Grace Gems for MARCH, 2017

This is too much!

(Edward Payson, 1783-1827)

Only to be permitted to contemplate such a being as Jehovah . . .
to ponder goodness, holiness, justice, mercy, patience and sovereignty - personified and condensed;
to ponder them united with eternity, infinite power, unerring wisdom, omnipresence, and all sufficiency;
to ponder all these natural and moral perfections indissolubly united and blended in sweet harmony - in one pure, spiritual being, and that being placed on the throne of the universe
- to ponder this would be happiness enough to fill the mind of any creature in existence!

But in addition to this,
to have this ineffable Being for my God, my portion, my all;
to be permitted to say, "This God is my God forever and ever!"
to have His resplendent countenance smile upon me;
to be encircled in His everlasting arms of power and faithfulness and love;
to hear His voice saying to me, "I am yours - and you are Mine! Nothing shall ever pluck you from My hands, or separate you from My love - but you shall be with Me where I am, behold My glory, and live to reign with Me forever and ever!"

This is too much! It is honor, it is glory - it is happiness too overwhelming, too transporting for mortal minds to conceive, or for mortal frames to support!

In Heaven, the saints will be entirely lost and swallowed up in God, and their minds will be so completely absorbed in the contemplation of His ineffable, infinite, uncreated glories!

Oh, then, what must it be, to escape forever from error and ignorance and darkness and sin - into the region of bright, unclouded, eternal day!

What must it be, to behold your God and Redeemer face to face!

What must it be, to continually to contemplate, with immortal strength - glories so dazzlingly bright, that one moment's view of them would now, like a stream of lightning, turn your frail bodies into dust!

What must it be to see the eternal volume of the divine counsels, the mighty map of the divine mind, unfolded to your eager, piercing gaze!

What must it be to explore the heights and depths, the lengths and breadths of the Redeemer's love - and still to see new wonders, glories, and beauties pouring upon your minds in constant, endless succession, calling forth new songs of praise - songs in which you will unite with the innumerable choirs of angels, with the countless myriads of the redeemed, all shouting with a voice like the voice of many waters, "Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns!"

The general cause of all suffering!

(James Buchanan, "Improvement of Affliction" 1840)

"In the day of prosperity be happy - but in the day of adversity CONSIDER: God has made the one as well as the other." Ecclesiastes 7:14

In the day of adversity, you should consider the causes and occasions of suffering in general - and especially, inquire into the causes and occasions of your own affliction at the present time.

As to the general cause of all suffering - it is sin, and nothing else than sin. But for this accursed thing, there would be . . .
no affliction in the world,
no painful disease,
no abject poverty,
no hostile violence,
no death, and
no damnation.
All suffering proceeds from one general cause - namely, our inherent and actual sinfulness in the sight of God!

Sin is the root of all bitterness - and it is no wonder that its fruits are bitter. Rest assured, that God has not allowed so much suffering to prevail in the world from mere indifference to its welfare, or from any disposition to cruelty. No! "God is love" - and your happiness is dearer to Him than any other object - His own glory excepted.

All suffering is designed to mark His holy displeasure against sin, and to vindicate the honor of that Law which God, as the righteous moral Governor of the world, has prescribed for the regulation of our hearts and lives.

When viewed in this light, the sufferings which prevail to such a melancholy extent in the world - are fitted to deepen our conviction of the odious nature of sin. For when we reflect, on the one hand, on the infinite love of God, and His delight in the happiness of His creatures; and consider, on the other hand, how that, notwithstanding this love - God has permitted, nay, appointed so many evils to befall us - Oh! are we not sensible that sin, which is the cause of all suffering, must be, in His estimation, a most offensive and loathsome thing!

This city was a moral cesspool, a sink of pollution, filled with all corruption, and reeking with vileness!

(Charles Naylor, "In Christ, and in Ephesus" 1920)

"To the saints in Ephesus - the faithful in Christ Jesus" Ephesians 1:1

Ephesus was one of the great centers of paganism. It was adorned with costly and magnificent heathen temples. It was rich and voluptuous. Both private and public life were utterly corrupt. Even the religious practices of the Ephesians were unspeakably vile. This city was a moral cesspool, a sink of pollution, filled with all corruption, and reeking with vileness! It was a second Sodom. Vice stalked abroad everywhere - and was honored and worshiped.

We might therefore well say, "Can any good thing come out of Ephesus? Can Christianity flourish in such surroundings?"

Yes! There were saints in Ephesus - and faithful ones, too. They were such in their lives and characters as to win the commendation of that great apostle to the Gentiles. Out of that obnoxious cesspool of iniquity, were growing the pure white lilies of Christian character! That is the glory of Christianity and of Christ. Those who were now Christians were not superior to the other Ephesians - they were not by nature different. In fact, Paul tells them that they had been the children of wrath, even as the others - and that they had been such by nature. What a triumph of divine grace, which raised these people up out of such unspeakable filth - and made them faithful saints! And yet that is the power of our great Christ!

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord." Ephesians 5:8

Father knows best!

(Charles Spurgeon)

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away - may the name of the LORD be praised!" Job 1:21

"Shall we accept good from God - and not trouble?" Job 2:10

Desiring God!

(Thomas Watson, "The Lord's Prayer")

"Whom have I in Heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You!" Psalm 73:25

We may know the kingdom of grace is set up in our hearts - by having true desires after God. By the beating of this pulse - we conclude there is life.

