1. In its nature [A vine is a proper emblem of fruitfulness: but an empty. vine, in a country so famous for its vineyards as Palestine, gives one a very strong idea of barrenness. Hence, when God was complaining of his people's unfruitfulness, he compared them to a vineyard, which, after the greatest pains and cost bestowed on its culture, brought forth nothing but wild grapes. In this view, an empty vine marks the depraved nature of those, who, notwithstanding all the labour with which they have been cultivated, remain "barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord:" who, instead of being "filled with the fruits of righteousness to God's praise and glory," can rise no higher than self, nor do one single act that is pleasing and acceptable to God.] 2. In its use [A barren vine is the most worthless of all things: other trees may be made useful in some way; but neither root nor branch, nor even the trunk, of a barren vine is good for any thing. Such worthless creatures are they who bring forth no fruit to God. They may indeed be good members of the community; but, as to all the great ends of their creation, they are of no use whatever: they bring no glory to God; they advance not the spiritual welfare of those around them; they attain not to any measure of the divine image. There is not any thing in the whole creation that does not answer the ends of its formation better than they. Well does our Lord compare them to "salt, which, when it has lost its savour, is unfit even for the dunghill."] 3. In its end [Our Lord has told us what will be the end of a barren vine. And shall not such also be the end of those who live to themselves rather than to God? Let our Lord determine this point also: and let "the unprofitable servant" not think himself secure on account of his freedom from gross sins; but remember that the best actions are to no purpose, if not wrought from a principle of love to God."] ADDRESS 1. Those who resemble an empty vine [The culture bestowed on you is worse than in vain, since it greatly aggravates your guilt. Guard then against self-deceit; and devote yourselves in body, soul, and spirit unto God. Above all, seek to be united unto Christ by faith: for it is only by virtue derived from Christ, that you can ever bring forth fruit unto God."] g Isaiah v. 4. k John xv. 6. h Ezek. xv. 2-5. i Luke xiv. 35. 1 Cor. xiii. 1. » Rom. vii. 4. John xv. 4. 2. Those who may rather be compared to fruitful vines [Occasional mixtures of self are no just ground to question our state before God: for there is much remaining weakness in the best. Nevertheless you must watch and pray against that base principle, and judge of your attainments by the degree in which self is mortified, and God exalted in your hearts.] CCCLXXXI. THE MEANS OF ATTAINING TRUE WISDOM. 1 Cor. iii. 18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. CONCERNING the nature of true wisdom, God and the world are at issue; the wisdom of man being foolishness with God, and the wisdom of God being foolishness with man. To what now must this be imputed? Is there any thing in the revelation which God has given us, that is contrary to right reason? or is it that man's reason is darkened, and that his intellectual powers, no less than his bodily appetites, are depraved by sin? We apprehend that an impartial judge will not hesitate long in determining this question. But here another question arises; How shall man in his present fallen state be brought to entertain the same judgment of things as God himself does? Must he get some new faculty, whereby he shall have an additional mode of perception? or is there any way whereby his present faculties, weakened as they are, may be made to answer all the purposes for which they were originally given? To this we answer, that man does not want any new faculty, but only a new direction to the faculties he already possesses. We have a film upon the organs of vision, which needs to be removed: and for this end we must go to him who has said to us, "I counsel thee to buy of me eye-salve that thou mayest see." To the same effect is the advice given us in the text; "If any Compare 1 Cor. i 18, 23. with iii. 19. b Rev. iii. 18. man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise;" let him acknowledge, that he cannot see clearly at present; and let him submit to the operation of God's word and Spirit: thus shall the film be purged away from his eyes, and he shall "walk in the light, as God is in the light." • This direction, we would now submit to your consideration; and for the fuller understanding of it, we will endeavour to set before you its meaning, its reasonableness, its importance. It cannot be supposed that we are to lay aside our reason: that were to "become fools" indeed. Reason, in those things that are within its sphere, is an useful, though not an infallible, guide. And, in the things that are beyond its sphere, it has its office: it ceases to be a guide indeed; but it becomes a companion, that must attend us every step we take, and often interpose its counsel in difficult conjunctures. To become a fool, in the sense it is enjoined in the text, implies two things; first, a consciousness of the weakness and fallibility of