Now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity....1 Cor. xiii. 13. Ir is a pity it was not rendered LOVE instead of charity, all through this chapter: it certainly would have been a means of preventing much error. Consider, 1st. The abiding of LOVE: it springs from faith and hope, and has no existence in the heart without them. We have no more love to God than a beast, yea, than a devil has, till we believe his love to us and hope in his promises made us in Christ Jesus. We love him.... Why? merely because of the glories and perfections of his nature is he the object of our supreme love? No; but "rather because he first loved us."....1 John iv. 19. How has God manifested his love to us? In this: "Because that God sent his only begotten Son, into the world that we might live through him."....ver. 9. But our hearts are strangers to this love till we believe in Jesus and hope in his salvation: then the effect of love is produced from its original cause, the love of God; then we live in love and walk in love, because we live a life of faith on the love of God. 2d. But why is love greater than faith and hope? 1st. Because it is the greatest proof of their existence. How can you prove you believe and hope in Christ without love? This is the love of God that we keep his commandments. Suppose you were called to be a martyr for Christ: you believe you can do all things through Christ's strengthening you; you hope he will strengthen you; but if you so love him as to suffer for him, you prove your faith and hope. 2d. LovE is the perfection, the rich and ripe fruit of faith and hope. Love is the very nature of God in the soul; for GOD IS LOVE. Love makes our souls cheerful in the service of God and one another. What is life, even the life of faith and hope without love? 3d. Love will live and sing when faith shall be lost in sight. and hope in fruition. Love includeth faith and hope; "for love believeth all things, hopeth all things, beareth all things, endureth all things: it never faileth.".... I Cor. xiii. 7, 8. Omy Lord, my love, glory to thee that I do believe and hope in thee. Crown, O crown these blessed graces with more heavenly love. Love is of thee, and from thee. O, so shed thy love abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost, that I may not only be a believing, hoping, but loving disciple of thine; that my soul may burn with a flame of love divine to thee and to my brethren: then shall I assuredly live in the suburbs of glory, above the deceits of sin, satan and the world; for love is of God....1 John iv. 7. Lord, hast thou blest my soul with love, My soul which thee did hate! And shall I sing thy praise above When faith and hope abate! Then make me watchful every hour, Christ died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again....2 Cor. v. 15. CHRIST died for all "whom the Father gave him."....John xvii. 9. Sooner or later all these willingly and cheerfully come unto or believe on Christ. Joyful to remember, we are drawn to Christ by the love of the Father, or else we never should have come to him....John vi. 44. Now we have done with working FOR life, and asking what must we do to be saved? for now we actually are SAVED and really do LIVE. 1st. We are saved from the love of sin, from our natural hatred to the doctrines of grace, and from our aversion to full justification and final salvation by the work of Christ-only. Legal, self-righteous hearts, cry, do not tell us of doctrines of grace, but of what we must do to be saved. Truly the way is plain: there is work enough for them to do: if they will enter into life by keeping the com mandments, let them perfectly fulfil the law and salvation is sure. So say they, no matter how you live, live as you like, your salvation is sure; this is very true; salvation is not only possible, but sure and certain to every believer in Christ; and all such strive to live as they like. 2d. WE LIVE a life of faith on the Son of God: not under the legal threats and terrors of the law in our consciences, striving to pacify its wrath by fulfilling its commands; but perfectly justified from all its condemnation. We do not like to live and walk in our sinful lusts, to obey our depraved wills, to gratify our sensual affections, to live to sinful sense at all; nor to righteous self neither. Our souls are equally averse to sinful lusts as to self-righteous pride. Both are opposite to the love and glory of our dear, once dead, but now risen Saviour. AS BY him we live; so To him we live: this is what we like and prefer above all things. Say, O my soul, is not this thy chief, thy one desire ? We have no greater pleasure on earth than to walk in the truth, to live by the truth, and to live and walk according to the truth. O, thou life of our souls, thou Jesus and our all, without thee we can do nothing, help us to consider what a little while we have to live unto thee, and to glorify thee, before we shall live and reign with thee. Lord, in the belief of this, fire our hearts with a holy zeal for thy glory, unremitting diligence in thy service, and unwearied constancy in obeying thy will, "being ready to every good work.".... 'Tit. iii. 1. Christ died for us, that we should live, O, may the love, the dying love Of Christ possess my soul, And all my pow'rs controul. M. O, visit me with thy salvation....Psalm cvi. 4. THERE is no good got by paying trifling visits and receiving trifling visitors: the soul that is alive to God will be sick of such an impertinent way of sacrificing its time: "Christ hath redeemed us from our vain conversation.".... 1 Pet. i. 18. Our grand business is to be looking at, glorying in, and talking of his righteousness and his salvation all the day long: this was David's practice; if we foilowed it more, we too should say with him, "My lips shall greatly rejoice, and my soul which thou hast redeemed."....Psalm lxxi. 23. As our joy in Jesus increases, carnal, impertinent acquaintance would -forsake us. Here is the cry of a convinced sinner, of a truly gracious heart; O, VISIT ME WITH THY SALVATION: this is a blessed frame of soul; Lord help us to consider it and animate us to live to thee. Here is spiritual sight and spiritual feeling. What is a Christian without these? Truly sunk into a state of dead formality. 