Then Moses sang at the Red Sea, it was his joy to know that all Israel were safe. Not a drop
of spray fell from that solid wall until the last of God's Israel had safely planted his foot on
the other side the flood. That done, immediately the floods dissolved into their proper place
again, but not till then. Part of that song was, "Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people
which thou hast redeemed." In the last time, when the elect shall sing the song of Moses, the
servant of God, and of the Lamb, it shall be the boast of Jesus, "Of all whom thou hast given
me, I have lost none." In heaven there shall not be a vacant throne.
"For all the chosen race
Shall meet around the throne,
Shall bless the conduct of His grace,
And make His glories known."
As many as God hath chosen, as many as Christ hath redeemed, as many as the Spirit hath
called, as many as believe in Jesus, shall safely cross the dividing sea. We are not all safely
landed yet:
"Part of the host have crossed the flood,
And part are crossing now."
The vanguard of the army has already reached the shore. We are marching through the
depths; we are at this day following hard after our Leader into the heart of the sea. Let us be
of good cheer: the rear-guard shall soon be where the vanguard already is; the last of the
chosen ones shall soon have crossed the sea, and then shall be heard the song of triumph,
when all are secure. But oh! if one were absent--oh! if one of His chosen family should be
cast away--it would make an everlasting discord in the song of the redeemed, and cut the
strings of the harps of paradise, so that music could never be extorted from them.
"Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the
trees of the forest?" --Ezekiel 15:2
These words are for the humbling of God's people; they are called God's vine, but what are
they by nature more than others? They, by God's goodness, have become fruitful, having been
planted in a good soil; the Lord hath trained them upon the walls of the sanctuary, and they
bring forth fruit to His glory; but what are they without their God? What are they without the
continual influence of the Spirit, begetting fruitfulness in them? O believer, learn to reject
pride, seeing that thou hast no ground for it. Whatever thou art, thou hast nothing to make
thee proud. The more thou hast, the more thou art in debt to God; and thou shouldst not be
proud of that which renders thee a debtor. Consider thine origin; look back to what thou wast.
Consider what thou wouldst have been but for divine grace. Look upon thyself as thou art
now. Doth not thy conscience reproach thee? Do not thy thousand wanderings stand before
thee, and tell thee that thou art unworthy to be called His son? And if He hath made thee
anything, art thou not taught thereby that it is grace which hath made thee to differ? Great
believer, thou wouldst have been a great sinner if God had not made thee to differ. O thou
who art valiant for truth, thou wouldst have been as valiant for error if grace had not laid hold
upon thee. Therefore, be not proud, though thou hast a large estate--a wide domain of grace,
thou hadst not once a single thing to call thine own except thy sin and misery. Oh! strange
infatuation, that thou, who hast borrowed everything, shouldst think of exalting thyself; a
poor dependent pensioner upon the bounty of thy Saviour, one who hath a life which dies
without fresh streams of life from Jesus, and yet proud! Fie on thee, O silly heart!
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar