Trait 14.

TRAIT 14.

His rejection of praise.

THE minister of the present day labours chiefly with a view to his own advantage and honour. He endeavours to please that he may be admired of men. “He loves the chief seats in synagogues,” public greetings, and honourable titles, Matthew 23:6, 7, thus tacitly challenging, by his unreasonable pretensions to the respect and homage of men, a part of that glory which is due to God alone.

A totally different character is maintained by the true minister. His discourses, his actions, his look, his deportment, all agree to say, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth’s sake,” Psalm 115:1. If the arm of the Omnipotent enables him to perform any extraordinary work, which the multitude do not immediately refer to the “Author of every good and perfect gift,” he cries out with St. Peter, “Why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness” we had performed what appears to excite your astonishment? “The God of our fathers hath,” upon this occasion, “glorified his Son Jesus; and the faith, which is by him,” hath effected this extraordinary work in the presence of you all, Acts 3:12, 13, 16. On all occasions he can say with the great apostle, “Do I seek to please men? If I yet pleased men,” unless for their edification, “I should not be the servant of Christ,” Galatians 1:10. “With me it is a very small thing, that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment,” 1 Corinthians 4:3. “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who trieth our hearts. Neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know; nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others,” 1 Thessalonians 2:4, 6. By such a conduct he distinguishes himself as a faithful ambassador of the blessed Jesus, who expressed himself in the following lowly terms to those who had reproached him with a spirit of self-exaltation: “I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. I seek not my own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. If I honour myself, my honour is nothing. It is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say that he is your God,” John 8:28, 50, 54.

There may be peculiar cases in which a ministering servant of God may be allowed to call upon Christians for a public testimony of their approbation; and when this is refused, he is justified in modestly calling their attention to every past proof of his integrity and zeal. Thus St. Paul, as a proper mean of maintaining his authority among the Corinthians, who had manifested an unjust partiality toward teachers of a very inferior order, entered into a long detail of those revelations and labours, which gave him a more than ordinary claim to the respect of every Church. But whenever he commended himself, he did it with the utmost reluctance, as one constrained by the peculiarity of his circumstances to act in immediate contrariety to his real disposition. Hence, whenever he recounts the particular favours with which God had honoured him, he speaks in the third person, as of another man: “Of such a one will I glory; yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities,” 2 Corinthians 12:5. “For we dare not make ourselves of the number of those who commend themselves, measuring themselves by themselves,” without any reference to the excellent graces and endowments of others. “But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth,” 2 Corinthians 10:12, 18. Nothing affords greater satisfaction to false apostles than commendation and praise; while the true minister shrinks with horror from those very honours which they assume all the forms of Proteus to obtain. When the multitude, led by their admiration of a faithful preacher, follow him with unsuitable expressions of applause, he meets them with unfeigned indignation, arrests their impious plaudits, and rejects their idolatrous adulations, crying out with St. Paul, “Sirs! why do ye these things? we also are men of like passions with you; and preach unto you, that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God,” Acts 14:13, 15. We are neither the way, the truth, nor the life: but we point to you that way which the truth has discovered, and through which eternal life may be obtained, entreating you to walk therein with all simplicity and meekness. And remember, that instead of affecting in our discourses that vain wisdom, which the world so passionately admires, we faithfully proclaim Christ: and, to humble us the more before God and man, “we preach Christ crucified,” 1 Corinthians 1:23.

By this humble carriage the ministering disciples of Christ are principally known. By this they copy the amiable example of John the Baptist, who cheerfully humbled himself that Christ might be exalted, crying out in the language of that self-renouncing teacher, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world! There standeth one among you whom ye know not, whose shoes’ latchet we are not worthy to unloose. We baptize with water; but he baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” Beware then of entertaining too high an idea of our ministry; and remember, that “He must increase” in your estimation, “but we must decrease,” John 1:26, 33; 3:30.

After beholding John the Baptist, who was accounted greater than any of the prophets, abasing himself in the presence of Christ; and after hearing St. Paul, who was far superior to the Baptist, exclaiming in the humility of his soul, “I live not; but Christ liveth in me,” how can we sufficiently express our astonishment at the conduct of those titular apostles, who either set up a vain philosophy in the place of Christ, or employ the cross of their Lord as a kind of pedestal for the support of those splendid monuments, by which their pride is endeavouring to perpetuate the memory of their eloquence. Self-conceited orators! When shall we rank you with the faithful ministers of the humble Jesus? When shall we behold the character you have assumed, and the conduct you maintain, sweetly harmonizing with each other? When shall we hear you addressing your flocks with the unaffected simplicity and condescension of the great apostle: “We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and,” far from elevating ourselves above you, on account of the commission we have received, “ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake,” 2 Corinthians 4:5. Then we might with propriety salute you as humble imitators of St. Paul, as zealous ministers of the Gospel, and as faithful servants of that condescending Saviour, who “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,” Matthew 20:28.