of the devil, the world, and the flesh, without acquainting him, that he
has in him an High and Heavenly Nature, to which he would do well to
attend, as to a Light shining in the midst of his darkness: When we
point out the destructive consequences of sin, we should enlarge at the
same time upon the delights of holiness, and the exalted privileges of
those that follow it. Thus we should imitate the Apostle in my text,
who, upon giving this advice to his Corinthian brethren, "Let no man
glory in men," immediately adds this high and encouraging motive to
their practice of it, "For all things are yours."
DISCOURSE XII.
The Riches and Glory of the Christian.
1 CORINTH. CHAP. iii. VER. 21, 22, 23.
"THEREFORE LET NO MAN GLORY IN MEN: FOR ALL THINGS ARE YOURS;
WHETHER PAUL, OR APOLLOS, OR CEPHAS, OR THE WORLD, OR LIFE, OR
DEATH, OR THINGS PRESENT, OR THINGS TO COME; ALL ARE YOURS, AND YE
ARE CHRIST'S, AND CHRIST IS GOD'S."
My former discourse from these words contained a general view of the
Apostle's reasoning in this chapter. I observed, that this part of his
epistle was occasioned by some envyings and jealousies which had crept
into the Corinthian church, in consequence of an undue distinction and
preference which different persons had shewn to different Apostles and
Preachers of the Gospel; and that, in order to silence these
controversies, the Apostle, after a variety of other excellent
arguments, concludes with enumerating the high and distinguishing
Privileges, to which the Corinthians themselves were called, in common
with those very teachers, whose excellencies they were so injudiciously
magnifying.
He tells them, that they ought not to "glory in men;" that is, to boast
of the superior excellencies of this or that favourite Preacher, because
"all things were theirs;" that by virtue of that Heavenly Nature, which
they, as well as their teachers, inherited from JESUS CHRIST, the Second
Adam, they were provided with a glorious inheritance, and invested with
high powers and privileges, whereby this world, and every thing in it,
was subject to their will, when in union and co-operation with the
Eternal and Unchangeable Will of their REDEEMER: so that all personal
distinctions among men, all personal admiration of their peculiar
talents and most shining endowments, were beneath the character of such
high-born souls, and ought not to come into competition with the
Heavenly Graces of love, meekness, humility, mutual forbearance,
condescension and peace, by which alone the dignity of their birth could
be asserted, and the actual possession of their spiritual privileges
known and ascertained.
I endeavoured likewise to explain to you, the glorious and comfortable
meaning and import of this general proposition of the Apostle, "All
things are yours:" and shewed, by several similitudes and observations,
that this was not only applicable to the Corinthians, and the most
effectual motive that the Apostle could make use of, to disengage them
from their narrow and carnal notions and jealousies, but that it is
equally applicable to all men, at all times, and in all places and
circumstances; and the most effectual method that a Minister of CHRIST
can make use of, to awaken thoughtless sinners, and engage them to
pursue the things that belong to their peace.
Let me now, therefore, entreat your attention, whilst I enter upon the
consideration of those particular Privileges, which are enumerated under
this general head.
As the immediate design of the Apostle, upon this occasion, was to put
an end to that strife and division, which subsisted among them from the
attachment of different persons to different preachers, so the first
Privilege he mentions, is this, that in whatever light they might
confider the matter, these Apostles and Preachers were nothing in
themselves, but were furnished with peculiar talents and endowments for
the service of their brethren: they were "theirs," because instruments
in the hands of Heaven, to awaken their attention, and engage their
pursuit of real spiritual knowledge and happiness; and they were only to
be considered in this light, without any other personal respect and
veneration, than that which their character, as instruments, might
claim: for "all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas."
