Christ had been with his disciples night and day during the three years of his ministry. They had seen him in all situations-walking the sea-feeding the multitude-raising the dead. They had heard all his words in the synagogues-in the temple-in the fields. He had fed them with milk, and not with strong meat giving them instruction just as they were able to bear it; and yet it is amazing how blind they were to his glory and greatness. They were foolish, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken concerning him, and all that he had spoken concerning himself.
This was the last night that Jesus was to be with his disciples, and his heart was full of a tenderness which is not of the world. But the more fall and tender his holy heart became, the more dull and stupid did his disciples become. "Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?"
Two things give this reply a peculiar tenderness:
1. He reminds Philip that he had been with him. He was equal with the Father-was in the bosom of God, and yet had come and dwelt with them. He had left the company of the worshipping angels to company with them-the King of glory dwelt with worms! Had he smiled on them from heaven, that would have been wonderful; but be says: "I have been with you-with you by the way-side and by the well with you on the sea and in the wilderness-I have been your elder brother-and yet have you not known me.
2. That he had been long with them: "So long time." Had it been for a moment that the Son of God had visited the earth, 0 it would have been wonderful! but it was for years. Three years he had gone in and out with them. He had taught them-opened the Scriptures-taught them to pray, led them like an elder brother all that time, willing to explain everything to them. O, then, what tenderness there is in this word: "Have I been so long?
Doctrine. When Christ has been long with any soul, he expects that soul to know him.
I. Let us speak of Christians.
(1) In conversion. It is the revealing of Christ to the soul which brings it to peace. When Christ revealed himself to Saul, then he fell to the ground, and cried: "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" So it is still. Christ is with the soul in conversion. Are you converted? Then you have been with Jesus, and Jesus has been with you.
(2) In the wilderness Christ if; with the soul. The soul leans on the Beloved coming up out of the wilderness. If you be believers at all, you know what it is to have the sweet strengthening presence of the Beloved.
(3) In affliction. Christ is peculiarly near in the fire and in the water: "When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee." And again: "I will not leave you orphans;I will come to you." If you be Christians, you have felt that Christ is with you in the day of adversity. When doors are shut, Jesus stands in the midst, and says: "Peace."
(4) In prayer: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." He is near at our breathing-at our cry-to offer up our prayer with much incense. He never misses the simplest cry of the simplest believer. Christians, you know that Christ is with you in prayer. It is this which gives you boldness at the throne of grace.
2. Christ has been long time with believers: "Have I been so long time with you?" he says. Christ had been only three years with the disciples when he said this. He has been a much longer time with some of you. Look back, dear Christians, on the way by which he has led you. This day is an eminence-stand upon it, and look back. How long time has Christ been with you? Some of you who are up in years were converted in youth-you have had a lifetime with Christ. He has been with you as your surety-as your strength-as your elder brother-as your advocate with his Father. He has been with you thus for many, many years. If some great nobleman were to come and pay you a visit, and be an intimate friend with you, you would think it a great thing. But O how much greater is this! Christ has been with you-Christ knows your name-Christ has often said of you, as of Zaccheus: "To-day I must abide at thy house."
Some of you may have been but lately brought to the knowledge of Christ. You have but lately opened the door and let him in. Still he has been long with you. To have Christ with you for a single day is to have him long with you-it is so great an honour-it is so rich a blessing. O there is a day at hand when you will reckon a moment spent with Christ as more than all your life beside! "A day spent in thy courts is better than a thousand."
3. Christ reproves believers for knowing so little of him: "Hast thou not known me, Philip?" The apostles knew much of Christ, and yet they are slow of heart to believe all. So is it with Christians now. They know much of Christ, yet they are slow of heart to believe all. There are many signs that Christians do not know Christ.
(1.) Little happiness among Christians. There is very little sense of being pardoned. Some of you, who appear to be Christians, would almost start were I to ask you if you feel the forgiveness of sin. You seem to fear it, as an unlawful question-as if it were a secret not for you to know. Is this the case with you? Ali! how truly Christ may say: "Have I been so long time with you, yet hast thou not known me?" Has not Christ been revealed to you a crucified Saviour-the wrath of God all poured out on him? "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!"
(2.) Little communion with God. When you stand in the sunshine, you feel the warm beams of the sun; so, when you stand in Christ, you should feel the warm beams of his love. There is little of this. Believers are said to be "a people near to God." Entering through the rent veil, they draw near to the Father-they dwell in his secret place, and abide under his shadow. There is little, very little of this. How truly may Christ say: "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me?"
(3.) Little holiness. If Christians had an eye on a reigning, praying, coming Saviour, O how different persons they would be! What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, seeing ye look for such things?
{1} How much covetousness there is among some of you that seem to be Christians-how much calling your money your own-hugging it all to yourself-to please yourself-to be enjoyed by yourself; and all this when the cause of Christ calls loud for sacrifices!
{2} How much bitterness there is among some of you that seem to be Christians-how much of a proud, unforgiving spirit-keeping up the remembrance of injuries-nursing your wrath!
{3} How much likeness to the world in your feasts and luxuries-in your triffing, yea, sinful amusements; and, above all, in your conversation! Who that hears you speak, would know that ever you had been with Jesus, or he with you? Why is all this?
Ans. Because you know so little of Christ. For all that Christ has been so long with you, yet you know almost nothing of him. Ah! do not let this year go without resolving to know more of Christ. He is with you still. A little while, and ye shall not see him. A few days, and you may see no more of him. Your days of grace may be nearly ended. Many of you will not see the close of another year. Walk in the light, while ye have the light. Know Christ, and then ye shall be like him.
