LIGHT OF SALVATION***


Transcribed from the 1810 Ann Kemmish edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org





                           SPIRITUAL VICTORIES,
                               THROUGH THE
                          _Light of Salvation_.


                                * * * * *

                         BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF A

                                 SERMON,

                Preached on SUNDAY, March the 11th, 1810,

                                  AT THE

                             OBELISK CHAPEL,

                                * * * * *

                              BY J. CHURCH,
                          Minster of the Gospel.

                                * * * * *

                         _PUBLISHED BY REQUEST_.

                                * * * * *

      “O House of Jacob, come ye, let us walk in the Light of the Lord.”

                                * * * * *

                               _SOUTHWARK_:
              Printed by ANN KEMMISH, King-Street, Borough.

                                * * * * *

                                  1810.

                                * * * * *




_PREFACE_.


_TO those Friends who requested the Publication of this Sermon_—_I have
only to say_, _I have endeavored to recollect a considerable part of it_;
_many ideas I have omitted_, _and others I have introduced_, _as I had
not the least intention of making this public_, _nor should I but for
your very pressing solicitation_.  _I would remark by way of Preface_,
_that the success of Sermons_, _in point of usefulness_, _depends upon
the operations of God the divine Spirit_; _and these influences are
entirely sovereign_.  _That although this Sermon was blest to you in the
hearing_, _it may not be so to you in the reading_—_nevertheless_, _as
the friends of immortal truth_—_you being in the possession of that love_
(_which rejoiceth in the truth_) _will also rejoice in every attempt to
exalt the Person of Jesus as the truth_; _to comfort and establish
Believers in the truth_, _and to encourage all the heralds of truth_, _to
be faithful unto death_.  _I have sent forth the truth in a very plain
style_; _to you who know her excellencies she will shine with unfading
charms_; _while you adore the God of all grace_—_and I subscribe myself_,

                             _Your willing Servant in the cause of truth_,
                                                              _J. CHURCH_.




A SERMON.


                        JUDGES viith Chap. 20th Verse.

    “_And the three companies blew the trumpets_, _and brake the
    pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands_, _and their
    trumpets in their right_, _to blow withal_; _and they cried_, _The
    Sword of the Lord and of Gideon_!”

THE history of the church of God, in all ages past, as recorded in the
Scriptures, is intended by the Spirit to exhibit many things of vast
importance to us, on whom the ends of the world are come.

FIRST.—The rebellion, ingratitude, and idolatry of the Israelites, give
us an awful proof of human depravity, and teach an humbling lesson to the
spiritual Israel, who have the same sinful nature, are prone to the same
sins, and would often fall into them and their consequences, but for the
grace of God.

SECONDLY.—The patience and long-suffering of God, particularly marked out
in this history—he bare long with them; his mercy was extended,
prolonged, and manifested to them, notwithstanding all their
provocations, in forgetting his deliverances of them in times past, and
practising the same sins he had before resented.

THIRDLY.—His disapprobation of their conduct, and the means he took to
testify it, are set before us.  Our God is never at a loss for means to
accomplish his wise and holy purposes of justice or mercy, as is evident
from the history before us.  The blessed Spirit operating upon the souls
of his people, often by his influence reproves their consciences of sin,
as it is so opposite to the purity of that divine nature, or holy
principle he has blessed them with.  Sin, committed by a believer, is a
transgression of the law, or dictates of faith; for there is no sin,
condemned under the first covenant, but what, under the covenant of
grace, is pointed out in more odious colours.—Hence the idolatry,
rebellion, and ingratitude of the believer, are seen and lamented by him
as a child of God; and as God the Spirit communicates light to his
understanding, to discover it as sinful, he perpetually testifies that
his sins are more sinful than those who know not God.

