67. JESUS THE ONLY SAFE WAY. I am the way.---John xiv. 6. 1. JESUS, the only living way, Leads to the highest bliss; And hears his children when they pray-- 2. He is the way in whom I'd walk, 3. Great doctrines, floating in the mind, In union with my Lord I find 4. He to the Father leads direct, A safe unerring way; The way, in which his dear elect 5. However narrow it may seem, No way's like this in their esteem 6. This is the way that God approves, The ransom'd walk therein; And ev'ry soul whom Jesus loves He'll save from hell and sin. Jesus, in his Mediatorial capacity, reveals and leads to the Father: "No man cometh unto the Father but by me." Jesus, in his complex Person, or union of natures, is the Door; (JOHN X. 7.) and to have the heart enlarged, and blessed with a spiritual apprehension of him as a complete Saviour, is to enter in. Such shall be saved. 66 The way into the Holy of holies was through the vail. This vail was a curtain drawn across the Tabernacle, to separate the Holy of holies from the other parts of the Sanctuary. The vail was a type of the flesh of Christ, through which we go with boldness to the throne of grace: Through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." When Jesus expired on the cross "the vail of the temple was rent in twain!" Why? To shew to the Jewish nation, and more particularly to those who saw beyond the shadowy dispensation, that the shadow was no longer needed, the substance being come. Yes! Blessed Jesus, thy flesh is meat indeed, and thy blood is drink indeed. Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us unto God by thy blood; and thou hast made us kings and priests unto our God, and we shall reign with thee for ever, in those mansions which thou hast prepared for us, as the fruit of thy unmeasurable love! Sensible sinner! Thy way of working for life brings thy distressed heart into deeper misery! Thy way of praying and striving against sin prove ineffectual to ease thy guilt-stung conscience. Behold Jesus! thy Mediator, the new and living way. 68. THE ELECT IN UNION WITH THE PERSONS IN JEHOVAH... That they also may be one in US.---John xvii. 21. 1. DID I possess angelic pow'rs, Were Gabriel to assist my muse, Vain were my thoughts, obscure my views, 2. Three Persons, in Jehovah, One, Blest are the saints! this God is theirs:- 3. Implicit faith the word demands, How one are three and three are one : 4. But to be one! for ever blest! Secure in God, throughout all time, 5. Believer! reason genders death, 6. From Israel's God a river flows, theme: Though the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is confessedly incomprehensible, yet, there are certain words made use of in the Scriptures, designed to convey clear and spiritual conceptions of that truth. Hence, the personal pronoun US, so frequently used: as, "Let US make man in OUR image." (GEN. I. 26.) And again: "Go to, let US go down, and there confound their language." (GEN. XI. 7.)—" Behold, the man is become as one of US." (GEN. III. 22.) And, that the disciples of Jesus might not be robbed of this precious truth, Jesus himself repeats it, (JOHN XVII. 21:) "That they also may be one in US." Nor is this the only word which maintains the doctrine of Personality: the Bible is full of proofs: as, "Who will go for us ?" "And now the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me :""To the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, of the Father, and of Christ:"-" Baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, &c." There are Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. In short, to adduce further proof would be superfluous: if men are determined to resist plain, scriptural evidence, no human arguments can be of any use. Believer! beware of much contention on this subject, especially with the person with whom thou hast had no spiritual communion; better die without signalizing thyself as a Polemic, than |