Micah viii, 6th.—“Rejoice not against me, o mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; and when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.”

MY DEAR FRIENDS,

I am come this morning to perform one of the most painful tasks that ever fell to my lot. I am come to take farewell of those who are dear to God, dear to angels, dear to each other, and dear to my heart upon the most noble principles. Though I trust it is but a temporary farewell in general, yet to many it will be perhaps a long farewell, even till we meet in glory, where parting shall be known no more for ever; and to others who live and die enemies to the dear and adorable Saviour—to hypocrites in Zion, to formalists and pharisees, dying such, I say it is an eternal farewell. We shall meet no more perhaps on praying ground—but be it known unto you, my testimony for God and truth you have heard many times, will never be out of your consciences, either in heaven or hell; it will be for or against you, either a savour of life unto life, or of death unto death. And now behold, many among whom I have preached the gospel will see my face no more—painful thought! but I bow to the solemn, awful, just, and I may add, I am sure, merciful dispensation; fully persuaded it is my duty, nay, more, it is my salvation, to bow to the will of the great head of the church. Nature shrinks, but faith looks forward to the grand end which my heavenly father has in view—and being already assured by his word, and by his spirit, that I shall be favoured with his manifestative presence, I prefer submitting to the mind of infinite wisdom, to any other plan which nature, friends, and present interest may suggest. My heart sinks, my spirit fails, my mind is distressed, when I take the painful retrospect, accompanied with the grief of my friends, the troubles of my family, and my own situation; and what is most mortifying, the triumph of the envious, the joy of the enemies of the cross; the pleasure of Satan, and the satisfaction of his emissaries; these things all meet in my mind, and perplex me not a little; but perhaps the grief of the former may be but comparatively for a moment, and the joy of fools is compared to the crackling of thorns under a pot, which make a noise and a blaze, but soon will expire, for so the word of God assures us. And then, what have my enemies effected? What advantage have they gained? Are they any the better? Will their cruelty add to their felicity on a dying bed? Some perhaps may suppose they have done God service; others have not God in all their thoughts; while others, who ought to act better, because they profess better things, join with worldlings, pharisees, and formalists, against a man they know nothing of, but by hear-say. While erroneous characters of every description hate me for the truth’s sake alone, and rejoice if they can find any fault as a ground of persecution; and if not in reality, an evil report is quite enough for them, that they might have cause to oppose the truth, as it is in Jesus. But perhaps before many years roll along, they may hear that John the Baptist is risen from the dead; that Sampson’s locks are grown again, and when he comes forth, they may yet hope to make sport with him. But perhaps the Lord may take vengeance on them, and enable his servant to be avenged on Satan and sin for the loss he has sustained; and by fervent prayer, faithful preaching, and a holy life, he may take hold on the main pillars of the Devil’s kingdom, ignorance of God and an empty profession, and make them tremble; while the power of the Holy Spirit may bring them down, through his feeble instrumentality, at least, in the hearts of some. I therefore humbly presume to adopt the language of the church of old, as personated by the Prophet in my Text, as before recited.My dear hearers may perhaps recollect I have often referred them under their various exercises to this very important chapter. The prophet predicts the state of the church in gospel days; and our dear Lord, no doubt, had his mind on this chapter, when he forewarned the disciples what they would experience, even from their nearest and dearest relatives, for the truth’s sake; that no earthly ties would subdue or remove the carnal enmity of the human heart—that the father and mother would betray their dear children, and children would rise up against their parents, in consequence of their adherence to the truth; which was the case may times during the heat of persecution, and to this hour, where sovereign grace has been manifested in a family, where one has been taken and another left, there has been a most awful opposition, which may be seen in many lamentable circumstances—Mat. 10th chapter. Perhaps Solomon alludes to this when he says, For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear.—Prov. 30th.

