CHARLES SPURGEON THE FRUITLESS VINE
“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying — Son of man,
What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is
among the trees of the forest?” — Ezekiel 15:1,2
THE Jewish nation had arrogant ideas of themselves; when they sinned
against God, they supposed that on account of the superior sanctity of their
forefathers, or by reason of some special sanctity in themselves, they would
be delivered — sin as they pleased. In consequence of the infinite mercy of
Jehovah, which he had displayed towards them, in delivering them out of
so many distresses, they gradually came to imagine that they were the
favourite children of providence, and that God could by no means ever cast
them away. God, therefore, in order to humble their pride, tells them that
they in themselves were nothing more than any other nation; and he asks
them what there was about them to recommend them? “I have often called
you a vine; I have planted you, and nurtured you in a very fruitful hill, but
now you bring forth no fruit; what is there in you why I should continue
you in my favor? If you imagine there is anything about you more than
about any other nation, you are mightily mistaken.” “What is the vine tree
more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the
forest.”
Let us remember, that these things might be said, without implying that
God in the least degree alters his eternal purpose towards any chosen
vessel of mercy; for the Israelitish nation was not chosen to eternal
salvation, as a nation, but chosen to special privileges; — a type and
shadow of that eternal personal election, which Christ has given to his
Church. From his own elect Church, God will never withdraw his love; but
from the outward and visible church he sometimes may. From his own
people he never will take away his affection, but from professors, from
those who merely stand in his people’s external condition, and are not his
children, he may, yea, and he will, withdraw every token of his favor. God
humbles Israel, by reminding them that they had nothing which other
nations had not, — that in fact they were a contemptible nation, not worthy
to be set side by side with the cedar of Lebanon, or with the oak of
Samaria; they were of no use, they “ere worthless, unless they brought
forth fruit to him. He cheeks their pride, and humbles them, with the
parable we have here before us.
Beloved, we shall, by God’s help, use this parable for ourselves, and learn
two lessons from it. The first shall be a lesson of humility for saints; and
the second, a lesson of searching for all who are professors.
I. First, here is A LESSON OF HUMILITY for all you who have “tasted that
the Lord is gracious.” “What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a
branch which is among the trees of the forest?”
In looking upon all the various trees, we observe, that the vine is
distinguished amongst them — so that, in the old parable of Jotham, the
trees waited upon the vine tree, and said unto it, “Come thou and reign
over us.” But merely looking at the vine, without regard to its fruitfulness,
we should not see any king ship in it over other trees. In size, form, beauty,
or utility, it has not the slightest advantage. We can do nothing with the
wood of the vine. “Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will
men make a pin of it to hang a vessel thereon?” It is a useless plant apart
from its fruitfulness. We sometimes see it in beauty, trained up by the side
of our walls, and in the east it might be seen in all its luxuriance, and great
care is bestowed in its training, but leave the vine to itself and consider it
apart from its fruitfulness, it is the most insignificant and despicable of all
things that bear the name of trees. Now, beloved, this is for the humbling
of God’s people. They are called God’s vine; but what are they by nature
more than others? Others are as good as they; yea, some others are even
greater and better than they. They, by God’s goodness, have become
fruitful, having been planted in a good soil; the Lord hath trained them
upon the walls of the sanctuary, and they bring forth fruit to his glory. But
what are they without their God? What are they without the continual
influence of the Spirit, begetting fruitfulness in them? Are they not the least
among the sons of men, and the most to be despised of those that have
been brought forth of women? Look upon this, believer.
“What was there in thee to merit esteem,
Or give the creator delight?”
