But now such as are ruled by their own lusts, and by the examples of others, and care not for the spiritual leading of Christ, they do not acknowledge him. ' Let not this man reign over us,' Luke xix. 14. They shake off his bands, they are ' sons of Belial,' Judg. xix. 22, without yoke. And they shall be reckoned at the day of judgment among them that know not Christ ; because to know him, and not to acknowledge him, is to no purpose. As God knoweth us well enough ; but if he know us not, and acknowledge us to be his, what will become of us at the day of judgment? ' I know you not,' Mat. xxv. 12, saith he, that is, he ackuowledgeth them not to be his. So, if our knowledge be to know Christ generally, so as not to give up ourselves to be ruled by him, to be du-ected by him, this is not to acknowledge him ; and to know him, and not to acknowledge him, will be no comfort for us ; as it will be no comfort to us for him to know us, and not to acknowledge us. They that acknowledge Paul, or any minister, they are brought to acknowledge Christ by him.
2. And then, to give you a familiar taste of these things, they do ac- knowledge the minister, that acknowledge the ivord to be the word of God, to be from Jiim. What is that ? When they are cast into the form and mould of the word, and are willing to be framed, to be such as the word would have them, to be pliable to it ; if it threaten, to be terrified ; if it comfort, to be raised up ; to be fashioned every way to the word. Then they acknov.'ledge the word, then they feel it to be God's word. Why ? For they feel it leavening the soul, making all the powers holy and comfort- able. As leaven changeth the whole lump, so the word of God, when we are cast into it, and embrace it, it fi'ames and fashions the whole man to be holy, as the word is holy.
816 COMMENTARY ON
This is to acknowledge the word of God, to hear it as the word of God, to hear it with reverence, as we wonld hear something from a great poten- tate, from a judge, from a man tliat hath to do with ns. We know the word of God, and acknowledge him in the minister, when we tremble at it, and hear it with obedience. As Corncilius saith, * We are all here in the presence of God, to hear whatsoever shall be commanded us of God,' Acts X. 33, ' whatsoever,' without distinction, and turning over, and declining the word, and sliif'tiiig. When there is a willing yielding to everything that is told us, and a meaning to obey it, this is to acknowledge the word of God, or else we do not.
St Paul saith comfortably to the Thcssalonians, ' That they received the word of God, as the word of God,' that is, they acknowledged the word of God, because they heard it with such reverence, and obedience, and respect.
So you may know that you acknowledge the minister, if you acknowledge Christ, if you acknowledge the preacher, and the word that he preacheth ; and you acknowledge him when you will be directed by him ; when he speaks in the name of Christ, to esteem highly of the ' consolations of the Almighty,' Job xv. 11, in his mouth, to suffer the strongholds of sin to be beaten down by his ministry. This is to acknowledge the minister. There is no good taken by God's ordinance, where* it is not only kno\vn, but ac- knowledged.
Christ comes to us in his ministers as well as by the poor, and it shall be known one day that we have rejected, not poor men like ourselves, but Jesus Christ. For we are joined with Chi'ist in acceptation, or in neglect and contempt. What we do in our ministry faithfully, we are joined with Christ in our acceptance. We accept Christ, when we accept and esteem of the minister ; or we reject Christ, when we reject, and refuse, and set light by the ministers of Christ.
The hj'pocrisy of man's heart is not discerned almost so much in any- thing as in this. Let any command come from gi'eat men that have power of our bodies or estates to advance us, or debase us. Oh ! there is much astonishment, and much heed taken. Wondrous heed of penal laws and statutes, that we run not into the dint of them ! Now God by his minis- ters threatens hell, and damnation, hardness of heart, and to throw us from one sin to another ; we hear these things as judges, forsooth, as if they concerned us not. It shall one day be known that they are God's minis- ters, and that it is God's word, if we have grace to acknowledge them as speaking from God. This is to acknowledge the minister, to be directed by him, and to hear that that he speaks in the name of God. ' We are am- bassadors of God,' saith St Paul, ' and entreat you, as if Christ himself were on earth he would entreat you, to be reconciled to God,' 2 Cor. v. 20. Therefore when you refuse our entreaty, you refuse Christ that comes with us. Those that will not hear him here shall hear that sentence here- after. They must not think to be regarded of him then. But of that I shall speak hereafter.