What We Have, and Are to Have
(No. 2991)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 1906.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER
28, 1876.
"Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, our Father, who 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
EVERY man who is engaged in a good work desires that it may be lasting.
"Establish You the work of our hands upon us; yes, the work of our
hands establish You it," was not only a very appropriate prayer from
the mouth of Moses, who had led the children of Israel through the
wilderness, but it is also a very appropriate prayer to be presented by
every minister of Jesus Christ. We desire to build that which will
endure the fire of the great testing day–not wood, hay and stubble,
but gold, silver and precious stones.
The Apostle Paul, like all true servants of Christ, was very anxious
about those who had been converted and formed into churches by him. He
desired that all the professed converts should be real converts and
that the members of the churches in the various countries where the
Gospel had been preached might be well trained and instructed–and
might know the Truth of God and be firmly rooted in it. It somewhat
saddened him that the Christians at Thessalonica had been disturbed by
a rumor about the speedy coming of Christ. He was grieved that they had
been troubled concerning this matter and he was still more sorry that
they had not men among them able to guide them at such a crisis, for
they were like children carried away by novelties. The Apostle wanted
them to be firmly established in the faith, to know the Truth of God
and to have it abiding in their hearts so that they would be able to
stand fast in the evil day, whatever error might be raging round about
them.
I think, Brothers and Sisters, that the prayer of the Apostle is very
suitable for this present period. We have rejoiced to see a large
number of persons coming out as professed followers of Christ, but what
is needed is that they should be so enlisted in the army of Christ that
they will remain faithful even unto death. We do not want our work to
be shallow and superficial–we want it to be like that "city which has
foundations, whose builder and maker is God." It is heartbreaking
service to sow the good Seed of the Kingdom upon the rocky ground, for
it springs up so rapidly simply because it has no depth of earth and
then, when the burning heat of the sun shines upon it, it withers away
because it has neither moisture nor root. It would be far better to
have half a dozen souls really brought to Jesus Christ and enduring to
the end, than to have half a dozen thousand blazing away with a false
profession for a time–and then returning like the dog to his vomit, or
like the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. Our Lord's
own declaration is, "He that endures to the end shall be saved." It is
that endurance, that holding out to the end, which is the point to
which we would direct all our endeavors on behalf of our hearers and
our converts–and the point about which we would most earnestly pray to
our God.
Because these Thessalonians had been somewhat fluttered and disturbed,
the Apostle was distressed concerning them and he, therefore, exhorted
them to steadfastness. "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the
traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or our
Epistle." But after exhorting them to stand fast, he did not feel that
this was sufficient. So he stopped writing, laid down his pen, fell on
his knees and prayed to God to make them stand fast. And when we
realize how feeble our utmost exertions are, we may well join fervent
prayer to them! And when we remember that the flesh is so weak and that
even when men resolve to stand fast, their feet are very soon caused to
slip, we may well cry to the great Holder-Up of His saints to keep them
from falling, or even from stumbling. The preacher's work is only
half done when he has exhorted his hearers to stand fast–he must then
fall upon his knees and pray for them. And you who teach others in the
Sunday school and elsewhere, must remember that whatever you exhort
your scholars to do, you should always pray to God to lead them to do
it. This is a blessed compound of preaching and praying–it makes a
rich amalgam of Christian ministry when there is, first, the testimony
of the Truth of God to men and next, the pleading with God on the
behalf of men. Regard, then, our text as the Apostle's prayer for the
Thessalonians, and for all of us who believe in Jesus, that we may
stand tall, in this evil day, and that, having done all, we may still
stand steadfast whoever and whatever may oppose.
Paul's prayer is instructive, for it directs our attention to two
things. First, to what we have already–"Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself,
and God, our Father, who has loved us, and has given us everlasting
consolation and good hope through Grace." And then it tells us what we
are to have, what is the natural result of what we already
have–"Comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and
work."
I. First, then, Brothers and Sisters, we are to consider WHAT WE
ALREADY HAVE.
The Apostle mentions, first, the source of all our blessings and then
the streams. "Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, our Father."
