Reader, is not this a blessed exchange? Have we not, in the familiar, but ever charming history of the prodigal a most touching and impressive ill.u.s.tration of true conversion in both its sides? May we not well exclaim, as we gaze on the inimitable picture, "What a conversion! What a turning from and turning to!" Who can utter it?
What human tongue can adequately set forth the feelings of the returned wanderer when pressed to the Father"s bosom and bathed in the light and love of the Father"s house? The rags, the husks, the swine, the slavery, the cold selfishness, the dest.i.tution, the famine, the misery, the moral degradation--all gone, and gone forever; and instead thereof the ineffable delight of that bright and happy home, and, above all, the exquisite feeling that all that festive joy which surrounded him was wakened up by the very fact of his return--that it made the Father glad to get him back!
But we shall, perhaps, be told that all this is but a figure. Yes; but a figure of what? Of a precious, a divine reality; a figure of what takes place in every instance of true conversion, if only it be looked at from a heavenly standpoint. It is not a mere surrender of the world, with its thousand and one vanities and follies. It is this, no doubt; but it is very much more. It is being brought to G.o.d, _brought home_, brought to the Father"s bosom, brought into the family; made--not in the language of a barren formulary, but in the power of the Spirit, and by the mighty action of the Word--a child of G.o.d, a member of Christ, and an heir of the kingdom.
This, and nothing less, is conversion. Let the reader see that he thoroughly understands it. Let him not be satisfied with anything short of this grand reality--this turning from darkness to light, from the power of Satan, and from the worship of idols, to G.o.d. The Christian is, in one sense, as really brought to G.o.d now as if he were actually in heaven. This may seem strong, but it is blessedly true.
Hear what the apostle Peter says as to this point: "Christ hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to"--what?
Heaven when we die? Nay; but "to bring us to G.o.d" _now_. So, also, in Rom. v. we read, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to G.o.d by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life! And not only so, but we also _joy in G.o.d_, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation."
This is an immense principle. It is not within the compa.s.s of human language to set forth all that is involved in being "turned," or "brought to G.o.d." Our adorable Lord Jesus Christ brings all who believe in His name into G.o.d"s presence, in all His own perfect acceptability. They come in all the credit, and virtue, and value of the blood of Jesus, and in all the fragrance of His most excellent name. He brings us into the very same position with Himself. He links us with Himself, and shares with us all He has, and all He is, save His Deity, which is incommunicable. We are perfectly identified with Him. "Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me; _because I live, ye shall live also_." Again, "Peace I leave with you, _my peace I give unto you_; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." "These things have I spoken unto you, that _my joy might remain in you_, and that your joy might be full." "Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends, for _all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you._"
So, also, in that marvelous prayer in John xvii., we read, "I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine, and I am glorified in them."
"I have given them Thy word; and the world hath hated them, because _they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." "As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." "And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one_: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, _and hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me_. Father, _I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am_; that they may behold My glory which Thou hast given Me; for thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee, but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it; that _the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them_."
Now it is utterly impossible to conceive anything higher or more blessed than this. To be so thoroughly identified with the Son of G.o.d, to be so wholly one with Him as to share in the very same love wherewith He is loved by the Father, to partake of His peace, His joy, His glory--all this involves the very highest possible measure and character of blessing with which any creature could be endowed. To be saved from the everlasting horrors of the pit of h.e.l.l; to be pardoned, washed, and justified; to be reinstated in all that Adam lost; to be let into heaven on any ground or in any character whatsoever, would be marvelous mercy, goodness, and loving-kindness; but to be brought to G.o.d in all the love and favor of His own beloved Son, to be intimately a.s.sociated with Him in all His position before G.o.d--His acceptability now--His glory by and by--this, truly, is something which only the heart of G.o.d could think of, and only His mighty power accomplish.
Well, reader, all this is involved in the conversion whereof we speak.
Such is the magnificent grace of G.o.d, such the love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in trespa.s.ses and sins, enemies in our minds by wicked works, serving divers l.u.s.ts and pleasures, worshiping idols, the blind, degraded slaves of sin and Satan, children of wrath, and going straight to h.e.l.l.
And the best of it all is, that it both glorifies the name and gratifies the heart of G.o.d to bring us into this place of inconceivable blessedness, love, and glory. It would not satisfy the love of His heart to give us any lower place than that of His own Son.
Well might the inspired apostle exclaim, in view of all this stupendous grace, "Blessed be the G.o.d and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, _to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved_, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. i.).
