Such characters as these are very instructive: they teach us, 1. That we may perform many outward duties, and yet have no vital principle of religion within us [The actions of Jehu, as to the matter of them, were good; and therefore they were rewarded; but in their motive and principle they were bad; and therefore God afterwards visited them with a severe punishment. This shews, that notwithstanding all he did for the Lord, he had not within him any principle of true piety. And thus it is with multitudes amongst ourselves: they are zealous against open vice and profaneness, yea active too in many works of benevolence, and yet appear evidently to be destitute of vital godliness: they have never been truly humbled before God, never fled to Christ for refuge, never given themselves up to God as his redeemed people— -How much is it to be regretted that such persons, who by their virtues have gained the admiration and love of the most pious characters, and even received a recompence from the Lord also, should yet, for want of a root of grace in them, never bring forth fruit unto perfection, and never obtain happiness in the eternal world! Like the youth in the Gospel, or Nicodemus, or Paul in his unconverted state, they are zealous towards God to a certain extent, but without a new and spiritual birth must for ever perish. that all who have a zeal for God in the performance of outward duties, would carefully examine the principles by which they are actuated, and never be satisfied with any action which has not a sense of redeeming love for its moving cause!] 2. That we may profess much zeal for God, and yet have a radical alienation of heart from him [Jehu certainly professed to be actuated by a regard for God's honour: "Come, see my zeal for the Lord," said he: and when the different events had taken place, he made reflections upon them as accomplishing the divine predictions. Yet his flagrant neglect of other duties stamped him an hypocrite in the sight of God. And is it not thus with many who make a profession of religion in the present day? They think themselves zealous for God, and wish to be thought so by others: but they are manifestly under the dominion of some reigning lusts, some evil tempers, some hidden abominations. They will sacrifice the refuse to the Lord, and such things as they care but little about; but the choicest of the flocks, and the sins which are more intimately connected with their pleasures or their interests, they will retain. Let professors of religion a Hos. i. 4. who are so ardent in talking about their favourite topics, or in attending on the ordinances of religion, inquire, Whether the law of God be really in their hearts; whether they are aspiring after an entire conformity to its commands; and whether they are longing to "stand perfect and complete in all the will of God?" Sad will it be to be numbered among those of whom St. James speaks, who seem to be religious, and yet, by their unbridled tongues, and unsubdued tempers, shew that they "deceive their ownselves, and that their religion is vain"."] 3. That if ever we would be accepted of God hereafter, we must have our hearts right with him now [This is required of every human being. Absolute perfection indeed is not to be expected; but Christian perfection must be attained; nor without it will any conformity to outward rights, or any profession of Christian principles, avail us before Goda. But how shall this state of mind be attained? It must be sought by prayer to God, who has promised to give us his Holy Spirit, and by the mighty working of that Spirit to bring us to an entire conformity to his will. Plead then with God that blessed promise: yea, give him no rest till he accomplish it to your souls. Then shall your heart be made right with God, as God's is with you; and with infinite condescension will he "take you up to sit with him in the chariot" of his love, and on the throne of his glory'] 2 Kings xiii. 18, 19. And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. IN this passage is recorded a conversation between King Joash and the Prophet Elisha. The prophet was dying; and the king, who had utterly neglected him before, now went to visit him, and was full of concern about the loss, which both he and all his people would sustain: the king even wept over him, and most pathetically exclaimed, "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof a!" Thus it is that the servants of the Lord are too generally treated: they are neglected and despised in their life; but, when they are no longer able to benefit the world, their loss is deeply felt. On this occasion God put fresh honour upon his servant, and made him a messenger of glad tidings to the king. These tidings were conveyed under two symbolical representations; the shooting of an arrow towards Syria, and the smiting of a bundle of arrows upon the ground. But it seems that the king, though apprised of God's gracious intentions towards him, was not by any means either so enlarged in his expectations, or so ardent in his desires, as he should have been: he was lukewarm; and by his lukewarmness he both displeased the prophet, and deprived himself of a great measure of that mercy which God had designed to bestow upon him. Now this subject affords us a fit occasion to consider, I. What messages of mercy God has sent to us Innumerable are the intimations which God has given us of a glorious deliverance from all our spiritual enemies: they have been given, 1. By significant emblems [What was the