IT is of purpose, and choice, in reference to the condition and trial of these times, we have resolved, through the Lord’s assistance, to speak somewhat of this piece of trial, and of the storm wherewith the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ were exercised at sea; and the rather we have chosen to speak somewhat of these words, because they were the choice of a very precious and worthy man, to speak of in a day of trial; I mean, that eminent servant of God, John Knox, whom the Lord did help to be a most eminent instrument of the work of reformation in the Church. We shall not much stand on any particular unfolding of the branches of the text, but take these as they lie in order.
*This was James Guthrie’s last sermon, preached at Stirling before his martyrdom in June, 1661. Cromwell referred to him as the “little man who would not bow” and his adherence to the Covenanted cause brought him to the scaffold. The sermon was first printed by the Rev. Ebenezer Erskine in 1733.—Editor.
I.
The thing we desire you first to look to, is, how the story that is recorded in these verses, is knit with these that go before, for we will find them knit together by many of the evangelists, viz., the story of the glorious miracles wrought by Jesus Christ the Lord, in feeding so many thousands of people with a few loaves, and a few little fishes; after this, that sad trial which the disciples met with at sea. They are knit together by the evangelists Matthew, Mark, and John. After that the Lord Jesus Christ had preached to the people and His disciples, and had fed many thousands with a few loaves, and a few fishes, and had manifested much of His power and glory, “He constrains His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitude away.” He sends His disciples to the sea, and the multitude away, that they should not for a season hear any more of His doctrine, and see any more of His miracles.
That we may lay a foundation for somewhat for your edification, First, It may be inquired, why it is that He sends away both His disciples and the multitude at that time, and would have an interruption of His doctrine and miracles, when He sends His disciples to the sea, and the multitude to their own homes? If we look to the other evangelists, we will find the causes there enough (Mark vi. 52); the cause is given there, why He thus exercised His disciples, “for they considered not the miracle of the loaves, for their hearts were hardened.” Albeit, the Lord Jesus Christ had revealed much of His power and glory in the miracle of the loaves, yet His disciples did not duly consider thereof. Therefore He would needs exercise them with a storm, and a tempest at sea, that they might both be taught in the knowledge of their own weakness, and also might be better schooled in the faith of His power and glory. The reason why “He sent the multitude away,” is set down in the Gospel written by John, vi. 26. When the multitude comes again, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” Compare it with that in the 15th verse, “When Jesus Christ therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone.” He knew that for all that they had seen and heard of His word and miracles, they were of a very carnal disposition, and seeking to establish to themselves carnal prosperity and peace, therefore He sent them away for a time.
From the connection of these two histories, and from the scope of the whole, we offer you one point of doctrine; that the Lord Jesus Christ is ofttimes, and ordinarily pleased, after special manifestations of His power and glory in His Church, and amongst His people, to exercise them with special pieces of trial, and troubles, and storms. After His doing of great work for their comfort, He is ordinarily pleased, to raise great and dreadful storms and tempests, for their exercise and trial. So here, when He hath in a most comfortable, and kindly way, banqueted them, and revealed much of His power and love in so doing, He sends them a storm and tempest on the back of it, and will have an interruption of His doctrine and miracles for a time, wherein they are all like to be drowned.
There are many instances in the Word, of the Lord’s dealing thus. Look in the books of Moses, what follows on the back of that glorious deliverance, that the Lord gave to the people of Israel out of Egypt: they are exercised forty years in the wilderness, in which they had many a sad day, ere they entered the land of Canaan.
The like we may see in the church of Israel (1 Sam.). The Lord gave a great deliverance from the Philistines by the ministry of His servant Samuel, and a glorious blessed work of reformation there was; but all that was again destroyed by the hand of Saul, and persecution raised against the church of God.
A third instance ye will find, if ye will read the history of the reigns of Hezekiah and Manasseh, kings of Judah, as it is recorded in the second book of Chronicles. There was a great reformation in the days of Hezekiah, a covenant sworn by the king, princes, priests, and the whole body of the land; all corruption cast out, the pure worship and ordinances of God set up; but there was a dreadful trial by the hand of Sennacherib: so, scarcely was Hezekiah well in his grave, till Manasseh succeeds in his room, and brings in corruption and persecution both at once.
