DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, JUNE 8, 1879,
BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto you, I saw you
under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than
these. And He said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Henceforth
you shall see Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and
descending upon the Son of Man." John 1:50,51.
WE cannot help making a few remarks upon the narrative before we
proceed to the distinct subject of discourse. Certain catch words are
exceedingly worthy of notice since they are abundantly full of
instruction. When Nathanael had doubts as to whether the Messiah could
come from Nazareth, Philip answered Him, "Come and see." Now, those
were the precise words which the Lord Jesus had Himself used to His
earliest disciples when they began to follow Him–He said to them,
"Come and see." It is always safe for us to use over again words which
God has blessed. Did the Master say, "Come and see"? Then we cannot do
better than say what Jesus said and use, as near as possible, the
Inspired expressions.
Was that short sentence, "Come and see," made useful to other souls?
Then those who would win souls cannot do better than use such Gospel
nets as have been tried and proven efficient in their own cases. Let
none of us say that we cannot speak to others about their souls. There
was one passage of Scripture which was the means of our conversion and
we cannot do better than repeat it in hearty tones to others, hoping
that what God has blessed to us, He may bless to others. Short as were
the inviting words, "Come and see," it was full of wisdom. Our Lord
knows the philosophy of the human mind and understands how best to
produce faith in doubting hearts. "Come and see" is the sure cure for
unbelief.
Some would tell doubters to sit down and think and create faith by
reflecting on the nature of things. We may long consider the state of
man and the condition of our own nature before we shall thereby be
enlightened as to the way of salvation. If we would judge of Christ we
must consider Christ, Himself. He is His own best argument! The cobweb
spinnings of conceited brains are easily broken through, but the facts,
the indisputable facts of the Savior's life and death hold the
understanding and the heart as with iron bands. As our Savior said and
as His servant, Philip, said, even so say we to all who would know
Christ, "Come and see"!
Be not blinded by prejudices or misled by preconceptions, but read His
story for yourselves. Seek His face for yourselves and taste and see
that the Lord is good! Personal communion with Jesus is still the best
evidence of His personal excellence and His power to save. Brothers and
Sisters, have you any doubts about the Master? "Come and see." Do you
say within yourself, "Can He save such an one as I am?" "Come and see."
Do your sins cast you down and cause you to despair because you fear
that even the Redeemer's blood cannot cleanse you? "Come and see." See
Him as the Son of God and the Son of Man! See Him in His life of
holiness and in His death of substitution! Or see Him, if you will, up
yonder at the right hand of God, making intercession for sinners!
And as you are looking upon Him, faith will steal in upon you through
the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the mind's eye that must look and
by that look, repentance and faith find entrance to the soul. "Come and
see," for nothing will save a man but a personal sight of a personal
Savior. Therefore, "Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of
the world." The Lord Himself says, "Look unto Me, and be you saved, all
the ends of the earth." Our Lord Jesus Christ seems to have so approved
of the advice of Philip that He, Himself, followed it up and kept to
the same form of expression.
Did Philip say, "Come and see"? Then the Lord Jesus says, "Before
Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you: you
have come to see Me, but I have already seen you: there has been an
antecedent look on My part: I saw you before you did know anything
about Me, or had even heard of Me from Philip." Nor does our Lord
change His note even to the end of the conversation, but closes it by
saying, "Because I said unto you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you
believe? You shall see greater things than these." There, you see, is
the great plan of salvation as it is worked in us! First the Savior
sees us, even when we are a great way off. Then we come and see and our
hearts find rest in our Redeemer. And then, in later days, He gives us
yet brighter and clearer views of Himself and of His Kingdom!
Oh, who would not come and see if this is so? If at our first coming
and seeing we find life and rest, what must those still greater things
be which are yet to be revealed? All that faith has yet discovered is
but a foretaste and an earnest of more glorious sights which shall yet
be opened up before our favored eyes, for Jesus Himself says, "You
shall see greater things than these."
