00 Choice Excerpts
The Believer’s Pocket Companion The One Thing Needful to Make Poor Sinners
Rich—and Miserable Sinners Happy By William Mason, 1773
(CHOICE EXCERPTS)
"The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently." Proverbs 13:24
Pliny mentions certain trees which grow in the Red Sea, which, though they are covered with water, and beat upon by the waves—they 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 blood—is 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 trouble—the 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 afflictions—to 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 joy—that 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 me—reviving, 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 Lord—they 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 wrath—He 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
We have been admiring our vile selves!
"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 Lord—but corrupt nature is prone to be proud of it—and 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 these—have 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 better—now that I find myself so holy, and feel myself so heavenly."
But where is our precious Christ all this while? We have looked at ourselves—until we have lost sight of Him!
"The Lord detests all the proud of heart!" Proverbs 16:5
Christian!
In the Marian persecution, a godly woman was brought before "Bloody Bonner", bishop of London, on account of her faith in Christ.
The bishop threatened he would take her husband. Said she, "Christ is my husband!"
Said he, "I will take away your child." Said she, "Christ is better to me than ten sons!"
Said he, "I will strip you of all your comforts." Said she, "Christ is mine, and you cannot strip me of Him! Take away whatever you will—you cannot take away my Christ from me!"
Just so, death may threaten to take all from you. But you may boldly put death at defiance, as she did Satan’s bishop. Having Christ in your heart, you will take a smiling leave of the world, and (as good old Simeon, with Christ in his arms) say, "Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation!" Luke 2:29-30.
Where
there
and
But—do 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 so—it is plain that we are not growing up into Christ—but 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 me—or I perish!" Yes, I find myself more helpless now—than 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 up—and I shall be safe!" Psalms 119:117
Before the believer arrives to the full enjoyment of Christ in eternal glory, he has . . .
many enemies to encounter;
many trials and troubles to conflict with;
a body of sin and death to be delivered from;
many lusts to be mortified;
many corruptions to be subdued;
a legion of sins to strive against;
graces to be exercised;
duties to be performed;
in one word—he has to glorify Christ in the world, by his life and walk.
Only by Christ strengthening him. Therefore he is constantly to put on Christ—to attain a greater knowledge of Christ—more rich and sweet experience of His grace and love—to be more strongly rooted in His love. He must have his heart, his hopes, his affections more with Christ, and his soul more swallowed up in the ocean of God’s everlasting love in Christ—that he may be more conformed to Christ’s image; and that thus, as a good soldier of Christ, he may manfully fight under His banner against the world, the flesh, and the devil, unto his life’s end.
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Php 4:13
"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 consider—Christ is given to us—to 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 Christ—but we are also to use Him—and enjoy His preciousness! He is not only a well of salvation—but we must draw water out of it with joy—and drink of it to the refreshing of our souls!
Deeply consider, that without this inward enjoyment of Christ—you cannot be . . .
happy in your soul,
comfortable in your walk,
nor holy in your life.
We must live by faith upon Christ—so as to derive
me and gave Himself for me!" Galatians 2:20
O the love of His royal heart!
"Christ is all!" Colossians 3:2
O for the pen of a ready writer, to set forth the matchless glory and unparalleled excellence of the King—the King of kings—the King of saints, even King Jesus!
We were once stout-hearted rebels against His crown and government! But,
to die for us,
to wash us from our sins in His own blood,
to conquer the rebellion of our hearts against Him,
and to win our affections to Him!
Has He saved us by His precious blood? Has He made us His willing, loving disciples, by His powerful grace? Surely then, we should live in the sweet enjoyment of all the rich blessings of his kingdom, and be holy and happy every
day, yes, every hour—IN HIM. This is His loving will concerning us.
O for a single eye to look unto Jesus, a humble heart to sit at His feet, and a simple soul to hear and believe every word from His gracious lips, that we may know the love of Christ—constantly know it by a heartfelt sense of it. This, this is the one thing needful—to make poor sinners rich, and miserable sinners happy in time, and joyful to all eternity!
Remember your chief employment. It is not merely to make a profession, and to keep up a form of godliness; but to maintain and keep up a warm, lively, comfortable sense of the love of Christ in your hearts, from day to day, yes, from hour to hour!
"
Put Him on as your Lord to reign in and rule over you!
Put Him on as your Jesus to save you from all your enemies!
Put Him on as your Christ, the anointed one—to bless you with grace, and to crown you with glory!
