"AND BLESSED IS SHE THAT BELIEVED: FOR THERE SHALL BE A PERFORMANCE OF THOSE THINGS WHICH WERE TOLD HER FROM THE LORD."-LUKE i. 45. BRETHREN, what think you of Jehovah's wills and Jehovah's shalls? In a changing world, amid changing scenes and changing friends, there is something unspeakably blessed and unspeakably satisfactory in falling back upon the immutables of a covenant God! "I will, and they shall," will stand the test of foes internal, external, and infernal! Blessed be God, the security of the Lord's people does not rest upon their ever-fluctuating feelings, nor upon outward circumstances-upon friends, or upon foes--but upon his own unchangeable self, and according to the eternal verities of his own everlasting covenant! Sooner or later, all the Lord's people must be brought, at least in measure and degree, to an acknowledgment of this. All confidence in their own fleshly selves must give way; the visionary hopes in which they have indulged the castle-building in which they have engaged-about merely creature-improvement, the earthly dependencies in which they have confided, must yield to the outward pressure of trial, temptation, and sorrow; and, when thus the heart is " brought down with labour," then shall the soul triumph with David in the one great fact, Although my house be not so with God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; and this is all my salvation and all my desire, although He make it not to grow." 66 Much, however, that is painful and mortifying to flesh and blood must be passed through, before the soul is brought to realize its divine fixation upon an impregnable foundation. Its security is one thing, its sense of that security is another. Hence the nature and importance of such passages as these: "If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established" (Isaiah vii. 9); "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines: for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace" (Heb. xiii. 9). To the same purport is the Apostle's language to the Ephesians, (iv. 14, 15), "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in weight to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ;" and so Peter, in his 1st epistle, 5th chapter, and 10th verse, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, STABLISH, STRENGTHEN, SETTLE you." And the sweetness of this, as realized in experience, is expressed by the psalmist, "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God" (Ps. xl. 1—3.) Reader, have you felt and known this, experimentally, after seasons of listlessness, coldness, heart-departures; when, under the power of unbelief, the temptations of Satan, the corruptions of the flesh, or the ensnarements of the world, " your feet were almost gone, and your steps had well nigh slipped ?" (Ps. lxxiii. 2). Oh, what a sweetness has there been in the renewings of free and sovereign mercy! Whilst you have had—and justly toothe utmost self-loathing and abhorrence, how have you been led anew to admire the wisdom, and the love, and the forbearance, and the faithfulness of a covenant God! What you have thus learnt, has been learnt so to the purpose so effectually,-in such a personal, unmistakeable way. It has defied all gainsaying-set at nought the sophistries (however plausible) of poor human nature—and brought you to the privileged spot of being enabled to give a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear," exclaiming with the apostle, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Tim. i. 12.) 66 And we know of no so effectual a way of ensuring Gospel obedience as that which the Lord pursues with his dear children, and by which He enables them both with lip and life to "cleave unto Himself with full purpose of heart." All true filial fear and childlike dependence upon the Lord, must be grounded upon a deep, inwrought sense of weakness, ignorance, and frailty; the involuntary cry of which is, Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe," Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me" (Ps. xix. 13). Reader, this, we fearlessly avow, is the true tendency of a heartfelt reception of covenant truths, or in other words, of an experimental and saving knowledge of the eternal verities and immutable counsels of Jehovah in his Trinity of Persons. I will and they shall." “I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good: but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me" (Jer. xxxii. 