DISCOURSE: 661
THE DUTY OF MAKING CHRIST KNOWN TO THE HEATHEN
Psalms 96:1-3. O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord; bless his name: shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
TO any one who looks even in the most superficial manner into the Holy Scriptures, there must appear a very wide difference between the experience of the saints recorded there, and that which is found amongst persons reputed saints in the present day. The Saviour himself is not so much the object of holy glorying, as he was amongst some, who looked forward to him at the distance of a thousand years; nor are the same elevated affections towards him brought into exercise, as were displayed by them. A man who should now exclaim, as David did, “O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the earth: sing unto the Lord; bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day!” he, I say, would be accounted an enthusiast at least; and it would be well if he were not characterized by a yet harsher term. But religion is, or ought to be, the same in all ages; except indeed that our views of Christ should be more elevated, and our delight in him be more ardent, in proportion as our means of knowing him are more ample, and our motives to love him more enlarged. The psalm before us undoubtedly refers to him; for it speaks expressly of the publication of his Gospel to the Gentile world. It is indeed only a part of a psalm written originally by David at the time of his bringing up the ark to Mount Zion from the house of Obed-edom [Note: 1 Chronicles 16:7-36.]: and this part was selected afterwards for the constant use of the Church, as being calculated to keep up in the minds of men an expectation of the Messiah, and to prepare their hearts for the reception of him.
In discoursing on that portion of it which we have read, we shall,
I. Point out your duty to the Lord Jesus Christ—
In speaking to persons who profess to derive all their hopes of salvation from the Lord Jesus, methinks it is scarcely necessary to say, that,
1. We should praise him ourselves—
[We should not be content to acknowledge him in words; we should feel towards him in deed, as our “All in all [Note: 1 John 3:18.].” These feelings we should express in songs of praise: or if we be silent as to our voice, we should at least “make melody to him in ourhearts;” “blessing” and adoring him from our inmost souls.
We should sing to him “a new song.” It was so called by David, because it was a song that was to be sung especially at the introduction of the Christian dispensation, the events predicted and shadowed forth being then fulfilled. But it is still a new song to all who sing it; because in their unconverted state they have no disposition, no ability to sing it: “they cannot, in that sense, say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost [Note: 1 Corinthians 12:3.].” Moreover, it will to all eternity continue new; fresh discoveries of his glory being ever manifested to the soul, and fresh energies supplied for the celebration of his praise. Hence in heaven itself the songs of all the glorified saints are thus designated: “they sing unto the Lord a new song [Note: Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3.].” Thus “from day to day” our harps should be tuned afresh, and our praises ascend to heaven with every breath we draw.]
2. We should make him known to others—
[Who that had ever tasted of the blessings of salvation would “eat his morsel alone?” who would not wish all the world to partake with him? Yes surely, we should declare his glory among the heathen, and his wonders among all people.” O what “wonders” of love and mercy have we to proclaim! Who can reflect on the person of our “Emmanuel, who is God with us,” leaving the bosom of his Father, taking our nature, bearing our sins, and effecting by his obedience unto death our reconciliation with God; who, I say, can reflect on this, and not desire to make it known to all the sinners of mankind? In a word, who can have beheld “the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ,” and not desire to reflect the light of it on all who are sitting in darkness and the shadow of death? This ##undoubtedly our duty: we are not to put our light under a ##ushel, but to set it on a candlestick, that all the world, if ##ossible, may see the light.]
This then being our duty to the Lord Jesus Christ, we will proceed to,
II.
Call you to the performance of it—
Consider,
1. Your obligations to the Lord Jesus Christ—
[How inconceivably great are these! If we attempt to estimate them, where shall we begin? or, having begun, where shall we end? If you have not yet experienced his converting grace, the very provision of a salvation for you, a salvation so dearly bought, and so freely offered, demands from you every tribute of love and gratitude that you can ever pay. But if you have reason to think yourselves partakers of this salvation, and are enabled with appropriating faith to say, “He has loved me, and given himself for me,” there should be no bounds to your zeal and diligence in his service. Time, talents, property, yea life itself, should be esteemed by you as of no value, any farther than they may enable you to glorify his name. Enter then minutely into the consideration of this subject, and say, Whether, “if you hold your peace, the very stones will not cry out against you?”]
2. The necessities of the heathen world—
[The whole Scriptures speak of the heathen world as perishing for lack of knowledge: and though we will not presume to say, that none of them shall be made partakers of God’s mercy for Christ’s sake; yet we are sure, that, as a body, they are under a sentence of guilt and condemnation. Can we then know the remedy which God has provided for them, and not feel ourselves bound to reveal it to them, and to labour, as far as possible, to extend to them its saving benefits? Can we reflect on the unhappy state of the Jews, and not pity them; blinded as they are by prejudice, and bent as they are on their own destruction? Can we look on all the different classes of the Gentile world, and see what penances they endure to pacify the supposed wrath of their senseless idols, and not feel a desire to proclaim to them the glad tidings of the Gospel? If it would be our duty to stretch out our hand to one sinking in the waters, and to rescue him from destruction, much more is it our duty to exert ourselves to the utmost of our power for the preservation of a ruined world.]
Address—
1.
Those who are lukewarm in the cause of Christ—
[Many are so afraid of enthusiasm, that they banish from their minds all that may subject them to such an imputation. Hence, whilst they are correct and accurate in their principles, they are grievously defective in the sublimer parts of practical religion: they have a form of godliness, but no experience of its power. But let such persons know that the Lord Jesus Christ is more displeased with the lukewarmness of those who profess themselves his friends, than he is with the neglect of his avowed enemies [Note: Revelation 3:15-16.]. If from our inmost souls we love him not, he denounces a solemn curse against us [Note: 1 Corinthians 16:22.]: and if we serve him not with the talents entrusted to our care, he will require them at our hands, and punish us severely for our abuse of them. [Note: Matthew 26:20.]]
2. Those who are active in his service—
[God forbid that we should ever speak a word to discourage activity in the service of our Lord. But it is certain that many are diligent in doing what they suppose to be his will, who yet are far from cultivating that spirit which he will approve. Pride, ostentation, and a variety of other corrupt motives, may stimulate men to exertion; whilst humility and modesty, and all the lovelier graces of the Spirit, are wanting in them. Look to it then, that your love and zeal be duly tempered with reverence and godly fear. At the same time, take care that you do not become weary in well-doing. Be on your guard that your love to the Saviour languish not, and that your endeavours to convert others to the knowledge of him be not relaxed. Try amongst your friends and neighbours to interest them in his salvation. Then extend your efforts to all, whether Jews or Gentiles: and “count not even life itself dear to you,” if that you may but glorify him, and save the souls of your perishing fellow-creatures.]