NOTES OF A FAREWELL SERMON BY THE LATE REV. LACHLAN M’PHERSON, EAST WILLIAMS, ONTARIO, CANADA.
PREACHED AUG. 5, 1883.1
“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified.”—1 Cor., ii. 1-2.
IT was a difficult task the Apostle had to perform when he was sent among the wise men of Greece and Corinth, men whose fame had spread over the whole world, and whose writings have come down to the present day, with such a kind of message he had to bring—a message that would awaken their surprise and contempt, a message, too, that would be beyond their comprehension. Now, if he were a weak-minded man and tried to gain their esteem—for it was counted an honour in their estimation to any man who gained their favour and approbation—he would likely try to mould his speech and doctrine, too, to their taste. But oh! the Apostle knew the unspeakable and matchless excellency of the message he had to proclaim. He knew, too, the value of immortal souls and the treacherous part he would be acting by trying to make his speech look like theirs. He knew also the tremendous consequences both to his own soul and to the souls of those who heard him, and so strong was he in the love of Jesus Christ that neither sufferings on the one hand nor honour to be expected on the other hand could make him deviate from the only line of conduct he had marked out by which he could be faithful to his trust. He knew well the nature of his mission, and he says—”I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” This was no hasty resolution on the part of the Apostle, no rash, unwise purpose. He knew well what he was saying, for he had made up his mind that he would not come unto them with excellency of speech declaring the testimony of God. But he would speak unto them in the customary way without any attempt at flowery eloquence or graceful oratory, which often draws the mind away from the truth to the person who is speaking. So he was determined not to come with excellency of speech. But he would declare his message in the simplest and most easily understood way that he could. This is the right way to deliver the Gospel message, and people do wrong in laying a stumbling block in the way of their ministers by expecting any style of eloquence that would draw attention away from the object in view, for it will do harm to them and bring guilt upon the
1Rev. Mr. M’Pherson was one of the two ministers who protested against the Union of the Churches in Canada in 1875. See Magazine, December, 1902, p. 294, etc.—Ed.
minister’s soul. To care for nothing, to follow nothing, to aim at nothing, to preach nothing but Christ and Him crucified, to accept on my own part the persons of none, however great, nor to ask for myself any place of honour among you, has ever been my purpose since I came among you. I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Let us now proceed to look into the subject a little and examine or inquire into the thing that is here brought before us as the only thing the Apostle purposes to know.
In the first place, what is that thing? In the second place, what is implied in our knowing that? And in the third place, we may, as time permits, bring forward reasons why it is to be regarded of such importance as to become the study of one’s whole lifetime.
“I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” You see it was one object or thing he had to mind, and that was Jesus Christ and Him crucified. First of all, let us notice the person of Christ Jesus; next, the relation in which He stands to us and the offices He performs; and thirdly, His death. You see that is specified here—”Him crucified.”
Let us then look at Christ’s person. Who is he? What saith the Scriptures? How is he described in the Word of God? He has two names there—the Son of God and the Son of Man. Son of God! That declaration is specially glorious. As to His being God, I suppose you all remember it was because of that He was crucified. They passed sentence of death upon Him because He claimed to be the Son of God—that is to say, making Himself equal with God. You will find that name meeting you very often in the Word of God. When the man who was cast out met Him Christ said—”Dost thou believe in the Son of God?” “Who is he, Lord?” said the man. Jesus answered—”Thou hast both seen him, and is he that talketh with thee. And he worshipped him.” Ah, friends, keep that truth out of your creed and heart and you will keep the Christ of God out of your hearts altogether! You will have no Saviour. No matter what Christ you make to yourselves, you cannot make a Christ that will save you. So Paul determined not to come down from the determination he had formed when he went there. Many would laugh at him. But, friends, it were well that none who profess Christ would come down from that determination. Yet there are thousands who bear the Christian name who will not admit him into their hearts except in an inferior subordinate sense—a sense that raises Him no higher than any saint. That is one way of putting Christ out of the scheme of salvation. And, oh! friends, if you take Him in this sense, such a Christ never could satisfy Divine Justice—unless He were God as well as man, and His death no matter how glorious, if it were the death of a mere creature, could have no virtue in it to save souls. Yes, friends, we must take care not to
