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wants。 Take with you words this day; and cry mightily to the Lord Jesus
for pardon and peace; as the thief did on the cross。 Do as that man
did: cry; 〃Lord; remember me。〃 (Luke xxiii。 42。) Tell Him you have
heard that He receives sinners; and that you are such。 Tell Him you
want to be saved and ask Him to save you。 Rest not till you have
actually tasted for yourself that the Lord is gracious。 Do this and you
shall find; sooner or later; if you are really in earnest; that 〃Christ
is all。〃
(4) One more thing let me add。 Is Christ all? Then LET ALL HIS
CONVERTED PEOPLE DEAL WITH HIM AS IF THEY REALLY BELIEVED IT。 LET THEM
LEAN ON HlM AND TRUST HIM FAR MORE THAN THEY HAVE EVER DONE YET。
Alas; there are many of the Lord's people who live far below their
privileges! There are many truly Christian souls who rob themselves of
their own peace; and forsake their own mercies。 There are many who
insensibly join their own faith; or the work of the Spirit in their own
hearts; to Christ; and so miss the fullness of Gospel peace。 There are
many who make little progress in their pursuit of holiness; and shine
with a very dim light。 And why is all this? Simply because in nineteen
cases out of twenty men do not make Christ all in all。
Now I call on every reader of this paper who is a believer; I beseech
him for his own sake; to make sure that Christ is really and thoroughly
his all in all。 Beware of allowing yourself to mingle anything of your
own with Christ。
Have you faith? It is a priceless blessing。 Happy indeed are they who
are willing and ready to trust Jesus。 But take heed you do not make a
Christ of your faith。 Rest not on your own faith; but on Christ。
Is the work of the Spirit in your soul? Thank God for it。 It is a work
that shall never be overthrown。 But oh; beware; lest; unaware to
yourself; you make a Christ of the work of the Spirit! Rest not on the
work of the Spirit; but on Christ。
Have you any inward feelings of religion and experience of grace。 Thank
God for it。 Thousands have no more religious feeling than a cat or dog。
But oh; beware lest you make a Christ of your feelings and sensations!
They are poor; uncertain things and sadly dependent on our bodies and
outward circumstances。 Rest only on Christ。
Learn; I entreat you; to look more and more at the great object of
faith; Jesus Christ; and to keep your mind dwelling on Him。 So doing
you would find faith; and all the other graces; grow; though the growth
at the time might be imperceptible to yourself。 He that would prove a
skilful archer must not look at the arrow; but at the mark。
Alas; I fear there is a great piece of pride and unbelief still
sticking in the hearts of many believers! Few seem to realize how much
they need a Saviour。 Few seem to understand how thoroughly they are
indebted to Him。 Few seem to prehend how much they need Him every
day。 Few seem to feel how simply and like a child they ought to hang
their souls on Him。 Few seem to be aware how full of love He is to His
poor; weak people; and how ready to help them! And few therefore seem
to know the peace; and joy; and strength; and power to live a godly
life; which is to be had in Christ。
Change you plan; reader; if your conscience tells you you are guilty:
change your plan; and learn to trust Christ more。 Physicians love to
see patients ing to consult them: it is their office to receive the
sickly and; if possible; to effect cures。 The advocate loves to be
employed: it is his calling。 The husband loves his wife to trust him
and lean upon him: it is his delight to cherish her and promote her
fort。 And Christ loves His people to lean on Him; to rest in Him; to
call on Him; to abide in Him。
Let us all learn and strive to do so more and more。 Let us live on
Christ。 Let us live in Christ。 Let us live with Christ。 Let us live to
Christ。 So doing; we shall prove that we fully realize that 〃Christ is
all。〃 So doing; we shall feel great peace; and attain more of that
〃holiness without which no man shall see the Lord。〃 (Heb。 xii。 14。)
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XXI
EXTRACTS FROM OLD WRITERS
THE passages I append from Traill and Brooks on the subject of Holiness
appear to me so valuable that I make no apology for introducing them。
They are the product of an age when; I am obliged to say; experimental
religion was more deeply studied and far better understood than it is
now。
(I。) Reverend Robert Trail; sometime Minister of Cranbrook; Kent。 1696。
〃Concerning sanctification; there are three things that I would speak
to。
〃I。 What sanctification is。
〃II。 Wherein it agrees with justification。
〃III。 Wherein it differs from justification。
〃I。 What is sanctification? It is a great deal better to feel it than
to express it;
〃Sanctification is the same with regeneration; the same with the
renovation of the whole man。 Sanctification is the forming and the
framing of the new creature; it is the implanting and engraving the
image of Christ upon the poor soul。 It is what the Apostle breathed
afterThat Christ might be formed in them' (Gal。 iv。 19); That they
might bear the image of the heavenly。〃 (1 Cor。 xv。 49)
〃There are but two men only that all the world is like; and so will it
fare with them; as they are like the one; or like the other: the first
Adam; and the second Adam。 Every man by nature is like the first Adam
and like the devil: for the devil and the first fallen Adam were like
one another。 Ye are of your father the devil。' saith our Lord (John
viii。 44); and he was a murderer from the beginning。' All the children
of the first Adam are the devil's children; there is no difference
here。 And all the children of the other sort are like to Jesus Christ;
the second Adam; and when His image shall be perfected in them; then
they shall be perfectly happy。 As we have also borne the image of the
earthly; so shall we also bear the image of the heavenly。' (1 Cor。 xv。
49。) Pray observe; we bear the image of the earthly by being born in
sin and misery; we bear the image of the earthly by living in sin and
misery; and we bear the image of the earthly by dying in sin and
misery; and we bear the image of the earthly in the rottenness of the
grave; and we bear the image of the heavenly Adam when we are
sanctified by His Spirit。 This image increases in us according to our
growth in sanctification: and we perfectly bear the image of the
heavenly Adam when we are just like the Man Christ; both in soul and
body; perfectly happy; and perfectly holy; when we have overe death
by His grace; as He overcame it by His own strength。 It will never be
known how like believers are to Jesus Christ; till they are risen
again: when they shall arise from their graves; like so many little
suns shining in glory and brightness。 Oh; how like will they be to
Jesus Ch