Yea, look upon thyself as thou art now. Doth not thy conscience reproach
thee? Do not thy thousand wanderings stand before thee, and tell thee that
thou art unworthy to be called his son? Does not the weakness of thy
mental power, the frailty of thy moral power, thy continual unbelief, and
thy perpetual backsliding from God, tell thee that thou art less than the
least of all saints? And if he hath made thee anything, art thou not thereby
taught that it is grace, free sovereign grace, which hath made thee to
differ? Should any here, supposing themselves to be the children of God,
imagine that there is some reason in them why they should have been
chosen, let them know that as yet they are in the dark concerning the first
principles of grace, and have not yet learned the gospel. If ever they had
known the gospel, they would, on the other hand, confess that they were
less than the least — the offscouring of all things — unworthy, illdeserving,
undeserving, and hell deserving, and ascribe it all to
distinguishing grace, which has made them to differ, and to discriminating
love which has chosen them out from the rest of the world. Great
Christian, thou wouldst have been a great sinner if God had not made thee
to differ. Oh! thou who art valiant for truth, thou wouldst have been as
valiant for the devil if grace had not laid hold upon thee. A seat in heaven
shall one day be thine, but a chain in hell would have been thine if grace
had not changed thee. Thou canst now sing his love, but a licentious song
might have been on thy lips if grace had not washed thee in the blood of
Jesus. Thou art now sanctified; thou art quickened, thou art justified; but
what wouldst thou have been to-night if it had not been for the
interposition of the divine hand? There is not a crime thou mightest not
have committed, there is not a folly into which thou mightest not have run.
Even murder itself thou mightest have committed if grace had not kept
thee. Thou shalt be like the angels; but thou wouldst have been like the
devil if thou hadst not been changed by grace. Therefore, never be proud;
all thy garments thou hast from above, rags were thine only heritage. Be
not proud, though thou hast a large estate, a wide domain of grace, thou
hadst not once a single thing to call thine own, except thy sin and misery.
Thou art now wrapped in the golden righteousness of the Savior, and
accepted in the garments of the beloved but thou wouldst have been buried
under the black mountain of sin, and clothed with the filthy rags of
unrighteousness, if he had not changed thee. And art thou proud? Dost
thou exalt thyself? Oh! strange mystery, that thou, who hast borrowed
everything, shouldst exalt thyself, that thou, who hast nothing of thine
own, but hast still to draw upon grace, shouldst be proud; a poor
dependent pensioner upon the bounty of thy Savior, and yet proud; one
who hath a life which can only live by fresh streams of life from Jesus, and
yet proud! Go, hang thy pride upon the gallows, as high as Haman, hang it
there to rot, and stand thou beneath, and execrate it to all eternity; for sure
of all things most to be cursed and despised is the pride of a Christian. He
of all men has ten thousand times more reason than any other to be humble,
and walk lowly with his God, and kindly and humbly towards his fellowcreatures.
Let this then humble thee, Christian, that the vine tree is nothing
more than any other tree, save only for the fruitfulness which God has
given it
II. But now here comes A LESSON OF SEARCH. As the vine without its
fruit is useless and worthless; so, too, the professor, without fruit, is
useless and worthless; yea, he is the most useless thing in the wide world.
Now, let us dwell upon this point. A fruitless profession. And whilst I am
preaching on it, let the words go round to each one, and let the minister,
and let his deacons, and let his hearers all try their hearts and search their
reins, and see whether they have a fruitless profession.
1. First, a fruitless professor. How do we know him? what his character?
Secondly, What is the reason he is fruitless? Thirdly, What is the
estimation God holds him in? He is good for nothing at all. And then,
fourthly, What will be his end? He is to be burned with fire.
First, Where are we to find fruitless professors? Everywhere, dear friends,
everywhere — down here, up there, everywhere; in pulpits and in pews.
False professors are to be found in every church. Let us leave other
denominations alone, then. They are to be found in this church; they are to
be found in this present assembly. To whatever denomination you may
belong, there are some false and fruitless professors in it. How know you
that you may not belong to those who bring forth no fruit? There are
fruitless professors to be found in every position of the church, and in
every part of society. You may find the false professor among the rich; he
hath much wealth, and he is hailed with gladness by the church. God hath
given him much of this world’s good; and therefore, the church, forgetful
that God hath chosen the poor giveth him honor, and what doth she get
from him? She getteth but little to help her. Her poor are still neglected,
and her means not in the least recruited by his riches. Or if she gain a
portion of his riches yet she getteth none of his prayers; nor is she in the
least supported by his holy living, for he that hath riches often liveth in sin,
and rolleth in uncleanness; and then weareth his profession as a uniform,
wherewith to cover his guilt. Rich men have sometimes been false
professors, and they are to be found among poor men too. Full many a
poor man has entered into the church, and been cordially received. He has
been poor, and they have thought it a good thing that poverty and grace
should go together — that grace should cheer his hovel, and make his
poverty-stricken home a glad one. But then, this poor man hath turned
aside to follies, and hath degraded himself with drunkenness, hath sworn,
and by unworthy conduct dishonored his God; or, if rot, he hath been idle,
and sat still, and been of little service to the church; and so he hath been
false and fruitless in his profession.
