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Circumstances.

OUR Circumstances are what we make them. If they be not by faith kept under our feet, they will by unbelief become our masters.

Our song of praise can never be checked unless we rejoice in Circumstances, and in things around us, more than in God Himself.

It is to our shame that we are easily wrought upon by shifting Circumstances. How good for us that we have an unchange­able God to rest in!

The natural man is the slave of Circumstances.

Never let me be compelled to say, I have driven my stakes so deep into the earth that I cannot pull them up;  but rather let me so pitch my tent that in a moment I may strike it at the bidding of the Lord. (Num. ix.15-23.)

All things are working together for good to them that love God; albeit sometimes in the way of chastening and judgment.

If we honour God in the little matters of our daily life, He will prepare greater occasions for our faith, and so put honour on the obedi­ence that was little known to any but Himself. Abraham had so dealt with God about all the daily little matters of tent and household, that when the great occasion comes (Gen. xxii.) the man of faith shines forth.

God orders our steps in our natural state (the guilt of our sins our own) to further us in His service after regeneration. (Gal. i. 15.)

It matters little what our Circumstances, if in the spirit of our mind we be before God offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Him by Jesus Christ. To faith all Circum­stances are opportunities of pleasing God and serving Christ.

That station of life is most desirable which has least in it to cumber the spirit, and to entice away the heart from Christ. Shall we not then rather desire to stoop with our Lord, than to rise with the men of the world? Every state in life has temptations; but these thicken upon us, and grow in seducing power, according to rise in earthly honour.

Howsoever we may deplore the sin of one that has injured us, we ought to be thankful for the occasion of showing the mind of Christ towards the wrong-doer.

If our hearts be set upon enjoying the light of our Father's countenance, we shall find that all Circumstances, bitter as well as sweet, will afford us opportunity of bearing something, or doing something, for His sake.

My happiness in Christ will grow through every new Circumstance, if I have no will but God's. God, by all Circumstances, delights to make glad His obedient children. (2 Thess, iii. 16.)

If we judge not God's character by His providences, but His providences by His character, we shall be able to rejoice when the flesh would repine.

When Elijah in unbelief fled from Jezebel he had the meet rebuke from the Lord; but the fault of the hour of temptation did not hide from God's gracious eye the faithfulness of His servant. (1 Kings xix.) In like manner dealt the Lord Jesus with that other Elijah-­John the Baptist-when he seemed like a reed shaken with the wind. (Matt. xi. 2-15.)  We are to be imitators of God as dear, as pleasant, children; and if we are not to suffer sin upon our brethren, whatever their grace, neither should the fault in them be a cover to our eyes of their grace and service to Christ.

 

Strength and Continuance.

PHIL. Iii. 12.   It is Christ's hold upon us that enables us, by faith, to lay hold on and to keep hold of Him.

They who seem the most tried are not always those that have the sharpest warfare.

Sometimes things appear to us so difficult that we are daunted; at other times so easy that we think we are equal to them; and thus in either case we fail.

He that is running a race looks not at witnesses admiring, but only at the mark.

We need to "discern the Lord's body" [i.e. Christ as having been crucified] (1 Cor. xi. 29) for steadfastness of communion with God, no less than to trust in His blood to obtain salva­tion from wrath to come. (John vi. 54, 56.)

The fulfilling of God's promises depends not upon the creature's strength, and cannot be prevented by the creature's weakness.

We need a close walk with God, a having respect to all His commandments, if we would obtain of Him whatsoever we ask.

True persevering diligence in spiritual things always begins in self-abasement.

It is one mark of growth in spirituality to be more afflicted by the pleasing-than by the distressing-temptations of Satan.

We should always take great trials and great temptations as the forerunners of great blessings and growth of fellowship with God.

The obedience of grace obtains for us the profitable knowledge of truth, and teaches us to prize it more than much fine gold. Mere knowledge puffeth up, and the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury. (Prov. xiv. 23.)

Deep spirituality of mind is only obtained by a thorough crucifixion of self: self-denial is discipline for life-the work of every hour.

To make a good soldier, put him in front of the battle; a good seaman, let him brave the storm: so with the Christian.

True readiness to confess sin, and joy in self-abasement, mark a growth in grace and knowledge of the character of God.

I know of no one who, with so little promise in his beginnings of faith, had a sunset so glorious as had Jacob. (Gen. xlviii., xlix.)

It is the constant crucifying the flesh in little things that makes a giant in the Christian warfare. But true self-crucifixion is a thing impossible, save by grace; and to have the needful supplies of that grace we must be in perpetual communion with God: it is only thus we shall overcome in little things.

It is a great salvation wrought for us, if the soul be resolved to suffer the will of God, cost what it may.

Do you desire a humble mind, a soft heart, an obedient spirit? Ask and receive, that your joy may be full. But remember, "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath no­thing" (Prov. xiii. 4). Be the clean vessel that God delights to fill and use.

Not God's answering prayer in respect of earthly things and earthly gifts, but growth of the new man, is the true proof that we please God. 

We are commanded to lay aside every weight, and the sin that does so easily beset us: if we contend not against the latter-­that is unbelief-how shall we rightly deal with the former? We have everyone in himself his own peculiar hindrances-weights which, if not laid aside, will clog the soul in her race.

How shall I run my race and not stumble? how shall I have Christ's approval in the day of His appearing? are questions to be daily put by every child of God to his own soul.

 

Character.

