BY THE LATE REV. ARCHIBALD COOK, DAVIOT.
Preached at Dunnet, Caithness, in the Years 1861-62.
“Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.”
—REV. iii. 4.
THESE are the words of Him with whom there is no respect of persons, whose eyes are like a flame of fire searching the hearts of the children of men, and who will yet fix our eternal state before angels and a holy God. These words were spoken to the Church of Sardis. Sardis was very popular, and so were the ministers of Sardis. They thought themselves very good, but there was a piercing eye that searched them and saw their evil doings.
I shall consider, as the Lord may aid:
- What is meant by the garments spoken of, and by the keeping of them clean;
- The difficulty of keeping these garments clean in a sinful world;
- The promise given: “They shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.”
Every child of God has a garment in the way of justification. On the day that the soul closes with the offer of salvation the righteousness of Jesus is imputed to him. This garment cannot be defiled. The righteousness of the saints is in the Lord Himself, for He is their righteousness. They have another righteousness, and that is, a drop of spiritual life in the soul. We hear much of faith nowadays. The cry is “Faith, faith, faith.” Cartloads of faith! The faith which is so much spoken of is just a giving of assent to what is heard, such as people give to the contents of a newspaper. But when you come to Jordan, you will find yourself without it. My friends, true faith is nothing else but a drop of the infinite purity of God, which seeks back to the fountain from whence it came.
There is another garment the child of God has, viz., the garment of profession, and to be preserved from defiling that garment is a great mercy. Men may take up religion before religion takes up them. There are many who, when they come to grapple with Jordan, will not have so much comfort as to say that it was concern for their souls that made them begin the worship of God in their families. One may take up a profession of religion from the demands of a natural conscience. There are many whose conscience will not allow them to live like other men. They will not go to bed nor rise in the morning without prayer. They observe family worship and attend public ordinances, and go through the world and into eternity without the Lord, and will be found at the left hand on that day when He makes up His jewels. I think the cause of this is some secret sin unrevealed to them, hidden deep in their hearts. Think of last night. You had some concern for your soul and some desire to live for eternity. Where is it to-day? You let it slip away, you quenched it by sleep, and you have no word about it. There is nothing in the world so much despised as a drop of soul concern. You are there who were not ashamed to go home drunk, to go home from dancing and balls, but you would be ashamed to go home from the back of a rock praying for your soul.
The oftener the poor child of God prays or reads the Bible, or goes to public ordinances, the clearer views he attains of eternity, of heaven and of God. There are some poor creatures that got a glimpse of eternity, and were it not for the secret hand that supported them, they could not have endured it five minutes. I have often thought that the poor children of God when going to the means of grace will have little word of bed or food. A little straw in a corner would satisfy them. In the place where I dwell, I have asked people returning from the means of grace—”Were they kind to you?” “Oh yes, very kind; plenty meat and bed and clothing.” I would then ask them, “What was the text of the sermon?” “Oh, really, I don’t remember.” Oh, carnal professors, no wonder though hell will be full of such as you. You, poor child of God, you would say, “Is there a corner that I may get into?” But those who have the world in their eye want the highest seat, that everyone may see them.
It is the work of the Spirit of God in the soul to destroy its love for its idols. I am sure that if the soul was taken away from its idols it would be like a newborn babe. It is in such a soul that there is the broken heart. It is wonderfully sweet to sit at the feet of Jesus. My friends, if you have but three words—the publican had but three words, and they were heard in heaven—if you have but three, they will do your soul eternal good. Those who have a broken heart must be conformed to Him whom they will eternally enjoy. To keep the garment of profession clean is not a little with God, and He will show this yet before heaven, earth, and hell. My friends, the Lord must have the whole heart or none. And I must say that the devil will not be content without the whole. Is he not a covetous spirit? You, poor sinner, you have spent sixty years in his service, and he might give you these few days to prepare for eternity, but he will not. Oh, he is a covetous beast!
