December 4

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life.—1 John 5:11, 12.

BLESSED record! How eagerly should poor mortal man hasten to believe it! Here we have a precious gift—the sum of man's desires, life, eternal life. The richest fountain, the Son—"Now I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life that I live, is by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Even here, "he that hath the Son," that believes in him, "hath life:" the holy, spiritual, blessed life of God in the soul. And this life is the beginning of the eternal and glorious life in heaven. He who lives the life of faith and holiness on earth, is assured of the life of glory in heaven. Already in several respects, he that hath the Son hath eternal life in him.

First, He hath the price that procured it, esteemed his. It was bought with the precious blood of Christ in his name, and to his use; and it was so bought for him, that he has a present right and claim to it. It is not his in reversion after an expiration of any other's right, there are no leases nor reversions in heaven; but it is his, as an inheritance is the heir's after the death of the ancestor, who yet by minority of years, or distance of place, may occupy and possess it by some other person.

Secondly, He hath it in the promise; he has God's charter, his assurance sealed with an oath, and a double sacrament, to establish his heart in the expectation of it. By "two immutable things," saith the apostle, namely, the word and the oath of God, wherein it was impossible for him to lie, we have strong consolation and great ground of hope; which hope is sure and steadfast, and leadeth us to that place which is within the vail, whither Christ our forerunner is gone before us.

Thirdly, He hath it in the earnest, and first-fruits of it; in those few clusters of grapes, and bunches of figs, those graces of Christ's Spirit,—that peace, comfort, serenity, which is shed forth into the heart already from that heavenly Canaan. The Holy Spirit of promise is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption and full fruition and revelation of our purchased possession to the praise of his glory. The graces of the Spirit in the soul, are as certain evidences of salvation, as the day-star, or the morning aurora, is of the ensuing day or sun-rising. For all spiritual things in the soul are the beginnings of heaven, parcel of the Spirit,—the fullness and residue of which is in Christ's keeping to adorn us with, when he shall present us unto his Father.

1. O then where the treasure is, let the heart be; if we are already freemen of heaven, let our thoughts, our language, our conversation, our trading be for heaven. Let us set our faces towards our home; let us awake out of sleep, considering that now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. If we have a hope to be like him at his coming, let us purify ourselves, even as he is pure. Since there is a prize, a high calling, a crown before us, let us press forward with all violence of devotion, never think ourselves far enough, but prepare our hearts still, and lay hold on every advantage to further progress. Since there is a rest remaining for the people of God, let us labor to enter into it, and to hold fast our profession, that, as well absent as present, we may be accepted of him.

2. If God will glorify us with his life hereafter, let us labor as much as we can, to glorify him in our lives here. It was our Saviour's argument, "Glorify me with thyself, with the glory that I had with thee before the world was; for I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." If we are indeed persuaded, that there is laid up for us a crown of righteousness, we can not but, with Paul, resolve to fight a good fight, to finish our course, to keep the faith, to bring forth much fruit, that our Father may be glorified in us.