Albert Barnes. Sermons on Important Subjects. 1854.
"Jerusalem! Jerusalem! thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent to thee, though upon the kind design of reforming and saving thee, and who wilt, in a few days, crucify that Savior who now laments thy doom, how often would he have gathered even thy ungrateful children and received them under his protection, with an affection and tenderness, like the instinctive fondness and solicitude of the mother-hen for her brood ! Here is divine compassion, indeed, that extends itself even to his enemies, to his murderers ! Strange, that such generous benevolence should meet with an ungrateful repulse, that the provoked Sovereign should be willing to receive his rebellious subjects into protection, but that they should be unwilling to fly to him for it!"
And while denouncing the most terrible woes against Jerusalem, in an abrupt flow of passion he breaks out in the most moving lamentation over her : " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ! thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not !" This is one of those tender cases which requires a familiar and moving, rather than a grand illustration ; and that which Jesus has here chosen is one of the most tender, familiar and moving that could be devised. " How often would I have gathered thee, O, Jerusalem, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings." — As much as to say, " As the parent-bird, when she sees some bird of prey hovering over her helpless young, gives them the signal, which nature teaches them to understand, and spreads her wings to protect them, resolved to become a prey herself rather than her tender brood ; or, as she shelters them from the rain and cold, and cherishes them under her friendly feathers, so, says the compassionate Redeemer ; so, O Jerusalem ! I see thy children, like heedless chickens, in the most imminent danger ; I see the judgments of God hovering over them ; I see the Roman eagle ready to seize them as its prey ; I see storms of vengeance ready to fall upon them ; and how often have I invited them to fly to me for shelter, and gave them the signal of their danger! How often have I spread the wings of my protection to cover them, and keep them warm and safe as in my bosom ! But, O ! lamentable ! O ! astonishing ! ye would not ! I was willing, but ye would not !
The silly chickens, taught by nature, understand the signal of approaching danger, and immediately fly for shelter ; but ye, more silly and presumptuous, would not regard my warnings ; would not believe your danger, nor fly to me for protection, though often, O how often, warned and invited !" His compassion will appear the more surprising, IF WE CONSIDER THE OBJECT OF IT.
That sinners, while from under the protection of Jesus Christ, are in a very dangerous situation — that they may obtain safety by putting themselves under his protection — that he is willing to receive the greatest sinners under his protection — that he has often used means to prevail upon them to fly to him, that they may be safe — that notwithstanding all this, multitudes are unwilling to fly to him, and put themselves under his protection — that this unwillingness of theirs is the real cause- of their destruction — that this unwillingness is an instance of the most irrational and brutal stupidity — and that it is very affecting and lamentable. The text implies, THAT SINNERS, while from under the protection of Jesus Christ, are in a very dangerous situation. As the hen does not give the signal of danger, nor spread her wings to shelter her young, except when she sees danger approaching, so the Lord Jesus would not call sinners to fly to him for protection, were they not in real danger. SINNERS, you are in danger from the curse of the divine law, which is in full force against you, while you have no interest in the righteousness of Christ, which alone can answer its demands : You are in danger from the dread arrest of divine justice, which guards the sacred rights of the divine government, and will avenge itself upon you for all the insults you have offered it : You are in danger from the various judgments of God, who is angry with you every day, and whose judgments are hovering over you, and ready to seize you, like hungry birds of prey.
