Part 1
Transcribed from the 1817 R. Thomas edition by David Price, email [email protected]
[Picture: Public domain book cover]
THE _Believer’s Confidence_ IN A FAITHFUL GOD,
AND THE NEEDLESS Triumph of his Enemies CONSIDERED,
IN
A SERMON,
Preached on LORD’s DAY MORNING, November 23, 1817. AT SEVEN O’CLOCK,
_At the Surrey Tabernacle_,
BOROUGH ROAD,
BY JOHN CHURCH,
_ON HIS TAKING LEAVE_.
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THOUGH I WALK IN THE MIDST OF TROUBLE THOU WILT REVIVE ME; THOU SHALT STRETCH FORTH THINE HAND UPON THE WRATH OF MINE ENEMIES, AND THY RIGHT HAND SHALL SAVE ME.—_Psalm_ cxxxviii, 7.
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Southwark: Printed by R. THOMAS, Red Lion Street, BOROUGH.
1817.
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_A SERMON_, _&c._
MICAH VIII, 6th.—“REJOICE NOT AGAINST ME, O MINE ENEMY; WHEN I FALL, I SHALL ARISE; AND WHEN I SIT IN DARKNESS, THE LORD SHALL BE A LIGHT UNTO ME.”
MY DEAR FRIENDS,
I am come this morning to perform one of the most painful tasks that ever fell to my lot. I am come to take farewell of those who are dear to God, dear to angels, dear to each other, and dear to my heart upon the most noble principles. Though I trust it is but a temporary farewell in general, yet to many it will be perhaps a long farewell, even till we meet in glory, where parting shall be known no more for ever; and to others who live and die enemies to the dear and adorable Saviour—to hypocrites in Zion, to formalists and pharisees, dying such, I say it is an eternal farewell. We shall meet no more perhaps on praying ground—but be it known unto you, my testimony for God and truth you have heard many times, will never be out of your consciences, either in heaven or hell; it will be for or against you, either a savour of life unto life, or of death unto death. And now behold, many among whom I have preached the gospel will see my face no more—painful thought! but I bow to the solemn, awful, just, and I may add, I am sure, merciful dispensation; fully persuaded it is my duty, nay, more, it is my salvation, to bow to the will of the great head of the church. Nature shrinks, but faith looks forward to the grand end which my heavenly father has in view—and being already assured by his word, and by his spirit, that I shall be favoured with his manifestative presence, I prefer submitting to the mind of infinite wisdom, to any other plan which nature, friends, and present interest may suggest. My heart sinks, my spirit fails, my mind is distressed, when I take the painful retrospect, accompanied with the grief of my friends, the troubles of my family, and my own situation; and what is most mortifying, the triumph of the envious, the joy of the enemies of the cross; the pleasure of Satan, and the satisfaction of his emissaries; these things all meet in my mind, and perplex me not a little; but perhaps the grief of the former may be but comparatively for a moment, and the joy of fools is compared to the crackling of thorns under a pot, which make a noise and a blaze, but soon will expire, for so the word of God assures us. And then, what have my enemies effected? What advantage have they gained? Are they any the better? Will their cruelty add to their felicity on a dying bed? Some perhaps may suppose they have done God service; others have not God in all their thoughts; while others, who ought to act better, because they profess better things, join with worldlings, pharisees, and formalists, against a man they know nothing of, but by hear-say. While erroneous characters of every description hate me for the truth’s sake alone, and rejoice if they can find any fault as a ground of persecution; and if not in reality, an evil report is quite enough for them, that they might have cause to oppose the truth, as it is in Jesus. But perhaps before many years roll along, they may hear that John the Baptist is risen from the dead; that Sampson’s locks are grown again, and when he comes forth, they may yet hope to make sport with him. But perhaps the Lord may take vengeance on them, and enable his servant to be avenged on Satan and sin for the loss he has sustained; and by fervent prayer, faithful preaching, and a holy life, he may take hold on the main pillars of the Devil’s kingdom, _ignorance_ of God and an _empty_ profession, and make them tremble; while the power of the Holy Spirit may bring them down, through his feeble instrumentality, at least, in the hearts of some. I therefore humbly presume to adopt the language of the church of old, as personated by the Prophet in my Text, as before recited.
