{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_58001/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_58001","id":"gutenberg_58001","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58001","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Religion/Spirituality","Sermons, English -- 19th century"],"text":"Transcribed from the 1810 Ann Kemmish edition by David Price, email\nccx074@pglaf.org\n\n\n\n\n\n                           SPIRITUAL VICTORIES,\n                               THROUGH THE\n                          _Light of Salvation_.\n\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                         BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF A\n\n                                 SERMON,\n\n                Preached on SUNDAY, March the 11th, 1810,\n\n                                  AT THE\n\n                             OBELISK CHAPEL,\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                              BY J. CHURCH,\n                          Minster of the Gospel.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                         _PUBLISHED BY REQUEST_.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n      \u201cO House of Jacob, come ye, let us walk in the Light of the Lord.\u201d\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                               _SOUTHWARK_:\n              Printed by ANN KEMMISH, King-Street, Borough.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                                  1810.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n\n\n\n_PREFACE_.\n\n\n_TO those Friends who requested the Publication of this Sermon_\u2014_I have\nonly to say_, _I have endeavored to recollect a considerable part of it_;\n_many ideas I have omitted_, _and others I have introduced_, _as I had\nnot the least intention of making this public_, _nor should I but for\nyour very pressing solicitation_.  _I would remark by way of Preface_,\n_that the success of Sermons_, _in point of usefulness_, _depends upon\nthe operations of God the divine Spirit_; _and these influences are\nentirely sovereign_.  _That although this Sermon was blest to you in the\nhearing_, _it may not be so to you in the reading_\u2014_nevertheless_, _as\nthe friends of immortal truth_\u2014_you being in the possession of that love_\n(_which rejoiceth in the truth_) _will also rejoice in every attempt to\nexalt the Person of Jesus as the truth_; _to comfort and establish\nBelievers in the truth_, _and to encourage all the heralds of truth_, _to\nbe faithful unto death_.  _I have sent forth the truth in a very plain\nstyle_; _to you who know her excellencies she will shine with unfading\ncharms_; _while you adore the God of all grace_\u2014_and I subscribe myself_,\n\n                             _Your willing Servant in the cause of truth_,\n                                                              _J. CHURCH_.\n\n\n\n\nA SERMON.\n\n\n                        JUDGES viith Chap. 20th Verse.\n\n    \u201c_And the three companies blew the trumpets_, _and brake the\n    pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands_, _and their\n    trumpets in their right_, _to blow withal_; _and they cried_, _The\n    Sword of the Lord and of Gideon_!\u201d\n\nTHE history of the church of God, in all ages past, as recorded in the\nScriptures, is intended by the Spirit to exhibit many things of vast\nimportance to us, on whom the ends of the world are come.\n\nFIRST.\u2014The rebellion, ingratitude, and idolatry of the Israelites, give\nus an awful proof of human depravity, and teach an humbling lesson to the\nspiritual Israel, who have the same sinful nature, are prone to the same\nsins, and would often fall into them and their consequences, but for the\ngrace of God.\n\nSECONDLY.\u2014The patience and long-suffering of God, particularly marked out\nin this history\u2014he bare long with them; his mercy was extended,\nprolonged, and manifested to them, notwithstanding all their\nprovocations, in forgetting his deliverances of them in times past, and\npractising the same sins he had before resented.\n\nTHIRDLY.\u2014His disapprobation of their conduct, and the means he took to\ntestify it, are set before us.  Our God is never at a loss for means to\naccomplish his wise and holy purposes of justice or mercy, as is evident\nfrom the history before us.  The blessed Spirit operating upon the souls\nof his people, often by his influence reproves their consciences of sin,\nas it is so opposite to the purity of that divine nature, or holy\nprinciple he has blessed them with.  Sin, committed by a believer, is a\ntransgression of the law, or dictates of faith; for there is no sin,\ncondemned under the first covenant, but what, under the covenant of\ngrace, is pointed out in more odious colours.\u2014Hence the idolatry,\nrebellion, and ingratitude of the believer, are seen and lamented by him\nas a child of God; and as God the Spirit communicates light to his\nunderstanding, to discover it as sinful, he perpetually testifies that\nhis sins are more sinful than those who know not God.\n\nFOURTHLY.\u2014The inseparable connection between sin and sorrow, is felt by\nall, both elect and non-elect.  By nations, families, and individuals,\nthe moral and penal evils of the Fall, will be, must be, and are felt by\nall.  The non-elect feel it in many awful forms, as transgressors, in the\ncurse of the ground, in the calamities of war, in all the dreadful\nhorrors of a guilty conscience, and in the wrath of a sin-avenging God.\nNations feel it universally; this is evident by the calamities which\nbefell the land of Canaan\u2014so the 6th Chapter begins: \u201cAnd the children of\nIsrael did evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them\ninto the hand of Midian.\u201d  Their sin was resented in this form, by the\nLord\u2014the prevailing of their enemies, which forced them to hide in dens,\ncaves, mountains, and strong holds\u2014their enemies destroyed the increase\nof their country, and reduced them almost to a famine; \u201cand Israel was\ngreatly impoverished because of the Midianites\u201d and people of Arabia.\n\nFIFTHLY.\u2014The tender mercy of God the Saviour appears as remarkable in\ntheir deliverance; in the remembrance of his covenant of old, with their\nfore-fathers; his good hand was seen in bringing them out of trouble,\nalthough they had brought these troubles on themselves\u2014what a solemn, but\ngracious proof; \u201cO!  Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself! but in me is\nthine help.\u201d  And what encouragement does this give to poor backsliders\nto return to Jesus, their first husband; for although they have brought\nthese troubles on themselves, yet Jesus is ready to deliver them!  What a\nstriking account does the pious Nehemiah give of the conduct of the\nIsraelites, and the goodness of God to man\u20149th chap. 28th verse; \u201cBut\nafter they had rest, they did evil again before thee, therefore thou\nleftest them in the hands of their enemies, so that they had dominion\nover them; yet when they cried unto thee thou heardest them from heaven;\nand many times thou didst deliver them, according to thy tender mercies.\u201d\n\nSIXTHLY.\u2014I remark again, that our God has ever manifested himself a God,\nhearing prayer: the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, and the Lord\nsent a prophet to them; and after reproving them, we have an account of a\ndeliverer, raised up by the Lord himself.  What encouragement does this\ngive to us in all our trials, without and within, whether in body, soul,\ncircumstances, family, or nation.  God has even condescended to hear the\ncries of many who had no grace, yet, led by the light of nature to call\non him in trouble; and will he turn a deaf ear to his saints in trouble?\nsurely not.  Believer, the remedy\u2019s before thee\u2014PRAY.\n\nIn taking one more view of this history, we must admire the conduct of\nGod in over-turning all the schemes of men, their wisdom, counsel, and\npower: that in providence as well as in grace, his wisdom, power, and\nfaithfulness, might be clearly seen and adored by his people.  His wisdom\nin the permission of the Fall, and its awful consequences, seems to go\nbefore, and make way for the displays of his love, mercy, power, and\nfaithfulness.  This is seen in his dispensations, generally, and\nparticularly in grace & providence.  How often has infinite wisdom\npermitted heavy troubles to come on the Church, to wean her from the\ncreature\u2014to shew her the value of Jesus, as a deliverer\u2014and to lead her\nto him by many intreaties; that while we feel our strength perfect\nweakness, we may the more clearly discover the good hand of our God, in\nour support and deliverance, and give him the glory due to his name for\nit.  