(Choice devotional selections from the works of John Angell James)
Traveling to glory, honor, immortality and eternal life! Earth is to its inhabitants, neither a paradise nor a desert. If it has not all the beautiful scenes and productions of a paradise—so neither has it all the dreariness and desolation of a desert. This world is called "a valley of tears," but it is not less true that it is sometimes a valley without the tears. It often wears a smiling aspect, and reflects the light of God's graciousness and bounty.
We know very well that man's chief portion lies in the blessings of salvation, and the hope of eternal glory. These are so vast as almost to reduce all else to nothing. Full pardon of sin, and the hope of an eternity of pure and perfect felicity, are such amazing expectations, as might seem to render us absolutely indifferent alike to . . . poverty and riches; pain and ease; obscurity and renown. How little would it signify to him who was going to take possession of a kingdom and a throne, whether he traveled through a desert or a garden; or whether he dined meagerly or sumptuously; or whether he had all best accommodations and conveniences along the way. His thoughts would be so engrossed with the permanent scenes of greatness, grandeur, power, and wealth before him—as to be almost insensible to the privations or comforts along the way. So it is, with a Christian traveling to glory, honor, immortality and eternal life! It is incumbent upon Christians to let their spirit and conduct be consistent with the hope of eternal glory, in that eminent spirituality and heavenliness of mind, which are manifested in a supreme, constant, and practical regard to divine and eternal things. A Christian's habits Christian parents should resist the entrance of worldly conformity into their families. Expensive entertainments, mirthful parties, vain and frivolous amusements, showy modes of dress, should be most cautiously avoided! True religion will not dwell amid such scenes; her refined and spiritual taste is soon offended, and she retires. A Christian's habits should be simple and spiritual. If it is his aim to approach as nearly as possible to the manners of the world without actually being numbered with its votaries, his children will be restrained with difficulty, on the godly side of the line of demarcation, and be perpetually longing and trying to push onward towards worldliness. The miserable efforts, made by some professing Christians, to be thought people of taste and fashion, show how badly they bear the Christian yoke, and how nearly they are resolved to cast it away as an encumbrance. We would despise these things wherever we see them, if they did not demand claims upon our pity, still stronger than those upon our scorn. When a worldly temper has crept into the circle of a Christian family, piety retires before it, and the spirit of error soon enters to take possession of the desolate home.
Christ's seemingly inexplicable conduct Behold the Canaanite woman appealing to Incarnate Mercy for her demon-possessed daughter, beseeching for a cure from Him who alone could effect it, and whom she believed could, if He would. What a plea! "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession!" One would think that such an appeal of course will be instantly heard and granted. "But Jesus gave her no reply —not even a word!" What! the 'ear of pity' deaf to such a petition! "What!" one would have imagined she would say, "is this the mercy, the fame of which has reached even my afflicted home? Will He not hear me, look on me, answer me? Must I return, and tell all who come to inquire about my plight—that He would not bestow a word or even a look, upon me?" To increase her distress and discouragement, the disciples urged Jesus to send her away. "Tell her to leave," they said. "She is bothering us with all her begging." Is this all the mercy that could be found in the hearts of all the twelve apostles? Poor woman, we pity you. There is very little hope for you! Jesus at length breaks silence, and says, "I was sent only to help the people of Israel—God's lost sheep—not the Gentiles." His harsh words are more distressing than His silence! Still her faith holds on, and her prayer continues, for "she came and worshiped Him and pleaded again—Lord, help me!" To this He makes a reply that seems to add insult to neglect. "It isn't right to take food from the children—and throw it to the dogs!" Mysterious answer! O Savior, how apparently unlike Yourself! What must have been the poor widow's reflections—"My heart is now almost broken—am I not a Gentile woman? and must I be called a dog? Is it thus He will deny His own character, and break the bruised reed? Must I go home and look upon my poor child with the sting of this insult and its venom rankling in my tortured bosom?" Surely she will now give up her suit—stop her plea—and renounce her faith. Yes, she would have done so—had her faith been less strong. "Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even dogs are permitted to eat crumbs that fall beneath their master's table!" Marvelous reply, one of the finest responses which language ever formed, and the most ingenious reasonings ever drawn. Jesus could hold out no longer. He could protract the trial no farther. Like Joseph under the influence of his feelings, when his heart was moved by the discourse of his brothers; Jesus drops the innocent disguise which His bursting compassion could not sustain another moment, and with delighted surprise He exclaims, "Woman, your faith is great! Your request is granted!" What was the meaning of all this? What was the secret of Christ's seemingly inexplicable conduct? What? He saw He had a subject which would enable Him to exhibit to the world an extraordinary instance of faith in prayer , and He determined to draw it forth in all its power and beauty. His heart was moved towards her from the beginning. He knew what He would do—and though He beat her off with one hand, He held her fast by the other. Here then we have an instance of prayer continued under delays, apparent neglect, and repulse—and continued through the power of faith. The woman still believed that there was mercy in that heart, to which she for a long time appealed in vain, and that she should ultimately succeed—and she did. "And her daughter was instantly healed!"
Turn away from the lovely enchantress! "Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world." 1 John 2:15-16 Such is the world that assails the Christian, and which he must overcome—or perish eternally! He is aware of his danger from the strength, subtlety, and ever-present activity of this enemy of his soul. The whole current of Scripture commands runs against the love of the world. In every possible form, it is forbidden. Worldliness is the most thronged road to everlasting ruin! Worldliness does not merely consist in an intense love of money, and an excessive eagerness to be rich—but in a supreme regard to that which is visible and temporal, whether these relate to the quiet scenes of domestic comfort, or to those elegancies, splendors, and accumulations of wealth, which lead a man to seek his highest bliss in these! The world is a foe which attacks us in various places! In the shop— by all the temptations incident to trade and wealth. In the halls of politics and public business—by all the enticements to pride and ambition. In the places of amusement —by all the soft blandishments of pleasure. In the haunts of vice —by all the gratifications of appetite. In the scenes of nature —by all the delights of taste and imagination. In the walks of science and literature —by all the delights of intellectual gratification. In the social circle —by all the enjoyments of friendship. In the domestic retreat —by all the sweets of marital bliss. Oh, how many are the scenes where the world meets man and subdues him! Sometimes the world approaches the believer with a smiling face, making promises and offering caresses, like the serpent to our first mother in the garden; or like Satan to our Lord when he said, "All these things will I give you—if you will fall down and worship me!" How difficult is it on such occasions to turn away from the lovely enchantress , to keep the eye steadily fixed on heavenly glories—and instead of greedily quaffing the cup of poisoned sweets, to dash it on the ground! If immorality slays its thousands—the world slays its ten thousands! 'Supreme love of the world' will as certainly lead its possessor to the bottomless pit, as the love of open vice! Worldliness, I repeat, and repeat with emphasis, is . . . the smoothest, the most polished, the most fashionable, the most respectable path to the bottomless pit! Victory over the world is subordination . . . of the creature to the Creator; of earth to heaven; of temporal blessings to spiritual ones; of time to eternity. Victory over the world is the formation of an unearthly, spiritual, divine, and heavenly mind-set and character! "It was the sight of Your dear cross, First weaned my soul from earthly things; And taught me to esteem as dross, The mirth of fools and pomp of kings!" How all the splendor of earthly things pales before that infinitely more resplendent object— Jesus!
All this loveliness of character "Without holiness no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14 An unholy person cannot inherit the kingdom of God. There is a vast difference between sanctification—and the common morality of life. There are many people who are . . . very amiable in their dispositions, very just in their transactions, very excellent in all their relationships, very lovely in their general character; but who at the same time, whatever esteem and affection they may have—are not in a state of sanctification. They . . . have never been convinced of sin, have never exercised faith in Christ, have never been born of the Spirit, have never been brought to love God. All this loveliness of character is but the beautiful wildflower in the wilderness of unrenewed humanity. There can be no true holiness apart from the principle of supreme love to God. Until this is implanted in the soul, we are under the dominion of supreme selfishness —and all these excellences may be traced up to self! God's law is not obeyed; God's glory is not sought, because God Himself is not loved. It is a melancholy spectacle, to see so much 'general excellence of character' as we sometimes witness, all fruitless to its possessor, as regards the eternal world, for lack of that Divine principle which transmutes all this apparently beautiful morality , into true godliness. Without holiness, whatever amiable and lovely qualities of a general kind we may possess, we are still . . . the children of wrath, the enemies of God, the subjects of unrenewed corruption, the heirs of perdition; and going on to everlasting destruction! "Without holiness no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14
He is both depraved and condemned! God created man in His own image—which consisted of true holiness. No spot of guilt was upon his conscience —nor spot of depravity upon his heart. The light of truth irradiated his understanding . The glow of perfect love warmed his heart . The choices of his will were all on the side of purity. His conscience was the seat of perfect peace. The beauties of holiness adorned his character . His whole soul was in harmony with the untainted scenes of Paradise—in which bowers he walked in undisturbed friendship with God. No sorrow wrung his heart. No care wrinkled his brow. No anxiety broke his rest. He was happy—because he was holy. When he sinned , his whole moral condition was altered! He fell under the condemnation of the law he had violated, and became the subject of inward corruption . An entire change passed over his nature. He not only became guilty —but depraved! His understanding became darkened! His affections became selfish and earthly! His will became prone to choose what is wrong! His conscience became benumbed! If he would ever be recovered from this state of
misery, he must be both pardoned and sanctified . The covenant of God's love and mercy in Christ Jesus —the glorious scheme of redeeming grace—meets the whole case of fallen man, by providing not only justification—but sanctification as well. Wonderful gospel provision! Pardon for the guilty! Sanctification for the unholy! The condition of the sinner may be likened to that of a condemned criminal shut up in prison, and infected with a deadly plague! What he needs, is both the cure of his plague—and the reversal of his sentence. Neither alone, will meet his case. If he is only pardoned—he will die of the plague. If he is only cured of the plague—he will suffer the just sentence of the law. So it is with fallen man— he is both depraved and condemned! If he is only pardoned—his depravity will be his misery. If he could by any means be reformed —he is still under sentence of death. The glory and completeness of the gospel scheme is, that it provides a cure for the diseases of the soul—in sanctification; as well as a pardon from the condemnation of the law—in justification!
