Honey from the Rock of Christ.
CHRISTIAN READER,
I find, in this latter day, the love of the Lord shining in some measure with its pleasant beams into my heart, warming my affections, inflaming my soul not only to give a spiritual echo in soul duty to so great a lover as my Saviour is, whose transcendent love passeth knowledge, Eph. iii. 19. but also the loving and wishing well to all Sion’s heaven-born children; for I find, in this day, many poor souls tossed to and fro, ready to be carried away with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, Eph. iv. 14: and that there are many foundations to build upon that are false, upon which much labour is spent in vain; that men are not speaking the truth in love; neither are they growing up unto him in all things, which is the head Christ, Eph. iv. 15. There cannot be a growing in Christ, without a union with him. Thou wilt find, therefore, gentle reader, this ensuing little treatise, if the Lord be pleased to bless the reading of it unto thee, as a still voice behind thee saying, “This is the way, walk in it, that thou turn not to the right hand or the left.”—The way into that pleasant path of soul justification before God is in and through the righteousness of Jesus Christ, for all our self-righteousness is as filthy rags: surely shall one say, “In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory,” Isai. xlv. 25. It is only the dying of that Just One, for us unjust ones, that must bring us to God. He that knew no sin was made sin for us; that we who were nothing but sin, might be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. v. 21.
Christian Reader, let all that is of old Adam in thee fall down at the foot of Christ. He only must have the pre-eminence;—all the vessels of this new spiritual covenant temple, from the cups to the flagons, must be all hung upon Christ; he is to build the temple of the Lord, and is to bear the glory; he, by his Father’s appointment, is the foundation-stone, the corner-stone, and the top-stone; he is the Father’s fulness of grace and glory: whatever thy wants be, thou mayest come to him; there is balsam enough in him fit for a cure.
Reader, the good Lord help thee to experience the ensuing word of advice, that it may be made by God unto thee like honey, sweet to thy soul, and health to thy bones, and thy soul shall rejoice within thee. Thy brother in the faith and fellowship of the gospel,
THOMAS WILCOCKS.
A CHOICE DROP OF HONEY
FROM THE
ROCK CHRIST.
A word of advice to my own heart and thine:—Thou art a professor, and partakest of all ordinances: Thou dost well, they are glorious privileges. But if thou hast not the blood of Christ at the root of thy profession, it will wither, and prove but painted pageantry to go to hell in.
If thou retain guilt and self-righteousness under it, those vipers will eat out all the vitals of it at length.—Try and examine with the greatest strictness every day, what foundation thy profession and thy hope of glory is built upon, whether it was laid by the hand of Christ; if not, it will never be able to endure the storm that will come against it. Satan will throw it all down, and great will be the fall thereof, Matt. vii. 27.
Glorious professor! thou shalt be winnowed, every vein of thy profession shall be tried to purpose! It is terrible to have it all come tumbling down, and to find nothing but it to rest upon.
Soaring professor! see to thy waxen wings betimes, which will melt with the heat of temptations. What a misery it is, to trade much, and break at length, and have no stock, no foundation laid for eternity in thy soul!
Gilded professor! look if there be not a worm at the root, that will spoil all thy fine gourd, and make it die about thee in a day of scorching. Look over thy soul daily, and ask, “Where is the blood of Christ to be seen upon my soul? What righteousness is it that I stand upon to be saved? Have I got off my self-righteousness?”—Many eminent professors have come at length to cry out in the sight of the ruin of all their duties, Undone, undone, to all eternity!
Consider, the greatest sins may be hid under the greatest duties, and the greatest terrors. See the wound that sin hath made in thy soul be perfectly cured by the blood of Christ; not skinned over with duties, humblings, enlargements, &c. Apply what thou wilt besides the blood of Christ, it will poison the sore. Thou wilt find that sin was never mortified truly; that thou hast not seen Christ bleeding for thee upon the cross; nothing can kill it, but the beholding of Christ’s righteousness.
Nature can afford no balsam fit for soul cure. Healing from duty and not from Christ, is the most desperate disease. Poor ragged nature, with all its highest improvements, can never spin a garment fine enough, without spot, to cover the soul’s nakedness. Nothing can fit the soul for that use, but Christ’s perfect righteousness.
Whatsoever is of nature’s spinning must be all unravelled, before the righteousness of Christ can be put on; whatsoever is nature’s putting on, Satan will come and plunder it every rag away, and leave the soul naked and open to the wrath of God. All that nature can do will never make up the least drachm of grace, that can mortify sin, or look Christ in the face even for one day.
Thou art a professor, goest on hearing, praying, and receiving, yet miserable thou mayest be. Look about thee; did thou ever yet see Christ to this day in distinction from all other excellencies and righteousness in the world, and all of them falling before the majesty of his love and grace? Is. ii. 17.
If thou hast seen Christ truly, thou hast seen pure grace, pure righteousness in him, every way infinite, far exceeding all sin and misery. If thou hast seen Christ, thou canst trample upon all the righteousness of men and angels, so as to bring thee into acceptance with God. If thou hast seen Christ, thou wouldst not do a duty without him for ten thousand worlds, 1 Cor. ii. 2. If ever thou sawest Christ, thou sawest him a Rock, higher than self-righteousness, Satan, and sin, Ps. lxi. 2; and this Rock doth follow thee, 1 Cor. x. 4; and there will be continual dropping of honey and grace out of that Rock to satisfy thee, Ps. lxxxi. 16. Examine if ever thou hast beheld Christ as the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, John, i. 14, 16, 17. Be sure thou art come to Christ, that thou standest on the Rock of Ages, hast answered to his call to thy soul, hast closed with him for justification.
Men talk bravely of believing, but whilst whole and sound few know it. Christ is the mystery of the Scripture: Grace the mystery of Christ. Believing is the most wonderful thing in the world. Put any thing of thine own to it, and thou spoilest it; Christ will not so much as look at it for believing. When thou believest and comest to Christ, thou must leave behind thee thine own righteousness, and bring nothing but thy sin. (O that is hard!) Leave behind thy holiness, sanctification, duties, humblings, &c., and bring nothing but thy wants and miseries, else Christ is not fit for thee, nor thou for Christ. Christ will be a whole Redeemer and Mediator, and thou must be an undone sinner, or Christ and thou will never agree. It is the hardest thing to take Christ alone for righteousness: that is, to acknowledge him Christ. Join any thing to him of thine own, and thou dost un-Christ him.
Whatever comes in when thou goest to God for acceptance besides Christ, call it anti-Christ bid it begone; make only Christ’s righteousness triumphant; all besides that is Babylon, which must fall if Christ stand; and thou shalt rejoice in the day of the fall thereof, Is. xiv. 10, 11, 12.——Christ alone did tread the wine-press, and there was none with him, Is. lxiii. 3. If thou join any thing to Christ, Christ will trample upon it in fury and anger, and stain his raiment with the blood thereof.——Thou thinkest it easy to believe; was ever thy faith tried with an hour of temptation, or with a thorough sight of sin? Was it ever put to wrestle with Satan, and the wrath of God lying upon the conscience? When thou wast in the mouth of hell and the grave, then God shewed thee Christ, a ransom, a righteousness, &c. Then if thou couldst say, Oh, I see grace enough in Christ, thou mayest say that which is the biggest word in the world, Thou believest. Untried faith is uncertain faith.
To believing, there must go a clear conviction of sin, and the merits of the blood of Christ, and of Christ’s willingness to save upon this consideration merely, that thou art a sinner; things all harder than to make a world. All the powers in nature cannot get up so high in a storm of sin and guilt, as really to believe there is any grace, any willingness, in Christ to save. When Satan charged sin upon the conscience, then for the soul to bring it to Christ, that is gospel-like. That is to make him Christ, he serves for that use. To accept Christ’s righteousness alone, his blood alone, for salvation, that is the sum of the gospel. When the soul, in all duties and distresses, can say, Nothing but Christ, Christ alone for righteousness, justification, sanctification, redemption, 1 Cor. i. 30; not humblings, nor duties, nor graces, &c., that soul hath got above the reach of the billows.
All temptations, Satan’s advantages, our complainings, are laid in self-righteousness, and self-excellency: God pursueth these, by setting Satan upon thee, as Laban did Jacob for his images; these must be torn from thee, he is unwilling as thou wilt; these hinder Christ from coming in; and till Christ come in, guilt will not come out; and where guilt is, there is hardness of heart; and therefore much guilt argues little if any thing of Christ.
When guilt is raised up, take heed of getting it allayed any way but by Christ’s blood, that will tend to hardening. Make Christ thy peace, Eph. i. 14, not thy duties, thy tears, &c. Thou mayest offend Christ by duties as well as sins. Look at Christ, and do as much as thou wilt. Rest with all thy weight upon Christ’s righteousness; take heed of having one foot on thine own righteousness and another on Christ’s. Till he come and sit on high, upon a throne of grace in the conscience, there is nothing but guilt, terror, secret suspicions, the soul hanging betwixt hope and fear, which is an un-gospel-like state.
