DISCOURSE: 2014
MINISTERS, THE BEARERS OF A RICH TREASURE
2 Corinthians 4:7. We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
ST. PAUL was occasionally constrained to vindicate his own character against the accusations of his enemies. He was averse to it; and, when so doing, accounted himself “speaking as a fool.” But, when-soever he boasted, his endeavour was to magnify, not himself but his office. As for himself, no terms were too humiliating for him to use, whether he spake of his former life, or of his present exertions in the cause of his divine Master. The passage before us well illustrates his views in both respects. The Gospel which he ministered was, in his estimation, “a treasure:” but he himself, and all his colleagues, were no better than “earthen vessels;” worthless in themselves, and only useful as imparting unto men “the riches which they contained.”
The passage before us will lead me to notice,
I. The true character of the Gospel—
It is here called “a treasure:” and well it deserves the name.
In itself, it is utterly invaluable—
[If considered as the product of Divine wisdom, it infinitely surpasses all that could have been conceived by the brightest intelligences in heaven: and, as an effort of Divine love, it is so stupendous as to be absolutely incomprehensible. In it, all the glory of the Godhead shines, with a splendour never before seen even by the angels around the throne. There is not a perfection of the Deity which is not honoured by it, and magnified far beyond what it could ever have been by any other device, or any other dispensation.]
As dispensed, it marvellously enriches all who receive it—
[To every soul of man that embraces it, is imparted a forgiveness of all sin, a peace that passeth all understanding, a strength that shall triumph over every adversary, and, at the close of this present life, all the glory and felicity of heaven. In comparison of this, the riches of ten thousand worlds were nothing. Possessed of this, a Lazarus were rich; and in the want of it, the greatest monarch in the universe were poor.]
Most unsuited to this, however, appears to be,
II.
The character of those to whom it is committed—
We should naturally expect, that those who are appointed to dispense this treasure should be taken from the highest order of creation, and from the very first rank amongst them. We should imagine that none but angels and archangels should be counted worthy of so high an honour. But God has judged otherwise; and has committed this treasure to “earthen vessels.”
The Apostles are justly so denominated—
[They were men of low origin, a few poor fishermen. They were exceeding frail in their nature, not one amongst them without some great blemish: for in the hour of their Lord’s extremity, “they all forsook him, and fled.” They were all worthless in themselves, “made of the earth, and earthly:” nor had they any thing in themselves, either to recommend the treasure, or to augment its efficiency. If Paul be thought an exception, on account of his learning and eloquence, he purposely laid aside his eloquence, from a persuasion that the wisdom of words had no other tendency than to make void the cross of Christ.]
And this is the character of God’s most faithful servants at this day—
[It is not from amongst the wise and learned that God, for the most part, selects his most active and efficient instruments. Not that he proscribes learning; but because he is jealous of his own honour, and would “have our faith to stand, not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God [Note: 1 Corinthians 2:5.].” He “chooses the weak things of the world to confound the mighty [Note: 1 Corinthians 1:26-29].” Not that any, however eminent, can claim any higher title than that assigned them in the text: for all are guilty, and need the same mercy which they preach to others; all are weak, and must be upheld by God every moment, lest they fall and perish. And not one amongst them can convert or edify one single soul by any power of his own. However useful any be, they are only like the pitchers which contained the lamps of Gideon [Note: Judges 7:19-21. God would not suffer Gideon to employ any thing like an effective army, lest they should ascribe the victory to themselves. It was by three hundred only, with their pitchers and lamps, that God wrought this great deliverance. And so it was by the ministry of a few poor fishermen, that he triumphed over all the powers both of earth and hell.] — — — it was not the pitchers that in any respect contributed to his success; no, nor yet the light which they contained: it was the power of God accompanying that light, which obtained the victory; and which alone prevails at this day for the subduing of men to the obedience of faith — — —]
Let us now proceed to contemplate,
III.
The peculiar advantage arising from this dispensation—
There is an “excellency of power” in the Gospel—
[There is nothing under heaven that accomplishes such wonders as this. It comes to men who are dead in trespasses and sins, and by a divine energy brings them forth to life. The prophet’s vision of the dry bones gives a just representation of its effects [Note: Ezekiel 37:1-10.] — — — We see how it wrought on the day of Pentecost, and afterwards throughout all the Roman Empire — — — And the same effects does it produce at this day, wherever it is preached in simplicity, and accompanied with power from on high. There are many living witnesses (not a few, I would hope, in this place) who can attest, that, by means of it, their “eyes have been opened, and their souls been turned from the power of Satan unto God.”]
By the weakness of those who dispense it, the power of God that accompanies it is the more displayed—
[If it were ministered by angels, men would be ready to ascribe its efficacy to the instruments by whom it was dispensed. But, when it was preached by poor fishermen, without learning, without any earthly power to support them, and in direct opposition to all the prejudices and passions of mankind, to what could its wonderful power be ascribed? To nothing, surely, but the mighty operation of the Spirit of God. So, if at this day God made use of none but the great and learned, we should give the honour unto those by whom he wrought, rather than to Him alone. But when he ordains strength, as it were, in the mouths of babes and sucklings, we are constrained to say, that He who works either in us, or by us, is God [Note: 2 Corinthians 1:21; 2 Corinthians 5:5.]. By this it is clearly shewn, that “neither he that planteth is any thing, nor he that watereth; but God, that giveth the increase [Note: 1 Corinthians 3:7.]:” it is He that is “all in all [Note: Colossians 3:11.].”]
We may see, then, from hence,
1.
How we are to preach the Gospel—
[The Gospel was never intended to give to men an opportunity of displaying their own talents, and of getting glory to themselves; no: we are “not to preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord [Note: ver. 5.].” It is a treasure committed to us, that, as God’s almoners, we should dispense it to an ungodly world. We are to think of nothing, but of enriching immortal souls. If we see not this effect, we should account nothing done to any good purpose, even though our names were celebrated over the face of the whole earth. And if we see this seal to our ministry, we should account ourselves truly blessed, though we were considered in no other light than as “the filth of the world, and the off-scouring of all things.” In preparing for our public addresses, we should keep this end in view: in delivering them, too, we should labour with all our might to attain it: and we should consider the enriching of one single soul with the unsearchable riches of Christ, a far more glorious recompence than all the dignities and wealth that could be heaped upon us.]
2. How you should hear the Gospel—
[You should lose sight of man altogether, and look only unto God. To “be of Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas,” is a proof of sad carnality; and is the sure way to rob yourselves of God’s blessing. You should consider the public ordinances as God’s appointed means of dispensing wealth to your souls. You should go up to them poor, that you may be enriched; and empty, that you may be filled. As for the particular talents of the preacher, or the peculiarities which attend his ministrations, you should, as far as possible, overlook them; and fix your attention only on the treasure which he unfolds to your view, and presents for your acceptance. You would act thus in reference to a casket of jewels which was set before you: you would not despise them because the casket was plain; nor regard them because it was elegant. The enjoying of the possession is that which would be uppermost in your mind: and so it should be when the treasures of the Gospel are tendered to you. You should not consider the vessel in which they are brought: if it be of gold, your regards should not be fixed on that; nor, if it be “earthen,” should you undervalue the treasure it contains. To be enriched with all spiritual and eternal blessings should be the one object of your pursuit; and for that your mouth should be opened in prayer to God in secret; and your, soul be expanded under the ministration of his word. Above all, be sure to look to God, and not to man; lest you provoke your God to jealousy, and he withhold from your souls his saving benefits.]