIANS.
LONDON:
HOLDS WORTH AND BALL,
AMEN CORNER, PATERNOSTER ROW.
MDCCC XXXIII.
CONTENTS TO VOL. XVI.
Discourse.
Text.
Subject.
Page.
1 CORINTHIANS
1929.
i. 4—9.
The Blessings imparted by the Gospel
1
1930.
i. 23, 24.
The true Light in which the Gospel
is to be regarded
7
1931.
i. 26—29.
The Objects of God's Call
10
1932.
i. 30,
Christ is All in All •
17
1933.
ii. 2.
Christ crucified, or evangelical Re
ligion described
32
1934.
ii. 3.
The Feelings of a faithful Minister .
48
1935.
ii. 4, 5.
Apostolic Preaching
53
1936.
ii. 6.
Wisdom of the Gospel
57
1937.
ii. 7.
Mysteriousness of the Gospel .
64
1938.
ii. 8.
Ignorance of the Gospel, fatal
69
1939.
ii. 9, 10.
The Gospel a stupendous Mystery .
76
1940.
ii. 10.
The deep Things of God ....
82
1941.
ii. 12, 13.
Influences of the Spirit
88
1942.
ii. 14.
The natural Man's Ignorance of divine
Things
93
1943.
ii. 15, 16.
Advantages of the spiritual Man .
99
1944.
iii. 5—7.
Undue Partiality to Ministers reproved
104
1945.
iii. 11.
Christ the only Foundation ....
109
1946.
iii. 12—15.
Instructions to those who build upon
the true Foundation
113
1947.
iii. 16, 17.
The Danger of defiling God 's Temple
116
1948.
iii. 18.
The Means of attaining true Wisdom
120
1949.
iii. 21—23.
The Christian's Privileges ....
133
1950.
iii. 23.
Believers are Christ's Property .
139
1951.
iv. 1,2.
Ministers, the Lord's Stewards .
142
1952.
iv. 3—5.
Paul's Indifference to Men's Judgment
145
1953.
iv. 7.
God to be acknowledged in every thing
148
1954.
iv. 12, 13.
151
1955.
iv. 21.
An important Alternative ....
155
CONTENTS.
Discount
Test.
Subject
Page.
1956.
1957.
1 CORINTHIANS
V. 6.
v. 7, 8.
Sin a malignant Leaven, ....
Christ OUT Passover
158
163
1958.
1959.
1960.
1961.
vi. 9—11.
vi. 19, 20.
vii. 16.
vii. 24.
God's Mercy to the vilest Sinners
The Duty of devoting Ourselves to God
The Importance of Family Religion .
166
170
173
177
1962.
vii. 29—31.
Moderation in the Use of earthly
183
1963.
vii. 32.
o
Aciainvt Carefulness
187
1964.
1965.
viii. 2.
ix. 16.
Proper Accompaniments of Knowledge
190
198
1966.
ix. 19—23.
The Nature and Extent of Christian
Liberty
201
1967.
1968.
ix. 24.
ix. 26, 27.
Directions for running our Race .
The Manner in which St. Paid sought
for Heaven
207
211
1969.
1970.
1971.
x. 3, 4.
x. 11.
x. 12.
The Manna and Rock Types of Christ
The Judgments on the Israelites typical
Aoainst Self-confidence
215
220
224
1972.
1973.
1974.
1975.
x. 13.
x. 15.
x. 15.
x. 15.
The Security of God's tempted People
Appeal to Men of Wisdom and Candour
On the Corruption of Human Nature
On the New Birth
226
229
239
250
1976.
1977.
1978.
x. 15.
x. 32,33. &xi. 1.
xi. 24, 26.
On Justification by Faith ....
True Wisdom and Charity ....
The Design and Importance of the
Lord 's Supper
266
283
290
1979.
xi. 27, 29.
On eating and drinking our own
Damnation
292
1980.
xi. 28.
On the Preparation requisite before
295
1981.
xii. 3.
No Knowledge of Christ but by the
297
1982.
1983.
xii. 11.
xii. 13.
The Operations of the Holy Spirit .
301
306
1984.
1985.
1986.
1987.
xii. 31.
xiii. 1 — 3.
xiii. 4 — 7.
Niii. 9—12.
Gifts and Graces compared
The Importance of Christian Charity
A Description of Charity ....
The Saints' J'ieit's in Heaven .
311
322
328
336
CONTENTS.
Discourse.
Text.
Subject.
Page.
1 CORINTHIANS
1988.
xiii. 13.
Faith, Hope, and Charity, compared
340
1989.
xv. 1, 2.
Christ a dying and a risen Saviour .
345
1QQO
xv. 10.
All of Grace .
351
1 *7£7\/ •
1991.
xv. 17, 18.
j
The Necessity of Christ's Resurrection
356
1992.
xv. 22.
Adam a Type of Christ ....
367
iqOQ
xv. 31.
Dying daily
370
1994.
xv. 34.
Shamefulness of being Ignorant of God
375
1995.
xv. 51 — 58.
Death a conquered Enemy ....
378
1996.
xvi. 13 14.
384
1997.
xvi. 22.
Guilt and Danger of not loving Christ
388
2 CORINTHIANS
1998.
i. 3, 4.
The Trials and Consolations of Mi
nisters useful to their People
393
1999.
i. 12.
The Testimony of a good Conscience .
399
2000.
i. 13.
The Churchman's Confession, or an
Appeal to the Liturgy ....
406
2001.
i. 20.
The Stability of the Promises .
421
2002.
i. 21, 22.
Different Operations of the Holy Spirit
425
2003.
ii. 11.
The Devices of Satan exposed
428
2004.
ii. 15, 16.
The Importance of the Ministry . .
435
2005.
iii. 2, 3.
Christians are Epistles of Christ .
439
2006.
iii. 5.
The Extent of Man's Impotency .
445
2007.
iii. 6.
The Letter that killeth, and the Spirit
450
2008.
iii. 6.
The Law and the Gospel compared .
455
2009.
iii. 7—11.
The Glory of the Gospel above that of
461
2010.
iii. 15, 16.
The future Conversion of the Jews .
468
2011.
iii. 17.
Christ the Soul of the entire Scriptures
477
2012.
iii. 18.
Excellency and Efficacy of the Gospel
481
2013.
iv. 4 — 6.
The Contest between God and Satan
484
2014.
iv. 7.
Ministers, Bearers of a rich Treasure
488
2015.
iv. 11.
The Trials of Christians the Means
of magnifying their Lord . .
492
2016.
iv. 17, 18.
The Christian' sExpcrience inAffliction
498
2017.
v. 1—5.
The Christian's assured Prospect of
502
2018.
v. 7.
The Christian tvalking by Faith .
508
VJ11
CONTENTS.
I 2 CORINTHIANS |
2019. v. 10, 11. ! The Improvement to be made of the
Doctrine of a future Judgment .
2020. v. 14, 15. ! The Constraining Power of Christ'
Love
2021. v. 17. The Christian a new Creature
2022. v. 19, 20. The Ministry of Reconciliation .
2023. v. 21. The Way of Reconciliation with God
2024. vi. 1, 2. The Grace of God not to be received
in vain
2025. vi. 4 — 10. The Character of a Christian Minister
2026. vi. 10. Paradoxical Experience ....
2027. vi. 1 1 — 13. Effects of the Gospel in enlarging the
Heart
2028. vi. 14 — 18. Separation from the World enjoined .
2029. vii. 1. Sanctification wrought by the Promises
2030. vii. 3. | The Grounds of a Minister's Regard
for his People
2031. vii. 10, 11. Repentance exemplified in the Co
rinthian Church
2032. viii. 1 — 5. Liberality to the Poor
2033. viii. 7, 8. [Liberality to the Poor recommended .
2034. viii. 9. , The Grace of Christ
2035. viii. 13 — 15. Liberality encouraged
2036. ix. 12— 15. The Benefit arising from Attention to
the Poor
2037. x. 3— 5. Efficacy of the Gospel
2038. x. 15, 16. \The faithful Minister's Desires . .
2039. x. 18. The Folly of Pride and Boasting . .
2040. xi. 2, 3. Godly Jealousy the Duty of Ministers
2041. xi. 23—29. \St. Paul's Zeal illustrated and im
proved
2042. xi. 29. | Christian Sympathy
2043. xii. 7 — 9. The Success of fervent Prayer .
2044. xii. 10. A Sense of Weakness conducive to
| Strength .......
2045. xii. 14. \TheDutyofMinisters
2046. xiii. 4. The Power of the risen Saviour .
2047., xiii. 5. Self-examination recommended
2048.J xiii. 14. The Apostolical Benediction
1 CORINTHIANS.
MDCCCCXXIX.
THE BLESSINGS IMPARTED BY THE GOSPEL.
1 Cor. i. 4 — 9. / thank my God always on your behalf, for the
grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ ; that in
every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in
all knowledge ; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed
in you: so that ye come behind in no gift ; waiting for the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ : who shall also confirm you
unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our
Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called
unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
WE cannot but admire the address which is ma
nifest in all the Epistles of St. Paul. He of
course has frequent occasion to mention truths which
are far from palatable to those to whom they are
spoken : but he always introduces them in so kind a
manner, and accompanies them with such expressions
of the most unfeigned love, that it is almost impossible
for any to be offended with him. He never shrinks
from a faithful discharge of his duty : but he exerts
himself always, to the utmost of his power, to heal the
wounds which his fidelity inflicts. The Corinthian
Church was in a far worse state than any other that
he had occasion to address : indeed the manners of
the Corinthians, previous to their conversion, were
dissolute even to a proverb ; and therefore it is the
less to be wondered at, that, after their conversion,
inany of them should still need admonition on points
which they had hitherto been accustomed to regard
VOL. XVI. R
I 3
1 CORINTHIANS, I. 4—9. [1929.
as venial at least, if not altogether indifferent. On
every thing necessary for their welfare, the Apostle
here' communicates his sentiments freely : but in the
commencement of his epistle he makes no difference
between the Corinthians and the purest of all the
Churches. He knew that if many among them were
corrupt, the great majority of them were sincere ;
and therefore he comprehends them all in the first
expressions of his regard, that he may afterwards
have the more influence over those, whose errors he
designed to rectify. And this by the way shews us,
that, when we see in our Liturgy the same charitable
expressions relative to the state of persons in our
own Church, we ought not scrupulously to strain
every word to the uttermost, but should allow the
same latitude of expression in the one case as we do
in the other. But not to dwell on this, we notice in
this introductory acknowledgment of the Apostle,
I. The blessings which the Gospel imparts—
The Gospel is no other than " a testimony" of
Jesus. This was " the spirit of prophecy" under
the Old Testament3; and it is the spirit of all the
writings in the New Testament. What the testimony
was, is declared with great precision by St. John :
" This is the record, that God hath given to us eter
nal life ; and this life is in his Son ; he that hath the
Son, hath life ; and he that hath not the Son of God,
hath not lifeV
The believer has this testimony " confirmed in
him." There are two ways in which this testimony
is confirmed : the one is externally, by signs and
miracles ; the other is internally, by the operation of
the Spirit of God upon the soul. The Corinthians
had had it confirmed to them in both ways : for no
Church exceeded them in miraculous gifts0 ; and in
the change wrought upon their own souls, they had
an evidence of the truth and power of the Gospel :
they had an evidence of it in " the grace which had
been given them by Jesus Christ."
8 Rev. xix. 11. » 1 John v. 11, 12. » 1 Cor. xii. 10.
1929.1 BLESSINGS IMPARTED BY THE GOSPEL. ,'3
Two things in particular they had received, which
served to mark the saving efficacy of the Gospel ;
namely,
1. An enlightened mind —
[They had been " enriched by Christ with all utterance
and all knowledge." Distinct from miraculous gifts, there is
in believers a knowledge of an experimental kind, and an
ability also to declare that knowledge with ease and preci
sion. It is a knowledge derived from the heart, rather than
from the understanding ; even such as Solomon refers to, when
he says, " The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and
addeth learning to his lipsd." St. John speaks of this when
he says, " He that believeth in the Son of God hath the wit
ness in himself6." There is a perfect correspondence between
the divine record concerning Christ, and the feelings of the
believer's soul : he feels that he needs such a salvation as
Christ offers, and that there is in Christ a sufficiency for all
his wants : and in speaking of these things every believer
throughout the universe is agreed. As in all human beings,
notwithstanding some minute differences, there are the same
general features belonging to the body ; so in the minds of all
believers there is, notwithstanding a diversity in smaller
matters, a correspondence in their general views and senti
ments ; they all confess themselves to be sinners saved by
grace through the Redeemer's blood. Others, who are not
true believers, may have the same creed ; but they have not
these truths written in their hearts ; nor can they speak of
them from their own experience : this is the portion of the
true believer only ; and it is a portion, in comparison of which
all the knowledge in the universe and all the wealth of the
Indies are but dross and dungf.]
2. A waiting spirit—
[The Corinthians " came behind in no gift, waiting for
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." The saints under the
Mosaic dispensation waited for the first advent of our Lord :
those under the Christian dispensation wait for his second
advent, when he will come again from heaven in power and
great glory, to gather together his elect, and to put them into
full possession of their destined inheritance. The first Chris
tians thought this period very near at hand: we who live almost
1800 years after them, believe that it is yet distant; because
there are many prophecies not yet fulfilled, which must receive
an accomplishment before the arrival of that time. But,
as far as respects us individually, the time is near to every
(l Prov. xvi. 23. e I John v. 10. f Phil. iii. 8.
p °
I) /v
4 1 CORINTHIANS, I. 4—9. [1929.
one of us, even at the door ; for, on the instant of our depar
ture from the body, we are borne into the presence of our
Judge, and have our portion for ever fixed. Hence the
believer waits for his dissolution, as the promised commence
ment of everlasting joys. Others may wait, and even long,
for death, as a termination of their sorrows ; but it is the
believer alone who " looks for and hastes unto the coming of
the day of Christ," as the completion and consummation of
all his joys. Others may affect heaven as " a rest " from
trouble,- but the believer alone pants for it as a rest in God.
In the view of that day, " he is sober, and hopes to the end
for the grace that shall be brought unto him at the revelation
of Jesus Christg."]
But from our text we are led to notice farther,
II. The blessings which the Gospel secures—
God in calling us to the knowledge of his Son, calls
us also to a fellowship with his Son, in all the blessings
both of grace and glory : and where he gives the
former of these blessings, there he engages to impart
the latter also. On this ground, the promise of a
faithful God, the Apostle assured the Corinthians of,
1. Their continued preservation—
[" He shall confirm you unto the end," says he. If
believers were left to themselves, they would have no prospect
of ever enduring to the end. So many and so great are the
difficulties which they have to contend with, that they could
have no hope at all. But God undertakes for them, to " keep
them by his own power ihrough faith unto salvation." He
engages both for himself and for them: for himself, that " he
will not depart from them to do them good :" and for them,
that " he will put his fear into their hearts, so that they shall
not depart from himV If they offend him by any violation
or neglect of duty, " he will visit their transgressions with
the rod, and their iniquity with stripes : but his loving-kindness
will he not utterly take from them, nor suffer his faithfulness
to fail : for once he has sworn by his holiness, that he will not
lie unto David'." So fully assured of this truth was Paul in
relation to the Philippian Church, that he declared himself
" confident of this very thing, that He who had begun a good
work in them would perform it until the day of Jesus Christ k:"
and the same confidence we may feel in relation to every true
believer, that " none shall ever separate him from the love of
* 1 Pet. i. 13. h Jer. xxxii. 10.
1 Ps. Kxxix. 30—35. k Phil. i. (j.
1929.] BLESSINGS IMPARTED BY THE GOSPEL. 5
Christ1." God pledges his own word, that " he will not suffer
them to be tempted above that they are ablem," but that "he
will perfect that which concerneth them." When therefore
we " pray to God that our whole spirit, soul, and body may
be preserved blameless unto his heavenly kingdom," we are
authorized to add, " Faithful is he who hath called us ; who
also will do it"."]
2. Their ultimate acceptance—
[" He will preserve us, that we may be blameless in the
day of our Lord Jesus Christ." " Blameless" in some respect
his people already are, inasmuch as the Lord Jesus Christ has
washed them in his blood, and pronounced them "clean0."
But in the last day we shall be blameless in ourselves, as well
as in him ; being not only justified, as we now are, by his
blood, but sanctified also by his Spirit, and transformed into
the perfect image of our God. Then " will Christ present us
to himself, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing ; yea,
holy, and without blemish p:" and in the meantime he will,
by his almighty and all-sufficient grace, "strengthen, and esta
blish, and settle us even to the endq."
Thus does God assure to his people their continued preser
vation, and their ultimate acceptance with him: and he pledges
his own faithfulness for the performance of his word.
But let no man imagine that these truths supersede the
necessity of care and watchfulness on our part ; for God will
never fulfil his promise to us but through the instrumentality of
our exertions. Hence he requires every exertion on our part,
precisely as if he had left the final issue solely dependent on
our own efforts ; and suspends his promised mercies altogether
on the performance of our duties. To obtain his final accept
ance of us as blameless, we must hold fast our faith : " He
will present us holy and unblameable, and unreproveable in
his sight, if we continue in the faith grounded and settled,
and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel r." We
must also abound in love; we must " increase and abound in
love one towards another, to the end that he may establish our
hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our Father,
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints8."
We must also use all diligence in every duty ; for it is by dili
gence that we are to " make our calling and election sure" and
that we are to be "found of him at last in peace, without spot
and blameless*"
1 Rom. viii. 38, 39. "' 1 Cor. x. 13. n 1 Thess. v. 23, 21.
0 John xv. 3. P Eph. v. 27. i 1 Pet. v. 10.
r Col. i. 22, 23. s 1 Thess. iii. 12, 13.
1 2 Pet. i. 10. and iii. 14.
6 1 CORINTHIANS, I. 4—9. [1929.
Here we see that the very things which God lias promised
to us, are to be obtained through the medium of our own faith
and love and diligence. Without these, the end shall never
be obtained (for God has connected the end with the means) :
but through the continued exercise of these, the end is secured
beyond a possibility of failure. " God cannot deny himselfu:"
and his word, confirmed as it is by covenant and by oath, can
never failx. " Heaven and earth may pass away : but his word
shall never pass awayy."]
APPLICATION—
1 . Be thankful if you are partakers of this grace—
[St. Paul " thanked God always on the behalf" of the
Corinthians on this account: how much more therefore should
those be thankful, who have received the benefit ! To possess
this experimental knowledge of the Gospel salvation, and to
enjoy these blessed prospects of immortality and glory, is the
highest felicity of man. Having these " things which accom
pany salvation," we need not covet any other good, or regret
any attendant evil : we have the richest blessings that God
himself can bestow.]
2. Be careful to walk worthy of it—
[The mercies of God to us call for a suitable requital : and
the requital which he desires is, a total surrender of ourselves
to him2. The thing which God designs, in the communication
of his mercy to us, is, to " keep us blameless unto the coming
of the Lord Jesus." Let that then be our end in the improve
ment of them, even to be " blameless and harmless, the sons of
God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse
nation, shining among them as lights in a dark world*."]
3. Remember in whom all your strength is —
[Of yourselves you can do nothing. It is God, and God
alone, that can " confirm you unto the end." He who has been
" the Author, must also be the Finisher," of your salvation.
It is " He that must work all your works in you:" " all your
fresh springs must be in him." Know then, that " he is able
to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before
the presence of his glory with exceeding joyb:" and he will
do it, if you rely upon him ; for St. Paul expressly says,
' The Lord is faithful, who will stablish you, and keep you
from evil0." To him therefore, even " to the only wise God
our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, now
and for ever. AmenV']
" 2 Tim. ii. 13. x Heh. vi. 18. y Matt. xxiv. 3o.
2 Rom. xii. 1. » Phil. ii. 1.5. b Jude, ver. 21.
c 2 Thess. iii. ;$. <i Judo, ver. 25.
1930.] HOW THE GOSPEL IS TO BE REGARDED. 7
MDCCCCXXX.
THE TRUE LIGHT IN WHICH THE GOSPEL IS TO BE
REGARDED.
1 Cor. i. 23, 24-. We preach Christ crucified ; unto the Jetcs a
stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness ; but unto
them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power of God, and the wisdom of God.
THERE is a disposition in man to dictate to God,
rather than to receive from him what he is pleased to
give. Though this is not right, nor should ministers
gratify it, yet they should consult men's prejudices,
and " seek to please them for their good." The Jews
and Greeks sought what from their education they
had been accustomed* to admire: but St. Paul, not
withstanding his readiness to yield in all things that
were less important, was compelled to make the
strain of his preaching directly opposite to their
corrupt desires. " The Jews require, &c. ; but we
preach, &c."
I. The great subject of the Christian ministry—
The Apostle designates this by " preaching the
Gospel," " preaching the cross," " preaching Christ
and him crucified :" but in " preaching Christ crucified"
he did not confine himself to an historical relation of
the fact, or a pathetic description of it. To fulfil the
true end of the Christian ministry, we must,
1. Declare the nature of Christ's death—
[This in appearance was only like that of the malefactors
that suffered with him; but it was a true and proper sacrifice
to God. In this light it was characterized by the whole Mosaic
ritual3: in this light it was foretold by the prophetsb: in this
light it is plainly represented throughout the New Testa
ment0; and unless it be preached in this view, we do not, in
the Apostle's sense, preach Christ crucified.]
2. Set forth the benefits resulting from it —
[There is not any one spiritual benefit which must not be
a The sacrifices were types of the atonement.
" Isai. liii. 5, 6, 10.
c Matt. xxvi. 28. 1 Cor. v. 7. Heh. ix. 2(>. Eph. v. 2.
8 1 CORINTHIANS, I. &J, 24. [1930.
traced to this source ; pardon, peace, holiness, glory, are its
proper fruits. Without the atonement we could have received
nothing; but by and through it we may receive every thing.
This also must " be distinctly inculcated, if we would approve
ourselves faithful stewards of the mysteries of Christ.]
3. Persuade men to seek an interest in it—
[We find men filled with self-righteous conceits, and with
great difficulty brought to renounce them : we must therefore
argue with them, and urge upon them all the most powerful
considerations : we must address ourselves to their passions as
well as their understanding; and gain their affections on the
side of truth. It was thus that Paul preached Christ; and it
is thus only that Christ crucified can be preached aright.]
II. The manner in which it was, and is still, received—
As there were differences of opinion respecting our
Lord himself, some accounting him a good man, and
others a deceiver, so are there respecting his Gospel—
1. Some reject it with contemptuous abhorrence—
[Jews and Greeks were equally averse to it, though on
different grounds. The Jews did not understand the true
nature and scope of their law : hence they supposed that the
Gospel was opposed to it, and that Christ was an enemy to
Moses: and notwithstanding all the evidence they had of
Christ's Messiahship, they rejected him from a pretended want
of proof of his divine mission. The Greeks had been habituated
to philosophical researches, and rejected the Gospel because
there was nothing in it to flatter the pride of human reason :
both these kinds of characters yet exist, and oppose the Gospel
with equal acrimony ; to some it is " a stumbling-block," as
appearing to set aside good works ; to others it is " foolishness,"
as militating against their preconceived notions of rational re
ligion. And if it be not so dispensed by us as to call forth such
treatment from such characters, we have reason to believe that
we do not preach the Gospel as Paul preached it.]
2. Others receive it with the deepest reverence—
[There are some " called," not by the outward word only,
but by the internal and effectual operations of the Spirit.
These, whatever have been their disposition in times past, have
their eyes open to behold the Gospel in a far different light.
To them the doctrine of " Christ crucified" is " the power of
God :" they see that it is that, by which God has converted
myriads to himself: they feel also that it is that, to which
alone they can ascribe their own conversion ; and they know
that nothing can ultimately withstand its power. To them it
\
1930. J HOW THE GOSPEL IS TO BE REGARDED. 9
is also " the wisdom of God :" they behold in it every perfection
of the Deity united and glorified, whilst on any other plan of
salvation some of his perfections must be exalted at the expense
of others : they see it also to be suited to the state of every
individual in the universe, whilst every other plan of salvation
is suited to those only who have been moral, or who have a
long time before them to amend their lives. Above all, they
view it as bringing the greatest good that ever was vouchsafed,
out of the greatest evil that ever was committed. No wonder
that they " count all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of it."]
ADDRESS—
1. Those who, like the Greeks, have a high opinion
of their reasoning powers—
[You have just cause to be thankful for strength of intellect;
but the province of reason is, to submit itself to God. God has
not opened to your reason any one thing perfectly, either in
creation or providence : be not surprised then if you cannot
fathom all the mysteries of his revealed will : your wisdom is
to become as little children ; and if you will not condescend to
be taught of Him, he will take you in your own craftiness*1.]
2. Those who, like the Jews, are concerned about
the interests of morality—
[Did morality suffer in the life of Paul, or of the first
Christians ? Does it in the lives of many who now profess the
Gospel ? Are they not now condemned as much for the strict
ness of their lives as for the strangeness of their principles ?
Yea, does not morality suffer through the neglect of this preach
ing? Let not Christ then be a stumbling-block to you, but
rather a sanctuary. If you reject Christ, however good your
motive may appear to be, your misery will be sure e.]
3. Those who embrace, and glory in, a crucified
Saviour—
[Contemplate more and more the wisdom and power of
God as displayed in this mystery, and endeavour more and more
to adorn this doctrine in your lives. Let it never become a
stumbling-block or foolishness through any misconduct of yours :
let it be seen by your prudence, that it is true wisdom ; and
by your piety, that it is the parent of every good work.]
d ver. 19, 25. e ver. 18. with 2 Cor. iv. 4.
10 1 CORINTHIANS, I. 26—29. [1931.
MDCCCCXXXI.
THE OBJECTS OK GOD'S CALL.
1 Cor. i. 26 — 29. Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not
many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, are called : but God hath chosen the foolish things of
the world to confound the wise ; and God hath chosen the
weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty ; and base things of the tvorld, and things rvhich are
despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things ivhich are not, to
bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in
his presence.
IT is manifest to the most superficial observer,
that the Gospel, wherever it comes, meets with a
very different reception from different people ; some
accounting it foolishness, whilst others regard it as
the wisdom of God and the power of Goda. That
we must trace this to the dispositions of men, is cer
tain ; because the guilt of rejecting the Gospel must
lie upon the sinner himself : yet, inasmuch as a love
of the truth is not attainable by mere human efforts,
we must acknowledge God as the true and only
source of that difference which appears. If he did
not interpose, all would equally despise the Gospel :
it is his grace which makes the distinction, and causes
some to overcome the corruptions of their nature,
and to accept his proffered salvation.
To unravel this mystery, or at least to throw light
upon it, we shall shew,
I. Who are the objects of his choice —
God's thoughts and ways are not only far above
ours, but often directly contrary to ours.
He has not chosen " the wise, the noble, and the
mighty "-
[He has not indeed excluded these ; for he invites them
all ; and no more wills the death of them, than he does the
death of any others : but he has not chosen them either in
preference to the poor, or even in comparison of them. Some
there have been in every age, who were possessed of much
• ver. 23, 24.
1931.] THE OBJECTS OF GOD'S CALL. 11
human wisdom, and power, and wealth. God would not pass
by them altogether, lest it should appear as if the possession of
earthly wisdom and power were an insurmountable obstacle to
the reception of the truth ; or lest the embracing of his salva
tion should be thought incompatible with natural abilities, or
intellectual attainments. Among the Corinthians there were
Crispus and Sosthenes, chief rulers of the synagogue b: and
Gaius, a man of wealth and of an enlarged heart ; and Erastus,
the chamberlain of the cityc. Some few others were num
bered with the disciples : there was Joseph of Arimathea, a
rich and honourable counsellor d; and Sergius Paulus, a Ro
man deputy, famed no less for his wisdom than his power6.
But if we were to collect the names of all, they would bear no
proportion to the numbers of those who composed the Church
of Christ. Though therefore there were some, there were
" not many " of this description called.]
The objects of his choice are, the weak, the ignoble,
the illiterate—
[As we do not say that these are chosen exclusively, so
neither do we say that they are chosen universally ; for, alas !
there are myriads of poor who are as ignorant and depraved as
it is possible for any of the rich to be. But the great majority
of the Lord's people are of this description. They have not
rank, or learning, or wealth, or great abilities, or any of those
things which would recommend them to earthly preferments.
This was the case with the first teachers of Christianity : they
were, for the most part, poor illiterate fishermen and mechanics.
And they who have been their followers have been almost
entirely of the middle and lower classes of society. Who are
the persons in every town and village who most welcome the
preaching of the Gospel ? Who are the people that are glad
to avail themselves of all the spiritual instruction they can get?
Who are they that will be thankful to you for speaking closely
to their consciences, and for warning them of their danger?
Who are they who will go miles every sabbath to a place
where the Gospel is faithfully preached, notwithstanding, when
they come thither, they can scarcely be accommodated with a
seat whereon to rest ? Who are they that love social meetings
for reading the word of God and prayer ; and that make it
their meat and their drink to do the will of God? In short,
Who are they that prove their effectual " calling," by turning
" from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto
Godf?" Ai'e these the rich, the great, the learned? or are they
b Acts xviii. 8, 17. c Rom. xvi. 23.
rt Matt, xxvii. 57. Mark xv. 43. e Acts xiii. 7.
f Acts xxvi. 18.
12 1 CORINTHIANS, 1. 26—29. [1931.
the poor and unlearned? Let observation and experience
decide the point. " You see your calling, brethren :" look at
it, and judge * : We are not afraid to make our appeal to your
selves ; for God himself appeals to you ; and thereby makes
you judges in your own cause h. We know that these facts
give umbrage to many : but however the proud may find in
these things an occasion of offence, our blessed Lord saw
nothing in them but ground for praise and thanksgiving1.]
Our subject leads us to notice,
II. The immediate effect of that choice—
We are told that Noah, in building the ark, " con
demned the world k." A similar effect is produced
by the peculiar mercy vouchsafed to the poor. The
great and learned, though " they shame the counsel
of the poor1," yet are ashamed"1 and confounded when
they see,
1 . Their superior discernment—
[Many of the wise, like the Scribes and Pharisees of old.
are conversant with the Holy Scriptures, and extremely well
instructed as to the letter of them. From hence they suppose
that they must necessarily enter into the spirit of them, and
be as superior to others in a comprehension of divine truth,
as they are in wealth or talents. But when they come to con
verse with one who has been " called out of darkness into
God's marvellous light"," they begin to feel their own igno
rance, and to wonder at the depth and clearness of the per
son's knowledge. They cannot conceive how an unlettered
person should attain such just and comprehensive views, which
they with all their application have not been able to acquire0.
They do not reflect on what God has told them, that " the
natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God ;"
and that the knowledge of them must be obtained by means
of a spiritual discernment11. They, through the pride of their
hearts, presume to bring divine truths to the bar of their
own reason ; and thus are led to account them foolishness :
but the humble disciple of Jesus willingly receives all that
God speaks ; and to him " every word is both plain and
right"1." But all this is a mystery to those who are " wise
8 It is just as in the clays of old : Matt. xi. 5. John vii. 47, 48.
Mark xii. 3.
h Jam. ii. 5. * Matt. xi. 25, 26. k Heb. xi. 7.
1 Ps. xiv. (). "i Ka-airrxiirT). n 1 Pet. ii. 9.
0 Prov. xxviii. 11. Pi Cor. ii.'l 1. 'i Prov. viii. 9.
1931.1 THE OBJECTS OF GOD'S CALL. 13
after the flesh," — a mystery which mortifies their pride, and
inflames their wrath r.]
2. Their indifference to the world —
[The men of letters and of wealth, instead of rising above
the world, are really its greatest slaves. To enjoy its pleasures,
its riches, and its honours, is the summit of their ambition.
They, on the contrary, who are " chosen of God and called8,"
are enabled to renounce the world, and to regard it no more
than they would a crucified object, with whom they have
no further connexion*. Now when these persons shew, by
their heavenly conversation, that they consider themselves as
mere pilgrims and sojourners here, and that " they are look
ing for a better country, that is, an heavenly"," the poor slaves
of this world cannot comprehend it. They wonder how any
should be so indifferent to the things of time and sense,
so bold to encounter the frowns and contempt of all around
them, and so immoveable in their adherence to such exploded
sentiments and conduct. They know that they themselves
could not act in such a manner ; and they are unable to
account for it in others. But if they understood those words,
" This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our
faith x," they would cease to wonder; yea, they would rather
wonder that the operations of faith were not yet more uniform
and extensive.]
3. Their delight in holy exercises—
[The wise, and mighty, and noble will often perform
religious duties with a commendable regularity : but they
comply with them rather as the institutions and customs of
their country, than as exercises in which they find any plea
sure, or from which they expect to derive any present benefit.
It is far otherwise with the poor, weak, despised followers
of Christ: they engage in these employments with delight:
they look forward to the returning seasons of devotion with
unfeigned joy : and, though they cannot always maintain a
spiritual frame in them, yet there is no other employment so
pleasing to them, or so productive of permanent satisfaction.
Now this also appears strange and unaccountable to them
that are yet in their unconverted state : they cannot conceive
how it should be, that persons should multiply their seasons
of worship, and put themselves to much expense and trouble
in attending on them, without any apparent necessity. They
can ascribe it to nothing but enthusiasm or hypocrisy. They
are constrained however to confess, that, if religion so abstracts
r John ix. 34. « Rev. xvii. 14. » Gal. vi. 14.
u Heb. xi. 13—16. * 1 John v. 4.
II. 1 CORINTHIANS, I. £G— 29. [1931.
the mind from earthly things, and so inclines us to set our
affections on things above, their hopes and prospects are
" brought to nought.''
Thus as the Gentiles, who were scarcely regarded as having
any existence, were made use of by God to bring to nought
the Jewish polity, in which all that iras valuable was supposed
to be contained?; so the spirituality of real Christians is yet
daily made use of by God to bring to nought the pride of
wisdom, the power of greatness, and the fond conceits of
pharisaic morality.]
But let us examine yet further—
III. Its ultimate design-
God, as it becomes him, consults in all things his
own glory. In this dispensation more especially,
He has provided, " that no flesh should glory in
his presence "-
[It would not become his Majesty to suffer any of his
creatures to assume honour to themselves : it is meet and right
that all should acknowledge him to be the one source of all
their happiness. As he is the Author of their being, they
cannot but be indebted to him for all their powers ; and as he
is the one Restorer of those powers, both by the blood of his
Son and the agency of his Spirit, he must have the glory of all
which may be wrought by them ; none must stand in competi
tion with him ; nor must any presume to claim the smallest
share of that honour which is due to him alone.]
The dispensation is admirably calculated to insure
his end—
[If the wise and noble were called in preference to
others, they would infallibly arrogate to themselves, in part at
least, the honour of that distinction : they would either think
that they had effected the change in themselves by their own
power, or that God had had respect to them on account of
super-eminent worth. But by the preference given to the
poor, all occasion for such boasting is cut off. The rich can
not boast, because they have nothing to boast of. The poor
cannot boast, as if God had respected their superior talents ;
for they feel and know assuredly that they had no such supe
riority, but directly the reverse. The few rich and wise that
are among them cannot boast, because they find that they
y Tliis is the meaning of those expressions, " things which are
not ;" and "things which are." Compare 2 Rsdras vi. 56. 57. and
the Apocryphal Esther, iv. 11. with Rom. iv. 17-
1931.] TIIE OBJECTS OF GOD'S CALL. 15
are few in number, and that the great majority of those who
are as wise and great as themselves, have made use of their
talents, only to harden themselves in infidelity, and to justify
their rejection of the Gospel. Hence they are constrained to
confess, that it is " God who has made them to differ2," and
that " by the grace of God they are what they are3."]
Many and important are the lessons which we may
LEARN from hence—
1. That God acts sovereignly in the disposal of his
gifts-
[We should not hesitate, if any one presumed to direct
us in the disposal of our own favours, to put this question to
him ; " Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my
ownb?" Yet we are offended if God assert this liberty, and
we think ourselves injured if any be chosen by him in pre
ference to us. But how unreasonable and absurd is this! It
is unreasonable, because we have no claim upon him for the
smallest benefits. Who imagines that the fallen angels have
any ground of complaint against him for withholding a Saviour
from them, while he provided one for us? Yet they are a
superior order of beings to us, and therefore might have been
supposed more worthy of God's attention. What right then
can any of us have to murmur, if he be pleased to impart sal
vation itself to some and not to others, when none possess the
smallest title above their brethren? But it is absurd also: for
God will not alter his dispensations because we choose to quarrel
with them. That he does act in this sovereign manner we
cannot doubt ; for he dispenses his temporal favours according
to his own will ; and sends his Gospel to us, while it is withheld
from far the greater part of the world : and he tells us no less
than three times in the short compass of our text, that he has
"chosen" some in preference to others. Let us not then dare
to "reply against Godr:" but, while we confess his right to
confer his benefits on whomsoever he willd, let us humbly
implore an interest in his favour, and lie as clay in his hands,
that he may, for his own glory sake, fashion us as " vessels of
honour meet for the Master's use e."]
2. That there is not so much inequality in the
Divine dispensations as we are apt to imagine—
[It is certainly God who causes some to be born to ease
and affluence, whilst others are born to labour and penury.
In a time of health there may not be any great difference
z 1 Cor. iv. 7. * 1 Cor. xv. 10. h Matt. xx. 15.
c Rom. ix. 20. rt Rom. ix. 1.') — 18. e Rom. ix. 21 — 23.
1G 1 CORINTHIANS, 1. 26— «9. [193L.
between them : — but what is there in a time of sickness ! The
one has all the comforts of medical aid, of numerous atten
dants, of delicacies suited to his appetite ; whereas the other,
in a cold and comfortless habitation, is without food, without
fuel, without friends, his wife and children as well as himself
almost perishing for want, destitute of every thing proper
for his disorder, and subsisting only by the scanty pittance
hardly obtained, and grudgingly bestowed by an unfeeling
dispenser of the public chanty. Compare these; and there
appears as wide a difference between them as can well be
imagined. But pause a moment : Is this the whole of God's
dispensations towards them? Can we find nothing to counter
balance this inequality ? Yes : look to the spiritual concerns
of these two persons : perhaps, like Dives and Lazarus, the
one has his portion in this life, and the other in the next :
perhaps God has said to the one, " Enjoy all that the world can
bestow;" to the other, " Enjoy my presence, and the light of
my countenance :" to the one, " Be rich in learning, wealth,
and honour;" to the other, " Be rich in faith and good works:"
to the one, " Possess thou kingdoms for a time ;" to the other,
" Be thou an heir of my kingdom for evermore." Now, though
this is not God's invariable mode of dealing with men, (for
there are some who are poor in both worlds, and others rich,)
yet it accords with the general tenour of his proceedings : it
accords also with the text, and therefore is peculiarly proper
lor our present consideration. Take then the whole of his
dispensations together, and it will be found that the spiritual
advantages conferred upon the poor are more than an equiva
lent for any temporal disadvantages they may labour under.
Let the rich then not pride themselves on their distinctions f;
for " it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,
than for them to enter into the kingdom of heaven g : nor let
the poor, on the other hand, be dejected on account of their
present troubles ; for God has chosen them (if they do not
despise their birthright) to be partakers of his richest blessings,
even life for evermore11 : but let all, whether rich or poor, seek
to have " God himself for the portion of their cup, and for the
lot of their inheritance1."]
3. That they are the wisest people who covet the
best gifts-
fit is generally accounted folly to " seek first the kingdom
of God, and his righteousness15 ;" but the time will come when
it will appear to have been the truest wisdom. Indeed " the
fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom1 ;" insomuch
f 1 Tim. vi. 17. * Matt. xix. 23, 24. h Jam. ii. 5.
' Ps. xvi. -=i. * Matt. vi. 33. ' Ps. cxi. 10.
1932. j CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL. 17
that all who are not possessed of that, whatever else they may
possess, are no better than fools in God's estimation. Let us
not then be deceived by the glare and glitter of the world.
Let us view things as God himself views them. Let us confess
that it is better to be among " the foolish, the weak, the base,
the despised, the mere nonentities of this world," and attain
eternal happiness at the last; than to be among " the wise,
the mighty, and the noble," and to " have our good things in
this life only"1."
We beg leave however to repeat, that the rich will not be
excluded from God's kingdom, if they do not exclude them
selves ; nor, on the other hand, will the poor be admitted into
it, if they do not " strive to enter in at the strait gate"."
Whatever we be in respect of our worldly conditions, we shall
be admitted by the Bridegroom, if we be found among the
wise virgins0: but "the foolish shall not stand in his sight;
for he hateth all the workers of iniquityp."]
m Luke xvi. 2.5. n Luke xiii. 24.
0 Matt. xxv. 8 — 10. P Ps. v. 5.
MDCCCCXXXII.
CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL.
1 Cor. i. 30. Of him arc ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is
made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption.
HABITUATED as we have been from our early
childhood to read the Holy Scriptures, and to hear
them read in public, it is surprising that we do not
gain a more clear and accurate knowledge of their
contents. But experience shews, that, however
strongly the inspired writers have declared the re
vealed will of God, it is but very partially and
imperfectly known amongst us. The fact is, that we
do not sufficiently consider the import of what we
read. We pass over the most plain and significant
expressions, without considering what is contained
in them. When we read of a Saviour, we do not
advert to the awful truth comprehended in that
word, namely, that in ourselves we are utterly and
eternally lost. In other words, we are very little
affected with what is expressed in Scripture, because
VOL. xvi. c
18 1 CORINTHIANS, I. 30. [1932.
we do not pause to inquire into what those ex
pressions hnply. That we suffer great loss by this
inadvertence is evident from what our blessed Lord
taught respecting the resurrection of our bodies to
eternal life. The Sadducees could not find that
doctrine contained in the Holy Scriptures, or at all
events not in the Pentateuch, which alone they re
garded as of divine authority. Our Lord appealed
to the name of Jehovah as proclaimed in the Penta
teuch, namely, as " the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Now, says our
Lord, consider what is implied in that name. Jehovah,
as their God, is the God of their whole persons, their
bodies as well as their souls ; and, if their bodies are
not to be raised again, that relation between God and
them, so far as respects their bodies, is dissolved.
But that relation never can be dissolved : therefore
their bodies must be raised again, and be re-united
to their souls, that so those departed saints may, in
their whole and entire persons, for ever serve and
enjoy their Goda.
Now I would wish to commend to you the passage
before us in this peculiar view. St. Paul is shewing
the Corinthians, that they neither have, nor ever can
have, any thing to boast of; since " God has chosen
the poor, and the weak, and the foolish, in preference
to the rich, the mighty, and the wise ;" and since
whatsoever any of them may have, they have it solely
in Christ, who of God is made to them wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption ;
and that consequently, whosoever glories, must glory,
not in himself, but in the Lord alone.
In order that we may unfold these words to the
greater advantage, we shall, in accordance with this
hint, consider, first, What is implied in them, and
then, What is expressed.
Now if we will duly consider these words, we shall
see this evidently implied in them : first, that we are
destitute of all good in ourselves, and, secondly, that
we are incapable of acquiring it by any power of our
a Matt. xxii. 32.
1932. J . CHRIST IS ALL IX ALL. 19
own. On a supposition that either of these positions
were not true, what occasion would there be that all
good should be treasured up for us in another, to be
received from him ? But they are true. — It is a fact,
that we are destitute of all good in ourselves ; for in
ourselves we are ignorant, guilty, polluted, and en
slaved.
We are ignorant. What do we by nature know
of ourselves? What know we of the corruption of
the human heart ? God himself has told us, that in
the heart of man there are depths of iniquity alto
gether unfathomable, and workings that are utterly
unsearchable : the heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked : Who can know it ? And
what know we of God? of his holiness, which cannot
behold iniquity without the utmost abhorrence of it ?
of his justice, which cannot but visit it with righteous
indignation ? and of his truth, which cannot but
execute every threatening which he has denounced
against it ? As to any mere notions which men may
entertain in theory, I speak not of them; it is of
practical knowledge that I speak : and I need only
appeal to the lives of all around us, to prove that, so
far from having any just knowledge of God, " there
is not in the whole world an unconverted man, that
understandeth, so as duly and habitually to seek after
himV On the contrary the conduct of all clearly
shews, that " God is not in all their thoughts0." And
what know we of Christ and of the incomprehensible
extent of his love ? Or what of his Holy Spirit, and
all his enlightening, sanctifying, and consoling ope
rations ? What know we of the evil and bitterness of
sin ? or of the beauty and blessedness of true holiness ?
The testimony which our Lord himself has borne
of us is undeniably true, that, however we may fancy
ourselves "rich, and increased in goods, and in need
of nothing, we are wretched, and miserable, even poor,
and blind, and naked d."
We are guilty also, to an extent which no words
b Rom. iii. 11. Ps. liii. 2, 3. ° Ps. x. 4. d Rev. iii. 1".
c 2
20 1 CORINTHIANS, I. 30. [1932.
can adequately describe. As to gross sins, I make
no mention of them. Our whole life has been one
continued scene of rebellion against God. Nor have
we ceased to " trample under foot the blood of Christ,
by which we have been redeemed ; or to do despite
to the Spirit of God6/' who has striven with us,
warning us against the evils which we have been
habituated to commit, and stimulating us to those
duties, which we have neglected to perform. Truly,
on the most superficial view of our state we must be
convinced, that " every mouth must be stopped, and
all the world become guilty before Godf."
How polluted we are, in every member of our
bodies and in every faculty of our souls, God alone
knoweth or can conceive. Darkness is not more
opposed to light, or Belial to Christ, than wre, every
one of us, are to the holy will of God, whether as
proclaimed in his law, or as exhibited in his Gospel.
How blind we are in our understanding, how perverse
in our will, how sensual in our affections, who shall
be able to declare ? Even " the Apostles themselves
once had their conversation in the lusts of their flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others5:"
And such have ice been also. Our very " mind and
conscience have been defiled," so that there is not
one amongst us who must not join in that humiliating
acknowledgment, that " there is no health in us."
In fact, we are altogether enslaved, or, as the Scrip
ture expresses it, " taken in the snare of the devil,
and led captive by him at his willV Nor is this true
merely in relation to more flagrant transgressors only;
" for the prince of the power of the air worketh in
all the children of disobedience1;" and, however in
sensible we may be of his motions, does really instigate
us to every evil we commit.
But I observed that there is yet further implied in
my text, not only that we are destitute of all good
in ourselves, but that rce are incapable of acquiring it
c Ileb. x. 29. f Rom. iii. 19. e Eph. ii. 3.
h -2 Tim. ii. 20. > Kph. ii. 2.
1932.J CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL. ^1
by anij power of our own. Were not this true, there
would, as I have before observed, have been no
need that all good should be treasured up in another
for us.
Now no one of these fore-mentioned evils can we
remove. Not our ignorance; for we are told that
" God alone giveth wisdom k." The Spirit of God
must " open the eyes of our understanding1 : nor
can we without his gracious influence, " know the
things which belong unto our peace." We must
have " a spiritual discernment in order to discern
the things of the Spirit"1." St. Paul, notwithstanding
he had made a greater proficiency in Jewish literature
than most of his own age, yet could not comprehend
the true import of the Mosaic writings, or see their
accomplishment in Jesus Christ, till " the scales, by
which his organs of vision had been obstructed, were
made to fall from his eyes" :" nor could the imme
diate disciples of our Lord, who had heard all his
instructions both in public and private for the space
of three years, see the law of Moses fulfilled in him.
The end of his death as a sacrifice for sin, the ne
cessity of his resurrection to carry on and perfect his
work, and the spiritual nature of his kingdom, were
still hidden from them, till " He opened their under
standings to understand the Scriptures0." So must
" the Holy Spirit be given unto us also, that we may
know the things that are freely given to us of Godp."
Earthly knowledge we may acquire by the powers
of intellect and by dint of application : but heavenly
knowledge is the gift of God alone, who, whilst he
" takes the wise in their own craftiness q," will reveal
to babes " what is hid from the wise and prudent1."
Nor can we by any means remove our guilt. Let us
go and blot out of the book of God's remembrance
all the sins we have ever committed. Vain attempt !
We cannot cancel so much as one sin ; nor would
rivers of tears suffice to wash away the slightest stain
* Prov. ii. 0. i Eph. i. 18. m i Cor. ii. 14.
n Acts ix. 18. ° Luke xxiv. 45. P 1 Cor. ii. 12.
<) 1 Cor. iii. 19. r Matt. xi. 2.7.
VI 1 CORINTHIANS, I. 30. [1932.
from our souls. Nor can we even abstain from con
tracting fresh guilt : for there is imperfection in our
best deeds : our very tears need to be washed, and
our repentances to be repented of. Even St. Paul
himself, eminent as he was, could do nothing on
which he could rely for his justification before God ;
and therefore " he desired to be found in Christ, not
having his own righteousness, but the righteousness
which was of God by faith in Christ8." A justifying
righteousness must be perfect : but we can do nothing
perfect : we need one to " bear the iniquity even of
our holiest actions1 :" and therefore we must for ever
despair of establishing a righteousness of our own,
and must submit simply and entirely to the righteous
ness provided for us in the Gospel".
Nor can we cleanse ourselves from our pollution.
" As well might an Ethiopian change his skin, or a
leopard his spots, as we restore ourselves to the
image of God in which we were at first created3"." The
renovation of the heart is on this very account called
a new birth and a new creation y; and it can be
effected by none but God himself. Let any man put
this matter to a trial : let him see whether he can
mortify all the desires of the flesh, and efface from
his mind the love of this world, and transform himself
into the Divine image in righteousness and true holi
ness : — he may as well attempt to create a world.
As for deliverance from all spiritual bondage, that
also is utterly unattainable by human efforts. St. Paul
even to his dying hour was constrained to cry, " O
wretched man that I am, who shall deliver mez?"
Hence in the truly scriptural Liturgy of our Church
we are taught to acknowledge ; that " we are tied and
bound with the chain of our sins," and to cry, " But
do thou, O God, of the pitifulness of thy great mercy
loose us."
Now all this is clearly implied in the words of our
J>1'il- i'i- ^- « Exod. xxviii. 38.
K°m- x- 3. x Jer. xiii. 23.
>' Jclin iii. ;j. -2 Cor. v. 17. •<• Rom. vii. 24.
1932. J CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL. 23
text : and by a just view of this we are prepared to
consider, secondly, what is expressed.
In perfect correspondence with the foregoing truths,
we find in our text two things expressed, viz. that
God has treasured up for us in Christ all the good that
we stand in need of: and that He will freely bestow it
on every believing soul.
Observe here how God has treasured up for us in
Christ all the good that we stand in need of. God
" has laid help for us on One that is mighty3," even
on his own dear and only-begotten Son. He has
treasured up for us in Christ a fulness suited to the
necessities of fallen manb, and has constituted him
" Head over all things to the Church0," that " out of
his fulness every member of his mystical body may
receive d" such a measure of grace as his peculiar
necessities require. This is shadowed forth under
the image of a vine, which supplies every one of its
branches with the sap and nutriment which alone can
enable it to bring forth fruit6. " Separate from him,"
every one of us would become dry and fit only for
fuel. The Apostle Paul knew no other source of life
and strength ; and therefore he said, " The life which
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith in the Son
of God, who has loved me and given himself for mef."
So in like manner must every soul of man come to
Christ for grace to help him in the time of need. "Our
fresh springs must be altogether in himg." " Our life
is hid with Christ in God : yea, Christ is our very
life :" and it is from that circumstance alone that we
are warranted to hope, that " when he shall appear
we also shall appear with him in glory11." "He is
ascended up on high on purpose that he may fill all
things1 :" and he does " fill all in allV The very light
which is reflected by the whole planetary system of
moon and stars, proceeds from the sun ; and the life
of all the vegetable creation is sustained by its reviving
a Ps. Ixxxix. 19. b Col. i. 19. c Eph. i. 2:1.
(1 John i. 16. e John xv. 5. f Gal. i''. 20.
s Ps. Ixxxvii. 7. h Col. iii. 3, <\. ' Eph. iv. 10.
k Eph. i. 23.
:n 1 CORINTHIANS, 1. -SO.
rays. And so is " Christ the light and life of the
whole world ;" as it is written, " With thee is the
fountain of life ; and in thy light shall we see light1."
This is yet more fully expressed in our text, which
declares, that Christ shall be made all unto us, even
wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and re
demption, to every soul that believes in him.
Do we need wisdom ? He shall be made wisdom
to us. Wonderful shall be the views which he will
impart to the believing soul : yes, the believer shall
have, according to the measure of the gift of Christ,
" the very mind that was in Christ himself," and be
made to view every thing as God himself views itm.
What humiliating views will he have of himself as a
guilty, corrupt creature, deserving of God's wrath and
indignation ! What exalted views will he have of all
the Divine perfections, and particularly of them as
united and harmonizing in the person and work of
Christ ! How will he be enabled to " comprehend
the height and depth and length and breadth of
Christ's unsearchable love, so as even to be filled by
it with all the fulness of Godn!" What a perception
will he have of " the love of God shed abroad in his
heart by the Holy Ghost0," and of all his gracious
influences, as " a spirit of adoption testifying to his
soul, that God is his Father, and that he is God's
beloved child1' !" In what hateful colours will he now
behold the sins which he once loved ; and how lovely
in his estimation will be the paths of righteousness
and true holiness ! When once " God, who com
manded light to shine out of darkness in the mate
rial world shall shine into his heart to give him this
knowledge, he will behold all the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ'1."
Do we need righteousness ? Christ shall be made
righteousness to the believing soul. The very name
by which we are privileged to call our blessed Lord,
is, "Jehovah our righteousness'." In Christ we shall
1 Ps. xxxvi. 9. '" Phil. ii. f>. 1 John ii. 20.
" Eph. iii. 18, ID. •> Rom. v. 5.
i> Rom. viii. !.">, KJ. <\ •_> Cor. iv. 0. r Jer. xxiii. 6.
1932. J CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL. 25
have a righteousness fully answering all the require
ments of God's holy law, and satisfying the demands
of his inflexible justice. Clothed in the robe of
Christ's perfect righteousness, we shall be so pure
that God will not behold in us a spot or blemish8.
Not the angels before the throne of God shall shine
more bright than we : indeed they have only the
righteousness of a creature, whilst the believing soul
is clad in the righteousness of the Creator himself.
Nor let any one imagine that this is the privilege of
the Apostles only : no : the righteousness of Christ
is "given unto" every believing soul, and "put upon"
him as a garment, in which he shall stand accepted
of God to all eternity*.
Do we need sanctlfication ? This also shall Christ
be made unto us. Yes, he will make us new crea
tures. He will enable us to " put off the old man
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and
to put on the new man, whereby we shall be assimi
lated to the Divine image u." He has promised his
Holy Spirit for this end, even to " sanctify us wholly x."
By applying to our souls his promises, he will enable
us to " cleanse ourselves from all filthiness both of
flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of
Gody." Yea, by enabling us to " behold his glory, he
will change us into his own image from glory to glory
by the Spirit of the Lord2."
Finally, do we need redemption ? He will be re
demption to us, " delivering us from all the bondage
of corruption, and bringing us into the glorious
liberty of the sons of God." " When once the Son
thus makes us free, we become free indeed3." With
what delight do we then walk in the ways of God,
and with what enlargement of heart do we run in the
paths of his commandments ! Truly under the in
fluence of his grace we enjoy almost a heaven upon
earth. The exercises of prayer and praise are far
different from what they were wont to be in our
s Eph. v. 26, 27. l Rom. iii. 22. Eph. i. (>.
u Eph. iv. 22—24. x 1 Thess. v. 23. y 2 Cor. vii. 1.
z 2 Cor. iii. 18. a John viii. 36.
ar, 1 CORINTHIANS, I. 30. [1932.
unregenerate state. Formerly we had no taste for
them, no pleasure in them : now we are never so
happy as when we get access to God in these duties :
it is even " as marrow and fatness to our souls, when
we can praise our God with joyful lipsV
True, " the flesh will yet lust against the spirit, as
well as the spirit against the flesh :" but " sin shall no
more have dominion over usc;" we shall, in desire at
least, be "holy as God himself is holy, and perfect as
our Father which is in heaven is perfect d."
Before I come to my concluding remarks on this
subject, I beg you to inquire with yourselves, whether
you have ever had a practical experience of these
things in your own souls ? It is said in my text, " Of
him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto
us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption." Now is this true of you ? Have you,
(I speak to every individual,) Have you ever been
brought to such a sense of your own destitution of
all good, and of your utter incapacity to supply, by
any efforts of your own, your manifold necessities ?
Have you also been led to see what a fulness there is
in Christ, exactly suited to your necessities ? and have
you actually received out of his fulness a supply of
all that you stand in need of, so that Christ is daily
regarded by you as your entire Saviour, your all in
all ? I pray you, let not this matter be thought of
small import ; No indeed. These things are not to
be viewed as a mere theory, but as practical truths,
upon the experience of which your everlasting salva
tion depends : and, if you die before they are realized
by you in your daily experience, it will be better for
you that you had never been born.
Here I might well close my subject. But, having
taken hitherto only the more obvious and superficial
view of it, I would, if it detain you not too long,
briefly entreat your attention to some points which
are more deep and recondite, and which, I hope, will
repay the trespass which I thus reluctantly make upon
your time.
11 Ps. Ixiii. 5. c Rom. vi. 14. (1 1 Pet. i. 1">, 16.
1932.] CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL. '27
Mark then, I pray you, how entirely salvation is of
grace from first to last. You have seen what provision
God has made for us in our low estate. You have
seen what he has laid up for us in Christ, and what
Christ is made unto us, even all that we stand in
need of. But you have not seen how it is that Christ
is made all this to the believing soul. It is by our
being " in Christ Jesus :" " Of him are ye in Christ
Jesus" Now we must be engrafted into Christ as
scions, before we can partake of any of these things :
we must be cut off from the old stock whereon we
grew in our natural state, and be made living branches
of Him the living Vine. And who, I beg leave to
ask, can do this for us ? It can be done by none but
God, the great husbandman, who has himself ordained
this as the only way of saving our ruined race. And
this is twice marked in my text with very peculiar
force and emphasis : " OF HIM are ye in Christ Jesus,
who OF GOD is made unto us wisdom, and righteous
ness, and sanctification, and redemption." Now I
ask, who was it that gave the Saviour to us, or us to
him? Who was it that accepted him in our behalf?
Who was it that, after accepting his sacrifice in our
behalf, constituted him our living Head, and trea
sured up in him such a fulness of all that we stood in
need of? And who was it that cut us off from our
old stock and grafted us into him ? And who was it
that by this mysterious process actually made us
partakers of all these benefits ? Hear it, and forget
it not : " It is of God that ye are in Christ Jesus :
and of God that Christ is made unto you all that you
stand in need of." Let God then have all the glory.
This was the very end for which he did all this, as he
tells us both in the words that precede my text, and
in the words that follow it : " God, says the Apostle,
has chosen things which are not, to bring to nought
things which are, that no Jlesh should glory in his
presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of
God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption, that, according as it is
written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord"
28 1 CORINTHIANS, I. 30. [1932.
Now I entreat your attention to this. Do not rob
God of his glory. Do not ascribe any thing to your
selves, but give him the glory of your salvation from
first to last. If you could go up to heaven, you
would not find one soul there that arrogates any
thing to himself. All with one heart and one voice
are singing, " Salvation to God and to the Lamb ;" to
God, as the alone Author of salvation, and to the
Lamb, as the only means : and I call on every one of
you to begin this song on earth, giving all praise to
God the Father as the source and fountain of your
happiness, and to the Lord Jesus Christ, who has
both purchased it for you by his blood, and imparted
it to you by his Spirit. God is a jealous God, and
will not give his glory to another : and if you rob
him of his glory here, you shall not be partakers of
it in the world to come.
Having called your attention to this, I next say,
seek this salvation in the precise way that God has
appointed. Seek it in its full extent — seek it in its
proper order — seek it for its only just and legitimate
end — seek it with a confidence that you shall not seek
in vain.
Seek it in its full extent. Look to Christ for every
thing without exception. Look to him for wisdom.
Even though you be the most learned man on earth
in respect of human sciences,, you must look to him
alone to instruct you in that which is divine. You
must come to him even as a little child, to be taught
of him ; you must in your own apprehension " be a
fool, if you would be truly wise6." If you " lean to
your own understanding," instead of relying upon
the teaching of his Spirit, you will never attain true
saving knowledge. If you would be made wise
unto salvation, " your eyes must be anointed with
the eye-salve which he alone can bestow f." Look to
him also for righteousness. There must be no de
pendence whatever on any thing of your own.
There must be no attempt to blend your own right
eousness with his. You must not even look to any
1 1 Cor. iii. IS. r Rev. iii. 18.
1932.] CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL. 23
attainments of your own, as your warrant to go to
him, or to hope in him : your hope must be founded
wholly on the sufficiency of his atonement, and the
perfection of the righteousness which he wrought out
for you. I do not mean that you are to be remiss in
your obedience ; but you are not to rely upon it. In
point of dependence, your best deeds must be dis
claimed as much as your worst. The fixed and habi
tual sentiment of your heart must be, " God forbid
that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christg." For sanctification also must you look
to him, and that with as much earnestness, as if you
were to be saved by your own works. Whilst I warn
you that your own good works must be renounced in
point of dependence, I would not have you imagine
that you can ever be saved without them : No : I
declare to every living man, that antinomianism is a
horrible delusion, and a damning sin. God has plainly
warned us, that " without holiness no man shall see
the Lord ;" and that " every man who has a scrip
tural hope in Christ, must purify himself even as he
is pureh." Your complete redemption also must be
received from Christ alone. You must " be strong
in the grace that is in Christ Jesus1." It is in his
strength alone that you are to maintain your contest
with your great adversary, for it is he alone that can
" bruise Satan under your feetV And bear in mind,
that no one of these things is to be separated from
another. There must be no harbouring of philo
sophic pride, or of pharisaic self-righteousness, or of
antinomian licentiousness : but the whole of Christ's
benefits must be sought by you, without partiality
and without hypocrisy1."
Next, I would observe, these things must be sought
in their proper order, that is, in the very order in
which they are here proposed. Divine teaching must
be sought in the first instance ; for without that, you
can know nothing either of your own need of Christ,
* Heb. xii. 14. h 1 John iii. 3. ! 2 Tim. ii. 1.
k Rom. xvi. 20. ' Jam. iii. 17-
30 1 CORINTHIANS, I. 30. [1932.
or of his sufficiency. Then you must, as a poor
perishing sinner, look to Christ, to wash you in his
blood, and to clothe you in the unspotted robe of his
righteousness. Then, having obtained a hope of
acceptance through him, you must seek to be " sanc
tified throughout, in body, soul, and spirit." And
further, having obtained a measure of holiness, you
must not be self-confident, but, like the Apostle
Paul, must " keep your body under, and bring it into
subjection, lest after all your high professions, you
prove a cast-away at lastm." To the latest hour of
your life, you must retain the frame recommended by
the Apostle, " Be not high-minded, but fear." " Let
him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he
fall"." And, whilst you acknowledge Christ as " the
author of your faith," you must look to him, and to
him alone, as "the finisher of it0."
Further, seek all these blessings for the only just
and legitimate end, the glory of God. The mind of
all the glorified saints must be your mind. They all
" prostrate themselves before the throne of God, and
cast their crowns at the Saviour's feetp." They are
nothing ; and He is all. This is the true end of all
religion, " that God in all things may be glorified
through Christ Jesus q." An adoring frame of mind
is that which you should cultivate to your dying
hour. Whilst you are in that frame, God, if I may so
speak, is in his place, and you in yours. Even the
angels that never sinned, are all upon their faces
before Godr. Much more should you, who have
never done any thing but sin, and yet have been
redeemed from condemnation by the blood of your
incarnate God. The higher you are exalted by God,
the lower you must lie before him : and the deeper
your sense of your own unworthiness, the more
devoutly will you join in the song of the redeemed,
" To him that loved us and washed us from our sins
in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests
m 1 Cor. ix. '27. " Rom. xi. 20. 1 Cor. x. 12.
0 Heb. xii. "2. i> Rev. iv. 10.
1 1 Pet. iv. 11. r Rev. vii. 11.
1932.] CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL. 31
unto God and the Father, to him be glory and domi
nion for ever and ever. Amen8."
Lastly, seek these blessings with a due confidence
that you shall not seek in vain. Recollect, who were
the persons of whom these things were spoken ? They
were sinners of no common stamp. Such were the
enormities which many of them had committed, that
they seemed to be almost beyond the reach of mercy:
yet of them was it said, " But ye are washed, but ye
are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God1." Let
none then entertain the doubt, ' Shall Christ be made
all this to ME ?' for he shall be so made to every
believing soul ; nor shall the vilest sinner in the uni
verse be suffered to seek God's face in vainu. Only
let the pursuit of these things be your great object in
life (for, what is there that can for a moment be put
in competition with them ?) and there shall not be a
soul amongst us, who shall not be able to say, ' I am
the happy person in whom all this blessedness is
realized ;' ' Of God am I in Christ Jesus, who of God
is made unto ME wisdom, and righteousness, and sanc-
tification, and redemption ; and in him do I glory, yea
and will glory throughout all the ages of eternity.'
May this be the happy experience of us all, for
Christ's sake ! Amen and Amen.
8 Rev. i. 5, 6. l 1 Cor. vi. 9 — 11. u Isai. xlv. 19.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE FOREGOING DISCOURSE.
We should consider in Sacred Scripture what is implied as
well as what is expressed.
So did Christ (Matt. xxii. 32,) and so will we.
I. What is implied.
1. That we are destitute of all good in ourselves —
We are ignorant, guilty, polluted, and enslaved —
2. That we are incapable of attaining it by any power of
our own —
We cannot remove any one of these ; ignorance, guilt,
pollution, or bondage.
1 CORINTHIANS, II. 2. [1933.
What is expressed,
1. That God has treasured up for us in Christ all the
good that we stand in need of —
He is the Vine and we the branches —
2. That he will impart it to every soul that believes in
him —
Do we need wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and
redemption ? He will make Christ all unto us.
Inquire whether He is made all this to YOU.
APPLICATION.
1 . See how entirely salvation is of grace from first to last.
Who gave the Saviour to us ? God alone.
Who gave us to him ? God alone.
Both these things are marked in the text, and must be
marked by us.
2. Seek it altogether in God's appointed way —
In its full extent — omitting none, preferring none —
In its proper order — the precise order stated in the text —
for its only just and legitimate end — God's glory — twice
mentioned.
With full confidence that you shall not seek it in vain —
None can be more unworthy of it than the persons
addressed in the text, 1 Cor. vi. 9 — 11.
MDCCCCXXXIII.
CHRIST CRUCIFIED, OR EVANGELICAL RELIGION DESCRIBED.
1 Cor. ii. 2. / determined not to know any thing among you,
save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
IN different ages of the world it has pleased God
to reveal himself to men in different ways ; some
times by visions, sometimes by voices, sometimes by
suggestions of his Spirit to their minds : but since
the completion of the sacred canon, he has prin
cipally made use of his written word, explained and
enforced by men, whom he has called and qualified
to preach his Gospel ; and though he has not pre
cluded himself from conveying again the knowledge
of his will in any of the former ways, it is through
the written word only that we are now authorized to
expect his gracious instructions. This, whether read
by ourselves or published by his servants, he applies
1933.] EVANGELICAL RELIGION DESCRIBED. 33
to the heart, and makes effectual for the illumination
and salvation of men. It must be confessed, however,
that he chiefly uses the ministry of his servants, whom
he has sent as ambassadors to a guilty world. It was
thus that he conveyed the knowledge of salvation to
the Ethiopian Eunuch, who was reading an interest
ing portion of Isaiah's prophecies. He might have
opened the understanding of this man at once by the
agency of his Spirit ; but he chose rather to send his
servant Philip, to join the chariot, and to explain the
Scripture to him. When the Centurion also had
sought with much diligence and prayer to know the
way of salvation, God did not instruct him by his
Word or Spirit, but informed him where to send for
instruction ; and by a vision removed the scruples of
Peter about going to him ; that so the established
ministry might be honoured, and the Church might
look to their authorized instructors, as the instru
ments whom God would make use of for their edifica
tion and salvation. Thus it is at this time : God is
not confined to means ; but he condescends to employ
the stated ministry of his word for the diffusion of
Divine knowledge : " The priests' lips keep know
ledge ;" and by their diligent discharge of their
ministry is knowledge transmitted and increased.
But this circumstance, so favourable to all classes
of the community, imposes on them a duty of the
utmost importance. If there be a well from which
we are to receive our daily supplies, it becomes us to
ascertain that its waters are salubrious : and, in like
manner, if we are to receive instruction from men,
who are weak and fallible as ourselves, it becomes us
to try their doctrines by the touchstone of the written
word ; and to receive from them those sentiments
only which agree with that unerring standard ; or,
to use the words of an inspired Apostle, we must
" prove all things, and hold fast that which is good."
To preachers also there arises an awful responsi
bility ; for, as the people are " to receive the word at
their mouth," and their " word is to be a savour of
life or of death to all that hear it," it concerns them
VOL. XVI. D
34 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 2. [1933.
to be well assured, that they set before their people
" the sincere unadulterated milk of the word ;" that
in no respect they " corrupt the word of God," or
" handle it deceitfully ; but by manifestation of the
truth commend themselves to every man's conscience
in the sight of Goda."
Hence it appears that we all are deeply interested
in this one question, What is truth ? what is that
truth, which ministers are bound to preach, and
which their people should be anxious to hear ? There
will however be no difficulty in answering this ques
tion, if only we consult the passage before us ; wherein
St. Paul explicitly declares what was the great scope
of his ministry, and the one subject which he laboured
to unfold. He regarded not the subtleties which had
occupied the attention of philosophers ; nor did he
affect that species of knowledge which was in high
repute among men : on the contrary, he studiously
avoided all that gratified the pride of human wisdom,
and determined to adhere simply to one subject, the
crucifixion of Christ for the sins of men: " I came not
unto you," says he, " with excellency of speech or of
wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God :
for I determined not to know any thing among you,
save Jesus Christ and him crucified."
To explain and vindicate this determination of the
Apostle is our intention in this discourse.
I. To explain it —
By preaching Christ crucified, we are not to under
stand that he dwelt continually on the fact or history
of the crucifixion ; for though he speaks of having
" set forth Christ as it were crucified before the eyes"
of the Galatians, and may therefore be supposed
occasionally to have enlarged upon the sufferings of
Christ as the means of exciting gratitude towards
him in their hearts, yet we have no reason to think
that he contented himself with exhibiting to their
view a tragical scene, as though he hoped by that to
a See 2 Cor. ii. 15 — 17. and iv. 2.
1933.] EVANGELICAL RELIGION DESCRIBED. 35
convert their souls : it was the doctrine of the cru
cifixion that he insisted on ; and he opened it to them
in all its bearings and connexions. This he calls
" the preaching of the cross:" and it consisted of such
a representation of " Christ crucified, as was to the
Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolish
ness ; but to the true believer, the power of God and
the wisdom of GodV There were two particular
views in which he invariably spoke of the death of
Christ ; namely, as the ground of our hopes, and as
the motive to our obedience.
In the former of these views, the Apostle not only
asserts, that the death of Christ was the appointed
means of effecting our reconciliation with God, but
that it was the only means by which our reconci
liation could be effected. He represents all, both
Jews and Gentiles, as under sin, and in a state of
guilt and condemnation : he states, that, inasmuch as
we are all condemned by the law, we can never
be justified by the law, but are shut up unto that
way of justification which God has provided for us
in the Gospel0. He asserts, that " God hath set
forth his Son to be a propitiation through faith in
his blood, to declare his righteousness in the remis
sion of sins, that he may be just, and the justifier
of them that believe in Jesus d." He requires all,
Jews as well as Gentiles, to believe in Jesus, in order
to the obtaining of justification by faith in him6:
and so jealous is he of every thing that may interfere
with this doctrine, or be supposed to serve as a joint
ground of our acceptance with God, that he repre
sents the smallest measure of affiance in any thing-
else as actually making void the faith of Christ, and
rendering his death of no avail f. Nay, more, if he
himself, or even an angel from heaven, should ever
be found to propose any other ground of hope to
sinful man, he denounces a curse against him ; and,
lest his denunciation should be overlooked, he repeats
b 1 Cor. i. 23, 24. c Gal. iii. 22, 23. ri Rom. iii. 25, 26.
e Gal. ii. 1.'), Hi. f Gal. v. 2 \.
,30 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 2. [1933.
it with augmented energy ; " As we said before, so
say I now again, If any man preach any other Gospel
unto you than that ye have received, let him be
accursed g."
To the death of Christ he ascribes every blessing
we possess. We are " reconciled to God by the
blood of his cross ;" we are " brought nigh to him,"
" have boldness and access with confidence" even to
his throne ; we " are cleansed by it from all sin ;" yea,
" by his one offering of himself he hath perfected for
ever them that are sanctified." But there is one
passage in particular wherein a multitude of spiritual
blessings are comprised, and all are referred to him
as the true source from whom they flow. The pas
sage we speak of, is in the first chapter to the Ephe-
sians, where, within the space of eleven verses, the
same truth is repeated at least eight or nine times.
In order to enter fully into the force of that passage,
we may conceive of St. Paul as maintaining the
truth in opposition to all its most determined adver
saries, and as labouring to the uttermost to exalt
Christ in the eyes of those who trusted in him : we
may conceive of him, I say, as contending thus:
" Have we been chosen before the foundation of the
world ? it is in Christ. Have we been predestinated
unto the adoption of children ? it is in and by Him.
Are we accepted? it is in the Beloved. Have w7e re
demption, even the forgiveness of sins ? it is in Him,
through his blood. Are all, both in heaven and earth,
gathered together under one Head ? it is in Christ, eveSi
in Him. Have we obtained an inheritance? it is in Him.
Are we sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise ? it is
in Him. Are we blessed with all spiritual blessings ?
it is in Christ Jesus. When the Apostle has laboured
thus to impress our minds with the idea that our
whole salvation is in, and by, the Lord Jesus Christ,
is it not surprising that any one should be ignorant
of it ? Yet we apprehend that many persons, who
have even studied the Holy Scriptures, and read over
this passage a multitude of times, have yet never
* C.al. i. 8, 9.
1933.] EVANGELICAL RELIGION DESCRIBED. 37
seen the force of it, or been led by it to just views of
Christ as the Fountain " in whom all fulness dwells,"
and " from whose fulness we must all receive, even
grace for grace."
But we have observed, that there is another view
in which the Apostle speaks of the death of Christ,
namely, as a motive to our obedience. Strongly as he
enforced the necessity of relying on Christ, and
founding our hopes of salvation solely on his obedi
ence unto death, he was no less earnest in promoting
the interests of holiness. Whilst he represented the
believers as "dead to the law" and "without law,"
he still insisted that they were " under the law to
Christ," and as much bound to obey every tittle of
it as everh : and he enforced obedience to it, in all its
branches, and to the utmost possible extent. More
over, when the doctrines which he had inculcated
were in danger of being abused to licentious pur
poses, he expressed his utter abhorrence of such a
procedure1 ; and declared, that " the grace of God,
which brought salvation, taught them, that denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, they should live right
eously, soberly, and godly in this present world k." A
life of holy obedience is represented by him as the
great object which Christ aimed to produce in all
his people : indeed the very name, Jesus, proclaimed,
that the object of his coming was " To save his
people from their sins." The same was the scope
and end of his death, even to " redeem them from all
iniquity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people
zealous of good works." His resurrection and ascen
sion to heaven had also the same end in view ; for
" therefore he both died, and rose, and revived, that
he might be the Lord both of the dead and living."
Impressed with a sense of these things himself, St.
Paul laboured more abundantly than any of the
Apostles in his holy vocation : he proceeded with a
zeal which nothing could quench, and an ardour
h 1 Cor. ix. 21. Gal. ii. 19. ' Rom. vi. 1, 15.
k Tit. ii. 11. 12.
38 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 2. [1933.
which nothing could damp : privations, labours, im
prisonments, deaths, were of no account in his eyes ;
" none of these things moved him, neither counted
he his life dear unto him, so that he might but finish
his course with joy, and fulfil the ministry that was
committed to him." But what was the principle by
which he was actuated ? He himself tells us, that he
was impelled by a sense of obligation to Christ, for
all that He had done and suffered for him : " the love
of Christ constraineth us," says he ; " because we thus
judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead ;
and that He died for all, that they who live should
not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him
who died for them and rose again1." This is that
principle which he desired to be universally embraced,
and endeavoured to impress on the minds of all :
" We beseech you, brethren," says he, " by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service"1." What mercies he refers to,
we are at no loss to determine ; they are the great
mercies vouchsafed to us in the work of redemption :
for so he says in another place ; " Ye are bought with
a price ; therefore glorify God in your body and in
your spirit, which are hisn."
Now this is the subject which the Apostle compre
hends under the term " Christ crucified :" it consists
of two parts ; first, of affiance in Christ for salvation,
and, next, of obedience to the law for his sake : had
either part of it been taken alone, his views had been
imperfect, and his ministry without success. Had
he neglected to set forth Christ as the only Saviour of
the world, he would have betrayed his trust, and led
his hearers to build their hopes on a foundation of
sand. On the other hand, if he had neglected to
inculcate holiness, and to set forth redeeming love as
the great incentive to obedience, he would have been
justly chargeable with that which has been often
falsely imputed to him, — an antinomian spirit ; and
1 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. m Rom. xii. 1. "1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.
1933.1 EVANGELICAL RELIGION DESCRIBED. 39
his doctrines would have merited the odium which has
most unjustly been cast upon them. But on neither
side did he err : he forgot neither the foundation nor
the superstructure : he distinguished properly be
tween them, and kept each in its place : and hence
with great propriety adopted the determination in
our text.
Having explained his determination, we shall now
proceed,
II. To vindicate it —
It was not from an enthusiastic fondness for one
particular point, but from the fullest conviction of his
mind, that the Apostle adopted this resolution : and
so the word in the original imports ; " I determined,
as the result of my deliberate judgment, to know
nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him cruci
fied : I have made it, and will ever make it, my
theme, my boast, and my song." The reasons why
he insisted on this subject so exclusively, and with
such delight, shall now be stated : — he did so,
1. Because it contained all that he was commissioned
to declare.
" It pleased God to reveal his Son in the Apostle,
that he might preach HIM among the heathen :" and
accordingly St. Paul tells us, that " this grace was
given to him to preach the unsearchable riches of
Christ." This, I say, was his office ; and this too is
the ministry of reconciliation which is committed to
ministers in every age; " to wit, that God was in Christ
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them0." To the Apostles, indeed, the
commission was to " go forth into all the world, and
to preach the Gospel to every creature ;" whereas to
us is assigned, as it were, a more limited sphere : but
the subject of our ministry is the same with theirs : we
have the same dispensation committed unto us ; and
" woe will be unto us, if we preach not the Gospel."
But, as though men needed not to be evangelized
" 2 Cor. v. 18, 19.
10 1 CORINTHIANS, II. '2. [1933.
now, the term evangelical is used as a term of re
proach. We mean not to justify any persons what
soever in using unnecessary terms of distinction,
more especially if it be with a view to depreciate
others, and to aggrandize themselves : but still the
distinctions which are made in Scripture must be
made by us ; else for what end has God himself
made them ? Now it cannot be denied, that the
Apostle characterizes the great subject of his ministry
as the Gospel ; nor can it be denied that he com
plains of some teachers in the Galatian Church as
introducing another Gospel, which was not the true
Gospel, but a perversion of itp. Here then he lays
down the distinction between doctrines which are
truly evangelical, and others which have no just title
to that name. Of course, wherever the same differ
ence exists between the doctrines maintained, the
same terms must be proper to distinguish them ; and
a just view of those distinctions is necessary, in order
to our being guarded against error, and established
in the truth.
But we beg to be clearly understood in reference
to this matter. It is not our design to enter into any
dispute about the use of a term, or to vindicate any
particular party ; but merely to state, with all the
clearness we can, a subject, about which every one
ought to have the most accurate and precise ideas.
We have seen what was the great subject of the
Apostle's preaching, and which he emphatically and
exclusively called the Gospel: and if only we attend
to what he has spoken in the text, we shall see what
really constitutes evangelical preaching. The subject
of it must be " Christ crucified ;" that is, Christ must
be set forth as the only foundation of a sinner's hope :
and holiness in all its branches must be enforced ;
but a sense of Christ's love in dying for us must be
inculcated, as the main-spring and motive of all our
obedience. The manner of setting forth this doctrine
must also accord with that of the Apostle in the text:
P Gal. i. 6, 7.
1933.] EVANGELICAL RELIGION DESCRIBED. 41
the importance of the doctrine must be so felt, as to
make us determine never to know any thing else,
either for the salvation of our own souls, or for the
subject of our public ministrations. Viewing its
transcendent excellency, we must rejoice and glory
in it ourselves, and shew forth its fruits in a life of
entire devotedness to God : we must call upon our
hearers also to rejoice and glory in it, and to display
its sanctifying effects in the whole of their life and
conversation. Thus to preach, and thus to live,
would characterize a person, and his ministry, as
evangelical, in the eyes of the Apostle : whereas in
difference to this doctrine, or a corruption of it, either
by a self-righteous or antinomian mixture, would
render both the person and his ministry obnoxious to
his censure, according to the degree in which such
indifference, or such a mixture, prevailed. We do
not mean to say, that there are not different degrees
of clearness in the views and ministry of different
persons, or that none are accepted of God, or useful
in the Church, unless they come up to such a precise
standard ; — nor do we confine the term evangelical
to those who lean to this or that particular system,
as some are apt to imagine : — but this we say, that,
in proportion as any persons, in their spirit and in
their preaching, accord with the example in the text,
they are properly denominated evangelical; and that,
in proportion as they recede from this pattern, their
claim to this title is dubious or void.
Now when we ask, What is there in this whicli
every minister ought not to preach, and every Chris
tian to feel ? Is there any thing in this enthusiastic ?
any thing sectarian ? any thing uncharitable ? any
thing worthy of reproach ? Is the Apostle's example
in the text so absurd, as to make an imitation of him
blame-worthy, and a conformity to him contemptible?
Or, if a scoffing and ungodly world will make the
glorying in the cross of Christ a subject of reproach,
ought any who are reproached by them to abandon
t he Gospel for fear of being called evangelical ? Ought
they not rather, like the Apostles, " to rejoice that
42 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 2. [1933.
they are counted worthy to suffer shame, if shame it
be, for Christ's sake ?" The fact is indisputable, that
the Apostle's commission was to preach Christ cruci
fied ; — to preach, I say, that chiefly, that constantly,
that exclusively: and therefore he was justified in his
determination to " know nothing else :" consequently,
to adopt that same resolution is our wisdom also,
whether it be in reference to our own salvation, or to
the subject of our ministrations in the Church of God.
We now proceed to a second reason for the Apostle's
determination. He determined to know nothing but
Christ and him crucified, — because it contained all that,
could conduce to the happiness of man. There are other
things which may amuse ; but there is nothing else
that can contribute to man's real happiness. Place
him in a situation of great distress ; let him be bowed
down under a sense of sin ; let him be oppressed with
any great calamity ; or let him be brought by sick
ness to the borders of the grave ; — there is nothing
that will satisfy his mind, but a view of this glorious
subject. Tell him of his good works ; and he feels
a doubt, (a doubt which no human being can resolve,)
what is that precise measure of good works which
will ensure eternal happiness : tell him of repentance,
and of Christ supplying his deficiencies ; and he will
still be at a loss to ascertain whether he has attained
that measure of penitence or of goodness, which is
necessary to answer the demands of God. But speak
to him of Christ as dying for the sins of men, as
" casting out none that come unto him," as " purging
us by his blood from all sin," and as clothing us with
his own unspotted righteousness ; yea, as making his
own grace to abound, not only where sin has abounded,
but infinitely beyond our most abounding iniquities'1 ;
set forth to him thus the freeness and sufficiency of
the Gospel salvation, and he wants nothing else : he
feels that Christ is " a Rock, a sure Foundation;" and
on that he builds without fear, assured that " whoso
ever believeth in Christ shall not be confounded."
9 Rom. v. 20, 21.
1933. J EVANGELICAL RELIGION DESCRIBED. 43
He hears the Saviour saying, " This is life eternal,
to know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom thou hast sent ;" and having attained that
knowledge, he trusts that the word of Christ shall
be fulfilled to him : he already exults in the language
of the Apostle, " Who is he that condemneth ? it is
Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who
is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for usr."
But if a sense of guilt afflict some, a want of victory
over their in-dwelling corruptions distresses others :
and to them also the doctrine of Christ crucified
administers the only effectual relief. The conside
ration of eternal rewards and punishments affords
indeed a powerful incentive to exertion ; but efforts
springing from those motives only, will always savour
of constraint ; they will never be ingenuous, hearty,
affectionate, unreserved. But let a sense of redeeming
love occupy the soul, and the heart becomes en
larged, and " the feet are set at liberty to run the way
of God's commandments " We say not that every
person who professes to have experienced the love
of Christ, will always walk consistently with that
profession ; for there were falls and offences not only
in the apostolic age, but even among the Apostles
themselves : but this we say, that there is no other
principle in the universe so powerful as the love of
Christ ; that whilst that principle is in action, no
commandment will ever be considered as grievous ;
the yoke of Christ in every thing will be easy, and his
burden light ; yea, the service of God will be perfect
freedom ; and the labour of our souls will be to
" stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."
This the Apostle found in his own experience ; and
this he found to be the effect of his ministry on the
hearts of thousands. What then could he wish for
in addition to this ? Where this principle was in
efficacious, nothing was effectual ; and where this
was effectual, nothing else was wanted : no wonder
r Rom. viii. 34.
44 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 2. [1933.
then that he determined to insist on this subject, and
nothing else ; since, whether in the removing of guilt
from the conscience, or of corruption from the soul,
nothing could bear any comparison with this.
Further, He determined to know nothing but this
subject, — because nothing could be added to it without
weakening or destroying its efficacy. The subject of
Christ crucified may, as we have before observed, be
considered as consisting of two parts, — a foundation,
and a superstructure. Now St. Paul declares, that
if any thing whatever be added to that foundation, it
will make void the whole Gospel. If any thing could
have been found which might safely have been added
to it, we might suppose that the rite of circumcision
might have claimed that honour, because it was of
God's special appointment, and had had so great a
stress laid upon it by God himself: but St. Paul says
in reference to that rite, that if any person should
submit to it with a view to confirm his interest in the
Gospel, " Christ should profit him nothing :" such a
person would have " fallen from grace," as much as
if he had renounced the Gospel altogether. Again,
if any person, who had the foundation rightly laid
within him, should build upon it any thing but the
pure, the simple, the essential duties of religion, " his
work should be burnt up as wood or stubble ;" and
though he should not entirely lose heaven, he should
lose much of his happiness there, and be saved only
like one snatched out of the devouring flames. With
such a view of the subject, what inducement could
the Apostle have to add any thing to it ?
But the Apostle speaks yet more strongly respect
ing this. He tells us, not only that the adulterating
of the subject by any base mixture will destroy its
efficacy, but that even an artificial statement of the
truth will make it of none effect. God is exceedingly
jealous of the honour of his Gospel : if it be plainly
and simply stated he will work by it, and make it
effectual to the salvation of men ; but if it be set
forth with all the ornaments of human eloquence, and
stated in " the words which man's wisdom teachcth/'
1933.] EVANGELICAL RELIGION DESCRIBED. 45
he will not work by it ; because he would have " our
faith to stand, not in the wisdom of men, but in the
power of God." Hence St. Paul, though eminently
qualified to set it forth with all the charms of oratory,
purposely laid aside " all excellency of speech or of
wisdom in declaring the testimony of God," and
" used all plainness of speech," lest by dressing up
the truth " in the enticing words of man's wisdom, he
should make the cross of Christ of none effect8."
Further vindication than this is unnecessary : for,
if this subject contained all that he was commissioned
to declare ; if it contained all that could conduce to
the happiness of man ; and if nothing could be added
to it without weakening or destroying its efficacy ;
he must have consented to defeat the ends of his
ministry altogether, if he had not adopted and main
tained the resolution in the text.
If then these things be so, we may venture to found
upon them the following ADVICE—
First, Let us take care that we know Christ cru
cified—
Many, because they are born and educated in a
Christian land, are ready to take for granted that they
are instructed in this glorious subject : but there is
almost as much ignorance of it prevailing amongst
Christians as amongst the heathen themselves. The
name of Christ indeed is known, and he is compli
mented by us with the name of Saviour; but the
nature of his office, the extent of his work, and the
excellency of his salvation, are known to few. Let
not this be considered as a rash assertion : for we
will appeal to the consciences of all ; Do we find that
the Apostle's views of Christ are common ? Do we
find many so filled with admiring and adoring thoughts
of this mystery, as to count all things but loss for the
excellency of the knowledge of it ; and to say, like
him, " God forbid that I should glory, save in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ?" On the contrary,
s 1 Cor. i. 17. and ii. 1,4, 5.
40 1 CORINTHIANS, II. & [1933.
do we not find that there is an almost universal jea
lousy on the subject of the Gospel, that those who
most labour to tread in the Apostle's steps, are often
most branded with opprobrious names ? Do we not
find that his views of the Gospel are calumniated
now, precisely as they were in the days of the Apostle
himself? Verily, we should be glad to be found false
witnesses in relation to these things ; and would most
joyfully retract our assertions, if it could be shewn
that they are not founded in truth. We do hope
however that there is an increasing love to the Gospel
pervading the whole land ; and I pray God it may
prevail more and more, and be embraced by every
one of us, not superficially, partially, theoretically,
but clearly, fully, practically.
Secondly, Let us adopt the Apostle's determination
for ourselves —
Doubtless, as men and members of society, there are
many other things which we are concerned to know.
Whatever be our office in life, we ought to be well
acquainted with it, in order that we may perform its
duties to the advantage of ourselves and others ; and
we would most particularly be understood to say,
that the time that is destined for the acquisition of
useful knowledge, ought to be diligently and con
scientiously employed. But, as Christians, we have
one object of pursuit, which deserves all our care and
all our labour : yes, we may all with great propriety
determine to know nothing but Christ and him cru
cified. This is the subject which even " the angels
in heaven are ever desiring to look into," and which
we may investigate for our whole lives, and yet leave
depths and heights unfathomed and unknown. St.
Paul, after preaching Christ for twenty years, did not
conceive himself yet awhile to have attained all that
he might, and therefore still desired to know Christ
more and more, " in the power of his resurrection,
and in the fellowship of his sufferings." This there
fore we may well desire, and count all things but loss
in comparison of it.
1933.] EVANGELICAL RELIGION DESCRIBED. 47
Lastly, Let us make manifest the wisdom of our de
termination by the holiness of our lives.
The doctrine of Christ crucified ever did, and ever
will appear " foolishness " in the eyes of ungodly
men ; so that, if it be preached by an Apostle him
self, he shall be accounted by them a babbler and
deceiver. But there is one way of displaying its
excellency open to us, a way in which we may effec
tually " put to silence the ignorance of foolish men ;"
namely, " by well-doing ;" that is, by shewing the
sanctifying and transforming efficacy of this doctrine.
St. Paul tells us, that " by the cross of Christ the
world was crucified unto him, and he unto the
world* :" and such is the effect that it should produce
on us : we should shew that we are men of another
world, and men too of " a more excellent spirit :" we
should shew the fruits of our faith in every relation of
life : and, in so doing, we may hope to " win by our
good conversation" many, who would never have
submitted to the preached word.
But we must never forget where our strength is,
or on whose aid we must entirely rely. The Prophet
Isaiah reminds us of this ; " Surely shall one say,
In the Lord have I righteousness and strength :" and
our Lord himself plainly tells us, that " without him
we can do nothing." Since then " we have no suf
ficiency in ourselves to help ourselves," and God has
" laid help for us upon One that is mighty," let us
" live by faith on the Son of God," " receiving daily
out of his fulness that grace" that shall be " sufficient
for us." Let us bear in mind, that this is a very
principal part of the knowledge of Christ crucified :
for, as " all our fresh springs are in Christ," so must
we look continually to him for " the supplies of his
Spirit," and " have him for our wisdom, our right
eousness, our sanctification, and redemption."
* Gal. vi. 14.
18 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 3. [1934.
MDCCCCXXXIV.
THE FEELINGS OF A FAITHFUL MINISTER.
1 Cor. ii. 3. I ivas with you in weakness, and in fear, and in
much trembling.
THERE was one subject on which St. Paul de
lighted chiefly to expatiate, which was, " Christ
crucified ;" a subject which to the Jews was a stum
bling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness. The mode
on which he insisted upon it, contributed to render
it yet more distasteful to the philosophic reasoners of
Greece and Rome : he laid aside all needless parade
of wisdom, and all adventitious ornaments of rhetoric,
and plainly declared the fact, that Christ was cru
cified for the sins of men. This he did, not because
he was not able to express himself agreeably to the
taste of men of learning, but because he was anxious
" that the faith" of all who received the Gospel
" should stand, not in the wisdom of men, but in the
power of God," accompanying a simple statement of
the truth. It is probable, too, that somewhat in his
speech and external form contributed to render him
base and contemptible in the eyes of manya. In
addition to all this, the hostility of his enemies was
most bitter, so that they sought by all possible means
to destroy him. These diversified trials he sustained
for the most part with great fortitude : but it seems
that at Corinth his courage was in some degree
shaken ; for our blessed Lord, in order to comfort
and encourage him, appeared to him in a vision, and
bade him not be afraid, for that he would suffer none
in that place to hurt himb. To this state of mind he
most probably alludes in the words before us, de
claring, that, partly by his " fightings without and
fears within," he had been " among them in weak
ness, and fear, and much trembling." But we must
not confine the words to this sense : there can be no
doubt but that he had many other sources of inward
a 2 Cor. x. 1, 10. Gal. iv. 13. >J Acts xviii. 9, 10.
1934.] FEELINGS OF A FAITHFUL MINISTER. 49
trial, such as are common to all who execute the minis
terial office. What these are, and what corresponding
feelings they call for amongst a believing people, it is
our present intention to inquire.
We will shew,
I. The feelings experienced by a faithful minister-
However light many think of the ministerial office,
it is a situation of great difficulty, insomuch that there
is not any truly faithful minister who does not find
the expressions in our text exactly descriptive of his
own feelings.
To the frame of mind here spoken of, he will of
necessity be led,
1. From a view of the vast importance of his
work—
[A minister is an ambassador from the court of heaven,
empowered to declare to men the terms on which a reconci
liation may be effected between God and them, and on which
they who are now objects of God's righteous indignation may
become monuments of his love and favour. A man who has
the fate of an empire depending on him, sustains an arduous
office : but all the empires upon earth are not of equal value
with one soul. What a weight then has he upon him, who
undertakes to negociate a treaty between God and man, — a
treaty, on the acceptance or rejection of which the everlasting
salvation of hundreds, and perhaps of thousands, depends !
Methinks this were an office for an angel, rather than a poor
worm like ourselves : yet is it devolved on us : and every one
who is able to estimate its importance, and desires to execute
it with success, must needs execute it " in weakness, and in
fear, and in much trembling."]
2. From a sense of his own insufficiency to per
form it-
fin one who would perform this office aright, there ought
to be a combination of all that is good and great. There need
not indeed be the same kind of knowledge, or the same species
of talent as would be necessary for a person entrusted with the
political interests of men: but there should be a deep insight
into the great mystery of redemption ; a comprehensive view
of it, as founded in the necessities of our fallen nature, and
adapted to all our wants. There should be an ability to bring
forth out of the inexhaustible stores that are contained in the
sacred volume, whatever is best fitted for the establishment
VOL. XVI. E
5<) 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 3. [1934.
of sound doctrine and the refutation of error, as also for the
correction of every thing that is wrong in practice, and the
promotion of universal righteousness0: he should be " a scribe
well instructed unto the kingdom of God," and able to meet
every case with suitable instruction. He should also be endued
with such grace, as to exemplify in his own spirit and conduct
all that he teaches to others ; being " an example to believers
in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in
purity"1." But, as St. Paul himself says, " Who is sufficient
for these things?" Who that has any consciousness of his
own ignorance and sinfulness, does not tremble at the idea of
his own utter inadequacy to the work assigned him ?]
3. From a consideration of his own awful respon
sibility —
[We are constituted watchmen to the house of Israel; and
are warned beforehand, that if any soul shall perish through
our neglect, his " blood shall be required at our hand6 :" and
on this account we are told to " watch for souls, as those who
must give account f." But who can reflect on this, and not
tremble ? It is an awful thought, that we must every one of
us answer for ourselves: but how much more, that we must
give an account of the hundreds and thousands that are com
mitted to our charge ! Verily, if there were not a God of
infinite mercy to pity our weakness and to pardon our defects,
1 know not who would dare to undertake the office. When
ever we hear the bell announcing the death or funeral of one
that was under our care, we are constrained to ask, What was
the state of that soul ? Did I do all that I could for him whilst
he was alive ? Can I say as before God, that " I am pure
from his blood ? " Ah, brethren ! this is sometimes a heavy
load upon the mind ; for, of all the people upon the face of
the earth, the man \vho most stands in need of superabounding
grace and mercy, is he who has the care of souls committed to
him : and the minister that does not tremble at this thought,
has, above all men in the world, the most need to tremble.]
4. From an apprehension lest his labour should
after all be in vain—
[The labours of Jesus himself, and of all his Apostles,
were, with respect to the great mass of their hearers, in vain :
no wonder, therefore, that it is so with respect to us. And
what a distressing thought is this, that we eventually increase
the guilt and condemnation of vast multitudes, over whom we
have wept, and for whose salvation we have laboured ! The
c 2 Tim. iii. Hi. a 1 Tim. iv. 12.
c K/rk. xxxiii. 6 — 8. f Heb. xiii. 17.
1934.] FEELINGS OF A FAITHFUL MINISTER. 51
word which we preach to them, if it be not " a savour of life
unto life, becomes to them a savour of death unto death6."
If we had not laboured among them, " they would not, com
paratively, have had sin : but now they have no cloak for their
sin'1:" the more they are, like Capernaum, exalted in their
privileges, the more deeply will they be cast down into hell for
their abuse of them1. Who that has a spark of compassion
in his soul, can look around him on the multitudes who have
hitherto withstood his efforts for their good, and not weep over
them ? Who, when he reflects, that, with respect to many,
his commission will prove only like that delegated to Isaiah,
" Go, and make the heart of this people fat, and their ears
heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and
hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and
convert, and be healed k ;" who, I say, can reflect on this, and
not be "in weakness, and fear, and much trembling;" more
especially when he considers how much the failure may have
been owing to his own deficiencies ?
Such then are, and ought to be, the feelings of all who
have learned to estimate aright the difficulties and dangers of
the ministerial office.]
Corresponding with these are,
II. The feelings called for in a believing people—
These, it is true, are not expressly mentioned in
our text ; but they are so closely connected with the
foregoing subject, that we must on no account omit
to notice them.
Two things are evidently CALLED FOR on the part of
those who are blessed with such a minister :
1. A reciprocal concern for his welfare—
[Whilst he is thus " travailing, as it were, in birth with
them," they should be deeply concerned for him, and study
by all possible means to strengthen his hands and to comfort
his heart. They should co-operate with him in every labour
of love ; they should, as far as their influence extends, endea
vour to confirm his word, and to advance his work. In their
own families, especially, they should be labourers together with
him. Above all, they should assist him daily with their prayers.
How often does the Apostle say, "Brethren, pray for us1!"
yea, with what extreme earnestness did he entreat this succour
from the Church at Rome ; " 1 beseech you, brethren, for the
R 2 Cor. ii. 10. h John xv. 22. j Matt. xi. 22—24.
k Isai. vi !). 10. ' 1 Thcss. v. 2f>. Hob. xiii. 18.
52 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 3. [1934.
Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that
ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me™!"
To this he confidently looked, as to an infallible source of
blessings to his own soul", and of success to his ministerial
exertions0! This therefore is the duty of every one, in return
for those efforts which his minister is using for his good. In
tercession is an ordinance of God; and is replete with benefit
invariably to those who use it, and most generally to those in
whose behalf it is used. Docs your minister then stand in
need of wisdom, of zeal, of patience, of love, of all manner of
gracious communications? be instant in prayer for him, that
he may receive from the fulness that is in Christ all seasonable
and necessary supplies. Without such co-operation on your
part he can scarcely hope to bear up under the pressure of the
load that is laid upon him. He is ready at times to complain,
as Moses did under the weight that had been laid upon him :
" Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant ? and wherefore
have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the
burthen of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all
this people ? Have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say
unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth
the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their
fathers? I am not able to bear all this people alone, because
it is too heavy for me1'." Learn then, brethren, to sympathize
with him ; and " labour fervently and without ceasing in prayer
to God for him, that he may be enabled to stand perfect and
complete in all the will of Godq."]
2. An anxious desire to answer the end of his
exertions—
[Is a minister thus deeply exercised for his people's good,
and should not they be anxious for their own ? Is he harassed
with unremitting solicitude, and should they be sitting in a
state of indifference? Know, brethren, that the very circum
stance of God's having set apart an order of men to labour
for your souls, is a very abundant proof that your souls are of
an inestimable value, and that all the anxiety you can feel is
less than they call lor at your hands. Do but consider, that
every moment you are ripening either for heaven or for hell ;
every action, every word, and every thought, is enhancing either
your happiness or misery for ever. More particularly are you
responsible for all the means of grace which you enjoy, and for
all the efforts which are used for your salvation. Should not
this thought fill you with fear and trembling, more especially
»' Rom. xv. 30. " Phil i. 19.
" 2 Cor. i. 11. Eph. vi. 18, 10. i> Numb. xi. 11, 12, 14.
•i Col. iv. 12.
1935.1 APOSTOLIC PREACHING. 53
when you look back upon the opportunities which you have
neglected to improve ? Have you no reason to fear, lest he
who seeks your eternal welfare, and longs above all things
to have you as his "joy and crown of rejoicing in the last day,"
should, after all, be a swift witness against you to your ever
lasting confusion? Begin then, if you have not yet begun, to
cherish this salutary fear. Remember, what his object is ;
and then inquire, whether that object have been attained in
you. It is not to an approbation of his ministry, or to a mere
profession of the truth, that he wishes to convert you, but to
a cordial acceptance of the Gospel salvation, and an entire
surrender of your souls to God. Less than this will not answer
the ends of his ministry, or bring any substantial blessing on
your own souls. I pray you, examine well how far this good
work has been wrought within you ; and learn to " work out
your salvation with fear and trembling." We do not mean
that you should be kept in a state of slavish fear : for the very
scope and intent of the Gospel is to " cast out all such fear as
hath torment." It is & filial fear that we recommend to you;
and it is a filial fear that we would cultivate ourselves : but
the more that abounds in ministers and people, the more will
the work of God flourish among them, and God himself be
glorified in the midst of them.]
MDCCCCXXXV.
APOSTOLIC PREACHING.
1 Cor. ii. 4, 5. My speech and my preaching was not ivith en
ticing words of mans wisdom, but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of 'power : that your faith should not stand in the
wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
IN the education of persons for the ministry, it is
justly thought that all possible attention should be
paid to the attainment of whatever may render them
eminent in their profession, and useful in the Church
of God. Yet it may well be doubted whether a proper
distinction be made between the acquisition of know
ledge and the use of it. A man cannot acquire too
much ; but he may use his knowledge unprofitably,
and even injuriously, in the discharge of his holy
calling. There is, in the truths which he has to
deliver, a dignity, which would be obscured by the
artificial ornaments of human oratory. Hence St.
Paul, even when at Corinth, where human eloquence
51 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 1, 5. [1935.
was in high request, forbore to comply with, the pre
vailing taste, lest, by yielding to it, " he should make
the cross of Christ of none effect a." Nor did he
apologize for this departure from their established
usages : on the contrary, he vindicates it, and assigns
what they could not but acknowledge to be an abun
dantly sufficient reason for his conduct.
That we may not lose the benefit of his example,
I will enter more particularly into the consideration
of it ; and shew,
I. How St. Paul conducted himself in his pastoral
office-
It is evident that he here contrasts his own con
duct with that of their most celebrated instructors,
whom they were wont to admire. The philosophers,
whom they had followed, were fond of displaying the
profoundness of their own wisdom, and the extent of
their own researches : and they were admired in pro
portion as they were able to maintain their theories
with logical subtlety and plausible argumentation.
Their great orators, too, to whom they had been
wont to listen with delight, had filled their discourses
with all the flowers of rhetoric, that, by pleasing the
imagination of their hearers, they might suspend the
severer exercises of judgment, and persuade beyond
the just impulse of deliberate conviction. But to
none of these artifices would the Apostle condescend.
He conducted his ministrations with the utmost
simplicity—
[He was himself a man of great talent : having been edu
cated under the most celebrated teacher, and made a pro
ficiency in knowledge beyond most of his fellow-students ; so
that, if he had judged it expedient, he could have moved with
celebrity in tiie path which the most distinguished philoso
phers had trod. But he disdained to seek his own glory in
the discharge of his sacred office : he therefore would have
nothing to do with " the enticing words of man's wisdom."
He had received a message, which he was anxious to deliver;
and, in delivering it, " lie used great plainness of speech." He
1935. J APOSTOLIC PREACHING. 55
looked not to the powers of language, to impress the minds of
his hearers, but to the Spirit of the living God ; whose energy
needed no artificial aid, and whose power was amply sufficient
to carry conviction to the soul. He was taught to expect from
God such attestations to his word. He was enabled, indeed,
to confirm his word with signs and miracles : but it was to the
mighty working of the Spirit of God upon the souls of men
that he chiefly looked ; and, in dependence upon that, he
laboured both in public and in private. " His speech," when
conversing with individuals, and " his preaching" before assem
bled thousands, were both of the same character. To make
known the mystery of redemption through our incarnate God
was the office committed to him : and he determined to exe
cute it with all simplicity of mind ; " knowing nothing amongst
his people but Jesus Christ, and him crucified."]
In this he had respect to the best interests of
mankind —
[The very aim of the principal philosophers was to esta
blish dogmas of their own, which were to be received by their
followers as characteristic of the sect to which they belonged.
But St. Paul would not have the faith of his hearers to stand
on the dictates of human wisdom. The word was God's : the
power that alone could make it effectual was God's : nor could
it be of any real service to the souls of men, any further than
it was applied with power from on high. However the people
might accede to it as a truth, that they were corrupt and help
less creatures, they could not feel it aright, unless they were
taught it by God himself. And, however they might be per
suaded that Jesus Christ was the Saviour of the world, they
could not believe in him to the salvation of their own souls,
unless that faith should be wrought in them by the Holy
Ghost. In like manner, every truth of Christianity must be
experimentally received, and divinely communicated : and
therefore the Apostle would not run the risk of having any
of its efficacy imputed to his statements : he would have the
faith of all its adherents to be purely and undeniably the off
spring of a divine power ; so that God alone might be glorified
in every believing soul.]
Such was the character of St. Paul's ministry. Let
me now suggest,
II. The hints which we may derive from it in the
relation in which we stand—
If St. Paul was an example to us as a Christian, he
was not less so as a Minister. Now, from his mode
of ministering, some important hints arise,
5G 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 4,5. [1935.
1. To those who preach—
[We have the very same message to deliver as that which
was committed to the Apostle Paul. And, though we cannot
hope, like him, to have our word confirmed with miracles, we
may hope that it shall be accompanied with power from on
high, to the conviction and consolation of those who hear us.
On us, therefore, the same obligation lies, to wave the use of
all rhetorical ornaments, and of artificial statements that
savour of human wisdom ; and to look to the influences of the
Holy Spirit to render our word effectual for the good of men.
The same holy watchfulness should be found in us respecting
the honour of God in the work of man's salvation. Were our
talents ever so great, we ought to deem the exercise of them,
in dispensing the Gospel, a matter of extreme care and jea
lousy. I mean not that they are to be laid aside ; for they
may be employed to good purpose : but they are not to be
employed for the purpose of display, or to exalt our own
wisdom : they must be improved only for the purpose of un
folding more clearly the great mysteries of the Gospel, and
of rendering them more intelligible to the meanest capacity.
The object which we should ever keep in view should be, to
have our word accompanied with a divine unction to the souls
of men, and to see faith wrought in their hearts with a divine
power.]
2. To those who hear—
[The same simplicity of mind as befits your minister, be
comes you also. You should not wish for displays of oratory,
or affect that preaching which savours of human wisdom : you
should desire only " the sincere milk of the word, that you may
grow thereby." You should be on your guard against adopt
ing the Shibboleth of a party, or the dogmas of any particular
sect : beware, too, of becoming followers of Paul, or Apollos,
or Cephas, as your own carnal prejudices may incline you :
you must receive the truth as little children ; and embrace it,
" not as the word of man, but as the word of God." If rightly
ministered, the Gospel will " be declared to you as the testi
mony of God" respecting his dear Sonb. Now, a testimony
is not received on account of the figures with which it is em
bellished, but on account of its intrinsic importance, and the
veracity of him by whom it is borne : and in this precise way
must you receive the testimony of God, who says, that " He
has given us eternal life, and that this life is in his Son ; and
that he who hath the Son, hath life ; and he who hath not the
Son of God, hath not lifec." To know this truth, to feel its
importance, to taste its sweetness, and to experience its sanc-
b ver. 1. «• 1 John v. 11, 12.
1936.] WISDOM OF THE GOSPEL. 57
tifying and saving efficacy, this must be your end in attending
on the ministry ; and, in comparison of this, all gratifications
resulting from a display of human wisdom ought to be lighter
than vanity itself.]
In CONCLUSION, let me recommend to you,
1. That you form a right judgment respecting
spirtual edification—
[There is scarcely any subject on which the Christian
world are more in error than this. If persons are pleased with
the talents of a preacher, they are ready to suppose that they
are edified : but real edification consists in our being more
humbled, more quickened, more strengthened in the service of
our God : and whatever produces not these effects, however it
may please us, is only as a musical exhibition, which leaves
us as carnal and corrupt as we were before d.]
2. That you seek edification in the way in which
alone it can be obtained —
[God alone can work it in the soul: " Though Paul
should plant, or Apollos water, it is God alone that can give
the increase6." You must cry to God for the gift of his Holy
Spirit ; and beg that " the word may come to you, not in
word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much
assurance f." To Him you must look in prayer, before you come
up hither ; and whilst you are hearing the word ; and when you
go hence : then may you hope that the word shall be clothed
with energy, and prove " The power of God to the salvation
of your souls."]
d Ezek. xxxiii. 31, 32. e 1 Cor. iii. 5—7. f 1 Thess. i. 5.
MDCCCCXXXVI.
WISDOM OF THE GOSPEL.
1 Cor. ii. 6. We speak wisdom among them that are perfect.
THESE words appear, at first sight, to have an air
of conceit and arrogance : and, if uttered by an un
inspired man in reference to lucubrations of his own,
they might perhaps be not unjustly condemned, as
betraying in the speaker, and generating in the
hearers, the unhallowed feelings of pride and self-
sufficiency. But, as spoken by the holy Apostle,
58 1 CORINTHIANS, 11. 0. [1930.
they are open to no such unfavourable construction.
If we were to understand by them, that the Apostle
held one doctrine amongst those who were initiated
into the secrets of his mind, and another amongst his
less-instructed disciples, we could by no means justify
him in such a conduct ; for he would then resemble
those philosophers of old, who, in private, exposed
the fallacy of popular errors, which in their public
discourses they upheld and sanctioned. This the
Apostle never did. If he brought some things to the
view of his more enlightened followers, which he for
bore to state to others, it was not from any doubt of
the truth of the sentiments which he concealed, or
from any fear of incurring the^ displeasure of men by
the promulgation of them; but only from a conde
scension to the weakness of those whose organs of
vision were not capable of sustaining the flood of
light which he was able to pour upon them. From
such motives he certainly did, on many occasions,
withhold truths from those who were unable to bear
them, and content himself with administering milk to
those who were incapable of digesting strong meata.
But this is not the import of the passage before us.
The simple meaning of it is, that whilst the great
subject of his ministrations was by many of his
hearers regarded as " foolishness," it was, in the eyes
of those who properly understood it, " wisdom."
His words will naturally lead me to shew,
I. What the true character of the Gospel is—
The Gospel which the Apostle preached was, sal
vation through a crucified Redeemer: " I determined,"
says he, " to know nothing among you, save Jesus
Christ, and him crucified."
Now this, whatever an ignorant and ungodly world
may say of it, is " wisdom."
It is indeed a " hidden" wisdom—
[It was hid from all eternity in the bosom of the Father :
nor had the first Archangel any conception of it, till it was
* 1 Cor. iii. 1, 2. Heb. v. 11 — H.
1936.] WISDOM OF THE GOSPEL. 59
revealed to man in Paradise : and all the knowledge which is
at this very hour possessed by the Principalities and Powers of
heaven respecting it, is derived to them through the progres
sive revelation made of it to the Church by the Prophets and
Apostles of succeeding ages b. Even under the Mosaic dispen
sation it was for the most part " hidden :" because the types
and ceremonies, by which it was adumbrated, cast so thick a
veil over it, that it could scarcely be discerned at all ; and the
very prophets who foretold it were unable to unravel the mys
teries which they proclaimed to usc. The things which it
unfolds to our view are perfectly different from any thing that
ever entered into the minds of uninspired mend: and at this
moment are they " hidden from the wise and prudent, even
whilst they are revealed unto babes6."]
But in it is contained the " manifold" wisdom of
Godf—
[It was " ordained of God before the world, for our glory,"
even for the salvation of our souls. And in this " great mys
tery g" we may behold his inventive wisdom, his administrative
wisdom, his effective wisdom.
No finite intelligence could have conceived such a plan of
rescuing from perdition our fallen race, without dishonouring
that law which we had violated, and suspending the sentence
which justice had denounced. He alone, " whose understand
ing is unsearchable," was capable of devising a plan whereby
the offence might be punished, and the offender saved.
But how shall this plan be executed ? If it be not made
known, none can avail themselves of it : and if it be known, it
can never be carried into effect : for who would ever dare to
lay his hands upon his incarnate God, and inflict on him the
things which he was doomed to bear? The Apostle himself
tells us, that " if the princes of this world had known what
they were doing, they would not have crucified the Lord of
Glory h." And, now that the plan is executed, how shall the
benefits of it be so imparted, that, whilst no room is left for
any man to glory, the sovereignty of God shall not supersede,
or in any degree interfere with, the free agency of man ? Who
but God could divine this ?
Again : shall any thing be left to chance ? Shall it be un
certain whether, after all, God's ends shall be attained ? No :
man shall have the benefit; and God the glory. God will
" give a people to his Son, whom he shall have for an inherit
ance'." "A seed shall serve himk:" and, however far off they
b Eph. iii. 9, 10. c 1 Pet. i. 10—12. d ver. 9.
e Matt. xi. 25, 26. f Note b. e ver. 7. with 1 Tim. iii. 1C.
h ver. 8. » Ps. ii. 8. K Ps. xxii. 30.
60 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 6. [1936.
may be, God will apprehend them, and bring them to his Son1,
and " keep them unto the end," and " perfect in them the
good work he has begun"1." Of those whom from eternity he
has given to his Son, " not one shall be lost11," " not one be
ever plucked out of his hands0." At the same time, all his own
perfections shall be glorified; justice in punishing the offence,
and mercy in pardoning the offender: yea, mercy shall be the
more magnified, because it is exercised in away of justice; and
justice, because it is honoured in a way of mercy.
'" O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and know
ledge of God ! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his
ways past finding outp!" This indeed may be said in reference
to any single part of his plan: and, if so, how much more in
reference to the whole stupendous mystery, in all its branches !
Verily, in the mystery of redemption, as viewed in all its parts,
there " are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledgeq;"
insomuch that, though they shall be progressively unfolding to
all eternity, they shall never be fully seen, never adequately
comprehended.]
Such, then, being the true character of the Gospel,
we proceed to shew,
II. Whence it is that the godly alone view it in its
true light—
The persons here called " perfect." are the same as
in the foregoing chapter are called " the saved1," and
"the called5." As for absolute perfection, there is
no such thing to be found in any child of man*. But
persons are sometimes called " perfect," as having
grown from children to man's estate11 ; and sometimes
as being truly upright in opposition to the unbelieving
and ungodly world*. It is in this latter sense that
the term " perfect" is used in our text. These per
sons, though they be only babes, behold a wisdom in
the Gospel ; though doubtless their insight into the
glory and excellency of the Gospel is deep in propor
tion to the attainments they have made in the Divine
life.
Now these persons alone behold the wisdom of the
Gospel,
1 John vi. 37. m Phil, i. 6. " John xviii. 9.
0 John x. 28, 29. i> Rom. xi. 33. fi Col. ii. 3.
r 1 Cor. i. 18. s 1 Cor. i. 24. l Phil. iii. 12.
u See 1 Cor. xiv. 20. and Heb. v. M. both of them in the Greek.
* Job i. 1. Matt. xix. 21. Phil. iii. lf>.
1936.] WISDOM OF THE GOSPEL. 61
1. Because they alone feel their need of the salva
tion revealed in it—
[Others know not their lost estate : they see no such evil
in sin, but that it may be atoned for by some little act of pe
nance, and be counterbalanced by a few self-righteous and formal
services. What then can they want of such a provision as the
Gospel has made for their reconciliation with God ? What
need have they, that Almighty God should become incarnate,
and offer himself a sacrifice for their sins ? What need have
they to plead the merits of a dying Saviour, when their own
will suffice? What need have they that the Holy Ghost
should come down and dwell in their hearts, when they have a
sufficiency of strength within themselves for every service
which they are called to perform? But the man who knows
how low he has fallen, and how utterly impossible it is that
he should ever reconcile himself to God, or attain by any
obedience of his own a righteousness in which he may stand
before God, will be filled with amazement at the revelation
which is made in the Gospel, and at the stupendous mystery
there contained : in whatever light it be viewed by others,
it will in his eyes be " the power of God, and the wisdom of
God>'."]
2. Because they alone seek to be instructed in it—
[Others " lean to their own understanding ;" and, being
" wise in their own conceits," " they are taken by God in
their own craftiness2." Not so the humble inquirer. To him
is imparted " a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the know
ledge of God's dear Son ; so that the eyes of his understand
ing are opened3 ;" and he is enabled to discern with clearness
and certainty " the things which are freely given to him of
Godb." By this divine Agent he is led to view " the deep
things of Godc ;" and to comprehend, in a measure, the depth
and height and length and breadth of that love of Christ,
which, in its full extent, is utterly incomprehensible d.]
3. Because they alone are willing to embrace its
self-denying doctrines—
[Others are offended at the humiliation it requires : nor
can they endure to renounce the world, and to live only for
God and for eternity. In justification of themselves, therefore,
they "deride" what they choose not to embrace6. But the
man whose heart is right with God wishes to be humbled in
the very dust as a hell-deserving sinner, and delights in
y 1 Cor. i. 23, 24. * 1 Cor. i. 19. and iii. 19.
a Eph. i. 18, 19. '' ver. 12. < ver. 10. d Eph. iii. 18, 19.
e Sec, and mark particularly in this view, Luke xvi. 14.
G2 1 CORINTHIANS, II. G. [1936.
" receiving every thing out of the fulness" that is treasured up
for him in Christ. Could he have the desire of his soul, he
would be " holy as God himself is holy," and " perfect as his
Father which is' in heaven is perfect." Hence, when he finds
in the Gospel every thing that he stands in need of, wisdom
for the ignorant, righteousness for the guilty, sanctification for
the polluted, and redemption for the enslaved, he cannot but
adore the wisdom that has ordained so mysterious, so effectual,
a salvation.]
4. Because these alone give themselves up to the
contemplation of it—
[Others " let slip all that they hear," having no wish to
treasure it up in their minds. But the truly upright lay up the
word in their hearts, (even as Mary did the words of her youth
ful Son :) yea, and meditate upon it day and night. They
resemble in this respect the holy angels, who are represented
as bending down upon the ark, and inspecting with all possible
care the law contained in itf. No wonder they are instructed;
no wonder the veil is taken from their hearts : for God has
said, " Then shall ye know, if ye follow on to know the Lord."
Hence, then, we see the grounds on which the perfect man
admires as " wisdom " what all the world besides regard as
folly. Being enabled by God to discern its suitableness, and
to experience its sufficiency, he glories in it as the perfection
of wisdom, and as a comprehensive summary of all that is
good and great.]
Now, as in the text are mentioned the speaker and
the hearers — the one delivering with confidence,
and the others receiving with submission, the
dictates of inspiration — I will, in CONCLUSION,
address myself,
1. To those whose office it is, or may hereafter be,
to preach the Gospel —
[The Apostle, knowing the Gospel to be the very wisdom
of God himself, was extremely careful to deliver it with the
utmost simplicity. He was able to preach it " with wisdom
of words," and to set it forth with all the powers of language,
if he had been so inclined: but he would not do so, "lest he
should make the cross of Christ of none effectg." He appeals
to the Corinthians themselves, that he had " come to them
not with excellency of speech or of human wisdom h ;" being
anxious " that their faith should stand, not in the wisdom of
f 1 Pet. i. 12. e 1 Cor. i. 17. h ver. 1, 4.
1936.] WISDOM OF THE GOSPEL. 63
man, but in the power of God'. Now, in this he has set us
an example which we ought carefully to follow. We greatly
err, if we hope by any meretricious ornaments to embellish the
Gospel of Christ. That appears most beautiful, when it is
exhibited most simply in its own native form. The whole
world would in vain attempt to add any thing to light: and
equally vain will be any endeavour to exalt the Gospel by the
gaudy trappings of rhetoi'ical expressions. It is by the plain
exhibition of a crucified Saviour that God will work. On the
wisdom of the wise he will pour contempt: but " by the fool
ishness of preaching," that is, by such preaching as the wise
of this world account foolishness, " he will save them that
believe." Let ministers then learn from hence how to preach
the Gospel, remembering that " the foolishness of God is
wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than
menk." We may by our additions weaken the Gospel of
Christ ; but we can never strengthen its efficacy by any thing
that we can add. It is in itself " the rod of God's strength :"
and, if we wield it faithfully, all the powers of darkness shall
fall before it.]
2. To those who hear the Gospel—
[You must seek to attain simplicity of mind, even the
simplicity of little children. " If you would be wise, you
must become fools that you may be wise1." It is the truth of
God that you are to regard, and not the human eloquence
with which it may be proclaimed. You must " hear the word,"
not as the word of man, but of God." You must hear it as
God's word to your own selves in particular; and must
" receive it with meekness, as an engrafted word, able to save
your souls"1." Let this thought be duly impressed upon your
minds, and it will operate powerfully to counteract that sad
propensity which is in us to set up one preacher above another,
because of his peculiar gifts and talents. For what is any
man, but a mere instrument of God, whereby God himself
was pleased to work upon you"? Whether it was " Paul who
planted, or Apollos who watered, it was God alone who gave
the increase : " and therefore " neither Paul nor Apollos
should be any thing in your estimation, (except as you may
love them for their works' sake,) but God who gave the
increase." The praise and glory should be His alone0.
On the other hand, neither should you despise the word,
because it is delivered in weakness. God is often pleased to
" magnify his own strength in the weakness " of his instru-
» ver. 5, 13. k 1 Cor. i. 25. l 1 Cor. iii. 18.
m Jam. i. 21. n 1 Cor. iii. 5. ° 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7.
04 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 7. [1937.
ments1'. He has "put his treasure into earthen vessels for
this very endq :" and, if you will look to him for his blessing
on the word, he will " ordain strength in the mouths of babes
and sucklings1"," and " enrich you by those who are the poorest
in themselves3."
Only seek to behold and to admire the wisdom of God in
his Gospel ; and you shall find it to be " the power of God to
the salvation of your souls1."]
P 2 Cor. xii. 9. <i 2 Cor. iv. 7. r Ps. viii. 2.
s 2 Cor. vi. 10. l Rom. i. 16.
MDCCCCXXXVII.
MYSTERIOUSNESS OF THE GOSPEL.
1 Cor. ii. 7. We speak the ivisdom of God in a mystery.
AMONGST persons of intelligence, nothing is so
highly esteemed as wisdom. And well may it be
preferred to every other attainment ; because it ele
vates its possessor in the scale of being, and assimi
lates him to the highest order of finite intelligences.
Even the wisdom that is merely human is deservedly
ranked far above all the riches or honours of the
world : and much more does divine wisdom merit
this place in the estimation of mankind. It is of this
latter wisdom in particular that we are now to speak.
But, in truth, it far exceeds all human comprehen
sion : for it is the wisdom of God himself; and that
wisdom, too, in a mystery, that from all eternity was
hid in the bosom of the Most High. Yet is it suf
ficiently intelligible to answer all the purposes for
which it has been revealed, and to enrich the souls
of all to whom the attainment of it is vouchsafed.
That which contains it all is the Gospel : and it is
my intention, at this time, to shew what there is in the
Gospel which entitles it to this high character. There
are four things, which I will specify :
I. The profundity of its principles—
The great principle of the Gospel is precisely that
which was typified under the Law — Reconciliation
1937. J MYSTERIOUSNESS OF THE GOSPEL. G5
with God through the sacrifice of his Son. Contem
plate this :
Reconciliation with God !
[What a mystery ! Consider the greatness of the Divine
Majesty : consider the meanness and worthlessness of the
human race, who, whether they were annihilated, or consumed
in the regions of eternal misery, would not be missed from the
creation of God ; who needs them not, nor can receive any
thing from them ; and who could, if he pleased, by a mere
act of volition, create millions of holy beings to supply their
place. Why are they not left to their fate ? Why does the
Most High God concern himself about them? Why, when
they have sinned like the fallen angels, are they not left, like
them, to reap the bitter fruit of their wickedness ? How can
we conceive that God should ever think of being reconciled
to such rebellious creatures? Even if a proposal to this effect
had first come from man, we could not conceive that God
should ever accede to it : how much less then can we imagine,
that when no such desire was evinced by man, the proposal
should ever originate with our offended God ?
But contemplate further,]
Reconciliation by sacrifice !
[What can there be in sacrifice that should answer any
such end as this ? How can that which is innocent be substi
tuted in the place of the guilty ? If such a proposal were
made, how could a holy God acquiesce in it ? And where
could a victim be found? Shall the blood of bulls and of
goats take away sin ? Impossible. Should the highest arch
angel offer himself for us ? What could he effect, either by
doing or suffering, for us? What could he do, beyond what
he is by the very law of his creation bound to do ? or what
could any sufferings of his avail for expiating the guilt of a
fallen world? But contemplate yet further,]
Reconciliation by the sacrifice of God's only dear
Son!
[Impossible ! The co-equal, co-eternal Son of God be
given for such an end ! The eternal God become a man !
The Creator of all things substitute himself in the place of
his creatures ! The Lord of Life and Glory die, and bear the
curse due to sin, yea, and expiate thereby the guilt of the very
persons who nailed him to the cross! Truly, if God has
revealed all this in his Gospel, it must be true : but nothing
less than the most unquestionable evidence of such a revelation
having actually proceeded from God can warrant us to enter
tain the thought of a reconciliation effected by such means as
these.]
VOL. XVI. F
fiG 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 7. [1937.
But, to get a clearer insight into the mystery of
the Gospel, let us notice,
II. The comprehensiveness of its provisions-
Nothing in it is wanting that can contribute to,
1 . The honour of God—
[Were the Gospel at all deficient in this view, it would be
impossible for God to approve of it. But there is not a per
fection of the Deity which is not honoured by it. The justice
of God has all its demands satisfied: the holiness of God is
displayed in the brightest colours : his truth is kept inviolate :
yea, all the perfections of God are more glorified in this way
of exercising mercy, than they would have been if man had
never fallen, or never been redeemed. In truth, it is this
which gives to the Gospel its chief value : it is valuable,
doubtless, as saving man ; but it is infinitely more valuable as
displaying and magnifying the glory of God.]
2. The salvation of man—
[Needs fallen man the removal of his guilt? it is removed
from him, as far as the east is from the west, by virtue of this
sacrifice. Be it so : the debt we had contracted was infinite :
but infinite also was the value of that blood which was shed
to expiate our guilt ; so that justice itself, being satisfied by
our Surety, has nothing to demand at our hands. Does man
need also the renovation of his nature? For this also is ample
provision made, seeing that by virtue of the blood of Christ the
gift of the Holy Spirit is purchased for us ; by whose Almighty
agency every child of man may be renewed and sanctified, yea,
and transformed also into the very image of his God. Does he
need yet further a perfect righteousness ivherein to stand before
God? This, too, is secured to him by Christ's obedience unto
death : for by that a righteousness is formed perfectly com
mensurate with all the requirements of the law; and it is
imputed to every believing soul; so that, clothed in it, he
stands perfect and complete before God, without spot or
blemish. Nothing that can in any way contribute to a man's
peace of conscience, or holiness of life, or meetness for glory,
is wanting in this stupendous mystery : all is provided for ; all
is secured: and in every part of it the wisdom of God is
incomprehensibly and unsearchably displayed.]
The mysteriousness of the Gospel will yet further
appear, if we notice,
III. Its remoteness altogether from human apprehen
sion —
1937.1 MYSTERIOUSNESS OF THE GOSPEL. 67
Supposing man to be informed that God had de
signs of mercy towards him, in what way would he
expect it to be exercised ? He would look for it,
1. In a way of mere gratuitous forgiveness —
[He would never once have the remotest idea of an atone
ment. It would appear in his eyes a perfect absurdity. In fact,
it did so appear " both to the Jews and Gentiles; being to the
one a stumbling-block, and to the others foolishness." In this
light it does appear to the wise and prudent of the present
day. For, though the general notion of an atonement may be
admitted, and even contended for, by many, as a sentiment in
opposition to Socinians and Deists, it is really approved by
those only who are taught of God the truth as it is in Jesus.
The minds of all by nature lean to the side of uncovenanted
mercy, as being less humiliating than that plan of forgiveness
which the Gospel prescribes. The imputation of our sin to
Christ, and the imputation of his righteousness to us, are doc
trines at which the natural man revolts: nor is any man brought
cordially to acquiesce in them, till he has been made to feel the
extent of his own demerit, and his utter incapacity to do any
thing which is good.
Yet, whilst we thus incline to uncovenanted mercy in pre
ference to an atonement, we still expect that mercy,]
2. In a way of self-righteous dependence—
[To renounce all dependence on our own works appears
absurd in the extreme : for, if we are not to be saved by our
works, what need is there for us to perform them ? To set
them aside in point of merit, seems to supersede all occasion
for the performance of them. Man cannot endure to discard
all boasting before God. If he cannot purchase heaven alto
gether, he will do it in part : and if he be constrained to
accept of heaven as a free gift, still he will look to himself for
something which shall be a ground of preference in the sight
of God, or at least a warrant for him to look to God for the
communications of his grace. A free salvation, without money
and without price, and apprehended solely by faith, is, to the
great mass of Christians, an object of offence, rather than of
desire and love.]
3. In a way of self-confident exertion —
[The doing of something to merit salvation, is always
associated with the doing of it in our own strength. The na
tural man has no conception but that, as he is responsible for
all that he does, he must of necessity have a sufficiency for
all that he needs to do. The attempting of any thing in
the simple exercise of faith, and in expectation of strength
F 2
G8 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 7. [1937.
communicated from above, appears to him to be an enthusi
astic conceit, unworthy of a sober mind. In short, every part of
the Gospel salvation, whether as bringing us to God or fitting
us for the enjoyment of him, is the very reverse of what the
natural man would either suggest or approve. It cannot even
be understood by any who possess not a spiritual discernment,
nor ever is received but through the teaching of the Holy
Spirit.]
Distant, however, as it is, from human apprehen
sions, we cannot but acknowledge,
IV. Its suitableness to the end proposed—
Does God propose to humble the sinner ?
[Nothing effects that work like the Gospel : for in the
death of Christ he sees the awful desert of sin, and the im
possibility of obtaining mercy without an adequate atonement
for it. In the requirement of a life of faith on the Son of God,
he sees his own utter incapacity for any thing that is good :
and, in the imputation of Christ's righteousness, he is con
strained to acknowledge, that even his best works are full of
imperfection ; and that salvation, from first to last, is, and
must be, by grace alone.]
Does he desire to exalt the Saviour?
[The honour of salvation is altogether reserved to Christ,
as the Author and Finisher of it : and to him alone, both in
heaven and earth, must all the glory of it be ascribed. Not a
hope enters the sinner's mind, but through his atoning sacri
fice: not a prayer is offered, but through his mediation and
intercession : nor to all eternity will a blessing be enjoyed,
without being traced to his merit as the procuring cause, and
to the influence of his grace as the efficient cause : so entirely
will the glory of it all be given to him alone.]
Does he determine to secure holiness?
[Here it is secured, beyond a possibility of failure : nor is
it found in any creature under heaven, but in him who receives
the Gospel of Christ. Semblances of holiness we may find in
self-righteous formalists ; but real holiness in none but those
who are penetrated with redeeming love. In confirmation of
this truth, we appeal to the records of the Church in every age
of the world. Even at the present hour, we shrink not from
a comparison with all other people under heaven : and we are
free to acknowledge, that the professor of religion who soars
not in holiness above all the unbelievers upon earth, is un
worthy of the name of Christian, and will have no part with
Christ in his kingdom and srlorv.
1938.] IGNORANCE OF THE GOSPEL, FATAL. 69
Thus we trust that the Gospel, however despised by an un
godly world, is justly entitled to the appellation given it in our
text, " The wisdom of God in a mystery."]
SEE, then, from hence,
1. What is the office of a minister —
[It is to proclaim " the glorious Gospel of the blessed
God." We are to " speak the wisdom of God in a mystery."
We are appointed for this very end, even " as stewards of the
mysteries of God." We are not to be bringing forth notions
out of our own minds ; but simply to declare what God has
done for the salvation of mankind, and how a guilty world may
be reconciled to him. This is the ministry of reconciliation,
committed unto us; and in the execution of our office, we
beseech you, Be ye reconciled to God — ]
2. What is the duty of those to whom he ministers—
[Is that which he brings to their ears " a mystery ?" It
becomes them to receive it into their hearts, with docility,
submission, and gratitude. We expect little children to learn
from us, without questioning the solidity of our judgment, or
the truth of our assertions. That he cannot altogether com
prehend the lessons we teach him, is no reason why we do not
expect his assent to them. On the contrary, it is by their
first receiving our testimony with implicit faith, that they
afterwards come to see both the truth and excellence of our
instructions. And it is in this way that we also must acquire
the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ But we must
also submit to the plan proposed by God, and seek remission
altogether in the way pointed out by him — —And finally,
we must feel our obligations to the Most High God, who has
done such wonders for the salvation of our souls. Whilst on
earth, we must, to a certain degree, be penetrated with the
zeal and love which we shall feel in heaven ; and both here
and in eternity " glorify him with our bodies and our spirits,
which are his."]
MDCCCCXXXVIII.
IGNORANCE OF THE GOSPEL, FATAL.
1 Cor. ii. 8. Had they known it, they would not have crucified
the Lord of Glory.
IT has been supposed, that there is such a tran
scendent excellence in virtue, that if it were em
bodied upon earth, it would be universally revered
70 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 8. [1938.
and honoured. But virtue has been embodied in the
person of God's only dear Son ; and yet, instead of
receiving from man all the homage which might have
been expected, it has been treated with all possible
indignity, even to the extinction of the person in
whom it was found. But in the assumption that all
men would honour it, it is taken for granted that all
would be able to appreciate its excellence : whereas
men, with jaundiced eyes, see every thing with an
unfavourable tint upon it ; and, consequently err
exceedingly in their judgment respecting it. Through
this unhappy bias, men " put evil for good, and good
for evil ; darkness for light, and light for darkness ;
bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter." No wonder,
therefore, if their aversion to what is really excellent
rises in proportion to its exalted qualities, and their
opposition to it be found to correspond with their
judgment. We have the authority of an Apostle for
saying that this was the real cause of the indignities
offered to our incarnate God. Had men been able
to form a correct estimate of his character, they
could not have treated them as they did : had they
fully understood the errand of love on which he came,
and the purposes of grace which he was destined to
accomplish, they could not have raised their hands
against him : it would have been impossible for
persons comprehending the great mystery which he
came to consummate, so to act : no ; " if they had
known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of
Glory."
In speaking of the ignorance of mankind, and
especially their ignorance of true religion, I will en
deavour to shew,
I. Its extensive prevalence-
It prevailed to an awful degree in the apostolic
age-
[Respecting the way which God had devised for the sal
vation of a ruined world, the wisest philosophers had not the
slightest notion. Nor had the governors of the Jewish people
any just conceptions respecting it. Though they had the
Scripture in their hands, and the great mystery of godliness
1938. J IGNORANCE OF THE GOSPEL, FATAL. 71
was shadowed forth in all their sacrifices, yet could they not
comprehend the purposes of God which were revealed to them.
They had the moral law, but knew not its spirituality and
extent : they had the ceremonial law, but knew not its typical
import : they had the prophecies, but knew not in what way
they were to be accomplished. They saw a Messiah promised,
but they altogether mistook the nature of the kingdom which
he was to establish in the world.]
It prevails also, nearly to the same extent, at this
time —
[" The princes of this world," though born in Christian
lands, know, for the most part, but little of Christianity : nay
more ; the very rulers of the Church itself are far from having
that insight into the hidden mysteries of our religion which
their general information might give one reason to suppose.
As far as a knowledge of the languages in which the Scrip
tures were written, and a critical skill in interpreting them,
and an extensive acquaintance with ecclesiastical history,
will qualify men for the sacred office, there may be no cause
for complaint : but, if we inquire into men's knowledge of the
" hidden wisdom of God in the great mystery" of redemption,
it is lamentable to think how few there are who manifest an
acquaintance with it ; such an acquaintance, I mean, as has a
transforming efficacy on their souls. We see somewhat of
the feelings which are generated by a knowledge of this
mystery in heaven : we behold, also, the effects produced by it
upon the Apostles and martyrs upon earth : but where do we
see these feelings excited, and these effects produced, in any
considerable degree, in "the princes of this world" amongst
ourselves ? I mean not to speak disrespectfully of any, or to
judge uncharitably of any : but I simply ask, whether, in the
public ministrations of men, or in their printed addresses,
or in their conversation with each other, there be such a pre
ponderance given to this great mystery as might be expected,
or such as would infallibly be given, if its excellence and im
portance were duly appreciated ? Of the secret transactions
of men, and the intercourse which may take place between
God and their souls, I presume not to speak. I speak only
of what is manifested in open act : and of men's knowledge of
this mystery, as tried by that standard, I am constrained to
say, it is very partial and confined. Nor need I bring any other
proof of my assertion than this, that, wherever this mystery is
fully opened, and the different parts of it are inculcated with
the energy which its importance demands, the doctrine draws
attention as a novelty ; and excites odium, as differing from
the common standard of the established ministrations. But
could this be, if the mystery of the Gospel were so generally
72 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 8. [1938.
known, and its truths so faithfully promulgated, as some would
assert ? A taper would attract no notice by day ; but it is
seen at a great distance at night, by reason of the surround
ing darkness : and, for the same reason, even a very slender
exhibition of the Gospel, which would have passed unnoticed
in the apostolic age, now calls forth adoring gratitude on the
part of some, and provokes inveterate hostility on the part of
others ; — a sure proof, that such exhibitions are not so common
amongst us as they ought to be.]
To shew how great an evil this ignorance of the
Gospel is, I will proceed to mark,
II. Its injurious tendency—
In the Jews, it led to nothing less than the cruci
fixion of the Lord of Glory—
[Both Jews and Gentiles concurred in this act. They
did not merely refuse to become the disciples of Jesus, but
reviled him, and treated him with all imaginable indignities,
and at last put him to death, even the accursed death of the
cross. And to what but ignorance can we refer it? Can we
conceive, that if they had really known Jesus to be " the Lord
of Glory," they would have dared to treat him thus ? Me-
thinks, if love to him for his condescension and grace had not
restrained them, a fear of his displeasure must have disarmed
their malice. It would have been impossible for them to pro
ceed to such extremities, if they had had any just conception
of his person and character, his work and office.]
In a similar way it operates on us also —
[It is obvious that men of all ranks and orders live in a
neglect of Christ and his salvation, and seek their happiness
rather in the things of time and sense — — But could it be
so, if they really knew what a glorious Saviour he is ? Could
they think so little of all the wonders of his love, if they had
any just comprehension of them in their minds ? By our
treatment of him, we do, in fact, " crucify him afresh, and put
him to an open shame." I ask, Could we do this, if we knew
him to be indeed " the Lord of glory," who had divested him
self of all his glory for us, and become a man for us, and died
upon the cross for us, and to be carrying on his work in heaven
for us, and coming again to make us partakers of his glory for
evermore ? Bad as human nature is, it could not withstand
such a miracle of love as this : it must lay down its weapons of
rebellion at the sight of this : at the sight of this it would feel
" a constraining influence to live to Him" who has so " loved
us arid given himself for us." From our first inquiry, " Who
art thou, Lord ? " another would instantly succeed, " Lord,
1938.] IGNORANCE OF THE GOSPEL, FATAL. 73
what wilt thou have me to doa?" and a life of entire devoted-
ness to his service must of necessity ensue.]
Can we wonder then at,
III. Its fatal issue —
It was, to the Jews who continued impenitent, of
the most fatal consequence —
[Doubtless their ignorance did in some respects extenuate,
but it could by no means excuse, their guilt. The Apostle
apologizes for them ; saying, " I wot that through ignorance
ye did it, as did also your rulers :" but yet he adds, " Repent,
and be converted, that your sins may be blotted outb;" evi
dently importing, that without repentance, and thorough con
version to God, they must eternally perish. And St. Paul,
whilst he speaks of having " obtained mercy, because he did
it ignorantly in unbelief," still calls himself " a blasphemer,
and injurious, and a persecutor," and " the very chief of
sinners," yea, as the greatest miracle of mercy, a monument of
mercy to the whole world0. In the Old Testament, God had
declared by the prophets that he would not regard ignorance
as any excuse for their iniquities : " They are a people of no
understanding : therefore He that made them will not have
mercy on them, and He that formed them will shew them no
favour d." And again, " My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge6." And under the New Testament, it is even
made a matter of appeal to us : " How shall we escape, if we
neglect so great salvationf?" And again, " If judgment begin
at the house of God, what shall the end be of them that obey
not the Gospel of God ? If the righteous scarcely be saved,
where shall the ungodly and the sinner appearg?" Verily no
candid person can doubt what the event was to the unbelieving
Jews.]
And will it not have the same issue with respect
to us?
[The greater our advantages are above the Jews, the
greater is our guilt in neglecting to improve them. It is gene
rally imagined, indeed, that those who commit no sin to lower
them in the estimation of their fellow-creatures, are happy
when they die : and to intimate a doubt of this would be
deemed very uncharitable. But " none, except they be con
verted, can ever enter into the kingdom of heaven." True
indeed it is, that men ignorant of the Gospel, and of the
a Acts ix. 5, 6. b Acts iii. 17, 19. c 1 Tim. i. 13, 15, 1G.
d Isai. xxvii. 11. e Hos. iv. 6. f Heb. ii. 3.
8 1 Pet. iv. 17, 18.
7i 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 8. [1938.
wonders of love and mercy contained in it, are confident, in
their own minds, that they have nothing to fear : and hence
they continue in " the broad road that leadeth to destruction,"
without ever thinking of their impending fate, till they drop
into perdition. A fact which a pious writer records, as seen
by himself, will well illustrate this. A flock of sheep being
frightened on a bridge at the time of a high flood, one of them
leaped over the side : all, one after another, followed its example,
each supposing that those which had preceded him were safe
and happy : but all, to their cost, found out their error when it
was too late : for all were immersed in the flood, and perished
in the waters. This gives us an exact picture of what is
passing all around us. And it is abundantly confirmed in
Holy Writ. In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus,
the rich man, who had no flagrant sin laid to his charge,
supposed himself sure of happiness in death ; just as his five
surviving brethren did, whilst walking in his steps : but from
the depths of hell we hear him crying for a drop of water, to
cool his tongue ; and entreating, that a messenger might be
sent from heaven to warn his brethren of their danger: and, as
this request could not be complied with, we have reason to
suppose that they also, however confident of their safety,
became partakers of his awful doom. And would not many,
who are gone before, be glad to send such messengers to us ?
Yes, I doubt not but that thousands and millions of them
would be coming from heaven, if they were allowed to per
form that friendly office for our self-deceiving race : for, what
ever we may think to the contrary, that very Jesus, whom
we slight, will ere long " be revealed from heaven with his
mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that
know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruc
tion from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his
power1'."]
To IMPROVE this subject, I would entreat you to
consider,
1. What use you should make of your present op
portunities —
[You have "the Lord of glory" set before you, and all
the mysteries of redeeming love unfolded to you. Yes, I can
appeal to God, that " I have not shunned to declare unto
you all the counsel of God." I pray you, then, continue not
ignorant of this great mystery ; for it is " the wisdom of God,
and the power of God " to salvation to all those who receive
u 2 Thess. i. 1 — 9.
1938.] IGNORANCE OF THE GOSPEL, FATAL. 75
it. I need not say, in this place1, how eagerly knowledge is
sought, in the hopes of promoting men's future advancement in
life : and shall that knowledge be neglected which has so inti
mate a connexion with your happiness through eternity ? I
mean not to detract from the importance of human sciences :
but I must say, that, when weighed against the knowledge of
this mystery, all earthly knowledge is but as the dust upon the
balance : for St. Paul, whose judgment in that particular we
cannot doubt, " counted all things but loss for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord." Though you
possess ever so small a portion of the one, you may be happy :
but without the other you can never be happy, in time or in
eternity. I must say, then, to every one amongst you, Seek
the knowledge of this mystery : seek to comprehend the height
and depth, and length and breadth of the love of Christ con
tained in it. So shall it be progressively opened to your view,
and your souls " be filled with all the fulness of God."]
2. What zeal you should manifest for the glory of
your Lord —
[Did those who knew him not, crucify him ? and shall
not those who know him, honour and exalt his name ? Should
you forbear to do so, " the very stones would cry out against
you." Let an ungodly world complain of you : let them call
your zeal enthusiasm, and your love hypocrisy; but be not ye
deterred from duty by all the clamour that can be raised against
you. You well know what efforts Pilate made to save Jesus
from the fury of his persecutors : yet did his entreaties only
increase their thirst for his blood. Learn ye of them, and
shew the same pertinacity in his righteous cause ; yea, rather,
let your knowledge operate more forcibly than their ignorant
animosity : and as they accounted nothing too much to inflict
upon him, account ye nothing too great to do or suffer for the
honour of his name.]
3. How well you may be reconciled to sufferings
for his sake —
[He has ordained, that all his followers shall have a cross
to bear. But shall you account it hard when it is laid upon
you ? Was he, the Lord of Glory, crucified for you ; and will
you not bear a cross for him ? It is not without reason that he
bids you, under such circumstances, to " rejoice and leap for
joy :" for " you are partakers of his sufferings," and rendered
conformable to him ; and your reward in heaven is proportion-
ably augmented by it. Be not, then, either afraid or ashamed
of the cross for his sake ; but glory in it, and bear it after him
' The University of Cambridge.
76 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 9, 10. [1939.
with joy ; and " rejoice that you are counted worthy to bear-
it for his sake." You may suppose that you may disarm the
malice of the world by the blamelessness of your conduct. But
the more you resemble Christ in your conduct, the more will
you be called to suffer for his sake. Open as his character and
dispositions were, men knew him not. Nor do they know
youk. Your conduct is as incomprehensible to the ungodly
world as Christ's was. They cannot conceive why you should
separate so entirely from their ways, or give yourselves up so
entirely to God. If they knew all your views, motives, prin
ciples, and habits, they would not so despise you. But, as all
that our blessed Lord said or did was perverted, and made an
occasion of evil, so must you expect " all manner of evil to be
spoken against you falsely for his sake." But let it not grieve
you to be so treated : for " the servant cannot expect to be
above his Lord." Be contented to " suffer with him " here ;
and be assured that you shall " reign with him " in glory for
ever and ever.]
k 1 John iii. 1, 2.
MDCCCCXXXIX.
THE GOSPEL A STUPENDOUS MYSTERY.
1 Cor. ii. 9, 10. It is tvritten, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which
God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath
revealed them unto us by his Spirit.
THE former part of this passage is generally quoted
as relating to the eternal world. But, if the latter
part be taken in connexion with it, as it ought to be,
the sense is evidently determined to those things
which were revealed by the Spirit to the Apostles
of Christ. And it is in this sense that the words
were originally used in the place from whence they
are cited. They are part of a prayer, which the
Jews, as soon as they shall begin to embrace the
Gospel, will pour out before God in behalf of their
afflicted nation ; entreating him to interpose in their
behalf, as powerfully as he formerly did when he
brought them out of the land of Egypt ; and to
make known to them those great and glorious truths
of which hitherto they have never had any just
1939.1 T"E GOSPEL A STUPENDOUS MYSTERY. 77
conception3. To the same purpose the Apostle cites
them in our text. He is speaking of the Gospel as
" foolishness" indeed to the natural man, but as in
reality the most stupendous display of the Divine
wisdom ; such as had never before been seen, or heard,
or thought of, from the foundation of the world1';
and such as, if previously known to those who cruci
fied our Lord, would have effectually deterred them
from executing in that respect the eternal counsels
of the Deity.
Confining then our views of the passage to what is
revealed in the Gospel, we will shew,
I. How infinitely superior the Gospel is to any thing
that reason ever devised —
Reason has certainly evinced great powers in rela
tion to things natural and temporal —
[It has penetrated far into the regions of science. It has
comprehended within its grasp the whole extent of that field
which was laid open to the mind of Solomon ; and has arranged
according to their nature and properties all parts of the animal
and vegetable creation, " from the cedar of Lebanon to the
hyssop that springeth out of the wall, together with all the
different orders of beasts, and fowl, and fishes of the seac."
Nay, it has soared beyond this terraqueous globe, even to
the starry heavens ; and has found out the magnitude and
distances and courses of the heavenly bodies, together with
the laws by which they move in their respective orbits. It
has in these and many other respects carried its researches far
beyond the limits which nature appeared to have assigned to
it, and has raised man far higher in the scale of creation than
by his contracted powers he seemed destined to stand.]
But it has made little progress in relation to things
spiritual and eternal—
[Man with all his powers was not able to find out God.
Not even the unity of the Godhead was discovered by him ;
much less were his great and glorious perfections. The wisest
philosophers spake on these subjects with much uncertainty
and inconsistency. As for any way of reconciliation with God,
consistently with the Divine perfections, not so much as a
a Isai. Ixiv. 4. The prayer begins at Isai. Ixiii. 15. and conti
nues to the end of the sixty-fourth chapter.
b ver. 6 — 8. c 1 Kings iv. 33.
78 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 9, 10. [1939.
thought of it ever entered into the mind of man, till it was
revealed to man by the Spirit of God : it was far out of the
reach of human reason to declare, how God should be just,
and yet the justifier of sinful men. Even a future state of
existence was rather guessed at than fully ascertained; and
the nature of that state was wholly unknown : — so true is it, in
reference to the whole circle of divine knowledge, that " man
by wisdom knew not Godd."
Thus, when we compare the knowledge which we enjoy under
the Gospel with the discoveries of uninspired men, we are con
strained to say, that they are as wide asunder as light is from
darkness, and heaven from hell.]
But, to form a correct estimate of the Gospel, we
should see,
II. How far superior it is to any thing that men had
a conception of under the Jewish dispensation-
God did reveal himself to Moses : but his views
of God were very partial and indistinct : he saw only,
as we are told, " his back parts6." As far as he, and
David, and Isaiah had a clearer insight into the great
mystery of redemption than others, they received it
rather by special inspiration, than from the notices
given of it in the Mosaic law : the Jews as a people
had very indistinct notions on the whole subject of
religion.
1. Their views of God himself were very dark—
[To them he appeared rather as a Sovereign than as a
Father ; and as a Sovereign of their own nation only, and not
the Father of the whole human race. They beheld him rather
in the terrific aspect of his majesty, than in the endearing
attribute of mercy.]
2. They knew but little of the way of acceptance
with him—
[They had sacrifices, it is true, but such as could give
no peace to a wounded conscience. The very necessity of
repeating the same sacrifices from year to year, clearly shewed
to them, that their past sins were not fully expiated or blotted
out. The sacrifices, in this view, were rather " remembrances
of sin," than real expiations of it. For some sins, as murder
and adultery, no sacrifice whatever was appointed : and for these
therefore there was no well-grounded hope of pardon. All that
(1 1 Cor. i. 21. e Excel, xxxiii. 23.
1939.] THE GOSPEL A STUPENDOUS MYSTERY. 79
they were assured of, in any case, was, rather an exemption
from punishment by the civil magistrate, than an everlasting
remission of their sins by God himself: so dark, even in this
respect, was the dispensation under which they lived.]
