Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy. Jude 24
To stand in heaven and look back on earth, and weigh them together in the balance, must transport the soul and make it cry out, is this the place that cost so dear as the blood of God? No wonder, O blessed price, and thrice-blessed love! Is this the result of believing? Is this the outcome of the Spirit’s work? Have the gales of grace blown me into such a harbor? Is it here that Christ has enticed my soul? O blessed way and end! Now I see the gospel indeed as good tidings. Has my mourning, fasting, sad humbling, groaning and complaining come to this? Have my afflictions and fears of death come to this? Have Satan’s temptations and the world’s scorn come to this? O vile nature that resisted such a blessing! Was duty wearisome? Was the world too good to lose? Did I resist leaving all, denying all, and suffering anything for this? Was I loath to die and to come to this? O false heart that almost betrayed me to eternal flames and lost me this glory! O base flesh that desired to be pleased! O soul, are you not ashamed that you ever doubted the love that brought you here? Are you not ashamed of your hard thoughts of God and his providences, repining the ways that have led to such an end? Are you not sufficiently convinced that the ways you called hard and the cup you called bitter were necessary? The Lord had a sweeter purpose and meant better than you would believe. Your Redeemer was saving you as much when he crossed your desires as when he granted them, and he was saving you when he broke your heart as much as when he bound it up. No thanks to you, unworthy self, for this received crown, but to Jehovah and the Lamb be glory forever!
Richard Baxter, The Saints’ Everlasting Rest, pp. 44-46
Quoted from: Voices From The Past Devotional October 30, p. 304
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