J. Church

“ This warfare must be accomplished, this combat must have an end, the sooner the better; our happy release must come, we must soon be put in possession of that glory which we are favored with the earnest of, even eternal light, life, and love. Feeling, knowing, and enjoying these things, we shall have the glorious fruition of them by and by; the way to it is painful, and much dreaded by the best of men, but God has always been better to them than their fears, they have been made willing to go; nature has shuddered, but faith has gained the victory ”

“ When we are favored with peculiar seasons of holy familiarity with God our covenant Father, when divine love is shed abroad, and flows out to Jesus, in sweet return—when we meet with a brother in Christ, and he gives a sweet account of the Lord’s gracious dealings with him—when we are particularly blest under the word, or impressed with grand and precious ideas of Jesus, these things kindle a holy flame in the spirit. ”

“ God displayed his sovereignty in creating man, and setting him up as the head of all mankind. He viewed him as the figure in which our blessed Jesus should hereafter appear. He viewed all the elect in him, ordained the fall through him, for the grand purpose of displaying the riches of his grace, and the exaltation of our nature, through its union to Jesus: so the elect, as fallen in Adam, and actual transgressors, are become earthly, sensual, and devilish! Almighty grace appears, in its sovereignty, passing by fallen angels, and raising such earthly creatures as we are! ”

“ So the blessed Spirit carrying on the Work of Faith in our minds, by exercising it on the Person, Work, and Love of Jesus, here we find rest; we which believe do enter into rest; Christ is our rest—here we cease from legal striving, and find a Sabath rest in Christ alone:—hence he is called the consolation of Israel, and we want him, as such, all the way to glory.—Considering the sins, the trials, the crosses, losses, and disappointments of God’s children, no doubt sent on purpose to keep us near the Saviour, and that we might make up all our happiness in him ”

“ Christ reigns in them; their hearts are his throne for ever—as Christ reigns in their hearts so do they in his, and they shall overcome and sit down with him in his throne. This is accomplished in some degree, in a time state, when we are led to the Atonement, and Faith receives it; all the while we enjoy the blessing of it we shout victory through his blood. Faith in Jesus overcomes the world, the fears of death, and our own inbred corruptions—they overcame by the blood of the Lamb—and being favored with victory, we are crowned—we take our rest in the love of God ”

“ While the Gospel is a proclamation of liberty to the captive, the holy Spirit brings that enlargement to the mind; and every child of God is sensible when he is in liberty and when in bondage—when shut up and when at large. Perhaps the frequent enlargements with which we are favored, are the earnests of our entire discharge from earth to heaven. ’Tis blessed to notice these enlargements in our own experience, and compare them with what the saints of old have experienced ”

“ This new man is the image of Christ; this is that which is born of God, and sinneth not, neither can it commit sin—it is Spirit, it is the kingdom of God within us, that does not come by observation, it chiefly consists in light, life, and love: and this new man, though often hid from its possessor, and always opposed, from a body of sin and death, yet it shall reign, through righteousness, to everlasting life—a troop may overcome, but it shall overcome at last.—We shall now trace it in its various operations and blessed effects ”

“ Consider the word in either sense it still seems expressive that God’s elect, though fallen in Adam, are put, or appointed to be partakers of covenant grace in their hearts. God would lay a foundation in the divine operations of the Spirit, for every good word and work; the new man is the foundation of every good desire—this new man is formed at once; it is not done by piece-meal, but it is done the moment the divine Spirit takes up his abode in the soul; the train of graces always follows the blessed Spirit of all grace, in the temples of the souls of his elect ”

“ It must ever be remembered by us, that the Holy Spirit is a Sovereign in all his dispensaries; so his sovereignty is particularly discerned in the manner of his operations upon his people—the way in which they are called—the more gentle leadings, and the awful storms that others experience ”

“ But holy zeal is tempered with love to God and truth, and springing from a real spiritual knowledge, can never be a bad spirit.—The many storms a child of God meets with from Satan, the world, a body of sin and death, persecution, and infirmities, these wean him from the world, while the love of God sweetly operating upon his mind, he longs to be dissolved and be with Christ, which is far better for him. ”

“ As God, our Covenant Father, has made nothing in vain, so he has revealed nothing in vain; his peculiar wisdom is seen even in giving names, or causing such and such names to be given to various characters, either in allusion to some circumstance attending their birth, or prophetical of what they were to be—or, as holding forth something of importance, either to themselves or to others. ”

“ But is it not a truth in the experience of God’s elect, in a greater or less degree, that they are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breast, that they must be conformed to their Covenant Head in suffering?—that as our blessed Jesus, after his glorious baptism, was led into the Wilderness, to be tempted of the Devil, so must his followers, else what is the use of the spiritual armoury, whereon there hangs a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men—the very idea of conquest must, of course, imply a war ”

“ Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Methuselah, Henoch, Noah, Shem, Ham, & Japheth.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, (says the great Apostle) and is profitable for doctrine—to declare and confirm the truth—for reproof—to convince men of sin and confute errors—for correction—to reform the life, upon conviction—and for instruction in righteousness, in the obedience of God our Saviour, as the only justifying righteousness of his Church. ”

“ Every part of the sacred writings has an importance, a dignity, and a spirituality, becoming their divine author—and they are designed by God the Holy Ghost, to exhibit the glorious character of God our Father, as engaged in a covenant of redemption with his dear Son—Likewise, to hold forth the precious Person and finished work of God our Redeemer, as the only foundation and joy of poor guilty men, convinced p. 6of sin, and seeking his salvation. ”

