The Beatitudes (choice excerpts) cont'd
cont’d
"The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort."
2 Corinthians 1:3
Christians should look upon God under this notion—the
Father of all mercy, sitting upon a throne of grace. We
should
We should run to our Father with our sins, as that sick
child who, as soon as he found himself ill—he ran to his
father to help him, "My head! My head!" 2 Kings 4:19
So in case of sin—run to God and say: "My heart! My
heart! O this dead heart—Father, quicken it! This hard
heart—Father, soften it! Father, my heart, my heart!"
We should run to our Father with our temptations.
A child, when another strikes him, runs to his father.
So when the devil strikes us with his temptations, let
us run to our Father: "Father, Satan assaults and hurls
in his fiery darts at me! Father, it is Your child who is
assaulted by this red dragon! Father, take off the
tempter!"
"Cast all your care upon Him, because He cares about
you!" 1 Peter 5:7. What a sweet privilege is this! When
any burden lies upon our hearts—we may go to our
Father and unload all our cares and griefs into His
loving bosom! "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He
will support you; He will never allow the righteous to
be shaken!" Psalms 55:22
"I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a
slave to sin." John 8:34
"You are of your father the Devil, and you want
to carry out your father’s desires!"John 8:44
It is the sad misery of an unregenerate person,
that he is in a state of vassalage. He is under the
tyranny of sin. "It is the greatest slavery in the
world for a man to be a slave to his own passions!"
A wicked man is as much a slave—as he who works in
the galley! Look into his heart—and there are legions
of lusts ruling him! He must do what sin will have him
to do. A slave is at the service of a usurping tyrant. If
he bids him dig in the mine, or hew in the quarries, or
tug at the oar—he must do it. Thus every wicked man
must do what corrupt nature, inspired by the devil, bids
him to do. If sin bids him to be drunk, or to be unchaste
—he is at the command of sin, as the donkey is at the
command of the driver.
"But now that you have been set free from sin and have
become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to
holiness, and the result is eternal life." Romans 6:22
"
Jeremiah 9:5
Sin lays a heavy yoke upon men. The commands of
sin are burdensome. Let a man be under the power
and rage of any lust (whether it be covetousness or
ambition), how he tires and excruciates himself! What
hazards does he run, even to the endangering of his
health and soul, that he may satisfy his lust!
"Virtue is easier than vice." Temperance is easier than
drunkenness. Doing justice is less burdensome than
crime. There is more difficulty and perplexity in the
contrivement and pursuit of wicked ends—than in
obeying the sweet and gentle precepts of Christ.
Hence it is, that a wicked man is said to ’pregnant with
evil and conceives trouble’ (Psalms 7:14), to show what
anxious pain and trouble he has in bringing about his
wickedness! Many have gone with more pain to
hell—than others have to heaven!
"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have
called you by name; you are Mine. When you go
through deep waters and great trouble, I will be
with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown! When you walk through the fire
of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames
will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:1-3
He has as much love in His heart to pity us,
and as much strength in His arm to help us!
"To you who believe,
See the preciousness in Christ.
His name is precious; it is as ointment poured forth.
His blood is precious; it is as balm poured forth.
His love is precious; it is as wine poured forth.
Jesus Christ is made up of all sweets and delights.
He Himself is all that is desirable. He is . . .
light to the eye,
honey to the taste,
joy to the heart.
"Yes, He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved,
and this is my Friend!" Song of Solomon 5:16
We truly love Christ, when we love Him for His
loveliness, namely—that infinite and superlative
beauty which shines in Him.
"Christ loved the church and gave Himself
up for her!" Ephesians 5:25
Love made our dear Lord suffer for us. The pelican
out of her love to her young ones, when they are
bitten by serpents, feeds them with her own blood
to recover them. Just so, when we were bitten by
the old serpent, Christ fed us with His own blood,
that He might recover us.
"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so
great you will never fully understand it!" Ephesians 3:19
"In every situation take the shield of faith,
and with it you will be able to extinguish the
flaming arrows of the evil one!" Ephesians 6:16
"Everyone born of God overcomes the world.
This is the victory that has overcome the
world—even our faith." 1 John 5:4
Why is faith
Faith unites the soul to Christ, and that blessed
Head sends forth grace into the members. "I can
do all things through Christ, who give me strength!"
