Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 3390
“Behold, the eye of the Lordis on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy.” Psalm 33:18.
By the term, “the fear of God,” we understand in Holy Scripture the whole of true religion. We do not mean by the fear of God, the slavish fear which trembles in God’s Presence, as the poor slave trembles under his master’s lash, but that child-like fear which fears to offend, which fears to be led into error—a reverential fear such as the angels have when they veil their faces with their wings and cast their crowns before the glorious Throne of God—to have such a fear of God before our eyes as to restrain our wandering passions, to keep our hands from doing evil and our tongues from speaking the thing which is not right—to have such a fear of God that we feel as though we were in God’s Presence and act, and speak, and think as though we fully recognized the eye that reads the secrets of the heart. When we read, therefore, that the eye of the Lord is upon “them that fear Him,” we are to understand that He has gracious regard towards those who delight in Him, who worship Him and are His children.
But the part of the text to which I call your special attention now is that expression, “Those who hope in His mercy.” This is intended to be of the same reach and compass as the first. Those who fear God are the same persons as those who hope in His mercy and this is very consoling, for to hope in God’s mercy seems to be but a very small evidence of Divine Grace and yet it seems to be a very sure sign, for those who hope in God’s mercy are the same persons who are said to fear Him. They are the same persons as are described as being His saved ones, His children—the truly godly ones.
I hope there are many here who can say, “Well, I do hope in His mercy. If I cannot get farther, yet I can get as far as that—my hope is fixed in the mercy of God in Jesus Christ.” Then, dear Friend, may the words we shall speak be comforting to you! And may you rejoice that the Lord considers you and has an eye of favor towards you, now, and will have forever!
I am always very anxious about those who have the beginnings of Grace in them. I think I would go a long way out of my way to carry one of the lambs in my bosom and to try to cherish one that was ready to die with doubt. But, on the other hand, I am always fearful of giving any encouragement to those who are on a wrong foundation. Like the ancient mariner who was afraid of the whirlpool on the one hand and the rocks on the other, and found it difficult to steer along the middle of the channel, so may I find it tonight. I would not grieve a trembling soul. I would not bolster up a self-deceived one. Far be it from these lips to ever become a rod for the backs of God’s weak ones! And equally far be it from this tongue to speak so as to put pillows under men’ s arms and under their heads wherewith they may go to sleep and sleep themselves into Hell!
In trying, therefore, to avoid two evils, I shall begin by speaking about a hope in God’s mercy which is false—and then I shall say a little about a sound hope in God’ s mercy. To begin, then, at the beginning—
I. There Is a False Hope in God’s Mercy Against Which We Earnestly Warn You
“I do not believe,” says a man, “that God will ever cast me into Hell, for God Almighty is very merciful.” “What will become of you when you die?” said one man to another. “I do not know,” was the answer, “and I do not think much about it because I know that God is a very good God—and I do not think that He will cast the souls of men into Hell, as bigots say, and cause them to be forever banished from His Presence.” Now, Friend, if this is your hope, I beseech you to be rid of it, for it is a deadly viper and though you nurse and cherish it in your bosom, it will sting you to your destruction, for do you not know that the God of the Bible is a God of Justice, as well as a God of Mercy? Though He is infinitely good, yet He Himself has said, “I will by no means spare the guilty.”
What do you think of this text, “The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God”? Does that seem as if God would not punish sin? “The soul that sins, it shall die.” What do you think of that? “These shall go away into everlasting punishment.” Does that seem like an effeminate and sentimental kindness that will wink at sin? If you are to be saved by the general mercy of God, then let me tell you that this blessed Book of God is all a mistake and deception, for there are no such teachings here, as those of which you dream. Besides, you know better than this—I appeal to your own conscience, you know better than this!