Sermon 10

Isaiah 53:1. Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

We have spoken somewhat these days past, to sundry doctrines from this part of the verse, and particularly of the sad complaint which Isaiah has in his own name, and in the name of all the ministers of the Gospel, that the savoury report concerning Jesus Christ is not received, and that though life and salvation through Him be offered to many, yet there are but few, scarce here one and there one that do embrace it, this is the sad result, Lord, who has believed our report? Words, that being spoken by such a prophet, and so often mentioned in the New Testament, may and should as often as we speak, hear, or read them, put both ministers and people to a holy demur, and to look what becomes of all our preaching and hearing, when this was all the fruit, even of Isaiah's preaching, as to the greatest part of his hearers.

Before we leave this part of the verse, it will not be unsuitable that we speak a little to these three. First, to what may be the causes why, when the Gospel is powerfully preached, there are so few believers. Secondly, how it comes to pass, seeing so few believe, that generally so many think they believe, and so few suspect their own faith. And Thirdly, to the necessity that lies on the hearers of the Gospel, to enquire at, and try themselves concerning their faith, and to have some solid satisfaction in it.

Although we mention no particular doctrines now, yet considering the doctrines we spoke to before, these things will not be unsuitable to them, nor impertinent to you.

For the first, the causes why so few believe the Gospel, we cleared to you already, that generally the powerful preaching of the Gospel has been with little fruit, so that Isaiah has this sad complaint, Lord, who has believed our report? And our Lord Jesus has it also on the matter (Matthew 11:7): We have piped to you and you have not danced, we have mourned to you and you have not lamented, and in the same express words (John 12:38). And when it is so with sweet Isaiah in the Old Testament, and with our blessed Lord in the New, that spoke with such power and authority, you may see there is reason for us to enquire into the causes, why it is that so few believe? In speaking to which: 1. We intend not to touch on all the reasons that may be gathered together, of people's not profiting under the Gospel, but of these that you have most reason to look to, and that are most obstructive of faith in you. 2. Though we might speak of reasons on the side of them that speak to you, for who is sufficient for these things? and we shall not deny but we have culpable accession to your unfruitfulness, yet it were not much to your edifying to insist on these. 3. Neither will we speak to these sovereign causes on God's part, who in His holy justice gives up people to unfruitfulness, when they receive not the truth in love. Neither Fourthly, shall we insist on these causes that may arise from the Devil, who waits on wherever the Word is preached, to mar the fruit of it, as we may see (Matthew 13:19), the evil spirits, like as many crows, when the seed of the Word is sown, waiting on to pick it up, and you would know, that you never come to hear the Word, but there are, as it were, flocks of devils attending you. Hence it is that some are rocked and lulled asleep, some have their minds filled with worldly thoughts, some forget all that they hear before they go out of doors, thus it is with many hearers of this Gospel, their hearts are trod upon as the wayside by devils and foul spirits, that never a word takes impression on them, and though you may think such expressions uncouth-like and strange, yet they are sadly true. Satan waited on when Christ preached, and sure he will scare no more to do so at our preaching than he did at His, if he stood at Joshua's right hand to resist him, he will no doubt be at ours. But we say we will not insist on these. But Fifthly, we shall speak a little to these causes that are common in you, which you yourselves might know if you would observe them, and we would exhort you to take notice of them, when we tell you of them.

First, then we offer, or rather assert this for a cause: the want of serious minding the great concern of the work of your salvation, and that this preached gospel is the Word of the Lord by which you must be saved. Alas! though you have immortal souls, and though this Word be the means of your salvation, yet there are hundreds of you that never lay it to heart, that your souls are in hazard, and that this Word must be it that you must live by, and live upon. I appeal to your consciences if you think upon this seriously — want of this consideration fosters security, breeds laziness, and makes and keeps you careless and carnal. I shall instance the want of it in three respects. 1. Look how you are affected towards this Word, and your own edification by it before you come to hear it — how few are hungering and thirsting, or preparing for benefit by it, or preparing to meet with God in it? In effect you come not with a design to profit; so that if it were known, it would be wondered at, why you come to hear the Word, as Christ says of some, they came not because they saw the miracles, but because they did eat of the loaves and were filled. So may we say of you, that you come not to profit by the Word, but on some crooked carnal design. 2. Look how you carry when you are come — how many sleep a great part of the sermon? So that it's a shame to look on the face of our meetings, when in every corner some are sleeping, whose consciences God will waken before long, and the timber and stones of the house will bear witness against them. Were you in any other meeting, about ordinary business, there would not be such sleeping. But when you are waking, what is your carriage? For you may be waking, and your heart far away, or fast asleep — how seldom can you give account of what is said? Though your bodies be present, your hearts are wandering. You are like these spoken of (Ezekiel 33:31), who sat before the prophet as God's people, but their hearts went after their covetousness. How often while you are sitting here is your heart away? Some in their thoughts running after their trade, some after their merchandise, some after one thing, some after another. This is one sad instance of it, that there are many of you who have had preaching forty or fifty years, that can scarce tell one note of it all, and no wonder, for you were not attentive in the hearing of it. 3. Look how you carry after the Word is heard. What unedifying discourse will you be engaged in before you are well at the door? How carnally and carelessly do many rush to, and go away from hearing of the Word? And when you get a word that meets with your soul's case, do you go to your knees with it before God, desiring him to breathe on it, and to keep it warm? Or do you meditate upon it? Now put these three together — your carriage before, in the time, and after your hearing the Word — you will find that there is just cause to say, that the most part that hear this gospel are not serious. What wonder then that it do them no good? In the end of that parable of the sower (Matthew 13; Mark 4; Luke 8), it is said by the Lord, Take heed how you hear, for whoever has, to him shall be given, etc. If you improve well your hearing, you will get yet more, but so long as you take no heed how you hear, you cannot profit.

