John v. 44. How can ye believe, ivho receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
IT is certain that great care is requisite in inter- preting the Holy Scriptures ; lest, on the one hand, we explain away their meaning altogether; or, on the other hand, we take occasion, from the strength of some particular expressions, to maintain doctrines which they do not fairly establish. And the more unqualified any declarations are, the greater caution we should use in affixing to them their true import. The passage before us is of the deepest importance
to every soul of man : but on the explanation of it. its force must entirely depend. Shall it be said, that no kind of faith will consist with our seeking honour from man, rather than from God ? or, that the mere " receiving" of honour from man is incompatible with true faith ? Either of these positions would be utterly false. Let us then proceed to the consideration of these words with that care which their importance demands ; and may God, of his infinite mercy, guide me, whilst I endeavour to shew,
I. What we are to understand by " believing" in Christ ! It can never surely be meant, that we cannot re- ceive the Scriptures as a revelation from God, or have a general view of the leading doctrines contained in them, whilst we are seeking honour from man : for the mere weighing of evidences, and determining according to evidence, are acts of the mind, which every man of sense, whatever be his feelings as to human applause, is capable of performing. Certainly much more than a bare assent must be comprehended in the faith here spoken of. It must import two things :
1. An acceptance of Christ, as he is set forth in the
Holy Scriptures —
[The Scriptures speak of our " receiving the Lord Jesus Christ a." We must receive him as the gift of God the Father to a sinful world ; and must receive him, too, for all the ends and purposes for which he is given. If we embrace him not under all the relations, and for all the ends for which he is sent, we reject him, rather than acknowledge him ; and put him away from us by unbelief, instead of receiving him into our hearts by faith. It is not optional with us to separate his offices, and to acknowledge him in those only which are agreeable to our own minds. Whatever " God has made him to us," that he is to be with our full consent ; our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our complete redemptionb."]
2. A surrender of ourselves to him, as his obedient followers —
[Without this we can never be acknowledged by him as his: "If any man will be my Disciple, let him deny himself,
a John i. 12. Col. ii. 6. b 1 Cor. i. 30.