3. The real blessedness of bis people could not be
duly estimated by them—
[They possessed indeed many privileges above the heathen ;
but yet they were kept at an awful distance from God. The
people at large could not enter into the court of the more
privileged orders, the priests and Levites : nor could any but
the high-priest alone enter into the most holy place; and he only
on one day in the year, and in the way that was particularly
prescribed. Their services consisted altogether in burthensome
rites and ceremonies, which, instead of calling forth a sublime
exercise of spiritual devotion, were " a yoke which none of
them were able to bear." They went in and out before God
as servants actuated by fear, and not as children under the
influence of love.]
4. Not even the future state of rewards and punish
ments was clearly known to them—
[Some light indeed was thrown upon the eternal world ;
but it was faint and glimmering. Little was seen throughout
the Mosaic writings but a prospect of temporal rewards and
punishments, of an enjoyment of Canaan with much earthly
felicity, or of an ejection from it with the attendant miseries
of captivity and bondage.
Thus the whole of the Jewish state was at best only as an
intermediate state between the darkness of heathenism and
the light of the Gospel : it was as the early dawn to usher in
the brighter day.]
To elucidate the infinite superiority of the Gospel,
we must proceed to shew,
III. How full and rich a manifestation of it we enjoy—
" The darkness is now passed, and the true light
now shinethf ;"-
1. God himself is now fully revealed to us—
[We see not only his unity, but his subsistence in Three
Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; all in glory equal, and
in majesty co-eternal. All his perfections also have been made,
as it were, to shine both in their separate, and united, splendour
before our eyes; — justice harmonizing with mercy, and right
eousness combining with truth, in the salvation of fallen man :
f 2 John, ver. 8.
80 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 9, 10. [1939.
yea, justice glorified in the way of mercy, and mercy in the way
of justice, and truth and righteousness in all. Yes verily, " the
whole glory of the Godhead now shines before us in the face of
Jesus Christ*-'."]
2. The mysterious plan of redemption also is now
fully opened—
[We are introduced, if we may so speak, to the eternal
counsels of the Deity, wherein the Father gave to his Son a
people to he redeemed, and the Son undertook to lay down his
life for them. In the fulness of time we behold the eternal Son
of God laying aside that glory which he had with the Father
before the worlds were made ; and taking upon him our nature,
on purpose that in the nature which had sinned he might suffer
the curse that was due to sin. We behold him fulfilling the
perfect law of God for us, that we may have his perfect right
eousness imputed to us, and at the same time expiating our
guilt by his own sufferings on the cross. We see him further
rising from the dead, and ascending up to heaven, to carry on
there the work he had begun on earth ; to be the continual
Intercessor for his people, and, as their living Head, to supply
them with all that their necessities require. And, finally, we
behold him coming again to judge the world, and to assign to
his friends, and to his enemies, the portion prepared for them ;
and then, having completed the whole work of redemption to
the uttermost, " surrendering up the kingdom into the Father's
hands, that God may be all in all."
How amazing is all this! how infinitely beyond all that
human eye ever saw, or ear heard, or heart conceived !]
3. The felicity of God's people is now also plainly
declared —
["Perfect peace" is now to be enjoyed by all who believe
in Christ. No doubt rests upon the mind respecting the
fulness and sufficiency of his atonement : it is known to be
a sufficient " propitiation for the sins of the whole world."
Now every believer has free access into the holiest of all, to
behold God himself upon his mercy-seat, and to present
before him his sacrifices of prayer and praise. Every saint
now regards God as his Father, and with a filial confidence
goes in and out before him, assured that every thing both in
heaven and earth shall be ordered with an immediate view to
his good, as much as if there were not another creature in the
universe. And lastly, he looks up to the more immediate
residence of Jehovah, assured that a crown and a kingdom are
prepared for him, even a participation of the Redeemer's glory,
and an everlasting fruition of God himself.
B 2 Cor. iv. 6.
1939.] THE GOSPEL A STUPENDOUS MYSTERY. 81
Say, Did ever any child of man, even among the Jews,
foresee such things as these ? Did even the highest archangel
ever form any adequate conception of them, before they were
revealed to the Christian Church ? No : they were hid from
angels, as well as menh ; and the angels are made wiser by
the revelation of them to the Church1. But to us they are
now revealed : they are revealed to us in the written word ;
and they are revealed in us by the mighty power of the Spirit
taking the veil from our hearts, and giving to us a spiritual
discernment k : and we are authorized to declare, that the most
ignorant of true believers at this day is greater than all the
prophets, not excepting the Baptist himself, who personally
knew Christ, and pointed him out as " the Lamb of God who
should take away the sins of the world1."]
IMPROVEMENT—
1. How inexcusable are they who inquire not into
these things !
[Has God in his infinite mercy revealed such things to
us, and shall we pay no attention to them? Shall we treat
them as if they were no other than "a cunningly-devised
fable?" Shall " the angels in heaven be desiring to look into
themm," and we be unconcerned about them? O, brethren,
what account shall we give of ourselves to the Lord Jesus
Christ, if, when he says to us, " Search the Scriptures, for
they testify of me," we prefer every other book before them,
and either neglect the Bible altogether, or read it only as
a formal exercise ? Surely our " study should be in it day
and night," and it should be " sweeter to us than honey, or the
honey-comb."]
2. How blind must we be, if we see no glory in
them !
[What ! see nothing wonderful in an incarnate God !
Nothing wonderful in God dying in the place of his own
rebellious creatures ! Nothing wonderful in our being brought
by these means into union and communion with God, and an
everlasting participation of his glory in the world to come !
If these things be not wonderful, tell me any thing that is.
You would be filled with utter astonishment, if a fellow-
creature were to tell you some of the phenomena of nature ;
and are you not when God tells you all the wonders of his
grace? If these things produce no admiring and adoring
h This is particularly marked in the passage as it stands in Isaiah;
" None, O God, besides thee." Isai. Ixiv. 4.
1 Eph. iii. 9, 10. k 1 Cor. iS. 12, 14. ' Matt. xi. 11.
m 1 Pet. i. 12.
VOL. XVI. O
82 1 CORINTHIANS, IJ. 10. [1940.
thoughts in your hearts, know assuredly that the God of this
world hath blinded your eyes, and that " you are in darkness
even until now." Were you of the happy number of the
Lord's people, it would have " been given you to behold the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven :" but " if you see them
not, it is because ye are not of God."]
3. How ungrateful are they who do not endeavour
to walk worthy of them !
[These things are revealed, not as matters of speculation,
but as means of happiness, and as incentives to holiness
of life. Do but think what manner of persons ye ought to
be in all holy conversation and godliness ; ye, I say, for whom
such things have been done, and to whom they have been
revealed ! But it will be well for you to attend to that
expression in our text, that " God hath prepared these things
for them that love him" True, in the first instance it is for
his enemies : but they do not remain his enemies ; on the
contrary, they " love him," and serve him, and " wait for
him":" and verily, if, after you have been enlightened by the
Spirit of God, and been enabled to behold all these wonders
of love and mercy, you do not devote yourselves wholly to
the Lord, you shew that you have no part or lot in this
matter. You may have believed, like Simon Magus; but
like Simon Magus you shall perish : for know assuredly, that,
" if ye be Christ's, ye will crucify the flesh with the affections
and lusts, and will glorify God with your body and your spirit,
which are his0."]
" Compare the passage as it stands in Isaiah, with the same as
cited by Paul.
0 If this be the subject of a Mission Sermon, the duty of diffusing
over the face of the whole earth these glorious truths may here be
pressed to great advantage.
MDCCCCXL.
THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD.
1 Cor. ii. 10. The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep
things of God.
IN the verse immediately preceding our text, which
is a citation from the Prophet Isaiah, there is a re
markable difference between the words, as uttered
by the Prophet, and as cited by the Apostle. The
Apostle quotes only so much as was sufficient to
1940.1 THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD. 83
shew that the great mystery of redemption was never
conceived by man before it was revealed to us by God.
But the prophet excludes all the bright intelligences
of heaven, no less than men ; and intimates that none
but God was privy to the Divine counsels : " Neither
hath eye seen, O God, besides thee, what He hath
prepared for him that waiteth for hima." This omis
sion we should not have particularly noticed, if the
Apostle had not, by his subsequent observations,
drawn our attention to it more particularly, by shew
ing, that though there was nofaiite intelligence privy
to these counsels, there was ONE, who, though God,
was in some respects to be distinguished from Him,
whose counsels they were, and who did " search,"
and behold with perfect accuracy, the very utmost
depths of that mystery, and who also had revealed
them to the Apostle : — " God," says the Apostle,
" hath revealed them to us by his Spirit : for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God. For what man knoweth the things of a man,
save the spirit of a man which is in him ? even so the
things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,
but the Spirit which is of God ; that we might know
the things that are freely given to us of God." Now,
throughout this whole passage, there is repeated
mention made of God, as the source and fountain
from whence this mysterious plan emanated ; and of
the Spirit of God, as a distinct Agent discovering
these depths to us. From hence we have an insight
into the doctrine of the Trinity of persons in the
Godhead ; a doctrine obscurely intimated in the words
of the prophet, but plainly declared in the Apostle's
fuller explanation of them. The personality of the
Holy Spirit, and his divinity, are here repeatedly
asserted : and a beautiful light is thrown upon those
words of the prophet ; " No eye hath seen, O God,
besides thee :" for though no created being hath seen,
the Holy Ghost hath : for " the Spirit searcheth all
tilings, yea, the deep things of God."
8 Isai. Ixiv. 4.
84 1 CORINTHIANS, 11. 10. [1940.
In these words we are led to contemplate the pro
vince of the Holy Spirit in relation to the great mystery
of redemption ; to contemplate it, I say,
I. As exercised by him in reference to God-
He " searcheth the deep things of God :" he
searcheth,
1. The eternal purposes of his grace—
[From all eternity did God determine to suffer the fall of
man, and to provide means for his recovery. The means
ordained by him were, the incarnation and death of his only
dear Son, whom he would send into the world to be a pro
pitiation for sin, and to work out a righteousness whereby the
believing penitent might be justified. Every particular relative
to this mysterious plan was foreseen and fore-ordained. The
person of whom the Son of God should take our flesh ; the
time at which he should come into the world ; the various
incidents of his life ; the minutest circumstances of his death ;
the agents that should effect it, and the precise part which
every one of them should bear in effecting it, whether Judas
in betraying him, or Pilate in condemning, or the Romans in
crucifying, or Joseph and Nicodemus in burying him : every
thing also relating to his resurrection and ascension, and the
sending of his Holy Spirit, and the consequent establishment
of his kingdom in the world ; all was ordained of God the
Father : but all was searched out by God the Holy Ghost.
He had the same perfect knowledge of it as the Father him
self; and not the smallest incident that occurred in any part
of it was hid from his all-seeing eye. " No eye saw it, besides
his:" but he saw it in all its parts, and in all its bearings: not
the slightest thing connected with it was hid from him.]
2. His particular dealings with every individual of
mankind—
[The salvation of all was to be of grace, from beginning
to end. Yet was man to be dealt with as a rational and
responsible being ; every man being left to the freest exercise
of his own will, yet subject to an agency within, which, in all
that should be saved, should be effectual for the overcoming of
all the evil propensities of his nature. It was not ordained
that all should ultimately be saved : but it was ordained, that
those who were saved should have nothing to boast of; and
that those who perished should have nothing to complain of:
the saved should owe their salvation to him alone ; the lost
should owe their condemnation wholly to themselves. But
who could fathom such depths as these ? Who could tell how
God should ordain all, and yet not interfere with the free
1940. J THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD. 85
agency of any ; and how he should reserve to himself the
praise from all that were saved, and leave all the blame of con
demnation to rest on those who should bring that doom upon
themselves? But the Spirit of God searched out all these
unfathomable depths. He saw how the whole should be car
ried into effect, in every individual of the human race: at what
time, in what manner, and by what means, the elect should be
converted, preserved, perfected ; and, at the same time, how
the rest should be left to reject the mercies offered them, and
to perish under an accumulated weight of misery. If St. Paul,
in relation to the calling of the Gentiles and the restoration of
the Jews, exclaimed, " O the depths !" much more must we,
in the contemplation of such mysterious works as these.]
3. The glorious issue of all his dispensations—
[The result of all will be the glory of God, both " in them
that are saved, and in them that perish." " Though Israel be
not gathered, yet will He be glorious V God declared that
he would get himself glory on Pharaoh and all his hosts0 : and,
on his destruction of them all, Moses said, " Thy right hand,
O Lord, is become glorious in power : thy right hand, O Lord,
hath dashed in pieces the enemy d." In the judgments also
that were executed on Nadab and Abihu, God was " glo
rified6." In like manner, even in the torments of the damned,
will God be glorified : for all who behold the infliction of his
wrath will be constrained to say, " Lord God Almighty, true
and righteous are thy judgments'." It is indeed a tremendous
thought, and to our weak apprehensions it appears incredible,
that God should be glorified in the eternal condemnation of
any of his creatures. But so it will be : and at the last day,
when Jesus " shall come to be glorified in his saints, and
admired in all them that believe8," will the objects of his wrath
be confounded before him, and never have one word to utter
in arrest of his judgments11. Now all this the Holy Spirit saw
from the beginning. He saw, that if mercy was glorified in
the salvation of some, justice would be glorified in the con
demnation of others : and that the whole issue of this stu
pendous mystery would be worthy of the Most High God ; of
the Father, who had planned it ; of the Son, who had executed
it ; and of the Spirit, who had carried it into full effect.]
But as the Holy Spirit, in the exercise of this office,
has respect to us, it will be proper for us to contem
plate it,
b Isai. xlix. 5. c Exod. xiv. 17. d Exod. xv. 6.
e Lev. x. 2. f Rev. xvi. 5 — 7. and xix. 2. K 2 Thcss. i. 10.
h Matt. xxii. 12.
S6 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 10. [1940.
II. As exercised by him in reference to us—
" He searcheth all things" as the Apostle intimates,
on purpose to reveal them to us. He searcheth them,
1. As a Teacher, to reveal them to us —
[It is the Holy Spirit who revealed this hidden mystery
to prophets first1, and then to the Apostles of our Lordk: and
the whole of the written word was penned by inspiration from
him — - But in the sacred volume there is much that is
beyond our comprehension : indeed, if it were all level with
our capacity, we should have reason to doubt whether it were
really from God ; seeing that it would be totally unlike to his
other works of creation and providence, in which there is con
fessedly much that no human being can explain. But the
Spirit having searched the deep things of God, is perfectly
acquainted with them all, and has revealed to us nothing but
what he knows to be true. We, therefore, must receive by
faith all that he has declared. Our only concern is, to know
what the Holy Spirit has spoken in his word : and that once
ascertained, we must receive it with childlike simplicity ; say
ing, ' What I know not now, I shall know hereafter.' That
we cannot comprehend it, should be no objection to us: for, if
God had explained the whole ever so clearly, there must be
many things which we could not comprehend. Let a philoso
pher declare to an uninstructed peasant some of the more
hidden depths of astronomy, could the peasant comprehend
them ? or could the philosopher, by all the clearest demon
strations, enable him to comprehend them ? And if such a
distance exist between men, may we not well suppose that an
infinitely greater distance will be found between GWand man?
I say, it is our wisdom to submit our understandings to the
word of God : and there is no juster lesson afforded us in
all the Scriptures, than that of the Apostle, " If any man will
be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be
wise1."]
2. As an Instructor, to reveal them in us—
[To Him we are directed to look for that spiritual discern
ment, whereby alone we can comprehend the truths of Godm.
The Apostles themselves, after they had heard our Lord's
instructions for nearly four years, were unable to understand
the Scriptures, till " he opened their understandings to under
stand them"." So it is with us: we must have a " spirit of
wisdom and revelation given to us," before we can attain " the
1 2 Pet. i. 21. * John xvi. 13, 14. » 1 Cor. iii. 18.
m vcr. 11. n Luke xxiv. 45.
1940.] THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD. 87
knowledge of Christ0;" and must " all be taught of Godp,"
before we can " know the things that have been freely given
to us of Godq." Let me then recommend, that, whenever
you open the inspired volume, you lift up your hearts to him,
and say, " Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous
things out of thy law."
Shall this be thought unnecessary ? Shall it be supposed,
that, because we have the words and sentences plainly written,
we can necessarily discern the mind of God in them ? Were
this the case, every student of the Scriptures would, in all
their principal and fundamental points at least, have a clear
understanding of them. But experience proves, that, like the
Scribes and Pharisees of old, we may have an accurate know
ledge of the letter, and yet have no conception of the spirit of
them. They are a sealed book to us at this time, as they were
to those of former days. Like a dial, which has the figures
accurately marked, and the gnomon rightly fixed ; but yet you
look at it in vain, till the light of the sun shine upon it : so in
vain do you read or study the Holy Scriptures, till a light shine
upon them from above, or till God " shine into our hearts, to
give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ1."]
3. As a Governor, to bring us into subjection to
them —
[If the Spirit of God have searched out for us the deep
things of God, and have made them known to us, it is not that
we should speculate upon them, but that we should, as far as
possible, be conformed to them. We must be as ready to obey
him in what he commands, as to believe him in what he reveals.
We must complain of nothing as an hard saying ; but must
give up ourselves as willing servants to fulfil his will, or rather
must be like metal that is ready to be poured into the mould
which God has prepared for us. This is the very idea suggested
by the Apostle Paul, when he says of all true Christians, " Ye
have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was
delivered you :" his expression rather is, " Ye have obeyed from
the heart that form of doctrine, into which, as into a mould,
ye were delivered8." If this be not attained, the manifestation
of God's will in the written word will be of no use: indeed, it
will only occasion our heavier condemnation.
If any reply, that there are commands which appear unreason
able, and that we cannot be required to obey them ; I answer,
We are not to sit in judgment upon God, and to determine
whether his commands be reasonable or not. We expect to
0 Eph. i. 17, 18, P John vi. 45. 1 ver. 12.
T '2 Cor. iv. 0. " Rom. vi. 17. See the Greek.
88 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 12, 13. [1941.
be obeyed by our children and our servants, though they do
not know all the objects we have in view when we issue our
commands. We expect them to give us credit for ordering
only what is wise and good ; and to take for granted, rather
than deliberate upon, the wisdom of our commands. And
what we expect of others, we may well be required to render
unto him.]
4. As a Witness, to testify of our conformity to
th em-
fit is said of him, that " He searcheth all things :" and if
he search " the deep things of God," does he not also search
the deep things that are in our hearts? Yes, " He searcheth
the heart and trieth the reins," and discerneth the inmost
thoughts and intents of our hearts. " I know," says he, " the
things that come into your minds, every one of them." Yes,
" He weigheth the spirits," and ascertaineth precisely the mea
sure of good and evil that there is in the heart of every one
amongst us. We must not suppose that he has fully executed
his office when he has revealed to us the deep things of God.
No : he searches how we receive them ; how we improve them ;
how we answer the end of God in them. And this he does
with a view to a future judgment, that we may all " receive
according to what we have done in the body, whether it be
good or evil." Let us, then, bear this in mind : let us remember,
that he is conversant with every inclination, every affection,
every appetite of our souls. The darkness is no darkness with
him, but the night is as clear as the day : and as his testimony
respecting God is true, so will his testimony respecting us be
true. Attend then to the way in which every day and every
hour is spent. Mark in what frame your mind is, in all your
public or private addresses to the Most High. Call yourselves
to a severe account respecting every duty and every defect.
After all, you will never weigh yourselves so accurately as he
weighs you : and " if your heart condemn you, God is greater
than your hearts, and knoweth all things : but if your heart
condemn you not, then have you confidence towards God1."]
1 1 John iii. 20, 21.
MDCCCCXLI.
INFLUENCES OF THE SPIRIT.
1 Cor. ii. 1 3,13. Notv we have received, not the spirit of the world,
but the Spirit which is of God; that toe might knoio the things
that arc freely given to us of God. Which things also ive
speak, not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth, but
which the Holy Ghost teacheth ; comparing spiritual things
with spiritual.
1941. ] INFLUENCES OF THE SPIRIT. 89
NO man was ever better qualified to please men
with the charms of oratory than the Apostle Paul :
for, in point of talent, few perhaps have ever exceeded
him ; and, in point of knowledge, no uninspired man
ever came near him. In the great subject of his
ministrations there is a sublimity, in comparison of
which all other subjects are but as a star before the
meridian sun. Yet, in setting forth that subject, he
was particularly careful to " use all plainness of
speech," lest he should obscure, rather than illustrate,
its excellency by any vain attempts to embellish and
adorn it. This he repeatedly mentions, as the stated
rule prescribed to him by God, and followed by him.
" Christ," says he, " sent me to preach the Gospel,
not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ
should be made of none effect a." In conformity with
this commission, he says, " I came to you not with
excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring the tes
timony of God :" and again, " My speech and my
preaching was not with enticing words of man's wis
dom :" and so also in the words of my text, " Which
things we speak, not with words which man's wisdom
teachethV As, in receiving the Gospel, he had been
taught it by the Spirit of God ; so in communicating
the knowledge of it to others, he would make use of
no other language than that which the Spirit himself
had provided.
The declarations of the Apostle in my text will
lead me to shew,
I. Whence a minister must receive his choicest quali
fications —
Of course, if he would instruct others, he himself
must be instructed in " the things which are freely
given to us of God"-
[God has given us salvation in the Son of his love
He has also made known to us this salvation in the
fullest manner —And this is the subject which every
servant of his has it in commission to unfold to a benighted
world ]
a 1 Cor. i. 17. b ver. 1,4, 13.
90 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 12, 13. [1941.
But how is he himself to obtain the knowledge
of it ?-
[He must " receive it, not from the spirit of the world,
but from the Spirit of God." It is itself altogether foreign to
all that the world either cultivates or admires. It is not
within the power of human intellect to comprehend it ; or of
human investigation to search it out ; or of human wisdom to
impart the knowledge of it. The Spirit of the living God
alone can convey it to the mind.
If it be asked, How are we to account for this ? I will con
fess, that the statement, by which persons very generally en
deavour to account for it, I greatly disapprove. We are told
in the words following my text, that "the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God ; for they are foolishness
unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiri
tually discerned0." Hence some imagine that a distinct sense
must be given to us, without which we can no more discern
the truths of the Gospel, than a man can discern the objects
of sight, or smell, or taste, whilst he has not the organs proper
for the perception of them. But, were this the case, a ma,n
would be no more blameable for his ignorance of divine things,
than a man who was born deaf or blind would be for not per
ceiving objects by his eyes or ears. A juster view of the case,
I apprehend, is this. The word is that seal which the Spirit
of God uses for the stamping of the Divine image upon man ;
and the heart of man is the wax, which is ordained of God to
receive the impression. But the wax is hardened by sin ; so
hardened, that not even the word of God himself can make
any impression on it. Hence it resists the word, even as stone
or iron would the action of a seal upon it. Thus is man's
ignorance to be ascribed, not less to the hardness, than to the
blindness of his heart d. Nor is this all. Man does not only
withstand the word, as stone or iron would the impression of
a seal, but as a spring would resist it. In a spring there is a
re-action, proportioned to the force which acts upon it : and
this is the kind of resistance which the heart of man gives to
the word of God. Man's heart rises in opposition to the
word, and with all its power repels it. The Jew rejects it as
" a stumbling-block ;" and the Greek despises it as " foolish
ness." And hence it is, that no power but that of the Spirit
of God can overcome the obstinacy of man's resistance to the
word.
And how does the Spirit of God produce this effect? It
operates as fire on the wax. Our Lord has said, that he will
" baptize us with the Holy Ghost and with fire ;" that is, with
"• ver. 14. cl Eph. iv. 18, Trwpwmi'. See the marginal version.
1941.1 INFLUENCES OF THE SPIRIT. 91
the Holy Ghost, who shall operate as fire. And when that
divine Agent applies the word to the soul, he humbles the
soul, and softens it, and renders it susceptible of that very
impression which the word is intended to make upon it. And
this is the very account which St. Paul himself gives of the
process, when he says, " Ye have obeyed from the heart that
form of doctrine which was delivered you ;" or, as it should
rather have been translated, " Ye have obeyed from the heart
that form of doctrine, into which (as into a mould) ye were
delivered6."]
The dependence of a minister on the Spirit of God
for the instruction of his own mind shews,
II. How alone his efforts can be made effectual for
the salvation of his hearers-
It is not by the power of human eloquence that he
must prevail—
[Human eloquence is good in its place : but it can add
nothing to the truth of God. On the contrary, it rather takes
from the power of God's word, than adds any thing to it ;
just as any efforts of man to augment by paint the brilliancy
of a diamond, would only, in the issue, obscure its lustre.
There is a majesty in the word of God, which we may ener
vate, but can never augment.]
It is by the simple statement of the Gospel, as
revealed in the sacred records—
[The words of Scripture have a power which no words
of man can attain. And, though it is not necessary that they
should be used on every occasion, they must always be the
foundation of what we assert, and must always be referred to
in confirmation of it. St. Paul " compared spiritual things
with spiritual :" he had to unfold spiritual truths ; and he
referred to what the Spirit of God had previously revealed, as
containing the substance of all that he promulgated. Did he
set forth Jesus as the Messiah ? He referred to the prophe
cies which had announced his advent, and were fulfilled in
him. Did he expatiate upon the work and offices of Christ?
He referred to those typical institutions which had been
appointed to shadow them forth. Thus, in like manner, must
we do ; particularly pointing out the spiritual provisions of the
Gospel as suited to the spiritual necessities of man. It is this
kind of statement which alone succeeds to any great extent.
God might, if he pleased, render more partial statements
effectual ; and on some occasions he does : but for the most
e elf ov Trapt^oQrjTt TVTTOV li^a\i]^. Rom. vi. 17.
92 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 12, 13. [1941.
part, it is by an exhibition of the Gospel AS A REMEDY, that he
chiefly works for the salvation of man. The state of man, as
fallen, must be fully opened: his guilt and danger and help
lessness must be set forth with all fidelity : then must the
Saviour be proclaimed, as making a full atonement for our
sins, as bringing in for us an everlasting righteousness, and as
supplying out of his own fulness all that our utmost necessities
can require. This is the doctrine to which the Holy Ghost
bears testimony, and which he uses as a seal, to stamp the
divine image on our souls. A striking instance of this may be
seen when Peter opened this Gospel to the Jewsf ; and again,
when he also first opened it to the Gentiles. On the latter
occasion, when he had said, " To him give all the prophets
witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him
shall receive remission of sins," it is particularly noted,
" When Peter spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all
them that heard the words." And we also can bear testi
mony, that he does yet set his seal to these blessed truths,
and make use of them for the consolation and salvation of
those who hear them.]
From this subject we may LEARN,
1. How to judge of our knowledge of divine things—
[A 7ieac?-knowledge of them may be obtained from books:
but a Aear^-kriowledge, if I may so speak, can be acquired
only by the teaching of the Holy Spirit. We should care
fully inquire, therefore, of tvhat kind our knowledge is. If it
be such as man can impart, it is not that which will prove of
saving benefit to our souls. But it may be asked, ' If the
subject matter be the same, how shall I distinguish between
human teaching and divine ?' I answer, The distinction can
be known only by experience. Suppose a person who had
constantly seen the sun, but never felt its beams, were told,
that a man exposed to the action of its rays had a totally dif
ferent perception of the sun from any which a mere sight of
it would produce : he could not enter fully into the distinc
tion, as the person could, who felt the genial warmth of the
sun : and so a person, unacquainted with the operations of the
Spirit upon the soul would have a very inadequate idea of
the experience of one who felt them, even though we should
labour ever so much to make him comprehend it, B ^t yet,
methinks, you will not be altogether at a loss to comprehend
the distinction, if I say, that the truths of the Gospel, when
received from man only, abide in the mind much in the same
way as any speculative subject does ; whereas, when applied
to the soul by the Spirit of God, they produce a feeling
f Acts ii. 3G, 37. « Acts x. 43, 44.
1942.] THE NATURAL MAN'S IGNORANCE. i)',j
corresponding with the truths themselves ; that is, a feeling
of humiliation, or confidence, or joy, as the subject itself may
require. Perhaps we may understand the matter yet more
clearly, if we refer to the illustration before used, of a seal and
the wax : the same seal is applied to both ; but the one,
by reason of an invisible action of heat upon it, receives an
impression ; whilst the other, by reason of its obduracy,
remains unimpressed. Inquire then, I pray you, whether
divine truth operate on your minds, to the production of peni
tential sorrow, of holy joy, of unreserved obedience. It is
from its effects, in assimilating the soul to the Divine image,
that you must judge of the source from whence your know
ledge flows. If it be from God, you may rest assured that it
will lead you to God.]
2. How we may grow in all that is good—
[If we can learn only from the Spirit of God, we must
still continue to seek his heavenly teaching. Even after our
eyes have been opened by the Spirit of God, the Scriptures
will still be to us as a sealed book, unless He shine upon it
from on high, and shine into our hearts also, to give us the
knowledge of ith. Remember, then, to seek, even to your
latest hour, instruction from Him. If at any time you take up
the Scriptures, to read them, forget not to pray, with David,
" Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things
out of thy law." So also, when you come to hear the word,
look up to the Holy Spirit for his gracious influence upon your
soul : for if it come not home to you " in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power," it will be only " as water spilt upon the
ground, which cannot be gathered up again :" but if you
rely simply upon him, and " receive it with meekness" as little
children, you shall find it " mighty, through Him, to the
pulling down of every obstruction," and shall experience its
sufficiency to sanctify and save the soul,]
'> 2 Cor. iv. 6.
MDCCCCXLII.
THE NATURAL MAN'S IGNORANCE OF DIVINE THINGS.
1 Cor. ii. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God : for they are foolishness unto him: neither can
he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
CHRISTIANITY, as far as relates to its provi
sions, is founded on the necessities of man : there is
a perfect correspondence between the want and the
SH 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 11, [1942.
supply : whichever of the two is contemplated, we
of necessity behold, or at least may behold, the other.
Men, it is true, are not very willing to acknowledge
their necessities ; and hence they think lightly of the
blessings of the Gospel salvation : and many, who are
willing to confess the depravation of their will and
their affections through the fall of our first parents,
are very averse to admit the loss they have sustained
in their intellectual powers. But it is certain, that
the mind of man is no longer what it was before the
introduction of sin into the world : it can no longer
discern the glory and excellency of Jehovah, or the
mysteries of his spiritual kingdom. This is expressly
declared in the words before us ; which it is our
intention,
I. To explain-
That we may have a just view of them, we will
distinctly shew,
1. Whom we are to understand by " the natural
man" —
[The term which we translate " natural," is differently
translated in different places ; and the sense must always be
determined by the context. Now the whole context shews,
that the person here spoken of is man in his natural state, un
taught, and unassisted by the Spirit of God. From the middle
of the preceding chapter, two descriptions of persons are men
tioned; one, wise in respect of earthly knowledge, but spiritually
blind, and, in consequence of that blindness, pouring contempt
upon the Gospel : the other, as spiritually enlightened, and, in
consequence of that illumination, accounting the Gospel the
richest display of God's wisdom and power. The former the
Apostle denominates the " wise, the scribe, the disputer of
this world," and comprehends among them " the princes of
this world :" these, in our text, he calls " the natural man,"
that is, man conversant with worldly knowledge, but unin-
structed by the Spirit of God.]
2. What are those things which he can neither
receive nor know—
[These are " the things of the Spirit," or, the great mys
teries which are revealed to us in the Gospel. And when it
is said, that the natural man cannot know them, we are not
to understand merely that these mysteries are not discoverable
by the light of reason, so as to supersede the necessity of any
1942.] THE NATURAL MAN'S IGNORANCE. 95
revelation; but that, however revealed to us externally by God,
they cannot be inwardly comprehended, without a special dis
covery of them to the soul by the influence of the Holy Spirit.
As far as they are capable of being judged of by reason, or are
mere matters of science, any man may, by the application of
his own natural powers, understand them : but, as far as they
are objects of faith, and matters of experience, no man can
understand them, unless he be taught of God. Theoretically,
he may maintain the whole system of the fall and the recovery;
but, practically, he cannot realize in his soul the truths which
he maintains : the humiliation which his depravity calls for, he
cannot feel ; nor the gratitude, which the wonders of redemp
tion so imperiously demand. On the contrary, the whole system,
however as a theory it may be approved, as a practical and in
fluential principle in the soul is accounted " foolishness."]
3. Whence this incapacity arises —
[It is well accounted for in the words before us : " He
cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
We are not to understand by this, that the spiritual man is
endued with any new faculty, which the natural man does not
possess; for then the natural man would be rather to be
pitied for a defect which was unavoidable, than to be blamed
for a weakness to which he himself was accessary : we are rather
to understand, that the natural man does not make a right use
of the faculties which he already possesses, but, through the
corruption of his own heart, renders them unfit for the use for
which they were originally designed. Perhaps we may attain
some insight into this matter by means of an easy and familiar
illustration. Many by nature are very indistinct in their organs
of vision ; and art has enabled them to supply the defect. From
the formation and structure of their eye, the objects which they
behold do not fall upon the retina that should reflect them, but
either fall short of it, or go beyond it : but, by interposing a
proper medium, the object is brought to such a focus as the
eye requires; and is then clearly discerned. Now we may
suppose our natural pride, and unbelief, and sensuality, to have
rendered our spiritual discernment so indistinct, that nothing
is seen aright ; but objects, especially spiritual objects, are dim
and distorted: but humility, and contrition, and faith being
given by God as a new medium through which they shall be
seen, the objects are made, so to speak, to fall upon the heart,
and are discerned by the heart in all their true colours and
dimensions. We do not propose this as a. perfect illustration;
for nothing in nature will perfectly represent the mysteries of
grace: but it may serve perhaps to convey some faint idea of
our natural incapacity to know and to receive the things of the
Spirit ; and may shew us what we want in order to a spiritual
96 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 14. [1942.
discernment. It is the Spirit of God alone that can supply us
with those qualities of mind which will rectify the defects of
our visual organs: but when he does supply them, then, in
proportion as they are communicated, will be the clearness
of our sight. We again say, that we do not bring this as a
perfect illustration, and much less as a proof, of the truth we
are considering : but we apprehend, that it is such an illustra
tion as the word of God sanctions. Our blessed Lord tells us,
that, " if our eye be evil, the body will be dark ; but that, if
our eye be single, our whole body will be full of light:" and
St. Paul says, that " by reason of use our senses are exercised
to discern both good and evila;" by which two passages we
learn, that the rectification of our visual organs, and the due
application of them to their proper objects, are the appointed
means of communicating to us a spiritual discernment.]
This truth, we now proceed,
II. To confirm —
The natural man, under all circumstances, is blind
to the things of God —
It was so in our Lord's day —
[Never was there any light comparable to that which was
diffused by the Sun of Righteousness : yet the darkness com
prehended it not. Our Lord came to his own, and his own
received him notb. The very people who, from their acquaint
ance with the Holy Scriptures, and their opportunities of
knowing the character of our blessed Lord, and the proofs of
his divine mission, had the best means of ascertaining the
truth of his Messiahship, could see "no beauty or comeliness
in him for which he was to be desired c." The great mass of
the Jewish people accounted him an impostor : and when his
own Disciple, Peter, confessed him to be the Christ, the Son of
the living God, our Lord said to him, " Blessed art thou, Simon
Bar-jona : for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,
but my Father which is in heaven d." Whence it is evident,
that none can truly receive Christ in all his characters and
offices, unless a spiritual discernment be given unto them by
the Spirit of God. Clear as our Lord's discourses were, they
were not understood fully even by the Disciples themselves.
" To them indeed it was given to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven" more clearly than to others; but even
they could not enter fully into the nature of his kingdom, no,
not after he had risen from the dead, till " he opened their
understandings to understand the Scriptures6."]
a Hcb. v. M. b John i. f>, 10, 11. <= jsait ijjj. 9.
d Matt. xvi. 17. e Luke xxiv. 45.
1942.] THE NATURAL MAN*S IGNORANCE. 97
It was so under the ministry of the Apostles —
[Paul himself, so far from being convinced by the wonders
of the day of Pentecost, was the most determined enemy of the
Christian Church, till Christ himself arrested him in his mad
career, and revealed himself to him by an immediate vision, and
a special revelation from heaven. In like manner the ministry
of Paul was as offensive to some, as it was delightful and in
structive to others. Those " whose hearts the Lord opened,"
as he did Lydia's, " to attend to the things spoken by Paul,"
received the word with all gladness ; but the great majority of
his hearers rejected it with abhorrence. The very same words
spoken before Festus and Agrippa, made one to cry out,
" Paul, thou art beside thyself:" and the other to say,
" Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."]
And thus it is also at this day—
[The work of conversion does not go forward among " the
wise, the mighty, the noble :" on the contrary, the Gospel is
very generally esteemed as "foolishness" among them. We
still find occasion for the same acknowledgment as our Lord
himself made : " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father,
for so it seemed good in thy sight f." To this source we must
trace all the difference that we still observe amongst the
hearers of the Gospel : " the Spirit of God worketh all in all ;
and divideth to every man severally as he willg." If we know
Christ, it is because " he hath given us an understanding that
we might know himh," and " an unction of the Holy One,"
whereby our faculties were enabled to apprehend him1: and,
if we have come to Christ, it is because " we have heard and
learned of the Father k."]
Humiliating, no doubt, this declaration is: never
theless it is one which we shall do well,
III. To improve—
We may learn from it —
1. How to appreciate divine knowledge—
[Valuable as human knowledge is, it bears no comparison
with that which is divine. So superior is " the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord," that St. Paul
accounted all things but as dross " and dung in comparison
of it." It is more excellent in its nature, more exalted in its
origin, and more beneficial in its use. Into the mystery of
f Matt. xi. 25, 26. e 1 Cor. xii. 6, 11. h 1 John v. 20.
1 1 John ii. 20, 27. k John vi. 4.5.
VOL. XVI. II
98 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 14. [1942.
redemption the very " angels themselves desire to look." To
understand it, we must be taught, not of man, but of God ;
and, when we have received it aright, it will renew and sanc
tify us after the Divine image. Let it then be sought by us,
not exclusively indeed, but supremely. Let us not be satisfied
with any knowledge which the natural man can attain : but let
us seek that which shall carry its own evidence along with it
as divine, by its renewing, sanctifying, and comforting influence
upon the soul.]
2. How to seek it —
[Nothing is to be attained without diligence : but it is
not by study only that the knowledge of divine things is to be
acquired : we must " cry after knowledge," at the same time
that we " search for it as for hid treasures." It is " the Lord
alone who giveth wisdom ;" and therefore we must seek it from
him by earnest prayer. We must beg him " to give us the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him," that
the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, we may see
" the deep things of God." He first " commanded light to
shine out of darkness" in the material world; and a similar
process must take place in our minds through the operation of
his word and Spirit. We must be " taught of God, as all his
children are :" and then only shall we behold " the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,
when he shines into our hearts to give it us1." Our studies
therefore must all be accompanied with prayer, and we must
never take up the Holy Scriptures without crying, like David,
" Lord, open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous
things out of thy law."]
3. How to employ it—
[Has God in his unbounded mercy opened our eyes, and
enabled us to see what the natural man is not able to receive ?
Surely we should endeavour to employ that light in the way
that shall most conduce to his glory. We should make use
of it as the means of searching out his glorious perfections,
and of discovering the heights and depths of his unsearchable
love. We should also employ it for the rectifying of all our
own views, and spirit, and conduct: and, finally, for the
diffusing, to the utmost of our power, the knowledge of him
throughout the world. As it was said to Peter, " When thou
art converted, strengthen thy brethren ;" so is it said to us,
" Freely ye have received, freely give." No one gift is bestowed
on us for ourselves alone, but for the good of others : and
knowledge in particular is a talent entrusted to us for the benefit
1 2 Cor. iv. 6.
1943.] ADVANTAGES OF THE SPIRITUAL MAN. 99
of all around us : " it is a light that is to be set on a candlestick,
and not to be hid under a bushel." If then, through the dis
tinguishing grace of God, we have been called to the knowledge
of the truth, it becomes us to "shine as lights in the world,"
and so to " hold forth the word of life," that others may be
" guided into the way of peace."]
MDCCCCXLIII.
ADVANTAGES OF THE SPIRITUAL MAN.
1 Cor. ii. 15, 16. He that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet
he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the
mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him ? But we have
the mind of Christ.
TO claim, in the behalf of any person, a pre-emi
nence and distinction which does not belong to him,
is invidious and unwise ; but to prefer such a claim
in behalf of persons on account of some peculiarity
in their religious sentiments or feelings, would be an
act of palpable impiety. In proclaiming, therefore,
the advantages of a spiritual man above those who
are only carnal, I would proceed with extreme cau
tion, lest I should appear to arrogate in his behalf
what does not truly and properly belong to him.
Yet we must not dissemble, that the Scriptures do
paint in very bright colours the privileges of the true
Christian ; and that he is represented as a " child of
light," whilst others are " children of darkness ;" yea,
and as " a child of God" too, whilst others are de
clared to be " the children of the wicked one."
It is evident that there is in the passage before us
a comparison drawn between the natural and the
spiritual man. The natural man is he who has no
thing but what he possesses by nature, or has ac
quired by his natural powers : the spiritual man is one
who has been enlightened and renewed by the Spirit
of God. The former, in all his views, desires, and
pursuits, is circumscribed by the things of time and
sense : the latter soars to spiritual things, and lives,
as it were, in a sublimer atmosphere, the element of
heaven.
H2
100 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 15, 16. [1943.
Of these latter the Apostle speaks in the words
which I have just read ; which will lead me to set
before you,
I. The advantage which the spiritual man enjoys
above all others —
" He judges all things "-
[Of course, we must understand this observation as relat
ing to those things only which come properly before him as a
spiritual man : for, in relation to arts and sciences, or indeed to
any thing- which is within the reach of the natural man, he has
no advantage whatever. Solomon speaks in the same unqua
lified terms: "Evil men understand not judgment: but they
that seek the Lord, understand all things3'.'" St. John also
uses nearly the same language : " Ye have an unction from the
Holy One, and ye know all things**" But common sense, as
well as experience, shews, that we must limit the assertion to
those things which pertain to the salvation of the soul. And
here I might enumerate a great variety of things : but I will
content myself with specifying two, which will carry their own
evidence along with them.
The spiritual man, then, " discerns" (that is the meaning of
the word, which we translate " judgeth," and it is so translated
in the margin of our Bibles) wherein true happiness consists :
he sees it, knows it, feels it, and has his judgment completely
made up upon it. He discerns that his happiness, as a rational
and immortal being, is bound up in communion with God as a
reconciled God and Father, and in a conformity to his image.
By this view of happiness, all earthly things are cut off at
once from any share of this honour, any further than they are
made subservient to the bringing of Almighty God nigh unto
us, or to the transformation of our souls into his likeness. In
forming this judgment, the spiritual man inquires what con
stituted the happiness of man in his first creation. And here
he has no more doubt than he has about the happiness of the
heavenly hosts. And with this agrees his own experience.
For he can have no comfort in his soul whilst he is in doubt
whether God is reconciled to him, or whilst the light of God's
reconciled countenance is hid from him. Nor can he find any
true comfort whilst he feels within him any reigning sin, or any
unmortified lust whatever —
Next, he discerns the means by ivhich alone this happiness
can be attained. He sees that it can be attained only by the
simple exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is by that
only that he can obtain reconciliation with God, or a sense of
a Prov. xxviii. 5. b 1 John ii. 20, L'7.
1943. J ADVANTAGES OF THE SPIRITUAL MAN. 101
the Divine favour in his soul. It is by that alone that he can
obtain " the witness of the Spirit," or " the earnest of the
Spirit," or " the sealing of the Spirit," which are necessary to
elevate his soul above all earthly things : as the Apostle has
said ; " This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our
faith c." It is by that, too, that he attains the Divine image on
his soul, even by " the faith that purifieth the heart d." In a
word, it is by the simple exercise of faith that he receives
every thing out of the fulness that is in Christ, and is filled
with that " love of Christ that constrains him," as a mighty
torrent, " to live no more unto himself, but unto Him who died
for him, and rose again6."]
" But he himself is judged and discerned of no
man "-
[The natural man does not discern these things. How
ever he may speculate upon such things, there is not a natural
man in the whole world that truly and practically discerns
them, so as to have the same fixed judgment in relation to them
that the spiritual man has. The natural man knows not how
to estimate the spiritual man, either in relation to his principles
or conduct. Judge him indeed he will, and confidently enough;
setting him down for a weak enthusiast, if not for a designing
hypocrite. But, to form a just estimate of him, he has no
power. He has no idea of spiritual enjoyment ; no conception
of the efficacy of faith : consequently the experience of the
spiritual man appears to him a mere delusion, a fanatical con
ceit. His pretensions to joys which the natural man never
experienced, appear as wild as if he claimed the possession of
a sense which none but himself and a few other favoured per
sons had ever exercised. Suppose, for instance, when all the
world besides were destitute of some one of the senses that we
enjoy ; say, of sight, or hearing, or smelling ; and one were to
profess that he was enabled by that particular organ to dis
tinguish things which the others could not perceive ; would they
not account him a deceiver? Just so do the ungodly world
account the true Christian, who by faith discerns the excel
lency of those things which never were discerned by the eye of
sense : they are ready to exclaim, as Felix to Paul, " Thou art
beside thyself: much learning (or much conceit) hath made
thee mad." But Paul was " not mad :" nor are they mad
who seek their happiness in the way before described. If they
appear so, it is because their principles and conduct are not
duly appreciated. Not that he has any new sense : for that
c 1 John v. 4. d Acts xv. 9. 2 Cor. iii. 18.
e 2 Cor. v. 14, 15.
102 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 15, 16. [1943.
he certainly has not. But a new perception he has1: and by
means of that he is enabled to judge of these things a.? they
are. At the same time, he himself is judged of no man ;
because no natural man does view things as they are ; he
never takes eternity sufficiently into his account : if he did, he
would see, at once, that " the fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom : a good understanding have all they that do there
after : the praise of it endureth for ever8."]
Let me now proceed to point out,
II. The true source of his superiority—
The natural man possesses not that kind of know
ledge whereby to instruct him—
[What, I would ask, is the standard of true wisdom? Is
it not " the mind of the Lord?" Is there a man in all the
world that believes in a divine revelation, and will, for a mo
ment, controvert this truth ? Let this, then, be settled in our
minds : let this be admitted as a point agreed upon by all
parties : let this be laid down as an axiom, which admits of no
doubt :
THE MIND OF THE LORD IS THE ONLY STANDARD OF TRUE
WISDOM.
Now then, I will ask, What natural man knows that mind ?
There are but two ways in which he can know it ; namely,
either by the written word alone, or by a special revelation of
it to his soul. But by the written word alone (whether with
human instruction, or without) he cannot understand it ; as we
are told in the words before my text : " The natural man re-
ceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ; for they are foolish
ness unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned'1." As for a spiritual revelation of them
to his soul, that is out of the question : for if he had that, he
would already have become a spiritual man : but, not having
received that, he neither knows, nor can " know, the mind of
the Lord ;" and consequently cannot instruct the spiritual man,
either in a way of refutation, or of more accurate and enlarged
information. If he attempt to dogmatize on such subjects, he
will only betray his own ignorance, which even a babe, if taught
of God, will discover.]
But the spiritual man possesses that very know
ledge which is requisite for his guidance in the divine
life—
[" He has the mind of Christ :'' he has it revealed to his
f Phil. i. 9, 10. See the Greek, frany nla^niC itr; TO c
i'/inc T<I r.ia<ptf)r»'~a.
£ Ps. cxi. 10. h ver. 1-1.
1943.] ADVANTAGES OF THE SPIRITUAL MAN. ] Oo
soul by the Spirit of God : as St. Paul has said, " God hatli
given him the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge
of his Son1." Nay, "he is himself one spirit with Christ k,"
and "has in him the very mind that was in Christ1." He has,
"according to the measure of the gift of Christ," the very
" law of God himself written in his heart™ ;" so that he may
be " seen and known of all men to be an epistle of Christ,
written, not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living Godn."
True, indeed, he always needs fresh instruction from above ;
and will, even to his dying hour, have occasion for that prayer,
" What I know not, teach thou me." At first he is only " a
babe, and unskilful in the word of righteousness : and it is not
till after his spiritual senses have been long exercised to
discern both good and evil0," that he attains the fuller " mind
of Christ." But, even as " a babe, he has opened to his view
things which are hid from the wise and prudent1";" and an
inward monitor, saying, " This is the way, walk thou in itq."
Hence, therefore, whatever superiority a natural man may
have over him in relation to the things of time and sense,
he is himself superior to the natural man in reference to the
things of the Spirit ; nor can the natural man either add any
thing unto him, or correct him.]
WHAT THEN SHALL I SAY ? I will say to every one
that is taught of the Spirit,
1. Regard not the ridicule of an ignorant and un
godly world—
[They will ridicule you ; and they will despise you ; and
they will represent all your pursuits as folly : but " they know
not what they say ; nor do they understand whereof they
affirm." Nay, they themselves have a secret consciousness,
that, at least in the main you are right. This do then : Ask
them if they are right : ask them on what their own conduct is
founded, whether on the commands of God, or on the dictates
of the world. Ask them which is the more likely to issue well
at last, a life of worldly conformity, or a life devoted to God.
I mean not by this to encourage any thing that is really
enthusiastic or absurd. You must doubtless " walk in wisdom
towards them that are without," and "give no occasion to any
one to speak reproachfully :" but you must nevertheless main
tain a holy and consistent conduct ; and, " if reproached or
persecuted for righteousness' sake, you must rejoice r," and
bless God, who has counted you worthy of such an honour'.]
' Eph. i. 17, 18. k 1 Cor. vi. 17. ' Phil. ii. 5.
m Jer. xxxi. 33. " 2 Cor. iii. 3. ° Heb. v. 13, 14.
i' Matt. xi. 25. 1 Isai. xxx. 21. with Matt. xii. 34, 35.
' Matt. v. 11, 12. « Acts v. 41. with 1 Cor. iv. 3.
104 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 5—7. [1944.
2. Study diligently the mind of God in his word—
[That, as we have observed, is the one only standard
either for faith or practice ; and from that alone can the mind of
God be ascertained. Though the Spirit is necessary for your
guidance into truth, it is only by and through the word that
he will instruct you. He will not bring to your minds any
one truth that is not there revealed. Study, therefore, the
word ; and study it with fervent prayer to God for the teach
ing of his good Spirit : and never adopt, either in sentiment
or practice, any one thing which may not be clearly proved by
God's written word.]
3. Let your pretensions to " the mind of Christ"
be justified by your conformity to his example—
[If you " have indeed the mind of Christ," you will
undoubtedly " walk as he walked4." He came, not only to
redeem you by his blood, but also " to set you an example,
that you should follow his steps "." Let it be seen, then, that
Christ is with you of a truth : that in all your tempers and dis
positions you resemble him ; in your deadness to the world ;
in your devotedness to God; in your meekness and patience,
your kindness and benevolence, your purity and holiness, your
self-denial and zeal. It is by this only that the world can
judge of your pretensions to a superior knowledge of his mind :
and by this will your improvement of your advantages be tried
in the last day. Shew that, in these respects, you are " one
with Christ" nowx ; and doubt not but you shall be one with
him, to all eternity, in a better world.]
1 1 John ii. 6. » 1 Pet. ii. 21. x John xvii. 21.
MDCCCCXLIV.
UNDUE PARTIALITY TO MINISTERS REPROVED.
1 Cor. iii. 5 — 7. Who then is Paul, and who isApoUos, but minis
ters by tchom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man ?
I have planted, Apollos watered ; but God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that
ivatereth ; but God that giveth the increase.
WE are apt to conceive of the primitive Churches
as patterns of all perfection ; and doubtless there
were amongst them many individuals whose attain
ments in piety were truly apostolic : but there were
in most of the Churches as great blemishes as can be
1944.] UNDUE PARTIALITY TO MINISTERS REPROVED. 105
found in any society of Christians at the present day.
The Church of Corinth was peculiarly corrupt. They
were indeed distinguished for gifts"; but, in respect
of graces, too many of them were sadly deficient.
One evil especially obtained amongst them to a great
extent ; namely, the indulging of a contentious
spirit, by means of which the Church was divided
into parties ; some accounting themselves followers
" of Paul, others of Apollos, others of Cephas, and
others of ChristV Now, though this evil did not
prevail so far as utterly to subvert their souls,
it kept them in a low, and, as it were, an infantine
state ; insomuch that the Apostle " could not speak
to them as to spiritual" persons, who had made
any considerable advances in the divine life ; but was
forced to address them as mere " babes in Christ,"
to whom he could only administer " milk," when he
would gladly have rather " fed them with meatc."
Their being " puffed up for one minister against
another*1" shewed that a great measure of" carnality
was yet in their hearts6;" and that, though spiritual
in the main, they yet conducted themselves too much
like the " men" of this world, whose chief zeal was
occupied in contending for the leaders of their re
spective sects.
The same spirit, as might be expected, still infests
the Christian Church. And that we may be put on
our guard against it, I will endeavour to shew,
I. In what light ministers should be viewed—
They are instruments, whereby God carries on his
work in the souls of men—
[God is pleased to work by means, and to make use of
men for the accomplishing of his gracious purposes in the world.
Even when he has employed angels, he has still chosen to put
honour upon men as his immediate instruments of good ; as
when he directed Cornelius to send for Peter to instruct him,
and removed from Peter's mind the scruples which would have
kept him from executing that office of love. Though God might
as easily effect his work without instruments, yet he has decreed
* 1 Cor. i. 5. >> 1 Cor. i. 12. c vcr. 1, 2.
ri 1 Cor. iv. 6. e vcr. 3, 4.
106 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 5—7. [1944.
that " faith shall come by hearing :" and where no minister is
sent to till the ground, there is one great desert, in which no
plant of righteousness is found, no real goodness exists. The
land uncultivated brings forth nothing but briers and thorns.
Human learning, to whatever extent it be carried, can produce
no spiritual change in the heart of man. The most learned
philosopher needs instruction from God's ministers, no less
than the untutored savage : yea, and to the end of life, no
less than at the commencement of his Christian course, does
every saint require the aid of ministerial exertions, to "water"
that which Divine grace has " planted" in his soul: and the
more exalted any man's attainments are, the more highly will
he esteem the ordinances of God, and the more sensible will he
be of his dependence on them for a supply of those blessings
which he stands in need of.]
They are, however, mere instruments, and nothing
more—
[They can effect nothing of themselves : not even Paul
himself, with all his eloquence and force of reasoning, could
bring conviction to the minds of his hearers : the very dis
courses which converted some, only irritated others against
him, and caused them to regard him as " a babbler," and a
maniac f. If any received his word aright, it was because
God had " opened their hearts to attend to it." " Whether
he planted, or Apollos watered, it was God alone who gave
the increase." This is universally felt and acknowledged in
the natural world. There may be a great disparity between
the skill and industry of different labourers : yet no one ever
thinks of ascribing the harvest to the skill of man : every one
knows, that without the influences of the sun and rain the
husbandman will cultivate his land in vain. And the same is
true respecting ministers, who will labour to no purpose, if
God do not accompany their word with the Holy Ghost sent
down from heaven. The very best of men are but as " a voice
crying in the wilderness," as unable in themselves to convert a
soul as they are to raise the dead.]
The manner in which St. Paul speaks of them, will
lead us to consider,
II. The importance of forming a right estimate of
their labours—
A just view of them will teach us,
1. To moderate our regards for man —
f Acts xxvi. 24.
1914.] UNDUE PARTIALITY TO MINISTERS REPROVED. 107
[We are apt to idolize those from whose ministry we
have derived benefit to our souls. From their labours we
expect a blessing which we scarcely hope to derive from any
other quarter ; and a secret dissatisfaction arises in our minds,
if, at any time, his place be occupied by a less-favoured mini
ster. We forget that neither the word, nor the power with
which it has been accompanied, were his ; and we are ready-
to ascribe to him the honour which is due to God alone. But
if we duly considered that ministers are only the channels of
communication between the Fountain and us, and that the
waters by which we have been refreshed have proceeded from
God alone, we should look through them to God, and limit
both our expectations and our gratitude to Him, from whom
alone any spiritual good can flow. I say not that we are to
feel no gratitude towards them : for " we are to esteem them
very highly in love for their works' sake." Nor do I say that
some measure of partiality may not fitly be shewn towards
those to whom, under God, we owe our own souls : for
" though we have ten thousand instructors, yet have we but
one Father," to whom, therefore, we owe a filial regard: but
such a measure of attachment to one, as leads us to undervalue
others, is a mere carnal feeling, which ought to be suppressed.
St. Paul repeatedly appealed to the Corinthians themselves
respecting this : whilst ye indulge such partialities, " are ye
not carnal? yea, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk as
carnal men?" I may say, therefore, thafa just estimate of
the labours of ministers will prevent an undue rivalry amongst
them in our affections.]
2. To augment our dependence of God—
[The husbandman, when his fields are sown, looks to God
for a blessing on his labours. In like manner will our eyes be
directed to God alone for a spiritual harvest, if we be thoroughly
convinced that he is the only source from whence it can spring.
We shall not look to the creature, but to God, in and through
the creature : and to the same gracious Giver of all good shall
we render thanks for all the good we have received; ever
mindful that it has proceeded from his Holy Spirit, " who
divideth to every man severally as he will." We shall be afraid
of provoking God to jealousy, by ascribing to man any part of
that glory which belongs to HIM : and we shall live in the very
frame of those who are around the throne of God ; who, ever
mindful of the benefits they have received from him, are
singing, " salvation to God and to the Lamb for ever and
ever." As in heaven, so on earth, the creature will be " no
thing;"' but God will be " all in all*."]
f " Neither he that planteth, nor he that watereth, is ntnj thinq"
108 1 CORINTHIANS, 111. 5—7. [1944.
Let me found on this subject,
1. Some matter of inquiry—
[What benefit have you received from all the labours of
your minister ? Are there not many who are as ignorant and
as worldly as if they had never heard the Gospel at all ? You
can bear me witness, that, from the beginning, " I have never
known any thing amongst you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified ;" and yet how many of you have derived no benefit
to your souls ! To what has this been owing ? I acknowledge,
with shame, that the word has been ministered to you in much
weakness ; but if Paul or Apollos had ministered unto you,
even their labour would have been lost, it is to be feared, on
many of you, because you have not regarded the word as
God's, nor looked to him for a blessing upon it — To
some, we would hope, the word has not been altogether in
vain : but would it not have taken far more effect, it' you had
looked less to the creature, and more to God? — 1 pray
you to be on your guard respecting this. The brazen serpent
was broken to pieces as " Nehushtan" (a piece of brass) be
cause to it was transferred the honour that was due to God
alone. Cease! O cease from all " carnal" partialities! and,
by whomsoever God shall speak to you, " receive the word, not
as the word of man, but, as it is in truth, the word of God."]
2. Some ground of encouragement—
[Behold what God has wrought by means of a few poor
fishermen ! And can he not make his word effectual for you ?
Is it not " sharper than any two-edged sword?" and shall it
not still be " mighty, through Him, to the pulling down of
strongholds, and to the casting down every thought that exalts
itself against the knowledge of Christ?" It gained not its
efficacy from the wisdom of Paul ; nor shall it lose its efficacy
because spoken by me. God has ordained, that " by the
foolishness of preaching he will save them that believe :" and if
ye receive our testimony, however weak it may be, it shall
prove " the power of God to the salvation of your souls."
Direct your eyes, then, simply to the Lord; and, " since ye
are not straitened in him, be not straitened in your own
souls." Only let your expectations be from Him alone, and
you shall not be disappointed of your hope. " Open your
mouth wide; and he will fill it."]
1945. J CHRIST THE ONLY FOUNDATION. 109
MDCCCCXLV.
CHRIST THE ONLY FOUNDATION.
1 Cor. iii. 11. Other foundation can no man lay than that is
laid, which is Jesus Christ.
THERE is not any thing more injurious to the
Church of God than a party-spirit : yet even in the
apostolic age did it begin to distract the Christian
community. At Corinth it prevailed, and rose to an
alarming height : and St. Paul was obliged to exert
all his influence in order to counteract it. He re
minded the partisans, that, as " God's building," they
should be cemented together with brotherly love :
that they should study to shew themselves worthy
of the place they held in the Church, in expectation
of that day when all their works should be tried by
fire : and that, instead of fomenting strifes and
divisions, they should unite with each other in cleav
ing steadfastly to the one foundation, whereon they
stood.
The declaration in the text is plain, and of infinite
importance —
To enter more fully into it we shall consider,
I. What foundations men lay for themselves—
Every man has some foundation for his hope.
Though there are many shades of difference in the
sentiments of different men, yet their grounds of hope
may be reduced to two :
1. Their own goodness —
[Some think that nothing but gross sin can expose them
to the wrath of God. They therefore congratulate themselves
as having never done any thing to merit his displeasure.
Others imagine that they may trust in the good works that
they have done. They have, in their own apprehension, been
regular in their duties to God and man : nor can they conceive
that they should have any reason to fear. Thus, like the Pharisee
of old, they thank God that they are not as other men ; and
are filled with self-complacency, because they are punctual in
the observance of certain duties3.]
a Luke xviii. 11, 12.
110 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 11. [1945.
2. Their own works and Christ's merits united—
[Many, who see that their own works cannot justify them
according to the strict tenour of the law, yet hope that they
will, according to the milder demands of the Gospel. If they
see that these will not suffice, they will look to Christ to supply
their deficiencies. If they see that such an union is imprac
ticable, and, that Jesus must be their only foundation, they
hope, however, that he will save them for their works' sake.
Thus they either avowedly profess to participate with Christ
the honour of their salvation ; or, while they pretend to give
the honour of it to him, they look for the original and moving
cause of it within themselves. Like the Judaizing Christiansb,
or the Gentiles whom Peter misled0, they unite the law to
Christ ; as though Christ needed to have something superadded
to him, to render his death effectual. At all events, if they find
their error in this respect, they will regard their works as their
warrant to believe in Christ ; and will expect mercy at his
hands, not so much because his grace is free and all-sufficient,
as because they have something in themselves, which may
deserve his notice and regard.]
These plans of salvation however will be found very
erroneous, if we inquire,
II. What is that foundation which God has laid —
Nothing can be more clear, than that he has not laid
either of those, which have been before mentioned —
[He often describes his people as performing good works:
and often promises them, under that character, eternal life.
But he always represents us as sinners, and as standing in need
of his mercy. And he has sent his Son into the world for that
very reason, because none could obtain mercy by any works of
their own. Nor has he less clearly shewn, that works are
wholly to be excluded from the office of justifying. He has
told us, that salvation must be wholly of grace or wholly of
works'1. That every degree of boasting is excluded from that
salvation which he has revealed6. And that the persons, whom
he justifies, are ungodly, and without any works whatever to
recommend themf.]
Christ is the one foundation which he has laid in
Zion—
[He " has set forth his Son to be a propitiation for sin :"
and every sinner is to build his hope on Christ alone. Christ
h Acts xv. 5. c Gal. ii. 12, 14. d Rom. xi. 6.
8 Rom. iii. 27. Eph. ii. S, 9. f Rom. iv. 5.
1945.] CHRIST THE ONLY FOUNDATION. Ill
is the foundation laid in the covenant of graced The same is
laid in all the promises11. The same was exhibited in all the
types1. The same is laid also in the Gospel k. We are ex
pressly told that there is no other1. Nor indeed can there be
any other to all eternity.]
The necessity of building upon this will appear,
while we consider,
III. Why no other can be laid —
Many reasons might easily be assigned : but one
or two may suffice :
1. Any other would be unworthy of the Divine
Architect —
[God himself is the architect1"; and must have all the
glory of beginning and perfecting this building. But, if men
were to found their hopes on any thing but the Lord Jesus
Christ, they would have whereof to glory". So far as respect
was had to any merit in them, so far might they ascribe the
honour to themselves. Even in heaven their song must differ
from that of the redeemed. Instead of giving all the glory
to God and to the Lamb0, they must take a portion of it to
themselves. But this would be utterly unworthy of God to
suffer. Indeed he has told us that he never can nor will suffer
it p. We may be sure therefore that no such way of salvation
shall ever be established, as leaves man at liberty to boast.
We shall be rewarded according to our works, and in some
respect for our works ; but the only ground of acceptance,
either for our persons or our services, is in Christ alone q.]
2. No other would support the weight that is to
be laid upon it —
[Whatever our souls need in time or eternity must be
derived from that, which is the foundation of our hope. Our
pardon must be obtained by it ; our peace flow from it ; our
strength and righteousness be given us on account of it; and
eternal glory be bestowed on us, as the reward of it. And can
we build our hope of such things in any degree on our own
works? Can we, who, if we had done all that is commanded
us, should be only unprofitable servants, imagine, that we can
in any respect merit such things, when we have done nothing
B Gen. xvii. 19. Heb. viii. 6.
h Gen. iii. 15. and xxii. 18. 2 Cor. i. 20.
> The Paschal Lamb, the Scape Goat, &c. k 1 Pet. ii. 4—6.
1 Acts iv. 12. m ver. 9. n Rom. iv. 2.
0 Rev. v. 13. i' 1 Cor. i. 29, 31. Eph. ii. 8, 9.
<» Eph. i. G.
112 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 11. [1945.
that is commanded us, at least, nothing perfectly, or as we
ought to have done it? Surely such an hope would soon
appear to be a foundation of sand ; and would infallibly dis
appoint us to our eternal ruin. Yea, the very persons who
build on such a foundation, almost invariably deny, that any
man can be assured of his acceptance with God ; they account
such an assurance to be an enthusiastic delusion ; which is a
clear acknowledgment of the insufficiency of their foundation
to bear this weight.]
INFER,
1. How needful is it to inquire what foundation we
are upon !
[If we build but a common habitation, we are careful on
what foundation we raise it. How much more care should we
exercise, when we are building for eternity ! Let us inquire,
whether we have been deeply convinced of the insufficiency
of our own goodness, and of the impossibility of uniting any
works of ours with Christ's atoning sacrifice? And let us
examine whether Christ's obedience unto death be our only
hope, our only confidence? We never can be saved, unless,
with Paul, we utterly renounce the filthy rags of our own
righteousness, and desire to be found clad in Christ's unspotted
robe1.]
2. How secure are they who are built upon the
Lord Jesus Christ !
[Christ, on whom they stand, is justly called " a tried
stone, and a sure foundation8." He never yet failed those who
trusted in him. The vilest of mankind have found him able to
save them to the uttermost. He is a rock to those who trust
in him; nor shall the gates of hell prevail against them1. Let
all believers then rejoice in their security ; and hold fast the
profession of their faith without wavering".]
3. How careful should we be, what superstructure
we raise upon him !
[While Christ is the foundation of our hope, we are also
to build upon him all our works. But our works will all be
tried by fire. If they be not such as tend to his glory, they
will I )e burnt up as hay, and wood, and stubble. If they be
truly good, they will stand the trial, like gold, or silver, or
precious stones x. Let us then give diligent heed to our works.
We may suffer loss in heaven, though we should not suffer the
r Tsai. Ixiv. 6. Phil. iii. 9. s Isai. xxviii. 16.
1 Matt. xvi. 18. » Hob. x. 23. * ver. 11 — 14.
1946.] BUILDING ON THE TRUE FOUNDATION. 1 13
loss of heaven y. Let us then seek " a full reward z." While
we renounce good works in point of dependence, let us practise
them from love to our Redeemer. Thus shall we put to silence
our adversaries ; and adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour.]
y ver. 15. * 2 John, ver. 8.
MDCCCCXLVI.
INSTRUCTIONS TO THOSE WHO BUILD UPON THE TRUE
FOUNDATION.
1 Cor. iii. 12 — 15. Now if any man build upon this foundation
gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble ; every mans
work shall be made manifest : for the day shall declare it,
because it shall be revealed by fire ; and the fire shall try
every mans work of what sort it is. If any mans work
abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
If any mans tvork shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but
he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
IN our natural state, we follow the dictates of our
own will, without consulting the honour of our God.
Even after we are converted to God, there yet
remains within us a proneness to follow our own
inclinations, except as Divine grace counteracts that
propensity, and prevails against it. In the Corinthian
Church there were many awful proofs of this fact.
The irregularities which obtained amongst them,
were both numerous and deeply reprehensible. A
party-spirit in particular created very grievous dis
sensions among them. St. Paul, reproving their un
becoming conduct, reminds both the preachers who
fomented such divisions, and the people who were
drawn aside by them, that their eternal happiness
would be advanced or diminished in proportion as
they cultivated or neglected a Christian temper ;
and that, if they would be approved of their God in
the day of judgment, they must not only build on the
right foundation, but raise upon it a superstructure
that should be worthy of it.
To elucidate the words before us, we shall shew,
I. What is that superstructure which we ought to
raise upon the true foundation—
VOL. XVI. I
114 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 12—15. [1946.
Among the persons who rely on Christ as their
only hope, there is a great diversity both of sentiment
and action. This is intimated by the different images
under which their conduct is represented in the text.
There are some whose actions may be compared
to " wood, and hay, and stubble "-
[There were in the apostolic age two sets of teachers,
who occasioned much strife and dissension in the different
churches ; namely, those who contended for the observance of
the Mosaic ritual, and those who introduced into religion the
dogmas of philosophy Persons of similar dispositions
and sentiments have infested the Church in every age. Some
are distracting the minds of those around them with subtle
questions and unedifying disputes about doctrines ; others
are magnifying the external forms of Church-government, as
if they were of equal importance with the most fundamental
articles of our faith; and others are bringing forward some
fond conceits, which, from a desire of popularity and distinc
tion, they propagate with all their might— - How justly
the superstructure which these men raise, may be compared
to " wood, and hay, and stubble," appears from the natural
tendency, and universal effect, of their exertions : for, instead
of edifying the Church in faith and love, their doctrines uni
formly lead to error — to contention — to bondage. Hence it is
that St. Paul studiously dissuaded all ministers from engaging
in such unprofitable disputes, and all Christians from being led
astray by thema ]
But those actions which we ought to be performing,
may rather be compared to " gold, and silver, and
precious stones "-
[As the Apostles themselves were, so have many in all
successive ages been, intent on cultivating, both in themselves
and others, all the graces of the Spirit. It has been their am
bition, whilst they have founded all their hopes on Christ, to
shew, by the holiness of their lives, that the Gospel is indeed
" a doctrine according to godliness" Now such a super
structure does indeed resemble the materials here mentioned ;
for it is valuable in itself — suitable to the foundation — orna
mental to the edifice — and worthy of the Divine Inhabitant.
Such is the superstructure which we all should raise : and it
is the orderly accumulation of such materials as these, which
assimilates the Church to that temple wherein God visibly
a He bids us beware of the subtilties of philosophy, on the one
hand, Col. ii. 8. 1 Tim. iv. 7. and vi. 20. 2 Tim. ii. 16, 23. and of
the bigotry of superstition on the other, 1 Tim. i. 3, 4. Tit. iii. 9.
1946.] BUILDING ON THE TRUE FOUNDATION. 11,5
resided b, or rather, to that more glorious temple wherein he
dwells invisible to mortal eyesc.]
That we may be stimulated to care and diligence
in these things, let us consider,
II. The importance of erecting such an edifice as will
be approved of by God —
This is set forth by the Apostle in very awful and
appropriate terms :
1. Our works will all be tried as by fire—
[In that day when God shall judge the world, " he will
bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make mani
fest the most secret counsels of our hearts." As the Judaiz-
ing teachers of old, or the philosophical ireasoners, conceived
that they were actuated solely by a regard for truth, while
they were in reality instigated by pride and bigotry ; so the
contentious disputers about doubtful points of doctrine, or
indifferent matters in Church-government, little think " what
spirit they are of." But, as fire tries the metals, and discovers
the dross that is in them ; so will that fiery trial discover the
unworthy mixtures with which our most specious actions were
debased. It is to no purpose therefore to deceive ourselves ;
for we shall most assuredly be undeceived in that solemn
day, when " the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort
it is."]
2. The works that are approved will add to our
eternal happiness—
[Every grace which we exercise, is pleasing and accept
able to God. " A meek and quiet spirit," and consequently
every other holy disposition, " is in the sight of God an orna
ment of great price." It is the mind, which God regards.
A contrite sigh, a grateful aspiration, an adoring look, are of
more value in his eyes than all the zeal or subtilty which in
genious disputants or pharisaic bigots can exercise. Nor shall
a pious thought or desire pass unnoticed or unrewarded.]
3. The works which are disapproved will detract
from our felicity-
fit is supposed that we unfeignedly build upon the right
foundation ; and that this will secure our acceptance with God.
But the degree of our happiness will depend entirely on the
superstructure which we raise. We may suffer loss in heaven,
even though we should not suffer the loss of heaven. Known
deliberate sins will rob us of heaven itself: and mistaken
b 1 Chron. xxix. 2, 7, 8. c Rev. xxi. 18, 19.
ll(i 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 1(>— 17. [1947.
services, so far from increasing our reward, will diminish it.
The person who has " added grace to grace with holy zeal and
diligence, will have an entrance ministered unto him abun
dantly into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour'1." On the
other hand, they whose spirit is less agreeable to the mind
of God, will be saved only " as brands plucked out of the
burning." Wherein the precise difference will consist, we do
not know. It is sufficient that we are informed it does
exist, and will certainly be manifest at the last day. Some
'' will suffer loss," and others " receive a full reward." Surely
this consideration may well make us careful to regulate our
minds by the sacred oracles, and to " walk worthy of the Lord
unto all pleasing."]
ADDRESS—
1. Let us look well to our foundation —
[It is obvious that, if they who build on the right founda
tion may be " scarcely saved," they who are not fixed on
that, cannot be saved at all. Let us remember then that
Christ is the only foundation of our hopes, and that we must
depend solely on the merit of his blood and righteousness6.
Every other hope must be renounced : and we must say with
the Church of old, " In the Lord alone have I righteousness
and strength."]
2. Let us look well to our superstructure —
[The caution in the text clearly proves, that persons,
upright in the main, are yet liable to err, and to be heaping
up rubbish for the fire while they fancy that they are doing
God serviced Let us therefore take heed to our ways, and
" take heed to our spirit." Let us not only endeavour to live
and act for God, but to do every thing from such motives, and
in such a manner, as shall be approved by him in the day of
judgment.]
(l 2 Pet. i. 5 — 11. <•' ver. 11. with Isai. xxviii. 16.
f It is often said, 'These persons are pious ; and therefore God will
not let them be deceived.' The text gives a complete answer to this.
MDCCCCXLVII.
THE DANGER OF DEFILING GOD'S TEMPLE.
1 Cor. iii. 10, 17. Knoiv ye not that ye are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ? If any man
defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy ; for the
temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
KVKRY passion of the human mind should be
called forth in aid of vital godliness. The saints indeed
1947. J DANGER OF DEFILING GOn's TEMPLE. 117
are more influenced by considerations that excite
their love and gratitude : but they still need to be
sometimes impressed with truths that may awaken a
holy fear and jealousy, especially when their conduct
has been such as to deserve reproof. The Corin
thians were in a high degree culpable on account of
their contentions: the Apostle therefore warns them
of the consequences of acting in a manner so unwor
thy of their profession.
In discoursing on his words, we shall consider,
I. The acknowledged privilege of Christians-
Christians, like the temple of old, are the habita
tion of God—
[The temple was the place where God dwelt in a more
especial manner. Not only was the visible symbol of his pre
sence there, but there also he manifested himself to his people
in tokens of his love and communications of his grace. Thus
does he also now reveal himself in his church3 : yea, every
individual believer is thus consecrated to his service, and
honoured as his immediate residence11.]
Nor is this a doubtful, but a clear acknowledged,
privilege—
[Ignorant people may doubt " whether there be any
Holy Ghost0:" but true Christians know him, and know them
selves to be his habitation. St. Paul frequently appealed to the
Corinthians respecting this, not imagining that any one of them
could entertain a doubt of itd. They must have often read of
it in the Jewish scriptures6— — Often too must they have
heard it from him : nor could they fail of knowing it from their
own experience. If for an instant they reflected on the light,
the strength, the consolations with which they had been
favoured, they could not but ascribe them to the agency of
God's Spirit — and consequently they must be conscious
of his dwelling in them as in his temple. Believers at this day
have certainly not less grounds for drawing the same inference
with respect to themselves: for they also are " a spiritual
housef;" and therefore they may, and should, know, that they
are in the actual enjoyment of this privilege.]
But as this privilege is attended both with duties
and dangers, let us consider,
a Eph. ii. 20 — 22. b 2 Cor. vi. 1G. c Acts xix. 2.
d Compare with the text, 1 Cor. vi. 19. and 2 Cor. xiii. ">.
e Neli. ix. 20. Isai. Ixvi. 1, 2. f 1 Pot. ii. 4.5.
US 1 CORINTHIANS.. III. 16,17. [1947.
II. The declaration founded upon it —
God denounces the heaviest judgments against those
who abuse this privilege —
[He would not suffer any unclean person to enter into his
temple of old, however free he might be from moral pollution,
or however isrnorantly he might have contracted his ceremonial
defilement ?. These ordinances were intended to shew, that
sin of any kind, and much more such as now prevailed among
the Christians at Corinth, was extremely hateful in his sight :
such purity does he require in all that come nigh unto him.
Doubtless there are errors, both in faith and practice, which,
though injurious to his people's happiness h, will not destroy
the relation that subsists between him and them*: but, if they
be of such a kind as to affect the foundation of the Christian's
hope, or greatly to dishonour the superstructure, they will
surely bring .down the divine judgments oil all who harbour
them k. This is declared respecting every kind of open immo
rality ' : but it is declared also, with very remarkable force and
energy, respecting any departure from the principles of the
Gospel, or any declension from a life of entire devotedness to
God. St. Paul says to these very Corinthians, " I fear, lest as
the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so any of you
should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ™."
Why does he use the term " corrupted .? " Why does he not say,
turned from the simplicity that is in Christ ? Why does he
use the very same word as in my text is translated by the
terms " defile," and " destroy ?'? No doubt he intended to
shew us, that any great departure from Christian principles
would corrupt, defile, and destroy the soul : and it is a fact,
that such a dereliction of Christian simplicity does proceed from
corruption in the soul, and will generate corruption in the life.
This idea is strongly confirmed by what the Apostle elsewhere
says of those who propagate specious errors, being " vainly
puffed by their fleshly mindn. They do, in reality, the devil's
work0 ; and him they serve under the semblance of an angel
of light?. Beware then of his devices, of whatever kind they
be, lest ye bring upon yourselves destruction from the Lord.]
This denunciation is even founded on the privilege
itself—
* Numb. six. 13. - ver. 15. ' ver. 12 — 15.
k odcipci, must import such a degree of defilement as has a ten
dency to destroy ; be<?ause the destruction menaced is also expressed
by the word oftpfT.
1 1 Cor. vi. IS. - -2 Cor. xi. 3. 0&u>jj. " Col. ii. IS.
3 The text. ? 2 Cor. xi. 13.14.
1947.] DANGER OF DEFILING GOD's TEMPLE. 119
[Why was God so jealous of the honour of his tem
ple, but because it was his immediate residence ? the more
nearly it was connected with him, the more was he himself
dishonoured by any pollutions introduced into it. Thus we
also, instead of having any reason to hope for impunity on
account of our relation to him, are taught to expect rather the
heavier indignation, if we provoke the eyes of his glory q. He
may not indeed depart instantly and at once ; because he is
long-suffering as in the days of old. In forsaking his temple
at Jerusalem, he removed to the threshold of the temple first %
and then to the court of the temple8, and then to the door of
the east gate4, and then to the mountain11, that very Mount of
Olives, from whence Jesus, the brightness of his Father's
glory, and the express image of his person, afterwards took his
departure from the midst of them. So he may be often
grieved by us before he finally departs from us : but we may
so resist his sacred motions as ultimately to " quench" them*:
and then he will abandon us to our utter ruiny.] '
IMPROVEMENT —
1. Let us seek to possess this great privilege —
[As to be visited by an earthly monarch would be a higher
honour than to be admitted into his palace, so to have God
dwelling in our hearts on earth is even a higher honour than
to be admitted into his temple above. Shall we not then be
solicitous to obtain it ? when God has designed that we should
even know ourselves possessed of it, and enjoy all the happi
ness arising from it, shall we treat it with contempt, as a mere
phantom of a heated imagination { Let us open wide the
doors of our hearts, that the King of glory may enter in8.
With the Spirit of God dwelling in us, we shall have " all-
good things*" peace, joy, strength, purity, yea, an earnest and
foretaste of our heavenly inheritance15. Let us never cease
from our importunity till we have obtained from our God this
" unspeakable gift0."]
2. Let us be careful lest we abuse this privilege—
[Doctrines arising from human systems, even though they
be true in themselves, must never be pressed into the service
of sin, or be brought to enervate the force of declarations,
which, though apparently opposite, are equally clear and true.
i Amos iii. 2. r Ezek. ix. 3. and x. 4. 8 Ezek. x. 18.
1 Ezek. x. 19. u Ezek. xi. 23.
* Gen. vi. 3. 1 Thess. v. 19.
y 2 Chron. xv. 2. Ezek. xviii. 24. 2 Pet. ii. 22.
z Ps. xxiv. 7. a Luke xi. 13. with Matt. vii. 11.
b Eph. i. 13, 14. c 2 Cor. ix. 15.
120 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 18. [1948.
If some truths are revealed for the confirming of our stability,
others are intended to create within us a holy jealousy. In
stead therefore of attempting to invalidate the declaration
before us, let us flee from those defilements which alone can
make it formidable. Let us maintain that purity of heart
which God requires, and study to " be holy as God is holy."
Especially must we guard against abusing our privilege by
enthusiastic conceits on the one hand, or presumptuous con
fidence on the other. The Spirit's operations do not. super
sede our efforts, but rather encourage them, and work by
them'1 : yet are they not to be discerned, except, like the wind,
by their effects e. Let your life, then, testify that God is with
you of a truth. " And I pray God, your whole spirit, and
soul, and body, may be sanctified wholly, and preserved blame
less unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ f."]
d Phil. ii. 12, 13. e John iii. 8. »' 1 Thess. v. 23.
MDCCCCXLVIII.
THE MEANS OF ATTAINING TRUE WISDOM.
1 Cor. iii. 18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man
among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become
a fool, that he may be wise.
CONCERNING the nature of true wisdom, God
and the world are at issue ; the wisdom of man being
foolishness with God, and the wisdom of God being
foolishness with mana. To what now must this be
imputed ? Is there any thing in the revelation which
God has given us, that is contrary to right reason ?
or is it that man's reason is darkened, and that his
intellectual powers, no less than his bodily appetites,
are depraved by sin ? We apprehend that an impar
tial judge will not hesitate long in determining this
question. But here another question arises ; How
shall man in his present fallen state be brought to
entertain the same judgment of things as God himself
does ? Must he get some new faculty, whereby he
shall have an additional mode of perception ? or is
there any way whereby his present faculties, weak
ened as they are, may be made to answer all the
a Compare ] Cor. i. 18, 23. with iii. 19.
1948.]] MEANS OF ATTAINING TRUE WISDOM. 121
purposes for which they were originally given ? To
this we answer, that man does not want any new
faculty, but only a new direction to the faculties he
already possesses. We have a him upon the organs
of vision, which needs to be removed : and for this
end we must go to him who has said to us, " I
counsel thee to buy of me eye -salve that thou
mayest see b." To the same effect is the advice given
us in the text : " If any man among you seemeth to
be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he
may be wise ;" let him acknowledge, that he cannot
see clearly at present ; and let him submit to the
operation of God's word and Spirit : thus shall the
film be purged away from his eyes, and he shall
"walk in the light, as God is in the lightc."
This direction we would now submit to your con
sideration ; and, for the fuller understanding of it, we
will endeavour to set before you,
I. Its meaning.
II. Its reasonableness.
III. Its importance.
I. Its meaning.
It cannot be supposed that we are to lay aside our
reason: that were to "become fools" indeed. Rea
son, in those things that are within its sphere, is an
useful, though not an infallible, guide. And, in the
things that are beyond its sphere, it has its office :
it ceases to be a guide indeed ; but it becomes
a companion, that must attend us every step we
take, and often interpose its counsel in difficult con
junctures.
To become a fool, in the sense it is enjoined in the
text, implies two things ; first, a consciousness of the
weakness and fallibility of our reason, especially in
things relating to God: and secondly, a willingness
to submit our reason to the teachings of God's word
and Spirit.
That our reason is weak and fallible, we see every
b Rev. iii. 18 c 1 Jolm i. 7.
122 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 18. [1948.
day and hour. How differently will men argue on
the most common subjects, and yet with equal con
fidence of the truth of their opinions ! How will
those very arguments, which, under the influence of
vanity, or interest, or passion, once seemed to a man
unanswerable, afterwards appear to him frivolous in
the extreme, when the bias that was upon his mind
has ceased to operate !
But it is in things relating to God that the fallibi
lity of our reason more especially appears. How
ignorant are the heathen world respecting the will of
God, and the way in which they are to obtain accept
ance with him ! And how crude are the notions,
which many who have the Bible in their hands, form
respecting the path of duty, and the way of salvation !
How absurd, for instance, was the idea that Nico-
demus formed of the new birth, when he conceived it
to be a repetition of a natural birth d! Thus it is
with many amongst ourselves : they cannot hear of
the new birth, or of justification by faith, or of the
influences of the Spirit, without annexing to them
ideas, if not as gross, yet quite as erroneous, as those
of Nicodemus. But we may presume that Christ
and his Apostles were right in their judgment of spi
ritual matters ; and that others are right in propor
tion as they accord with them in sentiment, in spirit,
and in conduct. In what light then will our boasted
reason appear, if tried by this touchstone ? Will not
its dictates be found in direct opposition to the voice
of inspiration, and consequently erroneous ? Is there
not such an universal departure from the scripture
standard, that the few who adhere to it, are, as the
prophet calls them, " Men wondered ate ?"
To become a fool, then, is to feel the insufficiency
of our own reason, and to be sensible that we are
exceeding prone to form wrong opinions on Divine
subjects, insomuch that we need at all times greatly
to distrust our own judgment.
But this expression implies also a willingness to
submit our reason to the teachings of God's word and
d John iii. 4, 9. e Zech. iji. 8.
1948. J MEANS OF ATTAINING TRUE WISDOM. 123
Spirit. Men who have a high opinion of their own
reason, are ever ready to bring the word of God to
their bar, and to pass judgment on it as true or false,
according as it agrees with, or opposes, their own
preconceived opinions. They are not contented to
let reason judge, whether the revelation itself be
from God or not ? (that is its proper office) but,
having acknowledged it to be from God, they proceed
to determine on the points that are revealed, exactly
as if they were able with their shallow reason to
fathom the depths of Divine wisdom.
This disposition must be mortified ; and men, how
ever learned or wise in the estimation of themselves
and others, must submit to "be taught of Godf."
The only use of reason, as applied to revelation, is to
ascertain, Whether the revelation, purporting to be
from heaven, be indeed of Divine authority ; and,
What is the true import of that revelation in all its
parts. These two points being ascertained, it is not
the province of reason to judge whether a thing con
fessedly revealed, be true or not : there faith steps in,
and supplies the defects of reason ; and assures the
mind, that the point itself is true, because it is re
vealed ; and that if its truth do not appear evident
to the eye of reason, it is not from any irrationality
in the point itself, but from a want of clearness in our
reason to discern it, and a want of purity in our hearts
to receive it.
Thus, to become a fool, is to take the word of God
with the simplicity of a little child ; to acknowledge
our inability to comprehend it ; and to implore of
God the influences of his Spirit, that " the eyes of
our understanding being enlightened, we may be able
to comprehend the heights and depths g" of his re
vealed will. In short, it is to " receive with meekness
the engrafted wordh," and to pray with Job, "What
I see not, teach thou me1," or with David, "Open
thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things
out of thy lawV
f John vi. 45. B Eph. i. 18. and iii. 18. h Jam. i. 21.
1 Job xxxiv. 32. k Ps. cxix. 18.
124- 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 18. [1948.
Now it must be confessed, that this is humiliating
to our proud reason ; and that it is difficult for those
who " seem wise in this world," to condescend to
receive instruction in such a way. But we shall find,
that the Apostle's direction, if duly considered, may
be vindicated (as we are in the next place to shew)
on the ground of,
II. Its reasonableness —
To become fools in order to be wise, however pa
radoxical it may appear, is, in the view of it before
stated, most highly reasonable : for, in so doing, we
acknowledge nothing but what is undeniably true — and
submit to nothing, but what we cheerfully submit to in
the acquiring of human wisdom.
We acknowledge nothing but what is undeniably true.
Let us look into the Scriptures, and see how our
characters are painted there. In them we are told,
that "the god of this world hath blinded our eyes' :"
that " we have walked hitherto in the vanity of our
mind, having our understanding darkened, being
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance
that is in us, because of the blindness of our hearts"1:"
that, on this very account, we need " a spirit of wis
dom and revelation to enlighten us" :" that, in our
conversion, our " eyes are opened," and we are
" turned from darkness unto light0," yea, are "brought
out of darkness into marvellous lightp." We are fur
ther told that, so far from having in ourselves a know
ledge of the things of God, we do not even receive
them when offered to our view ; yea, we account
them foolishness, neither can we know them, be
cause we are destitute of that spiritual understanding
whereby alone they can be discerned11.
These are plain truths which require no comment.
Let us now see these truths exemplified. If we
wrould state our argument in its most advantageous
point of view, we should adduce the Gentile world as
proofs of the fallibility of man's reason ; and shew,
1 '2 Cor. iv. 4. m Eph. iv. 17, 18. " Eph. i. 17.
0 Acts xx vi. 18. P 1 Pet. ii. 9. « 1 Cor. ii. 14.
1948.] MEANS OF ATTAINING TRUE WISDOM. 125
that " by wisdom they knew not Godr." But we
will wave this advantage, and take the instance of
St. Paul, who had the Scriptures in his hands, who
was educated under the most eminent teacher of his
day, and who had made a proficiency in biblical
learning beyond any of his own age. With these
helps, we might well expect that reason should per
form its office to admiration, and prove to the world,
that it was not so vitiated as some imagine. Doubt
less he, who had the advantage of living under the
brightest, fullest dispensation of Gospel light, should
in no respect continue in darkness : he must have
clear views both of his duty to God, and of that me
thod of salvation which had been typified in the
Scriptures, and was now made plain by the preach
ing of a crucified Saviour. Yet behold, this very man
was grossly ignorant both of the law, and of the
Gospel too : he knew not that the law condemned
the inmost workings of iniquity in the soul5 ; or that
the prophecies had been accomplished in Jesus'.
Nor, unless God had caused the " scales to fall from
his eyesu,'' would his reason ever have sufficed to
rectify his views, or to keep him from being a self-
righteous moralist, a furious zealot, and a bloody
persecutor.
Thus much could reason do for him : " his very
wisdom and knowledge, instead of guiding him aright,
perverted himx;" " he became vain in his imagina
tions, and his foolish heart was darkened; professing
himself to be wise, he became a fooly."
In addition to what has been thus stated and exem
plified, we will only observe, that God speaks with
utter indignation against those who fancy themselves
wise, or expect ever to become so by the mere exer
tion of their own reason ; " Vain man would be wise,
though he be born like a wild ass's coltz."
Here then permit me to ask ; Does not God know
more of us than we do of ourselves ? and, Do not the
1 1 Cor. i. 21. 8 Rom. vii. 7, 9. '1 Tim. i. 13.
u Acts ix. 18. * Isai. xlvii. 10. y Rom. i. 21, 22.
* Job xi. 12.
126 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 18. [1948.
passages that have been adduced, declare at least as
much as they have been brought to establish ? How
much more they affirm, we shall not now inquire :
but that they shew the fallibility of our reason in
things relating to God, and the propriety of submit-
ing our reason to the teaching of God's word and
Spirit, no candid person will deny.
Is it not then reasonable that we should acknow
ledge these truths ? Shall we make ourselves wiser
than God ? Will not the very attempt to do so be an
irrefragable proof, that we are fools indeed ?
But the reasonableness of becoming fools in order
to be wise appears yet further, in that it is the very
tiling which we cheerfully do in order to attain human
wisdom.
If a man begin to learn any science, and his pre
ceptor tell him of some deep part of that science,
which at first sight appears to involve in it a contra
diction or absurdity ; he does not presently determine
that that point is false ; but he conceives that there
are things which he does not yet understand ; and
he contents himself with studying, in the method
prescribed to him, those parts which are suited to his
capacity, hoping that in due time he shall gain a fur
ther insight into those abstruser matters, and see the
truth and reason of those things which he cannot at
present comprehend, and which, through his igno
rance of the intermediate points, he would not be
able to comprehend, even if they were ever so clearly
stated to him.
Now why should we not act thus with respect to
religion ? Has not that as great depths as any human
science ? Or rather, is it not more above the sphere
of human intellect than any other science whatever ?
But it will be asked, What are those first rudiments
which we must understand well in order to qualify us
for a deeper knowledge of the subject ? To this we
answer, (and O that God would impress it on all our
minds !) THE KNOWLEDGE OF OURSELVES is THE KEY
TO ALL OTHER KNOWLEDGE. If We do HOt kllOW
by deep experience, that we are " wretched, and
1948.] MEANS OF ATTAINING TRUE WISDOM. 127
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked3," we never
can " know any other truth as we ought to know it."
On this the whole Scripture turns. It is because of
our guilt and misery, that we need the atoning blood,
and unspotted righteousness, of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is because of our blindness and pollution, that we
need the enlightening and sanctifying influences of
the Holy Spirit. It is because we are altogether
destitute of any thing that is good, that we must be
be saved wholly by grace, and that we must receive
" Christ as our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanc-
tification, and our complete redemption V We may
indeed obtain a head-knowledge of these things from
books, while yet we remain as proud and unsanctified
as the most ignorant heathen. But a real, spiritual,
and saving knowledge of these things can be learned
only by divine teaching, and must always be preceded
by a knowledge of our own hearts : indeed, it will
always be exactly proportioned to our self-knowledge :
the more we feel ourselves destitute of wisdom, good
ness, and strength, the more insight shall we have
into " the deep things of God," and the more precious
will every Scripture truth be to our souls.
We repeat the question then, Why should it be
thought unreasonable to adopt this method of attain
ing heavenly wisdom, when it is the method we
invariably pursue in the investigation of human
sciences ? Is it not reasonable that we should pay as
much deference to God as to man ? Or is religion
alone, of all subjects, so easy to men's apprehension,
that they who have never paid attention to its first
principles, are yet competent to sit in judgment on
its most mysterious truths ? Surely, if a submission
to any given process be judged reasonable in the
prosecution of human knowledge, much more must
it be so in the pursuit of that which is divine.
We must not be satisfied however with shewing
the reasonableness of the direction before us ; we
must go on to state, in the last place,
a Rev. iii. 17. b 1 Cor. i. 30.
128 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 18. [1948.
III. Its importance—
Every word of God deserves our deep attention.
But the exhortation in the text is singularly impor
tant ; for first, It declares the only way in which we
can ever attain true wisdom.
If we could attain the end by different means,, it
would be of the less consequence whether we used
these means or not. But here is the door of know
ledge ; and the only question is, Whether we will
enter in by it or not. It requires us to stoop, yea,
to stoop much lower than we wish : but stoop we
must ; or else we can never gain admission to " the
secrets of God's covenant0." God holds the key of
knowledge in his own hand : " he alone can give
wisdom and understanding d :" we may compass sea
and land ; we may learn all languages, and explore all
sciences, and repeat the very Scriptures themselves
from beginning to end ; and yet never attain true
wisdom. If any man will be wise, he must become
a fool, in order that he may be wise. The most
learned man in the universe can know nothing
savingly in any other way : and the weakest man in
the universe shall know all that is needful for him, if
he will but enter in at this door : " God will reveal
to babes the things which he has hid from the wise
and prudent0 :" and " a wayfaring man, though a fool,
shall not err therein f."
Can any thing more strongly shew the importance
of this precept, than the consideration, that none can
remain destitute of true wisdom who obey it, or obtain
true wisdom who despise it ?
We are aware that some may ask, Are there
not many persons learned in the Scriptures, who yet
never attained their wisdom in this way? We answer,
Either they attained their wisdom in this way, or their
wisdom is no other than " the wisdom of the world,
which is foolishnesss with God." We have nothing
to do with individuals. The point to be resolved is,
c Ps. xxv. 14. d Prov. i. 6.
• Matt.xi. 25. f Isai. xxxv. 8.
1948.] MEANS OF ATTAINING TRUE WISDOM. 129
Whether God requires us to become fools in our own
estimation, in order that we may be wise in his ? And
if he do require it, then shall men become wise in his
way, or not at all.
But there is another view in which the importance
of this precept will appear, namely, that if we obey it
not, our reason, instead of guiding us aright, will only
mislead us more and more, and render us more obstinate
in our error.
The more confident we are respecting the truth
of our present views, the more shall we regulate our
conduct according to them : and consequently, if they
are wrong, we shall wander further and further from
the right way, and yet conceit ourselves to be in the
path of duty. Moreover, God himself will give such
persons up to their own delusions, as a just punish
ment for the pride of their hearts. The very words
following the text are full to this point ; " He knoweth
the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain :" and
again, " He taketh the wise in their own craftiness g."
Let us hear our Lord himself speaking to the Phari
sees, who disdained to be taught by him : " For
judgment I am come into this world ; that they who
see not, might see ; and that they who see, might be
made blind." And when they answered with indig
nation, " What, are we the blind persons you are
speaking of?" he answered, " If ye were blind, ye
should have no sin ; but now ye say, We see ; there
fore your sin remainethV
The language of the Apostle in the first chapter of
this epistle, is peculiarly strong and animated ; " It
is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and
will bring to nothing the understanding of the pru
dent. Where is the wise ? where is the scribe ? where
is the disputer of this world ? hath not God made
foolish the wisdom of this world1 ?" Thus we may
ask in reference to all who will not learn in God's
appointed way, What does their wisdom do for them ?
Does it bring them to God ? Does it enable them to
i ver. 19, 20. h John ix. 39— 41. j 1 Cor. i. 19, 20.
VOL. xvi. K
130 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 18. [1948.
overcome the world ? Does it disarm death of its
sting ? Does it inspire them with a hope full of im
mortality ? Does it sanctify them throughout in all
their tempers and dispositions, and transform them
into the image of the blessed Jesus ? We may even
ask, Whether, so far from loving to be taught of God
themselves, they do not feel an enmity in their hearts
against those who are taught of God ; and account
them fools, whom God declares to be the only wise ?
Here then the point appears in its true light. If
men will not become fools in their own estimation,
they shall be fools indeed : for they shall wander in
cessantly " in their own deceivings," and shall " perish
at last for lack of knowledge1"."
We cannot conclude this subject without OBSERVING—
How much it reflects on a fact which has existed in
every age of the Church, which yet it is not easy to
account for, namely, that few of those who are emi
nent for learning, are at the same time eminent for
spirituality of heart and life.
St. Paul in this very epistle says to the Church at
Corinth, " Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not
many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble are called ; but God hath chosen the
foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and
God hath chosen the weak things of the world to
confound the things which are mighty, and base things
of the world, and things which are despised, hath God
chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to
nought things that are, that no flesh should glory in
his presence1." Thus must we say in reference to our
times, that not many wise, or many noble, are found
among the despised followers of Jesus. And the
reason is, that men will not condescend to be taught
of God in the way that God requires : they are " wise
in iheir own conceits :" their wisdom is even a greater
bar to their salvation than their lusts : for, their lusts
they will condemn, even while they inwardly indulge
them : but their wisdom they hold fast, nor will they
k Hos. iv. (}. i 1 Cor. i. 26—28.
1948.] MEANS OF ATTAINING TRUE WISDOM. 131
part with it, even for " the wisdom that cometh of
Godm." Being therefore too proud to learn, they are
left in ignorance ; and, stumbling at the very threshold
of the sanctuary, they never enter within the vail.
Here then let us call to mind the first words of the
text : " LET NO MAN DECEIVE HIMSELF." We all, and
especially those " who seem wise in this world," are
in danger of self-deception. But let us remember
that " the foolishness of God is wiser than men,
and the weakness of God is stronger than men"."
Let us therefore " not lean to our own understand
ings0;" but, aware of the weakness and fallibility of
our own reason, let us submit ourselves humbly to
the teachings of God's word and Spirit.
To this advice it may be objected perhaps, That we
promote an enthusiastic dependence on divine im
pulses ; and puff up ignorant persons with spiritual
pride ; and discourage the pursuit of sound learning.
Let us then be heard in reply to these objections.
In answer to the first we say, that we should indeed
promote enthusiasm, if we exhorted anyone to follow
impulses that were independent of the written word :
but if we recommend all persons to regulate their
sentiments solely by the written word, and to rely
on the influences of the Holy Spirit no further than
they accord zeith that, then neither we, nor they,
are in any danger of enthusiasm, because the sacred
oracles are an unalterable standard to which every
thought and action may be brought, and by which its
quality may be infallibly determined.
With respect to the encouraging of spiritual pride,
surely the inculcating of humility is a strange way of
promoting pride. Suppose we were to tell men that
their own reason is sufficient for every purpose of
spiritual instruction ; and that they are at liberty to
weigh every truth of Scripture in their own balance,
and to admit, or alter, or expunge whatever accords
with, or opposes, their own sentiments ; then indeed
there would be some foundation for the objection. But
m Jam. iii. 17. "1 Cor. i. 25. ° Prov. iii. 5.
132 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 18. [1948.
when we recommend a cheerful submission to the
voice of inspiration, and a humble dependence on
God's promised aid, we cut up pride by the very roots,
and lead men to confess, that all their sufficiency is
of God alone. And if any pervert this doctrine to
the fostering of their own pride (and what doctrine
is there that has not been perverted ?) the fault is not
in the doctrine itself, but in those who abuse it : and
if an argument from the abuse of a thing be valid, we
must then give up the Bible itself; since every doc
trine in it has been more or less abused.
Lastly, as to the discouraging of sound learning,
how can that be a consequence of the foregoing state
ment ? We have not insinuated that worldly wisdom
is unnecessary for worldly purposes, but only for the
attainment of divine knowledge : and therefore we
can no more be said to speak against human wisdom
because we deny the necessity of it in order to the
attainment of that which is divine, than we could be
said to decry divine wisdom, if we should deny that
to be necessary in the investigation of human sciences.
Nor have we intimated that human wisdom is of little
value for the elucidating of the Scriptures ; for most
assuredly it is of exceeding great value in this view,
especially when used in conjunction with, and in
subserviency to, divine wisdom. And lest any one
should conceive, that deductions unfavourable to the
pursuit of literature should appear to be authorized
by this discourse, we declare unequivocally, that it is
the duty, the indispensable duty, of all students, what
ever be the sphere in which they are afterwards to
move, to cultivate human wisdom, and with all dili
gence to prosecute the work assigned them, " not
only for wrath, but also for conscience sake." We
do not hesitate to say, that they would be culpable in
the highest degree, if they should make religion a
pretext for neglecting their Academical studies. We
would solemnly exhort them all to remember, that,
as in our families, so also in God's family, every ser
vant best executes his Master's will, when he is ?7iost
attentive to the duties of his place and station.
1949.] THE CHRISTIAN'S PRIVILEGES. 133
Having thus endeavoured in few words to obviate
such objections as were likely to arise, what remains,
but that we entreat those who think themselves wise,
to become fools in their own sight ; and those who
feel that they " lack wisdom, to ask it of God, who
giveth to all men liberally, and without upbraiding11."
P Jam. i. 5.
MDCCCCXLIX.
THE CHRISTIAN'S PRIVILEGES.
1 Cor. iii. 21 — 23. Let no man glory in men. For all things
are yours ; whether Paul, or ^polios, or Cephas, or the
world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come ;
all are yours ; and ye are Christ's ; and Christ is God's.
IT is scarcely to be expected, considering the
weakness and depravity of our fallen nature, that
the Church in any place should be free from dissen
sions and disputes. If every man who embraced the
Gospel were from thenceforth altogether under its
influence, nothing but love and harmony would pre
vail. But, not to mention the insincerity of some,
who, like Simon Magus, profess the truth without
experiencing any of its sanctifying influence, the
hearts of men are not changed all at once, but by
a gradual and progressive advancement in the divine
life. Hence corruption will be at work, as well as
grace ; and, whilst the Spirit lusts against the flesh,
the flesh will lust against the Spirit, and in some
cases prevail against it, to the disturbing and defiling
of the Church. So it was even in the apostolic age ;
and even where Paul himself preached. A party-spirit
early prevailed in the Church of Corinth ; different
parties arraying themselves under different heads;
some saying, that they were of Paul, others of Apollos,
others of Cephas, and others of Christ3. To repress
these contentions, the Apostle remonstrated with the
people on the impropriety of their conduct : and,
» i Cor. i. 12.
131- 1 CORINTHIANS, III. i2l — 23. [1949.
having exposed the evil of such a spirit, he now, in
conclusion, shews, that to " glory in men" is highly
criminal ; because of,
I. Our interest in God —
All that God has, belongs to us, if we believe in
Christ :
1. His servants are ours—
[They are ours, with all their talents, and with all their
labours : the most eminent among them is but " a steward of
the mysteries of God," appointed by God to dispense them
to his people; "an earthen vessel, in which treasures" are
deposited by him for their use. They are Christ's servants;
and they are ours for his sakeb. Paul, and Apollos, and
Cephas were not endowed with their respective powers for
their own sake, but for the sake of the Church and of the
world ; as we are expressly told : When " Christ ascended
up on high, he gave some, Apostles; and some, Prophets;
and some, Evangelists ; and some, pastors and teachers ; for
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ0:" so that all to whom they
are sent, may consider them as among their treasures, the gifts
of God to them for the benefit of their souls.]
2. His creatures are ours —
[The whole " world," and all that it contains, is ours,
if we believe in Christ. The sun is ours to light us by clay,
and the moon and stars by night. The rain is ours, and the
produce of universal nature, as far as is for our good. As to
the actual possession of it, we may have but little ; but as to
the sanctified enjoyment, we have all. St. Paul' speaks of
himself as often oppressed with want and nakedness : yet, not
withstanding in appearance he had nothing, in reality he
"possessed all things'1." Little as a worldly mind can enter
into the idea, it is a fact, that the poor godly man has a richer
enjoyment of his pittance, than the most opulent of ungodly
men have of all their sumptuous feasts and large estates. To
live by faith is a sublimer happiness than to live by sense ;
because in the cup of one who so lives, there is an ingredient
which the other never tasted, and never can taste : " God
himself is the portion of his inheritance, and of his cup6:"
whether he have little or much, he enjoys God in it; and
therefore he has the best possible use of all sublunary good.]
3. His dispensations are ours—
b 2 Cor. iv. 5. <• Eph. iv. 11, 12.
d 2 Cor. vi. 10. c Ps. xvi. 5.
1949.] THE CHRISTIAN'S PRIVILEGES. 135
[" Life," with all its comforts, belongs to the believer ;
nor can it ever be taken from him till his appointed time be
come. " Death " also is among the number of his possessions.
Terrible as it is to the unbeliever, it ceases to be so when
once we give ourselves up unfeignedly to Christ as his peculiar
people : from that moment its sting is drawn : and every man
who can say with truth, " To me to live is Christ," may with
the fullest assurance add, " To me to die is gainf." The pains
and sorrows which usually precede death are only so many
means of purifying the soul, and of preparing it for its appear
ance before God : and the final stroke is no other than the
opening of the gates of Paradise for the soul's admission to
the full possession of its inheritance. If the stroke be more
sudden and violent, it may be regarded as the fiery chariot
which bore Elijah to the realms of bliss : or, if it be more
mild and gradual, it may be viewed as the waggons which
Joseph sent to bring his aged father to a participation of all
his glory in the land of Egypt. However it may come, it is
to the true Christian a termination of all his sorrows, and a
consummation of all his joys. "Things present" too, of what
ever kind they be, are precisely such as the believer, if he did
but see as God seeth, would choose for himself: and " things
to come," however involved in impenetrable darkness at
the present, are all ordered for his eternal good. To him
they are uncertain : but Infinite Wisdom has ordained them
all : and though there may be insulated occurrences which in
themselves may be evil, they shall all, when taken together,
" work for good," to those who love Godg. Yea, for the
believer is prepared the future judgment ; and for him are
reserved all the glories of the eternal world. And, that we
may not doubt the truth of these assertions, the affirmation is
renewed at the close of this catalogue, "All are yours."]
Before we point out the particular bearing of this
part of our text, we will notice the latter part, wherein
is stated,
II. God's interest in us—
Here it will be necessary to mark distinctly the
drift of the Aposle's argument. He is shewing, that
we ought " not to glory in men," that is, not to indulge
such partiality for some as would lead us to undervalue
others. To evince this, he observes, that " all things
are ours ;" and that it is absurd to be so over-valuing
a minute and comparatively insignificant part of our
f Phil. i. 21. t Rom. viii. 28.
136 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 21—23. [1949.
possessions, when we ought rather to be rejoicing in
the whole: and that it is moreover highly criminal to
be arranging ourselves under the standard of some
favourite preacher, when we should be wholly and
entirely given up to God as his exclusive property.
The former of these points we have already con
sidered : the latter now calls for our attention.
We are not to give up ourselves to any man what
ever, as though we had an exclusive property in him,
or he in us : for,
1. We are Christ's—
[In speaking upon this, we shall not enter into it at large,
but shall confine ourselves to the precise view in which we
conceive it to have been spoken by the Apostle.
We are Christ's, and not mans. The minister, who may
be the honoured instrument of bringing us to Christ, has no
property in us : he is only the servant whom Christ has sent
to bring his bride to him. Christ is the Bridegroom ; the
preacher is only the person who " presents the Bride as a
chaste virgin to Himh:" and this is the precise view in which
every convert ought to regard the person to whom the honour
of bringing him to Christ is delegated. The bride may feel
obligations to the friend who conveys her to the bridegroom ;
but she does not once think of shewing to him any such par
tiality as would interfere with the sacred and inalienable rights
of her husband. Thus it should be with all who are converted
through the instrumentality of men : they should regard those
men as mere instruments, or, as St. Paul expresses it, " as
ministers by whom they have believed," and by whom they
have received the gifts which the Lord himself, their heavenly
Bridegroom, sent to them'.
Let this then be borne in mind: " Ye are Christ's," wholly,
and altogether Christ's. He formed you originally : he re
deemed you with his own most precious blood : he called you
by his grace : all that you are, and all that you have, is his.
You must therefore consider yourselves as his : his exclusive
property, in all the powers of your body, and in all the faculties
of your soul. Yea, so entirely must your affections be set on
him, as to make all creatures dwindle into insignificance before
him, eclipsed as stars before the meridian sun.]
2. "Christ is God's "-
[Our affections are not to be so set even on Christ himself,
as to forget that he, as our Mediator, is only God's servant,
1949.] THE CHRISTIAN'S PRIVILEGES. 137
sent to bring us to God the Father, and to deliver us up to
him when the whole work entrusted to him shall be complete.
The Lord Jesus Christ is to be considered in a three-fold view;
as God, as man, and as the Mediator between God and man.
As God, he is equal with the Father : as man, and as Mediator,
he is inferior to the Father ; as St. Paul has said ; " I would
have you know, that the head of every man is Christ ; and
the head of the woman is the man : and the head of Christ is
God k." He is the Father's servant, to redeem both Jews and
Gentiles by his own obedience unto death1 — - In all that
he spoke, and in all that he did, he acted agreeably to the
commission which he had received from the Father: and all
that he suffered was " according to the determinate counsel
and foreknowledge of God the Father." Whilst this glorious
work is going forward, we must look to Christ, in whom all
fulness is treasured up for the use of his Church, and " in
whom all fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily :" but in the
last day, when all the elect shall have been gathered in, and
every enemy shall have been put under the feet of our victorious
Lord, the whole body, w^ith Christ himself at their head, shall
be subject unto God the Father, being delivered up to him as
the supreme Head of this glorious kingdom, that " God may
be all in allm." As a mediatorial kingdom, it has been received
from God the Father ; and when, as a mediatorial kingdom,
there shall be no longer any need of the Mediator's office, it
shall be given up into the hands of Him from whose counsels it
proceeded, and by whose power it was completed.
Seeing then that we, and all the whole Church, are God's ex
clusive property, we must, from fidelity to him, guard against
the smallest disposition to alienate from him any portion of that
honour and authority which are due to him alone.]
We will IMPROVE the subject,
1. In its negative and more appropriate view—
[We must " not glory in men." It matters little whether
Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, be the object of our preference ;
the attachment which leads us to set up one above another is
altogether carnal. Four times in as many verses is this conduct
characterized as carnal". Happy would it be for the Church
of God, if this disposition were viewed in its proper light ! for
there is scarcely a place where more than one minister officiates,
but this hateful temper springs up to disturb the union and
harmony of the Church. Moreover, as this temper is carnal
in itself, so is it injurious to the welfare, as well of those who
indulge it, as of all who are affected by it. Wherever it exists,
it deprives the person of all the benefit which he might receive
k 1 Cor. xi. 3. » Isai. xlii. 1, 6. and xlix. 1—3, 6.
m 1 Cor. xv. 24, 2S. n ver. 1 — 4.
138 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 21—23. [1949.
from those whom he so ungratefully undervalues: he contri
butes to excite divisions in the Church of God; and, as far as
in him lies, weakens the hands of those ministers, on whom,
in comparison of his favourite, he pours contempt. Brethren,
let the arguments of the Apostle have their proper weight.
The object of your idolatrous regard is given, not to you only,
but to the whole Church of God, for whose benefit he is sent
forth : and whilst he is sent for others, others also are sent for
you : and you are ungrateful to God in so limiting your regards,
as not to give a due proportion of them to all who seek your
welfare. Besides, you are not to view them, so much as God
in them : for of themselves they are nothing : whoever plants
or waters, it is God alone that gives the increase0. To God
then supremely, and to God exclusively, are your affections
due : and, if you will set them on any creature, you will
" provoke him to jealousy," and cause him to take away from
you, as " Nehushtan," (a piece of brass,} the instrument which
he had raised up for the salvation of your souls p.]
2. In its positive and more general view—
[You should glory in God with your whole hearts. Think
what reason you have to glory in him : what unspeakable
benefits you have received at his hands, and what obligations
you have to surrender up yourselves wholly unto him ! Who,
besides the believer, can take to himself the declarations of our
text? Of whom, besides him, can it be said, " All things are
yours?" Survey the catalogue, believer, and think whether
there be any thing in the whole universe that you can add to
it? Should not you then be contented? Should not you be
thankful ? or rather, should there be any bounds to your joy
and gratitude ? I ask not whether you be in health or sick
ness, in wealth or poverty, in joy or sorrow : the state you are
in is that which Infinite Wisdom has ordained for your greatest
good ; and there awaits you, at your departure hence, the im
mediate and everlasting fruition of God himself. O be joyful
in the Lord, all ye people, and make the voice of his praise to
be heard day and night ! And, as God is wholly yours, so be
ye wholly his, in body and in soul, in time and in eternity.
We cannot however conclude without entreating all to see
that these blessings do indeed belong to them. It is to the be
liever, and to him alone, that they do belong: and we earnestly
invite all, first, to believe in Christ as their only Saviour, and,
then, to make it evident by their works that they have indeed
believed; for, if our character be not clear, we can have but
little comfort in the promises to which the saints alone are
entuled, and of which they alone will ever receive the final
accomplishment - — ]
0 ver. (i, 7. i' 2 Kings xviii. -i.
1950.] BELIEVERS ARE CHRIST'S PROPERTY. 139
MDCCCCL.
BELIEVERS ARE CHRIST'S PROPERTY.
1 Cor. iii. 23. Ye are Christ's.
TRUE Christians, however poor in this world, are
indeed the richest people in the universe. There is
not any thing of which they have not the best use and
enjoyment. All things temporal, spiritual, and eter
nal, belong to them : yet they are not so rich in the
property they possess, as they are in being themselves
the property of another. The Apostle is enumerating
in a climax the privileges of Christians ; and having
said that all things are theirs, he adds, as a more
exalted privilege, that they are Christ's. To elucidate
this truth, we shall consider,
I. Whose we were —
The whole creation properly belongs to God ; but
mankind have alienated themselves from him : nor,
whatever difference may have been made between us
and others by the grace of God, is there any difference
between us by nature. As long as we continue unre-
generate we belong,
1. To ourselves —
[The natural man disclaims God's authority over him, and
thinks himself at liberty to live to himself. This was once
the state even of the Apostles themselves8: nor is there one
amongst us who was not once a rebel like unto them. Our
understanding, will» and affections, we used as altogether our
own. The members of our bodies too we employed wholly in
our own service: even in our religious actions we regarded
self rather than Godb. With respect to all our talents of time,
money, influence, &c. we said, " They are our own, who is
Lord over usc?"]
2. To the world—
[The world has an entire ascendency over us by nature.
We adopt its maxims, follow its fashions, and obey its dictates:
the pleasures, riches, and honours of it are the idols which we
worship. What more can be wanting to constitute us its
a Tit. iii. 3. b Zech. vii. 6. r Ps. xii. 4.
140 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 23. [1950.
vassals d? Our Lord himself declares, that all such persons are,
not merely the friends, but the property, of the world6.]
3. To Satan—
[Satan rules in all the children of disobedience f; he leads
them captive at his willg. Hence he is called the god of this
world h: and who amongst us has not fulfilled his will? This
then manifests us to have been his children1 ; and, if we be not
converted by divine grace, it may still be said to us, as it was to
the Jews of old, " Ye are of your father, the devil V]
By conversion, however, we are brought back to
our rightful Owner,
II. Whose we are-
Christ is the heir and sovereign Lord of all things.
Both men and devils are subject to his controul ; but
believers are his in a more peculiar manner. They
are his people1, his bride™, his very members"—
1. By donation from the Father —
[The Father, from eternity, chose a people for himself0.
These he gave to Christ to be redeemed by himp; and secured
them to him by an everlasting covenant*1. To his eternal pur
pose we must trace the distinction made between them and
others'1, and ascribe all our salvation to him alone8.]
2. By his own purchase—
[Though salvation is freely given to us, it was purchased
for us at a most invaluable price. Christ gave his own life a
ransom for us : the price he paid was no less than his own
blood1. This is the great subject of praise in heaven11: nor
should it ever be forgotten by us on earth.]
3. By the drawings of the Holy Spirit—
[No man, of himself, would go to Christ for salvation : all
who are his, are drawn to him by the Spirit x. It is the Spirit
who quickens and renews our souls: to him alone must we
ascribe the power and the glory y.]
4. By their own voluntary surrender —
d Rom. vi. 16. « John xv. 19. f Eph. ii. 2.
8 2 Tim. ii. 26. » 2 Cor. iv. 4. « 1 John iii. 8, 10.
k John viii. 44. ' Tit. ii. 14. ra Rev. xxi. 9.
n Eph. v. 30. o Eph. i. 4. P John xvii. 6.
<> Ps. Ixxxix. 34 — 36. ' 2 Tim. i. 9.
B 1 Cor. xv. 10. '1 Pet. l. 19. u Rev. v. 9.
* John vi. 44. y Zech. iv. 6.
1950. J BELIEVERS ARE CHRIST'S PROPERTY. 141
[All Christ's people are made willing to be his*: they
willingly renew their baptismal covenant, and give themselves
up to him at his holy table. This they consider as their rea
sonable service3: yea, they rejoice in it as their highest privi
lege. This is the peculiar character of all true Christians b.]
LEARN hence,
1. What an exalted character the Christian is—
[He is Christ's, he is Christ's property, and " purchased
possession." He is so united to Christ, as to be even " a
member of his body0:" yea, he is so entirely one with Christ
as to be " one spirit with himd." Amazing! one would be
almost ready to account this blasphemy. But it is altogether
the very truth of God. Compare him, in this view, with what
he was : how marvellously changed ! There are changes in
the natural world, which are truly wonderful; from an acorn to
an oak ; from a chrysalis, immured in its cell, to a butterfly,
with all its gaudy plumage : but the Christian far surpasses
them : for they had in their very nature the elements of what
they afterwards display: whereas the Christian had the very
reverse ; a carnal and earthly nature, which is changed into
one that is heavenly and divine. Methinks, scarcely would
Beelzebub himself, if restored to his former state, be a greater
monument of grace than he. Brethren, I charge you to keep
this in mind. And, if any imagine that such a reflection will
generate pride, tell them, that what you was is all that you can
call yours; and that what you are, is the gift of sovereign grace,
to the praise and glory of God alone.]
2. What inestimable privileges he possesses —
[Is he Christ's? Then Christ acknowledges him as his, and
fixes his eye upon him for good, and orders every thing for his
eternal welfare. Yes, the Lord Jesus " keeps him even as the
apple of his eye," and will suffer neither men nor devils " to
pluck him out of his hand." To the Christian the Saviour
looks as to the brightest jewel in his crown, and as a trophy,
in whom he will to all eternity be glorified. It was in reference
to him that the Saviour, in his last, his intercessory, prayer,
said, " Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me, be
with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which
thou hast given me6:" and never will he cease to watch over
every one of them, till that prayer is answered, and they are
enthroned with him in glory, at the right hand of God.]
3. How plain and obvious is his duty—
z Ps. ex. 3. a Rom. xii. 1 h Jer. 1. 5.
c Eph. v. 30. d 1 Cor. vi. 17. e John xvii. 24.
142 1 CORINTHIANS, IV. 1,2. [1951.
[Are you Christ's? Then for him you must live; and
every faculty you possess, whether of soul or body, must be
improved for him. Your whole life must be a comment on
those words of the Psalmist, " Depart from me, ye wicked; I
will keep the commandments of my God." Having obtained
this stupendous, this inconceivably exalted honour, you must
" walk worthy of your high calling ;" or, rather I should say,
of Him who hath called you, yea, " worthy of the Lord him
self unto all pleasing." There should be no bounds to your
desire after holiness, no limit to your efforts. You should
desire to be " pure as Christ himself is pure," and " holy as
your Father which is in heaven is holy." This is what the
Lord Jesus expects at your hands', and what your relation to
him imperatively demands. Seeing that " you are not your
own, but bought with a price, it is your bounden duty to
glorify him with your body and your spirit which are hisg."]
f Tit. ii. 14. e 1 Cor. vi. 20.
MDCCCCLI.
MINISTERS, THE LORD'S STEWARDS.
1 Cor. iv. 1. 2. Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers
of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover
it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
THE apostolic Churches were not so blameless as
we are apt to imagine. Many evils obtained among
them ; and not in a few insulated individuals only,
but in the great mass of the people. The Church at
Corinth was peculiarly faulty : many and great evils
obtained among them : dissension and division in
particular, were fomented among them : and the very
diversity of gifts which were exercised among them,
instead of being an occasion of more exalted piety,
was made a source of discord. The people had their
favourite preachers, under whom they ranged them
selves as partisans and followers ; one being of Paul,
another of Apollos, another of Cephas ; and another
of Christ, as having heard and enjoyed his personal
ministrations. To allay this spirit, St. Paul teaches
them what account to make of all their teachers, and
what to look for at their hands : not flattery, as heads
1951.] MINISTERS, THE LORD*S STEWARDS. 143
of parties ; but fidelity, as stewards of their great
Lord and Master.
Let us here see,
I. In what light people are to view their ministers-
Ministers come not in their own name, but as or
dained of God for the benefit of the Church. They
are to be viewed,
1. As ministers of Christ—
[They are sent by Christ. They come not of themselves,
but as commissioned by him. It is his message which they
bring ; his will that they perform. By them it is that he
speaks to men. As earthly kings are represented by their
ambassadors, and speak by them in foreign courts, so the Lord
Jesus Christ himself speaks by his ministers : they stand in
his stead : they speak in his name : their word is not their
own, but his ; and must be received, " not as the word of men,
but, as it is in truth, the word of God."]
2. As stewards of the mysteries of God—
[They are not merely servants or ministers, but servants
of a peculiar class. The whole Church is one great family ;
and they are appointed as " stewards," to " give to every one
his portion in due season." To them " the mysteries of God"
are more especially committed, that they may dispense them
to all, according to their respective necessities ; giving " milk
to babes, and strong meat to those who are of full age." The
whole of God's revelation is full of mysteries, which, in due
season, they are to unfold: but that which they are chiefly to
make known, is the stupendous mystery of redemption. They
are to shew, as occasion may require, the need there was of
redemption ; the means by which it is wrought, even by the
incarnation and death of God's only dear Son ; and the way
in which it is applied to men, by the mighty operation of the
Spirit of God upon the soul It is not necessary that
they should be always insisting on one particular topic: the
subject comprehends an immense range ; and every part of it
must be brought forward in its turn : but the one great mystery
must be always kept in view ; and the dispensing of it must
ever be considered as the appropriate office of the ministers of
Christ - -]
This being their true character and designation, it
will easily appear,
II. In what way ministers are to conduct themselves
towards their people—
144 1 CORINTHIANS, IV. 1,2. [1951.
A steward in an household must be faithful to his
charge : and so must a minister be in the Church of
God : he must be faithful,
1. To his Master-
[He is to receive instructions daily from his Master, and
to carry them into effect to the utmost of his power. He
must never be doing his own will, or following his own way :
he must " in no respect seek his own things, but invariably
the things of Jesus Christ." He must so act, as if the eye of
his Master were immediately upon him ; and so that he may
be able to give a good account of his stewardship, when
soever he shall be called into his Master's presence —
He must never be swayed by any thing but his Master's will :
there must be no vacillation in his conduct, as arising from
carnal hopes or fears ; nor any negligence, as arising from
sloth. What his Master has appointed, he must do : and
" whatever his hand findeth to do, he must do it with all his
might."]
2. To his fellow-servants—
[He must make a due inquiry into their state and circum
stances, in order that he may know what to apportion to each,
in a way either of work or sustenance. Having his eye on all,
he must deal out to them severally that measure of approba
tion or displeasure, which may be a sure criterion and earnest
of the award which will be assigned them at the coming of
their Lord. He is never to aim at " pleasing them, except
for their good to edification :" I say, he must speak and act,
at all times, " not as pleasing men, but God, that trieth the
hearts." He must indeed "speak the truth in love;" but
the truth he must speak at all times, " commending himself to
every man's conscience in the sight of God." He must "never
prophesy smooth things ;" but " reprove, rebuke, exhort, with
all long-suffering and doctrine;" " doing nothing by partiality,
and never preferring one before another." The express com
mand of God to him is, " He that hath my word, let him speak
my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat3?" The
word which he is entrusted to dispense must be in his mouth
" as a fire, and as a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces V
He must consider his own soul as at stake : and must so " de
clare the whole counsel of God, as to be pure from the blood
of all men," and, at all events, to " deliver his own soul ;" that,
if any have perished under his ministry, he may himself at least
be approved of his God.]
a Jer. xxiii. 28, h Jcr. xxiii. '29.
1952.] PAUL'S INDIFFERENCE TO MEN'S JUDGMENT. 145
ADDRESS—
1. Be thankful for the privileges which you enjoy—
[You have, I hope I may say, a faithful ministry. But
you need to be cautioned against the error which obtained in
the Corinthian Church. You know, that wherever there are
more ministers than one, there is apt to arise an undue par
tiality for one above another : and this sometimes verges on
an idolatrous attachment on the one part, and a contemptuous
indifference on the other. But the Apostle tells us, that this
is a very reprehensible carnality. For, granting that you
find one more profitable to your soul than another, " what is
any man, but a minister by whom you believed, even as the
Lord gave to every man ?" Look through men to God. All
of them are " earthen vessels, and the treasure they dispense is
God's :" if you look to man, God will withhold his blessing
from you : but if you look simply to him, he will, by one as
well as by another of his faithful servants, comfort and enrich
your souls.]
2. Be faithful, on your part, in making a due
improvement of them—
[If faithfulness be required on our part, so is it also on
yours. You must come to the ordinances with a real dis
position and desire to " hear what the Lord God will say
concerning you." You must have your minds open to convic
tion, and " receive with meekness every word you hear, that it
may be an engrafted word, effectual to save your souls." You
must not be offended with the faithfulness of your minister ;
but consider Almighty God himself as speaking to you by him.
Then may you expect from God those blessings which your
souls need, and a happy meeting with your ministers in the
realms of bliss.]
MDCCCCLII.
PAUL'S INDIFFERENCE TO MEN'S JUDGMENT.
1 Cor. iv. 3 — 5. With me it is a very small thing that I should
be judged of you, or of mans judgment : yea, I judge not
mine own self. For I know nothing by myself ; yet am I not
hereby justified : but he thatjudgeth me is the Lord. There
fore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, ivho
both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will
make manifest the counsels of the hearts : and then shall
every man have praise of God.
THE ministers of Christ are generally either un
duly exalted, or undeservedly depreciated, by those
VOL. XVI. L
JIG 1 CORINTHIANS, IV. 3—5. [1952.
around them ; but they should discharge their duties
with fidelity, without any regard to the opinions of men,
and approve themselves to Him who will judge them
righteously in the last day—
I. The tribunal to which Paul referred his character-
He was not concerned about mans judgment—
[By some he was looked up to as the head of a party3;
by others be was deemed unworthy to liveb ; but he knew that
men's judgment would continue only for a dayc : he was
therefore alike indifferent to their censure or applause.]
He could not wholly depend even upon his own
judgment—
[He did not know that he lived in any allowed sin ; yet
be was aware that, through the deceitfulness of sin and of his
own heart, be might be led to form too favourable an estimate
of his own state : he knew that God might discern much
iniquity where we see noned; he therefore could not ven
ture too confidently to trust even to the testimony of his own
conscience.]
He committed himself rather to the unerring judg
ment of God—
[He did not indeed hope for an acquittal on the ground
of innocence, or expect a reward as due to him on the footing
of strict justice; but he relied on God's equity as tempered
with mercy, and willingly left himself to the righteous dis
posal of his Judge.]
II. The tribunal to which we must also refer ours—
God has appointed a day wherein to judge the
world—
[He has constituted the Lord Jesus the Judge of quick
and dead. And in due season he will summon the whole
universe to his tribunal. Then will he bring into judgment,
not the actions only, but the inmost thoughts and desires, of the
whole world. Men judge of actions only, and of those actions
principally which have respect to the welfare of the community
in which they live. They care little about the state of men's
souls before God. But God notices the inmost recesses of
our hearts. " He will bring to light the hidden things of
darkness, (of which men can take no cognizance ;) and will
a 1 Cor. iii. 4. b ver. 13.
c This is intimated in the original. d Luke ix. 55.
1952. J PAUL'S INDIFFERENCE TO MEN'S JUDGMENT. 117
make manifest the counsels of men's hearts," and make the
very designs and purposes of men the ground of his dealings
with them to all eternity. He will notice what we have been
os creatures what as sinners — - what as re
deemed sinners The very habit of our minds under
all these characters will be brought before him ; and, according
as that has been conformed, or contrary, to his revealed word,
will be his sentence of condemnation or approval in that day.]
To that period therefore we must all look, and for
it we must all prepare—
[As by the written word we must all be judged, we
should study it with all diligence, in order that we both know
and execute God's holy will. As for the world's standard of
religion, we must not regard it : nor must we regard the appro
bation or censure which it assigns to men in accordance with
its own erroneous views. But to God's judgment we must
look forward with the deepest solicitude, labouring if by any
means we may approve ourselves to him, and " have praise of
him." To what purpose will it be to have monumental in
scriptions in our favour, when God has sealed our condemna
tion, and loaded us with his merited displeasure ? Or what
effect will the censures of men produce on our minds, when
God has passed a sentence of approbation upon us, and seated
us with himself on thrones of glory ? Methinks that laudatory
word, " Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into
the joy of thy Lord," will richly repay all the obloquy that
man can cast upon us, and all the pain that he could ever
inflict.
Then live, my brethren, in expectation of that day, and in
continual preparation for it. Mind not what man approves or
disapproves, in comparison of what God commands : and be as
attentive to the motions and desires of your hearts as to your
outward acts. " If you seek to please man, you cannot be the
servants of Jesus Christ." You must therefore " not please
men, but God who trieth our hearts." And let me entreat you
not to defer this surrender of yourselves to God. Think what
is now the mind of thousands, who, having " sought the praise
of man rather than the honour that cometh of God," are now
reaping the bitter fruits of their folly : and whatever the whole
world may either say or do, (for you must " expect to be per
secuted by them if you will live godly in Christ Jesus,") " be
steadfast, immoveable, and always abounding in the work of
the Lord, assured that at last your labour shall not be in vain
in the Lord.)f]
148 1 CORINTHIANS, IV. 7. [1958.
MDCCCCLIII.
GOD TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN EVERY THING.
1 Cor. iv. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another? and
what haul thou that thou didst not receive ? now if thou didst
receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
IF there are advantages derived from education,
there are also disadvantages not unfrequently at
tached to it ; inasmuch as habit forms, as it were, a
second nature ; and often both indisposes us to see
what is good, and disqualifies us to a great extent
for the prosecution of it. The Corinthian Christians,
whilst in their unconverted state, had been habituated
to much evil, both intellectual and moral. From the
wealth that abounded in their city, and the vicious
courses that were there pursued, and particularly
from the idolatrous regard shewn there to the leaders
of different sects, they were but ill-disposed towards
the humbling doctrines of the Gospel, and but ill-
fitted for the self-denying habits to which it called
them. We wonder not, therefore, that they brought
on themselves heavier censures than any other of the
apostolic Churches : for, in truth, all things con
sidered, their piety seems to have been, in many
respects, very low and questionable. The particular
fault blamed in the passage before us was, their
contentious disposition to exalt one teacher above
another, and their readiness to range themselves
under different heads or parties in the Church. The
Apostle reproved their conduct with the utmost deli
cacy ; transferring to himself and his friend A polios
the evils of which he complained; lest, by mentioning
the names of others, he should provoke their hostility,
and defeat his own ends.
His reproof may be fitly applied,
I. To those who glory in others—
[Amongst the Corinthian converts, some preferred one
preacher, and some another : and, not content with exalting
each Ins own favourite, they poured contempt upon those who
were of a different sentiment, and thus produced sad divisions
1953.] GOD TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN EVERY THING. 149
in the Church. The same fault obtains more or less in the
Church, wherever the Gospel is preached: and men justify
their partiality upon the ground of their favourite's superior
endowments, or on the ground of the benefits derived from
him. But this supposes that the object of their attachment has
something of his own, which may serve as a ground of boasting.
But " what has any man, which he has not received" as a
free gift from God? Supposing him to be possessed of gifts,
have they not been conferred upon him by " God ; who dis
penses to men according to his own sovereign will" and plea
sure ; and, whatever the particular operations be, himself
" worketh all in all a ?" Or, supposing him to be made pre
eminently useful in converting souls to God, is it by any power
of his own that he has thus prevailed ? Can any man open
the eyes of the blind, or unstop the ears of the deaf, or deter
mine whom he will convert to Christ ? Paul himself could not
effect these things. Had the conversion of souls been left to
his disposal, he would have conferred that benefit on all :
whereas, in every place, the great majority rejected his word,
and were enraged by it almost to madness. To glory then in
any persons, as though they possessed these talents or powers
independently of God, is as absurd as it would be to glory in
a sword which had effected the slaughter of many enemies.
Every one sees that it is not the sword which has effected any
thing: all that it has effected was done by the hand that
wielded it : and the person so using it might, if it had pleased
him, have taken any other sword as well as that. This is what
God himself said, in answer to the vauntings of Sennacherib :
" Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith?
or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh itb ? "
True it was, that the Assyrian monarch had subdued many
kingdoms : but he erred in supposing that it had been done
by his own power. It was God who had made use of him, for
the accomplishing of his own purposes ; and it was not in the
power of the proud boaster to go an hair's breadth beyond the
commission he had received. So, whatever a man has, he has
it from " God, who is the Giver of every good and perfect
giftc ;" and whatever he does, it is not he that does it, but God,
who does it by him : and to God alone must be given the
glory, which, through our ignorance and folly, we are but too
apt to ascribe to man.]
But the text may also be very fitly applied,
II. To those who glory in themselves—
[If we have any particular endowments, whether of body
or mind, we are apt to arrogate something to ourselves, as if
8 1 Cor. xii. 6, 11. b Tsai. x. 15. f Jam. i. 17.
150 1 CORINTHIANS, IV. 7. [1953.
we had ourselves been the authors of our own excellencies.
But such a conceit is most offensive to Almighty God. For
" who is it that has distinguished us, or made us to differ from
others?" Suppose we have the highest attainments ; for which
of them are we not indebted to our God ? We will suppose
that we have light in our understandings : was it not " the
Spirit of God who opened our eyesd," and " guided us into
his truth?" Suppose that we possess decision in our wills:
is it not God who " has made us willing in the day of his
power0?" Suppose we are blessed with success in our endea
vours : is it not " God who has ordained it for us, and wrought
all our works in us1 ?" How, then, can we take to ourselves
the glory, which so evidently belongs to God alone ? When a
fawning multitude applauded Herod as speaking like a God,
he accepted the compliment ; and, by laying the flattering
unction to his soul, provoked God to give him up to worms,
which from that moment began to prey upon his vitals8. And
we also shall incense our God against us to our destruction, if
we take honour to ourselves of aught that we possess, and
withhold from God the honour due unto his name. Let this,
then, be an acknowledged principle within us, that, whatever
eminence we possess above our brethren, " by the grace of
God we are what we are ;" and to Him must be given the
absolute and undivided praise.]
In CONCLUSION,
1. I will reply to an objector—
[A person may ask, in reference to our first view of this
subject, ' Am I to entertain no preference for a man who has
been the means of awakening, sanctifying, and saving my soul?
Does not St. Paul say, in this very chapter, " Though ye have
ten thousand instructors, yet have ye not many fathers : for in
Christ Jesus I have begotten you, through the Gospel. Where
fore I beseech you, be ye followers of me h ?" ' I answer, We may
have a peculiar love to those to whom we are so pre-eminently
indebted: but we must never so exalt one, as to despise
another ; and never so love any man, as to forget, for a mo
ment, that he is only an instrument in God's hands, or that
the glory of all is due to God alone.
Again, it may be asked, ' Have I not used means which
others have neglected ; and obtained, in the use of means, that
which lias been withheld from others on account of their
neglect?' To this I readily reply, Your statement is true and
just: but your inference from it is altogether erroneous. You
have not, as you imagine, any ground for self-preference or
d Eph. i. 17, 18. <•' 1>S. cx. 3. f Isaj. xxvi. 12.
« Acts xii. 21 — 2;;. '' vcr. 15, 10.
1954.] PAUL'S MEEKNESS. 151
self-complacency on this account: for it was " God alone who
gave you both to will and to do, of his good pleasure'." To
draw the exact line between Divine agency and the freedom
of the will, is difficult, or perhaps impossible, to such an igno
rant creature as man : but so far as is necessary for practical
purposes, it is easy. Suppose we say, that whatever comes
within the range of your physical powers you may do : but to
do it in a spiritual manner, and for spiritual ends, is beyond
your reach : God alone can enable you to do that : you are
indeed responsible to God for not using the powers which you
have ; and to him you must give account of your abuse of
them : but, if you succeed in any thing that is good, you must
ascribe that thing to God, as his workmanship ; and say, " Not
unto me, O Lord, not unto me, but unto thy name be the
praise :" for " His is the kingdom, and the power, and the
glory, for ever and ever."]
2. I will turn the reproof into a fund of rich
encouragement—
[Must it be said even to an Apostle, " Who made thee
to differ ? and what hast thou which thou hast not received ? "
It may with equal truth be said to the most insignificant of
men, What shall you not receive, if you are willing to accept
it at God's hands, and to give him the glory of it ? Verily,
you need not envy any, if only you will cry unto your God.
From your present selves, and from the ungodly that are
around you, you shall differ: nor shall any thing be wanting
unto you, if only -you will wait on God in the exercise of
prayer and faith. But take care that you pride not yourselves
in any of his gifts ; for as sure as ever you are " lifted up with
pride, you will fall into the condemnation of the devil." The
more God magnifies his grace upon you, the more must you
abase yourselves before him, and give him the glory due unto
his name.]
' Phil. ii. 13.
MDCCCCLIV.
PAUL'S MEEKNESS.
1 Cor. iv. 12, 13. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted,
we suffer it ; being defamed, we entreat : ive are made as
thejilth of the earth, and are the offscouring of all things unto
this day.
AS there is a wide difference between the characters
of the wicked and the righteous, so there are strong
152 1 CORINTHIANS, IV. 12, 13. [1954.
marks of discrimination between those who are truly
pious, and those who have taken up a profession of
religion without having felt its transforming efficacy.
In too many there remains a proud, contentious spirit,
amidst all their pretensions to piety : but in the up
right Christian there is a meek, patient, and bene
volent disposition, which will shew itself in the most
trying circumstances, and afford a decisive evidence
of his sincerity. Of the former description were
those teachers, who, in order to gain over to them
selves a party in the Corinthian Church, introduced
among them contentions and divisions. But to these
the Apostle's conduct forms a striking contrast : and
though he doubtless was peculiarly eminent in his
attainments, we may see in him what every Christian,
according to the measure of his grace, will surely
practise.
We shall take occasion from his words to shew,
I. The treatment which every Christian meets with
from an ungodly world—
The people of God have in every age been despised
by the world —
[It was the common complaint of all the Prophets a, and
Apostles b, and of Christ himself0, that they were objects of
hatred and contempt to all around them. We also are taught
to expect the very same treatment at the hands of ungodly mend.
We shall be " defamed" behind our backs, and " reviled" to
our face: nor will our enemies be satisfied with injuring us
merely by their words; they will also " persecute" us by acts
of open hostility6 : yea, they will account us as the very scum
of the earth, and as execrable wretches that are fit only to be
sacrificed to devils, to appease their wrath in a time of public
calamity f.]
Strange as this may seem, it may be easily accounted
for —
a David, Ps. xxv. 19. and Ivi. 5, 6. Jeremiah, Jer. xviii. 18. and
Lam. iii. 62. In reference to all of them, see Acts vii. 52.
0 1 Cor. iv. 9. c John vii. 7. and xv. 24, 25.
d Matt. x. 22, 2-1, 25. « Matt. v. 11. and 2 Tim. iii. 12.
f This is the precise idea suggested in the text ; and it refers to a
custom which obtained in some heathen countries, and was probably
well known at Corinth. See Doddridge on the place.
1954. J PAUL'S MEEKNESS. 153
[Christians are not thus detested because they are worse
than others (for they are " the excellent of the earth," " more
excellent than any of their neighbours8,") but because they
exhibit a light which forces men to see their own wickedness11.
To this we must ascribe Cain's murder of his brother', and the
universal opposition which the seed of the serpent make to the
seed of the woman k. If we were of the world, the world would
love its own : but because we are chosen out of the world, and
walk contrary to its sinful customs, it does, and will, hate us
even unto death1.]
Doubtless such treatment is hard to be borne ; but
the Christian distinguishes himself by,
II. His behaviour under it-
There are two things that characterize a true
Christian under all his trials :
1. A passive meekness—
[The saints are men of like passions with others; but,
through grace, they are enabled to repress the workings of
corruption, and to regulate their tempers by the word of God.
Instead of giving loose to a vindictive spirit, they bear with
silent resignation the injuries that are inflicted on them, or, if
they speak, it is only in words of gentle " entreaty." David,
in his conduct towards Shimeim and Saul", exemplifies in both
these points of view the Christian's duty, and the Christian's
experience. There are indeed occasions whereon, through
inadvertence or the power of temptation, they may be over
come0: but, on the whole, they will "possess their souls in
patience p," and " shew all meekness unto all menq." Rather
than provoke contention they will endure the wrong that is
done towards them r, and, forbearing to notice it in complaint
to man8, will commit themselves into the hands of a righteous
God4.]
2. An active benevolence—
[The natural man, under injuries received, is mindful only
of his own troubles : but the Christian feels a concern for the
8 Ps. xvi. 3. Prov. xii. 26.
11 Matt. v. 10. Luke vi. 22. John iii. 19, 20.
' 1 John iii. 12. k Gen. iii. 15. Gal. iv. 29. Ps. xxxviii. 20.
1 John xv. 18— 20. m 2 Sam. xvi. 5 — 11.
n 1 Sam. xxvi. 8, 9, 18—20, 24.
0 e. g. Moses, Numb. xx. 10. Ps. cvi. 32, 33. and Paul, Acts
xx iii. 3 — 5.
P Luke xxi. 19. * Tit. iii. 2. r 1 Cor. vi. 7.
' Ps. xxxviii. 12—11. l 1 Pet. iv. 19.
154 1 CORINTHIANS, IV. 12, 13. [1954.
souls of those who injure him. He is grieved for themu; and
would be willing to sustain any temporal evils whatever, if by
means of his own sufferings he might bring his enemies to a
better mind, and avert from them God's heavy displeasure".
He will even bless his enemies, and pray for them y, and ren
dering to them good for evil, he will heap coals of fire, as it
were, upon their heads, in order to melt them into love z. He
will contend indeed ; but he will use no weapon except that of
love : and in this warfare he will fight strenuously, till, instead
of being overcome of evil, he overcomes evil with good a.]
INFER—
1. How different is the judgment of God from that
of sinful men !
[Men hate and despise the righteous b; and would pour
out their blood as water, if God should withdraw his restraints
from them c. But God declares that, instead of their being unfit
to live in the world, the world itself is not worthy of them d ;
that their blood is precious in his sight e; that whoso toucheth
them, toucheth the apple of his eye f ; and that it were better
for any man to be cast into the sea with a millstone tied about
his neck, than that he should offend one of his little onesg.
Moreover the time is fast approaching, when this difference of
sentiment shall be made to appear before the whole assembled
universe, to the everlasting comfort of his afflicted people, and
the eternal confusion of his enemies'1. Let us then learn to
" take up our cross daily," and to follow the example of our
blessed Lord ' ; so shall we approve ourselves his true Disciples*,
and obtain a glorious reward in the day of judgment1.]
2. How superior are the operations of divine grace
to all the suggestions of human wisdom, or all the
efforts of human power !
[Philosophy never could devise means to eradicate a vin
dictive spirit from the heart : on the contrary, it extolled revenge
as a virtue, and regarded the temper that is exhibited in the
text, as meanness and pusillanimity. If men had even endea
voured to exercise such a disposition as Paul's, they would
have failed in the attempt, because unassisted nature is wholly
incompetent to such a work. But what cannot the grace of
God effect ? It will turn a lion into a lamb ; or rather, it will
u Ps. xxxv. 7, 11 — 17. x Exod. xxxii. 32. Rom. ix. 1 — 3.
> Luke vi. 27, 28. Rom. xii. 14. « Rom. xii. 17, 19, 20.
a Rom. xii. 21. b Ps. xxxvii. 32. Isai. lix. 15.
r Ps. Ixxix. 2—4. d Heb. xi. 38. e Ps. cxvi. 15.
f Zech. ii. 8. e Matt, xviii. 0. h Isai. Ixvi. 5.
j 1 Pet. ii. 21, 2:3. k Matt. xvi. 24, 25. ' Matt. v. 12.
1955. J AN IMPORTANT ALTERNATIVE. 155
transform the vilest of the human race into the image of our
incarnate God. Let us then follow the example of the saints
and martyrs that have gone before usm. Let us exert ourselves
in dependence on the Lord Jesus, and not doubt but that " his
grace shall be sufficient for us." Then shall our very enemies
be constrained to "glorify God in usn," and to " confess that
God is with us of a truth0."]
ra Jam. v. 10. n Gal. i. 24. ° 1 Cor. xiv. 25.
MDCCCCLV.
AN IMPORTANT ALTERNATIVE.
1 Cor. iv. 21. What tvill ye ? shall I come unto you with a rod,
or in love, and in the spirit of meekness ?
AT Corinth, religion was at a very low ebb. Great
were the abuses which obtained there, even amongst
the professed followers of Christ. Yet to those very
persons the Christian Church is much indebted, for
the displays which they occasioned the Apostle Paul
to make of the Christian character in its highest per
fection. How perversely they acted towards him,
the Apostle tells us : " Now ye are full ; now ye are
rich; ye have reigned as kings without usa:" and,
at the same time that they arrogated so much to
themselves, they poured the utmost contempt on
him : " We are fools for Christ's sake ; but ye are
wise in Christ : we are weak, but ye are strong : ye
are honourable, but we are despised V But how did
that blessed man conduct himself under these cir
cumstances ? He tells them : " Being reviled, we
bless ; being persecuted, we suffer it ; being defamed,
we entreat." And then, with most lovely delicacy,
he adds, " I write not these things to shame you ;
but, as my beloved sons, I warn youc." Still it was
necessary that he should correct what was amiss in
them; and therefore he sent Timothy to rectify these
abuses for the present, engaging that he himself would
shortly come and put every thing in order. But the
proud leaders of that Church said, he would never
a ver. 8, 10. b vcr. 12. '' vcr. It.
156 1 CORINTHIANS, IV. 21. [1955.
dare to obtrude himself among them. He, however,
assured them that he would come to them, and with
power too, if they constrained him to do so : and he
submitted it, as it were, to their option to determine
in what way he should come to them ; whether of
needful severity, or of unmixed love.
Now the Apostles had, occasionally at least, a
power to inflict temporal judgments ; as Peter did on
Ananias ; and as Paul did on Elymas the sorcerer :
and to this there may be some reference in the menace
before us. But every minister of God has such a
measure of authority vested in him over the people
of his charge, that he may with propriety address
them in the language of my text ; " Shall I come
unto you with a rod ; or in love, and in the spirit of
meekness ?"
That I may make a suitable improvement of these
words, I will,
I. Set before you the diversified duties of a Christian
minister—
A minister is not merely " a steward of the myste
ries of Godd," to dispense to every member of God's
family his portion in due season ; but
He is, as a father over them, to exert authority—
[Even a young minister, if there be occasion, is to " re
prove" both sin and error6; yea, to " rebuke with all autho
rity f," and even " sharply" too, rather than not effect the
reformation he desires s. In this exercise of authority, he
must seek " the edification, and not the destruction" of the
offender11: but he must rather proceed to the utter excision of
a corrupt member, than suffer the whole body to sustain
irreparable injury1. Nor is he to be influenced in this matter
either by fear or love. If the offender be as powerful as Ahab
or as Herod, yet must Elijah reprove the one, and John the
other : nor must the true Levite, the faithful minister, know
even his own parents or children, so as to withhold from them
the needful admonition k. Eli is, in this respect, a warning to
all ministers1, to " know no man after the flesh."]
d vcr. 1. «1 Tim. v. 20. f Tit. ii. 15.
! Tit. i- 13. i' 2 Cor. xiii. 10. « Gal. v. 12,
k Dent, xxxiii. P. ' 1 Sam. ii. '27— .'50.
1955.] AN IMPORTANT ALTERNATIVE. lf>7
At the same time, he must act under the influence
of love —
[Even in the use of " the rod," a father is actuated by
love : but where it is possible to effect his purpose without it,
he would rather cast it away, and conduct himself only in a
spirit of affectionate endearment. St. Paul, towards this very
Church, and at a time when they were actually setting him at
defiance, writes, " Now I Paul myself beseech you by the
meekness and gentleness of Christ"1." And this was his con
stant habit. He could appeal to his converts, that " as a
nursing-mother," he had cherished them ; being so affectionately
desirous of them, as to be willing to impart to them, not the
Gospel of God only, but also his own soul, because they were
dear unto him : and he further appeals to them, that, during
his whole intercourse with them, he had " exhorted, and com
forted, and charged every one of them, as a father doth his
children, that they would walk worthy of God, who had called
them to his kingdom and glory"." If there were any of whom
he stood in doubt, he " changed his voice towards them, and
even travailed in birth with them, till Christ should be formed
in them0." This is the true pattern for a Christian minister:
he must have courage and firmness to use " the rod," where
necessary; but in his soul he should affect nothing but " love,
and a spirit of meekness."]
Having stated the diversified duties of a minister,
I will,
II. Address myself to the discharge of them—
St. Paul gave to the Corinthian Church their option
between the two alternatives, and left them to determine
in what way he should proceed with them. Now,
as your stated minister, I am necessitated to " come
unto you" from Sabbath to Sabbath : and I beg you
to consider,
1. What is the treatment which you desire?
[Too many are utterly indifferent about the ministry of
the word ; and are equally unaffected, whether we come in a
way of reproof or of consolation Yet, methinks, it is
not altogether thus with you: but, in answer to the question,
"What will ye?" ye are ready to say, ' Come in the way
which you judge most suited to my necessities.'
Let me then proceed to ask,]
2. What is the treatment which you deserve ?
m 2 Cor. x. 1, 2. "1 Thess. ii. 7, 8, 1 1, 1 2. ° Gal. iv. 19, 20.
158 1 CORINTHIANS, V. G. [1956.