I have seen young people speaking together, and they would choose the darkest corner; but after the marriage took place the young wife might be seen standing in the door, and saying, “Did you see my husband?” I have also seen young people who, when the Lord began His work in their souls, were hiding in corners, afraid to be seen in public. They were seeing their own hearts so bad, and themselves so unlike the profession. But when the Lord manifested Himself to them as their own Saviour and Husband, they could bear witness in public for Him. But you will see those at the Lord’s table to-day who never lost a night’s sleep nor shed a tear because Christ was absent from their souls, and they are as light as they can be with their ornaments. They are a dishonour to the Lord’s cause and people. My friends, it is a part of the glory of the Church that He will confess them at the great day. The glory of God demands of every soul brought to spiritual light to show this light to the world. But, young people, keep from an open profession until you know something about God, about Christ, and about your own soul, for your expense will run out, and then you will become a thief. There is an infinite fulness in Jesus. We hear many professors speaking of the fulness of Jesus, but what do they know about it? The Lord Jesus, when He undertook to save the Church, knew the expense, for He had to pay the cost Himself. My friends, there is nothing that the poor soul is so much afraid of as not to be kept in tenderness of spirit and brokenness of heart. You that have this fear will be carried through with a clean garment, to the praise of His grace. But you, my young friends, beware of hastily making an open profession.
Some think that it is an easy thing to confess sin and seek mercy, but I think it is the most difficult thing the Lord’s people have to do. Much is needed before there can be a spiritual confession of sin. There must be a drop of the pure life of God let into the soul, that the soul may see the infinite purity of God and the vile, dishonouring nature of sin, and may see sin in the heart working against the very being of God. There must also be felt divine influences flowing from God in Christ, suitable to the sinner’s case. My friends, it is a spiritual sight of sin in this way that produces true confession of sin; and it is the mercy of God coming through the blood that enables the sinner to seek mercy. The Church of God was the eternal electing choice of His love. It was a sovereign act of God from eternity that determined that they should be partakers of His glory; hence Christ said, “The glory which thou gavest me I have given them.” Christ was the first object of the Father’s eternal love, and then the elect in Him, and here the eternal God and the objects of His love met in Christ in the covenant of grace from eternity. The Scripture saith, “There is no new thing with God.” Everything that befell the Church was clear before His omniscient eye. He knew all her trials and everything that was before her, and had provision prepared to meet her case. To the poor souls that have been wounded for sin or by the old serpent, one glimpse of the Saviour when they come to Jordan will heal all their wounds through eternity. When the poor souls are brought home to glory the heart of God has such infinite delight in them that He, as it were, feels for the many stripes they suffered in the wilderness, but the poor soul cries, “Less than this would not bring me here.”
The devil had such pure enmity against the being of God that he arose up to take the throne and to destroy God. When God cast him out of heaven to earth, no material substance was suitable for him, as he was a spirit. He then took possession of man’s soul because it was formed after the image of God. The devil said to the Lord, “You put me out of heaven, but before I will go out of this, You must come out of heaven.” When the devil rose up against God, his revolt was pure enmity against the very being of God, but when man sinned he fell by temptation. Those who commit the unpardonable sin are guilty of pure enmity against the being of God. But there was a surety provided for the elect, so that they are preserved from this sin. We hear some saying that one drop of Christ’s blood is sufficient to save a thousand worlds, but, my friends, a complete atonement was required for every sinner given to Christ by the Father. His blood was drained as completely from His body as this bread is separated from the wine.