preservation of Noah and his family in the ark, but a representation to us of that deliverance which shall be vouchsafed to all who are found in Christ? All the rest of a This is the same expression as Elisha himself had used in reference to Elijah, 2 Kings ii. 12. The people of Israel were forbidden to multiply chariots and horses, that they might look to God alone as their strength. And they were now so reduced by Hazael king of Syria, that they had only ten chariots and fifty horsemen left; ver. 7. But if they had attended to Elisha, they would not have needed any such protectors, because God himself would have defended them. This truth the king now acknowledged, feeling that he was about to lose the best support of his kingdom. the world shall perish; but they shall be "saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation"." What were the deliverances of God's people from Egypt and Babylon, but typical exhibitions of that redemption which God has vouchsafed to us in Christ Jesus? In this light they are uniformly set forth in the holy Scriptures; and from them we learn never to despair What were all the miracles of our Lord, but so many emblems of the spiritual blessings which shall be imparted unto us by the Gospel d Above all, what was the resurrection of our blessed Lord, but a pledge, yea, a shadowy representation also, of that restoration to a new and spiritual life, of which all shall partake who believe in Christ? 2. By express promises [Where shall we begin, or where shall we end, our enumeration of the "exceeding great and precious promises" which are given us in the Gospel? Though we should confine ourselves to the precise idea of the text, and contemplate the promises solely as relating to our deliverance from spiritual enemies, we might easily collect passages almost without numberf. These are made, like that in our text, even to the most unworthy of mankind.] 3. By the declarations and examples of dying saints [Behold Jacob on his dying bed; or the aged Simeon with Jesus in his armsh: see St. Paul, in daily expectation of martyrdom; how bright his prospects, how heavenly his frame1! In such passages as these we see death entirely disarmed of its sting, and the triumphs of heaven, as it were, begun. But we need not go back to the days of old: we may hear for ourselves precisely similar declarations, if we will frequent the chambers of sick and dying saints. In all such instances, the departing saints bring the matter home to our own feelings, and "put, as it were, their hands upon ours," to teach us how to shoot, and to encourage our efforts: and God himself instructs us, what we also may expect from him in a dying hour -] Amidst so many gracious intimations from God, we should inquire, II. Whence it is that we profit so little by them? b 1 Pet. iii. 20, 21. d Isai. xxxv. 5, 6. John ix. 39. c Isai. xl. 4, 5. e Compare Eph. i. 19-22. with Eph. ii. 4-7. f Sin, Rom. vi. 14. Satan, Rom. xvi. 20. Death, 1 Cor. iii. 22. Hell, John iii. 15, 16. or all in one, Luke iv. 18. g Gen. xlix. 18. k See ver. 16. h Luke ii. 29. i 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. The fault is in ourselves alone, just as it was in the king of Israel 1. Our desires are faint [We do not long for the blessings of redemption as we ought to do: we should "pant after them, as the hart after the water-brooks'." But instead of this, we are satisfied with low attainments: and, if we can, as it were, just get within the door of mercy, we have no ambition either to glorify God on earth, or to obtain an augmented weight of glory in heaven. The people of this world put us utterly to shame: they are never satisfied: the more they obtain, the more their desires are enlarged. O that it were thus with us; and that we were determined " never to be satisfied, till we awake up after the perfect image of our Godm!"] 2. Our expectations low [We do not actually deny the truth of God in his promises; but we do not view them in their breadth and length, and depth and height. God says to us, "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it:" but we have no enlargement in prayer. "We are not straitened in him; but we are straitened in our own bowels." God tells us, that " according to our faith it shall be unto us:" but we, instead of raising our expectations in proportion to the ability of the Giver, are ever limiting his power and grace; and on every occasion we ask, Can he do this thing? or Will he do it for me? This is a fault even amongst eminent saints. It was for this that Jesus reproved the sisters of Lazarus: he had told them, that their brother should rise again and, when he went to the grave to raise him, they thought that the circumstance of his having been dead four days was an insurmountable obstacle to his restoration to life: but Jesus replied, "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" This reproof most justly belongs to us. If when we attended the ordinances. of religion, or read the word of God, or opened our mouths in prayer, we really expected such manifestations of God's power and love as he has given us reason to expect, what might we not obtain at his hands? But God does not perform, and, if we may so speak, cannot perform, all that he would for us, because of our unbelief".] 3. Our exertions languid [When we come into the divine presence, the arrows are, as it were, put into our hands; but we are content with 1 Ps. xlii. 1, 2. and lxiii. 1, 2. and lxxxiv. 2. m Ps. xvii. 15. n Matt. xiii. 58. with Mark vi. 5. |