DISCOURSE: 2187
LOVE TO THE SCRIPTURES RECOMMENDED
Colossians 3:16. Let the word of Chist dwell in you richly in all wisdom.
IT was declared to be one of the principal advantages which the Jews enjoyed above the heathen, that they had “the Oracles of God committed to them [Note: Romans 3:1-2.]:” and we are still more highly privileged, in that we have in our hands the New-Testament Scriptures, whereby we are enabled to understand the writings of Moses and the prophets more fully than the writers themselves understood them. What part of the Christian records the Colossians could possess, we do not exactly know: we are sure that the sacred canon was not yet complete; nor were the different epistles which are come down to us, collected into one volume. It is probable enough that one or two of the Gospels might have been seen by them: and the possession of such a treasure would be a very sufficient ground for the exhortation before us. To us who enjoy a complete collection of all that God has ever seen fit to reveal,—at least, as much of it as is at all necessary for our edification and comfort,—the exhortation may be addressed with proportionably greater weight. To impress it the more powerfully upon your minds, we shall take occasion from it to shew you, in what light the sacred volume should be regarded, and in what manner it should be improved.
I. In what light it should be regarded—
The word which has been transmitted to us was written by different men, in different and distant ages of the world. But though it was written by men, it is indeed the word of God; because those holy men wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost [Note: 2 Peter 1:21.]. Indeed, the word is, properly and strictly speaking, “the word of Christ”—
[Our blessed and adorable Lord ministered to the Church not only before his incarnation, but from the very beginning of the world. It was He who preached by Noah to the antediluvian world [Note: 1 Peter 3:18-20.]. It was He who inspired all the prophets in all succeeding ages of the Church; and enabled them to testify beforehand respecting his future sufferings and glory [Note: 1 Peter 1:10-11.]. Thus was he the real Author of the Old Testament. With respect to the New Testament, whatever is revealed there must also be traced to the same source. It was Christ who taught his Apostles, and who “by his Spirit brought all things to their remembrance,” and, in a personal appearance to Saul, revealed to him the whole scheme and plan of redemption [Note: Galatians 1:11-12.]. What the Apostles spake in his name, they affirmed to be, not the word of man, but of God [Note: 1 Thessalonians 2:13.]: and what they wrote in their epistles, they declared to be “the commandment of their Lord [Note: 1 Corinthians 14:37.].” Hence every part of the sacred volume is justly called by the Apostle “the word of Christ.”]
In this view it ought to be regarded by us—
[Let us suppose that the Lord Jesus Christ were now to come amongst us, and to teach in our Churches, as once he did in the streets and synagogues of Judea: should we not, if we knew him to be that very Jesus, listen to him with the deepest attention? Should we not revolve in our thoughts the various subjects of his discourse, and labour to ascertain their true import? If we could suppose him now addressing us from the cross, and appealing to his sufferings as an unquestionable demonstration of his love, and an irresistible argument for our adherence to him; should we not be melted to tears? should we not be ready to exclaim, “What have we to do any more with idols?” “Other lords have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.” Or, lastly, Jet us suppose that we saw the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God [Note: Acts 7:56.]: let us suppose he spake to us now, as once he did from Mount Sinai, with thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquakes, and the sound of the trumpet waxing louder and louder [Note: Hebrews 12:18-19.]; should we not tremble? should we not be ready to engage, as the Israelites did, “All that the Lord hath spoken will we do, and be obedient?” Were we to hear him speaking to us in any of these ways, the word would not more certainly be his, than this word is which we now possess: and therefore whatever sentiments of fear or love or gratitude we should feel on account of such revelations of his will, we ought to feel in reference to that sacred volume which we have in our hands: whenever we look upon it, we should say, This is the word of Him who came down from heaven to instruct me; of Him who died upon the cross to save me; of Him who now sits enthroned in glory, and will hereafter fix my doom according to it [Note: John 12:48.]
Let us next inquire,
II.
In what manner it should be improved—
We should not merely regard it with pious veneration, but, should make use of it,
1. For the furnishing of our minds—
[It is to little purpose to have the Scriptures in our houses, unless we read them diligently, and acquire a practical and experimental knowledge of them. As the tables of the law were deposited within the ark, so should the whole “word of God be hid within our hearts.” It should “dwell in us;” it should dwell in us “richly:” its precepts should be treasured up in our minds, that we may know what the will of the Lord is: its promises should be precious to us, that we may be able to plead them at the throne of grace, and obtain the accomplishment of them to our own souls: nor should its threatenings be overlooked, but rather be considered as kind and salutary admonitions which are given us for our good.
It will be said by many, that their memory is defective, and that they cannot retain the things which they read or hear: but if we made a practice of selecting daily some short portion of Scripture for our meditation throughout the day, the most ignorant amongst us would soon attain a knowledge which at present appears far beyond his reach.]
2. For the regulating of our conduct—
[Speculative knowledge, for the most part, administers only to pride and contention. That which alone is valuable to the Christian is practical. The Scriptures are designed to lead him to such wisdom and discretion as will be in vain sought for from any other source. Indeed “all wisdom” is to be “drawn from these wells of salvation.” The person whose mind is cast into the mould of the Scripture, will view every thing as God views it: he will have the same practical judgment as God himself has. “Good and evil, light and darkness” will not be confounded in his mind, as they are in the minds of ungodly men: he will distinguish them with ease, except in cases that are very obscure and complicated: by means of the spiritual discernment which he has obtained, he will be able to judge of the conduct of others, whilst they are not able to appreciate his [Note: 1 Corinthians 2:14-15.]: and as far as his actions are regulated by his principles, he will be a light to all around him; and they shall be constrained to “acknowledge that God is with them of a truth,” Indeed it is fur this end that God sets up a light in his people’s souls; “not that it may be put under a bushel, but that it may be set on a candlestick, and give light to all that are in the house;” and that the person possessing it may be able to say to all around him, “Whatsoever ye have seen and heard in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you.”]
That we may enforce the exhortation in our text, we would remind you, that a love to the Scriptures is,
1.
An inseparable attendant on true piety—
[Look at the most distinguished saints, and see how they regarded the inspired records. Job esteemed the words of God’s mouth more than his necessary food [Note: Job 23:12.]: Jeremiah found them the “joy and rejoicing of his heart [Note: Jeremiah 15:16.]:” and to David they were “sweeter than honey and the honey-comb [Note: Psalms 19:10.].” Let not us then think that we have any title to be classed with those holy men, if we do not resemble them in this particular — — —]
2. A necessary means of advancement in every part of the divine life—
[Have we been only just quickened from the dead? we cannot but love that which has been the means of giving us life [Note: Psalms 119:93.]. Are we as new-born babes? we must of necessity “desire the sincere milk of the word, that we may grow thereby [Note: 1 Peter 2:2.].” Are we arrived at the strength and stature of youth? “that word must abide within us, in order that we may be able to overcome” the great adversary of our souls [Note: 1 John 2:14.]. In a word, whatever state we be in, it is “by them that we are to be furnished for every good word and work [Note: 2 Timothy 3:16-17.].”]