II. Let us speak of the awakened.
1. Christ is with awakened souls. (1) He awakened them. No man is naturally anxious about his soul. It is a work of Christ on the soul. When the lightning has passed through a wood, as you look upon one tree and another that has been split by its mighty flash, you say: Ah! the lightning has been here. So, when you see a heart split and broken under a sense of its lost condition, you may say: Christ has been here. Are any of you awakened? Christ has been with you. He saw you in your sin and folly. He pitied you - he drew near - he touched your heart, and made you feel yourself lost, in order that you might seek him as a Saviour. Do not doubt Christ has been with you. (2) He is seeking awakened souls, and therefore is with them. When a shepherd goes into the mountains ill search of lost sheep, he seeks peculiarly those which are bleeding and torn, making the valleys resound with their sad bleedings; he bends over the wounded sheep. When a good physician enters the hospital, he hurries to the beds of the most diseased - of those who are piteously groaning under their pains; he bends over such. So does Christ seek bleeding, groaning souls, with a peculiar care. His word is: "He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted; he hath given me the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to them that are weary. Are you an awakened soul? Then you may be quite sure Christ is with you - bending over you.
2. He is often with them a long time. Some persons continue under convictions of sin for a long time; some for months and years. This year, I doubt not, has seen many souls awakened. Now Christ waits long upon these souls. He stands at the door all the day: "I have stretched out my hands all the day to a gainsaying and disobedient people;" and then, when night comes, as he still stands and waits: "My head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night." Are there any awakened souls hearing me? Christ has been long with you. The Bible has been his witness; it has been with you night and day. His ministers have told you of Jesus; they have waited and been long-suffering with you. Christ himself has bended over you. Never did a beggar stand at the door of a rich man so long as Christ has stood at your door.
3. Still many have not known him. Although Christ be so long with awakened souls, yet many will not know him. It is life eternal to know him. It would heal all their pains if they would only look upon him; but they will not look. Some of you are in this state. It is your sin, and it is your misery. Christ has long stood at your door and knocked. If you had opened, you would have seen a bleeding Saviour - a surety - a righteousness. You would have looked to him, and been lightened; but you would not open. Christ has stood and cried: "If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink." You feel very thirsty, yet you do not come to Christ to drink. Christ has cried: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." You are bent down with your burden, yet you will not come to Christ in order to have life. Christ has cried: "Follow me; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness." You vibrate between him and the world. You cling to the world, even though you are miserable. How long shall it be thus? Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, poor anxious soul? Remember, some have lived an-xious, and died anxious. Remember, it will only increase your hell, that Christ was so long with you, and you would not know him. Turn to Christ now. Let not another year begin without knowing Jesus.
III. Let us speak of the unawakened.
1. Christ is with them. In one sense, he is not with them. They are without Christ, and without God in the world. In another sense, he is with them: " I know thy works."
(1) He is with them in the house of God. It is wonderful to me how Christ persuades so many Chrisless people to come to the house of God; I never could explain it. Crowds followed Jesus; crowds follow him still. Ques. What brings you to the house of God? It is the constraining grace of Christ. Here Christ is with you. Christ unlocks his treasure, and says: "Come, buy, without money and without price."
(2) He is with them in providences. O it is wonderful to see the providences of unawakened souls! Every one of them is from the hand of Christ: "I stand at the door and knock." In the year now past, Christ has striven with you in his providence. To some of you he hath come once and again.
(3) He is with them in their sins. Christ is present at all their unholy feasts - hears all their unholy jest - is cognizant of all their desires - knows all their engagements: "I know thy works." Do you ever think when you are engaged in some siliy game, that Christ is by your side? He sees the smile of satisfaction on your cheek, but he sees also the deluge of wrath that is over your soul. He sees you sporting yourseft with your own deceivings - sitting on the brink of hell, yet "pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw." What does he say?. He says: "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love your simplicity?" and again: "Lord, let it alone this year also."
2. He is with them a long time. There is reason to think that Jesus strives with the soul from its earliest years - that he strives on to the last. Some good men have thought that Christ doth sometimes give over striving, and leaves the soul to be joined to its idols; but perhaps it is more accordant with Scripture to say that Jesus waits all the day. How long a time Christ has pleaded with some of you! This day, another year of striving with you is finished. Think on this. O the long-suffering of Christ!
3. Yet they do not know him. Ah! there is reason to think that many of you are as ignorant of Christ as the day I began my ministry among you; yea, as ignorant as the day you were born. If you knew Christ, it would break your heart with a sense of sin; but your heart is whole within you. If you knew Christ, it would drive you to seek an interest in him; but you seek him not. Hark how tenderly the Saviour pleads with you this day: "Have I been so long time with you?" O it will be one of the greatest miseries of hell, to remember how often Christ was with you in this house of prayer - in your providences - ay, in your sins; and you would not look at him! to remember how often he was set forth a broken Saviour in the sacrament - preached by his servants a free Saviour - how often he bended over you, and wept over you, and ye would have none of him!
O sirs! I fear this year will witness against you in the judgment-day! I fear there are many of you who will accuse me in that day, and say: Why did you not speak plainer - louder - oftener? Why did you not knock oftener at our doors, to tell us and our children of Christ, the way to glory? - was it not worth more effort to save us from an eternal hell? Ah! dear friends, be wise. Many of you will not see another year come to a close. If there be fifty - O how dreadful! - you may be among that fifty; nay, if there be forty, thirty, twenty, ten, still you may be among the ten. If there be but one, you may be that one. O it will be an awful word in that day: "I was a long time with you, but you would not know me!"
Dundee, Dec. 31, 1837.