Psalms 141:5

Let the righteous. .. reprove me.

The reproof of the righteous

I. The character of one who is qualified to give reproof.

1. One whose life is habitually consistent with his profession.

2. One who is influenced by proper motives.

(1) Aversion to sin.

(2) Love to those whom he reproves.

(3) Concern for the happiness and honour of a Christian brother.

(4) Love to God and zeal for His glory.

II. The manner in which reproof should be received, and the effect it should produce.

1. The manner.

(1) It must be esteemed a kindness.

(2) We must be willing to part with every sin.

(3) We must be truly humble.

2. The effect.

(1) It brings to repentance.

(2) It raises the reputation.

III. The manner in which we should requite those who reprove us. As sanctified reproof constrains us to pray for ourselves it will dispose us to pray for reprovers. A spirit of prayer is never a selfish spirit; it embraces all mankind, and enables us to offer fervent supplications in behalf of our enemies; much more will it dispose us to pray for those whom we love, and to whom we are indebted for acts of kindness. (Essex Remembrancer.)

Advantages of Christian reproof

I. The obligation to this duty (Leviticus 19:17; Proverbs 9:8; Proverbs 24:15; Luk 17:3; 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Timothy 4:2).

III. The character of those who are to administer reproof to others. “Let the righteous smite me.” Let the sincere, humble, constant Christian, who is blameless and harmless, the child of God, without rebuke, let him administer reproof. Let the conscientious man, who endeavours to keep himself always in the love of God, who is a pattern of righteousness and peace, reprove and rebuke others. This is Christian reproof, and has the weight which God designed it to have.

III. The spirit is which it is to be administered.

1. It must be in the spirit of true Christian meekness.

(1) Mingled with a sincere and tender compassion for the offender there must be a humbling conviction of our own frailty and liability to sin, and while we reprove him we must cherish a holy fear of falling ourselves.

(2) All harshness, abruptness, overbearing and censoriousness are utterly opposed to the spirit in which Christian rebuke is to be administered.

2. It must be administered in a spirit of real kindness and brotherly love for the individual reproved, and with a sincere desire to do him good.

3. It is to be administered in a spirit of firmness and fidelity. This is not inconsistent with Christian meekness and gentleness, nor with fraternal kindness and tender benevolent desire to do our offending brother goad.

IV. The happy effects to be realized.

1. It will free the Christian who performs this duty from being partaker of other men’s sins, and will give him a peace of conscience which he cannot otherwise enjoy.

2. It is often the means of breaking the spell and delusions of sin on a brother’s mind which have withstood all other influences.

3. It will prevent the evil of talebearing and backbiting.

4. It will promote amongst Christians a spirit of brotherly love and prayerfulness for each other. (D. L. Carroll, D. D.)

How we may bring our hearts to bear reproofs

I. How reproofs may be duly received.

1. It is desirable on many accounts that he who reproves us be himself a righteous person, and be of us esteemed so to be; for as such an one alone will or can have a due sense of the evil reproved, with a right principle and end in the discharge of his own duty, so the minds of them that are reproved are, by their sense of his integrity, excluded from those insinuations of evasions which prejudices and suggestions of just causes of reflections on their reprover will offer unto them. Especially, without the exercise of singular wisdom and humility, will all the advantages of a just reproof be lost where the allowed practice of greater sins and evils than that reproved is daily chargeable on the reprover.

2. The nature of a reproof is either--

(1) Authoritative.

(a) Ministerial.

(b) Parental.

(c) Despotical.

(2) Or fraternal.

(3) Or friendly.

3. The matter of a reproof is duly to be weighed by him who designs any benefit thereby.

II. Why we ought to receive reproofs orderly or regularly given unto us, esteeming them a singular privilege.

1. Mutual reproofs for the curing of evil and preventing of danger in one another are prime dictates of the law of nature and that obligation which our participation in the same being, offspring, original, and end, to seek the good of each other, doth lay upon us.

2. Whereas the light of nature is variously obscured and its directive power debilitated in us, God hath renewed on us an obligation unto this duty by particular institutions, both under the Old Testament and the New.

