Monday 30 May 2016
Sunday 29 May 2016
Friday 27 May 2016
Thursday 26 May 2016
The Saviour's Tears Over The Lost
By Robert Murray M'Cheyne
JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, today, and for ever. He is the same Saviour now that he was that day when he wept over Jerusalem. If he were on earth now as he was then, I have no doubt but that there are many here tonight over whom he would weep, as he did over impenitent Jerusalem. I would show you from these words that:
The gospel is what belongs to your peace.
There is a day of grace.
Christ is willing and anxious to save sinners.
The gospel is what belongs to a man's peace.
'There is no peace, saith my God, unto the wicked' (Isaiah 57:21).
It belongs to your peace of conscience.
Sin is the cause of all sorrow, and the very reason that you are miserable is, because you are the servant of sin. It is the gospel that first brings peace to an anxious sinner. In it Christ and his righteousness are set forth, and it is a saving sight of him that makes the burden fall off a sinner's back. Those of you who have come to Christ have peace: even in the midst of raging lusts and temptations, you have peace. When once you are under grace, you can say, 'Sin shall no more have dominion over me.' Even when there seems to be no way of escape, either on this side or on that — even when the world is spreading out the net to ensnare the soul, still, if the eye be fixed on a living Jesus, that soul can have peace. None have true peace but those that are beholding the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Sinner, the gospel, for as much as you despise it, is what belongs unto your peace. There is no peace out of Christ - there is no peace and safety here in this world, where Satan's darts are flying so thick, but under the wings of Jesus. No doubt, many have peace who are out of Christ - they are quite happy, although living under the wrath and curse of God; but what is the reason? The secret lies in this, they are blind, insensible, spiritually dead. They do not know their own selves. They think they are safe, while, alas! they are standing on the brink of hell. Oh! sinner, that is the reason you are so happy; but there is a day coming, when the peace of the most careless carnal sinner among you will be eternally broken.
In a time of trouble the gospel peculiarly belongs to your peace.
Man is born to trouble. The past year has proved that in many of your families there have been many sicknesses, many deaths, and many last farewells among you. Who knows what will take place before this night next year? The unconverted have got no peace in the hour of trouble - they have no anchor when the storm rages - no fountain of peace - no covert from the tempest. What an awful and miserable thing it must be, to be without peace when the storm comes. It must surely be an important thing to get into Christ, before trouble, and sickness, and death comes. In truth, the gospel does belong to your peace. All the time I have been among you, I have been offering you peace. If you get Christ, you will get peace; if you never get Christ, you will never get peace. Christ is a covert from every wind. As long as you have no sickness or trouble, you may be stout-hearted, and have a kind of peace; but ah, what will you do in the hour of your calamity? 'Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee?' (Ezekiel 22:14).
The gospel gives peace at death.
What can give you peace, 0 sinner, in the hour of death? Can a neglected Bible give you peace? Will it comfort you to remember that you have lived contrary to God all your life? Will you look back with pleasure on your wicked life then? Will your merry company make you merry then? Where will all your mirth have gone to in that day? Will your money avail you in the day of wrath? What will the end be of those that obey not the gospel? Will it be peace, sinner? Ah no! At present you mock at God's people, and scorn the very thought of conversion, and do you think the end of that will be peace? You may think so. You may think these things will not make death terrible; but, oh! sinner, it is just because Satan is blinding your eyes. Sin is the sting of death; yea, these very sins which you now hug in your bosom. Your sweet cup will be poison at death. You think it sweet now; but in the end it will bit like an adder.
As sure as you are sitting here tonight, as sure as this year is passing over your heads, so sure will thy sins be turned into the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is never quenched. The judgment is at hand. Does not, then, the gospel belong to your peace? Some of you will, I believe, remember in the day of your calamity, and when there is no voice of a freely preached gospel in this house, the time when the living water ran clear at your feet, and then, then you will confess that these things belong to your peace, when they are for ever hid from your eyes. O sinner! Christ belongs to your peace. He alone can give you peace. He took away the sting of death in his own body. He is our peace.
For many a year now, I have been preaching peace to you. I have been a peace-maker. And, O brethren! why is it that you will not receive it? Why is it that ye do always resist the truth? Why will ye yet despise Christ and his gospel? Oh that you would be wise in time, and give heed unto those things which belong unto your peace!
I come now to show you there is a day of grace.
'If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes.'The natural day has got its dawn, its noon, and its midnight; so, I believe, has the day of grace. Jerusalem had its dawn, when the prophets stood and told of a coming Saviour. It had its noon, when Jesus stood and cried, 'If any man thirst let him come unto me, and drink' (John 7:3 7). And it had its midnight, when he wept over it, and said, 'If thou hadst known, even thou', etc. The day of grace is that time during which Christ is offered to sinners. With some people that period is equal to their whole lives. They are born under the preaching of the gospel, and they live and die under it. Some divines are of the opinion that the day of grace sometimes ends before death; but whether this be true or not, one thing is certain, that there is a gradual hardening of the heart against the work of the Spirit. I have often seen this among you; you grow more hardened the longer you sit and hear the offers of salvation; you become more set upon your idols, and more inclined to follow the devices of your own hearts. I would now mention some of the seasons, which may be called days of grace.
The time of youth.
I do not pretend to give a reason why it is so; but God has so ordered it in his infinite wisdom, that the period of youth is the best time for being saved. It has been observed, and it is very remarkable, that in all the great revivals that have taken place in our own and in bygone days, the most of those who have been converted were young people. Jonathan Edwards states this in his narrative of the revival in New England, and Robe states the same in his account of the revival at Kilsyth in 1742. And have we not seen it among ourselves, that while young persons have been melted and converted, those who are older have only grown more hardened in sin? O young people! improve, I entreat you, your young days. Seek the Lord while yet your hearts are young and tender. If you delay, you will grow harder, and then, humanly speaking, it will be more difficult to be saved. No doubt God can save sinners at any age; but he seems peculiarly to choose the time of youth. He loves to hear an infant sing - he loves to hear praise from the mouths of babes and sucklings. Oh then, my brethren, will you not seek him in the days of your youth? Will you not call upon him while he may be found? If you let your young days pass over your heads without being saved, you will remember your misspent privileges when you are in hell, and you will bitterly mourn over them throughout all eternity.
The time of a gospel ministry
This also may be called a peculiar day of grace. God is very sovereign in giving and taking away this. Sometimes he sends a living ministry to a place, and then a dead one. I have observed this frequently. Jerusalem had its day of faithful preaching. For many a long year did the prophets come preaching peace. Often did God send his messengers, rising early and sending them. Often did Jesus stand in the midst of the unbelieving Jews, offering them peace, preaching to them the gospel of the kingdom; then were there days of grace, but ah! they did not know it, now they are hid from their eyes. And you too who are now before me, have had your day of grace. Will you let it pass away unimproved? O sinner! will you enter upon another year with God's wrath hanging over your head? Oh is it not an awful thing to let year after year pass over you, and yet remain unsaved? A few hours more now will close this year, and you do not know if ever you will see the close of another one. The last enemy may have come to many of you, and you called to give in your account before this night twelve months. O sinner, strive to enter in!
The time when the Holy Spirit is poured out on a place is a peculiar day of grace.
At such a time there are many pressing into the kingdom. 'The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force' (Matthew 11: 12). It seems easier, humanly speaking, to be saved at such a time as that. Brethren, you have had such a time, and it was an easy matter for you to be saved, that year when I was away from you; but ah! many of you let it pass by. It may indeed be said of many here, 'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved' (Jeremiah 8:20). O brethren! you have been a highly favoured people; but remember these days of gospel mercies will soon be gone, never more to return, and if they leave you unsaved, oh! what miserable wretches you must be throughout eternity! You may never see such a time again, as you saw here in the autumn of 1839. Oh if you would be but wise, and know the day of your merciful visitation!
I come now to show you that Christ is willing to save even the hardest of sinners.
'And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it', etc. Christ here gives two proofs that he is willing to save sinners: (1) His tears; and (2) His words. These were the tears of one who never wept but in reality; and these were the words of one who never spake but in reality. It is impossible for him to lie. 'O if thou hadst known,' he said. It was a broken wish. It shows a feeling of the greatest love and tenderness. His bowels were yearning with tenderness within him, for the love he bore to their souls. His desire was a true desire. He saw them lying in their sin. They had slain the prophets, and despised their messages. He saw that they would soon crucify himself. He saw their hands red with his own blood; and yet, for all that, he wept over them. He saw the judgments that were coming on them. He saw that they would soon lie down in hell; and therefore he wept and cried, 'O if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.'
I believe there are some here tonight over whom Christ says the same. He sees that you have sinned against light, and against love, and that you have resisted the Holy Spirit these fifty-two Sabbaths which have now gone over your heads. He sees how you have withstood every warning, how you have resisted his ministers, how you have resisted and crucified the Son of God afresh, how you have wounded Christ in the house of his friends; and yet he says, 'O if thou hadst known'. Perhaps, sinner, you will not turn, perhaps you will perish, and before another year has passed, you may lift up your eyes in hell, being in torments. He that cannot lie says, he would you were saved; and if you perish, sinner, your blood be on your own head. It is the very essence of the gospel that Christ is willing to save. He willeth not that any should perish, but that all should come to him and live. Some will say, why did he not save Jerusalem, if he was willing? To this I answer, that you must take the gospel as you find it. It is not your business nor mine to inquire into anything of the sort. It is sufficient for us to know that he is willing to save. He said, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink' (John 7:37); 'He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out' (John 6:37).
Now, brethren, in conclusion, I beseech you, strive to enter in at the strait gate. Many have entered, why not you? It may be you have seen your parents, or your children, or your wife, or your husband entering in, and oh! why should not you? If you would be wise, strive to enter in. Will you let this night go by, and will you enter upon another year with an unsaved soul? You may never sit in these pews again, and yet will you despise the message still. Ye know not what you do. O brethren! it is a wonder I can stand and look upon you sitting there, with dry eyes. Bethink yourselves in time. Are you still content to remain children of wrath, enemies of God, and heirs of hell? 'O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!' (Jeremiah 9: 1). Amen.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, today, and for ever. He is the same Saviour now that he was that day when he wept over Jerusalem. If he were on earth now as he was then, I have no doubt but that there are many here tonight over whom he would weep, as he did over impenitent Jerusalem. I would show you from these words that:
The gospel is what belongs to your peace.
There is a day of grace.
Christ is willing and anxious to save sinners.
The gospel is what belongs to a man's peace.
'There is no peace, saith my God, unto the wicked' (Isaiah 57:21).
It belongs to your peace of conscience.
Sin is the cause of all sorrow, and the very reason that you are miserable is, because you are the servant of sin. It is the gospel that first brings peace to an anxious sinner. In it Christ and his righteousness are set forth, and it is a saving sight of him that makes the burden fall off a sinner's back. Those of you who have come to Christ have peace: even in the midst of raging lusts and temptations, you have peace. When once you are under grace, you can say, 'Sin shall no more have dominion over me.' Even when there seems to be no way of escape, either on this side or on that — even when the world is spreading out the net to ensnare the soul, still, if the eye be fixed on a living Jesus, that soul can have peace. None have true peace but those that are beholding the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Sinner, the gospel, for as much as you despise it, is what belongs unto your peace. There is no peace out of Christ - there is no peace and safety here in this world, where Satan's darts are flying so thick, but under the wings of Jesus. No doubt, many have peace who are out of Christ - they are quite happy, although living under the wrath and curse of God; but what is the reason? The secret lies in this, they are blind, insensible, spiritually dead. They do not know their own selves. They think they are safe, while, alas! they are standing on the brink of hell. Oh! sinner, that is the reason you are so happy; but there is a day coming, when the peace of the most careless carnal sinner among you will be eternally broken.
In a time of trouble the gospel peculiarly belongs to your peace.
Man is born to trouble. The past year has proved that in many of your families there have been many sicknesses, many deaths, and many last farewells among you. Who knows what will take place before this night next year? The unconverted have got no peace in the hour of trouble - they have no anchor when the storm rages - no fountain of peace - no covert from the tempest. What an awful and miserable thing it must be, to be without peace when the storm comes. It must surely be an important thing to get into Christ, before trouble, and sickness, and death comes. In truth, the gospel does belong to your peace. All the time I have been among you, I have been offering you peace. If you get Christ, you will get peace; if you never get Christ, you will never get peace. Christ is a covert from every wind. As long as you have no sickness or trouble, you may be stout-hearted, and have a kind of peace; but ah, what will you do in the hour of your calamity? 'Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee?' (Ezekiel 22:14).
The gospel gives peace at death.
What can give you peace, 0 sinner, in the hour of death? Can a neglected Bible give you peace? Will it comfort you to remember that you have lived contrary to God all your life? Will you look back with pleasure on your wicked life then? Will your merry company make you merry then? Where will all your mirth have gone to in that day? Will your money avail you in the day of wrath? What will the end be of those that obey not the gospel? Will it be peace, sinner? Ah no! At present you mock at God's people, and scorn the very thought of conversion, and do you think the end of that will be peace? You may think so. You may think these things will not make death terrible; but, oh! sinner, it is just because Satan is blinding your eyes. Sin is the sting of death; yea, these very sins which you now hug in your bosom. Your sweet cup will be poison at death. You think it sweet now; but in the end it will bit like an adder.
As sure as you are sitting here tonight, as sure as this year is passing over your heads, so sure will thy sins be turned into the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is never quenched. The judgment is at hand. Does not, then, the gospel belong to your peace? Some of you will, I believe, remember in the day of your calamity, and when there is no voice of a freely preached gospel in this house, the time when the living water ran clear at your feet, and then, then you will confess that these things belong to your peace, when they are for ever hid from your eyes. O sinner! Christ belongs to your peace. He alone can give you peace. He took away the sting of death in his own body. He is our peace.
For many a year now, I have been preaching peace to you. I have been a peace-maker. And, O brethren! why is it that you will not receive it? Why is it that ye do always resist the truth? Why will ye yet despise Christ and his gospel? Oh that you would be wise in time, and give heed unto those things which belong unto your peace!
I come now to show you there is a day of grace.
'If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes.'The natural day has got its dawn, its noon, and its midnight; so, I believe, has the day of grace. Jerusalem had its dawn, when the prophets stood and told of a coming Saviour. It had its noon, when Jesus stood and cried, 'If any man thirst let him come unto me, and drink' (John 7:3 7). And it had its midnight, when he wept over it, and said, 'If thou hadst known, even thou', etc. The day of grace is that time during which Christ is offered to sinners. With some people that period is equal to their whole lives. They are born under the preaching of the gospel, and they live and die under it. Some divines are of the opinion that the day of grace sometimes ends before death; but whether this be true or not, one thing is certain, that there is a gradual hardening of the heart against the work of the Spirit. I have often seen this among you; you grow more hardened the longer you sit and hear the offers of salvation; you become more set upon your idols, and more inclined to follow the devices of your own hearts. I would now mention some of the seasons, which may be called days of grace.
The time of youth.
I do not pretend to give a reason why it is so; but God has so ordered it in his infinite wisdom, that the period of youth is the best time for being saved. It has been observed, and it is very remarkable, that in all the great revivals that have taken place in our own and in bygone days, the most of those who have been converted were young people. Jonathan Edwards states this in his narrative of the revival in New England, and Robe states the same in his account of the revival at Kilsyth in 1742. And have we not seen it among ourselves, that while young persons have been melted and converted, those who are older have only grown more hardened in sin? O young people! improve, I entreat you, your young days. Seek the Lord while yet your hearts are young and tender. If you delay, you will grow harder, and then, humanly speaking, it will be more difficult to be saved. No doubt God can save sinners at any age; but he seems peculiarly to choose the time of youth. He loves to hear an infant sing - he loves to hear praise from the mouths of babes and sucklings. Oh then, my brethren, will you not seek him in the days of your youth? Will you not call upon him while he may be found? If you let your young days pass over your heads without being saved, you will remember your misspent privileges when you are in hell, and you will bitterly mourn over them throughout all eternity.
The time of a gospel ministry
This also may be called a peculiar day of grace. God is very sovereign in giving and taking away this. Sometimes he sends a living ministry to a place, and then a dead one. I have observed this frequently. Jerusalem had its day of faithful preaching. For many a long year did the prophets come preaching peace. Often did God send his messengers, rising early and sending them. Often did Jesus stand in the midst of the unbelieving Jews, offering them peace, preaching to them the gospel of the kingdom; then were there days of grace, but ah! they did not know it, now they are hid from their eyes. And you too who are now before me, have had your day of grace. Will you let it pass away unimproved? O sinner! will you enter upon another year with God's wrath hanging over your head? Oh is it not an awful thing to let year after year pass over you, and yet remain unsaved? A few hours more now will close this year, and you do not know if ever you will see the close of another one. The last enemy may have come to many of you, and you called to give in your account before this night twelve months. O sinner, strive to enter in!
The time when the Holy Spirit is poured out on a place is a peculiar day of grace.
At such a time there are many pressing into the kingdom. 'The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force' (Matthew 11: 12). It seems easier, humanly speaking, to be saved at such a time as that. Brethren, you have had such a time, and it was an easy matter for you to be saved, that year when I was away from you; but ah! many of you let it pass by. It may indeed be said of many here, 'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved' (Jeremiah 8:20). O brethren! you have been a highly favoured people; but remember these days of gospel mercies will soon be gone, never more to return, and if they leave you unsaved, oh! what miserable wretches you must be throughout eternity! You may never see such a time again, as you saw here in the autumn of 1839. Oh if you would be but wise, and know the day of your merciful visitation!
I come now to show you that Christ is willing to save even the hardest of sinners.
'And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it', etc. Christ here gives two proofs that he is willing to save sinners: (1) His tears; and (2) His words. These were the tears of one who never wept but in reality; and these were the words of one who never spake but in reality. It is impossible for him to lie. 'O if thou hadst known,' he said. It was a broken wish. It shows a feeling of the greatest love and tenderness. His bowels were yearning with tenderness within him, for the love he bore to their souls. His desire was a true desire. He saw them lying in their sin. They had slain the prophets, and despised their messages. He saw that they would soon crucify himself. He saw their hands red with his own blood; and yet, for all that, he wept over them. He saw the judgments that were coming on them. He saw that they would soon lie down in hell; and therefore he wept and cried, 'O if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.'
