God’S Strange Choice

God'S Strange Choice

DELIVERED ON SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 28, 1864,

BY THE REV. C. H. SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"For you see your calling, Brethren, how that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has
chosen the foolish things of the world to confuse the wise, and God has
chosen the weak things of the world to confuse the things which are
mighty. And base things of the world and things which are despised has
God chosen, yes, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things
that are: that no flesh should glory in His Presence." 1 Corinthians
1:26-29.

THE Apostle Paul had been led to make the confession that Christ Jesus
was despised both by Jew and Gentile. He confessed that this was no
cause of stumbling to him, for what others counted foolishness he
believed to be wisdom and rejoiced that the foolishness of God was
wiser than men, and the weakness of God stronger than men! Lest,
however, any of the Corinthian Church should be confused by the fact
that Christ was despised, the Apostle goes on to show that it was the
general way of God's proceeding to select means which men despised in
order that by accomplishing His purpose through them, He might have all
the Glory.

And he reminds them, for the proof of this, to the one instance of
their own election and calling–"You see your calling, Brethren," says
he, "how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble, are called." But you, the poor, illiterate, the despised,
you have been called–still for the same reason–that God may be All in
All and that no flesh may glory in His Presence. It is clear to
everyone who will observe either Scripture or fact that God never did
intend to make His Gospel fashionable! The very last thing that was
ever in His thoughts was to select the elite of mankind and gather
dignity for His Truth from the gaudy trappings of rank and station.

On the contrary, God has thrown down the gauntlet against all the pride
of manhood. He has dashed mire into the face of all human excellency.
And with the battle-ax of His strength He has dashed the escutcheon of
man's glory in two. "Overturn! Overturn! I overturn!" seems to be the
very motto of the Lord of Hosts and shall be so "until He shall come
whose right it is to reign and He will give it Him," for His is the
kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. There is no
doctrine more truly humbling than the doctrine of election. And it was
for this reason that the Apostle Paul refers to it–that the disciples
at Corinth might be quite content to follow the humble and despised
Cross-bearing Savior because the election of Grace consists of the
humble and despised, who, therefore, cannot be ashamed to follow One,
who, like themselves, was despised and rejected of men.

Coming then, at once to our text, we observe in it very clearly, first,
the Elector. Secondly, a strange election. Then the elected. And when
we have considered all these a little, we shall pause over the reasons
which God has given for His election–that "no flesh should glory in
His Presence."

I. First, then, let us this morning soar aloft upon the wings of
thought to consider for awhile, the ELECTOR. Some men are saved and
some men are not saved. It remains as a fact never to be questioned
that some enter into eternal life and some pursue the evil way and
perish. How is this difference caused? How is it that some mount to
Heaven? The reason why any sink to Hell is their sin and only their
sin. They will not repent, they will not believe in Christ, they will
not turn to God–and therefore they perish willfully by their own act
and deed.

But how is it that others are saved? Whose will is it that has made
them to differ? The text three times most peremptorily answers the
question. It says not "man has chosen," but it says three times, "God
has chosen, God has chosen, God has chosen." The Grace which is found
in any man, and the glory and eternal life to which any attain are all
the gifts of God's election and are not bestowed according to the will
of man. This will be clear to any thoughtful person if we first of all
turn to facts. Wherever we find a case of election in the Old
Testament, it is manifestly God who makes it. Go back, if you will, to
the very earliest time. Angels fell–a multitude of bright spirits who
surrounded the Throne of God and sang His praises were deceived by
Satan and fell into sin.

The great serpent drew with him the third part of the stars of
Heaven–they fell from their obedience–they were condemned to chains
and to eternal fire forever. Man also sinned. Adam and Eve broke the
covenant with God and ate of the forbidden fruit–were they condemned
to eternal fire? No, but God, in the plenitude of His Grace, whispered
this promise in the woman's ear–"The seed of the woman shall bruise
the serpent's head." Some men are saved, but no devils are saved. Why?
Did man make the difference?

