The Withered Hand Stretch Forth and Restored, Sermon
Dr. Colman's SERMON ON THE Wither'd Hand: May 17. 1739.
THE WITHER'D HAND ſtretched forth AT THE Command of CHRIST, AND RESTORED. A SERMON Preached at the Lecture in BOSTON, May 17. 1739.
By Benjamin Colman, D. D.
Luke vi. 6. There was a Man whoſe right Hand was wither'd.
John v. 3.—A great Multitude of impotent Folk, blind, halt, withered; waiting for the moving of the Water.
BOSTON: Printed by J. DRAPER, for J. EDWARDS, in Cornhil, MDCCXXXIX.
THE Withered Hand Stretch'd forth and restored.
St. MARK, iii. 5.
—He ſaith unto the Man, Stretch forth thy Hand: And he ſtretched it out, and his Hand was reſtored whole as the other.
THE Words are part of that famous Story, which is related by three of the Evangeliſts *Matth. xii. 9. Luke vi. 6., of our LORD'S merciful and miraculous curing the Man that had a withered Hand. It was on the Sabbath Day, and in the Synagogue, where no doubt our Lord had been preaching, and in Confirmation of his Doctrine He wro't this Miracle. Works of Charity and Mercy do very well agree with Acts of Devotion, and are a becoming Sabbath Exerciſe; ſuited to the Place and Time and Act of Worſhip when Occaſion offers.
The ſuperſtitious Scribes and Phariſees thought otherwiſe; not that they had the leaſt Shadow of a Reaſon for their Affectation and Pretence of a more ſtrict and preciſe Sanctification of the Sabbath; but they had fondly imbib'd it as a venerable Tradition, which was not to be ſpoken againſt on any Account, nor parted with, becauſe it gave 'em a Credit among the People, carrying a Face and Form of ſtrict Devotion.
On the contrary our Lord declared both in his Doctrine and Practice this neceſſary Truth; That to do good on the Sabbath-day, as well in Acts of Mercy as thoſe of Worſhip, was the proper and true Sanctification of it.
For this he was particularly malign'd and hated by the hypocritical Prieſts, Elders and Formaliſts of that Day; and therefore we find 'em in our Context watching Him whether he would heal this poor Man on the Sabbath, that they might accuſe him. V. 2.
In to what Spite and Villany will not blind Superſtition, as well as Profaneſs, carry Men? the moſt Divine and God-like Works ſhall be traduc'd, revil'd and perſecuted.
The Patient's Caſe was very piteous: It ſhould have pleaded with 'em to have carry'd him to Chriſt, and beſought Him to have Compaſſion on him. But on the contrary they play the Spies upon our Lord, that they might accuſe him for a Breaker of the Sabbath. They doubtleſs hop'd in their Hearts, that Chriſt would not fail to heal him, but not from the leaſt Pity to the miſerable Object before them, nay from a diabolical Spirit of Revenge on Chriſt, when he had heal'd him. That which ſhould have charm'd 'em into the higheſt Reverence and Love, provok'd their Rage.
To ſhame 'em out of their Ignorance and Wickedneſs, or to inform their Judgment and move their Compaſſion, our Lord bid the Man ſtand forth; and then reaſon'd the Matter with them: "Is it lawful, ſaid He, to do good on the Sabbath-days, or to do evil? to ſave Life or to kill?—but they held their Peace. He put it to their Conſciences, but they obſtinately reſiſted the Light and Conviction they felt within themſelves; and having nothing to ſay againſt ſo clear a Truth, they would however ſay nothing for it.
Our Lord beheld this with great Grief and Anger; "He looked round about on 'em with Anger, being grieved for the Hardneſs of their Hearts. Juſtly was he provoked at the Sin, yet kindly grieved for the Sinners. They hated him for his Goodneſs, and he pitied them for their horrid Impiety and Hypocrify.
He look'd— his Anger appear'd in his Face. His Anger was very juſt and holy, for he was angry at their Sin. He was griev'd at their Hardneſs, to ſee 'em obſtinately ſet againſt Conviction. There is nothing ſhould give us ſo much Grief, as to feel the Hardneſs of our own Hearts, and to ſee that of others.
