Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. I do fear, my brethren, that very often when we consider our state, we think not so much of the guilt as of the misery. ", If we all believed this, how much easier it would be to get our churches into good order! Ah, brethren! This is called the first-fruit because it comes first. God forbid! III. And now I come to the fourth; and this also hath an encomium passed upon it "WHO ALSO MAKETH INTERCESSION FOR US." We read that, when David had cut off Saul's skirt. II. Ask him whether God has been once untrue to him and he will say, "No; not one good thing hath failed of all that the Lord God hath promised; all hath come to pass!" Now I must confess there is something very pretty about this theory, something so fascinating that I do not wonder that some of the ablest minds have been wooed and won by it. Let us begin with the word "work." "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." For it is true, beloved, the bodies that have mouldered into dust will rise again, the fabric which has been destroyed by the worm shall start into a nobler being, and you and I, though the worm devour this body, shall in our flesh behold our God. Now, the first groan which you heard was deep and dreadful, as though it were fetched from the abyss of hell; that is the groan of the ungodly man as he perishes, and leaves all his dear delights; but the second groan is so softened and sweetened, that it is rather the note of desire than of distress. Coming to our aid in our bewilderment he instructs us. Yet for our strong consolation, that we may never tremble or fear, God hath been pleased to give us these four eternal rocks, these four immovable foundations upon which our faith may rest and stand secure. I never felt anything like it before. and a voice calls, "I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest." "No," says he, "I can stop his mouth with this cry, 'It is Christ that died;' that will make him tremble, for he crushed the serpent's head in that victorious hour. I can always believe the past, and always believe the future, but the present, the present, the present, that is what staggers faith. Oh! But our liberty is incomplete. Communion is the fountain of conformity. There is but one that can claim the heir's rights, and the heir's title. Now, why did you come here till you had paid your debt? And the believer is to be the heir, I say, not merely of God's works, not simply of God's gifts, but of God himself. The enemies of truth are more numerous and subtle than ever, and the needs of the Church are greater than at any preceding time. There is no fear whatever that, by any accident or by mistake, Christ should miss the honor to which his Father hath ordained him, he must be with his Father where he is. I must confess my reason revolts against such a supposition, and though I think I might exercise a little imagination, yet I could not make my imagination sufficiently an acrobat to conceive of a man being at the same time a child of the devil, and yet a real child of God. Oh, yes, I am sure ye ought. If not, tremble, for there are but two vast families in this world. There is an amazing glory in reserve for us, and though as yet we cannot enter upon it, but in harmony with the whole creation must continue to groan and travail, yet the hope itself should minister strength to us, and enable us patiently to bear "these light afflictions, which are but for a moment." Our blessed Lord delights in fellowship; such is the greatness of his heart that he would not be alone in his glory, but would have associates in his happiness. As God, by his own right, the Lord Jesus is possessor of all things, since he made and supports all things; but as Jesus, the mediator, the federal head of the covenant of grace, he hath no rights apart from his people. He went about his Father's business; so should we ever be occupied. Come now, though this be an exceedingly noisome spot, though it be a piece of ground which thou wouldst fain leave out and give to thine enemies, yet there is a possibility of getting great treasure and great riches out of it; therefore do not scorn it. To the Christian, however, the highest good he can receive on earth is to grow in grace. C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) And now we close by noticing the confidence with which the apostle speaks. What must be the strength when the whole four are interlaced and intertwisted, and become the support of the believer? Joint heirs with Christ Jesus! We are like Jacob looking at the wagons, and the more we look at the wagons, the more we long to see Joseph's face; but our groaning after Jesus is a blessed groan, for. We see, on the other hand, the truest heroism for the right, and the greatest devotion to the truth in hearts that God has touched. I have broken away from its thralldom; the new law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the law of grace has set me free from the domination of the law of sin and death. God is well pleased with the death of Christ as the vindication of his justice, and for Christ's sake he says to me, "I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee." I must confess that I am more afraid of life than of death. Nay, ye say, we have some little gratitude towards earthly relatives. What the wealthiest man has is not his own, but God's, and if it be God's then it is Christ's, and if Christ's, then his children's; and Christ's children are often those who are hungry, and thirsty, and destitute, and afflicted, and tormented. I can see that death does not break the believer's peace; it seems rather to strengthen it. Martha is correct; but by Martha's side there stands a man who, despite all his lowliness, is very God of very God. But Solomon did not add, that things are not what they seem. This is a fact which he takes for granted because he has perceived it in the hearts of believers. It is as when two dear friends lovingly embrace with their arms around each other's neck, there is a double link binding them together. Romans 8 We can live by God's Spirit 1 Now we know this: God has forgiven those people who are united with Christ Jesus. Yes, it would. He ever liveth to secure effectually the eternal salvation of every soul for whom he died, even for every one who puts his trust in him. A pan of hot coals is blazing in the tent; Scoevola puts out his right hand and holds it; it crackles in the flame; the young man flinches not, though his fingers drop away. Do I love God? Did you ever want to hire a horse in a market-town? I would recommend that to many Christians. He was Lord of angels, seraphim and cherubim obeyed his behests; but the Son desired to be at the head of a race of beings more nearly allied to him