Php 4:13. Faith goes to Christ—and fetches
His strength into the soul.
Faith works a contempt of the world into the heart.
Faith gives a true map of the world, "When I surveyed
all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to
achieve—everything was meaningless, a chasing after
the wind; nothing was gained under the sun!" Ecclesiastes 2:11
Faith shows the world in its night-dress, having all its
jewels pulled off. Faith makes the world appear in its
true state. Faith shows the soul better things than the
world. It gives a sight of Christ and eternal glory. It
gives a prospect of heaven. Faith climbs up above sense
and reason, into heaven and sees Christ—and the soul,
having once viewed His superlative excellencies, becomes
crucified to the world. Says the Christian, "Yes, everything
else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything
else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ!"
Php 3:8
Faith gets strength from God’s promises. Faith lives upon
the promises. Take the fish out of the water—and it dies.
Take faith out of a promise—and it cannot live. The promises
are breasts of consolation. The child by sucking the breast,
gets strength. Faith gets strength by sucking the breast of
a promise. When faith begins to be weak and is ready to
faint in the day of battle, then the promises muster their
forces together, and all come in for faith’s relief—and now
it is able to hold out in the fiery trial.
Faith gives the soul a right notion of suffering. Faith draws
the true picture of sufferings. What is suffering? Faith says,
"it is but the suffering of the body—which must shortly by
the course of nature, drop into the dust." Thus faith gives
the soul a just measure of sufferings—which enables a
Christian to prostrate his life at the feet of Christ.
Faith picks sweetness out of suffering. The bee gathers
the sweetest honey from the bitterest herb. So faith
gathers the sweetest comforts, from the sharpest trials.
Faith looks upon suffering as God’s love-token! "Afflictions
are sharp arrows—but they are shot from the hand of a
loving Father!" Faith can taste honey at the end of the
afflicting rod. Faith fetches joy out of suffering, "Your
sorrow will turn to joy!" John 16:20. Faith gets honey
from the belly of the lion. Faith finds a jewel under the
cross! "We know that all things work together for the
good of those who love God: those who are called
according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
"Be clothed with humility." 1 Peter 5:5
Humility is
look at his face every morning in the looking-glass
of God’s Word, and see his sinful spots. This will
make him walk humbly all the day after. God
cannot endure to see his children grow proud.
He allows them to fall into sin, as he did Peter,
that their plumes of pride may fall off, and that
they may walk humbly.
"I will spare them as a father spares an
obedient and dutiful child." Malachi 3:17
God will bear with many infirmities in His children.
A father bears much with a child he loves. We often
grieve the Spirit, and abuse His kindness. God will
pass by much disobedience in His children.
"He has not seen iniquity in Jacob." Numbers 23:21
God’s love does not make Him blind. He sees sin in
His people—but not with an eye of revenge. He see
their sins with an eye of pity. He sees sin in His children
as a physician sees a disease in his patient. He has not
seen iniquity in Jacob, so as to destroy him. God may
use the rod (2 Samuel 7:14), not the scorpion. O how
much is God willing to pass by in His children—because
they are His children!
God takes notice of the good that is in His children—and
passes by the infirmity. God does quite contrary to us.
We often take notice of the evil that is in others and
overlook the good. Our eye is upon the flaws of others.
But God takes notice of the good that is in His children.
God sees their faith—and winks at their failings! "Sarah
obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord." The Holy Spirit does
not mention her unbelief and laughing at the promise—
but takes notice of the good in her. God puts his finger
upon
How much did God wink at, in Israel His firstborn!
Israel often provoked Him with their murmurings—
but God answered their murmurings with mercies.
He spared them—as a father spares his son.
They godly often spot themselves with sin.
Though sin is in itself deadly—but being tempered with
repentance and mixed with
Christ’s blood—the venomous damning nature of it is
taken away!
Those who are God’s children, are of a more noble
and celestial spirit than men of the world. They "set
their minds on things above, not on earthly things"
(Colossians 3:2). ’Whoever is born of God, overcomes
the world’ (1 John 5:4). The children of God live in a
higher region. They are compared to eagles (Isaiah 40:31)
in regard of their sublimeness and heavenly
mindedness. Their souls are fled aloft. Christ is in their
heart (Colossians 1:27) and the world is under their
feet (Revelation 12:1).