He that fears to see sin’s utmost vileness, the utmost hell of his own heart, suspects the merits of Christ. Be thou never such a great sinner, 1 John, ii. 1; try Christ, to make him thy advocate, and thou shalt find him Jesus Christ the righteous. In all doubtings, fears, storms of conscience, look at Christ continually. Do not argue it with Satan, he desires no better. Bid him go to Christ, and he will answer him. It is his office to be our advocate, 1 John, ii. 1. His office is to answer the law as our surety, Heb. vii. 22; his office to answer justice, as our Mediator, Gal. iii. 20; 1 Tim. ii. 5. And he is sworn to that office, Heb. vii. 20, 21. Put Christ upon it. If thou wilt do any thing thyself to satisfaction for sin, thou renouncest Christ the righteous, who was made sin for thee, 2 Cor. v. 21.
Satan may alledge, and corrupt scripture, but he cannot answer scripture. It is Christ’s word of mighty authority. Christ foiled Satan with it, Matt. iv. 10. In all the scripture there is not an ill word against a poor sinner stripped of self-righteousness; nay, it plainly points out this man to be the subject of the grace of the gospel, and none else. Believe but in Christ’s willingness, and that will make thee willing. If thou findest thou canst not believe, put him upon it; he works to will and to believe, put him upon it; he works to will and to do of his own pleasure, Phil. ii. 13. Mourn for thy unbelief, which is a setting up of guilt in the conscience above Christ, an undervaluing of the merits of Christ, accounting his blood an unholy, a common, and unsatisfying thing.
Thou complainest much of thyself.—Doth thy sin make thee look more at Christ, less at thyself! That is right, else complaining is but hypocrisy. To be looking at duties, graces, enlargements, when thou shouldst be looking at Christ, that is pitiful. Looking at them will make you humble. By grace ye are saved, Eph. ii. 5, 8. In all thy temptations be not discouraged, James, i. 2. Those surges may be not to drown thee, but to cast thee on the Rock Christ.
Thou mayest be brought low, even to the brink of hell, yet there thou mayest cry, there thou mayest look towards the holy temple, Jonah, ii. 14. Into that temple none might enter but purified ones, and with an offering too, Acts, xxi. 26. But now Christ is our temple, sacrifice, altar, and high-priest to whom none must come but sinners, and that without any offering but his own blood once offered. Heb. vii. 27.
Remember all the patterns of grace that are in heaven. Thou thinkest, “Oh what a monument of grace shall I be!” There are many thousands as rich monuments as thou canst be. The greatest sinner did never surpass the grace of Christ. Do not despair: hope still. When the clouds are blackest, even then look towards Christ, the standing pillar of the Father’s love and grace, set up in heaven, for all sinners to gaze upon continually. Whatsoever Satan or conscience say, do not conclude against thyself. Christ shall have the last word; he is judge of quick and dead, and must pronounce the fatal sentence. His blood speaks reconciliation, Col. i. 20; cleansing, 1 John, i. 7; purchase, Acts xx. 28; redemption, 1 Pet. i. 9; purging, Heb. v. 13, 14; remission, verse 22; liberty, Heb. x. 19; justification, Rom. v. 9; nearness to God, Eph. ii. 13. Not a drop of this blood shall be lost. Stand and hearken what God will say, for he will speak peace to his people, that they return no more to folly, Psal. lxxxv. 8. He speaks grace, mercy, and peace, 2 Tim. i. 2. That is the language of the Father and of Christ. Wait for Christ’s appearing, as the morning star, Rev. xxii. 19. He shall come as certain as the morning, as refreshing as the rain, Hos. vi. 3.
The sun may as well be hindered from rising, as Christ the sun of righteousness, Mal. iv. 2. Look not a moment off Christ. Look not upon sin, but look upon Christ first: when thou mournest for sin, if thou dost not see Christ, then away with it, Zech. ii. 20. In every duty look at Christ; before duty, to pardon; in duty, to assist; after duty, to accept. Without this it is but carnal careless duty. Do not legalise the gospel, as if part did remain to thee to do and suffer, and Christ were but an half mediator; and thou must bear part of thine own sin, and make part satisfaction. Let sin break thy heart, but not thy hope in the gospel.
Look more at justification than sanctification. In the highest commands consider Christ, not as an exactor, to inquire, but a debtor and undertaker, to work. If thou hast looked at workings, duties, qualifications, &c., more than at the merits of Christ, it will cost thee dear; no wonder thou goest complaining; graces may be evidences, the merits of Christ alone, without them, must be the foundation of thy hope to rest upon. Christ only can be the hope of glory, Col. i. 27.
When we come to God, we must bring nothing but Christ with us. Any ingredients, or any previous qualifications of our own, will poison and corrupt faith. He that builds upon duties, graces, &c., knows not the merits of Christ; this makes believing so hard, so far from nature. If thou believest, thou must every day renounce as dung and dross, (Phil. iii. 7, 9,) thy privileges, thy qualifications, thy baptism, thy sanctification, thy duties, thy graces, thy tears, thy meltings, thy humblings, and nothing but Christ must be held up. Every day thy workings, thy self-sufficiency must be destroyed. Thou must take all out of God’s hand. Christ is the gift of God, John, iv. 10. Faith is the gift of God, Eph. ii. 1. Pardon a free gift, Rom. v. 16. Ah, how nature storms, frets, rages at this, that all is of gift, and it can purchase nothing with its actings, and tears, and duties; that all workings are excluded, and of no value in heaven!
If nature had been to contrive the way of salvation, it would rather have put it into the hands of saints or angels to sell it, than the hands of Christ, who gives freely, whom therefore it suspects; nature would have set up a way to purchase by doing; therefore it abominates the merits of Christ, as the most destructive thing to it. Nature would do any thing to be saved, rather than go to Christ, or close with Christ, and owe all to him. Christ will have nothing; but the soul will force somewhat of his own upon Christ. Herein is that great controversy.—Consider—didst thou ever yet see the merits of Christ, and the infinite satisfaction made by his death? Didst thou see this when the burden of sin and the wrath of God lay heavy on thy conscience? That is grace. The greatness of Christ’s merit is not known but to a poor soul in deep distress! Slight convictions will but have slight low prizings of Christ’s blood and merits.
Despairing sinner! Thou lookest on thy right hand, and on thy left, saying, “Who will shew us any good?” Thou art looking over all thy duties and professions to patch a righteousness to save thee. Look at Christ now; look to him and be saved all the ends of the earth, Is. xlv. 22. There is none else. He is a Saviour, and there is none besides him, xliii. 11. Look any where else, and thou art undone. God will look at nothing but Christ, and thou must look at nothing else. Christ is lifted up on high, as the brazen serpent in the wilderness, that sinners at the end of the earth, at the greatest distance, may see him, and look towards him, John, iii. 14, 15. The least sight of him will be saving, the least touch healing to thee; and God intends thou shouldst look on him, for he hath set him upon a high throne of glory, in the open view of all poor sinners. Thou hast infinite reason to look on him: no reason at all to look off him; for he is meek and lowly of heart, Matt. xi. 29. He will do that himself which he requires of his creatures; viz. bear with infirmities, Rom. xv. 1. Not pleasing himself, nor standing upon points of law, ver. 2; he will restore with the spirit of meekness, Gal. vi.; and bear thy burdens, ver. 2. He will forgive not only till seven times, but seventy times seven, Matt. xviii. 21, 22. I put the faith of the apostles to it to believe this, Luke, xvii. 4, 5. Because we are hard to forgive, we think Christ is hard.
We see sin great, we think Christ doth so, and measure infinite love with our line, infinite merits with our sins, which is the great pride and blasphemy, Ps. ciii. 11, 12; Is. x. 15. Hear what he saith: I have found a ransom, Job xxxiii. 24; in him I am well pleased, Matt. iii. 18. God will have nothing else; nothing else will do thee good, or satisfy conscience, but Christ who satisfied the Father. God doth all upon the account of Christ. Thy deserts are hell, wrath, rejection. Christ’s deserts are life, pardon, and acceptance. He will not only shew thee one, but he will give thee the other. It is Christ’s own glory and happiness to pardon. Consider, whilst Christ was upon the earth, he was more among publicans and sinners, than among scribes and pharisees, his professed adversaries, for they were righteous ones: it is not as thou imaginest, that his state in glory makes him neglected, scornful to poor sinners; No. He hath the same heart now in heaven; he is good, and changeth not; he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, John, i. 20. He went through all thy temptations, dejections, sorrows, desertions, rejections, Matt. iv. 3 to 12 and 26; Mark, xv. 24; Luke, xxii. 44; Matt. xxiv. 38. And he hath drawn the bitterness of the cup, and left thee the sweet: the condemnation is out; Christ drank up all the Father’s wrath at one draught, and nothing but salvation is left for thee. Thou sayest thou canst not believe, thou canst not repent. Fitter for Christ if thou hast nothing but sin and misery. Go to Christ with all thy impenitence and unbelief, to get faith and repentance from him—that is glorious: Say unto him, Lord, I have brought no righteousness of grace to be accepted in or justified by; I am come for thine. We would be bringing to Christ, which must not be; grace will not stand with works, Tit. iii. 5; Rom. xi. 6. Self-righteousness and self-sufficiency are the darlings of nature, which she preserves as her life; that makes Christ obnoxious to nature; nature cannot desire him; he is just directly opposite to all nature’s glorious interests. Let nature make a gospel, and it would make it contrary to Christ. It would be to the just, the innocent, the holy, &c. Christ made the gospel for thee, that is, for needy sinners, the ungodly, the unrighteous, the accursed. Nature cannot endure to think the gospel is only for sinners; it will rather choose to despair than go to Christ upon such terrible terms. When nature is opposed to guilt or wrath, it will go to its own haunts of self-righteousness, self-goodness, &c. An infinite power must cast down those strong holds. None but the self-justiciary stands excluded out of the gospel. Christ will look at the most abominable sinner before him, because to such a one Christ cannot be made justification—he is no sinner. To say in compliment, I am a sinner, is easy; but to pray with the publican indeed, Lord be merciful to me a sinner, is the hardest prayer in the world. It is easy to profess Christ with the mouth, but to confess him with the heart, as Peter, (to be the Christ, the Son of the living God, the alone Mediator,) that is above flesh and blood. Many call Christ Saviour; few know him to be so. To see grace and salvation in Christ, is the greatest sight in the world; none can do that, but at the same time they shall see that glory and salvation to be theirs. I may be ashamed to think, in the midst of so much profession, that I have little of the blood of Christ, which is the main thing of the gospel. A Christless formal profession will be the blackest sight next to hell. Thou mayest have many good things, and yet one thing may be wanting that may make thee go away sorrowful from Christ. Thou hast never sold all thou hast, never parted with all thine own righteousness, &c. Thou mayest be high in duty, and yet a perfect enemy and adversary to Christ, in every prayer, in every ordinance.
