456 THE HIGHEST ASSURANCE. OCTOBER 8. The Highest Assurance. "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."-Rom. viii. 38, 39. THINK of the love of God--the way in which it reaches us -our connection therewith-and our personal assurance of it. The love of God.-Some explain "the love of God" as the love of believers to him; but it rather seems God's love to us. This love is from eternity: "I have loved thee with an everlasting love." It is fixed on most unworthy objects; for it was our world in its sinful, wretched, and ruined state that God loved. It is love unspeakably great: there is nothing like it among men, and it exceeds man's as far as heaven exceeds earth, and eternity exceeds time. It is unchanging love: "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love." The way in which it reaches us." Which is in Christ Jesus." Justice demanded a mediator, and Christ has satisfied every demand, so that God's love has a satisfactory channel by which it reaches us. Jesus, our kinsman Redeemer, is within our reach. We have free access to him, and to the God of love through him: "Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." He is the way to the Father, and there is no other way. Our connection therewith.-Believers form this connection by claiming and appropriating Christ: "Our Lord." Without faith in Christ it is impossible to please God; but when, through the agency of the Spirit, we receive him as our Saviour, our Lord, and our God, we are joined to him, and joined to the love of God, the fountainhead of sal THE HIGHEST ASSURANCE. 457 vation. Attempts will be made to separate us from this love, by the fear and pains of death, by the love of life, by evil angels, by evil chief angels, by persecuting rulers, by present persecutions, by future trials, by prosperity, by adversity, and by the combined agency of hell and earth; but all in vain. These attempts cannot be successful, for he who is for us, is far more than all that can be against us. Our personal assurance of it.-"I am persuaded.” I am persuaded of it from the power and unchangeableness of God. He that begins the good work carries it on, and he will perfect that which concerneth us. I am persuaded of it from the inward evidence of it in my mind. I have the witness in myself: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." I am persuaded of it from the promises of God's word: "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.” And I am persuaded of it from my conduct: "Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the Son of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in him.” OCTOBER 9. The Inconsistent Professor. "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."—1 John, ii. 4. HERE we have profession made-profession falsified-and certain condemnation. Profession made.-"He that saith I know him." The object of knowledge is Christ, in his person as God-man, in his character as holy, harmless, and without sin; in his work, as having finished transgression, and made an end. of sin; and in his blessings, as ready to bestow pardon, peace, and eternal life. The knowledge avowed is personal, from the word of God; experimental, as having felt 458 THE INCONSISTENT PROFESSOR. the power of the word in the expecting eternal life as its issue. knowledge is open. He saith to heart; and saving, as The profession of this others, to all men, that he is acquainted with Christ, and that he has attained a saving knowledge of him. How lovely is a fair profession! It is like a beautiful tree, whose leaves and blossoms please the eye, and attract the admiration of every passer-by. Profession falsified." And keepeth not his commandments." Profession is good; but it requires to be verified by obedience. Obedience is necessary to prove our submission to Christ, for without it our professions may deceive others as well as ourselves. Obedience is necessary to prove a change of heart. A changed heart is the mainspring of all excellence; but holy obedience is the only evidence of the reality and accuracy of the mainspring. The keeping of the commandments will as certainly follow a change of heart, as light will follow the rising of the sun. Obedience is necessary to evidence consistency. Let your conversation and conduct be as become the gospel of Christ; for if we follow Christ, we will try to resemble him. "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." "He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” Certain condemnation." He is a liar, and the truth is not in him." The inconsistent professor is like a body without a soul, or like Eve's apples, fair to look upon, but dust and rottenness within. He is a liar, and deceives himself. He is like the devil, who is the father of lies, and was a liar from the beginning. His portion will be with the hypocrites, and his punishment will be eternal. It is a fatal error to live without practical religion and holy obedience; and though mere professors may deceive others, they cannot deceive God. The mere professor is THE INCONSISTENT PROFESSOR. 459 empty of divine truth, falsehood reigns in his heart, and his conduct belies his words. That tree is alone worthy of admiration, which, in addition to blossoms, brings forth much fruit. OCTOBER 10. The Remarkable Stone. "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner."-Acts, iv. 11. THE importance of this text appears in that it occurs six times in the word of God, and is descriptive of Christ's character the treatment he received-and the honour following. Christ's character. "This is the stone." He is a sure foundation. As a stone, he possesses strength and durability; hence he is a right foundation for the church, and a right foundation for faith and hope. In every building a good foundation is essential; hence if we would build up to heaven, we must begin to build on Christ. He is a chosen or elect stone. God appointed him to the office of Mediator, that he might accomplish salvation for fallen man; and God approved of his work, and made him the church's foundation and the church's head. He is very precious in his person as God-man; in his work, as having died for our sins, and risen again for our justification; and in his blessings, which are essential to our happiness here and hereafter. The treatment received.-"Which was set at nought of you builders." The builders were the Jewish priests and rulers. They were the principal men in the church, the great and wise in the nation; and it might have been expected from their learning and influence, that they would have seen and owned the claims of Jesus as the true Messiah, and helped to raise the church from her 460 THE REMARKABLE STONE. dawn to her noonday. Instead of this, they denied the Holy One and the Just, they despised his teaching and his blessings, they ascribed his miracles to Satanic agency, and they cut him off as a malefactor. The chosen of God was despised and rejected by men. The reasons of such treatment may be traced to their ignorance, prejudice, and unbelief; reasons which operate still, while sinners spurn away from them, that Saviour who agonized and died on the cross for their sins. The honour following." He is become the head of the corner." The church which he hath purchased with his own blood is a great building, and is composed of Jews and Gentiles; and he unites these two sides as the cornerstone unites the two sides of a building. "Ye are all one in Christ Jesus." He is the glory and chief ornament of his church. The building is made up of living stones, and they all derive their lustre from him who is the foundationstone and the chief corner-stone. They shine with light borrowed from him, and reflect it as the moon reflects the light of the sun. He is the Head, and there can be but one Head over the church. In this, as in all things, he has the pre-eminence, and admits of no associate, no substitute, and no rival. OCTOBER 11. The Great Change. "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." -1 Cor. vi. 11. THE once sad condition of Christians-the change undergone-and the way it was effected, are the topics worthy of earnest attention. The once sad condition of Christians.-All were sinners |