Men of the world are ever tumbling in thick clay.
They are ’sons of earth’.
but
They are born of God and walk with God as the
child walks with the father. "Noah walked with God"
(Genesis 6:9). God’s children show their high pedigree
in their heavenly life (Php 3:20).
"You have taken off your old self with its practices
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed
in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Colossians 3:9-10
The child resembles the father. God’s children are like
their heavenly Father. They bear His very image and
impress.
Wicked men say they are the children of God—but there
is too great an unlikeness. The Jews bragged that they
were Abraham’s children—but Christ disproves them by
this argument, because they were not like Him. "You are
determined to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth
that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things!"
(John 8:40). "You—Abraham’s children, and go about to
kill Me! You are more like Satan, than Abraham!" "You
are of your father the devil!" (verse 44). Such as are
proud, earthly, and malicious may truly say, "Our father
which art in hell." It is blasphemy to call God our Father,
and make the devil our pattern! God’s children resemble
Him in meekness and holiness. They are His walking
pictures. As the seal stamps its print and likeness upon
the wax—so does God stamp the print and image of
His own beauty upon His children.
All mankind are divided into two ranks—either they
are the children of God, or the children of the devil.
The first sign of heavenly sonship, is tenderness of heart.
"Because your heart was tender" (2 Chronicles 34:27). A
childlike heart is a tender heart. He who before had a flinty
heart—has now a fleshy heart. A tender heart is like melting
wax to God. He may set whatever seal He will upon it. This
tenderness of heart shows itself three ways.
[1] A tender heart grieves for sin. A child weeps for
offending his father. Peter showed a tender heart when
Christ looked upon him and he remembered his sin, and
wept like a child. It is reported that Peter never heard a
rooster crow, but he wept. The least hair makes the eye
weep. The least sin makes the heart smite.
[2] A tender heart melts under mercy. The heart is
never so kindly dissolved, as under the sunbeams of God’s
mercy. See how David’s heart was melted with God’s
kindness: "Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my
family, that You have brought me this far?" (2 Samuel 7:18)
There was a gracious thaw upon his heart. So says
a child of God, "Lord, who am I—a piece of dust and sin
kneaded together—that the orient beams of free grace
should shine upon me? Who am I, that You should pity
me when I lay in my blood—and spread the golden wings
of mercy over me!" The soul is overcome with God’s
goodness—the tears drop, and the love flames. God’s
mercy has a melting influence upon the soul.
[3] A tender heart trembles under God’s threatenings.
"My flesh trembles in fear of You!" (Psalms 119:120). If the
father is angry—the child trembles. When ministers denounce
the threats of God against sin—tender souls sit in a trembling
posture. This trembling frame of heart, God delights in. "To
this man will I look, even to him who trembles at Your word!"
(Isaiah 66:2). A wicked man, like the Leviathan, ’is made
without fear’ (Job 41:33). He neither believes God’s promises
—nor dreads God’s threatenings. Let judgment be denounced
against sin—he laughs. He thinks that
and does not see—
mountains quake before Him and the hills melt away. The
earth trembles at His presence!" (Nahum 1:5). But the hearts
of the ungodly are more obdurate than the rocks! A hardened
sinner like Nebuchadnezzar has "the heart of a beast given to
him" (Daniel 4:16). A childlike heart is a tender heart. The
heart of stone is taken away.
"You are of purer eyes than to behold evil."
Habakkuk 1:13
God is holy. Purity is the chief robe with which God
adorns Himself. Will this holy God endure to have
an impure heart come near Him? Will a man lay a
viper in his bosom! God’s image consists in holiness.
To those who do not have this image and superscription
upon them, He will say "I never knew you!" God delights
in no heart, but where He may see His own likeness. Love
is founded upon likeness. God loves the pure in heart.
The holy God and the unrepentant sinner—cannot
dwell together. None can dwell together but friends
—but there is no friendship between God and the
sinner, both of them being of a contrary judgment
and disposition. An impure heart is more odious
to God than a serpent! God gave the serpent its
venom—but Satan fills the heart with sin. ’Satan
has filled your heart!’ Acts 5:3. The Lord abhors
a sinner! He will not come near him—having his
plague-sores running. ’My soul loathed them!’
