When Elisha^ was minded to do something for the Shunammite who had so kindly entertained him, he asks her whether he should speak for her to the king or the captain of the host. She replies, she dwelt in the midst of her own people, she needeth not those things ; but when he finds her to want a child, and tells her of that, she is almost transported. Ah ! how many poor souls are there who need not our word to the king or the captain of the host ; but yet being gospelless, if you could tell tlicm of that, would bo even ravished with joy !
Tliink of Adam'* after his fall, before the promise, hiding himself from God, and you have a perfect portraiture of a poor creature without the gospel. Now this appeareth, —
1. From the description we have of the j)eople that are in this state^ and condition— \i\\.\\o\\i the gospel. They are a people that sit in darkness, yea, in the region and shadow of death. Matt. iv. 16, 17; they are even darkness itself, John i. 5, — within the dominion and dreadful darkness of death. Darkness was one of Egypt's plagues; but yet that was a darkness of the body, a darkness wherein men lived ; — but this is a darkness of the soul, a darkness of death ; for these men, though they hve, yet are they dead. They are fully described,
' Gen. xxi. IG. = (icn. xv. 2. ^ o Kiiips iv. 1.*^, 14. * Gen. iii. 8,
s Matt. vi. 23; Luko i. 79; Acts xxvi. 18; Honi. ii. ID; Y.\<[\. v. 8; Col. i. 13; 1 Pet. ii. 9.
UNCHANGEABLE, FEEE MERCY. 35
EpL. ii. 12, "Without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." Christless men, and Godless men, and hopeless men, — and what greater distress in the world ? Yea, they are called dogs, and unclean beasts. The wrath of God is upon them ; they are" the people of his curse and indignation. In the extreme north, one day and one night divide the year ; but Avith a people without the gospel it is all night, — the Sun of righteousness shines not upon them ; it is night whilst they are here, and they go to eternal night here- after. What the men of China say concerning themselves and others, that they have two eyes, the men of Europe one, and all the world besides is blind, may be inverted too. The Jews had one eye, suflEi- cient to guide them; they who enjoy the gospel have two eyes; but the men of China, with the rest of the nations that want it, are stark blind, and reserved for the chains of everlasting darkness.
2. By laying forth tuhat the men that ivant the gospel do tvant with it.
(1.) They want Jesus Christ, for he is revealed only by the gospel. Austin refused to delight in Cicero's " Hortensius," because there was not in it the name^ of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is all, and in all; and where he is wanting there can be no good. Hunger cannot truly be satisfied without manna, the bread of life, which is Jesus Christ;^ — and what shall a hungry man do that hath no bread ? Thirst cannot be quenched without that water or living spring, which is Jesus Christ ; — and what shall a thirsty soul do without water ? A captive, as we are all, cannot be delivered mthout redemption,'* which is J esus Christ ; — and what shall the prisoner do without his ransom ? Fools, as we are all, cannot be instructed A\athout wisdom, which is Jesus Christ; — without him we perish in our folly. All building without him is on the sand, which will surely fall. All working without him is in the fire, where it will be consumed. All riches without him have wings, and will away. " Mallem ruere cum Christo, quam regnare cum Csesare," said Luther. A dungeon with Christ, is a throne ; and a throne without Christ, a hell. Nothing so ill, but Christ ■* will compensate. The greatest evil in the world is sin, and the greatest sin was the first ; and yet Gregory feared not to cry, " 0 felix culpa, qua talem meruit redemptorem ! " — " 0 happy fault, which found such a Redeemer ! " All mercies Avithout Christ are bitter ; and every cup is sweet that is seasoned but with a drop of his blood ; — he truly is " amor et deliciaj humani generis," — the love and delight of the sons of men,— withou,t whom they must perish eter-
* Nomen Jesii iion erat ibi.
' John vi. 50; Rev. ii. 17; John iv. 14; Cant. iv. 12.
* John vii. 37, 38; 1 Cor. i. 30. ■• " Pauca i^itur de Christo."— Tertul.
3G A VISION OF
nally ; " for there is no other name given unto them, whereby they may be saved, Acts iv. 12. He is the Way;^ men without him are Cains, wanderers, vagabonds: — he is the Truth; men without him are liars, like the devil, who was so of old: — he is the Life;^ without liim men are dead, dead in trespasses and sins : — he is the Light ; v/ithout him men are in darkness, and go they know not Avliither: — he is the Vine; those that are not grafted in him are withered branches, prepared for the fire : — he is the Rock ; men not built on him are carried away with a flood : — he is Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the author and the ender, the founder and the finisher of our salvation. He that hath not him, hath neither bedn- ning of good, nor shall have end of misery. 0 blessed Jesus ! how much better were it not to be, than to be without thee ! — never to be born, than not to die in thee ! A thousand hells come short of this, eternally to want Jesus Christ, as men do that want the gospel. (2.) They want all holy communion with God, wherein the only happiness of the soul doth consist. He is the life, light, joy, and blessedness of the soul ; — without him the soul in the body is but a dead soul in a living sepulchre. It is true, there be many that say, " Who will show us any good?"^ but unless the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us, we perish for evermore. " Thou hast made us for thyself, 0 Lord; and our heart is unquiet until it come to thee." You who have tasted how gracious the Lord is, who have had any converse and communion with him in the issues and goings forth of his grace, those delights of his soul with the children of men, would you live — would not life itself, with a con- fluence of all earthly endearments, be a very hell — without him ? Is it not the daily language of your hearts, " Whom have we in heaven but thee ? and on earth there is nothing in comparison of thee?" The soul of man is of a vast, boundless comprehension; so that if all created good were centred into one enjoyment, and that bestowed upon one soul, because it must needs be finite and limited, as created, it would give no solid contentment to his affections, nor satisfaction to his desires. In the presence and fruition of God alone there is joy for evermore; at his right hand are rivers of pleasure, the well-springs of life and blessedness. Now, if to be without commu- nion with God in this life, wherein the soul hath so many avocations from the contemplation of its own misery (for earthly tilings are nothing else), is so unsupportable a calamity; ah! what shall that poor soul do that must want him for eteniity? — as all they must do who Avant the gospel.