05 PERSEVERANCE!
PERSEVERANCE!
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus!" Php 3:12-14
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-11
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance" Ephesians 6:18
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." Ecclesiastes 9:10 "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day." Proverbs 4:18 "They shall run and not be weary!"Isaiah 40:31
Courage! my fellow-travelers. Did I not tell you that the way of the Lord was strength to the upright? The further you advance the better it is — the difficulties vanish, or you no longer mind them. You only prayed for strength to walk — and here are promises that you shall run without tiring. In our way through the wilderness, we are often called to endure trials that require the utmost exertion. We feel ourselves feeble and faint; and, with a peevishness bordering upon despair, cry, "Who is sufficient for these things?"
Sometimes the Lord calls us to services which we think ourselves very unfit for; and we make as many objections as Moses did to his undertaking the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. But there is no evading them — qualified or unqualified, undertake them we must; and if we have faith enough to follow the Lord fully, we never have cause to complain.
Sometimes the Lord calls us to sufferings which we think we did not deserve; or, at least, which we did not need. Deep calls unto deep, and all His waves and His billows seem ready to go over us! He writes "vanity" or "death" upon our possessions and enjoyments; some are taken away, others are threatened, and all are embittered. In these cases if we know the grace of God in truth — we would gladly prove ourselves good soldiers of Jesus Christ, by enduring hardness, by our steadiness and stability in the way of God.
We wish to imitate our Divine Master in activity and submission. But, alas! We are sadly defective in both — we can neither do nor bear as we ought; every little difficulty stops us, and every little trouble overwhelms us. But, again I say, courage, my fellow-travelers! God has given us many exceeding great and precious promises, and this is one of them, "They shall run and not be weary." To run, in a spiritual or religious acceptance, is to engage with great liveliness and zeal in the duties which God has appointed, and to persist in them with all our powers. And those who thus run under the influences of Divine grace shall not grow weary — the way shall not prove tedious and irksome to them. Bodily labor soon exhausts the spirits, and nature cannot bear up long when it is in its greatest vigor without fresh and frequent recruitings. "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint!" Isaiah 40:29-31 A natural weariness they may be subject to, through the indisposition and decay of this vile body. This may sometimes flatten their taste — I mean as to the present lively feeling of joy and comfort; but the principle of delighting in God does not expire. We read of Jesus himself, that He was weary with His journey, and sat down by Jacob’s well, and needed natural refreshment; but this did not lesson His attention to the work which His Father had given Him to do, nor abate His delight in it. Far otherwise. At that time He had a most heavenly time in converting a sinful woman.
Some drops of this oil of gladness there are in the hearts of diligent, fruitful Christians, by which they are enabled to go on from one service to another with ease and rapidity. And though the flesh sometimes flags and tires — the willingness of the spirit still continues, and their love to Christ, and their eagerness to serve Him, are as strong as ever.
Those who run as they ought, have the power and promise of God to depend upon. And what God has once engaged to perform is absolutely and eternally sure. For He can never depart from His word, and can never be at a loss for means to fulfill it.
Now, the Lord God, unchangeable and omnipotent God, has promised that they shall not be weary. He has undertaken to supply them with strength, as much and as often as they can have occasion for. What a precious promise is that: "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness!"
I need not trouble myself to look for any other reason. God, who cannot lie, has promised that you shall not be weary — and that is enough.
However, there is a boundless excellence in religion calculated to afford continual refreshment. It is justly remarked of all the delights of sense, that they perish in the using; they are but "as the crackling thorns under a pot." "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world; and the world passes away, and the lust thereof." But spiritual attainments are more permanent. They are "a well of water springing up unto everlasting life." There are secret conveyances which continually feed it, so that it can never be drawn dry; the satisfactions to be met with in the service of God, are maintained by a Divine Hand, and therefore can never fail. The toils and labors of religion have one advantage above all other pursuits — there is no climbing to the top; there is no sounding the bottom; there is no finding out the breadth or length of its excellency and sweetness. The closer I grow to God — the more I see that I do not know Him, nor love Him, nor serve Him, nor enjoy Him — so well as I ought and might. There is more beyond that I can yet attain to, "for now we see through a glass darkly — but then, face to face. Now I know in part — but then, shall I know even as also I am known." And this suggests another reason why we should not be weary — namely, because the faster we run — the nearer we approach to Heaven. Grace is glory begun — therefore, improvement in grace is called being "changed from glory to glory." We all know that those who are running in a race feel new vigor when they come in sight of the goal; and especially the leader. With what a spring does he advance in his last steps to lay hold on the prize! It is the same in the Christian race; the near approach of salvation drives off lazy slumbers, and sets all the powers of the soul in animated motion.
Travelers tell us of some countries, which are so full of aromatic plants and flowers, that they perceive the fragrance at some distance, and are highly refreshed by the pleasing gales. Do you not think it is the same with the Christian traveler, as he bears up towards the heavenly country, of which "the land flowing with and honey" was a figure? Do you not think that the nearer we draw to Heaven, the clearer anticipation we shall have of the joys above? I appeal to my aged and venerable readers, who have been long in the wilderness, and are now almost upon the banks of Jordan — whether the prospects from Pisgah are reviving! Whether you feel your spirits invigorated with the breezes from Canaan! Oh! if dying saints could tell us what they feel, we would have proofs enough. Their countenances tell us, that, while they are walking through the valley of the shadow of death — they are rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory!
O Christians! with such prospects before us, is it not strange that we run no faster now — that, when we are professedly aiming at Heaven, and Heaven, with respect to some, can be at no great distance — it should be possible for the comparatively trifling concerns of this world to engage our attention; that we do not spurn it from us with indignation; and, like the pilgrim, who ran through Vanity Fair, shutting his eyes, and stopping his ears — I say, that we do not make all the haste we can to get through the wilderness, and be out of the reach of its temptations.
One would wonder that we can think of anything but Heaven — its place, its company, its work, its joys, its glory — are all so animating! At present you hardly know how to believe the promise, you are so often and so soon tired. You can scarcely be engaged an hour, before your jaded faculties complain, and oblige you to break off — so that you can hardly comprehend, at least you never attain to, the full meaning of this precious promise. But in heaven it shall be most gloriously fulfilled, there you shall not rest, day nor night, from the most ardent and elevated devotion! And yet, after millions of years, you shall be as fresh and lively as the first moment you began! Then you will be convinced that it is possible to run and not be weary — and will adore the grace that made you an example of it, "O Father, may it please You to guide and shield Your servant by Your providence. Strengthen me in the hour and under the power of temptation. Support and sustain me by Your might in every conflict. Help me to run and not be weary — to fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life!"