Labour after sanctification to thy utmost, but make not a Christ of it to save thee; if so, it must come down one way or other.
Christ’s infinite satisfaction, not thy sanctification, must be thy justification before God. When the Lord shall appear terrible out of his holy place, fire shall consume that as hay and stubble. This will be found true religion, to rest all upon the everlasting mountains of God’s love and grace in Christ; to live continually in the sight of Christ’s infinite righteousness and merits, (they are sanctifying; without them the heart is carnal,) and in those sights to see the full vileness of sin, and to see all pardoned; in those sights to pray, hear, &c., seeing thy polluted self, and all thy weak performances accepted continually; in those sights to trample upon all thy self-glories, righteousness, and privileges, as abominable, and be found continually in the righteousness of Christ only; rejoicing in the ruins of thy own righteousness, the spoiling of all thy own excellencies, that Christ’s alone, as Mediator, may be exalted on his throne: mourning over all thy duties (how glorious soever) which thou hast not performed in the sight and sense of Christ’s love. Without the blood of Christ on the conscience, all this is dead service, Heb. ix. 14.
That opinion of free will, so cried up, will be easily confuted, as it is by scripture, in the heart that hath had any spiritual dealings with Jesus Christ, as to the application to its merit, and subjection to his righteousness. Christ is every way too magnificent a person for a poor nature to close withal or to apprehend. Christ is so infinitely holy, nature durst never look at him; so infinitely good, nature can never believe him to be such, when it lies under a full sight of sin. Christ is too high and glorious for nature so much as to touch. There must be a divine nature first put in the soul, to make it lie on him, he lies so infinitely beyond the sight or reach of nature.
That Christ, which natural free will can apprehend, is but a natural Christ of a man’s own making, not the Father’s Christ, nor Jesus the Son of the living God, to whom none can come without the father’s drawing, John, vi. 44. 46. Finally, search the scriptures daily, as mines of gold, wherein the heart of Christ is laid. Watch against constitutional sins, see them in their vileness, and they shall never break out into act. Keep always an humble, empty, broken frame of heart, sensible of any spiritual miscarriage, observant of all inward workings, fit for the highest communications. Keep not guilt in the conscience, but apply the blood of Christ immediately. God chargeth sin and guilt upon thee, to make thee look to Christ.
Judge not Christ’s love by providences, but by promises. Bless God for shaking off false foundations, and for any way whereby he keeps the soul awakened and looking after Christ. Better sicknesses and temptations than security and slightness.
A slighting spirit will turn a profane spirit, and will sin and pray too. Slighting is the bane of profession; if it be not rooted out of the heart, by constant and serious dealings with, and beholdings of Christ in duties, it will grow more strong and more deadly by being under church ordinances. Measure not thy graces by other attainments, but by Scripture trials. Be serious and exact in duty, having the weight of it upon the heart; be as much afraid of taking comfort from duties as from sins. Comfort from any hand but Christ’s is deadly. Be much in prayer, or you will never keep up much communion with God. As you are in closet prayer, so you will be in all other ordinances.
Reckon not duties by high expression, but by low frames, and the beholdings of Christ. Tremble at duties and gifts. It was a saying of a great saint, he was more afraid of his duties than his sins; the one often made him proud, the other always made him humble. Treasure up manifestations of Christ’s love, they make the heart low for Christ, too high for sin. Slight not the lowest, meanest evidences of grace; God may put thee to make use of the lowest as thou thinkest, even that, 1 John, iii. 14, may be worth a thousand worlds to thee.
Be true to truth, but not turbulent and scornful. Restore such as are fallen; help them up again with all the bowels of Christ. Set the broken disjointed bones with the grace of the gospel. High professor, despise not weak saints. Thou mayest come to wish to be in the condition of the meanest of them. Be faithful to others’ infirmities, but sensible of thy own. Visit sick beds and deserted souls much, they are excellent schools in experience. Abide in your calling. Be dutiful to all relations as to the Lord. Be content with little of the world; little will serve. Think every little of the earth much, because unworthy of the least. Think much of heaven, not little, because Christ is so rich and free. Think every one better than thyself, and ever carry self-loathing about thee, as one fit to be trampled upon by all saints. See the vanity of the world, and the consumption there is upon all things, and love nothing but Christ. Mourn to see so little of Christ in the world, so few needing him: trifles please them better. To a secure soul Christ is but a table, the scripture but a story. Mourn to think how many there are under baptism and church order, that are not under grace, looking much after outward duties, little after Christ, little versed in grace. Prepare for the cross; welcome it, bear it triumphantly like Christ’s cross; whether scoffs, mockings, jeers, contempt, imprisonment, &c. But see it be Christ’s cross, not thine own.
Sin will hinder from glorying in the cross of Christ. Omitting little truths against light may breed guilt in the conscience, as well as committing the greatest sins against light. If thou hast been taken out of the belly of hell into Christ’s bosom, and made to sit among princes in the household of God, oh how shouldst thou live as a pattern of mercy? Redeemed, restored soul, what infinite sums dost thou not owe to Christ! With what singular frames must thou walk, and do every duty! On sabbaths, what praising days, singing hallelujahs, should they be to thee! Church fellowship: what a heaven, a being with Christ, and angels, and saints in communion; what a bathing of the soul in eternal love; what a burial with Christ, and dying to all things beside him! Every time thou thinkest of Christ, be astonished, and wonder; and when thou seest sin, look at Christ’s grace which did pardon it; and when thou art proud, look at Christ’s grace, that shall humble and strike thee down in the dust.
Remember Christ’s time of love, when thou wast naked, Ezekiel, xvi. 8, 9, and then he chose thee. Canst thou ever have a proud thought?—Remember whose arms supported thee from sinking, and delivered thee from the lowest hell, Ps. lxxxvi. 13: and shout in the ears of angels and men, Ps. cxlviii. and for ever sing, “Praise, praise, grace, grace.” Daily repent and pray; and walk in the spirit of grace as one that hath the anointing of grace upon thee. Remember thy sins, Christ’s pardoning; thy deserts, Christ’s merits; thy weakness, Christ’s strength; thy pride, Christ’s humility; thy many infirmities, Christ’s restorings; thy guilt, Christ’s new applications of his blood; thy failings, Christ’s raisings up; thy wants, Christ’s fulness; thy temptations, Christ’s tenderness; thy vileness, Christ’s righteousness.
Blessed soul! whom Christ shall find not trusting in his own righteousness, Phil. iii. 9, but having his robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb, Rev. vii. 14. Woeful, miserable professor, that hath not the gospel within! Rest not in church trials; thou mayest pass them, and be cast away in Christ’s day of trial. Thou mayest come to baptism, and never come to Jesus and the blood of sprinkling, Heb. xii. 24. Whatever working or attainments, short of Christ s blood, merits, righteousness, (the main object of the gospel) fall short of the truth, and leave the soul in a condition of doubtings and questionings; and doubtings, if not looked into betimes, will turn to a lightness of spirit, one of the most dangerous of frames.
Trifle not with ordinances. Be much in meditation and prayer. Wait diligently upon all hearing opportunities. We have need of doctrine, reproof, exhortations, consolation, as tender herbs and the grass hath of the rain, the dew, the small rain, and the showers, Deut. xxxii. 2. Do all thou doest as soul-work unto Christ, Zech. vi. 5, 6; as immediately dealing with Christ Jesus; as if he were looking on thee, and thou on him, and get all thy strength from him.
Observe what holy motions you find in your soul to duties; prize the least good thought thou hast of Christ, the least good word thou speakest of him sincerely from thy heart. Rich mercy! Oh! bless God for it! Observe if every day you have the Day-spring from on high, with his morning dews of mourning for sin, constantly visiting thee, Luke, i. 78. Have you the bright Morning-star, with fresh influences of grace and peace, constantly arising, Rev. xxii. 16, and Christ sweetly greeting the soul in all duties? What duty makes not more spiritual, will make more carnal; what doth not quicken and humble, will deaden and harden.
