CHRIST IS ALL:
WITH
A RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE,
BY
DR. PECKWELL.
A NEW EDITION.
KILMARNOCK:
Printed by H. Crawford, Bookseller,
1821.
WHATEVER thy situation in life may be, there is but one refuge for thy soul—one sacrifice for thy sins—one advocate with thy God, Jesus Christ the Righteous.
By men of pleasure he is despised and rejected, to the Jew a stone of offence, to the Gentile an object of ridicule; but to them who are called, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God—to them he is made righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
In him there is neither Jew nor Greek, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but
CHRIST IS ALL.
That in perusing the following invaluable little Tract, He may become better known, more admired, and more beloved
by thee, is the most sincere and ardent prayer of
HENRY PECKWELL.
CHRIST IS ALL.
IN the Lord shall all the seed of Israel
will be justified, and shall glory, Isa. xlv.
4. 26. It is only the dying of that Just
(illegible text)ne for us who are unjust, that can bring
us to God, 1 Pet. iii. 13. He who knew
no sin was made sin for us, that we, who
were nothing but sin, might be made the
righteousness of God in Him, 2 Cor. v. 21.
Christ is the Father's fulness of grace
and glory. He must have the pre-eminence. He alone is worthy, who is to
build the spiritual temple of the Lord,
and to bear the glory. Every vessel of
his temple, from the cups to the flaggons,
Must all be hung on Christ. He, by his
Father's appointment, is the foundation-
one, corner-stone, top-stone.
Reader! dost thou profess the name of
Christ? and partake of his ordinances?
Luke i. 6. Thou doest well. They are
glorious privileges. But if thou hast no
the blood of Christ, 1 John i. 7. 1 Cor.
1. at the root of thy profession, it will
either and prove unprofitable.
Many are tossed too and fro, ready to
be carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slights of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, Eph. iv. 14. There are many foundations to build upon that are false, upon
which much labour is spent in vain; some
are not speaking the truth in love; neither
are they growing up into him in all things
who is the Head, even Christ, Eph. iv
15. There cannot be a growing in Christ
without an union with him. Without that
union, all that we do is accursed.
If thou retain guilt and self-righteousness under thy profession, those viper
will cat out all the vital of it. Try, and
examine with the greatest strictness ever
day, what foundation thy profession and
the hope of thy glory are built upon, 1 Cor.
iii. 11. whether it were laid by the hand
of Christ; if not, it will never be able to
endure the storm which will come against
it. Satan will throw it all down, and great
will be the fall thereof, Matth. vii. 27.
Consider, the greatest sins may be his
under the greatest duties and the greatest
terrors. See that the wound which sin
hath made in thy soul be perfectly cured
pray the blood of Christ, it will poison the
sore. Thou wilt find that sin was never
mortified truly, if thou hast not see
Christ bleeding for thee upon the cross
Nothing can kill it but a sight of Christ's
righteousness. Nature can afford no balsam fit for soulcuse. Healing from duty, and not from
Christ, is the most desperate disease. Poor
ragged nature, with all is highest improvements, can never spin a garment fine
enough (without spot) to cover the soul's
nakedness. Nothing can do it but Christ's
perfect righteousness.
If thou hast seen Christ truly, thou hast
seen pure grace, pure righteousness in
him, every way infinite, far exceeding all
sin and misery. If thou hast seen Christ,
thou wilt trample upon all the righteousness of men and angels, as to thine acceptation with God. If thou hast seen Christ,
thou wouldst not do a duty without him
for ten thousand worlds, 1 Cor. ii. 2. If
ever thou hast seen Christ, thou hast seen
Him a rock higher than self-righteousness.
Satan, and sin, Psalm lxi. 2. and this rock
and defence doth follow thee, 1 Cor. x.
4, and there will be a continual dropping of honey and grace out of that rock
to satisfy thee, Psalm lxxxi. 16. Examine, if ever thou hast beheld Christ, as the
the only begotten of the Father, full of
grace and truth, John i. 14, 16, 17. Come
to Christ, and give all diligence to make
thy calling sure, 2 Pet. i. 10. Stand upon the rock of ages.
Men talk much about believing whilst
hole and sound; few do it-Christ is the mystery of Scripture; grace is the mystery
of Christ. Believing is the most wonderful thing in the world. Put any thing of
thine to it, and thou spoilest it, Christ
will not esteem it believing. When thou
believest, and comest to Christ, thou must
leave behind thee thine own righteousness
(O! that is hard!) all thy holiness, sanctification, duties, tears, humblings, &c.
and bring nothing but thy sins, thy want
and miseries, else Christ is not fit for thee
nor thou for Christ. Christ will be a perfect Redeemer and Mediator, and thou
must be an undone sinner, or Christ and
thou will never agree. It is the hardest
thing in the world to take Christ alone for
righteousness; that is, to acknowledge
him Christ.