FOURTHLY.—The inseparable connection between sin and sorrow, is felt by
all, both elect and non-elect.  By nations, families, and individuals,
the moral and penal evils of the Fall, will be, must be, and are felt by
all.  The non-elect feel it in many awful forms, as transgressors, in the
curse of the ground, in the calamities of war, in all the dreadful
horrors of a guilty conscience, and in the wrath of a sin-avenging God.
Nations feel it universally; this is evident by the calamities which
befell the land of Canaan—so the 6th Chapter begins: “And the children of
Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them
into the hand of Midian.”  Their sin was resented in this form, by the
Lord—the prevailing of their enemies, which forced them to hide in dens,
caves, mountains, and strong holds—their enemies destroyed the increase
of their country, and reduced them almost to a famine; “and Israel was
greatly impoverished because of the Midianites” and people of Arabia.

FIFTHLY.—The tender mercy of God the Saviour appears as remarkable in
their deliverance; in the remembrance of his covenant of old, with their
fore-fathers; his good hand was seen in bringing them out of trouble,
although they had brought these troubles on themselves—what a solemn, but
gracious proof; “O!  Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself! but in me is
thine help.”  And what encouragement does this give to poor backsliders
to return to Jesus, their first husband; for although they have brought
these troubles on themselves, yet Jesus is ready to deliver them!  What a
striking account does the pious Nehemiah give of the conduct of the
Israelites, and the goodness of God to man—9th chap. 28th verse; “But
after they had rest, they did evil again before thee, therefore thou
leftest them in the hands of their enemies, so that they had dominion
over them; yet when they cried unto thee thou heardest them from heaven;
and many times thou didst deliver them, according to thy tender mercies.”

SIXTHLY.—I remark again, that our God has ever manifested himself a God,
hearing prayer: the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, and the Lord
sent a prophet to them; and after reproving them, we have an account of a
deliverer, raised up by the Lord himself.  What encouragement does this
give to us in all our trials, without and within, whether in body, soul,
circumstances, family, or nation.  God has even condescended to hear the
cries of many who had no grace, yet, led by the light of nature to call
on him in trouble; and will he turn a deaf ear to his saints in trouble?
surely not.  Believer, the remedy’s before thee—PRAY.

In taking one more view of this history, we must admire the conduct of
God in over-turning all the schemes of men, their wisdom, counsel, and
power: that in providence as well as in grace, his wisdom, power, and
faithfulness, might be clearly seen and adored by his people.  His wisdom
in the permission of the Fall, and its awful consequences, seems to go
before, and make way for the displays of his love, mercy, power, and
faithfulness.  This is seen in his dispensations, generally, and
particularly in grace & providence.  How often has infinite wisdom
permitted heavy troubles to come on the Church, to wean her from the
creature—to shew her the value of Jesus, as a deliverer—and to lead her
to him by many intreaties; that while we feel our strength perfect
weakness, we may the more clearly discover the good hand of our God, in
our support and deliverance, and give him the glory due to his name for
it.  The principal end God has in view in all his dispensations, is his
own glory—this is the first cause and last grand end of all things—“for
of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.”  Had the victory we
are considering been gained by well disciplined men, led on by wise,
noble, valiant generals, who had often been successful in war—had this
been the case, the creature would have been extolled, and God nearly
forgotten.  But this victory was a display of the power of Jehovah—his
hand clearly seen, his mercy displayed, and all the honor given to him to
whom it is due.  The means, the feeble means the Lord made use of were
simply, a weak un-armed man, with only three hundred men, led by him,
with lamps, trumpets, and pitchers—to carnal reason a very unlikely
method to conquer two hundred thousand Midianites, well skilled in the
art of war.  But this was God’s method, and we have a right to submit our
wisdom to God’s plan; “for my thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor my
ways as your ways, saith the Lord; for as the heavens are high above the
earth, so are my ways above your ways.”  And this victory, through such
feeble means, is a confirmation of this truth—the angel Jehovah Jesus,
appeared to Gideon as he was threshing wheat, in a secret place, to hide
it from the enemy; and assured him, that however mean himself and family
were, he should deliver Israel from their present servitude.  Gideon,
astonished at such an appearance, such a salutation, and such a
declaration, began to ask, “How this could be?”  The blessed Jesus tells
him, “Surely I will be with thee.”  Gideon, like the rest of God’s
people, could not give God the credit of God, nor take him at his word—he
could not honor him by believing on him, and prays, “If I have found
grace in thy sight, shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.”—As
believers in Jesus, we are called to walk by faith, and not by sight, as
seeing him who is invisible, or out of sight—depending on his word, oath,
and faithfulness, as the word of a covenant God, who cannot lie: this is
honoring Jesus—yet God condescended to give Gideon the request of his
lips; and to confirm his faith, he, with a rod, touched the rock, and
caused fire to come out of it, and, consume the slain Kid and unleavened
cakes, all moistened with the broth, which Gideon, at his command, had
put thereon.  Gideon was fearful and apprehensive of immediate death, as
he had seen an angel; but the Lord kindly assured him that he was in no
danger.—How strange and groundless the fears of God’s people—frequently
they take covenant-love dispensations as tokens of wrath; forgetting it
is written, “I will no more be wroth with thee, nor forsake thee.”—We are
seldom satisfied with the wise and gracious conduct of our God; when we
have no sign or clear evidences we murmur—when we have we often fear they
are not of a right kind.  Well may saints be called children, seeing they
possess the weakness of them.