Silence, you vain boaster who dreams of such a thing! It is God Himself
who testifies, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will
have compassion on whom I will have compassion." It was from such
sovereignty as this that the Lord virtually declared, "I purpose and
decree that of the race of man I will save a multitude that no man can
number. They shall be the vessels of My mercy, while yonder angels,
once My servants but now traitors to their liege Lord, shall, without
hope forever, experience the terror of My righteousness, the majesty of
My justice." Here no one ever raises a question. I have never heard the
most ultra-Pelagian enter a plea for the devil!

I have heard of Origen who did seem to plead that Satan should be
included in the general law of mercy, but very few persons nowadays
talk so. Here is an instance of election–some of the human race saved
and the angelic race left forever to perish. Who could have made this
distinction but Jehovah Himself? And we must say there of our favored
race, "God has chosen." We are not at a loss to see the same
discriminating Sovereignty at work among the individuals of our own
race. All men were in the Patriarchal age sunk in heathenism with but a
few exceptions. There were a few Patriarchs who still, chosen of God,
held fast to the pure worship of the Most High.

The Lord determined to adopt a special people who should read the
Oracles of God–preserve and maintain His Truth. He selected Abram as
the progenitor of the chosen race. Did Abram choose God, or did God
call and choose Abram? Was there anything naturally in Abram to entitle
him to be the servant of the Most High? We have very plain proof in
Scripture that there was not. He was, on the contrary, described as a
Syrian ready to perish and his race was like the rest, tainted, to say
the least, with idolatry. Nevertheless he was called out of the east
and made the father of the faithful by God's own special will.

What was there, let me ask you, in the Jews? Why should they be blessed
with Prophets and the sacrifices and the rites and ordinances of true
worship, while all the nations were left to bow down before gods of
wood and stone? We can only say God has done it–His will lights upon
the race of Israel and leaves the rest in sin. Take any particular case
of Divine Grace mentioned in the Old Testament, as, for instance, that
of David. Do we find that David chose the throne and set himself apart
to be the chosen messenger of God to Israel? Was there some manifest
fitness in the youngest son of Jesse? No, on the contrary, men had
chosen his Brethren! Even Samuel said, "Surely the Lord's Anointed is
before me," as he saw Abinadab go forth.

But God sees not as man sees and He had chosen the ruddy David that he
might be king in Jesurun. So might we multiply cases but your own
thoughts will spare my words. All the facts of the Old Testament go to
show that God does as He wills in the armies of Heaven and among the
inhabitants of this lower world. He pulls down and He raises up! He
lifts the beggar from the dunghill that He may set him among the
princes of His people. God has chosen, God has chosen and not man! "It
is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows
mercy."

Let us look at the matter in another light. Clearly the Lord's will
must determine the matter if we consider His office and position
towards men. God's office. God is a King. Shall not the king have his
own will? Men may set up a constitutional monarchy and they are right
in so doing. But if you could find a being who was perfection itself,
an absolute form of government would be undeniably the best. At any
rate, God's government is absolute and though He never violates
righteousness, for He is Holiness and Truth itself, yet He regards this
jewel of His crown as being the dearest that He has. "I Am and there is
none beside Me."

He gives no account of His matters. Unto all questions He gives this
answer, "No but, O man, who are you that replies against God? Shall the
thing formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus? Has
not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel
unto honor and another unto dishonor?" The absolute position of God as
King demands that, especially in the work of salvation, His will should
be the great determining force.

Let us state the case and you will see this. A number of criminals are
shut up in prison, all deserving to die. Their guilt is the same. If
they are all taken out to execution tomorrow morning, no one can say a
word against justice. Now if some of these persons are spared, to whose
discretion should the sparing be left? To their own? True, it will be
most gracious to send a messenger and bid them all come forth and
receive sparing mercy if they will come. But suppose they all, with one
consent, refuse to be saved? Suppose that having been invited to be
saved, every one of them refuses to accept pardon? If in such a case
superior mercy determines to override their wicked wills and sets
itself to secure that some of them shall effectually be saved, with
whom shall the choice be left?

