SERMON LVIII (3)

Where then are those Sons of Belial, those perverse disputers of this world, and yet, if possible, more perverse perverters of the Word of God? Dare any of you now go away, saying within yourselves, “Who can blame us for a little equivocating, or a little innocent lying, cursing, and swearing? Was not Peter, the great Apostle Peter, guilty of all these?” Yes he was, but with this difference, he fell through surprize, and but once, you, perhaps, sin wilfully and habitually. Fall he did, and that dreadfully too; but if his fall was dreadful, his repentence was as sincere and lasting. Ere long you shall see this same Peter, boldly owning his Lord before the whole Jewish Sanhedrim, and rejoicing that he was counted worthy to suffer for his great name’s sake. Ere long you shall hear of an angel’s being sent to bring him out of prison, and at last sealing his blessed doctrine with his blood. Go ye then, and entreat the Lord to look you into a godly sorrow, and see that with Peter you bring forth fruits meet for repentance; or as the Lord God liveth, in whose name I speak, and in whose presence we now stand, you, with all your carnal reasonings and wilful wrestings of the word of God, shall, ere long, be thrust down to the nethermost hell.

But why should I waste my time in reasoning with men of such perverse minds? To you who do, from your hearts, believe on Jesus of Nazareth, and who, in reality, are the children of the most High God, the mournful passage we are now upon, does, in a more immediate manner, call me to address myself. You, I am persuaded, on hearing of Peter’s fall, and the Lord’s turning and looking upon him, Will not draw this abominable inference, “Let us sin then, that grace may abound.” No. I know you detest it from your inmost souls; and if it was proper to speak, would to a man cry out, “God forbid.” Your hearts, I would humbly hope, are rather employed in silent ejaculation to the holy Jesus, saying within yourselves, “Oh, that he would this day look down from heaven, the habitation of his holiness, and cause, out of these rocky hearts, floods of repenting tears to flow.” I will readily join with you in this necessary request. For, alas! we are all guilty concerning this thing, viz. Of denying our Lord, as well as Peter. Some of us, perhaps, have not so openly with oaths and curses denied that ever we knew him. But then, though we have in words owned, yet in works and practice, it may be, we have habitually denied him. For how often have we been sleeping, when we ought to have been watching? And how often have we been warming and indulging our bodies, when we should have been in our closets warming our hearts in prayer? How often have we needlessly left the communion of saints, and as needlessly put ourselves into the way of, and too intimately conversed with open and unconverted sinners, or at least, with those who we had reason to think were enemies to the cross of Christ? How often have we been drowsy when hearing the word of God? Nay, how often have we been stupid, and even as dead as stones, at the table of the Lord, when Christ has been evidently set forth crucified before us? How often have we been so foolish as to trust our hearts, and instead of trusting the Lord, have leaned on the broken reed of our own understandings? How often have we been puffed up with spiritual pride, and confidently boasted of our graces, as though we had not received them? And oh, how often have we shamefully followed our Lord afar off? And notwithstanding he may have manifested himself to us as he doth not to the world; notwithstanding he may have taken us on the mount of ordinances, given us to see his glory, led us into his banqueting-house, and let his banner over us be love; notwithstanding our repeated vows that we would never leave him, never forsake him; yet how often have we, as it were, been ashamed of him, and his glorious Gospel, and given our Lord occasion, times without number, to complain in that cutting language, “These wounds have I received in the house of my friends?” And now which of us shall throw the first stone at Peter? Behold, he has been placed in the midst of us this day. My brethren, why stand we like statues? I say, let him that is without this sin of denying the Lord Jesus, cast the first stone. But with what face of justice can we do this, being guilty in many respects equally, and in some even more guilty than Peter himself? Rather let us turn the edge of our resentment against ourselves, and imitating Peter in his repentance, as we have undoubtedly too much imitated him in his crime, let us go out from a wicked, noisy, and deluding world, and weep bitterly. Who knows but the Lord may return and leave a blessing behind him? For this end was this instance of human frailty and divine condescension recorded. In him the Redeemer shewed all this long-suffering, that we, notwithstanding our manifold backslidings, might be kept from despair. True, we have sinned, but though we have sinned against light and love, yet we have still an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous, whose precious blood can, and, if applied to our souls by a living faith, will certainly cleanse us both from the guilt and power of all our sins. It was this which washed away the stain of this foul and dreadful fall from Peter’s heart. He quickly rose, and was as speedily restored to his blessed master’s favour again. “Go tell his brethren and Peter,” said the angel, “that he goeth before you into Galilee.” There shall you see him. They did see him. And what said Jesus unto him? He renewed his commission, and bid him “feed his sheep and lambs.” Accordingly we hear not only of his preaching, but of his being honoured so to preach, that three thousand were converted in one day. And is not the Lord Jesus the same now as he was yesterday? Yes, he is, and will continue the same for ever. We have his own royal word for it, that he will heal our backslidings, and love us freely. Let us return then unto the Lord, from whom we have revolted. He is long-suffering, slow to anger, and soon repenteth him of the evil which we provoke him to send upon us. But oh let us not return again to folly, but carefully watch and pray against spiritual pride, spiritual sloth, and self-indulgence, from whence all our evils flow.

