1 Samuel 22:23

REFLECTIONS

HERE, dearest Jesus, in the flight of David to the cave of Adullam, I would pause to contemplate thee. Thou art ever precious, ever lovely, ever endearing, in every possible point of view, in which my soul beholds thee; but when I see thee, as David is here represented, as becoming the Captain of every poor distressed, discontented, and wretched debtor: oh! how doth my soul long to come forever under thy banner, and hail thee the Captain of my salvation!

And in this glorious character, as the Leader and Commander of thy people, do I not behold thee as the gift of thy Father to this blessed purpose, to the fugitive, distressed band of poor, ruined, and undone sinners? Do I not view thee as becoming Captain over them, as well as Captain to them! For surely, when thou receivest them in the wilderness of their state by nature, thou regeneratest them by thy power, convertest them from the error of their way, and dost not only cancel the debt of the insolvent, and soften and remove the distress of the afflicted; but take away the very cause of discontent in those who have found but too much reason to he dissatisfied with the ruined state of their nature, and have fled to thee for peace and content, in thy finished righteousness, and blood-shedding atonement. Yes! thou blessed Jesus! thou Almighty Captain of our salvation! it is thine, with the sword of the Spirit, both to conquer for them, and conquer in them. Oh! let thy precious word bring with it convictions of our sin, and convictions of thy all-sufficient righteousness; that thy little army may become more than conquerors through thy grace leading them on; until all the Sauls of persecution and opposition, which hunt for their life, are destroyed; and thou shalt bring them into thy holy mountain, thy kingdom, where thou wilt make them kings and Priests to God and the Father, forevermore. Amen.