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CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP APPROVED OF GOD
THE wicked in all ages harden themselves and one another in their iniquities. They vindicate their ways even against the charges of God himself; and hope by a kind of confederacy to maintain their cause against God. It is to this that God refers, when he says, “Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished.” To what an extent the Jews carried this daring and contemptuous conduct, may be seen in the preceding context: “Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?” They deny the charge, and defy even the omniscient God himself to prove his allegations: and even when their impious speeches are adduced in proof of the charge, they still hold fast their sentiments, and maintain boldly that the service of sin and Satan is preferable to the service of their God [Note: ver. 13–15.].
Now from this the people of God may learn a very important lesson, namely, to be as bold for their Master as the wicked are for theirs; and to unite as firmly with each other in maintaining the cause of piety, as the wicked do in upholding the maxims and habits of ungodliness. The propriety of this was felt by the godly in the prophet’s days; and the Lord testified, by the prophet, his approbation of their conduct.
Let us for our own edification consider,
I. The conduct approved—
There were some, even in the worst of times “who feared the Lord,” and maintained frequent fellowship with each other for their mutual support. Their conduct in this respect was such as befitted their circumstances, and became their holy profession. Such conduct is extremely useful—
[Those who fear the Lord have the whole world combined against them. They are, however unintentionally on their part, a reproach to the wicked: they exhibit a light, which the ungodly cannot but see: and being actuated by faith, and manifesting, by the whole of their life and conversation, that their one object is to flee from the wrath to come, and to lay hold on eternal life, they, like Noah of old, “condemn the world,” who will neither believe, nor endeavour to escape, the impending judgments of their God [Note: Heb_11:7. with Pro_28:4.]. Hence “the world hateth them, because they testify of it that the works thereof are evil.” Nor is it a slight measure of hatred which they incur: on the contrary, from the moment that they begin to walk in the steps of their Lord and Master, they are made to participate all the odium that was cast on him: and they must consider themselves highly favoured, if they be not called to sacrifice even life itself in the service of their God.
But how shall they endure all these trials? Instead of receiving support from their friends and relatives, they will usually find, that “their greatest enemies are those of their own house-hold.” True, it may be said, ‘They have a God to go unto; and he will give them all needful succour.’ I acknowledge this; and readily grant that no effectual succour can be derived from any other quarter: but still we need, on ten thousand occasions, advice and encouragement from one another; and often derive from fellowship with the saints such consolation as bears us up against all the power of our adversaries. Hence it is that so many directions are given us in Scripture, relative to the performance of this duty. We are all considered as members of one body, every member of which is to extend its regards to the whole, and to supply to those which come in contact with it all the support which it is able to administer [Note: 1Co_12:25. Eph_4:16.]. We are to exhort one another [Note: Heb_3:13; Heb_10:24-25.], and comfort one another [Note: 1Th_4:18; 1Th_5:11.], and to edify one another in every possible way [Note: 1Th_5:14. Col_3:16.]. Of the benefit arising from such communications we may judge by the effect produced on the minds of the Apostles, when joined by their Lord in their way to Emmaus: “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures [Note: Luk_24:32.]?” Yes, and thousands have experienced the same blessed consolations and supports from occasional intercourse with their fellow-saints, who by seasonable advice have “strengthened their hands in God [Note: 1Sa_23:16-17.].”]
When wisely regulated, too, it is deserving of high commendation—
[Doubtless the conversation of those who profess religion may easily degenerate, and not unfrequently does degenerate, into the mere “talk of the lips, which tendeth only to penury [Note: Pro_14:23.].” But when it is humble, modest, spiritual; when it has a divine savour in it, and nothing is sought but the glory of God, and the edification of the soul; then it is an ordinance of the Lord, which he will honour with his more immediate presence, agreeably to what he has said, that “where two or three are gathered together in His name, there he will be in the midst of them.”]
