Spiritual Victories Through the Light of Salvation

by J. Church

Hark! ’tis the trump of God
Sounds thro’ the worlds abroad—
Time is no more!
Horrors invest the skies!
Graves burst and myriads rise!
Nature, in agonies,
Yields up her store.

Chang’d in a moment’s space!
See the affrighted race
Shrink and despair!
Now they attempt to flee—
Curse immortality?
And view their misery
Dreadfully near!

But while the Midianites fled, the Israelites stood every man in his place;—so it will be at the final consummation of all things. Clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, we shall stand in our lot, and see a burning world, and the misery of the damned. But while Jesus descends as our salvation we shall glorify, and for ever admire him.—This will surely be thy experience and thy privilege, O believer, as sure as ever the Holy Spirit has brought you, in time, to believe on him, to seek him, rejoice in him, and live to his praise.

To close the history of Gideon—we find, that the Midianites in the dark, and in their terror, took their friends for their foes, and killed one another—one hundred and twenty thousand Midianites were slain; fifteen thousand got over Jordan with Zebah and Zalmunna, their kings.—Gideon pursued them at their heels. His men being faint he desired the elders of Penuel and Succoth, as he passed, to give them victuals; but they, accounting him a fool to pursue such an army with such an handful of men, refused his troops refreshment, which he, afterwards, justly resented.—After his victories the Israelites offered him the government of their country, which he as piously declined, and told them the Lord, alone, was their rightful sovereign.—Thus was Midian conquered in such a manner that they lifted up their heads no more, to threaten or overcome the Israelites.—After judging Israel seventy years, Gideon dies, leaving behind him seventy sons, all of whom were basely murdered by Abimelech.

We cannot close this history of pious, valiant, honored Gideon, without taking a view of the grand design of God the Holy Ghost, in this, as well as in many more instances of renowned warriors, pious judges, and noble deliverers.—I humbly conceive in the history of Gideon is sweetly exhibited the adorable Redeemer, as the Christ of God, as the Deliverer of his saints, as the Saviour of sinners, as the Judge of Israel, and the glorious leader of his people. His poverty and meanness, set forth the abasement and humiliation of him who was rich, yet, for our sakes, became poor, in every sense of the word. Gideon’s call to his work, sets forth Christ’s call to save sinners, which he willingly accepted for the sake of his Israel. Hence the Father, in the Covenant, is represented as saying, “I have called thee in righteousness; thou art my servant, in whom I will be glorified.” So the Redeemer says, “Now the Lord God, and his Spirit hath sent me—the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel.” The miraculous confirmation of Gideon’s call, leads us to remark the miracles of our blessed Jesus, as proofs of his Divinity, and to confirm his Messiahship as the sent of the Father; not forgetting the Father’s testimony at his baptism and transfiguration. The zeal Gideon shewed for the service of God, reminds us of him who once said, “The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up;” and who drove the buyers and sellers out of his Father’s house.—By a few weak, unarmed men, Gideon did wonders. What a type of him who, by a few poor illiterate preachers, sounding the Gospel trumpet, and displaying the light and fire from their earthen vessels, foiled sin and Satan, and the lying and delusive systems of Scribes, Pharisees, and idolatrous Priests, in the Jewish and Gentile world.—As Gideon invited others to share in his victories, so does our glorious Immanuel, Christ; having obtained peace by the blood of his cross, and wrought out a complete obedience, he invites his friends, and bids them an hearty welcome, with an “Eat, O friends.”—Gideon mildly pacified the unreasonable Ephraimites—and how mildly does our Jesus often pacify our rebellious spirits, when he overcomes us with sweet discoveries of his covenant love, tender mercy, covenant faithfulness, and finished work.—Gideon resented the cruelty of the men of Penuel, for refusing his men refreshment—he, tore flesh, killed their chief men, and destroyed their tower—a striking emblem how Christ will deal with mystical Babylon, and with all who deny his poor people help in time of need—(see the 25th Matthew) “When I was hungry ye gave me no meat—and these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.”—After his victories he arrives to great honor; and our Jesus is highly exalted. Gideon judges Israel; and all judgment is committed to Jesus.—Gideon asks a present of those for whom he had done so much; and Jesus says, “My son, give me thine heart!”—and by Paul, “I beseech you by the mercies you have received, to dedicate yourselves to God, which is your reasonable service.”