False professors are to be found in the men that lead the vanguard of God’s
army; the men who preach eloquently, whose opinion is law, who speak
like prophets, and whose language seems to be inspired. They have
brought forth the fruit of popularity, ay, and the fruit of philanthropy too,
but their heart has not been right with God, therefore, the fruit, good in
itself, was not fruit unto holiness; the moral benefit of their labors does not
extend to everlasting life. They have not brought forth the fruits of the
Spirit, seeing that they were not living branches of the living vine. Then
there have been false professors in obscurity, modest people who have said
nothing, and seldom been heard of, they have glided into their pews on the
Sunday morning, taken their seats, gone out, and satisfied themselves that
by their presence they had fulfilled a religious duty. They have been so
silent, quiet, and retired. Lazy fellows, doing nothing. You may think that
all the fruitless trees grow in the hedge outside of the garden. No they
don’t. There are some fruitless trees in the inside of it, in the very center of
it. There are some false professors to be found in obscurity as well as in
publicity; some among the poor as well as among the rich.
And there are false professors to be found among men that doubt a great
deal. They are always afraid they do not love Jesus, and always saying,
“Ah, if I did but know I were his I —
“Tis a point I long to know
Oft it causes anxious thought.’”
Yes, and it ought to cause them anxious thought, too, if they are bringing
forth no fruit, and giving no “diligence to make their galling and election
sure.” Fruitless professors are to be found, on the other hand, amongst the
confident men, who say, without a blush, “I know whom I have believed; I
know I am a Christian, let who will doubt. I am sure and certain my sins
cannot destroy me, and my righteousness cannot save me. I may do what I
like, I know I am one of the Lord’s.” Ah! fruitless professor again; just as
fruitless as the other man, who had all doubts and no faith, and did nothing
for his Master.
And then there is the fruitless professor, who, when he is asked to pray at
the prayer meeting, never does so; and who neglects family prayer. We will
not say anything about private devotion; no doubt he neglects that too: he
is a fruitless one. Ah! but there may be another, who stands up and prays
such an eloquent prayer for a quarter of an hour, perhaps, just as fruitless a
professor as the silent one; with plenty of words, but no realities; many
leaves, but no fruits, great gifts of utterance, but no gifts of consistency;
able to talk well, but not to walk well; to speak piously, but not to walk
humbly with his God, and serve him with gladness. I do not know your
individual characters to-night; but I know enough of you to say that your
position, however honorable in the church, and your character, however
fair before men, is not enough to warrant any of you in concluding at once
that you are not a fruitless professor. For fruitless professors are of every
character and every rank, from the highest to the lowest, from the most
talented to the most illiterate, from the richest to the poorest, from the
most retiring to the most conspicuous. Fruitless professors there are in
every part of the church.
Now, shall I tell you who is a fruitless professor? The man who neglects
private prayer, and does not walk with his God in public, that man whose
carriage and conversation before God are hypocritical; who cheats in trade
and robs in business yet wraps it up, and comes out with a fair face, like
the hypocrite with a widow’s house sticking in his throat, and says, “Lord,
I thank thee I am not as other men are!” There is a man for you, who
brings forth no fruit to perfection. Another one is he who lives right
morally and excellently, and depends upon his works and hopes to be saved
by his righteousness: who comes before God, and asks for pardon, with a
lie in his right hand, for he has brought his own self-righteousness with
him. Such a man is a fruitless professor; he has brought forth no fruit. That
man, again, is a fruitless professor who talks big words about high
doctrine, and likes sound truth, but he does not like sound living: his
pretensions are high but not his practice. He can bear to hear it said,
“Once in Christ, in Christ for ever.”
