REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAY!

"Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me." —Psalm 55:5 [KJV]

Such was the mournful complaint of David; yea of Jesus too, the root and offspring of David. "Lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon Abraham the father of the faithful."—Genesis 15:12. So the Lord suffers His dearest children to be distressed; yet it is their privilege, and they are again and again exhorted to "rejoice in the Lord alway."—Philippians 4:4. Under such frames, let not disciples entertain hard thoughts of the God of love; but ever remember they are heightened by our adversary. Least of all should humble followers of the Lamb judge themselves not to be true converts, because they have not experienced such dreadful terrors of hell and damnation in their conscience, as some talk of.

It is an unscriptural notion; the word of God lays down no such rule, that the soul must be under such deep convictions of horror, must be as it were shook over the very mouth of hell, as a mark of true conversion to Jesus. Innumerable are the instances of persons crying out under dreadful terrors of wrath and damnation, as though hell itself was let loose upon them for a season; but yet after all, being still unclean and filthy, "like the dog to his vomit, and the sow to her wallowing in the mire," they have turned back to their old courses. Thanks to the loving Spirit, He doth convince of sin, not as a tormentor, merely to terrify with wrath and hell, but as a COMFORTER, to testify of Jesus and salvation. He opens the eyes of our understanding, to see our lost state and wretched condition, and He gives us to see "the hope of our calling, etc."—Ephesianw 1:18. "And the fruits of the Spirit are love, peace, joy, etc."—Galatians 5:22. He works effectually. He teaches us by the law to despair in nature and self, and revives and comforts with hope and assurance of full perfect salvation in Jesus. But while the spirit of truth sows the good seed of the kingdom in the heart, Satan sows tares to spring up and choke it. He works upon our unbelief, practices his devilish art upon our carnal reason, and suggests, that God is an implacable enemy; the meek Lamb is a devouring lion; the gospel is a cunningly devised fable, or requires such hard terms, which we can never fulfil; therefore misery, wrath, and hell must be our doom. He is ever an implacable adversary to salvation by Jesus, through sovereign love and distinguishing grace. Such terrors are to be prayed against rather than coveted. David knew whence they came; says he, "Because of the voice of the enemy and the oppression of the wicked one," verse 3. Praised be our dear Lord for that precious promise, "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him," and put him to flight.—Isaiah 59:19.

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

 

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