Fear Not: I AM thy God and thy Great Salvation!

"I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." —Hosea 2:14 [KJV]

Carnal ease begets spiritual sloth. Outward prosperity often brings leanness of soul. Worldly joys, vain pleasures, and sensual gratifications, are contrary to the spiritual delights, holy comforts, and godly conversation of the soul. Of this observation we have awful evidence. Woeful experience proves it. It is seldom seen that the church of Christ in general, or individual members thrive and prosper in soul, when all without is easy, prosperous, and joyful to the flesh. 

Like "Jeshurun, we wax fat and kick, forsake God, and lightly esteem the rock of our salvation."—Deuteronomy 32:15. But the Head of His church, ever jealous for His own glory, ever watchful in love over His own members, will not suffer them to perish with a surfeit from worldly kindness. They shall rather bleed by the loving stroke of His hand, than fall a sacrifice to the world and the flesh. Earthly plants droop and wither by too great heat from the sun: so spiritual plants hang their heads and decline under the warm sunshine of prosperity. "But," saith the Lord, who delights in the spiritual prosperity of His people, "I will allure them to Myself; I will persuade of the evil of forsaking Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewing out to themselves broken cisterns that will hold no water." 

The world, with all its gaudy show and glittering vanities, I will persuade them from. I will allure to Myself the fountain of real happiness, the source of solid comfort, the centre of all felicity. The Saviour, who was led into the wilderness to be tempted for the soul, will lead the soul into the wilderness to wean it from its carnal delights. In a solitary, desolate wilderness, there is nothing grows to please the flesh, but all is irksome and disagreeable to nature. Here no path to direct from danger and invite to safety is found. Here wild beasts of prey roam. Here the welcome footsteps of the traveller cannot be traced. Here nought but dreary dread and constant fears haunt the mind. Just so is a wilderness-state of soul; O, what fears and sorrows pursue it! 

How perplexed about the way, from danger to safety! How gloomy, sad, and dejected is the heart! O, in such a state how ready the soul to hear! O, how doth God there teach the soul the profitable lesson of consideration! Former follies are reflected on with shame, past conduct is mourned over, worldly objects rejected with contempt, the soul brought again to thirst after God; Jesus and salvation becomes its cry again. O, that it were with me as in months past! This is right. The Saviour loves to hear His members thus bemoaning themselves. Then is their ear open, and their heart attentive to His voice; and He will speak, not what she deserves, wrath; but comfortably unto her heart; "Fear not, I am thy God, and thy great salvation."

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

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