After this, Gideon built an altar, and called it Jehovah Shalom—believing
what the Lord had declared, “that he would send peace to Israel.”  It is
worthy of observation, that the people of God only rear up altars to the
Lord, as they believe in him—there is no praying or praising but by faith
in Jesus; this leads the soul out to God, and “without faith it is
impossible to please God.”  Gideon then testified his zeal for the
service of God, and in God’s strength he threw down the altar of Baal,
and cut down the grove that was by it.  This shews the effect of faith in
Jesus; it is a faith which worketh by love to God’s service, and produces
a zeal for his glory.  This alarms Satan, who stirs up persecution
against all who love the Redeemer’s cause, as in the instance of
Gideon—his fellow-citizens sought his life, for opposing their idolatry;
but Joash, his father, remonstrated with them, that it did not become the
people of God to plead for Baal; and that if Baal was truly God, he ought
to exert his power in punishing those who had broken down his altar; and
he called his son Jerubbaal, that is, let Baal contend with himself (if
he can).

Understanding the Midianites had crossed Jordan, Westward, and were
encamped in the valley of Jezreel, at no great distance—filled with the
Spirit of God, as a spirit of courage, Gideon sounded a trumpet, and
assembled his friends, to the number of thirty-two thousand men.  But,
alas! what was this little army to meet and encounter with two hundred
thousand!  Perhaps his heart might fail him once more—he begs another,
even a double sign.  We must never forget that God has said “Open thy
mouth wide; ask great things;”—the Lord graciously answers him, and by
bedewing a fleece of wool, while the adjacent ground was dry—and again
bedewing the ground, while the fleece of wool was dry, the Lord confirmed
his doubtful mind.  Thus assured of victory Gideon marched his forces
directly towards the Midianites.  What the army thought we know not, in
their march, knowing their fewness and the vast army of the other—but
every natural gift is of the Holy-Ghost, as the God of nature and
providence, as well as every spiritual one; and all the wisdom and
courage of warriors are the work of God the Spirit, and no man has any of
these gifts inherent in himself, they are the peculiar gifts of God, to
answer his holy purposes.  And now Gideon’s faith is put to a double
trial.  If God gives his people grace, he tries that grace, especially
the grace of faith.  At the well of Harod God ordered him to warn his
army, that every one who was timorous should return home, and there
returned home twenty-two thousand! so that Gideon was left but with ten
thousand.  God was wisely securing the honor of this victory to
himself—hence he assigns this reason, “lest Israel vaunt themselves and
say, Not the Lord, but mine hand hath done this:” and so it is in our
salvation—God has wisely permitted man to become as weak as he was
wicked, that he might take occasion to honor the riches of his grace, in
saving those who could not save themselves: and how often is this seen in
his providential dealings, when brought into circumstances of sore trial,
and every door shut up? then it is that the Lord’s hand is more clearly
seen, and the glory redounds to him.  His glory is great in our
salvation—this made the ancients say, “When the bricks are doubled, then
comes Moses;” that is, “Man’s greatest extremity is God’s opportunity.”