My friends, the cross is an ornament that everyone is not honoured with. They only have it to whom is given a drop of life from the fountain of spiritual influences that makes them find out a throne of grace, and from the throne of grace they know the bosom of God, and thence comes out “the unction from the Holy One,” whereby they know all things. The cross makes them strangers in the world, and weans them from the company of the world, and makes them know that they are in the wilderness, and causes them to live in sight of Jordan. By the cross, their old sins are brought to remembrance, and thence arises the broken and contrite spirit. When David was driven out of Jerusalem by his own son, Shimei came out to curse him. One of the servants of David said, “Let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.” “Oh no,” said David, “the Lord hath said unto him, curse David. Although you take off his head, you cannot take off the head of what is in my bosom.” The devils set a court in hell to plot as to how they might make Joseph commit sin. They contrived to go into that vile woman, Potiphar’s wife, as the instrument of their purposes. But that very night the Lord prepared Joseph for meeting with them. He said, “I will lie in prison until I rot, to the day of judgment ere I sin,” and the prison was as dark to Joseph as to others.
My friends, the Lord’s table is the most solemn place we can be in until we meet at the day of judgment. And some have felt it more solemn, because they knew that if they were prepared here, they would be safe at last. Be sure that you have some word from God Himself that you can venture your soul upon for eternity. Hence the Lord’s servant said, “Remember the word unto thy servant upon which Thou hast caused me to hope.” My friends, some of the Lord’s people have obtained such a view of the purity and holiness of God that there remains a tenderness on their spirits, a fear of committing sin, and a savour of divine things. The carnal world sees nothing in this ordinance but bread and wine, and they think that the Lord’s people never saw anything else. But you, poor people of the Lord, that have received a glimpse of the purity of God, and a broken heart for sin, which will keep you humble unto the day of your death—(although the beginning of this life was as small as a single thought, it will never die, because it is connected with the life of God)—be concerned for your soul, and let it be above the things of the world and everything concerning your body, for the promise is that His own shall never want, because with them is bound up His own glory. I have known persons grasping the world with their two hands, and it would run through their fingers like sand. Remember, you that have come to profess His name, that you profess to have nothing in your eye but God and your soul, and to have engaged to be on His side unto the day of your death. It is on these conditions that I give the elements to you. I take God to witness, and the walls of this house and this congregation, that it is on these conditions I give them, and if you don’t take them on these terms it is at your peril.
Whatever breaking the soul experiences, unless it is melted by redeeming love it will never run in the mould of the Word. This divine melting brings with it brokenness of heart and desires for communion with God. It not only casts out the old furniture, but brings in new. I have often thought of that passage in Jeremiah (chapter xxxi., verse 25)—”I have replenished every sorrowful soul.” Ruth said to Boaz, “When you intended to marry me, why did you leave me so long in the despising of the open field?” “Oh, just that you might know how to sympathise with others in a like state.” Christ suffered temptation that He might be able to sympathise with those that are tempted. The poor soul, when he gets grace, says, “Take me with you to heaven, that I may not be sinning here.” The Lord replies, “Well, if I take you to heaven before you suffer the bitterness of the Cross, you will want as much of the sweetness when you come to glory.” “Oh, then,” says the poor soul, “I will suffer to the day of judgment before I lose a drop of the sweetness when I come to glory.”
Carnal professors think that if they get faith, they will get to heaven, but the children of Israel when they passed Jordan, never got possession of a footbreadth of the land but by the sword, and less than that will not do you. When the children of Israel were commanded to slay all the enemies in the land and not to touch the accursed thing, they spared what was for their own profit and pleasure. And the Lord said that what they spared would be prickles in their eyes and thorns in their sides. When the people of the Lord spare their idols and lusts, these will be prickles in their eyes and thorns in their sides unto the day of their death. But the Canaanites were permitted to be put out little by little for fear that the wild beasts should increase in the land. The Lord left sin in the souls of His own people to keep down the wild beasts, spiritual pride, carnal security and self-righteousness, that are more devouring to the soul than Satan himself. Some profess religion that they may get a little gain of the world. Like Hamor and Shechem, they would undergo Jacob’s circumcision for Diana, his daughter, and his riches. Others profess religion for honour, like Saul, who would have Samuel to honour him before the people. Some professors have a secret sin in the bottom of their souls unknown to themselves, that will seal their eternal damnation. The Lord’s people have a besetting sin unknown to any but God and themselves, that will keep them humble till the day of their death. The Lord’s people may commit sin such as neither men nor angels would understand why they were left to commit it. But because they were in God’s purpose in the covenant of grace, they obtain repentance and pardon. The Lord’s piercing eye, that is as a flame of fire, saw from eternity every wandering of the heart from Himself, and He had provision made in the covenant to supply every want of His people. It is here that the Lord’s people get their standing for eternity. Although there were as many of the Lord’s people together as there are people present here, two of their cases might not be the same, yet the Lord knows each of them, and has provision for each of their cases.
