DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, JUNE 13, 1880,
BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God, even our Father, which has
loved us and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through
Grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and
work." 2 Thessalonians 2:16,17.
ON BEHALF OF THE FREE HOSPITALS OF LONDON.
THE Thessalonian saints had been much persecuted and afflicted and they
had exhibited great faith, so much so that Paul says, "We ourselves
glory in you in the Church of God for your patience and faith." As if
they had not enough trouble coming from the outside, there sprang up in
their midst certain hot-headed teachers who declared that the Day of
Christ was immediately at hand. The coming of the Lord is the most
grand hope of the Church and it is an evidence of the extreme power of
error to poison and pervert the Truth of God that a hope which is our
brightest consolation can be so twisted as to cause the saints to be
"shaken in mind" and troubled.
But so it appears to have been with the Thessalonians. They were
perplexed with mysterious rumors which the zealots probably supported
by a misinterpretation of the Apostle's own language in his former
letter to them. It would appear that they were tempted to leave their
regular habits of life–some of them even neglected their business upon
the theory that there was no need to attend to it because the world was
so speedily to be at an end. This gave an occasion for "busybodies" to
cease from working and create great disquietude among the more sober
members and, therefore, Paul wrote them this second letter with the
earnest intent that they might be established in the Truth of God, kept
from evil and that disorderly walking might be repressed and that the
Church might be at peace. Paul felt that it was of the utmost
importance that this honorable Church should be at rest and should not
lack consolation either as to its bitter persecutions or its internal
difficulties.
My subject, this morning, leads me to make this the first point to be
dwelt upon–it is most important that Believers should enjoy
consolation. When I have, for a while, spoken upon that, I would with
delight expatiate upon the fact that this consolation is most freely
provided and bestowed in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ–and it is
from this subject that I purpose to draw a practical inference which
may help the collection for the hospitals, namely, that the freeness
with which these consolations are given to us should lead us to a holy
benevolence towards others who need consolation.
I. First, then, IT IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT BELIEVERS SHOULD
ENJOY CONSOLATION. We must not say that it does not matter whether we
are doubting or believing, whether we are sighing or rejoicing–it does
matter a great deal. Every commander knows that if he has not his
soldiers in good heart, there may be a great many of them and they may
be well trained for war, but the battle is not likely to be won.
Courage is essential to valor. Much depends upon the case in which a
man finds himself upon the eve of conflict. If the soldier has no
stomach for the fight, as our forefathers were known to say, he will
make a sorry display when the tug of war comes on.
The Lord delights not to see His people with their heads hanging down
like bulrushes, depressed and dismayed. His Word to them is, "Be
strong; fear not." He is "the blessed God" and He would have those who
know His glorious Gospel to live a life of blessedness, that they may
the better serve Him. Does not His Spirit say, "Rejoice in the Lord
always and again I say, Rejoice"? Has He not given the Comforter, that
He may continually console us? Believers will far better answer the
Lord's purpose and bring more glory to His name if they are filled with
peace and joy in believing, than they will if they yield to
despondency, for the Scripture says, "the joy of the Lord is your
strength."
I am sure that the Lord would have us be of good courage, for its
importance is implied in the very existence of our text. It is the
prayer of an Inspired man. Paul wrote not only at the dictate of
brotherly love, but under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit when he penned this prayer, "Now our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself and God, even our Father, comfort your hearts and establish you
in every good word and work." The Holy Spirit moved the man of God to
breathe this desire and to put it on record that it might be the desire
of all good men as long as ever the Epistle should be read and that all
Christian men should value consolation, even as it was valued by one
who was a tender lover of the flock of Christ.
It would be great presumption on our part to lightly esteem that which
was a prime matter of concern with so instructed and experienced a
teacher as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul puts this prayer into a
very remarkable shape. To my mind it is expressed in a deeply solemn
form, for he writes, "Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself." Was there
need for that word, "Himself? Does it not make it very emphatic that he
seems to call upon the Lord Jesus to give them comfort, not by any
intermediate agency, but in His own Person and by His own power? It is
so essential that we should be comforted that Jesus, even our own Lord
Jesus Christ, is entreated, Himself, to become the Consolation of His
people. Is not that a weighty matter which leads the reverent heart of
Paul thus to plead?
