We are contented that men should lean to the side of interest, if only they will consider wherein their true interest consists. If God cannot do more for them than the world can, let them seek the world; or, if he cannot compensate all that they can lose or suffer for him, let them seek the world. But we fear not to say, whatever be the sacrifice which they make for him, "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this;" 1. In this world [It is a certain truth, that God does often recompense the services or sufferings of his people even with worldly prosperity: "Godliness hath in this respect the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come." This very consideration is urged by God himself as a motive to charity and our text suggests it as an argument for submitting cheerfully to losses in the path of duty. And it is curious to observe, that the loss sustained by Amaziah in obedience to God's command, was not only recompensed by present victory, but was restored in a three-fold proportion to his grandson Jotham; the same sum being paid to him for three successive years by the Ammonites, which Amaziah his grandfather sacrificed to the Lord on this occasion. But it is not three, or thirty-fold that we are to expect, but an hundred-fold" of whatever we sacrifice for the Lords: and is not this an ample compensation? 66 It is true, the Israelites whom he dismissed on this occasion did him great injury in their return home: and this might almost seem to contradict the promise in our text: but we apprehend that this very circumstance was permitted by God, on purpose to shew Amaziah how great a ruin he had been delivered from; since these Israelites were not hearty in his cause, and would have turned against him when once they saw the Edomites prevail, and would thus have utterly completed his destruction. Other reasons might be assigned for this dispensation: it might be supposed to be a punishment on Amaziah for hesitating to obey the divine mandate, and for placing his interest in competition with his duty: or it might be intended to guard him against the idolatry into which he was about to fall, by suffering the most idolatrous part of his own dominions to participate in the judgments inflicted on the d 1 Tim. iv. 8. h f ver. 11. with 2 Chron. xxvii. 5. ver. 13. e Prov. iii. 9, 10. 8 Mark x. 29, 30. Edomites. But we apprehend, that the reason first assigned, is that which was more immediately in the mind of God, when he permitted so dark and mysterious a judgment to fall on one who was obedient to his command, yea to arise, as it were, out of that very obedience. But, waving all consideration of temporal recompence, God can infinitely more than counterbalance all temporal losses by the richer effusion of his Spirit on the soul. If he suffer us to be deprived of earthly wealth, are we any losers, if he communicate to us a proportionable increase of spiritual riches? Cannot he, by the consolations of his Spirit, raise us far above all temporal distresses, and, by opening a prospect beyond the grave, make us to rejoice and glory in all the sufferings that can be inflicted on us here? Behold the Apostle Paul, how he" took pleasure in infirmities, and reproaches, and necessities, and persecutions, and distresses, for Christ's sake," because they tended to his spiritual welfare: and others, his companions," took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance." Thus may we expect it to be with us in this world: "if our afflictions abound, so shall also our consolation abound by Christ;" and the very sense of having sought the glory of God will make every pain a pleasure, and every loss a gain.] 2. In the world to come ["If we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with him:" and who can declare the full import of that promise? Truly, the reward that awaits the faithful followers of Christ hereafter, no words can express, no imagination can conceive. It will be in vain to attempt any description of the glory and felicity of heaven: but I will ask, Whether one single plaudit from our Judge will not overbalance all that we can either do or suffer in a hundred years? How indignant shall we be in that day, to think that we permitted the things of time and sense to warp our judgment, or embarrass our practice! One glimpse of the Saviour's glory will repay whole years of trouble: and no sooner shall we be received into his bosom, than we shall adore him for every trial that weaned us from the world, and for every loss that facilitated our progress towards the heavenly kingdom. Let us only take eternity into our estimate, and we shall instantly say with the Apostle, "I reckon (I compute) that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us1."] 1 2 Cor. xii. 10. k Heb. x. 34. 