When man fell from God, the devil put a rope around the neck of the elect, and was leading them to hell. But Christ met Satan, and asked him, “Where are you going with them?” “To hell,” was the reply. Christ took the rope and put it around his own neck, saying, “Ere they go there, I will be hanged in their room.”
My friends, when the soul obtains a sight of the purity and holiness of God through the secret influences of the blood, there will be a tenderness on the spirit and a fear of committing sin. Hence some say, “Oh that I was preserved from being a reproach to the cause of Christ!” Keep your eye on Christ. An old divine was asked by another why he spoke so much of Christ. He said in reply, “Do you see my finger on my hand? As long as I keep it there, there is a white spot, but as soon as I remove my finger the blood returns. So it is with me. As long as I keep my heart on Christ, all is well, but whenever I remove it from Him, the world rushes in.” Oh poor soul, be sure to keep near the Lord in secret. I know that the carnal world knows nothing of such experience.
“As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.”—PROVERBS xxv. 25.
PEOPLE in general are very fond of news. Most people know more about their newspapers than their Bibles. They spend more of their precious time in reading the newspaper than the Bible. Hence it is that people are so ignorant of the Word of God. This is one of Satan’s devices to make people spend their precious time. My friends, heaven is a far-off country, but there is good news from it, which is “as cold waters to a thirsty soul.” The news is from the Lord, but the people of the world never hear the Lord speaking to them any more than the beasts of the field.
I intend, as the Lord may aid, to show:
- What good news from heaven are;
- In what way it may be said that heaven is a far-off country;
- How these good news from a far-off country are “as cold waters to a thirsty soul.”
The name of Jesus is so often sounded in our ears that it has become old, but there are some souls in this world that have found the name of Jesus good news. And those who do not find this will burn in hell as sure as the devils. It is this name that has brought any kind of comfort into the world. This world would only be a nursery nursing souls for eternal burnings, unless for this name.
There are three persons in the Godhead, and each person has His particular work to do in the salvation of the soul, and one does not get the glory more than another. But whosoever keeps one of them out of his creed, that Person will keep you out of heaven.
To find out a Saviour in any other way than has been found (if that were possible), would not be an an evidence of God’s love to sinners. It is far easier to believe that there is a God than a Saviour. In the works of nature, we know that there is a God. We may say that none but God Himself could reveal the Saviour to the soul, for it is written, “Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.” There are very few that think of appearing before God, but “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” The reason why Christ came into the world was to make reconciliation between God and man. There are many that can trifle with the name of God. The reason is because God is at a distance from them. God and man disputed. God became an enemy to man. Why? Because God hates sin. He cannot love Himself without hating sin. When Cain killed his brother, at that moment he was branded a murderer. Judas when he betrayed His Master, was written traitor. You murderer, you Sabbath breaker, you harlot, the moment you commit those sins of which you are guilty, you are written down before God as murderer, Sabbath-breaker, harlot. Oh you whole-hearted sinners, the hardness of your hearts is seen in your very eyes.
“This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,” was said before the world. What was the Saviour then? He was the surety of His people. There was a purpose in the Father from eternity regarding sinners, and the same love was in the three Persons in the Godhead. Oh, poor sinners, you think if you will simply get the pardon of sin, you will get to heaven, but you will not. The soul must get new furniture. Oh, you are poor sinners indeed, that reject the Lord, and are content with a form of prayer.