There is the source of all our blessings and, to my mind, it is
exceedingly suggestive to notice that word, "our," put in twice in the
early part of the text. Paul does not write, "Now the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself, and God, our Father." But it is, "OurLord Jesus Christ
Himself, and God, our Father."
The source of our present comfort and of our future perseverance is the
fact that Jesus Christ is ours. Look at Him now with the adoring eyes
of your reverent contemplation, in His glorious Deity and His perfect
Manhood. Look at Him in the manger. Behold Him on the Cross. Regard His
perfect life and His redeeming death. Behold Him in His Resurrection,
His triumphant Ascension and His perpetual intercession. And look
forward to His promised return from Heaven. Beloved Believer, He is
yours–all yours. In all those positions and conditions He has given
Himself to you and to me, and we may together say, "OurLord Jesus
Christ!" Oh, how precious is this Truth of God to our soul! Being
Divine, He is Omnipotent and that almighty power He wields for us!
Being Divine, He is Omniscient and those sleepless eyes of His are
always on the watch for us! Being Divine, He is Immutable and that
eternal love of His which knows no shadow of a change, is fixed upon
us! All His attributes and Himself, also, He places at our disposal–so
let each one of us gratefully respond, "You are my portion, says my
soul." Enlarge your thoughts concerning the Lord Jesus! Think most
highly of Him! Extol Him with your heart and with your tongue! But
remember that when you have reached the utmost heights that you can
attain in your estimation of Him, He is yours, altogether yours, and
you can say with Paul, " OurLord Jesus Christ Himself–
"Our Lord is risen from the dead
Our Jesus is gone up on high!
The powers of Hell are captives led–
Dragged to the portals of the sky.
There His triumphal chariot waits
And angels chant the solemn lay–
Lift up your heads, you heavenly gates!
You everlasting dove, give way!'" And then the Apostle adds, "And God,
our Father." We sometimes tremble at the thought of God our Father, as
well we may. How could we ever approach Him were it not for God in
human flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ? But when we have once really
trusted in Christ, it is an easy matter for us to look by faith to God
and to rejoice in Him! And, with the deepest reverence of soul, let us
know that God–the ever-blessed God–the terrible God–the Omnipotent
God who shakes both Heaven and earth with His voice, who touches the
hills and they smoke–this God is ourGod! And all His attributes of
power, as well as those which we usually consider to be more full of
Grace, are exerted on our behalf! I do not know anything that is more
comforting in times of trouble than this great Truth. I met, yesterday,
a gentleman who told me that he was converted some 30 years ago,
through the instrumentality of a great-uncle of mine with whom he lived
as an apprentice. He said, "There was a terrible thunderstorms and the
old gentleman was sitting by the fireside and we youngsters were
afraid. The flashes of lightning were so vivid and the thunder pealed
out so terribly, but," he added, "the old gentleman rose from the
fireside, went to the window, and as he looked out, he began to sing–
'The God that rules on high
And thunders when He pleases, That rides upon the stormy sky, And
manages the seas–
This awful God is ours, Our Father and our love! He shall send down His
heavenly powers To carry us above.'"
The gentleman said to me, "I never forgot the impression I then
received of that good man's quietude of mind, and of the evident
delight which he took in that display of the Divine Omnipotence. There
seemed to him a sweetness in the eloquence of his Father's voice,
though it made every timber in the old house shake."
Yes, Brothers and Sisters, the Apostle brings these things to our minds
so that we may realize that in having "our Lord Jesus Christ Himself,
and God, ourFather," we have on our side those who will be true to us
forever and, therefore, we ought to continue to be comforted in heart
and established in every good word and work. If you had trusted only to
a dead Savior, you might well go and weep over His tomb–if you had
such gods as the heathen have, then might all consolation be withheld
from you. But with an almighty Savior who always lives to make
intercession for you and with an Omnipotent and Omniscient Father who
always lives to watch over you as His dear children, you must not so
much as think of being disquieted in spirit, nor even dream of being
moved from the firm foundation of your faith and hope, and love!
