Grace Gems

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Is it possible?

(by James Smith)

"The Lord delights in you!" Isaiah 62:4

Is it possible, that such poor, depraved, unworthy creatures--can be the objects of Jehovah's delight? Yes! The infinite love of God has been fixed upon us from eternity! Because He loved and chose us, He sent His only-begotten Son to die for us! He sent His Holy Spirit into our hearts to regenerate us!

"You have loved them--AS You have loved Me!" John 17:23
Yes, the Father has loved us--just as He has loved Jesus--with an infinite love!

Every believer, though . . .
  his faith is weak,
  his fears are many,
  his corruptions are strong,
  his troubles are great, and
  his temptations are sore--
is the object of Jehovah's delight!

Let us therefore endeavor to pass through this day, yes, and every day--believing and realizing:
"I am Jehovah's delight!
 I am the object of His highest love!
 I am the subject of His sweetest thoughts!
 I am His portion for evermore!"

O incomparable privilege!

Wondrous source of comfort, holiness, and love!

You have more cause for gratitude than an angel!

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My heart has been continually producing new monsters!

(Letters of John Newton)

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]?" Jeremiah 17:9 (Amplified version)

Alas! the most marvelous proofs of the Lord's patience and goodness to me are utterly unfit for publication; nay, I could not whisper some things into the ear of a friend.

It has been since my conversion, and not by what happened before it, that I have known the most striking instances of the vileness and depravity of my nature. My heart has been continually producing new monsters! I have good reason to believe, that it is still comparatively an unknown territory to me; and that it contains bottomless mines, depths, and sources of iniquity in it, of which I have hardly a more adequate conception, than I could form of the fishes that are hidden in the sea, by taking a survey of the fish-market at Billingsgate!

But oh! wonderful, transporting thought! He, before whom its most retired recesses lie naked and open, can and does bear with me! How wonderful is it, likewise, that notwithstanding all these floods of abomination, He has been pleased to keep me outwardly, so that I have not been allowed to make any considerable blot in my profession before men, since He was pleased first to number me among His children. But truly I have nothing to boast of. I may well say, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is exceedingly abundant!" 1 Timothy 1:14

"Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
 That saved a wretch like me!"

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I am chained to a dead body!

(Letters of John Newton)

"Not that I have already attained all this, or have already been made perfect." Philippians 3:12

Alas! alas! indeed I "have not attained!" I love the truth, and I love to declare it, and sometimes my earnestness in the pulpit may make the hearers think I am 'somebody'.

But could you compare Mr. Newton in the pulpit, with Mr. Newton at home and in himself--you would startle and exclaim, "Nothing was ever so unlike itself!"

Well, I believe it must be so in some measure--while, like the prisoners of Mezentius, I am chained to a dead body. But I hope the time will come, when I shall no longer drag the loathsome corpse of a depraved nature about with me. Ah! what a loathsome sight; what a cadaverous smell haunts me in every place!

I believe, if the Lord was pleased to increase my little exercise of grace tenfold, I would be ten times more out of conceit with myself than I am at present.

This is a poor subject--let us change it, and drop a thought about Jesus! In Him we have wisdom, righteousness, peace, power, and salvation. Grace abounds in Him, more than sin can abound in me--and His compassion is fully adequate to my case. With Him there is plenteous redemption, therefore I will trust and not be afraid.

The more vile I--the more glorious and wonderful will He be in saving me to the uttermost! I wish to be humbled under a sense of sin, to strive in His strength against it; and then to be willing to be nothing, that He may be all in all.

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This one thought is a fountain of unfailing happiness!

(George Everard, "Up High!" 1884)

"He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ" Ephesians 1:5

"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus!" Galatians 3:26

Here is one of the sweetest privileges of the Christian life. The Christian is a beloved child, and shares all the love and tenderness of the Father's heart!

This one thought is a fountain of unfailing happiness!
"I am at home with God!
 Once I was far off--but now I am near.
 Once I was a stranger--but now His beloved child!
 Once the thought of His presence was fear and dread--but now it is life, and joy, and peace.
 He is my Father, and in this Name all heart-joys meet.
 He knows me by name, and cares for me in all my cares.
 He pities me, and in tender compassion marks each tear I shed, and each sorrow that weighs upon my heart.
 He opens His hand, and each day gives me all that I need.
 He bows down His ear and hearkens to each prayer I offer.
 I have boldness and liberty to go at all times into His presence-chamber, and may tell Him every desire and ask of Him whatever is for my good."

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1

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The spirit of the world is eating out the very heart and life of true godliness!

