Westminster Sermons Part 10

The proud had him exceedingly in derision--as I am afraid too many worldly men, poor as well as rich, working men as well as idlers, would do now--seeing him occupied in G.o.d's statutes, when he might have been occupied in winning money, and place, and renown for himself.

But he did not shrink from G.o.d's law. If it was true, he could afford to be laughed at for obeying it.

The congregation of the unG.o.dly robbed him. But he did not forget G.o.d's law. If they did wrong, that was no reason why he should do wrong likewise.

The proud imagined a lie against him. But he would keep G.o.d's commandments with his whole heart, instead of breaking G.o.d's commandments, and justifying their slander, and making their lie true.

Still, it went very hard with him. His honour and his faith were sorely tried. He was dried up like a bottle in the smoke. It seems to have been with him at times a question of life and death; till he had hardly any hope left. He had to ask, almost in despair--How many are the days of Thy servant? When wilt Thou be avenged of them that persecute me? The proud dug pits for him, contrary to the law of G.o.d; contrary to honour and justice; and almost made an end of him upon earth. The unG.o.dly laid wait to destroy him.

But against them all he had but one weapon, and one defence. However much afraid he might be of his enemies, he was still more afraid of doing wrong. His flesh, he said, trembled for fear of G.o.d; and he was afraid of G.o.d's judgments. Therefore his only safety was, in pleasing G.o.d, and not men. I deal, he says, with the thing that is lawful and right. Oh give me not over to my oppressors. Make Thy servant to delight in what is good, that the proud do me no wrong. If he could but keep right, he would be safe at last.

I will consider Thy testimonies, O Lord. I see that all things come to an end. Bad times, and bad chances, and still more bad men, and bad ways for escaping out of trouble--they all come to an end. But Thy commandment is exceeding broad. Exceeding broad. There are depths below depths of meaning in that true saying; depths which you will find true, if you will but read your Bibles, and obey your Bibles. For in them, I tell you openly, you will find rules to guide you in every chance and change of this mortal life. Truly said the good man that there were in the Bible "shallows where a lamb may drink, and deeps wherein an elephant may swim."

There are no possible circ.u.mstances, good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant, in which you can find yourselves, be you rich or poor, young or old, without finding in the Bible sound advice, and a clear rule, as to how G.o.d would have you behave under those circ.u.mstances. For G.o.d's commandments are exceeding broad, and take in all cases of conscience, all details of duty; saying to each and every one of us, at every turn--"This is the way, walk ye in it."

At least this is the teaching, this is the testimony, this is the life- experience, of a true hero, namely, the man who wrote the 119th Psalm; a hero according to G.o.d, but not according to the world, and the pomp and glory of the world.

No great statesman was he, nor conqueror, nor merchant, nor financier pa.s.sing millions of money through his hands yearly; and all fancying that they, and not G.o.d, govern the nations upon earth, and decide the fate of empires.

He was a man who made no noise in the world: though the world, it seems, made a little noise at him in his time, as it does often bark and yell at those who will not go its way; as it barked at poor Christian, when he went through Vanity Fair, and would not buy its wares, or join in its frivolities. Such a man was this Psalmist; for whom the world had nothing but scorn first, and then forgetfulness. We do not know his name, or where he lived. We do not even know, within a few hundred years, when he lived. I picture him to myself always as a poor, shrivelled, stooping, mean-looking old man; his visage marred more than any man, and his figure more than the sons of men; no form nor comeliness in him, nor beauty that men should desire him; despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, even as his Master was after him.

And all that he has left behind him--as far as we can tell--is this one psalm which he wrote, as may be guessed from its arrangement, slowly, and with exceeding care, as the very pith and marrow of an experience spread over many painful years of struggle and of humiliation.

I say of humiliation. For there is not a taint of self-conceit, not even of self-satisfaction, in him. He only sees his own weakness, and want of life, of spirit, of manfulness, of power. His soul cleaveth to the dust.

He is tempted, of course, again and again, to give way; to become low- minded, cowardly, time-serving, covetous, worldly. But he dares not. He feels that his only chance is to keep his honour unspotted; and he cries--Whatever happens,--I must do right. I must learn to do right.

Teach me to do right. Teach me, O Lord, teach me; and strengthen me, O Lord, strengthen me, and then all must come right at last. That was his cry. And, be you sure, he did not cry in vain.

For this man had one precious possession; which he determined not to lose, not though he died in trying to hold it fast; namely, the Eternal Spirit of G.o.d; the Spirit of Righteousness, and Truth, and Justice, which leads men into all truth. By that Spirit he saw into the Eternal Laws of G.o.d. By that Spirit he saw who made and who administers those Eternal Laws, even the Eternal Word of G.o.d, who endureth for ever in heaven. By that Spirit he saw that his only hope was to keep those eternal laws. By that Spirit he vowed to keep them. By that Spirit he had strength to keep them. By that Spirit, when he failed he tried again; when he fell he rose and fought on once more, to keep the commandments of the Lord.

