Part 27 (2/2)
”I have, in numerous exercises and acts, accepted of G.o.d's gift of Jesus Christ to me a condemned sinner; taking hold of the Scripture words of invitation and promise held out for my acceptance. I have pleaded his own covenant provision, in the subst.i.tution of his own Son in my stead, making him to be sin, who knew no sin, that sinners might be made the righteousness of G.o.d in him. I put in my claim as a sinner, among the unG.o.dly for whom Christ died. I believed his testimony, and set to my seal that G.o.d is true. I rested on this foundation--I yet have no other; I know there is no other. The foundation standeth sure. But Oh, what am I to think of the fruits? I have again and again turned back into the world, grieved the Spirit, crucified the Son of G.o.d afresh, and put him to open shame. No wonder I stand alarmed at the apostle's a.s.sertion: my conscience testifies that my character is nearly, if not altogether, such as the apostle, by the Holy Spirit, says it is impossible to renew to repentance.
Hebrews 6:4, 5. But thou hast renewed to repentance! Thy name is 'the Lord, the Lord G.o.d, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.' Thou wilt by no means clear the guilty; but thou hast provided a subst.i.tute, and laid my guilt and guilty person on thine own Son.
”By this gracious name thou wast known to thy backsliding Israel in the wilderness; whose heart, like mine, was not right with G.o.d; neither were they steadfast in his covenant; but he, 'being full of compa.s.sion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not.' Many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. They forgot G.o.d their Saviour, who had done great things for them; they transgressed his commandment, and in their heart turned back again to Egypt; they brought upon themselves many afflictions, and many times did he deliver them; they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity; nevertheless, he heard their cry, and repented according to the mult.i.tude of his mercies; while the blood of bulls and of goats typified the great propitiatory sacrifice, by which 'G.o.d can be just and justify the unG.o.dly.' By this name was the Lord G.o.d, merciful and gracious, known in the pleasant land; and by the same sacrifice, the blood of Christ, which cleanseth from all sin, was typified. Psalms 103, 51.
”The prophets prophesied in his name. 'All we, like sheep, have gone astray, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; the chastis.e.m.e.nt of our peace was laid on him, and by his stripes we are healed.' 'Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.' Even backsliders, among whom I stand chief, have been recalled. 'My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and have hewn out to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Is Israel a servant; is he a home-born slave; wherefore is he spoiled? Hast thou not procured this to thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy G.o.d, when he led thee by the way? And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of a.s.syria, to drink the waters of the river? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee. Know therefore, and see that it is an evil and bitter thing, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy G.o.d, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord G.o.d of hosts. For of old I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot. Yet I had planted thee a n.o.ble vine, wholly a right seed: how art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of a.s.syria. Have I been a barren wilderness, or a land of darkness unto thee? Wherefore say my people, We are lords, and will come no more to thee? Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me, days without number.' Jeremiah 2. 'They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return to her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again unto me, saith the Lord. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me. My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?' What can I say to such grace? Thou art infinite in thy mercy to pardon, and in thy power to save. Such has been my character, and such the amazing mercy of my offended G.o.d.
Often, often has he pardoned, restored, blessed, and made me happy.
But Oh, just is the renewed charge against me. 'For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously with me, saith the Lord. They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he, neither shall evil come upon us.' 'Go and proclaim these words, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy G.o.d; and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, for I am married unto you.' Jer. 3. What, O what can I say to such grace?
Truly, thy ways are not as our ways, nor thy thoughts as our thoughts.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are thy ways higher than our ways, and thy thoughts than our thoughts. Oh, how is my guilt aggravated by all this grace; and yet thou callest, _Return;_ and thou thyself turnest me. I do, O Lord G.o.d, merciful and gracious, I do acknowledge my iniquity; every time I turn back my eyes upon my past life my sins rise in magnitude, heightened by more enlarged views of thy goodness. It is of the Lord's mercies that I am not consumed, because his compa.s.sions fail not.
