EPC Australia

The life and experience of the Christian are full of contrasts. He resembles the bush of Moses, which was seen burning, but not consumed. And his language is, Cast down, but not destroyed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; dying, and behold we live. We are now viewing him as a soldier. In our last page, we saw him faint, but we shall now find him, amidst all that is grievous, feeling no disposition to give up. Faint, yet pursuing.

And there is much to encourage and animate him. There is something in himself, and which is nothing less than a principle of divine grace. Every thing else will decline when it meets with its proper temptation. Natural and merely moral resources are as the morning cloud, and the early dew, which soon passeth away. But we are confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in us, will perform it. That which is divine is durable, is invincible. That which is born of God, overcometh the world.

There is also much to encourage him in his cause. It is a good warfare. It will bear examination. Conscience entirely approves of it. Angels applaud it. There is, therefore, nothing to make us waver, or hesitate. Every thing in the conflict feeds courage. We ought to engage and persevere. It is the cause of truth, of righteousness, of glory, of real glory. It would be more honourable to be foiled in this cause than to conquer in any other.

There is also much in his Leader and Commander. Some chiefs have so attached and inspired their troops, that they would plunge into any enterprise, or follow them into any danger. It was said proverbially at Rome, that it was unbecoming a Roman soldier to fear while Caesar was alive. It is much more unworthy a Christian soldier to fear while Christ is alive; for, because, says he, I live, ye shall live also. When Antigonus heard some of his troops rather despondingly say, "How many are coming against us?" he asked, But, my soldiers, how many do you reckon me for? And whenever we think of our foes, and the Captain of our salvation, we may truly say, More are they that be with us than they that be with them. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Who goes before us? Who teaches our hands to war, and our fingers to fight? Who provides for us? Who renews our strength? What limits have his wisdom and power? Did he ever lose an action yet, or a single private in his army?

And let me think of the certainty of the issue. Fear unnerves; but it would make a hero of a coward to assure him in the conflict that he should overcome. This can rarely or never be done in other contentions: for nothing is so doubtful as the result of battle. Prudence, therefore, says, Let not him that putteth on the harness boast himself like him that putteth it off. But the Christian enters the field under peculiar advantage. However trying or lengthened the struggle may be, he fights not uncertainly. Yea, in all these things we are more than conquerors.

For what will be the result of success? What do other victors gain? How precarious, how unsatisfying, how poor, how mean the rewards of the world's warriors, compared with the acquisitions of the good soldiers of Jesus Christ! "He that overcometh shall inherit all things."

Morning Exercises For Everyday In The Year
By Rev. William Jay