Me," said our Saviour," hath everlasting life."-He "hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling," echoes St. Paul. "The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin, says St. John. Now may not a man lack assurance simply because he does not thoroughly grasp these simple yet most blessed truths? Or, it may be, he indulges in known sin, such as untruthfulness, a lack of uprightness in his dealings with his fellowmen, or some secret iniquity worse than all.-This steals away his comfort, and makes him wretched at heart. If he could only by God's grace break away from the sin that doth so easily beset him, he would soon be able to make sure of a mansion in the skies. 3. On what ground may we arrive at such a persuasion as that of the apostle? Some good people look into their own hearts for marks of grace, and if they see them, they are well-contented and feel a certain assurance of their state before God: if however at any time they fail to discern them they are utterly cast down. Now contrition for sin, condemnation and renunciation of self, a longing for Christ, and love for His people, these things are most precious because outward tokens of the grace of God within. Yet as frames and feelings change, they cannot be the means of giving a continual and well-grounded assurance. Oh! say some, If I only had a vision that I was one of God's elect then I should be sure of salvation, and my doubts and fears would be ended! Alas! if your assurance rested on a vision, Satan would soon persuade you it was all a delusion and that you had never seen it! My brethren, if you desire to make your own salvation sure you must trust simply in God's written Word. Bunyan puts it well in the Pilgrim's Progress. Christian and Hopeful had been four weary days in the dungeon, but at last, Christian says, "I have a key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle." The wonderful key was successful, the prison doors were opened, and they escaped out of Giant Despair's hands. Let me explain to you what I mean. Take that most simple and yet most comfortable of all the "exceeding great and precious promises" in the Bible, St. John vi. 37, "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me, and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." You ask, How am I to know whether I am among God's people? The first part of the text answers your query, All that the Father giveth Me, (that is, all Christ's sheep), shall come to Me. Note that word "come." It is the istinguishing mark of the Lord's children that they come to rist. Just as I was I came to Thee is the experience of them all. And just as they are Christ receives them, for the other part of the text says, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." Therefore I may argue thus, If I have come to Christ, I must be among His people, otherwise I should have never come. So this text becomes a precious possession to me. I can call it mine. I can put my finger upon it, and trust my whole salvation there. And God's Promise being the ground of my assurance even Satan cannot rob me of my peace, for Heaven and earth may pass away but Christ's words can never pass away! Engrav'd as in eternal brass, The mighty Promise shines, O man, O woman, thou hast a soul! What will thou do with it? Wilt thou try to keep it thyself? If you doest so, it will be lost for ever. Take my advice this day. Give it to the Lord Jesus. Say, O Christ, I commit my soul to Thee. I cannot save or keep myself. Wash me in Thy Blood, clothe me in Thy Righteousness, sanctify me with Thy Spirit, and at last let me see Thy face in peace. Millions have given themselves to Him, and not one has been lost. "Safe in the Arms of Jesus" they have remained, in life, in death, and in eternity. Oh! take my advice this day and give yourselves to Christ. And yet I know full well you will not do this unless God's Holy Spirit so inclines your heart. How earnestly I pray He may do so now! RICH POVERTY. Having nothing, and yet possessing all things.-2 Cor. vi. 10. T. PAUL was a poor man. He was born in a high position in this world, but he gave it up and suffered the loss of all things for Christ's sake. It is indeed right that they who minister God's Word should be supported by their people, for the labourer is worthy of his hire. As the Apostle says in 1 Cor. ix. 11, If w have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your carnal things? And again in verse fourteen, Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. But I have used none of these things. He was never paid for preaching. You will say, How then did he live? It was the custom among the Jews to teach their sons a trade (they said, He that teaches not his son a trade, does the same as if he taught him to be a thief), and this is how St. Paul learned tentmaking (Acts xviii. 3.) They used to make tents from the hair-cloth of Cilician goats. Having no income of his own he was dependent on God for his daily bread, and could have truthfully sung, No foot of land do I possess, St. Paul then was very poor. But do you think he referred to this poverty in our text-having nothing? He may have done so in some measure, but I am pretty sure he meant something more. Besides, if you look at the words before our text he says-" As poor, yet making many rich," there he simply meant though he was poor in this world's goods, yet he was the means of making many rich for the next world. But here in our text I fancy he refers more especially to his spiritual state, to the condition of his soul. And if you will turn to 2 Cor. xii. 11, he uses very similar words, "Though I be nothing!" 