DONALD CARGILL - Sermon Three
We now present our readers with notes of two sermons,
hitherto unpublished, the first preached on December 18th, 1677, and the second
on October 27th, 1678. Gen. xxxv. 1. "And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to
Bethel and dwell there."
Our the s hold out two things unto us whereof
this chapter gives us precedents : the one is to draw near to God, and the
other is to trust His providence. I say to draw near to God and to trust His
providence, for we are surrounded by enemies and we have no other wall of
defence about us. This day there is no greater cruelty exercised against all
the enemies of religion, kings, kingdoms, and laws than against us. But in
speaking from these words we observe-
1. The strait Jacob was in and the
causes thereof. As to the occasion, namely, the wicked dealings of his sons
with their neighbours, we will not say, indeed, that it would have been such a
great sin had there not been first a covenant. But how came it that his
children were not better taught? How came it that his household had so much
idolatry amongst them of which it would seem he was ignorant? Now the first
thing observable is that the deeper our hands are in bringing on of our
afflictions, so much the more dreadful will they be when they come upon us. For
of all the afflictions in the world the greatest, for the inmost part, hath
this blot, that it was of our own procuring. The Lord's people at present are
in great trouble and distress for religion, but this in great measure they have
brought upon themselves; and as sin is a great trouble, so it is a sad thing to
have two storms lying upon us, one within and another without. In all these sad
cases judgment will be found to lie most heavily on a guilty conscience.
Another thing evident from the words is this, that in the case of some who
fall into sin God comes upon them and consumes them. We may say here that all
means have been essayed, and many among us have suffered much, but alas ! all
hath availled nothing, and it may be, ere ever this generation be awakened,
death or some fearful judgement will overtake them. Another thing is this, that
whatever we have brought on us we are not to despise utterly. The Lord may yet
help us out of it when groaning under the effects of our own folly. But let
repentance and contrition be our endeavour, for there is no other way of
relief. Thero is no safety but in fleeing to him against whom we have sinned.
2. The counsel of God to him, "Arise," etc. here we are sure there could
not have been a more able and seasonable advice than this. It was even like
life from the dead. When they had given themselves over for dead men at this
very juncture the Lord appeared for their help. It may be thought strange that
he did not give them over into the hands of justice, as He often does with his
own when He hides Himself from them for their sin. The main reason I take to be
this, that this family was the church of God. Now the Lord hath engaged for His
church, and will preserve it, and if there be any other place in the world that
He would have His church or people to go to, He himself will direct them. It is
high the for folk to remove when they have polluted the place where they
formerly were. But we may say that person is in a happy condition when hard
storms are coming because of iniquity, if he is made to hear God's Voice
saying, " Arise, depart out of this place," and at the same the to see the way
wherein he is to walk. But we are in a worse situation, for we have a storm
behind us, and were we to flee unto the ends of the earth we would scarcely
find one tender-hearted church in the sides thereof that would open her bosom
to receive us. We have not a Bethel to go to in all the world. The world is
against us, saying, "Britain, thou art cast forth as a branch, and thou shalt
have no room or entertainment with us." I shall only add this word, that
dreadful things seem to be in our lot, and these should lead us put unto God.
If ever a people under heaven had reason to inquire after Him, we are that
people. These calamities have come on us because we have been unjust stewards,
and we may say with him in the Gospel, "What shall I do, for my master shall
put me out of my stewardship?" God will put many of us out of our houses and
families, and what shall we do? Our duty is to advise with Him, and He will be
our shade by night and by day.
(1) He was to arise and go up to Bethel,
where ho had formerly enjoyed a remarkable indication of God's goodness. The
Lord had not given out all His mercy at that the , but had reserved another
display of it for another strait or difficulty. It may be that when he was
first at Bethel he never, perhaps, thought to see such another strait or such
another deliverance. And we would observe this that happy is the man that hath
the remembrance of God's former goodness when ho comes to straits and hardships
again.
