William Mason --Spiritual Treasury for the Children of God
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John 17:4
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
John 10:29
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
John 10:29
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
November 28th,
I say unto all, watch. Mar_13:37.
It is very awful, when God’s precious promises are opposed to his righteous commands. Hence some get above and beyond duty: they cannot bear the word duty! O say they, don’t tell us of duty, it is such legal stuff! We are at liberty. We are not under the law, but under grace. True, indeed they are at liberty, but it is to pervert the gospel. They are awfully under the law of sin; not under the law of love, but the spirit delusion. Their ears are closed, and their hearts shut against the sweet voice of our loving charmer, Christ. O my soul, watch against such, and their licentious notions of liberty, as you prize the love of Christ, and sweet communion with him.
He who sees no danger, and thinks he has nothing to lose, will give no attention to this command, Watch. It is here opposed to sleep. Sin is not dead. Satan never sleeps. The world ever invites and enchants. All is war against thee. Therefore, thy Lord in love calls unto thee, watch. And you have a most treacherous, most deceitful, and desperately wicked foe within, who ever takes part with your enemies without, even your heart, “out of which proceeds all evil,” (Mat_15:19.) There is not an evil in our thoughts, in our tongue, or in our life, but what is first hatched there, and springs from thence. If there was no evil within, there would be none without. Satan finds something within us to work upon, or we might bid him defiance. We cannot say as our Lord did, “the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me,” (Joh_14:30.)
No, but we have, as St. Paul had, an evil nature, “flesh, in which dwelleth no good thing,” (Rom_7:18.) O then, watch continually over the motions of your wicked heart and evil nature. Watch against high thoughts, which spring from pride: against carnal reasonings, which exalt themselves against thy Lord, and his truths, and tend to rob thee of thy peace, thy hope, and thy joy. Watch against that vile offspring of pride and carnal reason, cursed unbelief. O this is a many-headed monster. He will suggest, that truth is fiction: the way of holiness, folly; and the paths of sin delightful. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation,” (Mat_26:41.) Join prayer to watching. The diligence and number of our enemies should urge us to watch, that we be not surprised: our weakness and proneness to presumption, should make us pray to be powerfully strengthened. For though the devil takes part with all evil in us, Christ takes our part, and is before the throne for us. Heb_9:24.
My soul, be ever on thy guard,
Still watch and keep thy armour on,
Be ever looking to thy Lord,
And know thou can’st not stand alone.
O may I ever hear thy voice,
Jesus, thou Captain of my soul,
So live and walk, as to rejoice
In grace which does my pow’rs control.
I say unto all, watch. Mar_13:37.
It is very awful, when God’s precious promises are opposed to his righteous commands. Hence some get above and beyond duty: they cannot bear the word duty! O say they, don’t tell us of duty, it is such legal stuff! We are at liberty. We are not under the law, but under grace. True, indeed they are at liberty, but it is to pervert the gospel. They are awfully under the law of sin; not under the law of love, but the spirit delusion. Their ears are closed, and their hearts shut against the sweet voice of our loving charmer, Christ. O my soul, watch against such, and their licentious notions of liberty, as you prize the love of Christ, and sweet communion with him.
He who sees no danger, and thinks he has nothing to lose, will give no attention to this command, Watch. It is here opposed to sleep. Sin is not dead. Satan never sleeps. The world ever invites and enchants. All is war against thee. Therefore, thy Lord in love calls unto thee, watch. And you have a most treacherous, most deceitful, and desperately wicked foe within, who ever takes part with your enemies without, even your heart, “out of which proceeds all evil,” (Mat_15:19.) There is not an evil in our thoughts, in our tongue, or in our life, but what is first hatched there, and springs from thence. If there was no evil within, there would be none without. Satan finds something within us to work upon, or we might bid him defiance. We cannot say as our Lord did, “the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me,” (Joh_14:30.)