What depth of love, what fulness of blessing, have we here! It is the purpose of G.o.d to glorify Himself, throughout the countless ages of eternity, in His dealings with us. He will display, in view of all created intelligences, the riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us, by Christ Jesus. Our forgiveness, our justification, our perfect deliverance, our acceptance--all the blessings bestowed upon us in Christ--are for the display of the divine glory throughout the vast universe forever. It would not meet the claims of G.o.d"s glory, or answer the affections of His heart, to have us in any other position but that of His own well-beloved and only begotten Son.
All this is marvelous. It seems too good to be true. But it is worthy of G.o.d, and it is His good pleasure so to act toward us. This is enough for us. It may be, and most a.s.suredly is, too good for us to get, but it is not too good for G.o.d to give. He acts toward us according to the love of His heart, and on the ground of the worthiness of Christ. The prodigal might ask to be made as one of the hired servants, but this could not be. It would not be according to the Father"s heart to have him in the house as a servant. It must be as a son or not at all. If it were a question of desert, we do not deserve the place of a servant any more than that of a son. But, blessed be G.o.d, it is not according to our deserts at all, but according to the boundless love of His heart, and to the glory of His holy name.
This, then, is conversion. Thus we are _brought to G.o.d_. Nothing short of this. We are not merely turned from our idols, whatever they were, but we are actually brought into the very presence of G.o.d, to find our delight in Him, to joy in Him, to walk with Him, to find all our springs in Him, to draw upon His exhaustless resources, to find in Him a perfect answer to all our necessities, so that our souls are satisfied, and that forever.
Do we want to go back to the idols? Never! Have we any hankering after our former objects? Not if our hearts are realizing our place and portion in Christ. Had the prodigal any longings after the husks and the swine when folded in the father"s bosom, clothed in the father"s house, and seated at the father"s table? We do not, and cannot, believe it. We cannot imagine his heaving a single sigh after the far country when once he found himself within the hallowed circle of that bright and blissful home of love.
We speak according to the divine standard. Alas! alas! many profess to be converted, and seem to go on for a season; but ere long they begin to grow cold, and get weary and dissatisfied. The work was not real.
They were not really brought to G.o.d. Idols may have been given up for a time, but G.o.d Himself was never reached. They never found in Him a satisfying portion for their hearts--never knew the real meaning of communion with Him--never tasted heart-satisfaction, heart-rest, in Christ. Hence, in process of time, the poor heart began to long once more for the world, and back they went, and plunged into its follies and vanities with greater avidity than ever.
Such cases are very sad, very disappointing. They bring great reproach on the cause of Christ, and are used as a plea for the enemy, and as a stumbling-block for anxious inquirers. But they leave the question of divine conversion just where it was. The soul that is truly converted is one who has not merely been turned from this present evil world, and all its promises and pretensions, but who has been led by the precious ministry of the Holy Ghost to find in the living G.o.d, and in His Son Jesus Christ, all he can possibly want for time and eternity.
Such an one has divinely done with the world. He has broken with it forever. He has had his eyes opened to see, through and through, the whole thing. He has judged it in the light of the presence of G.o.d. He has measured it by the standard of the cross of Christ. He has weighed it in the balances of the sanctuary, and turned his back upon it forever, to find an absorbing and a commanding object in the Person of that blessed One who was nailed to the accursed tree, in order to deliver him, not only from everlasting burnings, but also from this present evil world.
PART VI.
The more we dwell on 1 Thess. i. 9, the more we are struck with its marvelous depth, fulness, and power. It seems like sinking a shaft into an inexhaustible mine. We have dwelt a little on that very fruitful and suggestive clause, "_Turned to G.o.d from idols_." How much is wrapped up in it! Do we really understand the force and fulness of it? It is a wonderful thing for the soul to be brought to G.o.d--to know Him now as our resource in all our weakness and need--the spring of all our joys--our strength and shield--our Guide and Counsellor--our all in all--to be absolutely and completely shut up to Him, wholly dependent upon Him.
Reader, do you know the deep blessedness of all this in your own soul?
If you are a child of G.o.d, a truly converted soul, then it is your happy privilege to know it, and you ought not to be satisfied without it. If we are "turned to G.o.d," what is it for but to find in Him all we can possibly want for time and eternity? Nothing can ever satisfy the human soul but G.o.d Himself. It is not within the compa.s.s of earth to meet the cravings of the heart. If we had the wealth of the universe, and all that that wealth could procure, the heart would still want more; there would still be an aching void which nothing under the sun could fill.
