are here held forth to us: Lord, help us to see them and feed upon them, Here is, 1st. A solemn observation of the feast of tabernacles: this was appointed by the wisdom of God the Father.... Lev. xxiii. 34. Did God solemnly command the people to dwell in booths for eight days, but to some glorious end? No: Christ is the substance of the whole law: here is a shadow of him: here is typified God's beloved Son who was to tabernacle in our flesh, and all the Father's glory to dwell in him. 2d. "The people gathered together as one man." So, "Unto Shiloh (the Messiah) shall the gathering of the people be."....Gen. xlix. 10. 3d. Ezra the priest reads and expounds to them the law in the open street, (much such another dreadful crime as field-preaching) the people were convinced of sin and wept: the law ministers death and condemnation to them. Here is the office of the Holy Ghost in convincing of sin, and comforting them by faith. 4th. Ezra preaches the gospel to them, and says, "Weep not, neither be ye sorry." No! Not when their hearts were wounded by sin, the terrors of a broken law fell upon them, and when they saw justice armed with vengeance to destroy them? No: for, says he, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." How so? A glorious ray of Christ's rich love and marvellous grace to poor sinners beams forth here: see what is the joy of the Lord; our precious Lord Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, "FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM (of saving us miserable sinners) endured the cross, despising the shame."....Heb. xii. 2. Look unto Jesus; meditate on this joy of your Lord. Though he was to suffer the most excruciating pains and agonies on the cross, be exposed to public shame and infamy as a malefactor, hanging naked; yet such was his joy in saving his dear people from hell, to be glorified with him eternally in heaven, that he patiently endured all, and cheerfully despised all this. O, such love, such grace, such joy never dwelt but in the heart of an incarnato God! Sinner, this joy of the Lord is your strength and mine: the faith of this creates the highest joy in our souls; and this joy inspires our hearts with strength and courage against all our enemies; for we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us, and had such joy in saving us. O, to think I am a poor, weak, and vile sinner from day to day, surrounded by the most subtle and powerful foes, is enough to make our hearts faint, our knees feeble, and our hands hang down: but, O the joy, the strength it inspires the soul to know, "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty.".... Zeph. iii. 17. The joy which cometh from the Lord, It's reap'd by faith in his good word, M. Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure....2 Pet. i. 10. WORK FOR life, say the sons of ignorance and pride. Work not at all: Christ has left us nothing to do, say the sons of sloth and licentiousness. But, say the sons of wisdom, we labour and give diligence in the ways of God: not in order to get life; not to be saved for what we do; but to enjoy more of the life of Christ, the love of God, and the assurance of his Spirit, that we are his children. To this Peter exhorts. BRETHREN; ye who profess to believe in the Son of God, and long to know assuredly that ye are the children of God, "Give diligence." Do not rest in a few lazy wishes, cold desires, and formal duties, but be earnest, be active, be upon the stretch for God. As we say, leave no stone unturned: study the Lord's word of grace, dwell upon the rich promises of his love, meditate upon the finished salvation of Christ, confer with his people, be fervent in prayer, strive against sin, resist satan, deny the flesh, cry for the witness of the Spirit, &c. all this, say you, is very good; but I want power to do this. Have you a will to it? Then the Lord who gave you a will, will strengthen you by his power, while you are found in these things. Nay, say not you wish to be happy in God, if you neglect to be diligent in the ways of God: for what is this but solemn mockery of God, and sadly deceiving your own soul? Consider the end of this diligence, "to make your calling and election sure." 1st. Your calling: there is a general call of the gospel to every 'sinner who is within the sound of it: some rest in this: this is not meant; but a special and effectual call from a death in sin, to life and salvation in Christ; from a proud hope and vain confidence in ourselves and our works, to a lively faith in Christ and comfortable fellowship with God. 2d. "Your election:" this is a frightful word to many: they fight strongly against it: as they believe there is no election of grace, they cannot labour to make their own sure. The apostle leaves such to their own carnal notions, while he assures real believers of this truth, that some are elect, according to the foreknowledge of God.... 1 Pet. i. 2....and urges them to diligence, to obtain the assurance of their own interest therein: so that you see, the doctrine of election, so far from encouraging sloth, is the very spring of diligence and activity. The Lord give us a right judgment in all things; for this will influence to a right walk and godly conversation in Christ Jesus. Called to run the heav'nly race, My soul, nor tire, look back nor faint, tion wrought out: no promises made: no Spirit sent: no sinner effectually called to be saints: no love in God to comfort them nor no heaven open to receive them. O, how do poor sinners figh against their own mercies, when they fight against the electing love of God. But, says one, I tremble to think, if I should not be one of the elect, what a dreadful thing would that be? Not at all more dreadful, but just the same as if there had been no election. But what kind of argument is this against any truth? Suppose a profane sinner says, if there is a hell and I should be one of the damned, what a dreadful thing would that be? What does this prove? People are apt to stand in nature and self, and judge of the truths of God: hence they have hard thoughts of a God of love. Behold D shew unto you a more excellent way: far better to give diligence to make your election sure, than to cavil and dispute about what is a plain article of christian faith. Disputes seldom promote love; but assurance of our election will. Your fear and trembling, lest you should not be one of the elect, is a sure evidence that you are not stupid and thoughtless about salvation. It is "with fear and trem-bling you are called to work out your own salvation, remembering it is God who works in you, both to will and to do of his good plea-sure."