Young preachers, to you in an especial manner are these words of exhortation sent. Of all people in the world, you had need watch most against spiritual pride. It is a fly that often spoils your whole pot of ointment. This made aged Paul so careful to warn Timothy not to lay hands upon novices, lest, says he, “being puffed up with pride, they fall into the condemnation of the devil.” How many awful instances have we had of this in various places within these few years last past? Young men, therefore, I exhort you to be humble. For Christ’s sake, for your own souls sake, for the sake of the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood, pray without ceasing that you may be cloathed with humility. Take care of carrying too high sail. Popularity is a dangerous sea, and nothing but the special and almighty grace of God can keep you from oversetting in it. Mark the rocks against which others have made shipwreck, and beg of the Lord Jesus night and day, to help you to steer such a course as to avoid and keep clear of them: he alone can preserve you. Satan envies the honour put upon you; he has a particular enmity against those whom he sees the Redeemer making use of. He knows your weak sides, and will desire to have you, as he desired to have Peter, that he may sift you as wheat. Watch, therefore, and pray always, that you may not fall in an hour of temptation. If Peter could not stand when left to himself, what are we?

Have any from among ourselves of late given proofs of this? Nay, have any that once appeared boldly for our Lord, and seemed ready to follow him to prison or to death, have any such, I say, been permitted not only to follow him afar off, but shamefully and openly to disown and deny both him and his people? Let us not marvel as though some strange thing happened unto us, but let us search the scriptures. Many such instances are recorded there; and we know who hath forewarned us to expect them now. “It must needs be, says the unerring, all-seeing Jesus, that offences come. Let us not therefore be high-minded, but fear; and let him that standeth take heed lest he fall.” Brethren, pray for them. Who knows but they may yet rise, and the locks at present cut off, grow again? Who knows but the cock may yet crow, Jesus may yet look, and such grievous backsliders, being as it were reconverted, may appear more zealous than ever in strengthening their brethren? When shall this once be? “We wait for thy salvation, O Lord: make no long tarrying, O our God!”

In the mean while, let none of us be discouraged, God will take care of his own cause. The Redeemer hath declared, that the gates of hell shall never be able to prevail against his church: and, therefore, though the ark may totter, he can keep it from falling; and though driven for a while into the Philistine’s country, he assuredly can bring it back. He that healed the wound imprudently given by Peter to the ear of the High Priest’s servant, he can and will heal all wounds, and repair all breaches that have been occasioned either by the backslidings, or unguarded conduit of those whom he vouchsafes to employ. “Out of the eater shall come forth meat, and out of the strong shall come forth sweetness.” The wicked, no doubt, rejoiced when they heard of Peter’s fall, and in all probability frequently vented their spleen in saying, “Here is religion for you! Here is a pretty family of reformers, and setters forth of new doctrines. One of them hath betrayed his master with a kiss, and another with oaths and curses denied that ever he knew him: if this be the beginning, what will the end of their boasted reformation be?” What will the end of it be? Ye fools! I have an answer ready: Christ shall be glorified, Satan and all his emissaries confounded, and a multitude of souls out of every nation, language, and tongue, redeemed and finally saved. Oh what a Christ have we! Courage then, my brethren, courage! I beat to arms again in the name of the Lord of hosts. Let us not quit the field of battle, but in the strength of our once crucified, but now exalted Jesus, renew the combat. “He is faithful who hath promised not only to make us conquerors, but more than conquerors through his love.” Yet a little while, and our warfare shall be accomplished, death will put an end to all. A wicked world, a wicked heart, a wicked devil shall then cease from troubling us, and our weary souls shall never be so much as tempted to deny our blessed Lord any more.

Where is Peter now? Yonder he sits, not weeping bitterly, but rejoicing in God his Saviour, on a throne of never-fading glory. To Him, at whose right hand he is now sitting, and who alone is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy; to Him the only wise God our Saviour, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, both now and ever. Amen.