A Spiritual Treasury for the Children of God ~ 16MAY24 A.D.

"Therefore, behold I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall that she shall not find her paths." -Hosea 2:6 [KJV]   

Here is a contest between the (-so called) 'free-will' of the sinner, and the free grace of the Saviour. Why therefore? This alludes to what was spoken before. O how strong it savours of cursed, free-will pride! I will go after my lovers, etc. What says the Lord to this? Go, and destroy yourself, I will leave you to your own will? O ye patrons to the notion of free-will, a greater curse cannot befall you on this side hell than to be thus left. Though you have such pride, yet the Lord has more grace. 

Therefore He says, Behold. Take special notice of this. Your will is to leave Me, and destroy your souls. But I will not suffer this. Grace reigns. Free-will shall be conquered: My glory shall be exalted. I will hedge up thy way with thorns. Mind: it is Thy way, not mine. I will set the briers of troubles, and the sharp thorns of afflictions, to goad and pierce thee: to stop and prevent thee. Say now, is there love in this, or not? O that in every affliction we may see the Lord’s hand of grace, and his heart of love. 

Many souls would have been ruined by prosperity, if they had not been undone by adversity. They would have gone into the broad road of destruction, had not God hedged up the way by calamities. Better to have a sick stomach, than a guilty conscience. The Lord send me any plague, rather than the plague of a heart departing from Him, saith St. Austin. If a hedge restrain not, a wall shall not be wanting. I will make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. O what straying hearts have Christ’s sheep! 

O what love of heart has Christ towards us! What pains doth He take to keep us near Himself! “Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks” (Isaiah 26:1.) Jesus shews His lovely face. Then, says the soul, What, Thou my Lord! Thou best, Thou dearest Lover and Friend, is it Thou my first husband I would forsake for other lovers? O that there should be such a vile heart in me! Pardon, Lord, my folly. I find no path to turn to. “I will return to Thee my first husband, for then it was better with me than now.” 

Soul, ever entertain the most exalted sentiments of the grace of God; and the most self-abasing views of thy own nature. Heaven rings with acclamations of praise from backsliding souls. This is the glory of faith below, I will heal their backslidings, and love them freely (see Hosea 14:4.) If God has such love to us, let this quicken our love to Him. For, we love Him because He first loved us, see 1 John 4:19. 

 

Our Father’s love, our Saviour’s grace, 

Ne’er changes to the souls They love: 

But sin will make God hide His face, 

And leave in darkness souls to rove. 

Because such love and grace abound, 

Shall we therefore abound in sin? 

That soul who does, hath never found 

The sweet constraints of love within.

 

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

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