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39 - Catholic Spirit - Sermons on Several Occasions · Sacred Texts Archive

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Catholic spirit. And when he was departed, thence he lighted on Johonadab,
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the son of Rechab, coming to meet him. He saluted him and said
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to him, is thine heart right as my heart is with thy heart?
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And Johonadab answered, it is, if it be give me thine hand.
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Second Kings, Chapter ten, verse fifteen. It is allowed even by those
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who do not pay this great debt, that love is due to all mankind.
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The royal law, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, carrying its
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own evidence to all that hear it, and that not according to the miserable
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construction put upon it by these zealots of old times. Thou shalt love thy
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neighbor, thy relation, acquaintance, friend, and hate thine enemy. Not
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so I say unto you, said, our Lord, love your enemies,
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Bless them that curse you, Do good to them that hate you, and
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pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be
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the children may appear so to all mankind of your Father, which is in
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heaven, who maketh his son to rise in the evil and on the good,
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and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. But it is
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sure there is a peculiar love which we owe to those that love God.
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So, David, all my delight is upon the saints that are in the
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earth, and upon such as excel in virtue, and so a greater than
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he. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another
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as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this
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shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one
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to another John thirteen, thirty four, and thirty five. This is that
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love on which the apostle John so frequently and strongly insists, this saith.
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He is the message he heards from the beginning, that we should love one
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another. First John three eleven. Hereby perceive we the love of God,
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because He laid down his life for us, and we ought if love should
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call us there too, to lay down our lives for the brethren Verse sixteen.
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And again, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is
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of God. He that loveth not knoweth not God. For God is love
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four seven to eight. Not that we loved God, but that He loved
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us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved.
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If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another Verses ten
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and eleven. All men approve of this, but do all men practice it?
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Daily experience shows the contrary. Where are even the Christians who love one
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another as He hath given us commandment? How many hindrances lie on the way.
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The two grand general hindrances are first that they cannot all think alike,
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and in consequence of this, secondly they cannot all walk alike. But in
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several smaller points their practice must differ in proportion to the difference of their sentiments.
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But although a difference in opinions or modes of worship may prevent an entire
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external union, yet need it prevent our union in affection? Though we cannot
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think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one
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heart? Though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt we may
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herein all the children of God may unite. Notwithstanding these smaller differences, these
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remaining as they are, they may forward one another in love and in good
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works. Surely, in this respect the example of yehooms himself as mixed a
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character as he was of is well worthy. Both the attention and imitation of
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every serious Christian. And when he was departed, thence he lighted on Johonadab,
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the son of Reka, coming to meet him, and he saluted him
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and said to him, is thine heart right as my heart is with thy
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heart? And Johonadab answered, it is, if it be give me thine
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hand. The text NAT should devise itself into two parts. First, a
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question proposed by Jehu to Johonadab, is thine heart right as my heart is
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with thy heart? Secondly, an offer made on Johonadab's answering, It is,
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if it be give me thine hand. And first let us consider the
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question proposed by Jehu to Johonadab, Is thine heart right as my heart is
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with thy heart. The very first thing we may observe in these words is
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that here is no inquiry concerning Johonadab's opinions. And yet it is certain he
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held some which were very uncommon, indeed quite peculiar to himself, and some
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which had a close influence upon his practice, on which likewise he laid so
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great a stress as to entail them upon his children's children, to their latest
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posterity. This is evident from the account given by Jeremiah many years after his
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death. I took jaz and Iah and his brethren and all his sons,
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and the whole house of the Racabites, and set before them pots full of
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wine and cups, and sit unto them, drink ye wine. But they
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said, we will drink no wine for Jonadab or Johonadab, the son of
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recab our father. It would be less ambiguous if the words were placed thus.
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Jehonadab our father, the son of Recab and of love and reverence,
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to whom he probably desired his descendants might be called by his name, commanded
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us, saying, ye shall drink no wine, neither ye nor your sons
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forever. Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard,
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nor have any but all your days ye shall dwell intense. And we
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have obeyed and done according to all that jonadab Our father commanded us Jeremiah chapter
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thirty five or three through ten. And yet Jehu, although it seems to
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have been his manner, both in things secular and religious, to drive furiously,
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does not concern himself at all with any of these things. But lest
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johonadab abound in his own sense, and neither of them appears to have given
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the other the least disturbance touching the opinions which he maintained. It is very
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possible the many good men now also may entertain peculiar opinions. Some of them
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may be as singular herein as even Johonadab was. And it is certain,
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so long as we know, but in part, that all men will not
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see all things alike. It is an unavoidable consequence of the present weakness and
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shortness of human understanding, that several men will be of several minds in religion
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as well as in common life. So it has been for the beginning of
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the world, and so it will be till the restitution of all things.