[What is your conduct, in your collective capacity, as a
Church ? Are there among you " debates, envyings, wraths,
strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults?" Dear
brethren, if this be the case, and " I find you such as I would
not, you can expect only that I shall be found unto you such
as ye would not : and that, whilst I bewail your condition," I
shall only administer such correctives as the occasion may
require1'. As to individuals, of course, except in extreme
cases, nothing of a personal nature can be spoken, but only in
a way of private intercourse. But, beloved, I wish you to
examine, whether you are " profiting by the word preached,"
and whether you " make that profiting to appear." I wish you
to examine, whether there be in you any secret declension from
God ; or whether you are advancing steadily in your Christian
course, and " daily growing up into Christ in all things as your
living Headq." If this be the case, we shall greatly rejoice:
for, as St. Paul said, " I live, if ye stand fast in the Lord1";"
and as St. John said, " I have no greater joy, than to hear that
my children walk in truth8;" so I, brethren, according to the
grace given unto me, would have all my own feelings and
interests swallowed up in your welfare. If you are but
" babes, I would feed you with milk : if you are grown to full
age, I would administer strong meat" for your nourishment.
In a word, I would endeavour to adapt my ministrations to
your necessities, in accordance with the direction given me ;
" Warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded,
support the weak, and be patient towards all men4." The
time is shortly coming, when both you and I must give account
to God; I, of my ministrations; and you, of your improvement
of them : and the Lord grant, that in that day I may be found
to have discharged my duties with fidelity ! and may you be
my crown of rejoicing to all eternity! yea, of all of you, with
out exception, may I then be able to say, " Ye are our glory
and joy"!"]
P 2 Cor. xii. 20, 21. 1 Eph. iv. 15. r 1 Thess. iii. 8.
s 3 John, ver. 4. l 1 Thess. v. 14. u i Thess. ii. 19, 20.
MDCCCCLVI.
SIN A MALIGNANT LEAVEN.
1 Cor. v. G. Knotv ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump ?
THAT ungodly men may glory in their shame,
may easily be conceived : hut that persons professing
godliness should ever he led to do so, can scarcely
195G.J SIN A MALIGNANT LEAVEN. 159
be imagined. Yet, such is the force of habit, that it
may blind the eyes of persons who are not otherwise
destitute of discernment ; and may lead them to
vindicate proceedings, which, on a calmer view, they
would judge deserving of utter abhorrence. The
Corinthians, in their heathen state, had been prover
bially addicted to lewdness of every kind. But, be
hold, a man after having embraced Christianity, had
become guilty of incest : and when the Apostle pro
tested against this, as an act of gross impiety, the
elders of the Church at Corinth espoused the cause
of the incestuous man, and refused to execute upon
him the censure which his crime demanded. This
conduct the Apostle justly reproved, both as detest
able in itself, and as likely to prove exceedingly in
jurious to the whole Church : " Your glorying is not
good : know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump ?"
Now in this expostulation we may see,
I. The malignant nature of sin—
The operations and effects of leaven are well known
in every family : and it will serve, therefore, to illus
trate, in the clearest manner, the nature of sin. It is,
1. Corrupting —
[The purest dough that was ever made has no sooner a
portion of leaven blended with it, than it ferments, and be
comes sour. And such was the effect of sin upon the soul of
our first parent. Adam, when he came out of his Creator's
hands, was formed in the perfect image of his God : not an
evil propensity of any kind was found in him. But behold
him as soon as sin entered into his soul : instantly he became
so alienated from his God, that he fled from him, and strove to
hide himself amongst the trees of the garden : and when inter
rogated by God respecting the act which he had committed,
he cast the blame of it upon God himself. The sin which he
had committed was as small as any that could be conceived ;
it was not a breach of morals, properly so called ; but only a
transgression of a positive precept, which rendered that sinful,
which, if not particularly prohibited, would have been perfectly
innocent : yet did this small leaven so leaven his whole soul,
that he became altogether corrupt; and the image of God was
1GO 1 CORINTHIANS, V. 6. [1956.
changed, as we shall see presently, almost into the image of an
incarnate fiend — — ]
2. Spreading —
[However large the mass of dough may be, the smallest
leaven will leaven it throughout. And thus did sin operate
on the soul of Adam. His understanding was rendered dark ;
his will, perverse; his affections, sensual; his conscience,
treacherous and partial. Not a member of his body, or a
faculty of his soul, retained its original purity: but, as the
prophet says of the Jewish people, " The whole head was sick,
and the whole heart faint : from the sole of the foot even to the
head there was no soundness in him ; but wounds, and bruises,
and putrifying sores." God's own testimony, respecting man in
his fallen state, is, that " every imagination of the thoughts of
his heart is only evil continually" ]
3. Assimilating —
[The whole of the dough is by leaven changed, and will
produce the same change on any other mass with which it
may come in contact. So " Adam begat a son in Ms own fallen
likeness ;" and all who have proceeded from him inherit the
very same depravity which sin had produced in him. In every
age, and every place, human nature is the same : there is, in
all, the same alienation from God, and the same idolatrous
regard to self. Education may make a difference in the habits
of men ; but in their propensities there is no difference. There
is, in all, the same " filthiness, both of flesh and spirit;" the
same love to sensual indulgence ; and the same disposition to
pride, envy, malice, Wrath, and all uncharitableness. In
every living man, whether civilized or savage, there is that
" wisdom only which is from beneath, which is earthly, sensual,
devilish a."J
The appeal which the Apostle makes on this sub
ject leads us to consider,
II. The importance of having just conceptions re
specting it-
It is no curious speculation that is here suggested;
but a fact, that is confirmed by universal experience,
and the knowledge of which is of great importance,
1 . For the preservation of the Church—
[The Church of Christ is in continual danger, both from
error and corruption: and, in reference to both of these, the
a Jam. iii. 15.
1956.] SIN A MALIGNANT LEAVEN. 1G1
Apostle gave the same salutary warning. The Galatian Church
were in danger of seduction by Judaizing teachers: indeed,
even Barnabas himself had been seduced by Peter's dissimu
lation. To them, therefore, St. Paul suggested this salutary
admonition, " A little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpb:" and
in numberless instances has the truth of that saying been
evinced. Aaron's calf became an object of worship to all
Israel : and Jeroboam's calves perverted all the tribes that
were submitted to his government ; and continued to pervert
them, till they were all destroyed. The little leaven that,
from time to time, was found amongst holy men in the primi
tive Church, wrought gradually to the production of all the
abominations that have for centuries prevailed in the Church
of Rome. And in the great majority of Protestant Churches
has one error or another crept in, till all their members have
become infected with it, and vital godliness been banished from
their souls.
In the passage before us, the warning refers more particu
larly to morals ; and intimates, what experience so fully proves,
that " evil communications will corrupt good manners." To
illustrate this amongst the ungodly world is unnecessary,
because it is too obvious to have escaped the observation of
any. But amongst the Apostles themselves we may behold
it on several occasions. Let a little leaven of pride0, of
covetousness d, of self-confidence6, or cowardice f, be brought
amongst them, and they all immediately catch its baneful in
fluence, and betray the weakness of their better principles.
And wherever the Gospel is preached in its purity, the same
awful tendency is seen and felt : one person or another indulges
a proud, conceited, or contentious spirit ; and " his word will
soon eat as doth a canker6."]
2. For the preservation of our own souls—
[The recollection of this fact will prove extremely ser
viceable to every child of God. For who is there that has
not felt the bitter consequences of omitting to resist the very
first incursion of an evil thought ? It was but a glance which
David caught of Bathsheba; and we all know what sad effects
it produced, to the dishonour of God, and well nigh to the
destruction of his own soul. " The man after God's own
heart" became, in a degree that was scarcely ever exceeded,
a man after the very heart of Beelzebub himself. And if this
idea teaches us to resist the first motions of sin, how much
more strongly does it guard us against the harbouring of any
b Gal. v. 9. c Matt. xx. 21, 24—27.
d John xii. 3 — 6. compared with Matt. xxvi. 8.
e Matt. xxvi. 35. f Matt. xxvi. '.0. f 2 Tim. ii. 17.
VOL. xvi. M
162 1 CORINTHIANS, V. 6. [1956.
evil in the heart ! How affectingly does it warn us to " pluck
out the right eye, and to cut off the right hand or foot," lest
our whole body be contaminated, and be consigned, as utterly
irrecoverable, to the flames of hellh! Nor does it less forcibly
instruct us to guard against the means of evil, and the tempta
tions to it. A man in the midst of many combustibles will
dread the approach of fire. And who that considers how
soon a fire may be kindled within him, and burn even to the
lowest hell, will needlessly venture himself into those scenes
of temptation, where every thing around him has a direct ten
dency to inflame and consume his soul ? Who, that considers
"how great a matter a little fire kindleth1," will be indifferent
respecting the company with which he mixes, the conversation
in which he engages, the books he reads, the thoughts he
indulges in his heart ? Verily, if we would retain a purity of
heart and life, we must never forget that " a little leaven
leaveneth the whole lump." If we pray to God not to lead
us into temptation, we must take care that we run not need
lessly into it ourselves.]
What now shall I SAY ? Beloved brethren,
1. " Purge out," with all imaginable care, " the
leaven that is within you"-
[This is St. Paul's own improvement of the subjectk.
The Jews, at their passover, were wont to search every cor
ner of their houses with candles, in order to get rid of any
leaven that might be found there ; that so they might keep the
feast with unleavened bread, according to the commandment.
And is " Christ our Passover sacrificed for us," and shall not
we exercise the same care to " keep the feast with the un
leavened bread of sincerity and truth?" I call you, then, to
the utmost possible vigilance in relation to this matter. Guard
against every thing that is evil, whether in principle or prac
tice ; that so you may not be an occasion of corrupting others,
and " may yourselves be preserved blameless unto the king
dom of your God."]
2. Endeavour to get your souls altogether leavened
by divine grace —
[There is a leaven that proceeds from God himself, that
is intended to operate through the whole world, and to assi
milate every human being to the very image of his God1.
Entreat of God to impregnate your souls with that. See to it,
that its operation be progressive, through all your faculties
h Mark ix. 4,'i — 48. ' Jam. iii. 5.
k ver. 7, 8. 1 Matt. xiii. 3;J.
1957.] CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 1 ()3
and powers : and never rest till it has had its perfect work
within you, and " changed you into your Saviour's image, from
glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord"1."]
m 2 Cor. iii. 18.
MDCCCCLVII.
CHRIST OUR PASSOVER.
1 Cor. v. 7, 8. Christ our passover is sacrificed for us : there
fore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the
leaven of malice and wickedness ; but zuith the unleavened
bread of sincerity and truth.
CHRISTIANITY affords us not only new grounds
of hope, but also new motives to action, yea, the only
motives that are capable of giving an uniform direc
tion to our conduct. The arguments derived from
the excellency of virtue, the fitness of things, or even
the certainty of rewards and punishments, never could
produce any effects comparable to those, which have
been wrought by the exhibition of a crucified Saviour.
St. Paul, well knowing the efficacy of this topic, pro
posed it on all occasions. If he would enforce the
duties of love, beneficence, or zeal, the love of Christ
was both his pattern, and his plea. Thus, in the
passage before us, having enjoined the Corinthian
Church to excommunicate their incestuous member,
he reminds them of the sacrifice of Christ ; and, in
allusion to their accustomed method of eating the
Paschal Lamb, exhorts them to celebrate the Chris
tian passover with becoming purity, both as to out
ward discipline, and inward affection. In considering
his words we shall notice,
I. The representation here given of Christ-
Christ is here said to have been " sacrificed for
us"—
[Sacrifices were appointed of God from the very fall of
Adam as means of conciliating his favour, and expiating any
offences which had been committed against him. The crea
tures sacrificed were put to death, and were always considered
as dying in the place of the offender, who, by his transgression,
M 2
164 1 CORINTHIANS, V. 7, 8. [1957.
had forfeited his life to divine justice. Precisely in this way
has Christ been sacrificed for us : "he died, the just for the
unjust ;" he was put to death not merely for our good, but in
our stead : and in his sufferings we may behold a figurative
representation of what we had merited by our transgressions.]
In this view he is called " our Passover"-
[The paschal lamb was sacrificed in a peculiar manner,
and on a most extraordinary occasion. God had determined
to destroy the Egyptian first-born, but to spare his own people :
He appointed the Jews to kill a lamb, to sprinkle its blood
upon the door-posts, and to eat its flesh roasted with fire,
taking also with it some bitter herbs3. Upon their due obser
vation of this ordinance God promised to interpose for their
deliverance, and not to suffer the destroyer to involve so much
as one of them in the common ruin. Thus are we obnoxious
to the wrath that is coming upon the ungodly world : but
Jesus, that spotless Lamb, has, on the very same month, day,
and hour, that the passover was first killed, and in the midst of
most inconceivable agonies both of body and soul, yet without
the breaking of a bone, been slain for usb ; and we are by
faith to sprinkle our hearts with his precious blood : we are also
to feed upon his body and blood ; and, in so doing, are as
sure of the divine protection as if we were already in heaven.
Though " thousands should fall beside us, and ten thousand
at our right hand, the sword of the avenger should not come
nigh us."]
That we may rightly improve this glorious truth,
let us consider,
II. The exhortation grounded upon it-
While the occasion of Christ's death affords us
ground for the deepest humiliation, the deliverance
effected by it should ever be remembered with joy—
[The Jews were commanded to " keep " an annual " feast"
in commemoration of their deliverance from the destroying
angel c. And, as their feast was a memorial of the mercies
they had received, so is ours to be, to the latest generations.
Indeed our whole lives should be kept as a holy solemnity,
because we are daily and hourly experiencing the saving virtue
of the Redeemer's blood.]
The peculiar manner in which the Jews were to
il Kxod. xii. 3—9. h Kxod. xii. 40. with John xix. 33, 3(5.
'' Such a fc;ist is the Lord's Supper to us : as they fed on the
Paschal Lamb, so do we on the body and blood of Christ, represented
to us in the bread and wine.
1957.] CI1K1ST Of It PASSOVER. U>5
observe their passover, was a figurative representation
of the manner in which ours also should be observed—
[The Jews were enjoined on pain of death to forbear the
use of leaven, and to put it out of their houses for seven daysd :
and they were to eat the lamb with bitter herbs and unleavened
bread. Thus is the leaven of sin to be purged out of our hearts
with the greatest care ; and while we feed by faith on the spot
less Lamb of God, we must partake also of the bitter herbs
of repentance and " the unleavened bread of sincerity and
truth." As for the " old leaven " of Gentile uncleanness, or
of Jewish pride and malignity, it must be wholly put away :
the scrupulosity with which the Jews searched and swept their
houses to purge out all leaven, is an admirable pattern for
our imitation. A sincere desire to know the will of God, a
full and unreserved determination to do it, together with a
corresponding meekness in our spirits, purity in our thoughts,
sincerity in our words, and integrity in our actions — this, this
is the Christian temper ; this is the frame in which our whole
lives should be kept as a feast unto the Lord. Moreover as
the Jews were to eat the passover in haste, with their shoes on
their feet, and their loins girt, so must we be in a continual
readiness to go towards the promised land.]
From this most instructive subject we may OBSERVE—
1. How plain is the way of salvation !—
[Ask of every one that was saved that night, To what
he was indebted for his preservation ? Would there be two
opinions throughout the whole nation of Israel ? Would there
be so much as one that would ascribe it to his own wisdom, or
power, or goodness? No, not one. All without exception
would say, I owe it to the blood of the Paschal Lamb
sprinkled upon my door-posts. That was God's ordinance :
and by the observance of that alone I was kept from the
sword of the destroying angel, who was constrained to pass
over every house where that blood was seen. Let us then see
ourselves doomed to perish on account of our sins ; but,
through the application of the blood of Christ to our souls,
preserved from death : and we have a perfect view of the
Gospel salvation. Nothing can be conceived more simple or
more intelligible even to the meanest capacity.]
2. How beautiful is the Christian life ! —
[It is one continued feast ; a feast upon the body and
blood of our great Sacrifice6. True, it must be eaten " with
bitter herbs." But who is there amongst us who does not need
d Exod. xii. 15, 19. « John vi. 53 — 57.
1C6 1 CORINTHIANS, VI. 9— 11. [1958.
to have his joys tempered with penitential sorrow ? It must
be eaten too " with unleavened bread :" for if there be in us
any allowed guile, we can never hope to escape the wrath of
Godf. We must eat it also with our loins girt, and our staff
in our hands, ready every moment to proceed on our journey
to the promised land. Compare this state with that of those
who were to be left behind in Egypt, wholly ignorant of these
high privileges, and altogether destitute of these exalted hopes :
truly of the Christian, whoever he be, it may well be said,
"Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people
saved by the Lord g ?"]
3. How certain and glorious is the effect of faith ! —
[The whole that was prescribed to Israel was one act of
faith. The killing of the sacrifice, the sprinkling of its blood,
the feeding on its flesh, the uniting with it the bitter herbs of
penitence, and the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth,
and the habitual readiness to depart, were all, I say, one act
of faith. And of its success we are fully informed. Of the
whole nation not so much as one was lost. If any one had
refused to comply with the appointed ordinance, he would
have perished : but in all Israel not so much as one was slain.
So, beloved, it shall be with you, if you live by faith upon the
Son of God. Sooner shall heaven and earth pass away, than
the least or meanest of true believers shall perish. Be assured
of this ; and you shall have even now a foretaste of the blessed
ness that awaits you in the worlds above.]
f Ps. xxxii. 2. K Deut. xxxiii. 29.
MDCCCCLVIII.
GOD'S MERCY TO THE VILEST SINNERS.
1 Cor. vi. 9 — 11. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not
inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived : neither for-
nicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor
abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covet
ous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit
the kingdom of God. And such were some of you : but ye
are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
AS long as men retain within them the seeds of
their original corruption, so long they will be liable
to fall into sin, and consequently they will need to
be instigated by every motive that can be adduced,
11)58. J GOD'S MERCY TO THE VILEST SINNERS. 167
to persevere in the ways of holiness. Now there are
scarcely any stronger incentives to obedience, than
a recollection of the inseparable connexion which
there is between sin and misery ; and a view of the
unspeakable mercies which we ourselves have received
at God's hands. It was by these considerations that
St. Paul urged the Corinthians to abstain from some
practices in which they were engaged, and from others
to which they were particularly exposed. They had
gone to law with each other even in the Gentile
courts, instead of settling their disputes by arbitration
amongst themselves. It is provable too that some
among them thought but lightly of the sin of forni
cation ; since the close of the chapter is wholly occu
pied with that subject. His address to them was well
adapted to the occasion ; in that it appealed at once
to their fears and to their gratitude ; and thus secured
the influence of their ingenuous feelings, as well as of
those which were of a more selfish nature.
His words will lead us to shew,
I. The awful condition of the ungodly —
Those who live in sin will have no part in the in
heritance of the saints. Though some of the sins
specified in this black catalogue are such as cannot
be mentioned with delicacy, or thought of but with
horror, yet far the greater part are as common in
Christian lands as among the heathen themselves :
but, by whatever name men call themselves, they
who live in such sins " shall never inherit the kingdom
of God." The manner in which this declaration is
made, calls for our particular attention. Mark,
1. The Appeal—
[The Apostle appeals to our own consciences ; " Know
ye not this ? " However ignorant ye be, are ye not well assured
in your own minds, that persons living, and dying, in the com
mission of any of these sins, must perish ? Does not Scripture,
does not reason, does not conscience tell you, that there must
be a difference put between the just and unjust in the day of
judgment?- — ]
2. The Caution —
168 1 CORINTHIANS, VI. 9— 11. [1958.
[The Apostle next cautions us against self-deception. We
are apt to extenuate these crimes, and to conceal their enormity
by some specious name. Fornication and adultery are youthful
indiscretions : drunkenness is conviviality : covetousness and
extortion are prudence, and the common licence of trade.
Thieving is confined to one species of dishonesty ; whilst a
defrauding of the revenue, and a neglect of paying one's debts,
and many other kinds of theft, are practised without remorse.
As for " reviling," the conversation of many consists of little
else than speaking against their neighbour ; and especially
when they have received from him any real or fancied injury:
yet that is considered as nothing more than a proper token of
their contempt for such conduct as they disapprove. And a
soft, easy, indolent, "effeminate" manner of life, such as indi
cates an aversion to do any thing or suffer any thing for Christ,
is reputed innocent, as though a Christian had nothing to do
but to please himself. Moreover, if men be free from the
grosser acts of sin, they pay no attention to the dispositions of
their minds ; though, in reality, dispositions are as hateful to
God, and as much reprobated in the text, as overt acts. But,
however they may hide from their own eyes their guilt and
danger, God's decree is irreversible, and his threatened ven
geance shall assuredly be executed upon them.]
But, notwithstanding the danger to which sinners
are exposed, the text informs us of,
II. The blessed state to which they may yet be
exalted by the Gospel —
Many of the Corinthians had, while in their heathen
state, been guilty of all the abominations mentioned
in the text. But at their conversion,
1. They were received into the Christian cove
nant —
[The word " washed" seems to refer to their initiation
into the Christian Church by the ordinance of baptism ; and
therefore imports, that they had been admitted into the Chris
tian covenant. We indeed, at our conversion, are not to repeat
the rite of baptism ; because the baptism administered to us in
our infancy was in all respects as available for us as circumci
sion was for the Jews; yet, since we are brought only into the
outward bond of the covenant in our baptism, we need to be
made partakers of its saving benefits : and, however abandoned
we may have been in our unregenerate state, we shall be re
ceived to a full participation of its blessings, as soon as ever we
repent and believe in Christ.]
1958. J GOD'S MERCY TO THE VILEST SINNERS. 169
2. " They were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus" —
[Justification includes not merely a remission of sins, but
a being dealt with by God as innocent persons, or, in other
words, an exaltation to eternal happiness and glory. Now this
the Corinthians enjoyed as soon as they embraced the Gospel.
They were not left to expect it after death : it was already
vouchsafed unto them. For the sake of Christ all their sins
were blotted out as a morning cloud. And we also, as soon
as we " believe in him, shall, for his sake, be justified from all
things," however abominable our past lives may have been, and
however much we may have deserved to be abhorred both by
God and man.]
3. " They were sanctified by the Spirit of our
God"-
[The Apostle, speaking in the fulness of his heart, did not
observe any particular order in the arrangement of his words ;
and therefore no conclusion is to be drawn from the order of
them : for, in strictness of speech, our sanctification does not
precede, but follows, and flows from, our justification. But
what a triumph of Divine grace was here ! these people, who
had been sunk beneath the very beasts by their iniquities, were
renewed by the Holy Ghost, and transformed into the image
of their God. Surely then none of us need despair ! What
ever we have been, or whatever we may yet be, we still may
look to that Divine Agent, who will renew and sanctify us
wholly, provided we seek his operations in the name, and for
the sake, of Jesus Christ.]
ADDRESS—
1. To those who are yet living in sin —
[Is there a person here, who, whether openly or in secret,
gives way to uncleanness ? Thou " shalt never inherit the king
dom of God." Is there a person here who corresponds in any
respect with those described in the text ? Does not thy con
science tell thee, Thou must perish ? If thou hast bribed, or
silenced thy conscience, " deceive not thyself;" for God's word
shall stand, whether thou believe it or not. Hear this, thou
whoremonger, thou adulterer, &c. &c. In the name of Almighty
God I declare, Thou shalt never inherit the kingdom of God,
unless thou repent, and believe in Christ. Let me entreat thee
seriously to consider thy guilt and danger, while there is a way
of escape yet opened to thee by the Gospel.]
2. To those who have experienced pardon and
sanctification by the Gospel—
170 1 CORINTHIANS, VI. 19, 20. [1959.
[It will be always profitable for you to bear in mind what
you once were : for though your actions may not have been so
abominable as those referred to in the text, none of you have
any right to cast a stone at others ; seeing that the seeds of all
evils are in your own hearts, and nothing but the preventing
grace of God has made you to differ from your more abandoned
neighbour. What cause have you then to magnify and adore
that grace which has so distinguished you ; and to " love much,
from a sense of having had so much forgiven !"
Well also may a recollection of the many talents that have
been forgiven you, incline you readily to forgive the pence
that may be owing to you by an offending brother. It is par
ticularly in this view that the text is introduced by the Apostle,
and in this view it certainly ought to be improved. Get but
a just sense of the mercies vouchsafed to you in the pardon
of your sins by the blood of Jesus, and the renovation of your
natures by the Holy Ghost, and you will esteem nothing too
much to do for God, and no forbearance too great to exercise
towards the most unworthy of mankind.]
MDCCCCLIX.
THE DUTY OF DEVOTING OURSELVES TO GOD.
1 Cor. vi. 19,20. What? know ye not that ye are not
your oum ? for ye are bought tvith a price : therefore glorify
God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
THE word of God reveals to us many things which
unenlightened reason could never have discovered.
This is particularly manifest with respect to the offices
of Christ and of the Holy Spirit. These were " mys
teries hid in God from the foundation of the world ;"
but they are supposed to be well known to every true
Christian ; indeed they form the basis of the Chris
tian's hope ; and they at the same time afford him his
strongest motives to obedience. St. Paul was dis
suading the Corinthians from the sin of fornication :
he reminded them therefore of the principles which
they professed. We wave what he says respecting
the Spirit dwelling in them, and shall confine our
selves to the words of our text.
We shall consider,
I. The principle which the Apostle assumes —
1959.1 DUTY OF DEVOTING OURSELVES TO GOD. 171
All men naturally think they are " their own" —
[Men employ their time and faculties nearly as they
please3. They think themselves at liberty so to dob. Hence
the language of their hearts is declared by the Psalmist0 —
Their conduct, if not their speech, resembles that of
Pharaoh d — ]
But no man is or can be his own —
[Men may be free from any human yoke; but no man is
or can be independent of God. This is a principle even of
natural religion.]
This every Christian is supposed to know —
[The manner in which the Apostle assumes this principle
is remarkable. His question is a direct appeal to our con
sciences; he takes it for granted that no one can be ignorant
of that truth ; he expresses surprise that such a truth should
be forgotten.]
Indeed this principle cannot admit a doubt. This
appears from considering,
II. The argument he urges in support of it —
God, as our Creator, has an unalienable right over
us—
[We possess not a faculty of body or mind but from hime.
We cannot exercise one faculty but by virtue derived from
himf. We therefore can be no other than his property.]
But he has also redeemed us —
[We were in bondage to the curse of the laws, but God
has redeemed us from this miserable state h. He paid no less
a price for us than the blood of his own Son1.]
By this he has acquired a further right over us—
[The great end of redemption was " that we might live
unto God." The Scriptures speak of redemption in this
lightk. Thus our obligation to devote ourselves unreservedly
to God is greatly increased and confirmed by it. If God com
plain of us for requiting with neglect his paternal care1, how
much more may he, for our contempt of redeeming love !]
The principle being thus established, we proceed
to consider,
a Isai. liii. 6. b Jer. xxiii. 17. c Ps. xii. 4.
d Exod. v. 2. e 1 Cor. iv. 7- f 2 Cor. iii. 5.
e Gal. iii. 10. h Gal. iii. 13. > 1 Pet. i. 18, 19.
k 1 Pet. iii. 18. 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. John xvii. 19.
1 Isai. i. 2, 3.
\1X 1 CORINTHIANS, VI. 19,20. [1959.
III. The exhortation he founds upon it—
" Our body and our spirit are entirely God's"
property. We are bound therefore to glorify him
with both to the uttermost—
[We cannot indeed add any thing to God's glory"1. God
however esteems himself glorified by our services11. There are
many ways in which we may glorify him daily. A devotedness
to him is justly called " our reasonable service0."]
Let the exhortation then have its due effect —
[God claims every one of us as his own. Let us not then
live as though we were at our own disposal ; let us adopt the
resolution of Joshuap — let us yield to him all the members of
our bodies'1 ; let us glorify him with every faculty of our souls1;
let us never disjoin what was so connected in Paul's experi
ence* ; let us seek to have that inspired declaration fulfilled in
us4—]
INFERENCES—
We may see from hence,
1. What lamentable ignorance prevails in the
Christian world !
[Many are daily violating their baptismal vows without
remorse. Though educated in the faith of Christ, they give
not themselves to him. This may well be a matter of sur
prise to thoughtful minds. It justly excited the feelings of
David u. Let us beg of God to convince us of the evil of such
conduct ; let us turn from it with self-lothing and self-abhor
rence x.]
2. How reasonable and delightful is the Christian's
duty!
[What more reasonable than that we should be his who
bought us? And what so delightful as to be ever glorifying
God ? This constitutes the felicity of the perfected saints and
angels. We should never be unhappy here if we abounded
more in this duty. Let us know, then, and enjoy our inesti
mable privilege. To have honoured God here, will be our
crown hereafter.]
m Ps. xvi. 2. " pSi i. 23. ° Rom. xii. 1.
P Josh. xxiv. 15. q Rom. vi. 13. r Ps. ciii. 1.
1 Acts xxvii. 23. ' Rom. xiv. 7, 8. " Ps. cxix. 53.
x Ezek. xxxvi. 31 .
i960.] IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY RELIGION. 173
MDCCCCLX.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY RELIGION.
1 Cor. vii. 16. What knowest thou, 0 wife, whether thou shalt
save thy husband ? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou
shalt save thy wife ?
WE, who live under laws generally known and
acknowledged, have little conception what difficulties
arose to the Church in the apostolic age, from the
licentious habits of many upon their first conversion
to Christianity. Those who had been brought up as
heathens saw no evil in concubinage : and those who
had been educated as Jews imagined that they were
still at liberty to put away those with whom they had
been united in the bonds of matrimony. In some
respects, the very habits and ordinances of pious men
amongst the Jews tended to confirm the Christian
converts in their errors. They were not aware, that
some things were tolerated among the Jews, and, on
some particular occasions, even enjoined, which yet
were positively forbidden by the Christian code. It
will be remembered, that, after the Babylonish Cap
tivity, many of the Jews who had returned to Canaan
" took wives of the people of the land," and thereby
greatly provoked the Lord to anger. On that occa
sion, Ezra commanded all of them to put away their
wives and children3. Hence, when persons had been
converted to Christianity, a doubt arose in their minds,
whether they were not bound, or at least authorised,
to separate themselves from their unbelieving part
ners. This case had been stated to the Apostle, for
his opinion respecting it : and he, by God's special
command, forbad any such measure. Even if a
person, being a Christian, had so far forgot his duty
to God as to connect himself in marriage with an
unconverted person, he was not at liberty to divorce
her from him ; but he must exert himself to the
uttermost to effect the conversion of his unbelieving
partner. This was the line prescribed equally to all,
a Ezra ix. 2—4. and x. 2, 10, 11, 44.
174 1 CORINTHIANS, VII. 16. [i960.
whether men or women : and agreeably to that rule
they were all bound to conduct themselves, whatever
difficulties might lie in their way.
The words thus explained will lead me to shew
you,
I. The duty of persons in wedded life-
Persons once brought into a marriage union should
from thenceforth live, as it were, altogether for each
other, even as the Lord Jesus Christ is incessantly
occupied in promoting the welfare of his Church: and,
as the Church is ever seeking to advance the honour
of her divine Head, each should seek continually the
other's salvation—
[If there be a oneness of sentiment between the parties,
this will be easy. But whatever diversity of sentiment there
may be between them, the duty is still the same ; and it should
be performed with unremitting diligence. It is not to be
supposed that such unions will often be found, as existed fre
quently in the primitive Church, when, through the conversion
of one party to the Christian faith, light and darkness, Christ
and Belial, a believer and an infidel, were joined together.
But between Christians, as converted to Christ, or yet in a
state of unregeneracy, there is scarcely a less difference than
between persons of different religions. And this difference
exists to a great extent wherever the Gospel is preached in
sincerity and truth ; and the duty of each party is then pre
cisely the same as that which bound the converts from
Judaism or idolatry to their unconverted partners. The
utmost possible forbearance was to be exercised towards the
person who was yet under the power of heathen darkness or
Jewish superstition : and so should it be towards one who is
yet in bondage to the world ; and who, perhaps, is irritated
and enraged at the change that has been wrought in the mind
of his dearest companion. Great allowance should be made
for him. We must not expect him to see with our eyes : and,
if he express grief or vexation at our conduct, we must con
sider how we should have felt, if the change had been wrought
in him, and we had yet continued under our former blindness.
Grateful to God for the mercy vouchsafed to us, we should
implore the same in his behalf: yea, we should " labour
earnestly in prayer for him night and day," that God may
open his eyes, and impart to him the salvation which we have
experienced. We should remember, that the change has been
wrought in us; and that therefore there is, so to speak, a
1960.1 IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY RELIGION. 175
ground for complaint on his side, who still retains his former
sentiments and habits : and we must be prepared to endure
unkindness from him, on whom we have inflicted so deep a
wound. We must possess our souls in patience ; and labour,
by meekness and by love, to win him, whose heart has never
submitted to the preached wordb.]
To this the most distant prospect of success should
be a sufficient inducement—
[Whatever the state of our partner may be, God is able to
effect a change : " there is nothing impossible with him :" he
can " quicken the dead," and " call forth into existence that
which had no being." And great beyond conception is the
power of prayer. The person that continues instant in prayer
is almost sure to succeed at last. And what if success should
be granted, even though it were after years of suffering and
of supplication ? would not that be a very abundant recompence
for all ? Yes : years of labour would be well repaid by such an
issue. And how knowest thou, O husband, or O wife, whether
this shall not be the issue of thy prayers? How knowest thou,
whether thou shalt not be the happy instrument of saving
thine unbelieving partner? Surely a mere possibility of such
an event should be sufficient to call forth our utmost endea
vours ; and we should with patient perseverance hold on to
the end, " instructing in meekness him that opposes us, if God
peradventure may give him repentance to the acknowledging
of the truth ; and he may at last recover himself out of the
snare of the devil, by whom he has been led captive at his
will0."]
But the questions need not be restricted to those
in wedded life : they shew us equally,
II. The duty of persons, in whatever relation they
may stand to each other —
Manifold are the relations of civil and social life ;
and in all of them, the same concern for the salvation
of others becomes us. Such is our duty,
1. In our own families—
[A person at the head of a family should consider all
under his roof as committed to his care, to be brought up for
God. It was said by God himself, with special approbation,
respecting Abraham, " I know him, that he will command his
children and his household after him, that they shall keep the
way of the Lordd." The same attention will he approve in
h 1 Pet. iii. 1. c 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26. d Gen. xviii. 19.
176 1 CORINTHIANS, VII. 16. [i960.
us also : and the more we know of the evil of the heart, and
of the danger of dying in an unconverted state, the more
earnest should we be in the performance of this duty. And
what if we he successful in one single instance ; will it not
richly repay all the labour we can bestow on this good work ?
Even as it respects this present life, what a bond of union
exists between a man and his spiritual offspring ! What sweet
counsel they take with each other, when going to the house of
God as friends, or in the more retired intercourse of domestic
life ! But, if we take eternity into the account, what shall we
then say? Think of saving an immortal soul ! What an honour!
what a joy ! O cease not, any of you, from this good work ;
but go on steadily, with much patience, much forbearance,
much earnestness, if by any means you may be honoured with
" turning one soul from darkness unt light, and from the
power of Satan unto God."]
2. In the Church of God—
[The Church is one great family; amongst whom there is
yet very ample occasion for mutual forbearance, and for mutual
aid. All who believe in Christ are, in fact, one body ; and
every member should take a deep interest in the welfare of
the whole. It is to be lamented, that, even in the apostolic
age, there were divisions and bitter animosities amongst those
who ought to have been united in the bonds of brotherly
affection : and so it is at this time. Many, because of a
diversity of sentiment on some points, and frequently on points
of inferior importance, are really separated from one another
more widely than from the unconverted world. But such a
disposition ill becomes the family of which Christ is the
Head. We should all have but one object in view ; and
labour with incessant care so to watch over each other : and
we should " become all things to all men, if by any means we
may save some e " — — ]
3. In the world at large —
[Wherever there is an immortal soul, there should be an
object of our care and love. We should not ask, in reference
to any human being, " Am I my brother's keeper?" We all
have a debt of love, which we should be paying to every child
of man. Especially should we be concerned for the salvation
of their souls, and be using all the means in our power to
advance it. The unconverted heathen, the unbelieving Jew,
and the scoffing infidel, should be objects of our tenderest
compassion, as should also be the careless and ungodly all
around us ; and, both by secret prayer and benevolent efforts,
e 1 Cor. ix. 20—2-2.
1961.] ABIDING IN OUR CALLING. 177
of whatever kind, we should seek their salvation. And what
if we be the means of saving one single soul ? Verily I say
to you, that we shall cause all heaven to rejoice: for " there
is joy among the angels in the presence of God over one
sinner that repenteth." Know ye this, brethren ; " know, that
whoso converteth a sinner from the error of his way, shall
save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sinsV
Shall not such a prospect stimulate us to exertion ? You will
say, you are not sure to succeed in your efforts. True : but
are you sure that you shall not succeed ? " How knowest
thou, O man," what God shall be pleased to effect by thy
means ? Thou mayest be among the weakest of the people ;
yet that should not discourage thee : for God delights to
honour those who honour him; and " he will perfect his own
strength in thy weakness." But, at all events, if we should
fail in doing good to others, shall none accrue to ourselves ?
This cannot be : for " God will reward every man according
to his own labour8;" and he who "watered others, shall be
watered also himself."]
f Jam. v. 19, 20. s 1 Cor. iii. 8.
MDCCCCLXI.
ABIDING IN OUR CALLING.
1 Cor. vii. 24. Brethren, let every man, tvherein he is called,
therein abide with God.
THE state of the Church, at the first introduction
of Christianity, was full of embarrassment : the Jewish
converts knew not how to conduct themselves in re
ference to the Mosaic law, which was now abrogated ;
nor did the Gentile converts find it easy to submit to
a moral discipline so different from that to which
they had been hitherto accustomed, and so strict as
that which Christianity imposed. The union also of
Jews and Gentiles in the same society, like that of
two contending elements, was a source of continual
discord. The persecutions too, which each were
called to endure, tended yet further to make their
path of duty more intricate ; so that not even the
wisdom and authority of St. Paul himself were suffi
cient to adjust the difficulties which arose, without a
special appeal to the whole college of Apostles, and
VOL. XVI. N
ITS 1 CORINTHIANS, VII. 24. [1961.
the public sanction of their united authority. The
epistle before us gives a great insight into the state
of things as existing at that day, and shews how
much there was to be rectified in the whole Christian
Church. But, not to notice the various evils which
prevailed in the Church at large, we will fix our
attention on some difficulties which the Corinthians
had submitted to the Apostle for his advice. Many,
who had been converted in the married state, had to
encounter the most painful opposition from their un
converted relatives : the husband being filled with
resentment against his wife, and the wife against her
husband. Hence arose a question, whether it was not
expedient for the two to separate, rather than, by
continued feuds, to embitter each other's life. On
this subject they wrote to him for his advice. The
Jewish and Gentile converts also consulted him how
they might best satisfy their own minds under their
respective circumstances, and most approve them
selves to that God whom they desired to serve.
Doubts also arose amongst believing servants, whether
they ought not, at any risk, to leave the masters who
were hostile to the religion they had embraced. To
each of these the Apostle gives an appropriate an
swer : and then lays down as a general rule, that
" whereinsoever any man was called, he should not.
think of leaving his calling, but should abide therein
with God." This rule he twice prescribes, within the
space of a few verses a: and therefore we may well
regard it as deserving the most attentive consideration.
For the elucidation of the whole subject, I shall
endeavour to mark,
I. The feelings which the Gospel is apt, under pecu
liar circumstances, to engender —
There is, as we all know, a great difference between
the states and conditions of different men —
[The Jews, for instance, were, for the space of fifteen
hundred years, distinguished above all the rest of the human
race, by the light of revelation, and by ordinances of divine
a ver. 20, 24.
1961. ]J ABIDING IN OUR CALLING. 179
appointment: and, from the apostolic age, the followers of
Christ have, in like manner, been honoured as the depositories
of the Gospel, whereby alone we are instructed how to obtain
favour with God, and secure to ourselves the possession of an
eternal inheritance. If we compare the state of Mahometans
or Pagans with that of the Christian Church, we shall see how
greatly we are favoured ; and what reason we have to adore
our God for that light which we enjoy, and of which they have
no just conception.
And as there is a difference in men with respect to religious
privileges, so also is there in relation to their civil advantages.
Some are rich, and possessed of extensive authority; whilst
others are poor, and altogether subjected to the will of their
superiors. Some enjoy the blessings of a liberal education,
whereby their knowledge is expanded and enlarged ; whilst
others are shut up in ignorance, and, by a continued necessity
for bodily labour, are precluded from all opportunity of en
riching their minds by intellectual pursuits. Some enjoy,
without labour, all that the world can give ; whilst others
are scarcely able, even by the most unwearied exertions, to
obtain what is necessary for the support of themselves and
families ; or perhaps even to get employment for their in
dustry, or to subsist at all, except by a degrading supply of
eleemosynary aid.]
Now, to the natural man, these distinctions are an
occasion of much murmuring and complaint—
[Men see that such a state of things exists; and they feel
the inconveniences arising from it : and, inasmuch as it arises,
for the most part, neither from any exalted merit in the higher
classes, nor any peculiar demerit in the lower, they view it with
an envious eye and a repining heart. They do not understand
what necessity there is for such a state of things, nor how con
nected it is, for the most part, with civilization and the liberal
arts. They are not aware, that if the whole system were sub
verted, and all men were reduced to perfect equality, the same
inequality would soon arise, and greater evils ensue than those
which had been already experienced. The disparity alone is
felt; and no wonder if, in an inconsiderate mind, it create a
measure of uneasiness and discontent.]
For a season, even the Gospel itself, instead of
removing this feeling, is calculated rather to engender
it-
[Doubtless, in itself, the Gospel is fitted only to reconcile
the mind to every dispensation of providence : but, till it has
gained a due ascendant over us, it may, through the corruption
of our nature, operate rather as affording an additional ground
180 I CORINTHIANS, VI J. J>4. [1961.
tor discontent: lor it brings eternity to view : and a person,
once beginning to feel the value of his soul and the importance
of eternity, contemplates with more than common interest the
advantages which men of learning and of leisure have, for the
acquisition of knowledge, and the advancement of their eternal
interests. A bond-slave, for instance, whose every hour is
devoted to some laborious task, and to whom the very means
of grace are denied by a cruel master, what prospect, it may be
said, has he of attaining salvation, in comparison of one whose
wealth and independence place within his reach every assistance
that he can stand in need of? Can we wonder if a person so
circumstanced murmur and repine at his hard lot? Such, no
doubt, was the state of many, both of wives and servants,
whom the Apostle speaks of in the preceding context. And
hence arose the necessity for the encouragement which he
affords the bond-slave, saying, " If thou art called, being a
servant, care not for it :" and for the direction which, with an
emphatical repetition, he gives to all ; " Whereinsoever any
man is called, let him therein abide with God."]
A juster view of the Gospel, therefore, will lead us
to contemplate,
II. The conduct which it ought rather to inspire—
A relinquishment of our calling is not that which
the Gospel recommends. A continuance in it is
rather enjoined, whether to those who are unhappily
yoked to an unbelieving partner, or to those who are
subjected even to the most oppressive bondage : for
though it admits, that liberty, if tendered, is rather to
be preferred, it still requires that no unlawful effort
be made to obtain it. In whatever state a man be
called to the knowledge of the truth, he should abide
therein with God ; that is,
1. In submission to his will—
[Every state should be regarded as appointed us of God.
Whatever be the means which are instrumental to the fixing
of our lot, still it must be considered as disposed altogether by
Him who " doeth all things after the counsel of his own will."
There was not a tribe, no, nor an individual, in all Israel,
whose inheritance was not appointed of the Lord. And so it
is in every age, and every place. Now, we know that God
orders every thing with perfect wisdom : and, whether we see
the reasons of his dispensations or not, he will shew, in due
season, that he has done all things well. He acts in reference
to mankind at large, as he has done in reference to our natural
1961.] ABIDING IN OUR CALLING. 181
body. He has given us many members ; and has endued every
member with faculties suited to its state, and proper for the
discharge of its peculiar office. All the parts have not the
powers of the eye or of the ear : but some have a higher, and
others a lower, office assigned to them, so as most to conduce
to the good of the whole. And thus it is in the body politic ;
the whole of which is benefited by a just distribution of powers
and offices assigned to the different members : nor has any
member any just occasion to complain of its situation or use,
since all are necessary to the perfection of the whole, and all
subservient to the good of the whole. The collective welfare,
rather than its own individual use, should be the ambition and
the happiness of every part.]
2. In dependence on bis grace-
fin every station we may serve the Lord. Doubtless it
is more difficult to maintain our integrity in some situations
than in others ; but yet, whatever be our trials, " the grace of
Christ is sufficient for us ;" and God has promised that we
shall have no temptation without a way to escape, or ability to
bear itb." We should, therefore, not sit down in despair, as
though our calling were such as that God could not be served
in it. If we cannot do all that we could wish in a way of
active service, we may yet bear and sustain his will : and
passive obedience is no less acceptable to him than active ;
yea, it is in some respects the more acceptable, because it is
the more difficult. A man may shut us up in prison, and pre
vent our intercourse with men : but can he intercept our flight
to heaven, or prevent the descent of God into our souls? Can
he rob us of the communications of grace and peace, which
our heavenly Father has bestowed ? No : we may laugh him
to scorn, and defy his utmost efforts. The utmost that he can
do is, to kill the body : he cannot, for a moment, touch the
soul, or obstruct its happiness. " If God be for us, who can
be against us?'' Only let God be our refuge and our hope,
and no situation under heaven can prevent us from discharging
the very offices which he has assigned us, or from drinking
deeply of the " streams which refresh and gladden the whole
city of God."]
3. In endeavours to promote his glory—
[As God may be served by all, so may he be glorified in
all. It matters not what the particular service be to which
we are called, if only we endeavour to honour him by it. The
bond-slave honours him as much by a meek submission to his
will, as the greatest potentate on earth does by the most
b 1 Cor. x. 13.
182 1 CORINTHIANS, VII. 24. [1961.
diffusive benevolence. It is not in great things only that God
is glorified : for, as he has told us, " whether we eat or drink,
to do all to his glory," we may be sure that, even in the most
common acts that can be performed, this blessed end may be
attained. Aim, then, at this : keep your eye steadily fixed on
this, under every circumstance of life : seek " that in all things
God may be glorified, through Jesus Christ :" and if this end
be attained, you need not care whether it be by action or
suffering, " by life or death."]
A QUESTION, however, of great importance here oc
curs : Are we forbidden, under any circumstances,
to change our calling ?
[I apprehend not. The Apostle's rule is general, not uni
versal. Were the rule absolutely universal, no converted
person could marry, or assume the pastoral office, or perform
many other duties, which must, without such a change, be
totally neglected. But no man should change merely on
account of the difficulties that attend his present calling. We
should guard exceedingly against fickleness of mind, and a
cowardly desertion of our post on account of the trials which
we meet with in the way of duty. Who ever sustained heavier
conflicts than the Apostle Paul ? Yet did he not account them
any reason for abandoning his apostolic office. We should
rise to the occasion, whatever the occasion be ; and be ready,
when dissuaded or discouraged, to reply, " None of these
things move me ; neither count I my life dear unto me, so that
I may but finish my course with joy." There may, however,
be occasions whereon we may be " moved by the Holy Ghost"
to give up a calling, that is purely temporal, for one that is
spiritual: yet, in reference to such calls, I confess that the
greatest jealousy over ourselves is desirable, and the utmost
watchfulness that we deceive not our own souls. That many
have taken upon themselves the ministerial office, who were
never truly called to it, I have no doubt : but that many have
relinquished other callings, and devoted themselves to this, to
the great advantage of God's Church, is certain. To lay down
rules by which every case should be determined, and every
difficulty solved, would be impracticable, because of the infinite
diversity of circumstances which must be taken into considera
tion in every different case : but, in every prospect of change,
recourse should be add to prayer, for God's special direction :
nor should we move, till we have some evidence that the pillar
of the cloud is moving before us. One thing, under all cir
cumstances, is necessary : whether we change our calling or
not, we should be careful to " abide with God." We must
walk with him ; we must go in and out before him ; we must
approve ourselves to him ; we must bear in mind the solemn
1962. J MODERATION INCULCATED. 183
account which we must shortly give to him at the judgment-
seat of Christ. Whilst we look to him in such a mind as this,
we need not fear but that he will lead us aright, and prosper
us in our ways, and conduct us in safety to his heavenly
kingdom.]
iMDCCCCLXII.
MODERATION IN THE USE OF EARTHLY THINGS INCULCATED.
1 Cor. vii. 29 — 31. This I say, brethren, the time is short : it
remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they
had none ; and they that weep, as though they wept not ; and
they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that
buy, as though they possessed not ; and they that use this
world, as not abusing it : for the fashion of this icorld passeth
away.
IT is no inconsiderable part of Christian wisdom
to distinguish clearly between things lawful, things
expedient, and things necessary : since many things
must be reduced under one or other of these heads
according to the circumstances connected with them.
The Apostle is writing upon the subject of marriage ;
and gives it as his opinion, that though at all times
lawful, and to some persons necessary, it was, at that
particular season, inexpedient for those who could
conveniently abstain from it ; because the cares ne
cessarily attendant on a married life would increase
their difficulties during the present persecuted and
afflicted state of the Church. But, while they were
all left at liberty respecting the line of conduct they
would pursue in relation to this, he solemnly warns
them, that the same abstraction from worldly cares,
and indifference to worldly pleasure, were necessary
for all who would approve themselves to God. As
his words equally concern the Church of God in all
ages, it will be proper to consider,
I. The direction given us with respect to the things
of time and sense-
It is but too obvious that men's regards to this
world are, for the most part, inordinate and ex
cessive —
184- 1 CORINTHIANS, VII. 29—31. [1962.
[If all do not set their hearts upon the same object, there
is something which every unconverted man regards with an
idolatrous attachment. Has he some prospect of attaining it?
his mind goes forth to it in warm and eager desire. Is there
reason to apprehend a disappointment respecting it? he is
kept in anxious suspense, as though all his happiness were
bound up in it. Is he brought to the possession of it ? he
congratulates himself as having reached the summit of his
wishes, and thinks he can never lend himself too much to the
enjoyment of his newly acquired comforts. Is he by any
means bereaved of his beloved idol ? what vexation of mind,
and what dissatisfaction with the dispensations of Providence
does he feel ! He is so entirely swallowed up in sorrow for
his loss, as to be insensible of all his remaining blessings.
Of course, men will differ widely as to the particular gratifi
cation which they affect: some find their delight centered in
their wife or children ; others in their wealth and honour ;
others in their ease and pleasure ; and others again in some
indulgences, which habit has rendered essential to their happi
ness : but the same love of carnal things, however diversified
as to its objects, pervades mankind of all ages and of all
descriptions.]
But we should maintain an equableness of mind un
der all circumstances, however pleasing or afflictive—
[We are not required to exercise a stoical apathy under
the various events of life; we may rejoice or weep, according
as the occurrences of the day are suited to excite the affection
of joy or sorrow. But " our moderation should be known unto
all men ;" nor should any thing of a temporal nature so occupy
our minds, as to make us forget that we have concerns of
infinitely greater importance. Have we " formed a connexion"
that promises us the highest bliss? we should so enjoy the
creature as to be ready to surrender it up again to God, when
soever he may be pleased to call for it. Are we " weeping"
for the loss of a dear relative, or on account of any other
calamity? we should not so give way to sorrow as to forget
that we have God for our friend, and heaven for our inheritance.
Has any thing of a very "joyous" nature befallen us? we
should still remember, how unsatisfying it is in its nature, how
contracted in its use, how precarious in its continuance, and
how short in its duration ; and we should regulate our joy by
such considerations as these. Have we been blessed with such
success, that we are enabled to " purchase" great possessions?
we should be watchful over our spirits, that we do not say, like
the fool in the Gospel, " Soul, thou hast much goods laid up
for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry8."
a Luke xii. 18, 19.
1962.] MODERATION INCULCATED. 185
And while we " use" our good things with thankfulness to the
Donor, we should be careful never to " abuse" them to the
purposes of pride, intemperance, and carnal ease.]
This direction derives great force and importance
from,
II. The reason with which it is enforced —
Every thing here below is transient and of short
duration—
[" Time is short :" if our days be extended to seventy or
eighty years, the whole period of our existence will appear but,
as it were, " a span long," when we come to the close of it : or,
if we compare it with eternity, it is no more than the twinkling
of an eye. Moreover, while our lives, like a sail that is in the
act of being furled, are every moment contracting, every thing
around us also is drawing to a close b. As actors on the stage
perform the part assigned them, and each succeeding scene
brings their fictitious joys or sorrows to a speedy termination,
so we make our appearance on the stage of life ; and, having
sustained the character allotted us by the Disposer of all events,
we soon bid adieu to all these transient scenes, and enter on
a state of everlasting bliss or woec. Or as men please them
selves with some empty show, that passes in procession before
their eyes, but it is scarcely come fully into view before it
begins to recede, and in a little time totally disappears; so we
scarcely behold the glare and glitter of this vain world, before
the enchanting prospect vanishes, and the phantom passes on
ward, to astonish and delude succeeding generations.]
Can there be any stronger argument for sitting
loose to the things of time and sense ? —
[Were either our joys or our sorrows permanent, there
would be some reason for having our minds deeply affected
with them : but when we know that a few months or years must
put an end to every present sensation, does it become us to be
much elated with what is pleasing, or much depressed with
what is painful? Should not the infinitely greater importance
of eternal things so engross our minds, as to render every
temporal concern comparatively trivial ? Should not the pro
spect of appearing before the judgment-seat of Christ cause us
to estimate our happiness by a far different standard, and to
consider ourselves in a blessed or miserable state, not so much
by what we enjoy or suffer in this present world, as by our
b 2u)'£flfTaXptVoc translatione e Velis sumpta — Beza.
is thought by some to convey this idea : others think it
refers rather to a passing spectacle.
186 1 CORINTHIANS, VII. 29—31. [1962.
preparation to give up our account to God, and our hope of
an approving sentence from the Judge of quick and dead?
Let then the transitoriness of earthly things moderate our
affection to them, that whether we attain and enjoy them, or
lose and want them, we may still have God as our abiding and
all-sufficient portion.]
ADDRESS—
1. The young and inexperienced —
[You are ready to imagine that some change in your cir
cumstances, to which you look forward, or perhaps which you
rather wish for than expect, would make your cup to overflow
with joy, and perfectly satisfy your most enlarged desires. But
be assured that, if you could at this moment possess all that
your heart can wish, you would be quickly constrained to
confirm the testimony of Solomon, that it is " all vanity and
vexation of spirit." Happy would it be for you if you could
be prevailed upon to purchase your experience at the expense
of others ; and not, like those who have gone before you, grasp
at a shadow till you lose the substance. Ask those who are
old and grey-headed, whether they have not found the world to
be " a vain show, wherein men disquiet themselves in vaind?"
And ask the godly in particular, whether they who fear God
have not a truer enjoyment even of this present world, thau
the votaries of gain or pleasure6?" Or rather we would say,
attend to God's expostulation, and obey his voice ; " Where
fore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your
labour for that which satisfieth not ? Hearken diligently unto
me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight
itself in fatness f."]
2. Those who have grown old in the service of the
world —
[Lamentable it is, that the very persons who have found
the insufficiency of the world to make them happy, are still as
regardless of the eternal world, as those who are just entering
on the delusive path. If age or experience have blunted the
edge of their feelings with respect to present things, they are
as insensible as ever either of pain or pleasure from spiritual
concerns : nor are they at all more stimulated to improve the
time that remains to them, than if their eternal interests were
of no value. Yea, age has often no other effect than to con
firm the errors, and rivet the prejudices, of their former years.
Inquire, brethren, whether you have profited by your expe
rience ; and whether you be now " setting your affections on
d Ps. xxxvii. 6. e 1 Tim. vi, 17. Matt. v. 5.
f Isai. Iv. -2.
1963.1 AGAINST CAREFULNESS. 187
things above, and not upon things below s?" You have
hitherto regarded the blessed Saviour, and your own immortal
soul, as though you regarded them not; and suffered your
whole heart to be occupied about the world. Now reverse
your conduct, and all will yet be well : let the greatest con
cerns of time and sense make but a light impression on your
minds ; and let an interest in Christ, and the salvation of your
soul, be regarded henceforth as the one thing needful. " Be
no longer fools, but wise, redeeming the time, because the days
are evilh :" and while the fashion of this world is passing away,
endeavour to secure an " incorruptible inheritance in heaven."]
s Col. iii. 2. h Eph. v. 15, 16.
MDCCCCLXIII.
AGAINST CAREFULNESS.
1 Cor. vii. 32. I u'ould have you without carefulness.
THERE were, as might be expected, subjects of
great difficulty and delicacy submitted, from time to
time, to the Apostle Paul, for his decision. In matters
of expediency was he consulted, no less than of duty.
Of that nature was the question which was proposed
to him from Corinth, on the subject of marriage. Of
the lawfulness of that holy ordinance there could be no
doubt, since it was instituted by God himself, even
in the time of man's innocency in Paradise. But of
the expediency of embarking in the engagements of
matrimony, under the circumstances of the Church in
that day of trial and persecution, reasonable doubts
might well be entertained. His opinion upon it there
fore was asked ; and he gave his judgment with all
the tenderness that the occasion required. " In that
season of distress a," he thought that persons of either
sex would do well to keep themselves unmarried ;
since they would be more at liberty to act, or suffer,
for the Lord, than if they were involved in the cares
and duties of a family. And as to the general ques
tion, whilst he left all to judge and act for themselves,
he thought that, where no very urgent reason existed
for engaging in the matrimonial contract, it would be
a ver. 26.
1S8 1 CORINTHIANS, VII. 32. [1963.
found more easy to serve the Lord fully in a single
state, than in a state which must necessarily he at
tended with some " distraction" and embarrassment.
Upon this particular question I have no design to
enter. But the basis upon which the Apostle framed
his decision, is alike applicable to all cases, and in all
ages: " I would have you without carefulness." Dis
missing, therefore, from our minds the subject pro
posed to him, and which, in fact, must depend
altogether upon the personal feelings and peculiar
circumstances of every distinct individual, I will pro
ceed to shew you,
I. The evil and danger of " carefulness "-
Every kind of care is not evil ; but only that care
which is attended with anxiety. And this is evil,
1. As distracting our mind—
[It is surprising how even a small matter, upon which we
set our hearts, will incapacitate us for attending to our spiritual
concerns. Some object to be attained, or some trial to be
avoided, or some difficulty to be overcome, though in itself of
very trifling moment, will so dwell upon the mind as to
indispose us for reading the word of God ; and will even so
disturb our repose by night, as to unfit us for any mental ex
ertion — - The injury which this must do to the soul is
obvious — - ]
2. As impeding our progress—
[The eastern dress is calculated to impede the movements
of him that wears it : and hence Elijah girded up his robes,
when he ran before Ahabb. To this the Apostle refers, when
he speaks of " our laying aside every weight, and the sin that
more easily besets usc." Any care operates in this way, as a
weight upon the feet, and an obstacle to our progress, even
in temporal duties, and much more in those which are of a
spiritual nature. Our blessed Lord illustrates this by another
image, taken from agriculture ; and tells us, that " the cares of
this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the good seed
that has been sown within us, and prevent it from growing up
to perfection d "- — ]
3. As tending to turn us from the path of strict
interit—
1963. J AGAINST CAREFULNESS. 189
[Whatever engages the affections strongly, will warp the
judgment, and produce a strong bias upon the mind. Duties,
which would interfere with the prosecution of our object, will
be neglected ; and measures, which may facilitate the attain
ment of it, will be adopted, without any scrupulous attention
to their exact legality. Truth, honour, probity, will be sacri
ficed, rather than the favourite object be lost. And what need
I say more, to mark the evil and danger of inordinate desire ?
To whatever it have respect, it is a root and source of evil,
which, if not corrected, will destroy the soul6.]
You will then, of course, desire to be informed,
II. How we may most effectually divest ourselves of
it-
Much might be spoken upon this subject : but two
hints only shall suffice :
1. Get a deep sense of the obligations which God
has laid on us —
[See what your God has already given you in the bless
ings of creation— in the care of his providence —
and, above all, in the wonders of redemption— -What
can you wish for more? Should not a reflection on these
things fill you with unutterable joy? What can any thing else
be in comparison of these stupendous mercies ? Verily, what
ever it be that is the object of your desire, it can be no more
than the dust upon the balance, when weighed against the
inconceivable blessings already conferred upon you ]
2. Get a lively sense of the obligations which he
has laid upon himself &]so respecting us—
[He has bound himself to us by covenant and by oath,
that " we shall want no manner of thing that is good." If
only we "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteous
ness, every earthly blessing shall be added unto us." We
have only to " make our requests known to him, and all that
we want shall be done unto usf." We have no more real
occasion for carefulness than the birds of the airg, or than the
child in the mother's arms. The clouds, the rock, the very
ravens, should supply our wants, and for forty years together,
rather than we should be destitute of any thing that is good.
Only call to mind how the Almighty God cares for you, and
you will feel no difficulty in casting your care on himh ]
APPLICATION—
e 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10. f Phil. iv. 6.
g Matt. vi. 2.5—34. ll 1 Pet. v. 7.
190 1 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 2. [1964.
[Dear brethren, I would have you all like Mary ; who,
when her sister " Martha was careful and cumbered about
many things, was intent only on the one thing needful." In
relation to the concerns of eternity, be as careful as ye will.
In reference to these things, the Apostle approves of, and
applauds, our care1 —And, if only in this matter ye will
be " as wise as the children of this world," ye shall never fail
of obtaining all that your souls can desire ]
* He uses the same word in reference to both, and no less than five
times : ver. 32—34.
MDCCCCLXIV.
PROPF.R ACCOMPANIMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE.
1 Cor. viii. 2. If any man think that he knoweth any thing, he
knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
OF all the apostolic churches, not one abounded
with such various and enormous evils as that of Co
rinth. To bring the people to a better mind was the
continual labour of the Apostle ; and a difficult task
lie found it : for, whilst some denied his authority,
others justified the very evils which he endeavoured
to correct. Hence, on different subjects, an appeal
was made to him, that he might state his sentiments
upon them fully, and lay down rules for their future
conduct.
The eating of meats offered to idols was a ground
of much contention among them. They all, to a cer
tain degree, were agreed on this, that " an idol was
nothing in the world ;" and that the circumstance of
meat having been offered to an idol could not defile
the meat itself, or render it unfit for food. But there
were some who thought, that by eating such meat
they should, in some respect, be partakers in the
idolatry of those who had offered it to their idols.
Those who saw their liberty in relation to this matter
felt proud of their superior discernment ; and, for
the purpose of displaying their superiority to such
antiquated prejudices, would actually go into the
very temples of the idols, and ait with the idolaters
1964.] FROPER ACCOMPANIMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE. 191
themselves. This, as might be well expected, gave
great offence to their weaker brethren, and proved a
stumbling-block to many ; who were induced, by this
example, to pursue the same line of conduct, whilst
yet they doubted the lawfulness of it in the sight of
God; and thus were led to the commission of damning
sin by the unhallowed boldness of their own brethren a.
The Apostle marked the precise line of distinction
which ought to be observed in this matter. The
eating of meat offered to idols was allowable ; since
neither the act, nor an abstinence from it, would
make them either better or worse in the sight of God.
But the eating of it in an idol's temple was decidedly
wrong; since it did, in fact, both sanction idolatry,
and involve them in a participation of itb. But the
eating of it at all, in the presence of one who doubted
the lawfulness of it, was wrong ; because it put a
stumbling-block in the way of a weak brother, and
tempted him to violate the dictates of his less-
enlightened conscience. The Apostle acknowledges
that the general sentiment respecting the vanity of
idols was right ; but still declares, that if any person
thought his knowledge so decisive that it needed not
to be under the regulation and controul of love, it
was a clear proof that, " as yet, he knew nothing as
he ought to know."
Now, though this subject is not of any great in
terest to Christians in general, I conceive it to be of
very great importance to Churches, where there is
any considerable profession of religion; and especially
to Churches wherein there are, as at Corinth, a
number of persons who need to have the lines of
demarcation drawn between Christian liberty and
Christian duty.
I will proceed, then, to set before you,
I. The defects usually attendant on knowledge—
We must not take the Apostle's words in too strict
a sense, as though a person must be unconscious of
any proficiency in knowledge : it is not possible for
a ver. 7—11. b I Cor. x. 18 — 22.
192 1 CORINTHIANS, VIU. 2. [1964.
one who has studied a subject thoroughly to imagine
himself as ignorant of it as he was before he turned
his attention to it, or as another person who has never
spent one hour in the contemplation of it. It is not
possible for a philosopher to suppose himself on a
level with a peasant in point of intellectual attainment.
The very idea is altogether repugnant to reason and
common sense : and, therefore, we must be careful
not to put on the Apostle's words a construction
which would involve such an absurdity as that.
But knowledge, through the corruption of our fallen
nature, is attended with many and great defects. It
is but too frequently accompanied with, yea, and too
often generates in its possessors,
1. Conceit—
[To speak of knowledge generally, would draw us too far
from our subject. It is of knowledge as connected with religion
that we are called to treat : and perhaps it is in that precise
view that its attendant evils are most fully seen. For it is not
attained by great labour, like other knowledge. There is a key
to that, which is not to be found in relation to any other branch
of knowledge whatever ; a key which will open a way to all its
richest stores, and without which its stores are inaccessible to
mortal man : and that key is a broken and contrite spirit.
Now, as this key may be in the possession of a poor unlettered
man, whilst a man of learning and research has not found it,
the poor man may have his mind enriched with stores to which
his more learned neighbour is an utter stranger: and there-
O O
fore it must not be thought strange, if, in an uncultivated
mind, it should generate somewhat of conceit. The possessor
of that key has a consciousness that " God has revealed to
him, a babe, what he has hid from the wise and prudent;"
and therefore feels himself, in that respect, superior to his less-
enlightened, though more learned, neighbour : and if he be
somewhat elated with a superiority which nothing else could
give him, we may lament it, but we cannot altogether wonder
at it. But this conceit is frequently carried beyond the objects
of mere spiritual discernment, and leads persons to think that
they have a like superiority in reference to all things connected
with religion : and here they greatly err; for the things which
come within the sphere of spiritual discernment are few; such
as, the depth of our fall, the necessity of a Saviour, the beauty
of holiness, and our entire dependence on the influences of
the Holy Spirit for the production of every good work within
us: but the things connected with these are infinite; and, for
1964.] PROPER ACCOMPANIMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE. 193
a just view of them, we must be indebted to much deep learn
ing and critical research. And it is an evil, a very great evil,
when religious people, because their eyes have been opened,
and they can say, " Whereas I was blind, I now see," imagine
that they can see what is really beyond the sphere of their
observation.]
2. Dogmatism—
[Wherever there is conceit, there will be a proportionate
degree of readiness to dictate to others. Men, conceiving
themselves to be right, will of course conclude all others to
be wrong ; and will lay down the law with as much confidence
as if they were infallible. Persons of every different communion
will do this: the Papist and the Protestant, the Churchman
and Dissenter, the various classes of Dissenters, all are alike
assured that they themselves are right, and that all who differ
from them are wrong. Nor is it only in the forms of Church
government that they will express this confidence, but also in
relation to the doctrines of our holy religion ; every one being
ready to make articles of faith for his neighbours, as well as
for himself, and to exclude from the pale of his Church all who
cannot pronounce his Shibboleth. In truth, this has been the
source of almost all the divisions that are to be found in the
Church of God. It is this species of dictation which has driven
from the Popish Church millions of holy men : and I am not
sure that the Church of England also would not have done
better, if she had left on neutral ground all which has no direct
bearing on the spiritual welfare of her communicants. The
Apostle complains of those at Corinth who insisted on points,
which, if complied with, rendered men no better, or, if
neglected, rendered them no worse. And had his spirit been
more generally prevalent amongst every denomination of Chris
tians, there would have been more real unity amongst them
than all the acts of uniformity in the world, and all the rules
of every distinct body, ever did, or could, produce.]
3. Contemptuousness —
[This is nearly allied with the former. The next step to
the believing that others are blind in comparison of ourselves,
is, to despise them for their want of just discernment. Hence
religious professors often speak of those who maintain different
sentiments from themselves, as ignorant and carnal. Witli
what contempt will a Calvinist regard an Arminian brother, as
having no insight into Divine truth; whilst an Arminian will
ascribe to his Calviriistic brother every sentiment that is de
grading to God, or discouraging to man. Those of their own
party are wise : but all others are " fools and blind." How
much of this leaven was there in the Corinthian Church ! and
VOL. xvi. o
194 1 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 2. [1964.
how much is there of it in the present day ! How many are
" fond of vain jangling, desiring to be teachers, though they
understand not what they say, nor whereof they affirm," but
doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh
envy, strife, railings, evil surmises, and perverse disputingsc !"
Whereas the one rule of conduct to a Christian should be this :
" We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak,
and not to please ourselves d." In truth, I scarcely know
whether ignorance itself be not preferable to knowledge so
absurd : for ignorance is destructive to ourselves only ; whereas
a contemptuous spirit of dictation is injurious to the whole
Church. But this I know, at all events, that " if a man think
himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth him
self6;" and that true wisdom is, to " esteem others better and
wiser than ourselves f."]
But let me turn from this painful subject, to mark,
II. The qualities with which our knowledge should
be imbued —
Knowledge is doubtless a most signal blessing, if
it be accompanied with those dispositions which will
turn it to good account. It should in every instance
be blended,
1. With humility—
[The effect of knowledge should always be, to shew us
how little we know. In every science under heaven we can
advance but a little way: after a few steps, we are wholly
out of our depth. And, if this be the case with respect to
sciences which admit of demonstration, how much more must
it be so in reference to religion, where we know nothing but
V' revelation ! Look at the philosophers of Greece and Rome,
and see how little they knew, either of God or man. The most
unlearned person who has been instructed in the knowledge
of the Gospel has juster views of God, and of man, than all
the wise men of antiquity put together. Yet what does the
most exalted Christian know, either of the one or the other?
Of God we have no positive knowledge at all : our knowledge
of him is altogether negative. We know that He is not a
material being ; and therefore we call him a Spirit : but we
know no more what a Spirit is, than we did the hour that we
were born. We assign to him certain perfections: but what
those perfections are in themselves, or how they are exercised,
we know scarcely any thing: we only know that he is not weak,
c 1 Tim. i. f>, 7. and vi. 4. d Rom. xv. 1.
c Gal. vi. 3. f Phil. ii. 3.
1964.1 PROPER ACCOMPANIMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE. 195
not unwise, not unjust, not unmerciful, and so on : but, if we
should attempt to declare what he is, we should only " darken
counsel by words without knowledge." Of man, too, how little
is known ! Self-knowledge is exceeding rare : and the person
in whom it exists in the highest degree will be the most ready
to acknowledge the truth of that observation, " The heart is
deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can
know it ?" In a word, " If any man would be truly wise, he
must become a fool, that he may be wise g."]
2. Diffidence-
[Where such a multitude of opinions prevail on all sub
jects, who is he that shall claim an exemption from error?
Who will venture to say, * All others are wrong, and I am
right ?' Doubtless there are some truths of which, in a general
view, we may be confident ; because they are revealed so
plainly in the word of God, that they cannot be misappre
hended ; and because we have the witness of them in our own
souls. But when we come to enter into particulars, we soon
find ourselves involved in difficulties that are insurmountable,
if not in absolute contradictions. Let us try this in reference
to any point whatever ; and we shall have evidence enough of
our ignorance, even in the things that we are best acquainted
with : nay, we shall find, on many occasions, reason to alter
our opinions, and, on fuller information, to adopt those which
we had before rejected. We should be careful, therefore, so
to embrace sentiments, as to hold ourselves still open to con
viction ; and so to maintain opinions, as to admit that others
may be possessed of truth as well as we.]
3. Consideration—
[There may be much knowledge, where there is but little
wisdom. Knowledge may be superficial and crude ; though,
I confess, in that state it scarcely deserves the name of know
ledge. It ought to be matured by a large and comprehensive
view of things, under all the variety of circumstances in which
they can occur : for, without such an attention to circumstances
our very knowledge may be foolishness, and our light no better
than darkness. We know that we are to observe every ordi
nance that God has enjoined : but if the calls of mercy be
heard, they must supersede even the plainest ordinance that is
of a ritual nature. In the chapter before us, as in the Epistle
to the Romans alsoh, the want of consideration was that which
was particularly blamed in those who ate the meat which had
been offered to idols. Had they done it in secret, there had
been no harm : but, when they did it in the presence of a weak
brother, they shewed a grievous want of consideration, to
e 1 Cor. iii. 18. '' Rom. xiv.
196 1 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 2. [1964.
discern the expediency or inexpediency of their conduct. It is
right to declare the Gospel without fear : but it is not right to
" cast pearls before swine." In every thing, therefore, of a
practical nature, we should so attend to every minute circum
stance of time and place, as to keep clear of offence to any,
and to " prevent our good from being evil spoken of1."]
4. Love —
[Without this, all knowledge is vain. Of what value was
the knowledge of those Corinthians, who would display it at
the expense of the souls of their own brethren, whom they led
into sin ! Many who preach the Gospel are particularly faulty
in this respect. They mind only what they are able to declare,
without ever considering what their hearers are able to receive.
A man, coming into a sick chamber, would not at once cast a
flood of light upon the eyes of the patient, when he was
scarcely able to endure the glimmering of a taper : love would
keep him from so injurious an act : and the same heavenly
principle should operate universally in the exercise of our
knowledge : we should put a veil over our faces, if men be
unable to behold the splendour of our communications ; or, in
other words, we should give " milk to babes, and strong meat
to those only who are capable of digesting it." In reference to
the point before us, St. Paul shews us the proper office of love
in these things : " If meat make my brother to offend, I will
eat no meat while the world standeth, lest I make my brother
to offend V]
In order to a due IMPROVEMENT of this subject, let us
cultivate,
1. Docility of mind-
fin this especially are we to resemble little children1.
Divine truth is manifestly beyond our comprehension ; and we
must receive it simply on the authority of God. It is in this
way that we attain even human knowledge. What does a
child know of grammar? but, from acquiescing in the instruc
tions given him, he comes to find that all those things which
once appeared to him so dark and unintelligible have a real
foundation in language itself, and that we could not communi
cate ideas upon any abstract subject without them. Much
more, therefore, must Divine knowledge be so received. We
do not comprehend any thing fully at the first: but from
receiving implicitly God's declarations, respecting our fall in
Adam, our recovery by Christ, and all the other wonders of
redeeming love, we shall at last attain an internal evidence
that things both are so, and must be so. The proper frame of
5 Rom. xiv. 16. k ver. 13. ' Matt, xviii, 3.
1964.J PROPER ACCOMPANIMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE. 197
mind for all of us is, that of the Centurion and his friends :
" Now we are all here present before God, to hear all things
that are commanded thee of God m." If we come to God " poor
and hungry, we shall be filled with good things : but if we
come rich and full, we shall surely be sent empty awayn."
" Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more
hope of a fool than of him."]
2. Moderation of sentiment —
[We must guard against running to extremes ; or so em
bracing any subject, as to be unwilling to weigh what is to be
said against it. I do not mean by this, that we should run into
scepticism, or involve ourselves in controversy ; but that we
should so hold our own sentiments, as to conceive that others
who differ from us may have a measure of truth on their side
as well as we. We should doubtless form our own opinions
on all things that come fairly before us : but we should concede
the same liberty to others ; and be as willing that others
should walk according to the dictates of their consciences, as
we of ours. Had this disposition reigned in the apostolic
Churches, how happily might those of different sentiments
have lived together! But " the weak would judge the strong;
and the strong would despise the weak0." Had each made
due allowance for the other, God had been honoured, and
peace preserved.]
3. Tenderness of deportment —
[Lovely is that rule which the Apostle has laid down, in
his Epistle to the Romans ; " Him that is weak in the faith,
receive you; but not to doubtful disputations p." How happy
would it be, if this rule were more generally observed! But
the evil is, that almost every one is ready to insist on his own
peculiarities, and to make them a ground of controversy and
division. Surely it were far better to live under the influence
of love ; and to leave matters of minor consideration to the
judgment of every individual. Doubtless, about things of
primary and vital importance, we must both maintain our
own opinions, and inculcate them on others, with a holy zeal;
according as it is written, " Ye should contend earnestly for
the faith that was once delivered to the saintsq." But even in
this we should be careful always to " speak the truth in love;"
and be studious only to " win the souls" of men, and not to
proselyte them to a party. We may " have all the knowledge
of men or angels ; but it will profit us nothing if it be not
under the influence of lover." " Knowledge may puff us up;
but it is charitv alone that edifieth5."]
m Acts x. 3:5. " Luke i. 53. ° Rom. xiv. 2, 3.
i1 Rom. xiv. 1. (i Jude, ver. 3. r 1 Cor. xiii. 1,2. 5 ver. 1.
198 1 CORINTHIANS, IX. 1(3. [1965.
MDCCCCLXV.
PREACHING THE GOSPEL.
1 Cor. ix. 16. Woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel f
RESPECTING men's call to the ministerial office,
it would be difficult to speak with any degree of cer
tainty. That of the Apostles was clear and unques
tionable : that of individuals, amongst ourselves, must
be judged of by many circumstances, known only to
the persons themselves, and but indistinctly known
even to them. But the obligation to discharge the
office with fidelity, when once it has been undertaken,
is as manifest in relation to us, as it was in reference
to St. Paul himself: a dispensation having been com
mitted to us, we may every one of us say, " Woe is
unto me, if I preach not the Gospel !"
In discoursing on these words, I will endeavour to
explain,
I. The office of ministers—
This, in one word, is to " preach the Gospel." And
here let us distinctly mark,
1. What is meant by the Gospel—
[The Gospel imports glad tidings ; and it is particularly
to be understood of the glad tidings which are brought to men
respecting a salvation provided for them, a salvation through
the blood and righteousness of our incarnate God. Such a
salvation has been effected for us by our Lord Jesus Christ,
who expiated our guilt upon the cross and now lives in
heaven to complete the work which he began on earth
and offers salvation to all who will believe in him
This is the Gospel : nor does any thing but this deserve the
name ]
2. The duty of ministers in relation to it —
[They must preach it, as God's heralds and ambassadors:
they must preach it fully, in all its parts ; freely, without any
mixture of self-righteous conceits ; and constantly, making it
the one subject of all their ministrations. If they preach the
law, it must be in order to prepare men for the reception of
the Gospel. If they preach obedience, as doubtless they must,
is must be as flowing from the united influence of faith and
1965.1 PREACHING THE GOSPEL. 11)9
love. They must speak to men nearly in the samu strain as
they would if they had received a commission to preach to
those who are already suffering the penalty due to their sins.
They should not flatter men with any conceits about their own
goodness, or the ability which they possess to deliver them
selves ; but should offer them mercy through the atonement
made for them upon the cross, and call them to accept it as
the free gift of God for Christ's sake — — ]
Supposing us to have undertaken this office, let us
notice,
II. The indispensable necessity of discharging it with
fidelity —
" Woe is unto us if we preach not this Gospel"
faithfully. For if, from any consideration whatever,
we forbear to do so, what account shall we give,
1. To God, who has committed this office to us?
[If we have neglected it, through the fear of man, or the
love of this present evil world, or through mere indolence,
what shall we say, when summoned to give an account of our
stewardship? Should we have loved any thing in comparison
of Him? or feared any besides Him? or counted any thing too
much to do for Him ? How vain will all our excuses appear
in that day !]
2. To the souls whom, by our unfaithfulness, we
have betrayed ?
[Men may now say to us, " Prophesy unto us smooth
things; prophesy deceits;" and they may be pleased with our
compliance. But when they meet us in judgment, how bitter
will be their reproaches, and how loud their complaints against
us ! The very persons whose favour we courted when
on earth, will be among the first to cry out for vengeance on
our souls.]
3. To the Saviour, whose dying love we should
have made known ?
[What shall we say, when the Saviour shall remind us of
all that he has done for the salvation of our souls? Is it thus
that we should have requited him? Did he come from heaven
for us, and die upon the cross for us, and confer on us the
honour of being his ambassadors to a ruined world ; and have
we felt no more regard for him, and his interests in the world ?
How shall we call on the rocks and mountains to cover us
from his merited indignation !]
4. To ourselves, who have trifled thus with our
own salvation ?
200 1 CORINTHIANS, IX. 16. [l<J65.
[Now any foolish excuse will satisfy us : but how will our
conduct appear in that day? Methinks our self-reproach will
be the bitterest ingredient in that cup of bitterness which we
shall have to drink for ever.]
But let us not close the subject without reflecting on
what is evidently IMPLIED in it—
1. The woe which awaits those who embrace not
the Gospel —
[If we are bound to preach it, no doubt you also are
bound to receive it with all humility of mind, and with the
gratitude which such tidings call for at your hands. You
must not think that you have discharged your duty, when you
have merely heard the word : you must receive it as the word
of God to your souls : you must embrace it, as suited to your
necessities, and sufficient for your wants. You must contem
plate it, and rely upon it, and glory in it, and get your souls
poured, as it were, into the very mould of the Gospel ; that so
it may have its perfect work upon you. This you must do :
and if you do it not, it will prove to you, " not a savour of life
unto life, but a savour of death" to your heavier condemnation.
Remember, then, your own responsibility: and, whilst you
pray for your minister, that he may be found faithful, be
exceeding urgent with God in prayer, that the word ye hear
may take effect, and prove the power of God to the salvation
of your souls.]
2. The blessedness of those who discharge their
ministry aright—
[They may meet with much opposition from an ungodly
world : but they are truly happy, in the hope that " they shall
both save themselves and those who hear them." Sweet is the
thought which a faithful minister has in looking forward to the
time of meeting his people at the judgment-seat of Christ.
The sight of many whom he shall then have to present to God
as his spiritual children, saying, " Here am I, and the children
whom thou hast given me;" and the prospect, that, to all
eternity, he shall have them as " his joy and crown of rejoicing"
before his God; say, is not this delightful? Will not this be a
rich reward for all his labours, and for all that he had suffered
in the discharge of his high office ? Yes, verily, if he had died
a thousand deaths for them, this would be an abundant re-
compence : and this blessedness assuredly awaits the laborious
minister, the faithful servant of his Goda.]
a If this were the subject of an Ordination or Visitation Sermon,
here, of course, would be the place for encouraging ministers to labour
diligently in their high and holy calling.
1966.] NATURE OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY. 201
MDCCCCLXVI.
THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY.
1 Cor. ix. 19 — 23. Though I be free from all men, yet have I
made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the
Jews ; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that
I might gain them that are under the law ; to them that are
without law, as without law, (being not without law to God,
but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are
without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might
gain the weak : I am made all things to all men, that I might
by all means save some. And this I do for the Gospel's sake,
that I might be partaker thereof with you.
IT is a favourite sentiment with some, that the
epistles of St. Paul, having been written to particular
Churches and on particular occasions, are of little
importance to us at this day. And, of all the epistles,
this before us is most open to that objection, as having
been, more than any other, written for the correction
of some existing abuses, and in answer to some spe
cific questions. But God, by whom the Apostle was
inspired, knew that, whether the same specific points
should again arise or not, the general principles by
which they were to be determined would be of use
to the Church in all ages : and accordingly we find,
that the views and sentiments which were elicited
from the Apostle on these occasions give us a deeper
insight into the Christian character than we could
otherwise have obtained. We are here instructed
not merely by general and abstract principles, but by
a practical application of those principles to circum
stances fitted for the illustration of them. And we
cannot but account it a great blessing to the Church,
that the enemies of the Gospel were permitted so to
assault the character of the Apostle, as to extort from
him a vindication of it, and thereby to obtain for the
Church in all ages a complete exposition of practical
Christianity.
The words before us open with extraordinary pre
cision the nature and extent of Christian liberty: for the
fuller explanation of which we shall distinctly mark,
20^ 1 CORINTHIANS, IX. 19—23. [1966.
I. Its proper boundaries-
Liberty cannot exist without restrictions ; for, if
unlimited, it would degenerate into licentiousness.
Besides, if every man were at liberty to act agree
ably to his own corrupt wishes without any controul,
the weaker would be a prey to their more powerful
neighbours, and would be the constant victims of
tyranny and oppression. St. Paul, though at liberty
to vary his conduct according to circumstances, was
still under a law by which his liberty was restricted :
" he was not without law to God, but under the law
to Christ." Christian liberty is a right to do or for
bear any thing,
1. Which is not evil in itself —
[What is evil in itself can be warranted by no circum
stances under heaven : " We must not do evil that good may
come," even though the good which we promise ourselves be
ever so great. We must not do it for the gratification of others.
If our dearest friends and relatives endeavour to persuade us,
we must be alike deaf to their menaces or entreaties. We must
" not love father or mother more than Christ;" yea, we must
even " hate them in comparison of Christ ;" that is, we must,
when their will comes in competition with that of Christ, act
as if we hated them., giving no more heed to them than we
would to an avowed enemy. The plain answer to be given to
all who would wish us to act contrary to any command of God,
is this ; " Whether it be right to hearken unto you more than
unto God, judge ye."
Neither must we do evil for our own advantage. If an act
be sinful, we must, like the Hebrew Youths, refuse to do it,
even though we saw the fiery furnace, already burning with
seven-fold intenseness, ready to destroy us. So likewise, if a
duty be clear, we must not be deterred from the performance
of it, even though we knew that the consequence of our per
severance must be an immediate incarceration in the den of
lions : like Daniel, we must prefer the maintenance of a good
conscience to the preservation of courtly favour, and the avoid
ance of a cruel death a. In all such circumstances we must
embrace the proffered alternative, and surrender up our lives
rather than violate a command of God.]
2. Which is not evil in its consequences—
[An act perfectly innocent in itself may, by the circum
stances in which we are placed, become no longer innocent.
3 Dan. vi. 10.
1966.J NATURE OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY. 203
If, for instance, the eating of meat offered to an idol be likely
to prove a temptation or a stumbling-block to a weak brother,
we are then no longer at liberty to eat it, notwithstanding in
itself it is a matter of perfect indifference. We are bound to
have respect to his weakness, and to abstain from a thing
which may become an occasion of sin to him : and, if we do not
abstain from it, " we sin against him," and " we sin against
ChristV
So likewise, if a thing would be injurious to ourselves, we
must not do it, even though others might be at liberty to do it.
Suppose, for instance, we know from experience, that splendid
equipage or apparel administers to, and calls forth into exercise,
the pride and vanity of our hearts ; or that a luxurious table is
apt to lead us to intemperance ; or that some particular amuse
ment operates as an incitement to covetousness, or a provo
cative to wrath ; we should deny ourselves in those particulars,
and not seek an indulgence that we have reason to fear will
become an occasion of sin. The express command of God in
all such cases is, " Make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil it
in the lusts thereof0."
Thus under a variety of circumstances is our liberty abridged,
even in things that are, under other circumstances, indifferent :
for though all things may be lawful, they may not be expedient;
and we must not so " be brought under the power of any" as
not to be able to forego them, if the welfare either of ourselves
or others demands the sacrifice d.]
Such, we apprehend, are the limits beyond which
Christian liberty has no existence. But within these
limits there is abundant scope for,
II. Its legitimate operations —
In all that we do, we should keep in view the best
interests of mankind —
[Whatever Paul did, or whatever he forebore, his one
object was to promote the salvation of his fellow-men. This
he tells us six times in the short space of four verses : and in
another place he tells us, that he had the same object in view
in all that he suffered : " We endure all things for the elect's
sake, that they may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus
with eternal glory6." Such must be our object also in all that
we do. We must not be seeking merely to please men ; for " if
we please men, we cannot be the servants of Jesus Christ:" in
as far as we seek to " please them, it must be solely for their
good to edification f." To remove their prejudices, to conciliate
b 1 Cor. viii. 8 — 12. c Rom. xiii. 14. d 1 Cor. vi. 12.
« 2 Tim. ii. 10. f Rom. xv. 2.
204 1 CORINTHIANS, IX. 19— 28. [i960.
their regards, to " choose out acceptable words," to accommo
date ourselves to their apprehensions, are all legitimate methods
of gaining a more easy access to their minds, in order that we
may ultimately " win their souls :" and, as we administer milk
or meat to persons according to their capacity to profit by it,
with a view to the sustenance of their bodies, so we may do
for the benefit of their souls : and, if only we keep this end in
view, we shall in all that we do " be approved and accepted
both of God and manB."]
For this end our liberty may be used without re
serve —
[It is delightful to see how free and unembarrassed the
Apostle was in all his intercourse with mankind, and how
studiously he adapted himself to all their varied prejudices or
necessities. Was he with a Jew ; — he submitted freely to the
yoke which Moses had imposed, though he well knew that
the Gospel had freed him from it. On the other hand, was
he with Gentiles who had never been subjected to the law of
Moses ;— he readily conformed himself to their habits. If he
was with one that was weak in faith, he cheerfully bore with
all his weaknesses and infirmities, and acted, as he would have
done, if his own mind had been under the influence of the
same doubts and fears as agitated the mind of his weaker
brother. In a word, " he became all things to all men."
Now this is the very course which we should pursue : we
should seek the welfare of our brethren precisely as he did,
namely, in a way of self-denying restraint, and in a way of con
descending compliance.
We should seek it in a way of self-denying restraint. Not
again to recur to the mention of eating meats offered to idols,
which " the Apostle would not do as long as the world should
stand, if it should make his brother to offend'1;" we may see
in the chapter before us how determinately he refused to
accept the support to which both by the laws of God and man
he was justly entitled1. Such concessions are most lovely;
and would be productive of incalculable good in the Church
of God. In a family, for instance, the governing part of it is
not willing that all which an inferior member of it may think
conducive to his benefit shall be allowed to him : it would
become the inferior to evince a self-denying spirit, and cheer
fully to concede a part of his privileges, that he may not irritate
and embitter the minds of his superiors. It may be asked,
perhaps, " What, am I to sacrifice any thing which I think
profitable to my soul ?" I answer, Yes : and God would repay
you lor so doing, provided you did it purely from a tender
« Rom. xiv. 18. '" 1 Cor. viii. 13. ' vcr. 12, 15.
1966.1 NATURE OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY. 205
concern for the welfare of your superior : the very self-denial,
which such an act would call forth, would itself be a more
substantial benefit to the soul, than all the gratification which
would have followed from self-indulgence: and St. Paul him
self has set us an example of this conduct : " I," says he,
" please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but
the profit of many, that they may be saved k."
We should further seek it in a way of condescending com
pliance. Paul, in order to meet the prejudices of the Jews, and
to gain the easier access to their minds, circumcised Timothy :
and with the same view he submitted to the tedious rites and
ceremonies which attended the performance of the Nazarite's
vow1. A.nd if we were more willing to meet the wishes of
those who are prejudiced against the truth, we might greatly
allay their hostility, and often win their souls. There is in
many young Christians an unreasonable stiffness in relation
to matters of pure indifference ; and they will often plead
conscience for their non-compliance, when it proceeds solely
from a want of compassion for the ignorance of others, and
of due concern for their souls. They will please themselves,
however much their enemies be offended, when by kindness
and condescension they might have operated a favourable
change upon their minds.
Well do we know, that these principles may be easily per
verted ; and that it will often be extremely difficult to know
how far, and in what manner, they are to be called forth into
action. Nevertheless, the principles themselves are good, and
indispensably necessary to be embraced and cultivated by all
who would adorn the Gospel of Christ : and, if only we look
well to the motive by which we are actuated, we shall not be
likely to err very materially in the application of them. The
main point to guard against is, the doing any thing which is in
itself sinful, or any thing, the lawfulness of which we ourselves
doubt: for we ought certainly to be fully persuaded in our
minds, that the restraint which we impose on ourselves, or the
concession which we make, be not contrary to any express
command of God. Where the concession which others re
quire at our hands is forbidden of God, there the rule must
be observed ; " We must obey God rather than man."]
From the whole view of this subject, we cannot but
REMARK,
1. Of what infinite importance is the salvation of
the soul !
[Whence was it that the Apostle laboured so indefatigably
k 1 Cor. x. 33. l Acts xxi. 26.
20fi 1 CORINTHIANS, IX. 19—23. [1966.
in every possible way to save the souls of men ? Whence was
it that he even " wished himself accursed from Christ, or after
the example of Christ, for his brethren's sake?" Did it not
proceed from a conviction, that the souls of men were of infinite
value, and that, if he could but " by any means save some," he
would be richly repaid? But think of all that Christ did and
suffered — — and then say, whether your souls are not of
more value than ten thousand worlds ; and whether any labour,
any self-denial, any sacrifice can be too great for the advance
ment of their eternal welfare?
2. How exalted is the morality which we are called
to practise, if ever we would attain salvation !
[Doubtless it is through Christ alone, even through his
blood and righteousness, that we must find acceptance with
(rod : but we must serve Christ as well as believe in him. He
has indeed fulfilled the law for us ; but he has not therefore
dispensed with its requirements : on the contrary, " we are
under the law to Christ ;" and are to fulfil his will precisely as
the Apostle Paul did ; having our hearts filled with zeal for
his glory, and with love to the souls of men. We quite mis
take, if we imagine, that Christian morality consists in a mere
abstinence from outward sins, or a compliance with outward
observances : the heart must be given up to God, and the
whole soul be engaged in seeking his glory. It is well known,
that by nature we are altogether selfish, and desirous that
every thing should bend to our will, and every person should
consult it : but grace teaches us to have our own will mortified
and subdued ; and " to live no longer to ourselves, but alto
gether to our God." O brethren, aim at this: be satisfied
with nothing short of this : and be aspiring after this blessed
attainment daily, and with your whole hearts : for it is in this
way only that you can " be partakers of the Gospel," and of
the inheritance of the saints in light111. It is by this that you
will approve yourselves " followers of Paul, as he was of
Christ."]
3. How greatly do we need to be guided and
strengthened by the Holy Spirit !
[Who is sufficient for these things ? These attainments
are high and difficult ; and the very way to them is dark and
slippery. It is easy to think ourselves upright in our inten
tions, when we are in reality actuated by a desire of man's
applause, or a fear of his displeasure. It is easy also to fancy
that we are sacrificing our own wishes for the good of others,
when we are only gratifying our own earthly and carnal
1967.] .DIRECTIONS FOR RUNNING OUR RACE. 207
desires. In these things none but God can keep us from
error ; none but God can " perfect that which concerneth us."
Pray then, that the Holy Spirit may guide you into all truth.
Pray, that He, who upheld the Saviour in all his arduous
work, may " form in you the mind that was in Christ Jesus."
Thus you may hope to be preserved blameless amidst all the
difficulties with which you are encompassed, and to win by
your conversation many, who would never have been won by
the word alone.]
MDCCCCLXVII.
DIRECTIONS FOR RUNNING OUR RACE.
1 Cor. ix. 24. So run, that ye may obtain.
THERE is not anything around us from which we
may not draw some hints for our spiritual instruction.
The habits and customs of the world, if duly im
proved, will afford us many valuable lessons. A
reference to these is peculiarly useful when we wish
to convey instruction to others ; because it strikes
the imagination more forcibly, and carries stronger
conviction to the judgment. St. Paul, in writing to
the Corinthians, availed himself of the Isthmian games
which were celebrated there, to illustrate their duty
with respect to their souls. Amongst other sports,
that of the foot-race was held in high estimation ;
and great preparations were made by those who en
gaged in them, in order to qualify them for their
extraordinary exertions. In reference to these the
Apostle speaks of himself as running in this race ;
and proposes himself to the Corinthians as a pattern
for their imitation, if they were desirous to win the
prize.
We shall consider,
I. The direction here given —
The words of the text are not a mere exhortation
to run our race, but a special direction respecting the
manner in which we are to run it*. We should be,
like the Apostle,
a ovrw refers to the manner in which the Apostle ran ; and tva to
the end for which such exertion was necessary. To enter into the full
208 1 CORINTHIANS, IX. 24-. [1967.
1 . Disentangled from worldly cares—
[St. Paul, as he tells us in the foregoing context, had
equal liberty with others to marry, and to take a wife with
him in his jonrnies. But he knew that such a step would
involve him in many cares, and impede his exertions in the
cause of Christ. He therefore lived in celibacy himself, and
recommended it to others, both men and women, especially
during those seasons of persecution, when they were liable
every day and hour to be called to lay down their lives for the
Gospel's sakeb. Now, though there is not any necessity for us
to imitate him in this individual act, yet we must admit the
principle in its fullest extent, and live under its influence con
tinually. We must study to be "without carefulness0." We
must endeavour to " serve the Lord as much as possible with
out distraction"1." We must " not entangle ourselves more
than is necessary with the affairs of this life6," or multiply our
cares in such a way as to rob our souls of the attention due to
them. To do this would be as absurd as to " load our feet
with thick clayf," when we were about to run a race. On the
contrary, we should endeavour to " lay aside every weight8,"
conscious that cares of every kind impede our progress in the
divine life, and, if suffered to increase, will endanger our ulti
mate success11.]
2. Divested of selfish principles—
[Never was a selfish spirit more subdued and mortified,
than in the Apostle Paul. Instead of claiming from the Co
rinthian Church that support, which God himself had assigned
to every minister of the Gospel, he endured numberless wants
and hardships, in order to set an example of disinterestedness
to others1. And, when he himself was perfectly acquainted
with the extent of Christian liberty, he " made himself the
servant of all," becoming all things to all men, that by all
means he might save somek. Thus did he forego what he
might have justly claimed, and consent, as it were, to pay,
what none had any right to demand : he willingly sacrificed
both his pecuniary i-ights, yea, and his Christian liberty too (as
far as conscientiously he could) for the benefit of immortal
souls.
meaning of the text, the whole chapter should be borne in mind : and
in that view it will unfold to us a subject of no ordinary importance.
This should be distinctly marked in all the passages that are referred
to in tins chapter.
h ver. 5. with 1 Cor. vii. 1, 7, 8, 26, 27. c 1 Cor. vii. 32.
11 1 Cor. vii. 35. « 2 Tim. ii. 4. f Hab. ii. 6.
B Heb. xii. 1. '> Matt. xiii. 22. * ver. 12 — 15.
k ver. 19—22.
1967.] DIRECTIONS FOR RUNNING OUR RACE. 209
Such is the way in tvhich we are to run. But O, how many
professors of religion have been retarded (yea, and have cast
stumbling-blocks also in the way of others) by a rigorous
exaction of their dues, or by an unwillingness to sacrifice their
worldly interests ! How many also have been kept from
making a progress themselves, and from helping forward their
fellow-sinners, by an unyielding zeal for Christian liberty on
the one hand, or a bigoted attachment to human forms on the
other ! Happy would it be for every individual in the Church
of Christ, if a desire of advancement in the Divine life disposed
them to " look, not on their own things only, but also on the
things of others1 ;" and " to seek the welfare of others not
only in conjunction with, but (to a certain degree) in prefer
ence to, their ownm."]
3. Determined, if possible, to win the prize—
[They who proposed to contend in the race, maintained,
for a long time before, the strictest temperance n, and habi
tuated themselves to the most laborious exertions. In reference
to them, St. Paul tells us how careful he was to keep under
his body, and to bring it into subjection, in order that he might
be the fitter to run the Christian race0. Thus must we be
trained both in body and mind, in order that we may run well
and " endure unto the end." We must accustom ourselves
to labour and self-denial, mortifying every corrupt affection,
and " giving all diligence to make our calling and election
surep" — ]
Let us next turn our attention to,
II. The argument with which it is enforced—
The Apostle's expression is concise : but there is
much IMPLIED in it :
1. We cannot win the race without running in this
manner —
[However persons strove for the mastery in the games,
they were not crowned, unless they strove according to the
laws prescribed themq. Thus, however earnest we may be in
running for heaven, we never can gain the prize, unless we
conform to the rules that have been laid down. This is the
course that we are to run over. It abounds indeed with
rough places, and steep ascents : but we must not deviate
from it. We may easily find a smoother path ; but we must
run in that which is marked out for us, and abide in it to the
end
1 Phil. ii. 4. m 1 Cor. x. 24. n ver. 25.
0 ver. 27. P 2 Pet. i. 10. <? 2 Tim. ii. 5.
VOL. xvi. v
1 CORINTHIANS, IX. 24. [1967.
Let us then inquire, whether we be treading in the Apostle's
steps — — And let the fear of coming short at last, stimu
late us to unremitting exertions1— ]
2. If we run in this manner, we are sure of winning
the race—
[Of those who contended in the race, one only could win
the prize8 : but it is not so in the race that we run : every one
that enters the lists, and exerts himself according to the direc
tions given him, must succeed. None have any reason to
despond on account of their own weakness ; on the contrary,
those who are the weakest in their own apprehension, are most
certain of success — — Only let us not be satisfied with
" running well for a season ;" but let us " hold on our way,"
till we reach the goal1. Then we need not fear but that we
shall " finish our course with joy, and obtain a crown of righte
ousness, from the hands of our righteous Judge11 " ]
3. The prize, when obtained, will amply compen
sate for all our labour—
[Poor and worthless as the prize was to him that won the
race, the hope of obtaining it stimulated many to contend for
it. How much more then should the prize held forth to us,
together with the certainty of obtaining it, call forth our exer
tions ! Compare our prize with theirs in respect of honour,
value and duration ; how infinitely superior is it in every
view! Theirs was but the breath of man's applause; ours is
honour coming from God himself. Theirs was a green chaplet,
that withered in an hour ; ouxs is an incorruptible, undefiled,
and never-fading inheritance in heavenx — ]
Let every one that is engaged in the race, survey the prize.
Let him at the same time contemplate the consequence of
coming short, (not a transient disappointment, or loss of some
desirable object, but everlasting misery in hell,) and the labour
necessary to attain it will appear as nothing. None that have
succeeded, norw regret the pains they took to accomplish that
great object : though thousands that have refused to run, now
curse their folly with fruitless remorse Let not any
then relax their speed : but all attend to the directions given ;
and " so run, that they may obtain the prize."]
1 ver. 27. s ver. 24. l Phil. iii. 13, 14.
u Col. iii. 23, 24. and 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. * ver. 25.
1968.] PAUL'S MANNER OF SEEKING HEAVEN. 211
MDCCCCLXVIII.
THE MANNER IN WHICH ST. PAUL SOUGHT FOR HEAVEN.
1 Cor. ix. 26, 27. / therefore so run, not as uncertainly ; so
fight I, not as one that beateth the air : but I keep under my
body, and bring it into subjection ; lest that by any means,
when I have preached to others, I my self should be a cast-away.
THE Scripture teaches us no less by examples
than by precepts. Doubless the great exemplar,
which all are to follow, is the Lord Jesus Christ, in
whom there was no sin at all. But, next to him, the
Apostles deserve our regard. St. Paul frequently
exhorts us to be imitators of him : but he always
limits that counsel by the superior regard which we
owe to Christ ; and bids us to follow him, so far only
as he followed Christ. In this view he introduces
the passage which we have just read. He has been
recommending to the Corinthians a holy self-denying
conduct. To enforce his exhortation, he states to
them how he acted under a variety of difficult cir
cumstances : and lastly, in reference to the Isthmian
Games which were celebrated in that city, he gives
them, in the words before us, a very animated view
of his own experience, which he proposes to them for
their imitation.
We may notice in these words,
I. The manner in which the Apostle exerted himself—
It is scarcely necessary to say, that heaven was the
prize for which he contended. For this he laboured,
1. With careful attention8—
[As the course was precisely marked out for those who ran
in the race, so there were certain rules prescribed in every one
of the games ; in allusion to which St. Paul elsewhere says,
a The precise sense of the text cannot easily be determined.
'ilc OVK cteSf/Xwe may mean, " Not without distinguishing himself ;" and
we cine alpa linwv may mean, " Not as one that misses his blow."
The Author has given what he apprehends to be a just sense, with
out taking upon him to determine between the opinions of contending
commentators. See Doddridge (on the place), who throws a beau-
tifnl light on the last clause of the text.
P !•
212 1 CORINTHIANS, IX. 26, 27. [1968.
" If a man strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except
he strive lawfully b." Now in running the Christian race, there
are rules indispensably necessary to be observed, if we would
have the prize adjudged to us. One rule in particular we
mention, because it is expressly specified by the Apostle, and
because it virtually includes all others: it is, that we must
" look unto Jesus," as the pattern for our imitation, as the
source of our strength, as the medium of our acceptance, " as
the Author and the Finisher of our faith c." Now the Apostle
did not run as a person regardless of the rules, but as one who
was determined in all things to observe them.
For want of this care, many who appear desirous of getting
to heaven, fall short of it at last : they are not sufficiently in
structed, especially in relation to the rule that has been speci
fied : they are apt to satisfy themselves with rules of their own
devising ; and on this account they are found at last to have
" spent their strength for nought."]
2. With ardent zeal—
[A person who should be brandishing, as it were, his
arms, and should " beat the air" in a way of sportive exercise,
would be very unlike to one who was engaged in actual combat.
Such a difference exists between those who merely profess to
engage with their spiritual enemies, and those who are really
" warring a good warfare:" nor is this difference less visible in
the Christian world, than it would have been on the stage
where such spectacles were exhibited. Now the Apostle was
not a mere pretender to religion: he saw too much of the
importance of eternal things to waste his time in empty pro
fessions : he knew that, if he did not vanquish his enemies, his
enemies would destroy him ; and therefore he strove to " fight
a good fight," and to " quit himself like a man," who would
rather die than yield.]
3. With absolute self-denial —
[Those who intended to engage in the different games,
used much self-denial in the whole of their diet and mode of
living, in order that they might bev the better able to endure
the fatigues and hardships which they must inevitably expe
rience in the contest : and, when they came to the trial, they
put forth all their strength, that they might gain the victory.
The enemies with which the Apostle contended, were nume
rous and mighty. Those which he particularly refers to in the
text, were, his own indwelling corruptions. He found that,
in common with all others, he had " lusts warring in his
members," yea, " warring against his soul." To subdue these,
b 2 Tim. ii. 5. c Heb. xii. 1, 2.
1968.] PAUL'S MANNER OF SEEKING HEAVEN. 213
it was necessary that he should put forth all his strength. He
had already gained a great advantage over them, as a man who
had got his antagonist's head under his arm, and was beating
him in the face with all his might d. He would not give them
any liberty to regain their former ascendancy, but was deter
mined to subdue them utterly.]
We shall easily account for these exertions, when
we call to mind,
II. The considerations by which he was actuated —
It is painful to see how persons, who are enslaved
by human systems, will wrest the Scriptures, to make
them coincide with their own views. Did the Apostle
mean to say, that he exerted himself thus, merely
lest he should by any means be betrayed into some
fault, which should cause him to be disapproved of
men ? Had he not respect to God also, and to his
eternal state ? No man living, whose judgment was
not warped by a predilection for a system of his own,
could doubt one moment but that the Apostle was
actuated by two considerations ;
1. A hope of gaining the prize —
[This is manifestly implied in his words: and such a
hope is the main spring of activity to every Christian that is
under heaven. The Apostle well knew, how infinitely an
unfading crown of glory surpasses the perishable chaplets that
were awarded to the victors in the different games. He could
not endure the idea, that others should take so much pains to
obtain a corruptible crown, which yet only one would win ; and
that he himself should be remiss in seeking an incorruptible
crown, which all who contended eai'nestly for it must obtain.
The securing of this he felt to be the one thing needful; and
therefore he determined to make it the one object of his
ambition.]
2. A fear of losing it—
[The person who executed the office of herald in the
different games, introduced others, and encouraged them to
the contest, but did not contend himself. But the Christian
herald, who stirs up and encourages others to engage in the
race or combat, must himself both run and fight : and, if he
do not engage with his whole heart, however he may have
animated others, he himself will not be deemed worthy of the
d This seems to be implied in wjr<i»7ri«£w /<ov ro uwfta.
•>14 1 CORINTHIANS, IX. 26,27. [1968.
prize. Now the Apostle felt that the same exertions were
necessary for him as for all others: and that peculiar guilt
and shame would attach to him. it" he, after having preached
successfully to others, should at last fail of success himself.
On this account therefore he laboured to li destroy the whole
bodv of sin." He was conscious that the smallest advantage
rjained bv his boclilv appetites might be attended with the
most fatal consequences ; and therefore he strove to " mortify
his earthly members," and to " crucify his flesh with its affec
tions and lusts."]
ADDRESS—
1. Those who are satisfied with the name and pro
fession of Christianity—
[Were such a life as yours sufficient to obtain the prize,
there were no propriety in such figures as the Apostle has
used in the text. Be assured, that, if St. Paul found such
exertions necessary for himself, they are no less so for you :
and, that if he could not get to heaven without them, much
less can you.]
2. Those who have relaxed their exertions —
[It is not the beginning well, but the enduring to the
end, that will avail to the saving of the soul. Some indeed
will say. "Once a child of God, and always so:'' but God
warns you, that if any man turn back, his soul shall have no
pleasure in him. It is only by a patient continuance in well
doing that you can obtain the glory and honour and immor
tality which you profess to seek for. The labour that has
been bestowed upon you is all in vain, if you do not maintain
your steadfastness even to the end. " Be not weary there
fore in well-doing ; for in due season you shall reap, if you
faint not."]
3. Those who are discouraged through apprehen
sions of failure —
[Well might all be discouraged, if success depended on
our own strength. But " God has laid help upon One that is
mighty :" and it is our privilege to be " strong in the Lord
and in the power of his might." However weak therefore
you yourselves are, and however powerful your enemies, you
have no reason to despond, since, " through the strength of
Christ you can do all things."]
1. Those who are "contending earnestly for the
faith" and practice of the Gospel —
[You know not indeed the precise measure of your
course : but it is pleasing to reflect, that it may very soon be
1969.] THE MANNA AND ROCK TYPES OF CHRIST. 215
terminated, and that the prize shall be adjudged, not to the
one who surpasses all others, but to all who " run their race
with patience." Methinks, the Saviour, the Judge of all, is
holding forth the prize to you ; and the whole host of heaven
are witnesses of your exertions. Consider the countless mul
titudes that are already crowned, and that have bid an ever
lasting adieu to all the dangers of warfare, and the fatigues of
running. Soon your hour also shall arrive : only, whenever it
may arrive, let it find you exerting yourselves with all your
might ; that you may be able to say with your dying breath,
" I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
shall give me ; and not unto me only, but unto all them also
that love his appearing."]
MDCCCCLXIX.
THE MANNA AND ROCK TYPES OF CHRIST.
1 Cor. x. 3, 4. They did all eat the same spiritual meat ; and
did all drink the same spiritual drink : for they drank of that
spiritual rock that followed them : and that rock tvas Christ.
THOUGH it is certain that the covenant of grace
is ordered in all things and sure, and that God will
fulfil his promises to all who believe, yet there is no
man so absolutely assured of his own interest in the
Divine favour, as that he can with safety cast off all
watchfulness and circumspection. The Corinthians,
by going to the utmost verge of their Christian liberty
in eating things offered to idols, were in danger of
being drawn back into actual idolatry. The Apostle
recommends to them therefore to exercise self-denial,
as well for their own sake, that they might not be
ensnared, as for the sake of others, whose weak con
sciences might be wrounded. He tells them that he
himself felt the necessity of mortifying all his appe
tites, and that he was obliged to " keep his body
under, and to bring it into subjection, lest by any
means, after having preached to others, he himself
should be a cast-away." He then proceeds to remind
them of the Israelites, who, notwithstanding the
numberless privileges that they enjoyed, as God's
216 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 3, 4, [1969.
peculiar people, perished in the wilderness for their
manifold provocations. Among the privileges which
he specifies, we shall fix our attention upon that
referred' to in the text ; and shall take occasion from
it to inquire,
I. What was that spiritual food which the Israelites
partook of in the wilderness ?
God, having brought his people into the wilderness,
sustained them there with miraculous supplies of
bread and water—
[About six weeks after their departure out of Egypt3,
their provisions were spent, and they began to be in want of
bread. God therefore promised them a constant supply from
day to day: forbidding them to reserve any for the morrow,
except on the day preceding the sabbath, when they were to
gather sufficient for two days' consumption. This food (which
for want of any more appropriate name they called manna,
i. e. a portion) descended from the clouds every night ; and,
when the dew that covered it was exhaled by the sun, it
appeared on the face of the ground : it was a very small white
thing like coriander seed, which they ground in their mills,
and baked ; and, in taste, it was like wafers made of fresh oil
and honey b. Of this there was a constant and regular supply
for forty years ; nor did it ever fail, till their want of it was
superseded by the corn, of which they got possession in the
land of Canaan. In like manner, water was given them out of
a rock in Horeb, by a stroke of that rod, with which Moses
had divided the Red Seac: and it was made to follow them in
all their encampments for about thirty-eight years; when, for
their further trial, the stream was dried up, and a similar
miracle was wrought for them again in Kadesh-barnead.]
This food, though carnal in its nature and use, was
truly " spiritual ;" inasmuch as it was,
1 . A typical representation of Christ—
[Our Lord himself copiously declares this with respect to
the manna : He draws a parallel between the bread which Moses
gave to the Israelites, and himself as the true bread that was
given them from heaven ; and shews that, as the manna sup
ported the natural life of that nation for a time, so he would
give spiritual and eternal life to the whole believing world".
a Exod. xvi. 1. t> Exod. xvi. 13—31. with Numb. xi. 8.
c Exod xvii. 5, 6. (1 Numb. xx. 8 — 11.
• John vi. 48 — r>8.
1969.]] THE MANNA AND ROCK TYPES OF CHRIST. 217
The same truth he also establishes, in reference to the water
that proceeded from the rock. He told the Samaritan woman,
that if she would have asked of him he would have given her
living waterf. And on another occasion he stood in the place
of public concourse, and cried, " If any man thirst, let him
come unto me and drink &;" thereby declaring himself to be the
only " well of salvation," the only rock from whence the living
water could proceed. Indeed, the Apostle, in the very words
of the text, puts this matter beyond a doubt ; " they drank of
that spiritual Rock that followed them ;" and " that Rock was
Christ:']
2. A sacramental pledge of his blessings—
[Under the Gospel dispensation there are two sacra
ments, baptism and the Lord's supper : and these are not only
" outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace,"
but they are also " means whereby we receive that grace, and
a pledge to assure us thereof." Thus when the Israelites were
" baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea," they were
consecrated unto God; and they received, as it were, an
earnest from him, that all the blessings of his covenant should
in due time be imparted to them, unless they, by their viola
tion of the covenant, should provoke him to withhold them.
In the same manner the bread and water miraculously given
and continued to them, were a pledge, that they should one
day " eat of the hidden manna," and " drink of the rivers of
pleasure which are at his right hand for evermore," provided
they continued steadfast in the covenant, and walked worthy of
their heavenly calling. Thus while their daily food typically
represented, and, to those who partook of it in faith, really
conveyed, spiritual blessings, it was " an earnest to them of
that Spirit," whom the water typified, and " an earnest of that
inheritance," which Christ should purchase for them by his
obedience unto death h.]
And that this food was not peculiar to them may be
shewn by considering,
II. In what respects it was the same with that which
we now partake of —
When the Apostle says, that they all eat the same
spiritual meat, he does not mean that all the Israelites
subsisted on the same food (for that was obvious
enough, and was of no consequence to his subject)
but that their spiritual food, represented by the manna
f John iv. 10—14. « John vii. 37, 38.
h 2 Cor. i. 22. Eph. i. 14.
218 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 3, 4. [1969.
and the water, was the same that still nourishes the
Church of God. To elucidate this we may observe,
it was the same,
1. In its nature and substance —
[As their bodies could not have maintained their vigour
without the daily use of bread and water, so neither could
their souls flourish, unless they daily fed upon Christ, the
living bread, and received from him renewed communications of
his Spirit. And are there any other means of subsistence for
our souls? Has not our Lord expressly told us, that " except
we eat his flesh and drink his blood, we have no life in us ? "
Has not St. Paul also assured us, that none can belong to
Christ unless they be partakers of his Spirit'? We are as
destitute of strength in ourselves as the Israelites were ; and
need the same direction, support, and succour. If any man
could be sufficient of himself, surely the great Apostle of the
Gentiles was: but he corrects himself instantly when he
appeared to have suggested an idea that was capable of that
interpretation ; " I live," says he, " yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me ; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the
i'aith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for
mek." This is precisely what the believers in the wilderness
did, when they subsisted on their spiritual food; and it is what
every believer must do as long as the world shall stand.]
2. In its use and tendency —
[The daily supply of manna, and of the water from the
rock, continually reminded them of their dependence upon
God, and encouraged them to serve him with a willing mind.
But the conveyance of spiritual blessings to them under these
symbols would go further still, and actually produce the dis
positions, which the outward blessings could only tacitly
recommend. And what are the dispositions which the eating
of the bread of life, and the drinking of the living water uni
formly create? Do they not lead us to a dependence on God's
care, and a devotedness to his service ? The very end for
which our Saviour died, was, that they who live should not
henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for
them : no doubt therefore his love, when shed abroad in the
heart, will incline us to do this1; and his grace communicated
to the soul, will enable us to do it.]
We may LEARN from hence,
1. In what spirit we should attend the ordinances
of the Gospel —
' Rom. viii. 9. k Gal. ii. L'O. ' 2 Cor. v. 14, 15.
1969.] TIIE MANNA AND ROCK TYPES OF CHRIST. 219
[The Israelites were left to feel their need of food before
the miraculous supplies were given them : and with what
avidity would they gather up the new created bread ! with
what insatiable appetite would they bow down to drink of the
flowing stream ! Such is the spirit with which we should
approach the ordinances of our God. In them the manna is
rained round about our tents: in them the rock is struck,
and the waters of salvation flow around us : and if we come
hungering and thirsting, we shall never be sent empty away.
Let none then consider the ordinances as mere occasions for
gratifying their curiosity, but as the place where spiritual food
is set before them for the support and comfort of their souls.
The Israelites would ask but one question ; Is this provision
suited to my necessities ? So neither should we concern our
selves much about the manner in which the ordinances are
dispensed, but rather go, that we may receive Christ in them,
and have more abundant communications of his Spirit im
parted to us.]
2. What should be the habit of our minds when we
have partaken of spiritual blessings—
[The particular object of the Apostle in the text is, to
inculcate the necessity of fear and caution : and the argument
he uses is well calculated to effect his purpose. Two millions
of Israelites came out of Egypt : they were brought in safety
through the Red Sea, and supported by this miraculous food :
yet, of all who had attained the age of twenty, two only were
suffered to enter into the promised land. All the rest perished
in the wilderness : and the very profession which they made,
and the privileges which they enjoyed, served but to enhance,
in most instances, it is to be feared, their eternal condemnation.
Moreover they were intended by God himself as examples to
usm; that we, admonished by their fate, might suppress all
irregular desires, and walk more worthy of our high calling.
Well therefore does the Apostle add, " Let him that thinketh
he standeth take heed lest he fall." We never are so much in
danger as when we think ourselves most secure. Let us then
"not be high-minded, but fear:" whatever mercies we have
experienced, and whatever enjoyment of spiritual blessings
may have been vouchsafed to us, let us remember, that we are
not beyond the reach of temptation : we may " have escaped
for a while the pollutions of the world, and yet be again en
tangled therein and overcome":" it is not sufficient for us to
have " tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the
world to come :" we may still " fall away, and return to a
state from whence we shall never be renewed to repentance0."
m TUTTOI, ver. 6, 11. n 2 Pet. ii. 20. ° Heb. vi. f», 6.
220 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 11. [1970.
" Let all then take heed, lest, a promise being left them of
entering into God's rest, they should by any means come short
of it P."]
P Heb. iv. 1.
1 CORINTHIANS, X. 3, 4.
See Sermon on 1 Tim. i. 11. where it forms the THIRD
Sermon of a series.
MDCCCCLXX.
THE JUDGMENTS ON THE ISRAELITES TYPICAL.
1 Cor. x. 11. Now all these things happened unto them for
ensamples : and they are written for our admonition) upon
whom the ends of the world are come.
THE Holy Scriptures were not given to the world,
to amuse us with an account of past occurrences, but
to instruct us in the way to eternal life. Nor are the
historical parts less conducive to this end, than the
preceptive ; since they shew us, in a striking view,
the characters of them that are saved, and of them
that perish. The history of the Israelites would be
entertaining as a romance ; but, as an exemplification
of God's dealings with his Church, it is inestimable.
Hence the Apostle expresses great concern that the
Corinthian Church should be acquainted with the
things that had happened to the Jewish nation ; in
order that they themselves might be on their guard,
lest, resembling the Jews in their conduct, they should
also resemble them in their fate.
Let us consider,
t. The typical events here specified—
The Jews, notwithstanding the mercies vouchsafed
to them, perished in the wilderness for their iniqui
ties —
[Great, exceeding great, were the favours conferred upon
them: they were brought, under the immediate direction of
God, through the Red Sea, and were baptized thereby into
the covenant which God made with them by Moses. They
1970.] THE JUDGMENTS ON THE ISRAELITES TYPICAL. 221
were also sustained by food miraculously afforded them, food,
not carnal only, but " spiritual," if spiritually improved a.
But, instead of following the Lord fully, " they forgat God
their Saviour," and addicted themselves to idolatry, to fornica
tion, to distrust and murmuring1*.
For these, and other impieties, the heavy wrath of God
came upon them ; and two only, of all the adults who had
come out of Egypt, were suffered to enter into the promised
land.]
In this view they were intended as types and en-
samples0 to us—
[St. Peter mentions the judgments inflicted on fallen
angels, the antediluvian world, and the cities of the plain, as
exemplifying those which should come upon all, who at any
period, should live and die in an ungodly state d. St. Jude, in
addition to those instances, mentions also the Israelites, who
perished in the wilderness6. The former might properly re
present the people, who are wholly ignorant of God ; the
latter may more particularly characterize those who profess
religion : and the disappointment which they experienced in
consequence of their sins, was typical of that, which all must
experience, who profess to have been called with a holy calling,
and yet walk unworthy of their profession. In them we see
that the greater our privileges, the heavier, if we abuse them,
will be our condemnation.]
Being so deeply interested in the events recorded
concerning them, we should consider attentively,
II. The admonitions they give us—
The Jewish dispensation closed, and the Christian
dispensation commenced, in the apostolic age : and,
this being the last that ever shall be given to the
world, we who live under it may be said to live in the
concluding period of the world.
Now the foregoing events admonish us,
1 . Not to rest in a mere profession of religion —
[It was to no purpose that the Israelites called themselves
the people of God, while they were unmindful of the obliga
tions which such a profession entailed upon them. While they
called God and Abraham their father, they were, like their
descendants also, children of the wicked onef. Thus it will be
in vain for us to call ourselves Christians, if we have not the
» ver. 1 — 4. b ver. 7 — ]0. c TVTTOI.
u 2 Pet. ii. 4—6. « Jude, ver. 5. f John viii. 39, 41, 44.
,'322 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 11. [1970.
power as well as the form of godliness K. On the contrary, as
God disowned the people before referred to, so, however con
fident our claims to his favour may be, will He disown us in
the day of judgment'1. Let us seek then to be Christians,
" not in word, and in tongue, but in deed and in truth." Let
us not only unite ourselves to the church of God, but also
devote ourselves to God in body, soul, and spirit.]
2. Not to indulge any evil desires —
[This is particularly specified by the Apostle as a prin
cipal end for which these events were recorded1. Had the
Israelites watched against the first risings of sensuality and
lewdness, they had not fallen into those numerous sins which
brought upon them God's heavy displeasure. And, if we
would be preserved from spiritual idolatry, or even from the
grossest acts of uncleanness, we must avoid all needless con
nexion with an idolatrous world, and labour to suppress the
first motions of sin which work in our members. " God
requires truth in our inward parts;" nor shall any but the pure
in heart ever behold his face in peace k. An " hypocrite in
heart only treasures up wrath against the day of wrath."]
3. Not so to presume on any past mercies, as to
forget that we have need of continual watchfulness
and circumspection —
[The Israelites thought, that, after so many signal mani
festations of God's favour towards them, they could never be
cast off. But, like Lot's wife, they stand as a pillar of salt to
us1. Let not us then forget, that we may have " escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust, and yet be
entangled again with it and overcome111 ;" and that " we may
have been enlightened by the word of God, and have tasted of
the powers of the world to come, and yet so apostatize, as
never to be renewed unto repentance11." The Apostle himself
felt the necessity of " keeping his body under, lest, after having
preached to others, he himself should be a cast-away0:" much
more therefore should we, however confident we may be of our
own steadfastness, "take heed lest we fallp." Let us then
not be satisfied with having come out of Egypt, or having put
ourselves under the Divine guidance, or having lived hitherto
on Christ, the living bread and living water : but let us go on
in dependence on his grace, and in obedience to his will. Let
us combine a consciousness of our proneness to fall, with an
R Jer. vii. 4. h Compare Dent. ix. 12. with Matt. vii. 21 — 23.
1 ver. 6. k Matt. v. 8. ' Luke x vii. .32.
m 2 Pot. ii. 20. n lleb. vi. 4— G. » 1 Cor. ix. 27.
i' ver. 12.
1970.] TIIE JUDGMENTS ON THE ISRAELITES TYPICAL.
humble affiance in him, " who alone is able to keep us from
falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his
glory with exceeding joy q."]
BE ADMONISHED then, every one of you, my beloved
brethren—
1. Ye who are resting in outward forms —
[See how earnest the Apostle Paul was in impressing
these facts on the minds of his Corinthian converts : " I would
not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of these things r."
So say I to you : " I would not have you ignorant of them."
Indeed, indeed, they are too little considered. If you had
asked all the six hundred thousand men after they had passed
the Red Sea, and beheld all their enemies dead upon the sea
shore, Whither are you going? They would all have confidently
replied, " We are going to Canaan, and doubt not but that we
shall in due time possess it." And this is what all say respect
ing heaven. But of them only two ever arrived in safety at
that good land. And I tremble to think how many of you
will in all probability fall short of the promised rest in heaven.
You are all Christians in name: but are you all such in truth?
Would to God ye were ! Would to God that ye were all
living by faith on the Lord Jesus, and altogether devoted to
his service ! But I must tell you, that " the kingdom
of heaven sufFereth violence, and the violent must take it by
force :" for neither can a race be won, nor a battle gained,
without very different exertions from what we behold in the
Christian world at large.]
2. Ye who make a profession of vital godliness—
[This was the state of the Corinthian Church, on whose
minds St. Paul laboured so earnestly to impress these known
and acknowledged facts. Think not then, my brethren, that
it is superfluous for me to inculcate the consideration of them
upon you, and such an improvement of them as your state
demands. Think not that ye have attained such stability as to
render these admonitions unnecessary : but know, that the
more you possess of holy fear, the more certain will you be of
God's effectual aid. It is only when you are weak in your
selves, that you are really strong; and, when in a simple
dependence upon God you are " following the Lord fully,"
then only can you hope, with Caleb and Joshua, to possess that
good land that floweth with milk and honey.]
i Jude, ver. 24. r ver. 1.
224 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 12. [1971.
MDCCCCLXXI.
AGAINST SELF-CONFIDENCE.
1 Cor. x. 12. Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest
he fall.
THE things which are recorded in the Holy Scrip
tures are written, not for the entertainment, but for
the real improvement, of our minds. Doubtless, as
gratifying our curiosity, there is no book under heaven
so interesting as the Bible : but as exhibiting what
must be realized in our own experience, as shewing
us our duties and our difficulties, our helps and our
remedies, our punishments and our rewards, it claims,
infinitely beyond all other books, our unremitting
attention. In this view the Apostle, having mentioned
the misconduct of the Israelites in the wilderness, and
the destruction which they brought upon themselves
by means of it, founds upon their history this solemn
admonition ; " therefore let him that thinketh he
standeth, take heed lest he fall."
From these words we may learn,
I. That all, even the most eminent, are liable to fall—
[The most distinguished characters of antiquity have
fallen a — They have betrayed their weakness in those
very points, wherein their eminence chiefly consisted15
Who then amongst us will presume to say, " I am in no
danger of falling c ? " ]
II. That the more self-confident we are, the more
likely we are to fall —
a Noah, Gen. vi. 9. with ix. 21. Lot, 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8. with Gen.
xix. .33 — 36. David, Acts xiii. 22, with 2 Sam. xi. 4,5, 15. Solo
mon (who was called Jedediah, the beloved of the Lord, 2 Sam. xii.
24, 25.) 1 Kings xi. 1—9.
b Abraham, Rom. iv. 20. with Gen. xii. 12, 13. and xx. 2, 11.
Job, Jam. v. 11. with Job iii. 3. Moses, Numb. xii. 3. with xx.
10, 11. Jeremiah, Jer. ix. 1. with xx. 8, 9. Paul, Acts xx. 24.
with xviii. 9, 10. when he seems to have been struck with a panic.
c John iv. 14. and 1 Pet. i. 23. shew the proper qualities and ten
dency of grace ; but do not at all affect what the Scriptures elsewhere
affirm to be the tendency of our inherent corruption.
1971.] AGAINST SELF-CONFIDENCE. 225
[Self-confidence naturally emboldens us to rush into
temptation And necessarily provokes God to leave us
to ourselves By means of the former, our occasions
of falling are greatly multiplied : by means of the latter, our
ability to stand is utterly withdrawn"1 God, for his
own honour's sake, is concerned to let us fall, in order that
we may know and confess, that our sufficiency for any good
thing is derived from him alone6 — — ]
III. That, if we would be kept from falling, we must
look well to our steps—
[As in a slippery path peculiar caution is required, and
an inattention to our steps will probably issue in some painful
accident, so more especially is it necessary to use circum
spection in the path of duty. Who can tell the snares and
temptations that beset us ? Who can tell what may be the
consequences of any step we take ? Who can reflect on all
the circumstances that arose from one single glance of David's
eye, and not feel himself exposed to continual danger ? The
most important events of our lives may be traced to some
trivial cause, some matter of pure indifference : and events,
equally or more important, perhaps no less than the everlasting
salvation of our souls, may depend on the very next step we
take. Surely then we should in " all things be circumspect1 :"
we should "take heed to our ways;" we should walk in an
humble dependence on God for direction and support; we
should cry to him continually, " Hold thou up my goings in
thy paths, that my footsteps slip note."]
We shall conclude this subject with a few words of
ADVICE :
1. To those who are offended at the falls of others—
[Many, when they see a professor of religion act amiss,
are ready to impute his misconduct to the Gospel itself, as
though Christianity were only a cloak for hypocrites. But,
considering the temptations that surround us, and the corrup
tions that are within us, it is rather a wonder that any stand,
than that some should fall. We mean not to justify, or to
extenuate, the sins of any : but we desire that religion should
not be represented as promoting that, which it utterly con
demns. Let the blame fall on those who merit it, and not be
d We have a striking example of this in Peter, who to gratify his
curiosity went into the midst of his enemies, and was then left to ex
perience his own weakness. Matt. xxvi. 58, 74.
e Thus he acted towards the Israelites, Deut. i. 42 — 44.
f Exod. xxiii. 13. * Ps. xvii. 5.
VOL. XVI. Q
1 CORINTHIANS, X. 13. [1972.
cast indiscriminately on all who profess godliness. Let Judas
be branded as a traitor : but let not the odium of his offence
attach to all the other Apostles, and to their Divine Master.]
2. To those who are endeavouring to walk up
rightly before God —
[It is of considerable use to persons when walking on
slippery ground, to have hold of each other, that if one slip,
the other may afford him immediate assistance. Many falls
and bruises have been escaped by these means. Thus it is of
great importance to Christians to walk together in love, each
helping to support his neighbour, and receiving help from
others in the time of need'1. Let all then watch over one
another with a godly jealousy. If one fall, let others endeavour
instantly, in meekness, to raise him up1. Above all, let every
one know in whom his strength is ; and pray continually,
" Hold thou me up, and I shall be safeV
" Now to him who is able to keep us from falling, &c. be
glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.
Amen1."]
h Eccl. iv. 9, 10. ' Gal. vi. 1.
k Ps. cxix. 117. ' Jude, ver. 24, 25.
MDCCCCLXXII.
THE SECURITY OF GOD'S TEMPTED PEOPLE.
1 Cor. x. 13. There hath no temptation taken you but such as
is common to man : but God is faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye are able ; but will with the
temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to
bear it.
WE are ever prone to run into the opposite ex
tremes of presumption and despair. To check the
former, we should reflect upon the manifestations of
God's wrath ; and to avoid the latter, we should bear in
mind the promises of his mercy. With this view St.
Paul sets before the Corinthian Church the judgments
that had been executed on the Israelites in the wil
derness ; but lest they should turn his warnings into
an occasion of despondency, he assures them, that
God himself had engaged to keep all who diligently
sought him, and humbly relied upon him.
1972.] THE SECURITY OF GOD's TEMPTED PEOPLE.
His words naturally lead us to point out,
I. The temptations of God's people-
Many, doubtless, are the temptations with which
the godly are beset —
[It seems from the preceding context that the word
" temptation " is to be understood in its most extended sense,
as comprehending every thing which might endanger their
steadfastness in the ways of God. The world strives to en
snare them both by terrors and allurements The flesh
strongly inclines them to gratify its appetites and
Satan labours incessantly to beguile them by his wiles and
de vices a ]
But the temptations of all are such only as others
experience in common with themselves15 —
[All are ready to suppose that there are none tempted
like them : but if we knew the experience of others, we
should find that, " as face answereth to face in a glass, so
does the heart of man to man " — All indeed are not
tempted exactly in the same manner or the same degree
(for there are temptations peculiar to men's age and condition
in life) but there are none so singularly tried, but that there
are many others in similar circumstances with themselves ; and
the ascertaining of this point often affords much consolation
and encouragement to tempted souls.]
Nor are there any trials so great but that believers
may be confident of,
II. Their security in the midst of them—
God himself is interested in their behalf ; and they
may safely rely on,
1. His power —
[" That they may not be tempted above that they are
able," he will proportion their trials to their strength. Are
they at present too weak to endure hardship? He will delay
its approach0 : or, if he permit it to come upon them, he will
weaken its force d : and, if they be likely to faint under it, he
a Satan can easily assume the appearance of " an angel of light :"
and he does so especially when he stirs up religious professors to
distract the minds of the simple with matters of doubtful disputation,
and thus to turn the weak, and the conceited, and the vain, " from
the simplicity that is in Christ."
b 'Avdpwirivog may signify also proportionable to human strength ;
but the common translation seems perfectly just.
c Exod. xiii. 17. d Ps. Ixxvi. 10. and Isai. xxvii. 8.
2^8 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 13. [1972.
will shorten its duration6 — —If he do not see fit in any of
these ways to lighten the temptation, he will proportion their
strength to their trials, so that, if there be not a way to escape,
they at least " may be able to bear them." This he effects
sometimes by communicating more abundant grace f, and
sometimes by filling them with the consolations6 of his Spirit,
and giving them near prospects of the glory that awaits themh.
Thus will he " keep them by his power unto everlasting sal
vation."]
2. His faithfulness—
[No man, however eminent, could stand, if left to him
self: Satan would sift us as wheat, and scatter us as chaff1 ;
but God has promised that " he will keep the feet of his
saints;" that " sin shall not have dominion over them ; " that
" none shall pluck them out of his hands ;" that " the gates
of hell shall not prevail against them." " Nor shall one jot or
tittle of his word ever fail :" " He is not a man that he should
lie, or the son of man that he should repent." He has ex
hausted all the powers of language in labouring to persuade us
of this truth, that he will never forsake his people k; and they
may safely rest on him " with whom is no variableness, neither
shadow of turning."]
ADDRESS—
1. Those who are conflicting with temptation—
[What a blessed promise is that before us! What can
God himself say more for your encouragement? Dry up your
tears : know that " as your day is, so shall also your strength
be :" " there are more for you than against you :" trust there
fore in Him who " knows how to deliver the godly out of
temptation," and " is able both to keep you from falling, and
to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy1." But do not say, " God will keep me, and
therefore I will rush into temptation :" such an abuse of his
mercy as this would surely bring with it the most tremendous
evils. We are to trust God when in trouble ; but not to tempt
God by exposing ourselves to danger without a cause.]
2. Those who are yielding to temptation—
[The generality complain, " That they cannot resist
temptation," and yet they venture continually into those very
' Ps. cxxv. 3. and Isai. Ivii. 1C. f 2 Cor. xii. 9.
« '2 Cor. i. 4, 5. h 2 Cor. iv. 16, 17. Rom. viii. 18.
1 Luke xxii. ,31.
k Hcb. xiii. 5. Here are no less than five negatives in the Greek.
1 2 Pet. ii. 9. and Jude, ver. 24.
1973.] APPEAL TO MEN OF WISDOM AND CANDOUR. 229
scenes which most endanger their virtue. What hypocrisy is
this! If flesh and blood be, as they justly acknowledge, so
weak and frail, why do they not flee from the occasions of sin ?
and why do they not cry unto God for help? Let all know
that their impotency is no just excuse; that all shall receive
succour if they will but seek it; and that " God's strength
shall be perfected in their weakness"1." But if we will not
repent of our sins and turn unto God, the power and faithful
ness of God are engaged against us, and will be glorified in
our everlasting destruction.]
m Heb. ii. 18. and iv. 15, 16.
iMDCCCCLXXIII.
APPEAL TO MEN OF WISDOM AND CANDOUR3.
1 Cor. x. 15. / speak as to icise men ; judge ye ivhat I say.
AMONGST the various systems of religion that
have been promulgated, there is this remarkable dif
ference ; that, whilst those which have been devised
by man were founded on the deductions of human
reason, that which has been revealed by God is
founded solely on his own authority. Every decla
ration, every precept, every promise, every threat
ening, is introduced with " Thus saith the Lord."
Deliberation and discussion respecting these declara
tions of God, are altogether superseded : man has no
alternative, he must believe and obey whatever his
God has spoken.
But though revealed religion is neither founded on
human reason, nor makes its appeal to it, yet. it is
perfectly consistent with reason, and approves itself to
the judgment of every one whose mind is enlightened
by the Spirit of God, and whose passions are subju
gated to the higher powers of the soul.
The appeal which the Apostle makes in our text
to the judgment of the Corinthian Church has respect
a This, and the three following Discourses, 1974, 197">, and 1976,
were preached before the University of Cambridge, and the Discourse
on Ps. cxix. 128. was delivered afterwards with a view to complete
the series. It may be referred to in that view.
1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1973.
indeed to only one particular point, the maintaining
of communion with heathens in their idolatrous sacri
fices and oblations. This,, as he observes, was incon
sistent with their professed allegiance to Christ, and
with all hope of participating the blessings of his
salvation : and so unquestionable was this truth,
that he did not hesitate to appeal to their judgment
respecting it.
We are far from saying that all the truths of Chris
tianity are as level with the capacity of men as that
which is the subject of the Apostle's appeal : but still
we are persuaded, that there is no part of our religion
repugnant to reason, nor any part which enlightened
reason must not highly approve.
In confirmation of this sentiment we shall endea
vour to shew,
I. That the Gospel approves itself to all who are
truly wise.
II. That it is the duty of every man to exercise his
judgment in relation to it.
I. That the Gospel approves itself to all who are
truly wise-
There is a wisdom to which the Gospel does not
approve itself, — I mean " the wisdom of this world,"
as it is called, even that which is both the root and
offspring of philosophic pride. Between this wisdom
and the Gospel there is as inveterate an opposition as
between light and darkness ; the Gospel is regarded
by it as foolishness ; and itself is no other than foolish
ness in the sight of God. The Apostle tells us, that
by this wisdom the world neither knew God, nor
could possibly find him out ; that God hath so formed
his Gospel as to " destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and to bring to nought the understanding of the
prudent." Remarkable is that triumphant language
of the Apostle, " Where is the wise ? Where is the
ocribe ? Where is the disputer of this world ? Hath
not God made foolish the wisdom of this world ?"
If it be asked, Why this wisdom is so much at
variance with the Gospel ? we answer, that men filled
1973.] APPEAL TO MEN OF WISDOM AND CANDOUR. 231
with the conceit of their own sufficiency, and wise in
their own eyes, are ready to prescribe to God what
he shall speak ; receiving only what accords with
their own preconceived opinions, and rejecting every
thing that is not accommodated to their carnal ap
prehensions. They do not read the Scriptures to
learn of God, but rather to criticise what he has
revealed, and to sit in judgment upon all that he has
spoken. Is it to be wondered at, that the Gospel,
which is full of mysteries, should not approve itself to
them ? yea, that it should be a stumbling-block and
an offence to them ? It is so, and it must be so, till
they shall see that " God is wiser than man," and
that " if any man would be wise, he must become a
fool that he may be wise."
But though to such proud and self-sufficient scio
lists the Gospel of God is foolishness, yet to the
truly wise it is a revelation every way worthy of its
great Author.
By the truly wise, we mean those persons who are
sensible that they stand in need of reconciliation with
their offended God, and that the Gospel is a revela
tion from God respecting the provision which he has
made for our restoration to his favour. These per
sons, conscious of the insufficiency of human wisdom
to find out such a plan for the salvation of mankind,
receive with humility what God has revealed ; and,
the instant they know his mind and will, they receive
his testimony with the liveliest gratitude, and make it
the one ground of all their hopes. These are truly
wise ; they presume not to dispute with God about
the means he has provided, or the terms he has
offered, for their salvation ; but they accept thank
fully what he has so graciously planned, and so freely
offered.
To persons of this description the Gospel does
approve itself as the wisdom of God and the power
of God. It approves itself both as a revelation, and
as a remedy. — As a revelation, it appears to stand on
a basis that is immoveable ; and the evidence of its
divine authority is considered as incomparably stronger
23:2 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1973.
than any that can be adduced for any other record
under heaven. As a remedy, it appears exactly suited
to the necessities of fallen man, providing wisdom for
the ignorant, righteousness for the guilty, sanctifica-
tion for the polluted, and redemption for the bond
slaves of sin and Satan. It is further recommended
to their approval by the honour which it brings to all
the perfections of the Deity, in that justice is no
more set aside than mercy, nor truth is violated any
more than holiness ; but every perfection of God
is harmoniously exercised, and more glorified, than it
could have been, if such a salvation had never been
devised.
We do not at present enter into the particulars of
this Gospel, because that will be the subject of our
future discourses : but we would give a general clew
whereby to discover the true Gospel from every thing
that falsely assumes that name. It will be generally
granted, that the Gospel which the Apostle Paul
preached, was the true Gospel : and we find, that
the foregoing marks were inseparable from his doc
trines : his statements were disapproved by those"
who were carried away, either by " philosophy and
vain deceit" on the one hand, or by superstition on
the other hand : to the Jews his doctrine was a stum
bling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness ; but to
those who were called and taught by divine grace, it
was the wisdom of God and the power of God. If
therefore the Gospel which we preach be disapproved
by the same persons as disapproved of his, we have
so far an evidence in its favour ; whereas, if our
Gospel be approved by those who were averse to his,
then it is evident that we do not preach the same
Gospel as he did. To unsanctified wisdom, the
truth of God ever was, and ever must be, foolish
ness ; but to those who are possessed of true wisdom,
it is, and ever will be, a stupendous effort of wisdom
and of love for the recovery and salvation of a ruined
world.
The intent of our present discourse is to bespeak
vour candour in reference to those which mav follow
1973.] APPEAL TO MEN OF WISDOM AND CANDOUR. 233
it, and to shew that, at least in our own judgment,
there is such a reasonableness in all our doctrines as
must of necessity commend itself to every candid
inquirer. We wish not one sentiment to be em
braced, without a firm conviction of its truth : we
wish every word we utter to be brought to the test of
Scripture and of true wisdom. We would say to
every man, " Prove all things, and hold fast that only
which is goodV
To impress on our minds the importance of making
for our ourselves a candid inquiry into the Gospel of
Christ, we proceed to shew,
II. That it is the duty of every man to exercise his
judgment in relation to it —
God himself is pleased on some occasions to make
an appeal to us respecting his own dealings with
mankind : " Judge, I pray you," says he, " betwixt
me and my vineyard :" and again, " Are not my
ways equal ? are not your ways unequal ?" In truth,
though he is not to be dealt with by us as if he were
bound to " give an account to us of any of his mat
ters," yet he treats us as rational creatures, and
expects us to use our reason in relation to our spiri
tual, as well as our temporal, concerns. He draws
us indeed, and expects that we should give ourselves
up to the influence of his grace ; but " he draws us
with the cords of a man," that is, with such influences
as are suited to our faculties as rationed agents. Still,
however, we must remember, that, in forming our
judgment of the truths revealed to us, we are not
called to determine beforehand what it becomes him
to reveal; but only by a diligent attention to his
written word to consider what he has revealed : and
if at first we find such things as we did not expect, or
such things as seem to oppose the sentiments we
have imbibed, we must not hastily determine that his
word is not true, but must suspect our own compe
tency to judge of it, and must say, " What I know
not now, I shall know hereafter."
» 1 Thess. v. 21.
231- 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1973.
In executing this important duty we shall do well
to observe the following rules ; namely,
To form our judgment with care-
To exercise it with candour — and
To implore of God the enlightening and sanctifying
influences of his Spirit, that we may be preserved
from error, and be guided into all truth.
We must, in the first place, form our judgment
with care. — It is no easy matter to search out all the
mysteries of our holy religion, and to attain a clear
and just knowledge of the inspired volume. There
are confessedly many passages which are difficult to
be understood, and many passages which appear to
have, what may be called, an opposite and contradic
tory aspect. To explain all these, and to reconcile
them with each other, and to gather out of them one
entire and consistent plan of salvation, is surely no
easy work : it should be undertaken with fear and
trembling ; and no pains should be spared to execute
it aright. To take one set of texts, and to wrest the
opposing texts to a sense which they were never de
signed to bear, will save us indeed much trouble, and
gratify a proud contentious spirit ; but it will never
bring us to a just view of the truth as it is in Jesus.
The way to solve the difficulties of Scripture, is, to
give to every declaration of God its proper force, and
then to mark the subserviency of one truth to others
which appear opposed to it. A person, who should
in an ignorant and superficial manner observe the
opposite motions that are found in a great engine,
would be ready to suppose that the wheels would
obstruct each other : but on a closer inspection he
would find, that there is a subserviency of one part to
another, and that all the motions, however opposite
in appearance, tend in reality to one common end.
Thus it is in the Scriptures of truth ; there is no
real opposition between one part and another ; but
every truth has its proper place in the system, and its
proper use : if one encourages, another humbles : if
one inspires confidence, another stimulates to acti
vity : and true wisdom will lead us to assign to every
1973. J APPEAL TO MEN OF WISDOM AND CANDOUR. 235
truth that place and that measure of importance
which seem to be given to it in the sacred volume.
Were this mode of investigating the Holy Scriptures
more generally adopted, there would be an end of
almost all the controversies which agitate and distract
the Christian world. The very disposition of mind
which would be exercised in such endeavours, would
go far to rectify our judgment, and would divest error
of more than half its evils.
If it be said, that all have not leisure or ability for
such examination of the Holy Scriptures, we answer,
That, whether we have more or less of leisure and
ability, this should be our mode of proceeding : and
those especially, who are to teach others, should be
careful to form their judgment in this way. The
Scriptures should be studied diligently throughout ;
the design of the inspired writers should be especially
attended to ; the scope of every distinct passage
should be ascertained by a strict examination of the
context ; and the general analogy of faith must be
borne in mind, in order to regulate us in our inter
pretation of passages that are of more doubtful sig
nification. In a word, we should without prejudice
or partiality attend to every part of the sacred records,
and then judge, as before God, respecting the genuine
import of the whole. Whatever sentiment is brought
before us as of heavenly origin and of divine autho
rity, we must bring it to the law and to the testimony,
and give it only such weight in our minds as shall
appear to be justified by the general tenour of the
inspired volume. It was by such care that the
Beraeans attained the knowledge of salvation ; and by
similar care we may confidently hope to be guided
gradually into all truth.
Having thus formed our judgment, we must, in the
next place, exercise it with candour. — There will to
the last, whatever means be used for the regulating
of our judgment, be some points whereon there will
be a difference of opinion. The minds of men are
differently constructed ; and there are no two men
in the universe who on all points think alike. It
236 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1973.
must be expected therefore, that some diversity of
sentiment will remain in reference to religion, as well
as on every other subject under heaven. Aware of
this, we should form our judgment with diffidence,
especially on those points where men of piety have
differed from each other. We should consider our
selves as liable to err, no less than others. To imagine
that we are in possession of all truth, and to take for
granted that all who differ from us must of necessity
be wrong, is not consistent with Christian modesty.
Of course, if we embrace an opinion, we must of
necessity do it, under the idea that the sentiment is
just ; but, knowing how weak and fallible we are, we
should think it possible that those who differ from us
may be right ; or, at all events, that the truth may
be partly on their side as well as on ours. But even
where we feel greater confidence as to the rectitude
of our judgment, we should feel no hostility to those
who differ from us ; they have the same right to
exercise their judgment as we ; and we should no
more be offended with them for not viewing things
in the same light as we, than for their not resembling
us in the stature of their body or the features of their
countenance. By this observation we do not mean
to express an approbation of indifference respecting
religious sentiments ; for there are sentiments that
should be dearer to us than life itself : but it is in
tolerance which we disapprove ; it is a readiness to
condemn others on account of their religious opinions,
and to load them with all manner of obloquy. This,
I say, is what we deprecate ; and too much reason
there is to deprecate it ; since the indulgence of this
hateful disposition is the common error of all parties.
To be fully persuaded in our own minds, after a long
course of diligent inquiry, is well ; but to brand per
sons with opprobrious names, because they see not
with our eyes ; and to misrepresent their sentiments,
putting into their mouths statements which they
never make, and loading their real statements with
consequences which they disavow and abhor, is a
inode of proceeding which tends only to generate
1973.3 APPEAL TO MEN OF WISDOM AND CANDOUR. 2ii7
endless contentions, and to destroy that love which
is the sum and substance of all true religion. The
liberty which we use ourselves, we should concede to
others ; and if we think others have adopted erro
neous sentiments, we should endeavour to set them
right ; but we should do it, not with railing accusa
tions, but in kindness and a spirit of love.
But the third rule which we mentioned as deserv
ing our attention, is above all things necessary to be
observed : We must implore of God the enlightening
and sanctifying Influences of his Spirit, that we may be
preserved from error, and be guided into all truth.—
We are all by nature blind to the things of God :
there is a veil upon our hearts, precisely as there was
in the apostolic age, and still continues to be upon
the hearts of the Jews. " The natural man," says
St. Paul, " receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God, for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can
he know them, because they are spiritually dis
cerned." Even the discourses of our blessed Lord
and Saviour, notwithstanding his confirmation of
them by miracles unnumbered, could not convince
those who did not choose to be convinced : nor were
the Apostles themselves so enlightened by his in
structions during the whole time of his ministry upon
earth, but that they needed after his resurrection the
influences of his Spirit to " open their understand
ings, that they might understand the Scriptures."
The same influence we need : we must have the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation given to us, to dis
cover to us the things of the Spirit ; and, unless
" God shine into our hearts, to give us the light of
the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ," we shall continue in darkness to our
dying hour. Of this blindness we should be aware ;
for, if we are not sensible of our need of the Holy
Spirit to teach and guide us, we shall never seek his
influences, nor ever be qualified to form a correct
judgment of the things which are revealed to us.
Even Timothy, long after he had ministered the
Gospel with great success, needed not only the
238 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1973.
instructions of Paul, but the teachings of the Holy
Spirit, to render them effectual : " Consider what I
say," says St. Paul to him ; " and the Lord give thee
understanding in all things."
This need of divine teaching we are all by nature
averse to acknowledge. One of the last things that
we are brought to confess, is, the insufficiency of
our own wisdom to understand the sublime truths of
Christianity. But, if we look around us, we see many
possessing all the same privileges with ourselves, and
yet so blinded by prejudice or passion, as not to
discern any one truth aright : the divinity of our
blessed Lord, his atonement for sin, the influences of
his Spirit, the necessity of a renewed heart, together
with many other truths, are boldly denied by them ;
or, if acknowledged as doctrines that are revealed,
they are utterly disregarded as to any practical effect
upon the soul. This clearly proves the great truth
we are insisting on ; namely, that we must all be
taught of God, and that, without his teaching, we
shall know nothing as we ought to know.
But we observed, that we need the sanctifying, as
well as the illuminating, influences of the Holy
Spirit : for we have many corrupt affections, which
it is the very intention of the Gospel to eradicate ;
and under the influence of them we lean to those
doctrines which tolerate, rather than to those which
would mortify and subdue, our favourite propensities.
How then can we judge aright whilst we are in
fluenced by such a bias ? " Our eye being evil, we
shall of necessity be in darkness ; and our eye must
be made single, before the whole body can be full of
light." This single eye then must be given us by the
Holy Spirit. Instead of loving darkness rather than
light, we must love the light, and come to the light,
on purpose that the nature and quality of our actions
may be made manifest. Let our first object then be
to seek of God the gift of his Holy Spirit (for he has
said, that, " if any man lack wisdom, and ask it of
him, he will give it liberally, and without upbraiding:")
and then, in dependence on the sacred guidance of
1974.] CORRUPTION OF HUMAN NATURE. 239
the Spirit, let us examine every part of God's word.