3. A due consideration of the use, benefit, and advantage of them will give them a ready admission into our minds and affections. Who knows how many souls that are now at rest with God have been prevented by reproofs, as the outward means, from going down into the pit? Unto how many have they been an occasion of conversion and sincere turning unto God!

III. What considerations may further us in their due improvement.

1. If there be not open evidence onto the contrary, it is our duty to judge that every reproof is given us in a way of duty. This will take off offence with respect unto the reprover, which, unjustly taken, is an assured entrance into a way of losing all benefit and advantage by the reproof.

2. Take heed of cherishing habitually such disorders, vices, and distempers of mind as are contrary unto this duty and will frustrate the design of it. Such are--

(1) Hastiness of spirit.

(2) Pride and haughtiness of mind.

3. Reckon assuredly that a fault, a miscarriage which any one is duly reproved for, if the reproof be not received and improved as it ought, is not only aggravated, but accumulated with a new crime, and marked with a dangerous token of an incurable evil (Proverbs 29:1).

4. It is useful unto the same end immediately to compare the reproof with the word of truth. This is the measure, standard, and directory of all duties, whereunto in all dubious cases we should immediately retreat for advice and counsel.

5. The best way to keep our souls in a readiness rightly to receive, and duly to reprove such reproofs, as may regularly be given us by any, is to keep and preserve our souls and spirits in a constant awe and reverence of the reproofs of God, which are recorded in His Word.

6. We shall fail in this duty unless we are always accompanied with a deep sense of our frailty, weakness, readiness to halt, or miscarry, and thereon a necessity of all the ordinances and visitations of God, which are designed to preserve our souls. (J. Owen, D. D.)

A wise reprover

Mr. John Wesley, having to travel some distance in a stage coach, fell in with a pleasant-tempered, well-informed officer. His conversation was sprightly and entertaining, but frequently mingled with oaths. When they were about to take the next stage, Mr. Wesley took the officer aside, and, after expressing the pleasure he had enjoyed in his company, told him he was thereby encouraged to ask of him a very great favour. “I would take a pleasure in obliging you,” said the officer, “and I am sure you will not make an unreasonable request.” “Then,” said Mr. Wesley, “as we have to travel together some time, I beg that, if I should so far forget myself as to swear, you will kindly reprove me.” The officer immediately saw the motive, and felt the force of the request, and, with a smile, said, “None but Mr. Wesley could have conceived a reproof in such a manner.” (Weekly Pulpit.)

For yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.--

Intercessory prayer

Passage difficult, but we take the meaning of our Authorized Version, and would speak--

I. Of the duty of intercession for the people of God.

1. Take as our first key-note the word obligation. The new nature in us teaches us this as does the law of the elect household. And our membership of the body of Christ, and our obligation to the intercession of others, urge this.

2. Honour. It is this to be permitted to pray for the saints, for so we are brought into close fellowship with Christ. Especially when we think what we once were--beggars for ourselves at mercy’s door. Avail yourselves of this honour.

3. Excellence. Such intercession benefits those who use it, for it will suggest go you to know your brethren, and will bring love with it; and will lead you to kinder judgments, and to self-watchfulness. Have we not cause to be ashamed on account of our neglect of this duty?

4. Extent. He would pray for those who had displeased him; who had said, perhaps, severe things to him. And especially when they were in trouble. Men of the world leave their companions when they get into trouble as the herd leave the wounded deer. But we should stand by such.

II. For sinners also we should intercede. It is the most essential thing we can do. We cannot change their hearts. Such prayer will fit you to become God’s instrument, and will make you go to work hopefully. It is a very horrible thing to think of persons being buried alive, put underground by their friends in their coffins while yet there was breath in their bodies. Let us mind that we never bury a soul alive; I am afraid we are in the habit of doing it. We judge of such an one that he will never be converted, all effort would be useless. But we have no right thus to seal a soul’s death-warrant or to limit the grace of God. In this prayer all can aid. Some things many of you cannot do, but this all can. And especially when sinners come into calamities. We may win them then. Let us all intercede more. (C. H. Spurgeon.)