While still thinking of this source of our consolation, it will help us
if we notice, next, that the Apostle specially mentions the Person of
Christ. "Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself" Why did he put in that word,
"Himself," just there? It would have sounded all right if he had
written, "Now our Lord Jesus Christ, and God, our Father, who has loved
us." Ah, but he wanted to call our very particular attention to the
real Personality of our Lord Jesus Christ and to make us feel that, in
Him–not merely in what He does and what He bestows, but in "Himself is
the source of our comfort! "Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself" O
Brothers and Sisters, is there any surer source of joy to a Christian
than Jesus Christ, the Incarnate God? John writes, "The Word was made
flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the
only-begotten of the Father, full of Grace and truth." And from the
inspired Word I know that God has taken Humanity into union with
Divinity, and that He who stands at the right hand of God, even the
Father, is the Son of Mary, bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh! Why,
there is comfort in the knowledge that He is there as the
Representative Man who has taken redeemed human nature right up to the
Throne of God–picked up human nature as it lay, all bruised and
mangled, outside the gate of the earthly Paradise–and taken it up into
the heavenly Paradise from which it can never be expelled!
There must be thoughts of love to man in the heart of God since His
only-begotten and well-beloved Son is a Man! When you think of your
Savior, you are not to think exclusively of Him as God, but also to
think of Him as Man, for He was born into this world and lived in it.
He ate and drank, and slept and walked as we do–and He also died as we
do! And in His Humanity, as well as in His Divinity, He has gone into
Glory. Leaving out, for the moment, what He has done for us, we may
well rejoice in what He is, Himself, as Immanuel, God With Us! Here is
music in the very sound of that sweet name–and there is the very
essence of music in "our Lord Jesus Christ Himself."
But look at His Person, not merely as Man, but as the God-Man who has
offered a complete Atonement for His people's guilt. Up yonder,
enthroned in Glory, is your Savior, not merely as Man, but as the
Mediator between God and men, who has completed His great Sacrifice,
accomplished all His Father's purposes and fulfilled His Father's will
so that He could truly say, "It is finished." Look at Him, by faith, as
the glorified Man–glorified because, having descended into the grave
bearing His people's sin, He came up out of the grave without sin. He
"was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our
justification." And His Resurrection was the proof that He had–
"To the utmost farthing paid Whatever His people owed."
Surely it should bring the sweetest consolation to you to think of
Jesus Christ as the Representative of His people, gone up into Glory
and soon to come to this earth again to reign "before His ancients
gloriously," when the bodies of all His saints shall be fashioned like
unto His glorious body, and so shall be "forever with the Lord."
Brothers and Sisters, may
"our Lord Jesus Christ Himself manifest Himself unto you with those
dear upraised hands of His, with the scars still visible! And as you
gaze upon Him, may you realize that He is giving to you "everlasting
consolation and good hope through Grace" and, therefore, may your
hearts be comforted and may you be established in every good word and
work! How can you be moved from your steadfastness so long as you can
see Him? How can you ever depart from Him who has won your affection
and holds your soul fast with cords of a man, and bands of love? Surely
you must cling to Him forever and ever! I feel that I must say with the
poet–
"A very wretch, Lord!I should prove,
Had I no love for Thee–
Rather than not my Savior love,
Oh, may I cease to be!"
The Apostle, however, does not let us forget that in union with our
dear Redeemer, at one with Him in every purpose of Divine Grace, is
"God, our Father, who has loved us." And he bids us think not so much
of His Person which we cannot comprehend, as of His love. So, Beloved,
let us try to view God our Father in the attitude of loving us. Truly,
this is a boundless and unfathomable sea! We can neither fly across it,
nor dive into its depths. Remember, Believer, that the Lord loved you
long before the foundation of the world. You are so insignificant in
the scale of being that if He had quite forgotten you, you might not
have wondered. And yet, before the mountains were created, or He had
kindled the morning star, in the glass of His decrees He beheld you and
even then He loved you! Recollect how Jeremiah was inspired to write,
"The Lord has appeared of old unto me, saying, Yes, I have loved you
with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
you." Dwell on that wondrous Truth of God, that God has loved you with
an everlasting love. Suck the honey of consolation out of that glorious
fact! Surely if your faith is at all in exercise, you will find much
sacred sweetness there.
