Spirit Jesus

In one sense, we are glorified even now; for He “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

“Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Do not expect men to be the friends of your piety; or, if they are, suspect the reality of that piety of which ungodly man is a friend.

Every citizen of heaven must be taught with thorns and briers, as were the men of Succoth. Every child of God must march through the enemies’ land; for Christ says, “I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil.

If a Christian could lay himself down, and run away from himself, and never see himself again, he would be delighted beyond measure; for “truly in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing,” (Augustine) is the experience not of the apostle only, but of every child of God.

When you would do good, evil is present with you; you want to fly, but like the hawk which hath a chain to her leg, you can but stretch your wings and flutter, for you cannot mount aloft.

Ah, poor flesh! thou mayest kick and struggle as thou wilt, but when God holds His silver sceptre over thee, thou shalt surely yield. When Jehovah decrees that a man shall be sanctified, that man’s flesh may cry and groan, but the furnace shall refine him; the Holy Spirit shall purify him, experiences shall teach him, and the blood of Christ shall perfect him.

Despite that wicked heart of ours, we shall on eagles’ wings ascend, and be found without fault before the throne of God

Truly the two are brethren - for our flesh was originally in the family of wrath. Ah! that arch-traitor Satan! little do we know what temptations he is plotting and planning for us even now. He is so crafty, that he understands human nature better than human nature understands itself.

He knows our weak points, he understands where to touch us, so as to touch our bone and our flesh; he knows how to cover up the hook with the bait; for every soul he has his lure, and for every sinner he has his trap.

He knoweth how to take one this way, and the other the opposite, - some by straining after pretended spirituality, and others by descending into the grossest sensuality. Depend on it, my brother, thou mayest think thyself to be safe against Satan, but there is a join in thy harness, and he will find it out; and remember, as one leak may sink a ship, so one weak point may be, and would be thy ruin, IF God did not prevent it.