And dissatisfaction exercised you in an anxious and diligent search for true peace. And then, looking at it again as "the law of faith "-here is your ground of peace laid open. Your way to God is clear-your acceptance free-your confidence assured-your communion heavenly. "Being justified by faith, you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; yea-you are " filled with peace, all peace in believing."1 have you not equal reason to "love this law" as a law of obedience ? Here you have your question answered" Lord! what wilt thou have me to do?"? Let "this word dwell in you richly in all wisdom; and it will be your daily directory of life and conduct. You will have a taste to " delight in it after the inner man." Walking in the light of it, you will go on to the full enjoyment of " peace," "Taking "cheerfully your Saviour's "yoke upon you, and learning of him, you will" ever "find rest unto your soul." "All his paths are peace."4 Professor ! need you be told what you lose by your indulged indifference to the law of God? Does not your own conscience tell you, that you are a stranger to this peace-this "great peace?" A secret root of idolatry cankers the principles of peace. Notions will not bring it to you. Nothing but the vital spirit of godliness-the "love for God's law""the truth received in the love of it"-will realize the blessing. Young Christian! be not disheartened, though your love to the law" be so weak, interrupted, clouded, that sometimes you are led to fear, that you have no love at all. Do you not mourn over the coldness of your love? do you not desire to love? 1 Romans v. 1, 10, 11: xv. 13. 3 Romans vii. 22. Seek 2 Acts ix. 6. 4 Matt. xi. 29. Prov. iii. 17. 66 "1 to know more of the constraining influence of the love of Christ. If you complain now, that your chariot wheels, like those of the Egyptians, drive heavily; you will then move, like the chariots in the prophet's vision, upon wheels and upon wings.' At least you are on the way to peace, if not in the actual enjoyment of it: it cannot be far off. A sense of recon'ciliation with God will soon visit you, issuing in a quiet acquiescence of soul under his wise and gracious dispensations ? 3 "The Lord is your shepherd; and, dwelling near the shepherd's tent, "you shall not want." 4 Nothing comes to you without his appointment; and whatever he takes away was only what he had first given, and leaves you nothing but to say-" Blessed be the name of the Lord."5 Whatever he lays upon you is infinitely less than you deserve, and with the Fatherly design "to do you good at the latter end."6 Whatever he gives you is peace-" great peace"-" perfect peace; "7 and though at best, as to its actual and perceptible enjoyment, it is only a chequered gift; yet as the earnest of that "peace into which the righteous shall enter, when taken away from the evil to come "8-it is an incalculable blessing. The stedfastness of our profession is a most important fruit of this blessing of peace-" Nothing shall offend them." The daily cross,9 the humbling doctrine, 10 the fiery trial 11—which, by offending the professor, detect the unsoundness of his heart-are to the faithful lover of the precepts of God the source of continual strength and comfort. Those who were stumbled by tribulation or persecution, were they who 2 Comp. Col. i. 20, 21. 5 Job i. 21. 1 Compare Exod. xiv. 25, with Ezek. i. 15, 23. 8 Ibid. lvii. 1, 2. 66 2 "had no root in themselves." Hence therefore, there was no love in their hearts; consequently no peace in their experience, and no stability or perseverance in their course. The frequency of such cases in a day of profession is a subject of constant and most painful observation. A course of religion is commenced under the impulse of momentary excitement; like a reed shaken by the wind," unable to withstand the power of temptation. The first storm beats down all resolutions, that were not formed upon the conviction of utter helplessness, and in entire dependence upon the sufficiency of Divine grace. But the power of genuine love will prove our safeguard against all grounds of offence. The Gospel has been embraced on a fair calculation of the cost, from a deep sense of its value, and from a spiritual perception of its character and application to our wants. For instance -we hear objections taken to the doctrine of the total depravity of man. But "love to the law of God". moulding our minds into its Divine impression--will remove all ground of offence. The pride of man's wisdom revolts from the doctrine of the cross and the freeness of the grace of God. But we love it as a part of the law of faith." It suits our case. It answers our necessities and therefore here also nothing offends us." Thus, whatever be the ground of offence-whether from the Church or from the world-whether from Satan or from himself" love to the law of God" enables the believer-instead of being "tossed to and fro" by the restless power of conviction to "make straight paths "3 for his feet throughout his heavenly pilgrimage. If ever his cross be grievous, he seeks from the Lord a quiet and 2 Comp. John xv. 5. 2 Cor. xii. 9. 3 Heb. xii. 13, with Prov. iv, 25-27. 66 66 1 Mark iv. 17. submissive spirit; and thus, "in patience possessing his soul," he finds "the yoke easy and the burden light." 1 The difficulties of his path serve to exercise and strengthen his faith, and to add fresh testimony to the faithfulness of the promise. Whether therefore his way be dark or light, he is at peace; and all will end at last in a richer enjoyment of his Saviour's love, and in a clearer testimony in his own heart, that "the work of righteousness"-of" love to the law of his God"-" shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever." 2 166. Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments. THE experience of the "great peace" that is connected with "the love of God's law," is at once the fruit of faith, and the motive of obedience. And the enjoyment of it leads the child of God to give renewed expression to his faith and devotedness to his service. "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." This is the characteristic of the New Testament Church. Now mark the same principle and the same object of faith in the Old Testament believer-" I have hoped for thy salvation" -and the same practical influence of faith-I have "done thy commandments." "Walked they not in the same spirit? Walked they not in the same steps?" Faith is the exercise of the soul in a sense of need, in desire, and in trust. Faith goes to God on the ground of the promise-hope in the expectation of the thing promised. Thus hope implies the operation of faith. 1 Luke xxi. 19. Matthew xi. 30. 2 Isaiah xxxii. 17, 3 Galatians v. 6. It appropriates to itself the object of faith. And it is a sure evidence, that our hope is "a good hope through grace "1-such as "maketh not ashamed " ? -when we are enabled to take hold of the promises of faith, and to stay our souls upon their " everlasting consolation." Conscious unworthiness may give a trembling feebleness to the hand of faith; but the feeblest apprehension of one of the least of the promises of the gospel assures us of our interest in them all. Why may we not set all the fulness of the covenant before the weakest as well as before the strongest believer, and proclaim to both with equal freedom the triumphant challenge-" Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? Who is he that condemneth?" Every believer is alike interested in the gospel of grace. "There is no difference" in the righteousness of the gospel, which is "the righteousness of God"-nor in the imputation of it, which is "unto all and upon all them that believe (having respect not to the degree, but to the principle of faith) -nor in the means of its application, which in all cases is " by faith of Jesus Christ”—nor in the need of the blessing" All have sinned" without difference. All therefore are justified without difference. The only difference regards the strength or weakness of the faith, by which the righteousness is more or less distinctly appropriated, and its consequent blessings enjoyed. No soul however can sink into perdition, that grasps the promise of Christ with the hand of faith, be that hand ever so weak and trembling; though, if the promise did not hold us more firmly by its unchangeableness, than we hold it by our faith, who could ever attain the blessing? 12 Thess. ii. 16. 2 Rom. v. 5. 4 Ibid. iii. 22, 23. |