Other parts of the conversation are equally worthy of notice, as
showing how fully the mind of the childlike Nathanael and the holy
Child Jesus responded to each other, as all true and childlike minds
always do. Our Lord, as soon as He saw Nathanael, called him, "an
Israelite, indeed, in whom is no guile." Jesus knew his simple, frank,
open-hearted character and he produced an example of it, for Nathanael
did not blush with mock modesty and pretend to question the praise, but
in the simplest and most unaffected manner, he tacitly admitted the
description to be true and said, "From where do You know me?" He felt
in his own conscience that he was a true son of that wrestling Jacob
who became prevailing Israel and, in accepting the title, he made his
words responsive to those of Jesus, for he said in effect, "True, I am
an Israelite, but You are the King of Israel."
To this our Lord seemed to reply, "You are an Israelite, and you have
acknowledged Israel's King. And now you shall have Israel's privileges
for, like he, you shall see Heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." Thus, as in water, face
answers to face, so did the heart of man to man in the communion of
these two guileless spirits! Their thoughts were so true that they
harmonized like the parts of well-composed music! Their words so
frankly bespoke their hearts that they answered to one another like the
echo to the voice. This is the character of the communion between our
Master and His sanctified ones. He says, "I am the Good Shepherd," and
the heart replies, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
The spouse says, "Yes, He is altogether lovely," and her Bridegroom
replies, "You are all fair, My love, there is no spot in you." Our Lord
calls us, "My love, My dove, My undefiled," and we, being in full
communion with Him, reply, "My Beloved is mine and I am His." As upon
the sea in time of storm, deep calls unto deep, so within the
sanctified heart, in heavenly calm, truth calls unto truth–one word of
love wakes up another–the commendation given by condescending love
brings forth the praise of grateful affection. But to produce this
mutual sympathy there must be a common character, a similar absence of
guile, for this is the great condition of fellowship with Jesus.
God's ways towards us are made to meet our own in a most instructive
way. "With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful. With an
upright man You will show Yourself upright. With the pure You will show
Yourself pure and with the obstinate You will show Yourself obstinate."
When His children open their hearts to Him, He opens His mind to them.
When they are true Israelites, He gives them the true Israel's
privileges. When they acknowledge Him to be a great and glorious King,
He makes them to see the great things of His Kingdom. May it be ours
through Grace to be as little children, even as Nathanael was, for so
shall we behold the Kingdom of God!
With those prefatory remarks we come at length to consider the promise
of our Lord Jesus to Nathanael. May the Holy Spirit instruct us! I
think I am warranted in saying that this is the Savior's first personal
Word of promise and it is instructive that He gave it, not to the most
talented, but to the most simple-hearted of His disciples. It was,
moreover, no mean promise, but full of the largest conceivable meaning.
"You shall see greater things than these." Those must be very great
things which were greater than what Nathanael had already seen–there
is room for boundless expectation in the words! It was promise which
brought another linked with it as part and parcel of it. How often one
Divine blessing is like a link of a chain of gold and draws another
with it–"You shall see greater things than these" is followed by,
"henceforth you shall see Heaven open."
The beauty of it, in this instance, is that albeit Nathanael obtained a
promise for himself at first, "you shall see," yet this drew on the
promise for all his brethren, for the 51st verse does not run,
"hereafter or henceforth you shall see Heaven open," but henceforth,
"you shall see Heaven open." It is a great thing to receive a personal
promise, but it is a greater thing, still, to secure a promise for all
our Master's household! Happy Nathanael to have been the occasion for
the proclamation of the opening of Heaven and the commerce between
Heaven and earth–the communion of saints with the things in Heaven
through their Mediator and Lord! This is the highest form of blessing
when we are not only favored,
ourselves, but are made the occasion for enriching others! Was not this
the choice inheritance of Abraham, "I will bless you and you shall be a
blessing"?
In considering the words which our Savior spoke to Nathanael, I should
like you to notice first, the favored man to whom He spoke them. Then
the gracious reward which is described in them. And lastly, the special
sight comprised in that reward. In all this may we be actual partakers
and not mere lookers.
