Address —
1. Let us not deceive ourselves by resting in a spurious and inefficient faith —
[St. Paul exhorts us to " examine ourselves, whether we be in the faith." And truly, when we see what little influence our faith has had upon us in times past, we may well suspect
that it has not been of a right kind If we continue
in our delusion any longer, our error may soon be past a remedy ]
2. If enlightened ourselves, let us endeavour to enlighten others —
[Some may say, The vileness of my character, or the weakness of my capacity, render it unfit for me to attempt the instruction of others. But, if we only consider what honour God put upon this vile adulteress, in making her the instru- ment of drawing multitudes to Christ, we shall see that no one need be discouraged. An angel could be no more to us than what God made him: and God is pleased to use the weakest instruments, in order that " the excellency of the power may appear to be of him." Let us therefore, each in his place and station, " declare what the Lord hath done for our souls ;" and invite others to " come and taste how gracious the Lord is."]
d Rom. ii. 28, 29.
John iv. 49 — 51. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way ; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he ivent his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
IF the rebukes of God be in one view tokens of his displeasure, they certainly in another view are expres- sions of his regard, and have frequently been fore- runners of peculiar mercy. The Canaanitish woman was frowned upon, as it were, by our Lord, as utterly unworthy to taste the children's bread ; yet was imme- diately afterwards admitted to a participation of it. Thus the nobleman, who now addressed him, received a reprimand for his backwardness to believe ; but was nevertheless favoured instantly with an answer suited to his wish.
The circumstances related in the text lead us to observe,
I. That weak and strong faith differ widely in their effects —
This is particularly discoverable in the history be- fore us —
[The nobleman's faith, though weak, induced him to take a considerable journey that he might find Jesus, and brought him to apply to Jesus with much humility and respect. Yet he could not refrain from limiting the power of Jesus, and pre- scribing to him the time and manner in which his request should be granted. And because his petition was not granted at first, he grew impatient, and intimated his apprehensions, that, if the relief were not instantly afforded, it would soon be too late even for Jesus himself to interfere. But when his faith was strengthened by the word and Spirit of Christ, the tumult in his mind subsided, the irritation yielded to compo- sure, and his apprehensions were banished by a firm expectation that the promised blessing should be given. Though he saw no change with his eyes, yet he doubted not but that a change had taken place ; and he left it to Jesus to accomplish his own word in his own way.]