Nor is this all, for he goes on to say, "and God, even our Father," as
if God the Father, Himself, must undertake the work of cheering His
people, so necessary was it that they should be at rest. No one else
could give them such comfort as they required. But God could do it and,
therefore, "God, even our Father," must be specially invoked. The
prayer is that the Lord Jesus and the Father who are One may join in
the most necessary work of comforting the hearts of the tried
Thessalonian saints. It reminds me of Paul's solemn benediction in the
opening of the Epistle, "Grace unto you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ."
This prayer of Inspiration, couched in such solemn terms and directed
so earnestly to the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, and to God, even our
Father, proves the importance and necessity of saints being filled with
comfort. Nor is this the only instance in the Epistle where this desire
is expressed, for a little farther on, in the third chapter, at the
16th verse, we have it in other words but with equal forcefulness–"Now
the Lord of Peace, Himself, give you peace always by all means." I do
not know that in one single sentence there could be compressed a more
intense desire that they may be at peace. "The Lord" is invoked and He
is styled, "the Lord of Peace," that all His Divine Majesty may be seen
and His peace-making power may be displayed.
"The Lord of Peace" is entreated to give peace, not by His angels nor
by His ministers, nor by His Providence, but, "Himself," to give
peace–and this is asked for "always"–"give you peace always." Peace
in the cool of the evening is not enough–it is needed at all parts of
the day, in all the days of the year, in every period of life, in every
place and under all circumstances! The wish is expressed with great
breadth in the words, "Give you peace always by all means"–if it
cannot be brought by one means, let it be by another, but somehow or
other may you enjoy the peace which the Lord, alone, can create!
I cannot imagine that such a prayer as this would have been placed
among the Scriptures of Truth, which are to be our guide till the Lord
comes, unless it had been of the utmost importance that we should enjoy
peace of mind. The Apostle almost hints at one reason for this strong
necessity, for in one word he lets us see that it is a vital blessing
because it affects the Christian's heart. His expression is, "Comfort
your hearts." It is well to have strong hands–how else shall we labor?
It is well to have a firm feet, how else shall we stand? Yet these are
secondary matters as compared with a healthy heart. A disease of the
heart is an injury to the whole man. If anything goes amiss at the
fountain, the streams of life soon feel it. The entire manhood depends
upon the heart–hence the need of comfort for the heart and the value
of the promise, "He shall strengthen your heart."
It is a calamity when the springs of action are weakened and the spirit
is made to sink. "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but a
wounded spirit who can bear?" Touch the flesh where you will, but spare
the brain and the heart, for these are the man so nearly that he is
wounded to the quick when these are hurt. When the spirits begin to
sink, then the waters have come in, even into the soul. Hence our Lord
said to His disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled." However your
house may be troubled, however your bodily frame may be troubled, "let
not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me."
Faith upholds the heart and enables the man to bear up under
pressure–faith, I say and nothing else.
I am sure, dear Friends, you will clearly see the need that we should
be comforted, because the lack of comfort will grievously affect the
action of the heart and mar the entire life force of our being. See you
to it, then, that you lift up the hands that hang down and confirm the
feeble knees by saying to them that are of a feeble heart, "Be strong,
fear not."
Ask that the heart may rejoice in God, for then the roughness of the
way and the stress of the weather will be matters of small concern.
Beloved Brethren, this confidence is necessary to prevent impatience
and other evils. Possibly it was the lack of comfort which led certain
of the Thessalonians to preach the immediate coming of the Lord–their
impatience excited the wish and the wish led on to the assertion.
When men lose the present comfort of plain Gospel Doctrines they are
very apt to begin speculating and in carnal heat foretelling the coming
of the Lord. They left that patient waiting which is our duty, for a
fevered prophesying which is nowhere encouraged in the Word of God.
