BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God

Ephesians 2:8

Oh, What is man, frail creatures of the dust?
Of no consequence, unless in God We trust.
We are by nature dead in tresspasses and sin,
And abound in iniquity that reigns within.
No matter with what diligence we run,
We are not good, no, not one.

In Adam we were created in moral rectitude,
But by our disobedience we became entirely destitude.
In knowledge, righteousness and holiness we were created,
But in our fall in Adam, from God we deviated.
For the Bible says, it was not only Adam who did fall,
But he, as our covenant head, included us one and all.

Now before a just and Holy God
Our own merits we can never laud.
And works that are in self righteousness wrought,
Will in God’s sight be as naught.
In His own work only, is God glorified,
And through that only are we justified.

God, Jehovah, is a free and sovereign King,
Who doeth according to His will in everything.
He from eternity did know,
Upon whom His mercy He would bestow.
‘Tho, we know that to be God’s decree,
Absolving ourselves will not make us free.

God’s decrees will irrevocably stand,
Yet to us, He gives His command
To call on His name, to pray without ceasing,
And our diligence ever to be increasing;
To study the scriptures and not hesitate
Upon His holy word to meditate.

For sin we must have a Godly sorrow,
And that is something we can never borrow.
The terribleness of sin—We cannot truly feel it,
Unless we are convicted by God’s Spirit.
We will realize then, where before we only did know,
That we are worthy of eternal woe.

But ere I know that Christ Jesus for ME has died,
It must, through His Spirit, be to my heart applied.
A presumptuous belief will be of no avail,
For eternal salvation that would but fail.
All must be truth and not a fraud,
So then everyone must be taught of God.

None can ever these words efface
That we are through faith, saved by Grace.
And that not of ourselves, but a gift from above,
Of Him who is rich in mercy and great love,
“Who worketh all things after the counsel of His will.”
Who saved and called us, not of works, but his purpose to fulfill.

If we are saved, it is not just because we believed,
But that God in mercy us received.
As John says: “He must increase
And I must decrease.”
Through all ages it must be the same story,
To a Triune God belongs all the glory.

It was in the great eternity between the Father and the Son,
That the work of redemption was begun.
Said He to the Father “Lo, I come”
To suffer the penalty for sin, I will be the one.”
He chose to suffer the extreme agonies of body and soul,
To make the lost and undone sinner whole.

It was not just a death inflicted by an angry mob,
But a painful death to satisfy the justice of a Holy God.
It was for this that He alone the winepress did tread,
And on the cruel cross suffered and bled.
He cried, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?”
So that to death condemned sinners might go free!

To look up unto Him sinners are exhorted.
For He came for the “grieved in spirit and not comforted”,
He came to heal the broken hearted,
And those that mourn because from Him they have departed.
He came to loose the captive and the bound,
That they in His love might abound.

Sinner do you feel your soul’s great loss?
And see that it was you that nailed Him to the cross?
Has Christ Jesus looked upon you in love?
And revealed unto your soul spiritual things from above?
Have you been crucified with Him”?
And are dying death to unrighteous self and sin?

You that feel your soul’s great loss?
Can you bring your burden to the cross?
For no merit of your own can you bring,
Can you bring your burden unto Him?
Can you pour out to Him your soul’s great need?
For on His merits only can you plead.

Thou soul, sorely tried and tempest tossed,
Dost thou truly feel that thou art lost?
He came to die for such as these,
And He will hearken to their pleas.
He came not for any particular creed,
But for lost souls individual need.

Has He given you a heart of flesh in place of your heart of stone?
So His mighty truths to your heart He might bring home?
Has He given you a hearing ear and an open heart?
That through His spirit His word to you He might impart?
“Come unto me ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest?”
Has His spirit applied that to you and have you by that been blest?

Have you found Him precious, yes infinitely so,
More than anything in heaven itself, or on earth below?
Or do you to your own soul speak peace?
Because you have a historical belief?
Though you may in service and moral excellence excel,
Have you nothing about God’s work upon your soul to tell?

Many are called, saved are but few,
“Are you ready to answer for the reason of the hope that is in you?”
If you can praise and His holy name extol,
Can you not “declare what He has done for your soul”?
He says to the poor and needy, in whom a good work He did begin,
“The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.”

Would you the doctrine of election disregard, because you find it all too hard?
Would you against an all righteous God fume and fuss?
And reply to Him “Why hast thou made me thus?”
“Hath not the potter power over the clay?”
So then what have you yet to say?

It is not within OUR power, though commanded, to believe,
“For what hast thou, that thou didst not receive?”
“The fruit of the Spirit is faith.” So says Galatians five,
And on the workings of the Holy Ghost only can it thrive.
“And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward
Who believe according to the workings of his mighty power,” so says His word.

It is all of God, by no means of Man’s free will,
But of Him, who through regeneration, new qualities in the heart does instill.
He says, “I will put my law in their inward parts,
And I will write it in their hearts.”
“That His divine power hath given unto us,
All things that pertain unto life and godliness.”

If you by God’s grace can truly say, “Christ died for me.”
The wonder becomes the greater that He loved you from all eternity.
Throughout the whole Bible the doctrine of election is very clear,
And all of His own children hold it very dear.
In Glory about election, grace and mercy will be one refrain,
And praise, honor, and glory to the Lamb that was on Calvary slain.

A Publican.

These lines were composed recently and presented to the editor. And upon perusing them he was led to meditate most earnestly upon them and concluded to offer the following thoughts upon the truths embodied in these foregoing verses, which are well worthy of the signature they bear.

