Save yourselves from this untoward generation....Acts ii. 40. SOME, from a warm zeal for free-will and a strong opposition to salvation by grace, have been weak enough to cite this passage to prove, that we have a hand in our own salvation: because we are here called upon to save ourselves. They might with equal propriety have inferred, that we are here exhorted to new create ourselves. But there is a sense, in which this exhortation is peculiarly applicable to every saved sinner, every justified believer in Christ. For the honor and glory of our Saviour, and for the peace and comfort of our souls, let us attend to it. Wisdom informs us, "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. O how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up."....Prov. xxx. 12, 13. Now these are at enmity against "that seed that serve the Lord, and are counted to him for a generation."....Psalm xxii. 30. It was so from the beginning; it is so now; it ever will be so, as long as two seeds or generations are in the earth: therefore, we are called upon to save ourselves from this generation, for it is untoward. The men of this generation may have fine parts, profound learning, and shining abilities; they may occupy high stations in church and state: yet they are perverse; they deride the glorious gospel; set at nought the precious Saviour; his perfect atonement and one righteousness, they see no need of; they ridicule the operations of his Spirit and call all who pretend to them, enthusiasts. Glad are they, when they can shew the untowardness of their nature and the vexatious disposition of their spirits againt them. From such, O christian, save yourself. How? Refrain their company, escape their deistical notions, abhor their proud, free-will, self-righteous tenets; defile not yourself by reading their works; it is like trying the effects of poison upon a healthy body. Separate from them; come out from among them: so shall you save yourselves from partaking of their evils and judgments. Know your dear Lord's enemies and save yourselves from them. Know his friends and associate with them. Bless your precious Lord for saving you from their untoward state: it was of his unmerited mercy and distinguishing grace. O, when you read of them and see them, reflect, such I was once who made me to differ? Thus you will get good by them, if it sinks your soul in. humility and causes you to exalt the riches of God's grace in Christ Jesus. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.... Prot. iv. 7. IN Joseph's visions, the sun, moon and stars, made obedience to him, and all the sheaves bowed to his sheaf....Gen. iii. 7. So wisdom is honored and exalted above and beyond every thing beside. This wisdom is the Son of God, "to whom every knee shall bow.” ....Phil. ii. 10. Jesus, under the character of wisdom, is said to cry, to utter her voice....behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you....and it is said to enter into the heart....Prov. i. 20...23. and ii. 10. All this can be applied to none other but Christ, who is of God "made unto us WISDOM."....1 Cor. i. 30. He cries after us miserable sinners; he utters his voice of love to us; he pours out his Spirit upon us; he enters into our hearts and dwells there by faith. This truly is the principal thing: this, infinitely above all others, demands the whole of our attention, labour and diligence. Get what we may, yet without this we are not wise; we cannot be happy; we shall be only foolish, deluded and miserable: there will always be a vacuum in the heart, and a cry, what lack I yet? GET WISDOM. What! Get an interest in Christ? What can we poor, miserable sinners do to get that? It is a foolish phrase: it is unscriptural advice. Solomon reproves it, when he asks, "Wherefore is there a price in the hand of A Foot to get wisdom, seeing he has no heart to it?....Prov. xvii. 16. As though he had said, none but a fool thinks his own works and doings the price of wisdom, and that by these he is to purchase an interest in Christ and a title to his kingdom. Such have no understanding of the grace of Christ, no real love of heart to Christ. He cries, "Come without money and without price."....Isa. Iv. l. This is the way to buy and to get wisdom. Seek to enjoy the knowledge of interest in Christ; labour after more and more experience of his grace, and fellowship with him in your souls. Be not satisfied, not a day nor an hour without tasting his sweetness and feeling his preciousness. O Jesu, I am foolish, be thou my wisdom; I am sin, be thou my righteousness; I am poor and miserable, be thou my riches and my consolation; I have many wants to be supplied, many miseries to be relieved, many corruptions to be subdued, many graces to be strengthened, many enemies to be conquered Q, may I possess thee in all thy fulness to night and for ever. This is the principal thing, the one thing needful: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you, richly in all wisdom."....Col. iii. 16. Kiss the Son....Psalm ii. 12. A SHORT Command: for brevity, like the poesy of a ring; but - comprehensive, like the book of God: for it compriseth all that the scriptures require of us and promise to us: it means that we live in holy love and walk in sweet friendship with the Son of God. For, ist. A kiss is a token of reconciliation. Kiss and be friends is a common proverb. "The kisses of an enemy are deceitful."....Prov. xxvii. 6. Christ experienced this by the kiss of Judas. Though sinners against Christ, yet he loved us: though enemies to him, yet he died for us. The belief of this love slays our enmity: the breach between God and us is made up: we are reconciled to God," and have peace with him through Jesus Christ.".... Rom. v. 1. How did reconciling grace operate upon the heart of that vile sinner, Mary; she kissed her Lord's feet, while with tears of penitential sorrow she washed them."....Luke vii. 88. O, give the reconciling Son of God this love-token of your reconciled hearts. 2d. A kiss denotes congratulation. When Samuel anointed Saul, he kissed him and said, "Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance ?".... Sam. x. 1. Thus congratulate Christ, "who is the captain of our salvation."....Heb. ii. 10. Sd. It is a salute of joy. By a kiss we welcome a dear friend on return from a long journey or dangerous voyage. What a journey did Christ take? What a voyage did he embark in for us? After all his agonies and sorrows for our salvation, he is arrived at his kingdom and glory: and shall we not welcome and salute him with a kiss of joy on it? 4th. It is a token of great honor. Not every one may presume to kiss the hand of an earthly monarch; some are permit. ted, on being appointed to some place under him, &c. Behold, " we are made kings and priests unto God, by Jesus Christ.".... Rev. 1. 