a child
1181.] PRIVILEGES OF GOd's CHILDREN. 233
a child of God. But remember for whose sake this pardon has been bestowed upon you. It has not been for your own sake ; for you deserved nothing but wrath ; yea, if God at this moment were to enter into judgment with you according to your present deserts, you must inevitably perish. God has had respect to his dear Son: and "for his sake "has forgiven you. The pardon you enjoy, was bought with the precious blood of Christ. It is altogether on account of what Christ has done and suffered for you, that you haves found acceptance. " There is no other name given under heaven whereby you, or any other sinner, can be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ."
Further, it is said of you, that " ye have known the Father." Your views of the Gospel are at present very partial, and confused. You merely see that you were sinners before God : and that God, in infinite mercy, sent his only begotten Son to die for you; and that through the death of Christ you are to obtain mercy. Hence you are emboldened to look unto God as reconciled to you in Christ Jesus ; and with a spu'it of adoption to cry, Al3ba, Father. Thus, though you see as yet but little of the work and offices of Christ, you know the Father as a just, yet merciful, and gracious God.]
II. We would next address " you, young men" —
[As in the natural world children grow up to manhood, so in the spiritual world there is a similar progress to matu- rity. We might proceed to draw the necessary distinctions bet^veen your infantile and adult state : but the privileges annexed to your state in the words of our text, will serve at the same time to mark the progress which you have made in the Divine life ; and therefore we shall confine ourselves to them.
You then are declared to be " strong :" and in this you differ widely from your former state : for whereas you formerly were liable to be " tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine," and to be overcome by every temptation, you now have obtained a stability both in knowledge and in grace. Not that you are stronger hi yourselves than you were formerly : but you have learned how weak you are ; and have been led to rely wholly on the Lord Jesus Christ; and *' through him have been enabled to do " what, in your self- confident state, you were unable to perform. Hence " ye are strong ; but it is in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and in the power of his might." Your conscious weakness is the means of your strength. You can say with the Apostle, " when I am weak, then am I strong."
It is characteristic of your state also, that " the word of God abideth in you." When you were children, you knew
but
234 1 JOHX, ir. 12—14. [ll&l.
but little of the word of God; but you have studied it : you have " desired it, and delighted in it, as unadulterated milk ; and by means of it have grown up" to maturity. You have found that there is no weapon so powerful as that. You have learned, not only from the Saviour's example, but from your own experience, that one single arrow taken out of that quiver is sufiicient to vanquish all the hosts of hell. Hence you have been led to treasure up the promises in your me- mory ; and to have recourse to the Inspired Volume for direc- tion and support in every emergency.
Further, it is said, that " you have overcome the wicked one." In your earlier days Satan beguiled and vanquished you in ten thousand instances ; but now you have attained the knowledge of his devices. He himself, if we may so speak, has at last taught you how to repel his assaults, and to resist him with success. You are become expert in the spiritual warfare. You know how to w ield " the sword of the Spirit." You know when and where to expect your enemy. You know the way in which he manages his as- saults. And you have learned to combat him upon your knees. This, though a disadvantageous posture in earthly conflicts, you have found to be the best that can possibly be resorted to in the spiritual warfare. Hence you have had the comfort of seeing that wicked fiend, who assaulted you with the subtlety of a serpent, and the fury of a roaring Hon, flee from your face intimidated and confounded*.