A true desire after God is sincere. We desire God for Himself, for His intrinsic excellencies. The savor of the ointment of Christ's graces draws the virgins' desires after Him. Canticles 1:3. A true saint desires Him not only for what God has - but for what He is; not only for His rewards - but for His holiness. No hypocrite can thus desire God. He may desire God for His jewels - but not for His beauty!

A true desire after God is insatiable. It cannot be satisfied without God; let the world heap her honors and riches - they will not satisfy. No flowers or music will content him who is thirsty. Just so, nothing will quench the soul's thirst - but the blood of Christ! He faints away, his heart breaks with longing for God. Psalm 84:2; Psalm 119:20

A true desire after God is active. It flourishes into endeavor. "With my soul have I desired you in the night - yes, with my spirit within me will I seek You early." Isaiah 26:9. A soul that desires aright says, "I must have Christ! I must have grace! I must have Heaven, though I take it by storm!"

A true desire after God is supreme. We desire Christ, not only more than the world - but more than Heaven! "Whom have I in Heaven but You?" Psalm 73:25. Heaven itself would not satisfy - without Christ. Christ is the diamond in the ring of glory!

A true desire after God is increasing. A little of God will not satisfy - but the pious soul desires still more. A drop of water is not enough for the thirsty traveler. Though a Christian is thankful for the least degree of grace - yet he is not satisfied with the greatest degree of grace. He still thirsts for more of Christ, and His Spirit. A saint would have more knowledge, more sanctity, more of Christ's presence. A glimpse of Christ through the lattice of an ordinance is sweet; but the soul will never stop longing - until it sees Him face to face! It desires to have grace perfected in glory! It desires to be wholly plunged into the sweetness of God. We would be swallowed up in God, and be forever bathing ourselves in those perfumed waters of pleasure which run at His right hand!

Surely this sincere desire after God is a blessed sign that the kingdom of grace has come into our hearts. The beating of this pulse shows life! Desires for God - are from God. If iron moves upwards contrary to its nature - it is a sign some magnet has been drawing it. Just so, if the soul moves towards God in sincere desires - it is a sign the magnet of the Spirit has been drawing it!

"He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him." Psalm 145:19

(James Smith, "Christ Exalted, Saints Comforted, and Sinners Directed" 1855)

If we look at the comparisons which are made use of by the Holy Spirit to set Christ forth - we behold something more of His loveliness.

He is compared to a MOTHER, and is said to have more than a mother's tenderness, kindness, and care.
His concern for His people is constant,
He never loses sight of them for a moment, and
He pledges His Word that He will never forget them!

He is the CITY of REFUGE, with . . .
the broad and clear road,
the gates wide open, and
the hearty welcome awaiting every sinner who approaches to escape the threatened vengeance!

He is the STRONGHOLD, which emboldens, supplies, and secures all the prisoners of hope.

He is the ROCK, which shades, shelters, and refreshes the weary traveler.

He is the DAY-STAR, which betokens brighter scenes, and guides the vessel of mercy across the boisterous deep - to the haven of perfect redemption and safety.

He is the SUN of RIGHTEOUSNESS, whose rising . . .
cheers the benighted pilgrim,
makes glad the weary citizen of Heaven, and
produces moral beauty and fruitfulness in our world.

He is the APPLE-TREE among the trees of the forest . . .
whose blossoms are beautiful,
whose shade is refreshing, and
whose fruit is sweet to the taste.

He is the BREAD of LIFE, which came down from heaven . . .
satisfying the hungry,
strengthening the weak, and
giving life unto the world.

He is the BRAZEN SERPENT, which heals easily, instantly, and perfectly - all who look to Him by faith.

He is the WATER of SALVATION, which . . .
cleanses the filthy,
refreshes the weary, and
makes glad the city of God.

He is the only WAY, which leads from sin, condemnation, and wrath - to life, holiness, and heaven!

He is the HEAD, which thinks, plans, and contrives for the welfare of the whole of His mystical body.

He is the DOOR, which admits to . . .
the pastures of Divine truth,
the privileges of His Church below,
and His Father's glorious presence!

He is the FOUNDATION on which all must build for eternity, and which alone is able to support our hopes and sustain our souls - amidst the wreck of matter and the crash of worlds!

He is the CORNER-STONE, which unites, beautifies, and strengthens the whole building of divine mercy.

He is the TEMPLE, where God . . .
meets with us,
accepts us, and
imparts His blessing to us.

He is the ALTAR, which sanctifies both the gift and the giver.

He is the VINE, which communicates life, nourishment, and fruitfulness to all its branches.

He is the ROSE of SHARON and the LILY of the VALLEY - fragrant, lovely, attractive, perfuming, and unequaled in beauty and grace!

He is the FORERUNNER, who is gone before His flock . . .
removing the obstacles,
marking out the road, and
ready to receive them as they finish their course.

He is the FRIEND . . .
who loves at all times,
whose mind never changes,
whose love never cools, and
who never neglects a friend in distress.

He is the greatest, best, and most glorious GIFT of GOD - including, securing, and conferring - every good thing upon those who sincerely receive Him.

He is the KINSMAN . . .
who redeems the forfeited inheritance,
who ransoms all His poor relatives from slavery,
and whose name is held in renown.

He is the LAMB of GOD, who took up, expiated, and forever put away - the sins of all who trust in Him.

He is the MESSENGER of the COVENANT, who . . .
brings good news from God,
carries all our requests to God, and
ever stands as a Mediator between us and God.

He is the PEARL of GREAT PRICE, or the priceless pearl, which . . .
all who sincerely seek - find,
all who find - may claim, and
all who possess - are enriched forever!

