Matth. xi. 5.
The Poor have the Gospel preached unto them.
Many circumstances, attending the Gospel of Jesus, are such, as we should not previously have expected: Yet, when duly considered, they fully approve themselves to our best reason.
We have a memorable instance, in the Text. Among other marks, by which it pleased our blessed Lord to authenticate his mission, one was, That the Poor had the Gospel preached unto them. Go, (says he to the disciples of John the Baptist, who had sent them to know of Jesus, whether he were indeed the Messiah) Go, and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and THE POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED UNTO THEM.
We are surprized, perhaps, on the first mention of these words, to find this last circumstance put upon a level with the rest, even with that greatest of all miracles, the raising of the dead to life. We may not immediately apprehend, why the Poor should be thus considered by the Saviour of the world; or how the truth of his pretensions comes to be concerned in this treatment of them. But, upon inquiry, we shall find there were some important reasons which determined our Lord to this conduct, and which made that conduct, in a peculiar manner, expressive of his person and office.
First, This character was directly applied to the Messiah, in the ancient prophecies. Our Lord himself, in the text, quotes the very words of Isaiah: So that, in preaching the Gospel to the Poor, he fulfilled that prediction, and so far corresponded to the character, which the word of prophecy had given of the Messiah.
But this circumstance, we may suppose, would have been no part of the Messiah’s character, but for reasons which made it fit and right, that He should be thus distinguished. Let us, further, inquire, then,
Secondly, what those reasons, probably were; only premising one word, to ascertain the objects, both of the prophecy, and of our Lord’s charitable attention.
There is no doubt but the word, poor, in the prophecies alledged, and in Christ’s application of them, is very capable of being understood in a metaphorical or spiritual sense, and was even intended to be so understood; I mean, in that sense, which our Lord gives to the word, Poor, when he says—Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven[164]. But this metaphorical sense does not exclude, it rather supposes, the literal. For, who are the poor in spirit, for the most part, but the poor in fortune? they, whom neither the pride of knowledge and education, nor the pride of wealth and place, has corrupted with vain ideas of their own sufficiency? But, there is a peculiar reason for the literal interpretation of the Text. For the words, blind, lame, and deaf, have, likewise, their metaphorical sense in the prophet, as well as the word, poor. Yet our Lord alledges the completion of the prophecy, in the literal meaning of those words; for he refers the messengers of John to what they saw and heared; to the miracles, he was then working, or had worked, on the blind, lame, and deaf, that is, in restoring their bodily senses and members[165]. So that, when the poor are spoken of by Jesus, at the same time, we must needs understand him as speaking of the poor, properly so called, that is, of the lower ranks of people, whom he was even then instructing, as well as healing.
We see, then, That Christ preached the Gospel to the poor, in the literal, as well as spiritual sense of that word: And, in so doing, he both fulfilled the whole extent of the prophecy; and, as we shall now find, gave an eminent proof of the GOODNESS and WISDOM of his own character.
For, consider the state of the poor, how much they wanted, and how much better, than the rich, they deserved, instruction, when our Lord, in mercy, came to preach the Gospel to them.
I. The condition of the poor, that is, of the people at large, was truly deplorable, at that time. They were every where treated by their superiors with the utmost contempt, and left to struggle with an almost invincible ignorance and corruption.
The Jews, indeed, had the benefit of a divine law: but their Scribes and Doctors had made it of none effect, by their traditions[166]. They had corrupted the word of God, by their fanciful cabbalistical glosses; and had debased their holy ritual, into a frivolous and sordid superstition. They had the key of knowledge in their hands; but they neither employed it to the purpose of opening the true meaning of the Scriptures, themselves, nor would suffer the people to make this use of it. In the mean time, their pride increased with their other vices: they thought themselves wise and prudent[167], and righteous[168]; and, in sovereign admiration of their own worth and knowledge, they despised others. Their insolence to the poor was so transcendant, that they reproached them for that ignorance, which themselves had occasioned; and even checked their endeavours to understand the true meaning of their law, in terms of the bitterest scorn and execration. Have any of the Rulers or Pharisees, said they, believed in Jesus? But this people[169], that knoweth not the law, are accursed.
Such was the state of the poor, among the Jews: and that of the Gentile poor was no better. As the former were only insulted, and not instructed, by their RABBIS; So the latter were just as ill treated by their PHILOSOPHERS.