IN the members of Christ, even those  in whom much excellency of character is manifest, too often, alas! we find the "flies of death" in the apothecary's oint­ment (Eccles. x, 1); but in the Lord Jesus all excellences are blended in full perfection and harmony: He is the "altogether lovely" (Song Sol. v. 16). But oh for a conversion of saints!-that we who are renewed, anointed, and sealed by the Spirit of God; that we in whom dwells that Holy Spirit of promise, who are the temple of God-might be altogether like our Lord, altogether pleasing to Him. Blessed be God His people Israel must be by­-and-by His delightsome child knowing and doing His will. (Isa. Ixii.)

Walking with God teaches us the courtesy and kindness of love.

We do not glorify God so much by what we do, as by what we are. It is the spirit of our mind which glorifies Him. "I dwell," says Jehovah, "in the high and holy place; with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." (Isa. lvii. 15.)

If we walk much with God and with Christ, it will give us a certain rightness of character, so that we shall have the ready grace for every circumstance.

God with us makes our service honourable, be that service what it may.

 

Obedience.

DAVID was keeping sheep in the wilderness with no eye upon him but God's. In prompt obedience to his father he went to the valley of Elah, taking leaves and cheeses to his brethren: if we are content to serve God in mean things, God will bring us forth in greater. In the valley of Elah was Goliath ready for David's sling. (1 Sam. xvii. 17-23.)

Obedience to Christ brings upon us opposi­tion from Satan, the world, the flesh in ourselves, and the unbelief, ignorance, and lack of

mind of Christ in our brethren. To meet all these aright, let it be our business, even in the smallest matters, to please Christ, that we may have His power and His truth for our strength and guidance. He trod this path before us, and has also given His Holy Spirit to lead us and to comfort us through the journey.

The highest attainment in the spiritual life is to be able always and in all things to say, "Thy will be done!" Gen. xxii. gives us a perfect sample of the obedience of faith.

There is no prevailing against our enemies without full obedience to God. When Israel must fight, Joshua must take heed that they are keeping God's commandments. (See Joshua vii.)

He that allows himself in small sins will at length break out in great ones: be it our business, then, to watch against the beginnings of departure from God, or these will surely lead to bitter endings.

The Word of the Lord, and the attentive ear of the faithful servant, are all we need to carry us safely and happily onward.

Whatever imperfections were in Abraham, whatever his haltings and stumblings, he never settled down, as to purpose, into half-hearted obedience; so if any child of God, howsoever he may fail, have a steady, fixed purpose to please God, he will surely become strong in faith at the last.

All the children of God receive Christ as Redeemer from curse and wrath; but they do not all take Him for their portion and inheritance: if we do this, we cannot fail to be witnesses for Him, and lights in this dark world.

 

Cares.

HAVE you one anxious thought you do not bring to Jesus?  Have you one care you deem too light, too small, to lay before Him? It is then too small to give you one moment's concern. Either cast your care (great or small) upon Him that careth for you, or cast it away from you altogether: if it be unfit for His sympathy, it is unworthy of you. (1 Peter v. 7.)

If we examine the troubles of God's children, we shall find that too many of them arise from unbelieving fears concerning the future; let me but remember that Christ, at the right hand of God, counts all my troubles His own; and then away with all my fears concerning the morrow! It is only at the Mercy-seat we may lawfully think of the morrow.

 

Chastisement.

TO quarrel with the instruments God used for our correction is to quarrel with God Himself. It is, in fact, to say to Him, "I do not approve of Thy govern­ment, and I could order matters better if they were left to me." What is this but to aim at casting down God from His throne, and setting ourselves thereon?

Though the Lord often spares reproof, He never spares commendation. He is slow to anger; He makes haste to be gracious. (N eh. ix, 17; Ps. xl. 13.)

Jacob underwent discipline and chastise­ment for upwards of fifty years, for the withering in him the evil root of the spirit of unbelieving contrivance. God blesses His child, and in His very love withholds not the rod of correction.

The pain that God's discipline gives us shows its wisdom: it is the diseased part that feels under the surgeon's hand.

God never puts us to shame before the world, or even before the church, unless we compel Him.

The Lord always deals with us' according to the state of our souls.

How small the knowledge of God that Job would have attained to, but for the deep and marvellous discipline whereby he was sifted and taught!

When we deal with God in prayer about the difficulties of our path, we must not set Him a time for clearing away those diffi­culties, but wait upon Him, who accepts the sacrifice of our willing hearts.

The Lord's jewels need grinding, and cutting, and polishing. Why forget?

It is not of necessity that a child of God beginning well goes on well; but if he take good heed to his ways--according to Psalm cxix., 2 Peter i. 5-7, and like Scriptures­-he will surely run well to the end of his race.

The more bitter the cup of discipline, the more reason for our thankfulness. If we be not thankful, let us give God no rest, nor ourselves, until He make us so.

Correction despised brings sharper cor­rection.

When God visits us with certain special discipline, it is our wisdom to accept the cup and drink it cheerfully, however bitter, for health is in it.

Let us have no reserves of conscience.

When God gives us light, let us follow it whithersoever it may lead; for, while God has no judgments of curse for His children, He has judgments of displeasure of love because of disobedience.

Be more desirous of inward help and deliver­ance, than the removal of God's hand, when He lays affliction upon you.

Impatience under God's corrections only shows our need of the discipline He is pleased to visit us with. We can least bear correction when we most need it.

One of the evil fruits of long-continued spiritual negligence, is the soul's ignorance of its own state.

How often, under discipline, are the children of God struggling amidst the thickets and briers of circumstances, instead of judging the state of their hearts! This lack of ponder­ing their ways, prevents their seeing the equity of God's dealings with them.