Eighteen Sermons, Sermon 6
SERMON VI.
The Beloved of God.
DEUT. xxxiii. ver. 12.
And of Benjamin, he ſaid, The beloved of the Lord ſhall dwell in ſafety, by him: and the Lord ſhall cover him all the day long, and he ſhall dwell between his ſhoulders.
OH! what a diſmal ſight is it, to ſee an old man with his hoary head grown grey in ſin, and hardened in iniquity. On the other hand, I believe to all that conſider rightly, there is no grander ſight almoſt under the ſun, than to ſee an old grey-headed man keeping up a conſiſtent character; and proving, by his conduct, that his path, like that of the juſt, is as the ſhining light, that ſhineth more and more to the perfect day: eſpecially when perſons have been called to act in a public character; when they have been eminent either for the highneſs of their ſtation, or for the largeneſs of their income. It is on this account that I admire old Jacob; how grand he looked when leaning on his ſtaff, with all the compoſure in the world, under a divine influence, bleſſing his children ſtanding round him. But, methinks, there is one who was called to act a more public part, namely, Moſes, who was honored of God to be a great legiſlator, king in Jeſhurun, a lawgiver between Judah's feet, as pupils uſed to be at the feet of their teachers, to receive their inſtruction; if you have a mind to ſee how bright he ſhines, you muſt read Deut. xxxii. indeed you muſt read all Deuteronomy, which is nothing but a ſermon that Moſes, at various times, preached to the children of Iſrael; and having done preaching, he ſang a hymn of his own compoſing, and that too at a time when he knew, at the very finiſhing the ſong, he ſhould immediately have his ſoul kiſſed away, and be called to ſing a better ſong in the kingdom of heaven. A perſon would need a good deal of compoſure, a good deal of the Spirit's influences, a large meaſure of it, cheerfully thus to ſtand in view of death, juſt on the very borders of the grave; you ſee this in chap. xxxii. & here in chap. xxxiii. One would have thought he had ſaid enough, yet he ſeems as it were not to know how to leave off; he parted from the people bleſſing them; they had uſed him ill, they provoked him in the wilderneſs; he had bore with them many, many long years; ſure you would have thought he would have went away in a huff; no, that eminent ſun by no means goes down in wrath; his eyes did not ſo much as wax dim, nor his intellectual powers impair in all that time: he ſweetly gives them all a bleſſing before he goes. If you read this chap. xxxiii. you will find how various, yet ſpecial, are the bleſſings which, in a prophetic ſtrain, he foretels ſhould attend particular perſons, or tribes. I have been reading them over, and though I admire them all, I was at a loſs which to ſpeak from, till the bleſſing of Benjamin fixed my attention, not only as ſweet, but inſtructing. The beloved of the Lord ſhall dwell in ſafety, by him: and the Lord ſhall cover him all the day long, he ſhall dwell between his ſhoulders. This is a bleſſing indeed, if we look only to the literal interpretation of the words, and a literal commentator can go no further; he muſt confine them to Benjamin; and will tell us, that this ſcripture was fulfilled at the building of the Temple. The Temple was built upon two hills, one in the tribe of Benjamin the other in the tribe of Judah; the Temple being built there, and Benjamin being placed near it, then Benjamin dwells in ſafety by the Lord, by having his lot caſt near the Temple. How often, alas! is it the caſe, I am ſure it is very often the caſe in London, the nearer the church the further from God; but ſome make good uſe of it, and are glad to get near the church that they may be nearer God. The temple being placed between two hills, ſo Benjamin as it were dwells between God's ſhoulders; ſo far a literal commentator can go, here he ſtops; a ſpiritual commentator, and a ſpiritual reader, go further; O, ſays he, this is true, but at the ſame time this is not the whole truth; and I am perſuaded, when a perſon is helped by the Spirit to read the ſcriptures, the declarations that are made, and thoſe particular promiſes, the true believer applies with great propriety to himſelf; and therefore I think I may venture to aver, that the bleſſing which Moſes here pronounces upon him in the name of the Lord, belongs to God's people in all ages whatever; God, in his infinite mercy, grant that this bleſſing may deſcend upon us and ours, that it may deſcend to your lateſt poſterity.