Whatsoever comes in, when thou goest
to God for acceptance, besides Christ,
call it Antichrist; bid it be gone; make
only Christ's righteousness triumphant.
All besides that is Babylon, which must
fall, if Christ stand, and thou shalt rejoice in the day of the fall thereof. Christ
alone did tread the wine-press, and there
was none with him, Isa. lxiii. 3. If thou
join any thing to Christ, Christ will trample upon it in fury and anger, and stain
his raiment with the blood thereof. Thou
thinkest it easy, to believe-was thy faith
ever tried with an hour of temptation, and a thorough sight of sin? Was it ever put
to resist Satan, and to feel the wrath of
God lying upon thy conscience? When
thou wert apprehensive of hell and the
grave, then did God shew thee Christ a
ransom, a righteousness, &c. Then couldst
thou say, Oh! I see grace enough in
Christ?' If so, thou mayest say that
which is the greatest word in the world,
I BELIEVE. Untried faith is uncertain
faith.
To believing, there must go a clear
conviction of sin and the merits of the
blood of Christ, and of Christ's willingness to save a man, considered merely as
a sinner. A thing more difficult than to
make a world. All the power in nature
cannot get so high, in a storm of sin and
guilt, as really to believe there is any grace,
any willingness in Christ to save.
All temptations, Satan's advantages, and
our complainings, are laid in self-righteousness and self-excellency. God pursueth these by many ways, as Laban pursued after Jacob for his images. These
must be torn from thee, be as unwilling
as thou wilt. With these Christ will not
dwell, and till Christ come in, guilt will
abide, Where guilt is, there is hardness
of heart; therefore much guilt argues little, if any thing, of Christ.
When guilt is raised up take heed of getting it allayed any way but by Christ's
blood; all other ways tend to harden the
conscience. Make Christ thy peace, Eph.
ii. 4. not thy duties, thy tears, &c. Thou
mayest oppose Christ by duties as well as
by sins. Look at Christ, and do as much
as thou wilt. Stand with all thy weight
upon Christ's righteousness. Take heed
of having one foot on thine own righteousness, another on Christ's. Till Christ
come and sit upon a throne of grace in the
conscience, there is nothing but guilt,
terrors, secret suspicions, the soul hanging between hope and fear, which is not
an evangelic state.- Whoever is afraid to
see sin's utmost vileness, and to confess
the desperate wickedness of his own heart,
suspects the merits of Christ.
However so great a sinner thou art, 1
John ii. 1. make Christ thine advocate,
and thou wilt find him Jesus Christ the
righteous. In all doubtings, fears, storms
of conscience, look at Christ only and
continually: do not argue it with Satan,
he desires no better; bid him to go to
Christ, and he will answer him. It is his
office to be our advocate, to answer the
law as our surety, Heb. vii. 22. and justice, as our Mediator, Gal. iii. 20. 1 Tim.
ii. 5. He is sworn to that office, Heb. vii.
20, 21. Put Christ upon it. If thou wilt
do any thing thyself, as satisfaction for sin, thou renouncest Christ the righteous,
who was made sin for thee, 2 Cor. v. 21.
Satan may quote, and corrupt, but he
cannot answer Scripture. It is Christ's
word of mighty authority. Christ foileth
Satan with it, Matth. iv. 10. In all the
Scripture there is not a hard word against
a poor sinner, stript of self-righteousness.
Nay, it plainly points him out to be the
subject of the grace of the gospel, and
none else. Believe but Christ's willingness, and that thou canst believe; remember it is Christ's work to make thee believe. He works to will and to do of his
good pleasure, Phil. ii. 13. By grace thou
art saved through faith, and that not of
yourself, it is the gift of God. Plead
with him for that gift, Eph. ii. 8. Christ
is the author and finisher of faith, put
him to it. Mourn for thine unbelief,
which is setting up guilt in the conscience
above Christ, undervaluing the merits of
Christ, accounting his blood an unholy, a
common, and unsatisfying thing.
Thou complainest much of thyself; doth
thy sin make thee look more at Christ,
less at thyself, that is right; otherwise,
complaining is but hypocrisy. To be looking at duties, graces, enlargements, when
thou shouldst be looking at Christ, is self righteousness, and pitifully looking at them
will make thee proud; looking at Christ's grace will make thee humble. In all thy
temptation be not discouraged, James i. 2.