6. What an honor to kiss the King of kings! Lastly, it is a love-token of consanguinity. Loving relatives express their mutual affection by a kiss. Is Christ the loving bridegroom of our souls? Let us arise, shake ourselves from the dust, and stir up our hearts to give him every possible token of love and affection. May we live nearer to him, enjoy more of him, and be indulged with more spiritual communion with him. May our souls ardently long to be with him, that with rapture we may kiss those dear feet that travelled and were nailed to the cross for us; those blessed hands which were stretched out in prayer and nailed to the accursed tree, and bless that loving heart which was pierced for our sins and salvation. With sweet affection let us kiss The Son of God, our Lord, And own it as our highest bliss, To live upon his word. The more we think upon Christ's love, The more our hearts will soar above, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.... 2 Cor. vi. 7. : WHAT sign shewest thou? Shew us a miracle, and we will believe you are inspired, says an evil and adulterous generation. A sign and a miracle! Why, every regenerate soul is both a sign and a wonder to carnal men: they are born from above; they live above ; their views, end and aims, are to things above; they study to approve themselves to God, who is above. These words, though peculiarly applicable to the ministers of Christ, yet are true also of every disciple of Christ: he studies to approve himself, 1st. By the word of truth. What is that? Where is that to be found? In God's book, the Bible. O, the Bible! Say some weak heads and deceived hearts, the letter of scripture is not God's word. Find a surer testimony of God and from God, if you can: we will be content to fix our faith upon this word of truth, for it testifies of our beloved, who is THE TRUTH: he therefore bids us "search the scriptures," and we find them lively oracles to our souls. As we find Christ in the word of truth, we live upon him according to the word of truth, and desire to frame our whole conduct by the word of truth its doctrines we submit to....its threatenings we fear....its precepts we obey. 2d. "By the power of God," that accompanies the word of truth to our hearts; causes it to be believed in our hearts ; brings joy and peace to our hearts in believing the word; and fills our souls with a hope full of immortality promised in the word: it is reserved for us, and we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, according to the word....1 Pet. i. 5. 3d. “By the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left :” What is this? Not a fancied righteousness of our own: that is at best but filthy rags; a wretched armour, either on the right hand or left; none but fools would appear in such an armour; those who do are the sport of fools, and contempt of devils. Not an inherent righteousness which some talk of: what is within cannot be an armour for without, on either hand. This righteousness has never fulfilled the law of God, therefore cannot defend from the face of enemies; but the perfect, spotless righteousness of the Son of God has therefore, that can defend from every assault and every accusation from every quarter on either side. This is the cry of faith; this the armour of the soul, "that I may be found in Christ, not having on my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."....Phil. iii. 9. Take the sword of the Spirit, the word of God in one hand, and the shield of faith, the righteousness of the Son of God in the other, and what shall stand against you? Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him....Rom. v. 9. ALL heresies are founded in pride and spring from ignorance and unbelief of the Lord's word: some strike at the glory of the free grace of God: others at the divinity of the Son of God: others at his atonement and righteousness, whereby our sins are pardoned, our persons justified, and final perseverance to eternal glory is secured to every believer. Paul, under the influence of that Spirit, who foresaw every heresy which would spring up, pester the church, dishonor Christ and distress his members, here sits himself against that pernicious heresy, that souls once justified and pardoned by the blood of Christ may after perish under the wrath of God. Ist. What is meant by being justified by the blood of Christ? Just the reverse of being condemned for sin by the law; for his blood takes away sin, which is the cause of condemnation. Christ's blood shed at his death was the finishing stroke, and includes his whole work as our Saviour: he made that full satisfaction to law and justice, for which sinners are freed from condemnation by the one and pronounced just by the other: they are once for all and for ever justified in God's sight for though God sees sin in them, yet they are for ever justified from it in his beloved Son. 2d. Who are thus justified? Sinners who believe on the Son of God, whether they have the sense and comfort of it in their own consciences or not: for they now receive the atonement of Christ into their hearts by faith. Faith urges them to plead and not rest satisfied till they find the peace of God in their consciences, flowing from justification in Christ's blood. But, 3d. May not such perish at last under the wrath of God? No, says Paul, that is impossible. MUCH MORE, mind those precious words, "being Now justified by his blood, we shall be saved,”......as though he had said, what, did the Son of God shed his blood in vain? Has he called us and justified us before God through faith in his blood? And has he now no love to us, nor care for us? Will he after all this grace leave us to perish under wrath? No: as we are actually justified by his blood, we shall be eternally saved from wrath through him: his precious blood can never loose its efficacy; his gracious heart never abate in love; his almighty arm can never lose its power. As Christ died to redeem from all sin, he lives to save from all wrath: this is the faith of God's elect: this faith works by love of the truth, and in rejecting all self-righteous errors; and as the soul is comforted by this love, love inspires to all cheerful obedi ence. When Jesus on the cross did bleed, And they in him were justify'd, |