Zechariah 11:8
Heaven is a pure place. It is an "undefiled inheritance"
1 Peter 1:4. No unclean beasts shall come into
the heavenly ark! "Nothing evil will be allowed to
enter!" Revelation 21:27
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Matthew 5:8. Purity of heart is the jewel which is hung
only upon the elect! Chastity distinguishes a virtuous
woman from a harlot. Just so, the true Christian is
distinguished from the hypocrite—by his heart-purity.
"Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure.
But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and
unbelieving, because their minds and consciences
are defiled." Titus 1:15
Until the heart is pure—all our holy things (that is—our
religious duties) are polluted. They are but splendid sins!
Under the law, whatever a leper touched was unclean.
If he had touched the altar or sacrifice, the altar would
not cleanse him—but he would defile the altar.
A filthy hand defiles the purest water. Just so, an
impure heart defiles all religious duties—he drops
poison upon them all.
A pure stream running through muddy ground, is polluted.
Just so, the holiest duties, running through an impure heart,
are polluted. A sinner’s works are called "dead works" (Hebrews 6:1)
And those works which are dead, cannot please God.
A dead wife cannot please her husband.
"Covetousness which is idolatry." Colossians 3:5
Covetousness is the root of idolatry. The covetous
person bows down to the image of gold. His money
is his god—for he puts his trust in it.
Money is his creator. When he has abundance
of wealth, then he thinks he is ’made’.
Money is his redeemer. If he is in any trouble,
he flies to his money and that must redeem him.
Money is his comforter. When he is sad he counts
over his money, and with this golden harp he drives
away the evil spirit.
When you see a covetous man, you may say,
"There goes an idolater!"
"
An unbelieving heart is evil in the highest degree.
It is full of the poison of hell. Unbelief is the foul
medley of all sins—the root and receptacle of sin.
Unbelief is a God-affronting sin. It calls in question
God’s power, mercy and truth. "The one who does
not believe God, is actually calling God a liar!" Can
a greater affront be cast upon the God of glory!
Unbelief hardens the heart. These two sins are linked
together—"He upbraided them with their unbelief and
hardness of heart" (Mark 16:14). Unbelief breeds the
stone of the heart. He who does not believe God’s
threatenings—will never fear Him. He who does not
believe God’s promises—will never love Him. What is
said of the Leviathan, is true of the unbeliever. "Its
heart is as hard as rock, as hard as a millstone!"
(Job 41:24). Unbelief first pollutes the heart—and
then hardens it!
Holiness is the angels’ glory. They are pure virgin-spirits.
Take away purity from an angel—and he is but a devil!
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God." Matthew 5:8
The heart must especially be kept pure, because the
heart is the chief seat or place of God’s residence. God
dwells in the heart. He takes up the heart for His own
lodging, therefore it must be pure and holy.
A king’s palace must be kept from defilement, and
especially his throne. How holy ought that to be! If
the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, the heart
is the holy of holies! Oh take heed of defiling the
room where God chiefly dwells! Let that room be
washed with holy tears!
The heart must especially be pure, because it is
the heart which sanctifies all that we do. If the
heart is holy, all is holy—our affections holy, our
duties holy.
Purity of heart is that which beautifies a soul in God’s
eye. You are but a spiritual leper—until you are pure
in heart. God is in love with the pure heart, for He sees
His own picture drawn there. The pure in heart, have
the embroidery and workmanship of the Holy Spirit
upon them.
The pure heart is God’s paradise where He delights
to walk. It is God’s lesser heaven. The dove delights
in the purest air. The Holy Spirit who descended in
the likeness of a dove, delights in the purest soul.
God says of the pure in heart, as of Zion, "This is
My rest forever, here will I dwell" (Psalms 132:14).
God loves the loveliest complexion. The pure in heart
is Christ’s bride, decked and bespangled with the
jewels of holiness. "You have ravished My heart with
one of your eyes!" (Song of Solomon 4:9). Your eyes, that is,
your graces; these as a chain of diamonds, have
drawn My heart to you.