I. Let us think of THIS FAVORED MAN. Nathanael was "an Israelite,
indeed, in whom is no guile." He was one of those who were not only of
the chosen seed after the flesh, but after the Spirit. He was noted for
being a simple-minded, unsophisticated person–as honest as the day. He
was a truthful man who knew nothing of policy, or craft, or double
dealing, or reserve. He was a man out of whom all the twists had been
taken–an upright and downright man–true to the core and transparent
as clear glass!
He was not a Jacobite, a child of the crafty supplanter, but an
Israelite, an Israelite, indeed, with the Jacob extracted out of him.
He was pure, simple-hearted, ingenuous–not childish, but yet
thoroughly childlike. To such a man the Word of God was given, "You
shall see greater things than these." Notice, first, that he was a man
who honestly made enquiries which fairly suggested themselves. Before
he became a Believer, he did not, as some do, invent doubts and raise
questions, which questions are merely raised for question's sake. He
did not put queries to Philip which he could have answered himself, nor
seek to entangle his instructor by artful speech. Nothing of the sort.
He sought truth, not controversy and word-chopping.
The two questions which he put came out of his heart and were points
which seemed to be vital to him. He did not go about to discover
difficulties, but they occurred to him then and there and he spoke them
out with honest plainness. He was told that the Messiah had been found
and that He was Jesus of Nazareth. I am sure he was well acquainted
with Holy Writ and he did not recollect any text in which the Christ
was said to come out of Nazareth and, therefore, he thought within
himself, "I read of Bethlehem Ephratah, that out of it shall He come
forth who is to be Ruler in Israel, but I do not remember a word
concerning Nazareth." Without a moment's hesitation, he put the
question, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"
Nazareth was a poor, miserable little place of unsavory reputation.
This, then, was a difficulty–a true and real difficulty–and he stated
it and was content to, "come and see." When the Savior met him with the
words, "Behold an Israelite, indeed, in whom is no guile," he enquired,
"From where do You know me?" A most natural question to ask, for on its
answer would depend the value of the words. Might it not happen that
this accurate description of himself might have come to Jesus by
report? If a correct description of Nathanael's character had reached
the Savior by Philip or any other friend, then it did not prove
anything. But if Jesus knew it by His own perception and could read the
character of a man to whom He was a stranger, then Nathanael knew what
conclusion to draw! So he only asks the question because it ought to be
asked and not to be a trick question.
How I love to meet with seekers who, though they are in difficulties,
are willing to be led out of them and are not studying how to invent
more! Some of you cannot find peace in Christ because you willfully
darken the atmosphere around yourselves. You are not assailed by doubt,
but you invite doubt to assail you! You believe a great deal more than
you care to admit, but you do not want to believe and are fishing for
excuses for your unbelief. It is a sad state of mind for a man to be
in–to be trying to discover reasons why he should not be saved–but
that is what many are doing. That is a wretched mind which manufactures
difficulties and complicates plain things because it cannot or will not
take a thing in its straightforward, simple meaning, but must be
puzzled and perplexed.
Some men are too intellectual to believe the poor man's Gospel–the
poor man runs and reads the Gospel–the Gospel of, "Believe and live."
The intellectual must be mystified, or excited, or driven to
despair–or else they refuse to believe. There is a craving in some men
for something that will appall them and fill them with despair. Is not
this folly? Wait not for such sensations, I pray you! If you do, you
will miss the blessing! But if, even while as yet you have not received
full faith, you are honest enough to admit of none but honest
difficulties, there is in you some good thing towards the Lord God of
Israel and the Lord is praised for it.
This Nathanael without guile was, next, a man who honestly yielded to
the force of the Truth of God. Omniscience was proven to be an
attribute of Christ to Nathanael by the pointed remark which Jesus
addressed to him. What was Nathanael doing under the fig tree? "I
know," says one, "for I have heard it said he was praying." Well, I did
not say he
was not praying, but I will defy anybody to prove that he was! What was
Nathanael doing under the fig tree? We frequently read, in the Talmudic
writers, of learned rabbis who studied the Law under the fig tree. Was
Nathanael studying the Law? I did not say he was not, but I will defy
anybody to prove that he was! What was he doing under the fig tree?
