Better Than at Your Beginnings
“I WILL SETTLE YOU AFTER YOUB OLD ESTATES, AND WILL DO BETTER UNTO YOU THAN AT YOUB BEGINNINGS, AND Yl SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LOBD. — Ezekicl XXXVi. 11.
“T7HEN other nations fall they rise no more, but to the covenanted people a future still remains.
Even the land given by covenant has an entailed blessing on it, for these words are to the “mountains of Israel.”
To hypocrites and formalists an end cometh; but true children of God rise again after decays and declensions. As saith the prophet, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me:” Micah vii. 8.
A greater blessing than that which they have lost may yet be granted to restored wanderers.
The text contains a great promise. Oh, that we may enjoy it I
I. WHAT WAS THERE so GOOD IN OUB BEGIN
NINGS?
As Israel’s land in the beginning flowed with milk and honey, so our first estate had a singular richness about it. Oftentimes, in looking back, we sing, —
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“Where is the blessedness I knew
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus, and his Word?
1. We enjoyed a vivid sense of free and full
forgiveness.
2. We had a delicious proof of the joy of true
religion.
8. We gained repeated victories over sinful inclinations, and outward temptations; and this made us jubilant in Christ.
4. We felt great delight in prayer, the Word
communion, &c.
5. We abounded in zeal and service, and the joj
of the Lord was our strength.
6. We were in our first love, and everything was
lively, intense, hopeful, wonderful, to our humble, happy mind. We were simple-hearted and confiding, had not yet found out the imperfections of our brethren, and were too humble to look for them. We have not gained much by losing that confidence if in its room we have received suspicion.
We read of “the first ways of David:” 2 Chron, xvii. 3. We are bidden to do our “first works:” Rev. ii. 6.
II. CAN WE ENJOY SOMETHING BETTER THAN OUK BEGINNINGS?
Assuredly we shall, if the Lord will fulfil this promise; and that lie is sure to do if we walk more closely with him.
1. Our faith will be stronger, more steadfast, and intelligent.
2 Our knowledge will be fuller and deeper.
3. Our love will be more constant, practical,
enduring.
4. Our prayer will be more prevalent.
5. Our usefulness will be more extended, more
abiding.
6. Our whole being will be more mature.
We are to shine more and more unto the perfect day. Prov. iv. 18.
Growth in grace brings with it many good things?
III. HOW CAN WE SECURE THIS BETTERNESS?
There must be a re-settlement according to our old estates in our own souls, and then there will be a renewed settlement by the act of God.
1. We must return to our first simple faith in
Jesus.
2. We must quit the sins which alienated us from
God. 3.” We must be more thorough, and earnest.
4. We must seek after closer fellowship with
Christ.
5. We must more resolutely strive to advance in
divine things.
Admire the liberality of our God I He promise! to do better unto us than at our beginnings. What more can he do?
See the constancy of his love — how he maintains ancient settlements, and restores old estates I Covenant heritages are entailed upon their holders by the unchanging grace of God.
Mark with what tenderness he woos us to return to his fellowship: he draws, he allures, he wins by greatness of love I
Let us, in the power of his Holy Spirit, return to him!
DOOBS OF HOPE.
God’s dealings with his people are best at last; they may have much kindness and mercy in the morning, but they shall have more in the evening. “I will settle you after your old estates,” &c. The Jews had the best wine at last; they had milk and honey before, but the feast of fat things full of marrow, and of wines on the lees well-refined, were at the latter end of their day given in; they had Christ and the Gospel at last. Abraham had much of the world at first, and his Isaac afterward. “God blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.” Simeon in his latter days saw Christ, and had him in his arms. — Wm. Greenhill.
