DISCOURSE: 1767
CHRIST’S DILIGENCE IN BENEFITING MAN
Acts 10:38. Who went about doing good.
THERE are many principles in the human heart, that are capable of calling forth all the energy of our minds, and all the exertion of our bodies: but it is to be lamented that these principles, being evil in their nature, are, for the most part, destructive in their tendency. Ambition and the love of filthy lucre have operated in every age to the production of efforts that have excited the wonder and admiration of the world. But rarely has such zeal been found on the side of virtue. One however has appeared on earth whose only object was to do good; and whose labours were never equalled by mortal man. He was steady and uniform in his course, like the sun in its orbit; and, like that bright luminary, diffused the richest blessings wherever he came. This man was Jesus of Nazareth; of whom the Apostle justly says in our text, “He went about doing good.”
We shall,
I. Confirm this record from the history of Jesus—
That we may contract our subject within proper limits, we will confine our attention to three things that are peculiarly worthy of notice:
1. His condescension—
[The great and mighty of the earth, however disposed to benefit mankind, are almost inaccessible to the poor; who must come often, and wait long, and get richer persons for their advocates, and, after all. be dismissed without having obtained the full object of their wishes. But Jesus gave liberty to all to come unto him: their poverty did not excite his contempt; nor the loathsomeness of their disorders his disgust. He suffered them to throng him on every side, and to touch him. Not even their moral depravity caused him to stand aloof from them. On the contrary, he sought out the poorest, the most miserable, and the most depraved; as though he had determined to honour those most, whom the rest of the world most disregarded and despised. Hence it was cast in his teeth, that he was “a friend of publicans and sinners.”]
2. His diligence—
[From the time that our Lord entered on his ministry to the very hour of his crucifixion, there was not a single day wherein he was not actively engaged in doing good both to the bodies and the souls of men. “It was his very meat and drink to do the will of God” in this respect. He staid not at home that persons might come to him; but he himself went about, he “went about” through all cities, towns, and villages, in order to administer instruction and comfort to “those who lay in darkness and the shadow of death.” Sometimes when he had spent the whole night in prayer he would return to his labours, without regarding the calls of nature for rest and refreshment; insomuch that his friends were ready to blame him as transported with zeal bevond all the bounds of reason and propriety [Note: Mark 3:21. Ὁτι ἐξέστη, see Doddridge in loc.].
The scope of every thing that he either said or did, was to benefit mankind. Whether his discourses savoured of affection or severity, and whether his miracles were more or less benevolent in their immediate aspect, his design was invariably the same; namely, to prepare men for the reception of his truth, and the enjoyment of his salvation [Note: His menaces in Matthew 23. were to reclaim the Pharisees: and his suffering the devils to destroy the swine, was to shew how great a mercy it was to be delivered from their power.]
3. His self-denial—
[It was no small self-denial that he exercised in undergoing so many labours, and submitting to so many privations, even of food to eat, and of “a place where to lay his head.” But there was another species of self-denial, far more painful in its nature, and distressing in its operation, which yet he had to endure every day and hour. In the midst of all his exertions for the good of men, his words were made a ground of cavil and dispute; his condescension was interpreted as a participation in the vilest crimes; and his very miracles were construed into a confederacy with the devil. This was the way in which his benevolence was constantly requited. His unwearied labours for the honour of God, and the benefit of mankind, procured him only the reputation of an impostor, a blasphemer, a demoniac. Yet under all these circumstances, and well knowing that, instead of being improved by time, they would terminate in his death, he persevered in seeking the salvation of his very enemies, and at last “gave his own life a ransom for them.”]
It being needless to confirm this record by any further testimonies, we shall,
II.
Deduce from it some important observations—
Here also we must be content to notice only two or three things out of multitudes that obtrude themselves upon our minds:
1.
The Divine mission of Jesus is clear and indisputable—
[Our blessed Lord frequently appealed to his works as the clearest evidence of his Messiahship [Note: John 10:38.]: and indeed they were so in a variety of views. They were precisely such as had been predicted by the prophets as characteristic of the Messiah’s reign; and therefore they must be considered as establishing his claim to that office. Besides, they were such as no man could work unless God were with him. Now can we conceive it possible that God should conspire with an impostor to deceive mankind? That he might in some particular instances permit something prζternatural to be wrought for the hardening of an obstinate and incorrigible opposer, is possible enough [Note: This was the fact with regard to Pharaoh’s magicians. They could bring some plagues, but not all: nor could they remove any: so careful was God to shew that “whereinsoever his enemies dealt proudly he was above them.”]: but the nature and number of Christ’s miracles, together with the scope and tendency of all his discourses, shews that this idea is wholly inadmissible in the case before us. Nor indeed can it be imagined, that a person whose character and conduct resembled that of Christ, should, without any other prospect than that of infamy in life, and misery in death, carry on an imposture for the sole purpose of deceiving and ruining mankind.
Let us then behold the life of Jesus, and doubt his Messiahship if we can.]
2. Jesus is at this instant both able and willing to “do good” to us—
[When Jesus left this world, he did not cease to possess almighty power: on the contrary, he began to exercise it in the most unlimited extent. He still continued to work miracles through the instrumentality of his Apostles. Was Eneas healed? “Eneas,” says the Apostle, “Jesus Christ maketh thee whole [Note: Acts 9:34.].” Jesus Christ himself, many years after his ascension, told his beloved Disciple, that he had “the keys of hell and of death,” or, in other words, the power over both the visible and invisible world. Yea, he comes amongst us as truly by the preaching of his Gospel, as ever he did among the Jews by his bodily presence: he comes to seek out the most miserable and unworthy objects, that on them he may bestow all the blessings of grace and glory. All of us may have access to him, and pour our complaints into his bosom, and obtain from him the mercies we stand in need of. If only we can by faith touch, as it were, the hem of his garment, our most inveterate corruptions shall be healed. Let us but be thoroughly persuaded of this truth, and “virtue shall come forth from him to heal us all.”]
3. Every true Christian will resemble Christ in doing good—
[Though some things which our Lord both said and did are not proper for our imitation, because they were peculiar to his office, yet many things were done by him on purpose that they might be imitated [Note: John 13:14-15.]: and, in respect of the general tenour of his conduct, it is our bounden duty to follow him [Note: 1 John 2:6.]. A delight in doing good must above all things evidence itself in all his people. We might as well think ourselves his Disciples while committing the grossest crimes, as while living in an habitual want of benevolent affections. Our Lord himself has warned us, that the issue of the final judgment will depend on this very point. If for his sake, we have abounded in every good word and work, we shall be received by him with plaudits; but if not, we shall be banished from him with tokens of his heaviest displeasure [Note: Matthew 25:34-46.].
Let all of us then approve ourselves his true Disciples by our resemblance to him in condescension, diligence, and self-denial. By nothing will he be so much glorified, or our sincerity evinced, as by this. O that we might all be henceforth known by this character, They go about doing good!]
4. The institution before us is worthy of most liberal support [Note: Whatever the occasion be, whether for a Benevolent Society, or a Spital Sermon, or any other, it should be here stated, and, in a way of comparison or contrast, be recommended.].”