III. A SELF-IGNORANT COURTIER. “And Hazael said, But what is thy servant, a dog, that he should do this great thing?" The conduct of this man as here recorded suggests two general remarks. First: The germs of evil may exist in the mind of a wicked man of which he is utterly unconscious. When Elisha just hinted at the evils which this man would perpetrate, he seemed utterly shocked and insulted. "Is thy servant a dog?" As if he had said, "No man could commit the outrages which thou hast depicted, it is the work of a dog to rend and tear and devour, not the work of a man." That moment all the germs of the crimes mentioned by the prophet were in him, and very soon revealed themselves in all their enormity. How ignorant are of ourselves! There are possibilities of evil and of good within us of which we know nothing. Secondly: By the force of circumstances these germs become developed in all their enormity. Even the very prospect of becoming a king roused this man's baser passions at once. He forges a lie, and he enacts a murder. Although Elisha had told him that Benhadad would die, he, in order to obtain power over the mon we arch, reverses Elisha's statement, and says, "He told me that thou shouldest surely recover." And then to prevent the possibility of this, "it came to pass on the morrow that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died, and Hazael reigned in his stead." Here, then is developed falsehood and murder at the very prospect of becoming a king. No sooner does he take possession of the throne than we read "and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel, from Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reuben. ites," &c. (2 Kings x. 32, 33). Thus he did what Elisha foretold, and what seemed to himself at the time as an abhorrent impossibility. Thus the educational force of circumstances develop in men evils of which they are utterly ignorant: aye, and the good also. The virtue of some is but vice sleeping, and the faults of some are but virtue struggling into existence and power. He whose eye peers into our deepest nature, judges not by overt acts, but by inward motives, not by what we actually do, but what we desire to do. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." 340 Homiletical Breviaries. The Will of God. "PAUL AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST," &c.—2 Cor. i. 1, 2. Here are three subjects of thought:-I. THE SUPREME LAW. By the will of God." (1) God has a will. He is, therefore, an intelligent, free, personality. His will explains the origin, sustenance and order of the universe; His will is the force of all forces, and law of all laws. (2) God has a will in relation to individual men. Не has a purpose in relation to every man, every man's existence, mission, and conduct. His will in relation to moral beings is the standard of all conduct and the rule of all destiny. Love is its primal font or mainspring. Notice, II. The APOSTOLIC SPIRIT. Judging from what Paul says here, we observe, (1) The apostolic spirit involves subjection to Christ. "An Apostle of Jesus Christ." Christ is the moral Master, he the loving, loyal servant. (2) The apostolic spirit is that of special love for the good. He calls Timothy his brother," and towards "the Church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia," he glows with loving sympathy. Love for souls, deep, tender, overflowing is the essential qualification for the Gospel apostolate or ministry. Notice, III. The CHIEF GOOD. First: Here is the highest good. and peace." He who has these has the summum bonum. Here is the highest good from the highest source. Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." The God of Christianity. "Grace Secondly: "From our "BLESSED BE GOD, EVEN THE FATHER," &c.-2 Cor. i. 3-5. The God of nature is revealed in nature as the Almighty, and the All-wise. "The invisible things of the world are clearly seen, being made visible by the things that are seen, even His Eternal power and God-head." But God in Christianity appears in three aspects :—I. As the FATHER OF THE WORLD'S REDEEMER. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Jesus Christ is the World's Redeemer, and the World's Redeemer is the Son of God. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Another aspect in which God appears in Christianity is: II. As THE SOURCE OF MAN'S MERCIES. "The Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort," or the merciful Father. Mercy implies something more than mere benevolence, it is a modification of goodness, it implies sorrow and suffering. God is good to all, but He is merciful to the afflicted, He compassionates and comforts them. God in nature does not appear as the God of mercy and comfort for the fallen and the lost. God appears: III. As the COMFORTER OF AFFLICTED SAINTS. "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble," &c. The best of men have their tribulations here. Most, if not all, the men who have entered heaven have passed through much tribulation. First He comforts His afflicted people "in all their tribulations." Whatever the nature and variety of affliction, He has suitable and adequate comfort to bestow. Moral remorses, worldly losses, social bereavements. He has a healing balm for all. Secondly: He comforts His afflicted people that they may be able to administer comfort to others. "That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble." Affliction is necessary to qualify us to sympathise with and administer comfort to others. "They comfort others who themselves have borne," says Sophocles. By affliction Christ qualified Himself to comfort others. "We have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities," &c. Paul's Idea of the Christian Church in Assembly: "LET THE PROPHETS SPEAK TWO OR THREE, AND LET THE OTHER JUDGE," &c.