glorycloud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- the way of the Spirit of God in the hearts of men "The way of the Spirit of God in the hearts of men is discerned by few. It is a very hard matter to understand how God works in us to will and to do because we find it to be our own act to believe, repent, and turn to God; we ascribe all to ourselves, as if our own arm had saved us. The truth is that God in all the efficacious operations of His grace upon the hearts of men, loves to conceal Himself. He will not be seen by others to do what He does in and for His saints; there will be no noise in the streets (Matthew 12:19). The kingdom of God does not come with observation (Luke 17:20-21). All is done within secretly and silently; none are privy to this heart-work but they who feel it. This is the hiding of His power from the observation of those whom He never intends to work upon, and for the hardening of their hearts that they may still retain an opinion of their own ability to do that which they see other so freely and willingly addicting themselves unto. Though this is a cause of stumbling to many who boast of a suppose power and freedom of will to believe and repent when they please, yet such in whose hearts God has wrought these mighty works of His grace see and feel the weight of His arm revealed upon their soul know it is God's doing, that a divine power has touched their hearts and carried them out to all these acts of faith that they put forth. They openly acknowledge this (1 Corinthians 15:10; Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 3:5; Galatians 2:20). "Not I, but Christ." When they feel themselves most strengthened by Christ, they are then most sensible of their own self-insufficiency and weakness. "I can do all things through Christ." yet we are not sufficient of ourselves to think a good thoughts. "When I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10). They would not say so if they did not find a power more than human exerting within them and strengthening them with might in their inward man. "I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me." Till we can thus distinguish between nature and grace, and see God influencing our wills in all their free motions to that which is good, we shall vainly assume to ourselves a power that never yet reduced itself to the least real act of faith in any man whatever. It is easy talking of a power to believe before we come to believe in good earnest; then our strength fails us if God does not support us and help our unbelief. "I believe, help my unbelief. I can't hold it; my faith will fail if God does not put His everlasting arms underneath." If we consider what difficulties, what strong objections that are unanswerable by reason, faith acts against in keeping up a lively hope of pardon in the conscience of a convinced sinner, we must say it is the work of God that we believe. We may wonder at ourselves as men when we consider what we believe as Christians" pg. 102,103 Thomas Cole 'A Discourse of Faith' 11:03 a.m. - 2023-10-11 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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