SERMON LXXXV.
Saint Bartholomew the Apostle
Acts v. 12-16. St. Luke xxii. 24-30.
They that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
But ye shall not be so. -- ST.
LUKE xxii. 25, 26.
ST. BARTHOLOMEW has been
sometimes supposed to be the same person as is mentioned in St. John's
Gospel under the name of Nathaniel. [On
St. Bartholomew, as the same as Nathanael, see “Plain Sermons." Vol. vi.
Serm. clxxxiv. and Vol. x. Serm. cccxxi.]
But there is no allusion to this in the
service of our own Church for this day, nor in those of the Latin
Church. And this seems to be the case, not merely because it may have
been considered more satisfactory to admit only into such offices what
is clear and certain, but because the Festival is of much earlier date
than this opinion. But the Scriptures for the Epistle and the Gospel
for the day, although indeed they contain no mention of St. Bartholomew
himself, but only refer to the Apostles generally; yet are they in
themselves highly interesting and beautiful in this their application to
the memory of the Apostles, and especially when considered in connexion
with each other. In the former the Apostles are seen as full of all
power of good, benefactors to mankind in the highest sense, such as the
world had never seen the like; in the latter they are taught that this
power of conferring benefits on mankind is not connected with any wish
of being thought benefactors, as is the case in the world, but, on the
contrary, with an entire denial of self, as flowing from the love of
God. Again; the Gospel for to-day might at first sight appear to speak
of the same circumstance as that from St. Matthew, which we had on St.
James's Day, our last festival. But it is not so; for the occasion on
which they occur is different, and this has a peculiar force of its own,
as spoken at the Last Supper. For the disciples were slow of
understanding the things of the Kingdom; and their gracious Master often
taught the same things, and repeated the like expressions.
By the hands of the Apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among
the people.
This was after the outpourings of the
Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, while the Church was being formed
together "in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship." And they were
all with one accord in Solomon's porch. As on the day of Pentecost,
"with one accord," and "in one place." Mention is made in St. John's
Gospel of our Lord walking in Solomon's porch; and it is before spoken
of in the Acts, as the place where the people came together to Peter and
John after the miracle of restoring the lame man. And of the rest
durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.
It is uncertain what is meant by this expression, that "no man durst
join himself to them;" whether it is that under a sense of awe at the
miracles which were wrought, and the fear which was just spoken of on
account of the judgment on Ananias and Sapphira, they did not venture to
unite themselves with the Apostles; or whether by “the rest” we are to
understand, in distinction from the common people, those of the
Pharisees and the upper sort, who are often spoken of in the Gospels as
fearing to profess themselves disciples of Christ. However, it proceeds:
And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men
and women. Insomuch that, on account of those great wonders wrought
by the Apostles, and the effect thus produced on the people, they
brought forth; the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and
couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might
overshadow some of them. What a lively emblem, my brethren, is this
of mankind under the Gospel! all sick with various diseases of the soul,
and lying helpless, but looking up in faith that the healing shadow of
the Church might at all events fall upon some of them. There came
also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing
sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits; and they
were healed everyone.
We have before had occasion to
observe, that the preaching of the Gospel was always accompanied with
the healing of bodily diseases; so was it with our Lord Himself, He both
healed and taught at the same time; so was it when He sent forth His
twelve Apostles, and also when He sent forth the Seventy afterwards, it
was with this commission, "Preach the Kingdom; heal the sick." Nor was
this merely for the purpose of showing by outward signs the power of
God, and His authority; but it flowed from the very nature of the Gospel
itself, the manifestation of Christ the Son of God and Man; and it is
the expression of Divine love at all times. The Christian is to be
always engaged in relieving the bodily wants, the natural infirmities,
the worldly inconveniences and distresses of others, at the same time
that he is endeavouring to promote their spiritual welfare. Body and
soul both are diseased from the old Adam, both affected with evil
spirits, both relieved and sanctified in the New Man.