(2) He was to build an altar to Him that appeared to him in the day
of his distress. (1) We should not forget our religion. Be sure you set up this
as soon as ye are set down yourselves. Alas! it is when we are set down that we
put away religion, as the great men and the wicked men among us have done, and
if ever we be for the setting up of religion again it will be when He hath put
us under the pricks, and perhaps obliged us to wander from one end of the land
to another. We were once set down at Bethel, but we forgot thanksgiving for
former deliverances and prayer for further mercies. And the rising and downfall
of prayer goes with the rising and downfall of the altar of God. (2) We should
remember Him who answered us in the days of our distress. There is this great
difference between God and the devil, that the devil leaves his servants in the
midst of their troubles, but when God's servants are in a strait He takes that
occasion to manifest His love and kindness to them. Jacob being in the midst of
his enemies the, Lord interposes on his behalf. There are two considerations
which should urge us to follow this direction. First, gratitude for former
mercies, for he has helped us when there was no other to help, neither king nor
princes. Second, our own advantage; for he can pull us out from the paw of the
bear.
3. The course he followed. He began first with a reformation in his
family. And we may observe that, however great the strait be, nothing is so
needful for folk to attend to than this. " Put away strange gods," says He.
Strange gods! What gods were these? The gods of the nations. 0, sirs, it is a
dangerous thing to have any dealings with idoloters or their idols ; and it is
sad that when the church of God was confined to one family, it should have been
so pestered with idolatry. But have we not among us the relics of papists, and
may they not come again and demand them. We have their saints' chapels and
monasteries (although of these there are but few) and we have other relics. You
are not zealous against idolatry, says God: you spared them but I will not
spare you. If Jacob had not put away the idols from his household it would have
been telling them. "Be clean, and change your garments. Here he lets them know
the terms on which the Lord will deliver them. There must be a thorough
reformation. And can we think He will deliver us if we still persist in our
sinful courses. We shall say this, that we never heard or read of it but that
affliction in some respects bettered a people; but now at this time, for all
our persecutions, we are worse than when God extended His goodness to us in the
greatest measure. Remember that those have need of a clean heart and clean
hands that would draw near to God. Men will repent of some sins, and it's their
duty: but this is true, thmat an uncircumcised Imeart will miover be true to
God. We may say this now, that times of yore have been days of distress and
sore distress to us, but have they put us to petition God and to turn to him. I
say, have they put us to this? What will ye do if ye lose this season? Ye know
not what trouble ye have yet to go through, that may be as difficult and hard
as any ever Jacob experienced. What then? Are your hearts made clean? Are they
changed? There have been sad trials to some, but it may be God hath one
reserved for all. O that ye were saying, We will go up to Bethel
and set up an altar to Him who answered us in the time of our distress."
Well, we will only add this one word, that God will have petitions,
promises, amid vows from you before you can be delivered. And we shall leave
it.
Jeremiah, iv. 14. "0 Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness
that thou mayest be saved : how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within
thee?"
Purity is better than safety, and yet man affects (i.e. desires)
safety more than purity. This is man's nature, that he affects the thing that
is pleasant rather than the thing that is excellent. But this we say, purity is
better than safety, and this can easily be shown. It's the want of purity
wherein the state of enmity between God and man consists, and it's the
possession of purity wherein the foundation of unity between them is laid. True
happiness consists in the inhabitation of the soul by God. Without this we can
never be truly happy. But it may well be questioned whether a man hath a
greater affection to safety, or a greater aversion to purity. Now this is the
sum of the words before us, wash and have salvation, wash not and want
it.' Man's uncleanness is like a strong giant that ever goes between him and
deliverance. Alas, it is your Uncleaness that has long gone between you and
heaven. But when we consider the words we see, first, an exhortation, what he
comnmands : second, an expostulation, " how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge
within thee."
