MATTHEW XI. 1—15.
1 And it came to pass, -when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, lie departed tlience to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 Now when John liad heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4t Jesus answered and said unto them. Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5 The blind receive their siglit, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is lie, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went vou out for to see?
I A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, tliey that wear soft clothing are in kings^'houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare tliy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you. Among them that are born of women there hatli not risen a greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptise until now the kingdom of heaven sutfereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
14 And if ye wiil receive if, this is Elias, which was for to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The first thing that demands our attention in this passage, is the message ivJiich John the Baptist sends to our Lord Jesus Christ. He " sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?"
This question did not arise from doubt or unbelief on the part of John. We do that holy man injustice, if we interpret it in such a way. It was put for the benefit of his disciples. It was meant to give them an opportunity of hearing from Christ's own lips, the evidence of His divine mission. No doubt John the Baptist felt that his own ministry was -ended. Something within him told him that he would never come forth from Herod's prisonhouse, but would surely die. He remembered the ignorant jealousies that had already been shown by his disciples towards the disciples of Christ. He took the most likely course to dispel those jealousies for ever. He sent his followers to " hear and see'' for themselves.
The conduct of John the Baptist in this matter aflfords a striking example to ministers, teachers, and parents, when they draw near the end of their course. Their chief concern should be about the souls of those they are going to leave behind them. Their great desire should be to persuade them to cleave to Christ. The death of those who have guided and instructed us on earth ought always to have this effect. It should make us lay hold more firmly on Him who dieth no more, " continueth ever," and " hath an unchangeable priesthood." (Heb. vii. 24.)
The second thing that demands our notice in this passage, is the high testimony lohich our Lord hears to the character of John the Baptist, No mortal man ever received such commendation as Jesus here bestows on His imprisoned friend. " Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist." In time past John had boldly confessed Jesus before men, as the Lamb of God. Now Jesus openly declares John to be more than a prophet.
There were some, no doubt, who were disposed to think lightly of John Baptist, partly from ignorance of the nature of his ministry, partly from misunderstanding the question he had sent to ask. Our Lord Jesus silences such cavillers by the declaration he here makes. He tells them not to suppose that John was a timid, vacillating, unstable man, " a reed shaken by the wind." If they thought so, they were utterly mistaken. He was a bold, unflinching witness to the truth. — He tells them not to suppose that John was at heart a worldly man, fond of king's courts, and delicate living. If they thought so, they greatly erred. He was a self-denying preacher of repentance, who would risk the anger of a king, rather than not reprove his sins. — In short. He would have them know that John was " more than a prophet." He was one to whom Grod had given more honor than to all the Old Testament prophets. They indeed prophecied of Christ, but died without seeing Him. John not only prophecied of Him, but saw Him face to face. — They foretold that the days of the Son of man would certainly come, and the Messiah appear. John was an actual eye-witness of those days, and an honored instrument in preparing men for them. — To them it was given to predict that Messiah would be ^' led as a lamb to the slaughter," and ^' cut off." To John it was given to point to Him, and say, '' Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world/^
There is something very beautiful and comforting to true Christians in this testimony which our Lord bears to John. It shows us the tender interest which our great Head feels in the lives and characters of all His members. It shows us what honor He is ready to put on all the work and labor that they go through in His cause. It is a sweet foretaste of the confession which He will make of them before the assembled world, when He presents them faultless at the last day before His Father's throne.
Do we know what it is to work for Christ? Have we ever felt cast down and dispirited, as if we were doing no good, and no one cared for us? Are we ever tempted to feel, when laid aside by sickness, or withdrawn by providence, ^' I have labored in vain, and spent my strength for nought?" Let us meet such thoughts by the recollection of this passage. Let us remember, there is One who daily records ail we do for Him, and sees more beauty in His servants' work than His servants do themselves. The same tongue which bore testimony to John in prison, will bear testimony to all his people at the last day. He will say, " Come, ye blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." And then shaU. His faithful witnesses discover, to their wonder and surprise, that there never was a word spoken on their Master's behalf, which does not receive a reward.
16 But wherennto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
17 And saying,We have piped unto you, and ye liave not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say. Behold, a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of Publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21 "VVoe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you. It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I say unto you, That* it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
These sayings of the Lord Jesus were called forth by the state of the Jewish nation, when He was upon earth. But they speak loudly to us also, as well as to the Jews. They throw great light on some parts of the natural man's character. They teach us the perilous state of many immortal souls in the present day.
The first part of these verses shows us the unreasonableness of many unconverted men in the things of religion.
The Jews, in our Lord's time, found fault with every teacher whom God sent among them. First came John the Baptist preaching repentance — an austere man, a man who withdrew himself from society, and lived an ascetic life. Did this satisfy the Jews? No! They found fault and said, " He hath a devil." — Then came Jesus the Son of God, preaching the Gospel, living as other men lived, and practising none of John the Baptist's peculiar austerities. And did this satisfy the Jews? No! They found fault again, and said, " Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." In short, they were as perverse and hard to please as wayward children.