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Nay farther, Although every man necessarily believes that every particular opinion which he holds
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is true, for to believe any opinion is not true is the same thing
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is not to hold it. Yet can no man be assured that all his
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own opinions taken together are true. Nay, every thinking man is assured that
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they are not seeing humanem estererare at Nesquierre to be ignorant of many things,
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and to mistake in some is the necessary condition of humanity. This, therefore,
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he is sensible is his own case. He knows in the general that
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he himself is mistaken, although in what particulars he mistakes he does not.
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Perhaps he cannot know. I say, perhaps he cannot know. For who
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can tell how far invincible ignorance may extend, or that come the same thing
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invincible prejudice, which is often so fixed in tender minds, that it is
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afterwards impossible to tear up what has taken so deep a route. And who
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can say, unless he knew every circumstance attending it, how far any mistake
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is culpable. Seeing all guilt must suppose some concurrence of the will, of
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which he only can judge who searcheth the heart. Every Wise, man therefore
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will allow others the same liberty of thinking which he desires they should allow him,
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and will no more insist on their embracing his opinions than he would have
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them to insist on his embracing theirs. He bears with those who differ from
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him, and only asks him with whom he desires to unite in love.
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That single question is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart.
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We may secondly observe that here is no inquiry made concerning Jehonadab's mode of worship,
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although it is highly probable there was in this respect also a very wide
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difference between them. For we may well believe Johonnadab, as well as all
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as posterity, worship God a Jerusalem, whereas Jay who did not, he
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had more regard to state policy than religion. And therefore although he slew the
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worshippers of bail and destroyed bail out of Israel, yet from the convenient sin
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of Jeroboam the worship of the golden calves he departed not set in Kings ten
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twenty nine. But even among men of an upright heart, men who desire
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to have a conscience void of offense, it must needs be that as long
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as there are various opinions, there will be various ways of worshiping God.
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Seeing a variety of opinion necessarily implies a variety of practice. And as in
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all ages men have differed in nothing more than in their opinions concerning the Supreme
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Being, so in nothing have they more differed from each other than the manner
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of worshiping him. Had this been only in the heathen world, it would
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not have been at all surprising, For we know these, by their wisdom
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knew not God, nor therefore could they know how to worship Him. But
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is it not strange that, even in the Christian world, although they all
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agree in the general God is the Spirit, and they that worship Him must
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worship Him in spirit and in truth, yet the particular modes of worshiping God
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are almost as various as among the heathen. And how should we choose among
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so much variety. No man can choose for or prescribe to another. But
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every one must follow the dictates of his own conscience in simplicity and godly sincerity.
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He must be fully persuaded in his own mind, and an act according
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to the best light he has. Nor has any creature power to constrain another
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to walk by his own rule. God has given no right to any of
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the children of men, thus to lord it over the conscience of his brethren.
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But every man must judge for himself, as every man must give an
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account of himself to God. Although therefore every follower of Christ is obliged by
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the very nature of the Christian institution to be a member of some particular congregation
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or other, some church, as it is usually termed, which implies a
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particular manner of worshiping God, For who cannot walk together unless they be agreed.
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Yet, none can be obliged by any power on earth, but that
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of his own conscience, to prefer this or that congregation to another, this
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or that particular manner of worship. I know it is commonly supposed that the
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place of our birth fixes the church to which we ought to belong, That
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one, for instance, who is born in England ought to be a member
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of that which is styled the Church of England, and consequently to worship God
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in the particular manner which is prescribed by that ch church. I was once
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a zealous maintainer of this, But I find many reasons to abate of this
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zeal. I fear it is a tender with such difficulties as no reasonable man
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can get over, not the least of which is that if this rule had
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took place, there could have been no reformation from popery. Seeing it entirely
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destroys the right of private judgment on which that whole reformation stands. I dare
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not therefore, presume to impose my mode of worship on any other. I
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believe it is truly primitive and apostolical. But my belief is no rule for
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another. I asked not therefore, of him with whom I would unite in
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love? Are you of my church, of my congregation? Do you receive
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the same form of church government and allow the same church officers with me?