The principal end God has in view in all his dispensations, is his\nown glory\u2014this is the first cause and last grand end of all things\u2014\u201cfor\nof him, and through him, and to him, are all things.\u201d  Had the victory we\nare considering been gained by well disciplined men, led on by wise,\nnoble, valiant generals, who had often been successful in war\u2014had this\nbeen the case, the creature would have been extolled, and God nearly\nforgotten.  But this victory was a display of the power of Jehovah\u2014his\nhand clearly seen, his mercy displayed, and all the honor given to him to\nwhom it is due.  The means, the feeble means the Lord made use of were\nsimply, a weak un-armed man, with only three hundred men, led by him,\nwith lamps, trumpets, and pitchers\u2014to carnal reason a very unlikely\nmethod to conquer two hundred thousand Midianites, well skilled in the\nart of war.  But this was God\u2019s method, and we have a right to submit our\nwisdom to God\u2019s plan; \u201cfor my thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor my\nways as your ways, saith the Lord; for as the heavens are high above the\nearth, so are my ways above your ways.\u201d  And this victory, through such\nfeeble means, is a confirmation of this truth\u2014the angel Jehovah Jesus,\nappeared to Gideon as he was threshing wheat, in a secret place, to hide\nit from the enemy; and assured him, that however mean himself and family\nwere, he should deliver Israel from their present servitude.  Gideon,\nastonished at such an appearance, such a salutation, and such a\ndeclaration, began to ask, \u201cHow this could be?\u201d  The blessed Jesus tells\nhim, \u201cSurely I will be with thee.\u201d  Gideon, like the rest of God\u2019s\npeople, could not give God the credit of God, nor take him at his word\u2014he\ncould not honor him by believing on him, and prays, \u201cIf I have found\ngrace in thy sight, shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.\u201d\u2014As\nbelievers in Jesus, we are called to walk by faith, and not by sight, as\nseeing him who is invisible, or out of sight\u2014depending on his word, oath,\nand faithfulness, as the word of a covenant God, who cannot lie: this is\nhonoring Jesus\u2014yet God condescended to give Gideon the request of his\nlips; and to confirm his faith, he, with a rod, touched the rock, and\ncaused fire to come out of it, and, consume the slain Kid and unleavened\ncakes, all moistened with the broth, which Gideon, at his command, had\nput thereon.  Gideon was fearful and apprehensive of immediate death, as\nhe had seen an angel; but the Lord kindly assured him that he was in no\ndanger.\u2014How strange and groundless the fears of God\u2019s people\u2014frequently\nthey take covenant-love dispensations as tokens of wrath; forgetting it\nis written, \u201cI will no more be wroth with thee, nor forsake thee.\u201d\u2014We are\nseldom satisfied with the wise and gracious conduct of our God; when we\nhave no sign or clear evidences we murmur\u2014when we have we often fear they\nare not of a right kind.  Well may saints be called children, seeing they\npossess the weakness of them.\n\nAfter this, Gideon built an altar, and called it Jehovah Shalom\u2014believing\nwhat the Lord had declared, \u201cthat he would send peace to Israel.\u201d  It is\nworthy of observation, that the people of God only rear up altars to the\nLord, as they believe in him\u2014there is no praying or praising but by faith\nin Jesus; this leads the soul out to God, and \u201cwithout faith it is\nimpossible to please God.\u201d  Gideon then testified his zeal for the\nservice of God, and in God\u2019s strength he threw down the altar of Baal,\nand cut down the grove that was by it.  This shews the effect of faith in\nJesus; it is a faith which worketh by love to God\u2019s service, and produces\na zeal for his glory.  This alarms Satan, who stirs up persecution\nagainst all who love the Redeemer\u2019s cause, as in the instance of\nGideon\u2014his fellow-citizens sought his life, for opposing their idolatry;\nbut Joash, his father, remonstrated with them, that it did not become the\npeople of God to plead for Baal; and that if Baal was truly God, he ought\nto exert his power in punishing those who had broken down his altar; and\nhe called his son Jerubbaal, that is, let Baal contend with himself (if\nhe can).\n\nUnderstanding the Midianites had crossed Jordan, Westward, and were\nencamped in the valley of Jezreel, at no great distance\u2014filled with the\nSpirit of God, as a spirit of courage, Gideon sounded a trumpet, and\nassembled his friends, to the number of thirty-two thousand men.  But,\nalas! what was this little army to meet and encounter with two hundred\nthousand!  Perhaps his heart might fail him once more\u2014he begs another,\neven a double sign.  We must never forget that God has said \u201cOpen thy\nmouth wide; ask great things;\u201d\u2014the Lord graciously answers him, and by\nbedewing a fleece of wool, while the adjacent ground was dry\u2014and again\nbedewing the ground, while the fleece of wool was dry, the Lord confirmed\nhis doubtful mind.  Thus assured of victory Gideon marched his forces\ndirectly towards the Midianites.  What the army thought we know not, in\ntheir march, knowing their fewness and the vast army of the other\u2014but\nevery natural gift is of the Holy-Ghost, as the God of nature and\nprovidence, as well as every spiritual one; and all the wisdom and\ncourage of warriors are the work of God the Spirit, and no man has any of\nthese gifts inherent in himself, they are the peculiar gifts of God, to\nanswer his holy purposes.  And now Gideon\u2019s faith is put to a double\ntrial.  If God gives his people grace, he tries that grace, especially\nthe grace of faith.  At the well of Harod God ordered him to warn his\narmy, that every one who was timorous should return home, and there\nreturned home twenty-two thousand! so that Gideon was left but with ten\nthousand.  God was wisely securing the honor of this victory to\nhimself\u2014hence he assigns this reason, \u201clest Israel vaunt themselves and\nsay, Not the Lord, but mine hand hath done this:\u201d and so it is in our\nsalvation\u2014God has wisely permitted man to become as weak as he was\nwicked, that he might take occasion to honor the riches of his grace, in\nsaving those who could not save themselves: and how often is this seen in\nhis providential dealings, when brought into circumstances of sore trial,\nand every door shut up? then it is that the Lord\u2019s hand is more clearly\nseen, and the glory redounds to him.  His glory is great in our\nsalvation\u2014this made the ancients say, \u201cWhen the bricks are doubled, then\ncomes Moses;\u201d that is, \u201cMan\u2019s greatest extremity is God\u2019s opportunity.\u201d\n\nGideon\u2019s faith is tried again: \u201cThe people are yet too many for me,\u201d\nsaith the Lord.\u2014He was then ordered to cause all of his people to drink\nout of the river, without using any vessel.  On this trial only three\nhundred lapped the water, putting their hands to their mouths; the rest\nbowed on their knees to drink water.  This was emblematic of their\nspirits and minds\u2014some, apparently careless of their country, took their\nease at the water-side\u2014the three hundred, set upon the battle, (which\nthey saw God\u2019s hand was in), they only lapped the little out of their\nhands they had hastily caught up.  What an emblem of the different\ncharacters that compose the visible church of Jesus\u2014some who only have a\nname to live, and are dead! who are taking their ease in Zion, and\nresting beside the waters of creature comforts; while the humble and\nzealous believer is using the world as a traveller at an Inn, knowing\nthat he is but a stranger and a pilgrim here below; and that as he is\nengaged in a warfare, it will not be for God\u2019s glory to load himself with\nthick clay.  The Lord then says, \u201cBy the three hundred men that lapped\nwill I save Israel.\u201d\u2014These three hundred were ordered to provide victuals\nfor some days; and each a trumpet, a lamp, and a pitcher.  We hear\nnothing of arms; but, just before the victory, Gideon and Phurah his\nservant, went into the Midianitish camp, at night, as directed of God.\nHere, for the confirmation of his faith, and once more, to assure him of\nsuccess, he heard a soldier in the host tell his comrade of a strange\ndream he had, of a barley cake rolling from the hill, and over-turning\nhis tent.  The other explained the dream, and said, \u201cThis is no other\nthan the Sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel, for into his\nhand hath God delivered the Midianites.