Obſerve how wonderfully the perſons, to whom the bleſſing is given, are characterized: of Benjamin it is ſaid, the beloved of the Lord: the beloved of the Lord, pray who are they? why, the men that the Scriptures always ſpeak of, whoſe conſtant uniform character is, they love God in all ages. It is not ſaid, the Preſbyterians ſhall dwell in ſafety; Moſes never heard of a Preſbyterian in his life: he never heard of the name; nor is it ſaid the Independents ſhall dwell in ſafety; he never heard of that word; nor is it ſaid the Papiſts ſhall dwell in ſafety; he never heard of Papiſts, nor of the pope; nor is it ſaid that the Church of England ſhall dwell in ſafety, no; neither is it ſaid that the methodiſts ſhall dwell in ſafety, though I truſt there are a great many good people among theſe mongrels of the church; but it is ſpoken of all the people of God; God help us all to apply it to ourſelves.
Here is a diſpute between the Arminians and the Calviniſts: aſk an Arminian what is meant by the beloved of the Lord; O, ſay they that are for general redemption, the beloved of the Lord ſignifies, all the men that were ever born into the world; that is a good broad bridge to take them in; but broad bridges are not always the ſtrongeſt bridges in the world. The Arminians will aſſert it that Judas was as much beloved of God as Peter, or any other of the apoſtles; and thoſe that are not Arminians, but are what you call Quakers, and there are good many, I believe among them, that have better hearts than heads, they ſay, that we are all alike, that we all come into the world with a ſeed of grace, and ſhall be happy according to the improvement of that grace; hence they talk nothing of a Chriſt without but within: happy they that experience a Chriſt within! God's mercy is ſure, and over all his works; and in one ſenſe, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt is the Saviour of all men, that is, of all ſorts of men; even the wicked are beholden to Jeſus Chriſt, whom they deſpiſe, for every worldly comfort they enjoy; in this ſenſe we ſhould learn to love as our Lord, we are told, loved the young man when he ſaw he had been a harmleſs and good liver: but we muſt go more to what we call Calviniſm, what I call ſpiritual truth. The love which Jeſus Chriſt bore for the young man, quite differed from that love with which he loved Martha, Mary, and their brother; there was a cargo for you! three in one family; God grant it may be your happy lot and mine! two ſiſters and one brother, three to entertain Jeſus Chriſt, all in a peculiar manner beloved of the Lord. It is not ſaid of Benjamin, they ſhall, that is, they that love the Lord, they ſhall dwell in ſafety, no; it would not be ſo ſtrong to them, as to ſay, the beloved of the Lord: for God knows our love is not worth a ſhilling; all the faith of God's people, ſays biſhop Hall, is but meer infidelity; and all the love of the people of God is but meer hatred, compared with God's love, or that which his law juſtly requires; therefore it is ſaid, beloved of the Lord, and that becauſe if ever we love God, he firſt loved us, which is what Moſes's very expreſſion means; as ſtreams flow from the fountain, ſo they ſhall return to it. Hence the apoſtle ſays, Knowing your election, brethren, beloved of God. I know very well the Myſticks talk of loving God with a love for himſelf only, without any reſpect to the creature at all; that is, we muſt love God without any regard at all for what God has done for us; nay, ſome go ſo far as to ſay, that if we do not ſo love God, we are not converted, though we have as much grace as we can have; that we do not love God properly till we love him for what he is, not what he has done for us: I verily believe, the angels do not love God in that manner; and we cannot love God till we are made partakers of a divine nature, and have eyes given us to ſee his glory.