A second ground or cause is this, that the most part of hearers never come to look on this word as the Word of God, they come never almost to have a historical faith of it; it is said (Hebrews 11:6), He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that seek Him diligently. But when people do not really believe that God is, what wonder they seek Him not, that they fear neither judgment nor hell, and that they study not holiness? They say in their hearts they shall have peace, though they walk in the imagination of their own hearts, and that the way to heaven is not so narrow as ministers say it is, that God will not condemn poor christened bodies — this is the language of many hearts and of some mouths. Need there any evidences of it be given? If you believed that the way to heaven is so narrow, and that holiness is so extensive, could you possibly with any seriousness reflect on your heart and way and not be frightened? But the truth is, this word gets not leave to sink in you as the Word of God; therefore our Lord says to His disciples (Luke 9:44), Let these sayings sink into your ears. There are these things I fear you do not believe, and let me not be thought to take on me to judge your consciences, when there are so many that profess they know God, but in works they deny Him, as it is (Titus 1:16). When we see such things in your conduct, we know that there is a principle of unbelief from where they spring. 1. There are many of you that really believe not there is a God, or that He is such as His Word reveals Him to be, to wit, Holy, Just, Powerful, etc. — else you dare not live at odds with Him; the fool has said in his heart there is not a God, they are corrupt, etc. — your practical atheism and profanity say you believe not there is a God. 2. You never believed the ill of your nature; do you think (as James addresses those he writes to, chapter 4:5) that the Scripture says in vain, the spirit that is in you lusts to envy? You do not think that your heart is deceitful and desperately wicked? Though we should preach never so much on this subject, yet you lay it not to heart, you take it not to you in particular. 3. We are afraid that many of you believe not a judgment, and your particular and personal coming to it; in fact there are among you who are like to these mockers spoken of by Peter in his second Epistle (chapter 3:3-4), who say, where is the promise of his coming? And as there were in Paul's days some that denied the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15), so there are still who do it on the matter, at least. You have the same corrupt nature. We would think that we had prevailed to some purpose, if you were brought really to believe that there is a God, a life to come, and a day of judgment. And if you did so, you would be more serious in duty, and would come more hungry and thirsty to the word. 4. The means of salvation is not believed, to wit, that the way to peace with God is faith in Jesus Christ, and that there is no way to heaven but the way of holiness. If all your thoughts were spoken out, it would be found that you have another means than faith, and another way than that of holiness. And to make out this, we need go no further than to your practice; we are sure many of you live in profanity, and yet you have all a hope of heaven — and what says this? But that you think not faith and holiness necessary, but that you may come to heaven another way; and this is an old fault and deceit — it was in Moses' days, for some are brought in (Deuteronomy 29:19) saying, I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart, and add drunkenness to thirst, though I tipple daily at my four hours, though I follow my lusts and pleasures, and take my [reconstructed: fill] of the world, we cannot be all saints, etc. The Lord will not spare that man, but His anger and jealousy shall smoke against him, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. And though this be not now believed, it shall be found verified. There are many when they come to judgment that will know to their cost the truth of many things they never believed before. As we find in that rich man, who says to Abraham, Send some to tell my brethren that they come not to this place of torment — it says as much as that he in his lifetime did not believe how terribly-tormenting a place hell is, and it is even so still. Though men and women have immortal souls, yet they go on following their sinful way, and believe not that any evil shall befall them, till God's curse and vengeance overtake them.