There are only two people who could have told us and both of these are
silent on the matter. Both Jesus and Nathanael knew, but no one else!
What he was doing under the fig tree, we may not pretend to guess, for
it is more instructive to leave it in the dark– our Lord's words were
a kind of secret sign to Nathanael, all the more conclusive because
perfectly unknown and uninterpreted by the rest of mankind. Whether he
was going to be baptized by John the Baptist and sat down there to
think of what he was doing. Or whether, having been baptized, being on
the way home, he suddenly felt an impression that he must sit in that
place and wait–he knew not why–I may not profess to know. But it was
an important moment to his own mind and he remembered it as such. As
soon as Jesus said, with a look, "When you were under the fig tree,"
Nathanael was startled into a conviction that his secret heart was
known to Jesus.
Under that tree he had done, or said, or thought something known only
to himself. How had the Person before him known of that deed? It was
true that his deed, or word, or thought under the fig tree was a pure,
simple and honest one, but how did Jesus know? "If He knows that I was
under the fig tree and knows what I was doing there. And if He read my
simple-minded, guileless character when I was there, then He is the Son
of God, the King of Israel!" This was Nathanael's immediate conclusion
and the argument was very clear and complete.
Similar reasoning was used by others soon after Nathanael's conversion
and with the same result. When our Lord said to the woman of Samaria,
"Go, call your husband and come here," and she replied, "I have no
husband," He answered, "You have well said, I have no husband, for you
have had five husbands and he whom you now have is not your husband: in
that said you truly." Then the woman said, "Come, see a Man which told
me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" It was good
argument, for Omniscience proves Godhead. An Omniscient one here in
human flesh among the sons of men must be the Anointed of God! He must
be the Lord's Christ!
I do not know whether Nathanael remembered the passage of Scripture,
but this was the kind of argument used by the great God, Himself, when
He proved Himself to be God in Isaiah 44:5. Notice how the passage, in
many of its words, is parallel to our text. One shall say, I am the
Lord's and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another
shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the
name of Israel. "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and His
Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts; I am the First, and I am the Last; and
beside Me there is no God." And what is the proof of it? "Who, as I,
shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for Me, since I
appointed the ancient people? And the things that are coming, and shall
come, let them show unto them." He challenges the false gods to tell
what was being done in secret places and what was to be done in the
future and He gives this as a proof of His Godhead!
The heathen oracles attempted prophecy because they saw how clearly it
would prove the existence of their gods. Our Lord is a discerner of
hearts, reading them as a scholar scans his books and we know Him to be
our God. Nathanael had drunk into the very essence of that wonderful
139th Psalm. No greater proof of Godhead can be given than the fact
that all things are naked and open before the Lord! "O Lord, You have
searched me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand
my thoughts afar off." When I sat under the fig tree You did read my
heart.
"You compass my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my
ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, You know
it altogether. You have beset me behind and before, and laid Your hands
upon me. Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from
Your Presence?" All this, you see, is a manifestation of Godhead.
Nathanael argued, therefore–"He saw me when nobody else did! He read
my character in a simple act, an act which other people might have
misunderstood and thought me a fool! He perceived the uprightness of my
heart and now I know that He is certainly Divine!"
Notice, further, the blessing of our text comes to a man who in simple
honesty believes much upon the evidence of one assured fact. It is
proven that Christ can see in secret and read men's hearts–and from
this, in addition to His Divinity, Nathanael infers that "He is a great
Teacher"–and he makes his first confession of faith by calling Him,
"Rabbi." He is sure that He who knows all things is worthy to be a
teacher and he gives Him the teacher's title. Then, as we have already
said, he perceives that if He is Omniscient, He is Divine and he makes
the confession, "You are the Son of God." And, not
satisfied with that, he sees that if He is, indeed, the Son of God, He
must be Ruler and Lord and, therefore, he calls Him the King of Israel.