However, neither their Prejudice, and the Offence they took, nor the malicious Uſe they reſolved to make of Chriſt's curing the poor Man, could hinder our Lord from doing it. It was a moſt known Act of Goodneſs, and He reſolutely did it; as we read in my Text,—He ſaid to the Man, Stretch forth thy Hand! and he ſtretched it out, and his Hand was reſtored whole as the other.
It may ſeem a ſtrange kind of Command given to the Man, for his Hand was withered: How then could he be required to ſtretch it out? It was not in his Power, it was a thing impoſſible for him to do; and it might therefore ſeem vain to attempt it.
But ſee the good Effect of our Lord's commanding him! Power accompanied the Precept; Power was given him to obey it. He tried at the Word of Chriſt, and found Strength put into the Arm, and out it ſtretch'd; yea and was reſtored whole as the other. The Effect was ſudden and perfect, in an Inſtant, like the Work of GOD. He found the Cure wro't, upon his firſt Eſſay to obey. CHRIST ſpake and it was done! ſo the FATHER worketh ſtill, and He works. The impotent Man tried to obey, and was enabled and reſtored.
It was his right Hand, Luke vi. 6. The Hand with which he had wrought, or was to work for his Livelihood, at his Trade or Calling. It is ſaid, he was a Maſon or Bricklayer *Qui Caementarius fuiſſe dicitur, in Evangelio Nazaraeorum. Poli. Crit. "Manibus Victum quaeritans, ne turpiter mendicem Cibos. Jerom.The poor have the Goſpel preached to 'em, and they receive the Goſpel. The greater was the Charity the poorer the Man was, and the more he needed his right Hand to work with.
It was a very teaching Miracle, and is fit to be ſpoken of and ſpiritualiz'd in all the Churches of the Saints. This Day might it be verified upon Us our ſelves. Many a Time it has been, ſince our Lord's Aſcention, in the Spirit, tho' not in the Letter.
"The Cure in my Text is a lively Specimen of the greater and more happy Cures, wro't by the Grace and Spirit of Chriſt on poor withered Souls, under the Preaching of his Word."
It is not indeed now the Sabbath-day, yet are we aſſembled for the ſolemn Worſhip of God; and our LORD JESUS is preſent in his Ordinances, and here are Souls whoſe Powers to what is ſpiritual and holy are withered; and what ſhould they come hither for, but Healing and Recovery? and what is the Voice of Chriſt to them here, but this in my Text? "Stand forth, and lift up thy Heart to me, and be made whole. Let our Hearts anſwer, "Unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my Soul! O my God, I truſt in Thee! Pſal. xxv. 1, 2.
I have now, as it were, done my Sermon! this is in effect all I meant in the Choice of the Subject. And it were abundantly enough, a bleſſed Seaſon to any or every One preſent, if Hand and Heart were ſtretching forth together unto God. Lam. iii 41. Let us lift up our Hearts with our Hands unto God in the Heavens. Pſal. cxliii. 6 I ſtretch forth my Hands unto Thee, my Soul thirſteth after Thee.
Nor are there any here preſent that will envy you the Benefit, nor Chriſt the Glory. Our Sabbaths and Lectures ſerve for this very thing, and this ſhall render 'em in our Eyes "the Holy of the Lord and Honourable. Then indeed are they ſanctified to us, and ſanctified by us, when Souls ſeek and meet their Saviour in his Inſtituted Worſhip, and receive a Cure from Him.
It may be a repining Devil may come among the Sons of God, and gnaſh while he beholds it and melt away; but numerous Angels of Light will rejoice, congratulate thee and laud thy Saviour. Luke xv. 10. I ſay unto you, there is Joy in the Preſence of the Angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth.
To come then to that ſpiritual Alluſion and Application, which I deſign of the bleſſed Story in my Text.