40). This brings us more immediately to a consideration of the words of our text. And, first, look at the aspect of things, in a human point of view, under which they were spoken. The canon of the Old Testament Scriptures had been closed for some four hundred years; a still longer period had elapsed since the prophets Micah, and Isaiah, and Daniel had foretold the incarnation of Christ; the Lord's ancient people had, as a whole, departed from the faith; their national independence had been forfeited; they lay under the Roman yoke; and though (as God will never leave himself without a witness) there was here and there a true Israelite-here a Simeon, and there an Annah -still they were but "as two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough" (Isa. xvii. 6.) As in the day in which we live, so then, it would seem as though God had almost forsaken the earth, and given over his heritage to reproach. As now, so then, there was the infidel scoff, "Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (2 Peter iii. 4.) Still our God was at no loss. He had neither forgotten his promise, nor did He lack power to fulfil it. His will and shall stood as unmoved as his eternal throne. His purposes must ripen ; the day-the set day-to favour Zion, must "fully come," and then, according to ancient prophecy; " Then, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Israel, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting;" (Micah v. 2;) then "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel " (Isaiah vii. 14); then "after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself" (Daniel ix. 26.) But how unlikely (in the estimation of men) the instruments who were to play a part in these great and glorious transactions; and how mysterious and (in a human point of view) how perfectly incomprehensible that great fact which the angel Gabriel was commissioned to communicate. "Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" Here reason would intrude, as in the case of Zacharias, who said unto the angel upon a far less improbable event, Whereby shall ĺ know this? for I anı an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.' "And the angel answered and said unto her (that is, to Mary,) The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." 66 Judging from the relative character and position of these two, Zacharias and Mary, it would be much more reasonable to suppose that the former would possess the largest amount of faith; for not only was he a priest of the Most High, but it is recorded of him and of his wife Elizabeth, that “they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." But neither character nor office can ensure faith. It is a sovereign gift, and bestowed only in point both of time and measure, as shall seem good in the sight of its Divine Author. Zacharias doubts, and, as a rebuke, "shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that the thing was performed;" whilst Mary-not on account of any inherent goodness, but solely of Divine sovereignty, exclaims, in belief of the accomplishment of that great thing which had been promised, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." 66 Beloved, seeing it is written that "Without faith it is impossible to please God," and that unbelief is that accursed thing which not only dishonours God, but also bears down the minds even of believers under an almost intolerable pressure, it behoves us continually to cry, Lord, increase our faith." In proportion as faith is in exercise shall we know the sweetness of those privileges which are the rightful heritage of the adopted sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. Personally, one is often rebuked by that precious say ing of our Lord, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you" (Matt. xvii. 20.) "Oh, for an overcoming faith, To credit what Jehovah saith, "I have learned in It was by faith, and by faith only, Paul could say, whatsoever state I am, therewith to be be content. I know both how to be abased, and how to abound, everywhere and in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need" (Phil. iv. 11, 12.) It was the same immortal principle which enabled him to declare, I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness" (2 Tim. iv. 6-8.) Moreover, it is emphatically declared, (1 John v. 4,) “ This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Faith is that heaven-begotten principle, that honours Jehovah, inasmuch as it credits his word, his authority, his power; whilst, on the contrary, unbelief calls the whole in question, and, in plain language, commonly gives God the lie. The patience, therefore, of the Lord with his children in relation to their unbelief and ingratitude, is astonishing. How well may it be said now as of old, "Oh, fools, and slow of heart to believe" (Luke xxiv. 25.) It was upon the ground of his faith-that faith being the gift of God, and God thus honouring his own work-that Abraham was blessed. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Gal. iii. 6.) And it was upon the same principle that Elizabeth declared, in the language under consideration, "Blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." It is not our present object to dwell at large upon the nature of the fulfilment of those things which were spoken to Mary. These facts, we presume, can scarcely be rendered more familiar to the reader. Suffice it they were fulfilled, and we to this day and to all eternity, shall reap the fruit and benefit thereof. But our wish is to deduce some practical and profitable reflections from the language and the history. Hence we would appeal to our readers-we would seek that they and that ourselves should have our faith strengthened by the investigation; and that our God should be more confided in, and thus more abundantly