Forgetting # 2
The first man soon forgot the One who gave him such an excellent being and had entered into solemn covenant with Him - allowing the allurement of the serpent and the solicitation of his wife to drive all holy considerations from his mind.
How quickly did Noah forget his wonderful salvation from the fatal deluge - no sooner spared from water, than he was drowned in wine.
How soon did Lot forget his rescue from Sodom - and fall into the fire of lust.
How quickly did David forget the Lord's delivering him from Saul - and fall into the sins of adultery and murder!
How soon did Solomon forget the One who had appeared unto him thrice - turning unto false gods and committing the terrible sin of idolatry.
Of the ten lepers who were healed by Christ - all but one forgot to return and give thanks unto God.
Even the apostles quickly forgot the mercies of the loaves (Matt. 16:9-10).
And these things, my reader, have been recorded for our learning and warning, for us to take to heart and turn into earnest prayer, that we may be kept from such God-dishonoring conduct, for we are men "subject to like passions" (James 5:17).
Not only is the Lord grievously slighted by our forgetfulness, but we ourselves are greatly the losers. As God declared of old through His prophet, "My people has been lost sheep---they have forgotten their resting place" (Jer. 50:6). As the Lord is the only true refuge for the soul, so He alone is its resting place. Consequently, when He is not in our thoughts, not only are we exposed to danger, but we are given up to a spirit of unrest and disquietude. There can be no joy in communion, no delight in His service, no calm and cheerful subjection to His will - when God is forgotten.
It is by keeping fresh in our minds how graciously the Lord dealt with us yesterday, how unfailingly He supplied our every need - that faith is strengthened and hope stimulated today. Do not forget previous answered prayers as you ply the throne of grace afresh.
The reasons for our sinful forgetfulness of God are not hard to discover: First, it issues from the universal deprivation of our nature. Fearful indeed have been the effects of the Eden tragedy! Second, it flows from the little esteem in which we hold the wondrous works of God. The works of the creature are admired - but those of the Creator are slighted. Third, it results from the mind's being so stuffed with worldly things. It was thus when the Son of God appeared: the inn was so crowded, they laid Him in a feeding trough in a stable. The minds of God's people are so crammed with the base things of this world - that there is little room for spiritual objects. Finally, it is because the gracious actings of God make such slight impressions upon us. Things are not cherished and meditated upon and are soon forgotten. Even the Psalmist, in a fit of dejection, asked, "Has the Lord forgotten to be gracious?" (77:9). What a woeful word to fall from the lips of a renewed person!
Even though divine mercy has preserved you from such a grievous utterance, has not the wicked idea been entertained in your mind? Oh, what vile creatures we are! God can no more cease to be gracious unto His children, than He can cease to be. It is because we give way to unbelief, and judge the Lord by sense - that such a concept is allowed to place in our hearts. He waits to be gracious (Isaiah 30:18) - till we are ready, till we come to the end of our resources. The vessel must be empty before He pours in His favors. His time is now; it is you who are not prepared for His blessing!
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Forgetting # 1
Forgetting # 1
What a wonderful thing is the memory - one of the many precious faculties with which the Creator has endowed us. By it we are enabled to live the past over again in our minds, to revive the early experiences of childhood, to recall the words of those who are no longer with us.
By it we may review the Lord's dealings with us in grace and in providence, call back to mind His interventions on our behalf, delivering us when in straits - or rejoicing our hearts while He talked with us by the way. By it we can turn over the pages of our checkered lives, and read what is recorded both for and against us.
Memory is the power of retention, the storehouse in which all our knowledge is preserved. It is not possible to assess its value in silver and gold. How much poorer should we be - if everything were erased from its tablets! One of the greatest tragedies of life, is for a person to lose his mind and memory. It is indeed hard to part with any, but, if compelled to make the choice, probably most of us would rather be deprived of our limbs, our hearing, or even our sight, than our mentality - yet comparatively few cultivate and use it as they should.
The memory is indeed of vast importance, for it is the treasurer of the soul. What the understanding takes in - the memory stores up. Knowledge, intellectual growth, social fellowship, the spiritual life - all have their roots in this faculty of retention. But this invaluable gift, like all others, entails a corresponding obligation. Each talent that God has bestowed upon us is for use - and if it is not employed, it will deteriorate.
As limbs unexercised become stiff and muscles flabby - so an unused memory becomes enfeebled. The memory may be developed and controlled - though time and trouble are required for them, as for everything else of worth.
Memory is largely a matter of volition. Said the Psalmist, "I will not forget your word" (119:16). Definiteness of purpose is required, whether we shall recall a thing or dismiss it from our minds. Remembering is a setting of knowledge to work, reviewing the notions and impressions we have received, by exercising our thoughts about and meditating upon them.
The seat of memory is the heart. Of Mary it is said that she kept all these things "in her heart" (Luke 2:19, 51) - things kept there, are never lost.
This leads us to point out that there is both a notional or speculative remembering - and a practical or influential one. The former is where we barely think of things - and receive no profit or benefit from them. The latter is where the mind is so engaged with the object recalled - that the affections are fired and the will moved by it. Thus the faculty of memory is given us by God as a means unto an end - to be a help in promoting piety.
The Scriptures abound with exhortations to remembrance. At the fore of them, we would place that one where those of tender years are bidden, "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come" (Ecc. 12:1). Bear in mind that, since He be your Maker, He is therefore your rightful Lord and Owner - so carry yourself toward Him as such, rendering unto Him the homage and honor that are His due. Meditate much upon His glorious perfections; call Him to mind constantly while your heart is yet impressionable, and habits for good or evil are being formed for life; and thereby you will be fortified against the temptations of youth. All of men's wickedness and misery comes through forgetting God, hence the warning, "Beware that you forget not the LORD your God!" (Deuteronomy 8:11).
"They soon forgot His works" (Psalm 107:13), so superficially were they affected by them. Pathetic and tragic statement! Of whom was it made? Of the heathen? No, of His own highly favored people, Israel. They had witnessed Jehovah's mighty power in the plagues upon Egypt. They had themselves been the immediate objects and beneficiaries of the operations of His hand, delivering them from the house of bondage. They had again beheld His intervention for them by miraculously opening a way through the Red Sea, and then causing its waters to close over Pharaoh and his armies. Seemingly, their hearts had been deeply impressed on that occasion, for they had raised a song of acknowledgment and praise unto the Lord for what He had wrought for them - yet mark the sad sequel. Those signal interpositions of God ceased to engage their thoughts; the benefits and blessings of which they had been the partakers, no longer moved them. Nor was it only after an interval of years, that those gracious actings of the Lord faded from their minds, but "they soon forgot His works." Base ingratitude! Not only so; instead of thankful recollections, they broke forth in murmurings, saying to Moses and Aaron, "you have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill the whole assembly with hunger!" (Ex. 16:2-3).
So it has been in all ages.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 2)
What a wonderful thing is the memory - one of the many precious faculties with which the Creator has endowed us. By it we are enabled to live the past over again in our minds, to revive the early experiences of childhood, to recall the words of those who are no longer with us.
By it we may review the Lord's dealings with us in grace and in providence, call back to mind His interventions on our behalf, delivering us when in straits - or rejoicing our hearts while He talked with us by the way. By it we can turn over the pages of our checkered lives, and read what is recorded both for and against us.