Let us in particular desire to be conformed to the
word as far as we understand it ; and then there is
no fear but that we shall be guided into all truth, as
far at least as shall be necessary for our own personal
welfare, and for the transforming of our souls into the
image of our God.
We cannot conclude this part of our subject with
more appropriate words than those of our excellent
Liturgy, in which we entreat you to accompany us
from your inmost souls0: "O Lord, from whom all
good things do come ; grant to us thy humble ser
vants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think
those things that be good, and by thy merciful guiding
may perform the same, through our Lord Jesus
Christ. Amen."
e Collect for 5th Sunday after Easter.
MDCCCCLXXIV.
ON THE CORRUPTION OF HUMAN NATURE.
1 Cor. x. 15. / speak as to wise men ; judge ye what I say.
IN the appeal, which we have proposed to make to
your judgment, we shall confine ourselves to things
of primary and fundamental importance. We are
little disposed to enter upon a field of doubtful dis
putation : for though we think that every truth in
the Holy Scriptures is important, and that some of
those points which are more controverted are ex
ceeding valuable, when received rightly, and im
proved for our advancement in the divine life ; yet,
as the acceptance or rejection of them may consist
with real and vital piety, we gladly wave all consi
deration of them, it being our wish, not to establish
the dogmas of a party, but to bring home to the
hearts and consciences of our hearers those principles
which constitute the basis of our holy religion.
The very first of these principles is, that man is a
',MO 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1974.
fallen creature, guilty, polluted, helpless. The know
ledge of this lies at the root of all true religion. In
proportion as this is seen and felt, will the provision
made for our recovery by Jesus Christ be valued :
and in proportion as persons either overlook, or
maintain in theory only, this truth, the whole plan of
salvation by Christ will be disregarded and despised.
But the views and sentiments of those who main
tain the depravity of our fallen nature are frequently
and greatly misrepresented. Injudicious persons, it
is true, may speak unguardedly and unadvisedly on
this subject, as they may well be expected to do on
every subject ; but as the crudities of an ill-informed
and violent partisan could not properly be stated as
exhibing a just view of the principles of any govern
ment ; so neither can the rash unqualified assertions
of the inexperienced be justly imputed to those who
promulgate truth in its more sober and measured
forms. It were to be wished, indeed, that our oppo
nents would content themselves with statements that
may be found : but they far exceed the wildest reve
ries that have ever issued from any ignorant enthu
siast, and represent those who maintain the total
depravity of our nature as reducing men to the
condition of stocks and stones.
We beg leave therefore to state with some measure
of precision what we mean, when we say that man is
altogether polluted in every faculty of his soul, and
destitute of all true goodness.
We do not mean to say that men may not be
comparatively good by nature. There is as great a
difference between men's natural dispositions as be
tween their intellectual powers. As some children
are quick and lively in their apprehension, whilst
others are dull and stupid ; so some are mild, affec
tionate, and generous in their tempers, whilst others
are fierce, vindictive, and selfish. The children of
the same parents, who have seen only the same
examples set before them, are often as different in
their dispositions, as if no ground of resemblance
had existed between them.
1974.] CORRUPTION OF HUMAN NATURE. 244
In like manner we concede that persons may be
morally good, not merely in comparison of others,
but to a certain degree really and substantially so :
that is, a person may possess by nature such a mea
sure of candour, and benevolence, and integrity, as
almost to put to shame those who profess to have
been renewed by grace. How much, indeed of these
dispositions may arise from education as well as from
nature, we are not anxious to inquire : we wish to
give to nature as much as can with any shew of
reason be claimed for her ; and then to point out
that kind and measure of goodness which she never
communicated to any man, nor ever enabled any
person to attain.
We say then, that no man by nature is spiritually
good, or good towards God. No man by nature
loves God, or delights himself in God. No man
truly fears him. There may be a superstitious dread
of him as an Almighty Being, but no real fear to
offend him, no true desire to please and glorify him.
No one by nature has, what I may call, a creature-
like spirit towards him. No one feels his obligations
towards him as his Creator, or places implicit con
fidence in him as his Preserver, or rejoices in him as
his Benefactor, or delights to execute his will as his
Governor, or labours to approve himself to him as
his Judge. A spirit of independence pervades every
child of Adam, and is, perhaps beyond every thing
else, the great effect and evidence of our apostasy
from God. Self-will, self-seeking, self-confidence,
self-complacency, are but so many branches issuing
from this root. The loss of that creature-like spirit
which possessed the mind of Adam in Paradise, is
absolutely universal. Whatever differences there
may be between men as to their moral dispositions,
there is none in this : self has usurped the place of
God, and is to every man by nature the principle and
end of all his actions.
As we have no longer by nature a creature-like
spirit, so neither have we, what, if we may be allowed
the expression, we would call, a sinner-like spirit. It
VOL. XVI. H
2-l£ 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1974
might be supposed, that the universal fruit of our fall
should be contrition, and self-lothing, and self-
abhorrence ; and that, a way having been revealed
for our restoration to God's favour, we should be
occupied day and night in the grateful contempla
tion of it, and in the pursuit of so inestimable a
blessing. But here again we are all upon a. par : the
men of finer clay and more exquisite workmanship,
are here on a level with vessels of the most base
materials and most degraded use. A spirit of humi
liation is never found, but as it is infused into the
soul by the Spirit of God. It might be supposed,
that the desire of obtaining reconciliation with God
should stimulate every child of man to earnest in
quiries after a Saviour, and to grateful thanksgivings
to God for the unspeakable gift of his only dear Son.
But so far are these feelings from being the natural
growth of the human heart, that they are never
formed in the heart but with great difficulty, nor
ever preserved alive there but with constant vigilance
and unremitting exertions. We do indeed read of
a Samuel, a Josiah, a Timothy, sanctified from an
early period of life : but this was not in consequence
of any natural piety in them any more than in others ;
but in consequence of peculiar operations of divine
grace upon their souls.
Connected with this want of a sinner-like spirit, is
a love of sin in all its branches. We say again,
there is not in every man the same predominance of
sin in all its branches ; but the same propensity to it
there is : the seed of every evil lies buried in our
fallen nature : in some it acquires more strength
than in others, and manifests itself by more hateful
fruits ; but in all it lives, it vegetates, and, if circum
stances were to arise to call it forth, would grow up
to maturity in one as well as in another.
Thus we have delivered our sentiments on the
corruption of man's nature ; and we will add a few
words respecting that which is so intimately con
nected with it — our natural inability to do any thing
that is good.
1974. J CORRUPTION OF HUMAN NATURE.
When a nature is so depraved, as ours from the
foregoing statement appears to be, there can be no
disposition to any thing truly and spiritually good :
on the contrary, there must be an aversion to what
is good, and, in consequence of that, an incapacity to
engage successfully in the prosecution or performance
of any good thing. But here we beg to be distinctly
understood, that the incapacity to do any-tiring that
is good is a moral, and not a physical, incapacity. A
man is not under the same kind of incapacity to stop
the progress of his corruptions that he is to stop the
sun in its course : it is because of his inveterate
inclination to evil, and aversion to what is good, that
he cannot bring the powers of his mind to bear on
the prosecution of any thing that is truly and spiri
tually good ; if he had the inclination and the desire,
his exertions would be proportioned to the extent of
those desires : and though we are far from saying
that those exertions would be sufficient of themselves
for the accomplishment of his object, they would
certainly be accompanied with power from on high,
and such a power too as should render them effectual
for the desired end. It is the want of these pious
inclinations that keeps us from looking unto God for
his effectual aid ; and consequently from attaining
that strength, whereby alone we can subdue and
mortify our natural corruptions.
When therefore we say, that man is by nature
altogether helpless, and incapable of doing any tiring
that is good, we wish it to be borne in mind, what
the incapacity is of which we speak. Were it an
incapacity that rendered all exertion nugatory, man's
responsibility for his actions would, as far as relates
to that point, be at an end ; but our incapacity arising
altogether from the inveteracy of our love to sin, and
the total alienation of our hearts from what is truly
good, it ceases to be an extenuation of our guilt, and
becomes rather an aggravation of it.
We have now spoken what will be sufficient to
mark our sentiments respecting the corruption and
helplessness of fallen man. We say of man, that he
R2
J.M.1- 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1974.
is altogether destitute of every thing that is truly and
spiritually good, and altogether prone to evil ; though,
in respect of the visible fruits of evil, there is a con
siderable difference between one and another. We
say too that man is incapable of doing any thing that
is truly and spiritually good ; but that his incapacity
arises, not from any want of physical powers, but of
moral and spiritual dispositions. He has the same
power to exercise his mind in one thing as in another,
if he have the inclination and desire so to do ; the
fault is in his will, which is averse to good, and in his
affections, which are set on evil. At the same time,
whatever be the state of a man's will and affections,
he has not in himself the power to do the will of God;
for that end he must be strengthened by the Spirit
of God : but that aid no man shall want, who seeks
it from God in spirit and in truth.
And now I speak as to wise men ; judge ye what
I say : Is there any thing extravagant in this state
ment ? Is there any thing that can warrant such
representations as are too often given of the senti
ments of those who maintain the doctrines above
considered ? We speak not as to wise men only, but
as to men of candour and liberality, of truth and
equity : is there any thing here which is not most
decidedly declared in the Holy Scriptures ? Is there
any thing which is not sanctioned and confirmed by
all the authentic records of the doctrines of our
Church ?
Let us briefly institute this inquiry, in order that
the truth of our statement may yet more abundantly
appear.
What saith the Scripture ? The testimony of the
Most High God is this, that when he looked down
from heaven to behold the children of men, he saw
" that the wickedness of man was great upon the
earth, and that even/ imagination of the thoughts
of man's heart was only evil continually*" Can the
total corruption of our nature be stated in stronger
terms than these ? But it will be more satisfactory,
a Gen. vi. 5.
1974.1 CORRUPTION OF HUMAN NATURE. 245
perhaps, to refer to a passage where an inspired
Apostle is establishing the very point in question.
Look we then to the third chapter of St. Paul's
Epistle to the Romans, and let us hear what he says.
He is proving that all mankind, whether Jews or
Gentiles, are under sin ; and in support of his asser
tions he brings together a whole cloud of witnesses :
" It is written," says he, " There is none good, no,
not one : there is none that understandeth ; there is
none that seeketh after God : they are all gone out
of the way : they are together become unprofitable :
there is none that doeth good, no, not oneV Have
we spoken any thing stronger than this ? Yet, in a
subsequent chapter, the Apostle speaks in stronger
language still : " The carnal mind is enmity against
God ; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither
indeed can be0." In another Epistle he denies the
power of any man by nature even so much as to
know the things of the Spirit ; " The natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for
they are foolishness unto him : neither can he know
them, because they are spiritually discerned*1." Nor
does he confine these assertions to any particular age
or nation : he says of himself and his fellow Apostles,
that even they, in their unregenerate state, " fulfilled
the desires of the flesh and of the mind ; and were
by nature children of wrath, even as others6." Even
after he was regenerate, he still speaks of himself,
so far as he was yet unrenewed, as destitute of all
good ; " In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good
thing."
We think that this will abundantly suffice for the
confirmation of our sentiments from Scripture. The
person that will not be convinced by these passages,
would not be convinced even though we were to
multiply quotations to ever so great an extent.
Turn we then to what, with this assembly at least,
must have considerable weight, I mean the authentic
records of the doctrines of our Church. In the 9th
b Rom. iii. 9 — 12. c Rom. viii. 7.
d 1 Cor. ii. 14. e Eph. ii. 3.
^46 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1974,
article, intitled " Original or Birth Sin," it is said,
" Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam
(as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the fault
and corruption of every man that naturally is engen
dered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very
far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own
nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always
contrary to the spirit ; and therefore in every person
born Into this world it deserveth God's wrath and
damnation." Then, in reference to the impotency
of man to do any thing that is truly good, it is said
in the next article, " The condition of man after the
fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare
himself by his own natural strength and good works
to faith and calling upon God : wherefore we have
no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable
to God, without the grace of God by Christ prevent
ing us that we may have a good will, and working
with us when we have that good will."
We forbear to comment on these articles, because
all of us can refer to them and examine them for
ourselves : but there is an end of all certainty in lan
guage if these articles do not affirm all that we have
expressed in the foregoing statement. The homilies
of our Church speak in numberless passages to the
same effect. In that for Whit-Sunday, it is said,
" Man of his own nature is fleshly and carnal, corrupt
and naught, sinful and disobedient to God, without
any spark of goodness in him, (mark these words,
" without any spark of goodness in him"} without any
virtuous or godly motion, only given to evil thoughts
and wicked deeds." And in our Liturgy, our help
lessness is stated in terms equally strong ; in the
Collect for the second Sunday in Lent, we address
the Deity in the following words ; " Almighty God,
who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help
ourselves"
It would occupy too much time if we were to mul
tiply quotations on these subjects. The Articles, the
Homilies, the Liturgy, all abound with expressions
to the same effect ; so that no man can read them
1974.] CORRUPTION- OF HUMAN NATURE. 247
with candour, and doubt what the sentiments of our
reformers were on these subjects.
But we will bring the matter still nearer home, and
agree to have the point determined by every man's
own experience. Let every one of us look back to
the earliest period of his life, and see what have been
his dispositions towards God. Did we, in proportion
as our rational powers were expanded, employ them
in the contemplation of God as our Creator, our
Benefactor, our Redeemer, and our Judge ? Have
we felt an unfeigned solicitude to please him, and to
glorify his name ? Has every thing that is contrary
to his will been hateful in our eyes, and has it been
shunned by us with abhorrence ? Has it been our
delight to draw nigh to him from day to day in the
exercise of prayer and praise, and to implore help
from him that we may mortify every corrupt affec
tion, and be gradually transformed into his image in
righteousness and true holiness ? Nay, we will go
no farther than this very day, and ask, Whether such
were the exercises of our minds when we rose from
our beds, and whether we find it an easy matter to
preserve our minds in such a frame as this ? Do we
not find, that the things of time and sense thrust out
all these holy affections, and that God, instead of
being the one object before our eyes, is scarcely to
be found in all our thoughts ? I speak as to wise
men, and to men of integrity ; Declare the truth
before God : Say whether or not ye yourselves are
fallen from God ? Say whether piety be the natural
produce of your souls? Say whether you find holy and
heavenly thoughts, or carnal and earthly thoughts,
have the readier entertainment in your minds ? Say
whether or not ye are impotent to good ; or go and
try it when you leave this place : Go, and say with
yourselves, ' I will bring my own mind to a state of
deep humiliation for my past sins ; I will exercise
lively gratitude to God for his sparing mercy hitherto;
I will look with steadfast faith to Christ as my only
and all-sufficient Saviour ; and I will rejoice and
delight in him as my present portion, and my eternal
248 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1974.
great reward.' Do this ; do it, not for a constancy,
but only for the remainder of this day ; and then will
we confess, that all that we have spoken is a libel
upon human nature, and that man is neither so cor
rupt nor so helpless as the Scriptures and the writings
of our reformers have represented him. Whatever
may be thought of all our preceding observations, it
must surely be acknowledged fair, when we leave
every man to be his own accuser, and constitute him
judge in his own cause. I repeat it ; this is the tri
bunal to which we make our appeal, and by your own
impartial judgment we will venture to abide.
Anticipating your decision, (for we doubt not but
that the faithful monitor within you has already pro
nounced it,) we ground on your own acknowledg
ments a
" WORD OF EXHORTATION" —
First, if we are such corrupt and helpless crea
tures, let us seek to obtain a deep and abiding sense
of our wretched condition. What ought we to feel,
who have lived as without God in the world, who
have exalted to his throne all the vanities of time and
sense, and have, in fact, been a god unto ourselves,
doing our own will, finding our own pleasure, and
seeking our own glory ? What, I say, ought such
persons to feel ? What view ought they to have of
their own conduct ? Is it a small measure of humi
liation and contrition that befits such persons ? Take
into the account also what blessings that God, whom
we have so neglected, has from time to time been
pouring out upon us ; and let us reflect, above all,
on his incomprehensible love in giving his only-
begotten Son to die for us, and in following us inces
santly with offers of a free and full salvation through
him : think, moreover, of the strivings of his Holy
Spirit with us from time to time, and of the resistance
which we have opposed to his sacred motions ; reflect,
I say, on these things, and then say, Whether our
eyes ought not to be a fountain of tears to run down
night and day for all our iniquities and abominations.
1974.]) CORRUPTION OF HUMAN NATURE. 219
Indeed it is not a mere sigh that the occasion calls
for ; nor is it a few heartless acknowledgments that
will suffice : the very best of us has need to smite on
his breast with anguish of heart, and to cry from his
inmost soul, God be merciful to me a sinner ! Nothing
less than this will in any respect answer the demands
of our offended God : it is the broken and contrite
spirit alone which he will not despise. O let us seek
to humble ourselves aright ! Let us implore help
from God, who alone can take away the heart of
stone, and give us a heart of flesh : let us look to
Jesus our ascended Saviour, who is exalted to give
repentance as well as remission of sins ; and let us
entreat of him so to discover to us the enormity of
our guilt, that we may mourn and be in bitterness as
one that is in bitterness for his first-born.
In the next place, if such be our guilt and helpless
ness, let us not only humble ourselves for it, but seek
for the remission of our sins in Jesus' blood. O, thanks
be to God ! " there is a fountain opened for sin and
for uncleanness :" there is a Saviour, " whose blood
will cleanse from all sin," and " who is able to save
to the uttermost all that come unto God by him."
He has made reconciliation for us through the blood
of his cross ; and through his sacrifice and intercession
we may yet find acceptance with our offended God.
In his righteousness we may be clothed ; and, arrayed
in that, we shall stand before God " without spot or
wrinkle, or any such thing, yea, holy, and without
blemish." We do indeed, in the first place, urge the
necessity of repentance : but no man must rest in his
repentance, however deep it may be : the offender,
under the law, not only confessed his sins over his
sacrifice, but laid them upon the head of the victim.
So must we do ; we must transfer all our sins to the
head of our Great Sacrifice ; and he, like the scape
goat, will carry them all away to the land of oblivion.
Lastly : Let us seek to be renewed in our hearts
by the influence of the Holy Spirit. He is justly
called in our Catechism, " the Sanctifier of all the
elect people of God." It is he who must " give us
2oO 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1975.
both to will and to do ;" and if we set ourselves in
earnest to " work out our salvation with fear and
trembling," we need not fear but that he will help
our infirmities, and his grace shall be sufficient for
us. Polluted as we are, we should yet be sanctified
throughout in body, soul, and spirit, if only we would
plead in earnest for his renewing influence : and,
helpless as we are, we should yet be strengthened
with might by his agency in our inward man, and be
enabled to do all things through his gracious commu
nications.
This is the true use of Christian principles. To
acknowledge the extent of our fall, is of no use, unless
we seek for a recovery through the sacrifice of our
Redeemer, and through the influence of the Eternal
Spirit. Let us but apply these remedies ; and all
aversion to see the depth of our guilt and misery will
vanish instantly. We shall be in no fear of being too
much depressed by a sense of our sin ; but shall
rather desire to know the full extent of our malady,
that God may be the more glorified in our restoration
to health. And if indeed we are disposed to implore
help from God, then may we profitably sum up our
requests in the words of that truly scriptural Collect,
" Grant to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the Spirit to
think, and do always such things as be rightful; that
we, who cannot do any thing that is good without
thee, may, by thee, be enabled to live according to
thy will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amena."
a Ninth Sunday after Trinity.
MDCCCCLXXV.
ON THE NEW BIRTH.
1 Cor. x. 15. / speak as to wise men ; judge ye what I say.
THE subject to which we would now draw your
attention, and which is most intimately connected
with that of our fallen state, and of our depravity by
nature, is the doctrine of the New Birth. It has been
already shewn, that we are altogether born in sin,
1975.] ON THE NEW BIRTH. 251
and corrupt in all our faculties ; and it is obvious,
that a great change must pass upon our souls before
\ve can be meet for the enjoyment of those heavenly
mansions, where no unclean thing can enter.
In order to invalidate this doctrine, occasion has
been taken from the use of the word 7ra\iyyeve(ria,
which we translate regeneration, to confound this
doctrine with baptism. The argument used is this :
The word TrdXiyyeveo-ta occurs but twice in the Scrip
tures, and neither time has it any thing to do with
that spiritual change which enthusiasts insist upon as
necessary to our salvation. One of the times it is
used in reference to baptism, and is expressly distin
guished from the renewing of the Holy Ghost ; as
when it is said " God hath saved us by the washing
of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost":"
and the other time, it has nothing to do either with
baptism or the new birth, but refers to a totally
distinct subject.
Now we grant, that this particular term, " the
washing of regeneration," is here used as our objector
states : and we also grant, that if nothing more were
said in Scripture respecting a new birth than what is
expressed under that particular term, there would be
very great weight in the objection. But the doctrine
of the new birth is not at all founded on the use of
that particular term. The term regeneration, indeed,
has a peculiar fitness to express the being born again:
and when it is so peculiarly fit for this purpose, we
cannot but think that the non-application of it to the
subject in the Holy Scriptures, would be a very weak
argument against the doctrine itself, when that doc
trine is expressed as clearly as possible by various
other terms of the same import. However, we wish
not to contend about a word: it is not words, but
things, that we insist upon ; and therefore, waving
the use of that particular term, we shall speak in the
common phraseology of Scripture, of being " born
again," or " born from above," or " born of God."
But that we may leave no room for misapprehension
a Tit. iii. o.
252 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1975.
respecting our sentiments, we shall begin with stating
what we do not mean, when we insist upon the doc
trine of the new birth.
It is supposed by many, and indeed affirmed by
some, that we require a sudden impulse of the Holy
Spirit, which, without any co-operation on the part of
man, is to convert the soul to God ; and that we re
quire this change to be so sensibly and perceptibly
wrought, that the subject of it shall be able to specify
the day and hour when it took place.
But all this we utterly disclaim. We say, indeed,
that God may effect his work in any way that he
pleases; and that, if he choose to convert men now,
precisely as he did the three thousand on the day of
Pentecost, or as he did the persecuting Saul on his
way to Damascus, he is at liberty to do it ; and no
man in the universe is authorised to say that he can
not, or shall not, or will not, do it. But we never
require any thing of the kind : we require nothing
sudden. It may be so gradual, as that the growth of
it, like the seed in the parable, shall at no time be
particularly visible, either to the observation of others,
or to the person's own mind : " it shall spring and
grow up, he knoweth not howV We deny that we
ever speak of it as wrought by an irresistible impulse
of the Spirit, or without the co-operation of the man
himself: for that man is in all cases a free agent : he is
never wrought upon as a mere machine. He is drawn,
indeed, but it is with the cords of a man ; that is, by
considerations proper to influence a rational being,
and by feelings which those considerations excite in
his soul. He is influenced by hopes and fears, joys
and sorrows, just as any other man is ; only the Spirit
of God takes away from his heart that veil which was
upon it (and thereby enables the man to see both
temporal and eternal things in their true light, ac
cording to their relative importance) ; and then
inclines the heart to act agreeably to the dictates of
sound judgment. How far the Spirit of God works,
and hozv far the mind of man, is a point which no
b Mark iv. 27.
1075.] ON THE NEW
human being can determine ; but that " God gives us
both to will and to do," we are certain, since " every
good and perfect gift cometh down from him." But
at the same time we know, that man does and must
" work out his own salvation with fear and trembling;"
and so far is the Divine agency from being a reason
for neglect on man's part, that it is the great motive
and encouragement which God himself affords him to
activity and exertion0.
Thus we have endeavoured to guard against the
misrepresentations with which this subject is usually
disguised and deformed.
We now come to state what our views of the sub
ject really are :—
We have before shewn, that man by nature has
nothing in him that is spiritually good, or good towards
God. But in order to be made meet for heaven, he
must be made spiritually good ; that is, he must love
what God loves, and hate what God hates ; and be,
and do, what God commands. Does God hate sin
in all its branches ? he must hate it too, and lothe
and abhor himself for having ever committed it. Does
God love holiness ? he also must love a holy God,
and holy exercises, and holy affections ; and must so
love holy things, as to make them the continual
objects of his most earnest pursuit : in relation to
every thing that is holy and heavenly, "the same
mind must be in him that was in Christ Jesus."
Has God required him to come as a weary and
heavy-laden sinner to Jesus, and to live altogether
by faith in Christ, for wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption ; and to glory, not in
any human strength or goodness, but wholly and
exclusively in the Lord Jesus Christ ? the man's mind
must be brought to this, and Christ must be exceed
ing precious to him in all these points of view ; yea,
he must " determine to know nothing, and to rejoice
in nothing, but Christ and him crucified." These
views and these principles must not rest as mere
notions in the head, but must be wrought into the
« Phil. ii. 12, 13.
254 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1975.
heart, and exhibited in the whole of the life and con
versation.
Before we proceed, we will beg leave to ask, Is
this, or is it not, a reasonable statement and a rea
sonable requirement ? I speak as unto wise men ;
and I call upon you to judge, as in the sight of God,
whether these requirements can justly be branded
with enthusiasm, or severity, or any odious character
whatever ?
But to proceed : — This change far exceeds the
power of fallen man. Whatever powers you may be
pleased to invest him with, they fall very far short of
this. A semblance of these things he may put on ;
but he cannot form them really and truly in his
heart. This is the work of the Spirit of God, who is
promised to us for this very end : " A new heart will
I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you :
and I will take away the stony heart out of your
flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh: and I will
put MY SPIRIT within you, and cause you to walk in
my statutes, and ye shall keep my commandments
to do themd." As to the mode of effecting this
great work, we have already observed, the Spirit is
not restricted : but whenever it is truly effected, then
we say, that the man is born again, and born of the
Spirit ; and the change that has taken place within
him, we call the new birth.
Now the question is, Whether this be the new
birth or not ? and whether we do right in insisting
upon it as necessary to man's salvation ?
In answer to this, we reply, not only that the
Scriptures call this a new birth, a new creation, a
being born of God, and a being born of the Spirit,
but that an experience of it is predicated of all who
are in a state of favour with God now, or shall find
admission into his kingdom hereafter. " If any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature, or a new crea
tion," says the Apostle : " old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new6." And
d Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. e 2 Cor. v. 17,
1975.] ON THE NEW BIRTH. 255
our Lord, with repeated asseverations, says to Nico-
demus, " Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God'."
These declarations of our Lord to Nicodemus are
peculiarly strong ; because the import of them can
not with any appearance of reason be explained
away. Some indeed have endeavoured to explain
this of baptism ; but I wish that those, who think it
can bear that construction, would see what sense they
can on that supposition make of the whole context.
Let us suppose for a moment that baptism is the new
birth, and that baptism was the point which our Lord
so strongly insisted on ; Why should our Lord, when
explaining and enforcing his first assertion, so care
fully distinguish between water-baptism, and the
operations of the Holy Spirit ; " Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, lie cannot enter into the kingdom of God?"
Here, admitting that he insisted on the necessity of
being born of water, he insisted also on being born
of the Spirit, in order that he might convince Nico
demus that he spoke, not of an outward and carnal,
but of an inward and spiritual, change. Again—
Ho wean his subsequent explanations apply to baptism ?
On the supposition that he speaks of a spiritual birth,
his reasons are clear and forcible ; " that which is
born of the flesh, is flesh :" and therefore unfit for a
spiritual kingdom: but "that which is born of the
Spirit, is spirit," and exactly suited to that kingdom
which he was about to establish. Again — If it were
baptism of which he speaks, what connexion has that
with the wind, which bloweth where it listeth, and
which, though inexplicable in some respects, is inva
riably and infallibly to be seen in its effects ? If it
were baptism, it would blow, not where the Spirit
listeth, but where the parents and the minister list :
and as for its effects, they are for the most part visible
to no human being. Moreover, how could our Lord
with justice ask Nicodemus, " Art thou a master in
f John iii. 3 — 5.
256 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1975.
Israel, and knowest not these things?" Nicodemus
might have well replied, ' Yes, I am a master in
Israel, and yet know not these things : for how should
I know them ? Where are they revealed ? What is
there in the writings of Moses or the prophets that
should have taught me to expect so much from bap
tism ? God required the circumcision of the flesh,
as you do baptism : but he required the circumcision
of the heart also : and, if there be a spiritual change
of a similar nature required of us under your dispen
sation, and that be the thing which you call a new
birth, then I confess I ought to have had clearer
views of these things, since they were evidently
inculcated in the Jewish Scriptures, and were repre
sented also as particularly characterizing the Messiah's
reign.'
It were much to be wished, that those who will
have baptism to be the new birth would take this
passage, and try what sense they can make of it
according to their interpretation. Prejudice doubt
less is so strong as to be convinced by nothing ; but
I should marvel if a person possessed of a simple and
unsophisticated mind, could withstand the evidence
that would arise from this one passage alone.
But as some distinguished characters are very
strong and positive upon this point, we think it not
improper to enter somewhat more fully into it.
That we may not be misunderstood either in rela
tion to what we conceive to be their sentiments, or
what we would maintain in opposition to them, we
will state precisely what it is in their views which we
disapprove, and which we conceive it is of great im
portance to correct.
If by the term regeneration they meant an intro
duction into a new state, in which the baptized
persons have a right and title to all the blessings
of salvation, we should have no controversy with
them.
If they meant that all adults, who in the exercise
of penitence and faith are baptized into Christ, have
in that ordinance the remission of their sins sealed
1975.] OX THE NEW BIRTH. 257
to them, and the Holy Spirit in a more abundant
measure communicated to them, we should not dis
agree with them.
If they meant that infants dedicated to God in
baptism may and sometimes do (though in a way not
discoverable by us, except by the fruits) receive a
new nature from the Spirit of God in, and with, and
by that ordinance, we could cordially join with them.
But they go much farther than all this ; and assert,
that all persons do necessarily by a divine appoint
ment receive the Holy Ghost in such a manner and
degree as really to be changed in the spirit of their
minds into the very image of God in righteousness
and true holiness, and so to partake of the Divine
nature, that they never need afterwards to seek so
great a change again. This we are constrained to
combat as a fundamental error : and respecting it, we
now, in humility and a spirit of love, venture to make
our appeal to you.
Is the new birth so identified with baptism as to be
universally and necessarily attendant on it ?
To determine this question, let us examine what is
said of the new birth in Scripture, and what of baptism.
Hear what is said of the new birth : " Whatsoever
is born of God, overcometh the world." " Whosoever
is born of God doth not commit sin ; for his seed
remaineth in him : and he cannot sin, because he is
born of God."
Strong as this is, the same is yet more confidently
expressed in another place : " We know, that whoso
ever is born of God, sinneth not ; but he that is
begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked
one toucheth him notg. Now we ask, Is this true of
all that are baptized ? Do they invariably, from the
moment of their baptism, overcome the world ? Do
they never (willingly and habitually) commit sin ?
and are they incapable of so sinning because they
are baptized ? Do they so keep themselves, that the
wicked one toucheth them not ? I speak as to wise
and candid, yea, as to honest, men ; and ask,
g 1 John v. 18.
VOL. XVI. s
258 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1975.
Whether in your consciences you can affirm such
things of baptism ; and, Whether, if you cannot, the
new birth must not be a thing very different from
baptism ? I will even abide by the testimony which
every individual must give of himself: you have all
been baptized : but have you all overcome the
world ? Are you all in such a state that you cannot
knowingly and habitually commit sin ? And have
you so kept yourselves, that the wicked one does not
touch you \ Was there ever such a period in your
lives ? If there was, when was it ? How long did it
last ? Why did you not continue it ? Why are you
not panting after it, and labouring for it again ?
But you know in your own hearts that there are
millions of baptized persons of whom these things
are not true, nor ever were true ; and that conse
quently the new birth must be a very different thing
from baptism.
Now then let us inquire also what is said of bap
tism. It is said, " Our Lord baptized no man." — But
was he not the means of any being born to God ? It
is said by Paul, that " God did not send him to bap
tize, but to preach the Gospel :" but was he not sent
to beget souls to God through the Gospel ? He goes
further, and says, " I thank God I baptized none of
you but Crispus and Gaius." But would he have
accounted it a proper ground of thanksgiving, if he
had been instrumental to the conversion of no more
than these ? He tells us of many whom he had
begotten by the Gospel, and who were his sons in
the faith : and therefore we are sure, that there is a
birth effected by the Word and Spirit of God, that
is totally distinct from baptism.
How can we account for it, that men, in the face
of all this evidence, should maintain, as they do, this
fatal error ? In some cases it is to be feared, that,
being averse to seek the spiritual change of which
the Scriptures speak, they are glad to lay hold on any
error that shall lull their consciences asleep, and
sanction their continuance in an unconverted state.
But with some we hope, that there is really an error
1975.J ON THE NEW BIRTH. 259
of judgment arising from the strong things which are
spoken of baptism in the Holy Scriptures. They do
not consider, that, when it is said, " Repent, and be
baptized for the remission of sins :" those words were
addressed to adults, who had just been informed, that
Jesus was the Christ, and that, if they believed in
him, and became his disciples, their sins should be
blotted out. Expressions of this kind were highly
proper as addressed to adults ; but afford no ground
for the idea, that the rite of baptism is the new birth.
AVe are no more disposed to detract from the honour
of that sacred ordinance than our adversaries them
selves : we admit, and beg you to bear in mind our
admission, that great, exceeding great, benefit accrues
to the soul from baptism. In many instances, where
the ordinance is really attended upon in faith, and
prayer is offered up to God in faith, we do believe
that God bestows a peculiar blessing on the child :
and, though we cannot ascertain that he does so but
by the fruits that are afterwards produced, yet are we
wan-anted from Scripture to believe, that the effectual
fervent prayer of righteous people shall not go forth
in vain ; and that " whatsoever we ask, believing, we
shall receive." But even from the ordinance itself we
may consider great good as arising to the soul ; since,
as in the case of circumcision, the person is thereby
brought into covenant with God. The Israelites, as
a nation in covenant with God, were highly privi
leged : for " to them," as the Apostle says, " belonged
the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and
the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the
promises11." The same, I doubt not, may be justly
said of all that are baptized : indeed, we doubt not,
but that our Reformers had that very passage of
Scripture in their eye, when in our baptismal ser
vice they instructed us to thank God for having
regenerated the baptized person by his Holy Spirit ;
and, in our Catechism, to speak of children as by the
ordinance of baptism made members of Christ, chil
dren of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven.
h Rom. ix. 4.
s; ..
y<30 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1975.
These expressions are doubtless strong ; and so are
St. Paul's expressions respecting the benefits of cir
cumcision : and every blessing which he asserts to
have been conveyed by circumcision, we may safely
and truly apply to baptism. By the very admission
of persons into covenant with God, they are brought
into a new state, have a right and title to all these
privileges ; and by the exercise of faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ they come to the actual possession of them.
We hope we shall not be considered as degrading
our subject, if we attempt to present it more clearly
to your minds, by an easy and familiar illustration.
The subject is confessedly difficult ; and if we can by
any means simplify it, we shall render an important
service to those who wish to understand it. Take
then a well-known ordinance from the laws of our
own land. A person, to whom property has been
bequeathed, has a right and title to it from the
moment of the testator's death : but he cannot take
possession, and have the full enjoyment of it, till he
has complied with the due forms and requisitions of
the law : so a baptized person has a right and title
to all the blessings of the Christian covenant as soon
as he is baptized ; but he must comply with the
requisitions of the Gospel, and exercise faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ, before he can have the complete
enjoyment of them. We do not mean to lay any
great stress on this illustration ; we are aware it is
far from complete ; and we particularly desire that it
may not be pressed beyond the occasion for which it
is used ; but we conceive that, imperfect as it is, it
may serve to throw some light upon a subject, which
has been, and yet is, a source of perplexity to many.
But the chief source of the fore-mentioned error
is, that men do not distinguish between a change of
state and a change of nature. Baptism is, as we
have just shewn, a change of state : for by it we
become entitled to all the blessings of the new
covenant ; but it is not a change of nature. A
change of nature may be communicated at the time
that the ordinance is administered ; but the ordinance
1975.] ON THE NEW BIRTH. 201
itself does not communicate it now, any more than
in the apostolic age. Simon Magus was baptized ;
and yet remained in the gall of bitterness and the
bond of iniquity, as much after his baptism as he was
before. And so it may be with us : And this is an
infallible proof, that the change, which the Scriptures
call the new birth, does not always and of necessity
accompany this sacred ordinance. As the circum
cision of the heart did not always accompany the
circumcision of the flesh, so neither does the reno
vation of the soul always accompany the outward
rite of baptism, which shadows it forth ; and if only
our opponents will distinguish the sign from the
thing signified, and assign to each its proper place
and office, there will be an immediate end of this
controversy.
But it will not be amiss to examine briefly the
different tendencies of these opposite doctrines, and
to ascertain their comparative worth ; in point of
sobriety ; in point of practical efficacy ; and, lastly,
in reference to their final issue.
Which has the preference in point of sobriety ; the
doctrine of a new and spiritual birth, by the operation
of the Spirit of God ; or that of baptism being the
new birth ? It is objected to the former doctrine,
that it is enthusiastic, and that it is accompanied
with many absurd and baneful errors ; namely, that
its advocates insist on sudden impulses, which
irresistibly, and without any co-operation on our
parts, at some particular time that may at all sub
sequent periods be referred to, convert the soul to
God. Now we have before denied that the advocates
for the new birth give any such representation of it,
or that it is in its own nature associated with any
such things. But now observe the doctrine of our
adversaries ; namely, of those who identify baptism
with the new birth : it is curious to observe to what
an extent they fall into the very errors which they
impute to us. They say, that we are born again in
baptism, consequently, they,
First, make our new birth sudden.
1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1975.
Next, they make it irresistible ; for the child can
not withstand the power of the priest.
Next, they make it without any co-operation on our
part ; for the child is wholly passive.
Next, thev make it arbitrary according to the will of
man ; who may hasten it, or delay it, or prevent it,
exactly as he pleases : whereas it is expressly said
of all Christians, that they are "born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God1."
Next, they make it so determinable in point of time,
that not the person himself only, but the whole world
also, may know it, by consulting the register where
the ceremony is recorded.
And, lastly, they are assured of it, not only without
any evidence at all, but in the very face of all imaginable
evidence to the contrary.
Who, I would ask, are the enthusiasts now? I will
further ask, Whether the wildest fanatic that can be
found at this day in Christendom entertains notions
half so fanatical as these ?
The Jews laid great and unscriptural stress on
circumcision : but did they ever say that the circum
cision of the flesh was the same as the circumcision
of the heart ? Or do our advocates for baptismal
regeneration give credit either to the ancient or
modern Jews, as actually born again by the rite of
circumcision ? The Jews did indeed think that all
the circumcised among them would be saved ; but it
was on other grounds : it was from an idea that, as
children of Abraham, they could not perish, being all
of necessity interested in the covenant made with
him and his seed : but never, as far as we know, did
they so confound the sign with the thing signified,
as to imagine, that they were of necessity made new
creatures by the operation of God upon their souls,
at the time that man performed a painful operation
on their bodies.
But let us also examine the two opinions in refer
ence to their practical ejficacy. What is the tendency
1 John i. 13.
1975.] °N THE NEW BIRTH. 263
of the doctrine which requires men to seek from God
an entire change both of heart and life ; and declares
them to be incapable of entering into the kingdom
of heaven till they have experienced this change ?
Its tendency manifestly is to awaken men from their
slumbers in the way of sin, and to stir them up to
seek a conformity to God in righteousness and true
holiness. But what is the tendency of the doctrine
that identifies baptism with the new birth ? Is it not
to lull men asleep in their evil ways ; to make them
think that they do not need a new nature, but only
a little reformation of some things, which may easily
be amended whenever they please ? I ask any candid
man, Are not these the true and natural tendencies
of the two opposite doctrines ? and do not these ten
dencies strongly mark which of the two is right ?
Lastly ; Let us view them in reference to their
final issue. — Suppose that the doctrine of baptismal
regeneration should prove erroneous, what will be
the consequence to those who, having relied upon it
as true, have never sought that spiritual birth which
we maintain to be necessary to salvation ? According
to their own principles, they must perish : for, let it
be remembered, that our opponents maintain the
necessity of a new birth as well as we ; only they
maintain that they experienced it in their baptism.
But suppose that our doctrine prove erroneous ; shall
we perish because we were fearful that we had not
yet attained that new birth, and continued with all
diligence to seek it after we had actually attained it ?
The worst that could in that case be said, would be,
that we had given ourselves some unnecessary con
cern and trouble : but our very opponents must ac
knowledge, that by that diligence we had " made our
calling and election sure ;" yea, if I may be allowed
such an expression, we had made it doubly sure. Can
any one who considers this, sit down contentedly
with the doubtful notion of having been regenerated
in his baptism, and not exert himself to put the matter
beyond a doubt ? The pains used to obtain a new
and spiritual birth will injure no man : but a neglect
264 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1975.
to seek it, from the idea of its having been imparted
in baptism, will, if that idea be erroneous, plunge us
into irremediable and endless misery. Which alter
native, then, will any man of wisdom, yea, of common
prudence, choose ?
I think, enough has been said to shew what the
new birth really is, and that it must be sought and
experienced by all who would find admittance into
the kingdom of heaven.
But we will yet further confirm what has been said,
by two or three passages of Scripture, which bear
directly upon the question, and shew us the danger
of listening to such delusions as are set in opposition
to the truth which we are insisting on. " All are not
Israel," says St. Paul, " who are of Israel1";" or, in
other words, all are not true Christians who are
nominally so. Again, " In Christ Jesus, neither cir
cumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but
a new creature1." Here substitute the term baptism
for the corresponding rite of circumcision, and you
have in one single sentence every word that we have
spoken. Once more : " He is not a Jew who is one
outwardly ; neither is that circumcision, which is
outward in the flesh : but he is a Jew who is one
inwardly ; and circumcision is that of the heart, in
the spirit, and not in the letter ; whose praise is not
of men, but of God™." Can there be plainer language
than this ? O that we may not trifle with God, and
our own souls ! It is an easy matter to adopt an
opinion, and to maintain it in opposition to the most
convincing statements : but we cannot change the
truth of God ; nor, when we have passed into the
eternal world, can we come back to rectify our errors.
We may laugh at the new birth, and persuade our
selves that we have no need to be alarmed at the
declarations of the Lord Jesus Christ in relation to
it ; but we cannot make him open the kingdom of
heaven to us when once the door is shut : we may
knock, and say, Lord, I thought my baptism was
k Rom. ix. G. i Gal. vi. !,">. '» Rom. ii. 28, 29.
1975.] ON THE NEW BIRTH. 265
sufficient : but he will say, ' Depart, I never knew
you : My words were plain enough, if you had desired
to understand them ; but you did not choose to let
go your beloved lusts ; you did not choose to give
yourselves up to me in newness of heart and life;
and therefore you would " believe any lie" rather
than comply with my word : Depart, therefore, and
reap for ever the fruit of your own delusions.'
And now let me once more appeal to you as men
of wisdom and integrity, whether your own experience
does not confirm every word that I have spoken ?
Are not many of you sensible, that, notwithstanding
your baptism, you have never been so born again, as
to be brought out of darkness into light, and to be
turned from the power of Satan unto God ? Are you
not sensible at this very hour, that it is not the one
labour of your souls to walk as Christ walked, and to
obtain an entire renovation of your souls after the
Divine image ? In a word, Do you not find the
current of your affections still running, agreeably to
the bias of your corrupt nature, after the things of
time and sense, instead of flowing, contrary to nature,
upwards to high and heavenly things ? If so, the
point is clear : you have an evidence within your
selves where the truth lies. Notwithstanding your
baptism, you are yet unrenewed ; you are yet in
your sins ; and you are lost for ever, if you die in
your present state. O cry mightily to God for the
gift of his Holy Spirit, and for the influence of his
converting grace ! Pray, as David did, " Create in me
a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within
me." Then shall you know by your own happy ex
perience, what it is to be born again ; and in due
time shall you be partakers of the inheritance to
which you are born, even " that inheritance, which
is incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away."
266 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1976,
MDCCCCLXXVI.
ON JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH.
1 Cor. x. 15. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
IF there be any one question of more importance
than all others, it is this, " How shall a man be just
with God?" Many errors in relation to other points
may be entertained in the mind, and yet our final
salvation not be affected by them : but an error in
reference to this undermines the foundation of our
hopes, and will involve our souls in everlasting ruin.
We are anxious therefore to state, with all the preci
sion in our power, what we apprehend to be the
doctrine of the Holy Scriptures respecting the grounds
of a sinner's acceptance before God. And here we
are peculiarly solicitous to bespeak your candour;
because there are in the world so many misconcep
tions, not to say, misrepresentations also, of the views
of those who maintain the doctrine of justification by
faith only.
It is thought by some, that we make faith to con
sist in a strong persuasion of the mind that we are in
the favour of God : but we are far from entertaining
O
any such opinion. Whatever is founded on a mere
persuasion of our own minds, is a baseless fabric, a
fatal delusion. The only warrant for a sinner's hope,
is the written word of God : and that word is the
same, whether it come suddenly to our minds, and
excite in us an assurance of our interest in it, or be
brought more gradually to our view, and be received
with fear and trembling. The promises made to re
penting and believing sinners are, I say, independent
of any frames or feelings of ours ; and are the only
legitimate ground of our hope in God : and a simple
reliance on them, and on Christ as revealed in them,
we call faith.
What we mean by being justified by faith, we shall
also explain in few words.
We all, as sinners, are obnoxious to the wrath of
God : but the Lord Jesus Christ is set forth in the
1976.] ON JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 207
Gospel, as having by his own obedience unto death ob
tained eternal redemption for us. To him we are com
manded to look as to the propitiation offered for the
sins of the whole world : and we are assured, that, on
our doing this with penitence and faith, "we shall be
justified from all things, from which we could not be
justified by the law of Moses." With this command
we comply : we look to God as reconciled to us in
the Son of his love ; and in the exercise of this faith
we become interested in all that Christ has done and
suffered for us. Our iniquities are blotted out as a
morning cloud ; the righteousness of Christ is given
to us, and put upon us ; and, arrayed in that spotless
robe, we stand before God without spot or blemish.
Thus are we accepted in the beloved, or, in other
words, are justified by faith.
We will also add a few words, to declare what we
mean when we say, that we are justified by faith
without works. We do not mean that a justified per
son is at liberty to neglect good works ; but that the
person who seeks for acceptance through Christ must
not bring with him any works whatever, either cere
monial or moral, as a joint ground of his hope, or as
a price which he is to pay for an interest in Christ.
He must, in point of dependence, renounce his best
works as much as the greatest sins he ever committed :
his trust must be altogether in the blood and right
eousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here it will be proper just to mention a mistake
which some have fallen into, respecting the works
which are so carefully excluded by St. Paul from the
office of justifying : It is said, that wherever works are
mentioned as not justifying the sinner, the expression
used is, " The works of the law :" and that therefore
we may conclude, that not works in general are ex
cluded from this office, but only the works of the
ceremonial law. But the truth is, that " works" are
often mentioned in this view, without any notice of
the law; and the inference drawn from this unfounded
assertion only shews, how hard the adversaries of the
doctrine we are insisting upon find it to reconcile
2GS 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1976.
their opinions, in any plausible manner, with the
statements of St. Paul. Let one passage suffice to
settle this point. It is said (where the point in ques
tion is expressly debated),, " If Abraham were justified
by works, he hath whereof to glory." But what works
could the Apostle mean ? Those of the ceremonial
law ? The ceremonial law was not promulgated till
four hundred and thirty years after the time that
Abraham was justified ; and, consequently, the works
which are spoken of as incapable of justifying him,
were not those of the ceremonial law, but works
generally, of any kind whatever.
To make known our views, then, in few words :
We consider justification as an act of sovereign grace
and mercy, vouchsafed to sinners, on account of what
the Lord Jesus Christ has done and suffered for them,
and in no respect on account of their own merits or
deserts : and it is solely through faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ, that we do, or ever can, obtain this
mercy at God's hands.
Now, then, the question is, whether this be the
doctrine of the Holy Scriptures, or not.
Let us then address ourselves to this important
subject, and make our appeal to you, as men of wis
dom and judgment, to determine, whether or not
our statements be right, and whether they be of
such fundamental importance as we profess them
to be.
But here it may be thought that we shall merely
bring forward some passages of St. Paul's writings,
which may be differently interpreted ; and that, after
all, the question will remain where we found it. But
this shall not be our mode of proceeding. If the point
be as we maintain, we may expect that it will run,
like the warp, throughout the whole Scriptures, and
not depend upon any particular expressions that may
here and there be interwoven with it by one favourite
author. We will take then, but with all possible
brevity, a comprehensive view of the subject ; and
will inquire—
I. What is the true way of our salvation ? and
1976.] ON JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 2(39
II. What evidence we have that this is the only true
way ?
Under the former of these heads we will distinctly
examine, What was the way of salvation dictated by
the moral law ? what by the ceremonial law ? what
was proclaimed by the prophets ? what by our Lord
Jesus Christ himself? and what was maintained by
his Apostles ? what was the way in which the most
eminent saints of old were justified ? and what is the
way marked out in the authentic records of our
Church ? Of course, on these several points we must
be very concise ; but we hope, nevertheless, to be
clear and satisfactory.
What, then, was the way of salvation to which the
moral law directed us ? Our adversary will here
exultingly reply, " by works." True, as given unto
man in innocence, it did say, " Do this, and live." But
what does it say to fallen man ? Does it encourage
him to hope for salvation by his obedience to it ?
Hear what it says to all who are under it : " Cursed
is every one that continueth not in all things that are
written in the book of the law to do them." Does
this afford us any encouragement to seek salvation by
our works? Our obedience must have been abso
lutely perfect from the first moment to the latest hour
of our lives, or else the law, instead of promising any
reward, denounces a curse against us ; and on this
account it is said by infallible authority, that " as
many as are under the law, are under the curse." Is
it asked, Why then was it promulgated in so solemn
a manner on Mount Sinai ? I answer, To shew us
how awfully sin abounded in the world, and how
much we stood in need of a Saviour ; and thus to
" shut us up to the faith that should afterwards be
revealed," and to constrain us to seek for salvation by
faith alone. This is what we are expressly told by an
inspired Apostle : " Wherefore then serveth the law ?
It was added, because of transgressions, till the seed
should come to whom the promise was made. Is the
law then against the promises of God ? God forbid !
for if there had been a law given which could have
270 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1976.
given life, verily righteousness should have been by
the law : but the Scripture hath concluded (hath
shut up} all under sin, that the promise by faith of
Jesus Christ might be given to all that believe.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us
unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith*"
Next, let us hear the ceremonial law. In all the
burnt-offerings, and the peace-offerings, and the sin-
offerings, a fundamental part of the institution was,
that the person who brought the offering should put
his hand on the head of the victim, in token that he
transferred all his sins to it ; and then, when the
sacrifice was slain, and its blood sprinkled according
to the commandment, the offender was liberated from
the sin that he had committed15. But we will direct
your attention to the offerings which were annually
made for the sins of all Israel, on the great day of
atonement. Two goats were taken : one was to be
slain for a sin-offering for the whole people of Israel,
and its blood was to be carried within the vail, and
sprinkled upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-
seat. Then the live goat was brought forth, and the
high-priest was to lay both his hands upon his head,
and to confess over him all the iniquities of the
children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all
their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat :
and then the goat was to be led away by the hand of
a fit man into the wilderness, bearing upon him all
their iniquities, unto a land not inhabited0. Can any
thing be conceived more plain and simple than this ?
Who does not see that the sins of the people were
expiated by the blood of the one, and carried away
in consequence of their having been transferred to
the other ? Who does not here see written, as with
a sun-beam, the truth it typified ; namely, that
" Christ died for our offences, and was raised again
for our justification ;" and that we are saved entirely
by the exercise of faith in him, or, in other words, by
transferring our guilt to him, and looking for mercy
a Gal. iii. 19— '2-1. >> Lev. i. ii. iii. c Lev. xvi. 15, 21, 22.
1976.] ON JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 271
through his all-atoning sacrifice ? Verily, if we make
no better use of the explanations given us in the New
Testament than to refine, and cavil, and obscure the
truth, we had better go at once, and learn of a poor
ignorant Jew : for there was no Jew so ignorant, but,
when he saw that rite performed, could tell you in
what way his iniquities were to be forgiven. And, if
only we will bear in mind that ordinance, we may
defy all the sophists upon earth : for it speaks the
truth so plainly, that " he who runs may read it."
Turn we to the prophets : They bear one uniform
testimony to the truth we are proclaiming. Through
fear of detaining you too long, we will wave the men
tion of any particular passages ; because, if we believe
the declaration of God himself, their testimony is all
summed up in one infallible declaration : " To him
give all the prophets witness, that, through his name,
whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of
sinsd."
Our blessed Lord invariably declared, that his blood
should be shed for the remission of sins, and that in
no other way than by faith in him could any child
of man be saved. " I am the way, and the truth,
and the life : no man cometh unto the Father, but
by mee." " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so shall the Son of man be lifted up ;
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
" He that believeth on him, is not condemned ; but he
that believeth not, is condemned already, because he
hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten
Son of Godf." If it be said, that, in answer to one
who inquired, " What shall I do to inherit eternal
life ?" he replied, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep
the commandments ;" we answer, he did so : and we
highly disapprove of that mode which some take of
evading the force of his words, by saying that he
A Act? x. 43. e John xiv. 6. f John iii. L4 — 16, 18.
272 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1976.
spoke them ironically. We are persuaded that our
Lord would not have indulged in irony or sarcasm on
such an occasion, and least of all towards one whom
" he loved g." The meaning of his answer was ;
" Come, and follow me in all that I command you,
and you shall gradually be guided into all truth."
And the command which he immediately gave the
Youth, to go and sell all that he had, and to look for
treasure in heaven, put his sincerity to the trial, and
shewed him, that, notwithstanding the anxiety he
professed to learn the way to life, he was more at
tached to his wealth than to his Saviour and his God.
When our blessed Lord more explicitly declared the
way of salvation, he spoke of himself as having come
into the world for the express purpose of giving up
his life " a ransom for manyV' and of giving men his
own flesh to eat, and his blood to drink, for the life
of their souls*.
Of the views given by the Apostles, our opponents
themselves have but little doubt ; and hence, for the
most part, the Epistles are no very favourite part of
Scripture with them : and some will go so far as to
say, that they think it would have been better if the
Epistles of St. Paul had never been written.
But let us hear St. Peter on the day of Pentecost.
When three thousand persons at once were crying
out with great agony of mind, " Men, and brethren,
what shall we do ?" his answer to them is, " Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ, for the remission of sinsk;" that is, 'Change
your minds with respect to Him whom you have
crucified as a malefactor ; and, with deep contrition
of heart for your rejection of him, look to him now
as the only Saviour of your souls, and become his
open followers in token of your faith in him.' The
same Apostle, addressing the whole Jewish Sanhe
drim, speaks thus of that Jesus whom they had cruci
fied : " This is the stone which was set at nought of
you builders, which is become the head of the corner :
B Compare Matt. xix. 10, 17. with Mark x. 18, 21.
b Markx. 45. > John vi. 52 — 58. k Acts ii. 38.
1976.] ON JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 273
neither is there salvation in any other : for there is
none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved1." Of St. Paul it is scarcely
needful to speak. Only let a man, desirous of know
ing the truth of God, read with an unprejudiced mind
the Epistles to the Romans and the Galatians, and he
could no more doubt what were St. Paul's sentiments,
than he could doubt whether the sun shines at noon
day. That a learned and ingenious man may involve
the plainest subjects in obscurity, and may maintain
even the most palpable absurdities with somewhat like
a plausible course of argument, is well known to this
audience, who are habituated to investigate theories of
every kind. But the Scriptures are written for the
poor : and it is a fact, that the poor do understand
them ; whilst the vain disputers of this world are
bewildered in their own mazes, and by the just judg
ment of God are " taken in their own craftiness"1."
But, that we may not seem as if we took St. Paul's
testimony for granted, we will bring to your remem
brance that answer which he gave to the jailor, when
inquiring, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" He
replied to the same effect as Peter had done on the
day of Pentecost, " Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved"."
We will mention also that striking reproof which
he gave to Peter, for countenancing, by his dissimu
lation, the idea, that something besides faith in
Christ was necessary to salvation : " We (we Jews,
we Apostles,) knowing that a man is not justified by
the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ ;
even we have believed in Christ, that we might be
justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works
of the law : for by the works of the law shall no flesh
be justified0."
Here perhaps it will be urged, that the testimony
of St. James is altogether on the opposite side ; for
that he says, " We are justified by works, and not by
faith only p." But if only we attend to the scope of
1 Acts iv. 10 — 12. m 1 Cor. i. 18 — '29. and iii. 18, 19.
n Acts xvi. 30, 31. ° Gal. ii. 16. P Jam. ii. 21.
VOL. XVI. T
274 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1976.
St. James's argument, we shall see that he does not
at all contradict St. Paul. St. James is writing to
some who were disposed to abuse St. Paul's doctrine
of justification by faith only; who "said that they
had faith q," but nad no works to support their claim.
These he tells that their faith was dead, and no
better than the faith of devils. He declares to them,
that, as it would be to no purpose to profess com
passion for a fellow-creature, when at the same time
we made no effort to relieve his distress ; so it is in
vain to profess faith in Christ, if we shew not forth
our faith by our works. Abraham and Rahab were
believers ; but they evinced by their conduct, of what
kind their faith was ; namely, that it was not a dead
and barren, but a lively and operative, faith. And
we in like manner must give, by our works, an evi
dence that our faith is genuine : for in any preten
sions which we make to a saving faith, it is by our
works that we must be justified (or proved upright),
and not by faith only. St. Paul, on the other hand,
is arguing expressly on the subject of a sinner's jus
tification before God ; and he maintains that no man
is, or can be, justified in any other way than by faith
in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Next, let us see what the most eminent saints of old
found effectual for their salvation. And here the
path is prepared for us by St. Paul, so that we need
little more than quote his words. In the fourth
chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, where he is
arguing this very point, he asks, " What shall we
then say, that Abraham, our father as pertaining to
the flesh, hath found (i. e. hath found effectual for
his justification) ? for if Abraham were justified by
works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God
(/'. e. he has nothing whereof to glory before God).
For what saith the Scripture ? Abraham believed
God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Now7 to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned
of grace, but of debt : but to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his
<) Jam. ii. 1-1 — 26.
1976.1 °^ JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH.
faith is counted for righteousness : even as David
also describeth the blessedness of the man unto
whom God imputeth righteousness without works;
saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are for
given, and whose sins are covered : blessed is the
man, to whom the Lord will not impute sinr." We
regret that we have not time to make any observa
tions upon this passage : but whoever will read it
attentively will find, that every word we have uttered
is confirmed by it, beyond the power of sophistry to
set aside.
To Abraham and David under the Old Testament,
we will add St. Paul under the New ; and methinks,
if //£ had no righteousness of his own wherein to trust,
we cannot pretend to any. Hear, then, what he says
respecting the grounds of his hope : " We desire to
win Christ, and to be found in him, not having our
own righteousness, which is of the law, but the right
eousness which is by the faith of Christ, even the
righteousness which is of God by faith8." Are we so
much holier than he, that when he renounced all
trust in his righteousness, we should make ours,
either in whole or in part, the ground of our depen
dence ? After all this, it is scarcely needful to refer
to the avowed sentiments of our reformers : indeed
we have no time to do it at any length : we will
content ourselves therefore with reciting to you the
eleventh article of our Church : " We are accounted
righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith ; and not for our
own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are
justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine,
and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed
in the Homily of Justification."
II. We now come, in the second place, to shew, that
this alone is the appointed way of acceptance with
God-
This part of our subject being of such vast import
ance, we must beg leave to enter into it somewhat
1 Rom. iv. 1 — 8. • Phil. iii. 8, 9.
276 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1976.
minutely ; and to shew, first, that this alone accords
with the character given of the true Gospel; and, next,
that this alone is suited to our condition as fallen
sinners.
As to the marks which characterize the Gospel,
one of peculiar importance is, that it magnifies the
grace of God. We are told by St. Paul, that God
gave his Gospel to us, " that in the ages to come he
might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his
kindness towards us through Christ Jesus." And if
we consider salvation as entirely by faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ, the grace of God is indeed magnified
beyond all the powers of language to express. The
gift of God's only dear Son to die for us, the laying
of all our iniquities on him, the accepting of his
vicarious sacrifice in our behalf, the offering of a full
salvation to all the sinners of mankind, on account
of what he has done and suffered for us ; a bestowing
of this salvation freely, without money and without
price, even upon the very chief of sinners ;• — all this
is such a stupendous work of grace, that it fills even
heaven itself with wonder. But let man be required
to purchase this salvation, either in whole or in part,
by any works of his own ; and who does not see
how the grace of God is lowered ? We will grant,
for argument's sake, that the giving of salvation on
any terms, would have been a wonderful display of
grace ; but, as compared with that which is revealed,
it would have been no grace. As the Apostle says
of the Mosaic dispensation, that " notwithstanding
it was made glorious, it had no glory, by reason of
the glory that excelleth ;" so we may say of such a
mutilated Gospel as we are speaking of; it might be
glorious, inasmuch as it would be an exercise of
mercy ; but it would have had no glory, by reason of
the infinitely brighter display of Divine grace in the
Gospel, as it is revealed to us. Indeed, St. Paul
tolls us, that if any thing were required on our part
towards purchasing of salvation, salvation could be
no longer of grace ; because the two are contrary
to, and absolutely inconsistent with, each other.
1976.] ON JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 277
" If," says he, " salvation be by grace, then it is no
more of works ; otherwise grace is no more grace :
but if it be of works, then it is no more of grace ;
otherwise work is no more work1." Hence he else
where says, " It is of faith, that it may be by grace :"
and again, " Christ is become of no effect unto you ;
whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are
fallen from grace u." This, then, is one evidence,
that salvation must be by faith alone, without works.
Another most important mark of the true Gospel
is, that it cuts off all occasion for boasting. God has
said, that he has made Christ the great depository of
all spiritual blessings, in order " that no flesh should
glory in his presence, but that all might glory in the
Lord alone x." And it is evident, that by the Gospel,
as Paul preached it, all boasting is excluded.
But suppose that our works in any measure what
ever formed a ground of justification before God ;
should we have no occasion for boasting then ?
Assuredly we should : for in proportion as we had
procured it by our works, we might claim it as a
debt, and say, " I have procured this unto myself."
It matters not in what degree this exists : if it exist
in any degree whatever, boasting is not excluded.
Even in heaven itself we might say, " I owe it not
entirely to the free grace of God that I am here, but
partly to my own superior merit." This is declared
by St. Paul in very express terms : " Where is boast
ing then ? It is excluded. By what law ? Of works ?
Nay : but by the law of faith y :" that is, if it were in
any degree, even the smallest that can be imagined,
by works, there would be room for boasting ; but
seeing it is solely by faith in the Lord Jesus, all
boasting is, and must for ever be, excluded. Hence,
in giving an account of the Gospel salvation, he says,
" By grace ye are saved, through faith ; and that not
of yourselves ; it is the gift of God : not of works,
lest any man should boast V Let these words be
remembered, " Not of works, lest any man should
1 Rom. xi. 6. u Gal. v. 4. x 1 Cor. i. L'9, 31.
y Rom. iii. 27. z Eph. ii. 8, 9.
278 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1976.
boast ;" and there will be an end of all further argu
ment on this subject.
One more mark of the Gospel salvation is, that it
secures the performance of good works*. The grace of
God, that bringeth salvation, teaches us, that, deny
ing ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world b.
Many are apt to imagine, that the doctrine of salva
tion by faith alone destroys all incentive to holiness,
and tends to encourage all manner of licentiousness :
this was the very objection which was urged against
the Gospel in the Apostle's days, and which he set
himself strongly to refute. Anticipating the objec
tion, he says, " Shall we then continue in sin, that
grace may abound ? God forbid ! How shall we,
who are dead to sin, live any longer therein ?" And
again ; " Do we then make void the law through
faith ? God forbid! yea, we establish the lawc." The
fact is, that there is nothing so operative as a lively
faith. What was the spring of all those glorious
actions that were performed by the long catalogue of
worthies mentioned in the llth chapter of the Epistle
to the Hebrews ? From beginning to the end, we
are told that faith was the principle by which they
were actuated, and the root from which all their
obedience sprang. Of the New Testament saints,
none exceeded, or even equalled, Paul : and what
was it that actuated him ? He tells us : " The love
of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that
if One died for all, then were all dead ; and that he
died for all, that they who live should not henceforth
live unto themselves, but unto him that died for
them and rose again." This is the effect which faith
will, according to its measure, produce in all. It
a Had there been a fifth Sunday in the month, this would have
been made a distinct subject : but the whole being to be comprised
in four Sermons, this part could not possibly be extended, or be ren
dered so prominent, as the Author wished. But what is here spoken
is the most decided sentiment of his heart.
This want has since been supplied in a Sermon, on Ps. cxix. 128.
entitled, " The true Test of Religion in the Soul."
b Tit. ii. 11, 12. o Rom_ vi> 1; 0. and iii. 31.
1976.] ON JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 279
will " work by love," and " overcome the world," and
" purify the heart." What if the works it produces
be not to be relied on for our justification before
God ? Is it nothing that they will be adduced in the
day of judgment as the evidences of our love to Christ,
and as the measure of our everlasting reward ? Is it
nothing that God is glorified by them, and that the
dispositions from whence they spring constitute our
meetness for the heavenly inheritance ? Surely these
are motives enough for the performance of them,
without making them the meritorious cause of our
salvation ; and, if we look to fact and experience,
who are the persons at this day that are accounted
righteous overmuch, and are represented as making
the way to heaven so strait that none but themselves
can walk in it ? Is it among the declaimers about
good works, that we must look for these persons ?
No ; but among those who renounce all dependence
on their own works, and seek for salvation by Christ
alone : a sure proof, that they who look for redemp
tion solely through the blood of Christ, are by that
very principle made " a peculiar people zealous of
good works."
These, then, are clear evidences that the way of
salvation is precisely such as we have declared it to
be : for there is no other doctrine under heaven that
has these marks connected with it, or these effects
proceeding from it.
The second thing we mentioned as establishing our
doctrine, was, that there is no other way of salvation
suited to our condition as fallen sinners.
Take the way of salvation by our own works : who
will venture to build his hopes on such a foundation
as that ? Who is not sensible that in many things
he has offended God ? For those offences he must
answer at the judgment-seat of Christ. If through
out a great part of our life we had done all that
was commanded us, we should still be unprofitable
servants : our obedience to some commandments
would make no atonement for our violation of others:
for the sins that we had committed, we must die.
280 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1976.
But it may be said, that of those offences we repent.
Be it so : still our tears can never wash out the guilt
\ve have already contracted. Even in human govern
ments, a criminal that is under sentence of death may
be truly sorry that he has transgressed the laws, and
may determine never to repeat his crimes any more ;
but these sorrows and resolutions will not avail to
rescue him from death, or to repeal the sentence that
is gone forth against him : much less can any repent
ance of ours remove the curses of God's holy law, or
avert the judgments which our sins have merited.
But it may be said, we rely not on our works alone,
nor on our repentance alone, but on these things and
Christ's merits united. Go, then, and search the
records of your life, and see what works you will
bring forth in order to eke out the insufficient merits
of your Saviour ; bring forth one single work ; one
only out of your whole life ; one that has no defect,
and that does not in any respect need the mercy of
God to pardon its imperfection : then carry it to God,
and say, ' Here, Lord, is a work in which thou thyself
canst not find a flaw ; it is as perfect as any that my
Lord and Saviour himself ever performed, and is
therefore worthy to be united to his infinitely meri
torious obedience, as a joint ground of all my hopes:
I am content to stand or fall by this one work : I am
aware, that if it is imperfect, it stands in need of
mercy for its own imperfection, and consequently can
never purchase pardon for all my other offences ; but
I ask no mercy for that, yea, rather, I claim on ac
count of it all the glory of heaven V You who will
dispute against salvation by faith only, and who wish
to have something of your own to found your hopes
upon, do this : bring forth some work, some one work
at least, that shall stand the test of the divine law,
and defy the scrutiny of the heart-searching God.
d Let not the reader suppose that any one is exhorted to go thus
to Almighty God : the whole passage is intended to shew the horrible
impiety of even entertaining such a thought. The Scriptures fre
quently put such language into the lips of sinners, in order to shew
what is the real language of their hearts. See Rom.iii. 5, 7. and ix. 19.
1976.] °^T JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 281
But if you cannot find one such work, then see how
unsuitable to your state is the doctrine for which you
contend.
Perhaps it will be said, that God does not require
of us imperfect creatures any thing that is perfect,
but only that we be sincere. But who will venture to
make his own sincerity the ground of his salvation ?
If this be the law by which we are to be tried, who
shall stand ? Who shall say, that from the earliest
period of his life he has sincerely striven in every
thing to please God, and to approve himself to God ?
Alas ! those who stand upon their own sincerity are
little aware of the deceitfulness and wickedness of
their own hearts ; and if they would but look back
throughout their whole lives, they would find, that
their sincerity, like that of Saul of Tarsus, has only
stimulated them to a greater measure of inveteracy
against the Gospel of Christ.
We will mention only one more refuge to which
these persons will be disposed to flee, and that is,
their having done as well as they could: ' I have done
as well as I could, and therefore I doubt not but that
God will have mercy upon me.' But in this we shall
all fail, as much as in all the fallacious hopes that
have preceded it. For, who has done as well as he
could throughout his own life ? Who will dare to
appeal to God even respecting the best day in his life,
that there was no one thing omitted which he might
have done for him, nor any one thing done in a less
perfect manner than it might have been done ?
It is clear, that in all the ways of salvation which
men devise for themselves, whether by good works,
or repentance, or faith and works united, or sincerity,
or doing as well as we can, there is not a spot of
ground whereon to place our foot : we must go to
the ark of God, and there only can we find rest for
our weary souls.
Permit me, then, to address you as dying persons,
and to ask, What you will think of these things when
standing on the brink and precipice of eternity ?
Now you can speculate, and dispute, and speak with
^ 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 15. [1976.
confidence about the justness of your views : now
you can discuss these matters as if it were of little
moment what your sentiments are, or what is the
ground of your affiance. But if you hold fast any
of the foregoing delusions, you will not find them
so satisfactory in a dying hour as you now imagine.
Doubts like these will arise in your mind ; ' What if
my works should be found at last, either in number
or quality, insufficient ? What if my fancied good
ness, which I am blending with my Redeemer's right
eousness, should prove a refuge of lies ?' Amongst the
numberless evils to which this fatal error will expose
you, is, that in that hour, when you will most need
divine and heavenly consolation, your soul will be
trembling with uncertainty as to the ground of your
hopes, of those hopes which will in a little time be
blasted or realized for ever. For, who shall tell you
whether you have attained that precise measure of
righteousness which God will accept ? And what a
fearful thing will it be to be going into the presence
of your Judge, uncertain what shall be his sentence
upon you, and whether heaven or hell shall be your
everlasting portion ! Would you but place your
selves, where you must all very shortly be, on a
dying bed, we should not find it so difficult to con
vince you, that it is better to trust in the righteous
ness of Christ, which is commensurate with all the
demands of law and justice, and adequate to the
wants of the whole world, than to be trusting in any
respect to any poor defective righteousness of your
own. Methinks this argument alone were sufficient
to convince any considerate man : supposing that
your own righteousness were sufficient, your Lord
would not condemn you for thinking too humbly of
it, and for relying solely on his all-atoning sacrifice :
but supposing it insufficient, will he not condemn
you for your pride and arrogance in trusting to it,
and for your ingratitude in rejecting his salvation ?
Here all the declarations of his word are as pointed
and clear as words can make them : " He that be-
lieveth on the Son hath life : and he that believeth
1977.] TRUE WISDOM AND CHARITY. £83
not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God
abideth on him6." " He that believeth and is bap
tized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall
be damned f." Both of these declarations were uttered
by our blessed Lord himself when on earth ; and he
will not forget them, when he shall come again to
judge the world.
May I not, then, make my appeal to you ? " I speak
as to wise men ; judge ye what I say." Is it wise to
turn your back upon righteousness, which, as a rock,
is able to sustain a ruined world ; and to be trusting
in one that is no better than a foundation of sand ?
Know ye that your God is a jealous God : he will not
give his glory to another : if ye will seek acceptance
with him, through his only-begotten Son, " no one
of you shall ever be cast out :" your sins shall be
washed away in his blood ; and your souls be clothed
with the unspotted robe of his righteousness. Being
justified by faith in him, you shall have peace with
God : you shall " be kept also from falling," whilst in
this ensnaring world ; and in due time you shall be
" presented faultless before the presence of his glory
with exceeding joy."
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for
every one of you is, that you may be saved : but
know assuredly, that there is no salvation for you but
by faith in Christ : for " other foundation can no man
lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ6." To
whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be glory
in the Church throughout all ages, world without
end : Amenh.
e John Hi. 36. f Mark xvi. 16. R 1 Cor. iii. 11.
h The Discourse on Ps. cxix. 128. may be referred to as com
pleting this series.
MDCCCCLXXVII.
TRUE WISDOM AND CHARITY.
1 Cor. x. 32, 33, & xi. 1. Give none offence, neither to the Jews,
nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God : even as I
please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but
the profit of many, that they may be saved. Be ye followers
of me, even as f also am of Christ.
281 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 32, 33. & XL 1. [1977.
CHRISTIAN morals, in their sublimer parts, are
far from being fully understood, or duly appreciated,
even by those who are most zealous in the profession
of Christian principles. The duties of Christian for
bearance, and Christian forgiveness, and Christian
liberality, are but very imperfectly discerned, and,
consequently, but very imperfectly practised, in the
religious world. Nor are the limits of true Christian
charity by any means clearly ascertained. On this
subject, in particular, I must say, that I think there is
scarcely a Christian upon earth that would have
made the distinctions contained in this chapter ; and
not many that would approve of them, now they are
made, if they were not forced to yield to apostolic
authority. It is an easy thing to lay down broad
principles ; as, that " We must not do evil that good
may come :" and it is easy to decry " expediency," as
the refuge of time-serving and dishonest men. But
it is not easy to see the different modifications of a
good principle, as affected by different circumstances ;
or the different situations under which expediency
alone can guide us. And even the discussion of such
a subject as this, however carefully conducted, would
be condemned at once by many, as no better than
Jesuistical sophistry and refinement. But we must
not, therefore, be deterred from treading in the
Apostle's steps, and marking what we believe to be
the true boundaries of Christian liberty and Christian
duty.
I shall take occasion, from the passage before us, to
shew,
I. Our duty in reference to things which are indiffe
rent-
There are many things on which different parties
lay a great stress ; which yet, in the sight of God, are
altogether indifferent—
[In the apostolic age, the observance of the Jewish ritual
was regarded by some as of primary and indispensable import
ance. The keeping of certain days, and the abstaining from
certain meats, and the practice of circumcision, were by many
insisted on as of continued obligation ; notwithstanding they
1977.] TRUE WISDOM AND CHARITY. 285
were never intended but as types and shadows, which were to
vanish when the substance should appear. There were not in
those rites any essential qualities, either of good or evil. They
derived all their force from their having been divinely appointed;
and, of course, they lost all their force when that appointment
was withdrawn. If any chose to observe them, they were at
liberty to do so, without any offence to God : and if any were
disinclined to observe them, they were equally at liberty to
follow the dictates of their own judgment. If any man thought
them still obligatory, he of course was bound by them : but
all who saw that they were no longer required, were free to
neglect and discard them.
The same might be said of many things at this day, respect
ing which different parties form different opinions, according
to the degree of their information, or to the particular preju
dices which they have imbibed. I refer to certain rites and
ceremonies in religion, on which some place an undue stress ;
whilst others, with equal vehemence, decry them. I must
say the same, also, in reference to some habits of the world,
respecting which men may speak in too unqualified terms;
whether they justify them, or whether they condemn.]
But our great duty, in reference to all such things,
is, to guard against giving needless offence to any
party —
[In reference to Jewish or Gentile observances, the
Apostle says, " Give no offence either to the Jews, or to the
Gentiles, or to the Church of God." The things about which
the parties differed were really non-essential : and there was
danger of giving offence to either side by a contemptuous dis
regard of their prejudices. It was not right to wound the
feelings of a Jew, by doing in his presence what was contrary
to the law, which he regarded as still in force : nor was it right,
by a free and indiscriminate use of meats offered to idols, to
hurt the feelings of a Gentile brother; who, having been
accustomed to feast on these meats as a religious act, would
be ready to think that the person eating them did not indeed
abhor idolatry in the way that he professed. At the same time,
offence might easily be given to the Church of God, by pro
ducing disunion and division amongst her members, whom we
should rather have laboured to " edify in faith and love."
The same may be said in reference to all matters of indif
ference, in every age and in every place. There should be a
tender regard to the feelings and infirmities of others ; and a
determination never to please ourselves at the expense of
others. Self-denial, rather, should be the disposition of our
minds, and the habit of our lives : and rather than wound the
286 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 32, 33. & XL 1. [1977.
consciences of others, and lead them by our example to do
what their own consciences condemned, we should abstain
from the most innocent indulgence, as long as the world shall
stand4. The rule given in relation to all such matters is, " We
that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and
not to please ourselves13."]
In my text, the Apostle marks,
II. The object which we should keep in view, for the
regulation of our conduct—
The salvation of our fellow-men should be an
object of the deepest interest to our minds —
[Doubtless the salvation of a man's own soul should be
his first concern. But no man should be indifferent to the
eternal welfare of others; much less should he think himself
at liberty to do any thing which may put a stumbling-block in
their way. " We are all, in fact, one body in Christ ;" and are
bound, every one of us, to consult the welfare of the whole.
No member is authorized to act independently, and for itself
alone. None but a wicked Cain would ask, " Am I my
brother's keeper ? " For we are his keeper, as he also is ours :
and we are neither at liberty to injure each other, nor to
neglect any opportunity of advancing each other's welfare.
The duty of mutual love and mutual aid is unalterable and
universal.]
With a reference to that, therefore, should we act
to the utmost extent of our power—
[We may either benefit our fellow-creatures, or injure
them, according as we demean ourselves in reference to things
which are in themselves indifferent. We may disgust some,
by our unhallowed boldness ; or grieve others, by passing
an uncharitable judgment upon them ; or ensnare others, by
inducing them to follow our example, contrary to the convic
tions of their own conscience. We may, by our uncharitable
disregard of the feelings and sentiments of others, produce the
most fatal effects that can be imagined; not only offending
many, but actually " destroying our weak brethren, for whom
Christ diedc." What a fearful thought! Can any man, who
calls himself a Christian, feel himself at liberty to act without
any reference to such a result as that ? Can any pleasure,
or any " profit" arising to himself, compensate for such a
calamity as that? Methinks, on any question arising in our
minds, we should instantly ask ourselves, not, What will please
or profit myself? but, What will please or profit others ? What
* 1 Cor. viii. 13. b Rom. xv. 1. c 1 Cor. viii. 9 — 11.
1977.] TRUE WISDOM AND CHARITY. 287
will have a tendency to promote the salvation of others? If
any self-denial or forbearance on my part can advance, in the
remotest degree, the salvation of a weak brother, I will die
rather than gratify myself at his expense.]
That this is no extravagant requirement, will ap
pear if we consult,
III. The examples which Christ and his Apostles
have set us in reference to this very thing —
St. Paul calls us to " be followers of him, even as
he was of Christ."
Consider how our blessed Saviour acted under
circumstances of this kind—
[He was called upon to pay a tribute levied for the sup
port and service of the temple. From this, as being the Son
of God, he might have pleaded an exemption : because it is an
acknowledged fact, that kings receive tribute from strangers
only, and not from their own children. But he knew that
the Jews would not be able to see the truth and justice of his
plea, and that his acting upon it would give serious offence :
he therefore waved his right; and chose rather to work a
miracle for the satisfying of their demands, than give offence
to them by an assertion of his rights. Nor did he only
wave his right in this particular, but gave occasion to all
present to deny that he possessed any such right, or stood in
any such relation to Jehovah as would have authorized him to
assert it. Yet he considered not himself, but others only; and
chose to submit to any thing, however humiliating, rather
than, by maintaining his right, to put a stumbling-block iu
their wayd. Thus, by his example, he taught all his followers,
not to please themselves, but " to please every man his neigh
bour for good to edification0."]
Observe, also, how St. Paul acted—
[It was not on any particular occasion that he conformed
to this rule, but constantly, and in circumstances of continual
occurrence. Hear his own account of his daily practice:
" Though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself
servant unto all, that I might gain the more. To the Jews I
became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews : to them that
are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them
that are under the law; to them that are without law, as
without law, (being not without law to God, but under the
law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law:
d Matt. xvii. 24—27. e Horn. xv. 2, 3.
288 1 CORINTHIANS, X. 32, 33. & XI. 1. [1977.
to the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak:
I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means
save somef." Here you see, not only what his constant habit
of life was, but the principle by which he was actuated
throughout the whole ; preferring the "winning" of men to
Christ, and the " saving" of their souls, to any personal con
sideration whatever. In all this he was an example to us;
and therefore says, in reference to this very thing, " Be ye
followers of me, as I also am of Christ."]
In accordance with this was the conduct also of all
the Apostles —
[The last time that St. Paul came to Jerusalem, the whole
college of Apostles, fearing that the Jews had a wrong im
pression of his principles, and that, because he had represented
a conformity to Jewish ceremonies as unnecessary, they would
imagine he had decried them as sinful, besought him to unite
himself to some persons who were about to perform their vows
as Nazarites, and purify himself, according to the Mosaic law,
with them. And this he did, in conformity with their advice6:
thus not only illustrating the principle by which he was habi
tually actuated, but setting, as it were, the seal of all the
Apostles to this line of conduct, as sanctioned and approved
by them.
After all this evidence, nothing further need be added to
confirm the statement we have made respecting the Christian's
duty, or to enforce the advice which, in conformity with our
text, we have presumed to give.]
On the ground therefore which has been established,
I beg you to BEAR IN MIND,
1. What is the principle by which you are to be
actuated, in all your intercourse with mankind —
[Love to their souls must animate you at all times : and
by that must you be determined, in every thing where the
path of duty is not clearly determined for you. By that must
you be regulated, whether in acceding to their wishes, or in
resisting their solicitations. There are certainly occasions
whereon a compliance with them will produce a good effect;
and there are occasions whereon it will be your duty rather to
withstand the importunity even of your dearest friends. But
you must be careful to distinguish aright the principle from
which you act. You must not give way to fear : nor must
you comply from a feeling of personal friendship or regard :
and, least of all, must you conform to the world, to please
f 1 Cor. ix. 19 — 22. e Acts xxi. 20 — 26.
1977.] TRUE WISDOM AND CHARITY. 289
yourselves. You must consider, under all circumstances, how
you may best advance the welfare of men's souls; and then
act as in the sight of God, so as most to promote that great
object. That is what Christ did, when he left the bosom of
his Father, and died upon the cross : and in so doing you will
fulfil those injunctions which he has given you ; " Look not
every man on his own things, but every man also on the
things of others11:" and that also, in a few verses before the
text, " Let no man seek his own, but every man another's
wealth1."]
2. How you may best approve yourselves to the
heart-searching God —
[The mode of conduct which we have recommended will,
to superficial observers, lay you open to the charge of incon
sistency: for, if you will observe rites, or not observe them,
according as others may stand affected towards them, you
must of necessity appear to many to be destitute of any fixed
principle. But God sees the fixed principle which men
cannot see; and he will approve that which perhaps your
fellow-creatures will condemn. But, for your conduct in
circumstances of more than ordinary difficulty, I would suggest
three rules ; which, though, when separately taken, they may
be insufficient for your direction, will, when taken together,
effectually preserve you from any material error. Ask your
selves three questions : What would an ungodly man do in my
circumstances? That I will not do. Next, What would be
agreeable to my own corrupt heart? That I will not do.
Lastly, What would my Lord or the Apostle Paul do, in my
circumstances?. That I will do. Now I say again, that
though no one of these, separately, will suffice, all of them
together will prove an easy and a safe directory. It will be
impossible for you greatly to err, if these questions be sin
cerely asked, and faithfully answered by you. If, in prose
cuting this line of conduct, you be misunderstood and blamed,
then say, with the Apostle, " It is a small matter to me to be
judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine
own self; but he that judgeth me is the Lordk." Thus will
you ensure the approbation of your God, and enjoy the testi
mony of your own conscience that you have pleased him.]
11 Phil. ii. 4. i 1 Cor. x. 24. k 1 Cor. iv. 3,4.
VOL. xvi.
290 1 CORINTHIANS, XL 24,26. [1978.
MDCCCCLXXVIII.
THE DESIGN AND IMPORTANCE OF THE LORD*S SUPPER.
1 Cor. xi. 24, 26. This do in remembrance of me for
as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew
the Lord's death till he come.
THE Corinthians had shamefully profaned the
Lord's supper. St. Paul reproves them, and rectifies
their views of that ordinance.
I. The design of the Lord's supper—
Our ungrateful hearts are prone to forget the
richest mercies. To keep up " the remembrance" of
his death, Christ instituted his last supper. When we
celebrate that ordinance, we " shew forth" his death —
[The passover was a memorial of the deliverance vouch
safed to the Jews from the sword of the destroying angel. At
every returning celebration of it the reason of that ordinance
was declared8. Christ in his death has effected a greater
deliverance for us. In partaking of the bread and wine we
"shew forth" his death: we shew forth the manner of it as
excruciating and bloody b: we shew forth the end of it as a
sacrifice for our sinsc : we shew forth the sufficiency of it for
our full salvation*1.]
We shew forth his death " till he come"-
[Christ will, in due season, come again to judge the world;
then his people will no longer need such memorials as these.
They will incessantly enjoy the brightest vision of his person,
and the richest fruits of his death ; but till then the remem
brance of his dying love, and the expectation of his future
a In reference to Exod. xii. 26, 27. a custom obtained among the
Jews that a child should ask the meaning of the passover, and that
the person who presided should then give an account of its intent and
origin, that so the remembrance of God's mercy might be transmitted
to their latest posterity : and this was called " the declaration" or
" shewing forth." Dr. Gill on the text.
b The breaking of the bread and the pouring out of the wine seem
well calculated to impress this idea.
r In this light it is represented by St. Paul, 1 Cor. v. 7. and by
our Lord himself, Matt. xxvi. 28.
1 We express our affiance in his blood as the Jews did in the blood
of the Paschal Lamb, when they sprinkled their door-posts with it,
and eat of the flesh that had been roast with fire.
1978. 1 THE DESIGN OF THE LORD*S SUPPER. 291
advent, must be thus preserved. Such was Christ's end in
instituting, and such should be our end in observing it.]
To enforce the observance of this ordinance, we
will proceed to shew,
II. The necessity of attending it—
The duty of commemorating our Lord's death is
much neglected ; but a neglect of it involves us in the
deepest guilt. It implies,
1. Rebellion against the highest authority —
[Christ, the Supreme Governor of heaven and earth, has
said, "Do this"; yet the language of too many is, 'I will
not.' But they who disregarded the passover did not go un
punished6; much less shall they who slight the invitations to
Christ's supper*. Surely it is no less than madness to persist
in this rebellion.]
2. Ingratitude towards our greatest Benefactor—
[Christ has even "given his own life a ransom for us;"
and shall we disregard his dying command ? On the same night
that he uias betrayed, did he institute these memorials of his
death. Had he at that season such a concern for us, and can
we refuse to do so small a thing in remembrance of him ?
The Jews went thrice every year up to Jersusalem, from the
extreme parts of Judaea, to commemorate their deliverance.
And shall we turn our backs on the table when it is spread
before us? Shall not God visit for such ingratitude as thisg?]
3. Contempt of the richest mercies—
[To communicate, without discerning the Lord's body,
can profit us nothing ; but to approach the table in humility
and faith is a sure mean of obtaining all spiritual blessings.
Christ sometimes reveals himself in the breaking of bread, to
those who had not so fully discovered him in the ministration
e If a man had contracted any ceremonial defilement, or were on a
journey, he might omit eating the passover at the appointed time ;
only he must eat it a month afterwards. Kut if he forbore to eat of
it without any such impediment, God said concerning him, " That
soul shall be cut off, that man shall bear his sin." Numb. ix. 7 — 1 1.
f Luke xiv. 24.
8 Let such conduct be expressed in words ; " Thou didst indeed
give thy body to be broken, &c. for me ; and only requirest me to
eat bread, &c. in remembrance of thee ; but I account even that too
much to do for thee : " Who could dare to utter such language ? Or
who would endure it if spoken by his sf-rvant or his child ? Yet such
is the language of our actions.
r 9,
292 1 CORINTHIANS, XL 27,29. [1979.
of the word'1. And do they not manifest a contempt of these
mercies, who will not use the means of procuring them ? How
may the Saviour take up that lamentation over them1 — !]
4. A renunciation of our baptismal covenant-
fin baptism we covenanted to renounce the world, &c.
and to serve God : this covenant we ought to renew and con
firm at the Lord's table. But our refusing to confirm it is a
tacit renunciation of it. And can we hope that God will fulfil
his part while we violate ours? Will he be our God when we
refuse to be his people ?]
We shall CONCLUDE with answering some excuses —
[' I am not prepared.' How then can you be prepared
to diek ? ' / am afraid of eating and drinking my own damna
tion.' Are you not afraid of damnation for neglecting your
duty1? ' I am afraid of sinning afterwards, and thereby in
creasing my guilt.' If sins after receiving the Lord's supper
were unpardonable, none should receive it till the last moment
of their lives"1. ' The time of administering it interferes with
other engagements.'' To those who cannot deny themselves in
any thing, we say with Paul" — ; but where the difficulties
are insurmountable, God will accept the will for the deed0.
They however, who are at liberty, should attend " as often " as
they can ; only they must be careful to communicate with
reverence, humility, faith, and gratitude.]
h Luke xxiv. 30, 31. ' Matt, xxiii. 37.
k Is not this acknowledgment the strongest reason for immediate
repentance ?
1 In neglecting duty you ensure condemnation ; in practising it as
well as you can (to say the least) you may avert it.
m If you really desire strength, where would you so soon obtain it?
But if you determine to live in sin, your condemnation will be equally
sure whether you come or not.
n Rom. iii. 8. " whose damnation is just." ° Matt. xii. 7.
MDCCCCLXXIX.
ON EATING AND DRINKING OUR OWN DAMNATION.
1 Cor. xi. 27, 29. Whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink
this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body
and blood of the Lord .... For he that eateth and drinketh
unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not
discerning the Lord's body.
THE more excellent any thing is, the greater is
the guilt contracted by the abuse of it. A contempt
1979.] EATING AND DRINKING OUK DAMNATION. 293
of the law is not so bad as a contempt of the Gospel8.
An irreverent attendance on Divine ordinances is
exceedingly sinful ; but to profane the Lord's supper
is worse, inasmuch as that institution is more solemn
and brings us nearer to God. Hence when St. Paul
reproved the former, he spake mildly b; but when he
reproved the latter, he spake with great seventy.
I. What is it to eat the bread, and drink the cup of
the Lord unworthily—
To understand this, we should inquire how the
Corinthians behaved". The abuses of which they
were guilty are impracticable now : nevertheless we
may imitate them in our spirit and temper. Like
them we shall eat and drink unworthily if we do it,
1. Ignorantly—
[The Corinthians did not discriminate between the com
mon and religious use of the consecrated elements. Many at
this time also partake without discerning the Lord's body :
they, not remembering his death, defeat the end for which the
Supper of the Lord was instituted.]
2. Irreverently—
[The customs of our country do not admit of our meeting
in the tumultuous way that was practised at Corinthd; but
many are altogether as destitute of reverence and sacred
awe. A light, worldly, impenitent heart, is unbecoming that
solemnity: such a frame, if habitual, makes us partake un
worthily.]
3. Uncharitably—
[The rich did not impart of their provisions to the poor".
We also may be equally destitute of Christian love : we may
be haughty, injurious, unforgiving, &c. Such a frame wholly
unfits us for the Lord's tabled]
4. Sensually—
[The Corinthians made it an occasion for intemperance
and excess : though we cannot imitate them in this, we may
a Heb. x. 28, 29. b 1 Cor. xiv. 33, 40.
c ver. 20 — 22. Their conduct seems at first sight to be absolutely
inconsistent with a profession of Christianity. But, having been ac
customed to sucb behaviour in their feasts during their Gentile state,
they were as yet too much addicted to their former habits.
d 1 Cor. xi. 21. <• 1 Cor. xi. 22. f Matt. v. 23, 24.
294 1 CORINTHIANS, XL ^7,29. [1979.
be as carnal as they. A want of spirituality and affiance in
Christ makes our service carnal ; nor can such a service be
acceptable to Him who will be worshipped in spirit and in
truth.]
To attend at the Lord's table in such a manner is
no slight or venial offence.
II. The consequence of so doing —
The consequences mentioned in the text respect,
1. The guilt we contract—
[They were " guilty of the body and blood of our Lord"
who crucified him, as they are also who apostatize from his
truthg. They too are involved in the same guilt who partake
unworthily of the Lord's supper : they manifest a contempt of
his sacrifice11. What a dreadful iniquity is this ! How careful
should we be to abstain from the commission of it !]
2. The punishment we incur—
[The word " damnation" imports temporal judgment1.
Eternal damnation is by no means a necessary consequence of
this sink: yet if it be unrepented of, no doubt this punishment
will follow; and we may expect some spiritual or temporal
judgments for it here. We should therefore examine ourselves
well before we attend the table of the Lord1.]
ADDRESS—
1. Those who urge this as an excuse for neglecting
the Lord's supper—
[There are many who under this pretext cover their own
unwillingness to yield themselves up to God ; but God will not
admit their vain excuses. The habitual neglect of their duty
ensures the punishment which they desire to avoid. Let all
then devote themselves to the Lord in the use of all his insti
tuted ordinances.]
2. Those who are really kept away by a fear of
incurring this punishment —
[Many are kept from the table by a sense of their own
unworthiness. But to be unworthy, and to partake unworthily,
« Heb. vi. 6. >• Heb. x. 29.
1 The Apostle explains his meaning in the following verse ; " for,
for this cause," &c. and he tells us that it was a chastisement inflicted
to keep them from eternal condemnation, ver. 32.
k Matt. xii. 31. ' ver. 28.
1980.] PREPARATION BEFORE THE LORD'S SUPPPER. 295
are very different things"1 : yet if we have partaken unworthily
in past times, let us humble ourselves for it ; and then may we
come again with joy: this has been the experience of many",
and may be ours also.]
m A rebel against a mild and merciful prince is unworthy of par-
-don : but if he receive with gratitude the pardon offered him, and re
turn to his allegiance, he receives it worthily. Thus we are unworthy
of the smallest mercies, and much more of the children's bread : but
if we receive this bread with humility, gratitude, and an increasing
devotedness of heart to God, we receive it as we ought, that is,
worthily.
11 2 Chron. xxx. 15—23.
MDCCCCLXXX.
ON THE PREPARATION REQUISITE BEFORE THE LORD'S
SUPPER.
1 Cor. xi. 28. Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat
of that bread and drink of that cup.
GOD is a holy and jealous God, and greatly to be
feared : in all our approaches to him we should be
filled with awe ; but a want of reverence prevails
among the generality of mankind ; even real Chris
tians manifest it sometimes, and that too even in the
most sacred ordinances. St. Paul, reproving the
Corinthians for their conduct at the Lord's supper3,
lays down an universal rule for communicants :
" Let a man," &c.
I. The duty of self-examination in general—
This is an important but much neglected duty : it
is strongly recommended in the Scriptures—
[The Apostle expressly enjoins it to allb. This injunction
is remarkably strong and energetic c - — ]
There is great reason for it : we cannot ascertain
the state of our souls without it—
a 1 Cor. xi. 20 — 22. b 2 Cor. xiii. 5.
c In the words CoKipafcre and a.£6k-tpoi, which latter is too harshly
translated " reprobate," there seems an allusion to the try ing of metals
by a touchstone : the repetition also of the injunction, and the expos
tulation that follows it, are expressive of the Apostle's earnestness,
and consequently of the importance of the duty enjoined.
296 1 CORINTHIANS, XL 28. [1980.
[It is evident that the generality of men deceive them
selves. We also are liable to the same deception through pride
and self-love ; nor can we form a right conclusion without a
strict investigation.]
A mistake respecting our state would be fatal—
[There is no repentance in the grave : as we die, so shall
we continue for ever.]
The benefits to be derived from it are exceeding
great —
[If our state be found good, we shall rejoice in the testi
mony of a good conscience : if it be bad, we shall be stirred up
to flee from the wrath to come.]
We should therefore live in the habitual practice
of this dutyd. But self-examination is more especially
needful on certain occasions—
II. The need of it before the Lord's supper in par
ticular—
This is intimated in the text ; " Let a man examine
himself, and 6-0 let him come." And indeed there is
peculiar reason for it at that time.
That ordinance is a season of remarkable so
lemnity —
[There we see Christ crucified, as it were, before our eyes :
there we contemplate the most stupendous mysteries : there we
commemorate the greatest of all mercies : there we are admitted
to most familiar fellowship with God. And does it become us
to engage lightly in such an ordinance ?]
It is a season that calls for the exercise of all our
powers—
[The understanding should be occupied in devoutest medi
tations : the affections should be engaged to the uttermost.
And can we thus command our faculties without any pre
paration ?]
The neglect of self-examination may rob us of all
the benefit of the ordinance—
[Who can estimate the benefits we might receive if we
came prepared ? But who has not often communicated in vain?
And has not our neglect been the true cause of this ]
We should therefore be peculiarly attentive to it
at such a season.
d Ps. Ixxvii. 5.
1981.1 CHRIST KNOWN ONLY BY THE SPIRIT. 297
To assist in the discharge of this duty we shall
shew,
III. The subjects which we should then more espe
cially inquire into —
We should examine ourselves respecting,
1. Our knowledge of the ordinance —
[To come without a proper discernment is dangerous e.-
We should inquire what we know of the nature and ends of
the ordinance. On a distinct view of these our profiting much
depends.]
2. The state of our souls before God—
[At the Lord's table we receive " the children's bread."
We should inquire therefore whether we be God's children ?]
3. The immediate frame of our souls—
[We ought to have all our graces in lively exercised]
APPLICATION—
[Begin this necessary work without delay — Yet set
not about it in a legal manner or for self-righteous ends : do
not trust in your preparation, or expect acceptance on account
of it ; but look to Christ as the only ground of your hope
towards God : neither stay away from the table because you
have not spent so much time in preparation as you could wish.
Whether you have used more or less diligence you must go as
the publican g. Be assured however that your profiting will for
the most part be proportioned to your preparation.]
e ver. 27. f Cant. iv. 16. s Luke xviii. 13.
MDCCCCLXXXI.
NO KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST BUT BY THE SPIRIT.
1 Cor. xii. 3. / give you to understand, that no man
can nay, that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
WE trust that amongst us there are none so hostile
to the name of Christ, as to " call Jesus accursed ;"
and therefore we omit from our text that part which
is inapplicable to the age in which we live. There
were among the Jews many, who, whilst they rejected
Christ as an impostor, pretended to be inspired by
the Holy Ghost, and, either through magic or satanic
298 1 CORINTHIANS, XII. 3. [1981.
influence, wrought " signs and lying wonders" in
confirmation of their word. Amongst believers
themselves also, there were some, who made a very
unbecoming use of the miraculous powers with which
they were endowed, priding themselves upon them,
and exerting them rather for the furtherance of their
own glory, than for the edification of the Church of
Christ. To rectify the views of the Corinthians on
these subjects, St. Paul informs them, that the unbe
lieving Jews, whatever they might pretend to, had
not the Spirit of God ; since " no man, speaking by
the Spirit of God, calleth Jesus accursed :" nor, on
the other hand, had those, who possessed the mira
culous influences of the Spirit, any such ground for
self-preference and self-complacency as they imagined;
since every true believer enjoyed those influences
which were infinitely the most important ; for that
" no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the
Holy Ghost."
This is a truth of infinite importance ; and St. Paul
was very anxious that it should be duly weighed and
considered. We will, therefore,
I. Explain the assertion in our text-
It is obvious that the text is not to be understood
as denying our power to make use of that particular
expression ; because that form of words is as easily
used as any other : but it affirms, that we cannot,
without the aid of the Holy Spirit, make use of that
assertion,
1. With a full conviction of its truth —
[We may easily from education give a notional assent to
the whole Gospel ; but when we come to reflect on the idea of
our God becoming incarnate, and offering himself a sacrifice
for the sins of his rebellious creatures, and reconciling them to
himself through his own sufferings upon the cross, the mind
revolts at the thought; and the whole plan of tlv,- Gospel
appears a cunningly-devised fable. We see not any need for
such an intervention of the Deity. We are ready to ask, Why
could not God pardon us without such an atonement ? Why
could not his mercy be extended to us on our repentance and
amendment, without any such devices as those which the Gospel
professes to reveal ? Yes : when these mysteries are more nearly
1981. J CHRIST KNOWN ONLY BY THE SPIRIT. 299
contemplated, they are " to the Jews a stumbling-block, and
to the Greeks foolishness :" and " the natural man neither does,
nor can, receive them*."]
2. With a just sense of its importance —
[Supposing the mysterious truths of Christianity to be
admitted from the force of reasoning alone, the importance of
them can never be felt, but from a deep consciousness of our
guilt and helplessness before God. We must feel our disease,
before we justly appreciate the remedy. But who can ever
know the desperate wickedness of his own heart, unless he be
taught of Godb ? Who can see the fulness that is in Christ,
and his suitableness to our necessities0, till the eyes of his
understanding have been enlightened by the Spirit of the
living Godd? We must be "brought out of darkness into
marvellous light," before " Christ can become so precious to
us" as he deserves to be.]
3. With a suitable determination to act upon it—
[When we truly confess Christ as our Lord and Saviour,
we shall of necessity feel his love constraining us to live no
longer to ourselves, but unto him who died for us and rose
again6. But who can thus live, unless he be aided and
strengthened from on high? Are the world, the flesh, and
the devil so easily vanquished, that we can by any power of our
own subdue them ? No : it is " not by might or by power, but
by the Spirit of God" alone that such victories are gained f.
Grace must lay the foundation-stone ; and grace must bring
forth the head-stone : and to all eternity must the glory be
ascribed to the grace of God alone &.]
Thus comprehensive is the assertion contained in
our text. We will now,
II. Commend it to your most attentive considera
tion —
The Apostle evidently considered this declaration
as of peculiar importance : " I give you to under
stand this," says he ; and I wish you ever to bear
it in remembrance, as of singular use both for the
instruction of your minds, and the regulation of your
lives. This one assertion, truly understood, will
shew you,
a 1 Cor. i. 23. andii. 11, 14. b Jer. xvii. 9.
c Rev. iii. 17, 18. d Eph. i. 17, 18. e 2 Cor. v. 14, 15.
f Zech. iv. 6. and Phil. ii. 13. 2 Cor. iii. 5.
e 2 Cor. iii. 7, 9. 2 Cor. v. 5. Rev. vii. 9, 10.
300 1 CORINTHIANS, XII. 3. [1981.
1. What is the great office of the Holy Spirit in
the economy of redemption—
[Amongst the many purposes for which our blessed Lord
was sent into the world, one was, to " declare the Father to
ush." But the chief end for which the Holy Spirit is sent, is,
to " testify of Christ," and " to take of the things that are his,
and to shew them unto us'." This then is the end for which
we are to desire the gift of the Holy Ghost: we should feel
sensible that we cannot know Christ, unless the Spirit reveal
him in usk; or come to him, except the Spirit draw us1 ; or
be one with him, unless the Spirit form him in our hearts"1.
This is a point by no means considered as it ought to be. We
have an idea that the Holy Spirit is to " help our infirmities ;"
but we have no conception of the extent to which we need that
help, and especially in relation to the knowledge of Christ.
But we entreat you to consider fully the declaration in our
text, and to take it as a clew, which, if duly followed, " will
guide you into all truth."]
2. How deeply we are concerned to obtain his
gracious influences —
[If " to know Christ be life eternal11," and those who know
him not must die in their sins0, it is obvious, that we never
can obtain salvation but through the all-powerful agency of the
Holy Spirit. But we need not take this in a way of deduction;
for the voice of inspiration has expressly said, " If any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of hisp." Should it
not then be a matter of serious inquiry with every one of us,
Whether we have received the Holy Ghost ; and whether he
has performed in us that great work of discovering to us the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ"1? Let us not be satisfied with any views which
are merely obtained from books, and which may float in the
mind without any influence on the heart ; but let us, by prayer
and supplication, seek the gift of the Holy Spirit, that through
him we may be taught what no eye hath seen, nor ear heard,
nor heart conceived1.]
3. How thankful we should be for the smallest
measure of his influence—
[If we have been taught truly and from our hearts to say
that Jesus is the Lord, we then have certainly received the
Holy Ghost; since it is by his gracious influence alone that we
11 John i. 18. and xvii. 26. ' John xv. 26. and xvi. 14.
' Matt. xi. 27. ' John vi. 44. m Gal. iv. 19.
n John xvii. ,'j. ° John viii. 21. P Rorn. viii. 9.
<> 2 Cor. iv. 6. r 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10.
1982.] OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 301
are enabled to do so. The assertion in our text establishes
this truth beyond a doubt : for " no man," however learned he
may be, has any advantage over the poor in this respect. " If
any man will be wise," he must divest himself of all his fancied
pre-eminence, and " become a fool, that he may be wise8."
On the other hand, if any man have attained a just knowledge
of Christ, he has that, in comparison of which all other things
are as dung and dross*. Let not any one then be cast down
because he possesses a smaller measure of earthly distinctions :
for there is an infinitely greater distance between the meanest
believer and the most learned philosophers on earth, than can be
found between any two persons that have been taught of God.
The wisdom of this world is of no account in the sight of God ;
and at all events it benefits men only for this present life : but
he to whom the Holy Spirit has imparted even the smallest
measure of the knowledge of Christ, possesses the choicest gift
that God himself can bestow, and is made " wise unto ever
lasting salvation."]
s 1 Cor. iii. 18. l Phil. iii. 8.
MDCCCCLXXXII.
THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
1 Cor. xii. 11. All these worketh that one and the self -same
Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
THE Corinthian Church was richly endowed with
gifts : but the persons so endowed were not pro-
portionably enriched with grace. Hence their gifts
in too many instances administered only to strife and
disorder ; creating pride in some, who gratified them
selves with an ostentatious display of their preter
natural powers ; and calling forth envy in others,
whose powers were only of an inferior order.
To counteract and rectify these disorders, St. Paul
directed the people's attention to the origin and use
of all these gifts which had been conferred upon
them. He shewed that they were all imparted by
the Spirit of God according to his own sovereign will
and pleasure, without any reference to the merits or
attainments of the people themselves ; and that they
were bestowed on them, not for the aggrandisement
of the favoured individuals, but for the benefit of
I CORINTHIANS, XL1. 11. [1982.
the whole Church. This is the precise import of
the whole chapter, as it is also of the fourteenth
chapter, wherein the subject is still further pro
secuted : it is confined, I say, to the gifts of the
Spirit, without referring to the graces. Yet we
shall take occasion from our text to notice also the
graces of the Spirit, because they will be treated of
with peculiar advantage in this connexion.
We will consider then the work of the Holy Spirit
generally ; and notice,
I. His miraculous operations—
The powers communicated by him to the Church
were extremely various—
[At this time it is not easy to say what was the precise
difference between some of the powers specified in the pre
ceding context, though doubtless, when the epistle was written,
they were well understood. " The word of wisdom," probably
refers to a large and comprehensive view of the great mysteries
of redemption : and " the word of knowledge," to a more
particular insight into the types and prophecies, with an ability
to explain them for the edification of others. " The faith,"
there mentioned, was such a confidence in God, as emboldened
a person to go forward in the midst of all dangers undaunted
and undismayed. " The gift of healing," was a power merely
confined to the healing of disorders ; whilst " the working of
miracles" was operative on a larger scale. The gift of " pro
phecy," was a power of foretelling future and contingent
events : the power of " discerning spirits," enabled a person to
estimate with certainty and precision the motives by which
others were actuated : the gift of " divers tongues," qualified
a person to speak in languages which he had never learned :
and " the interpretation of tongues," was a power of instantly
interpreting such discourses to other persons in a language
which they understood : so that, whilst some of the audience
were addressed in a language familiar to them, the rest might
also have the benefit of the discourse, by having it interpreted
to them in their vernacular tongue ; by which means, a mixed
assembly, belonging to different countries, might all be in
structed and edified by the same discourse.
If in this brief attempt to assign to each word its proper
import we should not have exactly marked the precise meaning
of each, it will be of little consequence ; our object being, not
so much to enter into a critical examination of doubtful points,
as to mark that in which all are agreed ; namely, that all the
miraculous gifts, of whatever kind they were, proceeded from
1982.] OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 30«>
" that one and the self-same Spirit," the Third Person in
the ever-blessed Trinity. And here we wish it to be distinctly
noticed, how repeatedly that adorable Person is mentioned as
the author of all the gifts : " To one is given, by the Spirit,
the word of wisdom ; to another, the word of knowledge, by
the same Spirit ; to another, faith, by the same Spirit ; to
another, the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit;" and then,
after the mention of many other gifts, " All these worketh
that one and the self-same Spirit." This shews what a holy
jealousy the Apostle felt for the honour of that Divine Agent;
and how anxious he was that the people might not for a single
moment forget, to whom, and to whom alone, they were in
debted for every gift that they enjoyed.]
By him also all the gifts were bestowed according
to his own sovereign will and pleasure —
[Doubtless whatever God does is founded, not in a mere
arbitrary will, but in the inscrutable counsels of his own wis
dom : still however, as far as we are concerned, the effect is the
same as if his will alone were the ground of his actions ; because
the counsels by which they are regulated are known to himself
alone. He has no respect to any thing in us as the ground of
his preference : he is not influenced either by our merits, or
our attainments ; but dispenses his gifts to whomsoever he
will, and in the measure that he sees fit : bestowing on some
the higher gifts ; on others, the lower ; and on others, none
at all. This is beautifully illustrated by a reference to the
natural bodya. The body consists of different members, to
each of which is assigned some peculiar office, together with
appropriate powers for the discharge of it. The eye, the ear,
the hands, the feet, have all their own peculiar structure, fitted
for the uses for which they were designed by God himself. The
different powers were not given to any one of them on account
of its own superior goodness, or for its own use alone : but all
were given for the use of the whole ; " God having set every
one of them in the body as it hath pleased himb" In relation
to these, every one sees plainly, that God alone determined
what powers to create, and where to place them in the body,
and what measure of influence every member should possess :
and, in the whole of it, nothing is for a moment contemplated
but the wisdom, the power, and the goodness of the Creator.
Never does any one entertain a thought that any one member
has the least reason to glory over another, since all owe their
respective powers to the same Divine Author; and all are mu
tually dependent on each other for such aid as they are
severally fitted to impart. A more apt illustration could not
• ver. 12 — 27. b ver. 18.
301 1 CORINTHIANS, XII. 11. [1982.
have entered into the mind of man. The members of the Co
rinthian Church composed all one body in Christ: and their
respective talents, whether of a higher or inferior order, were
committed to them by the Spirit of God, not for their own use
or honour, but for the good of the whole : God himself in the
whole of the dispensation, having consulted only his own wis
dom, and acted only according to his own sovereign will0.]
In connexion with the miraculous operations of
the Spirit, we have proposed to consider also,
II. His spiritual influences—
These also are greatly diversified—
[We have several mentioned by St. Paul : " The fruit of
the Spirit is love, peace, joy, long-suffering, gentleness, good
ness, faith, meekness, temperance*1." In truth, every holy dis
position is from him, even " from that self-same Spirit," " from
whom cometh every good and perfect gift." The illumination
of the mind is from him ; for it is he whom " the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ gives to us, as the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him6." The sanctification of
the soul is from him : for " God has chosen us through sanc
tification of the Spirit unto obedience f." From him also is
all spiritual consolation : for it is on this very account that He
is called " The Comforterg." From the very beginning to
the end of our salvation, it is He who " worketh all in all."
Are we born again ? it is " of the SpiritV Are we helped
in our infirmities ? it is " by the same Spirit1." Are we pro
gressively changed into the Divine image from one degree of
glory to another? it is " by the same SpiritV' Have we in our
souls a sure testimony of our adoption into God's family ? it is
" from the same Spirit1." Are we sealed unto the day of
redemption"1? it is by the same Spirit, who alone "worketh
all our works in us"."]
They are given too according to his own sovereign
will and pleasure—
[We are expressly told, that he " worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will0;" and that he " worketh in us
both to will and to do of his good pleasure p." We see how
sovereignly he dispensed his blessings in the days of old, giving
to Abraham, faith ; to Moses, meekness ; to Job, patience ;
c Heb. ii. 4. a Gal. v. 22, 23. e Eph. i. 17.
f 2 Thess. ii. 13. and 1 Pet. i. 2. R John xiv. 16, IT.
11 John iii. 5. ' Rom. viii. 26. k 2 Cor. iii. 18.
1 Rom. viii. 1."), Hi. '" Kph. i. 13, 14. » Isai. xxvi. 12.
« Kph. i. ;>, (i, 9, 11. P Phil. i. 13.
1982.] OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 305
to Daniel, wisdom ; to Paul, zeal and love. Whence was it
that these were so eminent for those particular graces by
which they were severally distinguished ? Whence was it that
a few poor fishermen were chosen to be the depositaries of
divine knowledge in preference to any of the Scribes and
Pharisees, or any of the philosophers of Greece and Rome ?
Whence in every age has God " revealed to babes and suck
lings the things which he has hid from the wise and prudent?"
There is but one answer to be given to it all ; " Even so,
Father, for so it seemed good in thy sightq." " God's grace
is his ownr;" and he imparts it to whomsoever he will, "ac
cording to the measure of the gift of Christ5;" that is, in the
time, and manner, and measure that he sees fit. From the
whole of his work human merit is absolutely excluded as the
procuring cause1, as human strength is as the efficient cause",
that no flesh should glory in his presence, but all the glory
be given to God alone x.]
Let us LEARN from hence
1. What we are to think of this great Agent—
[Volition is inseparable from personality : and such actions,
as are here ascribed to the Holy Spirit, proceed from none
other than God. The enabling of men to work all kinds of
miracles is beyond the power of any finite and created intelli
gence to effect. Here then we have a demonstration of the
personality and divinity of the Holy Spirit. This passage alone
establishes this doctrine beyond a doubt. And when we recol
lect, that all our hope is from HIM ; that, as our justification is
altogether from the Lord Jesus Christ, so our sanctification is
altogether from the Holy Spirit; it is of infinite importance
that our minds be rightly instructed in reference to this point :
for as, if Christ be not God, we can have no hope from his
death, so, if the Holy Spirit be not God, we can have no hope
from his agency. Let this truth then be settled in our minds ;
that He who, in the economy of redemption, has engaged to
supply the place of Christ on earth y, is very Godz, and able
to effect for us, and in us, the whole work which he has under
taken.]
2. Whither \ve are to look for all needful assist
ance—
[To this Divine Agent must we look, and not in any
respect to ourselves. He it was who wrought the whole work
in the days of the Apostles, and has continued to work in the
i Matt. xi. 25, 26. r Matt xx. 15. ' Eph. iv. 7.
1 Tit. iii. 5, 6. « 1 Cor. xv. 10. * 1 Cor. iv. 7.
> John xvi. 7. x See Acts v. ;*, 4.
VOL. XVI. X
306 1 CORINTHIANS, XII. 13. [1983.
Church even to the present hour. To him therefore must we
look. Let us suppose the present assembly to be in the very
state in which that assembly was on the day of Pentecost ; our
eyes as blind, our hearts as hard, yea, our hands yet reeking
with the Saviour's blood : must we despair ? No : He, who
converted thousands of them in one single day, can work effec
tually on us also, and accomplish in us all that our necessities
require Let us pray then that the Spirit may be
poured out upon us as he was upon them : and then may we
expect the same moral change on our hearts as was wrought
on theirs. Let but " the word come to us in demonstration
of the Spirit and of power," and all will be done for us that
shall be necessary for our sanctification and our complete
salvation.]
3. To whom we must give the glory of all that is
good in us—
[" He that hath wrought us to the self-same thing, is
God :" and he must be acknowledged as the sole author of all
good. As in the miraculous powers that were imparted, " he
was all in all ;" and as in the faculties which our different
members possess, " he is all in all ;" so must he be in all that
is wrought in our souls a. Whatever then be our faculties of
mind or body, they must be improved for him, that he may be
glorified in all: and, whatever graces we possess, they must
be exercised, not for our own honour, but for his, " that God
in all things may be glorified through Christ Jesus."
a ver. 6.
MDCCCCLXXXIII.
CHRISTIANS ONE IN HEART.
1 Cor. xii. 13. By one Spirit are we all baptized into one bod//,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free ;
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
IT has been said, to the reproach of Christianity,
that the professors of it have no union amongst them
selves, either of sentiment or affection. And this
charge, we must confess, is true, so far as Christia
nity prevails in name only. But, where vital piety
exists, there is found an union which obtains in no
other society under heaven. Men feel some degree
of union with each other, as belonging to the same
1983.] CHRISTIANS ONE IN HEART. 307
country, or town, or society, or calling in life. There
are some who boast that they are brothers to all
who belong to their fraternity ; which relation they
discover by certain signs unknown to the world at
large. But theirs is a vain pretence : they may ex
tend a little relief to one in distress, because of his
standing in that relation to them (which yet is a
very narrow and selfish ground of preference), but as
for union of heart with each other, they know no
more of it than other people ; no more of it, than the
greatest strangers in the universe. But Christianity
brings men not only into one body, but into a oneness
of heart and affection ; insomuch that, in their collec
tive capacity, they bear the sacred name of "Christ*,"
as the members of the human body do of the indivi
dual to whom they belong. Of this union my text
gives a very clear and accurate description. Accord
ing to the Apostle, this union is,
I. External and visible—
By baptism we are all brought into one body —
[Whatever may have been the former profession of any
man, whether he have been a Jew (a worshipper of the true
God) or an idolatrous Gentile ; and whatever be his present
condition in society, a freeman or a slave ; he is no sooner
baptized into the faith of Christ, than he becomes a member
of Christ's mystical body. Let the disparity between them
be ever so great, it makes no difference, as it respects their
relation to Christ, or to each other. The least honourable
members of the body are as much a part of the body as the
eye or hand ; and as much dependent on the head, by which
they subsist, and to which they minister. And this is pre
cisely the connexion in which the lowest as well as the most
exalted Christian stands to Christ, and to the collective body
of his Church and people.]
Whatever part in that body we sustain, we should
cheerfully perform the duties of it—
[There should be no envying of those who occupy a
higher station than we ; nor any despising of those who are
beneath us. Every member is useful in his place, and neces
sary to the good of the whole. Indeed, if all were to sustain
a The name "Christ," in ver. 12. means the Society who belong
to him.
308 1 CORINTHIANS, XII. 13. [1983.
the same office, there would be no more a body : if all were
an eye, or an ear, it must soon cease to exist, for want of
such powers as the other parts of the body supply. There is
nothing in the body either superfluous or defective. It needs
no addition : in truth, it admits of no addition : and if it suffer
defalcation, the whole is injured and deformed : for there is
no part that can say to any other, " I have no need of thee."
In this respect, therefore, all are honourable before God, and
all have reason to discharge with pleasure the office assigned
to them.]
But it is the other part of our subject that demands
our more particular attention. I observe, therefore,
that this union is also,
II. Internal and spiritual —
It is surely a remarkable expression which the
Apostle uses in my text : " We are all made to drink
into one Spirit." What can be the meaning of this ?
What its force ? I apprehend, that if we accurately
investigate the influence of the soul upon the human
frame, we shall find a strict parallel between that
and the influence of the Spirit of God upon the
members of Christ's mystical body. Bearing this in
mind, I would observe, that the expression in my
text imports,
1. A participation of the same vital energies—
[One soul pervades the whole body, and operates alike in
every part ; calling into activity the eye, the ear, the hand,
the foot, and working by all according to their respective
capacities. So, whether it be a king upon his throne, or a
beggar on a dunghill, if he be truly alive to God, he is
quickened by the same Spirit ; the whole Church being, in
its collective capacity, " the body of Christ, the fulness of
Him that filleth all in allV Without his aid we can do
nothing0 : but by him the weakest is made strong, and is
" enabled to do all things" that are required at his handsd.]
2. An accordance in the same divine principles—
[As one power animates, so one mind directs, the whole
man : there is no schism in the body in relation to its actings,
every part harmoniously concurring in the object proposed.
So, especially, in all important matters, are all the members of
Christ's mystical body agreed. In subordinate points there
b Eph. i. 23. <= John xv. 5. d Phil. iv. 13.
1983.] CHRISTIANS ONE IN HEART. 309
may be some difference amongst different persons, just as
there is a distinctive difference of features and complexion
amongst persons of different countries ; but in all essential
matters they are alike. There are some points of doctrine
wherein good men are not agreed ; in points, for instance, of
a Calvinistic or Arminian aspect : and in points of discipline,
also, they may differ ; some embracing one mode of Church
government, and some another. But, in the great leading
points of " repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ," there is a perfect similarity in every true Chris
tian throughout the universe. No one imagines that either of
these can be dispensed with, or that, when united, they will
be insufficient for the salvation of the soul. There is not
one who does not feel himself a lost sinner, deserving of God's
wrath and indignation : nor is there one who does not desire
" to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness
which is of the law, but the righteousness which is of God,
through faith in Christ6." In these respects the whole
people of God, of every order and every rank, and every
nation under heaven, are altogether " of one heart and of one
mind."]
3. A prosecution of the same heavenly pursuits —
[This, too, is found in every part of the corporeal frame :
and this also is found in all the members of Christ's body.
The worldly pursuits of men may be widely different, accord
ing to their situation in society and in the Church of God.
But there is not one in all the family of God who does not
account the care of the soul the one thing needful ; not one
who is not labouring, as God shall help him, to flee from the
wrath of God, and to lay hold on eternal life. See them
wherever they are, or whatever they are doing, they never
lose sight of this. In the woi'ld or in the Church, by night or
by day, they keep steadily in view the prize of their high
calling, and run with all diligence in order to obtain it. To
" live a life of faith upon the Son of God," and a life of love
towards all mankind, is their great object : and from the first
moment of their conversion, to the latest hour of their lives,
this occupies their minds, and engages their utmost efforts.]
4. A sympathy with the whole body in all its
parts —
[No member of the human frame can suffer or rejoice,
but as the other members suffer or rejoice with itf. Nor in
Christ's mystical body can any member be indifferent to either
the temporal or spiritual welfare of the rest. The conversion
e Phil. iii. 9. f ver. 25, 2G.
310 1 CORINTHIANS, XII. 13. [1983.
of men to Christ, even in the remotest quarters of the globe,
is a matter of deep interest to the real saint : and the declen
sion of any is with him a source of grief and pain. And if he
can administer to the welfare of any, he accounts it a high
privilege to exert his influence for that end. A true believer
has no interest compared with that of the Redeemer's king
dom : and if he may be an instrument of promoting that, he
accounts it a call from God to put forth all his powers, yea,
and, if need be, to sacrifice his very life in so good a cause6.]
From this subject we may SEE,
1. How far we have profited by our baptism —
[Many will lay an undue stress on baptism, as though it
of necessity changed and renewed the soul. I grant it does
change the state, because by it we are made members of
Christ's mystical body : and this change is properly ascribed,
in our Liturgy, as in our text, to the Spirit of God. But we
must experience an inward change besides, and must "drink
into one Spirit," having our whole soul renewed and sanctified
by the Spirit of God. This is absolutely indispensable to the
salvation of the soul. The Israelites in the wilderness " were
baptised unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea ; and did all
eat the same spiritual meat, and all drink the same spiritual
drink : and yet God was angry with them, and overthrew them
in the wilderness. And these things happened to them for
ensamplesV The outward form never did, nor ever can,
suffice : if we would be the Lord's people indeed, we must
" be one spirit with him1," and have really, as the governing
principle of our lives, " the mind that was in himV]
2. What benefit we may hope for in communicating
at the table of the Lord—
[The expression, " drinking into one Spirit," has a re
ference to the sacramental cup, of which all communicants
partake. And though, where baptism is duly received, it is
doubtless accompanied with the richest blessings to the soul,
yet is the Lord's supper, as being often repeated and received
in communion with the whole Church, generally productive of
the greater benefit. This seems intimated in the language of
our text : for by the one we are brought into one body ; and by
the other, are " made to drink into one Spirit1." At all events,
we can have no doubt what God intends by this ordinance :
for, in " eating the flesh of Christ, and drinking his blood,"
we shall " grow up into him in all things, as our living Head,"
* 2 Tim. ii. 10. Acts xx. 24. h 1 Cor. x. 1—6.
j 1 Cor. vi. 17. k Phil. ii. 5.
1 Eir ii' cCopa. ifittnri^Oijfiiv' ur ty \\rtufia iiroriaQrip,tv,
1984.] GIFTS AND GRACES COMPARED. 311
and by him be filled with all the fulness of Godm. Come,
then, to the table of the Lord, that ye may receive " a supply
of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" !" for " He has the residue of
the Spirit0," and will send Him to you from the Father1", in
answer to your prayers'5. Come, all of you ; and ye shall par
take more richly of his vital energies, and be confirmed more
strongly in the principles ye have imbibed, and be quickened
more abundantly in your pursuit of heaven, and be rendered
still more heavenly in all your tempers and affections. Thus
shall the whole work of God be perfected in your souls : and
in due time you shall resemble the saints above ; yea, and be
partakers with them in holiness, and felicity, and glory.]
'« John vi. 56, 57. Eph. iv. 15. n Phil. i. 19. ° Mai. ii. 15.
P John xv. 26. and xvi. 7. <i Luke xi. 13
MDCCCCLXXXIV.
GIFTS AND GRACES COMPARED.
1 Cor. xii. 31. Covet earnestly the best gifts : and yet shew I
unto you a more excellent way.
SUCH is the weakness of human nature, that we
can scarcely possess any thing that distinguishes us
from others, without priding ourselves in it; as though
it had sprung from some efforts of our own, or at
least had been given us for our superior desert. Even
miraculous powers, which could manifestly originate
in nothing but God's sovereign will and pleasure,
were to the Corinthians a ground of boasting and
self-complacency. We, at this time, are perfectly
amazed at the indecorous way in which many in the
apostolic age abused their powers, and at the manner
in which they conducted their religious assemblies.
St. Paul, as might well be expected, set himself to
reform those abuses, and so to regulate their proceed
ings, that " all things might be done decently and in
order." With this view, he shewed them, that, what
ever the number or quality of " their gifts" might be,
whatever " the differences of their administrations,"
and whatever "the diversities of their operations,"
they all proceeded from " the same God who wrought
all in all." He acknowledged the benefit arising from
uh2 1 CORINTHIANS.. XII. 31. [1984.
the judicious exercise of their miraculous powers ;
but yet told them, that there was an object far more
worthy of their ambition; namely, charity, which was
the sum and substance of all Christian perfection.
He does not altogether blame their desire of useful
gifts : on the contrary, he says, " Covet earnestly
the best gifts." But he would not have them satisfy
themselves with any measure of such attainments,
because without love or charity they were of no
value whatever : and therefore he adds, " Yet shew
I unto you a more excellent way."
Before I come to my subject, I would just observe,
that, though some of high name would alter the
translation in my text, (from an idea that the Apostle,
when reproving the pride and emulation which had
prevailed in reference to these gifts, could never
encourage the Corinthians to covet them%) I feel no
doubt but that the translation is correct : for the
very same word occurs again at the commencement
of the 14th chapter, (the whole of the 13th being
only parenthetical, as an explanation of my text,) and
it is incapable of being understood in any other way
than as it is translated in my text : " Follow after
charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye
may prophesy :" where, shewing the peculiar useful
ness of the gift of prophecy, which was the expounding
of Scripture, he recommends that they should affect
that in preference to any other. Again, in verse 12
of the same chapter, he says, " Forasmuch as ye are
zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the
edifying of the Church" And again, at the close of
the same chapter, he says, " Brethren, covet to pro
phesy ; and forbid not to speak with tongues."
I have judged it expedient to dwell somewhat upon
this point ; because the Apostle's inculcating a desire
after the best gifts will have an important bearing on
my subject ; which is, to shew,
I. The value and importance of spiritual gifts.
II. The infinitely greater value of spiritual graces.
a Dr. Doddridge.
1984.J GIFTS AND GRACES COMPARED.
First, I will endeavour to mark the value and im
portance of spiritual gifts—
The miraculous powers with which many of the
primitive Christians were endowed, the Apostle calls
" spiritual gifts :" not because in their nature they
were spiritual, as emanating from the soul, and exer
cised about things that were altogether heavenly,
but because they were spiritual in their source and
tendency ; inasmuch as they were wrought in men by
the Holy Spirit, and were imparted to the Church
for the purpose of spreading and establishing Chris
tianity in the world. There was a great diversity of
them, all proceeding from the same origin, and all
conducing to the same end. Hence the Apostle says,
" There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every
man, to profit withal. For to one is given, by the Spirit,
the word of wisdom ; to another, the word of know
ledge, by the same Spirit ; to another, faith, by the
same Spirit ; to another, the gifts of healing, by the
same Spirit ; to another, the working of miracles ; to
another, prophecy ; to another, discerning of spirits ;
to another, divers kinds of tongues ; to another, the
interpretation of tongues ; and all these worketh that
one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as he willV
These gifts, at the first establishment of Chris
tianity, were necessary : for, unless God had im
parted to the Apostles a spirit of wisdom and of
knowledge, they could never have known those
" mysteries which were hid in God from the founda
tion of the world0." Nor, if they had not been
endued with the gift of tongues, could they have
declared to foreigners the blessed truths which they
had received. Nor could they have given sufficient
evidence of their divine commission to preach those
truths, if they had not been enabled to work
miracles in confirmation of their word. To have
argued with heathens, or even with Jews, would
b 1 Cor. xii. 4, 7—11. c Eph. iii. 9.
314 1 CORINTHIANS, XII. 31. [1984.
have been a slow process, if they had to bear down
their adversaries with the mere force of reason ; and
to convince them would have been a difficult under
taking : but the performing of miracles superseded, if
not entirely, yet in great measure, these laborious
efforts, and carried conviction at once to the minds
of hundreds and of thousands, who would not have
had leisure or ability to enter into long and deep
discussions. Thus it was that Christianity was
established : and those to whom these divine powers
were committed, were highly honoured of God, in
being made his instruments for the conversion and
salvation of their fellow-men.
But these gifts are now no longer necessary : they
have accomplished the work for which they were
bestowed. The record of them remains ; and to
that we can appeal. That was written whilst multi
tudes were alive, and able to testify of what their
eyes had seen and their ears had heard. To have
had those miracles continued would have answered
no good end : for they must have been wrought in
every age and every place, where the doctrine
needed to be confirmed : and then the common
ness of them would have destroyed their efficacy
upon the mind. Even when they were wrought,
they did not carry conviction to the minds of all :
and how much less would they have done so at this
time, if they had been continued to the present
day ! We may well say, that, if men believe not
the records of the Old and New Testaments, neither
would they be persuaded though they saw one rise
from the dead.
These supernatural gifts being withdrawn, we are
now left to the use of those means which are placed
within our reach. I do not intend to say, that any
efforts of ours can convince those who will shut their
eyes against the light : for the resurrection of Laza
rus, and of our Lord himself, did not effect that : but
we have within our reach means, which will, as far
as is necessary, subserve the interests of religion
in the way that miracles once did. Learning is
1984. ] GIFTS AND GRACES COMPARED. 315
now the substitute for those gifts : and by learning
must we labour to attain the ends for which those
spiritual gifts were formerly bestowed; namely, to
acquire the knowledge of religion ; to attain a facility
of diffusing it; and to maintain it against all its
adversaries.
By learning we must attain the knowledge of re
ligion. Of course, I must not be understood to say,
that the fundamental doctrines of Christianity cannot
be understood without learning : for then I should
condemn to hopeless misery all the unlearned of the
earth. No : God has not so constituted his Gospel,
that it should be hidden from the poor : for it is a
characteristic feature of the Gospel, that it was to be
preached to the poor and illiterate, and that it would
commend itself to them, whilst it was hid from the
wise and prudent. The fundamental truths of our
holy religion are few and simple. The man who
feels himself an undone sinner, and who looks
simply to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, is
truly instructed in the Gospel, though he be not
able to read one word in it. And the Scriptures are
so written, that even the poorest man who can read
them, and who has a spiritual discernment given him
from above, can comprehend all that is contained in
them, so far as it is necessary for the edification and
comfort of his own soul : and to keep the Bible out
of the hands of the poor, from an idea that they will
only receive injury from the perusal of it, is a Popish
delusion, an unchristian cruelty, an impious reflec
tion upon God himself. But still I must say, that,
to a full and complete understanding of the sacred
volume, a very considerable degree of learning is
requisite. In truth, that volume itself contains
mines of learning, which many years of investiga
tion are scarcely sufficient to explore. Numberless
things at this very day are but matters of conjecture,
even to the most learned men upon earth, because of
the very partial information which is transmitted to
us of the customs to which they refer, and the cir
cumstances with which they were connected. And
316 1 CORINTHIANS, XII. 31. [1984.
it may well be doubted, whether the inspired volume
will ever be fully understood, unless a Spirit of
inspiration be again vouchsafed to unfold it to us,
Nor is learning at all less necessary for the diffu
sion of sacred knowledge. We admire and revere
the memory of one favoured servant of Godd, who,
possessed as he was of most transcendent talents,
and with incredible zeal and industry devoted to the
Lord, translated the New Testament into the Persian
and Hindoostanee languages. What, then, must be
necessary for the translating of the whole Scriptures
into all the languages of the world ! Let all the
learning of our highly-respected University be em
bodied in one man, and how little would it enable
him to effect in three quarters of the globe ! In truth,
were it not that God's ancient people are scattered
over the whole face of the earth, everywhere possess
ing, in part at least, their own inspired writings, on
which ours are founded ; and were it not that we had
reason to believe that they are ordained of God to be
his instruments for the conversion of the world ; we
should be ready still to regard the Millennial age as
far distant as ever ; so impossible would it seem, that
persons in the present state of the Christian Church,
should ever be found for the evangelizing of the world.
And must I not add, that learning is alike neces
sary for the maintaining of Christianity against its
adversaries ? We cannot contend even with sceptics
and infidels, amongst ourselves, without learning :
and how much less can we refute all the objections
of Jewish Rabbies, and all the errors of the different
religionists upon the face of the globe ? They will
not bow to the authority of our Scriptures: nor can
we work miracles to convince them. We must
search out all their refuges of lies, and expose all
their sophistry, and establish our own religion upon
the ruins of theirs. But can this be done without
learning? I think, then, we may say, that learning
must supply the place of miracles, unless God should
11 The Rev. Henry Martvn, a Member of this University.
1984. J «IFTS AND GRACES COMPARED. 317
be pleased to restore to his Church those powers
which for so many centuries have been withdrawn.
Nevertheless, whilst, as becomes me, I exalt
amongst you the importance of learning, it is proper
that I proceed to point out, in
The second place, The infinitely greater value of
spiritual graces. " Covet earnestly the best gifts :
and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."
That which is here proposed to them as more ex
cellent than any gifts, is the grace of Charity ; the
character and offices of which are fully described in
the chapter which follows. Now, in looking into
that chapter, we see that the direct tendency of this
grace is to mortify all those evil dispositions which
had been exercised in the Corinthian Church, and to
call forth into action all those holy tempers which
had been trodden under foot. The Apostle, there
fore, may be considered as saying to the Corinthian
Church, ' You, instead of improving your gifts aright,
have made them an occasion of pride, and envy, and
jealousy : and I recommend you rather to set your
hearts on the attainment of that heavenly principle,
which will rectify your disorders, and unite all your
souls in love.'
Still, however, we must observe, that the Apostle
did not confine himself to this idea ; but launched
forth into a general view of the excellencies of Cha
rity, in order that he might the more powerfully excite
them to the cultivation of it. And, therefore, I will
so far follow him, as to shew you the superiority of
this grace to all gifts whatever ; first, for our own
personal benefit ; next, for the benefit of the world at
large; and lastly, for the honour of our God.
Chanty, then, is more excellent than learning ;
first, for our own personal benefit. I would by no
means be thought to undervalue learning : it is, be
yond all doubt, of immense importance : it expands
the mind, and enlarges the heart ; and contributes,
more than can be well conceived, to raise man above
his fellows ; insomuch, that all are ready to bow down
to him who stands high in repute for the attainment
318 1 CORINTHIANS, XII. 31. [1984.
of it. But, then, it does nothing towards the sancti
fying of the heart, or the improvement of the soul in
heavenly dispositions : on the contrary, it is too often
found to operate precisely as the spiritual gifts did at
Corinth, to the engendering of pride and envy, of
conceit and jealousy, of hatred and malignity, in the
very circle where it most abounds.
But Charity elevates the mind, and purifies it from
all these hateful dispositions. It raises the soul to
God, and calls forth all our energies in behalf of man.
It even transforms us into the very image of God
himself, whose name and nature is love. It also
greatly tranquillizes the mind, and cuts off all occa
sion for those painful feelings which agitate the
bosoms of the generality, and kindle animosities be
tween man and man. I may go further, and say, as
the Apostle does, that, whatever we may possess of
such attainments, they will soon vanish away, and
leave us as little benefited as if we had never pos
sessed them. But Charity constitutes our meetness
for the heavenly inheritance, and is indeed the com
mencement of heaven in the soul : and it will exist
within us, in full activity, when all other things shall
have ceased for ever.
Charity, too, is more excellent than learning, for
the benefit of the world at large. Learning, as I have
said, confers extensive good upon mankind : but it
is also frequently a vehicle of incalculable evil. To
a vast extent has it been employed in the service of
infidelity and profaneness ; insomuch, that, even in
Christian lands, some of the most distinguished his
torians, poets, and philosophers, have put forth all
their energies for the subversion, rather than the
establishment, of our holy religion. But Charity is
never employed but for the good of mankind. Gladly
would it drive from the world every noxious senti
ment and feeling, and contribute, as far as possible,
to the happiness of all. To benefit the souls of men,
is its highest aim : and not so much as one would it
suffer to perish, if by any means it could induce him
to embrace the proffered salvation. We need only
1984.] GIFTS AND GRACES COMPARED. 319
see the difference between the learned Saul and the
pious Paul, and we shall behold this matter in its
true light.
I may here add, that learning, how beneficial
soever it may be to some, has but few objects, com
paratively, with whom it can come in contact. The
learned only can appreciate its worth, or make a due
improvement of its stores. But love extends to every
child of man ; and is capable of its fullest exercise, in
every place, and under every circumstance that can
occur. It is like the sun, which shines alike upon
the evil and upon the good ; or the rain, which de
scends alike on the just and on the unjust.
Yet further I must add, that love is more excellent
than learning, as contributing more to the honour of
our God. Though learning is indeed to be traced to
God as its true source, yet his agency in it is almost
always overlooked ; and the honour of it is ascribed
to its possessor, who employs it only for his own
glory. Even when it is used in support of religion,
still, unless under the influence of love, it aims only
at the advancement of its possessor in wealth or
honour. But love bears upon it the very stamp of
heaven ; and shews to all, that it proceeds from God.
It is " an epistle of Christ, known and read of all
men." And in all it does, it seeks to honour God.
It would be ashamed to arrogate any thing to itself.
It gives to God the glory of its every motion and its
every act : and, if only God be honoured, it regards
not what portion is assigned to its possessor. 1 will
only add, that learning will sit at ease, and please
itself, without any concern for God ; whilst love will
travel to the ends of the earth, and encounter all
imaginable perils, if only man may be benefited, and
God be glorified.
Suffer me now, then, to address you in the words
of my text ; and, in conformity with the Apostle's
direction to the Corinthians, to say, in the first
place—
" Covet earnestly the best gifts" — It will be re
membered, that I have stated this to be the just
320 1 CORINTHIANS, XII. 31. [1984.
translation of the word ; and that, instead of being a
reproof, saying, " Ye do covet" (and covet impro
perly) the best gifts, it is a concession. " Covet ear
nestly the best gifts ;" for that is an ambition, which,
if duly exercised, I cordially approve. I observed,
that this view of the word had an important bearing
on my subject : and that bearing I shall now point
out. There are religious persons who undervalue
learning ; and therefore undervalue it, because they
want either the talent or the industry to attain it.
But I must bear my decided testimony against all
such persons ; and must declare, that their notions
are erroneous, their conduct evil, their example per
nicious. It is an error to suppose that religion dis
countenances attainments of any kind : and they
who are sent hither (to this university, I mean) for
instruction, and neglect to improve their talents ac
cording to the plan of study here prescribed, are
highly criminal before God and man : nor can they
conceive how great a stumbling-block they lay in the
way of others, or what injury they do to religion,
which is condemned for their sakes. I therefore
would say to all, " Covet earnestly the best gifts ;"
and not only "covet them earnestly," but pursue
them diligently. And, if I may be permitted to ad
dress myself more particularly to those with whom,
as a partaker of the same benefits with them in our
early education and our present means of prosecuting
our studies, I am more immediately connected, I
would say, ' Inasmuch as your advantages have been
greater than perhaps those of any other persons, your
proficiency ought to be proportionably great : and,
inasmuch as the lines in which you have an opportu
nity to distinguish yourselves are, through accidental
circumstances, more contracted than those of others,
you are doubly bound to excel in those lines, where
the scope for competition is open to you6.'
Yet I must go on, with the Apostle, to say, good
e Preached before the University, in King's College, on the Foun
der's day, March 2.5, 1825.
1984.] GIFTS AND GRACES COMPARED. 321
as this way is, " I have shewn you a more excellent
way," and would most earnestly exhort you to walk
in it. The way of charity is indeed a more excellent
way ; and it may well regulate you, even in the pro
secution of your studies. You will remember that
the Apostle says, " Covet earnestly the best gifts."
And he tells us plainly what the best gifts are : " God
has set some in the Church ; first, apostles ; secondly,
prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that, miracles;
then, gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities
of tongues f." Now, here you will notice, that his
judgment was in direct opposition to that of the
Corinthians in general. They put the speaking with
tongues in the first place, because that was the gift
which excited the most admiration, and attracted the
most applause : and they accounted the prophets,
that is, the expounders of God's blessed word, as low
in comparison of them. But the Apostle inverted
that order altogether : he put the prophets and
teachers next in order to the Apostles ; and placed
the diversities of tongues the very lowest of all. He
estimated these gifts by a very different standard
from that which obtained amongst the vain ostenta
tious Corinthians : he judged of gifts by their useful
ness to the souls of men. And this is the judgment
which I would recommend to you. Let not your
time be so occupied with things curious, or enter
taining, or calculated to excite the admiration of men,
as to neglect, or keep upon the back-ground, those
things which are of practical utility to the Church of
God. Learn to estimate these things, not by the
world's standard, but by God's : and lay out your
time and strength most in those things which will
most conduce to the benefit of God's Church and
people.
And this you will do, if you cultivate the grace of
charity. You will act to God, and not to man. You
will seek the edification of your own souls, in every
thing that is amiable and praiseworthy ; and you will
move in the sphere appointed you, so as most to
f 1 Cor.-xii. 28.
VOL. XVI. Y
322 1 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 1-3. [1985.
advance the welfare of men and the honour of your
God. You will not consider it sufficient to attain
gff/s, however great and splendid, when you recollect
how empty and worthless they are without charity.
The Apostle says, " Though I speak with the tongues
of men and angels, and have not charity, I am be
come as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And
though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand
all mysteries, and all knowledge (in which we may
include all that is cultivated with so much assiduity
and success in this learned university) ; and though I
have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
and have not charity, I am nothing. And though
I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though
I give my body to be burned, and have not charity,
it profiteth me nothing^" After such declarations as
these, so strong, so authoritative, so decisive, I may
well be excused if I urge upon you a practical
attention to them, and entreat you, whilst pursuing,
as you ought to do, the best attainments in learning,
not to be unmindful of that more excellent way; but
to " add to your knowledge GODLINESS, and to godli
ness brotherly-kindness, and to brotherly-kindness
CHARITY11."
8 1 Cor. xiii. 1—3. h 2 Pet. i. 6, 7.
MDCCCCLXXXV.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY.
1 Cor. xiii. 1 — 3. Though I speak with the tongues of men and
of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding
brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of
prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knoivledge ;
and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
and have not charity, I am nothing. And though Ibcstoiv all
my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be
burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
IN the apostolic age, the Church enjoyed some
advantages, to which we of this day are strangers.
The vast variety of gifts which were vouchsafed to
1985.] THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY. 323
the primitive believers, tended greatly to fix their
attention on the truths that were delivered, and to
confirm the faith of those who heard them. On the
other hand, these gifts were attended with some dis
advantages ; inasmuch as they gave rise to an unholy
emulation in the persons who possessed them, and
an undue partiality in those for whose benefit they
were exercised. On the whole, we need not envy
them their distinctions, since their gifts, how exalted
soever they might be, were nothing in comparison of
that which we, as well as they, are privileged to
possess. Love is of more value than them all. Gifts
might edify others ; but love benefits ourselves : and,
without love, all the gifts that men ever possessed
were of no value. This is asserted by St. Paul in
our text. But, as his assertions are of a very extra
ordinary kind, we shall endeavour to explain and
vindicate them to your satisfaction.
I. To explain-
In order to place the passage in its true point of
view, we shall explain,
1. The principle itself—
[This throughout the whole chapter is called " charity."
The generality of commentators have expressed their regret
that the word " love" had not been substituted in the place of
" charity," that being confessedly the true meaning of the term
used in the original. But we do not conceive the translation
to be open to the objection that is urged against it : for it is
not possible for any one, who reads the chapter with attention,
to imagine, that it relates exclusively to alms-giving: the
most ignorant reader must see, that the principle, which is here
called " charity," is far more extensive, and can by no means
have so limited a sense, as these objectors would suppose them
to affix to it. We, on the contrary, think that the translators
intentionally preferred the term " charity," in order to mark
distinctly that the principle here spoken of is love to man in
its utmost latitude ; but that it is love to man only, and
not love to God. That it must be so limited, is evident
from the whole preceding and following context. The Corin
thians possessed many miraculous powers, which, though given
them only for the edification of the Church, were exerted by
them principally for vain-glorious and selfish ends. Hence
the Apostle tells them, that they defeated the very ends for
1 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 1—3. [1985.
which these powers had been imparted, and trampled upon
that principle of Christian love, which was of more value
than all the powers that either men or angels could possess.
Besides, all the properties which in this chapter are ascribed
to love, shew it to have man, and man alone, for its object.
And those who interpret the word as including love to God
also, make the import of the whole chapter obscure and unin
telligible. We therefore approve of the term " charity," as
giving to the passage its true, and definite, and more appro
priate meaning.
Yet we must bear in mind, that it is Christian charity which
is here spoken of; namely, chanty founded on a regard to the
authority of God who has enjoined it, and on a regard to
Christ also, in and through whom all the human race may be
considered as united in one great family. His example is no
less binding upon us than the command of God : and there
fore, though we confine the term to the love of man only, we
understand by it such a love, as is founded altogether on
Christian principles, and is combined with all other gracious
affections.]
2. The assertions respecting it —
[Such in the Apostle's judgment is the value and import
ance of Christian charity, that, without it all that we can possess
is of no value, and all that we can do is of no value.
Without it, all that we can possess is of no value. — It is here
supposed that a man may be able to speak with all the wisdom
and eloquence both of men and angels ; that he may possess a
gift of prophecy so as to foretell future events ; that he may
have a perfect insight into all the most hidden mysteries of our
religion, and an ability to solve all its difficulties ; yea, that he
may possess a faith whereby he may be able to remove moun
tains : and yet be destitute of this principle of universal
charity. And certain it is that all these miraculous powers
are independent of gracious affections, and have been more or
less exercised by men, who, like Balaam, were altogether
destitute of the grace of God. Supposing then a man to
possess all these powers in their highest possible degree,
and at the same time to be destitute of the principle of true
charity, he would, as the Apostle says, be only " as sounding
brass, or a tinkling cymbal," the most harsh and monotonous
of all the instruments from whence any thing like music can
be elicited.
Moreover, without this principle of charity, all that we can
do is of no value. It is supposed here that a person may have
such a fit of liberality as to give all his goods to feed the poor ;
and such a fit of zeal as to give his body to be burned; and
yet be destitute of this principle. And certain it is, that there
1985.] THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY.
are principles in our fallen nature capable of producing
these effects in men who have never received one atom of
the grace of God, or felt one spark of true charity. Many
thousands of our fellow-subjects in India are awful examples
of this truth; men reducing themselves to the most wretched
state of want and misery, and women voluntarily burning
themselves upon the funeral piles of their deceased husbands ;
and this from no better principle than pride and vain-glory.
Similar effects are produced also by a self-righteous principle ;
the unhappy devotees accounting nothing too much to do or
suffer in order to recommend themselves to their senseless
deities. Supposing then a man to do all this, and yet to be
devoid of charity, " it would profit him nothing" literally
" nothing." Not one of his sins would ever be removed by it;
nor would he be advanced one single step towards the favour
of God : he would be as poor, and wretched, and miserable
as before.]
Now these, it must be confessed, are very strong
assertions : and the idea of a man going from the
flames of martyrdom to the flames of hell, is so shock
ing, that we scarcely know how to admit it for one
moment. Yet is it really true that this may be the
case ; as is abundantly evident from the Apostle's
assertions ; which now we will proceed,
II. To vindicate —
Let it be remembered that the principle, which
is here supposed to be wanting, is that of universal
" charity." And well may it be said, that, in the
absence of that, all other things are of no value ; for,
where that is wanting, there can be,
1. No love to God —
[Here St. John will prove to us an infallible instructor.
His words are plain and decisive : " Beloved, let us love one
another : for love is of God. He that lovetk not, knoweth not
God : for God is love." " If a man say, I love God, and
hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his
brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he
hath not seen3?" Here he not only declares the vanity and
falsehood of all pretensions of love to God, whilst we are
destitute of love to man, but he appeals to us respecting it,
as a matter that is self-evident and incontrovertible. For a
man to pretend to obey the first table of the law, whilst he
a 1 John iv. 7, 8, 20.
326 1 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 1—3. [1985.
tramples habitually on all the duties of the second table, is an
absurdity too glaring for any one seriously to maintain. If we
are destitute of love to man, we cannot possibly be possessed
of love to God.
Now then, we would ask, in what light must that man be
viewed who has no love to God? Of what value are his gifts,
how great or manifold soever they may be ? Or of what value
are his actions, how glorious soever they may be in the eyes of
man ? Can the man please God, when he does not love him ?
Can the man enjoy God, when he does not love him ? Could
he enjoy God even in heaven itself, if he did not love him ?
No : if it be only a fellow-creature whom we do not love, we
have no pleasure in his presence, even though he himself be
not the only source from whence our comfort might be drawn :
how then could we be happy in God's presence, when he
would be the only spring from whence even one drop of plea
sure could now ? Verily, to such a man, even heaven itself
would be no heaven ; or rather, it would be to him as the
precincts of hell.]
2. No faith in Christ-
[Love is properly the fruit of faith. Mere carnal affec
tion, or party-spirit, may exist without any knowledge of
Christ : but Christian charity must spring from faith in Christ,
even from that faith, which, as the Apostle says, " worketh by
loveV But here again the Apostle John shall be our guide.
In immediate connexion with the fore-cited passages, he says,
" Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of
God : and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him
also that is begotten of himc." Here the argument is plain:
every one that believes in Christ, loves God ; and every one
that loves God, loves those also who are begotten of him:
consequently, if we love not those who are begotten of him,
we have no love to God, nor any faith in Christ.
And what is the state of a man that has no faith in Christ ?
Can there be any value in any thing which he either has or
does? He has no interest in Christ, no pardon of sin, no title
to heaven, no hope beyond the grave : what signify then his
pre-eminent talents, or his specious virtues? He may benefit
others; but he cannot benefit himself: he may even " save
others; but he himself will be a cast-away." Yea, at this
moment " he is in a state of condemnation, and the wrath of
God abide th on himd."]
3. No real holiness of heart and life—
[The man that is destitute of charity tramples alike on
both tables of the law. For, " the very end of the command-
* Gal. v. 6. c 1 John v. 1. d John iii. 18, 30.
1985.] TJ11E IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY. 327
ment, (the very end for which the law was given, and which it
was principally intended to effect,) is charity, out of a pure
heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned6:" and
this end not being answered, the whole law is made void.
Again ; St. Paul says, that " all the law is fulfilled in one
word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy
self f:" therefore, if this one grace is so connected with every
part of the law as to fulfil it all, the want of this one grace
must violate it all. Once more : it is said, " Put on charity,
which is the bond of perfectnessg:" it is that by which all the
graces that constitute perfection are bound together, just as
the armour was by the girdle that enclosed it. This therefore
being wanting, no grace whatever is found in its proper place :
they are altogether scattered to the winds.
