The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 76

from it! It is by conflict the child of God obtains more and more of the blessinO's laid up for him in Christ. The ·word of the Lord is to him what it was to Israel of old°: "Go ye up and possess the land;" "There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed." Oh, what blessings are laid up for us in Christ! Why do we not enter into our inherit- ance ? God has indeed "blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ," but have we possessed them? Have we drunk deep of these wells of living waters? Are our souls living upon the riches that are hid in Christ for us? Why do we not possess the land which Jesus has won for us? Because, dear reader, there is no conflict. We must fight to enjoy. We must know what it is, hour after hour, to engage in conflict-yes, in a bloody conflict-with the world, the flesh, and the devil. We must grapple hour after hour with flesh and blood-with" the lust of the eye, and the pride of life." We must know keenly what it is to pluck out a right eye, and cut off a right hand or a right foot. We must know the struggle with sloth and indulgence, with natural inclinations and desires, with unholy dispositions, and harsh tempers, and unkind words, and a fault-finding spirit. Have we entered into, are we daily engaged in, a conflict like this ? Ah, you will never be a "disciple indeed" unless you know some- thing of this agony. It is through conflict, through warring a good warfare, that God opens the floodgates of the soul for all the treasures of his grace to flow in. You may know them and talk about them; but have you possessed the good land? Is it not true that "there remaineth yet "-yes, yet after all these years of Christian disciple- ship-" very much land to be possessed"? Oh! no warfare, no conflict, no struggle; then no deep joy, no sweet peace, no uplifting communion with God, no realized sweetness of the Word, no real growth in grace, no likeness to Christ. Jabez's coast would never have been enlarged without a deadly struggle with the foe. There will be liO enlargement of coast with you, Christian, without this. It is thus we see it in the Lord's address to the seven Churches. Every promise is made there not to the Chris- tian as such, not to the disciple, but "to him that overcometh." They are made to the "disciple indeed "-to the one who knows something not only of what it is to fight, but to win. Yes, Christian, your soul has been saved by Christ's finished work ; but every inch of the ground beyond must be fought for. You will pass into God's presence a nal:ed soul-just saved. Where are the laurels you have won? Where is the ground around you bedewed with your tears from struggling in prayer? Where is the inward struggle against indolence and sloth, against yielding to natural inclination, against a censorious spirit, against some unkind word at your fireside, against irome light or frivolous thought? Where is the holy anxiety to redeem time for God? Where is the agony and bloody sweat against temptation and sin? Where is the soul's inward yearning after God? Where is the surrender to him hour after hour-the full consecration of self and all things to his glory? Oh, this is the warfare with the foe; and the man who knows something of this alone knows what it is to have "enlarge- ment of coast." Precious prayer! Lord, "enlarge my coast" l Make more room in my heart, in my life, for thee l I am so narrow, so cramped, so straitened, so wretchedly little! Oh, enlarge this straitened soul of mine I Make more room for thyself in me and in everything about me I Yes, in my time, my pleasures, my duties, my cares, my aims, my household, my children, my servants,-in all make more room for thyself! Come Lord Jesus," enlarge my coast." And do it now I Let me not wait anothet day, ~nother hour. Reader, are you ready for this? Will you to-day make thi& your prayer? Believe it, you will not be a stranger to the joy of the Lord any lonO'er if you will. Oh, make this your prayer and your aim! "Go ye up and pos~ess the land," for "there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed." III. What is the next petition? "That THINE HAND MIGIIT BE WITH ME." The hand of God is the presence of God. But it is more. It is God in activity. It is God in life and power. It is the psalmist's holy longing: "My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God." 'l'he hand of God is God in power on our behalf. What was tho hand of Jesus? What mighty works were done by it I It touched the leper, and all disease fled. It touched the dead, and made it start into life again. It was laid on a sinking disciple, and held him amid the boiling water-floods. It was laid on a loving disciple who had fallen prostrate before the glory of tho Son of man, and it raised him io his feet again, and enabled him to stand in tho midst of all the unveiled glories of the Apocalypse. Oh, the hand of the God-man Jesus, what power thero was in it I OH, IV, 1-43.] 'l'HE FIRST BOOK OF 'l'HE CHRONICLES.