No, but we have, as St. Paul had, an evil nature, “flesh, in which dwelleth no good thing,” (Rom_7:18.) O then, watch continually over the motions of your wicked heart and evil nature. Watch against high thoughts, which spring from pride: against carnal reasonings, which exalt themselves against thy Lord, and his truths, and tend to rob thee of thy peace, thy hope, and thy joy. Watch against that vile offspring of pride and carnal reason, cursed unbelief. O this is a many-headed monster. He will suggest, that truth is fiction: the way of holiness, folly; and the paths of sin delightful. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation,” (Mat_26:41.) Join prayer to watching. The diligence and number of our enemies should urge us to watch, that we be not surprised: our weakness and proneness to presumption, should make us pray to be powerfully strengthened. For though the devil takes part with all evil in us, Christ takes our part, and is before the throne for us. Heb_9:24.
My soul, be ever on thy guard,
Still watch and keep thy armour on,
Be ever looking to thy Lord,
And know thou can’st not stand alone.
O may I ever hear thy voice,
Jesus, thou Captain of my soul,
So live and walk, as to rejoice
In grace which does my pow’rs control.
Romans 7:21
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Psalm 51:3
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
John 15:1
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Psalm 18:32
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Psalm 51:3
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
John 15:1
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Psalm 18:32
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
November 29,
I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. Rom_7:9.
Would you read the best experience of a true believer in Christ, that ever was written? Here it is in this chapter. Try your own. Judge of others by this. Commend me to a holy, humble Paul’s experience. If we are taught by the same Spirit, ours will answer to his, as face does to face in a glass, in the following particulars.
(1st.) A sense of sin will be revived in the conscience, which no human palliates, or lulling opiates can keep in a swoon any longer. You will so see, feel, and be sensible of its dread and terror, that you will confess yourself to be totally destroyed by it, and your case to be quite desperate under it.
(2d.) This is effected by the law. “For by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Rom_3:20.) “When the commandment came.” That is, when the purity and spirituality of the holy and perfect law of God comes into your heart and conscience, then you see that it requires truth and perfection of obedience in the inward parts, as well us in the outward walk. You see you have it not: you find it is as much impossible for you, a sinner, to fulfil God’s holy law, as it is for you to create a world.
Then, (3d.) you die. You become as a dead man. Seeing the exceeding sinfulness of sin in you, and the dreadful curse of the law hanging over you, all hopes of life forsake you. Sin and the law live within you. They pierce your soul to the quick. The law adds strength to sin. You can no longer flatter yourself, that your state is good, that you can do any thing to bring yourself upon good terms with God. You have now done with all works of righteousness to that end. You can have no more hope upon your obedience to the law, than from your transgressing against it. You see yourself sin in all that you are, and in all that you do.
But, (4th.) the hand of the Comforter is in all this. His loving design is to bring you to live by the faith of the Son of God. Instead of looking to and living by your own righteousness, you are to live wholly and solely upon his life, and by his righteousness. But while alive without the law, and striving to fulfil the law, you reject Christ-slight his righteousness-think your own better to trust in than his. Now the Spirit keeps alive sin and the law in you for this very purpose, to make you wretched in self and happy in Christ. All experiences that do not effect this, are not worth a straw. Christ, is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one who believeth. Rom_10:4.
When dead in sin, I was alive
And strong in legal confidence;
But Christ who lov’d me would not leave
My mind to rest on such pretence.
Think, O my soul, with grateful joy,
When legal terrors thee distress-
Christ sav’d thee from the fi’ry law
By his own death and righteousness.
I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. Rom_7:9.
Would you read the best experience of a true believer in Christ, that ever was written? Here it is in this chapter. Try your own. Judge of others by this. Commend me to a holy, humble Paul’s experience. If we are taught by the same Spirit, ours will answer to his, as face does to face in a glass, in the following particulars.
(1st.) A sense of sin will be revived in the conscience, which no human palliates, or lulling opiates can keep in a swoon any longer. You will so see, feel, and be sensible of its dread and terror, that you will confess yourself to be totally destroyed by it, and your case to be quite desperate under it.