Gideon’s faith is tried again: “The people are yet too many for me,”
saith the Lord.—He was then ordered to cause all of his people to drink
out of the river, without using any vessel.  On this trial only three
hundred lapped the water, putting their hands to their mouths; the rest
bowed on their knees to drink water.  This was emblematic of their
spirits and minds—some, apparently careless of their country, took their
ease at the water-side—the three hundred, set upon the battle, (which
they saw God’s hand was in), they only lapped the little out of their
hands they had hastily caught up.  What an emblem of the different
characters that compose the visible church of Jesus—some who only have a
name to live, and are dead! who are taking their ease in Zion, and
resting beside the waters of creature comforts; while the humble and
zealous believer is using the world as a traveller at an Inn, knowing
that he is but a stranger and a pilgrim here below; and that as he is
engaged in a warfare, it will not be for God’s glory to load himself with
thick clay.  The Lord then says, “By the three hundred men that lapped
will I save Israel.”—These three hundred were ordered to provide victuals
for some days; and each a trumpet, a lamp, and a pitcher.  We hear
nothing of arms; but, just before the victory, Gideon and Phurah his
servant, went into the Midianitish camp, at night, as directed of God.
Here, for the confirmation of his faith, and once more, to assure him of
success, he heard a soldier in the host tell his comrade of a strange
dream he had, of a barley cake rolling from the hill, and over-turning
his tent.  The other explained the dream, and said, “This is no other
than the Sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel, for into his
hand hath God delivered the Midianites.”—Doubtless the Midianites had
heard before that the God of Israel had raised up one to oppose them; but
they were not intimidated with that, perhaps only laughed at the weakness
of the Israelites, in placing any dependence on their God—as Satan and
the world, pharisees, and hypocrites, laughing at believers, walking by
faith, and not by sight; it will be the believer’s turn to laugh another
day, when their enemies shall gnaw their tongues in anguish, and say, We
fools counted their lives madness, and their end without honor.

Gideon was now encouraged, divided his army into three companies, and
ordered them to imitate him in all he did—16th verse; “And he divided the
three hundred into companies,” one hundred in each company, partly to
make the better figure; a shew of an army, with right and left wing, and
partly that they might fall upon the camp of Midian in different
parts—and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand—they that returned of the
trumpeters having left their trumpets behind, so that there was a
sufficient number of trumpets for three hundred men; and these were put
into their hands, that when they blew together the noise would be very
great, and it would seem, by the noise, like a great army, and so terrify
their enemies.  “With empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers:” the
pitchers were of earth, and so very easily broken, and made a great noise
in clashing together one against another; and these were empty of water,
or otherwise would not have been fit to put lamps into—and the lamps put
into them were not of oil, for then when the pitchers were broken the oil
would have run out—but were a kind of torches, made of rosin, wax, pitch,
and such like things; and these were put in the pitchers to preserve them
from the wind, and conceal them from the enemy till just as they came
upon them, and then they held them out—which, in a dark night, would make
a terrible blaze, as before this they were of use to light them down the
hill to the camp.  Gideon stood forward first, and as he acted so were
they to act; and as they were acting so they were to exclaim, “The Sword
of the Lord and of Gideon!” or, for the Lord and for Gideon.  The name
Jehovah, these heathens might often have heard as the God of Israel, and
would now sound dreadful to them; and the name of Gideon also:—this was
the reason why Gideon is added, and not out of arrogance and vanity, but
put after the name of the Lord, as being only an instrument the Lord
thought fit to make use of; but all the glory belonged to the Lord.