The grand enquiry is then, how ſhall I know that I am one of the beloved of the Lord? The natural man never minds the love of God; he flatters himſelf he loves God naturally, that the love of God is a plant that grows in nature's garden; but a ſpiritual perſon does not ſo. What does the king take notice of me? does the king look pleaſant upon me in a drawing-room? am I called to wait upon him? am I beloved of this, and that, and the other perſon? if I am, let God go, I care not; if I have but the love of this and that courtier, I care not whether God loves me or no; this will not do for an awakened ſoul; and therefore the grand enquiry, and one proof of a perſon's being awakened is, how ſhall I know whether God loves me or not? why try; I am perſuaded of it, that we may as well know that God loves us, and we love God, as we may know that the ſun ſhines at noon-day; how ſhall I know it but by the effects of this love, by the fruits of it? That great man, Dr. Watts, who was called the ſweet ſinger of Iſrael, ſays, "we ſhould go firſt to the grammar-ſchool of faith and repentance, before we go to the univerſity of predeſtination:" whereas the devil would have them go firſt to the univerſity, to examine whether they were elected or rejected, or no: they ſhould do as a good woman once did, when ſatan tempted her, and wanted to diſtreſs her, that there were but few to be ſaved; ſhe ſaid, if there were but two to be ſaved, ſhe would ſtrive to be one of them. Surely I am beloved of the Lord, if my natural enmity againſt the Lord is ſlain. How do I know I love a perſon? how can you prove that you love me? why, ſay you, I hated you the other day: how many people met I with the other day, that could a few weeks ago have pulled me out of Tottenham-court, but God has overcome their hearts. The perſon now … his former enmity, and when that enmity is removed, and you are reconciled to them, cannot you know that you love them? and if God has removed that enmity to Chriſt out of your hearts, ſurely you are one of the beloved of the Lord.
We are the beloved of the Lord, if we are brought to abhor and renounce that which ſtands between us and the Lord; I mean, our curſed ſelf-righteouſneſs. Can I prove that I have renounced my own duties, that I am ſick of my duties as well as my ſins; none but the beloved of the Lord ſee this: an enemy to the Lord may have this in his head, but it is only a friend of the Lord that has this in his heart: a talkative profeſſor can ſpeak of it: you may teach, perhaps, a parrot to pray, but it is odds to talk like a parrot, and experience like a chriſtian. Now I have renounced my own righteouſneſs, and been helped to truſt to Chriſt's, to believe on the Son of God, let ſatan ſay what he will, I am ſure I am the beloved of the Lord, for none but thoſe that are beloved by him with an everlaſting love, are brought to believe on him.
I may know I am beloved of the Lord, from what? why, experiencing his love ſhed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghoſt. Jonathan loved David as his own ſoul. Moſt of you know what love is in a carnal ſenſe; and if there be a union of ſouls between creature and creature, ſurely there muſt be a union of ſouls between the Creator and the creature beloved of God; it cannot be otherwiſe; this love will have its effects.
If I am beloved of the Lord, if having his love in my heart, I ſhow it by loving thoſe he has loved. Some people may ſay, I love you, but I do not love thoſe about you, your friends; why you are not bound to love all alike, but it may teach you to be civil to that perſon's beloved. As ſoon as ever we hear of a chriſtian, as ſoon as ever we hear of a believer, as ſoon as ever we hear of a ſinner turning to God, O it will rejoice us; and we ſhall be like, the angels in heaven, who rejoice over one ſinner's repentance, more than over ninety-nine juſt perſons that need no repentance. Some people may ſay, I love dearly to hear of a perſon's being converted by ſuch a miniſter; I love dearly to hear of perſons converted by a diſſenter; I love dearly to hear of perſons converted by a churchman, but I do not like people ſhould be converted by this and that perſon; why I believe there are a great many people whoſe hearts are thus narrow, but this mixture is not of God; and I pray God they may know it by experience; that they may know they are beloved of God, then they will rejoice when other people are brought to believe on him, whoever is made the inſtrument. Grace and mercy be with all them that love the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in ſincerity. What would have become of poor Paul if he had only loved his own followers: the Romans he never ſaw till he was taken there a priſoner, but he loved all the reſt of the apoſtles, writ letters to all ſorts, not to their particular parties or churches, but to all thoſe that loved the Lord Jeſus in ſincerity; and if we do love in this manner, we may be aſſured we are beloved of the Lord, for none but the Lord could beget ſuch love in us.