See here how he drinks into the spirit of the second Psalm, where Son
and King are the two great notes of harmony. "Yet have I set My king
upon My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord has said
unto Me, You are My Son; this day have I begotten You. Kiss the Son
lest He is angry and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled
but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him." Gladly
does Nathanael submit Himself to the Son and proclaim Him King of
Israel. Was not this the first time that our Lord had been actually
proclaimed as King since He had come into His public ministry? Was not
this the answer to the wise men's question when they followed His star
from regions far remote?
Here was He who was born King of the Jews! This guileless man, who
seemed to lack shrewdness, had seen more than his fellows. His eyes,
undimmed by falsehood or suspicion, had seen the King, though His
humiliation had unclothed Him of His royal mantle and taken off His
crown. See, then, Beloved, that the gist of our first head is this–It
is the pure in heart that shall see God! We must be honest and sincere;
we must be clear of all subtlety and craft; we must be transparent as
glass before Him or else the Lord will not reveal Himself to us or by
us! He loves the guileless and the true–and when He has made us thus,
He will fill us with light but not till then. Note, again, that those
who are ready to believe upon sure evidence–for Nathanael needed
that–are the men who shall see more and more. Nathanael did not
require the evidence to be repeated to Him again and again–he saw the
argument at once and yielded himself to it. When a point is once
proven, it is proven–and that is an end of it.
One conclusive argument is as good as 20 to an unsophisticated mind.
Those who are willing to see shall see. Heaven is open to those from
whose eyes the scales of prejudice are removed. The Lord manifests
Himself to those who manifest themselves to Him. If you will be
Christians of the highest type, you must be true to the core and you
must realize Christ and believe in Him with that mighty faith which
sees Him and realizes Him as close at hand. The Presence and the power
of Jesus must be undoubted by your soul–they must be as much a matter
of fact to you as your own existence–and then yours shall be the words
which we are now about to consider–"You shall see greater things than
these."
II. Let us now look at THE GRACIOIUS REWARD. Only a few words upon it.
Because this simple-hearted man had believed upon the one argument of
the Lord's discernment of his heart, he was favored with the promise of
seeing greater things. By these words our Lord meant that His
perceptions would become more vivid. Do you believe? You shall see! If
we demand to see first, we shall never believe! But if we are willing
to believe we shall, by-and-by, see.
There is a growth in faith which renders it not the less faith and yet
approximates it more and more nearly to sense. I mean, "sense," in its
best signification–so that what at first we believe, simply upon the
testimony of God, we come, by-and-by, to believe upon personal
experience. We believe until we so realize the Object of faith that we
look at the things which are not seen and see Him who is invisible.
From this we go further, still, until we both taste and handle of the
good Word of Life and faith becomes the substance of things hoped for.
From looking to Christ we come to live, move and have our being in Him.
The eye of faith gathers strength. At first it sees Christ through its
tears and that look saves the soul, though it perceives comparatively
little of Him. But in later days the eye of faith becomes so powerful
that it emulates that of the eagle which can gaze upon the sun at
midday. Thus faith becomes a second sight. Remember our Lord's words to
Martha, "Said I not unto you, that if you would believe you should see
the Glory of God?" "Do you believe? You shall see."
This was not all our Lord's meaning. He virtually promised that
Nathanael should discover other Truths of God than he as yet knew. "You
shall see greater things than these." Now, what is there greater to be
seen than the Omniscience of Christ? "Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me: it is high: I cannot attain unto it." Is there anything greater
than this? Yes, so the Savior says! I suppose He means this–First, as
you have seen My Omniscience in your own case, you shall go on to see
it in the case of all mankind, for by My Cross shall the thoughts of
many hearts be revealed and by My Gospel shall men be revealed unto
themselves. The Word of God is quick and powerful and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart–and when Nathanael came to
preach it in later years, he found it so and saw for himself that
Christ read every man's heart.