If it were left with them they would all of them still choose death
rather than life. Therefore it were useless to leave it with them.
Besides, to leave the attribute of mercy in the hand of the criminal
would be an exceedingly strange mode of procedure. No, let it be the
king! Let it be the king who shall say who it is that shall be spared
in mercy and who shall die according to the rule of justice. The
position of God as King and the position of men as criminals demands
that salvation shall depend upon the will of God. And truly we may
better leave it with His will than with our own, for He is kinder to us
than we are to ourselves! He is more full of love to man than man is of
love to himself. He is Justice, he is Love! Justice in full-orbed
splendor–love in unbounded might. Mercy and Truth have met together in
Him and kissed each other! And it is well, it is well! It is best of
all that the rule and management of salvation should be left with Him.

We will now introduce to you a few figures made use of in Scripture in
connection with the work of salvation and I think you will then see
that the will must be left with God. Salvation consists in part of an
adoption. God adopts sinners who were heirs of wrath, even as others,
into His family. Who is to have authority in the matter of gracious
adoption? The children of wrath? Surely not. And yet all men are such!
No. It stands to nature, to reason, to common sense that none but the
parent can have the discretion to adopt.

As a father I have a right, if any desire to enter my family, to adopt
or to refuse to adopt the persons in question. Certainly no person can
have a right to force himself upon me and say that I shall be
considered as his reputed parent. The right must, I say, according to
reason and common sense, lie with the parent. And in adoption it must
be God who chooses His own children. The Church, again, is called a
building. With whom does the architecture of the building rest? With
the building? With the stones? Do the stones select themselves? Did
that stone over yonder in the corner choose its place? Or that which is
buried there in the foundation, did it select its proper position? No.
The architect alone disposes of his chosen materials according to his
own will. And thus, in building the Church which is the great House of
God, the great Master Builder reserves to Himself the choice of the
stones and the places which they shall occupy.

Take a yet more apparent case. The Church is called Christ's Bride.
Would any man here agree to have any person forced upon him as his
bride? There is not a man among us who would, for a single moment, so
demean himself as to give up his rights to choose his own spouse! And
shall Christ leave to human will who His Bride shall be? No. But my
Lord Jesus, the Husband of the Church, exercises the Sovereignty which
His position permits Him and selects His own Bride.

Again, we are said to be members of Christ's Body. We are told by David
that in God's Book, "all our members were written, which in continuance
were fashioned when as yet there was none of them"–thus every man's
body had its members written in God's Book. Is Christ's Body to be an
exception to this rule? Is that great Body of Divine manhood, Christ
Jesus, the mystical Savior–is that to be fashioned according to the
whims and wishes of free will–while other bodies, vastly inferior,
have their members written in the Book of God? Let us not dream
thus–it were to talk idly and not to know the meaning of the metaphors
of Scripture! It seems clear to me, according to the figures and
illustrations of Scripture, that the final choice of the men to be
saved must be left with God.

Is not this, dear Friends, most agreeable to your own experience? I am
sure it is to mine. There may be some who hate this doctrine–there may
be some whose very mouths foam while they hear us talk of the
Sovereignty of God! But I confess it touches a secret spring in my
nature which can compel me to weep when nothing else can. There is a
something in my consciousness which seems to say, "He must have chosen
me, for I never could have chosen Him." Determined to live in sin was
I! Prone to wander! Fond of iniquity! Drinking down evil as the ox
drinks his fill of water! And now saved by Grace! Dare I for a moment
impute that salvation to my own choice?

