I FEEL that God has given me, since I returned from R-the time before last, a great lift in the deeper understanding and enjoyment in the Spirit of His grace. Chiefly through seeing the fearful dishonor of not making Christ all my salvation, so as to joy in Him at all times as Savior; for if I am not doing so, am casting discredit on His blood, and denying its value before God, as far as in me lies. This is a most subtle evil; and one that nothing but the mighty power of God can detect and make present to the soul, so that it should not have one rag to cover it, except filthy ones; and not one good thought of even the whole past life, to commend it before God; but naked, be compelled to receive all in Christ as a gift; to receive the kingdom of God as a little child. Our dear A-did nothing to get this place. No more can we. “Ah! but-" But what? " Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." (Luke 18:1717Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. (Luke 18:17).) What is grace? It is the GIFT of God. "But-" Well, but what? Doesn't it suit you? If not, you have not been brought to know yourself a vile sinner, and nothing but a sinner, who, if ever you are to be in glory, must be there by the pure mercy and sovereign grace of God; not one particle of your own, going before, going along with, or coming after-all grace, and all Christ. "That I may be found in him." Precious righteousness, the righteousness of God! for we are "made the righteousness of God in him." In HIM. But it is divine righteousness that I am made in Him-nothing of the creature in it-none of its imperfections, as well as none of its sin. Ah! What God am I to be with throughout all eternity? What am I with now, if not the "Holy, holy, holy Lord God," who cannot look upon sin at all? I must be absolutely without sin, if I am to be with Him. Is that what it is to be saved-to be brought to God! Yes. If I am yet in my sins, I am not with Him. For He could not look on me in my sins. It would be everlasting perdition to me if He did. He could not look on Christ when He was bearing my sins-when He made Him to be sin for me. How then could He look on me in my sins? My dearest A-, this matter must be settled, once for all, and thoroughly, in the presence of God, and by God, and then we shall have peace-everlasting peace with God; a peace which no subsequent exercises of soul will touch; but on which, in truth, they will all be founded.
I have no proper christian experience or exercise of heart until I know that I am saved by GOD, in Christ saved, so that I never never can be lost. God Him-self my Savior. It is here Christ comes in, just here-
" As food the hungry soul receives,
As choice perfumes delight the smell,
So, mercy from the cross revives
Man sinking in the jaws of hell."
Ah it is sinners sinking in the jaws of hell that know the preciousness of Christ and His perfect work. It is sinners, who are but sinners in the presence of holiness-for God does not lower His holiness in His dealings with me a sinner-the thought would be blasphemous. He cannot cease to be what He is. But, O, blessed forever be His name, if He is holy, unchangeably holy, He is love; love found a way of letting holiness have free course against my sins, and yet of sparing me, the sinner. Now here again it is that Christ comes in. He devoted himself to death for my sins, that holiness might have free course and be glorified; and that I, wretched one, who committed those sins, and who, for one moment, could not have stood before the wrath of God, if it fell on me, might be the ransomed trophy of His love-the blood-bought witness of His obedience unto death. Now I see perfect holiness dealing with my sins in judgment and death in the blessed One who took them on Himself in grace. I see the judgment of God against me falling on the Lamb of God. I see Him drinking the whole cup; alone with God, forever settling this question of sin, and leaving not one thing as to sin and its judgment ever to be settled by me! How is sin settled? BY DEATH. Am I to settle sin with God, so? Well, if not, it is settled long ago- forever settled by God, in Christ.
And now note another point. Not merely did Jesus devote Himself to death for this end, because none other could do it, but this was the grace and love of God to us. It was to do the will of God that Jesus came thus to die: "God so LOVED the world!
Oh, that blessed, blessed text! Not half believed by one Christian in a thousand. All is of God. It is He who thought of saving us; He, from whose wrath we were to be saved; He who knows what everlasting perdition is. And oh! what unutterable anguish the soul that dies in its sins must endure! He it is who thinks of saving me-us-the world. Yes, the world-though men are afraid to say it-the world from perishing.
But what will become of His truth, His threatenings against sin, His majesty and righteousness, if He shelters such altogether sinners from the due reward of their deeds? Ah! here again Christ comes in. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,"-"to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself"-" that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Here then I see righteousness and all God's judgment against sin magnified in a way it never could have been if the sinner had forever suffered. But oh! I see love-I see God-for "God is love." "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:1010Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10).) Now I see how God can be "just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Rom. 3:2626To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:26).)