I observe that heaven is literally a far-off country. We read in the Bible of three heavens. The heaven that we see is far-off. We might ascend this heaven and see another. We might ascend the second and see a third. Where God personally dwells with the angels and redeemed spirits is described in the Bible as the third heaven. The moment that Adam gave his assent to the eating of the forbidden fruit, justice gave him over to the devil as a punishment for his sin, and when any unregenerate sinner commits sin, justice gives him over to the devil as a punishment. Nothing but the fruit of the blood of the Lamb can bring him back. Man fell from the very perfection of holiness to the very perfection of wickedness.
Heaven is so far-off a country that man by his natural understanding cannot have the least right conception of it. Still, there is nothing so easy to the unregenerate man as vain thoughts of heaven. But when the poor sinner begins to seek after it he feels it a far-off country. I have asked the harlot, the drunkard, the swearer, the Sabbath-breaker, What will you do when you come to die? They answer, “Oh, the Lord is merciful, I hope to get to heaven.” Oh the vile creatures, to think that God is at their command! But the poor creature that is brought to follow Him sees somewhat of His sovereignty. There are two experiences that will do a soul good when he comes to Jordan. The one is that he saw himself shut-out by the law, and the other that he saw himself brought in by the Gospel.
When you come to die, your attendance on the means of grace will not be sufficient for you. But if you can put your finger on a passage of Scripture or an ordinance in which you had communion with God, although it was as small as a single thought, the Lord will not lose sight of His own work. We cannot blame God or the devils if we go to hell, but our own two hands. Hence, David says, “The sinners’ hands have made the cords wherewith themselves are bound.” There are many in hell who are saying, “If we knew that our actions would have brought us here, we would not have done them.” There are some who pray morning and evening but they never miss God out of their hearts, and never mourn an absent God. There are other poor creatures, who say, “Oh, if I were free of vain thoughts on the Sabbath, in praying or singing.” There are some poor souls crying “I am lost,” but you are not lost, you are leaning on the arm of the Second Person of the glorious Godhead, and although you are lost you will be found. I was thinking upon that Scripture which says that “Jacob worshipped leaning on the top of his staff.” We do not read of Jacob’s having a staff until he was lame. And what made him lame? Wrestling with the angel of the covenant. He was leaning on his staff, and the staff was the promise. O sinner, when you come to grapple with death, praying for pardon will not be enough, but the enjoyment of it. When the unregenerate sinner is grappling with death, the devil and his angels are as thick about him as flies ready to get the beckon of God to take him to hell.
My friends, there is nothing in glory, but the seed of it is in this world. O sinner, if you were in the company of two or three of the Lord’s people who were speaking about the concerns of their eternal state, or reading a chapter in the Bible, you would be sitting on nettles! How would you feel in glory? You would rather be among the devils.
I debar, in the name of the Lord, from His table those that have no concern about their eternal state. You may go, but you may be a child of hell seven times more than you were before. I debar, in the name of the Lord, those that do not keep the worship of God in their families, morning and evening. I debar in the name of the Lord, parents who will allow their children to walk about on Sabbath and not tell them of the concerns of their souls. I debar, in the name of the Lord, you that shun the people of God for your companions, and choose vain company on Sabbath and through the week. There are some people that when anything goes against their natures, their hearts send up the rotten savour of hell, just as when one puts a graip into a dung-hill, a rotten smell arises. O my friends, “be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good.” You are there with your grey hairs that never believed that you had an immortal soul, that never felt anything in the means of grace. O are you going to the table with your heart on your idols and your vain companions? Everything in the creation cries, “Set not your heart on me. I will not go far with you. I am not God. I cannot save you.” Observe that it is a merciful One who is concerned about your salvation.