Milo

2 DECEMBER (PREACHED CHRISTMAS EVENING 1769)

Lost

‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ Luke 19:10
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Matthew 1:18–21

The return of this day has by long custom been observed as a commemoration of the coming of Christ in the flesh. But how is it observed by many—alas, as a time of riot and folly for the indulgement of those sins and follies, those works of the devil, which Christ was manifest to destroy—a little lip service and outward attendance at church and the rest of the day and many following days (which instead of holidays might rather be called sinning days) spent in dissipation. So I fear it is with many here and perhaps you are waiting to close this very evening as you might do if you thought, or were sure, that Christ came into the world to procure you a liberty of sinning without control. The Lord give you a better understanding of my text before you go from hence.
The state of mankind, which moved the pity of Jesus to come that he might seek and save them, is expressed fully and briefly by that which was lost—which may be considered either as a thing is lost, when the rightful proprietor is deprived of it, or as a person is said to be lost, when he is in a miserable, hopeless, state, so as to be beyond all ordinary means of assistance and recovery. Thus sinners are lost to God and lost in themselves.
FOR MEDITATION: Thus I was as miserable on all hands as could well be imagined. My breast was filled with the most excruciating passions; eager desire, bitter rage, and black despair … no hope of relief or mitigation; no friend to take my part, or to listen to my complaint: Whether I looked inward or outward, I could perceive nothing but darkness and misery. I was tempted to throw myself into the sea, which would put a period to all my sorrows at once. But the secret hand of God restrained me. Help me to praise him, dear Sir, for his wonderful goodness to the most unworthy of all his creatures.
Narrative, April 1745
Jesus my Saviour, who has redeemed my lost title to the good things of both worlds.
John Newton to David Jennings, 29 August 1752

SERMON: LUKE 19:10 [2/5]

December 1st

The law and the gospel

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. James 2:10.

The moral law does not consider us as weak human beings at all, it takes no account of our heredity and infirmities, it demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never alters, either for the noblest or for the weakest, it is eternally and abidingly the same. The moral law ordained by God does not make itself weak to the weak, it does not palliate our shortcomings, it remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we do not realize this, it is because we are less than alive; immediately we are alive, life becomes a tragedy. “I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” When we realize this, then the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a man gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Jesus Christ is a farce to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful binding sense of the law, it makes a man hopeless—“sold under sin.” I, a guilty sinner, can never get right with God, it is impossible. There is only one way in which I can get right with God, and that is by the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the lurking idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience—which of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!
We only realize the power of the moral law when it comes with an ‘if.’ God never coerces us. In one mood we wish He would make us do the thing, and in another mood we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in the ascendant, all compulsion is gone. When we choose deliberately to obey Him, then, with all His almighty power, He will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us.

December 1

“There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God.” (Heb. 4:9.)

The rest includes victory, “And the Lord gave them rest round about;… the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.” (Joshua 21:44.)

“He will beautify the meek with victory.” (Psalm 149:4.) (Rotherham, margin.)

AN eminent Christian worker tells of his mother who was a very anxious and troubled Christian. He would talk with her by the hour trying to convince her of the sinfulness of fretting, but to no avail. She was like the old lady who once said she had suffered so much, especially from the troubles that never came.
But one morning the mother came down to breakfast wreathed in smiles. He asked her what had happened, and she told him that in the night she had a dream.
She was walking along a highway with a great crowd of people who seemed so tired and burdened. They were nearly all carrying little black bundles, and she noticed that there were numerous repulsive looking beings which she thought were demons dropping these black bundles for the people to pick up and carry.
Like the rest, she too had her needless load, and was weighed down with the devil’s bundles. Looking up, after a while, she saw a Man with a bright and loving face, passing hither and thither through the crowd, and comforting the people.
At last He came near her, and she saw that it was her Saviour. She looked up and told Him how tired she was, and He smiled sadly and said:
“My dear child, I did not give you these loads; you have no need of them. They are the devil’s burdens and they are wearing out your life. Just drop them; refuse to touch them with one of your fingers and you will find the path easy and you will be as if borne on eagle’s wings.”
He touched her hand, and lo, peace and joy thrilled her frame and, flinging down her burden, she was about to throw herself at His feet in joyful thanksgiving, when suddenly she awoke and found that all her cares were gone. From that day to the close of her life she was the most cheerful and happy member of the household.

And the night shall be filled with music,
  And the cares that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs,
  And as silently steal away.

—Longfellow.

1 DECEMBER (PREACHED CHRISTMAS EVENING 1769)

The coming of Christ

‘The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ Luke 19:10
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Matthew 9:9–13

Attentive observers of divine providence may often remark that very great events often arise from small and unthought-of occasions. What an important moment, when a soul is first converted to God. What a change then takes place, yet how suddenly, and as it were accidentally, is it brought about. We have here an occasion which has been often made successful—curiosity. Zacchaeus did not press through the multitude to Jesus; he only wanted to see him from the top of a tree as he passed by. But behold Jesus, whom he thought a stranger, looked up and called him by his name—divine power accompanies the word, grace reached his heart, and that day salvation came to his house. O that it may be so with some present. Our Lord was often reproached by the blind Pharisees for the mercy he showed to the unworthy, and probably upon this occasion, as the publicans, or tax gatherers, of whom Zacchaeus was a chief, were the objects of their scorn and hatred. It was perhaps to prevent or answer their usual objections that he intimates how agreeable his conduct to Zacchaeus was to his own character and the great design of his coming into the world, which was not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance—to seek and to save that which was lost.
FOR MEDITATION:
Zacchaeus climbed the tree,
His long forgotten faults
And thought himself unknown;
Are brought again in view,
But how surprised was he
And all his secret thoughts
When JESUS called him down!
Revealed in public too:
The LORD beheld him, though concealed,
Though compassed with a crowd about,
And by a word his power revealed.
The searching word has found him out.

’Tis curiosity
While thus distressing pain
Oft brings them in the way,
And sorrow fills his heart,
Only the man to see,
He hears a voice again,
And hear what he can say;
That bids his fears depart:
But how the sinner starts to find
Then like Zacchaeus he is blest,
The preacher knows his inmost mind.
And JESUS deigns to be his guest.

SERMON: LUKE 19:10 [1/5]

November 30th

By the grace of God I am what I am

His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain. 1 Cor. 15:10.

The way we continually talk about our own inability is an insult to the Creator. The deploring of our own incompetence is a slander against God for having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining in the sight of God the things that sound humble before men, and you will be amazed at how staggeringly impertinent they are. ‘Oh, I shouldn’t like to say I am sanctified; I’m not a saint.’ Say that before God; and it means—‘No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are chances I have not had; so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.’ That may sound wonderfully humble before men, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.
Again, the things that sound humble before God may sound the opposite before men. To say—‘Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified,’ is in the sight of God the acme of humility, it means you have so completely abandoned yourself to God that you know He is true. Never bother your head as to whether what you say sounds humble before men or not, but always be humble before God, and let Him be all in all.
There is only one relationship that matters, and that is your personal relationship to a personal Redeemer and Lord. Let everything else go, but maintain that at all costs, and God will fulfil His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purpose, and yours may be that life.