WHY IS GOD A STRANGER IN THE LAND?
Robert Murray M'Cheyne
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"O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest Thou
be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a
night? Why shouldest Thou be as a man astonished, as a mighty man that cannot save? Yet
Thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by Thy name; leave us
not."— Jer. xiv. 8,9.
IN many parts of Scotland there is good reason to think that God is not a stranger; but
that the Lord Jesus has been making Himself known, and that the Holy Spirit has been
quickening whom He will. Still in most parts of our land, it is to be feared that God is a
stranger, and like a wayfaring man who turneth aside to tarry for a night.
- How few conversions are there in the midst of us? When God is present with power
in any land, then there are always many awakened to a sense of sin and flocking to Christ.
One godly minister, speaking of such a time, says, "There were tokens of God's
presence in almost every house. It was a time of joy in families, on account of salvation
being brought to them. Parents were rejoicing over their children as new-born, husbands
over their wives, and wives over their husbands. The town seemed to be full of the
presence of God. It never was so full of love not of joy, and yet never so full of
distress, as it was then." We have nothing of the kind amongst us. Alas! What a
dismal contrast do most of our families present. How many families where there is not one
living soul!
- How much deadness there is among true Christians! In times of reviving, when God
is present with power in any land, not only are unconverted persons awakened, and made to
flee to Christ, but those who were in Christ before, receive new measures of the Spirit;
they undergo, as it were, a second new-birth; they are brought into the palace of the
King, and say, "let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth, for Thy love is better
than wine." A dear Christian in such a time, says, "My wickedness, as I am in
myself, has long appeared to me perfectly ineffable—like an infinite deluge, or
mountains over my head. I know not how to express better what my sins appear to me to be,
than by heaping infinite upon infinite, and multiplying infinite by infinite. Very often
these expressions are in my mouth, infinite upon infinite, infinite upon infinite."
How little of this feeling is there among us! How few seem to feel sin as an infinite
evil! How plain that God is a stranger in the land!
- How great is the boldness of sinners in sin. As in Jeremiah's day, so in ours;
many seem as if "there neck were an iron sinew, and their brow brass." When God
is present with power, then open sinners, though they may remain unconverted, are often
much restrained. There is an awe of God upon their spirits. Alas! It is not so amongst us.
The flood-gates of sin are opened. "They declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it
not." Is it not, then, a time to cry, "Oh the hope of Israel, the Saviour
thereof," etc.
Should we not solemnly ask this question, What are the reasons why God is such a
stranger in this land?
- In Ministers. - Let us begin with those who
bear the vessels of the sanctuary.
- It is to be feared there is much unfaithful preaching to the unconverted.
Jeremiah complained of this in his day, "They have healed the hurt of the daughter of
my people slightly, saying, peace, peace, when there is no peace." Is there no reason
for the same complaint in our own day? The great part of our congregations are out of
Christ, and lying night and day under the wrath of the Lord God Almighty; and yet it is to
be feared that the most of the minister's anxiety and painstaking is not taken up
about them, that his Sermons are not chiefly occupied with their case. All the
words of men and angels cannot describe the dreadfulness of being Christless; and yet, it
is to be feared, we do not speak to those who are so with anything like sufficient
plainness, frequency, and urgency. Alas! How few ministers are like the angels at Sodom,
mercifully bold to lay hands on lingering sinners. How few obey that word of Jude,
"save with fear, pulling them out of the fire."
Many of those who deal faithfully, yet do not deal tenderly. We have more of the
bitterness of man than of the tenderness of God. We do not yearn over men in the
bowels of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote of "the enemies of the cross of Christ," with
tears in his eyes! There is little of this weeping among ministers now. "Knowing the
terrors of the Lord," Paul persuaded men. There is little of this persuading spirit
among ministers now. How can we wonder that the dry bones are very, very dry—that God
is a stranger in the land?
- It is to be feared there is much unfaithfulness in setting forth Christ as a refuge
for sinners. When a sinner is newly converted, he would fain persuade every one to
come to Christ. The way is so plain, so easy, so precious. He thinks, oh, if I were but a
minister, how would I persuade men! This is a true feeling and a right feeling. But oh,
how little is there of this among ministers! David said, "I believed, therefore have
I spoken." Few are like David in this. Many do not make it the end of their ministry
to testify of Jesus as the hiding-place for sinners. It is to be feared that many are like
the Scribes and Pharisees; they hold the door in their hand; they enter not in themselves,
and them that are entering in they hinder. Some set forth Christ plainly and faithfully,
but where is Paul's beseeching men to be reconciled? We do not invite sinners
tenderly; we do not gently woo them to Christ; we do not authoritatively bid them to the
marriage; we do not compel them to come in; we do not travail in birth till Christ
be formed in them the hope of glory. Oh, who can wonder that God is such a stranger in the
land?
- In Christian people.
