Elijah the Tishbite. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. VMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
Elijah the Tishbite. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. V
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Theology
A very few words will suffice to present to the reader the remainder
of those rebuffs with which our blessed Lord had to deal, as recorded
in our chapter. Having disposed of the question of the Baptist and his
ministry, He turns to the men of that generation, and says, "But
whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children
sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We
have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you,
and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking,
and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and
drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a
friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her
children."
The piping and the mourning were alike neglected by an unbelieving
age. "John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed
him not." The Lord Jesus came in perfect grace, and they would not
have Him. The stern and distant minister of righteousness, with the ax
of judgment in his hand, and the lowly, gentle Minister of divine
grace, with words of tenderness and acts of goodness, were alike
rejected by the men of that generation. But wisdom's children will
ever justify her, in all her doings and in all her sayings. The Lord
be praised for this rich mercy! What a privilege to be of the favored
number of wisdom's children! To have an eye to see, an ear to hear,
and a heart to understand and appreciate the ways and works and words
of divine Wisdom! "Oh, to grace how great a debtor!"
"Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty works
were done, because they repented not. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe
unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works which were done in you
had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in
sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you. And thou,
Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to
hell; for if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been
done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto
you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgment than
for thee."
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