+I. There are some changes in men which come not up to the renewed
spirit, and yet are too often rested in.+--1. The assuming of a new
name and profession is a very different thing from a saving change in
the temper of the mind. We may be of any profession, and yet be
unrenewed. People value themselves upon wearing the Christian name,
instead of that of Pagan, or Jew, or Mahometan; or upon being styled
Papists or Protestants; or upon their attaching themselves to one or
another noted party, into which these are subdivided, and upon such a
new appellation they are too ready to imagine that they are new men:
whereas we may go the round of all professions, and still have the
old nature remaining in full force. 2. A bare restraint upon the
corrupt spirit and temper will not come up to this renovation, though
the one may sometimes be mistaken for the other. The light of nature
may possess conscience against many evils, or a sober education lay
such a bridle upon the corrupt inclination as will keep it in for a
season, the fear of punishment or of shame and reproach may suppress
the outward criminal act, while the heart is full of ravening and
wickedness. Therefore, though it is a plain sign of an unrenewed mind
if a man live in any course of gross sin, yet it is not safe to
conclude merely from restraints that a man is truly renewed. 3. A
partial change in the temper itself will not amount to such a
renovation as makes a true Christian. Indeed, in one sense the change
is but partial in any in this life; there will be remains of disorder
in all the powers of the soul, so as to exclude a pretence to
absolute perfection. It is not enough to have the mind filled with
sound knowledge and useful notions, nor barely to give a dead assent
to the doctrines of the Gospel, unless we believe with the heart, and
the will and affections be brought under the power of those truths;
and even here there may be some alteration, and yet a man not be
renewed. Nor is it sufficient that we should find ourselves disposed
to some parts of goodness, while our hearts are utterly averse to
others which are equally plain. And therefore, though we should be of
a courteous, peaceable, and kind temper towards men; though we should
be inclined to practise justice, liberality, truth, and honesty in
our transactions with them, and to temperance and chastity in our
personal conduct; though these are excellent branches of the
Christian spirit; yet if there be not a right temper towards God
also, if the fear and love of God are not the ruling principles of
the soul, there is an essential defect in the Christian spirit.
+II. A particular view of this renovation in some principal acts of
the mind.+--1. The mind comes to have different apprehensions of
things, such as it had not before. The new creation begins with
light, as the old is represented to do. Light bearing in, and the
mind being fixed in attention, man discerns the great corruption of
his heart, and the badness of the principles and ends which governed
him in the appearances of goodness, upon which he valued himself
before. And so the excellency and suitableness of Christ, in all His
offices, and the necessity of real, inward holiness, appear in quite
another manner to his soul than hitherto. 2. The practical judgment
is altered. This light, shining with clearness and strength into the
mind, unsettles and changes the whole practical judgment by which a
man suffered himself to be governed before in the matters of his
soul. He judges those truths of religion to be real which once had no
more force with him than doubtful conclusions, and accordingly he
cannot satisfy himself any longer barely not to disbelieve them, but
gives a firm and lively assent to them. 3. A new turn is given to the
reasoning faculty, and a new use made of it. When the Word of God is
mighty it casts down imaginations; so we render the original word
(2 Cor. x. 5). It properly signifies "reasonings." Not that the
faculty itself is altered, or that when men begin to be religious
they lay aside reasoning; then in truth they act with the highest
reason; they reason most justly and most worthy of their natures. But
now the wrong bias, which was upon the reasoning faculty from old
prejudices and headstrong inclinations, is in a good measure taken
off; so that instead of its being pressed at all adventures into the
service of sin, it is employed a better way, and concludes with more
truth and impartiality. 4. There is an alteration in man's governing
aim, or chief end. This is like the centre, to which all inferior
aims and particular pursuits tend. The original end of a reasonable
creature must be to enjoy the favour of God as his supreme happiness,
to be acceptable and pleasing to Him. By the disposition of depraved
nature we are gone off from this centre, and have changed our bias,
from God to created good, to the pleasing of the flesh, to the
gratification of our own humour, or to the obtaining of some present
satisfaction, according to the prevailing dictate of fancy or
appetite. This makes the greatest turn that can be in the spirit of
the mind; all must be out of course till this be set right. Now it is
the most essential part of the new nature to bring a sinner in this
respect to himself, that is, to bring him back to God. All the light
he receives, all the rectification of his judgment, is in order to
this; and when this is well settled, everything else, which was out
of course before, will return to its right channel. 5. There is
hereupon a new determination to such a course of acting as will most
effectually secure this end. As long as this world is the chief good
which a man has in view, he contrives the best ways he can think of
to promote his particular ends in it. But when the favour of God
comes to have the principal share in his esteem, he carefully
examines and heartily consents to the prescribed terms of making that
sure. Now he is desirous to be found in Christ upon any terms. 6. The
exercise of the affections becomes very different. A change will
appear in this respect, through the different turns of his condition
as well as in the prevailing tenor of his practice. While a man is a
stranger to God and blind to the interests of his soul, he is little
concerned how matters lie between God and him. But a sinner come to
himself is most tenderly concerned at anything that renders his
interests in God doubtful or brings his covenant-relation into
question; and nothing sets the springs of godly sorrow flowing so
much as the consciousness of guilt, or of any unworthy behaviour to
God.
+Lessons.+--1. _Let us seriously examine our own minds, whether we
can discern such an alteration made in our spirit._ 2. _If we must
answer in the negative, or have just ground to fear it, yet let us
not despair of a change still, but apply ourselves speedily in the
appointed way to seek after it._ 3. _Let the best retain a sense of
the imperfection of the new nature in them, and of their obligation
still to cultivate it, till it arrive at perfection.--Dr. Evans._
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses_ 25-32.
