GOD's Revealed Truth

"Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in Whom we trust, that He will yet deliver us." —II Corinthians 1:10 [KJV]

Divine confidence is founded upon God's revealed truth; it arises in the heart in proportion to the discovery which is made of free-grace promises to sinners in Christ Jesus. Faith looks at nothing in nature, nor in the creature; it stands not upon any human probability or rational possibility; but, as the queen of graces, faith looks wholly to the KING OF GLORY, consults the word of His truth, relies on His promises and oath, and trusts in the power of an omnipotent Lord. 

Past experience of former deliverances sweetly encourage the soul to trust God for future. So the apostles reasoned upon temporal deliverances from the persecuting powers of earth and hell, which were engaged against them. All hope and help from the right hand and left were cut off. In themselves they had the sentence of death. They were like malefactors in their own apprehension, doomed to certain execution. But God had delivered them in time past! He did deliver them at the present; hence, their trust was excited for future deliverance. 

Just so they taught and gloried in a salvation equally as extensive, through all the periods of time past, present, and to come; which should certainly issue in everlasting glory. O believer, here is a mode of reasoning for thy soul. Exercise thy faith on things past, present, and to come. Call to mind how God in time past delivered thy soul from thy great death in trespasses and sins. In how many dangers has He kept thee? From how many snares has He delivered thee? And art thou this present hour a saved sinner, living by faith on the Son of God? 

O, see thy Lord's past mercies! O, consider thy Lord's present blessings! Thence honor Him with the faith of thy heart, the trust of thy soul, that He will yet deliver thee from every enemy. Art thou harassed by temptations? Remember, thy Lord knoweth how and when to deliver out of them!—see II Peter 2:9. Art thou groaning under a body of sin and death? Crying out, O, wretched that I am? 

Consider the everlasting love and almighty power of thy precious Deliverer; exult and triumph with, "thanks be to God Who giveth the victory through Jesus Christ." Thus daily study, O soul, to live in an habitual view of thy God and Saviour; pray and wrestle for constant applications of Jesus' grace, daily feelings of His love by the Spirit; so shall every lust of thy nature be subdued, Satan shall fly from the resistings of faith, victory shall be obtained over the world, holiness will be delightful to thy heart, and heaven desirable and longed for by the soul. 

Ever remember "it is God Who worketh in us to will and to do of His good pleasure," as the only enlivening confidence to encourage thee to "work out thy salvation with fear and trembling."—Philippians 2:12, 13.

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

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