-1 Cor. xiv. 29-33. FROM these words we may infer that Paul considered:-I. That the Christian Church in Assembly, on the SAME OCCASION, MIGHT HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS TO ADDRESS THEM. "Let the prophets (or teachers) speak two or three." "For ye may all prophesy one by one." If this be so, First: Should Christian teaching be regarded as a profession? It is now so: men are brought up to it, trained for it, and live by it, as architects, lawyers, doctors. Surely preaching the Gospel should no more be regarded as a profession than the talk of loving parents to their children. Secondly: Is the Church justified in confining its attention to the ministry of one man? In most modern congregations there are some Christian men who by natural ability, by experimental knowledge and inspiration, are far more qualified to instruct and comfort the people than their professional and stated minister. Surely official preaching has no authority either in Scripture, reason, or experience, and it must come to an end sooner or later. Every Christian man should be a preacher. Were the half hour allotted in Church services for the sermon to be occupied by three or four Christly men, thoughtful and reverent, with the capability of expression withal, it would not only be far more interesting, but more profitably spent than now. We infer from these words, II. That the Christian Church in Assembly might ALLOW ONE OF ITS GODLY MEN TO RISE AND SPEAK ON THE INSPIRATION OF THE MOMENT. "If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace." This does not mean, I presume, that the one who is speaking is to be interrupted, but that after he has delivered his message another, if he felt truly inspired to do so, might rise and address the audience. May it not be that under every discourse there might be some one or more in the audience so divinely excited with a rush of holy thought, that he craves for an utterance, not for his own sake, but for the sake of others; and why should he not have the opportunity? What an interest such an event would add to a religious service! We infer from these words, III. That the Christian Church in Assembly SHOULD SUBMIT THE UTTERANCES OF ITS TEACHERS TO A DEVOUT CRITICAL JUDGMENT. "Let the others judge," or, as the new version has it, "Let the others discern or discriminate." The people were not to accept as a matter of course all that the prophets or teachers spake to them, for even were they inspired they were not infallible They were to act as it is said the Bereans did, who "searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so." Ah, me! if congregations. were so to act, there would soon come an end to the crudities, the assumptions, and the dogmas of modern pulpits. We infer from these words, IV. That the Christian Church in Assembly SHOULD IN ALL ITS SERVICES MAINTAIN ORDER. "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all Churches of the Saints." It is a characteristic of a true teacher, that however full of inspiration, he can so master his impulses as to prevent confusion. This should always be done, "for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." Notwithstanding all the liberty of teaching, all the enthusiasm of the new life, where Christianity reigns there will be no disorder, all will be peace. There is an order in dead mechanism, and there is order, too, in the roar of ocean, and the thunder of storm. All that is Divine is under law. Salutations. "THE CHURCHES OF ASIA SALUTE YOU," &c.-1 Cor. xvi. 19, 20. On these salutations we cannot do better than transcribe the remarks of F. W. Robertson. We make a remark respecting salutations generally. This epistle has many, but they are not so numerous as in that to the Romans. In both of them individuals are mentioned by name. It was no mere general assurance of attachment he gave them, but one of his personal knowledge and affection. Remark, I. ST. PAUL'S PERSONAL CONSIDERATIONS WERE NOT LOST IN GENERAL PHILANTHROPY. That because he entertained regard for the Churches, and for bodies of men, he did not on this account ignore the individuals composing them. It is common enough to profess great interest and zeal for humanity whilst there is indifference all the time about individual men. It is common enough to be zealous about a cause, about some scheme of social good, and yet to be careless respecting individual welfare. But St. Paul's love was from Christ's own Spirit. It was love to the Church generally, and besides, it was love to Aquila and Priscilla. And is not this, too, the nature of God's love who provides for the universe, and yet spends an infinity of care on the fibre of a leaf? Remark, II. THE VALUE OF THE COURTESIES OF LIFE. There are many minds which are indifferent to such things, and fancy themselves above them. It is a profound remark of Prescott's that "liberty is dependent upon forms." Did not the solemn, slow, change in the English constitution, and our freedom from violent submersions, arise from the almost superstitious way in which precedent has been consulted in the manner of every change? But what is of more importance to remember is, that love is dependent upon forms, courtesy of etiquette guards and protects courtesy of heart. How many hearts have been lost irrecoverably, and how many averted eyes and cold looks have been gained from what seemed perhaps but a trifling negligence of forms. |