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MEN’S TREATMENT OF THE GOSPEL
THE word of God, by whomsoever spoken, should be received with reverence and godly fear. Great care indeed should be taken to examine whether the word which is spoken in his name be agreeable to the sacred oracles; but when that point is ascertained, then we should bow before it, and submit ourselves wholly and cheerfully to its directions. This is the plain dictate of reason and common sense: but yet it is far from being the regulating principle of men’s actions; for at the very time that men acknowledge the divine authority of the word delivered, they set themselves in a variety of ways to invalidate its force, and to withstand its influence. The Jews who came to inquire of Ezekiel had no doubt of his being a prophet, inspired of God to declare unto them his holy will. Yet when he did deliver to them the messages sent by his divine Master, they poured contempt upon them, and said, “Doth he not speak parables?”
From hence we shall take occasion to shew,
I. How the messages of God are treated—
The import of the observation made by the Jews on Ezekiel’s ministrations seems to have been, that his word was altogether so figurative and unintelligible as to be unworthy of any serious attention. It may be thought perhaps that this was a singular case; but it is, in fact, a just specimen of the way in which the messages of God have been treated from the beginning of the world—
[When Noah preached to the antediluvian world, he was regarded as a weak alarmist, who merited only their pity and their scorn. When Lot warned his family of the impending judgments that would soon fall on Sodom and Gomorrha, “he seemed,” we are told, “as one that mocked to his sons-in-law.” When Jehu was informed by a prophet that God had destined him to assume the royal authority, the messenger was designated by the title, that mad fellow; “What said that mad fellow unto thee?” If we come to the New-Testament dispensation, we find our blessed Lord himself, who “spake as never man spake,” treated in the same contemptuous manner: many of the Jews said of him, “He hath a devil, and is mad: why hear ye him [Note: Joh_10:20.]?” and again, “Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil [Note: Joh_8:48.]?” The name, “that deceiver,” seems to have been given him by his enemies as a common appellation [Note: Mat_27:63.]. His Apostles met with precisely the same reception. St. Paul was accounted a babbler; and when speaking most unquestionably “the words of truth and sober ness,” was thus reviled; “Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning hath made thee mad [Note: Act_17:18; Act_26:24.].” And is it not thus at the present day? Is not every one who delivers the word of God with fidelity and boldness represented as a fanatic, and a deceiver? Some condemn the matter of his discourses, as visionary, as erroneous, as unnecessarily strict, or as lax even to licentiousness. Others condemn the manner: if it be firm, it is harsh; if affectionate, it is canting; if written, it is dull; if unwritten, it is enthusiastic, and devoid of sense. In a word, it is now as in the days of old: when John came, neither eating nor drinking, it was said he had a devil; and when our Lord came with condescending freedom, “eating and drinking,” it was said of him, “Behold a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners:” and in like manner we, “whether we pipe or mourn,” are equally unacceptable to our hearers, and obnoxious to their censure [Note: Mat_11:16-19.].
It is worthy of observation too, that the opposers of the Gospel seem never to entertain a doubt but that they are quite correct in all the censures which they pass upon those who minister the word unto them. “Doth he not speak parables?” was in the apprehension of Ezekiel’s hearers an obvious fact; and the inference which they drew from it, namely, That he was unworthy to be regarded, was in their estimate perfectly legitimate and undeniable. So now the folly of all who preach the Gospel, and the consequent propriety of disregarding every thing they say, are considered as so plain, that none but persons equally weak with themselves can entertain a doubt upon the subject.]
If such be indeed the treatment generally given to the Lord’s messages, it will be useful to inquire,
II. Whence it is they are so treated—
Doubtless persons who mean well may both speak and act with considerable indiscretion, and may by their injudicious conduct cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of. But as the treatment of God’s messages is the same by whomsoever they are delivered, we must look for the reason of it, not so much in the messengers, as in those to whom they are sent. There are then in the hearers of the Gospel many obstacles to a just reception of it;
1. A pride of understanding—
[Men think themselves qualified to sit in judgment upon the word of God, just as much as upon any human composition; and, when it accords not with their pre-conceived opinions, they do not hesitate to pronounce it foolishness [Note: 1Co_1:18; 1Co_1:23; 1Co_2:14.]. To receive it with the docility of little children they would consider as a degradation to them. They account it not indeed a degradation to children to receive instruction from their parents, or their authorized instructors; but they see not any such distance between the mind of God and theirs, as to call for any such submission to him on their part, though “they are born like a wild ass’s colt.” Hence it must necessarily arise that they will stumble, and be offended, at the great mysteries of redemption.]
