“Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye, through His poverty, might be rich" (2 Cor. 8:99For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)).
READER, I know not if this grace to thee
That o'er thy heart the veil may yet remain,
And nature's darkness still within thee reign;
Or if "the light of life," come from above,
Has yet been shown thee in the Saviour's love;
Or if thy heart has yet been made to feel
Those wounds which naught but Jesus' blood can heal.
I know not whether, by the Spirit led,
And found a refuge there; or whether still
Thou'rt captive led by Satan at his will; (Eph. 2:26.)
For such, alas! the fearful state of those
Who the great mass of human kind compose.
The way of safety few there are that find.
Yet most profess to seek the road to heaven,
And hope their sins may some way be forgiven.
Some think by works to gain the glorious height,
Some think the name of Christian which they bear
While others think, because they hear the Word,
They must indeed be children of the Lord.
Another says, If I from this abstain,
And if from that loved pleasure I refrain,
Heaven must be mine, because I do no sin,
And surely I have right to enter in!
Another of his honesty will boast,
And thinks that one so upright can't be lost.
Another says, as "charity ne'er fails,”
I give much alms, and that with God prevails;
My deeds of kindness will not be forgot,
But he who would be saved because he's good
Rejects the Saviour, tramples on His blood,
Denies the truth of God, thinks light of sin,
There are who trust, with vague and groundless hope,
That God, in mercy to their souls, will ape
The door of life, forgetting all the past,
And so receive them to Himself at last.
But such forget (though mercy dwells with God)
That justice, too, with Him has her abode.
And yet another class is brought to view,
Who count on Jesus as their Saviour too.
If by a righteous life they may obtain
His grace and favor, so salvation gain,
They seek to mix His merits with their own,
Thus men are blindly led at Satan's will,
Whose one great aim's to keep them blinded still,
And thus prevent them feelin; their great need
From the just sentence once pronounced on man
When Adam sinned, and so the curse began.
But hold! too far I may perhaps have gone;
The reader may not relish such a tone:
And Satan whispers, too, "It may offend.”
It may; but should I act the part of friend
If, having once in danger been from these,
I others left unwarily at ease,
Nor sought to warn them of the various ways
By which the enemy of souls betrays?
Or, knowing somewhat of my Saviour's love,
I neither hand, nor lips, nor tongue would move
Some sense of it to others to convey,
But silence kept, nor named it when I may?
Could it be truly said to fill my heart,
If I refused its knowledge to impart?
Who died my soul from judgment to redeem?
Far be the thought I and may I more proclaim
His grace, and triumph in His glorious name.
Then, reader, thy attention give, I pray,
While I attempt a suited word to say
Of that transcendent grace which ever shone
In the blest Saviour; chiefly when alone
He bore the wrath of God, to sinners due,
Consider Him, high on the throne of God,
The Father's equal, the Almighty Word.
Now view Him in the lowly manger laid,
A holy infant, e'en a new-born babe,
Possessed of naught on earth, though His by right
All earth and heaven, yea, all power and might;
Self-emptied now of all His glory, see
Him Who was God from all eternity.
Then pause awhile, and ask what this can mean.
Could man have saved himself, would this have
been?
And now, omitting all that lies between,
Let us behold the almost final scene
Of His blest life. For this, repair with me
And see Him prostrate in Gethsemane.
There, in the prospect of the wrath of God,
Behold His sweat, as 'tweer great drops of blood.
Now hear what ardent fervor marks His prayer;
What sighs, what tears, what groans were mingled
there!
Think of the bitter agony He felt,
What awful dread o'erwhelmed Him, as He knelt,
And prayed His Father that He might be spared,
If possible, the cup for Him prepared.
Then mark the grace that in His answer shone
"Not mine, O Father, but Thy will be done.”
And now I ask thee to consider why
That blest One should endure such agony.
Why that strong crying, why those bitter tears,
That supplication, and those earnest prayers,
If any way, save God's could have been found
For man's escape, by sin and Satan bound?
Now let us further still His grace pursue,
And see what fresh displays are brought to view.
Turn, then, thine eyes, and see the Lord of-all
A patient prisoner in the judgment-hall;
There see Him stand, forsaken and alone,
Deserted by those friends He called His own;
Looking for comforters, but none were there;
For pity too, yet no one seemed to care.
The Lord of glory, Who the worlds had made,
Accused, condemned, insulted, and betrayed!
Take one step more, and what a sight we see!
Him nailed a Victim to the accursed tree.
Think of the anguish He endured within,
To ransom sinners from the curse of sin.
(Isa. 10-13.)
Think of the horror felt in that dread hour,
When wounded, crushed, and bruised by Satan's
power,
That bitter cry He uttered on the tree,
“Why, O My God, hast Thou forsaken Me?"
And think again who 'twas that, bleeding there,'
Endured God's Wrath to save thee from despair;
The Lord of glory come down from on high
To dwell with sinners, and for sinners die.
Such was the grace of Jesus, and so great,
That not e'en death's worst form could Him
prevent
From carrying to the full His kind intent,
Of saving us from ruin and despair,
That we at last might His bright glory share.
There sinners saved by grace rejoice to dwell
On that rich grace that saved their souls from hell;
There in that glory bright, the blood-bought throng
Adoring sing the everlasting song;
And aye the burden of their song shall be,
“All glory, blessing, Lamb of God, to Thee; (Rev. 5:99And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9))
For Thou wast slain, hast washed us in Thy blood,
And Thou hast made us kings and priests to God.'
With Thee, Lord Jesus, we shall forever reign,
Forever bless and praise Thy glorious name.
G. G.