A system of religious pauperism? "Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: ' Whoever does not work should not eat! ' Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people—no, we command them: Settle down and get to work! Earn your own living!" 2 Thesal. 3:10-12 The poor should be conspicuous for their industry , and should not eat the bread of idleness. The poor have no right, therefore, to expect, that in consequence of their association with a Christian church, they are in any measure released from the obligation of the most unwearied industry. They are not to be supported in idleness , nor ought they to look for any financial allowance, while they are able to provide for themselves and their family. The religion of Jesus Christ was never intended to establish a system of religious pauperism . It is to be feared, that many have entered into Christian fellowship on purpose to obtain its funds! This is a dreadful case, wherever it occurs, and should make all the poor members of our churches tremble at the most distant approximation to such a crime! The only times in which Christians should feel that they have claims upon the funds of the church, are when sickness or old age has incapacitated them for labor; or when the produce of their industry is too scanty to procure the necessities of life.
The guardian angels of our churches! "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing ." 1 Cor. 13:2 We must come back to the first principles of practical piety, and cultivate the passive virtues of the Christian character. We must remember that Christianity is being like Christ, and that unless we partake of that love which is patient and kind, which does not envy, nor boast, nor is proud, nor rude, nor self-seeking, nor easily angered, which keeps no record of wrongs— we are nothing! Strange indeed it is, that men, who by their own confession are lost, vile, ruined, helpless sinners, should lack HUMILITY; and that they who believe themselves to be saved from hell by unmerited mercy, should be destitute of LOVE! We must crucify that selfishness, which fixes upon its own gratification, and cherish that expansive benevolence which looks upon the good of others. We must contend to be lowest—not to be highest! We must seek to please, and not merely to be pleased. Let us remember that HUMILITY and LOVE are . . . the necessary fruits of our doctrines, the highest beauty of our character, and the guardian angels of our churches!
The panacea for the world's evils The secret of the world's moral renovation, and the panacea for the world's evils , lies compressed in that one expression of the apostle Paul, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!"
Let us devoutly acknowledge both the source and the justice of our calamities . The origin of the evils that afflict us, is often to be found in the sins which disgrace us. Sin is the only thing in all the universe which God hates, and this He abhors wherever He discovers it. With our limited understanding, and feeble powers of moral perception, it is impossible for us to form an adequate idea of the evil of sin, or the light in which it is contemplated by a God whose understanding
is infinite, and whose purity is immaculate. That law which men are daily trampling upon, equally without consideration, without reason, and without penitence, is most sacred in His eyes, as the emanation and the transcript of His own holiness. He is also omnipresent and omniscient. There is not a nook or corner of the land from which He is excluded. Of every scene of iniquity He is the constant, though invisible witness. The whole mass of national guilt, with every the minutest particular of it, is ever before His eye! His justice , which consists in giving to all their due, must incline Him to punish iniquity—and His power enables Him to do it! He is the moral governor of the nations, and concerned to render His providence subservient to the display of His attributes. And if a people so highly favored as we are, notwithstanding our manifold sins, escape without chastisement—will not some be ready to question the equity, if not the very exercise of His administration? His threatenings against the wicked are to be found in almost every page of holy Scripture. Nor are the threatenings of the Bible to be viewed in the light of mere unreal terrors, as clouds and storms which the poet's pencil has introduced into the picture; the creatures of his own imagination, and only intended to excite the imagination of others. No! They are solemn realities, intended to operate by their denunciation as a check upon sin; or if not so regarded, to be endured in their execution as a punishment upon our sins! Scripture gives us many examples in which this has happened. It has preserved an account of the downfall of nearly all the chief empires, kingdoms, and cities of antiquity; and that, not as a mere chronicle of the event, but as a great moral lesson to the world. Scripture carefully informs us, that sin was the cause of their ruin! Volcanoes terrify with their eruptions, and submerge towns or cities beneath their streams of lava! Earthquake's convulsive throes bury a population beneath the ruins of their own abodes! Hurricanes carry desolation through a country! Famine whitens the valleys with the bones of the thousands who have perished beneath its reign! Pestilence stalks through a land, hurrying multitudes to the tomb, and filling all that remain with unutterable terrors! Wars have been agents in the unparalleled scenes of bloodshed and misery! Scripture proclaims that these are to be regarded as a fearful exposition of the evil nature of sin , written by the finger of God upon the tablet of the earth's history! Visit, in imagination, my countrymen, the spots where many of these cities once stood, and you shall see nothing but desolation stalking like a specter across the plain, lifting its eye to heaven, and exclaiming, amidst the silence that reigns around, "The kingdom and the nation that will not serve You, shall utterly perish!" As you stand amidst the moldering fragments of departed grandeur, does not every breeze, as it sighs through the ruins, seem to say, as a voice from the sepulcher, "See, therefore, and know that it is an evil and a bitter thing to sin against the Lord!" Let us devoutly acknowledge both the source and the justice of our calamities. The origin of the evils that afflict us, is often to be found in the sins which disgrace us. "From the day it was built until now, this city has so aroused My anger and wrath that I must remove it from My sight!" Jeremiah 32:31
