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The few words I may say this evening will have especial reference to the object for which we have assembled. First: a few words as to the first Adam. It is a solemn thought that it is possible there are some here present who as yet only belong to the first Adam, and not to the second. If so, they are dead in trespasses and sins at this present moment; they are ruined still; they have before them still the blackness and darkness of despair; they have before them still eternal woe and misery. Now, dear friends, as I love your souls, I desire to refer to the fact that all of us here present who now by the grace of God are interested in the Lord Jesus Christ, were once as you are now, but it has pleased God in the riches of His grace to bring us out of that state. And what He has done for us He is willing to do for you. In the riches of His grace He has given His only begotten Son, He has punished Him, He has wounded Him, He has bruised Him in our room and stead. The punishment due to us guilty, wicked sinners was laid on Jesus, who shed His precious blood for the remission of our sins. The wrath of God, that ought to have been poured on us through eternity, fell on Him. And all God expects from sinners is, that they accept what He so freely and graciously has the heart to give. He looks not for us to do something to assist or help the work of Christ but that we entirely rest our hope on that which our adorable Lord has accomplished on the cross in our room and stead. So that the poor sinner who believes in Jesus, who trusts in Jesus for the salvation of his soul, shall obtain full, free, complete forgiveness for all his numberless transgressions, through faith in Him. At once obtain forgiveness; not, -shall have it some day; not, -shall have it when we die; not, -shall have it when the Lord Jesus Christ comes again; but instantly receive it when we rest for salvation upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only so, but we become, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the children of God. Through faith we are united to the heavenly family, of which our adorable Lord Jesus Christ, the second Adam, is the Head. By far the greater number now present I doubt not, belong to that family. But let me invite those who are conscious that they only belong to the first Adam, to look to Jesus, to accept what God so graciously offers in Jesus and then their sins will be pardoned.
Then as to those of us who do believe in Jesus, who do trust in Him for salvation who belong to the Lord Jesus, the second Adam who is the Head of the heavenly family, -how does it become us to walk while here on earth? It is not now the question how we shall be when the manifestation of the sons of God shall have taken place, and when the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, shall have been revealed. Then we shall all be filled with love, we shall all be perfectly united together, we shall be ever together, loving one another, minding the things of each other, and caring for each other. Then there shall be no weakness, nor ignorance, nor infirmity. But now, while yet in ignorance partially, how should we walk, -we who belong to this heavenly family? The great point is to remember that what we have and what we are, wehave and are by the grace of God. How is it that we do believe in the Lord Jesus; that we are on the Lord’s side; that we look to the Lord Jesus as the Head, and trust in Him for salvation? How does it come that the life of the risen Jesus is in us, that we are risen up again and quickened with Him to sit with Him in heavenly places? Verily, brethren, we did it not ourselves. It was all of grace that it is thus -that we have been made to believe in Jesus, that He has been revealed to our hearts. Not only was He given in the way of grace by the Father, but it is of grace that He ever was revealed to our hearts.
We see then that these blessings come in the way of grace, and every other spiritual blessing in the way of grace also. How does it become us to deal with each other while we remain here a little while longer in weakness and in partial ignorance. Surely we should forbear, surely we should be gentle, surely we should tenderly deal with each other; ever remembering that if we are stronger than others, it is by the grace of God we are so. Supposing we see a little more clearly on this or that part of truth, it is only by the Grace of God we do it. We might have been weaker and more ignorant than our brethren, and peradventure we may really be the weak and ignorant ones. We may only suppose we are stronger and better than others. Oh let us bear with each other in love! We are of the heavenly family, -a little while; and Jesus will come again to take us to Himself. We are of the heavenly family, -yet a little while we shall be in heaven together, where there is only perfect harmony and love; surely, then, here we may love one another, and bear with one another, and care for one another.
Why, if we have been better instructed, are we better instructed? Why, if we are stronger, are we stronger? Why, if we are richer, are we richer? For this purpose, -that we may com-municate of the abundance which in the riches of the grace of God we have received, to those who have not so much. Just as theclouds empty themselves in blessing on others, so we, if better instructed than others, are so that we may bear with those who are less instructed, and lend them a helping hand. If in these our meetings we learn this one lesson -that by the grace of God we who believe in Jesus will henceforth seek to strive more earnestly, more habitually, more fully than we have yet done to bear with each other’s weaknesses and infirmities, what profitable meet-ings they will have been! We should not be satisfied unless we come to this state of heart that we know of nothing less among the disciples than that the precious blood of Christ has made us clean. That is the bond of union -that belonging to Christ. One with Christ -that is the great bond to keep before us. The more we realise that the grace of God has apprehended us in Christ, and revealed to our hearts the Lord Jesus Christ, that we are all bought with the same precious blood, that we are all in the self-same Spirit, that the self-same life of the risen Jesus is in us, that we are all heirs of God -and joint-heirs with Christ, and shall all ere long enter into the glory of God, -if these things were more present to our hearts, how loving, kind, and forbearing would the children of God be! And yet once more, in this nineteenth century it would be said, “See how these Christians love one another.”
Only let us seek to aim after this, that we see Christ in each other, and not the old nature; the life of the risen Jesus in each other. If we seek to discern Christ in each other, now shall we be drawn to each other. May God grant this to be so. Let us pray and labour that thus it shall be. Let us resist Satan, that he may not have the mastery over us. May God grant it.
