But can it be supposed that any one will follow such counsel, and be led by it to prefer the body to the soul, the creature to the Creator, time to eternity, and hell to heaven? It cannot surely be, that any one in his senses can be so influenced, either by friends or enemies. Methinks, the answer that would instantly be given to all such counsellors would be, "Whether it be right to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye." But there are few, very few, in whom this fortitude is found. And if a person can only say, My father or "my mother so counselled me," he will cease to think that he "does wickedly," or that he has reason to fear the displeasure of his God.] But let me faithfully warn you of, II. The danger of following it This unhappy king was soon made to feel the bitter consequences of his folly: for God "fixed his eyes upon him for evil," and in one short year brought him down" to his destruction." His end, in this view, is worthy of notice. He went with Jehoram, the son of Ahab, to fight against Hazael, king of Syria. Being wounded in the battle, he went to Jezreel, to be healed of his wounds. Whilst he was there, on a visit to Jehoram, king of Israel, he went forth with Jehoram to inquire into the reason of the apparently hostile approach of Jehu: and finding Jehu too powerful for him, and his friend the king of Israel slain by him, he fled to Samaria, and hid himself there: but, being found, he was taken, and brought to Jehu, and put to death. And all this was ordered of the Lord, as we are expressly told: "The destruction of Ahaziah was of God, by coming to Jorame." In like manner will every one find, that in "contemning God's counsel," he only ensures his own destruction'. In two ways will a compliance with evil counsel operate to a man's destruction: 1. By the habits which it will induce— [A person, in yielding to evil counsel, thinks perhaps, that he will only follow it on a particular occasion, or to a given But who shall say where a man on a precipitous extent. descent shall stop? Perhaps the advice given was only to avoid singularity; and, for this end, to avoid the ministry of those who might awaken his conscience, or the society of those who might lead him to God. By following this advice, he is kept from attaining a principle of true piety, which alone can preserve him from any evil. He loves not the word of God; and therefore he employs his leisure in some foolish vanity: he has no pleasure in communion with God; and therefore he associates with those who are like-minded with himself: he affects not heaven; and therefore is satisfied with the things of time and sense. It may be, that he is never particularly tempted to the commission of any flagrant evil; and therefore he goes on respectably in the eyes of the world; but without any real delight in God, or any serious preparation for eternity: but if he be tried by any violent temptation, he is carried away, like the dust before the wind, and falls a prey to his great enemy. Behold the gambler, the adulterer, the duellist! each, in his calling, was deemed a man of worth, till, by his want of principle, he was betrayed into the evils by which he fell. But had he, in the first instance, listened, not to the counsels of ungodly men, but to the voice of God in his word, he had escaped the snares which were laid for his feet, and avoided the destruction that has come upon his soul. Nor is it into occasional sin only that men are drawn by a want of religious principle, but frequently into a contempt for all religion; as the Psalmist intimates, when, in a triple climax, he describes a man, first "walking (transiently) in the counsel of the ungodly (who have no vital piety); then standing in the way of sinners; and, at last, sitting in the seat of the scornful."] 2. By the judgments which it will entail [Men may promise us impunity in the ways of sin: but it shall be found, at last, "whose words shall stand, theirs or God'sh." God has said, "Evil shall hunt the wicked man, to overthrow him." The hunted deer thinks himself at a distance from any enemy, and that he has no ground for fear: but his step has left a scent behind him; and that, once found, is traced with fatal precision, till he is overtaken, and destroyed. So the judgments of God, at whatever distance they may be thought to be, follow the sinner, till at last "his sin finds him out," and brings down the wrath of an offended God upon him. In vain may he "make a covenant with death and hell: his covenant with death shall be disannulled; and his agreement with hell shall not stand: when the overflowing scourge shall g Ps. i. 1. i Ps. cxl. 11. h Jer. xliv. 28. pass through, he shall be trodden down by it':" yea, "though hand join in hand," and there be a confederacy of the whole universe for his protection," he shall not be unpunishedm." "Let no man deceive himself: God is not mocked; nor will be: for whatsoever any man soweth, that shall he also he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption: and he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting "."] ADDRESS, reap: 1. Those who are exerting their influence against the Lord 66 [Who has not, at one time or other, been guilty of this sin? Who has not either derided serious piety himself, or forborne to vindicate it when derided by others, and thus sanctioned, by silence at least, the counsel of the ungodly? We may think lightly of this evil: but the rebuke given to Peter, when, from a love to his Master, he would have dissuaded him from suffering, shews clearly enough the light in which our conduct has been viewed by Almighty God. In every