Judas may have the outward privilege of baptism, the supper, church-fellowship, &c., but John leaned on Christ’s bosom, John, iii. 23; that is the gospel-ordinance posture, in which we should pray and hear, and perform all duties. Nothing but lying in that bosom will dissolve hardness of heart, and make thee to mourn heartily for sin and cure lightness and indifference of spirit, that gangrene to profession; that will humble indeed, and make the soul cordial to Christ, and sin vile to the soul; yea, transform the ugliest place of hell into the glory of Christ. Never think thou art right as thou shouldst be, a Christian of any attainment, until thou come to this, always to see and feel thyself lying in the bosom of Christ, who is in the bosom of his Father, John, i. 18. Come and pray the Father for views of Christ, and you will be sure to speed. You can come with no request that pleaseth him better. He gave him out of his own bosom for that very end, to be held up before the eyes of sinners, as the everlasting monument of his unspeakable love.
Looking at the natural sun weakens the eye. The more you look at Christ, the Sun of righteousness, the stronger and clearer will the eye of faith be. Look but at Christ, you will love him, and live upon him. Think on him continually,—keep the eye constantly upon Christ’s blood, or every blast of temptation will shake you. If you see sin’s sinfulness, to loath it and mourn, do not stand looking upon sin, but look upon Christ first, as suffering and satisfying for it. If you would see your graces, your sanctification, do not stand gazing upon them, but look at Christ’s righteousness in the first place,—see the Son, and you see all,—look at your graces in the last place.
Go to Christ in sight of your sin and misery, not of your grace and holiness. Have nothing to do with thy graces and sanctification, they will but veil Christ, till thou hast seen Christ first. He that looks upon Christ through his graces, is like one that sees the sun in water, which wavereth, and moves as the water doth. Look upon Christ only as shining in the firmament of the Father’s love and grace, you will not see him but in his own glory, which is unspeakable. Pride and unbelief will put you upon seeing somewhat in yourself first, but faith will have to do with none but Christ, who is unexpressibly glorious, and must swallow up thy sanctification as well as thy sin: for God made him both for us, and we must take him for both, 1 Cor. i. 30, 2 Cor. v. 21. He that sets up his sanctification to look at, to comfort him, he sets up the greatest idol, which will strengthen his doubts and fears. Do but look off Christ, and presently, like Peter, you sink in doubt.
A Christian never wants comfort but by breaking the order and method of the gospel, looking on his own, and looking off Christ’s perfect righteousness, which is, to choose rather to live by candlelight than by the light of the sun. The honey that you suck from your own righteousness will turn into perfect gall; and the light that you take from that to walk in will turn into black night upon the soul. Satan is tempting thee, by putting thee to plod about thine own grace, to get comfort from that; then the Father comes and points thee to Christ’s grace, as rich and glorious, infinitely pleasing to him; and biddest thee study Christ’s righteousness; and his biddings are enablings; that is, a blessed motion, a sweet whispering, checking thy belief—follow the least hint, close with much prayer, prize it as an invaluable jewel; it is an earnest of more to come. Again,
If you will pray, and cannot, and are so discouraged, see Christ praying for you, using his interest with the Father for you. What can you want? John, xiv. 7, and chap. xvii. If you be troubled, see Christ your peace, Eph. ii. 14. Leaving you peace when he went up to heaven, again and again charging you not to be troubled; no, not in the least sinfully troubled; so as to obstruct the comfort of thy believing, John, xiv. 1, 27. He is now upon the throne, having spoiled upon his cross, in the lowest state of his humiliation, all whatsoever can hurt or annoy thee; he hath borne all thy sins, sorrows, troubles, and temptations, and is gone to prepare mansions for thee.
Thou who hast seen Christ all, and thyself absolutely nothing who makest Christ all thy life, and art dead to all righteousness besides, thou art a Christian, one highly beloved, and who hath found favour with God, a favourite of heaven. Do Christ this one favour for all his love to thee; love all his poor saints and churches, the meanest, the weakest, notwithstanding any difference in judgment, they are engraven on his heart, as the names of the children of Israel on Aaron’s breast-plate; Ex. xxviii. 21. Let them be so on thine. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee, Ps. cxxii. 6.
THE END
SINS AND SORROWS
SPREAD
BEFORE GOD:
A SERMON,
BY THE REV. ISAAC WATTS.
GLASGOW:
PRINTED FOR THE BOOKSELLERS.
SINS AND SORROWS
SPREAD BEFORE GOD.
Job xxiii. 3, 4.
Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.
There is such a thing as converse with God in prayer, and it is the life and pleasure of a pious soul; without it we are no Christians; and he that practises it most, is the best follower of Christ, for our Lord spent much time in converse with his heavenly Father. This is the balm that eases the most raging pains of the mind, when the wounded conscience comes to the mercy-seat, and finds pardon and peace there. This is the cordial that revives and exalts our natures, when the spirit, broken with sorrows and almost fainting with death, draws near to the almighty Physician, and is healed and refreshed. The mercy-seat in heaven is our surest and sweetest refuge in every hour of distress and darkness on earth; this is our daily support and relief, while we are passing through a world of temptations and hardships in the way to the promised land. “It is good for us to draw near to God.” Psal. lxxiii. 28.
And yet so much is human nature sunk down and fallen from God, that even his own children are ready to indulge a neglect of converse with him, if their souls are not always upon the watch. But let it be remembered here, that so much as we abate of this divine entertainment among the vanities or amusements of the world, the businesses or burdens of life; so much we lose of the glory and joy of religion, and deprive our souls of the comfort that God invites us to receive.
Job was encompassed with sorrows all around, and his friends had censured him as a vile hypocrite, and a great sinner, because he was so terribly afflicted by the hand of God: whither should he run now but to his heavenly Father, and tell him of all his sufferings?
From the practice of this holy man, I thought we might have sufficient warrant to draw this inference, viz. that when a saint gets near to God in prayer, he tells him all his circumstances, and pleads for help. And this is the doctrine which I am endeavouring now to improve. O if I could but come near him; I would spread all my concerns before his eye, and I would plead with him for relief; I would fill my mouth with arguments.
Four things I proposed in the prosecution of this doctrine.
I. To consider what it is for a soul to get near to God in prayer.
II. What particular subjects doth a soul, thus brought near to the mercy-seat, converse with God about.
III. Why he causes to tell all his circumstances and his sorrows to God, when he is thus near him.
IV. How he pleads for relief.
I. We have already considered what it is for a soul to get near to the seat of God, and what are the usual attendants of such a privilege. At such a season the holy soul will have an awful and adoring sense of the majesty of God, a becoming fear of his terrors, and some sweeter taste of his love. There will be a divine hatred of every sin, and a sensible virtue and influence proceeding from a present God, to resist every temptation; there will be a spiritual and heavenly temper diffusing itself through the whole soul, and all the powers of it; a fixedness of heart without wandering; and a liveliness without tiring; no weariness is felt in the spirit at such a season, even though the flesh may be ready to faint under the overpowering sweetness; then the soul with freedom opens itself before the eye of God, and melts and flows in divine language, whether it complain or rejoice. But I have finished this head, and repeat no more.
II. What are some of the particular circumstances or subjects of complaint, that a saint brings to God when he comes near to him.
In general, a saint, when he is near to God, has all the fulness of his heart breaking out into holy language; he pours out his whole self before his God and his Father; all the infinite affairs that relate to the flesh and spirit, to this life and that which is to come; all things in heaven, and all things on earth, created or uncreated, may, at one time or other, be the subjects of converse between God and a holy soul. When the question is asked by a carnal man, “What can a Christian talk with God so long and so often about?” The Christian, in a divine frame, answers, “He that hath matter enough for converse with God, to wear out time, and to fill up eternity.” It may as well be asked on the other side, What has he not to say? What is there that relates to God, or to himself, to the upper, or the lower world, that he may not at some time say to his God?
But I must confine myself from wandering in so large a field, that I may comport with the design of my text. Though a good man, in devout prayer often spreads his hopes and his joys before the Lord as well as his sorrows, fear, and distresses; yet I shall at present endeavour to set forth only the mournful and complaining representations of his circumstances that he makes before the throne of God.
1. If I could but come near the mercy-seat, I would confess how great my sins are, and I would pray for pardoning grace. I would say, “How vile I am by nature;” I would count my original descent from Adam the great transgressor, and humble myself at the foot of a holy God, because I am the descent of such a sinner. I would tell him how much viler I have made myself by practice: “I have been an enemy in my mind by nature, and guilty of many wicked works, whereby I have farther estranged myself from him.” I would tell my God how multiplied my transgressions have been before I knew him, and how aggravated they have been since I have been acquainted with him. I would acquaint him with the frequency of my returning guilt, how I have sinned against mercies, against reproofs, against warnings received often from his word, and often from his providence.
I may appeal to the souls of many present, whether they have not had the greatest freedom of confession of their sins when they have been nearest to God, even though he be a God of holiness. At other times they have not only been averse to confess to any friend, but even unwilling to talk over to themselves the aggravation of their iniquities, or to mention them in prayer; but when they are brought thus near the throne of God, they unbosom themselves before him, they pour out their sins and their tears together, with a sweet and mournful satisfaction.