And where is he now? Where is he now? Where those will never come--let false preachers and false priests flatter them as they may--who fancy that they can get to heaven without being good and doing good. Where those will never come, likewise, who, when they find themselves in trouble, try to help themselves out of it by false and mean methods; and so begin worshipping the devil, just when they have most need to worship G.o.d. He is where the fearful and unbelievers and all liars can never come. He is with the Word of the Lord, who endureth for ever in heaven.

With the Word of the Lord, who endured awhile on earth, even as he the Psalmist endured. Who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, and endured the cross, despising the shame, because He cared neither for riches, nor for pleasure, for power, nor for glory; but simply for His Father's will, and His Father's law, that He might do to the uttermost the will of His Father who sent Him, and keep to the uttermost that Law of which His Father says to Him for ever--"Thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten Thee."

Into His presence may we all come at last! But we shall never come thither, unless we keep our honour bright, our courage unbroken, and ourselves unspotted from the world. For so only will be fulfilled in us the sixth Beat.i.tude--Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see G.o.d. Unto which may G.o.d of His free mercy bring us all. Amen.

SERMON XIV. THE WORD OF G.o.d.

PSALM CXIX. 89-96.

O Lord, Thy word endureth for ever in heaven. Thy truth also remaineth from one generation to another: Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to Thine ordinance: for all things serve Thee. If my delight had not been in Thy law, I should have perished in my trouble.

I will never forget Thy commandments: for with them Thou hast quickened me. I am Thine, oh save me: for I have sought Thy commandments. The unG.o.dly laid wait for me to destroy me: but I will consider Thy testimonies. I see that all things come to an end: but Thy commandment is exceeding broad.

This text is of infinite importance, to you, and me, and all mankind. For if the text is not true; if there is not a Word of G.o.d, who endures and is settled for ever in heaven: then this world is a miserable and a mad place; and the best thing, it seems to me, that we poor ignorant human beings can do, is to eat and drink, for to morrow we die.

But that is not the best thing we can do; but the very worst thing. The best thing that we can do, and the only thing worth doing is, to be good, and do good, at all risks and all costs, trusting to the Word of G.o.d, who endures for ever in heaven.

But who is this Word of G.o.d? I say who, not what. We often call the Bible the Word of G.o.d: and so it is in one sense, because it tells us, from beginning to end, about this other Word of G.o.d. It is, so to speak, G.o.d's word or message about this Word. But it is plain that the Psalmist is not speaking here of the Bible; for he says--

"Thy Word endureth for ever in Heaven:" and the Bible is not in heaven, but on earth.

But in the Bible, usually, this Word of the Lord means not only the message which G.o.d sends, but Him by whom G.o.d sends it. The Word of G.o.d, Word of the Lord, is spoken of again and again, not as a thing, but as a person, a living rational being, who comes to men, and speaks to them, and teaches them; sometimes, seemingly, by actual word of mouth; sometimes again, by putting thoughts into their minds, and words into their mouths.

Recollect Samuel: how when he was young the Word of the Lord was precious--that is, uncommon, and almost unknown in those days; and how the Lord came and called Samuel, Samuel; and put a word into his mouth against Eli. And so the Lord appeared again in Shiloh; for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by The Word of the Lord. In Samuel's case, there was, it seems, an actual voice, which fell on Samuel's ears. In the case of the later prophets, we do not read that they usually heard any actual voice, or saw any actual appearance. It seems that the Word of the Lord who came to them inspired their minds with true thoughts, and inspired their lips to speak those thoughts in n.o.ble words, often in regular poetry. But He was The Word of the Lord, nevertheless. Again and again, we read in those grand old prophets, "The Word of the Lord came unto me, saying,"--or again, "The Word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying." It is not the Bible which is meant by such words as these--I am sorry to have to remind a nineteenth century congregation of this fact--but a living being, putting thoughts into the prophets' minds, and words into their mouths, and a divine pa.s.sion too, into their hearts, which they could not resist; like poor Jeremiah of old, when he was reproached and derided about The Word of the Lord, and said, "I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name.

But He was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not hold my peace."

But now, what words are these which we read of this same Word of the Lord, in the first chapter of St John's Gospel? "In the beginning was The Word: and The Word was with G.o.d, and The Word was G.o.d. By Him all things were made, and without Him was not anything made that was made.

And in Him was life, and the life was the light of men."

Thus--as always--the Old Testament and the New, the Psalmist and St John, agree together.

This is the gospel and good news, which the Psalmist saw in part, but which St John saw fully and perfectly. But because the Psalmist saw it even in part, he saw that The Word of the Lord endured for ever in heaven; and that therefore his only hope of safety was to listen eagerly and reverently for what that Word might choose to say to him.

But why does the Psalmist seemingly go out of his way, as it were, to say, "Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to Thine ordinance, for all things serve Thee"?

For the very same reason that St John goes, seemingly, out of his way to say, "All things were made by The Word, and without Him was not anything made that was made."

Why is this?

