The Power of Faith Part 28

"'Behold the Lamb of G.o.d, which taketh away the sin of the world!

And looking upon Jesus as he walked, John saith, Behold the Lamb of G.o.d!' John 1:29, 36.

"'Therefore let no man glory in men: for all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is G.o.d's,' 1 Cor. 3:21.

"'It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence; he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope; he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.' Lam. 3:27.

"'That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord.' Ezek. 16:63.

_Amen._

"'A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains. Therefore, also now, saith the Lord, turn ye unto me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your G.o.d; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil,' Joel 2:2, 12.

"'I will visit upon her the days of Baalim: she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord. I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.' Hosea 2:13.

"'O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thy help.'

'Return unto the Lord thy G.o.d, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. Ashur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our G.o.ds: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.' Hosea 13:14.

"'I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him. I am like a green fir-tree; from me is thy fruit found.' Hosea 14.

"'O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord our G.o.d belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him.' Daniel 9.

"'He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom; and shall gently lead those that are with young. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is pa.s.sed over from my G.o.d? Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting G.o.d fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.' Isa. 40:11, etc.

"'Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient to his law. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart. But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou pa.s.sest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy G.o.d, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour. Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee.' Isa. 42:24, etc.

"Yes, my G.o.d, I remember and am confounded; amazed at my ingrat.i.tude, amazed at thy grace. I am thy witness, just so has been thy way with me. What can I say? Thou hast wrought with me for thy name's sake. I am dumb before thee; Oh, I am vile--and yet I am thine!

Thou hast redeemed me; it is thy good pleasure to save me. Glorify thy name. 'I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest and every green tree therein; for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.'

"'For if by one man's offence, death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Christ Jesus. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.'

"'Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am G.o.d, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.'

'Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel. Even to your old age, I am he; and even to h.o.a.r hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.' Isa. 45:22; 46:3.

"'Thus saith the Lord; I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

And I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord G.o.d.

I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick.' Ezek. 34:11. He hath done it, I am his witness: I, the poor wanderer, the happy subject of this grace. 'And I will raise up for them a plant of renown,' my Jesus, 'and they shall be no 'more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their G.o.d am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord G.o.d. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your G.o.d, saith the Lord G.o.d.' Ezek. 34:29. 'As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth, even for ever.' Psa. 125:2.

"'When the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings. And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries; according to their ways and according to their doings I judged them. And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord G.o.d: I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord G.o.d, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord G.o.d, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.'

Ezek. 36:17, etc."

EZEKIEL 16:63; 36:32.

A SCRIPTURE PARAPHRASE BY D. B----.

"Not for your sakes; for, born unclean, The slaves of Satan and of sin.

I saw no comeliness in you, To bid my grace such wonders do.

"Not for your sakes; for when my love And grace should your affections move, The working of an evil heart Still makes you from my truth depart.

"Not for your sakes; for, bold and blind, To l.u.s.t and avarice inclined, Each shadowy idol you obey, Disowning my paternal sway.

"Not for your sakes; with heaven in view, For sin you sell your souls anew; You barter, for a gilded bait, The joys of an eternal state.

"Not for your sakes; for though you eyed The cross of Christ on which he died, You scorn his love for worldly ends, And wound him in the house of friends.

"Not for your sakes; with Jesus' name, You put him to an open shame; And by your sins, consent again To have the dear Redeemer slain.

"Not for your sakes; 'tis my free grace That grants you pardon, life, and peace; And works a change on all your frame, And binds you to adore my name.

"Not for my sake!--I hail the sound; Let power of grace my pride confound: Salvation is a work divine; Confusion and the shame be mine.

"Not for my sake!--did I but trust To weakness, vanity, and dust, I ne'er could reach the heavenly prize, Nor hope a mansion in the skies.

"Not for my sake!--yet save and call; Let Jesus be my all in all: When glory comes I'll self disown, And grace, free grace shall wear the crown."

"'Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.' Psalm 106:1.

"'Remember me, O Lord, with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation, that I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.' Psalm 106:4, 5.

"'At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without G.o.d in the world; but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.' Eph. 2:12, 13.

"'Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.' Psalm 10:17.

"'Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy G.o.d led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.'

"'Thou shalt also consider in thy heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy G.o.d chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy G.o.d, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.' Deut. 8:2-6.

"'Thou, G.o.d, seest me.' Gen. 16:13.

"'Blessed be the G.o.d and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us to the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved; in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.' Eph. 1:3-12.

"'G.o.d, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved,) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of G.o.d: not of works, lest any man should boast; for we are his workmans.h.i.+p, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which G.o.d hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Now therefore ye,'

Gentiles, 'are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of G.o.d; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of G.o.d through the Spirit.' Eph. 2:4, etc.

'I,' Paul, 'bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which pa.s.seth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of G.o.d. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.' Eph. 3:14-21.

"'I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one G.o.d and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. That we may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth'--ministers and people in the use of all appointed means--'according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body to the edifying of itself in love.' Eph. 4:1, etc.

"'I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.' John 15:5, 7.

"'And Moses said, The Lord heareth your murmurings that ye murmur against him; and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. And Moses said, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. And the children of Israel did eat manna until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.' Exodus 16.

"'I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.'

John 6:51, etc.