God loved us, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, "even when we were dead
in sins." God loved you when you resisted His Spirit. He loved you when
you despised His Son. He loved you out of the horrible pit and the miry
clay. He loved you into a state of Grace and so loved you into loving
Him. And He has loved you ever since with a constant love though He has
sometimes chastened you for your profit–for His love is wise and
discriminating. He has never deserted you and His love for you has been
constant and true. He has often been grieved with you when you have
sinned against Him, for His love is a holy love which cannot endure
iniquity–yet He has forgiven you, for His love is a gracious love! He
has always loved you and is loving you at this moment. Surely this fact
ought both to comfort the Believer's heart and to hold it fast! And
this is what the Apostle was aiming at when he wrote our text. What can
bind a Christian to his God so well as a sense of Divine Love? If it is
but shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit, you will not be
tempted away from your Heavenly Father's house, neither will you be
weary of your Heavenly Father's work, nor tired of your Heavenly
Father's words. That which comes to us perfumed with love is always
sweet and precious, so let us rejoice to remember "God, our Father, who
has loved us."
And, Beloved, do not forget that having once loved you, He will always
love you. When this great world has passed away and, like a dream, has
vanished into nothingness, you will still live because Jesus will still
live–and you will still be loved by "God, our Father," because Jesus
will still be loved by Him. As you are in Him, you shall be forever in
Him and forever be the object of the Father's love. These are simple
matters to speak of, but they are sublime Truths of God to live upon.
Bread is a common thing, but a hungry man thinks it very precious. O
you hungry children of God, cut large slices from the loaf that is set
before you, now, and gratefully feed upon it! Here is "our Lord Jesus
Christ Himself," in His complex Person as God and Man, as a fountain of
comfort to His people and He is "God, our Father," in His everlasting
love to us, as the same fountain under another aspect.
Then the Apostle, having pointed out to us the Divine Source of all our
blessings, bids us survey the streams which flow from that Source–"who
has loved us, and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope
through Grace." Beloved, the consolation which God gives to us is not
temporary, but eternal! Such consolation is worth having and when we
get it, we may well rejoice over it.
What are the consolations which God gives to His people? I need not
mention all the forms of consolation, for, to meet each separate case
of distress, there is a special message of comfort–and every promise
that God gives you is part of the everlasting consolation with which He
has enriched all His chosen people. The potent "shalls" and "wills" of
Jehovah stand fast like His Throne and can never be changed. Has He
given you a promise and shall He not fulfill it? Yes, and
fulfill it again, and again, and again, as long as you shall need to
have it fulfilled, for His promises are inexhaustible and full of
manifold riches of blessedness to the believing soul! God's promise of
consolation is based upon the "Everlasting Covenant, ordered in all
things, and sure." God has entered into a Covenant with Christ on the
behalf of all His people. And from the provisions of that Covenant He
will never depart, for He has "confirmed it by an oath: that by two
Immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might
have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon
the hope set before us."–
"His oath, His Covenant, and His blood, Support me in the sinking
flood. When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and
stay– On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking
sand."
Pardoned sin is, to my mind, one phase of the "everlasting consolation"
which God has given us, for, be it known unto you that God does not
forgive your sin today and then lay it to your charge again tomorrow.
Little children give presents and them want to have them back
again–and fickle men often play fast and loose with one another. But
when God forgives, He forgives forever, "for the gifts and calling of
God are without repentance." That is to say, He never changes His mind
and takes back the gift which He has bestowed. Have you received
absolution from the lips of your God? Then your sins shall never again
rise up against you in judgment, for they have been cast into the
depths of the sea! "In those days, and in that time, says the Lord, the
iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none. And
the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found, for I will pardon them,
whom I reserve."
What "everlasting consolation" there is, also, in the great Doctrine of
Adoption! We become the children of God when we are born-again. "And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." A
man's child is always his child and God's child is always His child. A
man cannot "unchild" his own son or daughter! And if you are a child of
God, you shall be a child of God throughout eternity! The life that God
has put into you is not transient! As Jesus said concerning His sheep,
"I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any pluck them out of My hand." What rich consolation there is
for you in this blessed Truth of God! The very life which becomes yours
by your adoption into the family of God is an everlasting life–it
must, therefore, yield you "everlasting consolation."