That this is a true and just representation of the Apostle's design, we
may learn from his reasoning in the preceding part of the chapter. He
charges them with acting under the immediate influence of earthly and
carnal motives; and though he had adapted his preaching to their slender
capacities, though he had fed them with milk, as being yet in the Rate
of infants, and incapable of receiving or digesting the strong meat of
the great and glorious mysteries of the Gospel, yet they did not profit
even by this; for they had acquired no new spiritual strength from
thence; nay, they not only remained in their infant state, unable to
bear a further revelation of Gospel Truth, but gave themselves up again
to the principles and dictates of corrupt nature. "Ye are yet carnal:
for whereas there is among you envyings, and strife, and divisions, are
ye not carnal, and walk as men?--For while one faith, I am of Paul, and
another I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is
Apollos, but ministers, by whom ye believed, even as the LORD gave to
every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but GOD gave the increase.
So then neither he that planteth is any thing, neither he that watereth,
but GOD who giveth the increase. Now he that planteth, and he that
watereth, are one." As if he had said:
I am truly sorry, O Corinthians! to find that such unexpected
animosities have risen among you: they are too flagrant proofs of your
deviation from that path of Gospel Truth and Love, into which you had
but just entered. Certain, indeed, it is, that I have laboured among you
with unceasing vigilance and care; and "by the Grace of GOD that was
given me," have planted a Church of CHRIST in the midst of you. The glad
tidings of the Gospel were sent from my lips to your awakened hearts:
you were taught to see, and feel, and relinquish the vanity and
corruption of your fallen life, and to look for and experience the birth
and growth of an Heavenly Nature within you. To this Heavenly Nature, I
administered much mild and gentle food and nourishment, as I knew was
best suited to its tender opening state. In this situation I left you to
the Grace of CHRIST, and the affectionate labours of those other
Apostles and preachers; who seconded my ministry among you. The labours
of Apollos and Cephas were as necessary to your growth in Grace, as
mine: for as ye "are GOD'S husbandry, as ye are GOD'S building," so GOD
hath bestowed different talents and endowments on those several
labourers or workmen, whom he chooses to employ for the culture of his
vineyard, and for the progress and completion of his great spiritual
edifice. "We are all, therefore, labourers together with GOD:" We have
all our different tasks allotted us by the great Husband-man and
Master-builder, under whom we labour, and from whom alone we receive
strength and wisdom to execute his will. My business was to plant,
Apollos's to water; but what could it avail to plant or to water, unless
GOD gave the increase? The Sun of Righteousness must shed his genial
light and warmth, and the Divine Spirit must breathe its refreshing
gales upon the tender plants, or they will wither and die. "He that
planteth, and he that watereth, therefore, are one," united in the same
blessed work. The culture, growth, and perfection of the plant, are
equally the care and concern of both, though their business or
employment in this work be different. Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas, are
only "ministers, by whom ye believed, even as the LORD gave to every
man," and prospered their several labours. Paul, and Apollos, and
Cephas, are yours: they are equally concerned, and equally laborious,
for your Growth in Grace, though their particular talents and exercises
may be different. Away then with your vain and unchristian distinctions!
for the planter, and the waterer, are equally necessary, and equally
estimable. Consider them always in these characters; entertain an equal
love and respect for them all; and beg of your Heavenly Father to give
increase to their respective labours."
I need not take up your time,--my brethren, in endeavouring to ascertain
the peculiar and characteristical gifts of these several Apostles: this
would neither augment, nor diminish the weight of the argument. Whatever
these gifts were, they were not their own, but only intrusted to them by
JESUS CHRIST, for accomplishing his own wise and salutary purposes
towards the children of men. Some might be eminent for one kind of
usefulness, and some for another. But it is probable, that those who
possessed such talents, as most captivated the attention and affections
of animal nature, were most followed; and this merely on account of the
talents themselves, without any respect to those spiritual salutary
truths, which, through them, were intended to be conveyed to the
hearers.
This conduct, however, is not peculiar to the Corinthians. The same evil
carnal principle, that raised so many unchristian animosities in that
infant church, has ever since been working in every part of Christendom.