The conquests of grace have ever disturbed the earth, and those who have preached all the words of this life are represented as having turned the world upside down, and as the troublers of Israel; while the gospel in its power has caused those who were servants to sin to lay down the arms of their rebellion, and God has set up a kingdom in their hearts which shall never be destroyed, and made them kings and priests unto God. But the prophet, no doubt, in this chapter, may allude to the state of the Jewish church, before and in her captivity, this I apprehend is the primary sense of the chapter. He laments the fewness of those who were valiant for the truth. Then represents the sins of the great, and of those in office, both in church and state. The decay of true godliness was his grief, accompanied with many heart-breaking sights of the treachery of those who were in a profession, with the weakness of the children of God themselves; The best of them is a briar, the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge. Trust ye not, therefore, in a friend; put no confidence in a guide! Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom—that is, even from the saints themselves, knowing the best of men are but men at the best: and well may one of our own Poets exclaim—

Lean not to earth, ’twill pierce thee to the heart:
A broken reed at best, but oft a spear!
On its sharp point peace bleeds and hope expires!

The prophet’s mind is turned to the true centre of solid joy and peace, amidst all the trials he experienced—therefore will I look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation, with this sweet confidence, my God will hear me. My enemies then need not rejoice; for as I have God in covenant to be my God—and of this I am confident, from his word, and by the many tokens of his love; therefore though I fall into trouble, and remain in the darkness of my captivity a long time, yet I am fully assured I shall be delivered in God’s time and way; and till that period arrives, the Lord Jesus will be my light, my love, my portion, and my joy. Persuaded of this, I will bear in his strength, the fatherly indignation of the Lord, manifested in his providences, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, appear for my help, and as my glorious deliverer, in bringing me forth to the enjoyment of his favour, and to sweet peace, through the imputed righteousness of the dear Redeemer, which I shall behold as my own, and which will cause me to adore his righteous proceedings with me; and when I am humbled and delivered, then she that is mine enemy will see it, and shame shall cover her that said, Where is the Lord thy God? She shall see it in this and a coming world. Rejoice not, therefore, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.