Secondly, we may ask how far we
ourselves at this day may be partakers of such blessings as the Church
then bestowed, for surely we may hope that they are not passed away, but
are for us and our children. The gifts of God, the gracious workings of
His power, are not to be considered as altogether withdrawn, but under
change of circumstances the mode of their operation is changed; the same
faith will obtain the like benefits under another form-the like gifts
are still continued, but in some manner often higher and better. We
read of our Lord "going about doing good, and healing all that were
oppressed of the devil." A good man in distress might say, "If our Lord
were thus now on earth I would go to Him—I would tell Him of my sorrow:
may I not do so still?" And surely to the eye of faith He is equally
present, equally able and willing to answer every request. But there is
this difference, that our spiritual knowledge now in the Church is much
greater since our Lord's death and the gift of His Spirit, so that if we
are rightly minded we seek not to be relieved from temporal evils, but
that such being the signs of God's love should work for us more abiding
good. Martha and Mary could ask for their brother to be restored to
them, but they would not make such a request as this now; for to die and
to be with Christ "is far better:" but looking to Him Who is the
Resurrection and the Life, when suffering from the loss of those dear to
us, we would rather pray to Him "to raise us up from the death of sin to
the life of righteousness." So likewise the powers of the Apostles in
working miracles are not to be considered as ceased in His Church, but
changed; the marvels of God's grace, could we behold them, are not less
than were of old those appeals to the sight and outer sense. And this
may be one reason for a difference in the operation of the miracles here
mentioned in the Acts, as wrought by the hands of Apostles, from those
in the Gospels: for although an instance is mentioned of a woman healed
by touching the hem of our Lord's garment, and it is stated that “virtue
went out of Him and healed them all;” yet, for the most part, it is by
means of His own word and hand that our Lord's own miracles were
wrought, and not as this, that “the shadow of Peter passing by might
overshadow some of them;” or that of St. Paul, that “from his body were
brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed
from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” For in these latter
the visible means of restoration in the will or act of the Apostles is
less manifest; and our attention is more directed to faith working by
love in those that received the benefit of them. For observe in these
cases how much further removed is He that confers from him that receives
the benefit, or rather the links of the chain are less visible to sense
that connect the effect with the cause: for it is still Christ alone
that works the miracle, yet He is not seen thus working, but it is
through His Apostles, by His Name and by His authority; and not thus
only, it is still further off; it is not even an Apostle, but his shadow
passing by. But all this apparent distance and separation from Christ
is made up by faith, which has eyes to behold Him afar off; nay, in
beholding brings Him near, nearer than the eyes of flesh could have
done. It is not the shadow of Peter—oh no! it is not Peter—nor any
Apostle, but it is Christ, spiritually present and spiritually
discerned. Now this is to us of this present day a great
encouragement. Though we cannot see our Lord, nor see His Apostles, yet
we are in His Church; we are surrounded by His marvellous goodness; we
have only to ask that we may receive the riches of His Kingdom, and
tread under foot all the power of the enemy, who would bring on us all
temporal and eternal harm.
But of spiritual miracles, that
is to say, of the healings of the soul in the Christian course, it must
be said, "This kind goeth not forth but by prayer and fasting." Now
prayer and fasting must both be, as far as may be, in secret, in order
to be effectual. They both imply humiliation of self in the presence
and before the eye of God. And we may connect this consideration with
the Gospel for to-day. From the Epistle we learn our blessings, that
there is nothing we can desire but we may obtain it; and from the Gospel
we learn our duty, that as receiving so much of God we are to do all the
good we can to others, "hoping for nothing again," that we "may be the
children of the Highest."
It was at the Last Supper, when
our Blessed Lord was about to give His life for the world, and had taken
the form of a servant, and washed their feet, and after saying that one
of them should betray Him, it is added, And there was also a strife
among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. For
though their Lord had admitted some of them to the privilege of being
nearer to Himself, yet He had not set anyone as chief above the rest.
It was indeed a strange time to be thinking of preeminence when their
Lord was about to die, and one of them about to betray and the others to
desert Him: but it shows how unnatural at all times is ambition among
Christians. And He said unto them, with the same meekness and
forbearance that He had always taught them on this subject, The kings
of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise
authority are called benefactors. This is one of their titles of
honour among the Gentiles, "the benefactor ;" they seek the praise of
men, wishing to be considered “fathers" and "friends" to mankind: but
He, Who emptied Himself of His glory for our sakes, hath established a
higher law of true greatness. With regard to the chief places in His
kingdom now on earth, eminent in wealth and station, a good man will
shrink from them, from fear of temptation and a sense of unworthiness
before God; he that does not, though he may procure the good opinion of
the world, yet the power of Christ, the secret of God, is not with him;
he may have many goodly pearls, but the pearl of great price is not his;
he knows not the treasure hid in a field: he enters not into the joy of
his Lord. The only joy mentioned of Christ was because the Father had
revealed wisdom unto babes: “the joy set before Him for which He endured
the Cross,” was the joy of saving others; He had no joy but the joy of
Love, for which He humbled Himself; such joy in ransomed and repenting
souls as angels learn from His countenance: so that, following His
steps; St. Paul could say, "What is our joy, or crown of rejoicing? are
not ye in the presence of our Lord at His coming?" This joy in saving
souls, from the love of God, is not compatible with the love of this
world and the desire of pre-eminence. But ye shall not be so,
says our Lord; but he that is greatest among you, let him be
as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For
whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth?
