8. As long, therefore, as this _conflict_ is felt in man, sin cannot be said to _rule_ in him; for he who is continually fighting against sin, resists its struggles for dominion; and sin cannot destroy the man who opposes the attempts which it makes upon the soul.
9. It is the experience of all the saints, that they alike have sin, according to the word of St. John: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." 1 John 1:8. It is not, however, the _indwelling_ sin that condemns a man, but the _reigning_ sin. The sin with which we contend, and to the commission of which we do not consent, is not imputed to us; as St. Paul says: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1); that is, who do not permit the flesh to rule. But as for those who are altogether strangers to this spiritual strife, this combat of the flesh and Spirit, they are not born again, but are under the _reigning_ influence of sin; they remain the servants of sin and Satan, and are, consequently, d.a.m.ned; for "the law of the Spirit of life" hath not made them "free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2), so long as they thus suffer sin to rule over them, and to "reign in their mortal body."
10. All this is ill.u.s.trated in Josh. 16:10. The remnant of the Canaanites were permitted to dwell amongst the children of Israel, but not to have dominion over them; and thus the Israel of G.o.d feel their remaining imperfections, but do not allow them to gain the pre-eminence. To preserve this pre-eminence is the duty of the new man in Christ, whose name is Israel (that is, _a prince of G.o.d_) (Gen. 32:28); and who, as a _prince_, hath power with G.o.d, and shall at last prevail.
11. This daily strife with the old man, is an encouraging evidence of the existence of the new man; for it plainly indicates that there are two contending principles in him who is the subject of it. The strength of the spirit and the victory succeeding it, demonstrate the true Israelite; and the warfare of the spirit indicates the real Christian. The land of Canaan cannot indeed be gained without war: but when the flesh, like the Canaanite of old, invades the territories of the spirit, it then becomes the part of the spiritual and true Israel not to submit to such a master; but, after true repentance and remission of sin, to collect new strength in Christ, and by the grace of G.o.d to rise again from his fall, and earnestly implore Jesus, our true Joshua, to vanquish for him and in him, the spiritual Canaanite, the enemy of his soul. When this is accomplished, the sinner is not only forgiven and restored to favor, but he is likewise refreshed and strengthened in Christ, his great Captain in this spiritual combat. With regard, therefore, to such as continue to feel many infirmities in the flesh, and who cannot do the things which they would, I exhort them to cleave to Jesus as sincere penitents, and to cover their blemishes with his perfect obedience. It is in this order, and in this order alone, that the imputation of Christ"s merits becomes salutary and effectual; that is, when a man forsakes his sin, and by daily repentance strives against it; repairs his former losses, and guards against future temptations. But while the sinner remains a stranger to brokenness of heart on account of transgression; while he continues to gratify the unholy propensities of the flesh, nothing can be more absurd than for him to suppose that the merits of Christ are imputed to him; for how can the blood of Christ benefit him who treads it under foot? Heb. 10:29.
Chapter XVII.
The Inheritance And Possessions Of Christians Are Not Of This World; They Should, Therefore, Regard Themselves As Strangers In It, While They Make Use Of Earthly Things.
_We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content._-1 TIM. 6:7, 8.
The design of the blessed G.o.d in creating temporal things, was that they might supply man"s bodily wants; and it is right that they should be used for such a purpose, and be received at the hands of G.o.d with grat.i.tude, attended with fear and trembling. In regard to those things which are not absolutely necessary, whether gold and silver, food and raiment, etc., they are left to man in order to _prove_ him; so that from the manner in which he employs these objects, it may be discovered how he stands affected towards G.o.d, while possessed of the goods of this world: whether, on the one hand, he will still cleave to G.o.d, and in the midst of earthly possessions, keep his eye constantly fixed on those which are to come; or whether, withdrawing his love from G.o.d, he will attach himself to this fleeting world, and prefer a fading earthly paradise, to that which is permanent and heavenly.