\u201d\u2014Doubtless the Midianites had\nheard before that the God of Israel had raised up one to oppose them; but\nthey were not intimidated with that, perhaps only laughed at the weakness\nof the Israelites, in placing any dependence on their God\u2014as Satan and\nthe world, pharisees, and hypocrites, laughing at believers, walking by\nfaith, and not by sight; it will be the believer\u2019s turn to laugh another\nday, when their enemies shall gnaw their tongues in anguish, and say, We\nfools counted their lives madness, and their end without honor.\n\nGideon was now encouraged, divided his army into three companies, and\nordered them to imitate him in all he did\u201416th verse; \u201cAnd he divided the\nthree hundred into companies,\u201d one hundred in each company, partly to\nmake the better figure; a shew of an army, with right and left wing, and\npartly that they might fall upon the camp of Midian in different\nparts\u2014and he put a trumpet in every man\u2019s hand\u2014they that returned of the\ntrumpeters having left their trumpets behind, so that there was a\nsufficient number of trumpets for three hundred men; and these were put\ninto their hands, that when they blew together the noise would be very\ngreat, and it would seem, by the noise, like a great army, and so terrify\ntheir enemies.  \u201cWith empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers:\u201d the\npitchers were of earth, and so very easily broken, and made a great noise\nin clashing together one against another; and these were empty of water,\nor otherwise would not have been fit to put lamps into\u2014and the lamps put\ninto them were not of oil, for then when the pitchers were broken the oil\nwould have run out\u2014but were a kind of torches, made of rosin, wax, pitch,\nand such like things; and these were put in the pitchers to preserve them\nfrom the wind, and conceal them from the enemy till just as they came\nupon them, and then they held them out\u2014which, in a dark night, would make\na terrible blaze, as before this they were of use to light them down the\nhill to the camp.  Gideon stood forward first, and as he acted so were\nthey to act; and as they were acting so they were to exclaim, \u201cThe Sword\nof the Lord and of Gideon!\u201d or, for the Lord and for Gideon.  The name\nJehovah, these heathens might often have heard as the God of Israel, and\nwould now sound dreadful to them; and the name of Gideon also:\u2014this was\nthe reason why Gideon is added, and not out of arrogance and vanity, but\nput after the name of the Lord, as being only an instrument the Lord\nthought fit to make use of; but all the glory belonged to the Lord.\n\nVerse 19.\u2014So Gideon, and the three hundred men that were with him, which\nwas one of the three companies his army was divided into, came unto the\nout-side of the camp, in the beginning of the middle watch, (the second\nwatch).  In early times the Jews divided their nights into three watches;\nGideon choose the middle\u2014had he come the first, all might not have been\nin bed\u2014had he come the last, some might have been rising; but he took\nthis time, a little after midnight in the dead of the night, when the\nwhole army was fast asleep\u2014and the three companies blew the trumpets, and\nbrake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the\ntrumpets in their right hands, to blow withal\u2014and they cried, The Sword\nof the Lord, and of Gideon!  The noise, and the blaze of light were very\nsurprising to the host of Midian, just awaking out of their sleep,\nperhaps\u2014an awful emblem of the surprise a soul experiences, when it\nleaves the body without a hope, and without a God!\u2014a greater emblem of\nthat period, when the midnight cry shall be made\u2014when the arch-angels\ntrumpet shall wake the dead!\u2014shake the vast creation when the blaze of a\nburning world, and the sword of vindictive justice shall be seen.\u2014\u201cThe\nhost of Midian ran, and cried, and fled.\u201d\u2014Such shall the terror be in\nthat dread moment.  See this finely represented by the excellent Admiral\nKempenfelt, who was drowned in the Royal George, and who composed some\nexcellent verses on the Last Day.  I will only mention these two verses,\nas suitable to this subject, and will be acceptable to the believer,\nwhile it is a terror to those Midianites who will experience the horrors\nof that day.\u2014\n\n    Hark! \u2019tis the trump of God\n    Sounds thro\u2019 the worlds abroad\u2014\n          Time is no more!\n    Horrors invest the skies!\n    Graves burst and myriads rise!\n    Nature, in agonies,\n          Yields up her store.\n\n    Chang\u2019d in a moment\u2019s space!\n    See the affrighted race\n          Shrink and despair!\n    Now they attempt to flee\u2014\n    Curse immortality?\n    And view their misery\n       Dreadfully near!\n\nBut while the Midianites fled, the Israelites stood every man in his\nplace;\u2014so it will be at the final consummation of all things.  Clothed in\nthe righteousness of Jesus, we shall stand in our lot, and see a burning\nworld, and the misery of the damned.  But while Jesus descends as our\nsalvation we shall glorify, and for ever admire him.\u2014This will surely be\nthy experience and thy privilege, O believer, as sure as ever the Holy\nSpirit has brought you, in time, to believe on him, to seek him, rejoice\nin him, and live to his praise.\n\nTo close the history of Gideon\u2014we find, that the Midianites in the dark,\nand in their terror, took their friends for their foes, and killed one\nanother\u2014one hundred and twenty thousand Midianites were slain; fifteen\nthousand got over Jordan with Zebah and Zalmunna, their kings.\u2014Gideon\npursued them at their heels.  His men being faint he desired the elders\nof Penuel and Succoth, as he passed, to give them victuals; but they,\naccounting him a fool to pursue such an army with such an handful of men,\nrefused his troops refreshment, which he, afterwards, justly\nresented.\u2014After his victories the Israelites offered him the government\nof their country, which he as piously declined, and told them the Lord,\nalone, was their rightful sovereign.\u2014Thus was Midian conquered in such a\nmanner that they lifted up their heads no more, to threaten or overcome\nthe Israelites.\u2014After judging Israel seventy years, Gideon dies, leaving\nbehind him seventy sons, all of whom were basely murdered by Abimelech.\n\nWe cannot close this history of pious, valiant, honored Gideon, without\ntaking a view of the grand design of God the Holy Ghost, in this, as well\nas in many more instances of renowned warriors, pious judges, and noble\ndeliverers.\u2014I humbly conceive in the history of Gideon is sweetly\nexhibited the adorable Redeemer, as the Christ of God, as the Deliverer\nof his saints, as the Saviour of sinners, as the Judge of Israel, and the\nglorious leader of his people.  His poverty and meanness, set forth the\nabasement and humiliation of him who was rich, yet, for our sakes, became\npoor, in every sense of the word.  Gideon\u2019s call to his work, sets forth\nChrist\u2019s call to save sinners, which he willingly accepted for the sake\nof his Israel.  Hence the Father, in the Covenant, is represented as\nsaying, \u201cI have called thee in righteousness; thou art my servant, in\nwhom I will be glorified.\u201d  So the Redeemer says, \u201cNow the Lord God, and\nhis Spirit hath sent me\u2014the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he\nhath anointed me to preach the Gospel.\u201d  The miraculous confirmation of\nGideon\u2019s call, leads us to remark the miracles of our blessed Jesus, as\nproofs of his Divinity, and to confirm his Messiahship as the sent of the\nFather; not forgetting the Father\u2019s testimony at his baptism and\ntransfiguration.  The zeal Gideon shewed for the service of God, reminds\nus of him who once said, \u201cThe zeal of thy house hath eaten me up;\u201d and\nwho drove the buyers and sellers out of his Father\u2019s house.\u2014By a few\nweak, unarmed men, Gideon did wonders.  What a type of him who, by a few\npoor illiterate preachers, sounding the Gospel trumpet, and displaying\nthe light and fire from their earthen vessels, foiled sin and Satan, and\nthe lying and delusive systems of Scribes, Pharisees, and idolatrous\nPriests, in the Jewish and Gentile world.\u2014As Gideon invited others to\nshare in his victories, so does our glorious Immanuel, Christ; having\nobtained peace by the blood of his cross, and wrought out a complete\nobedience, he invites his friends, and bids them an hearty welcome, with\nan \u201cEat, O friends.