Of all hearts, God loves the pure heart best. You
who dress yourself by the looking-glass of the Word
and adorn ’the hidden person of your heart’, are most
precious in God’s eyes, though you may be as bleary
eyed as Leah, or as lame as Barzillai. Yet being ’pure
in heart’, you are the mirror of beauty and may say
"Yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord!"
(Isaiah 49:5). How may this raise the esteem of purity!
Before conversion, the sinner is compared . . .
to a stone for his hardness of heart (Zechariah 7:12),
to a wolf for his savageness (Matthew 7:15)
to a lion for his fierceness (Isaiah 11:6),
to a bee for his sting (Psalms 118:12),
to an adder for his poison (Psalms 140:3).
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6
Here is the excellency of righteousness above all
other things. A man may hunger after the world
and not be filled. The world is
Cast three worlds into the heart—yet the heart is
not full. But righteousness is a filling thing; nay,
it so fills that it satisfies!
A man may be filled and not satisfied. A sinner
may take his fill of sin—but that is a sad filling.
It is far from satisfaction. He shall have his belly
full of sin; he shall have enough of it—but this is
not a filling to satisfaction. This is such a filling
that the damned in hell have! They shall be
full of the fury of the Lord!
The love of sin makes sin taste sweet, and this
sweetness in sin bewitches the heart.
It is worse to love sin than to commit it. A man
may be overtaken with sin (Galatians 6:1). He
who has stumbled upon sin unawares will weep
—but the love of sin hardens the heart and keeps
the devil in possession. In true mourning there
must be a grieving for sin. But how can a man
grieve for that sin which his heart is in love with?
of sin freezes the soul in impenitence.
Suck damnation out of the
sweet flower of God’s mercy!
"I will have peace even though I follow my
own stubborn heart." Deuteronomy 29:19
How many, spider-like, suck damnation out of
the sweet flower of God’s mercy! "Oh," says
one, "Christ died for me!" Many a bold sinner plucks
death from the tree of life, and through presumption,
goes to hell by that ladder of Christ’s blood—by which
others go to heaven! It is sad when the goodness of
God, which should ’lead to repentance’ (Romans 2:4),
leads to presumption.
O sinner, do not hope yourself into hell. Take heed
of being damned upon a presumption! You say
"God is merciful"—and therefore you go on securely
in sin. But who is mercy for—the unrepentant sinner
or the mourning sinner? ’Let the wicked forsake his
way, and return to the Lord, and He will have mercy
upon him’ (Isaiah 55:7). No mercy without forsaking sin!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 288 opinions about the way to happiness In what does happiness consist?
Millions of people mistake both the nature of happiness, and the way there. Some of the learned have noted
How do men thirst after the world—as if the pearl of happiness hung upon an earthly crown! "Oh," says one, "if I had but such an estate—then I would be happy! Had I but such a comfort—then I would sit down satisfied!" Well, God gives him that comfort and lets him suck the very juice out of it—but, alas, it falls short of his expectation. It cannot fill the emptiness and longing of his soul!
Happiness does not lie in the acquisition of worldly things. Happiness cannot by any chemistry—be extracted from the world. Christ does not say, ’Happy are the rich,’ or ’Happy are the noble.’ Yet too many idolize these things. How ready is man to terminate his happiness in external worldly things! If they have but worldly accommodations, they are ready to say with that brutish fool in the gospel, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years, take your ease—eat, drink and be merry!"
But alas! The tree of happiness does not grow in an earthly paradise. Has not God ’cursed the ground’ because of sin? Yet many are digging for happiness here—as if they would fetch a blessing out of a curse! A man may as well think to extract oil out of a stone, or fire out of water—as happiness out of earthly things!
King Solomon had more worldly things than any man. His crown was hung full of jewels. He had treasuries of gold. He had the flower and quintessence of all delights—sumptuous fare, stately edifices, vineyards, lands, all sorts of music to enchant and ravish the senses with joy. If there were any rarity—it was present in king Solomon’s court. Thus did he bathe in the perfumed waters of pleasure.
Never did the world cast a more smiling aspect upon any man! Yet when he comes to give his impartial verdict, he tells us that the world has ’vanity’ written upon its frontispiece; and all those golden delights he enjoyed, were but a painted felicity—a glorious misery! "Behold! All was vanity!" Happiness is too noble and delicate a plant, to grow in this world’s soil. Worldly joys are but sugared lies—pleasant deceits—which have not one grain of true happiness! Nothing on earth can satisfy the soul’s desires!