2. Man is therefore left to his own liberty and choice, in order that he may be judged hereafter according to that which he has chosen here, and thus be without excuse in that day. Agreeably to this principle, it was the solemn declaration of Moses to the people of Israel: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." Deut. 30:19.
3. The things of this world are then designed, not to fill us with earthly delight and pleasures, but to be tests and trials of our fidelity. In these trials the fall is very easy, when once we begin to withdraw from G.o.d. The pleasures of this world are the fruits of a forbidden tree; of which we are warned by G.o.d not to eat, lest our minds going out after them should eventually take delight in them, after the manner of those who know no other pleasures, but such as are derived from earthly objects. These persons, by indulging the flesh, convert meat, drink, and apparel into snares by which they are turned away from G.o.d.
4. It certainly is the duty of every true Christian, to esteem himself a stranger and pilgrim in this world; and as bound to use earthly blessings, not as means of satiating l.u.s.t or gratifying wantonness, but of supplying his absolute wants and necessities. We ought not to set our affections on these inferior objects, but on Him alone who is able to satisfy them. To do otherwise, is to expose ourselves to dangerous temptations, and with Eve, to eat daily of the forbidden tree. The real Christian is not intent upon worldly concerns, or delicious fare; for his interior eye is directed to that bread which endureth unto eternal life. Nor is he solicitous about fine and fashionable apparel; aspiring rather after robes of divine light, and the raiment of glorified bodies. In short, all things that please the natural man in this world, are, to a true Christian, only so many crosses and temptations, allurements of sin and snares of death, that continually exercise his virtue. Whatever man uses without the fear of G.o.d, whatever he applies to the mere gratifying of his flesh, cannot fail to operate as a poison to the soul, however pleasant and salutary it may appear to be to the body. Yet, so far from laboring to know the forbidden tree of worldly pleasures and its various fruits, man gives himself up to a careless and thoughtless state of life, and yields to the l.u.s.t of the flesh, not considering that this l.u.s.t is really _the forbidden tree_.
5. The Christian, on the other hand, uses all things in the fear of G.o.d, and as a stranger and pilgrim on the earth; avoiding every kind of excess in meat, drink, apparel, houses, and the other things of this life, lest, by an improper use of them, he should offend both his Father in heaven, and his fellow-Christians upon earth. He will not so much as gaze on the _forbidden tree_, in order that he may not be ensnared; but with the eye of faith, he steadfastly beholds the future felicity of the soul, and for the sake of this felicity, refuses to yield to the cravings of corrupt nature. What does it profit the body that in this world it swims in l.u.s.ts and pleasures, when, after a short period, it must be devoured by worms, and stripped of all its enjoyments! "Naked," says Job, "came I out of my mother"s womb, and naked shall I return thither." Job 1:21. We bring into the world a naked and infirm, a poor and indigent body; and even this is the spoil of death; for when we pa.s.s out of this world we leave it behind us forever.
6. Whatever we enjoy from the time of our birth to the period of our dissolution, is all the bread of mercy and affliction, and designed to supply the bare wants of this mortal life. At the approach of death all is taken from us again, and we depart out of the world poorer than when we entered it. When man enters the world, he brings with him life and a body, and finds the necessary shelter, meat, and drink provided for him; but, after existing a short time, he is, in a moment, bereft of all, and leaves behind him even his body and his life. Consider then, O man! whether there can be anything more wretched and poor, more naked and miserable, than man when he dies, if he be not clothed with Christ"s righteousness, and enriched in his G.o.d.
7. As, therefore, we are confessedly strangers and pilgrims here, and at the hour of dissolution must leave behind us every earthly enjoyment, let us, at least, cease to enc.u.mber our souls with things which we cannot carry out of this world, and the use of which is restricted to this life only. Is it not a species of madness to heap up riches for a frail body, for a body which we must leave behind us, and which cannot possibly enjoy wealth hereafter? Luke 12:20, 21. Are we ignorant that there is another and a better world, another body and another life, and that, whatever we may appear in the sight of men, we are in the eye of G.o.d only strangers and sojourners on the earth? Ps. 39:12; Lev. 25:23. "Ye are," saith the Lord, "strangers and sojourners _with me_," that is, "_before my eyes_, although ye may not remember it."
