Milo

29 FEBRUARY (PREACHED ON 28 FEBRUARY 1794)

When he hides his face

‘When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him?’ Job 34:29
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 13:1–6

When he hideth. Here it is supposed that the Lord may hide his face from those to whom he has once given quietness. This for wise reasons:
(i) to show them what is in their hearts. When the sun sets, beasts come forth.
(ii) to keep them from spiritual pride.
(iii) to make them value peace the more.
(iv) to teach them how to walk with others.
(v) to chastise them for unfaithfulness in their walking.
When he does hide his face, who can behold him? We can then gain little help from:
(i) knowledge. We may speak, read, hear of divine truths, but there is little life and comfort in them till the Lord returns.
(ii) experience. We think in our happy times, ‘Sure I shall never forget this.’ But we may be left to doubt of all.
(iii) helps from men. All are then found miserable comforters.
For a close: this is scriptural, agreeable to the experience of the most—in this path you may see the footsteps of the flock. Be not surprised if some talk otherwise, but keep close to your Bibles. I would press believers to assurance, but not to be strong in themselves as if they had a stock of grace and comfort within. Our strength is in the Lord.

FOR MEDITATION: See the necessity of walking humbly and closely with the Lord in his ways. Not as the condition of salvation—this is in Christ alone—but as the means of keeping the evidence clear. If thus with the Lord’s people, what must the sinner and ungodly expect? To believers, though the streams fail, the fountain is sure. But O if the Lord should hide his face in death, or frown upon from his judgement seat.

SERMON: JOB 34:29 [2/2] [ON THE FAST DAY]

28 FEBRUARY (PREACHED ON 28 FEBRUARY 1794)

He gives quietness

‘When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him?’ Job 34:29
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Job 34:21–30

True quietness and peace is not our portion by nature (Isaiah 57:21). It is the gift of God and, as the first communication, so the continuance depends upon him—if he hideth. The way in which he gives (for it is a free gift) we are taught in Isaiah 32:17. See also Psalm 29:11 and 85:8. When the righteousness of God by Jesus is made known, approved and received by faith, the effect is quietness. All can witness it is not to be found in the ways of sin, or in attempts to establish our own righteousness—or, if a seeming peace, it is not solid such as will bear examining. Therefore such are angry. But God’s peace—the more lived by his word, the more confirmed. As this quietness depends upon God, so upon him only—no matter who frowns, if he smiles (so Romans 8:31). It will stand the brunt against all charges: the law cannot disturb—an answer is prepared and the soul can admit every charge and yet plead Jesus; indwelling sin cannot remove it—this causes mourning, but the blood and grace of Jesus are effectual; changes of frames—these for a season occasion great searchings of heart and are always cause of humiliation, but, as faith grows, it can rejoice in an unchangeable God; temptations—these indeed are war, but the Lord can give peace in the midst of war; much less, outward afflictions—hear the Apostle who drank deep of this cup: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).
FOR MEDITATION:
The tempter, who but lately said,
But JESUS pitied my distress,
I soon shall be his prey;
He heard my feeble cry;
Has heard my Saviour’s voice and fled
Revealed his blood and righteousness,
With shame and grief away.
And brought salvation nigh.

O wondrous change! but just before
Beneath the banner of his love,
Despair beset me round;
I now secure remain;
I heard the lion’s horrid roar,
The tempter frets, but dares not move
And trembled at the sound.
To break my peace again.

