Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc03/v03500

Text File | 1994-03-01 | 8KB | 142 lines

03504
 #18-30 Our Lord had often spoken of his own sufferings and
 death, without such trouble of spirit as he now discovered when
 he spake of Judas. The sins of Christians are the grief of
 Christ. We are not to confine our attention to Judas. The
 prophecy of his treachery may apply to all who partake of God's
 mercies, and meet them with ingratitude. See the infidel, who
 only looks at the Scriptures with a desire to do away their
 authority and destroy their influence; the hypocrite, who
 professes to believe the Scriptures, but will not govern himself
 by them; and the apostate, who turns aside from Christ for a
 thing of naught. Thus mankind, supported by God's providence,
 after eating bread with Him, lift up the heel against Him! Judas
 went out as one weary of Jesus and his apostles. Those whose
 deeds are evil, love darkness rather than light.

03517
 #31-35 Christ had been glorified in many miracles he wrought,
 yet he speaks of his being glorified now in his sufferings, as
 if that were more than all his other glories in his humbled
 state. Satisfaction was thereby made for the wrong done to God
 by the sin of man. We cannot now follow our Lord to his heavenly
 happiness, but if we truly believe in him, we shall follow him
 hereafter; meanwhile we must wait his time, and do his work.
 Before Christ left the disciples, he would give them a new
 commandment. They were to love each other for Christ's sake, and
 according to his example, seeking what might benefit others, and
 promoting the cause of the gospel, as one body, animated by one
 soul. But this commandment still appears new to many professors.
 Men in general notice any of Christ's words rather than these.
 By this it appears, that if the followers of Christ do not show
 love one to another, they give cause to suspect their sincerity.

03522
 #36-38 What Christ had said concerning brotherly love, Peter
 overlooked, but spoke of that about which Christ kept them
 ignorant. It is common to be more eager to know about secret
 things, which belong to God only, than about things revealed,
 which belong to us and our children; to be more desirous to have
 our curiosity gratified, than our consciences directed; to know
 what is done in heaven, than what we may do to get thither. How
 soon discourse as to what is plain and edifying is dropped,
 while a doubtful dispute runs on into endless strife of words!
 We are apt to take it amiss to be told we cannot do this and the
 other, whereas, without Christ we can do nothing. Christ knows
 us better than we know ourselves, and has many ways of
 discovering those to themselves, whom he loves, and he will hide
 pride from them. May we endeavour to keep the unity of the
 Spirit in the bond of peace, to love one another with a pure
 heart fervently, and to walk humbly with our God.
03525
 * Christ comforts his disciples. (1-11) He further comforts his
 disciples. (12-17) He still further comforts his disciples.
 (18-31)

 #1-11 Here are three words, upon any of which stress may be
 laid. Upon the word troubled. Be not cast down and disquieted.
 The word heart. Let your heart be kept with full trust in God.
 The word your. However others are overwhelmed with the sorrows
 of this present time, be not you so. Christ's disciples, more
 than others, should keep their minds quiet, when everything else
 is unquiet. Here is the remedy against this trouble of mind,
 "Believe." By believing in Christ as the Mediator between God
 and man, we gain comfort. The happiness of heaven is spoken of
 as in a father's house. There are many mansions, for there are
 many sons to be brought to glory. Mansions are lasting
 dwellings. Christ will be the Finisher of that of which he is
 the Author or Beginner; if he has prepared the place for us, he
 will prepare us for it. Christ is the sinner's Way to the Father
 and to heaven, in his person as God manifest in the flesh, in
 his atoning sacrifice, and as our Advocate. He is the Truth, as
 fulfilling all the prophecies of a Saviour; believing which,
 sinners come by him the Way. He is the Life, by whose
 life-giving Spirit the dead in sin are quickened. Nor can any
 man draw nigh God as a Father, who is not quickened by Him as
 the Life, and taught by Him as the Truth, to come by Him as the
 Way. By Christ, as the Way, our prayers go to God, and his
 blessings come to us; this is the Way that leads to rest, the
 good old Way. He is the Resurrection and the Life. All that saw
 Christ by faith, saw the Father in Him. In the light of Christ's
 doctrine, they saw God as the Father of lights; and in Christ's
 miracles, they saw God as the God of power. The holiness of God
 shone in the spotless purity of Christ's life. We are to believe
 the revelation of God to man in Christ; for the works of the
 Redeemer show forth his own glory, and God in him.
03536
 #12-17 Whatever we ask in Christ's name, that shall be for our
 good, and suitable to our state, he shall give it to us. To ask
 in Christ's name, is to plead his merit and intercession, and to
 depend upon that plea. The gift of the Spirit is a fruit of
 Christ's mediation, bought by his merit, and received by his
 intercession. The word used here, signifies an advocate,
 counsellor, monitor, and comforter. He would abide with the
 disciples to the end of time; his gifts and graces would
 encourage their hearts. The expressions used here and elsewhere,
 plainly denote a person, and the office itself includes all the
 Divine perfections. The gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed upon
 the disciples of Christ, and not on the world. This is the
 favour God bears to his chosen. As the source of holiness and
 happiness, the Holy Spirit will abide with every believer for
 ever.

03542
 #18-24 Christ promises that he would continue his care of his
 disciples. I will not leave you orphans, or fatherless, for
 though I leave you, yet I leave you this comfort, I will come to
 you. I will come speedily to you at my resurrection. I will come
 daily to you in my Spirit; in the tokens of his love, and visits
 of his grace. I will come certainly at the end of time. Those
 only that see Christ with an eye of faith, shall see him for
 ever: the world sees him no more till his second coming; but his
 disciples have communion with him in his absence. These
 mysteries will be fully known in heaven. It is a further act of
 grace, that they should know it, and have the comfort of it.
 Having Christ's commands, we must keep them. And having them in
 our heads, we must keep them in our hearts and lives. The surest
 evidence of our love to Christ is, obedience to the laws of
 Christ. There are spiritual tokens of Christ and his love given
 to all believers. Where sincere love to Christ is in the heart,
 there will be obedience. Love will be a commanding, constraining
 principle; and where love is, duty follows from a principle of
 gratitude. God will not only love obedient believers, but he
 will take pleasure in loving them, will rest in love to them. He
 will be with them as his home. These privileges are confined to
 those whose faith worketh by love, and whose love to Jesus leads
 them to keep his commandments. Such are partakers of the Holy
 Spirit's new-creating grace.

03549
 #25-27 Would we know these things for our good, we must pray
 for, and depend on the teaching of the Holy Ghost; thus the
 words of Jesus will be brought to our remembrance, and many
 difficulties be cleared up which are not plain to others. To all
 the saints, the Spirit of grace is given to be a remembrancer,
 and to him, by faith and prayer, we should commit the keeping of
 what we hear and know. Peace is put for all good, and Christ has
 left us all that is really and truly good, all the promised
 good; peace of mind from our justification before God. This
 Christ calls his peace, for he is himself our Peace. The peace
 of God widely differs from that of Pharisees or hypocrites, as
 is shown by its humbling and holy effects.