2 Chronicles 17:19

REFLECTIONS

IT is highly gratifying in the perusal of the word of God, when we behold his servants zealous for his honor, and making his glory the first object of their concern. And however, in different ages of the church, and under the different dispensations of the Old Testament scripture or the New, we behold various characters, still it is precious to remark how the children of the Lord have all one family feature in their knowledge and love of him. Begotten by the same Father; purchased by the same Redeemer; and brought under the influence of the same Spirit; they are adopted into the same sonship, and are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. The image of the Lord they are changed into by grace; they are impressed with it, for it is engraven on their foreheads, and the Spirit of the Lord is in their hearts. So that everything concerning them becomes precious and interesting. God their Father marked them for his own from everlasting; and in the person of his dear Son he chose them and loved them from all eternity. And in time he hath provided for all their wants, and watches over them with thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give them an expected end. God the Son received them from his Father as his gift, and by becoming their husband, head, and surety, made them the purchase of his blood, and became interested in all that concerned them, through time to all eternity. And God the Spirit graciously undertook in his blessed office-work to bring them savingly acquainted with the Father, and with Christ, and make them the willing subjects of his grace in the day of his power. So that from the united mercy, love, and blessing, of the sacred three in one, their minds, like Jehoshaphat's, are secretly inclined to the love, and reverence, and obedience, and faith of God in Christ. They desire to love what the Lord loves, and to hate what the Lord hates. They pray to be brought into an holy conformity to his will in all things. Jesus is precious, his word, his ordinances, his laws, his people. And while they take delight in whatever tends to the promotion of the Redeemer's glory, they feel distress in whatever brings dishonour to his most holy name or his word. Reader! are these, more or less, in all ages the real characters of God's people? let your heart and mine see to it then that we have such testimonies of our adoption and sonship.