October 12

We are affected to see them going; it would be criminal not to feel, and to pray, Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men. We lose much by their removal; but our loss is their gain. Dying to them is but resting from their labours; is but departing to be with Christ, which is far better—The righteous hath hope in his death. “I know,” says he, “whom I have believed. Mine eyes have seen his salvation. The warfare is accomplished. Let me go forth and take the crown of glory that fadeth not away. Let me leave this vale of tears and enter into the joy of my Lord”—

“O glorious hour, O blessed abode, I shall be near, and like my God; And flesh and sense no more control The sacred pleasures of my soul.”

Do all the Lord’s people die in rapture? By no means. Various circumstances may affect their views and feelings, but they all die equally safe, and the issue is equally glorious. And in general the Lord is peculiarly indulgent to his dying followers. Their peace is compared to a river, and that river enlarges as it approaches the sea—Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. Peace not only compared with the end of others, but with much of his own previous course. As to his condition and experience, the day was dark and distressing, but at eventide it was light. All this the Christian may safely commit unto the Lord. It is his duty and privilege to take no thought for the morrow. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof, and also the good. And these shall be proportioned to each other by him who has commanded us to seek for grace to help in time of need, and has promised that as our day is so shall our strength be.

But we thus see that though the religion of Jesus does not exempt us from dying as men, it prevents our dying like them. It prepares us for the change. It turns the curse into a blessing. It brings to pass the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Lord, so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

OCTOBER 12.—“Full of grace and truth.”—John 1:14.

In another place it is said, “grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” But things may come by a person who is not possessed of them; or he may possess them, and not be filled with them—But he was “full of grace and truth.”

“Grace” peculiarly signifies goodness, kindness, tenderness, mildness. And was he not full of these? We cannot tell what kind of person he had, but we are sure of his temper and disposition. It was prophesied of him that he should come down like rain upon the mown grass; that he should gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that were with young; that a bruised reed should he not break, and a smoking flax should he not quench—And follow him in the days of his flesh

17\*

See him having compassion upon the multitude, because they had nothing to eat. Hear him saying to the poor and afflicted, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Ask the woman who was a sinner whether he was not full of grace, when he said, "Go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee." Ask the widow of Nain whether he was not full of grace, when he met her at the funeral of her only son, and said unto her, Weep not, and restored her last comfort to her embrace? See him in sight of Jerusalem weeping over it, not at the thought of the sufferings they were going to inflict upon himself, but of the miseries they were drawing down upon their own heads.

The influences of the Spirit are often called grace, because they flow from the free and undeserved favour of God. Of these he was full. He had every moral excellency in him, and in a perfect degree. All his people have the same spirit in measure, but he had it without measure. He was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. If the holiest man on earth were to dwell with you, you would find a deficiency in his grace. But Jesus was full of grace. Grace was poured into his lips, into his life: it filled every thing he said, every thing he did.

And he was replenished not only for himself but for us. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. And in him we are blessed with all spiritual blessings. Thus in the famine Joseph had all the corn, and Pharaoh said to the people, Go unto Joseph. Yet his stores, though great, continually diminished, and at length were exhausted. But the fulness of Jesus, however numberless the relieved, remains the same, and could supply myriads more.

He was also "full of truth." It would be a low sense to say that he was full of sincerity. But as he did no sin, so neither was guile found in his mouth. What therefore he said, could be relied upon by those who heard him; and as you have his words you may rely upon them too. But he was full of truth, as truth is opposed to figure or to error. The one is the truth of reality or accomplishment. The law was a shadow of good things to come; but he was the body. There was enough in him to realize and verify all the types, ceremonies, and sacrifices of the preceding dispensation. He was the true bread that came down from heaven; the true rock that followed the people in the wilderness; the true tabernacle; the true temple—or the truth of all this.—The other is the truth of doctrine. Darkness had covered the earth, and gross darkness the people: but for this end was he born, and for this cause came he into the world, to bear witness to the truth. What truth? For there are many kinds of truth. The truth he communicated was religious truth; the highest kind of truth; the truth that makes us wise unto salvation; the truth that shows us how we can be pardoned and sanctified, and attain eternal life. To be led into all this truth is wisdom, liberty, and happiness. Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound. Go away! Lord to whom should we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.