Lacked ye any thing? And they said nothing....Luke xxii. 35. PRECIOUS words to me: one is unwilling to speak of one's self; there is danger of pride and self-seeking in it: yet with a view to our Lord's glory, a sincere desire to exalt his grace and goodness, and to encourage fellow-christians' confidence therein, a poor sinner may speak of his experience. With tears of thankfulness, I record the goodness of my Lord to the chief of sinners. Upwards of twenty years ago, when it pleased him to call me by his grace and make me happy in his love, my name was cast out as evil; friends became foes; their hands were against me; they withdrew their favors from me, and derided me. Under narrow circumstances; tender feelings for a large family; carnal reasonings of my corrupt nature; and strong temptations from the enemy, I was often sore distressed; but my Lord was gracious: many and many a time did he bring this text to my mind; and, as it were, with all love and tenderness, asked me, lackedst thou any thing? I was constrained with gratitude to reply, nothing Lord. Christ is a most precious master to serve! I have proved it. O, trust the Lord, ye his saints; for they who trust him lack nothing. So these disciples found it, though sent out in want of every thing. The hearts of all men are in the Lord's hands: he will open them to administer to the wants of his people. O, for stronger faith in him, greater love to him, and more ardent desires to please him. We have here a reproof against all that care and anxiety about the things of this life which so sadly distress our minds. What shall we say to the spirit and conduct of many professors? They have all the same anxious cares and solicitous concerns about the world, which the men of it have but Christ charges us, "Take no thought for your life, neither be ye of doubtful mind," &c....Luke xii. 22, 29. Do they act as if they ever heard, or gave the least credit to Christ? O, say they, we must do our duty and provide for our families. God forbid any christian should neglect this. But must we therefore act like those who know not God? Plainly, such wILL be rich: they are anxious to get a fortune: they want to be independent. Of whom? Of God. Start not! This spirit works in us all; over some it prevails: they do not like to live so dependent on God, as every day to come to him with, "Give us this day our daily bread." O, there is more atheism and infidelity in the pursuits of such, than they are aware of. How many have forsaken Christ for the love of the world! "They who WILL be rich fall into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition....1 Tim. vi. 9. "The Lord is my PORTION, saith my soul."....Lam. iii. 24. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows....1 Tim. vi, 10. How hard to persuade a man, that there is any evil in that which he loves? Evil in money! What evil can there be in that which will purchase all things? Truly we may say of money, as one said of a pack of cards. Being asked what harm there is in them, replied none at all; they are very innocent things, if you will not meddle with them. So is money. But there is a curse in the LOVE of it. There is the root of all evil. What mighty ills have not been done by this? Why, the love of money will dethrone God in the heart, and make a man an idolater: "Covetousness is idolatry."....Col. iii. 5. Can there in all the world be a greater evil than this? Is not this the root of all evil? Do not all evils spring from hence. Love of money was the same in the apostle's days as it is now: some then, as well as now, coveted after it. Some! Who? Men who knew nothing about the gospel, or faith? Not so: for "they erred from the faith;" so that it is plain, they either had, or professed to have had the faith. How did they err? 1st. They mistook the nature of faith that brings God and Christ, and heaven into the soul, and creates perfect happiness there. Money or no money, such a soul says, the Lord is my portion: and, with Paul, "I am full."....Phil. iv. 18. But some have only an empty portion which they mistake for faith; this brings not spiritual enjoyment into the heart; hence they seek it in money. 2d. They erred, or went out of the way of faith: faith sees every enjoyment as the gift of God, is satisfied with it and thankful for it: but where there is a greedy, insatiable desire after money, if such persons really have faith, they will go out of the way of faith to obtain it, they will rack their very brains, distress their poor hearts, and wear out their bodies in pursuit after riches. And what is the consequence after all this erring from the faith? Wretched gain of riches! They pierce themselves through with many sorrows: sorrows to get riches, sorrows to keep them, sorrows how to dispose of them, sorrows to think they must leave them: but, sorrow above all sorrows, a good God forsaken, precious Christ despised, a glorious gospel rejected, an immortal soul neglected, for the love of money. O, my dear Lord, let me see and enjoy thee as my best gain, my truest riches. May my heart cleave to thee in stedfast faith, abide in thee by sincere love, walk with thee in precious communion, die in thee with sweet tranquility, and reign with thee in eternal glory. What harm in money can there be? Lord, it allures the heart from thee, Γ Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.... 1 Tim. vi. 8. MAN wants but little; that little not long: but unbelief multiplies our wants and magnifies our discontent. God rains down manna: the people are delighted with it; but are not content to trust God for the morrow's supply: they gathered more than would serve for one day: what was the consequence? "It bred worms and stank."....Exod. xvi. 20. Here distrust and unbelief prevailed, and abundance begot discontent. O ye rich and great, is it not so with you? And thou, O my soul, thy pittance is more than Paul here requires. Art thou content? No riches, without Christ and the riches of his grace, can bring content to the mind. But when Christ vouchsafes to fulfil that precious word....Rev. ii. 17......" I will give to eat of the hidden manna," then we shall have heart content, though we have no more coats than backs, and but just food enough to satisfy our hunger; for faith supplies all: it brings the supplier of all into our hearts: there we feed upon him by faith: the supply of our wants does not fix content in the mind: most of them are not real, but imaginary: as wants increase so does discontent : more. That cruel something unpossest Corrodes and leavens all the rest. True content arises from the mind being brought to our state: Have we little or much? The Lord gave it: he sees best to give no When his will is the law, the mind is content. See Paul's reasons for content. 