It is a mournful fact, that there are always thousands of professiag Christians just as unreasonable as these Jews. They are equally perverse, and equally hard to please. Whatever we teach and preach, they find fault. Whatever be our manner of life, they are dissatisfied. Do we tell them of salvation by grace, and justification by faith? At once they cry out against our doctrine as licentious and antinomiam. Do we tell them of the holiness which the Gospel requires? At once they exclaim, that we are too strict, and precise, and righteous overmuch. — Are we cheerful? They accuse us of levity. — Are we grave? They call us gloomy and sour. — Do we keep aloof from balls, and races, and plays? They denounce us as puritanical, exclusive and narrow-minded. — Do we eat, and drink, and dress like other people, and attend to our worldly callings and go into society? They sneeringly insinuate that they see no difference between us and those who make no religious profession at all, and that we are not better than other men. What is all this but the conduct of the Jews over again? " We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced: we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented." He who spake these words knew the hearts of men.
The plain truth is, that true believers must not expect unconverted men to be satisfied, either with their faith or their practice. If they do, they expect what they will not find. They must make up their minds to hear objections, cavils, and excuses, however holy their own lives may be. Well says Quesnel, " Whatever measures good men take, they will never escape the censures of the world. The best way is not to be concerned at them." After all, what saith the Scripture? " The carnal mind is enmity against God." " The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God." (Eom. viii. 7. 1 Cor. ii. 14.) This is the explanation of the whole matter.
The second part of these verses shows us the exceeding wickedness of wilful impenitence. Our Lord declares that it shall be " more tolerable for Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, in the day of judgment," than for those towns where people had heard His sermons, and seen His miracles, but not repented.
There is something very solemn in this saying. Let us look at it well. Let us think for a moment what dark, idolatrous, immoral, profligate places Tyre and Sidon must have been. Let us call to mind the unspeakable wickedness of Sodom. Let us remember that the cities named by our Lord, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, were j)robably no worse than other Jewish towns, and at all events, were far better than Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom. And then let us observe, that the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, are to he in the lowest hell, because they heard the Gospel, and yet did not repent — because they had great religious advantages, and did not use them. How awful this sounds!
Surely these words ought to make the ears of every one tingle, who hears the Gospel regularly, and yet remains unconverted. How great is the guilt of such a man before God! How great the danger in which he daily stands? Moral, and decent, and respectable as his life may be, he is actually more guilty than an idolatrous Tyrian or Sidonian, or a miserable inhabitant of Sodom. They had no spiritual light: he has, and neglects it. — • They heard no Gospel; he hears, but does not obey it. — Their hearts might have been softened, if they had enjoyed his privileges. Tyre and Sidon '^ would have repented.'' Sodom " would have remained until this day." His heart under the full blaze of the Gospel remains hard and unmoved. — There is but one painful conclusion to be drawn. His guilt will be found greater than their's at the last day. Most true is the remark of an English bishop, " Among all the aggravations of our sins, there is none more heinous than the frequent hearing of our duty."
May we all think often about Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum! Let us settle it in our minds that it will never do to be content with merely hearing and liking the Gospel. We must go further than this. We must actually " repent and be converted." We must actually lay hold on Christ, and become one with Him. Till then we are in awful danger. It will prove more tolerable to have lived in Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, than to have heard the Gospel in England, and at last died unconverted.
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven ai-.d earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, -cind hast revealed them unto babes.
26 Even so. Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save
the Son, and lie to whomsoever the Son will reveal Mm.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
There are few passages in the four Gospels more important than this. There are few which contain, in so short a compass, so many precious truths. May Grod give us an eye to see, and a heart to feel their value!
Let us learn, in the first place, the excellence of a childlike and teachahle frame of mind. Our Lord says to His Father, " Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes."
It is not for us to attempt to explain why some receive and believe the Gospel, while others do not. The sovereignty of God in this matter is a deep mystery: we cannot fathom it. But one thing, at all events, stands out in Scripture, as a great practical truth to be had in everlasting remembrance. Those from whom the Gospel is hidden are generally " the wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight." Those to whom the Gospel is revealed are generally humble, simpleminded, and willing to learn. The words of the Virgin Mary are continually being fulfilled, " He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away." (Luke i. 53.)
Let us watch against pride in every shape — pride of intellect, pride of wealth, pride in our own goodness, pride in our own deserts. Nothing is so likely to keep a man out of heaven, and prevent him seeing Christ, as pride. So long as we think we are something we shall never be saved. Let us pray for and cultivate humility.
Let us seek to know ourselves aright, and to find out our place in the sight of a holy Grod. The beginning of the way to heaven, is to feel that we are in the way to hell, and to be willing to be taught of the Spirit. One of the first steps in saving Christianity is to be able to say with Saul, '^Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts ix. 6.) There is hardly a sentence of our Lord's so frequently repeated as this, "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted." (Luke xviii. 14.)
Let us learn, in the second place, from these verses, the greatness and majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The language of our Lord on this subject is deep and wonderful. He says, " All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son save the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whom the Son shall reveal him." ^ We may truly say, as we read these words, " Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain to it." We see something of the perfect union which exists between the first and second Persons of the Trinity. We see something of the immeasurable superiority of the Lord Jesus to all who are nothing more than men But still, when we have said all this, we must confess that there are heights and depths in this verse, which are beyond our feeble comprehension. We can only admire them in the spirit of little children. But the half of them, we must feel, remains untold. Jr Let us, however, draw from these words tlie great practical truth, that all power and authority, in everything that concerns our soul's interests, is placed in our Lord Jesus Christ's hands, '^ All things are delivered unto him." He bears the keys: to Him we must go for admission into heaven. He is the door: through Him we must enter. He is the Shepherd: we must hear His voice^ and follow Him, if we would not perish in the wilderness. He is the Physician: we must apply to Him, if we would be healed of the plague of sin. He is the bread of life: we must feed on Him, if we would have our souls satisfied. He is the light: we must walk after Him, if we would not wander in darkness. He is the fountain: we must wash in His blood, if we would be cleansed, and made ready for the great day of account. Blessed and glorious are these truths! If we have Christ, we have all things. (1 Cor. iii. 22.)
