I. We See that censure may be incurred without neglect of duty, When
Paul converted to Christianity, he was made an apostle, and ordered of
the Redeemer to preach the gospel. He obeyed. He was guided in his
work by the spirit of God; yet he was blamed by some, and suspected by
others.
That Christ's faithful servants are slandered and reproached is not a
new thing under the sun. It hath been common among men. And herein
they are only made like their Lord. And shall they think it strange?
"It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the
servant as his Lord. If they call the master of the house Beelzebub,
how much more them of his household?"
When opposition and reproaches come from those who profess friendship
to Christ they wound the deeper. This however, hath often happened. It
happened to the apostle at Corinth, and elsewhere. If we witness that
which is similar, we need not be surprized, as though some strange
thing had happened.
II. Are we unjustly censured by our fellow servants, or reproached
while in the way of our duty? We have here an example worthy our
imitation. St. Paul was chiefly concerned to approve himself to God.
We should be so too--should study to acquaint ourselves with the
divine rule, and to conform to it; not disobeying God to please men.
Great care is requisite to know our duty. Enveloped in darkness, and
biassed to error, it is often difficult to find out the right way. But
we are not left without instruction. A rule is given us by which we
may "judge of ourselves, what is right." Of that role we must judge
for ourselves, and by it try ourselves. "To our own master we stand or
fall." To obtain his approbation should be our chief concern. "If God
be with us, who can be against us?"
III. Knowing ourselves fallible, it becomes us to maintain a jealousy
over ourselves, and be constantly on our guard. We should consider,
that though we do not sin wilfully, and our own hearts do not condemn
us, _yet we are not hereby justified_. We are conscious that we have
often, erred, and made wrong conclusions, when we did not design to
leave the right way. We are liable to do the same again. Our eye
should therefore be to God for direction and guidance--"That which I
know not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more."
This is the more necessary, because "the light which is in us may have
become darkness." For there are those who "put darkness for light and
light for darkness." Those with whom this is the case know it not;
they flatter themselves and cry peace. "To the pure, all things are
pure; but to them that are defiled, and unbelieving, is nothing pure;
but even their mind and conscience is defiled." This often happens to
those who for a time yield to temptation and go in to the ways of sin;
they contract false principles, and judge by them, and probably
sometimes live and die under the deceptive influence of their
darkening power. None would dare to plead before the bar of Christ,
that they were his disciples, "and had eat and drank in his presence,"
had they not been deceived into false views of duty, and mistaken
apprehensions of the conditions of acceptance with him.
Judging well of ourselves doth not ensure justification at the bar of
heaven. Our judgments of ourselves may be erroneous. If they are so,
they will be reversed. We shall "be judged out of the books, according
to our works;" not according to our false and deceitful views. _I know
nothing by myself, yet, am I not hereby justified. For not he that
commandeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth_.
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