\u201d\u2014Gideon mildly pacified the unreasonable\nEphraimites\u2014and how mildly does our Jesus often pacify our rebellious\nspirits, when he overcomes us with sweet discoveries of his covenant\nlove, tender mercy, covenant faithfulness, and finished work.\u2014Gideon\nresented the cruelty of the men of Penuel, for refusing his men\nrefreshment\u2014he, tore flesh, killed their chief men, and destroyed their\ntower\u2014a striking emblem how Christ will deal with mystical Babylon, and\nwith all who deny his poor people help in time of need\u2014(see the 25th\nMatthew) \u201cWhen I was hungry ye gave me no meat\u2014and these shall go away\ninto everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.\u201d\u2014After\nhis victories he arrives to great honor; and our Jesus is highly exalted.\nGideon judges Israel; and all judgment is committed to Jesus.\u2014Gideon asks\na present of those for whom he had done so much; and Jesus says, \u201cMy son,\ngive me thine heart!\u201d\u2014and by Paul, \u201cI beseech you by the mercies you have\nreceived, to dedicate yourselves to God, which is your reasonable\nservice.\u201d\n\nI cannot pass by this history without enlarging a little more, which I\nshall do, God leading me, only to make a few remarks, in a spiritual way,\nupon that part which I first read as a text; and I hope, without any\ninjustice to the subject, or straining it, or putting a sense on it, that\nwas never intended, there can be no impropriety in my leading the minds\nof my hearers from the lesser to a greater subject; and I must give it as\nmy most decided opinion, that the greatest part of the Old Testament\ncircumstances were really designed to hold forth something of Jesus, and\nthe salvation of the Gospel.  To exhibit from the text the Person and\nWork of the Son of God\u2014to point out the qualifications and work of Gospel\nministers, with an application of the text to the whole body of God\u2019s\nelect, in the present state of things, is my design.  The Person of\nJesus, as God-Man Mediator, and the Redemption of men, by him, was\nexhibited to the Old Testament saints, by many figures; these, the\nexcellent Milton stiles Religious Rights of Sacrifices; informing men, by\ntypes and shadows, of that destined Seed to bruise the Serpent\u2014by what\nmeans he shall atchieve deliverance.\u2014Our blessed Lord owns many of the\nshadows: the Apostle, or rather the Holy-Ghost by the Apostle, applies\nmany others; the Brazen Serpent, Solomon\u2019s Temple, the Prophet Jonah in\nthe Whale\u2019s belly, the Smitten Rock, the Vail of the Temple, the divided\nWaves of the Sea, the Cloud by Day and the Pillar of Fire by Night, with\na vast many other emblems.  Nor can I see why our blessed Jesus should\nnot be pointed out to the faith and hope of God\u2019s saints, by the lamp and\npitcher, while he, at the same time sounded the trumpet of free grace and\neternal mercy, which was \u201ca savour of life unto some, and of death unto\nothers.\u201d  May not the pitcher be an emblem of his earthen nature, and the\nlamp within, of his divinity\u2014and by virtue of union of the two natures,\nour God is manifest in the flesh\u2014married our nature, conferred an honor\nupon poor sinners that he never conferred on the angels.  This was Job\u2019s\ntriumph, \u201cin my flesh shall I see God.\u201d  He took part of the children\u2019s\nflesh and blood; he was truly human\u2014bone of our bone and flesh of our\nflesh.  God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, without the intervention\nof a human father, but by the miraculous impregnation of the Holy-Ghost;\nso that his human nature appears to be the joint work of the Trinity\u2014the\nFather provides it\u2014\u201ca body hast thou prepared me,\u201d\u2014the Son assumed it\u2014\u201che\ntook on him the form of a servant;\u201d\u2014the Spirit formed it\u2014\u201cthat holy thing\nthat shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God\u2014thus the word\nwas made flesh and dwelt among us.\u201d  The lamp within the pitcher may be\nan emblem of his Godhead, as the light of life\u2014he wrapped up his divinity\nin his manhood\u2014here it was he concealed his glory: well may the Prophet\nexclaim, \u201cVerily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel the\nSaviour.\u201d  What a mystery! a child born\u2014\u201cthe everlasting Father, the\nmighty God.\u201d  How great is the mystery of godliness!  Angels are amazed,\nsaints admire, and sinners triumph\u2014a God in every perfection, a Man in\nevery faculty\u2014God-Man\u2014the f\u0153deral head\u2014the representative of his\nChurch\u2014the second Adam\u2014a public person\u2014that as Adam the first, was the\nhead of all, as sinners, so Jesus should be the head of all his elect.\nHow striking is the language of Milton, when he represents the Almighty\nFather thus addressing his eternal Son\u2014\n\n    Be thou, in Adam\u2019s room, the head of all mankind,\n    Tho\u2019 Adam\u2019s son; as in him perish all men,\n    So, in thee, as from a second root shall be restor\u2019d\n    As many as are restor\u2019d\u2014without thee none.\n\nThis divinity often blazed through his humanity, in the miracles he\nwrought, which were done by his own eternal power and Godhead\u2014the words\nhe spoke, the tidings he foretold, but particularly his transfiguration\non the Mount, when the light of his divinity shone so luminous, that his\nwhole body, and even his raiment appeared like the sun in a case of\nchrystal.  Peter calls it an excellent glory\u2014St. John says we beheld his\nglory\u2014the Evangelists say of those with him on Mount Tabor\u2014and when they\nwere awake, they saw his glory.  The lamp may be a fine emblem of Jesus,\nas the light of life; this is peculiar to him as God, and as God-Man.\nThe light is the most striking emblem of God Jesus; it is the life and\nbeauty of every thing else\u2014it hath a kind of omnipotency in it\u2014a peculiar\nbrightness and purity.  He is the light of reason to all\u2014he is the light\nof grace in the covenant\u2014the light of truth in the word\u2014the light of life\nin the souls of the elect, and the light of heaven in glory\u2014the Lamb is\nthe light thereof; the Lord is thine everlasting light, and thy God thy\nglory: this is the lamp of salvation, the light of the Gentiles and the\nglory of his true Israel\u2014such Jesus is, and such his grace.  O! may he\nshine on you!\u2014this will engage your hearts to love, admire, adore, and\npraise his name for ever and ever.\u2014As all the fulness of the Godhead\ndwells in Jesus, so all the blessings of an everlasting covenant is\ntreasured up in him\u2014all that we can possibly stand in need of, for time\nand eternity\u2014blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in\nChrist Jesus; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him\u2014all the\nfulness of blessings are in him, for his dear people\u2019s use; hence, says\none, \u201cOut of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace.\u201d\nThese gifts could only flow to us through his obedience and death\u2014the\ngift of the Spirit\u2014access to God\u2014spiritual knowledge and eternal glory.\nNot that the Redeemer is to be considered as purchasing these blessings;\nthey were all given as the free, unmerited gift, of God\u2014but it was\nnecessary that Jesus should obey and suffer, that these gifts should flow\nto us in a way of justice and holiness, while the mercy and compassion of\nGod was displayed.  Hence he says, \u201cIf I go not away the Comforter will\nnot come unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you\u2014it is\ntherefore expedient for you that I go away;\u201d as it was necessary that the\npitchers should be broken, that the blaze of light might appear\u2014First, to\noverturn the enemies of Israel\u2014Secondly, to deliver the people from their\noppression\u2014so, by the sufferings and death of the human nature of Christ,\nhe overturned the kingdom of Satan, took away his power, and delivered\nhis people from the law, the guilt of sin, and the powers of darkness\u2014he,\nby his death, slew death, and him who had the power of death; and who\nhoped he should be the executioner of the penal sentence of the law, was\ndisappointed\u2014in seeing the great Deliverance that was brought about in\nsuch a wonderful way, he was foiled and spoiled, the curse of the law\nfalling on Christ\u2014enduring the curse which we had deserved\u2014standing in\nour place, he fulfilled the law for us, by his holy life\u2014made an\natonement by his awful, though glorious death\u2014sanctified the grave by his\nburial\u2014and rose for the justification of all that believe in him.  