Let us learn, in the last j)lace, from this passage, the h^^eadth aiid fulness of the invitations of Christ's Gospel,
The last three verses of the chapter, which contain this lesson, are indeed precious. They meet the trembling sinner who asks, ^' Will Christ reveal His Father's love to such an one as me?" with the most gracious encouragement. They are verses which deserve to be read with special attention. For eighteen hundred years they have been a blessing to the world, and have done good to myriads of souls. There is not a sentence in them which does not contain a mine of thought.
Mark who they are that Jesus invites. He does not address those who feel themselves righteous and worthy. He addresses " all that labor and are heavy laden." — It is a wide description. It comprises multitudes in this weary world. All who feel a load on their heart, of which they would fain get free, a load of sin or a load of sorrow, a load of anxiety or a load of remorse,—:all, whosoever they may be, and whatsoever their past lives — all such are invited to come to Christ.
Mark what a gracious offer Jesus makes. " I will give you rest. — Ye shall find rest to your souls." How cheering and comfortable are these words! Unrest is one great characteristic of the world. Hurry, vexation, failure, disappointment, stare us in the face on every side. But here is hope. There is an ark of refuge for the weary, as truly as there was for Noah's dove. There is rest in Christ, rest of conscience, and rest of heart, rest built on pardon of all sin, rest flowing from peace with God.
Mark what a simple request Jesus makes to the laboring and heavy-laden ones. " Come unto me: — Take my yoke upon you, learn of me." He interposes no hard conditions. He speaks nothing of works to be done first, and deservingness of His gifts to be established. He only asks us to come to Him just as we are, with all our sins, and to submit ourselves like little children to His teaching. " Go not," He seems to say, " to man for relief. Wait not for help to arise from any other quarter. Just as you are, this very day, come to me."
Mark what an encouraging account Jesus gives of Himself. He says, " I am meek and lowly of heart." How true that is, the experience of all the saints of God lias often proved. Mary and Martha at Bethany, Peter after his fall, the disciples after the resurrection, Thomas after his cold unbelief, all tasted the " meekness and gentleness of Christ." It is the only place in Scripture where the " heart " of Christ is actually named. It is a saying never to be forgotten.
Mark, lastly, the encouraging account that Jesus gives of His service. He says, " My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." No doubt there is a cross to be carried, if we follow Christ. No doubt there are trials to be endured, and battles to be fought. But the comforts of the Gospel far outweigh the cross. Compared to the service of the world and sin, compared to the yoke of Jewish ceremonies, and the bondage of human superstition, Christ's service is in the highest sense easy and light. His yoke is no more a burden than the feathers are to a bird. His commandments are not grievous. His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all his paths are peace. (1 John V. 3. Prov. iii. 17.)
And now comes the solemn inquiry, Have we accepted this invitation for ourselves? Have we no sins to be forgiven, no griefs to be removed, no wounds of conscience to be healed? If we have, let us hear Christ's voice. He speaks to us as well as to the Jews. He says, " Come unto me.'' — Here is the key to true happiness. Here is the secret of having a light heart. All turns and hinges on an acceptance of this oifer of Christ.
May we never be satisfied till we know and feel that we have come to Christ by faith for rest, and do still come to Him for fresh supplies of grace every day 1 If we have come to Him already, let us learn to cleave to Him more closely. If we have never come to Him yet, let us begin to come to-day. His word shall never be broken: " Him that cometh unto me, I will in nowise cast out." (John vi. 37.)
MATTHEW XII. 1—13.
1 At that time Jeans went on tlie sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him*
4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the Priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the Priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
7 But if ye had known svhat this
meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue;
10 And, behold, there was a man which had Ms hand withered. And they asked him, saying. Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will h« not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched *^ forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
The one great subject which stands out prominently in this passage of Scripture, is the Sabbath day. It is a subject on which strange opinions prevailed among the Jews in our Lord's time. The Pharisees had added to the teaching of Scripture about it, and overlaid the true character of the day with the traditions of men. — It is a subject on which divers opinions have often been held in the Churches of Christ, and wide differences exist among men at the present time. Let us see what we may learn about it from our Lord's teaching in these verses.
Let us, in the first place, settle it in our minds as an established principle, that our Lord Jesus Christ does not do away with 'the observance of a weekly Sabbath day. He neither does so here, nor elsewhere in the four Gospels. We often find His opinion expressed about the Jewish errors on the subject of the Sabbath. But we do not find a word to teach us that His disciples were not to keep a Sabbath at all.
It is of much importance to observe this. The mistakes that have arisen from a superficial consideration of our Lord's sayings on the Sabbath question, are neither few nor small. Thousands have rushed to the hasty conclusion, that Christians have nothing to do with the fourth commandment, and that it is no more binding on us than the Mosaic law about sacrifices. There is nothing in the New Testament to justify any such, conclusion.
The plain truth is, that our Lord did not abolish the law of the weekly Sabbath. He only freed it from incorrect interpretations, and purified it from man-made additions. He did not tear out of the decalogue the fourth commandment. He only stripped off the miserable traditions with which the Pharisees had incrusted the day, and by which they had made it, not a blessing, but a burden. He left the fourth commandment where he found it, a part of the eternal law of God, of w^hich no jot or tittle was ever to pass away. May we never forget this!