I believe there are some here tonight over whom Christ says the same. He sees that you have sinned against light, and against love, and that you have resisted the Holy Spirit these fifty-two Sabbaths which have now gone over your heads. He sees how you have withstood every warning, how you have resisted his ministers, how you have resisted and crucified the Son of God afresh, how you have wounded Christ in the house of his friends; and yet he says, 'O if thou hadst known'. Perhaps, sinner, you will not turn, perhaps you will perish, and before another year has passed, you may lift up your eyes in hell, being in torments. He that cannot lie says, he would you were saved; and if you perish, sinner, your blood be on your own head. It is the very essence of the gospel that Christ is willing to save. He willeth not that any should perish, but that all should come to him and live. Some will say, why did he not save Jerusalem, if he was willing? To this I answer, that you must take the gospel as you find it. It is not your business nor mine to inquire into anything of the sort. It is sufficient for us to know that he is willing to save. He said, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink' (John 7:37); 'He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out' (John 6:37).
Now, brethren, in conclusion, I beseech you, strive to enter in at the strait gate. Many have entered, why not you? It may be you have seen your parents, or your children, or your wife, or your husband entering in, and oh! why should not you? If you would be wise, strive to enter in. Will you let this night go by, and will you enter upon another year with an unsaved soul? You may never sit in these pews again, and yet will you despise the message still. Ye know not what you do. O brethren! it is a wonder I can stand and look upon you sitting there, with dry eyes. Bethink yourselves in time. Are you still content to remain children of wrath, enemies of God, and heirs of hell? 'O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!' (Jeremiah 9: 1). Amen.
The Mighty Conqueror
By Robert Murray M'Cheyne
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; - Revelation 19:17
I BELIEVE, DEAR FRIENDS, that this passage describes the great last controversy Christ will have with this world. He has had many a controversy with it, but the last will be the greatest of all; so that it is called 'the supper of the great God' (Revelation 19:17). Now, it is interesting to notice that this last conflict will be about his kingly office; not merely his controversy about his body the Church, but whether his is to be King of kings, and Lord of lords. And the final issue is already written down: 'And I saw and angel standing in the sun: and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God: that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men' (verses 17,18). It is interesting to notice that this great controversy, which appears to be decided at the second coming of Christ, is acted over before, in miniature, just that all believers may have an opportunity of showing what side they would be on.
Let me mention some of the many crowns that are here said to be on the head of Christ. There can be no doubt that the person on the white horse is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is called 'the Word of God', a name given to none other but he. You remember, John, in his Gospel, says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God' (John 1:1).
There are three of the crowns I would mention tonight. I do not mention the crowns of creation, or the crown of providence; but I would rather speak of his mediatorial crown - the crown he has as mediator. There are three crowns he has as mediator. The first is his crown of King over all; the second is his crown over his Church; and the third is his crown over the invisible Church - King of saints.
Christ has got the crown over all things to the Church.
You will see this in Matthew 28:18 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.' See also Ephesians 1:22: 'He hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.' Now brethren, you will observe that these passages leave nothing that is not put under Him. All power in heaven and on earth is His. And he is made head over all things to the Church; that is for the benefit of the Church.
He is the head over angels; 'Let all angels worship Him' (Hebrews 1:6). We read in Revelation that the angels join in the song: 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.' (5:11-12). We read in Matthew 25:31, that when Christ comes in His glory, all the holy angels will come with Him. All the holy angels, then, are under his power. He is the head of the angels. He is the confirmer of the angels.
And again, he is the king of devils; It is written in Genesis: 'It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel'(3:15). And your read often in the gospel, of Christ casting out devils. And remember the maniac on the other side of the sea of Galilee. When Christ commanded the devils to come out of him, they besought him to be allowed to enter into the swine, and he allowed them (Mark 5:1-20). How plainly does this show that Christ is King over devils. And we are told in the 68th Psalm that when he ascended up on high, 'he led captivity captive' (verse 18). The word 'captivity' refers to Satan, the great captivator. And we are told the same thing in Colossians, 2:15; 'And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.' in his cross. How plainly does Christ show by this that he is king of devils.
And not only is he Lord of angels and devils, but also of men. See Revelation 1:5: 'Jesus Christ...the faithful witness, the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince of kings of the earth.' Ah! It is true that as a King he is mocked by many kings; but still it is true that he is 'prince of kings of the earth'; Assyria is the rod of his anger (Isaiah 10:5) - the saw in the hands of the sawer.
And not only kings, but over nations. In the Psalm we sung, it is said,
The floods, O Lord, have lifted up,
They lifted up their voice;
The floods have lifted up their waves,
And made a mighty noise.
But yet the Lord, that is on high,
Is more of might by far,
Than noise of many waters is,
Or great sea-bellows are (93:4-5)
These are just fulfilling his purpose. And the nations who are agitated like the waves of the sea, they too are but fulfilling his purpose. Just as that vast and rolling ocean with its myriads of myriads of angry waves as they rise, only fulfill his purpose. So it is with the nations of the earth, they are tossed with one political opinion after another, with one commotion after another, yet they are just fulfilling his purpose, and he will bring order out of confusion. Ah! Friends, he is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the Governor among the nations.
Still further, Christ is Lord over nature, animate and inanimate. He is Lord over inanimate nature. Who is this that comes walking on the sea at the fourth watch? It is the Lord of all. Who is this that stands up in the little barque, and says to the raging bellows, 'Peace be still?' What manner of man is this that even the winds and sea obey him? (Mark 5:35-51). Ah, it is Jesus the Lord of all. He is Lord of inanimate nature.
And in like manner he is Lord of animate nature. Who is this that commands the fig-tree to wither? (Matthew 21:19). It is the Lord of all. Who is this that commands the fish to bring the silver piece to Peter? (Matthew 17:27). Even he who is said, in the eight Psalm, to have dominion over all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of he air, and the fish in the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea (verses 7,8).
Dear friends, these is a twofold lesson to be learned from this - a lesson of comfort to the saints, and of dismay to the wicked.
To the saint. He will make all things work together for your good. He that is thy friend, thy Redeemer; it is he that has many crowns on his head. You may be poor, but he is rich, and his riches he will bestow on you. He has got all things under his feet. He is the head over all things for you; head over angels, head over devils, head over men, head over nature animate and inanimate. 'All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollo, 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. (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). Oh what a lesson of consolation is this! Three is not a wave of the sea but is thy servant, employed to waft thee glory.
And now turn we to learn a lesson of dismay to the Christless. You think this way is foolishness, and more than madness; but ah! Sinner, do you know whom you despise? He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He has got all kings, and angels, and devils, and men under him. Ah! remember that if Christ is against thee, there is none that can be for thee. Oh learn the utter foolishness of opposing Christ! Think, if you are persecuting his members, you are opposing him. 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me!' (Acts 9:4). Think, if you are opposing him, you are opposing one who has all power, and therefore able to destroy.
I now come the second crown that Christ wears - His crown over the visible church.
This is the kingdom that he spoke of to Pilate: 'My kingdom is not of this world' (John 18:26). It is beautifully described in the confession of Faith (25:2):
The catholic, or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ, the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
This is the invisible church, of which I am now speaking. But then follows;
The visible church, which is also catholic, or universal, under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before, under the law) consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; together with their children, and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.
Observe that the visible church is composed of all those who profess the Christian religion, with their children. So that there are many among then who are not Christ's. Yet man is not allowed to reject them, for he cannot see the heart. So that now, you will observe that this is his kingdom over which he rules.
The clearest evidence of this is the first three chapters of Revelation. For example, the first chapter, thirteenth verse: 'And in the midst of the seven candlesticks was one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to his feet, and girt about with a golden girdle.' Now, observe, the garment appears to be the robe worn by the priest; but then, the golden girdle - what do we make of it? It cannot refer to the priesthood, for the priest did not have such a thing; so that we are constrained to believe that it refers to his kingly office. I have no doubt but that this chapter is intended to represent Christ as prophet, priest, and king of his church.
And to confirm this, just observe, that there are characteristics mentioned that do not appertain to the priesthood; for example, in the 2nd chapter, 16th verse, it is said, 'Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.' Observe, this is his kingly power.
Another example is the 23rd , 'And I will kill her children with dead, and all the churches will know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give to every one of you according to your works.' Observe, it was not the duty of priests to destroy men's lives, but to save them. So that here we have the kingly office of Christ.
But some will say that his is the invisible church that is mentioned. But observe it is to the churches that the epistles are addressed. There were many only professors. What make you of Sardis, which had a name to live, and was dead? So that the golden candlesticks represent the churches as they were, not as they ought to be. So that this shows Christ not only to be king of saints, but king over the church. Christ is the appointed King of Zion: 'I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion' (Psalm 2:6).
Now, brethren, to explain this more fully, let me show you two things that he doth to this kingdom.
He (1) appoints officers, and (2) gives laws. This is what our Queen does. She appoints officers, and she gives laws. So is it with Christ, he appoints his ministers.
He has appointed three sorts of ministers in his church. He has appointed pastors, then elders, to assist the pastor, and then deacons to serve tables - to look after the poor. These are officers he has appointed over the visible church. He has given 'Some, apostles; some, elders; some, pastors and teachers' (Ephesians 4:11).
The he hath not only given officers, but laws. Let me mention some of the laws of the kingdom: 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15). This one of Christ's laws, and, you will observe, if any say we are not to teach and preach, they are rebelling against the Lamb. The is a law that has often been interfered with. You know ministers were forbidden to preach in a certain district some time ago. And there was a time in Scotland, when people were forbidden to attend conventicles, when Hugh McKail, and Cameron, and Renwick, were martyred for preaching the Gospel. And this is the spirit that is amongst us at present; men wish to take the power out of Christ's hand.
There is another law, namely, the appointment of sacraments. Christ said, 'Go and baptise all nations' (Matthew 28:19); 'This do in remembrance of me' (Luke 22:19). These commands were first given to the disciples, and are now given to ministers.
There is another law. It is the law commonly called that of the keys. Christ said to Peter, and afterwards to all the disciples: 'I give unto the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose in earth shall be loose in heaven' (Matthew 16:10). I believe that whatever we do in discipline according to the laws of Christ, it is ratified and sealed in heaven.
And then there are some laws for his people. One is to hear the Word. 'Take heed how you hear' (Mark 4:24). Christ commands you to hear his preached word. There may come times, such as there were under the second Charles, when men will be forbidden to hear preaching.
Another law is the choosing of their own office-bearers; 'Look ye out among you seven honest men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom' (Acts 6:3). This is a fundamental law of Christ's kingdom.
Another law is, you are to submit yourselves to those who bear rule over you. There is a passage at the end of the Hebrews that speaks of this: 'Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they must give account' (Hebrews 13:17).
I will not prosecute this farther; but, remember that Christ is not only King of kings, but King of his Church. This is what has been attacked in our day, and it is this which we are called to defend. You remember what Livingstone says: 'What would you think of the man who, when the city was besieged, should buckle on his armour, and run to the east port, where there was no danger, while the enemy was at the west?' Now, it is Christ's kingly office that they are attacking, and it is this we ought to defend. The say Christ is not King in his Church. They say Christ has not given power to his ministers - power to ordain or refuse. Ah! my friends, this is the point of the kingly office which is attacked, and it is this which you are called on to defend.
I come to the third and last point: Christ is king of his own redeemed body.
It is from this that he gets the title, 'King of saints'. 'Who shall not fear thee, thou King of saints?' (Revelation 15:3-4). There are three things which Christ dies as a king to every saved soul.
The first is at conversion, see Acts 5:31: 'Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.' You will notice that the office of Christ as King is to give repentance and forgiveness of sins. It is his work to say, 'Live!' Ah! friends, has he done this to you? Observe, it is not the work of man: 'He will not give his glory to another, neither his praise to graven images' (Isaiah 42:8). It is from his throne at the right hand of God that he sends the Spirit, and makes three thousand cry out, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?' (Acts 2:37). It is a most affecting truth I have shown you, that you may be a member of his kingdom, and not a member of his grace.
Another kingly act of Christ over his Church is to forgive sins. 'The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins' (Mark 2:10). Ah! dear friends, it is a kingly act to give pardon.
The third work that Christ does as a King over his body is to sanctify them. It is written in Micah, 'Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions for the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy' (7:8). Those whom the king pardons he subdues. Ah! dear friends, enquire if Christ is your King, by his subduing you. How happy are those of you who can say, Christ is my King! Dear friends, enquire if you are under this third crown. The third is the sweetest of all. He wears all his crowns for this one.
It is interesting to notice that in the first ages of the Church, Christians were martyred for the priestly office of Christ; at the reformation they were martyred for his prophetical office; and it is reserved, it may be, for us to be martyred for his kingly office: it was this, you remember, the Covenanters were martyred for. How necessary then, to be found on the right side.
Thursday Evening; 26th January, 1843
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; - Revelation 19:17
I BELIEVE, DEAR FRIENDS, that this passage describes the great last controversy Christ will have with this world. He has had many a controversy with it, but the last will be the greatest of all; so that it is called 'the supper of the great God' (Revelation 19:17). Now, it is interesting to notice that this last conflict will be about his kingly office; not merely his controversy about his body the Church, but whether his is to be King of kings, and Lord of lords. And the final issue is already written down: 'And I saw and angel standing in the sun: and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God: that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men' (verses 17,18). It is interesting to notice that this great controversy, which appears to be decided at the second coming of Christ, is acted over before, in miniature, just that all believers may have an opportunity of showing what side they would be on.
Let me mention some of the many crowns that are here said to be on the head of Christ. There can be no doubt that the person on the white horse is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is called 'the Word of God', a name given to none other but he. You remember, John, in his Gospel, says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God' (John 1:1).
There are three of the crowns I would mention tonight. I do not mention the crowns of creation, or the crown of providence; but I would rather speak of his mediatorial crown - the crown he has as mediator. There are three crowns he has as mediator. The first is his crown of King over all; the second is his crown over his Church; and the third is his crown over the invisible Church - King of saints.
Christ has got the crown over all things to the Church.
You will see this in Matthew 28:18 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.' See also Ephesians 1:22: 'He hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.' Now brethren, you will observe that these passages leave nothing that is not put under Him. All power in heaven and on earth is His. And he is made head over all things to the Church; that is for the benefit of the Church.
He is the head over angels; 'Let all angels worship Him' (Hebrews 1:6). We read in Revelation that the angels join in the song: 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.' (5:11-12). We read in Matthew 25:31, that when Christ comes in His glory, all the holy angels will come with Him. All the holy angels, then, are under his power. He is the head of the angels. He is the confirmer of the angels.
And again, he is the king of devils; It is written in Genesis: 'It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel'(3:15). And your read often in the gospel, of Christ casting out devils. And remember the maniac on the other side of the sea of Galilee. When Christ commanded the devils to come out of him, they besought him to be allowed to enter into the swine, and he allowed them (Mark 5:1-20). How plainly does this show that Christ is King over devils. And we are told in the 68th Psalm that when he ascended up on high, 'he led captivity captive' (verse 18). The word 'captivity' refers to Satan, the great captivator. And we are told the same thing in Colossians, 2:15; 'And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.' in his cross. How plainly does Christ show by this that he is king of devils.
And not only is he Lord of angels and devils, but also of men. See Revelation 1:5: 'Jesus Christ...the faithful witness, the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince of kings of the earth.' Ah! It is true that as a King he is mocked by many kings; but still it is true that he is 'prince of kings of the earth'; Assyria is the rod of his anger (Isaiah 10:5) - the saw in the hands of the sawer.
And not only kings, but over nations. In the Psalm we sung, it is said,
The floods, O Lord, have lifted up,
They lifted up their voice;
The floods have lifted up their waves,
And made a mighty noise.
But yet the Lord, that is on high,
Is more of might by far,
Than noise of many waters is,
Or great sea-bellows are (93:4-5)
These are just fulfilling his purpose. And the nations who are agitated like the waves of the sea, they too are but fulfilling his purpose. Just as that vast and rolling ocean with its myriads of myriads of angry waves as they rise, only fulfill his purpose. So it is with the nations of the earth, they are tossed with one political opinion after another, with one commotion after another, yet they are just fulfilling his purpose, and he will bring order out of confusion. Ah! Friends, he is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the Governor among the nations.
Still further, Christ is Lord over nature, animate and inanimate. He is Lord over inanimate nature. Who is this that comes walking on the sea at the fourth watch? It is the Lord of all. Who is this that stands up in the little barque, and says to the raging bellows, 'Peace be still?' What manner of man is this that even the winds and sea obey him? (Mark 5:35-51). Ah, it is Jesus the Lord of all. He is Lord of inanimate nature.
And in like manner he is Lord of animate nature. Who is this that commands the fig-tree to wither? (Matthew 21:19). It is the Lord of all. Who is this that commands the fish to bring the silver piece to Peter? (Matthew 17:27). Even he who is said, in the eight Psalm, to have dominion over all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of he air, and the fish in the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea (verses 7,8).
Dear friends, these is a twofold lesson to be learned from this - a lesson of comfort to the saints, and of dismay to the wicked.
To the saint. He will make all things work together for your good. He that is thy friend, thy Redeemer; it is he that has many crowns on his head. You may be poor, but he is rich, and his riches he will bestow on you. He has got all things under his feet. He is the head over all things for you; head over angels, head over devils, head over men, head over nature animate and inanimate. 'All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollo, 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. (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). Oh what a lesson of consolation is this! Three is not a wave of the sea but is thy servant, employed to waft thee glory.
And now turn we to learn a lesson of dismay to the Christless. You think this way is foolishness, and more than madness; but ah! Sinner, do you know whom you despise? He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He has got all kings, and angels, and devils, and men under him. Ah! remember that if Christ is against thee, there is none that can be for thee. Oh learn the utter foolishness of opposing Christ! Think, if you are persecuting his members, you are opposing him. 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me!' (Acts 9:4). Think, if you are opposing him, you are opposing one who has all power, and therefore able to destroy.
I now come the second crown that Christ wears - His crown over the visible church.
This is the kingdom that he spoke of to Pilate: 'My kingdom is not of this world' (John 18:26). It is beautifully described in the confession of Faith (25:2):
The catholic, or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ, the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
This is the invisible church, of which I am now speaking. But then follows;
The visible church, which is also catholic, or universal, under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before, under the law) consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; together with their children, and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.