I do choose God most freely, most fully, but it must be because of some
previous work upon my heart changing that heart–for my unrenewed heart
never could have chosen Him. Beloved, do you not feel at this very time
that the natural bent of your thoughts is away from God? If the Grace
of God were taken from you, what would you be? Are you not just like
the bow which is bent when the string keeps it so–but cut that string
and it flies back to its old place? Would it not be so with you? Would
you not at once return to your former ways if the mighty Grace of God
were withdrawn from you? Well then, you clearly see that if even now
you are regenerate, your corrupt nature does not choose God, much less
could it have chosen Him when there was no new nature to keep it in
check and to control it. My Master looks into your faces, O you His
people, and He says, "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you."
And we each feel that He wakes the echo of our hearts, for we reply,
"Yes, Lord, we have not chosen You in our natural estate, but You have
chosen us and unto Your free and Sovereign choice be honor forever and
ever."

II. May we feel the present influences of the Holy Spirit while we
dwell upon the ELECTION ITSELF. The Lord is about to choose a people
who shall give honor to the Cross of Christ. They are to be redeemed by
precious blood and they are to be in some sense a worthy reward for the
great sufferings of Jesus. Now observe how strange is the choice He
makes. I read with astonishment, "He has not chosen many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble."

If man had received the power of choosing, these are just the persons
who would have been selected! "But God has chosen the foolish things of
the world to confuse the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of
the world to confuse the things which are mighty. And base things of
the world and things which are despised." If man had governed the
selection, these are the very persons who would have been left out! The
choice is very strange, very strange! I believe even in Heaven it will
be the subject of eternal wonder, and except for the reasons given in
our text, we should have been at a loss to know why it was that with
Divine scorn He passed by the palaces of haughty kings and looked after
the base-born and the lowly to make them the subjects of His choice.

Observe that while it is strange, it has this peculiarity about it–it
is directly contrary to human choice! Man chooses those who would be
most helpful to him–God chooses those to whom He can be the most
helpful. We select those who may give us the best return–God
frequently selects those who most need His aid. If I choose a friend,
the tendency is to him because of a certain serviceableness that there
may be in him to myself–this is the selfishness of man. But God
chooses His friends according to the serviceableness which He Himself
may render to the chosen one! It is the very opposite way of choosing.

We select those who are best because they are most deserving. God
selects those who are worst because they are least deserving so that
His choice may be more clearly seen to be an act of Grace and not of
merit. I say it is clearly contrary to man's way of choosing. Man
selects the most beautiful, the most lovely. God, on the contrary,
seeing the blackness and filthiness of everything which is called
lovely, will not select that which is called so, but takes that which
even men discover to be unlovely. God then makes it lovely with the
loveliness which He puts upon it. Strange choice! Is this the manner of
men, O Lord?

You will observe that the choice is very gracious–oh, how gracious in
your case and in mine! It is gracious even in its exclusion. It does
not say, "Not any wise men," it only says, "Not many," so that the
great ones are not altogether shut out. Grace is proclaimed to the
prince and in Heaven there are those who on earth wore coronets and
prayed. How blessed is the condescending Grace of the choice–it takes
the weak things, the foolish things. One would have thought that when
God said, "No," to the prince, He must have said it in order that He
might be excused from giving mercy to anybody–for we are in the habit
of saying, "Well, we have refused Mr. So-and-So and he is a much more
important person than you are, therefore I cannot give the favor to
you. Why, the king asked me such a favor and I would not do it for him!
Do you think I would do it for you?"

But God reasons another way. He passes by the king on purpose that He
may meet with the beggar. He leaves the noble that He may lay hold upon
the base. He passes over the philosopher that He may receive the fool.
Oh this is strange! It is unbelievably strange! It is marvelous! Let us
praise Him for this wondrous Grace! Oh, how encouraging is this for us
this morning. Some of us cannot boast of any pedigree. We have no great
learning. We have no wealth. Our names are all unknown to fame. But oh,
what a mercy! He has been pleased to choose just such foolish things as
we are! Such despised creatures as ourselves! Such things that are
not–to bring to nothing the things that are!

Not to spend all the time this morning in simply pointing out this
strange choice and wondering at it, let it suffice us to observe that
every Christian who finds himself chosen will think his own election to
be the strangest choice that could have been made–

"What was there in you that could merit esteem,
Or give the Creator delight?
'It was even so, Father!'you ever must sing,
'Because it seemed good in Your sight.'"