"The Lord your God pronounced this disaster against this place. The Lord has brought it about, and has done as He said. Because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you." (Jeremiah 40:2-3)
I kill ("The Death of Eminent Ministers, a Public Loss" A funeral sermon by J. A. James, Nov. 6, 1825) 'Chance' has nothing to do with death! Not the outcast infant of a day old, exposed by its unnatural mother to perish by the tiger or the vulture; nor even the sparrow that dies of hunger in its nest—passes out of life without the knowledge of God. "Don't be afraid!" said Christ, "I am the first and the last, the living one. I was dead, but now I am alive forever! I have the keys of the unseen world and of death!" What consolation is there in this sublime declaration! The key of death is never for a moment entrusted out of His hands —and never can be wrested from them! Every time a human being dies , it is by an act of His power, in turning the key which unlocks the gates of death! Our life is under the constant and strict observation of His omniscient eye! He determines the moment when to take the key from His belt, and throw the portals of immortality back on their mighty hinges! O, what comfort does this impart to us, in reference to our own lives—to know that exposed as we are to all the accidents and diseases of this 'world of changes', and enveloped as we are in darkness as to the consequences of the next step, and the events of the next hour—that we cannot die by a random stroke, or by a blind chance! The key of death must be turned by Him who is infinitely wise, and powerful, and good! "See, I am the only God! There are no others. I kill , and I make alive! I wound, and I heal, and no one can rescue you from My power!" Deuteronomy 32:39
That one majestic, inconceivable, and expressive word
"And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life ." (1 John 2:25) In the infinite comprehensiveness of this one promise are included all that the omniscient mind of the Father in the exercise of His love has contrived in eternity; all that the incarnate Son has obtained by His sacrifice upon the cross; and all that the Divine Spirit has revealed upon the page of Scripture; and all which is contained in that one majestic, inconceivable, and expressive word —HEAVEN! I do not need flamboyant descriptions and eloquent representations of the celestial state, to raise my desires and hopes. It is enough to know that it is GLORY, first prepared, then promised, and ultimately bestowed by Jehovah—as the concentration of His infinite beneficence and the full manifestation of His boundless benevolence! Heaven is . . . the absence of all evil, natural and moral; the possession of all possible good; a glorified body united with a perfect soul, and all this in the immediate presence of God! There we shall see God! We shall not only see Him—but love Him! We shall not only love Him—but serve Him! We shall not only serve Him—but enjoy Him! We shall not only enjoy Him—but hold such communion with Him as will assimilate us to the all-perfect source of our felicity! The objects of our contemplation, our situation, our companions, our personal constitution, our constant exercises of holy intellect, heart, and volition—will be so many distinct sources of bliss! Perfect knowledge , perfect holiness , and perfect love must of necessity open the fountain of perfect joy ! No secondary concern will call off our unwearied attention from the service of God; no sin or pain will interrupt us in it; nor will death ever dismiss us from it. The business and the blessedness of that happy state are the same—our supreme delight will be our constant employment. Every sense will be an inlet, every faculty a capacity, and every energy a pulsation—of the purest bliss! Heaven will be "life" . . . life in perfection , the life of the soul , the life of God , the life of eternity! But to describe it, how vain and arrogant the attempt, when even to conceive of it is impossible! "In Your presence is fullness of joy! At Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore!" Neither language nor thought can go beyond this! Mind cannot conceive more. God Himself can tell us no more, than that heaven consists in His presence, and the enjoyment of His favor—forever and ever! "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love Him!" (1 Corinthians 2:9)
The base cares and the petty enjoyments of the present world Sin is raging all around us! Satan is busy in the work of destruction! Men are dying! Souls are every moment departing into eternity! Hell is enlarging her mouth, and multitudes are continually descending to torments which knows no mitigation and no end! How astounding is it sometimes to ourselves, that, the base cares and the petty enjoyments of the present world should have so much power over us, as to retard us in our heavenward course, and make us negligent and indolent, heedless and forgetful. Time is short! Life is uncertain! Death is at hand! Immortality is about to swallow up our existence in eternal life—or eternal death! Heaven expanding above us! Hell is yawning beneath us! Eternity is opening before us!
