As the Hart Panteth after the Water Brooks
panteih after the water brooka, so panteth ray aoul after ftst, y O God,” — Ps. xliL 1.;
These are supposed to be the words of David when he fled from his son Absalom. He seems to have been wandering in some solitary wild on the side of Mount Hermon, the stream of Jordan flowing at his feet David seems to hate been full of pensive meditation, for his enemies reproadied him daily, saying: “Where is thy God?” — nay, even Qui seemed to forget him; all his waves and bUlows were going over him — when suddenly a deer bounded past him. It had been sore wounded by the archers, or pursued by some wild beast on the mountains of the leopwliB. Faint and weary, he saw it rushing toward the flowing stxeaa, and quenching its thirst in the water brook. His soul wai quickened by the sight Is not this just a picture of what 1 should be? Is not my God to me all that the flowing stream is to that wounded deer? As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee 0 God.”
SERMON Lvni. 403
I do hope that many of you have come up this day with Ae same panting desire in your bosom. None but gracious flouls can pant after Grod, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. As the loadstone attracts nothing hut what is made of steel to itself, so an uplifted Sayiour, God manifest in the flesh, draws nothing but what is awakened by his own S^rit to him. May God enable me to show you shortly some of the reasons why the belierer pants after God!
I. 7%tf burden of sin makes the soul pant offer God, 1 Uhawakenea souls — those who feel no burden — do not pant after ChHsi, (1.) ^’The ^1 soul loathes the honeycomb.” Christ is the honeycomb which God has provided for poor sinners. The sweetest honey is to be found in the clefts of that Rock; but wiawakened persons are full — full of peace — full of business — ^fitll d pleasure. They have no desire after Christ — they loathe the honeycomb. (2.) Una wakened persons are “dead in trespasses and sins.” They are as dead to Christ and eternal things as the dead in the church-yard are to the things of this world. The dead bodies in the churchyard are at present within reach of the preacher’s voice. If they could look up out of their tves, they woidd see the table spread with the bread and wine; and yet when we speak they do not hear — they do not weep — their bosoms do not pant — they do not rise and come. Dear friends, the dead souls within the Chureh are just as dead as they. You too are within reach of the preacher’s voice *-you too can see Christ evidently set forth crucified; yet you have no desires after Christ. Your eyes weep not — your bosoms pant not — you have no heart-longings after Christ. (3.) When Israel was in the land of E^ypt, they had leeks, and onions, and garlic — they sat by the flesh-pots, and did eat bread to the full. They did not cry for manna — they did not seek water out of the flinty rock. So it is with those of you who are unawakened. You have got the leeks and the onions of this world’s pleasures, and profits, and diversions; and you care not for Christ, the bread of life. You do not pant after forgiveness and a new birth — you have no heart- longings for the living water, of which if a man drink he shall never thirst again.
2. Many awakened persons do not pant after Christ.
TOiere are some who feel like the deer stricken by the
archers; hut they think they can pull out the axro%^ ^ivd.
404 SERMON Lvm.
heal their own woundB. (I.) When Naaman the Syiian came to Elisha, he felt his loathsome disease, and he loDged to be cured; but when the prophet told him: ‘* Go w5di in Jordan seren times, and thou shalt be clean,” he did not believe God’s word: Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.“* So do many awakened souls among you. You are made to feel your loathsome disease — you sometimes tremble for fear of hell; but when we tell you of Christ’s blood cleansing irom all sin, you go away in a rage. (2.) When the flood came upon the earth, when the rain fell forty days, and the bowels of the great deep were broken up, I doubt not there were great pantings of heart. Manj fled from the wrath to come. Some fled to the top of snowy Lebanon — some to the peaks of Ararat; but Noah only believed God*8 word, and entered into the ark. So, many of you tremble about your souls, who yet are not believing God’s word, and not panting after Christ:” Ye wiD not come to me, that ye might have life.** (3.) When Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven, it is said all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. There will not be one unawakened person in earth or in helL Not the proudest and deadest of you will keep from trembling in that day. But, ah! it is only those who beliere his word that will flee under his wings. Dear friends, it is not enough that you are anxious about your souls — you must be fleeing to Christ; yea, you must be in Christ, before you are safe.
