THE ONE & ONLY HOPE OF SALVATION

"Is not this the carpenter’s son?" -Matthew 13:55 [KJV]

“Such indignity I cannot bear; such insult is intolerable.” Ah! who? What art thou who speakest thus? Thou sinful dust— thou proud worm of earth, look unto Jesus! See the King of kings; the Son of God, in the form of a mean man, the son of a carpenter!—yea more, himself a carpenter, the Son of Mary! (Mark 6:3.) Mark His condescension; learn humility. Behold His treatment and contempt; learn patience and submission. Astonishing mystery! 

Let reason bow and faith adore. Sinners, behold with joy and wonder, thy God in flesh. Born under that curse for sin, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,” (Genesis 3:19.) He works at a common trade, and follows an ordinary occupation. O! ye great and mighty, who are above trade, and despise those who follow it, saved ye must be by this carpenter’s son, or perish everlastingly! He is the one and only object of hope and salvation. “He is God and man in one Christ. One, not by conversion of the godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God.” 

Well might Isaiah style Him wonderful, chap. 9:6. He is so, both as God and as man: and as God and man in one Christ; wonderful in love, sufferings, and power, to save sinners. Wonderful in His humility; for He made Himself of no reputation, and took on Him the form of a servant. The Jews were “astonished at Him, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?” Yet they were offended in Him, because of the meanness of His birth, parentage, and education. Exceedingly foolish! 

So is judging of Christ by sight and sense. But He says, “Blessed is he who shall not be offended in Me” (Matthew 6:6.) It is the blessed nature and peculiar office of faith, to pierce through the mean appearance of the humanity, and to see the godhead of Christ. Here is the sure evidence of vocation. “Though Christ is to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness; yet to them who are called, Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (I Corinthians 1:24.) Now do you see the salvation finished by the power, and according to the wisdom of God, by this carpenter’s son? Mean and contemptible as He appeared in the eyes of others, do you see such matchless beauty, such divine glory shine in His person and works, as to say, “My Lord and my God?” 

O! beware of looking on this as a common call. Know, it is of special, peculiar, distinguishing grace: give glory to the Holy Spirit for it. Rejoice at the meanness of thy Lord; love Him for it: all was for thy salvation. Rejoice in Him: though to the eye of sense, mean and contemptible, yet He is “able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him” (Hebrews 7:25.)

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

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