It is by faith
It is by faith , as an operative principle of universal obedience to the gospel of Christ, that the believer "purifies his heart" and adorns his character with "the beauties of holiness," through the power of the Divine Spirit. It is by faith that he overcomes the world . . . the dread of its frown, the desire of its smile, its evil maxims, its corrupt principles. It is by faith that he . . . quenches the fiery darts of the wicked one, is delivered from the wiles of the devil, and bruises the serpent's head. It is by faith , as a pilgrim and stranger upon earth, he nourishes the desire for, and indulges the expectation of, that country which God has promised to those who love Him. It is by faith that he rises superior to the love of life, vanquishes the fear of death, and while this monster puts his most horrid form of mischief on—he smiles at his terrors, and, swelling into rapture, exclaims, "O death, where is your sting!"
Essential to eminent usefulness
A revived church is the best hope of a lost world. A revived ministry the best hope of a dormant church.
Under 'a great show of outward profession', there is a lamentable deficiency of vital godliness in our churches. Much of the prevailing benevolence and activity of the church, are a mere substitute for spiritual religion—rather than the expression of vital godliness. In our churches, it is easy to perceive . . . how much more welcome is the 'humorous'—than the serious; how much more anxious the audience is to be 'entertained' —than to be edified; how much greater homage is paid to the 'talent' of the preacher —than to his piety! In fact, our public meetings sometimes assume rather the character of 'religious amusements'—than pious worship! It ought never to be forgotten that a church meeting, if rightly understood, is a company of people brought together to carry out the design for which the Son of God expired upon the cross! Surely the frame of our minds, and the tone of the sermons, and the spirit and tendency of the whole worship service, ought to be in strict harmony with such a purpose. Yet many of our church meetings have rather lowered, than elevated the tone of our piety, and thus enfeebled our real strength for carrying on this great work. Eminent piety is essential to eminent usefulness!
It is eminent piety alone, which will enable us to take a clear and impressive view of the object to be sought, and supply the energies necessary for obtaining it. It is eminent piety alone, which will purify our motives, and produce that spirit of profound humility, self-denial, dependence, and entire consecration—which are necessary to qualify us for the work. It is eminent piety alone, which will keep up the spirit of faith and prayer, to which the divine promises are made. We must become . . . more devout, more prayerful, more holy, more heavenly, more spiritual.
He secretly wishes there was no Supreme Being The fool says in his heart, "There is no God!" (Psalm 14:1) His sinful disposition is at deadly enmity with the perfection of the Divine character. The holiness of God is the object of his abhorrence—as long as this exists he cannot be at perfect peace. The rays of Divine purity, as often as they fall upon his disordered mind, must disturb and exasperate it. He secretly wishes there was no Supreme Being —or that He was not holy. If his powers were equal to his desires, he would . . . wrest the sword of justice from the hand of Deity, strip the character of Jehovah of the beauties of holiness, dash in pieces the tables of His law, overturn the throne of judgment, and establish the reign of anarchy, in order that he might sin in peace, and escape the punishment of his wickedness! The very existence of a holy God is, and ever must be, an annoyance to him, in whose mind there are combined . . . the love of sin, a dread of its consequences, and a wish to be unmolested in his course of iniquity.
Flesh-pleasing pulpit opiates! They are a rebellious people, deceptive children, children who do not obey the Lord's instruction. They say to the seers, "Do not see," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy the truth to us. Tell us flattering things! Prophesy illusions! Get out of the way! Leave the pathway. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel." Is. 30:9-11 It is a striking fact, that He who was love incarnate; who was mercy's messenger to our lost world; who was named Jesus, because He was to be the Savior of His people; who was the manifestation of God's love to man—delivered, during the course of His personal ministry, more fearful descriptions of Divine justice and the punishment of the wicked, than are to be found in any other part of the Word of God! What can exceed the solemn scene of the parable of the rich man in torments? Hell and destruction are there set openly before us. No man can fulfill his ministry, therefore, without frequently alluding to the justice of God in the punishment of sin. He must seek to alarm the fears of the unconverted by a representation of the consequences that will follow a state of final impenitence. Such a subject frequently calls up all the enmity of the carnal mind. To be told, not only that they are sinners—which all will admit in general terms—but that their sins are such as to deserve the wrath of God, such as to expose them to the torments of hell, and such as will infallibly bring them to the bottomless pit—unless they truly repent; to be told again and again that they are hastening to perdition; to have the rod of Divine vengeance shaken over their heads; to have all the dreadful curses of the violated law analyzed, ascertained and announced; to have this done in their hearing, and done frequently; to be made to sit and hear their future eternal doom, and thus to be tormented before their time—is what they cannot, and will not endure! Unable to bear any longer his pointed addresses to the conscience, they will leave his ministry—for the flesh-pleasing pulpit opiates of some flatterer of men's souls, who is too cowardly to trouble the minds, or alarm the consciences of those who love smooth, flattering and delusive preaching. To be publicly denounced as deserving Divine wrath; to be told that they are sinners to such a degree as to merit the eternal punishment of a holy God; to be reminded that, instead of their fancied good heart, pure nature, and blameless life—they are, in the sight of God, depraved in every faculty and polluted in every part; to be represented as unfit for communion with God here, and for His presence hereafter—all this is so opposed to all their notions, so mortifying to their vain pride, so degrading to their dignity, that they cannot but dislike it. To such a debasement they would not willingly descend; and hence their demand for the teaching of deceit, and the smooth speech of falsehood. What they want is to be flattered into a good opinion of themselves. They hate the doctrine which disturbs their self-delight, and revile the man who attempts to tell them the solemn reality of how vile they are!
