Dislike to Ministerial Faithfulness 3

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III. I shall now represent the FOLLY, the SIN, and the DANGER of a desire to suppress the faithful voice of truth—and to be flattered with the soothing language of deceit.

1. Its FOLLY is apparent from the consideration that no concealment of the situation of the sinner can alter his condition in the sight of God, or change the relation in which he stands to eternity. This—whatever pains he may take to delude himself, or whatever solicitude he may feel that others should join him in the delusion—remains the same. Like the ostrich, which is said, when closely pursued, to put her head beneath her wing, as if to blind herself to impending destruction—he may refuse to see or have his true situation unfolded—but the case is unaltered! Is it wise in the man who has nearly ruined his constitution by intemperance, to demand that the physician tell him that he is in good health, and is carrying on a harmless course of indulgence? Is it wise in the man who is wasting his property by neglect or extravagance, to persuade his friends to hush their reproving voice, and flatter him that his prosperity is secure? Would the deceit in the former case, change the condition of the patient? or the falsehood in the latter case, restore the fortunes of the spendthrift? How much greater is the folly of the sinner, who, instead of turning from sin to God, through faith in Christ, and thus getting rid of his alarms by abandoning his course of sin—refuses to change his conduct, and asks for a false representation of his real condition. He is like a blind man walking to the edge of a precipice—who solicits those who see his danger to tell him that he is safe. Of what avail will the sermons of the smooth-tongued preacher be to the victims of his wicked cajolery in another world? Such a ministry may blind the eyes and stupify the senses—but not avert the eternal destruction which is advancing silently and slowly—but certainly, notwithstanding the falsehoods of the blind leaders of the blind. Their flattery is not the last tribunal—theirs is not the ultimate decision. From their verdict there must be an appeal to the tribunal of an omniscient and holy God, whose judgment will be according to truth. Millions of sentences pronounced on character by human arbiters are perpetually revoked by Him. It is of no service, therefore, to gain the testimony of ministerial approbation—unless it is confirmed by God. Nor will it be any bar to his condemnation of any sinners at the last day—to affirm that they were flattered into a good opinion of themselves by the religious ministers. Myriads of souls are thus flattered into hell—but not one will ever gain heaven by deceit. The utmost, therefore, which could be gained by our prophesying smooth things to our hearers, would be their enjoying a little temporary ease—which would only be as the calm before the tempest.

2. The SIN of this disposition is equal to its folly. "This, then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed." (John 3:19-20)

It is sinful alike in its origin, its nature, and its consequences. It is PRODUCED by a confirmed and inveterate sinful habit of mind. Why does a person wish to have a false representation of his state? Why does he wish nothing to be said about his sins and their punishment? Why does he wish the demands of the law, in the way of duty, to be abated—and the terrors of its penalty softened? For this one reason—that as he is determined to go on in sin, he may be left to sin with less reluctance and remorse. He is in love with some evil course, and he wants to be left in it without disturbance. He is set against a holy life, and he therefore dislikes to hear anything about the fruits of sin.

As it is sinful in its origin, it is manifestly so in its NATURE, for it is the love of falsehood; a desire to confound the distinction between sin and holiness. The man who wishes the preacher to treat him as if he was in a state of safety, while he is himself conscious that he is unconverted, and exposed to the wrath of God—is guilty of the sin of calling evil good, of putting darkness for light, and bitter for sweet. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God!" His sinful disposition is at deadly enmity with the perfection of the Divine character. The holiness of God is the object of his abhorrence--as long as this exists he cannot be at perfect peace. The rays of Divine purity, as often as they fall upon his disordered mind, must disturb and exasperate it. He secretly wishes there was no Supreme Being--or that He was not holy. If his powers were equal to his desires, he would wrest the sword of justice from the hand of Deity, strip the character of Jehovah of the beauties of holiness, dash in pieces the tables of His law, overturn the throne of judgment, and establish the reign of anarchy, in order that he might sin in peace, and escape the punishment of his wickedness! The very existence of a holy God is, and ever must be, an annoyance to him, in whose mind there are combined the love of sin, a dread of its consequences, and a wish to be unmolested in his course of iniquity.

Nor is this all; in aiming to suppress the voice of warning and the note of alarm—he acts the part of that infatuated and cruel wretch, who would bribe the sentinel to be silent—when the foe is about to rush, sword in hand, into the camp! Or he would seduce the watchman to be quiet—when the fire had broken out at midnight, and was raging through the city! For thus says the Lord, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. If I say to the wicked person: You will surely die, but you do not warn him—you don't speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life—that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood." (Ezekiel 3:17-18)

Under such peril would the prophet of the Lord comply with the wishes of those who would have him keep back the words of the Most High, and comfort those whom he had commanded to alarm. His own salvation is at stake—his own eternal perdition would be the punishment of his treachery. The crime of the sentinel who betrays an army and ruins an empire by his lack of vigilance, or by his treachery, is venial—a mere trifle compared with that of a minister of religion who cries peace to the wicked, and prophesies deceit! He allows the tide of perdition to flow in silently and slowly upon immortal souls! He allows the enemy of souls to come in and wander at his leisure! He allows the fires of the bottomless pit to kindle and rage unchecked—and what does he deserve?