Look at the history of Solomon. Hear him recording his own experience.
"I, the preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem; and I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven; this sore travail hath G.o.d given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. I said in my heart, Go to, now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure; and behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, it is mad, and of mirth, what doeth it?
I sought in my heart to give myself to wine, yet acquainting my heart with wisdom, and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards; I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits; I made me pools of water, to water there with the wood that bringeth forth trees. I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also, I had great possessions of great and small cattle, above all that were in Jerusalem before me. I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my portion of all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, _all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun_" (Eccle. i., ii.).
Such is the withering commentary upon all earth"s resources as given by the pen of one who had all that earth could give--of one who was allowed to drain to the very dregs every cup of human and earthly pleasure. And what was it all? "Vanity and vexation of spirit." "All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing." The poor human heart can never be satisfied with the resources of earth.
Creature streams can never quench the thirst of the immortal soul.
Material things cannot possibly make us truly happy, even if they were permanent. "All is vanity and vexation of spirit."
The truth of this must be proved by every human heart. Sooner or later all must find it out. Men may turn a deaf ear to it now; they may refuse to listen to the Spirit"s warning voice; they may vainly imagine that this poor world can yield them substantial comfort and happiness; they may eagerly grasp at its riches, its honors, its distinctions, its pleasures, its material comforts; but they will find out their mistake. And oh, how dreadful to find it out _too late_! How terrible to open one"s eyes in h.e.l.l, like the rich man in the parable!
What human language can set forth the horrors of a soul shut out forever from the presence of G.o.d, and consigned to outer darkness, to the place of weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth? It is overwhelming to think of it. What will it be to realize it? What will it be to find oneself in the tormenting flames of h.e.l.l, at the other side of that impa.s.sable gulf where a single ray of hope can never break through the deep gloom of eternity?
Oh that men would think of all this in time! that they might flee from the wrath to come, and lay hold on the blessed hope set before them in the gospel; that they might "turn to G.o.d." But alas! the G.o.d of this world blinds their minds, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of G.o.d, should shine into them. He engrosses them with present things--business, money-making, pleasures, cares, l.u.s.ts, anything and everything but the one thing, in comparison with which all earthly things are but as the small dust of the balance.
But we have digressed from our special theme, to which we must return.
We are particularly anxious to press upon the Christian reader the immense importance of seeking to find all his resources in the living G.o.d. We have only for a moment turned aside from this point, in order to sound a warning note in the ear of any unconverted, careless one who may happen to take up this paper. We earnestly entreat the latter to turn to G.o.d. We entreat the former to seek a deeper acquaintance with the One to whom, by grace, he has turned. We have the two things before us in penning these papers on the great subject of "conversion." We can truly say, we long to see precious souls converted to G.o.d, and we long to see converted souls happy in G.o.d.
We are increasingly convinced of the practical importance of Christians proving in their daily life that they have found thorough rest of heart in G.o.d. It has immense weight with worldly people. It is a grand point gained when we are able, through grace, to tell the world that we are independent of it; and the only way to do this is to live in the abiding sense of what we have in G.o.d. This would impart a moral elevation to our entire course and character. It would deliver us completely from that strong tendency to lean on human props and to betake ourselves to creature streams which we have all more or less to lament, and which must a.s.suredly issue in disappointment to us and dishonor to G.o.d.
How p.r.o.ne we are on all occasions to look to our fellow-men for sympathy, succor and counsel instead of looking directly and exclusively to G.o.d! This is a serious mistake. It is in principle to forsake the Fountain of living waters, and hew out for ourselves broken cisterns which can hold no water. What can we expect? What must be the issue? Barrenness and desolation. Our G.o.d, in very faithfulness to us, will cause our fellow-man to fail us, in order that we may learn the folly of leaning upon an arm of flesh.
Hear what the prophet says on this great practical question: "Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, and not inhabited."
But mark the contrast. "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit" (Jer. xvii.).
O reader, it is a grand reality to lean on the arm of the living G.o.d--to find in Him our relief and our resource at all times, in all places, and under all circ.u.mstances. He never fails a trusting heart.
He will never disappoint us. He may see fit to keep us waiting for an answer to our call, but the time we spend in waiting is well spent, and when the answer comes our hearts are filled with praise, and we are able to say, "Oh, how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men" (Psa. x.x.xi. 19).