If we are beloved of the Lord, we ſhall be hated by the world. If you were of the world, the world would love you, but becauſe you are not of the world, but I have choſen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Will you make me believe that any of you are beloved of the Lord, that never loſt your good character by it; why you may as well make me believe that you are emperors of the world: where is the bleſſing the ſermon on the mount ſpeaks of; where is the bleſſing of perſecution; where is the bleſſing of being hated of all men; where is the bleſſing of being hated for the croſs? you love the Lord, and not carry the croſs after you; you love the Lord, and not be hated as your Lord was? I don't ſay all are hated alike; poor miniſters are ſet in the front of the battle; in proportion to our ſucceſſes we ſhall be hated. There are numbers of miniſters now ſleep in whole ſkins, that were formerly in a worſe plight; the devil diſturbs them not becauſe they are quite civil, and do not trouble and contradict him; but if you oppoſe the world and the devil, the world will hate you; and no greater proof of being beloved of the Lord, than the world hating you, but it muſt be for Chriſt's ſake. So Ahab ſaid of the prophet, all his propheſying is againſt me; I hate him; the world hated him; the world hated me, ſays our Lord, before it hated you: and the apoſtles, when they began to ſpeak for God too, they were hated like their Lord, and glory to God for it, for it is a bleſſed mark of their belonging to God, when they are honored to ſuffer for him, and we are never right till we are bearing the croſs: to ſee men or women ſleeping under the croſs, ſkulking and hiding from it, is this love? give me a profeſſor that will wear a cockade in his hat, and is never eaſier than when he is combating the enemies of his King.
If I am the beloved of the Lord, I really ſhall live above the world. You may ſay what you will, and you may bring the ſcriptures as low as you think proper, but the friendſhip of the world is hatred to God; and if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Now by not loving the world, I don't mean that you ſhould ſhut up your ſhops, and run into a convent: how idle for perſons to ſay they love God, and hide themſelves from the world; that is no religion at all. But the greateſt proof of a Chriſtian's loving God is, I am in the world, but not of it; I work with my hands all the day, but my heart is from it. I remember a dear friend once ſent me word, many years ago, how buſy he was morning and night, up early and late; perhaps, ſays he, you will think by this account, I am worldly; he ſaid, no, ſir, I thank God that my heart is above the world: God grant we may thus prove we love God? I don't ſay, but many that love the Lord may be in another ſituation; but when perſons are enabled to leave all for Chriſt, it is a great mercy: God be praiſed, we have ſome ſuch; God add to their happineſs.
They that love the Lord, will ſtudy to keep from offending God, not for fear of being damned, but becauſe ſin murdered his dear Son; there are a great many people abſtain from ſin for fear of puniſhment; but hear what Joſeph ſaid, My maſter has done thus and thus by me, how can I therefore do this great wickedneſs and ſin againſt God? my God that loves me; ſo they would not ſtab him, becauſe he has been wounded enough already.
If we are the beloved of the Lord, we ſhall be willing to work for the Lord; faith without works is the religion of every carnal man; make an end of one good work and then begin another, and lay it down and wonder that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould accept any thing at your hands. I knew a lady ſome time ago, that wanted ſtill more to be employed for God; ſays ſhe, if Jeſus Chriſt would but help me to do ſuch and ſuch a thing I have in view, O I would kiſs his feet, and dedicate myſelf more and more to his honour: a true chriſtian loves to be thus employed, but above all he is glad he has the blood of Chriſt to waſh his duties in.
I ſhall mention but one thing more, though I might mention twenty; if we have the love of God in our hearts, though we cannot get over the fears of death at all times, yet I think the bent of the mind of ſuch a perſon will be, when ſhall I ſee the object of my love, him whom my ſoul loves? they ſit at ordinances, and long to be led to the fountain head. I am in a ſtrait between two, ſays Paul; the word ſignifies a ſtrong, an intenſe deſire to be with Chriſt: he does not ſay to be in heaven, but to be with Chriſt, which is far better; but to ſtay here is better for you, therefore you ſhould be content to ſtay, not becauſe you love the world, but as willing to wait your Maſter's call. I could not help admiring while I was reading it, that when Chriſt aſcended to heaven, one angel, one particular angel, it muſt have been a bleſſed one, left thoſe that were attending Chriſt into glory, ſtopped in the way, for what? why, to preach to the apoſtles: Why ſtand ye thus gazing into heaven? I am aſhamed of you, ſays he; here is an angel, one of the convoy, waiting upon them: he does not ſay, let me go to heaven with thee, and let me come down again and preach, no; he ſtays down thus to preach to a few poor fiſhermen. Lord ſearch us, Lord try us, Lord God Almighty help us to examine ourſelves, that we may know whether we are beloved of the Lord or not.