It is the fatal source of all that variety of sects, opinions, and
doctrines, into which the outward church has been, and is still, sadly
divided. But Truth is One--it has been so from the beginning, and will
continue so for ever. The different sentiments and conceptions of
mankind about Truth, can no more alter its nature, or make it cease to
be what it is, than the looking through a variety of glasses of
different colours, forms, and densities, can change the real colour,
form, and proportion of objects. Every man admires and esteems his own
glass most; and not content with this, quarrels with his neighbour,
because he does not make use of it as well as himself. This is but too
true a picture of the present state of Christianity--while its
professors are disputing and differing about their own peculiar opinions
and notions of Truth, which are no better than the glasses through which
they contemplate it, they lose sight of the fair and beauteous object
itself.
The ministers of JESUS CHRIST ought to have but one end in view, and
that is, the conversion of hearts to his Redeeming Love. Their talents
for this great work may differ as much as their persons; but by this
diversity of gifts, they are better enabled to do the different kinds of
work that are necessary to be done in their master's vineyard. They
should be careful, however, not to run before they are sent, not to
intrude upon the labours of their brethren, but be content to be
employed in a way suitable to their peculiar talents, and in the field
which Heaven hath assigned them. He that planteth, should be sent out
only to plant; he that watereth, to water; he that giveth milk, should
continue to give it till he has something stronger to give, and his
hearers are better able to receive it. At the same time, neither he that
planteth, nor he that watereth, neither he that giveth milk, nor he that
giveth strong meat, should interfere with, depreciate, or counter-act
each other's peculiar work; but rather should faithfully and lovingly
co-operate, each in the use of his particular gifts and experiences, to
edify and perfect the body of CHRIST.
Were ministers thus tender, charitable, affectionate, and helpful to
each other; were they truly fellow-labourers in CHRIST; it is more than
probable, that there would be less divisions and jealousies among the
people. Much depends, under GOD, upon their prudence and-forbearance
with respect to each other: and though such is the corruption and
perverseness of human nature, that the closest union among themselves
may not entirely prevent disputes among their hearers (as was the case
at Corinth, though the Apostles did, no doubt, affectionately harmonize
in all their labours) yet such an union would have a great tendency to
heal or disperse them.
But how dreadful must be the consequences, when any ambitious aspiring
preachers do themselves raise and foment these divisions; when they
limit the Mercies of JESUS, and call upon men to join and associate
themselves to their particular sect or party; as if the streams of
Spiritual Life had left every other channel which Providence had opened,
and, by their direction, taken entirely to one of their own
construction! If a preacher of this class happens to possess any popular
talents, he is capable of abusing them to great mischief--to impose his
own doctrines and opinions upon the ignorant multitude, by first
captivating their passions, and then leading their judgments and
consciences as he pleases. Many a soul has been awakened, indeed, under
such preachers, but few have attained to any solid or substantial piety.
Their minds have been kept in bondage to certain peculiarities of
doctrine and practice, but their hearts and wills have never been
surrendered to their true and only Master JESUS CHRIST. They have
blindly followed the commandments of men, of their clamorous and
enflamed leaders; but have neglected the weightier matters of Love,
Peace, and Spiritual Union with CHRIST and all true Christians. Paul,
Apollos, or Cephas, they are ready enough to magnify and extol: but the
Master of Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, they too easily forget--their
attention and affections are too much engaged by the instrument, to
observe and adore the Hand by which it is, or ought to be, directed.
To conclude this head: As the best of teachers, even the Apostles
themselves, found it so difficult to controul the passions and
prejudices of men, and disengage them from partial distinctions and
preferences among their ministers; how careful should all ministers be,
to inculcate the Apostolical doctrine contained in this chapter, upon
their hearers! to caution them against depending upon, or glorying in
man; against trusting to the piety, zeal, or elocution, of the most
liberal teachers, and much more against giving up their consciences to
those, whose views are partial and confined, and who publickly avow them
to be such, by endeavouring to draw a deluded multitude into the narrow
limits of their own misguided sect. How often should they remind their
hearers, that they are no more than their servants, men of like passions
with themselves, though selected by Divine Providence to convey the glad
tidings of Salvation to their hearts: that they can, at most, but plant
and water; nor even this, without the continuance of Divine assistance;
but that it is to GOD alone they must look for the increase!