What then, we would again ask, is the state of such a man?
a man that defeats the one end for which the law was given ;
that violates it in all its parts ; and leaves at the disposal of
every gust of passion all the graces which it was intended to
combine ? We think that nothing more is wanting to confirm
all the strong assertions of the Apostle, or to shew that, what
ever a man may either possess or do, without charity he is
nothing but a tinkling cymbal ; he will be nothing to all eter
nity, but a miserable, self-deceiving, self-ruined hypocrite.]
From this view of Christian charity, LEARN the im
portance,
1 . Of understanding clearly its nature—
[Certain it is that the nature of Christian charity is but
little known. In truth, had it not been so fully opened in the
chapter before us, it may well be doubted whether any man
upon the face of the earth would have fully understood it : or
rather, it may be doubted, whether any man on the face of the
earth does fully understand it even now. No part of it can be
understood any farther that it is experienced in the soul : and
the defects of men in the practice of it shew how defective
must be their views of its extent and obligations. But, it is
only in proportion as we understand it, that we can have any
just standard whereby to estimate our own character, or any
sure directory for our conduct. But God will judge us by his
perfect law, whether we understand it or not. He does not
reduce his demands to the measure which we choose to fix ;
but requires us diligently to learn his will, and then to do it
" without partiality and without hypocrisy." Our first object
then must be to get a thorough insight into the requirements
of his law, and then to set ourselves with all diligence to the
performance of it.]
e 1 Tim. i. 5. f Gal. v. 14. <s Col. iii. 14.
328 1 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 4—7. [1986.
2. Of ascertaining our state in relation to it —
[Often should we bring ourselves to the touchstone, to try
what our state is before God. We have seen how high we
may be in the estimation of men, whilst yet we are nothing in
the' sight of God. Perhaps there are no persons more eminent
in their own eyes, than those who attract great attention by
their talents, or by liberality and zeal have high credit for their
attainments. But such persons often fearfully deceive their
own souls h. If we would form a right judgment of our cha
racter, let us study this chapter thoroughly, and apply to our
hearts and consciences every one of those properties by which
Christian charity is there distinguished. Let us further study
the character of the Apostle Paul, and of our blessed Lord
himself: and thus shall we know, with some considerable mea
sure of certainty, what is God's estimate of us, and what his
sentence will be upon us in the great and awful day.]
3. Of cultivating the growth of it in our souls —
[There is no measure of Christian charity with which we
are to rest satisfied : we are always to be pressing forward
for higher and higher attainments. St. Paul commends the
Thessalonians, because "their faith grew exceedingly, and the
charity of every one of them towards each other abounded1."
Let us seek to merit that commendation. It is in that way
only that we can make our profiting to appear, or give evi
dence that we are growing from babes to young men, and
from young men to fathers. Love is the image of God ; and
the more we increase in it, the' more we adorn our Christian
profession, and attain " a meetness for the heavenly inheri
tance." Let us all then " follow earnestly this best of gifts ;"
and however much any of you may have attained, " we beseech
you to abound more and moreV]
h Gal. vi. 3. * 2 Thess. i. 3. k 1 Thess. iv. 9, 10.
MDCCCCLXXXVI.
A DESCRIPTION OF CHARITY.
1 Cor. xiii. 4 — 7. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity
envieth not ; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth
not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily
provoked, thinketh no evil ; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but
rejoiceth in the truth ; beareth all things, believeth all things,
hopeth all things, endureth all things.
OF all the subjects proposed to us in the Holy
Scriptures, there is not one that deserves a deeper
1986.] A DESCRIPTION OF CHARITY. 329
attention than that before us. If only we consider
what is said of charity in the preceding verses, and
reflect on the indispensable necessity of it to our ac
ceptance with God, we shall be led to inquire diligently
into its characteristic features, and its inseparable
properties : we shall not satisfy ourselves with any
specious appearances, or outward acts ; but shall
examine, whether, and how far, this divine principle
exists in our hearts. To assist you in this inquiry,
we shall enter minutely into the description here
given of it ; and endeavour to hold up a mirror, in
which every one may behold his own face. It is but
too common, when subjects of this kind are discussed,
to apply them to others, rather than ourselves : but,
if we would hear with profit, we must think of our
selves only; and implore of God the influences of his
Spirit, that " the word may come, not in word only,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power," to
our souls.
There are here no less than fifteen particulars by
which the principle of charity is distinguished. But
we apprehend, that the two first are designed to give
a general view of the subject ; and that those which
follow are the particulars comprehended under it.
The suffering patiently all kinds of evil, and doing
cheerfully all kinds of good, are the constituent parts
of true charity: and these are expressed by those
two words, " Charity sufFereth long, and is kind :"
and St. Paul elsewhere sums up the whole of charity
in these two things ; " Be not overcome of evil ; but
overcome evil with good3."
In fact, it is by these two terms that charity is
depicted as existing and operating in the bosom of
God himself: " Despisest thou the riches of his
goodtiess, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not
knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance?" Here the words "goodness and long-
suffering'" are, in the original, the very same with
those in the beginning of our text, " Charity suffereth
a Rom. xii. 21.
330 1 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 4—7. [1986.
long, and is kind :" from whence we may see that
charity in us is of the same nature with charity in
God ; or, in other words, that it is a conformity of
heart to God, whose name and character is love*.
It is yet further observable, that there is, in the
original, a marked difference between the mode in
which the general view of the subject is stated, and
the particular parts of it are enumerated ; there being
no copulative to connect the verbs. This distinction
is marked also very properly in our translation ; the
copulative " and" being put in italics, to shew that it
is not to be found in the original.
This view of the text removes all appearances of
tautology, and opens an easy way for the discussion
of it.
Descending thus to the consideration of the dif
ferent particulars, we notice, that there is a marked
difference also in the statement of them, in the former
part, as compared with the latter part ; the former
consisting wholly of negations; and the latter, of
affirmations : and thus presenting to our view,
I. The evils it excludes—
These may fitly be distributed under five heads :
1. Envy : " Charity envieth not" —
[Envy is a repining at another's prosperity, or good,
which we ourselves desire to possess : and it is a principle
deeply rooted in our fallen nature, insomuch that it may be
seen to operate with great force even in children at the breast;
so true is that testimony of the Apostle, " The spirit that
dwelleth in us, lusteth to envyc." But how contrary is this to
true chanty! Can we conceive a mother to envy her own
child any perfection it possessed, or any benefit that has been
conferred upon it? or if there were such a mother, would she
not, by the common consent of all men, be thought an unna
tural monster, rather than a loving parent? Real love would
lead her to rejoice in all the good that accrued to her child,
though she herself were not a partaker of it : and this is the
invariable operation of love, wherever it exists. Know then,
that, whatever distinctions or benefits any other person may
attain, whilst we ourselves have failed in the pursuit of them,
we should feel only pleasure in his success ; and if we grudge
b 1 John iv. 1G. c Jam. iv. 5.
1986.^] A DESCRIPTION OF CHARITY. 331
it him, and are disposed to detract from his merits, and to
reduce him to a level with ourselves, we are actuated by the
hateful principle of envy, and, in that instance at least, are
destitute of the sublimer principle of love.]
2. Pride : " Charity vaunteth not itself ; is not
puffed up ; doth not behave itself unseemly "-
[These three may properly be classed under the head of
pride. The word which is translated " vaunteth not itself," is
in the margin translated. " is not rash :" and this perhaps is
somewhat nearer to the original ; which imports, that charity
is not inconsiderate, insolent, and over-bearing. This is nearly
allied with a conceit of one's own attainment, and naturally
leads to a violation of all that respect which is due to age, and
station, and legitimate authority.
Yet to what an extent do these evils exist ! how headstrong,
how self-opinionated, how presumptuous are youth in general,
especially where they can give vent to their dispositions with
out restraint ! But love is modest, sober, temperate : it pays
a just deference to the sentiments of others; and willingly
submits to the dictates of maturer age, and riper judgment.
If then we speak and act without a due consideration of
what others may think, or a proper regard to what others may
feel, or in any way that does not befit our age, our rank, our
character, we violate the duties of charity ; which teaches us to
" esteem others better than ourselves d," and to guard with all
possible care against every thing that may give just offence8,
or weaken the influence of our exertions for the good of others.
In a word, real charity will lead us to " prefer others in
honour before ourselves f," and to take on all occasions the
lowest place8.]
3. Selfishness : " Charity seeketh not her own" —
[Throughout the whole of this description, the Apostle
seems to have had in his eye some of those particular evils
which abounded in the Church at Corinth. This more espe
cially he had occasion to reprove, both in the preceding and
subsequent context. Many of them were possessed of gifts,
which they used chiefly for the advancement of their own
honour, when they should have improved them solely for the
Church's good. And this disposition fearfully predominates in
our fallen nature; " All men seek their own, and not the
things of Jesus Christh." But true charity triumphs over all
these narrow and contracted feelings : it teaches us not to seek
our own ease, honour, and profit, but in entire subserviency to
d Phil. ii. 3. e 1 Cor. x. 32. ' Rom. xii. 10.
8 Luke xiv. 10. h Phil. ii. 21.
332 I CORINTHIANS, XIII. 4—7. [1986.
the good of others'; and to become the servants of all for
Christ's sakek, sacrificing our just rights1, abridging our un
questionable liberty111, and accommodating ourselves either to
the wishes or the prejudice of others", for the better pro
motion of their welfare. This is charity : but whereinsoever
self predominates, so as to turn us from this blessed path, we
are destitute of that heavenly principle, whose direction is,
" Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth0.]
4. Wrath : " Charity is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil"-
[It not unfrequently happens in a family, that, in the
estimation of him who is at the head of it, one member can
do nothing that is good ; and another member, nothing that
is wrong. But whence arises this ? Is it that the one is so
perfect as never to err ; and the other so depraved, as never
to do right ? No : the actions of the two are seen through a
different medium; the one through the medium of prejudice,
and the other of love. Now such a measure of partiality as
can find no fault, is far from being desirable ; nor is it any
part of true charity. But charity keeps us from breaking
forth into wrath against an offending brother ; and suffers us
not to impute evil intentions to him, to aggravate his offence.
Where there is a continual disposition to find fault, and a
readiness to fly out into a rage on trifling occasions, — where
there is a prorieness to put an unkind construction on every
thing, and to judge persons with severity, — there is no charity.
Let us but observe how ready we are to find excuses for any
one we greatly love, or even for a favourite animal that has
committed a fault, and we shall see immediately what would
be our conduct towards our brethren, if we had real love to
them in our hearts. How ingenious are we in finding excuses
for ourselves, when we have done any thing amiss! and if
self-love operate so towards ourselves, would not the love of
our brethren prescribe somewhat of a similar measure towards
them? Yes assuredly: we should " be slow to wrath," as we
find we are, comparatively at least, towards those whom we
love ; and ready to extenuate, rather than aggravate, what we
cannot fully approve.]
5. Malice : " Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but
rejoiceth in the truth" —
[To find pleasure in the fall or disgrace of another is the
very essence of malice, the counterpart of Satan himself. Yet
1 1 Cor. x. 33. k 1 Cor. ix. 19. ' 1 Cor. ix. 15.
111 1 Cor. viii. 13. " Acts xvi. 3. and xxi. 26.
0 1 Cor. x. 24. and Phil. ii. 4.
1986.J A DESCRIPTION OF CHARITY. 333
how universally prevalent is this malignant disposition ! Has
any person, especially one whom we have regarded as a superior
or a rival, done any thing whereby he has lowered himself in
the estimation of mankind ? with what pleasure do we listen
to the tale ! what gratification do we feel in circulating the
report! and what a satisfaction do we take, even whilst we
profess to pity him, in the fall and degradation of our brother !
If afterwards we find that the report was not true, or that there
were circumstances which materially altered the real character
of the action, do we feel the same pleasure in having our own
judgment rectified, and in rectifying the misapprehensions of
others ? No : there is not the same gratification to our corrupt
nature in believing and circulating the one, as in crediting and
spreading the other : and therefore, whilst we are ready enough
to propagate the evil, we leave truth to find its way as it can.
But this is not the way in which love will shew itself: charity
finds no pleasure in that which causes pain to another, or
dishonour to God : but it is delighted with every thing which
may tend to the advancement of God's honour and our
brethren's good.]
In this copious description of charity, we see yet
further,
II. The habits it keeps in exercise —
1. It " beareth," or, as the word rather means,
" covereth, all things" —
[Where love does not exist, there will be a readiness to
spy out evil, and to spread the report of it far and wide : but
where it reigns, there will be a disposition rather to cast a veil
over our brother's faults, yea and over his sins too; according
as it is written, "Charity will cover a multitude of sinsp."
Where the revealing of what we know is necessary for the
maintenance of public justice, there love to the community will
supersede the obligation of which we are now speaking : but
where no necessity exists for exposing the shame of our brother,
we ought as far as possible to conceal it, and to cast over it the
mantle of love. This is what a man does towards those with
whom he stands most intimately connected by the ties of con
sanguinity or friendship : and he will deal the same measure to
all, in proportion as the general principle of Christian charity
prevails in his soul.]
2. It " believeth all things"—
[This must of course be restricted to good : for to believe
P 1 Pet. iv. 8.
334. 1 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 4—7. [1986.
hastily all manner of evil would be directly contrary to love. In
the things which we either see or hear, there must of necessity
be a great deal which cannot come under our observation.
Acts are visible ; but the motives which lead to them are hid
from us. Results too may be visible ; but all the circumstances
that led to them, and the precise manner in which they were
brought about, may be very imperfectly known by us : and yet
on these depends the innocence or criminality of the persons
engaged in them. Now charity will not judge from outward
appearances, or from partial information ; but will suppose and
believe that there are many things connected with the event,
which, if fully known, would in some measure, if not altogether,
justify the person condemned. In our courts of law, the judge
always considers himself as, in some degree, counsel for the
person accused. Now this is what we should all be, in our
daily conduct : a person accused is, as it were, brought to our
bar for trial: and, instead of pronouncing a sentence of con
demnation upon him instantly on the statement of his accuser,
we should suspend our judgment till we know what he has to
say in vindication of himself: and if we are not likely to gain
that fuller information, we should take for granted that there
are some circumstances, though unknown to us, that would
give a different colour to the transaction, and constrain us to
give a sentence in his favour.]
3. It " hopeth all things"—
[The reports we hear may be so full and circumstantial,
and be corroborated by such a weight of evidence, that we can
scarcely withhold our assent to the statement. Yet, if we cannot
altogether believe that the accused person is less guilty than he
is represented, we should "hope" it. We should not so defini
tively pass judgment on him, as if it were impossible for us to
err ; or as if more perfect information might not give us a more
favourable view of his conduct. If we are compelled to con
demn him for an evil act, we should hope that the act was not
formed into a habit : or, if we are constrained to lament that
his iniquities are become a habit, still we should hope that he
is not altogether incorrigible ; we should not despair of seeing
a change in his favour, or give him over as altogether reprobate.
This is the way in which a loving parent acts towards his son ;
and it is the way in which we should act towards all the human
race: we should believe, where we cannot see; and hope, where
we cannot believe; and cherish desire, where we can scarcely
entertain a hope.]
4. It " endureth all things"—
[Much will we bear from a beloved object, many unkind-
nesses, and many inj uries : and, especially if we have a prospect
1986.] A DESCRIPTION OF CHARITY. 335
of ultimately benefiting his soul, we can bear up under his ill
treatment with much long-suffering and forbearance. This at
least is the proper effect of love; as we see in St. Paul, who
says, " I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may
obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."
It is not a slight provocation or two that love will overlook,
but a long-continuance of provocations : it will forgive, not
once, or seven times, but seventy times seven. It will continue
to bless even the man that loads us with curses, and to accu
mulate benefits on him who seeks only to do us evil. It so
endures evil, as " not to be overcome by it ;" and makes such
returns for it, as to " overcome it with good." Its great aim
is, so to " heap coals of fire on the head of an adversary, as to
melt him into love." In this consists the triumphs of the God
of love ; and in this will every one who is born of God endea
vour to resemble his heavenly Father.]
Hence we may SEE,
1. How different is true religion from what men
generally apprehend !
[Far be it from us to undervalue gifts of any kind, espe
cially of those which have a favourable aspect on religion : and
still less would we speak lightly of those alternations of hope
and fear, of joy and sorrow, which many experience in their
religious course. But still we must say, that vital religion is
different from them all, as a building is from the scaffold that
is used for its erection. Religion is a conformity to the Divine
image : religion is the law of God written in the heart : religion
is love ; love in all its bearings, and in all its exercises. Happy
would it be if this matter were better understood by those who
profess religion : but, with too many, religion has its seat in
the ear and in the tongue, rather than in the heart ; and
operates rather in a way of conceit and talkativeness, and un
charitable censures of those who differ from us, than in meek
ness and modesty, benevolence and beneficence, forbearance
and forgiveness. But let no man deceive himself: just so
much as we have of real, active, and habitual charity, so much
we have of true religion, and no more.]
2. How little is there of true religion in the world !
[Look into the world, and see what are the dispositions
and habits of all around us : what do we see, but pride and
envy, wrath and malice, self-seeking and self-indulgence? The
whole world is full of uncharitableness : nothing is to be seen
or heard but mutual censures and bitter animosities. The real
actings of love are as little prevalent, I had almost said, as in
hell itself. The laws of the land, and the habits of society,
336 1 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 9—12. [1987.
keep many from those violent breaches of charity which would
disturb the public peace : but their secret heart-burnings, to
wards those who have injured or insulted them, shew sufficiently
how little there is of true charity in their hearts.
Would to God that this were not the case also in the Church
of God ! But it is a lamentable truth, that in Christian societies
there is much of this unkind feeling in one towards another ;
brethren alienated from each other by some trifling differences,
and even harder to be reconciled to each other than the un
godly world. " O tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the
streets of Ascalon, lest the uncircumcised triumph." But let
professors look well to this matter: for they shall be judged,
not by their profession, but by their practice : and, however
eminent they may be in the estimation of men, they will receive
their doom from God, according to the actings of this principle
in their hearts and lives.]
3. How thankful should we be for the rich pro
visions of the Gospel !
[Who amongst us could stand, if we were to be justified
only by our obedience to this law ? Who would venture his
salvation upon it, even for one single day? Alas ! " in many
things we all offend :" there is not a human being who does not
come very short of the requirements of perfect charity. We
need then, all of us, to wash in " the fountain opened for sin
and for uncleanness ;" and to seek an interest in that Saviour,
who alone fulfilled the law in all its full extent.
Nor can we obey this law at all, any farther than we are
assisted by divine grace. We need the influences of the Holy
Spirit, to mortify and subdue the risings of uncharitableness
within us. Whatever we may have attained, " the flesh still
lusteth against the Spirit, so that we cannot do the things that
we would." But, blessed be God! the Holy Spirit is pro
mised unto all who desire his gracious influences, and his
operation shall be effectual for the ends and purposes for which
he is given.
Whilst then we strive to be holy as God is holy, let us seek
all our help from above, and " live by faith on the Son of God,
who hath loved us, and given himself for us."]
MDCCCCLXXXVII.
THE SAINTS' VIEWS IN HEAVEN.
1 Cor. xiii. 9 — 12. We know in part, and ive prophecy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in
part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a
child, I understood as a child, 1 thought as a child : but when
1987.] THE SAINTS' VIEWS IN HEAVEN. 337
/ became a man, I put away childish things. For notu tve
see through a glass, darkly ; but then face to face : now I
know in part ; but then shall I know even as also I am
known.
IN the chapter before us, the Apostle expatiates
upon the nature of true charity ; developing it in all
its properties, and in all its operations. And, having
done this with a singular felicity of thought and ex
pression, he declares the superiority of this grace
above every thing else, whether gifts or graces ; and
that too, not only on account of its own intrinsic
excellence, but on account of its duration ; because,
when all other things shall have passed away, this
will endure through eternal ages.
To enter fully into the Apostle's views, we must
notice, in succession,
I. His statement of the subject —
Whatever we possess here, we have it only "in
part "-
[God, in his mercy, has given us a revelation : but this
revelation contains but a very small part of what God might
have revealed, if it had pleased him to do so. And the know
ledge which we have of what he has revealed, is extremely
partial and superficial. What know we of God, and his per
fections ? of Christ, and his offices ? of the Holy Spirit, and
his operations3? What know we of the -human heart, and its
unsearchable depravityb? What know we of the "riches of
Christ0," and of all the wonders of redemption, " the length
and breadth, and depth and height, of which surpass" all finite
comprehension*1 ? — ]
And even what knowledge we do possess shall in
the eternal world " be done away "-
[We shall have no need of the written word to teach us,
when once we are brought into the presence of God ; nor will
our present imperfect conceptions of it abide with us. The
word, which at present is to us as the polar star, will then
vanish from our sight ; and the views which we now have of it,
like those of the early dawn, will be dispelled ; both the one
and the other giving way, as darkness before the noon-day sun
To what purpose would a man carry a taper in the
a Matt. xi. 27. b Jer. xvii. 9.
c Eph. iii. 8. A Eph. iii. 18, If).
VOL. XVI. /
M8 1 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 9—12. [1987.
day-time? Even so the light within us, and the light without,
will add nothing to the brightness of the objects in heaven, or
to the clearness of our perception of them, when once we shall
behold them in their "perfect" state.]
But this will receive additional light from,
II. His illustration of it—
We all know how imperfect the conceptions of a
child are, in comparison of what he possesses when
he is become a man—
[A child speaks without reflection, chooses6 without judg
ment, reasons f without solidity : but, when he becomes a man
he exercises all his faculties in a more appropriate and becoming
manner. He no longer utters the unmeaning and senseless
sounds which emanated from him in his infant state, or makes
the trifling observations that befitted him when he first began
to speak. Nor does he set his mind on things which are of no
value, in preference to those that are of real and important use.
Nor, though he still may err in his reasonings, does he any
longer found his conclusions on premises which have no apparent
connexion with them. His intellectual powers being expanded
by use and exercise, he dismisses, as unworthy of him, the
puerilities which he once affected.]
Still more imperfect are our present views of
eternal things, in comparison of what they will be in
a future state—
[Now " we see them all as in a mirror, darkly :" they
appear to us as a riddle or enigma, which we cannot without
great difficulty comprehend8. The incarnation of God's only
dear Son, his substitution in the place of sinful man, the atone
ment offered by him for sin, his intercession for us at the right
hand of God, his appointment to be the Head of vital influence
to his Church and people, our union with him by faith — what
know we of these, and ten thousand other mysteries of our
holy religion ? the darkest riddle that ever was propounded is
more level with our apprehension than these mysterious truths.
And what know we of the felicity of heaven ? What concep
tion can we form of the soul's exercises in its disembodied
state ; or of the glory of the Godhead, as shining forth to the
view of the glorified saints and angels ? Even the resurrection
of the body, what know we about it ? or wrhat notion have we
of a spiritual body? We must all confess, that our present
views are so indistinct, as scarcely to deserve the name of
0 f<pp6i>ow, sapiebam. Compare Rom. viii. 5. the Greek.
f t'Arr/t£o/.<r/r. K See the Greek.
1987.] TIIE SAINTS' VIEWS IN HEAVEN. 339
knowledge. But when we shall behold God " face to face,"
and " see the Lord Jesus Christ as he is," then will our faculties
be wonderfully enlarged, and our perceptions be infinitely more
clear. O what views shall we then have of our own sinfulness,
and of the Redeemer's love ! What an apprehension shall we
then have of the perfections of our God, as united and har
monizing in the great work of redemption ! Our knowledge will
then arise, not, as now, from a variety of ideas communicated
in succession to the mind, but from one intuitive perception :
we shall see God, and the things of God, in some measure as
God himself sees us : he sees the whole of us, even the inmost
recesses of our souls, all at once, with equal clearness in every
part : and somewhat of the same kind will be our knowledge
of him, though, of course, in an infinitely lower degree: for
" then shall we know even as also we are known."]
SEE, then,
1. In what light we should regard death —
[To an ungodly man, indeed, death will be terrible, beyond
all conception ; because it will introduce him to a perfect know
ledge of all those terrors, which, in this world, he would not
believe. But to the true Christian, death is the door of entrance
into glory. It is the friendly messenger sent to us by God, in
answer to that prayer of our blessed Saviour ; " Father, I will
that they whom thou hast given me may be with me where I
am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given meh."
Who, then, would deprecate it ? Who should not account it
gain, and number it amongst his treasures' ? Who should not
desire to depart, that he may be with Christ k?" Methinks it
is a shame to Christians to be wedded to life, except for the
purpose of honouring God, and advancing in a meetness for
the heavenly inheritance ]
2. In what light we should regard this present
life—
[This is a state of childhood ; and, as children are educated
for the purpose of acting their part as men upon earth, so should
we be preparing daily to act our part in heaven. We should
now be searching into all those truths which will there be more
fully revealed to us, and be obtaining those dispositions which
will qualify us for the enjoyment of them And here
let me say, that the great and learned will do well to remember
what they are ; and the poor and unlearned will do well to
look forward to what they will be. Our felicity above will be
proportioned, not to our intellectual, but moral, attainments :
and as, even in this world, " God often reveals to babes and
h John xvii. 24. ' 1 Cor. iii. 22. k Phil. i. 21. 23.
7. »
3 10 1 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 13. [1988.
sucklings what he has hid from the wise and prudent," so
much more, in the eternal world, will he most largely impart
both knowledge and happiness to those who, in the present
state, evince most fully the teachableness and humility of little
children1.
To all then I say, If ye will be men indeed, " put away
childish things." Put away your foolish communications, your
corrupt affections, and your vain reasonings. Form your judg
ment, and exercise your inclinations, in accordance with the
word of God. Begin to view things, here, as you will view
them hereafter. Be no longer children, but men. If you
look at the world around you, what are they but children of a
larger growth ? The dispositions and habits of those most
advanced in life are, for the most part, not at all different
from what they were in the earlier stages of their existence :
earthly vanities still retain their ascendant over their minds ;
and the realities of the eternal world have as little influence
over them as ever. Let it not be so, my brethren ; but now
begin to obtain those views, to cherish those desires, and to
follow those pursuits, which a more enlightened judgment will
dictate, and which will approve themselves as wise in the
eternal world.]
1 Matt, xviii. 1, 4.
MDCCCCLXXXVIII.
FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY, COMPARED.
1 Cor. xiii. 13. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these
three; but the greatest of these is charity.
THE scope of the whole chapter is, to shew the
superiority of Christian love or charity to all the
gifts that were so erroneously estimated, and so
ostentatiously displayed, in the Church of Corinth.
In the course of his argument, the Apostle enume
rates the principal offices of charity, and marks with
singular accuracy and minuteness its proper qualities.
The last of the properties which he mentions is, that
it " never faileth ;" whilst all miraculous powers, of
whatever kind they be, are but for the short period
of this present life. They, he observes, will soon
vanish ; but this, instead of disappearing, will endure
in uninterrupted exercise, and be continued in un-
1988. J FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY, COMPARED. 341
deviating perfection for evermore. Thus incidentally
he is led to speak of the whole experience of Chris
tians in relation to the objects of their faith and
hope : they view them all but indistinctly, and know
them very imperfectly ; having little better concep
tion of them than of a riddle, or enigma % in which
some leading particulars only are set forth ; and the
rest is left, as it were, as matter of conjecture. In
short, Christians, not excepting the Apostle himself,
are but children, in relation to the deep things of
God ; and, when they shall be exalted to heaven,
they will discard all their puerile notions respecting
them, just as they now do the weaknesses of child
hood on their arrival at man's estate b. The Apostle
having thus, unintentionally as it were, been drawn
from the consideration of miraculous gifts to the
mention of Christian graces, proceeds to assert the
superiority of love among the sister graces of faith
and hope, as he had before shewn its superiority to
all the miraculous powers that ever were possessed :
" There now remain " (for constant use and exercise)
" faith, hope, and charity, these three ; but the
greatest of these is charity."
To confirm this declaration, we will shew,
I. The distinguishing excellencies of faith and hope —
These, with love, form the cardinal graces of a
Christian : and they are indispensable to his happi
ness, both in this world and in the world to come.
That we may know how to appreciate their value,
we will distinctly notice the excellencies,
1. Of faith-
[This, when infused into the soul by the Spirit of God,
and called forth into exercise according to the will of God, is
a principle truly wonderful. It beholds things that are in
visible ; and presents to the eye of the mind all the perfections
and purposes of God himself. It is conversant with all that
God has ever revealed ; and especially with that stupendous
mystery, the redemption of the world by God's only dear Son,
and the restoration of men to the Divine image by the influence
3 See the original, and the marginal translation of ver. 12.
*> ver. 11.
3k> 1 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 13. [1988.
and operation of the Holy Ghost. It goes farther still ; and
apprehends all that God has ever promised, and appropriates
to itself all the blessings of his everlasting covenant. It seizes
by a holy violence0 all that God is, and all that God has, even
all his glory; and invests the soul with all of it, as its present
arid everlasting portion. It brings Christ himself down into
the sould; fills it with his love, and enriches it with all his
fulness6. As for difficulties they all vanish, and are dispelled
by the power of faith. There is a kind of omnipotence in this
grace. No enemy can withstand it : " All things are possible
to him that believeth." The more dark our way is, the more
scope there is for the exercise of this grace, and the more it
triumphs. In this point of view, it, far beyond any other
grace, reflects honour on God : it fixes on the Divine perfec
tions, and calls every one of them to its aid : it presses even
justice itself into its service ; and never will let go its claims upon
God's mercy and truth : it finds quite sufficient encouragement
in a single promise. See it in Abraham : he assured himself,
that though Isaac should be slain and reduced to ashes, he
should be raised again from the dead, and the promises should
be fulfilled in him. And thus does faith operate in the hearts
of all ; and, in proportion as it operates, secures to us a victory
over all the enemies of our salvation.]
2. Of hope-
[This is a less comprehensive grace than faith : for faith
has respect to every thing that is revealed, whether past, pre
sent, or future ; and to things evil, as well as good : whereas
hope respects futurity only, and only that which is either really,
or in its own conception, good. It is also a less honourable
grace than faith : for its existence is derived from faith, and
altogether dependent on it; and it has respect only to our
own personal happiness, whilst faith rises above self, and seeks
to advance the glory of God.
Still however it is a grace of vast importance ; and the
entire absence of it is the most striking character of hell, where
all are immersed in darkness and despair. This is the grace
which encourages and supports the soul in all its conflicts with
sin and Satan. In the panoply of God it holds a most con
spicuous place : it is the helmet that protects the head, and
the breast-plate that defends the heart : so that, where hope is
kept in exercise, Satan cannot inflict any deadly wound.
True, he may raise storms and tempests around the soul, and
menace it with instant destruction: but hope casts "its anchor
within the vail ;" and, deriving thence " a sure and steadfast"
support, defies the utmost efforts of our great adversary f.
c Matt. xi. 1L>. <i Eph. iii. 17. c Eph. iii. 18, 19. f Heb. vi. 19.
1988.] FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY, COMPARED. 343
How often would the strongest believer have failed, if he had
not received succour from this grace ! "I should have fainted,"
says David, " unless I had believed to see the goodness of the
Lord in the land of the living"." It was no less by this grace,
than by faith itself, that the saints of old were enabled to
endure the great fight of afflictions which they were called to
sustain11. On this account hope is said to save us, no less
than faith ' : for though faith brings us into the way of salva
tion, it is hope that enables us to endure unto the endk.]
After such a view of faith and hope, it will almost
be thought, that no higher commendation can be
bestowed on any other grace : but there is abundant
scope yet left for shewing,
II. The superior excellence of charity—
Of the three graces, the Apostle expressly asserts,
that " the greatest is charity." And its superiority
will be found,
1. In its nature—
[Faith and hope, how excellent soever they be, derive
all their value from the objects on which they terminate. If
they had respect only to human testimony, and temporal
objects, they would be of little worth : it is their connexion
with God and with eternity, that so elevates them in the scale
of Christian graces. But charity has an essential goodness in
itself, irrespective of any objects toward whom it may be
exercised. If we could suppose that the whole human race
both in heaven and earth were swept away, so that we could
never find a being towards whom the grace of charity could
be exercised, still would the disposition itself be good. As
God himself would have been good, even though no creature
had ever existed towards whom his goodness should be dis
played ; so would the grace of charity be good, though there
never should be found any scope for its exercise. It is the
image of God upon the soul. God himself has no higher cha
racter than love : and, if in this character we resemble him, we
have the highest excellence of which our natui'e is capable.
Only let us consider what the existence of charity in the
soul supposes. It supposes the subjugation of all the evils that
are opposed to love ; as pride, envy, hatred, wrath, selfishness;
and the presence of all the virtues which were in Christ Jesus.
They were all comprehended in this single word, love ; and
« Ps. xxvii. 13. h Heb. xi. 26, 35.
1 Rom. viii. 24, 25. k 1 Cor. xv. 58. Gal. vi. 9.
311 1 CORINTHIANS, Xlll. 13. [1988.
consequently, the existence of this grace in the soul most assi
milates us to Christ, " in whom was no sin, and in whom
dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
Nor should it be overlooked, that the production of love in
the soul was the end for which all God's other mercies were
vouchsafed : for that even faith and hope were given ; nor have
they any value, any farther than they are conducive to this
end : and consequently love, for which alone they are given,
must be greater than they ; just as health, for which alone
medicine is given, is better than medicine, which is valuable
only as it is subservient to the preservation, or re-establish
ment, of health. The end must of necessity be greater than
the means.]
2. In its duration—
[Faith and hope must soon cease ; the one terminating in
sight, and the other being consummated in fruition. But not
so the grace of love : that will endure to all eternity; the exer
cise of it being the one employment and blessedness of heaven.
The other graces which have been instrumental to the forma
tion of this, will be no longer wanted, when this is perfected in
the soul : they will therefore be dismissed, as having no longer
any scope for exercise.
But when the scaffolding is removed, the building will
appear in all its glory, the most wonderful monument of the
power and grace of Christ. Then indeed will Christ " be glo
rified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe ;" for
every one of them will then " be fully like him, when they
shall see him as he is."
Thus, how excellent soever the graces of faith and hope
may be, that of charity far excels them both : for those will
find no place in heaven ; but this will remain an everlasting
source of blessedness to man, and an eternal theme of honour
to our God.]
Seeing, however, that during this present life " these
three remain" and are to be cultivated with in
cessant care, we will close the subject with some
DIRECTIONS for the exercise of them :
1. Keep them ever united in your hearts—
[No one of them can be dispensed with : if one be want
ing, we must perish. We must indeed keep each of them in
its place, and assign to each its proper office. We must not
think that faith can save us, if it do not (: work by love ;" or
that hope can benefit us, if it do not " purify us as Christ is
pure;" or that love can supersede the necessity of faith in the
work of our justification before God. We can be justified by
1989.] CHRIST A DYING AND A RISEN SAVIOUR. 345
faith only : but by love we must prove the truth of our faith.
We must not imagine, that, because love is greater than faith,
we are therefore to be saved by love. The eye is more excel
lent than the ear ; but it cannot on that account perform the
office of the ear, nor supersede the necessity of hearing, in
order to the perfection of our present state : faith, hope, and
love, have all their distinct offices, and must all be exercised
for their respective ends ; — faith, to justify our souls ; hope, to
keep us steadfast in our spiritual course ; and love, to form
our meetness for the heavenly inheritance. Let all then be
sought, and all be exercised, that God may be glorified in all.]
2. Let them all be held fast, whatever trials you
may have to encounter in the exercise of them —
[No one of them can be maintained without much diffi
culty. Your great adversary will assault them all in their turn.
In Adam he succeeded to destroy them all : and he would
succeed to root them out of our hearts also, if the Lord Jesus
did not secure, by his continual intercession, the establishment
of them in our souls1. Not that they can be maintained with
out strenuous and unintermitted exertions on our part. We
must " watch and pray that we enter not into temptation:"
and when temptation comes, we must " not stagger at the
promises through unbelief, but be strong in faith, giving glory
to God." We must also " hold fast the rejoicing of our hope
firm unto the endm." Under the influence of love too, we
must " let patience have its perfect work, that we may be
perfect and entire, lacking nothing." Thus shall we " grow
up into Christ as our living Head ;" thus shall we attain " the
full measure of the stature " which he has ordained for us ;
and thus shall we be fitted for those regions of love, where we
shall completely resemble Christ, and participate, with all the
myriads of his redeemed, the glory and felicity of the God of
love.]
1 Luke xxii. 31, 32. m Heb. iii. 6.
MDCCCCLXXXIX.
CHRIST A DYING AND A RISEN SAVIOUR.
1 Cor. xv. 1 , 2. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have
received, and wherein ye stand ; by tuhich also ye are saved,
if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye
have believed in vain.
SCARCELY had the good seed of the Gospel
been sown in the world, before Satan, by his agents,
34-6 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 1, 2. [1989.
scattered tares, which in the earlier stages of their
growth could not easily be distinguished from them,
and from which the field will never be wholly freed
until the harvest. The resurrection itself, that most
fundamental doctrine of Christianity, on which every
other doctrine rests, was denied by many. A Sad-
ducean spirit of infidelity was imported into the
Church from among the Jewish converts, as a vain
philosophy was from among the Gentiles ; and both
concurred to bring into doubt the resurrection from
the dead ; — the one denying that it ever could take
place, and the other asserting that it was only a
mystical change which had taken place already : and
between them both " the faith of many was over
thrown." St. Paul therefore, in the close of this
epistle, set himself to counteract these errors, and to
establish, for the benefit of the Church in all future
ages, the truth which he had invariably maintained.
He first shews that Christ had risen ; and from thence
he proceeds to prove that we also shall rise in like
manner. But it is with the former position alone that
we are concerned at present, that alone being referred
to in the words before us ; from which we shall be
led to shew you,
1. What was the Gospel which Paul preached—
This is told us more fully in the words following
our text.
The Apostle preached, that Christ had both died
and risen according to the Scriptures —
[The Scriptures of the Old Testament had invariably
asserted that Christ should suffer, and that he should rise again
on the third day. Both these things were in some degree
intimated in the first promise, that " the seed of the woman
should bruise the serpent's head ;" but they were more plainly
revealed in the institutions of the Mosaic law, especially in the
ordinance of the two birds ; the one of which was killed, and the
other, when dipped in the blood of the one that had been
killed, being suffered to fly away3: as also in the appointment
of the scape-goat, which carried into the wilderness all the sins
which had been previously expiated by the blood of another
a Lev. xiv. 49—53.
1989.] CHRIST A DYING AND A RISEN SAVIOUR. 347
goat that had been slainb. Both the one and the other had
also been subjects of prophecy ; his death being foretold in all
its minutest circumstances • — and his resurrection being
fixed to a precise time after it, even the third day, before any
change towards corruption should have taken place upon his
bodyc.
What the Scriptures had thus plainly foretold, was in due
time accomplished. The death of Christ was known to the
whole Jewish nation, thousands of whom were spectators of
it : nor was his resurrection less clearly ascertained ; as even
the falsehood invented to conceal it fully attests. The variety
of occasions on which our Lord appeared to his Disciples after
his resurrection, once to above five hundred brethren at once,
left no possibility of doubt respecting itd: and to testify of
this was the great work committed, in the first instance to the
the twelve Apostles, and afterwards to the Apostle Paul, to
whom Jesus appeared in a vision, on purpose that he might be,
in that respect, on a par with all the other Apostles.]
This he calls the Gospel—
[This, in truth, is the Gospel: and it comprehends all
that is necessary for us to know. That " Christ died for our
sins, and rose again for our justification," is the sum and sub
stance of that mystery, which God from all eternity devised
for the redemption of fallen man, and which is unfolded to us
in the writings of the New Testament. We may expatiate
upon the various parts of this mystery, so as to exhibit them
more clearly and fully to your view ; but we can never add to
it : to attempt to add any thing to it, were to destroy it utterly.
There is no redemption but through the death of Christ ; no
salvation, but through his renovated life6 ]
St. Paul having stated what the Gospel is, proceeds
to shew —
II. In what manner it should be regarded by us—
The Corinthians " had received it into their hearts,"
and were at that time " standing in it ;" and this
shews us what we also must do—
1. We must " receive it" into our hearts by faith —
[We must " receive it " as true. There must be no
doubt in our minds respecting it. We must have no more
doubt of Christ expiating our guilt by his death, or of his
rising to carry on in heaven the work he began on earth, than
b Lev. xvi. 8—10. c Jonah i. 17. Ps. xvi. 9, 10.
d ver. f> — 8. e Rom. v. 10.
348 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 1, 2. [1989.
of our own existence. We must be thoroughly established in
these great and fundamental truths. To question either the
one or the other of them in any degree, were little better than
to renounce Christianity altogether.
We must receive it also as suitable, yea, as exactly suited to
our necessities. We must feel that we need precisely such an
atonement as he offered for us ; and that we also need a living
Saviour, who shall make continual intercession for us with the
Father, and communicate to us, out of his own inexhaustible
fulness, all those supplies of grace and strength as our necessi
ties require. It is this view of the correspondence between
the offices of Christ and our necessities, and a consequent
affiance in him for the supply of our wants, that constitutes
the very essence of saving faith.
We must receive it also as sufficient for us. This great
mystery of godliness is absolutely perfect. Nothing can be
added to it. And of this we should be fully convinced. We
should see that there is in his death a sufficient " propitiation
for the sins of the whole world :" and that there is in him such
a fulness of all spiritual gifts, that " he is able to save to the
uttermost all who come unto God by him."
In this way is his Gospel to be received, and thus it is that
" with the heart man believeth unto righteousness."]
2. We must "stand fast in it" even to the end —
[Nothing must be suffered to turn us away from this
faith. We must brave all persecutions, and rather lay down
our life than deny the Saviour in any manner. " It is he only
who will lose his life for Christ's sake, that shall find it unto
life eternal." Nor must we yield to the influence of tempta
tions of any kind, so as to be drawn aside by them. " The lust
of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life," if en
joyed in ever so great a degree, will but ill repay us for the
loss which we shall sustain by suffering them to choke the
good seed of Gospel truth : for " if any man draw back, my
soul," says God, " shall have no pleasure in him." Neither
must Satan, that subtle adversary, prevail against us by his
devices. In ten thousand ways will he endeavour to " turn us
from the simplicity that is in Christ:" but with " the sword of
the Spirit, and the shield of faith " we must resist him till we
are crowned with victory, and see him " bruised under our
feet." We shall then, and then only, " be partakers of Christ,
if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the
1 f )>T °
end'. ]
111 the Corinthians themselves we see,
f Ileb. iii. 14.
1989.] CHRIST A DYING AND A RISEN SAVIOUR. 319
III. The benefits that will accrue to those who duly
receive it—
St. Paul says of them, that " they were saved by
it :" and this benefit we confidently assure to all who
embrace the Gospel with their whole hearts.
1. They shall be brought into a state of accept
ance with God—
[When our Lord gave his Disciples their commission to
preach his Gospel, he expressly authorized them to declare,
that " all who believed it should be saved." And in all the
book of God there is not to be found so much as one single
word against a penitent believer. " All who believe," says St.
Paul, " are justified from all things :" even sins of a crimson
dye are so washed as to be made " white as snow."]
2. They shall have the earnest and foretaste of the
heavenly glory—
[There is no limit to the blessings promised to the true
believer. The Spirit of God shall be poured out upon him, to
reveal all the Father's love, and all the glory of Christ, to the
soul. " He will glorify Christ, and take of the things that are
his, and shew them unto us." He will be in us "a Spirit of
adoption, enabling us to cry, Abba, Father:" He "will witness
to our spirits that we are the children of God :" He will give
us " an earnest of our eternal inheritance," and " seal us unto
the day of complete redemption."]
3. They shall be brought in safety to the full pos
session of their everlasting inheritance—
[It is here supposed that they " stand fast in the faith ;''
for if they " make shipwreck of the faith," they cannot hope
for the blessings which are promised to those only who " endure
unto the end." Hence is that caution given in our text ; " Ye
are saved, if ye keep in memory (and hold fast to the end)
what I have preached unto you, unless ye have believed in
vain." If our faith be only a dead faith, it will be in vain : for
in this sense even " the devils believe and tremble." But, if
our faith be living and lively, we need not fear. That never
shall be exercised in vain. That shall overcome every thing
that is opposed to it, and shall remove all the mountains that
oppose our spiritual progress. Only live truly by faith on the
Son of God as having loved you and given himself for you,
and God pledges himself that " none shall ever pluck you out
of his hands," and that " you shall never perish, but shall
have everlasting life." By the exercise of this " faith you
shall be kept by the power of God to a full and everlasting
3oO 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 1,2. [1989.
salvation ;" for the Gospel still is, no less than in the Apostolic
age, " the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth."]
We would IMPROVE this subject,
1. In a way of inquiry—
[Have you received this Gospel as you ought ? We ask
not whether you have a mere notional and speculative belief of
it ; for that is common to all who bear the Christian name :
but have you such a faith in Christ as enables you to rejoice
in all that he has done, and is yet doing, for you ? Do you
glory in him, and renounce every other ground of hope, and
" cleave to him with full purpose of heart?" Do not deceive
yourselves in relation to these things ; for no faith is saving
but that which brings you daily to the foot of his cross, and
causes you to receive daily out of his fulness all the blessings
which you stand in need of.]
2. In a way of caution—
[Those who are fettered by human systems pass over
such cautions as are given in our text : but we dare not act
thus. We are persuaded that cautions against apostasy are as
necessary in their place as promises of perseverance. Attend
then to the caution about " holding fast " what has been
preached to you. Innumerable are the cautions given us in
the Scriptures upon this head : and it is by a salutary fear of
apostasy that God will keep usg. " Beware then lest, being
led away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own
steadfastness1'." Know where your strength is, even in your
risen and exalted Saviour ; and live altogether by faith in
him, " holding fast your confidence, and the rejoicing of your
hope firm unto the end1."]
3. In a way of encouragement—
[Cleave thus unto the Lord Jesus Christ, and " ye shall
be saved." However numerous or powerful your enemies
may be, they shall not prevail against you : for " greater is he
that is in you, than he that is in the world." If indeed
Christ be not able to keep you, then you may well give way
to fears : but, if his death be a sufficient atonement for the
sins of the whole world, and all power in heaven and in earth
be committed to him for the use of his Church and people,
then you may dismiss all fear : for, though only a worm in
yourselves, you shall " thresh the mountains." Be strong then,
ye fearful and faint-hearted : for " he will not break the
bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, but will bring
e 1 Cor. ix. 27. h 2 Pet. iii. 17. ' Heb. iii. 6.
1990.] ALL OF GRACE. 351
forth judgment unto victory." He has said that " of those
who have been given him he will lose none ;" and he is faithful
who hath promised. " Fear not ; only believe : and according
to your faith it shall be unto you."]
MDCCCCXC.
ALL OF GRACE.
1 Cor. xv. 10. By the grace of God I am ivhat I am.
EVERY one, however exalted, may find points of
comparison in which he is inferior to others; and,
instead of envying the superiority of others in those
respects, it becomes him contentedly to acquiesce in
the Divine appointments, and thankfully to adore
God for whatever blessings he enjoys.
St. Paul, in descanting upon the resurrection of
our Lord, has occasion to mention the different mani
festations of himself which Christ had vouchsafed to
his Apostles after he had risen from the dead. And
in these respects, as well as in the advantages which
the other Apostles had enjoyed from the instructions
and example of their Divine Master, during the whole
period of his ministry on earth, he acknowledged
his inferiority to them : for though at a subsequent
period Christ had honoured him also with an imme
diate sight of his person, he considered himself as
far less honoured by this than the other Apostles had
been ; and, having been himself a persecutor, whilst
they were the faithful servants of their Lord, he
regarded himself as no better than an abortion in
comparison of the children. But still he was not
without many grounds of thankfulness, which he was
most ready to acknowledge : " I am not worthy to
be called an Apostle," says he ; " but by the grace of
God I am what I am."
This declaration of his we propose to consider in a
two-fold point of view :
I. As a speculative truth—
1. This assertion was true in the Apostle's case—
.'352 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 10. [1990-
[View him in his first Conversion, and there can be no
doubt but that the mercy vouchsafed to him was all of grace.
He was a bitter persecutor of the Church of Christ. He was
a volunteer in this bloody service : and, of his own accord,
sought from the Jewish Sanhedrim a commission to search
out, even in a foreign country, all who professed the Christian
faith, and to bring them indiscriminately, whether men or
women, bound to Jerusalem. In this very employment he
was actually engaged, and was come near to the very city
where he hoped to seize the victims of his cruel bigotry, when
the Lord Jesus Christ arrested him in his mad career, and
by his special grace converted him to the faith which he was
labouring to destroy a. It is further observable, that he alone
of all the party heard distinctly the voice that spake to him,
though they beheld the light which shined with preternatui'al
splendour round about them b : and he alone of all the party, as
far as we know, was converted unto God. What was there in
his spirit and conduct that merited such a merciful distinction ?
Or to what can we refer this mercy but to the free and sove
reign grace of God ? Here we are compelled to acknowledge
an election altogether of grace: and in this interpretation of
the event we are fully justified by the assertion of St. Paul,
who traces it to a determination of the Deity long previous
to the period when it took place, even to a fore-ordained
" separation of him from his mother's womb0."
Through the whole of his subsequent life the mercies vouch
safed to him must be traced to the same source. All his
eminent attainments, and all his super-abundant labours, were
fruits of the same electing love, and the same effectual grace.
This he confessed to the latest hour of his life : he declared,
that " in him, that is, in his flesh, dwelt no good thing d;" and
that his sufficiency even for so much as a good thought was
altogether of God alone6. And in reference to this truth he
displayed in the passage before us a peculiar jealousy : for
being, in vindication of himself, constrained to say, that he
had laboured more abundantly than any other of the Apostles,
he adds with holy jealousy for the honour of his God, " yet
not I ;" " yet, not 1, but the grace of God that was with mef."
Thus, to say the least, respecting the Apostle Paul the
assertion in our text was true, " By the grace of God he was
what he was." But,]
2. It is true with respect to us also—
[What is the state of every man previous to his conver-.
sion? Are we not all "dead in trespasses and sins?" Have
1 Acts xxii. 4 — 8. b Acts ix. 7. with xxii. 9. c Gal. i. 15.
d Horn. vii. 18. * 2 Cor. iii. 5. f ver. 10.
1990.] ALL OF GRACE. 353
we not a ''carnal mind that is enmity against God?" Do we
not " walk according to the course of this world, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and of the mind?" and are we not all
" children of wrath, even as others?" What then is there in
us that can operate as a motive with God to bestow his grace
upon us rather than upon others ? It is clear enough, that the
same word which operates effectually on some to the conver
sion of their souls, produces on others no other effect than
that of exciting greater hostility against the Gospel g. To
what can this be ascribed but to the sovereign grace of God,
whose gifts are his own, and who divideth to every man
severally as he will ? It is also plain, that many under less
advantageous circumstances are turned from the power of
Satan unto God, whilst others, with far greater advantages,
are left still in bondage to sin and Satan : And what other
account can be given of this, than that which our Lord him
self supplies, " Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in
thy sighth?"
During the whole remainder of our lives it is the same
grace which operates even to the end. Demas apostatizes ;
and Luke perseveres1: Peter repents; and Judas commits
suicide : Blessed Saviour, who would not prove chaff, if thou
didst leave him to be sifted by his great adversary ? and whose
faith would not fail, if thou didst not intercede for him in the
hour of trial k? If any one of us be kept unto salvation, it is
by thy power and grace alone1: thou, who hast been "the
Author of our faith, must also be the Finisher"1 :" and, when
the head-stone of thy spiritual temple shall be brought forth,
we must cry, " Grace, grace unto itn."
Thus in our own case, as well as in the Apostle's, the glory
of all that is good must be given to God alone ; who " hath
loved us with an everlasting love, and therefore with loving-
kindness hath he drawn us0."]
But from the speculative view of the Apostle's
assertion, let us proceed to notice it,
II. As a practical acknowledgment —
Speculation is of no further value than as it leads
to practical results. But the forementioned truth is
discarded by many under the idea of its being replete
with injury to the souls of men. In its source, it is
supposed to spring from pride ; and in its tendency
« Acts xviii. 6 — 8. h Matt. xi. 25, 20.
1 Compare Col. iv. 14. with 2 Tim. iv. 10, 11.
k Luke xxii. 31, 32. ' 1 Pet. i. 5. m Heb. xii. 2.
n Zech. iv. 7. ° Jer. xxxi. 3.
VOL. XVI. A A
854 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 10. [1990.
to lead to a total disregard of all moral virtue. Let
us then inquire into,
1. Its source—
[Does it indeed proceed from pride ? Those who cannot
endure the thought of God's sovereignty, will affirm confi
dently that it does : and in reference to all who maintain the
doctrine of election, they will exclaim, " These men fancy
themselves the special favourites of heaven." But let me
ask, Who are the proud? they who acknowledge themselves
to be only as parts of one vast mass of clay, of which the
potter, agreeably to his own sovereign will, and for the praise
of the glory of his own grace, has taken a part, to form of it
a vessel of honour for his own usep; or those who assert that
they were selected because they were of a finer quality than
the mass that was left behind ? Who are the proud ? they
who say with the Apostle, " By the grace of God I am what
I am;" or those who say, " By my own strength, and on ac
count of my own superior goodness, I am what I am?" Who,
I say, are the proud? they who accept heaven solely as the
free gift of God in Christ Jesus ; or they who expect to pur
chase it at a price which they themselves shall pay? The belief
of the doctrines of predestination and election is not founded
in pride, but in humility, and in a deep conviction that we
are nothing, and have nothing, and can do nothing, but what
of itself deserves God's wrath and indignation. It is the
denial of these doctrines that proceeds from pride ; because it
argues a conceit that we have something originally, and of
ourselves, which merits the distinction that we hope for in a
future world, and to which our ultimate salvation must, in
part at least, if not altogether, be ascribed. Will any man say
that Paul was actuated by pride, when he said, " Whom God
did predestinate, them he also called, and justified, and glori
fied q? " — No man ever had a higher sense of the dignity
conferred upon him, than Paul had: nor had ever man a
deeper sense of his own unvvorthiness : " I am less than the
least of all saints :" " I am nothing1." And the more deeply
we feel our unworthiness, the more cordially shall we acquiesce
in his humiliating statements of the freeness and sovereignty
of divine grace.]
2. Its tendency —
[A belief of these doctrines, it is supposed, will produce a
laxness in morals. But was the Apostle regardless of morality?
P Rom. ix. 21.
i Rom. viii. :',<> Sec also Eph. i. 4—6, 9, 11. and 2 Tim. i. 9.
1 Ejili. iii. S. •_' Cor. xii. 11.
1990.] ALL OF GRACE. 355
or is a deeper sense of obligation to God likely to produce in
any mind a less disposition to fulfil his will? Surely its proper
tendency is the very reverse of this, even to foster in us every
holy disposition towards both God and man.
Towards God — a sense of our entire dependence on his
sovereign will, and of our obligation to his sovereign grace,
will excite a feeling of gratitude, such as Paul speaks of, when
he says, " The love of Christ constraineth me." " What shall
I render to the Lord for all his benefits ? " is the question
which every one will ask, when once he sees, that " not accord
ing to any works of righteousness which we have done, but of
his own mercy God has saved us8." If once we have a good
hope, that we are of " the chosen generation, and of God's
peculiar people," we shall exert ourselves to " shew forth in
every possible way the praises of him who hath called us out
of darkness into his marvellous light1."
Towards man also will these sentiments operate in the most
favourable way that can be imagined. A sense of God's elect
ing love will fill us with compassion towards those who are
ignorant and out of the way. We shall not, like the proud
Pharisee, despise others, but pity them; we shall not say,
" Stand off, I am holier than thou ;" but shall bear in mind,
who it is that has made us to differ even from the most aban
doned of mankind u. And, if a brother fall, we shall not exult
over him, but shall endeavour rather to restore him in meek
ness, considering ourselves, lest we also be tempted1.
We will readily grant that .there are many truly pious, and
even eminent, Christians, who do not embrace systematically,
and in profession, the doctrines of predestination and election :
but no pious man will ever arrogate merit to himself, or make
himself the first moving cause of his own salvation. There is
not a saint either in heaven or earth who will not cordially
and from his inmost soul confess, " By the grace of God I am
what I am." And, if only the whole glory of our salvation be
given to God alone, we are not anxious to press the matter
farther, or to insist on terms which they are not willing to
admit : if only from their souls they unite in the practical
acknowledgment of our text, we will be content to leave the
speculative points deduced from it to the judgment of the
great day.]
Before we close the subject, we will yet farther
notice what it contains —
1. For our instruction—
[The Apostle ascribed his privileges and attainments to
8 Tit. iii. 4, 5. < 1 Pet. ii. 9.
u 1 Cor. iv. 7. x Gal. vi. 1.
356 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 17, 18. [1991.
the grace of God : " By the grace of God I am what I am."
What then must they do who are yet afar off from God, and
have no part with the Apostle either in his privileges or
attainments? Let them seek grace from God: let them not
trust in their own goodness or strength, but look simply to the
Lord Jesus Christ, through whom " they may both obtain
mercy, and find grace to help them in the time of need."
If only they will renounce all dependence on themselves, they
shall receive from the God of all grace a sufficiency for all their
wants.]
2. For our encouragement—
[Who is it that utters the acknowledgment in our text?
What, Saul ? Saul the blasphemer ; Saul the persecutor ? Yes,
it is even so. But tell us, Paul, what thou didst to obtain
this grace? Didst thou not earn it? No. Didst thou not
merit it ? No. Didst thou not even seek it ? No. And yet
it was given thee ? Yes, when I was in the very act of fighting
against God with all my might. Then who shall despair?
Who shall say, The grace of God can never reach me ; or, if
given, can never operate effectually in me ? Verily, no man
on this side the grave has any reason to despair. Hear what
the Apostle says : he tells us that God's particular design in so
converting him was, to keep all others from despair; and to
make him a pattern and example of his long-suffering to all
future generations y. Hear this, ye who are ready to entertain
desponding fears ; and know assuredly, that God's grace is his
own ; that he may give it to whomsoever he will ; and that
there is not a creature in the universe for whom it shall not
be effectual, if he will but seek it in sincerity and truth.]
y 1 Tim. i. 16.
MDCCCCXCI.
THE NECESSITY OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.
1 Cor. xv. 17, 18. If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain ;
ye are yet in your sins : then they also u'hic/t are fallen
asleep in Christ are perished.
THE wisest among the heathen philosophers could
not speak with any certainty respecting the future
existence of the soul : they could only form conjec
tures respecting it ; so little could unassisted reason
do towards the ascertaining of this most important
point. As for the resurrection of the body, they
1991. J NECESSITY OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION. 357
deemed it ridiculous and absurd ; and considered it as
impossible that atoms, so widely dispersed and so
variously combined, should ever be reduced to their
original form. The Gospel, however, has brought
life and immortality to light ; and assured us, not
only that every soul shall exist in a future world, but
that the bodies of men also shall rise out of their
graves, and be re-united each to that very soul that
once inhabited it. Nevertheless, some, who made a
profession of Christianity, were still blinded by the
prejudices which they had formerly imbibed. Hence
they explained the doctrine of the resurrection in
a figurative manner ; and said, that it was passed
already. The Apostle, therefore, set himself to coun
teract this dangerous delusion, by proving that there
should indeed be a resurrection of the body This
he proved from what was fully believed among them,
the resurrection of Christ : he shewed, that, if Christ
was actually risen, there could be no reason why we
should not rise in like manner ; but that, on the con
trary, his resurrection was a pattern and an earnest of
ours. In order to give additional weight to this
argument, he proves incontestibly that Christ himself
had risen ; he proves it, I say, by an appeal to num
berless living witnesses who had seen him : and then
he sets before them three most tremendous conse
quences which would follow, on a supposition that he
was not risen : " If Christ be not raised, your faith is
vain ; ye are yet in your sins ; then they also that are
fallen asleep in Christ are perished." This argument
of the Apostle's being of the greatest importance, we
will endeavour,
I. To confirm ;
II. To improve it.
I. To confirm his argument — It consists of three
parts, which he mentions as consequences that
will follow from a denial of Christ's resurrection—
1. If Christ be not risen, our faith is vain—
The Christian, as long as he is in the world, is
called to the exercise of faith : he walks by faith, and
358 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 17, 18. [1991.
not by sight : he lives upon a Saviour whom he has
never seen with his bodily eyes, and receives a supply
of every want out of his fulness. By faith we view-
Jesus as a surety: we consider him as having dis
charged our debt : this is the ground on which we
hope that our sins shall never be put to our account.
We believe what the Scripture says, that " it was
exacted of him and he was made answerable ;" and
that his death was a sufficient compensation for the
debt which we had incurred. But what proof have
we that he has paid the debt, if he be not risen ? We
may suppose that he undertook to pay it ; and that
he laid down his life in order to pay it ; but this will
by no means prove that he has fully satisfied the
demands of law and justice. If a man that has be
come our surety remain in prison, it is a sign that he
has not made good the payment which he had taken
upon himself; but if he be set free, we then conclude
that the creditors have been satisfied. So, if Christ
had yet been confined in the prison of the grave, we
might have concluded that the debt was yet unpaid ;
and consequently, our faith in him as our surety
would have been vain and delusive : for, notwith
standing all which Jesus might have done for us, there
would yet have remained some part of the debt to be
discharged by us, and we must therefore have despaired
of ever obtaining happiness in the eternal world.
Again : By faith we view Jesus as an Advocate.
We are still offending daily in many things ; so that,
notwithstanding we have been reconciled to God, we
should soon provoke him to withdraw his mercy from
us, and to shut up his loving-kindness in displeasure.
But the Scripture says, that, " if any man sin, we
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous." By faith, we look to him to intercede for
us ; to plead our cause ; and to maintain our peace
with God. But what ground have we for such a
hope if Christ be not risen ? Instead of being in
heaven to plead our cause, he still lies in the bowels
of the earth : instead of living to promote our in
terests, he is no better than a senseless and inanimate
1991.] NECESSITY OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION. 359
corpse. How vain therefore must be our expecta
tions, when we indulge the thought of his prevailing
intercessions ! We are but buoying up ourselves with
groundless hopes, and weaving a web which shall
soon be swept away by the besom of destruction.
Once more : — By faith we view Jesus as a Head of
all vital influences. The Scripture speaks of him as
the vine, and us as the branches ; and represents him
as " Head over all things to the Church." We look
therefore to him that we may receive out of his ful
ness : we expect grace and peace from him to be
communicated to us in the hour of need : we con
sider ourselves as withered branches, when separated
from him, and as no longer having a capacity to bring
forth any fruit than while we are united to him, and
derive sap and nourishment from him. But what a
delusion must this be, if Christ be not risen ! If he
be not risen, he is still dead : and how can that
which is destitute of life impart life to us ? What
can we possibly receive from him if he be still impri
soned in the grave ? We see, then, that whether we
regard him as our Surety, our Advocate, or our Head,
our faith is vain if he be not risen ; yea, we are left
under the most deplorable error and delusion that
ever engrossed the mind of man.
The next consequence that would follow upon a
denial of Christ's resurrection would be, that we should
be yet in our sins.
It is the believer's privilege to be free from sin,
and to stand in the presence of God without spot or
blemish. But this removal of his sins depends upon
various circumstances, which are grounded upon the
resurrrection of Christ.
In the first place, the removal of our sins depends
on the truth of our Lord's mission : and the truth of
his mission stands or falls with his resurrection. Our
Lord constantly spoke of his resurrection on the
third day as the grand proof which should be given
of his Divine mission. Whether he spoke to friends
or enemies, still this he proposed as the test whereby
to trv the truth of all he said ; insomuch that his
300 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 17, 18. [1991.
enemies were peculiarly solicitous to prevent, if pos
sible, the accomplishment of these predictions ; know
ing that, if they should be fulfilled, the authority of
his mission would be fully established. Now let us
suppose for a moment that Christ had not risen, what
must we have concluded? Surely, that he was an im
postor; that he had deceived his followers by specious
pretences ; and that, so far from being able to remove
our guilt, he perished under the weight of his own
most accumulated wickedness.
Again : The removal of our sins depends on tlie
acceptance of his sacrifice. He offered himself as a
sacrifice to God, in order that he might expiate our
offences ; and on the acceptance of this, our eternal
happiness depends : if God receive it as an offering
of a sweet-smelling savour, we may hope he will be
propitious to us on account of it ; but if he do not
declare himself well-pleased with it, we are left alto
gether without a remedy. Now how shall it be
known whether God has accepted it or not ? If we
are to judge by the circumstances of our Lord's
death, we should rather conclude that the Father
took no pleasure in him, since our Lord himself so
bitterly complained of the dereliction which he expe
rienced in the very hour of his extremity. We must
judge therefore by his resurrection : and that this
was to be the test is evident from the sacrifices
which were under the law. It was not consistent
with the Divine will that the beasts that were sacri
ficed should be restored to life ; but yet this was done
in a figure : for one goat was slain to expiate sin by
his blood, and another goat was sent away into the wil
derness, laden with the iniquities of all the people. So
when birds were offered ; one was slain, and another
was dipped in the blood of that which was slain, and
then let loose into the air. These were types of our
Saviour, who was first to be slain, and then to be
raised from the dead, and ascend into the highest
heavens ; and if he had not risen, we should have
had no proof whatever that his sacrifice was accepted.
Yet on the acceptance of this sacrifice the removal
11)91.1 NECESSITY OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION. 361
of our sins entirely depended ; so that if Christ be
not risen, we must be yet in our sins.
Once more : The removal of our sins depends on
our Lord's execution of Ids office. Our Lord under-
«/ tA/
took the offices of Prophet, Priest, and King ; and
though he did in part fulfil these offices on earth, yet
he fulfilled them only in part ; the principal accom
plishment of them remained to take place after he
should be seated in heaven : he was then, as the
great Prophet of the Church, to reveal the will of
God more fully, and teach by his Spirit those, who,
for want of a divine illumination, could not com
prehend the truths he had delivered. As the great
High Priest, he was to enter within the vail : it was
not sufficient that the high priest offered the sacri
fice on the day of atonement ; he was also to carry
the blood into the holy of holies, to sprinkle it on
the mercy-seat, to offer incense, and then to come
out and bless the people. So, our Lord was under a
necessity of rising again, that he might enter into
heaven with his own blood, that he might there
present it before the mercy-seat ; and that, after
offering the incense of his continual intercession, he
might, in due time, come forth to bless the people.
As a King, also, he had only as yet asserted his
kingly office and authority ; it was necessary there
fore that he should go to the right hand of God,
and there sit till all his enemies should be made his
footstool. Now, if he did not rise, he cannot execute
any of these offices ; and yet upon the execution of
them depends the removal of our sins : so then, if he
be not risen, we are yet in our sins.
We see therefore, that, as the removal of our sins
depends on the truth of his mission, the acceptance of
his sacrifice, and the execution of his offices ; and as
all these depend on his resurrection, we must, if he
be not risen, be yet in our sins.
A third consequence that would follow from the
denial of Christ's resurrection is, that they also who
have fallen asleep In Christ are perished. Death to
the believer is only as a sleep ; it has lost its sting :
1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 17, 18. fl991.
and as he commends himself to the Divine protec
tion when he lies down upon his bed, so he commits
his departing spirit into his Saviour's hands, and falls
asleep in Christ ; and while his body lies mouldering
in the dust, his soul is carried by angels into Abra
ham's bosom : but if Christ be not risen, all who
from the beginning of the world have fallen asleep in
Christ have perished : either their souls have been
annihilated at their separation from the body ; or
rather they have become the monuments of God's
wrath and indignation.
For, in the first place, all that have fallen asleep in
Christ, have, on a supposition that Christ is not risen,
built their hopes on a sandy foundation. They have
relied wholly on the merit of Christ's blood, and
expected justification only through his obedience
unto death : and, as they have trusted in his
righteousness, so have they gloried in his strength ;
not going forth against any enemy, but in his name,
and in reliance upon his grace : nor have they
trusted in any thing but in his continual intercession
for maintaining their peace with God. In short,
they have made Christ their only foundation, on
whom they have built all their hopes. Now if
Christ be not risen, that foundation has failed them,
and consequently all the superstructure must fall to
the ground : so that, notwithstanding all their
affiance in him, they are perished ; yea, though they
committed their departing spirits into his hands,
they were not saved : for he could not help them ;
he could not hear their prayer : in trusting to him
they trusted only to a broken reed, which now
pierces them through with unutterable and ever
lasting anguish.
Again : If Christ be not risen, they are perished ;
because, however zealous they were of good works, their
works were not sufficient to justify them before God.
We cannot indeed conceive more eminent piety than
Abraham discovered in leaving his country and sacri
ficing his own son ; or than David manifested in his
incessant praises and thanksgivings ; or than Stephen
1991.] NECESSITY OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION. 363
shewed when laying down his life for Christ, and
praying for his murderers. And yet behold what
the text asserts ; "they all are perished if Christ be
not risen." The reason is plain : they were trans
gressors of God's law ; as transgressors, they were
subject to the curse and condemnation of the law ;
nor could any thing less than an infinitely valuable
atonement remove that curse. In vain they prayed ;
in vain they strove ; in vain they endeavoured to do
the will of God ; in vain they laid down their lives
for his sake ; they were under the curse ; and
cursed they must be, if Christ did not become their
Saviour. But he could not become a Saviour to
them if he did not rise ; and therefore, if he be not
risen, they are all, without exception, perished. They
are perished ; first, because their foundation failed
them ; and next, because, that having failed, no
hope remained to them from any thing which they
themselves could do. It is now plain, I trust, that
the consequences which the Apostle states as follow
ing a denial of our Lord's resurrection are true, and
that his argument is strictly just. Having therefore
confirmed his argument, we proceed,
II. To improve it —
It will be to little purpose to know the force of the
Apostle's reasoning, unless we deduce from it those
practical inferences which may bring it home to our
hearts and consciences.
First, then, We may see from hence how ignorant
they are that seek salvation by works !
The generality of mankind are hoping to be saved
for something which they have done, or something
which they intend to do : indeed even those who
have lived in all manner of evil tempers and sensual
indulgences are yet often so blind, as to be the most
strenuous in contending for the merit of good works,
and in crying out against those who speak of salvation
by faith. But do these people fancy themselves wiser
and better than all the saints of old ? Will any one
364- 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 17, 18. [1991.
say that Stephen was not an eminently pious man ?
Was he not chosen out by the people, because he
was full of faith and the Holy Ghost ? Was he not
endued with peculiar gifts, insomuch that his adver
saries could not resist the spirit and wisdom with
which he spake ? Did he not also manifest a peculiar
excellence of disposition ? Did he not with all fidelity
charge the people's sins upon them ? and, when they
were in the very act of stoning him, did he not, after
the example of our Lord, pray for his murderers ?
Did he not willingly seal the truth with his blood ?
Was he not so highly honoured of God that his face
was made to shine like the face of an angel ? and was
he not, even while in the body, favoured with a sight
of God, and of Christ, as standing at the right hand
of God ? Say now, Where shall we find a man that
bids more fair to be saved by his works than he ? yet
was he saved by his works ? or could he be saved by
his works ? No. Notwithstanding all his works, he
needed the blood of Christ to cleanse him from sin :
he needed Christ, as his Advocate and Strength, his
Saviour and his all ; and if Christ be not in a capacity
to save him, he is perished. Nor have his works
availed him any thing more than to lessen in some
degree the condemnation he would otherwise have
endured. Who then art thou that seekest to be justi
fied by thy works ? Art thou as eminent as Stephen ?
if not, how canst thou hope to be saved, when even
he, if he had no better ground of confidence than his
own works, must have perished ? Or suppose that
thou wert as good as he, still thou must meet with
the same fate ; thou must perish, and that eternally,
if thou rely on any thing but a crucified and exalted
Saviour. Oh, then, blush at your ignorance, ye proud,
self-justifying sinners ! See how Satan has blinded
your eyes ! See how far ye are from the way of sal
vation ! Oh, let me beseech you for Christ's sake,
and for your soul's sake, to renounce all your self-
righteous hopes and endeavours, and to rely on him
who alone can save you, and who is able to save you
to the uttermost.
1991.] NECESSITY OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION. 305
Secondly. We may see from hence how miserable
is the state of unbelievers !
By unbelievers, we mean, not only those who de
liberately reject Christ, but all who do not actually
enjoy an interest in him. Now these persons, what
ever they may think of themselves, and however they
may bless themselves because of the abundance of
earthly things which they possess, are in as miserable
a state as can well be conceived : for, as they have no
interest in Christ, it is eventually the same to them
as if he had never risen ; only with this difference,
that their guilt is much greater by neglecting the
Saviour, than it could have been without such an
aggravation. What then is their state ? precisely
that mentioned in the text ; " their faith, as far as
they have any, is all vain :" even though they assent
to all which is spoken concerning Christ,' 'tis all in
vain : " They are yet in their sins ;" all the load of
their iniquities lies upon them, and the curse of God
hangeth over their devoted head. They will also
"perish" whenever they die; there cannot possibly
be any admission for them into heaven : perish they
must; and remain for ever the monuments of God's
displeasure. And now say, is not this a miserable
state ? What though a man have a large estate, can
that make him happy ? What though he have a form
of godliness, can that make him happy ? No : he
must have an interest in Christ, or he will be a poor
miserable wretch for ever. Oh ! my brethren, seek
an interest in this risen Saviour : think of him, not
only as dying for your offences, but as risen again for
your justification : and be assured, that, as you shall
be reconciled to God by the death of his Son, so,
much more, being reconciled, you shall be saved by
his life. Do not conclude too hastily that you have
an interest in the Saviour: see whether you are
" risen with him through a faith of the operation of
God ?" and never rest till you can say, " I know in
whom I have believed."
Lastly. We see from hence how happy is the state
of true believers! The resurrection of Christ, which
366 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 17, 18. [1991.
is the foundation of all their hopes, is proved beyond
a possibility of doubt : the very means taken to con
ceal it are among the most convincing proofs of its
reality. On the very same basis, your hopes are
founded : he has said, " Because I live, ye shall live
also." Think then with yourselves, that at this mo
ment, your faith, so far from being in vain, avails for
all the purposes for which it is exercised : it secures
your interest in Christ as your Surety, Advocate, and
Head ; and brings in an abundance of all spiritual
blessings to your soul. Instead of being in your sins,
they are put away from you as far as the east is from
the west ; nor shall they evermore be remembered
against you. God has already said concerning every
such soul, as he did concerning Joshua ; " Take away
the filthy garments from him : behold, I have caused
thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee
with change of raiment." Further — When you die,
you will not perish with the ungodly world, but will
go to take possession of a " kingdom." You will have
a crown of glory on your head, and a golden harp in
your hand : you will be seated on your Saviour's
throne ; and shall sing his praises for evermore.
Happy soul ! " what manner of love is this wherewith
the Father hath loved thee!" Hail, thou that art
highly favoured of the Lord ! Rejoice, rejoice, thou
servant of the Most High God ! Thy Saviour, pos
sessed of all power in heaven and in earth, watches
over thee continually : he gives his angels charge
over thee : he gives thee every thing that is for thy
good : and though perhaps he deals with thee not
exactly as thou mightest wish, he is daily preparing
thee for glory, and making thee meet for thine in
heritance. Oh, then, love and serve this risen Saviour ;
and set your affections on things above, where Christ
sitteth at the right hand of God. Let it be your en
deavour to keep your conversation in heaven : and
while you are living upon the Saviour's fulness, oh,
strive to live to the glory of his name. Thus will
you adorn your holy profession ; and when he shall
come again to receive you to himself, he will welcome
1992.] ADAM A TYPE OF CHRIST. 367
you with these delightful words, " Come, thou blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for thee,
from the foundation of the world!"
MDCCCCXCII.
ADAM A TYPE OF CHRIST.
1 Cor. xv. 22. As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all
be made alive.
THE fall of man in Adam, and his recovery in
Christ, comprehend the whole circle of Divine truth :
every part of the revealed will of God is so connected
with these two doctrines, that all must stand or fall
together. Our death implies the former of them ;
and our resurrection the latter. Hence St. Paul,
proving the doctrine of the resurrection, adverts to
our fall in Adam as an acknowledged truth, and
draws a parallel between that and our recovery in
Christ.
We shall,
I. Establish the points mentioned in the text-
Nothing can be more certain than that " in Adam
all died"-
[The penalty of eating the forbidden fruit was death,
death temporal, spiritual, eternal : and, on the very day that
Adam fell, the threatened punishment was inflicted on him, so
far, at least, as could consist with God's purposes towards the
world at large : the seeds of death were implanted in his body;
a spiritual death seized upon his soul ; and everlasting death
awaited him, unless 'divine mercy should interpose to deliver
him from it. Nor was this a matter which concerned him
alone ; it involved both him and all his posterity, insomuch that
all the human race fell in him, and became obnoxious to
temporal, spiritual, eternal death. The very words of the text
prove this ; yea, they prove it more strongly than any mere
assertion could do; because they state it as an allowed fact;
and make it the foundation of a most important comparison.
And we see it plainly before our eyes. We see that all in
successive generations are swept away by death. And as to
spiritual death, who does not see how awfully the whole world
is " alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that
is in them, and because of the hardness of their hearts?" As
.%8 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 22. [1992.
to the eternal death, we see it not : but if we believe the word
of God, we can have no doubt, but that thousands are descend
ing daily into those dread abodes, where not so much as one
ray of hope can ever enter.]
Nor is it less clear that " in Christ shall all be made
alive "-
[Christ was sent into the world to repair the ruins of the
fall. By his Spirit he " quickens the souls that were dead in
trespasses and sins;" and by his obedience unto death he
reconciles them to their offended God. This also is as visible
as the former. Look around and see whether some be not
endued with a new and heavenly life, whereby they are enabled
to live wholly unto God — — It is true, that the death of
the body is still inflicted upon all : but this ceases to be a
punishment to God's people, and must rather be considered as
a blessing : " To whomsoever it is Christ to live, it is gain to
diea:" and the body which is consigned for a while to its native
dust, shall at last be raised again " in the likeness of Christ's
glorious body," to participate the blessedness of its kindred
soul. All this, I say, is restored to us in and through Christ,
who on this very account calls himself " the resurrection and
the lifeV]
But both these points will be yet further confirmed,
while we,
II. Shew the correspondence between them—
If it be asked, How did we die in Adam ? and, How
do we live in Christ ? we answer ;
1. By means of a federal relation to them—
[Neither Adam nor Christ are to be regarded as private
individuals, but as the representatives of all mankind. Adam
was the covenant head of the whole world: the covenant was
made with him for himself and them : had he fulfilled the con
ditions imposed upon him, there is reason to believe, that the
benefits of his obedience would have descended to his latest
posterity. For beyond a doubt they are involved in the
punishment of his disobedience, and consequently, we may
infer that they would have been comprehended in the recom-
pence of his obedience. The death of infants is a decisive
evidence, that the sin of Adam is imputed to them ; for death
is the punishment of sin ; and a righteous God will not inflict
punishment, where it is not in some way or other merited ;
therefore they, who have never committed actual sin, and yet
are punished, must have guilt imputed to them in some other
a Phil. i. 21. b John xi. 25.
1992.] ADAM A TYPE OF CHRIST. 369
way, or, in other words, must be chargeable with Adam's guilt.
This is the Apostle's own statement; and his conclusion is
irresistible c. -^^
Christ in the same manner was the head and representative
of the elect world : what he did and suffered, he did and suffered
in our place and stead ; " he, who knew no sin, became sin for
us, that we, who had no righteousness, might become the
righteousness of God in himd." St. Paul himself not only
asserts this, but draws at considerable length this very parallel
between Adam and Christ, in order to evince, that, so far from
being injured by this constitution of things, we have our loss
in Adam far overbalanced by the remedy which God has given
us in Christ6.]
2. By the communication of their nature to us —
[Adam was formed after God's image, pure and holy ; but
he begat children in his own fallen image, corrupt and sinful*.
Nor could he do otherwise ; for " who can bring a clean thing
out of an uncleang?" The fountain being polluted, the streams
that issued from it could not but participate of its malignant
qualities. Hence it is that we are conceived in sin and born in
iniquity11; and that all, the Apostles themselves not excepted,
" are by nature children of wrath1."
Thus Christ also imparts his nature to those whom he has
chosen to share his benefits. He makes them " partakers of a
divine nature k," and transforms them into " the Divine image
in righteousness and true holiness1:" " He himself lives in
themm;" and thus renders them meet for eternal life, even for
the inheritance of the saints in light".
It is, however, proper to observe, that though all are said to
die in Adam, and to be made alive in Christ, the benefits
received from Christ do not extend to all that are affected by
Adam's fall; the word "all" must, in the latter clause, be
taken in a more limited sense, and import that, as they, who
were represented by Adam, and are partakers of his nature,
die in him ; so they, who were represented by Christ, and are
partakers of his nature, shall live in him.]
INFER—
1. How much of Christ may be seen even in the
character of Adam himself!—
[Adam is expressly said to be " a. figure of him that was to
c Rom. v. 12, 14. d 2 Cor. v. 21. e Rom. v. 15—21.
f Gen. i. 26, 27. and v. 3. * Job xiv. 4.
h Ps. li. 5. * Eph. ii. 3. * 2 Pet. i. 4.
1 Eph. iv. 24. «» Gal. ii. 20. " Col. i. 12.
VOL. XVI. B B
370 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 31. [1993.
come0;" and Christ, in reference to him, is called the second
Adamp. Both of them were the representatives of their re
spective seeds; but, blessed be God! not with the same suc
cess : the one destroyed, the other saves, the souls committed
to him. Let us then renounce, as far as possible, our con
nexion with him who has brought condemnation upon us,
and seek an union with him, " through whose obedience we
may be made righteous."]
2. Of what importance is it to understand and
receive the Gospel !—
[It is only by the Gospel that we can be acquainted
with the work of Christ, and obtain an interest in him : if
we know him not, we remain under all the disadvantages of
the fall. It is this Gospel which gives to the least and
meanest of us so great an advantage over all the philosophers
of Greece and Rome. They saw in what a fallen state the
world was : but how it became so, or how it could be remedied,
they had no conception. We however know both the one
and the other : we know that in Adam we died, and that in
Christ we all may be made alive. True, this does not accord
well with the dictates of corrupt reason. But to dispute
about this doctrine is to no purpose : we are dead in Adam,
whether we will believe it or not ; nor can we obtain life, but in
and through Christ. Let us then not reject the gracious over
tures of Christ, but turn to him in this our time of acceptance,
this day of our salvation.]
3. How thankful should we be for God's distin
guishing mercy to the sinners of mankind! —
[When angels fell, there was no Saviour provided for
them : they were punished for the first offence, and will remain
monuments of God's indignation to all eternity : but we are
spared, yea, are saved by the mediation of God's co-equal
Sonq. Let heaven and earth praise him! and let every tongue
now, as surely we shall hereafter, adore him for such unmerited,
incomprehensible love !]
0 Rom. v. 14. The Greek. P 1 Cor. xv. 45 — 47. 1 Heb. ii. 16.
MDCCCCXCIII.
DYING DAILY.
1 Cor. xv. 31. I protest by your rejoicing which I have in
Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
THERE were many in the apostolic age who
denied the resurrection of the dead3. St. Paul, in
a ver. 12.
1993.] »YING DAILY. 371
opposition to them, maintained the truth of that
doctrine. In confirmation of his word, he asserted
that he himself, no less than the other Apostles, had
seen the Lord Jesus Christ in his risen state ; and
that, consequently, there must be a resurrection of
the dead ; more especially because the Lord Jesus
did not rise as a mere individual, but as the head and
forerunner of his people, even as the first-fruits be
fore the harvest. He then appeals to his adversaries
themselves, whether, upon any other hypothesis than
that of a resurrection to a future life of blessedness
and glory, it would be possible to account for the
conduct of himself and all his fellow Apostles and
fellow Christians ; all of whom so readily encountered
the severest trials that men could endure in this
world, in the hope and prospect of approving them
selves to God, and of being approved by Him in the
day of judgment ? " What shall they do who are
baptized for the dead," that is, in the room of the
dead, like soldiers filling up the ranks of those who
have been cut off, if the " dead rise not at all ? Why
are they then baptized for the dead ? and why stand
we in jeopardy every hour?" Then, for their con
viction, he protests most solemnly before God, that
this was his own experience, and that " he died daily."
In considering these words, I will notice,
I. The Apostle's experience —
He here declares the daily habit of his mind,
1. As the fruit and consequence of the persecu
tions he suffered—
[The Apostle preached the Gospel " with great plainness
of speech." By this he gave offence to multitudes, both of
Jews and Gentiles, who with implacable animosity sought his
life. He had not preached the Gospel many days before his
enemies conspired to destroy him ; and necessitated him, for
the preservation of his life, to be let down in a basket from the
battlements of a walled city. From that time he was in con
tinual danger, never knowing but that the address he was
delivering would prove his last. Truly, he was " in deaths
oftb ;" and " like a sheep appointed for the slaughter0 ;" or
b 2 Cor. xi. 23. f Rom. viii. 36.
H B 'J
o72 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 31. [1993.
like the gladiators, who were to engage in renewed combats
till they diedd. In truth, he was regarded only as " the filth
of the world, and as the off-scouring of all things;" fit only to
be sacrificed for the pacifying of a daemon, or for the removal
of a common plague6. Thus " he was in jeopardy every hour
of his lifef;" and, as he expresses it in my text, " he died
daily."]
2. As wrought and cherished in his own soul-
fit is plain that this also is included in the expression
before us; and that it forms, in fact, the very jet of his argu
ment. ' I protest,' says he ' that, as I am daily exposed to
death for my ministrations, so I willingly submit to it in an
assured prospect that I shall be recompensed at the resurrec
tion of the just.' He knew that, independently of his perse
cutions, his life was very uncertain, and that he could not call
a day or an hour his own : and the murderous cruelty of his
enemies rendered his continuance in life still more precarious.
But he was willing to die at any time, and in any way, for his
Master's sakeg: yea, " he desired to depart, and to be with
Christ, as far better " than any thing he could attain in this
lifeh; and he accounted every moment of his continuance in
the body as a privation of blessedness in the immediate pre
sence of his Lord1. He knew, that, at the very instant of his
departure from the body, he should " behold his Lord face to
facek;" and, that, at the day of judgment, his body also should
be raised to " meet the Lord in the air, and to be for ever
with the Lord1:" and, under this conviction, he looked upon
martyrdom itself as a ground of cordial self-congratulation and
j°ym-\
This subject derives peculiar importance from,
II. The solemn manner in which he affirmed it —
He takes for granted that those, whom he addressed,
rejoiced in Christ Jesus, even as he did : and he pro
tests by their rejoicing, as well as by his own11, that
this was indeed his experience from day to day.
And from this protest we learn,
1. That this experience is not common—
[No, in truth : it is very rare even among " those who
d 1 Cor. iv. 9. « 1 Cor. iv. 13.
f ver. 30. s Acts xx. 24. and xxi. 13.
h Phil. i. 23. ' 2 Cor. v. 6 — 8. k 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
1 1 Thess. iv. 17. m Phil. ii. 17, 18.
n I think the marginal translation of "our" instead of "your,"
decidedly preferable.
1993.] DYING DAILY. 373
profess godliness." That there is no such persecution now,
as existed in the apostolic age, is certain ; and, consequently,
the preachers of the Gospel exercise not their ministry so much
at the peril of their life : but there is as much need of zeal now
as ever : and the servants of God are as much bound to be
faithful in the discharge of their duty as ever ; and they must
be as ready to sacrifice their lives in the cause of their Divine
Master as ever. There is to be no difference in these respects
between the Apostles and us. If not called to endure the
same trials as they, we must be willing to endure them, if
called to it : and if we love our lives in comparison of Him
and his glory, we shall lose our souls for ever.
As to looking forward to a longer stay on earth, we are no
more entitled to indulge such a conceit than the Apostles
were ; for " we know not what a day or an hour may bring
forth." And it is our privilege to be anticipating the blessed
ness of heaven as much as it was theirs. We should count
death amongst our treasures: and be "looking for, and hasting
unto, the coming of the day of Christ," quite as much as they
did in their devoutest frames
But is this a common attainment? Would to God it were !
But the generality of Christians put the day far from them, as
though it were to be dreaded, rather than desired : and even
the more godly amongst us live far below their privileges in
this respect.]
2. That, however, it ought to he found in all who
believe in Christ —
[He takes for granted, that all true Christians " rejoice in
Christ." And truly this is a distinctive character of them :
and the man who has not in himself this evidence of his rela
tion to Christ, has no sufficient reason to think that he belongs
to Christ0. But, supposing that we are really Christ's, then
should the Apostle's experience be ours : and so palpably
should it be ours, that we should be able to join in the asseve
ration of St. Paul, and say, ' " I protest, by my rejoicing in
Christ, and as I hope to rejoice in him in a better world, I am
dying daily :" " I am crucified to the world," and to all things
in it: and lam, in the constant habit of my mind, like a dying
man, expecting and preparing for my speedy dissolution, and
anticipating with joy the blessedness that awaits me.' Beloved
brethren, if ye be Christians indeed, this is the experience
which you are to aspire after ; this is the experience which ye
are bound to attain.]
3. That the existence of this, in the Lord's people,
" Phil. iii. :J.
374 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 31. [1993.
is a strong presumptive proof of a future resurrec
tion —
[A few enthusiasts may be supposed to be carried forward
to strange excesses of zeal, even in a bad cause. But to act
and suffer as the Apostles did, could not be general amongst
pious Christians, if they were not animated by a hope beyond
the grave : and their conduct in this world, if it prove not the
certainty of a future resurrection, proves, beyond a doubt, the
full persuasion of their minds respecting it. In truth, nothing
but this expectation could carry persons on to such high at
tainments : and, on the other hand, there is nothing which
those who are persuaded of it will not gladly do and suffer in
the prospect of such happiness and glory.
Certify then yourselves, brethren, that there is indeed a
future state ; and labour, by the conformity of your lives to
that of the holy Apostle, to shew that you are borne up, by
the hope of it, far above all that the world can give, and above
all that the most inveterate enemy can inflict.]
TELL me now, whether the Christian be not,
1. A happy man ?—
[As " rejoicing in Christ," he must of necessity be happy.
Nor is he less so in his superiority to all the things of time
and sense. In truth, the only way to live happily is to " die
daily." Be it so : he is an object of hatred and persecution
amongst men : but he is beloved of God, and enjoys God ; and
is even led to anticipate more the blessedness of heaven by the
very sufferings which he endures on earth. " When God
therefore gives him such quietness, who can make trouble?"
Verily " none can harm him, seeing that he is thus a follower
of that which is good."]
2. A man worthy to be imitated by all around him? —
[The poor, wretched, ignorant world run from vanity to
vanity in pursuit of pleasure ; and never find it. The Chris
tian follows after righteousness ; and happiness waits on him,
even as the shadow of his body. To him every thing is a source
of good : adversity itself comes to him as a blessing in disguise :
and in his afflictions he tastes nothing but love. Seek then,
my brethren, to rejoice in Christ ; and then shall all the Chris
tian's blessedness be yours.]
1994.] SHAMEFULNESS OF BEING IGNORANT Ol GOD. o75
MDCCCCXCIV.
THE SHAMEFULNESS OF BEING IGNORANT OF GOD.
1 Cor. xv. 34. Some have not the knowledge of God : I speak
this to your shame.
KNOWLEDGE is the foundation of all acceptable
obedience. We must know whom we are to serve ;
and why we are to serve him ; and what are the ser
vices that he requires at our hands. Hence the Scrip
tures represent us first as " renewed in knowledge
after the image of him who created usa." On the
other hand, ignorance is the root of all sin. It was
to this, as its proper source, that our Saviour and his
Apostles traced the wickedness of the Jews in cruci
fying the Lord of glory, and in persecuting his fol
lowers1". To this also St. Paul referred the conduct
of those at Corinth who taught, that " there was no
resurrection of the dead." From their erroneous
views of this fundamental doctrine, and the conse
quent sinfulness of their conduct, he was sure that
they were ignorant of God himself; and therefore he
declared it to their shame.
The same may be said in reference to ourselves, if
we err in any other fundamental point of faith or
practice. In order therefore to bring it home to
ourselves, we shall shew,
I. What is that knowledge of God, which, as Chris
tians, we are supposed to possess—
God has revealed himself to us in his blessed word ;
and we ought to know him,
1. In his essential perfections —
[These perfections he proclaimed by an audible voice to
Moses, in answer to that prayer of his highly favoured servant,
" I beseech thee, shew me thy glory c." The Lord passed by
before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful
and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth,
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression,
and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty d." Yet it is
a Col. iii. 10. b John xvi. 3. Acts iii. 17. 1 Cor. ii. 8.
c Exod. xxxiii. 18. d Exod. xxxiv. f>, 7.
376 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 34. [1994.
not merely a speculative knowledge of him that we ought to
possess, but such a knowledge as produces suitable emotions
in our minds. The devils could say to our Saviour, " We
know thee who thou art:" and in like manner they are ac
quainted with all the perfections of Jehovah ; but their know
ledge is unattended with any sanctifying influence: they know
God, but they cannot love him ; they see his holiness, and
hate it; his justice, and tremble at it; his power, and lament it;
his mercy, and despair of it ; his grace, and oppose it ; his wis
dom, and endeavour to counteract it. But this view of him
must fill us with wonder, and love, and gratitude, and affi
ance — • ]
2. As reconciled to us in the Son of his love—
[This more particularly characterizes us as Christians,
because in this view he is fully exhibited to us in the Gospel.
It is our happy privilege not only to have " the day-star from
on high risen upon us," but to have God himself " shining
into our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." In the cross of
Christ we should see all the perfections of God united, and
harmonizing, and glorified ; or, as the Psalmist expresses it, we
should see " mercy and truth met together, and righteousness
and peace kissing each other6." We should realize every per
fection of the Deity in this view : we should see his wisdom as
providing a plan for the redemption of a ruined world, and as
opening a way for the exercise of mercy, without infringing
upon the rights of justice, or holiness, or truth. We should
see even justice itself become our friend, and beaming upon us
with the same benignity as love or mercy, seeing that its
utmost demands have been satisfied in the atonement of Christ,
and all the glory of heaven has been purchased for us by his
obedience unto death — — In a word, the language of
David should be the language of our hearts : " Thy mercy, O
Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the
clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains ; thy
judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and
beast. How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God ! therefore
the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy
wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of
thy house ; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy
pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life : in thy light
shall we see light f."]
Such is the knowledge of God which every Chris
tian ought to possess. I proceed to shew,
II. Why it is a shame not to possess it—
• Ps. Ixxxv. 10. r Ps. xxxvi. o—9.
1994.] SHAMEFULNESS OF BEING IGNORANT OF GOD. 377
Of many things we may all be ignorant without
any imputation on our character. But to be desti
tute of the knowledge of God is a shame to all,
because it is,
1. The most excellent of all knowledge—
[The knowledge of philosophy is a very valuable acqui
sition : but it is not to be compared with the knowledge of
God, since that infinitely surpasses every thing that can occupy
the human mind. How glorious is it for a worm of the earth
to see the perfections of the invisible God ! to behold them all
shining forth in the face of Jesus Christ ! and, above all, to
see them all interested in his salvation ! How glorious is it
for a helpless sinner to know that he has omnipotence for his
support, and unbounded mercy for his refuge ! How glorious
is it for such an unworthy creature to survey the justice and
holiness, the power and wisdom, the love and mercy, the truth
and faithfulness of God, and then to say, " This God is my
God for ever and everg !" Surely every thing else in compari
son of this is lighter than vanity itself. And whoever seeks
any other knowledge in preference to this, has reason to blush
for his stupidity, and to be ashamed of his choice.]
2. The most needful of all knowledge —
[The knowledge of trade, and of politics, is necessary for
the welfare of a state : but a statesman need not be conversant
with the lowest branches of trade ; nor need a tradesman know
how to govern a state. But the knowledge of God is every
man's business ; it is that for which God has brought him into
existence, and for which the ordinances of the Gospel are con
tinued to him. Every man is more interested in this, than
even in providing bread for his body : for he may have food
supplied to him by the benevolence of others ; but who can
supply the lack of this knowledge, or what substitute can be
found for it ? Without that a man can have no happiness ;
because, till he has it, he is exposed to the wrath of Almighty
God. Without that he can have no holiness; because holiness
is the fruit that springs from it, and therefore cannot subsist
without it. Without that he can have no salvation ; for " to
know God and Christ is eternal lifeh ;" and when Christ shall
come to judgment, it will be for the express purpose of " taking
vengeance on them that know not God'." If then it be a
shame to be destitute of all good, and to be a miserable outcast
from heaven, it is a shame to be ignorant of God.]
3. The most easy to be obtained of all knowledge —
« Ps. xlviii. 1-1. h John xvii. ;j. ' -2 Thcss. i. 7, 8.
378 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 51—58. [1995.
[There are many things which men have-not a capacity
to learn. But even the weakest of men may attain the know
ledge of God, if they will seek it in God's appointed way. Our
Lord returns thanks to his heavenly Father on this very ac
count, " because the things which he has hid from the wise
and prudent, are revealed unto babes k." Nor is this expression
merely figurative ; for Samuel, Josiah, Timothy, and John, are
standing monuments to the Church, that " God will ordain
strength in the mouths of babes and sucklings1." In reference
to this knowledge then, no man has any excuse for his igno
rance ; no man can say, " I am no scholar, and therefore have
no reason to be ashamed ;" for all may know the Lord, if they
will seek the enlightening influences of his Spirit, since God
has pledged himself, that " if any man lack wisdom, and ask it
of him, he will give it liberally, and without upbraiding"1."]
APPLICATION—
[Let those who know not God as reconciled to them in
Christ Jesus, begin to seek that knowledge without delay.
And let those who do know him, give God the glory : for though
an ignorance of him is to our shame, the honour arising from
this distinction, belongs to God alone ; since it is " he who
has given us an understanding to know him n."]
k Matt. xi. 25. ' Ps. viii. 2. with Matt. xxi. 16.
m Jam. i. 5. n 1 John v. 20.
MDCCCCXCV.
DEATH A CONQUERED ENEMY.
1 Cor. xv. 51 — 58. Behold, I shew you a mystery ; We shall
not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump : for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
ive shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incor-
ruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass
the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, ivhere is thy sting ? 0 grave, where is thy victory ?
The sting of death is sin ; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be
ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in
vain in tkc Lord.
1995.] DEATH A CONQUERED ENEMY. o79
THE doctrine of the resurrection was altogether
unknown to the heathen world, and but imperfectly
known even to the Jews themselves. The idea of
bodies, once mouldered into dust and scattered over
the face of the earth, being ever restored, and re
united to their kindred souls, appeared so visionary,
as to be wholly inadmissible and incredible. But
St. Paul shews, that the resurrection of our blessed
Lord was a fact established beyond the possibility of
doubt ; and that he had risen " as the first-fruits,"
which would assuredly be followed by an universal
harvest3. True it was that a great change would
take place in the body, such as was necessary to fit
it for its future state of existence : but still it would
be the same body in reality, just as the wheat, which,
when sown in the ground, first dies, and then rises
substantially the same, though in a very different
formb. To the question, What shall be done with
those who shall be living upon the earth at the last
day ? He answers, That they shall undergo a change
equivalent to death and resurrection : and the man
ner in which this shall be effected he represents as
a mystery, which in former ages had been wholly
unknown, but which from inspiration he was now
enabled to proclaim. However death had seemed
hitherto to triumph over the many successive gene
rations that had existed upon earth, there should at
last be an end of his reign, and he himself should be
triumphed over by all who belong to Christ.
That we may all have a fuller view of this mystery,
we will endeavour to shew,
I. The victory that awaits the Christian-
Christians, like others, appear to be overcome by
death—
[They, as well as others, yield to the stroke of death.
Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, all have died : two only of all
the children of men have been exempted from the common lot:
and the time is quickly coming when every one of us must die;
(for " the body is dead because of sin0;") and must " return to
the dust" from whence we sprang'1.]
' ver. 20, 23. »» vcr. 3"j— 38. c Rom. viii. 10. (1 Gen. iii. 19.
380 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 51—58. [1995.
But in due time they shall assuredly triumph over
it-
fit is the body only that death can reach : it cannot affect
the believer's soul : and it is for a time only that it can affect
the body. When once the last day shall arrive, there will be
an end of that empire which death has so widely extended.
The bodies of the saints, of whom alone the Apostle here
speaks, shall then be raised up, and with varied degrees of
splendour shine forth anew6. They were sown in corruption,
weakness, and dishonour, and they shall be raised in incoi-
ruption, power, and glory : from natural bodies, they shall bt
transformed to spiritual^ each one shining forth, as our Saviour
himself at his transfiguration, like the sun in the firmament for
ever and everg. Thenceforth shall " death have no more domi
nion over them," any more than it has over our Lord himself11:
on the contrary, it shall itself " be swallowed up in victory,"
as the prophet has said1, and, as the Apostle elsewhere speaks,
" Mortality shall be swallowed up of lifeV
By those also who shall be living at the time of our Lord's
advent, shall the same triumph be enjoyed. " In a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye shall they be changed, as soon as
ever the last trump shall sound :" as, in the case of those who
have died, " corruptible shall put on incorruption," so, in those
who shall be found alive, " their mortal shall put on immor
tality1," and " their vile body shall in an instant be made like
unto Christ's glorious body"1," even to that very body in which
he now sits enthroned in glory, the blessed object of adoration
to all the hosts of heaven.]
That the Christian may be encouraged the more
confidently to look forward to that victory, we pro
ceed to shew,
II. How it is, that he is assured of it—
It is sin that gives death its power—
[If sin had never entered into the world, death would never
have existed, or would have been only a translation from earth
to heaven. This is plainly told us by St. Paul ; " By one man
sin entered into the world, and death by sin ; and so death
passed upon all men, even upon those who have not sinned
after the similitude of Adam's transgression"." The law which
passed the sentence of death on Adam0, still says to every
e ver. 41. f ver. 42 — 44.
s Compare Matt. xiii. 43. with xvii. 2.
11 Rom. vi. 9. with Rev. xxi. 4. ; Isai. xxv. 8.
k 2 Cor. v. 4. i ver. 52, 53. '" Phil. iii. 21.
" Rom. v. 12, 14. with ver. 21, 22. ° (Jen. ii. 17.
1995. J DEATH A CONQUERED ENEMY. 381
child of man, " The soul that sinneth, it shall die." And this
law cannot be set aside: it is as immutable as God himself:
and hence it is that sin is itself so powerful, and invests death
also with such power over our fallen race.]
But the Lord Jesus Christ has taken away our
sin —
[He has put himself in our place and stead, and, as our
Surety, has satisfied all the demands of the law. Did the law
require the death of the offender ? He has put himself in the
place of sinners, and has borne the penalty for them. Would
sin yet prevail to destroy the soul ? He has expiated its guilt,
and put " away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Must every
one have a perfect righteousness before he can appear in the
presence of a holy God? Christ has not only " made an end
of sin, but by his obedience unto death has brought in an ever
lasting righteousness1"," which "• he imputes to all them that
believe q." Thus is death disarmed of its sting: for sin, which
was its sting, is cancelled ; and the law, from which sin derived
it? strength, is fulfilled : and the sentence denounced against us
is reversed, so far at least as it is penal; insomuch that " God
may now be just, and yet the justifier of sinful men1."]
Thus is death disarmed of its power —
[Death, no longer envenomed by sin, is to be regarded
only as a sleep, " a falling asleep in Jesus." This " enemy,"
this " king of terrors," is turned into a friend, and may now
be numbered amongst the richest treasures of the Christian8.
If we view it aright, it is only a friend who comes to draw aside
the veil that hides the Saviour and all his glory from our eyes.
What a blessed thought ! O Christian, what joy should this
thought impart unto thy soul ! with what transport shouldest
thou exclaim, " Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ!" Come forward, Christian;
put thy foot upon the neck of this conquered enemy : exult
over him, as God himself instructs thee, " O death, where is
thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" Where are now
thy boasted triumphs ? Instead of swallowing up me, thou shalt
be swallowed up ; and instead of casting me into the lake of
fire, thou thyself shalt have that for thine only and unchange
able abode*.]
Such is the victory that awaits thee. Think then,
III. What exertions the prospect of it should call
forth-
P Dan. ix. 24. *» Rom. iii. 22. r Rom. iii. 26.
* 1 Cor. iii. 22. l Rev. xx. 14.
382 1 CORINTHIANS, XV. 51, 52. [1995.
Let the expectation of this triumph stimulate thee
to prepare for it. Prepare for it by,
1. A steadfast adherence to the faith —
[Much will thy faith be tried : temptations from without
and from within will assuredly assault thee : perhaps even the
glorious truths contained in our text may be wrested from thee
by thy great adversary, so that thou shalt be led to question
the reality of them, or thine interest in them. But " be stead
fast, and immoveable ;" " holding fast the profession of thy faith
without wavering." " Fight the good fight of faith :" " quit
thyself like a man :" whoever would " move thee from the hope
of the Gospel," withstand him : whoever would turn thee aside
from the right path, or discourage thee in running thy heavenly
race, regard him not ; but " run on with patience, looking unto
Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of thy faith."]
2. A diligent performance of thy duty—
[The Lord has given thee a work to do : O engage in it
with all thy heart. Has he assigned thee any office whereby
thou mayest be useful in advancing his kingdom in the world ?
" Give thyself wholly to it." Do the interests of thine own
soul call for thine attention ? " Forget all that is behind, and
press forward for that which is before." Be not content with
small measures of service ; but seek to " abound in the work of
the Lord ;" and this, not on some particular occasions only, but
" always," from day to day, and from year to year, " never
being weary in well-doing," but exerting yourselves the more,
in proportion as your time for performing it is cut short. Think
what is that work where you may best serve and glorify your
Lord ; and " make it your meat and drink to do it :" yea, " what
ever thine hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might."]
3. An assured expectation of thy reward —
[Moses himself " looked to the recompence of the reward,"
as did also the martyrs of old, who " refused to accept deliver
ance from their tortures, that they might obtain a better
resurrection." If you had no prospect of future happiness,
there would be some reason for that Epicurean maxim, " Let
us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." But when you con
sider how short your present trials are, and how rich will be
the recompence for all your labours, it were madness to draw
back. Look at those who have already entered into their rest,
and ask, Whether they repent of their former labours : or look
at the glory that awaits thee, and then think whether the
possession of it will not richly compensate all that thou canst
do or suffer for thy Lord. " The Lord is not unrighteous,
that he will forget your works and labours of love:" No: he
1995.] DEATH A CONQUERED ENEMY. 383
has said, that " you shall be recompensed at the resurrection
of the dead ;" and he will with his own hand bestow the recom-
pence : " nor shall even a cup of cold water given for his sake
lose its reward."]
ADDRESS—
[Happy should we be, if death had this aspect upon all, and
we had no occasion to change our voice in relation to it. But
to the ungodly it is still an enemy : and over the unbelieving
it will retain its dominion to all eternity. Yes, brethren ; if we
have not sought refuge in Christ from the curses of the broken
law, we are yet in our sins, and must perish under the guilt of
them for evermore. Is this your case ? how terrible then must
the thought of death be to you! To you, it will be as the
opening of the prison doors to a criminal, that he may be led
forth to execution. For a season indeed, your body shall sleep
in the dust : but in what image shall it rise in the last day ?
What will be its feelings, when it shall be re-occupied by the
soul, that now claims it as the partner of its former sins, and
of all its future sorrows ! How glad would it be, if it could
take its position under rocks and mountains ! Even now, the
thought of death is terrible to the unbelieving soul, and the
contemplation of eternity distressing. But let it not be always
thus ; let what you have heard of the Christian's privileges stir
you up to seek a participation of them. Remember, how it
is that death must be disarmed of its sting : it is altogether by
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as having fulfilled the law for
you, and taken away your sins by the blood of his cross. Only
look to him as dying for your sins, and rising again for your
justification, and all shall yet be well : your souls shall live
before him ; " because he liveth, you shall live also :" and when
he who is your life shall appear, " ye also shall appear with
him in glory."
But to those who profess to believe in Christ, we would also
suggest a salutary caution. If the prospect of a glorious resur
rection produce not its due effect upon you, you have reason
to doubt whether you have indeed an inheritance beyond the
grave. It is only in proportion as your faith is operative, that
you can have any evidence of its being the " faith of God's
elect." And how painful will it be, when on the verge of
eternity, to have your soul harassed with doubts and fears
about your eternal state! Do not, I beseech you, walk so
carelessly as to endanger your final acceptance with God, or to
make it doubtful to your own mind. What can be the effect
of sin, but to fill your dying pillow with thorns? Never then
trifle either with sin or duty : let the one be put away from
you with all care, and the other be practised with all diligence:
and seek of God the aid of his good Spirit, that you may so
384 1 CORINTHIANS, XVI. 13, 14, [1996.
live as to enjoy the testimony of your own conscience, and so
walk, " that you may be found of him in peace without spot
and blameless."]
MDCCCCXCVI.
CHRISTIAN COUNSEL.
1 Cor. xvi. 13, 14. Watch ye, standfast in the faith, quit you
like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with
charity.
OF all the apostolic Churches, not any one seems
to have been so corrupt as that at Corinth : at least,
St. Paul reproves more evils there than in any other.
In this epistle to that Church he addresses himself to
the consideration of several abuses which had crept
in among them : and now, in the close of it, he gives
them, in few words, his pastoral advice; but evidently,
I think, with a special view to all his preceding
remarks. They were in the midst of manifold temp
tations ; and therefore he bids them " watch." They
had amongst them false teachers, who, under a
specious garb of sanctity and superior illumination,
sought to turn them from the truth ; and therefore
he tells them to " stand fast in the faith." They had
trials of various kinds to encounter ; and therefore
he says to them, " Quit you like men, be strong."
At the same time, there were great contentions among
them ; and therefore he adds, " Let all your things
be done with charity." Now, as these subjects are
worthy of universal concern, we will adopt the same
line of instruction as was pursued by him ; and,
just changing the words, in order to convey more
clearly what I conceive to be the meaning of them,
I will say,
I. Guard against temptations of every kind—
[Of course, every Christian must watch against all the
more open assaults of his three great enemies, the world, the
flesh, and the devil : and I must therefore, in the first place,
put you on your guard against them — - But, as the
caution was given to persons who might be considered as on
the whole pious, it may be proper rather to advert to such
1996.]) CHRISTIAN COUNSEL. 385
temptations as are peculiar to Christians, whether in their
collective capacity as a Church, or in their personal experience
as saints.
Now Christians, as collected into a society, have many things
in their temper and deportment against which it becomes them
to guard with all vigilance. Pride, envy, prejudice, uncharitable-
ness, are very apt to disturb the harmony of those who ought
to be united in the bonds of brotherly love : and they should
be checked, by all, in their very first risings in the soul : and
not only in ourselves should we watch against them, but in
others also, so as to arrest their progress before they have had
an opportunity of spreading to any great extent their malignant
influence ; ever bearing in mind, that " a little leaven, if suffered
to spread, will soon leaven the whole lump."
Against secret evils, too, must every one be on his guard ;
yea, and against the means and occasions of evil. There are
many things that, when kept under proper restrictions, are
innocent; which yet, through unwatchfulness or excess, are
productive of great evil. The exercises of Christian affection
may degenerate into feelings of a very unhallowed character ;
and lawful indulgences may gain an undue ascendant over the
mind. It is not easy to draw the precise line between good
and evil, especially when the quality of an action depends on
its accidental circumstances : we should therefore scrupulously,
and as before God, examine our whole deportment, and try it
with severity by the test of his holy law. And against every
deviation from right, and every declension from what is good,
we should guard with the utmost vigilance ; well knowing, that
Satan will take advantage of our unwatchfulness, to ensnare
and defile our souls.]
As materially assistant to you in the discharge of
that first duty, I would say,
II. Hold fast your principles —
[It is by the adoption of Christian principles that any one
is brought to the performance of Christian duties : and any
dereliction of the one will infallibly introduce a relaxation of
the other. God himself asks, " Who is he that overcometh
the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of Goda?"
The high standard of Christian morals and of Christian piety
is observed by no other person under heaven. Nothing but
love to the Saviour ever did, or ever can, lead to an entire
surrender of the soul to God. But let a person be drawn
aside by vain philosophy or Jewish superstition, and he will
soon lose the ardour of his soul in divine exercises, and the
a 1 John v. 5.
VOL. XVI. C C
386 1 CORINTHIANS, XVI. 13, 14. [1996.
delight attendant on close intercourse with God; and a corre
spondent change in the whole tone and temper of his mind will
soon follow. In proportion as the eyes are turned from the
Lord Jesus Christ to any matters of doubtful disputation, will
a stop be put to a progressive transformation of the soul into
his blessed image b. To every one, therefore, I would say,
" Hold fast the Head," the Lord Jesus Christ, and " live
entirely by faith on him ;" " receiving continually, out of his
fulness," additional supplies of grace. And this is the very
advice which St. Peter, by his own bitter experience, learned
to give to the Christian Church, as the only effectual means
of overcoming their great adversary : " Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist, steadfast
in the faith0"}
In this course, however, you will meet with oppo
sition ; against which you must,
III. Act with courage—
[" All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer per
secution." You may " watch" as much as you please, and yet
suffer no persecution, provided you will relax, as it respects
your giving honour to Christ: or you may exalt Christ as
much as you please, provided you will relax in your watchful
ness against the evils of an ensnaring world : but if you will
" live godly in Christ Jesus," giving all the glory to him, whilst
you are serving him with fidelity to the utmost of your power,
you will be sure to offend the lovers of the world, and the
haters of Christ : and you may assuredly expect to feel, in a
greater or less degree, the effects of their enmity. But whether
assaulted by ridicule or menace, you must be alike prepared
to act a manly part, withstanding every effort that men or
devils can make against you. You are not, as children, to be
either allured or awed to a deviation from any thing which
your better judgment directs. As " men," you should examine
well whatever is proposed to you, and compare it with the word
of God : and, as " men," you should determine for yourselves,
and resolutely adopt the line of conduct which the word of God
prescribes. If " men" in the service of an earthly monarch
meet with opposition, they consider it as an occasion for sum
moning and putting forth all their energies with augmented
zeal : and this is the way in which you are to " play the mand,"
and to approve yourselves to Him, under whose banners you
are called to fight.]
And, in this resolute conduct, you must,
b 2 Cor. iii. 18. ' 1 Pet. v. 8,9. d
1996.] CHRISTIAN COUNSEL. 387
IV. Persevere with constancy—
[This I conceive to be the precise distinction which the
Apostle intends between those nearly parallel expressions,
" Quit yourselves like men ; be strong6." We are not to
suppose that the opposition made to us will be of short con
tinuance. We shall experience it more or less to the very
end of life ; and we must be prepared to meet it in its most
terrific forms. Never are we to give way to fear or discourage
ment : never are we to " be weary or faint in our minds." No
past trials, no impending calamities, should dishearten us. We
should be prepared to say, as well in the prospect of future
evils as in the remembrance of past, " None of these things
move me; neither count I my life dear unto me, so that I
may but finish my course with joy." When we read the long
catalogue of sufferings which the Apostle underwent, we are
amazed at his fortitude and perseverance f. But the same firm
ness is required of us: for " if any man turn back, my soul,"
says God, " shall have no pleasure in him." It is " he only
who endures unto the end, that shall be eventually and eternally
saved." " Be strong," therefore ; and especially " be strong,
not in yourselves, but in the Lord, and in the power of his
might :" and you need not fear but that " his grace shall be
sufficient for you," and " your strength be augmented according
to your day" of trial.]
But,
V. Let all be done under the influence of love —
[Christians are very prone to err in relation to this matter:
they are ready to think, that zeal and courage constitute the
whole of their duty ; and, in consequence of this mistake, they
too frequently overlook the frame of their own minds, and
indulge, without being aware of it, a spirit most offensive to
God. Acrimony in opponents often begets a similar disposition
in those who are opposed : and it may be hard to say, who are
most in error, the bitter persecutors, or the indignant sufferers.
Beloved brethren, I wish you to be particularly on your guard
in relation to this matter. You are to " be gentle to all men ;
and, in meekness, to instruct them that oppose themselves8;"
" not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing ; but, con
trariwise, blessing." Our blessed Lord, and the first martyr,
St. Stephen, prayed for their murderers, at the very moment
that they were suffering all imaginable cruelties at their hands :
and this is what you are to do ; as our Lord has said ; " Love
your enemies : bless them that curse you ; and pray for them
that despitefully use you and persecute you." To young
c Kparaiovirdi. { 2 Cor. xi. 23 — 28. * 2 Tim. ii. 24, 25.
c c2
388 1 CORINTHIANS, XVI. 22. [1997.
persons, in particular, I would give this caution. You will
probably find your greatest enemies amongst those of your own
household : and as you must, of necessity, " obey God rather
than man," you will be called to shew your fidelity to God in
this respect: but do not, under the idea of quitting your
selves " like men," indulge a petulant and unbecoming spirit :
(persons, so acting, " know not what spirit they are of.") Nor
are you to indulge a querulous spirit behind the backs of your
enemies ; but to take up your cross meekly, and to bear it
patiently, and to bless God that you are counted worthy to
bear it for Jesus' sake. Remember, that " love is the very
bond of perfectness ;" and that " without it, though you give
your body to be burned, you are no better than sounding brass
and tinkling cymbals."]
MDCCCCXCVII.
THE GUILT AND DANGER OF NOT LOVING CHRIST.
1 Cor. xvi. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let
him be Anathema Maran-atha.
EVERY religion has some characteristic mark
whereby it may be distinguished from all others.
The leading feature of Christianity is, that it requires
a resolute adherence, and an inviolable attachment
to Jesus Christ. Though it includes both morality
and a regard to God, it does not stop there ; but
leads us to Jesus Christ as the only mediator through
whom divine blessings can flow down to us, or our
services go up with acceptance before God. What
ever difference may exist between Christians with
respect to other points, all are agreed in love to Christ.
St. Paul did not hesitate to denounce the severest
curse against all who should be wanting in this most
essential point. He had finished this epistle by the
hand of an amanuensis, and was going, as his man
ner was in every epistle, to write his benediction with
his own hand; but deeply solicitous for the welfare
of the Church, as well as for the glory of his Divine
Master, he inserted between his salutation and his
benediction these ever memorable words ; — " If any
1997.] GUILT OF NOT LOVING CHRIST. 389
man," &c. These are in the form of a judicial sen
tence, which we shall,
I. Explain —
The solemnity with which this sentence is delivered
surely bespeaks our most candid attention : but how
shall we, in drawing the line between nominal and
real Christians, speak with such precision, as neither
to discourage the weak, nor to confirm hypocrites or
formalists in their delusions ? Let us explain,
1. What it is to love the Lord Jesus Christ —
[Love, whatever be its object, implies such an esteem of
that object, such a desire after it, and such a delight in it, as
the object itself deserves. What would be an idolatrous fond
ness when placed on one object, would fall very far short of
the affection that might be justly claimed by another. Now
Christ being incomparably more worthy of our love than any
created being, our love to him ought to be unrivalled and
supreme. To compliment him with honourable titles, while
we feel no real regard for him in our souls, is no better than
an impious mockery. We must entertain high and exalted
thoughts of him as the Saviour of the world ; and have learned
with Paul to " count all things but dross and dung in com
parison of him" We must also feel such need of him
in his mediatorial office and character, as to say with David,
" My soul longeth for thee even as the hart panteth for the
water-brooks ;" " Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there
is none upon earth that I desire besides thee" Our
fellowship with him, moreover, must be sweet: nor must we
find less pleasure in doing his will than in enjoying his pre
sence This is the criterion whereby he himself has
taught us to judge of our love to hima.]
2. What is the judgment denounced against those
who are destitute of this love ? —
["Anathema" is a term often used to signify only an
ecclesiastical censure, or an excommunication from the Church ;
but the addition of the word " Maran-atha " necessitates us to
understand it in reference to the judgment at the last day.
Under the Jewish law there were many crimes that were to
be punished with death ; and, when a person was convicted of
one of these, he was executed according to the divine com
mand : but when the Jews were brought into subjection to the
Romans, they lost the power of life and deathb: when there-
a John xiv. 21. and xv. 14. b John xviii. 31.
390 1 CORINTHIANS, XVI. 22. [1997.
fore a person committed any crime, that would have been
punished with death by the Jewish law, the Jews excommu
nicated the offender, and expected that God would visit him in
some signal manner ; or at least inflict an adequate punishment
upon him at the last day. In reference to this, it should seem
the Apostle used the word " Maran-atha," which in the Syriac
language means, " The Lord cometh." The import therefore
of the denunciation in the text is, That, as they, who did not
love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, deserved to be blotted
out of the list of true Christians, and to be punished with
everlasting destruction, so there was no doubt but that,
although man could not take cognizance of that offence, God
would ; and execute signal vengeance on all those who should
live and die under the guilt of it.]
Severe as this sentence is, it is such as we may
undertake to,
II. Vindicate—
It may not be improper first to vindicate the Apostle
himself—
[To consign to everlasting destruction those who are free
from any gross sin, and who perhaps abound in " the form of
religion, while they are only destitute of its power," may seem
harsh ; but we shall in vain attempt to put any milder inter
pretation on the words of the text. Shall we then censure
the Apostle as uncharitable and severe? If we do, we must
involve all the other inspired writers and Christ himself in the
same censure. Moses, by God's command, denounced similar
vengeance on persons of various descriptions, and required the
people to confirm his word by an express declaration of their
own consent and approbation0, Jeremiah and Malachi re
peatedly spake to the same effect d. Nor was this peculiar
to those who lived under the legal dispensation : St. Paul
repeatedly denounced a curse even against any angel from
heaven that should presume to publish any other Gospel than
that which he had preached6. Yea, the meek and compas
sionate Jesus declared, that God would be a father to none
who did not love himf ; and that he himself would in the last
day summon before him all that had refused his yoke, and
order them to be slain without mercy8. Such examples as
these may well screen the Apostle from any imputation of
needless severity.]
Next we will vindicate the sentence he denounced —
c Deut. xxvii. 15 — 26, twelve times.
d Jcr. xi. 3. and xvii. 5. and xlviii. 10. Mai. i. 14.
« Gal. i. 8, J). f John viii. 12. K Luke xix. 27.
1997.1 GUILT OF NOT LOVING CHRIST. 391
Awful as it is, it will appear both just and reason
able, if we only consider the exceeding sinfulness of
not loving the Lord Jesus. This sin implies,
1. Rebellion against the highest authority—
[God has by an audible voice from heaven commanded
us to " hear" his Son, that is, to regard him with attention,
love, and obedience. He has enjoined all the great and noble
of the earth to " kiss the Son" in token of their affection and
homage11. He has required all men to honour the Son even
as they honour the Father1. And are we at liberty to set at
naught this authority ? Do we feel indignant, if our child or
our servant refuse obedience to our just commands, and shall
not the Most High God express his indignation against us for
resisting and despising the most reasonable command that
could possibly be given us? If man forbear to notice this
iniquity, shall God also? shall he give us reason for that
atheistical reflection, " Thou God wilt not regard it?"]
2. A contempt of the highest excellency —
[In the Lord Jesus Christ is every possible excellency
combined. Whether we view him in his divine, his human,
or his mediatorial character, he is " altogether lovely." There
is nothing wanting in him which can in any way conduce to
the glory of God or the good of men. What shall we say
then of those who love not such a glorious Being? Surely
they pour contempt upon him. This is the construction which
God himself puts upon their conduct ; " Him that honoureth
me, I will honour ; but he that despiseth me, shall be lightly
esteemed k." And is not this a sin of the deepest die? to
despise him who is the fountain of all excellency ! to despise
him whom all the angels adore ! What must not such iniquity
as this deserve? Surely to be despised and abhorred of him
is the least that such offenders can expect.]
3. Ingratitude towards the greatest Benefactor —
[Can we reflect a moment on what Christ has done and
suffered for us, and not stand amazed that there should be a
creature upon earth that does not love him ? Can we con
template his mysterious incarnation, his laborious life, his
painful death, his continual intercession, and all the other
wonders of his love, and feel no emotions of gratitude to
wards him ? Or shall ingratitude to earthly benefactors be
deemed the greatest possible aggravation of a fault, and shall
such horrid ingratitude of ours be thought light and venial ?
No ; it stamps an inexpressible baseness on our character ; nor
h Ps. ii. 12. ' John v. 23. k 1 Sam. ii. 30.
392 1 CORINTHIANS, XVI. 22. [1997.
can any punishment short of that denounced in the text, be
adequate to such impiety.]
APPLICATION —
[Let us seriously examine into the evidences of our love
to Christ ; that if he should ask us, as he did Peter, " Lovest
thou me?" we may be able to reply with him, "Lord, thou
knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee." Let us
tremble at the thought of subjecting ourselves to the judg
ments here denounced, and instead of presuming to speak
against them as too severe, let us make it our constant endea
vour to escape them. So shall death and judgment be divested
of all their terrors ; and Christ, whom we love, be the eternal
portion of our souls.]
2 CORINTHIANS.
MDCCCCXCVIII.
THE TRIALS AND CONSOLATIONS OF MINISTERS USEFUL TO
THEIR PEOPLE.
2 Cor. i. 3, 4. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all com
fort ; ivho comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be
able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort,
wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
THE former Epistle to the Corinthians abounded
with reproofs, for which indeed there was in that
Church but too much occasion. This epistle is
altogether of a different kind, and contains a rich
fund of paternal and most affectionate instruction.
In the opening of it, St. Paul quite forgets all the
pain and sorrow which they had occasioned him,
and blesses God for the consolations he enjoyed,
especially in the view of those blessed effects which
had been produced upon their minds by his former
lettera. How "full of comfort" he was, we may
judge from the frequent repetition of the word
" comfort ;" he knew not how to leave the subject,
or to vary his expression : his whole soul appears to
have been swallowed up in the contemplation of the
comfort which he had received from God, and which
he hoped to be the means of communicating to them
also.
That we may entor into the spirit of his words, let
us notice—
11 I Cor. vii. 4 — 7.
2 CORINTHIANS, I. 3, 4. [1998.
I. His representation of the Deity—
In the Old Testament, Jehovah was known as
" the God of Abraham ;" but in the New Testament,
he is exhibited under a yet more endearing character,
as " the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of mercies, and the God of all comfort." Observe
here,
1. His relation to Christ—
[There is in the Godhead a distinction between the Three
Persons of the ever-blessed Trinity; the first Person is called
the Father ; the second Person, the Son ; and the third Person
is called the Holy Ghost. The Son is said to be " the only-
begotten of the Father :" but of this inscrutable mystery it
were in vain to speak, since we should only " darken counsel
by words without knowledge." It is sufficient for us to know,
that such a distinction in the Godhead does exist, and that, in
this sense, God was, from all eternity, " the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ."
Of the manhood of Christ, formed as it was by Omnipotence
without the intervention of man, God may in a more definite
sense be said to have been the Father: and in reference to
this, his miraculous conception in a virgin's womb, Jesus was
especially designated " the Son of Godb."
In his mediatorial capacity also, as " Emmanuel, God with
us," our Lord Jesus Christ stands in covenant relation to God,
as a Son to a Father ; agreeably to what he himself says, " I
ascend unto my Father and your Father, to my God and your
Godc."
Now, as all the children of Israel claimed a special interest
in Jehovah as being the seed of Abraham whose God he was,
so we, who look to Jesus as our common Head and Saviour,
are entitled to consider his God as our God, since we are in
him as members of his mystical body, and are altogether " one
spirit with him." And, as Jesus is infinitely greater in himself,
and more dear to God, than ever Abraham was, our interest
in God, by virtue of our union with Jesus, is proportionably
greater and more endeared.]
2. His relation to us—
[To us, who are involved in the deepest guilt and misery,
he is revealed as " the Father of mercies, and the God of all
comfort." What remarkable expressions are these ! There is
not a mercy which we enjoy, but it must be traced to him as
its proper source; nor is there a mercy which we want, but it
b Luke i. 35. c John xx. 17. Acts xiii. 33.
1998.] TRIALS AND CONSOLATIONS USEFUL. 395
may be found in him to the utmost extent of our necessities.
Nothing but mercy properly flows from him: "judgment is
his strange act," which is never called forth, till mercy has
been as it were exhausted. Judgments are his servants ; but
mercies are his children, in whom is all his delight*1. As for
comfort, he is the God of it, " the God of all comfort." Were
his will complied with, there would be nothing but comfort in
the whole universe : it would flow from him as light from the
sun; so free, so rich, so abundant would be his communications
of it to every soul. Let the afflicted, of every name and every
class, only go to him, and he will approve himself " the com
forter of all them that are cast down," and " the God of that
particular comfort" which they need; as if all his perfections
and all his powers centered in that point alone, and were
exerted to their utmost extent for the relief of their particular
wants.
Such is the view which we should at all times have of the
Deity. If we regard him only as a Lawgiver and a Judge,
we have no better apprehensions of him than Satan himself
has. It is our privilege to know him, not merely in the
terrors of his majesty, but in all the endearments of his love
and mercy.]
With this beautiful description of the Deity the
Apostle combines,
II. His thanksgiving to him —
Great and manifold were the tribulations which he
was called to sustain—
[The whole world, both of Jews and Gentiles, seemed
to be confederate against him. Every man, with the exception
of those who were converted by his ministry, was his enemy,
and sought his destruction ; insomuch that he was in daily, and
hourly, expectation of a violent death6. From the Church
itself too he endured much. The false brethren, who laboured
incessantly to undermine his influence, and to create dissensions
in the Church, were a source of continual sorrow to his mind.
Nor was he free from internal trials also, which caused him
great uneasiness. What " the thorn in his flesh" was, we do
not exactly know : but he regarded it as a " messenger of
Satan, sent to buffet him ;" nor could he find any relief from
the anguish it occasioned, till he was assured, in answer to his
repeated and earnest cries, " that a sufficiency of grace" should
be imparted to him, and that " Christ's strength should be
perfected in his weakness."
Not that these trials were peculiar to him: he felt them
d Mic. vii. 18. e 1 Cor. xv. 30, 31.
396 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 3, 4. [1998.
indeed in a more abundant measure than others; but every
faithful minister in his measure experiences the same. Who
that is zealous for his God does not incur the hatred of an
ungodly world? Who that has long ministered in holy things
has not had occasion to deplore the fall of some, the apostasy
of others, and the little progress of almost all ; insomuch that
with many he is made to " travail, as it were, in birth a second
time, till Christ be formed in them?" Some perhaps, who
would once have plucked out their own eyes and given them to
him, are now " become his enemies, because he has told them
the truth," and reproved them for their reigning and besetting
sins. And in himself also every minister will find abundant
occasion to sigh and mourn, especially when he reflects on his
great insufficiency for the work assigned him, and the effects
of his unprofitableness upon the souls of others.]
But he had rich consolations to counterbalance his
afflictions —
[It was no small comfort to the Apostle that his trials
were endured in so good a cause. The cross he bore was the
cause of Christ ; and his afflictions were but the filling up of
the measure of Christ's afflictions f. Moreover they were so
many testimonies to him of his fidelity; and of God's accep
tance of him in his workg. He was sure also that in due time
they would all be richly recompensed, agreeably to that blessed
promise, that " if we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign
with him," and " be glorified together with him" for ever
more'1. But besides these consolations of faith and hope, he
had, as every faithful minister shall have, special manifesta
tions of God to his soul, sufficient to make him " exceeding
joyful in all his tribulations." What but a sense of redeeming
love carried him forward with such zeal and steadfastness in all
his course ? What but this enabled him, when his back was
torn with scourges, and his feet were made fast in the stocks,
to fill his prison, not with mournings and complaints, but with
songs of praise and thanksgiving? And in like manner shall
all who serve the Lord with fidelity be supported under their
trials, and be favoured with consolations proportioned to their
afflictions.]
To enter into his feelings aright, it will be proper
to notice yet further —
III. The more particular grounds of his thanks
giving—
f Col. i. 24. e Lukexxi. 12, 13.
h 2 Tim. ii. 12. Rom. viii. 17.
1998.] TRIALS AND CONSOLATIONS USEFUL. 397
The design of God in these dispensations was in a
more especial manner an occasion of gratitude to
his soul. He felt that by this his diversified experi
ence, he was better fitted for the discharge of his
high office, and better qualified to comfort his afflicted
brethren. By it,
1. He was better qualified to comfort others —
[None but those who have been in deep waters are capable
of entering into the feelings of a tempest-tossed soul. It was
from his " having been in all points tempted like as we are,
that Jesus himself was so tenderly touched with the feeling of
our infirmities," and that he acquired, so to speak, " a power
to succour his tempted people'." Thus Paul learned to parti
cipate with others both in their joys and sorrows. Were they
assaulted either by men or devils, he knew both the extent of
the trial, and the consolations proper to be suggested for the
mitigation of it. He could delineate the workings of the
afflicted mind : he could state its various discouragements, and
the devices by which Satan laboured to aggravate its sorrows.
He needed only to report his own experience, and to apply to
others the remedies he had found effectual for his own soul.
In a word, the lessons which he himself had learned in the
school of adversity, he was enabled to teach others, and thus
eventually to " comfort others with the same comfort where
with he himself had been comforted of God."
Now this very consideration constituted no small part of that
comfort for which he so gratefully adored his God. He saw
that, whether he was afflicted or comforted, his experience was
designed to promote, and did actually promote, " the consola
tion and salvation of others*:" and there he did rejoice, and
determined, even though his trials should proceed to the
utmost possible extremity, to rejoice, and to bless and magnify
his God1.
In this view will every faithful minister rejoice, thankful
alike either for joys or sorrows, if only they may fit him for a
more profitable exercise of his ministry, and ultimately advance
that for which alone he deserves to live, the consolation and
salvation of those committed to his charge.]
2. He was made to edify others by his example —
[The supports which Paul experienced under his accumu
lated trials, were a source of great encouragement to others.
His imprisonment at Rome, which he was apprehensive might
intimidate many, and impede the success of his ministry,
1 Heb. ii. 18. and iv. 15. * ver. 6. ' Phil. ii. 17, IS.
398 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 3, 4. [1998.
" turned out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel : for his
bonds in Christ being manifest in all the imperial palace, and
in all other places, many of his brethren, waxing confident by
his bonds, were so much the more bold to speak the word
without fearm." Thus, though he was bound, " the word of
God was not bound ;" on the contrary, " it had free course and
was glorified :" and the tidings which he received respecting
the steadfastness of his converts, far overbalanced all his pains
and sorrows. Hear how he speaks of this in his First Epistle
to the Thessalonians : " When Timotheus came from you unto
us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, we
were comforted over you, brethren, in all our affliction and
distress by your faith : for now we live, if ye stand fast in
the Lord"."
And who that loves his people will not gladly lead them in
the van of the battle, if he may but encourage them to " fight
the good fight of faith?" Surely no good soldier of Jesus
Christ will regret the wounds he receives in this holy conflict,
if others be animated by his example to " quit themselves like
men" till they have gained the victory.]
ADDRESS —
1. Those who are afraid of suffering for Christ's
[Let it not be thought that the cross of Christ is so heavy
as it appears to be. Were we indeed left to bear it alone, or
were there no consolations afforded by him to his suffering
people, we might well be terrified at the idea of being called to
sustain it. But the Lord himself will lighten it by his almighty
power, and will succour us with such preternatural strength,
that, instead of sinking under the weight, we shall rejoice that
we are counted worthy to bear it, and shall account our very
sufferings an inestimable gift bestowed upon us for his sake0.
And if here we are enabled so to " glory in the cross of
Christ," what shall we do hereafter ? Do any of those who
once " came out of great tribulation," now regret any thing
that they ever endured for Christ's sake ? Are not their pre
sent joys an abundant recompence for all their sorrows p?
— Fear not then to follow Christ, though you should
have to take up the heaviest cross that can be laid upon you :
for, if you will but bear it after him, you shall find that " his
yoke is easy, and his burthen light."]
2. Those who have experienced the consolations
of the Gospel—
m Phil. i. 12—14. « 1 Thess. iii. G— 8.
0 Phil. i. 29. P Rev. vii. 13—17.
1999.] TESTIMONY OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE. 399
[Make the improvement of them which the Apostle did ;
Bless God for them ; and improve them for the good of others.
Have you by your own experience found God to be " a Father
of mercies, and a God of all comfort?" acknowledge him under
this blessed character, and commend him to all for the instruc
tion and comfort of their souls. Your consolations are not
given you for yourselves merely, but for others also ; that you
may be channels of communication between God and them.
Many there are who need your friendly offices; many with
weak " hands, and feeble knees, and fearful hearts," whom,
with God's blessing, you may support and comfort. O remem
ber, that it is a god-like office to " comfort them that are
cast down," " to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heavi
ness!" And in thus improving your diversified experiences,
you will enrich both yourselves and others : I may add too,
you will have the best evidence, that they are wrought in you
by the Spirit of God : for it is in this improvement of them
that " pure and undefiled religion" very principally consists q.
You may be assured also, that, in thus drawing out your soul
to the hungry, and satisfying the afflicted soul, " your own
souls shall become like a watered garden, and like springs of
water, whose waters fail not1."]
1 Jam. i. 27.
r Isai. Iviii, 10, 11. If this be addressed to a Visiting Society,
this idea must be more fully insisted on.
MDCCCCXCIX.
THE TESTIMONY OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE.
2 Cor. i. 12. Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our con
science, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly
wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversa
tion in the world.
GREATLY as the Apostle merited the admiration
of all, there was not any thing which he did that
was not made an occasion of complaint against him.
His enemies at Corinth were numerous and power
ful : and so grievous had been their influence in pro
ducing divisions and contentions amongst his converts,
that he was constrained to menace them with a
speedy visit, in case his remonstrances with them
should not be duly regarded11. Had he proceeded
a 1 Cor. iv. 18 — 21.
400 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 12. [1999.
thither immediately, they would have represented
him as a man, who could not endure the least con
tradiction, hut tyrannized over his followers in a most
despotic manner: but when a few months elapsed
without their seeing him, they spoke of him as a
weak man, who did not know his own mind, or dared
not to execute his own purpose. But against these
accusations he answered, that the delay of his journey
had been not at all owing to any versatility of mind
in him, but partly to outward impediments which he
could not easily have removed, and partly to the
unwillingness he had felt to exercise the severity
which their misconduct called forb. Under all their
misrepresentations, however, he had felt much peace
of mind : because he had the testimony of his own
conscience, that, in his ministrations in general, and
in his whole conduct towards them in particular, he
had acted to God, without any corrupt bias whatso
ever. This he asserts in our text ; from whence we
shall take occasion to shew,
I. Of what kind our conversation in the world should
be-
That our actions should be consonant with all the
strictest rules of morality, is a truth so obvious, that
we need not at present insist upon it. It is not so
much of actions, as of principles, that we are now
called to speak. The Christian should have respect
to God in all that he does, and should approve him
self to God,
1. In his ends and designs—
[There should be no leaning to self in any thing that we
do; no view to the advancement of our own interest, or repu
tation, or influence, but a single desire to do only what we
verily believe to be the will of God, and what shall most con
duce to his glory. This principle is to be carried into every
thing, the most minute, as well as the most important :
" Whether we eat, or drink, or whatever we do, we should do
all to the glory of Godc." By this the Apostle had regulated
his conduct towards the Corinthian Church. Whether he had
exercised authority or forbearance, he had had this only in view;
b ver. 8, 23. c i Cor. x. 31.
1999.] TESTIMONY OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE. 401
And we in like manner, whether we proceed in an uniform
tenour, or diversify our conduct according to existing circum
stances, should exclude every other consideration from our
minds: "we should choose only the things that will pleased"
and glorify our God.]
2. In the means by which he prosecutes his ends—
[Here the utmost simplicity of mind should always pre
vail. We should not listen to the dictates of " fleshly wisdom,"
but with "godly sincerity" proceed in a plain straight-forward
way. Not that we are to discard human wisdom : for we are
told to " walk in wisdom towards them that are without."
But, though we are to be " wise concerning that which is
good, we are to be simple concerning evil6," and are to com
bine the " wisdom of the serpent with the harmlessness of the
dovef." In no respect are we ever "to do evil that good may
come." Here, however, many fail. On two different occasions
do we find even Abraham himself grievously erring in this par
ticular, and reproved for it by a heathen prince g. And Isaac
also was faulty in the very same thing, denying his wife, lest
for her sake he should be put to death h. It was to the same
weakness that we must ascribe the conduct of Peter, when,
through fear of Judaizing teachers, he constrained the Gentiles
to conform to the Jewish rites. He thought he should in that
way remove a stumbling-block from the Jews : and so far he
was right, in wishing to remove a stumbling-block out of their
way ; but he was wrong in the means he adopted for that end :
he knew that the Gentiles were not bound by the Jewish law ;
and therefore he had no right to impose this yoke upon them:
and he was justly blamed by Paul as " not walking uprightly "
in this particular1. Whatever be our end, we must do nothing
to accomplish it which will not bear the light, and stand the
test of the severest scrutiny. We must act simply under the
influence of " the grace of God," and never in a way of carnal
policy. Our ends, and our means, must be alike regulated by
the word of God, and alike conducive to the glory of his
name.
Such then is to be our conversation in the world ; it must
not only be moral, but religious, having respect in all things to
God's word as the rule, and his honour as the end ; whilst all
selfish ends and human policy must be utterly discarded.]
But as internal principles are difficult to be dis
cerned, we proceed to shew,
d Isai. Ivi. 4. e Rom. xvi. 19. { Matt. x. Iti.
R Gen. xii. 13, 18, 19. and xx. 2, 5, 9, 10. !> On. xxvi. 7—10.
1 Gal. ii. 11—14.
VOL. XVI. D I)
402 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 19.. [1999.
II. What evidence we should have, that it is such
as God requires—
Men can judge only of acts, and can ascertain
principles no farther than they are illustrated by the
outward fruits produced by them. The inward mo
tives and dispositions of the mind can be discerned
only by ourselves, and by God, who searcheth the
heart. Nor can they be discovered even by ourselves
without great care and watchfulness. We are very
apt to mistake our own motives and principles, just
as the Disciples did, when they would have called
fire from heaven to consume a Samaritan village :
" they knew not what spirit they were of." But we
ought not to be so deceived respecting our conver
sation :
We ought to have " the testimony of our con
science" respecting it —
[We should have a consciousness, that we do indeed desire
to do the will of God, and that we would not willingly either
go beyond it, or fall short of it, in any thing. We should be
able to make the same appeal to our God and Saviour as Peter
did, " Lord, thou knowest all things ; thou knowest, that I
love thee," and that I am seeking nothing but the glory of thy
name : ' thou knowest that, in order to find out thy will,
I study thy blessed word, and seek instruction from thy
good Spirit, and commit my ways to thy guidance : thou
knowest that, though I often have doubts and misgivings whe
ther I do really adopt the most perfect line of conduct, I do
not intentionally deviate from any thing which I believe to be
pleasing and acceptable to thee. I can appeal to thee, that I
do continually exercise myself to keep a conscience void of
offence both towards God and man.']
Such a testimony may be enjoyed by every one
of us —
[It is not the result of pride, as some would imagine ; but
the voice of God's blessed " Spirit bearing witness with our
spirits." When Job was accused of harbouring some hidden
iniquity, which had brought down such signal judgments upon
him, he made his appeal to God in these energetic terms,
" Thou knowest that I am not wickedV The Apostle Paul
frequently appealed in like manner to the heart-searching God.
In the very chapter before us he says, " I call God for a record
k Job x. 7.
1999. J TESTIMONY OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE. 403
upon my soul, that, to spare you, I came not as yet unto
Corinth1." But in the Epistle to the Romans we have a more
remarkable instance. It was supposed by the Jews, that the
Apostle's love to the Gentiles necessarily argued a want of
love towards his brethren of the Jewish nation : and he, in
order to silence for ever such an accusation, says, " I say the
truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me wit
ness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness, and con
tinual sorrow in my heart for my brethren"1." What forbids
then that we should have the same testimony respecting our
principles, and that we should be able to make the same appeal
to Almighty God ? If we have really walked as before him,
we " have the same witness of it in ourselves"," and may say
with Job, " He knoweth the way that I take : when he hath
tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his
steps : his way have I kept, and not declined0."]
Blessed is that man who has such an evidence
within him ! but no words can adequately describe,
III. The comfort which such a testimony will pro
duce-
It was a matter of no small comfort to the Apostle
that he had this testimony. And to every one who
possesses it, it is a solid ground of joy and triumph p.
It is of unspeakble comfort,
1. Under the reproaches and calumnies of men—
[The servants of God will always be hated and calum
niated by an ungodly world : and, generally speaking, the more
zealous they are in the discharge of their duty, the more
virulent will be the opposition made to them. We have seen
already the construction which the Apostle's enemies at Corinth
put on the delay of his journey thither : and in other parts of
this epistle we are told, that he was represented by them as
"walking after the flesh q," and as "craftily endeavouring to
catch men with guile r." And it is highly probable that those
who did not understand the principles on which he acted,
would speak of him as the most changeable and inconsistent
of men ; sometimes observing days and ceremonies, and at
other times violently opposing the observance of them. But
he cared little for their censures, when he had the testimony
of his own conscience that he was acting right. Thus it is
that pious characters are judged at this day. People are glad
1 ver. 23. m Rom. ix. 1, 2. n 1 John v. 10.
0 Job xxiii. 10, 11. P KavxiW' q 2 Cor. x. 2, ;j.
r 2 Cor. xii. 16.
D D 2
404 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 12. [1999.
to find fault with them. Every thing they do is made an
occasion of reproach to them. Whether they more affect the
austerity of John, or the ease and familiarity of Jesus, whether
they pipe or mourn, they are equally condemned8. As for the
reasons of their conduct, or the truth of the reports that are
circulated respecting them, no one will take the trouble to
make the least inquiry. Sometimes it happens, as in the case
of Joseph, that appearances are against them, and that they
have no means of clearing their own character : O what a
satisfaction is it to them under such circumstances, that God
knoweth their hearts, and will vindicate them in the last day
from the aspersions that are cast upon them ! Doubtless that
pure and conscientious man had much sweeter composure of
mind in prison, even whilst " the iron of the stocks entered
into his soul," than had the adulterous queen, at whose instance
these pains were inflicted on him. And every man who enjoys
the testimony of his own conscience, is out of the reach of
those shafts by which ungodly men endeavour to wound his
reputation, and destroy his peace.]
2. In the prospect of death and judgment —
[No man who knows his own sinfulness will presume to
justify himself before God: but, in relation to particular accu
sations, or to the general desire of his soul to please God, every
man, who is truly upright, may enjoy the richest consolation
in the prospect of that day when the truth shall be brought
to light, and every man who has served God in sincerity and
truth shall have a sentence of approbation from the lips of his
Judge. It was in the view of this day, that Paul made so
light of the obloquy that was cast upon him1. And in the near
approach of death, Hezekiah found in the records of his own
conscience a most consolatory reflection. For his country, and
for the cause of God in the land, " he wept sore :" but for his
own departure he had no reason to mourn": he had approved
himself faithful in the discharge of his duty ; and he had no
ground to dread the judgment that would be pronounced upon
him. But would the same confidence become us ? Yes, in
proportion as the same grounds exist for it: for " if our heart
condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all
things : but, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confi
dence towards God, and may assure our hearts before him*."]
ADVICE—
1. Seek to have your conscience duly enlightened—
[If conscience itself be not enlightened by the word and
Spirit of God, its testimony will be extremely fallacious: it
s Matt. xi. 17 — 19. l 1 Cor. iv. 3 — 5.
11 Isai. xxxviii. 3. x 1 John iii. 19 — 21.
1999.] TESTIMONY OF V GOOD CONSCIENCE. 405
may give a sentence of approbation where the severest con
demnation is duey. If not itself regulated according to the
Scriptures of truth, it will be a false guide and a deceitful
comforter — ]
2. Consult it daily as in the presence of God—
[Inquire into its records of the past, and seek its direction
for the future. Consult it in reference to every part of your
duty, and especially in reference to the end for which you live,
and the means you are using to attain it. If you will listen to
its voice, it will tell you whether you are living to yourselves,
or to your God ; and whether you are exercising that care
and watchfulness, that labour and self-denial, that zeal and
love, which are necessary to bear out a testimony in your
favour The more diligently you consult it in your
hours of leisure and retirement, especially if you take care to
implore earnestly from God the influences of his Spirit, the
more salutary will be its warnings, and the more consoling its
testimonies in your favour.]
3. Endeavour to keep it pure—
[Excellent was that resolution of Job, " My heart shall
not reproach me as long as I live z." True it is, that whilst you
are in this ensnaring world, exposed as you are to temptations
without and to corruptions within, there will be frequent
occasion to lament the defilements you contract. But go
from day to day, and from hour to hour, to the fountain of
Christ's blood, which is " able to cleanse you from all sin,"
and " from an evil conscience." And let not any sin, however
small it may in appearance be, continue unrepented of, or
unmortified ]
4. Aim at the highest attainments —
[It is not at a course of moral actions only that you must
aim, but at a life entirely and unreservedly devoted to God.
" The single eye" is that after which you must aspire; and
" the simplicity that is in Christ," is that which you must hold
fast under all possible circumstances. Every action, every word,
every thought, must, if possible, be under the influence of
Divine grace, and be " brought into captivity to the obedience
of Christ." Strive for this with all your might; and then we
will venture to say, that in you shall that word be fulfilled ;
" Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright ; for the end
of that man is peace3."]
* Acts xxvi. 9. * Job xxvii. 6. a Ps. xxxvii. 37.
2 CORINTHIANS, I. 13. [2000.
MM.
THE CHURCHMAN'S CONFESSION, OR AN APPEAL TO THE
LITURGY.
2 Cor. i. 13. We write none other things unto you, than what
ye read or acknmvledge.
AS the testimony of one's own conscience is the
strongest support under false accusations, so an ap
peal to the consciences of others is the most effectual
means of refuting the charges that are brought
against us. To this species of argument God himself
condescended to have recourse, in order to convince
his people, that the evils which they imputed to him
originated wholly in their own folly and wickedness :
" O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
What could have been done more to my vineyard,
that I have not done in it ? wherefore when I
looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it
forth wild grapesa?" " Have I been a wilder
ness unto Israel ? a land of darkness ? wherefore say
my people, We are lords, we will come no more
unto theeb?" " Ye say, the way of the Lord is not
equal. Hear now, O house of Israel, Is not my way
equal? are not your ways unequal0?" The inspired
writers also not unfrequently vindicate themselves in
a similar manner. St. Paul, for instance, had been
represented by some at Corinth as fickle and incon
stant, because he had not come to them at the time
they had expected him. To clear himself from this
imputation, he informs them, that he had met with
insuperable obstacles in Asia, which had prevented
him from prosecuting his intended journey ; and that
in the whole of his conduct towards them he had
been actuated, not by temporizing motives and carnal
policy, but by the most strict unblemished integrity.
He declares, that he had " the testimony of his own
conscience" respecting thisd; and that he had a
further testimony in their consciences also, respecting
a Isai. v. 3, 4. b Jer. ii. f>, 31.
•• l-v/i'k. xviii. 2">. d 2 Cor. i. 12.
2000. j THE CHURCHMAN'S CONFESSION. 407
the truth of what he said ; that, in asserting these
things, " he wrote no other things than what they
read in his former epistle, and were constrained to
acknowledge ; and he trusted they should acknow
ledge even to the end."
The faithful minister of Christ derives great ad
vantage from being able to appeal to records, the
authority of which is acknowledged by his hearers.
By referring them to the Holy Scriptures in proof of
all that he advances, he establishes his word upon
the most unquestionable authority, and fixes convic
tion upon their minds. The ministers of the Church
of England have yet further advantage, because, in
addition to the Scriptures, they have other authorities
to which they may refer in confirmation of the truths
they utter. It is true, we are not to put any human
compositions on a level with the inspired volume :
the Scriptures alone are the proper standard of truth ;
but the Articles, Homilies, and Liturgy of the Church
of England are an authorized exposition of the sense
in which all her members profess to understand the
Scriptures. To these therefore we appeal as well as
to the sacred records. But because it would occupy
more time than can reasonably be allowed for one
discourse to appeal to all at once, we shall content
ourselves with calling your attention to the Liturgy,
and especially to that part of it which we call the
General Confession. We will briefly state what doc
trines we insist upon as necessary to be received ; and
under each we will compare our statements with what
we " read" in the Scriptures, and "acknowledge" in
our prayers : And we trust that, after having done
this, we shall be able to adopt the language of the
text, and say, " We write none other things unto you
than what ye read, and acknowledge."
There are three things, which, as it is our duty,
so also it is our continual labour, to make known ;
namely, Our lost estate — The means of our recovery—
and The path of duty.
Permit me then to state what we declare respecting
the first of these points, Our lost estate.