"The world passes away!" (1 John 2:17). Worldly delights are winged. They may be compared to a flock of birds in the garden—which stay a little while—but when you come near to them—they take their flight and are gone! Just so, "riches make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven!" They are like a meteor which blazes—but soon burns out. They are like a castle made of snow—lying under the fiery beams of the sun. Worldly comforts are like tennis balls—which are bandied up and down from one to another. They are like a bouquet of flowers—which withers while you are smelling it. They are like ice—which melts away while it is in your hand.
Those things which do more vex than comfort—cannot make a man truly happy. As riches are compared to wind—to show their vanity; so they are compared to thorns—to show their vexation. Thorns are not more apt to tear our garments—than riches to tear our hearts! They are thorns in the gathering—and they prick with anxious care. They pierce the head with care of getting, so they wound the heart with fear of losing. Happiness is not to be fetched out of the earth! Worldly comforts cannot make you happy. You might live rich—and die cursed! You might treasure up an estate—and God might treasure up wrath!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad
is the road that leads to destruction, and many
enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow
the road that leads to life, and only a few find it!"
Matthew 7:13-14
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A righteous person breathes after holiness (Psalms 119:5).
Though sin cleaves to his heart—yet his heart does not
cleave to sin. "I do the very thing I hate!" (Romans 7:15).
A godly man hates the sin to which Satan most tempts,
and his heart most inclines (Psalms 119:128).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Behold! How great is the love the Father has lavished
on us—that we should be called children of God!"
1 John 3:1
God showed power in making us His creatures—but love
in making us His sons. Plato gave God thanks that He had
made him a man and not a beast—but what cause have
they to adore God’s love—who has made them His children!
That we may the better behold God’s love in making us
His children, consider three things.
1. We were deformed—so did not DESERVE to be made
God’s children. God did not adopt us when we were clothed
with the robe of innocence in paradise, when we were hung
with the jewels of holiness; but when we were in our blood
and had our leprous spots upon us! The time of our loathing
—was the time of God’s loving!
2. As we did not deserve to be made God’s children, so
neither did we DESIRE it. No rich man will force another to
become his heir against his will. If a king should go to adopt
a beggar and make him heir of the crown, if the beggar should
refuse the king’s favor and say, ’I had rather be a beggar still
—I do not want your riches’; the king would take it in high
contempt of his favor, and would not adopt him against his
will. Thus it was with us. We had no willingness to be made
God’s children. We desired to be beggars still—but God out
of his infinite mercy and indulgence, not only offers to make
us children—but makes us willing to embrace the offer
(Psalms 110:3). What stupendous love was this!
3. It is the wonder of love that God should adopt us for
His children, when we were ENEMIES. No man would
adopt an enemy to be his heir. But that God should make
us Hs children—when we were His enemies; that He should
make us heirs to the crown—when we were traitors to the
crown—oh amazing, astonishing love!
We had done God all the injury and spite we could, defaced
His image, violated His law, trampled upon His mercies—but
when we had angered Him, He adopted us! What stupendous
love was this! Such love was never shown to the angels! When
they fell, God did not make them children—but prisoners. They
were heirs only to ’the treasures of wrath’! (Romans 2:5).
Let us admire His wondrous love. When we were breathing
forth enmity against God—He conquered our stubbornness
with kindness, and not only pardoned—but adopted us! It is
hard to say which is greater—the mystery, or the mercy.
This is such amazing love as we shall be searching into and
adoring to all eternity! The bottom of it cannot be fathomed
by any angel in heaven. God’s love in making us His children
is a rich love. It is love in God to feed us—but it is rich love
to adopt us! It is love to give us a crumb—but it is rich love
to make us heirs to a crown!
It is a distinguishing love, that when God has passed by so
many millions, He should cast a favorable aspect upon you!
Most are made vessels of wrath, and fuel for hell. And that
God should say to you, ’You are My son!’—here is the depth
of mercy, and the height of love! Who, O who, can tread
upon these hot coals, and his heart not burn in love to God!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God." Matthew 5:8
If the heart is not pure, we differ nothing from a
chiefly in externals. Theirs was an ’outside purity’.