How wonderfully do we know this to be true in our time and in this
place, for here the Word of God finds us out and lays us bare to our
own consciences! You have been startled in your seats, sometimes. You
have wondered how it could be
that not only in the gross has your experience been set before you, but
even in little details there have been minute touches which have amazed
you with the distinctness of the Divine knowledge! Our Lord did not
say, "I saw you under a tree," as if it might have been an oak or an
olive, but He spoke definitely of "the fig tree." Even so does He cause
His ministers to be very minute and particular so that you wonder where
their knowledge comes from! And so, when this is done on a large
scale–as it is done whenever Christ is preached–then is it true that
we see greater things than when, for the first time, we perceive that
our own character is revealed.
He would see "greater things," next, because he would see more of the
Godhead. Did you see Omniscience? You shall see Omnipotence! Did you
discover that I could read your heart? You shall learn that I can
change your heart! Did you find that My eyes could glance into the
secrets of your soul? You shall find My Word casting out devils,
healing the sick and hushing the storms! You shall see clearer ensigns
of My Godhead than this one experiment in the reading of the heart. The
Lord, in calling Himself the Son of Man, opens up to Nathanael one of
those greater things. He had perceived Him to be the Son of God by His
reading his heart and it was a great thing to perceive the Godhead, but
it was a greater wonder, still, to see that Godhead linked with
humanity!
Jesus, as Son of God, is glorious, but at the same time as Son of Man,
He has a double Glory! Our Lord seemed to say to Nathanael, "You have
believed that I am the Son of God–you shall see the Son of Man." And
is this a greater thing? In one sense it is a descent for Jesus to be
the Son of Man, but yet, you who know how to read the riddle aright
will say that the Godhead is not half so wonderful in itself as when it
comes to be united with our humanity. The Incarnation has about it a
mystery which is not seen, even in the mystery of the Godhead! That
there should be a God, heathens might spell out–but that this God
should come in human flesh among us–this is the mystery which angels
desired to look into! Nor may I forget that the idea of our Lord as
King of Israel is not so great as His connection with all nations which
is displayed in His title, Son of man. He is not confined in His Grace
to Israel, as Nathanael probably thought, but He is Brother to our
entire humanity! Here was another of the greater things!
Note further that Nathanael had only seen an opened heart, but now he
was to see an opened Heaven. He had seen Christ's eyes entering into
his secrets, but he was now to see communications established between
the lowly hearts of men and the secrets of Heaven! He saw how Christ,
Son of God, dwelt among men–he is now to see how the abodes of God and
man shall be blended in one and high communion maintained between earth
and Heaven. I come back to the one thought, that the sight of greater
things is reserved for guileless Believers. To those who already have
much by faith, more shall be given. Beloved, as a Church and people, we
have seen great things in this place in the work of the Lord among us.
And we have lately celebrated with much joy and thankfulness the loving
kindness of the Lord to us–let us make this a new starting point and
hear the Lord say–"From this day will I bless you."
We desire to see much greater things than we have known and, in order
to this, we must have more faith. And that faith must be more simple
and childlike. The rule of the Kingdom is that according to our faith,
so shall it be unto us. Unbelief bars the way of mercy. We tie the
hands of Jesus if we have no faith. Is it not written, "He could not do
many mighty works there because of their unbelief"? We must believe or
we shall not be established, nor shall our works prosper. Whatever we
have accomplished has been worked by faith, but we believe that we
might have done a hundred times more if we had manifested a hundred
times more faith. May the Lord grant us downright, honest, simple faith
and then we shall see greater things than these, for all obstacles will
be removed and eternal love will work wonders among us!
Faith makes a man a fit instrument for God to use and, therefore, God
does great things by him. If you are unbelieving, God will no more use
you than a warrior would use a reed for a weapon! He works no wonders
by unbelieving ministers and unbelieving churches, for these are not
prepared to be blessed–they are not vessels fit for the Master's
use–rust is upon them of the worst kind. When your heart is resting in
the Lord, expecting to see His arm made bare and quietly waiting to see
how He will glorify Himself and fulfill His promises, then will you see
greater things! When faith fails, it disqualifies us and sets us aside
even as in the case of Moses and Aaron, to whom the Lord said, "Because
you believed Me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of
Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation unto the land
which I have given them."