But of this, we shall see more, by considering distinctly,
II. The approbation given—
God, in testifying his approbation of his people’s conduct, speaks of,
1. That which he himself felt in secret—
[Inexpressibly beautiful is the image here presented to our view. We are not to suppose that God needs to listen, in order that he may know what is said; or to write it down, in order that he may remember it. These terms are merely used for the purpose of conveying to our minds, by a familiar image, what, if conveyed in a more abstract form, we should not so readily comprehend. God here represents himself as a parent overhearing the conversation of his little children. In itself, the observation of a child is not worth the attention of a man: but when uttered by a man’s own child, it becomes extremely interesting, especially when it is on a subject which denotes the presence of early piety. Hence God represents himself as greatly interested by the conversation which he, as it were accidentally, overhears. The very accents seem to be such as his holy mind will approve: “he hearkens; he hears;” he is, if I may so speak, struck with astonishment; he is exceedingly delighted; he determines not to forget it; he takes a book, “the book of his remembrance, and writes it down,” that from time to time he may refresh his memory with it, and, if occasion offer, bring it to the remembrance of the child himself. Can we conceive any thing more expressive of approbation than such a representation as this, more especially when we consider that it is the Almighty God who portrays himself in this posture, and assumes to himself this character? Know then, that whilst we are affectionately communicating our sentiments and feelings to each other, unconscious that any eye is upon us, or any ear within the reach of our voice, our heavenly Father beholds us, and notes down in his book our every word, and every thought [Note: See Jer_31:18. Hos_14:8. Psa_56:8.]; and that no parent in the universe feels such exquisite delight in the most sagacious observations of his little child, as God does in the mutual communications of his believing people.]
2. That which he will manifest before the assembled universe at the last day—
[There is a day coming when “God will make up his jewels,” gathering them together from every quarter of the globe; that, being put together, each in its proper place, they may compose the crown with which the Lord Jesus Christ shall be adorned to all eternity. In that day will God search them all out: not one shall be missing; nor shall one counterfeit be found amongst them. Amongst them will be found all who bear the character assigned them in the text, even all who “feared God, and spake often one to another” respecting the things belonging to their everlasting peace. In themselves they are unworthy of such an honour, yea, deserving rather of God’s wrath and indignation: but God will spare them, not merely as a father spares a disobedient son, but as he would spare the most faithful and beloved of his children. To enter into this representation, reflect on David’s anxiety for Absalom, at the very time that Absalom was come forth to dethrone and destroy him: and further reflect on the grief, the inconsolable grief he expressed, when he heard that this rebellious son was slain in battle. If he then, a mortal man, felt such solicitude to spare a rebellious and parricidal son, what must be implied in the promise of the Most High God to “spare his people as a man spareth his own son that serveth him?” Surely no evil from whatever quarter shall come unto them: when the goats are banished from his presence, the sheep shall be gathered into his fold; when the chaff is burnt up with fire unquenchable, they, as wheat, shall be treasured up in his garner; and as his peculiar treasure shall they be preserved to be his joy, and glory, for evermore. They confessed him before men in this world; and he will confess them in the presence of all his holy angels for ever and ever.]
We will yet further improve this subject,
1. In a way of advice—
[Do not rest satisfied with a religion that is altogether secret. Religion doubtless, in its sublimest actings, is secret, because it consists in the exercise of our affections upon God himself: but it is impossible so to conceal our piety, that the world shall not discern its operations; for it must influence us in the whole of our life and conversation: and if any one think to maintain an upright walk before God, and at the same time to escape the reproaches of an ungodly world, he deceives his own soul. We might as well hope that light should pass unobserved in darkness, as that a man who fears God should pass unnoticed through a world that lieth in wickedness. The world unite with those who are of the same mind and spirit with themselves: and so must the godly do: and “in the excellent of the earth must be their chief delight.” And the man who, through fear of the cross, draws back from the society of the saints, has yet to learn what is meant by being ashamed of Christ, and what portion all such persons have to expect at his hands [Note: Mar_8:34-38.]. Let all therefore learn to confess Christ openly before men, and to “follow him without the camp, bearing his reproach:” and instead of shunning the cross, let all learn to rejoice and glory in it, and to “account, as Moses did, the reproach of Christ a greater treasure than all the riches of Egypt.”]
2. In a way of caution—
[Whilst we advise all not, through fear, to shun religious society, we would affectionately guard all against placing their religion in social converse of any kind. It is not always those who “speak most one to another” that are the best in God’s estimation: on the contrary, those who are the most forward to talk, are often the least humble, and the least correct in their secret deportment. Persons of this description ought to be peculiarly jealous of themselves, lest, whilst they pretend to be seeking the edification of others, they be in reality filled with self-conceit, and advancing only their own glory. God, who sees the heart, often beholds a thousand times more piety in the humble hearer, than in the admired speaker: and therefore it is particularly marked in my text, that God noted in his book the frame of those “who thought upon his name.” Yes, the thinkers, if I may so speak, whilst lamenting perhaps their incapacity to speak, and admiring, almost with envy, the fluency of others, are often noticed by God with pre-eminent delight; whilst the speakers, being filled with pride and self-sufficiency, are objects of his abhorrence. Let none then pride themselves in their fluency, or be dejected for the want of it: but let all remember, that, when “God shall bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the heart, they, and they only, shall have praise of God [Note: 1Co_4:5.],” whose fear of him was accompanied with love, and evidenced by an humble, holy, heavenly deportment.]