The food of the hypocrite, which the Swine did eat, these are called husks. Hence our dear Lord, by a Parable, represented his own people in a backsliding state, trying to fill their souls with husks, a form of godliness without the power, the sound without the substance, the shell without the kernel. So it is written in Luke xv. And there arose a mighty famine in the land, and he began to be in want, and he joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him out to feed Swine, and he fain would have filled his belly with the husks that the Swine did eat. Here is an awakened soul, with spiritual life, guilt, and shame in his conscience, flying to a false refuge to make up what had been amiss; and obeying the orders of a false teacher, without looking to Jesus as his only refuge.
When a poor sinner first comes into a profession, he is full of legality, and being full of sin and darkness, he generally flies to those kind of preachers that will set him to work; and these commonly argue with such poor sinners, “Why, as you have done so much against God, it is now high time you did something for God.” This sounds well in the ears of such, and to work they go, to try to please God; and if the Preacher does not immediately send them to the Moral Law, they are generally sent to some tradition of the Elders; they must become teachers in the Sunday Schools; they must form a Society and visit the Sick; they must attend upon Prayer Meetings and other religious Societies. Here those who have no spiritual life can rest; upon these husks they can feed; but where there is real hungering and thirsting after the bread of life, the mind cannot be fed with such things; not but that they are praise-worthy in themselves, but they should not be carried on by souls in such a state, their place is to wait at the door of mercy; to be in spiritual labour to get the bread of life, and having found him, then to observe their call in Providence to visit others. But many are at this work all their days, and will be found with no other title or qualification for glory but this. When death comes, then they will, perhaps, have to reflect with pleasure on the use they have been to others. But this will be a miserable foundation; and if they do not expect salvation upon this ground, yet they must confess they have looked upon these things as fruits and evidences; but eternity will convince them they are not the fruits of the Spirit. Hypocrite and Pharisees can feed here, but a quickened soul cannot; this every truly converted character must acknowledge. Those hypocritical professors not only feed on these eternals, but on the failings, sins, and falls, either real or supposed, of God’s people, every fall they hear of is marrow and fatness to them: these they sweetly enjoy, quite forgeting that they cannot be said to fall themselves, for, as they never stood, either by faith or love, they cannot fall; they have but few temptations, and those only what a worldly man has, and not what is peculiar to God’s elect. Hence the Apostle says, Let him that thinketh he standeth—he only thinks so, yet he may fall from his profession altogether; and as he exulted in the supposed falls of the saints, God may cast him down from his excellency. I have often observed this myself, and the sacred Scriptures strikingly set it forth; the net they spread for others, the pit they have digged they have been taken in; so God has always testified, sooner or later, as it is written, He that rolleth a stone it shall turn upon him, and he that diggeth a pit shall fall therein.—He that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. Read the 10th of Eccles. from the 8th to the 15th verse.
The Food of the Serpent is said to be Lies—Hosea x, 13, Ye have eaten lies—this is that kind of food which suits their vitiated taste. The same Prophet declares, They eat up the sin of my people; they set their hearts on their iniquity, for they shall eat and not have enough.—Hosea iv, 8, 9, 10.—The private injury done to others is called Bread eaten in secret places—and such eaters are like Pharaoh’s lean kine, none the better for all they have devoured. They are said to eat up the flesh of God’s people, Psalm xxvii, 2; and their lying words, back-biting, whisperings, envies, hatred, gossiping, and evil speaking, their running from house to house with tales against others, their secret and outward triumph in all they can get against others, whether true or false—the whole of such conduct demonstrates a serpentine disposition, feeding on dust; this has been seen of late in my severe trials from such Serpents and generation of Vipers. All the foolish, absurd improbabilities, lies, and the most cruel and daring misrepresentations of my natural temper and kindness to others, good or bad; these been turned by such persons to every thing infamous—while some, being high priests, on whom the religious would have fixed their eyes instead of Jesus, or his word, because of their name, their popularity, and property; the last being the occasion of the rest. Many, to ingratiate themselves in the favor of such, for sinister purposes, and nothing else, have imposed upon them such things as they well knew their hearts naturally love; then the Press has been employed—while boys, who have been set up for teachers, have been employed to do the Devil’s drudgery, violate the Sabbath, and act contrary to every law, human and divine. The Press sends forth a farrago of rubbish, and in the compass of a few pages not less than eighty lies, which I shall one day expose. These are the sweet morsels on which thousands of mere nominal Professors have fed, and God declares in my text they shall.—Under the mask of sanctity, the garb of holiness, and a contention for the Law, all their spleen has been vented against me and my supposed crimes. But, alas, I fear it has been rather against the great things God has done for me. Witness the bitterness against my preaching, and those who have been blessed under it. The lying accusation of being an Antinomian in Principle, Preaching, and Practice, when every person that is acquainted with the Gospel must acknowledge that I preach all the Words of this Life, doctrinally, experimentally, and practically. To be sure, they wonder where I got the teaching that I have received; and my adversaries are as much puzzled about this, as those of old, who asked, How knoweth this man his letters, having never learned?
