God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved); and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. EPH. ii. 4—6. CHRIST being the head of the body, his Church, all who are his real members, are, together with him, dead, buried, raised up, and seated in heavenly places; for he is the new Adam, and has done all these things as our representative, in our stead, and for our good. Therefore, a true believer may rejoice and say, "I have suffered in thee, O my glorious head, for all my sins already. I am discharged. I have no punishment to fear any more respecting the guilt and curse of sin. Thou hast fully answered the charge against me, satisfied the infinite justice of GOD for me, and it is impossible, with its equity and love, to require a double payment of my debts: consequently, I die no more; nay, I live already, and have my place with thee eternally in heaven, since the head cannot, nor will ever part even with the weakest of his members, but influence and draw them after him wherever he goes." O LORD, we praise thee for thy Son, By the rebellion of one man, Where sin did reign and death abound, I God has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 COR. v. 21. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. ROM. iv. 5. See also GEN. XV. 6. TH HESE are very sweet and precious words to those who look upon their own best virtues and performances by nature as sinful, and upon their best condition by grace as extremely weak and imperfect. How comfortable a thing is the justification of the penitent by faith, when the soul is first stript quite naked before GOD, and thoroughly convinced of its wickedness and weakness. A mere moral man does not meddle with this. He pretends to make amends for his former sins, by altering his course, and doing better works; but this is not making amends at all, since we are but unprofitable servants, and want continually forgiveness of sin, even when we have done all. There is but one way to be justified, and to obtain and preserve the blessing of a good conscience, which is by humbling and confessing ourselves guilty, and looking only for forgiveness and righteousness in CHRIST. Thus we are made by him the righteousness of GOD itself. May the LORD put us all in this way! No more, my GOD, I boast no more Of all the duties I have done; I quit the hopes I held before, O yes, I must and will esteem All things but loss for JESUS' sake; Dares not appear before thy throne; By pleading what my LORD has done. God has exalted Christ Jesus with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. ACTS v. 31. Unto you first, God, having raised his Son Jesus, sent him to help you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. ACTS iii. 26. AY not, What reason have I to repent? I am By thy sins thou hast murdered the Son of GOD, and by thy pride robbed GoD of his due service; therefore, if thy old heart be not changed into a new one, and yet thou feelest some uneasiness about thy salvation, do not look on this concern as a fit of the vapours, or as a temptation of the Devil, but believe it is the work of CHRIST, who now awakes thee from the sleep of sin, and offers thee repentance; and who will change thy heart, and make thee a new man, if thou canst yield up thyself unto him; "He stands at the door and knocks, and says, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him." Rev. iii. 20. Now CHRIST will ev'ry want supply, And fill our hearts with peace; He gives, by cov❜nant and by oath, The riches of his grace. Our heart, that flinty stubborn thing, That terrors cannot move, That fears no threat'nings of his wrath, Shall be dissolv'd by love. There shall his sacred Spirit dwell, And deep engrave his law, And ev'ry motion of our souls To swift obedience draw. Thus will he pour salvation down, And we shall render praise; He'll bless the people of his love, God is not a God of confusion. 1 Cor. xiv. 33. He has made everything beautiful in its season. Also, no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end. ECCLES. iii. 11. LORD, I am like a little child, knowing neither the beginning nor end of my ways. I daily go in a strange path, the sides whereof are vanity, and the end destruction. I see not my way in it, yet my wicked heart tells me not to leave it. One pleasure after another bids me stay, yet the sweets thereof I never taste. I am weary of it; it is a perplexing path. But thou who art the Wonderful Counsellor, make it my only wisdom to be advised and ruled by thee. O show me, then, always thy way in all things, even in the least, that I may never miss to do thy work in due season and due order. Make me such a faithful steward, as not to go one inch from thy will, but on all occasions to act and suffer according to thy pleasure. Whither, O whither shall I fly, But to my loving Saviour's breast, And safe beneath thy wings to rest. I have no might t' oppose the foe; Show me the path I should decline! Which shall I leave, and which pursue? My GOD, I know not what to do! But oh, mine eyes are fixed on thee. Foolish, and impotent, and blind, Now he who establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 2 Cor. i. 21, 22. But we have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 1 JOHN ii. 20. A SENSIBLE joy of faith, and great delight in prayer, are not the only evidences of this earnest and sealing of the Spirit; these sometimes are wanting when we know we are sealed by these marks; namely, when we receive CHRIST in all his offices, and have a sincere desire to do the will of GOD in all things; when we love the ordinances of CHRIST, and regard the children of GOD with a brotherly affection, and seek to do them good; when we hate sin, and watch and pray against it; and, lastly, when we are poor in spirit, vile in our own eyes, and are led into further acquaintance with CHRIST himself, and with his Gospel by the Spirit. These are constant marks even for the weakest. Why should the children of a King Dost thou not dwell in all thy saints, Assure my conscience of her part And bear thy witness with my heart Thou art the earnest of his love, The pledge of joys to come; |