8. If, then, we are strangers and sojourners, it follows that our country and our home must be elsewhere. This will be most evident to us, if we compare time with eternity, the visible with the invisible world, the earthly tabernacle with the heavenly, and things that are frail and perishing, with those that are lasting and eternal. Such a comparison will afford us a due insight into time and eternity, and lead us to behold with the eye of faith, such things as remain altogether unknown to the unthinking mult.i.tude. It is from the want of this consideration, that so many become lax and disorderly in their manners, wallow in the mire of earthly pleasures, and drown themselves in avarice and worldly cares. It is from the want of this reflection, that the major part of mankind, however keen and shrewd in the pursuits of this world, are blind and insensible to the concerns of the immortal soul. They addict themselves so much to this life, as to esteem it to be the most delightful, the best and n.o.blest of all; while the true Christian, on the contrary, accounts it an exile, a vale of tears, a place of misery, a deep and dark prison.
9. Hence it is that those who love this world, and seek their happiness in it, do not excel even the brute creation in wisdom or understanding; and as they live, so they die like beasts. Ps. 49:12, 20. They are totally blind as it respects the inward man; they do not even think of heavenly and eternal things; they never rejoice in G.o.d, but only in the low and sordid pleasures afforded by this world. It is in earthly things that they seek their rest and their enjoyment; and having obtained their object after much labor and toil, they sit quietly down and congratulate themselves on their possessions. Wretched, miserable men! blind and insensible to the tremendous concerns of their eternal salvation! here, they lie contentedly in the darkness of ignorance, soon to remove hence to that of death and d.a.m.nation. Luke 1:79.
10. In order to our better acquaintance with the nature of our pilgrimage here, we should unceasingly consider the example left us by the Redeemer, and earnestly follow him both in his life and doctrine. He hath set us an unerring pattern of universal holiness. He is our captain and our guide; and to his life and manners, our lives and our manners should be conformed. Go thou, therefore, and look unto him; unto him who, when the greatest of all men, voluntarily chose that life in which nothing of greatness appeared; a life of meanness, poverty, and contempt of honor, wealth, and pleasure, the threefold deity of this world. All these things, to which the world offers sacrifice, the Lord contemned; for he himself said, "He had not where to lay his head." Matt. 8:20.
11. Such, likewise, was the character of David; who, before his exaltation to the throne, was poor and despised; and who, when created king, accounted all his regal splendor as nothing compared with eternal life, and the kingdom of G.o.d, to which he was called. "How amiable," says he, "are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living G.o.d."-"A day in thy courts is better than a thousand." Ps. 84. As if he had said, I possess indeed a kingdom, and have people subject to my sway; I possess kingly palaces, and the strong hold of Zion; but what are all these in comparison of thy tabernacle, O Lord of hosts? So, too, Job found comfort in his _Redeemer_. Job. 19:25.
12. Neither Peter, nor Paul, nor any of the apostles, sought the riches of this life, but directed their attention to those which were laid up in another and better world. Hence they freely espoused the despised life of Christ, walking in his charity, lowliness, and patience; contemning the earth, and triumphing over the world, its snares, and its allurements.
They prayed for those who cursed them; they thanked those who reproached them; they blessed those who reviled them. 1 Cor. 4:12; Acts 5:41. When they were persecuted, they glorified G.o.d; when scourged, they were immovably patient, professing that "through much tribulation they must enter into the kingdom of G.o.d" (Acts 14:22); and when slaughtered, they prayed (with Christ their Head), "Father, forgive them" (Luke 23:34); "lay not this sin to their charge." Acts 7:60. Thus were they, on the one hand, dead to all wrath and revenge; to bitterness, ambition, and pride; to the love of the world, and of their own life also; while, on the other, they lived in Christ and in his love, in his meekness and humility, his patience and his resignation. They are, indeed, made alive in Christ by faith, who thus live.
