7. Restoring Grace

As one who has tasted not only saving grace, but preserving grace, and restoring grace-" He restoreth my soul desire to call attention to this last-named subject, as unfolded to us by the Lord in Luke 15 I am aware that many commentators, and others, look upon this portion of scripture as teaching only saving grace; and that it may be used in that sense when preaching the gospel, I do not deny; for the word of God is a two-edged sword, which cuts both ways; but the plain interpretation of the Chapter gives one a perfect picture of restoring grace. And this we shall clearly see, if we remember that man, as a sinner, is born outside Eden, away from God, an enemy to Him; and that in the gospel, God, by His evangelists, beseeches poor sinners to be reconciled, and that on the ground of Christ’s accomplished work (see 2 Cor. 5:20,21). Now, in Luke 15, the prodigal son had been in the father’s house; the wandering sheep had been in or among the flock; and the piece of money had been in the woman’s possession. And
when the son is found, the sheep brought back, and the piece of silver recovered; there is "joy," not merely among the angels, but in the presence of them; joy in the heart of the Father; joy in the heart of the Good Shepherd, Christ; joy in the Church, as symbolized by the woman possessing the Spirit, or "light;" for neither God nor Christ are ever symbolized by a woman, but the Church always is a virgin," the "bride," etc.
The prodigal had tasted the bread of the father’s house, and knew the plentiful supply; but he did not know the fullness of blessing, till he had tasted restoring grace. Then he knew, not only relationship, but divine righteousness, "the best robe," etc. The elder brother is a thorough sample of Pharisaism among saints. He had no idea of what was becoming in his Father, as the "God of all grace." And the Father’s grace is shown to him, for he says, going out to him, "Son, thou art ever with me,"- thou hast not wandered from the house -"and all that I have is Mine." What a foolish thought, that his Father never gave him "a kid," -"all that I have is Mine; but here was the point, "it was meet that we should be glad," etc. And this is just where saints need instruction now; for, like the elder brother, they are very slow in entering into God’s joy in "grace." Paul had to write to the Corinthians to restore the excommunicated person who was sorry for his sin, "lest Satan should get an advantage." Would that we could say "we are not ignorant of his devices" (see 2 Cor. 2:7-11). Many a poor sheep has not only not been "sought after," in this cloudy and dark day; but when it has run bleating to the threshold, as it were, it has been hunted off. This is not exhibiting God. It is making the table ours instead of the Lord’s.
Were I asked for an Old Testament instance of restoring grace, I should point to David; if asked for a New Testament one, I should point to Peter.
B.
"I weary? Oh no! I am unweary: it is the world all around me that is weary -not I." So said one. "A weary one, indeed, I am," said another; "but one in whose soul hope ever lives." One spirit, but two different experiences.
Fragments
1. To many I would especially commend, at the present moment, the study of the parable of the sower (Matt. 13).
The word detected, and proved the hostile character of Satan (ver. 4, 19); the shallowness of the human mind (ver. 5, 20); the choking character of the world (ver. 7, 22); as well as (blessed be God, for His unspeakable grace) that it was (ver. 8, 23), a life-giving, fruit-bearing seed in His own people.
2. The conversion of five thousand in a place would in nothing change the responsibility of a gathering of saints, to examine carefully the converts ere receiving them. For no excitement, as of a great and holy movement, can set aside responsibility, as to either the holiness of the House of God, or tender compassion toward the souls of men.
3. Every man’s work will be tried of what sort it is: may piety, modesty and firmness increase and abound.
L.
Fragments
1. Luke 15,-The truth which was dominant in the blessed Lord’s mind at this time seems to me to have been-neither that of the privileges or experience of disciples, nor that of the way of making man such; and though, doubtless, it had connection with both of these topics, they are so entirely subordinate to it, that if either of them absorb the attention, it, in all its magnificent splendor, is, for the moment, necessarily lost sight of.
The goodness of God, which had recognized man (though a sinner) under His governmental way-if, haply, man could so be blessed-having been shown out to be insufficient, through the sinfulness of man, for man’s blessing, God, if He would bless man, must act upon the ground of His own immutable character, and position, and rights, as God - upon that which it was meet that He should do, according to His own position, and character, and will.
Sinful man’s being satisfied with any position of blessing whatsoever, is vanity, unless God, in His own immutable character and grace, fill both man and the position with power.
The governmental ways and dealings of God include, not only the Mosaic economy, but the Noahic and Abrahamic blessing also; for ere ever there was a people for Moses to take up in Egypt, God had separated Abram from among idolaters, and even before that, had given a charter of providential blessing through Noah.
People are so awfully full of self and man, that they can hardly read the Lord’s teaching with the thought, that God and the full range of His ways were what occupied Him.
2. "I do not know that the unity of the House is stated anywhere in Scripture, any more than the, unity of Christ; and are you scriptural in saying, the Spirit dwells in the body? Scripture speaks only of the unity of the Spirit-only says, ‘There is one body’ (Eph. 4, and 1 Cor. 12). The unity of the body is as foreign from Scripture thought as a thing to be kept, as is the unity of the house. ‘The unity of the Spirit, to be kept in the bond of peace,’ is all that Scripture speaks of. ‘There is one body:’ unity, in this sense, cannot be broken. - The use of the term unity’ is often ambiguous. It means practical union, when contrasted with schism; and immutable oneness, when used of the Body. But what underlies much of the ignorance on these subjects is the denial of the unity of the body on earth; the result would be isolate churches, and unity there alone. The body and the house cannot be separated as to responsible position. No doubt the house is not really the body of Christ-it is another order of ideas; but they who call themselves ‘Church’ (assembly), take upon themselves the responsibility of the body, as well as of the house, The assembly, which is His body - ‘how one ought to behave oneself in the House of God, which is the assembly of the living God.’ Rome is not the house, nor is a national establishment; the whole is. The question is this: The assembly is the house, the assembly is the body. What is the assembly? He hath set in the assembly apostles; gifts of healing: not in a local body, apostles-not gifts of healing-but on earth.’
3. If I were an Englishman, I do not think that I should be able to entertain a thought, which supposed that the three things represented by the kingdom of Great Britain, the Royal Household, and the family of Queen Victory, were now separable.
Loving and honoring the powers that be, such would be the expression of my heart and moral feeling about my country.
A stranger, as an Indian or a savage, ignorant of the subject, might suppose, on hearing me talk, that the three expressions "Great Britain," "Queen Victoria," "The Royal Household "were three synonyms for one and the same thing. At first, I might let this assumption pass; after a time, I might endeavor to explain to him how these three terms were like three circles drawn from one and the same center, one outside the other; three circles having, indeed, one common center, and, in one sense, "all one," yet, in another sense, each of them having ideas distinctly peculiar to itself.
Queen Victory-she, while she lives, is the center and pillar of the State; her family are separated from everybody else in the nation, the alone right inheritors of the throne.
The Royal Household contains them all and such as are necessary for their comfort and state.
Great Britain is (not herself, nor her family, nor her household, nor the whole of her empire, but) the kingdom more peculiarly hers; - kingdom which owns and puts her forward, the wide world over, as its representative.
Yet, while each circle has ideas peculiar to it - they all go together, and form an inseparable unity in the heart of an Englishman.