But as for himself he never was in Christ at all, for he neither loves nor
serves his Master, but lives in sin that grace may abound. There is another
fruitless vine for you.
But why need I stop to pick you out? May the Lord find you out to-night.
There are many of you here, concerning whom the curse of Meroz might
be uttered “Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly
the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to
the help of the Lord against the mighty.” Many of you are content to eat
the fat and drink the sweet, and bring forth no fruit to God, nor do you
serve him — lazy Issachars, crouching down like a strong ass between two
burdens; neither speaking for Christ, nor praying for Christ, nor giving to
Christ, nor living to Christ, but having a name to live, whilst you are dead,
wrapping yourselves up in a profession, whilst you are not living to Christ,
nor consecrating your being to him. Judge ye what I say; if ye were put
into the sieve this night, how many of you would come out clean in this
matter? Are there not many high-flying professors here, who fly high, but
who do nothing; who can talk fast, but live as slowly as you like; who,
perhaps, delight in hearing the truth, but who never practice the truth in
serving their God, nor living to his honor? Such as you sirs, are the most
useless and worthless of all creatures in the world! For, like the vine, you
would be honorable if you were fruitful; but without fruit, as the vine is
despicable, so are you good for nothing but to be cast out and burned.
2. And now I come to the second question — Why is it that these men are
fruitless and must be cast away? The reason is, because they have no
roots. Many, many professors have not roots; fine professors they are,
beautiful to look at, but they have no roots whatever. Don’t you remember
your childish freak, when you had a little garden of your own when you
plucked some flowers, and put them in the ground, and said that was your
garden, and when you went the next day, and found that all the flowers
were withered and dead? Such are many professors — pretty flowers,
plucked off without roots, having no adherence to the soil, drawing no sap
and no nourishment from it. And therefore it is they die, and bring forth no
fruit. You come to us, and say, “I wish to join the church.” We question
you as far as we are able, you solemnly tell us that your hearts are right
with God. We baptize you, receive you into our number; but then there
was no root in many of you, and after a while you die; when the sun has
risen with a burning heat you perish, or if you maintain a tolerably fair
profession, yet there is never any fruit upon you, because you did not get
the root first; you got the notion first, and then thought you would get the
root afterwards. I do tremble for many young people in my church — I will
not exclude my own church. They get an idea into their heads that they are
converted: the work was not true, not genuine not real; it was an
excitement, it was a stir in the conscience for awhile, and it will not last.
But the worst of it is, that though it does not last, they last as professors.
When they have been received into the church, they say, “I am sure
enough!” Preach about them as long as you please, you cannot get at them.
They are church members, they are baptized persons, they have passed the
rubicon; what do they want more? You can do little for them. I do tremble
for these. For my most hard-hearted hearers I weep before God; but for
these people I need to have four eyes to weep with. For who can make an
impression upon them, when they are firmly persuaded that they are right,
and have had the seal of the church that they are right, though
notwithstanding that they are deceiving themselves and others, and are still
“in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” My young friends, I
do not want to check any of you in joining a church; but I do say to you,
make sure work of it before you make a profession. I would say to as many
of you as love the Lord, come forward and unite with God’s people; but, I
beseech you, do be sure, do “search your hearts and try your reins.” Many
have thought themselves converted when they were not, hundreds of
thousands have had an impression, a kind of conversion, not real, which for
a while endured, but afterwards it passed away as a summer’s dream. It
was but a little while ago that I had in my house a gentleman, an excellent
man, and I believe a true child of God, who told me he had been brought
seriously under impression, on account of sin, through hearing a sermon of
late. “But,” said he, “I was baptized in my childhood. When I was but
young, there was a revival in our village, in New England. Mine was the
hardest heart in the village, but I was found out at last. There was scarcely
a boy or girl that did not join the church, and I was at last brought under
deep impression. I used to weep before God, and pray to him. I went to the
minister and told him I was converted, deceived him, and was baptized.”