Memory is the power of retention, the storehouse in which all our knowledge is preserved. It is not possible to assess its value in silver and gold. How much poorer should we be - if everything were erased from its tablets! One of the greatest tragedies of life, is for a person to lose his mind and memory. It is indeed hard to part with any, but, if compelled to make the choice, probably most of us would rather be deprived of our limbs, our hearing, or even our sight, than our mentality - yet comparatively few cultivate and use it as they should.
The memory is indeed of vast importance, for it is the treasurer of the soul. What the understanding takes in - the memory stores up. Knowledge, intellectual growth, social fellowship, the spiritual life - all have their roots in this faculty of retention. But this invaluable gift, like all others, entails a corresponding obligation. Each talent that God has bestowed upon us is for use - and if it is not employed, it will deteriorate.
As limbs unexercised become stiff and muscles flabby - so an unused memory becomes enfeebled. The memory may be developed and controlled - though time and trouble are required for them, as for everything else of worth.
Memory is largely a matter of volition. Said the Psalmist, "I will not forget your word" (119:16). Definiteness of purpose is required, whether we shall recall a thing or dismiss it from our minds. Remembering is a setting of knowledge to work, reviewing the notions and impressions we have received, by exercising our thoughts about and meditating upon them.
The seat of memory is the heart. Of Mary it is said that she kept all these things "in her heart" (Luke 2:19, 51) - things kept there, are never lost.
This leads us to point out that there is both a notional or speculative remembering - and a practical or influential one. The former is where we barely think of things - and receive no profit or benefit from them. The latter is where the mind is so engaged with the object recalled - that the affections are fired and the will moved by it. Thus the faculty of memory is given us by God as a means unto an end - to be a help in promoting piety.
The Scriptures abound with exhortations to remembrance. At the fore of them, we would place that one where those of tender years are bidden, "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come" (Ecc. 12:1). Bear in mind that, since He be your Maker, He is therefore your rightful Lord and Owner - so carry yourself toward Him as such, rendering unto Him the homage and honor that are His due. Meditate much upon His glorious perfections; call Him to mind constantly while your heart is yet impressionable, and habits for good or evil are being formed for life; and thereby you will be fortified against the temptations of youth. All of men's wickedness and misery comes through forgetting God, hence the warning, "Beware that you forget not the LORD your God!" (Deuteronomy 8:11).
"They soon forgot His works" (Psalm 107:13), so superficially were they affected by them. Pathetic and tragic statement! Of whom was it made? Of the heathen? No, of His own highly favored people, Israel. They had witnessed Jehovah's mighty power in the plagues upon Egypt. They had themselves been the immediate objects and beneficiaries of the operations of His hand, delivering them from the house of bondage. They had again beheld His intervention for them by miraculously opening a way through the Red Sea, and then causing its waters to close over Pharaoh and his armies. Seemingly, their hearts had been deeply impressed on that occasion, for they had raised a song of acknowledgment and praise unto the Lord for what He had wrought for them - yet mark the sad sequel. Those signal interpositions of God ceased to engage their thoughts; the benefits and blessings of which they had been the partakers, no longer moved them. Nor was it only after an interval of years, that those gracious actings of the Lord faded from their minds, but "they soon forgot His works." Base ingratitude! Not only so; instead of thankful recollections, they broke forth in murmurings, saying to Moses and Aaron, "you have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill the whole assembly with hunger!" (Ex. 16:2-3).
So it has been in all ages.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 2)
Faith As An Overcomer # 2
Faith As An Overcomer # 2
Faith overcomes the world secondly, by obeying the Divine commands concerning it, God has bidden us, "Do not be conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). "Do not love the world, neither the things that are in the world" (1 John 2:15), and warns us that "Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world, becomes an enemy of God" (James 4:4). By heeding the Divine precepts, its spell over the heart is broken.
Faith overcomes the world thirdly, by occupying the soul with more glorious, soul-delighting and satisfying objects. We often hear and see 2 Corinthians 4:16 or 17 quoted - but rarely the explanatory words which follow. The daily renewing of the inner man and our afflictions working for us an eternal weight of glory are qualified by: "While we look not at the things which are seen - but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are not seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:18). The more the substance of the heavenly world engages the heart, the less hold will the shadows of this earthly world have upon it. Thus, faith wrought in the saints of old: "You accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions" (Hebrews 10:34). "By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:9-10).
Fourth, by drawing out the heart unto Christ. As it was by fleeing to Him for refuge, that the soul was first delivered from the power and thralldom of this world, so it is throughout the Christian life. The more we cultivate real communion with Christ, the less attraction will the baubles of this world have for us! The strength of temptation lies entirely in the bent of our affections, "for where your treasure is, there will you heart be also" (Matt. 6:21). While Christ is beheld as "the chief among ten thousand" (Song 5:10) as "altogether lovely" (Song 5:16), the things which charm the poor worldly - will repel us.
Moreover, as faith beholds in the mirror of the Word, the "glory of the Lord," the soul itself is "changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18). The world gains the victory over the unregenerate by captivating their affections and capturing their wills; but the Christian overcomes the world, because his affections are set upon Christ and his will yielded to Him.
What is the extent of the Christian's victory? Through temporary weakness of faith, he may neglect the means of grace and fall into sin - yet his soul will be so wretched that he will return to Christ for cleansing and fresh supplies of grace.
"Though the conflict of grace with corrupt nature, and the attractions and terrors of the world, is often very sharp, and though regenerate men may be baffled, cast down, and appear slain in the battle; yet the Divine life within him, being invigorated by the Holy Spirit, will again excite him to arise and renew the conflict with redoubled fortitude and resolution; so that at length, the victory will be his decidedly". "The life of faith is a fight" (1 Timothy 6:12), a warfare in which there are no furloughs or vacations, and our success therein depends upon renouncing our own strength, and counting solely on the sufficiency of Christ's grace.
Here - then, we have a sure criterion by which we may determine our Christian progress or spiritual growth. If the things of this world have a decreasing power over me - then my faith is becoming stronger. If I am holding more lightly the things most prized by the ungodly - then I must be increasing in an experimental and soul-satisfying knowledge of Christ. If I am less cast down when some of the riches and comforts of this world are taken from me - then that is evidence they have less hold upon me. If I find the company of the most cultured and charming worldlings have a dampening effect upon my spirit, and I am happy when relieved of their presence - then my faith is overcoming the world.
Yet the tense of the verb must not be overlooked: Faith which "overcomes the world" (1 John 5:4), not which "has overcome." So far from being an immediate achievement, it is a lifelong business, a prolonged and continuous strife.
"O may my heart be occupied,
So wholly, Lord, with Thee,
That with Your beauty satisfied,
I elsewhere none may see."
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
Faith overcomes the world secondly, by obeying the Divine commands concerning it, God has bidden us, "Do not be conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). "Do not love the world, neither the things that are in the world" (1 John 2:15), and warns us that "Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world, becomes an enemy of God" (James 4:4). By heeding the Divine precepts, its spell over the heart is broken.