1 Rom. viii. 18. ADDRESS, 1. Those who are yet undecided in the course they shall take [Strongly as we have condemned the conduct of Amaziah for hesitating between the calls of interest and of duty, we yet will venture to propose him as an example, changing only the object of your concern. Are you tempted to violate a duty, or to draw back from suffering, ask yourselves immediately, 'But what shall I do for the favour of my God? what shall I do for the peace of my conscience? what shall I do for the salvation of my soul? How can I bear the loss of all these?' Let, I say, your hesitation be on this side: let the consideration of your eternal interests rise in your mind as instinctively and forcibly, as that of temporal interests does in the mind of a worldling and then we shall have no fear but that your obedience to God's word will be prompt, uniform, and unreserved. You will "buy the truth" at any price, " and never sell it" for a thousand worlds.] : 2. Those who have been enabled to give up all for Christ- [Whatever you may have lost or suffered, have you ever for a moment repented of the sacrifices you have made? No: if your hearts are right with God, you will feel yourselves indebted to God in proportion to the losses you have sustained for him; seeing that the privilege of suffering for him is an inestimable giftTM, and the highest honour that can be conferred upon a child of man". Go on then, Beloved, "strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might:" and let it be seen in you, that "a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things that he possesseth," but that "in God's favour is life;" and that, with "his love shed abroad in your heart," "though you have nothing, you are yet possessing all things"."] m Phil. i. 29. n Acts v. 41. 1 Pet. iv. 12-14. CCCCXVI. THE SIN AND DANGER OF DESPISING GOD'S COUnsel. 2 Chron. xxv. 16. And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to my counsel. WHEREVER "the heart is not perfect with God," a compliance with the divine will may be occasional and partial, but it never can be uniform and unreserved: when circumstances occur that require the sacrifice of a bosom lust, the heart will rise against the commandment, and trample under foot the authority of God himself. Herod would comply in some things with the injunctions of John the Baptist, but, when a separation from Herodias was insisted on, he broke through all the restraints of conscience, and inflicted death on his monitor as the penalty of his fidelity. Not unlike to Herod was King Amaziah; who obeyed the voice of a prophet requiring him to dismiss his hired troops, and to rely on God to compensate his loss, but was filled with indignation against one who expostulated with him on the subject of his idolatry. It should seem, that in proportion as a man is degraded in his own eyes by the conduct reproved, he will, if not truly penitent, swell with resentment against the person that undertakes to reprove him. The hiring of troops to augment his army appeared a prudent and commendable measure: but to take for his gods those worthless idols, over whom he himself had prevailed, was folly in the extreme. Hence, when reproved for it, he burst forth into a rage, and quickly terminated his conference with the inspired messenger. From hence we shall take occasion to shew I. What is the conduct of the generality in reference to the counsels of God God still, as formerly, sends his servants to testify against prevailing iniquities; and still, as heretofore, are his messages rejected. In Amaziah we see a striking picture of rebellious man [Nothing could be more just than the reproof given him. To renounce Jehovah, who had interposed so wonderfully in his behalf, and to substitute in his place those idols which had not been able to protect their own votaries, was an infatuation, of which we should scarcely have conceived him capable. Yet behold how he resented the prophet's expostulation! He regarded the admonition as an insult, and as an interference with his royal prerogative; as though God himself was not at liberty to counsel him. He moreover menaced the prophet, with an evident reference to Zechariah, whom for a similar offence his father had put to death. Thus he authoritatively silenced the messenger of Heaven; and determinately persisted in his impious idolatry.] No less reasonable than the expostulations made with him, are those which in God's name we make with you from time to time [They principally relate to two points; Your rejection of God as the supreme good; and, your neglect of Christ as the only Mediator between God and man. And is there not ground, abundant ground, for remonstrances on these points? Though Jehovah is acknowledged in words as the true God, is he loved, and served, and honoured, as God? Do we give him our whole hearts, and “ cast all our idols to the moles and to the bats?" Say whether "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life" be not in reality preferred before him, and whether we do not provoke him to jealousy by these, and other "idols which we set up in our hearts?"- —And though we confess Christ to be the Saviour of the world, say whether we seek him, and rely upon him, and plead his merits at the throne of grace, and renounce with abhorrence all dependence on our own wisdom, strength, or righteousness? Alas! it is manifest, that the regard paid to him amongst us, is by no means what it ought to be, and that all his love to us is repaid, for the most part, with cold indifference and mere formal acknowledgments. We ask then, Whether, as servants of the Most High God, we have not reason to complain, reprove, expostulate? and whether our most earnest representations ought not to be taken in good part?] Yet is our testimony, like that of the prophet, too often rejected with disdain [In public indeed we are permitted to speak with some degree of plainness: yet even there a faithful discharge of our duty is sure to bring upon us no little measure of odium and reproach. If we exhort, reprove, rebuke, with all authority, as we are commanded to do, many, especially of the higher ranks, will consider themselves as insulted; and will either endeavour to silence us, or, if unable to effect that, will withdraw from a minister that is so offensive to them. Their advice a 2 Chron. xxiv. 20, 21. |