_Christian Principles applied to Common Life._
Let us put these principles into the form of concrete precepts.
+I. Be truthful.+--"Putting away lying, speak every man truth, . . .
for we are members one of another" (ver. 25). Society is so clearly
welded together and interdependent that the evil effects of a
falsehood not only damage others but rebound ultimately towards the
man who uttered it. A lie is a breach of promise; for whosoever
seriously addresses his discourse to another tacitly promises to
speak the truth, because he knows the truth is expected. Truth never
was indebted to a lie. "In the records of all human affairs," writes
Froude, "it cannot be too often insisted on that two kinds of truths
run for ever side by side, or rather crossing in and out with each
other form the warp and woof of the coloured web we call history: the
one the literal and eternal truths corresponding to the eternal and
as yet undiscovered laws of fact; the other the truths of feeling and
thought, which embody themselves either in distorted pictures of
outward things or in some entirely new creation--sometimes moulding
and shaping history; sometimes taking the form of heroic biography,
tradition, or popular legend."
+II. Avoid sinful anger.+--"Be ye angry, and sin not: . . . neither
give place to the devil" (vers. 26, 27). Anger is not forbidden. A
nature ardent for truth and justice burns with indignation against
cruelty and wrong. But it is a dangerous passion even for the best of
men, and is apt to exceed the limits of prudence and affection. To
nurse our wrath and brood over our imagined wrongs is to give place
to the devil, who is ever near to blow up the dying embers of our
anger. Plutarch tells us it was an ancient rule of the Pythagoreans
that, if at any time they happened to be provoked by anger to abusive
language, before the sun set they would take each other's hands, and
embracing make up their quarrel. The Christian must not be behind the
pagan in placability and forgiveness.
+III. Be honest.+--"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let
him labour" (ver. 28). Laziness is a fruitful source of dishonesty,
and is itself dishonest. There are sensitive natures to whom it is
very difficult to be dishonest. In Abraham Lincoln's youthful days he
was a storekeeper's clerk. Once, after he had sold a woman a little
bill of goods and received the money, he found on looking over the
account again that she had given him six and a quarter cents too
much. The money burned in his hands until he had locked the shop and
started on a walk of several miles in the night to make restitution
before he slept. On another occasion, after weighing and delivering a
pound of tea, he found a small weight upon the scales. He immediately
weighed out the quantity of tea which he had innocently defrauded the
customer, and went in search for her, his sensitive conscience not
permitting any delay. The thief is not reformed and made an
industrious worker by simply showing him the advantages of honesty.
The apostle appeals to a higher motive--sympathy for the needy--"That
he may have to give to him that needeth." Let the spirit of love and
brotherhood be aroused, and the indolent become diligent, the
pilferer honest.
+IV. Be circumspect in speech.+--"Let no corrupt communication
proceed out of your mouth" (ver. 29). The possession of a human
tongue is an immense responsibility. Infinite good or mischief lies
in its power. The apostle does not simply forbid injurious words; he
puts an embargo on all that is not positively useful. Not that he
requires all Christian speech to be grave and serious. It is the mere
talk, whether frivolous or pompous--spoken from the pulpit or the
easy-chair--the incontinence of tongue, the flux of senseless,
graceless, unprofitable utterance, that he desires to arrest
(_Findlay_).
+V. Grieve not the Holy Spirit+ (ver. 30).--Perhaps in nothing do we
grieve the Spirit more than by foolish and unprofitable speech, or by
listening willingly and without protest to idle gossip and
uncharitable backbiting. His sealing of our hearts becomes fainter,
and our spiritual life declines, as we become indiscreet and vain in
speech.
+VI. Guard against a malicious disposition.+--"Let all bitterness,
wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away, with all
malice" (ver. 31). _Malice_ is badness of disposition, the aptness to
envy and hatred, which apart from any special occasion is always
ready to break out in bitterness and wrath. _Bitterness_ is malice
sharpened to a point and directed against the exasperating object.
_Wrath_ and _anger_ are synonymous, the former being the passionate
outburst of resentment in rage, the latter the settled indignation of
the aggrieved soul. _Clamour_ and _railing_ give audible expression
to these and their kindred tempers. Clamour is a loud self-assertion
of the angry man who will make every one hear his grievance; while
the railer carries the war of the tongue into his enemy's camp and
vents his displeasure in abuse and insult. Never to return evil for
evil and railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing--this is one
of the lessons most difficult to flesh and blood (_Findlay_).
+VII. Cherish a forgiving spirit.+--"Be ye kind, . . . forgiving one
another, even as God hath forgiven you" (ver. 32). It is man-like to
resent an injury; it is Christ-like to forgive it. It is a triumph of
Divine grace when the man who has suffered the injury is the most
eager to effect a reconciliation. Dean Hook relates he was once asked
to see a gentleman who had ill-treated him. Found him very thin and
ill. Told me that he was conscious that his feelings and conduct had
not been towards me what they ought to have been for years. I told
him that whenever there was a quarrel there were sure to be faults on
both sides, and that there must be no question as to the more or
less, but the forgiveness must be mutual. I kissed his hand, and we
wept and prayed together. O God, have mercy on him and me for Jesu's
sake! I have had a taste of heaven where part of our joy will surely
consist in our reconciliations.
+Lessons.+--1. _Religion governs the whole man._ 2. _True religion is
intensely practical._ 3. _Religion gives a nameless charm to the
commonest duties._
_GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES._