But of those who seemed to be somewhat.
Authority and trust
I. A man who has truth on his side can be indifferent to mere authority. Because--
1. Mere authority has no weight with the Author of truth.
2. The man of truth can gain nothing from the sanction of mere authority.
II. Authoritative decisions derive what value they possess from the truth. The apostles pronounced on what “they saw.”
1. That the gospel of the uncircumcision and the circumcision was committed respectively to Paul and Peter.
2. That God wrought equally by both.
3. That both alike had Divine grace for their work.
God no accepter of persons
I. Spiritual excellence and not the accidents of external condition alone avails with God. Take some illustrations.
1. From Scripture: the choice of Abraham and Moses.
2. From providence.
(1) Wealth and power are administered impartially.
(2) Health on the whole is equally shared by rich and poor.
(3) Genius is confined to no class.
(4) So with the blessings of happiness, life, and age.
3. From the administration of redemption. Wilberforce in parliament, Bunyan in his cottage.
4. From the day of judgment and its results.
II. Why God has no respect of persons except in relation to moral goodness.
1. Accidents in condition, seemingly great to us, bear no such relation to Him.
2. They are not the essential and true elements of our being.
III. Why does God supremely value spiritual excellence?
1. It is the true basis of worth in every intelligent creature.
(1) Angels;
(2) man as man.
2. It is God’s own spiritual reflection, and therefore the true basis of friendship with Him. (J. Foster, B. A.)
Paul’s non-indebtedness to the apostles
Paul wished to show that his apostolate, both in its origin and by the tenor of the facts which preceded this visit, was independent of the Twelve, and derived no authority from Jerusalem. He could not brook rival, still less superior, in the work that was before him, nor submit to any control whatsoever on the part of any man, however eminent he might be. This had been his constant determination from the first day of his Christianity, and he was not likely to forego it after so many years of missionary labour, and in the case of persons who owed all their knowledge of the gospel to him, till such time as these meddling emissaries had striven to misrepresent him, had repudiated his authority, and called in question the completeness of the gospel he preached. (Paul of Tarsus.)
Usefulness better than mere capacity
A monstrous vat, certainly, is the great tun of Heidelberg. It might hold eight hundred hogsheads of wine at the least; but what is the use of such wasted capacity, since, for nearly a hundred years, there has not been a drop of liquor in it! Hollow and sounding, empty and void and waste; vintages come and go, and find it perishing of dry rot. An empty cask is not so great a spectacle after all, let its size be what it may, though old travellers called this monster one of the wonders of the world. What a thousand pities it is that many men of genius and of learning are, in respect of usefulness, no better than this huge but empty tun of Heidelberg! Very capacious are their minds, but very unpractical. Better be a poor household kilderkin, and give forth one’s little freely, than exist as a useless prodigy, capable of much and available for nothing. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Having a right estimate of one’s self
A great deal of misery would be prevented, if ministers would endeavour to form an honest estimate of their qualifications, and, as a consequence, seek appointments for which they are specially qualified. If one might teach unpleasant doctrines through the medium of a figure, one can imagine how inconvenient it would be in the event of a great cathedral clock wearing out, for a neat Geneva watch to put itself forward as a candidate for the vacancy. The Geneva might be a beautiful little thing, and might keep the most exact time, and might be called endearing names by ladies and little children; yet, to speak the language of charity, it might hardly be adapted to be set a hundred and fifty feet above the ground, in a circular vacancy at least ten feet in diameter. In such a case its very elevation would become its obscurity. On the other hand, it would be quite as inconvenient ii a great cathedral clock, weary of city work, should ask to be carried about as a private timekeeper. There is amoral in the figure. That moral points towards the law of proportion and adaptation. One can imagine the petted Geneva looking up from a lady’s hand, and calling the cathedral clock a great, coarse thing, with a loud and vulgar voice, which indicated the most offensive presumption; and we can imagine the cathedral clock looking down, with somewhat of disdain, upon the little timekeeping toy. Oh, that some sensible chronometer would say to the rivals, “Cease your contention; you are both useful in your places.” The one as a private chaplain, the other as a city orator, may tell the world to redeem its flying time. (Joseph Parker, D. D.)
Seeming Christians not always real ones
A servant girl once said she should not have known her master and mistress were religious had she not heard that they took the sacrament. It was a pity they took it. If a man rolled on a bed of spices you would soon know where he had been, and if a man went with Jesus he must be perfumed with the spirit of Jesus. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
God accepteth no man’s person
With God there is no free man but His servant, though in the galleys; no slave but the sinner, though in a palace; none noble but the virtuous, if never so basely descended; none rich but he that possesseth God, even in rags; none wise but he that is a feel to himself and the world; none happy but he whom the world pities. Let me be free, noble, rich, wise, happy, to God. (Bp. Hall.)
God accepteth no man’s person
A North German periodical gives the following story as told by a Bible colporteur: “In one of my journeys I came to Varzin while the Imperial Chancellor was residing there. After I had done a long day’s work, I went to the inn. I was there asked if I would go to evening prayers at Bismarck’s house, as the daughter of the host was going. I accepted the invitation, and when I got there I found myself in a spacious and very suitable room which had been built for the purpose. It was well filled with servants, farm labourers, and villagers, some of whom, having seen me before, greeted me kindly. Soon afterwards Prince Bismarck made his appearance, nodding kindly right and left as he passed. He then said--‘I hear we have a Bible-man among us,’ and he looked me straight in the face in his kindly way. ‘You will be so kind as to conduct service for us this evening: I rose up and answered--‘It would be displacing your highness for me to’ when the prince interrupted me with, ‘Ah, my good man, what does highness signify? Here in God’s sight we are all poor sinners; so come here and take my place this evening, and conduct the service for us: So of course I accepted his invitation, the prince taking his place amongst the audience; and when it was over he shook me warmly by the hand, and wished me God’s richest blessing on my way.”