Milo

27 MARCH (PREACHED 25 MARCH 1787)

Good citizens

‘Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.’ Proverbs 14:34
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Romans 13:1–4

Consider how a nation (which is composed of a multitude of individuals) would be exalted if this character was universally or even generally prevalent. Whatever be the situation of the righteous man, he is an ornament and a blessing to the community. If he be in authority, he ruleth over men in the fear of God. Whether seated upon a throne, or in a subordinate station in public life, his power, influence and example, so far as they extend, are employed in promoting the public good, to encourage the love of righteousness in others, to vindicate the oppressed, maintain order and suppress wickedness. The God whom he serves teaches him for his station and supports him. His principles render him superior to the selfish craft which often passes for wisdom in the world, and the fear of God secures him from that fear of man which bringeth a snare. The righteous man is the true patriot, who wrestles for his country by prayer in secret and devotes his talents to promote the good of all around him. The righteous man in private life is a good citizen. He respects and obeys the government and laws under which he lives. He is willingly subject to lawful authority (and obeys), not from constraint, or for the sake of filthy lucre, but for conscience’ sake. If he be rich, the grace of God teaches him to be humble, moderate and benevolent. If he be poor, it teaches him patience and contentment, to be quiet in the land, diligent in his calling. As a relative, the righteous man is a kind and compassionate master, a good husband, a punctual trader, a faithful, upright servant, in every relation endeavouring to approve himself to God and to do unto others as he would wish others in a like situation should do unto him. He is sober and temperate in all things, gentle, forbearing and forgiving, because in every situation he endeavours to adore the doctrine of God his Saviour in all things, and is no farther directly concerned in the affairs of this life, than to let his light so shine in his allotted department, that others may glorify God on his behalf.

FOR MEDITATION: ‘Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness’ (Psalm 5:8).

SERMON: PROVERBS 14:34 [3/7] [FOR THE ANNUAL CHARITY SERMON]

26 MARCH (PREACHED 25 MARCH 1787)

The character of the righteous man

‘Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.’ Proverbs 14:34
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: 1 John 2:28–3:10

I shall delineate the character of a righteous man. That mankind is very far from original righteousness is the doctrine of our Church (Article 9). But the authority of our church, or of any church, would be of small weight unless supported and proved by the testimony of Scripture. They are so very far gone, that when God looked down upon the children of men, to see if there were any good among them, the result of his enquiry is declared (Psalm 14, Romans 3), There is none righteous, no, not one, there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. That sobriety, benevolence and equity which entitle men to respect as members of society, is very far short of righteousness unless connected with the knowledge, love and fear of the great God in whom we live and move and have our being. He is our Creator, Supreme Lawgiver and Benefactor, and therefore our first and highest regards are due to him. Unless we love, serve, trust, believe and obey him, we are not righteous, we are not honest. Morality, so much praised, so little practised, implies the right discharge of all our relative duties and our first and highest relation being that in which we stand to our Maker; if he is left out, our pretence to morality is vain. The righteous man has been convinced of loving, serving or trusting the creature more than the Creator—of preferring his own will to the will of God, of seeking happiness in something short of the favour and glory of God, and, in the prophetic language, of forsaking the fountain of living waters and hewing out to himself broken cisterns that can hold no water. The righteous man has therefore seen himself to be a sinner and he has taken his measures of sin from the majesty and goodness of God against whom he has sinned. He believes the record God has given of his Son, obeys the command and accepts the invitation to trust in this Saviour, renouncing very other hope.

FOR MEDITATION: The righteous man, therefore, is he who has peace with God through Jesus Christ, who, as redeemed by blood from the desire and dominion of sin, is no longer his own. He is now the willing servant of God, devoted to his will and glory.

SERMON: PROVERBS 14:34 [2/7] [FOR THE ANNUAL CHARITY SERMON]

March 25th

The most delicate mission on earth

The friend of the Bridegroom. John 3:29.