We must have faith, for faith fulfils the condition which is virtually
appended to every promise. Has not the Lord promised to answer the
prayers of those who cry unto Him believingly? But as for the wavering,
He has said, "Let not
that man expect to receive anything of the Lord." Is not faith our very
life? "The just shall live by faith." Is it not our entrance into
blessedness? We see that Israel in the wilderness could not enter into
Canaan because of unbelief. All the promises are for Believers–there
are none for unbelievers. "As you have believed so be it unto you,"
stands as the measure of blessing–there is no other. Strong faith,
coupled with a guileless character, brings a man into the special,
complacent love of God, for, albeit that He loves all His elect, He
does not delight in all alike. There were Apostles among the
disciples–there were three choice ones out of the twelve–there was
one peculiar favorite out of the three!
He is dearest to God who trusts Him most completely and is most
childlike and true. God will do most by that man who is most reliant
upon Him and most open with Him. David, who makes the Lord, alone, to
be his confidence, is the man after God's own heart. And Abraham, who
in faith could even give up his only son, is the friend of God. We
shall never be full-gown with God until we become too little to dare to
doubt; too insignificant to venture to question and too true to suspect
the Lord. Increase in faith is the one thing necessary to our advance
in the Divine life and work–and may the Holy Spirit work it in us for
Christ's name's sake!
III. We have only a minute or two in which to mention THE SPECIAL SIGHT
which was promised to Nathanael. He was to see an opened Heaven. The
gates of Glory are not only opened now to Believers, but they are
carried right away and Heaven is laid open to all its citizens, even to
those who dwell below. This is a great joy to the believing heart, for
free communion with Heaven is the delight of our spirit.
I cannot enlarge upon this, which is worthy of another sermon, but I
may not say less than this–that in Christ the saints are brought very
near to God, for even now they have come to the heavenly Jerusalem. The
franchise of the new Jerusalem is extended to these low-lying regions
in which we sojourn. The veil is torn and we have access to the
holiest. The wall of separation is removed and now the abode of the
Church below is an adjunct of Heaven, a suburban district of the
metropolitan city of the New Jerusalem. The gates shall not be shut,
nor a division created, nor communion suspended. Is not that a glorious
thing, that in the Person of Christ Jesus, Heaven is laid open to earth
and earth laid open to communications with Heaven?
Do you know that, Beloved? It is a simple thing to talk of, but do you
know it? Have you taken up your citizenship, so that you can say,
"Truly our citizenship is in Heaven"? While you are sitting under that
fig tree do you know what it is to sit in the heavenly places, together
with Christ? Are you risen and reigning with Him even now? If so, this
is a joyful state of things and one which should cause you much
assurance! We are now dwelling in the house of our God, or at the very
least we are sitting by the very gate of Heaven! Our condition is known
to the Lord and He is near to help us. We suffer not unseen and labor
not unobserved. Nothing hinders God from helping us–nothing hinders us
from securing His aid.
Then the Lord went on to promise that he should see that the communion
between Heaven and earth, by the way of the Mediator, is not only
possible, but actual. The ladder is set and there are angels ascending
and descending upon it. God hears, helps and speaks with believing men
of pure heart. Observe, that according to the text, the angels ascend
first. It does say, "Descending and ascending," as we might naturally
suppose, but they ascend first because when Jesus was on earth they
were already here and ascended at His bidding to carry His messages
upward! When Jesus Christ was here, He was never without His bodyguard
of angels and these were His messengers to the courts above.
We, today, Beloved, are surrounded by the forces of the Eternal–they
have not to come to us for the first time–lo, they have, these many
years, kept watch and guard around the fold of the redeemed! And when a
new danger comes, they are prompt to do the part of watchers and of
guardians and to carry tidings to the sentinels of Heaven. Let us pray,
for as we pray our prayers ascend to Heaven and our praises, too. If we
lead an angelical life, our thoughts will always be going up to Heaven
or returning. Beloved, have you realized this–that as you have
believed in Christ upon the testimony of His Word, you have now the
right of access to the Eternal Throne at all times? You have but to
speak and God will hear you!