Hence the Apostle said to them in the fifth verse of the third chapter,
"The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient
waiting for Christ." A man does not wait patiently when he is low in
spirit and weary at heart. Let a man feel his own heart right with God
and be at peace and he can quietly wait until Christ comes, even though
the Lord shall delay His coming for many a day. But when everything is
tossed about and our hope grows dim and our fellowship is broken and
our zeal is burning low, we jump at anything which will end the
struggle and enable us to avoid further effort.
Laziness and despondency lead many to cry, "Why are His chariots so
long in coming?" just as idle workmen long for Saturday night. You
think time too long and life too long, for you are not happy where your
Lord has placed you and you are eager to rush out of the field of
service into the chamber of rest. This will not do, my Brothers and
Sisters, either for you or for me. We must be braced up to further
labor. We must receive comfort in our spirit that we may be able,
patiently, to toil on, however long life may be and however long our
Lord may delay. For if not–if we grow impatient–we may resort to rash
fanatical action as I have already shown you that certain Thessalonians
did. Under the idea that the Lord was coming, they neglected their
daily calling and became busybodies, gadding about from house to house
and loafing upon others who did not pretend to be quite so spiritual.
They were mere star-gazers, looking for the Advent with their mouths
open and their eyes turned up, being evermore in grievous danger of
falling into a ditch! Paul bade them get to work and eat their own
bread, quoting himself as an example, for he had worked with labor and
travail night and day that he might not be chargeable to them. My
Friend, if you are growing impatient for the Day of the Lord, I pray
that comfort of heart may cool you. Tomorrow morning take down the shop
shutters and sell your goods as if Christ were not coming at all, for
should He come, you will be all the more fit to meet Him for being
engaged in your calling.
If I knew that the Lord would come tomorrow I should attend to my
regular Monday duties and on no account leave one of them to go and
stand at the window, looking for wonders! Whether the Master comes
tomorrow or in a thousand years, your wisest course is to follow your
calling in His fear and for His sake. We ought to do our work better
under the impression that perhaps He may come and find us at it! We may
not neglect our duty under pretense of His appearing. Of this, however,
be sure, you will not patiently wait if you are not happy. You will not
go on conscientiously plodding, doing the same work, walking in the
same regular way unless your heart is stayed upon God! You will run
after this novelty or that if your mind is not resting in Jesus. Hence
the devout prayer of our text that God our Father and our Lord Jesus
Christ, Himself, may comfort our hearts and establish us in every good
word and work.
Once more, I am sure this comfort is eminently desirable because it
promotes fruitfulness. The Apostle more than hints at this–"Comfort
your hearts and establish you in every good word and work." When we are
not happy in the Lord we do not give ourselves heartily to His service.
We grow impatient and then we need the exhortation of the 13th verse of
the third chapter, "But you, Brethren, be not weary in well doing." If
we feel that Jesus is ours, that all things are working for our good
and that eternal Glory is secured to us by a sure Covenant, we are
moved by gratitude to complete consecration, for the love of Christ
constrains us. Doubts and disquietudes take us off from our Master's
work, but when He gives us rest, we take His yoke upon us cheerfully
and find in it yet further rest unto our souls.
When our hearts sing, our hands toil and we cannot do enough for our
Redeeming Lord! Right gladly do we present ourselves as living
sacrifices to Him who "loved us and gave Himself for us." Thus, too, we
are established in our work and bound with fresh bonds to it, so that
we delight to labor on till He shall come who shall say, "Well done,
good and faithful servant: enter you into the joy of your Lord." So it
all comes to this–we who are constitutionally despondent must not give
way to depression–we must cry to God to help us by the Divine
Comforter. We must aim at being cheerful Christians. We have abundant
reasons for being cheerful, for the Father Himself loves us and has
given us everlasting consolation in Christ Jesus. Do not let us be so
unwise and so ungrateful as to neglect these consolations of the
Spirit.