This subject is truly interesting, and exactly suitable to the state of an afflicted Church, or an individual Believer; and it is the general privilege of all the children of the most high, if it suits them, for the Scriptures are designed to furnish the children of God unto every good word and work; to furnish them with matter for faith, hope, prayer, humiliation, and encouragement in God. This is the design of every precious doctrine and promise, which at once opens to our wondering view, the very heart of the God of all grace; the glorious person of God our Saviour; his covenant transactions with the Father, his acting for and on the behalf of his Church, his wonderful incarnation, his meritorious holy life of obedience, his sufferings and death, whereby he removed the guilt of his dear people; his sacred burial, his most triumphant resurrection from the dead, his glorious ascension, his appearing in heaven as the advocate of his people, and as their ever prevalent intercessor. This is the glorious foundation, hope, and comfort of those whose hearts are under the influences of his Spirit, who are driven from every other refuge, and are enabled to believe to the present salvation of the Soul. This faith, which is the work of God on the hearts of his people, evidences their election of God, their complete redemption from the ruins of the fall, and that the work is genuine; it is the earnest God has given them, and all their present peace and joy is according to the strength or weakness of this grace. This makes Christ precious, the Word sweet, and the Saints dear. This creates in their hearts a most earnest desire to live to the glory of God—this renders them the butt of the Devil’s malice, the hypocrite’s envy, and the world’s scorn. These, in connexion with the old Man of Sin, which the Believer daily groans under, renders his road very rough; often exposes him to the deepest trouble and heart-felt grief. His own daily infirmities, his own constitutional sin, creates him much wretchedness, and the enemies of the Cross are daily watching for his halting, longing for his fall, envying his comforts, and contriving his overthrow. But though he is safe in the unchangeable love of God, as it respects his soul, yet he is still exposed to the malice of man, the temptations of Satan, and the shafts of calumny. If a fault can be justly found, Oh! the triumphs of the Philistines! And if not, perhaps they will try to make one, that they may bring the cause of Christ into contempt. The combined enemies of God are the same combined foes of the people of God, for, as by virtue of the union subsisting between the Lord Jesus and his people, they have a mutual interest; his cause is theirs, his friends are theirs, and his enemies are theirs: as they bear his image, possess his favour, cleave to his person, love his name, esteem his word, feel his power, trust his faithfulness, and follow his dear foot-steps, so they must expect that share of his sufferings allotted them, from the same enemies, their glorious master was encompassed with—these are the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, the three great foes of Christ and the Believer. From Satan the dear Redeemer was assaulted, the world hated him, and sin, as imputed to him, made him tremble, when it fell upon him in all its malignity. Satan rejoiced when the dear Saviour was afflicted by God and man; but he had very little cause to rejoice, for by the Saviour’s obedience unto death, he destroyed death, wounded the head of Satan, took vengeance on him for all he had done to his people, and has threatened to shut him up in the prison of Hell a thousand Years; at the expiration of which he shall be loosed from his prison, and dragged before the awful tribunal of Christ, and then receive his full torment, even that torment he was afraid Christ was come to put him to at his first appearance, when he cried out, Art thou come to torment us before the time? So that while our dear Lord was suffering, Satan might have rejoiced, but had very little cause, neither had the world much reason to triumph; they hated both Christ and his Father, his person, his mission, his miracles, his doctrines, and his followers; but they hated him without a cause, nor could they rest until they had imbrued their hands in his Blood! And when they had done it, they rejoiced, but short indeed was their joy, the Captain of Salvation rose triumphant over all their hellish spite, ascended to glory, and will come again in the last great day to judge the quick and the dead; then shall all the kindreds of the earth mourn!—mark that—the kindreds of the earth, but none of the kindred of Christ; they shall rejoice when he comes to be glorified in his Saints, and admired by all them that believe; and surely if we are led by the eternal Spirit to admire Jesus on earth, this will be our sweet employment in heaven; but as Satan and the World were the enemies of Christ, so they are the formidable foes of the people of God; the old Serpent has an inveterate hatred to the saints, and though he well knows he cannot destroy them for ever, yet he will endeavour to make their path to glory as miserable as he can. He is called the accuser of the brethren; he attempted to move God against holy Job, but in vain; he traduced him as an hypocrite and mercenary professor, and vented all the bitterness he was permitted on his body and mind; and he would, if he could, act the same in all the rest of the elect, and finally destroy both soul and body; but he must ask leave of our Father before he can do that—yea, he cannot so much as tempt a Believer without leave from God; and as we are well aware he is permitted to tempt every vessel of mercy, how truly important those petitions of our Lord which he taught his disciples—and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. The same learned Greek scholars read it—“Thou canst not lead us into temptation, therefore, deliver us from the evil one.” And how suitable to our desires is that part of the Litany of the Church of England, “From all evil and mischief, from sin, from the crafts and assaults of the Devil, and from thy wrath, and from everlasting damnation—Good Lord deliver us.” But though it is the work of Satan to tempt, to harrass, to vex, to grieve, and to hurl his darts into the mind; to bring the soul into bondage, to terrify or lull to sleep, to ensnare, or tempt to despair, to fill the mind with legality, or tempt it to real Antinomianism, that is, to sin that grace may abound:—whatever may be his temptations, and whatever his malicious joy, to see a chosen vessel fall either into sin or sorrow of any description, he, as a creature, a fallen spirit, the enemy of Jehovah—I say, he has the least reason to rejoice, as he only adds to his own damnation!—he helps to fill up the measure of his own iniquity. Much as the believer has to blame himself for on account of not taking heed to his own ways, yet Satan need not rejoice in his falls, for he only falls to stand more firm, to see native weakness of his own arm, the deceitfulness of his own heart; and as grace is displayed to his soul, he finds the dear Redeemer more precious to his heart, after the inner man; he is made more watchful, more sedate, more careful: he is humbled in the dust before God, and as pardoning mercy lifts him up, so repentance flows forth to his forgiving. God and this repentance is attended with all those excellencies described by the apostle Paul, (2 Cor. vii, 11), Carefulness, clearing, indignation, fear, desire, zeal, and revenge on sin and Satan, for the injury they have done him.