“I behold (says the saint) the great atonement, the blood of Jesus, and therefore I may venture to confess my great iniquities, for the satisfaction is equal to them all. When I behold God upon his seat, I behold the Lamb in the midst of the throne as it had been slain, and he is my Peace-maker. I see his all-sufficient sacrifice, his atoning blood, his perfect, his justifying righteousness.” The soul then answers the call of God with great readiness, when God says in Isaiah i. 18. “Come let us reason together; though your sins have been as scarlet, they shall be as wool.” “I am ready (says the soul) to enter into such reasonings; I am ready to confess before thee, that my sins are all crimson and scarlet, but there is cleansing blood with thy Son. Blood that has washed the garments of a thousand sinners, and made them as white as snow; and it has the same virtue still to wash mine too; I trust in it, and rejoice when I behold that blood sprinkled upon the mercy-seat, and therefore I grow confident in hope, and draw yet nearer to God, a reconciled God, since his throne has the memorials of a bleeding sacrifice upon it.”
2. If I could get nearer the seat of God I would tell him how many my enemies are, and how strong; how malicious, and how full of rage. And I would beg strength against them, and victory over them. I would say as David, “Many there be that hate me, many there be that rise up against me, and many there be that say of my soul, There is no help for him in God; but thou, O God, art my glory, my shield, and the lifter up of my head,” Psal. iii. Then, says the soul, I would complain to God of all my indwelling corruptions, of the body of death that dwells in me, or in which I dwell; and say; “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me!” I would tell him then of the secret working of pride in my heart, though I long to be humble; of the rising of ambition in my soul, though I would willingly maintain a middle state amongst men, and not aim and aspire to be great. I would acquaint him of the vanity of my own mind, though I am perpetually endeavouring to subdue it. I would tell him, with tears, of my sinful passions, of my anger and impatience, and the workings of envy and revenge in me; of the perpetual stirrings of disorderly appetites, whereby I am led away from my God; I would tell him of the hardness of my heart, and the obstinacy of my temper. I would open before his eyes all the vices of my constitution; all those sacred seeds of iniquity that are ever budding and blossoming to bring forth fruit to death. These things are fit to mourn before the Lord, when the soul is come near to his seat.
I would complain of this sore enemy, the world, that is perpetually besetting me, that strikes upon all my senses, that by the ears, and the eyes, and all the outward faculties, draws my heart away from God my best friend. I would tell him of the rage of Satan, that watchful and malicious adversary; that I cannot engage in any duty of worship but he is ready to throw in some foolish or vain suggestion to divert me; and I would look forward, and point to my last enemy, death, and beg the presence of my God with me, when I walk through the dark valley; “Lord, when I enter into that conflict, assist me, that I may fear no evil, but be made more than a conqueror through him that has loved me.”
3. I would tell him what darkness I labour under, either in respect of faith or practice. If I am perplexed in my mind, and entangled about any of the doctrines of the gospel, I would tell them my God what my entanglements are, where the difficulty lies; and I would beg, that by his Spirit and his word, he would solve the controversy, and set his own truth before me in his own divine light. And then in point of practice, what darkness lies upon the spirit at such a time, is revealed before God: “My way is hedged up, I know not what path to chuse; it is very hard for me to find out duty; show me, O Lord, the way wherein I should walk, and mark out my path plain for me.”
4. I would mourn, and tell him how little converse I have with himself, how much he is hidden from me; I would complain to him, how far off I am from him the most part of my life, how few are the hours of my communion with him, how short is the visit, how much his face is concealed from me, and how far my heart is divided from him. A soul then says, “Surely there is too great a distance between me and my God, my heavenly Father;” and cries out with bitterness, “Why is God so far from me, and why is my heart so far from God? How often do I wait upon him in his own sanctuary, and among his saints, but I am not favoured with a sight of his power and glory there! And how often do I seek him in my secret retirements, but I find him not! I would tell him how often I read his promises in the gospel, and taste no sweetness; I go frequently to those wells of consolation and they seem to be dry; then I turn my face, and go away ashamed.”
5. I would tell him too of my temporal troubles, if I get near to God, because they unfit me for his service, they make me uncapable of honouring him in the world, and render me unfit for enjoying him in his ordinances; I would tell him how they damp my zeal, how they bow my spirit down, and make me go mourning all the day long, to the dishonour of Christianity, which is a dispensation of grace and joy. Thus I might complain before God of pains, of weakness, of sickness, of the disorders of my flesh; I might complain there too of the weakness of all my powers, the want of memory, the scatterings and confusions that are upon my thoughts, the wanderings of my fancy, and the unhappy influence that a feeble and diseased body has upon the mind: “O my God, how am I divided from thee by dwelling in such a tabernacle! Still patching up a tottering cottage, and wasting my best hours in a painful attendance on the infirmities of the flesh!”
I might then take the liberty of spreading before my God all the sorrows and vexations of life, that unhinge my soul from its centre, that throw it off from my guard, and hurry and expose me to daily temptations. I might complain of my reproaches from friends and enemies; because these, many times, wear out the spirit and unfit it for acts of lively worship. These are my weekly sorrows and groans, these are my daily fears and troubles; and these shall be spread before the eyes of my God, in the happy hour when I get near him.
Lastly, I would not go away without a word of pity and complaint concerning my relations, my friends and acquaintance, that are afar off from God. I would put in one word of petition for them that are careless unconcerned for themselves; I would weep a little at the seat of God for them: I would leave a tear or two at the throne of mercy, for my dearest relatives in the flesh, for children, brothers or sisters, that they may be brought near to God, in the bonds of the Spirit. Then would I remember my friends in Christ, my brethren and kindred in the gospel; such as labour under heavy burdens, languish under various infirmities of life, or groan under the power of strong temptations. When God indulges me the favour of his ear, I would spread their wants and sorrows before him, together with my own, and make supplication for all the saints. I would leave a petition at the mercy-seat for my native country, that knowledge and holiness may overspread the nation; that our king may be a nursing-father to the church, and our princes may be blessings to the land. And while I send up my request for the British Islands, I would breathe out many a sigh for Zion, that she may be the joy of the whole earth.—I proceed now to.
III. The third head of inquiry, which is this: Why does a saint, when he gets near to God delight to tell him all his circumstances, and all his sorrows?
In general I might say this, because it is so seldom, at least in our day, that a saint gets very near to God; therefore when he finds that happy minute, he says to his God all he wants to say; he tells him all his heart; he pours out all his wants before him; because these seasons are very few. It is but here and there an extraordinary Christian, who maintains constant nearness to God; the best complain of too much distance and estrangement. But to descend to particulars.
1. He is our chief friend, and it is an ease to the soul to vent itself in the bosom of a friend, when we are in his company. More especially as it was in the case of Job, when other friends failed him when he began to tell them some of his sorrows, and withal maintained his own integrity; they would not believe him, but became his troublers instead of his comforters; “My friends, scorn me,” saith Job, ch. xvi. 20, “but mine eye pours out tears to God.” I go to my best friend, my friend in heaven, when my friends here on earth neglect me.
Man is a sociable creature, and our joys and our sorrows are made to be communicated, that hereby we may double the one and alleviate the other. There is scarce any piece of human nature, be it ever so stupid, but feels some satisfaction in the pleasure of a friend, in communicating the troubles and the pleasures that it feels; but those that have God for their highest and best friend, they love to be often exercising such acts of friendship with him, and rather with him than with any friend besides, rather with him than all besides him. This is the noblest and highest friendship; all condescension and compassion on the one side, and all infirmity and dependance on the other! and yet both joined is mutual satisfaction. Amazing grace of God to man! The Christian rejoices in this admirable divine indulgence, and delights in all opportunities to employ and improve it.
Besides, this is the way to maintain the vigour of piety, and keep all the springs of divine love ever open and flowing in his own heart; therefore he makes many a visit to the mercy-seat, and takes occasion from every troublesome occurence in life, to betake himself to his knees, and improves every sorrow he meets on earth, to increase his acquaintance with heaven. He delights to talk all his grievances over with his God. Hannah, the mother of Samuel, is a blessed example of this practice, 1 Sam. i. 10. When she was in bitterness of soul, by reason of a sore affliction, and the teazing humour of her rival, she prayed to the Lord, and wept sore, and when she had left her sorrows at the mercy-seat, she went away, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad, ver. 18. So saith the Christian, “I commit my sorrows to my God, he is my best friend, and I go away, and am no more sad; I have poured out my cares into his ear, and cast my burdens upon him, and I leave them there in peace.”
2. The saint knows God will understand him right, and will judge right concerning his case and his meaning. Though the expression (it may be) are very imperfect, below the common language of men, and propriety of speech, yet God knows the meaning of the soul, and he knows the mind of his Spirit, Rom. viii. The friends of Job perverted his sense; therefore he turns aside to God, for he knows God would understand him. It is a very great advantage, when we spread our concerns before another person, to be well assured that person will take us right, will take in our meaning fully, and judge aright concerning our cause. Now we may be assured of this when we speak to our God; he knows our thoughts afar, off, and all our circumstances, better infinitely than we can tell him. These our poor imperfect expressions of our wants, shall be no hinderance to his full supplies, nor any bar to his exercise of friendship toward us.