1st. Look back to your birth : 66 we brought nothing into the world:" if we have nothing, we have all we were born with. 2d. Look forward to your death: "it is certain we can carry nothing out of it." Think of your naked birth and naked death: all we possess we shall soon leave behind. Would you be rich? 3d. Paul says, this is to fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition; for the love of money is the root of all evil. O, for Agur's prayer: "Give me not riches."....Prov. xxx. 8. 4th. What is the greatest gain? Godliness with contentment: having Christ for your food, and his righteousness your raiment, this brings true content of mind. One who had nothing but bread and water, cried out in an ecstacy, what all this and Christ too! Learn more to live by faith on the Son of God: all God's promises are yours in him : this one is enough to silence murmurings and quell the risings of discontent: "I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee."....Heb xiii. 5. Then what avails my anxious care, If in God's promises I share, M. I'd all things else forego. Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?....Song iii. 3. AN abrupt question; very odly stated. Had this enquirer no name for her beloved? Can she suppose every one she asks knew who was the beloved of her soul, and was acquainted with her loss of him? The spouse of Christ here seems to be in great discomposure of mind; just like a tender mother who has lost the beloved son of her womb, or an affectionate wife in search after an indulgent husband, thinking every one has heard of her distress, asks with the utmost eagerness, have you seen HIM? O for more of this love of Christ in our souls! Observe here, the actings of a gracious heart under the sense of Christ's withdrawing his comforting presence : that Christ, for wise and good ends best known to himself, doth withdraw himself, is a truth that has been experienced by all his saints. You have not been long married to Christ if you have not taken up the words of the church of old: "verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel the Saviour."....Isa, xlv. 15. How does this affect you? O, say some, we do not live upon our frames your frames! we are speaking of living upon Christ and enjoying his presence: sweet intercourse, fellowship, complacency and delight in and with him; if you are content to live from day to day quite easy, careless and unconcerned, without this, you are got into a very bad frame indeed. It is most plain, your heart is taken up with some other vain and worthless lovers: yea, it is much to be doubted whether such hearts ever were in a right frame with Christ; for, to loving souls, Christ's presence is their heaven: his absence causes a hell of uneasiness in their minds. Now here is a sure evidence whether your heart is towards Christ or the world; your face towards heaven or hell. But do you say, it is the grief and burden of my soul that I have lost the sense of my Lord's love and presence? If so, he has still left his love in thine heart; he still dwells there by faith: seek for him: enquire after him: was he found of thee at first, when thou soughtest him not? He will not live in heaven without thee: he will not let thee live on earth without again refreshing thy soul with the manifestation of his presence. Mark this gracious word to disconsolate seekers: "Fear not ye, for ye seek Jesus."....Matt. xxviii. 5. For mind, though the spouse had lost sight of Christ, her soul loves him: still she says, (( HIM whom my soul loveth." Here is the evidence of a heart truly converted to Christ. In the darkest seasons, and under the greatest distresses, there is love to Christ and breathings after him. "The upright love THEE,"....Song i. 4. Ah, when of Christ we have lost sight, 'Tis he creates our heav'n within, I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.... Psalm cxvi. 9. WHEN the king confers the honor of knighthood, he bestows an empty title and nothing more; but when the king of saints calls a poor sinner into his presence, he confers on him, not a mere title of a grand name, but he dignifies him with a nature: he makes him a new creature: these two different kinds of spirits are to be avoided. 1st. Such as under a great shew of holiness deny the fundamental doctrines of grace. 2d. Those who make a vile abuse of those doctrines: in the former, pride reigns: over the latter, lusts have the dominion: David reproves both. Under the lively sense of distinguishing mercy and sovereign grace, he here makes a holy resolution: "thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling :" what then? Now all is safe and well, I will flee to the tents of ungodliness, and gratify my lusts. Is this his language? No, nor his conduct neither. Many would be ashamed to say so, but are not to do so; but hearts truly alive to God, under the influence of Christ, are as dead to this conduct as to the language. "I will walk," not lie down to rest in supine indolence, and indulge carnal sloth; but be in motion and activity for God and his glory. "Before the Lord." 1st. In humility, knowing he sees how imperfect I am in all I do. 2d. In peace and joy, believing I am accepted in the beloved, my sins freely pardoned, and my soul fully justified in the blood and righteousness of the LAMB: this is the walk of faith; so we enjoy the sense of peace, the comforts of love, the jealousy of fear, and the prospect of hope. "In the land of the living:" among living and lively saints: not with spiritually dead or formally alive souls: not in the land of riot, among the scenes of vanity, upon the devil's inchanted ground; but in the land of light, liberty and love, where the sun of righteousness shines, and "the voice of the turtle is heard."....Song ii. 12. The loving Saviour speaking affectionately to the soul: O believer, as you value the sense of God's peace, and the comforts of his Spirit; as you dread a hell in your conscience, distress in your soul, the hidings of God's face, the terrors of the law, and the tauntings of satan, be careful of your walk; be watchful over your conduct: O study to keep Christ in the eye of your faith: his love in the view of your soul: his heaven in the prospect of your hope, and his glory the end of all, looking and praying for his grace to enable to all this. While Christ the Lord dwells in my Then, O my soul, forsake the ways Walk now before thy Saviour's face, |