And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will thou have me to do?....Acts ix. 6. SUCH are the effects when sovereign grace reacheth a sinner's heart. When the light of truth shines in the conscience, it makes the stoutest heart to tremble. When Jesus is manifested to the soul, it causes astonishment and creates love. Transient convictions of sin often beget horror of conscience, and they often pass away as the morning cloud and early dew. Such conversions are very common; sinners are frequently turned from one sect and system of opinions to another; yea, also their lives, and practices may be reformed, and they may seem to be converted; and often, where is the least cause, there is the greatest confidence; especially, if such persons are confirmed in their hopes by great pretensions to experience, and can talk much of ecstacies and raptures, visions and revelations, which they suppose came from God: while many continue poor, trembling, self-emptied, and low-abased souls, they know and feel nothing but sin and helplessness in themselves; yet from a discovery of the glory of Jesus and the perfection of his salvation, seek all in him, and expect all from him; but yet they remain diffident of their state and doubtful of their conversion; they are exercised with great perplexity of mind at times concerning themselves. In both cases time only manifests the truth of conversion. Effects best prove their cause. When Christ is revealed to the heart; when the soul, by the eye of faith, "sees him who is invisible," it is manifested by holy mourning and godly sorrow for past conduct, humble hope and scripture confidence of salvation: and this excites prayer to Jesus for instruction, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" The soul desires to obey his will in truth and love. The habitual frame of the soul to Christ, his salvation, his truths and commandments, is a stronger evidence of real conversion than all the visions, ecstacies, horror or transports which the passions can yield. So St. Paul's after conduct to Jesus and his cause, fully proved that he had felt the power and tasted the sweetness of a Saviour's love. Though every conversion is not produced in the same extraordinary manner Paul's was, yet the soul of every believer is turned to the very same object, Jesus, for whole salvation. Thus "Jesus, the exalted Prince and Saviour, gives repentance and forgivness of sins. The witness of this is the Holy Ghost, whom God gives to them who obey him.".... Acts v. 31, 32. As new-born babes desire the breast, Not by the terrors of a slave, Our souls obey Christ's will; Go back again: for what have I done to thee?....1 Kings xix. 20. It seems marvellous that the simple act of Elijah casting the skirts of his mantle upon Elisha, should cause him to leave oxen and plough, parents and habitation, to run after a stranger. Doubtless there is a mystery of the Spirit under the history of the letter; the outward act of Elijah could not have had this effect, unless the inward power of the strong Lord had accompanied it. So Peter might have cast his net and toiled all his days ere he had taken a fish with a piece of money in its mouth, unless the Lord Jesus had effected this by his power. Elijah's passing by Elisha and casting his mantle upon him, and the effect that followed, is a striking resemblance of the Lord, strong in power and wonderful in grace, passing by us poor sinners, and casting his mantle of love over us. Call to mind, disciple; endeavour daily to remember that time of love when thy precious Saviour passed by, saw thee polluted in thy blood, immersed in busy care, when worldly hopes and carnal delights engrossed thy whole concern; no eye, no, not thine own, pitied thy precious immortal soul; thou neither saw its misery, nor feared thy danger. But, saith thy Saviour, "when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was a time of love."....Ezek. xvi. 8. O the mighty charm of divine love! How is the heart attracted and drawn after Jesus, as Elisha to Elijah. So says the smitten soul to Jesus, "I will follow thee:" and, like him, its affections are drawn from worldly objects, and acts as the woman of Samaria when she found the Messiah; she forgot her errand, and left her water-pot behind her. "What manner of man is this," said the disciples of Jesus in astonishment, "that even the winds and the seas obey him?" Surely we may cry out in admiration with St. John, "What manner of love is this?" What a mighty God is Jesus, that the power of his love attracts our stubborn hearts, and causes us to follow him! What cause ever to admire the power, and adore the freeness of Jesus' love! It found us ere we sought it. Little did Elisha think, in the hour of his ploughing, of being called to the high honor of being the Lord's prophet. Ah, what was thy employ when Jesus first cast his mantle over thee? Perhaps, like Saul, sinning with a high hand, employed in the devil's drudgery, in open rebellion against a loving Saviour, and yet priding thyself in the filthy rags of thine own righteousness; but now this is the joy and rejoicing of faith; where God casts the mantle of his love, that soul he clothes with the robe of his Son's righteousness. So "grace reigns by Jesus Christ unto eternal life."....Rom. v. 21. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal....2 Cor, iv. 18. THE faith of the gospel stamps vanity upon the righteousness, glory, and happiness of every object short of Jesus. When the soul beholds the King in his glory, it pours contempt upon all things. beside; all the transient objects of time and sense die in esteem while the crucified Saviour is in view; this is our greatest gain, our chiefest glory. Far, infinitely beyond all the reasonings of vain philosophy, is the christian's sight by faith, to reconcile his mind to. afflictions, endure with patience under, and give victory over them. Thus Moses "endured, seeing him who is invisible."....Heb. xi. 27+ Though the eye of nature hath not seen, nor the uncircumcised ear hath heard, nor can the carnal heart conceive the spiritual things of God's covenant, Jesus's incarnation, and the Spirits revelation; yet the enlightened, heaven-born soul, sees these things in open vision by the eye of faith; to look at them is his chief delight and joy, to obtain clearer. views of them his daily study, to converse and be more familiar with them is his chief happiness, his heaven begun op earth; a strange mystery to his natural self and to the carnal, world, is the believing soul; to love and converse with an unseen Saviour, to look to invisible objects, to derive all happiness from things that are not seen; no marvel that there should be so great fight of opposition from fallen nature and carnal reason against such a life. Soul, ever remember with humility and thankfulness, our dear Saviour saith, "unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God."