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Do you join the same form of prayer wherein I worship God? I inquire
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not do you receive the Supper of the Lord in the same posture and manner
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that I do? Nor whether in the administration of baptism you agree with me
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in admitting sureties for the baptized, in the manner of administering it, or
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the age of those to whom it should be administered. Nay, I ask
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not of you, as clear as I am in my own mind, whether
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you allow baptism and the Lord's Supper at all. Let all these things stand
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by. We will talk of them if need be, at a more convenient
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season. My only question at present is this, is thine heart right as
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my heart is with thy heart? But what is properly implied in the question.
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I do not mean what did Jaehu imply therein? But what should a
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follower of Christ understand thereby when he proposes it to any of his brethren.
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The first thing implied is this is thy heart right with God. Dost thou
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believe his being in his perfections, his eternity, immensity, wisdom, power,
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justice, mercy and truth. Dost thou believe that He now upholdeth all
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things by the word of His power, and that he governs even the most
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minute, even most noxious to his own glory and the good of them that
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love him. Hast thou a divine evidence, a supernatural conviction of the things
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of God. Dost thou walk by faith, not by sight, looking not
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at temporal things, but things eternal. Dost thou believe in the Lord Jesus
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Christ, God over all blessed forever. Is He revealed in thy soul.
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Dost thou know Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Does he dwell in thee and
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thou in him? Is he formed in thy heart? By faith? Having
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absolutely disclaimed all thine own works, thine own righteousness. Hast thou submitted thyself
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unto the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Christ, Jesus art
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thou found in Him, not having thine own righteousness, but the righteousness which
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is by faith. And art thou through Him fighting the good fight of faith
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and laying hold of eternal life. Is thy faith an her gamini de agappis
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filled with the energy of love. Dost thou love God. I do not
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say above all things, for it is both an unscriptural and an ambiguous expression.
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But with all thy heart and with all thy mind, with all thy
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soul, and with all thy strength, dost thou seek all thy happiness in
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Him alone. And dost thou find what thou seekest. Does thy soul continually
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magnify the Lord and thy spirit rejoice in God thy Savior. Having learned in
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everything to give thanks, dost thou find it is a joyful and a pleasant
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thing to be thankful. Is God, the center of thy soul, the
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sum of all thy desires. Art thou accordingly laying up thy treasure in Heaven
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and counting all things else dung and dross hast the love of God. Cast
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the love of the world out of thy soul. Then thou art crucified to
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the world. Thou art dead to all below, and thy life is hid
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with Christ in God. Art thou employed in doing not thine own will,
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but the will of Him that sent THEE, of Him that sent THEE down
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to sojourn here a while, to spend a few days in a strange land,
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till having finished the work he hath given THEE to do, thou return
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to thy Father's house. Is it thy meet and drink? To do the
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will of thy Father, which is in Heaven. Is thine eye single in
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all things, always fixed on Him, always looking unto Jesus. Dost thou
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point at Him? And whatsoever thou doest, and all thy labor, thy
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business, thy conversation, aiming only at the glory of God. In all
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whatsoever thou doest, either in word or deed, doing it all in the
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name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks unto God, even the Father through
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him? Does the love of God constrain THEE to serve him with fear,
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to rejoice unto Him with reverence. Art thou more afraid of displeasing God than
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either of death or hell. Is nothing so terrible to THEE as the thought
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of offending the eyes of His glory upon this ground. Dost thou hate all
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evil ways, every transgression of His holy imperfect law. And herein exercise thyself
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to have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward man. Is thy
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heart right toward thy neighbor. Dost thou love as thyself all mankind without exception?
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If you love those only that love you, what thank have ye?
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Do you love your enemies? Is your soul full of good will? Of
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tender affection toward them? Do you love even the enemies of God, the
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unthankful and unholy der bowels yearn over them? Could you wish yourself temporarily accurse
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for their sake? And do you show this by blessing them that curse you?