Putting on Christ implies the renewed acts, and fresh applications of the believing soul to Christ, in the exercise of faith in Him, hope towards Him, delight in Him, and calling upon Him—as the joy of our souls.
We must put on Christ—and enjoy Him now,
in continued acts of . . .
believing in Him,
coming to Him,
leaning on Him,
cleaving to Him,
abiding in Him,
living upon Him!
These are the actings of believers’ souls. We should daily, yes, constantly clothe our mind with Christ . . .
what He has done for us;
what He is to us;
what He is now doing for us!
Infinite, everlasting immutable love—is the cause from which our effectual calling proceeds!
"Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes, or powerful, or wealthywhen God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers
are wise. And he chose those who are
O, we do not enough dwell upon the infinite love, discriminating grace, and almighty power of the Lord—in effectually calling us, poor sinners—from sin, death, and hell—to righteousness, life, and heaven, in Jesus!
What! has the Lord singled you out, and separated you from a world of dead sinners, to hear His mighty voice, and to obey His loving call? Have you heard the sweet, loving, and persuasive voice of the dear Shepherd, saying, "Come unto me!" O remember, this is because you are loved by God. The effectual calling of Christ is the fruit of the everlasting love of God. Those sinners being loved by God, and given to Christ in eternity—they must be effectually called—they must come to Christ in time.
The poor souls who are dead in trespasses and sins, have all got self-righteous hearts, because their understandings are blind, and their consciences are stupid. To exhort such to put on Christ, would be as foolish and as vain, as to bid a dead corpse arise, and put on clothing.
Perhaps there never was a greater profession of Christ, than in this day. Yet many, very many professors content themselves with . . .
the form of godliness—instead of the power;
the mere notion of truth—instead of the experience of it;
the name of faith—instead of the grace of faith;
the mere profession of Christ—instead of the actual possession of Him.
their hearts happy in Him,
their hopes centered on Him, and
their affections going out after Him!
I think I feel myself such
The design of this book is to stir up and quicken the Lord’s children in the way of believing in Christ, looking to Christ, coming unto Him, and abiding in Him—so that they may enjoy more sweet fellowship with Him, find more of the
inestimable preciousness of Him, and experience more of His wonderful love, which passes knowledge. By thus cleaving, in heart and affection, to our heavenly Bridegroom, we shall be . . .
more spiritual in our frame of mind,
more humble in our hearts,
more circumspect in our walk,
more heavenly in our conversation,
and more holy in our lives.
Hence we shall become more dead to the world and its vanities, to sin and its miseries, and to self-righteousness and its deceits.
All is not right between Christ and the soul—if it is not earnestly desiring to maintain constant, uninterrupted, holy fellowship with Him—studiously pursuing those means which tend to promote the life and power of practical, experimental godliness, and avoiding all things which are contrary to our most holy faith.
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:21
Is not Christ our richest treasure? Should He not be ever in our minds, and our minds ever on Him? O Christian, the riches of your Christ are boundless and
bottomless! You have in Christ, UNSEARCHABLE RICHES—an inexhaustible treasure which never fails!
O then,
Is the miser careful to keep, and fearful of losing, any part of his possession? So let it be between Christ and your mind. Hold Him fast. Cleave to Him. Be careful to enjoy Him always. Be ever fearful of losing any blessing or comfort He has promised to bestow.
Thus esteem Christ—as your treasure! Let all your hopes center in Him, and all your affections fix upon Him! Until time is swallowed up in eternity—be receiving out of His inexhaustible fullness, grace upon grace, blessing upon blessing, comfort upon comfort! Christ is your treasure! All other things are but dross and dung compared to Him! Look down with a holy contempt, upon all objects beneath your Beloved!
It is fitting that
The eternal Son of the eternal Father became an infant, and died as an accursed malefactor bearing our sins—
the guilt of our sins,
the curse of our sins,
all the wrath due to our sins, and
all the penalties which our sins deserved,
in His own blessed and innocent body on the tree!
Jesus, the true scapegoat, carried all our sins away into the land of forgetfulness! Hence thus says your God and Father, "Your sins, and your iniquities, I will remember no more!" Jeremiah 31:34. "Though your sins and your iniquities be sought for—they shall not be found!" Jeremiah 51:20.
We have such a glorious Savior, such a finished salvation, and are complete in Christ! We must attend to, believe, and live upon this ever glorious, ever sin-subduing and soul-sanctifying truth, "The blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin!" 1 John 1:7
At all times, when you see your sins, and are considering what a miserable sinner you are—remember the life and death of the Son of God in your place. This is the greatest, most precious, and most comfortable truth in the world!
