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| Excerpts from "The Believer's Pocket Companion" ~ By William Mason | |
The One Thing Needful to Make Poor Sinners Richand Miserable Sinners Happy
By William Mason, 1773
A rod of love to whip you
"The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently." Prov. 13:24
Pliny mentions certain trees which grow in the Red Sea, which, though they are covered with water, and beat upon by the wavesthey stand like an immovable rock. They are bettered by the roughness of the sea.
Just so, a Christian planted in the Red Sea of Christ's bloodis armored against all waves of trouble. He is improved by afflictions; yes, the more he is beat upon, and though overwhelmed with the billows of distress and troublethe better he thrives, and the more his soul flourishes in spiritual grace! For this is the loving design of our Lord in all our troubles and afflictionsto wean us from the world, and to endear Himself to us! Every affliction has its commission from Him. It comes with the impress of His love upon it.
I have often found by experience, and confessed with joythat a sick bed has proved like a hotbed to my soul. It has drawn up warm desires, and longing affections to Christ. And I have sweetly found the Sun of Righteousness arising upon mereviving, cheering and comforting my soul.
When afflictions are most heavy, Christ's presence . . . makes the world and its troubles most light, supports under trials, yields patience and comfort in afflictions, and sanctifies all of them to the soul's profit!
It is your wisdom to see the rod of chastisement in the hand of your loving heavenly Father. All your afflictions are chastenings from the Lordthey are all sent in love! He deals with you as with a son in whom He delights, and whom He designs to profit. He does not punish you with vindictive wrathHe is not taking vengeance of you for your sins. Your Father is not so much punishing you for your sins, as from your sins. That is, in all His chastisements, He intends your spiritual good . . . that you should be more a partaker of His holiness; that sin may be more exceedingly sinful; that you should more humble and vile in your own eyes, that Jesus should be more inestimably precious to you.
So that all affliction, is a rod of love to whip you from the world, self, and sininto Christ, that you should more love and enjoy Him, who is your righteousness, life and salvation.
_________________ CHRISTIAN
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| 2008/3/10 3:46 | Profile | hmmhmm Member
Joined: 2006/1/31 Posts: 4994 Sweden
| Re: Excerpts from "The Believer's Pocket Companion" ~ By William Mason | | "I hate pride and arrogance!" Proverbs 8:13
What a monster of pride is man! How full of that cursed venom, is human nature! We cannot receive any grace or blessing from the Lordbut corrupt nature is prone to be proud of itand to boast in it! No one is exempt from this. I appeal to your hearts. I refer to your experience. When your heart has been enlarged in prayer; when your soul has been carried out in humblings, meltings, longings, aspirings, etc.; when you have heard the Word with warm affections and heavenly joy; when your tongue has with sweetness and liberty talked of Christ to others; when your hand has been stretched forth to do any good work; now in all thesehave you not found pride very busy? Have not you been ready to stroke yourself with pleasure, and to reflect with delight: "Well, now the Lord loves me indeed! Surely He loves me betternow that I find myself so holy, and feel myself so heavenly."
But where is our precious Christ all this while? We have looked at ourselvesuntil we have lost sight of Him! We have been admiring our vile selves for our gracesinstead of being in raptures with Christ, who is altogether lovely, in whom all fullness of grace dwells, and out of whose fullness we receive grace upon grace!
"The Lord detests all the proud of heart!" Prov. 16:5 _________________ CHRISTIAN
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| 2008/3/10 3:48 | Profile | hmmhmm Member
Joined: 2006/1/31 Posts: 4994 Sweden
| Re: | | Where Christ is most precious there sin is exceedingly sinful; and self is humbled and loathed!
Butdo we not grow stronger in ourselves, and find more help and power from ourselves to withstand our enemies, to fight our good fight, to run our race, and to perfect holiness?
No! If we think soit is plain that we are not growing up into Christbut growing down into self! If the Lord has given me to know anything of this matter, after being upwards of twenty years in precious Christ, I sincerely declare, that I find myself to be just that weak, helpless sinner I was when I first came to Jesus with, "Lord help me! Lord save meor I perish!" Yes, I find myself more helpless nowthan I thought myself then. I see more constant need to put on Christ, and to say, "truly in the Lord (not in myself) I have strength!"
I never more firmly believed than now, this truth of my Lord, "Without Me, you can do nothing." John 15:5. Never, never did I see less cause to trust in my own strength!
"Hold me upand I shall be safe!" Psalm 119:117 _________________ CHRISTIAN
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| 2008/3/10 3:48 | Profile | hmmhmm Member
Joined: 2006/1/31 Posts: 4994 Sweden
| Re: | | "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me!" Galatians 2:20
That the believer may live cheerfully and comfortably, he is exhorted to the free and constant use of Christ.
O considerChrist is given to usto be enjoyed by us!
He is the bread of life. We are to feed upon Him daily.
He is the water of life, which our souls are to drink of constantly.
He is our righteousness. We are to put Him on continually.
So then, we not only have a precious Christbut we are also to use Himand enjoy His preciousness! He is not only a well of salvationbut we must draw water out of it with joyand drink of it to the refreshing of our souls!
Deeply consider, that without this inward enjoyment of Christyou cannot be . . . happy in your soul, comfortable in your walk, nor holy in your life.
We must live by faith upon Christso as to derive a continual supply of grace, comfort, and strength from Him! "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me!" Galatians 2:20 _________________ CHRISTIAN
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| 2008/3/10 3:49 | Profile | hmmhmm Member
Joined: 2006/1/31 Posts: 4994 Sweden
| Re: | | Perhaps there never was a greater profession of Christ, than in this day. Yet many, very many professors content themselves with . . . the form of godlinessinstead of the power; the mere notion of truthinstead of the experience of it; the name of faithinstead of the grace of faith; the mere profession of Christinstead of the actual possession of Him. O how few really feel . . . their hearts happy in Him, their hopes centered on Him, and their affections going out after Him! _________________ CHRISTIAN
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| 2008/3/10 3:50 | Profile |
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