408 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 13. [2000.
We declare, that every man is a sinner before God :
that hoth the actions and the hearts of men are de
praved : that whatever difference there may be be
tween one and another with respect to open sin, there
is no difference with respect to our alienation from
God, or our radical aversion to his holy will. We
affirm, that, on account of our defection from God,
we deserve his heavy displeasure : that the most
moral and sober, as well as the base and profligate,
are under condemnation on account of sin : and that
all of us without exception must perish, if we do not
turn to God in the way that he has prescribed.
We think, yea we are sure, that we have abundant
proof of these things in the Holy Scriptures. The
universality of our departure from God, and of our
danger in consequence of it, is declared in the strong
est terms by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans.
" There is none righteous," says he, " no not one :
there is none that understandeth ; there is none that
seeketh after God : they are all gone out of the way ;
they are together become unprofitable ; there is none
that doeth good, no not one." To this he adds,
" that every mouth must be stopped, and all the
world become guilty before Gode." We could wish
you particularly to notice what an accumulation of
words there is in this short passage to prove the
universality of our guilt and misery. Of righteous
persons, there is " none," " none," " none," " no not
one," "no not one :" " all" are guilty, all " together,"
even " every" person, and " all the world." Will any
one, after reading this passage, presume to think
himself an exception ?
Nor is the depth of our depravity less clear than
its universality. " The heart," says Jeremiah, " is
deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked ;
WTho can know itf?" This is spoken, not of some
particular person or age or country, but of mankind
at large, even of our whole race. Solomon affirms
the same when he says, " The heart of the sons of
e Rom. iii. 10 — 19. f Jer. xvii. 9.
2000.] THE CHURCHMAN'S CONFESSION. 409
men is full of evil ; madness is in their hearts while
they live, and after that they go to the deadg." And
to the same effect is that declaration of St. Paul,
that " the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it
is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
beh." To these general affirmations of Scripture,
we may add the confessions of the most eminent
saints. Job, who was the most perfect man on
earth in his day, no sooner attained the knowledge
of his real character, than he exclaimed, " Behold I
am vile1." St. Paul also, speaking of himself and of
all the other Apostles, says, " We all had our con
versation in times past in the lusts of our fiesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind ;
and were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others k."
In labouring to establish these awful truths, we
are often considered as libelling human nature, and
as representing men in such an humiliating and dis
tressed state as to fill them with melancholy, or
drive them to despair. Let us then, in vindication
both of ourselves and of our doctrines, compare these
assertions with our public acknowledgments. We
begin our Confession with saying, " We have erred
and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep" This is a
peculiar expression that must not be overlooked.
We apprehend it does not mean merely that we have
departed from God, but also that we have never
sought to return to him : for other animals will find
their way back when they have wandered from
their home ; but it is rarely, if ever, known that the
sheep traces back its footsteps to the fold from
whence it has strayed : if it return at all, it is not by
any foresight of its own. How just a picture does
this exhibit of our fallen race ! That we have
departed from God is too plain to be denied : but in
how few do we behold any solicitude to return to
him ! How few are there who search the Scriptures
daily, in order to find their way back ! How few
« Eccl. ix. 3. h Rom. viii. 7.
1 Job xl. 4. k Eph. ii. 3. and Tit. iii. 3.
410 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 13. [2000.
who implore help and direction from their God with
an earnestness at all proportioned to the urgency of
their case !
Is it inquired, wherein we have so greatly erred ?
Our own acknowledgments contain the most satis
factory reply : " We have followed too much the devices
and desires of our own hearts" How true is this !
Look at all mankind ; see them from infancy to
youth, and from youth to old age ; What are they
all following ? are they obeying unreservedly the
commands of God ? are they, in compliance with
his will, mortifying every evil propensity, and doing
the things which are pleasing in his sight ? Alas !
nothing is further from their minds than this. Their
pursuits indeed vary according to their age, their
circumstances, their habits ; but whatever they be,
they are no other than the devices and desires of
their own hearts : if in any thing they appear to do
the will of God, they do not act from a principle of
love to him, but from a desire to conform to the cus
toms of their country, and to lay a foundation for self-
applause. The whole tenour of our lives is but too
justly marked in those following acknowledgments,
" We have offended against thy holy laws : we have
left undone those things which we ought to have done ;
and have done those tilings which we ought not to have
done" Permit me to ask, which of the laws of God
have we not violated times without number ? Shall
we say, We have not committed murder or adultery ?
How vain the boast, if we interpret the command
ments in their full latitude, and call to mind the
declarations of our Lord, that an angry word is
murder, and a wanton look adultery1! To go into
all our sins of omission and commission, were an end
less task. Suffice it to say, that in ten thousand in
stances " we have sinned, in thought, word, and deed,
against the Divine Majesty;" and have habitually
neglected the interests of our souls.
Perhaps it may be said, " Our actions indeed have
been evil, but our hearts are good." But how does
1 Matt. v. 27, 28.
2000.] THE CHURCHMAN'S CONFESSION. 411
this accord with that which in our confession forms
the summit of the climax, " There is no health in us ?"
Here our Church has taught us to trace all the evils
of our life to the fountain-head, a corrupt and wicked
heart. In this expression she evidently refers, either
to that confession of the Apostle, " In me, that is, in
my flesh, dwelleth no good thing™;" or rather to
that most humiliating declaration of the prophet,
" From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is
no soundness in us, but wounds, and bruises, and
putrifying sores0." The import of the words is plain :
we confess before our God, that we are altogether
depraved ; that we are disordered in every member
of our body, and in every faculty of our soul ; that
our understanding is darkened, our will perverse, our
affections sensual, our memory treacherous, our con
science seared, and all our " members instruments of
unrighteousness and sin."
Thus far then we are fully vindicated, vindicated
too, we trust, in your consciences, in all that we
have affirmed respecting the lost estate of man. We
do indeed represent the whole human race as in a
most deplorable condition : but no member of our
establishment can controvert our positions without
denying the plainest asseverations of Holy Writ,
and contradicting his own most solemn acknowledg
ments.
Let us now turn our attention to the second point
which we proposed to notice, namely, The means of
our recovery from this state.
We affirm that, in order to obtain salvation, two
things are necessary ; " Repentance towards God,
and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ0." By repentance,
we do not mean that superficial work which consists
in saying, ' I am sorry for what I have done ;' but in
such a deep sense of our guilt and danger, as leads
us with all humility of mind to God, and stirs us up
to a most earnest application to him for mercy. We
must feel sin to be a burthen to our souls : we must
be made to tremble at the wrath of God which we
ra Rom. vii. 18. n Isai. i. .">, (J. ° Acts xx. 21.
412 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 13. [2000.
have merited : we must cry to him for deliverance
from it, as Peter cried for preservation from the
waves, " Save, Lord, or I perish :" and this must
be our experience, not merely after some flagrant
transgression, or on some particular occasion, but at
all times : it must be, as it were, the daily habit of
our minds.
Is it needful to confirm this from the Holy Scrip
tures ? Surely we need not be reminded of what our
Lord has repeatedly affirmed ; " Except ye repent,
ye shall all perish p." We need not be told that it
is "the weary and heavy laden" whom Christ in
vites'1: that it is "the broken and contrite heart
which God will not despise1:" that we must " lothe
ourselves for all our abominations8;" that we must
"sow in tears, and go on our way weeping1:" that
we must cry with Paul, " O wretched man that I am,
who shall deliver meu?" and with Job, " I repent and
abhor myself in dust and ashes*."
Yet, when this is insisted on, and pressed upon the
conscience as of universal, absolute, and indispensa
ble necessity, we are told, that we carry matters to
excess : that, however such bitter contrition may
suit the profligate and abandoned, it is unnecessary
in the case of the more moral and decent : they
have never done any thing that requires such deep
humiliation ; they have no such cause to fear and
tremble ; they have indeed sinned, but are in no
danger of perishing ; nor have they ever merited the
wrath of God.
But is it not astonishing that any member of the
established Church should be so ignorant as to make
these vain assertions? What are the terms in which
we address the Divine Majesty every time that we
attend his worship ? " Do thou, O Lord, have mercy
upon us, miserable offenders : Spare thou them, O God,
which confess their faults : Restore thou them that are
penitent" Have we then been dissembling with God
P Luke xiii. 3, 5. 9 Matt. xi. 28. r Ps. li. 17.
B Ezek. xxxvi. 31. l Ps. cxxvi. ">, 6. u Rom. vii. 24.
* Job xlii. 6.
2000.] THE CHURCHMAN'S CONFESSION. 413
all our days ; calling ourselves " miserable offenders,"
when we feel no misery at all ; and when, instead of
bewailing our offences, we think ourselves almost, if
not altogether, as good as we need to be ? In this
prayer we do not presume even to expect mercy, ex
cept as persons deeply penitent and contrite. And
let it be remembered, that these petitions are put
into the mouths of all the congregation ; there is
not one form for one class of persons, and another
for another ; but all profess to approach God as the
repenting publican, " smiting upon their breasts, and
crying, God be merciful to me a sinnery!" We mean
not to say, that no person can hope for mercy, who
does not feel such or such a measure of contrition
(for all who pray in sincerity may hope for acceptance,
though ther hearts be not so contrite as they could
wish), but to shew, that all members of the Church of
England acknowledge that penitence is highly suited
to their state.
But, besides their repentance, we observed, that
faith also was necessary, even faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ. This we invariably and inflexibly affirm. As
it is not our good works and meritorious life that will
save us, so neither will our repentance save us. If
we could shed rivers of tears, they would never avail
to cleanse us from one single sin. It is the blood of
Christ, and that alone, that can atone for our guilt :
That is " the fountain that was opened for sin and
for uncleanness2:" and as long as the world shall
stand, we must require of sinners to wash in it, in
order that they may be clean. And, forasmuch as
men are with great difficulty turned from endeavour
ing " to establish their own righteousness a," or to
unite their own fancied merits with the merits of
Christ, we guard them strongly against this fatal
error ; we declare to them, that, if they do this, they
will invalidate the whole Gospel ; and that, if ever
they be saved at all, it must be by a humble, simple
reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ. That there are
y Luke xviii. 13. z Zech. xiii. 1. » Rom. x. 3.
414 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 13. [2000.
blessings promised to the penitent, and to the obe
dient, we very willingly allow : and on proper occa
sions we are glad to bring forward those promises, in
order to encourage men to repent and obey : but that
men are justified by their repentance or obedience,
or in any other way than by faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, we utterly deny. And we declare that, if
men seek to be justified in any other way, " Christ
shall profit them nothingV
And do we, in affirming these things, deviate at all
from what we read in the Holy Scriptures ? Does not
our blessed Lord expressly say, " I am the way, the
truth, and the life ; no man cometh unto the Father
but by me0?" He tells us plainly, that "he who be-
lieveth on him, hath everlasting life ; and that he who
believeth not, shall not see life, but the wrath of God
abideth on himd:" and again, " He that believeth,
shall be saved ; and he that believeth not, shall be
damned6." To the same effect also is the testimony
of his Apostles : we find them invariably directing
penitents to believe in him as the only, and effectual,
means of obtaining acceptance with God. When the
jailor came in to Paul and Silas, trembling, and
crying, "Sirs, what shall I do to be saved?" the an
swer given him was, " Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be savedf." Instead of varying
their directions according to the different characters
they addressed, they affirm, in the strongest manner,
that " there is no other foundation whereon any man
can build g," " nor any other name whereby any man
can be saved h." And when they saw in any a dispo
sition to unite the observance of some ceremonial or
moral duties as a joint ground of their hope, they
warned them plainly, that their salvation must be
"wholly of grace or wholly of works1;" and that, if
they relied in any measure upon their works, " they
were fallen from grace," they were " become debtors
to do the whole law," and that " Christ was become of
b Gal. v. 2. c John xiv. G. d John iii. 36.
e Mark xvi. 16. f Acts xvi. 30, 31. el Cor. iii. 11.
11 Acts iv. 12. i Rom. xi. 6.
2000.] THE CHURCHMAN'S CONFESSION. 415
no effect unto themk ;" with respect to them " he
was dead in vain1."
Offensive as these statements are, and reprobated
as being of a licentious tendency, wherein do they
differ from our own acknowledgments ? We pray
that God would " restore to his favour them that are
penitent ;" but how, and in what manner, do we
expect that restoration to be accomplished ? Is it
uncovenanted mercy that we ask ? Or is it according
to our own good works that we desire to find accept
ance ? No ; we profess that our reliance is altoge
ther on God's promises as they are revealed in the
Gospel ; " Restore us, according to thy promises de
clared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord." Among
the promises to which we may be supposed to refer,
the following must certainly be numbered : " Look
unto me, and be ye savedm." " Come unto me, and
I will give you restn." "Him that cometh unto me,
I will in no wise cast out0." "The blood of Jesus
Christ cleanseth from all sinp." "All that believe,
shall be justified from all things q." " Though your
sins be as crimson, they shall be white as snow1."
But whatever the promises be, whether their reference
to Christ be more or less plain, we are assured, that
it is in him, and in him alone, that the promises are
confirmed to us ; for the Apostle says, " All the pro
mises of God IN HIM are yea, and IN HIM amen8."
It is in Christ alone that God can " be just, and at
the same time the justifier of sinners1 :" and therefore
when we plead that promise, that " if we confess our
sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"," we can
expect its accomplishment in no other way than
through faith in Christ.
Thus under this head also may be seen a perfect
harmony between those things which we have affirmed,
k Gal. v. 3, 4. i Gal. ii. 21. n Isai. xlv. 22.
n Matt. xi. 28. ° John vi. 37. Pi John i. 7.
4 Acts xiii. 39. r Isai. i. 18. 8 2 Cor. i. 20.
1 Rom. iii. 26. u 1 John i. 9.
41(> 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 13. [2000.
and those which you " read" in the Scriptures, and
" acknowledge" in your prayers.
Nor do we doubt a similar issue to our inquiries,
while, under the last head of our discourse, we state
to you The path of duty.
We inculcate the practice of every personal and
relative duty. But we are not satisfied with that
standard of holiness which is current in the world :
we require a higher tone of morals : in addition to
sobriety and honesty, we insist upon a life entirely
devoted to God : we affirm, that it is every man's
duty to delight himself in Godx ;" to have such a
lively sense of Christ's love to him, as shall constrain
him to an unreserved surrender of all his faculties and
powers to the service of his Lord5'. We must live for
God : we must be like a faithful servant, who inquires
from day to day what his master's will is; and inquires,
in order that he may do it. As a servant who had
neglected all his duties through the day, would feel
ashamed and afraid of his master's displeasure, so
should we feel ashamed and afraid, if any day pass
without having executed to the utmost of our power
the duties of it. We should walk as on the confines
of the eternal world, and act as persons who must
shortly give account of every talent that has been
committed to them. To be " dead unto the world2,"
and " alive unto Goda ;" to attain more and more
of the Divine image b; to grow up into Christ in all
things0; to enjoy fellowship with Godd, and anticipate
the enjoyments of heaven6 ; this is our duty, and
should be our daily study and delight.
In requiring so much, we are supposed to require
what is altogether impracticable, or, at least, what,
if practised, would unfit us for all the common offices
of life. But what do we read in the Holy Scriptures?
Do they require of us less than this ? Do they not
teach us to " yield ourselves living sacrifices to God,
x Job xxvi. 10. and Ps. xxxvii. 4. y 2 Cor. v. 14.
z Gal. vi. 14. a Rom. vi. 1 1. b '1 Cor. iii. 18.
<• Eph. iv. 15. (1 1 John i. 3. e Eph. i. 13, 14.
2000.1 THE CHURCHMAN'S CONFESSION. 417
as our most reasonable servicef ?" Do they not enjoin
us to " live henceforth not unto ourselves, but unto
him that died for us and rose again g ?" Do they not
require that " whether we eat or drink, or whatever
we do, we should do all to the glory of Godh ?" And
is not the Holy Spirit (through whose Divine agency
alone we can do any thing that is good) promised to
us for this very end, to renew us after the Divine
image in righteousness and true holiness ?
And wherein do our own acknowledgments differ
from this ? Let us attend to the supplications which
we offer before God : — " Grant, O most merciful
Father, for Christ's sake, that we may hereafter live a
godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy
name" Here, so far from putting godliness out of our
thoughts, we profess to desire it in the first place ;
and justly do we ask that first, because, without that,
all our acts of righteousness and sobriety would be
no better than splendid sin-s ; they would want the
motives and principles which alone distinguish them
from heathen virtues. Mark too the measure and
degree in which we desire these virtues : we are not
satisfied with that which shall gain us a name among
men ; we ask, (and let it ever be remembered that
without the influences of God's Spirit all our own
efforts will be in vain,) that we may be enabled to
attain such a degree of piety, as that God may be
glorified in us, and that the transcendent excellence
of Christianity may be visibly exhibited in our lives.
We appeal then to all ; What do we, or what can
we, ask of you more than this ? And if these high
attainments be not necessary, why do you ask of God
for Christ's sake to give them to you? If, on the
other hand, they are necessary, why are we deemed
enthusiastic and over-righteous for requiring them at
your hands ? If in your prayers you mean what you
say, you justify us ; and, if you do not mean what you
say, you condemn yourselves ; you confess yourselves
to be hypocrites and dissemblers with God.
f Rom. xii. 1. B ? Cor. v. 15. h 1 Cor. x. 31.
VOL. XVI. E E
418 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 13. [2000.
We have now finished our consideration of that
truly scriptural prayer : and we will conclude with
commending it to you as a test in a two-fold view.
First ; Take it as a test whereby to try the discourses
which you hear. As members of the Church of Eng
land, we have a right to expect that the discourses
of ministers shall correspond with the Liturgy of our
Church. Certainly, in the first instance, the Holy
Scriptures are to be our guide : but, as all profess to
have the Scriptures on their side,, let us bring to our
aid that excellent compendium of religion which we
have been considering.
Are there any who descant upon the dignity of our
nature, the goodness of our hearts, and the rectitude
of our lives ? What appearance do such sentiments
make when brought to the touchstone of this prayer?
Are they not as opposite as darkness is to light.? and
should we not regard such statements as the effusions
of pride and ignorance ? should we not tremble for
those who hear them, lest, being " blind followers of
the blind, they all together should fall into the ditch' ?"
Are there others who tell us that we are to be
saved by our works, and who would thereby lull us
asleep in impenitence, and divert our attention from
the Saviour of the world ? Let us not be deluded
by the syren song. Let us turn to our own confes
sions, to refute such anti-christian doctrines : let us
learn from them the necessity of humiliation and
contrition, and of " fleeing to Christ, as to the refuge
that is set before us." As for the idea, that the
founding of our hopes upon Christ, and upon the
promises made to us in him, will lead to a neglect
of good works, let us see what the compilers of our
Liturgy thought of that, and what they have put in
the mouths of all believing penitents. Do not the
very same persons who seek for mercy through
Christ, entreat of God that they may be enabled to
" live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory
of his holy name ?" And is it not notorious, that
' Matt. xv. 14.
2000.] THE CHURCHMAN'S CONFESSION. 411)
the very persons who maintain most steadfastly the
doctrines of faith, are uniformly condemned for the
excessive and unnecessary strictness of their lives ?
In the same manner, if there be any who plead for
a conformity to the world, and decry all vital godli
ness as enthusiasm, we may see what judgment is to
be formed of them also. They may call themselves
Christians ; but they have nothing of Christianity,
except the name.
Lastly ; If there be any who separate the different
parts of religion, inculcating some to the neglect of
others ; magnifying works to the exclusion of faith,
or establishing faith to the destruction of good works ;
or confounding faith and works, instead of distin
guishing them as the fruit from the root ; if such, I
say, there be, let their statements be contrasted with
the order, the fulness, and the harmony of this
prayer ; and the erroneousness of them will in
stantly appear. We do not wish to produce critical
hearers ; but it is the duty of every man to " prove
all things, and to hold fast that which is goodk;" and
as we have the advantage of an authorized standard
of divine truth, we invite all to search that, as well
as the Holy Scriptures : and we do not hesitate to
say of this prayer in particular, what the prophet
speaks of the inspired volume, " To the law, and to
the testimony ; if ministers speak not according to
this word, it is because there is no light in them1."
Next, let us take this prayer as a test whereby to
try our own experience. We may now discard from
our minds all that this or that minister may lay
down as necessary to our salvation. We have here,
what no man can reasonably dispute, our own
acknowledgments. We have here as beautiful,
as just, as scriptural a summary of experimental
religion, as ever was penned from the foundation
of the world. The man, that from his inmost soul
can utter this prayer, is a real Christian. What
ever be his views with respect to some particular
k 1 Thess. v. 21. l Jsai. viii. 20.
E E 2
420 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 13. [2000.
doctrines (those I mean which are distinguished by
the name of Calvinism,) his heart is right with God.
Whether he admit or reject those abstruser points,
he is accepted of God ; and if he were to die this
moment, he would be in heaven the next : the termi
nation of his warfare would be to him the commence
ment of everlasting felicity. But is this the experience
of us all ? Would to God it were ! All will repeat
the words : but it is one thing to repeat, and another
to feel, them. Let us then bring ourselves to this
test ; and never imagine that we are in a Christian
state, till we can appeal to God, that this prayer is
the very language of our hearts. In examining our
selves respecting it, let us inquire, W'hether from our
inmost souls we lament the numberless transgressions
of our lives, and the unsearchable depravity of our
hearts ? When we cry to God for mercy as misera
ble offenders, do we abhor ourselves for our guilt,
and tremble for our danger ? Do we indeed feel that
we deserve the wrath of Almighty God ? Do we feel
this, not only on some particular occasions, but, as it
were, daily and hourly ? Is the consciousness of it
wrought into us, and become the habit of our minds,
so that we can find no peace but in crying unto God,
and pleading with him the merits of his dear Son ?
Is Christ, in this view, "precious" to our souls m ?
Is HE " our wisdom, HE our righteousness, HE our
sanctification, HE our complete redemption"?" Hav
ing nothing in ourselves, do we make HIM our " all
in all0?" Are we at the same time " renewed in the
spirit of our minds ?" Do we hate sin, not merely as
it is destructive, but as it is defiling, to the soul ?
Do we account " the service of God to be perfect
freedom ;" and instead of wishing his law reduced to
the standard of our practice, do we desire to have our
practise raised to the standard of his law ? Is it our
labour to " shine as lights in a dark world," and " to
shew forth in our own conduct the virtues of him that
has called usp?" Let us all put these questions to
m 1 Pet. ii. 7. " 1 Cor. i. 30.
0 Col. iii. 11. i' 1 Pet. ii. 9. «W«c.
2001.] STABILITY OF THE PROMISES. 421
ourselves ; and they will soon shew us what we are.
If this be not the state of our souls, we are in an
awful condition indeed. Our very best services have
been nothing but a solemn mockery : in our prayers,
we have insulted, rather than worshipped the Majesty
of Heaven ; we have come before our God " with
a lie in our right handV O that it might please
God to discover to us the heinousness of our guilt ;
and that we might all be " pricked to the heart," ere
it be too late ! Let us, the very next time we attempt
to use this prayer, take notice of the frame of our
minds : let us mark the awful incongruity between
our professions, and our actual experience : and let
a sense of our hypocrisy lead us to repentance.
Thus shall the returning seasons of worship be
attended with a double advantage to our souls : in
praying for what we ought to seek, we shall be stirred
up to seek it in good earnest : and, through the
tender mercy of our God, we shall attain the expe
rience of those things, which too many of us, it is to
be feared, have hitherto hypocritically asked, and
ignorantly condemned.
<> Isai. xliv. 20.
MMI.
THE STABILITY OF THE PROMISES.
2 Cor. i. 20. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and
in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
MANKIND in general discover much versatility in
their spirit and conduct. They form purposes and
rescind them according as they are influenced by
carnal hopes or fears ; but the Gospel teaches us to
lay our plans with wisdom, and to execute them with
firmness. A light, fickle, wavering mind, if not in
compatible with, is at least unworthy of, the Christian
character. St. Paul has been accused of " lightness"
for not paying his intended visit to Corinth. It is
probable too (as appears by his apology) that his
422 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 20. [2001.
enemies had thrown out insinuations against his doc
trine also, as though it could not be depended upon.
He thought such charges extremely injurious to his
person and ministry : he therefore first affirms that his
doctrines had heen uniform, and next appeals to God,
that there had been the same uniformity in his con
duct also3. In speaking of his doctrine he digresses
a little from his subject ; but, what he says of the
promises, is worthy of peculiar attention. It suggests
to us the following important observations :
I. All the promises of God are made to us in Christ
Jesus-
God has " given to us exceeding great and precious
promises" —
[He has engaged to bestow all which can conduce to our
temporal welfare : all too, which can promote our spiritual ad
vancement. To this he has added all the glory and felicity of
heaven itself. Such are the benefits annexed by God himself
to real godliness b.]
But all these are given to us only in Christ Jesus —
[Man, the instant he had sinned, was exposed to the wrath
of God ; nor could he any longer have a claim on the promises
made to him in his state of innocence ; but Christ became the
head and representative of God's elect : with him God was
pleased to enter into covenant for us0, and to give us a promise
of eternal life in him d. Our original election of God, our
adoption into his family, with every blessing consequent upon
these, were confirmed to us in him6', hence, in the text, it is
twice said, that the promises are in him ; and, in another place,
that they were made before the existence of any human beingf :
even when the covenant was apparently made with Abraham,
Christ was the true seed in whom alone it was confirmed8.]
From this circumstance they derive all their sta
bility.
II. In him they are all firm and immutable—
The terms "Yea and Amen" import steadfastness
and immutability. Now the promises cannot fail
a vcr. 23. He assures them that he had delayed his journey, not
from fickleness of mind, but from tenderness to them.
11 1 Tim. iv. 8. c I Feb. viii. (>. d 2 Tim. i. 1.
e Kpli. i. y—5. 11. f Tit. i. 2. e Gal. iii. 16, 17.
2001. J STABILITY OF THE PROMISES. 423
unless they be either revoked by God, or forfeited by
man ; but God will not suffer them to fail by either
of these means-
He himself will not revoke them —
[Some of his promises are absolute and others conditional:
the conditional are suspended on the performance of something
by man: the absolute are made without respect to any thing
to be done by ush. If the former fail, it is not so properly a
breach of promise, as an execution of a threatening implied in
it': the latter never have failed in any one instance ; nor can one
jot or tittle of them ever fail to all eternity. This is declared
in various passages of Holy Scripture k. God's word, like his
nature, has " no variableness or shadow of turning :" he con
firmed his promises with an oath, in order that we might be
more assured of the immutability of his counsel1: hence it is
expressly said, that " the promise is sure to all the seed"1."]
Nor will he suffer his people to forfeit their interest
in them —
[Doubtless his people, as free agents, are capable of aposta
tizing from the truth: yea, they are even bent to backslide
from him n ; and, if left to themselves, they would inevitably
fall and perish0: hence they are bidden to take heed lest they
come short of the promised blessings p. St. Paul himself felt
the need of much labour and self-denial to prevent his becoming
a cast-away q. Nevertheless these truths are not at all incon
sistent with the doctrine insisted on : it is by the fear of falling,
that God keeps us from falling1; and he will keep us by his
own power unto final salvation8. Of this St. Paul was as con
fident as of any truth whatever1; nor is there any other truth
more abundantly confirmed in Scripture11. God will indeed
punish his people for their declensions x ; but, instead of casting
them off, he will reclaim them from their errors y : if it were
not thus, not one only, but all of those, who had been given to
Christ, might perish. God however will effectually prevent
u Such are the declarations respecting the incarnation, life, death,
resurrection, and ascension of Christ, together with the consequent
calling of the Gentiles, and the salvation of all that from eternity were
given to Christ. John xvii. 6.
1 This is the true import of what God says, Numb. xiv. 34.
k 1 Sam. xii. 22. Isai. liv. 1 0. Jer. xxxi. 35 — 37. and xxxiii. 25, 2G.
1 Heb. vi. 17. m Rom. iv. 10. n Hos. xi. 7.
0 Isai. x. 4. P Heb. iv. 1. <i 1 Cor. ix. 27.
r Phil. ii. 12, 13. 8 1 Pet. 5. 5. l Phil. i. 6.
u Rom. xi. 29. John x. 28, 29. x Ps. Ixxxix. 30—32.
y Ps. Ixxxix. 33 — 35.
424- 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 20. [2001.
this7; and the weakest of his people may join in the Apostle's
triumph3.]
This doctrine is far from being a matter of specu
lation only :
III. In their accomplishment God is glorified, and the
ends of our ministry are answered —
The promises, as recorded in the Scriptures, are
the foundation of our hopes : but it is by their accom
plishment alone that the effects attributed to them
are produced. In that,
1. God is glorified —
[Every perfection of the Deity is interested in the accom
plishment of his word : the mercy and love of God have given
us the promises : his truth and faithfulness are pledged to fulfil
them : his almighty power is engaged to execute whatever his
goodness has given us reason to expect. Were his promises
to fail of accomplishment, these perfections would be all dis
honoured ; but when they are fulfilled, these perfections are
all glorified. Justice itself is made to harmonize with truth
and mercy b, and matter is furnished for endless praise and
adoration.]
2. The ends of our ministry are answered —
[The great ends of our ministry are to convert, edify, and
comfort immortal souls. In pursuance of these, we set before
men those promises which are most suited to their respective
conditions ; and assure them that their affiance in those pro
mises shall bring them the blessings they desire. When there
fore the contrite are brought to experience rest in Jesus, when
the afflicted are comforted, the backsliding reclaimed, or the
wavering established, then the great ends of our ministry are
so far answered with respect to them. The truth of God in
his promises is then made to appear ; the benefits contained in
them are enjoyed by our fellow-creatures ; and our labours
receive their richest recompence.]
APPLICATION —
[The Scripture speaks of some as " heirs of promise," and
others as " strangers from the covenant of promise." Let us
inquire to which of these characters we belong. Have we
renounced every other hope, and rested simply on the promises
made to us in Christ ? And are we living in the earnest ex-
z Matt, xviii. 14. Jer. xxxii. 38 — 41. a Rom. viii. 38, 39.
b Ps. Ixxxv. 10.
2002. 3 OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 425
pectation of their full accomplishment ? Have we so embraced
them as to shew that we are seeking another country0? Let
us not mistake our true and proper character. If we be
strangers from the covenant of promise, we are without Christ,
and without hope d. The threatenings, and not the promises,
belong to us, and they will infallibly be executed upon us in
due season. O that we might now flee for refuge to the hope
set before us ! But if we be " heirs of promise," happy are we
beyond all expression. Every promise of God, temporal,
spiritual, or eternal, is made to us. Let every one then of this
description be filled with consolation e : let them also be followers
of those, who now inherit the promises f. May it never be said
of them, that they glorify God by their faith, but dishonour
him by their works ! The promises are given, not merely to
save, but to sanctify, the soulg. Treasure up then, brethren,
those inestimable pledges of God's love, and let them operate
according to the direction given you h.]
« Heb. xi. 13, 14. d Eph. ii. 12. « Heb. vi. 18.
f Heb. vi. 12. e 2 Pet. i. 4. h 2 Cor. vii. 1.
MMII.
THE DIFFERENT OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
2 Cor. i. 21, 22. Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ,
and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and
given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
IT is the inseparable property of divine grace to
make us jealous for the honour of God, and studious
to promote it to the utmost of our power.
St. Paul, when accused of instability, vindicated his
own character, because it was connected with his
usefulness in the ministry ; but instantly ascribed to
God the glory of whatever steadfastness he had been
enabled to maintain.
His words naturally point out to our consideration,
I. The blessings which all true Christians enjoy-
Though all Christians do not attain the same
measure either of holiness or of comfort, yet there
are blessings common to all who are born of God.
1 . They are established in Christ —
426 2 CORINTHIANS, I. 21, 22. [2002.
[All who believe in Christ are united to him as " branches
of the true vine." At first indeed they are but as babes, or
children, liable to be tossed to and froa; but by experience
they become more rooted and grounded in Christb. As their
views of their own weakness and of his sufficiency are enlarged,
they grow more and more ; nor was this peculiar to the
Apostle, but the common privilege of all the Church at Co
rinth. Indeed, it is the great end for which all other blessings
are communicated ; and, in attaining it, the believer becomes
immoveable as Mount Sionc.]
2. They are anointed with a heavenly unction —
[It is the communication of the Holy Spirit that first en
ables them to believe in Christ d ; but, as the lamps in the
sanctuary, they have daily supplies of the holy oil. By means
of these they obtain more abundant knowledge and grace6,
and are progressively renewed after the image of their Godf.
Not that all, even of true Christians, are alike favoured ; but
every one receives according to the measure of the gift of
Christ &.]
3. They are sealed with the Holy Spirit of pro
mise —
[A seal is for the purpose of both marking and securing
property ; and with both these views the Holy Spirit seals the
people of God. He stamps the very image of God himself
upon their soulsh; he thus marks them as his peculiar, his
" purchased possession ;" he secures them also to the day ol
complete redemption1.]
4. They have the earnest of the Spirit in their
hearts —
[An earnest is both a part of a payment, and a pledge of
the remainder ; and such is the Spirit to us, not in one
only, but in all his operations. In illuminating, quickening,
sanctifying, or comforting the soul, he is an earnest of that
light and life, that purity and joy, which will be more richly
communicated to us in the future world. As a seal, the Spirit
assures us of our right to heaven ; as an earnest, he gives us a
foretaste of it.]
The consideration of such inestimable blessings
may well lead us to inquire after,
II. The source from whence they flow —
a Eph. iv. 14. »> Col. ii. 7. c Ps. cxxv. 1.
d 1 John ii. 20. c Isai. ii. 2, 3. f 2 Cor. iv. 16.
e Eph. iv. 7. h Eph. iv. 23, 24. ' Eph. i. 14. and iv. 30.
2002.] OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 427
It appears needless, at first sight, to enter minutely
into this part of our subject : but the very construc
tion of the sentence shews that there is something
particularly emphatical in it. It implies,
1. That these blessings are purely the gift of God —
[They are not the creatures of a vain and heated imagi
nation ; nor are they the offspring of man's will and power k;
nor, though imparted in the use of means, do they necessarily
flow from the means themselves. They are purely and
entirely the gift of God *, and are bestowed by Him according
to his sovereign will and pleasure"1.]
2. That they evidently bear the Divine stamp and
character upon them —
[The visible creation manifestly approves itself to be of
Divine workmanship11, and in the same manner do these bless
ings evidently appear to proceed from God. The very effects
which they produce upon the soul, discover this : but the con
viction, which they, who possess these blessings, feel of their
Divine original, is inexpressibly clear and strong0: without
the smallest hesitation they ascribe them to God as their only
source P.]
3. That God is glorified by means of them —
[It is the Apostle's express design to glorify God on ac
count of them : and surely we cannot fail of admiring his power
and goodness in them ; or experience them, without an increased
desire to devote ourselves to him ; and most of all shall we
adore him for these beginnings of his grace, when we shall
have received their full completion,]
INFER —
1. How little is true religion known and expe
rienced in the world!—
[Christianity is in general viewed as a system of restraints,
rather than as a source of enjoyments ; but none can have a
just view of it who do not experience a measure of these bless
ings. Let not any one then rest in false notions, or uninterest
ing professions. Let all seek rather such a religion as will
make them holy and happy, and pray, with the Apostle, that
God would fulfil in them all his good pleasure*1.]
2. How much do many true Christians live below
their privileges —
k John i. 13. ] Jam. i. 17. m 1 Cor. xii. 6, 11.
n Ps. xix. 1. ° Isai. xli. 20. P 2 Cor. v. 5.
i 2 Thess. i. 11.
428 2 CORINTHIANS, II. 11. [2003.
[Many, instead of enjoying a heaven upon earth, are
filled with doubts and fears: yet even these have the image of
God manifestly instamped upon them, and the hope which
they possess is more precious to them than the whole world:
but we may well say to them, " Why art thou lean, seeing
thou art a king's son ?" Let them be ashamed of giving such
occasion to the enemies of religion to triumph ; and let them
seek that full liberty which God will vouchsafe to all his
children.]
3. How astonishing are our obligations to each
person in the Sacred Trinity ! —
[The Father is the great source and fountain of all our
blessings : Christ is the procurer of them, and the medium
through whom they come : and the Holy Spirit is the agent,
by whom they are conveyed to us. Let us hold fellow
ship with each in his distinct office and character1, and ac
knowledge with gratitude their united exertions ; and let
every blessing received from them quicken us to the service,
and lead us to the enjoyment of our triune God.]
r 1 John i. 3.
MMIII.
THE DEVICES OF SATAN EXPOSED.
2 Cor. ii. 11. We are not ignorant of his devices.
MEN in general think but little of Satan and his
agency : yet is he the most formidable adversary that
we have to contend with. Great was the grief which
he occasioned to the Apostle Paul ; and imminent was
the danger to which he reduced many of the Church
at Corinth. When one of the members of that Church
had been guilty of the crime of incest, Satan stirred
up many to support his cause, and to protect him
from the censures he had merited. Again, when, at
the Apostle's instigation, the Church had inflicted
punishment on the offender, and the correction had
produced the desired effect, the same subtle enemy
prompted many to harden their hearts against him,
and, notwithstanding his acknowledged penitence, to
refuse him a re-admission to communion with them.
In both these ways, he laboured equally to under-
2003. J THE DEVICES OF SATAN EXPOSED. 429
mine the interests of true religion ; and, if St. Paul
had not authoritatively interposed to regulate the
conduct of that Church by the Gospel-standard,
Satan would soon have prevailed to root out of it all
vital godliness.
The Apostle's interposition was extremely painful
to him. It was " with much anguish of heart and
many tears" that he had written the former epistle :
and the thought of having, however reluctantly, oc
casioned grief to those whom he had reproved, was
so painful to him, that nothing but an assurance of
good having accrued from it to them, and a conse
quent restoration of peace to their souls, could com
pose his minda. Still however he was bound to
proceed in the discharge of his high office, and to
urge upon them that duty which they were so back
ward to perform. And this he does, requesting them
to " confirm their love towards the offender, (whose
name from delicacy he forbears to mention,) lest
Satan should get a further advantage over them ;"
for, adds he, " we are not ignorant of his devices."
This was a weighty argument : and, that we may
enter more fully into it, I propose to shew,
I. The devices of Satan —
It is but little that we know of them : yet, as far
as we do know them, it will be profitable to consider,
1. Their number —
[This is great beyond all that we are able to conceive. I
doubt whether the sands upon the sea-shore form such a
countless multitude as do the devices of this great adversary.
There is not a person of any age, or any condition, or under
any circumstances, for whom he has not devices peculiarly
fitted, as a key to the wards of a most ingenious and compli
cated lock.. For every successive variation in their circum
stances, he can in an instant adapt his temptations, and so
modify them to the occasion, as to give them the greatest
possible influence over the mind of his victim.
It must not be forgotten, that, though we speak of Satan as
one, he has millions of other spirits at his command, all co
operating with him with an activity inconceivable, and an energy
a ver. 2 — 4.
430 2 CORINTHIANS, II. 11. [2003.
incessant. All of these were once bright and glorious angels
around the throne of God : but " they kept not their first
estate;" and, for their wickedness, were cast down to the
regions of darkness ; whence however for a season they are
permitted to emerge, in order that they may exert their powers,
and subserve unwittingly the counsels of the Most High. Of
these there are distinct orders, called principalities and powers,
all under Satan as their head and leader, whose will they
execute, and whose designs they promote. Hence, though
Satan is limited both as to space and knowledge, he is, by his
agents, in every part of the globe, receiving information from
them, and exercising rule by means of them : and hence his
devices, founded on such a combination of wisdom, and carried
into effect by such an union of power, become so manifold as
to exceed what on any other supposition would have been
within the power of any finite creature to devise and execute.
In a word, they are to any but God himself altogether un
searchable and without number.]
2. Their subtilty-
[We have already said, that he knows how to adapt his
temptations to all different persons and occasions. But the
subtlety of Satan is yet farther discoverable in this, that he
puts such a specious appearance on his temptations, as removes
from us all suspicion from whence they come. " He transforms
himself into an angel of lightb," so that his suggestions seem
rather to bear the character of heaven than the stamp of hell.
Who would think that he should pretend a zeal for God's
honour, and make use of the very perfections of God to
countenance and confirm his impious suggestions ? Yet so he
did, both in his assaults on the first Adam in Paradise, and on
the second Adam in the Wilderness. When he sought to
prevail over our first parents, he asked " Hath God said, ye
shall not eat of every tree in the garden ?" that is, You surely
must have made a mistake: it cannot be that so good and
bountiful a God should have laid upon you any such unkind
restriction. Then again, when Eve replied, that God had not
only forbidden the use of that tree, but had enforced the pro
hibition by the sanction of death, he answered, " Ye shall not
surely die ;" you may be perfectly assured that God is too
good ever to inflict such an awful penalty for so trivial a trans
gression. In like manner, when he took our Lord to a pinnacle
of the temple, and advised him to cast himself down, for that
God had engaged to preserve him from all evil, and had given
his angels charge over him for that very purpose ; his argu
ment was, in fact, You may safely cast yourself down, for God,
b 2 Cor. xi. 14.
2003.J THE DEVICES OF SATAN EXPOSED. 431
who cannot lie, has pledged his truth and faithfulness for your
preservation. Perhaps there is no one device in which his
subtilty more appears than this : for it is by a pretended zeal
for God's honour more than by any other thing whatever, that
he leads men to sin, and lulls them asleep in sin. To one, he
suggests, that God is too merciful to consign over any man to
everlasting torments : to another, that God is too holy and too
just ever to pardon such iniquities as he has committed : and
then to another, that God, as a mighty Sovereign, has ordained
men to life, and will save them without any trouble or efforts
of their own. In all these instances he employs the very
name and character of God, in order to subvert God's influence
in the world.
Another point wherein his subtilty appears is, in his choice
of instruments whereby to operate the more forcibly upon our
minds. He will be sure to employ such as will have most in
fluence, and such as we should be least likely to suspect.
Whom should he employ to seduce Adam from his allegiance,
but Eve, whom God had given him to be his comfort and
support ? It was most probably with the hope of using her
influence to tempt her husband, that Satan spared Job's wife,
whom he might have destroyed, together with his children :
and how readily she concurred with Satan, appears from the
advice she gave Job in his extremity, " Curse God, and die."
When he wanted to instigate Ahab to his destruction, whose
agency did he employ but that of the four hundred and fifty
prophets, whose united testimony Ahab could not withstand ?
and when he sought to divert even Jesus himself from the
great work of redeeming a ruined world, by whom did he
endeavour to accomplish his purpose, but by Peter, a favourite
Disciple, and that too under a semblance of love0?
Well is he called " that old serpent:" for, in truth, he is
" a crooked serpent," whose windings are only equalled by his
venom.]
3. Their power —
[But who can estimate this, seeing that " he deceiveth
the whole worldd?" It is on this account that he is called
" the god of this world," for he " worketh in all the children
of disobedience6," and " leads them captive at his willf."
What he would effect, if suffered to execute all his own plea
sure, we may see in Peter, whom he sifted as wheat, and
would soon have reduced to chaff, if the Saviour himself had
not interceded for him that his faith might not failg. When
expelled from the demoniac, he entered into a herd of swine,
c Matt. xvi. 22, 23. d Rev. xii. 9. e 2 Cor. iv. 4. Eph. ii. 2.
f 2 Tim. ii. 26. K Luke xxii. 31, 32.
432 2 CORINTHIANS, II. 11. [2003.
who all ran immediately clown the mountain, and perished in
the sea. And thus it would be with all of us, if God gave us
over to his uncontrolled dominion ; we should precipitate our
selves speedily into irrecoverable and endless ruin. In the
hands of that " great dragon," we should be no more than as
a lamb in the jaws of a roaring lion.]
But though in all their extent they cannot be
known by us, yet, as far as they can be known, we
are anxious to mark,
II. The importance of being thoroughly acquainted
with them —
It is of unspeakable importance to us all,
1. Individually —
[There is not an individual amongst us, " at whose right
hand he does not stand h," and whom he is not seeking to
destroy. " As a roaring lion, he is going about continually
for this very end," seeking to find some one off his guard, that
he may prevail the more easily against him. He notices par
ticularly the dispositions of our mind, and is constantly on the
watch that he may ensnare us by means of our besetting sin.
Does he see David inclining to pride and vain confidence ? he
puts it into his heart to give an order for the numbering of
the people ; well knowing that by means of that act God
would be provoked to execute upon him and on his people
some heavy judgment1. Did he see in Judas the love of
money? by that he draws him to betray his Lord. Did he
behold in Peter the fear of man ? he instigates several to
accuse him as a follower of Christ, and thereby causes him to
deny his Lord with oaths and curses. Did he see Ananias
and Sapphira affecting man's applause? he puts it into their
heart to appear liberal at a cheap rate ; and then, for the
preservation of their character, to lie unto the Holy Ghost.
Thus he will watch the motions of our hearts ; and, by means
of some evil propensity in us, drive us to the commission of
some heinous sin. Nor is he inattentive even to the state and
temperament of our bodies; since from that also he can derive
much advantage against us. If he perceive that our bodies
are enervated by heavy afflictions, or such disorders as induce
both bodily and mental debility, he will be sure to assault the
soul, in order to drive it to despondency. The whole system
being weakened, he hopes that he shall the more easily prevail
against us to destroy us. In a word, he knows the weak side
of all, and will be sure to assault us there. Hence arises a
h Josh. iii. 1, 2. ' 1 Chron. xxi. 1.
2003.] THE DEVICES OF SATAN EXPOSED. 433
particular necessity for watching against him with all possible
care. Whatever there be, either in our minds or bodies, that
seems to favour his temptations, it is only with our own con
currence that he can effect any thing : against our will he can
do nothing. " If we resist him, he is constrained to flee from
us." But the difficulty is, to know when, and where, and how
he will assault us. Could the bird certainly know that the
fowler was laying a snare for him, he would take care not to
run into the net; and could the fish be fully aware of the
hook, he would never be induced to swallow the bait. Thus,
if we knew beforehand what the devices were whereby Satan
was studying to deceive us, we should stand on our guard
against him. But it requires a very deep knowledge of " his
wiles," and a constant watchfulness over every motion of our
hearts, to resist him with effect.]
2. In our collective capacity —
[Whole Churches are often grievously distracted by this
powerful adversary. Where Christ is sowing wheat, he will
be active in sowing tares. It was thus at Corinth : he had
prevailed to a great extent, first in setting the people against
all discipline, and then in urging them to carry their discipline
beyond all reasonable bounds. The latter device would have
been attended with incalculable evil, if it had not been exposed
and counteracted by Paul: the offender himself might have
been driven to despair, and constrained to go back for
happiness to the ungodly world. The weak in the Church
would have been greatly discouraged: and unbelievers would
have been led to think of Christianity as the most odious
system that had ever been professed in the world. In like
manner, there are in every Church some circumstances which
Satan would over-rule for the dishonour of God and the
injury of immortal souls. Against these therefore, whatever
they may be, both minister and people should be much upon
their guard. In matters of doctrine, our subtle adversary may
easily lead us astray; and in matters of discipline, he may
easily succeed in stirring up contentions and divisions amongst
us. If we neglect to purge out the old leaven, the whole
lump will soon be leavened : and if with too indiscriminate a
hand we attempt to pluck up the tares, we may root up also
much of the wheat along with it. We are in danger on every
side : and if we do not, with the utmost possible care, guard
against his devices, he will, in some way or other, " get advan
tage of us," to the weakening of our hands, and the great dis
couragement of our hearts.]
As an IMPROVEMENT of the subject, we will briefly
shew how most effectually to counteract his de
vices —
VOL. XVI. F F
434 2 CORINTHIANS, II. 11. [2003.
1. Be ever on your guard against them—
[You have to contend, " not against flesh and blood only,
but against principalities and powers :" and therefore must be
continually on your guard. This is the advice which Peter
gives, and gives from bitter experience. He had been warned
by his Lord to watch and pray, and especially because Satan
was peculiarly anxious to destroy him. But he slept, yea
slept repeatedly, though repeatedly awaked by his Lord : and
the consequence was, that he " fell into the snare of the
devil." Hence he warns others to " be sober and vigilant,
because the devil as a roaring lion goeth about seeking whom
he may devour." Moreover, it was in consequence of the
Saviour " praying for him that his faith might not fail," that
he did not ultimately perish, like Judas, in deep despair.
Hence he adds this further direction, " whom resist, steadfast
in the faith V It is scarcely to be hoped, however vigilant
you may be, that Satan shall never get any advantage over
you; but you must not on that account despond, as if he
were invincible : for your God has pledged himself that " he
will bruise Satan under your feet shortly." Rely therefore on
his word ; and in the strength of it go forth again and again
to the combat ; praying always, that God would either " not
lead you into temptation," or, if he do, that he would " deliver
you from the evil one." It is said of young men in Christ,
" that the word of God abide th in them, and they have over
come the wicked one." Let it abide in you also ; and success
is yours. The Lord Jesus Christ drew all his arrows from
that quiver: " It is written," was the reply with which he
vanquished every temptation : and with " that sword of the
Spirit, the Word of God," you shall speedily and eternally
prevail.]
2. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ as your Protector
and Deliverer —
[He is " stronger than the strong man armed :" and,
whilst he yet hanged upon the cross, he bruised the serpent's
head ; yes, " by death he overcame him that had the power of
death, that is, the devil." On the cross " he spoiled all the
principalities and powers of hell, triumphing over them in
it:" and in his ascension " he led captivity itself captive."
Then was the god of this world vanquished : " then was the
prince of this world cast out." It is therefore only with a
vanquished foe that we have to contend ; for " the prince of
this world is judged." Go forth then " strong in the Lord
and in the power of his might." Our almighty Joshua calls
k 1 Pet. v. 8.
2004.]) THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MINISTRY. 435
you to come and put your feet on the necks of your van
quished enemies. Do it; and assure yourselves, that through
him you shall be " more than conquerors over all." For a
little time this subtle adversary will yet continue his assaults.
It was only " for a season" that he suspended his efforts even
against the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Depend upon it,
therefore, that you shall have some " thorn in the flesh, some
messenger of Satan, still to buffet you." But " be strong and
very courageous." " Be strong in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus." " Gird on the whole armour" provided for you in the
Gospel; and " quit yourselves like men." If you say, " True,
but I am weak ;" know that, " when you are weak, then are
you strong ;" and " the strength of Christ shall be perfected in
your weakness." The palm of victory, and the victor's robe,
are already provided for you : and, after a few more conflicts,
your triumph shall be complete. Already may you " be
hold Satan fallen from heaven, like lightning1." Hallelujah !
hallelujah!]
1 Luke x. 18.
MMIV.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MINISTRY.
2 Cor. ii. 15, 16. We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ,
in them that are saved, and in them that perish : to the one
we are the savour of death unto death ; and to the other the
savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
THE difficulties which faithful ministers have to
encounter, are great and numerous. Through the
goodness of God, the flames of persecution are not
permitted to rage against them, as in the apostolic
age ; but the embers are by no means extinguished ;
hatred and contempt are yet the portion of all who
will bear their testimony for God, and reprove the
wickedness of an ungodly world. But if " their
afflictions abound, their consolations abound also."
They are sustained by the providence and grace of
God, and have reason to " thank him for causing
them always to triumph in Christ." They have also
the satisfaction of seeing, that God, by their instru
mentality, " makes manifest the savour of his know
ledge in every place." And though they are unhappily
F F 2
4,36 2 CORINTHIANS, II. 15, 16. [2004.
the occasion of deeper condemnation to those who
reject their message, yet are they accepted and ap
proved of God, as well in their ineffectual, as in their
successful, labours.
This is the consolation expressed in the text ; from
whence we shall take occasion to shew,
I. In what way the ministry of the Gospel is regarded
by God-
God is pleased to speak of himself as delighting in
the ministry of his Gospel—
[That which his servants labour to diffuse, is, the know
ledge of Christ. They set forth incessantly his name, his work,
and offices : and exalt him as the only Saviour of the world
This, like the sacrifice which Noaha, and which Christ
himself, offered b, is to God "an odour of a sweet smell." It
is to him " as ointment poured forth0."]
And good reason there is why he should be so de
lighted with it—
[The Gospel of Christ is that wherein all the glory of
God is concentrated and made manifest. We may behold
the power, the wisdom, and the goodness of God in the works
of creation and providence; but in the work of redemption
we see an united display of all his perfections : " Mercy and
truth meet together; and righteousness and peace kiss each
otherd"- No wonder therefore that his ministers, who
proclaim this Gospel, are considered as rendering to him an
acceptable service.]
Nor does his approbation of it at all depend on the
success with which it is attended—
[God is certainly well pleased when any "are saved" by
his Gospel : for then all his gracious purposes respecting them
are accomplished — -Then is his dear Son honoured,
and, as it were, rewarded " for the travail of his soul6." Then
" mercy," his darling attribute, " in which he chiefly delights,"
has free and full scope for exercise.
But God is no less glorified " in them also that perish :"
for they must to all eternity acknowledge the goodness of God
towards them ; and confess his justice in the judgments in
flicted on them.
To us the punishment of the wicked is a ground of lamen-
a Gen. viii. 21. >' Eph. v. 2. c Cant. i. 3.
d Ps. Ixxxv. 10. * Isai. liii. 11.
2004.] THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MINISTRY. 437
tation only: but we must not " imagine that God is such an
one as ourselves :" whatever tends to his glory, is pleasing in
his sight.]
Our pleasure, however, in ministering the Gospel,
is mixed with pain, when we reflect on,
II. The effects which it produces upon men —
To some we are an occasion of deeper condemna
tion-
fit had been foretold by the prophet, that Christ should be,
not merely for a sanctuary, but also for a stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offence f. The holy patriarch, who embraced our
Saviour in his arms, declared, that he was set for the fall, as
well as for the rising again, of many in Israeli Our Lord
himself also attests, that the design of his coming was, to shut
the eyes of those who proudly imagined that they saw aright,
as well as to open the eyes of those who were sensible of their
blindness11. And the ministrations of his Apostles were actually
attended with these contrary effects1. Thus we also find it at
this time : we are, however unwillingly, the unhappy occasion
of increasing the misery of many whom we labour to save.
Some hear our word, and disregard it — others despise it —
others abuse it, to encourage themselves in their evil ways.
For all such persons it would have been better never to have
heard the word at allk.]
To others, we are the means and instruments of
their salvation—
[As odours which are most offensive to some are most
pleasing and refreshing to others, so are we in the discharge of
our ministry. Some hear our word, and receive it with joy
and gratitude. The name of Jesus becomes truly precious to
them : they trust in him for salvation : they are brought by
him into a state of reconciliation with God : they receive out
of his fulness all the grace which they stand in need of: they
are enabled by him to live a new and heavenly life ; and,
finally, they are exalted by him to a state of everlasting happi
ness and glory. In effecting this blessed work, we are his
highly-honoured instruments : by our word he quickens them
from the dead ; by our word he gives them life more abundantly;
by our word he carries on, and perfects, the work he has begun.
And thus, while to some we are " a savour of death to their
death" and condemnation, we are to others " a savour of life
to their eternal life" and salvation.]
f Isai. viii. 14. « Luke ii. 34. h John ix. 39.
1 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8. with Acts xxviii. 25 — 27.
k John xv. 22. Matt. xi. 20—24.
4-38 2 CORINTHIANS, II. 15, 16. [2004.
Well might St. Paul, in contemplating these effects
of his ministry, express his sense of,
III. Its arduousness and importance-
Let it only be considered what a sacred trust is
committed to us : on the one hand the glory of God,
and on the other hand the salvation of man, is en
trusted to our care : What a treasure is this to be
deposited in such earthen vessels as we are ! " Who
is sufficient for these things ?" Who is sufficient,
1. In wisdom and knowledge—
[To discharge the ministerial office aright, we should
understand in all its bearings that mystery which was hid from
ages — the redemption of man by the incarnation and death of
God's only-begotten Son. We should be acquainted also with
all the devices of Satan, whereby he is continually labouring
to defeat the gracious purposes of our God. We should be
able also to discriminate between all the shades of Christian
experience, so as to administer suitable advice to all who are
under our care. The effects of ignorance would be most fatal :
we should be " blind leaders of the blind ;" and thus, together
with our deluded hearers, should " fall into the ditch." Alas !
alas ! Who has not reason to lament his utter insufficiency for
so great a work ?]
2. In zeal and love —
[If we duly considered the importance of our work, we
should find neither time nor inclination to think of any thing
else. We should scarcely allow ourselves the necessary refresh
ments of food and sleep. Persons who see us a little earnest
are ready to give us credit for our zeal, or perhaps to condemn
us for it : but we should not minister in the way we do, if we
justly appreciated the value of a soul, or the glory of our God.
No, truly ; we should never think of you but with the ten-
derest compassion, nor even speak to you but with floods of
tears. Whether we spake to you in public or in private, we
should take no denial : and, in our addresses to God in your
behalf, we should " give him no rest, till he arose, and made
our Jerusalem a praise in the earth."]
APPLICATION —
[Inquire, What improvement you have made of our mi
nistry ? We ask, not merely whether you approve of what you
hear? but whether you find it a sweet savour unto your souls?
Does it endear to you the Lord Jesus Christ ? Does it bring
you into closer and more habitual communion with him ? Does
2005.] CHRISTIANS ARE EPISTLES OF CHRIST. 439
it stir you up to live more to his glory ? Let not our labours
of love be the means of augmenting your guilt and misery.
Force us not to be " swift witnesses against you" in the day of
judgment: but rather seek, that we may have you as our joy
and crown of rejoicing in that day.
In the meantime, " pray for us." Our responsibility is great
and fearful. It is no light matter to answer for our own
souls: but to have your souls also required at our hands, is
formidable in the extreme. May God pity our infirmities,
and pardon our insufficiency ! Yea, may he so " perfect his
own strength in our weakness," that, through our feeble mini
strations, his name may be glorified, and your souls be saved !]
MMV.
CHRISTIANS ARE EPISTLES OF CHRIST.
% Cor. iii. 2, 3. Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, knoiun
and read of all men : forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared
to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with
ink, but with the Spirit of the living God ; not in tables of
stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
HATEFUL and detestable as boasting is, there are
occasions whereon it may be proper, and even neces
sary. As far as a man's own reputation merely is
concerned, he need not be forward to vindicate
himself from false accusations : if he be a holy and
consistent character, he may safely leave himself in
God's hands, indifferent about the censures of an
ungodly world : but where the honour of the Gospel
is at stake, and there is danger of its influence being
undermined by the falsehoods that are circulated, it
is by no means unworthy even of an Apostle to refute
the calumnies that are raised against him. There
were at Corinth false teachers, who sought by all
possible means to destroy the character of the Apostle
Paul, and who even denied his claim to apostolic
authority. In answer to their malignant accusations,
St. Paul, in his former Epistle to the Corinthians,
says, " Am I not an Apostle ? Have I not seen Jesus
Christ our Lord ? Are not you my work in the Lord ?
If I be not an Apostle unto others, yet doubtless I
am to you : for the seal of mine apostleship are ye
440 2 CORINTHIANS,. III. 2, 3. [2005.
in the LordV Thus, in this epistle also he vindi
cates himself as ministering, not like the false teachers,
who corrupted the word of God, but with a holy
integrity befitting his high office b. Yet apprehensive
lest he should be misunderstood, as though he felt a
need of such commendations either from himself or
others, he appealed to his converts themselves as
proofs sufficient of his apostleship, even such proofs
as carried, to the most thoughtless beholder, their
own evidence along with them : " Ye are our epistle,
&c. £c. :" that is, ' I need not epistles from men,
since ye yourselves are epistles from the Lord Jesus
Christ, testifying that I am his servant, and that the
Gospel which I preach is the very truth of God."
In further considering these words, we may notice
from them,
I. The character of all true converts-
Christians are epistles of Christ, written for the
instruction of the whole world. Epistles from man
to man, such as were those which the false teachers
carried with them as letters of recommendation from
Church to Church, were written with ink ; but Christ's
epistles are written with the Spirit of the living God ;
and not, as the law of the ten commandments was,
in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart ;
to which God alone can have access, and on which
God alone can make any valuable impressions. Mi
nisters indeed are used by him as instruments, as the
word also is ; but these can effect no more than a pen
or ink can without the hand of a writer : " Paul may
plant, and Apollos may water ; but it is God alone
who can give the increase0."
By these epistles the Lord Jesus Christ teaches
men,
1. What is that change that must be wrought on
every child of man—
[Christians once walked after the course of this world,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were
a 1 Cor. ix. 1,2. b 2 Cor. ii. 17. f I Cor. iii. 5—7,
2005.] CHRISTIANS ARE EPISTLES OF CHRIST. 411
children of wrath, even as others'1. But a great change has
been wrought in them : they have been " turned from darkness
unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God." They
are become " new creatures :" their views, their desires, their
pursuits, are all new. The change that has taken place in
them is not unlike that of a river, which, from flowing rapidly
towards the ocean, is arrested in its course, and made by the
refluent tide to return with equal rapidity towards the fountain-
head. Thus are these turned " in the spirit of their minds,"
the whole bent of which was formerly after the things of time
and sense, but is now directed to the service of the living Gode.
These being still in the world, though not of it, are living
instructors to all around them : they are epistles " known and
read of all men." From the Scriptures men will turn their
eyes ; but from these epistles they cannot : they are constrained
to see the truths recorded in them : and, however they may
hate the change which they behold, they are compelled to
acknowledge it : and they are admonished by it, that, without
such a change, they themselves can never be partakers of the
kingdom of heaven. In a word, by every true convert, Christ
speaks to all, as once he did to Nicodemus, " Verily, verily, I
say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of heaven."]
2. By what means that change is to be effected—
[However the followers of Christ may differ from each
other in minor points, they all agree in founding their hopes
of salvation entirely on his atoning blood, and on the effectual
operation of his Spirit within them : the declaration of every
one amongst them is, " Surely in the Lord, and in him alone,
have I righteousness and strength f."
These things then does the Lord Jesus Christ proclaim to
the world by them. By them he says, " I am the way, the
truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father, but by
me." " There is no other name but mine given under heaven
whereby men may be saved ;" " nor is there any other founda
tion whereon any man can build " his hopes. ' And, as they
look to me for their acceptance with God, so must they also do
for the gift of my Spirit, who alone can begin, or carry on, or
perfect, a work of grace in their souls.' It is in reality this
testimony which so offends the world. If they were taught
to rely on their own merits, or to depend on their own arm,
they would extol the persons who thus distinguished themselves
by their superior attainments in holiness : but, when they are
told that all their hope must be in the righteousness of another,
and in strength communicated from above, they pour contempt
d Eph. ii. 2, 3. e 1 Thess. i. 9. f Isai. xlv. 24.
442 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 2, 3. [2005.
upon it all as foolishness. Nevertheless such are the lessons
which Christians teach to all around them ; and such are
the instructions which Christ conveys by them to a benighted
world.]
Whilst they thus speak from Christ they give us
just occasion also to notice,
II. The honour they reflect on the Gospel of Christ —
They are all not merely epistles from Christ, but
witnesses also for him. As the Jews were witnesses
for God to all nations of the earth, since no other
god could ever have effected what he had wrought
for themg, and as all the persons whom Jesus healed
were witnesses for him as the true Messiah11, so are
all true converts witnesses,
1. Of the truth of the Gospel —
[What other system ever wrought as that has done ? Look
at all the means which men have devised for obtaining recon
ciliation with God ; and see if they have ever operated so
powerfully, and so beneficially, on the souls of those who have
embraced them, as has the simple doctrine of the cross ? No :
by no other doctrine did God ever work, nor by any other
doctrine will he ever work, for the sanctification and salvation
of a ruined world. Go to any place under heaven where Christ
is not exalted as the only Saviour of the world, or where the
Spirit of the living God is not honoured as the only source of
all real holiness of heart and life, and see what the state is of
those who are so taught : will there be found among them any
work like that on the day of Pentecost ? Will the word preached
there be quick, and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged
sword ? Will " the weapons used there be found mighty to
pull down the strong holds " of sin and Satan, and to " bring
men's thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ ? "
No : God does not, and will not, work by any thing but a
simple exhibition of Christ crucified. It is the Gospel only
that is " the rod of his strength," or that will ever prove " the
power of God to the salvation of the soul." But where that is
preached, these effects are wrought; multitudes are " brought
out of darkness into marvellous light," and are enabled to shew
by their works the reality of their faith ; and thus they give
imdoubted evidence, that the Gospel which is ministered unto
them is the true Gospel. As Christ said of the people whom
he had healed, " The works that I do, the same bear witness of
e Isai. xliii. 10 — 12. h Matt. xi. 25.
2005.J CHRISTIANS ARE EPISTLES OF CHRIST. 443
me," so may we say of these persons, that they are " seals,"
whereby God himself attests the mission of his servants, and
the truth of the doctrine which they deliver.]
2. Of the efficacy of the Gospel-
fit is not a mere external change which the Gospel
effects, but a change of the whole soul, from sin and sorrow
to holiness and joy. The " peace " which it introduces into
the troubled mind, " passeth all understanding :" and the
"joy " to which it elevates the repenting sinner, is " unspeak
able and glorified." In respect of sanctification, it does not
produce absolute perfection ; for " there is not a man on earth
that liveth and sinneth not ;" but it transforms the soul in a
very wonderful manner, and changes it progressively, if not
perfectly, " into the very image of God, in righteousness and
true holiness." In short, it brings the Lord Jesus Christ and
the believer into so near an union with each other, that they
are one body \ and " one spiritk," partakers of the same
blessings in this world1, and heirs of the same glory in the
world to comem.
What other doctrine ever did, or can, effect such a change
as this ? Not even God's law, which he wrote in tables of
stone, could operate to such an extent as this : the Gospel
alone is competent to such a task : as St. Paul has said ;
"What the law could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin, did ; that is, he condemned sin in the flesh ;
that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who
walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit11." Moreover, it
is not on those only who are of a better and more pliant
frame of mind, that the Gospel thus operates, but on the
vilest of the human race ; as indisputably appeared in the
Corinthian Church0 —The instances too of such efficacy
are not rare, but frequent. On one day were three thousand
such converts made ; and in every age from that period to the
present has the same power been exerted to change the lion
to a lamb, and " a desert to the garden of the Lord." Such
converts " shine as lights in a dark world," and, by " holding
forth the word of life " as epistles from Christ, they shew that
" the minister has not run in vain, nor laboured in vain P."]
ADDRESS —
1. Seek to have the mind of Christ more fully
inscribed upon your hearts—
j Eph. v. 30. k 1 Cor. vi. 17. l John xvii. 13,22,23,20.
K Rom. viii. 17. " Rom. viii. 3, 4. ° 1 Cor. vi. 9 — 11.
P Phil. ii. 15, 10.
444- 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 2, 3. [2005.
[Beloved brethren, let not a day pass without your
having some divine lesson written more clearly and more
legibly upon your souls. Bring your hearts daily to the
Lord Jesus Christ, and present them as a tablet to him, that
he may write upon them something which they have not
hitherto contained. And when you come up to the house of
God, come, not to gratify curiosity, or to perform a duty
merely, but to spread your hearts again before the Lord, that,
by the instrumentality of his minister, and the operation of
his word and Spirit, he may inscribe on them some further
lesson, which shall attract the notice of an ungodly world, and
constrain them to acknowledge that God is with you of a
truth. If there be a blot upon your hearts, entreat him to
erase it: and whatever is but indistinctly written, entreat him
to trace it over again and again, till it shall appear in charac
ters worthy of the Divine -Author, and convey to all who
behold it a decisive proof of its divine original. And, at the
close of every day, examine the contents of the epistle, to see
what progress has been made, and what yet remains to be
added for its perfection. Nor ever forget by whom the
characters must be inscribed : it is " by the Spirit of the living
God," and by the Lord Jesus Christ through him. If you
look to any other quarter, you will be disappointed : but, if
you go to Christ for the gift of his Spirit, and desire really to
have his whole mind and will written upon your hearts, it
shall be done ; till you are " changed into his image from
glory to glory by the Spirit of our God."]
2. Endeavour to exhibit the whole mind of Christ
to a careless and ungodly world —
[Let there not be seen in you those tempers and dis
positions which dishonour the Christian profession, and make
the Gospel a stumbling-block to the world. In too many
professors of religion there is little seen but pride, and for
wardness, and self-confidence, and loquacity, and unchari-
tableness, and a disputatious temper, and a party spirit. But
are these the characters inscribed by Christ ? No : but by
that wicked one, who counterfeits the hand of Christ, on pur
pose to bring him and his Gospel into general contempt.
Whatever there is of such dispositions within you, get them
obliterated without delay ; and all the graces of humility, and
meekness, and love, inscribed in their place q. People will
judge of our ministry by the lives of those who attend it;
and will impute to our doctrines every evil which they can
find in you. This is unreasonable indeed : but they will do
so ; and we cannot prevent it ; and if they see in you what is
<> Col. iii. 12, 13.
2006.] THE EXTENT OB MAN'S IMPOTENCY. 445
odious, they will represent it as the necessary fruit of the
system you profess. Take care then that " the way of truth
be not evil spoken of through you." Endeavour rather so to
" make your light shine before men, that all who behold it
may glorify your Father which is in heaven:" yea, "let it
bhine brighter and brighter unto the perfect day."]
MMVI.
THE EXTENT OF MAN*S IMPOTENCY.
2 Cor. iii. 5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any
thing as of ourselves ; but our sufficiency is of God.
COMMONLY as these words are cited, they are
not easy to be satisfactorily explained. There is an
evident abruptness in them : and they appear to go
far beyond what the context requires. The Apostle
had spoken of the success of his ministry ; and
" thanked God for making manifest the savour of the
knowledge of Christ by him in every place3." He
had appealed to the Corinthians, as living witnesses
of the power of Christ in his ministry ; seeing that
they were, in fact, " epistles of Christ, known and
read of all menb." And he trusted that God would
yet further manifest his power, in carrying on amongst
them, and in other places, the work of men's salva
tion, through the instrumentality of his ministry0.
But whilst he spoke thus, did he arrogate any thing
to himself, as though these effects were produced by
any powers of his own ? No : he utterly disclaimed
all such pretensions ; and declared, that, so far from
being able to convert others by any powers of his
own, he had not of himself a sufficiency even to think
a good thought : his sufficiency even for that, and
much more for all his ministerial success, was from
God alone.
The word which we here translate " think any
thing," means also to reason* : and if it could have
borne the sense of convincing by reasoning, that is
the sense we should have preferred : because that
8 2 Cor. ii. U. & ver. 2, 3. c ver. 4. d \oyiffaodai.
44£ 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 5. [2006.
would have been the precise idea which the subject
called for. But, as no such construction can be put
upon it, we are convinced that the version given to
it in our translation is right ; and that the Apostle
must be understood as going designedly beyond what
the occasion called for, and as intending to intimate,
not only that he could not convert others by any
power of his own, but not even excite any good
thought within his own bosom, unless he were
strengthened for it from above. He had before said,
" Who is sufficient for these things6?" and here he
ascribes all his sufficiency, for every part of his mini
stry, to God alone f.
To mark fully the meaning of the Apostle, I will
endeavour to shew whence all our sufficiency arises,
I. For the communicating of good to the souls of
others —
Whatever force there may be in the reasonings of
men, or whatever fascination in their eloquence, it is
certain that neither the one nor the other have any
power to convert a soul to God —
[Our blessed Lord spake to many, in vain. Though he
spake as never man spake either before or since, yet did he
not convince all his hearers. If " some said, He is a good
man; others said, Nay, but he deceiveth the peopled" Nor
did his miracles produce the same effect on all. The poor
man, whose eyes he had opened, argued with the Pharisees
in vain, because their minds were not open to conviction :
" Herein is a marvellous thing," said he, " that ye know not
from whence this Jesus is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
Since the world began, was it not heard, that any man opened
the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of
God, he could do nothing." And what was the effect of this
reasoning ? It only incensed them the more ; and caused them
to pass on the poor man a sentence of excommunication11.
One would have thought that the raising of Lazarus from the
grave, after he had been dead four days, should have carried
conviction to all : but the chief priests, instead of being duly
e 2 Cor. ii. 1G.
f See the repetition of the word in in ver. 5, 6. cYavcu,
iKavuHTfi; the force of which is lost in our translation,
e John vii. 12. h John ix. 30 — 34.
2006.] THE EXTENT OF MAN'S IMPOTENCY. 447
influenced by it themselves, sought to put Lazarus to death,
in order to obstruct the influence of this miracle on the minds
of others '. Thus it was also with the Apostles. When, in
consequence of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon them
on the day of Pentecost, they were enabled to address persons
of different countries, each in their own particular language,
some, who beheld this stupendous miracle, only " mocked at
it, and said that the Apostles were full of new wine," and in a
state of intoxication at nine o'clock in the morningk. So when
Paul pleaded the Saviour's cause before Festus and Agrippa,
Festus, who was full of prejudice, cried out, " Paul, thou art
beside thyself; much learning hath made thee mad :" whilst
Agrippa, who was more intelligent and more candid, said,
"Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian1." In fact,
truth hath no force with those who have not eyes to see it.]
Whatever good, therefore, is done to any man, it
must be ascribed to God alone —
[It was " the Lord who opened the heart of Lydia to
attend to the things that were spoken by Paul1":" and to a
want of such a divine operation did he ascribe the obstinacy
of the Jews whom he addressed at Rome. After expounding
the Scriptures from morning to evening to many of them in
vain, he said, " Well spake the Holy Ghost, by Esaias the
prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people and
say, Hearing, ye shall hear, and shall not understand ; and
seeing, ye shall see, and not perceive : for the heart of this
people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing ; and
their eyes have they closed, lest they should see with their
eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their
heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them"."
So true is that declaration of Solomon, " The hearing ear,
and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them0."
And most important is this truth for the instruction of all who
minister in holy things, that they may know where to look for
the success of their labours : for " neither is he that planteth
any thing, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth the
increase P."]
From the same divine source must be derived all
our sufficiency,
II. For the exercising of good in our own souls—
The foregoing observations illustrate the Apostle's
1 John xii. 10, 11. k Acts ii. 11—15. > Acts xxvi. 24 — 28.
m Acts xvi. 14. n Acts xxviii. 23 — 27.
0 Prov. xx. 12. PI Cor. iii. 6, 7.
448 2 CORINTHIANS, III. o. [2006.
argument. What 1 shall now adduce is for the illus
tration of his particular assertion, that " of himself he
could not even think a good thought."
There is not, in unassisted man, an inclination to
entertain a good thought —
["The heart of the sons of men is full of evilq:" yea,
" every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts is evil,
only evil, continually11." What is morally good may arise in
the hearts of many : but what is spiritually good must be put
there by the special agency of the Holy Ghost. Kindness,
benevolence, compassion, though certainly referable to God as
their prime Author, exist in the minds of many who are not
partakers of saving grace : but hatred of sin, and love to God
and Christ, and holiness, find no place in the bosom of an
unconverted man : there is between him and them as great a
difference as between " light and darkness, or Christ and
Belial :" they have not, they cannot have, communion with
each other s. As well might a stone ascend of itself, or a
spark descend, as an ungodly man give birth to that which is
so foreign to his nature, as spiritual good is to a carnal heart.]
Nor is there in unassisted man a capacity to cherish
what is truly good—
[We are told, from unquestionable authority, that " the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ;
for they are foolishness unto him : neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned1." This may be illus
trated by the metaphor which St. Paul makes use of in the
preceding context. He has spoken of " spreading the savour
of the knowledge of Christ;" and has stated, that, in his
ministry, he was to some " a savour of death unto death, and
to others a savour of life unto lifeu." Now we know that
odours have very different effects on different persons : the
very same odour which to one may be grateful and reviving, to
another may be offensive and injurious : and none but God
could reverse these tendencies. So, to some, the sublimest
truths of the Gospel appear only as " foolishness, whilst to
others they are the wisdom of God and the power of God."
And whence is this, but because a spiritual discernment has
been given to the one, whilst the other possesses only that
natural intellect which is conversant with earthly things ? In
a word, " to the one it is given to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven ; but to the other it is not given x :" nor, till
(i Keel. ix. 3. r Gen. vi. 5. s 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15.
1 1 Cor. ii, 14. " o Cor. ii. 14 — 1C. x Matt. xiii. 11.
2006.] THE EXTENT OF MAN'S IMPOTENCY. 44D
" God, of his own good pleasure, has given us to will and to
do what is pleasing in his sight >'," shall we ever do it, or ever
so much as will it. Our sufficiency for the one, as well as for
the other, must come from God alone : for " without Christ
we can do nothing2."]
SEE, then, in this subject,
1. What matter there is for humiliation—
[It is scarcely possible to conceive any thing more humi
liating than the declaration in my text. And if any man
doubt the truth of it, let him look back and see, even in the
space of the longest life, who ever, by the force of his own
natural powers, entertained so much as one thought that was
truly in accordance with God's perfect law, or fully consonant
with his Gospel ? I have said before, that things morally good
are attainable by the natural man ; but things spiritually good
are altogether out of his reach. Only keep in mind this
important distinction, and no language that can be used can
be too strong to declare our destitution of all good, and our
dependence upon God for every good disposition or desire
J
2. What matter there is for encouragement—
[Was Paul's sufficiency derived from God alone ? Then
I also may obtain all that I need. Since the same source and
fountain is open for me also, why need I be discouraged at the
thought of my own impotency ? If God, in instances without
number, " has revealed unto babes what he has hidden from
the wise and prudent a," and " by things which are not, has
brought to nought things that areb;" what need have I to be
discouraged ? Whatever be my duties, whether personal or
official, God can strengthen me for them; yea, and " he will
perfect his own strength in my weakness0." " I will be strong
then in the Lord, and in the power of his might*1, "and address
myself to every duty in dependence on him. Then shall I not
fail in any thing that I undertake : for " I can do all tilings
through Christ who strengthened! me6."]
y Phil. ii. 13. z John xv. 5. a Matt. xi. 25.
b 1 Cor. i. 28. c 2 Cor. xii. 9. d Eph. vi. 10.
c Phil. iv. 13.
VOL. XVI. O G
450 2 CORINTHIANS, 1JI. 6. [2007.
MMVII.
THE LETTER THAT KILLETH, AND THE SPIRIT THAT GIVETH
LIFE.
2 Cov. iii. 6. Who also hath made us able ministers of the new
testament ; not of the letter, but of the spirit : for the letter
killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
IN the Holy Scriptures there is often incidentally
introduced some information of the deepest and most
important nature, where the subject did not imme
diately appear to call for it. In a parenthesis, as it
were, a world of instruction is often conveyed. The
fact is, that the inspired writers, and especially St.
Paul, had so full an insight into the mysteries of our
holy religion, that they spake of them as persons
familiar with the truths they uttered, and scarcely
conscious, as it were, of the depths into which they
so abruptly led the minds of their readers. St. Paul,
vindicating himself against a supposed charge of
egotism and of boasting, here acknowledges, that " all
his sufficiency, for every part of his ministerial dutya,"
was of God. But, together with this, he gives, in
few words, his entire view of the Gospel which he
preached, and of the effects which he expected to
follow from his labours. To set before you the pre
cise import of his words, I will shew,
I. What is that Gospel which we minister —
St. Paul calls himself " a minister of the new testa
ment," or, as the word also means, " the new cove
nant :" and, for the purpose of explaining himself
more clearly, he contrasts that new covenant with
the old covenant, which was superseded by it.
His view of the Gospel may be thus explained—
[The old covenant, as published by Moses, was written
in ten commandments, upon tables of stone. The substance
of those ten commandments is by our Lord comprised in two:
the one of which is, " Thou shalt love God with all thy heart,
and mind, and soul, and strength ;" and the other, " Thou shalt
a This is the precise idea, not of the context only, but of the text
itself. Sec the Greek.
2007.] THE LETTER, AND THE SPIRIT. 451
love thy neighbour as thyself." For the performance of these
commandments the law afforded no strength, whilst yet it
made no allowance whatever for the smallest defect in our
obedience. The terms it prescribed were plain and positive,
" Do this, and live." On the other hand, it said, " Cursed is
every one that continueth not in all things that are written in
the book of the law to do them." Hence the Apostle calls
this law, " The letter that killeth :" for though as given
originally to Adam, " it was ordained to life," to his fallen
descendants it has been found only " to death V Hence he
calls it also " a ministration of death, and of condemnation0,"
because nothing but condemnation and death can result from
it to fallen man. So true is that declaration of his, that " as
many as are under the law, are under the curse d."
In opposition to this, the Gospel is set forth as " a new
covenant," given to us to remedy the defects of the former
covenant. In this new covenant a Saviour is provided for us ;
and the Holy Spirit also is promised to us, to effect in our
hearts all that our necessities require. Are we blind? this
blessed Spirit will enlighten us. Are we weak? He will give
us strength. Are we polluted ? He will sanctify us through
out : and thus will he impart to us all that the Saviour has
obtained for us, even peace, and righteousness, and life. Hence
the Apostle calls the Gospel, " the spirit that giveth life ;"
and represents the ministration of it as " a ministration of the
spirit, and of righteousness6."
In the Epistle to the Hebrews this contrast is more fully
opened : " Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will
make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the
house of Judah ; not according to the covenant that I made
with their fathers, in the day when I took them by the hand to
lead them out of the land of Egypt: ... for this is the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
clays, saith the Lord ; I will put my laws into their mind, and
write them in their hearts ; and I will be to them a God, and
they shall be to me a people. For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousnesses, and their sins and iniquities will I remem
ber no moref." Here, then, the defects of the former covenant
are completely supplied. The law issued commands without
aid, and menaces without hope : but the Gospel offers a free
pardon of all sin, and communicates strength for future obedi
ence. Thus the one is " a letter which killeth;" the other is
" a spirit, which giveth life."]
This is the Gospel which we also preach—
b Rom. vii. 10. c vcr. 7, 9. (1 (ial. Hi. 10.
11 vcr. 8, 9. f Heb. viii. 8—12.
G <; <>
452 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 6. [2007.
[We are careful to'distinguish between the two covenants;
well knowing, that all who remain under the former covenant
must perish ; and that there is no salvation for any man, but
on the terms prescribed by the new covenant, the covenant of
grace. In accordance with this, it is our constant labour to
mark the danger of trusting to any works of righteousness
which we can perform, and to shew the indispensable necessity
of looking to Christ as " all our salvation and all our desire."
In a word, St. Paul's views, as declared by himself, are those
which we endeavour both to adopt and follow. He says,
" Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law,
That he that doeth those things shall live by them. But the
righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise . . . The
word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart : THAT
IS, THE WORD OF FAITH WHICH WE PREACH ; that if tllOU
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, (and
consequently, that he is the promised Messiah,) thou shalt be
saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For
the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be
ashamed5."]
Having thus declared what the Gospel is which we
preach, let me also declare,
II. What we look for as the fruit of our ministra
tions—
St. Paul had spoken of himself " as a savour of life
unto life" and salvation to manyh. And this is what
we also hope to be, and what we aim at in all our
ministrations. We hope, and, so far as God shall
render our word effectual, expect,
1. To deliver you from all legal bondage—
[Every man by nature is under the law, and expects to
be saved by his obedience to it. Hence arise those self-denying
efforts which unenlightened heathens make to commend them
selves to their deities ; and hence also spring those laborious
exertions which Christians of a Pharisaic cast put forth to
purchase the favour of the Most High. But, however much
they labour, they cannot attain solid peace. There always
remains upon their mind, as well there may, a doubt, whether
they have done enough to purchase the remission of their sins,
and enough also to secure a title to heaven. Hence they spend
their days in a state of bondage, labouring incessantly to
« Rom. x. 5—11. h 2 Cor. ii. 16.
2007-] THE LETTER, AND THE SPIRIT. 453
acquire such a measure of righteousness as shall serve as a foun
dation of hope, and yet are unable so to satisfy their conscience
as to find peace in their souls. But, in bringing before you
the new covenant, we shew that you may dismiss all your fears,
and indulge a better hope; since the Lord Jesus Christ has
suffered for your sins, and has wrought out a righteousness
wherein you may stand accepted before God. Thus you may
be brought at once into the condition of a prisoner, who, hav
ing been long shut up under a state of condemnation, has at
last had his pardon sealed, and is permitted to live free from
all fear or painful restraint.]
2. To bring you into perfect liberty —
[A mere hope of pardon is by no means the full extent of
the mercy accorded to us under the new covenant. There is
a perfect peace, into which they are introduced who believe in
Christ ; yea, they possess " a joy unspeakable and glorified."
The Spirit of God is to the believer a Comforter, who " sheds
abroad the love of God in his heart," and " seals him unto
the day of his final redemption." O, who can declare the full
liberty of the children of God ; the sweet confidence which
they have in God ; and the exquisite delight they feel in com
munion with him ? Who can adequately declare the foretastes
which they enjoy of their heavenly inheritance? Now, to these
blessings we hope to introduce you : nor do we ever consider
our ministry as fully answering the ends which God has
ordained, till we see you " rejoicing in hope of the glory of
God ;" and longing to be dissolved, that you may be with
Christ. " Wherever the Gospel has its proper work, there is
the liberty " which I have here described1.]
3. To effect in you such a change as shall com
mend our doctrine to the whole world by your life
and conversation—
[No other " commendation " do we desire either to you
or from youk. Applaud us as much as you please, and we
shall regard that as, at best, a very doubtful evidence of our
real usefulness. But let us see you changed both in heart and
life ; let us see you so changed, as to be " epistles of Christ,
known and read of all men ;" and we shall desire no better
testimony, either from God or man. If we see " you crucified
to the world by the cross of Christ ;" if we behold you dedi
cating yourselves to the service of your God, and " renewed
after his image in righteousness and true holiness;" if your
spirit and temper in your families; your meekness, your gen
tleness, your patience, your forbearance, and your conformity
1 Cite ver. 17. k ver. 1.
454, 2 CORINTHIANS, III. G. [2007.
to "the mind that was in Christ Jesus," be visible to all around
you; that, that is the object which we aim at; that so, if our
doctrine be condemned, we may challenge the world to produce
such effects wrought by any other means than those which
we use, — an exhibition of " Christ crucified," and an unqua
lified offer of salvation to all who will believe in him.]
APPLICATION—
1. Inquire, then, I pray you, what reception you
have given to this Gospel —
[It is not a mere outward approbation of it that will
suffice. You must embrace it with your whole souls. You
must "be delivered into it, as into a mould1;" and assume the
features of it, in every part of your character and conversation.
There is found in many a very considerable change, as wrought
by legal doctrines. The Pharisees of old were very abundant
in outward acts of righteousness : but their services were alto
gether performed on self-righteous principles, and not from
love ; and were wrought for their own glory, and not for the
glory of their God. But you must render a far higher obedi
ence: for you " are delivered from the law; that being dead
wherein you were held ;" and therefore you are expected to
" serve God in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the
letter™." The works which proceed from self-righteous prin
ciples are such as please men : but those which are expected
from you, will please God only: they proceed from the heart;
and they alone prove you to be Christians indeed : as God has
said, " He is a Jew who is one inwardly ; and circumcision is
that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter,- whose praise
is not of men, but of God"."]
2. Beg of God a blessing on our ministrations-
fit is God alone who can instruct ministers to proclaim
his Gospel ; as St. Paul has said in my text: "Our sufficiency
is of God, who has made us able ministers of the new
testament." Hence St. Paul so often entreated his brethren
to " pray for him, that utterance might be given him to speak
truly and faithfully, as he ought to speak." And it is God
alone who can render the word effectual for the good of those
who hear it. " Paul may plant, and Apollos water, to no
purpose, unless God himself shall give an increase." Pray,
then, that the word may come to you, not in word only, but
in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance :" for
it will then only be profitable to your souls, when " it comes
to you in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."]
1 Rom. vi. 17. The Greek. '» Rom. vii. 6. » Rom. ii. 29.
2008. J THi: LAW AND THE GOSPEL COMPARED. 455
MMVIII.
THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL COMPARED.
2 Cor. iii. 6. The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
THE Gospel is that weapon, whereby God subdues
a rebellious world to the obedience of faith : and the
Apostle Paul, when his commission to preach it was
called in question, appealed to the effects wrought by
it on the hearts of his hearers, as a decisive evidence
that he was sent of God to proclaim it, and that the
word he preached was the true Gospel. But, though
constrained thus to vindicate his apostolic character,
he would not arrogate to himself any praise, as
though the work had been wrought by any wisdom
or power of his own : he disclaimed " all power even
to think a good thought," and much more to produce
such a wonderful change on the hearts of others :
this change was effected by a simple exhibition of
Gospel truth ; yet not by the mere promulgation
of it as a record, but by a representation of it as
God's appointed instrument to save the world. In
this respect, his ministry differed widely from that of
the priests under the Law, and from that of the false
teachers under the Gospel : for both the one and the
other of those, resting in externals, betrayed their
hearers to their ruin ; whereas he, by setting forth
the true Gospel according to its spiritual import, was
instrumental to their salvation : " He was a minister
of the new testament," not of the letter, but of the
spirit : for, says he, " the letter killeth, but the spirit
giveth life."
How any revelation from God should have the
effect of "killing" those to whom it was given, and,
more especially, how the new testament should be
attended with any such consequences, does, it must
be confessed, at first sight appear strange and incre
dible. But the Apostle's declaration is true : " the
letter does kill ; and the spirit alone makes alive."
This will be seen,
456 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 6. [2008.
I. By contrasting the new testament with the old—
The old-testament dispensation had no power to
give life—
[The Law, as given to man in Paradise, was undoubtedly
" ordained unto life :" and was capable of giving him life, if he
had continued obedient to it : but to fallen man it never has
been, or can be, a source of life.
Its commands are such as fallen man cannot obey. It
requires us to " love God with all our heart, and all our mind,
and all our soul, and all our strength, and our neighbour as
ourselves." But who can do this ? Who, except the Lord
Jesus Christ himself, has not failed in some particular?
At the same time that its commands are so difficult, it affords
no strength whatever for the performance of them. It simply
says, Do this, and live: but it contains no promise of assist
ance for the doing of it, nor any intimation of pardon for one
single act of disobedience.
It moreover enforces its commands with a most awful sanc
tion, denouncing " a curse against every man who continueth
not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do
them :" so that if there be in our obedience no absolute dere
liction of duty, but only a defect ; and if that defect be of the
slightest kind, and occur only once in the whole course of our
lives ; the penalty instantly attaches to us, and is irreversibly
denounced against usa.
Thus, in itself, the law is, as the Apostle justly calls it, " a
ministration only of death and of condemnation11."
But, in the manner in which it is promulgated, it has yet a
further tendency to " kill." For it is promulgated now exactly
as it was in Paradise : and there is no notice given in the de
calogue that we are not to trust in it for acceptance : so that
a person who does not inquire diligently into the design of
God in giving it, is but too likely to misapprehend its real use,
and to rest in it, instead of looking out for some other law
in which he may rest.
Further, the ceremonial law also has, through the ignorance
of man, the same tendency to "kill" those who are placed
under it. For, whilst it prescribes certain observances, as
means of expiating transgression, it gives no direct information
concerning the precise nature and extent of the remission ob
tained by them : so that a person performing the appointed
ordinances would be likely to conceive that his sins were actually
pardoned in the sight of God ; whilst, in reality, the annual
repetition of the same sacrifices might teach him that they
were not completely and finally forgiven0.
a Gal. iii. 10. b Ver. 7, 9. c Heb. x. 1—4.
2008.] THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL COMPARED. 457
The truth is, that neither the moral nor ceremonial law was
given for the purpose of enabling any one to obtain, by means
of it, a justifying righteousness. They were both given with
a view to prepare men for that better dispensation which was
in due time to be introduced ; the moral law shutting them up
under condemnation ; and the ceremonial law opening to them
a door, whereby they might find access to that better dispensa
tion, which should in due time be revealed"1.
It will naturally, then, be asked, ' Did the legal dispensation
actually " kill" all who lived under it?' I answer, God for
bid. There were multitudes saved under that dispensation ;
not, however, through any influence of the law itself, but by
looking forward to the Gospel, and by apprehending that
Saviour who was held forth to them in their types and shadows.
" Abraham by faith beheld the day of Christ, and rejoiced;"
and so did thousands of his believing posterity. The giving
of the law made no difference in that respect. The use of
the law was to shew men their need of a better dispensation,
and to prepare them for it ; that, when the time for the full
manifestation of the Gospel should arrive, the Saviour might
be welcomed by his own people, and the whole world be made
partakers of his salvation e.]
The office of giving life was reserved for the
Gospel —
[The Gospel contains the substance, of which the law was
the shadow. The commands of the Gospel are different : the
law says, "Do:" the Gospel says, "Believe*." The promises
of the Gospel are different. Under the law no mention was
made of spiritual assistance to any one : but under the Gospel,
the Spirit is promised to every believer6: and "grace sufficient
for him," how great soever his necessities may beh. In fact,
the Gospel provides a remedy for every want of man. Is he
guilty? it provides a righteousness wherein he may stand
faultless in the presence of his God, even the righteousness of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Is he a polluted creature ? it provides,
that through the operations of the Holy Spirit he shall " be
sanctified wholly in body, soul, and spirit." However weak
he may be in himself, " God's strength shall be perfected in
his weakness ;" so that he may boldly say, " I can do all things
through Christ who strengthened! me." Is he deserving of
the lowest hell ? by embracing this Gospel he shall obtain all
the glory and felicity of heaven.]
If it he asked, Whether the Gospel produces this
d Gal. iii. 21— 24. e Gal. iii. 19. f Rom. x. 5 — 13.
« Acts ii. 38, 39. h 2 Cor. xii. 9.
458 2 CORINTHIANS, III. G. [2008.
effect on all to whom it is sent ? I must answer, No :
and this will lead me to make distinctions in reference
to the Gospel itself,
II. By contrasting the new testament as externally
administered, with the same as internally and
spiritually received—
The new testament itself, as a letter, has no other
effect than that of " killing" those to whom it is pro
claimed—
[The new-testament dispensation is, in its very nature,
calculated to offend the pride of man, and to prove a stumbling-
block to the unhumbled spirit. It was declared, by the Pro
phet Isaiah, that it should be so : " Sanctify," says he, " the
Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him
be your dread : and he shall be to you for a sanctuary ; but
for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to both the
houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem ; and many among them shall stumble, and fall, and
be broken, and be snared, and be taken1." And when the
Saviour came into the world, the holy man, who took him up
in his arms, declared, that " he was set no less for the fall than
for the rising again of many in Israel k." And did not the
event correspond with these predictions? St. Peter tells us,
that, whilst " to some he was precious, to others he was a stone
of stumbling and a rock of offence, even to those who stumbled
at the word, being disobedient1." It was from foreseeing these
effects, that our blessed Lord gave that solemn caution to his
hearers, "Blessed is he that shall not be offended in me"1."
If it be thought that this offence arose only from his person, as
appearing in a low and degraded state, I answer, that it arose
from the entire constitution of the Gospel altogether. The
whole doctrine of salvation by " the cross of Christ was to the
Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness"."
The Jews could not conceive how the Mosaic law should be
superseded, and how they should be required to look for
salvation otherwise than by their obedience to it : and the
Greeks thought it perfectly absurd to expect salvation from
one, who, in appearance, was not able to save himself. So, at
this day, thousands who hear the Gospel are offended at being
told that they must renounce all dependence on their own
works, and be saved simply by faith in Christ. They cannot
comprehend how we are to be dead to the law as a covenant,
and yet alive to it as a rule of life: and the being saved entirely
1 Isai. viii. 13—15. k Luke ii. 34. ' 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8.
111 Matt. xi. <;. " 1 Cor. i. 23.
2008.] THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL COMPARED. 459
by the righteousness of another appears to supersede all occa
sion for any righteousness of their own. They can see no more
suitableness or sufficiency in such a Gospel, than Naaman
could see in the direction given him to wash in Jordan in order
to cure his leprosy.
Thus, in the very constitution of the Gospel, there is much
which has a tendency to kill those who are not of a humble
mind.
But the Gospel is thus fatal, not only to those who reject it,
but to many, also, who imagine that they have received it.
For, through the corruption of the human heart, the very
principles of the Gospel are themselves often perverted ; so that
even " the grace of God is turned into lasciviousness," and
" Christ himself is made a minister of sin." This was the case
with some in the apostolic age: and it is the case with some
at this time also. There are at the present day some who so
embrace the letter of the Gospel, as altogether to overlook its
spirit ; and who so glory in a salvation finished for them, as to
disregard the salvation that remains to be accomplished in
them : and thus they take occasion, from the freeness and
fulness of the Gospel salvation, to represent all demands of
labour and watchfulness on their part as legal : and because
God has undertaken to work in them both to will and to do
his will, they cannot see any necessity for them to work out
their own salvation with fear and trembling. Thus, I say,
some take occasion, even from the promises, to rest satisfied
without attaining the things promised.
But, besides these, there are others, who take occasion from
the precepts of the Gospel, to make their obedience to them a
joint ground of their hope. They see rewards promised to
obedience ; and they know not how to distinguish between a
reward of grace, and a reward of debt ; or between that which
forms their justifying righteousness before God, and that which
shall be approved in those who are already justified. Thus, by
uniting their own righteousness with that of Christ, they make
void all that Christ has done, and perish without any interest
in his salvation.
Thus even the new testament, as externally administered,
but not rightly and vitally apprehended, may " kill," no less
than the law itself. And so St. Paul has told us, that the
word which he preached, whilst " to some it was made a
savour of life unto life, became to others a savour of death
unto death0."]
But, when internally and spiritually received, it
" giveth life"—
0 2 Cor. ii. 16.
160 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 6. [2008.
[To some " the word comes, not in word only, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power:" and to them it is
a source of life. It conveys to them a new and vital principle,
whereby they are enabled to live unto their God : or, as the
Scripture expresses it, " they, by means of it, are made par
takers of a divine nature," and " have all things given them
that pertain unto life and godliness." They now, from their
own experience, know the meaning of that declaration of our
Lord, " I am the resurrection and the life : he that believeth
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ; and whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never diep." Their whole
conduct now evinces the change that has been wrought in
them. Being quickened from the dead, they henceforth " live
no more unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them,
and rose again." And now they can look forward to the
eternal state with sweet assured confidence, that, " because
their Saviour lives, they shall live also;" and that " when He,
who is their life, shall appear, they also shall appear with him
in glory."]
LEARN, then, from hence,
1. What the hearers of the Gospel should more
especially guard against—
[Of those who hear the Gospel, many think, that if they
receive the truths of Christianity into their minds, so as to be
orthodox in their sentiments, they have no need of any thing
further to make them partakers of its benefits. But God for
bid that any of you, brethren, should be left under any such
delusion. You must not be satisfied with hearing the truth,
but must consider " how you hear it ;" whether you give
merely a speculative assent to it ; or whether you receive it
into your hearts, as the ground of all your hopes, and as the
well-spring of all your joys. Dearly beloved, it is for this
end that, as " a minister of the new testament," I would
impress on your minds the truths which I declare. And, if
at any time I manifest a jealousy over you in relation to these
matters, know, that, it is not an uncharitable, but " a godly,
jealousy;" which I am bound to exercise over you for your
good. I am bound to " stand in doubt of you, till I can see
Christ formed in your hearts," the hope of glory. Concur
then with me in this important work. Bear in mind that you
are in danger, even from the Gospel itself; in danger of
deceiving your own souls by means of it ; and of causing " that
which is ordained to life, to be found at last unto death."
You may possibly delight in the ministry of the word, like
P John xi. 25, 26.
2009.] GOSPEL GLORY ABOVE THAT OF THE LAW. 461
Ezekiel's hearers; who came to him, just as those who were
truly pious did ; and he was to them as " a very lovely song of
one that had a pleasant voice, and played well upon an instru
ment: but though they heard his words, they would not do
them ; for their heart went after their covetousnessq." Beware,
lest by any means the Gospel prove but a dead letter : for if it
bring not your whole soul into captivity to Christ, it will be
preached, as it respects you, in vain. Beware, I say, of this :
for our Lord himself gives you this very caution ; " It is the
spirit," says he, " that quickeneth : the flesh profiteth nothing :
the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life1."]
2. What fruit a minister expects to find from his
labours —
[The Apostle spoke of the Corinthians themselves as
bearing the best testimony to his ministrations : and that is
the return which we hope to receive from you. Beloved
brethren, you yourselves are to be as " epistles of Christ,
known and read of all men." Let it be seen that you are
such indeed; that you are " epistles, written, not with pen
and ink, but with the Spirit of the living Gods." The Gospel,
whilst it saves you from condemnation, must save you also
from sin ; and, whilst you are " delivered by it from the law,
as a covenant of works, you are to be serving God, in newness
of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter*" Let us, then,
behold this change in you : let us see that " the Son of God
hath made you free indeed ;" free from carnal desires ; free
from legal hopes or fears ; free to run, with enlarged hearts,
the way of God's commandments. Then shall we know that
we have not laboured in vain ; and that God has set his seal
to our ministry for your good : for " he is not a Jew who is
one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward
in the flesh : but he is a Jew who is one inwardly ; and circum
cision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter;
whose praise is not of men, but of Godu."]
4 Ezek. xxxiii. 31, 32. r John vi. 63. 8 ver. 2, 3.
1 Rom. vii. 6. « Rom. ii. 28, 29.
MMIX.
THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL ABOVE THAT OF THE LAW.
2 Cor. iii. 7 — 11. If the ministration of death, written and en
graven in stones, ^vas glorious, so that the children of Israel
could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory
462 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 7—11. [2009.
of his countenance ; which glory was to be done away : hoiv
shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious ? for
if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth
the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even
that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect,
by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which was
done away tvas glorious, much more that 'which remaineth is
glorious.
THE Apostle, in vindicating his claim to apostolic
authority against the false teachers at Corinth who
disputed it, appeals to the Corinthians themselves as
proofs and evidences of his divine mission ; since the
work of God upon their hearts abundantly mani
fested, that his ministrations among them had been
attended with a power more than human a. In thus
substantiating his title to apostolic authority, he is
led, incidentally as it were, to mention the excellency
of that Gospel which he was sent to preach ; and
from thence to shew, that the deference due to him
was the greater, in proportion to the excellency of the
Gospel which he ministered unto them. Honourable
as the state of the Levitical priesthood was, it was
not to be compared with that of those who preached
the Gospel ; because the law, as ministered in the
"letter" of it, proved fatal to all who trusted in it;
whereas the Gospel was a source of " life" to all who
cordially embraced it : the one, as a mere " letter,
killed ;" the other, as a quickening " spirit, gave life11."
The Apostle, having touched upon this point, pro
ceeds to open it more fully in the words which we
have just read : for the fuller understanding of which
we shall consider,
I. The different terms by which the law and the
Gospel are here designated —
The law is called " the ministration of death and
of condemnation."
[The law as given to Adam in Paradise " was ordained to
life," and would have entitled him to life if he had continued
obedient to itc : but, as republished by Moses, it was never
a vcr. 2, 3, 5. with 1 Cor. ix. 2. b ver. 6.
c Rom. vii. 10.
2009.] GOSPEL GLORY ABOVE THAT OF THE LAW. 463
intended to give man any title to life ; nor could it possibly
give life, because every human being is corrupt, and incapable
of rendering to it a perfect obedience"1. The law is a perfect
transcript of God's mind and will. It makes known to man
the whole extent of his duty ; and requires a perfect obedience
to every one of its commands. If transgressed in any one par
ticular, it denounces death : it says to every soul of man, " The
soul that sinneth, it shall die." At the same time that it thus
rigorously exacts a perfect obedience, it neither imparts to man
any strength for obedience, nor provides any remedy for one
single act of disobedience : and hence it is called in our text,
" a ministration of death and of condemnation." Its voice to
all is, " Do this and live : transgress, and perish." But as
every man has transgressed it, and consequently can never do
all that it commands, it consigns to death every child of man,
according as St. Paul has said ; " As many as are of the works
of the law are under the curse : for it is written Cursed is every
one that continueth not in all things that are written in the
book of the law to do them6." We must not desire to do
them, but " do" them ; not some, but " all " not for a time,
but for a " continuance," from the first to the last moment of
our lives : nor is there any exception in favour of any child of
man ; for " every one" must stand or fall, be saved or " cursed"
according to this law ; and consequently, every man being of
necessity born under this law, " every mouth must be stopped,
and all the world become guilty before Godf."]
The Gospel is called " a ministration of righteous
ness and of the Spirit" —
[The law condemning all, the Gospel applies a remedy:
it reveals a Saviour, who, by his own obedience unto death,
has " made reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in an ever
lasting righteousness8." This righteousness is revealed to us
in the Gospel to be apprehended by faith h; and it is actually
given " unto," and put " upon," " all who believe" in Jesus1.
This righteousness is totally independent of any obedience to
the law on our part : it exists in Christ alone, and is imputed
unto us by faith k: and, so far from being augmented by any
works of ours, it would be made void by the smallest depend
ence on our own works1; and we must renounce all hope in
ourselves, before we can have any part or lot in the righteous
ness of Christ1". Hence the Gospel is called " a ministration
of righteousness," because it reveals a righteousness commen-
d Gal. iii. 21. with Rom. viii. 3. e Gal. iii. 10.
f Rom. iii. 19. « Dan. ix. 24. h Rom. i. 17.
1 Rom. iii. 21, 22. k Rom. iv. 5, 6.
1 Gal. ii. 21. and v. 4. ln Phil. iii. 9.
464 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 7—11. [2009.
surate with all the demands of the law, and offers that right
eousness to every man who will believe in Christ. It declares
that " Christ himself is the end of the law for righteousness to
every one that believeth n ;" and that the law was given as a
ministration of death on purpose to shut men up to this right
eousness, and to constrain them to seek salvation in the way
provided for them0.
The Gospel is also " the ministration of the Spirit." In the
first ages, the Spirit was given in his miraculous powers to
attest the truth and Divine authority of the Gospel. That
end having been fully answered, his miraculous powers are no
longer exercised : but his gracious influences still continue, and
will continue to the end of time. Still is he sent " to convince
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:" still
it is his office " to glorify Christ," and to " take of the things
that are Christ's, and to shew them unto us :" still does he
enlighten the minds, and sanctify the souls, of them that believe:
still does he, as the Comforter promised to the Church, operate
in the saints as " a Spirit of adoption," " witnessing with their
spirits that they are the children of God," and " sealing them
unto the day of redemption." To none is he imparted for these
ends but through the Gospel of Christ; and, wherever the
Gospel is faithfully ministered, he does accompany it with
these blessed influences ; producing holiness and comfort in all
who truly receive it.
Thus the Gospel supplies what the law knew nothing of.
We have before said, that the law spake nothing of pardon to
the guilty, or of strength to the weak: but the Gospel admi
nisters both ; and that too in such an abundant measure, as is
adequate to the necessities of the whole world : it ministers
righteousness sufficient to justify the most guilty sinner upon
earth ; and imparts the Spirit, so that the weakest may be more
than conqueror over all the enemies of his soul.]
Corresponding with this description of the law and
of the Gospel were,
II. The different degrees of glory pertaining to each —
The law was truly glorious-
fit was proclaimed by God himself with an audible voice
in the midst of such displays of glory as had never been seen
from the foundation of the world : and, that it might never be
forgotten, it was written also by the finger of God in tables of
stone. Moreover, the person through whom it was given to
Israel, had such glory imparted to him, that the people of
Israel were no more able to look steadfastly upon his face, than
n Rom. x. 4. ° Gal. iii. 22, 23.
2009.] GOSPEL GLORY ABOVE THAT OF THE LAW. 4G5
upon the face of the meridian sun. Whilst this reflected a
very high degree of glory upon the law itself, it was especially
intended to intimate to all Israel, that they were unable to
apprehend the full scope and meaning of the law p ! They
thought it a covenant whereby they were to obtain acceptance
with God ; whereas it had an infinitely higher office, even that
of " a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ, that they might
be justified by faith q." But this, which was its chief glory,
they were not able to discern : and, in consequence of their
ignorance of its true meaning, they supposed it to be of ever
lasting obligation ; whereas it was, together with all its atten
dant rites and ceremonies, to continue only till Christ should
come, and then to give way to a more perfect dispensation.
Still, however, when all the circumstances attending its promul
gation are considered, it was certainly exceeding glorious.]
But the Gospel was far more glorious —
[As imparting life, it must of necessity be far more glorious
than that which only occasioned death : for the law did really
occasion death ; inasmuch as, if there had been no law, there
would have been no transgression, and consequently neither
sin nor death1". In revealing such a way of salvation too, it is
inconceivably glorious. How mysterious is that record, " that
God hath given unto us eternal life ; and this life is in his Son :
that whoso hath the Son, hath life ; and he that hath not the
Son of God, hath not life s :" and finally, that " he was made
sin for us, who knew no sin, that we, who had no righteousness,
might be made the righteousness of God in him1!" Well is
this called, " The glorious Gospel of the blessed God ! " for in
it are " riches" of love that are altogether " unsearchable," and
heights and depths that can never be explored.
That the Gospel too transforms the soul into the Divine
image is another ground of excellence, which exalts it in
finitely above the law. The law rather irritates and inflames
the corrupt principle within us, than tends at all to the subjuga
tion of itu; but the Gospel both frees us from the dominion of
sin, and liberates us from all its penal consequences : " the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes us free from the law
of sin and death1."
The Gospel too, as being God's last dispensation, will endure
for ever ; whilst the law, which was only introductory to it, is
altogether abolished. So that in this respect also its superiority
to the law is great and indisputable.
Compare the two then, and see the difference between them :
P ver. 13. <i Gal. iii. 24.
r Rom. iv. 15. and v. 13. and 1 John iii. 4. 8 1 John v. 11,12.
1 2 Cor. v. 21. u Rom. vii. 5, 8. * Rom. viii. 2.
VOL. XVI. II II
460 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 7—11. [2009.
the lustre imparted by the one was external, on the face of
Moses ; the change wrought by the other is internal, in the
heart and in the soul. In the one, the radiance shone from
one only ; in the other, it is conferred on all who believe. In
the one, it passed away quickly ; in the other, it is abiding,
even to the end of life, and through eternal ages. In the one,
it was to be veiled from the sight of all ; in the other, it is to
be displayed for the instruction of all, that all may see in it
the hand of Gody, and learn to glorify its Divine Author2.
Well then may it be said, that " that which was made glo
rious, had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that
excelleth :" for in truth, though the law shone like the starry
heavens in the brightest night, the Gospel, like the meridian
sun, has eclipsed its splendour, and cast a veil over all its
glory.]
Let not this however be with us a matter of specu
lation only : let us consider,
III. The conduct which our superior dispensation
demands — And,
1. Of ministers —
[The influence which these considerations had upon the
Apostle was, to make him " use great plainness of speech."
He would not, like Moses, " put a veil upon his face," to
conceal any part of the splendour of this Gospel3; but would
preach it with all fidelity, and, by the fullest possible " mani
festation of it, commend himself to every man's conscience
in the sight of God V This then is what we must do ; and
what, through grace, it is our delight to do. Yes, brethren,
we declare to you freely that the law, as a covenant of works,
is abrogated ; and a new covenant, with a better Mediator,
and with better promises, is proposed to you in the Gospel.
This new covenant provides, as you have heard, righteousness
for the guilty, and strength for the weak ; and authorizes
every believer to say, " In the Lord have I righteousness and
strength0." O that we might be instrumental to the bringing
you into a near and full acquaintance with this better dispen
sation ! Never would we forget that our one great office is,
to make it known to you, and to bring you to the enjoyment
of all its blessings. We would go up to the holy mount our
selves to receive it from God, and we would come down with
it in our hands and in our hearts to proclaim it to youd. We
do proclaim it to you at this moment : we do declare to you,
that the most guilty sinner in the universe may now find
y ver. 2, 3. z Matt. v. 16. a ver. 12, 13.
b 2 Cor. iv. 2. c Isai. xlv. 24. d 1 Cor. xv. 3. 1 John i. 1 — 3.
2009.] GOSPEL GLORY ABOVE THAT OF THE LAW. 467
acceptance with God through the blood and righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ : and we declare also, that a new
heart shall be given you, and a new spirit shall be put within
you, and the whole law of God be written in your hearts, if
only you will believe in him : for he will send down his Holy
Spirit upon you, according to his promise, and, by his gra
cious influences upon your souls, will " cause you to keep his
statutes and his judgments6." All this shall be "ministered
unto you abundantly through the knowledge of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ," if only you will come unto him ;
and it shall be given you " freely, without money and without
price " ]
2. Of the Church at large —
[Your minds should be intent on this great subject : you
should seek to grow daily in the knowledge of it : you should
come up to the house of God with the same preparation of
heart to receive the word of God from your ministers, as the
Israelites did to receive the law from the hands of Moses :
your state of mind should be like to that of Cornelius and his
company, when Peter came to preach the tidings of salvation
to them ; " Now are we all here present before God, to hear
all things that are commanded thee of Godf." And as there
is no veil put before our face, so you should beg of God that
no veil may remain on your hearts. The law was hid from
Israel without involving them in any guilt or danger, if only
they complied with it as far as it was revealed to them : but
" if the Gospel be hid from you, you must eternally perish8;"
because it is the only possible way of salvation, and can save
only by operating effectually both on the understanding and
the hearth. O then beg of God to counteract the devices of
Satan, who strives continually to hide this Gospel from you ;
and entreat him " to shine into your hearts to give you the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ1!"
At the same time you must remember, that in this respect
the obedience you pay must correspond with the privileges you
enjoy. Being liberated from the law, you are released also
from all servile hopes and fears : and your service must be no
longer that of a slave, but of a child : you must serve God, not
in the oldness of the letter, but in newness of the spiritk; and in
this way you will attain all the blessings which the Gospel is
intended to impart. The intent of this Gospel is, to assimilate
you to that Saviour who proclaims it to you. Whilst you
receive it from him, a portion of his splendour must cleave
e Ezek. xxxvi. 25—27. f Acts x. 33. « 2 Cor. iv. 4.
h 1 Thess. ii. 13. '2 Cor. iv. 4, 6. k Rom. vii. 6.
H ii £
2 CORINTHIANS, III. 15, 16. [2010.
unto you, so that all who behold you may see of a truth that
you have been with Jesus. You must be " his epistles" to an
ungodly world : and so plain must be the characters written on
your heart and life, that they may be " known and read of all
men." Daily must this writing be more visible ; and daily
shall the radiance around you increase, if you live near to the
Lord, contemplating -continually the wonders of his love : for,
" if with unveiled face you behold as in a mirror the glory of
the Lord, you shall be changed into the same image from glory
to glory by the Spirit of the Lord1" — — ]
1 ver. 18.
MMX.
THE FUTURE CONVERSION OF THE JEWS.
2 Cor. iii. 15, 16. Even unto this day, when Moses is read, the
veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it shall turn
to the Lord, the veil shall be taken aivay3-.
THERE is confessedly much obscurity in different
parts of the sacred volume : even in St. Paul's writings
there are, as St. Peter tells us, " some things hard to
be understood." And this is no more than might
well be expected, considering the depth of the sub
jects treated of, even all the hidden counsels of the
Almighty, and the necessary ambiguity of prophetic
language, in order to conceal the purposes of the
Deity, till the prophecies should be unravelled by
subsequent events. Other difficulties arise out of
errors, which in the course of so many hundred years
have, through the inadvertence of transcribers, crept
into different copies of the Holy Scriptures. But,
after all, the chief source of obscurity is, the veil that
is on the heart of man, (the veil of prejudice, and
ignorance, and unbelief,) which conceals from uncon
verted men even the plainest truths. To intimate
the existence of such a veil, was one of the reasons
for Moses putting a veil over his face when he came
a An equally good text for this would be, Exod. xxxiv. 33, 34.
" Till Moses had done speaking to them, he put a veil on his face.
But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took
the veil off until he came out."
2010.] THE FUTURE CONVERSION OF THE JEWS. 469
down from the holy mount with the tables of the
law in his hands. He intimated thereby, that the
children of Israel could not look to the end of that
which was to be abolished ; that is, that they could not
comprehend the nature of the dispensation which he
was commissioned to establish ; seeing that there was
a veil upon their hearts, " by which their minds were
blinded*" That veil remained on their hearts during
the whole of that dispensation ; and, notwithstanding
" it is done away in Christ," so that, if they were dis
posed to avail themselves of the light which Chris
tianity reflects on their inspired writings, they might
now acquire a clear insight into them, " the veil yet
remains on their hearts even unto this day." But it
shall not be always so : there is a time coming, " when
that infatuated nation shall turn unto the Lord ; and
then the veil shall be taken away."
To enter fully into this subject, we must distinctly
mark what was intimated by his putting on the veil
to speak with them, and his putting off the veil to speak
with the Lord.
I. His putting on the veil was designed to shew their
present blindness —
Truly there is a veil, a thick veil, upon their hearts ;
so that to this day they cannot see,
1. The scope and intent of the Mosaic dispensa
tion —
[The Mosaic dispensation was partly legal, partly evan
gelical, and partly a national covenant, relating only to the
temporal state of the Jewish people. The law of the ten com
mandments was a re-publication of the law originally written
upon the heart of man, by an obedience to which our first
parents were to obtain eternal life. The ceremonial observances
were appointed to shadow forth the salvation offered to us in
the Gospel, and to prepare the minds of the Jews for the
Messiah, who should in due time be sent to fulfil all that was
required by the moral law, and all that was shadowed forth in
the ceremonial. The moral law was not given them in order
that they might seek justification by it; but in order to shew
them, that it was impossible for fallen man ever to be justified
b ver. 13, 14
470 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 15, 16. [2010.
by it, and that, as transgressors, they must look for salvation
solely by faith in the promised Messiah. But of these things
they had no idea : they could see nothing in the whole dis
pensation but a covenant made with them as God's peculiar
people ; by an obedience to which, according to the mere
letter of it, they supposed that they should obtain all the
blessings both of time and eternity. And this is the notion
which has been entertained by them in all successive ages even
to the present day. Notwithstanding it is impossible for them
now, by reason of their dispersion, to obey their ceremonial
law, they still suppose that they are to be saved by their own
obedience. They have no idea of the atonement that has
been offered for them, or of the righteousness that has been
wrought out for them, by Christ's obedience unto death : they
cannot raise their minds above a compliance with certain rites
(many of them appointed by man only, and substituted in the
place of those which were appointed of God), and an external
conformity with the mere letter of the moral law : like Paul,
in his unconverted state, if they have been kept from any
gross violations of their law, they account themselves " blame
less ;" and if they have transgressed their law in ever so great
a degree, they have no conception of any thing but their
repentance and reformation to re-instate them in the Divine
favour. They will indeed speak of their Messiah whom they
expect, and in whom they profess a kind of confidence ; but
they have no definite idea of what he is to do for them, or in
what way he is to recommend them to God. They know
nothing of " the law as a ministration of death and of condem
nation," nor do they know any thing of " Christ as the end of
the law for righteousness to those who believe in him." In a
word, they know nothing of their ceremonial law as completed
in him nor of their moral law as shutting them up to him : but
they stand fully on their own obedience, interpreting the pro
mises, which related only to their continuance in Canaan, as
the ground on which they look for eternal life. Thus, though
following after righteousness, and in some instances with con
siderable zeal, they neither do, nor can, attain to it, because
they cleave to the law as the ground of their hopes, and make
a stumbling-block of that stone, which is the only foundation
on which a sinner can ever stand before Gode.]
2. The true meaning of their prophecies—
[They do not see that chain of prophecy, commencing
with the promise of " the Seed of the woman who should
bruise the serpent's head," and gradually proceeding through
all successive ages, with ever increasing clearness and precision,
c Rom. ix. ,'U — 33. and x. 2, 3.
2010/J THE FUTURE CONVERSION OF THE JEWS. 471
till it terminated in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. In this
respect the Jews of later ages are blinder than their forefathers.
The Jews previous to the coining of Christ did so far under
stand the prophecies, that they knew of what tribe the Messiah
was to be born, and what was to be the place of his nativity :
they knew also, that the various prophecies which were cited
by our Lord and his Apostles were cited according to their
true import: for we do not find them on any one occasion
controverting the application of those passages to the promised
Messiah. But Jews of later ages, seeing how demonstrably
those passages prove the Messiahship of Jesus, have resorted to
other interpretations, in order to weaken the force of the
arguments with which they are pressed. Even the fifty-third
chapter of Isaiah, which seems to defy the ingenuity of man
to pervert it, is explained away by them as not relating to the
Messiah. The idea of a suffering Messiah they cannot bear :
and they, who are constrained to confess that such an one is
indisputably predicted in the prophecies, say that they shall
have two Messiahs, one a suffering, and the other a triumphant,
Messiah. As for all the prophecies that determined the
time for the Messiah's advent, as to be before the depar
ture of the sceptre from Judah, and during the existence of
the second temple, they get over them by saying, that God
did indeed intend to send the Messiah at that time ; but that
he has deferred it these eighteen hundred years, and still defers
it, on account of the wickedness of their nation. And the
Messiah whom they expect is to be a mere temporal Prince,
who shall subdue all their enemies, and make them in a tem
poral view the head of all nations.
Thus is there an impenetrable veil upon their hearts, as thick
as that which was on the hearts of those who crucified the
Lord of glory. We are told, that " their rulers at that time,
not knowing the voices of the prophets which were read every
Sabbath-day, fulfilled them in condemning himd:" and the
same is true of all the Rabbins at the present day. Even the
Apostles themselves, after they had been instructed by their
Divine Master for above three years, were still so blinded by
the prejudices of their nation, that they could not admit the
thought of a suffering Messiah, even when they were told of it
by our Lord himself in the plainest terms e : yea, even after his
resurrection, they still dreamed of only a temporal Messiah f.
From them, through the tender mercy of their Lord, this veil
was at length removed * ; but on their unhappy countrymen it
still remains, according to the predictions of the Prophet
d Acts xiii. 27. c Luke xviii. 31 — 34.
f Luke xxiv. 21. and Acts i. 6. • Luke xxiv. 25 — 27, 4-1 — 40.
472 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 15, 16. [2010.
Isaiah h, as cited and explained by the Apostle Paul1. And it
is remarkable that, at particular seasons, the Jews, not except
ing children of ten or twelve years of age, at this hour wear
veils in their synagogues ; a sad emblem of the veil which yet
remains upon their hearts !]
But let us turn from this painful subject to observe,
that,
II. His putting off the veil was designed to shew the
manifestations that await them —
When Moses spake with the children of Israel,
he put the veil on his face ; but when he went in to
speak with the Lord he took off the veilk. However
this, so far as his own feelings were concerned, might
mark his humility, it covertly intimated to the Jews,
that whilst they should converse only with men, and
hearken to nothing but their own superstitions, the
veil would remain on their hearts : but, " when once
they should turn to the Lord their God," to converse
with him, and to seek instruction from him, " the
veil that was on their hearts should be taken away."
So God promised them by Moses, at the very time
that he foretold their present dispersion1; and so it
shall assuredly be in due season. In this respect
their conversion will differ widely from the conversion
of the heathen. The heathen, for want of previous
instruction, will have their eyes gradually opened :
the removal of the veil from their heart will do no
more than give them a suitable disposition to receive
the great truths of Christianity, which shall be sub
sequently set before them : but the Jews, being pre
viously acquainted with their own law and with the
writings of their prophets, will at once behold them
all as centering in the Lord Jesus : their sight will be
like that of a man, who, having been long conversant
with the different wheels and springs of some com
plicated machine, (a steam-engine or a watch,) but
never having had any notion of their relation to
each other, and their harmonious adaptation to one
common end, beholds them at once combined, and
h Isai. xxix. 9, 10. ' Rom. xi. 7, 8, 2o.
k Exod. xxxiv. 33, 34. » Deut. iv. 2(5, 27, 30, 31.
2010.] THE FUTURE CONVERSION OF THE JEWS. 473
in full activity : they will have glorious views of the
Gospel salvation : they will behold, with an evidence
brighter than the meridian sun,
1. Its truth and certainty—
[Being already to a certain degree conversant with their
types and prophecies, though ignorant as to their true import,
they will, as soon as the veil is removed from their hearts, be
astonished to see how every particle of them is fulfilled in
Christ : and such will be their conviction of his Messiahship,
that they can no more doubt of it than Paul did, after the
revelation which he received in his way to Damascus. The
Scriptures will then appear to them like the impression of a
seal on which are engraven ten thousand figures ; so clear and
manifest will be the correspondence between the shadow and
the substance, the type and the antitype. Their views of this
will be incomparably clearer than those of Christians in general
at this day : " The light of the moon will be as the light of the
sun, and the light of the sun seven-fold, as the light of seven
days, in the day that the Lord shall bind up the breath of his
people, and heal the stroke of their wound™."]
2. Its mysteriousness and sublimity—
[How " great will that mystery of godliness, God manifest
in the flesh," appear to them, when they shall see, that that
very Jesus, whom their fathers crucified, was indeed " the
Lord of glory," " Jehovah's fellow," " Emmanuel, God with
us !" Then they will see, that every part of their ceremonial
law was fulfilled and realized in him : that he was the true
Temple, " in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily ;" the altar, which sanctifieth all our gifts ; the sacrifice,
that taketh away the sins of the whole world ; the priest, that
offered that sacrifice, and is gone with his own blood within
the vail, and ever liveth there to make intercession for us.
Then they will see why God repeatedly gave that particular
command to Moses, " See thou make all things according to
the pattern shewn to thee in the mount." Every the minutest
point that was revealed to Moses, portrayed something in the
character of Christ ; so that, if any thing had been omitted,
or added, or altered in any respect, the resemblance between
the type and antitype would have failed, and God's work would
have been imperfect; the edifice and the model would not
have been alike. All the offices of Christ, as Prophet, Priest,
and King, together with all that he should do in the execution
of them, was there delineated : and, when the completion and
concentration of them all shall be made manifest to them, with
m Isai. xxx. 26.
474 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 15, 16. [2010.
what wonder and admiration will they exclaim, " O the depths
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable
are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"]
3. Its fulness and excellency —
[The contrast between the imperfection of their law and
the perfect efficacy of the Gospel will in this respect be to
them most delightful : their law was burthensorne in the
extreme ; a yoke which they were not able to bear : but
" Christ's yoke is easy, and his burthen light." Their obser
vance of the appointed ceremonies brought them no solid
peace : the very repetition of the same sacrifices shewed, that
their sins were not fully removed: for indeed "it was not
possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away
sin." Their sacrifices were, in fact, no more than a remem
brance of sins yet unforgiven. But the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth from all sin ; " it purges the conscience from dead
works to serve the living God." Thus they will see, that,
though " the law made nothing perfect, the bringing in of a
better hope does :" " it perfects for ever all them that are
sanctified." Now the vail of the temple (the body of the
Lord Jesus) being rent in twain, they will find access into the
holiest of all, every one for himself, and be emboldened to
" cry, Abba, Father." Now they will see that they, without
exception, are all kings and priests unto God and the Father,
and are entitled to "an inheritance that is incorruptible, and
undefiled, and never-fading." O what joy will they experience,
when they see the fulness of the provision made for them in
Christ Jesus, and the freeness with which it is offered, even
" without money and without price !" Truly when they are
brought to look on him whom they have pierced, they will
mourn and be in bitterness, as one that mourneth for his first
born ; and the very instant they believe in him, they will
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."]
Here then we may SEE,
1. What we should seek for ourselves —
[We must not imagine that there is a veil on the heart of
Jews only ; for there is one on the heart of Gentiles also, even
of every child of man. Yes, we, who call ourselves Christians,
are by nature blind as the Jews themselves. The veil that is
upon the Mosaic dispensation, is indeed " done away in
Christ11:" but the veil that is on our hearts is not done away:
on the contrary, it is as visible upon us as upon any others of
the human race. Look around and see how lew are there who
with unveiled face behold " the glory of God shining in the
11 ver. 14.
2010.] THE FUTURE CONVERSION OF THE JEWS. 475
face of Jesus Christ ! " How few are so affected with a sight of
Christ, as to be " changed into the same image from glory to
glory by the Spirit of the Lord ° ! " Are there not on every
side myriads, who, like the Jews themselves, are looking for
acceptance with God by a superstitious observance of ordi
nances, or, at best, by their own repentance and reformation ;
and who have no higher views of Christ than as purchasing for
them a right and title to be their own saviours ? Yes, such is
the state of the generality amongst us : and those who glory
in the cross of Christ, and walk faithfully in his steps, are at
this day " for signs and for wonders," almost as much as they
were in the days of the Prophet Isaiah p. In every age, and
in every place, they are but " a little flock," a mere " remnant,"
and it is only by the removal of the veil from their hearts
that any can become of their happy number. Whatever
advantages we may enjoy, it is " not flesh and blood that can
reveal Christ unto us, but only our Father that is in heaven q."
If we have not " a spirit of wisdom and revelation given us for
the enlightening of the eyes of our understanding," we shall
continue in darkness, notwithstanding the true light shineth
all around usr. The Lord must open our hearts; or they
will continue closed, even to our dying hour8. Let us seek
then to have the veil removed from our hearts, that the
Gospel may not be hid from us. This is a blessing which
God has promised to us, yes, to us sinners of the Gentiles1:
and, if we will turn to him, and seek him with our whole
hearts, he will vouchsafe it unto us ; and " bring us out of
darkness into the marvellous light of his Gospel."]
2. What we should seek in behalf of our Jewish
brethren.
[The removal of this veil is all that is wanting on their
behalf. But many think it in vain to labour for this end : they
seem to imagine that nothing but a miracle can effect so great a
work. But why should it be more difficult with them than
with others ? Are not the Gentiles as blind as ever the Jews
can be? Look at the worshippers of Mahomet, of Brahma,
and Confucius, and see if they are not as blind and bigoted
as the Jews themselves. What were our forefathers, when
first the Gospel was preached to them ? Were not they as
far off from God as the Jews are at this day ? Yet see what
has been wrought by the Gospel in this happy land. People
do not despair of the conversion of the most savage tribes of
Africa and America : why then should we despair of seeing
" the scales fall from the eyes " of Jews? Is not God as able
0 ver. 18. P Isai. viii. 18. <J Matt. xvi. 1C, 17.
1 Eph. i. 17, 18. 8 Acts xvi. 1J. < Isai. xxv. 7.
476 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 15, 16. [2010.
to graff the Jews on their own stock again, as he was to graff
in us ? " If we who were cut out of the olive-tree, which is wild
by nature, were graffed contrary to nature into a good olive-
tree, how much more shall they who are the natural branches
be graffed into their own olive-tree u ?" It is impious to de
spair ; because God himself has engaged to take the veil from
them, the very moment they turn unto him. Let us then ex
hort them to turn to him, and to look to him for that direc
tion which alone can prove effectual. Surely this is not such
a hopeless task ! We may not perhaps succeed so rapidly as
we could wish in the first instance : but did the prophets sus
pend their labours because Isaiah and Hosea had laboured
so long almost in vain ? Or did the Apostles decline speaking
to the Jews, because their Divine Master had succeeded with
so few ? Let us do our duty, and leave to God to bless our
endeavours as he shall see fit. If we should run in vain, as
it respects the Jews, our labours shall at least " be recompensed
into our own bosom," nor shall so much as a cup of cold water
given them for the Lord's sake be forgotten. As for the
idea that the time is not yet come ; who is authorized to de
clare that ? To whom has the Lord revealed that ? A similar
objection was made by those who had no mind to incur the
expense and trouble of building the second temple : they
could build ceiled houses for themselves, but lay out nothing
for the Lordx: and this is the true secret of all such objec
tions at this day : they are only so many excuses to veil our
own want of faith and love. Let us arise and build without
delay ; and God will be with us. We have never yet tried to
take the veil from their hearts : or the exertions that have been
made, have been made too much in our own strength. Now
there is a way adopted, which, we hope and trust, God will
make effectual for the conversion of many ; I mean, the giving
to them their own Scriptures, together with the New Testa
ment also in their own language, and both of them in other
languages which they better understand. This, in concurrence
with the other means that are using, will, we hope, be the
means of removing the veil from the hearts of many, and of
hastening forward the happy day, when the " children of
Israel shall return, and seek the Lord their God, and David
their kingy;" and so " all Israel shall be savedV
And here let me observe, that to impart to them the light
which we ourselves have received, is a duty of the first im
portance, because it has been committed to us for the express
purpose of communicating it to them ; God having especially
ordained, that " through our mercy (or the mercy vouchsafed
u Rom. xi. 23, 24. x Hagg. i. 2 — 4.
y Hos. iii. 5. z Rom. xi. 26.
2011.] CHRIST THE SOUL OF THE ENTIRE SCRIPTURES. 477
to us) they (the unbelieving Jews) should obtain mercy a."
Now, what should we say of any person to whom the care of a
lighthouse had been committed, if, through his neglect to
exhibit the light, the very fleet which he was appointed to
preserve should suffer shipwreck, and ten thousand mariners
be drowned ? would not the whole nation charge him with the
guilt of their destruction, yes, and visit him too with condign
punishment for his offence? Yet he would be innocent in
comparison of us, who have been accessary not to the loss of
the bodily life of a few thousands; but to the eternal per
dition of millions, in that we have neglected to set before them
that light by which alone they could be saved. O let us not
blame the Jews for the veil that is upon their hearts, but cast
the blame where it is more justly due — on the Christian world,
who have used no efforts to rend it from them, and to give
them the light of life. And, as our neglect has been of long
continuance, let us now exert ourselves with an energy that
shall at once evince the depth of our repentance for our
neglect of them, and the sincerity of our gratitude for the
mercies vouchsafed to us.]
3 Rom. xi. 31.
MMXI.
CHRIST THE SOUL OF THE ENTIRE SCRIPTURES.
2 Cor. iii. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
THE Scriptures are not sufficiently viewed as a
whole. We are apt to take detached parts only, and
to form opinions from them, when we ought rather
to regard every part in its connexion with the rest ;
and so to get a comprehensive view of religion, in all
its parts, and in all its bearings. The truth is, that
revelation is the same from the beginning, and con
stitutes one great whole ; it is a body having many
parts that are visible and tangible : but it is pe
netrated by a soul, which, though invisible, really
pervades every part ; and that soul is CHRIST.
The Apostle, in the preceding context, is comparing
the Law and the Gospel ; which, if disjoined, may be
considered, the one as a " mere letter" a ministration
of death ; the other, as a Spirit, a " ministration of
righteousness and lifea :" but if they be viewed in their
» ver. 6 — 9.
478 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 17. [2011.
relation to each other, then is the one the shadow,
whereof the other is the substance ; the body,
whereof the other is the soul.
This seems to be the import of the passage which
I have just read. The Apostle is speaking of glorious
truths veiled under the lawb; which, though in itself
carnal, was full of " life and spirit0." Now, says he,
" the Lord is that Spirit : and where the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is liberty ;" that is, where the true
spiritual import of the Scriptures is understood, and
Christ is clearly seen in them, and received into the
heart through them, " there is that very liberty"
which they were designed to impart.
The words thus explained will give me occasion to
take a view of the whole revelation of God :
I. In its substance, as an exhibition of Christ —
The Old Testament, comprehending the law and
the prophets, is one great body : but Christ is the
soul that animates it throughout. He is the sub
stance of,
1. The law-
[The moral law may seem to consist only of prohibitions
and injunctions ; enforced with promises to obedience, and
threatenings to disobedience. But it is, in fact, a revelation
of Christ, inasmuch as it " shuts us up to Christ, and is a
schoolmaster to bring us to himd:" for, in reality, every
command, whilst it shews us how defective our obedience is,
directs us to Christ ; who has fulfilled it in its utmost extent,
and has thereby wrought out a perfect righteousness for his
believing people. This is the account given of it by an in
spired Apostle, who says, " Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believeth6."
The ceremonial law was nothing but a mass of " carnal
ordinances," which had no force or value in themselves; but,
as representations of Christ and his perfect work, were of
infinite value. In them " the Gospel was preached, precisely
the same Gospel as is now preached unto usf." Christ was
contained in every part of themg; and was, in fact, the sub
stance of which they were the shadow11. This may be seen in
all its sacrifices, &c. &c. ]
b ver. 13, 14. <= John vi. C3. d Gal. iii. 22—24.
e Rom. x. 4. f Heb. iv. 2. el Cor. x. 3, 4.
h Heb. x. 1. Col.ii. 17.
201 l.J CHRIST THE SOUL OF THE ENTIRE SCRIPTURES. 479
2. The prophets—
[These confessedly, with one voice, spoke of Christ: so
that, from the first promise of " the seed of the woman to
bruise the serpent's head," to the last that was uttered re
specting " the Sun of Righteousness that should arise with
healing in his wings," all spake of him ; all directed to him ;
and he was the life and soul of all — — ]
To those who thus enter into the full scope of
revelation, it will be made known,
II. In its effects, as a ministration of liberty —
The whole of it, altogether, is " that truth which
will make us free1."
It will impart liberty,
1. From all legal obligation —
[As for the ordinances of the ceremonial law, they were
all intended to be " abolished k," and are abolished1. But
even the moral law itself, so far as it ivas a covenant of life
and death, is abolished. We are brought under " a better
covenant," a covenant of grace1". We therefore hear the
curses of the law without any emotion, except of love and
gratitude. The thunders of Mount Sinai have no terror for
us : " there is no condemnation to us," because we believe in
Christ", and have in him a righteousness fully commensurate
with its strictest demands0. He has borne its curse for us;
and left for us nothing but unalloyed and everlasting bless
ings11 ]
2. From all legal exertions—
[We no longer abstain from any thing through the fear
of hell, nor engage in any thing to purchase heaven. As far
as we are animated by the spirit of the Gospel, we can adopt
those words of David, " I esteem all thy precepts concerning
all things to be right, and I hate every false way q :" that is, I
view thy ways as so excellent, that I would walk in them
though there were no reward annexed to such a line of con
duct : and I view sin as so odious, that I would not live in it,
though I might do so with impunity. Indeed, were the
Christian penetrated with any other spirit than this, he would
render all his obedience worthless in the sight of God ; who,
though he tells us to buy the blessings of salvation, tells us
that we must buy them " without money , and without price1."
1 John viii. 32. k ver. 11.
1 Col. ii. 14, 20 — 22. Heb. vii. 18. m Heb. viii. 6 — 13.
n Rom. viii. 1. ° Rom. iii. 22. P Gal. iii. 13.
i Ps. cxix. 128. r Isai. Iv. 1.
480 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 17. [2011.
Any attempt to obtain his favour by our own works will make
void his whole Gospel, and infallibly disappoint our hopes8:
for nothing but perdition awaits such ignorant and ill-advised
zeal1.]
3. From all legal views and dispositions —
[Those who have truly received Christ into their hearts
are " not his servants, but his friends^--" yea, they are " sons
of Godx," and, with "a spirit of adoption, are enabled to call
him, Abba, Fathery." They go in and out before him with
the liberty of endeared children: for " the Lord Jesus has
made them free; and they are free indeed2" Formerly they
were, as all men by nature are, in a servile spirit, doing every
thing rather by constraint than choice : but now, " having no
more the spirit of bondage to fear, they have received the
spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound minda;" and,
under the influence of this spirit, they " walk at liberty b," and
account the service of their God to be perfect freedom.]
4. From the power of sin altogether —
[This is the most blessed part of their inheritance. A
freedom from " the bondage of corruption is the most glorious
part of the liberty of the children of Godc." And that this
is possessed by them, the whole Scriptures bear witness. Let
the sixth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans be read
throughout, and this matter will appear in the clearest light.
A believer is dead with Christ ; and therefore cannot possibly
live in sind. The being under the covenant of grace ensures
to him a victory over sin of every kind6. From the moment
that he embraced this better covenant, he was made free from
sin (from its dominion); and being " become a servant of God,
he has his fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting lifef."
The whole of this matter is placed, if possible, in a stronger
point of view in the eighth chapter of the same epistle; where
the Apostle gives precisely the same view of the whole of reve
lation as we have done, and ascribes to it precisely the same
efficacy: " The laiv of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath
made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God,
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for
sin, (hath done ; that is, he hath) condemned sin in the flesh ;
that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spiritg." Thus does
8 Gal. v. 2, 4. t Rom. ix. 31, S2. and x. 2, 3.
u John xv. 15. x John i. 12. y Rom. viii. 15.
z John viii. 30. a 2 Tim. i. 7. b Ps. cxix. 45.
c Rom. viii. 21. d Rom. vi. 1,2. e Rom. vi. 14.
f Rom. vi. 22. s Rom. viii. 2 — 4.
2012.] THE EXCELLENCY OF THE GOSPEL. 481
the whole revelation of God, whether Law or Gospel, when
rightly viewed, appear to be, as it is beautifully designated by
St. James, " a perfect law of liberty11;" and thus it is found to
be, by all who embrace it " in spirit and in truth."]
In CONCLUSION, let me urge you,
1. To enter with all diligence into the true spirit
of the Scriptures—
[They are in themselves " a sealed book :" nor can any
but the adorable Lamb of God open them to our view. But
beg of him to take away the veil from them ; and from your
hearts also, when you read them1. Then will there be found
a glory in them, even all the glory of God shining in the face
of Jesus Christ. Be not contented with any thing short of
this : for this alone will produce those glorious effects which
are here ascribed to itk.]
2. To make a right use of the liberty which they
impart to you—
[There are some who profess godliness, and yet would
" promise you liberty, whilst they themselves are servants of
corruption1." But it is not a liberty in sin that Jesus gives;
but a liberty from sinm. St. Paul carefully guards us on this
head ; saying, " Ye, brethren, have been called unto liberty :
only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh"." Your
liberty is, to " run the way of God's commandments with an
enlarged heart0." " Stand fast, therefore, in that liberty where
with Christ hath made you free ; and be not entangled again
with the yoke of bondage P." Use, I say, your liberty aright
for a little while ; and soon you shall be as free and happy as
the very angels of God around his throne.]
h Jam. i. 25.
1 ver. 14.
k ver. 18.
1 2 Pet. ii. 19.
m Matt. i. 21.
" Gal. v. 13.
0 Ps. cxix. 22.
P Gal. v. 1.
MMXII.
THE EXCELLENCY AND EFFICACY OF THE GOSPEL.
2 Cor. iii. 18. But we all, with open face beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
THE Jews, when compared with the heathen
world, were highly privileged ; but the dispensation
VOL. XVI. I I
482 2 CORINTHIANS, III. 18. [2012.
under which they lived was in every respect inferior
to that of the Gospel. Of this we are fully informed
in the chapter before us. The Apostle, in vindicating
his own character, incidentally mentions the blessings
which the Corinthians had experienced by means of
his ministry : hence he takes occasion to set forth
the superior excellency of the Gospel above the law.
In confirmation of this point, we will shew,
I. The excellency of the Gospel—
In the context the law is spoken of as a ministra
tion of condemnation ; whereas the Gospel is a
ministration of the Spirit and of righteousness. Of
the Gospel it may be said,
1. It is a revelation of the " glory of the Lord" —
[The law was in some degree a manifestation of the
Divine glory ; it displayed, however, chiefly the majesty and
holiness of the Deity : but the Gospel displays the love and
mercy of God; it exhibits all the perfections of God har
monizing and glorified in the work of redemption. Thus it
is a revelation of " the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ a."]
2. It manifests this glory to the soul —
[Moses veiled the Divine lustre which shined in his face.
This was an intimation to the Jews that they could not com
prehend the full scope of the law which he published b: but this
veil is taken away by Christ0. The Gospel reflects Christ's glory
as a mirror reflects the sun We behold that glory
" with open, i. e. unveiled face." This is the common privilege
of " all " who believe.]
Nor is it more excellent in its discoveries than in
its effects :
II. The efficacy of it —
The Apostle ascribes a wonderful efficacy to the
Gospel. Experience attests the truth of his declara
tions. It transforms the soul into the Divine image —
[A view of Jehovah's glory caused the face of Moses to
shine ; but a view of Christ's glory in the Gospel changes our
hearts. It renews us after the very image of our Lord and
Saviour. It does this in every person who truly beholds it.]
a 2 Cor. iv. 6. b ver. 13. c ver. 14.
2012.] THE EXCELLENCY OF THE GOSPEL. 483
Every fresh discovery which it makes to us of
Christ's glory increases that effect—
[The first exercise of faith in Christ makes a great change,
but subsequent views of his glory advance the work of sancti-
fication. In this way is our progress in holiness carried on to
perfection.]
This power, however, it derives wholly from " the
Spirit of the Lord"-
[The Gospel has not that power in itself. Were its power
inherent, it would operate uniformly on all: but its operation
is dependent on the will of Godd. The word is called " the
sword of the Spirit." It is the Spirit's instrument whereby he
subdues souls to the obedience of faith. Every fresh effect
produced by it arises from the concurring operation of the
Spirit : yet as it is the great instrument whereby the Spirit
works, the effects are properly ascribed to it.]
INFER —
1. How great a blessing it is to have the Gospel
preached to us —
[Nothing else will produce the effects here ascribed to
the Gospel. The terrors of the law may alarm, but will not
sanctify the heart; but the mild accents of the Gospel win the
soul. A manifestation of Christ's glory constrains us to obedi
ence. Let all rejoice therefore in hearing the glad tidings.
Let all endeavour to experience these glorious effects.]
2. Whence it is that many make so small a pro
ficiency in holiness —
[Many truly desire to advance in holiness, but they seek
it in dependence on their own strength. Hence they make
but a small progress in the divine life. They should rather
use the means prescribed in the text. They should be often
occupied in surveying the glory of Christ. The discoveries of
his glory would do more than all their legal exertions —
Let every eye therefore be fixed on him, till the effects appear
both in our hearts and lives. Our views of him ere long shall
be incomparably brighter6 ; then the effects also shall be pro-
portionably increased f.]
d 1 Cor. xii. 11. e 1 Cor. xiii. 12. f 1 John iii. 2.
484 2 CORINTHIANS, IV. 4—6. [2013.
MMXIII.
THE CONTEST BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN.
2 Cor. iv. 4 — 6. The God of this world hath blinded the minds
of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord ; and
ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who com
manded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in
our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ.
THE office of the ministry, if conscientiously dis
charged, is the most honourable and useful that a
human being can execute : but, if perverted to carnal
ends and purposes, it debases a man's character, and
renders him more injurious to society than a raging
pestilence. A minister, if he be upright before God,
will not seek his own honour or interest, but the sal
vation of his people : he will be the servant of men
for Christ's sake : he will employ all his time and
talents in the line of his own peculiar profession ; and
will gladly sacrifice, not his reputation only or his
interests, but his very life, if need be, in the service
of his fellow-creatures : feeling the importance of his
work, he will never degrade the pulpit by making it
a theatre whereon to display his own abilities ; but
will commend himself to every man's conscience in
the sight of God, and exert himself to the utmost to
rescue sinners from the jaws of the devouring lion.
St. Paul, in the passage before us, labours to impress
this thought on our minds. Speaking of the blind
ness of men, not only under the law, but even under
the clearer light of the Gospel, and having ascribed
it to the agency of Satan, he affirms, that his one
employment as a minister was, to co-operate with
God in defeating the purposes of that wicked fiend. —
Not content with having declared this sentiment in
the verses preceding the text, he interrupts, as it were,
the thread of his discourse, to repeat it ; intimating
thereby, that as he could not repeat it too often, so
they who should follow him in the ministerial office
2013.] THE CONTEST BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN. 485
could never dwell upon it too much; "We preach
not ourselves," says he, " but Christ Jesus the Lord,
and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."
It is however to the other parts of the text that
we wish to draw your attention at this time : they
exhibit in a contrasted view,
I. The great powers that interest themselves about
the souls of men-
Satan is more earnestly occupied respecting us
than we are aware of—
[The power here called " the god of this world" is most
assuredly the devil. His character is put in direct opposition
to that of Jehovah ; and therefore, however august the title
may appear, it must be understood in reference to him, who
has shewn himself from the beginning the great enemy both of
God and man. He is called the god of this world, because
the whole world lies under his dominion. Not that he is the
rightful governor ; he is a vile usurper, that has reduced our
fallen race under his power, and exercises over them the most
despotic sway. Repeatedly is he called by Christ himself,
" the prince of this world ;" and by the Apostle, " the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience." It is by blinding their minds that
he retains his power, and makes them account that liberty,
which is, in fact, the sorest bondage. Is it asked, How does
he blind their minds? We answer, He has a multitude of
devices, which cannot be discovered without much deep expe
rience, and much divine instruction. He puffs us up with a
conceit that we know enough already ; and thereby keeps us
from seeking information. He stimulates us to the gratifica
tion of our corrupt propensities, that we may have neither
leisure nor inclination to attend to our spiritual concerns. He
fills us with prejudice against the doctrines of the Gospel as
erroneous, and against the ministers and people of God as
hypocrites or enthusiasts; and thus confirms us in our natural
enmity against God himself. Sometimes he represents God
as too merciful to punish ; and, at other times, as too inexorable
to forgive ; and thus either lulls us aleep in security, or ener
vates us by despondency. By these and other wiles too nume
rous to recount, he keeps men in his snares, and " leads them
captive at his will."]
Jehovah also condescends to interest himself in
our behalf —
[The God of heaven is here opposed to the God of this
world; and is described by an expression of his omnipotence
486 2 CORINTHIANS, IV. 4—6. [2013.
no less wonderful than the creation of the universe out of
nothing; " he commanded the light to shine out of darkness."
While Satan is endeavouring to blind men, Jehovah exerts
himself to enlighten their minds. He could indeed effect his
purpose in an instant ; but he is pleased to make use of
means, and to form his new creation in a gradual manner.
He sends his ministers to declare his truth, and his Spirit to
seal it on our hearts. Thus, by fixing our attention to it, by
making us to see its correspondence with our experience and
our wants, and, finally, by giving us to taste its sweetness and
excellency, he shines into our hearts, and dissipates the darkness
wherein we were enveloped.]
The contrasted representation of these great
powers exhibits to us also,
II. The ends and purposes they are endeavouring to
accomplish —
Satan strives as much as possible to hide Christ
from our eyes—
[Satan is aware that no one, who has a discovery of
Christ's glory, will ever continue submissive to his government.
Let a soul be favoured with a ray from heaven, whereby it
shall have a glimpse of the glory of God in the face of Jesus,
and it will instantly cast off its allegiance to Satan, and take
up arms against him. But, while the veil continues on the
heart, and this heavenly light is concealed from the view, the
soul will be satisfied with its state, nor ever exert itself in
earnest to break the yoke imposed upon it. This therefore it
is the great work of Satan to accomplish : he cares not what
we know or what we do, if he can but keep us from beholding
the Divine image in the face of Jesus. As every thing short
of this will be ineffectual for our salvation, so he is willing that
we should have every attainment in knowledge or morality, if
he can but succeed in this one point. This is the very marrow
of the Gospel, if we may so speak ; it is that which infuses life
into the dry bones : in vain will each kindred bone resume its
proper station in the body ; in vain will the flesh and sinews be
superinduced upon them; the body will be no other than a
breathless corpse, till a spirit of life be infused into ita: so will
the soul, however exactly fashioned as to the outward appear
ance, be altogether destitute of spiritual life, till Christ be
revealed to it, and formed within it. While " the Gospel is
hid from the soul, it is, and must be, lost."]
God, on the other hand, strives to reveal Christ
unto us —
a Ezck. xxxvii. 7 — 0.
2013. J THE CONTEST BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN. 487
[He knows that nothing short of a discovery of Christ
will ever save the soul. If we speak with the tongues of men
and of angels, if we have faith that can remove mountains,
if we give all our goods to feed the poor, and our body to be
burned, and have not that view of Christ which fills our souls
with love to God and man, itprofiteth us nothingb. Not even
a knowledge of Christ himself will be of any effectual service,
if we do not see the Divine perfections united in him and
glorified in the redemption which he has wrought out for us.
Hence, in every dispensation, whether of providence or of
grace, he aims at leading sinners to the perfect knowledge of
his Son : nor can he ever look upon them with pleasure and
complacency till this be accomplished.]
This subject will clearly SHEW us,
1. The value of our souls—
[Shall two such great powers interest themselves so much
about us, and we imagine that our souls are of little worth ?
Surely that which incessantly occupies their attention must
well deserve our incessant care —
2. Our state before God—
[Let us not ask ourselves merely whether we be moral
or immoral, but whether the scales have ever fallen from our
eyes, and the glory of Christ been ever revealed to our souls ?
We must be made sensible that Satan once blinded us ; that
through his influence we were in unbelief; that nothing but a
light from heaven could dispel this darkness ; and that such a
revelation of Christ to the soul is the only possible source of
life and salvation. Let us inquire whether we have ever felt
that conviction, and whether, under the influence of it, we have
sought and obtained that divine illumination? -This is the
criterion by which we must judge ourselves, and by which our
state will be determined to all eternity.]
