CONTINUE IN THE FAITH
"Then
said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him,
If
ye continue in My
word, then are ye My
disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free."
-JOHN
8:31, 32 [KJV]
The
truth is not known at first in all its sweetness, liberty, and power.
We have "to continue in the word;" it maybe at times
in very great darkness, distress, exercise, temptation, and trouble;
and yet, such has been the power of the word upon the heart, it
cannot, will not let us go. We see and feel the misery of departing
from the truth, the wretchedness of getting back into the world, and
being entangled in the spirit of it; and what must be the consequence
if we leave those things we profess to know and believe, and embrace
error or fall into the arms of sin!
There
is, therefore, a continuance in the word, it may be often, as I have
said, in much darkness, much exercise, many trials, many temptations:
but still we are brought to this point, never to give up the Word
which has been made life and spirit to the soul. And though the
Lord sometimes may very much hide His face, and we seem to be very
poor, dull scholars, and to be much condemned for our unfruitfulness,
to know so little of the spirit of the Master, and walk so little in
His blessed ways; yet there is a looking unto Him, a longing after
Him, a cleaving to Him; and this manifests genuine discipleship. Now,
as we still cling, cleave, hang, trust, and hope, we begin to know
the truth; it is opened up to the mind, it is made exactly suitable
to our state and case; and the wonderful way in which it addresses
and adapts itself to our various and pressing wants and necessities
becomes more and more manifest.
-Gospel
report by preacher J.C. Philpot (1802-1869 A.D.)
JANUARY
9th, EARS FROM HARVESTED SHEAVES
Comments