Distinguishing and Sovereign Grace

"By grace ye are saved." —Ephesians 2:5 [KJV]

O thou man of God, "let not this truth forsake thee; bind it about thy neck, write it upon the table of thine heart; it shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones."—Proverbs 3:3, 8. In the faith of this, thou wilt live in love and gratitude to God, in cheerful obedience to His sovereign will, and in confident hope and earnest expectation of eternal glory. While thou wilt be daily dying to every carnal hope and legal confidence, by the atonement and righteousness of Jesus, His grace will be all thy plea, all thy hope, and all thy glorying. Hereby thou wilt be kept humble, and walk safely. That "the foot of pride prevail not against thee," is a happy part of this glorious salvation, so as to submit to receive it as entirely of grace, free favor, unconditional election, unmerited love, "according to the good pleasure of the will of God the Father." —Ephesians 1:5. It is SOVEREIGN GRACE, therefore sure and saving to all the spiritual seed of Jesus. All in our nature are averse to it. Nothing in us could deserve a right to it, or procure a title in it. It is freely proclaimed to the wretched and hell-deserving, who have neither power nor inclination to perform any terms and conditions to obtain an interest in it. But the Lord's hand laid the foundation; HIS POWER will raise the superstructure; "He will bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings of GRACE, GRACE."—Zechariah 4:7.

Salvation is by DISTINGUISHING GRACE. "One shall be taken and another left:" "One of a city and two of a family,"—Jeremiah 3:14—whomsoever the Lord is pleased to separate to Himself as vessels of honor. The effects of saving grace are distinguishing; it works effectually in them that believe: "They are called with an holy calling"—possess the faith of God's elect—experience repentance to salvation. They differ from their former selves in hope and conduct, and are distinguished also from the world, "that lies in wickedness." Under its sovereign influence such a change was wrought in Paul, that he, "who persecuted Jesus and His members, preached the faith he once destroyed."—Galatians 1:23. So every subject of grace is changed in judgment and affection. He no longer thinks grace is to assist him to do something to gain acceptance with God; but he knows "God hath made us accepted in the Beloved, to the praise of the glory of His grace."—Ephesians 1:6. Hence his affections are placed upon the God of all grace, as his center of all happiness and source of all felicity. He delights "to run the way of God's commandments." It is his joy that Jesus flies upon the wings of the wind to his relief. He loves to fly on the wings of faith and love to Him. He daily prays "to be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."—Philippians 1:11.

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

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