“ There is a warfare before we know our part and lot in Jesus; and there is a perpetual one after—the one before, is between hope and despair; the life, or salvation of the soul, hanging in doubt for years together; but upon the accomplishment of this warfare, through the application of pardon, and receiving the double exchange of Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, as the light of God’s countenance and his glory shines upon the soul—this is the sending forth of death, to cut down p. ”

“ He that has sent forth light to see and enjoy God’s salvation, sends forth death to the old man—so the Apostle says, We are dead to sin by the body of Christ; sin is not dead to us, though we die to it, through an application of the atonement ”

“ Our blessed Jesus is revealed in the Word as the strength of his saints; and has promised we shall say for ourselves, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength—this can be of no use to a sinner till he is first convinced of his criminality and weakness; we learn the former much sooner than the latter—we soon find our criminality, and feel wretched in consequence, but we do not soon learn our strength is perfect weakness. ”

“ The light of the hypocrite makes him proud, puffs him up; but this leads us out of self, to admire, enjoy, and adore the glorious undivided Trinity in Unity, the center of our happiness, the source of our joy: this is the nature of true joy in the Lord, whether experienced at our first conversion, or in all our after renewings—all joy which does not center in God, will go out ”

“ We have been brought to raise up some sin in our nature, to oppose some grace in the new man; this I find in my own experience—and if any tried, benighted travellers can get any comfort from my afflictions they are welcome to it; but the true state of the case is this, I find a law in my members, warring against the law in my mind, always trying to bring me into captivity to the power of sin and death—but I am happy at times that Christ has engaged that grace shall reign, nor do I wish a greater felicity in death than to be enabled to exclaim, Grace reigns! Faith and Unbelief strive p. ”

“ At other times I have felt sweet liberty in speaking of the glory of God’s kingdom, and talking of his power. So, also, in the defence of truth, God has given me a mouth and wisdom, that no adversary could gainsay or resist. The first enlargement I found was when God led my mind to Jesus, as my Surety, Advocate, Ransom, Righteousness, and Remedy. When he shed abroad his love, I lost p. 38that kind of fear that tormented me, and I could say, O thou whom my soul loveth—and in sweet confidence—he loved me ”

“ The Apostle here addresses converted men, who have received Christ, the mercy promised, and all blessings in him. These blessings are communicated to the soul, and manifested in the exercises of faith and love. Life—this makes us a living—a new nature—this makes us a holy, sacrifice. It is our desire p. 25to be the Lord’s for ever; to enjoy him in all, to see him in all, to be dependent on him, and to praise him for all, in life, death, and eternity ”

“ This operation of light, and reign of love, is always attended with a devotedness of spirit to God; hence the Apostle says, None of us should live to himself, but to God—and again, I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies you have received, that you present yourselves a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ”

“ Take courage, then, ye fearing characters, look to his word and faithfulness, who has said, Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? He is faithful that promised, who also will perform it—If we believe not, he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself, nor of course his people, who are part of himself. ”

“ This is a sweet hint dropped of the salvation of the Gentiles, and a gracious promise of a Saviour—he, (that is) God, shall dwell in the tents of Shem.—This was verified when the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and when the Gentiles were fellow heirs with the believing Jews, in a Gospel Church State. This name was figurative of that enlargement the souls of God’s dear people experience in life, and in the article of death, when the spirit is freed from its cumberance. Perhaps the greatest part of a believer’s life is in a state of bondage ”

“ Though in this Work I have discerned in myself too much a savoring of flesh and blood—a willingness to cry, a confederacy, to any—and I have sorely smarted for my folly, though I never gave up an inch of truth to please any ”

“ They likewise maintain the nature and necessity of a divine change, through the operation of God the Spirit upon the souls of his elect, to make known to them the suitableness of Jesus and his salvation ”

“ Adam, Earth—Seth, Foundation—Enosh, Weakness—Kenan, Mourning—Mahalaleel, Illumination of God—Jared, Reigning—Enoch, dedicated—Methuselah, sending forth Death.—Lamech, cutting down—Noah, Rest, or Consolation—p. 8Shem, a Name—Ham, Warmth—Japheth, Enlargement. There is a beautiful gradation in them, and we shall consider them in order, and enlarge particularly on some.
Adam. This word signifies Earth; some read it red Earth, to shew our original—formed of the dust of the earth, and in consequence of sin, to dust we must return! This is an humbling thought to proud mortals. ”

“ This leading, teaching, and witnessing, evidences we have a place in his heart, in his covenant, in his house, and that we p. 33belong to God—hence the Apostle says, As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God. This naturally leads me to the 11th Name,
Shem. This word signifies a Name or Renown. Are not God’s children renowned—some for faith, others for love, for wisdom, for devotedness, and above all, for objects of eternal discriminating grace? ”

“ This leads us to the Name,
Noah, Rest or Consolation.—This only is to be found in Christ; hence David said, upon the reflection of his sad troubles, Return unto thy rest, O my soul!—the learned say in the original it is Noah, p. 31perhaps in allusion to the Dove, who was sent out of the Ark, but could find no rest for the soul of its foot, till it returned. So we find it, experimentally, in all seasons of worldly-mindedness, carnality, and backsliding; we are truly miserable, we are out of our element ”