He is the PHYSICIAN, who . . .
heals all spiritual disorders,
restores every patient to perfect health,
and bestows medicine and care, freely.

He is the RANSOM, which . . .
procured our release,
ensures our liberty, and
preserves us from going down into the pit!

He is the RIGHTEOUSNESS, which . . .
justifies us from all charges,
entitles us to eternal life, and
enables us to lift up our heads with boldness in God's presence.

He is the TRUTH, which . . .
enlightens the mind,
purifies the heart, and
regulates the life.

He is the FIRE, which . . .
purges our dross,
brightens our graces, and
cleanses our consciences from works which deserve death.

He is the SHEPHERD, who . . .
knows every sheep,
watches over the whole flock, and
never loses a lamb, by disease, accident, or beast of prey.

He is the CAPTAIN of SALVATION, who . . .
collects His soldiers,
disciplines His troops, and
leads them forth to certain victory over sin, the world, and the devil.

He is the LADDER, by which we . . .
rise from this earth,
lose sight of carnal things, and
ascend to the presence of God!

He is the SURETY . . .
who engaged for us in the everlasting covenant,
who is held responsible for our salvation,
who has pledged to set us before His father's throne forever.

He is the WALL of FIRE, which surrounds, enlightens and infallibly protects - all His redeemed people!

He is the chief among ten thousand, and the ALTOGETHER LOVELY ONE!

Precious Lord Jesus, allow me . . .
to know You more fully,
to trust You more heartily,
to serve You more diligently,
to enjoy You more frequently,
to imitate You more closely,
to exalt You more highly, and
to show forth Your salvation from day to day!

Your love - is my Heaven,
Your presence - is my delight, and
Your service - is the joy of my heart!

Let me daily . . .
walk with You,
work for You, and
bring glory to You!

Oh, send Your Spirit to my poor heart . . .
to exalt You,
to honor You,
to endear You to my soul!

Use me to bring . . .
lost sinners to Your cross,
believers to Your throne of grace,
backsliders to the path of obedience.

Be my . . .
strength in life,
solace in death, and
eternal portion beyond the grave!

The terms upon which God in the gospel offers Christ!

(Matthew Mead)

The terms upon which God in the gospel offers Christ, are:

1. That we shall receive a broken Christ with a broken heart.
A broken Christ with a broken heart - is a witness of our humility.

A broken Christ respects His suffering for sin.
A broken heart respects our sense of our sin.

2. That we shall receive a whole Christ with the whole heart.
A whole Christ with a whole heart - is a witness of our sincerity.

A whole Christ includes all of His offices - as King, Priest, Prophet, and Mediator. Without any one of these offices, the work of salvation could not have been completed.

A whole heart includes all our faculties.

The fruits and effects He produces

(J.C. Ryle, "The Holy Spirit")

"When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment." (John 16:8)

Where the Holy Spirit is, there will always be deep conviction of sin - and true repentance for it. It is His special office to convict of sin.

He shows the exceeding holiness of God.

He teaches the exceeding corruption and infirmity of our nature.

He strips us of our blind self-righteousness.

He opens our eyes to our awful guilt, folly and danger.

He fills the heart with sorrow, contrition, and abhorrence for sin - as the abominable thing which God hates.

He who knows nothing of all this, and saunters carelessly through life, thoughtless about sin, and indifferent and unconcerned about his soul - is a dead man before God! He has not the Holy Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in a man's heart can only be known by the fruits and effects He produces. Mysterious and invisible to mortal eye as His operations are - they always lead to certain visible and tangible results.

Just as you know there is life in a tree by its sap, buds, leaves and fruits - just so you may know the Spirit to be in a man's heart by the influence He exercises over his thoughts, affections, opinions, habits, and life. I lay this down broadly and unhesitatingly. I see it clearly marked out in our Lord Jesus Christ's words, "Every tree is known by his own fruit." Luke 6:44

He will sustain you!

(J.R. Miller)

"Cast your burden upon the Lord - and He will sustain you." Psalm 55:22

The promise is not that the Lord will remove the load we cast upon Him, nor that He will carry it for us - but that He will sustain us so that we may carry it.
He does not free us from the duty - but He strengthens us for it.
He does not deliver us from the conflict - but He enables us to overcome.
He does not withhold or withdraw the trial from us - but He helps us in trial to be submissive and victorious, and makes it a blessing to us.
He does not mitigate the hardness or severity of our circumstances, taking away the difficult elements, removing the thorns, making life easy for us - but He puts Divine grace into our hearts, so that we can live sweetly in all the hard, adverse circumstances.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" Philippians 4:13

We all have our Ashtareth!

(John MacDuff, "Brief Thoughts for the Followers of Jesus" 1855)

The best of men - are but men at best! We all have many remaining corruptions - we are all encompassed with many infirmities. And what effect should the consideration of this humiliating but undoubted truth, produce? Ought it not, among other results, to excite in us a spirit of constant watchfulness?

We are frail creatures - ever liable to fall! And being exposed, in addition, to the wiles of our spiritual adversaries - our danger is considerably greater. It is on our indwelling corruptions that Satan works - and often, alas, with sad success!

In addition to our general infirmities, it is probable that there is some one, or more besetting sins - to which we are particularly liable; in which case it befits us to be doubly on our guard!