Faith overcomes the world thirdly, by occupying the soul with more glorious, soul-delighting and satisfying objects. We often hear and see 2 Corinthians 4:16 or 17 quoted - but rarely the explanatory words which follow. The daily renewing of the inner man and our afflictions working for us an eternal weight of glory are qualified by: "While we look not at the things which are seen - but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are not seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:18). The more the substance of the heavenly world engages the heart, the less hold will the shadows of this earthly world have upon it. Thus, faith wrought in the saints of old: "You accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions" (Hebrews 10:34). "By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:9-10).
Fourth, by drawing out the heart unto Christ. As it was by fleeing to Him for refuge, that the soul was first delivered from the power and thralldom of this world, so it is throughout the Christian life. The more we cultivate real communion with Christ, the less attraction will the baubles of this world have for us! The strength of temptation lies entirely in the bent of our affections, "for where your treasure is, there will you heart be also" (Matt. 6:21). While Christ is beheld as "the chief among ten thousand" (Song 5:10) as "altogether lovely" (Song 5:16), the things which charm the poor worldly - will repel us.
Moreover, as faith beholds in the mirror of the Word, the "glory of the Lord," the soul itself is "changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18). The world gains the victory over the unregenerate by captivating their affections and capturing their wills; but the Christian overcomes the world, because his affections are set upon Christ and his will yielded to Him.
What is the extent of the Christian's victory? Through temporary weakness of faith, he may neglect the means of grace and fall into sin - yet his soul will be so wretched that he will return to Christ for cleansing and fresh supplies of grace.
"Though the conflict of grace with corrupt nature, and the attractions and terrors of the world, is often very sharp, and though regenerate men may be baffled, cast down, and appear slain in the battle; yet the Divine life within him, being invigorated by the Holy Spirit, will again excite him to arise and renew the conflict with redoubled fortitude and resolution; so that at length, the victory will be his decidedly". "The life of faith is a fight" (1 Timothy 6:12), a warfare in which there are no furloughs or vacations, and our success therein depends upon renouncing our own strength, and counting solely on the sufficiency of Christ's grace.
Here - then, we have a sure criterion by which we may determine our Christian progress or spiritual growth. If the things of this world have a decreasing power over me - then my faith is becoming stronger. If I am holding more lightly the things most prized by the ungodly - then I must be increasing in an experimental and soul-satisfying knowledge of Christ. If I am less cast down when some of the riches and comforts of this world are taken from me - then that is evidence they have less hold upon me. If I find the company of the most cultured and charming worldlings have a dampening effect upon my spirit, and I am happy when relieved of their presence - then my faith is overcoming the world.
Yet the tense of the verb must not be overlooked: Faith which "overcomes the world" (1 John 5:4), not which "has overcome." So far from being an immediate achievement, it is a lifelong business, a prolonged and continuous strife.
"O may my heart be occupied,
So wholly, Lord, with Thee,
That with Your beauty satisfied,
I elsewhere none may see."
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Faith As An Overcomer # 1
Faith As An Overcomer # 1
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).
Four questions call for answer: Why "whatever" rather than "whoever"? What is "the world" which is to be overcome? How does faith overcome it? What is the extent of its victory? The people spoken of are the regenerate, and "whatever" is used because it takes in whatever may be their station or situation in this life. Whoever is born of God, no matter what his rank or situation, "overcomes the world." Regeneration is wrought equal and alike in all, and it produces the same fruits and effects in all - as it respects the essentials of godliness. It is not drawn forth into exercise and act in all alike, for there are particular duties to be performed and particular graces to be exercised - according to such times and places as are personal - but not universal - as, for example, one called to endure martyrdom. But "whatever (person) is born of God (no matter how distinguished from others by His providence) overcomes the world."
The "world" is a term which is used in Scripture with many shades of meaning. Sometimes it means the earth; at others, the Church of Christ; at others, empty professors. When used in an ethical or religious sense, it denotes that system over which satan presides as prince (John 14:30) or as '"god" (2 Cor. 4:4), the supreme director of all false religions. Since there is nothing which the devil hates so much as the Gospel, his main activities are engaged in the corrupting of it, in deceiving souls by plausible counterfeits. But that "faith" in Christ and His salvation - results from a Scriptural knowledge of Him, imparted to the spiritual mind by the light and teaching of the Holy Spirit - sees through satan's imitations. Only by a believing reception of the Truth, can error be overcome. One of the fruits of the new birth - then is a faith which not only enables its possessor to overcome the sensual and sinful customs, and the carnal maxims and policies by which the profane world is regulated - but also the lying delusions and errors by which the professing world is fatally deceived.
1 John 5:4 opens with "For," which intimates the reason why that to the regenerate the commandments of God "are not grievous" (1 John 5:3); so in this verse, "the world" signifies whatever has the effect of rendering the Divine precepts distasteful to men. The "world" is in direct antagonism to God and His people, and we may detect its presence and identify it with certainty by perceiving the effect it produces on our hearts in this way: the world is that which ministers to the carnal nature - be it people or things - and which tends to render obedience to God irksome and unpleasant. Any one or any thing which draws your heart away from God and His authority, is for you "the world." Whatever lessens your estimate of Christ and heavenly things, and hinders practical piety is, for you, "the world" - be it the cares of this life, riches, receiving honor from men, social prestige and pomp, the fear of man lest you be dubbed "peculiar" or "fanatical" is, for you, "the world" - and either you overcome it, or it will fatally overcome you.
Now, the only thing which will or can "overcome the world" is a God-given - but self-exercised faith.
And faith does so, first, by receiving into the heart God's infallible testimony of the same. He declares that "the world" is a corrupt, evanescent, hostile thing, which shall yet be destroyed by Him. His Holy Word teaches that the world is "evil" (Galatians 1:4), that "all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father - but is of the world" (1 John 2:16), that "the whole world lies in wickedness" (1 John 5:19) and shall yet be "burned up" (2 Peter 3:10). As faith accepts God's verdict of it, the mind is spiritually enlightened; and its possessor views it as a worthless, dangerous, and detestable thing.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 2)
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).
Four questions call for answer: Why "whatever" rather than "whoever"? What is "the world" which is to be overcome? How does faith overcome it? What is the extent of its victory? The people spoken of are the regenerate, and "whatever" is used because it takes in whatever may be their station or situation in this life. Whoever is born of God, no matter what his rank or situation, "overcomes the world." Regeneration is wrought equal and alike in all, and it produces the same fruits and effects in all - as it respects the essentials of godliness. It is not drawn forth into exercise and act in all alike, for there are particular duties to be performed and particular graces to be exercised - according to such times and places as are personal - but not universal - as, for example, one called to endure martyrdom. But "whatever (person) is born of God (no matter how distinguished from others by His providence) overcomes the world."
The "world" is a term which is used in Scripture with many shades of meaning. Sometimes it means the earth; at others, the Church of Christ; at others, empty professors. When used in an ethical or religious sense, it denotes that system over which satan presides as prince (John 14:30) or as '"god" (2 Cor. 4:4), the supreme director of all false religions. Since there is nothing which the devil hates so much as the Gospel, his main activities are engaged in the corrupting of it, in deceiving souls by plausible counterfeits. But that "faith" in Christ and His salvation - results from a Scriptural knowledge of Him, imparted to the spiritual mind by the light and teaching of the Holy Spirit - sees through satan's imitations. Only by a believing reception of the Truth, can error be overcome. One of the fruits of the new birth - then is a faith which not only enables its possessor to overcome the sensual and sinful customs, and the carnal maxims and policies by which the profane world is regulated - but also the lying delusions and errors by which the professing world is fatally deceived.
