LORD JESUS! Uphold Me by Thy Free Spirit


Awful words! Enough to excite in us a holy fear, a godly jealously, and this earnest cry, “Lord, uphold me by Thy free Spirit.” What is here meant by grace? the doctrine of God’s free favour, to lost sinners in Christ? redeeming their souls from the curse of the law, by His blood; justifying their persons before God, by His righteousness, without any works of their own; and saving them, without any desert of theirs. O, my Lord! what rich, what matchless grace is this! My soul shall love and praise Thee eternally in heaven for this! No! but, stop: thy joy is damped:—thou mayest fall from this grace; lose the favour of God; fall into hell. Who says this? Some say, St. Paul here does.


No; it is as impossible for a saint in Christ Jesus thus to fall, as for a glorified saint in heaven to fall into hell. Christ is God. It is impossible for God to lie. For Christ says, “My sheep shall never perish” (see John 10:28.) If they did, God the Father must change in His love; God the Son shed His blood, in the greatest agony, in vain; God the Spirit’s work upon their hearts would be fruitless; and hell would triumph against the love, grace, and power of Jehovah. Bless the Lord, O my soul! for persevering, as well as converting grace. What, then does the apostle here mean?

(1st. and principally,) These Galatians, professors of the great and glorious doctrines of the grace of God, had fallen into other notions of justification, than by the righteousness of Christ only: they thought their own works must, in some measure, be the procuring cause, first or last.

Therefore, (2d.) they were fallen from the profession they once made, that they were lost and perishing sinners, daily coming short of the glory of God, destitute of a righteousness to justify them in His sight, and must be eternally damned, without the righteousness of Christ.

For, (3d.) they were now fallen into a high opinion of their own "free will," to work out a righteousness to justify them in whole or in part; that their faithfulness to grace received, would entitle them to the divine blessing; their own sinless perfection would keep them in God’s favour. If at first they were not justified by their own works, yet there was a second justification, when their works would entitle them to glory.

This is the case with some in our day: at first, they thought God’s free grace, through the blood and righteousness of Christ, would entirely save them; but now, grown wise in their own eyes, and mighty strong in their own power, they are fallen from the grace of the gospel into the pride of nature: they say, “We once leaned too much to Calvinism.” Now, forsaking the truth, they get perfection in themselves: now, they can do without the imputed righteousness of Christ, and vehemently exclaim against the doctrines of grace. . . . From such falling, good Lord, deliver us.

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


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