"The stranger did not lodge in the street; but I opened my doors to the traveler." - Job 31:32
Though Job was thus hospitable, yet we know that angels would have
lodged in the street, if Lot had not taken them in. Nay, the Lord of
angels, when he came a stranger upon earth, had not where to lay his
head. He came indeed "unto his own, but his own received him not." My
soul, pause! Hast thou done better by thy Lord? Nay, thou hast not. And
though thou knowest the precept the apostle had it in commission to
tell the church, "not to be forgetful to entertain strangers, for
thereby," as in the instance of the patriarch, and others, "some have
entertained angels unawares;" yet, my soul, how long did the Lord of
life and glory stand without, knocking at the door of thine heart, by
the ministry of his word and ordinances, saying - open to me; yea, and
would have stood to this hour, had he not, by his own sovereign grace,
put in his hand by the hole of the door, and opened to himself. Oh thou
blissful stranger, didst thou indeed come from a far country, on this
gracious, blessed errand, to seek and save that which was lost; and
didst thou find every heart resolutely shut against thee? Didst thou,
blessed Jesus, when travelling in the greatness of thy strength, open
to thyself an entrance into the souls of thy people, by the sweet and
constraining influences of thy Holy Spirit? Do thou, then, Almighty
Lord, throw open the street doors of my heart for thy constant
reception! Make them like the gates of that blessed city which are
never shut day nor night. And cause my soul, like the prophet on the
watch-tower, or Abraham in the tent door, to be always on the lookout
for my Lord's approach, that I may invite thee; yea, constrain thee to
come in, and abide with me, and to make thyself known unto me, by the
heart-burning discourses of thy word, and in breaking of bread and of
prayer. Yes, yes, thou glorious Traveler! who art perpetually on the
visits of thy love, I do know thee, I do sometimes catch a sweet
glimpse of thee, and trace the footsteps of thy grace, in thy word, in
thy ordinances, and in the various ways by which thy presence is
discoverable. Indeed, indeed, thou heavenly Stranger, thou shalt not
lodge in the street; but I will take thee home to my house, to my heart
and soul; and thou shalt sup with me, and I with thee, according to
thine own most gracious promise, and I will cause thee to drink of
spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.
Showing posts with label Job. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Job. Show all posts
Job 1:19
"And I only am escaped alone to tell thee." - Job 1:19
My soul, is there nothing in this account which the messenger to Job gave concerning himself which suits thy case and circumstances? Nay, mayest thou not in a great variety of ways, both in providence and grace, adopt similar language, in which thou art escaped alone to tell? Pause! look back to thy boyish days. Nay, look further back, even to the birth, and to the womb; for had not the Lord carried thee from thence, surely from the womb wouldest thou have died and given up the ghost. And what was thy childhood, but years of perils and dangers, in which multitudes dropped all around thee, so that thou mightest say, while contemplating them, "and I only am escaped alone to tell thee?" And where are numbers with whom the stages of thy youth, and years at school were spent? Where are they? May it not here again be said, "And I only am escaped alone to tell thee?" Go on, and trace the wonderful history in the eventful path of riper years: through what sicknesses, pains and deaths hast thou passed; and mayest thou not, my soul, here again cry out," And I only am escaped alone to tell?" Oh the wonders of distinguishing love, even in common providences, towards his people, before that the highly favoured objects have any consciousness how that love is watching over them, and whereby they are preserved to the day of their calling! Who shall count the sum of distinguishing mercy, in preserving and upholding providences, during the whole of an unconverted state! My soul, hadst thou died in any one of these perilous seasons, and how very near sometimes hath death seemed, the language of Job's messenger would not then have been thine as it is now; "And I only am escaped alone to tell thee." Pause once more. Art thou now, my soul, indeed escaped to tell of converting grace? Canst thou now look round, and amidst the dying and the dead in trespasses and sins, unawakened, unconcerned, unregenerated; canst thou indeed say, "And I only am escaped alone to tell thee!" Oh then, my soul, proclaim with earnestness the glorious truth. Invite all, as far as thy sphere of information can reach, as if thou, and thou alone, weft escaped to tell of the wonders of redeeming love; and let thy daily language be: "Oh come hither, and hearken, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul."