3. A saint pours out his soul before God, because he is sure of secrecy there. How many things are there transacted between God and a holy soul, that he could never publish to the world! and many things also that concern his conduct in life, his embarassment of spirit, his difficulties, his follies, or the obstinacy, guilt, or follies of his friends or relatives, which prudence or shame forbid him to tell his fellow creatures: and yet he wants to spread them all before God his best friend, God his dearest relative, the friend nearest to his heart. There may be many circumstances and cases in life, especially in the spiritual life, which one Christian could hardly communicate to another, though under the strictest bonds and ties of natural, and civil, and sacred relation; though we may communicate these very affairs, these secret concerns, with our God, and unburden our souls of every care, without the least public notice.
We cannot be perfect secure of this with regard to any creature; for when we have experienced the faithfulness of a friend many years, he may possibly be at last unfaithful: unfaithfulness is mingled with our nature since the fall, and it is impossible any person can be infallibly secure from it. Psal. lxii. 9. Men of low degree are vanity, and great men are a lie; but we may leave our case with our God, as secure as though we had communicated it to none: nay, we may be easily secure and free in speaking, because God knows all before-hand. Our complaint adds nothing to his knowledge, although it eases our souls, and gives us sweet satisfaction in having such a friend to speak to.
4. A saint believes the equity, faithfulness, and the love of God; therefore he spreads his case before him. His equity, that the judge of all the earth will do right; the righteous may plead with him. His faithfulness, that he will fulfil all his promises; and his love, that he will take compassion on those who are afflicted; he will be tender to those who are miserable. David takes occasion from this to address God under his sufferings and sorrows: Psal. lxii. 1, 2. “He is my rock, and my salvation, and my defence; I shall not be moved; therefore my soul waits upon God; my refuge is in him; he is a God that hears prayer, therefore unto him shall all flesh come,” Psal. lxv. 1. God will not account our complaints troublesome, though they be never so often repeated; whereas men are quickly wearied with the importunities of those who are poor and needy. Great men are ready to shut their doors against those who come too often for relief; but God delights to hear often from his people, and to have them ask continually at his door for mercy. Though he has almighty power with him, saith Job, yet he will not plead against me with his great power; no, but he would put strength in me; he would teach me how I should answer him; how I should answer his justice, by appeals to his mercy; and how I should speak prevailingly before him.
5. Lastly, A saint tells God all his circumstances and sorrows at such a season, because he hopes for relief from him, and from him only; for it is impossible creatures can give relief under any trouble, unless God make them instruments of relief. And there are some troubles in which creatures cannot be our helpers, but our help must come only from God, and that in a more immediate way. Whatsoever be our distress, whether it arise from past guilt and the torments of an anxious and troubled conscience, or whether it arise from the working of indwelling sin, the strength of temptation, or the violence of temporal afflictions, still God is able and willing to give relief. “Call upon me (saith the Lord) in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me;” Psal. 1. 12. And he hath never said to the seed of Jacob, seek ye my face in vain, Isa. xlv. 19.
IV. The fourth general head of discourse which I proposed, is to shew how a saint, near the mercy-seat, pleads with God for relief.
Holy Job tells us in this text, that if he was got near to the seat of God, he would fill his mouth with arguments.
Not as though he would inform God of the necessity, or the justice of his cause, beyond what he knew before; no, this is impossible; he that teacheth man all things, shall he not know? Psal. xciv. 9, 10. He who orders all the circumstances of our lives, and every stroke of his own rod, can he be unacquainted with any thing that relates to our sorrows?
Nor can we use arguments with God to awaken his ear, or move his compassion, as though he had neglected us or forgotten our distress; for all things are for ever naked and open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do. The shepherd of Israel cannot slumber; nor does his mercy want our awakenings.
But in this sort of expressions, the great God condescends to talk, and to transact affairs with us, and permits us to treat with him in a way suited to our weakness; he would have us plead and argue with him, that we may show how deep a sense we have of our own wants, and how entirely we depend on his mercy. Since we cannot converse with him in a way equal to his own majesty and Godhead he stoops to talk with us in such a way as is most agreeable to our state, and most easy to our apprehension, he speaks such language as we can understand, and invites us to humble conference with him in the same way. Come, says God to his people, by Isaiah his prophet, Come now, and let us reason together, Isa. i. 18. And he often in holy scripture, represents himself as moved and influenced by the prayers and pleadings of his afflicted saints; and he has ordained before hand, that the day when he prepares their hearts to pray, shall be the day when his ear shall hear the desire of the humble, and shall be the season of their deliverence, Psal. x. 17.
If you inquire, how a Christian pleads with his God, and whence does he borrow his arguments; I answer, that according to the various sorrows and difficulties which attend him, so various may his pleadings be for the removal of them. There is not a circumstance which belongs to his affliction, but he may draw some argument from it to plead for mercy; there is not one attribute of the divine nature, but he may use it with holy skill, and thereby plead for grace; there is not one relation in which God stands to his people, nor one promise of his covenant, but may at some time or other afford an argument in prayer. But the strongest and sweetest argument that a Christian knows, is the name and mediation of Jesus Christ his Lord. It is for the sake of Christ, who has purchased all the blessings of the covenant, that a saint hopes to receive them; and for the sake of Christ, he pleads that God would bestow them.
But having treated largely on this subject, it remains that I make a few useful reflections on the whole foregoing discourse.
REFLECTION I.
What a dull and uncomfortable thing is religion without drawing near to God! for this is the very business for which religion is designed; the end and aim of religion is getting nigh to God; if it attain not this end it is nothing.
O the madness of hypocrites, who satisfy themselves to toil in long forms of worship, and appear perpetually in the shapes of religion, but unconcerned whether they ever get near to God by it or no! They lose the end and design for which religion was made. What if we know all the doctrines of the gospel; what if we can talk rationally about natural religion; what if we can deduce one truth from another, so as to spread a whole scheme of godliness before the eyes or ears of those we converse with; what if we can prove all the points of Christianity, and give uncontestable arguments for the belief of them; yet we have no religion if our souls never get near to God by them. A saint thinks it a very melancholy thing when he is at a distance from God, and cannot tell God his wants and sorrows. Though he be never so much studied in divinity, and the deep things of God, yet if God be not with him, if he does not come near to his mercy-seat, so as to converse with him as his friend, the soul is concerned and grieved, and never rests till this distance be removed. It is to little purpose all these forms are maintained, if we have not the substance and the power of godliness; if our God be not near us, if we never get near to God.
REFLECTION II.
How happy are we under the gospel, above all ages and nations besides us, and before us! For we have advantages of getting near to God, beyond what any other religion has; above what the heathen world ever enjoyed; for their light of nature could never show them the throne of grace; above what the ancient patriarchs had, though God came down in visible shapes, and revealed and discovered himself to them as a man or an angel; above what the Jews had, though God dwelt among them in visible glory in the holy of holies. The people were kept at a distance, and the high-priest was to come thither but once a-year; and their veil, and smokes, and shadows, did, as it were, conceal God from them, although they were types of a future Messiah; and even their Shekinah itself, or cloud of glory, gave them no spiritual idea or notion of Godhead, though it was a shining emblem of God dwelling among them.
REFLECTION III.
Lastly, That future state of glory must be blessed indeed where we shall be ever near to God, even to his seat, and have no sorrows to tell him of. If it be so delightful a thing to come near the seat of God here upon earth, to mourn before him, and to tell him all our circumstances, and all our sorrows, how pleasurable a blessedness must that of heaven be, where we shall be ever rejoicing before him, as Christ Jesus was before the world was made, rejoicing daily before him; and our delight shall be with that God who created the sons of men; where we shall be for ever telling him of our joys, and our pleasures, with humble adoration of his grace, and everlasting gratitude.
O that I could raise your souls, and mine, to blessed breathings after this felicity, by such representations! But how infinitely short must the brightest descriptions fall of this state and place! May you and I, who speak and hear this, may every soul of us be made thus happy one day, and learn the extent and glory of this blessedness, by sweet and everlasting experience. Amen.
FINIS.
A
TOKEN FOR
MOURNERS.
WITH A SELECTION OF
SCRIPTURE PROMISES,
RELATIVE TO
THE TROUBLES of LIFE.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning Providence
He hides a smiling face.
GLASGOW;
PRINTED FOR THE BOOKSELLERS.
A
TOKEN
FOR
MOURNERS.
&c.
2. Kings, iv. 26.
And she answered, It is well.
