J. Church

“ This leads me to notice the falls of the believer; and these alas! are daily! Solomon says, they fall seven times, but rise again, because of the work of the Lord upon them, and because the love and mercy of the Lord endureth for ever. They can never fall out of his heart, nor out of his arm, nor out of his covenant, nor out of his thoughts, for they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, as the covenant of grace, which can never be moved. ”

“ This is the glorious foundation, hope, and comfort of those whose hearts are under the influences of his Spirit, who are driven from every other refuge, and are enabled to believe to the present salvation of the Soul. This faith, which is the work of God on the hearts of his people, evidences their election of God, their complete redemption from the ruins of the fall, and that the work is genuine; it is the earnest God has given them, and all their present peace and joy is according to the strength or weakness of this grace. This makes Christ precious, the Word sweet, and the Saints dear. ”

“ Some perhaps may suppose they have done God service; others have not God in all their thoughts; while others, who ought to act better, because they profess better things, join with worldlings, pharisees, and formalists, against a man they know nothing of, but by hear-say. While erroneous characters of every description hate me for the truth’s sake alone, and rejoice if they can find any fault as a ground of persecution; and if not in reality, an evil report is quite enough for them, that they might have cause to oppose the truth, as it is in Jesus. ”

“ But though this is a most glorious Scripture truth, yet in themselves considered, and situated as they are, in an enemy’s land, surrounded by snares and traps, trials and temptations, from without and within, Satan and a corrupt heart, the prevalency of error, and the aboundings of impiety, the poor believer is in constant danger of falling, in constant need or divine keeping, and in constant need of that humble petition, Hold thou me up and I shall be safe. ”

“ The Lord has promised to deliver us, and he will be our helper until that time comes, then he will appear in his own way, and cause us to subscribe with the hand God is faithful. How long our trials may last on the present occasion, we know not; but of this we are certain, that the God of all grace who hath called us to his kingdom and glory—after we have suffered a while will make us perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us—only we want patience to have her perfect work, that after we have done the will of God by suffering, we may receive the promises of deliverance. ”

“ What God is to us p. 23in all his covenant characters, what Jesus is in all his excellencies, and what the holy and eternal Spirit is in all his blessed offices; this is our light, our joy, our strength, and our all in all. And very frequently the Lord takes the opportunity of manifesting himself the clearer, when the church is in her darkest state—man’s extremity was ever God’s opportunity. May he be our light in the present darkness, and may the light of his countenance shine upon your souls when I am separated from you. ”

“ O God, merciful Father, that despiseth not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desires of such as be sorrowful; mercifully assist our prayers that we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppress us; and graciously hear us, that those evils, which the craft and subtilty of the Devil or man worketh against us, be brought to nought ”

“ I will wait for the God of my salvation, with this sweet confidence, my God will hear me. My enemies then need not rejoice; for as I have God in p. 8covenant to be my God—and of this I am confident, from his word, and by the many tokens of his love; therefore though I fall into trouble, and remain in the darkness of my captivity a long time, yet I am fully assured I shall be delivered in God’s time and way; and till that period arrives, the Lord Jesus will be my light, my love, my portion, and my joy. ”

“ Thus blest, he again travels on in his Redeemer’s righteousness and strength, hating sin more than ever, and vowing eternal war against Satan and his works. But the world is also the enemy of God’s children—not the creation of God, but the men of p. 14the world, who are of the earth, earthy, whose portion and joy is in the world, whose hope is the sand of their own doings, who are enemies by nature and by practice, who are ignorant of God, of Jesus, his word, his grace, and the reality of religion. ”

“ These, in connexion with the old Man of Sin, which the Believer daily groans p. 10under, renders his road very rough; often exposes him to the deepest trouble and heart-felt grief. His own daily infirmities, his own constitutional sin, creates him much wretchedness, and the enemies of the Cross are daily watching for his halting, longing for his fall, envying his comforts, and contriving his overthrow. But though he is safe in the unchangeable love of God, as it respects his soul, yet he is still exposed to the malice of man, the temptations of Satan, and the shafts of calumny. ”

“ These may befal a Believer, from the world and from false brethren—they may be brought very low, into deep poverty, sore affliction, and great embarrasments; to these things, the brightest saints upon earth are liable, and the Lord may bring upon them sore and great troubles when they need it; and I believe the Lord never does it without a reason—for he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. There is, doubtless, a need for every cross and for every enemy; but the fall the Church alludes to in the text, is not a fall into sin, but a fall into trouble ”

“ Much as the believer has to blame himself for on account of not taking heed to his own ways, yet Satan need not rejoice in his falls, for he only falls to stand more firm, to see native weakness of his own arm, the deceitfulness of his own heart; and as grace is displayed to his soul, he finds the dear Redeemer more precious to his heart, after the inner man ”

“ Nature shrinks, but faith looks forward to the grand end which my heavenly father has in view—and being already assured by his word, and by his spirit, that I shall be favoured with his manifestative presence, I prefer submitting to the mind of infinite wisdom, to any other plan which nature, friends, and present interest may suggest. ”

“ And as they act from a base principle, after God’s purposes are accomplished, he punishes their enemies. He that leadeth into captivity, shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword, shall die by the sword. ”

“ All is dark at present, evidences of interest are very low; a gloomy cloud sits on the Tabernacle—providences are very dark, and we may be much in the dark about God’s designs, and this darkness may continue a long time. Here some Believers are said to walk in darkness, without light; though the darkness of ignorance is past, yet much still remains, and we are the subjects of much darkness within as well as without ”

“ The conquests of grace have ever disturbed the earth, and those who have preached all the words of this life are represented as having turned the world upside down, and as the troublers of Israel; while the gospel in its power has caused those who were servants to sin to lay down the arms of their rebellion, and God has set up a kingdom in their p. ”

“ And if not, perhaps they will try to make one, that they may bring the cause of Christ into contempt. The combined enemies of God are the same combined foes of the people of God, for, as by virtue of the union subsisting between the Lord Jesus and his people, they have a mutual interest ”

“ Hence he calls his enemies his rod, his staff, his sword, which when he is done with them, he will lay them aside, or devote them to destruction. For what God intends, and they intend, is very different. God intends their spiritual growth, their holiness, and final felicity: they intend their destruction. ”

“ The Lord permits his children often to fall, but never to turn enemies to the truth, to mount the scorner’s chair, or really to apostatize—backslide in heart and conduct they do, but apostatize they never shall, they never can; they may fall into sin, as the most eminent saints have, which has caused them many a heart-break; they may fall into spiritual distress, even after they have been sweetly led along, as David, Job, and Hezekiah did—they may fall into some temptations, from which scarcely p. ”