Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.... 2 Thess. ii. 16, 17. BELIEVERS in Jesus know that "the remembrance of sin is grievous, and the burden intolerable." A sight and sense of sin affects their conscience with sorrow and distress. There is daily need that their poor hearts should be comforted; and also that they should be established in every good word and work. But from whence shall they derive this? from striving to forget, paliate, or excuse their past sins? by promising to be more stedfast for the future in the truths of God and obedience to his will? Alas! he who truly knows what a sinful nature is, who is really acquainted with his own weakness and insufficiency to that which is good, and his proneness to all evil, will not, cannot thus deceive his own soul. But the converted soul will ingenuously confess his sins to his God and Saviour, Jay them open with their aggravating circumstances, mourn over them with a godly sorrow, own his just deserts for them; and in the exercise of faith, look "to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world." Here is the everlasting spring of consolation which God hath given us, "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from ALL sin." Here is our good hope, through the grace of Jesus we are completely righteous in Christ. We stand perfectly accepted in God's beloved Son. Faith and hope are inseparable. We believe the truth as in Jesus; we hope daily for more and more of the consolations of it. In this way, disciple of Jesus, thou canst never believe nor hope too much. Nay, is it not thy distress and heaviness that thy faith is weak, thy hope languid, and thy love so cold? But why is this? Not for want of a foundation for faith and hope; for " our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father hath loved us." Who? only the prophets, apostles, holy men of old, righteous persons? Nay, but sinners of mankind: such was the character of all those whom the apostle includes in the pronoun us. And as the consequence of this love "he hath given US EVERLASTING consolation." Not the effect of time; not subject to mutability; but solid, perpetual, and eternal. Founded in the everlasting covenant, established in everlasting righteousness, issuing in everlasting salvation, revealed in the everlasting gospel, and applied to the soul by the everlasting Spirit. Consolation and comfort are enjoyed in stability in the good word of God, and in the good works of faith, "to the praise of the glory of God's grace."....Eph. i. 6.. This is the true God and eternal life. Keep yourselves from idols. Amen....1 John v. 20, 21.. It is a common objection with the men of this world against the ministers and members of Jesus: "You can preach and talk of hothing but JESUS." Truly we "consider him as the end of all our conversation."....Heb. xiii. 7, 8. Conscious of what he hath done FOR us, what he is To us, and what he hath done IN US; verily, Jesus is all in all to our souls. We know that the Son of God is come in our flesh. We are sure that by the blood of his cross "he hath made an end of sin, finished transgression, made reconciliation for iniquity;" and by his holy life "hath brought in an everlasting righteousness,"....Dan. ix. 24. All this we poor sinners wanted. Nothing short of this could save us. Yea, eternal life we have in Our WONDERFUL friend, the God-man, Christ Jesus. Blessed be his infinitely precious name! he hath given us an understanding heart to know him. We desire to be eternally indebted to his name, his grace, his love; for we see our union to him, and oneness with him. Marvel not then, that we speak so highly of OUR BELOVED; "for if we should hold our peace, the very stones in the street would cry out against us." Say, ye first-born sons of light; say, ye children of grace, of whom should we glory, if not of Jesus our true God and eternal life? We disclaim all other gods. "We know and believe that the Father is in him, and he in the Father."....John x. 38. He teaches us the Father's love in him to us; and he sends the comforter, which proceedeth from the Father, to shed his love -abroad in our hearts. But alas! how did we live before we knew Jesus, the only true God! Truly, though we talked of God, though we knew God, worshipped and feared him; yet we were all the while like the rest of the whole world, "lying in wickedness:" fast asleep in the arms of the wicked-one: for we were without Christ, Atheists: "without God in the world; and consequently had no hope,"....Eph. ii. 12. How deluded are the wise and learned of this world with their notions and worship of an unknown God! While little children are truly wise and best learned, who know Jesus as their Lord and their God, and abide in him. The truth of their faith, the uprightness of their hearts, and the sincerity of their love, are best evidenced by keeping themselves from the ensnaring vanities and bewitching idols of time and sense. "Adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. Looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, &c."...Tit. ii. 10, 13, 14. wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?....Rom. vii. 24. SPIRITUAL sense and feeling are peculiar to regenerate, heavenborn souls. While in a carnal state, "dead in trespasses and sins;" though the law thunders out its dreadful curses against us, we hear not. Though by nature children of wrath and deserving hell, yet our danger we see not. Though our sins are gone over our heads, and are like a sore burden too heavy for us to bear, yet we feel them not. But when the soul is alive to God, we groan, being burdened with a body of sin, and pant after deliverance. This was the experience of holy Paul. Such the experience of saints in all ages. But, thanks be to our God, though ever so deeply distressed and greatly depressed with sin, we sorrow not as without hope. We are not ignorant of our deliverer, but know him, even Jesus Christ. None but Jesus is able; and he hath, he doth, he will deliver. He hath delivered from the curse of sin by his death. He doth deliver the conscience from the guilt and dominion of sin through faith. He will deliver the soul perfectly from the being of sin, when the body of flesh is "sown in dishonor, to be raised in glory." The last enemy, death, is not destroyed yet. None are so perfectly exempt from that which brought death into the world, SIN. But present deliverance thou hast, O believer! and perfect deliverance thou canst not but pant after and long for. Think not, that feeling a body of sin, (which, like thy natural body, consists of many parts and members,) groaning under it, inwardly breathing out ardent desires for deliverance, inscribing "wretched man" upon thyself, like a criminal who is compelled to carry about a dead, putrified, stinking carcase; think not all this to be inconsistent with a blessed state, and being blessed "with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus." No: thou art not singular; it was once the lot of all thy brethren now perfect in glory. It is the lot of all thy companions in the faith and patience of Jesus on earth. When Paul, in such spiritual ecstacy and joy, was caught up to the third heavens, he did not know whether he was in the body or not; he might then think he was entirely freed from his burden, that he was perfect; but a little time after, experience convinced him to the contrary; and we find him "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.".... 