SERMON: JOB 34:29 [1/2] [ON THE FAST DAY]

27 FEBRUARY

Afraid of the daylight

‘There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.’ John 3:1–2
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Isaiah 51:1–8

Nicodemus came by night. Some ascribe this to prudence and modesty; he would not interrupt Jesus in the day but waited for his leisure. For my own part I made no doubt he came by night because he was afraid to come by daylight. He was under the sinful fear of man lest he should be persecuted or laughed at. He was not willing to run the risk of being thought a follower of Christ, at least till he was sure that he was right. We have many such spirits that would hear if they durst, would be glad of the opportunity of a strange place or a dark night, but so afraid of being called mad or a Methodist [an evangelical]. I doubt not but you are acquainted with some who are afraid of coming to us for that reason, and perhaps some of you are thinking how you shall face your acquaintance when you go back. However, it’s well you are come at all. Our Lord did not reprove Nicodemus on this account, though it was quite wrong, but he is very gracious and gentle to young beginners. I shall only advise to pray to him for strength, and the oftener you come and the more diligently you hear, the bolder you will grow.

FOR MEDITATION: [re the conversion of William Wilberforce] To the Rev. John Newton: Sir, I wish to have some serious conversation with you.… PS Remember that I must be secret, and that the gallery of the House [of Commons] is now so universally attended, that the face of a Member of Parliament is pretty well known.
William Wilberforce to John Newton, 2 December 1785

I saw Mrs [Aunt Hannah] Wilberforce today, and left her in tears of joy. She says you may depend on her strictly observing your requisitions. The reason I mentioned at first that Saturday was not convenient was only from the possibility of your being known and noticed by somebody—which reason now seems not so mighty as it was then.
John Newton to William Wilberforce, 22 December 1785

SERMON SERIES: JOHN 3:1–2, NO. 1 [7/7]

February 29th

What do you want the Lord to do for you?

Lord, that I may receive my sight. Luke 18:41.

What is the thing that not only disturbs you but makes you a disturbance? It is always something you cannot deal with yourself. “They rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more.” Persist in the disturbance until you yet get face to face with the Lord Himself; do not deify common sense. When Jesus asks us what we want Him to do for us in regard to the incredible thing with which we are faced, remember that He does not work in commonsense ways, but in supernatural ways.
Watch how we limit the Lord by remembering what we have allowed Him to do for us in the past: ‘I always failed there, and I always shall’; consequently we do not ask for what we want, ‘It is ridiculous to ask God to do this.’ If it is an impossibility, it is the thing we have to ask. If it is not an impossible thing, it is not a real disturbance. God will do the absolutely impossible.
This man received his sight. The most impossible thing to you is that you should be so identified with the Lord that there is nothing of the old life left. He will do it if you ask Him. But you have to come to the place where you believe Him to be Almighty. Faith is not in what Jesus says but in Himself; if we only look at what He says we shall never believe. When once we see Jesus, He does the impossible thing as naturally as breathing. Our agony comes through the wilful stupidity of our own heart. We won’t believe, we won’t cut the shore line, we prefer to worry on.

February 28th

Do ye now believe?

By this we believe … Jesus answered, Do ye now believe? John 16:30–31 .

‘Now we believe.’ Jesus says—‘Do you? The time is coming when you will leave Me alone.’ Many a Christian worker has left Jesus Christ alone and gone into work from a sense of duty, or from a sense of need arising out of his own particular discernment. The reason for this is the absence of the resurrection life of Jesus. The soul has got out of intimate contact with God by leaning to its own religious understanding. There is no sin in it, and no punishment attached to it; but when the soul realizes how he has hindered his understanding of Jesus Christ, and produced for himself perplexities and sorrows and difficulties, it is with shame and contrition he has to come back.
We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus much deeper down, to get into the habit of steadily referring everything back to Him; instead of this we make our commonsense decisions and ask God to bless them. He cannot, it is not in His domain, it is severed from reality. If we do a thing from a sense of duty, we are putting up a standard in competition with Jesus Christ. We become a ‘superior person,’ and say—‘Now in this matter I must do this and that.’ We have put our sense of duty on the throne instead of the resurrection life of Jesus. We are not told to walk in the light of conscience or of a sense of duty, but to walk in the light as God is in the light. When we do anything from a sense of duty, we can back it up by argument; when we do anything in obedience to the Lord, there is no argument possible; that is why a saint can be easily ridiculed.