A third ground or cause is, that folk never think themselves in danger, nor allow their danger to affect them, and therefore they seek not after the remedy; hence the Jews, Scribes, and Pharisees rejected Christ — why? They were righteous persons, whole, and needed not the Physician. And thus it is with many of you: you will acknowledge that you are sinners, but not the gracelessness of your nature, and this makes it so that when life and reconciliation with God are offered, we have almost none to accept of it. Why so? You are generally, in your own opinion, already good friends with God; almost none of you think that you have hatred toward God, and so you carelessly and unconcernedly let the opportunity of making your peace with Him slip away — even like those Jews spoken of in John 8:44-45, who, when Christ said to them, "You have the devil for your father," answered that He had a devil, and that God was their father, that they were come from Abraham and were not born of fornication. So it is with many of you: you could never endure to liken yourselves to Hell, nor to acknowledge that you were heirs of wrath, as if you had been born with other natures than the ordinary race of mankind; and this keeps so many of you from getting any good of this Gospel, for it seeks sinners to pardon them and enemies to reconcile them, and until the feud is once acknowledged, the friendship will never be sought after, nor will it find takers — though when once the enmity is acknowledged, the Gospel has many sweet, peaceful, and comfortable words to speak to the man afterwards.

A fourth ground is the love of money and of the world, which is the root of all evil. This is given as a main cause in Matthew 13 why the Word profits not: the seed is sown among thorns, and the thorns spring up and choke it — the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches choked the Word. This is not oppression or stealing, but entanglement with and addiction to the things of this present world — folk allowing themselves too much satisfaction in their riches and wealth, counting themselves as if all were well if they have it, and grieved if they lack it, as if there were nothing else to make one happy; being wholly taken up with it and leaving no room for the concerns of their souls, for prayer and seeking of God, nor for challenges to work on them, they are so wholly taken up with their callings and business. For they set it as a foundation that they must be rich, and then they give themselves wholly to all things that may contribute to that end, and that chokes and suffocates the Word so that it never comes up, and nothing comes to perfection. Therefore Christ says in Luke 21:24, "Take heed that you are not overcharged with feasting and drunkenness, and cares of this life." I am afraid that many more among you who are civil, and esteemed virtuous and frugal, shall perish in this pit of worldly-mindedness than shall perish by drunkenness, gluttony, fornication, or the like. And yet there is nothing more frequent in Scripture than words spoken to warn folk from earthly-mindedness. "How hard it is," says Christ, "for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven?" — and such a man is he who is taken up with riches and places his happiness and contentment in them, whether he has more or less of them. We speak not this to foster idleness in any, but to press moderation in the use of lawful things. You think it enough if we cannot charge you with oppression, stealing, whoring, and the like — but this Gospel will charge you with the love of money, and if it finds the love of the world in you, the love of the Father will not be found in you. Does not your experience tell you that it is not an easy matter to be much taken up with the world, and to arrive at a suitable disposition for duties of religion, and to be diligent in them?

A fifth ground is folk's little prizing of the Gospel and the benefits that come by it. They do not look upon it as their happiness to have communion with God. Those who are invited to the marriage of the king's son (Matthew 22) will not come, and the reason is given: they made light of it; the offer of the Gospel has no weight, it has no appeal. If a market of fine things at a cheap rate were proclaimed, you would all run to it — but you delight not in the Word of God; you do not prize the Gospel and the precious wares that it sets before you. And to evidence and make out this, I would ask you these few questions. First, I would ask you how often — or rather how seldom — you have sat down purposely and thanked God for sending the Gospel to you. You have given thanks for your dinner, but how often have you given Him thanks that you have the Gospel on Sabbath days and weekdays? Second, how little do many of you wait on the preaching of it? Were there a message sent to you but from some ordinary man, let alone from a great man, you would arrange yourselves and your business somewhat so that you might hear it — and yet it is a wonder to think how some in this place, except on the Sabbath, will hardly be seen in the church from one end of the year to the other. Third, had you any title deeds to draw up for house or land, you would seek to have them drawn very well and surely — but many of you have never sought to have the title deeds of heaven made sure. You know how interruptions of, and threats to remove, the preached Gospel from you have never troubled you. That business of the Tender gave proof that if you might keep your ease and the things of the world, you cared not what became of the Gospel and of the liberties of Christ's kingdom among you. In fact, we may say the Gospel was never less valued, never more reproached, despised, and trodden upon, than in the time in which we live — and who lays it to heart? If it were well examined, there is more effort spent on trivial particulars in a week than you spend on your souls in a year; and — which may be spoken to the shame of some — more time taken up in tippling, drinking, and carousing than in prayer or any other religious duty. And is that not an undeniable evidence that you make light of the Gospel? They made light of it and went their ways, etc., saying in effect, "Care for that invitation who will — as for us, we have something else to do."

A sixth ground or cause, though possibly it be not so rife, is a shifting of convictions and challenges, a quenching of any begun exercise in the conscience. Some of you have been made sometimes to tremble as Felix did, but you shifted it, and put it off to another time, and went away to some company or recreation, that so you might stifle it, and drive it out of your thoughts. Is there any of you, but in sickness, or under some other sad cross, or at a Communion, you have had your own convictions, challenges, and frights about your soul's estate? and yet you have smothered, extinguished, and put them out again.