O my brethren! let these truths sink deep into your hearts. Without a
thorough conviction of them, all the preaching in the world will be of
no service to you. You may hear a sermon every day, and every hour in
the week, and be as far from CHRIST as ever, if you continue to depend
upon preaching and preachers alone for your salvation. The utmost they
can do, is to direct you to CHRIST. Regard them only when they give you
this advice. Value them not for their natural or even spiritual
endowments; you may be deceived in both. The surest and most profitable
way you can take, is to consider them as mere planters and waterers; and
to follow them, so far only as they follow CHRIST.
DISCOURSE XIII.
The Riches, Privileges, and Honours of the Christian.
1 COR. CHAP. iii. VER. 21, 22, 23.
"THEREFORE LET NO MAN GLORY IN MEN: FOR ALL THINGS ARE YOURS;
WHETHER PAUL, OR APOLLOS, OR CEPHAS, OR THE WORLD, OR LIFE, OR
DEATH, OR THINGS PRESENT, OR THINGS TO COME; ALL ARE YOURS, AND YE
ARE CHRIST'S, AND CHRIST IS GOD'S."
The scope and design of the Blessed Apostle in this passage of his
epistle, together with the true meaning and import of his general
proposition, "All things are yours," hath been already explained in my
first discourse from these words. In my second discourse, I entered upon
the consideration of those particular privileges of the Christian, which
are enumerated under this general head: And as the first of these
privileges had a more immediate and striking reference to the great end
he here had in view, which was to convince the Corinthians of the sin
and folly of attaching themselves to particular and favourite preachers;
I enlarged upon this head, and endeavoured to prove, that Paul, and
Apollos, and Cephas, and all other ministers of the Gospel, were no more
than the servants of their brethren; that they were "theirs" by a
particular privilege, inasmuch as their office, their labours, talents,
and several endowments, were entrusted to them for no other purpose, but
that God, through them, might communicate "the unspeakable riches of his
Grace" to the whole body of Christians. In this character, and in this
alone, they were all equally entitled to their esteem and love, but not
to any personal preference, or undue exaltation of one above another.
Not content with this, however, the good Apostle, under the full
inspiration of Divine Truth, and the glorious enlargement of Divine
Love, breaks forth into a further declaration of those still higher
privileges, to which the meanest member of the church of CHRIST is
equally and in common entitled, with the greatest and most advanced
believers: not only "Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas, are yours; but the
world, and life and death, and things present, and things to come: all
are yours, and ye are CHRIST'S, and CHRIST is GOD'S."
"The world is yours!"--Is it so, thou Blessed Apostle? Alas! this
strange assertion seems not to be confirmed, either by thine own
experience, or the experience of thy fellow-labourers; or of any of
those, who have since trod in the footsteps of thy Suffering Master. If
bonds and imprisonments, if stripes and persecutions of various kinds,
if cruel mockings and insults, if outward and inward tribulations might
be admitted as proofs of their having the world in their power, these,
alas, will not be found wanting. Sad privilege, indeed! Wretched
consolation! to be told that misery is our portion, and that distress
and affliction are the Christian's birth-right!--Let us, however,
endeavour to solve this seeming paradox, and reconcile the Apostle's
declaration with the common experience of Christians.
Whence was it, O Christian! (for I now appeal to the real sensibilities
of every believing soul that has tasted of the Good Word of GOD) whence
was it, that thou hast acquired that power and dominion over the world,
by which thou canst sustain its adversity and prosperity, its evil and
its good, with equal calmness, fortitude, and complacency--for this is
that power and dominion, by which alone the world becomes thine! Was it
not by those very sufferings, which seem so diametrically opposite to
this triumphant state? Thy victory rose from thy defeat; thy
consolation, from the depth of thy distress; thy conquest of the world,
from its conquest of thee.--Yea, the world furnished thee with arms
against itself. Every new affliction gave thee some new acquisition;
every sigh, every tear, vanquished some mortal foe.