Observe that the visible church is composed of all those who profess the Christian religion, with their children. So that there are many among then who are not Christ's. Yet man is not allowed to reject them, for he cannot see the heart. So that now, you will observe that this is his kingdom over which he rules.
The clearest evidence of this is the first three chapters of Revelation. For example, the first chapter, thirteenth verse: 'And in the midst of the seven candlesticks was one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to his feet, and girt about with a golden girdle.' Now, observe, the garment appears to be the robe worn by the priest; but then, the golden girdle - what do we make of it? It cannot refer to the priesthood, for the priest did not have such a thing; so that we are constrained to believe that it refers to his kingly office. I have no doubt but that this chapter is intended to represent Christ as prophet, priest, and king of his church.
And to confirm this, just observe, that there are characteristics mentioned that do not appertain to the priesthood; for example, in the 2nd chapter, 16th verse, it is said, 'Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.' Observe, this is his kingly power.
Another example is the 23rd , 'And I will kill her children with dead, and all the churches will know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give to every one of you according to your works.' Observe, it was not the duty of priests to destroy men's lives, but to save them. So that here we have the kingly office of Christ.
But some will say that his is the invisible church that is mentioned. But observe it is to the churches that the epistles are addressed. There were many only professors. What make you of Sardis, which had a name to live, and was dead? So that the golden candlesticks represent the churches as they were, not as they ought to be. So that this shows Christ not only to be king of saints, but king over the church. Christ is the appointed King of Zion: 'I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion' (Psalm 2:6).
Now, brethren, to explain this more fully, let me show you two things that he doth to this kingdom.
He (1) appoints officers, and (2) gives laws. This is what our Queen does. She appoints officers, and she gives laws. So is it with Christ, he appoints his ministers.
He has appointed three sorts of ministers in his church. He has appointed pastors, then elders, to assist the pastor, and then deacons to serve tables - to look after the poor. These are officers he has appointed over the visible church. He has given 'Some, apostles; some, elders; some, pastors and teachers' (Ephesians 4:11).
The he hath not only given officers, but laws. Let me mention some of the laws of the kingdom: 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15). This one of Christ's laws, and, you will observe, if any say we are not to teach and preach, they are rebelling against the Lamb. The is a law that has often been interfered with. You know ministers were forbidden to preach in a certain district some time ago. And there was a time in Scotland, when people were forbidden to attend conventicles, when Hugh McKail, and Cameron, and Renwick, were martyred for preaching the Gospel. And this is the spirit that is amongst us at present; men wish to take the power out of Christ's hand.
There is another law, namely, the appointment of sacraments. Christ said, 'Go and baptise all nations' (Matthew 28:19); 'This do in remembrance of me' (Luke 22:19). These commands were first given to the disciples, and are now given to ministers.
There is another law. It is the law commonly called that of the keys. Christ said to Peter, and afterwards to all the disciples: 'I give unto the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose in earth shall be loose in heaven' (Matthew 16:10). I believe that whatever we do in discipline according to the laws of Christ, it is ratified and sealed in heaven.
And then there are some laws for his people. One is to hear the Word. 'Take heed how you hear' (Mark 4:24). Christ commands you to hear his preached word. There may come times, such as there were under the second Charles, when men will be forbidden to hear preaching.
Another law is the choosing of their own office-bearers; 'Look ye out among you seven honest men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom' (Acts 6:3). This is a fundamental law of Christ's kingdom.
Another law is, you are to submit yourselves to those who bear rule over you. There is a passage at the end of the Hebrews that speaks of this: 'Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they must give account' (Hebrews 13:17).
I will not prosecute this farther; but, remember that Christ is not only King of kings, but King of his Church. This is what has been attacked in our day, and it is this which we are called to defend. You remember what Livingstone says: 'What would you think of the man who, when the city was besieged, should buckle on his armour, and run to the east port, where there was no danger, while the enemy was at the west?' Now, it is Christ's kingly office that they are attacking, and it is this we ought to defend. The say Christ is not King in his Church. They say Christ has not given power to his ministers - power to ordain or refuse. Ah! my friends, this is the point of the kingly office which is attacked, and it is this which you are called on to defend.
I come to the third and last point: Christ is king of his own redeemed body.
It is from this that he gets the title, 'King of saints'. 'Who shall not fear thee, thou King of saints?' (Revelation 15:3-4). There are three things which Christ dies as a king to every saved soul.
The first is at conversion, see Acts 5:31: 'Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.' You will notice that the office of Christ as King is to give repentance and forgiveness of sins. It is his work to say, 'Live!' Ah! friends, has he done this to you? Observe, it is not the work of man: 'He will not give his glory to another, neither his praise to graven images' (Isaiah 42:8). It is from his throne at the right hand of God that he sends the Spirit, and makes three thousand cry out, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?' (Acts 2:37). It is a most affecting truth I have shown you, that you may be a member of his kingdom, and not a member of his grace.
Another kingly act of Christ over his Church is to forgive sins. 'The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins' (Mark 2:10). Ah! dear friends, it is a kingly act to give pardon.
The third work that Christ does as a King over his body is to sanctify them. It is written in Micah, 'Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions for the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy' (7:8). Those whom the king pardons he subdues. Ah! dear friends, enquire if Christ is your King, by his subduing you. How happy are those of you who can say, Christ is my King! Dear friends, enquire if you are under this third crown. The third is the sweetest of all. He wears all his crowns for this one.
It is interesting to notice that in the first ages of the Church, Christians were martyred for the priestly office of Christ; at the reformation they were martyred for his prophetical office; and it is reserved, it may be, for us to be martyred for his kingly office: it was this, you remember, the Covenanters were martyred for. How necessary then, to be found on the right side.
Thursday Evening; 26th January, 1843
The Cry for Revival
By Robert Murray M'Cheyne
IT IS INTERESTING to notice the time when this prayer was offered. It was a time of mercy. "Lord thou hast been favorable unto thy land". It was a time when God had led many to the knowledge of Christ, and covered many sins. "thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people." It was now they began to feel their need of another visit of mercy -- "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
The Thing Prayer For
"Revive us again," or literally, return and make us live anew. It is the prayer of those who have received some life, but feel their need of more. They had been made alive by the Holy Spirit. They felt the sweetness and excellence of this new, hidden, divine life. They pant for more -- "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
The Argument Presented
"That thy people may rejoice in thee." They plead with God to do this for the sake of His people, that their joy may be full; and that it may be in the Lord -- in the Lord of their Righteousness -- in the Lord their Strength.
When is the Prayer needed:
In A Time of Backsliding
There are many times when, like Ephesus, many of God's children lose their first love. Iniquity abounds, and the love of many waxes cold. Believers lose their close and near communion with God. They go out of the holiest, and pray at a distance with a curtain between. They lose their fervency, sweetness, and fulness in secret prayer. They do not pour out their hearts to God.
They have lost their clear discovery of Christ. They see Him but dimly. They have lost the sight of His beauty -- the savor of His good ointment -- the hold of His garment. They seek him, but find Him not. They cannot stir up the heart to lay hold on Christ.
The Spirit dwells scantily in their soul. The living water seems almost dried up within them. The soul is dry and barren. Corruptions are strong: grace is very weak.
Love to the brethren fades. United prayer is forsaken. The little assembly no more appears beautiful. Compassion for the unconverted is low and cold. Sin is unrebuked, though committed under their eye. Christ is not confessed before men. Perhaps the soul falls into sin, and is afraid to return; it stays far off from God, and lodges in the wilderness.
Ah! This is the case, I fear with many. It is a fearfully dangerous time. Nothing but a visit of the Holy Spirit to your soul can persuade you to return. It is not a time this prayer -- "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
The soul of a believer needs grace every moment. "By the grace of God I am what I am." But there are times when he needs more grace that at other times. Just as the body continually needs food; but there are times when it needs food more than at others -- times of great bodily exertion, when all powers are to be put forth.
Sometimes the soul of a believer is exposed to hot persecution. Reproach breaks the heart; or it beats like a scorching sun upon the head. "For my love they are my adversaries." Sometimes they are God's children who reproach us, and this is still harder to bear. The soul is ready to rest or sink under it.
Sometimes it is flattery that tempts the soul. The world speaks well of us, and we are tempted to pride and vanity. This is still worse to bear.
Sometimes Satan strives within us, by stirring up fearful corruptions, till there is a tempest within. Oh, is there a tempted soul that reads these words? Jesus prays for thee. You need more peace. Nothing but the oil of the Spirit will feed the fire of grace when Satan is casting water on it. Send up this cry, "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
In A Time Of Concern
"Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time if the latter rain." When God begins a time of concern in a place -- when the dew is beginning to fall -- then is the time to pray, Lord, stay not thine hand -- give us a full shower -- leave not one dry. "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
Who needs this revival?
Ministers Need It
Ministers are naturally hard-hearted and unbelieving as other men (Mark 6:14), so that Christ has often to unbraid them. Their faith is all from above. They must receive from God all that they give. In order to speak the truth with power, they need a personal grasp of it. It is impossible to speak with power from mere head knowledge, or even from past experience. If we would speak with energy, it must be from present feeling of the truth as it is in Jesus. We cannot speak of the hidden manna unless we have the taste of it on our mouth. We cannot speak of the living water unless it be springing up within us. Like John the Baptist, we must see Jesus coming, and say; "Behold the Lamb of God." We must speak with Christ in our eye, as Stephen did. "I see Jesus standing on the right hand of God." We must speak from a present sense of pardon and access to God, or our words will be cold and lifeless. But how can we do this if we are not quickened from above. Ministers are far more exposed to be cast down than other men; they are standard bearers, and Satan loves when a standard-bearer fainteth. Oh, what need of full supplies out of Christ's fulness! Pray, beloved, that it may be so. "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
God's Children Need It
The divine life is all from above. They have no life till they come to Christ. "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." Now this life is maintained by union to Christ, and by getting fresh supplies every moment out of His fullness. "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in Him." In some believers this life is maintained by a constant inflowing of the Holy Spirit -- "I will water it ever moment" -- like the constant supply which the branch receives from the vine. These are the happiest and most even Christians. Others have flood-tides of the Spirit carrying them higher and higher. Sometimes they get more in a day than for months before. In the one of these, grace is like a river; in the other, it is like a shower coming down in its season. Still, in both there is need of revival. The natural heart is all prone to wither. Like a garden in summer, it dries up unless watered. The soul grows faint and weary in well-doing. Grace is not natural to the heart. The old heart is always for drying and fading. So the child of God needs to be continually looking out, like Elijah's servant, for the little cloud over the sea. You need to be constantly pressing near the Fountain of living waters; yea, lying down at the well-head of salvation, and drinking the living water. "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
Those Formerly Awakened Need It
A drop fell from heaven upon their hearts. They trembled, wept, prayed. But the showers passed by, and the rocky heart ceased to tremble. The eye again closed in slumber; the lips forgot to pray. Ah, how common and sad is this case! The King of Zion lifted up His voice in this place and cried. Some that were in their graves heard His voice, and began to live. But this passed by, and now they sink back again into the grace of a dead soul. Ah! This is a fearful state! To go back to death, to love death, and wrong your soul. What can save such a one, but another call from Jesus? "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." For your sake most of all I pray, "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
Barren Fig Trees Need It
Some of you have been planted in this vineyard. You have enjoyed sun and shower. You have passed through all this time of awakening without being moved. You are still dead, barren, unconverted, fruitless. Ah! There is for you no hope but in this prayer. Ordinary times will not move you. Your heart is harder than that of other men. What need have you to pray for a deep, pure, effectual work of God, and that you may not be passed by. Many of you would stand the shock much better now. Many of you have grown experienced in resisting God, and quenching the Spirit. Oh, pray for a time that will remove mountains. None but the Almighty Spirit can touch your hard heart. "Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain." "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
For whom revival comes:
It is God who must revive us again. It is not human work. It is all divine. If you look to men to do it, you will only get that curse in Jeremiah 17. "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm."
The Lord has all the men in His hands. The Son of Man holds the seven stars in His right hand. The stars are His ministers. He lifts them up, or lets them down, at His sovereign will. He gives them all their light, or He takes it away. He holds them up and lets them shine clearly, or He holds them in the hollow of His hand, as it seemeth good in His sight. Sometimes He lets them shine on one district of a country, sometimes another. They only shine to lead to Him. The star that leads away from Him is a wandering star, and Christ will cast it into the blackness for ever. We should pray to Christ to make His ministers shine on us.
The Lord had the fullness of the Spirit to Him. The Father has entrusted the whole work of redemption into the hands of Jesus, and so the spirit is given to Him. "As the Father hath life in himself, and quickeneth whom he will, so hath he given the son to have life in himself, and to quicken whom he will."
It is He who keeps all His own children alive from day to day. He is the Fountain of living waters, and His children lie beside the still waters, and drink every moment eternal life from Him.
It is He that pours down the Spirit in His sovereignty on those that never knew Him. "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications." Truly, the whole work from the beginning to end is His.
Every means will be in vain until He pours the spirit down (Isaiah 32:15):Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers, "Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high." We may preach publicly, and from house to house, we may teach the young, and warn the old, but all will be in vain; until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, briers and thorns shall grow. Our vineyard shall ne like the garden of the sluggard. We need that Christ should awake; that He should make bare His arm as in the days of old; that He should shed down the Spirit abundantly.
The children of God should plead with Him. Put your finger on the promise, and plead, "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, I the Lord will hear them" (Isaiah 41:!7). Tell Him you are poor and needy. Spread out your wants before Him. Take your emptiness to His Fullness. There is an infinite supply with Him for everything you need, at the very moment you need it.
Ungodly men, you are saying, there is no promise to us. But there is, if you will receive it. Psalms 68:28; "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them." Are you a rebel? Go and tell Him so. Oh, if you are willing to be justified by Him, and get your rebel heart changed, go and ask Him, and He will give you living water. Proverbs 1:23; "Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." Go and tell Him you are a "Simple one, a scorner". Ask Him to do what He has promised in Ezekiel 34:26; "And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing." Now you cannot say you belong to Zion's hill, but you can say you are in the places around this hill. Oh, cry, "Wilt thou not revive us again? "
The Effects of A Revival
The Lord's children rejoice in Him. They rejoice in Jesus Christ. The purest joy in the world is joy in Christ Jesus. When the Spirit is poured down, His people get very near and clear views of the Lord Jesus. They eat His flesh and drink His blood. They come to a personal cleaving to the Lord. They taste that the Lord is gracious. His blood and righteousness appear infinitely perfect, full, and free to their souls. They sit under His shadow with great delight. They rest in the cleft of the rock. Their defense is the munitions of rocks. They lean on the Beloved. They find infinite strength in Him for the use of their soul -- grace for grace -- all they can need in any hour of trial and suffering to the very end.
Then go by Him to the Father. "We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ." We find a portion there -- a shield, and exceeding great reward. This gives joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Now, God loves to see His children happy in Himself. He loves to see all our springs in Him. Take and plead that. Oh, you would pray after a different manner if God were to pour water on the thirsty. You would tell Him all, open to Him all sorrows, joys, cares, comforts. All would be told to Him.
Many flock to Christ. "Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows?" "To him shall the gathering of the people be." Just as all the creatures came into the ark, so poor sinners run in such a time. Laying aside their garments (Mark 10:50), their jealousies, they flee together into the ark Jesus. Oh, there is not a lovelier sight in all this world.
Souls are saved. "Is this not a brand plucked out of the fire?" There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. They are passed from death unto life."
It is glorifying to God. "He that receives Christ, sets to his seal that God is true." He confesses the holiness of God, His love and grace. His mouth is filled with praise. "Bless the Lord, O my soul! " He begins to long for the image of God, to confess Him before men, to walk in His ways. It gives joy in heaven, and joy in earth. Oh, pray for such a time.
There is an awakening again of those who have gone back. IF we have not a time of the outpouring of the Spirit, many who once sought Christ, but have gone back, will perish in a dreadful manner; for they generally turn worse than before. Sometimes they scoff and make a jest of it all. Satan is all the worse, that he once was an angel. So they become all the more wicked who have gone back. They generally go deeper into the mire of sin. But if God graciously pours down His Spirit, the hardened heart will melt. Pray for this.
There is an awakening of fresh sinners. It is a sad state of things when sinners are bold in sin, when multitudes can openly break the Sabbath, and openly frequent the tavern. It is an awful sin when sinners can live in sin, and yet sit unmoved under the preaching of the Word, cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God. But if the Lord were pleased to revive us again, this state of things would change.
I am sure it would be a lovelier sight to see you going in company to the house of prayer, than thronging to the tavern, or the haunts of sin and shame, that will bring down eternal ruin on your poor soul. It would be sweeter to hear the cry of prayer in your closets, than to hear the sounds of oaths and profane jesting, and your hard speeches and reproaches of God's children. Sweeter far to see your hearts panting after Christ, His pardon, His holiness, His glory, than to see them turning after the world and its vain idols.
Oh, lift up your hearts to the Lord for such a time. Plead earnestly the promise, "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh." Then this wilderness will become a fruitful field, and its name be, Jehovah-Shammah -- the Lord is there.
IT IS INTERESTING to notice the time when this prayer was offered. It was a time of mercy. "Lord thou hast been favorable unto thy land". It was a time when God had led many to the knowledge of Christ, and covered many sins. "thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people." It was now they began to feel their need of another visit of mercy -- "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
The Thing Prayer For
"Revive us again," or literally, return and make us live anew. It is the prayer of those who have received some life, but feel their need of more. They had been made alive by the Holy Spirit. They felt the sweetness and excellence of this new, hidden, divine life. They pant for more -- "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
The Argument Presented
"That thy people may rejoice in thee." They plead with God to do this for the sake of His people, that their joy may be full; and that it may be in the Lord -- in the Lord of their Righteousness -- in the Lord their Strength.
When is the Prayer needed:
In A Time of Backsliding
There are many times when, like Ephesus, many of God's children lose their first love. Iniquity abounds, and the love of many waxes cold. Believers lose their close and near communion with God. They go out of the holiest, and pray at a distance with a curtain between. They lose their fervency, sweetness, and fulness in secret prayer. They do not pour out their hearts to God.