And then he went on to tell me that he had dived into the blackest crimes,
and gone far away, even from the profession of religion; that after going to
College he had been struck off the churchroll on account of wickedness,
and that up to this time he had been an infidel, and had not so much as
thought of the things of the kingdom. Take heed, many of you, that you do
not get a sham religion. Many jump into godliness as they would into a
hath; but they are very glad to jump out of it again, when they find the
world pays them better. And many there are who will just come and say
they are the Lord’s, and they think they are, but there is no root in them,
and therefore by-and-bye their impressions pass away. Oh! we have many
fruitless professors in our midst, because they did not look well to their
beginnings; they did not take heed at their starting point; they did not
watch well the first dawn, they thought the little farthing rushlight of their
own hopes was the dawning of the sun of righteousness; they thought the
bleeding of their own conscience was a killing by the hand of God, whereas
it was a deeper, and better, and surer, and more entire work that they
needed, than that which they received. Let us take heed, my brethren, that
we do not put too much trust in our experiences, while it is not yet proved
in our beginnings; let us often go back and begin again; let us often go to
Christ with the old cry —
“Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling.”
For remember that these bad beginnings have had a great effect in making a
man fruitless.
3. And again, thirdly, what is God’s estimation of fruitless professors? I
shall not ask you their own; for there are many men who are professors of
religion, with whom you might make your fortune very speedily if you
could buy them at your price and sell them at their own. There are many,
too, that have a very good opinion of themselves, which they have gained
from the church. The minister thinks well of them, the church thinks well of
them, they are respectable people, it is so nice to have them come, it helps
the cause so, to see such respectable persons sitting in the pews! Really, I
do think he would do for a deacon! Everybody thinks well of him,
everybody praises him. Now we have nothing to do with this kind of
opinion to-night, our business is with Gods opinion of such a man. And
God’s opinion of a man who makes a profession without being sincere, is
this — that he is the most useless thing in the world. And now let me try to
prove it. Is there anyone that will prove that this man is any use at all? I
will ask the church: — Here is a man that brings forth no fruit, and has
only a profession. Members of the church, what is the use of this man? Will
he comfort any of you in your distress? Will he hold up the pastor’s hands
in prayer, when he is weary? Will he lead the troops to battle? Will he be of
any service to you? I see you unanimously lift up your hands, and say, “The
man is of no use to us whatever, if he brings forth no fruit; if his life be not
consistent with his profession, strike his name off the church-roll let him
go, he is of no use.” Where has he gone to? He has gone to the world.
Bring the worldling up. What do you think of this man? He makes a
profession of religion. Is he of any use to you? “No,” they say, “we do not
want such a fellow as that. The man is Jack-of-both-sides; he is sometimes
a professor of religion, and sometimes a sinner in the world. We will have
nothing to do with him; turn him out of our company.” Where shall we sell
him, then? How shall we dispose of him? He seems to be of no use either
to the church or the world. Is he of any use to his family? Ask his eldest
son. “John, is your father any good to you?” “No, sir; none at all. He used
to pray the Lord to save us with seeming earnestness, and rise from his
knees to give vent to his temper. Many a violent blow has he given me
without any reasonable provocation. He was always a passionate man. He
used to go to chapel on Sunday and take us with him, and then we know
what he used to do on Monday; he would get drunk, or swear. A deal of
use he ever was to me! He made me an infidel, sir!” Ask his wife. “Well,
what do you think of this good husband of yours? He has long made a
profession of religion.” “Ah! sir it is not for me to say a word about my
husband, but he has made me a miserable woman. I think I should have
joined your church long ago, if it had not been for his miserable
inconsistencies. But really he has grieved my heart, he has always been a
stumblingblock to me; and what to do with him I do not know.” Well,
Jane, we will have you out of the kitchen. “What think you of your master;
he makes a profession of religion, yet does not live a right life. What do
you think of him?” “Well, I did think that Christians were a good sort of
people, and that I should like to live with them, but if this be Christianity,
sir, I will take five pounds a year less to live with a worldly man; that’s all I
can say.” Well, what is the use of him? I suppose he does something in
business. He is a grand professor. He keeps a shop; everybody thinks him a
most respectable man. Has he not even a hundred pounds just now to the
building of a new church? Is he not always known to subscribe liberally to
ragged schools? We will ask his men. What do you think of your master?