III. We will now turn to THE ELECTED. The chosen ones are described
negatively and positively. They are described negatively. "Not many
wise men after the flesh." Observe, it does not say, "Not many wise men
merely," but, "not many wise men after the flesh," because God has
chosen truly wise men, since all His people are made truly wise, but it
is the "wise after the flesh" that God has not chosen. The "sophoi," as
the Greek calls them. The philosophers, the men who pretend to have
wisdom or to love wisdom. The cunning, the metaphysical, the great
students, the keen observers, the rabbis, the doctors, the
infallibles–the men who look down with profound scorn upon the
illiterate and call them idiots–and treat them as if they were the
dust beneath their feet. These are not chosen in any great number.

Strange, is it not? And yet a good reason is given. If they were
chosen, why then they would say, "Ah, how much the Gospel owes to us!
How our wisdom helps it!" If the first twelve Apostles had all been
twelve doctors or sages, everybody would have said, "Why, of course the
Gospel was mighty! There were the twelve picked wise men of Judea, or
of Greece, to support it." But instead of that, God looks round the
creeks and bays after twelve poor fishermen who are as ignorant as any
He can find! He takes them and they become the Apostles. They spread
the Gospel and the Gospel has the glory and not the Apostles. The wise
are passed by in the wisdom of God.

Observe next, He says, "Not many mighty." The wise might have forced
their way to Heaven by their wit, one would think, but there they are
with their blind learning, fumbling for the latch of Heaven's
door–while the illiterate and simple-minded have already entered in!
Blind wisdom gropes in the dark and like the wise men, it goes to
Jerusalem in vain, while poor, humble shepherds go to Bethlehem and
find Christ at once! Here comes another order of great men! The mighty
men, the valiant champions, the princes, his Imperial Highness, the
conquerors, the Alexanders, the Napoleons– are not these chosen?
Surely when the king becomes a Christian, he can, with his sword,
compel others to receive Christ–why not choose him?

"No," says the text, "not many mighty." And you see why–because if the
mighty had been chosen, we should all say, "Oh, yes, we see why
Christianity spreads so–it is the good temper of the sword and the
strength of the arm that wields it." We can all understand the progress
of Mohammedanism during its first three centuries. Men like Ali and
Khaled were ready to strike whole nations! They leaped upon their
steeds, waved their scimitars over their heads and dashed against
hundreds, fearless of the fight! And it was only when they met such men
as our Richard Coeur de Lion that Mohammedanism was put back for
awhile. When the sword met sword, then they that took it perished with
it!

Christ chose no warriors–one of his disciples used a sword but it was
to very poor effect–for he only cut off a man's ear and Christ touched
that and healed it! And that was the end of poor Peter's fighting. So
the glory of the Lord's conquests does not depend upon the mighty! God
has not chosen them. Then he says, "Not many noble," by which he means
those with a long pedigree, descended through a line of princes, from
the loins of kings, with blue blood in their veins. "Not many noble,"
for nobility might have been thought to stamp the Gospel with its
prestige. "Oh, yes, there is no wonder that the Gospel spreads when My
Lord This and the Duke of That bends to it."

Yes, but you see there were few such in the early Church. The saints in
the catacombs were poor, humble men and women. And it is a very
memorable fact that out of all the inscriptions in the catacombs of
Rome written by the early Christians, there is scarcely one which is
properly spelled. But nearly all of them are as bad in grammar as they
are in spelling–a clear proof that they were scratched there by poor,
illiterate, ignorant men who were then the defenders of the faith and
the true conservators of the Grace of God. We have thus the negative
side–not the wise, not the mighty, not the noble.

But now the positive side and I want your careful attention to the
expression used by the Apostle. "God has chosen the foolish men"?–no,
it does not say so! "The foolish things," as if the Lord's chosen were
not by nature good enough to be called men, but were only "things." As
if the world looked down on them with such scorn that they did not say,
"Who are these men?" but, "Who are these things?" Once or twice in Luke
you will observe Christ called a "fellow," but the word "fellow" is put
in italics, not being in the original–for the Greek runs, "as for
this, we know not where He is." They did not say what He was, did not
even call Him a "fellow," though the translation is very good, as
giving a correct idea to the ordinary reader.