1 John 5:4 opens with "For," which intimates the reason why that to the regenerate the commandments of God "are not grievous" (1 John 5:3); so in this verse, "the world" signifies whatever has the effect of rendering the Divine precepts distasteful to men. The "world" is in direct antagonism to God and His people, and we may detect its presence and identify it with certainty by perceiving the effect it produces on our hearts in this way: the world is that which ministers to the carnal nature - be it people or things - and which tends to render obedience to God irksome and unpleasant. Any one or any thing which draws your heart away from God and His authority, is for you "the world." Whatever lessens your estimate of Christ and heavenly things, and hinders practical piety is, for you, "the world" - be it the cares of this life, riches, receiving honor from men, social prestige and pomp, the fear of man lest you be dubbed "peculiar" or "fanatical" is, for you, "the world" - and either you overcome it, or it will fatally overcome you.
Now, the only thing which will or can "overcome the world" is a God-given - but self-exercised faith.
And faith does so, first, by receiving into the heart God's infallible testimony of the same. He declares that "the world" is a corrupt, evanescent, hostile thing, which shall yet be destroyed by Him. His Holy Word teaches that the world is "evil" (Galatians 1:4), that "all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father - but is of the world" (1 John 2:16), that "the whole world lies in wickedness" (1 John 5:19) and shall yet be "burned up" (2 Peter 3:10). As faith accepts God's verdict of it, the mind is spiritually enlightened; and its possessor views it as a worthless, dangerous, and detestable thing.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 2)
The Murderer # 6 (and others)
The Murderer # 6 (and others)
Samson, when endued with strength from above, could with ease cast off every fetter with which his enemies could bind him. Just so, the soul leaning on the strength of Jesus can obtain more and more a blessed freedom from every bond of sin. Be assured also that the Saviour can deliver you from the most subtle form of evil. He can entwine those delicate tendrils that may seem to the unthinking so harmless, and yet prove at length so deadly.
He can deliver you from that mistaken view of God's character which keeps you from joyful access to the mercy-seat. He can deliver you from that pride of intellect which hinders you from receiving the kingdom of God as a little child; from that undiscovered reliance upon self which prevents your entire dependence on the Saviour; from that secret idolatry which hides from you the loving smile of your Father in Heaven; from that slightness in sacred duties, and that unspiritual tone of mind which bar any advance in divine life.
From all these hidden evils Jesus can save. He has access to every inner chamber of the heart. He can reveal and uproot all that is injurious there. He can implant there, all that is pleasing in His sight.
He bursts the chain of all those evils which sin has introduced. Numberless are the sorrows and distresses which come to us in the train of sin.
Pain, and suffering, and weakness oppress the body; cares, and anxieties, and disappointments weigh upon the spirit; temptations, doubts, and fears harass the soul; death rifles our homes of their dearest treasures.
One by one must we also be subject to the dominion of the King of Terrors. In the bonds of the grave, must we be held until the Bridegroom comes. Then shall He again display His mighty arm. The last bond shall be broken. The ills of this present life shall have passed away. Death and the grave shall loose their captives. The glorious word of hope and promise shall be fulfilled. "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?...thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Cor. 15:55-57).
Reader, let this thought abide with you. Sin is a strong and cruel tyrant - but Jesus Christ is a mighty and merciful deliverer. Prove for yourself His power and His grace. Let nothing keep you from His footstool. Tarry not, lest the day of salvation should be over. Plead with Him His own gracious promise, "Him that comes to Me, I will never cast out." Confess to Him all your unworthiness, all the evil that clings to you, and confidently rely upon His gracious help.
Let this be your daily prayer: "O mighty and merciful Saviour, forever set me free from the power and the guilt of sin - and bind me fast, hand and foot, with the fetters and cords of Your everlasting love!" Amen
~George Everard~
(The End)
_____________________
This pleasure-loving, pleasure-seeking, and pleasure-inventing age
A taste of worldly amusements will inevitably prove wherever it is indulged - a powerful obstacle to growth in grace.
Man is unquestionably made for enjoyment. He has a capacity for bliss - an instinctive appetite for gratification; and for this, God has made ample provision of a healthful and lawful kind. But "a taste for worldly pleasure" means that this God-given capacity is directed to wrong sources, or carried to an excess.
Now there are some amusements which in their very nature are so utterly incompatible with true godliness, that a liking for them, and a hankering after them, and especially an indulgence in them - cannot exist with real, earnest, and serious piety.
We would not doom to perdition, all who are at any time found in this round of worldly pleasure - but we unhesitatingly say, that a taste for them is entirely opposed to the whole spirit of Christianity! They are all included in that "world" which is overcome by faith and the new birth.
True religion is, though a happy, and a very serious thing - and can no more live and flourish in the uncongenial atmosphere of those parties, than could a young tender plant survive if brought into a frigid zone!
A taste for even lawful worldly amusements, which leads its possessor to be fond of them, seeking them, and longing for them - shows a mind that is in a very doubtful state as to vital piety.
The way to win a worldly person to true religion is not to go and partake of his amusements; but to prove to him, that we are happier with our pleasures, than he is with his.
After all, it is freely admitted - that true religion is not hostile to anything which is not hostile to it; that many things which are not strictly pious, though not opposed to piety - may be lawfully enjoyed by the Christian; that what he has to do in this matter is not to practice total abstinence - but moderation. Yet the Christian should remember how elastic a term "moderation" is, and to be vigilant lest his moderation should continually increase its latitude, until it has swelled into the imperial tyranny of an appetite which acknowledges no authority - and submits to no restraint!
~John Angle James~
(The End)
Samson, when endued with strength from above, could with ease cast off every fetter with which his enemies could bind him. Just so, the soul leaning on the strength of Jesus can obtain more and more a blessed freedom from every bond of sin. Be assured also that the Saviour can deliver you from the most subtle form of evil. He can entwine those delicate tendrils that may seem to the unthinking so harmless, and yet prove at length so deadly.
He can deliver you from that mistaken view of God's character which keeps you from joyful access to the mercy-seat. He can deliver you from that pride of intellect which hinders you from receiving the kingdom of God as a little child; from that undiscovered reliance upon self which prevents your entire dependence on the Saviour; from that secret idolatry which hides from you the loving smile of your Father in Heaven; from that slightness in sacred duties, and that unspiritual tone of mind which bar any advance in divine life.
From all these hidden evils Jesus can save. He has access to every inner chamber of the heart. He can reveal and uproot all that is injurious there. He can implant there, all that is pleasing in His sight.
He bursts the chain of all those evils which sin has introduced. Numberless are the sorrows and distresses which come to us in the train of sin.
Pain, and suffering, and weakness oppress the body; cares, and anxieties, and disappointments weigh upon the spirit; temptations, doubts, and fears harass the soul; death rifles our homes of their dearest treasures.
One by one must we also be subject to the dominion of the King of Terrors. In the bonds of the grave, must we be held until the Bridegroom comes. Then shall He again display His mighty arm. The last bond shall be broken. The ills of this present life shall have passed away. Death and the grave shall loose their captives. The glorious word of hope and promise shall be fulfilled. "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?...thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Cor. 15:55-57).