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And praying for those that despitefully use you and persecute you. Do you
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show your love by your works? Why you have time, as you have
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opportunity. Do you, in fact do good to all men, neighbors or
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strangers, friends or enemies, good or bad? Do you do them all
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the good you can endeavoring to supply all their wants, assisting them both in
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body and soul to the uttermost of your power. If thou art thus minded,
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may every Christian say YEA, if thou art but sincerely desirous of it,
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and following on till thou attain. Then thy heart is right as my
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heart is with thy heart. If it be, give me thy hand.
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I do not mean be of my opinion. You need not. I do
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not expect or desire it. Neither do I mean I will be of your
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opinion. I cannot. It does not depend on my choice. I can
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no more think than I can see or hear. As I will keep you
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your opinion I mine, and that as steadily as ever. You need not
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even endeavor to come over to me or bring me over to you. I
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do not desire to dispute those points, or to hear or speak one word
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concerning them. Let all opinions alone on one side and the other only give
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me thine hand. I do not mean embrace my modes of worship, or
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I will embrace yours. This also is a thing which does not depend either
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on your choice or mine. We must both act as each is fully persuaded
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in his own mind. Hold you fast that which you believe is most acceptable
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to God, and I will do the same. I believe the episcopal form
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of church government to be scriptural and apostolical. If you think the Presbyterian or
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independent is better, Think so still and act accordingly. I believe infants ought
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to be baptized, and that this may be done either by dipping or sprinkling.
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If you are otherwise persuaded, be so still and follow your own persuasion.
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It appears to me that forms of prayer are of excellent use, particularly
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in the Great Congregation. If you judge extemporary prayer to be of more use,
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act suitable to your own judgment. My sentiment is that I ought not
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to forbid water wherein persons may be baptized, and that I ought to eat
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bread and drink wine as a memorial of my dying master. However, if
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you are not convinced of this act, according to the light you have,
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I have no desire to dispute with you one moment upon any of the previous
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heads. Let all these smaller points stand aside, Let them never come into
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sight. If thine heart is as my heart, if thou lovest God and
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all mankind, I ask no more give me thine hand. I mean,
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first, love me, and that not only is thou lovest all mankind.
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Not only is thou lovest thine enemies or the enemies of God, those that
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hate THEE that despitefully use THEE and persecute THEE, not only as a stranger,
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as one of whom thou knowest neither good nor evil. I am not
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satisfied with this. No, if thine heart be right as mine with thy
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heart, then love me with a very tender affection, as a friend that
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is closer than a brother, as a brother in Christ, a fellow citizen
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of the New Jerusalem, a fellow's soldier engaged in the same warfare under the
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same captain of our salvation. Love me as a companion in the kingdom and
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patience of Jesus, and a joint air of His glory. Love me,
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but in a higher degree than thou dost the bulk of mankind, with the
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love that is long suffering and kind, that is patient. If I am
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ignorant and out of the way, bearing and not increasing my burden, and
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is tender, soft and compassionate, still that envieth not if at any time
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it please God to prosper me in his work even more than THEE, Love
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me with the love that is not provoked either at my follies or infirmities,
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or even at my acting. If it should sometimes so appear to thee not
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according to the will of God, love me so as to think no evil
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of me, to put away all jealousy and evil surmising love me with the
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love that covereth all things, that never reveals either my faults or infirmities,
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that believeth all things, is always willing to think the best to put the
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fairest construction on all my words and actions, that hopeth all things, either
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that the thing related was never done, or not done with such circumstances as
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are related, or at least that it was done with a good intention,
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or in a sudden stress of temptation, And hope to the end that whatever
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is amiss will, by the grace of God be corrected, and whatever is
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wanting supplied through the riches of His mercy. In Christ Jesus, I mean
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secondly, commend me to God in all thy prayers, wrestle with Him in
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my behalf, that He would speedily correct what he sees amiss and supply what
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is wanting in me in thy nearest access to the throne of Grace. Beg
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of Him who is then very present with THEE, that my heart may be
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more as thy heart, more right both toward God and toward man, that
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I may have a fuller conviction of things not seen, and a stronger view
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of the love of God in Christ Jesus, may more steadily walk by faith
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not by sight, and more earnestly grasp eternal life. Pray that the love
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of God of all mankind, may be more largely poured into my heart.