They have lost their clear discovery of Christ. They see Him but dimly. They have lost the sight of His beauty -- the savor of His good ointment -- the hold of His garment. They seek him, but find Him not. They cannot stir up the heart to lay hold on Christ.
The Spirit dwells scantily in their soul. The living water seems almost dried up within them. The soul is dry and barren. Corruptions are strong: grace is very weak.
Love to the brethren fades. United prayer is forsaken. The little assembly no more appears beautiful. Compassion for the unconverted is low and cold. Sin is unrebuked, though committed under their eye. Christ is not confessed before men. Perhaps the soul falls into sin, and is afraid to return; it stays far off from God, and lodges in the wilderness.
Ah! This is the case, I fear with many. It is a fearfully dangerous time. Nothing but a visit of the Holy Spirit to your soul can persuade you to return. It is not a time this prayer -- "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
The soul of a believer needs grace every moment. "By the grace of God I am what I am." But there are times when he needs more grace that at other times. Just as the body continually needs food; but there are times when it needs food more than at others -- times of great bodily exertion, when all powers are to be put forth.
Sometimes the soul of a believer is exposed to hot persecution. Reproach breaks the heart; or it beats like a scorching sun upon the head. "For my love they are my adversaries." Sometimes they are God's children who reproach us, and this is still harder to bear. The soul is ready to rest or sink under it.
Sometimes it is flattery that tempts the soul. The world speaks well of us, and we are tempted to pride and vanity. This is still worse to bear.
Sometimes Satan strives within us, by stirring up fearful corruptions, till there is a tempest within. Oh, is there a tempted soul that reads these words? Jesus prays for thee. You need more peace. Nothing but the oil of the Spirit will feed the fire of grace when Satan is casting water on it. Send up this cry, "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
In A Time Of Concern
"Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time if the latter rain." When God begins a time of concern in a place -- when the dew is beginning to fall -- then is the time to pray, Lord, stay not thine hand -- give us a full shower -- leave not one dry. "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
Who needs this revival?
Ministers Need It
Ministers are naturally hard-hearted and unbelieving as other men (Mark 6:14), so that Christ has often to unbraid them. Their faith is all from above. They must receive from God all that they give. In order to speak the truth with power, they need a personal grasp of it. It is impossible to speak with power from mere head knowledge, or even from past experience. If we would speak with energy, it must be from present feeling of the truth as it is in Jesus. We cannot speak of the hidden manna unless we have the taste of it on our mouth. We cannot speak of the living water unless it be springing up within us. Like John the Baptist, we must see Jesus coming, and say; "Behold the Lamb of God." We must speak with Christ in our eye, as Stephen did. "I see Jesus standing on the right hand of God." We must speak from a present sense of pardon and access to God, or our words will be cold and lifeless. But how can we do this if we are not quickened from above. Ministers are far more exposed to be cast down than other men; they are standard bearers, and Satan loves when a standard-bearer fainteth. Oh, what need of full supplies out of Christ's fulness! Pray, beloved, that it may be so. "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
God's Children Need It
The divine life is all from above. They have no life till they come to Christ. "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." Now this life is maintained by union to Christ, and by getting fresh supplies every moment out of His fullness. "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in Him." In some believers this life is maintained by a constant inflowing of the Holy Spirit -- "I will water it ever moment" -- like the constant supply which the branch receives from the vine. These are the happiest and most even Christians. Others have flood-tides of the Spirit carrying them higher and higher. Sometimes they get more in a day than for months before. In the one of these, grace is like a river; in the other, it is like a shower coming down in its season. Still, in both there is need of revival. The natural heart is all prone to wither. Like a garden in summer, it dries up unless watered. The soul grows faint and weary in well-doing. Grace is not natural to the heart. The old heart is always for drying and fading. So the child of God needs to be continually looking out, like Elijah's servant, for the little cloud over the sea. You need to be constantly pressing near the Fountain of living waters; yea, lying down at the well-head of salvation, and drinking the living water. "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
Those Formerly Awakened Need It
A drop fell from heaven upon their hearts. They trembled, wept, prayed. But the showers passed by, and the rocky heart ceased to tremble. The eye again closed in slumber; the lips forgot to pray. Ah, how common and sad is this case! The King of Zion lifted up His voice in this place and cried. Some that were in their graves heard His voice, and began to live. But this passed by, and now they sink back again into the grace of a dead soul. Ah! This is a fearful state! To go back to death, to love death, and wrong your soul. What can save such a one, but another call from Jesus? "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." For your sake most of all I pray, "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
Barren Fig Trees Need It
Some of you have been planted in this vineyard. You have enjoyed sun and shower. You have passed through all this time of awakening without being moved. You are still dead, barren, unconverted, fruitless. Ah! There is for you no hope but in this prayer. Ordinary times will not move you. Your heart is harder than that of other men. What need have you to pray for a deep, pure, effectual work of God, and that you may not be passed by. Many of you would stand the shock much better now. Many of you have grown experienced in resisting God, and quenching the Spirit. Oh, pray for a time that will remove mountains. None but the Almighty Spirit can touch your hard heart. "Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain." "Wilt thou not revive us again?"
For whom revival comes:
It is God who must revive us again. It is not human work. It is all divine. If you look to men to do it, you will only get that curse in Jeremiah 17. "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm."
The Lord has all the men in His hands. The Son of Man holds the seven stars in His right hand. The stars are His ministers. He lifts them up, or lets them down, at His sovereign will. He gives them all their light, or He takes it away. He holds them up and lets them shine clearly, or He holds them in the hollow of His hand, as it seemeth good in His sight. Sometimes He lets them shine on one district of a country, sometimes another. They only shine to lead to Him. The star that leads away from Him is a wandering star, and Christ will cast it into the blackness for ever. We should pray to Christ to make His ministers shine on us.
The Lord had the fullness of the Spirit to Him. The Father has entrusted the whole work of redemption into the hands of Jesus, and so the spirit is given to Him. "As the Father hath life in himself, and quickeneth whom he will, so hath he given the son to have life in himself, and to quicken whom he will."
It is He who keeps all His own children alive from day to day. He is the Fountain of living waters, and His children lie beside the still waters, and drink every moment eternal life from Him.
It is He that pours down the Spirit in His sovereignty on those that never knew Him. "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications." Truly, the whole work from the beginning to end is His.
Every means will be in vain until He pours the spirit down (Isaiah 32:15):Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers, "Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high." We may preach publicly, and from house to house, we may teach the young, and warn the old, but all will be in vain; until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, briers and thorns shall grow. Our vineyard shall ne like the garden of the sluggard. We need that Christ should awake; that He should make bare His arm as in the days of old; that He should shed down the Spirit abundantly.
The children of God should plead with Him. Put your finger on the promise, and plead, "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, I the Lord will hear them" (Isaiah 41:!7). Tell Him you are poor and needy. Spread out your wants before Him. Take your emptiness to His Fullness. There is an infinite supply with Him for everything you need, at the very moment you need it.
Ungodly men, you are saying, there is no promise to us. But there is, if you will receive it. Psalms 68:28; "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them." Are you a rebel? Go and tell Him so. Oh, if you are willing to be justified by Him, and get your rebel heart changed, go and ask Him, and He will give you living water. Proverbs 1:23; "Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." Go and tell Him you are a "Simple one, a scorner". Ask Him to do what He has promised in Ezekiel 34:26; "And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing." Now you cannot say you belong to Zion's hill, but you can say you are in the places around this hill. Oh, cry, "Wilt thou not revive us again? "
The Effects of A Revival
The Lord's children rejoice in Him. They rejoice in Jesus Christ. The purest joy in the world is joy in Christ Jesus. When the Spirit is poured down, His people get very near and clear views of the Lord Jesus. They eat His flesh and drink His blood. They come to a personal cleaving to the Lord. They taste that the Lord is gracious. His blood and righteousness appear infinitely perfect, full, and free to their souls. They sit under His shadow with great delight. They rest in the cleft of the rock. Their defense is the munitions of rocks. They lean on the Beloved. They find infinite strength in Him for the use of their soul -- grace for grace -- all they can need in any hour of trial and suffering to the very end.
Then go by Him to the Father. "We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ." We find a portion there -- a shield, and exceeding great reward. This gives joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Now, God loves to see His children happy in Himself. He loves to see all our springs in Him. Take and plead that. Oh, you would pray after a different manner if God were to pour water on the thirsty. You would tell Him all, open to Him all sorrows, joys, cares, comforts. All would be told to Him.
Many flock to Christ. "Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows?" "To him shall the gathering of the people be." Just as all the creatures came into the ark, so poor sinners run in such a time. Laying aside their garments (Mark 10:50), their jealousies, they flee together into the ark Jesus. Oh, there is not a lovelier sight in all this world.
Souls are saved. "Is this not a brand plucked out of the fire?" There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. They are passed from death unto life."
It is glorifying to God. "He that receives Christ, sets to his seal that God is true." He confesses the holiness of God, His love and grace. His mouth is filled with praise. "Bless the Lord, O my soul! " He begins to long for the image of God, to confess Him before men, to walk in His ways. It gives joy in heaven, and joy in earth. Oh, pray for such a time.
There is an awakening again of those who have gone back. IF we have not a time of the outpouring of the Spirit, many who once sought Christ, but have gone back, will perish in a dreadful manner; for they generally turn worse than before. Sometimes they scoff and make a jest of it all. Satan is all the worse, that he once was an angel. So they become all the more wicked who have gone back. They generally go deeper into the mire of sin. But if God graciously pours down His Spirit, the hardened heart will melt. Pray for this.
There is an awakening of fresh sinners. It is a sad state of things when sinners are bold in sin, when multitudes can openly break the Sabbath, and openly frequent the tavern. It is an awful sin when sinners can live in sin, and yet sit unmoved under the preaching of the Word, cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God. But if the Lord were pleased to revive us again, this state of things would change.
I am sure it would be a lovelier sight to see you going in company to the house of prayer, than thronging to the tavern, or the haunts of sin and shame, that will bring down eternal ruin on your poor soul. It would be sweeter to hear the cry of prayer in your closets, than to hear the sounds of oaths and profane jesting, and your hard speeches and reproaches of God's children. Sweeter far to see your hearts panting after Christ, His pardon, His holiness, His glory, than to see them turning after the world and its vain idols.
Oh, lift up your hearts to the Lord for such a time. Plead earnestly the promise, "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh." Then this wilderness will become a fruitful field, and its name be, Jehovah-Shammah -- the Lord is there.
Thanksgiving Obtains The Spirit
By Robert Murray M'Cheyne
THE DAY HERE SPOKEN of appears to have been a day of days. It seems to have been the day of Pentecost on Old Testament times - a type of all the glorious days of an outpoured Spirit that ever have been in the world - a foretaste of that glorious day when God will fulfill that amazing, soul-satisfying promise: "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh."
My dearly beloved flock, it is my heart's desire and prayer that this very day might be such a day among us - that God would indeed open the windows of heaven, as He has done in times past, and pour down a blessing, till there be no more room to receive it.
Let us observe, then, how thanksgiving brings down the Spirit of God.
How the people were engaged.
"In praising and thanking the Lord." Yea, you have their very words: "For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever." It was thus the people were engaged when the cloud came down and filled the house. They had been engaged in many other most affecting duties. The Levites had been carrying the ark from Mount Zion and placing it under the wings of the Cherubim; Solomon and all his people had been offering sacrifices, sheep and oxen, which could not be told for multitude - still no answer came from heaven. But when the trumpeters and singers were as one praising and thanking the Lord, when they lifted up their voices, saying; "For he is good; for His mercy endureth forever" - then the windows of heaven were opened - then the cloud came down and filled the whole temple.
My dear flock, I am deeply persuaded that there will be no full, soul-filling, heart-ravishing, heart-satisfying, outpouring of the Spirit of God till there be more praise and thanking the Lord, let me stir up your hearts to praise.
He is good. Believers should praise God for what He is in Himself. Those that have never seen the Lord cannot praise Him. Those who have not come to Christ have never seen the King in His beauty. An unconverted man sees no loveliness in God. He sees a beauty in the blue sky - in the glorious sun - in the green earth - in the sparkling stars - in the lily of the field; but he sees no beauty in God. He has not seen Him, neither known Him; therefore there is no melody of praise in that heart. When a sinner is brought to Christ, he is brought to the Father. Jesus gave Himself for us, "that he might bring us to God." O! what a sight breaks in upon the soul -- the infinite, eternal, unchangeable God! I know that some of you have been brought to see this sight. Oh! praise Him, then, for what He is. Praise Him for His pure, lovely holiness that cannot bear any sin in His sight. Cry, like the angels, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." Praise Him for His infinite wisdom that he knows the end from the beginning. In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Praise Him for His power - that all matter, all mind, is in His Hand. The heart of the king, the heart of saint and sinner, are all in His hand. Hallelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns. Praise him for His love; for God is love. Some of you have been at sea. When far out of sight of land, you have stood high on the vessel's prow and looked round and round - one vast circle of ocean without any bound. Oh! so it is to stand in Christ justified, and to behold the love of God - a vast ocean all around you without a bottom and without a shore. Oh! praise Him for what He is. Heaven will be all praise. If you cannot praise God, you will never be there.
For His mercy - for what He has done for us. The Lord has done much for me since I parted from you. We were once in the perils of waters; but the Lord saved the ship. Again and again we were in danger of plague - we nightly heard the cry of he mourner; yet no plague came near our dwelling. Again and again we were n perils of robbers - the gun of the murderous has been leveled at us; but the Lord stayed his hand. I have been at the gates of death since we parted. No one that saw me would have believed that I could be here this day; yet he has healed our diseases and brought me back to open once more to you the unsearchable riches of Christ. I, then, have reason to praise Him; for His mercy endures forever. The Lord has done much for you since we parted. My eyes filled with tears when I left you, for I thought He had done it in anger. I thought it was anger to me, and I thought is was anger to you; but now I see it was all love - it was all mercy to unworthy you and to unworthy me. The Lord gave you my dear brother to care for your souls and far better than that - for to give you a man only would have been a poor gift - but He has given you His Holy Spirit. "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" Praise Him, O my people! for He is Good; for His mercy endures forever.
Are there not some of you brands plucked out of the burning? You were in the burning; the pains of hell were actually getting hold on you. You had hell in your own hearts - you had a hell yawning to receive you; but the Lord snatched you from the burning. Will you not praise Him? Are there not some of you whom I have left blind and deaf and dumb and dead? You saw no beauty in Him who is fairer than the children of men; you saw not glory in Immanuel - God manifest in flesh. But the Lord said; "Go wash in the pool of Siloam," and whereas you were blind, now you see. Oh! praise Him that has done it. In heaven, they praise God most of all for this: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." Oh! have you no praise for Jesus for all His love for the Father - for the Spirit? Some of you cannot not sing; "No man could learn that song but those that were redeemed from the earth." Some of you are worse than when I left you. You have resisted me - you have resisted my brother; and oh! worse than all you have resisted the Holy Spirit. You are prayerless yet - Christless yet. Ah! unhappy souls! unredeemed, unrenewed, remember it will be to late to learn to praise when you die. You must begin now. I will tell you what a dear friend of mine once said before dying. She desired all the servants to be brought in; and she said very solemnly: "There's nothing but Christ between me and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Oh! if you have not Christ, there is nothing between you and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth." You that will not praise Christ now, shall wail because of Him soon.
The Manner of Their Praise.
They were "as one." Their hearts were all as one heart in this exercise. There were a thousand tongues, but only one heart. Not only were their harps and cymbals and dulcimers all in tune, giving out a harmonious melody, but their hearts were all in tune. God had given them one heart, and then the blessings came down. The same was the case on the day of Pentecost; they were all with one accord in one place; they were looking to the same Lamb of God. The same thing will be the case in that day prophesied of in Psalm 133:1-3; "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity!...there God commands the blessing, even life forevermore." and this is he very thing which Jesus prayed for in that prayer which none but God could have asked, and none but God could answer; "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." And then follows the blessing; "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; and they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou has sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."
Dear children of God, unite your praises. Let your hearts no more be divided. You are divided from the world by a great gulf. Soon it will be an infinite gulf; but you are united to one another, by the same Spirit - you have been chosen by the same free, sovereign love - you have been washed in the same precious blood - you have been filled by the same blessed Spirit. "Little children, love one another. He that loves is born of God." Be one in your praises. Join in one cry; "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain; thou art worthy to open the book - thou art worthy to reign on our hearts." And oh! be fervent in praise. Lift up your voices in it - lift up your hearts in it. In heaven they wax louder and louder. John heard the sound of a great multitude, and then it was like many waters, and then it was like mighty thunderings, crying; "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" I remember Edwards' remark, that it was the singing of praises that his people felt themselves most enlarged , and that then God was worshiped somewhat in the beauty of holiness. Let it be so among yourselves. Learn dearly beloved, to praise God heartily - to sing with all your heart and soul in the family and in the congregation. But, oh! remember that even your praises must be sprinkled with blood and can be acceptable to God only by Jesus Christ.
The Effects Of Their Praise.
The cloud filled the house. This cloud is the very same which hem through the Red Sea and went before them forty years in the wilderness. It was a pillar of cloud by day, to shade them from the heat; it was a pillar of fire by night, to guide Israel on their way to the promise rest; and now it came and filled the holiest of all and the holy place. Such was the wonderful effect which followed their united fervent praises. God Himself came down and filled every chamber of the house with His presence. "This is my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it." Now, my dear friends, we are not now to expect that God will answer our prayers or follow our praises with a pillar of cloud or a pillar of fire. These were but the shadows; now we receive the reality - the substance. If you will but unite in unanimous and heartfelt praises, then am I persuaded that God will give His Holy Spirit to fill this house - to fill every heart in the spiritual temple. How glorious this will be.
For the children of God - are there not some of you who have come to Christ, and nothing more? Guilty, weary, heavy laden, you have found rest - redemption through his blood - even the forgiveness for sins. Oh! do not stop there. Do not rest in mere forgiveness - cry for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Forgiveness is but a means to an end. You are justified in order that you may be sanctified. Remember, without holiness you will never see the Lord; and without this indwelling Spirit, you will never be holy.