I cannot pass by this history without enlarging a little more, which I shall do, God leading me, only to make a few remarks, in a spiritual way, upon that part which I first read as a text; and I hope, without any injustice to the subject, or straining it, or putting a sense on it, that was never intended, there can be no impropriety in my leading the minds of my hearers from the lesser to a greater subject; and I must give it as my most decided opinion, that the greatest part of the Old Testament circumstances were really designed to hold forth something of Jesus, and the salvation of the Gospel. To exhibit from the text the Person and Work of the Son of God—to point out the qualifications and work of Gospel ministers, with an application of the text to the whole body of God’s elect, in the present state of things, is my design. The Person of Jesus, as God-Man Mediator, and the Redemption of men, by him, was exhibited to the Old Testament saints, by many figures; these, the excellent Milton stiles Religious Rights of Sacrifices; informing men, by types and shadows, of that destined Seed to bruise the Serpent—by what means he shall atchieve deliverance.—Our blessed Lord owns many of the shadows: the Apostle, or rather the Holy-Ghost by the Apostle, applies many others; the Brazen Serpent, Solomon’s Temple, the Prophet Jonah in the Whale’s belly, the Smitten Rock, the Vail of the Temple, the divided Waves of the Sea, the Cloud by Day and the Pillar of Fire by Night, with a vast many other emblems. Nor can I see why our blessed Jesus should not be pointed out to the faith and hope of God’s saints, by the lamp and pitcher, while he, at the same time sounded the trumpet of free grace and eternal mercy, which was “a savour of life unto some, and of death unto others.” May not the pitcher be an emblem of his earthen nature, and the lamp within, of his divinity—and by virtue of union of the two natures, our God is manifest in the flesh—married our nature, conferred an honor upon poor sinners that he never conferred on the angels. This was Job’s triumph, “in my flesh shall I see God.” He took part of the children’s flesh and blood; he was truly human—bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, without the intervention of a human father, but by the miraculous impregnation of the Holy-Ghost; so that his human nature appears to be the joint work of the Trinity—the Father provides it—“a body hast thou prepared me,”—the Son assumed it—“he took on him the form of a servant;”—the Spirit formed it—“that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God—thus the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” The lamp within the pitcher may be an emblem of his Godhead, as the light of life—he wrapped up his divinity in his manhood—here it was he concealed his glory: well may the Prophet exclaim, “Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel the Saviour.” What a mystery! a child born—“the everlasting Father, the mighty God.” How great is the mystery of godliness! Angels are amazed, saints admire, and sinners triumph—a God in every perfection, a Man in every faculty—God-Man—the fœderal head—the representative of his Church—the second Adam—a public person—that as Adam the first, was the head of all, as sinners, so Jesus should be the head of all his elect. How striking is the language of Milton, when he represents the Almighty Father thus addressing his eternal Son—

Be thou, in Adam’s room, the head of all mankind,
Tho’ Adam’s son; as in him perish all men,
So, in thee, as from a second root shall be restor’d
As many as are restor’d—without thee none.