2 Cor. vi. 10. Blessed be our compassionate Saviour, who reaches out reviving cordials of consolation and refreshment; these cheer our drooping spirits under our burden; this favor no kind hand administered to him, when worn out and sinking under the ponderous load of our sins on the cross. O the joy of faith! Sin, though felt, grieved for, mourned over; yet "there is NO CONDEMNATION to them that are in Christ Jesus."....Rom. viii. 1. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved....Psalm Iv. 22. THE Soul, having lost its innocency by the sin of the first Adam, can never be happy till it knows righteousness is restored to it again by Jesus, the second Adam. Sensible sinners would be truly miserable when they see their nakedness and feel their want of righteousness, was not righteousness revealed as God's unspeakable gift by Jesus Christ. By him a glorious robe of righteousness is wrought out and imputed to naked and destitute sinners. Grace reigns through his righteousness. All the mercy and favor we receive from God is in a way of righteousness. We enjoy the knowledge and comfort that we are righteous before God through faith. If this point is not clear and settled in the mind, it is because the clouds of ignorance and unbelief are not chaced away; the sun of righteousness hath not yet arose upon such hearts; therefore they are perplexed and distressed touching the hope of salvation. For this is the essential and leading point in christianity. We may toil all the days of our life to get righteousness, but we shall go to bed in the dark without it, unless we are made righteous IN Christ. Infinite are the blessings, most precious the promises which abound in God's word to the RIGHTEOUS. When we read of the righteous in scripture, we are ever to remember Jesus, and give glory to him who is our righteousness by faith. God "will never suffer the righteous to be moved from their hope." There is also a holy boldness and sweet familiarity between a righteous Lord and such righteous souls. As he has clothed them with the garments of salvation, they have always a sympathizing friend in their hours of trouble to flee to. This is the hope that supports them; Jesus will support their weak souls and sustain their heavy burdens; they cannot sink though they may be often ready to faint. But why is this? Truly we are apt to struggle with this difficulty and toil with the other load upon our poor minds, instead of casting all upon Jesus who careth for us. Sense opposeth faith, hence Jesus is forgotten, and the mind remains troubled. But here is the wisdom and glory of faith; whenever we feel our souls are bowed down on any account, to refer all our griefs and cast or roll all our burdens off from our own minds upon Jesus, and simply to cry out with Hezekiah, “O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.".... Isa. xxxviii. 14. But 1 with all my cares, Will lean upon the Lord; His arm shall well sustain The children of his love; [stands The ground on which their safety No earthly pow'r can move, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus....Phil. iii. 14. By effectual vocation the soul is called from a death in sin' to a life of righteousness. By spiritual illumination the most desirable objects are discerned; the faith of God's elect manifests itself to be an operative grace in the heart by the conduct of the life. Blessed Paul, though such a zealous champion for sovereign operations and free-grace truths, though so averse to the pride of free-will and the confidence of human righteousness in his writing and preaching, yet his life and exhortations are equally opposite to all licentious practices and unchristian sloth; he had a race to run, a prize to win, the end of his calling to attain. Thus is it with all who are partakers of like precious faith; folding the hands, sitting down contented, resting in ease and indolence, may suffice when doctrines, are only received as notions in the head. Truth may be assented to in the judgment as dry speculations, so as to engage the tongue, without warming and influencing the heart, and producing the fruits of holiness in the life. If sitting still and talking, or walking contrary to the hope of the gospel, be to imitate the apostle's blessed conduct, followers of him abound greatly every where; but the truth received in the love of it excites to activity. Says the christian," I press forward," like a racer who considers the mark before him, turns his back upon the place he set out from, and is solicitous so to run that he may obtain the prize. Jesus is the christian's mark, he presses towards him, he is solicitous to enjoy much of Christ below, he longs for full enjoyment of him above; this is our glorious high calling. What can be put in competition with it? the world, with all its sinful customs, vain pleasures, and carnal delights? No; we forsake these, and leave them behind us. We fear being entangled with the objects of time and sense, prefering Jesus above all. Earthly things grow more and more mean and contemptible to us. The more we see our all in Jesus, and expect all from him, so much the more we press towards him. Hence means of grace are prized, ordinances attended to, Christ's word is precious, the prize is glorious. Thou man of God, ever exercise a godly jealousy of being brought into bondage to the world or the flesh. Remember how unloving, how dishonorable thou actest when any object engages thy attention and rivals thy Saviour. run that you may obtain." How vain are all things here below! How false and yet how fair! Each pleasure hath its poison too, And ev'ry sweet a snare. Dear Saviour, let thy beauties be "Sa My soul's eternal food; |