If the table is sumptuously spread, why should we be hungry? It the
fountain flows so freely, why should we be thirsty? Moreover, if we
wear of a dark countenance, we may distress the weak ones in the family
of God. It may be that we shall spread the infection of depression
among our fellow Believers and this must not be. Let us wear our
sackcloth on our loins if we must wear it, but let us not wave it in
everybody's face lest we offend against the generation of the Lord's
people! Is it not clear from the Word, Brethren, that we shall be
damaged if we give way to apprehension and dismay? Is it not apparent
that we are invigorated, equipped and prepared for our Lord's use when
we are strong in the Lord and the power of His might? Therefore let us
breathe earnestly to God the desire that His everlasting consolation
may be laid home to our spirits and that our hearts may be comforted at
this moment.
II. We shall now turn to the second point of our meditation which is
this–GOSPEL CONSOLATION IS MOST FREELY BESTOWED. I want, in the chief
place, to call your attention to the manner in which all the way
through, the freeness of Divine Consolation is set before us by the
Apostle. First, observe that the consolations bestowed upon Believers
are most free because they are described as a gift. "Now our Lord Jesus
Christ Himself and God, even our Father, which has loved us and has
given us everlasting consolation." The old proverb has it, "Nothing is
freer than a gift." Every blessing that we receive from God comes as a
gift.
We have purchased nothing–what have we to purchase it with? We have
earned nothing–what work did we ever do that could deserve everlasting
consolation from the hand of the great Lord? Comfort in Christ is an
absolutely free, spontaneous gift of Sovereign Grace, given not on
account of anything we have done, or ever shall do, but because the
Lord has a right to do as He wills with His own–therefore does He
select unto Himself a people to whom the free gift of His consolation
shall be given! If you have any comfort at this time, my Brothers and
Sisters, it is God's gift to you. If you triumph in God, it is God who
has given you your holy joy, therefore bless and praise Him from whom
such a gift has come.
The freeness of this gift is seen in every part of it. The consolation
given us of God is very complete, but it is as manifestly free as it is
evidently perfect. Notice its completeness, I pray you. It covers the
past with these golden words, "which has loved us." As for the present,
it is enriched with this Truth of God, "has given us everlasting
consolation." And as for the future, it is glorified with this
blessing, "and good hope through Grace." Here is a triple comfort, a
consolation in three worlds and under each aspect it is a free favor!
He "has loved us"–why is this? Come, you wise men, pry into the
ancient past and tell me why God loved His chosen!
Stand and gaze as long as you will into the eternal mind and say to
yourself, why did God make this choice of love? The sole reply out of
the excellent Glory falls from Jesus' lips–"Even so Father, for so it
seemed good in Your sight." Shall not the bridegroom elect his own
bride? Shall not the King of kings dispense His favors as He wills? He
has loved us "from before the foundation of the world"–a love so
ancient cannot have been born of any human cause. Eternal love is a
flame enfolding itself–it borrows no fuel from without, but lives upon
itself! He says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore
with loving kindness have I drawn you." But why that everlasting love,
we cannot tell. Beloved, by Divine Love the mysterious past is made to
glow with the Glory of God–its light is like a stone most precious,
even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
Once, when we looked back into the past, we saw the blackness of our
guilt and the hole of the pit from which we were lifted. But now we
behold a silver stream of mercy flowing from the Throne of God and of
the Lamb and we track it to the eternal purpose of love and the
Covenant of Grace. Gaze as you can into light ineffable, but even with
the eye of faith all that you can discern in the ages which are past is
this word which has a splendor about it beyond compare–the word,
"LOVE." In eternity the Lord loved us! Oh, how free is this! How much
we owe for it! The past is bright with love, with love most free!
As for the present, "He has given us everlasting consolation." We have
it now. Christ is His people's Christ today– the consolation of Israel
even now. The pardon of sin is ours; the perfect righteousness of
Christ is ours; life in Christ is ours; union to Christ is ours;
marriage to Christ is ours. Glory with Christ shall be ours by-and-by,
but even now we have the earnest of it in the Spirit which dwells
within us and shall be with us forever. All this is assuredly a
gift–how could it be otherwise? We could never have enjoyed this
everlasting consolation today if Free Grace and dying love had not
brought it to us. Bless, then, the Giver!