No instance of backsliding can be more aggravated than that of the apostle Peter, and yet no recovery was more signal. While that stands upon record, no traitor to his Lord and Master is justified in saying. “The door of hope is closed against rry return.” The Scriptures contain several instances in which the lamentable and disgraceful lapses of God’s people are shown to be followed by their recovery and restoration. Frequently such characters, after they have been corrected and chastened of the Lord, have risen to stations of great eminence in his church. David in the Old Testament, and Peter in the New, while both illustrating the shame and sorrow of a backsliding state, stand forth as monuments of that sovereign grace which can forgive the penitent wanderer, and once more infuse into his heart “the peace that passeth all understanding.” — Leif child.
Fractures well cured make us more strong. — Herbert.
The joy of conversation is great —
44 Earth has a joy unknown to heaven,
The new-born peace of sins forgiven!
Tears of such pure and deep delight,
Ye angels! never dimmed your sight:”
but there are wondrous joys as yet unknown to the inexperienced soul, and concerning which the most advanced believer has to sing —
44 I have a heritage of joy
That yet I must not see:
The hand that bled to make it mine,
Is keeping it for me.”
Those that will not return to the duties they have neglected, cannot expect to return to the comforts they have lost. — G-. 8. Bowes.
He is a skilful physician indeed who, finding a man sorely afflicted, not only succeeds in restoring 2 — 12 him to health, but actually causes him to be better than he was before, dealing with his medicine, not only with the disease which caused pain, but with some other which lay deeper, but had scarcely been perceived by the patient. Such is the medicine of mercy. Thus graciously doth God deal with repenting sinners. He must be worse than a brute beast who would turn this into an argument for sinning. A true child of God feels the water standing in hi* eyes when he thinks of such superabounding love.
xcv.
14 Amp 1 WILL MULTIPLY THE FRUIT OP THE TREE, AND THB INCREASE OF THE FIELD, THAT YE SHALL RECEIVE NO MORE REPROACH OF FAMINE AMONG THE HEATHEN.
“THEN SHALL YE REMEMBER YOUR OWN EVIL WAYS, AND YOUR DOINGS THAT WERE NOT GOOD, AND SHALL LOATHE YOURSELVES IN YOUR OWN SIGHT FOR YOUR INIQUITIES, AND FOR YOUR ABOMINATIONS.” — Ezekfel XXXVi. 30, 81.
r •“‘HE day of manifested mercy is to be the day of hearty repentance. “Then.” When God loads you with benefits you shall loathe yourselves.
The Lord speaks as one who is supreme in the region of free agency, and able to work his will with human minds: “Then shall ye” etc.
His processes of grace are such as, in the nature of things, lead up to the end which he proposes.
He declares that he will conquer by love, — love so wonderful that the objects of it must of necessity yield to its power, and change their minds and their conduct.
Repentance is wrought in the heart by a sense of love divine.
This sets repentance in its true light, and helps ng to meet a great many mistakes which have darkened this subject. Many are kept from Christ and hope by misapprehensions of this matter. They have —
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I. MISTAKEN IDEAS OF WHAT REPENTANCE IB.
They confound it with —
1. Morbid self-accusation, which is the fruit of
dyspepsia, or melancholy, or insanity. This is an infirmity of mind, and not a grace of the Spirit. A physician may here do more than a divine.
2. Unbelief, despondency, despair: which are not
even a help to repentance, but tend rather to harden the heart.
8. Dread of hell, and sense of wrath: which might occur even to devils, and yet would not cause them to repent. A measure of this may go with repentance, but it is no part of it.
4. Satanic temptations. These are by no means like to repentance, which is the fruit of the Spirit.
6. A complete knowledge of the guilt of sin; which even advanced saints have not yet obtained.
6. Entire abstinence from all sin, — a consummation devoutly to be wished, but by no means included in repentance.
It is a hatred of evil y wrought by a sense
a sense of shame of divine love,
a longing to avoid sin )
II. MISTAKEN IDEAS OF THE PLACE WHICH RE
PENTANCE OCCUPIES. 1. It is looked ipon by some as a procuring cauM of grace, as if repentance merited remission: a grave error.
