FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48  
49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>   >|  
monitor. I wished to acknowledge the goodness of God in each of these her capacities. I sometimes entertain a hope that the last day will unfold the value of these epistolary communications, beyond even any present estimate of their spiritual importance. PART IV. The translation of sinners "from the power of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son," is the joy of Christians and the admiration of angels. Every penitent and pardoned soul is a new witness to the triumphs of the Redeemer over sin, death, and the grave. How great the change that is wrought! The child of wrath becomes a monument of grace--a brand plucked from the burning! "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." How marvellous, how interesting, is the spiritual history of each individual believer! He is, like David, "a wonder to many," but the greatest wonder of all to himself. Others may doubt whether it be so or not; but to _him_ it is unequivocally proved, that, from first to last, grace alone reigns in the work of his salvation. The character and privileges of real Christians are beautifully described in the language of our church; which, when speaking of the objects of divine favour and compassion, says: "They that be endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called according to God's purpose in due season: they through grace obey the calling: they be justified freely: they be made sons of God by adoption: they be made like the image of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ: they walk religiously in good works; and at length, by God's mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity." Such a conception and display of the almighty wisdom, power, and love, is indeed "full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members, and drawing up their minds to high and heavenly things: it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal salvation, to be enjoyed through Christ, and doth fervently kindle their love towards God." Nearly allied to the consolation of a good hope through grace, as it respects our own personal state before God, is that of seeing its evidences shed lustre over the disposition and conduct of others. Bright was the exhibition of the union between true Christian enjoyment and Christian exertion, in the
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48  
49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Christ
 

things

 

Christians

 
salvation
 

Christian

 

spiritual

 
almighty
 

display

 

everlasting

 
felicity

wisdom

 

conception

 

excellent

 
endued
 
adoption
 

benefit

 

freely

 

called

 
religiously
 

season


begotten

 

justified

 

calling

 

attain

 

purpose

 

length

 

earthly

 

evidences

 

personal

 

Nearly


allied

 

consolation

 
respects
 

lustre

 

enjoyment

 
exertion
 

exhibition

 

disposition

 

conduct

 

Bright


kindle

 

fervently

 
working
 

Spirit

 

mortifying

 
unspeakable
 

comfort

 
persons
 
members
 
confirm