(2d.) This is effected by the law. “For by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Rom_3:20.) “When the commandment came.” That is, when the purity and spirituality of the holy and perfect law of God comes into your heart and conscience, then you see that it requires truth and perfection of obedience in the inward parts, as well us in the outward walk. You see you have it not: you find it is as much impossible for you, a sinner, to fulfil God’s holy law, as it is for you to create a world.
Then, (3d.) you die. You become as a dead man. Seeing the exceeding sinfulness of sin in you, and the dreadful curse of the law hanging over you, all hopes of life forsake you. Sin and the law live within you. They pierce your soul to the quick. The law adds strength to sin. You can no longer flatter yourself, that your state is good, that you can do any thing to bring yourself upon good terms with God. You have now done with all works of righteousness to that end. You can have no more hope upon your obedience to the law, than from your transgressing against it. You see yourself sin in all that you are, and in all that you do.
But, (4th.) the hand of the Comforter is in all this. His loving design is to bring you to live by the faith of the Son of God. Instead of looking to and living by your own righteousness, you are to live wholly and solely upon his life, and by his righteousness. But while alive without the law, and striving to fulfil the law, you reject Christ-slight his righteousness-think your own better to trust in than his. Now the Spirit keeps alive sin and the law in you for this very purpose, to make you wretched in self and happy in Christ. All experiences that do not effect this, are not worth a straw. Christ, is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one who believeth. Rom_10:4.
When dead in sin, I was alive
And strong in legal confidence;
But Christ who lov’d me would not leave
My mind to rest on such pretence.
Think, O my soul, with grateful joy,
When legal terrors thee distress-
Christ sav’d thee from the fi’ry law
By his own death and righteousness.
November 30,
Be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Heb_13:5.
Preach contentment to a covetous carnal mind, and you will just have the same success, as if you bid the surging billows to be calm, or the boisterous winds be still. He possesses nothing which can give true contentment to his mind. Has he riches? they are a curse to him: for he himself is under the curse of the law. O believer! was not this, in a certain sense, your case also? You stand in need of this exhortation-“Be content.” You are the subject of a carnal nature, that is under the curse of the law: for that is ever dissatisfied, craving for more, murmuring against the dispensations of the Lord. Know and consider this. Be humble: be watchful.
Consider, (1st.) what good things of this life you have. Be they little or much, do you deserve them? Have you a right to challenge more from God, the giver of them? Here set your foot, and let conscience answer nature’s cravings. (2d.) Consider what spiritual things you have. (1st.) You have the everlasting, unchangeable love of a covenant God and Father fixed on you. (2d.) The life, death, and intercession of God the Son, for your righteousness, atonement, and salvation. (3d.) As a consequence of this, and that you may know and be sure of this, the Spirit has bestowed his graces upon you. Hence you have faith in Christ, hope towards God, love to him, delight in him, a heart to cry to him, a will to please him, a desire to walk holily before him. And, (4th.) to encourage and enable to this, you have all his precious promises in Christ. These are the stuff of your faith, the support of your hope, and the joy of your soul. What want you more? St. Paul sums up all in one word: “All things are yours.” (1Co_3:22.) Is not this enough to make you content? No, say you: I find myself such a vile sinner, I am afraid I shall forfeit all these things. So you would before the next setting sun, if you stood in yourself: but you are in Christ. Therefore, here is a covenant promise from a faithful God for you: “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” This is a most precious word for you: fasten upon it: draw comfort, derive contentment from it. Some who spoil texts, and mar comforts, cry, O! this regards things of this life only. Well, surely, if God loves his people’s bodies, he will never forsake their souls. And to silence all the cavils of unbelief, the words run-No, I will not leave thee: no, no, I will not forsake thee. Here are five negatives. “Be not faithless, but believing.” Joh_20:27.
With such a promise in my heart,
My soul, cleave close to God:
Cause all base murm’rings to depart,
Which do gainsay his word.
Content is to be found in God,
In nothing else beside;
He’ll ne’er forsake us through the road,
But to the end will guide.
[video=youtube;BAo2iZ9vWHg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAo2iZ9vWHg[/video]
Be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Heb_13:5.