Time would fail me to remind you of all the various forms of
consolation which the Spirit of God applies to the heart of the
Believer–and every phase of it is everlasting! Therefore, Brothers and
Sisters, let us not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel. Let us
not cast away our confidence, "which has great recompense of reward."
Let us not be disturbed or disquieted–let not our hearts be troubled.
If we have everlasting consolation, let our joy also be perpetual.
And then the Apostle, still further to comfort our hearts and establish
us in every good word and work, tells us that God has given us "good
hope through Grace." You know what that good hope is–the hope that He
will preserve us unto the end–the hope that we shall be raised from
the dead in God's good time–the hope that we shall be accepted in the
day of Christ's appearing–the hope that we shall be with Him where He
is and shall behold His Glory and share it with Him forever and ever!
This is a good hope because it has a good basis to rest upon. God has
given this hope to all who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. And as God
is true, the hope is a good hope. A hope that is founded upon a lie is
a vain hope, but a hope that is founded upon a promise of God is a good
hope. It is a good hope because it is a hope of good things–so good,
my dear Friend, that you cannot find anything to match them in the
whole world. It may well be called a good hope, for it is the hope of
perfection, the hope of being transformed into the image of Christ, the
hope of everlasting delight. It is the best of all hopes and we cannot
say more of it than that. It is a good hope because of its operation on
the heart. "Every man that has this hope in him, purifies himself, even
as Christ is pure." For the man who has a good hope through Divine
Grace longs to be purged from sin, to be waiting and watching for his
Lord's appearing and to have an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of
God!
Now, Brothers and Sisters, since so much of what God has given to you
is at present the subject of hope, do you not see how bound you are to
remain in the posture of waiting and hoping–and to be neither
discouraged, nor yet to turn deserters? May the Lord "comfort your
hearts, and establish you in every good word and work," because you are
saved by hope and the realization of that hope is not visible at
present, for, if you saw it, you would not continue to hope for it.
You are expecting greater things than you have ever realized! It is
better than before, for your faces are toward the rising sun. We were
told, some time ago, by a philosopher, that our nation had been
shooting Niagara and taking a leap in the dark. Well, that may be, or
may not be, but this I know, Believers in Christ are not descending
Niagara, for they are ascending! And their leap, whenever they leap, is
not into the dark, but into the Light of God–a Light that is brighter,
and brighter still! Our progress is away from evil up to good, from
good to better, and from the better to the best of all–an infinite
progression, by the Divine impulse of the Grace of God–for it is by
Grace! "Good hope through Grace." We do not get this good hope through
nature, or through our own free will–we get it through Divine Grace.
Grace has given us what we have already received and Grace also gives
us the hope of what we have not yet received. Grace lets us see the
things that are ours at present and Grace enables us to realize the
things that shall be ours in the future!
I hope you understand what the Apostle meant in setting all this before
you. If I had the tongues of men and of angels, I could not tell you
the heights, deaths, lengths and breadths of these gracious words. Let
me read them to you again–"Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God,
our Father, who has loved us, and has given us everlasting consolation
and good hope through Grace." That is what we already have!
II. Now I want to clinch the nail by speaking of WHAT WE ARE TO HAVE as
the result of what we already have. Paul prayed for the Thessalonians,
first, that the Lord would comfort their hearts and, Brothers and
Sisters in Christ, may the Lord comfort your hearts! God does not wish
you to be sad. A certain Persian king would allow no one to wait upon
him if he had a sad countenance. It is not so with our Lord, for He
looks with a tender eye upon those who are heavy of heart and He does
not forbid them to come into His Presence. At the same time–
"Why should the children of a king Go mourning all their days?"
If you have everlasting consolation, my dear Sister, what reason have
you for such constant fretting? If you have a good hope through Grace,
my dear Brother, why did you say, the other day, that you were tempted
almost to give up all hope? May the Lord comfort your hearts! Perhaps
you think it is a small thing for the Lord's people to be comforted,
but God does not think so. He said to His servants, the Prophets,
"Comfort you, comfort you My people, says your God." It was not one
alone whom He told to do this, but He said, "Comfort you My people," as
though He summoned all His servants and said to them, "Whatever you do
in denouncing sinners and in stirring up My people to work for Me,
never forget this part of your duty–'Comfort you, comfort you My
people, says your God. Speak you comfortably to Jerusalem.'" Our Lord
Jesus Christ did not think that it was a small thing for His people to
be happy, for, on the very night in which He went forth to His passion,
among the last words that He uttered were those blessed ones which have
cheered millions of mourners–"Let not your heart be troubled: you
believe in God, believe also in Me."