(George Everard, "Be Separate!" 1884)

The spirit of the world is eating out the very heart and life of true godliness!

In the matter of friendships, of recreations, of converse in social life--the Christian needs to be very watchful, if he would follow the Savior.

Christians should be very careful as to the scenes of recreation which they frequent. As we find them at the present day, the Theater, the Ball-room, and the Race-course--are hot-beds of evil and ungodliness! They are most injurious to the cultivation of pure and undefiled religion. To my mind they are perilous in the extreme, and are calculated to quench every good and holy purpose and desire in the soul.

Let the love of Christ be supreme! Let no lower motive satisfy you.
"I see no harm in this or that," say many.
But can you do it in the love of Christ?
Are you living for self--or for Him?
Are you pleasing the world--or pleasing the Master?
Are you so acting, that with a good conscience you can ask Him to go with you and bless and prosper you in all you do?

Do not I love Thee, O my Lord?
Behold my heart and see;
And cast each hated idol down
That dares to rival Thee!

"Do not be conformed to this world." Romans 12:2
 Do not follow its evil customs.
 Do not receive its unscriptural teachings.
 Do not court its favor, love its praises, or dread its frowns.

Whatever chains you down to earth, and keeps you on the same level with the children of this world--this, whatever it may be, is most assuredly your deadliest enemy. "Don't you know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?"

For what are you to live?
For self-advancement?
For your own ease and comfort?
For laying up a store of wealth for your children when you have passed away?
Or is it to spend every day of your life, and to order your affairs so as to glorify Christ, and lay out all that He has given you, as He would have you?

Walk more closely with God day by day.
Seek to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ.
Strive to be more like your Savior in your whole spirit and conduct.

"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:17-18

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You have gunpowder hearts!

(George Everard, "Mind Your Steps!" 1884)

"Avoid every kind of evil!" 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Be careful to guard against all occasions of sin and evil. There is no safety without setting a watch against all that is likely to prove a stumbling-block.

I read one day of the remarkable precautions which are taken to avoid danger in a gunpowder manufactory. The walls are all of stone, and no wood is allowed to be in the place. Anyone who walks through has to take off his shoes, lest the nails in them should strike a spark. Then, if he has any metal on him, he must leave it at the door. The danger is so great, that everything must be done to avoid any approach to it.

Oh that Christians would take heed in a similar way to keep from the peril of sin! Keep far away from any approach to temptation. You have gunpowder hearts--so ready to ignite from the least spark! A look, a word, an evil example, a sentence in a book, a suggestion from a bad companion--any of these may be the cause of a world of mischief.

Therefore, make it your firm resolve to keep out of harm's way.
Beware of all places, and scenes, and people--that may turn you from the right course.
Don't imagine you are strong enough to go, and get no harm.
Better to keep far from the edge of the precipice.
Better to keep out of the lion's reach!
Better to keep from the long grass where the viper is coiled up!
Stop while you can--or you may go so far that it may be impossible to escape.

Be careful to guard well the various gates of access to the heart--and of egress into the world.

Guard well the eye. Keep it from vanity. Remember that one look cost Achan his life--and a lustful look embittered the whole of David's years. Let the eye look straight onward, and right upward to the throne.

Guard well the ear. Receive nothing that will pollute or defile you. Hearken to no voice of flattery or persuasion to evil. Welcome every message of the word of truth.

Guard well the memory and imagination. Let no vision or image tarry there, which will chain and enthrall the soul. If unclean birds fly over your head--do not let them settle in your hair!

Nor be less mindful . . .
  to curb the tongue,
  to guide the foot,
  to use the hand,
according to God's holy will.

The words you utter,
the paths you go,
the deeds you perform,
tell mightily on yourself and on others. And none should be permitted to act except under the control of the fear and love of God.

Yet always remember, that it is not your careful walking, but Christ's careful keeping--which will ensure your final victory!
Your enemies are legion,
your strength is nothing,
your resolutions soon fail,
your heart is easily beguiled and turned aside--
but the good Shepherd will keep His own redeemed people.
He will point out your danger--and enable you to flee from it.
He will uphold you in perilous places--and lift you up when you fall.
He will keep you from falling--and save you even to the uttermost!

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The very highest object of angel and archangel before the throne!

(George Everard, "Much Fruit!" 1884)

"My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." John 15:8

The Christian should be as a branch laden with good fruit, weighed down with ripened clusters, sweetened by the glorious sunshine, and gladdening the heart of the Great Gardener, as He sees in it a rich reward for His toil and pains!

