6. THE POWER BY WHICH THIS LIFE IS SUSTAINED. Mysterious and hidden as is the life of the Christian in the eyes of the world, there is an adequate power for its maintenance. We have seen that it pleases God first to impart this life in the new birth of the Spirit, pointed out in baptism, which is also God's means of grace for our obtaining it, when received in faith and duly improved. God has also provided outward means and inward and effective power for maintaining this life. Various are the outward means. I will notice two, the word of God and the Lord's Supper. The WORD OF GOD is the means by which we are first begotten, and by which also we are afterwards nourished unto everlasting life. When the Israelites were fed with manna in the wilderness, the design was to make them know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. THE LORD'S SUPPER is an ordinance specially connected with the maintenance of spiritual life. It is the outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual grace. It is also a means whereby we are assured of its reality and blessedness, and whereby our souls are actually refreshed, when truly believing in the grace given in that ordinance. Our Saviour dwells at much length, in the sixth of John, on that feeding on Christ in our hearts by faith, of which the feeding on bread and wine, the symbols of his body and blood, is the sign, and the means, and pledge. The inward and EFFECTIVE POWER is the Holy Ghost, which our risen and interceding Saviour has obtained in our behalf, and bestows on all who come to him. Wonderful is the difference between the outward means only, and the outward means made effective by the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul clearly shews, telling the Thessalonians, Our gospel came unto you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. But still Christ is the giver of the Holy Ghost. He has received for us, and he bestows on us sinners this divine gift. For this end he ascended in our nature, and, seated at the right hand of God, he ever liveth to make intercession for us. He tells us what the great subject of his intercession is, when he says, I will pray to the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth. See then, Christian reader, how there is provided for you in him, who has loved you even unto death, every thing that you can possibly need for your great and urgent necessities; life and the means of life. It is a day of rich grace and abounding loving-kindness. But the very reality and extent of this grace makes it unspeakably important that you should not trifle with it. "Deadness of spirit and want of spiritual activity is very inexcusable in a believer. Christ has life enough for him, and he is willing enough to communicate more and more of this spiritual life: if the fountain of life were a mere creature, something might be said for our deadness and coldness: but now seeing Jesus Christ is our life, our deadness is inexcusable to ourselves, and dishonourable to Christ. The life and fruitfulness of the branches is the glory of the tree; and spiritual fruitfulness in a believer is an honour to Jesus Christ. We see (Psalm xcii. 12 -15.) that the righteous flourish, to shew that the Lord is upright. The fulness of Christ is manifested by the fruitfulness of a Christian.” When Moses had set before the Israelites the glorious doctrine of God's love to them, and his gracious designs for their happiness, he told them the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it ; assuring them that it was not in the inaccessible heavens, or beyond the distant seas, but close to them and ready for them; he also immediately added, See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil. Thus, Christian reader, the blessed life of the Christian has been also set before YOU, along with that awful and spiritual death in which all men are by nature sunk, and from which, if not raised in the day of grace, you are ripening for the second death. The second death has power on those who have no part in the first resurrection. How forcibly are these things set before us in the words of Moses to Israel! I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and eursing; therefore choose life that thou and thy seed may live; that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life and the length of thy days. There are ten thousand ways by which Satan seeks to turn men's attention from these great and everlasting concerns. What he seeks is to keep you in blindness, that you may be in entire captivity to him, to your everlasting destruction. But will you believe the father of lies, before the God of truth--the mur derer from the beginning, before the Father of mercies? Oh listen to your heavenly Parent! Search the scriptures whether these things are not so. Pray for divine teaching, that the veil may be removed from your hearts, and the glorious light of the gospel shine upon you. All things pertaining to life and godliness are through the great power and love of God given to you in Christ Jesus. In this day of grace, while the accepted time continues, believe the love of God, be reconciled to him on whom you wholly depend, receive his abundant grace and gift of righteousness provided for you, and though death has reigned by one, even the first Adam, you shall reign in life by one, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Prayer for the gift of the Holy Ghost. O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast ascended up on high, who hast received gifts for the rebellious, even such as I have been, who invitest all to come to thee, and castest out none that come, behold me now at thy mercy-seat, asking for that most precious gift which thou hast so freely promised, saying, Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely. Give me, even me, this thy Spirit, that I may know the things freely given to me of God, that I may rejoice in thy loving-kindness, and from my own happiness tell others what great things thou hast done for me, and call them to turn unto thee the only Saviour and Redeemer, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory evermore. |