Distinguished by the Grace of God

"The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away: blessed be the name of the LORD." -Job 1:21 [KJV]

Meek Moses, righteous Lot, patient Job, were as wicked by nature as any sinners that ever were born. True, they were eminent saints. But who made them so? The same Saviour, Who sanctifies you and me. Cease ye from man. Look upon the most holy saint, as a sinner in himself, but only distinguished by the grace of God. When any grace eminently shines in any sinner, remember it all comes out of the fulness of the Saviour. So look for grace for yourself. While Job suffers the loss of all, yet he glories in the possession of all. Thought he could not now say, my children, my possessions, my health, etc. yet he could say, “My Redeemer liveth,” (ch. 19:25.)  

The belief of this sweetened every cross: made up every loss: kept his head from sinking in the deep waters of affliction: his heart from fainting under the greatest tribulations: and fortified his mind with the greatest patience, under the severest calamities. He saw his Lord in all, therefore by His grace he submits to all. Job is here set before us, as most eminent for his patience. To what end? That we might learn patience hereby? Remember patience is a grace. It is a gift from the God of all grace. We can no more derive patience from the example of Job, than we can get light and heat from a painted sun. View the saint, but look to the King of saints to be like-minded. “The Lord gave.” 

Sweet consideration! Look upon all you enjoy as the free gift of a covenant God. Hold the giver fast, but hold the gifts with a trembling hand. Perhaps, ere to-morrow’s sun, you may be constrained to say of some of your sweetest enjoyments, “The Lord hath taken away.” Love saw they would do you harm, and that it is best for you to be without them. Therefore in love, God takes them away. Love is always the same, in a giving, as in a taking God. Therefore, what good reason have we to say for both, “Blessed be the name of the Lord!” 

Here you see the work of faith. It sees the Lord’s name written upon every enjoyment: it owns the Lord’s right, to give, or take away: it bows to the Lord’s sovereign will, and says, Lord, Thou hast done all things well. Though what Thou doest I cannot know now, yet I shall know hereafter. I am sure there is a Father’s love and wisdom in all. O that all may be sanctified to me, and I profited by all. Thus, as faith in Christ brings us to the knowledge of God, as our loving Father, to enjoy peace with Him, so it teaches submission to His will, and to bless His name at all times. Rejoice in the Lord.

 

-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