Thus blest, he again travels on in his Redeemer’s righteousness and strength, hating sin more than ever, and vowing eternal war against Satan and his works. But the world is also the enemy of God’s children—not the creation of God, but the men of the world, who are of the earth, earthy, whose portion and joy is in the world, whose hope is the sand of their own doings, who are enemies by nature and by practice, who are ignorant of God, of Jesus, his word, his grace, and the reality of religion. These, whether open opposers, or formal professors of any religion, are enemies to God, and in the enmity of their hearts they live, and, if grace does not prevent, they will die, and as those trees fall so they will lie till the resurrection of the wicked dead, even a thousand years after the righteous dead—these will rise in all the enmity in which they died, and will manifest it as soon as they spring up from the dust, (see this awful subject in the 20th chapter of the Revelations, 8th and 9th verses)—as they will then appear in the image of Satan so they possess that image now, which is hatred to God; for as love is the image of Jesus, so enmity is the image of Satan; and these bear his image as his children—they are engaged in his service, are his drudges, his fools; they hate what he hates. God and his saints—they oppose whom their father opposes, and they rejoice and delight in that which he delights in—they eat the same food, for Dust is the Serpent’s meat—they rejoice in the same spite, and are engaged in the same cause, they bear the same name, and will come to the same end, for the wicked shall be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God.Nor does an empty profession of religion alter this image; there is the same spirit, the same hatred to truth, the same rejoicing in the heart at a real believer in all his falls, whether it be into sin or into trouble; and the Lord sometimes permits it to be so, that they may manifest by what spirit they are influenced, for by these fruits you are to know them. They are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph, therefore woe to them that are at ease in Zion. Sad, indeed, to see professors join with the world in opposing the grand leading doctrines of the gospel. Sad to see them join in their sins, in their pursuits, in their enmity, and in their cruel joy, in the downfall of any chosen vessel. Sad to see them join in the same hue and cry, do the same work of spreading an evil report, and boasting of the goodness of their hearts; but they have their reward. Woe unto you that laugh now, says the Saviour; that is, at the truth, or the trouble of the afflicted and depressed, for you shall mourn—Recollect your present state, and if grace prevent not, your future end. Rejoice not therefore against me, O mine enemy!