Some of God's people do not know much about this. Praying is a
religious exercise with them–a very proper exercise, but it is not
speaking with God–it is not doing business with God and obtaining
supplies at His hands. It is a ladder without angels, or, if you
please, with ascending angels only, but none coming down with heavenly
gifts! Beloved, I hope you have not fallen into this error. What? Is
not prayer real with you? Do you expect nothing from it? Would you send
an angel on a fool's errand? Do these ascend to Heaven in mere sport
and rush up and down to do nothing? Let us
mean business when we pray, or we shall be mockers of the Divine
Majesty! Too many come before God and ask for everything in general but
nothing in particular–and they get but scant answers to their
pointless prayers.
Many more are very slack in prayer and, therefore, they starve their
souls. Many angels must go up if many are to come down! Prayer must be
constant and real with us. We should live as if we really had power
with God, as if like, Elijah, we could go the top of Carmel and pray a
bronze sky away and deluge the earth with showers of blessings! Are you
unable so to live like this? Then the fault lies at your own door.
What was next? Nathanael was to see angels descending upon the Son of
Man, that is to say, he was to see heavenly spirits and blessings
coming down to man by Jesus Christ. He who truly believes in Christ and
is without guile, shall have continual blessings from on high–all
Heaven shall be opened to him! God will help him by Providence; will
help him by Grace; will help him by actual angels and will help him
spiritually by the all power which He has given unto Christ in Heaven
and in earth. How earnestly do I desire that this Church, this morning,
may see for itself what my eyes have seen for myself–for my faith sees
Heaven opened to supply the needs of Christ's work and all the might of
God working to achieve His purposes!
I am just entering upon another work for God. We have had enough of
these enterprises, some say, why not wait? I am forced to go forward
and onward! I must go, nor do I fear, for lo, I see Heaven opened and
the angels of God ascending and descending, by the way of Christ Jesus,
to bring us help! We may venture. There is no venture in it–we may
trust God for anything! We may trust God for everything and just go
straight on! It looks like walking on water, sometimes, to trust
Christ–especially about gold and silver–but we need not fear! The
waters shall be a sea of glass beneath our feet if we can but simply
trust!
But oh, we must purge ourselves! We must be without guile! There must
be no self-seeking! There must be a simple-hearted desire for God's
Glory and for nothing else! We must sink self–Christ must reign! And
then we must trust and go forward. I hope we are right in this matter.
And if so, we shall see the salvation of God! Nothing can stop us.
Behold, this day all things work together for good to them that love
God. The stones of the field are in league with us! Yes, it is not on
earth, alone, that we find allies, but the stars in their courses fight
against our foes and all Heaven is on the stir to befriend us in the
service of God! See how the ladder swarms with coming and going angels!
Heaven surrounds those who are doing Heaven's work! God Himself is with
us, for our Captain and His host, which is very great, is round about
us even as horses of fire and chariots of fire were round about the
Prophet.
All things shall be given that are needed and as our day, our strength
shall be. Brace yourselves, my Brothers and Sisters, for a new
endeavor! Be strong in the Lord and you shall see greater things than
these. Full of weakness, yet stand in His strength, each one, and play
the man! Say, "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me."
Omnipotence is waiting to gird your loins! Buckle it about you and
become mighty through God! Our Head, Christ Jesus, has all power in
Heaven and in earth and that power He pours into all His members!
By faith I commit myself and I trust, also, my beloved Church and
Friends, to farther efforts for our Lord, relying upon His Word, "You
shall see greater things than these," and fully believing that through
Christ Jesus all the forces of Heaven are in alliance with us and the
will of the Lord shall surely be accomplished!
PORTIONS OFSCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON–John 1:35–51;
Genesis28:10–22. HYMNS FROM "OUR OWN HYMN BOOK"–H2, 335, 317.
[Mr. Spurgeon alludes to the Girls' Orphanage. The fund has just
commenced and land has been purchased. A large amount will be needed,
but there is a great God to look to!]
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The Work of Grace the Warrant for Obedience