Preach contentment to a covetous carnal mind, and you will just have the same success, as if you bid the surging billows to be calm, or the boisterous winds be still. He possesses nothing which can give true contentment to his mind. Has he riches? they are a curse to him: for he himself is under the curse of the law. O believer! was not this, in a certain sense, your case also? You stand in need of this exhortation-“Be content.” You are the subject of a carnal nature, that is under the curse of the law: for that is ever dissatisfied, craving for more, murmuring against the dispensations of the Lord. Know and consider this. Be humble: be watchful.
Consider, (1st.) what good things of this life you have. Be they little or much, do you deserve them? Have you a right to challenge more from God, the giver of them? Here set your foot, and let conscience answer nature’s cravings. (2d.) Consider what spiritual things you have. (1st.) You have the everlasting, unchangeable love of a covenant God and Father fixed on you. (2d.) The life, death, and intercession of God the Son, for your righteousness, atonement, and salvation. (3d.) As a consequence of this, and that you may know and be sure of this, the Spirit has bestowed his graces upon you. Hence you have faith in Christ, hope towards God, love to him, delight in him, a heart to cry to him, a will to please him, a desire to walk holily before him. And, (4th.) to encourage and enable to this, you have all his precious promises in Christ. These are the stuff of your faith, the support of your hope, and the joy of your soul. What want you more? St. Paul sums up all in one word: “All things are yours.” (1Co_3:22.) Is not this enough to make you content? No, say you: I find myself such a vile sinner, I am afraid I shall forfeit all these things. So you would before the next setting sun, if you stood in yourself: but you are in Christ. Therefore, here is a covenant promise from a faithful God for you: “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” This is a most precious word for you: fasten upon it: draw comfort, derive contentment from it. Some who spoil texts, and mar comforts, cry, O! this regards things of this life only. Well, surely, if God loves his people’s bodies, he will never forsake their souls. And to silence all the cavils of unbelief, the words run-No, I will not leave thee: no, no, I will not forsake thee. Here are five negatives. “Be not faithless, but believing.” Joh_20:27.
With such a promise in my heart,
My soul, cleave close to God:
Cause all base murm’rings to depart,
Which do gainsay his word.
Content is to be found in God,
In nothing else beside;
He’ll ne’er forsake us through the road,
But to the end will guide.
[video=youtube;BAo2iZ9vWHg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAo2iZ9vWHg[/video]
U
Not always. It can depend in part on the individuals life and how they view their life and experiences and partly how well they cope with the areas of their life they are dissatisfied with.
I am not more content now than 20 years ago. Possibly less content because i'm not happy with what i see looking back on my life and i know much of my life has passed and i can't make up for the areas i feel i've lacked in or failed in.
I am not more content now than 20 years ago. Possibly less content because i'm not happy with what i see looking back on my life and i know much of my life has passed and i can't make up for the areas i feel i've lacked in or failed in.
Okay - I'll jump into the deep end of the pool and throw it out. Hope the sharks don't come around and take this little innocent question into murky waters. If they do, you must come rescue me 
I don't really think it is shark food but we'll see.
.ooo, I see it's up, I'm going to have to ponder on that a while. You can add today's Mason quote if you want.
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November 1,
So an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. 2Pe_1:11.
Our last meditation was gloom and sadness. Here, the sun of comfort arises, and sheds splendour, glory, and joy upon us. O that we may this night enter by faith into the joy of our Lord! Come, Christian! it seems you and I must tarry a little longer on earth, absent from our Lord. How shall we employ ourselves? In studying the word of his grace: in being diligent in the use of means: in exercising ourselves unto godliness. What then? O blessed assurance! “So an entrance shall be ministered unto us abundantly.” When? both in life and in death.