A fourth instance was in the days of Josiah. How much of the power, and glory of the Lord is manifested; but how sad a trial comes on the back of it, that the church seems to be wholly defaced by the king of Babylon.
A fifth instance we will find, after the return of Israel out of Babylon. In the 4th of Ezra, the foundation of the Lord’s house is laid; but in a little while the work is interrupted (till the second year of Darius the king), by the derision and enmity of wicked men.
A like instance you shall also find in the New Testament. Look what a length our blessed Lord brought the work of the gospel: but what follows in the 16th of John? 31, 32 verses, “Do ye now believe? Behold the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone.” And He is crucified, and laid in His grave, and a stone laid on the grave’s mouth, and little appearance that ever there should have been more mention of Him in the land of the living.
Then look at another instance in the days of the Apostles. In the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th chapters of the Acts, what a blessed reformation there was; but in the close of the 6th chapter, and in the beginning of the 8th, you see what a sad interruption and scattering is in the church, and a great persecution raised against it.
And as there are many instances in the Word, so there are many instances in the story of the church. Many great things were done by the apostles, and a glorious reformation there was in the bringing in of the Gentiles; but how dreadful a persecution is raised through all the world.
And there is a notable instance, when the Lord began to reform the church from the darkness of popery, by that worthy instrument Luther. But shortly after, did not Charles the Fifth raise a cruel war, against all the princes of Germany, and raised cruel edicts against all that clave to the church?
And also, in the days of King Edward the Sixth, that good prince, what a glorious work was in England. But a few years after that godly prince died, Queen Mary succeeds, brings in popery, and raises a bitter persecution against the saints of God.
And ye cannot be so great strangers to our own condition at home; how sad an interruption the work of reformation met from the prelates not long ago.
So that there is nothing more ordinary in the church, than after the Lord has communicated Himself in a special way in His power and glory, to exercise them with sad storms and tempests on the back of it.
Concerning this dispensation, we would first inquire a little into the grounds and reasons of it, why the Lord sees it fit to do so? Next, into the kinds of it, or in what several ways it is, that He sees it fit so to do?
For the reasons, grounds, and causes of it, we shall not speak of many, though many might be spoken of, but shortly touch some of the most common and obvious.
1.
First, the Lord makes such a changing of His dealing, with His church, for the chastising of their sin, and correcting of their iniquity. A people to whom he manifests Himself in His power and glory, and mercy, and truth, do not always behave themselves as they ought to do, but even while He is dealing kindly with them they do many ways provoke Him to wrath. Therefore, God for correcting their sin, and chastising their iniquity, brings troubles and storms upon them. In the 99th Psalm, the Lord is brought to take vengeance on the inventions of His people in the wilderness. That ye may understand this the better, look at the 78th Psalm, which is a clear commentary to this, where His rod wherewith He punished that people in the wilderness, and delayed their entrance into Canaan, and their sin both are set down; their unsteadfastness in the Lord’s covenant. Ye may look out some of the proofs of these sins.
1st Sin.
First, in the 10th and 11th verses of Psalm lxxviii., “They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in His law: And forgot His works and wonders that He had shewed them.” They were unsteadfast in the Lord’s covenant. In the 19th and 20th chapters of Exodus, they entered into a most solemn covenant with God, that all of them undertook to stand to, and to prove faithful therein; but they kept not His covenant, but dealt deceitfully in it, therefore He brought such storms on them in the wilderness, and so long suspended their entrance in the promised land.
2nd Sin.
A second sin is in the 18th verse. They sinned yet more, “and tempted Him in their hearts, by asking meat for their lusts.” They are not satisfied with the things that God has allowed them, but lusted after strange things, and became lustful in their appetites: therefore God is wroth, and thus exerciseth them in the wilderness.
3rd Sin.
A third sin is in the 22nd verse: their diffidence and unbelief. They believed not in God, and trusted not in His salvation, they put tempting questions concerning His power and goodness in the 19th verse, “Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” Therefore He thus exercised them with storms.