than any existing spirits. what can destroy thee if omnipotence is thy helper? We have believed in Jesus, and it is written, "as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believed on his name.". "We know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. This is the voice of reason and of nature. O my hearer, by thy name I know thee not, and by thy name God's Word doth not declare thee, but by thy character thou mayest read thy name; and if thou hast been a partaker of the calling which is mentioned in the text, then mayest thou conclude beyond a doubt that thou art among the predestinated "For whom he did predestinate, them he also called." If you were half as happy as a groaning saint is, you might be content to groan on for ever. Go to the next house, and hear another groan. I beseech you, members of churches, deacons, or whatever you may be, lay this to heart. When he was seized by the officers of Queen Mary, to be taken to the stake to be burned, he was treated so roughly on the road that he broke his leg; and they jeeringly said, "All things work together for good, do they? This call is sent to the predestinated, and to them only; they by grace hear the call, obey it, and receive it. I know that my obedience cannot save me, but I long to obey. If this is his devotion, what must be his impiety? And I doubt not that each of you, in looking back upon your past experience as Christians, could say very much the same. Nay, he is not only dead, but he is corrupt; his lusts, like the worms, have crept into him, a foul stench riseth up into the nostrils of justice, God abhorreth him, and justice crieth, "Bury the dead out of my sight, cast it into the fire, let it be consumed." We all know that the word "carnal" here signifies fleshly. It is an unqualified statement, including every individual. He felt within him affinities with all the blood-bought race, and loved them all. How shall a celestial spirit be satisfied until it sees celestial things? If one says, "I was christened, and confirmed," answer him by saying, "Christ has died." It does not charge manhood with an aversion merely to the dominion, laws, or doctrines of Jehovah; but it strikes a deeper and surer blow. Fourthly. By G. Rogers (Continued.). It also delivers us from every fear and doubt. How will your broken leg work for your good?" What! We cannot draw the bow of prayer alone. Can you heartily say that you can never rest satisfied till you. 7, 8. Hallelujah to the grace that makes all things work together for good! I do not think it always for my good to increase in treasure, but I know it is good to grow in grace. The tall archangel before the throne is not called God's Son, he is one of the most favoured of his servants, but not his child. When you have been sitting on the judgment bench; there has been some favourite sin brought up, and you have, oh, let me blush to say it, you have wished to spare it, it was so near your heart, you have wished to let it live, whereas should you not as the son of God have said, "If my eye offend me, I will pluck it out and cast it from me, if my right hand offend me, I will cut it off, rather than I should in anything offend my God." We need only the gospel thoroughly preached to bring about "liberty, equality, and fraternity," in the highest and best sense of these words. may God grant that you may turn unto Jesus with full purpose of heart! The apostle tells us that not only is there a groan from creation, but this is shared in by God's people. Every one knows that it is a disgrace to a matchless prayer-book, that such words should be permitted to stand there-words so infamously untrue that by their gross untruthfulness they cease to have the destructive effect which more cunning language might have produced, because the conscience of man revolts against the idea that the sprinkling of drops of water upon the infants's brow can ever make it a member of Christ, and a child of God. Judge these things rightly. What does that mean? Dost thou love God, not with lip-language, but with heart-service? you might as well try to go to America in a paper boat!" Now, observe, that this conformity to Christ lies in several things. Again, cries Paul, "Who shall lay anything to my charge?" Yes, but mark, what is true one day is not false another; "the carnal mind is enmity against God" at all times. 'Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire in hell!'" I do believe that there is a supernatural way in which apart from means, the Spirit of God communicates with the spirit of man. He starts! Our Lord is the Son of the Highest, the Son of God; and truly, beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. If we could say this morning, that all the stars belong to us; if we could turn the telescope to the most remote of the fixed stars, and then could say with the pride of possession, so natural to man, "That star, a thousand times bigger than the sun, is mine. There is no opposition in God's providence; the raven wing of war is co-worker with the dove of peace. Suppose that a poor man had a great law-suit, touching his whole estate, and he was forced personally to go into court and plead his own cause, and speak up for his rights. Oh! He decrees that Christ Jesus, the Well-Beloved, even his own other self, who is one with him, should come into the world and bear the sin of man, make amends to the injured honour of God, and magnify the law before the eyes of the whole universe. If I could so read them the passage would certainly he very easy, and would very greatly alter my doctrinal views; but, as I do not find those words there, begging your pardon, I do not believe in them. He has rendered more of good to men than you ever rendered of evil. But still I think if my life were in hazard, and I stood in the dock, and my counsel were pleading for me, my tongue would be itching to plead for myself, and I should want to get up and just say, "My lord, I am innocent, innocent as the babe newly born, of the crime laid to my charge. Note the expression, "Many brethren" not that he might be the firstborn among many, but among "many brethren," who should be like himself. If you were a free man, and had married a wife, a slave, you could not feel perfectly content, but the more you enjoyed the sweets of freedom yourself, the more would you pine that she should still he in slavery. 4-6. They are sternly holy; they are, like him, ready to forgive, but they can by no means tolerate iniquity, nor hear that sin should live in their presence." I have no doubt that Paul also argued with himself from the nature of the work of grace, which is the implantation of a living and incorruptible seed which liveth and abideth for ever. 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