I obſerve,
I. We are by Nature as this Man with a withered Hand; labouring under a moral Weakneſs and Impotence, thro' the Loſs of thoſe ſpiritual Powers, which Man was certainly created with. By the Sin of our firſt Parents we have left our firſt State, and how are we fallen! Our Nature is corrupted, our Souls enfeebled and diſabled, indiſpoſed and averſe to what is holy and good. Our moral and ſpiritual Powers are gone from us, and as it were wither'd away.—So the Scripture repreſents to us our ſad & deplorable State, and teaches us to bewait and lament it; as having the Underſtanding darkned, and being alienated from the Life of God, thro' the Ignorance that is in us: for the natural Man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God, for they are Fooliſhneſs unto him, neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned: And becauſe the carnal Mind is Enmity againſt God, is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be ‖Epheſ. iv. 18. 1 Cor. ii. 14. Rom. viii. 7.— The Repreſentation of this moral Impotence you ſee is indeed a will not, rather than a cannot; but the being diſabled to will that which is good is the worſt kind of Inability, and the moſt lamentable Degree thereof. — When a Soul is therefore bro't to will, and in ſome Meaſure to do, being in part reſtored to his Original Inclination and Strength; it then becomes deeply ſenſible of its Diſability, and bewails it as coming altogether of its Corruption. Juſt as in the natural Body evil Habits and Luſts do often corrupt it, and procure the loſs of Strength and Limbs; in like manner has Sin taken away the Powers of our Souls, to a dreadful Degree; ſo that we are become ſpiritually halt, lame, cripled and without Strength. The Remains of this Impotence on the Regenerate themſelves, are heavily felt, and groaned under by them; Rom vii. 18. For I know that in me, that is in my Fleſh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is preſent with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not: I find then a Law, that when I would do good, evil is preſent with me: O wretched Man that I am! who ſhall deliver me from the Body of this Death! — In our natural State we are altogether deſtitute of any Power ſo much as heartily to will and deſire the things that are ſpiritually good; and in our renewed State we have no Strength of our own to command and uſe, when and as we will, on one Occaſion and another. We are not ſufficient of our ſelves, to THINK any thing as of our ſelves." Here is a wretched Diſability indeed; a wither'd Mind and Will that cannot ſo much as meditate heartily and purpoſe, of it ſelf, the Thing that is good. — "But this inability does not at duplicate page page missing
The diſeaſed and miſerable were wiſe and careful to improve their Opportunity, and lay themſelves in Chriſt's Way, in the Days of his Miniſtry: They were ſure of finding Him in the Synagogue on the Sabbath, and thither they came to be healed: Inſomuch that ſome of the Rulers of the Synagogues took Offence at it; thinking (it may be) that theſe Acts of Mercy were too great an Interruption in the Solemnities of Worſhip: But others were filled with Indignation at the Fame and Glory, which Chriſt hereby procured among the common People: As he, Luke xiii. 14, who anſwered with Indignation becauſe that Jeſus had healed on the Sabbath-day, and ſaid unto the People, — There are ſix Days in which Men ought to work, in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath-day. A very doughty Speech truly, for Senſe and Piety! — But however, this preciſe Fool and Hypocrite would allow that the Sabbath was a ſuitable Time, and the Synagogue a proper Place, for the Healing of diſtemper'd Souls, for the Cure of Means ſpiritual Maladies. They are the appointed ſtated Time and Place for theſe, by the Confeſſion of all Men. If Men ought to labour ſix Days, and provide for their Houſholds and the Life that now is, yet on the Sabbath let 'em beſtow all their Care and Pains for their Souls, and come to the Ordinances, the ordained Means of Sanctification and eternal Life to them. For,
I. CHRIST is preſent here, tho' not bodily, yet in Spirit and Power; to meet miſerable Souls, work ſavingly on 'em, and heal 'em of whatever Infirmities and Plagues they labour.
This the aſcending Saviour promis'd, when he gave to his Apoſtles their Commiſſion; Matth. xxviii. ult. "Go ye and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoſt; teaching them to obſerve all things whatſoever I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even unto the End of the World. Amen.
Chriſt truly is with his Miniſters, in the Adminiſtration of his Ordinances. He works with them, in them and by them. This is to Souls, what the Waters of Jordan were to Naaman, for his Healing: the Waters of the Sanctuary ſanctified for the Uſe and Benefit of Souls. Chriſt worketh hitherto, and the Day of our Holy Reſt is the Day and Seaſon of his Working on our Souls for their everlaſting Good. His Reſt is glorious in the ſaving Operations of his Holy Spirit. He only, by the Power of his Grace, can heal our Souls. It is not within the Power of Means or Inſtruments to reach the Soul, or produce a ſaving Effect; but it is the Prerogative and peculiar Glory of Chriſt alone to put Life into dead Souls, or Strength into feeble Minds, and to work in us both to will and to do of his good Pleaſure.
