BibleWare/BibWare.bin/bibref/wesley/serm_039.txt

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John Wesley


SERMON 39


(text of the 1872 edition; Sugden's number 34)


CATHOLIC SPIRIT

"And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son
of Rechab coming to meet him, and he saluted him, and said to him,
Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab
answered: It is. If it be, give me thine hand." 2 Kings 10:15.

1. It is allowed even by those who do not pay this great debt, that
love is due to all mankind, the royal law, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself," carrying its own evidence to all that hear it: and that,
not according to the miserable construction put upon it by the zealots
of old times, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour," thy relation, acquaintance,
friend, "and hate thine enemy;" not so; "I say unto you," said our
Lord, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute
you; that ye may be the children," may appear so to all mankind,
"of your Father which is in heaven; who maketh his sun to rise on
the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the
unjust.

2. But it is sure, there is a peculiar love which we owe to those
that love God. So David: "All my delight is upon the saints that
are in the earth, and upon such as excel in virtue." And so a greater
than he: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another:
as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall
all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another"
(John 13:34, 35). This is that love on which the Apostle John so
frequently and strongly insists: "This," saith he, "is the message
that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another"
(1 John 3:11). "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid
down his life for us: and we ought," if love should call us thereto,
"to lay down our lives for the brethren" (verse 16). And again: "Beloved,
let us love one another: for love is of God. He that loveth not,
knoweth not God; for God is love" (4:7, 8). "Not that we loved God,
but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for
our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one
another (verses 10, 11).

3. All men approve of this; but do all men practise it? Daily experience
shows the contrary. Where are even the Christians who "love one another
as he hath given us commandment?" how many hindrances lie in the
way! The two grand, general hindrances are, first, that they cannot
all think alike and, in consequence of this, secondly, they cannot
all walk alike; but in several smaller points their practice must
differ in proportion to the difference of their sentiments.

4. But although a difference in opinions or modes of worship may
prevent an entire external union, yet need it prevent our union in
affection? Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May
we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without
all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding
these smaller differences. These remaining as they are, they may
forward one another in love and in good works.

5. Surely in this respect the example of Jehu himself, as mixed a
character as he was of, is well worthy both the attention and imitation
of every serious Christian. "And when he was departed thence, he
lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him; and he
saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is
with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me
thine hand."

The text naturally divides itself into two parts: --First, a question
proposed by Jehu to Jehonadab: "Is thine heart right, as my heart
is with thy heart?" Secondly, an offer made on Jehonadab's answering,
"It is:" "If it be, give me thine hand."

I. 1. And, first, let us consider the question proposed by Jehu to
Jehonadab, "Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?"


The very first thing we may observe in these words, is, that here
is no inquiry concerning Jehonadab's opinions. And yet it is certain,
he held some which were very uncommon, indeed quite peculiar to himself;
and some which had a close influence upon his practice; on which,
likewise, he laid so great a stress, as to entail them upon his children's
children, to their latest posterity. This is evident from the account
given by Jeremiah many years after his death: "I took Jaazaniah and
his brethren and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites,
. . . and set before them pots full of wine, and cups, and said unto
them, Drink ye wine. But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab,
" or Jehonadab, "the son of Rechab, our father" (it would be less
ambiguous, if the words were placed thus: "Jehonadab our father,
the son of Rechab," out of love and reverence to whom, he probably
desired his descendants might be called by his name), "commanded
us, saying, ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for
ever. Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed; nor plant vineyard,
nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents.... And we
have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded
us" (Jer. 35:3-10).

2. And yet Jehu (although it seems to have been his manner both in
things secular and religious, to drive furiously) does not concern
himself at all with any of these things, but lets Jehonadab abound
in his own sense. And neither of them appears to have given the other
the least disturbance touching the opinions which he maintained.


3. It is very possible, that many good men now also may entertain
peculiar opinions; and some of them may be as singular herein as
even Jehonadab was. And it is certain, so long as we know but in
part, that all men will not see all things alike. It is an unavoidable
consequence of the present weakness and shortness of human understanding,
that several men will be of several minds in religion as well as
in common life. So it has been from the beginning of the world, and
so it will be "till the restitution of all things."

4. Nay, farther: although every man necessarily believes that every
particular opinion which he holds is true (for to believe any opinion
is not true, is the same thing as not to hold it); yet can no man
be assured that all his own opinions, taken together, are true. Nay,
every thinking man is assured they are not, seeing _humanum est errare
et nescire_: "To be ignorant of many things, and to mistake in some,
is the necessary condition of humanity." This, therefore, he is sensible,
is his own case. He knows, in the general, that he himself is mistaken;
although in what particulars he mistakes, he does not, perhaps he
cannot, know.

5. I say "perhaps he cannot know;" for who can tell how far invincible
ignorance may extend? or (that comes to the same thing) invincible
prejudice? --which is often so fixed in tender minds, that it is
afterwards impossible to tear up what has taken so deep a root. And
who can say, unless he knew every circumstance attending it, how
far any mistake is culpable? seeing all guilt must suppose some concurrence
of the will; of which he only can judge who searcheth the heart.


6. Every wise man, therefore, will allow others the same liberty
of thinking which he desires they should allow him; and will no more
insist on their embracing his opinions, than he would have them to
insist on his embracing theirs. He bears with those who differ from
him, and only asks him with whom he desires to unite in love that
single question, "Is thy heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?"


7. We may, secondly, observe, that here is no inquiry made concerning
Jehonadab's mode of worship; although it is highly probable there
was, in this respect also, a very wide difference between them. For
we may well believe Jehonadab, as well as all his posterity, worshipped
God at Jerusalem! whereas Jehu did not: he had mo