The normal condition of a child of God–I mean, his healthy
condition–is one of repose, rest, comfort and delight. Certainly, the
Lord has given special promises to those who reach this state of
mind–such as this, "Delight yourself also in the Lord; and He shall
give you the desires of your heart." He means, then, to give great
things to those who honor Him by trusting Him so that they cease to be
troubled and are comforted, whatever happens. What ails you, daughter
of sorrow? Are you poor? So was your Lord! Yet I never read that He
complained at what His Father willed. Why should you complain of the
dispensations of Providence? Are you sick, my dear Brother or Sister?
You will not be the first child of God who has pined away into Heaven
if that should be your lot. Perhaps the Lord means thus gradually and
gently to take down your earthly tabernacle, but, if so, remember what
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "We know that if our earthly house of
this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not
made with hands, eternal in the heavens." "Ah," you say, "but it is one
who is very dear to me who is dying." Yes, but when the Lord lent you
your husband, or your wife, or your child, He did not tell you that any
of them would live forever! Be thankful that you have had these loans
so long. After all, they are not really yours and if the Lord takes
back what He lent to you for a while, why should you be so cast down?
"I have lost all," cries one. Have you lost your God? "No." Then you
have not lost your all. May the Lord comfort your heart, my dear
Friends, because if you are unhappy, you dishonor your God by your
doubts and fears, and you often hinder those who would enter into the
Kingdom. They see your sad face and they say, "Christ's yoke must be a
heavy one, and His burden must be intolerable! Look at the face of that
Christian man or woman." I would rather that they should say to you,
"we would gladly go with you, for there is a brightness about your
face that we would like to have. We perceive that your Master is a good
Master and that He cheers and comforts your hearts."
I believe that thoroughly happy Christians–those who really enjoy the
things of God–are also among the most stable Christians. I think that
is why Paul was guided to put the truth as it is in our text. You
cannot get a man to give up that which is his daily delight. I never
wonder when I hear of some professors giving up Christianity, for they
have never experienced the joy of it–it was only a burden to them.
When a poor fellow has a load on his back that does not belong to him
and does not yield him any comfort, but only galls his shoulders, you
are not surprised if he gets to one of those rests for porters in the
city, he lays down his load and walks away and forgets it–and is very
glad to forget it! But if it were his own property, his own
treasure–you would not find him forgetting it, or going away and
leaving it behind! The thing out of which you get the most joy will, in
the long run, be the dearest thing to you! And if you continually
rejoice in the Lord, your joy will greatly help you in resisting the
many temptations to skepticism and superstition to which others will
yield. You will stand fast in the Lord because you will be held there
by the golden rivets ofjoy which God has given you in communion with
Himself!
Then the Apostle adds, "and establish you in every good word and work."
He wants God's people to be established in every good word. I suppose
he mean that he would have us firmly fixed in our belief of the
Doctrines of the Gospel and, Beloved, you may very well say that you
will keep to them till somebody shows you something better, just as I
have read that when the people of the State of Massachusetts wanted a
set of laws, and they had not time to make them just then, they passed
a resolution that they would be governed by the Laws of God until they
had time to make better ones. We may believe the Doctrines revealed in
the Word of God until we find better ones–and that we shall never do!
