Jul 12
14
A union which will last forever!
(John MacDuff, “The Christian’s Pathway” 1858″)
“My Beloved is mine — and I am His!” Song of Songs 2:14
This is the language of the Christian in the book of Canticles. How great is the blessedness involved in such an assurance! My beloved Jesus is mine . . .
in the dignity of His person;
in the suitability of His offices;
in the immensity of His love;
in the efficacy of His atonement;
in the riches of His abounding grace!
His righteousness is mine — to justify me,
His Spirit is mine — to sanctify me,
His power is mine — to defend me,
His wisdom is mine — to guide me, and
His Heaven is mine — to receive me!
And what does Christ say to the believer in return?
“I am yours — and all that I have is yours! I have boundless and unsearchable riches — and those riches are for you! I have happiness to bestow, such as the mind in its largest grasp has never been able to conceive — and that happiness is for you! I have crowns and scepters at My disposal — and all those honors are for you! Yes, to him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My glorious throne!”
The Christian’s exaltation and bliss is not a matter of doubtful disputation. And what makes it so certain? It is the blessed truth that the union which exists between him and Christ — is an indissoluble union! All other relations, however close and endearing, must be broken. That union of husband and wife; and soul and body — has no power to resist the assault of death, the great destroyer.
All earthly ties must then be severed. But death, which breaks every other bond — only strengthens the bond between the Christian and Christ! Death, which quenches every other love — only kindles that of the believer for Jesus, into a purer and intenser flame! Death, which snatches every other object from our grasp — only brings us to the full enjoyment of Him, who is the fountain of life, the great center and source of all blessedness.
Christian, rejoice in your union with Jesus!
The changes of time cannot touch it!
The storms of life cannot injure it!
The sword of persecution cannot sever it!
The damps of death cannot affect it!
The malice of hell cannot move it!
It is a union which will last forever! It follows, therefore, that you, if a partaker of it — will be rich forever, safe forever, dignified forever, and blessed forever!
—–
A shield and deliverer
(Octavius Winslow, “Christ is Ever with You!” 1863)
“Surely, I am with you always — even unto the end of the world!” Matthew 28:20
Christ is ever with His people — as a shield and deliverer. Our estimation of this truth, will be proportioned to our intelligent apprehension of the number and potency of our enemies — and the costliness and preciousness of the treasure thus divinely protected.
There are assaults from which Christ alone can shield us!
Innumerable and invisible,
sleepless and restless,
working with an almost almighty power,
everywhere with an almost omnipresent existence,
ever plotting our ruin —
are the spiritual enemies of our soul, and the sworn foes of our faith!
The world and its fascinations,
Satan and his devices,
the flesh and its tendencies,
error and its disguises —
are all confederate against the child of God, opposing his every advance in holiness!
But Christ is our ever-present shield, near at the moment of assault, and skillful to deflect and disarm it! “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield!” are words addressed to all who have like precious faith with him. Oh yes! the Lord encompasses you. Encircled by danger — you are also encircled by the ever-present protection of Jesus!
“So do not fear — for I am with you! Do not be dismayed — for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand!” Isaiah 41:10
With what unslumbering vigilance,
with what divine power,
with what changeless love —
does the Lord Jesus shield the work of grace in the soul of His people!
Who keeps that spark alive — in the midst of the ocean?
Who guards this vineyard night and day — lest any hurt it?
Who preserves . . .
faith from faltering,
love from chilling,
hope from dying?
Who . . .
strengthens the ‘work of grace’ when it is feeble,
raises it when it droops,
restores it when it relapses,
keeps it in the cold of winter and the drought of summer;
and, when the frosts and winds of autumn would nip and scatter its foliage — clothes it with the freshness and bloom of spring?
Oh, it is Jesus, encircling with His all-protecting shield — the work of grace which His death has accomplished, and which His Spirit wrought!
Trembling believer! The work of grace in your heart shall never die! The kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in your soul — is indestructible! “They shall never perish!” is the declaration of the Shepherd who bought you with His blood! You are watched over by Christ — and kept by the power of God.
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge!
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!”
Psalm 18:2
My grace is sufficient for you
—
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is
made perfect in your weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
(J. C. Philpot, “Strength Made Perfect in Weakness”)
Not your strength,
not your wisdom,
not your prayers,
not your experience;
but “My grace”—My free, My matchless grace,
independent of all works and efforts, independent of
everything in the creature—flowing wholly and solely,
fully and freely, out of the bosom of Jesus to . . .
the needy,
the guilty,
the destitute,
the undone.
