Worlds are mere empty bubbles, compared with this, our sure, satisfying, unfading inheritance.

Posted : 22 Mar, 2013 01:27 PM

Psalm 119:40 Behold, I have longed after Your precepts; quicken me in Your righteousness.





Behold! An appeal to the heart-searching God-"You know that

I love" Your precepts! The heartfelt acknowledgment of their

goodness naturally leads us to long after them. The professor

longs after the promises, and too often builds a delusive because an unsanctifying-hope upon them. The believer feels

it to be his privilege and safety to have an equal regard to

both-to obey the precepts of God in dependence on His

promises, and to expect the accomplishment of the promises,

in the way of obedience to the precepts. The utmost extent of

the professor's service is the heavy yoke of outward

conformity. He knows nothing of an "inward delight and

longing after them." Of many of them his heart complains,-"This is a hard saying: who can hear it?" The Christian can

give a good reason for his delight even in the most difficult

and painful precepts. The moments of deepest repentance

are his times of sweetest "refreshing from the presence of the

Lord." Whatever be the pleasure of indulgence in sin, far

greater is the ultimate enjoyment arising out of the

mortification of it. Most fruitful is our Savior's precept, which

inculcates on His followers self-denial and the daily cross. For

by this wholesome discipline we lose our own perverse will;

the power of sin is restrained, the pride of the heart humbled;

and our real happiness fixed upon a solid and permanent

basis. So that, whatever dispensation some might desire for

breaking the precept without forfeiting the promise, the

Christian blesses God for the strictness, that binds him to a

steady obedience to it. To him it is grievous, not to keep it, but

to break it. A longing therefore after the precepts, marks the

character of the child of God: and may be considered as the

pulse of the soul. It forms our fitness and ripeness for heaven.

There are indeed times, when the violence of temptation, or

the paralyzing effect of indolence, hides the movements of the

"hidden man of the heart." And yet even in these gloomy

hours, when the mouth is shut, and the heart dumb, before

God-"so troubled, that it cannot speak"-even then, acceptable

incense is ascending before the throne of God. We have a

powerful intercessor "helping our infirmities"-interpreting our

desires, and crying from within, "with groanings that cannot be

uttered;" yet such as, being indited by our Advocate within,

and presented by our Advocate above, are cheering pledges

of their fulfillment. "He will fulfill the desire of them that fear

Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them."

These longings might seem to betoken a vigorous exercise of

grace. But shall I be satisfied, while the most fervent desires

are so disproportioned to their grand object-so overborne by

the corruption of the flesh-and while a heartless state is so hateful to my Savior? Idle confessions and complaints are

unseemly and unfruitful. Let me rather besiege the mercy-seat

with incessant importunity,-'Quicken me in Your

righteousness.' 'I plead Your righteousness-Your righteous

promise for the reviving of my spiritual life. I long for more

lively apprehensions of Your spotless righteousness. Oh! let it

invigorate my delight, my obedience, my secret communion,

my Christian walk and conversation.' Such longings, poured

out before the Lord for a fresh supply of quickening grace, are

far different from "the desire of the slothful, which kills him,"

and will not be forgotten before God. "Delight yourself in the

Lord; and He shall give you the desires of your heart." O for a

more enlarged expectation, and a more abundant

vouchsafement of blessing; that we may burst forth and break

out, as from a living fountain within, in more ardent longings

for the Lord's precepts!

But it may be asked-What weariness in, and reluctance to

duties, may consist with the principle and exercise of grace?

Where it is only in the members, not in the mind-where it is

only partial, not prevalent-where it is only occasional, not

habitual-where it is lamented and resisted, and not allowedand where, in spite of its influence, the Christian still holds on

in the way of duty-"grace reigns" in the midst of conflict, and

will ultimately and gloriously triumph over all hindrance and

opposition. But in the midst of the humbling views of sin that

present themselves on every side, let me diligently inquireHave I an habitual "hungering and thirsting after

righteousness?" And since, at the best, I do but get my

longings increased, and not satisfied; let the full satisfaction of

heaven be much in my heart. "As for me, I will behold Your

face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with

Your likeness."

And what an expectation is this to pretend lo! To think what

the infinitely and eternally blessed God is-and what "man is at his best estate," then to conceive of man-the worm of the

dust-the child of sin and wrath- transformed into the likeness

of God-how weighty is the sound of this hope! What then must

its substantiation be? If the initial privilege be glorious, what

will the fullness be! Glory revealed to us! transfused through

us! becoming our very being! To have the soul filled-not with

evanescent shadows-but with massive, weighty, eternal glory!

Worlds are mere empty bubbles, compared with this, our sure,

satisfying, unfading inheritance.



by

Charles Bridges

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