"If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts - then rid yourselves of the foreign gods - and the Ashtoreths; and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him only - and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." 1 Samuel 7:3

Samuel exhorts them to rid themselves of the foreign gods - and the Ashtoreths. But was not Ashtareth simply one of the many idols - an idol like all the rest? Would not one specification, therefore, do for all? It appears not. And why? It was because Ashtareth was their favorite idol, after whom they were specially liable to go! So that while they were to put away all their foreign gods - they were to put away their Ashtoreths in particular.

And just so with us. We all have our Ashtareth, of whom, by reason of . . .
the temper of our minds,
or the constitution of our bodies,
or our circumstances in life -
we are in especial danger! And while we are to be on our guard against every sin - our spiritual forces must be mustered against this besetting sin with more than ordinary energy and decision. We are to "lay aside every weight - and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us - looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."

Compassed about, then, as we are, with infirmities - some of a more special, and others of a more general nature - we should continually be on our watch-tower! Let us never dream that we are free from danger; for when we imagine that there is the least danger - there may be the greatest!

Reader, remember therefore, and that continually, the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, "Watch and pray - lest you enter into temptation!"

Fly into the bosom of Christ for refuge and safety!

(J.R. Miller, "Intimate Letters on Personal Problems" 1914)

"Whoever humbles himself like this child, is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 18:4

It is very sweet just to nestle down in the bosom of Christ - to be as a little child with Him. Those who come otherwise do not get near to Him - but the child-like always find a close place in His heart. So the more like children we can be in our trust and in the simplicity of our faith, in humbleness of disposition, in willingness to do His will and to learn of Him - the nearer to Him shall we get, and the more shall we enjoy of His love.

Some years ago, as I was passing along one of our streets one afternoon, I heard a fluttering of birds over my head and, looking up, saw a little bird flying wildly about in circles, chased by a hawk! The bird flew down lower and lower, and then darted into my bosom, under my coat. I cannot quite express to you, the feeling which filled my heart at that moment - that a little bird, chased by an enemy, had come to me for refuge, trusting me in time of danger. I laid my hand over the bird, which nestled as quietly and confidently under my coat, as a baby would in a mother's bosom. I carried the little thing along for several blocks until I thought the way was clear of danger, and then let it out. It flew away into the air again, but showed no fear of me. Ever since that experience, I have understood better what it is to fly into the bosom of Christ for refuge and safety in time of danger, or in time of distress.

All this helps me to understand better what it means to Jesus when we, hunted and chased by enemies, or suffering from weakness or pain - fly to Him and hide ourselves in His love.

That is all we need to do - just to creep into the bosom of Christ, and lie down there, with no fear, no anxiety, but with simple trust.

The lines of Wesley's old hymn have meant more to me ever since:

Nothing less than a LIVING Christ will do for us!

(J.R. Miller, "Miller's Year Book - a Year's Daily Readings")

"He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:4

If your faith stops at the cross - it misses the blessing of the fullest revealing of Christ!

You need a Savior who not merely two thousand years ago went to death to redeem you - but one who also is alive to walk by your side in loving companionship!

You need a Savior . . .
who can hear your prayers,
to whose feet you can creep in penitence when you have sinned,
to whom you can call for help when the battle is going against you.

You need a Savior who is interested in all the affairs of your common life, and who can assist you in every time of need.

You need a Christ who can be a real friend - loving you, keeping close beside you, able to sympathize with your weaknesses.

You need a Savior who will come into your life, and will save you, not by one great act of centuries past - but by a life warm and throbbing with love today, and living again in you.

A DYING Christ alone, will not satisfy our heart. We must have the living One for our friend! Nothing less than a LIVING Christ will do for us! And that is the Christ the gospel brings to us: one who was dead - and is now alive for ever and ever!

"My soul thirsts for God, for the living God!" cried the psalmist, and cries every redeemed soul. It is only as we realize the truth of a living Christ - that our hearts are satisfied. We crave love . . .
a bosom to lean upon,
a hand to touch ours,
a heart whose beatings we can feel,
a personal friendship that will come into our life with . . .
    its sympathy,
    its inspiration,
    its companionship,
    its shelter,
    its life, and
    its comfort.

"I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!" Revelation 1:18

(J.R. Miller, "Miller's Year Book - a Year's Daily Readings")

"The Lord has heard all your grumblings against Him!" Exodus 16:8

Does God really hear every discontented word which I ever speak?

Does He hear when I grumble about the weather . . .
about the hard winter,
about the late spring,
about the dry summer,
about the wet harvest?

Does He hear when I grumble . . .
about the frosts,
about the drought,
about the high winds,
about the storms?

Does He hear when I grumble . . .
about my circumstances,
about the hardness of my lot,
about my losses and disappointments?

If we could get into our heart, and keep there continually, the consciousness that God hears every word we speak - would we murmur and complain so much as we now do?

We are careful never to speak words which would give pain to the hearts of those we love. Are we as careful not to say anything that will grieve our heavenly Father?

"I tell you this - that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak!" Matthew 12:36

"He who complains of the weather - complains of the God who ordains the weather!" William Law

Like sugar in our tea!

(James Smith, "Comfort for the Christian")

"Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things!" Matthew 6:32

God will display His wisdom - in promoting the eternal welfare of all His children. God's ways are not our ways. They are always profoundly wise; and His wisdom will in the end stand conspicuous and glorious in His paternal dealings with all of His children.

"For what son is not chastened by his father?" Hebrews 12:7
Beloved, if God is our Father - He will chastise us!
   We need it!
   We deserve it!
   We shall have it!

But He will mix mercy with every affliction. Like sugar in our tea - it sometimes lies at the bottom, and needs stirring up!