My dear hearers may perhaps recollect I have often referred them under their various exercises to this very important chapter. The prophet predicts the state of the church in gospel days; and our dear Lord, no doubt, had his mind on this chapter, when he forewarned the disciples what they would experience, even from their nearest and dearest relatives, for the truth’s sake; that no earthly ties would subdue or remove the carnal enmity of the human heart—that the father and mother would betray their dear children, and children would rise up against their parents, in consequence of their adherence to the truth; which was the case may times during the heat of persecution, and to this hour, where sovereign grace has been manifested in a family, where one has been taken and another left, there has been a most awful opposition, which may be seen in many lamentable circumstances—_Mat._ 10th chapter. Perhaps Solomon alludes to this when he says, _For three things the earth is disquieted_, _and for four which it cannot bear_.—_Prov._ 30th.
The conquests of grace have ever disturbed the earth, and those who have preached all the words of this life are represented as having turned the world upside down, and as the troublers of Israel; while the gospel in its power has caused those who were servants to sin to lay down the arms of their rebellion, and God has set up a kingdom in their hearts which shall never be destroyed, and made them kings and priests unto God. But the prophet, no doubt, in this chapter, may allude to the state of the Jewish church, before and in her captivity, this I apprehend is the primary sense of the chapter. He laments the fewness of those who were valiant for the truth. Then represents the sins of the great, and of those in office, both in church and state. The decay of true godliness was his grief, accompanied with many heart-breaking sights of the treachery of those who were in a profession, with the weakness of the children of God themselves; _The best of them is a briar_, _the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge_. Trust ye not, therefore, in a friend; put no confidence in a guide! _Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom_—that is, even from the saints themselves, knowing the best of men are but men at the best: and well may one of our own Poets exclaim—
_Lean not to earth_, _’twill pierce thee to the heart_: _A broken reed at best_, _but oft a spear_! _On its sharp point peace bleeds and hope expires_!
The prophet’s mind is turned to the true centre of solid joy and peace, amidst all the trials he experienced—_therefore will I look to the Lord_; _I will wait for the God of my salvation_, with this sweet confidence, my God will hear me. My enemies then need not rejoice; for as I have God in covenant to be my God—and of this I am confident, from his word, and by the many tokens of his love; therefore though I fall into trouble, and remain in the darkness of my captivity a long time, yet I am fully assured I shall be delivered in God’s time and way; and till that period arrives, the Lord Jesus will be my light, my love, my portion, and my joy. Persuaded of this, I will bear in his strength, the fatherly indignation of the Lord, manifested in his providences, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, appear for my help, and as my glorious deliverer, in bringing me forth to the enjoyment of his favour, and to sweet peace, through the imputed righteousness of the dear Redeemer, which I shall behold as my own, and which will cause me to adore his righteous proceedings with me; and when I am humbled and delivered, then she that is mine enemy will see it, and shame shall cover her that said, Where is the Lord thy God? She shall see it in this and a coming world. _Rejoice not_, therefore, _O mine enemy_; _when I fall_, _I shall arise_; _when I sit in darkness_, _the Lord shall be a light unto me_.