Short words, soon spoken; but to have a suitableness of heart to them is one of the highest attainments of faith. To be sure, “It is well;” we think so, when all things go according to our wish; when there is nothing in Providence that crosses our desires, that thwarts our designs, that sinks our hopes, or awakens our fears; Submission is easy work then; but to have all things seemingly against us, to have God smiting in the tenderest part, unravelling all our schemes, contradicting our desires, and standing aloof from our very prayers; how do our souls behave then? This is the true touchstone of our sincerity and submission; “Here,” as it is said, Rev. xiii. 10, “is the patience and faith of the saints;” this shews what they are made of, what they are within; but instances there are many in the book of God, wherein we find this sweet frame prevailing, as Abraham, Job, David, and the Shulamite in my text, than whose story we meet with few things in Providence more affecting. If you look back a little, you may see what were her circumstances, and those of her family. She was a “great woman,” says verse 8, and that she was a “good woman,” the whole context shews, her husband and she wanted but one thing to make them as happy as the vanity and uncertainty of all human affairs would admit of. They had enough of the world, and they seem to have had the enjoyment of it; for when Elisha, to requite her kindness, asks; “What shall be done for thee? Wouldst thou be spoken for to the king? &c.” she answers, “No, I dwell among mine own people,” “I seek nothing greater than what I have:” only (as Gehazie learned from her) they wanted a child to comfort them now, and to inherit what they had when they were gone. God in a miraculous way, gives this request. This child grows up, and was no doubt the delight of its parents. Just at the time of life when children are most engaging, before they are capable of doing any great thing to grieve their parents, God lays his hand suddenly upon him and takes him away. The dearest comforts are but short lived, and the dearer they are when living, the deeper they cut when they are removed. Many of you can judge what the loss of a son, an only son, must be, and when there is no hope of a Seth instead of Abel. But, behold, “he taketh away, and who shall hinder him?” Well: What does the mother do now? One would think all her hope is cut off, and all her comfort dried up: No, it is far otherwise. The same power that gave him could also raise him; in faith of this, she lays him upon the prophet’s bed, and makes all the haste to him she could. She concealing what had happened (as it is probable) from her husband, he objects to her going to the prophet, ver. 23, “Wherefore wilt thou go to him to-day? It is neither new-moon nor Sabbath.” And she said, “It shall be well.” Faith sets aside every obstacle: “It shall be well: the end will be peace;” “God is with me, and he will make all things work together for good.” Commentators, in general, make very light of this, and her answer to Elisha’s message in my text. Some suppose she has a reserve in her breast, when Gehazi asks after her family, that this “well” only refers to her husband and herself. Others think it is but a transition to something farther, which she was in haste to say; as if she had said, “All is well do not hinder me, I have urgent business with your master Elisha, and cannot stay to talk farther with you upon any matters.” This is the sense which most annotators incline to, which, I confess, I the more wonder at, because all agree, that the apostle’s words in part refer to this story, Heb. xi. 35. “Women received their dead raised to life again.” How they received them is there specified; namely, by or “through faith.” Faith, not as some carry it, in the prophet, but in the persons who had their dead restored to them; or else there would have been no need to make mention of any by name. Now wherein this woman’s faith appeared, my text and context make manifest. Here was a dependance upon God’s promise, an abiding by that, God had promised her a son; a son, not to lose him but to have comfort in him; and, as if she had said, “As for God, his work is perfect, he does not use to raise his people’s expectations for nothing; to give and immediately take away again. My son is dead, but God, all sufficient liveth; why should I mourn as though I had no hope? As for God’s power and faithfulness there is no abatement in them.” Therefore, she makes no preparation for his burial tells her husband nothing of his death, but seeks to God by the prophet, and expects help from him, See how she expresses herself: “Is it well with thee?” (and says Gehazzi,) “Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child?” and she answered, “It is well”. Here is the greatest submission in the greatest distress: Her son, her only son, the son of all her love, the son of her old age, he is taken away with a stroke, and yet all is well. There is nothing amiss in the dispensation; had she been to choose it, it is well; she has nothing to object. Here are submission and faith both discovered in their sweet exercise; submission to what God hath done; faith in what he is able to do, and in what she believed he would do: “By faith women received their dead raised to life again;” so that the words, thus explained, afford us this plain and useful observation.
Observ. Faith in God’s promise and power will bring a man to submit to the sorest and most trying dispensations of his Providence; or thus,
Faith where it is in exercise, will teach a Christian to say of all God does, “It is well.”
In discoursing on this proposition, I will endeavour to show what submission is, or how and in what sense we are to understand the expression in my text, “It is well.”
This “well” dost not suppose there is nothing in providential dispensations, which to flesh and sense appears evil. Submission quiets under an affliction, but it does not take away our sense and feeling of the affliction. The apostle speaks what is every believer’s experience, Heb. xii. 11. “No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous.” Whatever be spoken of the good of it, it presents itself unto us with a very different face; it is matter of present grief and sorrow to them that are chastised; nor are we blamed for our feeling and sense of it. Our blessed Lord himself wept at the grave of his dear friend, John xi. 35. And at the approach of his last sufferings, “his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death,” Matt. xxvi. 38. “yet he was led as a lamb to the slaughter; he opened not his mouth”: there was patience and quiet submission under all his sorrows, while nature had some vent; for groans are sometimes an easement to our grief. Thus it is said of the good woman, “that her soul was bitter within her,” ver. 27. Elisha saw her agony in her looks, though he knew not the cause of it; and yet “All is well.” When Job lost his substance and his children, and was smitten in his body with sore boils; when Heman, and when the church in the Lamentations were deprived of the consolations from God, when the Comforter, who would relieve their souls, was far from them; when David also was cursed by Shimei, and turned out of doors by his own son; can you think that in all these there was no feeling? Had there been none, there could have been no profit by any of the dispensations. Unless we realize our trials indeed, what are we the better for them? This would be to despise the chastening of the Lord, to be above correction, to be smitten and not grieve, is one of God’s sorest judgments, and always argues a soul ripe for ruin: this “well” does not suppose us insensible of the evil of afflicting.
Though we believe all that befals us is well, this does not forbid our inquiring into the reasons of God’s providential dispensations, and a searching out the cause for which they come upon us. Every rod hath a voice in it, and the “man of understanding will hear it,” and “see the name of God in it,” Micah vi. 9. what God intends by it, what is his ends and design in it; for he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, Lam. iii. 33. There is a “need be” in every dispensation that befals us: 1 Pet. i. 6. “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season” (if need be) “ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.” God acts with judgment in proportion to our needs; there is a conveniency and fitness, nay, there is an absolute necessity in the case; it must be that we are in heaviness and that through manifold temptations. One single trial oftentimes will not do, to empty us of self, to wean us from the world, to shew us the vanity of the creature, the sinfulness of sin, &c.; it must be repeated or others joined with it, so fast are our affections glued to the things of time and sense. Now, what this need is in us, what this intention and end is in God, the Christian will and ought to be searching out, and inquiring daily into. This was Job’s frame, (and ye have heard, as says the apostle, of the patience of Job.) Job xxxiv. 31. 32. “Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more. That which I see not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.” Sin lies deep, it must be searched after in the deep and secret corners of the heart; there is so much self-love and self-flattery hid there, that a man cannot judge aright of himself, or of God without divine teachings.
“ It is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement.” Sirs, it is one thing to be chastised, and another thing to bear chastisement; to behave aright under it; to be patient, submissive, thankful; to have a frame of heart suited to the dispensation, whatever it is. This is to bear chastisement: and wherever this is, the language of the soul will be, “That which I see not teach thou me; I have done iniquity, I will do no more.” When an affliction is sanctified, it always begets godly fear and jealousy. A man is then most afraid of his own heart, lest that should deceive him; lest he should come out of the furnace unpurged, unrefined; lest the end of God’s visitation upon him should be unattained. And this is well consistent with our believing all that God does is well done. Once more,
A soul may say in a becoming frame, and in the exercise of suitable affections, “It is well,” and yet long, and pray, and wait from the trial. Submission to the will of God, under awful dispensations, is not inconsistent with earnest prayer for a gracious and speedy issue to these very dispensations. “It is well,” says this good woman in my text; and yet how does she plead for the life of the child, ver. 28. “Did I desire a son of my lord? Did not I say do not deceive me?” As if she had said, “I asked it not, I could scarce believe it when it was promised me; God raised my expectations himself, he encouraged my hopes, and surely he will not go back from his own word.” It was a wonderful act of faith; but the promises of God can never lie long unfulfilled: when he has prepared the heart to pray, his own ear is open to hear. He has not called himself “I am that I am,” for nothing. Abraham staggered not at the promise through unbelief, no more does the daughter of Abraham here: it is blessed pleading, “Did not I say, do not deceive me?” “May I trust? May I venture? He has given me the faithful word of God to rely on; here my faith resteth.” And a son came in due season. Now she looks to God, the author of the mercy, and applies to the prophet, who was the revealer of it. He sends Gehazi with his staff, but this will not content her, except Elisha goes himself: she knows that he was great with God; she will therefore have his prayers and presence “As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee,” ver. 30. All this argues the strong desires of her heart after the return of the child’s life, though still she says, “All is well.” While, we bear chastenings, we may pray, and pray hard that God would take them off. “If it be possible,” (says innocent aggrieved nature in the man Christ,) “let this cup pass from me,” Matthew xxvi. 26. Opening our mouth against God is our sin, but it is our duty to open our mouths and our hearts to him. In the former sense, says David, “I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it,” Psal. xxxix. 9.; and yet, with the same breath, he adds, “Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand,” ver. 10. Was a child under the direction of a parent to intimate no desire of his forbearance, should we not rather account him stubborn than submissive? In like manner, not to ask of God release from troubles, is as offensive as to mourn at them. It is the token of a proud heart and a relentless spirit. God expects other things at our hands; even of the wicked he says, “In their affliction they will seek me early;” much more shall his own people, who have known his name, and put their trust in him; who have known the advantage of prayer, and been so often set at liberty by it from all their fears. If these are silent, they cannot be sensible nor submissive. Only in all their prayers, when they are most earnest and vehement, “If it be consistent with the will of God,” and there will be no limiting him as to time or way.
These things are neither of them inconsistent with the soul’s saying, under the most awful rebukes, “All is well.”