That they should bear abundant fruit, is one great purpose of all God's dealings with His people. He not simply wills that they should be forgiven and saved--but that they should glorify Him by being fruitful in every good word and work. To bring glory to God is the very highest object of angel and archangel before the throne! It is worth striving for. It is the noblest aim the Christian can cherish.

It should be our effort day by day to bring our basket of ripe fruit to the Master--and such as will glorify Him and receive His gracious approval.

All true fruit which glorifies God, is the outgrowth of inward spiritual grace. It is an external manifestation of the Spirit of God abiding within.

Hence the main point always to keep steadfastly before me, is the absolute necessity of a living union with Christ. It is the branch abiding in living union with the stem and root, that alone can bring forth fruit. There is no possibility of any fruit at all without this.

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5

I must not aim at doing anything whatever by my own natural abilities.
In Christ, I must begin,
in Christ, I must continue,
in Christ, I must complete all that I undertake.

On Him I must exercise entire, unlimited, perpetual dependence!

I must rely upon Him for . . .
  daily mercy,
  daily grace,
  daily keeping,
  daily upholding, and
  daily power to think and will and work as I ought in His service.

I must ever abide in Christ by faith, and receive out of His fullness. I must continually . . .
  feed on the Living Bread,
  drink evermore from the Living Fountain,
  abide in the love of Christ, and
  dwell beneath the shadow of the Rock of Ages!

If I would bear fruit--my religion must go heart-deep! Christ must be all my salvation and all my desire!

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They are like the soap-bubbles which little children blow!

(George Everard, "Up High!" 1884)

"The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever!" 1 John 2:17

There is nothing in the world in which we can glory. Its possessions, its pleasures, its pomp and show, its praise and flattery--what are they? They are like the soap-bubbles which little children blow, glittering for a moment with blue and golden rays, and then bursting, and they are gone!

"Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun!" Ecclesiastes 2:11

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Your everlasting treasure, and your unchangeable Friend!

(George Everard, "Up High!" 1884)

"Thus says the LORD:
  Let not a wise man glory of his wisdom,
  and let not the mighty man glory in his might,
  let not a rich man glory in his riches.
But let him who glories, glory in this--that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving-kindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things!" Jeremiah 9:23-24

Glory in Christ--and in Him alone!

Glory in Him as your Faithful Shepherd, who will care for you, and guard you, and restore you, and keep you even to the end.

Glory in Him as your Unfailing Physician, who will heal your soul-wounds, and bind up the bleeding, broken heart.

Glory in Him as your Great High Priest, who will ever lives to plead your cause before the Throne of grace.

Glory in Him as your Omnipotent King, who reigns over the events of Providence, and will make all things work together for your eternal good.

Glory in Him as your Mighty Redeemer, who will deliver you from every enemy, and make you conqueror over sin, death and Hell.

Glory in Him as your Everlasting Portion, remembering that when all else shall take wings and flee away--when the home is broken up, and dear ones die, and means grow less, and health decays, yes, when everything on earth fails you--He will be your everlasting treasure, and your unchangeable Friend!

And let this glorying be seen by your entire resignation to His will--and by choosing His path rather than your own.

    "Not I, but Christ!" Lord, choose for me,
     And make me love what pleases Thee.

    "Not I, but Christ!" His will be done,
     And mine with His be merged in one.

    Myself no longer would I see,
    But Jesus crucified for me.

    His eye to guide, His voice to cheer,
    His mighty arm forever near.

    "Not I, but Christ!" Lord, let this be
     A motto throughout life for me!

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"There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow." Ecclesiastes 1:11

"For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten." Ecclesiastes 2:16

Swept off the great chess-board of this world!

(George Wilson, "Counsels of an Invalid" 1862)

November 26th, 1847.
Dear Friend,
We shall both very soon, I anticipate, be called away from seeing all things through a glass darkly--to meeting God face to face, and shall have to answer to Him for the deeds done in the body.

We would certainly exhibit the most inordinate vanity, if we thought that the great mass of our fellow-men would be losers by our being swept off the great chess-board of this world.

This board, indeed, is always so crowded that, with the exception of our attached relations and a few friends, the greater number of our neighbors will be glad to know that our being cleared away has left more elbow-room. Think how soon the world gets over the death of an eminent minister--and let us be content that the place that knew us once, shall know us no more.

"Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die! The wind blows, and we are gone--as though we had never been here!" Psalm 103:15-16

"The length of our days is seventy years--or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. So teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:10, 12

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What is Christianity?

(George Everard, "Guidance and Help" 1874)

"Christ is all!" Colossians 3:11

What is Christianity?

