Some have thought that it simply, means that God predestinated men whose future history ho foreknow. Let them "rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say rejoice.". When Adam was in the garden the world had its Sabbath: and it shall never have another Sabbath till the Millennium shall dawn, and then when all things have ceased to work, and the kingdoms shall be given up to God, even the Father, then shall the world have her Sabbath, and shall rest; but at present all things do work. and bleeds his life away in agony, then is the law of God abundantly honoured. "Ah!" Then, what can it do? I see the reverend man rise, leaning on his staff, and with the tears "uttering his old cheeks, he says, "Young man it is true, I have proved it; even down to grey hairs I have proved it; he made, and he will carry; he will not desert his own!" Are you, my dear hearer, persuaded that it is so with you? And yet it is within reach of every truly penitent sinner. He has called not the righteous but sinners to repentance. Again; how many a man is there who says, "I want such-and-such a luxury; I know the cause of God demands of me more than I give it, but I must have that luxury, that shilling shall go to myself, and not to God." God bless you, for Christ's sake! Yes, blessed be God, even this foe can be overcome by the weapon the believer wields in the power of God, for he can tell conscience, as he told his former opponents, "It is Christ that died." Can you heartily say that you can never rest satisfied till you. You think you can do wondrous things; you say. The Holy Spirit helps us to bear the infirmity of our body and of our mind; he helps us to bear our cross, whether it be physical pain, or mental depression, or spiritual conflict, or slander, or poverty, or persecution. "Loose him and let him go," saith the Redeemer; and then he walks in all the liberty of life. Shall an eye of Christ be put out in darkness?" IV. We do not like groans: our ears are much too delicate to tolerate such dreary sounds; but not so the great Father of spirits. Paul was so persuaded that Christ would never leave him that he became a fighter, and he went in with all his might against the world, the flesh, and the devil. We have faith, that priceless, precious jewel. What shall we say then? Happy will he count himself when he is able to preach with the living voice. We are to work with God in the matter of our becoming like to Christ. Now, as long as he was in prison, although there might be ground of hope, it was but as light sown for the righteous; but when the hostage came out, behold the first fruit of the harvest! This is called "the first-fruits of the Spirit," by which I understand the first works of the Spirit in our souls. If so, methinks your heart is not in a right state. I do not know that it is for my good that I should be respectable and walk in good society; but I know that it is for my good that I should walk humbly with my God. As to his humanity our blessed Lord, when he came into this world, underwent a birth which was a remarkable type of our second birth. My hands have never been stained with the blood of any man." "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Oh! Perhaps he does not even get so far as that in expressing the mind of the Spirit, but he feels greenings which he cannot utter, he cannot find a door of utterance for his inward grief. "Sentimentalism!" And the Father says, "Yes, my beloved Son, I will love them; Jesus, I will love them for thy sake.". If the grace of God does not enable them to overcome the world, if the blood of Christ does not purge them from sin, what more can be done? Much need is there for the stone that it should be well secured, for within the sepulchre there is a putrid corpse. We shall be called upon to notice, this morning, first, the truthfulness of this assertion; secondly, the universality of the evil here complained of; thirdly, we will still further enter into the depths of the subject, and press it to your hearts, by showing the enormity of the evil; and after that, should we have time, we will deduce one or two doctrines from the general fact. And now, it may be, some of you are convinced of sin, by the Holy Spirit. Having thus, as far as I can, established my point, that the privilege of our text is a special one, let me dwell upon it for a moment and remark that, as a special one, it is an act of pure unmistakeable grace. It must condemn sin, for "the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just and good." Romans 8:26-27 . They were, therefore, encouraged to take part and lot with Christ, the elder brother, with whom they had become joint heirs; and they were exhorted to suffer with him, that they might afterwards be glorified with him. There is but one that can claim the heir's rights, and the heir's title. As a Son he served his Father, you could see the nature of God in him, in his deep sympathy with God and in his exact imitation of God. II. Consider what thou owest to his immutability. It does not always follow in human reasoning "if children, then heirs," because in our families but one is the heir. You may cast your eye to the remotest star, or send your thoughts beyond into the untraversed leagues of space, but look where you will, as all is Christ's, so all is yours. Some men groan because of their great losses or sufferings; well, this may be