Let us, in the second place, settle it in our minds^ that our Lord Jesus Christ allows all works of real necessiti^ and mercy to he done on the Sabbath day.
This is a principle which is abundantly established in the passage of Scripture we are now considering. We find our Lord justifying His disciples for plucking the ears of corn on a Sabbath. It was an act permitted in Scripture. (Deut. xxiii. 25.) They " were an hungered/* and in need of food. Therefore they were not to blame. — We find Him maintaining the lawfulness of healing a sick man on the Sabbath day. The man was suffering from disease and pain. In such a case it was no breach of God's commandment to afford relief. We ought never to rest from doing good.
The arguments by which our Lord supports the lawfulness of any work of necessity and mercy on the Sabbath, are striking and unanswerable. He reminds the Pharisees, who charged Him and His disciples with breaking the law, how David and his men, for want of other food, had eaten the holy shew-bread out of the tabernacle.— He reminds them how the priests in the temple are obliged to do work on the Sabbath, by slaying animals and offering sacrifices. — He reminds them how even a sheep would be helped out of a pit on the Sabbath, rather than allowed to suffer and die, by any one of themselves.— Above all. He lays down the great principle, that no ordinance of God is to be pressed so far as to make us neglect the plain duties of charity. " I will have mercy and not sacrifice.'" The first table of the law is not to be so interpreted as to make us break the second. The fourth commandment is not to be so explained, as to make us unkind and unmerciful to our neighbor. There is deep wisdom in all this. We are reminded of the saying, " Never man spake like this man."
In leaving the subject, let us beware that we are never tempted to take low views of the sanctity of the Christian Sabbath. Let us take care that we do not make our gracious Lord's teaching an excuse for Sabbath profanation. Let us not abuse the liberty which He has so clearly marked out for us, and pretend that we do things on the Sabbath from " necessity and mercy," which in reality we do for our own selfish gratification.
There is great reason for warning people on this point. The mistakes of the Pharisee about the Sabbath were in one direction. The mistakes of the Christian are in another. The Pharisee pretended to add to the holiness of the day. The Christian is too often disposed to take away from that holiness, and to keep the day in an idle, profane, irreverent manner. May we all watch our own conduct on this subject. Saving Christianity is closely bound up with Sabbath observance. May we never forget that our great aim should be to '^ keep the Sabbath holy." Works of necessity may be done. " It is lawful to do well," and show mercy. But to give the Sabbath to idleness, pleasure-seeking, or the world, is utterly unlawful. It is contrary to the example of Christ, and a sin against a plain commandment of Grod.
14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and
16 And he charged them that they shouM not make him known:
17 That it might be fulfilled which waf spoken by Esaias the prophet, baying,
chosen: my beloved, in whom my soal. is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
The first thing which demands our notice in this passage, is the desperate wickedness of the human heart, which it exemplifies. Silenced and defeated by our Lord's arguments, the Pharisees plunged deeper and deeper into sin. They " went out and held a council, against bim how they might destroy him." -
What evil had our Lord done, that He should he so treated? None, none at all. No charge could be hrought against His life: He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, — His days were spent in doing good. No charge could be brought against His teaching: He had proved it to be agreeable to Scripture and reason, and no reply had been made to His proofs. But it mattered little how perfectly He lived or taught. He was hated.
This is human nature appearing in its true colors. The unconverted heart hates God, and will show its hatred whenever it dares, and has a favorable opportunity. It will persecute God's witnesses. It will dislike all who have anything of God's mind, and are renewed after His image. Why were so many of the prophets killed? Why were the names of the apostles cast out as evil by the Jews? Why were the early martyrs slain? Why were John Huss, and Jerome of Prague, and Kidley, and Latimer burned at the stake? Not for any sins that they had sinned, — not for any wickedness they had committed. They all suffered because they were godly men. And human nature, unconverted, hates godly men, because it hates God.
It must never surprise true Christians if they meet with the same treatment that the Lord Jesus met with. " Marvel not if the world hate you." (1 John iii. 13.) It is not the utmost consistency, or the closest walk with God, that will exempt them from the enmity of the natural man. They need not torture their consciences by fancying that if they were only more faultless and consistent, everybody would surely love them. It is all a mistake.
They should remember, that there was never but one perlect man on earth, and that He was not loved, but hated. It is not the infirmities of a believer that the world dislike, but his goodness. It is not the remains of the old nature that call forth the world's enmity, but the exhibition of the new. Let us remember these things, and be patient. The world hated Christ, and the world will hate Christians.
The second thing which demands our notice in this passage, is the encouraging description of our Lord Jesus Christ's character, which St. Matthew dratv^s from the prophet Isaiah. "A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench."
What are we to understand by the bruised reed, and smoking flax? The language of the prophet no doubt is figurative. What is it that these two expressions mean? The simplest explanation seems to be, that the Holy Ghost is here describing persons whose grace is at present weak, whose repentance is feeble, and whose faith is smaU. Towards such persons the Lord Jesus Christ will be very tender and compassionate. Weak as the broken reed is, it shall not be broken. Small as the spark of fire may be within the smoking flax, it shall not be quenched. It is a standing truth in the kingdom of grace, that weak grace, weak faith, and weak repentance, are all precious in our Lord's sight. Mighty as He is, " He despiseth not any." (Job xxxvi. 5.)