”A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplication of the children of Israel, for they have perverted their ways, and they have forgotten the Lord their G.o.d. Yes, thou hast, my gracious G.o.d, granted repentance. Thine eye has seen the tears I have shed; thou hast given me a contrite heart. I have looked upon him whom I have pierced, and been in bitterness as for a first-born. I feel it now, and must feel it while the body of sin exists. But Oh, Lord G.o.d, merciful and gracious, the cause is in thyself, that I hear thy voice, and that I answer. 'Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, I come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our G.o.d. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and the mult.i.tude of mountains. Truly, in the Lord G.o.d is the salvation of Israel. We lie down in our shame, our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our G.o.d; we and our fathers, even from our youth; and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord G.o.d. Thus saith the Lord G.o.d, I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, who hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant. Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth; and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee, saith the Lord G.o.d.' Amen, Lord G.o.d, merciful and gracious. Be it so. It is so _now_--it _must_, it will be so, until death shall open mine eyes on that mystery: The glory of G.o.d arising out of the abounding of sin, through the superabounding of grace, and grace reigning through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord!
”Till then, while sin dwelleth in me, let me enjoy the blessedness of a contrite heart; yea, even shame and confusion, since it is the sign that thou art pacified with me. Thou hast dealt with me, thou hast chastened, and in some instances taken vengeance on my inventions. But thou art pacified with me, and I dare look again to thy holy temple, to the temple not made with hands, to the minister of the sanctuary, and the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man; to the blessed High-priest, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself a sacrifice without spot unto G.o.d, and by his own blood entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us, and when he had purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; to the blessed Mediator of the new and better covenant, established on better promises; to the Surety of the new testament, and sealed with his own blood. Oh, I will look unto Jesus, the object, the author, and the finisher of that faith which interests us in himself and the whole of his purchase. He bids me look unto him, and be saved. I do look unto him, and I am saved. Who dares condemn the sinner whom Christ acquits? Who shall lay any thing to his charge? 'It is Christ that died; yea, rather, who is risen again; who is even at the right hand of G.o.d; who also maketh intercession for us.'”
ISAIAH 44:22. ”RETURN UNTO ME.
A SCRIPTURE PARAPHRASE BY D. B----
”Return to thee, my G.o.d? dost thou The invitation yet renew?
Return to thee! my chiefest joy, Till sin did all my peace destroy.
”And yet, to hear thy pardoning voice Must make my trembling heart rejoice; Though sin is there, thou well dost know It is my burden and my foe.
”O let me hear those gracious words: Be still, my soul, they are the Lord's; That G.o.d, who once on thee did s.h.i.+ne, And filled thee with a hope divine.
”'Thy black transgressions, trembling soul-- Thy sins so heinous and so foul, Which like a cloud obscure thy day, I've blotted out, I've washed away.
”'Return to me, thou 'rt mine; I own Thee for my servant, and my son; I have redeemed thy precious soul, And none my purchase shall control.'
”I hear, I come, my covenant G.o.d: Thy love's my life, my raiment, food; Thy favor, through my Jesus given, Is to my soul the bliss of heaven.
”I come, my Jesus; hold me fast, Till, life and Jordan's journey past, My faith to vision yield her place, And I shall see thy unveiled face.
”Then, with the loudest of the throng, Of sins forgiven I'll raise the song-- Of pardon bought with Jesus' blood, Sinners made kings and priests to G.o.d.”
PSALM 103. FIFTY YEARS AGO.
”Oh thou, my soul, bless G.o.d the Lord, And all that in me is Be stirred up, his holy name To magnify and bless,” etc.
”'I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father. Howbeit, when the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine; therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.' John 14; 16:14. 'Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.' John 17:20, etc. 'All are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is G.o.d's.' 1 Cor. 3:22. 'Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in G.o.d. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.' Col. 3:3. 'For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the G.o.dhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all princ.i.p.ality and power.'
Col. 2:9. 'There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one G.o.d and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.' Eph. 4:4.
”'I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of G.o.d, who loved me, and gave himself for me,' Gal. 2: 20.
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