welcome wrong ideas about Christ. He is the Son of Man as well as the Son of God. This is the name Jesus Christ delights to take. He often speaks of Himself by that name, for His delights were with the sons of men, and so much was this so, that He did not think it too much to die for them. He is God-man and died as God-man. “Thou hast prepared a body for me.” He was before that body was made at all. He was the Son of God, and He came down and united Himself with that body which came not by ordinary generation, but by the power of the Holy Ghost. For the Holy Ghost had to do with the formation of the body of Christ, and He holds an important place in connection with the redemption of men. So, Christ is God-man, or Immanuel—God with us. Thus it was God, it may be said, that died. Not the Godhead but a Divine Person in human nature. We shall not wait now to speak of the glory, excellency, and power of that Person. No person who knows Him will have any hesitation in saying “I determine not to know anything save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
It is written—”We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The disciples had a view of it. It was revealed unto them by the Father. Every renewed soul has such a view of it as makes all other things insignificant and unworthy to be compared with it. Is that the view you have of Christ? My hearers, that is the view you must have of Him if you are to be saved by Him. For, naturally to us, “he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him.” The men of the world plainly manifest that by the way they treat Him. They regard Him as if He were of no consequence at all, and their minds run after the merest trifles as if these were their all in all.
But Jesus Christ stands in certain relations to His people as Mediator—a most essential capacity if men are to be saved. There is but one Mediator. Some would have more than one, but the Scriptures says there is but one—”the Man Christ Jesus.” He sustains certain offices. They are very clearly set forth in our Shorter Catechism, but the Catechism gets its authority from the Bible. He performs three offices—Prophet, Priest, and King, and you cannot separate them from Christ. If you do you have no Christ at all. They are essential to a Christ for you and for me.
The office of a prophet is essential, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord?” Who could ever know that which ear hath not heard? Who could ever reveal that mystery? When the world was made every thing was there visible to the eye, but who could ever search it out to the full? So if God had not made known the plan of Salvation man would never have known anything about it. God was manifest in the flesh. There would be no way of finding it out, no matter how long or how seriously men would engage in the pursuit of it. He that dwells in the bosom
of the Father, He hath declared Him. Man or angels could never find out the plan of salvation. It was therefore necessary that one should be appointed for the purpose of revealing it, and God appointed Christ Jesus, and He came down and revealed the purposes of love which were in the Divine mind. And all the things that He revealed were secrets which the world never knew except by hints or intimations that were given before He appeared in the flesh. He was the Prophet who appeared in the Garden of Eden. It was He that gave revelations to Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, and all the Prophets. He was the Prince of the Prophets. He endowed them with the Holy Spirit and sent them forth, and what was said was not said by themselves, but they spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. He handed it over to those lower Prophets, and they declared His will. We must shut our ears to any one that would take that office from Him. Moses foreseeing His day said unto ancient Israel that God would raise up a Prophet like unto Him. That prophet is Jesus Christ. The passage is quoted in the New Testament and applied to Him.
He is also a Priest to atone for the sins of His people—to answer to God for us, to offer a sacrifice and obtain favour for us, and you know how He executed that office by making a sacrifice of Himself. So that He is our sacrifice, and all other sacrifices were put out of the way. He is this day looking down from heaven, the Great High Priest who is entered into the presence of God for us. Now, we need a Priest or we can never be saved, and there is but one that will do—that is Jesus Christ, who is a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.
He also performs the office of a King. We need a King to deliver us from our enemies; we need a King, too, strong enough to make us willing to become his subjects. We are never willing until Christ puts forth His power to make us willing and to subdue us. We need a King to govern us, to make laws for us, and to keep us in order, as well as a King to rule over our souls. The Scripture saith—”The Lord hath anointed Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” He is King of the nations of the earth, although that is disputed by some. But the time is coming when it will go hard with those who dispute this truth. He is King, and reigns in glory. He has all the affairs of this world in His own hands, whether we acknowledge it or not. He reigns over us, and will not ask whether we are willing or not to accept of His reign. He has the distribution of the kingdoms of this world, and He raises up one and puts another down. He is also King of His Church. Alas, that the Church has no time to think of this! He is King of the Church, and our minds should ever be alive to His rights, as He is ever alive to His own rights. Nothing short of the determination of the Apostle will be of any avail—”I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified.” The Apostle insisted upon Christ
being all and in all. He is the Head, Prophet, King, and Priest of His people. It is important that we should be clear on this matter.