The doctrine here laid down is full of comfort and consolation. There are thousands in evey church of Christ to whom it ought to speak peace and hope. There are some in every congregation, that hears the Gospel, who are ready to despair of their own salvation, because their strength seems so small. They are full of fears and despondency, because their knowledge, and faith, and hope, and love, appear so dwarfish and diminutive. Let them drink comfort out of this text. Let them know that weak faith gives a man as real and true an interest in Christ as strong faith, though it may not give him the same joy. There is life in an infant as truly as in a grown up man. There is fire in a spark as truly as in a burning flame. The least degree of grace is an everlasting possession. It comes down from heaven. It is precious in our Lord's eyes. It shall never be overthrown.
Does Satan make light of 'the beginnings of repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ? No! indeed! he does not. He has great wrath, because he sees his time is short. — Do the angels of God think lightly of the first signs of penitence and feeling after God in Christ? No! indeed! ^' there is joy" among them, when they behold the sight. — Does the Lord Jesus regard no faith and repentance with interest, unless they are strong and mighty? No! indeed! As soon as that bruised reed, Saul of Tarsus, begins to cry to Him, He sends Ananias to him, saying, " Behold he prayeth." (Acts ix. 11.) We err greatly if we do not encourage the very first movements of a soul towards Christ. Let the ignorant world scoff and mock, if it will. We may be sure that " bruised reeds" and " smoking flax" are very precious in our Lord's eyes.
May we all lay these things to heart, and use them in time of need, both for ourselves and others. It should be a standing maxim in our religion, that a spark is better than utter darkness, and little faith better than no faith at all. " Who hath despised the day of small things?" (Zechar. iv. 10.) It is not despised by Christ. It ought not to be despised by Christians. i
22 Then was brought unto him one
SOBsessed with a devil, blind, and umb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the Son of David?
24 But when the Pharisees heard U, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand;
26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
SO He that is not with me is against me; and he that gatliereth not with me scattereth abroad.
31 Wherefore I say unto you. All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the loorid to come.
33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36 But I say unto vou. That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by thy words thou shalt ba justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
This passage of Scripture contains " things hard to be understood." The sin against the Holy Ghost in particular has never been fully explained by the most learned divines. It is not dijfficult to show from Scripture what the sin is not. It is difficult to show clearly what it is. We must,not be surprised. The Bible would not be the book of God, if it had not deep places here and there, which man has no line to fathom. Let us rather thank God that there are lessons of wisdom to be gathered, even out of these verses, which the unlearned may easily understand.
Let us gather from them, in the first place, that there is nothing too blasphemous for hardened and prejudiced men to say against religion. Our Lord casts out a devil; and at once the Pharisees declare that He does it " by the prince of the devils."
This was an absurd charge. Our Lord shows that it was unreasonable to suppose that the devil would help to pull down his own kingdom, and " Satan cast out Satan/' But there is nothing too absurd and unreasonable for men to say, when they are thoroughly set against religion. The Pharisees are not the only people who have lost sight of logic, good sense, and temper, when they have attacked the Gospel of Christ.
Strange as this charge may sound, it is one that has often been made against the servants of God. Their enemies have been obliged to confess that they are doing a work, and producing an effect on the world. The results of Christian labor stare them in the face. They cannot deny them. What then shall they say? They say the very thing that the Pharisees said of our Lord, " It is the devil." The early heretics used language of this kind about Athanasius. The Eoman Catholics spread reports of this sort about Martin Luther. Such things will be said as long as the world stands., r^ >,-
We must never be surprised to hear of dreadful charges being made against the best of men, without cause. " If they called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?'' — It is an old device. When the Christian's arguments cannot be answered, and the Christian's works cannot be denied, the last resource of the wicked is to try to blacken the Christian's character. If this be our lot, let us bear it patiently. Having Christ and a good conscience, we may be content. False charges will not keep us out of heaven. Our character will be cleared at the last day.
In the second place, let us gather out of these verses the impossibility of neutrality in religion. " He that is not with Christ is against him, and he that gathereth not with him scattereth abroad."
There are many persons in every age of the Church, who need to have this lesson pressed upon them. They endeavor to steer a middle course in religion. They are not so bad as many sinners, but still they are not saints. They feel the truth of Christ's Gospel, when it is brought before them, but are afraid to confess what they feel. Because they have these feelings, they flatter themselves they are not so bad as others. And yet they shrink from the standard of faith and practice which the Lord Jesus sets up. They are not boldly on Christ's side, and yet they are not openly against Him. Our Lord warns all such that they are in a dangerous position. There are only two parties in religious matters. There are only two camps. There are only two sides. Are we with Christ, and working in His cause? If not, we are against
The principle here laid down is one which it concerns us all to rememher. Let us settle it in our minds, that we shall never have peace, and do good to others, unless we are thorough-going and decided in our Christianity. The way of Gamaliel and Erasmus never yet brought happiness and usefulness to any one, and never will.
In the third place, let us gather from these verses the exceeding sinfulness of sins against knowledge.
This is a practical conclusion which appears to flow naturally from our Lord's words about the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Difficult as these words undoubtedly are, they seem fairly to prove that there are degrees in sin. Offences arising from ignorance of the true mission of the Son of Man, will not be punished so heavily as offences committed against the noontide light of the dispensation of the Holy Ghost. The brighter the light, the greater the guilt of him \Vho rejects it. The clearer a man's knowledge of the nature of the Gospel, the greater his sin, if he wilfully refuses to repent and believe.
