May 3

Ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. - 1 Thessalonians 1:7.

WE have seen the people of God as receivers, as followers; we have now to view them as ensamples. It is very observable in nature that things in succession are alternately cause and effect, effect and cause. Thus, parents produce children, and children produce, in time, children; thus, those now obey who, by-and-by, command; thus, learners now become teachers, and those who were followers become leaders themselves. This was the case here; from following the apostles and the Lord Jesus, they “became ensamples to all that believed in Macedonia and Achaia.” Indeed, what individual is there who is not more or less an ensample to some? Who is there that is entirely isolated? Who is not seen and heard of some? Who is not followed by some? All have some influence, though we are not, perhaps, sufficiently aware of our responsibility, or the use of it. Some speak carelessly before children and servants and neighbours, while the things they say at random may make impressions upon them that may never wear away. Alas! some word, some action, some gesture, some look of ours, years ago, may have given rise to some mistake which is now widely leading some of our fellow-creatures astray.

Oh! if we must be commentators, let us see that we are correct; let us see that we are not blotting; let us take especial care that we do nothing to induce people to err or sin. But how honourable was it for these Thessalonians! They were ensamples: to whom? “To them that believe.” Oh, it is easy to be ensamples to some! It is easy to have goodness enough to censure and condemn the grossly wicked; it is easy to have goodness enough to be considered righteous when compared with drunkards, and swearers, and thieves, and robbers; but these Thessalonians were ensamples to the good, to the godly, “to them that believed,”-yea, what is more, to all them that believed in Macedonia and Achaia; though it is very probable that many of these had been in the Lord before them, and had believed before them. There are many cases in which “the first shall be last and the last shall be first.”

There are those who set off in a religious course before others, and yet have been surpassed by those who followed after them; for alas! they relaxed in their vigilance or their zeal; they looked back instead of “forgetting the things which were behind;” they considered the work in them as already done, instead of praying, with David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me;” or they were high-minded, instead of walking humbly with God,- and so God was provoked to leave them in a measure, and so they lost their unction and their vigour which once distinguished them, and suffered those who set off long after to pass them upon the road. For these others were more humble, more watchful, more diligent, more affected with a sense of the goodness of God towards them, more sensible that they had never done enough for him, and therefore they, after being “followers,” became “ensamples” to others, and “to all that believed.”

But how is this with us? The apostle reproaches the Hebrews, and says that for the time they ought to be teachers instead of learners; they had need that one should teach them what be the principles of the gospel of God; and, instead of being able to feed on strong meat, they were to be fed only with milk. Is not this the case with too many? Many are willing to take the lead in other things,-quite willing enough. Yes, to take the lead in cleverness of conversation, in knowledge, in wealth, in power, in authority,-here they have no objection to be leaders: but there is something better than all these, in which we should be concerned to take the lead. Oh that all were covetous!-that is, covetous of the unsearchable riches of Christ! Oh that all were ambitious!-that is, ambitious to obtain the honour that cometh from God only; ambitious not only to have the root of the matter, but for it to nourish; and that we might “abound in all the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and the praise of God”!

It is in such things as these that we should not wait, but take the lead, and induce others to follow us.