DIVINE ASSISTANCE.

CHAPTER VII.

ON THE ENCOURAGEMENTS AFFORDED BY DIVINE

ASSISTANCE.

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."-PHILIPPIANS ii. 12, 13.

WHEN our obligation to secure the happy results of true conversion is solemnly recognised, and a soul is engaged in the performance of this duty, it generally happens that difficulties appear to discourage and prevent perseverance. These result partly from indidividual mistake; and partly from satanic

influence; but principally from the nature of the undertaking. For, when all the errors of ignorance have been removed, and every allowance has been made for the energy of opponents seen and unseen, God himself has presented the work in such a way, as proves that the restoration of our ruined nature must be full of difficulty and trial. Hence, such expressions are employed to describe the condition of an unconverted man as imply the extreme of necessity. He has a heart, but it is a heart of stone; he has a judgment, but it is in darkness; he is a man, but the man is dead in sins; in himself, his ruin is complete.

God has also declared, that the restoration of our nature must be as perfect as its ruin. The heart of stone must be turned into flesh; a sinner, in the exercise of his judgment, must pass from darkness into light; every faculty of his soul must be renewed: though scattered like the bones which were seen by Ezekiel in his valley of vision, the members of his ruined constitution must be regathered and restored. The man who was dead in trespasses

and sins, must be quickened to a new life of righteousness in Christ Jesus.

Such descriptions of human necessity are not intended to destroy the hope which mercy has awakened to its precious promises; but rather to feed and strengthen it, by showing to the chief of sinners, that all their wants have been anticipated by the rich provisions of eternal mercy. God knew your helplessness, and declared his abundant grace in supplying your wants, before the ruin of your fallen nature was made known to you.

The provisions of mercy are of two kinds : the first may be called legislative; the second applicatory. The former comprehends all those arrangements in Divine providence which render the salvation of a sinner possible, and his faith in Christ a matter of duty; but the latter includes those acts of sovereign love which lead to the individual appropriation of mercy, and render salvation certain. By the one, a Saviour is provided for the world; the blood of his atonement, is, by the other, sprinkled on the consciences of individual sinners.

Both these provisions of mercy are referred

to now, for the sake of showing how much they encourage the chief of sinners. In themselves, fallen men are helpless; but in God, they shall find all-sufficient strength. Our heavenly Father intends that every penitent shall know and confess that his sin is an evil, the maladies of which he could never heal, and that no one could heal them but God alone. But he also wishes us to know that he is waiting to be gracious, and that those who seek his face shall surely live.

That this fact may have its due influence, let the two kinds of assistance which mercy has provided be considered, separately, with a little more attention.

And, first, the legislative assistance. Here we cannot pass over the stupendous gift of his dear Son. Whether we regard this as a proof of Divine love in general, or of the Redeemer's love in particular, we seem plunged at once into an ocean, of which we cannot define the boundaries even in our imagination. Still, it is not the mere act of giving his Son which most effectually serves our present purpose; but the end for which he was given. The

Son was given, therefore, that through him God might give us other mercies. Our Lord came, and lived, and died for us, that God might be reconciled to us, and that a way might be found, through which the fulness of mercy might flow to every fallen man, just as he needed it. For your sake he died, my fellow-sinner, to bring you near to God. By a solemn act of Divine authority, Jesus is set forth before you, a propitiatiory; and God, whom you had made your enemy, waits there to receive you with all the fervour of a parent's love. Without this, conversion itself would have been useless to you, for, without an atonement, past sin could never have been forgiven; but now the sins of the world are taken away, and whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely.

Besides this, God has ordained, by law, means for the special instruction of sinners. His word is a mighty gift, inspired by his Spirit, preserved through his providence, and guarded by the sword of his flaming curse, that no one might dare to corrupt its truths, or diminish the number of its promises.

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