Are there not some of you groaning under a body of sin and death and crying with the apostle, "Oh! wretched man, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Do you not feel the plague of your own heart? Do you not feel the power of your old nature? How many in this state lean upon themselves - trust in their resolutions - attempt, as it were by force, to put down their sins! But here is the remedy. Oh! cry for the flood-tide of God's Spirit, that He may fill every chamber of your heart - that He may renew you in the spirit of your mind.
Are there not many who are cold, worldly Christians - those who were long ago converted but have fallen sadly back under the power of the world - either its gaiety or its business, its mirth or its money - and they have got into worldly habits, deep ruts of sin? Ah! see what you need. He that created humanity in His own image at first must create you over again. You need an Almighty indwelling Comforter. Oh! it is He only who can melt your icy heart and make it flow out of love to God - who can fill you with all the fullness of God.
Are there not some of you who read the Bible but get little from it? You feel that it does not sink into your heart - it does not remain with you through the week. It is like the seed cast in the wayside, easily plucked away. Oh! it is just such an outpoured Spirit you require to hide the Word in your heart. When you write with a dry pen without any ink in it, no impression is made upon the paper. Now, ministers are the pens, and the Spirit of God is the ink. Pray that the pen may be filled with the living ink - that the Word may remain in your heart, known and read for all - that you may be sanctified through he truth.
For the unconverted - so it was in the day of Pentecost - the Spirit came first upon the small company of disciples and then on the three thousand. You have seen the hills attracting the clouds and so drawing down the shower into the valleys - so do God's children, having their heads within the veil, obtaining the Spirit of God in fulness and dispense it to all around. You have seen some tall tree or spire catching the lighting and conveying it down into the ground - so does the fire of God's Spirit come first upon the trees of righteousness and from them descends to the dead souls around them.
A word to dead souls - keep near to God's children at such a time as this. Do not separate from them, do not mock at them, you may yet receive the grace of God through them. Dear believers, for the sake of the dead souls around you - for the sake of this great town, full of wickedness - for the sake of our land, filled with formality and hypocrisy - oh! unite in prayer and unite in praise and prove the Lord, if He will not pour out a blessing. Not for your own sakes only, but for the sake of those perishing around you, lets us wrestle and pray for a fuller time of the Spirit's working than has ever been seen in Scotland yet.
The priests could not stand to minister. Before the cloud came down, no doubt the priests were all busily engaged burning incense and offering sacrifices; but when the cloud came down, they could only wonder and adore. So it ever will be when the Lord gives much of His Spirit; He will make it evident that is not the work of human beings. If He were to give only a little, then ministers would begin to think they had some hand in it; but when He fills the house, the He makes it plain that man has nothing to do with it. David Brainerd said that when God awakened his whole congregation of Indians, he stood by amazed and felt that he was as nothing - that God alone was working. Oh! it is this, dear friends, that we desire and pray for - that the Lord would send the Spirit and would Himself descend and with His almighty power and tear away the veil from your hearts, convince you of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment - that Jesus himself would take His scepter and break your hearts and take all the glory - that we may cry out; "Not unto us; Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.
THE DAY HERE SPOKEN of appears to have been a day of days. It seems to have been the day of Pentecost on Old Testament times - a type of all the glorious days of an outpoured Spirit that ever have been in the world - a foretaste of that glorious day when God will fulfill that amazing, soul-satisfying promise: "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh."
My dearly beloved flock, it is my heart's desire and prayer that this very day might be such a day among us - that God would indeed open the windows of heaven, as He has done in times past, and pour down a blessing, till there be no more room to receive it.
Let us observe, then, how thanksgiving brings down the Spirit of God.
How the people were engaged.
"In praising and thanking the Lord." Yea, you have their very words: "For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever." It was thus the people were engaged when the cloud came down and filled the house. They had been engaged in many other most affecting duties. The Levites had been carrying the ark from Mount Zion and placing it under the wings of the Cherubim; Solomon and all his people had been offering sacrifices, sheep and oxen, which could not be told for multitude - still no answer came from heaven. But when the trumpeters and singers were as one praising and thanking the Lord, when they lifted up their voices, saying; "For he is good; for His mercy endureth forever" - then the windows of heaven were opened - then the cloud came down and filled the whole temple.
My dear flock, I am deeply persuaded that there will be no full, soul-filling, heart-ravishing, heart-satisfying, outpouring of the Spirit of God till there be more praise and thanking the Lord, let me stir up your hearts to praise.
He is good. Believers should praise God for what He is in Himself. Those that have never seen the Lord cannot praise Him. Those who have not come to Christ have never seen the King in His beauty. An unconverted man sees no loveliness in God. He sees a beauty in the blue sky - in the glorious sun - in the green earth - in the sparkling stars - in the lily of the field; but he sees no beauty in God. He has not seen Him, neither known Him; therefore there is no melody of praise in that heart. When a sinner is brought to Christ, he is brought to the Father. Jesus gave Himself for us, "that he might bring us to God." O! what a sight breaks in upon the soul -- the infinite, eternal, unchangeable God! I know that some of you have been brought to see this sight. Oh! praise Him, then, for what He is. Praise Him for His pure, lovely holiness that cannot bear any sin in His sight. Cry, like the angels, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." Praise Him for His infinite wisdom that he knows the end from the beginning. In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Praise Him for His power - that all matter, all mind, is in His Hand. The heart of the king, the heart of saint and sinner, are all in His hand. Hallelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns. Praise him for His love; for God is love. Some of you have been at sea. When far out of sight of land, you have stood high on the vessel's prow and looked round and round - one vast circle of ocean without any bound. Oh! so it is to stand in Christ justified, and to behold the love of God - a vast ocean all around you without a bottom and without a shore. Oh! praise Him for what He is. Heaven will be all praise. If you cannot praise God, you will never be there.
For His mercy - for what He has done for us. The Lord has done much for me since I parted from you. We were once in the perils of waters; but the Lord saved the ship. Again and again we were in danger of plague - we nightly heard the cry of he mourner; yet no plague came near our dwelling. Again and again we were n perils of robbers - the gun of the murderous has been leveled at us; but the Lord stayed his hand. I have been at the gates of death since we parted. No one that saw me would have believed that I could be here this day; yet he has healed our diseases and brought me back to open once more to you the unsearchable riches of Christ. I, then, have reason to praise Him; for His mercy endures forever. The Lord has done much for you since we parted. My eyes filled with tears when I left you, for I thought He had done it in anger. I thought it was anger to me, and I thought is was anger to you; but now I see it was all love - it was all mercy to unworthy you and to unworthy me. The Lord gave you my dear brother to care for your souls and far better than that - for to give you a man only would have been a poor gift - but He has given you His Holy Spirit. "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" Praise Him, O my people! for He is Good; for His mercy endures forever.
Are there not some of you brands plucked out of the burning? You were in the burning; the pains of hell were actually getting hold on you. You had hell in your own hearts - you had a hell yawning to receive you; but the Lord snatched you from the burning. Will you not praise Him? Are there not some of you whom I have left blind and deaf and dumb and dead? You saw no beauty in Him who is fairer than the children of men; you saw not glory in Immanuel - God manifest in flesh. But the Lord said; "Go wash in the pool of Siloam," and whereas you were blind, now you see. Oh! praise Him that has done it. In heaven, they praise God most of all for this: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." Oh! have you no praise for Jesus for all His love for the Father - for the Spirit? Some of you cannot not sing; "No man could learn that song but those that were redeemed from the earth." Some of you are worse than when I left you. You have resisted me - you have resisted my brother; and oh! worse than all you have resisted the Holy Spirit. You are prayerless yet - Christless yet. Ah! unhappy souls! unredeemed, unrenewed, remember it will be to late to learn to praise when you die. You must begin now. I will tell you what a dear friend of mine once said before dying. She desired all the servants to be brought in; and she said very solemnly: "There's nothing but Christ between me and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Oh! if you have not Christ, there is nothing between you and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth." You that will not praise Christ now, shall wail because of Him soon.
The Manner of Their Praise.
They were "as one." Their hearts were all as one heart in this exercise. There were a thousand tongues, but only one heart. Not only were their harps and cymbals and dulcimers all in tune, giving out a harmonious melody, but their hearts were all in tune. God had given them one heart, and then the blessings came down. The same was the case on the day of Pentecost; they were all with one accord in one place; they were looking to the same Lamb of God. The same thing will be the case in that day prophesied of in Psalm 133:1-3; "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity!...there God commands the blessing, even life forevermore." and this is he very thing which Jesus prayed for in that prayer which none but God could have asked, and none but God could answer; "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." And then follows the blessing; "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; and they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou has sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."
Dear children of God, unite your praises. Let your hearts no more be divided. You are divided from the world by a great gulf. Soon it will be an infinite gulf; but you are united to one another, by the same Spirit - you have been chosen by the same free, sovereign love - you have been washed in the same precious blood - you have been filled by the same blessed Spirit. "Little children, love one another. He that loves is born of God." Be one in your praises. Join in one cry; "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain; thou art worthy to open the book - thou art worthy to reign on our hearts." And oh! be fervent in praise. Lift up your voices in it - lift up your hearts in it. In heaven they wax louder and louder. John heard the sound of a great multitude, and then it was like many waters, and then it was like mighty thunderings, crying; "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" I remember Edwards' remark, that it was the singing of praises that his people felt themselves most enlarged , and that then God was worshiped somewhat in the beauty of holiness. Let it be so among yourselves. Learn dearly beloved, to praise God heartily - to sing with all your heart and soul in the family and in the congregation. But, oh! remember that even your praises must be sprinkled with blood and can be acceptable to God only by Jesus Christ.
The Effects Of Their Praise.
The cloud filled the house. This cloud is the very same which hem through the Red Sea and went before them forty years in the wilderness. It was a pillar of cloud by day, to shade them from the heat; it was a pillar of fire by night, to guide Israel on their way to the promise rest; and now it came and filled the holiest of all and the holy place. Such was the wonderful effect which followed their united fervent praises. God Himself came down and filled every chamber of the house with His presence. "This is my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it." Now, my dear friends, we are not now to expect that God will answer our prayers or follow our praises with a pillar of cloud or a pillar of fire. These were but the shadows; now we receive the reality - the substance. If you will but unite in unanimous and heartfelt praises, then am I persuaded that God will give His Holy Spirit to fill this house - to fill every heart in the spiritual temple. How glorious this will be.
For the children of God - are there not some of you who have come to Christ, and nothing more? Guilty, weary, heavy laden, you have found rest - redemption through his blood - even the forgiveness for sins. Oh! do not stop there. Do not rest in mere forgiveness - cry for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Forgiveness is but a means to an end. You are justified in order that you may be sanctified. Remember, without holiness you will never see the Lord; and without this indwelling Spirit, you will never be holy.
Are there not some of you groaning under a body of sin and death and crying with the apostle, "Oh! wretched man, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Do you not feel the plague of your own heart? Do you not feel the power of your old nature? How many in this state lean upon themselves - trust in their resolutions - attempt, as it were by force, to put down their sins! But here is the remedy. Oh! cry for the flood-tide of God's Spirit, that He may fill every chamber of your heart - that He may renew you in the spirit of your mind.
Are there not many who are cold, worldly Christians - those who were long ago converted but have fallen sadly back under the power of the world - either its gaiety or its business, its mirth or its money - and they have got into worldly habits, deep ruts of sin? Ah! see what you need. He that created humanity in His own image at first must create you over again. You need an Almighty indwelling Comforter. Oh! it is He only who can melt your icy heart and make it flow out of love to God - who can fill you with all the fullness of God.
Are there not some of you who read the Bible but get little from it? You feel that it does not sink into your heart - it does not remain with you through the week. It is like the seed cast in the wayside, easily plucked away. Oh! it is just such an outpoured Spirit you require to hide the Word in your heart. When you write with a dry pen without any ink in it, no impression is made upon the paper. Now, ministers are the pens, and the Spirit of God is the ink. Pray that the pen may be filled with the living ink - that the Word may remain in your heart, known and read for all - that you may be sanctified through he truth.
For the unconverted - so it was in the day of Pentecost - the Spirit came first upon the small company of disciples and then on the three thousand. You have seen the hills attracting the clouds and so drawing down the shower into the valleys - so do God's children, having their heads within the veil, obtaining the Spirit of God in fulness and dispense it to all around. You have seen some tall tree or spire catching the lighting and conveying it down into the ground - so does the fire of God's Spirit come first upon the trees of righteousness and from them descends to the dead souls around them.
A word to dead souls - keep near to God's children at such a time as this. Do not separate from them, do not mock at them, you may yet receive the grace of God through them. Dear believers, for the sake of the dead souls around you - for the sake of this great town, full of wickedness - for the sake of our land, filled with formality and hypocrisy - oh! unite in prayer and unite in praise and prove the Lord, if He will not pour out a blessing. Not for your own sakes only, but for the sake of those perishing around you, lets us wrestle and pray for a fuller time of the Spirit's working than has ever been seen in Scotland yet.
The priests could not stand to minister. Before the cloud came down, no doubt the priests were all busily engaged burning incense and offering sacrifices; but when the cloud came down, they could only wonder and adore. So it ever will be when the Lord gives much of His Spirit; He will make it evident that is not the work of human beings. If He were to give only a little, then ministers would begin to think they had some hand in it; but when He fills the house, the He makes it plain that man has nothing to do with it. David Brainerd said that when God awakened his whole congregation of Indians, he stood by amazed and felt that he was as nothing - that God alone was working. Oh! it is this, dear friends, that we desire and pray for - that the Lord would send the Spirit and would Himself descend and with His almighty power and tear away the veil from your hearts, convince you of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment - that Jesus himself would take His scepter and break your hearts and take all the glory - that we may cry out; "Not unto us; Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.
Future Punishment Eternal
By Robert Murray M'Cheyne
It is very interesting to notice who they are in the Bible that speak about hell. Now, some think that speaking about hell is not preaching the gospel; and others think that simple men have no right to speak of it. Now, to them who think it is not gospel preaching, I say it is the truth — the Word of God; and to them who say it is not right to speak about it, I would have them to notice who it is that speaks most about it. Let us consider:
(1) The persons in the Bible that speak most about hell.
(2) Why these persons speak so plainly of hell.
(3) The names given to hell.
(4) The hell spoken of in the Bible is not annihilation.
1. Let us consider the persons in the Bible that speak about hell.
And the first I would mention is David. He was a man after God's own heart, yet he speaks of hell. He who wrote many of the Psalms, the sweet Psalmist of Israel; he who was filled with love to men, and love to God; yet hear what he says about hell: 'The sorrows of hell compassed me about' (Psalm 18:5). Again, 'The sorrows of death compassed me about, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me' (Psalm 116:3). And hear of his deliverance: 'And thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell' (Psalm 86:13). And he tells us also of the fate of the ungodly that will not accept Christ: 'The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God' (Psalm 9:17).
'Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup' (Psalm 11:6). 'Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell' (Psalm 55:15). Now, whatever you think of the propriety of speaking about hell, David did not think it wrong, for he sang about it.
The next person I would mention is Paul. He was filled with the love of Christ, and he had great love to sinners. Surely that love wherewith God loved Jesus was in Paul. He loved his enemies: notice when he stood before Agrippa, what his feelings were: 'I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds' (Acts 26:29). He wished them to have the same love, the same joy, the same peace, the same hope of glory. Now, Paul never mentions the word, hell. It seemed as if it were too awful a word for him to mention; yet hear what he says:
What if God willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction (Romans 9:22).
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction (Philippians 3:18).
For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them (I Thessalonians 5:3).
The Lord Jesus shall 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 destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
Do not these show you, brethren, that they that have most love in their hearts speak most of hell?
The next person I would speak of is John, the beloved disciple. He had leaned on Jesus' bosom at the last supper, and drawn love out of his bosom. His character was love. You will notice how affectionately his epistles are written. He addresses them 'beloved', 'little children'. Yet he speaks of hell; he calls it, seven times over, 'the bottomless pit' - the pit where sinners shall sink through all eternity. He calls it the great wine press of the wrath of God (Revelation 14:19). But John has got another name for hell, 'the lake of fire' (Revelation 20:14). It had often been called 'hell', but it was left for John, the beloved disciple, to call it 'the lake of fire'.
The next person I shall mention is the Lord Jesus himself. Although he came from God, and 'God is love', though he came to pluck brands from the burning, yet he speaks of hell. Though his mouth was most sweet, and his lips like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh — though 'the Lord God had given him the tongue of the learned, that he should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary' (Isaiah 50:4); though he spake as never man spake, yet he spoke of hell. Hear what he says, 'Whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire' (Matthew 5:22). But I think the most awful words that ever came from his lips were, 'Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell' (Matthew 23:3 3). Again, 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire' (Matthew 25:41). And he speaks of it in some of his parables too: 'The angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth' (Matthew 13:49, 50). And he repeats the words of our text three times over. And could anything be plainer than the words in Mark: 'He that believeth not shall be damned' (Mark 16:16).
2. Let us consider, dear brethren, why these persons speak so plainly of hell.
(1) Because it is all true. Christ is the faithful and true witness. Once he said, 'If it were not so, I would have told you' (John 14:2). Once he said to Pilate: 'Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice' (John 18:37). He himself is 'the truth' (John 14:6). 'It is impossible for God to lie' (Hebrews 6:18). When Jesus appeared on earth, he came with love, he came to tell sinners of hell, and of a Saviour to save from hell; and how could he keep it back? He saw into hell, and how could he not speak of it? He was the faithful witness; so it was with David, Paul, and John. Paul said, he had kept nothing back - he had not shunned to declare all the counsel of God. Now, how could he have said that, if he had not spoken of hell as he did? So must ministers. Suppose I never were to mention hell again, would that make it less tolerable? Oh, it is true! it is all true! and we cannot but mention it.
(2) Because they were full of love to sinners. They are the best friends that do not flatter us. You know, beloved, Christ's bosom flowed with love. Out of love he had not where to lay his head; out of love he came to die; out of love, with tears he said: '0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37). And with the same breath he said, 'How can ye escape the damnation of hell?' (Matthew 23:33). So it was with Paul: 'Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men' (2 Corinthians 5:11). Paul would weep over sinners; he says, 'For many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ' (Philippians 3:18). His tears fell on the parchment as he wrote. Oh! if we had more love to you, we would tell you more about hell. They do not love you that do not warn you, poor hell-deserving sinners. Oh remember that love warns!