13. To a lover of the world, this excellent way of life is unknown; for with regard to those who do not live in Christ, nor know that the _truth_ is in him, these are still dead in their sins; dead in wrath and hatred, in envy and avarice, in pride and revenge; and as long as they so continue, they are in a state of impenitence, and have not been quickened by faith in Jesus, be their boasting what it may. But the genuine disciples of Christ know it to be a duty to follow the steps of their divine Master (1 Pet. 2:21), and to be conformed to his life, as the supreme and original pattern of all virtue and goodness. In a word, the life of Christ is their exemplar; he himself is their _book_, whence they derive all solid and substantial learning, as it respects both life and doctrine. Such persons declare with the apostle, "We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:8. And with holy men of old they unite in saying, "Here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come." Heb. 13:14.
14. If, then, from a review of all these considerations, it evidently appear, as it surely does, that in this world we are strangers and have no abiding place, it follows that we were not created for the sake of earthly things as the ultimate end of our being; but that there remain for us another country and other dwellings, to gain which we ought not to hesitate to sacrifice a hundred worlds, or even life itself. These are subjects upon which the true Christian continually meditates with pleasure; and it is his joy that here he has no continuing city, but is created for life eternal. But how sad is the state of those who, occupied wholly in pursuing the things of this life, lade their souls with a crushing weight of worldly vanities, and thereby expose them to endless perdition.
Chapter XVIII.
Showing How Greatly G.o.d Is Offended, When Man Prefers Things That Are Temporal To Those That Are Eternal; And How Great The Evil Is, When Our Affections Cleave To The Creature And Not To The Creator.
_And the anger of the Lord was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them, etc._-NUMB. 11:1.
Many there are, in our day, who, under cover of religion, seek after earthly and carnal things; who use more diligence to become great and affluent by the gospel, than to be good and happy. They love "the praise of men, more than the praise of G.o.d." John 12:43. They choose rather to gratify the flesh in its sinful propensities, than to bring it down into true repentance and brokenness of spirit. But the character of the true Christian is of an opposite kind. He is more concerned about eternal than temporal things; he seeks the glory that endureth, more than that which pa.s.seth away; he thirsts after heavenly and invisible riches, and not after those that are earthly and visible. In short, he mortifies and crucifies the flesh, in order that the spirit may live.
2. The sum of Christianity is _to follow Christ_. Hence, it should be our chief care to imitate the example which he has left us. Our thoughts and actions, our desires and labors, should all terminate in the attainment of this _one thing needful_, how we may come to Christ; how be saved by, and united with him to all eternity.
3. Never should we cease to consider that endless felicity to which we are called; but cheerfully await the dissolution of our earthly bodies, and a translation to that inheritance which is reserved in heaven for us.
4. By these means, which habituate the soul more and more to the presence of G.o.d, there is begotten in man a holy thirst after eternal things; while a desire after earthly objects, which is insatiable in its nature, is at the same time powerfully restrained. This is taught by St. Paul in that precious saying: "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to G.o.d and the Father by him." Col. 3:17.
5. The _name_ of G.o.d, in which all things are to be done, is the honor, praise, and glory of G.o.d. Ps. 48:10. To this great end of human life, all our works should tend; for then it is that they are wrought in G.o.d (John 3:21), and will follow us into a blessed eternity. Rev. 14:13.
6. In a word, Almighty G.o.d, our chief and sovereign Good should be the _principle_ and _end_ of all our designs, if we would not fail of eternal salvation. Hence St. Paul says, "But thou, O man of G.o.d, flee these things" (1 Tim. 6:11); namely, covetousness and the love of the world. He calls the Christian, "a man of G.o.d," because he is born of G.o.d, and lives in G.o.d, and therefore is the son and heir of G.o.d; as, on the other hand, a man of the world, is one who lives in conformity to the world, who "has his portion in this life, and whose belly is filled with the hid treasure"
of the earth. Psal. 17:14. From these snares the Christian is required carefully to flee, and to follow after righteousness, G.o.dliness, faith, love, patience, meekness; and to lay hold on eternal life, whereunto he is called.