Have those Doctrines converted you? Then, be established in them! Does
your experience confirm the truth of them? Then, cling to them! It is
one of the characteristics of the Doctrines of the Gospel that the
older a man gets, the more he loves them. I always find that the older
saints become more Calvinistic as they ripen in age–that is to say,
they get to believe more and more that salvation is all of Grace. And
whereas at first they might have had some rather loose idea concerning
free will and the power of the creature, the lapse of years and fuller
experiences gradually blow all that kind of chaff away. Old saints get
what is called "a sweet tooth." They love the sweet things of the
Covenant. They like their meat to have a rich savor. I am not old yet,
but I confess that I get more and more fond of the sweet things of the
Gospel of Grace and cannot endure the novelties that are so current and
so exceedingly popular nowadays. Oh, no! Tell me of my Father's eternal
love, tell me of my Savior's precious blood, tell me of the Spirit's
sacred indwelling and my heart is glad! But tell me anything short of
this and my soul is not fed. I pray that you, Brothers and Sisters, who
are members of this Christian Church, may know what you know and hold
fast to it. May you drive your roots down into the rich soil of the
Infallible Truths of God! May you not be as leaves of the forest,
driven here and there by the winds because there is no life in you, but
may you be "like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings
forth its fruit in its season," whose "leaf also shall not wither." God
make you to be thus "established in every good word."
The Apostle would also have those to whom He wrote established in every
good work. Sometimes an attack of this kind is made upon us–"It is no
use trying to teach the Gospel to children. We cannot suppose that they
can understand its deep mysteries." I heard that said only the other
day. Well, I can say that we have tried it and we have found that
whether you choose to call them great mysteries or not, children do
understand the Gospel and seem, sometimes, to comprehend it better than
their fathers do just because they are so childlike! This qualification
for entering the Kingdom of Heaven is not fully-developed manhood, but
rather that we should become as little children. And unless we do
become childlike, we cannot enter the Kingdom. Dear Friend, do not be
turned aside from your work by anything that is said concerning it. If
people say that it is no use to go down to the lodging houses and talk
to the poorest of the poor, be established in doing it because your
Master did it and because the everlasting consolation which comes to
you through the Grace of God makes you feel that to the most unworthy
are the fittest objects for the Gospel of Jesus. Since you received
consolation from God's mercy, you may well be established in the belief
that there is consolation in the mercy of God for the vilest of the
vile!
Do not be turned aside from any part of your work, and especially from
the blessed work of prayer. Some people tell us that prayer is useless,
but what do they know about it? They have never tried it! But those of
us who have tried and proved it, and who still practice it from day to
day, know that prayer is heard. We may send a telegraphic message, yet
it may never get where we want it to go. We may mail a letter, yet it
may never reach its proper destination. But when we pray, we are sure
that we are heard, for we have distinct answers to our petitions and
our heart is filled with delight as we recollect the hundreds and
thousands of times in which the right hand of the Lord has been
stretched out to help us when we have cried unto Him in our time of
need! Be established in every form of good work, you who are part of
the Lord's great army, meeting here for drill and for battle with the
forces of evil. I beseech you, Brothers and Sisters, let not your
hearts grow faint, and do not so much as think of retreating in the day
of conflict. Lo, our victorious Leader, "our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself," is coming! Therefore let everyone of us play the man for our
coming King. The fight will not be long and woe be to the man who turns
his back in the day of battle–but blessed shall he be who is found
faithful even unto death. I speak thus to you, Beloved, though I am
fully persuaded that He who has begun the good work in you will perfect
it until the day of Jesus Christ.
I wish that my sermon had a great deal more to do with some of you than
it has, for I fear that there are many here to whom I have not been
speaking. Therefore, my closing message shall be to the unsaved. My
dear Friend, I cannot bid you be steadfast, and I cannot talk to you of
everlasting consolation, for you have not yet believed in Jesus Christ
to the saving of your soul. There is an awful text of Scripture which
at present applies to you. The Apostle Paul, a cool-headed and
warm-hearted man who loved sinners, once wrote this–"If any man love
not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha." That is,
accursed at the coming of Christ! O my dear Friend, that is what you
will be if you love not our Lord Jesus Christ! And that is what you
ought to be and what the warm-hearted lover of his race, who also loves
his God, feels must be and ought to be your doom if you love not the
Lord Jesus Christ. Think of that and I pray that the Holy Spirit may
lead you first to trust in Jesus, and then to love Him, and so you
shall be saved and shall bless Him forever!–
"You sinners, seek His Grace, Whose wrath you cannot bear! Fly to the
shelter of His Cross And find salvation there."