1st. Spiritual sight: the poor sinner sees himself totally ruined, and must be eternally miserable, for any thing he can do to save himself: sin has destroyed him, and the law of God curses him; but he sees that Christ has perfectly fulfilled the law, suffered its curse, and eternally satisfied inexorable justice. Thus is salvation finished: in the firm belief of this he cries, visit ME, even ME, a desperate sinner in myself, with the joys and comforts of thy salvation. O Jesu, I cannot be content with hearing of salvation, with seeing it is for sinners, with believing it is everlastingly finished for them, without tasting the joys and feeding upon the comforts of it in my own soul. For, 2d. Here is spiritual FEELING; laugh on, deride as you please, ye unquickened multitude, at the bitter, sweet feelings of living souls. We feel the bitter of our misery as sinners; we groan being burdened with a body of sin and death; we cry out, O wretched that we are, who shall deliver us? But blessed be God, that prayer of the church of England, at the visitation of the sick, is answered upon us: "We do KNOW and FEEL that there is none. other name under heaven given to men, in whom, and through whom we may receive health and salvation, but ONLY the name of our Lord Jesus Christ:" this is the sweet feeling of faith; therefore in faith we cry, visit ME, miserable ME, with thy salvation Lord Jesus; make me to feel the peace of God, which passeth all understanding; O, shed the love of God abroad in my heart. The Lord keep our souls in this believing, praying, loving, feeling frame below, till we come to full fruition above, rejoicing that we are made "wise unto salvation."....2 Tim. iii. 15. In the firm faith of sacred truth, The precious visits of thy grace, The holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus.... 2 Tim. iii. 15. We never think to any purpose about salvation till we see our own condemnation for sin. Has there ever been a tribunal set up in your conscience? Have you been arraigned and held up your hand at the bar of justice? Has the law of God brought its charge against you? Have you from inward convictions of sin been forced to plead GUILTY? Then the law pronounces its curse upon you, and there it leaves you under its guilt and terror; for to convince and to condemn is all the law can do: the Lord knows, and poor sinners know too, (I speak for one) this is a most deplorable state. Now, the once neglected book of God becomes most precious to the soul; he now sees as he had no knowledge of sin but by the law, so he can obtain no knowledge of salvation but by the gospel. Such a soul is wise, but not in his own eyes; prudent, but not în his own sight: there is a woe against such as are.... Isa. v. 21. And Christ thanks his Father that " he had hid the things of his kingdom from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes."....Matt. xi. 25. O, it is blessed to be a babe in one's own sight, to know that we have no wisdom in ourselves, to be stript of all our corrupt ideas of salvation, to see that we must learn all from the scriptures, and simply receive and believe what they testify of salvation by Jesus: this is true wisdom ; this is being wise unto salvation. Now, if you closely attend to and examine the cause why your walk is not always holy, happy and joyful, you will find it is because of your folly. You do not simply search the scriptures for wisdom, nor simply believe the salvation they reveal, which is in Christ. The scriptures are able to make thee wise unto salvation. But say you, cannot the spirit do this without them? This is folly. The spirit is in the word; he teaches us to be wise unto salvation by the word: if you expect the spirit without the word, you have the vain hope of a fool. THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS: the scriptures testify of him, and of salvation by him ONLY. To believe the scriptures is to believe in Christ unto salvation. O, say some, I do from my heart believe the scriptures, but I fear I have no saving faith in Christ. Here you are not a babe; not simple of heart: you did not learn this from the scriptures; you get into the reasoning of the father of lies: so you distress your mind. Take thy Lord's reproof, "O fools and slow of heart to believe (what?) all that is SPOKEN.”........Luke xxiv. 25. Vain men who seek to be made wise, Come, listen to the scripture's voice, Without God's holy word, Neglecting faith in Jesus Christ, Ye ne'er can know the Lord. Its sacred truths obey, This people have I formed for myself: they shall shew forth my praise....Isa. xliii. 21. WHAT says the world of God's new formed creatures? "These men turn the world upside down."....Acts. xvii. 6. Well, if they do, is it not right? Seeing the devil by sin turned it upside down once, Christ by the power of his grace turns it upside down again; then it is turned into its right state. The Lord is here about to perform a wonder of grace: he calls for our special attention to it : "BEHOLD I will do a new thing."....Isa. xliii. 19. He was going to take those who were not his people, to make them a people. The eminent displays of God's grace should be the admiration of our hearts and the glory of our souls. See, 1st. The description of this people: they are compared to the beast of the field, to dragons and owls: yet the Lord calls them, "MY people, My chosen."....Isa. xliii. 20. My soul, remember what thy nature is: as filthy as a beast, as fierce as a dragon, as stupid as an owl. Was the earth at its first creation without form and void of order?....Gen. i. 2....Just so respecting spiritual things are all the subjects on whom the Lord displays the power of his grace. View thy nature: come down from thy altitudes: live in the valley of humiliation: adore the power that formed thee: confess the hand divine. For 2d. The Lord forms such: till this is effected we are only formed to serve our lusts, enjoy the pleasures of sense and sin, and to be slaves of satan. What hand have we in our spiritual formation? Just as much as the earth had in forming itself into order and beauty, out of a rude mass of chaos and confusion. Well might Paul say, "We are his workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus."....Eph. ii. 10. Settle this well in thy mind, to quell the rising of cursed free-will pride which robs the Lord of the glory of his efficacious grace, 3d. See the end of the Lord's work of grace upon sinners. 1st. Formed for myself; how precious is that word. Formed to come unto God, enjoy fellowship with him, and live upon the fulness of the grace of Christ; yea, to choose the Lord for our portion, and delight in him as our ALL in time and eternity. 2d. They shall shew forth my praise. Lord fill our hearts with such a sense of thy distinguishing grace to us, that thy name may be ever praised by us. O, may we ever praise thee with the love of our hearts and the obedience of our lives, who hast called us out of nature's darkness into the marvellous grace of Christ. We're all alike destroy'd by sin, Through Christ unto our ruin'd race, |