They seem to say of Christ, "as for this–well, call Him a beast if you
like–a thing if you like." And so Paul has put it here–"the foolish
things"–not simply foolish men whom the world should consider to be
unlearned, ignorant, stupid dolts led by the nose and easily deceived
into believing this or that, but–"foolish things," which are nothing
but stupidity has God chosen.

Next, God has chosen, "The weak things." Do observe the word "things"
with care. They were not merely weak men, but the world thought them
weak things. "Ah," said Caesar in the hall, if he said anything at all
about it–"Who is King Jesus? A poor wretch who was hanged upon a tree!
Who are these men that are setting Him up? Twelve poor fishermen who
could hardly muster one single talent of gold between them! Who is this
Paul who raves so lustily about Christ? A tentmaker! Who are his
followers? A few despised women who meet him at the waterside! Is Paul
a philosopher? No, he was publicly laughed at upon Mars' Hill–they
counted what he said to be mere babbling." No doubt Caesar thought they
were altogether too inconsiderable to be worthy of his notice. But the
"weak things" God has chosen.

Observe the next description, "The base things." The word there
signifies things without pedigree, things without a father, things
which cannot trace their descent–no Sir Harry, no Right Honorable is
akin to them. Their father was a nobody and their mother was a nothing.
Such were the Apostles of old–they were the base things of this world
and yet God chose them! As if this were not enough, it is written,
"Things that are despised," sneered at, persecuted, hunted about, or
treated with what is worse–with indifference–which is worse than
scorn. They are not worth notice– inconsiderable fools–pass them by
and let them alone." And yet these had God chosen!

Once more, as if to outdo all and sum it up in one word, "Things that
are not" has God chosen. Nothings, nonentities. "Oh," says the man of
the world, "yes, I did just hear that there were a parcel of fanatics
of that kind." "Oh," says another, "I never even heard of them! I never
mix myself up in any way with such a low-bred, vulgar set. Did they
ever have a bishop among them? A Right Reverend Father in God?" "No,
nothing of the kind, Sir, they are foolish, base, mean, despised. The
world, therefore, rejects them." "Yet," says God, "/choose them." They
are the very people that He chooses.

Now observe that what was true in Paul's day is true now. The Bible
does not change as years revolve. And in 1864 God chooses the things
which are despised just as much as in the year 64. And He will yet let
the world know that those who are ridiculed, styled fanatics, thought
to be mad and wicked, are yet, after all, His chosen ones destined for
God and for His Truth to rally the sacramental host of the elect and
win for God the battle of the last day! In this we are not ashamed to
glory, that God chooses the things which are despised. And we can take
our place with the despised people of God, hopeful to partake in the
election of His Sovereign Grace.

IV. To conclude, you have THE REASONS WHY GOD HAS CHOSEN THESE PEOPLE.
There are two reasons given–the first is the immediate reason. The
second is the ultimate reason. The first, or immediate reason, is
contained in these words, "God has chosen the foolish things of the
world to confuse the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the
world to confuse the things which are mighty. And base things of the
world and things which are despised has God chosen, yes, and things
which are not, to bring to nothing things that are."

Observe, then, the immediate reason is, first, to confuse the wise. For
one wise man to confuse another wise man is remarkable. For a wise man
to confuse a foolish man is very easy. But for a foolish man to confuse
a wise man–ah, this is the finger of God! You know how it was with the
first Apostles. A philosopher listened to Paul and when he had heard
him, he said, "There is nothing in it! Perfect foolishness! Pack of
stuff from beginning to end! No need for us to take the trouble to
answer it." Years rolled on and when the philosopher was getting very
gray, that pestilent heresy of Christianity was spreading
everywhere–his own daughter was converted–even his wife used to steal
out at night to the secret assembly!

