DRAW NEAR TO GOD

"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." —James 4:8 [KJV]

How sweetly is the children's duty and the Father's promise joined together! The latter is a most powerful encouragement to the former; though we were "sometimes afar off, yet being made nigh by the blood of Jesus," we are exhorted to DRAW nigh to God in prayer, in full assurance of faith, firmly believing that "faithful is He who hath promised," He will draw nigh to us to bless us. To live near God is our heaven below; to experience a distance from Him is our misery; we cannot draw nigh to God but in the way He has drawn nigh to us, that is in Christ, in the humanity of Jesus His Son; in all our approaches to God, consider this, Jesus is the object of our faith, and GOD IN HIM; all other objects drawn nigh to, will leave the soul in a painful sense of distance from the true God and real comfort. 

Happy, only happy canst thou be, while thou art daily living in close communion and near fellowship with thy God and Saviour. While the terrors of the law drive legal spirits to duty to fulfil terms of peace and conditions of acceptance, evangelical promises ever sweetly constrain and encourage to every duty those who "are not under the law, but under grace." To live in neglect of our duty and God's ordinances, is devilish licentiousness; but to be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, is true Christian liberty: here is our mercy, we have a sure way of access; by Jesus we draw nigh; in Him God and man meet; the Holy Spirit is our strength, "praying in the Holy Ghost." 

As it is the office of Christ to intercede FOR us, so the Holy Ghost intercedes IN us; as an Advocate within, He enables us to plead in faith what Jesus is to us, what He hath done for us; so we speak with confidence to our dear Father He helps in prayer, as a nurse helpeth a little child that is unable to go of itself, or as a weak decrepit person is upheld by the arm. Here is our encouragement, the word of promise, "God will draw nigh to you." 

This, O soul, is thy happiness below, thy heaven on earth, to have access to the God of mercies, and the Father of all consolations draw nigh to thee; thou sweetly findest it so; not merely to draw nigh to duty, but to God in duty; to find and feel the special presence and blessing of the Lord; without this, loving hearts cannot be satisfied; communion and fellowship with God, finding nearness of spirit, delightful intercourse, having to do with God, and receiving inward peace and love from Him; O, this is the glory of the life of faith on Jesus! and this draws us away from, and makes us dead to all things beside. When God and Christ and heaven is within, all without becomes truly mean and despicable in comparison. "It is good for me," saith Asaph, "to draw near to God."—Psalm 73:28.

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

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