3. The constant duty of our lives—
[Though we are not to neglect our earthly calling, we
must seek above all to "grow in grace and in the knowledge
of Jesus Christ :" even after we have been enlightened, we
need be careful lest Satan blind us again and again c. We
should seek continually the illumination of God's Spirit, and,
by increasing views of Christ's glory, to be changed into his
image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lordd.]
b 1 Cor. xiii. 1—3.
c The falls of David, Solomon, and others, should put us on our
guard.
d Tf this were the subject of a Visitation or Ordination Sermon, it
would be proper to shew in this place the duty of ministers to
" preach Christ," and to " know nothing but Christ," in all their
ministrations ; since nothing but that will save the souls of those to
whom they minister.
488 2 CORINTHIANS, IV. 7. [2014.
MMXIV.
MINISTERS, THE BEARERS OF A RICH TREASURE.
2 Cor. iv. 7. We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
ST. PAUL was occasionally constrained to vindi
cate his own character against the accusations of his
enemies. He was averse to it ; and, when so doing,
accounted himself " speaking as a fool." But, when
soever he boasted, his endeavour was to magnify,
not himself but his office. As for himself, no terms
were too humiliating for him to use, whether he spake
of his former life, or of his present exertions in the
cause of his divine Master. The passage before us
well illustrates his views in both respects. The
Gospel which he ministered was, in his estimation,
" a treasure :" but he himself, and all his colleagues,
were no better than " earthen vessels ;" worthless in
themselves, and only useful as imparting unto men
" the riches which they contained."
The passage before us will lead me to notice,
I. The true character of the Gospel-
It is here called " a treasure :" and well it deserves
the name.
In itself, it is utterly invaluable—
[If considered as the product of Divine wisdom, it infinitely
surpasses all that could have been conceived by the brightest
intelligences in heaven : and, as an effort of Divine love, it is
so stupendous as to be absolutely incomprehensible. In it, all
the glory of the Godhead shines, with a splendour never before
seen even by the angels around the throne. There is not a
perfection of the Deity which is not honoured by it, and mag
nified far beyond what it could ever have been by any other
device, or any other dispensation.]
As dispensed, it marvellously enriches all who
receive it—
[To every soul of man that embraces it, is imparted a
forgiveness of all sin, a peace that passeth all understanding,
a strength that shall triumph over every adversary, and, at the
close of this present life, all the glory and felicity of heaven.
2014.] MINISTERS, BEARERS OF A RICH TREASURE. 489
In comparison of this, the riches of ten thousand worlds were
nothing. Possessed of this, a Lazarus were rich ; and in the
want of it, the greatest monarch in the universe were poor.]
Most unsuited to this, however, appears to be,
II. The character of those to whom it is committed —
We should naturally expect, that those who are
appointed to dispense this treasure should be taken
from the highest order of creation, and from the very
first rank amongst them. We should imagine that
none but angels and archangels should be counted
worthy of so high an honour. But God has judged
otherwise ; and has committed this treasure to
" earthen vessels."
The Apostles are justly so denominated—
[They were men of low origin, a few poor fishermen.
They were exceeding frail in their nature, not one amongst
them without some great blemish : for in the hour of their
Lord's extremity, " they all forsook him, and fled." They
were all worthless in themselves, " made of the earth, and
earthly :" nor had they any thing in themselves, either to
recommend the treasure, or to augment its efficiency. If Paul
be thought an exception, on account of his learning and
eloquence, he purposely laid aside his eloquence, from a per
suasion that the wisdom of words had no other tendency than
to make void the cross of Christ.]
And this is the character of God's most faithful
servants at this day —
[It is not from amongst the wise and learned that God,
for the most part, selects his most active and efficient instru
ments. Not that he proscribes learning; but because he is
jealous of his own honour, and would " have our faith to stand,
not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of Goda." He
" chooses the weak things of the world to confound the
mighty b." Not that any, however eminent, can claim any
higher title than that assigned them in the text : for all are
guilty, and need the same mercy which they preach to others ;
all are weak, and must be upheld by God every moment, lest
they fall and perish. And not one amongst them can convert
or edify one single soul by any power of his own. However
useful any be, they are only like the pitchers which contained
the lamps of Gideon0 — - it was not the pitchers that in
a 1 Cor. ii. 5. b 1 Cor. i. 26—29
c Judg. vii. 19 — 21. God would not suffer Gideon to employ any
thing like an effective army, lest they should ascribe the victory to
490 2 CORINTHIANS, IV. 7. [2014.
any respect contributed to his success; no, nor yet the light
which they contained : it was the power of God accompanying
that light, which obtained the victory ; and which alone
prevails at this day for the subduing of men to the obedience
of faith ]
Let us now proceed to contemplate,
III. The peculiar advantage arising from this dispen
sation-
There is an " excellency of power" in the Gospel—
[There is nothing under heaven that accomplishes such
wonders as this. It conies to men who are dead in trespasses
and sins, and by a divine energy brings them forth to life.
The prophet's vision of the dry bones gives a just representa
tion of its effects d - - We see how it wrought on the day
of Pentecost, and afterwards throughout all the Roman Em
pire — — And the same effects does it produce at this day,
wherever it is preached in simplicity, and accompanied with
power from on high. There are many living witnesses (not a
few, I would hope, in this place) who can attest, that, by
means of it, their " eyes have been opened, and their souls been
turned from the power of Satan unto God."]
By the weakness of those who dispense it, the
power of God that accompanies it is the more dis
played—
[If it were ministered by angels, men would be ready to
ascribe its efficacy to the instruments by whom it was dispensed.
But, when it was preached by poor fishermen, without learn
ing, without any earthly power to support them, and in direct
opposition to all the prejudices and passions of mankind, to
what could its wonderful power be ascribed? To nothing,
surely, but the mighty operation of the Spirit of God. So, if
at this day God made use of none but the great and learned,
we should give the honour unto those by whom he wrought,
rather than to Him alone. But when he ordains strength, as
it were, in the mouths of babes and sucklings, we are con
strained to say, that He who works either in us, or by us, is
Gode. By this it is clearly shewn, that " neither he that
planteth is any thing, nor he that watereth ; but God, that
giveth the increase f :" it is He that is " all in allg."]
themselves. It was by three hundred only, with their pitchers and
lamps, that God wrought this great deliverance. And so it was by
the ministry of a few poor fishermen, that he triumphed over all the
powers both of earth and hell.
d Ezek. xxxvii. 1 — 10. e 2 Cor. i. 21. and v. 5.
f 1 Cor. iii. 7. " Col. iii, 11.
2014 J MINISTERS, BEARERS OF A RICH TREASURE. 191
We may SEE, then, from hence,
1. How we are to preach the Gospel—
[The Gospel was never intended to give to men an oppor
tunity of displaying their own talents, and of getting glory to
themselves ; no : we are " not to pi-each ourselves, but Christ
Jesus the LordV It is a treasure committed to us, that, as
God's almoners, we should dispense it to an ungodly world.
We are to think of nothing, but of enriching immortal souls.
If we see not this effect, we should account nothing done to any
good purpose, even though our names were celebrated over the
face of the whole earth. And if we see this seal to our mini
stry, we should account ourselves truly blessed, though we were
considered in no other light than as " the filth of the world,
and the off-scouring of all things." In preparing for our public
addresses, we should keep this end in view: in delivering
them, too, we should labour with all our might to attain it:
and we should consider the enriching of one single soul with
the unsearchable riches of Christ, a far more glorious recom-
pence than all the dignities and wealth that could be heaped
upon us.]
2. How you should hear the Gospel—
[You should lose sight of man altogether, and look only
unto God. To " be of Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas," is a
proof of sad carnality ; and is the sure way to rob yourselves
of God's blessing. You should consider the public ordinances
as God's appointed means of dispensing wealth to your souls.
You should go up to them poor, that you may be enriched ;
and empty, that you may be filled. As for the particular
talents of the preacher, or the peculiarities which attend his
ministrations, you should, as far as possible, overlook them ;
and fix your attention only on the treasure which he unfolds
to your view, and presents for your acceptance. You would
act thus in reference to a casket of jewels which was set before
you : you would not despise them because the casket was
plain ; nor regard them because it was elegant. The enjoying
of the possession is that which would be uppermost in your
mind : and so it should be when the treasures of the Gospel
are tendered to you. You should not consider the vessel in
which they are brought : if it be of gold, your regards should
not be fixed on that; nor, if it be " earthen," should you
undervalue the treasure it contains. To be enriched with all
spiritual and eternal blessings should be the one object of your
pursuit ; and for that your mouth should be opened in prayer
to God in secret; and your soul be expanded under the
492 2 CORINTHIANS, IV. 11. [2015.
ministration of his word. Above all, be sure to look to God,
and not to man ; lest you provoke your God to jealousy, and
he withhold from your souls his saving benefits.]
MMXV.
THK TRIALS OF CHRISTIANS THE MEANS OF MAGNIFYING
THEIR LORD.
2 Cor. iv. 11. We laliich live are alway delivered unto death
for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made
manifest in our mortal Jlesh.
THAT the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of
God, was the Creator of all things, is readily ac
knowledged : nor will the assertion, that " without
him was not any thing made that was made," be for
a moment disputed by any one who believes the
Scriptures : but when the same expressions are used
in reference to the events of daily occurrence, they
gain not the same easy access to our minds : yet it is
true in reference to all the works both of providence
and grace, that " without him is not any thing done
that is done :" all the evil that is done, is done by
his permission : and all the good, by his agency.
To direct the attention of men to him as the Sove
reign Disposer of all events, is the continual aim of
the sacred writers, who teach us to regard him as
" upholding all things by his own power," and over
ruling them for his own glory. One reason for his
committing the ministration of his Gospel to a few
poor fishermen was, that the enriching of the world
with its treasures might not be ascribed to human
wisdom, but altogether to the Divine power a. For
the same reason did he leave these "earthen vessels"
to be treated in such a way as almost to preclude a
hope of any long continuance of their ministrations :
it was, to give the most decisive evidence to the
world, that HE reigned on high, and by his almighty
power preserved them, till they had finished the work
which he had given them to do.
a ver. 7.
2015.] CHRISTIANS' TRIALS MAGNIFY THEIR LORD. 493
St. Paul, maintaining the authority of his Apostle-
ship against those who disputed it, shews, that, whilst
the trials to which he was exposed appeared to ren
der his divine mission questionable, the supports and
consolations that were afforded him placed it beyond
a doubt ; yea, both the afflictions and consolations
were sent on purpose that the almighty power and
continual agency of the Lord Jesus Christ might be
the more conspicuously seen, and more universally
acknowledged. Twice is this declared in the short
space of two verses15 ; and it is a truth that demands
from us the most attentive consideration. But that
we may take the subject in the connexion in which it
stands, we shall shew,
I. What was the state of the first Christians —
Perhaps the Apostle primarily refers to himself and
his fellow Apostles —
Their trials were beyond all conception great. Whilst
their Divine Master continued upon earth, they were screened
from persecution0: but when he was removed, they stood in
the fore-front of the battle. At the very commencement of
their work, they were all imprisoned, and beaten for their
Lord's saked: and from that time they were treated with all
imaginable contempt and cruelty. St. Paul, in this very epistle,
enumerates such a catalogue of sufferings as would have broken
the spirit of any man who was not miraculously strengthened
by Divine grace : " He was in labours more abundant than any
other Apostle, in stripes above measure, in prisons more fre
quent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews, he five times received
nine-and-thirty stripes ; (forty being the utmost that the Jewish
magistrates were authorized to inflict on any criminal ;) thrice
was he beaten with rods ; once was he stoned ; thrice he
suffered shipwreck ; a night and a day he was (on some piece
of a wreck) in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of
waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by his own countrymen,
in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the
wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger
and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness6." Now
though he had a greater measure of these trials than others,
they were to a very great extent the common lot of all : for it
b ver. 10, 11. c John vii. 7.
d Acts iv. .3. and v. 18, -10. e 2 Cor. xi. 23 — 27.
494 2 CORINTHIANS, IV. 11. [2015.
is not of himself only, but of all, that he speaks in another
place, saying, " I think that God hath set forth us the Apostles
last, as it were appointed to death : for we are made a spectacle
unto the world, and to angels, and to men. Even unto this
present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and
are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place : we are made
as the filth of the world, and the off-scouring of all things unto
this dayf." Every one of them might with truth make the
same solemn assertion as St. Paul did, " I protest by my re
joicing, which I have in Christ Jesus my Lord, I die daily8."]
But the whole Church were in fact exposed to the
heaviest trials—
[Stephen, being distinguished by his gifts and graces,
speedily fell a victim to the people's rage : and his death was
a signal for a general persecution against the whole Church:
and so bitter was this persecution, " that the people were
scattered abroad through all the regions of Judaea and Samaria,
none daring to continue at Jerusalem, except the Apostlesh."
They had been taught from the beginning to expect this:
they had been told, that, " if they would be Christ's disciples,
they must take up their cross daily," and " forsake all," and
follow him. The saints of former days had been called to
suffer like things1; and the same path was now prescribed to
all the followers of Christ : " they must bear about in their
body the dying of the Lord Jesus k," and " through much
tribulation must enter into the kingdom of heaven." By
" bearing about in their body the dying of the Lord Jesus," I
understand the being subjected to the same trials as the Lord
Jesus Christ himself endured when on earth : and this was,
more or less, the appointed portion of all the early Christians:
the same description of people who hated him, and persecuted
him, hated and persecuted all who resembled him, and all who
honoured him : " they had called the Master of the house
Beelzebub;" and by the same ignominious name did they
designate " those of his household." In a word, so vehement
and universal was the hatred against the very name of Christ,
that the mere profession of faith in him was esteemed a suf
ficient ground for imprisonment and death : so that the pre
diction of David respecting them was fully verified, " For thy
sake we are killed all the day long ; we are counted as sheep
for the slaughter1."]
How greatly we are interested in their history will
appear, whilst we consider,
r 1 Cor. iv. 9, 11, 13. « 1 Cor. xv. 31. h Acts viii. 1.
1 Heb. xi. 35—38. k ver. 10. 1 Ps. xliv. 22.
2015. 3 CHRISTIANS' TRIALS MAGNIFY THEIR LORD.
II. The instruction to be derived from it—
The reflections which most powerfully suggest
themselves to our minds, are,
1. How worthy the Lord Jesus Christ is to be
loved and served—
[Every convert was taught beforehand what he was to
expect : yet, in the face of all these dangers, millions embraced,
and openly professed, the faith of Christ: and as fast as one
set of Christians sealed the truth with their blood, others came
forward to confess the same Lord, and " were baptized in the
room of the dead™," like soldiers instantly springing forward
to occupy the ranks which the devouring sword had thinned.
So far were they from being intimidated, they were rather
emboldened, by all that they saw and heard : if they fled from
the sword of persecution, they availed themselves of the oppor
tunity which their flight afforded them, to preach the Gospel
throughout all the Roman empire", and " rejoiced that they
were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake." The example
of the Apostle Paul, though transcendently eminent in these
respects, may serve to shew us what was the general feeling of
the whole Church. Though his afflictions were so numerous
and heavy, yet " none of these things moved him, neither
counted he his life dear unto him, so that he might but finish
his course with joy." He was " willing not only to be bound,
but also to die, at any time, and in any manner, for the Lord
Jesus."
Now in this way did the primitive saints shew their regard
for Christ : when informed what sacrifices they should be called
to make for him, they counted the cost; and considered
the pearl cheaply purchased at the price of all that they
possessed0.
And is this pearl sunk in value ? Does not the Lord Jesus
Christ deserve as much at our hands as he did at theirs?
Yes ; it is in this way that we must all receive him : we must
" account all things but loss and dung, that we may win him :"
and " if we hate not father and mother, and even our own
lives also in comparison of him, we cannot be his disciples."
Inquire, brethren, whether you have ever come to Christ in
this way? whether you have ever had such exalted views of
his excellency, as to determine you to know nothing, and
value nothing, but him? and whether you have felt such a
deep sense of your obligations to him as to " glory in the
cross for his sake," and to make even the most cruel death for
his sake a subject of congratulation and joy, rather than of
m 1 Cor. xv. 29. " Acts viii. 4. ° Matt. xiii. 46.
490 2 CORINTHIANS, IV. 11. [2015.
sorrow and condolence*1? When such are our views of Christ,
and such the dispositions of our minds towards him, then, and
then only, have we any scriptural evidence that we truly know
him, and really belong to him.]
2. What rich provision we have in Christ —
[If we are Christ's, we must expect " fiery trials to try
us;" for " all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution." But " if our afflictions abound for his sake, he
will make our consolations to abound also." In this respect
the Apostle's experience shall be realized in us : like him, we
may be greatly tried; but, " though troubled on every side,
we shall not be so straitened," as to have no way to escape :
we may be so " perplexed," as not to know what to do; but
" we shall not be left to despair," as though we had none at
hand that was able to help or deliver. We may be " per
secuted" by the whole human race; yet shall we " not be for
saken" by our God: we may be " cast down," and apparently
vanquished, for a season ; but we shall " not ultimately be
destroyed." This is expressly promised to every member of
the Church of Christ. " He will not suffer us to be tempted
above that we are able, but will with the temptation make
also a way to escape, that we may be able to bear itq :" and in
the full confidence of this we may exult as the Apostle did,
" Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribu
lation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword ? Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved usr." Our extremities may
be such as almost to destroy all hope: but they shall be the
seasons of his effectual interposition. " In the mount He shall
be seen" by us, just as he was by Abraham5 : " when he sees
that our power is gone, and that there is none shut up or left"
to assist us, " then will he repent himself for us, and interpose
for our relief* :" and " when we are cast down, then shall we
say, There is lifting up : for God will save the humble person11."
Beloved brethren, know what provision there is for you in
this adorable Saviour — — and, whilst you reflect on " the
help which is thus laid up for you on One that is mighty,"
learn to confide in him, and to say, " If God be for me, who
can be against me ?" " If my God and Saviour be on my side,
I will not fear what either men or devils can do against me."]
3. How thankful we should be that we are permit
ted to serve the Lord Christ on such easy terms !
[Though we must all have some cross to bear, yet our
P Phil. ii. 17. il Cor. x. 13. r Rom. viii. 35—37.
s Gen. xxii. 14. ' Dent, xxxii. 36. u Tobxxii. 29
2015.] CHRISTIANS' TRIALS MAGNIFY THEIR LORD. 497
trials are nothing in comparison of those that were endured
by the primitive Church. The worst that we are called to
sustain is, a sneer, an opprobrious name, or some trivial loss.
How light would the first Christians have accounted such
petty sufferings as these ! Yet even by these are many amongst
us so intimidated, that they dare not to confess Christ openly.
What then would such persons do, if the sword of persecution
were drawn against them now, as in former days, or as at the
time of the Reformation in our own land, when so many were
burnt alive for the Gospel's sake? Well may we be thankful that
such trials of our faith as these no longer exist : for, if such a
sifting time were to arise, many, very many, amongst us, it is
to be feared, would be found no better than chaffx : many who
now look gay, " receiving the word with joy, would on the
rising of temptation and persecution presently fall awayy, and
make shipwreck of their faith." Let us all then be thankful for
the rest we enjoy and improve it for our more abundant
edification in faith and love2 ; that, if God should see fit again
to loose the chain by which our great adversary is bound, we
may " be able to resist in the evil day, and, having done all,
to stand."]
4. What under all circumstances should be our
main concern—
[The end for which such grievous persecutions were per
mitted to harass the primitive Church was, that Christ's
power and grace might be visibly seen in those who were
called to endure them : and this very consideration made St.
Paul to " take pleasure in all his distresses," because he knew,
that the power of Christ would rest upon him, and " be per
fected in his weakness a." In like manner should we also rise
superior to the concerns of time and sense, and be anxious
only, " that Christ may be glorified in our body, whether by
life or death V He is now seated at the right hand of God,
and possesses " all power both in heaven and earth." In him
is treasured up all fulness for the use of his Church, that out
of it all his members may receive according to their several
necessities. He is their lifec; and " they live by him, exactly
as he, when on earth, lived by his Father d," with whom he
was altogether one6. In all his miracles the finger of God
appeared, because they were wrought by God : so in all the
exercises of our spiritual life Christ is seen : because it is only
by strength communicated from him, that we can either do, or
suffer, as we ought f. Let this then be our endeavour, namely,
* Amos ix. 9. y Matt. xiii. 20, 21. z Acts ix. 31.
a 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10. b Phil. i. 20. ° Col. iii. 4.
d John vi. 56, 57. e Johnx. 30. f Phil. iv. 13.
VOL. XVI. K K
498 ^ CORINTHIANS, IV. IT, 18. [2016.
so to live, as to carry conviction to all who see us, that we are
under the guidance and care of an all-wise, almighty Being.
Let our every act, as it were, shew, not only how Christ lived
on earth, but that he now lives, and rules, in heaven ; and that
he is still as present with his people by his Spirit, as ever his
own Father was present with him in the days of his flesh. This
is an object worthy the ambition of the first archangel: yet is
it attainable by all of us, if only we will " live by faith on
Christ," and "cleave unto him with full purpose of heart."]
MMXVI.
THE CHRISTIAN'S EXPERIENCE IN AFFLICTION.
2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. Our light affliction, which is but for a mo
ment, ivorketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal iveiyht
of glory ; while we look not at the things which are seen, but
at the things which are not seen: for the things which are
seen are temporal; but the things whic// are not seen are
eternal.
THE Christian in every state, whether of pro
sperity or adversity, differs widely from the uncon
verted world. While others are elated hy the one
and depressed by the other, he is kept in an equable
frame of mind. As he does not place his happiness
in earthly things, he is not much affected either with
the acquisition or the loss of them. He is thankful
for success, but not overjoyed, as though some great
thing had happened unto him ; and is patient in tri
bulation, knowing that in the issue it shall work for
his good. To this effect the Apostle speaks in the
text, in which he assigns the reason why, notwith
standing the greatness of his afflictions, he was kept
from fainting under them. And his words afford us
a proper occasion to consider,
I. The disposition which the Christian cultivates—
The account which St. Paul gives of himself is
characteristic of every true Christian—
His chief aim is to attain things that are invisible—
[By " the things which are seen " we understand every
thing which relates merely to the present world, which the
Apostle comprehends under three names, " the lust of the
2016.] OF THE CHRISTIAN IN AFFLICTION. 4-99
flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life." By " the
things which are not seen" must be meant the love and favour
of God, the renovation of our inward man, the glory and
felicity of heaven. The latter of these are the objects towards
which the Christian turns his principal attention. Not that
he neglects the concerns of this world; this would be absurd
and criminal; but his great end and aim* is to obtain an
inheritance beyond the grave : even while he is most actively
employed in secular concerns, he looks through them all to
this grand object, and labours incessantly to secure it.]
To this he is led by the transitoriness of earthly
things—
[The things of this world perish with the using. If they
be not withdrawn from us, we must soon be taken away from
them ; nor will so much as one of them remain to be enjoyed
in the future world. But spiritual things remain for ever. If
we secure the love of God now, it shall abide with us to all
eternity. An interest in the Redeemer's merits, and a title
to all the glory of heaven, shall never be taken away from us.
Death, so far from terminating our enjoyments, will bring us
to the full possession of that glory, of which our present fore
tastes are an earnest and pledge. The Christian, seeing the
infinite disparity between these things, determines to make
invisible things the supreme objects of his regard, and com
paratively disregards all that can be offered to the eye of
sense.]
In this pursuit he is aided by his afflictions, as will
appear, if we consider,
II. The privilege he enjoys—
The Christian has troubles as well as others—
[The very conduct he observes with respect to temporal
things has a tendency to involve him in trouble. The world
cannot endure to see their idols so disregarded, and their
conduct so reproached. One would have supposed from the
account given us of his sufferings, that Paul must have been
the vilest miscreant that ever livedb : but the more we resemble
him in holiness, the more shall we resemble him in sufferings
also. Our enemies indeed will not professedly persecute us for
our holiness ; they will assign some specious reason. Elijah
shall be called " The troubler of Israel ;" Paul, " The man who
turns the world upside down ;" and Christ shall be punished
as a blasphemer and an enemy to civil government. But the
a This seems to be the import of
b 2 Cor. xi. 23—27.
K K 2
500 2 CORINTHIANS, IV. 17, 18. [2016.
same reason obtains with respect to all, — the world cannot
endure the light of their example0.]
These troubles however shall work for his good —
[They " are not in themselves joyous, but grievous ;"
but they tend to refine his soul, and to fit him for glory ; yea,
inasmuch as these sufferings constitute a part of the obedience
required of him, they bring with them a correspondent re
ward11. In this view they are mentioned in the text as highly
beneficial. They work for the faithful Christian a reward of
glory ; " a weight of glory" as great as his soul is able to sus
tain, and as durable as eternity itself. In comparison of this,
the Apostle calls his troubles light and momentary, yea, not
only light, but lightness itself; and intimates, that, if hyper
bole were heaped upon hyperbole, it would be impossible for
language to express, or for imagination to conceive, the great
ness of that glory which his afflictions wrought for him6.]
The preceding subjects being, to appearance, so
remote from each other, it will be proper to mark,
III. The connexion between them—
Afflictions do not necessarily produce this effect —
[In too many instances the effect that flows from them is
altogether opposite. Instead of purifying the soul, they fill it
with impatience, fretfulness, and all manner of malignant pas
sions ; and instead of working out a weight of glory for it,
they serve only to prepare for it a more aggravated con
demnation. " The sorrow of the world," saith the Apostle,
" worketh death f."]
It is only where the pursuits are spiritual, that
sufferings are so eminently beneficial—
[If the mind be set upon carnal things, it will be cast
down when it is robbed of its enjoyments ; it will say, like
Micah, " I have lost my gods, and what have I more?" But
the soul that affects heavenly things will be comforted with
the thought that the objects of its desire are as near as ever.
" While it looks at things invisible," it will be quickened in
its pursuit of them : it will be made to feel more sensibly the
vanity and insignificance of earthly things, and be urged more
determinately to seek " a kingdom which cannot be moved :"
every fresh trial will make it long more and more for the pro
mised rest ; and the storms which menace its existence, will
thus eventually waft it with more abundant rapidity towards
its desired haven.]
c John xv. 19. d 2 Tim. ii. 12.
e This is implied in the original. f 2 Cor. vii. 10.
2016.] OF THE CHRISTIAN IN AFFLICTION. 501
INFER—
1. How infatuated are the generality of mankind !
[It is but too evident that the generality of the world are
seeking earthly things, while they who are pressing forward in
pursuit of heavenly things are comparatively few in number.
What a melancholy proof is this of men's blindness and folly!
Who is there that, however much he may have gained of this
world, has not found it all to be vanity and vexation of spirit?
What comfort has any one derived from earthly possessions in
an hour of deep affliction ? And what benefit will accrue
from them in the eternal world ? Say, thou libertine, thou
worldling, or thou false professor, what has the world done for
thee ? And what hast thou of all that is past, except shame
and remorse in the remembrance of it? Who does not
acknowledge the truth of these observations the very instant
he begins to have a prospect of the eternal state? Yet, so
infatuated are we, that though every successive age has seen
the folly of such conduct, they have trodden the same delusive
path, according to what is written, " This their way is their
folly, and yet their posterity approve their saying." Let us,
however, awake from our slumber; let us not so regard the
things that are visible and temporal, as to forget that there are
things invisible and eternal ; let us live and act as for eternity ;
let us read, and hear, and pray, as for eternity. In this way
we shall remove the sting from all present afflictions, and
secure " an inheritance that fadeth not away."]
2. How blessed is the true Christian !
[As there is no state, however prosperous, in which an
unconverted man is not an object of pity, so there is no state,
however afflictive, wherein the Christian may not be considered
as a happy man. However severe or long-continued his troubles
may be, they appear to him but light and momentary ; and
however they may be productive of present pain, he has the
consolation of knowing that they work for him a weight of
glory, which will infinitely overbalance all that he can endure
in the body. " Who then, or what, can harm him, while he
continues thus a follower of that which is good?" Surely,
even in this present world the Christian has incomparably the
best portion. What he will enjoy hereafter, when he shall
come to the full possession of his inheritance, it is needless to
say. We can have no doubt but that the invisible realities
will be found a very sufficient recompence for all his zeal
and diligence in the pursuit of them. Let us then keep
those realities in view, and the nearer we come to the goal,
let us be the more earnest in " running the race that is set
before us."]
502 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 1—5. [2017.
MMXVII.
THE CHRISTIAN'S ASSURED PROSPECT OF GLORY.
2 Cor. v. 1 — 5. We knoiv that if our earthly house of this
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in
this tve groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our
house which is from heaven ; if so be that being clothed we
shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle
do groan, being burdened : not for that tve ivould be unclothed,
but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God,
ivho also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
IT has justly been said of Christians, that if in this
life only they had hope, they would be of all men in
the most pitiable condition; seeing that they renounce
all the pleasures of sin, and are exposed to all manner
of trials for their Lord's sake. And certainly, if we
consider the variety and greatness of St. Paul's
sufferings, this may be applied to him with more
propriety than to any other of the children of men.
But, notwithstanding he was " delivered daily unto
death for Jesus' sake, he was still cheerful and still
happy : and, notwithstanding " his outward man
decayed, his inward man was renewed day by day."
Do we seek the cause of this ? he had his eye fixed
on eternal things, and derived from thence a fund
of consolation sufficient to bear him up above all his
afflictions. Death had no terrors for him ; because
" he knew that, when his earthly tabernacle should
be dissolved, he had a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens."
But, as this experience was not confined to him,
we shall take occasion from the words which we have
read to shew,
I. The Christian's experience in the prospect of the
eternal world-
He knows that there is a glorious mansion pre
pared for him—
[Here he dwells in a poor trail " tabernacle," like the
2017.] THE CHRISTIAN'S PROSPECT OF GLORY. 503
patriarchs of old3, exposed to vicissitudes of every kind, and
uncertain how soon he may be called to change his precarious
abode. But he has a better tabernacle prepared for him,
a house more glorious in its structure, and more lasting in its
duration, even " a building of God, not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens." Nor is his speedy enjoyment of this
house a matter of conjecture with him, nor even of hope ; it
is a certaint}T, of which he is assured : he " knows " that such
a tabernacle is prepared, prepared for him too ; and that, " as
soon as his earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved," he shall
instantly be translated to it. It is the inheritance to which he
has been born ; and which is therefore " reserved for him,"
as he also is for it; the very power which made it for him
being pledged to put him into the possession of itb. To it the
patriarchs looked forward as the certain termination of their
earthly pilgrimage c : and with still greater certainty does the
Christian look forward to it, as being at this instant occupied
by his forerunner, the Lord Jesus Christ, " who is gone before
to prepare it for him, and is coining speedily to remove him to
itd." Like Job, he can say, " I know that my Redeemer
liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the
earth, and mine eyes shall behold him6;" and with the same
blessed assurance also he can add, " I shall be with him, and
be like him," for ever and everf.]
In the prospect of this he longs for the period of
his dissolution —
[In his present tabernacle he is laden with grievous cor
ruptions, and beset with manifold temptations, and exposed
to injuries on every side : and, from " his fightings without,
and fears within," his time is often spent in sighs and groans.
Many, many times does he exclaim with St. Paul, " O wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me ?" Notwithstanding " he
has within himself the first-fruits of the Spirit, he groans
within himself, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemp
tion of the body g." Twice is this mentioned in our text, to
certify us the more fully, that groans are the common lan
guage of the heaven-born soul ; and that it is in that language
more especially that " the Holy Spirit makes intercession
for ush."
" To be delivered from the bondage of corruption," is cer
tainly one great object which the Christian panteth after : but
he also longs, and " earnestly desires," to be brought " into
the glorious liberty of the children of God'." He knows
• Heb. xi. 9. >> 1 Pet. i. .'3—5. c Heb. xi. 10.
d John xiv. 2, 3. e Job xix. 25—27. ' 1 John iii. 2.
K Rom. viii. 23. h Rom. viii. 20. ' Rom. viii. 21.
504 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 1—5. [2017.
that " when unclothed, as it respects his present tabernacle,
he shall not be found naked" and destitute, seeing that a
better habitation is ready for him ; and it is his desire after
this better habitation, that chiefly actuates him in his longings
for the dissolution of his earthly tabernacle. It is "not merely
to be unclothed," and to get rid of his present troubles, but
" to be clothed upon with his house from heaven," and have
" mortality swallowed up of life." It is no disparagement to
a godly soul to say, " O that I had wings like a dovek ! for
then would I flee away and be at rest :" but it is a higher
attainment to say, " I long to be dissolved, that I may be with
Christ1:'
We are ready to imagine that there is a confusion of meta
phor in this place, and that " to be clothed upon with a house,"
is an absurd expression : but, if we advert to the circumstance,
that that house is " a tabernacle," and that a tabernacle is
constructed with an awning or covering cast over it, the pro
priety, and indeed the beauty, of the expression will appear
at once. And when it is considered that even the tabernacle
of the Most High was not so far superior to the accommoda
tion of the meanest Israelite, as the mansions prepared for us
are above the tabernacle in which we now live, we shall not
wonder, that the soul of the believer sighs and groans for his
blest abode ; his abode, the residence of angels, the habitation
of his God. It was this consideration that made Paul so
satisfied in the near prospect of martyrdom : " I am now
ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand :
but there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give mem." It was the
same, that rendered Peter also equally composed in the near
approach of crucifixion. He designates even that cruel death
by the gentle term of " putting off this tabernacle ;" to which
he was reconciled by the thought that an infinitely better
mansion awaited him at his departure hence". But is it for
Apostles only to enjoy this sweet assurance? Are they alone
authorized to look forward with delight to the eternal world?
No : this is the privilege of every saint. Heaven is the
believer's home : whilst he is here, he is a sojourner, in a state
of exile from his Lord : and when he goes hence, he ceases
from his pilgrimage, and goes home to the bosom of his God0.
If we are " walking by faith and not by sight," that is, if we
are true believers, that is our present portion, and " our
eternal great reward."]
But, whilst we assert that this is the Christian's
experience, it will be proper to shew,
k Ps. Iv. 6. l Phil. i. 21 — 23. m 2 Tim. iv. 7,8.
n 2 Pet. i. 13, 14. " ver. 6, 8. See the Greek.
2017.] THE CHRISTIAN'S PROSPECT OF GLORY. 505
II. How he attains to it—
It is wrought in him by his God—
[Man cannot work it in himself. Man may desire to get
rid of his present trials, and in a fit of impatience may " choose
strangling rather than life:" indeed it is but too common for
those who are bowed down with a load of worldly troubles, to
seek relief in suicide. But this is very different from the expe
rience in our text, a principal ingredient in which is a desire
after the glory and felicity of heaven. This no man can pro
duce in his own soul. Man, of himself, has no conception of that
blessedness, nor any taste for the enjoyment of it : much less
has he such a view of it as will incline him to brave the most
cruel death for the attainment of it. He who alone can work
this in the soul of man, is God. He alone, who opened the
eyes of Stephen to behold God, and Jesus Christ standing at
the right hand of God, can give to any man a just apprehen
sion of the heavenly glory, together with an assurance of his
title to it, and his interest in it. He alone, who raised up the
Lord Jesus from the dead, can so deliver us from the fear of
death, that it shall appear to us a desirable acquisition. He
alone, who has enabled us to say, " To me to live is Christ,"
can enable us to add, " To me also it is gain to die."
How God works this in the soul, it is not easy to state. We
are but little acquainted with the workings of our own spirit,
and still less with the operations of the Spirit of God. We
know little of wind, but by its effects : as to the mode of its
operation, we have but very indistinct notions about it : it is
no wonder therefore that there should be many things relative
to the operation of the Holy Spirit on our souls which we are
not able clearly to define. But from the effects produced by
him, we do assuredly collect his agency : and where we see an
ardent desire after the heavenly glory, we do not hesitate to
affirm, that the author of it is God ; since none but He, who
created the universe out of nothing, can create so blessed a
disposition in the soul. This disposition is called " the earnest
of the Spirit," which God gives to his believing people. Now
an earnest is, not merely a pledge of any thing, but a part of
the thing itself, given as a pledge that the remainder shall be
imparted in due time : and hence that which is called in our
text " the earnest of the Spirit," is in another place called
"an earnest of our inheritance p ;" which being given to the
soul by God, is to that soul a ground of the strongest assur
ance that the promised blessing shall in due time be communi
cated in all its fulness.]
i' Eph. i. 14.
506 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 1—5. [2017.
It shall be wrought in all who heartily desire it —
[One of the most important lessons which the Gospel
teaches us, is, that we should be ever " looking for that blessed
hope, even the glorious appearing of the great God and onr
Saviour, Jesus Christ11." We should not only be looking for
it, but. " hasting unto it," even " to the coming of the day
ofChristr:" and the character given to all Christians is, that
they do thus " love his appearing8." But, if we have not a
well-grounded hope of glory, how can we delight ourselves in
the prospect of that day? It is our taste of the grapes of
Eshcol that assures to us the full enjoyment of the promised
land : and it is our partial entrance on our rest in this world,
that assures to us the complete possession of " the rest that
remaineth for us1." Let us therefore seek the first-fruits, and
we need entertain no fears respecting the full harvest.]
From hence we may LEARN,
1. How desirable it is to have the evidences of our
conversion clear—
[Though the earnest of the Spirit is itself both a seal and
evidence of our conversion, it must not be found alone ; much
less must it be supposed to exist, where any habitual or allowed
sin attests the contrary. The witness of the Spirit is in per
fect harmony with the written word : and though it may for
wise and gracious reasons be withheld from a person who is
walking uprightly before God ; (for a man may " fear the
Lord, and yet walk in darkness and have no light11 ;") yet it
never is vouchsafed to any one who is not serving God in
sincerity and truth : and the man who imagines that he has
the earnest of the Spirit, and the witness of the Spirit, whilst
yet he is not unfeignedly and unreservedly devoted unto God,
deceiveth his own soul. Some imagine that to speak of evi
dences is to encourage legality : but it is impossible to read
the Epistles of St. John, and not to see, that he lays down, I
had almost said, a system of evidences, whereby a man should
try his state before God. Feelings, however strong, and
whatever confidence they may generate in the soul, cannot be
depended on, if separated from the dispositions and actions
produced by them : and therefore I cannot but earnestly
recommend every one to examine carefully the state of his own
soul, lest he dream of heaven and awake in hell."]
2. How light all trials should be to the believing
soul —
<i Tit. ii. 1 1 — 13. r i> Pet. iii. 1'2. s 2 Tim. iv. 8.
1 Heb. iv. 3, 0. « Isai. 1. 10.
2017.] THE CHRISTIAN'S PROSPECT OF GLORY. 507
[Well does the Apostle in the words before our text call
them "light and momentary;" so light, as to be " lightness"
itself1. Of what moment are the accommodations of an inn,
where the traveller stops an hour in his journey to his father's
house? Such travellers are we; and the period of our stay is
at the utmost an hour, or rather, the twinkling of an eye. I
may ask too, of what moment are his little inconveniences
there, in comparison of the great and permanent felicity that
awaits him ? This is the true way to estimate our sufferings,
of whatever kind they be7. You who are most tried, fix your
eyes upon the glory that shall be revealed: think of " the
grace that shall be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Think especially too of your trials as loosening the pins of your
present tabernacle, and hastening forward your entrance into
that tabernacle that is prepared for you : view them, I say, in
this light, and you will be so far from complaining of them,
that you will rejoice and glory in them as the wise appoint
ments of a gracious God : and " the trial of your faith will be
precious, because it will be found to his praise and honour and
glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ2."]
3. How blessed is the portion of every child of
God—
[Inconvenient as his present abode is, and painful as his
state at present is in some respects, he yet is truly blessed.
Consider what prospects he enjoys, yea, what anticipations
and foretastes of his future bliss ; for by faith he has already
as clear evidence of the future glory, as if he saw it with his
bodily eyes; and as truly the substance of it, as if he had it
already in his possession3. Tell me not of his trials; for I
say, he is a truly blessed man : and our blessed Lord again
and again declares him blessed b. Then think of his state as
soon as this earthly tabernacle is dissolved ; think of him as
clothed upon with his house from heaven, and mortality, with
all its attendant pains, " as swallowed up of life." Not an
atom of his former troubles or weaknesses remains; all is
swallowed up, and is as if it had never been. Read the account
of him as dwelling in the tabernacle of his Godc, and you will
break forth into the most heart-felt congratulations, " Happy
art thou, O Israel, O people saved by the Lordd!"]
* -2 Cor. iv. 17. See the Greek. -v Rom. viii. 18.
z 1 Pet i. 7. a Heb. xi. 1.
b Matt. v. 11, 1-2. l Hcv. xxi. 3, 4.
d Deut. xxxiii. 29.
508 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 7. [2018.
MMXVIII.
THE CHRISTIAN WALKING BY FAITH.
2 Cor. v. 7. We walk by faith, not by sight.
IF we behold any wonderful effects, we naturally
inquire after the cause that has produced them.
Now in the preceding context we behold as extra
ordinary a phenomenon as can be conceived : a
sinner, like ourselves, not only divested of all fear
of death, but longing after it as the consummation
of all his hopes, and the completion of all his desires.
This is a frame of mind totally unknown to man by
nature, and incapable of being produced by any
natural means. How then was it produced in the
Apostle Paul ? He tells us, " He that hath wrought
us to the self-same thing, is God." But how did
God work it ? for it is certain that he works by
means. I answer, By forming in his soul a principle
of faith, and making that the great moving cause of
all his actions. This is the account which St. Paul
himself gives us in the words before us : " We are
willing to be absent from the body, and to be present
with the Lord ; for we walk by faith, not by sight a."
It was by faith that he attained this blessed state :
and if, like him, we cultivate that heavenly principle,
and take it as the spring and source of all our con
duct, we shall find it productive of similar blessed
ness in our souls. It is, in truth, this principle, which
above all others distinguishes the true Christian from
every other person under heaven.
To explain and vindicate his conduct in reference
to this matter, we will shew,
I. The principle by which the Christian is actuated—
He fixes his eye, not on things visible and tem
poral, but on things invisible and eternal—
[This is declared at the close of the preceding chapter1*;
and the same contrast is marked in our text. Faith is opposed
a Compare the text with the preceding and following verses.
b 2 Cor. iv. IS.
2018. J THE CHRISTIAN WALKING BV FAITH.
to sight, and has respect entirely to things which are beyond
the reach of mortal eyes. It looks upon an unseen God ; even
as Moses did, who feared not the wrath of Pharaoh, because
" he saw him that is invisible0." This great and adorable Being
it beholds, and contemplates all his glorious perfections. It
sees all his mind and will in the book of revelation : it recog
nises his superintending providence in all events: it regards
him as inspecting continually the most hidden recesses of our
souls, and noting every thing in the book of his remembrance
in order to a future judgment.
Faith also views an unseen Saviour as the supreme object
of his people's love, and the only foundation of all their hopes d.
It beholds him dying for their sins, and rising again for their
justification : yea, it sees him interceding for them at the right
hand of God, and preserving for them that peace which by
their sins and infirmities they would soon forfeit. It enters
into the whole of the Saviour's work and offices, surveying
them in all their extent and variety ; and particularly regards
him as the fountain of life to all his people ; as having in him
self all fulness of spiritual blessings treasured up for them, and
imparting to them continually out of that fulness according to
their several necessities.
Faith views an unseen heaven also. It soars and penetrates
into the very paradise of God, and surveys the crowns and
kingdoms which God has there prepared for all that love him.
There it beholds that glorious tabernacle which the soul shall
inhabit as soon as this earthly house shall be dissolved : and in
the promises recorded in the written word, it sees the pos
session of that glory assured to every believing soul, assured
by an everlasting covenant, and by the oath of a " God that
cannot lie."
Such are the objects of faith! and such the objects on which
the Christian's eye is continually fixed !]
By these he regulates the whole of his life and
conversation—
[These are the things which draw forth his regards ; and
in comparison of these all earthly things are but as dung and
dross. For these he sighs, and groans, and weeps, and strives :
to obtain an interest in them is more to him than ten thousand
worlds. Whatever will endanger the loss of these, he flees
from, as from the face of a serpent : and whatever has a ten
dency to secure his interest in them, he labours incessantly to
perform. In these all his affections centre : his hopes and fears,
his joys and sorrows, all terminate in these : and, in exact
proportion as he is enabled by faith to realize and apprehend
c Heb. xi. 27. d I Pet. i. 8.
510 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 7. [2018.
these, he is happy. In a word, " he walks by faith :" and
every step he takes is under the influence of that principle.
Faith is to the Christian what the compass is to the mariner in
the trackless ocean: under all circumstances he consults its
testimony, and follows its directions : and, in so doing, he fears
not but that in due time he shall arrive at his destined haven.
This was the character of the Apostle Paul : and it is the
character of every true Christian under heaven: " the life
which he now lives in the flesh, he lives by the faith of the
Son of God, who loved him, and gave himself for him6?"]
But as to those who understand not his views he
appears to act absurdly, we will proceed to mark —
II. The reasonableness of his conduct in this respect —
Doubtless the people who are strangers to this
principle must " gaze strangely at" the Christian,
and account him almost mad. The overlooking with
comparative contempt all that he has ever seen, and
following with all possible ardour things which no
mortal eye ever did see, must appear the height of
folly and enthusiasm ; and we wonder not if many
should say to him, " Thou art beside thyself; much
thoughtfulness hath made thee mad." But we reply,
that there is no comparison between the wisdom of
walking by faith or of being actuated by sight.
The principle of faith is,
1. More exalted in its objects —
[The objects of sense are all poor, and mean, and worth
less. Take all that eye ever saw, or ear heard, or heart con
ceived ; and it would not weigh against one glimpse of the
Saviour's glory, or one taste of his love. Besides, it is all
transient and of very short duration. But think of Almighty
God and his covenant of grace ; think of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and all the wonders of redeeming love ; think of heaven, and
all its glory and blessedness; and then say, which are most
deserving of our regard ? In attaching ourselves to the one,
we degrade ourselves to the state of unenlightened heathens, I
had almost said, of the brute beasts; but by living wholly with
a reference to the latter, we emulate, as it were, the glorified
saints and angels. The one is as high above the other, as the
heavens are above the earth.]
2. More certain in its testimony —
0 Gal. ii. 20.
2018.] THE CHRISTIAN WALKING BY FAITH. 511
[Earthly things may dazzle us with their glare and glitter:
but they are all a lie, a cheat, a shadow, a delusion : there is
no substance in them. With whatever confidence we press
forward for the attainment of them, the more they disappoint
our endeavours : and, when we think we have secured the
prize, we no sooner stretch out our hands to lay hold on it,
than it eludes our grasp : or, if we apprehend the object of
our desires, it proves to us no better than vanity and vexation
of spirit. But was ever any one deceived in apprehending the
realities of the eternal world ? Did ever any one who sought
them by faith, fail in the pursuit of them, or find them, when
attained, below his expectation? No truly: it is justly said
by the Lord Jesus Christ under the character of wisdom, " I
cause them that love me to inherit substance f:" and every pro
mise that makes over these things to the believing soul, is as
immutable as God himself.]
3. More excellent in its operations—
[The tendency of visible things is to sensualize and
debase the soul : but the effect of heavenly things is to purify
and exalt it. The more we contemplate the Divine Being,
the more shall we be transformed into his blessed image. The
more we exercise faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, the more will
grace, and mercy, and peace be multiplied unto us. The
more we breathe the atmosphere of heaven, the more shall
we be fitted for the everlasting enjoyment of it. " Every
man that has such hopes in him, purifieth himself even as
God is pureg:" and the very promises by which he appre
hends them, lead him to " cleanse himself from all filthiness
both of flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear
of Godh." Truly "by these he becomes a partaker of the
divine nature'," and is progressively " changed into the
divine image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of
our GodV]
4. More conducive to our true happiness—
[What does he possess who has the whole world at his
command? A mere phantom: and, if he look for any solid
happiness from it, he will find, that he has only " filled his
belly with the east wind." But who can describe the happi
ness of him, who, by faith, has already in his soul " the sub
stance of things hoped for, as well as the evidence of things
not seen1?" Who can declare the blessedness of him, who
has God for his Father, Christ for his Saviour, the Holy
Spirit for his Comforter, and heaven for his home ? This man
f Prov. viii. 17. * 1 John iii. 3. h 2 Cor. vii. 1.
1 2 Pet. i. 4. k 2 Cor. iii. 18. ' Heb. xi. 1.
512 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 7. [2018.
lives on " angels' food." He has grapes of Eshcol already by
the way : he stands on Pisgah's top, surveying in all its length
and breadth the land of promise : he has already an earnest
and foretaste of the heavenly bliss : and, when he goes
hence, he will change neither his company nor his employ
ment: he is already dwelling in, and with, his God; and
tuning his harp ready to join the choirs above, as soon as ever
his attendant angels shall have received their commission to
bear him hence.]
ADDRESS—
1. Those who are walking by sight—
[You are reputed wise by the men of this world ; but
are worse than fools in the estimation of your God. What
has the world ever yet done for you? Has it ever yet afforded
you any solid satisfaction ? Possess what ye may, will not a
pain, a loss, a disappointment, be sufficient to rob you of all
your enjoyment? And what can it do for you in a dying
hour ? Will it prolong your life, or assuage your anguish, or
pacify your conscience, or take away the sting of death? But,
above all, what will it do for you at the bar of judgment?
Will it bribe your Judge, or avert the wrath of an offended
God, or mitigate your torments in the world of woe ? You
think the Christian unwise in having respect to things which
his eye has never seen. But who will be found the wise man
in that great and awful day ? Not he that neglected God
and his own soul ; not he that trampled under foot his dying
Saviour, and poured contempt on all the glory and blessedness
of heaven ; but he who lived as a pilgrim and a sojourner
here, and " looked for a city that hath foundations, whose
builder and maker is God." O, that you "may be wise, and
consider, ere it be too late, your latter end!"]
2. Those who profess to walk by faith —
[We thank our God that there are a goodly number of
you who have learned to estimate things by their relation to
eternity. O beg of God to " turn off your eyes from behold
ing vanity, and to quicken your souls in his way." Pray to
him to " increase your faith," that your discernment of unseen
things may be more clear, your enjoyment of them more rich,
your improvement of them more uniform and abiding. Pray
that your faith may be more and more influential on the whole
of your life and conversation : and strive, in dependence on
the Spirit of God, to walk more and more " worthy of your
high calling." St. Paul, in his most assured prospects of glory,
" laboured, that, whether present in the body, or absent from
it, he might be accepted of the Lord"1." Do ye in this respect
m ver. 9.
2019.] THE DOCTRINE OF A FUTURE JUDGMENT. 513
follow his example : " not setting your affections on any thing
here below," but " having your conversation altogether in
heaven, from whence you look for the Lord Jesus Christ" " to
come and take you to himself," that you may " be with him,
and like him" for ever".]
" 1 John iii. 2.
MMXIX.
THE IMPROVEMENT TO BE MADE OF THE DOCTRINE OF A
FUTURE JUDGMENT.
2 Cor. v. 10, 11. We must all appear before the judgment-seat
of Christ ; that every one may receive the things done in his
body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or
bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade
men.
TIME is generally thought to be of little use,
except as it may be employed in amusements or in
the prosecution of worldly business ; but its value,
as it stands connected with eternity, exceeds all cal
culation. The manner in which every'hour is spent
is recorded in heaven ; every moment, as it were,
increases our eternal happiness or misery. This
consideration made the Apostle solicitous to redeem
time himself, and to improve it for the good of others :
" We knowing therefore" &c.
I. The Apostle's account of the day of judgment —
" Christ" is the person who shall judge the world—
[He who stood at Pilate's bar is exalted for this purpose3.
Our Lord himself plainly and repeatedly affirmed itb.]
He will erect his " tribunal" in a solemn and public
manner—
[Daniel spake of this in very exalted terms0. Our Lord
also has declared itd.]
Before this " we must all appear"-
[All who have ever existed from the beginning to the end
of the world shall stand at his bar e. None shall be able to
elude or to withstand the summons1".]
» Actsxvii. 31. b John v. 22, 27. c Dan. vii. 9, 10.
d Matt. xxv. 31. e Rev. xx. 12, 13. f John v. 28.
VOL. XVI. L L
514 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 10, 11. [2019.
All that we have done in the body will then be
made manifest —
[The secrets of every heart shall be disclosed P. The mask
will be taken from the face of the hypocrite : the tears and
sighings of the contrite will be declared before allh.]
Then shall every one receive according to his
doings, " whether they be good or bad"-
[The seeming inequalities of the Divine government will
then be rectified: the godly will not then be any more con
demned, or the wicked be justified. They who from faith and
love have obeyed God shall be rewarded : they who have been
disobedient and unbelieving shall be punished1.]
The rewards and punishments shall be respectively
proportioned to the good or evil that has been done —
[They who have greatly improved their talents will be
greatly rewarded k : they whose sins have been peculiarly aggra
vated will be more severely punished1.]
A more important consideration than this cannot
enter into the mind of man.
II. The improvement which he made of it—
This subject is extremely awful even to the best
of men —
[The most eminently pious are conscious of many defects.
They know also the deceitfulness of their hearts. Hence
not even St. Paul himself could fully rely on the verdict of his
own conscience™.]
But it is full of " terror" to the ungodly —
[To see him as their Judge, whose dying love they despised!
To be confronted with all their accomplices in wickedness! To
have the books of God's remembrance opened ! To have all
their secret thoughts and desires exposed ! To know that their
doom is irrevocably fixed ! To wait the dreadful sentence from
the mouth of their Judge ! To have nothing but an eternity
of unmixed misery before them ! What can be more terrible" ?]
Paul well " knew" this terror of the Lord. He
therefore laboured " to persuade men" —
[He persuaded men to " flee from the wrath to come, and
to lay hold on eternal life:" he spared no pains to attain this
e Eccl. xii. 14. h 1 Cor. iv. 5. ' Rom. ii. 5 — 11.
k Luke xix. 17, 24. 1 Luke xii. 47. m 1 Cor. iv. 4.
n Rev. vi. 14 — 17.
2020.] CONSTRAINING POWER OF CHRIST'S LOVE. 515
object of his wishes0— he regarded no sufferings if he
might but prevail on somep ]
APPLICATION—
[ We would improve this subject as the Apostle did. We
know most assuredly these terrors of the Lord. We, on
account of our office, are peculiarly interested in the events
of that clay q : we therefore would persuade you to repent, and
believe the Gospel r : we would persuade you by every alarming
or encouraging consideration. Consider the certainty of that
day — the nearness of it — the greatness of the preparation ne
cessary — and the consequence of dying unprepared. Consider
the free remission, and the almighty assistance now offered you,
and the blessedness of being prepared to meet your God. May
we all lay these considerations to heart ! May we at the last
be found, not only almost, but altogether Christians !]
0 Rom.xv.19. lCor.ix.19 — 22. P 2 Tim. ii. 10. Actsxx.24.
1 Heb. xiii. 1 7. If this subject were addressed to the Clergy, this
thought should be amplified.
r Mark i. 15.
MMXX.
THE CONSTRAINING POWER OF CHRIST'S LOVE.
2 Cor. v. 14, 15. The love of Christ constraineth us ; because
we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead :
and that he died for all, that they which live should not hence
forth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them,
and rose again.
ST. PAUL was more abundant both in labours and
in sufferings than any other of the Apostles : but his
zeal was by many considered as no better than mad
ness. To the lukewarm, as well as to those who were
altogether careless, he appeared to be transported far
beyond the bounds of reason and propriety; and they
therefore did not hesitate to say that " he was beside
himself." But whilst he was thus condemned as a
wild enthusiast, he cultivated in reality the strictest
sobriety ; as is evident throughout his whole history,
and in all his epistles. But, " it was with him a
small matter to be judged of man's judgment :" he
cared not what opinion his adversaries formed of him,
whilst he had the consciousness that he was actuated
L L2
516 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 14, 15. [2020.
by zeal for God, and by love to man. Nevertheless
he was not backward to declare whence his zeal
arose ; nor was he afraid to let his enemies them
selves judge whether it was rational or not. He tells
them., that, " if he was beside himself, it was to God,"
that he might be glorified ; or, " if he was sober, it
was for their cause," that they might be benefited :
but that, whatever judgment might be passed upon
him, the love of Christ constrained him, and under
the influence of that he thought it right to live entirely
to his God.
In vindication of the Apostle, and for the regulating
of our own minds, we shall inquire,
I. What it was which stimulated him to such un
paralleled exertions-
It was " the love of Christ which constrained him."
By this I understand, not his love to Christ, but
Christ's love to him ; which is here mentioned in its
two great leading features ;
1. His dying for us —
[Wonderful indeed was this love! that when he was
incapable of any increase of honour or happiness himself,
he left the bosom of his Father, and took our nature upon
him with all its sinless infirmities, on purpose that he might
expiate our guilt by his own blood, and work out a righteous
ness for our acceptance before God — - That he should do
this so readily, undertaking every thing as soon as it was pro
posed to him by the Father3, and adhering to his engagement
till it was perfectly fulfilled, not dissuaded by any h, nor deterred
by the dreadful prospect of all his sufferings0, but drinking to
the very dregs the bitter cup, and completing every thing till
he could say " It is finished :" well may it be said, " What
manner of love was this !"]
2. His employing for us the life that was restored
to him at his resurrection —
[As " he died for our offences, so he rose again for our
justification." He is as much occupied about the work of our
salvation now, as he was when living on earth, or dying on the
cross : " He ever liveth to make intercession for us." Every
thing is put into his hands, in order that he may manage it
a Ps. xl. 6—8. '' Matt. xvi. 23. c Luke xii. 50.
2020.] CONSTRAINING POWER OF CHRIST'S LOVE. 517
for our good. All the works of Providence are directed and
overruled by him for the furtherance of our welfare : and he,
as the living Head of his people, imparts to them such measures
of grace as he sees needful for them. In a word, he lives in
them as in his temple, and carries on the whole work <5f grace
in them, and never suffers so much as "one of them to
perish " — Can we wonder that such love as this con
strained the Apostle, and carried him forward, like a resistless
torrent, in the service of his God ? ]
The Apostle, in further vindication of himself, pro
ceeds to state,
II. Why he suffered it to have such an ascendant
over him —
He acted not from feeling only, though doubtless
the flame of love that was thus kindled in his soul
burned with inextinguishable ardour d; but from
judgment also : " he judged,"
1. That our obligations to the Lord Jesus Christ
are infinite —
[It is plain, that " if one died for all, then were all dead."
And was this our state ? Were we dead in trespasses and sins,
and under a sentence of eternal condemnation ? O ! what do
we owe to that Saviour who emptied himself of all his glory
for us, " who died for us when enemies," and actually became
a curse for us, bearing in his own person all that was due to
the iniquities of a guilty world ! The apostate angels had no
such mercy shewn to them : they fell, and had none to help
them ; and are therefore " reserved in chains of darkness unto
the judgment of the great day." And had not the Lord Jesus
Christ died for us, we had been dead still, and should have
been to all eternity companions with the fallen angels in
misery, as we have been in transgression. Moreover, his life
is as necessary for us as his death : for if he did not keep us
every moment, even as the apple of his eye, no one of us could
endure unto the end: the great adversary of mankind, who
tempted our first parents to sin, would beguile and ruin us for
ever, if Jesus did not carry us in his bosom, and give us grace
sufficient for our returning necessities.
Judge then whether this be not a reason for loving him, and
for devoting ourselves unreservedly to his service ? Can too
much be done for him, who has done, and is doing, so much
for us? Or should we think much of any sufferings that we
may be called to endure for him ? Should we not even rejoice
d Cant. viii. 7, 8.
518 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 14, 15. [2020.
if we are counted worthy to suffer for him, and welcome even
death itself, if only " his name may be magnified ?" If to
entertain such sentiments, and to pursue such conduct, be
madness, I would to God that we all were as obnoxious to the
charge as Paul himself! But let the world say or think
as they will, such a devotedness to God is " a reasonable
service6."]
2. That the very end for which the Lord Jesus
Christ has conferred those obligations upon us, is,
that he may bind us to himself in a state of holy
obedience —
[It is not to rescue us from death and hell only, that
Jesus has died for us, but to deliver us also from sin and Satan,
and to bring us back to the state from which we are fallen.
Were we created holy and happy, even like the angels them
selves ? to that state would the Lord Jesus elevate us again,
that both in this world and to all eternity we may delight
ourselves in God. This is declared to be the express purpose
of his death f." Did he then " die to redeem us from all
iniquity," and shall we still live in sin of any kind ? Did he
die to purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good
works ; and shall we not labour to attain this blessed character?
Shall there be any bounds to our zeal; or shall we restrain it
because a blind and ungodly world agree to call it madness ?
What if Mary was censured by the proud Pharisee for her
over-righteous zeal ; did Christ condemn it ? Did he not even
compel the Pharisee unwittingly to condemn himself g ? We
mean not by this to justify any departure from real sobriety of
mind ; for religion is a sober thing, being not like the transient
glare of a meteor, but like the steady course of the sun : but
this we would do; we would dissuade all from living in any
measure to themselves, and bring them to live wholly and
entirely to their God ; and, if the world deride this as enthu
siasm, and prescribe to us a lower standard of duty, we would
say with Peter, " Whether it be right to hearken unto you
more than unto God, judge ye ;" for we cannot but consult
his will, and approve ourselves to himh.]
APPLICATION —
1. Let us all seek an interest in Christ —
[Has he died for us ; and shall we die too ? God forbid.
It is a blessed truth, that he has " died for all" and " given
himself a ransom for all," and " tasted death for every man,"
« Rom. xii. 1. f Tit. ii. 14.
8 Luke vii. 37—41 h Acts iv. 19, 20.
2021.] THE CHRISTIAN A NEW CREATURE. 519
and made himself " a propitiation for the sins of the whole
world." How awful then the thought that any should " perish,
for whom Christ died!" What a bitter reflection will it be to
such persons in the eternal world, that Christ died for them,
and yet they would not seek for salvation from him ! O that
this may not be our unhappy state ! Let us look to him, and
believe in him, and live by faith upon him now, that we may
live with him for evermore.]
2. Let us meditate much upon his love —
[Were we but duly sensible of his love to us, we could not
refrain from loving and serving him. O think what a subject
for contemplation this is ! It has been the one theme of praise
and adoration in heaven for thousands of years, and will be
to all eternity ; and shall we not delight in the contemplation
of it? It has "a height and depth, and length and breadth,
that is utterly unsearchable." Beloved brethren, meditate
upon it, till the fire kindle in your hearts, and you be con
strained to " glorify him with your bodies and your spirits
which are his."]
3. Let us endeavour to answer the true end of all
his love —
[You have heard what this was, even " that you should
not henceforth live unto yourselves, but unto him." Now,
then, set about the blessed work. Let the pleasures, the
riches, the honours of the world be to you as the dirt under
your feet : " be crucified to the world, and let the world be
crucified unto you." And begin to walk as Christ walked,
and to follow the example which St. Paul has set you. Let
the world despise you, if they please ; seek ye the approbation
of your God : and when they, like Michal, deride your piety,
say ye with holy David, " If this is to be vile, I will be yet
more vile than thus1'."]
' 2 Sam. vi. 22.
MMXXI.
THE CHRISTIAN A NEW CREATURE.
2 Cor. v. 17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature :
old things are passed away ; behold, all things are become
new.
A FAITHFUL discharge of our duty to God has
in every age rather provoked the displeasure, than
conciliated the favour, of a wicked world. The most
520 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 17. [2021.
eminent characters, instead of escaping censure by
means of their distinguished piety, have on the con
trary incurred the greatest portion of obloquy and
reproach. It was thus that St. Paul's love and zeal
were requited by many at Corinth ; he was deemed
" beside himself." But indifferent both to their cen
sure and applause, he declared to them the motives
by which he was actuated ; he told them plainly that
he was under the constraining influence of the love
of Christ, and that, however strange his views and
actions might appear, they, if they were Christians
indeed, would certainly adopt and imitate them ; their
present views and habits would pass away, and all
become new. In the words of the text we have the
character of a Christian,
I. Figuratively expressed—
A man is said to be " in Christ," when he is en
grafted into him as a branch of the living vine, or, in
other words, when he truly believes in Christ : he is
then a Christian. But in order to shew what a
change every man experiences when he becomes a
Christian, the Apostle says of him that he is " a new
creation a." In this term there is a reference to the
creation of the world, which may be considered as a
type or pattern of that work which God performs
in the hearts of his people. The correspondence be
tween them may be seen in the manner, the order,
and the end of their formation—
1. In the manner —
[The world was created by God, according to his own
sovereign will, without the intervention of human aid : and,
though brought into existence in a moment, was gradually
perfected in its various parts b. Thus the souls of God's
people are regenerated purely by the sovereign will of God,
and entirely through the agency of his word and Spirit0;
though they use the appointed means, it is God alone that
renders those means effectuald ; " He who made the light to
shine out of darkness, shines into their hearts to give them
a K-ifftc. t> Gen. i. 3 — 31. c Jam. i. 18. John i. 13. Tit. iii. 5,
A 1 Cor. iii. 5, 6. and Eph. ii. 10.
2021.] THE CHRISTIAN A NEW CREATURE. 521
the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ6." There
is an instant of time, however unknown to us, when the new
man as well as the old, receives the vital principle; a moment,
wherein we are " quickened from the dead," and " pass from
death unto life :" but the work of grace is carried on in a
constant progression, and " the inward man is renewed day by
dayV]
2. In the order —
[Light was the first thing that was produced in the ma
terial world : and, after that, the confused chaos was reduced
to such a state as that there should be an harmony in all the
parts, and a subserviency in each to the good of the whole.
Thus light is first darted into the mind of the regenerate man8;
a view of his guilt and misery is given to him, and then his
disorderly passions, which blinded his judgment and sensual
ized his soul, are rendered subject to reason and religion11.]
3. In the end —
[The world was formed by God for his own glory : as all
things were by him, so also were they for him '. It is for this
end also that he renews the souls of men after his own image.
He rejoices indeed in the good of his creatures, and in a sub
ordinate measure may propose that as the end of his dispen
sations : but we are assured his principal intent is, to shew
forth the exceeding riches of his own grace, and to exalt him
self in the eyes of his redeemed people k.]
We are at no loss to understand the preceding
figure, since we have, in the text, its import,
II. Plainly declared—
Justly is a work of grace represented as a new cre
ation ; for, as in the reduction of the confused chaos
to order and beauty, so also in the restoration of the
soul after God's image, " old things pass away and all
things become new." The Christian experiences this
change,
1. In his views of every important subject —
[He once judged sin to be a light and venial evil : if it
were of a very gross nature indeed, or committed against
himself in particular, he might feel some indignation against
it : but if it were not reprobated by the world, or injurious to
e 2 Cor. iv. 6. f 2 Cor. iv. Hi. * Col. iii. 10.
h Eph. i. 17, 18. Col. i. 9, 10.
s Col. i. 16. Rev. iv. 11. k Eph. ii. 7.
522 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 17. [2021.
himself, he would behold it without sorrow and practise it
without remorse. But very different are his views of it when
once his eyes are opened to behold it in its true colours : it
then appears to him as base, loathsome, abominable : he hates
it from his inmost soul : he desires deliverance from it as
much as from hell itself: he would not harbour it in his heart
for one moment, but would extirpate it utterly, as well from
his thoughts as from his actions. Nor are his sentiments less
altered respecting Christ : he once felt no love towards him,
notwithstanding he complimented him with the name of
Saviour. But now the name of Jesus is precious to him : he
is filled with admiring thoughts of his incomprehensible love :
he adores him with devoutest affection ; and " cleaves to him
with full purpose of heart." He once " saw no beauty nor
comeliness in him ;" but now views him as " fairer than ten
thousand, and altogether lovely." The same change takes
place with respect to the world, and holiness, and every thing
that has any relation to eternity : so that he really becomes
altogether a new creature.]
2. In the great ends and aim of his life —
[The unregenerate man, to whatever class he may belong,
whether he be sensual and profane, or moral and devout,
invariably makes self the principle and end of all his actions :
his life is one continued scene of self-seeking, self-pleasing,
self-complacency. He makes his very duties to God subser
vient to his main end of gratifying his desire after self-appro
bation and the applause of man. But these old desires are
mortified when once he becomes a real Christian : they will
indeed often rise in his mind, because he is "renewed only in
part ;" but he has a far higher end, which he infinitely prefers,
and to which he gives a deliberate, determined ascendency.
He has a concern for the honour of his God ; and he strives
that God in all things may be glorified through Christ Jesus.
Whether his actions be of a civil or religious nature, he
still proposes to himself the same end, to glorify God with his
body and his spirit which are God's1. To this the Apostle
seems to have peculiar respect in the preceding context™ ; nor
is there any thing that more strongly characterizes the child
of God.]
APPLICATION —
1. Let every one put this question to himself, Am
I a real Christian ?
1 1 Pet. iv. 11. 1 Cor. vi. 20. 1 Cor. x. 31.
m See ver. 15. with which, rather than with ver. 16. the text is
connected .
2022.] THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION. 523
[The Apostle leaves no room for exceptions in favour of
any man whatsoever ; " if any man be a Christian, he is, and
must be, a new creature." Nor does this import a mere
change from profligacy to morality, or from a neglect of out
ward duties to the performance of them : the change must be
i entire; it must pervade every faculty of the soul; it must
Influence all our words and actions, our thoughts and desires,
our motives and principles. Has then this great change been
accomplished in us ? On this point eternity depends. O that
we might not give sleep to our eyes or slumber to our eyelids,
till we can return a favourable answer upon sure and scriptural
grounds !]
2. Let those who have experienced a work of
grace, seek to have it carried on and perfected in
their souls —
[It must ever be remembered, that the renovation of the
soul is a gradual and progressive work : we are to be con
tinually putting off the old man, and putting on the new".
Let us then not rest in low attainments ; but rather, "for
getting the things that are behind, let us press forward unto
that which is before." Let us beg of God to " perfect that
which concerneth us," and to form us altogether " into his
own image in righteousness and true holiness." It is by
our progress that we must manifest the work to have been
begun ; and then only can we be sure that our path is right,
when, " like the light, it shineth more and more unto the
perfect day."]
n Eph. iv. 22—24.
MMXXII.
THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION.
2 Cor. v. 19, 20. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them ; and hath
committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we
are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by
us : we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
NATURAL as well as revealed religion teaches us
that God is the author and giver of all good things.
He originally formed man out of the dust of the earth,
and still brings us into existence in our successive
generations. He appoints the time and place of our
birth : he bestows the talents we severally possess :
524 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 19, 20. [2022.
he preserves the health of our bodies, and the vigour
of our minds : " in him we altogether live, and move,
and have our being." Nor is it less evident that re
demption also is the work of his hands : for he formed
the plan alone, and executed it without the creature's
aid. He sent his Son ; and qualified him for his
office ; and upheld him in it. He laid our iniquities
on him ; and accepted his vicarious sacrifice ; and
commissioned his Apostles to declare these tidings to
the world. All this is plainly asserted in the passage
before us ; from which we shall,
I. Shew what God has done to save us —
There are two things particularly specified in the
text :
1. He has wrought salvation for us —
[Man in innocence walked with God as a friend ; but, as
soon as he had fallen, shunned his presence, and fled from him
as an enemy. Since that time " the carnal and unrenewed
mind has been in a state of enmity against God ;" and all the
children of men have shewn themselves " enemies to God in
their minds by wicked works." To effect a reconciliation
for themselves was impossible : but God, in his infinite mercy,
opened a way for their restoration to his favour. He assumed
our nature, and, in the person of Jesus Christ, became our
substitute and surety ; that, by his own obedience to the law
which we had broken, and his enduring of the penalties which
we had incurred, he might make satisfaction to his injured
justice, and pardon us without any dishonour to himself. By
this means "he has reconciled the world unto himself;" "nor
will he impute to any their trespasses," if they will accept the
reconciliation which he offers them.]
2. He has sent salvation to us —
[God has in every age raised up men to whom " he has
committed the word of reconciliation," on purpose that they
might publish it to their fellow-creatures. He has not com
mitted it to angels, whose presence would confound us, and
who, from their never having tasted the bitterness of sin,
would probably be unable to sympathize with us : but he has
appointed those to speak to us, who are " encompassed with
the same infirmities," and who need the same forgiveness, as
ourselves. To these " he has given the ministry of reconcilia
tion." He sends them forth, not to tell men how to purchase
his favour, or how (as the common expression is) to make their
2022.]] THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION. 525
peace with God ; but to inform them, that " Christ is our
peace," and that " God, for Christ's sake, is ready to forgive
us all our trespasses." This is the sum and substance of the
Gospel. This is the " treasure which God hath put into us
earthen vessels," for the enriching of the poor, and the saving
of the lost. And, in having thus sent the tidings of salvation
i home to our own doors, he has done what will leave us without
excuse for ever.]
That such grace may not be displayed in vain,
let us,
II. Urge you to accept salvation —
The message we are commissioned to deliver to
you, is, " Be reconciled to God"-
[Acknowledge that you have indeed been enemies to God.
Surely none of us can doubt whether such have been our
state. Let us only look back upon our violations of his
law, and they will bear ample testimony to this melancholy
truth.
Being convinced of your enmity against God, be humbled for
it in dust and ashes. It is not possible to bewail too deeply
the guilt which you have contracted.
Be careful to seek reconciliation with God in the way which
he has pointed out. Beware of attempting to make satisfaction,
as it were, for your sins ; for you owe ten thousand talents,
and cannot pay one single mite. God in Christ has taken
your debt upon himself; and he is willing " frankly to forgive
you all." Go to him then, and receive mercy at his hands
"without money, and without price a."]
As ambassadors of Christ we would urge our suit
with becoming earnestness—
[Though we are neither inspired, nor empowered to work
miracles, like the Apostles of old, yet are we truly " ambassa
dors from Christ" to a guilty world ; and we come in his name
and stead to treat with you respecting peace. We proclaim
an eternal amnesty, if you return to your allegiance : and
though, as God's representatives, we might command, yet, after
Christ's example, " we beseech you to be reconciled to God."
And is this an unreasonable request ? Is it not, on the
8 Some have thought that because we are called upon to be recon
ciled to God, the enmity subsists only on our part. But not to men
tion a multitude of passages that represent God as " angry with the
wicked," the very term haXXayijOi is used by our Lord himself as
expressive of the offend?//^ party seeking pardon from the offended,
Matt. v. 24.
526 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 21. [2023.
contrary, most reasonable that you should be reconciled to him,
who never rendered any thing to you but good, in return for
all the evil you have done against him ? Is it not madness
to continue in rebellion against him, who must prevail at last?
And is it not better to bow to the sceptre of his grace, than to
be " broken in pieces with his rod of iron ? "
What would you reply, if God should entreat you by a
voice from heaven? would you still refuse? Know then, that
" God himself beseeches you by us ;" and if you continue to
pour contempt on this mercy, your " punishment will be sore"
indeed.]
APPLICATION—
[What account now shall we give to him who sent us?
Must we return and say, " Lord, we have spoken to them;
but they will not hear ; we have invited ; but they all begin
with one consent to make excuse ? " O think with yourselves,
how soon "this day of acceptance and salvation" may be
passed; and how aggravated will be your condemnation, if
you reject these overtures of mercy ! Let not our embassy be
unsuccessful ; but be prevailed upon to " seek the Lord while
he may be found, and to call upon him while he is near."
Remember however that, if you be restored to God's favour,
you must also be reconciled to his government : you must not
assume a subject's name, and retain a rebel's heart: if you
" name the name of Christ, you must depart from all iniquity."]
MMXXIII.
THE WAY OF RECONCILIATION WITH GOD.
2 Cor. v. 21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, u'ho knew
no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him.
A MORE important question cannot be asked than
this, " How shall man be just with God?" In the
words before us, that question is resolved. The
Apostle has before declared in more general terms,
that " God was in Christ reconciling the world unto
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them :"
but in our text he enters more particularly into the
subject, and informs us, that, in order to effect a
reconciliation between our offended God and us, God
caused a double transfer to be made ; first, of our
sins to Christ, that they might be punished in him ;
2023.] THE WAY OF RECONCILIATION WITH GOD. 527
and next, of Christ's righteousness to us, that it might
be rewarded in us, and that we might be accepted
through it. This doctrine of the mutual transfer of
our sins to Christ, and Christ's righteousness to us,
1 being not generally understood, we will,
I. Explain it —
Two things are to be explained :
1. The imputation of our sins to Christ —
[It is an undoubted fact, that the Lord Jesus Christ died
under the curse of God's broken law. But was he himself
a sinner ? No : in him was no sin : both in his Divine and
human nature he was perfectly holy: and he was able to
appeal to his bitterest enemies, " Which of you convinceth
me of sin ? " Indeed, if he had had sin himself, he could not
have atoned for our sins. The lamb that was slain at the
passover was to be without spot or blemish : and such was
Christ, after the fullest possible examination, proclaimed to
1 be by the very judge who condemned him. It was for our
sins that he died : they were laid upon him by his own con
sent, that they might be punished in him, and that through
'. his vicarious sacrifice we might be absolved. This will be
1 best understood by the sacrifices which were offered under the
1 law. The person who had sinned was exposed to the wrath of
his offended God. But by God's appointment he brought an
offering, a bullock or a kid, and, after putting his hands upon
the head of his offering in token of his transferring his guilt to
1 it, the victim was slain in his stead, and he was absolved from
his guilt. The particular command, that the offender should
put his hand on the head of his offering, places beyond all
, reasonable doubt the point we are insisting ona ]
2. The imputation of Christ's righteousness to us —
[Man, though forgiven, was still incapable of fulfilling
perfectly in future the law of God, and consequently was
incapable of working out a righteousness wherein he could
stand before God. A righteousness therefore was provided
for him fully adequate to all the demands of God's holy law,
even the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by his
own obedience unto death, not only " made an end of sin, and
reconciliation for iniquity, but brought in also an everlasting
righteousness b," which is "unto all, and upon all them that
believe in him0." It is on this account that he is called,
" The Lord our righteousness." Thus, " He is made right-
a Lev. iv. 4, 15, 24, 29. See also particularly Lev. xvi. 21, 22.
b Dan. ix. 24. c Rom. Hi. 21, 22.
528 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 21. [2023.
eousness unto us," and we are made, as our text expresses it,
" the righteousness of God in him." It is not to be expected
that this should be capable of such illustration as the former
point, because nothing similar to it ever did, or could, exist:
yet we may behold something of the kind in the very sacrifices
which were first offered. We are informed, that, after their
fall, our first parents " sewed fig-leaves together, and made
themselves aprons," because by their sin they had made them
selves naked to their shame. But God, we are told, " made
coats of skins, and clothed themd." If it be asked, of what
beasts were these skins ? we answer, of those beasts which God
had previously appointed to be offered in sacrifice to him: (for,
if this was not the time when sacrifices were ordained, we have
no account whatever of their first institution, notwithstanding
they were undoubtedly of Divine origin :) and the very beasts
which died as sacrifices for their sins, provided them also with
clothing to cover their nakedness. Thus the Lord Jesus by
his death atones for our sins, and by his righteousness clothes
us as with an unspotted robe, in which we stand before our
God without spot or blemish6.]
But as this doctrine is disputed by many, we will
proceed to,
II. Vindicate it-
Some deny this doctrine as unscriptural, whilst
others abuse it to licentiousness : but against all we
will vindicate it as the only true way of reconciliation
with God : against,
1. The proud infidel—
[One will say, this doctrine of a mutual transfer is not
agreeable to my reason. But reason is not competent to judge
of these matters. This is a point of pure revelation : and the
office of reason in relation to it is, not to sit in judgment upon
it, but to inquire whether it be really revealed : and, if it be,
then is it to be assented to as true, whether we can comprehend
it or not. But it is not at all repugnant to reason. We see
daily somewhat of a similar nature transacted before our eyes.
A man has made himself surety for his friend; that friend
becomes insolvent; and his debt is required at the hands of his
surety. If it be not discharged, the surety is imprisoned : but
if the surety discharges the debt, the original debtor has no
further claim made upon him. Thus do reason and experience
fully sanction the substitution of the innocent for the guilty,
and the liberation of the guilty through the sufferings of the
d Gen. iii. 7, 21. e Isai. Ixi. 10.
2023-3 THE WAY OF RECONCILIATION WITH GOD. 529
innocent. And that this is the way for man's reconciliation
with God, is abundantly testified throughout all the inspired
writings. That the types are all founded in this notion, has
already appeared : and the prophecies declare the same with
one voice. No one can read the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah
and doubt of this truth. " All our iniquities were laid upon
him :" " he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised
for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon
him ; and by his stripes we are healed." The New Testament
speaks the same language throughout : " He bare our sins in
his own body on the tree," and " suffered, the just for the
unjustV Here there is a substitution of Christ in the place
of sinners : just as it is said, that peradventure for a good man
some would even dare to die; that is, would die in his place, in
order to preserve his life ; so Christ died for, and in the place
of, the ungodly, that by his own death he might preserve them
from everlasting death8. Yes, however the scoffing infidel
may deride these things, they are the very truth of God ; nor
is there any other way of reconciliation for any child of man.]
2. The self-righteous Pharisee—
[Many will admit that Christ died for sinners, who yet
cannot receive the idea of his righteousness being imputed to
them for their justification before God. They think that,
though Christ by his death atoned for our sins, we are to pro
cure for ourselves a title to heaven by a righteousness of our
own. But this cannot be; for it would give to man a ground
of glorying before God, when God has expressly said that all
boasting is excluded by the Gospel, and that men must glory
in Christ alone. This was the great error of the Pharisees of
old ; and it proved a stumbling-block to them to their ever
lasting ruinh. This is the great error of the Papists also, and,
more than all other things, contributed to stir up the more
enlightened part of the Christian world to separate themselves
from the corruptions of the Church of Rome. Happy would
it be, if many, who call themselves Protestants, did not in this
matter go back again to the heresies which they profess to
have renounced ! But however pertinaciously men cling to
the covenant of works, they never can obtain salvation by it:
they must lay hold on the covenant of grace : they must re
nounce their own righteousness, even as the Apostle Paul
himself did, and seek for acceptance by Christ's alone1: " in
Christ shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory V]
f 1 Pet. ii. 24. and iii. IS. K Rom. v. 6 — 8.
h Rom. ix. 31 — 33. and x. 1, 2. ' Phil. iii. 0.
k Isai. xlv. 2f>.
VOL. XVI. M M
530 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 21. [2023.
3. The Antinomian professor—
[There are, it must be confessed, some who abuse the
doctrine of our text, and maintain, that, because Christ is our
righteousness, we need no righteousness of our own. They
acknowledge indeed that Christ is our sanctification : but they
suppose that his sanctification is imputed to us in the same
way as his righteousness. But this is contrary both to
reason and Scripture ; for sanctification necessarily implies
a change both of heart and life. We may easily conceive
righteousness to be imputed, and that persons not righteous
in themselves, may be dealt with as righteous on account of the
righteousness of another: but it is not possible that a person
can be made inwardly holy by the holiness of another, any more
than a dead tree can be made a fruitful one by having the fruit
of another tree suspended on it. And the Scripture universally
requires us to be daily putting off the old man and putting on
the new. If real and radical holiness be not required of us,
why is it so strongly and so continually inculcated throughout
all the apostolic writings ? Of those who deny that the law is
to the believer a rule of life, we would ask one question : What
does the law require which the Gospel does not? The law
requires us to love God with all our heart and mind and soul
and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves ; and what docs
the Gospel require less ? What part of our duty does it dis
pense with ? Alas ! it is a fatal error to imagine that holiness
is not as necessary now as formerly. Were this true, Christ
would actually be a minister of sin, in that he would be vacat
ing the obligations of God's law, which is as immutable as God
himself. For our justification, it is true, we do not need any
righteousness of our own ; and if we were to attempt to unite
our righteousness to that of Christ, we should make void the
whole Gospel ; and Christ would have died in vain. But to
attest the reality of our faith, and manifest our love to Christ ;
to glorify our God on earth, and obtain a meetness for heaven,
holiness is absolutely indispensable; and if we cultivate it not,
even universal holiness of heart and life, we shall never see the
kingdom of God.]
Having thus endeavoured to establish the doctrine
of our text, we proceed,
III. To IMPROVE it—
1. Let no man despair of mercy —
[What can any person want in order to his reconciliation
with God, which has not been already wrought? There is a
perfect atonement for your sins, and a perfect righteousness
2023.] THE WAY OF RECONCILIATION WITH GOD. 531
for your justification ; and the benefits of both are offered you
freely, without money and without price. All that is necessary
to your reconciliation on God's part, is already done by Jesus
Christ : and all that remains to be done on your part, is to
receive gratefully what God offers freely. Truly this is, if I
may so call it, the religion of a sinner : it is suited to sinners
of every class : and wherever it is received in truth, it shall
prove effectual for our present peace, and our everlasting
salvation.]
2. Let no man attempt to alter the plan which God
himself has devised —
[We are ever leaning to the side of self-righteousness.
But the righteousness which God imputes to us is, and ever
must be, "a righteousness without works1." We must be jus
tified freely by God's grace through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus. Why should we wish to alter this? What is it
less than madness for a person destitute of one single farthing
to undertake to pay ten thousand talents, when he may be
freely forgiven his whole debt '{ Be content to be indebted
wholly to the grace of God, and the mediation of the Lord
Jesus: and let God alone be exalted in your salvation.]
3. Let all who embrace this salvation endeavour to
adorn it—
[This is the duty of all, and the privilege of all ; this is
what " the grace of God teaches us ;" and it is a most im
portant end of our union with Christ"1. Are you reconciled
to God ? endeavour henceforth to manifest your friendship
towards him in every possible way. Think not much of any
thing you are called either to do or suffer for his sake. Can
any thing be too much to do for one who has done so much
for you, or to suffer for one who has suffered so much for
you ? If a man will lay down his life for an earthly friend, of
how small account should you reckon any temporal interests,
or even life itself, for such a friend as this ? Seek to know
more and more of this stupendous mystery revealed in pur
text : and, whilst you are filled by it with rapturous admira
tion, give full scope to all its transforming efficacy, till it has
changed you into the very image of your God.]
1 Rom. iv. 6. m Rom. vii. 4.
M M 2
532 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. 1, 2. [2024.
MMXXIV,
THE GRACE OF GOD NOT TO BE RECEIVED IN VAIN.
2 Cor. vi. 1, 2. iVe then, as workers together ivith him, beseech
you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. For
he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the
day of salvation have I succoured thee : behold, now is the
accepted time ; behold, noiv is the day of salvation.
" THE grace of God," mentioned in the words be
fore us, is the same with that which in the preceding
context is called " the word of reconciliation :" it is
the declaration, that " God was in Christ reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses
unto them." This is elsewhere called, " the Gospel of
the grace of God ;" and a wonderful display of divine
grace it is : because from the first devising of this
plan of reconciliation in his eternal counsels, to the last
bestowment of its blessings on any child of man, it is
altogether of grace : grace laid the foundation ; grace
raised the superstructure ; and, when the head-stone
shall be brought forth, the universal shout will be,
" Grace, grace unto ita." In bringing men into a
state of reconciliation with God, we ministers are
fellow-labourers with Godb. Not that we do, or
ever can do, any thing towards perfecting the work
of Christ ; (that was finished by him upon the cross,
when he offered himself a sacrifice for the sins of the
whole world ;) but we are ambassadors from God,
and speak to men in Christ's stead, and thus are
" workers together with God :" and in this character
we beseech you, as the Apostle did the Corinthians,
" not to receive the grace of God in vain."
That we may proceed agreeably to the example
set before us in our text, we shall consider,
I. The exhortation here given—
And here we shall separately notice,
1. The subject-matter of it: " Receive not the
grace of God in vain"-
a Zech. iv. 7. b 1 Cor. iii. 9. with the text.
2024.] GOD'S GRACE NOT TO BE RECEIVED IN VAIN. 533
[The generality of those to whom the word of reconci
liation comes, hear it to no purpose. Many pay no attention
at all to it, but, like Gallio of old, care for none of these
things. Many hate it, and oppose it with all their might;
either regarding it as foolishness, through their philosophic
pride, or making it a stumbling-block, through their self-
righteous habits. To all such it comes in vain, or rather,
worse than in vain, seeing that it proves to them a savour of
death to their more aggravated condemnation. In truth, all
receive it in vain, who do not welcome it into their hearts,
and conform to it in their lives. O that it might be embraced
thus by all to whom it now comes ! Receive it, brethren, as
the most stupendous effort of Divine Wisdom for the salvation
of your souls
2. The manner of it : " We, as workers together
with God, beseech you"-
[We come not in our own name, when we announce
these glad tidings, but in the name of our God and Saviour.
We have no private ends to accomplish : it is the work oi
God, and that only, that we endeavour to advance : we have
the same end in view that God himself had, when he sent his
only dear Son into the world ; the same that Christ had,
when he died upon the cross : the ministry of reconciliation
is committed to us ; and, in the exercise of this ministry, " we
are fellow-workers with God." In this capacity we might
command you all : but we choose rather, like the Apostle,
to use the language of entreaty : yes, " We beseech you ;" in
the very name and stead of Christ himself, we beseech you,
that ye receive not this grace in vain. If ye will not listen to
us, listen to that God in whose name we speak ; and, if ye
will not bow to his commands, resist not his entreaties ; for
it is he himself who beseeches you, by our mouth, " Be ye
reconciled to God."]
To impress this exhortation the more deeply on
your minds, We will call your attention to,
II. The considerations by which it is enforced—
The Apostle urges his request—
1. From the written word—
[" Whatsoever was written aforetime, was written for
our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the
Scriptures might have hope." Every promise of God through
out the Bible has a general aspect upon the Church of God,
and, in the spirit of it, may be applied to individuals of the
present day, as well as to those to whom it was more imme-
534 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. 1,2. [2024.
diately addressed0. The promise before us was primarily
addressed to the Messiah, assuring him of success among the
Gentiles'1: but it is also fitly applicable to us; because all
the blessings promised to the Head, belong also to all the
members of his mystical body. To him this promise was
fulfilled : in every time of need he was succoured ; and in due
season he was exalted above all his enemies : and so shall it
be to us also, if we embrace his preferred salvation : what a
delightful thought is this, that the very promise which was
made to Christ, and fulfilled in him, is made to us, and shall
be fulfilled in us ! What an encouragement is this to receive
the grace of God aright, when we are thus assured of the very
same assistances and triumphs as Christ himself enjoyed!]
2. From his own inspired comment upon it —
[The accepted time, the day of salvation, was then come
to the Gentile world ; and we may say with truth that it is
come to us also. It is come to us, because the word of recon
ciliation now sounds in our ears, and is proclaimed to us in
the name of God himself. How long this shall continue we
know not. We know that the candlestick has long since
been removed from Churches, where the light of the Gospel
once shone as with meridian brightness : and how soon it
may be removed from us, who can tell? But it does now
shine, and the grace of God is displayed amongst us in all its
freeness, and in all its fulness : we are authorized therefore
to say with full assurance, that it is now the accepted time re
specting you. But further, it is the accepted time with you,
because you are yet here to receive these tidings. With
multitudes who once heard the word of reconciliation, the day
of grace is passed : they are now gone into that world where
offers of mercy are never sent. And how soon may this be the
case with you! Many who, but a year ago, were as likely to
live as you, have been summoned into the presence of their
God in the past year ; and many who are now in health will,
before another year, be called to follow them : but who they
shall be we know not : the young and vigorous have no more
security than the weak and sickly : it is of the present hour
only that we can speak with any measure of certainty ; and it
is of that only that we can say, " It is the day of salvation."
But it is possible that you may still be preserved in life, and
the Gospel be yet sounding in your ears, and your day of sal
vation may have actually already come to a close. We may,
by our obstinate rejection of mercy, provoke God to withdraw
his Holy Spirit, who alone can make those offers effectual for
our good. He has said, that " his Spirit shall not always strive
0 Compare Josh, i. .;. with Heb. xiii. 5, 6. d Isai. xlix. 8.
2024.] GOD'S GRACE NOT TO BE RECEIVED IN VAIN. 535
with man :" and when he sees us obstinately bent on our own
evil ways, he may say of us, as he did of Israel of old,
" Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone." He has given
us many awful warnings on this subject6, and many fearful
examples of the judgment actually inflicted f. Surely, this
should lead us all to " seek the Lord" whilst he may be found,
and to call upon him whilst he is near. The Lord grant that
we may know the day of our visitation, and " seek the things
belonging to our peace, before they be for ever hid from our
eyes!"]
That this subject may be yet further impressed
upon your minds, consider,
1. How wonderful this grace is—
[The more we consider the gift of God's only-begotten
Son to assume our nature, and to expiate our guilt by his own
blood, the more shall we be lost in wonder, love, and praise
And shall all this be done in vain ? Shall he become
sin for us, and we not seek to be made the righteousness of
God in him ? ]
2. How awful will be the consequence of rejecting
it—
[Happier will Tyre and Sidon, yea, and Sodom and
Gomorrha, be in the day of judgment, than those who hear
and make light of these overtures of reconciliation. Think of
those awful words, " How shall we escape, if we neglect so
great salvation ? "]
3. How truly blessed they are who receive the
grace of God in truth —
[Well does the Psalmist say, " Blessed are the people
that know the joyful sound!" Truly, they are beyond ex
pression, and beyond conception, blessed. In this world,
their "peace passeth all understanding," and their "joy is
unspeakable and glorified :" but their portion in the world to
come, who shall declare ? An archangel would in vain attempt
to give it utterance. And shall all this belong to those who
accept God's offers of reconciliation aright ? — - Let not
one of you delay to flee for refuge to the hope that is set
before you ]
e Prov. i. 23—31. f Heb. iii. 11, 18, 19. Luke xiv. 24.
\> CORINTHIANS, VI. 4—10. 2025.
MMXXV.
THE CHARACTER OF A CHRISTIAN MINISTER.
2 Cor. vi. 4 — 10. 7« a// things approving ourselves as the
ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in neces
sities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults,
in labours, in ivatchings, in fastings ; by pureness, by knoiv-
ledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by
love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God,
by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the
left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report:
as deceivers, and yet true ; as unknown, and yet well known;
as dying, and, behold, tve live ; as chastened, and not killed;
as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing ; as poor, yet making many
rich ; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
WHAT a portrait is here drawn ! Was there ever,
from the foundation of the world, an uninspired man
that could pour forth an extemporaneous effusion like
unto this ? By much study, a man of deep thought
may ramify a subject, and distribute it into a great
variety of minute particulars : but the passage before
us smells not of the lamp : it savours not of scientific
arrangement : it is no laboured accumulation of par
ticulars, brought forward in order to display a fund
of learning, or to exhibit the resources of ingenuity :
it is an effusion out of the fulness of a heart devoted
to the Lord, of a heart enlarged in the service of
mankind.
To enter minutely into the different expressions
here brought before you, would be unprofitable in a
public discourse. It is by taking the passage in the
aggregate, as one vast compendious whole, that we
shall best consult the edification of your souls. It
refers primarily, no doubt, to St. Paul himself: but,
improved in the way I propose, it will be of essential
benefit to the whole Christian world : for which end,
I shall take occasion, from it, to set before you the
ministerial office.
tAf
I. As executed by him—
His whole life, after his conversion to Christianity,
was one continued scene of " afflictions," to which
2025.] CHARACTER OF A CHRISTIAN MINISTER. .537
he submitted with unconquerable " patience." Those
two words (" afflictions" and " patience") may be con
sidered as comprehending the whole, which in all that
follows is branched out into a variety of particulars.
Bearing that in remembrance, there will be found a cli
max throughout the whole. It will be proper to notice,
1. The circumstances in which he was placed —
[He was in one continual state of trial, as arising from
different sources. Mark his trials; first, as arising from the
occurrences of every day : he was often in such " necessities,"
as to want every thing that was needful for the body, and to
suffer much from hunger and cold and nakedness: his " dis
tresses," too, were often of so embarrassing a nature, that he
knew not how to extricate himself from them. Mark them,
next, as arising from the treatment he met with : multitudes
were embittered against him to the last degree ; sometimes
loading him with " stripes ;" at other times tormenting him
with " imprisonments ;" and at other times raging against him
with such " tumults," that he was literally in danger of being
torn in pieces by his infuriated enemies. Mark them, yet
further, as arising from his own zeal in the discharge of his
high office. His " labours," and " watchings," and " fastings,"
were doubtless sometimes imposed upon him by necessity; but
they were also sometimes voluntarily undertaken, for the ad
vancement of God's work in his own soul, and for the further
ing, by means of more fervent intercession, the glorious cause
he had undertaken to promote.
Now let us turn our attention to,]
2. The manner in which he conducted himself
under them—
[On this he dilates, with a richness and a copiousness
unrivalled perhaps in the whole world. He speaks of his
patience under these diversified trials, and of his deportment
under them ; first, in a way of active exertion. He was careful,
above all things, that no one should have cause to impeach
the " pureness" of his principles ; and he strove to act with
such judgment, that his " knowledge" of God's will should be
evident to all, and be exercised to the uttermost, for the
benefit of all. At the same time, he took care, by his " long-
suffering," to shew that he could not easily be stimulated to
resentment against his persecutors: on the contrary, he lost
no opportunity of requiting by " kindness" the injuries they
inflicted ; evincing, by this, that he was under the influence of
" the Holy Ghost," and actuated altogether by " unfeigned
love" to every child of man. " The word of truth" was con-
538 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. 4—10. [2025.
stantly upon his lips; and it was attended always, in a greater
or less degree, by " the power of God" to the souls of men:
whilst, in consequence of being clad with " the armour of
righteousness on the right hand and on the left," he was
enabled to defy all the assaults, whether of men or devils.
At the same time, he manifested his superiority to all his
difficulties, in a ivay of patient submission. Passing through
" honour and dishonour," he shewed that he was neither elated
with the one, nor depressed with the other. With some he
was an object of " evil report," and with others of " good
report ;" some calumniating him in every possible way ; and
others exalting his character in terms of the highest appro
bation : but he was alike unmoved both by the one and the
other. What if he was accounted a " deceiver," who took
advantage of the weakness or wickedness of others, to impose
upon them, and thereby to advance his own interests ? This
did not move him, whilst he knew himself to be " true," and a
faithful minister of the truths which he had been commis
sioned to declare. The proud looked down upon him with
contempt, as one altogether " unknown," and unworthy of
regard; whilst, in fact, he was "well known" by the many
blessings which he imparted wheresoever he went. It was
supposed, inasmuch as he was " dying" daily, that his course
would soon be finished : but yet, contrary to all human
expectation, though sometimes left for dead, he was " yet
alive." He was "chastened" with all imaginable severity by
magistrates, on different occasions ; yet was he " not killed."
Viewed according to his outward appearance, he was in a
most " sorrowful" condition ; yet was he, in reality, " always
rejoicing" in the testimony of a good conscience, and in the
favour of his God. He was " poor," no doubt, and bereft at
times even of the most common necessaries of life ; but yet, in
the whole course of his ministry, he was " making many rich,"
yea, richer far than all the monarchs upon earth could ever
make them. Finally, he was as one " having nothing ;" and
yet, both as to his present enjoyments and future prospects,
he was as one " possessing all things ;" so that, if the whole
world could be given him, it would not add one atom to
his wealth.
What a surprising description is this ! How remote from
all the conceptions of the natural man ! yet how exactly suited
to the experience of every faithful minister on earth !]
Leaving now these views of the Apostle's ministry
to the contemplation of those who are called to
minister in holy things, I will proceed to speak of it,
II. As appointed for us—
2025.] CHARACTER OF A CHRISTIAN MINISTER.
Let us conceive of the Apostle as set apart to this
office by Almighty God, and, as informed, at the very
time of his appointment to it, " how great things he
should suffer" for his Master's sake ; and let us fur
ther bear in mind, that all who are in every age
ordained to the office of the ministry are called to a
measure of the same experience ; and how strongly
will it impress our minds with,
1. The exceeding great value of the soul —
[The souls of men were " perishing for lack of know
ledge." God, in his mercy, determined to set apart an order
of men to instruct them, and to guide them into all truth.
But the wickedness of men would " not endure sound doc
trine :" they would hate the light, and endeavour to extinguish
it, wheresoever it should appear. This, however, should tend
rather to the furtherance, than to the obstruction, of God's
gracious purposes. It should tend to complete the work of his
grace in the souls of his servants, whom he should thus send
forth ; and it should serve to illustrate the power of his grace,
in upholding them under circumstances of such peculiar trial.
Conceive now of persons so separated and so appointed, in
every age, for the benefit of mankind ; and what an idea will
it give us of the value of their souls ! What ; shall strangers,
unconnected with the world, except as being partakers of the
same nature, be raised up to devote themselves to such labours,
and to undergo such sufferings for us? to warn us, instruct us,
encourage us, and lead us into the way of peace ? Verily, then,
the interests of an immortal soul are not of so little import
ance as the world at large seem to imagine. Indeed, brethren,
if we are bound, by our high office, to live as the Apostle lived,
and in the whole of our ministerial career to follow him for the
benefit of your souls, it can never be that you should be at
liberty to neglect your own souls, or to manifest less concern
for yourselves, than we are to exercise for you. Doubtless,
that which most marks the value of an immortal soul, is the
gift of God's only-begotten Son to die for you : but next to
that, is the appointment of an order of men, who are to go
with their lives in their hands, and endure all that an ungrate
ful world can inflict, for the purpose of " turning you from
darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God."
Read carefully the text in this mew; and then say, " He did
all this for me, and suffered all this for me : and then you will
see what is that measure of zeal which you are called to exer
cise for your own souls.]
2. The true nature of the Christian warfare —
540 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. 4—10. [2025.
[There was nothing in the Apostle's experience which we
ourselves are not, according to our measure, called to undergo :
and we ourselves must approve ourselves servants of God, pre
cisely in the same way as he " approved himself a minister"
Jn degree, our trials may differ from his ; but in substance they
will be the same. We may not be called to stripes and impri
sonments for the Lord's sake : but we should be prepared for
them, if it should please God that persecution should rage
against his Church, as it has done, not in the apostolic age
only, but in ages not very remote from that in which we live;
and in this country too, not less than in other kingdoms. But
whatever be the measure of our trials, our spirit must be the
same as his. We must be proof against all the assaults of
our enemies; " not being overcome of evil, but overcoming
evil with good." As to all the contempt that shall be poured
upon us, or the privations we may be called to undergo, they
must be as nothing in our eyes, by reason of our enjoyment of
the Divine presence that bears us up above them, and our
prospect of the Divine glory, that will compensate for all the
labour or suffering that ever we could endure, if our lives were
protracted for ten thousand years. The Apostle expressly
calls upon us to follow him : and to " be imitators of him,
even as he was of Christ a." And I would call on every ono
of you to set before your eyes the pattern as it is here drawn;
and to aspire after the highest conformity to it that God shall
enable you to attain.]
3. The great blessing of a faithful ministry—
[What would the world have been, if no such persons as
the Apostle had been raised up to instruct them ? See what
the heathen were, as described by St. Paul in the first chapter
of his Epistle to the Romans ; and what the Jews themselves
were, as described in the second chapter. Or see what hea
then countries are at this day, yea, and Christian countries
too, where the Gospel is not preached with fidelity and power.
Then look at the Churches formed by the Apostles, and at
Churches even at this day, where Christ is preached in
sincerity 'and truth. This will shew how great a blessing is a
faithful ministry. But let us go no further than to the Apostle
Paul ; and compare his picture as drawn previous to his con
version, with that which is drawn in the passage before us :
does not the difference strike us as truly wonderful? Yet it
was all formed by the grace of God operating upon his soul,
through the principles he had imbibed. And, permit me to
say, that I consider my ministry as of no use, any further than
it operates to the production of the same change in you. If it
a 1 Cor. x. 32, 33. with xi. 1.
2026.] PARADOXICAL EXPERIENCE. 541
have wrought on any to their conversion, let them be thankful
for it ; and strive more and more to shew its power, by an
entire conformity to the Apostle both in heart and life. But
if it have not, (and how many of you are there that are in this
awful predicament !) remember your sad responsibility to
God ; and tremble, lest that, which God has sent you for your
salvation, prove only an occasion of your more aggravated
condemnation !]
ADDRESSb —
b This must of course vary according to the audience before whom
the subject is brought. If it be on the occasion of an Ordination, or
Visitation, the clergy must be exhorted to consider what they have
undertaken, and to fulfil it. If the subject be before a common
audience on the First Sunday in Lent (the Epistle for the day), the
people may be exhorted to avail themselves of the privileges they en
joy ; and to pray for their minister, that he may be enabled to approve
himself faithful to God, and to them.
MMXXVI.
PARADOXICAL EXPERIENCE.
2 Cor. vi. 10. As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing ; as poor,
yet making many rich ; as having nothing, and yet possessing
all things.
THEY who form their opinions on mere outward
appearances, will almost invariably err. But in no
thing will they be more mistaken, than in their judg
ment of the Christian state. The experience of one
that is converted to God is a perfect paradox : and
they who are strangers to it, evince that they yet
need to learn the very first principles of true religion.
St. Paul is enumerating a great variety of things
whereby he had " approved himself a faithful mi
nister of God :" and after a multitude of other
paradoxes, he comes at last to those in the text.
Doubtless, they had a more immediate reference to
his own state, and, in some points of view, were
applicable to him alone : but in other respects, they
are equally true of " all who love the Lord Jesus
Christ in sincerity."
We shall take occasion from these words to shew,
542 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. 10. [2026.
I. How poor the Christian is in himself —
The bitter persecutions, the painful wants, and the
continued load of care, under which the Apostle
laboured, might well make him sorrowful. But if we
drink not of his cup in these respects, there yet are
other grounds on which we may be called, like the
Laodiceans, " wretched, and miserable, and poor8."
1. We are destitute of all that is truly desirable —
[The man who wants all the necessaries of life, does not
feel himself more destitute than the Christian.
How poor is he that has no righteousness to justify him
before God ! Yet the Christian has none in himself; he has
nothing whereon he can rely, no, not any more than the fallen
angels themselves15.
How poor is he that has no strength whereby to serve God !
Yet this is the Christian's condition. If the thinking of a
good thought would save him, he has not of himself a suffi
ciency to do itc.
How poor is he who has no wisdom to guide him one step
of his way towards heaven ! Yet thus destitute is the Chris
tian. If he should in any one instance lean to his own under
standing, he would as surely err, as if he should attempt
blindfold to explore the most intricate pathd.
In short if he had attained the eminence of Paul himself,
he still must say, " In me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no
good thing* "~\
2. We have continual cause of sorrow —
[Numberless are the conflicts which the Christian has to
maintain with his indwelling corruptions : and too frequently
he receives a wound that fills him with the acutest anguish f.
Many are the seasons too when his soul is " in heaviness
through manifold temptations^:' and when, through the hidings
of God's face, he "walks in darkness and has no light'1."
Supposing him ever so free from persecution, still he has in
these things abundant reason for grief. Well may he on these
accounts exclaim, with the Apostle, " O wretched man that
I am1!"]
But the Christian's poverty is rather a subordinate
point in the text ; we therefore pass on to shew more
fully,
a Rev. iii. 17. b Isai. Ixiv. 6. c 2 Cor. iii. 5.
d Jer. x. 23. Prov. iii. 5, f>. e Rom. vii. 18.
f Rom. vii. 2;}. s 1 Pet. i. (i.
h Ps. Ixxxviii. 14 — 10. i Rom. vii. 24.
2026.] PARADOXICAL EXPERIENCE. 543
II. How rich he is in Christ—
With respect to this, every Christian is on the
same footing with the Apostle himself—
1. He has an inexhaustible fulness of all good —
[Is not he rich, that has reconciliation with God; and that
has " all his iniquities cast into the depths of the sea?"
Is not he rich, that has liberty of access to God at all times,
and that can obtain, day and night, the manifestations of his
presence, and the testimonies of his love ?
Is not he rich, who, besides the present aids and consolations
of God's Spirit, has an assured prospect of eternal happiness
and glory ?
Yet this, and more than this, does the Christian possess in
Christ. "All things are his, when he is Christ's V He is
" complete in Christ1 ;" he is " enriched with unsearch
able riches™;" and "blessed with all spiritual and eternal
blessings n."
Compare with these things all the wealth of kingdoms ; and
say, whether it be not lighter than vanity itself.]
2. He has an incessant ground of joy and glory-
ing-
[Let the Christian be in the most afflictive circumstances
with respect to the things of time and sense, and yet may he
rejoice in Christ.
What an inexpressible comfort must it be to him to con
template the virtue of his sacrifice — the efficacy of his inter
cession — the sufficiency of his grace — the extent of his pro
mises — and lastly, his inviolable truth and faithfulness ! May
not he well adopt the language of the text, " I am sorrowful,
yet alway rejoicing ; having nothing, and yet possessing all
things?" Yes; it is his privilege to " rejoice in the Lord al
way0;" and that too, " with joy unspeakable and glorified p."]
INFER —
1. What an exalted character is the true Christian !
[The men of this world are altogether dependent on out
ward circumstances for their happiness ; and, if their cistern
fail, they are bereft of all. But the Christian is independent
of every thing here below. He may be deprived of health
and liberty, of possessions and friends ; but nothing can hinder
his communion with Christ. Neither men nor devils can
intercept the communications of heaven ; which, for the most
* 1 Cor. iii. 21—2-3. ' Col. ii. 10. m Eph. iii. 8.
n Eph. i. 3. ° Phil. iv. 4. P 1 Pet. i. 8.
544 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. 11 — 13. [2027.
part, are increased, in proportion as other comforts are with
drawn q.
Let Christians then shew by their contempt of this world,
that they are born from above ; and prove in the midst of all
their tribulations, that they possess indeed the magnanimity
imputed to them.]
2. How pitiable is the state of unconverted men !
[If they be poor and afflicted in a temporal view, they
have nothing to sustain their drooping spirits. If, on the
contrary, they be rich and gay, still their happiness is but
empty, transient, delusive. In a little time they will be poor,
and miserable beyond conception. In their very best estate
therefore they are objects of pity and compassion : they may
possess much, but yet are destitute of all things ; they may
be often rejoicing, but have continued occasion for grief and
sorrow.
O that they were wise, and would consider this! O that
they would begin to seek an interest in Christ, that through
him their state might be reversed, and that they might par
ticipate the Christian's lot !]
3. What a blessed work is that of the ministry !
[The Apostle gloried in this, that " though poor, he made
many rich." And is not this the one intent of our ministry ?
Is it not that for which we were consecrated to the service
of the sanctuary ? Has the Christian preacher no better end
in view than to display his talents, and obtain applause?
Surely, if we have been anointed with an heavenly unction,
and ever learned the true nature of our office, our only desire
is to " win souls :" and, as that is the scope of our labours, so,
when we behold one and another coming to the possession of
the true riches, we consider our success as the most glorious of
all rewards1".
O that every minister might view his office in this light ;
and every faithful preacher be thus recompensed for his
labours !]
9 2 Cor. i. 5. r 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20.
MMXXVII.
EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL IN ENLARGING THE HEART.
2 Cor. vi. 11 — 13. 0 ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto
you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but
ye are straitened in your own bowels. Noiv, for a recom
pense in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also
enlarged.
2027.] EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL IN THE HEART. 545
THE ministers of the Gospel sustain an office cha
racterized in Scripture by the most exalted terms.
They are ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ :
they address men in the name, and in the very place,
of God himself4 : and they are in this respect fellow-
workers with Godb. But, though they are at liberty,
and indeed are bound, to " magnify their office*,"
they are not at liberty to magnify themselves: nor,
indeed, will they be disposed to do so : they know,
that, whilst they bear for the good of others an in
estimable " treasure, they are themselves but earthen
vessels'1 :" and, if they glory at all, they can " glory
only of their infirmities," by means of which the Lord
Jesus Christ is honoured, and his work advanced6.
It is to these that the Apostle, in the passage now
under our consideration, refers, as the proofs of his
appointment to, and his fidelity in, the apostolic
office : and so ample is his enumeration of the diffi
culties and trials to which he had been subjected in
the discharge of his duty, that he apologizes, as it
were, for the fulness of his description ; and entreats
his Corinthian converts to exercise towards him the
same disposition which he was at this instant exer
cising towards them.
The words which we have read to you will afford
me occasion to shew,
I. How the Gospel enlarges the heart of a faithful
minister-
To the servants of Christ is committed the ministry
of reconciliation—
[In this respect, a common minister is on a par with an
Apostle. St. Paul himself could declare nothing, but that
" God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself; not
imputing their trespasses unto them : " and those blessed
tidings we also are privileged to bear ; as we are, also, to " be
seech men, in Christ's stead, to be reconciled to God." And
this office I will now perform, if peradventure God may give
his blessing to the word, and bring the soul of any one
amongst you into a state of favour and acceptance with him
self ]
» 2 Cor. v. 20. b ver. 1. c Rom. xi. 13.
d 2 Cor. iv. 7. e 2 Cor. xi. 30.
VOL. XVI. N N
okj 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. 11— 18. [2027.
In the discharge of this high office they have many
difficulties to encounter—
[The Apostle here, with astonishing enlargement, sets
them forth, and adduces them as evidences of his fidelity to God
and man. He had " approved himself as a minister of God "
in the diversity and intenseness of his sufferings ; " in much
patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes,
in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fast
ings." He had approved himself, also, in the ivhole of his spirit
and conduct ; " by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering,
by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word
of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness
on the right hand and on the left." He had given yet further
evidence of his fidelity, in the different kinds of reception he had
met with; " by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good
report ; as a deceiver, yet true ; as unknown, yet well known ;
as dying, yet, behold, he lived ; as chastened, yet, contrary to
all human expectation, not killed." Lastly, he had shewn
himself a true minister of God, in the supports and consolations
that had been administered to him ; " as sorrowful, yet alway
rejoicing ; as poor, yet making many rich ; as having nothing,
and yet possessing all things." The eloquence of this passage
has perhaps never been surpassed : and it proceeded, not from
the richness of his imagination, but from the fulness of his
heart ; as he says : " O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open
unto you, our heart is enlarged."
And were these things peculiar to the Apostle? Has not
every faithful minister a measure of the same ? What, if we
have not to experience bonds and imprisonments, have we not
to go " through honour and dishonour ; through evil report
and good report ; as deceivers, and yet true ; as unknown, yet
well known ?" Yes, and under the lowest pressure of adverse
circumstances, we trust we can say, "As sorrowful, yet alway
rejoicing ; as poor, yet making many rich ; as having nothing,
and yet possessing all things."]
But difficulties, of whatever kind, are of no account
with them, if only they may be rendered subservient
to the progress of the Gospel, and the salvation of
immortal souls-
fit was not in away of complaint, and much less in a way
of boasting, that the Apostle dilated thus on his experience:
no; it was for the purpose of convincing the Corinthians that
he longed for their welfare, and accounted not his life dear
unto him, if he might by any means promote their eternal
happiness. He had himself obtained, by the Gospel, re
conciliation with God ; and he panted to make them also
2027.] EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL IN THE HEART. 547
partakers of the same benefit. This hope it was that made him
so indefatigable in all his labours, and so invincible under all
his sufferings.
And I may safely say, that the same blessed hope will ani
mate every faithful minister to tread in the Apostle's steps,
and to be a follower of him, as he was of Christ.]
In this address of St. Paul to the Corinthians, we
yet further see,
II. What reciprocity of feeling he may hope to find
amongst those to whom he ministers—
If this experience attends a faithful ministration of
the Gospel, so does it also, in some degree, a faithful
reception of it : and if it should be welcomed by the
preacher as an evidence of his fidelity, so should it
also be welcomed by his hearers as a testimony borne
by God himself in their favour. I call you then,
beloved, to shew a measure of that enlargement which
was so conspicuous and unrivalled in the Apostle
Paul. To every one of you I say, Resemble him.
1. Let your reception of the Gospel be alike cor
dial-
fit is as worthy of your reception, as it was of his ; and
will be as rich a source of blessings to you as ever it was to
him ]
2. Let your devotion to it be alike entire—
[See how entirely he devoted himself to God, from the
very first moment that the Lord Jesus revealed himself unto
him. " He conferred not with flesh and blood." Having
asked, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" he knew of
no will, but God's ; no way, but that which the Lord himself
prescribed. Be ye, brethren, alike upright in the service of
Him who " has reconciled you to God by the blood of his
cross." " Ye are not your own : ye are bought with a price :
therefore ye must glorify God with your body and your spirit,
which are his" ]
3. Let your zeal for it be alike ardent-
fin the whole passage we have read to you, you have
heard what labours he undertook, and what sufferings he
endured, in order to diffuse the knowledge of that Gospel
which he had found so beneficial to his own soul. And shall
not " the love of Christ constrain you" also? Shall any labour
be accounted too great, or any suffering too severe, if you may
N N 2
54*8 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. 11—13. [2027.
be instrumental to the advancing the Redeemer's kingdom
upon earth ? —
4. Let your sacrifices for it be alike welcomed—
[By the cross of Christ, in which St. Paul gloried, " the
world was crucified to him, and he unto the worldf:" and he
regarded all that it contained, just as a man dying on a cross
would regard it. Yea, in his Master's service he was ready
to welcome martyrdom as an occasion of self-congratulation
and joyg. A noble example ! Seek to imitate it, my beloved
brethren ; and instead of repining at any thing ye may suffer
for the Gospel's sake, " count it all joy when ye fall into divers
temptations ;" and " rejoice, if ye are counted worthy to suffer
for your Lord's sake " ]
And now let me, in CONCLUSION, "speak to you as
my children" —
[Would to God I could say, that " ye have never been
straitened in us." Alas ! we are conscious that in our mini
strations we have often been cold and dead. But, on the
present occasion, we hope that, in some small degree, we may
adopt the Apostle's words ; and, " in recompence for the
same," we would add with him, " Be ye also enlarged." Truly,
if you had not been " straitened in your own bowels," many,
many blessings would have flowed down upon you, which yet
have been withheld, because ye were not sufficiently alive to
the importance of the subject propounded to you You
well know, that a vessel with a contracted opening receives
but little of the showers of heaven, in comparison of one that
presents to them a wide and expanded orifice : and thus it
fares with many, who, through prejudice or worldly-minded-
ness, have their hearts almost closed to the glad tidings of the
Gospel. O that ye might henceforth be enlarged, so as to
come with minds fully prepared to receive at God's hands all
that his dear Son has purchased for you, and all that his own
unbounded mercy is ready to bestow ! Come to the house of
God as rebels that have subjected yourselves to God's heavy
displeasure. Come as penitents, imploring mercy at his hands.
Come as believers, that are persuaded of the fulness of the
salvation provided for you in Christ, and of the willingness of
God to bestow it on every believing penitent. In a word,
Come to hear the testimony of God, in the manner, and in the
spirit, that St. Paul went forth to announce it to his hearers.
Let but this feeling be reciprocal, (the Lord grant it may be
more and more found in me !) and then we shall not speak in
vain, nor will you hear in vain.]
f Gal. vi. 14. g Phil. ii. 17, 18.
2028.] SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD ENJOINED. 549
MMXXVIII.
SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD ENJOINED.
2 Cor. vi. 14 — 18. Be ye not unequally yoked together ivith
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness ? and what communion hath light with dark
ness ? and what concord hath Christ with Belial ? or ivhat
part hath he that believeth with an infidel ? and what agree
ment hath the temple of God tvith idols ? for ye are the
temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in
them, and walk in them ; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the un
clean thing ; and I will receive you, and will be a Father
unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the
Lord Almighty.
A MINISTER never appears, to young people
especially, in so forbidding an aspect, as when lie is
circumscribing men's intercourse with the world, and
marking with precision the spirit that characterizes
the true Christian in relation to the things of time
and sense. Many on such an occasion are ready to
account him an enemy to their happiness, and to
censure him as a promoter of gloom and melancholy.
But where do we find the Apostle pouring out such
copious streams of love, as in the chapter before us ?
So accumulated were the expressions of his regard,
that he thought it almost necessary to apologize for
the more than ordinary effusions of his heart : " O
ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our
heart is enlarged." Yet in that very frame of mind
did he give the directions in our text. As a parent
in his dying hour would most tenderly guard his
children against the temptations which were most
likely to draw them aside from the paths of virtue
and happiness, so does the Apostle on this occasion
instruct and caution his Corinthian converts : and
with a measure of the same spirit we would now
proceed to the consideration of the subject before us.
That we may bring it before you with the greater
perspicuity, we shall shew,
550 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. 14—18. [2028.
I. What is that separation from the world which
Christianity requires—
It must be confessed, that the expressions in our
text are often quoted and urged in too unqualified a
manner, and without a due consideration of the dif
ference between the heathen world, amongst whom
the Corinthians dwelt, and the professedly Christian
world, amongst whom we dwell. Certainly a greater
measure of separation was necessary for them than
for us : inasmuch as the dangers to which intercourse
with heathens would subject them, were greater than
those to which we are exposed by intercourse with
those who profess the same faith with ourselves.
Even they were not debarred from the courtesies of
social lifea, nor from some degree of intercourse even
with the most ungodly and profaneb: much less are
we from such a measure of communication with
them, as is necessary for the discharge of our civil
and social duties. But still we must "not be un
equally yoked with them :"
1. We must not have fellowship with them in any
of their evil deeds —
[It is probable that in the caution here given, the Apostle
had some respect to idolatrous ceremoniess and idol feasts, in
which a true Christian could not consistently take any part.
Being himself " the temple of God, he could not have any
communion with idols." Not but that the prohibition must
extend also to every kind of evil, as well as to idolatry : for,
in another place, the same Apostle speaks of " uncleanness,
and covetousness, and foolish talking, and jesting, as bringing
down the wrath of God upon all the children of disobedience ;"
and then adds, " Be not ye therefore partakers with them :"
and again, " Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works
of darkness, but rather reprove themc." This therefore is
a law unto us, and to the Church of God in all ages, that,
though we may to a certain degree unite with ungodly men in
things that are indifferent, we must not unite with them in
any thing that is evil, however much it may be sanctioned by
the customs and usages of the world : " we must not follow a
multitude to do evil."]
2. We must not form any close connexion with
them—
a 1 Cor. x. 27. b 1 Cor. v. 9, 10. c Eph. v. 3—7, 11.
2028.] SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD ENJOINED. 551
[Under the law, men were forbidden to sow their fields
with different kinds of seed, or to wear clothes that were
formed of different kinds of materials, as of woollen and linen :
nor were they to yoke together an ox, which was a clean
animal, with an ass, which was uncleand. The import of these
different laws was the same: they were all intended to inti
mate, that in the Lord's people there should be a perfect sim-
flicity of mind, and an entire freedom from all mixture of evil,
t is to the yoking of the clean and unclean together, that
the Apostle refers in our text: and his illustration of it is
beautiful. He represents believers as the temple of the Lord,
in which nothing but what is holy should be found. All the
vessels of that temple must be holy ; and all the priests that
officiate in it must be holy also. In confirmation of this he
quotes a passage from the Prophet Isaiah, where the priests in
Babylon are enjoined to keep themselves from every species of
defilement, in daily and hourly expectation that the order for
their return to their own country shall be issued, and that they
may be in a fit state to bear the vessels of the Lord, which
would be restored by Cyrus for the service of the sanctuary at
Jerusalem6. In such a state must all Christians, who are a
holy priesthood, keep themselves, if they would please and
honour God : they must " come out from among the ungodly,
and be separate, and not touch any thing that is unclean." In
Babylon they must be, till the time of their release from it :
but they must keep themselves from all close connexion with
the people of it, and be in heart and mind as separate as the
vessels of the sanctuary are from any profane use. The
Apostle's direction, not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers,
is justly urged against that most fatal of all connexions, the
union of a believer with an unbeliever in the indissoluble bonds
of marriage. This union on the part of a believer, is to be
formed " only in the Lordf," and with such a partner as will
prove an helpmate for the soul. But the same rule should as
far as possible be observed in every other relation of life, that
so the spiritual person may not augment his difficulties in the
way to heaven.]
3. We must not cultivate any unnecessary inti
macy with them—
[What is necessary for the discharge of our social duties
must, as we have before said, be allowed : yet even that is
rather to be submitted to from necessity than be sought from
choice. The whole of the Apostle's argument extends to this.
He supposes, that, as " the whole world lieth in wickedness,"
it is almost impossible for a believer to be much in union with
d Deut. xxii. 9—11. e Isai. lii. 11. f 1 Cor. vii. 39.
552 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. 14—18. [2028.
it without contracting some defilement. Hence he says, in
reference to all who would divert us from the path of duty, or
impede in any way our spiritual progress, " Come out from
among them and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing."
Aware how soon " evil communications will corrupt good man
ners," his advice is like that of Solomon, " enter not into the
path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men : avoid
it, pass not by it, turn from it and pass awayg." In a word,
the true line of conduct seems to be that which a physician
would follow in the time of a pestilential disease. He would
go amongst the infected from a sense of duty, and with a desire
to do them good : but he would not make them his compa
nions, nor stay longer with them than his duty, and their
necessities, required : and both before and after his visit, as
well as during his intercourse with them, he would use all
proper means to preserve himself from the contagion which he
had reason to apprehend.]
Such being the separation from the world which
Christianity requires, we proceed to shew,
II. Whence the necessity for it arises —
On this part of the subject the Apostle speaks very
fully : and, because of the perfect conviction of his
own mind, he addresses us in a way of appeal, deter
mining to make us judges in our own cause.
The difference between the believer and unbe
liever he supposes to be as great as between light
and darkness, or Christ and Belial. And though this
at first appears harsh and extravagant, it is really
no exaggeration, if only we consider, that the one is
a partaker of the Divine nature and a child of God,
whilst the other is altogether carnal, a child of dis
obedience, a child of Satan. The question then is,
What real fellowship can there be between persons
so dissimilar ? Let any one think what a total dif
ference exists,
1. In their taste and sentiments —
[The believer affects only heavenly things. As for the
things of time and sense, he is dying to them daily, and suf
fers them to have as little influence as possible upon his mind.
He is convinced that every thing in this world is lighter than
vanity itself; and that the care of the soul is the one thing
* Prov. iv. 14, 15.
2028.] SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD ENJOINED. 553
needful. To have a sense of the Divine presence, and an
assured hope of dwelling with God for ever, to see sin in
creasingly mortified in his soul, and the image of God progres
sively advancing there, this is happiness in his estimation ; and
it is the only happiness he desires. But how different are the
taste and sentiments of the merely natural man ! All his
affections are set on earthly things : nor has he any wish be-
yond them. If he could have an uninterrupted enjoyment of
health, and wealth, and honour, he would wish for no other
heaven : he would be well satisfied with his state, though he
had never one glimpse of God's countenance, nor one foretaste
of the heavenly glory.
Now we ask, What communion can there be between per
sons so totally discordant from each other ? They live in a
different element; and what is life to the one, is to the other
death.]
2. In their habits and pursuits —
[The believer delights in the word of God and prayer.
Meditation on heavenly things is the very food of his soul.
" The life which he now lives in the flesh, he lives by the
faith of the Son of God, who has loved him and given himself
for him." To receive out of his Saviour's fulness more abun
dant communications of grace and peace, and to glorify him
more in the midst of a wicked world, this is his daily desire,
habit, and pursuit. But is it thus with the unbeliever? Does
he appear like a man running in a race, and determined to
win the prize ? No ; there is no resemblance between the
two characters : and, if yoked together, their union would be
like that of a reptile and a bird : the reptile fetters the bird to
the earth, whilst every motion of the bird, when aspiring after
liberty and affecting its wonted flights, incommodes and pains
the reptile : and the sooner a separation is effected, the better
will each of them be pleased.
Now these things are by the Apostle made a matter of
appeal. And we also appeal to yourselves respecting them :
Is there not, in profession at least, this contrariety between
the characters, and, as far as the believer acts agreeably to his
profession, does it not exist in practice also ? Here then is
abundant reason for the separation before spoken of: for it is
impossible for the believer to derive either comfort or benefit
from an intercourse that damps all his best feelings, and
obstructs all his best interests. And his true way to be holy
and happy is, to " Come out from the world, and be separate,
and if possible, not to touch the unclean thing."]
Nor will this separation be thought painful, if only
we bear in mind —
554 2 CORINTHIANS, VI. 14—18. [2028.
III. The honour which God will confer on all who
steadfastly maintain it—
The people of the world, in order to retain the
believer in a state of bondage, hold out to him the
benefits of which a separation from them will de
prive him—
[They tell him of his reputation, which will suffer ; and
of his interests, which will be impaired by what they call his
needless singularity — Perhaps, and indeed not uncom
monly, his own parents will be the most forward to discourage
him in his heavenly course, and " his greatest foes will be those
of his own household "]
But the encouragement here afforded him is suffi
cient to outweigh it all —
[What astonishing words are these ! " I will receive you,
and be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." What need we care
about being cast out by men, if we are received by God? yea,
if even disowned and disinherited by earthly parents, what
loss do we sustain, if God himself acknowledge us as his sons and
daughters, and provide an inheritance for us worthy of that
high relation ? Think of the sweet access which a child has
to his parent, the delightful confidence he has in his love, and
the full assurance he enjoys of all suitable provision in the
time of need. This, and infinitely more than this, does the
believer enjoy in the presence of his God : and beyond all this
he looks forward to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away. Say, believer, how small are thy
privations, when such are thine enjoyments ! how contemptible
are thy losses, when such are thy gains ! • — • — • — ]
ADDRESS—
1. Those who are just entering on the divine life —
[" Let every one who sets himself to seek his God, pre
pare his soul for temptation." Yes, beloved, if you will be
followers of Christ, you must have some cross to bear. The
servant cannot be above his lord : if they have called the
master of the house Beelzebub, much more will they those of
his household. Be content then to have it so. Do not imagine
that you can ever reconcile the ungodly to the ways of God.
If you will maintain friendship with them you must renounce
your friendship with him. " You cannot serve God and
Mammon :" and even a wish to do so is in God's estimation
constructive treason h. You think perhaps to do them good:
h Jam. iv. 4. See the Greek, and mark well the import of every word.
2028.] SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD ENJOINED. 555
but you are infinitely more likely to be injured by them, than
to impart any solid benefit to them1. They must come to you ;
not you to them. To attempt to unite with them is folly
and madness. You do not meet on equal terms. There is
nothing that they will not say and do to draw you from God :
but they will not suffer you to say or do any thing to draw them
to God. They will propose to you to join with them in their
amusements : but if you were to propose to them to join with
you in reading the word of God and prayer, they would pro
nounce you mad. Come out then from among them and be
separate, even as your Lord and Saviour did. " Ye are not
of the world," says our Lord, "even as I am not of the world."
Let this saying be verified in you : and let such be your love
to his cross, that by means of it " the world may be crucified
unto you, and you unto the world."]
2. Those who have made some progress in the
Divine life —
[Do not imagine that, because the world have not hitherto
prevailed to draw you back to them, you need not be on your
guard against them. Remember Demas : " Remember Lot's
wife." The world will never cease from their efforts, because,
whilst you walk steadfastly with God, you are a reproach to
them. Like Noah, you, by your lively faith, and practical
fear, " condemn the world." Your own experience will be a
sufficient warning to you in future. You have doubtless at
times been drawn into a closer intimacy with the world than
was expedient : and what, I would ask, has been the effect of
it? Have you found the same satisfaction in their vanities
that you have found in holy exercises? Have you not found
that fellowship with them has invariably tended to interrupt
your fellowship with God? When you have been walking
closely with God, you have known somewhat of what is meant
by those words, " I will dwell in them, and walk in them :"
but have you ever been taught this by communion with the
world ? Your own consciousness will give the best answer to
these questions. Let past experience teach you ; for it is in
perfect unison with the word of God, that to be " holy, and to
be harmless, you must be separate from sinners." Let your
one concern then be, to " present yourselves as living sacrifices
unto God, which is your reasonable service." And " be not
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your minds, that ye may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God." And be assured, that if,
like the little remnant in the Church of Sardis, you keep your
garments undefiled, you shall walk with God in white, ap
proved by him as conquerors, and rewarded with " a crown ot
glory that fadeth not away."]
! See Hagg. ii. 12, 13.
556 2 CORINTHIANS, VII. 1. [2029.
MMXXIX.
SANCTIFICATION WROUGHT BY THE PROMISES.
2 Cor. vii. 1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all Jilthiness of the flesh and
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
CHRISTIANITY, if viewed aright, is a remedy
suited to the necessities of fallen man. Man has lost
both the favour and the image of God: and the Gospel
restores him to both : to his favour first, and after
wards to his image. The promise made to Adam in
Paradise, that " the Seed of the woman should bruise
the serpent's head," was given without any prepara
tion of heart on Adam's part, yea, altogether unso
licited and unsought. It was, in fact, not given to
Adam personally ; but was rather a part of the judg
ment denounced against the serpent that had be
guiled hima. Thus, in the passage before us, the
promises in the close of the preceding chapter are
given freely to the sons of men : and the sanctifica-
tion that follows it, is to be the fruit and effect of the
promises apprehended by them, and applied to their
souls.
To put this matter in a clear light, we shall shew,
I. The nature and extent of the sanctification re
quired of us—
Sanctification is not a mere removal of evil from
the soul, but a positive renovation of the whole man.
It is set forth in our text as,
1. The mortification of all sin—
[As man consists of two parts, flesh and spirit, so sin
resides in both, and defiles both : and is therefore distinguished
into fleshly and spiritual filthiness ; the former assimilating
us to the beasts, and the latter to that great enemy of God
and man, the devil : as our Lord has said, " Ye are of your
father the devil; and the lusts of your father ye will dob."
By " the filthiness of the flesh," we understand, all those sins
which take their rise from, and are acted by, the body; as
uncleanness, intemperance, sloth. By " the filthiness of the
a Gen. iii. 14, 15. & John viii. 44.
2029.] SANCTIFICATION BY THE PROMISES. 557
spirit," we understand, those sins which are more independent
of the body, and have their proper residence in the mind ; as
pride, envy, malice, wrath, revenge ; discontent, covetousness,
deceit; impenitence, unbelief, and numberless other evils.
But from all of these we are to be cleansed. If one be re
tained willingly, deliberately, habitually, it will so defile, as
utterly to destroy, the soul : as God has said, " If any man
defile the temple of God, him will God destroy0." It is to no
purpose for any to plead, that God has given them passions,
and that they are not able to restrain them; for God will
enable us to restrain them, if we cry to him for help : He has
declared, that "his grace shall be sufficient for us." Neither,
on the other hand, must any one think well of himself, merely
because he does not indulge any gross corporeal lusts : for he
may be " fulfilling the desires of the mind to a vast extent,"
even whilst he restrains " those of the flesh d;" and the indul
gence of spiritual lusts is no less hateful in the sight of God,
than the gratifications which are more disgraceful in our eyes.
A proud Christian, a passionate Christian, a discontented
Christian, or an unbelieving Christian, is as palpable a con
tradiction in terms, as a drunken or a lewd Christian. Evil
tempers and dispositions of whatever kind must be subdued
and mortified ; if but one reign in the soul, we are Christians
in name only, and not in deed and in truth : for " they that
are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and
lusts6." Would to God that professing Christians would more
attentively consider this ! It is a grievous mistake to imagine,
that any notions however scriptural, or any virtues however
specious, will be of any avail, as long as one evil temper
remains in us unmortified and unsubdued. " If we regard
iniquity in our hearts (of whatever kind it be), the Lord will
not hear us."]
2. The cultivation of universal holiness—
[Not contented with " putting off the old man," we are
to be continually " putting on the new man, which after God
is created in righteousness and true holiness :" we are to be
" renewed in the spirit of our mindf." This is an expression
that deserves to be deeply considered : for it contains the very
essence of real sanctification. We must " put on the Lord
Jesus Christ^," and have in ourselves the very " mind that was
in himh." Mark his every disposition ; his delight in God's
presence, dependence on his care, and zeal for his glory ; his
self-denying habits of every kind, and, at the same time, his
c 1 Cor. iii. 17. d Eph. ii. 3. e Gal. v. 24.
f Eph. iv. 23, 24. * Rom. xiii. 14. Gal. iii. 27.
h Phil. ii. 5.
558 2 CORINTHIANS, VII. 1. [2029.
patience and meekness, his compassion and love towards the
children of men, even towards his most inveterate enemies :
these are to be the dispositions which we are to cultivate, and
in which we are to grow up even to perfection1. Whatever we
have attained, we are to "forget it all, and press forward for
morek," and to "grow up into him in all things as our living
Head1." All this we are to do "in the fear of God." This
expression must be particularly marked : for in " the fear of
God" the perfection of holiness consists. By "the fear of
God," I understand that tenderness of conscience, and watch
fulness of mind, that guards against even a thought which
would be displeasing to God. There is a susceptibility of
impression (such as exists in the apple of the eye when touched
by the smallest mote in the air), which we should keep alive
in our hearts in reference to sin, and have in uninterrupted
exercise. In this the Lord Jesus Christ himself pre-emi
nently excelled, being " of quick understanding in the fear of
the Lord m :" and it is by this that God has engaged to perfect
his work within us, " causing us to fear him for ever," and
" putting his fear into our hearts that we may not depart from
him"."
This is the crown of all Christian graces and attainments :
without which nothing is of any value. It is the lowered tint
which marks the ripeness and maturity of our choicest fruit :
it is that by which the man of God is perfected, and the image
of God is completed in the soul.]
The mention of the promises in connexion with
this, leads me to shew,
II. The use of the promises in the production of it —
St. Peter tells us, that " by the promises we are
made partakers of the Divine nature0:" and to the
same effect does St. Paul speak in the words before
us. It is by the promises that we are to accomplish
the task assigned us in the text. For this blessed
work they are well fitted : for they operate,
1. In a way of motive—
[Who can contemplate the promises in the preceding
context, and not feel his obligations to Almighty God so great
as to outweigh every other consideration under heaven ? Does
1 1 Thess. v. 23. k Phil. iii. 13, 14.
1 Eph. iv. 15. m Isai. xi. 2, 3.
n Jer. xxxii. 38 — 40. and Isai. xi. 2, 3. These passages should
be carefully noticed and compared in this view.
0 2 Pot. i. 4.
2029.] SANCTIFICATION BY THE PROMISES. 55J)
God promise to " dwell and walk in us" as in his temple?
Does he engage to " be our God," as much as if there were
no other creature in the universe besides ourselves that had
any interest in him? Does he declare that he will both
" receive us," and act towards us, as the most indulgent Father
towards his own beloved " sons and daughters ? " Is all this
promised to us freely, even to all who will separate themselves
from an ungodly world, and seek his face ? Who can con
template this, and not instantly inquire, " What shall I render
to the Lord for all these benefits ? " Who can have such a
hope in him, and not endeavour to " purify himself, even as
God is purep?" It is thus that Paul felt his obligations to
the Lord ; and it is from the consideration of them that he
urges us to an unreserved devotedness of ourselves to God,
assuring us that the mercies conferred upon us render an
entire consecration of ourselves to him " a reasonable service*1."]
2. In a way of encouragement—
[Any one who should merely contemplate the greatness
of the work assigned him, would sit down in despair: " How
shall I hope so to cleanse myself from all sin, and to perfect
holiness in the fear of God ? " But in the promises, he finds
ample ground of confidence and joy. " What ! has God freely
given to me his only dear Son, and will he not with him also
freely give me all things ? " Would an earthly father not refuse
bread to his famished child, and will my Heavenly Father not
give his Holy Spirit to me in the measure that I need his in
fluences ? To what purpose are all these promises which he
has given me, if he will not work in me that measure of sancti-
fication which is necessary to the complete enjoyment of them?
But I find holiness amongst the most distinguished of his pro
mises. He has said, " I will sprinkle clean water upon you,
and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your
idols will I cleanse you r : " &c. I will not fear then to engage
in the work of " cleansing myself," since God has promised to
perform it in me8: for " if he work, who shall let it?" My
weakness, so far from being an obstacle to him, shall rather be
an occasion for him to glorify himself the more1 : and, " through
him strengthening me, I can do all things"."]
3. In a way of actual efficiency—
[The promises, as contained in the word, effect nothing :
it is only as dwelling in the heart, and relied upon in the soul,
that they produce any saving operation. Then they are of
necessity accompanied by the Holy Spirit, who works in and
by them ; and who, on that very account, is called " The Holy
P 1 John iii. 3. 1 Rom. xii. 1. T Ezek. xxxvi. 25 — 27.
8 Phil. ii. 12, 13. l 2 Cor. xii. 9. u Phil. iv. 13.
560 2 CORINTHIANS, VII. 1. [2029.
Spirit of promise"." When applied to the soul by him, they
have, if I may so speak, a buoyancy, bearing up the soul to
high and heavenly things. We know that we, by filling a
capacious vessel with air of a lighter species, can cause it to
rise by its own buoyancy, and to soar above the clouds : how
much more then shall we, when " filled with the Spirit," and
borne up upon the wings of promise, rise in our hearts and
minds to the highest heavens ! We are aware that this illus
tration is not to be pressed too far ; but neither is it to be
discarded altogether as fanciful, since our blessed Lord himself
has said, that " his Holy Spirit in us shall be within us a well
of water springing up unto everlasting life5'." Here the hea
venly tendency of the principle within us is plainly asserted :
and, whatever be the word which first begets us to the heavenly
life, it is the word of promise which brings the soul to its full
maturity of Christian perfection z. It was the abundant in
dwelling of the promises in the Apostle's soul that filled him
with " the love of Christ, and constrained him" to live unto
his God and Saviour in a way that no other man ever did, and
caused his " conversation to be continually in heaven a." And
in proportion as they are realized in our souls, will be the
sanctifying effects produced by them.]
ADDRESS —
1. Those who are seeking holiness as their end,
without using the promises as the means—
[This is common both in those who are altogether igno
rant of the Gospel, and in those whose views of it are yet dim
and clouded : in the one, it springs from self-righteous pride ;
in the others, from mistaken and misplaced humility : but in
both it is a fatal evil.
As for the self-righteous formalist, he would reverse the
Apostle's exhortation, and, instead of saying, " Having these
promises, let us cleanse ourselves," they would say, Having
cleansed ourselves, let us expect a fulfilment of all the pro
mises. But no man shall ever attain salvation in such a way
as that. No man can ever attain such holiness as God re
quires, but by the promises : nor, if he could, would such
attainments ever purchase him an interest in the promises.
They must be received as freely as they are given : they are
given to us as sinners, as " ungodly," as having no works what
ever to bring to Godb: and, if we will not embrace them
under this character, renouncing all dependence on our own
x Eph. i. 13. v John iv. 14.
''• Jam. i. 18. 1 Pet. i. 23. Eph. v. 26, 27.
a 2 Cor. v. 14. Phil. iii. 20. l> Rom. iv. 4 — 6.
2029.] SANCTIFICATION BY THE PROMISES. 501
righteousness, and seeking to be saved by grace alone, we
shall never have so much as one of them fulfilled to usc.
Nor is the legal Christian in reality building on any better
foundation than the self-righteous formalist : for, though he
does not profess to found his hopes on his own righteousness,
yet he looks to his own attainments as his warrant for relying
on the promises of his God. He thinks it would be pre
sumptuous in him to rely on the promises, because he cannot
find in himself that measure of holiness which he considers as
necessary to qualify him for an interest in them. But this is
the very same error which the self-righteous formalist runs into :
and the same answer, in a measure, must be given to it : only,
whilst to the formalist I say, You must rely upon the promises ;
to the legal character I say, You may. They are all given as
freely as the air you breathe : and precisely as the converts on
the day of Pentecost apprehended them, so may you apprehend
them freely, without money and without price : and as the
jailor was justified by his faith the very instant he believed, so
shall you be.
Nor need we be afraid of this doctrine as having a licentious
tendency ; for what was the effect of it in the apostolic age ?
the same shall it be in this and every age ; the promises of
God will always, when duly received, operate to the produc
tion of holiness ; and every one who embraces them aright, will
proceed to cleanse himself from all filthiness of the flesh and
spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God.]
2. Those who rest in the promises without regard
ing the end to be produced by them—
[Such persons there are, and ever have been, in the
Church of God ; persons, who think it legal to exhort men to
holiness, and who make no other use of the promises, than to
cherish in themselves an assurance of their own acceptance
with God. These persons would correct the Apostle as an
ignorant and ill-instructed teacher. They would say, " Having
these promises, let us be full of confidence and joy :" but they
would never deign to say, " Having these promises, let us
cleanse ourselves :" this, forsooth, is legal But whether they
be right, or the Apostle, judge ye. Let such self-deceiving and
conceited professors imagine as they will, God does not make
so light of holiness : on the contrary, he tells us, that by our
works we shall be judged in the last day, and by our works
we are to be judged even now. Yes, by their fruits shall the
followers of Christ be known : and if we slight them, we shall
find all our pretended faith to be of no effect. "In vain shall
we say, Lord, Lord, if we do not the things which he says."
c Phil. Hi. 9. Rom. iii. 21. Eph. ii. 8,9.
VOL. XVI. O O
5C2 2 CORINTHIANS, VII. 3. [2030.
I must entreat all then to shun this deadly heresy ; and to
search and try themselves, and see what effect the promises
have produced upon them ; for, as God is true, " without holi
ness shall no man see the Lord."]
3. Those who are seeking the end by the appointed
means—
[Shall you fail of success ? Assuredly you shall not : for
" the word cf promise will bring forth fruit in you, as it doth
in all the world." Treasure up in your minds all " the exceed
ing great and precious promises," which " in Christ Jesus are
yea and Amen :" dwell upon them : plead them before God
in prayer : declare to him your affiance in them : expect their
accomplishment : limit not the Holy One of Israel in any
thing: bear in mind that with him all things are possible.
Verily, if you will thus believe, you shall see the glory of God.
Sin shall be weakened in you: Satan shall flee before you:
all the principalities and powers of hell shall be bruised under
your feet : in a word, Christ shall be formed in you, and "you
shall be changed into his image from glory to glory by the
Spirit of your God." Strengthened by these, your consolations
shall be rich, your progress rapid, your victories secure : and
in due time you shall possess the full substance of all the pro
mises in the complete attainment of God's perfect image, and
the everlasting fruition of his glory.]
MMXXX.
THE GROUNDS OF A MINISTER'S REGARD FOR HIS PEOPLE.
2 Cor. vii. 3. Ye are in our hearts to die and live tvith you.
THERE is in every man a quick sensibility with
respect to any thing that may affect his character :
even a slight insinuation, that seems to convey re
proof, is keenly felt. On this account we ought to
be extremely cautious, not only when criminating
others, but even when vindicating ourselves ; because
a necessary self-vindication may easily be construed
as an oblique censure upon others. We cannot but
admire the delicacy of the Apostle's mind, when
asserting the integrity of his conduct towards the
Church at Corinth. There were some in that place
who had traduced his character : for the sake of
others therefore it was necessary that he should
2030.] GROUNDS OF A MINISTER'S LOVE. 563
declare his innocence with respect to the things that
were laid to his charge. But fearing that, in doing
this, he might appear to cast a reflection indiscrimi
nately on the whole body, he adds, with exquisite
tenderness and affection, that, so far from intending
to condemn them all, he was willing, if his other duties
would admit of it, to live and die among them.
In order to promote in all this amiable disposition,
we shall consider,
I. The grounds of the Apostle's love—
St. Paul felt a love towards the whole human race :
but he was filled with a peculiar affection towards
the Corinthians on account of,
1. Their relation to God—
[The Apostle had reason to believe that the Corinthians,
notwithstanding some great evils which obtained among them*,
were truly converted to God ; and that the greater part of
them were very eminent Christians b.
This was a just ground for loving them. Indeed, if he
had not been penetrated with an unfeigned regard for them,
he would have had no evidence of his own love to God : for
" he who loveth him that begat, must love those who are
begotten of him c."]
2. Their relation to himself—
[Having been, in God's hand, the instrument of their
conversion, he stood related to them as their spiritual father*1.
Now, as a peculiar affection subsists between those who bear
this relation according to the flesh, so it is reasonable that
there should be a mutual regard between those also who are
thus united in the bonds of the Spirit. Doubtless the Apostle
did not confine his regards to these6: but, having " travailed
in birth with them," he felt all the anxieties and affections of
a parent towards them.]
The fervour of his love will appear from,
II. The way in which he manifested it—
We may notice in the context,
1. His affectionate remembrance of them—
» 1 Cor. i. 11. and iii. 1 — 4. and v. 1,2. and vi. 5 — 8. and
viii. 9 — 12. and xi. 18 — 22. and xiv. 26.
b 1 Cor. i. 5—7. and 2 Cor. viii. 7. c 1 John v. 1.
d 1 Cor. iv. 15. and 2 Cor. xii. 14. with Acts xviii. 1—18.
e Col. ii. 1.
o o 2
564 2 CORINTHIANS, VII. 3. [2030.
[He boasted of them wherever he went : he held them up
as peculiarly worthy of imitation f: and so great was the satis
faction which he felt in hearing of their welfare, that it far
over-balanced all the sufferings he endured. What clearer
proof could he give of his affection for them ?]
2. His faithful admonitions —
[Though he loved them, he was not blind to their faults.
When he saw them deviating from the path of duty, he per
formed the office of a monitor and guide. He changed his
voice towards them, as he saw occasion : sometimes he spake
with the authority of an Apostle s, and sometimes with the
tenderness of a friend or parent'1. This was an eminent proof
of his love, because it shewed that his concern for their souls
swallowed up every other consideration1.]
3. His devotion to their service—
[He regarded not wealth, or ease, or honour; but would
have been contented " to live and die with them" who had
but ill requited all his past kindness: yea, he declared, that
" he would most gladly spend and be spent for them, though
the more abundantly he loved them, the less he were lovedV
Nothing short of laying down our life for any person could
testify more love than this.]
APPLICATION—
1. Let us improve our intercourse with each other
in life —
[It is the happiness of a minister and his people to have
frequent and familiar intercourse with each other. We have
through the mercy of our God enjoyed it ; but alas ! how little
have we improved it ! Let us look unto our God for his bless
ing upon us in future1: for without that " neither Paul can
plant, nor Apollos water, to any good purpose"1."]
2. Let us prepare for our separation in death—
[As " the priests under the law could not continue by
reason of death," so neither can we under the Gospel. We
must go to give an account of our stewardship ; and you to
answer for the advantages you have enjoyed. Let us be
looking forward to that solemn meeting which we shall have
at the bar of judgment. Let us implore help from God, that
we may discharge our duties towards each other aright; and
meet again, not as witnesses against each other, but as fellow-
f 2 Cor. vii. 14. and 2 Cor. viii. 24. and ix. 1, 2.
f? 1 Cor. iv. 18, 19. h 2 Cor. ii. 1—5. and 1 Cor. iv. 14.
1 Lev. xix. 17. with ver. 12. k 2 Cor. xii. 15.
1 2 Cor. vi. 11—13. m 1 Cor. iii. 5—7.
2031.] REPENTANCE EXEMPLIFIED. 565
heirs of his glory. And the Lord grant that we may then be
your joy, and that you may be " our joy and crown of re
joicing" to all eternity"!]
" 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20. and 2 Cor. i. 14.
MMXXXI.
REPENTANCE EXEMPLIFIED IN THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH.
2 Cor. vii. 10, 11. Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salva
tion not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world
worketh death. For behold this self-same thing, that ye
sorroived after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in
you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, u'hat indignation,
yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal,
yea, what revenge ! In all things ye have approved yoiirselves
to be clear in this matter.
IT is sometimes urged against faithful ministers,
that they distress the minds of their auditors by their
preaching : and it must be confessed that the accusa
tion is true. But it must not be concluded from
thence, that they take a pleasure in grieving any, or
that they are too harsh in their ministrations : they
must declare the mind of God respecting sin and
sinners, in order to bring men to repentance : and if
they find any persons truly humbled for their sins,
they account it the richest reward of their labours.
St. Paul had reproved the Corinthian Church for
taking part with the incestuous man, instead of cast
ing him out from their society3: and his epistle had
been the means of producing in them a godly sorrow,
together with a suitable demeanour. When he found
this to be the case, he wrote again to them, and told
them, that it had pained him exceedingly to grieve
any of them; but that he rejoiced in seeing their
grief operate in so beneficial a manner; this godly
sorrow had answered the very end of his admonitions;
and he was now ready to pour the oil of joy into the
wounds which he had inflicted h.
a 1 Cor. v. 1— 3, 13. b vcr. 8, 9.
566 2 CORINTHIANS.. VII. 10, 11. [2031.
We shall take occasion, from the words before us,
to trace repentance,
I. In its nature —
[Repentance, as a grace, proceeds from God, the giver of
every good giftc, and from Christ, who is exalted to bestow itd ;
and who alone can produce in the heart that " godly sorrow
which worketh it."
To ascertain what godly sorrow is, we must compare it with
" the sorrow of the world," with which all of us are in some
measure acquainted. The sorrow of the world may either
relate to that sorroiv which arises from worldly troubles, or that
sorrow which a worldly man may have in reference to his sins.
In either view it is a sorrow which " worketh death."
The troubles of this life often depress men, so as to indis
pose them for their proper business, and rob them of all their
comfort, and destroy their constitution, and ultimately to bring
them to the grave6.