The Divine Effect manifeſts a Divine Preſence and Power, and Miniſters or their Miniſtrations are at beſt but Humane, and nothing able to contribute of themſelves hereunto. 2 Cor. iv 5, 7. For we preach not ourſelves, but Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, and our ſelves your Servants for Jeſus ſake: For God who commanded the Light to ſhine out of Darkneſs, hath ſhined in our Hearts, to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jeſus Chriſt: But we have this Treaſure in earthen Veſſels, that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us. Mark xvi 20. They went out and preached every where, the Lord working with them. Acts iii. 12. Ye Men of Iſrael, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye ſo earneſtly on us? as tho' by our own Power or Holineſs we had made this Man to walk! The God of our Fathers hath glorified his Son JESUS, and his Name thro' Faith in his Name hath made this Man ſtrong, and given him this perfect Soundneſs in the Preſence of you all.
Truly in vain do we go to the Houſe of God at any Time, in vain do we wait on our Miniſtring, or uſe the Inſtituted Means of Grace, if we do not believe, realize and rely on the Preſence of Chriſt, and the Bleſſing of his Spirit neceſſary for the healing of our Souls. We read of a certain Day, as Chriſt was teaching, that the Power of the Lord was preſent to heal, Luke v. 17. Truly it is always thus, when ever the Word of Chriſt is duely preached, his Power is preſent as it ſeems good in his Eyes, to heal what Souls he will.
II. The Call of the Word to impotent Souls is always in effect this, "ſtretch out thy Hand. The Lord now ſays ſo to every one here preſent before him. He ſaith
1. Imploy thoſe Hands in holy Endeavours, to work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling, for I am ready to work in you to will and to do, Philip. ii. 13. As he who will not work with his Hands, neither ſhall he eat, by the Order of the Goſpel; ſo he who will not improve the Powers of his Soul in working out his own Salvation, ſhall never be ſaved. The Apoſtle calls upon ſtrong and weak together, but eſpecially upon the Feeble of the Flock, to lift up the Hands that hang down, and make ſtrait Paths for their Feet, Heb. xii. 12. We have a Race ſet before us to run, and the good Warfare and Fight of Faith, which call us to put forth all our Agility and Might. Yea with all our Might we muſt ſet our ſelves to do, whatever our Hand findeth to be done, in the great Work of God and our Souls, becauſe there is no Work, nor Device, nor Knowledge, nor Wiſdom in the Grave, whither we are going, Eccleſ. ix. 10.
2. God calls us to lift up our Hands to Him in Prayer, for Life and Strength and Vigour; "that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in all our Needs, Heb iv. 16. When we pray and when we praiſe we are ſaid to lift up our Hands in God's Name, and alſo to ſtretch them forth to Him. It is a Sign of ſpiritual Life and Strength received, and a bleſſed Means of receiving more. Prayer and Labour ſhould go together, as in providing for the natural Life, ſo alſo for the Spiritual; firſt ſtretch out the Arm in Prayer, and then imploy it alſo in diligent Working: Receive Strength from God by the one, and then lay it out for God in the other.
3. The Call of God to us in his Word is, that by the Hand of Taith we lay hold of Chriſt and Eternal Life. We can neither pray nor work without Faith. It is Faith that gives a Soul Life, Strength, Activity. If Faith be weak, the Hands hang down and the Knees are feeble. Faith makes Prayer fervent and effectual, it wreſtles and holds the Angel and prevails. It lays hold on the Power and Mercy and Truth of God; on the Covenant of Grace and the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, on all the precious Promiſes in Him, and keeps its Hold. Moſes by Faith held up his Hand in the Mount, and kept it up till the Evening, and Solomon's Faith ſpread forth his Arms toward Heaven. We are alſo taught the Exerciſe of Faith, and the Property of it, in thoſe Precepts and Phraſes, truly Evangelical; "Lay hold on Eternal Life; lay hold on the Hope before you. *1 Tim. vi. 12. Hebr. vi. 18.. Faith is to the Soul in doing this, as the Hand is to the Body.