is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
When just before He had girded Himself as a slave and washed their
feet, He said, "What I do Thou knowest not now, but Thou shalt know
hereafter." And much as He had taught them by His example, by His words
of lowliness, and by many touching incidents, nothing but His
Cross on the following day could give power to it all. That alone showed
the nature of that washing which we all need, and the spirit with which
it must be accompanied—that likeness to the Son of Man in which the
strength of good men consists.
But when our Blessed Saviour had
occasion to reprove His disciples, He did so with great gentleness and
forbearance; while He lamented their infirmities, His love still dwelt
on every proof of their fidelity; and He does not now say, as the
occasion might to us appear to warrant, Ye are they over whom I have so
tenderly watched, and who are now about to forsake Me; but He adds,
Ye are they which have continued with Me in My temptations. He
passes over the evil, and sees nothing but the good; He had chosen them,
had enlightened them by His doctrine, had strengthened them by His
miracles; all the good they had was from Himself; yet even this He
attributes unto them, rewards them for it, and admits them to share with
Him His own inheritance. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My
Father hath appointed unto Me,—in His own humiliations, which
they shall share with Him, God hath unspeakably exalted then,—that
ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel; shall sit "at My
table" i.e. shall enter into My joy; shall "sit on thrones," i.e.
shall partake of My glory; as in another place, He shall “sit with
Me in My throne, even as I am set down with My Father in His throne.”
[Rev. iii. 21.] All which seems to speak of that mysterious union with
Himself, “As Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may
be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And
the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one,
even as We are One." [John xvii. 21, 22.] And thus, though it be true
that our Lord Himself is the one and only foundation, yet in some sense
also there are twelve foundations, and in them are written the names of
the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
And now, Christian brethren,
what is all this to us? no doubt much, even as much as it was to them;
first of all, it notes the unspeakable privileges of this Apostolic
union, and, secondly, that lowliness of heart on which that union and
those privileges will depend. At this time, indeed, this Apostolic
union of the Church is very much impaired and broken, and with it is to
be feared our union with each other, our union with Christ and with God
the Father. And the serious question is how we may keep what remains,
or what we can do towards the restoration of it. There can be no doubt
but that this union has become thus broken on account of the pride and
selfishness of men, working in various ways; and that we can only
recover it by humility. I do not mean that anyone of us can do anything
towards restoring the robe of Christ, now so outwardly rent and torn
throughout the world: this must be God's own doing. But I mean, How can
we preserve inwardly, each for himself in his own station, that
Apostolic fellowship, and derive through it this blessed union with
Christ and God? It is through humility that the peace of God watches
over and keeps the heart in that love.
With the lowly is wisdom;
humility is the nurse of filial obedience; everyone owes something like
filial respect to that form of Christianity in which, by God's
providence, he has been brought up. He will look upon all things
connected with it with some degree of partiality, of the same kind as he
would on his own parents, king, and country. Now if by God's
grace he should become more enlightened, he will be able to add to this
faith; to improve it if imperfect, to correct it if erroneous; but yet
in all this he will still preserve a sort of dutiful, filial preference
to that faith in which he has been from childhood reared; bound by the
cord of old associations, whereby he has learnt to love God, he will not
rudely or rashly disturb them; he will build up in all meekness and
reverence, waiting upon God, with humble confidence that if anything be
lacking in his faith God will reveal even this unto him.
Since then this habit of mind is
so connected with a reverential trust in God, it cannot be doubted but
that God will preserve such unharmed in things essential to salvation,
and reveal to them, if need be, any higher and more perfect way; and
moreover, what is a strong ground of consolation for such meek tempers,
if they should be wrong, God will not be severe in imputing to them such
deficiencies or errors in their faith, as have arisen from those
circumstances of life in which He has placed them; whereas if they had
ventured to judge for themselves in such matters, the whole weight of
that responsibility would have rested on themselves. On subjects of
such moment we may be sure that the path of humility is the path of
safety. And, blessed be God! it is thus that He reveals to the meek
what He hides from the wise and prudent.
