BY THE REV. THOMAS WILCOX.
IN the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory (Isa. xlv. 25). It is only the dying of that Just One for us, who are unjust, that can bring us to God. 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.
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 this temple, from the cups to the flagons, must all be hung upon Christ. He, by His Father’s appointment, is the foundation-stone, corner-stone, top-stone.
Reader! dost thou profess the name of Christ, and partake of His ordinances? Thou doest well. They are glorious privileges; but if thou hast not the blood of Christ at the root of thy profession, it will wither, and prove unprofitable.
Many are tossed to and fro, ready to be carried away with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. 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. There cannot be a growing in Christ without a union with Him. Without that union all that we do is accursed.
If thou retain guilt and self-righteousness under thy profession, those vipers will eat out all the vitals of it. Try, and examine what foundation thy profession and the hope of thy glory are built upon—whether it be laid by the hand of Christ; for if not, it will never be able to endure the storm which must come against it.
Consider, the greatest sins may be hid under the greatest duties and the greatest terrors. See that the wound which sin hath made in thy soul be perfectly cured by the “blood of Christ”; not skinned over with duties, tears, re formations, etc. Apply what thou wilt besides the “blood of Christ,” it will poison the sore. Thou wilt find that sin was never mortified truly, if thou hast not seen 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 soul-cure. Healing from duty, and not from Christ, is the most desperate disease. Poor ragged nature, with all its 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.
Whatsoever is of nature’s spinning must be all unravelled before the righteousness of Christ can be put on. Whatsoever is of nature’s putting on, Satan will come and plunder, and leave the soul naked and open to the wrath of God. All that nature can do can never make up the least particle of grace, mortify sin, or look Christ in the face. Thou mayest hear, pray, receive the sacrament, and yet be miserable, unless thou seest Christ superior to all other excellency and righteousness in the world, and all these falling before the majesty of His love and grace.
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 acceptance with God. If ever thou hast seen Christ, thou hast seen Him a rock higher than self-righteousness; and there will be a continual dropping of honey and grace out of that rock to satisfy thee. Examine if ever thou hast beheld Christ as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Stand upon the Rock of Ages.
Men talk much of believing, whilst whole 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 anything of thine own 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—all thy holiness, sanctification, duties, tears, humblings, etc., and bring nothing but thy sins, thy wants, 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 wilt never agree. It is the hardest thing in the world to take Christ alone for righteousness.
Whatever comes in, when thou goest to God for acceptance, besides Christ, call it anti-Christ: 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. If thou join anything 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 show thee Christ, a ransom, a righteousness? Then couldest thou say, “Oh! I see grace enough in Christ”? If so, thou mayest see 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. 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. When Satan chargeth sin upon the conscience, then for the soul to charge it upon Christ is gospel-like; that is, to make him Christ. He serves for that use. To accept Christ’s righteousness alone, his blood alone, for salvation, is the sum of the gospel. When the soul, in all duties and distresses, can say, “Nothing but Christ, Christ alone for righteousness, justification, sanctification, redemption—not humblings, not duties, not graces”—then the soul has got above the reach of the billows.
All temptations, Satan’s advantages, and our complaints, 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 anything, of Christ.
When a sense of guilt is raised up, take heed of getting it allayed but by Christ’s blood; all other ways tend to harden the conscience. Make Christ thy peace—not thy duties, thy tears, etc. 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, and another on Christ’s. Until Christ come and sit upon a throne of grace in the conscience, there is nothing but guilt, terror, secret suspicions, the soul hanging between hope and fear, which is not a safe state. Whosoever is afraid to see sin’s utmost vileness, and to confess the desperate wickedness of his own heart, suspects the merits of Christ.
How great soever a sinner thou art, 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 go to Christ, and He will answer him. It is His office to be our Advocate, to answer the law as our Surety, and justice as our Mediator. If thou wilt do anything thyself as satisfaction for sin, thou renouncest Christ the righteous, who was made sin for thee.
Satan may quote and corrupt, but he cannot answer Scripture. It is Christ’s word of mighty authority. Christ foiled Satan with it. In all the Scriptures there is not one 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 do of His pleasure. By grace thou art saved, through faith, and that not of yourself; it is the gift of God. Plead with Him for that gift. 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, or feelings, when thou shouldest be looking at Christ, is self-righteousness. Looking at Christ’s grace will make thee humble. In all thy temptations be not discouraged. These surges may be, not to drown thee, but to heave thee off from thyself on the rock of Christ.
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 rich monuments as thou canst be. No guilt ever exceeded the merits of Christ’s blood; no sin could ever conquer the invincible 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. His blood speaks reconciliation, cleansing, purchase, redemption, remission, justification, nearness to God. He speaks grace, mercy, and peace. That is the language of the Father and of Christ. Wait for Christ’s appearing as the Morning Star. He shall come as certainly as the morning, as refreshing as the rain.