Here\nwas the overcoming the sharpness of death, and the opening the kingdom of\nheaven to all believers; and upon his ascension to heaven, and sitting on\nthe right hand of the Father, he obtained the gift of the Holy-Ghost,\nwhich was shed abroad on the Apostles; and all spiritual good for poor\nsinners.  Thus, through the breaking the earthen pitcher, a light is made\nmanifest; all covenant blessings flow to us, in a way honorable to God,\nand safe to man\u2014and now we rejoice, that by him all that believe are\njustified from all things; and that the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from\nall sin.  But can we forget the trumpet of his voice of love and mercy,\nwhich he so often sounded during his public ministry?  With what\ndeclarations of blessedness did he begin his sermon on the Mount\u2014what\nsweet invitations did he give to poor condemned, sin-burthened souls, in\nthese words, \u201cCome unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden.\u2014If\nany man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.\u2014Behold the man\u2014look unto\nme\u2014Come ye to the waters.\u2014All things are ready, come unto the\nmarriage.\u2014Behold the Lamb of God.\u201d  This is the inviting voice of the\ntrumpet of the Gospel, as preached by the Lord Jesus\u2014and though so\nmelodious to a poor sinner; what solemn awful sounds were sometimes heard\nfrom his gracious and holy lips!\u2014and how great the truth afterwards\ndeclared, that the ministry of Jesus is a savour of life unto life, or of\ndeath unto death.  Hence, he said, \u201cWo unto you, Scribes, Pharisees,\nHypocrites!  Except your righteousness exceed the Pharisees, ye cannot be\nsaved!\u2014Except you repent, you shall likewise perish!\u2014and because you say,\nwe see, your sin remaineth.\u2014For judgment am I come into this world, that\nthose who see not might see; and those who boast of their light might be\nmade blind.\u201d\n\nThe victory, of Gideon was a display of the sublime perfections of Deity;\nand surely we see them more clear, and more glorified in the work of a\nsinner\u2019s salvation: eternal love is the spring\u2014infinite wisdom lays the\nplan\u2014almighty power executes it\u2014while mercy, grace, and compassion,\njustice and holiness, sovereignty and truth, appear glorious.  Yes,\n\n    Here the whole Deity is known,\n       Nor dares a creature guess\n    Which of the Glories brightest shone,\n       The Justice or the Grace!\n\nSecondly.\u2014May not the pitcher, lamp, and trumpet, be an emblem of Gospel\nministers, and their office in the Church of Jesus Christ?  We have this\ntreasure in earthen vessels\u2014the Gospel is a treasure, because it exhibits\nthe riches of God and of Christ, in mercy, love, grace, wisdom, and\npower; which are unsearchable, substantial, and satisfying\u2014the\nrepository, cabinet, or pitcher in which this treasure is, are earthen\nvessels.  Most Divines are of opinion that the Apostle refers to the\ncircumstance we are considering.  It is our mercy the Gospel is put into\nsuch vessels\u2014an Angel, commissioned from the high throne of God, however\nlofty his language, however kind his message, yet would not be a proper\nperson to preach to the Church of God\u2014Ministers must be men of like\npassions with the Church; have the same depraved nature; be taught by the\nsame Spirit; have the same trials in body, soul, and circumstances; or\nhow could they sympathize with the Church?  Now, that all the excellency\nof the power of the word might be of the Holy-Ghost, (which is the grand\ndesign of God) he has kindly put this treasure of the Gospel in earthen\nvessels, brittle shells, baked earth\u2014to shew the frailty of the bodies of\nthe best of men\u2014\u201cYour fathers! where are they?\u201d and \u201cDo the Prophets live\nfor ever?\u201d  This is to shew the outward meanness of those instruments the\nLord makes use of; but few rich, honorable, or noble, are called to the\nwork; and frequently the most useful have been poor illiterate common\nmechanics.  God is determined to stain the pride of human glory\u2014to this\nend he has chosen the base, the foolish, the weak, to accomplish the most\nnoble purposes\u2014earthen vessels, that they might not be too much exalted,\nleast, if they fall they should get the more injury.  God will have all\nthe glory of a man\u2019s salvation, and the power is to be attributed to him\nalone, and not to the eloquence or oratory, learning or piety, gift, or\neven grace of the speaker; they, as earthen vessels, are not to be put\ntoo low, least they should be spurned and kicked.  God has put an honor\non them, and they are to be honored and esteemed for their work\u2019s sake:\nin the pulpit they are to know none; but aim at the glory of Christ and\nthe good of his people\u2014to keep back nothing that is profitable\u2014to conceal\nno doctrine\u2014to be ashamed of no ordinance\u2014to connive at no error\u2014to have\nno man\u2019s person in admiration, but aim at the exaltation of free, rich\ngrace, in the plan of salvation.  They are called earthen vessels, to\nshew the mighty power of God in their support, being so weak in\nthemselves; and the protection and wonderful deliverances of them in\ntimes of trouble.  Hence the Apostle, personating them, says, \u201cWe are\ntroubled on every side;\u201d that is, by every one, saint and sinner; yet not\nso distressed as to be without hope or comfort\u2014We are perplexed and know\nnot what to do, nor which way to take; but not in despair of the Lord\nappearing and working salvation for us.\u2014Persecuted, but not forsaken by\nour God\u2014Cast down we sometimes are as an earthen vessel which may be cast\nout of man\u2019s hand, in order to be dashed to pieces; but not destroyed\u2014we\nare still safe in the hands of Christ, and kept by the power of God\u2014and,\nindeed to what else can all this be ascribed?  \u2019Tis surprising that\nearthen vessels should bear so much, and not fall or be dashed to pieces;\nfor I think that Ministers have greater trials, greater enemies, greater\nsins, and of course, greater sorrows, than any other believers.  The lamp\nin the pitcher, may be an emblem of that light which is peculiar to God\u2019s\nMinisters\u2014not only the common operations of the Spirit upon them, to\nconstitute them believers in Jesus, but the light given them for the use\nof others\u2014a greater degree of internal knowledge.  Hence the exhortation,\n\u201cLet your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works\u2014Ye\nare the light of the world.\u201d  There is a knowledge essential to them as\nMinisters, and this is not human learning, though that is not to be\ndespised, but it is the influence of the Spirit upon the mind, giving\nthem to see, clearer than others, the plan of salvation, the depravity of\nhuman nature, the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the nature of the law, the\nglories of the Saviour, the danger of a form of godliness, without the\npower; the temptation, subtilty, and art of the Devil; the vanity of the\nworld; and the dangerous tendency of all errors.  These things ought to\nbe well known by us as Ministers, that we may contend earnestly for the\nfaith once delivered to the saints.  What the Lord has taught us,\nexperimentally, that we are to declare\u2014as we have heard, so have we\nseen\u2014of sin, the law, the Saviour, the world, Satan, and error.  Hence\nthe Apostle John says, \u201cthat which we have heard, which we have seen, and\nour hands have handled of the word of life; for the life was manifested,\nand we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal\nlife which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.\u2014That which we\nhave heard and seen declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship\nwith us.\u201d\u2014This lamp, or light, is manifest by an ability to speak forth\nwhat they see and have been taught.  It is given them for the use of the\nChurch.  Hence the Apostle says, \u201cA measure of the Spirit is given to\nevery man to profit withal;\u201d every Minister of the Gospel, for some\npurpose in the Church; and it is a sad pity for good men to fall out by\nthe way, seeing God has allotted every man his peculiar work; and one\nMinister never can do the work of another; yet Satan is always setting\nbrother against brother.\u2014Some are calculated to alarm, some to warn, some\nto comfort, some to open dark mysteries, some to establish.\u2014Paul was\nraised up to plant churches, where the Gospel had never been\nbefore\u2014Apollos to water, comfort, establish, and build up those who had\nbeen planted.  