Bonds and imprisonments, scourging and insults, hunger and thirst, cold
and nakedness, war, pestilence, and shipwreck, and all the dire
vicissitudes which the world can bring upon us, serve no other purpose
than to subdue the pride, envy, covetousness, and wrath of our fallen
life; to open the eyes of our inward man, and teach us to look upon this
world in its proper light, to fly its visionary pleasures, and support
with patience its substantial miseries.
To suffer, therefore, is to triumph; to be distressed, is our glorious
privilege; to "be weary and heavy-laden," is the only way to rest and
happiness! Sure I am, that there are many here, who can bear witness to
this great and awful truth; who can say with the Psalmist, "It is good
for me that I have been afflicted." My God hath manifested his love in
all my sufferings. I should never have come to the knowledge of his
Truth; I should never have experienced the Light of his Grace; I should
never have overcome the world, abandoned its delusive prospects, and
gained a sure and everlasting inheritance; had not my GOD made this very
world to frown upon me, had he not beset me with its troubles behind and
before, and by making me deeply sensible of its evil, taught me to
despise even its good. Thus, and thus alone, "the world is the
Christian's," because he knows, that every thing in it, under the
administration of his BLESSED REDEEMER, is made subservient to his real
happiness, which he is convinced is more effectually promoted by its
storms than by its calms, by its frowns than by its smiles.
And if "the world" is thus his, by particular privilege, consequently
"the Life" which he lives in it must be so too. The vicissitudes of life
arise from the natural instability of worldly enjoyments: but even this
instability the believer knows to be under the immediate Guidance of
ALMIGHTY LOVE. The real enjoyment of life depends upon the temper and
disposition of mind, with which its vicissitudes are received. The
Christian, therefore, who knows, that "not an hair of his head can fall
to the ground without his Heavenly Father," and whose will is secretly
resigned to his Father's, meekly and patiently, daily and hourly giving
himself up to his sovereign disposal, he alone can be said to have a
true enjoyment of life.--In sickness and in health, in prosperity and in
adversity, he alike beholds the hand of his REDEEMER opening to him, by
these various dispensations, the way to never-ending rest; unfolding his
misery by nature, and his happiness by Grace, and rendering every change
of outward life instrumental to some blessed change in the life of his
inward and spiritual man.
But he has not only the highest enjoyment of this "world," and of "life"
in this world, but what is a still more surprising and more glorious
privilege, "death too is his." Not, indeed, in the sense in which it
belongs to the wicked and unregenerate, to whom it is solely the
consequence of guilt, and the dreadful introduction to misery extreme.
No--to the real Christian, it is the consequence of a new life, the
completion of happiness, the deliverer from woe, the gate that opens
into Paradise, the messenger of REDEEMING LOVE. Death, therefore, is the
believer's, because, by the strength of his REDEEMER, he hath been
enabled to make him, who was once his enemy, become his reconciled
friend.--The King of Terrors hath dropped his envenomed sting; and his
dart flies now for no other use, but a kind and friendly one, even to
dislodge the heavenly inhabitant from its frail tabernacle of clay, and
open the world of light upon its spiritual senses.
But still higher privileges, still higher prospects, open to the
Apostle's view. "Things present, and things to come, are
yours."--Whatever the present moment brings to light, as well as what is
concealed in the womb of futurity, is equally in the Christian's power.
He is prepared to receive the former with thankfulness and gratitude,
because he knows, that it must operate for his good, be it painful or
pleasant: and from the same conviction of the kind and loving
Administration of his REDEEMER, he, can wait with patience and
resignation for the future dispensations of his Providence.