Reader, let this thought abide with you. Sin is a strong and cruel tyrant - but Jesus Christ is a mighty and merciful deliverer. Prove for yourself His power and His grace. Let nothing keep you from His footstool. Tarry not, lest the day of salvation should be over. Plead with Him His own gracious promise, "Him that comes to Me, I will never cast out." Confess to Him all your unworthiness, all the evil that clings to you, and confidently rely upon His gracious help.
Let this be your daily prayer: "O mighty and merciful Saviour, forever set me free from the power and the guilt of sin - and bind me fast, hand and foot, with the fetters and cords of Your everlasting love!" Amen
~George Everard~
(The End)
_____________________
This pleasure-loving, pleasure-seeking, and pleasure-inventing age
A taste of worldly amusements will inevitably prove wherever it is indulged - a powerful obstacle to growth in grace.
Man is unquestionably made for enjoyment. He has a capacity for bliss - an instinctive appetite for gratification; and for this, God has made ample provision of a healthful and lawful kind. But "a taste for worldly pleasure" means that this God-given capacity is directed to wrong sources, or carried to an excess.
Now there are some amusements which in their very nature are so utterly incompatible with true godliness, that a liking for them, and a hankering after them, and especially an indulgence in them - cannot exist with real, earnest, and serious piety.
We would not doom to perdition, all who are at any time found in this round of worldly pleasure - but we unhesitatingly say, that a taste for them is entirely opposed to the whole spirit of Christianity! They are all included in that "world" which is overcome by faith and the new birth.
True religion is, though a happy, and a very serious thing - and can no more live and flourish in the uncongenial atmosphere of those parties, than could a young tender plant survive if brought into a frigid zone!
A taste for even lawful worldly amusements, which leads its possessor to be fond of them, seeking them, and longing for them - shows a mind that is in a very doubtful state as to vital piety.
The way to win a worldly person to true religion is not to go and partake of his amusements; but to prove to him, that we are happier with our pleasures, than he is with his.
After all, it is freely admitted - that true religion is not hostile to anything which is not hostile to it; that many things which are not strictly pious, though not opposed to piety - may be lawfully enjoyed by the Christian; that what he has to do in this matter is not to practice total abstinence - but moderation. Yet the Christian should remember how elastic a term "moderation" is, and to be vigilant lest his moderation should continually increase its latitude, until it has swelled into the imperial tyranny of an appetite which acknowledges no authority - and submits to no restraint!
~John Angle James~
(The End)
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Taking thee Lord's Name in Vain!
Taking the Lord's Name in Vain!
"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless, who takes His name in vain!" (Exodus 20:7).
As the second commandment concerns the manner in which God is to be worshiped (namely, according to His revealed will), so this third commandment one bids us worship Him with that frame of heart which is agreeable to the dignity and solemnity of such an exercise and the majesty of Him with whom we have to do: that is, with the utmost sincerity, humility, and reverence. "Fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD YOUR GOD" (Deuteronomy 28:58).
O, what high thoughts we ought to entertain of such a Being! In what holy awe should be stand of Him! Anything pertaining to God, should be spoken of with the greatest sobriety.
"The end of this precept is that the Lord will have the majesty of His name to be held inviolably sacred by us. Whatever we think and whatever we say of Him, should savor of His excellency, correspond to the sacred sublimity of His name, and tend to the exaltation of His magnificence!"
Let us first endeavor to point out the scope and comprehensiveness of this commandment. By the NAME of the Lord our God, is signified God Himself as he is made known to us, including everything through which He has been pleased to reveal Himself: His word, His titles, His attributes, His ordinances, His works. The Name of God stands for His very nature and being, as in Psalm 20:1; 135:3; John 1:12, etc). Sometimes the Name of God is taken for the entire system of Divine truth: "We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God" (Micah 4:5). That is, in that way of Truth and worship which he has appointed. "I have manifested Your Name unto the men You have gave Me" (John 17:6). That is, I have instructed them in the Heavenly doctrine.
But usually, and more specifically, the Name of God refers to that by which He is called and made known to us. To "take the Name" means to employ or make use of the same, as the Object of our thoughts or the subject of our speech. Not to take His Name "in vain" is the negative way of saying it must be held in the utmost awe and used holily in thought and word and deed.
It will thus be seen, that this Commandment requires us to make mention of the Name of God. Since He has given us so many and gracious discoveries of Himself, it would evince the vilest contempt of the greatest of privileges, if we expressed no regard to those discoveries and made no use of the same. Those who make no religious profession and desire not to be instructed in those things which relate to the Divine glory, are guilty of thus slighting the Most High. But we make use of God's name in public worship, in private prayer, and when taking religious oaths or making solemn vows.
When we draw near to God in prayer, we should adore the Divine perfections with a befitting humility as did Abraham (Genesis 18:27), Jacob (Genesis 32:10), Moses (Ex. 15:11), Solomon (1 Kings 8:33), Daniel (9:4, etc.), the inhabitants of Heaven (Revelation 4:10, 11).
Negatively, this Commandment prohibits all dishonoring thoughts of God, all needless, flippant, profane or blasphemous mention of Him, any irreverent use of His Word, any murmurings against His Providence, any abuse of anything by which He has made Himself known.
Unless our speech is designedly directed to the advancement of the Divine glory or the promotion of the benefit of those to whom we speak - we are not justified in having God's ineffable Name upon our lips. He accounts Himself highly insulted when we mention His name to idle purpose.
God's Name is taken in vain by us, when we use it without due consideration and reverence. Whensoever we make mention of Him before whom the seraphim veil their faces - we ought seriously and solemnly to ponder His infinite majesty and glory and bow our hearts in deepest prostration before that Name. Those who think and speak of the great God promiscuously and at random - how can they use His Name with reverence when all the rest of their discourse is filled with froth and vanity? God's Name is not to be sported with and tossed to and fro upon every light tongue.
When using the Name of God, we must do so in a way which is true to its meaning and to its implication, otherwise He says to us, "Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord - and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).
God's Name is taken in vain when we swear lightly, and irreverently, using the Name of God with as little respect as we would show to that of a man, or when we swear falsely and are guilty of perjury. When we are placed on oath and we attest that to be true which we do not know to be true, or which we know to be false - we are guilty of one of the gravest sins which man can possibly commit, for he has solemnly called upon the great God to witness that which the father of lies has prompted him to speak!
It has become almost impossible to walk the streets or enter mixed company, without hearing the sacred Name of God treated with blasphemous contempt. the novels of the day, the theater, and even the radio, are terrible offenders! And without doubt, this is one of the fearful sins against Himself for which God is now pouring out His judgments upon us. Of old, He said unto Israel, "Because of swearing the land mourns; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil". And He is still the same: "The Lord will not hold him guiltless, who takes His Name in vain." Sore punishment shall be his portion, if not in his life, then most assuredly so, eternally so, in the life to come!
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless, who takes His name in vain!" (Exodus 20:7).
As the second commandment concerns the manner in which God is to be worshiped (namely, according to His revealed will), so this third commandment one bids us worship Him with that frame of heart which is agreeable to the dignity and solemnity of such an exercise and the majesty of Him with whom we have to do: that is, with the utmost sincerity, humility, and reverence. "Fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD YOUR GOD" (Deuteronomy 28:58).