So that ſome may ſay, I think I can apply all the marks, though I don't depend upon marks. I have a number of bills here to-night; one ſays, if I am beloved of the Lord, why am I ſo poor? another ſays, if I am beloved of the Lord, why am I ſo afflicted? ſay another, if I am beloved of the Lord, why am I left to ſtarve; can I think God loves, when I ſee thouſands and thouſands ſquandered away every day, and yet my poor babes groaning, my poor children quite emaciated, for want only of a little bread that I ſee in the baker's ſhop, as I go along; if I am beloved of the Lord, how is it that my poor children are ready to cry for bread, and I have none to give them; that others are adorned with diamonds, but I have not ſo much as a rag to put on my little one's back. If I am beloved of the Lord, how is it that my friends are againſt me; my children, inſtead of being a bleſſing, are a curſe, and break my heart. If I am beloved of the Lord, how is it that I have ſo many domeſtic trials that cauſe me to cry out, Wo is me that I ſo-journ in Meſheck, and dwell in the tents of Kedar. If I am beloved of the Lord, how is it that I am harraſſed with blaſphemous thoughts thus; the trials I meet with in bringing down the outward man. If I am beloved of the Lord, how is it that inſtead of living in plenty, I now want bread to eat, and ſhould be glad to have it from thoſe I once ſcorned to ſet with the dogs of my flock? Whom the Lord loveth he chaſteneth, and ſcourgeth every ſon whom he receiveth. Our dear Jeſus was never more beloved of his father than when he cried out, My God! my God! why haſt thou forſaken me? never more beloved of his father than when he was ſweating great drops of blood, when he cried, Father, if it be poſſible let this cup paſs from me. I remember a dear miniſter of Chriſt, now in Suffolk, told me, when he was in Scotland, going to receive the ſacrament, he was ſo dry and dark, and benumbed and tempted, that he thought he would go away; as he was going this word came to his mind, when was Jeſus Chriſt moſt acceptable to his Father? when did he give the greateſt trial of his love? when he cried out, My God! my God! why haſt thou forſaken me? Why then, ſays he, upon this I will venture; if I periſh, I periſh at Chriſt's feet; and he came away filled with comfort from his bleſſed God and Father in Chriſt.
Well then, what is to be done to thoſe that are beloved of the Lord? here's for you, they ſhall dwell in ſafety; why? they ſhall dwell between his ſhoulders; obſerve the expreſſion, the prophet ſays they ſhall dwell in love. Will God indeed dwell on earth? ſays Solomon; yes, God, ſays he, dwells in my earthly heart, made heavenly by the grace of God. Did ever any hear ſuch an expreſſion from the mouth of God; I will be thy God; I am thy ſhield, and thy exceeding great reward? He does not ſay an angel ſhall go; if God had only ſaid in his word, that I was to be kept by angels, I am ſure my wicked heart would deſpair, becauſe it would deceive all the angels in heaven: but God ſaith, I will be thy keeper; ſo they that would hurt his people, muſt go through God himſelf. They ſhall dwell on high; bread ſhall be given to them, and their waters ſhall be ſure. They are kept by the mighty power of God through faith, to everlaſting ſalvation. It is ſaid, they ſhall dwell between his ſhoulders: the government of the church, and the world, and all, are upon the Redeemer's ſhoulders, and the Lord's everlaſting arms are under his people. Obſerve it is ſaid, they dwell in ſafety; and very often we are ſafeſt when we think we are moſt in danger.
They ſhall dwell in ſafety; thoſe that are lovers of the Lord Jeſus ſhall dwell ſafely with God on earth, and eternally with him in heaven. O may God bleſs this fooliſhneſs of preaching to ſome of God's poor, and perhaps, doubting beloved ones. Come you poor ſouls, I often think that this field preaching is particularly comfortable to the poor; whenever field preaching is ſtopped, farewel to the power of religion. When poor people have been working hard all day, how ſweet muſt it be for them to come to a place of worſhip, and get a lift for to-morrow: may the Lord God bleſs his barley bread! If you can wrap yourſelves in God, let the world hate you; God's children are the greateſt plagues and trials one to another, but God loves them, God ſmiles upon them, and therefore they ſhall dwell in ſafety. The devil told me I ſhould not dwell in ſafety, but I bid him defiance, and turned him to Deut. xxxiii. and told him Benjamin's lot was mine; the beloved of the Lord ſhall dwell in ſafety by him.