This divinity often blazed through his humanity, in the miracles he wrought, which were done by his own eternal power and Godhead—the words he spoke, the tidings he foretold, but particularly his transfiguration on the Mount, when the light of his divinity shone so luminous, that his whole body, and even his raiment appeared like the sun in a case of chrystal. Peter calls it an excellent glory—St. John says we beheld his glory—the Evangelists say of those with him on Mount Tabor—and when they were awake, they saw his glory. The lamp may be a fine emblem of Jesus, as the light of life; this is peculiar to him as God, and as God-Man. The light is the most striking emblem of God Jesus; it is the life and beauty of every thing else—it hath a kind of omnipotency in it—a peculiar brightness and purity. He is the light of reason to all—he is the light of grace in the covenant—the light of truth in the word—the light of life in the souls of the elect, and the light of heaven in glory—the Lamb is the light thereof; the Lord is thine everlasting light, and thy God thy glory: this is the lamp of salvation, the light of the Gentiles and the glory of his true Israel—such Jesus is, and such his grace. O! may he shine on you!—this will engage your hearts to love, admire, adore, and praise his name for ever and ever.—As all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus, so all the blessings of an everlasting covenant is treasured up in him—all that we can possibly stand in need of, for time and eternity—blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him—all the fulness of blessings are in him, for his dear people’s use; hence, says one, “Out of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace.” These gifts could only flow to us through his obedience and death—the gift of the Spirit—access to God—spiritual knowledge and eternal glory. Not that the Redeemer is to be considered as purchasing these blessings; they were all given as the free, unmerited gift, of God—but it was necessary that Jesus should obey and suffer, that these gifts should flow to us in a way of justice and holiness, while the mercy and compassion of God was displayed. Hence he says, “If I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you—it is therefore expedient for you that I go away;” as it was necessary that the pitchers should be broken, that the blaze of light might appear—First, to overturn the enemies of Israel—Secondly, to deliver the people from their oppression—so, by the sufferings and death of the human nature of Christ, he overturned the kingdom of Satan, took away his power, and delivered his people from the law, the guilt of sin, and the powers of darkness—he, by his death, slew death, and him who had the power of death; and who hoped he should be the executioner of the penal sentence of the law, was disappointed—in seeing the great Deliverance that was brought about in such a wonderful way, he was foiled and spoiled, the curse of the law falling on Christ—enduring the curse which we had deserved—standing in our place, he fulfilled the law for us, by his holy life—made an atonement by his awful, though glorious death—sanctified the grave by his burial—and rose for the justification of all that believe in him. Here was the overcoming the sharpness of death, and the opening the kingdom of heaven to all believers; and upon his ascension to heaven, and sitting on the right hand of the Father, he obtained the gift of the Holy-Ghost, which was shed abroad on the Apostles; and all spiritual good for poor sinners. Thus, through the breaking the earthen pitcher, a light is made manifest; all covenant blessings flow to us, in a way honorable to God, and safe to man—and now we rejoice, that by him all that believe are justified from all things; and that the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin. But can we forget the trumpet of his voice of love and mercy, which he so often sounded during his public ministry? With what declarations of blessedness did he begin his sermon on the Mount—what sweet invitations did he give to poor condemned, sin-burthened souls, in these words, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden.—If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.—Behold the man—look unto me—Come ye to the waters.—All things are ready, come unto the marriage.—Behold the Lamb of God.” This is the inviting voice of the trumpet of the Gospel, as preached by the Lord Jesus—and though so melodious to a poor sinner; what solemn awful sounds were sometimes heard from his gracious and holy lips!—and how great the truth afterwards declared, that the ministry of Jesus is a savour of life unto life, or of death unto death. Hence, he said, “Wo unto you, Scribes, Pharisees, Hypocrites! Except your righteousness exceed the Pharisees, ye cannot be saved!—Except you repent, you shall likewise perish!—and because you say, we see, your sin remaineth.—For judgment am I come into this world, that those who see not might see; and those who boast of their light might be made blind.”

The victory, of Gideon was a display of the sublime perfections of Deity; and surely we see them more clear, and more glorified in the work of a sinner’s salvation: eternal love is the spring—infinite wisdom lays the plan—almighty power executes it—while mercy, grace, and compassion, justice and holiness, sovereignty and truth, appear glorious. Yes,

Here the whole Deity is known,
Nor dares a creature guess
Which of the Glories brightest shone,
The Justice or the Grace!

