A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity....Prov. xvii. 17. WE have a striking instance of genuine and uninterrupted friendship, which mutually subsisted between David and Jonathan. How affecting is that pathetic, mournful, exclamation of David, when friendship's sweet bands were dissolved in death! "I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant hast thou been unto me; thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women."....2 Sam. i. 26. Who can read this plaintive note without sympathy? Wisdom's assertion is literally exemplified in them. But though their love and friendship never abated in the dark scenes of adversity, but was alike at all times, yet death put a period to its existence. Natural friendship extends not beyond the confines of the grave. But, O disciple, thou hast a friend who ever lives and ever loves. The most exalted friendship when compared to his, diminishes in glory, as the light of the brightest star disappears when the dazzling glory of the sun shines forth. Is not Jesus "this friend who loveth at all times?" Yea, before time commenced, his love existed towards his church. Every member was loved by him, and was given to him of the Father. When in time he saw them polluted in their blood, defiled with sin, and loathsome in their persons, yet (O wonderful!) that was the time of love, he passed by, his eye saw, his heart loved, and his lips said, LIVE. Dost thou, O soul, live by faith on the Son of God? This is the effect of love; this is love known and manifested. But dost thou find daily that thou art a poor sinner? Therefore art thou grieved, and thinkest thou shalt weary out the love of thy friend! No; that cannot be, he loveth at all times; "whom he loves, he loves to the end." Jesus is "the brother born for adversity," to comfort in and to support under it. Now thou art in an adverse state; the world, the flesh, and the devil are all against thee; but thy friend is above, engaged for thee; he is stronger than all. Though in dangers oft, always safe. Jesus was born to suffer adversity for his brethren. A friend and a brother makes one's sorrows and sufferings his own. So did Jesus. Our sins were his, "he bore them in his own body." "He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." And hath he loved before time? Does he love at all times? Then what shall separate from the love of Jesus? Nothing for "in all things we are more than conquerors, through him who loved us. As the power of Jesus is equal to his love, death, which parts the dearest friends, and dissolves the sweetest friendship below, shall introduce us to the nearest enjoyment of our best friend and dearest brother above; for he says, "Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am."....John. xvii. 24. The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all.... Isa. liii. 6. HERE we behold the transaction of the glorious trinity in the covenant of grace. Here is the display of grace in the salvation of lost sinners. Jehovah, the Father, lays or causes to meet all the sins of his people upon the surety of the covenant, the Son of his love. Jesus undertakes to bear them. The Holy Ghost publishes this joyful truth unto the children of men; he works faith in their hearts, and bears witness with their spirits of salvation hereby. Thus the three glorious persons in the Godhead agree in one, even in this one truth, salvation by Jesus. Happy is the man who believes it. Faith looks to the purposes of grace, and rests upon the accomplishment of covenant-love. When one undertakes to be surety for another, then the debt is reckoned to him, and he accepts it. Thus our dear Saviour, our blessed surety stood up for us, engaged in our behalf. Our debts, all our iniquities were imputed to him, and laid upon him, charged upon his person; "he bore them in his own body on the tree." He fully satisfied, perfectly atoned divine justice for them. "By the one sacrifice of himself he hath taken them all away, made an end of sin;" so that justice itself proclaims its own faithfulness to forgive sin.... John i. 9. Grace reigns, mercy triumphs, sinners are pardoned, believers rejoice. O believer, thou art blessed of thy God who is just, therefore doth not, cannot impute, sin unto thee. True, thou hast committed sins innumerable; but it is as true, they were all laid upon Jesus. True, thou dost commit sin, it is equally true Christ hath borne them. Thou wilt commit sin, it is perfectly true thy Saviour hath atoned for them all. Thou hast nothing to plead, but guilty in thyself, but perfectly righteous in Christ. Every charge the enemy brings from the righteous law against thee is just: own it; but ever plead in thine own conscience and before the throne, Jesus hath satisfied for all; there is Now no condemnation to me. O believer, this is a most precious truth of God. Not thy faith, not thy repentings, not any thing thou canst do; but Jehovah laid iniquity upon Christ, this is his sole prerogative. Let devils rage against it, let men oppose it; yet will this truth be found true in its nature, most happy in its consequences to the children of God. Hence flow their peace, their holiness, their heaven. Hear their song below: "Thẹ love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge; that they, which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them and rose again."....2 Cor. v. 14, 15. Hear their triumph above: "Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, who hath washed us from our sins in his own blood."....Rev. i. 5. By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God....Eph. ii. 8. SLEEP is the image of death; every morning we awake is a kind of new life. In sleep, how insensible of danger! how unable to prevent it! The Lord's mercies are renewed every morning; his watchful providence is our safety. Reflect, O my soul, upon the unmerited love of thy God! Happy for thee, daily to awake and arise from thy bed of slumber with the sense of free grace and sovereign love upon thy heart! Temporal mercies are heightened and improved by a sense of spiritual and eternal blessings. Disciple, thou livest in a space of time in which thou mayest look back upon eternal love, look forward to eternal glory, and look upon thyself and see what wonders grace has done. Thou art this day called to consider how thou ART saved. First, in the purpose of thy God, ere thou hadst a being, everlasting love which gave thee existence, decreed thy salvation. Secondly, in accomplishment, grace provides a LAMB for thy ran som; in the fulness of time, a Saviour is born in human flesh; he lived for sinners, died for sin, "made an end of sin," made reconciJiation for iniquity, brought in an everlasting righteousness; his expiring breath proclaimed, salvation work is FINISHED; but thy poor soul lay in nature's darkness, in the sleep of death, and would have slept on till the arch-angel's dreadful