You and I must have a whole Christ if we are to be saved at all. Some, yea, not a few, say they believe in the Bible, in conversion, in Christ, and many such things, but they will not go the next step with you—”Christ and Him crucified.” He will be of no use to you unless He be to you “Christ and Him crucified.” This and this only is the conclusion of the Apostle. Christ crucified is the only Christ that will do you or me any good. His blood alone can atone for sins. Oh, it is a terrible blow that is aimed at Christ to say His death happened by chance and from which a certain kind of benefit comes although not necessary to salvation. Ah, shut your ears to such doctrine. Though we or an angel from Heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed. Oh, friends, it is no light offence. Christ’s death involves the salvation of the elect and God’s glory. You and I would be lost only for that death. “I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Christ is my Saviour by dying for me, by standing in my stead and becoming my surety. That is the only way by which we can hope to be saved, and such must be the language of every soul that knows his own state as a lost sinner and the preciousness of a Saviour suitable for him. “Christ and him crucified.” Such is an epitome of the Gospel, for it is all about Him and Him only. But, dear friends, we must pass from this point, although it is so important. It would not be too much to spend months on it, for it is that which gladdens the hearts of the elect, and gladdens them, too, throughout eternity.
(2) What is implied in knowing it? I notice first we must have an intelligent view of the letter of the law of God. We must make ourselves acquainted with what the great Apostle delivered unto us. Oh, what a shame that this Book should not be read in every house; although the knowledge of the letter of the law will not change our hearts. We must have that knowledge, for faith comes by hearing. Oh, how necessary that people should attend to it, and, oh, how many inducements for that! Oh, the greatness and excellency of that Word! being the excellency of Divine wisdom sent down from heaven to us. Oh let me impress upon you, my hearers, the importance of being acquainted with the Word of God, for if you neglect that there can be no hope for you at your death. How often in my experience did I meet with persons of the greatest ignorance that could not but end in eternal ruin. If God does not put His Word into your hearts the Devil will put something else there. For there can be no empty space there, and your hearts will be full of darkness, and that means simply that you will be lost for ever. Let me repeat. The certainty of your salvation depends upon your knowledge of the Word of God.
Any one who has a Bible—a book more precious than silver or gold—is shamefully to blame if he be without a knowledge of that book, the highest of all learning. Again, there must not only be that literal knowledge of the Word of God, but we must go far higher than that. You and I must, if we be saved, say Amen to all that is in the Word. Our hearts must go out after it. We must give it that approval that will for ever after make it our all in all—our lamp from which we expect light. We may know the letter of the Scripture and be called quite learned in it, and yet our hearts not in sympathy with Christ, the object presented in the Gospel. There must then be an approval in a far higher sense. Everything in our nature and mind would quarrel with the Gospel, unless the Spirit of God bring our hearts to an approval of the Gospel. There must then be a knowledge and approval of heart and mind before we can truly say “I determine not to know anything save Jesus Christ and him crucified.” You must believe that He is such a one as the Gospel says of Him before it can be said of you—You know Him and have faith in Him. What is the use of what you know unless you embrace Him and place your hopes in Him for salvation and repudiate everything else and say—None but Christ, none but Christ. Ah, that would be the way of knowing Him! Do you know Him in that way? Your conscience may approve of Him, and you may be lost after all. Flee then to the hope set before you in the Gospel. That hope is Christ and Him crucified.
