Jesus said unto him, Wherefore didst thou doubt?.... Matt. xiv. 31. THE best of men are but men at the best. The most eminent saints of God have experienced doubting, fearful frames, as well as believing, joyful ones. We have many instances of this in the bold and courageous Peter. Now, at the command of his master, we behold him walking safely on the surface of the great deep. Here he honored his master's word, was very safe and comfortable while he believed his power. To see Peter walking upon the liquid ocean, is not more beyond the power of reason to comprehend and account for, than to see a poor sinner comfortably living and walking by faith on the Son of God, in spite of all the raging waves of unbelief, lust, and corruptions. But as it was with Peter, so is it often with the believer. The workings of Peter's natural senses, the suggestions of his carnal reason, opposed the actings of his faith; he heard the roaring winds, he saw the boisterous waves, he considered the bulk and weight of his body, and then, up reason, down faith. Reason assures him fluid water cannot support him. Hence he doubts, he fears, he sinks. So the poor sinner, who hath heard the inviting voice of Jesus, and obeyed the word of his grace, to believe on HIM, walks sweetly and comfortably for a season; but anon, corruptions like the surging billows, lift up their threatening heads; temptations, like the stormy wind blow violently upon him; the thunderings of a fiery law are heard; he thinks incensed justice pursues him, and that the face of majesty looks stern upon him. Hence he reasons upon what he is, what he has done, and what he may expect; and all in nature, sense, and feeling is against him. O then, he doubts in his mind and sinks in his spirits! But when he reflects, Jesus is above all, he is mighty to save; then, seeing all hope in him, and none beside him, he cries, "Lord save, or I perish." This is right. Our Saviour loves to hear his poor disciples cry to him. He is near them, and, as Peter was, they are always within the reach of his arm. He loves their persons, approves their crying, but reproves their doubting. Wherefore didst THOU doubt? Though thy sins have reached to heaven, yet my blood is before the throne. Who shall lay any thing to thy charge? It is God that justifieth, who shall condemn thee? I have died, what shall destroy thee, seeing I am able to save to the very uttermost?....Verily, O Jesu, to the poor and needy in their distress, thou art a refuge from the storm.... Isa. xxv. 4. What tho' the host of death and hell, A friend and helper so divine, Why should their terrors shake my soul? He makes the glorious vict'ry mine, My refuge is my God. And his shall be the praise. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.... John xiii. 17. JESUS is a prophet to teach, a priest to atone, and a king to reign by love in the hearts of all his subjects. So a christian receives the Lord Jesus. Faith in him begets an ear of love to his doctrine, and a heart of obedience to his commands. Let no one call evangelical obedience, legal bondage. For, every precept that drops from the mouth of Jesus, flows from love to us. When he saith, "Do this;" it is for thy happiness and good, O soul. "Avoid that:" love is careful of thee, "Do thyself no harm." pleasant to the renewed soul to hear, his happiness to obey. Jesus makes all things easy. "His commandments are not grievous.” To know them is our privilege. To do them is our happiness. This is Faith in Say, O christian, is not this thy experience? Art thou not happy in doing the will of Jesus, who died for our sins? Art thou not delighted in obeying Jesus, who hath made peace between God and thy soul? Art thou not joyful in glorifying thy Father, by bringing forth the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ? Verily in keeping thy commandments, O Lord, there is great reward of grace; in peace and happiness of soul now; and hereafter such shall hear that joyful sentence from our loving Saviour," Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."....Matt. xxv. 34, Then shall the works of the righteous be owned and proclaimed by the judge. They are called to inherit the kingdom. Why? Because blessed of God the Father with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. Hence the kingdom is prepared for them before the foundation of the world. But it constitutes no part of the believer's happiness, to do any work whatsoever, whereby to entitle himself to the favor of God; or to make the work of salvation more effectual than the blood and righteousness of the Son of God hath. No; this is to be rejected as the vilest slavery, the worst of drudgery; contrary to faith; inconsistent with christian love; and derogatory to the salvation of JESUS. Luther was wont to say, 'if picking up a straw would save me, I would not do it; it would be an act of unbelief of my dear Lord's salvation : but being already saved by Jesus, through his grace, I would go through fire and water to obey his commands.' Where Jesus is the life of the soul, this will be manifest, in obedience to his commands. "Blessed is the man who delighteth greatly in his commandments."....Psalm cxii. 1. I hear thy word with love, And I would fain obey: For ever sure thy promise, Lord, While of thy works I sing, Thy glory to proclaim, Accept the praise, my God and King, Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah....Psalm iii. 2. HAD David's foes said of him, He deserves no help from God; he would readily have owned this as a great truth. As God's children are comforted by the truth, so the enemy advances lies to distress them. When he attacks their faith and comfort, he boldly impeaches the love and faithfulness of their God. "No help for me in God!" O, my soul, wilt thou listen to this suggestion? Canst thou indulge such a thought one moment? Art thou beset with distress of soul, and surrounded with troubles and difficulties? Art thou singing a melancholy note? Selah, saith David: pause, consider this; lift up thy mind to attend; how dishonorable to thy God, how destructive to thy faith, peace, love, and holiness, is this! Know the voice of thy enemy. Hear the voice of thy Saviour. His word is adapted to thy circumstances, however distressing or desperate. "Thou hast destroyed thyself!" What is added? Perish in thine own undoings, take it for thy pains? No: for almighty love proclaims its own triumph; "But in me is thine help."