The Lord Jesus spoke a parable to certain people which believed themselves to be righteous. Yet, they (those supposed to be righteous people, in their own imagination only) despised others. This very act of despising others proves them to be directly contrary to the truly righteous persons according to scripture. To confirm this we use that truth where Jesus teaches the lawyer who came to Him asking how he read the Law of God. The lawyer answered right but did not do right. (Read the history for yourself in Luke 10:25-37).

Well, my friends, you who justify yourselves by your good works such as: church membership, partaking of the Lord’s Supper, being baptized, praying in the form regularly, attending church if nothing else interferes, faithfully attending society meetings and abounding in other charitable acts, and so forth; I say, if this is your only foundation for salvation then you are of all creatures the most miserable, and lost forever if you die in such a self-righteous state. “Oh, but this is not our foundation, we do not build upon those things! We believe in Jesus,” say you. Friend, if you believe in Jesus why do you still breathe out such hateful despisnigs against your neighbor? Does not the true love of God require of you to love your neighbor? Well, then, Jesus commands you, “Go, and do thou likewise,” Luke 10:37. In plain words, prove by your actions that you keep the second commandment also. Let this be seen and then you will no longer be so righteous in yourselves, but you will then possess the qualities of “A Publican,” (Luke 18:10); a sinner, an unworthy sinner, a hell deserving sinner, not daring to lift your eyes unto heaven.

And to be sure, both these men in Luke 18:10; namely, a Pharisee, and a Publican, prayed to God in the temple. But, oh, what a difference in their frame of heart. See the Pharisee thanking God for his own good traits and duties (good in himself only in his imagination but not in the sight of God) verses 11 and 12. And, now behold the Publican, that filthy sinner afar off. He is smiting upon his breast signifying that he is corrupt within and polluted with sin and therefore he can not, neither dare he lift his eyes heavenward but rather casts them into the dust from whence he is taken. And in which he is wallowing by nature and so depraved that there is only one way of escape for him, yet he dare not look up for it, and that way is mercy! mercy! “O God, be merciful to me a sinner,” he cries in anguish and bitterness of soul. He is not worthy of it in himself and therefore he must needs bury his face in the dust before God and cry to Him for righteousness. And if God grants him mercy, then, and then only will he be a truly righteous person.

Now, in this posture, he is in himself unrighteous before God and man, therefore is seeking a corner spot far off. He feels himself unworthy of a gracious God to listen to his pleadings, unworthy of the foremost seat; therefore, to the hindermost and secluded far off spot he goes with his heart broken by convictions of his sins and transgressions against God.

O my friends, do you know of such an heart experience for yourselves? Only such as do know of a similar unrighteousness in themselves shall be found righteous in the sight of God. Only such Publicans will be justified by the Lord Jesus even as Jesus confirms of this man in verse 14.

Therefore, to you my fellow mortals, who do trust in yourselves, and despise your neighbor, Jesus says: “Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased,” meaning that eternal destruction will be their end. O, may the Lord impress His Word upon your proud hearts and bring you to stoop low in the dust of self-abasement, and raise you up out of that dust by implanting His own righteousness within your hearts, of God’s infinite mercy, sovereign grace, and electing love; for it is not of your own merits or doings.

And, my beloved, you that have humbled yourselves before God as the Publican did, “Fear not, thou shalt be exalted,” says Jesus.

Not because you humbled yourselves first. Oh no! Then you never would have bowed before God in the dust. But, because God shed his love abroad in your heart, and opened your blind soul’s eyes to see your abominable state before Him, therefore, you smote and do still continue to smite upon your breast because of indwelling sin, and corruption. Oh, your heart, that fountain of corruption, gives you all reasons for not daring to raise your eyes unto heaven. But you just sink away before God in your own unrighteousness and cry, yea, beg of Him for His mercy to favor you with that righteousness of Jesus Christ. A sight of yourself as a sinner by the Spirit of God has humbled you and does humble you into nothingness and exalteth God in Christ within you because there is now a new creation wrought in you by God the Holy Ghost. Your foundation now is, no longer yourself, but mercy. The mercy of God is your only plea and hope. And that mercy being revealed of God in Christ Jesus, you are now humbled, by moments from time to time, as the Spirit quickens you. Begging at God’s mercy seat for the spotless robe of Christ’s righteousness to be imputed, put on you, in which you now desire to walk before God. O my dear, truly humbled soul, “thou shalt be exalted,” says thy Beloved, whom thy soul loveth. Can you deny that such a love dwells in thine heart now? Such a drawing love, which draws you in your desires, at times? Dare you deny Christ by saying that you know of no such love within you? I know by experience that you dare not. Well then, wait on the Lord and He will grant you the desire of your heart.

“O, but,” say you, “that leaves me yet without Christ as my Righteousness.” ‘Tis true, my beloved, but the Comforter has been promised to be sent by Christ, when He ascended into heaven as Mediator. Has Christ sent Him to you, to lead you into the preciousness of Christ’s promises? And to teach you patiently to wait at the mercy seat, and to make you a wrestler there? May this blessed Comforter, God the Holy Ghost, lead you then into this promise to the truly humble how that they shall be exalted in God’s due time. In Christ you are already exalted but the knowledge and comfort of it must yet be made known to you in your soul’s experience by the Spirit of God the Father, and of God the Son, before you can entertain such joy. Oh, may the blessed Spirit so teach you to wait patiently in prayer and supplication for that glorious exaltation of Christ’s humble followers, even as He prays, in John 17:20-26, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am”; in the presence of God the Father for ever and ever. O humble souls, may the Spirit of God show unto you that glorious state of eternal glorification to which thou shalt be exalted by Jesus Christ the Mediator, who is now your only hope of salvation, and which hope is now as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the vail: whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus. O beloved, if He is your forerunner unto the Father, then you will only ever enter into that vail through His merits and not yours.

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