The doctrine here taught is one that does not stand alone in Scripture. St. Paul says to the Hebrews, " It is impossible for those who were once enlightened — if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance." " If we sin wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a fearful looking for of judgment." Heb. vi. 4 — 7, and x. 26, 27.) It is a doctrine of which we find mournful proofs in every quarter. The unconverted children of godly parents, the unconverted servants of godly families, and the unconverted members of evangelical congregations are the hardest people on earth to impress. They seem past feeling. The same fire which melts the wax, hardens the clay — It is a doctrine, moreover, which receives awful confirmation from the histories of some of those whose last ends were eminently hopeless. Pharaoh, and Saul, and Ahab, and Judas Iscariot, and Julian, and Francis Spira, are fearful illustrations of our Lord's meaning. In each of these cases there was a combination of clear knowledge and deliberate rejection of Christ. In each there was light in the head, but hatred of truth in the heart. And the end of each seems to have been blackness of darkness for ever.
May God give us a will to use our knowledge, whether it be little or great! May we beware of neglecting our opportunities, and leaving our privileges unimproved! Have we light? Then let us live fully up to our light. Do we know the truth? Then let us walk in the truth. This is the best safeguard againt the unpardonable sin.
In the last place, let us gather from these verses the immense importance of carefulness about our daily words. Our Lord tells us, that " for every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account in the day of judgment." And He adds, " By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
There are few of our Lord's sayings which are so heart-searching as this. There is nothing, perhaps, to which most men pay less attention than their words. They go through their daily work, speaking and talking without thought or reflection, and seem to fancy that if they do what is right, it matters but little what they say.
But is it so? Are our words so utterly trifling and unimportant? We dare not say so, with such a passage of Scripture as this before our eyes. Our words are the evidence of the state of our hearts, as surely as the taste of the water is an evidence of the state of the spring. '' Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.'' The lips only utter what the mind conceives. Our words will form one subject of inquiry at the day of judgment. We shall have to give account of our sayings, as well as our doings. Truly these are very solemn considerations. If there were no other text in the Bible, this passage ought to convince us, that we are all " guilty before God," and need a righteousness better than our own, even the righteousness of Christ. (Phil, iii. 9.)
Let us be humble as we read this passage, in the recollection of time past. How many idle, foolish, vain, light, frivolous, sinful, and unprofitable things we have all said! How many words we have used, which, like thistle-down, have flown far and wide, and sown mischief in the hearts of others that will never die! How often when we have met our friends, " our conversation,'' to use an old saint's expression, " has only made work for repentance." There is deep truth in the remark of Burkitt, " A profane scoff" or atheistical jest may stick in the minds of those that hear it, after the tongue that spake it is dead. A word spoken is physically transient, but morally permanent." " Death and life," says Solomon, " are in the power of the tongue." (Pro v. xviii. 21.)
Let us be watchful as we read this passage about words, when we look forward to our days yet to come. Let us resolve, by Grod's grace, to be more careful over our tongues, and more particular about our use of them. Let us pray daily that our " Speech may be always with grace." (Coloss. iv. 6.) Let us say every morning with holy David, " I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not in my tongue." Let us cry with him to the Strong for strength, and say, " Set a watch over my mouth, and keep the door of my lips." Well indeed might St. James say, " If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man." (Psal. xxxix. 1, cxli. 3; James iii. 2.)
88 Then certain of the Sci*ibes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
39 Bat he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly: so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon: and, behold, a greater than Solomon is hero.
43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and flndeth none.
44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he flndeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
46 While yet he talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stana without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him. Who is my mother? and who are my orethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren.
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
which strikingly illustrate the truth of Old Testament History. Our Lord speaks of the queen of the South, as a realj true person, who had lived and died. He refers to the story of Jonah, and his miraculous preservation in the whale's belly, as undeniable matters of fact. Let us remember this, if we hear men professing to believe the Writers of the New Testament, and yet sneering at the things recorded in the Old Testament, as if they were fables. Such men forget, that in so doing they pour contempt upon Christ Himself The authority of the Old and New Testament stands or falls together. The same Spirit inspired men to Tvrite of Solomon and Jonah who inspired the Evangelists to write of Christ. These are not unimportant points in this day. Let them be well fixed in our minds.
The first practical lesson which demands our attention in these verses, is the amazing poiver of unbelief.
Mark how the Scribes and Pharisees call upon our Lord to show them more miracles. " Master, we would see a sign from thee." They pretended that they only wanted more evidence, in order to be convinced, and become disciples. They shut their eyes to the many wonderful works which Jesus had already done. It was not enough for them that He had healed the sick, and cleansed the lepers, raised the dead, and cast out devils. They were not yet persuaded. They yet demanded more proof They would not see what our Lord plainly pointed at in His reply, that they had no real will to believe. There was evidence enough to convince them, but they had no wish to be convinced.
There are many in the Church of Christ, who are exactly in the state of these Scribes and Pharisees. They flatter themselves that they only require a little more proof to become decided Christians. They fancy that if their reason and intellect could only be met with some additional arguments, they would at once give up all for Christ's sake, take up the cross, and follow Him. But in the mean time, they wait. Alas! for their blindness. They will not see that there is abundance of evidence on every side of them. The truth is, that they do not want to be convinced.