As for the future, what of that? Darkness lowers the clouds and the
storm mutters from afar and we tremble lest in the end of life, when
physical force decays, we may be overtaken with a storm in the article
of death–but this covers all–we have "good hope through Grace." The
Scriptures of Truth have assured us that the great Shepherd will be
with us in the valley of death shade and that after death there is a
resurrection and with our risen body we shall behold the King in His
beauty when He shall stand, in the latter days, upon the earth and we
shall, in our perfect manhood, dwell forever in His Glory. This is so
good a hope that it fills all the future with music. This, too, is a
gift. There is not a trace of legal claim in it–it comes not by way of
reward, but of Divine favor.
Thus the past, the present, the future are all rich with the Lord's own
generous gifts and in nothing can we trace a single consolation to
anything but Free Grace. Lest we should make any mistake about these
consolations coming to us most freely, the Apostle mentions One from
whose hand they come, from whom nothing has ever come in other manner
but that of manifest Grace. He mentions, "our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself." Oh it charms me to think that He should comfort me! When
Jesus Christ begins to draw near a man's soul, his joy begins. But when
the Lord sets Himself down steadily to console His Brethren, I
guarantee you it is done in heavenly style, for He will not fail nor be
discouraged! He will wash our feet if the weariness is there. He will
give His bosom for a pillow for our head if the pain is there.
He has said, "I will make all his bed in his sickness," so that if the
woe comes from disease, He will cheer us there. He will anoint our eyes
with salve if the eyes are failing and bind up the broken heart if that
is bleeding. Lest we fall, He will put underneath us the everlasting
arms and lest we are wounded, He will spread over us the shadow of His
wings. He will be all to us that He is in Himself–judge you what that
is. His whole being–His Godhead in its grandeur, His Humanity in its
tenderness He has given to us. He lays Himself out for us and be sure
of this–He will not leave us comfortless! He will come to us. He is
such a blessed Sympathizer in all grief, such a mighty Helper in all
distress that if He comes to our rescue, we may be sure that our
deliverance will be accomplished.
But, Brothers and Sisters, at the sight of our loving Lord we feel that
it would be treason to impute His benefits to any motive but that of
Grace. Is He not full of Grace and Truth? The Law came by Moses, not by
Jesus. His coming was not to judge and to censure–"God sent not His
Son into the world to condemn the world," much less did He send His Son
to condemn His people! There will come a Day of Judgment, but just now
the Son of God sits upon His Throne to grant pardons and to give Grace
to help in times of need. His Throne is a Throne of Grace and His
scepter is that of love. We know that the comforts of the Gospel must
be graciously free since they are brought to us by Jesus Christ
Himself.
Then the Apostle solemnly adds, "and God our Father." There seems to me
to be a peculiar touch of sweetness about this. It is not, "God the
Father"–which notes His relation to Jesus, but our Father, which sets
forth His relation to us. We love God the Father! Unto the Father be
Glory forever and ever! But as "our Father" He comes nearer to us and
gladdens our hearts. Now, a father does not pay wages to his children.
His gifts to them are freely bestowed out of the love of his fatherly
heart. What father expects to be paid for what he does for his sons and
daughters?
Thus we see that the everlasting consolations of the Gospel–coming to
us because we are the children of God–are quite free from anything
which makes them a hire or a debt. And they come to us in the freest
possible manner as spontaneous donations of our great Father, whose
delight it is to give good gifts to them that ask Him. Cannot you look
up, you desponding ones, at this moment and cry, "Our Father"? Our
first hymn greatly refreshed my spirit just now, for I felt very heavy
till the Holy Spirit comforted me with it–
"If in my Father's love I share a filial part, Send down Your Spirit,
like a dove, To rest upon my heart."