But there is always mercy there! A cup of unmixed wrath was put into the hands of Jesus - that such a cup might never be put into our hands!

There is sweetness, in the bitterest cup which our Father gives us!

Let us therefore look for the sugar - as we sip the bitter potion!

The dirty lane!

(Thomas Brooks, "Words of Counsel to a Dear Dying Friend")

"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

Look upon your dying day as a gainful day. There is no gain compared to that which comes in by death. A Christian gets more by death, than he does by life. To be in Christ is very good - but to be with Christ is best of all, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!" Philippians 1:23. It was a mighty blessing for Christ to be with Paul on earth - but it was the top of blessings for Paul to be with Christ in Heaven! Seriously consider these things:

By death you shall gain incomparable crowns!
A crown of life, Revelation 2:10, James 1:12.
A crown of righteousness, 2 Timothy 4:8.
An incorruptible crown, 1 Corinthians 9:24-25.
A crown of glory, 1 Peter 5:4.
There are no crowns compared to these crowns!

By death you shall gain a glorious kingdom! "It is your Father's pleasure to give you a kingdom!" We must put off their rags of mortality - that we may put on our robes of glory! There is no entering into paradise - but under the flaming sword of this angel, death - who stands at the gate.

Death is the dirty lane through which the saint passes . . .
to a kingdom,
to a great kingdom,
to a glorious kingdom,
to a peaceful kingdom,
to an unshaken kingdom,
to a durable kingdom,
to a lasting kingdom, yes,
to an everlasting kingdom!

Death is the dark, short way, through which the saints pass to the marriage-supper of the Lamb!

The path of providence is often paved with difficulties and beset with perplexities with which we can hardly cope.

Our way to Heaven is through an intricate wilderness, and across a circuitous desert.

To many even of the Lord's people, this is literally the case. Visit their abodes, and ponder the struggle passing within. All is . . .
poverty and discomfort,
penury of bread,
scantiness of clothing,
pining sickness,
loathsome disease,
excruciating suffering,
with no human friends, no soothing alleviation, no earthly comforts.

Christ dwells in that obscure abode! God's eye is watching over it! There is . . .
gnawing poverty - and yet boundless wealth;
deep need - and yet a rich supply;
acute suffering - and yet exquisite pleasure;
keen sorrow - and yet unspeakable joy!

And why these paradoxes? How are we to understand these strange contradictions?

The apostle gives us a clue in a page of his own history.
"As unknown - and yet well known;
as dying - and behold, we live;
as chastened - and not killed;
as sorrowful - yet always rejoicing;
as poor - yet making many rich;
as having nothing - yet possessing all things!"

The possession of Christ explains it! He who has Christ in him, and Christ with him, and the hope of being forever with Christ in glory - is not a poor, nor a sorrowful, nor a suffering, nor a lonely man. He can say, "I am not alone, for my Father is with me! I am not poor, for all things are mine! My body is diseased - but my soul is in health! I have all and abound!"

Can we for a moment doubt His perfect power . . .
to undertake all the cares,
to cope with all the difficulties,
to solve all the doubts, and
to disentangle all the perplexities brought to Him by His saints in all places and at all times!

"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name - you are Mine! When you go through deep waters and great trouble - I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty - you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression - you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior!" Isaiah 43:1-3

Some professors of religion are like the catbird!

(Charles Naylor, "How to Fertilize Love" 1920)

There are very many things that may choke out love in the home. One of these is the lack of kindness. If you have grown less kind in your feelings, in your actions, and in your words - then love cannot thrive. Kindness is one of the best fertilizers for love.

There are so many people who have two sets of tones in which to speak - and two sets of manners in which they act. They have their company manners - and their family manners. When they have company - then the voice is soft and pleasant, and the manners are agreeable and kindly. They treat their friends with the greatest consideration; but as soon as their friends are gone, the pleasant voice changes into crossness or harshness and fault-finding - and the pleasantness of manner disappears! In how many homes is this true!

The greater consideration, the greater kindness - is due the home folks. Otherwise, love cannot flourish. If you wish to have love for your home folks - then you must show them the consideration that is due them.

Some professors of religion are like the catbird! When it is away from its nest - then it is one of the sweetest of the northern warblers; but when it is close to its nest - then you will hear only a harsh, discordant note. It has no sweetness in its voice while at its nest.

In the same way, some people reserve all their kindness, tenderness, and sweetness - for those outside the family circle. Is it any wonder that love dies in such a home?

"Love must be without hypocrisy." Romans 12:9

How is the plowing of the wicked, sin?

(George Lawson, "A Practical Exposition of the Book of Proverbs" 1821)

"The plowing of the wicked is sin." Proverbs 21:4

How is the plowing of the wicked, sin - when they are commanded to plow, and severely reproved for the neglect of that work by which they ought to support themselves and their families?

Whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do - we are required to do all to the glory of God. But the wicked man neither eats nor drinks, nor plows, nor sows, to the glory of God - and therefore he lives in a course of sin, even when he is employed in those actions which are most innocent or necessary.

His soul is infected deeply with the venom of sin, which spreads itself over all his life. For to the unbelieving and impure, there is nothing holy. They are corrupt trees - and no fruit that grows upon them can be good. Their hands are defiled with sin, and their fingers with iniquity - and, therefore, everything they touch must be defiled by their impurity!