May we all be on our guard against the spirit of unbelief! It is a growing evil in these latter days. Want of simple, childlike faith is an increasing feature of the times, in every rank of society. The true explanation of a hundred strange things that startle us in the conduct of leading men in churches and states, is downright want of faith. Men who do not believe all that God says in the Bible, must necessarily take a vacillating and undecided line on moral and religious questions. " If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established." (Isaiah vii.
The second practical lesson which meets us in these verses is the immense danger of a partial and imperfect religious reformation.
Mark what an awful picture our Lord draws of the man to whom the unclean spirit returns, after having once left him. How fearful are those words, "I will return into my house from whence I came out!" How vivid that description, " He findeth it empty, swept, and garnished!" How tremendous the conclusion, " he taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself,—.
and the last state of that man is worse than the first V It is a picture most painfully full of meaning. Let us scan it closely, and learn wisdom.
It is certain that we have in this picture the history of the Jewish church and nation, at the time of our Lord's coming. Called as tliey were at first out of Egypt to be God's peculiar people, they never seem to have wholly lost the tendency to worship idols. Redeemed as they afterwards were from the captivity of Babylon, they never seem to have rendered to Grod a due return for His goodness. Aroused as they had been by John the Baptist's preaching, their repentance appears to have been only skin-deep. At the time when our Lord spoke, they had become, as a nation, harder and more perverse than ever. The grossness of idol-worship had given place to the deadness of mere formality. Seven other spirits worse than the first, had taken possession of them. Their last state was rapidly becoming worse than the first. Yet forty years, and their iniquity came to the full. They madly j)lunged into a war with Rome. Judaea became a very Babel of confusion. Jerusalem was taken. The temple was destroyed. The Jews were scattered over the face of the earth.
Again, it is highly probable that we have in this picture the history of the xohole body of Christian churches. Delivered as they were from heathen darkness by the preaching of the Grospel, they have never really lived up to their light. Revived as many of them were at the time of the Protestant Reformation, they have none of them made a right use of their privileges, or "gone on to perfection." They have all more or less stopped short and settled on their lees. They have all been too ready to be satisfied with mere external amendments. And now there are painful symptoms in many quarters that the evil spirit has returned to his house, and is preparing an outbreak of infidelity, and false doctrine, such as the churches have never yet seen. Between unbelief in some quarters, and formal superstition in others, everything seems ripe for some fearful manifestation of anti-christ. It may well be feared that the last state of the professing Christian clmrches will prove worse than the first. 4.
Saddest and worst of all, we have in this picture the history of many an individual's soul. There are men who seemed at one time of their lives to be under the influence of strong religious feelings. They reformed their ways. They laid aside many things that are bad. They took up many things that are good. But they stopped there, and went no further, and by and bye gave up religion altogether. The evil spirit returned to their hearts, and found them empty, swept, and garnished. They are now worse than they ever were before. Their consciences seem seared. Their sense of religious things appears entirely destroyed. They are like men given over to a reprobate mind. One would say it was " impossible to renew them to repentance." None prove so hopelessly wicked as those who, after experiencing strong religious convictions, have gone back again to sin and the world.
If we love life, let us pray that these lessons may be deeply impressed on our minds. Let us never be content with a partial reformation of life, without thorough conversion to Grodj and mortification of the whole body of sin. It is a good thing to strive to cast sin out of our hearts. But let us take care that we also receive the grace of God in its place. Let us make sure that we not only get rid of the old tenant, the devil, but have also got dwelling in us the Holy Ghost. ^ The last practical lesson which meets us in these verses is the tender affection with which the Lord Jesus regards His true disciples.
Mark how He speaks of every one who does the will of His Father in heaven. He says, "the same is my brother, and si«ter, and mother." What gracious words these are! Who can conceive the depth of our dear Lord's love towards His relations according to the flesh? It was a pure, unselfish love. It must have been a mighty love, a love that passes man's understanding. Yet here we see that all His believing people are counted as His relations. He loves them, feels for them, cares for them, as members of His family, bone of His bone, and flesh of His flesh.
There is a solemn warning here to all who mock and persecute true Christians on account of their religion. They consider not what they are doing. They are persecuting the near relations of the King of kings. They will find at the last day that they have mocked those whom the Judge of all regards as " His brother, and sister, and mother."
There is rich encouragement here for all believers. They are far more precious in their Lord's eyes than they are in their own. Their faith may be feeble, their repentance weak, their strength small. They may be poor and needy in this world. But there is a glorious " whosoever" in the last verse of this chapter which ought to cheer them. "Whosoever" believes is a near relation of Christ. The elder Brother will provide for him in time and eternity, and never let him be cast away. There is not one "little sister" in the family of the redeemed, whom Jesus does not remember. (Cant. viii. 8.) Joseph provided richly for all his relations, and Jesus will provide for His.
1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow:
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth;
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns spruug up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear let him hear.
10 And the disciples came, and said tinto him. Why speakest taou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them. Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; ■ and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith. By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they near.
17 For verily I say unto you. That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth U not, then cometh the wicked one^ and
catcheth away that which was sown in his lieart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself^ but dureth for a while; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth. the word, and understaudeth it; which also beareth fruit, and briugetn forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
The chapter which these verses begin is remarkable for the number of parables which it contains. Seven striking illustrations of spiritual truth are here drawn by the great Head of the Church from the book of nature. By so doing He shows us that religious teaching may draw helps from everything in creation. Those that would " find out acceptable words," should not forget this. (Eccles. xii. 10.)