And I felt that I could urge that argument and in my inmost heart I
pleaded it before the Lord–Oh, if I am, indeed, Your child and You are
a Father to me, then deal with me as with a son and let me feel Your
Spirit resting within my bosom, that I may know myself to be Yours
beyond a doubt! O how sweet to feel the Spirit's witness and to cry,
"Abba,
Father"!
Now, Beloved, the spirit of adoption is never a spirit of bondage or
legality. It never boasts of human merit, but its one song is, "Free
Grace and dying love." May our Father's free favor make your hearts
sing concerning this and I know that this will be your tune–
"Behold what wondrous Grace The Father has bestowed
On sinners of a mortal race To call them sons of God!"
Look at the text again and you will see how explicit Paul is upon one
point. To make us see the freeness of those consolations which come to
God's troubled people, he writes it, "Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and
God, even our Father, which has loved us." Divine Love is the
foundation of our consolation! No everlasting consolation could have
visited our hearts if the Father and the Son had not loved us! I always
feel inclined to sit down when my ministry causes me to come across the
great Truth of God's love to His people because it is not so much a
Truth of God to speak upon with the tongue as to enjoy in silence in
the heart.
I can fully understand that God should pity my misery. I can comprehend
God's caring for my weakness. But I am filled with sacred amazement
when I am told that He loves me! Loves me? What can there be in me for
the Holy Spirit to love! Brothers and Sisters, what can there be in you
that Jesus should set His heart on you? He has made us and not we
ourselves–does the potter fall in love with his own clay? Will he die
to save a broken vessel? There were other creatures far fairer. Why
were angels passed by? Wonder of wonders that the Lord should love us
poor nobodies, defiled with sin, with such evil tempers and such
strange natures! Ah me, with such estranged natures, which is far
worse!
That the Lord our God should love us. That Christ should love us so as
actually to have died for us! Jesus so loved us that He espoused our
nature, occupied our dwelling place, the world! He took our burden of
sin, carried our cross and laid in our grave! They say that love is
blind–I will not say that our Redeemer's love is of that sort–far
rather will I say that it must have been wonderfully quick-sighted love
to have been able to perceive anything lovable in us! Yet is His love
the source and fountain of all our mercies. He has loved us! There can
be no question that this is free, for love is unpurchaseable!
If a man should give all the substance of his house for love, it would
be utterly despised. Love goes not in the market, it knows nothing of
price, or barter–it must go forth unbribed, unhired, or not at all–in
all cases but far more in the instance of the Eternal Love of the great
Father and His only-begotten Son! Price and purchase for Divine Love?
Wherein would such an insinuation fall short of blackest blasphemy? Yet
again, observe that as if the Apostle feared that we should get away
from this Doctrine of Grace, he added, "He has given us everlasting
consolation and good hope through Grace."
Some people do not like the sound of that word, "Grace." It is too
Calvinistic. We do not care what you call it, but it is the very best
word in the Bible next to the name of God our Savior! It is from the
Grace of God that all our hope begins. Man as a rebel can never earn
anything but damnation through his own merits–Grace must reign or man
must die. Every blessing that can ever come to condemned sinners such
as we are must come because God's great love wills it to come because,
"He is gracious and full of compassion." All other roads are broken up!
Grace alone bridges the chasm and makes a way for traffic between
Heaven and earth! Grace reigns in our spiritual comfort and only Grace!
Let us glorify God for it.
Everlasting consolation is not a blessing given to us as the result of
our own works. This is most clear from the last part of our text, for
there it is asked that the Lord may comfort our hearts, not because we
are established in every good word and work, but that we may be so. All
the good works which adorn the Christian character are the result of
God's Grace and not the cause of it. Grace is given us in order that we
may serve God, not because we do serve God. To make us holy is the
object of Divine Grace, but Grace did not wait until it found us holy,
or it would never have visited us. To close this part of the subject I
would remark that this is the reason why the consolations which God
gives us are everlasting. Dwell on that word, "everlasting." Do not
suffer anyone to fritter away its meaning. You may safely forget that
there are certain folks alive who declare that everlasting has not the
meaning of endless duration, for it means that or nothing! We have too
much personal interest involved in this word to allow it to be toned
down into age-lasting or any other miserable sense.
