III. Time fails me, so I must speak of THE CASE OF SPECIAL SAINTS, those
who are in a peculiar sense men greatly beloved.
There are some men who are, as I said at the beginning of my discourse,
elect out of the elect. Remember, that Christ had seventy choice men, his
disciples; but then he had twelve choicer men, his apostles; and he had
three of these, who were with him when the others were not; and out of
these three he had one John, “that disciple whom Jesus loved.” His love
is so sweet, that, while I would be grateful to be even outside the seventy,
so long as I might be among the five hundred brethren who saw him
after he rose from the dead, yet I would then have the ambition to get in
among the seventy; and not for the honor of it, but for the love it would
bring, I would like to be out of the eleven; and for the same reason I
would fain to be one of the three, and I would, above measure, be
thankful if I might be that one whom Jesus loved. Have you not the same
holy aspiration?
Well, now, let me tell you that, if you would be among the choicer
spirits, greatly beloved of God, you must be men of spotless character.
Christ loves great sinners; and even saints that fall, and stain their
garments, he will not cast away; but you will never enjoy the fulness of
Christ’s love unless you keep your garments unspotted from the world.
You cannot find a fault in Daniel; and if you want to live on earth so as
to be in heaven while you are here, and to drink the wine of Christ’s love
to the bottom of the chalice, even the spiced wine of his pomegranate,
you must watch every step, and observe every word; for our Lord is very
jealous, and half a word of evil will grieve him. If you would walk in the
light as he is in the light, and have constant fellowship with God, I
beseech you, be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect, and follow after unsullied holiness. The pure in heart shall see
God. Oh, that you might everyone have this purity! It is those who have
not defiled their garments who shall walk with Christ in white.
The next point is, that men who are greatly beloved are men of decision.
When Daniel had the lions’ den in prospect, because of his faithfulness to
his God, “he went into the house; and his window being open in his
chamber towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a
day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”
There was no compromising in Daniel’s case. If you want to be greatly
beloved, do not attempt any compromise with sin. Have nothing to do
with policy, and craft, and holding with the true and the false at the same
time. If God is to use you in his service, you must be like the tribe of
Levi, separate from your brethren, and you must ever be ready to stand
up bravely for God and for his eternal truth at any cost. It is my earnest
desire that we may have in this church many men and women of this
kind, who will be, as Mr. Moody puts it, out and out for Christ.
Next, if your would be men greatly beloved of God, beyond all the rest of
his people, on whom special shinings of his face shall come, you must be
much in communion with him. Daniel fasted and prayed, and communed
with God with cries and tears; and God came and revealed himself to
him. He was greatly beloved, for he lived near to God. He was no far-off
follower of his Lord. He dwelt in the full blaze of the Sun of
Righteousness.
If a man is to be greatly beloved of God, he must live above the world, as
Daniel did. Daniel became a prince, a governor, a man of substance and
position; but when Belshazzar promised to clothe him with scarlet, and
to put a gold chain about his neck, if he could read and interpret the
writings on the wall, he said to the king, “Let thy gifts be to thyself, and
give thy rewards to another.” Daniel did not want them. When he
became great in the land, he walked with God as he had done when he
was poor. It is a dangerous thing for some people to be made much of in
this world; their hands soon get turned, and they begin to think too much
of themselves. He who thinks that he is somebody is nobody; and he
whose head swims because of his elevation, will soon have it broken
because of his tumbling down from his lofty position. Daniel was a man
greatly beloved, and God showed him his great love by setting him in
high places, and keeping him there in safety.
Once more, men who are greatly beloved by the Lord live wholly for God
and for God’s people. You see nothing of selfishness about Daniel. He
neither seeks to be great nor to be rich. He loves his own people, Israel;
he pleads with God for the seed of Abraham. He is patriotic. He loves
Jehovah, and he pleads with him for God’s own people. Now, if you want
to be greatly beloved, give yourself up to the service of God and his
church.
“Ye that are men, now serve him,
Against unnumbered foes;
Your courage rise with danger,
And strength to strength oppose.”
No man need wish to be born in a time more suitable for heavenly
chivalry than this. To stand alone for God in such an evil age as this, is a
great honour. I pray that you may be able to avail yourselves of your
privileges. How few care to swim against the current! A strong stream is
running in opposition to the truth of God. Many say that the Bible is not
half inspired. Many are turning away from Christ, refusing to
acknowledge he deity, and some blasphemously speak of his precious
blood as a thing of the shambles. O sirs! If somebody does not stand out
to-day for the cause of God and truth, what is to become of the nominal
church and of a guilty world? If you are loyal to Christ, show it now. If
you love him, and his infallible Word, prove it now. Then shall you hear
him say to you also, “O man greatly beloved, go thou thy way till the end
be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” God
grant it for Jesus’ sake! Amen.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