Goodness and purity ought never to attract attention to themselves, they ought simply to be magnets to draw to Jesus Christ. If my holiness is not drawing towards Him, it is not holiness of the right order, but an influence that will awaken inordinate affection and lead souls away into side-eddies. A beautiful saint may be a hindrance if he does not present Jesus Christ but only what Christ has done for him; he will leave the impression—‘What a fine character that man is!’—that is not being a true friend of the Bridegroom; I am increasing all the time, He is not.
In order to maintain this friendship and loyalty to the Bridegroom, we have to be more careful of our moral and vital relationship to Him than of any other thing, even of obedience. Sometimes there is nothing to obey, the only thing to do is to maintain a vital connection with Jesus Christ, to see that nothing interferes with that. Only occasionally do we have to obey. When a crisis arises we have to find out what God’s will is, but the greater part of the life is not conscious obedience but the maintenance of this relationship—the friend of the Bridegroom. Christian work may be a means of evading the soul’s concentration on Jesus Christ. Instead of being friends of the Bridegroom, we become amateur providences and may work against Him whilst we use His weapons.

March 25

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6)

THE faith for desperate days.

The Bible is full of such days. Its record is made up of them, its songs are inspired by them, its prophecy is concerned with them, and its revelation has come through them.

The desperate days are the stepping-stones in the path of light. They seem to have been God’s opportunity and man’s school of wisdom.

There is a story of an Old Testament love feast in Psalm 107, and in every story of deliverance the point of desperation gave God His chance. The “wit’s end” of desperation was the beginning of God’s power. Recall the promise of seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sands of the sea, to a couple as good as dead. Read again the story of the Red Sea and its deliverance, and of Jordan with its ark standing mid-stream. Study once more the prayers of Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah, when they were sore pressed and knew not what to do. Go over the history of Nehemiah, Daniel, Hosea, and Habakkuk. Stand with awe in the darkness of Gethsemane, and linger by the grave in Joseph’s garden through those terrible days. Call the witnesses of the early Church, and ask the apostles the story of their desperate days.

Desperation is better than despair.

Faith did not make our desperate days. Its work is to sustain and solve them. The only alternative to a desperate faith is despair, and faith holds on and prevails.

There is no more heroic example of desperate faith than that of the three Hebrew children. The situation was desperate, but they answered bravely, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” I like that, “but if not!”

I have only space to mention Gethsemane. Ponder deeply its “Nevertheless.” “If it is possible … nevertheless!” Deep darkness had settled upon the soul of our Lord. Trust meant anguish unto blood and darkness to the descent of hell—Nevertheless! Nevertheless!!

Now get your hymn book and sing your favorite hymn of desperate faith.—Rev. S. Chadwick.

“When obstacles and trials seem,
  Like prison walls to be,
I do the little I can do
  And leave the rest to Thee.

“And when there seems no chance, no change,
  From grief can set me free,
Hope finds its strength in helplessness,
  And calmly waits for Thee.”

25 MARCH (PREACHED 25 MARCH 1787)

True righteousness

‘Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.’ Proverbs 14:34
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Proverbs 14:12–35

The usual judgement of mankind on almost every important point is so very different from the decision of Scripture, that both cannot possibly be true. National prosperity is more commonly estimated by the extent of dominion, by the success of arms in war, and the increase of riches and commerce in peace; whether righteousness flourisheth or not, is seldom taken into account. And the prevalence of sin, of infidelity, dissipation and profligacy, is deemed a small reproach compared with a diminution of power and wealth. When our fleets and armies triumphed over all resistance and spread terror and desolation to the remotest parts of the globe, and the treasures of the East began to pour in upon us with an almost boundless profusion, this nation was supposed to be highly exalted. But nothing less than the progress of righteousness and the suppression of sin can render us truly honourable or take away our reproach if the Word of God, the great Governor of the earth, be truth. And this happy change would do it, though we should lose one province and one empire after another, and we should be deprived of our boasted consequence among the nations of the earth. The sentences in the book of Proverbs are for the most part contrasted and we may therefore fix the sense of righteousness in this passage by considering it as the opposite to sin. Sin, which is the reproach of our nature, of every person, family, village, city and kingdom in which it is found, is that inward principle of the heart and that outward course of conduct which is contrary to our relation to God as his creatures and to the tenor of his revealed will. A right disposition of heart towards God and a conduct in all points regulated by the authority and rule of his Holy Word, is this righteousness which exalteth a nation, and so far is this wanting, the most powerful, opulent, civilized and enlightened empire, with all its supposed attainments, advantages and distinctions, is clearly the subject of reproach and contempt.

FOR MEDITATION: ‘I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation’ (Psalm 40:10).

SERMON: PROVERBS 14:34 [1/7] [FOR THE ANNUAL CHARITY SERMON]