They never minded the inside of the heart. ’Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You
are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and
the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed
and self-indulgence! Hypocrites! You are like
whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside
but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones
and all sorts of impurity!’ (Matthew 23:25, Matthew 23:27).
The Pharisees were good only on the surface. They
were like a rotten post, overlaid with fine paint.
"For I tell you that unless your righteousness
surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers
of the law, you will certainly not enter the
kingdom of heaven!" Matthew 5:20
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried
out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes
to do wrong." (Ecclesiastes 8:11).
God forbears punishing—therefore men forbear repenting.
He does not smite upon their back by correction—therefore
they do not smite upon their thigh by humiliation (Jeremiah 31:19).
The sinner thinks thus: "God has spared me all this while;
surely He will not punish me." "He says to himself—God has
forgotten; He covers His face and never sees!" (Psalms 10:11).
In infinite patience God sometimes adjourns His judgments a
while longer. He is not willing to punish (2 Peter 3:9). God is
like the bee, which naturally gives honey—but stings only
when it is provoked. But alas, how is His patience abused!
God’s patience hardens most. Because God stops the vial
of His wrath—sinners stop the conduit of tears!
To be hardened under God’s patience, makes our condition far
worse. Incensed justice will revenge abused patience! God was
patient towards Sodom—but when they did not repent, He made
the fire and brimstone flame about their ears! Sodom, which was
once the wonder of God’s patience—is now a standing monument
of God’s severity. Long forbearance is no forgiveness. God may
keep off the stroke awhile—but His justice is not dead—but only
sleeps. God has leaden feet but iron hands. The longer God is
taking His blow—the sorer it will be when it comes. The longer
a stone is falling—the heavier it will be at last. The longer God
is whetting his sword—the sharper it cuts!
How dreadful will their condition be—who sin because God is
patient with them.
puts a drop of wrath into His vial. The longer God forbears
with a sinner—the more interest he is sure to pay in hell.
"Blessed are those who mourn." Matthew 5:4
Gospel-mourning is joined with self-loathing. The
sinner admires himself—the penitent loathes himself.
"You shall loath yourselves in your own sight for all
your evils." Ezekiel 20:43 A true penitent is troubled
not only for the shameful consequence of sin—but for
the loathsome nature of sin; not only the sting of sin
—but the deformed face of sin. The true mourner
cries out, "O these impure eyes! O this heart which is
a conclave of wickedness!" He not only leaves sin—
but loathes sin.
Gospel-mourning must be purifying. Our tears
must make us more holy. We must so weep for sin,
as to weep out sin. Our tears must drown our sins.
We must not only mourn—but turn. "Turn to me
with weeping" (Joel 2:12). What good is it, to
have
tears are cleansing. They are like a flood that carries
away all the rubbish of our sins away with it. The
waters of holy mourning are like the river Jordan,
wherein Naaman washed and was cleansed of his
leprosy. Though our sins be as scarlet—yet by
washing in this river of repentance, they become
white as snow.
Gospel-mourning must be joined with hatred of sin.
We must not only abstain from sin—but abhor sin.
The dove hates the least feather of the hawk. A true
mourner hates the least motion to sin. A true mourner
is a sin-hater. He looks upon sin as the most deadly
evil—as the essence of all evil. Sin looks more ghastly
than death or hell. A true mourner is implacably incensed
against sin. He will never admit of any terms of peace.
Anger may be reconciled—hatred cannot. True mourning
begins in the love of God—and ends in the hatred of sin.
There is that in the best Christian, which is contrary to
God. There is that in him, which deserves hell—and shall
he not mourn? A ship that is always leaking must have
the water continually pumped out. While the soul leaks by
sin, we must be still pumping at the leak by repentance.
The washing of our souls daily in the brinish waters of
repentance, is the best way both to prevent and cure
the falling into relapses.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"
on things on the earth." Colossians 3:2
He who has a heavenly spirit—shall go to the heavenly
kingdom. Do you live above the world? The eagle does
not catch flies—she soars aloft in the air. Do you pant
after glory and immortality? Do you abhor that which is
sordid and carnal? Can you trample upon all sublunary
things? Is heaven in your eye—and Christ in your heart
—and the world under your feet