What are you and I but sinners? Though we are in ourselves—sin-accused, law-condemned, hopeless, helpless, ruined, lost and desperate sinners; yet in Christ we are . . .
justified from all sin,
freed from all condemnation,
restored to the love, favor and image of God,
at peace with God,
saved with an everlasting salvation, and
have a true hope of a blissful immortality!
Well may we cry out in wonder and amazement, "What has the amazing grace of God wrought! What has the precious love of Christ effected!"
"Sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:14
A Christian realizes, that in himself, he is an indigent, hopeless, helpless, unholy sinner. He knows that he has no righteousness of his own, which he has wrought
out, which can screen him from divine justice, answer all the demands of God’s law, and entitle him to God’s favor. He realizes that his own righteousness is . . .
no better than filthy rags;
too ragged to hide his shame;
too filthy to endure the piercing eye of God’s purity;
but must be burnt up by the fire of His justice!
Yet,
O then, under the sense of deepest indigence—put on Christ, in whom you have unsearchable riches! This is the humble teaching of faith—to know that in ourselves, we have nothing. This is the joyful experience of faith—to know that in Christ we possess all things! O rest not without the comfort of this. O love, and bless, and glory in your divine Surety. And in the felt sense of your own weakness, be daily leaning upon your Beloved. So will you be safely, sweetly, and comfortably, coming up out of the wilderness of this world!
Never was the gospel more ’adorned’
"Adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things." Titus 2:10.
One can just as soon think that a devil can be happy in the flames of hell—as that a child of God can find happiness at the play-house, the card-table, or any
carnal diversions. Those who can give up themselves to such vain things have never known the power and comfort of Christ’s love enjoyed within.
"By one offering He has perfected forever, those who are sanctified." Hebrews 10:14
"Christ made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for our sins." Nothing needs, nor nothing can be added to it. The work by which we are forever perfected—is
completely finished, and forever done. He has perfectly fulfilled the law for us; perfectly atoned justice in our stead; perfectly expiated our sins; obtained full pardon for them, and complete redemption from the curse of them; and has perfectly justified us from all condemnation for them.
1. Those who are separated and set apart by the choice of God the Father, from eternity—to partake of the perfect salvation of His beloved Son.
2. Those who are sanctified, or separated by the Holy Spirit in time—from our corrupt notions, self-righteous dependences, unholy ways, and sinful practices—to partake of and enjoy the perfect love, and perfect salvation of the Son of God, by a holy faith.
"On the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed." 2 Thessalonians 1:10
O how will our Savior’s glory shine forth, with the most resplendent luster—in His
in His glorious person,
in His precious offices,
in His everlasting love to them, and
in His everlasting salvation of them!
Angels, archangels, and all the heavenly multitude, will then be struck with the greatest admiration—at beholding the full display of these things, which now they desire to look into.
"Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." Romans 13:14
You are not left to labor to get holiness to sanctify you—but
subduing of your lusts,
mortifying of your corruptions,
softening and sweetening of your tempers;
so will you comfortably go on, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
O then put on Christ, and you will deny yourself, and follow your Lord. You will be armored against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. Instead of going after lying vanities and deceitful pleasures—you will be swallowed up in God.
"Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." Romans 13:14
It is to our comfort, wherever we go—to put on the Lord Jesus Christ—to carry Him with us, in our minds, memories and consciences, in . . .
the remembrance of His love to us,
the record of His mercy to us,
the miracle of His grace in converting us,
the miseries He endured,
the sorrows He sustained for our salvation,
the perfection of His atonement and righteousness,
the victory of His cross,
the triumphs of His resurrection,
the prevalence of His intercession, and
the comfort and joy of eternally being with Him!
O if these things dwell constantly in us, we shall be lively in the work of faith, the labor of love, and the patience of hope; while we shall be dead to all the pomps and vanities of a sinful world!
Spiritual breathing
Prayer is the
If our minds are clothed with this comfortable truth, that we have a great high priest, who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God—then we shall
see our heavenly Father seated on a throne of grace, with smiles of approbation and acceptance; and we shall come boldly to it, that we may obtain mercy as miserable sinners, and find grace to supply our wants as needy creatures.
"To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us
God did not love you, choose you and call you—for any good he saw in you; but He loved you, and viewed you in Christ. Therefore, God . . .
loves you in Christ;
views you in Christ;
has made you accepted in Christ;
pardoned, justified and sanctified you in Christ!
"Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Are you weak, weary, faint, and ready to fall? Then lean upon your Jesus for support and strength.
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Php 4:13