Many preachers in our days are like Heraclitus, who was called ' the dark doctor;' they affect sublime notions, obscure expressions, uncouth phrases, making plain truths difficult, and easy truths hard. ' They darken counsel with words without knowledge,' Job xxxviii. 2. Studied expressions and high notions in a sermon, are like Asahel's carcase in the way, that did only stop men and make them gaze, but did no ways profit them or better them. It is better to present truth in her native plainness, than to hang her ears with counterfeit pearls.
That is a remarkable scripture, 1 Cor. iii. 1, 2, ' And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.' The apostle did not soar aloft in the clouds, and express the mysteries of the gospel in such a dark obscure way as that poor creatures could not be able to pick out the mind of God in it. No ; but he suited all his discourses to their capacities ; and so must you.
[8.] Eighthly, It is your duty to labour to strengthen weak saints against sin, and to draiv them to holiness argunientatively.
When a strong saint comes to deal with one that is weak, and would strengthen him against sin, he must do it argunientatively ; and when he would draw to holiness, he must do it argumentatively. 1 John ii. 1, 2, compared with chap. i. 7, 9, 'My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.' What things were those he wrote ? Mark, chap. i. 7, ' If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sins.' Here he fenceth them against sin, by one of the strongest and choicest arguments that the whole book of God affords, by an argument that is drawn from the soul's communion with God. And then in verse 9, ' If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father.' Here the apostle labours to strengthen weak saints argumentatively, even by the strongest arguments that the whole book of God affords. So verses 12, J 3, ' I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you, for his name's sake,' &c. So in verse 18, 'Little cliildren, it is the last times, and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 101
are there many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time.' So verse 28, ' And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that lie is righteous, ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of him.' You see in all these scriptures liow the apostle labours to strengthen weak saints in a way of holiness, and to fence them against ways of wickedness argumentatively, and so must you ; this being the ready way to convince them, and to make a conquest upon them, &c.
The ninth duty that lies upon strong saints is, [9.] To cast a mantle over the infirmities of the vjeah. Now there is a three-fold mantle that should be cast over the infir- mities of the weak. There is a mantle of wisdom, a mantle of faith- fulness, and a mantle of compassion, which is to be cast over all the infirmities of weak saints.
First, Strong saints are to cast a mantle of wisdom over the infirmi- ties of weak saints. They are not to present their sins in that ugliness, and with such aggravations, as may terrify, as may sink, as may make a weak saint to despair, or may drive him from the mercy-seat, or as may keep him and Christ asunder, or as may unfit him for the dis- charge of religious duties. It is more a weakness than a virtue in strong Christians, when a weak saint is fallen, to aggravate his fall to the uttermost, and to present his sins in such a dreadful dress, as shall amaze him, &c. It often proves very prejudicial and dangerous to weak saints, when their infirmities are aggravated beyond Scripture grounds, and beyond what they are able to bear. He that shall lay the same strength to the rubbing of an earthen dish, as he does to the rubbing of a pewter platter, instead of clearing it, shall surely break it all to pieces. The application is easy, &c.^
Secondly, There is a mantle of faithfulness that is to be cast over the infirmities of weak saints. A man should never discover the infir- mities of a weak saint, especially to such that have neither skill nor will to heal and bury them. The world will but blaspheme and blaze them abroad, to the dishonour of God, to the reproach of religion, and to the grief and scandal of the weak, &c. They will with Ham rather call upon others to scoff at them, than bring a mantle to cover them, &c. Ham was cursed for that he did discover his father's nakedness to his brethren, when it was in his power to have covered it. He saw it, and might have drawn a curtain over it, but would not ; and for this, by a spirit of prophecy, he was cursed by his father. Gen. ix. 22. This age is full of such monsters, that rejoice to blaze abroad the infirmities of the saints, and these certainly justice hath or will curse.
Thirdly, There is a mantle of compassion that must be cast over the weaknesses and infirmities of weak saints. When a weak man comes to see his sin, and the Lord gives him to lie down in the dust, and to take .shame and confusion to himself, that he hath dishonoured God, and caused Christ to bleed afresh, and grieved the Spirit, &c. ; oh now
1 Parisiensis said sometimes concerning trifles : It is, said he, as if a man should see a flv or a flea on a man's forehead, and for that should presently take a beetle to knock him on the head to kill the fly. [Query, Peter Lombard? Cf. Sibbes, vol. i. pp. 55, 101. -G.]
102 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
thou must draw a covering, and cast a mantle of love and compassion over his soul, that he may not be swallowed up with soitow. Now thou must confirm thy love to him, and carry it with as great tender- ness and sweetness after his fall, as if he had never fallen. This the apostle presses, 2 Cor. ii. 7, ' Love/ says the wise man, ' covereth all sin.' Love's mantle is very large. Love claps a plaster upon every sore ; love hath two hands, and makes use of both, to hide the scars of weak saints. Christ, 0 strong saints, casts the mantle of his righteous- ness over your weaknesses, aod will not you cast the mantle of love over your brother's infirmities V
[10.] Tenthly, It is the duty of strong saints to sympathize with the weak ; to rejoice luith them when they rejoice, and to Tnourn with them when they mourn.
2 Cor. xi. 29, ' Who is weak, and I am weak ? who is axavdaTJ^srai, scandalized, offended, and I cu^oJ.aa/, am not on fire, burn not ?