- In regard to the Word of God. There seems little thirst for hearing the Word of God
among Christians now. As a delicate stomach makes a man eat sparingly, so most
Christians seem sparing in their diet in our day. Many Christians seem to mingle pride
with the hearing of the Word. They come rather as judges than as children. Few behave
themselves as a weaned child. Most seem to prefer the seat of Moses to the seat of Mary at
the feet of Christ. Many come to hear the word of a man that shall die, and not the Word
of the living God. Oh, should not Christians be taught this prayer? "Oh the hope of
Israel," etc.
- In regard to prayer. There is much ploughing and much sowing, but very little
harrowing in of the seed by prayer. God and your conscience are witness how little you
pray. You know you would be men of power if you were men of prayer, and yet ye will not
pray. Unstable as water, you do not excel. Luther set apart his three best hours for
prayer. How few Luthers we have now! John Welsh spent seven hours a day in prayer. How few
Welshes we have now!
It is to be feared that there is little intercession among Christians now. The
high priest carried the names of the Children of Israel upon his shoulders and breast when
he drew near to God—a picture of what Christ now does, and what all Christians should
do. God and your conscience are witness how little you intercede for your children, your
servants, your neighbours, the Church of your fathers, and the wicked on every side of
you. How little you pray for ministers, for the gift of the Spirit, for the conversion of
the world. How selfish you are even in your prayers.
It is to be feared there is little union in prayer. Christians are ashamed to
meet together to pray. Christ has promised, "If two of you shall agree on
earth, touching something that ye shall ask, it shall be done for you of my Father."
Many Christians neglect this promise. In the Acts, we find that when the apostles and
disciples were praying together, "the place was shaken where they were
assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word
of God with boldness." Oh, how often and how long have we despised this way of
obtaining the outpouring of the Spirit! Do not some persons speak slightingly of united
prayer? Here is one reason why God commands the clouds that they rain no rain on us. He
waits till we seek Him together, and then He will open the windows of heaven
and pour down a blessing. Oh, that all Christians would lift up the cry, "Oh the hope
of Israel!"
- In unconverted souls. - There is much to
blame in ministers, and much in the people of God, but most of all to blame in unconverted
souls.
- Sinners in our day have great insensibility as to their lost condition. Many know
that they never believed on the Son of God, and yet they are smiling and happy. Many know
that they were never born again, and that the Bible says they cannot see the kingdom of
God; and yet their step is as light, and their laugh as loud, as if they were heirs of the
kingdom of God, instead of heirs of hell! It is this that keeps God away, and makes Him a
stranger in the land.
- Sinners in our day have great insensibility as to their need of Jesus Christ. The
Bible declares Him to be the friend of sinners; yet how many read this who are contented
to live without knowing Him. Though Christians are always speaking of the excellency of
Christ—that He is the chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely; yet most
see no form nor comeliness in Christ, no beauty that they should desire Him. They are
willing to hear of heaven or hell rather than of Christ, rejection of a freely-offered
Saviour! Oh, ye deaf adders, that will not hear the voice of the charmers, it is you
that make God a stranger in the land, and like a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry
for a night!
- There has been much resisting of the Spirit in our day. In some parts of Scotland
this is eminently true. Many have been pricked to the heart, and yet have smothered their
convictions. Some have been brought to intense anxiety about their souls, but have looked
back, like Lot's wife, and become pillars of salt! Oh, it is this keeps God away!
Dear unconverted sinners, ye little know how much you are interested in that this
should be a time of reviving from the presence of the Lord. It is not our part to tell of
coming judgments, of fire from heaven or fire from hell; but this we can plainly see,
that, unless the Spirit of God shall come down on our parishes like rain on the mown
grass, many souls that are now in the land of peace shall soon be in the world of tossing
and anguish! There may be no sudden judgments; hell may not be rained down from heaven, as
upon Sodom; the earth may not yawn to receive her prey, as in the camp of Israel; but
Sabbath-breakers, liars, swearers, drunkards, unclean persons, formalists, worldlings, and
hypocrites, yea all Christless souls, will quietly slip away, one by one, into an undone
eternity! Come then, and let every believer, and above all, every minister, stir up his
heart to lay hold on God and cry, "Oh, the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in
time of trouble, why shouldest Thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a
wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night!
It has been the practice of many ministers in England and Scotland to hold a concert
for prayer, every Saturday morning, from seven to eight o'clock. Several ministers of our
own Church have been in use to meet at the throne of grace on Saturday evenings, at seven
o'clock. Many congregations in different parts of Scotland have agreed to a concert for
prayer in secret, and in family, from eight to nine on Sabbath mornings.
Might not the Christian ministers and people of Scotland, while separated in body, in
this manner maintain union in prayer, and so the cloud of blessing, that is now like a
man's hand, might spread over the whole sky, and bring times of refreshing from the
presence of the Lord?
HTML transcription copyright © 1997-1998,2001 David Frank Haslam
Last updated 2001-11-08
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