Bible. Luke II, 14 -- Meditations; Christmas sermons
Such recollections, by the contrast which they present to God's good
will, greatly enhance its preciousness. "His favour is life, his
loving-kindness is better than life." Where God has a will, God always
has a way. At the throne of divine grace, none had ever to shed Esau's
tears, or cry with him, Hast thou but one blessing, O my father? Our
father in heaven is affluent in blessings, plenteous in redemption,
abundant in goodness and in truth. Who ever turned an imploring eye on
God, and brought to prayer the earnestness of him that bends the knee
to yon blind old man, but became in time the happy object of God's
loving, saving mercy. Let men trust in the Lord. In the name of Christ
let them throw themselves on His mercy. What though they cannot see
it? It is around them, like the invisible but ambient air on which the
eagle, with an awful gulf below, throws herself from her rocky nest in
fearless freedom, and with expanded wings. So let men, trusting in
God's faithful word, spread out the wings of faith, and cast them on
His good will. Wrapping the world round in an atmosphere of mercy, it
shall sustain their weight, and bear them aloft, till, ascending into
the calm regions of Christian hope, they bathe their eyes in the beams
of the Sun of Righteousness, and feel their feet firmly planted on the
Rock of Ages.
But let one thing be remembered, this, namely, that God will not save
any against their will. Let us therefore seek, and seek till we
obtain, a change of heart. He draws, not drives--will not force any
into heaven--nor be served by the hands of a slave. If I would not
have a sullen, crouching slave wait at my table, work in my house,
stand in my poor presence, much less He who says, Give me thy heart,
my son! He makes His people willing in the day of His power. Softened
in the flames of Divine love, their stubborn wills yield to His, and,
under the hand of His Holy Spirit and the hammer of His mighty word,
take the fashion and form of His own. Thus, His will and their wills
being brought into perfect harmony, His people feel their duty to be
their delight, and regard His holy service as no irksome bondage, but
the truest liberty and highest honour.
THE END.
_Ballantyne, Roberts, & Co., Printers, Edinburgh._
Transcriber's Note:
Minor printer errors (omitted letters or punctuation) have been
corrected without note. Any variations in spelling or hyphenation have
been left as they appeared in the original.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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