What then must the wicked do? Must they leave off all work, lest they should sin in doing it? By no means. Their business is to get free of that plague of sin which spreads infection to everything they meddle with. Let them have recourse, like the leper, to Christ - that He may make them clean - and then being pure, everything will become pure to them.

The chisel of affliction!

(Charles Naylor)

[Editor's note: Naylor is peculiarly qualified to write on affliction by his training in the school of suffering. As a young evangelist, Naylor was severely injured in an accident. For forty-one years as an invalid, he lay day and night on a bed of pain as a constant sufferer.]

"God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it!" Hebrews 12:10-11

One thing very difficult for many Christians to learn, is that the chastening rod of God is applied in love, not in anger. We are told that God "scourges every son whom He receives," and that that scourging is the proof of our sonship. So often people are inclined to take God's chastisement as an evidence that they are no longer His sons. They look upon it as a mark of God's disapproval - or even of His anger. But Scripture tells us that His chastening is for our profit. He does it not for His own pleasure - but that we may be made holier by it. It is a mark of His love. He says, "As many as I love - I rebuke and chasten!" Revelation 3:19

Note carefully God's attitude in His chastening in Hebrews 12. We are all ready to admit the truth of the eleventh verse, "No chastening for the present seems to be joyous - but grievous." None of us like to be chastened - but yet it is necessary; out of chastening come the fruits of righteousness. When the Lord chastens us, therefore, let us bear it with meekness. Let us profit by it. Let us neither be grieved nor discouraged.

Gold is purified in the furnace. It is not destroyed - it is made the better by the flames.

In the same way, every believer must pass through the furnace. The purpose of the furnace is . . .
that we may be purged from our dross,
that our graces may be refined,
that we may be rid of worldliness,
that we may be made more holy.

If you and I have to pass through the furnace of affliction or sorrow, of losses or failures - then let us submit ourselves to the hand of God. Let us not question either His mercy or His goodness.

We must often endure the chisel of affliction, as God carves us into His image. We desire to be in His image. We desire to be godlike in character. Remember that God only afflicts for our good. Like the surgeon, God does not hurt willingly - but only of necessity.

In our times of trouble, He would have us run into His arms and tell Him all our troubles, our questionings, our heartaches!

Occasionally, I am tempted to complain of my hard lot - and think myself harshly dealt with. Ingratitude rises and works in my heart. This always makes me wretched. I then find it profitable to look down into Hell - and realize its horrors and agonies as my just deservings.

If justice was ever honored in a sinner's damnation - it would have been in mine!

Shall I then, who deserve to be in Hell - but am not;
shall I, who am an heir of Heavenly glory - though no one ever deserved it less;
shall I, because of a few trials, troubles, and disappointments, or because I have rather a heavy cross to carry - shall I dare to murmur, or fret, or complain, or think myself harshly dealt with?

What are my present pains or sufferings - compared with the Hell that I deserve!

All the afflictions that I am called to endure here on earth - cannot be compared with only twenty-four hours in Hell! And yet my desert is, not to be in Hell for a few hours - but forever! Surely every lost soul, every damned spirit - will be ready to upbraid me - if I complain of my present lot! What base gratitude - if I do not praise the Lord with joyful lips, for His rich, free, and sovereign grace!

O my soul, whenever I am tempted to complain of my difficult lot - think of my deservings! Think of what would have been my eternal doom - if God had not saved me by His sovereign grace!

Yes, I do find that looking down into Hell . . .
silences my complaints,
awakens my gratitude, and
humbles me in the dust before my God!

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Deceitful & desperately wicked!

(William S. Plumer, "Sinners Saved by Unmerited Kindness")

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is DECEITFUL. Man is the only creature on earth that seems to practice self-deception. That we should sometimes deceive others, is proof of our depravity; but that we should spend our lives in self-deception, is truly astonishing! Men of the fewest virtues, commonly have the highest thoughts of themselves. How strange and yet how common, that he whose heart has deceived him a thousand times - should yet confide in it as if it had always been honest!

The human heart deceives every being but one. It would deceive Him - if He were not omniscient. None but God knows all the depths of iniquity and duplicity within us.

Though the language of the Bible is strong, it is just. God declares, and every Christian knows by sad experience - that his heart is deceitful above all things. A perfect knowledge of the treachery of our hearts, is possessed by none but God.

The heart is also VILE. It is "desperately wicked."
It loves vanity, and folly and sin.
It hates holiness, and truth and divine restraints.
It is . . .
a sink of iniquity,
a pool of pestilential waters,
a cage of unclean birds, and
a sepulcher full of dead men's bones!
It is torn by wild, fierce, unhallowed passions.
It rejects good - and chooses evil.
It is wholly corrupt.
It is full of evil.
There is no soundness in it.

"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." Matthew 15:19

"He who trusts in his own heart is a fool!" Proverbs 28:26

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Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward!

(Charles Naylor)

"Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward!" Job 5:7

"Through many hardships and tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God." Acts 14:22

No one has ever lived, who has not had his times of discouragement, heaviness, sorrow and disappointment. Cares and afflictions come to all.

Life has its adversities - it must needs have them. Adversity, pain, sorrow, and disappointment - are the lathe upon which God shapes us. They are the grinding-wheel which grinds and smoothes us. They are the polishing-wheel which makes us shine.

If we can never be happy until we are so situated that nothing exists which may tend to render us unhappy - then we shall have little happiness in life.

Happiness does not come from a life of ease and indolence. It is not the result of the absence of obstacles and difficulties. Happiness comes from triumphing over them. Therefore the song of true happiness, often arises from the soul which undergoes many adversities.