You who are tried in worldly circumstances,
who have to endure the hard lot of poverty
—”My grace is sufficient for you.”
You who are tempted, day by day, to say
or do that which conscience testifies against
—”My grace is sufficient for you.”
You who are harassed with family troubles
and afflictions, and are often drawn aside into
peevishness and fretfulness—”My grace is
sufficient for you.”
Our weakness, helplessness, and inability
are the very things which draw forth the power,
the strength, and the grace of Jesus!
Believer, your case is never beyond the reach
of the words—”My grace is sufficient for you!”
The free, the matchless, sovereign grace of God,
is sufficient for all His people—in whatever state,
or stage, or trouble, or difficulty they may be in!
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is
made perfect in your weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
The covenant of grace!
—
(Charles Spurgeon, “The Blood of the Everlasting Covenant!” 1859)
“The blood of the everlasting covenant!” Hebrews 13:20
Long before the day-star knew its place,
long before God had spoken existence out of nothing,
long before angel’s wing had stirred the unnavigated ether,
long before a solitary song had disturbed the solemnity of the silence in which God reigned supreme
— the Father had entered into solemn counsel with Himself, with His Son, and with His Spirit — and had in that council decreed, determined, purposed, and predestined the salvation of His people!
On the Father’s part — thus ran the covenant. I cannot tell it to you in the glorious celestial tongue in which it was written. I am glad to bring it down to the speech which suits to the ear of flesh, and to the heart of a mortal. Thus, I say, ran the covenant in lines like these:
“I, the Most High Jehovah, do hereby give unto My only begotten and well-beloved Son — a people, countless beyond the number of the stars . . .
who shall be washed from sin by Him;
who shall be preserved, and kept, and led by Him; and
at last, who shall be presented before My throne without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing by Him.
I covenant by oath, and swear by Myself, because I can swear by no one greater, that these whom I now give to Christ — shall forever be the objects of My eternal love!
These, I will forgive through the merit of my Son’s blood.
To these, I will give a perfect righteousness.
These, I will I adopt and make My sons and daughters.
And these shall reign with Me through Christ eternally!”
The Holy Spirit also, as one of the contracting parties of the covenant, gave His declaration, “I hereby covenant, that all whom the Father gives to the Son —
I will in due time quicken.
I will show them their need of redemption.
I will cut off all their groundless hopes, and destroy their refuges of lies.
I will bring them to the blood of sprinkling.
I will give them faith whereby this blood shall be applied to them.
I will work in them every grace.
I will keep their faith alive.
I will cleanse them and drive out depravity from them.
And they shall be presented at last, spotless and faultless in Heaven!”
This was the one side of the covenant, which is at this very day being fulfilled and scrupulously kept.
The Lord Jesus also, as one of the contracting parties of the covenant, gave His declaration, “My Father, on My part, I covenant that in the fullness of time, I will become man. I will live in their wretched world — and for My people, I keep the law perfectly. I will work out a spotless righteousness for them, which shall be acceptable to the demands of Your just and holy law. In due time, I will bear the sins of all My people. You shall exact all their debts upon Me. By My stripes — they shall be healed. My Father, I covenant and promise that I will be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. I will magnify Your law, and make it honorable. I will suffer all that My people ought to have suffered. I will endure the curse of Your law — and all the vials of Your wrath shall be emptied and spent upon My head! I will then rise again, and ascend into Heaven. I will intercede for them at Your right hand. I will make Myself responsible for every one of them — that not one of those whom You have given me, shall ever be lost! I will bring all My sheep of whom, by My blood, you have constituted Me the Shepherd — I will bring every one safe to You at last!”
Christ can say of what He promised to do, “It is finished!” He has paid the debts of all the elect. He has, for His people and for their redemption — suffered the whole of wrath divine. Nothing remains now, except that He shall continue to intercede for them — that He may safely bring all His redeemed to glory. All for whom Christ died, shall be pardoned — all justified — all adopted.
The Spirit shall quicken them all, shall give them all faith, shall bring them all to Heaven. And they shall, every one of them, without hindrance, stand accepted in the Beloved.
The antiquity of the covenant of grace demands our grateful attention. It is a truth which tends to elevate the mind. I know of no doctrine more grand than this! It is the very soul and essence of all Scripture! In sitting down and meditating upon it — I confess my spirit has sometimes been ravished with delight!
Can you conceive of the idea, that before all things — God thought of you? That when as yet He had not made His mountains — He had thought of you; you, a poor puny worm? Oh this cannot make us proud — but it must make us feel happy!