This subject is truly interesting, and exactly suitable to the state of an afflicted Church, or an individual Believer; and it is the general privilege of all the children of the most high, if it suits them, for the Scriptures are designed to furnish the children of God unto every good word and work; to furnish them with matter for faith, hope, prayer, humiliation, and encouragement in God. This is the design of every precious doctrine and promise, which at once opens to our wondering view, the very heart of the God of all grace; the glorious person of God our Saviour; his covenant transactions with the Father, his acting for and on the behalf of his Church, his wonderful incarnation, his meritorious holy life of obedience, his sufferings and death, whereby he removed the guilt of his dear people; his sacred burial, his most triumphant resurrection from the dead, his glorious ascension, his appearing in heaven as the advocate of his people, and as their ever prevalent intercessor. This is the glorious foundation, hope, and comfort of those whose hearts are under the influences of his Spirit, who are driven from every other refuge, and are enabled to believe to the present salvation of the Soul. This faith, which is the work of God on the hearts of his people, evidences their election of God, their complete redemption from the ruins of the fall, and that the work is genuine; it is the earnest God has given them, and all their present peace and joy is according to the strength or weakness of this grace. This makes Christ precious, the Word sweet, and the Saints dear. This creates in their hearts a most earnest desire to live to the glory of God—this renders them the butt of the Devil’s malice, the hypocrite’s envy, and the world’s scorn. These, in connexion with the old Man of Sin, which the Believer daily groans under, renders his road very rough; often exposes him to the deepest trouble and heart-felt grief. His own daily infirmities, his own constitutional sin, creates him much wretchedness, and the enemies of the Cross are daily watching for his halting, longing for his fall, envying his comforts, and contriving his overthrow. But though he is safe in the unchangeable love of God, as it respects his soul, yet he is still exposed to the malice of man, the temptations of Satan, and the shafts of calumny. If a fault can be justly found, Oh! the triumphs of the Philistines! And if not, perhaps they will try to make one, that they may bring the cause of Christ into contempt. The combined enemies of God are the same combined foes of the people of God, for, as by virtue of the union subsisting between the Lord Jesus and his people, they have a mutual interest; his cause is theirs, his friends are theirs, and his enemies are theirs: as they bear his image, possess his favour, cleave to his person, love his name, esteem his word, feel his power, trust his faithfulness, and follow his dear foot-steps, so they must expect that share of his sufferings allotted them, from the same enemies, their glorious master was encompassed with—these are the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, the three great foes of Christ and the Believer. From Satan the dear Redeemer was assaulted, the world hated him, and sin, as imputed to him, made him tremble, when it fell upon him in all its malignity. Satan rejoiced when the dear Saviour was afflicted by God and man; but he had very little cause to rejoice, for by the Saviour’s obedience unto death, he destroyed death, wounded the head of Satan, took vengeance on him for all he had done to his people, and has threatened to shut him up in the prison of Hell a thousand Years; at the expiration of which he shall be loosed from his prison, and dragged before the awful tribunal of Christ, and then receive his full torment, even that torment he was afraid Christ was come to put him to at his first appearance, when he cried out, _Art thou come to torment us before the time_? So that while our dear Lord was suffering, Satan might have rejoiced, but had very little cause, neither had the world much reason to triumph; they hated both Christ and his Father, his person, his mission, his miracles, his doctrines, and his followers; but they hated him without a cause, nor could they rest until they had imbrued their hands in his Blood! And when they had done it, they rejoiced, but short indeed was their joy, the Captain of Salvation rose triumphant over all their hellish spite, ascended to glory, and will come again in the last great day to judge the quick and the dead; then shall all the kindreds of the earth mourn!