Thus as often as we come up to the Houſe of God to pray or hear, the Voice of God to us is in effect this, "Impotent Soul, ſtretch forth thy Hand. Wherefore,
III. Impotent as we are, the Lord expects that we try to exert our ſelves, as well as we can, and in whatſoever we can, under the Call of his Word. When God commands us to do that which is holy and ſpiritual, his Right from us by the Conſtitution of our Nature, we may not think to excuſe our ſelves from our Obligation thereto, by pleading the Weakneſs and Indiſpoſition which we have wickedly bro't upon our Selves. No, up and try and do as thou art bid. God looks for ſome Endeavour, and an inſtant Sign at leaſt of a Mind to obey, if you could; and a Will to do what you can. And ſurely there is ſomething to be done & that you can do toward the thing required of you; tho' the thing it ſelf be beyond your Ability.
The God of Iſrael is not like the Egyptian Taskmaſters, nor their Tyrant Pharaob, who exacted the whole Tale of Bricks when he refus'd them the Straw! No, He will find thee both Materials and Wiſdom and Strength, if you liſten to his Word and ſtrive to obey it. — You muſt ſay at leaſt, "Lord, what will thou have me to do? O work it in me, both to will and to do it! Would that I had a Heart and Power to perform! Prepare this in me, and me for thy Self!
Chriſt ſaw the impotent Man lying at the Pool, and long had he lain there for Healing, with a patient Hope and much Deſire; the Lord ſaid to him, "Wilt thou be made whole? He anſwered, "Sir, I have no Man when the Water is troubled to put me into the Pool, but while I am coming another ſteppeth down before me, John v. 7. q. d "Ah Lord! willing to be made whole? Yes moſt gladly would I! why ly I here waiting but for this deſired Cure? but my Impotence is my Malady! I am halt and wither'd, and need ſome kind Hand ready to attend and take and put me in, when the good Angel comes down to move the Waters! Good Sir, will You ſtay and do me this merciful Office?— Tho' he cou'd do no more for himſelf, tho' he could not ſtir a Hand or Foot, yet this his Wiſh and waiting in the Means of healing, was his Preparation thro' Grace for his finding Favour in the Sight of Chriſt, and Mercy from his Hand. — So You, impotent Soul, muſt expreſs your reverend Regards to the Lord that heals, to the expected and deſired Cure, and to the Means ordained of God, where he commands the Bleſſing: So You muſt confide in and look for his Preſence in and with his Word; receiving it not as the Word of Man, but as it is indeed the Word of God, which worketh effectually when and as he pleaſes. 1 Theſſ. ii. 13. And this leads me to add in the laſt Place,
IV. If we are not groſly wanting to God and our own Souls, in doing what we eaſily might, the gracious Preſence of Chriſt and his efficacious Bleſſing would be found in and with his Word upon our Souls, unto all ſaving Effects and Purpoſes. The Mercy and Grace of God, revealed and propoſed to us in the Goſpel, ſuppoſes this. Chriſt is of a Truth in his Word. Power goes along with it to make manifeſt the Secrets of the Heart, while we fall down on our Face before it and under it. 1 Cor. xiv. 25. Let us try to hear as for our Life, and ſee if God do not give us an Ear to hear, and a Heart to underſtand. Are not God's Ways equal? ours unequal? Come now, and let us reaſon together, ſaith the Lord! will God be wanting to Him that is not wanting ſadly to himſelf?