I don’t know but that I should stop, but I said at the beginning there were reasons why this matter should be regarded of such importance as to become the study of our whole life. Well, I will mention these reasons—(1) In the first place then, it is the one thing needful. This is one reason why you should study it all your lifetime. You cannot be saved without it. There is no other way of escape from the wrath of God. O sinner, if you have not Christ, you must perish. He is the only way by which you can be saved. That is a reason why other things should hold but a very low place. Christ meant Himself when he said to Martha that Mary had chosen the one thing needful. (2) Again, it is the only thing that will ever awaken a sinner and comfort him. You can try everything else in the world and find no safety in it. You can never be awakened but by the power of Christ. It is not only the wisdom of God but the power of God, by which the sinner is put in possession of the new birth, and that is a good reason why the truth of Christ should be regarded of such importance as to become the study of our whole life. (3) Another reason: Did you ever see a poor soul that had come to a full sense of his own condition, but was in deepest distress and was like one ready to die with fear and distress about his soul? He sees God, but He is a consuming fire and himself as stubble before the fire. God is holy and himself impure, a transgressor and justly condemned. Did you ever see a sinner in that condition?
Were you ever in that condition? Let me put it home to you. Would you quiet him down? What balm would you put to his wounds? In what way would you cheer him? Ah! you must go to the gospel of Christ Jesus. In other words, to Christ and Him crucified. There is no other comfort in such a state as that. That is the only thing for that poor creature. It is only when he gets a look at that, that the first dawn of light enters his soul. Is that not a good reason why the apostle and every one should say, “I determine to know nothing but Christ.” (4) Oh! there is one thing without which we shall never see the Lord, and that is holiness. No man can make himself holy. Every one will find this out sooner or later. It is well it should be found out in time to have it rectified. How did Luther find it out? Oh, what despair seized upon his soul. He had recourse to many ways for finding it out. This is what made him enter a convent, and he is only one of tens of thousands who try to find it out in this way. But there is only one way of finding how to be made holy, and that is by faith in Christ and Him crucified, and by making Him the great study and aim of life. Would it not be a blessed thing to be free from that law that will curse you and send you to hell? Unless you flee to the Saviour, that is your doom. Satan has a hold on many, and is determined to let none go so long as he can detain them. How are we going to become conquerors? Only by faith in the gospel.
But I must stop, my own strength is expended, and I must not dwell on the text any longer.
Now, friends, this is the last time I am likely to meet you in this way, and, as we have to part to-day, there should be some remarks suitable to the occasion. I thought of no better way than to preach the gospel to you, the way I attempted to begin with you. I have come here to-day to bid you farewell. Oh! it is a long time since we met, and since I received your welcome as your pastor. Where is my congregation? There is one here in this corner, and one there, and another there. There is only a few of my first congregation that remain. It is the children of my congregation that are now before me. Some of them were not born when I came here, and others were quite young at that time. But, oh, we come to the point at which we must part, and I would, without any formal method, lay before you a few thoughts.
First, the gospel I preached before you is that upon which I depend for my own safety. I wish upon that to lay down my own head on my death bed. This is the mind in which I leave you, and I wish you to know it. Another thing I must mention, and I hope no one will think anything improper in it. You know my position in the Church of God. For a great many years my duty pressed me into a position that was in opposition to many others; that happened more than once. Well, it would be not at all like a faithful witness for Christ, if I left without saying a word about it. I am not going to discuss the matter, but simply say “I am
just where I was, and I leave you in that mind.” I press upon you all not to make light of the matter. You know the position you took up with me on the last occasion. We went forth as a body in that attitude. And my own wish is that no mind should change, but that you retain the same views you now hold. And in whatever circumstances the Lord may place you, let your minds be ever the same. Let you all hold the same views twenty years from this as you now hold. And, whatever circumstances may compel you to do, it is not necessary that you should then approve of what you now disapprove. This is the last time I will speak to you, and I wish you to be faithful to the Master. And whatever you may feel yourselves compelled to do, let not that affect your principles. Always carry about with you a clear conscience, in a way in which it would be safe to meet Christ. I was going to state my position, not to discuss it. It is advisable to leave nobody in doubt about my position. I would lift up a word of warning to my congregation, but there is more than my own congregation here—I have no congregation, the tie is dissolved—yet, you will allow me to use the term while I am with you. I wish to warn my congregation not to meddle with those given to change.