(3) A third reason why they spoke so plainly of hell, was that they might be free from blood-guiltiness. Jesus did not want your blood laid at his door, therefore he spoke of the 'furnace of fire' (Matthew 13:42), and of 'the worm that dieth not' (Mark 9:44). Ah! he says, 'How often would I have gathered you, but you would not! 'God would not have blood-guiltiness laid to his charge. He says, 'As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die?' (Ezekiel 33:11). So it was with David: 'Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, 0 God!' (Psalm 51:14). It was fear of blood-guiltiness that made David speak so plainly. So it was with Paul; he says, 'I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men' (Acts 20:26). So it is with ministers; we must acquit our conscience, and if you go to the judgment-seat unpardoned, unsaved, your blood will be upon your own heads. As I was walking in the fields yesterday, that thought came with overwhelming power into my mind, that every one I preached to would soon stand before the judgment-seat, and be sent either to heaven or hell. Therefore, brethren, I must warn you, I must tell you about hell.
3. Let us consider the names given to hell in the Word of God.
And the first is fire; it is taken from an earthly element suited to our capacity, as Christ takes to himself a name to suit us, as a shepherd, a door, a way, a rock, an apple tree, the rose of Sharon, etc. So when God speaks of heaven, he calls it Paradise, a city which hath foundations, golden streets, pearly gates. Now, one of these names will not describe it, nor any of them; for eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things God hath prepared for them that love him. So when God speaks of hell he calls it 'a furnace of fire', 'a bottomless pit', 'perdition'. Now, one of these names will not do, but take them altogether, and you may conceive something of what hell is.
The first name given to hell is fire. On the southern side of Mount Zion there is a valley covered over with vines - it is the valley of Hinnom, where Manasseh made his children pass through the fire of Moloch. Now, this is the name by which Christ calls it, 'a valley of fire'. And, again, he calls it 'a furnace of fire', the walls will be fire; it will be fire above and below, and fire all round about. Again it is called a 'lake of fire'. The idea is something like a furnace of fire; it will be enclosed with burning mountains of brass. There will be no breath of wind to pass over their faces; it will be flames of fire for ever and ever. It is called 'devouring fire'. 'Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire' (Isaiah 33:14). Compare this with Hebrews 12:29: 'For our God is a consuming fire. 'It is the nature of fire to consume, so it is with the fire of hell; but it will never annihilate the damned. Oh it is a fire that will never be quenched; even the burning volcanoes will cease to bum, and that sun now sweetly shining upon us will cease to bum, and that very fire that is to bum up the elements will be quenched; but this fire is never quenched.
Another name given to hell in the Word of God is the prison. So we learn that the multitudes that perished at the flood are shut up in this prison. Ah! sinner, if you are shut up in it you will never come out till you have paid the uttermost farthing, and that you will never do - the bars are the justice and holiness of God.
Another name given to hell is the pit. Ah! it is the bottomless pit, where you will sink for ever and ever; it will be a continual sinking deeper and deeper every day. Ah! sinner, is it not time to begin and cry, 'Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink'? 'Let not the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me'? (Psalm 69:14, 15).
Another name given to hell in the Word of God is a falling into the hands of God. 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God' (Hebrews 10:31). 'Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee?' (Ezekiel 22:14). God will be your irreconcilable enemy, sinner. God, who takes no pleasure in the death of the sinner, but rather that he should live - that God, I say, will be your eternal enemy if you die Christless - if you will not believe - if you will not be saved. Oh what will you do, poor sinner, when his wrath is kindled?
Another name given to hell is the second death. 'And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death' (Revelation 20:14). This is the meaning of God's threatening to Adam: 'In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die' (Genesis 2:17). Perhaps you may have stood by the bed of a dying sinner, and you may have seen how he gasps for breath, his teeth clenched, his hands clasp the bedclothes, his breath turns fainter and fainter till it dies away. Ah! this is the first death: and is like the second death. Ah! the man would try to resist, but he finds it is in vain; he finds eternal hell begun, and God dealing with him, and he sinks into gloom and dark despair. This is the death sinners are to die, and yet never die.
Another name given to hell is outer darkness. Christ calls it outer darkness. 'But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness' (Matthew 8:12). 'Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness' (Matthew 22:13). You will see it also in 2 Peter IA: 'God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness.' Again, Jude, 13th verse: 'Wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.' O my dear friends! this is hell - 'the blackness of darkness', 'outer darkness', 'chains of darkness'.
4. I come now to show you that the hell spoken of in the Bible is not annihilation.
Some people think that though they are not saved, they will be annihilated. Oh it is a lie; I will show you that:
(1) First of all, by the cries of the damned. 'And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy upon me - for I am tormented in this flame' (Luke 16:24). And, again, look at the words in Matthew 22:13: 'There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Oh! these plainly show us that it is no annihilation. In hell the multitudes will be bundled up together in the great harvest day. 'Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to bum them' (Matthew 13:30). There will be bundles of sweaters, bundles of Sabbath-breakers , bundles of drunkards, bundles of hypocrites, bundles of parents and children; they will be witnesses of each other's damnation.
(2) Hell will be no annihilation, when we consider that there will be different degrees of suffering. 'It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you' (Matthew 11:22). And it is said, the Pharisees would receive 'greater damnation' (Matthew 23:14). Every man is to be judged according to his works.
(3) It will be no annihilation, if we consider the fate of Judas. 'Woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed; it had been good for that man if he had not been born' (Matthew 26:24). Judas is wishing he had never been born. I have no doubt he wishes to die, but will never be able to die. So it will be with all here who shall go to hell - all unworthy communicants. Ah! I tell you, if you die Christless, you will wish you had never been born, you will wish you had never seen the green earth or the blue sky. Ah! you will wish you had never been. O dear brethren! better never to have had a being, than to be in hell. Ah! there are many in hell today who are cursing the day they were born.
(4) It will be no annihilation, for it is an eternal hell. Some weak and foolish men think and please their fancy with the thought that hell will bum out, and they will come to some place where they may bathe their weary soul. Ah! you try to make an agreement with hell; but if ever there come a time when the flame that torments your soul and body shall bum out, then Jesus will be a liar, for three times he repeats the words of our text, and says, it shall never be quenched.
It is eternal, for it is spoken of in words never used but to denote eternity. 'And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever' (Revelation 14:11). Ah! you see it is for ever and ever. Again, 'And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever' (Revelation 20: 10). Compare this with Revelation 4:9, 10: 'And when those beasts gave glory and honour, and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever...' So you see the torments of the damned are spoken of with the eternity of God. Ah! if ever there come a time when God ceases to live, then they may cease to suffer.
Again, the eternity of hell and the eternity of heaven are spoken of in the very same language. 'And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever' (Revelation 22:5). The same words that are used for the eternity of the saints, are used for the eternity of the damned. 'They shall be tormented for ever and ever.' O sinner! if ever there come a time when the saints shall fall from their thrones, or the immortal crowns fall from their heads, then you may think to leave hell; but that will never, never be - it is an eternal hell, 'for ever and ever'; eternity will be never-ending wrath; always wrath to come. Oh that you were wise, that ye understood this, that ye would consider your latter end.
I shall now apply this: First of all, to you that are believers. Dear brothers and sisters, all this hell that I have described is what you and I deserved. We were over the lake of fire, but it was from this that Jesus saved us; he was in the prison for you and me - he drank every drop out of the cup of God's wrath for you and me; he died the just for the unjust. 0 beloved, how should we prize, love, and adore Jesus for what he hath done for us. Oh we will never, never know, till safe across Jordan, how our hell has been suffered for us - how our iniquity has been pardoned! But, 0 beloved! think of hell. Have you no unconverted friends, who are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath? Oh, have you no prayerless parent, no sister, nor brother? Oh, have you no compassion for them - no mercy's voice to warn them?
Secondly, to you that are seeking Christ anxiously. I know some of you are. Dear soul, what a mercy in God to awaken you to flee from this fiery furnace! Oh, what a mercy to be awakened to flee, to be in earnest! Ah! your unconverted friends will tell you there is no need of being so anxious. Oh, is there no need to flee from the wrath to come? Oh learn, dear soul, how precious Christ is; he is a hiding place from the wind, and covert from the tempest. All the things in the world are like speck of dust, all is lost for Jesus. He is all in all. He is free to you, beloved; take no rest till you can say, 'He is mine.'
Thirdly, to you that are unconverted. Ah! you are fools and you think you are wise; but oh I beseech you, search the Scriptures. Do not take my word about an eternal hell; it is the testimony of God, when he spoke about it. Oh if it be true - if there be a furnace of fire, if there be a second death, if it is not annihilation, but an eternal hell - oh is it reasonable to go on living in sin? You think you are wise, that you are no fanatic, that you are no hypocrite; but you will soon gnash your teeth in pain; it will come; and the bitterest thought will be, that you heard about hell, and yet rejected Christ. 0 then, turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die? Amen.
Sabbath, l5th July, 1842.
It is very interesting to notice who they are in the Bible that speak about hell. Now, some think that speaking about hell is not preaching the gospel; and others think that simple men have no right to speak of it. Now, to them who think it is not gospel preaching, I say it is the truth — the Word of God; and to them who say it is not right to speak about it, I would have them to notice who it is that speaks most about it. Let us consider:
(1) The persons in the Bible that speak most about hell.
(2) Why these persons speak so plainly of hell.
(3) The names given to hell.
(4) The hell spoken of in the Bible is not annihilation.
1. Let us consider the persons in the Bible that speak about hell.
And the first I would mention is David. He was a man after God's own heart, yet he speaks of hell. He who wrote many of the Psalms, the sweet Psalmist of Israel; he who was filled with love to men, and love to God; yet hear what he says about hell: 'The sorrows of hell compassed me about' (Psalm 18:5). Again, 'The sorrows of death compassed me about, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me' (Psalm 116:3). And hear of his deliverance: 'And thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell' (Psalm 86:13). And he tells us also of the fate of the ungodly that will not accept Christ: 'The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God' (Psalm 9:17).
'Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup' (Psalm 11:6). 'Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell' (Psalm 55:15). Now, whatever you think of the propriety of speaking about hell, David did not think it wrong, for he sang about it.
The next person I would mention is Paul. He was filled with the love of Christ, and he had great love to sinners. Surely that love wherewith God loved Jesus was in Paul. He loved his enemies: notice when he stood before Agrippa, what his feelings were: 'I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds' (Acts 26:29). He wished them to have the same love, the same joy, the same peace, the same hope of glory. Now, Paul never mentions the word, hell. It seemed as if it were too awful a word for him to mention; yet hear what he says:
What if God willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction (Romans 9:22).
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction (Philippians 3:18).
For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them (I Thessalonians 5:3).
The Lord Jesus shall 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 destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
Do not these show you, brethren, that they that have most love in their hearts speak most of hell?
The next person I would speak of is John, the beloved disciple. He had leaned on Jesus' bosom at the last supper, and drawn love out of his bosom. His character was love. You will notice how affectionately his epistles are written. He addresses them 'beloved', 'little children'. Yet he speaks of hell; he calls it, seven times over, 'the bottomless pit' - the pit where sinners shall sink through all eternity. He calls it the great wine press of the wrath of God (Revelation 14:19). But John has got another name for hell, 'the lake of fire' (Revelation 20:14). It had often been called 'hell', but it was left for John, the beloved disciple, to call it 'the lake of fire'.
The next person I shall mention is the Lord Jesus himself. Although he came from God, and 'God is love', though he came to pluck brands from the burning, yet he speaks of hell. Though his mouth was most sweet, and his lips like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh — though 'the Lord God had given him the tongue of the learned, that he should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary' (Isaiah 50:4); though he spake as never man spake, yet he spoke of hell. Hear what he says, 'Whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire' (Matthew 5:22). But I think the most awful words that ever came from his lips were, 'Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell' (Matthew 23:3 3). Again, 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire' (Matthew 25:41). And he speaks of it in some of his parables too: 'The angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth' (Matthew 13:49, 50). And he repeats the words of our text three times over. And could anything be plainer than the words in Mark: 'He that believeth not shall be damned' (Mark 16:16).
2. Let us consider, dear brethren, why these persons speak so plainly of hell.
(1) Because it is all true. Christ is the faithful and true witness. Once he said, 'If it were not so, I would have told you' (John 14:2). Once he said to Pilate: 'Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice' (John 18:37). He himself is 'the truth' (John 14:6). 'It is impossible for God to lie' (Hebrews 6:18). When Jesus appeared on earth, he came with love, he came to tell sinners of hell, and of a Saviour to save from hell; and how could he keep it back? He saw into hell, and how could he not speak of it? He was the faithful witness; so it was with David, Paul, and John. Paul said, he had kept nothing back - he had not shunned to declare all the counsel of God. Now, how could he have said that, if he had not spoken of hell as he did? So must ministers. Suppose I never were to mention hell again, would that make it less tolerable? Oh, it is true! it is all true! and we cannot but mention it.
(2) Because they were full of love to sinners. They are the best friends that do not flatter us. You know, beloved, Christ's bosom flowed with love. Out of love he had not where to lay his head; out of love he came to die; out of love, with tears he said: '0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37). And with the same breath he said, 'How can ye escape the damnation of hell?' (Matthew 23:33). So it was with Paul: 'Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men' (2 Corinthians 5:11). Paul would weep over sinners; he says, 'For many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ' (Philippians 3:18). His tears fell on the parchment as he wrote. Oh! if we had more love to you, we would tell you more about hell. They do not love you that do not warn you, poor hell-deserving sinners. Oh remember that love warns!
(3) A third reason why they spoke so plainly of hell, was that they might be free from blood-guiltiness. Jesus did not want your blood laid at his door, therefore he spoke of the 'furnace of fire' (Matthew 13:42), and of 'the worm that dieth not' (Mark 9:44). Ah! he says, 'How often would I have gathered you, but you would not! 'God would not have blood-guiltiness laid to his charge. He says, 'As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die?' (Ezekiel 33:11). So it was with David: 'Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, 0 God!' (Psalm 51:14). It was fear of blood-guiltiness that made David speak so plainly. So it was with Paul; he says, 'I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men' (Acts 20:26). So it is with ministers; we must acquit our conscience, and if you go to the judgment-seat unpardoned, unsaved, your blood will be upon your own heads. As I was walking in the fields yesterday, that thought came with overwhelming power into my mind, that every one I preached to would soon stand before the judgment-seat, and be sent either to heaven or hell. Therefore, brethren, I must warn you, I must tell you about hell.
3. Let us consider the names given to hell in the Word of God.
And the first is fire; it is taken from an earthly element suited to our capacity, as Christ takes to himself a name to suit us, as a shepherd, a door, a way, a rock, an apple tree, the rose of Sharon, etc. So when God speaks of heaven, he calls it Paradise, a city which hath foundations, golden streets, pearly gates. Now, one of these names will not describe it, nor any of them; for eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things God hath prepared for them that love him. So when God speaks of hell he calls it 'a furnace of fire', 'a bottomless pit', 'perdition'. Now, one of these names will not do, but take them altogether, and you may conceive something of what hell is.
The first name given to hell is fire. On the southern side of Mount Zion there is a valley covered over with vines - it is the valley of Hinnom, where Manasseh made his children pass through the fire of Moloch. Now, this is the name by which Christ calls it, 'a valley of fire'. And, again, he calls it 'a furnace of fire', the walls will be fire; it will be fire above and below, and fire all round about. Again it is called a 'lake of fire'. The idea is something like a furnace of fire; it will be enclosed with burning mountains of brass. There will be no breath of wind to pass over their faces; it will be flames of fire for ever and ever. It is called 'devouring fire'. 'Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire' (Isaiah 33:14). Compare this with Hebrews 12:29: 'For our God is a consuming fire. 'It is the nature of fire to consume, so it is with the fire of hell; but it will never annihilate the damned. Oh it is a fire that will never be quenched; even the burning volcanoes will cease to bum, and that sun now sweetly shining upon us will cease to bum, and that very fire that is to bum up the elements will be quenched; but this fire is never quenched.
Another name given to hell in the Word of God is the prison. So we learn that the multitudes that perished at the flood are shut up in this prison. Ah! sinner, if you are shut up in it you will never come out till you have paid the uttermost farthing, and that you will never do - the bars are the justice and holiness of God.
Another name given to hell is the pit. Ah! it is the bottomless pit, where you will sink for ever and ever; it will be a continual sinking deeper and deeper every day. Ah! sinner, is it not time to begin and cry, 'Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink'? 'Let not the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me'? (Psalm 69:14, 15).
Another name given to hell in the Word of God is a falling into the hands of God. 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God' (Hebrews 10:31). 'Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee?' (Ezekiel 22:14). God will be your irreconcilable enemy, sinner. God, who takes no pleasure in the death of the sinner, but rather that he should live - that God, I say, will be your eternal enemy if you die Christless - if you will not believe - if you will not be saved. Oh what will you do, poor sinner, when his wrath is kindled?
Another name given to hell is the second death. 'And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death' (Revelation 20:14). This is the meaning of God's threatening to Adam: 'In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die' (Genesis 2:17). Perhaps you may have stood by the bed of a dying sinner, and you may have seen how he gasps for breath, his teeth clenched, his hands clasp the bedclothes, his breath turns fainter and fainter till it dies away. Ah! this is the first death: and is like the second death. Ah! the man would try to resist, but he finds it is in vain; he finds eternal hell begun, and God dealing with him, and he sinks into gloom and dark despair. This is the death sinners are to die, and yet never die.
Another name given to hell is outer darkness. Christ calls it outer darkness. 'But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness' (Matthew 8:12). 'Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness' (Matthew 22:13). You will see it also in 2 Peter IA: 'God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness.' Again, Jude, 13th verse: 'Wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.' O my dear friends! this is hell - 'the blackness of darkness', 'outer darkness', 'chains of darkness'.
4. I come now to show you that the hell spoken of in the Bible is not annihilation.
Some people think that though they are not saved, they will be annihilated. Oh it is a lie; I will show you that:
(1) First of all, by the cries of the damned. 'And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy upon me - for I am tormented in this flame' (Luke 16:24). And, again, look at the words in Matthew 22:13: 'There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Oh! these plainly show us that it is no annihilation. In hell the multitudes will be bundled up together in the great harvest day. 'Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to bum them' (Matthew 13:30). There will be bundles of sweaters, bundles of Sabbath-breakers , bundles of drunkards, bundles of hypocrites, bundles of parents and children; they will be witnesses of each other's damnation.