The parable of the sower, which begins this chapter, is one of those parables which admit of a very wide application. It is being continually verified under our own eyes. Wherever the word of God is preached or expounded, and people are assembled to hear it, the sayings of our Lord in this parable are found to be true. It describes what goes on, as a general rule, in all congregations.
Let us learn, in the first place, from this parable, that the loorh of the preacher resembles that of the sower.
Like the sower, the preacher must sow good seed, if he wants to see fruit. He must sow the pure word of God, and not the traditions of the church, or the doctrines of men. Without this his labor will be in vain. He may go to and fro, and seem to say much, and to work much in his weekly round of ministerial duty. But there will be no harvest of souls for heaven, no living results, and no conversions.
Like the sower, the preacher must be diligent. He must spare no pains. He must use every possible means to make his work prosper. He must patiently " sow beside all waters/' and " sow in hope." He must be " instant in season and out of season." He must not be deterred by difficulties and discouragements. " He that observeth the wind shall not sow." No doubt his success does not entirely depend upon his labor and diligence. But without labor and dihgence success will seldom be obtained. (Isai. xxxii. 20. 2 Tim. iv. 2. Eccles. xi. 4.)
Like the sower, the preacher cannot give life. He can scatter the seed committed to his charge, but cannot command it to grow. He may offer the word of truth to a people, but he cannot make them receive it and bear fruit. To give life is God's sovereign prerogative. " It is the Spirit that quickeneth." God alone can " give the increase." (John vi. 63. 1 Cor. iii. 7.)
Let these things sink down into our hearts. It is no light thing to be a real minister of God's Word. To be an idle, formal workman in the Church is an easy business. To be a faithful sower is very hard. Preachers ought to be specially remembered in our prayers.
In the next place, let us learn from this passage, that there are various ways of hearing the ivord of God ivithout henefit.
We may listen to a sermon with a heart like the hard ' ' way side," careless, thoughtless, and unconcerned. Christ crucified may be affectionately set before us, and we may hear of His sufferings with utter indifference, as a subject in which we have no interest. Fast as the words fall on our ears, the devil may pluck them away, and we may go home as if we had not heard a sermon at all. Alas I there are many such hearers! It is as true of them as of the idols of old, " eyes have they, but they see not; they have ears, but they hear not."' (Psal. exxxv. 16, 17.) Truth seems to have no.more effect on their hearts than water on a stone.
We may listen to a sermon with pleasure, while the impression produced on us is only temporary and shortlived. Our hearts, like the " stony ground/' may yield a plentiful crop of wai*m feelings and good resolutions. But all this time there may be no deeply-rooted work in our souls, and the first cold blast of opposition or temptation may cause our seeming religion to wither away. Alas! there are many such hearers! The mere love of sermons is no sign of grace. Thousands of baptized people are like the Jews of Ezekiel's day: " Thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not." (Ezek. xxxiii. 32.)
We may listen to a sermon, and approve of every word it contains, and yet get no good from it, in consequence of the absorbing influence of this world. Our hearts, like the " thorny ground," may be choked with a rank crop of cares, pleasures, and worldly plans. We may really like the Gospel, and wish to obey it, and yet insensibly give it no chance of bearing fruit, by allowing other things to fill a place in our affections, and insensibly to fill our whole hearts. Alas! there are many such hearers! They know the truth well. They hope one day to be decided Christians. But they never come to the point of giving up all for Christ's sake. They never make up their minds to " seek first the kingdom of God," — and so die in their sins.
These are points that we ought to weigh well. We should never forget that there are more ways than one ot hearing the word without profit. It is not enough that we come to hear. We may come, and be careless. — It is not enough that we are not careless hearers. Our impressions may be only temporary, and ready to perish. — It is not enough that our impressions are not merely temporary. But they may be continually yielding no result, in consequence of our obstinate cleaving to the world. — Truly " the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it T' (Jerem. xvii. 9.)
In the last place, let us learn from this parable, that tliere is only one evidence of hearing the loord rightly. That evidence is to bear fruit.
The fruit here spoken of is the fruit of the Spirit. Eepentance towards God, faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ, holiness of life and character, prayerfulness, humility, charity, spiritual-mindedness — these are the only satisfactory proofs that the seed of God's word is doing its proper work in our souls. Without such proofs, our religion is vain, however high our profession. It is no better than sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. Christ has said, " I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit." (John xv. 16.)
There is no part of the whole parable more important than this. We must never be content with a barren orthodoxy, and a cold maintenance of correct theological views. We must not be satisfied with clear knowledge, warm feelings, and a decent profession. We must see to it that the Gospel we profess to love, produces positive " fruit" in our hearts and lives. This is real Christianity. Those words of St. James should often ring in our ears, " Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James i. 22.)
Let us not leave these verses without putting to ourselves the important question, " How do we hear?" We live in a Christian country. We go to a place of worship Sunday after Sunday, and hear sermons. In what spirit do we hear them? What efifect have they upon our characters? Can we point to anything that deserves the name of " fruit?"
We may rest assured that to reach heaven at last, it needs something more than to go to Church regularly on Sundays, and listen to preachers. The word of God must be received into our hearts, and become the mainspring of our conduct. It must produce practical impressions on our inward man, that shall appear in our outward behavior. If it does not do this, it will only add to our condemnation in the day of judgment.