A seventh ground or cause (which is as large and comprehensive as any,) is folks resting and sitting down, before they have any solid ground to rest upon, taking a counterfeit work for a real one, like these spoken of (Hosea 7:16), of whom it's said, They return, but not to the most High. Some attain to a sort of outward reformation, and they think that on that account they are well enough and in good terms with God, and when such are called to return, they say as these do (Malachi 3:7), Wherein shall we return? they think they are returned, and that their peace is made already. They cannot endure to be bidden believe, or to lay a new foundation, for they think it's laid already: In a word, as Laodicea did, they think themselves rich and increased in goods, when yet they are poor, blind, miserable, wretched and naked, but they know not, and so are well satisfied with themselves as gracious persons; resting on these and the like grounds. As 1. It may be they pray and think something of that. 2. They think they have faith enough, if they have a historical faith. 3. It may be they have had some resolutions, and fits of a sort of tenderness, and these they rest upon. We shall not insist to show the rottenness of these props, but shall only say, it were in some respect good for many of you, that you had never had the little pieces of profession you have. There is a sort of civil, legal, formal, fair-fashioned men and women among us, whose conversation and communication relishes to none but themselves, and speak the Word who will, they think that they are without the reach of it. I must say this sad word, [reconstructed: that] I think [reconstructed: many] of you have as much believing as keeps you from faith in Christ, that is, you have as much presumption and security as makes you that you are never serious with the Lord to amend it, and to bring you indeed to believe, so that it's a greater difficulty, to beat you off from your rotten grounds, than it is to get you right, though both require the omnipotent power of God. You think you believe always, and you have no doubts about it, and therefore you think you have faith enough to do your turn. Ah! when will you know that security is no faith, and that there is great difference between presumption and solid resting by faith on Christ?

Eighthly, we think that this wrongs many of you, because you are not among the worst sort, and others esteem well of you, you think you are well enough, and this makes us, that as to many of you we know not whether to be more familiar with, or to stand at a distance from you, because you are ready to rest on so very slender grounds. It is not the commendation of men, but the commendation of God that you should seek mainly after, and yet if you think good men esteem well of you, you apprehend you are good enough. This was it that [reconstructed: made] the foolish virgins so secure, because the wise took them and retained them in their company, and this is the neck-break of many, especially when they look about them and observe some sin in others which they have managed to abstain from. As if it had been enough in Herod, and a sufficient proof of the reality of his religion, that he heard John gladly, and did many things on the hearing of him.

A ninth ground is (and it's a very poor one,) folks sitting down on the means when they have them, as if when they have gotten the Gospel they were in no hazard, and could believe whenever they please. I make no question, but where the Gospel is powerfully in any measure preached, there are many more secure and fearless than if they had it not, and it's very probable somewhat of this is hinted at (Luke 13:26), where some are brought in saying to Christ, We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets, who when He drives them away from Him at the great day, they will in a manner hardly believe that He is in earnest, and they give this for the reason of it, that they have heard Him preach, and they have run out to the fields after Him. It were good to fear while you have the Word, lest you miss the fruit of it. Compare to this purpose Hebrews 3, at the close, with Hebrews 4:1, and we will find this commended to us, So we see, says the Apostle, that they could not enter in because of unbelief, let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should seem to come short of it. It's much, indeed the first step to faith, to get folks made suitably afraid to miss the fruit and blessing of the ordinances while they have them. It's good to be afraid, to come to the church and not to get good of the preaching, or to go and read a chapter of the Bible and not profit by it, always to put a difference between the ordinance and the blessing of it, and to be afraid in the use of the ordinances to miss the blessing of them.

There may be many other causes, and we would not stint and limit you to these, but sure these are causes why this Gospel profits not: we may add these few. 1. There are some that stumble at the messenger, some at the message; some thought Christ a friend of publicans and sinners, and said He had a devil, and so they said of John Baptist; there are some that can abide neither free nor fair speaking, and they think it's not the Word but the speaker that they offend at, but prejudices against the carriers of the Word have never done good, but much ill; and you would guard against them. 2. Sometimes there is a stumbling at the spiritual truths of the Gospel, and a sort of newfangledness in the hearers of it that does not last; John's hearers rejoiced in his light for a season; something of it also was in Christ's hearers, but they soon turned their back on Him when He tells them of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, and of the necessity of it, else they could have no life in them; This (say they) is a hard saying and who can bear it? If we would consider these things, we might see convincing causes of our little thriving, and they might also (through God's blessing) be made use of for directions to thriving, and if we could once bring you to be single and serious in hearing, and spiritually thrifty, in making use of every sermon and Sabbath for edification, we had gained a great point of you.