Secondly.—May not the pitcher, lamp, and trumpet, be an emblem of Gospel ministers, and their office in the Church of Jesus Christ? We have this treasure in earthen vessels—the Gospel is a treasure, because it exhibits the riches of God and of Christ, in mercy, love, grace, wisdom, and power; which are unsearchable, substantial, and satisfying—the repository, cabinet, or pitcher in which this treasure is, are earthen vessels. Most Divines are of opinion that the Apostle refers to the circumstance we are considering. It is our mercy the Gospel is put into such vessels—an Angel, commissioned from the high throne of God, however lofty his language, however kind his message, yet would not be a proper person to preach to the Church of God—Ministers must be men of like passions with the Church; have the same depraved nature; be taught by the same Spirit; have the same trials in body, soul, and circumstances; or how could they sympathize with the Church? Now, that all the excellency of the power of the word might be of the Holy-Ghost, (which is the grand design of God) he has kindly put this treasure of the Gospel in earthen vessels, brittle shells, baked earth—to shew the frailty of the bodies of the best of men—“Your fathers! where are they?” and “Do the Prophets live for ever?” This is to shew the outward meanness of those instruments the Lord makes use of; but few rich, honorable, or noble, are called to the work; and frequently the most useful have been poor illiterate common mechanics. God is determined to stain the pride of human glory—to this end he has chosen the base, the foolish, the weak, to accomplish the most noble purposes—earthen vessels, that they might not be too much exalted, least, if they fall they should get the more injury. God will have all the glory of a man’s salvation, and the power is to be attributed to him alone, and not to the eloquence or oratory, learning or piety, gift, or even grace of the speaker; they, as earthen vessels, are not to be put too low, least they should be spurned and kicked. God has put an honor on them, and they are to be honored and esteemed for their work’s sake: in the pulpit they are to know none; but aim at the glory of Christ and the good of his people—to keep back nothing that is profitable—to conceal no doctrine—to be ashamed of no ordinance—to connive at no error—to have no man’s person in admiration, but aim at the exaltation of free, rich grace, in the plan of salvation. They are called earthen vessels, to shew the mighty power of God in their support, being so weak in themselves; and the protection and wonderful deliverances of them in times of trouble. Hence the Apostle, personating them, says, “We are troubled on every side;” that is, by every one, saint and sinner; yet not so distressed as to be without hope or comfort—We are perplexed and know not what to do, nor which way to take; but not in despair of the Lord appearing and working salvation for us.—Persecuted, but not forsaken by our God—Cast down we sometimes are as an earthen vessel which may be cast out of man’s hand, in order to be dashed to pieces; but not destroyed—we are still safe in the hands of Christ, and kept by the power of God—and, indeed to what else can all this be ascribed? ’Tis surprising that earthen vessels should bear so much, and not fall or be dashed to pieces; for I think that Ministers have greater trials, greater enemies, greater sins, and of course, greater sorrows, than any other believers. The lamp in the pitcher, may be an emblem of that light which is peculiar to God’s Ministers—not only the common operations of the Spirit upon them, to constitute them believers in Jesus, but the light given them for the use of others—a greater degree of internal knowledge. Hence the exhortation, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works—Ye are the light of the world.” There is a knowledge essential to them as Ministers, and this is not human learning, though that is not to be despised, but it is the influence of the Spirit upon the mind, giving them to see, clearer than others, the plan of salvation, the depravity of human nature, the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the nature of the law, the glories of the Saviour, the danger of a form of godliness, without the power; the temptation, subtilty, and art of the Devil; the vanity of the world; and the dangerous tendency of all errors. These things ought to be well known by us as Ministers, that we may contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. What the Lord has taught us, experimentally, that we are to declare—as we have heard, so have we seen—of sin, the law, the Saviour, the world, Satan, and error. Hence the Apostle John says, “that which we have heard, which we have seen, and our hands have handled of the word of life; for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.