Great Encouragement in Christ JESUS our LORD ~ 21 August, 2024 A.D.

"For the LORD hath called thee, as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God." -Isaiah 54:6 [KJV]

This was literally fulfilled, when Christ’s church was first gathered to Him in the days of His flesh. Scarcely were the disciples called and married to Christ, the loving Bridegroom, by faith, but He was taken away from them by a sudden and violent death. They were then like a woman, bereaved of her affectionate husband, who mourned and grieved for her great and affecting loss. They were then as a wife of youth, just married, and soon became as widows, whom the world refused and rejected. 

But here lay all their comfort of faith, and joy of hope,—the Lord had called them, and He would never forsake them. Though death’s relentless arm snatched Christ from them, yet his power could not hold Him. By His own omnipotent power, Jesus raised Himself; and because of His everlasting love to them, He appeared again unto them. And now they are all gathered home to the full enjoyment of their heavenly Bridegroom, never, never more to part from Him. 

Disciple, how did the Lord call thee? Wast thou not as a woman forsaken by thy husband, and grieved in spirit? Was not the law, the wife of thy youth? Didst not thou live, and comfort thyself, in its embraces? When the Lord called thee, did not thy legal hopes, and legal comforts forsake thee, when you found your husband speak sharp to you, and look stern upon you, were not you grieved in spirit? Were you not disconsolate, at your wit’s end? Didst thou not cry out, O wretch that I am! 

Did not terror beset thee, and an horrible dread overwhelm thee? When all hope and help failed, and despair of living by thy first husband came upon thee? O the love of Christ: then, then, He openly and comfortably espoused thee to Himself, in the sweet bands of faith. He became thine in sensible enjoyment; and thou becamest His before all the world. What if thou art rejected, and refused, of the world? What if thou art vileness and deformity in thine own eyes? Yet the Lord loves thee; He chose thee: He has put His rich robe of righteousness, His glorious garments of salvation upon thee. 

Now thou art precious in His sight; lovely in His eyes; He has put His Holy Spirit within thee. He says of thee, “Thou art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee” (Song of Soloman 4:7.) There is no condemnation against thee. There is no separation from My love. Be a chaste virgin to thy heavenly Bridegroom. Write it upon the table of thy heart, “My God is my salvation and my glory, the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God” (Psalm 62:7.) 

 

Ye happy souls, married by faith 

To the dear Lamb of God, 

Daily attend to what He saith; 

Fear not His chast’ning rod.

 

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