426 THE GREAT SALVATION. SEPTEMBER 19. The Great Salbation. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?"-Heb. ii. 3. THE great salvation-who they are that neglect it-and the impossibility of escape, are the subjects of meditation. The great salvation. It is great, because it was procured at a great price. Man had sinned, and man deserved to die; but God loved him, and desired to save him, and that he might save, gave up his Son to die. Isaac is spared, but Jesus is not. Had man wept tears of repentance all his life, they would not have saved; had the cattle on a thousand hills become victims, it would have been of no avail; but Jesus sheds his blood as an atonement, and that blood procures salvation. What a price! Finite mind cannot calculate it; eternity cannot exhaust it. It delivers from great evils. The salvation of Christ frees from the guilt of sin, destroys the dominion of sin, and rescues from the evil consequences of sin. It deprives wrath, curse, hell, of all their terrors. It provides great blessings, such as pardon of sin, the favour of God, holiness, and heaven. It enriches great numbers. It is provided for all, suited to all, offered to all, and conferred on all that believe. Who they are that neglect it.-Some neglect it altogether, and, like Gallio, care for none of these things. They are sensual, worldly, and indifferent. Some consider it only of secondary importance. If they can please men, and silence conscience, they desire no more. Some wish it, and yet neglect the means; but mere wishes never took a soul to heaven. How can the husbandman expect a crop without ploughing and sowing? and how can any one expect to be finally saved without faith and obedience? Some depend wholly on the means for salvation. The THE GREAT SALVATION. 427 means are necessary, yet there is no merit in the means. All the merit of salvation is in Christ, whose doing and dying procured it. Unless we search the Scriptures, and hear the gospel, and cry for mercy, and cast in our lot with the people of God, we cannot expect to be saved. The impossibility of escape.-"How shall we escape if we neglect?" This is a question that neither men, nor angels, nor God himself can answer, for neglecters of salvation cannot escape, even in this life. "They are condemned already." "The wrath of God abideth on them." They cannot escape at death. True, their bodies go down to the grave, and are reduced to dust; but their souls, like the soul of Judas, go to their own place. They cannot escape at the judgment. Their sin shall then find them out, alas! but too late for mercy, but soon enough, and sure enough, to seal their dreadful doom. They cannot escape through eternity. The gates of the dark prison cannot be unbarred nor stormed. There shall be weeping; what sorrow! and wailing; what lamentation! and gnashing of teeth; what rage! for ever and ever. SEPTEMBER 20. Decease of a Friend. "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.”—John, xi. 11. MARY, Martha, and Lazarus composed the small family at Bethany, so often visited by Christ during his ministry. Probably their parents were dead. Probably Lazarus was the chief or only support of his sisters; yet Lazarus sickens, his sisters are alarmed, Jesus is at a distance, a message is sent to him; Jesus, for wise reasons, delays, and Lazarus dies. The silence of death reigns in the habitation, and where is the comforter of Martha and Mary? He is still at a distance with his disciples. For wise ends 428 DECEASE OF A FRIEND. his compassionate eye is turned away from this scene of suffering; yet only for a time. He knew all, and felt all; and at length breaks silence, and says to his disciples, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth." All believers are the friends of Jesus, and of one another. Friendship implies acquaintance and intimacy. Friendship implies love and confidence. On such terms were Jesus and his disciples with the deceased Lazarus. Happy friendship! what dignity, what honour, to be called "friend" by Jesus! Abraham my friend! Lazarus my friend! Is this honour mine? The friends of Jesus die as well as others.- Death is certain to all. "What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?" Death often comes when least expected. “As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death." Death to the friends of Jesus is not a curse, but a blessing. It is the messenger of peace that calls the soul to heaven. It is not an enemy, but a smiling friend. Death to the friends of Jesus is but a sleep.-Oh the quietness and stillness of the chamber of death, when the last struggle is over! Oh the sweetness of repose after the fatigue and anguish of dying! Oh the security of soul and body! The soul is in paradise, the body is in the safe-keeping of Christ, and dear to him; so that there is no annihilation, but only sleep. The death of friends is well known to Jesus.-He may be at a distance on his Father's business; he may not choose to manifest himself for a time; but he knows all about them, he thinketh upon them, and careth for them, and sympathizes with the survivors. He is with them in the furnace, and in all their afflictions he is afflicted. There is hope of awaking again.-The sleep of death is but temporary. Jesus himself slept; but on the morning of the third day he awoke, and rose the first-fruits from DECEASE OF A FRIEND. 429 the dead. What a harvest must follow! On the morning of the resurrection, his voice shall resound through creation, and awake every slumberer. I shall see this amazing spectacle; I shall mingle in the vast throng. The Judge's smile shall welcome me, and his sentence of approbation consummate my bliss. SEPTEMBER 21. Sabing Knowledge. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."-John, xvii. 3. LET us contemplate the Persons mentioned-the saving knowledge of them-and the issue of this knowledge. The Persons mentioned.-"The only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Jehovah is called "the only true God," not in opposition to, or distinction from Christ, for he is also called "the true God;" but in opposition to all idols and false gods. The Son is called Jesus, because he is the Saviour, the almighty, the suitable, and the only Saviour of sinners; and he is called Christ, because he is anointed by the Father to be mediator, and the prophet, priest, and king of his church. He has been sent by the Father into our world to save sinners; and, that he might save them, to suffer and die for them. If we would have eternal life, it is not enough for us to know the only true God; we must also know Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. The saving knowledge of them.-"That they might know." This knowledge supposes spiritual discernment. Any amount of knowledge of God's word cannot be saving, without the enlightening influences of the Holy Spirit. He is the only agent that can connect the darkened mind with revealed truth. This knowledge supposes faith. "They that know thy name will put their trust in thee;" 430 SAVING KNOWLEDGE. hence all who have a spiritual eye to discern the truth, will believe that "there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." This knowledge supposes love: "Knowledge puffeth up; but love edifieth;" hence "if any man love God, the same is known of him." God knows him, and he knows God, and knows him savingly. This knowledge supposes and leads to obedience: "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." "He "He that The issue of this knowledge.-"This is life eternal." This is spiritual life. He who has saving knowledge is born again, is a new creature. He was once dead; but now he is alive unto God, through the Lord Jesus Christ. "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live." This is present life. He does not need to wait for new existence till he is done with the world; he has it even now. that believeth on me hath everlasting life." hath the Son hath life." What a treasure! foretaste of blessedness! He has eternal life. which keeps the body and soul together is soon at an end; but the new life of the Christian is like the existence of God, and like the existence of the soul; it never comes to an end. It is eternal, and cannot be forfeited or lost. What a The life SEPTEMBER 22. Good Company Chosen. "We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you."-Zech viii. 23. We have a noble resolution, and a good reason assigned for it. The noble resolution is, "We will go with you." We will go with you to Jesus. We have discovered and felt |