—That which we have heard and seen declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us.”—This lamp, or light, is manifest by an ability to speak forth what they see and have been taught. It is given them for the use of the Church. Hence the Apostle says, “A measure of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal;” every Minister of the Gospel, for some purpose in the Church; and it is a sad pity for good men to fall out by the way, seeing God has allotted every man his peculiar work; and one Minister never can do the work of another; yet Satan is always setting brother against brother.—Some are calculated to alarm, some to warn, some to comfort, some to open dark mysteries, some to establish.—Paul was raised up to plant churches, where the Gospel had never been before—Apollos to water, comfort, establish, and build up those who had been planted. Ministers differ in their abilities—some have greater and some less; but these all worketh that self same Spirit, who divideth to his Ministers severally as he will, for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God.—This is the design of the Gospel Ministry. The breaking of these pitchers, that the light might appear, may be emblematic of the various trials and heart-breaking circumstances they meet with here below; and the more they are broken the clearer they shine—this is true of all believers, as well as Ministers in general.—May not the trumpets be an emblem of their message to God’s saints, which must give a certain sound? How necessary a Minister should be at a point about his own state. Only observe the preaching of those who are not—what legality—what ifs and buts—what a mixture of felt Law and unfelt Gospel—what dealing in terrors of death, hell, and damnation! How dismal the sound—how gloomy the countenance—how awful and tremendous the language in prayer, while in such legal bondage. Hence they sometimes begin with, Most dreadful God!—Most terrible Jehovah! How different the ideas and language of a soul in Gospel liberty—Blessed Lord—Gracious Father—Precious Immanuel—Friend of Sinners—Lord Jesus—My Father—My reconciled covenant, indulgent God. This is very different from the terrific language of those who are under the Law, for the Law always genders to bondage. Such men cannot give a certain sound—it is a sound of pardon, of life, of peace, of holiness, of good-will, and covenant-love, and mercy. We are to preach, and proclaim pardon to rebels, mercy to the miserable, deliverance to captives, peace to those who are convinced of their enmity—the trumpet of God is sounding abroad the language of mercy—salvation through blood; and while this comforts the saints it starves the hypocrite, confounds the Pharisee, and becomes the savor of death to all that hate it.—As the lamp gave light to the Israelites, and the trumpet was understood by them at the same time, it confused and over-turned the host of Midian; and sure I am that a faithful testimony for God and his truth, will never be out of the consciences of men, whether saints or enemies, in heaven and hell. Men cannot endure sound doctrine; they hate the light—they oppose those who preach it; and the worst term of reproach they can now load them with, or cast on them, is that of Antinomian, although those very characters know in their own souls they are not so.—But those Ministers that dare to be faithful to God and truth, are the only men who handle the Law, lawfully, hold it forth in its true spirituality, and point the sinner to look to Jesus as the end of it; and who can look further than the end?—Fear not, O ye Ministers of my God; arise! shine on!—set the trumpet to the mouth—proclaim a free-grace Gospel, and leave all consequences to God. Shine on, ye stars in the hands of your God! Ye are the light of the world—take no notice of the slanders of Legalists, moderate Divines, Arminians, Baxterians, Arians, Deists, and Socinians. By your preaching, praying, and living, shew that one is your master, even Jesus!—Permit me to introduce an Eastern Fable, as it is calculated to illustrate this point: “The Owls and Bats once joined in a petition to Jupiter, against the Sun; humbly shewing, that his beams were so troublesome that they could not fly abroad, for at least twelve hours out of the twenty-four. Jupiter seeing Phœbus shortly after, informed him of the petition he had received, adding, I shall, however, take no notice of the petition; and be it your business to revenge yourself, by shining.” You that preach the Gospel, “go, and do thou likewise:” Suppress no truth—keep back no part of the price, through the fear of men, or to procure the favor of men. Be bold for truth—the blood of souls stains deep! Remember the Apostle’s language, “Woe is me, if I preach not the Gospel—yea, woe is me, if I preach not the Gospel.”