Art thou made of the king's counsel? Forbear: Why shouldest thou be smitten?....2 Chron. xxv. 16. casm, HORRID ingratitude! No sooner was Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, but instead of erecting an altar to the Lord of hosts, who had given him success, he falls into idolatry and burns incense to their gods. He went to war without God: he returns victorious, sets up idols, and forsakes the Lord. Vain confidence is departing from the Lord, and the first step to idolatry. Never think of a sin being subdued, a grace strengthened, or a comfort enjoyed, without giving all the glory to the grace of Christ. Look at thy victories with humility. Know self to be as great an idol as the gods of the Edomites. Though the Lord's anger was kindled against Amaziah, yet he is long-suffering to sinners: he sends his prophet to reprove him he gives him a most stinging sar"Why hast thou sought unto the gods of the people, who could not deliver them out of thy hands?" This is an instance of the greatest folly and madness. Wilt thou, O christian, sacrifice to the goodness of thy heart, or burn incense to the pride of thy free-will? Could these deliver thee from the hands of thine enemies? Nay, if the Lord had not restrained the wickedness of thine heart and bowed the stubborn rebellion of thy will, they would have delivered thee into the hands of thine enemies, and eternal destruction had been thy doom. O, constantly sacrifice to free-grace : let the sweet incense of praise ascend from thy heart this night to the God of all grace, the Saviour of wicked-hearted, proud sinners! How does Amaziah behave under this sharp reproof? Why, instead of falling under conviction, and repenting of his base ingratitude and ridiculous conduct, he falls upon the Lord's prophet. Like Ahab to Elijah, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" So he asks, "Art thou made of the king's counsel?" And he threatened him. O, it is a dreadful sign to be angry with a faithful reprover of one's sin! When the horrid consequence of sin is laid before one, it is a vain, foolish shift of the devil to ask, what, have you been in the Lord's cabinet-council? Or, when the doctrine of God's electing love is spoken of, some foolishly demand, are you one of the Lord's privy council? No: but we know the Lord's mind concerning sin, grace and salvation, in his word, without searching the records of eternity there it is wrote as with a sun-beam. Impenitent sinners shall die in their sins and be damned for their sins: all who are saved, it is by the free grace of God abounding to sinners in Christ Jesus. Lord, soften this hard heart of mine And yield unto thy wise design, Each kind reproof to feel; Thine heart lifteth thee up to boast....2 Chron. xxv. 19. How despicable, how contemptible does pride make a man look in the eyes of his enemies? Amaziah sets out with the first step to idolatry, confidence in an arm of flesh: he next falls into the most gross and absurd idolatry. Reproof leaves him under it. As he had forsook the Lord, the Lord cast him off: his destruction is near : "A haughty spirit goes before a fall. Let him who thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall." One sin brings on another. When the Lord leaves a man, he exposes his pride and makes himself ridiculous. Amaziah, being flushed with success at his victory over the Edomites, sends a message to Joash king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us see one another in the face." A challenge to war: face me if you dare. Alas! he little thought that the Lord was departed from him, that he was given up to hardness of heart and to seek his own destruction. How different his language from that of David to the boasting Goliath, "I come against thee in the name of the Lord of hosts."....1 Sam. xvii. 45. Joash, according to the custom of the Easterns, answers him by a proverb, "The thistle sent to the cedar, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and lo, a wild beast passed by and trod down the thistle." Intimating that there was as contemptible a comparison between Amaziah and himself, as between that low base weed, a thistle, and a tall stately cedar. However, what Amaziah wanted in strength he possessed in pride, which proved his overthrow. Christian, learn to know thyself: be not highminded: though thy Lord gives thee to tread down all the power of the enemy, yet he says, "notwithstanding, rejoice not in this, that evil spirits are subject unto thee." No? Why not? Is not this matter of joy? Doubtless. But take heed of vain-glorying here. Beware, lest thy heart be lifted up to boast. The worst evil, pride, may be excited by the best of causes. Know thyself to be like that very contemptible thistle in Lebanon; that vile, prickly weed, in which dwells no good, and has no strength to stand against the foot of an enemy. But, the Lord points thee to incessant cause of joy: "Rather rejoice, because thy name is written in heaven." Therefore, the everlasting love of the God of heaven is fixed on thee; the invincible arm of the God of heaven is engaged to keep thee; and know, to thy humility, thou hast done nothing to deserve this: "Thou, O LORD God, art a God full of compassion, and gracious." ....Psalm lxxxvi. 15. Is this a time for us to boast, When sin within us dwell? Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone....Gal. vi. 4. A DAY is coming, "when the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is."....1 Cor. iii. 13. O how much wood of pride, HAY of self-love, and STUBBLE of self-complacency will then be burnt up! Yea, and it will be entirely owing to the rich grace and finished salvation of Jesus (not for any work of ours) that our souls too are not in that day cast into unquenchable fire. Why then does the apostle bid us prove our own work? That we may be joyful. Alas, says the convinced, humble sinner, I have not a work that I dare look at, but instead of giving me joy it occasions sorrow : "God be merciful to me a sinner:" Lord be gracious to me an unprofitable servant. Is this the confession of thy heart? Prove it by the word of God; thou wilt find it agreeable thereto : rejoice in thyself for it give glory to him who taught thee to know thyself and put into thine heart the language of grace. Thou art saved from selfrighteousness and self-confidence: rejoice in that. It is thine own work to believe, the power is the Lord's. Prove thy work of faith. Does it fix on Jesus alone? Does it work by love to him, to his