Do you remember little Elizabeth?
"He who wins souls is wise." Proverbs 11:30 My 'imagination' has sometimes presented me with this picture of a faithful teacher's entrance to the state of her everlasting rest. The agony of death finished, the triumph of faith completed—and the conquering spirit hastening to her crown! Upon the confines of the heavenly world, a divinely lovely form awaits her arrival. Enrapt in astonishment at the dazzling glory of this celestial inhabitant, she inquires, "Is this Gabriel, chief of all the heavenly multitudes—and am I honored with his aid to guide me to the throne of God?" With a smile of ineffable delight, such as gives fresh beauty to an angel's countenance, the mystic form replies, " Do you remember little Elizabeth , who was in yonder world—a pupil in your Sunday school class? Do you recollect the child who wept as you talked to her of sin—and directed her to the cross of the dying Redeemer? God smiled with approbation upon your effort, and by His own Spirit sealed the impression upon her heart in characters never to be effaced. Providence removed her from beneath your care, before the fruit of your labor was visible. The gospel seed, however, had taken root, and it was the privilege of another to water—what you had sown. Nourished by the influence of heaven, the 'plant of piety' flourished in her heart, and shed its fragrance upon her character. Piety, after guarding her from the snares of youth, cheered her amidst the accumulated trials of an afflicted life, supported her amidst the agonies of death, and elevated her to the mansions of immortality! And now behold before you—the glorified spirit of that poor child , who, under God, owes the eternal life on which she has entered—to your faithful labors in the Sunday School; and who is now sent by our Redeemer to introduce you to the world of glory, as your first and least reward for guiding the once thoughtless, ignorant, wicked Elizabeth to the world of grace! Hail, happy spirit! Hail, favored of the Lord! Hail, deliverer of my soul! Hail, to the world of eternal glory!" I can trace the scene no further! I cannot paint the raptures produced in the honored teacher's bosom by this unexpected encounter. I cannot depict the mutual gratitude and love of two such spirits meeting on the confines of heaven—much less can I follow them to their everlasting mansion, and disclose the bliss which they shall enjoy before the throne of God! All this, and a thousand times more, is attendant upon the salvation of one single soul! Teachers, what a motive to diligence! Amidst surrounding millions, the faithful teacher shall stand to receive the public plaudits of his Judge and Savior—"In as much as you have done it unto the least of these My brethren —you have done it unto Me! Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord!"
This most hateful disposition! Temptations vary with our circumstances, but there is no scene from which they are entirely excluded. There is no situation, however obscured by solitude, or elevated by piety—from which all temptations can be effectually shut out. The fact is, that as our chief danger arises from our own evil heart. Until we can be separated from our vile selves, we shall look in vain for a spot sequestered from the attack of temptation. One temptation to which Sunday School teachers are exposed, is a spirit of PRIDE. To be a teacher of others; to be invested with authority; to be regarded as an oracle; to be listened to with deference; is a situation which has its temptations, and which some weak minds have found quite too powerful for the growth of humility. You mistake, if you suppose that merely being a teacher of children, is too small to induce pride. Pride is a vice that does not dwell exclusively in king's houses, wear only elegant clothing, and feed sumptuously every day upon lofty titles, fame or affluence. Pride . . . is generated in the depravity of our nature, accommodates itself to our circumstances, and adapts itself to our taste! Pride is found as often in the poor cottage, as in the elegant mansion. Consciousness of superiority—whatever be the object of comparison—is the basis of this most hateful disposition of pride; and this may be supplied even from the office of a Sunday School teacher!
Be watchful therefore, over your own heart—for the loss of humility is a destruction in the Christian character , which cannot be repaired by the most splendid talents, or the most active zeal.
Every child is totally depraved It is important for you, in all your exertions, to bear in mind the total and universal depravity of the human race. By total depravity , I do not mean that people are as bad as they can be; for in general they lie under strong restraints—and most do not sin with reckless abandonment. I do not mean that they are all equally wicked; for some are less sinful than others. I do not mean that they are destitute of everything useful, and lovely in society; for their social affections are often strong and praiseworthy. I do not mean that their actions are always wrong; the contrary is manifestly true. What I mean by total depravity, is an entire destitution in the human heart by nature—of all spiritual affection, and holy propensities. In this view, every child is totally depraved . To change this state of the mind, and produce a holy bias; to create a new disposition; to turn all the affections into a new channel, and cause them to flow towards God and heaven, is the work of the omnipotent and eternal Spirit!