Many also are greatly distressed in reference to their sins :
they are filled with dreadful apprehensions of God's wrath ;
they are harassed with unbelieving fears ; they are even brought
into the depths of despair, conceiving, that there is no mercy
for them — that they are not of the number of God's elect — that
they have committed the sin against the Holy Ghost — and that
it would be either hypocrisy or presumption in them even to
offer up a prayer to God. Now this sorrow, like that before-
mentioned, worketh only death. It keeps us from God, in
stead of bringing us to himf; it leads us to cloke and extenuate,
rather than to confess and aggravate, our sins ; it stimulates
only to self-righteous purposes and endeavours, which are
invariably frustrated by the power of indwelling corruption;
and sometimes it terminates even in suicide itself5. At all
events it causes hard thoughts of God, and utterly unfits the
soul for real humiliation and contrition ; so that, whether it be
more or less afflictive at present, it equally furthers our eternal
condemnation.
In direct opposition to this is that godly sorrow which pro
duces genuine repentance. The fore-mentioned sorrow con
sists of unbelief, despondency, and fear of punishment ; but the
most essential ingredients of godly sorrow are faith, hope, and
love. The person sorrowing goes to God, believing him to be
a rewarder of them that diligently seek him He goes
to God through Christ, //oping that for Christ's sake his sins
c Jam. i. 17. d Acts v. 31.
p It is not uncommon to say of such persons, they died of a
broken heart.
1 Jer. ii. 25. « Judas.
2031. J REPENTANCE EXEMPLIFIED. 5()7
shall be forgiven him He goes to God with love in
his heart, determining to justify God in whatever he shall do,
yea, even in his own eternal condemnation —
Now this sorrow worketh repentance to salvation : it disposes
a man to search out all his sins, and to humble himself for
them in dust and ashes : it urges him to plead with earnestness
the promises which God has made to returning penitents, and
humbly to rely upon them : it causes him to seek after a con
formity to God's image; and determines him to glorify his
Saviour with all the powers that he has. Such a repentance
as this no man ever yet repented of; nor would he ever repent
of it, however distressing the means had been by which it had
been wrought in him. Every sorrow, short of this, would only
issue in everlasting sorrow : but this sorrow invariably works
repentance to life.]
Thus we have traced repentance to its source, and
seen it in its cause. Let us proceed to trace it,
II. In its effects—
[The Apostle enumerates a great variety of effects pro
duced in the minds of the Christians at Corinth : and his words
have certainly a primary reference to that particular people on
that particular occasion : but they admirably express also the
emotions which are universally produced by true repentance,
in whomsoever it obtains. We may therefore be permitted to
consider them in that view, or, at least, to accommodate them
to that subject.
For the sake of an easy distribution of the subject we shall
transpose the first word, and consider it last : we shall then see
the effects of genuine repentance in reference to our past,
present, and future conduct.
The Corinthians, humbled by St. Paul's reproofs, were
studious to " clear themselves" to the world, to the Church,
to their monitor, and to God himself; and to shew that they
sincerely repented of what they had done amiss. They felt
an " indignation" against the sin they had committed, and
against themselves for having committed it; nor could they
forgive themselves, till they knew that God had forgiven them.
Thus will every true penitent endeavour to " clear himself,"
and render it conspicuous both to God and man, that he is
indeed a new creature — - He is " indignant," nor can he
endure himself, when he reflects on his past life : when he
calls to mind his rebellion against God, and his contempt of
Christ's redeeming love, he is covered with shame and con
fusion of face
The Corinthians, penetrated with a sense of their miscon
duct, felt a holy " fear," lest they should ever relapse into the
568 2 CORINTHIANS, VII. 10, 11. [2031.
sin of which they were repenting, or be drawn aside again to
any similar enormity. They "vehemently desired" pardon of
God for their past transgression, and grace, that they might
be enabled to act with more consistency in future. They were
animated in this with a " zeal" which nothing could damp,
and with a " revenge" which determined them neither to
spare the public offender, nor the evil dispositions of their own
hearts. And do we not see in them the character of every
true penitent ? In all who truly repent, there will be an
humble " fear" of falling again under the power of those lusts
which formerly led them captive— a "vehement desire"
to serve, to enjoy, to glorify their God - — a " zeal,"
which enables them to set their faces as a flint against the
whole world —and a "revenge" that determines them
to sacrifice their bosom lusts, though dear as a right eye, or
useful as a right hand —
The Apostle further notices the " carefulness " with which
the Corinthians exerted themselves to avoid every thing in
future which might turn them aside from the path of duty.
What word can more fitly characterize the disposition of a
penitent in reference to his future conduct? Once he could
walk at large, without taking any heed to his ways ; but now
he inquires whether the action be pleasing to God or not :
he watches over the motives and principles by which he is
actuated : he considers what may be the consequences of his
actions both to himself and others : he is solicitous to avoid
not only what is in itself evil, but whatever may be the means
and occasion of evil. Hence he will not readily expose himself
to temptation : he keeps at a distance from those amusements,
and those companions that have formerly ensnared him : and
he begs of God to guide his every step, and to " preserve him
blameless unto his heavenly kingdom."]
We CONCLUDE with inquiring whether the commen
dation bestowed on the Corinthians in the text,
can with propriety he applied to us ?
[" Have WE in all things approved ourselves to be clear in
this matter?" We ask not, whether we have had any repent
ance at all or not, (though perhaps there are many amongst us
that have had no concern for their past sins, and that feel no
anxiety about their eternal salvation) : but we ask, whether we
have had any other sorrow for sin, than such as will spring from
worldly principles, and consist with a worldly mind ?
Let us inquire whether our sorrow be of an unbelieving,
desponding, nature, that is little else than slavish fear; or
whether it be of an ingenuous kind, that leads us to rely
on Christ in the exercise of an humble hope, and fervent
love ? — — - —
2032.] LIBERALITY TO THE POOR. 5GJ)
Let us examine throroughly the effects of our sorrow, and
see whether they accord with those which were produced iu
the Church at Corinth ? Can we appeal to God, that we
have " approved ourselves to be clear in this matter," so that
there is no room to doubt whether our repentance be genuine
or not ? If God were now to call us to his judgment-seat,
could we appeal to him, as the searcher of our hearts, that it
has been, and yet is, our daily endeavour to exercise such
repentance as this ?
Let it be remembered, that all other repentance must, and
will, be repented of: all other repentance will leave us short
of salvation : all other repentance will deceive us to our ruin.
Our blessed Lord has told us, that, " except we repent, we
must all perish :" and we have now seen the nature of re
pentance, not in a mere superficial manner, but as it may be
distinguished from every thing that is apt to be mistaken for
it. Behold then, life and death are before us; let us beg of
God to undeceive us all, and to give unto us that repentance
which shall never be repented of.]
MMXXXII.
LIBERALITY TO THE POOR.
2 Cor. viii. 1 — 5. Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the
grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia ; how
that in a yreat trial of affliction the abundance of their joy
and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their
liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and be
yond their power they ivere willing of themselves ; praying
us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and
take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
And this they did,tnot as ive hoped, but first gave their own
selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
THE texture of the human mind is extremely
delicate : and every one, who would produce any
beneficial effect upon others, must approach them
with tenderness and care. We may, by an unseason
able urgency, cause a person to revolt from a measure,
to which by a more gentle address he might have
easily been persuaded. The mind of man naturally
affects liberty ; and will be more powerfully moved,
when its decisions appear to be the consequence of
volition, than when they are called forth by the com
pulsory influence of persuasion. This the Apostle
570 2 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 1—5. [2032.
Paul well understood, and bore, as it were, in con
stant remembrance. Not that he on any occasion
acted with artifice : no ; his caution was the result
of his own exquisite delicacy and holy refinement :
and his success in affecting the minds of others bore
ample testimony to the wisdom of his measures.
He was anxious to obtain from amongst the Gentile
Churches relief for the distressed and persecuted
saints at Jerusalem. In writing therefore to the
Church at Corinth who were more opulent, he en
deavoured to interest them in behalf of their suffering
brethren in Judaea. But he did not proceed, as we
might have expected, to expatiate upon the wants of
the sufferers, or on the obligations of the Church at
Corinth to relieve them ; but simply communicated,
as an article of pleasing intelligence, the liberality
that had been displayed towards them by the poorer
Churches of Macedonia; and then stirred them up
to imitate so laudable an example.
With the same view we shall now,
I. Consider the example here set before us —
The Churches here referred to were those of Thes-
salonica, Berrea, and Philippi : and truly their example
was most eminent in respect of,
1. Their liberality —
[The real extent of liberality must not be judged of by
the sum given, so much as by the circumstances under which
it is given : our blessed Lord has told us, that the widow's
mite exceeded in value all that the most opulent had bestowed,
because their donations were a small portion only of what they
possessed, whereas her's was her all, even all her living. To
view the liberality of the Macedonians aright, we must particu
larly notice the time and manner of its exercise.
It was in a time of "great affliction and of deep poverty?
Now persons in great affliction are for the most part so occu
pied with their own troubles, as to have but little either of
leisure or inclination to enter into the concerns of others
— And, if they be at the same time in a state of deep
poverty, they seem by their very situation, as it were, to be
exempt from any obligation to relieve the wants of others : if
they shed a tear of sympathy, it is as much as, under their
circumstances, can be expected of them— But behold,
2032.] LIBERALITY TO THE POOR. 571
it was in this very state, and under these circumstances, that
the Macedonian Churches exerted themselves for the relief
of persons belonging to a different and distant country, of per
sons too, who, though agreeing with them in the profession of
Christianity, differed widely from them in many points of sub
ordinate importance.
The manner too in which their liberality was exercised de
serves particularly to be noticed. It was put forth voluntarily:
they waited not for any application to this effect from the
Apostle ; they were willing of their own mind to embrace the
opportunity afforded them of fulfilling a duty so congenial
with the best feelings of their hearts. It was exercised also
bountifully. Their ability was the only measure of their gifts.
In some respect they seemed, as it were, to exceed even that :
for " to their power, and beyond their power," they exerted
themselves, insomuch that, according to God's estimate of their
gifts, they " abounded unto the riches of liberality." And
what they did, they did zealously. They did not make an offer
which they hoped would be refused, and then, on the refusal,
feel pleased that the will had been accepted for the deed : no ;
they forced the Apostle to accept their donations : they would
not suffer him to decline their offer; " they prayed him with
much entreaty that he would be their almoner, and be the
medium of conveying to their afflicted brethren the relief which
God had enabled them to bestow.
If we would know whence it was that they were enabled so
to act, the text informs us : it was, primarily, from " the grace
of God" operating powerfully on their hearts ; and, next, from
the joyful frame of their minds, which bore them up above all
their own trials, and exulted in every opportunity of manifest
ing their love to their blessed Lord and Saviour. They had
" an abundance of joy " in the midst of their deep poverty ;
and that "joy in the Lord was their strength."]
2. Their piety —
[This was not a whit less remarkable : indeed, it was the
foundation, of which their liberality was the superstructure.
They " first gave up themselves to God " in a way both of
secret surrender, and of open profession.
They surrendered themselves wholly to Christ as his willing
subjects and servants. Without this, all their liberality would
have been a mere heathen virtue. If, without love to man,
a person might " give all his goods to feed the poor, and yet
be no better than sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal," much
more would his best actions be of no value, if not springing
from love to God. It is this principle that constitutes the
perfection of every thing we do, and makes a wish, a sigh,
a groan more acceptable to God than the most splendid action
572 2 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 1—5. [2032.
without it. Every thing emanating from it has " an odour
of a sweet smell, and is a sacrifice truly acceptable and well-
pleasing to God."
At the same time they openly and boldly confessed Christ
before men : " They gave themselves to the Apostle and to
the Church, by the will of God." They were not timid
Christians, fearful of augmenting their afflictions by an open
profession of the Gospel : they were willing to bear any cross
which their adherence to Christ might bring upon them.
They had already been brought into " a great trial of afflic
tion, and to deep poverty," for his sake : but none of these
things moved them, nor did they " count even life itself dear
to them," if only they might but honour their Divine Master,
and finish their course with joy. This put an additional
value on their services, as manifesting the very spirit that was
in Christ, " who willingly impoverished himself to enrich a
ruined world3."]
Having so excellent an example before us, we will
now,
II. Propose it to your imitation-
First, we would call you to imitate their piety—
[This, though last mentioned in the text, was first in
point of time, and was, in fact, the source and fountain of all
the graces which they exercised.
We call upon you then to "give yourselves up wholly to
the Lord" This is the indispensable duty of every child of
man. As creatures, we are bound to serve and glorify our
God, from whom we have received all that we are and have ;
but, as redeemed sinners, our obligation to serve him is in
finitely enhanced. The Apostle tells the Corinthians in his
former epistle, " Ye are not your own ; ye are bought with a
price :" so say I to every one amongst you, " Ye are not your
own." Nothing, that you either are or have, is your own : the
members of your bodies, the faculties of your souls, your time,
your property, your influence, all belong to him, " whose you
are, and whom you are bound to serve :" all are to be improved
for his glory ; as St. Paul has said, " Ye are bought with a
price ; therefore glorify him with your body and your spirit,
which are his." And this is as reasonable as it is necessary ;
agreeably to what he has elsewhere said, " Yield yourselves a
living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service."
But with this secret surrender of yourselves to the Lord Jesus
Christ there must also be an open avowal of your adherence
a ver. 9.
2032.] LIBERALITY TO THE POOR. 573
to him. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." " If
we will be Christ's disciples indeed, we must take up our
cross daily and follow him :" we must follow him " without
the camp, bearing his reproach :" and so far must we be from
dreading his cross, that we must " glory in it," and " rejoice
that we are counted worthy to bear it," and " esteem as Moses
did, the reproach of Christ as greater riches than all the trea
sures of Egypt." We must never be ashamed of Christ ; for,
if we be, he will be ashamed of us " in the presence of his
Father, and of the holy angels." " If we confess him, he will
confess us ; but, if we deny him, he will deny us." When
the Apostle says, " they gave themselves unto us by the will
of God," it must not be understood as if he gloried in gaining
proselytes to himself: it is of their union with the Church, as
avowed friends and followers of Christ, that he speaks ; and
this all must be, if they would approve themselves faithful to
their Lord and Master: this is the will of God respecting
every child of man; that we " come out from the world, and
be separate" from it, and be "as lights shining in a dark
place," " holding forth in the whole of our spirit and conversa
tion the word of life."
Let me then urge upon you all this duty. The Churches
of Macedonia acted thus in defiance of all the malice of men
or devils : though brought by means of it into " a great trial
of affliction and deep poverty," they turned not back, but
strove the more to glorify their God in proportion as their
enemies sought to suppress their zeal. So then do ye also :
harbour not for a moment that " fear of man which bringeth
a snare;" " fear not man, who can only destroy the body ; but
fear him, and him only, who, when he has destroyed the
body, can destroy both body and soul in hell."]
Next, we would invite you to imitate also their
liberality—
[ Your obligations to it are as great as theirs : for you, as
well as they, " have been redeemed by the precious blood of
that spotless Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ" - - The occa
sion too, if not altogether similar, is quite as urgent : for if we
plead not now in behalf of persons reduced to the deepest dis
tress by persecution, we plead for those whose circumstances
are most indigent, and whose temporal benefit is consulted
with an ulterior view to the welfare of their souls b-
May I not add too that the means afforded you are similar ?
b This was delivered in aid of a Visiting Society, where the souls
of the persons visited are the chief object. But the subject may be
adapted to any charity, by stating its peculiar purposes.
574 2 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 7, 8. [2033.
You cannot personally perform all the offices that are executed
by those who have undertaken to dispense your charity0
Nor will it be necessary for you to " pray others
with much entreaty " to be your agents ; since a number of
suitable persons have voluntarily devoted themselves to this
good work.
Let me then call upon you all to "manifest" by your
liberality " the sincerity of your love to Christ." I will not
except any from this labour of love. Are any of you " in a
great trial of affliction," and at the same time " in deep po
verty ? " I would not on that account dispense with your exer
tions ; nor would you wish me so to do, if you have received
the grace of God in truth. I will not indeed be importunate
with you, as with others : but I will remind you of what was
done by the Christians of former days in circumstances more
afflictive than your own : and I will add, that their conduct is
set forth by the Apostle as worthy to be followed by Chris
tians in every age : I say, I will not urge you to liberality on
this occasion ; but I well know what you will do, if " God
has bestowed his grace upon you:" I know, that "to your
power, and even beyond your power, you will be willing of
yourselves." But to those who are in circumstances of ease
and affluence I would say, Look at the example set before
you; and think what exertions your circumstances require.
O, give not in a grudging or sparing manner ; but let it be
seen by your donations what you understand by " abounding
unto the riches of liberality :" and, as God in his providence
has enabled you to stretch forth Corinthian hands, shew that
he has also in his mercy given you Macedonian hearts ]
c Here again, the statement must be varied according to circum
stances : if the charity be a hospital, or school, or any other, a suit
able statement will be necessarv.
MMXXXIII.
LIBERALITY TO THE POOR RECOMMENDED.
2 Cor. viii. 7, 8. As ye abound in every thing, in faith, and
utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your
love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. I speak
not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of
others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
THOUGH there is no such thing as absolute per
fection in this life, the Christian, if his life really
correspond with his profession, is in some sense a
2033.] LIBERALITY TO THE POOR RECOMMENDED. 575
perfect character. In this respect, the new creation
of the soul resembles the first creation of the body.
A child, the very instant it comes into the world,
is perfect in all its members : advancing years will
strengthen him, indeed, in every one of them, but
will add to him no new faculty, or sense, or power.
So the child of God, when once he is truly regene
rate, possesses in himself the whole circle of Christian
graces, though at first in a state of infantine weakness
only : but the more he cultivates them, the more will
they all improve. The particular grace which is here
mentioned requires more than ordinary attention,
because of its transcendent excellency, and because
of the frequent occasion which arises to the whole
Christian world for the exercise of it. The Apostle
acknowledged, that in other graces the Corinthians
greatly excelled ; and therefore he took encourage
ment to recommend to them a similar pre-eminence
in this grace also.
To bring this subject before you to advantage, I
must mark,
I. The commendation given —
The approbation here manifested was doubtless
exceeding strong —
[Many are afraid to express approbation of what is good,
lest the person commended should make it an occasion of
pride. But this was not the mind of the Apostle Paul. He
would not indeed pay a compliment to any man at the expense
of truth : he even appeals to man, and calls God himself also
to witness, that "he had not at any time used flattering
words8:" but yet he saw no reason for withholding from men
a testimony of his approbation, when the expressing of his
sentiments would encourage them to increased exertions in
the cause of God. To the Christians at Rome he expresses
himself thus : " I am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye
are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to
admonish one another V To the Corinthian Church he speaks
in yet stronger terms: " I thank my God always on your be
half, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ ;
that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance,
and in all knowledge ; even as the testimony of Christ was
a 1 Thess. ii. 5. b Horn. xv. 14.
576 2 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 7, 8. [2033.
confirmed in you ; so that ye come behind in no gift ; waiting
for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ0." So again, after the
high eulogium which he had given them in my text, he tells
them, in the very next chapter, that all who had heard of their
liberality " both prayed for them and longed after them for the
exceeding grace of God in themd."
And good reason there was for this commendation: for
their " faith" was genuine; their " utterance" easy and intel
ligible to all whom they addressed: their " knowledge" was
diversified; so that they delivered their sentiments to great
advantage: and so devoted were they to the service of God
in their respective spheres, that nothing could exceed their
" diligence :" and in addition to all this, instead of setting
up themselves or others against him, as had formerly been
the case with many amongst them, they abounded also in
" love to him," as their common parent6. Truly this was a
state highly creditable to them, and most honourable to
Christianity itself.]
And may I not adopt, in some measure at least,
the language of my text towards you ?
[God knoweth, my brethren, that I would not knowingly
" use flattering words towards you :" but I must and will say,
in reference to many of you, that your "faith" is remarkably
simple, unmixed with erroneous notions of any kind. You
do also, in your respective spheres, communicate instruction to
others with a ready " utterance," and with a " knowledge"
that is at once enlightened and discreet. You discharge also,
with " diligence, all " your offices in common life. And I
should be ungrateful in the extreme, if I did not acknowledge
also your " love to your minister," and your readiness to pro
mote any measures for the good of others which he proposes
for your adoption and support f. And, from this view of your
character, I am emboldened to exhort you to bear with me,
whilst I call your attention to,]
II. The advice administered—
" See that ye abound in this grace also," the grace
of liberality to the poor. The words added in our
translation here are too strong. The Apostle tells us,
that " he did not speak by way of commandment, but
only in a way of ad vice g." He tells us, also, on what
grounds he offered this advice ; namely,
e 1 Cor. i. 4—7. d 2 Cor. ix. 14. e 2 Cor. viii. 7.
f Of course, no minister will use such an Address as this, but to a
very peculiar audience, and on a very peculiar occasion.
2033.] LIBERALITY TO THE POOR RECOMMENDED. 577
1. Because he wished them not to be outdone by
others—
[He had said of the Macedonians, that " they, out of their
deep poverty, had abounded unto the riches of liberality11."
Now, shall the rich Corinthians be exceeded by the poor and
afflicted Macedonians? God forbid. It would be a disgrace
to them to be found wanting in a duty which they were so
much better able to fulfil : and therefore, " from the forward
ness of others, he takes occasion" to excite in them a holy
ambition to excel. Some would be ready to think that such a
motive was low, and carnal, and unworthy of a Christian mind.
I grant there is an unholy ambition ; but there is also a holy
emulation, to which men may with propriety be called ; such
as that which St. Paul endeavoured to excite in his Jewish
brethren, when he addressed the Gospel to the Gentiles, and
" magnified his office as a minister of the Gentiles, if by any
means he might provoke to emulation them who were his
flesh, and might save some of them1."
And on this ground I would now address myself to
you k ]
2. Because he would have them " place beyond a
doubt the sincerity of their love"-
[Love must be operative, if it be sincere ; yea, and must
operate too in this way : for " if we see a brother have need,
and shut up our bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth
the love of God in us1?" or, " if we see a brother or sister have
need, and bid him be warmed and filled, whilst we administer
nothing for his relief, what are our professions of love to man,
but downright hypocrisy"1?" If we have truly Christian love,
it will resemble " the love of Christ, who, though he was rich,
yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty
might be rich"." Then I call you, brethren, to this proof of
your love. Let it be seen that " you love not in word, and in
tongue; but in deed, and in truth0." The occasion for your
liberality is great and urgent p — — and I trust, that " as ye
abound in " every other grace, so ye will not merely exercise,
but every one of you according to your ability " abound in"
this grace also.]
h ver. 1, 2. j Rom. xi. 13, M.
k There are occasions, such as great and public calamities, which
have called forth the benevolence of the public, when such an Address
is peculiarly called for. This was addressed to a Society for f'isitino.
and Instructing the Poor. The examples should be stated.
1 1 John iii. 17. m Jam. ii. l'» — 17. n ver. 9.
0 1 John iii. IS. '' It should hen- be stated at large.
VOL. xvr. i' r
578 2 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 9. [2034.
Brethren, let me, in conclusion, ENTREAT you,
1. To merit this commendation—
[Verily, if the Christian world at large were addressed in
such terms as these, it would be as keen a satire as the most
malignant infidel could utter — But I must say, that if
you answer not, in some measure at least, to this character,
you have no just title to the Christian name: you resemble
those rather in the Church of Philadelphia, " who said that they
were Jews, but did lieq." " He who is a Jew in deed, must
be a Jew inwardly," and have the circumcision, not of the flesh
only, but of the Spirit also ; the praise of which is not of men,
but of GodV]
2. To fulfil this duty-
[Need I say, that charity brings with it its own reward ?
You may conceive that the indigent and distressed are greatly
comforted by the seasonable relief that is administered to
them : but this I tell you with confidence, that they who on
Christian principles administer to their relief, are the happier
of the two : for we have authority to declare, and it was a
favourite saying of our Lord, that " it is more blessed to give
than to receive."]
i Rev. iii. 9. r Rom. ii. 28, 29.
MMXXXIV.
THE GRACE OF CHRIST.
2 Cor. viii. 9. Ye knoiv the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor,
that ye through his poverty might be rich.
THE excellence of Christianity with respect to the
mysteries it reveals, and the precepts it inculcates, is
generally acknowledged ; but few see it with respect
to the motives by which it enforces the performance
of our duty. But in this last respect it differs as
widely from all other religions as in either of the
former ; and claims an undoubted superiority over
all the dogmas of philosophy, and over Judaism itself.
The love of Christ in dying for us is not merely pro
posed as a tenet to be believed, but is urged as the
most powerful, and indeed the only effectual, argu
ment for the quickening of us to an universal and
2034.] THE GRACE OF CHRIST. 579
unreserved obedience. This was the consideration
by which St. Paul enforced his exhortations to libe
rality when writing to the Corinthian Church : and it
will be universally operative, wherever it is under
stood and felt.
In discoursing on this subject we shall not enter
in a general way into our fall, and our recovery by
Christ, but will,
I. Set forth the grace of Christ as it is here de
lineated —
There are four distinct considerations in the text,
every one of them reflecting light upon this point, as
so many mirrors uniting their rays in one common
focus. These we shall view in their order :
1. The pre-existent state of Christ—
[In the text we are told, " He was rich." This idea
when applied to our fellow-creatures we can easily understand:
but who can comprehend it when applied to Christ? What
adequate conception can we form of his glory or felicity ? He
was from all eternity " in the bosom of his Father*," and was
"daily his delight1'." He had a communion with the Father
in all that he knewc, in all that he didd, in all that he en
joyed6. He had a most perfect Oneness with the Father*,
possessing in himself all the fulness of the Godhead g, and
receiving together with him the adoration of all the angels in
heaven11. Such was the glory which Christ had with the
Father before the world was brought into existence1. Nor was
he capable of receiving any addition either of honour or of
happiness from his creaturesk. He would have been equally
great and glorious though no creature had existed either in
earth or in heaven to behold him1 ; or though all who trans
gressed against him should perish for ever. Yet such was his
love, that in the midst of all his blessedness he thought of us,
and undertook our cause, and engaged to become our substi
tute and surety"1.
How infinitely does this "grace" transcend our highest con
ceptions! Indeed we do but " darken counsel by words without
knowledge," when we attempt to speak on this mysterious
subject.]
a John i. 18. b Prov. viii. 30. c Matt. xi. 27.
<l John v. 19. e John xvii. 10. f John x. 30.
s Col. ii. 9. h Isai. vi. 3. with John xii. 41.
1 John xvii. 5. k Ps. xvi. 2. ' Job xxii. 2.
m Ps. xl. 7, 8.
580 2 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 9. [2034.
2. The humiliation to which he submitted—
[It was a marvellous act of grace that he should conde
scend to form creatures, and to give them a sight of his
blessedness and glory. But that he should notice them after
they had left their first estate, and despoiled themselves of
their original righteousness, this was an act of condescension
which we should have deemed impossible, if he had not
actually evinced by his conduct that it could be done. But who
would believe it possible that he should stoop so low as to take
our nature upon him ? Yet even that he did ; and that too not
in its primitive state, but in its present fallen state, subject to
numberless infirmities and to death itself. He was " made in
the likeness of sinful flesh"," and was in all things like unto
us, sin only excepted0. Nor did he assume even our fallen
nature in its highest condition : he was born, not in a palace,
but a stable ; he spent his life, during the first thirty years, in
the low occupation of a carpenter; and, for the four last years,
he was often destitute of the common necessaries of life, yea,
even of a place where to lay his headp. He was aware that
he should meet with nothing but contempt and persecution
from men ; and yet he submitted to it for their sakes. But
even this, great as it was, by no means reaches to the full
extent of his debasement : No ; he put himself in the place of
sinners, that he might endure the curse due to their iniquities'1:
he submitted to bear the assaults of Satan, and the wrath of
Godr. If therefore we would form a just idea of his humilia
tion, we must visit the garden of Gethsemane, and see him
bathed in a bloody sweat, and hear him " making supplication
to his Father with strong crying and tears," for the removal of
the bitter cups : we must then follow him to Calvary, and
hear his bitter complaints under the depths of dereliction1,
and behold him in the midst of inexpressible agonies of soul
and body, dying the accursed death of the cross : and lastly,
we must view him imprisoned in the grave under the sentence
of the law, of that law which doomed us all to everlasting
death". Here, here was humiliation, such as filled all heaven
with wonder ; here was poverty, such as never can be compre
hended by men and angels.
In this view the Apostle elsewhere describes the grace of
Christ, contrasting the dignity of his pre-existing state with
the state he assumed, and the degradation he endured x. O
that we might have worthy conceptions of it, and be enabled
" Rom. viii, o. ° Heb. ii. 17. and iv. 15.
P Matt, viii. 20. o 1 Pet. ii. 24. r Isai. liii. 10.
8 Luke xxii. 41. Ilcb. v. 7. ' Matt, xxvii. 46.
u Gal. iii. 13. x Phil. ii. 6— S.
2034.] THE GRACE OF CHRIST. 581
in some poor measure to comprehend its unexplored heights,
its unfathomable depths y!]
3. The objects for whom he interposed—
[It was not for angels, the highest order of created beings,
that Jesus interested himself, but for man : he passed by them,
and deigned to notice us7-. But was there any thing in us
more than in them, to recommend us to his regard? No: we
were destitute of any the smallest good ; and full of all imagi
nable evil a. There was not a faculty of our souls that was not
debased by sin, nor a member of our bodies that was not pol
luted with iniquity b. We were even haters of God himself0 ;
and so full of enmity against him, that we were actually
incapable of obeying any of his lawsd, and as far as our influ
ence or example could prevail, we strove to banish him from
the world6.
Our misery too was as great as our wickedness. We were
under sentence of condemnation, and exposed to all the curses
of the broken law : " the wrath of God abode upon us ;" and
nothing remained but that the thread of life should be cut, and
we should have been miserable in hell for evermore. Yet such
was his compassion that he interposed for us, and became our
mediator with God, our " advocate with the Father." How
wonderfully does this enhance the grace he has manifested !
It would be a marvellous effort of love, if a king should put
himself in the place of a condemned rebel, and suffer the
sentence of the law in his stead: but for the Creator himself
to become a creature, that he might suffer in the place of those
who deserved nothing but death and hell, well may this be
termed " the exceeding riches of his grace," the very master
piece of Divine lovef!]
4. The state to which, by that interposition, he
exalts us —
[If he had procured a remission of our sentence, and the
favour of annihilation, what a mercy would it have been ! and
what a mercy would the devils account it, if they could obtain
such a favour at his hands ! But this would not satisfy our
adorable Saviour : he had far higher views in undertaking for
us : he determined to restore us to a state of reconciliation
with God ; to renew our nature, and thereby fit us for the
y Eph. iii. 18, 19. z Heb. ii. 10.
» Jer. xvii. 9. (Jen. vi. 5. b Rom. iii. 10—18.
c Rom. i. 30. d Rom. viii. 7.
e Rom. i. 28. Eph. ii. 12. and Ps. xiv. 1. "No Cod," that is,
I wish there were none.
f Kpli. ii. 7. Rom. v. S.
582 2 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 9. [2034.
enjoyment of God. Moreover, to all the blessings of grace
and peace he determined finally to add that of everlasting
glory. He determined, not merely to remove our poverty, but
to make us " rich." And in order to see how rich he makes
his people, contrast for one moment the state of Dives in hell,
crying in vain for one drop of water, and Lazarus enjoying all
the fulness of God in Abraham's bosom. Such are the riches
he designs for us : to procure them for us was the very end of
his incarnation and death : nor will he ever relinquish those
whom he has purchased with his blood, till he makes them
" joint-heirs with himself," and puts them into possession of
that " inheritance which is incorruptible, and undefiled, and
never-fading." In a word, he became bone of our bone, and flesh
of our flesh g, that we might be one spirit with himh. He
emptied himself of his glory1, and descended, as it were, to the
lowest hell, that he might " pluck us as brands out of the
burning," and exalt us to the throne from whence he camek.
Such, such was the grace of Christ : it was infinitely more
than words can express, or than imagination can conceive.]
Having endeavoured to unfold this mystery, we will,
II. Inquire what you " know" respecting it-
It is here taken for granted that all Christians
" know" this grace. Let me ask then, What you do
know of it,
1. As an article of faith —
[Multitudes who are called Christians, know scarcely any
thing respecting the faith which they profess ; and, if interro
gated concerning the ground of their hopes of salvation, would
be found to expect it, not as purchased for them, by the death
of Christ, but as obtained and merited by their own repentance
and good works.
Many indeed are decidedly opposed to the principles of the
Gospel, denying strenuously the divinity of Christ, and the
atonement made by him, and the doctrine of justification by
faith in him. As for such persons, they, with all their pre
tended knowledge, are as ignorant of the Gospel as if they
had never heard it at all : and, if they were to attempt to
expound my text, would reduce it to the veriest absurdity;
divesting the work of Christ of all its grace and of all its
efficacy.
But ye, I hope, brethren, " have not so learned Christ." Ye,
I trust, do indeed believe in him as " Emmanuel, God with
us." Ye believe that all the glory of the Godhead was his ;
e Eph. v. 30. h 1 Cor. vi. 17.
Phil. ii. 7. k Rev. iii. 21.
THE GRACE OF CHRIST. 583
and that laying aside, as it were, for a season that glory, he
become a man, and lived and died for you ; that by his
atoning blood he might reconcile you to God, and by his all-
perfect righteousness he might obtain for you a title to an
heavenly inheritance. You believe that if ever you possess
the felicity of heaven, it must be altogether through the
poverty which he submitted to for you : and all your hopes of
heaven you found on him alone.
Hold fast then this faith. Yet let it not be in you as a
mere speculative truth, but seek to improve it,]
2. As an influential principle-
fit is in this view that it is particularly brought forward
in my text. And in this view chiefly was it endeared to the
Apostle Paul, who bears this testimony respecting it ; " The
love of Christ constraineth me." He rightly judged, that, "if
one died, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that
they who live, should not live unto themselves, but unto him
who died for them and rose again1." Now then has it that
same influence on you ? Does it fill you with wonder and ad
miration, that the God of heaven and earth should stoop so
low for you, and submit to such indignities for you, and endure
such sufferings for you, and by such mysterious methods
obtain eternal glory for you ? My dear brethren, if you know
this mystery aright, it will so operate upon you, as to make
you feel, that all you are, and all that you have, is Christ's, to
be employed solely and exclusively for him, whose you are,
and whom you are bound to serve m. " You will live not to
yourselves, but altogether for him who is by every possible
claim the rightful Lord both of the dead and living".
The consideration of this love too will lead you to walk in
his steps, and to shew to others, as far as you are able, the love
which he has shewn to you ° — - True indeed, you are
not in existing circumstances required to impoverish yourselves
to enrich others : but to make " your abundance the means of
supplying the necessities of your poorer brethren " you are
called p ; yea, and you are bound so to improve your talents, in
order " to shew the sincerity of your love to Christq"-
APPLICATION —
1. Seek then this knowledge—
[You well know with what labour and industry worldly
knowledge is obtained : and will you grudge the labour that is
1 2 Cor. v. 14. ra 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. " Rom. xiv. 7—0.
0 If this be a subject for a Chanty Sermon, this idea must be
greatly amplified.
I' ver. 13, 14. r' ver. 8.
584 2 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 13—15. [2035.
necessary for the attainment of divine knowledge ? What are
all earthly sciences in comparison of " the grace of Christ ?"
St. Paul, the most learned man of his day, " accounted all
tilings but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus his Lord1." And you also, if you estimate things aright,
will never rest, till you have acquired some insight into the
great mystery of redemption through the sufferings of your
incarnate God— As to the poor and illiterate, the
knowledge of philosophy is far beyond their reach : but not
so the knowledge of divine mysteries. " What God has hid
from the wise and prudent, he does and will reveal to babes8."
" The weak and foolish he has chosen in preference, in order
that he may confound the wise and mighty, and constrain all
to glory in him alone1." Only ask of God to enlighten your
minds by the influence of his good Spirit, and " he will give to
every one of you liberally, and without upbraiding11"- ]
2. Endeavour to improve it for the good of others—
[This is the knowledge which saves the soulx. In " this
is eternal life," which is the inalienable property of all who
possess ity. Will you then "hide this light under a bushel,
instead of making use of it for the benefit of all aroundyou2?"
That be far from you. No, my brethren, seek to " grow in
the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ" yourselves, and diffuse
it, if possible, to the very ends of the earth— — ]
r Phil. iii. 8. s Matt. xi. 25. * 1 Cor. i. 27—29.
" Jam. i. 5. x 2 Tim. iii. 15. y John xvii. 3.
z Matt. v. 15.
MMXXXV.
LIBERALITY ENCOURAGED.
2 Cor. viii. 13 — 15. I mean not that other men be eased, and
ye burdened : but by an equality, that now at this time your
abundance may be a supply for their tvant, that their abun
dance also may be a supply for your ivant: that there may
be equality: as it is written, He that had gathered much had
nothing over ; and he that had gathered little had no lack.
YOU have heard the king's letter read to youa :
and if St. Paul thanks God for " putting into the heart
a This was for the Relief of the Distressed Manufacturers, Jan.
1827. And this exordium is inserted, in order to shew what, on
such an occasion, may justly be admitted. But to such occasions it
should be confined. Of course, for any other Charity, the exordium
should be changed.
2035.] LIBERALITY ENCOURAGED. 585
of Titus an earnest desire" to improve his influence at
Corinth for the relief of the distressed Christians at
Jerusalem b, well may we acknowledge with thankful
ness the goodness of God, who has " put it into the
heart of our king" to exert his influence with us in
behalf of our distressed brethren in the north : and
I do trust, that a measure of the same success which
Titus was favoured with at Corinth, will attend the
appeal now made in the king's name to your libe
rality on this occasion. The distress being extremely
great and urgent, I will shew you,
I. What the inequalities of Divine Providence call
for at our hands—
That there are great inequalities in the states of
men, is obvious, in all places and in all ages. Even
in the country which was governed more immediately
by God himself, it was declared, that " the poor
should never cease out of the land0:" much more,
therefore, may we expect to see the same dispensa
tions in our land.
Certainly there are great inequalities in the states
of men—
[These occur, from birth, from education, from accident.
One person is born to opulence, and, from the moment he
comes into the world, enjoys all that this world can afford :
another, from the first instant of his birth, is destitute of the
most common necessaries of life, or would be so if they were
not supplied by the hand of charity — One, from early
infancy, is instructed in some branch of knowledge that may
fit him for a higher sphere ; whilst the mind of another is left
without any culture whatever : and hence we see some, even
of the lower classes of society, rise to wealth and eminence ;
whilst others, for the want of such advantages, are left to per
form the most degrading offices in life — - And from
what we call accident, that is, from occurrences which could
neither have been anticipated nor avoided, have the most
astonishing changes been produced ; the rich being reduced to
penury, and the poor being elevated to situations of wealth
and dignity. The greatest acquisitions have been made by
some unforeseen event, that has prepared the way for them,
and almost forced them, as it were, upon us. On the other
b ver. 16. c Deut. xv. 11.
586 2 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 13—15. [2035.
hand, what bereavements have been suffered, from fire, from
inundation, from reverses in trade, from the failure of others,
from war, from civil commotion, or even from sickness, which
has incapacitated men for their proper duties ! — — ]
And what do these call for at our hands ?
[Are the rich to sit down satisfied, as if their abundance
was given them for themselves alone ? or are they not rather
to consider themselves as stewards of the Lord, appointed by
him to minister to the necessities of their poorer brethren ?
God himself, in the wilderness, shewed us what his end was, in
so diversifying the lots of men. He gave to his people manna
from the clouds of heaven ; and he appointed that every one
should gather an omer of it daily, for his own use. But it
frequently happened, through some accidental circumstance,
that some gathered less than the measure prescribed, and some,
perhaps through illness, gathered none at all : yet, without
any concerted plan, it constantly happened, that if some of a
family gathered less than their proper measure, others had
gathered more : and in all the families of Israel, for the space
of forty years, it was found, that when the whole of a family
put their gatherings together, they amounted to the precise
quantity that was enjoined; "those who had gathered much
having nothing over, and those who had gathered little having
no lack d." Now God would have us also to know, that all
which we have, however laboriously gathered up by us, was
His gift, and given by him for the express purpose of admi
nistering to the necessities of our more indigent brethren.
True, we are not called now to put all we have into a common
stock ; but we are called to " make our abundance a supply for
the necessities of others ;" that so there may be such a measure
of" equality," as will consist with a due maintenance of all the
different orders in civil and social life.]
With these inequalities we shall be well satisfied,
if we consider,
II. The vast advantages derived from them—
Exceeding great benefits arise from such dispensa
tions : for,
1. They call forth from men the greatest possible
exrecise of grace—
[To all classes of the community, the poor as well as the
rich, are these dispensations truly beneficial. The poor derive
instruction, which they would not attain in any other way:
they learn both resignation to the Divine will, and dependence
d See Exod. xvi. 16 — 18.
2035.] LIBERALITY ENCOURAGED. ,587
on the care of heaven. If tempted at any moment to repine,
they learn to say, ' " Shall a living man complain ?" If 1 had
my desert, it is not bodily sustenance that I should want, but
a drop of water to cool my tongue in hell — - I see the
birds, that plow not, nor sow, nor gather into barns, have food
in due season provided for them : why, then, should I despond ?
The God that feedeth the ravens, can feed me : and he will
rather send me food by the very ravens themselves, than suffer
me to want what he sees to be good for me.'
The rich, too, are taught most invaluable lessons by what
they see around them. From beholding the distresses of
others, they learn to sympathize with the afflicted — (what an
invaluable lesson is that !) They learn, also, self-denial, which
they gladly practise, " that they may have to give to him that
needeth." And I hesitate not to say, that they have more ex
quisite pleasure in any instance of self-denial, than any person
upon earth has in the most unbridled self-indulgence. But
what shall I say of the delight they feel in acts of beneficence ?
This is the very occupation, if I may so speak, of God himself,
" who is good to all, and whose tender mercy is over all his
works." This, too, is pre-eminently the point in which they
are conformed to the image of " their Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ ; who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes became
poor, that we, through his poverty, might be rich6."
And now tell me, I pray you, whether these different classes
be not greatly benefited, when called to the exercise of such
graces ; for which there would be comparatively no scope, if
these inequalities in providence did not exist? ]
2. They bring to God the greatest possible acqui
sition of glory—
[Take all these persons in their respective stations ; and
see how all of them admire and adore God for the manifesta
tions which he thus gives of his providence and grace ; the
poor, in having their wants so seasonably supplied ; and the
rich, in being made God's honoured instruments of good to
man This is very particularly noticed by St. Paul, in
the following context ; and in comparison of this honour ac
cruing to God, the relief conferred upon the poor he accounts
as nothing : " The administration of this service," says he, " not
only supplieth the want of the saints, (that is comparatively a
small matter,) but is abundant also by many thanksgivings
unto God ; while, by the experiment of this ministration, they
glorify God for your professed subjection unto the Gospel of
Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto
all men ; and by their prayer for you, who long after you for
588 2 CORINTHIANS, VIII. 13—15. [2035.
the exceeding grace of God in you." And then he adds,
with a heart overflowing with gratitude to God, " Thanks be
unto God for his unspeakable gift'!"
Now, if there were no such inequalities, there would be no
scope for the rectifying of them ; and, consequently, none for
the adorations and thanksgivings offered unto God by those
for whom he had so mercifully interposed. Say, then, whe
ther these inequalities be not, on the whole, an unspeakable
blessing to mankind ; and whether, instead of repining at
them, we ought not to adore and magnify our God, who makes
such use of them, for the exercise of such grace, and for the
manifestation of such glory unto men ?]
Let me not, however, forget your necessities, bre
thren, whilst I plead for the relief of others : but
let me ENTREAT you,
1. To seek from God the supplies which you your
selves need —
[None of your fellow-creatures, how destitute soever they
may be in respect of temporal necessities, are half so neces
sitous as you, in relation to your spiritual condition. In this
respect, all, whether rich or poor, are on a level. Truly, there
is a sad " equality " with respect to this : all being not only
" wretched and miserable," in a general view, but " poor, and
blind, and naked," in particular. And who shall give you
relief? Shall any fellow-creature be able to succour you?
No: the best man on earth has "no more oil in his vessel
than is needful for himself." There is no help for any man,
but " in Christ Jesus, in whom it has pleased the Father that
all fulness shoiild dwell ;" and " from whose fulness he has
ordained us to receive." Get then, I pray you, brethren, a
just sense of your necessities ; and look to Christ for a supply
of them : for " he is able to make all grace abound towards
you, that you, having always all-sufficiency in all things, may
abound unto every good work5."]
2. To impart to your fellow-creatures the relief
which they need —
[The occasion is indeed urgent11 And I may well
call upon you to impart out of your abundance, according
to your ability. Of course, some of you are able to give but
little: but, "if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted
according to that a man hath, and not according to that he
hath not1." This, however, I must say, " He that soweth
f 2 Cor. ix. 12—15. s 1 Cor. ix. 8.
h Here the occasion, whatever it may be, should be set forth.
' ver. 12.
2036.] BENEFIT FROM ATTENTION TO THE POOR. 589
sparingly, shall reap also sparingly ; and he that soweth boun
tifully, shall reap also bountifully k." Nor is it unwise for you
to consider what changes may yet occur with respect to your
own temporal condition : and how much you yourselves may
hereafter need relief from the very persons you now relieve.
In this view, I would say, for your encouragement, that " what
you give to the poor, you lend to the Lord ;" and in the hour
of necessity he will repay you. Arise, then, all of you, to this
good work ; and " cast your bread upon the waters, that you
may find it after many days." In heaven, at all events, you
shall find it : for God has promised, that not so much as " a
cup of cold water given for his sake shall lose its reward."]
k 2 Cor. ix. 6.
MMXXXVI.
THE BENEFIT ARISING FROM ATTENTION TO THE POOR.
2 Cor. ix. 12 — 15. The administration of this service not only
supplielh the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many
thanksgivings unto God; whiles by the experiment of this
ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection
unto the Gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution
unto them, and unto all men ; and by their prayer for you,
which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
IN this happy country, benevolent institutions of
every kind abound, insomuch that there is scarcely
any distress to which human nature can be subjected,
for which some appropriate provision is not made.
- But of all charities, there are none that de
serve our support more, than those which have
respect to the poor in an hour of sickness, and
provide for their temporal and spiritual wants at the
same time. Such is the institution to which we are
to call your attention this day. We will briefly set
before you,
I. The nature of the institution-
fit is called ' A Visiting Society.' Its design is to find
out the modest and industrious poor in a time of sickness,
and to administer to them relief for their bodies, and, at the
same time, instruction for their souls. For the better accom
plishment of this design, the town and neighbourhood are
590 2 CORINTHIANS, IX. 12—15. [2036.
divided into districts ; in each of which, two persons, one of
each sex, are appointed to superintend their immediate vici
nity, to inquire into such c ases of distress as may come within
their knowledge, and to afford them such relief as their imme
diate necessities may seem to require. As in such seasons the
ears of men are more open to instruction, the visitors are to
avail themselves of the opportunity thus afforded them, to
direct the attention of the poor to the concerns of their souls,
and to lead them to that adorable Saviour, who calls himself
"The way, the truth, and the life." Of these visitors, there is
a meeting once a month under the superintendence of their
minister, to report what persons they have visited ; and to be
advised, in case of any difficulty, what is most fitting to be
done. At those meetings also the accounts of every district
are settled ; and the book which contains them is kept open to
the inspection of them all2."]
From this short view of the institution may be
judged-
II. Its great utility—
The words of our text refer to the contributions
sent from Macedonia and Achaia to relieve the ne
cessities of the saints at Jerusalem : and they mark
with great distinctness the chief excellencies of the
institution before us. Its obvious -tendency is to
advance,
1 . The comfort of the poor —
[The poor in a time of health are happy ; because their
minds and habits are fitted to their state. But in a time of
sickness their situation is truly pitiable ; because they are
unable to procure those comforts which their necessities re
quire. Their very application for parochial relief sometimes
subjects them to unkindness : and those, who have been fami
liar with them in a season of prosperity, too often neglect
them in a time of needb. Conceive then at such a season
a visitor coming to them, and not only tendering to them that
relief which they could not have obtained from any other
source, but expressing the tenderest sympathy with them
under their affliction : What a balm must this be to the
wounded feelings of the poor sufferer ! If the rich, who are
accustomed to kindness from their friends, find it doubly
a This records what has been done for about fifty years under the
Author's ministry at Cambridge. Of course, this head must vary,
according to the institution, in aid of which the Sermon is preached.
b See Prov. xix. 7.
2036.] BENEFIT FROM ATTENTION TO THE POOR. 591
acceptable at such a season, what must the poor man feel at the
unexpected and unsolicited attentions of a perfect stranger !
But conceive the poor man now for the first time led to
call upon his' God ; now instructed in the knowledge of a
Saviour; now blessed with the first dawn of spiritual light,
and begotten to a hope full of immortality : conceive him
now saying with David, " It is good for me that I have been
afflicted :" " Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now
have I learned thy law :" How altered is his state ! How
peaceful is his mind ! How exceeding joyful is he in all his
tribulation !
Know ye then that such effects have frequently arisen from
the exertions of those who are engaged in this good work ; and
it is the manifest tendency of the institution to produce them.
This therefore may well recommend the institution itself to
your support.]
2. The welfare of all engaged in it —
[To enter cordially into a work of this kind is no small
exercise of grace : it truly displays " the exceeding grace of
God in us :" and where grace is so exercised, it will assuredly
be strengthened and confirmed. God has said, that " he who
watereth, shall be watered also himself." And we will appeal
to all who have ever visited the chambers of the sick, and
laboured for the spiritual welfare of their fellow-creatures,
whether they have not been richly repaid by the blessing of
God poured out upon their own souls? We know assuredly,
that in proportion as any have offered unto God these sacri
fices of love, they have been made by him to feast upon their
own sacrifice.
But further, we are told in our text, that the persons re
lieved will offer up " their prayers" to God in behalf of those
who relieve them: and is this a small benefit? Possibly the
prayers may be only devout aspirations to God, such as " God
bless you ! " but shall such prayers go forth in vain ? If God
hears theories of the injured, and punishes their oppressors6,
will he not hear and answer the prayers of men when offered
for their benefactors ? No doubt he will ; and will recompense
into the bosoms of the benevolent every benefit they have
conferred.
Nor is it a small benefit to such benevolent persons that
their names are respected, and their company desired. True
indeed, we are not to engage in such services with a view to
the applause of man : but we are not to despise the appro
bation and love of our fellow-creatures, but rather to accept it
as an expression of God's kindness to our souls. See how
Job's exertions in this way were recompensed11 : and was this
c Jam. v. 4. d Job xxix. 11 — 13.
592 2 CORINTHIANS, IX. 12—15. [2036.
a despicable reward ? But consider how such benefactors are
loved by the objects whom they relieve ; " how greatly they are
longed after for the exceeding grace of God in them." How
do the poor people count the hours, and almost the minutes,
when these kind friends are expected to arrive ! Truly this is
a great honour from the Lord, and an unspeakable comfort to
those who have rendered themselves so respected and beloved.]
3. The honour of the Gospel—
[Of this also the text particularly speaks. These kind
offices are regarded both by God and man as a " professed
subjection to the Gospel of Christ." The Gospel expressly
requires these offices of love. " Pure religion," we are told,
" is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction :"
and again it is said, " Bear ye one another's burthens, and so
fulfil the law of ChristV When therefore these offices are
performed, the Gospel appears, in its true light, a religion
of love.
And here we cannot but observe, how such conduct in the
professors of the Gospel is calculated to silence all its enemies.
Many cry out against the Gospel as inculcating faith only, and
leading its advocates to neglect good works. But where shall
we find among the enemies of the Gospel such institutions as
these ? where shall we find that a regard for the souls of men
forms a leading feature in any charity of theirs? It is under
the Gospel only that these institutions flourish ; and no sooner
does any one receive " the truth as it is in Jesus," than he
delights to aid such institutions to the utmost of his power.
Truly this is most honourable to the Gospel : and that which
so adorns the doctrine of God our Saviour, must needs be
itself worthy of universal support.]
4. The glory of God-
[Doubtless it is not in the power of man to add any thing
to the glory of his God. Yet, inasmuch as these institutions
lead men to acknowledge the providence of God, and to adore
him for his gracious interposition in their behalf, they may be
justly said to advance the glory of God. And this view of the
subject is repeatedly mentioned both in the text and context6.
The visitor may possibly, in the first instance, be regarded as
the sole source of the benefit conferred : but his instructions
soon lead the grateful person to behold the hand of God, and
to render thanks to HIM as the true and only source of good.
Then the benefactor is viewed in his true light, even like the
angel sent by God to deliver Peter from his prison : but God
is viewed as " the Author and Giver of the gift." Then
v Jam. i. 27. f Gal. vi. 2. e See 2 Cor. viii. 19. and ver. 11.
2036.] BENEFIT FROM ATTENTION TO THF. POOR. .503
" thanksgivings abound to HIM;" and the person who perhaps
thought nothing of his God before, now adores him and mag
nifies him from his inmost soul. This is the only tribute that
man can pay to his Maker : but it is " a sacrifice most pleasing
/""* 1 "T O
unto God. J
CONCLUSION—
[We now call upon you all to adopt the language of our
text, and say, " Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!"
The true import of these words is not generally understood.
It is supposed, that, because our blessed Lord and Saviour calls
himself " The gift of God," and is undoubtedly the greatest
of all God's gifts to man, the passage must relate to him: but,
both from the text and context, it is evident that we must
understand it as relating to the alms which were collected for
the service of the Church at Jerusalem. Speaking of the part
which Titus had taken in this measure, St. Paul says, " Thanks
be to God, who put the same eai'nest care into the heart of
Titus for youh:" where it is observable, that he traces the
blessing to God as its true Author, and returns thanks to God
for it. So in our text he speaks of " Thanksgivings to God"
occasioned by it, and " God as glorified for it," and " the ex
ceeding grace of God" as manifested in it. Hence the import
of it undeniably is, that " Thanks" should be given by all to
God for so " unspeakable a gift."
And truly it is " the gift of God :" it is God alone that has
put it into the heart of so many persons to unite in so good a
work. It is to his grace alone that we can trace this tender
concern for the temporal and eternal welfare of our fellow-
creatures. Man, by nature, has it not : and those who are
ignorant of the Gospel have it not: they may talk about good
works ; but this is a work in which they never engage. We
must therefore glorify God for it, as being the only true source
from whence it proceeds.
And it may well be called an " unspeakable gift." It is un
speakable, whether as existing in the visitors, or as operating
on those who are visited. No grace can justly be considered
as a light matter, since the smallest portion of it that can exist
in the soul is of more value than the whole world. Of what
value then must such " exceeding grace" be, such grace as
most assimilates us to God himself! Was " the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ" most displayed in this, that " when he was
rich, he for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty
might be rich1?" This is the pattern which the visitors desire
to imitate, so far at least as, by the most self-denying offices of
love, to contribute to the utmost of their power to the happi
ness of their afflicted brethren.
h 2 Cor. viii. 16. ' 2 Cor. viii. 9.
VOL. xvi. « «
594 2 CORINTHIANS, X. 3—5. [2037.
If we look at the effects which have followed from their
exertions, these are " unspeakable " indeed : for, in addition
to the temporal comfort administered to Christ himself in many
of his poor members k, I doubt not but that there are at this
very hour before the throne of God several, whose first thoughts
about religion originated altogether in the instructions received
from this society. Had there been but one soul brought out
of darkness into the marvellous light of the Gospel by means
of this institution, the labours of all connected with it would
have been richly recompensed : but we say again, that several,
we doubt not, will have to bless God for it to all eternity.
Let all then give thanks to God that such an institution
exists; and let all contribute liberally to its support
We beg to remind you all, that the contributors, no less than
the visitors, are accessary to all the good that is done by it ;
and may expect a blessing on their own souls : and we close
our subject with that admonition of the Apostle, " He who
soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly ; and he who soweth
bountifully, shall reap also bountifully1-"]
k Matt. xxv. 40. J ver. 6.
MMXXXVII.
EFFICACY OF THE GOSPEL.
C2 Cor. x. 3 — 5. Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war
after the flesh : (for the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong
holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing
into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
EVERY thing, however good, may be made to
appear in a disadvantageous light, if we choose to
put a perverse construction upon it : and the more
diligent any person is in approving himself to God,
the more must he expect to suffer from misrepresen
tation and calumny. His humility will be called
superstition ; his zeal, ostentation ; his devotion, en
thusiasm ; and his whole deportment, hypocrisy. No
man ever laboured to do what was right more than
the Apostle Paul ; yet no man was ever more calum
niated. There was no self-denial which he did not
exercise, no suffering which he did not cheerfully
2037.] EFFICACY OF THE GOSPEL. 595
endure, for the good of others : yet through the arti
fices of false teaches, who sought to establish their
own influence on the ruins of his, every thing he did
became to him an occasion of reproach. There were
great disorders in the Corinthian Church, which he
sought to rectify. He in the first instance adopted
the mildest methods : when these were ineffectual,
he threatened to exert his apostolic authority : when
still he could not prevail, he was extremely averse to
use the necessary severity ; and forbore to do it, in
hopes that his lenity might conciliate their regards,
and reduce them to a willing obedience. But they
construed all this change of conduct as the result of
guile, or timidity. They considered him as influ
enced by a view to his own carnal interests, and as
being unworthy of their respect in proportion as he
strove to merit it. Of this he complains in the pas
sage before us. He assures his adversaries that,
though like other men he was still encompassed with
infirmities, he was not actuated by any considerations
of ease, or honour, or interest, but was intent on
mortifying every evil thought in himself, as well as
of checking it in them : and that, as he was impelled
by a sense of duty in the whole of his conduct to
wards them, so, if his present kind entreaties should
be without effect, he was ready and determined to
exert his apostolic authority in casting out of the
Church all obstinate offenders, and in inflicting on
them also, by his miraculous powers, some heavy
judgment.
This seems to be the import of the text as it stands
connected with the context. But if we divest it of
the peculiarities arising from the occasion, we shall
find in it a summary view of the effects produced by
the Gospel in the Apostle's own mind, and, through
his instrumentality, on the minds of others also. In
discoursing upon it we shall be led to shew,
I. The opposition which sinners make to God—
We might here lay open the actions of men, and
shew their contrariety to the commands of God.
596 2 CORINTHIANS, X. 3—5. [2037.
But the text speaks of " imaginations and of high
things which exalt themselves," not merely against
the authority, but " even against the knowledge, of
God." We must therefore mark the rebellion of men
as it shews itself in their " thoughts" which serve
as " strong-holds" in which they are intrenched and
fortified, and by means of which they exclude God
from their hearts.
They fortify themselves then,
1. By proud thoughts-
fit is scarcely credible that such an insect as man should
exalt himself with such impious presumption in the presence
of his God. If we assert the authority of God, and vindicate
his claim to their hearts, they reply, like Pharaoh, " Who is
the Lord that I should obey his voice? I know not the Lord;
neither will I obey his voice a."]
2. By unbelieving thoughts—
[We declare what will certainly be the issue of the con
test ; and that, if they will not bow to the sceptre of his
grace, they shall be broken in pieces with a rod of iron b: and
that, if they will not have Christ to reign over them, he will
call forth his executioners to slay them before him0. But not
one word of this will they believe. They deny that God will
ever execute his threatenings, or that they have any thing to
fear at his hands d.]
3. By worldly thoughts —
[When we summon them to surrender themselves up to
God, they tell us, that at some more convenient season they
may listen to us ; but at present they are so occupied with the
cares or pleasures of life, that they cannot find leisure for such
concerns as these. To all our pressing invitations, they either
answer, more civilly, " I pray thee have me excused," or, more
rudely, " I cannot come6."]
4. By self-righteous thoughts—
[When they are driven, as it were, from their out-posts,
they raise interior fortifications with great zeal and industry :
they encompass themselves with " works of righteousness,"
and there insist upon stipulations and agreements with God.
They will pay him such a tribute ; they will perform such
a Exod. v. 2. See also Ps. xii. 4. and Jer. xliv. 16.
b Ps. ii. 9. c Luke xix. 27.
rt Ps. xciv. 7. with Mai. ii. 17. e Luke xiv. 18 — 20.
2037.] EFFICACY OF THE GOSPEL. 597
services; they will surrender up a portion of their hearts, pro
vided their old friends and allies may be permitted to continue
unmolested in the remainder. The terms of the Gospel are
too humiliating for them : and rather than they will come like
Benhadad, trusting solely on the mercy of the king of Israel1,
they will die in the breach, and be buried in the ruins of their
citadel.]
5. By desponding thoughts —
[God's entrance into the heart is not unfrequently ob
structed by these, as much as by any other thoughts what
ever. And it is surprising to see with what obstinacy they are
defended. Sinners will even bring Scripture itself to support
them against God, and to justify their rejection of his proffered
mercy. They are as studious to persuade themselves that
" there is no hope" for them, as once they were to assure
themselves that there was no ground for fear8.]
But impregnable as these " strong-holds" appear,
God can " cast them down." To evince this, we
proceed to shew,
II. The means by which God overcomes them—
God in this warfare does not make use of " carnal
weapons "-
[The sivord of the civil magistrate is not wanted in it.
It may indeed be properly used to suppress any evils which
injure society, and to protect the godly in the free enjoyment
of religious liberty11: but it must not be put forth to propa
gate the truth'. Let Mahometans bathe their swords in
blood, and Papists kindle their fires, to make proselytes to
their religion ; but God abhors such measures; and has de
clared, that " they who take the sword shall perish with the
sword k."
Neither are his servants to call in artifice to their aid. They
are indeed, in some sense, to " become all things to all men,
that by all means they may save some1:" but they are not to
make any sinful compliances : they are to stand upon their
own ground : they must " have their conversation in the world,
not with fleshly wisdom, but with simplicity and godly since
rity™;" they must not attempt to exercise craft, or to " catch
men by guile";" but, " renouncing the hidden things of
dishonesty, they must commend themselves to every man's
conscience in the sight of God0."
f 2 Kings xx. 31, 32. «? Ezek. xxxvii. 11. Jer. ii. 2.1.
h Rom. xiii. 3, -1. » Zech. iv. (). : Matt. xxvi. 52.
1 1 Cor. ix. 22. IU 2 Cor. i. 12. " 2 Cor. xu. 10.
0 2 Cor. iv. 2.
598 2 CORINTHIANS, X. 3—5. [2037.
Nor is oratory of any use in this warfare. St. Paul was
qualified beyond most to fight with this weapon, if he had
judged it expedient : but he laid it aside as an incumbrance :
he knew that, instead of advancing the interests of his Lord,
it would "render the cross of Christ of none effect15:" and
therefore he determined to " preach not with the enticing
words of man's wisdom V or " in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, but in those only which the Holy Ghost
teachethV]
That which he renders effectual, is the simple
preaching of the Gospel—
[The law is usually that which first shakes the foundations
of the citadel, and batters down the fortifications with which
it was encompassed : yea, the Gospel itself also is at first
alarming, because it proposes a remedy to persons perishing in
their sins, and consequently apprises them of their danger,
which they were not before aware of. But when it has con
vinced them of their guilt and misery, then it speaks peace
unto their souls ; and sweetly constrains them to yield up
themselves unreservedly to God, as their reconciled God and
Saviour5
Not that it has this power in itself: it is in itself as weak
as was the sound of rams' horns which cast down the walls of
Jericho1: but it is " mighty through God;" and, when accom
panied by the operations of his Spirit, it compels the stoutest
rebel to deliver up the keys of his citadel, and surrender at
discretion.]
The victories gained by this are perfect and com
plete —
[The victories obtained by carnal weapons, may be fol
lowed by the subjugation of the vanquished people : but no
conqueror could expect his newly acquired subjects to become
instantly his active and faithful allies. Yet this invariably fol
lows the triumphs of the Gospel : the vanquished sinner begins
to fight as zealousy for God as ever he fought against him.
Moreover, as his thoughts and imaginations were the strong
holds and fortifications whereby he maintained his stand
against God, so now they are employed in his service, and are
instrumental in repelling all the attacks of his enemies : " they
are brought, not only into captivity, but also into obedience to
Christ."
Now he entertains humble thoughts, abhorring himself for
ever rebelling against so gracious a God and Saviour; and
P 1 Cor. i. 17. il Cor. ii. 4. r 1 Cor. ii. 13.
s 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. 4 Josh. vi. 20.
2037.] EFFICACY OF THE GOSPEL. 599
detesting the base servitude to which he submitted under the
government of Satan. These, in proportion as they are enter
tained, form a very strong rampart around his soul.
Now he cherishes also jealous thoughts, aware of the sub-
tilty of his great adversary, and of the traitors which yet
remain within his own bosom. He stands upon his watch-
tower, and guards every avenue whereby his enemy may again
approach to hurt him.
Now also he raises up grateful thoughts, magnifying and
adoring that love wherewith his blessed Lord has loved him,
and that grace whereby his God and Father has distinguished
him ". These form a bulwark that may defy all the confederate
hosts of earth and hell.
Now moreover he forms resolute thoughts. He is menaced
by an ungodly world ; but he sets them all at defiance. Is he
told that he shall be imprisoned and put to death for his
adherence to Christ? He answers, "None of these things
move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself x;" " I am
willing not only to be bound, but also to die for my Lord's
sakey:" "Yea, if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service
of your faith, I joy arid rejoice with you all, and desire that
you also will joy and rejoice with mez."
In short, he labours that " every thought" which can give
advantage to the enemy, may be " cast down," and every
thought which can maintain the authority and promote the
honour of God, may be established in the soul: so entirely
does Christ overcome the strong man, and convert to his own
use all his spoils a.]
We may LEARN from hence,
1. How to judge of our conversion—
[Our words or actions are a very inadequate criterion
whereby to judge : for, though they must of necessity be good
if we are converted, and a want of piety in them will incon-
testably prove us unconverted, yet there may be nothing mani
festly exceptionable in them, while we are still ignorant of
Christ and of his salvation. But the thoughts will form an
infallible rule of judgment. " As a man thinketh in his heart,"
says Solomon, " so is heb." Examine therefore whether
proud, unbelieving, worldly, self-righteous, and desponding
thoughts are subdued within you ; and whether humble, jea
lous, grateful, and resolute thoughts are in habitual exercise.
Far be it from us to say, that men are not to employ their
thoughts about worldly things ; for their duties in social life
absolutely require that they should do so: but, to whatever
u 1 John iii. 1. x Acts xx. 21. > Acts xxi. 13.
* Phil. ii. 17, 18. a Luke xi. '21. r'-J. l) Prov. xxiii. 7.
600 2 CORINTHIANS, X. 15, 16. [2038.
point our thoughts lead us when they are wholly unconfined,
that will shew the real disposition of our minds: if we are car
nal and worldly, our thoughts will be running out after things
of a carnal and worldly nature : if, on the contrary, we are
spiritual, then will our thoughts, which are known to God
only, be spiritual and heavenly.]
2. How to act when we are converted—
[What is spoken proverbially in reference to the expen
diture of money, may very fitly be applied to this subject ;
' Take care of little things ; and great ones will take care of
themselves.' Be attentive to your thoughts ; and we shall
have no fear about your actions. There is not any thing done,
but it has been previously transacted in the thoughts. The
heart is the womb in which every thing is first conceived,
whether it be good or evil0. Out of the abundance that is
there, will the mouth speak, and the members actd. Let us
then attend to the advice of Solomon, " Keep thy heart with
all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life6." Let us
endeavour to train the thoughts for God. Let us not suffer
them to roam without restraint ; but frequently arrest them,
and inquire into their nature and tendency. Then shall we
become ornaments to our holy profession, and acquire an
increasing meetness for heaven, where " EVERY " thought will
indeed be captivated to the obedience and enjoyment of
Christ.]
c Jam. i. 15. d Matt. xii. 34, 35. e Prov. iv. 23.
MMXXXVIII.
THE FAITHFUL MINISTER'S DESIRES.
2 Cor. x. 15, 16. Having hope, when your faith is increased,
that tve shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abun
dantly, tojpreach the Gospel in the regions beyond you.
THE Apostle Paul was a man of an enlarged heart:
he panted for the salvation of the whole world, and
to the utmost of his power laboured to promote it.
But, in his labours, he was under the direction of his
Divine Master, who assigned to him the path in
which he was to run. To the course that was pre
scribed to him he carefully adhered ; neither going
beside it, to interfere with others ; nor going beyond
it, as obtruding himself any where without an express
2038.] THE FAITHFUL MINISTER'S DESIRES. (>01
commission. In these respects, he differed widely
from some who sought to establish themselves on
the foundation which he had laid at Corinth, and to
subvert his influence in the Church which he had
planted. To remedy the evils which had been intro
duced by them, he meditated another visit to that
city ; and hoped, after rectifying all abuses there,
to proceed to other regions beyond them, for the
purpose of diffusing more widely, than he had yet
done, the Gospel of Christ. This intention, which
he specifies in the words of our text, will lead me to
set before you,
I. The desires of a faithful minister, in reference to
any Church which he may have planted-
He will desire their growth in every grace—
[However numerous his converts may be, no faithful
minister will be satisfied, unless they make their profiting to
appear. Every believer is enjoined to " grow in grace and in
the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ3 :" and it
is in that way alone that he can either promote the honour of
God, or advance his own happiness — - Like persons
engaged in a race, he must " forget what is behind, and reach
forward to that which is before ; and press towards the mark,
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus b. A
mother, however rejoicing over her infant child, would soon
cease to rejoice, if she saw no advancement in his stature: and
so can no faithful minister find pleasure in his converts, if he
see them not gradually advancing in the divine life, and "grow
ing up towards the measure of the full stature of Christ."]
He will desire their growth in faith more particu
larly—
[Faith is the root of every grace ; and according to its
vital operations in us, will be our growth in all that is good.
When our Lord inculcated on his Apostles the exercise of a
forgiving spirit, they replied, " Lord, increase our faith*!"
One would have supposed that they should rather have said,
" Increase our love" But they judged well ; because their
love was sure to be augmented in proportion to their faith.
It is precisely in the same view that St. Paul speaks to the
Corinthians, when he refers to an expected " increase of their
faith." It is by increasing discoveries of the great mystery of
redemption, and of the glory of God as displayed in it, that
» 2 Pet. iii. 18. b Phil. Hi. 13, 14. c Luke xvii. 3—5.
602 2 CORINTHIANS, X. 15, 16. [2038.
we are to be assimilated to the image of our Lord and Master,
Jesus Christ d; and to be rendered meet for the service of
God on earth, or the enjoyment of him in heaven — — ]
The Apostle's hopes of ultimately proceeding to
regions beyond them, lead me yet further to notice,
II. The desires of a faithful minister, in reference to
the whole world —
A truly benevolent mind will extend its efforts as
far as possible for the welfare of mankind : it would
not willingly leave one to " perish, for whom Christ
died." In diffusing the blessings of salvation to the
whole world, the pious minister,
1. Will labour personally with all his might —
[A minister's first concern is, to instruct the people com
mitted to his charge : nor will the most enlarged philanthropy
justify a neglect of his more appropriate duties. But, whilst
it is his duty to pray, " Thy kingdom come," it is his duty to
exert himself, according to his ability, to extend that kingdom
to the very ends of the earth. If by his own personal labours
he can carry the Gospel to foreign lands, he will account it his
highest honour to engage in that service ; and, like the Apostle,
will regard every advance which he makes, a step towards
regions and services yet beyond. But if his proper labours be
stationary, he will exert all his influence to accomplish, through
the instrumentality of others, what he cannot effect by his own
personal exertions ]
2. Will look for the concurrence and aid of all his
people —
[St. Paul hoped that his Corinthian converts would unite
in furthering, to the utmost of their power, his efforts for the
benefit of others beyond them. It is possible enough that
the partiality of some towards him might have made them
desirous of enjoying his continued labours, even at the ex
pense of others whom he hoped to benefit. But such selfish
wishes are decidedly wrong. We should be willing to make
sacrifices for the good of others ; and to " seek not our own
profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved6." By
such sacrifices the people do, in fact, concur in promoting and
propagating the Gospel of the kingdom : and, if to these they
add their pecuniary contributions and their prayers, for the
furtherance of this good work, they are, in the truest and
sublimest sense, " fellow-workers with God." To this, there-
d 2 Cor. iii. 18. «= 1 Cor. x. 33.
2039.] FOLLY OF PRIDE AND BOASTING. GO,'J
fore, the faithful minister will endeavour to bring his people :
that, through the united efforts of many, that work may be
done, which cannot be effected by individual exertion.]
Let me now ENTREAT you,
1. To improve your own privileges —
[Through the tender mercy of God, " the Gospel is
come unto you ;" and many of you, I trust, have been led to
" believe in Christ, to the saving of your souls." But let
none of you continue " weak in faith." Your faith must in
crease : your views must be more enlarged, your affiance more
simple, your confidence more firm : you must " be strong in
faith, if you would give glory unto God." Remember, that it
is " to perfect that which is lacking in your faith," that our
labours are directed : and you yourselves must ever keep that
object in view. Go on then, from grace to grace : and let this
testimony be borne respecting you, that "your faith and love
grow exceedingly."]
2. To extend those privileges to all around you —
[There is no need that any of you should overstep the
line assigned you by Divine Providence : but, if your personal
efforts are limited, your wishes and your prayers should know
no bounds. I call upon you, then, to help forward the work
of God in the world. Assist, to the utmost of your power,
the different societies that are established for the conversion
whether of Jews or Gentiles : for in this way, though you
yourselves are stationary, the work of God will be advanced
by you ; seeing that the active agents of those societies, both
at home and abroad, will " be enlarged by you abundantly."]
MMXXXIX.
THE FOLLY OF PRIDE AND BOASTING.
2 Cor. x. 18. Not he that commendeth himself is approved, but
whom the Lord commendeth.
ONE would be ready to suppose, that the more
any person excelled in every thing that was good, the
more he would be filled with self-complacency ; and
that the less holy any person was, the more he would
be humbled under a sense of his vileness. But ob
servation and experience attest that the very reverse
of this is true. The godly do indeed enjoy the tes
timony of a good conscience ; but they are far from
604 2 CORINTHIANS, X. 18. [2039.
boasting of their own superior worth ; they rather
" prefer others in honour before themselves," and
account themselves " less than the least of all
saints." But formalists and hypocrites are ever ready
to commend themselves on account of their fancied
excellencies, and to assume a credit which does not
belong to them.
There were at Corinth some of this description-
some conceited teachers, who had entered into the
Apostle's labours, and were endeavouring to advance
their own influence in the Church by weakening and
subverting his. To put the Corinthians on their guard
against them, St. Paul shews them how different had
been his conduct from that of these vain-glorious
men : he had brought the Gospel to those regions
where it had never been heard before ; whereas they
were " boasting in another man's line of things made
ready to their hand :" he had moved in the sphere
appointed him by God ; they were going beside and
beyond the line marked out for them : he had sought
only the glory of the Lord ; while they were puffed
up with pride, and seeking their own glory. He then
lays down a rule, applicable indeed to these teachers
in the first instance, but equally proper for us also.
That " not they who commend themselves will be
approved, but those whom the Lord commendeth."
In discoursing on these words we shall shew,
I. From whence self-approbation arises—
The hearts of men are by nature proud : and their
pride finds abundant scope for exercise ;
1. From their over-rating the quality of their
actions —
[If what they do appears to be good, they are not strict
in inquiring whether it be really so : they do not wish to
detect those deficiencies which might render them dissatisfied
with themselves. They do not examine the principle from
which their actions flow, or the manner in which they are
performed, or the end for which they are done : whereas these
are the things which alone can determine the real quality of
their actions. They take for granted that all is right, because
they see nothing wrong ; and thus are filled with self-admiration
2039.] FOLLY OF PRIDE AND BOASTING. 605
and self-complacency, when, if they formed a proper estimate
of their conduct, they would rather be filled with shame and
self-abasement.]
2. From their judging of them by an erroneous
standard —
[Though men are not nice and scrupulous in weighing their
actions, they involuntarily and imperceptibly judge of them by
some standard. Now the standard by which they try them, is
that of popular opinion, and general practice : and whatever
stands this test, they conclude to be deserving of praise. They
never think of weighing themselves in the balance of the
sanctuary: the popular scale is more suited to their minds:
that is not turned by small matters : it is so favourably con
structed that a small weight of virtue will over-balance a heavy
load of iniquity; and the many grains of allowance thrown
into it are almost sure to make it preponderate in their favour.
No wonder then that they applaud themselves, when, if they
took the word of God as their standard, they would find cause
for nothing but humiliation and contrition.]
3. From their ascribing them to a wrong cause—
[Because they are free agents in all that they do, they
suppose that the merit of every good action must belong to
them. But they forget that " God is the sole author of every
good and perfect gift ;" that it is " he who of his own good
pleasure gives us both to will and to do:" and that conse
quently all the honour is due to him alone. Granting then
that their actions were really as excellent as their overweening
conceit would paint them, yet they would have no ground for
self-commendation. The more they did for God, the more
they would be indebted to God ; by whose agency alone they
were either inclined, or empowered, to do any thing that was
good. But when they leave God out of their thoughts, and
ascribe their virtues to their own will and power, they must
of necessity contract habits of self-preference and self-esteem.]
4. From their overlooking their defects—
[The proud and vain-glorious reflect only on what they
do ; and never think at all of what they leave undone, or of
the deficiencies which are found in their very best actions.
They perform one duty perhaps, and neglect many. They
attend to some injunction of the second table, but forget
entirely the precepts contained in the first. They mark their
observance of the letter of a command, but quite overlook
their inattention to its spirit. They will have no more gods
than one : but they will not " love that God with all their
heart, and mind, and soul, and strength." They will " draw
GOG 2 CORINTHIANS, X. 18. [2039.
nigh to God with their lips," but will not inquire whether they
have " worshipped him in spirit and in truth." What can
we expect from such partial views of their conduct, but that
they will vaunt and boast themselves, as if they were worthy of
the highest commendation ?']
Having traced the self-applause of men to its true
source ; we proceed to shew,
II. The folly and danger of it —
To illustrate this, let two things be considered :
1. God will not regulate his judgment by theirs —
[Man is often influenced by the opinions of his fellow-
creatures ; and it is proper that he should be so ; because
others may have more accurate information than he, or be
more capable of forming a just conclusion from the premises
before him. But " unto God all things are naked and open:"
however specious any appearances may be, He cannot be
deceived: He will " lay righteousness as a line or plummet"
to the souls of men, and thereby mark the smallest deviations
from perfect rectitude. In vain will the boaster vaunt before
him ; for he will with one single interrogation confound him
utterly, and lay him in the dust. In vain will the self-deceiver
bring forward in his defence the good actions that he has done ;
for his God and Judge will indignantly dismiss him as unworthy
of the smallest regard3. To have the approbation of men will
avail him nothing: for " God will not judge according to
appearance, but will judge righteous judgment:" " he will
shew, that many things which are highly esteemed among
men, are an abomination in his sightV and, when he passes
sentence on them, he will " be justified in his saying, and
and clear when he judge thc."]
2. Instead of sanctioning, he will reprove, their
conceit —
[Nothing is more odious in the sight of God than pride :
" the proud in heart, we are told, are an abomination to the
Lordd." Indeed " pride was not made for man:" it assimilates
us, as much as any thing can do, to the devil himself: and will
certainly bring us into the same condemnation with him6. Our
own high opinion of ourselves will have an effect directly
opposite to that which we wish. It will cause our God to
" resist1," abase g, and utterly destroy ush.
a Matt. vii. 21 — 2,3. b Luke xvi. 15. c Ps. li. 4.
d Prov. xvi. 5. e 1 Tim. iii. 6. f Jam. iv. G.
g Dan. iv. 30 — 32, 37. h Isai. x. 12 — 16. with Luke xviii. 14.
2039.] FOLLY OF PRIDE AND BOASTING. 007
We need go no further to prove that men, " measuring
themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among
themselves, are not wisel"~\
That we may be preserved from this most destruc
tive habit, we will point out,
III. The most effectual antidotes—
1. Study the holy law of God—
[That is the only true standard of good and evil : and " by
that is the knowledge of sin." That reaches to the inmost
thoughts and dispositions, as well as to the outward acts. — It
was by a view of that, as extending to every desire of the soul,
that Paul was made to feel himself a guilty and undone sinner k:
and that once understood, will bring all of us into the dust
before God.]
2. Watch the motions of your own hearts —
[Little do we suspect how much evil we should discover, if
we were to mark the motives and principles by which we are
actuated. Even when we are influenced by a good principle
in the first instance, Satan will find some occasion to sow tares
with the wheat, and to defile our very best actions. Let us
then exercise a holy jealousy over ourselves : let us not be too
confident, even when we are most unconscious of any secret
evil ' : let us especially be on our guard against every self-
complacent thought : and let us abase ourselves, that we may
be exalted of our God.]
3. Bear in mind the strictness of the scrutiny in
the day of judgment —
[God " weigheth" not our actions only, but "our spirits:"
there is not a thought of our hearts that is not open to his
all-seeing eye. He views at once the rule, and the observance
of it ; and every deviation from the line of absolute perfection
is 'marked by him. True indeed it is, that whilst we are
looking to the blood of Christ to cleanse us from our secret
faults, and to the Spirit of Christ to perfect in us his good
work, God will not " be extreme to mark what is done amiss :"
but, if we harbour any secret lust, or indulge any unhallowed
principle, our God will search it out, and judge us according
to itm. Our self-commendation will then avail us nothing;
but we shall stand or fall according to the decision of an
omniscient and unerring Judge.]
1 ver. 12. k Rom. vii. 9.
1 1 Cor. iv. 3, 4. n> 1 Cor. iv. 5.
008 2 CORINTHIANS, XL 2, 3. [2040.
MMXL.
GODLY JEALOUSY THE DUTY OF MINISTERS.
2 Cor. xi. 2, 3. / am jealous over you with godly jealousy :
for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present
you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any
means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so
your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is
in Christ.
TO boast of ourselves is a mark of a weak and
foolish mind. Yet there are occasions whereon it
may be necessary, particularly where the welfare of
the Church of God is concerned. It would have ill
become the Apostle to sit down in silence under all
the calumnies that were cast upon him as a designing
and deceitful man, who sought only his own glory,
whilst he was assuming a character which did not
properly belong to him. In vindication of himself,
he appeals to the plain, visible, acknowledged testi
monies which God had given in his favour ; which far
exceeded any which his opponents could produce,
and equalled any which had ever been given to " the
very chiefest Apostles." At the same time he entreats
the Corinthians to "bear with his folly" in mention
ing these things, since it was not for his own sake,
but for theirs, that he adverted to them.
Now the jealousy which he felt for the saints at
Corinth is precisely such as every minister should
feel for his people, exposed as they are to temptations
on every side : and that it may be seen how neces
sary such a jealousy is, we shall shew,
I. In what near relation believers stand to Christ —
They are espoused to Christ —
[Christ is the Head and Husband of his Church. Under
this character he is described by the Prophet Isaiah a: it is
also given him in the Gospel b: and the Apostle Paul largely
and repeatedly assigns it to himc. In the book of Revelation
also the Church is expressly represented as " the Wife of
the Lamb'1."
a Isai. liv. 5. b John iii. 29.
c Rom. vii. 4. Eph. v. 32. d Rev. xix. 7.
2040.] GODLY JEALOUSY A MINISTER'S DUTY. G09
Truly, if it had not been so plainly revealed, we could not
have dared to entertain such a thought in our minds. That
sinners, so guilty, so polluted as we are, should be admitted
into so near and so endearing a relation to our incarnate God :
how wonderful ! how surpassing all knowledge, and all con
ception ! Yet so it is : and both the Church at large, and
every member of the Church, is a partaker of this honour.]
Into this relation they are brought by the ministry
of the Gospel—
[The Apostle says, " I have espoused you to one husband."
Ministers may not unfitly be compared to Abraham's servant,
who was sent forth to seek a wife for his master's son. They
have received a commission from their Lord and Master : they
make known to the children of men the excellencies of him
in whose name they come : they look to God for the success
of their labours : and by their means he works, " making
persons willing in the day of his power." Sinners thus wrought
upon agree to take the Lord Jesus Christ as their Husband ;
and by their union with him they hope henceforth to " bring
forth fruit unto God." In him they see all that they can
possibly desire; and on him they rely for the communication
of it to their souls: they take him as their " wisdom, their
righteousness, their sanctification, and redemption ;" and they
glory in him, even in him alone. Having thus accepted Christ
for their all, they make a covenant with him, " a perpetual
covenant not to be forgotten6 ;" and they consecrate to him all
that they are, and all that they have, to be disposed of from
henceforth as his property according to his sovereign will and
pleasure. They pledge themselves henceforth through grace
to be entirely " for the Lord, and not for another1;" and
never more to yield their affections to any but him. This
surrender the Lord Jesus Christ accepts ; and to every one by
whom it is made, he commissions his servants to proclaim in his
name, " I will betroth thee unto me for ever ; yea, I will be
troth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in
loving kindness, and in mercies ; I will even betroth thee unto
me in faithfulness : and thou shall know the Lord*."]
But whilst on the one hand we contemplate their
privileges, we must on the other hand consider,
II. The danger to which they are exposed-
It is not to be supposed that he who ruined their
first parents in Paradise, will leave them in the quiet
possession of this high honour : No ; as he envied
e Jer. 1. 5. f Hos. iii. 3. e Hos. ii. 19, 20.
VOL. \\i. R n
2 CORINTHIANS, XT. 2,3. [2040.
the happiness of man in innocence, and never rested
till he had robbed him of it, so he envies all who
are brought into this near relation to the Lord Jesus,
and never ceases from his efforts to deprive them
of it.
The state which becomes those who are thus
espoused to Christ, is that of perfect simplicity—
[A person, espoused to a fellow-creature only, ought to
possess a simplicity of mind towards him : she should have
no interest, no desire, no wish distinct from his. Thus there
should be a singleness of eye in all who are united in these
holy bonds to our Lord Jesus Christ. There should be no
dependence on any thing but on him alone. The constant
habit of the believer's mind must be, " In the Lord have I
righteousness and strength." Nor must the betrothed person
indulge a wish after any one but him to whom she is espoused:
she must " forget her own people and her father's house, if she
would have her Lord to find pleasure in her beauty11." She
must possess also a modest, humble, child-like spirit, free from
all pride, conceit, and vain-glory. In a word, she must be
wholly his, in body, soul, and spirit; "an Israelite indeed, and
without guile."]
But from this state Satan is ever striving to divert
us—
[Innumerable emissaries has he at his command ready
to take advantage of us. Many even of our fellow-creatures
are used by him as his instruments : many who are, in fact,
no other than "false Apostles and deceitful workers," under
his influence transform themselves into " Apostles of Christ,"
even as that wicked fiend himself assumes the semblance of
an angel of light'." They will profess a great regard for
truth, and under that garb will endeavour to commend their
own erroneous principles. Under a profession of inculcating
sublimer views of the Gospel, they will sap its very founda
tions, or build a superstructure altogether advei'se to it,
relaxing the obligations of the law, under a pretence of en
hancing the excellency of the Gospel : and, as sure as any
embrace their pernicious tenets, they are despoiled of all vir
gin modesty, and puffed up with pride and self-conceit. The
same kind of artifices which Satan used in tempting Eve, he
still makes use of by other serpents than he then inspired.
He suggests the superior wisdom that will be acquired by em
bracing this or that dogma ; and the gratification that will be
h Ps. xlv. 10. 11. j vcr. 13—1.3.
2040.] GODLY JEALOUSY A MINISTER'S DUTY. 611
derived from a compliance with such or such a temptation.
He calls in question the import of such divine declarations as
militate against his views, or at least the danger of acting in
opposition to them : and by these devices he beguiles many to
their everlasting ruin.]
Persons so tempted are generally unconscious of
their danger ; and hence arises,
III. The duty of those to whom God has committed
the oversight of them—
The work of a minister is but just begun when' he
has been the means of bringing any soul to Christ :
he has yet to watch over that soul, and to prepare it
and make it ready for its destined honours.
At a period yet future is the servant to present the
bride to her Lord and husband—
[Even the horrid and disgusting offices performed for the
virgins who were to be presented to king Ahasuerus, may,
when divested of the sensuality connected with them, serve to
illustrate the purification necessary for every member of the
Christian Church. In the great clay of the Lord Jesus we are
to present to him our every convert " as a chaste virgin." Yea,
the Lord Jesus Christ himself is now by his word and Spirit
preparing the Church, " that he may then present it to himself
a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such
thing, but that it may be holy and without blemish k." If she
be not made ready for him, and " clothed in fine linen clean
and white, which is the righteousness of the saints1,'' she can
never be acknowledged as his bride. Any fundamental error
in faith, or any allowed deviation from his law in practice,
will entirely make void the covenant entered into at the
espousals, and will cut her off from any hope of that felicity
after which she aspires : and thus will all the minister's
" labour prove in vain"1."]
Till that period arrive, he must be jealous over her
with a godly jealousy—
[If he see any declension from the simplicity that is in
Christ, he must instantly raise his warning voice. If lie see
only a device of Satan whereby her piety may be endangered,
and her mind may be in any respect corrupted, he must
instantly put her on her guard. He is not to wink at any
thing whether in doctrine or practice that is contrary to the
mind of God. If there be only a secret leaning towards any
* Eph. v. 25—27. ; Rev. xix. 8. '» Gal. iv. 11.
612 2 CORINTHIANS, XI. 2, 3. [2040.
thing that is wrong, he must with all the solicitude of the
tenderest parent point out the snare that Satan is laying for
her feet. Her Divine Husband is " a jealous God :" and a
corresponding jealousy in his ministers must be ever awake to
the discernment of incipient danger, and the correction of the
slightest error. This is "a godly jealousy :" it is the highest
possible expression of love : and the minister who with most
fidelity and affection discharges this duty, most approves
himself to God, and displays the most valuable friendship
towards man : " he watches for souls, as one that must give
account."]
ADDRESS—
1. Those who have given occasion for jealousy—
[Is it asked, "Who are they ? I answer, Those who have
either declined in their love to Christ, or have not made their
profiting to appear. What would any of you feel towards an
object, who, after having solemnly betrothed herself to you,
and once professed towards you the most ardent affection, had
ceased to delight in your society, or shewed, that her more
intimate acquaintance with you produced no increase of at
tachment towards you ? Would your mind be easy ? Would
you be satisfied with such equivocal professions of regard ?
What then must the Lord Jesus Christ feel, and what should
your ministers feel, when your whole spirit and conduct give
so much reason for doubt and fear ? They must be jealous ;
they ought to be jealous : and towards all who come under
this character we must " change our voice." We do truly
"stand in doubt of" such : and we are constrained to " travail
in birth with them, as it were, a second time until Christ be
formed in them11." "Look well to yourselves, my brethren,
that ye lose not the things that ye have wrought, but that ye
receive a full reward :" for if ye draw back from the Lord
Jesus Christ, either in heart or life, " his soul shall have no
pleasure in you0."]
2. Those in whom no visible occasion of jealousy
exists —
[We bless our God who has kept you thus far faithful
to your engagements. Truly, " he who hath established you
in the midst of such manifold temptations is God"
But still, though we have no occasion to be jealous over you,
it becomes you to be jealous o\er yourselves with a godly
jealousy. For who can tell what a day or an hour may bring
forth? David, when walking on the top of his house, little
thought what a snare Satan had laid for him : and you little
11 Gal. iv. 19, 20. ° Hob. x. 38.
2041.] ST. PAUL'S ZEAL ILLUSTRATED. 613
know how sorely he may thrust at you before another day has
passed over your heads. " Be not high-minded, but fear."
" Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall."
Take notice from time to time how your minds stand affected
to the Lord Jesus Christ : mariners are often forced out of
their track by currents, and never discover their deviations till
they have made their observations afresh. Make your obser
vations then : Do you delight more in secret communion with
Christ ? Do you think less of every sacrifice you are called
to make for him ? Is it more and more the one endeavour of
your soul to please him ? And are you looking forward with
increasing desire for that day when you shall be intimately and
indissolubly united to him, and spend an eternity in the fruition
of his love ? By such marks as these you may judge of your
own state, and acquire a confidence in relation to his judg
ment also. Leave nothing in suspense. Give yourselves to
him : walk with him : cleave to him with full purpose of heart :
and " be diligent that ye may at last be found of him in peace,
without spot and blamelessp."
And now to his holy keeping we commend you ; even to
him, " who is able to keep you from falling, and to present
you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding
joy. To whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever.
Amen V]
P 2 Pet. iii. 14, 17. q Jude, ver. 24.
MMXLI.
ST. PAUL'S ZEAL ILLUSTRATED AND IMPROVED.
2 Cor. xi. 23 — 29. Are they ministers of Christ ? (I speak as
a fool) I am more,' in labours more abundant, in stripes
above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of
the Jetvs five times received I forty stripes, save one. Thrice
was I beaten with rods, once ivas I stoned, thrice I suffered
shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep ; in
journeyings often, in perils of ivaters, in perils of robbers, in
perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in
perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the
sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and pain-
fulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings
often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are
without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the
churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak ? Who is
offended, and J burn not ?
614 2 CORINTHIANS, XL 23—29. [2041.
THE people of the world are in the habit of repre
senting religious persons as defective in every mental
attainment, and negligent in the discharge of every
social duty : and it becomes Christians not only to
cut off all occasion for such reproach, but so to con
duct themselves as to be able to appeal to all who
know them, that they are in no respect below any
other people who are similarly circumstanced with
themselves. As St. Paul, when his adversaries sought
to detract from his character, silenced them by this
challenge, " Whereinsoever any is bold, I am bold
also: are they Hebrews ? so am I; are they Israelites?
so am I ; are they the seed of Abraham ? so am I :"
so ought Christians in every department of life to be
able to challenge competition with other men, and
boldly to say, ' Are they modest, prudent, kind, faith
ful, diligent ? so am I.' This they should be able to
do in reference to all heathen virtues, and worldly
attainments. But in relation to every thing of a spi
ritual nature, the Christian should so far excel, that
no worldly person should be able to come near him.
Our blessed Lord intimates this in the question which
he puts to us; "What do ye more than others?"
We ought to do more than any other people in the
world either do or can do ; and, like the Apostle in
our text, we should be able to enumerate many
things, in which our adversaries, even the best of
them, can bear no competition with us.
It is well for the Church of God that St. Paul was
so calumniated by his enemies : for, if he had not
been so traduced, he never would have recorded the
extent of his labours, respecting which, from the
brief history of them in the Acts of the Apostles, we
should not have formed any adequate conception.
True it is, indeed, that he again and again acknow
ledges, that, if not so compelled to declare the truth,
he would have been a fool for boasting in this man
ner : and we too shall be guilty of the most egre
gious folly, if we without necessity proclaim our own
goodness ; but still, I say again, we should be infe
rior to the world in nothing that pertains to this life,
204 l.j ST. PAUL'S 7KAL ILLUSTRATED. 615
and superior to them in every thing that pertains to
the life to come.
From this account, which the Apostle gives of his
own labours, we shall take occasion,
I. To place them more distinctly before you—
Of course, it is only a cursory notice that we can
take of them : and indeed it is the accumulated mass,
rather than any minute particulars, which will best
answer our end in this discourse. Yet, that we may
have something of a distinct view of his labours, let
us notice,
1. His sufferings—
[St. Paul, at his conversion, had been told by the Saviour
" what great things he should suffer for his Master's sake :"
and truly they were great, greater far than those which fell to
the share of any other Apostle. He was " in stripes above
measure," being five times scourged by the Jews to the utmost
extremity that their law allowed ; and thrice by the Romans,
though in direct opposition to the Roman law. " In prisons"
all the Apostles had been ; but not so frequently as he. So
" often was he in deaths," that he felt himself " standing in
jeopardy every hour," and could appeal to God that " he died
daily3." Thrice did he suffer shipwreck : and on one of those
occasions he floated on a piece of the wreck " a clay and a
night," every moment in danger of being consigned to a watery
grave. On one occasion he was stoned (at Lystra), and actu
ally left for dead : and doubtless he would have died, if God
had not, by a miraculous power, raised him up again, and
restored him to the use of his limbs b.
What patience, what resignation, what fortitude, must the
Apostle have possessed, when he could persevere in the midst
of such continued and severe trials as these ! And how strange
does it appear, that " in every place such bonds and such
afflictions should await" such a man as he; whose only fault
was, that he loved his God and Saviour, and loved his fellow-
creatures too even beyond his own life! But so it was; and
so it will be, as long as ungodly men shall have it in their
power to put forth into exercise their enmity against God : and,
in proportion as any man resembles Paul in his zeal for Christ,
and in his love to men, he will meet with the very same
treatment that the Apostle did : and if lie be not persecuted
a 1 Cor. xv. 30, 31.
b All these were prior to bis sufferings recorded in the lalU-r
part of the Acts of the Apostles.
616 2 CORINTHIANS, XI. 23—29. [2041.
unto death, as Paul was, he will be indebted for his protection,
not to the abated hostility of men, but to the laws of the land
in which he dwells.]
2. His dangers —
[These were incessant, wherever he moved. Sometimes
he was in peril " by waters," that is by rivers, which he was
obliged to ford, or more probably by land floods, which he
could neither foresee nor escape : sometimes by robbers, who,
conceiving him to be carrying money with him from one
Church to another, lay in wait to plunder him. Sometimes
" by his own countrymen," who were incensed against him
for going to the Gentiles : and at other times " by the hea
then," who were indignant at his endeavours to overthrow
idolatry. " In the city," he was beset by enraged mobs; "in
the wilderness," by ravenous beasts ; and, " in the sea," by
frequent tempests, or by pirates, more to be dreaded than
death itself.
But who would have thought that persons professing love
to Christ should be found adverse to him ; and that he should
be in as much danger from their envy and jealousy, their
subtilty and malignity, as from the more open assaults of
professed enemies ! Yet amidst his other perils he mentions
those in which he was " among false brethren," who sought by
misrepresentations to subvert his influence, and by treachery
to destroy his life. Alas ! alas ! that such impiety should
ever be concealed under a cloak of zeal for Christ ! Yet the
faithful minister shall find that such monsters do exist ;
and that there are yet in the Church, no less than in the
apostolic age, " wolves in sheep's clothing," who, if only they
can find opportunity to exercise their predominant disposi
tions, will tear in pieces the Church, and spare neither the
shepherd nor the sheep0.]
3. His privations —
[Amidst all his labours, he was often destitute of the
comforts, yea, and of the common necessaries of life ; so that,
in addition to all the weariness and painfulness of his exer
tions, he was exposed to " hunger and thirst, and cold and
nakedness," not having clothing to protect him from the incle
mencies of the weather, nor food to sustain his feeble body.
And, as if all these privations were not sufficient, he often
added to them by voluntary fastings, and by a sacrifice of
needful sleep, that so he might be able to support himself
without being burthensome to any, and make himself an
example to those who accused him of seeking only his tem
poral advancement.
c Acts xx. 29.
2041.] ST. PAUL'S ZEAL ILLUSTRATED. G17
How lightly and thoughtlessly do we read this account, as
though there were nothing very extraordinary in it ! But if
we had only to spend one single week in such trials as his,
we should soon see what astonishing grace he must have had,
that could enable him to bear them for a series of years, and
even to " take pleasure in them," if only his Lord and Saviour
might be glorified by means of them d!]
4. His cares —
[These, under such circumstances, were truly over
whelming. The Churches every where, whether planted by
him or not, looked to him for guidance and direction in all
their difficulties ; so that there was a weight upon his mind
sufficient to depress any one who did not feel his consolations
and supports. The trials of Moses being great, seventy per
sons were appointed to bear the burthen with him. But Paul
had to bear his burthens all alone. He was the referee of all ;
the counsellor of all ; the director of all. Nor did he attend
merely to the general concerns of all the Churches : no ; he
bore in mind the case of every individual that was brought
before him ; and laboured as much for the benefit of each, as if
he had no other object to engage his mind. For this he
could appeal to the Corinthians themselves ; " Who is weak, and
I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?" If any,
through prejudice, or ignorance of Christian liberty, or through
any other cause, were weak, he sympathized with them, and
accommodated himself to their feeble state, and laboured by
all possible means to comfort and encourage them. In like
manner, if any were stumbled either by the artifices of false
teachers, or the violence of persecution, he " burned" with an
ardent desire to restore their minds, and to establish their
hearts.]
Such was the life of that holy man ; and such were
the labours in which it was continually occupied.
We will now endeavour,
II. To suggest such considerations as obviously arise
from them —
But where shall we begin ? or, once begun, where
shall we end ? We must of necessity confine our
selves to a few which are of most general utility.
Let us see then in these labours of his,
1. The incalculable value of the soul-
[If we were to judge by the conduct of all around us,
we should suppose that the' soul were of no value : for the
d vcr. 30. with 2 Cor. xii. 10.
CIS 2 CORINTHIANS, XL 2,3—29. [2041.
generality of men pay no more attention to their souls than
if there were no future state of existence : and of those who
profess to care for their souls, how few labour for their welfare
with becoming zeal ! If they be called upon to bear some
reproach, or to sustain some temporal loss, they are ready to
draw back, as though the interests of their souls were not
worth the sacrifice. They are more terrified at the sneers of
a fellow-creature, than at the threatening^ of their God ; and
more desirous of the applause of man, than of the approbation
of their Judge. But look at the Apostle Paul : Did he think
so lightly of immortal souls ? Would he have laboured and
suffered so much for them, if they were of no more value than
men in general account them? Surely, either he was wrong,
or we ; if the souls of men deserved no more attention than
is usually paid to them, he was a foolish and mad enthusiast :
but if we may at all estimate their value by his labours for
them, then are the world mad, in paying so much attention to
worthless vanities, and in so little regarding what is of more
value than the whole world. O ye careless ones, whatever be
your rank or age, let me expostulate with you on your more
than brutish folly ]
2. The vast importance of the Gospel—
[When we urge on men the necessity of believing in
Christ, and of living altogether by faith on him, they reply
that there is no need of that entire surrender of ourselves to
Christ ; and that to condemn all who will not comply with
such requisitions is uncharitable in the extreme. When we
urge them also to use all possible means for the conversion of
the heathen, they tell us that we may safely leave them to
their respective creeds ; and that God is too merciful ever
to condemn them. But, if this be true, how can we account
for the conduct of the Apostle ? Why did he labour so for
the conversion of Jews or Gentiles, if either Jews or Gentiles
could be saved in any other way than through faith in Christ?
Some labours and some sufferings we may suppose a man to
undergo for the sake of proselyting others to his own opinions ;
but who would endure all that Paul endured, and that too so
continually, and for so long a sei'ies of years, if he had not
known that the everlasting welfare of men depended on their
acceptance or rejection of his message? Know ye then that
the record of God, even that record which says, " God hath
given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son ; he that hath
the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God, hath
not life ;" that record, I say, is true : and just so many of you
as are living simply by faith on Christ, and receiving every
thing out of his fulness, are in a state of salvation : but every
2041.] ST. PAUL'S ZEAL ILLUSTRATED. G19
other person without exception is " under condemnation, and
the wrath of God abideth on him."
And here let me caution those who are convinced of this
truth, to hold it fast and glory in it, though earth and hell
should conspire to turn them from it: for if the Apostles
laboured so much and endured so much to impart the know
ledge of it to others, much more should we be in earnest to
secure an interest in it for ourselves — — ]
3. The spirit with which alone men should enter
on the ministerial office—
[Many, in undertaking this office, have no view but to
their own case, or interest, or honour : and if in these things
pre-eminence is to consist, they would have no objection to
equal " the very chiefest Apostles." But if their preferment
is to resemble that of St. Paul, they care not how many get
before them : they have no taste for such things ; and if they
had ever so small a measure of them, they would account it
much more an occasion of complaint than any ground of
glorying. But it was in labours and sufferings that St. Paul
gloried ; first, because they were the best proofs of his mi
nisterial fidelity6; and, next, because they were the means of
magnifying the grace of Christ, whose strength was perfected
in his weaknessf. Would to God that more of his spirit were
found amongst us ! There would not then be such difficulty
in finding men to go forth to the work of missions. Now, the
leaving of earthly friends, the incurring of some danger from
foreign climes, the having but small provision, and looking for
ward to many difficulties and privations ; these are such
formidable obstacles, that but few are willing to encounter
them. But they who have so little zeal for God, as not to be
willing to encounter trials and afflictions in his service, are not
fit for the ministry in any place : they may satisfy themselves
with a ceremonious round of duties ; but they will not so
satisfy their God, who requires his stewards to be faithful, and
his soldiers to war a good warfare. We must tread in the
steps of Paul, if ever we would " save ourselves and them that
hear us"- — ]
4. The proper influence of redeeming love—
[Look at the text, all ye who profess to believe in Christ.
See what faith will do, wherever it exists in truth. Look and
see what ye have ever done for the Lord that can be compared
with this: say whether the best amongst you have not cause
to blush and mourn for your unprofitableness? If you ask the
Apostle Paul, what it was that animated him to such exertions,
c 2 Cor. vi. 4. f 2 Cor. xii. 9.
620 2 CORINTHIANS, XL 29. [2042.
he will tell you, The love of Christ constraineth me. This it
was that carried him forward in the midst of so many diffi
culties, and enabled him to bear up under such accumulated
afflictions. This made him ready to be bound or to die, at
any time or at any place, content that " Christ should be mag
nified in his body whether by life or death." Beloved brethren,
thus will it work in you : it will fill you with zeal for God,
and with love to man. It will make you earnestly desirous to
spread the knowledge of the Saviour throughout the world ;
and will render sacrifices, whether of ease or property, delight
ful to you. You will account it an unspeakable honour that
you are permitted to do or suffer any thing for the advance
ment of his glory; just as the Apostles, after having been
imprisoned and beaten by the Jewish council, departed, rejoic
ing that they were counted worthy to suffer for their Redeemer's
sake. Rise up then, ye servants of the Lord Jesus, and gird
yourselves to your Master's work. Let each inquire, What
can I do for Christ? How can my time, my property, my
talents, my influence be made serviceable to his cause? It is
said of the angels, that they do their Maker's will, " hearken
ing to the voice of his word ;" do ye thus look for the first
intimations of your Saviour's will. If the most arduous and
self-denying office be proposed, be ready instantly to say,
" Here am I ; send meg." So will you approve yourselves
his disciples indeed, and reap a glorious recompence in the
great day of his appearing.]
MMXLII.
CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY.
2 Cor. xi. 29. Who is tveak, and I am not weak ? Who is
offended, and I burn not ?
TRULY, the testimony of a good conscience is a
source of unbounded joy. There are, and ever were,
those who would traduce the characters of the best
of men. The Apostle Paul himself was reproached
by many, yea, and by many who professed them
selves Christians too, as a "weak" man, and "a
fooK" He was able, however, to give very abundant
proof, that, whilst others gloried on false grounds, he
had just and good ground for glorying; and that,
a ver. 1C, -21.
2042.] CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY. (521
"in no respect was he inferior, either to them, or to
the very chiefest ApostlesV In truth, the very
things which rendered him contemptible in the eyes
of many, were those which redounded most to his
honour. His enemies thought that " hunger and
thirst, and cold and nakedness, and persecutions" for
Christ's sake, were occasions for reproach ; whereas
the Apostle judged that they were grounds rather
for approbation from men, and for thanksgivings to
God. And, whilst he vindicated himself thus from
the charges that were brought against him, he could
appeal to his very enemies, and ask, whether his
labours had been of a mere general and ostentatious
kind ; or whether they had not, even to that very
hour, been so universal and particular, as to entitle
him to gratitude from every member of the Christian
Church : " Who is weak, and I am not weak ? Who
is offended, and I burn not?"
Now, in this appeal we may see,
I. The infirmities incident to the people of God-
There were at that time, and have been in every
age of the Church, some who need all possible atten
tion from their brethren :
1. Those who are weak —
[There are " children" in the family of Christ, no less
than " young men" and "fathers." In truth, there are many
who are "weak" in knowledge, having but very indistinct
views of the Gospel and its attendant privileges — — Some
also are " weak" in faith, even as the Apostles themselves
shewed themselves to be on many occasions'1: " they stagger at
the promises of God;" and, when greatly tried, are unable
firmly to rely upon them— —Some, too, are "weak" in
hope: for though, under the Christian dispensation, we do not
see so much of doubts and fears as under the darker dispensa
tion of the law ; yet we can have no doubt but that in the
apostolic age, as well as now, there were many sincere persons,
who felt secret misgivings respecting their own state before
God, and wanted that " full assurance of hope" which some
were privileged to enjoy. In conflict, doubtless, many are
" weak." It is no easy thing to contend even with flesh and
blood, and still more witli the principalities and powers of
b ver. 5, 21 — 28. Matt. vi. 30. Mark iv. 40. Luke viii. 25.
622 2 CORINTHIANS, XI. 29. [2042.
darkness: not a man on earth would be able to stand, if not
upheld by an almighty arm : in fact, the only way to be
strong in the Christian warfare is, to feel ourselves " weak,"
and to be " strong only in the Lord and in the power of his
might " ]
2. Those who are offended —
[The consequence of weakness is, a liability to be offended
and cast down by untoward circumstances of any kind. It is
no uncommon thing for persons to be offended even at the
very mysteries of our holy religion. When our Lord spake
of our eating his flesh and drinking his blood, some of his
Disciples exclaimed, "This is an hard saying; who can hear
itd?" Upon which, our Lord, knowing in himself that his
Disciples murmured at it, saith to them, " Doth this offend
you ? What, and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up
where he was before6?" So, at this day, many of the sublimer
truths of Christianity are " hard sayings" in the ears of some,
whose " hearts, we yet hope, are, on the whole, right with
God" —Our Lord intimated that it would be so, when
he said, " Blessed is he who shall not be offended in mef."
And, as some are offended at the word of God, so are others
at his providence : especially when they see what persecutions
they have to endure for righteousness' sake, and how the un
godly triumph over the very Church and cause of Godg
Nor are the falls or apostasy of professors an uncommon
occasion of offence. We are apt to forget, that " all are not
Israel who are of Israel." There was a Judas even amongst
the Apostles themselves : and of the immediate followers of
our Lord, so many went back and walked no more with him,
that even the stability of the Apostles themselves was en
dangered11.]
What then is,
II. The duty of their more established brethren
towards them ?
Certainly the Apostle's example is that which we
ought to follow, even as he himself iollowed Christ :
of whom it is said, " A bruised reed shall he not
break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he
send forth judgment unto victory'."
" With the weak, then, we must be weak" —
d John vi. 41 — 43. e John vi. 60—62.
f Matt. xi. 6. K Matt. xiii. 21.
h John vi. 66, 67. ' Matt. xii. 20.
2042.] CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY. 623
[We are on no account to despise our weaker brethren,
but to treat them with all imaginable condescension and kind
ness; as the Apostle himself tells us: " We that are strong
ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please
ourselves. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is
written, " The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on
mek." We should listen to their statements with an attentive
ear : we should enter into their feelings, and sympathize with
them in their troubles : we should deal tenderly with their
mistakes, and should gladly give them the advantage of our
superior knowledge and experience. We should come down,
as it were, upon their ground : and endeavour to make their
way plain before their face. We should " strengthen the weak
hands, and confirm the feeble knees ; and say to them that are
of a fearful heart, Fear not; your God will come and save
you1." This is particularly inculcated in the Epistle to the
Hebrews : " Lift up the hands which hang down, and the
feeble knees ; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that
which is lame be turned out of the way ; but let it rather be
healed™." This doubtless is the duty of ministers primarily;
because they are as fathers, who ought to feel for their
children with parental tenderness ; and even, as mothers, to
"travail in birth with them, till Christ be formed in them"."
But it is also the duty of every true Christian : for it is said,
" Bear ye one another's burthens, and so fulfil the law of
Christ0."]
And " those who are offended, we should burn"
with ardour to restore—
[Behold the state of the Galatian Church : see them
when they were in danger of being turned aside through the
influence of Judaizing teachers : what zeal the Apostle mani
fested to keep them sound in the faith! He hesitated not
to reprove even Peter himself, and that before the whole
Church?. See the Churches, both of Rome and Corinth,
when they were in danger of being drawn to act contrary to
the convictions of their own minds, in reference to the eating
of meats, and the observing of certain days according to the
Jewish law: he enjoined the more enlightened part, who
understood the nature and extent of Christian liberty, to
abstain from the use of that liberty in the presence of their
weaker brethren, lest they should, by the indiscreet use ot
it, cast a snare and a stumbling-block before any": and as
for himself, he determined not to eat meat so long as the
* Rom. xv. 1,3. ' Isai.xxxv. 3,4. m Heb. xii. 12, 13.
n Gal. iv. 19. ° Gal. vi. 2. P Gal. ii. 14.
i Rom. xiv. 1—0, 13—1."). 1 Cor. viii. 4 — 12.
624. 2 CORINTHIANS, XII. 7—9. [2043.
world should stand, rather than make a weak brother to
offend1". Whatever be the stumbling-block in our brother's
way, we should be inflamed with a desire to remove it, as
much as we should to rescue an only child from any peril to
which he was exposed. The value of his soul, and the honour
of God as interested in it, should be present to our minds;
and we should labour with all our might, and with the utmost
tenderness of spirit, for the recovery and salvation of his
soul ]
And now SEE, from hence,
1. How arduous is the office of a minister !
[Had he indeed only to perform a certain routine of
duties, his office would be easy enough : but .when he has to
give an account of every soul committed to his charge, and
should be able to say of every individual among them, " Who
is weak, and I am not weak ? Wrho is offended, and I burn
not?" methinks the most zealous minister in the world must
perform his office " in weakness, and in fear, and in much
trembling5." St. Paul himself was constrained to say, " Who
is sufficient for these things1?" ]
2. How lovely is true religion !
[Religion consists, not in the adoption of any creed, but
in a conformity to the Divine image. Doubtless there is no
salvation but in Christ Jesus ; and, whatever measure of holi
ness we attain, it can form no ground of glorying before
God : but the faith which alone will save us, is " a faith that
worketh by love." We may have the knowledge of angels, the
liberality of saints, and the zeal of martyrs ; and yet, for want
of love, " be only as sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal."
See the Lord Jesus, during his ministry on earth : " He bare
our sins and carried our sorrows," first in a way of sympathy u,
and afterwards as an atoning sacrifice x. In the latter sense,
this was his exclusive office ; but in the former, it is ours also.
Let us then shew forth in our conduct the excellence of his
Gospel ; and exercise towards others the tenderness and com
passion which we have ever met with at his hands ]
r 1 Cor. viii. 13. s 1 Cor. ii. 3. ' 2 Cor. ii. 16.
u Matt. viii. 16, 17. x Isai. liii. 4.
MMXLIII.
THE SUCCESS OF FERVENT PRAYER.
2 Cor. xii. 7 — 9. Lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to
»ie a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me,
2043.] THE SUCCESS OF FERVENT PRAYER.
lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I
besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee : for
my strength is made perfect in tveakness. Most gladly
therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the
poiver of Christ may rest upon me.
THERE is scarcely any thing in the Scriptures
that more deserves our attention than the remarkable
instances of answers to prayer. Throughout the
whole Bible, if we see any one betake himself to
prayer, we may know beforehand the issue of his
conflicts : whatever be his difficulties, if only he go
to God, saying, " I have no might in myself, but
mine eyes are unto thee," we may be well assured of
his success : his petition invariably brings Omni
potence to his support ; and he is made more than
conqueror over all his adversaries. St. Paul relates a
most encouraging instance respecting himself, wherein
he found to his unspeakable comfort the efficacy of
prayer. To illustrate it, we shall consider,
I. The trial with which he was so oppressed—
Highly favoured as the Apostle was, he was never
theless bowed down with a heavy affliction —
[None, however honoured and beloved of God, can hope
to escape trouble. What the particular trial was, with which
the Apostle was assaulted, it is impossible to say. The most
reasonable conjecture seems to be, that it was something occa
sioned by his vision, perhaps some distortion of his features, or
impediment in his speech, that rendered both his person and
his speech contemptible ; and of which the false teachers,
those " messengers and ministers of Satana," took advantage,
to undermine his influence in the Church of God1'. This to
the Apostle, whose heart was wholly bent upon glorifying
God, and saving the souls of men, would be a heavy affliction,
like " a thorn in the flesh," festering and causing the acutest
pain. But, whatever it was, Satan took occasion from it to
distress the mind of the Apostle with a far keener anguish than
his body could have sustained from the severest blows of menc.
Nor need we regret that we are ignorant of the precise
8 2 Cor. xi. 14, lf>.
b Construe «yye\oc Sarar with <Va /IE KoXa^/s}? ? and compare
2 Cor. x. 10. with Gal. iv. Itf, II.
VOL. XVI.
C.26 2 CORINTHIANS, XII. 7—9. [2043.
temptation with which St. Paul was harassed ; since whatever
our trials be, we may consider ourselves as in his situation, and
obtain relief in the same way that he did.]
The reason for which that affliction was sent him,
it is of great importance to observe—
[The Apostle was not yet perfect : and though he had
been caught up into the third heavens, he was yet liable to
sin : the seeds of pride were yet in his heart ; and they would
derive life and vigour even from those very mercies, which, to
human appearance, should have had a tendency to destroy
them. To counteract this evil of his heart, God sent him a
heavy trial d. And, if we were more attentive to the ends of
God's dispensations towards ourselves, we might always find
some good reason for them within our own hearts. Pride is
a hateful and accursed evil ; and, if suffered to reign within
us, will bring us " into the condemnation of the devil :" nor,
however severe the remedy may be, should we be averse to
endure it, if only it may be instrumental to the extirpating of
this deeply-rooted propensity. In this case, though Satan
may be the agent that inflicts the stroke, God is the kind
friend that "gives" it: and though Satan intends us nothing
but evil, God overrules it for our good.]
The conduct of the Apostle under his trial will be
instructive to us, if we consider,
II. The means by which he obtained deliverance
from it —
He carried his trouble to a throne of grace —
[Paul well knew the efficacy of fervent prayer, and how
vain it was to contend with Satan in his own strength. He
therefore besought the Lord to extract this thorn, and to
relieve him from his distress. The Lord not immediately
vouchsafing him an answer, he renewed his petitions with yet
greater fervour : and when still no answer came, he became
more and more urgent, determining, like Jacob of old, that he
would not go without a blessing. This was a certain mean of
obtaining deliverance. It was the mean which our Lord himself
used under the pressure of that wrath that was due to our
sins : He prayed " thrice " that the cup might pass from him.
Nor is such urgent prayer at all expressive of a want of resig
nation to the will of God : it is our privilege and our duty to
" call upon God in the time of trouble ;" and troubles are often
sent for this very purpose, to bring us nearer to God ; and are
continued for a time, to discover to us more abundantly the
condescension of God in the removal of them.]
() This is twice mentioned in ver. 7.
2043.] THE SUCCESS OF FERVENT PRAYER.
The person, whom he immediately addressed, was
the Lord Jesus—
[Paul had heard Stephen in the hour of martyrdom calling
on the Lord Jesus ; and had seen what support was admini
stered to him on that trying occasion6. And whither should he
himself fly but to that same adorable Friend, who is " touched
with the feeling of our infirmities," and, " having been in all
points tempted like us, is able and willing to succour his
tempted peopled" That his petitions were immediately ad
dressed to Christ, is certain ; for we are told in the text, that
it was Christ who answered him, and on whose promised aid
the Apostle was enabled to rely.]
In due time he received an answer to his petitions —
[At last the suppliant was informed, that the grace of
Christ which had already been so abundant in his first conver
sion, should be " sufficient for him " under every subsequent
trial : and that however disheartened the Apostle might be on
account of his great and manifold infirmities, he should expe
rience no real evil from them : on the contrary, they should be
a source of much good, inasmuch as they should be the means
of displaying, and magnifying, the strength of Christ. Thus
all cause of complaint was taken away from him, because
Satan was sure to be defeated by him, and the work of Christ
to be advanced both in his own heart, and by his ministrations
in the world. This answer, though not precisely agreeable to
the letter of the Apostle's petition, fully corresponded with the
spirit of it. Our blessed Lord himself, when " supplicating
with strong crying and tears " for the removal of the cup, did
not obtain the precise object of his request; yet we are told
that he " was heard," because he was strengthened, and
enabled to drink itp. Thus the Apostle's petitions also were
crowned with success. The trial was indeed continued : but
the end for which God sent it, was accomplished. Had God
removed the thorn, it is possible that the Apostle might have
been " exalted above measure," and might thereby have suffered
irreparable loss in his soul: but by sanctifying the trouble,
God confirmed him in his humility, and rendered him a distin
guished instrument of good to his Church.]
That the Apostle considered his petition as com
pletely answered, will appear from,
III. The effect which this answer produced upon
him—
From this moment all his sorrows were turned into
c Acts vii. 58, 59. f Heb. ii. 18. and iv. 15. f Hcb. v. 7.
s s 2
628 2 CORINTHIANS, XII. 7—9. [2043.
[St. Paul did not merely submit to the Divine will, and
bear with patience a trial which he could not remove ; but he
even gloried in his tribulations ; and made those very infir
mities, which just before had been a subject of such pathetic
lamentation, an occasion of joy and triumph. It is thus that
every Christian is called to manifest his acquiescence in the
appointments of heaven : he should count it all joy when he
falls into divers temptations, and, being strengthened unto
all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness, he should give
thanks unto the Father, who, by trials, is fitting him for
glory11.]
The consideration that Christ would be glorified in
him, was sufficient to counterbalance all that he had
suffered, or might yet suffer for his sake—
[The honour of Christ was dear unto the Apostle, and
should be dear unto all who call themselves Christians. The
continuance of the trial in the Apostle's flesh, was an occasion
of Christ's more abundant kindness towards him. His com
passionate Saviour drew nigh unto him, and dwelt as it were
upon him, as God, by the symbol of his presence, had for
merly rested on the tabernacle in the wilderness1. And as
the rebellious Israelites had been constrained to acknowledge
the presence of God with Moses, so were Paul's enemies
constrained to acknowledge that Christ was with him of a
truth. The more weak and contemptible he was in their eyes,
the more they must be compelled to glorify Christ, by whom
he was strengthened in his spirit, and made successful in his
ministrations. And if more glory might be brought to Christ
by means of these infirmities, he was not only willing to en
dure them, but ready to glory in them even unto death k.]
EXHORTATION —
Let us inquire into the cause of our troubles —
[The rod has a voice which we ought to hear1: and, if we
would attend to it, it would discover to us many hidden but
grievous abominations, which lurk unseen in our hearts ; and
we should almost invariably find, not only that the chastise
ment was needed by us, but that it was that very trial which
was most of all calculated to promote our spiritual and eternal
good ]
Let us carry them all to a throne of grace —
[It is to little purpose to complain of them to our fellow-
creatures : but " God never says to any, Seek ye my face in
h Jam. i. 2. Col. i. 11, 12. ' fTrtfr/^vwrrj;.
k Phil. i. 20. i Mic. vi. 9.
2044.] SENSK OF WEAKNESS CONDUCIVE TO STRENGTH. 020
vain." Who could have conceived that Paul should receive
such a speedy and effectual answer to his prayer ? But if we
were alike urgent in our supplications, we should be crowned
with, the like success
Let us exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—
[He says to us, " Believe in God; believe also in MEm."
He is God, equal with the Father; and " in him all fulness
dwells." His promise is addressed to all his suffering and
tempted people ; and the truth of it shall be experienced by
them all. Only let us believe in him ; and no adversary shall
be too strong, no calamity too heavy, no duty too difficult ;
for " all things are possible to him that believeth."]
m John xiv. 1.
MMXLIV.
A SENSE OF WEAKNESS CONDUCIVE TO STRENGTH.
2 Cor. xii. 10. When I am weak, then am / strong.
THERE are many things in Scripture which ap
pear inconsistent and contrary to truth. Christ is
represented as God, and yet a man ; as the Lord of
David, and yet his son ; as a lion, and yet a lamb.
And, as his person is thus variously described, so is
his work : he is said to heal us by his own stripes,
and to give us life by his death. But, however
strange such expressions may seem, they contain
many important truths. In the same manner the
Apostle's words, which we have now read, may be
thought to imply a contradiction: but they accord
with the experience of all God's people, and justly
deserve the most attentive consideration.
In discoursing on this paradoxical assertion, we
shall illustrate, co??Jirm, and improve it.
I. Illustrate it—
A part of David's history will help us to elucidate
the words before us—
[When the champion of the Philistines defied, and ter
rified, the whole army of Israel, David, " a stripling," without
armour, defensive or offensive (except a sling and a s
went forth against him ; and, though unused to war himself,
630 2 CORINTHIANS, XII. 10. [2044.
entered into combat with that experienced and mighty war
rior. But the weaker he was in himself, the more confident
was he in his God ; and instead of being intimidated by the
threatening aspect and boasting menaces of his adversary, he
was as assured of victory, as if he had seen his enemy already
under his feeta.]
But the context will give the best clew to the
Apostle's meaning—
[St. Paul laboured under a heavy trial, which he calls a
thorn in his flesh b. Apprehensive that this would counteract
his usefulness in the world, he cried most earnestly to the Lord
Jesus Christ to remove it from him. But the Lord, not judg
ing it expedient to grant him his request, promised him (what
was incomparably better) more abundant communications of
grace, whereby he should obtain in a more advantageous man
ner the desires of his soul. Observe the effect — Paul remained
as weak as ever ; but, being persuaded that Christ's power
should be the more magnified through his weakness, he was
satisfied ; yea, rather, he made that a matter of joy and
triumph, which had just before been a source of the greatest
trouble. He was well assured that, however unable he was in
himself either to bear his trials, or to fulfil his duties, he could
not but succeed, when his Almighty Friend was pledged to
succour and support him.]
The Apostle's assertion being equally applicable to
all believers, we shall,
II. Confirm it —
A sense of weakness necessarily tends to make us
strong, inasmuch as it makes us,
1. Watchful against temptations —
[If we conceive ourselves to be strong, we shall be fear
less of temptation ; and by exposing ourselves to it, shall be in
greater danger of falling : whereas, if we feel our utter weak
ness, we shall not only pray, " Lead us not into temptation,"
but shall carefully shun the places, the books, the company,
that may ensnare us. Like Joseph, we shall not parley with
the tempter, but flee in haste : or, if we cannot flee, we shall
oppose our enemy at first ; and thus vanquish that, which, if
it had time to gather strength, would soon vanquish us.]
2. Importunate in prayer-
fit is the sick alone who calls for a physician ; they who
are strong in their own conceit, will never pray in earnest;
* 1 Sam. xvii. 45 — 47. b ver. 7, 8.
2044. J SENSE OF WEAKNESS CONDUCIVE TO STRENGTH. G31
but he who feels his need of divine assistance will seek it at a
throne of grace. Now if we do not pray for God's aid, we
cannot receive it ; and therefore in the hour of trial shall
surely fail. But, if we pray with importunity and faith, we
shall obtain the things we ask for; and consequently shall
be upheld, while others fall. It was by this means that Paul
obtained strength; " he prayed to the Lord thrice :" the
answer vouchsafed to his petition dissipated all his fears, and
strengthened him with might in his inner man : and similar
means will always be attended with similar success.]
3. Dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ-
fin proportion as we fancy ourselves strong, we must of
necessity confide in our own strength ; the consequence of
which may be sufficiently seen in the repeated falls of Peter.
Being strong in his own apprehension, he proved himself
lamentably iveak. But, if we are conscious that we are
wholly without strength, and can do nothing of ourselves, we
shall be more simple and uniform in our dependence on Christ.
Now Christ will never suffer those who trust in him to be con
founded. He would consider it as an impeachment of his own
veracity, if he did not give them " grace sufficient for them ;"
consequently we never are so truly strong, as when we are
deeply convinced of our own utter impotence.]
This truth enters deeply into the experience of all
the Lord's people : we shall therefore endeavour to,
III. Improve it—
Among the various lessons which it teaches us, let
us especially learn two :
1. Not to be too much elated on account of any
manifestations of the Divine favour—
[Paul was caught up into the third heavens ; but soon
afterwards we behold him crying, with much anguish of mind,
under a severe affliction. Thus it may soon be with us. In
deed the seasons most distinguished by God's favour to us,
are often most distinguished also by Satan's malice. It was
immediately after they had received peculiar tokens of God's
love, that he assaulted Paul0, and Peterd, and Christ himself6.
Let us then, when most highly favoured, " rejoice with trem-
blingV and not while harnessed, boast as if we had put off
our armour^.]
2. Not to be too much dejected on account of our
manifold infirmities—
c ver. 4. d Matt. xvi. 17,23. c Matt. iii. 17. and iv. 1.
i ps. ii. 11. si Kings xx. 11.
632 2 CORINTHIANS, XII. 14. [2045.
[Jacob was lamed by God himself, that he might know
lie had not prevailed by his own strength'1. And Paul had a
thorn in the flesh given him, "lest he should be exalted above
measure." Now our infirmities are very painful : but they are
necessary, in order to keep alive in our minds a remembrance
of our own weakness and vileness : and, if we do but carry
them to God in fervent prayer, he will glorify himself by
means of them, and " perfect his strength in our weakness."
" Let the weak then say, I am strong1;" let them " be strong
in the Lord, and in the power of his might* ;" and, doubtless,
they shall receive that effectual succour which believers, in
all ages, have experienced1, and shall invariably find their
"strength according to their day" of trial"1.]
h Gen. xxxii. 25. ' Joel iii. 10. k Eph. vi. 10.
1 Heb. xi. 34. m Deut. xxxiii. 25.
MMXLV.
THE DUTY OF MINISTERS.
2 Cor. xii. 14. I seek not yours, but you.
DISINTERESTEDNESS, in whatever it appears,
is universally admired But most of all does
its excellency appear, when it is manifested in the
service of the sanctuary. The ministers, whom the
prophet represents as "greedy dogs that could never
have enough3," and who would " not so much as
shut the doors of the temple, or kindle a fire on the
altar for nought b," must be considered by every one
as the most contemptible of men : whereas the
appeal which the Apostle makes to the Church at
Corinth, cannot fail of exalting his character in the
eyes of all. We may learn from this declaration,
I. The paramount duty of ministers —
Ministers are the pastors of their flock ; and ought
to watch over them as parents over their children.
Now a parent does not exercise kindness to his chil
dren from a selfish consideration of the profit which
he may one day make of them, but from a real de
light in their welfare ; and he regards their happiness
as his reward. Thus a minister must seek,
a Isai. Ivi. 11. »> Mai. i. 10.
2045.] THE DUTY OF MINISTERS. G&3
1. Not his own advantage—
[To obtain honour and emolument is ardently desired by
carnal and worldly men : but a minister of God must be supe
rior to such low pursuits. He must not court the favour of
men. He ought indeed to avoid needless offence both in his
preaching and conduct : he should " choose out acceptable
wordsc," and endeavour to "please all men for their good to
edification d :" but he must not conceal or adulterate any single
expression of the word of Gode, or attempt to set forth the
truths of God in a fascinating manner, for the purpose of
gaining applause, or of shunning persecution f: he must faith
fully " declare the whole counsel of God," and " commend
himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God :" and,
if he do not preach in this manner, " he cannot be a servant of
Jesus Christ8."
Neither must he seek to enrich himself with their property :
"Those who serve at the altar have a right to live of the
altar :" " The ox was not to be muzzled, while he was tread
ing out the corn." " The labourer is worthy of his hire."
But the obtaining of a maintenance should not in the least
degree operate with a minister as an inducement to under
take or execute his high office. If he were actuated by such
a principle as this, he would degrade himself to a mere hire
ling11. Nor can he suffer so mean a principle to influence
him at all in his work, without greatly diminishing the value
of his services, and their acceptableness in the sight of God'.
The injunction given to Christians in general should be re
garded with peculiar scrupulosity by him, " Let no man seek
his own, but every man another's wealth11."]
2. The advantage only of his flock—
[Their sincere conversion to God, their progressive edifi
cation in faith and love, and their final everlasting salvation,
are to be the unvaried aim of all his labours. " He must lift up
his voice like a trumpet, and shew the house of Israel their
sins." He must not be satisfied with effecting a change in
their sentiments and external conduct, but must continue
" travailing in birth with them, till Christ be manifestly
formed in their hearts." When that end is attained, his care
of them, instead of being relaxed, must be increased. They
still need his unremitting exertions, to administer to their
numerous wants, and to give them from time to time that
direction and encouragement which their necessities require1.
c Eccl. xii. 10. A Rom. xv. 2. ° 2 Cor. ii. 17.
f 1 Cor. i. 17. a Gal. i. 10. h 1 Sam. ii. 86.
j 1 Pet. v. 2. k 1 Cor. x. 24. Phil. ii. 4, 21.
1 Ezck. xxxiv. 1.
631- 2 CORINTHIANS, XII. 14, [2045.
As long as they continue in this world, he is God's minister to
them for good, and the medium through whom he will com
municate to them the blessings of grace and peace. He is to
live for them, to the end that he may be " an helper of their
joy," and "perfect that which is lacking in their faith." This
is to be his one employment ; and he is to consider the salva
tion of their souls his richest recompence"1.]
This subject naturally involves in it,
II. The corresponding duty of the people—
The relation of pastor and flock, like every other
relation in life, has its peculiar and appropriate obli
gations. Those which arise out of the text, as per
taining to the people, are,
1. To seek above all things the salvation of their
own souls—
[We are far from saying that people are not to attend to
their temporal concerns : on the contrary, we affirm, that a
neglect of their worldly business is exceeding criminal in the
sight of God ; that their duties in civil and social life are as
much to be attended to as any other duties whatever ; and that
their families and dependents would have just cause of com
plaint, if their temporal interests were disregarded. But
still, the first of all duties is, the care of our own souls.
Nothing can equal the value of the soul : " if we would gain
the whole world, and lose our own soul, what should we be
profited ?" If a minister must not suffer any earthly interests
to stand in competition with the souls of his people, how much
less should the people suffer them to stand in competition with
their own souls ! In this view their duty is very strongly
marked; and the reasonableness of attending to it is incon-
trovertibly established.]
2. To improve the ministry with all diligence —
[It has been shewn that ministers should invariably keep
in view the salvation of their hearers. What then should the
hearers do when about to attend upon the means of grace?
Should they not bear in mind their own responsibility for
their due improvement of the ordinances ? Should they not
pray earnestly to God to prepare their hearts for the reception
of divine truth, and to accompany it with the effectual work
ing of his almighty power ? Should they not entreat him to
give unto their minister " a mouth and wisdom which none
shall oe able to gainsay or resist ;" and to direct him " how to
speak a word in season to their weary souls?" In short,
m 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20.
2046.] THE POWER OF THE RISEN SAVIOUR. 635
should they not be as solicitous to receive, as their minister
can be to communicate, good ; and should not every other
consideration be regarded as a matter of comparative in
difference ? Happy would it be for the Church of God, and
happy for the world at large, if such dispositions obtained
amongst the hearers, wherever the Gospel is proclaimed !]
APPLICATION—
[We ask, What is the improvement which you have made
of our ministry ? We presume not to compare ourselves with
the holy Apostle : we know full well how remote we are from
him in every attainment : yet we hope that, in some small
measure, we may adopt his language in the text, and say,
" We seek not yours, but you." (Would to God that we
could affirm it as fully, and as confidently, as Paul himself!)
Let each of you then put the question to himself, and ask,
Whether the pursuit of your own salvation be the one concern
which swallows up, as it were, all others ? At least, are all
other things comparatively worthless in your eyes ? And are
you, "as new-born babes, desiring the sincere milk of the
word, that you may grow thereby ? " Remember that, if we
must give an account of your souls to God, much more must
you give an account of your own souls ; and the more our exer
tions for you are increased, the more will your condemnation
be aggravated, if they prove ineffectual for your salvation.]
MMXLVI.
THE POWER OF THE RISEN SAVIOUR.
2 Cor. xiii. 4. Though he was crucified through weakness, yet
he liveth by the potver of God. For tve also are weak in him,
but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.
AMONGST the evidences of our holy religion,
there are many which are of a recondite nature ; and
which, as superadded to those which are more ob
vious, are of great importance. The passage before
us affords a strong proof that the Apostle Paul was
no impostor. Suppose that he knew himself to have
been acting the part of a deceiver, he would be
extremely careful not to offend and irritate those
who might detect his treachery. But behold, when
he had occasion to reprove the Corinthians for
their unchristian practices, he declared, that, if they
636 2 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 4. [2040.
persisted in them, he would exert his apostolical
authority, and inflict upon them, in the Saviour's
name, some heavy judgment. Now, if he had not
known that such an authority was delegated to him,
and that the Lord Jesus Christ himself would uphold
him in the exercise of it, he would not have ventured
to utter such a threat as this ; because it would, of
necessity, lead to an exposure of his own weakness,
and to the overthrow of that religion which he was
endeavouring to establish.
The power of Christ, which he here asserts, must
be considered by us in a twofold view :
I. As possessed by himself—
In his crucifixion, he appeared weak—
[He did indeed exhibit somewhat of his almighty power,
in beating to the ground with a mere word all the soldiers who
came to apprehend him. And at the bar of Pilate he declared,
that his judge could have no power at all against him, except
it were given him from above. He could, if he had seen fit,
have had twelve legions of angels sent to rescue him. But he
had previously determined to submit to all the indignities
which they should offer him. In the prophetic writings con
cerning him it had been foretold, that he should give his back
to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the
hair ; yea, that he should go as a lamb to the slaughter, and,
as a sheep before its shearers, not so much as open his mouth
in murmurings or complaints. Accordingly, he submitted to
every thing with such meek resignation, that he appeared to
his enemies to be incapable of delivering himself from their
hands. With this, the people around him taunted him, saying,
" Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three
days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down
from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests, mocking him,
with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others ; himself he
cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come
down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in
God ; let Him deliver him now, if he will have him : for he
said, I am the Son of Goda." Thus, in apparent weakness,
he died.]
But he still liveth by the power of God-
Tin vain were all the precautions taken by his enemies :
the stone, the seal, the guard, were not able to detain him a
a Matt, xxvii. 40 — 43.
2046.] THE POWER OF THE RISEN SAVIOUR. 637
prisoner in the grave. At the time he had foretold, he burst
the bonds of death, by which it was impossible he should be
holden, and rose triumphant ; and in due season ascended to
the right hand of his Father, far above all principalities and
powers, whether in heaven or in hell. There He possesses
all power in heaven and in earth : there are all things com
mitted to his hands : there is He, in a more especial manner,
made Head over all things to his Church, to every individual
of which he imparts whatsoever is needful for him —
And there will he reign, till he has put all enemies under his
feet ]
In connexion with this must we contemplate his
power,
II. As delegated to his ministers —
The Apostles were invested with miraculous powers;
which, when moved to it by him, they exercised, some
times in a way of mercy, and sometimes also in a way
of judgment. St. Paul had, by the authority committed
to him, delivered to Satan, Hymeneus and Philetus,
and the incestuous Corinthian : and, with a similar
judgment, he threatened to visit other refractory
persons at Corinth, if they should persist in their
contemptuous and profane conduct. Those powers
have long since ceased in the Church : but others are
transmitted to God's faithful ministers in all ages.
Ministers are weak, like their divine Master—
[Paul himself was, in all his sufferings, conformed to his
blessed Lord ; and, in enduring them, appeared weak as He.
And ministers at this day are exposed to the same trials, which
they are to bear in the same submissive manner. And so
weak do they appear, that persons of every description, the
poor as well as the rich, the young as well as the old, will
venture to insult and injure them ]
But, through Him, they also are strong—
[Every word which they speak in their Master's name,
supposing it to be really in accordance with the written word,
shall be ratified in heaven : " what they bind on earth, shall be
bound in heaven ; and what they loose on earth, shall be
loosed in heaven." In them the Lord Jesus Christ will evince
his own almighty power. He will manifest it in them per
sonally; enabling them to sustain all their trials with fortitude,
and to perform all their duties with fidelity b— - And he
will manifest it by them ministerially, accompanying their word
with power from on high, and enabling them to raise to
b 2 Cor. iv. 10, 11.
638 2 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 5. [2047.
newness of life those who were " dead in trespasses and sins."
There was not a miracle wrought by our Lord in the days of
his flesh, which, in a spiritual sense, he does not yet work by
all his faithful ministers. Their cause, too, will he maintain
against all their adversaries ; and he will, ere long, make it
visible to all, that those who have persecuted them, have per
secuted Him; and that they who have " touched them, have
touched the apple of his eye."]
Let me, from this subject, EXHOIIT you,
1. To look to the Lord Jesus Christ for all you
want —
[Look not unto man, as though he were able to supply
your wants. " Paul himself may plant, and Apollos water;
but it is God alone that can give the increase." The Lord
Jesus Christ is " exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour." He
is the Head of all vital influence. He has a fulness of all things
committed to him for you : and " out of his fulness you may
receive, at all times, grace," answerable to the grace that there
is in him ]
2. Never to be discouraged on account of your
weakness —
[You are weak ; but " your Redeemer is strong :" yes,
" there is help laid for you upon One that is mighty." Con
ceive of yourselves as reduced even to as helpless a state as
Christ himself was, when dead upon the cross, and buried in
the grave. Shall you despair ? No : your weakness shall only
be an occasion for the more glorious manifestation of God's
power in the season of your greatest need. Only be strong in
the Lord, and in the power of his might; and in due season
the whole power of the Godhead, which was displayed in
Christ in raising him from the dead, shall be displayed in
you0; and you, like him, shall, in God's appointed time, be
exalted to his throne, and be a partaker of his kingdom for
ever and ever.]
c Eph. i. 19.
MMXLVII.
SELF-EXAMINATION RECOMMENDED.
2 Cor. xiii. 5. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith;
prove your own selves. Knoiv ye not your own selves, how
that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates ?
IT is generally, perhaps always, found, that they
who are most forward to censure others, have most
need of personal reformation. So it certainly was
with those who laboured to injure the character, and
2047. J SELF-EXAMINATION RECOMMENDED. 039
undermine the influence, of the Apostle Paul. Whilst
they accused him as a weak, ignorant impostor, pre
tending to a heavenly commission which he had never
received, they were in reality no other than ministers
of Satan, scattering the flocks which they pretended
to feed. Hence they constrained the Apostle to de
clare, that his forbearance towards them had a limit,
and that their defiance of him, if further persisted in,
would terminate ere long in their own confusion. To
prevent so painful an issue, he entreated them to
examine themselves as to their spirit and conduct ;
and to beware lest, after all their boastings, they
should be disapproved of their God at last.
But it is not to persons only who are so circum
stanced that the exhortation ought to be addressed :
it is of universal importance ; and highly proper for
our consideration at all times.
Let us then consider,
I. The duty to which we are here called—
Self-examination is a duty incumbent upon all.
- But, instead of entering generally into the
subject, we will confine our attention to two things :
1. The point more especially suggested for our
inquiry—
[The great question for every man to have settled in his
mind and conscience is, whether he be in the faith, or whether
he be yet in unbelief? To ascertain this point, we should ask
ourselves, whether we have ever come to Christ as sinners,
pleading for mercy solely through the blood of his cross, and
" desiring to be found in him," accepted altogether through
his meritorious death and passion ? Yet, not content with
this, we should prosecute the inquiry further, and ask, whether
we be daily living by faith in the Lord Jesus, and receiving
every thing out of his fulness ? Nor must we rest, even though
we should receive a favourable testimony from our consciences
in this matter: we must examine yet farther the fruits of our
faith, and see whether it produce such a life as proves it to be
" the faith of God's elect?" If our self-examination proceed
not thus far, it will leave us as much under the power of self-
deceit, as if we took no pains at all to investigate our state.
These are the points which are of vital interest to every true
Christian ; and by them must the truth of our profession, and
the safety of our state, be determined.]
2. The manner of conducting that inquiry-
640 2 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 5. [2047.
[The words, " prove your own selves," are not a mere
repetition : they are intended to mark more particularly the
care and accuracy with which the investigation should be made.
The Apostle refers to the trying of metals, in order to find
what measure of alloy or dross may be in them. Not to men
tion the care exercised by the refine!-, we all know what care
is taken in reference to gold, even when there are but a few
pieces of golden coin to be received. We subject it to the
closest inspection ; we mark its colour, its sound, and, if there
be any doubt, its size and weight, that we may not be deceived
by counterfeits under the appearance of standard coin. Shall
we then take so much pains about things of little value, and
neglect the soul which is of more value than ten thousand
worlds? Should not rather our care increase in proportion to
the loss which we may possibly sustain? This then is the
manner in which we should inquire into the concerns of our
souls, and more especially into that on which beyond all
others the welfare of our souls depends.]
To impress the more deeply on our minds this
duty, the Apostle suggests,
II. The importance of discharging it with all dili
gence —
We ought to know our own selves—
[Each other we cannot know ; seeing that both the best
and the worst of every man is hid from Iniman observation, and
can be appreciated only by Him who searcheth the heart.
But with " ourselves" we may be, and ought to be, acquainted.
God has given to iis an understanding, that we may know the
quality of our actions ; a memory, that we may trace them to
their proper source ; and a conscience, that we may pass
sentence on ourselves according to our true character. Igno
rance of ourselves is the worst of all ignorance : we may be
ignorant of every thing else, and yet come to God in Christ
Jesus with acceptance : but if we are ignorant of ourselves, we
must of necessity be unhumbled and impenitent, and conse
quently objects of God's utter abhorrence. The very manner
in which the Apostle asks the question, " Know ye not your
own selves?" shews, that self-ignorance is a just ground for
self-reproach.]
Whatever we may think of ourselves, " if Christ
be not in us, we are reprobates "-
[The term " reprobates" conveys a much harsher idea
than is contained in the original. The Apostle, having bidden
us prove our own selves as metals are tried and proved, tells
vis that, if in the issue we be found without Christ, we shall
be regarded by our God as base metal, or as dross: we shall
2047. J SELF-EXAMINATION RECOMMENDED. 641
be disapproved, and rejected*. And this is the very truth
of God. If " Christ dwell in our hearts by faith," it is well :
but if he be not in us, by his Spirit, by his influence, by his
grace, we are mere counterfeits, and no better; we may pass
current here, if I may so say, but we shall be detected and
discarded in the great day of account And is this a
truth unknown to us? Has not God expressly said, that
" Christ is our life," and that, " If any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of his?" How comes it then that this
sentiment is ever doubted for one moment ? Beloved brethren,
neither the truth itself, nor its bearing on your own state
before God, ought to be unknown to any of you. You ought
to have the experience of it in your souls, and the evidence of
it in your lives: nor should you ever cease to examine and
prove yourselves till you are assured, on truly scriptural
grounds, that " Christ has indeed been formed in youb," and
that you are so "joined to him as to be one spirit with himc."]
Permit me, in CONCLUSION, to urge upon you this duty,
from two important considerations : Consider,
1. The danger of self-deception—
[The great mass of mankind deceive their own souls : the
generality perform not this duty at all : and, of those who do,
few carry it to a due extent. It is not sufficient to inquire
into our external conduct : we must inquire into the life of
faith upon the Son of God, and see how far that is realized in
us. That, if we be tolerably right in external matters, we are
apt to take for granted : but we must make that, above all, the
subject of our diligent inquiry ; because, if Christ be not in us,
there is nothing in us that can ever be approved of by our
God O what a fearful thing will it be to be found
dross at the last ! — Remember, " Not he that com-
mendeth himself is approved, but he whom the Lord com-
mendethd."]
2. The comfort of a self-approving conscience—
St. Paul felt this in a very high degree6; and we also
may enjoy it, if it be not our own fault. Some deride the
idea of marks and evidences, and maintain that the Christian
has no need of paying any attention to them. But, how we
are to " examine and prove ourselves" without them, is beyond
their power to inform us, and of mine to conceive. We must
bring ourselves to the test of God's word : and if, from a
diligent comparison of ourselves with the commands of God
and the examples of his holy Apostles, we find that our ex
perience is such as is required of us in the Gospel, then may
we rejoice both in the retrospect of our past lives, and in the
a Jer. vi. 30. b Gal. iv. 19. c 1 Cor. vi. 17.
d 2 Cor. x. 18. e 2 Cor. i. 12.
VOL. XVI. T T
2 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 14. [2048.
prospect of the future judgment: " if our heart condemn us,
God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things: but
if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards
Godf."]
1 \ John iii. 20, 21.
MMXLVIII.
THE APOSTOLICAL BENEDICTION.
2 Cor. xiii. 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with
you all. Amen.
THE priests, under the law, were appointed to
bless the people3. The ministers of the Gospel also
may consider this as a part of their office. All
St. Paul's epistles begin or end with an authoritative
benediction : that before us is more full and compre
hensive than any other.
We shall endeavour to point out,
I. Its meaning —
Various are the senses in which these words have
been understood. We shall content ourselves with
stating what we apprehend to be the best.
The " grace of Christ" is that grace which he com
municates13 —
[There is a fulness of grace treasured up in Christ0: out
of that all his people are to receive d; and all who depend upon
it, shall find it sufficient for them6.]
The " love of God" is a sense of reconciliation and
acceptance with hirnf—
[For this we are prepared by the grace of Christ ; and by
it we are brought to regard God as our Father and our Friend.]
The " communion of the Holy Ghost" imports the
abiding influence of the Spirit—
[There are sublime communications of the Spirit, which
the people of God receive. These are represented as a Spirit
of adoption g, a witness11, a seal1, an earnest of their eternal
a Numb. vi. 22 — 27.
b If we understand it as relating to his special favour, it will anti
cipate the meaning of the next clause.
c Col. i. 19. d John i. 16. e 2 Cor. xii. 9. 2 Tim. ii. 1.
f It cannot import our love to him, because it is something which
we are to receive from him.
B Rom. viii. 15. h Rom. viii. Hi. ' Kph. i. 13.
2048. J THE APOSTOLICAL BENEDICTION. 643
inheritance1*. By these they are enabled confidently to depend
on God, and to delight themselves habitually in him ; and by
these they maintain continual fellowship with the Father and
the Son1.]
That all of these might be enjoyed by the Chris
tians at Corinth, was the earnest wish and prayer of
the Apostle —
[They were not gifts peculiar to a few of the most exalted
saints : they were the common privilege of " all " who truly
believed ; and are to be experienced now, as well as in former
ages. We should therefore in the word, " Amen," express our
own fervent desire to partake of them.]
Having ascertained the meaning of this benediction,
let us notice,
II. Its importance —
This will be manifest to all, if only we inquire,
1. What should we be without " the grace of
Christ?"
[Beyond a doubt we should be " dead in trespasses and
sins." There is no other source of grace, but the Lord Jesus
Christ111: there is no substitute for grace that can have equal
efficacy": there is no life without grace to any soul of man0.]
2. What should we be without " the love of God ?"
[There is no medium between a state of friendship with
God, or of enmity against him. If we be not objects of his love
and favour, we must be of his just and heavy displeasure.]
3. What should we be without the " communion
of the Holy Ghost?"
[There is no access to God but by the Holy Ghost p. If
we be not brought to God by the Spirit, we must be afar off
from himq; and if we are without God, we are absolutely
without hope1. Such a state is a prelude to that which will
exist for ever3.]
Can any thing more strongly mark the importance
of this benediction than such considerations ? But let
us proceed to notice,
III. Its excellence—
In the text is comprehended all that is great and
glorious—
1. It unfolds to us the deepest mysteries—
k Eph. i. 14. ' 1 John i. 3. m John vi. 68.
n Not reason, or education, or human strength. ° Eph. ii. 5.
P Eph. ii. 18. q Eph. ii. 13, 17. r Eph. ii. 12.
8 Luke xvi. 23, 26.
56B002
2 CORINTHIANS, XIII. 14. [2048.
[All the persons in the ever-blessed Trinity sustain distinct
offices in the work of redemption. The Christian has, as it
were, distinct communion with each of these divine persons.
From each he receives that which his state requires ; and
from their combined influence arises his full salvation. How
unsearchable are the heights and depths of this stupendous
mystery !]
2. It opens to us the most glorious privileges and
blessings —
[What on earth can be compared with these blessings? Con
template " the grace of Christ," by which the dead are quickened,
the vile are sanctified, the weak are made victorious. As for
" the love of God," say, ye glorified saints, what that means ;
or, ye damned spirits, who know it only by your hopeless
bereavement. And who can declare what " the communion of
the Holy Ghost" is, when the taste of it creates a very heaven
upon earth? Would to God, that the words so often, and so
carelessly repeated by us, were more deeply considered, and
more richly experienced !]
LEARN then from hence,
1. The proper object of a Christian's ambition—
[Earthly honours and carnal pleasures are unworthy of
his pursuit ; he should be satisfied with nothing but the full
attainment of these blessings.]
2. The benefit of fervent prayer—
[We may ask the smallest things of man, and be disap
pointed of our hope : we may ask all that the blessed Trinity
can give us, without fear of disappointment*.]
3. The misery of those who are careless about
religion —
[These blessings will not be bestowed unless we seek
them; and, if we possess them not, we are poor indeed: if we
die before we have attained them, it were better for us that
we had never been born.]
* Ps. Ixxxi. 10.
END OF VOL. XVI.
LONDON : — H. CLAY. PRINTER, DRT. AD-STKEET-H1LL.
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