—mark that—_the kindreds of the earth_, but none of the kindred of Christ; they shall rejoice when he comes to be glorified in his Saints, and admired by all them that believe; and surely if we are led by the eternal Spirit to admire Jesus on earth, this will be our sweet employment in heaven; but as Satan and the World were the enemies of Christ, so they are the formidable foes of the people of God; the old Serpent has an inveterate hatred to the saints, and though he well knows he cannot destroy them for ever, yet he will endeavour to make their path to glory as miserable as he can. He is called the accuser of the brethren; he attempted to move God against holy Job, but in vain; he traduced him as an hypocrite and mercenary professor, and vented all the bitterness he was permitted on his body and mind; and he would, if he could, act the same in all the rest of the elect, and finally destroy both soul and body; but he must ask leave of our Father before he can do that—yea, he cannot so much as tempt a Believer without leave from God; and as we are well aware he is permitted to tempt every vessel of mercy, how truly important those petitions of our Lord which he taught his disciples—and _lead us not into temptation_, _but deliver us from evil_. The same learned Greek scholars read it—“Thou canst _not_ lead us into temptation, _therefore_, deliver us from the evil one.” And how suitable to our desires is that part of the Litany of the Church of England, “From all evil and mischief, from sin, from the crafts and assaults of the Devil, and from thy wrath, and from everlasting damnation—_Good Lord deliver us_.” But though it is the work of Satan to tempt, to harrass, to vex, to grieve, and to hurl his darts into the mind; to bring the soul into bondage, to terrify or lull to sleep, to ensnare, or tempt to despair, to fill the mind with legality, or tempt it to real Antinomianism, that is, to sin that grace may abound:—whatever may be his temptations, and whatever his malicious joy, to see a chosen vessel fall either into sin or sorrow of any description, _he_, as a creature, a fallen spirit, the enemy of Jehovah—I say, _he_ has the least reason to rejoice, as _he_ only adds to his own damnation!—_he_ helps to fill up the measure of his own iniquity. Much as the believer has to blame himself for on account of not taking heed to his own ways, yet Satan need not rejoice in his falls, for he only falls to stand more firm, to see native weakness of his own arm, the deceitfulness of his own heart; and as grace is displayed to his soul, he finds the dear Redeemer more precious to his heart, after the inner man; he is made more watchful, more sedate, more careful: he is humbled in the dust before God, and as pardoning mercy lifts him up, so repentance flows forth to his forgiving. God and this repentance is attended with all those excellencies described by the apostle Paul, (2 _Cor._ vii, 11), Carefulness, clearing, indignation, fear, desire, zeal, and revenge on sin and Satan, for the injury they have done him.
Thus blest, he again travels on in his Redeemer’s righteousness and strength, hating sin more than ever, and vowing eternal war against Satan and his works. But the world is also the enemy of God’s children—not the creation of God, but the men of the world, who are of the earth, earthy, whose portion and joy is in the world, whose hope is the sand of their own doings, who are enemies by nature and by practice, who are ignorant of God, of Jesus, his word, his grace, and the reality of religion. These, whether open opposers, or formal professors of any religion, are enemies to God, and in the enmity of their hearts they live, and, if grace does not prevent, they will die, and as those trees fall so they will lie till the resurrection of the wicked dead, even a thousand years after the righteous dead—these will rise in all the enmity in which they died, and will manifest it as soon as they spring up from the dust, (see this awful subject in the 20th chapter of the _Revelations_, 8th and 9th verses)—as they will then appear in the image of Satan so they possess that image now, which is hatred to God; for as love is the image of Jesus, so enmity is the image of Satan; and these bear his image as his children—they are engaged in his service, are his drudges, his fools; they hate what he hates. God and his saints—they oppose whom their father opposes, and they rejoice and delight in that which he delights in—they eat the same food, for _Dust is the Serpent’s meat_—they rejoice in the same spite, and are engaged in the same cause, they bear the same name, and will come to the same end, _for the wicked shall be turned into hell_, _with all the nations that forget God_.
Nor does an empty profession of religion alter this image; there is the same spirit, the same hatred to truth, the same rejoicing in the heart at a real believer in all his falls, whether it be into sin or into trouble; and the Lord sometimes permits it to be so, that they may manifest by what spirit they are influenced, for by these fruits you are to know them. They are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph, therefore woe to them that are at ease in Zion. Sad, indeed, to see professors join with the world in opposing the grand leading doctrines of the gospel. Sad to see them join in their sins, in their pursuits, in their enmity, and in their cruel joy, in the downfall of any chosen vessel. Sad to see them join in the same hue and cry, do the same work of spreading an evil report, and boasting of the goodness of their hearts; but they have their reward. _Woe unto you that laugh now_, says the Saviour; that is, at the truth, or the trouble of the afflicted and depressed, _for you shall mourn_—Recollect your present state, and if grace prevent not, your future end. _Rejoice not therefore against me_, _O mine enemy_!