Isaiah 43:28

REFLECTIONS

LISTEN, my soul, to what the Lord speaks, in this most blessed and precious chapter, to Jesus, as the Head of his church, and to his redeemed in him. Read first, the promises, everyone of them, as made to the Person of thy great Surety and Saviour; and then, from thy union and interest in him, take them all, in Jesus, and with Jesus, for thy portion. Say, my soul, hath not the Lord created thee, and formed thee; not only in the original creation of nature, but in the new creation by grace? Hath not the Lord called thee, redeemed thee, and declared thee to be his own, both by the purchase of his blood and the conquests of his grace? And is it not true that while the Lord saith, This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise; thou art earnestly longing to praise and glorify him for all the tokens of his distinguishing grace? Take then the comfort of in these sweet promises, and let neither fiery flames nor stormy seas, in the most tribulated path yet remaining for thee to go through, distress; for Jesus (he saith it himself) is with thee, and will conduct thee, and carry thee safely through them all. Oh! thou gracious Lord of all my mercies; thou Holy One of Israel, my Saviour!

But, my soul, pause over the blessed view which this chapter opens to thy contemplation, of the price thy Jesus gave for his Church in redemption. He saith, it was Egypt for her ransom, and Ethiopia and Seba. Yes, thou bleeding Lamb of God! thou didst indeed make a dear, dear purchase of thy Church, and didst buy her, out of the hands of infinite justice with a sum perfectly incalculable. All the riches and treasures of Egypt, and all the pearls and gold of Ethiopia and Seba, sink to nothing, in comparison of the infinite, and never-to-be-fully compensated in value, blood of Christ. Oh! how precious must have been thy Church in thy sight, thou dear Redeemer, when neither

Jesus stopped short in giving himself for her, nor God the Father kept back the Son, the only Son of his bosom, for her redemption? My soul, never lose sight of this; but, in the blessedness of the contemplation, continually say with the apostle, He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Be humbled to the dust, my soul, while, in the view of such divine goodness thou callest to mind thine own undeservings. Oh, thou kind, thou tender, thou compassionate Lord Jesus! Have I caused thee to serve with my sins, and wearied thee with mine iniquities? Do I remit my visits to a throne of grace, and seldom go there unless necessities constrain me? Is it so, my honoured Lord, that there is a backwardness in my very nature to the love of thee, and the desire after thy company? Lord! how is it, that I am every day condemning what I every day again trespass in; and find occasion still to mourn over, what still again marks my conduct? Oh, precious Jesus! undertake for me; and deliver me, Lord, in thine own time, which is the best time, from the body of sin and death, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Jesus will make me free, and I shall be free indeed! Amen.