Yet those who ask for smooth things for the ear and the conscience of the sinner, are soliciting him to commit this crime and do this mischief—they are bribing him to ruin his own immortal soul, and the souls of those who hear him—that they may be permitted to go on quietly in sin. Little do they know, and less do they care, what havoc they would make in the eternal interests of mankind, if they could have their wish, and render the pulpit an oracle of flattery and lies!

As it is, the voice of alarm is not always successful; multitudes rush onwards to their ruin, notwithstanding the most faithful and repeated warnings. They are not turned back—but like the infatuated and obstinate Balaam, they force a passage to their destruction, in opposition to the preacher, though he stands, like the angel of the Lord, with a flaming sword across their path. What, then, would be the case if he stood in the very midst of the broad road, and by his soft speeches, and smooth doctrine, confirmed the habits and sanctioned the course of the multitude running to do evil—and from thence to the bottomless pit!

3. The DANGER of such a disposition to the individual himself, is as great as its sin and its folly. The man who is unwilling to hear of approaching misery, is not likely to use any means by which it may be averted. His object is present repose—not future and permanent safety. While a person can look an apprehended calamity in the face, especially if it is a calamity which it is in his power to prevent; while he can allow himself to calculate consequences and anticipate results; and, above all, while he opens his ear to the monitory voice of concerned and faithful friendship, and solicits the counsels of unbending integrity—there is hope of his escape. But if, through a fearful or obstinate temper, he will hearken to no advice; if, through a dread of knowing his real situation, he will close his ears against every warning; if, through a fatal love of present tranquility, he will listen to no prediction of coming mischief; if, through a determination to think well of his case—he rebukes those who admonish him to alter his course of action while yet he has opportunity—his peril is extreme, and his destruction draws near!

Such is the condition of many in reference to eternity. They are living without saving religion—or with only such as is absolutely delusive! They are going on every moment to the judgment of the great God, without being prepared for the tribunal. The minister whom they hear sees their danger, and, in faithful affection for their souls, attempts to disturb their peace, by showing them their situation. To preach smooth things to them would be to become accessory to their destruction, and he therefore sounds the unwelcome, but seasonable note of alarm. But they will not hear him; they have made up their minds to think well of their case; they shun his advice, as well as the counsels of all those who could do them any good, and listen only to the opinions and flatteries of such as are blind leaders of the blind! Instead of wishing to know the real state of the case—their only wish is to be deceived! Instead of running to the physician—their aim is to persuade themselves that they do not need him! Instead of anxiously enquiring, "What shall I do to be saved?" they do not see their danger of being lost! Instead of fleeing from the wrath to come—they covet to be let alone! It is only by a faithful disclosure of their situation that they can escape—but they will not hear it! Like the man whose house is on fire over his head, and who is angry with neighbors who have disturbed his slumbers and alarmed his fears—they entreat that nothing may be said to them about the quenchless fire, although it is kindling around them! They take pains to be lost—and are offended with the people who would save them!

Having changed their place of hearing the word, in order to be at ease in their sins; having left the man whose thunders were perpetually breaking in upon their 'fatal repose', for one of those guilty creatures whose soft whispers lull their devoted hearers to the sleep of death; they obtain, under his soothing discourses, that which they sought—ease from the stings of conscience, and from the anticipations of judgment to come! There, indeed, they are sometimes gently reproved for the grosser eruptions of carnal appetite, and reminded to be a little more virtuous—but, at the same time, are furnished with excuses drawn from the 'weakness of humanity', comforted with assurances of God's indulgence to the frailties of his erring creatures, and reminded that any considerable defects in virtue may in due season be repented of, or made up, by some extra acts of charity or devotion. Conscience is bribed and deceived! From that moment, the poor wretched creature is at ease in Zion—resists and resents every attempt to undeceive him—hugs to his bosom the lie which is destroying him—lavishes his compliments and caresses upon the false prophet that is the accomplice of his soul's murder—lives in peace, dies perhaps in tranquility!

But there the delusion ends! For "in hell he lifts up his eyes, being in torment!" He who on earth would not hear of his sin—now feels all its bitter consequences—when repentance is too late, and where pardon never comes at all. He who on earth reviled the faithful minister—now curses the preacher of smooth things. He that on earth could never bear to hear of the bottomless pit—is now in the midst of it! He that wished his imagination never to be terrified by the flame of the burning lake—is now tossed upon its billows! He had his wish, for he heard the tongue of flattery, and selected a false minister of religion, who caused the Holy One to cease from before him—and now he is in that horrible place, where the dreadful form of holiness, as it is seen in retributive justice—is the chief object that will ever be present to his astonished, affrighted, and agonized spirit! He chose rather to be flattered to his ruin—than alarmed to his salvation! He has his choice, and proves now the truth of that fearful declaration, "If such a man, hearing the words of this curse, takes comfort in the thought that he will have peace even if he goes on in the pride of his heart, taking whatever chance may give him—the Lord will have no mercy on him, but the wrath of the Lord will be burning against that man, and all the curses recorded in this book will be waiting for him! He will be marked out by the Lord, for an evil fate, in keeping with all the curses of the agreement recorded in this book of the law." (Deuteronomy 29:19-21)

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