Dear soul, Jesus knows all about your troubles. He knows every heartache, every difficulty, everything you must overcome, everything you must bear. Trusting in His grace, relying upon His help - you shall soon find your heart filling again with melody, for the clouds will pass away!

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away!" Revelation 21:4

"They started shouting again and kept it up for two hours: Great is Diana of the Ephesians! Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" Acts 19:34

So long as they remain in their natural state, the world is, in some form or other, the great goddess Diana - the grand idol of all its inhabitants!

Their hearts,
their minds,
their memories,
their imaginations,
are full of the world.

In a word, it is all in all to them! And all the while, they give scarcely a word, a look, or a thought to Him who made and preserves them - and who really is all in all.

What is it that you wish for?

(Edward Payson, 1783-1827)

What is it that you wish for? My unconverted friends, I will tell you what you wish for. You wish to live as you please here on earth, to disobey your Creator, to neglect your Savior, and to fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the mind. And at death, you wish to be admitted into a kind of sensual paradise, where you may taste again the same pleasures which you enjoyed on earth.

You wish that God would break His Word - and stain His justice, purity, and truth.

You wish that God would sacrifice His own rightful authority, and the best interests of the universe - to the gratification of your own sinful propensities!

He is angry to see rational, immortal and accountable beings - spending twenty, forty, or sixty years in trifling and sin; serving numerous idols, lusts, and vanities, and living as if death were an eternal sleep!

He is angry to see you forgetting your Maker in childhood, in youth, in manhood - and making no returns for all His benefits.

He is angry to see you casting off His fear and rebelling against Him - who has nourished and sustained you.

He is angry to see you seeking everything in preference to the one thing needful.

He is angry to see you loving the praise of men more than the praise of God; and fearing those who can only kill the body, more than Him who has power to cast both soul and body into Hell.

He is angry to see that you disregard alike His threatenings and His promises, His judgments and His mercies.

He is angry that you bury in the earth the talents He has given you, and bring forth no fruit to His glory.

He is angry that you neglect His Word and His Son, and perish in impenitency and unbelief.

These are sins of which every person, in an unconverted state, is guilty. And for these things God is angry - daily angry, greatly and justly angry! And unless His anger is speedily appeased, it will most certainly prove your everlasting destruction!

Fanning the inextinguishable fire, and sharpening the tooth of the immortal worm!

(Edward Payson, 1783-1827)

If you would learn the full extent of that wretchedness which sin produces - then you must follow it into the eternal world, and descend into those regions where peace and hope never come. There behold sin tyrannizing over its wretched victims with uncontrollable fury - fanning the inextinguishable fire, and sharpening the tooth of the immortal worm!

See angels and archangels, thrones and dominions, principalities and powers - stripped of all their original glory and beauty - bound in eternal chains, and burning with rage and malice against that Being in whose presence they once rejoiced, and whose praises they once sang!

See multitudes of the human race, in unutterable agonies of anguish and despair - cursing the Giver and Prolonger of their existence, and vainly wishing for annihilation to put an end to their miseries.

Follow them through the long, long ages of eternity - and see them sinking deeper and deeper in the bottomless abyss of ruin! View them perpetually blaspheming God because of their plagues, and receiving the punishment of these blasphemies in continued additions to their wretchedness.

Such are the wages of sin - such the doom of the finally impenitent!

From these depths of anguish and despair - look up to the mansions of the blessed, and see to what a height of glory and felicity, the grace of God will raise every sinner who repents. See those who are thus favored in unutterable ecstasies of joy, love, and praise - beholding God face to face, reflecting His perfect image, shining with a splendor like that of their glorious Redeemer, and bathing in those rivers of pleasure which flow forever at God's right hand!

Choice excerpts from Edward Payson!

(Edward Payson, 1783-1827)

Every Christian is in the exact situation, which God in His infinite wisdom sees best for him!
   ~ ~ ~ ~

The mind which has contemplated eternity - thinks lightly of the things of time!
   ~ ~ ~ ~

If you sincerely search your heart - then you will find pride, like the different layers of an onion, lurking one beneath another to the very center of it!
   ~ ~ ~ ~

Praise Christ for everything. He is the foundation of every good thought, desire, and affection.
   ~ ~ ~ ~

It should be our aim to draw all we can from Him by prayer - and return Him all we can by praise.
   ~ ~ ~ ~

He who falls from a pulpit - seldom stops short of the lowest abyss in Hell.

Does not our Friend as far excel all other friends . . .
as Heaven exceeds earth,
as eternity exceeds time,
as the Creator surpasses His creatures?

See all the fullness of the Godhead - dwelling in One who is as meek and mild as a child.
See His countenance beaming with ineffable glories - full of mingled majesty, condescension and love.
Hear the soul-reviving invitations and gracious words which proceed from His lips.
See that hand in which dwells everlasting strength - swaying the scepter of universal empire over all creatures and all worlds.
See His arms expanded to receive and embrace returning sinners.
While His heart, a bottomless, shoreless ocean of benevolence - overflows with tenderness, compassion, and love.

Will you not then embrace Him as your Friend? If you can be persuaded to do this - you will find that half, nay, that the thousandth part has not been told to you!

All the excellency, glory and beauty which is found in men or angels, flows from Christ - as a drop of water from the ocean, or a ray of light from the sun.

If, then, you supremely love the creature - can you wonder that Christians should love the Creator! Can you wonder that those who behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, should be sweetly drawn to Him by the cords of love, and lose their fondness for created glories? All that you love and admire and wish for in creatures, and indeed infinitely more - they find in Him!