Look at it thus: What an important question it is, whether This Word of G.o.d is a being of order; a regular being; a law-abiding being; a being on whose actions men can count; who can be trusted, and depended on, not to alter His own ways, not to deceive us poor mortal men.

The Psalmist wants to know his way through this world, and his duty in this mortal life. Therefore he must learn the laws and rules of this world. And he has the sense to see, that no one can teach him the rules of the world, but the Ruler of the world, and the Maker of the world.

Then comes the terrible question--too many, alas! have not got it answered rightly yet--

But are there any rules at all in the world? Does The Lord manage the world by rules and laws? Or does He let things go by chance and accident, and take no care about them? Is there such a thing as G.o.d's Providence: or is there not? To that the Psalmist answers firmly, because he is inspired by the Spirit of G.o.d--

O Lord, Thy Word endureth--is settled--for ever in heaven. In Thee is no carelessness, neglect, slothfulness, nor caprice. Thou hast no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to Thine ordinance; for all things serve Thee. The world is full of settled and enduring rules and laws; and G.o.d keeps to them. The Psalmist looks at the sun, moon and stars over his head, each keeping its settled course, and its settled season: and he sees them all obeying law. He looks at summer and winter, seedtime and harvest: and he sees them obeying law. He looks at birth and growth, at decay and death; and sees them too, obeying law. He looks at the very flowers beneath his feet, and the buds in the woodland, and all the crowd of living things about him, animal, vegetable and mineral: and they too obey law; each after their kind. The world, he says, is full of law. It is a settled world, an orderly world, made and governed by a Lord of order, who makes laws and enforces laws; a Lord whose Word endures for ever in heaven. Therefore--he feels--I can trust that Lord. If He has laws for the beasts and birds, He must have, much more, laws for men. If He has laws for men's bodies, much more has He laws for their souls. What I have to do, is to ask Him to teach me those laws, that I may live.

But then comes another, and even a more awful question--If I ask Him, will He teach me? Alas! alas! too many have not found the answer yet; too many of those who know most about the Laws of Nature, and reverence those laws most: and all honour to them for so doing; for, even though they know it not, they are preparing the way of the Lord, and making His paths straight. But they have not found the right answer to that question yet. Still there the question is; and you and I, and every soul of man, must get some reasonable answer or other to it, if we wish to be men indeed, men in spirit and in truth; and it is this--

If I ask this Word of G.o.d to teach me His Laws--Will He teach me? Will He hear me? Can He hear: or is He Himself a mere brute force, a law of nature and necessity? And even if not, will He hear? Or is He, too, like those Epicurean G.o.ds, of whom our great poet sings--a sad and hopeless song:--

They lie beside their nectar, and the bolts are hurled Far below them in the valleys, and the clouds are lightly curled Round their golden houses, girdled with the gleaming world, Where they smile in secret, looking over wasted lands, Blight and famine, plague and earthquake, roaring deeps and fiery sands, Clanging fights, and flaming towns, and sinking ships, _and praying hands_.

_And praying hands_. Oh, my friends, is not the question of all questions for such poor mortal souls as you and me, beset by ignorance and weakness, and pa.s.sions which are our own worst enemies, and chances and catastrophes which we cannot avert--Is not the question of all questions for such as us--Will this same Word of G.o.d--will any unseen being out of the infinite void which surrounds our little speck of a planet, take any notice of our praying hands? Will He hear us, teach us, when we cry? Or is G.o.d, and The Word of G.o.d, like those old heathen G.o.ds? Is He a G.o.d who hides Himself, and leaves us to despair and chance: or is He a G.o.d who hears, and gives us even a single ray of hope?

Is He a gracious G.o.d, who will hear every man's tale, however clumsily told, and judge it according to its merits: or even--for that is better than dead silence and carelessness--according to its demerits? Is He a just G.o.d? Or has He likes and dislikes, favourites and victims; as human rulers and statesmen, and human parties too, and mobs, are wont to have?

May He not, even, like those Epicurean G.o.ds, despise men? find a proud satisfaction in deceiving them; or at least letting them deceive themselves?--in playing with their ignorance, and leaving them to reap the fruits of their own childishness?

To that the Psalmist answers--and I know not how he learnt to answer so, save by the inspiration of the Spirit of G.o.d; for I know well that neither flesh and blood, the experience of his own brain, thoughts, and emotions, nor the world around him, either of nature or of man, would ever have revealed that to him--to that he answers confidently, in spite of all appearances--

Thy truth, O Lord, abideth from one generation to another. Thou art a truthful G.o.d, a faithful G.o.d, whose word can be taken. A G.o.d in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning; who keepeth His promise for ever; true, as man can be true; and truer than the truest man. And I know it, says he, by experience. G.o.d has actually taught me His law: for if my delight had not been in it, I should have perished in my trouble. I will never forget His commandments; for by them He has given me life; has taught me what to do, and enabled me to do it, to prevent the death and ruin of my body, and soul, and spirit.

Now for the very same reason it is, that St John is so careful, first to tell us that The Word of G.o.d made all things; and then to tell us that He is full of grace and truth.