1. "HAVING NOTHING." That is not man's opinion of himself by nature. Man by nature echoes the words of the Laodicean Church, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing! But God says, Thou knowest not that thou art wretched, or as it is in the Greek Testament, the wretched one!thou, even thou who thinkest thyself so rich, and happy, and pure, thou art the wretched one, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked! Rev. iii. 17. And it is only when God's Holy Spirit teaches us, that we know and feel that we really are nothing, and have nothing of our own, but our sins. Was it not so with St. Paul? Read what he says in 1 Cor. xv, By the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all now note how he stops himself lest he should appear to ascribe anything to his own power-Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. And if you asked me what is the perfection of Christian experience, I should say, it may be found the well-known line-Nothing in my hand I bring. When we taught by God's Spirit we then can say from our hearts: * 2. Oh! to be nothing-nothing, only to lie at His feet, A broken, emptied vessel, thus for His use made meet! “POSSESSING ALL THINGS." Does it not seem a flat contradiction? "Having nothing, and yet possessing all things!" Now suppose an infidel who had never read the Bible happened to open the New Testament at this sixth chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians, and his eye fell on this list of seeming contradictions -unknown, and yet well-known, dying, and behold, we live: chastened, and not killed; sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing all things, what would he think? He would say at once, The man who wrote this is a fool. Alas! "the natural man," that is, the unconverted man, man in his natural state, "receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him, (1 Cor. ii. 14.) Now what do the words mean-Having nothing, and yet possessing all things? Let me untie the knot for you. The man, who by God's grace feels he is nothing, and has nothing in himself, may possess all things in Christ! My brethren, you must learn to look for Salvation outside yourselves! "In Christ" is the secret of it all. He has grace to adorn you, gold to enrich you, balm to heal you, bread to nourish you, happiness to crown you, Himself to satisfy you! Let me refer you to three texts, Col. ii. 10, Ye are complete in Him, or as the word exactly means, Ye are filled up, ye are filled full in Him; that is, Christ is all you need; everything you can possibly want is treasured up in Him. Do you want Righteousness?-a Righteousness in which you can appear before a holy God. It can only be found in Jesus. Your own righteousness is "filthy rags." His righteousness is unto all and upon all them that believe. It is the "white robe" which all must wear who enter the gates of Paradise. It is the wedding-garment which everyone must put on if they would sit down at the marriage-supper of the Lamb. Do you want wisdom?-wisdom for all times and all circumstances, you will find it in Christ. Do you want strength ?-strength wherewith to resist the devil and the world and the flesh. You may as well try to chain the waves of the sea, as struggle against sin and Satan in your own strength. But you will find grace sufficient in Christ. Do you want happiness?—There is no happiness under the sun, or beneath the skies. Real, solid, lasting joy is only in the Saviour. Remember what St. Paul says in the third chapter of his Epistle to the Philippians. That Epistle was written when he was an old man, and looking forward to the day when he should finish his course. What is his last wish? I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him! Remember too what St. Paul says to the Ephesians in the first chapter. He says they are "accepted in the Beloved." And then if you put these three texts together, you will there see what it is to possess all things in Christ. And let me add-Just as much as you know of the first part of the text-" having nothing," will you know of the second part of the text-" possessing all things." And if you are able to say from your heart "Nothing in my hand I bring," you will soon joyfully add, 66 Simply to Thy Cross I cling." HOW TO SWEETEN BITTER THINGS. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet. Exodus xv. 23-25. NEED not remind you that this is a scene from the wilderness life of the children of Israel. More than two millions of people—a barren desert-blazing sun and burning sands-nothing to drink for three days —men, women, children, cattle, dying of thirst! Now they see the water sparkling afar, and hasten forwards-alas! it is so bitter they cannot drink it. They call the place Marah. Some of you may here see your own portrait. You used to say, If I could only get that or live there, I should be supremely happy. But when your wish was realised, the root of the pleasant plant was wormwood. The orange-blossoms frosted. You called it Marah. |