2. It is wrongly viewed by others as a preparation
for grace; a human goodness laying the
foundation for mercy, a meeting of God
half way; this is a deadly error.
8. It is treated as a sort of qualification for believing, and even as the ground for believing: all which is legality, and contrary to pure gospel truth.
4. Others treat it as the argument for peace of mind. They have repented so much, and it must be all right. This is to build our confidence upon a false foundation.
Repentance attends faith, and is a precious gift of the Spirit of God.
III. MISTAKEN IDEAS OP THE WAY IN WHICH IT
IS PRODUCED IN THE HEABT.
It is not produced by a distinct and immediate attempt to repent.
Nor by strong excitement at revival meetings.
Nor by meditating upon sin, and death, and hell, etc.
But the God of all grace produces it —
1. By his free grace, which by its action renews
the heart (verse 26).
2. By bringing his great mercy to our mind.
8. By making us receive new mercy (verses 28 — 80X
4. By revealing himself and his methods of grace (verse 32).
Every gospel truth urges repentance upon the regenerate. Election, redemption, justification, adoption, eternal love, etc., are all arguments for loathing every evil way.
Every gospel privilege makes us loathe sin: prayer, praise, the reading of Scripture, the fellow ship of saints, the table of the Lord, etc.
Every gospel hope purifies us from sin, whether it be a hope for more grace in this world, or for glory in the next.
Oh, that we might feel the touch of love, and weep ourselves away for having grieved our Lord! This would work in us a revenge against all our sins, and lead us to entire consecration to our holy Lord.
RECTIFICATIONS.
There are no arguments like those that are drawn from the consideration of the great and glorious things Christ hath done for you; and if such will not take with you, and win upon you, I do not think the throwing of hell-fire in your faces will ever do it. — Thomas Brooks.
The Roman Catholic definition of penitence is not e bad one, though they draw bad conclusions from it — “Confessio 0m, contritio cordis, satisfactio vitce” — that is, for true repentance there should be confession with the mouth, grieving in the heart, and amendment made for our faults as far as possible in our life. — Richard Glover.
Repentance, — the tear dropped from the eye of faith.
God’s loving kindnesses and mercies do work more with sinners than his judgments do. All the time the Jews were in Babylon, their hearts were never so affected for their sins as after God brought them out, settled them in Canaan, and showed much love unto them; then they should remember their evil ways, before they minded them not; then they should loathe themselves. Mercies in Zion are more efficacious with sinners than judgments in Babylon; God’s favor melts hard hearts sooner than the fire of his indignation; his kindness is very penetrative, it gets into the hearts of sinners sooner than his threats and frowns; it is like a small soaking rain, which goes to the roots of things, whereas a dashing rain runs away, and does little good. It was David’s kindness that brake the heart of Saul, 1 Sam. xxiv.; and it is God’s kindness which breaks the hearts of sinners. The milk and honey of the gospel affect the hearts of sinners more than the gall and wormwood of the law; Christ on Mount Zion brings more to repentance than Moses on Mount Sinai. — William Greenhill.
Cowper, the poet, in his own memoirs of his early life, describes the time when he reflected on the necessity of repentance.” I knew that many persons had spoken of shedding tears for sin; but when
184 MY SBftMON NOTES.
I asked myself whether the time would ever come when I should weep for mine, it seemed to me that a stone might sooner do it. Not knowing that Christ was exalted to give repentance, I despaired of ever attaining it.” A friend came to his bed-side, and declared to him the gospel. He insisted on the all-atoning efficacy of the blood of Jesus, arid his righteousness for our justification. “Then,” says Cowper, “while I heard this part of his discourse, and the Scriptures on which he founded it, my heart began to burn within me; my soul was pierced with a sense of my bitter ingratitude to so merciful a Saviour; and these tears, which I thought impossible, burst forth freely.”
“Some people,” says Philip Henry, “do not wish to hear much of repentance, but I think it so necessary that, if I should die in the pulpit, I wish to die preaching repentance; and if out of the pulpit, practising it.”