Ministers differ in their abilities\u2014some have greater and\nsome less; but these all worketh that self same Spirit, who divideth to\nhis Ministers severally as he will, for the perfecting of the saints, for\nthe edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the\nfaith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God.\u2014This is the design of the\nGospel Ministry.  The breaking of these pitchers, that the light might\nappear, may be emblematic of the various trials and heart-breaking\ncircumstances they meet with here below; and the more they are broken the\nclearer they shine\u2014this is true of all believers, as well as Ministers in\ngeneral.\u2014May not the trumpets be an emblem of their message to God\u2019s\nsaints, which must give a certain sound?  How necessary a Minister should\nbe at a point about his own state.  Only observe the preaching of those\nwho are not\u2014what legality\u2014what ifs and buts\u2014what a mixture of felt Law\nand unfelt Gospel\u2014what dealing in terrors of death, hell, and damnation!\nHow dismal the sound\u2014how gloomy the countenance\u2014how awful and tremendous\nthe language in prayer, while in such legal bondage.  Hence they\nsometimes begin with, Most dreadful God!\u2014Most terrible Jehovah!  How\ndifferent the ideas and language of a soul in Gospel liberty\u2014Blessed\nLord\u2014Gracious Father\u2014Precious Immanuel\u2014Friend of Sinners\u2014Lord Jesus\u2014My\nFather\u2014My reconciled covenant, indulgent God.  This is very different\nfrom the terrific language of those who are under the Law, for the Law\nalways genders to bondage.  Such men cannot give a certain sound\u2014it is a\nsound of pardon, of life, of peace, of holiness, of good-will, and\ncovenant-love, and mercy.  We are to preach, and proclaim pardon to\nrebels, mercy to the miserable, deliverance to captives, peace to those\nwho are convinced of their enmity\u2014the trumpet of God is sounding abroad\nthe language of mercy\u2014salvation through blood; and while this comforts\nthe saints it starves the hypocrite, confounds the Pharisee, and becomes\nthe savor of death to all that hate it.\u2014As the lamp gave light to the\nIsraelites, and the trumpet was understood by them at the same time, it\nconfused and over-turned the host of Midian; and sure I am that a\nfaithful testimony for God and his truth, will never be out of the\nconsciences of men, whether saints or enemies, in heaven and hell.  Men\ncannot endure sound doctrine; they hate the light\u2014they oppose those who\npreach it; and the worst term of reproach they can now load them with, or\ncast on them, is that of Antinomian, although those very characters know\nin their own souls they are not so.\u2014But those Ministers that dare to be\nfaithful to God and truth, are the only men who handle the Law, lawfully,\nhold it forth in its true spirituality, and point the sinner to look to\nJesus as the end of it; and who can look further than the end?\u2014Fear not,\nO ye Ministers of my God; arise! shine on!\u2014set the trumpet to the\nmouth\u2014proclaim a free-grace Gospel, and leave all consequences to God.\nShine on, ye stars in the hands of your God!  Ye are the light of the\nworld\u2014take no notice of the slanders of Legalists, moderate Divines,\nArminians, Baxterians, Arians, Deists, and Socinians.  By your preaching,\npraying, and living, shew that one is your master, even Jesus!\u2014Permit me\nto introduce an Eastern Fable, as it is calculated to illustrate this\npoint: \u201cThe Owls and Bats once joined in a petition to Jupiter, against\nthe Sun; humbly shewing, that his beams were so troublesome that they\ncould not fly abroad, for at least twelve hours out of the twenty-four.\nJupiter seeing Ph\u0153bus shortly after, informed him of the petition he had\nreceived, adding, I shall, however, take no notice of the petition; and\nbe it your business to revenge yourself, by shining.\u201d  You that preach\nthe Gospel, \u201cgo, and do thou likewise:\u201d  Suppress no truth\u2014keep back no\npart of the price, through the fear of men, or to procure the favor of\nmen.  Be bold for truth\u2014the blood of souls stains deep!  Remember the\nApostle\u2019s language, \u201cWoe is me, if I preach not the Gospel\u2014yea, woe is\nme, if I preach not the Gospel.\u201d\n\nLastly.\u2014May not the pitcher, lamp, and trumpet, be an emblem of God\u2019s\nsaints, the teachings of the Spirit, and the happy consequence of the\nsame?\u2014The earthen pitcher may be figurative of our bodies\u2014although,\nthrough grace, they are the temples of the Holy-Ghost, yet they are of\nthe earth, earthy: the body is called an earthly house, because it is\nfrom the earth, is supported by earthly things, has its present abode on\nthe earth, and will quickly return to it\u2014the first man was of the earth,\nearthy\u2014so are all his descendents\u2014this shews how frail we are, and how\nlittle reason to be proud of ourselves, seeing we came from the dust, and\nmust return to it.  Man was formed out of the earth\u2014\u201cThe Lord God formed\nman of the dust of the ground;\u201d\u2014the word there used signifies Red\nearth.\u2014Josephus says, that the first man was called Adam, which in the\nHebrew tongue signifies Red; because he was made out of Red earth\u2014for\nsuch, he says, is the true and virgin earth.  Man, in consequence of the\nFall, was doomed to return to it again\u2014his sin and fall had such an awful\ninfluence, as to make himself and posterity sensual, earthly, and\ndevilish\u2014to mind, affect, and cleave to earthly things\u2014this is bearing\nthe image of the earthy.  But it hath pleased God our Saviour to confer\nan honor upon our nature, by taking it into personal union with his\nGodhead; and his mysterious assumption of human nature is, indeed, the\nwonder of heaven.  Here was heaven and earth joined together\u2014God and\nMan\u2014but how this was done we cannot form any idea; even Solomon, with all\nthe wisdom God gave him, declares of Four things, they were too wonderful\nfor him; and this subject was one of them, \u201cThe way of a man with a\nmaid;\u201d or, as Mr. Romaine says, it is in the original, \u201cThe way of the\nAlmighty in the virgin, when he took part of the children\u2019s flesh and\nblood.\u201d  By earth is meant the people of God, as creatures; hence the\npromise, \u201cHe shall smite earth with his rod:\u201d this is done when the word\ncomes home with power to the heart.\u2014Again, \u201cO earth, earth, earth, hear\nthe word of the Lord\u2014Give ear, O heavens, hear, O earth the words of my\nmouth\u2014I will hear the heavens; they shall hear the earth; and the earth\nshall hear the corn, the wine, and the oil;\u201d\u2014which is a gracious promise\nof assurance, taken in these threes declarations, \u201cYea I have loved thee,\nI have redeemed thee, I have called thee.\u201d  The idea of these bodies\nbeing so brittle, makes Infidels, Pharisees, and Hypocrites tremble\u2014but\nthe believer rejoices in the sweet thought, that this house cannot last\nvery long, that it will soon be dissolved or taken down by death; then he\nwill bid a lasting adieu to sin, his greatest grief.  What a contrast\nbetween the child of God and the man of the world!\u2014while the latter\nmournfully exclaims on his dying bed, with a wretched old Cardinal,\n\u201cFarewell, a long farewell to all my greatness!\u201d the believer can look on\nthis world, and say, Farewell, a long farewell to all my littleness.\u2014But\nthis earthen pitcher, these bodies, are the vessels of mercy, afore\nprepared unto glory, and ordained for it.  These earthen pitchers were\nredeemed from actual as well as original guilt, by our Redeemer, our\nkinsman.  These vessels, although broke to pieces by death, will be\nraised glorious bodies, fit to hold all the glory our God has in\nreversion for it\u2014when they will be formed like the glorious body of\nJesus\u2014from the loins upward, to the loins downward, of the colour of\namber, and be for ever with the Lord.  The body will be now for the Lord,\nand the Lord for the body\u2014the Apostle calls them the temples of the\nHoly-Ghost, because he has taken possession of their souls\u2014by his\ngracious inhabitation he has made them new creatures, a new creation, a\nnew, a hidden man of the heart.  This was shadowed forth by the light, or\nlamp in the pitcher.  God is light; and this new man is the seed, or\nchild of light: this was not formed by piece-meal, but done at once.\nWhen God comes to his temple his train is sure to fill it\u2014his train of\ndivine excellencies\u2014so that when the Spirit takes the sinner\u2019s heart, he\nbrings all his graces with him; and these are called light, marvellous\nlight\u2014Christ formed in the heart the hope of glory, and the salvation of\nthe soul in the pardon of sin, is called a lamp; this is the lamp the\nwise virgins took, while the foolish ones took the Law\u2014the one went out\nin obscure darkness, and left them under the curse! while the other shone\nbrighter to perfect day.