2. An independent spirit—
[“Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?” is the reply, which, not Pharaoh only, but the whole host of rebels, make to the commands of God. It is awful to observe how little weight the authority of God has in influencing the conduct of the world. Tell them how much their interest will be affected by this or that line of conduct, and they will give a patient attention to your advice: but speak of God’s judgments, and they will “puff at them” with sovereign contempt [Note: Psa_10:5.]. Such treatment they themselves would not endure, for a moment, from a child or servant of their own: but they offer it to God without any self-reproach, or any fear of his displeasure. They will not indeed confess that they thus oppose themselves to their Maker: they will maintain, that the word spoken to them is no just expression of his will: but this is a mere cover to their rebellion: they will not comply with his commands, and therefore they will deny altogether that they proceed from him, or else wall so interpret them as altogether to change their import, and evade their force.]
3. An inveterate aversion to holiness—
[To a formal and external righteousness many are not at all averse; they rather love it, as a substitute for spiritual obedience. But bring to their view the requisitions of God’s law, and they cry out against them, as unreasonably severe, yea, as utterly impracticable and absurd. Our Lord himself informs us, that this is the true source of their rejection of his word: “They love darkness rather than light: they even hate the light, and will not come to the light, lest their deeds should be reproved.” No wonder that they cry, “Doth he not speak parables?” when they are determined beforehand not to understand the plainest declarations.]
Before any determine thus to reject the messages of Heaven, it will be well for them to consider,
III. What consequences must ensue from this treatment of them—
Certainly,
1. All the ends of our ministry among them must be defeated—
[It is in vain to speak to those who will not hear: the invitations, the promises, the threatenings of Scripture can be of no avail to those who will not acknowledge the authority of God in them. What a melancholy reflection is this, that God should send ambassadors to men with messages of peace and love, and that men should “make light of them,” and recompense with hatred and contempt every effort that is made for their salvation. Well might Paul “have continual heaviness and sorrow in his heart,” when he reflected on the state of such persons, and that, instead of having to present them to God as his joy and crown, he should have to appear as a swift witness against them in the day of judgment,]
2. Their guilt and condemnation must be greatly aggravated—
[No man leaves the house of God as he came into it: the ordinance which he has attended has either brought him nearer to heaven, or prepared him more as fuel for the tire of hell. If the word be not “a savour of life unto life, it is savour of death unto death.” Our blessed Lord told his hearers, that “if he had never come and spoken unto them, they would comparatively have had no sin:” but that in consequence of their rejection of his proffered mercies, “the state of Sodom and Gomorrha would be more tolerable in the day of judgment than theirs.” In like manner we must say to our hearers, that every opportunity of instruction which they have enjoyed is a talent to be accounted for; and that their hiding of it in a napkin will be a ground of their condemnation [Note: Joh_3:19.].]
Application—
[And now what account must we carry to our God concerning you? He has sent us to deliver his messages; and he will require of us some account of the manner in which they have been received amongst you. And what shall we say? Must we not, in reference to the greater part of you, say, “Ah! Lord God,” we come with a painful report: we would have rejoiced to have told thee, that thy word had had “a free course, and been glorified amongst them;” but we are constrained to declare, that, if not in word, yet at least in spirit, they say of us, “Doth he not speak parables?” Some do really think that the message we deliver is no other than “a cunningly-devised fable;” whilst others, acquiescing in it as coming from thee, are too busy, or too careless, to pay any respect to it. Some, it is true, take a pleasure in hearing thy word, just as Ezekiel’s hearers did; but, like them, they will not comply with any one of thy commands: their cares, their pleasures, their desire of earthly things, carry them away, and entirely engross their minds: they are hearers of thy word, but not doers of it: and though they sometimes are made to see their face as in a glass, they go away, and presently forget what manner of men they are. Thus, though they differ from one another in many things, they agree in this, namely, to refuse subjection to thy blessed word, and to follow the imaginations of their own hearts.
This however is not the case with all: there are some who receive the word, “not as the word of man, but, as it is in truth, the word of God.” Some there are that say of us, We have been messengers of glad tidings to their souls, and instruments in thy hands for their eternal welfare. The Saviour whom we have announced to them is precious to their souls; they look to him; they trust in him; they rejoice and glory in his salvation; and they shew forth their faith by their works. “O Lord God, what thanks can we render unto thee for all the joy where with we joy before thee on their account!” truly “they are our glory and joy.” O blessed Lord, increase their number a hundred fold; and “establish all their hearts unblameable in holiness unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!” that when we shall be summoned to thy judgmentseat to give up our account to thee, we may do it with joy and not with grief. Let not one of them turn back again to perdition; but keep them all steadfast in faith and love and holiness, that we may have the joy of presenting them perfect before thee in that day, saying, “Here am I, and the children thou hast given me!”]