Gently rubbed off by the hand of love "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven!" Matt. 5:10-12 Consider it your honor to be persecuted for righteousness sake. The richest laurel that can adorn your brow is the scorn of fools! The praise of the wicked is censure—and their satire is praise. Every feeble mind can scoff, but only the wise man can bear it well. The scorner is below a man; but the man who bears scorn patiently is like an angel. Instead of indulging in revenge, exercise forgiveness! You have reason rather to be grateful to the scoffer, than to be angry with him. His foul breath, though it seems to tarnish your reputation for awhile, yet being gently rubbed off by the hand of love , shall only prepare it for a brighter luster. And it shall be proved hereafter that the scorner was the occasion of adding one more gem to the crown of glory which shall adorn your brow with unfading honor! Pity him, for he is indeed more an object of your pity than of your contempt. Thus prove to the scoffer that the religion which he ridicules, subdues the turbulent and angry passions, teaches its possessor to forgive iniquities against himself, and implants the godlike disposition of returning good for evil.
The sum total of worldly enjoyment in those two ciphers! "I have seen everything that is done under the sun. Look at it! All is vanity and vexation of spirit! " Ecclesiastes 1:14 The design of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes seems to be this—after detailing the good things of life to the widest extent, setting them in the strongest light, and granting to them every possible advantage which their most passionate admirers contend for—to demonstrate, that as they are attended with so many inseparable evils, are so short-lived in their continuance, so unprofitable in the hour of death, and so utterly useless in the eternal world beyond the grave—that they are insufficient for the needs of the soul, and inadequate to the eternal happiness of man. No one was more capable of forming a correct opinion on this subject than Solomon; since no man ever commanded more resources of earthly delight than he did, or ever more eagerly availed himself of the opportunities which he possessed. And yet he grew disgusted and dissatisfied with sensual pleasures, and at length gives us the sum total of worldly enjoyment in those two ciphers —vanity and vexation of spirit! His testimony, therefore, is to be considered as that of a man who had drunk the cup of earthly pleasures to its dregs —and who found those dregs to be wormwood, gall, and poison!
The worst enemy of mankind! "Being examples to the flock ." 1 Peter 5:3 "He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church." 1 Corinthians 4:17 They expect to see our descriptions of piety copied into our own conduct; and happy the man who having set forth true godliness in his discourses, in all its beautiful proportions and all its glowing colors, shall constrain the audience to exclaim, "The painter has delineated his own likeness!" Happy the man who, when the people shall ask, "What is true religion?" shall be not only able to reply in reference to his pulpit, "Come and hear," but in reference to his life, "Come and see!" He alone is an honor to his pastoral office, who lives the gospel which he preaches, and adorns by his conduct the doctrines which he believes. But the unholy minister is a disgrace to Christianity, and the worst enemy of mankind! He is the most powerful abettor of infidelity, and does more to wither the eternal interests of mankind than the most malignant and pestiferous treatises that ever issued from the press. If he perished alone in his sins, our feelings might be those of unmingled pity. But when we view him ruining the souls of others by his example, we unite abhorrence with our compassion, just as we would at the conduct of the shepherd who first drove his flock over a precipice, and then dashed himself upon the rocks below!
An insatiable thirst after larger attainments The man who thinks he has enough godliness—gives a decisive proof that he has none at all. There is in true piety, an insatiable thirst after larger attainments . . . in knowledge, in faith, in hope, in love, in purity. Therefore let every real Christian adopt the language of Paul, and act up to the assertion, "Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do— forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14
He cannot forget "Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." John 3:36 The Christian realizes that the whole human race is in a state of sin and ruin; suffering all the consequences of sin in this world—and exposed to the bitter pains of eternal death in the world to come. He is convinced that without a fitness for the pure and spiritual joys of heaven, not one individual of all the millions who are continually passing into eternity, can ascend to the realms of glory and felicity. They appear, in his eyes, to be actually perishing, and hence he is filled with the tenderest concern, and affected with the deepest sorrow. In his estimation . . . the most agonizing diseases, the most pinching poverty, the greatest deprivation, and the heaviest cares, are as nothing, compared with those miseries which sin has brought upon the deathless soul. He cannot forget , that the soul, if not saved, will become immortal in its suffering and wretchedness. "Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." John 3:36
Delusive signs!
