Post by Char on Oct 26, 2008 13:18:30 GMT -6
THE LOOKING GLASS
JAMES 1:23." A MAN BEHOLDING HIS NATURAL FACE IN A GLASS."
I. FIRST, HERE IS LOOKING INTO A GLASS.
You may hear me this day with the idlest curiosity, and judge my message with the coldest criticism; but if you do not receive the blessings of the gospel, it strikes a chill at my heart.
Upon my first head of looking into a glass let me say, that to every hearer the true Word of God is as a mirror...........
The thought of God, and not our own thoughts, are to beset before our hearers minds; and these discover a man to himself.
The Word of the Lord reveals secrets; it shows a man his life, his thoughts, his heart, his inmost self.
A large proportion of hearers only look upon the surface of the gospel, and upon their minds the surface alone is operative.
The reflection of self in the Word is very like life.
The glass of the Word is not like our ordinary looking-glass, which merely shows us our external features; but, according to the Greek of our text, the man sees in it "The face of his birth"; that is, the face of his nature.
Many a hearer does see himself in the mirror of the Word.
He is thoughtful during the discourse, he spies out the application of the truth to himself, and marks his own spots and blemishes.
Why should I show you your blots if you do not seek to the Lord Jesus to have them removed.
They will break off their sins by righteousness; they will repent; they will believe on the Lord Jesus; and yet their fine resolves are blown away like a smoke, and come to nothing.
Many hearers go away from what they have seen in the Word.
There are some who go on in sin.
When a man see’s his face in the glass, and then go’s his way to defile that face more and more, of what use is the glass to him?
This going away is followed by forgetting all they have seen.
They are mere players with the Lord’s message, and never come to honest dealing with it.
Forgetfulness of the Word leads to self-satisfaction.
What can be more fatal than this.
This forgetfulness leads to a growing carelessness.
When men get to play with the Word of God they are near to destruction.
II. MAY I HAVE YOUR FURTHER ATTENTION WHILE I SPEAK UPON THE TRUE AND BLESSED HEARER.
He does not look into the glass, but he is represented as looking into the law.
Our common standing is the atonement; for common study is the law in the person of Christ; and our common pasture is that of angels without stretched wings prepared to fly at the master’s bidding.
Note well that the law of God is worth looking into.
I understand by the law here not merely the law of ten commandments, but the law as it is condensed, fulfilled, and exhibited in Jesus Christ.
And unknown law is a pit-fall, into which a man may fail without knowing it.
It is the duty of all loyal subjects to learn the law, that they may obey it.
I do trust our eyes will be turned to the prefect law of liberty; for freedom is a jewel, and we only have it by conforming to God.
The true hearer looks into this perfect law of liberty with all his soul, heart, and understanding, till he knows it, and feels the force of it in his own character.
He is the prince of hearers, who delights to know what God’s will is, and finds his joy in acting out the same.
He sees the law in its height of purity, breath of comprehensiveness, and depth of spirituality, and the more he sees the more he admires.
He that looks into the perfect law of liberty will not only see Christ, but he will begin to see the eternal spirit of God bearing witness with that law of liberty, and operating by that witness upon his own soul.
Ay, and he that looks into that perfect law will, by and by, see God the Father; for the pure in heart shall see God.
They that are familiar with God’s will and love it, and study it, gradually receive the likeness of God their Father till they are called the children of God.
The grand thing for a Christian to do; to carry about with him the will of God in his heart, and then in every action to consult that will.
To conclude; you notice how it says, THIS MAN SHALL BE BLESSED IN HIS DEED.
One may say, "I do not see the blessedness of true religion." No, you are not likely to see it, because you do not do it.
This man is blessed in HIS DEED. IN KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS THERE IS GREAT REWARD.
Much of the blessedness of Godliness lies in the practice of Godliness.
Not in consideration of doctrine, but in obedience to precept the blessing lies.
This man shall be blessed in his deed.