Verse 19.—So Gideon, and the three hundred men that were with him, which
was one of the three companies his army was divided into, came unto the
out-side of the camp, in the beginning of the middle watch, (the second
watch).  In early times the Jews divided their nights into three watches;
Gideon choose the middle—had he come the first, all might not have been
in bed—had he come the last, some might have been rising; but he took
this time, a little after midnight in the dead of the night, when the
whole army was fast asleep—and the three companies blew the trumpets, and
brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the
trumpets in their right hands, to blow withal—and they cried, The Sword
of the Lord, and of Gideon!  The noise, and the blaze of light were very
surprising to the host of Midian, just awaking out of their sleep,
perhaps—an awful emblem of the surprise a soul experiences, when it
leaves the body without a hope, and without a God!—a greater emblem of
that period, when the midnight cry shall be made—when the arch-angels
trumpet shall wake the dead!—shake the vast creation when the blaze of a
burning world, and the sword of vindictive justice shall be seen.—“The
host of Midian ran, and cried, and fled.”—Such shall the terror be in
that dread moment.  See this finely represented by the excellent Admiral
Kempenfelt, who was drowned in the Royal George, and who composed some
excellent verses on the Last Day.  I will only mention these two verses,
as suitable to this subject, and will be acceptable to the believer,
while it is a terror to those Midianites who will experience the horrors
of that day.—

    Hark! ’tis the trump of God
    Sounds thro’ the worlds abroad—
          Time is no more!
    Horrors invest the skies!
    Graves burst and myriads rise!
    Nature, in agonies,
          Yields up her store.

    Chang’d in a moment’s space!
    See the affrighted race
          Shrink and despair!
    Now they attempt to flee—
    Curse immortality?
    And view their misery
       Dreadfully near!

But while the Midianites fled, the Israelites stood every man in his
place;—so it will be at the final consummation of all things.  Clothed in
the righteousness of Jesus, we shall stand in our lot, and see a burning
world, and the misery of the damned.  But while Jesus descends as our
salvation we shall glorify, and for ever admire him.—This will surely be
thy experience and thy privilege, O believer, as sure as ever the Holy
Spirit has brought you, in time, to believe on him, to seek him, rejoice
in him, and live to his praise.

To close the history of Gideon—we find, that the Midianites in the dark,
and in their terror, took their friends for their foes, and killed one
another—one hundred and twenty thousand Midianites were slain; fifteen
thousand got over Jordan with Zebah and Zalmunna, their kings.—Gideon
pursued them at their heels.  His men being faint he desired the elders
of Penuel and Succoth, as he passed, to give them victuals; but they,
accounting him a fool to pursue such an army with such an handful of men,
refused his troops refreshment, which he, afterwards, justly
resented.—After his victories the Israelites offered him the government
of their country, which he as piously declined, and told them the Lord,
alone, was their rightful sovereign.—Thus was Midian conquered in such a
manner that they lifted up their heads no more, to threaten or overcome
the Israelites.—After judging Israel seventy years, Gideon dies, leaving
behind him seventy sons, all of whom were basely murdered by Abimelech.

We cannot close this history of pious, valiant, honored Gideon, without
taking a view of the grand design of God the Holy Ghost, in this, as well
as in many more instances of renowned warriors, pious judges, and noble
deliverers.—I humbly conceive in the history of Gideon is sweetly
exhibited the adorable Redeemer, as the Christ of God, as the Deliverer
of his saints, as the Saviour of sinners, as the Judge of Israel, and the
glorious leader of his people.  His poverty and meanness, set forth the
abasement and humiliation of him who was rich, yet, for our sakes, became
poor, in every sense of the word.  Gideon’s call to his work, sets forth
Christ’s call to save sinners, which he willingly accepted for the sake
of his Israel.  Hence the Father, in the Covenant, is represented as
saying, “I have called thee in righteousness; thou art my servant, in
whom I will be glorified.”  So the Redeemer says, “Now the Lord God, and
his Spirit hath sent me—the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he
hath anointed me to preach the Gospel.”  The miraculous confirmation of
Gideon’s call, leads us to remark the miracles of our blessed Jesus, as
proofs of his Divinity, and to confirm his Messiahship as the sent of the
Father; not forgetting the Father’s testimony at his baptism and
transfiguration.  The zeal Gideon shewed for the service of God, reminds
us of him who once said, “The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up;” and
who drove the buyers and sellers out of his Father’s house.—By a few
weak, unarmed men, Gideon did wonders.  What a type of him who, by a few
poor illiterate preachers, sounding the Gospel trumpet, and displaying
the light and fire from their earthen vessels, foiled sin and Satan, and
the lying and delusive systems of Scribes, Pharisees, and idolatrous
Priests, in the Jewish and Gentile world.—As Gideon invited others to
share in his victories, so does our glorious Immanuel, Christ; having
obtained peace by the blood of his cross, and wrought out a complete
obedience, he invites his friends, and bids them an hearty welcome, with
an “Eat, O friends.”—Gideon mildly pacified the unreasonable
Ephraimites—and how mildly does our Jesus often pacify our rebellious
spirits, when he overcomes us with sweet discoveries of his covenant
love, tender mercy, covenant faithfulness, and finished work.—Gideon
resented the cruelty of the men of Penuel, for refusing his men
refreshment—he, tore flesh, killed their chief men, and destroyed their
tower—a striking emblem how Christ will deal with mystical Babylon, and
with all who deny his poor people help in time of need—(see the 25th
Matthew) “When I was hungry ye gave me no meat—and these shall go away
into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.”—After
his victories he arrives to great honor; and our Jesus is highly exalted.
Gideon judges Israel; and all judgment is committed to Jesus.—Gideon asks
a present of those for whom he had done so much; and Jesus says, “My son,
give me thine heart!”—and by Paul, “I beseech you by the mercies you have
received, to dedicate yourselves to God, which is your reasonable
service.”

