THE ONLY FOUNDATION

"Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." —Isaiah 28:16 [KJV]

A day is coming when every man's work shall be tried. The foundation of the Lord stands sure; but every other foundation shall be destroyed. He who is built on Jesus, and derives all his hopes of life and salvation from Him, is safe in time, and secure to all eternity. Before men begin to build, they draw a plan; and every wise builder looks carefully to the foundation; for on this depends the safety of the super-structure. The plan of salvation was drawn in the eternal council. It is founded in the love of the Father; effected by the obedience and sufferings of the Son, Jesus. 

Hence what was contrived in infinite wisdom above, is laid as a sure foundation in the church below, by the love and power of the Spirit, the Comforter. It is His peculiar office to lay this foundation in Zion, and to manifest and make known to the prophets and apostles, teachers and saints, that Jesus is the only Foundation. As a stone, for strength; a tried stone, approved of by the Father, and by His children in all ages; a precious cornerstone: the ornament and beauty, as well as strength and security of the whole church. Precious is Jesus in all His offices to them that believe; a sure foundation, sure to all the seed; certain to all the purposes of their salvation. 

And as the Lord the Spirit lays this foundation in the church, in the truth of doctrine, so also in the faith and experience of redeemed souls. What the word speaks of Jesus, that we prove and find Him to be. This is our mercy. "He that believeth shall not make haste." Such is his serenity and composure of mind, that he shall not be frightened in times of distress and calamity, to quit his confidence in Jesus—he shall not be ashamed of his hope in the Lord. Being well satisfied that Jesus reigns, that the government of His church is upon His shoulders, and the residue of the Spirit is with him, he will patiently wait, and quietly hope for the fulfilment of every promise. 

Sin and Satan shall not overcome the believer in life; in the awful article of death, he shall not be confounded, because his heart standeth fast, believing in the Lord; and when Jesus his friend appears, he shall stand forth with boldness, and shall find an abundant entrance into the presence of God and the Lamb, to live, and love, and reign in glory for ever and ever.

O, for a strong and lasting faith, 

To credit what th' Almighty saith, 

To build upon God's only Son, 

And call His righteousness my own.

 

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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JESUS - Rock of Ages

Jesus remains the same in all ages. He is the One who is constant when everything and everyone else fails. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is our R ock [I SAMUEL 2:2 ] . In the Old Testament, in Exodus 33, Jesus is pictured as the Cleft Rock. In that chapter, verse 18 and following, Moses desired to see the glory of the Lord, but was told, "You cannot see My face; for there shall no man see My face and live.” And the Lord said, “There is a place by Me, and you shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." Notice that as Moses stood upon the rock, the Lord hid him in the cleft. This wonderfully applies to us today! Believers are both standing on and hidden in Christ [COLOSSIANS 3:3 ] . We are both in and on the Rock. As life with its many bitter events presses upon us, ...
Read more

CHRIST OUR ONLY AND PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS

" The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." —Galatians 5:17 [KJV] Christian experience fully proves this apostolic truth. Hence the children of God cannot do the things that they would: nor have we any authority from God's word to conclude this lusting ever ceased in any of the saints till they got to glory; none are delivered from it while in the flesh. For, as the renewed soul or spirit loves to enjoy spiritual and heavenly objects, so the flesh, or unrenewed part, lusts after those objects it is naturally conversant with, and from which it derives its happiness.  Here is thy conflict, O Christian. Hence the necessity of thy Lord's command, "Watch always." This is the use of the doctrine. What woeful effects have fulfilling the lusts or desires of the flesh produced in eminent saints! Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. The conceptions of lust are the productions of sin.— see James 1:15 . The commission of sin contracts fresh s...
Read more

GLORY ALONE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

" Lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." -Judges 7:2 [KJV] Thus the Lord reasoned with Gideon. He knows what is in man. He sees the pride of the human heart: how prone we all are to boast in an arm of flesh. The Lord is jealous of His own glory. Gideon’s army of two and thirty thousand, is brought down to three hundred. By this handful of men, and no more, did Gideon gain the victory of the Midianites. The Lord’s wisdom in this was, “Lest Israel should vaunt themselves, and say, Mine own hand hath saved me.”   But I have not transcribed the text right. There are two little words of great import, which I have omitted. Mind then, O Christian— against Me. Now remember, whenever thou dost boast of thy power, thy free-will, thy human goodness, thy works, ditties, conditions, and performances in order to be saved, thou art then, as it were, two and thirty thousand strong. Thou vauntest thyself against the Lord . Thou art gloryi...
Read more