rejected truth, his despised people, and his scorned interest and glory. Rejoice in thyself, but give all glory to Christ who is the author of thy faith. Are the commands of Christ as well as his salvation precious to thee? Dost thou love and pursue holiness, knowing in this way only thou canst enjoy fellowship with Christ? Dost thou hate sin and eschew it as contrary to the glory of Christ, the faith of thy heart, the peace of thy conscience, and the love of thy soul? Rejoice in thyself. Thou art highly distinguished by the Spirit of truth and holiness; thou art born again of him and art a new creature in Christ. Thy grief and concern for thy imperfections and short comings are evidences of the purity of thy heart: though they lay thee low in humility, yet they should never prevent the abounding of joy in thyself. There is an essential difference between the humble joy of faith in the heart of a poor sinner and the self-righteous joy of a proud Pharisee: he rejoices, because he sees a difference between himself and others, that he is more righteous than others, has a better title from himself to God's favor and kingdom than others : hence he despises and glories over other poor sinners. The other rejoices in himself, for what Christ is to him, has done for him, and has wrought in him, in consequence of love-union; hence his works spring from faith, are done in faith, and in all he desires to eye his Lord's glory; and while he has no confidence in the flesh, he rejoices in Christ Jesus....Phil. iii. 3. The God of the whole earth shall he be called....Isa. liv. 5. The The AN affectionate wife cannot bear to hear her loving husband traduced and spoken contemptibly of. It must hurt her mind. The church of the faithful "is the bride, the Lamb's wife.".... Rev. xxi. 9. Her Redeemer is said to be her HUSBAND. These four names are given to him: thy Maker: the Lord of hosts: the Holy One of Israel: the God of the whole earth. Now, if after this any should dare deny, that Jesus Christ is not truly and essentially God, they must be quite blind, exceeding bold, and abominably wicked. Jealous of our dear husband's honor and glory, we cannot bear to hear him so vilely traduced and blasphemed. While we pity, we would flee from such, and take shelter under the wings of our REDEEMER, and the protection of our HUSBAND. Godhead dignity of his person is the glory of our souls. humility of his appearing in flesh adds charms to his matchless beauty. Though he is our husband in our nature, our Redeemer incarnate, though we have free access to him, sweet converse with him, and are indulged with holy fellowship by him as MAN, still we honor and adore him as "THE GOD OF THE WHOLE EARTH." A poor sinner can never get near God in his mind, enjoy God in his heart, have any peace with God in his conscience, or comfort from God in his soul, but when he has simple believing views by faith of an incarnate God....God in Jesus, his Redeemer, and his husband. And is he THY MAKER? Then give him the glory of thy existence. he the LORD OF HOSTS? Then glory in him and rejoice, for thou art more than conqueror over all the powers of darkness and the hosts of hell, through him who hath loved thee. Is he the HOLY ONE of Israel? Then study to be like him, pray for conformity to him, walk in holy fellowship with him, so as to derive all holiness from him. Is he "THE GOD OF THE WHOLE EARTH?" Then be assured, being married to him, and redeemed by him, thou shalt want nothing which his infinite wisdom sees best to give: for his everlasting love will supply all. Live daily upon the fulness of thy HUSBAND, and the grace of thy REDEEMER. Behold your precious, free-grace charter: "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD."....Isa. liv. 17. True faith will Jesu's godhead own, Is This is the God of the whole earth, Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines: For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace....Heb. xiii. 9. THE doctrines of grace are streams which flow from the fountain head, the covenant of grace: they all lead to Jesus, the surety of the covenant. All doctrines that oppose the covenant-engagements of the holy trinity for the salvation of sinners, are diverse and strange doctrines. They direct to a different hope than Christ, and lead souls from the truth as it is in him. With these diverse and strange doctrines, men may carry great zeal for holiness and good works, while they have rooted enmity against the leading truths and capital doctrines of the gospel. Who talk more of holiness and contend more for good works than Arians and Socinians, who yet deny the proper deity of Christ? So, many of another cast, carry their notions of holiness and perfection to the greatest height, yet vehemently oppose the doctrines of grace, election of grace, salvation by grace, justification by the righteousness of Christ, and the sure and certain perseverance of all his saints to eternal glory. We are in danger of being carried about, like light clouds and meteors in the air, by the wind; so as to have our minds always. fluctuating, wavering and unsettled, by diverse and strange doctrines, touching our acceptance with God and the hope of eternal life. But, as a remedy against this evil, says the apostle, "It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace;" with the doctrines of grace, and with an experience of the grace of those doctrines : but this is not to be expected, if the doctrines of grace are not constantly attended to, cordially believed, and highly prized, as making the everlasting love and salvation of the trinity precious to our souls. Some are all for warm affections, but care little for solid judgment. These soon grow giddy-headed. Others are all for doctrines, and aim only to have clear heads and a sound judgment; but care not whether the heart is warmly affected and the life powerfully influenced such are like dry sticks in a garden, which support other vegetables, but neither grow nor bring forth any fruit to Christ's glory. O christian, be concerned to have thy heart established with the grace of Christ, rooted in the love of Christ, and animated by the Spirit of Christ: "Built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."....Col. ii. 7. This is the good thing which you should earnestly covet day by day. Tho' men and satan me perplex About a thousand things; Christ's word is simple and directs To him, and comfort brings. Whatever tends to drive away My faith and hope in Christ, M. |