Believe it, that Chriſt ſays to You this Day, as to the impotent Man of old, "Stand forth now in the midſt! preſent thy ſelf before me, who ſees thy Spirit, now in the Preſence of theſe my People!— And might the bleſſed Spirit of God now ſingle out every One as by his Name! to Thee perſonally, to each Individual, it is ſaid! And do thou ſay unto thy Self, "I am the Man, Woman or Child! and come forth. The Word of thy Saviour to thee is, "Stretch out thy Hand! exert the remaining Powers of thy feeble Soul, and lift it unto God. — What! will you not try? no not to move a Hand, or ſtir a Finger at his Word! who made thy Hand, and Mouth and living Soul! can he not upon thy Wiſh and Prayer to move, give Strength to leap up, as the Feet and Ankle Bones of the Cripple found at the Temple Gate, Acts iii. 7. He did but look when he was bid, and up he leapt. Think you the great and compaſſionate God will bid thee try in vain? Can he trifle with thee in things of an everlaſting Conſequence! He is ſerious, hearty and in good Earneſt with thee in the momentous Matter of Life and Death, whereon thy everlaſting Weal or Woe is depending. — Ah! that we were but as truly and as much concern'd for our own ſpiritual and eternal Welfare! but we dally and trifle with Heaven, and at laſt to excuſe our own Sloth and Folly in the great Concerns of our Souls, we are ready with the wicked and idle Servant to caſt the Blame on God, and ſay,— "Lord, I know that thou art an hard Man, reaping where thou haſt not ſtrowed; ſo I was afraid, and went and hid my Talent in the Earth; lo, there thou haſt that was thine, Matth. xxv. 25. But will this ſerve the Turn? will God be put off with this Pretence, or be ſatisfied with this Lye? No, thou wicked and ſlothful Servant, thy hard and unjuſt Tho'ts of God, and Speeches againſt him, will but incenſe (inſtead of appeaſing) the Wrath of God: for what an Aggravation is it of our Sin, to be ready to charge our wilful Neglects and Contempt upon the Severity and Exaction of God? which is the Language of our Diſobedience, in not ſetting our Selves to do all we can when God commands. Know therefore that God exacteth of thee no more than is right, nor will lay more upon thee, that thou ſhouldeſt enter into Judgment with Him. "O that God would ſpeak, and ſhew thee the Secrets of Wiſdom; that they are double to that which is known to us, in all that He requires of us, and in all his Judgments on us. Job. xi. 5, 6.
Suffer me then to ſpeak a little in God's behalf! And wilt thou know O vain Man, that there is ſomething you have to do, which God requires and expects, & which he will make you to do if ever his Mercy & Grace do take Effect upon you. You have natural Powers made for uſe, and you can't pretend that you cannot think, conſider of things and reaſon with your Self about them, and wiſh and ask of God his Pity, Help and Pardon, his Influence and Power upon thy poor languid Soul. Altho' your Strength and Limbs are utterly gone, yet can you ly and look up unto God on High, to perform all things for you. "Look on us, ſaid Peter and John to the Criple! that he could do, tho' he could neither riſe, ſtand or walk! and as he look'd he leap'd too at the Name of JESUS.
Only look to Jeſus, and He can give thee Faith to be healed. The dumb could look to him, the blind cried after him; "Thou Son of David have Mercy on us! So did blind Bartimeus, as he ſat begging by the Highway, and when the Lord ſtood ſtill they ſay to him, "Be of good Comfort, riſe, he calleth thee, Mark x. 49.
Come, ly not ſtill at Chriſt's Call! ſay not to Him, "I cannot ſtir! it were to reproach his Calling thee, and to ſuſpect his Power or Truth! for will he require of thee that which he will not help thee to do! for tho' of thy ſelf thou canſt do nothing to a ſaving Effect upon thy Soul, yet Chriſt ſtrengthning thee thou ſhalt be able to do all things, whatſoever he ſays unto thee. —Thou art not a Stock neither in reſpect of Motion, nor a meer brute Creature in reſpect of Underſtanding; but thou canſt ſay to thy Self, "Where is God my Maker? who teacheth us more than the Beaſts of the Earth, and maketh us wiſer than the Fowls of Heaven! None ſay this to themſelves, ſays Elihu, and yet they may charge God fooliſhly that he is wanting in Regards to them! but it follows—"Surely God will not hear Vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it! Altho' thou ſay ſt thou ſhalt not ſee Him, yet Judgment is before Him, therefore truſt thou in Him, Job xxxv. 14. — Say then to thy ſelf, "Where is the GOD that made me? and what muſt I do for this living Soul which He has made me? Men and Brethren what muſt we do? Will God, his Word, his Spirit, or even his Miniſter, ſome Ananias, in this Caſe be wanting? for "behold he prayeth
I will lay down, and leave with You, a few Maxims and Rules of Truth, which are proper Corrolarys on what has been ſaid, and may be of great Uſe in the important Matter of Converſion and Salvation.