In the very act of serving his Lord and Master he shall be blessed; not for it but in it.
JAMES 1:23." A MAN BEHOLDING HIS NATURAL FACE IN A GLASS."
I. FIRST, HERE IS LOOKING INTO A GLASS.
You may hear me this day with the idlest curiosity, and judge my message with the coldest criticism; but if you do not receive the blessings of the gospel, it strikes a chill at my heart.
Upon my first head of looking into a glass let me say, that to every hearer the true Word of God is as a mirror...........
The thought of God, and not our own thoughts, are to beset before our hearers minds; and these discover a man to himself.
The Word of the Lord reveals secrets; it shows a man his life, his thoughts, his heart, his inmost self.
A large proportion of hearers only look upon the surface of the gospel, and upon their minds the surface alone is operative.
The reflection of self in the Word is very like life.
The glass of the Word is not like our ordinary looking-glass, which merely shows us our external features; but, according to the Greek of our text, the man sees in it "The face of his birth"; that is, the face of his nature.
Many a hearer does see himself in the mirror of the Word.
He is thoughtful during the discourse, he spies out the application of the truth to himself, and marks his own spots and blemishes.
Why should I show you your blots if you do not seek to the Lord Jesus to have them removed.
They will break off their sins by righteousness; they will repent; they will believe on the Lord Jesus; and yet their fine resolves are blown away like a smoke, and come to nothing.
Many hearers go away from what they have seen in the Word.
There are some who go on in sin.
When a man see’s his face in the glass, and then go’s his way to defile that face more and more, of what use is the glass to him?
This going away is followed by forgetting all they have seen.
They are mere players with the Lord’s message, and never come to honest dealing with it.
Forgetfulness of the Word leads to self-satisfaction.
What can be more fatal than this.
This forgetfulness leads to a growing carelessness.
When men get to play with the Word of God they are near to destruction.
II. MAY I HAVE YOUR FURTHER ATTENTION WHILE I SPEAK UPON THE TRUE AND BLESSED HEARER.
He does not look into the glass, but he is represented as looking into the law.
Our common standing is the atonement; for common study is the law in the person of Christ; and our common pasture is that of angels without stretched wings prepared to fly at the master’s bidding.
Note well that the law of God is worth looking into.
I understand by the law here not merely the law of ten commandments, but the law as it is condensed, fulfilled, and exhibited in Jesus Christ.
And unknown law is a pit-fall, into which a man may fail without knowing it.
It is the duty of all loyal subjects to learn the law, that they may obey it.
I do trust our eyes will be turned to the prefect law of liberty; for freedom is a jewel, and we only have it by conforming to God.
The true hearer looks into this perfect law of liberty with all his soul, heart, and understanding, till he knows it, and feels the force of it in his own character.
He is the prince of hearers, who delights to know what God’s will is, and finds his joy in acting out the same.
He sees the law in its height of purity, breath of comprehensiveness, and depth of spirituality, and the more he sees the more he admires.
He that looks into the perfect law of liberty will not only see Christ, but he will begin to see the eternal spirit of God bearing witness with that law of liberty, and operating by that witness upon his own soul.
Ay, and he that looks into that perfect law will, by and by, see God the Father; for the pure in heart shall see God.
They that are familiar with God’s will and love it, and study it, gradually receive the likeness of God their Father till they are called the children of God.
The grand thing for a Christian to do; to carry about with him the will of God in his heart, and then in every action to consult that will.
To conclude; you notice how it says, THIS MAN SHALL BE BLESSED IN HIS DEED.
One may say, "I do not see the blessedness of true religion." No, you are not likely to see it, because you do not do it.
This man is blessed in HIS DEED. IN KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS THERE IS GREAT REWARD.
Much of the blessedness of Godliness lies in the practice of Godliness.
Not in consideration of doctrine, but in obedience to precept the blessing lies.
This man shall be blessed in his deed.
In the very act of serving his Lord and Master he shall be blessed; not for it but in it.