The philosopher could not understand it. "There," he said, "I proved
without a doubt that it was all stupidity and yet these people stick to
it! I answered all their arguments, did I not? I not only answered and
confuted, but I clinched my arguments in such a way that I thought I
had put an end to the folly altogether. But here I see it, in my own
household!" Sometimes the philosopher had to stand with tears in his
eyes and say, "I feel it in my own heart, it has beaten me. It has
confused me–I could reason and rationalize and beat poor Paul–but
Paul has beaten me! What I thought was folly has confused my wisdom."

Within a few centuries after the death of Christ the Christian religion
had spread over the civilized world, while Paganism which had all the
philosophy of the east and of the west to back it up, had fallen into
disrepute and was laughed to scorn. Again, God has chosen the weak
things to confuse the mighty. "Oh," said Caesar, "we will soon root up
this Christianity–off with their heads." The different governors
hastened one after another of the disciples to death, but the more they
persecuted them the more they multiplied. The proconsuls had orders to
destroy Christians. The more they hunted them, the more Christians
there were, until at last men pressed to the judgment seat and asked to
be permitted to die for Christ!

The State invented torments. They dragged the saints at the heels of
wild horses. They laid them upon red-hot gridirons. They pulled off the
skin from their flesh piece by piece. Thy were sawn in two. They were
wrapped in skins and daubed with pitch–and set in Nero's gardens at
night to burn. They were left to rot in dungeons. They were made a
spectacle to all men in the amphitheatre. The bears hugged them to
death. The lions tore them to pieces–wild bulls tossed them upon their
horns–and yet Christianity spread! All the swords of the legionaries
which had put to rout the armies of all nations and had overcome the
invincible Gaul and the savage Briton could not withstand the
feebleness of Christianity–for the weakness of God is mightier than
men.

If God had chosen the mighty men they would have turned round and said,
"God is beholden to us." If He had chosen the wise they would have
said, "Our wisdom has done it." But when He chooses the foolish and
weak, where are you now, philosopher? Has not God laughed you to scorn?
Where are you now, O sword and spear? O mighty man who wields them,
where are you? God's weakness has routed you! It is said that He chose
the things that are not to bring to nothing the things that are. This
is even more than confusing them to bring them to nothing–"the things
that are."

What were they in the Apostle's days? Jupiter seated upon his lofty
throne holds the thunderbolt in his hand. Saturn reclined as the father
of the gods. Venus delighted her votaries with her lustful pleasures.
The chaste Diana sounded her horn. Here comes Paul with, "there is no
God but God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent." He represents "the
things that are not." So contemptible is the heresy of Christianity
that if a list were made out of the religions of different countries,
Christianity would have been left out of the catalog!

But see the result! Where is Jupiter now? Where Saturn? Where Venus and
Diana? Except as classical names in the dictionaries of the learned,
where are they? Who bows before the shrine of Ceres in the day of
harvest, or who lifts up his prayers to Neptune in the hour of storm?
Ah, they have gone. "The things that are" have been brought to nothing
by the "things that are not." Let us reflect that what is true in
Paul's day is true today. This year 1864 shall see repeated the
miracles of the olden times–the things that are shall be brought to
nothing by the things that are not.

See in Wickliffe's time. The things that are were the holy crucifixes
in every Church. St. Winifred, St. Thomas of Canterbury are worshipped
by all the multitudes of Englishmen. There comes My Lord Archbishop
through the street! Yonder is the pope worshipped by thousands and
there is the Virgin adored of all! What do I see? A solitary monk at
Lutterworth begins to preach against the begging friars. And in
preaching against them he finds out the Truth of God and begins to
preach that Christ is the only ground of salvation and that they who
trust in Him are saved!

