SUCH was the inscription upon a small china mug which I purchased some time since for my young daughter, and I selected that one on account of the pleasant motto which was engraved upon it. The child was greatly gratified at receiving the little present. But how should I, as a parent, have felt, if I imagined that she valued my trifling gift above myself, who, according to the mercies of God bestowed upon me, daily provide for her many and continuous rants?
Let us look upon a scene which is by no means uncommon. The father of a large family sits down to dinner with them upon a Sunday, which is the only lay of the week in which he is able to take that meal with them; for he toils early and late in order to provide for the wants of his children. And it is a real pleasure to him to meet them, with their kind mother, at the family table, and to see them comfortably dressed, looking happy and cheerful. And when he surveys the abundance of savory viands which is set before them, and expresses the usual form of thanksgiving to God, does he not feel grateful for His mercies to him and to his children? In many instances, no doubt, he does, and owns God as the Giver of them. But one fears that, in other cases, it is rather the liking for the good things of this life, than the thankful recognition that they are derived from Him who is the Giver of “every good and every perfect gift” (James 1:77For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (James 1:7)), “filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:1717Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. (Acts 14:17).
Did not the Lord Jesus, when testing the multitude who followed Him into Capernaum, say unto them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek Me, not because of the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled?” Thereby showing that they did not seek Him from love to Himself, but on account of the food for the body, which He, in His grace, had distributed to them in the desert. He then said, “Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you.” And, continuing, He presented Himself as the “Bread of God,” “which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.”
“From that time, many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.” John 6. How plainly this manifested that they had no love to Himself, but only cared for the food which it was in His power to bestow. They loved the gifts, but not the Giver.
My desire for you, dear reader, is that you may know the gift of God, even that of His dear Son, of whom it is written that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3. Then, having received this gift through faith, you will have blessing for evermore in Him, and, while you remain in this world, you will be in a position to enter into the truth that God hath created meats “to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.” 1 Tim. 4. You will thus prove that you love the Giver, while you are thankful for His gifts.
T.
The very command to repent supposes a fountain of grace in the heart of God. If God was not willing to forgive sinners, He never would have commanded them to repent. Acts 17:3030And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30).