I. There is no Inability ever to be pleaded, where Chriſt commands. For wilt thou dare to object againſt a plain Order and Command of God, or queſtion the Equity or Righteouſneſs of what He requires? If He bid thee go on the Waters, they ſhall bear thee, as they did Peter, till his Faith ſank; or if he order thee thro' the Fires, thou ſhalt bear them; and as the Prophet ſpeaks ſhalt not be burnt. If he bid thee fly up to Heaven, he will give thee Faith and Eagles Wings, or his Angels ſhall bear thee up in their Arms. No Heſitancy may be allow'd in us, where God poſitively declares his Will. "Lord ſaid Moſes, I am not Eloquent, but of a ſlow Tongue, a well ſince Thou haſt ſpoken to me, as before! And the Lord ſaid to him, "Who hath made Man's Mouth? … who maketh the dumb or deaf, the ſeeing or the blind have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will … with thy Mouth, Exod. iv 11.
II. Not to offer and attempt when God commands plain Diſobedience. Angels ſtand ready all Ways to fly God's Order: they excel in Strength by hearkning the Voice of his Word; they are ever on the Wing to go ſwiftly: "Thy Will be done on Earth as it is by Them! —Seem it above the Power of Nature, or (which is more) againſt Nature, if God ſay do it, all that remains for us is, like Abraham, to riſe early and go about it, and go thro' it. So ſhines the Father of the Faithful in the Eyes of all his ſpiritual Seed, their bright Leader and Example to the End of the World! and ſo ſhone he in the Sight of God and of his Angels: Gen. xxii. 12, 16. "Now know I that thou feareſt God! And by my Self have I ſworn ſaith the Lord, becauſe thou haſt done this thing, that in bleſſing I will bleſs thee! becauſe thou haſt obeyed my Voice. It is thus always with the Soul, whom it pleaſes God to call by his Grace, and to reveal his Son in; immediately it confers not with Fleſh and Blood; raiſes no Scruples, makes no Objection, but is all Ear and Duty; "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? "Speak Lord, for thy Servant heareth.
III. It is no ways unjuſt or abſurd for God to command us to do thoſe things, which of our Selves we are unable to do, becauſe He is able to make all Grace to abound to us, and to give us an Alſufficiency in all things, unto our abounding to every good Word and Work, 2 Cor. ix. 8. We may not ſtagger at any Precept or Promiſe of God, no not tho' our Soul be dead to it as was Abraham's Body. When the Lord ſaid to the Apoſtle Paul, "My Grace is ſufficient for Thee; for my Strength is made perfect in Weakneſs; how nobly did the Saint anſwer? "Moſt gladly therefore will I rather glory in my Infirmities, that the Power of Chriſt may reſt upon me, 2 Cor. xii 9. The Lord's Reproof to Sarah ſilences every riſing Doubt or Fear; Gen. xviii. 14. Is any thing too hard for the Lord?
IV. There is a Promiſe of Grace given with the Commandment, which every one, ſet to obey, may humbly and confidently depend upon. Prov i. 23. Turn you at my Reproof; behold I will pour out my Spirit unto You, I will make known my Words to you. Iſai. xliv. 1, 2, &c. Yet now …, O Jacob my Servant, and Iſrael whom I have choſen! Thus ſaith the Lord that made and formed thee from the Womb, which will help thee; fear not! For I will pour Water upon Him that is thirſty, and Floods on the dry Ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed, and my Bleſſing upon thy Offspring! And they ſhall ſpring up as among the Graſs, as Willows by the Water-courſes: One ſhall ſay, I am the Lord's! and another ſhall call himſelf by the Name of Jacob; and another ſhall ſubſcribe with his Hand to the Lord, and ſurname himſelf by the Name of Iſrael. Thus ſaith the Lord the King of Iſrael, and his Redeemer the Lord of Hoſts; "I am the firſt and I am the laſt, and beſide Me there is no God: And who, as I, ſhall call, and ſhall declare it, and ſet it in Order for me, ſince I appointed the ancient People? and the things that are coming and ſhall come? let them ſhew them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid! have not I told thee from that Time, and have declared it? Ye are even my Witneſſes: "Is there a God beſides me? yea there is no God, I know not any.