I. An exhortation : what He commands. "0 Jerusalom, wash
thine heart from wickedness." He has more care of Jerusalem than of all the
earth, and He has more care of Jerusalem's purity than of any thing else. Go
home, then, go home, and let this be your care too. Begin at yourselves. You
will say what the Jews said of the Apostle's preaching, "what! do you intend to
bring the Lord's blood upon us?" Yes, we intend to bring no less than the blood
of an undelivered church upon you. Why? Because ye will not wash that ye may be
saved. So go home with this word - the blood of prisoners shall be on you, the
blood of an undelivered church shall be upon you, the blood of the captive
spouse of Christ shall be on you unless you wash and be clean. See, then, what
He commands, and how far this command goes. The thaw goes as deep as the frosts
so the cleansing must go as deep as the uncleanness. And how far has the
uncleaness gone into man's heart ? 0 Jerusalem, wash thine heart from
wickedness and see If God will be long in setting you free. As Jacob said to
his sons, Except ye had lingered in the way ye had returned with food; so may
we say, Except ye had lingered on the way the church's bonds would have been
loosed. So long as we hide our sins, He hides his face, and so long as He hides
his face we are in bondage. 0, if we could come out and say, "Now we are clean,
Lord," the next word that would be heard would be, "Babylon the great is
fallen!" . . . But how shall we find out our pollutions? We are persuaded of
this, there must be a narrow sieve to find them out. Our uncleanness is so
mixed with our nature that it cannot be separated. There is nothing in the
world that makes a man see more of his own pollution than the reading of the
Word and secret prayer.
II. An expostulation : " How long shall vain
thoughts lodge within you?" That is to say, ye entertain beguiling thoughts
about this church's deliverance, and how long will ye do this? Some think it is
this which keeps the church from deliverance, that the enemy is not ready for
judgment. It is not this. If the church were ready for mercy, the Lord would
not stand on the enemy's being ready for judgement. It is not needful that the
deliverance of the church and the execution of wrath upon her enemies should
always go together. Besides, the enemy's cup fills faster up when God's people
wash from wickedness. Some may say there is not such a necessity for a
deliverance. But
1. It is a captive church, and it is no glory for God to
have His people in captivity. He delights to rule among a free People. 2. The
church is in sore affliction; and the Lord cannot be rightly served where there
is great anguish of spirit.
3. God is now despised because He has not
already avenged his people's wrongs. It concerns His glory therefore. If there
be this necessity, then the fault must either be on our part or on God's why
deliverance has not come. Now, there are several things which shew that it is
not on God's part - (1) the Lord stands engaged to the church as the husband to
his wife. It is His glory, therefore, to fulfil His engagement if their
uncleanness stand not in the way. But it's sometimes greater glory to delay the
deliverance of a defiled people, for so it's a greater benefit to them. (2) He
is always ready. He needs not any time to provide for their deliverance. As
Christ said to His disciples, "Your time is always ready, but my time has not
yet come," so may we now say of Him that He is always ready. To assign any
other cause for His delay than the uncleanness of His people is to speak a
little dishonourably of God. It lays an imputation on Him. Yea, by our abiding
in uncleanness we beget hard thoughts in our hearts whether He grant a
deliverance or deny it. If He deny it, perverse reason will say that it is a
failure in the faithfulness of God's promises. If He grant it, it will say that
He favours sin, and regards not what persons be if they are only His by
profession. So it lays an imputation on God, and this is not taken away except
we wash. But it may be said, should not the acknowledgement of sin mend the
matter? Yet what will this avail if ye still retain your uncleanness! Yea, this
is one cause why deliverance is delayed, that we pray more than reform, we seek
more than we mourn. (3) He is always able, for He is omnipotent. His treasures
never fail, and there is never less or more in them. What say ye to this? It
shall be found when all is tried fully that it is the wickedness of His people
that hinders their deliverance.
One or two closing observations (1) he has
promised to bestow salvation on those who wash their hearts. Wash, then, and
win it Wash not and want it. (2) As long as ye want the one He will keep the
other, He would never got the heart of man to affect purity if He had not set
salvation behind it. (3) It is heart purity He requires. He will not be
satisfied with anything else.
(From Heroes of the
Covenant - by W.S.Carslaw)
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