You are in danger from your own conscience, which would be your best friend ; but it is now ready to rise up in arms against you, and, like an insatiable vulture, prey upon your hearts for ever : You are in danger from the arrest of death, which is ready every moment to stretch out its mortal hand, and seize you : You are in danger from the malice and power of devils, who, like hungry lions, are ready to snatch away your souls, as their helpless prey. In short, you are surrounded with dangers on every hand, and dangers rise still more thick and dreadful before you. You are not sure of an hour's enjoyment of one comfort : nay, you are not sure there is so much as one moment between you and all the miseries of the damned. This minute you are upon earth, thoughtless, secure and gay ; but the next may be— I tremble to tell you where — in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, tormented in flames. Yes, sinners, one flying moment may strip you entirely naked of all the enjoyments of earth, cut you off from all hope of heaven, and engulf you in remediless despair. Some of you, whose very case this is, will not, probably, believe me, nor take the alarm. But here, alas ! lies your principal danger. If you would take warning in time, you might escape ; but you will not believe there is danger until it becomes inevitable. — Had Lot's sons-in-law taken warning from him, they might have escaped ; but they saw no sensible appearance of the impending judgment, and, therefore, they continued blindly secure, regarded the good old man as a mocker, and, therefore, perished in Sodom. Had Jerusalem been apprehensive of its danger in time, it might have flourished to this day ; but it would not be warned, and, therefore, became a ruinous heap : and this will be your doom, sinners, unless you be apprehensive of it before it breaks upon you like a whirlwind. Indeed it may make one sad to think how common this danger is, and how little it is apprehended, to see crowds thoughtless and merry on the brink of ruin ; secure and careless while hanging over the infernal pit by the frail thread of life.
"But here a grand question arises in the minds of some of you " How may I know whether I have fled to Jesus for protection? How may I know whether I have placed myself under his guardian wings?" This is a question of the utmost importance.
If ye are Christ's, then, saith the apostle, " all things are yours, whether life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours," 1 Cor. iii. 21 ; that is, you have a kind of property in all things that you have any connection with, so that they shall work together for your good, as if they were all your own, by a private right. Brethren, if we ere covered with the righteousness of Christ, the sword of divine justice cannot reach us. AH its demands are answered, and justice itself becomes our friend. If we are sheltered under the wings of his guardian care, the most threatening dangers of time or eternity cannot affect us with real injury. How happy then, how safe are such of you as have put yourselves under his protection ! Now every blessing is yours, and nothing can do you a real injury. You shall never fall a prey to your various enemies, but shall at length obtain an illustrious victory over them all, through the blood of the Lamb. To you I may apply those sublime words of Moses, " As an eagle stirrethup her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings, so the Lord alone does and will lead you," Deut. xxxii. 11, 12, defend you, cherish you, and bear you along to your eternal home. You have, therefore, reason, with David, amidst all the peculiar dangers of this life, to rejoice under the shadow of his wings. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, and you have fled to it, and are safe. Amidst all your fears and terrors, have you not some secure and delightful hours, when you, as it were, feel yourselves gathered under the wings of your Redeemer? In such hours, do not even such weaklings as you dare to brave all your enemies, and bid defiance to earth and hell? O how happy, how secure is your situation ! But here a grand question arises in the minds of some of you." How may I know whether I have fled to Jesus for protection? How may I know whether I have placed myself under his guardian wings?" This is a question of the utmost importance.
Observe then, if ever you have fled to Jesus for safety, you have been made deeply sensible of your danger. If ever you have sought shekel under his wings, you have seen your sins, the curses of the law, and the powers of hell, as it were, hovering over you, and ready to seize and devour you as their prey. You have also been made deeply sensible, that Jesus alone was able to save you. You found you could not shelter yourselves under the covert of your own righteousness, and were constrained to give up all hopes of saving yourselves by any thing you could do in your own strength. Hereupon, as perishing, helpless creatures, you have cast yourselves entirely upon the protection of Jesus Christ, and put your souls into his hands, to be saved by him in his own way : and you have also submitted freely to his authority, willing to be ruled and disposed of entirely according to his pleasure. These few things must suffice to determine this grand inquiry ; and I hope you will make use of them for that purpose: if they help you to discover that you have fled to Jesus for refuge, rejoice in your happy lot, and let your mouths be filled with praise. But alas! are there not some of you that have made the contrary discovery, and, consequently, that you are exposed to all the dreadful dangers of a sinner without Christ? And is there no place of safety for you? Yes, under those wings where believers have sheltered themselves. In Jesus Christ there is safety, if you fly to him : but you may perhaps inquire, " What encouragement have I to fly to him? I, who am so vile a sinner ; I, who have nothing at all to recommend me 1 Can I hope that he will stretch out the wings of his mercy, and receive me into protection 1" Yes, poor, trembling creature, even you may venture ; for remember what my text farther implies, viz."
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