3. All who are taught of God long after Christ: *’ Every one that hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me *’ — “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out* When a sinner is convinced by God that his sins are a burden heavier than he can bear — that if he die they will crush him into an eternal hell; when convinced that God has provided a Lamb for a bumt-oflering — that this Lamb is free to all — he rushes through the crowd. Others may keep back, but he cannot. He places both his hands on the head of the divine Lamb, and says: ‘^ My Lord, and my God” —” This God is my God for ever and ever; he will be my guide evenimto deit** — ^’ A^ the hart panteth after the water brooks, so pantelYi m w «iV^T ^^?, If there is any ot you couTwwie x)!aaX ^wl «i ^t£1^
—that heaven is like a. great city with walls — that jon are outside, and the storm of wrath about to fall on jou; has God also convinced jou that Christ is the only gate into the city — the strait gate, and yet wide enough to admit any nhner in all the world? Ah! then I know you will strive to enter in — you will agonize — you will not rest day nor night: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” If there is any of you convinced iStkSLt sin is a mortal disease — that all other physicians are ▼ain — that Christ is passing through the midst of us full of virtue to heal — I know you will press forward, whatever others do: If I may but touch the hem of his garment I shall be healed “— “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”
I would tMHc invite panting souls to close with Christ. It is a sad truth, that most of Christians in our day are rather mmmg to Christ than come to Christ. Most of you are like the man slayer running toward the city of refuge, rather than when he sits down within the gates. O if you feel condemned in yourself, and that God has provided a free Surety for sinners, why will you not rest your soul upon his finished work? — why will you go round and round the city of refuge, and not enter in? This holy ordinance is intended to teach you impropriating faith — no more to waver, but to put out the band of faith and close with Jesus. You do not come to look at bread and wine, but to take it. Take, eat, O panting souls 1 May God give you light at the same moment to venture on Christ, and say: “This God is my God for ever and ever.”
II. Desire of holiness makes the soul pant after God.
1. Unconverted persons h(we no desire for holiness, and therefore they do not pant after God and Christ* Indeed this is the chief reason why poor sinners do not come to Christ They know that if they came to Christ they would get a new heart — they would bid an eternal farewell to their old companions and pleasures; but mpst people would radier go to hell than this. When a few Greenlauders were brought into this country, they saw no beauty in the rich oom fields, and woods, and plains; they asked for their fields of snow, and the mountains of ice glancing in the sun. When they oarae into our houses, they could not endure the cleanness of them; they greatly prefeTied tlielt QlrtLunoky £ltbj cabins. So it is with those of yoM ¥ilio «xft
40d UnUIOM LTIU.
imconrerted. You hare grown up .with hearts fiozai to
God, and to divine things; and when you come to see the
heart of a Christian like a garden, with the rirer of life
flowing through it, and beautiful flowers of meekness, loTe,
and holiness growing in it, you cannot hear the sight — j<m
lore your own frozen heart better. When you see the ckaii
heart of a child of God, you say: I had rather hare my
own filthy one. Ah! this is the way with most. Yon do
not long to be made holy — ^jou have no panting after anew
birth. It needs grace to desire grace. You do not dem
to be made a new creature — you had rather remain in die
image of the devil than be changed into the image of God.
You are like Jerusalem:” Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem!
Wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?”