These surges may be, not to drown thee,
but to heave thee off from thyself on the
rock Christ.
Thou mayest be brought low, even to
the brink of destruction, ready to fail.
Thou canst not be brought lower than the
belly of hell, Jonah ii. 2. Many saints
have been there. Yet there thou mayest
cry, from thence thou mayest look again
towards the holy temple, Jonah ii. 4.
Into that temple which was built with
hands, none might enter but purified ones,
and with an offering too, Acts xxi. 26.
But now Christ is our temple, sacrifice,
altar, high-priest, to whom none must
come but sinners, and that without any
offering but his own blood once offered,
Heb. vii. 17.
Remember all the patterns of grace that
are in heaven. Thou thinkest, 'Oh!
what a monument of grace should I be!'
There are many thousands as much so as
thou canst be. No guilt ever exceeded
the merits of Christ's blood, no sin could
ever conquer the invisible power of his
grace. Do not despair. Hope still -
When the clouds are blackest, even then
look towards Christ, the standing pillar of
the Father's love and grace, set up in
heaven for all sinners to gaze upon continually. Whatsoever Satan or conscience
say, do not conclude against thyself.-
Christ will have the last word. He is
judge of quick and dead, and must pronounce the final sentence. His blood
speaks reconciliation, Col. i. 20. cleansing, 1 John i 7, purchase, Acts xx. 18.
redemption, 1 Peter i. 18, purging, Heb.
x. 19. justification, Rom. v. 9. nearness
to God, Eph. ii. 13. Stand and hearken
what God will say, for he will speak peace
to his people, that they return no more
to folly, Psalm lxxxv. 8. He speaks grace,
mercy, and peace, 2 Tim. i. 2. That is
the language of the Father and of Christ.
Wait for Christ's appearing as the morning star, Rev. xxii. 16. He will come as
certainly as the morning, as refreshing as
the rain, Hos. vi. 3. The sun may as well
be hindered from rising as Christ the sun
of righteousness, Mal. iv. 2. Look not a
moment off Christ. Look not upon sin,
but look upon Christ first. When thou
mournest for sin, if thou dost not see,
Christ then away with it, Zech. vii. 10.
In every duty, look at Christ; before
duty, to pardon; in duty, to assist ; after
duty, to accept. Without this it is but
carnal, careless duty. Do not legalize
the gospel, as if part remained for thee to
do and suffer, and Christ were but a half
Mediator; as if thou must bear part of mine own sin, and make some satisfaction. Let sin break thy heart, but not
thy hope in the gospel.
Look more at justification than sanctification. In the highest commands consider Christ, not as an exacter, to require,
but as a debtor, an undertaker, to work.
It thou hast looked at thy resolutions, endeavours, workings, duties, qualifications,
&c. more than at the merits of Christ, it
will cost thee dear. No wonder thou
goest mourning : graces may be evidences, the merits of Christ alone without
them must be the foundation of thy hope.
Christ only can be the hope of glory, Col.
i. 27.
If nature had been to contrive the way
of salvation, it would rather have put it
into the hands of saints and angels to sell
it, than into the hands of Christ, who gives
freely, whom therefore it suspects. Nature would set up a way to purchase by
doing: therefore it abominates the merits
of Christ, as the most destructive thing to
it. Nature would do any thing to be saved, rather than go to Christ, or close with
Christ, and owe all to him. Christ will
have nothing, but the soul would thrust
somewhat of its own upon Christ. Here
is the great controversy. Consider-didst
thou ever yet see the merits of Christ, and
the infinite satisfaction made by his death? didst thou see this when the burden of sin
and the wrath of God lay heavy on thy
conscience? that is grace the greatness
of Christ's merits is not known but to a
poor soul in great distress. Slight convictions will have but a slight low esteem
of Christ's blood and merits.
We apprehend sin too great to be pardoned.-We think Christ doth so, and
measure infinite love with our line, infinite merits with our sins, which is the
greatest pride and blasphemy, Psalm ciii.
11. 22. Isa. x!. 15. Hear what he saith,
'I have found a ransom,' Job xxxiii. 24.
'In him I am well pleased,' Matth. iii. 17.
God will have nothing else. Nothing else
will do thee good, or satisfy conscience,
but Christ, who satisfied the Father.-
God doth all upon the account of Christ.