“What do we think of him? Why, we would think a great deal more of him
if he would give us a half-crown a week more wages for he is the worst
paymaster in the parish.” “That is nothing perhaps. But what do you think
of him?” “Why, that he is an unutterable cant! Some of us did go to a place
of worship, but we are honest, and we would rather stay away than go with
such a miserable hypocrite.” I am describing real cases and not fictions. I
need not to go farther than between this and London Bridge to knock at
the door and wake them up, some of them. What is the good of such
professors? If they would speak fairly out, and say, “I am no Christian,”
there would be some sense in it. For if Baal be God, let Baal be served; and
if the world be worth serving, let a man serve it out and out, and let him
get the credit of can our — not cheating the devil. But if God be God, and
a man live in sin, and talk about grace, then of what use is he? God himself
will disown him. Ask him if this man has been of any use, and he replies,
“No, of no use whatever.” The vine is of no use unless it bring forth fruit;
and this man, making a profession, is worse than worthless, because he
does not live up to it. My dear friends, I would not say an extravagant
thing, but I will say this very coolly: — if any of you who make a
profession of religion are deceiving others, by not living up to it, I do
request you — and I say it advisedly — I do request you to give up your
profession, unless God give you grace to live up to it. Do not, I beseech
you, halt between two opinions; if God be God serve him, and do it
thoroughly; do not tell lies about it. If Baal be God, if he be a nice master,
if you would like to serve him, and win his wages, serve him; but do not
mix the two together; be one thing, or else the other. Renounce your
profession, and serve the devil thoroughly, or else keep your profession,
and serve God with all your heart — one thing, or else the other. I
solemnly exhort you to choose which you will have, but never think that
you can keep both; for “no man can serve two masters.” “Ye cannot serve
God and mammon.”
4. And now let me close up by mentioning what is to become of this
fruitless tree? We are told it is to be devoured in the fire. When an old vine
is pulled off the wall, after having brought forth no fruit, what becomes of
it? You know, there is a lot of weeds raked up in a corner of the garden,
and the gardener, without taking any notice of it, just throws the vine on
the heap of weeds, and it is burned up. If it were any other kind of tree he
would at least reserve it for chopping up to make a fire within the master’s
house, but this is such an ignominious thing, he throws it away in the
corner, and burns it up with the weeds. If it were a stout old oak, it might
have the funeral of the yule log, with honor in its burning, and brightness in
its flame; but the fruitless vine is treated with contempt, and left to
smoulder with the weeds, the refuse, and the rubbish. It is a miserable
thing. Just so with professors; all men that love not God must perish. But
those who profess to love him, and do not, shall perish with singular
ignominy. “They shall not come into the sepulchres of the kings.”
Something like that ancient king, of whom it was said, “He shall be buried
with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of
Jerusalem.” The damnation of a professor will be the most horrible and
ignominious sight that ever hell itself has seen! When Satan fell from
heaven, with his black Satanic malice against God, there was a kind of
grandeur in his devilry; there was an awful, terrific sublimity in his
damnation; and when a great blasphemer and a hard swearer shall be sent
at last to perdition, there shall be something of sublimity in it, because he
has been consistent with his profession. But when a professor of religion
finds himself in hell, it shall be the most miserable, contemptible, and yet
terrible mode of damnation wherewith men were ever damned. I think I see
honest blasphemers lifting themselves from their chains of fire, and hissing
between their teeth at the minister who comes there, after having been a
deceiver, — ”Aha! aha! aha! art thou here with us? Thou didst warn us of
our drunkenness, and tell us of our curse; ah! art thou come into the
drunkard’s hell thyself!” “Pshaw!” says another, “that is your strict
Pharisee. Ah! I remember how he told me one night that I should perish,
unless I made a profession of religion. Take that, sir!” and he spits upon
him. “Thou art a loathsome thing. I perished, but I served my master well.