\u2014The word of God is compared to light\u2014this makes\nus wise to salvation, as it opens to us what we, as poor sinners want\u2014the\nknowledge of God reconciled and well pleased with us in Christ\u2014Thus \u201cthe\nentrance of thy word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the\nsimple.\u201d  The light of God\u2019s countenance upon the soul is a precious lamp\nin this pitcher, which is nothing more than the Spirit of God operating\nas a Comforter, and sweetly assuring the heart of its pardon; while peace\nis enjoyed, and we can look God in the face with pleasure, and say, My\nFather!\u2014May not the trumpet be a figure of the testimony that all the\nsaints bear to the freeness of divine grace\u2014to the sovereignty, power and\nfaithfulness of a covenant God, in a gracious experience of these things,\n\u201cCome hither, all ye that fear God, I will tell you what he hath done for\nmy soul.\u201d\u2014This is proclaiming the glory of God\u2014they shall abundantly\nutter the memory of thy great goodness; they shall speak of the glory of\nthy kingdom, and talk of thy power.  Thus when we are called out of\ndarkness, and experience the light of the Son of God\u2014we plead our\nmaster\u2019s cause\u2014when we are helped to walk consistently with our holy\nprofession, this is the trumpet we sound\u2014God is faithful\u2014By grace are we\nsaved\u2014He hath, from the beginning, chosen us to salvation\u2014We are bought\nwith a price\u2014He hath remembered us when in our low estate\u2014He brought me\nout of the horrible pit.  We likewise give invitations to others\u2014they\ntook knowledge of the men, that they had been with Jesus\u2014\u201cCome, see a man\nthat told me all that ever I did.\u201d  If we meet with a soul in trouble, we\nsound the trumpet, as those did, of old, to the blind man\u2014\u201cAnd they call\nthe blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort; rise! he calleth\nthee.\u201d  We relate what great things he has done to us; and like the\nGadarene, \u201cGo, and proclaim how Jesus met with us\u2014cast out the\nDevil\u2014clothed us and made us wise.\u201d  Here Jesus gets the glory of our\nsalvation; so by a close adherence to his Gospel, we bear our testimony\nagainst a form of godliness without the power.\u2014Nor can we be easy without\nletting others know what state they are in that are cleaving to the Law.\nWe must be faithful if we fall into company with the enemies of Jesus,\nthe Deist, the Arian, the Socinian, or any other characters that oppose\nhis Person and Work.  We must openly profess his name and salvation\u2014and\nhaving a gracious experience of the truth, we are not easy moved by those\nadversaries, who are ripening themselves for damnation, by opposing the\ndear Redeemer\u2014this is the case with some thousands this day in Great\nBritain.  What a mercy to have the truth in the heart; for though a child\nof God may not be able to answer all the sophisticated arguments of the\nArian or Socinian, yet he has got the truth in his soul, which none can\ndispute him out of; and it is for want of this that many, who have for a\ntime appeared to run well, have got into company with such characters,\nwho first stumbled at the Gospel, then fell into the ditch, from whence\nthey very seldom come out.\u2014Here we must sound the trumpet, and tell all\nsuch that if they die in that state, where God is they never can\ncome.\u2014What a mercy to have the light of life\u2014to be taught of God\u2014to know\nthe plague of the heart\u2014the vanity of the world\u2014the weakness of our own\narm\u2014the value of the atonement\u2014to be built up and established in our\nsouls\u2014and to long for the glorious appearing of the great God our\nSaviour.  Whatsoever maketh manifest is light\u2014God is the Lord, who hath\nshewed us the light.  This is not mere head knowledge; but what is\nwritten in the Scriptures of truth is written in our hearts, by the\nSpirit\u2014\u201cI will put my law in their hearts\u2014they shall all know me, from\nthe least to the greatest, for I will be merciful to their\nunrighteousness, and their sins will I remember no more.\u201d  A light to see\nthis truth in the Bible, and the Spirit bearing witness to our souls that\nthis is our privilege and blessing, is an unspeakable mercy; \u2019tis this\ndisarms death of its sting\u2014\u2019tis this smooths the rugged path of\nlife\u2014sweetens every sorrow\u2014lightens every burthen, and gives a rest to\nthe soul\u2014makes our faces to shine, and comforts the soul in every\ntribulation\u2014\u2019tis this makes a sick bed easy, and bows the will to\nGod\u2019s\u2014removes the fears of death, and gives an easy passage to glory.\nOh, its a blessed thing to have true light to see the Person and Work of\nJesus, as our atoning sacrifice, and end of the Law for righteousness:\nthis fills the soul with joy\u2014this inspires the mind with a song of praise\nthrough life, and in a dying hour will swell louder, Salvation to God and\nthe Lamb.\n\nBut there is one part of this history must not be overlooked\u2014the pitchers\nwere broken before the light could well be seen, or any victory gained.\nEvery man, by nature, is represented as whole; but when the Holy Spirit\noperates upon the soul, it is broken to pieces, that the light may\nappear.  The language and complaint of Job, is doubtless the experience\nof every one taught of God\u2014\u201cI was at ease, but he hath taken me by the\nneck, shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark;\u201d and surely if the\nProdigal Son had never been broken in pieces, by a sense of want, he\nwould not have longed for his father\u2019s house.\u2014By the light the Israelites\ngot the victory; and it is only by the light of the Spirit we get a\nvictory over the blindness of our hearts\u2014by a discovery of the obedience\nof Jesus, we get the victory over the Law\u2014the Spirit demonstrating to our\nhearts, that by him, all that believe are justified from all things from\nwhich they could not be justified by the Law of Moses.\u2014By a discovery of\nthe sufferings and death of Jesus, we overcome all our guilt, original\nand actual\u2014while faith receives the atonement, and hears the glad\ntidings, \u201cI, even I, am he that blotteth out all thy transgression.\u201d\nThis received, embraced, and relied upon, will overcome all guilt,\ndepravity, and misery\u2014\u201cThey overcame by the blood of the Lamb;\u201d\u2014this is a\nreceipt in full of all demands; so that whatever the Law or conscience\nsays, our advocate steps in, and shews his hands and his side\u2014this is\nenough for us.\u2014By this same light we see in God\u2019s word, the wonderous\nplan of salvation\u2014the stability of the covenant\u2014the eternity of God\u2019s\nlove\u2014the Person of Jesus, as our representative in heaven for us\u2014with\nmany precious promises, and God\u2019s faithfulness to them.  This brings\ncomfort into the mind, overcomes our fear, and bears us up in trouble.\nWhen Satan is permitted to harrass the mind, by insinuating the\nprobability of our fall into awful errors, we can answer, it is written,\n\u201cHe shall guide into all truth.\u201d  Thus we overcome by the word of our\ntestimony.\u2014But as it was necessary the pitchers should be broken, that\nthe light appear, and our Lord Jesus is called the breaker\u2014so, by his\nSpirit\u2019s gracious teaching we are broke off from the world\u2014\u201cCome out from\namong them.\u201d\u2014We are broke from a form of Godliness\u2014from false views of\nGod, and often from the esteem of the world\u2014from trusting in the Law\u2014from\nour own righteousness\u2014and from carnal professors, who have only a name to\nlive, while they are dead!  So we are broke in pieces with a sense of\nguilt, with groaning under the wrath of God, the fears of death, the\ncurse of the Law, and the bondage we feel.  God approves of this, as the\neffect of the work of his own Spirit\u2014\u201ca broken and a contrite heart, O\nGod thou wilt not despise;\u201d\u2014thou hast sore broken us in the place of\nDragons.\u2014When peace is proclaimed to the soul, and we are led to see\nJesus as a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.  When the matter\nbecomes personal, and we can say, \u201c\u2019Twere you my sins, my cruel sins, his\nchief tormentors were!\u201d\u2014this lays the sinner low, while his heart is\ndissolved in tears, and love, and blood\u2014\u201cThey shall look on him whom they\nhave pierced, and mourn.