Thy deserts are rejection, wrath, hell.-
Christ's deserts are acceptance, pardon,
life. He will not only shew thee the one,
but he will give thee the other. It is
Christ's own glory and happiness to pardon.
Consider-whilst Christ was upon the
earth, he was more among publicans and
sinners than Scribes and Pharisees, his professed adversaries, for they were righteous
ones. It is not as thou imaginest, that
his state in glory makes him neglectful,
scornful to poor sinners. No, He hath
the same heart now in heaver, He is God, and changeth not. He is 'the LAMB of
God, that taketh che sin of the world.'-
John i. 29. He went through all thy
temptations, dejections, sorrows, desertions, rejections, Matth. iv. 3, to 12. and
27. Mark xv. 34. Luke xxii. 44. Matth.
xxvi. 36. He hath drunk the bitterest of
the cup, and left thee the sweet: the condemnation is out. Christ drunk up all
the Father's wrath at one draught; and
nothing but salvation is left for thee.-
Thou sayest I cannot believe, I cannot repent; Christ is exalted a Prince and a
Saviour, to give repentance and remission
of sins, Acts v. 31. Hast thou nought
but sin and misery? Go to Christ with
all thy impenitency and unbelief, to get
faith and repentance from him; that is
glorious. Tell Christ, 'Lord I have
brought no righteousness, no grace to be
accepted in or justified by; I am come for
thine, and must have it.' We would be
bringing to Christ, and that must not be.
Not a penny of nature's highest improvements will pass in heaven, grace will not
stand with works, Tit. iii. 5. Rom. xi. 6.
That is a terrible point to nature, which
cannot think of being stripped of all, not
having a rag of duty or righteousness left
to look at.
Self-righteousness and self-sufficiency
are the darlings of nature, which she preserves as er life. That makes Christ seem
ugly to nature. Nature cannot desire him.
He is just opposite to all nature's glorious
interest. Let nature but make a gospel,
and it would make it quite contrary to
Christ, it would be to the just, the innocent, the holy, &c. Christ makes the
gospel for thee, that is, for needy sinners,
the ungodly, the unrighteous, the accursed.
Nature cannot endure to think the gospel is only for sinners. It will rather chuse
to despair, than to go to Christ upon such
When nature is put to it by guilt
or wrath, it will go to its old haunts of
self-righteousness, self-goodness, &c-
An infinite power must cast down those
strong holds. None but the self-justiciary
stands excluded by the gospel. Christ will
look at the most abominable sinner before
him; because to such an one Christ cannot be made justification.
Labour after sanctification to thy utmost; but make not a Christ of it to save
thee: If so, it must come down one way
or other. Christ's obedience and sufferings, not thy sanctification, must be thy
sanctification before God. For if the
Lord should appear terrible out of his holy
place, fire would consume it as hay and
stubble. This is religion, 'to build all
upon the everlasting mountains of God's
love and grace in Christ, to look continually at Christ's infinite righteousness an
merits, to see the full guilt and defilement
of sin pardoned and washed away: i
these views to pray, hear, &c. knowing
thy polluted self, and all thy weak performances accepted continually: in these
views to trample upon all self-righteousness, and to be found continually in the
righteousness of Christ only, Philip. iii
9. that Christ alone, as Mediator, may be
exalted in his throne, mourning over all
thy duties which thou hast not performed
in the sight and sense of Christ's love.'-
Without the blood of Christ on the conscience all is dead services, Heb. ix. 14.
That Christ which the natural man can
apprehend, but a Christ of his own
making, not the Father's Christ, not Jesus,
the Son of the living God, to whom none
can come without the Father's drawing,
John vi. 44, 45.
Search the Scriptures daily as mines of
gold, wherein the heart of Christ is laid,
John v. 39. Watch against constitutional
sins, Psalm lix, 5.; see them in their vileness, and they shall never break out into
act. Keep always an humble, empty,
broken frame of heart, sensible of any
spiritual miscarriage, observant of all inward workings, fit for the highest communications. Keep not guilt in the conscience, but apply the blood of Christ immediately. God chargeth sin and guilt
upon thee, to make thee look to Christ,
the brazen serpent.
Judge not Christ's love by providences,
but by promises, Psalm lxxiii. Heb. xii. 1.
Eccls. ix. Bless God for shaking off false
foundations, and for any way whereby he
keeps the soul awakened, and looking after
Christ. Better is sickness and temptation,
than security and slightness.
