THE SECRET OF THE LORD

"The secret of the LORD is with them who fear Him; and He will shew them His covenant." -Psalm 25:14 [KJV]

Who would trust the secrets of his heart with an avowed enemy? David could reveal all that was in him to Jonathan. Why? Because he was his loving, faithful friend. He could trust his very life in his hands. There was a secret between them two, which no one else was privy to. When Jonathan shot the arrows as a signal to David, even the lad that gathered them up, “Knew not any thing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter” (I Samuel 20:39.) Some professors are like this lad. The Lord will not trust them with His secret: they would abuse it. 

It is common to hear such lads in religion say, Well, if I were sure that God loved me with an everlasting love, had chosen me from eternity, and would keep me by His power, through faith unto salvation, what need I care how I live? Do not such discover that they are strangers to the love and fear of the friends of God, and that as yet the Lord hath not shewed them His covenant? Out of their own mouths they judge themselves not worthy to be trusted with the Lord’s secret. But the great purpose of the Lord’s electing grace, everlasting love, and preserving power is with them who fear Him. 

They cannot, they will not sin, because grace abounds. Fear prevents: love restrains. The Lord, Who puts this covenant grace into their hearts, keeps it alive there. How? He will shew them His covenant. He will manifest more and more the glorious grace of it in Christ—how is it established upon God’s precious promises, confirmed by His solemn oath, ratified by the precious blood of Christ, and all the blessings and comforts of it, sure and certain to all the believing seed of Christ. O this keeps a holy, loving, jealous, believing fear in exercise. Do not you find it so? This is the natural effect of it. For this is the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Thereby He at once comforts our heart, and sanctifies us unto God. While we love Him as our Father, we fear Him as His children. The secret of His love makes Him dear to our souls. The grace of His covenant strengthens our confidence in Him—keeps up fear of sinning against Him. The holy, precious nature of covenant grace, everlasting love, divine faithfulness, are all secured to the seed of Christ. Meditate upon it. Give equal glory to the Trinity for it. For thus saith Jehovah, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips” (Psalm 89:30-37.) 

 

God proves our souls by love divine, 

Thro’ everlasting cov’nant grace: 

And thus we know that we are Thine— 

We walk in fear before Thy face. 

But such as would Thy grace abuse, 

And sin, because grace does abound 

And dare affront Thee to Thy face, 

Thy secret, Lord, have never found.

 

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

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