Divinely Called & Effectually Persuaded to Come to CHRIST!

"O Lord! Thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; Thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, and every one mocketh me." -Jeremiah 20:7 [KJV]

A poor deluded perfectionist lately made a great noise in London: he blasphemously pretended to be as holy as God Himself, to have revelations from Him, and peremptorily fixed upon a day when the world was to be destroyed. He deceived many, and alarmed more. But time proved how artfully he had been deceived himself; and now, what is most awful, he has cast off all sense of religion, ridicules it, charges all his delusion upon God, and quotes these very words of Jeremiah, to prove that God had deceived him. One would not mention this by way of reflection, or triumph over this unhappy man; but, as a caution against this mad, wildfire notion of sinless perfection, which so spreads itself among a certain description of professors. 

But did God really deceive Jeremiah? Can we suppose that he charges God with it? The very thought is daring and impious. After giving several senses upon the words, the learned Dr. Gill very judiciously says, “It is best of all to translate them, as they will bear: O, Lord! Thou hast persuaded me, and I was persuaded.” This sense he takes from Luther and others. The prophet did not run before he was sent; but was called, and effectually convinced of his mission, by the power of His Spirit. Just so is every believer. 

(1st.) Divinely called, and effectually persuaded to come to Christ, and he His disciple. Christian, consider! do not you see somewhat here suited to your own case? Was not God stronger than you, and therefore prevailed? Will not you fall down to-night at the feet of sovereign grace, and own its effectual power; and give the Lord of all grace, all the glory from your whole heart? 

(2d.) Are you like Jeremiah, in a complaining, unbelieving frame? Are you saying, O Lord, I should never have come to Thee, and been Thy disciple, if Thy grace had not prevailed over me! Being come, I encouraged my soul to hope for nothing but comfort all through life. But, alas! I am disappointed and dejected: men laugh at me and deride me. One says, I am an enthusiast; another, my brain is turned: the world says, I am only pursuing whims and chimeras of my own fancy; and Satan mocks and derides me daily, crying, now where is your comfort? where is now your God? 

Blessed Christian! consider, (3d.) and be not dismayed, it is your glory, as it was the prophet’s, to have a lovinghearted, covenant God, a compassionate Saviour, to go to, Who is touched with a feeling of your infirmities. You can pour out your heart before Him, appeal to Him, tell Him of your sorrows, treatment and heart-felt distress. Though all the world derides you, God delights over you: though Satan insults, “God shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.”

-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