Take Heed What Ye Hear
“Jesus said unto them, Take heed what ye hear.”—Mark 4:24.
It is our unspeakable mercy, it calls for our daily tribute of praise, and daily study to improve it, that a free use of the lively oracles of truth is permitted us; others are denied this rich privilege. Happy those to whom the word of God is the rule of their faith, a light to direct their paths, and a standard whereby they try and prove the doctrines they hear, whether they are of God or man. The whole truth, as it is in Jesus, is precious to every believer. ‘Faith comes by hearing the word of God.’ As the ear is the inlet to the soul, we should ever take heed what kind of doctrines we hear. It was through the ear that Satan gained access to the heart of Eve, and beguiled her. Paul alludes to this, 2 Cor. 11:3. ‘I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.’ What is this simplicity? Even this plain simple truth, that salvation is wholly and solely by Jesus Christ, according to the everlasting purpose and love of God the Father, revealed in the word of truth, and applied to the soul by the Holy Spirit. Lost and perishing sinners are the happy subjects of it. They have no hand in procuring or making it effectual; but they are wholly saved by election of grace through faith. Whatever doctrines are contrary to either of these points, oppose revealed truths, are subversive of the plan of salvation, tend to rob God of the glory of his grace, and his dear children of their comfort and joy of faith.
Therefore, disciples of the Lamb, take heed; beware of what you hear. These doctrines are not merely speculative, or non- essential, but are the important, fundamental, essential truths of the gospel. To oppose the doctrine of election is to deny the first cause of salvation, the everlasting love of God the Father; it is to gainsay the prophets, apostles, and even our Lord himself, who spake most clearly and plainly of it. It is to set one’s self against the testimony of the Spirit of Truth. This ariseth from human pride, which ever imagines it can do something to procure God’s love. So of the imputed righteousness of Christ, the saints perseverance in faith and holiness: If these scripture-truths are maligned and opposed, it is from the supposed self-sufficiency and self-righteousness of the creature, in order to establish its own righteousness and faithfulness; hence salvation becomes precarious, and justification impossible. This strikes at the root of true holiness, and tends both to presumption and licentiousness; for what ever truths are revealed in the word by the Spirit of wisdom and truth, it is that they should be the food of our faith, the confidence of hope, the rejoicing of love, and excitements to holiness.
William Mason (1719-1791) was a High-Calvinist author. For many years he served as a Justice of the Peace, and in 1783 was appointed a Magistrate. He served as editor of the Gospel Magazine before and after the editorship of Augustus Toplady. He is best known for a morning and evening devotional entitled, “A Spiritual Treasury For The Children Of God.”