I must say here, that I feel thankful for what my enemies have said and done against me, as I have learned much from these things; the Spirit of God teaches by the Cross, and in the School of Affliction much is to be derived—whoso is wise will observe these things, and he shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.
My enemies have been perpetually representing me as an enemy to the Law, whereas, their conduct has proved that they were acting contrary to every Law of God and man. Thou shalt not go up and down (not even Blackfriars Road) as a tale-bearer among thy people.—Levit. xix,—this was the express command of God.—Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self, whether he has fallen among thieves or not. Speak evil of no man, says the New Testament—Owe no man any thing but love. Moreover, if thy brother trespass, go and tell him his fault, between him and thee alone, (suppose it be true) if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother—so speaks the Word of God, which it our Rule of Walk and Conduct. Now, if we consider the conduct of my holy enemies who are all zealous for practical holiness, and see how their demeanor corresponds with this rule—may we not exclaim, Which is the Antinomian, me or they?
How many turn sick at the success of others.—What a wretched principle is ENVY—Solomon asks Who can stand before it? But as my foes have had such a Feast on Ashes and Dust, I only wish them a spiritual appetite, and better food, even the Bread of eternal Life, which is meat indeed. This is the joy of heaven—this is Angels food, and this is the food on which the Believer lives. ’Tis most blessed to trace this Subject. Our Covenant God provided it, the Holy Spirit quickens us to a spiritual hungering after it—convinces us of the vanity of all things else beside—brings us to love his word—to hear those Preachers that bring forth this food; satisfies us with blessed views of him, sweet enjoyments of his glorious Person, covenant love, eternal mercy, his imputed righteousness, his sovereign purposes, his atoning sacrifice, his peace-speaking blood, and the invitations, declarations, and exceeding precious promises. This is the food on which our souls live, if born of God, and every man is known by his taste; the Serpent on those things which are compared to dust; the Believer on that which is called the Bread of God; hence the Promise, Ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied. Eat, O friends, drink abundantly, O beloved. The meek shall eat and be satisfied. And I will satisfy her poor with bread. For he hath filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he hath sent empty away—so all Serpents will find it.
The text concludes, They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.—This was renewed in the New Testament, Nothing shall by any means hurt you. And, in fact, nothing can eventually hurt the Church; sin cannot, as it is atoned for—the guilt of it is gone—the love of it is removed as the love of Jesus comes into the mind; and the power and dominion of it is removed by almighty Grace, the stronger than the strong man armed—the Law cannot, because it is well satisfied with the Obedience of the adorable Surety—Satan cannot; frighten he may, but cannot touch them to their injury, for his very temptations make us hate him the more—Our own inbred corruptions cannot hurt us; they are more trying to us, the more we loath them and abhor ourselves, as vile in God’s sight—the World cannot, as it is overcome for us, and the Faith God has given will overcome it in us. Pharisees, Hypocrites, and Impostors, with their damnable errors cannot, though they may cause us much trouble. Yet this will furnish us with much matter for Prayer and fear: these things will drive us nearer to God—nor can poverty, pain, reproach, or sorrow do it, for these shew us this is not our rest, it is polluted; and all these work together for good, as sure as we are the called, according to his Plan. These can neither hurt nor destroy one bud of hope, or faith, or desire, or affection, either to God or his truth. Nor can they destroy the soul, God loves it too well, and Jesus has paid too great a price to permit it to be lost. Besides, it is the temple of the holy and eternal Spirit; who then can destroy it?
The Church is called God’s holy Mountain—typified by Mount Sion, firmly settled in the eternal love, and everlasting purposes of Grace. Conspicuous and useful in the world, and which, as a great Mountain, shall fill the whole earth in the latter day. They are called a holy people; the Lord Jesus Christ is their holiness before God, Ye are compleat in him, who of God is made unto us Sanctification. Secondly, All their holiness is received from him, as the High Priest of their profession; anointed, and taught by him, as a Prophet; they obey his commands, as a King; this constitutes them holy, as their faith embraced the atonement and righteousness of Christ; the holy Spirit’s gracious inhabitation leads them to love and delight in God, his ways, his truth, his people, and his ordinances; having grace given to walk in wisdom to them that are without: this is real holiness, nothing short of this is scriptural holiness, and this is the Work of God; this proves our union to the Saviour, and this is our meetness for glory, and such honor have all the Saints.
Finis.