O, what high thoughts we ought to entertain of such a Being! In what holy awe should be stand of Him! Anything pertaining to God, should be spoken of with the greatest sobriety.
"The end of this precept is that the Lord will have the majesty of His name to be held inviolably sacred by us. Whatever we think and whatever we say of Him, should savor of His excellency, correspond to the sacred sublimity of His name, and tend to the exaltation of His magnificence!"
Let us first endeavor to point out the scope and comprehensiveness of this commandment. By the NAME of the Lord our God, is signified God Himself as he is made known to us, including everything through which He has been pleased to reveal Himself: His word, His titles, His attributes, His ordinances, His works. The Name of God stands for His very nature and being, as in Psalm 20:1; 135:3; John 1:12, etc). Sometimes the Name of God is taken for the entire system of Divine truth: "We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God" (Micah 4:5). That is, in that way of Truth and worship which he has appointed. "I have manifested Your Name unto the men You have gave Me" (John 17:6). That is, I have instructed them in the Heavenly doctrine.
But usually, and more specifically, the Name of God refers to that by which He is called and made known to us. To "take the Name" means to employ or make use of the same, as the Object of our thoughts or the subject of our speech. Not to take His Name "in vain" is the negative way of saying it must be held in the utmost awe and used holily in thought and word and deed.
It will thus be seen, that this Commandment requires us to make mention of the Name of God. Since He has given us so many and gracious discoveries of Himself, it would evince the vilest contempt of the greatest of privileges, if we expressed no regard to those discoveries and made no use of the same. Those who make no religious profession and desire not to be instructed in those things which relate to the Divine glory, are guilty of thus slighting the Most High. But we make use of God's name in public worship, in private prayer, and when taking religious oaths or making solemn vows.
When we draw near to God in prayer, we should adore the Divine perfections with a befitting humility as did Abraham (Genesis 18:27), Jacob (Genesis 32:10), Moses (Ex. 15:11), Solomon (1 Kings 8:33), Daniel (9:4, etc.), the inhabitants of Heaven (Revelation 4:10, 11).
Negatively, this Commandment prohibits all dishonoring thoughts of God, all needless, flippant, profane or blasphemous mention of Him, any irreverent use of His Word, any murmurings against His Providence, any abuse of anything by which He has made Himself known.
Unless our speech is designedly directed to the advancement of the Divine glory or the promotion of the benefit of those to whom we speak - we are not justified in having God's ineffable Name upon our lips. He accounts Himself highly insulted when we mention His name to idle purpose.
God's Name is taken in vain by us, when we use it without due consideration and reverence. Whensoever we make mention of Him before whom the seraphim veil their faces - we ought seriously and solemnly to ponder His infinite majesty and glory and bow our hearts in deepest prostration before that Name. Those who think and speak of the great God promiscuously and at random - how can they use His Name with reverence when all the rest of their discourse is filled with froth and vanity? God's Name is not to be sported with and tossed to and fro upon every light tongue.
When using the Name of God, we must do so in a way which is true to its meaning and to its implication, otherwise He says to us, "Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord - and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).
God's Name is taken in vain when we swear lightly, and irreverently, using the Name of God with as little respect as we would show to that of a man, or when we swear falsely and are guilty of perjury. When we are placed on oath and we attest that to be true which we do not know to be true, or which we know to be false - we are guilty of one of the gravest sins which man can possibly commit, for he has solemnly called upon the great God to witness that which the father of lies has prompted him to speak!
It has become almost impossible to walk the streets or enter mixed company, without hearing the sacred Name of God treated with blasphemous contempt. the novels of the day, the theater, and even the radio, are terrible offenders! And without doubt, this is one of the fearful sins against Himself for which God is now pouring out His judgments upon us. Of old, He said unto Israel, "Because of swearing the land mourns; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil". And He is still the same: "The Lord will not hold him guiltless, who takes His Name in vain." Sore punishment shall be his portion, if not in his life, then most assuredly so, eternally so, in the life to come!
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
Delighting In God!
Delighting In God
"Delight yourself in the Lord - and He shall give you the desires of your heart!" (Psalm 37:4).
Delighting in worldly things - effectually prevents our delighting in God! Therefore it is often the case, that the Lord strips us of those things, or incapacitates us to enjoy them - in order to bring us back to delight in Himself.
He delights in His people - and He desires that His people to delight in Him. In order to accomplish this, He has revealed Himself in the most amiable character, as...
a Husband;
a Friend;
a Brother;
a Saviour;
a Shepherd, and so forth -
all on purpose to endure Himself to us!
Surely if our hearts were right - we would delight in Him on account of...
His glorious perfections;
His unalterable love;
the perfect atonement made for our sins;
the promises made for our comfort and encouragement;
the gift of the Holy Spirit;
the communion we are urged to hold with Himself;
the glorious paradise of blessedness set before us - where we shall forever...
view the unfolding of His glories,
enjoy the riches of His grace, and
drink of the river of His pleasures!
Sick Christian, Jesus bids you to delight in Him! Delight in Him as your Saviour, Friend, and Brother! Delight in His person and glories! Delight in His perfect work! Delight in His glorious fullness!
Delight in your salvation in Him, union to Him, and claim upon Him. Oh, delight in Jesus! You will have no permanent peace or solid satisfaction - but as you are delight in Him, and rejoice in Him, saying, "You are my portion, O Lord!"
He who delights in God has the desires of His heart - because they are in accordance with the purpose, promise, and pleasure of God!
The mind is thrown into the mold of God's mind, and the soul cries from its inmost recesses, "Not my will - but may Your will be done!" Its pleasures are spiritual, permanent, and satisfactory. The desire for earthly things becomes very contracted - a little of the things of this poor world will satisfy a soul that is delighting in God.
Delighting in God always produces resignation and holy contentment. Whatever they have - they enjoy it as the undeserved gift of God; and they feel obligated and thankful for all. They would rather be conformed to God's will - than have their own will. They know that His appointments are best - because they are infinitely wise, holy, and gracious. They can say, "I trust in You, O Lord, for You are my God! My times are in Your hands!" They find that godliness with contentment is great gain; and say with one of old, "The little that a righteous man has - is better than the riches of many wicked!" "Better a little with the fear of the Lord - than great treasure with turmoil."
The presence, the promise, and the smile of God - are to them inestimably valuable; but other things are not so important. They seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness - and all other necessary things are added unto them. They live at the fountain - when all the streams are dried up! They delight in God - when creatures fade and wither!
O Lord! I would delight in Thee,
And on Your care depend;
To You in every trouble flee,
My best, my only Friend!
No good in creatures can be found,
But may be found in Thee;
I must have all things and abound,
While God is God to me!
~James Smith~
(The End)
"Delight yourself in the Lord - and He shall give you the desires of your heart!" (Psalm 37:4).
Delighting in worldly things - effectually prevents our delighting in God! Therefore it is often the case, that the Lord strips us of those things, or incapacitates us to enjoy them - in order to bring us back to delight in Himself.
He delights in His people - and He desires that His people to delight in Him. In order to accomplish this, He has revealed Himself in the most amiable character, as...
a Husband;
a Friend;
a Brother;
a Saviour;
a Shepherd, and so forth -
all on purpose to endure Himself to us!