These men, indeed, professed themselves wise; and had, in some respects, a juster claim, than the Jewish doctors, to that proud, distinctive appellation. Though their reasoning, on many subjects (on which, however, they valued themselves most) was little better than that of the Cabbalists; yet, in moral matters, which are of the highest concern to mankind, they had been able to trace out some plausible and ingenious theories, and had even penetrated so far as to apprehend some general and fundamental principles of natural religion. Yet all this was matter of vanity among them, rather than of public use. Their most interesting speculations were either confined to their schools, or secreted from the common eye, in their mysteries. Their moral systems were calculated to amuse, to polish, and, we will say, to instruct the higher ranks of men; but they were composed in such a way, and proceeded on such principles, that the vulgar could be little benefited by them. And, for what they knew of religious truth, they studiously kept it from the poor, and left them to the tyranny of their senseless, their impure, their abominable superstitions. Even Socrates himself, though he laboured very commendably to reform the lives of his fellow-citizens, yet laboured to little effect, as he would not, or durst not, disgrace their idolatries, the source of all their corruption and misery. The rest of these wise men were well contented, at most, with being wise to themselves; they stood aloof from the prophane vulgar; and contemplated, with much complacency, or with much disdain, the popular errors.
Such, and so wretched were the poor, when our blessed Lord came to announce the good tidings of salvation to them! Incapable of themselves to find out or to understand their duty, and misled, neglected, or contemned by those who should have been their instructors; lost in error and in vice, with no prospect of recovering themselves out of either; without guides, and without friends; in a word, without hope, and without God in the world[170]; What could equal their wants and their distresses? And how loudly did they cry to Heaven for some friendly hand to be stretched out, some celestial light to be dispensed, to them?
But, perhaps, these unhappy men deserved not the care of Heaven. And, without doubt, if we put their claim on that footing, it will be difficult to make out their title to such distinction. Yet they had something, too, to plead for themselves, something to engage the regards of their merciful Creator, if it be true, as I observed,
II. In the next place, that their hearts, depraved as they were, were yet not so utterly perverse, as those of the rich and great and wise, who poured such contempt upon them.
And, for our satisfaction in this point, we need but look into the Gospel-history; where we find, from many facts and testimonies, that the poorer sort among the Jews were they who gave the best proofs of their disposition to embrace the doctrine, and acknowledge the pretensions, of Jesus.
When he preached to the Jews, the Scribes and Pharisees, that is, the rich and wise, almost universally and without exception, cavilled at his doctrine, perverted his words, and sought occasion only how they might entangle him in his talk[171]. But the people, giving way to the ingenuous sense of their own minds, heared him gladly[172]: They were even very attentive to hear him[173]. Nor let it be thought, that the love of novelty, or some worse motive, which oft seduces the populace in such cases, was the cause of this attention. They give another, and better reason of it—Never man, say they, spake like this man[174]: Again, they were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes[175]; That is, they had the sense to perceive there was a weight and force and importance in his doctrines, which they had never found in any other, and, least of all, in the light, frothy, and frivolous doctrines of their Scribes; and they had the honesty to acknowledge and proclaim their own feelings.
Again; When Jesus wrought his miracles before the Jews, while their superiors were unconvinced, or blasphemed against conviction, the multitudes cried out in admiration, Is not this the Son of David[176]?—It was never, they say, so seen in Israel[177]—With a becoming candour and piety, they marvelled, and glorified God, who had given such power unto men[178].
Thus much for the Jews. And the same difference, between the rich and poor, afterwards appeared, when the Apostles turned themselves to the Gentiles. So that St. James reasons upon it, as a certain fact. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the Judgment seats? Do they not blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called[179]? And St. Paul to the same purpose, when appeals to the Gentile Christians themselves—Ye see your calling, my brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called[180].
And, if we extend our inquiries beyond the Apostolic age, we still find, that, while councils and synagogues, priests and philosophers, governors and kings, were confederated against the rising church, the poor, the weak, the ignorant, the ignoble, very readily, and in great numbers, pressed into it.
Considering then this fairness of mind, which distinguished the poor, together with their multiplied necessities, we shall cease to think it strange that our blessed Lord should first and principally preach the Gospel to them; and that this circumstance should be predicted of him, and urged by himself, as characteristic of his person and office. For what could distinguish the divine Messiah more, than this condescension to those who most needed, and best deserved, his instruction? Who can wonder that, when he saw the multitudes, thus circumstanced, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted[181], under the merciless vexations of their superiors, and were scattered abroad[182], and left exposed to every injury, as sheep having no shepherd[183]? Could any splendor of miracles more illustrate his character, than that affectionate address to the poor people, groaning under all their burthens, of which the pride of wealth and wisdom was not the least, Come unto me, ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lonely in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls[184]?