7. When a man refuses to be guided by these salutary maxims, he falls of necessity into every kind of enormous and presumptuous sin, and will at last be punished with eternal fire. See, for an ill.u.s.tration, Numb. 11:1.
8. Inundations and war, famine, pestilence, and conflagrations, are, it should be remembered, punishments inflicted by G.o.d, on account of our preferring things temporal to things eternal; and because we are more careful of a weak and perishing body, than we are of an imperishable, immortal soul. All this betrays the highest ingrat.i.tude, and an open contempt of the blessed G.o.d, deserving to be visited with punishments, both here and hereafter. For, does not man by such conduct set aside an almighty, eternal Being, from whom he derives both his body and his soul; and convert an impotent creature into an idol, to which he surrenders his love and affection? He who loves the creature more than the Creator, and things transitory more than those which are eternal, offers surely the highest possible affront to his Maker, and opposes the great design of the Christian religion.
9. It is no doubt true, that all the creatures of G.o.d are good in themselves; but when men begin to set their affections on them, and by their irregular love to convert them, as it were, into idols, they then become an abomination in the sight of G.o.d, and are justly ranked among the most odious images of gold and silver.
10. What else can result from a carnal love of the world but h.e.l.l and d.a.m.nation! Consider the case of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24), and the one in Numb. 11:1, already mentioned. These are ill.u.s.trations of the eternal fire and d.a.m.nation which must follow a rejection of G.o.d.
11. The love and joy, the wealth and honors of the true Christian, are circ.u.mscribed only by eternity itself; for, "where his _treasure_ is, there will his _heart_ be also." Luke 12:34. From the l.u.s.t and love of the world, on the contrary, nothing can result but eternal d.a.m.nation. "The world pa.s.seth away and the l.u.s.t thereof; but he that doeth the will of G.o.d abideth forever" (1 John 2:17): and hence, St. John calls upon the faithful entirely to withdraw their affections from the world; saying, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world." 1 John 2:15. These and similar considerations powerfully convince us, that G.o.d will not permit us to fix our affections on any creature whatsoever.
12. But this will more fully appear from the following reflections:
I. Love is the very _heart_ of a man, and the n.o.blest of all his affections; hence, it is due to G.o.d only, as the supreme object, and sovereign Good.
II. It is absolute folly to love temporal things, which cannot love us; whereas the infinitely blessed G.o.d deserves to be loved alone, since from a pure principle of love, he created us unto eternal life, and hath, to the same purpose, redeemed and sanctified us.
III. _Like_ things are naturally loved by their _like_. Hence, G.o.d made us after his own image, in order that we might love Him; and that, next to himself, we might love our neighbor, created after the same image.
IV. The human soul resembles a mirror, representing every object indifferently that is placed before it, whether it be of heaven or of earth. Therefore turn thy soul wholly and only to G.o.d, that this image may be fully expressed in it.
V. The patriarch Jacob, when dwelling in Mesopotamia, far removed from his native soil, never abandoned his purpose to return, and, at length, after twenty years" service, demanded his wives and wages; and, cheered by the recollection of the place of his nativity, returned thither. So should thy soul, amidst the various engagements of this life, and the hurry of outward employments, long without ceasing after thy heavenly fatherland.
VI. Man is made either better or worse by that which he loves. He that loves G.o.d, partakes freely of the divine virtue and goodness that reside in Him; but he that loves the world, is defiled with all those sins and evils which attend it.
VII. When King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4:33) was too much controlled by the love of the world, he lost the very form of a man, and degenerated into that of a beast. So all men, blotting from their hearts the image and love of G.o.d, are transformed, as it respects their inward man, into the nature of brutes. For surely those who wholly surrender themselves to the love of this world, are no better.