I cannot pass by this history without enlarging a little more, which I
shall do, God leading me, only to make a few remarks, in a spiritual way,
upon that part which I first read as a text; and I hope, without any
injustice to the subject, or straining it, or putting a sense on it, that
was never intended, there can be no impropriety in my leading the minds
of my hearers from the lesser to a greater subject; and I must give it as
my most decided opinion, that the greatest part of the Old Testament
circumstances were really designed to hold forth something of Jesus, and
the salvation of the Gospel.  To exhibit from the text the Person and
Work of the Son of God—to point out the qualifications and work of Gospel
ministers, with an application of the text to the whole body of God’s
elect, in the present state of things, is my design.  The Person of
Jesus, as God-Man Mediator, and the Redemption of men, by him, was
exhibited to the Old Testament saints, by many figures; these, the
excellent Milton stiles Religious Rights of Sacrifices; informing men, by
types and shadows, of that destined Seed to bruise the Serpent—by what
means he shall atchieve deliverance.—Our blessed Lord owns many of the
shadows: the Apostle, or rather the Holy-Ghost by the Apostle, applies
many others; the Brazen Serpent, Solomon’s Temple, the Prophet Jonah in
the Whale’s belly, the Smitten Rock, the Vail of the Temple, the divided
Waves of the Sea, the Cloud by Day and the Pillar of Fire by Night, with
a vast many other emblems.  Nor can I see why our blessed Jesus should
not be pointed out to the faith and hope of God’s saints, by the lamp and
pitcher, while he, at the same time sounded the trumpet of free grace and
eternal mercy, which was “a savour of life unto some, and of death unto
others.”  May not the pitcher be an emblem of his earthen nature, and the
lamp within, of his divinity—and by virtue of union of the two natures,
our God is manifest in the flesh—married our nature, conferred an honor
upon poor sinners that he never conferred on the angels.  This was Job’s
triumph, “in my flesh shall I see God.”  He took part of the children’s
flesh and blood; he was truly human—bone of our bone and flesh of our
flesh.  God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, without the intervention
of a human father, but by the miraculous impregnation of the Holy-Ghost;
so that his human nature appears to be the joint work of the Trinity—the
Father provides it—“a body hast thou prepared me,”—the Son assumed it—“he
took on him the form of a servant;”—the Spirit formed it—“that holy thing
that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God—thus the word
was made flesh and dwelt among us.”  The lamp within the pitcher may be
an emblem of his Godhead, as the light of life—he wrapped up his divinity
in his manhood—here it was he concealed his glory: well may the Prophet
exclaim, “Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel the
Saviour.”  What a mystery! a child born—“the everlasting Father, the
mighty God.”  How great is the mystery of godliness!  Angels are amazed,
saints admire, and sinners triumph—a God in every perfection, a Man in
every faculty—God-Man