Well, it was such a contemptible thing that at first they did not care
to persecute him. It is true at last he was brought up before His Grace
at St. Paul's, but there was a strong man, one John O'Gaunt, who came
up with him and said a word or two in his rough way and Wickliffe was
allowed to sit down. And though condemned, he returns to his parish of
Lutterworth. "The thing that was not!" It was not worthy to be put down
by blood, it would die out of itself. Did it die out? Where are your
holy crucifixes today? Where is St. Thomas of Canterbury, where are St.
Agnes and St. Winifred?

Ask our Puseyite friends, for they, alone, can tell you. True consorts
of the moles and of the bats–they know where the idols have been
cast–they seek to restore the superstitions of the past. But by God's
Grace their task shall be no easy one. The present system of English
superstition, with its water regeneration, its baptismal grace, its
confirmations and its giving of grace through bread and wine–though it
is attacked by those who are things that are not–shall yet cease to
be! And the Truth as it is in Jesus–the pure simple faith that no man
is a priest distinctively above his fellows–that every Christian is a
priest unto God. The pure Truth, I say, that no water can necessarily
bring the Spirit of God with it, and that no outward forms and rites
have any virtue in them–apart from the faith of those who receive
them–these, backed by the Spirit of God, shall bring to nothing the
things that are.

Here we fall back upon the strength of God. I would not have God's
champions stronger. Brethren, were they stronger they would take glory
to themselves. Let them be weak and let them be few and let them be
despised. Their fewness, their poverty, their weakness shall make the
shout of praise unto the eternal Conqueror yet more loud and the music
shall be undivided! There shall only be this refrain, "Not unto us, not
unto us, but unto Your name give glory for Your Truth's sake." This,
then, is God's immediate object in choosing foolish things, weak
things, things that are not–to confuse the mighty.

But His ultimate reason is "that no flesh may glory in His Presence." I
want you to notice that last sentence and I have done. He does not say,
"that no man." No, the text is in no humor to please anybody. It says,
"that no flesh." What a word! What a word, I say! Here are Solon and
Socrates, the wise men. God points at them with His finger and calls
them, "flesh." Flesh is sold in the shambles, is it not? Dogs tear it.
Worms eat it–nothing but flesh. There is Caesar with his imperial
purple cast about him and as he stands erect, the mighty Imperator, how
the Praetorian guards unsheathe their swords and shout, "Great is the
Emperor! Long may he live!" "Flesh," says God's Word, "flesh."

Here they come tramping on, hundreds in a line, the strong legionaries
of Rome! Who can stand against their swords and shields? "Flesh," says
the Word, "flesh." Here are men whose sires were of royal lineage and
grandsires of imperial rank and they can trace back the long line of
honor. "Flesh," says God, "flesh, nothing but flesh." Dogs' meat.
Worms' meat when God wills it. "That no flesh may glory in His
Presence." Do you see, then? God puts this stamp upon us all– that we
are nothing but flesh–and He chooses the poorest flesh and the most
foolish flesh and the weakest flesh–that all the other flesh that is
only flesh and only grass may see that God pours contempt on it and
will have no flesh glory in His Presence!

Now what is your spirit this morning towards this subject? Do you kick
at it? Do you say you cannot bear it? I am afraid you want to glory in
God's Presence. Your views of things and God's views of things differ,
and therefore you need to have a new heart and a right spirit. But, on
the contrary, do you say this morning, "I have nothing to boast of. I
would not glory in Your Presence, but I would lie in the very dust and
say, 'Do with me as You will' "? Sinner, do you feel that you are
nothing but flesh and sinful flesh? Are you so broken before God that
you feel let Him do as He will with you? Do you know that He will be
just and you can only appeal to His Sovereign Mercy?

Then God and you are one, you are reconciled! I can see that you are
reconciled. When God and you are agreed that God should reign, then God
is agreed that you should live! Sinner, touch the scepter of His Grace!
Jesus Crucified stands before you now and bids you look to Him and
live! That you are bid to look is an instance of mighty Grace–and that
you are enabled to look this morning will be a wonder of Divine love
for which you will have to bless Him in time and eternity! And now may
that God whose name we have sought to honor this morning bless these
stammering of ours, for Jesus' sake. Amen.