October 27

"Should worlds conspire to drive me thence, Moveless and firm this heart should he; Resolved, for that's my last defence, If I must perish, there to die."

OCTOBER 27.—"And as they followed, they were afraid."—Mark, x. 32.

IN these men we see a representation of Christians—Following; but afraid. The one showing their constant character; the other their frequent experience.

They are followers of Christ. They follow him under various allusions. They follow him as sheep follow the shepherd that is leading them to pasture. It is to himself he refers when he says, "When he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." They follow him as beggars follow a bene- factor from whom they are seeking and expecting alms and relief. They follow him as travellers follow a guide who shows them the way. They follow him as soldiers follow a commander who leads them to warfare and victory. They follow him as servants follow their master to receive and execute his orders. More frequently they are said to follow him as disciples follow their teacher, whose doctrine they profess, and whose example they imitate. For he is not only their instructor, but their model; to him they are to be con- formed. He goes before them in doing and suffering—"If any man," says he, "will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me." And who is he that requires us to be humble and tender? He who was meek and lowly in heart. Who is he that requires us to be condescending? He who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister; he who washed the disciples' feet. Who is he that requires us to be liberal? He who was rich, and for our sakes became poor. Do we suffer? He suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps. In this view we are to consider him, lest we be wearied and faint in our minds. When ready to despond or repine, let us look before us, and see him bearing a heavier burden, bearing it for us, and bearing it without a murmur and without a groan.

But while they follow, they may be afraid. Let us arrange the fears of his followers in three classes. First, there are those fears which are commendable. For they are enjoined to "pass the time of" their "sojourning here in fear;" and God himself says, "Happy is the man that feareth always." Such is the fear of caution and vigilance which they are to maintain, as opposed to the carelessness, headlessness, and rashness of those who expose themselves to temp- tation, and feast themselves without fear. Such is the fear of diffi- dence, which keeps us from trusting in our own hearts, and depend- ing upon own resources and resolutions, either as to duty or trials. Such is that fear of the Lord, in which David resolved to worship towards his holy temple, and which he connects with God's for- giving mercy. It is a fear of offending him, and grieving his Holy Spirit. The first Christians walked in the fear of the Lord; and we may judge what the nature of it was, and learn that there was

nothing debasing or distressing in it, for it was united with "the comforts of the Holy Ghost."

Secondly, those which are censurable. Such is the fear of man that bringeth a snare, and which led Nicodemus to come to him by night, and Peter to deny him thrice. The righteous should be bold as a lion. His cause is good, and his defence is sure—"For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." So that we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Such is a slavish fear of God, who ought to be always viewed as our father and our friend. He will not reject us for our infirmities, but spare us as a man that spareth his own son that serveth him. We are excepted in the Beloved, however unworthy, and are complete in him, however defective. "We are redeemed," says Zechariah, "that being delivered we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives."

Thirdly, those which are neutral—for we know not how to commend or censure them. They are constitutional rather than moral. They arise from the state of the animal spirits; and depend on a disordered bodily frame. Much of the apprehension of death, and many of those feelings which they call temptations of Satan, and doubts, and fears, are often physical effects. They should endeavour to distinguish things that differ, and have a juster view of their state than to be affected in their conclusions by a variation in the weather, or in their animal economy. Yet how much are such persons as these entitled to our sympathy and prayers! We are sometimes much tried in dealing with them, but they refuse to be comforted, because they cannot at present take comfort, and their very religion produces a kind of unbelief—They tremble at the thought of presumption. Yet at the very time these tremblers, like "Fearing" in Bunyan, often fear nothing else but coming short at last. They are willing to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth; and, like Caleb, to follow him fully. And when others decline, and the Saviour says to them, will ye also go away? the answer rushes up from every feeling of their soul, "Lord, to whom should we go but unto thee? thou hast the words of eternal life."

Am I addressing such a one? Art thou sighing, "If I am a follower at all, I seem only like Peter, to follow him afar off. At best I come in like one of Gideon's followers, pursuing, yet faint, and ready to halt." Or with the disciples before us, and "they were amazed," and "as they followed they were afraid." Yet I dare not go back: I cannot turn aside—he is all my salvation and all my desire—no joy can be compared with serving and pleasing him.

Well he knows your frame. Your desire is before him, and your groaning is not hid from him. You may write bitter things against yourselves—but this is what he writes: "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." "Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength, and has not denied my name." Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land—

"Where doubts and fears shall never come."—

And we shall "be quietness and assurance for ever."