\u201d\u2014When our souls are led to reflect on our sins\nand daily infirmities, with the long-suffering of God to us, the mercy\nand truth he hath shewn us, the way he hath led us, the great things he\nhas done for us, the deliverances he has wrought, the prayers he has\nanswered, the appearances we have had of his faithfulness and love\u2014these\nthings melt the heart, overcome the soul, lay us in the dust, and create\nthe most delightful thoughts of Jesus, so that we can give him the glory\ndue to his name.\u2014Here the Lord overcomes all our evil with good, and\nfulfils this promise, \u201cThey shall loathe themselves in their own sight,\nfor their iniquities, when I am pacified towards them, saith the\nLord.\u201d\u2014Thus the light the Lord has given us appears in the above\nmanner\u2014life, faith, hope, love, repentance, godly sorrow, the fear of\nGod, and Bible humility\u2014these implanted in the mind by the Spirit\u2019s\ngracious inhabitation, are clearly seen by us at times, and, perhaps,\nalways by others.  This light appears conspicuous in ministers and saints\nin general, by the various trials with which they are exercised.\nWhatever graces or light the Holy Ghost is pleased to communicate to us\nis sure to be tried\u2014\u201cthe Lord trieth the righteous;\u201d hence Job says,\n\u201cWhen he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.\u201d  Those very\nafflictions and trials that drive the hypocrite from his profession, make\nthe saint shine brighter.  St. Peter encourages believers under their\ntrials, with this\u2014\u201cBeloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery\ntrials which are to try you;\u201d\u2014remember they were all ordered in the\nCovenant, in number, weight, and measure; and while they break you off\nfrom an arm of flesh, from the world and self, they try your graces, and\nmake them appear clear to yourself\u2014thus God promises, \u201cAnd thine age (or\nspiritual birth) shall be clearer than the noon day; thou shalt shine\nforth and be as the morning.\u201d  Afflictions are not to destroy but to try\nus, just as silver and gold are tried in the fire, lose their dross, and\nbecome purer and brighter.  Faith is tried, and becomes more precious\nthan gold which perisheth.  Hope of eternal life is tried, and grows more\nstrong and lively, sure and stedfast, amidst the greatest storms.  Love\nto Jesus, his word, ministers, and people, is often tried\u2014by the trial it\nappears that nothing can separate the saint and his beloved.  Patience is\ntried in afflictions\u2014humility, meekness, and every other grace.  But in\nall times of tribulation, though the outward man, or pitcher decays, yet\nthe inward man is renewed, day by day.\u2014How needful the cross, to keep us\nhumble\u2014dependent\u2014wean us from the world\u2014furnish us with many petitions to\nGod, and make us long for glory.  How sweet are those lines of the\nexcellent Watts\u2014\n\n    Had but the prison wall been strong\n       And firm, without a flaw,\n    My soul had long in darkness dwelt,\n       And less of glory saw.\n\nReproach from the world, or church, though it breaks the heart, makes us\nprize a name and a place in the covenant of redemption.  Persecution, for\nimputed righteousness\u2019 sake, tries our profession and principles, and\ngives an occasion to rejoice in the honor of suffering for Christ\u2019s\nsake.\u2014A body of sin and death, called the plague of the heart, tries our\nhope, and helps us to prize the blood of Jesus more and more.\u2014Pain of\nbody\u2014delays of answer to prayer, try our patience.\u2014False doctrines in the\nworld, try our love; while the devil\u2019s fiery darts of blasphemous\nthoughts, often try our faith\u2014thus as our earthen vessels break, the\nlight appears; and we often shout victory, through the atonement and\nrighteousness of Jesus, and by the faithfulness of God.\u2014This light\nappears in the whole of their conduct, as external evidences of an\ninternal work\u2014in their love to, and zeal for the truth as it is in\nJesus\u2014in their unfeigned love to the brethren, as they stand manifest in\neach other\u2019s consciences that they are called by grace\u2014in their just\ndealings with each other, and the world at large\u2014\u201cthe Lord bless thee, O\nhabitation of justice, O mountain of holiness.\u201d\u2014In their integrity,\nuprightness, affection, and sincerity, at home and abroad, they are to\nshine as lights, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.\u2014In\nallegiance and obedience to the higher powers\u2014knowing the powers that be,\nare ordained of God.  A christian may and ought to be a good subject,\nunder any government\u2014\u201cFear God, honor the king,\u201d is the command of the\nHoly-Ghost\u2014that whereas the world speaks against you, as evil doers, they\nmay, by your conversation which they shall behold, glorify God, in the\nday of visitation.  The grace of God makes men good fathers, good\nmasters, good subjects, and honest tradesmen.\u2014Believer, take care that\nyou show to the world and the church, what great things God has done for\nyou, by having your conduct squared according to the precepts of the New\nTestament, which is to be the rule of your actions; and as many as walk\naccording to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy.  Thus the light\nappears, and you proclaim to all around, that you have been with Jesus,\nand learned of him.  And while the Pharisees condemn you as an Antinomian\nin principle, shew them that your high principles are heavenly ones, by\nthe effects produced\u2014take the New Testament for your rule of conduct, and\nthen fear not.\u2014This light appears in a steady, uniform, constant\nattendance on all the ordinances of God\u2019s appointment\u2014prayer, private and\npublic\u2014hearing those ministers that exalt the Saviour in every sermon\u2014a\nsubmission to the ordinance of baptism, by immersion, as soon as it\nappears to them right\u2014an attention to the Lord\u2019s supper, from a principle\nof love to Jesus\u2014godly conversation with the most experimental\nchristians.  Here the light is seen: I mention these things because many\nof my adversaries have circulated it, far and near, that I am an\nAntinomian, and deny all practical religion!\u2014When will mankind forbear\nlying against each other; and those who contend for the Law, keep the\nninth commandment as they ought to do?  \u201cThou shalt not bear false\nwitness against thy neighbour.\u201d\n\nFinally.\u2014Soon will the earthen pitcher be broke by death! then the soul\nenlightened, will enter into perfect day\u2014see as it is seen\u2014know as it is\nknown.  The blessed Spirit, in the article of death, will be poured out\nupon the soul, to fit her for her passage.  Hence he is promised, as the\nearly and as the latter rain\u2014a greater light comes into the soul, as it\nis about to depart into the regions of endless light\u2014in the light of\nfaith the departing soul sees the pardon of sin, the obedience of Jesus\nits own\u2014sees heaven open\u2014angels ready waiting, and whispering to the\nsaint, The master is come, and calleth for thee! while the saint\nexclaims, Come, Lord Jesus! come quickly!\u2014thus he enters into rest, while\nJesus is his everlasting light, his god and glory.\u2014I close this Sermon,\nin the language of Dr. Watts\u2019 Description of a Saint\u2019s Life and Death,\nunder the fine emblem of a Summer\u2019s Day and Setting Sun.\n\n    Just so the Christian, his race he begins\u2014\n    He melts into tears when he mourns for his sins;\n          And travels his heavenly way.\n    But as he draws nearer to finish his race,\n    Like a fine setting sun, he looks richer in grace,\n    And gives a sure hope at the end of his days,\n          Of rising in brighter array.\n\nWhich may God grant to us all.\u2014AMEN.\n\n  [Picture: Decorative graphic of cherub carrying a banner saying Finis]\n\n                  Shortly will be published, (Price 1s)\n       _A Series of Letters on same important Texts of Scripture_.\n              Addressed to several of the Author\u2019s Friends.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n        Also may be had of the Author, the Four following Sermons\n                   (lately published).  Price 6d. each.\n\n1.  _The Patience of God_, _and the Sin of Man_.\n\n2.  _The Goodness of God and Man contrasted_.\n\n3.  _The Believer\u2019s Perseverance founded on the Atonement_.\n\n4.  _The Believer\u2019s Estimation of the Name of Jesus_.","title":"Spiritual Victories Through the Light of Salvation","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":11363}