Milo

16 AUGUST (PREACHED 16 AUGUST 1767)

The fear of man

‘The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.’ Proverbs 29:25
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Proverbs 29:1–27

All opposition to the ways and people of God are originally from the devil. To this purpose he bestirs himself more or less as he is permitted so soon as a soul begins to seek salvation by Jesus. Many can witness what they have suffered from his suggestions because they would no longer live in his service. Some are more harassed in this way by his own immediate influence. Against others, or against the same person at other times, he employs his great instrument—the world—and with but too much success, because the fear of man is a principle deeply rooted in our human nature. We are departed from God and are naturally prone to serve, love, trust and fear the creature more than the Creator. The heart of man is so at enmity against God, that whoever will be the Lord’s servant, will on that account stand exposed to the resentment and displeasure of men.
The fear of man bringeth a snare. This hurries many on in a course of sin. It is not so much for the pleasure they find, as that they are influenced by others. They depend upon their favour, or are afraid of their frown. This keeps many from confessing the truth, who are convinced of it in their hearts (as in John 12). This draws many away from the people of God who had for a season joined them. They are afraid of their anger, afraid of their reviling. If it cannot be maintained without breaking the peace of their families, endangering their worldly interest, or exposing them to suffer, they will give it up.
A snare. It works secretly and gradually—leads to a train of vain reasoning. People do not give up all at once, but, by endeavouring to keep fair with God and the world together, they grow worse and worse. Therefore take heed of beginnings. Every compliance will lead you farther.
FOR MEDITATION:
When any turn from Zion’s way,
What anguish has that question stirred,
(Alas! what numbers do!)
If I will also go?
Methinks I hear my Saviour say,
Yet, LORD, relying on thy word,
‘Wilt thou forsake me too?’
I humbly answer, No!

SERMON: PROVERBS 29:25 [1/2]

August 15th

Signs of the new birth

Ye must be born again. John 3:7.

The answer to the question “How can a man be born when he is old?” is—When he is old enough to die—to die right out to his ‘rag rights,’ to his virtues, to his religion, to everything, and to receive into himself the life which never was there before. The new life manifests itself in conscious repentance and unconscious holiness.
“As many as received Him.” (John 1:12.) Is my knowledge of Jesus born of internal spiritual perception, or is it only what I have learned by listening to others? Have I something in my life that connects me with the Lord Jesus as my personal Saviour? All spiritual history must have a personal knowledge for its bedrock. To be born again means that I see Jesus.
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3.) Do I seek for signs of the Kingdom, or do I perceive God’s rule? The new birth gives a new power of vision whereby I begin to discern God’s rule. His rule was there all the time, but true to His nature; now that I have received His nature, I can see His rule.
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin,” (1 John 3:9.) Do I seek to stop sinning or have I stopped sinning? To be born of God means that I have the supernatural power of God to stop sinning. In the Bible it is never—Should a Christian sin? The Bible puts it emphatically—A Christian must not sin. The effective working of the new birth life in us is that we do not commit sin, not merely that we have the power not to sin, but that we have stopped sinning. 1 John 3:9 does not mean that we cannot sin; it means that if we obey the life of God in us, we need not sin.

August 15

“Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22.)

THE best things of life come out of wounding. Wheat is crushed before it becomes bread. Incense must be cast upon the fire before its odors are set free. The ground must be broken with the sharp plough before it is ready to receive the seed. It is the broken heart that pleases God. The sweetest joys in life are the fruits of sorrow. Human nature seems to need suffering to fit it for being a blessing to the world.

“Beside my cottage door it grows,
The loveliest, daintiest flower that blows,
A sweetbriar rose.

“At dewy morn or twilight’s close,
The rarest perfume from it flows,
This strange wild rose.

“But when the rain-drops on it beat,
Ah, then, its odors grow more sweet,
About my feet.

“Ofttimes with loving tenderness,
Its soft green leaves I gently press,
In sweet caress.

“A still more wondrous fragrance flows
The more my fingers close
And crush the rose.

“Dear Lord, oh, let my life be so
Its perfume when tempests blow,
The sweeter flow

“And should it be Thy blessed will,
With crushing grief my soul to fill,
Press harder still.

“And while its dying fragrance flows
I’ll whisper low, ‘He loves and knows
  His crushed briar rose.’ ”

If you aspire to be a son of consolation; if you would partake of the priestly gift of sympathy; if you would pour something beyond commonplace consolation into a tempted heart; if you would pass through the intercourse of daily life with the delicate tact that never inflicts pain; you must be content to pay the price of a costly education—like Him, you must suffer.
—F. W. Robertson.

15 AUGUST

Heaven as your home

‘O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.’ Psalm 43:3
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 27:1–14

Let them lead me. The question is asked somewhere, Who shall lead me into the strong city? [Psalm 60:9]. And here the soul is taught an answer—I indeed am dark and weak, I cannot see my way, nor walk in it by my own strength, but let the truth of God support me and his light shine upon my paths and I shall go on well.

And bring me. Here is the humble confidence of faith—that what God begins shall not miscarry and those whom he leads shall not be lost. I know that my path is full of snares and dangers—if left to myself I should soon stumble and fall and be snared and broken—but thy light and truth shall lead me in safety to the end. I am faint and apt to tire, but these shall revive me in the way and at length bring me to the end, and in safety.
To thy holy hill. The soul is sick of earth and longs for heaven; this is the place where it would be. It is described:
(i) as a hill, in allusion to Mount Zion (Revelation 14:1): perhaps to signify the difficulty of the way (it is an uphill road)—the security and safety (it is high out of the reach of all enemies)—and its eminence (it cannot be hid: it is set on a hill and attracts the hearts and views of all the children of God. They are all looking to this prize of their calling).
(ii) as a holy hill. No unclean thing shall enter. When the everlasting gates are lifted up to receive my poor unworthy soul, I shall leave all my sins and sorrows behind me.
(iii) thy tabernacles. This is the crowning circumstance: our Lord Jesus dwells on this holy hill. There we shall see him as he is and love him as we ought. There we shall cast our crowns at his feet. We shall go up to his altar with exceeding joy, to sing his praise on harps of gold for ever.

FOR MEDITATION: If you choose heaven as your home, and God’s light and truth as your way, your prayer shall be answered. Fight against your unbelief as David does in verse 5: Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

SERMON: PSALM 43:3 [5/5]

August 14th

Chastening

Despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him. Hebrews 12:5.

It is very easy to quench the Spirit; we do it by despising the chastening of the Lord, by fainting when we are rebuked by Him. If we have only a shallow experience of sanctification, we mistake the shadow for the reality, and when the Spirit of God begins to check, we say—‘Oh, that must be the devil.’
Never quench the Spirit, and do not despise Him when He says to you—‘Don’t be blind on this point any more; you are not where you thought you were. Up to the present, I have not been able to reveal it to you, but I reveal it now.’ When the Lord chastens you like that, let Him have His way. Let Him relate you rightly to God.
“Nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him.” We get into sulks with God and say—‘Oh well, I can’t help it; I did pray and things did not turn out right, and I am going to give it all up.’ Think what would happen if we talked like this in any other domain of life!
Am I prepared to let God grip me by His power and do a work in me that is worthy of Himself? Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God’s idea of what He wants to do for me, and He has to get me into the attitude of mind and spirit where at any cost I will let Him sanctify me wholly.