Reckon not duties by high impressions
but by low frames and views of Christ.-
Tremble at duties and gifts. It was the
saying of a great saint, He was more afraid
of his duties than his sins-the one often
made him proud, the other always made
him humble. Treasure up manifestations
of Christ's love; they make the heart low
for Christ, too high for sin. Slight not
the lowest, meanest evidences of grace:
God may put thee to make use of the
lowest as thou thinkest; even that, 1 John
iii. 14. may be worth a thousand worlds
to thee.
Be true to truth; but not turbulent and
scornful. Restore such as are fallen; help
them up again with all the bowels of Christ.
Set the broken disjointed bones with the
grace of the gospel.
High professor, despise not weak saints.
Thou mayest come to wish to be in the
condition of the meanest of them. Be faithful to others infirmities, but sensible
of thy own. Visit sick beds and deserted
souls much; they are excellent scholars
in experience.
Abide in your calling. Be dutiful to
all relations, as to the Lord. Be content
with little of the world; little will serve.
Think every little of the earth much, because unworthy the least. Think much
of heaven, not little because Christ is so
rich and free. Think every one better
than thyself; and ever carry self-loathing
about thee, as one fit to be trampled upon
by all saints. See the vanity of the world,
and the consumption that is upon all
things, and love nothing but Christ.-
Mourn to think how many are under baptism and ordinances who are not under
grace, looking much after duty and obedience, little after Christ, or grace. Prepare for the cross, welcome it, bear it
triumphantly as Christ's, cross, whether
scoffs, mockings, jeers, contempt, imprisonment, &c. But see it be Christ's cross,
not thine own.
Sin will hinder from glorying in the
cross of Christ. Omitting little truths
against light may harden the conscience,
as well as committing the greatest sin
against light. If thou hast been taken out
of the belly of hell into Christ's bosom,
and made to sit among princes in the household of God-Oh! how should thou
live as a pattern of mercy!
Redeemed, restored soul! what infinite
sums dost thou owe Christ! With what
singular frames oughtest thou to walk and
to do every duty! On Sabbaths, what
praising days, singing of hallelujahs,
should they be to thee! What a heaven
is communion with Christ, and angels,
and saints! What a drowning the soul
in eternal love, is burial with Christ,
dying to all things besides him? Every
time thou thinkest of Christ be astonished,
and wonder. When thou seest sin, look
at Christ's grace which did pardon it;-
when thou art proud, look at Christ's grace,
that will humble, and strike thee down in
the dust.
Remember Christ's time of love: when
thou wast naked, Ezek. xvi. 3. 9. then
chose he thee. Canst thou ever have a
proud thought-remember whose arms
supported thee from sinking, and delivered
thee from the lowest hell, Psalm lxxxvi.
13. And shout in the ears of angels and
men, Pealm cxlviii. and for ever sing,
'Praise, praise: grace, grace.' Daily repent and pray: and walk in the lights of
grace, as one that hath the anointings of
grace upon thee. Remember thy sins,
Christ's pardonings; thy deserts, Christ's
merits; thy weakness, Christ's strength; thy pride, Christ's humility; thy many
infirmities, Christ's restorings; thy guilt,
Christ's new applications of his blood; thy
failings, Christ's assistance; thy wants,
Christ's fulness; thy temptations, Christ's
tenderness; thy vileness, Christ's righteousness.
Blessed soul! whom Christ shall find,
not having on his own righteousness, Phil.
iii. 9. but having his robes washed, and
made white in the blood of the Lamb,
Rev. vii. 14.
Woeful, miserable professor! who hast
not the gospel within. Rest not on the
judgment of thy fellow-creatures. Thou
mayest be applauded by them, and cast
away in Christ's day of trial. Thou mayest
come to baptism, and never ' come to
Jesus and the blood of sprinkling,' Heb.
xii. 24. Whatever workings or attainments are short of Christ's blood, merits,
righteousness, (the main object of the gospel,) fall short of the gospel, and leave the
soul in a condition of doubtings and questionings. And doubtings, (if not looked
into betimes,) will turn to a slightness of
spirit, one of the most dangerous frames.
Trifle not with ordinances. Be much
in meditation and prayer. Be constant
and diligent in hearing Christ's word. We
have need of doctrine, reproof, exhortation,
consolation, as the tender herbs and the grass hath of the rain, the dew, the small
rain, and the showers, Deut. xxxii. 2.-
Do all thou doest as soul-work unto Christ,
Zech. vii. 5, 6. as immediately dealing
with Christ Jesus, as if he were looking
on thee, and thou on him, and fetch all
thy strength from him.