4th Sin.
A fourth sin is, they despised and undervalued the precious manna, which God sent down from heaven, for feeding of them, “Our soul loatheth this light bread,” (Numb. xxi. 5).
5th Sin.
A fifth sin is, their murmuring, grudging and repining against God.
6th Sin.
A sixth sin is, their complaint of coming out of Egypt; their rebelling, and speaking of a captain to return back again.
7th Sin.
The last sin is, their corrupting the worship of God, and making a golden calf. And because of these sins, the Lord is angry, and correcteth and chastises them forty years long in the wilderness.
2.
A second reason is, the Lord’s bringing sad storms on the back of the glorious manifestations of Himself in His Word and works, is for purging of His people. As He will correct them, and have them to know the bitterness of their sin, so He will have them to be purged of it. There is a sad trial in the 11th of Daniel, and this is given as the reason of it; to purge, to try, and to make white: in the 35th verse, “and some of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for a time appointed.” There is in the Church and people of God, much dross, therefore He sees it necessary they be put into the fire, for purging away of their dross.
3.
A third reason, why the Lord brings sad storms on the back of glorious manifestations of Himself is, for discovering and bringing forth the hypocrites, and such as are unsound (Daniel xi. 34). Many cleave to the Lord’s people by flattery: especially it is so, when the Lord is eminently appearing, and revealing Himself gloriously in His word and works; many then undertake a profession in whose hearts there is no sincerity and truth; many then cleave to the cause and work of God by flattery, which His soul cannot endure; therefore He brings a winnowing fan, and sets them up before the wind, that He may know who is chaff and who is corn. “He doth good to those that are upright in heart: but as for such as turn aside to crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity” (Psa. cxxv. 4, 5). Therefore, for discovery of such, He sends sad storms on the back of reformation.
Another reason of the Lord’s bringing sad storms and tempests on His people, on the back of glorious manifestations of Himself, is, that He may prove and take a trial of the integrity, faith, and patience of His saints; and in trying of them to purchase glory to Himself, and a name to them. “That the trial of your faith (being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire), might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. i. 7). There is also a reason concerning adversaries which we shall not now meddle with.
II.
But we come to the second point—How it is, or in what several sorts of ways it is, that the Lord is pleased thus to dispense, I mean, to send storms and trials on His servants and people, immediately on the back of some glorious appearance, and notable works of kindness and mercy amongst them. There might be a great many ways named, how the Lord is pleased to do this: we shall name only four generals.
1.
First, He does it sometimes by interrupting of His work. Thus He did it in that place cited before, Ezra iv. After the foundation of the Lord’s house is laid, a company of malignant men, enemies to the poor people of God and His work, who are exceedingly ill satisfied that the work of God should prosper, come, by all means to interrupt the work of God; and when they could not prevail by flattery, they go to the king of Persia, and load the people of God with false aspersions, that they were about to rebel, &c., by which suggestions, they obtain letters from the king, commanding them to cease building of the temple, and when the copy of the king’s letter was read, they made them to cease by force and power.
2.
A second way is, by corruption, when he suffers evil instruments, not only to make an interruption, but to make a corruption, so to speak, and to mingle these with the purity of His ordinances and worship. God raises up ill instruments, to make people lick up the vomit of these corruptions, which have been formerly cast out. There had been a blessed reformation in the days of Hezekiah, and all corruption cast out; but all that corruption is brought in again in the days of Manasseh, and more and worse than ever had been before.
3.
A third way is, by destruction, so to speak; not only when the work of God is interrupted and corrupted, but when it is destroyed and taken away. There is in the days of Zedekiah, a total destroying of the temple, and all the work.
4.
The fourth way is, by persecution to those that cleave to the truth and work of God. Thus it was in the days of the apostles (Acts v.). They fall on the ministers of the Lord’s house, and slay some of them with the sword, and put others in prison, “so that they could not preach the word in Jerusalem.” Some one, or all of these ways, the Lord sets on foot such dispensations.
(To be continued.)