arduous efforts? Shall we not gird up the loins of our mind, and engage our "whole heart” in this most blessed pursuit of heaven, glory, and eternal life? Shall we not "so run that we may obtain"?.... 3. Do it with thy might,-perseveringly. Be not hot to-day, and cold to-morrow; not thus is heaven won: it is written, Rom. ii. 7, "to them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life." To all the solicitations of the world, the flesh, and Satan, that would turn thee from thy purpose, say with Nehemiah, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down." Some there are, who for a time seem as though they were in earnest; they pray, they read, they hear, their whole spirit appears to be changed; but you look again, and they are gone, the house was "but swept and garnished," they "endured but for a while, and in time of temptation fell away." Be not ye like unto them; "for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them," 2 Pet. ii. 21; "he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." Lastly, Do it with thy might, in deep con sciousness that of thyself thou hast no might. "I laboured," saith the apostle Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 10, "yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me;" and again, Gal. ii. 20; his words are, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me." If Satan cannot lead you into carelessness of life, he will tempt you to trust in your own righteousness, and to make your graces, your consistent walk, the ground of your comfort. Oh, beware of this! the apostle Paul counted all he had, and all he did, as dross and as loss, Phil. iii. All thy poor services "weighed in the balance" would be "found" awfully "wanting." "It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again ;"-this must be your only plea. Comfort is laid up for you in Christ, but in Him alone. Live then upon Him, glory in Him as your Life, your Advocate, your Righteousness. To put away all other hope-to stand "complete in Him"-to allow not the shadow of a thought to dwell in our mind, of any other ground of acceptance with God, but JESUS-to triumph in Him as our everlasting Saviour, and yet, from love to Him, to pray, to work, to strive, with holy watchfulness and diligence, untiring and intense; this is the blessed warfare. "Do it with thy might;" the world understands it not, against it Satan plots, the professing church knows little of it; but still I say, "Do it with thy might." God will "teach thy hands to war and thy fingers to fight" in this happy conflict; nay, if this be thy desire, He hath taught thee already, and will uphold thee unto the end; but once more I say, "Do it with thy might." Heaven is a kingdom worth seeking, Christ is a portion worth having, but NOW must they be thine, or NEVER; "for there is no work, nor device, nor wisdom, nor knowledge, in the grave, WHITHER THOU GOEST." XVII. "LEARN OF ME." ST. MATTHEW Xi. 29. "IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "By Him were all things made,' and by Him all things consist;3 he is Lord of all." To Him the Father saith, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever;" of Himself the Son saith, "Before Abraham was, I AM ;' "6 7 God the Holy Ghost testifieth, "His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of 2 John i. 3. 3 1 John i. 1. 3 Col. i. 17. Acts x. 36. John viii. 58. "See the following testimonies amongst many others to the Godhead and personality of the Holy Ghost. Gen. i. 2; Isa. vi. 5, with John xii. 41, and Acts xxviii. 26, &c.; Matt. xii. 32, xxviii. 19; John xiv. 16, 17, 26; John xvi. 7, 8, 13, 14, 15; Acts v. 4, xiii. 2; Rom. viii. 26, 27; 1 Cor. ii. 10; 1 Cor. xii. 3, xii. 11; 2 Cor. iii. 17; 2 Cor. vi. 16, with 1 Cor. vi. 19; 2 Cor. xiii. 14; Heb. ix. 14; 2 Peter i. 21, with Heb. i. 1. Peace;" "Christ is, over all, God blessed for ever, "... But truly God as He indeed is, He is no less truly Man, "though He was rich yet for our sakes He became poor; He made Himself of no reputation, He took on Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,” Phil. ii..... Sayest thou there is mystery here? the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of St. Paul, hath said the same, (1 Tim. iii. 16,) "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh;" but it is a mystery of vital meaning, life, eternal life is in this truth. Brethren, "consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus," who, as He is the atonement is also the example of His people. "See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh" to us in these emphatic words, "Learn of Me." 66 'Almighty God! Who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life; give us grace, that we may always most thankfully receive that His inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed Rom. ix. 5; 1 John v. 20, 8 Isa. ix. 6. |