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That I may be more fervent and active in doing the will of my Father
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which is in Heaven, more zealous of good works, and more careful to
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abstain from all appearance of evil. I mean, thirdly, provoke me to
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love and to good works. Second thy prayer, as thou hast opportunity by
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speaking to me in love, whatsoever thou believest to be for my soul's health,
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Quicken me in the work which God has given me to do, and
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instruct me how to do it more perfectly. Yea smite me friendly, and
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reprove me whereinsoever I appear to THEE to be doing rather my own will than
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the will of Him that sent me. O, Speak and spare not whatever
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thou believest may conduce, either to the amending of my faults, the strengthening
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my weakness, the building me up in love, or the making me more
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fit in any kind for the Master's use. I mean lastly, love me,
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not in word only, but in deed and in truth, so far
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as in conscience thou canst retaining still thy own opinions, in thy own manner
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of worshiping God, join with me in the work of God, and let
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us go on hand in hand. And thus far it is certain thou mayest
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go speak honorably wherever thou art, of the work of God by whomsoever He
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works, and kindly of His messengers. And if it be in thy power,
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not only sympathize with them when they are in any difficulty or distress,
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but give them a cheerful and effectual assistance that they may glorify God on thy
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behalf. Two things should be observed with regard to what has been spoken under
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this last head. The one the whatsoever love, whatsoever, offices of love,
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whatsoever spiritual or temporal assistance. I claim from him whose heart is right
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as my heart is with his, the same I am ready, by the
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grace of God, according to my measure, to give him the other.
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That I have not made this claim in behalf of myself only, but of
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all whose heart is right toward God and man, that we may all love
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one another as Christ hath loved us. One inference we may make from what
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has been said. We may learn from hence what is a Catholic spirit.
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There is scarcely any expression which has been more grossly misunderstood and more dangerously misapplied
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than this, But it will be easy for any who calmly consider the preceding
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observations to correct any such misapprehensions of it, and to prevent any such misapplication.
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For from hence we may learn first that a Catholic spirit is not speculative
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latitudinarianism. It is not an indifference to all opinions. This is the spawn
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of Hell, of the offspring of heaven. This unsettledness of thought, this
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being driven to and fro and tossed about with every wind of doctrine, is
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a great curse, not a blessing, an irreconcilable enemy, not a friend
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to true Catholicism. A man of truly Catholic spirit is not now his religion
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to seek. He is fixed as a son and his judgment concerning the main
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branches of Christian doctrine, which is true. He is always ready to hear
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in wigh whatsoever can be offered against his principles. But as this does not
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show any wavering in his own mind, so neither does it occasion any It
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does not halt between two opinions, nor vainly endeavor to blend them into one.
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Observe this, you, who know not what spirit ye are of,
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who call yourselves men of a Catholic spirit only because you are of a muddy
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understanding, because your mind is all in a mist, because you have no
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settled, consistent principles, but are for jumbling all opinions together. Be convinced
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that you have quite missed your way. You know not where you are.
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You think you are got into the very spirit of Christ, when in truth
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you are nearer the spirit of Antichrist. Go first and learn the first elements
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of the Gospel of Christ, and then shall you learn to be of a
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truly Catholic spirit. From what has been said, we may learn secondly that
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Cathic spirit is not any kind of practical latitudinarianism. It is not indifference as
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to public worship or as to the outward manner of performing it. This likewise
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would not be a blessing but a curse far from being in help thereto it
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would, so long as it remained, be an unspeakably hindrance to the worshiping
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of God in spirit and in truth. The man of a truly Catholic spirit,
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having weighed all things the balance of the sanctuary, has no doubt,
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no scruple at all concerning that particular mode of worship wherein he joins. He
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is clearly convinced that this manner of worshiping God is both scriptural and rational.
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He knows none in the world which is more scriptural, none which is more
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rational. Therefore, without rambling hither and thither, he cleaves close there too,
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and praises God for the opportunity of so doing. Hence we may thirdly
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learn that a Catholic spirit is not indifference to all congregations. This is another
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sort of latitudinarianism, no less absurd and unscriptural than the former, but is
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far from a man of a truly Catholic spirit. He is fixed in his
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congregation as well as his principles. He is united to one not only in
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spirit, but by all the outward tithes of Christian fellowship. There he partakes
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of all the ordinances of God. There he receives the Supper of the Lord.