(2) Hell will be no annihilation, when we consider that there will be different degrees of suffering. 'It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you' (Matthew 11:22). And it is said, the Pharisees would receive 'greater damnation' (Matthew 23:14). Every man is to be judged according to his works.
(3) It will be no annihilation, if we consider the fate of Judas. 'Woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed; it had been good for that man if he had not been born' (Matthew 26:24). Judas is wishing he had never been born. I have no doubt he wishes to die, but will never be able to die. So it will be with all here who shall go to hell - all unworthy communicants. Ah! I tell you, if you die Christless, you will wish you had never been born, you will wish you had never seen the green earth or the blue sky. Ah! you will wish you had never been. O dear brethren! better never to have had a being, than to be in hell. Ah! there are many in hell today who are cursing the day they were born.
(4) It will be no annihilation, for it is an eternal hell. Some weak and foolish men think and please their fancy with the thought that hell will bum out, and they will come to some place where they may bathe their weary soul. Ah! you try to make an agreement with hell; but if ever there come a time when the flame that torments your soul and body shall bum out, then Jesus will be a liar, for three times he repeats the words of our text, and says, it shall never be quenched.
It is eternal, for it is spoken of in words never used but to denote eternity. 'And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever' (Revelation 14:11). Ah! you see it is for ever and ever. Again, 'And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever' (Revelation 20: 10). Compare this with Revelation 4:9, 10: 'And when those beasts gave glory and honour, and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever...' So you see the torments of the damned are spoken of with the eternity of God. Ah! if ever there come a time when God ceases to live, then they may cease to suffer.
Again, the eternity of hell and the eternity of heaven are spoken of in the very same language. 'And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever' (Revelation 22:5). The same words that are used for the eternity of the saints, are used for the eternity of the damned. 'They shall be tormented for ever and ever.' O sinner! if ever there come a time when the saints shall fall from their thrones, or the immortal crowns fall from their heads, then you may think to leave hell; but that will never, never be - it is an eternal hell, 'for ever and ever'; eternity will be never-ending wrath; always wrath to come. Oh that you were wise, that ye understood this, that ye would consider your latter end.
I shall now apply this: First of all, to you that are believers. Dear brothers and sisters, all this hell that I have described is what you and I deserved. We were over the lake of fire, but it was from this that Jesus saved us; he was in the prison for you and me - he drank every drop out of the cup of God's wrath for you and me; he died the just for the unjust. 0 beloved, how should we prize, love, and adore Jesus for what he hath done for us. Oh we will never, never know, till safe across Jordan, how our hell has been suffered for us - how our iniquity has been pardoned! But, 0 beloved! think of hell. Have you no unconverted friends, who are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath? Oh, have you no prayerless parent, no sister, nor brother? Oh, have you no compassion for them - no mercy's voice to warn them?
Secondly, to you that are seeking Christ anxiously. I know some of you are. Dear soul, what a mercy in God to awaken you to flee from this fiery furnace! Oh, what a mercy to be awakened to flee, to be in earnest! Ah! your unconverted friends will tell you there is no need of being so anxious. Oh, is there no need to flee from the wrath to come? Oh learn, dear soul, how precious Christ is; he is a hiding place from the wind, and covert from the tempest. All the things in the world are like speck of dust, all is lost for Jesus. He is all in all. He is free to you, beloved; take no rest till you can say, 'He is mine.'
Thirdly, to you that are unconverted. Ah! you are fools and you think you are wise; but oh I beseech you, search the Scriptures. Do not take my word about an eternal hell; it is the testimony of God, when he spoke about it. Oh if it be true - if there be a furnace of fire, if there be a second death, if it is not annihilation, but an eternal hell - oh is it reasonable to go on living in sin? You think you are wise, that you are no fanatic, that you are no hypocrite; but you will soon gnash your teeth in pain; it will come; and the bitterest thought will be, that you heard about hell, and yet rejected Christ. 0 then, turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die? Amen.
Sabbath, l5th July, 1842.
Faith's View Of Christ
By Robert Murray M'Cheyne
When the Lord of glory left his Father's bosom, and came into this world, we are sure it was for a purpose suited to his divine nature. Christ came to make men glad. It was said of him, 'The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD hath appointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek' (Isaiah 6 1: 1). Ah! sure, he must be a good Saviour that was to bind up broken hearts, and to make all men glad. Therefore, when he came, he said, 'That your joy might be full' (John 16:24). And you see in the verse before our text, his first words to his disciples — were, 'Peace be unto you.'
But the devil wants you to believe that we want to take away your mirth and joy. He is a liar, and he was a liar from the beginning. Jesus came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them; so do we. We come to break your false joy, to awaken you from your dream, before you be dashed into the burning lake. Ah! we come to give you fulness of joy that cannot wither, joy that cannot die.
True, believers have sorrow; they have a poor, frail body, and they may have false friends. They may have ungodly children; they have temptations and persecutions. The world knows nothing of these sorrows. But they have a joy that the world cannot give or take away. They have a joy to balance all their sorrows; they have 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' (1 Peter 1: 8). It is a joy that will never die. It will be brighter and brighter throughout an endless eternity.
But let us consider what it was that made the disciples glad: first, what it was not, and then what it was.
What it was not.
It was not riches. They were all poor fishermen; none of them had nets of their own. Like their Lord, they were poor. A scribe said, 'Lord, I will follow thee, whithersoever thou goest.' Jesus said, 'The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head' (Matthew 8:19-20). When Jesus rose again, he did not give his disciples riches. Paul said he was poor; yet he possessed all things (2 Corinthians 6: 10). Ah! it is not joy that riches give. You may have a little money in the bank, but it may be taken away. The bank may fail, and you lose it. Ah! riches will not profit you in the day of wrath. You remember the rich man mentioned in Luke 16. Ah! what did his riches do for him in the fire of hell? He could not get a drop of water to cool his tongue.
It was not friends that made the disciples glad. Ah! some of you may have a family - an undivided family; or you may have friends in the world - you may have bosom companions, or lovers; but ah! these will not give you joy. The disciples did not care for friends - that did not give them joy. Notice, the doors where they were assembled were shut for fear of the Jews. The world that hated and crucified their Master, hated them. They were like sheep in the midst of wolves; yet they were glad - their joy was not of earth. Ah, no! creature joys will soon be taken away.
Their joy did not proceed from their own righteousness. Some have all their joy from looking at themselves. Ah! that is a joy of earth - a joy that will prove false whenever the trumpet sounds; a joy that will all be dashed whenever the cry is made, 'Behold the bridegroom cometh' (Matthew 25:6). Ah! is this your joy? Do you have all your joy from your looking at your own filthy polluted hearts? The disciples did not do this. Ah, no! What would they have seen there? They had once known the Lord; but they had all forsaken him in his sufferings, one of them had denied him; they were cast down, they did not know what to do; but they were glad when they saw the Lord. Ah! many of you are going to hell. Look at yourselves, and if your way be the right way, then has Christ suffered and died in vain.
The disciples' joy did not flow from a sight of Christ with the bodily eyes. Ah! some of you think, 'Oh if I had been there, I would have been glad'; but it was not seeing him with the bodily eye that made them glad - for two reasons: First of all, because many saw him, and only wagged the head, and spat upon him. Ah! they could look upon his nailed hands, and pierced bleeding side, and only mock. And every one in this assembly shall see him, for 'every eye shall see him' (Revelation 1:7); and many shall wail because of him. It will be the beginning of eternal damnation to some of you. Second reason: it was not by seeing Christ with the bodily eye, for many have felt the same joy that the disciples did who never saw Christ with the bodily eye.
The disciples joy did not proceed from seeing their Master again. The joy they had flowed from looking at his hands and side. It was not that he had risen and come to be with them again - it was seeing his hands and side -'And when he had so said he showed them his hands and his side; then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.'
What it was that made the disciples glad.
It was the sense they had got that his work was finished. When they saw his hands and his side, they saw his work was all completed. They saw the holy Lamb standing before them - he who had been so lately pierced - with the mark of the spear still in his side. They saw the meaning of that passage in Isaiah 53:5: 'But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed.' When Peter looked upon him, he understood those words he afterwards wrote down - 'Who his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree' (I Peter 2:24). They saw that all the wrath due to them was poured out on Jesus; their debt was paid to the uttermost farthing, and no wonder, then, they were glad. Christ had finished the work the Father had given him to do. That prophecy in Daniel was fulfilled: 'The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself' (9:26); 'To finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness' (9:24).
Ah, brethren! it was this that made the disciples glad; they saw that all they ought to suffer was suffered for them: 'They entered into peace.' 'Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.' They were to be sad no more. Ah! do not many of you look to yourselves? You do not belong to Christ. You are only glad when you look to your own righteousness. But the disciples were glad when they saw Jesus as the Lord their righteousness. It was then, and only then, that they were glad. Oh when will you be glad? When will you have true joy? 0 sinner! look to Jesus. It is only when we see that he has suffered all, and done all we had to do, that we are glad - that our joy will be full.
The disciples were glad, for they saw Jesus was their living Head. 'Because I live, ye shall live also' (John 14:19). 'In the world ye shall have tribulation; but, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world' (John 16:33). The disciples were no doubt sad - they felt a load of guilt; but now they would rejoice, for they had got a sight of him as an ever-living Saviour. Now, Peter would know how to get his proud heart subdued. Jesus was living - and he would reign till all his enemies were put under his feet. Ah! beloved! if we had a sight of a crucified, living, reigning Jesus, we would get all our enemies subdued. Oh look, sinner! Look, all of you! Oh! then you will have true joy. For my own part, I never knew what joy was till I felt that Jesus had died for me - that he lived for me and reigned for me. The world can give you a little joy; but here is fulness of joy. 'We which have believed do enter into rest' (Hebrews 4:3).
I would now apply this.
You may learn from this if you are disciples. What does your joy flow from? Does it flow from riches, from friends? The disciples' joy proceeded from a spiritual sight of the Lord Jesus. When are your happiest moments? Are they when the world prospers with you? When friends are kind, when friends and lovers come around you? Is your joy gone when they are taken away? Ah! then, you are a disciple of the devil! 'Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.' Examine again. Does it flow from your own righteousness? Does it flow from your knowledge of the Bible? From your many prayers? Does it flow from self? Then it is not a disciple's joy. 'Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.'
I would exhort all present to seek a sight of Jesus. Oh seek this joy! A joy that will not pass away. Friends will be taken away, riches may flee away; but this joy will never pass away. Oh seek a spiritual discovery of the excellency of Christ's person and work! Oh it is a sweet joy! It is that that will be with you in death. The Author of it says, 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee' (Hebrews 13:5). 0 let not the world keep you from looking to Jesus! It is eternal life -life eternal.
To you that are seeking Christ night and day. Oh how glad you will be when you find the Lord! Look away from all to Jesus. Oh look to him as a crucified and risen Saviour! Oh get a sight of his beauty and his love! 0 dear anxious soul! seek to have joy by looking at the finished work of the Lord Jesus.
To you that once had this joy, but have backslidden and lost it. Ah! you must look again to Jesus. The disciples had it once, but they had lost it; but Jesus came to them: 'Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.' Ah! we must have a spiritual discovery of his complete work, and his living power. O seek a true joy - a full joy!
Here learn all of you the folly of self-righteousness. Suppose the disciples had looked to themselves, what would they have seen? One had denied, all of them had forsaken him in his sufferings; but the disciples looked only to Jesus: 'Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.' Look, then, to Jesus, and you will have true peace, true joy, fulness of joy - joy that the world cannot give nor take away. You that are Christ's rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice.
May God bless his own Word. Amen.
When the Lord of glory left his Father's bosom, and came into this world, we are sure it was for a purpose suited to his divine nature. Christ came to make men glad. It was said of him, 'The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD hath appointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek' (Isaiah 6 1: 1). Ah! sure, he must be a good Saviour that was to bind up broken hearts, and to make all men glad. Therefore, when he came, he said, 'That your joy might be full' (John 16:24). And you see in the verse before our text, his first words to his disciples — were, 'Peace be unto you.'
But the devil wants you to believe that we want to take away your mirth and joy. He is a liar, and he was a liar from the beginning. Jesus came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them; so do we. We come to break your false joy, to awaken you from your dream, before you be dashed into the burning lake. Ah! we come to give you fulness of joy that cannot wither, joy that cannot die.
True, believers have sorrow; they have a poor, frail body, and they may have false friends. They may have ungodly children; they have temptations and persecutions. The world knows nothing of these sorrows. But they have a joy that the world cannot give or take away. They have a joy to balance all their sorrows; they have 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' (1 Peter 1: 8). It is a joy that will never die. It will be brighter and brighter throughout an endless eternity.
But let us consider what it was that made the disciples glad: first, what it was not, and then what it was.
What it was not.
It was not riches. They were all poor fishermen; none of them had nets of their own. Like their Lord, they were poor. A scribe said, 'Lord, I will follow thee, whithersoever thou goest.' Jesus said, 'The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head' (Matthew 8:19-20). When Jesus rose again, he did not give his disciples riches. Paul said he was poor; yet he possessed all things (2 Corinthians 6: 10). Ah! it is not joy that riches give. You may have a little money in the bank, but it may be taken away. The bank may fail, and you lose it. Ah! riches will not profit you in the day of wrath. You remember the rich man mentioned in Luke 16. Ah! what did his riches do for him in the fire of hell? He could not get a drop of water to cool his tongue.
It was not friends that made the disciples glad. Ah! some of you may have a family - an undivided family; or you may have friends in the world - you may have bosom companions, or lovers; but ah! these will not give you joy. The disciples did not care for friends - that did not give them joy. Notice, the doors where they were assembled were shut for fear of the Jews. The world that hated and crucified their Master, hated them. They were like sheep in the midst of wolves; yet they were glad - their joy was not of earth. Ah, no! creature joys will soon be taken away.
Their joy did not proceed from their own righteousness. Some have all their joy from looking at themselves. Ah! that is a joy of earth - a joy that will prove false whenever the trumpet sounds; a joy that will all be dashed whenever the cry is made, 'Behold the bridegroom cometh' (Matthew 25:6). Ah! is this your joy? Do you have all your joy from your looking at your own filthy polluted hearts? The disciples did not do this. Ah, no! What would they have seen there? They had once known the Lord; but they had all forsaken him in his sufferings, one of them had denied him; they were cast down, they did not know what to do; but they were glad when they saw the Lord. Ah! many of you are going to hell. Look at yourselves, and if your way be the right way, then has Christ suffered and died in vain.
The disciples' joy did not flow from a sight of Christ with the bodily eyes. Ah! some of you think, 'Oh if I had been there, I would have been glad'; but it was not seeing him with the bodily eye that made them glad - for two reasons: First of all, because many saw him, and only wagged the head, and spat upon him. Ah! they could look upon his nailed hands, and pierced bleeding side, and only mock. And every one in this assembly shall see him, for 'every eye shall see him' (Revelation 1:7); and many shall wail because of him. It will be the beginning of eternal damnation to some of you. Second reason: it was not by seeing Christ with the bodily eye, for many have felt the same joy that the disciples did who never saw Christ with the bodily eye.
The disciples joy did not proceed from seeing their Master again. The joy they had flowed from looking at his hands and side. It was not that he had risen and come to be with them again - it was seeing his hands and side -'And when he had so said he showed them his hands and his side; then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.'
What it was that made the disciples glad.
It was the sense they had got that his work was finished. When they saw his hands and his side, they saw his work was all completed. They saw the holy Lamb standing before them - he who had been so lately pierced - with the mark of the spear still in his side. They saw the meaning of that passage in Isaiah 53:5: 'But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed.' When Peter looked upon him, he understood those words he afterwards wrote down - 'Who his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree' (I Peter 2:24). They saw that all the wrath due to them was poured out on Jesus; their debt was paid to the uttermost farthing, and no wonder, then, they were glad. Christ had finished the work the Father had given him to do. That prophecy in Daniel was fulfilled: 'The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself' (9:26); 'To finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness' (9:24).
Ah, brethren! it was this that made the disciples glad; they saw that all they ought to suffer was suffered for them: 'They entered into peace.' 'Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.' They were to be sad no more. Ah! do not many of you look to yourselves? You do not belong to Christ. You are only glad when you look to your own righteousness. But the disciples were glad when they saw Jesus as the Lord their righteousness. It was then, and only then, that they were glad. Oh when will you be glad? When will you have true joy? 0 sinner! look to Jesus. It is only when we see that he has suffered all, and done all we had to do, that we are glad - that our joy will be full.
The disciples were glad, for they saw Jesus was their living Head. 'Because I live, ye shall live also' (John 14:19). 'In the world ye shall have tribulation; but, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world' (John 16:33). The disciples were no doubt sad - they felt a load of guilt; but now they would rejoice, for they had got a sight of him as an ever-living Saviour. Now, Peter would know how to get his proud heart subdued. Jesus was living - and he would reign till all his enemies were put under his feet. Ah! beloved! if we had a sight of a crucified, living, reigning Jesus, we would get all our enemies subdued. Oh look, sinner! Look, all of you! Oh! then you will have true joy. For my own part, I never knew what joy was till I felt that Jesus had died for me - that he lived for me and reigned for me. The world can give you a little joy; but here is fulness of joy. 'We which have believed do enter into rest' (Hebrews 4:3).
I would now apply this.
You may learn from this if you are disciples. What does your joy flow from? Does it flow from riches, from friends? The disciples' joy proceeded from a spiritual sight of the Lord Jesus. When are your happiest moments? Are they when the world prospers with you? When friends are kind, when friends and lovers come around you? Is your joy gone when they are taken away? Ah! then, you are a disciple of the devil! 'Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.' Examine again. Does it flow from your own righteousness? Does it flow from your knowledge of the Bible? From your many prayers? Does it flow from self? Then it is not a disciple's joy. 'Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.'
I would exhort all present to seek a sight of Jesus. Oh seek this joy! A joy that will not pass away. Friends will be taken away, riches may flee away; but this joy will never pass away. Oh seek a spiritual discovery of the excellency of Christ's person and work! Oh it is a sweet joy! It is that that will be with you in death. The Author of it says, 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee' (Hebrews 13:5). 0 let not the world keep you from looking to Jesus! It is eternal life -life eternal.