Now, what is included in this “well” in my text, or what is this submission to the will of God? It takes in, as I apprehend, these three things:
1. A justifying God in all he does “It is well;” God cannot do amiss; he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, to the praise of his glory. “And after all that is come upon us,” says the Church, Ezra ix. 13. “thou, our God, hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve; thou hast taken vengeance according to the desert of our sins.” When sin appears to be what it is in itself, exceeding sinful, affliction will appear light, and not till then. Wherefore, says the church, Lam. iii. 39, “wherefore, does a living man complain, for the punishment of his sins?” So long as we are out of hell, God punishes less than our iniquities deserve.
Whatever be our trial, it comes from God: he is the author, whoever be the instrument, therefore, “it is well,” He cannot do iniquity: David had not one word to say, by way of complaint, when he saw God’s hand in the affliction: yea, let him curse, for “the Lord hath bid Shimei curse David,” 2 Sam. xvi. 12. We may puzzle and distress ourselves about instruments and second causes, but no quiet no rest can we have, till we are led to the first. “He performeth the thing appointed for me;” that settles the soul, but nothing else will do it. “Be still and know that I am God,” Psal. xlvi. 10. If thy children are taken, thy substance fails, thy body is sore vexed, thy comforts, and even the presence of thy God leaves thee; yet be still, that is, do not say a word against the dispensation, do not fret, do not censure and condemn Providence. I am God, thy God in all; and a covenant God cannot do amiss. God will be glorified and exalted, that’s enough for us. This, “It is well,” implies in it, not in some things, but in all.
2. This submission implies in it, our approving of all God does; not only it is not amiss, but it is right; it is the best way, the only sure way to bring about our good. Therefore holy Job blesses God in all, chap. i. 21. “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” He had the same great and good thought of God as ever he had; God was his God still, and the God of his mercy. He should have an expected, a desired end; that he believed still, still, because God’s thoughts were the same they ever were; that is thoughts of peace and not of evil. And this is the frame in which we find the poor saints, that were scattered up and down throughout the whole world almost, 1 Pet. i. 6. “who are kept by the power of God through salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time, wherein ye greatly rejoice,” &c. They were far from one another to avoid persecution, it was in their way: but none of these things moved them. There was joy in their expected rest in happiness at last, though there was great pain and heaviness in the way to it: the way was rough, but right; therefore they approved of it, they acquiesced in it; nay, herein “they greatly rejoiced.” Thus the saints of old took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, and were tortured, not accepting deliverance, because they knew in themselves, “that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance,” Heb. x. 34. O that blessed knowledge! it comforts, refreshes, it fills the soul, and lifts a man above himself.
Every path which God takes is right then and the believer chooses to walk in it: His God, his Father, has marked it out, and nothing goes so against the grain, but that “all is well,” which his Father does: His will is brought to be one with God’s; the soul approves of all God does.
3. This submission implies in it our cleaving to God in all. To be pleased with God as a friend, when he seems to be coming forth against, us as an enemy; to lean upon a promise, when all the ways leading to the performance are shut up; to rejoice in God when we have nothing left beside to rejoice in, and faith is hard put to it to call God ours. Thus, to cleave to God when we do not find comfort from him, this is believing indeed; to love the hand that smites, this is true grace and great grace. A noble act of faith was that, Job xiii. 15. “though he slay me, yet will I trust in him;” So “Abraham staggered not at the promises through unbelief,” Rom. iv. 20. He brought God’s promises and faithfulness close together, and considered none of the difficulties nay absurdities, which came between them: It was not—“Is this reasonable? What probability is there in that? How can these things be?” &c. but being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; he clave to him, abode by his promise in a way of faith and firm dependance.
This is the true nature of submission, and is contained in that expression in my text, “It is well.” A word of use.—
Use 1. Wonder not at your trials, be they never so strange: “All is well;” some secret end is to be answered which you see not; God is in all; the hand and love of a Father is there. They are to purge from sin, to wean from the world, to bring you from the foot of God, to shew you that your rest is not here, that it lies beyond the grave. What though they make you smart, they do you the more good: this argues your sensibleness under the rod; that is not a rod which does not cause smart; the sharpest physic does most service, because it reaches the inward, hidden cause, not one of our many trials which we could well spare.
Use 2. Do not think any trial sanctified, till you have a suitable frame to the trial, whatever it be. Are you humbled? Are you prayerful? Are you submissive? Have you looked inward, and confessed your sin, saying, Take away all iniquity? If the affliction has not brought you to this, it hath done you no good. For all you may have borne, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
Use 3. Do not think of other means, whereby God’s end in visiting you might have been as well answered; that is, in fact, to quarrel with God in what he has done, or is doing. Have a care of your thoughts; unsubmission slips in at that door before one is aware. “It is well,” is the only soul quickening and God-glorifying frame. God that has appointed the end, has settled, and he will order the means: Rest there, and “all is well.”
HINTS TO THE AFFLICTED.
What fatal mischiefs would follow, if there was no variety in our experience! There are so many remains of depraved nature in the hearts of the saints, that if the warm sun of prosperity did always shine upon the Lord’s garden, the weeds would quickly multiply, the choicest flowers wither, and an army of caterpillars devour the pleasant fruits. To prevent these, God will not suffer his people to enjoy uninterrupted prosperity, but wisely appoints seasons of affliction and trouble.
On the other hand, were we to groan under perpetual adversity, our souls perhaps would suffer equal prejudice. Our heavenly father will not always chide; he remembers that we are but dust, and that our flesh is not like brass or iron. Were we never in the fire, our dross would not be consumed, and were we always to be in the fire, our silver and gold would be wasted.
Hereby God takes a proper method for the exercise and improvement of the graces of his children. Without such a mixed condition, there could be no room for many of them, and not room enough for any of them to appear in their glory and beauty. Were it always a day of prosperity where would be the proof of their faith, hope and patience?—the evil day brings thee to rest. To possess our souls in patience, in the day of trouble to believe the good will and fatherly love of God even when he smites, is a point of no small difficulty.—But, were we never to enjoy a season of prosperity, where would be the evidence of our humility, heavenly mindedness, and contempt of a present world? Variety adds a beauty and lustre to providence. In the day of prosperity therefore, we ought to rejoice with trembling, and in the day of adversity, to consider and faint not; for “God hath set one against the other, to the end that no man might find any thing after him,” Eccl. vii. 14.
While in this valley of tears, it is not wonderful that believers should be often called to weep. To mingle their tears with those of their brethren—or in the words of the apostle, to “weep with those that weep,”—is a part of the holy fellowship they are called to by the gospel.
At present, the way of providence in general is dark and mysterious. There is a depth in it, for which we have no line. There are many seals on it, not fit as yet to be opened. But when the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne, shall open the seals, and shew the meaning of all the dark passages in that mysterious book, and every one is made to view that part of it that related to the way in which they were brought through manifold tribulations to the kingdom, when they will all strike up on the highest key, and sing “He hath done all things well!”
Believers ought to comfort one another with these words. It is heartsome for travellers on the road in a dark night, and going to the same place, to speak to each other in the language of the country to which they are going, and to say, “What of the night! what of the night!” And to encourage one another, by often reiterating that animating reply, “The morning cometh.”
The shadows of the evening are daily growing longer with all the travellers to the heavenly Sion. But at evening time it shall be light. The bright shining of the sun of Righteousness will make even the passage through the dark valley of the shadow of death lightsome and pleasant. Faith can see eternal day at the farther end of it. Jesus went through the Jordan of death when it overflowed all its banks, and was brimful of the curse. But his death drank up the curse, and left nothing but a blessing to all his redeemed: and his sweet and cheering voice is still to be heard in the passage—“Fear not! I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore; and have the keys of hell and of death!”
“If their uncircumcised hearts,” said the Lord respecting ancient Israel, “be humbled, and they ACCEPT of the punishment of their iniquity, then will I remember my covenant with Jacob,” &c. Lev. xxvi. 41.—of the punishment of their iniquity! that is, bear it willingly contentedly. It is a happy state of mind when our trials are ACCEPTED ones: when God’s chastening hand is even esteemed a kindness.—Lord! may the believer say, I will not puzzle myself with hows, and whys, and yets. Thou hast done it; I rest there. It seemed good in thy sight that is a sufficient reason. Let God choose my portion; I am sure it will be best in the end.—Even when He acts as a Sovereign, he forgets not his relation as a father.
SCRIPTURE PROMISES.
Psalm 68—6. A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widow is God in his holy habitation.
Jeremiah 49—11. Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.
Job 5—17. Happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. Verse 18. For he maketh sore, and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
Psalm 119—67. Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word Verse 71. It is good for me, that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. 75. I know, O Lord, thy judgements are right, and thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
2. Corinthians 4—16. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. Verse 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
Hebrews 21—6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Verse 7. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 10. They verily, for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness, unto them which are exercised thereby.
Deut. 8—5. As a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.
Job 36—8. And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction. Verse 9. Then he sheweth them their work and their transgressions, that they have exceeded. 10. He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
Psalm 94—12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord and teachest him out of thy law. Verse 13. That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
Romans 5—3. We glory in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope.
Job 19—26. Though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Verse 27. Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins shall be consumed within me.
Isaiah 26—19. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs: and the earth shall cast out the dead.
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