Thou — thou didst pretend to serve God, and yet thou art a sneaking
hypocrite!” Says another, yelling from the corner of the pit, “Let us have a
Methodist hymn, sir: quote a promise from the Bible; tell us about election.
Let us have a little of your fine preaching now.” And round hell there goes
the hiss, and the “aha! aha! aha!” and the yell of spitefulness and scorn
upon the man who professed to be a Christian, but became a castaway,
because his heart was not right in the matter. I confess, I should dread
above all things the unutterable hell of hells of hypocritical apostates, of
men that stand in the ranks, profess to love God, prate of godliness, that sit
in the pews and uphold Christianity, that take the sacrament, and speak
about communion, that stand up to pray, and talk about being heard for
their faith, who are all the while committing abominations, and under cover
of their profession are cheating the poor, robbing the fatherless, and doing
all kinds of iniquity. I confess, I as much dread the excess of their
damnation above the damnation of others, as I dread to be damned at all. It
is as if in hell another hell had been made, to damn those that sin above
others, to damn them after being damned — for hypocrites, for men who
have been with us, and not of us, who professed to be Christ’s, and yet
have been mean deceivers after all. Oh! sirs, if ye would not make your
chains more heavy, if ye would not stir the fire to a more furious heat, if ye
would not make your yells more hideous, quit your professions this night,
if ye are not worthy of them. Go out of this place and send in your
resignation to the church; or else, sirs, be honest, and bend your knee
before God and ask him to search you, and try you, and make you sincere
and upright before him. Be one thing, or else the other; do not cloak
yourselves in the robes of sanctity to hide the corruptions that all the while
fester beneath. Stand out, bold, brave sinners, and do not be mean,
sneaking sinners that wear the masks of saints “What is the vine more than
any other tree?” Without fruit it is worse than any other. It must perish
more dolefully, more horribly than any other, if there be on it no fruit
brought to perfection. Does not that shake us? Ah! it will shake you, very
likely, that do not want the shaking, but the men that want arousing will
keep just as they were. It will go into the hearts of some of you, like the
cry, “Howl, Moab, howl, Moab!” but alas! Moab will not howl. You will
weep for Kirhareseth, but Kirhareseth will not weep for herself. You will
weep for your hypocritical friends; but they will rub their eyes, and say, “A
strong sermon; but it has nothing to do with me.” And they will go out
with cool presumption; sin with one hand, and take the sacramental cup
with the other; sing the lascivious song one night, and then sing,
“Jesus, lover of my soul,”
the day after. Meet Christ here, and take the devil yonder, and bid him God
speed in all his freaks of devilry. Ah! sirs, sirs, sirs, take heed, take heed, I
beseech you, of this matter. Let us each search our hearts, lest we should
have been deceived. And may God bring us to a right understanding in this
matter, that we may be clear before him. “Search me, O God, and know
my ways, try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked
way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.”
And, now, I must not send you away until I have had a word with my
friend in the aisle there. He says, “I like that, I like that; I am no professor,
I am not, I am all right. No one can call me a hypocrite.” Well, my dear
friend, I am very glad you are not, because you say you are no Christian.
But let me tell you, you must not expect to be a wonderful deal the better
off for that. Suppose two men are brought up before the Lord Mayor, and
one says, “Your worship, I am an honest man and not guilty;” and he
blushes that an imputation should be cast on his character. Well he is
proved to be guilty, and gets committed to prison for three months. Up
comes the other one and says, “Your worship, I am a guilty man; I always
was a rogue, and I always shall be; I don’t make any profession at all.” “I
think I must give you six months,” says his worship, “for really I think you
must be the more determined rascal of the two.” So if any of you say, “I do
not make a profession, I shall be all right,” let me tell you, that to make a
lying profession is a very fearful thing; but for you to think of getting off
because you make no profession at all, is equally bad. Take heed you do
not deceive yourselves; it must be the new heart and the right spirit with
God, or else profession or no profession, we must perish. Oh! that God
would give us grace to go to our houses, and cry to him for mercy, and
would help us to repent of our sins, and bring us to put our trust simply
and wholly upon the Lord Jesus Christ! So should we be saved now, and
saved for ever.