....Phil. ii. 12, 13. By his grace, study diligence to make your election sure: there is no election to salvation, but in Christ. Sinners are chosen, justified, sanctified, and saved him, with an everlasting salvation. The faith of God's elect cordially receives and embraces these truths, and lives upon Christ to enjoy the comfort of all this. Such a believing soul cannot but breathe out its sighs and send up its prayers for the Holy Ghost to bear witness with his spirit that he is a child of God. Says Peter, prove the sincerity of these, and that your heart is in earnest to enjoy this assurance, by giving diligence. Self-love may excite a desire after comfort: but if faith works by love to the truths of God, it will make you diligent in the ways of God. O the unspeakable joy, when the comforting Spirit bears witness to the soul of the Father's love in Jesus; that I am a child of God, through faith in Christ, that my sins are pardoned through his blood, and my person justified in his righteousness: this is glory begun below, by a heaven of love, possessing the sinner's soul. Then he says, "I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."....Gal. ii. 20. Thou life of lives, life of my soul, O let not sloth my powers controul, M. Men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed....Psalm 1xxii. 17. "CURSED is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them.".... Gal. iii. 10. This curse God hath never revoked: every man upon the earth is naturally under it: but the greatest curse is, men neither believe it, feel it, nor care for it. Hence they slight and disregard that dear MAN, who was made " a curse for us," that we might be blessed in him. Says our Lord, "search the scriptures, they testify of me."....John v. 39. Here is a sweet testimony for our mind and precious food for our faith: Jesus, master, bless me while I meditate on it. 1st. See all blessedness in Christ. Well might Luther say, "I will have nothing to do with an absolute God:" that is, God without a mediator. O sinner, O saint, there is nothing but curse and wrath for us out of Christ: there is a hell of sin in our nature: the pride of the devil and the lust of the beast dwell in our flesh. Spirit of God, give us to know this more and more, to the humbling of our hearts and to the prizing of our dear Immanuel: for in Christ there is nothing but blessedness: we are blessed IN him. Blessed be his Godand Father, WhOHATH blessedus, with ALL spiritual blessings IN CHRIST, according as he hath CHOSEN US IN HIM before the foundation of the world.... Eph. i. 3, 4. Here are precious foundation-truths of our blessedness: faith receives them, and works by the love of them. 2d. Not only blessed IN, but blessed By Christ: as our covenant head he hath every blessing for time and eternity to bestow upon his members. We have not only a notion of this, but the enjoyment of it. Christ is the author of our faith: he gave us faith, that we might feed on him in our hearts, have fellowship with him in our spirits, and have all things in common with him which our Father's love can bestow, to make us blessed and happy. 3d. Men, miserable, sinful men shall not only be blessed IN and by Christ, but shall bless themselves IN him. This is a sweet art: Holy Spirit, teach it us from day to day: though we find ourselves vile, miserable and cursed, yet let us bless ourselves in the Lord; boast of him, glory in, and rejoice for what Christ of God is made to us. Lastly; men shall call Christ blessed: the most blessed object their eyes ever saw, or their hearts ever knew. The paper fails: Lord make up in spirit what is wanting in letter. There is no end of speaking, dear Lord, of thy bles sedness. In Christ I am for ever blest, Faith lifts me out of nature's views, God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.... 1 Thess. v. 9. HERE IS a precious negative, a glorious positive, and happy souls: Lord help us to meditate upon them to our profit. Ist. The negative: "God hath not appointed us to wrath." St. Paul has in his eye what our proud nature cannot bear to hear of, the sovereignty of God: it is as though he had said we are all by nature children of wrath: we have all by practice deserved wrath. Here is myself: the other day I did not know the Son of God, but persecuted him and his servants. If God had dealt with us according to our just deserts, we should suffer his eternal wrath in hell. Is your conscience convinced of this? Do your eyes see it? Does your tongue confess this? Does your heart fear this? Rejoice with wonder: that just God, who had a sovereign right, yet will not appoint you to wrath for your sins: if you have trembled under a sense of wrath, now rejoice at the sound of everlasting love! For, 2d. Here is a glorious positive : "God hath appointed us to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." Ye poor, short-sighted beings, who talk of a possible salvation, of being brought into a salvable state, of a conditional salvation cast upon certain terms we are to perform, and of one knows not what unscriptural jargon; behold and stand reproved, for ye weaken faith, deject hope, and damp love in an absolute, sure and certain salvation, appointed by God for those who deserved wrath; even the salvation, the finished salvation of our Lord Christ: this, this is the blessed foundation for faith, the spring of hope, the source of love. But, Sd. Who are appointed to obtain it? I hope we will allow the Lord of all, the liberty which we mortals take of appointing whom he pleases to live with him. Us: 1st. Whom God hath pleased to appoint. 2d. Us, for whom Christ died. 3d. Us, who are not in darkness. 4th. Us, who are the children of light, and of the day. These characters stand in the context: are they yours? Has God, who commanded the light. to shine out of darkness, shined in your heart to give you the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ? Have you seen such glory in the face, the offices, the work of Christ, that you choose him for your Saviour, and trust him for your salvation? O fall down and adore sovereign love and free grace! God has as surely appointed you to salvation as he did Paul or any of the apostles. Who shall disappoint God? " If God be for us, who can be against us?".... Rom. viii. 31. We all deserve eternal wrath, Then what shall disappoint our God? And love and praise him ev'ry saint. |