THIS is the proper source of comfort—seconds of infallible truth. There is found mercy for the miserable, redemption for the captive, salvation for the lost, heaven for the hell deserving sinner.—Mason.
To sin against light and knowledge, received in and by the gospel, is a very heinous aggravation of sin. The condition of persons simply ignorant is not so sad by far, as theirs who have been enlightened and yet afterwards apostatized. Let the formalist and the lukewarm professors read this and tremble.—Mason.
The Holy Spirit is the candle of the Lord, by whose light the awakened conscience is brought to see something of the mystery of iniquity lurking in the heart. He first convinces of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and then points to Jesus as the only security. B’old the Lamb of God.—Mason.
When God sends out a zealous ambassador to publish the glad tidings of salvation to perishing sinners, he will be sure to meet with the fiercest opposition from proud pharisaical professors: so it was from the beginning, and will be to the end of time; but the Lord will work, and none shall hinder. Experimental preaching will always be offensive to the carnal and profane.—Mason.
To the Editor of Bunyan’s works (George Offor) an application was made to publish an admirable sermon which had been taken in shorthand from the lips of a D.D.; when to the surprise of the applicant, he was shown the whole sermon in Bunyan’s Heavenly Footman!
Gifts are no evidence of God’s favour, they are like the gold which adorned the temple, but grace, the saving grace of the Spirit, is like the altar which sanctifies the gold.—Mason.
OF SUFFERING.
It is not every sufferer that makes a martyr, but suffering for the Word of God after a right manner; that is, not only for truth, but out of love to truth; not only for God’s Word, but according to it: to wit, in that holy, humble, meek manner, as the Word of God requireth. It is a rare thing to suffer aright, and to have my spirit in suffering bent only against God’s enemy, sin; sin in doctrine, sin in worship, sin in life and sin in conversation. The devil nor men of the world, can kill thy righteousness, or love to it but by thy own hand; or separate that or thee asunder without thy own act. Nor will he that doth indeed suffer for the sake of it, or out of love he bears thereto, be tempted to exchange it, for the goodwill of all the world. I have often thought that the best of Christians are found in the worst of times. And I have thought again that one reason why we are no better, is because God purges us no more. Noah and Lot, who so holy as they in the time of their affliction? And yet who idle as they in the time of their prosperity?—Bunyan.
OF PRAYER.
Before you enter into prayer, ask thy soul these questions—(1) To what end, O my soul, art thou retired into this place? Art thou not come to discourse the Lord in prayer? Is He present; will He hear thee? Is He merciful; will He help thee? Is thy business slight? is not concerning the welfare of thy soul? What words wilt thou use to move Him to compassion? To make thy preparation complete, consider that thou art but dust and ashes; and He the great God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that clothes Himself with light as with a garment; that thou art a vile sinner. He a holy God; that thou art but a poor crawling worm, He the omnipotent Creator. In all thy prayers forget not to thank the Lord for His mercies. When thou prayest, rather let thy heart be without words, than thy words without a heart. Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer. The spirit of prayer is more precious than treasures of gold and silver. Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan.—Bunyan.
SOME OF BUNYAN’S DYING SAYINGS.
The death of Christ giveth us the best discovery of ourselves, in what condition we were, in that nothing to help us but; and the most clear discovery of the dreadful nature of our sins. For if sin be so dreadful a thing as to wring the heart of the Son of God, how shall a poor wretched sinner be able to bear it?
The school of the cross is the school of light; it discovers the world’s vanity, baseness and wickedness, and let us see more of God’s mind. Out of dark affliction comes a spiritual light. In times of afflictions we commonly meet with the sweetest evidence of the love of God.
The gospel of grace, and salvation is above all doctrines the most dangerous, if it be received in word only by graceless men; if it be not attended with a sensible need of a Saviour, and bring them to Him. For such men as have only the notion of it, are of all men most miserable; for by reason of their knowing more than the heathen, this shall only be their final portion, that they shall have greater stripes.
THE FALLEN TREE.
Some time ago two ministers were walking along the banks of a river, when they came to a tree which had been blown down in a recent gale. It was a mighty, noble tree, tall and substantial, with large outspreading roots and ample foliage. It must have been the growth of the greater part of a century; and anyone who had seen it, would have said there was no cause why it should not have stood a century longer. Approaching to examine it, they found it had been snapped off just above the roots; and on looking still closer, found that there was only an outer shell of sound wood, and that the heart was rotten! Unnoticed, the decay had been going on for years. “Do you know,” said Mr. — to his companion, “that a tree never breaks off in this way unless there has been previous decay?” “A very suggestive lesson,” was the answer, “for you and me, and for your people and mine.”