....Hos. xiii. 9. "Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward." When born again he finds more enemies and troubles than ever: a sinful nature burdens him, carnal lusts perplex him, satan tempts and accuses him, unbelief besets and dejects him; but, most joyful truth, God is his dear Father, Jesus his precious Saviour, the holy Spirit his loving comforter. Where should the poor sinner look? To whom should the exercised, afflicted soul go? Happy for him when with David, he goes with childlike simplicity, and tells his sorrowful complaints to his dear Saviour; "Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! Many rise up against me." They say of my soul, "There is no help for me in God." The Saviour loves to hear his members' complaints; he delights to redress them. Thus, when driven from all hope and help from within and without, then they honor him in faith and prayer. As when the little child is affrighted with lying stories, it flies to the arms of its father for safety, tells him of its fears, and thus its little heart gets ease; so David found it: his experienced heart cries out, "Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter-up of my head. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord; thy blessing is upon thy people." Thus, though a mournful complaint ushers in this Psalm, yet it concludes in the joy and triumph of faith. "Though weeping may endure for a night, yet joy cometh in the morning."....Psalm xxx. 5. Tho' weeping for a night endure, And foes distress my heart; Yet in the morning joy is sure: O, listen then unto his word, In his sweet promise trust: L1 M. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.... Rom. xii. 1. JUST before our dear Saviour left his apostles, he gave them this commission, "Preach the gospel;" glad tidings of the everlasting love and mercy of God, in Christ, to poor sinners. By this truth, through the power of the Spirit, souls are brought to repentance, faith, and salvation; and by the sweet force and constraining influence of the same truth, believers are to be exhorted, animated, and stirred up to glorify God in their souls and bodies which are his. This was the apostles' practice. With what affection and love do they address the members of Jesus! The sound of wrath and terror, the thunderings of hell and damnation are not used to soldiers in the camp of Jesus. No; they are exhorted by love and mercy. So we delight to hear and from these most powerful motives we cheerfully obey. We present our bodies a living sacrifice upon that altar which consecrates the gift, even Jesus. We are holy in him, acceptable unto God through him. We own it "our reasonable service ;" we are not our own. We acknowledge it our bounden duty. Christ hath bought us with the price of his own blood. Lord, give power to obey, and command what thou wilt. Consider, O christian, while thy poor soul was dead in trespasses and sins, thy body was a wretched slave to the drudgery of satan and thy vile lusts. Now a better master demands its service. It is of God's mercies in Christ thy soul is quickened, and by the same mercies thou art required to yield thy body as a living sacrifice. It is now the temple of the Holy Ghost, therefore to be consecrated to holy purposes. Was David so struck with the distinguishing favor of being a king, as to dance joyfully before the ark ?....2 Sam. vi. 14. O, consider our eternal mercies in Christ, being kings and priests unto God! Meditate daily, hourly on this. How should it affect our hearts with love, raise our spirits in triumph, inflame our affections with zeal for God's glory! Our spiritual mercies are not common to all. Carnal men are ignorant of, and despise them. O study then to approve yourselves as the peculiar, highly ditinguished favorites of heaven. As the elect of God, be clothed with humility: yet, as kings' sons, live upon heavenly food; and act as those who dare not demean themselves by a practice below their royal dignity. "He that saith he abideth in Christ, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."....1 John ii. 6. The tender mercies of thy God Daily recount my soul, Thy soul and body offer up A living sacrifice, M. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled....Matt. v. 6. To thirst after happiness is natural. To seek it from wrong objects is natural. To desire to escape a hell of misery, and enjoy a place of happiness, is equally natural. If this may be called salva`tion, all men wish to be saved. The most wicked may wish to "die the death of the righteous, and that their last end may be like his.” This every man is capable of as a rational, intelligent being. And many are striving to make themselves righteous in order to be saved. But to desire salvation in God's way, to hunger and thirst after Christ and his righteousness, is peculiar to the quickened only. The dead hunger not. Spiritual appetites spring from spiritual life. A natural man can as soon seek to fill his belly with the east wind, or allay his thirst with the sun-beams, as do this. To know ourselves to be miserable sinners, destitute of righteousness, to believe Christ has obtained it for us, and to hunger and thirst after it, this lies at the foundation of true godliness; this enters into the very essence of our religion. Such self-emptied, hungry, and thirsty souls are blessed: for they shall be filled; filled with all the blessings of Jesus' everlasting righteousness; acceptance with God, pardon of sins, and peace from God; filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ; with all the graces of God's Spirit on earth, and with all the fulness of God in glory. "This is the heritage of my servants, and their righteousness is of me," saith precious Jesus....Isa. liv. 17. "The skies pour down righteousness, the faithful open their hearts and receive it."....Isa. xlv. 8. O, what delightful fellowship and intercourse subsist between heaven and earth; hungry souls and righteous Jesus! Says Bishop Hall, if. Jesus had not said, "Blessed are those who hunger," I know not what could keep weak christians from despair. Many times, all I can do is to find and complain I want Jesus; I wish to enjoy him. Now this is my stay, he in mercy esteems us, not by having, but desiring also. There never was a soul miscarried with longing after grace. O blessed hunger that always ends in fulness! I am sorry I can but hunger, yet would not be full; for the blessing is promised to the hungry.' As verily as the righteous man, Jesus, wrought out righteousness for sinful man, all thirsty souls who come to him shall be filled with righteousness. For he "fills the hungry with good things," while "he sends the rich (the self-righteous) empty away."....Luke i. 53. Our new-born souls do ever crave Lord, fill our hungry, thirsty souls, M. |