of the weakness of their nature, and yet rejoicing in iniquity, and not refraining themselves from any evil way, then we may be assured they have no well grounded belief that God is their "helper and defender," neither any the least assurance of that truth declared in the text by St. Paul, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me." This saving knowledge only comes to pass, when men will "diligently obey the voice of the Lord their God." It is, even as we read in the Epistle to the Hebrews, 66 Being made perfect, he," (that is, Christ the Lord,) "became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him "." But here, let it be observed that it is no easy matter to obey the law of evangelical righteousness, though compared with the iron yoke of sin, (harder than those material yokes of iron which the Lord threatened by his Prophet Jeremiah ',) the burden of such obedience be light. And if the easing of the shoulder, and the taking off of the yoke, as well as victory be of the Lord, it is nevertheless the Christian soldier's duty to labour hard, and faithfully to watch. He is to "strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many," our Lord has said, "will seek to enter in, and shall not be able"." And none other is the Apostle's teaching when he compares the exertions of the zealous Christian with the laborious pre 2 Zech. vi. 13. Jer. xxviii. 13. 3 Heb. v. 9. 5 Luke xiii. 24. paration for victory in the games at Corinth. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway"." He would fain make full proof of his doctrines by obedience, and so declare that Christ was his strength and support amid the difficulties he had to encounter. "The Lord is King, and hath put on glorious apparel; the Lord hath put on his apparel and girded himself with strength 7. Still, as his life and doctrine declare, he did not lessen the difficulty, though he would not make the heart of the righteous sad. And "thou, O man of God," whosoever thou art, wherever found, "fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life "." Be not dismayed, but rejoice with trembling; let there be the "humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart," and then it is said unto thee, as the Lord said unto Abraham: "Fear not, Abraham: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward 9." 9 And here again, in fighting the fight of faith, we 6 1 Cor. ix. 24-27. 8 1 Tim. vi. 11, 12. VOL. I. 7 Ps. xciii. 1. 9 Gen. xv. C must not be for taking weapons of our own devising, but those of heavenly temper, and from the armoury of heaven, such as are patience, perseverance in well doing, truth about our loins, with the breastplate of righteousness, on our feet "the preparation of the gospel of peace;" furthermore, "the shield of faith," "the helmet of salvation," "and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God'." And then the Christian watchword is this, "Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might "." It is because these means are not used that we find so many failures, so many discomfitures. The world is for trusting in an arm of flesh, and cannot discern the arm of the Lord revealed. Too often it looks to its "own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith," is disregarded. And how is this compatible with the declaration of the text, that everlasting truth, and promulgation, so to say, of man's omnipotency, "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me?" Let us give ear to the Psalmist, and whenever worldly thoughts arise, or any idea of worldly stedfastness is making head, let us use his confession, saying, "My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation, for I know no end thereof: I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God, and will make mention of thy righteousness only." 2 Ib. 10. 4 Ps. lxxi. 13, 14. But one will say, our slips and falls have been so many that it is vain to hold out more; we are ashamed and confounded, and there is no help for us in our God; at least, we see not our tokens left, and the deep waters have come in, even unto our soul. Such a confession as this, when offered up by the humble and contrite heart, will never be counted for sin. Nevertheless it is the confession of one who mourns in his complaint, and is forlorn in his hope. It is not altogether in accordance with Christian promises; yea, rather, it is out of the way of truth, for we are kept, not by our own power, but "by the power of God through faith unto salvation 5." God's promises are "yea and Amen," and, in accordance with them, He will "never leave us nor forsake us." We may be faithless unto Him, and unto ourselves, but "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord "." And what then? Why, we are not to faint by the way, but to gird up the loins of our mind, and to persevere. Obedience is a work of time, and requires earnestness, and constant continuance. "Forty and six years was the temple in building," and the temple of the Christian man's body is not built up in a hurry and at once. No, we are to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ"." At the first, it may be, according to our powers, and according to our spirit of holiness, He * 1 Pet. i. 5. • 1 Cor. i. 9. 7 2 Pet. iii. 18. will give us small issues from his abundant store of grace above measure, and the sequel will be according to our use of what has been already imparted. "Unto every one that hath shall be given;"-that is the rule. The strength wherewith we are strengthened will be according to our exertions. Just as in the natural body this and that limb are rendered more supple by exercise, and the muscles braced to an additional grasp and apprehension. And here, observe, how careful is the teaching of Scripture, how applicable to each one's several case and disposition. Observe how it exhorts us in divers ways and in manifold forms. For example, in one passage we are called upon to "turn us" from all our transgressions, as though the power were vested in ourselves, and we had strength and might unto the victory, whilst in another we call upon our God to turn us, "Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God'." In the one, a degree of power is shown still to abide in our corrupt and fallen nature; in the other, it is declared that, after all, the power is still of God. He yet must give us strength to leap over the partition wall, and so, having cast aside all vain trust in our own selves, to find the Saviour of the world, and to be strengthened by His might in the inner man. "We are not sufficient of ourselves to help ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." It is in Him that our great strength lies, Matt. xxv. 29. 'Jer. xxxi. 18. 9 Ezek. xviii. 30-32. 2 2 Cor. ii. 5. |