Wo, wo, wo be to you that have no marks of being beloved of the Lord. Have we any prophane Eſaus here to-night, that are ſaying, do not tell me of your being beloved of the Lord; if I can have the love of ſuch a perſon, I don't care whether God loves me or not; you may tell me God loves people when they are afflicted, I want none of theſe marks, I think God loves me becauſe I am in a good frame; I think God loves me becauſe I proſper; I think God loves me becauſe I am very healthy and ſtrong; I do not care whether I wait upon God or not, or give to the poor or not. I will not ſoften the matter, there is no going to heaven without wearing a fool's coat. O, you may ſay, that is owing to your imprudence; you make people uneaſy, and ſet them upon a falſe ſcent, and make them their own perſecutors; thank God, I can go into a hundred companies, and not give them reaſon to ſay I am a Methodiſt: I can go into company and ſing an innocent ſong, I don't tell them I have a Tabernacle hymn-book in my pocket. There are few have the courage that the gentleman had who loved God, and went to ſee ſome carnal relations after he became a fool for Chriſt's ſake: ſays one of the relations, it is always our cuſtom after dinner to ſing a ſong, and aſked him to ſing; he ſaid he would in his turn; two of them ſung; his relation ſaid to him, come, couſin, ſing; ſays he, I have not ſung a ſong a good while, but, if you pleaſe, I will ſing a hymn: he ſung it out, but they never aſked him to ſing again, nor did they ſing afterwards. How ſweet it is to go through boldly with a thing for Chriſt! Do not you think you are a coward? are you not aſhamed? are any of you ſuch cowards as to plead your prudence: God help you to be unmaſked to-night. I do not know whether you go to a maſquerade, but you have a dreadful maſque upon your ſouls, a dreadful religious viſage. I heard ſomebody appeared the other night, in order to bring contempt upon us, in a Methodiſt dreſs, that was one of the dreſſes. O how can they do ſo? ſay you; how canſt thou do ſo? pretend to be a Methodiſt among God's people, and behave light and fooliſh among the children of the devil; for ſhame unmaſk yourſelves, for God will, by death, unmaſk your ſoul, and ſhow your hypocriſy. The word hypocrite is taken from a ſtage-player, who acts that part he is not: God, of his infinite mercy, keep all here from ſtopping ſhort.
If any of you are awakened and convinced, the Lord grant you may never reſt till you know you are the beloved of the Lord. Ah! ſay you, I ſhall never know that, that I am the beloved of the Lord: I am that old greyheaded wretch you mentioned at the beginning of your ſermon; can God love me a drunkard, ſabbath-breaker, a whoremonger, an adulterer, an unclean wretch as ever trod on the ground! Pray what was Paul? what was the jailor? what were all the three thouſand that were converted at once; what was their caſe? nay, what was Adam the firſt ſinner? and yet Adam and Eve both, I believe, received mercy of God; ſhe is therefore called the mother of all living, becauſe ſhe is the mother of all believers. Come then at a venture, come then, threw thyſelf upon Chriſt; do not ſay, pardon my iniquities becauſe they are ſmall, but ſay, Lord, pardon my iniquities for they are great. One that was executed to-day for forging ſomething to rob his father; what a father deal thus with his ſon? well, ſaid I, it is ſo with a man, but our heavenly father will pardon; and though the law is called a fiery law, yet there is, bleſſed be God, a new and living way. Oh ſinners! oh ſinners! God help you to come and venture, and ſtrive, though you have none of the marks that have been mentioned, yet ſay, God can put theſe marks upon me. I have been courting this and that perſon's love; nay, I made no other uſe of coming to worſhip, but to look out for ſomething to advance myſelf. I have been looking out for nothing but beauty; I have been looking out for nothing but money, or ſomething or other to make my fortune; but now begone, vain world; now, Lord, I would look after thee. That you may know you are the beloved of the Lord, dwell in ſafety on earth, and after death be conveyed to dwell with, and love him to all eternity, God grant for Chriſt's ſake, Amen.