We should as soon think that the Bible meant the opposite of what it
seems to do as believe that everlasting means something temporary. He
has given us everlasting consolation and the reason why it is
everlasting is because it is founded on the Grace of God! If it were
built upon our merits it would stand upon a foundation of ice or
mist–it would rest on a shadow buttressed by a dream. But if God loved
us out of pure Grace and if Jesus Christ has given us consolation out
of pure love and if our whole comfort rests upon the Sovereign Grace of
God in Christ Jesus, then there is no reason why it
should ever pass away unless God's Grace can evaporate, which cannot
be, since God changes not, but must be forever-more the same! Our Lord
Jesus changes not, for He is the "same yesterday, today and forever."
Ah, you high-fliers who derive a lofty comfort from your feelings, your
happy sensations, your holy works and your belief that sin is dead in
you, fly away as much as you can–you will be brought down one of these
days! Like Icarus in the Grecian fable who flew so high that he melted
the wax of his wings and fell, so will it be with all who venture aloft
on wings of self-confidence. He who lies humbly at God's feet,
conscious of his sin and mourning over it and resting for everything
upon Sovereign Grace and free mercy in Christ Jesus, he may stay where
he is with safety, for his hope shall never fail him. Let the Lord be
magnified for this! He is our Rock and there is no unfaithfulness in
Him and he that rests in Him shall not be ashamed or confused world
without end.
III. So far have we come–now for our closing point which is a
practical one. SINCE THESE CONSOLATIONS OF GOD'S LOVE HAVE BEEN SO
FREELY BESTOWED UPON US, THEY SHOULD LEAD US TO A LIFE OF HOLY
BENEVOLENCE. We ought to be free in our giving to others since God has
been so free in His giving to us. As He has abounded toward us in
infinite liberality, we ought to abound towards all with whom we come
in contact up to the full measure of our ability in all love and
kindness and mercy. In every benevolent enterprise Christian men should
take a hearty interest. Read that 17th verse–"Comfort your hearts and
establish you in every good word and work."
I am a man and being a man everything that concerns men concerns me. I
am a Christian man and as a follower of Christ, the Son of Man,
everything that can do good to my fellow men is a matter in which I
delight to take my share. This should be done in direct actions as well
as in words. Read–"Establish you in every good word and work." Certain
of the oldest manuscripts run, "In every good work and word" and I
suppose in our new translation we shall have it so and very properly,
too. In this case work is probably first and word next.
Some Christian people think that "word" should be everything and work
nothing, but the Scriptures are not of their mind. These professors
speak a great deal about what they will do; talk a great deal about
what other people ought to do and a great deal more about what others
fail to do–and so they go on with word, word, word and nothing else
but word. They do not get as far as "work"–but the Apostle put work
first in this case, as much as to say, "whether you talk about it or
not, do it. Be established in every good work even if you do not get so
far as being capable of a multiplicity of words."
Brethren, let us yoke word and work together–every good thing should
command our advocacy and secure our aid to the fullest of our ability.
Direct practical assistance should be rendered by us all, since our
Lord loves not in word, only, but in deed and in truth. This should be
done without pressure. No one could lay constraint upon God to bless
His people. No pressure was put upon Christ to redeem us! Everything,
as we have shown, was spontaneous, sovereign, free. Even so should men
give to God out of an overflowing heart. Give to Him as a king gives to
a king! How does a king give? Why, as he likes and that is the way to
give–to give because you are delighted to give–not because you feel
obliged to do it by being observed by others, but out of a royal heart
which delights in liberal giving!
Shall you not do as you will with your own? How can a gracious heart
better please itself than by doing good? Give as you would give to a
king, for we never give our meaner possessions to royal personages–we
give the best we have if we give them anything. Let it be so in all the
services that we render to God! Let Him have our best, our noblest, our
dearest possessions. The particular case before us this morning is, to
my mind, a very important one and one which should greatly move all
generous spirits. In this great city of near upon four millions
inhabitants, the provision of hospital accommodation is, to a painful
degree, small.
