“A word spoken in season,” says the wise man, “how good it is!” If this be true regarding the utterances of uninspired lips, with what devout and paramount interest must we invest the sayings of Incarnate Truth—“the WORDS OF JESUS!”
We have, in the motto-verses which head the succeeding pages a few comforting responses from the Oracle of heavenly Wisdom—a few grapes plucked from the true Vine—living streams welling fresh from the Living Fountain. Every portion of Scripture is designed for nutriment to the soul—“the bread of life;” but surely we may well regard the recorded “Words of Jesus” as “the finest of the wheat.” These are the “Honey” out of the true “Rock,” with which He will “satisfy” us. “The WORDS that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.”
The following are selected more especially as “Words for the Weary”—healing leaves for the wounded spirit falling from the Tree of Life. Jesus was divinely qualified for this special office of speaking “many and comfortable words.” “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I might know how to speak a Word in Season to him that is weary.”
Let us, like the disciple of Patmos, turn to hear the voice that speaks to us, saying, “I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His Word do I hope.” Eighteen hundred years have elapsed since these “words” were uttered. With tones of unaltered and unchanged affection, they are still echoed from the inner sanctuary—they come this day fresh as they were spoken, from the lips of Him whose memorial to all time is this: “that same Jesus.”
Reader, seek to realise, in meditating on them, the simple but solemn truth—“Christ speaks to me!” Surely nothing can be more soothing with which to close your eyes on your nightly pillow, or to carry with you in the morning out to the duties (or, it may be, the trials and sorrows) of the day, than—“A WORD OF JESUS.”
“Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”—Matt. xi. 28.
Gracious “word” of a gracious Saviour, on which the soul may confidingly repose, and be at peace for ever? It is a present rest—the rest of grace as well as the rest of glory. Not only are there signals of peace hung out from the walls of heaven—the lights of Home glimmering in the distance to cheer our footsteps; but we have the “shadow” of this “great Rock” in a present “weary land.” Before the Throne alone is there “the sea of glass,” without one rippling wave; but there is a haven even on earth for the tempest-tossed—“We which have believed DO enter into rest.”
Reader, hast thou found this blessed repose in the blood and work of Immanuel? Long going about “seeking rest and finding none,” does this “word” sound like music in thine ears—“Come unto Me?” All other peace is counterfeit, shadowy, unreal. The eagle spurns the gilded cage as a poor equivalent for his free-born soarings. The soul’s immortal aspirations can be satisfied with nothing short of the possession of God’s favour and love in Jesus.
How unqualified is the invitation! If there had been one condition in entering this covenant Ark, we must have been through eternity at the mercy of the storm. But all are alike warranted and welcome, and none more warranted than welcome. For the weak, the weary, the sin-burdened and sorrow-burdened, there is an open door of grace.
Return, then unto thy rest, O my soul! Let the sweet cadence of this “word of Jesus” steal on thee amid the disquietudes of earth. Sheltered in Him, thou art safe for time, safe for eternity! There may be, and will be, temporary tossings, fears, and misgivings,—manifestations of inward corruption; but these will only be like the surface-heavings of the ocean, while underneath there is a deep settled calm. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace” (lit. peace, peace) “whose mind is stayed on Thee.” In the world it is care on care, trouble on trouble, sin on sin; but every wave that breaks on the believer’s soul seems sweetly to murmur, “Peace, peace!”
And if the foretaste of this rest be precious, what must be the glorious consummation? Awaking in the morning of immortality, with the unquiet dream of earth over—faith lost in sight, and hope in fruition;—no more any bias to sin—no more latent principles of evil—nothing to disturb the spirit’s deep, everlasting tranquillity—the trembling magnet of the heart reposing, where alone it can confidingly and permanently rest, in the enjoyment of the Infinite God.
“THESE THINGS HAVE I SPOKEN UNTO YOU, THAT IN ME YE MIGHT HAVE PEACE.”
“Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”—Matt. vi. 22.
Though spoken originally by Jesus regarding temporal things, this may be taken as a motto for the child of God amid all the changing vicissitudes of his changing history. How it should lull all misgivings; silence all murmurings; lead to lowly, unquestioning submissiveness—“My Heavenly Father knoweth that I have need of all these things.”
Where can a child be safer or better than in a father’s hand? Where can the believer be better than in the hands of his God? We are poor judges of what is best. We are under safe guidance with infallible wisdom. If we are tempted in a moment of rash presumption to say, “All these things are against me,” let this “word” rebuke the hasty and unworthy surmise. Unerring wisdom and Fatherly love have pronounced all to be “needful.”
My soul, is there aught that is disturbing thy peace? Are providences dark, or crosses heavy? Are spiritual props removed, creature comforts curtailed, gourds smitten and withered like grass?—write on each, “Your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” It was He who increased thy burden. Why? “It was needed.” It was He who smote down thy clay idol. Why? “It was needed.” It was supplanting Himself: He had to remove it! It was He who crossed thy worldly schemes, marred thy cherished hopes. Why? “It was needed.” There was a lurking thorn in the coveted path. There was some higher spiritual blessing in reversion. “He ‘prevented’ thee with the blessings of His goodness.”
Seek to cherish a spirit of more childlike confidence in thy Heavenly Father’s will. Thou art not left unbefriended and alone to buffet the storms of the wilderness. Thy Marahs as well as thy Elims are appointed by Him. A gracious pillar-cloud is before thee. Follow it through sunshine and storm. He may “lead thee about,” but He will not lead thee wrong. Unutterable tenderness is the characteristic of all His dealings. “Blessed be His name,” says a tried believer, “He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet” (literally, “equaleth” them), “he equaleth them for every precipice, every ascent, every leap.”
And who is it that speaks this quieting word? It is He who Himself felt the preciousness of the assurance during His own awful sufferings, that all were needed, and all appointed; that from Bethlehem’s cradle to Calvary’s Cross there was not the redundant thorn in the chaplet of sorrow which He, the Man of Sorrows, bore. Every drop in His bitter cup was mingled by His Father: “This cup which Thou givest me to drink, shall I not drink it!” Oh, if He could extract comfort in this hour of inconceivable agony, in the thought that a Father’s hand lighted the fearful furnace-fires, what strong consolation is there in the same truth to all His suffering people!
What! one superfluous drop! one redundant pang! one unneeded cross! Hush the secret atheism! He gave His Son for thee! He calls Himself “thy Father!” Whatever be the trial under which thou art now smarting, let the word of a gracious Saviour be “like oil thrown on the fretful sea;” let it dry every rebellious tear-drop. “He, thine unerring Parent, knoweth that thou hast need of this as well as all these things.”
“THY WORD IS VERY SURE, THEREFORE THY SERVANT LOVETH IT.”
“Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”—John xiv. 13.
Blessed Jesus! it is Thou who hast unlocked to Thy people the gates of prayer. Without Thee they must have been shut forever. It was Thy atoning merit on earth that first opened them; it is Thy intercessory work in heaven that keeps them open still.
How unlimited the promise—“Whatsoever ye shall ask!” It is the pledge of all that the needy sinner requires—all that an Omnipotent Saviour can bestow! As the great Steward of the mysteries of grace, He seems to say to His faithful servants, “Take thy bill, and under this, my superscription, write what you please.” And then, when the blank is filled up, he further endorses each petition with the words, “I WILL do it!”
He farther encourages us to ask “in His name.” In the case of an earthly petitioner there are some pleas more influential in obtaining a boon than others. Jesus speaks of this as forming the key to the heart of God. As David loved the helpless cripple of Saul’s house “for Jonathan’s sake,” so will the Father, by virtue of our covenant relationship to the true Jonathan (lit., “the gift of God”), delight in giving us even “exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.”
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