Our Lord’s whole ministry seems uniformly directed to this end of beating down the insolence of all worldly distinctions, which had too much vilified and degraded human nature. For this purpose, he condescended, himself, to be born in the lowest rank of life, to be brought up in what the world calls a mean and mechanic profession, to converse chiefly with the poor and indigent, to take for his companions and disciples the most sordid of the people, and to propagate his religion by the weakest and most unpromising instruments: Chusing, as St. Paul divinely expresses it, the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise; the weak things of the world, to confound the things that are mighty; And the base things of the world, and things which are despised, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence[185].
In a word, he seems studiously to have bent his whole endeavours, to vindicate the honour of depressed humanity; to support its weakness, to countenance its wants, to ennoble its misery, and to dignify its disgrace.
Nor let any one presume to insinuate, that this conduct of our blessed Saviour was directed to other ends; As if he sought, by this application to the people, to engage them in the support of his new kingdom, and then, by their noise and numbers, to force the rest into it. The suspicion is utterly without grounds. Jesus made no factious use of the popularity he acquired by his condescension; he discountenanced and repressed every effort of that nature; and, though his care was chiefly employed about the poor, it was not confined to them: He preached indiscriminately to all, he did his miracles before all, in public, in open day-light, in the presence of the greatest persons, and in places of the greatest resort; in short, his doctrines and his credentials were equally offered to the examination of men of all ranks and all denominations, of the doctors and rulers of the Jewish people, as well as of the people themselves. This, an impostor most assuredly would not have done.
We have now, then, a reasonable account given us, why it pleased God that the Saviour of the world should be known by this mark, among others, of his preaching the Gospel to the poor. The GOODNESS of his character was signally illustrated, by this gracious conduct. I have only to observe, further, that his WISDOM was equally displayed by it: And both together must needs furnish a presumptive argument of his divine mission.
Had the ablest speculative philosopher been consulted about the proper method of reforming the world, though with the attending evidence and authority of miracles, I suppose his plan for effecting this design would have been wholly different from that, which was taken. He would have counselled an application, not to the poor chiefly, if to them at all, but to the rich, the great, and the wise. The minister of this important charge would have been directed to shew himself in the most conspicuous scene, to make the capital of the world, imperial Rome, the head-quarters of his mission, to perform his miracles before the Roman senate, and to proselyte, first of all, the wise and learned of that empire; As conceiving this to be the readiest way to the establishment of his new Religion, and trusting to the power of these great instruments, as to some irresistible vortex, to draw the people with them, into the general profession of it.
This, or something like this, we may imagine, would have been the language of human wisdom. But what would have been the event of these profound and politic counsels? Most probably, the design would not have taken effect. The interests, the prejudices, the pride, and the very philosophy of the world would have revolted against it. The plainest miracles would have been shuffled over, as the sleights of magick: and the divinest truths, been derided as unlearned and ignorant conceits.
But what if the event had been otherwise? What, if the new religion had prospered and acquired an establishment by these mighty means? Posterity would then have turned the argument in another manner. They would have accounted, and with some reason, for this revolution in the sentiments of mankind, not from the will of Heaven, but the power and policy of men. They would have sought the origin of this triumphant religion in the operation of human causes, and not in the controlling influence of divine. The new system might be preferred to many others that have prevailed in the world, but would be thought to have made its way by the same means. It would still be considered, as a mere human engine, calculated to serve the ends of society, and not to interest the conscience, as proceeding from the sole authority of God. And what could have been opposed to these suggestions? The cause is plainly adequate to the effect: And, thus, the glory of God would have been obscured; and the dispensation itself, exposed to contempt.
See then the riches both of the goodness and wisdom of God: Of his GOODNESS, in caring for the poor; and of his WISDOM, in providing by his use of so unlikely means, that our faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.
To conclude; the ways of God are, very frequently, not our ways[186]; Yet, when the difference is most striking, a diligent inquiry will sometimes convince us (as in the case before us) that they may be justified even to our apprehensions: The use of which conviction should be, to satisfy us, in other cases, that his ways are always adorable, even when to US, in this state of weakness and blindness, they are past finding out.