(1st.) In life. We shall find a free and open door into the kingdom of Christ’s grace, love, and peace, even now. We shall have the joy in the Holy Ghost, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, in our hearts. Thus, with the full sail of assurance, and the rapid tide of heavenly consolation, we shall sweetly and swiftly sail the voyage of life. All is enjoyed in being diligent in the ways of Christ. Diligence! working! labouring! etc. Why, (say some) all these are the very dregs of legality. Ay, so it would, if we had not the faith of Christ in our hearts, love to Christ in our souls, and the glory of Christ, who has fully justified and eternally saved us, in our view. Soul, thus press on. Mind not the Satanic grin, nor licentious sneer, of carnal professors, nor of legal gospellers. Legal! to live and labour in the kingdom of love? O, fool! say, did you ever expect to enter your Lord’s kingdom any other way, than by Christ, who is the door? Do you expect to enjoy the comforts of his love, and the assurance of his favour, in a walk and way contrary to his word and will? Are we not to walk in Christ, abounding in the work of faith, the patience of hope, and the labour of love? Diligence of soul to enjoy his presence, and to be conformed to his image, is our delight below. To have every holy temper and heavenly disposition from Christ, puts the soul into a right frame to enjoy him. This is to have a constant and an abundant entrance ministered to us, into the kingdom of Christ. So living and abiding in his kingdom of grace and love, our souls grow dead to the kingdom of this world.
We rejoice to think, (2d.) of an entrance into Christ’s kingdom being abundantly ministered to us at death. Fellowship with Christ, and diligence in his ways, makes us think of death with pleasure, and familiarizes it to our mind with joy. By faith we see heaven open to admit us; God our Father, with open arms to embrace us; Christ to welcome us, and the Spirit to enable us to sing victory in death.
O! may I join the raptur’d lays,
And, with the blissful throng,
Resound salvation, pow’r, and praise
In everlasting song!
So an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. 2Pe_1:11.
Our last meditation was gloom and sadness. Here, the sun of comfort arises, and sheds splendour, glory, and joy upon us. O that we may this night enter by faith into the joy of our Lord! Come, Christian! it seems you and I must tarry a little longer on earth, absent from our Lord. How shall we employ ourselves? In studying the word of his grace: in being diligent in the use of means: in exercising ourselves unto godliness. What then? O blessed assurance! “So an entrance shall be ministered unto us abundantly.” When? both in life and in death.
(1st.) In life. We shall find a free and open door into the kingdom of Christ’s grace, love, and peace, even now. We shall have the joy in the Holy Ghost, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, in our hearts. Thus, with the full sail of assurance, and the rapid tide of heavenly consolation, we shall sweetly and swiftly sail the voyage of life. All is enjoyed in being diligent in the ways of Christ. Diligence! working! labouring! etc. Why, (say some) all these are the very dregs of legality. Ay, so it would, if we had not the faith of Christ in our hearts, love to Christ in our souls, and the glory of Christ, who has fully justified and eternally saved us, in our view. Soul, thus press on. Mind not the Satanic grin, nor licentious sneer, of carnal professors, nor of legal gospellers. Legal! to live and labour in the kingdom of love? O, fool! say, did you ever expect to enter your Lord’s kingdom any other way, than by Christ, who is the door? Do you expect to enjoy the comforts of his love, and the assurance of his favour, in a walk and way contrary to his word and will? Are we not to walk in Christ, abounding in the work of faith, the patience of hope, and the labour of love? Diligence of soul to enjoy his presence, and to be conformed to his image, is our delight below. To have every holy temper and heavenly disposition from Christ, puts the soul into a right frame to enjoy him. This is to have a constant and an abundant entrance ministered to us, into the kingdom of Christ. So living and abiding in his kingdom of grace and love, our souls grow dead to the kingdom of this world.
We rejoice to think, (2d.) of an entrance into Christ’s kingdom being abundantly ministered to us at death. Fellowship with Christ, and diligence in his ways, makes us think of death with pleasure, and familiarizes it to our mind with joy. By faith we see heaven open to admit us; God our Father, with open arms to embrace us; Christ to welcome us, and the Spirit to enable us to sing victory in death.
O! may I join the raptur’d lays,
And, with the blissful throng,
Resound salvation, pow’r, and praise
In everlasting song!
