And so with reference to the what are termed the doctrines of Grace. It was the joy of his heart to exalt the grace of God in all its forms of application: redeeming grace, predestinating grace, grace in the call, grace in the pardon, grace in the gift of faith, grace in the new birth, grace in holiness, grace in preservation, grace never failing till it ends in glory! And this grace he would preach in its peculiar, limited, and special application to the Church of God’s elect. But that did not prevent his proclaiming with unlimited freedom the great offer of eternal life to the sinner, and throwing on the sinner the whole responsibility of the acceptance or rejection of the offer. As an illustration, I never can forget a magnificent Sermon of his, the grandest Sermon I ever heard from the lips of man, on Eph. v. 25, and never can I forget the way in which he quoted the text, “Christ also loved the Church,” the church of God’s elect, “and gave himself for it,” or how he pointed out to us the special and most tender love of the Lord to his chosen people; but neither on the other hand can I ever forget the thrilling power with which he gave forth the grand words of our blessed Saviour, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” and on the strength of these words threw broadcast over the congregation the free offer of life to the sinner. It was this grand harmony of gospel truth that gave such a wonderful power to his ministry. He was not afraid of letting Scripture tell its own tale, and proclaim its own message. What he found there, that he taught, and taught fearlessly, even though he knew in some instances that it was beyond man’s power to fit all the parts together. He believed the Gospel to be God’s message, revealed in God’s word, perfected in God’s purpose, and taught in God’s own way; so by God’s help he gave the whole just as he found it, and left it to the infinity of God himself to bring to light the perfect harmony of the various parts.
(4.) There was a Blessing on His Faithfulness.
The faithful servants in the parable were able to present to their master the talents which they had gained during the period of their trust. In their case therefore, faithfulness led to fruitfulness. Their work was successful, and there were talents gained. Can we doubt for one moment that God blessed in the same manner the faithfulness of our revered friend? Whatever others may do, I cannot. I have heard of the deep interest excited by his ministry wherever he has laboured, in Sheffield, in Jersey, and amongst yourselves. I am told by a clergyman at Sheffield that his ministry there was followed by most blessed results in the awakening and salvation of souls. I am told also that “when upwards of thirty years afterwards he visited that town, not only were there crowds to hear him, but many came forward to relate the blessings which either themselves, or their parents and friends had received through his instrumentality.” The Lord alone knows how many talents were gathered in all those places, and presented as a thankoffering to God. But I know a little of what took place at Richmond. Mr. Langston went there very soon after the commencement of his ministry. Before he went there every thing in that place was dark, cold, and dead. The glorious Gospel was almost an unknown message. His ministry there lasted, I believe, about three years, and after an interval of nearly twenty years, I followed him as curate of the parish. I have always regarded it as one of the greatest blessings of my life that I did so, for there I found a large body of persons from all classes of society, living consistent, holy lives, and full of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who owed their conversion to Mr. Langston’s ministry. Like Barnabas, I “saw the grace of God,” and I am not ashamed of acknowledging that what I there witnessed as the fruit of his labours has helped to give a tone to the whole of my subsequent ministry. Most truly then may I say of that faithful man, “He rests from his labours, and his works do follow him.”
(5) He was faithful in HIS CHILDLIKE TRUST AT THE END; when his work was done, and as a little child he was simply resting in the arms of his most blessed Saviour. I do not attach much importance to the last words of such a man. When a person has been walking with God for seventy years and more, we do not want last words to assure us of his faith. But it is pleasant to see how the old foundations bear, and to watch the last earthly intercourse of the faithful servant with the faithful Saviour. It was delightful in this instance to do so. He was sure, perfectly sure, of his Lord’s fidelity; and when it was said to him, “He will never leave us,” his reply was “No, never, never.” On another occasion as he lay in the deepest weakness, he said, “I am thinking of that good Scotchman who said, “There is nothing so sweet in all this universe as Christ to die with, and nothing dearer than his love.” Nor was this merely a matter of feeling, or experience; for he was calmly and intelligently resting on the great principles of the Gospel. These solid foundation principles he had preached from the beginning. On these principles he had lived, and on these principles he died. It was the thought of redeeming mercy that filled his heart with gratitude. So that he was heard saying, “He became a curse for me—left alone—deserted by his own.” That was his one resting place, and resting there he used to delight in the hymn—
OH! Saviour, I have nought to plead,
In earth, beneath, or heaven above,
But just my own exceeding need,
And Thy exceeding love.The need will soon be past and gone,
Exceeding great—but quickly o’er,
The love unbought is all Thine own,
And lasts for evermore!
Till at length nothing could be heard but a few detached words, but those words were quite sufficient to shew where his heart was resting. “Dear Saviour”—“Looking”—“Covenant”—“Ordered and sure”—“Thy blood and righteousness”—“Hope”—“End”—“Coming soon”—and then came the message from heaven itself, “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord,” and the ransomed spirit was free from the burden of the flesh.
II. For our second subject, the Master’s welcome, I have no time left, and perhaps it is well, for who can attempt either to describe or imagine it? The words of this passage seem to indicate that the joys are beyond all proportion greater than any thing seen here. There are but few things here, but many joys there, and the many cannot be measured by our notions of the few.
Then again the expression “the joy of the Lord,” seems to raise us far above all earthly thoughts, and introduce us as it were into the very mind of the Lord himself.
It may be understood as the joy which the Lord feels. We are taught that he has special joy even in heaven. There was a joy set before him to attain which he endured the cross. And what is the joy? Is it not in the ingathering of souls? Is it not when souls are saved, and many justified, that he sees of the travail of his soul, and is satisfied? Now surely there must be the same blessed happiness in those who share his joy. If we rejoice in the joy of the Lord Jesus, we shall rejoice with those whom he has gathered around him. As Mr. Langston said in his Sermon on Rev. vii. 15. “The meeting with those Saints will add no little accumulation of blessedness. I shall see Abel, the first martyr for Christ; the first witness to the atonement by his precious blood. I shall see Enoch the first great prophet who walked with God, and was not, for God took him. I shall see Noah, the Preacher of righteousness; Melchizedec, king of righteousness and peace; Moses, Samuel, and all the Prophets, Evangelists, and Saints.” Does he not see them now? Is he not with them now? But does he not also see multitudes of precious souls, from Hastings, from Richmond, from Sheffield, from Jersey, and from Southborough, to whom he was permitted to convey God’s message, and who are now rejoicing with him before the throne? How many were there to welcome him at heaven’s gate? And may not the joy of such a meeting be well termed the joy of the Lord?
But besides this, the joy of the Lord must be the joy that is realized in the presence of the Lord himself. It is all very well to be with Abel, and Enoch, but what must it be to be with Christ? This it is that will fill heaven with praise, and make even eternity too short for our thanksgiving. Do you remember what he said of the prospect, in the last Sermon he ever preached to you, “Oh!” he said, “What joy to see him face to face! What joy to see him even now through the lattice! But what to enjoy that love without interruption, and without a cloud ever rising between the soul and the sunshine of his love! Then the seven-fold promises of revelation, all his own gracious words, will be fulfilled—“The crown of life.” “The tree of life.” “The new name.” “The morning star.” “The white raiment.” “The abiding pillar.” “And the share in the throne of the Son of God.” Is not that the joy of the Lord? And is not that the joy in which the faithful servant has now entered? is he not there now? Is he not face to face with his Saviour? Does he not even now see him as he is? Has he not already experienced the truth of the words, “In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore?”