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There he pours out his soul and public prayer, and joins in public
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praise and thanksgiving. There he rejoices to hear the Word of reconciliation, the
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gospel of the grace of God. With these his nearest, his best beloved
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brethren, on solemn occasions, he seeks God by fasting. These particularly,
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he watches over in love as they do over his soul, admonishing, exhorting,
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comforting, reproving, and every way building up each other in the faith.
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These he regards as his own household, and therefore, according to the
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ability God has given him, naturally cares for them and provides that they may
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have all the things that are needful for life and godliness. But while he
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is steadily fixed in his religious principles, in which he believes to be the
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truth as it is in Jesus, while he firmly adheres to that worship of
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God which he judges to be most acceptable in his sight, and while he
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is united by the tenderest and closest ties to one particular congregation, his heart
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is enlarged toward all mankind, those he knows and those he does not.
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He embraces with strong and cordial affection neighbors and strangers, friends and enemies.
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This is Catholic or universal love. And he that has this is of a
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Catholic spirit, For love alone gives the title to this character. Catholic love
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is a Catholic spirit. If then we take this word in the strictest sense,
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A man of a Catholic spirit is one who, in the manner above
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mentioned, gives his hand to all whose hearts are right with his heart.
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One who knows how to value and praise God for all the advantages he enjoys,
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regard the knowledge of the things of God, the true scriptural manner of
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worshiping Him, and above all, his union with a congregation fearing God and
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working righteousness. One who, retaining these blessings with the strictest care, keeping
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them as the apple of his eye, at the same time loves as friends,
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as brethren in the Lord, as members of Christ and children of God,
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has joint part takers now of the present Kingdom of God and fellow heirs
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of His eternal Kingdom. All of whatever opinion or worship or congregation who believe
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in the Lord Jesus Christ who love God, and man who, rejoicing to
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please and fearing to offend God, are careful to abstain from evil and zealous
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of good works. He is the man of a truly Catholic spirit who bears
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all these continually upon his heart, who, having an unspeakable tenderness for their
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persons and longing for their welfare, does not cease to commend them to God
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in prayer, as well as to plead their cause before men who speak comfortably
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to them, and labors by all his words to strengthen their hands. In
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God. He assists them to the uttermost of His power in all things spiritual
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and temperal. He is ready to spend and be spent for them, yea,
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to lay down his life for their sake. Thou, o Man of
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God, think on these things. If thou art already in this way,
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go on. If thou hast heretofore mistook the path bless God, who hath
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brought thee back, then thou run the race which is set before thee and
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the royal way of universal Love. Take heed. Lest thou be either wavering
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in thy judgment or straitened in thy bowels, but keep an even pace rooted
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in the faith, once delivered to the saints, and grounded in love,
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in true Catholic love, till thou art swallowed up in love for ever and
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ever, weary of all this wordy strife, These notions, forms and modes
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and names to THEE the Way, the Truth, the life, whose love
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my simple heart in flames, divinely taught at last, I fly with THEE
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and Thine to live and die. Forth in the midst of Babel brought parties
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and sex, I cast behind, enlarg'd my heart and free my thought.
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Where'er the latent truth. I find the latent truth, with joy to own
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and bow to Jesus name alone, redeem'd by Thine almighty grace. I taste
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my glorious liberty with open arms, that world embrace. Be cleave to those
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who cleave to THEE. But only in Thy saints delight, who walk with
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God in purest wight. One with the little flock, I rest the members
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sound to hold thy head, the chosen few, with pardon blest and by
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the anointing Spirit, led into the mind that was in THEE, and to
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the depths of Deity. My brethren friends and kinsmen, these who do my
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heav'nly Father's will, who aim at perfect holiness, and all thy counsels to
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fulfill athirst to be whate'er thou art, and love their God with all their
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heart. For these, howe'er in flesh disjoin'd, where'er dispers'd o'er earth abroad,
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unfeigned, unbounded love, I find and constant as the Life of God,
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Fountain of life. From thence it sprung as pure as even and as
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strong, join'd to the hidden church unknown. In this sure bond of perfectness,
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obscurely safe, I dwell alone and glory in the uniting grace to me,
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to each believer, given to all thy saints in earth and heav'n.
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End of Section thirty nine