our reason, especially in things relating to God: and secondly, a willingness to submit our reason to the teachings of God's word and Spirit. That our reason is weak and fallible, we see every day and hour. How differently will men argue on the most common subjects, and yet with equal confidence of the truth of their opinions! How will those very arguments, which, under the influence of vanity, or interest, or passion, once seemed to a man unanswerable, afterwards appear to him frivolous in the extreme, when the bias that was upon his mind, has ceased to operate! But it is in things relating to God that the fallibility of our reason more especially appears. How ignorant are the heathen world respecting the will of God, and the way in which they are to obtain acceptance with him! And how crude are the notions, which many who have the Bible in their hands, form respecting the path of duty, and the way of salvation! How absurd, for instance, was the idea that Nicodemus formed of the new birth, when he conceived it to be a repetition of a natural birth! e 1 John i. 7. d John iii. 4, 9. Thus it is with many amongst ourselves: they cannot 'hear of the new birth, or of justification by faith, or of the influences of the Spirit, without annexing to them ideas, if not as gross, yet quite as erroneous, as those of Nicodemus. But we may presume that Christ and his apostles were right in their judgment of spiritual matters; and that others are right in proportion as they accord with them in sentiment, in spirit, and in conduct. In what light then will our boasted reason appear, if tried by this touchstone? Will not its dictates be found in direct opposition to the voice of inspiration, and consequently erroneous? Is there not such an universal departure from the scripture standard, that the few who adhere to it, are, as the prophet calls them, "Men wondered at?" To become a fool then, is to feel the insufficiency of our own reason, and to be sensible that we are exceeding prone to form wrong opinions on divine subjects, insomuch that we need at all times greatly to distrust our own judgment. But this expression implies also a willingness to submit our reason to the teachings of God's word and Spirit. Men who have a high opinion of their own reason, are ever ready to bring the word of God to their bar, and to pass judgment on it as true or false, according as it agrees with, or opposes, their own pre-conceived opinions. They are not contented to let reason judge, whether the revelation itself be from God or not? (that is its proper office, but, having acknowledged it to be from God, they proceed to determine on the points that are revealed, exactly as if they were able with their shallow reason to fathom the depths of divine wisdom. This disposition must be mortified; and men, however learned or wise in the estimation of themselves and others, must submit to "be taught of God." The only use of reason, as applied to revelation, is to ascertain, Whether the revelation, purporting to be from heaven, be indeed of divine authority; and, What is the true import of that revelation in all its parts. These two points being ascertained, it is not the province of reason to judge whether e Zech. iii. 8. VOL. IV. X John vi. 45. a thing confessedly revealed, be true or not: there faith steps in, and supplies the defects of reason; and assures the mind, that the point itself is true, because it is revealed; and that if its truth do not appear evident to the eye of reason, it is not from any irrationality in the point itself, but from a want of clearness in our reason to discern it, and a want of purity in our hearts to receive it. Thus, to become a fool, is to take the word of God with the simplicity of a little child; to acknowledge our inability to comprehend it; and to implore of God the influences of his Spirit, that "the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, we may be able to comprehend the heights and depths" of his revealed will. In short, it is to "receive with meekness the engrafted word, and to pray with Job, "What I see not, teach thou me;" or with David, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. "k Now it must be confessed, that this is humiliating to our proud reason; and that it is difficult for those who seem wise in this world," to condescend to receive instruction in such a way. But we shall find, that the apostle's direction, if duly considered, may be vindicated (as we are in the second place to shew) on the ground of its reasonableness. To become fools in order to be wise, however paradoxical it may appear, is, in the view of it before stated, most highly reasonable: for, in so doing, we acknowledge nothing, but what is undeniably true-and submit to nothing, but what we cheerfully submit to in the acquiring of human wisdom. We acknowledge nothing but what is undeniably true. Let us look into the scriptures, and see how our characters are painted there. In them we are told, that "the god of this world hath blinded our eyes:" that "we have walked hitherto in the vanity of our mind, having our understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in us, because of the blindness of our hearts:" that, on this very account, we |