The sun may as well be hindered from rising, as Christ the Sun of Righteousness. Look not a moment off Christ. Look not upon sin, but look upon Christ first. 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 legalise 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 thine own sin, and make some satisfaction. Let sin break thy heart, but not thy hope in the gospel.
When we come to God, we must bring nothing but Christ with us. Any ingredients, or any previous qualifications of our own, will poison and corrupt faith. He that builds upon duties and graces, knows not the merits of Christ. Thy workings, thy self-sufficiency, must be destroyed. Thou must receive all at God’s hand. Christ is the gift of God. Faith is the gift of God. Pardon is a free gift. Ah! how nature storms, frets, rages at this, that all is gift, and it can purchase nothing with its works, and tears, and duties: that all works are excluded, and of no value in the justification of the soul.
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 anything 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 deep distress. Slight convictions will have but a slight, low esteem of Christ’s blood and merits.
Despairing sinner! thou lookest on thy right hand and on thy left, saying, “Who will show me any good?” thou art tumbling over all thy duties and professions, to patch up a righteousness to save thee. Look at Christ now; look to Him and be saved. There is none else. Look anywhere else, and thou art undone. God will look at nothing but Christ; and thou must look at nothing else. Christ is lifted up on high, as the brazen serpent in the wilderness, that sinners at the end of the earth—the greatest distance, may see Him and live. The least sight of Him will be saving; the least touch healing to thee. And God intends thou shouldest look on Him; for He hath set Him upon a high throne of glory, in the open view of all poor sinners.
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 heaven. He is God, and changeth not. He is “the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.” He went through all thy temptations, dejections, sorrows, desertions, rejections. He hath drunk the bitterest of the cup, and left thee the sweet; the condemnation is out. Christ drank up all the Father’s wrath at one draught; and nothing but salvation is left for thee. Hast thou nothing 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.
Self-righteousness and self-sufficiency are the darlings of nature, which she preserves as her life. That makes Christ seem ugly to nature. Nature cannot desire Him. He is just opposite to all nature’s glorious interests. Let nature but make a gospel, and it would make it quite contrary to Christ. It would be the just, the innocent, the holy. Christ makes the gospel for thee; that is, for needy sinners—the ungodly, and the unrighteous.
Nature cannot endure to think the gospel is only for sinners; it will rather choose to despair than to go to Christ upon such terms. When nature is put to it by guilt or wrath, it will go to its old haunts of self-righteousness, self-goodness, etc. The Holy Spirit must cast down those strongholds. None but the self-justifier stands excluded by the gospel. Christ will sooner look at the most abominable sinner before Him; because to the former Christ cannot be made justification. He does not know nor confess his sin. To say in compliment, “I am a sinner,” is easy; but to pray with the publican, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner,” is the hardest prayer in the world. It is easy to say, “I believe in Christ.” But to see Christ full of grace and truth, “of whose fulness thou mayest receive grace for grace”; that is saving. It is easy to profess Christ with the mouth. But to confess Him with the heart as Peter did, “to be the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” the alone Mediator, that is above flesh and blood. Many call Christ Saviour; few know Him to be so. To see grace and salvation in Christ is the greatest sight in the world. Men may be ashamed to think, in the midst of so much profusion, they have known so little of the blood of Christ, which is the main thing of the gospel. A Christless, formal profession, is the blackest sight next to hell. Thou mayest have many good things; and yet one thing may be wanting, that may make thee go away sorrowful from Christ. Thou hast never sold all that thou hast, never parted with all thine own righteousness. Thou mayest be high in duty, and yet a perfect enemy and adversary to Christ in every prayer, in every ordinance.
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 justification 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 and merits; to see the full guilt and defilement of sin pardoned and washed away, knowing thy polluted self, and all thy weak performances, accepted continually; in these views to trample upon all self-righteousness, and be found continually in the righteousness of Christ, only 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 service.
Search the Scriptures daily, as mines of gold, wherein the heart of Christ is laid. Watch against constitutional sins, see them in their vileness, and they shall never break out into act. Keep always a 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. 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. A slighting spirit will turn a profane spirit, and will sin and pray too. Slightness is the bane of profession. If it be not rooted out of the heart by constant and serious dealings with, and beholdings of, Christ in duties, it will grow more strong and more deadly by being under ordinances. Measure not thy graces by others’ attainments, but by the Scripture. Be serious and exact in duty, having the weight of it upon thy heart; but be as much afraid of taking comfort from duties as from sins. Comfort from any hand but Christ’s is deadly. Be much in prayer, or you will never keep up much communion with God. As you are in closet-prayer, so you will be in all other ordinances.
Remember Christ’s time of love, when thou wast naked (Ezek. xvi. 8)—then He chose 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, but having his robes washed, and made white in the blood of the Lamb.
Assurance is like the sunflower, which opens with the day and shuts with the night. It follows the motion of God’s face: if that looks smilingly on the soul, it lives: if that frowns or hides itself, it dies. But Faith is a plant that can grow in the shade—a grace that can find the way to heaven in a dark night. It can “walk in darkness” and yet “trust in the name of the Lord.”—Gurnall.