And all the clusters grow."
Christian, rejoice then in the thought that all thou hast cometh from above; thy daily bread cometh not so much from thine industry as from thy heavenly Father's care; thou seest stamped upon every mercy heaven's own inscription, and every blessing comes down to thee perfumed with the ointment, and the spikenard, and the myrrh of the ivory palaces, whence God dispenses His bounties.
"Grace Doth Much More Abound."
There has never been a period in this world's history when it was wholly given up to sin. God has always had His servants on earth; at times they may have been hidden by fifties in the caves, but they have never been utterly cut off. Grace may be low; the stream might be very shallow, but it has never been wholly dry. The clouds have never been so universal as to hide the day. But the time is fast approaching when grace shall extend all over our world, and "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." "Grace doth much more abound;" and whatever possessions the world has lost by sin, it has gained far more by grace. It is true we have been expelled from a garden of delights, where peace, love, and happiness found a glorious habitation, but we have through Jesus a fairer inheritance. The plains of heaven exceed the fields of paradise in the ever-new delights which they afford, while the tree of life, and the river from the throne, render the inhabitants of the celestial regions more than imparadised. It is true that we have become subject to death by sin, yet has not grace revealed an immortality for the sake of which we are glad to die? Life lost in Adam is more than restored in Christ. Our original robes were rent asunder by Adam, but Jesus has clothed us with a divine righteousness, far exceeding in value even the spotless robes of created innocence. We mourn our low and miserable condition through sin, but we rejoice at the thought, that we are now more secure than before we fell, we are brought into closer alliance with Jesus than our creature standing could ever boast. O Jesus! Thou hast won us an inheritance more wide than Adam ever lost; Thou hast filled our coffer with greater riches than our sin has ever lavished; Thou hast loaded us with honors, and endowed us with privileges far more excellent than our natural birthright could have procured us. Truly, truly, "grace doth much more abound."
Unsubmissive Prayers.
When we look at our prayers, we have much reason to deplore the unsubmissive spirit which too often pervades them. How often have we in our prayers not simply wrestled with God for a blessing—for that was allowable—but we have imperiously demanded it! We have not said, "Deny this to me, O my God, if so thou pleasest;" we have not been ready to say, as the Redeemer did, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt;" but we have asked after the blind inclination of our ignorance, as if we could brook no denial from the omniscient counsel of His will. Forgetful of a humble deference to our Lord's superior wisdom and grace, we have asked and declared that we would not be content unless we had that particular desire upon which our hearts were set. Now, whenever we come to God, and ask for anything which we consider a real good, we have a right to plead earnestly; but we err when we go beyond the bounds of earnestness, and come to demand. It is ours to ask for a blessing, but not to define what the blessing shall be. It is ours to place our head beneath the mighty hands of divine benediction, but it is not ours to uplift the hands, as Joseph did those of Jacob, and say, "Not so, my father." We must be content if He gives the blessing cross-handed; quite as content that He should put His left hand on our head as the right. We must not intrude into God's almonry, "It is the Lord, let Him do as seemeth Him good." Prayer was never meant to be a fetter upon the sovereignty of God. We must always subjoin at the bottom of the prayer this heavenly postscript, "Father, deny this if it be most for Thy glory." Christ will have nothing to do with dictatorial prayers.