Perhaps the pious Prophet here personating the church, spoke this in allusion to the city or inhabitants of Babylon, who had long been enemies to Israel’s God, and to the people of Jerusalem. These triumphed to see them forsaken, desolate, afflicted, and led into a state of captivity; to see them bowed down and punished because of their sins. The spirit of holy confidence and prophecy inspired the church, and she utters the voice of the text, and adds a very solemn declaration:—Thus she that is mine enemy, shall see it; shame shall cover her; she shall be trodden down as mire in the streets. When God had set his people free; when all the grand ends of his chastisement were answered; then he poured out his vengeance on those who afflicted them. Hence he calls his enemies his rod, his staff, his sword, which when he is done with them, he will lay them aside, or devote them to destruction. For what God intends, and they intend, is very different. God intends their spiritual growth, their holiness, and final felicity: they intend their destruction. And as they act from a base principle, after God’s purposes are accomplished, he punishes their enemies. He that leadeth into captivity, shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword, shall die by the sword. I refer my afflicted friends to the 30th chap. of Jeremiah; and I intreat any cruel foe to read the 16th verse, and remember it is the voice of a God that cannot lie. I must just observe that I do not speak this in reference to the administrators of justice, for they bear not the sword in vain, they are the ordinance of God, and should be feared, and revered, and woe unto those who resist this ordinance. But I speak the above truths in reference to all cruel, unjust persecutors; to liars, false swearers, perjurers, and peace murders; verily they have their full reward, therefore they have very little cause to rejoice. This leads me to notice the falls of the believer; and these alas! are daily! Solomon says, they fall seven times, but rise again, because of the work of the Lord upon them, and because the love and mercy of the Lord endureth for ever. They can never fall out of his heart, nor out of his arm, nor out of his covenant, nor out of his thoughts, for they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, as the covenant of grace, which can never be moved. But though this is a most glorious Scripture truth, yet in themselves considered, and situated as they are, in an enemy’s land, surrounded by snares and traps, trials and temptations, from without and within, Satan and a corrupt heart, the prevalency of error, and the aboundings of impiety, the poor believer is in constant danger of falling, in constant need or divine keeping, and in constant need of that humble petition, Hold thou me up and I shall be safe. The Lord permits his children often to fall, but never to turn enemies to the truth, to mount the scorner’s chair, or really to apostatize—backslide in heart and conduct they do, but apostatize they never shall, they never can; they may fall into sin, as the most eminent saints have, which has caused them many a heart-break; they may fall into spiritual distress, even after they have been sweetly led along, as David, Job, and Hezekiah did—they may fall into some temptations, from which scarcely any of the children of God are exempt; they may fall from their first love, which the Saviour complains of one of the Churches, they may fall into gross errors for a time, as Peter and others have, through an accommodating spirit to the manners of the times. They may fall into persecution as Daniel predicted. Many among them shall fall by the sword, by fire, by spoil, and by captivity many days: but they shall be holpen with a little help. But they may fall into trouble, as was the case with the Church, to which the text refers. These may be sent by the hand of God in a sovereign way. These may befal a Believer, from the world and from false brethren—they may be brought very low, into deep poverty, sore affliction, and great embarrasments; to these things, the brightest saints upon earth are liable, and the Lord may bring upon them sore and great troubles when they need it; and I believe the Lord never does it without a reason—for he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. There is, doubtless, a need for every cross and for every enemy; but the fall the Church alludes to in the text, is not a fall into sin, but a fall into trouble; and while we lament their miseries, may we not exclaim, Is there not a cause? And perhaps, if we were deeply to investigate the trouble of God’s children, we might be able to trace a cause. The Church of Jerusalem was in deep tribulation, but was not their Sins the sad cause? Had they not been negligent of the daily sacrifices, of the Sabbath day, and of many other duties, which pointed out the only possible method of Salvation, by the doing and dying of Jesus?—therefore, while these were forsaken, Christ was despised; and how has the great Apostle applied this subject—How shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation? And am I not speaking to some this morning who are highly culpable of sad neglect of the dear Saviour? All backsliding begins here—secret neglect of Jesus! then all the sad consequences follow—love of the world, an inordinate love of the creature, levity of manners, indulgence of secret sin, with a sad train of evils beside; for these things sake the rod is sent, trials fall heavy; the hand of God is seen in his disapprobation of a sinful conduct, but woe, woe unto that people where this is the case and the hand of God does not fall on them; better be under his chastening hand, learning wisdom and receiving instruction from all we meet with, than be left to receive the dreadful sentence, He is joined to idols, let him alone!