V. Thoſe that periſh are verily guilty and convicted in their own Conſciences, of wilful Indolence & Inactivity. As ſuppoſe that this Man had refus'd to try whether he could reach out his withered Arm; had it not been contemptuous to Chriſt? and would it not have been juſt upon him, never to have been healed? Or could he expect that Chriſt wou'd heal him? — Could he have pleaded his Impotence, or would it have excus'd him in the leaſt? — Not to endeavour under a Divine Call, is to reject the Motions of Divine Grace, and to reſiſt, grieve and quench the Holy Spirit. And this alas! is the Condemnation under the Goſpel: Acts vii 51. Ye uncircumciſed in Heart and Ears, ye do always reſiſt the HOLY GHOST, as your Fathers did, ſo do ye. Eph. iv. 30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are ſealed unto the Day of Redemption. 1 Theſſ. v. 17, 19, 22. Pray without ceaſing, quench not the Spirit, deſpiſe not Propheſyings, abſtain from all Appearance of Evil: And the very God of Peace ſanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole Spirit Soul and Body be preſerved Hameleſs unto the Coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
VI. They that are ſaved have nothing to boaſt of, but the whole Glory muſt be given to the free Grace of God alone, and his Almighty Power. What tho' the poor Man did at the Command of Chriſt ſtretch forth his Hand, and found it immediately reſtored! What tho' the Cripple look'd wiſhfully at the Apoſtles, and at the Name of JESUS leapt up on his Legs! What tho' the the Lepers went to waſh in Obedience to the Word of Chriſt, and as they were going found themſelves made clean! was there any thing in the Obedience of one or other of them that could claim any part of the Glory of the Cure? By no means! who gave 'em the Heart and Wiſdom to obey ſo readily the Divine Precept? who gave 'em Faith to be healed? and who put Strength into the wither'd Arm and Legs to reach out and leap up? — To the Power and Grace of God therefore we aſcribe all the Praiſe and Glory; for of it alone could the Effect be expected. Well therefore was it to ſee the Cripple that had been, leaping and praiſing God; and to ſee One of the Lepers turn back and give Glory to God with a loud Voice, and caſt himſelf down at Jeſus Feet. We can neither work Grace in our Selves, nor in the leaſt deſerve it at the Hand of God; but the Chief of Saints muſt ſay, "By the Grace of God I am what I am, and his Grace given me was not in vain! and if under the Power of it I have laboured more than others, than all others, yet not I, but the Grace of God which was with me. 1 Cor. xv. 10.
VII. We learn upon all, that it is our incumbent Duty to be found in the diligent Uſe of Means, but not to truſt in them.
With all our Soul and Mind and Strength we muſt endeavour to comply with the Demands of the Goſpel, but at the ſame time (as Workers together with God, and altogether under Him) to rely on Him alone to work all in us and for us. The little Powers we have we muſt put forth, for Strength to do the whole Will of God; but our Dependance on God muſt be ſuch as the greateſt Inability to the leaſt of it can ſuppoſe. When we have moſt conſidered, and prayed and ſtrained our feeble Powers, we muſt give all the Honour to free and Sovereign Grace, if there be any ſaving Effect produced: "Not I, but the Grace of God with me.—At the Word of Chriſt try to ſtretch out thy wither'd Hand; and if it be reſtored fall down at his ſacred Feet, and adore the Mercy and Compaſſion glorified to a wretched Miſerable, a vile Sinner and the chief of Sinners. Let the Lord find thee in his Houſe of Prayer, impotent Soul, and do thou liſten to his Word there, and lay it up in thy Heart, and carry it to thy Houſe and Cloſet, and pray over it (pray it over) with thy Family, and in ſecret; and thy Father who ſees in ſecret, and into the inmoſt Receſſes of the Heart, ſhall abundantly and openly reward thee! there is no ſaving Fruit and Effect of his Grace but you may then humbly hope to receive from Him.
Philip. iv. 13, 19, 20. I can do all things thro' CHRIST which ſtrengthneth me! and my God ſhall ſupply all your Need, according to his Riches in Glory by Jeſus Chriſt! Now unto GOD and our FATHER be Glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Benjamin Colman, The Withered Hand Stretch Forth and Restored (1739)