There is a great revolution going on in the church and I warn you not to meddle with it, but just keep away from it. And let me warn you against those things that are established in the house of God as if they were ordinances. By this I mean all and sundry things that come under the head of soirees and merry-making parties, that turn religion into jest, and bring sacred things down to the level of the world, and in that way destroy all reverence for divine things. I warn you against ever bringing such things into the house of God. I would lock my pulpit against any man who would pervert or defile the house of God with things that have no authority in the word of God. How has my heart bled to think of the minds of young people being turned away from reverence for the house of God, by laughing at the antics even of ministers at these meetings! Oh, what will God think of it? And what will souls think of it when they come to die? It is the duty of ministers to awaken people and make them flee from the wrath to come; not to make them think there is no danger, which helps them on in the way to destruction.
Again, do not substitute hymns for the psalms. The difference in the effect will be just the difference between things human and things divine. They will just make you like man. And what is of God will make you like God. How the church should throw out the psalms to make room for trash of hymns made by man, for what is the work of man but trash compared with the work of God. In any church in which they are in use, they will put the psalms out. I witnessed it myself along with others. When we entered the house of God every desk was full of hymn books and not a psalm book to be seen. God’s book was put out, and man’s book taken in. Then I warn you against letting these
in, for so sure as they come in, God’s book will go out. A little time will be given, and, for decency’s sake, one of the psalms will be used once in awhile, but bye and bye none of them will be used at all. I lift up my voice to warn you against using that carnal thing called an organ, or any musical instrument in the worship of God. God has given us the best kind of organ, our lips, and it is a shame we do not use them more in singing his praises. It is to sing God’s praise we come to church, not to hear a fine tune. It should ever be in your mind that God is the object of your song, the instrument your mouth and heart. “Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” I know for certain that you will have to face such things, and that you will have to do with such things. Oh, I entreat you to stand upon safe ground. Do not make a choice of such things simply as a matter of taste. There are many who have an itching for change, and for getting into any new fashion. Oh, I beseech you to beware of them.
Now, in conclusion, I have been long with you, trying to lead you to Christ. That has been my object. Alas, it has been done but feebly; and now, how am I to leave you? Oh, my young friends, will you not this day give yourselves to Christ? Will you not put your hand into His hand and say “I have been too long in the hands of the Devil, and now I’ll surrender myself to Christ.” The devil will soon have you for ever unless you give yourself to Christ. “Now is the accepted time.” My young friends, let me impress upon you the necessity of reading the Word of God privately and prayerfully. Now that I am going to be with you no longer, I may tell you it was by the secret reading of the Word of God that my own mind was awakened to a sense of the danger of a sinful life. It was by an incident in our Bible lessons in school that I was induced to read it privately, and the Lord brought home to my soul the truth from that secret reading. This should be a warning to all not to vote for putting the Bible out of the schools. Parents who vote for putting the Bible out of school are just giving their vote to the devil. There is nothing he would like better than to have the Bible banished out of the schools and other places. Parents, think of the responsibility that lies upon you in reference to your children.
Let me entreat you to set a good example in your homes. Do not neglect family worship morning and evening. If any neglect this duty let me affectionately beg of you to begin this very day. How can any one who neglects to worship God in his house call himself a Christian?
Oh, friends, where do you stand? Are you on safe ground? Have you accepted Christ or have you not? Have you fled for salvation to the hope set before you in the Gospel or have you not? Oh, how can I think of leaving you out of Christ, the very condition in which I got you! Are there not some persons halting and never getting the length of coming to a decision?
Your case is a dangerous one. And are there not some backsliders—some who went a certain length but are now turned back to the world, and are not so likely to be saved as they once were. Will you not this day stop and turn back? It is a serious thing when one has been awakened to some sense of danger and has made something like an attempt to get away from sin, to stop and turn further back than ever. And are there some careless ones here—some who have never thought anything at all about their condition? Oh, careless sinner, I warn you, God’s patience will run out, and that perhaps sooner than you think. Oh, may the Lord turn your attention to your danger and bring home to your hearts the truth as it is in Jesus, for His own name sake! Amen.