Great Encouragement in Christ JESUS ~ 22 March, 2024 A.D.

"The Father seeketh such to worship Him." -John 4:23 [KJV]

Error is natural to fallen man. He sets his face against truth, and turns his back upon it with contempt. The more error abounds with pride and self-sufficiency, so much the more it is suited to our corrupt nature. Hence, we are naturally Pelagians: we cannot think Adam’s sin has hurt us. Or else, Semi-pelagians: though we confess our souls are wounded by Adam’s sin, yet we cannot think we are totally dead to God thereby; but, as it were, only half dead: so that we still possess some power and ability, to seek God and to please Him, if we will but exert ourselves. 

This is the popular doctrine of our day: it is suited to man’s pride, and keeps up his self-importance. Hence, this dry, shriveled comment is put upon our Lord’s words: “That, if we will but stir up ourselves to seek God, possess our minds with an habitual sense of religion, and worship Him in spirit and truth, He then will seek us, and delight in us.” This is reading the Scriptures backward—putting the cart to draw the horse, and supposing the effect to be productive of its cause. But in opposition to this, consider, seeking implies, 

(1st.) That we are lost. So “the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:11.) He was "sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:21.) Who ever heard of a lost sheep seeking after its shepherd? The Father seeks us, before we seek Him. Our seeking Him, is the effect of His finding us. Hence, every member of Christ’s church, “shall be called, sought out” (Isaiah 62:12.) O, this endears the love of our Father to our souls! 

(2d.) It implies His knowledge of us. What He says of Jeremiah is true of all His people: “Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee” (Jeremiah 1:5.) He knew us from eternity, in the covenant; chose us in Christ; and sanctified or separated us for Himself, in time, to worship Him in spirit and in truth. O! may this lay us under everlasting obligations to love, adore, and praise our heavenly Father! 

(3d.) Seeking us, implies love to us, and property in us. Who seeks for that which they set no value upon? who searches after a person they do not love? who will take pains to look for that which is not their own property? The woman who had lost the piece of money, sought it diligently, and rejoiced greatly when she had found it; for it was her own. Smile who will at the simile, it is just. There is as much disposition in a lost piece of money to seek its owner, as there is in a lost sinner to seek his God. Hast thou found God? Dost thou know Him as thy Father? Dost thou worship Him in spirit and in truth? O! resolve it all into His fatherly love in first seeking thee. For thus saith the Lord, “I am found of them who sought Me not” (Isaiah 65:1.)

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

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