2. But all saved souls pant after holiness. *’*’ As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” (1.) When a soul comes to close with Christ he is not made perfectly holy all at once: ^’ The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Just as you hare seen the day struggling with the darkness, then with clouds, till the sun bursts forth in Meridian splendour; so is it with the holiness of a Christian. Just as in the richest lands, afto* the deepest ploughing, weeds will still grow up among the com; so, many roots of bitterness remain in the believer’s heart. Paul thanked God for the grace that was given to the Corinthians — that they came behind in no gift; and yet he says they had strife, and envy, and divisions, so that he could not call them spiritual, but carnal. So is it with every Christian heart. Weeds grow up in the best cultivated gardens. There is enough in Christ to supply all our need. It is our own fault that we are not holy as God is holy. It is not in Christ, but in ourselves, that we are straitened. The shower of grace is plentiful enough, and more than enough; but we do not open our mouth wide. (2.) But every soul in Christ hates sin — pants after holiness. Nothing, makes him pant more after God than corruption striving within. Paul never prayed more earnestly than when he had the thorn in his flesh. The thom in the flesh makes us pant after God. When a vessel is left hj the tide lying dry upon the sand, it cannot be moved — it isa helpless log. The mariners may try to draw it with nfeSy but it only sinks deepei Va Xi «aaii. ‘^^afc <swcl ^<si xld;^^ 2>ut long for the tide, lxaV. Vt xsmk ^gjCvo. «i wlr lss
SBRM ON LYBI. * Wi
dM waves, and sail into the harbour. So is it with a Christ in. You are often like a vessel on the sand. You cannot move. You attempt duties, but it is hearj work. Without Christ jou can do nothing. You wait and pant ftr Christ, for the full tide of the Spirit, to lift jour soul abore the waves, and cany jou prosperously on toward the heavenly harbour.
JLet me invite weary souls to come to Christ tMs day. Some of you are feeling the thorn in the flesh, and you are piaying that it may depart from you. Some of you feel like the criminal who was chained to a dead body. You feel your loathsome body of sin — you cry: “O wretched man I” Some of you are like the deer that has been wounded by the lion, and trembles at its roaring. You have been wounded by Satan, and you tremble to hear bis roar. Come you to jfesus. He will give you rest, 0 panting soul. Close with Christ — feed upon Christ. Without him you can do no-Aing. Through Christ strengthening you, you may do all lungs. This ordinance is intended to teach you to feed on Jesus. You do not only look on the bread, or handle it — you eat — yoi drink. So come into personal union with Christ, 0 longing soul, and he will be your strength: God k our refage and our strength.”
III. Desolateness makes the soulpa^At €^er God.
1. Believers never should be desolate. It is contrary to the promise: ‘^ None of them that trust in him shall be desolate.” Christ is always the same. His righteousness is as perfect one day as another. If you are clothed in that rrhteousness, your peace should be like a river. It is very dishonouring to Christ for believers to be going bowed down aD the day long: Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say. Rejoice.’
2. Still I fear some of you can bear witness that the believer is sometimes very desolate. The moon does not always shine in a cloudless sky. The ships do not always sail on a waveless sea. The believer does not always walk in the smile of his Father. (1.) Outward providences sometimes cause it, when they come unexpectedly upon us — when we cannot see God’s meaning in them — when we suspect his love, and fall into darkness. So Job: “Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the nibt in whwh it was said, A man-child is conceived.” l*!,“^ “^ydl
admitted Into the heart is the most common cavxAe. Oo
408 SBlUiOK LTIII.
is a jealous God. So Israel: ‘’She said, I will go afler my lovers that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.”
3. The desolate soul pants after God. So it was with Job: **0 that I knew where I might’ find him, that I might come even to his seat.” So it was with the bride: “I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the broad ways.” So David: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, 0 God.” When a child that has been tenderly brought up, that has been warmly clad and comfortably fed, and cared for by a gentle mother s hand, when that child is turned out on the cold world, O it is bitter indeed! — O for my father s roof! O for my mother’s smile! So it is with a child of light walking in darkness.
Invite desolate souls to come to Gody the living God* Some of you may be feeling like a ship tossed on a stormy sea. Deep calls unto deep, at the noise of God’s waterspouts; all the waves and billows are breaking over yea. Be persuaded to close with Christ, freely offered to you. Put away entirely the question as to whether you ever believed before. Believe now. This ordinance is peculiarly fitted, for you. You say you cannot realize a Saviour; well, here he is set forth plainly in bread and wine: “This is my body, broken for you.” You say: But how shall I know he is a Saviour to me? See, here the bread is freely offered: “Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.” You say: But how do I know he is still offered to me? I answer, “Yet there is room.” Here is bread enough and to spare. You say: But may I really close with him? I answer, “Take, eat.” O panting soul, come under his wings. “The Spirit and the Bride say, Come.”
Dundee, Nov, 4, 1838. — (Action Sermon.)
SSRMON UX. ^9