sound of the trumpet had wakened thee to everlasting shame and confusion; but impossible this being saved in love's decree, being redeemed by blood divine, grace challenged thy soul. Therefore, thirdly, thou art saved in enjoyment "through faith;" called by the word of truth; quickened by the Spirit of grace; Jesus's salvation become the desire of thy soul; God gave his Son for thee; the Spirit gave faith to thee: hence Jesus became precious, sin hateful, thyself vile, holiness lovely in thine eyes and to thy heart; thus sinners ARE saved by grace through faith; they have no hand, no share, no glory at all in this matter; in the believing, abiding views of this grace, this salvation, consist all our peace, love, joy, holiness, heaven. Why then, O believer, art thou not perfectly, uninterruptedly happy and holy? Verily, because thou art still in the flesh; thy old man is still alive; nature's pride and sinfulness daily resist the glory of grace and the exercise of faith but in opposition to all, thou art to abide confident in the belief of the truth, daily study the love of thy God and Saviour; this tends to sink thee in humility; daily consider thy deserts to be hell, and adore the riches of sovereign grace; this will, through the bles sing of the Spirit, keep thee from boasting in self, and cause thee to glory in the Lord only. "Salvation is of faith, that it might be by grace."....Rom. iv 16. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God....1 John iii. 1. Ir a poor insolvent debtor, who sees no hope but to end his miserable life in a loathsome gaol, yet is unexpectedly called to hear the will of a loving friend, whereby an ample provision is bequeathed him, fully to satisfy all his wants, how must this rejoice his heart! How, in the ecstacy of his joyful mind, would he be ready to call upon every one around him to behold the delightful testament! This is but a faint view of the inestimable riches of glory and honor bequeathed to ruined sinners by New Testament love, ratified and sealed by the blood of Jesus. Upon the view of this, how should we be filled with wonder, fired with ecstacy, and our transported hearts should not keep silence! Angels see and admire, saints behold and adore the marvellously great, the inexpressibly glorious, the wonderfully discriminating love of the Father of Jesus! amazing to tell! comforting to believe! transporting to feel! Love, the love of God the Father hath made its way to sinful man; his love flows through the heart of a crucified Jesus; his love hath reached my poor heart. What terms have we fulfilled? What conditions have we performed to procure this invaluable blessing? O, the very question startles the truly gracious soul! It is a concern to his generous heart to hear such proud, vain notions taught; he rejects the thought with abhorrence and cries, "Pride, thou busy foe, begone.' All, all is freely given, richly bestowed. And am I, vile and unworthy as I am, the called, the real son of God, by adoption, through the faith of Jesus? O thou heavenly paraclete, thou divine sanctifier; influence, daily influence my heart, my tongue, my life, to glorify my Father, my Saviour, my God! Though I have done nothing to procure this inestimable privilege, yet, enjoying this rich grace, love and gratitude demand corresponding fruits, a holy walk, worthy of the vocation wherewith I am called. Hence assuredly will spring another evidence of God's children; therefore, "the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." Though our dear Saviour "went about doing good," yet even this could not gain him the approbation and esteem of the world. Never let disciples expect to be above their master; the more we follow Jesus and are conformed to him as obedient children, stronger evidence shall we have of the world's enmity, and of our Father's love; let us rejoice to follow Jesus, and be glad to imitate him to do good, though we suffer evil. Behold what wond'rous grace The Father hath bestow'd On sinners of a mortal race,' To call them sons of God! 'Tis no surprising thing, That we should be unknown; I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand....John x. 28. THUS excellently speaketh the immortal Hervey, "What words are these! And did they come from him who hath all power in heaven and earth? And were they spoken to every unfeigned, though feeble follower of the great shepherd? Then omnipotence itself must be vanquished before they can be destroyed either by the seduction of fraud, or the assault of violence." The followers of the Lamb want no proof of the divinity of their Lord and Saviour; it is plain from the word of truth; they believe it in their hearts. "The gift of God is eternal life," saith St. Paul....Rom. vi. 23. "I give my sheep eternal life," saith Jesus; therefore Jesus is both Lord and God. To give temporal life is not in the power of a finite being; he who gives eternal life, must be, as our Jesus is, the infinite and eternal Jehovah over all, God blessed for evermore. How full of grace and glory is this text! What consolation may the children of faith draw from it! Here is their mercy; they are in the precious Saviour; hence they are safe and secure. NEVER perish," saith Jesus, who is THE TRUTH. pluck them out of my hand," saith he who hath all power in heaven and earth. "I give," saith the Saviour, Now, at this present....what? Grace into their hands, which, if they improve well, shall entitle them to glory? Infinitely more; nothing less than life, spiritual life, eternal life, the life of their immortal soul; this glorious gift is enjoyed by faith." This is life eternal, to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent."....John xvii. S. hands of their "They shall "None shall Thus is Christ precious, salvation certain, and eternal life secure to every believing soul; but as to the knowledge and enjoyment of this life, in the experience of saints, they often find great abatements of its vigour and comfort. Hence the various frames they are exercised with. Spiritual life, in its knowledge, comfort and enjoy. ment, is opposed by a life of sense in the christian, and spiritual opposition from within and without him; the devil, the world, and the flesh, strive to pluck Christ's sheep out of his hands. Corrupt teachers give the lie to our Saviour, and say such a thing may be: hence the hearts of his sheep are distressed; impossible for any of Christ's sheep to perish; if he doth not give eternal life to them all, then his truth must fail; the covenant-oath, promises of the God of truth, must all be broken; our faith is void, the gospel is of no effect; our comfort and joy arise from our being simple in heart, firmly relying upon our Saviour's declaration, living upon his word, looking to him, and expecting, without the least doubt, we shall most certainly be "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.".... Pet. i. 5. |