nothing but a rebellious smarting under the rod, and if so, no blessing will come of it. They told him to go home to Rome, and see if he could not make peace. How many an event has seemed to be conflicting in its day, that has worked out good for us? These men will not repent, will not believe; they will not go God's way, and then they grumble and growl, and fret, and fume, because God has locked the treasure up against them. The first is the general call, which is in the gospel sincerely given to everyone that heareth the word. I will have one more illustration. Dost thou love to hold communion with him? He said "The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. God the ever blessed is one, and there can be no division between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. First, God predestinates us to be like Jesus that his dear Son might be the first of a new order of beings, elevated above all other creatures, and nearer to God than any other existences. Sustained by distinguishing grace, a man learns to glory in tribulations also; and strengthened by electing love, he defies the hatred of the world and the trials of life. You will be "a jolly good fellow" while you join them in their folly; but when you give up their ways, their habits, and their society, then they will say that you are melancholy, and no longer fit company for such, "hail fellows, well met", and they will turn away from you. True Advocate is he, and Comforter most effectual. Just as little fear is there for you and for me if we be heirs of God. Sound conviction of sin, deep humiliation on account of it, and a sense of utter weakness and unworthiness naturally conduct the mind to the belief of the doctrines of grace, while shallowness in these matters leaves a man content with a superficial creed. He guides us in prayer, and thus he helps our infirmity. Make thou thyself assured, then, that thou art in union with Christ, for out of him thou hast no rights whatever. Christian, stop and ponder for a moment! Unless we are the sons of God the Holy Spirit's indwelling shall not be ours: we are shut out from the intercession of the Holy Ghost, ay, and from the intercession of Jesus too, for he hath said, "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me.". The Prince of Preachers, Charles H. Spurgeon (19th June 1834 - 31 January 1892) was not only a wonderful orator but also magnificent with his pen. But, beloved, we are persuaded better thing of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. And he just paraphrased it in his own dialect like this "My arm is always strong, and my sickle always sharp, when there is no harvest, and I think I could mow many an acre when there is no grass; but when the harvest is on I am weak, and when the grass groweth then my scythe is blunt." Is he not very God of very God, Jehovah's only begotten Son, Most High and glorious, though he bowed himself to the grave and became the Servant of servants, yet God over all, blessed for ever. If the believer can take anything and everything to God, then he learns to glory in infirmity, and to rejoice in tribulation; but sometimes we are in such confusion of mind that we know not what we should pray for as we ought. But anyhow, things present cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Ah! We have at this present moment in us certain priceless things which distinguish us as believers in Christ from all the rest of God's creatures. I tell thee No; Christ never called the righteous; and if he has not called thee, and if he never does call thee, thou art not elect, and thou and thy self-righteousness must be subject to the wrath of God, and cast away eternally. He aims at his own glory in the glory of his dear Son; if he blesses us the text of last Sabbath is still true, "not for your sakes do I this;" it is for the sake of a higher, a better one than we are, it is "that he might be the first-born." The adoption is not manifested yet, the children are not yet openly declared. That which is thrown up from the depth of the soul, when it is stirred with a terrible tempest, is more precious than pearl or coral, for it is the intercession of the Holy Spirit. Remember that this is grace, and parentage, look back to the hole of the pit whence thou art digged, and the miry clay whence thou wast drawn. Brethren, we have repentance, that gem of the first water. Close beside the bottomless pit of our iniquity stands the cross whereon Christ has made recompense for all our faults; and when we set Christ over against the gulf of our sin, we see that he far transcends it. The apostle says that those who love God are "the called according to his purpose" by which he means to say two things first, that all who love God love him because he called them to love him. He did not bring the mercy-seat outside the veil, to carry the mercy-seat to the blood. "The meek shall inherit the earth, and delight themselves with the abundance of peace." Now I want your attention while I try to show that this blessed sentence, "It is Christ that died," is AN ANSWER TO EVERY ACCUSATION which, under any circumstances, may arise from sin. Now, sir, if it is not wrong for God to do the thing, how can it be wrong for God to purpose to do the thing? Christ will not belie himself. "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? 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