....Mark iv. 1. "These things are hid from the wise and prudent." O disciple, whilst thou dost adore the Father's < love, dost rejoice in the Son's grace, remember thou art wholly indebted for all this rich discovery to the divine Spirit; give him equal glory; grieve not the Spirit, who is the glorifier of Jesus, by turning thine eyes to any other object for righteousness, peace, and, happiness. Is Christ thine all? Are the unseen things of his kingdom thy portion? Be a chaste virgin to thy Lord. "Where thy treasure is, there let thy heart be also." Happy for thee to find with Paul, "I die daily." I am dying to the world while living in it; I find and feel many pains and disorders in my frail body as sure forebodings of hastening dissolution; I know perfectly that the day of the Lord is coming, that each breath I draw brings nearer this solemn advent. What then should I look to? Upon what should my affections be placed? Blessed be God for revealing these eternal "Be careful for nothing," &c....Phil. iv. 6. things as our portion. " Perfect, as pertaining to the conscience....Heb. ix. 9. CONSCIENCE, or an inward perception of divine truth, is not common to all men; when sin is charged upon it, it perceives its guilt, knows and feels misery, and is filled with wrath. This is the peculiar glory and excellency of the gospel, it brings relief to the conscience. We say, my mind to me a kingdom is; for we feel in our minds the kingdom of Jesus. We enjoy somewhat more in Jesus than outward show and shadow; even inward, substantial com forts. What was that lord the better for the miraculous plenty in Samaria, when for his unbelief, Elisha told him, "thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat of it?"....2 Kings vii. 19. The truths of Jesus do not merely amuse our heads and engage our tongues, but we feed on them in our consciences. Like the patriarchs....Heb. xi...." We embrace them" as the very joy of our souls. The blood of Christ, through the eternal Spirit, sprinkles our hearts from an evil or guilty conscience, brings pardon and peace of mind to our troubled conscience, cleansing to our defiled conscience, and “by the resurrection of Jesus, we have the answer of a good conscience towards God."....1 Pet. iii. 21. Herein we glory in being perfectionists; nothing but this can make us "perfect pertaining to the conscience;" for the law maketh nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope does; Jesus is our hope; by him we draw nigh to God; in his blood we perceive and know by faith we have a perfect atonement and perfect cleansing from all our sins, perfect deliverance from the condemnation of the law; in his righteousness we are perfectly accepted and justified before God; this is our wedding garment; this we have, being married to the Lamb; we dare not look to any thing else for perfection; if we do, we feel the smart of it; our conscience is defiled. That we may have and keep a good conscience, purged from dead works to serve the living God, we exercise our minds on Jesus; so we rejoice in Jesus, and walk with him by faith. Conscience is the best friend or the worst enemy; a sense of guilt makes it our worst enemy; Jesus makes it our best friend. To maintain peace and perfection of conscience, observe first, the moment the guilt of sin is felt, confess it to Jesus, and pray him to take it away. Secondly, seek not that from the law of works which can only be found in the gospel of grace, perfect salvation. Thirdly, look not for that in yourselves which is only in Jesus, perfect righteousness. Fourthly, expect not that in this world which can only be enjoyed in the next, perfect freedom from all sín. “Jesus is our rock, his work is perfect.”........Deut. xxxii. 4. t My God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus....Phil. iv. 19. PAUL, though an eminent saint, and a great apostle, was yef a man of like passions, a poor sinner, even as others. Yet, with what amazing boldness and confidence he speaks of what his God shall do! Though he had never been admitted into the secret counsels of the glorious trinity; yet the holy Spirit had well instructed him, in the covenant transactions of Jehovah. He well knew the nature of the everlasting covenant: that it was "ordered in all things" in infinite wisdom and eternal love: that all the graces and blessings contained in it, are sure to all the heirs of promise. As soon might a God of truth prove false, a God of faithfulness be unjust, as any one of his promises in Jesus to his people fail. Such is the security of the covenant; such the confidence of faith. God the Father is the fountain; the Son the treasury; and the Spirit: the dispenser of all grace. Believers' needs are God's concerns. They shall have a rich supply for all their wants. The value of their supplies, are enhanced to the highest degree. Not only riches, but riches in glory; glorious riches. They receive all from glory, and all comes to them through the glorified man Jesus Christ. He is their "Friend who loveth at all times: their brother who was born for adversity." In the hour of our distresses and in the time of our need, we too often forget that we have such a God and Saviour to trust in and call upon. Instead of looking to a throne of grace, we pore over our dunghill of corruptions; here we are sure to find nothing but misery, poverty, and sin. Is there such an inexhaustible fund of riches in Christ Jesus? Is it for the poor and needy? Dishonorable thought of Jesus, ever to imagine he is an unconcerned spectator of our wants, or that he will withhold when we need. Nay, but he "knows how to have compassion." He is touched with a tender sympathy, "a feeling sense of our infirmities."....Heb. iv. 15. "Trust in him at all times, ye people, pour out your hearts before him, God is a refuge for us ;" and the Psalmist adds, "Selah."....Psalm Ixii. 8. Consider this well, spread it before your minds, just as we put N. B. for Nota Bene; take special notice of this, it is of the greatest importance. "Lord help our unbelief." When in the light of faith divine We look on things below, In him my vast desires are fill'd, And all my pow'rs rejoice. |