Do you wish for a friend possessed of power to protect you?
Our Friend possesses all power in Heaven and earth, and is able to save even to the uttermost!

Do you wish for a wise friend?
In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Do you wish for a tender, compassionate friend?
Christ is tenderness and compassion itself.

Do you wish for a faithful, unchangeable friend?
With Christ there is no variableness nor shadow of turning. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Slighted, disobeyed, and dishonored by His creatures on earth!

(Edward Payson, 1783-1827)

I look up to Heaven and there see the blessed and only Potentate, the Creator and Upholder of all things, the infinite and eternal Sovereign of the universe - governing His vast kingdom with uncontrollable power, in a manner perfectly wise and holy and just and good. In this Being, I see my Creator, my Preserver, my unwearied Benefactor - to whom I am indebted for everything which I possess.

And what does this Being see - what has He seen, in me? He sees a frail worm of the dust, who is of yesterday and knows nothing, who cannot take a single step without making mistakes, who is wholly incompetent to guide himself, and who, by his own folly, is self-destroyed. He has seen this frail, blind, erring worm, presumptuously daring to criticize and censure His proceedings, attempting to interfere in His government of the universe; and trying to set up his own perverse will against the will of his Creator, his Sovereign, and his God; his own ignorance - against divine omniscience, and his own folly - against infinite wisdom.

Should an angel who knew nothing of our characters, but who had heard of the blessings which God has bestowed on us, visit this world - would he not expect to find every part of it resounding with the praises of God and His love? Would he not expect to hear old and young, parents and children - all blessing God for the glad tidings of the gospel?

How, then, would he be grieved and disappointed! How astonished would he be to find that Being whom he had ever heard praised in the most rapturous strains by all the bright armies of Heaven - slighted, disobeyed, and dishonored by His creatures on earth!

O, then, let us strive to wipe away this foul stain - this disgrace to our race and our world.

Let not this world be the only place, except Hell - where God is not praised.

Let us not be the only creatures, except devils - who refuse to praise Him!

How loudly and persuasively does His conduct preach!

(Edward Payson, 1783-1827)

"He who says he abides in Christ, ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." 1 John 2:6

It was highly important and desirable that the Lord Jesus should not only describe Christianity in His discourses, but exemplify it in His life and conduct. In Him, we see pure and undefiled religion embodied. In Him, Christianity lives and breathes. How convincing, how animating is our Savior's example! How loudly and persuasively does His conduct preach!

Would you learn submission to parental authority? See Him, notwithstanding His exalted character, cheerfully subjecting Himself to the will of His parents; and laboring with them, as a carpenter, for almost thirty years.

Would you learn contentment with a poor and low condition? See Him destitute of a place where to lay His head.

Would you learn active beneficence? See Him going about doing good.

Would you learn to be fervent and constant in devotional exercises? See Him rising for prayer before the dawn of day.

Would you learn in what manner to treat your brethren? See Him washing His disciples' feet.

Would you learn filial piety? See Him forgetting His sufferings, while in the agonies of death - to provide another son for His desolate mother.

Would you learn in what manner to pray for relief under afflictions? See Him in the garden of Gethsemane.

Would you learn how to bear insults and injuries? See Him on the cruel cross!

In short, there is no Christian grace or virtue, which is not beautifully exemplified in His life.

There is scarcely any situation, however perplexing, in which the Christian, who is at a loss to know how he ought to act - may not derive sufficient instruction from the example of his divine Master.

"Leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps." 1 Peter 2:21

We are lords! We don't need Him anymore!

(Edward Payson, 1783-1827)

"O my people, listen to the words of the LORD! Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been to them a land of darkness? Why then do my people say: We are lords! We don't need Him anymore!" Jeremiah 2:31

If men are indeed independent of God - then it may with safety be asserted that He is almost the only being or object in the universe on whom they are not dependent.

From the cradle to the grave, their lives exhibit little else than a continued course of dependence. They are dependent on the earth, on the water, on the air, on each other, on irrational animals, on vegetables, on unorganized substances.

Let but the sun withhold his beams, and the clouds their showers for a single year - and the whole race of these mighty, independent beings expires!

Let but a pestilential blast sweep over them - and they are gone!

Let but some imperceptible derangement take place in their frail but complicated mind - and all their boasted intellectual powers sink to the level of an idiot's mind.

Let a small portion of that food, on which they daily depend for nourishment, pass from its proper course - and they choke and expire in agony.

An insect, a needle, a thorn - has often proved sufficient to subject them to the same fate!

And while they are dependent on so many objects for the continuance of their lives - they are dependent on a still greater number for happiness and for the success of their enterprises.

Let but a single spark fall unheeded or be wafted by a breath of air - and a city, which it has cost thousands the labors of many years to erect, may be turned to ashes!

Let the wind but blow from one point rather than from another - and the hopes of the merchant are dashed against a rock.

Let but a little more, or a little less, than the usual quantity of rain descend - and in the latter case the prospects of the gardener are blasted; while, in the other, his anticipated harvest perishes beneath the clods or is swept away by an inundation.

But in vain do we attempt to describe the extent of man's dependence, or enumerate all the objects and events on which he depends. Yet all these objects and events are under the control of the great Jehovah! Without His superintendence and appointment - not a hair falls from our heads, nor a sparrow to the ground.

O how far is it, then, from being true - that man is not dependent on God!

"For in Him we live and move and have our being!" Acts 17:28