It is a great thing to be able to trust G.o.d before the sons of men, to confess His sufficiency for our every exigence. But it must be a reality, and not mere profession. It is no use to talk of leaning on G.o.d while at the same time we are, in one way or another, looking to some poor mortal to help us. This is a sad delusion. But, alas! how often we fall under its power! We adopt the language of dependence upon G.o.d, but in reality we are looking to man, and letting him know our wants. We deceive ourselves and dishonor G.o.d, and the end is disappointment and confusion of face.
Reader, let us look closely and honestly at this matter. Let us see to it that we understand the meaning of those precious words, "Turned to G.o.d." They contain the very essence of true happiness and true holiness. When the heart is really turned to G.o.d it has found the true, the divine secret of peace, rest, and full satisfaction; it finds its all in G.o.d, and has no occasion whatever to turn to the creature. Am I in any perplexity? I can look to G.o.d for guidance. He has promised to guide me with His eye. What perfect guidance! Can man do better for me? Surely not. G.o.d sees the end from the beginning. He knows all the bearings, all the belongings, all the roots and issues of my case. He is an infallible guide. His wisdom is unerring, and, moreover, He loves me perfectly. Where could I find a better guide?
Am I in want? I can go to G.o.d about it. He is the Possessor of heaven and earth. The treasures of the universe are at His disposal. He can help me if He sees it to be good for me; and if not, the pressure will be much better for me than the relief. "My G.o.d shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus." Is not this enough? Why look to a creature stream? Why turn from such a G.o.d and go with our wants to a human being? It is in reality giving up, so far, the ground of faith, the life of simple dependence on G.o.d. It is actually dishonoring our Father. If I apply to my fellow for help, it is tantamount to saying that G.o.d has failed me. It is really betraying my loving Father who has taken me up, body, soul and spirit, to do for me for time and eternity. He has pledged Himself to provide for all my wants, be they ever so many, ever so great, ever so varied. "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_?" His word is, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me."
True, G.o.d uses the creature to meet our need; but this is a totally different matter. The blessed apostle could say, "G.o.d who comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of t.i.tus." Paul was looking to G.o.d for comfort, and G.o.d sent t.i.tus to comfort him. Had Paul been looking to t.i.tus, he would have been disappointed.
Thus it is in every case. Our immediate and exclusive reference must be to G.o.d in all our need. "We have turned _to G.o.d_ from idols;" and hence in every exigence He is our sure resource. We can go to Him for counsel, for succor, for guidance, for sympathy, for all. "My soul, wait thou _only_ upon G.o.d, for my expectation is from Him. He _only_ is my rock and my salvation; He is my defence; I shall not be moved."
Will this most blessed habit of looking only to G.o.d lead us to undervalue the channels through which His precious grace flows to us?
The very reverse. How could I undervalue one who comes to me directly from G.o.d, as His manifest instrument, to meet my need? Impossible. But I value him as a channel, instead of applying to him as a source. This makes all the difference. We must never forget that true conversion means our being brought to G.o.d; and most surely, if we are brought to G.o.d, it is in order that we should find in Him a perfect covering for our eyes, a perfect object for the heart, a perfect resource in all our exigencies, from first to last. A truly converted soul is one who is turned from all creature confidences, human hopes, and earthly expectations, to find all he wants in the living and true G.o.d, and that forever.
PART VII.
We are now called to consider a deeply practical point in our subject.
It is contained in the clause, "_To serve the living and true G.o.d_."
This is full of interest to every truly converted soul, every true Christian. We are called "to serve." Our whole life, from the moment of our conversion to the close of our earthly career, should be characterized by a spirit of true, earnest, intelligent service. This is our high privilege, not to say our hallowed duty. It matters not what our sphere of action may be, what our line of life, or what our calling; when we are converted, we have just got one thing to do, namely, to serve G.o.d. If there be anything in our calling which is contrary to the revealed will of G.o.d--contrary to the direct teaching of His word--then we must at once abandon it, cost what it may. The very first step of an obedient servant is to step out of a false position, be it what it may.
We are called to serve G.o.d, and everything must be tried by this standard. The Christian has to ask himself this one question, "Can I fulfil the duties of this situation to the glory of G.o.d?" If not, he must abandon it. If we cannot connect the name of G.o.d with our calling in life, then, a.s.suredly, if we want to walk with G.o.d, if we aim at serving Him, if it be our one desire to be found well-pleasing in His sight, then we must give up that calling and look to Him to open some path for us in which we can walk to His praise.