SERMON UPON 2 SAMUEL XXIV. 24. 83
Heb. xi. 17, ' By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac ; and he that received the promises offered up his only-begotten son.' Here is a son, an only son, a son on whom the promises were fixed, and this son to fall under the weight of his own father's hands : an act that occasioned not only a conflict between his obedience and his natural affection, but a kind of riddle between his obedience and his faith. How should he offer Isaac, and yet believe that in Isaac's seed all the nations should be blessed ? But faith is a strange grace ; it trusts God wonderfully, and can reconcile all contradictions ; it can see Isaac offered, and yet kept still, and a father of many children ; gain in loss, and life in death ; something in nothing. Well, then, a sound believer will not grudge at trials ; when he is put upon the most diffi- cult cases, he saitli, ' Shall I serve God with what costeth me nought?' No, God shall have the best : if he will have Isaac, let Isaac go.
2. Their love to God inclineth them to this disposition of heart. Love is liberal and open-hearted ; it standeth upon no labour, cost, or difficulty. Fear serveth God with a kind of reserve ; it is a force put upon us, and therefore doth no more than needs must. But love is sensible that our obligation is far beyond our ability to recompense, and hath such a delight in God's service, it can never do enough for him ; it counts nothing too good or too much, but all is short and too little. Love would still do more. There is a compulsion in fear, and there is a compulsion in love ; for love constraineth, 2 Cor. v. 14. But how do these differ ? The compulsion that is in fear is slavish, and mighty unwelcome to the soul, easily works off. That is bad ground that bringeth forth nothing except it be forced ; and usually such ground, at the best, brings forth but sparingly. But love is a willing compulsion. Amoo' non cogitur, sed cogit — love is not forced, but forceth. Natural conscience worketh by fear, faith by love, Gal. V, 6. Love consecrateth and devote tli all that a man hath to the will and pleasure of him whom he loveth, Quis legem (let amanti? Amor major lex sihi ipsi est. There needs no urging of laws. Love is a greater law to itself. No presenting of terrors where there is a strong self-inclination and propeudency. It hath in its bosom as deep an engagement and obligation to please God as you can lay upon it. So that let a man's love be gained to Christ, and then he will stick at nothing. What love will do we may see in other cases ; as in Jacob's love to Kachel: Gen. xxix. 20, 'And Jacob served seven years for Eachel, and they seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had to her.' So in Shechem's love to Dinah: Gen. xxxiv. 19, 'The young man deferred not to do the thing, for the delight which he had in Jacob's daughter.' Circumcision was an hated thing to them, as well as painful in itself Well, now, so it is in religion. Where love is wanting, all that is done seemeth too much ; but where love prevaileth, let it be never so difficult, it seems light and easy : Acts xx. 24, ' None of these things move me.' Where there is love there will be self- denial ; it submitteth to duties against the bent and hair. Where there is love there will be labour ; it is not a slothful and idle affec- tion: 2 Thes. i. 3, 'Your work of faith, and labour of love.' Well, then, if you had a greater love to God, he would have the best of your hearts, the best of your labours, the best of your estates, and the best
84 SERMON UPON 2 SAMUEL XXIV. 24.
of your time and strength, and you would count nothing too dear to give to him or for him ; for the voice of love is, ' Shall I serve God with what costs me nought ? ' It is very notahle that a little is accepted if it hath the stamp of love upon it. The lover's mite cast into the treasury is more worth than ten times so much outward obedience from another man. But then this is the genius of love, to do its best. He that loveth much cannot satisfy himself with a little, but still seeketh how it may more glorify and please God, and that at an higher rate : Ps. Ixxi. 14, 'I will glorify him yet more and more.'
3. They have a deep sense of God's majesty and excellency, and therefore dare not put him off with anything that is vile, cheap, and unworthy. No ; he shall have the best, the choice, the flower of their time, strength, love, affection. If we had an higher sense of God's majesty and greatness, we would be more careful of his worship ; for he is not a God to be slighted or dallied with, or put off with a little religiousness by the by. As his spiritual nature calleth for spiritual service, so his glorious majesty calleth for eminent service, and bindeth this thought upon us, that he should not be served without cost. It is a sign we have lessening thoughts of him, if we think that any slight sorry performance, that costs us little time, little care, little preparation, done with little life and affection, will serve the turn. God pleadeth his majesty against this abuse: Mai. i. 14, 'Cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing : for I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts.' A king of so great majesty calleth for other manner of service than usually we Ijestow upon him. Common stuff will serve for an ordinary house. In a palace for a king, most costly furniture is requisite and becoming. Superficial dealing in his work is an affront of his greatness, and show- eth that we have mean thoughts of him, and a want of reverence ; when we put him off with the refuse, or bring common dispositions into his presence, and serve him carelessly and sorrily, thinking if the work be done it is no matter how, so we may once get it over. But he that knows God, what an high glorious God he is, dareth not be so sinfully bold and familiar with him : ' I will not serve God with what costs me nought.'