glorified. We would, therefore, beloved readers, ask you and ask our own consciences also, "What hath the Lord spoken ?" What know we of holy intimacy-Divine communion-heavenly fellowship with the Lord? We ask not, reader, after your creed, nor do we inquire to what denomination among your fellow-men you belong: neither do we interrogate you as to your doctrinal standard and attainments; but we ask, where is your faith? Whence is it? In whom does it centre? How does it operate? What are its fruits? These are important questions; and we feel assured you will permit us to put these inquiries pointedly. They can do you no harm. An examination of your title-deeds must be of service rather than otherwise. We feel, brethren, if possible increasingly the solemn aspect of the times in which we live. We know that there is now so much passes current for faith which will most assuredly never stand the trying ordeal of persecution, temptation, or a death-bed hour. It is, then, with all faithfulness and affection, we would press home the foregoing questions. Oh! how small a particle of faith-Spirit-begotten faith-do even the Lord's own dear children possess; how much of what even they are wont, in times of carnal security, to regard as faith, proves, in temptation and trial, to be nothing more than a mere fleshly assumption; whilst, on the other hand, that which they had been accustomed to overlook, and almost totally to disregard, is, in fact, that precious principle, true faith, of more of which a tempted and a trying hour proves their need. It is on these grounds that a poor, weak, trembling soul so often acquits himself in time of trial with tenfold more love, more zeal, more devotedness, than others who have stood forward much more prominently and courageously. The conscious weakness and sense of absolute dependence upon Divine power, has led to a closer cleaving to the Lord-an entwining, as it were, about his loving Person—a leaning upon his bosom; whilst, on the contrary, an overrating of courage and strength, has led to many a disaster. And sure we are, that as faith is strengthened, creature-confidence will subside. It will be a growing upward into Christ, and downwards as regards self. As Christ rises the creature falls. "He must increase, we must decrease." Each view of Christ will tarnish the flesh. The more lovely Christ, the more odious the creature. And the stronger the grasp of Christ, the more deadly the antagonism of the flesh. Beloved, these things are easily written and readily spoken, but not so easily learnt. The being The being "stablished, strengthened, settled" in these Gospel verities, involves no small amount of suffering-the learning by "terrible things in righteousness." Yet withal how sweet is the If need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith [not the faith itself merely, but even the very TRIAL of it] should be found unto praise and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. i. 7). assurance, Having thus somewhat digressed in a simple but at least intentionally affectionate appeal to the reader, we would now come to our third point, namely, the assurance contained in the words of our text, "There shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." This, beloved, is unutterably blessed; and we rejoice in the glorious fact, that it is as true to-day as when first spoken; that it as much applies to all the Lord's family as to her who was so "highly favoured among women." This assurance, being based upon covenant premises, is the common property of the children; and their holy privilege it is to plead it before the Lord. Jehovah's wills and shalls are delightful pleas to present at the mercy-seat. Perfectly irresistible are the arguments which they prefer there. Such as Jehovah will not-cannot deny. "And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good." of The desire and the ability simply to take God at his word, as evidenced in the case of Mary, expresses in the clearest possible way the teaching and operation of the Holy Ghost; for He, and He alone, is the sovereign Begetter of faith in the hearts of his dear people. Hence the very least venturing out poor, carnal, unbelieving self, to plead and rest upon Divine faithfulness and power, is ground of solid comfort, and the true harbinger of the mercy sought and hoped for. Reader, do not overlook this. It secures to the possessor the "shall" mentioned in the words of our text. Show us one of whom it may be scripturally said, "Blessed is he or she that believed," and we will show you one concerning whom it may be declared, "There shall be a performance of those things which were told him or her from the Lord." And we cannot but add, that the estimation of the creature, or the aspect which merely fleshly circumstances may present, has nought to do in the matter. We had nearly said, that the more unlikely appearances, the more real ground for hope and confidence. As the power of Jehovah will be the more richly manifested in overcoming the difficulties, however insuperable they may at present appear, so in the interval the wider the field for faith to range |