To you that are seeking Christ night and day. Oh how glad you will be when you find the Lord! Look away from all to Jesus. Oh look to him as a crucified and risen Saviour! Oh get a sight of his beauty and his love! 0 dear anxious soul! seek to have joy by looking at the finished work of the Lord Jesus.
To you that once had this joy, but have backslidden and lost it. Ah! you must look again to Jesus. The disciples had it once, but they had lost it; but Jesus came to them: 'Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.' Ah! we must have a spiritual discovery of his complete work, and his living power. O seek a true joy - a full joy!
Here learn all of you the folly of self-righteousness. Suppose the disciples had looked to themselves, what would they have seen? One had denied, all of them had forsaken him in his sufferings; but the disciples looked only to Jesus: 'Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.' Look, then, to Jesus, and you will have true peace, true joy, fulness of joy - joy that the world cannot give nor take away. You that are Christ's rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice.
May God bless his own Word. Amen.
Do What You Can
By Robert Murray M'Cheyne
FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 11:2, we learn that this woman was Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. We have already learned that she was an eminent believer: "She sat at the feet of Jesus, and heard His word." Jesus Himself said of her: "Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Now it is interesting to see this same Mary eminent in another way, —not only as a contemplative believer, but as an active believer.
Many seem to think that to be a believer is to have certain feelings and experiences; forgetting all the time that these are but the flowers, and that the fruit must follow. The engrafting of the branch is good, the inflowing of the sap good, but the fruit is the end in view. So faith is good, and peace and joy are good, but holy fruit is the end for which we are saved.
I trust many of you, last Sabbath, were like Mary, sitting at the Redeemer's feet, and hearing His word. Now I would persuade you to be like Mary, in doing what you can for Christ. If you have been bought with a price, then glorify God in your body and spirit, which are His. I beseech you by the mercies of God.
These are things which we can do.
We could love Christ, pray and praise more. —What this woman did she did to Christ. Jesus had saved her soul, had saved her brother and sister, and she felt that she could not do too much for Him. She brought an alabaster box of ointment, very costly, and brake the box, and poured it on His head. No doubt she loved His disciples—holy John and frank Peter-yet still she loved Christ more. No doubt she loved Christ's poor, and was often kind to them; yet she loved Jesus more. On His blessed head, that was so soon to be crowned with thorns—on His blessed feet, that were so soon to be pierced with nails—she poured the precious ointment. This is what we should do. If we have been saved by Christ, we should pour out our best affections on Him. It is well to love His disciples, well to love His ministers, well to love His poor, but it is best to love Himself. We cannot now reach His blessed head, nor anoint His holy feet; but we can fall down at His footstool, and pour out our affections towards Him. It was not the ointment Jesus cared for —what does the King of Glory care for a little ointment?—but it is the loving heart, poured out upon His feet; it is the adoration, praise, love, and prayers of a believer's broken heart, that Christ cares for. The new heart is the alabaster box that Jesus loves.
We could live holier lives.—The Church is thus described in the Song of Solomon: "Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?" The holiness of the believer is like the most precious perfume. When a holy believer goes through the world, filled with the Spirit, made more than conqueror, the fragrance fills the room; "'tis as if an angel shook his wings." If the world were full of believers, it would be like a bed of spices; but oh, how few believers carry much of the odour of heaven along with them! How many you might be the means of saving, if you lived a holy, consistent life—if you were evidently a sacrifice bound upon God's altar! Wives might thus, without the word, win their husbands, when they see your chaste conversation coupled with fear; parents might in this way save their children, when they saw you holy and happy; children have often thus saved their parents. Servants, adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour in all things; let your light shine before men. The poorest can do this as well as the richest, the youngest as well as the oldest. Oh, there is no argument like a holy life!
You could seek the salvation of others.—If you have really been brought to Christ and saved, then you know there is a hell—you know that all the unconverted around you are hastening to it; you know there is a Saviour, and that He is stretching out His hands all the day long to sinners. Could you do no more to save sinners than you do? Do you do all you can? You say you pray for them; but is it not hypocrisy to pray and do nothing? Will God hear these prayers? Have you no fears that prayers without labours are only provoking God? You say you cannot speak, you are not learned. Will that excuse stand in the judgment? Does it require much learning to tell fellow-sinners that they are perishing? If their house was on fire, would it require much learning to wake the sleepers?
Begin at home.—Could you not do more for the salvation of those at home? If there are children or servants, have you done all you can for them? Have you done all you can to bring the truth before them, to bring them under a living ministry, to get them to pray and give up sin?
Do you do what you can for your neighbours? Can you pass your neighbours for years together, and see them on the broad way, without warning them? Do you make a full use of tracts, giving suitable ones to those that need them? Do you persuade Sabbath-breakers to go to the house of God? Do you do anything in Sabbath schools? Could you not tell little children the way to be saved? Do you do what you can for the world? The field is the world.
Feed Christ's poor.—I am far from thinking that the wicked poor should be passed over, but Christ's poor are our brothers and sisters. Do you do what you can for them? In the great day, Christ will say to those on His right hand, "Come ye blessed, for I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat." They stand in the place of Christ. Christ does not any more stand in need of Mary's ointment, or Martha's hospitality, or the Samaritan's drink of water. He is beyond the reach of these things, and will never need them more; but He has left many of His brothers and sisters behind in this world, some diseased, some lame, some like Lazarus all covered with sores; and He says, What ye do to them, ye do to me. Do you live plainly, in order to have more to give away? Do you put away vain and gaudy clothes, that you may be able to clothe the naked? Are you thrifty in managing what you have, letting nothing be lost?
Reasons why we should do what we can.
Christ has done what He could for us.—"What could have been done more to My vineyard, that I have not done in it?" (Isa. 5:4). He thought nothing too much to do and to suffer for us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Greater love than this hath no man. All his life, between the manger at Bethlehem and the cross of Calvary, was spent in labours and infinite sufferings for us. All that we needed to suffer, He suffered; all that we need to obey, He obeyed. All His life in glory He spends for us. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. He is head over all things for us; makes everything in all worlds work together for our good. It is all but incredible that each person of the Godhead has made Himself over to us to be ours. The Father says, "I am thy God"; the Son, "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee"; the Holy Ghost makes us a temple: "I will dwell in them, and walk in them." Is it much that we should do all we can for Him—that we should give ourselves up to Him who gave Himself for us?
Satan does all he can.—Sometimes he comes as a lion-your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; sometimes as a serpent—"as the serpent beguiled Eve"; sometimes as an angel of light. He does all he can to tempt and beguile the saints, leading them away by false teachers, injecting blasphemies and polluted thoughts into their minds, casting fiery darts at their souls, stirring up the world to hate and persecute them, stirring up father and mother against the children, and brother against brother. He does all he can to lead captive wicked men, blinding their minds, not allowing them to listen to the gospel, steeping them in swinish lusts, leading them into despair. When he knows his time is short, he rages all the more. Oh, should not we do all we can, if Satan does all he can?
We have done all we could the other way.—This was one of Paul's great motives for doing all he could: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord for putting me into the ministry; for I was a blasphemer, and persecutor, and injurious." He never could forget how he had persecuted the Church of God, and wasted it; and this made him as diligent in building it up, and haling men and women to Christ. He preached the faith which once he destroyed. So with Peter.: "Let us live the rest of our time in the flesh not to the lusts of men, but to the will of God; for the time past of our lives may suffice to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries." So with John Newton: "How can the old African blasphemer be silent?" So with many of you: you ran greedily after sin; you were at great pains and cost, and did not spare health, or money, or time, to obtain some sinful gratification. How can you now grudge anything for Christ? Only serve Christ as zealously as you once served the devil.
Christ will own and reward what we do.—The labour that Christ blesseth is believing labour. It is not words of human wisdom, but words of faith, that God makes arrows. The word of a little maid was blessed in the house of Naaman the Syrian. "Follow me" was made the arrow to pierce the heart of Matthew. It is all one to God to save, whether with many, or with them that have no might. If you would do all you can, the town would be filled with the fragrance. Christ will reward it. He defended Mary's work of love, and said it should be spoken of over all the world, and it will yet be told in the judgment. A cup of cold water He will not pass over. "Well done, good and faithful servant."
If you do not do all you can, how can you prove yourself a Christian?—"Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." You are greatly mistaken if you think that to be a Christian is merely to have certain views, and convictions, and spiritual delights. This is all well; but if it leads not to a devoted life, I fear it is all a delusion. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.
Let us answer objections.
The world will mock at us.—Ans. This is true. They mocked at Mary; they called it waste and extravagance; and yet, Christ said it was well done. So, if you do what you can, the world will laugh at you, but you will have the smile of Christ. They mocked at Christ when He was full of zeal; they said He was mad and had a devil. They mocked at Paul, and said he was mad; and so with all Christ's living members. "Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of the sufferings of Christ.,' "If ye suffer with Him, ye shall also reign with Him."
What can I do?—I am a woman.—Mary was a woman, yet she did what she could. Mary Magdalene was a woman, and yet she was first at the sepulchre. Phebe was a woman, yet a succourer of many, and of Paul also. Dorcas was a woman, yet she made coats and garments for the poor at Joppa. I am a child.—Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings God perfects praise. God has often used children in the conversion of their parents.
I have too little grace to do good.—"He that watereth others, shall be watered himself." "The liberal soul shall be made fat." "It pleased the Father that in Christ should all fulness dwell." There is a full supply of the Spirit to teach you to pray; a full supply of grace to slay your sins and quicken your graces. If you use opportunities of speaking to others, God will give you plenty. If you give much to God's poor, you shall never want a rich supply. "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." "Bring all the tithes unto My storehouse, and prove me now herewith." "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."
FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 11:2, we learn that this woman was Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. We have already learned that she was an eminent believer: "She sat at the feet of Jesus, and heard His word." Jesus Himself said of her: "Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Now it is interesting to see this same Mary eminent in another way, —not only as a contemplative believer, but as an active believer.
Many seem to think that to be a believer is to have certain feelings and experiences; forgetting all the time that these are but the flowers, and that the fruit must follow. The engrafting of the branch is good, the inflowing of the sap good, but the fruit is the end in view. So faith is good, and peace and joy are good, but holy fruit is the end for which we are saved.
I trust many of you, last Sabbath, were like Mary, sitting at the Redeemer's feet, and hearing His word. Now I would persuade you to be like Mary, in doing what you can for Christ. If you have been bought with a price, then glorify God in your body and spirit, which are His. I beseech you by the mercies of God.
These are things which we can do.
We could love Christ, pray and praise more. —What this woman did she did to Christ. Jesus had saved her soul, had saved her brother and sister, and she felt that she could not do too much for Him. She brought an alabaster box of ointment, very costly, and brake the box, and poured it on His head. No doubt she loved His disciples—holy John and frank Peter-yet still she loved Christ more. No doubt she loved Christ's poor, and was often kind to them; yet she loved Jesus more. On His blessed head, that was so soon to be crowned with thorns—on His blessed feet, that were so soon to be pierced with nails—she poured the precious ointment. This is what we should do. If we have been saved by Christ, we should pour out our best affections on Him. It is well to love His disciples, well to love His ministers, well to love His poor, but it is best to love Himself. We cannot now reach His blessed head, nor anoint His holy feet; but we can fall down at His footstool, and pour out our affections towards Him. It was not the ointment Jesus cared for —what does the King of Glory care for a little ointment?—but it is the loving heart, poured out upon His feet; it is the adoration, praise, love, and prayers of a believer's broken heart, that Christ cares for. The new heart is the alabaster box that Jesus loves.
We could live holier lives.—The Church is thus described in the Song of Solomon: "Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?" The holiness of the believer is like the most precious perfume. When a holy believer goes through the world, filled with the Spirit, made more than conqueror, the fragrance fills the room; "'tis as if an angel shook his wings." If the world were full of believers, it would be like a bed of spices; but oh, how few believers carry much of the odour of heaven along with them! How many you might be the means of saving, if you lived a holy, consistent life—if you were evidently a sacrifice bound upon God's altar! Wives might thus, without the word, win their husbands, when they see your chaste conversation coupled with fear; parents might in this way save their children, when they saw you holy and happy; children have often thus saved their parents. Servants, adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour in all things; let your light shine before men. The poorest can do this as well as the richest, the youngest as well as the oldest. Oh, there is no argument like a holy life!
You could seek the salvation of others.—If you have really been brought to Christ and saved, then you know there is a hell—you know that all the unconverted around you are hastening to it; you know there is a Saviour, and that He is stretching out His hands all the day long to sinners. Could you do no more to save sinners than you do? Do you do all you can? You say you pray for them; but is it not hypocrisy to pray and do nothing? Will God hear these prayers? Have you no fears that prayers without labours are only provoking God? You say you cannot speak, you are not learned. Will that excuse stand in the judgment? Does it require much learning to tell fellow-sinners that they are perishing? If their house was on fire, would it require much learning to wake the sleepers?
Begin at home.—Could you not do more for the salvation of those at home? If there are children or servants, have you done all you can for them? Have you done all you can to bring the truth before them, to bring them under a living ministry, to get them to pray and give up sin?
Do you do what you can for your neighbours? Can you pass your neighbours for years together, and see them on the broad way, without warning them? Do you make a full use of tracts, giving suitable ones to those that need them? Do you persuade Sabbath-breakers to go to the house of God? Do you do anything in Sabbath schools? Could you not tell little children the way to be saved? Do you do what you can for the world? The field is the world.
Feed Christ's poor.—I am far from thinking that the wicked poor should be passed over, but Christ's poor are our brothers and sisters. Do you do what you can for them? In the great day, Christ will say to those on His right hand, "Come ye blessed, for I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat." They stand in the place of Christ. Christ does not any more stand in need of Mary's ointment, or Martha's hospitality, or the Samaritan's drink of water. He is beyond the reach of these things, and will never need them more; but He has left many of His brothers and sisters behind in this world, some diseased, some lame, some like Lazarus all covered with sores; and He says, What ye do to them, ye do to me. Do you live plainly, in order to have more to give away? Do you put away vain and gaudy clothes, that you may be able to clothe the naked? Are you thrifty in managing what you have, letting nothing be lost?
Reasons why we should do what we can.
Christ has done what He could for us.—"What could have been done more to My vineyard, that I have not done in it?" (Isa. 5:4). He thought nothing too much to do and to suffer for us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Greater love than this hath no man. All his life, between the manger at Bethlehem and the cross of Calvary, was spent in labours and infinite sufferings for us. All that we needed to suffer, He suffered; all that we need to obey, He obeyed. All His life in glory He spends for us. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. He is head over all things for us; makes everything in all worlds work together for our good. It is all but incredible that each person of the Godhead has made Himself over to us to be ours. The Father says, "I am thy God"; the Son, "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee"; the Holy Ghost makes us a temple: "I will dwell in them, and walk in them." Is it much that we should do all we can for Him—that we should give ourselves up to Him who gave Himself for us?
Satan does all he can.—Sometimes he comes as a lion-your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; sometimes as a serpent—"as the serpent beguiled Eve"; sometimes as an angel of light. He does all he can to tempt and beguile the saints, leading them away by false teachers, injecting blasphemies and polluted thoughts into their minds, casting fiery darts at their souls, stirring up the world to hate and persecute them, stirring up father and mother against the children, and brother against brother. He does all he can to lead captive wicked men, blinding their minds, not allowing them to listen to the gospel, steeping them in swinish lusts, leading them into despair. When he knows his time is short, he rages all the more. Oh, should not we do all we can, if Satan does all he can?
We have done all we could the other way.—This was one of Paul's great motives for doing all he could: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord for putting me into the ministry; for I was a blasphemer, and persecutor, and injurious." He never could forget how he had persecuted the Church of God, and wasted it; and this made him as diligent in building it up, and haling men and women to Christ. He preached the faith which once he destroyed. So with Peter.: "Let us live the rest of our time in the flesh not to the lusts of men, but to the will of God; for the time past of our lives may suffice to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries." So with John Newton: "How can the old African blasphemer be silent?" So with many of you: you ran greedily after sin; you were at great pains and cost, and did not spare health, or money, or time, to obtain some sinful gratification. How can you now grudge anything for Christ? Only serve Christ as zealously as you once served the devil.
Christ will own and reward what we do.—The labour that Christ blesseth is believing labour. It is not words of human wisdom, but words of faith, that God makes arrows. The word of a little maid was blessed in the house of Naaman the Syrian. "Follow me" was made the arrow to pierce the heart of Matthew. It is all one to God to save, whether with many, or with them that have no might. If you would do all you can, the town would be filled with the fragrance. Christ will reward it. He defended Mary's work of love, and said it should be spoken of over all the world, and it will yet be told in the judgment. A cup of cold water He will not pass over. "Well done, good and faithful servant."
If you do not do all you can, how can you prove yourself a Christian?—"Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." You are greatly mistaken if you think that to be a Christian is merely to have certain views, and convictions, and spiritual delights. This is all well; but if it leads not to a devoted life, I fear it is all a delusion. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.
Let us answer objections.
The world will mock at us.—Ans. This is true. They mocked at Mary; they called it waste and extravagance; and yet, Christ said it was well done. So, if you do what you can, the world will laugh at you, but you will have the smile of Christ. They mocked at Christ when He was full of zeal; they said He was mad and had a devil. They mocked at Paul, and said he was mad; and so with all Christ's living members. "Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of the sufferings of Christ.,' "If ye suffer with Him, ye shall also reign with Him."
What can I do?—I am a woman.—Mary was a woman, yet she did what she could. Mary Magdalene was a woman, and yet she was first at the sepulchre. Phebe was a woman, yet a succourer of many, and of Paul also. Dorcas was a woman, yet she made coats and garments for the poor at Joppa. I am a child.—Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings God perfects praise. God has often used children in the conversion of their parents.
I have too little grace to do good.—"He that watereth others, shall be watered himself." "The liberal soul shall be made fat." "It pleased the Father that in Christ should all fulness dwell." There is a full supply of the Spirit to teach you to pray; a full supply of grace to slay your sins and quicken your graces. If you use opportunities of speaking to others, God will give you plenty. If you give much to God's poor, you shall never want a rich supply. "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." "Bring all the tithes unto My storehouse, and prove me now herewith." "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."
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