In those hospitals which will be helped by the collections of today, I
think there are only 5,531 beds, or about one for every 723 persons.
Considering the liability of working men to disease and accident and
the great number of the poorer classes, this is a fearfully small
preparation for possible necessity. But this is not the worst, for out
of these 5,000 beds, as I gather from an admirable paper in The Lancet,
there are never more than 3,232 in daily use, thus diminishing the
supply to an appalling extent! These empty beds are very largely made
so by the lamentable fact that the hospitals have not the means of
using them. The depression in trade has been felt by our free hospitals
to such an extent that they live from hand to mouth in a manner which
is not honorable to one of the wealthiest cities in the world.
The Hospital Sunday Collection has not yet come up to the proper mark
and it is time for ministers to say so and instruct their people, who,
if they knew the need, would promptly supply it. The Lancet wisely says
that if the sermons of
today could be preached in the hospitals, themselves, the collections
would be doubled. There are many objections to carrying out the
suggestion, but I have no doubt the result would be as anticipated.
Suppose me, then, to be preaching in one of the great wards and
yourselves to be standing among the beds. I know those poor creatures
lying near you writhing in pain and those others grateful for the
relief they have received would plead much more forcibly than I can!
The sight of suffering is the best argument with benevolence.
Look at the rows of sick folk and let your heart be touched. As the
service could not well be held in the hospital, The Lancet suggests
that the ministers should spend Saturday in visiting a hospital. I
could not very well do that, but I have tried in my mind, vividly, to
realize the scene and I think most of you are quite as able to draw the
picture as I am, for you have been there to see for yourselves–and
some of you have been there as patients to partake, for yourselves, in
hospital benefits. Picture the wards of mercy and let every sick person
there entreat you to help the funds of these admirable institutions.
An exceedingly powerful plea to my mind arises from those empty beds.
There they are, 2,000 of them! Waiting to be couches of hope to the
suffering! Alas, they cannot be filled because there is not the means
for providing the people with food and nourishment while they are
there. Sorrowful necessity! I cannot endure to think of it. A bed for a
sick man rendered useless by some one's meanness! Where is the
tightwad? Surely he is not here! It would be even more painful to go to
the homes where those persons who ought to occupy those empty beds are
pining for the need of hospital help, waiting the next turn–which turn
may find them in the grave–but which turn would come tomorrow morning
if funds were forthcoming. Must they lie there till they are beyond the
reach of surgical help because the wealthy of this so-called Christian
city cannot spare a little from their luxuries to furnish poor sick
humans with nutriment?
that one with a trumpet tongue could speak to our nobles, our
merchants, our traders, our gentlemen of leisure and bid them consider
the sick poor! O that they all knew the exquisite luxury of doing good!
I would say to employers, will you let these people lie and pine away
for lack of medical help, many of them your workmen whose strength has
been spent in your trades and handicrafts? Pain is crushing them and
provision is made for their help and cure, as far as it can be made,
but it is rendered useless by the need of money to bear the expenses of
the patients! Is this to be always so? Is this to remain so for another
year? Surely it shall not be!
1 ask you, dear Friends, according as God has entrusted you with this
world's wealth, to help the hospitals! I do this with all the greater
confidence because you are Believers in the Doctrines of Free Grace.
Give freely, for you have received freely! Remember that yesterday and
today Jews, Catholics, Protestants, people of all sects have heartily
joined in this common effort for suffering humanity and if those who
believe in the Free Grace of God are behind-hand–no–if they are not
among the foremost in the race, it will be to the dishonor of the
glorious Gospel which they profess! The Lord accept your offerings as
you now present them!
I hear the sound of your gold and silver already, for you are eager in
the work of mercy. The collectors are a little too rapid in their work,
but I will not restrain them, for it is a fit ending to my discourse
that you should hasten to pass from word to work. In so doing may God
bless you. Amen.
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The Sheep Before The Shearers