BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD

"...but some are fallen asleep." -I Corinthians 15:6 [KJV]

It is the united testimony of faithful witnesses, that Jesus is risen indeed. But what is this truth of a risen Saviour, to a dead sinner? He hears it, but without any affections of heart, joy of soul, desires to rise with Christ, or hopes of enjoying Him. But when, by the grace of Christ, the soul is quickened to know Him, then the believer rejoices inHis resurrection, as the best news that ever saluted his ears, or reached his heart. 

Then, he delights to read the testimony of the witnesses, to this glorious event. Yea, he also becomes a witness of it himself, for he has an inward testimony of it by faith. My heart has felt joy on seeing Charity-children at Easter, with this label upon their breast, He is risen. It is this blessed truth, which changes the king of terrors, into an angel of comfort: turns that frightful monster, death, into the image of sweet sleep. 

For Christ died for OUR sin, and rose again for OUR justification. So sure as by faith, we now live in Jesus; so at death, we shall fall asleep in Jesus, and awake in His presence, in His perfect likeness, to behold His eternal glory. O what a sweet, what a refreshing sleep is this to souls, wearied and fatigued with the burden of sin, the temptations of Satan, the exercises of the flesh, the trials of the world, the cruelty of enemies, etc. But, melancholy truth! the apostle’s words are verified of some of Christ’s witnesses, in another sense. “Some are fallen asleep” spiritually. 

They are fallen from living actings of faith, lively exercises of grace, lively discharge of duty, living, loving, and walking with heaven in their eye, and Christ in their hearts, into dull, heavy, sleepy frames of souls. O this is very dishonourable to Christ, uncomfortable to themselves, and great concern to lively, warm-hearted disciples! This is brought on some by sitting under a sleepy ministry. This scripture adage is fulfilled, “Like priest, like people.” 

Worldly company, carnal pleasures and profits are sleepy opiates to the soul. O let us be concerned, that we sleep not as do others. Let us attend lively, warm-hearted, soul-searching ministers. Keep company with such sorts of Christians. Avoid light, trifling, drowsy, speculative professors. Let us cry to our Beloved. He has said, “I will cause the lips of those who are asleep to speak” (Songs of Solomon 7:9.) They shall speak, (1st.) to God in earnest prayer, to be kept from sleeping frames. (2d.) To their brethren in Christ, to animate and quicken them to run the heavenly race, looking unto Jesus. See Hebrews 12:2. 

 

Is sleep becoming saints of God, 

In the meridian day? 

What! sleep when you should look abroad, 

Arise, and watch and pray! 

Thou risen Saviour, let us hear 

Thy sweet, Thy quick’ning voice: 

Command us sleepy frames to fear, 

And in Thy love rejoice.

 

-preacher Wm. 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