1 Corinthians 10:1-15 - Homiletics

The ages.

"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and. were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say." From this passage several things may be inferred concerning the ages of human history.

I. THE MORAL RELATIONSHIP of the ages. Paul teaches here that the age of the Jew in the wilderness sustained a twofold relation to men of all future times—the relation of a representative and of an admonisher.

1. It was a representative. Things that happened in the wilderness happened as "ensamples."

2. It was an admonisher. " They are written for our admonition." The principles embodied in their history are of universal application. They are:

II. THE DIVINE SUPERINTENDENCE of the ages. It is here taught that God employs one age as a minister to another. He is in all ages. He makes the events that happened to the Jews in the wilderness thousands of years ago minister to the good of men of all future times. This fact:

1. Should restrain us from hasty judgments of his providence.

2. Should impress us with the seriousness of life.

III. THE GROWING RESPONSIBILITY of the ages. "Upon whom the ends of the world are come." The patriarchal was succeeded by the Mosaic, the Mosaic by the Christian. The Christian is the last. All the past has come down to us:

1. Through literature. Books bring down to us the poets, the sages, the orators, the preachers of past ages, etc.

2. Through tradition. Were there no books, one generation would impart its thoughts, spirit, art, institutions, to another.

IV. THE COMMON TEMPTATION of the ages. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man," etc. Men through all times have been subject to similar temptations.

(a) Men are constitutionally temptable. All moral creatures in the universe are temptable, even the highest angel. There is no virtue where there is no temptability.

(b) All men as fallen creatures are specially temptable. Having yielded to temptation by the law of habit, they have gained a tendency to do this, and this tendency is ever on the increase.

1. That our temptations require great caution. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." The Jews in the wilderness had great privileges. Inspired men were with them. Supernatural manifestations surrounded them; God himself was specially with them. Yet they yielded to their temptations, and they fell. Wherefore let all "take heed." Privileges are no security.

2. That our temptations must be resisted. They are resistible:

CONCLUSION.

1. Do not suppose that the advantages of past times were greater than ours. There are men who are constantly referring us to the past, saying the former times were better than the present. Of all the ages that are past, what age had the advantages of this? Not the patriarchal; for under it the Deluge came. Not the Mosaic; for under it came the ruin of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Jewish commonwealth. Not the apostolic; for in it grievous heresies arose and moral abominations grew rife.

2. Do not suppose that the type of excellence reached by our ancestors is high enough for us . We ought to be more noble than the old patriarchs, more enlightened and Christ like than the best Christians of apostolic times.

On us, great God, on us are come

The ends of rolling time;

We would begin each opening day

With gratitude sublime.

Men after men have come and gone,

Myriads have passed away;

But thou hast lived unchanged, O God,

And brought us to this day.

The past, an ocean under thee,

Bore onward thy great plan,

And every billow, as it broke,

Was fraught with good to man.

The dispensations under which

Our fathers lived and died

Were only, as compared with ours,

Dim daybreak to noontide.

"A goodly heritage" have we,

Ages of choicest lore;

What "kings and prophets long'd" to see

Are ours for evermore.

The great men of the past are ours,

To help us on life's way;

The Sun of Righteousness we have,

To flood our hearts with day.

All that past times have given us

May we employ aright,

And live a grand and godly life,

Full worthy of our light.

We follow in the awful march

Of all the mighty dead.

Eternal Father, succour us

When all our years have fled!