Surely if our hearts were right - we would delight in Him on account of...
His glorious perfections;
His unalterable love;
the perfect atonement made for our sins;
the promises made for our comfort and encouragement;
the gift of the Holy Spirit;
the communion we are urged to hold with Himself;
the glorious paradise of blessedness set before us - where we shall forever...
view the unfolding of His glories,
enjoy the riches of His grace, and
drink of the river of His pleasures!
Sick Christian, Jesus bids you to delight in Him! Delight in Him as your Saviour, Friend, and Brother! Delight in His person and glories! Delight in His perfect work! Delight in His glorious fullness!
Delight in your salvation in Him, union to Him, and claim upon Him. Oh, delight in Jesus! You will have no permanent peace or solid satisfaction - but as you are delight in Him, and rejoice in Him, saying, "You are my portion, O Lord!"
He who delights in God has the desires of His heart - because they are in accordance with the purpose, promise, and pleasure of God!
The mind is thrown into the mold of God's mind, and the soul cries from its inmost recesses, "Not my will - but may Your will be done!" Its pleasures are spiritual, permanent, and satisfactory. The desire for earthly things becomes very contracted - a little of the things of this poor world will satisfy a soul that is delighting in God.
Delighting in God always produces resignation and holy contentment. Whatever they have - they enjoy it as the undeserved gift of God; and they feel obligated and thankful for all. They would rather be conformed to God's will - than have their own will. They know that His appointments are best - because they are infinitely wise, holy, and gracious. They can say, "I trust in You, O Lord, for You are my God! My times are in Your hands!" They find that godliness with contentment is great gain; and say with one of old, "The little that a righteous man has - is better than the riches of many wicked!" "Better a little with the fear of the Lord - than great treasure with turmoil."
The presence, the promise, and the smile of God - are to them inestimably valuable; but other things are not so important. They seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness - and all other necessary things are added unto them. They live at the fountain - when all the streams are dried up! They delight in God - when creatures fade and wither!
O Lord! I would delight in Thee,
And on Your care depend;
To You in every trouble flee,
My best, my only Friend!
No good in creatures can be found,
But may be found in Thee;
I must have all things and abound,
While God is God to me!
~James Smith~
(The End)
Saturday, June 1, 2019
The Murderer # 5
The Murderer # 5
5. The final ruin that overtakes both the sinner and his sin. Gradually the tree upon which the Matador has fastened withers and dies. Every leaf fades. Its life is gone. Then the insects which prey upon the tree carry on their work for awhile. At length a terrible crash is heard. The Murderer and its victim fall together, involving in a common destruction many of the trees around.
In the same way, the soul of man withers; all better feelings fade away, all possibility of the soul being restored by grace passes by. Then comes the final catastrophe. There comes a fall from which there is no arising: "Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death!" The sinner and his sin both meet their due reward in the terrible wrath of a holy God. it is a final ruin, and it is an abiding one - and ever-living death.
As the insects within the tree still continue their work after it has fallen, so after death is there still "the worm that does not" - the aching of a heart that shall never have peace, the gnawing of a conscience that never can rest, the agony of an immortal spirit forever separated from the only source of joy.
Such is the close of a life of sin; such, unless grace intervenes, is the sure end of the sinner's path. One who might have flourished like a palm tree in the courts of the Lord on earth, and then have been transplanted by God's own hand to bloom forever in the Paradise above - becomes, through sin, a ruin and a wreck! He becomes a monument of the enduring wrath of God. he becomes as fuel for "the fire that never shall be quenched."
Let us inquire:
Where is our hope?
Who shall deliver us from this cruel tyrant?
Who shall free us from the dominion of sin?
Reader, there is a strong Redeemer, a mighty Deliverer - a Saviour who can meet our case. It is One who is stronger than sin; One who for our sake has fought and conquered the great enemy. His name is Jesus. His arm is powerful; His grace all sufficient; in His love He is ready to stoop down to the fallen and the lost; He can set the captive free; He can unloose the strongest fetters: "The Lord loosens the prisoners." It is His appointed office "to proclaim liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." Many a chain of darkness, has He broken; many an one "tied and bound by the chains of sin," has the pitifulness of His great mercy loosed.
As we could imagine a hand removing the stem and the rings of the Matador, and setting free the tree upon which it was climbing - so does Jesus with the souls whom He saves.
He bursts the chain of ignorance. When all is dark within; when there is no light to discover sin, no eye to behold the only Redeemer - then Jesus comes. He opens the blind eyes - He removes the scales of prejudice and self-satisfaction. Then does the sinner awake. He sees himself as the chief of sinners; he sees Christ as the Saviour he needs. Oh! I that every darkened mind might receive light from Him! Oh! that every soul yet blinded by sin would cry, "Lord, that I might receive my sight!"
He bursts the chain of guilt which enslaves the conscience. Oh! what a bondage is it to feel the conscience laden with guilt, ceaselessly accusing the sinner of the evil of bygone years. A conscience ill at ease, drives a man further and further from God. It shuts out the possibility of any holy, happy fellowship with Him, or of any cheerful, acceptable service. But Jesus comes. He bursts this chain also. He speaks to the heart: "Be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven!" His atoning sacrifice purges the conscience; His precious blood speaks to us of perfect forgiveness. Then the chain is broken. One drop of blood has touched the ring around the tree, and at once it looses its hold. Then is there a blessed rest: "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He set our transgressions from us."
He bursts the chain of every evil habit - of every besetting sin. True it is, each of these is as a mighty fetter which the hand of man cannot unbind. But what man cannot do - Jesus can. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Be assured that the Saviour can deliver you from every sin in every shape. He can by His Spirit overcome the sin which for years has been your chief snare. He can purify the heart from every unholy thing. He can raise the soul long debased by cleaving to the world, so that such a one may long for God's grace as the deer panting after the water-brooks.
~George Everard~
(continued with # 6)
5. The final ruin that overtakes both the sinner and his sin. Gradually the tree upon which the Matador has fastened withers and dies. Every leaf fades. Its life is gone. Then the insects which prey upon the tree carry on their work for awhile. At length a terrible crash is heard. The Murderer and its victim fall together, involving in a common destruction many of the trees around.
In the same way, the soul of man withers; all better feelings fade away, all possibility of the soul being restored by grace passes by. Then comes the final catastrophe. There comes a fall from which there is no arising: "Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death!" The sinner and his sin both meet their due reward in the terrible wrath of a holy God. it is a final ruin, and it is an abiding one - and ever-living death.
As the insects within the tree still continue their work after it has fallen, so after death is there still "the worm that does not" - the aching of a heart that shall never have peace, the gnawing of a conscience that never can rest, the agony of an immortal spirit forever separated from the only source of joy.
Such is the close of a life of sin; such, unless grace intervenes, is the sure end of the sinner's path. One who might have flourished like a palm tree in the courts of the Lord on earth, and then have been transplanted by God's own hand to bloom forever in the Paradise above - becomes, through sin, a ruin and a wreck! He becomes a monument of the enduring wrath of God. he becomes as fuel for "the fire that never shall be quenched."
Let us inquire:
Where is our hope?
Who shall deliver us from this cruel tyrant?
Who shall free us from the dominion of sin?
