V. Lastly, GIFTS COMFORTABLE are of God. O, what
comfortable gifts do some of us enjoy in the ordinances
of God’s house, and in a ministry that is profitable.
But how many churches have not a ministry of that kind;
and why then have we? Because God hath made a
difference. Some here have strong faith, and can laugh
at impossibilities; we can sing a song in all ill
weathers-in the tempest as well as in the calm. But
there is another with little faith who is in danger of
tumbling down over every straw. We trace eminent faith
entirely to God. One is born with a melancholy
temperament, and he sees a tempest brewing even in the
calm; while another is cheerful, and sees a silver
lining to every cloud, however black, and he is a happy
man. But why is that? Comfortable gifts come of God.
And then observe that we ourselves, differ at times.
For a season we may have blessed intercourse with
heaven, and be permitted to look within the veil? but
anon, these delightful enjoyments are gone. But do we
murmur on that account? May he not do as he will with
his own? May he not take back what he has given? The
comforts we possess were his before they were ours.
“And shouldst thou take them all away,
Yet would I not repine,
Before they were possessed by me
They were entirely thine.”
There is no joy of the Spirit-there is no exceeding
blessed hope-no strong faith-no burning desire-no close
fellowship with Christ, which is not the gift of God,
and which we must not trace to him. When I am in
darkness and suffer disappointment, I will look up and
say, he giveth songs in the night; and when I am made
to rejoice, I will say, my mountain shall stand fast
for ever. The Lord is a Sovereign Jehovah; and,
therefore, prostrate at his feet I lie, and if I
perish, I will perish there.
But let me say, brethren, that so far from this
doctrine of Divine Sovereignty making you to sit down
in sloth, I hope in God it will have a tendency to
humble you, and so to lead you to say, “I am unworthy
of the least of all thy mercies. I feel that thou hast
a right to do with me as thou wilt. If thou dost crush,
a helpless worm, thou wilt not be dishonoured; and I
have no right to ask thee to have compassion upon me,
save this, that I want thy mercy. Lord, if thou wilt,
thou art able to pardon, and thou never gavest grace to
one that wanted it more. Because I am empty, fill me
with the bread of heaven; because I am naked, clothe me
with thy robe; because I am dead, give me life.” If you
press that plea with all your soul and all your mind,
though Jehovah is a Sovereign, he will stretch out his
sceptre and save, and thou shalt live to worship him in
the beauty of holiness, loving and adoring his gracious
Sovereignty. “He that believeth” is the declaration of
Scripture “and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned.” He that believeth in
Christ alone, and is baptized with water in the name of
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, shall be
saved, but he who rejecteth Christ and believeth not in
him, shall be damned. That is the Sovereign decree and
proclamation of heaven-bow to it, acknowledge it, obey
it, and God bless you.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