My soul, is there nothing in this account which the messenger to Job gave concerning himself which suits thy case and circumstances? Nay, mayest thou not in a great variety of ways, both in providence and grace, adopt similar language, in which thou art escaped alone to tell? Pause! look back to thy boyish days. Nay, look further back, even to the birth, and to the womb; for had not the Lord carried thee from thence, surely from the womb wouldest thou have died and given up the ghost. And what was thy childhood, but years of perils and dangers, in which multitudes dropped all around thee, so that thou mightest say, while contemplating them, "and I only am escaped alone to tell thee?" And where are numbers with whom the stages of thy youth, and years at school were spent? Where are they? May it not here again be said, "And I only am escaped alone to tell thee?" Go on, and trace the wonderful history in the eventful path of riper years: through what sicknesses, pains and deaths hast thou passed; and mayest thou not, my soul, here again cry out," And I only am escaped alone to tell?" Oh the wonders of distinguishing love, even in common providences, towards his people, before that the highly favoured objects have any consciousness how that love is watching over them, and whereby they are preserved to the day of their calling! Who shall count the sum of distinguishing mercy, in preserving and upholding providences, during the whole of an unconverted state! My soul, hadst thou died in any one of these perilous seasons, and how very near sometimes hath death seemed, the language of Job's messenger would not then have been thine as it is now; "And I only am escaped alone to tell thee." Pause once more. Art thou now, my soul, indeed escaped to tell of converting grace? Canst thou now look round, and amidst the dying and the dead in trespasses and sins, unawakened, unconcerned, unregenerated; canst thou indeed say, "And I only am escaped alone to tell thee!" Oh then, my soul, proclaim with earnestness the glorious truth. Invite all, as far as thy sphere of information can reach, as if thou, and thou alone, weft escaped to tell of the wonders of redeeming love; and let thy daily language be: "Oh come hither, and hearken, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul."
Job 33:23-24
"If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a
thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness; then he is gracious unto
him, and saith, deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a
ransom." - Job 33:23-24
My soul, how precious are those views, in looking back upon where the first discoveries of grace were made. Moses never forgot the first visions of God at the bush; neither did Jacob outlive the remembrance of the first Bethel-visit of a God in Christ to his soul; and why should I? Hast thou not known this messenger, this interpreter, one among a ‘thousand to shew unto thee' God's uprightness? Oh yes, Jesus by his Spirit hath shewn to me that my "God is righteous in all his ways, and holy in his works." When by the blessed discoveries which had been made to me in his word, by his ordinances, providences, judgments, mercies, like the poor creature described in this sweet scripture, when reduced to a mere skeleton, by reason of soul sickness, driven out of all resources in myself, and utterly despairing of ever seeing the face of God in glory, by any creature attempts, and by all creature righteousness, Oh then it was, thou blessed, glorious messenger of thine own covenant; thou faithful interpreter of the mind and will of Jehovah; then it was I was led to see the freeness, fullness, suitableness, and all-sufficiency of a Redeemer's righteousness, and to cast my poor defenseless, naked, trembling soul upon the rich, powerful, and altogether-sufficient salvation, of thee, my God and Saviour! Oh how hast thou sweetly and mercifully explained to me the secrets of covenant mercies, the glories of thy person, and the greatness of thy finished work. And now at every step I take, at every portion of thy blessed word I read, when my mind feels the remains of indwelling corruption, and all the lurkings of the enemy's suggestions ‘within; then, then it is I hear the Father's gracious voice, "Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom." Yes, precious Jesus, thou art my ransom, and my righteousness forever!"
My soul, how precious are those views, in looking back upon where the first discoveries of grace were made. Moses never forgot the first visions of God at the bush; neither did Jacob outlive the remembrance of the first Bethel-visit of a God in Christ to his soul; and why should I? Hast thou not known this messenger, this interpreter, one among a ‘thousand to shew unto thee' God's uprightness? Oh yes, Jesus by his Spirit hath shewn to me that my "God is righteous in all his ways, and holy in his works." When by the blessed discoveries which had been made to me in his word, by his ordinances, providences, judgments, mercies, like the poor creature described in this sweet scripture, when reduced to a mere skeleton, by reason of soul sickness, driven out of all resources in myself, and utterly despairing of ever seeing the face of God in glory, by any creature attempts, and by all creature righteousness, Oh then it was, thou blessed, glorious messenger of thine own covenant; thou faithful interpreter of the mind and will of Jehovah; then it was I was led to see the freeness, fullness, suitableness, and all-sufficiency of a Redeemer's righteousness, and to cast my poor defenseless, naked, trembling soul upon the rich, powerful, and altogether-sufficient salvation, of thee, my God and Saviour! Oh how hast thou sweetly and mercifully explained to me the secrets of covenant mercies, the glories of thy person, and the greatness of thy finished work. And now at every step I take, at every portion of thy blessed word I read, when my mind feels the remains of indwelling corruption, and all the lurkings of the enemy's suggestions ‘within; then, then it is I hear the Father's gracious voice, "Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom." Yes, precious Jesus, thou art my ransom, and my righteousness forever!"
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