Reader, there is a strong Redeemer, a mighty Deliverer - a Saviour who can meet our case. It is One who is stronger than sin; One who for our sake has fought and conquered the great enemy. His name is Jesus. His arm is powerful; His grace all sufficient; in His love He is ready to stoop down to the fallen and the lost; He can set the captive free; He can unloose the strongest fetters: "The Lord loosens the prisoners." It is His appointed office "to proclaim liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." Many a chain of darkness, has He broken; many an one "tied and bound by the chains of sin," has the pitifulness of His great mercy loosed.
As we could imagine a hand removing the stem and the rings of the Matador, and setting free the tree upon which it was climbing - so does Jesus with the souls whom He saves.
He bursts the chain of ignorance. When all is dark within; when there is no light to discover sin, no eye to behold the only Redeemer - then Jesus comes. He opens the blind eyes - He removes the scales of prejudice and self-satisfaction. Then does the sinner awake. He sees himself as the chief of sinners; he sees Christ as the Saviour he needs. Oh! I that every darkened mind might receive light from Him! Oh! that every soul yet blinded by sin would cry, "Lord, that I might receive my sight!"
He bursts the chain of guilt which enslaves the conscience. Oh! what a bondage is it to feel the conscience laden with guilt, ceaselessly accusing the sinner of the evil of bygone years. A conscience ill at ease, drives a man further and further from God. It shuts out the possibility of any holy, happy fellowship with Him, or of any cheerful, acceptable service. But Jesus comes. He bursts this chain also. He speaks to the heart: "Be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven!" His atoning sacrifice purges the conscience; His precious blood speaks to us of perfect forgiveness. Then the chain is broken. One drop of blood has touched the ring around the tree, and at once it looses its hold. Then is there a blessed rest: "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He set our transgressions from us."
He bursts the chain of every evil habit - of every besetting sin. True it is, each of these is as a mighty fetter which the hand of man cannot unbind. But what man cannot do - Jesus can. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Be assured that the Saviour can deliver you from every sin in every shape. He can by His Spirit overcome the sin which for years has been your chief snare. He can purify the heart from every unholy thing. He can raise the soul long debased by cleaving to the world, so that such a one may long for God's grace as the deer panting after the water-brooks.
~George Everard~
(continued with # 6)
The Murderer # 4
The Murderer # 4
Be sure this progress of sin is often taking place when its outward growth may seem to have been checked. The principle of evil may be strengthening, while the manifestation of it may be less evident. The man of forty or fifty may have cast off the wild habits of his early life. He may imagine that he is a much better Christian than once he was, while, it may be, one sin has only been exchanged for another.
Love of the world may be more rooted in the heart.
Self-righteousness may take the place of self-indulgence.
Pride may be increasing.
Spirit religion, a life of close fellowship with God, which is the very essence of all true religion - may be more than ever distasteful to him.
Oh! what reason is here for immediate conversion to God! Let there be no delay. At once seek help from above, that you may turn from sin. The evil which today may be as the silken thread - may hereafter be as the strong cable, or the iron chain, which shall hold you fast forever!
4. The self-propagating of sin.
The Matador plant, from its lofty head scattering its seed, far and wide, becomes the parent, in future years, of many more such like plants. So is it with each successor, until perhaps the whole forest is laid low. It is a type of sin. Grace and sin both spread wherever they are found. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. The Christian cannot be satisfied with going alone to the better land. By words in season, by prayer, and by a holy life, he wins others for Christ. Sin also propagates itself. Solomon reminds us that "one sinner destroys much good." Isaiah speaks of the sinners of his day as "children that are corrupters!" Often the complexion of a whole family is taken from the head of it. The sins of parents, are repeated generation after generation in the lines of their descendants.
The sin of Abraham, in deceitfully hiding his relationship to Sarah - was reflected in the life of Isaac some forty years afterwards.
Jacob deceives his aged father, and is punished in his old age by his children in like manner deceiving him!
Again and again it is said of the kings of Israel, that they followed in the steps of Jeroboam, "who made Israel to sin." The prophet Micah speaks, "You keep only the laws of evil king Omri; you follow only the example of wicked king Ahab! Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing you to complete ruin!" (Micah 6:16). More than one hundred and fifty years had passed since both these wicked kings had been in their graves. Eleven kings had since that time reigned over Israel - yet still the works of the one, and the laws of the other were remembered and observed.
O lost sinner, reflect but for a moment on the effects of your sin on others! You may have gone to your account, and in the lives and deaths of your children may be witnessed the sad results of your iniquity. Those who have lived near you - your neighbors and your associates - may have learned evil from you, and your sin may prove their ruin!
Centuries may have passed, and your sin may yet be doing its deadly work, bringing forth in many souls the bitter fruits of sorrow here, and eternal woe hereafter: "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come" (Matt. 18:7).
~George Everard~
(continued with # 5)
Be sure this progress of sin is often taking place when its outward growth may seem to have been checked. The principle of evil may be strengthening, while the manifestation of it may be less evident. The man of forty or fifty may have cast off the wild habits of his early life. He may imagine that he is a much better Christian than once he was, while, it may be, one sin has only been exchanged for another.
Love of the world may be more rooted in the heart.
Self-righteousness may take the place of self-indulgence.
Pride may be increasing.
Spirit religion, a life of close fellowship with God, which is the very essence of all true religion - may be more than ever distasteful to him.
Oh! what reason is here for immediate conversion to God! Let there be no delay. At once seek help from above, that you may turn from sin. The evil which today may be as the silken thread - may hereafter be as the strong cable, or the iron chain, which shall hold you fast forever!
4. The self-propagating of sin.
The Matador plant, from its lofty head scattering its seed, far and wide, becomes the parent, in future years, of many more such like plants. So is it with each successor, until perhaps the whole forest is laid low. It is a type of sin. Grace and sin both spread wherever they are found. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. The Christian cannot be satisfied with going alone to the better land. By words in season, by prayer, and by a holy life, he wins others for Christ. Sin also propagates itself. Solomon reminds us that "one sinner destroys much good." Isaiah speaks of the sinners of his day as "children that are corrupters!" Often the complexion of a whole family is taken from the head of it. The sins of parents, are repeated generation after generation in the lines of their descendants.
The sin of Abraham, in deceitfully hiding his relationship to Sarah - was reflected in the life of Isaac some forty years afterwards.
Jacob deceives his aged father, and is punished in his old age by his children in like manner deceiving him!
Again and again it is said of the kings of Israel, that they followed in the steps of Jeroboam, "who made Israel to sin." The prophet Micah speaks, "You keep only the laws of evil king Omri; you follow only the example of wicked king Ahab! Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing you to complete ruin!" (Micah 6:16). More than one hundred and fifty years had passed since both these wicked kings had been in their graves. Eleven kings had since that time reigned over Israel - yet still the works of the one, and the laws of the other were remembered and observed.
O lost sinner, reflect but for a moment on the effects of your sin on others! You may have gone to your account, and in the lives and deaths of your children may be witnessed the sad results of your iniquity. Those who have lived near you - your neighbors and your associates - may have learned evil from you, and your sin may prove their ruin!
Centuries may have passed, and your sin may yet be doing its deadly work, bringing forth in many souls the bitter fruits of sorrow here, and eternal woe hereafter: "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come" (Matt. 18:7).
~George Everard~
(continued with # 5)
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