Christianity centers in the glorious Person of Christ!

The aim and purpose of every Scripture truth, is to fix the eye on Christ Himself!
He is the Alpha and Omega of Christianity.
From Him proceeds every ray of light.
To Him all believing hearts are drawn.
The Christian finds consolation and strength only in Him.
Every motive for Christian living is from Him.
The glorious privileges which Christians possess, can only be enjoyed from union and fellowship with Him.
Their highest standard of duty is to follow His footsteps, and to walk even as He walked.

Christianity, in fact, is Christ! It is . . .
   Christ in the Scriptures;
   Christ in the Manger;
   Christ on the Cross;
   Christ, the Risen One;
   Christ, the Ascended One;
   Christ, the Prophet, the Priest, the King;
   Christ in His Glorious appearing, to be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels!

All our trust, all our love, all our obedience, is due to Him!

The more the eye and the heart is turned fully towards Him--the more true and genuine is our Christianity.

    Do not I love You, Oh my Lord?
    Behold my heart and see,
    And turn each cursed idol out,
    That dares to rival Thee!

    You know I love You, dearest Lord,
    But oh, I long to soar,
    Far from the sphere of mortal joys,
    And learn to love You more!
      Philip Doddridge

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Please quit acting spiritual!

(Don Fortner)

Please quit acting spiritual! In the privacy of your own closet before God, if you want to raise your hands and waive your palms, roll your eyes up toward Heaven, and show by bodily gestures that you are super-spiritual--if you dare do so, go ahead. But do not act spiritual before men. Our Lord strictly forbids outward displays of religious devotion. Only self-righteous Pharisees do things to be seen by men!

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men." Matthew 6:5

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The source and spring of all true life, pleasure, holiness, and hope!

(George Everard, "The Stray One Recalled!" 1874)

"My people have committed two evils:
   they have forsaken Me--the Fountain of living waters, and
   hewed out cisterns--broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
Jeremiah 2:13

God reminds us how foolish and unwise it is thus to forsake the sole source of true happiness.

It is a very forcible image that is here employed--God is a Fountain, a Well of Life.
He is the source and spring of all true life, pleasure, holiness, and hope!
In Him is a continual freshness of all that can fill the soul with joy.
In Him are inexhaustible streams of mercy, grace, and consolation.
But men forsake this Fountain for cisterns--yes, more, for broken cisterns, from which soon leak out the few drops of water they may contain.

A traveler in the Holy Land tells us that in one part he found the land riddled with the remains of these broken cisterns. When water was needed, they would just dig one of these little clay cisterns in the ground. It would hold water for a time, but soon, when the sun was hot and weather dry, it would crack and leak--and so another and another would be needed.

Ah, what pains and trouble men take in hewing out cisterns like these . . .
  wealth unsanctified by true riches,
  the acquisition of knowledge with no end beyond its possession,
  a position and name that shall dazzle those around,
  schemes of self-indulgence and pleasure,
  a comfortable home where God is forgotten,
  some object of affection which engrosses every thought--
how often something of this kind steals the heart from God!
But before long there is sure to be a crack, a leak--and the joy and the comfort is dried up and gone!

So God in His tender compassion would have us see this, and remember that nothing can ever take the place of Himself as our Well-spring of joy.

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In which class do you think most children would prefer to be?

(George Everard, "Up High!" 1884)

Two lads were once talking together about their teachers in the Sunday school.

"You should be in our class," said one boy, "our teacher knows so much!"

"You should be in our class," said the other, "our teacher loves so much!"

In which class do you think most children would prefer to be?

"If I can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge--but have not love, I am nothing."
    1 Corinthians 13:2

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Earthly crowns are like tennis-balls!

(Thomas Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")

"And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away!" 1 Peter 5:4

A crown is the height of human ambition. Yet earthly crowns are as the fading garlands, with which the conquerors at games, races, and combats were crowned--which were made of herbs, leaves, and flowers.

But a believer's crown, his inheritance, his glory, his happiness, his blessedness--shall be as fresh and flourishing after he has been many millions of years in Heaven--as it was at his first entrance into it!

Earthly crowns are like tennis-balls, which are bandied up and down from one to another, and in time wear out.
When time shall be no more,
when earthly crowns and kingdoms shall be no more,
yes, when the world shall be no more--
the Christian's crown of glory shall be fresh, flourishing, and continuing!

All the devils in Hell shall never wrangle a believer out of his heavenly inheritance, nor deprive him of his crown of glory. The least thing in heaven, is better than the greatest things in this world. All things on earth are fading away--but the crown of glory never fades away!