There are delusive signs of spiritual health and vigor. Increased ability and disposition to 'talk of religion' in the way of explaining and defending its doctrines, may be mistaken for an increased influence of it in the heart. Yet this may be nothing but the working of pride, or an effusion of vanity. To have a knowledge of the truths of Scripture, without an experience of their influence upon the heart, is only walking to the bottomless pit with the torch of truth in our right hand! Zeal for some peculiar notions or forms, may be thought to be pure concern for God's glory. Yet all the while it may only be the most rancorous party spirit. Liberality in giving may be merely self-righteousness or ostentation. Undeviating formality may be erroneously thought to be ardent devotion. Enthusiastic attachment to some novel opinion, may be erroneously supposed to be spirituality of mind. These are but a few specimens of the errors into which people fall, in judging spiritual health and vigor. And they tend to show the vast importance of our having a scriptural knowledge of the correct tests of personal godliness.
As he snuffs the gale of popular applause! "In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God ." 2 Corinthians 6:4. This verse implies that ministers are to labor for God— surely not for the preacher's fame. SELF is an idol which has been worshiped by far greater multitudes than any other deity of either ancient or modern heathenism. A minister is the last man in the world who should be seen at the altar of this vile abomination—SELF. And yet without great care he is likely to be the first one there, to linger there the longest, to bow the lowest, and to express his devotion by the costliest sacrifices! Many become ministers merely to acquire popular applause. 'Fame' is their motive and their aim. To commend themselves, is the secret but powerful spring of all they do. SELF is with them in the study directing their reading, selecting their texts, arranging their thoughts, forming their illustrations—and all with a view to 'shine in public'. Thus prepared, they ascend the pulpit with the same object which conducts the actor to the stage—to secure the applause of approving spectators. Every tone is modulated, every emphasis laid, every attitude regulated—to please the audience, rather than to profit their souls; to commend themselves, and not Jesus Christ. The service ended, this bosom idol returns with them to their own abode, and renders them restless and uneasy to know how they have succeeded. If they are admired, they receive their reward; if not, the first prize is lost! It is nothing in abatement of the sin, that all this while evangelical sentiments are uttered. Orthodoxy is the most direct road to popularity. Christ may be the text— when SELF is the sermon! And dreadful as it seems, it is to be feared that many have elevated the cross only to suspend upon the 'sacred tree' their own honors! and have employed all the glories of redemption—merely to emblazon their own name! The ministry is not intended to be a platform, where the petty manufacturer of 'tinsel eloquence' and 'rhetorical flowers' shall display to a gaping crowd his gaudy wares! When carried to this height, this is the direst, deepest tragedy that was ever performed by man, since it ends in the actual and eternal death of the performer , who forgets, as he snuffs the gale of popular applause , that it bears the vapors of damnation! "The Spirit took me to the north gate of the temple's inner courtyard, where there was an idol that disgusted the Lord and made Him furious! " (Ezekiel 8:3)
This heavenly magnet! "But God proves His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" Romans 5:8 It magnifies the love of God, to consider the guilt, sinfulness and unworthiness of its objects. As an exhibition of unparalleled love , the cross melts and captivates the heart! Think of the attraction of the cross —when the love which it exhibits, is seen and felt by a mind under the influence of the Holy Spirit. What was it, my readers, which melted your hard and frozen hearts into penitence, and gratitude and love? What was it that drew you away from your sins? What was it that brought you as willing captives to the feet of Jesus? It was the love of God beseeching you upon the summit of Calvary, and with open arms bidding you welcome to the heart of Deity! Everything else united to repel you. The terrors of justice petrified you with horror, and despair was binding you more closely than ever to your sins—until divine mercy appeared and told you there was hope for the guilty—in this heavenly magnet —the cross of Christ!
Gathering around the very cradle of his infant! The godly parent reflects on the destiny of that being which with rapture, he calls his child . He penetrates the disguise which the 'helplessness and unconsciousness of infancy' seem to have thrown around that child, and discovers the grandeur and the dignity of an immortal being! He sees in his countenance, that face which is to shine like the sun in the skies with the glory of God—OR to be clouded with the infamy and horror of the divine curse! He hears a voice
which is to be forever hymning the praises of its Creator —OR to be forever venting blasphemies against its Judge! In short, he contemplates a being born for eternity; one who will be forever towering from height to height of glory in heaven—OR sinking from gulf to gulf of despair in hell! He refl
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John Angell James was an English Nonconformist clergyman and writer, born at Blandford Forum. After seven years apprenticeship to a linen-draper in Poole, Dorset, he decided to become a preacher, and in 1802 he went to David Bogue's training institution at Gosport in Hampshire. A year and a half later, on a visit to Birmingham, his preaching was so highly esteemed by the congregation of Carrs Lane Independent chapel that they invited him to exercise his ministry amongst them; he settled there in 1805, and was ordained in May 1806. For several years his success as a preacher was comparatively small; but he became suddenly popular in about 1814, and began to attract large crowds. At the same time his religious writings, the best known of which are The Anxious Inquirer and An Earnest Ministry, acquired a wide circulation.
He was one of the founders of the Evangelical Alliance and of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. Municipal interests appealed strongly to him, and he was also for many years chairman of Spring Hill (afterwards Mansfield) College. He was also an ardent slavery abolitionist.