such act we have taken part with the devil, and done his work and we may well expect to hear from him that indignant reproof, "Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." Consider, then, I pray you, Brethren, what you are doing, when you counsel any one to do wickedly," or to refrain from obeying any command of God: you 66 cast a stumbling-block before your brother, and destroy a soul for whom Christ died." You also bring the deepest guilt upon your own soul; and will have the blood of those, whom you have ruined, required at your hands. Reflect a moment on the state to which both you and those who have followed your advice will soon be reduced. It is said that the wicked will be "bound in bundles, and cast into the fire"." By this I understand, that they who have encouraged each other in sin will be so brought into contact with each other in the eternal world, as to increase each other's torment to all eternity by their mutual recriminations. The mother will then execrate the folly that her son committed in listening to her counsels, in opposition to the word of God; whilst the son will cast the most bitter reflections on her, for so abusing her influence to the ruin of his soul. Let these considerations be laid to heart by those who imagine that they are only exercising love: for verily it is such a love as Satan himself 1 Isai. xxviii. 18. Rom. xiv. 15. VOL. IV. n Prov. xi. 21. n Gal, vi. 7, 8. approves; and such a love as all, who either exercise it or obey it, will bitterly bewail.] 2. Those who yield to influence so exerted— [Do not imagine, that, in guarding you against a compliance with the counsels of a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, I would willingly interrupt the harmony of the domestic circle, and still less that I would lessen in your eyes the obligations of parental authority. No: in every thing that is not contrary to God's commands, parental authority ought to be regarded with the deepest veneration, and obeyed with the greatest readiness. To honour our parents is "the first command with promise:" and the blessing of God will always come on those who duly respect it. But there is an authority paramount to that of any creature; and our blessed Lord has expressly told us that no creature under heaven must be put in competition with him: "He that loveth father or mother, or son or daughter, more than me, is not worthy of me." It will be no excuse that you have yielded either to the endearments or authority of love, if, in so doing, you have violated any command of God, or withheld from him any service which you might have rendered. Let it be granted, that, in withstanding the solicitations of your friends, you grieve and offend them: is it not better than to grieve and offend your God? Or, if by means of it you suffer the loss of an earthly inheritance, is not that a better alternative than to lose your own soul? for, "what shall a man take in exchange for his soul?" Learn, then, Beloved, to regard, in the first place, the commands of God. Learn to seek, above all things, his favour; for "in his favour is life;" and "his loving-kindness is better than life itself." If the advice given you be good, you will do well to follow it, as Timothy did that of his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice:" but if it be evil," We ought to obey God rather than men," must be the principle to which you must inviolably adhere.] q Matt. x. 37. r2 Tim. i. 5. s Acts v. 29. CCCCXIII. THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF JOASH. 2 Chron. xxiv. 2. And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. IN order to display more fully his own truth and faithfulness, God often permits events to arise, which seem to render the accomplishment of his promises almost, if not altogether, hopeless. This was particularly visible in his conduct towards the posterity of Abraham in Egypt, in that he forbore to rescue them from their captivity, till the period assigned for their deliverance was brought to the very last hour. We behold a striking interposition also in behalf of the descendants of David, to whom God had promised, that his seed should continue to sit upon the throne of Judah. More than once had they been in imminent danger of utter excision", before Athaliah usurped the throne: and she was bent upon destroying them all: but God would not suffer his promise to fail. It should seem that Joash, the youngest son of Ahaziah, was actually with his brethren when they all were slain, and by some means, being only an infant, was hid amongst them, so as to escape the general slaughter. From that state he was rescued by his aunt, and was hid, together with his nurse, in a bed-chamber, till he was seven years old: at which time Jehoiada the priest, who had married his aunt, put to death the usurper, and established Joash on his father's throne. One might have hoped, that a person so signally preserved, should, like Moses, have proved a great blessing to his age and nation: but, hopeful as his beginnings were, his reign was evil, and his end calamitous. We propose, I. To take a brief view of his history A sudden and total change having taken place in his conduct about the middle of his reign, it will be proper to consider his history, 1. During the life of Jehoiada [At first, as might be expected, he was under the entire management of Jehoiada, who was his instructor, and acted towards him as a father. But it was not only during his minority that he was thus observant of Jehoiada, but for many years a 2 Chron. xxi. 4. and xxii. 1. b 2 Chron. xxii. 10. e 2 Kings xii. 1. with 2 Chron. xxiv. 22. |