The troubles of the Church are called in the text, a fall, and so it is: and they are likewise described as sitting in darkness. Sitting—no doubt this is intended to shew that their trials were to be of a long duration. The captivity lasted seventy years; but the Lord assured them he would not leave them in that state, and at the close of the allotted time, he would appear for their deliverance. These things were written for our instruction and comfort. The Lord has promised to deliver us, and he will be our helper until that time comes, then he will appear in his own way, and cause us to subscribe with the hand God is faithful. How long our trials may last on the present occasion, we know not; but of this we are certain, that the God of all grace who hath called us to his kingdom and glory—after we have suffered a while will make us perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us—only we want patience to have her perfect work, that after we have done the will of God by suffering, we may receive the promises of deliverance. All is dark at present, evidences of interest are very low; a gloomy cloud sits on the Tabernacle—providences are very dark, and we may be much in the dark about God’s designs, and this darkness may continue a long time. Here some Believers are said to walk in darkness, without light; though the darkness of ignorance is past, yet much still remains, and we are the subjects of much darkness within as well as without; yet we are encouraged to trust in Jesus, and stay our minds upon a God in Christ, until sensible comforts and conspicuous deliverances arise—and they will come, the morning will dawn, Jesus will appear, though it may not be until the fourth watch of the night, then he may shew himself, treading on the proud waves of our trouble, and enemies, and until then the Lord has promised to be our strength and our comfort. Faith being enabled to give credit to the word of Jesus confidently asserts, When I fall I shall arise—when I fall into trouble, the Lord will take that opportunity to alarm my fears, and stir me up to prayer. This will lead faith to act upon its proper object; for prayer and faith are inseparable companions—faith without prayer is presumption, and prayer without faith is ignorance. Fervency in prayer, strengthens faith, and confidence is the assurance of faith; this is begot in the mind by the Spirit, and encouraged by many sweet tokens of covenant love; and the church having been so highly favoured, was enabled to believe the Lord would be with her, according to his word; and though it was her misery to fall into trouble, yet it was her mercy that the Lord had engaged to be with her in trouble, and she was enabled to triumph: when I fall, that fall will terminate for my good, for all things work together for good to them that love God, as well as all things work together for evil against them that hate God. This confidence, founded on the person of Christ, his work, his promises, and his faithfulness, is not to be cast away in time of trouble, but it is to be exercised as in Paul’s case, (27th Acts) when on board a Ship, he said, but I believe it shall be as God has told me—and no matter what Satan, carnal reason, unbelief, ill-natured professors, nor mistaken possessors would say about the matter, What saith the scripture? “Fear not to go down into Egypt; I am with thee; I will help thee;”—and “because he hath set his love upon me, I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him.” And this is as true as God is God; and so you will all find it some time or other. The Lord will be a light unto me: This was the Psalmist’s comfort, The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? Christ is the light of life, and all the light we have in a way of covenant grace, we have from him; he is the glorious luminary which creates the present, and he will be the future, day of his church; their sun then shall no more go down. This term, light, is perhaps one of the most comprehensive—it includes all that a gracious God and father is to his chosen people. God is love—God is light; he is the light of grace in the covenant, the light of truth in the scriptures, the light of life in the heart, and the light of love in the church. In his light we see light; by his own beams we see his glory, we see his person, we feel his love, and by the light of his countenance we know we are pardoned and justified, adopted, and chosen; and this honour have all the saints, more or less: Hence that most invaluable promise, Unto you that fear my name, shall the sun of righteousness arise, (the sun of justification, the learned say) with healing in his beams. For every ray of light, every influence of his love, every manifestation of his favour, is a ray or beam from him who is our justification before God, and whose dear, gracious, glorious, and precious name is Jehovah our righteousness. What God is to us in all his covenant characters, what Jesus is in all his excellencies, and what the holy and eternal Spirit is in all his blessed offices; this is our light, our joy, our strength, and our all in all. And very frequently the Lord takes the opportunity of manifesting himself the clearer, when the church is in her darkest state—man’s extremity was ever God’s opportunity. May he be our light in the present darkness, and may the light of his countenance shine upon your souls when I am separated from you. Farewell, my dear friends! forbid even the whisper of complaint—

Tho’ painful at present, ’twill cease before long,
And then, O how pleasant the conqueror’s song.

Permit me here to drop a few words more. Suffer the word of exhortation. As a church, many among you have professed to receive the word with power in this place, and among this people, by my feeble instrumentality. Let me beg of you to keep near to the Saviour by secret, humble, and fervent prayer, that your minds may be more divinely opened, to receive Jesus as set forth in the gospel—that God will condescend to raise up a more able, more faithful, and more useful preacher—that you may be fed with the sincere milk of the word, and with strong meat, as the apostle describes the great things of God. Let me intreat you to walk in love and humility together. Let me beg of you all to avoid sin, secret and public; I mean, as to the commission of it; and by looking to Jesus, to get rid of the guilt, power, and love of it. Let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of Christ; and it will be the joy of my heart when I am gone from you, to hear that you are walking in the truth, that many are added to you, whose experience, views, and conduct, are consistent with the Gospel. Walk in love, and the God of love and peace be with you all. Amen.

I conclude this humble farewell address, in that devout Prayer of the Litany of the Church of England.

“O God, merciful Father, that despiseth not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desires of such as be sorrowful; mercifully assist our prayers that we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppress us; and graciously hear us, that those evils, which the craft and subtilty of the Devil or man worketh against us, be brought to nought; and by the providence of thy goodness, they may be dispersed; that we thy servants being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Amen.

Finis.

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