Observe what holy motions you find in
your soul to duties. Prize the least good
thought thou hast of Christ, the least good
word thou speakest of him sincerely from
the heart. Rich mercy; O, bless God
for it! Observe, if every day you have
the day-spring from on high, with his
morning-dews of mourning for sin, constantly visiting thee, Luke i. 78. Have
you the bright morning-star, with fresh
influences of grace and peace, constantly
arising, Rev. xxii. 16. and Christ sweetly
greeting the soul in all duties?-Whatever
duty makes not more spiritual, will make
more carnal; what doth not quicken and
humble will deaden and harden.
Judas may have the soup, the outward
privileges of baptism, and the Supper of
the Lord; but John leaned on Christ's
bosom. That is the gospel ordinance posture, in which we should pray and hear,
and likewise perform all duties. Nothing
but lying in that bosom will dissolve hardness of heart, and make thee to mourn
kindly for sin, and cure a careless spirit, that gangrene in profession. That will
humble indeed, and make the soul cordial
to Christ, and sin vile to the soul, yea
transform it into the glory of Christ.-
Never think thou art right as thou shouldst
be, a Christian of any attainment, until
thou come to this,-always to see and feel
thyself lying in the bosom of Christ, 'who
is in the bosom of the Father.' Come,
and move the Father, for near views of
Christ, and you will be sure to speed.-
You can come with no request that pleaseth him better. He gave him out of his
own bosom for that very end, to be held
up before the eyes of all sinners, as the
everlasting monument of his Father's love.
Looking at the natural sun weakeneth
the eye. The more you look at Christ,
the Sun of Righteousness, the stronger
and clearer will the eye of faith be. Look
but at Christ, you will love him, and live
on him. Think on him continually:-
keep the eye constantly upon Christ's
blood, or every blast of temptation will
shake you. If you would see sin's sinfulness to loath it, and mourn, do not stand
looking upon sin, but look upon Christ
first, as suffering and satisfying. If you
would see your graces, your sanctification,
don't stand gazing upon them; but look
at Christ's righteousness in the first place
-see the Son, and you see all-Look at
your graces in the second place. In believing, what you first look at you
expect stability from, and make the foundation of your hope. Go to Christ, in
sight of thy misery, not of thy grace and
holiness. Have nothing to do with graces
and sanctification-they will but veil
Christ-till thou hast seen Him first.-
He that looks upon Christ through his
own graces, is like one that sees the sun
in water,- which wavereth and moves as
she water doth.- Look upon Christ only
as shining in the firmament of the Father's
love and grace:-then you will see him in
his own glory, which is unspeakable.
Pride and unbelief will put you upon
seeing somewhat in yourself first; but faith
will have to do with none but Christ, who
is inexpressibly glorious, and must swallow up thy sanctification as well as thy
sin; for God made him both for us, and we
must make him both, 1 Cor. i. 30. He
that sets up his sanctification to look at
for comfort, sets up a great idol, which
will but strengthen his doubts and fears.
Do but look off from Christ, and presently, like Peter, you sink in doubts.
A Christian never wants comfort, but
by breaking the order and method of the
gospel, looking on his own, and looking
off from Christ's perfect righteousness,
which is to chuse rather to live by candle
light than by the light of the sun. The honey that you suck from your own righteousness, will turn into perfect gall; and
the light that you take from that to walk
in, will turn into black night on the soul.
Satan is tempting thee, by putting thee to
plod about thy own grace, to get comfort
from it. There the Father comes, and
points thee to Christ's grace, (as rich, glorious, and infinitely pleasing to him,) and
biddest thee study Christ's righteousness.
Hic biddings are enablings,- a blessed
power - a sweet whisper, checking thine
unbelief. Follow the least hint; close
with much prayer; prize it as an invaluable jewel; it is an earnest of more to come.
Thou who hast seen Christ all, and thyself absolutely nothing, who makest Christ
all thy life, and art dead to all righteousness besides; thou art the Christian, one
highly beloved, who hath found favour
with God, a favourite of heaven. Do
Christ this one favour for all his love to
thee, love his poor saints and people, (the
meanest, the weakest, notwithstanding
any difference in judgment,) they are engraven on his heart, as the names of the
children of Israel on Aaron's breast-plate,
Exod. xxviii. 21. Let them be so on
thine. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,
they shall prosper that love thee,' Psalm
cxxii. 6.
FINIS.
This work was published before January 1, 1931, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse
Uncharted Knowledge
Wisdom From Previous Realities
View as JSON for agents & LLMs