Watts - Houston-Packer Collection BX5207.W3 S4x 1805 v.1

16:6 THE HIDDEN LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN. CSERM. X. tirely from him, whose love is secured in Jesús Christ; Rout. viii. 38, 39. The disciples were much to blame, that they were overwhelmed with. terror in the midst of the storm,: while Jesus Christ was withthem in the same ship; and ye should chide your own souls, when you feel yourselves under such .unbelieving fears as our Lord Jesus Christ chid in his fearful followers : " O ye of little faith, wherefore did ye doubt ?" Iid consolation. What a comfortable thought must it be to a poor feeble christian, that God and Christ know all the state of his spiritual life ? for it is hid with them. Though the life of a saint has a cloud upon it, though it is entirely hidden from men, and ,sometimes too much hidden from himself too, yet the Fattier and the Saviour know every circumstance of it, how low.it is, how feeble, what daily obstacles it meets with, what hourly enemies assault it. Christ our Lord well knows when our life is in danger, and what are the necessary supplies. This is very encouraging to a poor trembling believer, when he hardly knows how to address the throne of grace himself in such a manner, as to represent all his wants, and all his spiritual sorrows and difficulties to God in prayer; but. our Lord Jesus Christ, who is a compassionate high- priest, who is our head, and near a-kin to us his members, is perfectly acquainted with our state : And the christian, mourning under the de- cays of grace, can look up to Christ with hope, he can .mingle new exercises of faith and dependence, among his sighs and his groans, and commit his case afresh to Jesus his Saviour, with a humble and a .holy acquies- cence in him. Christ himself, who is the believer's life, must know, and will. take care of all affairs which relate to his spiritual and eternal welfare. . It is a matter of.sweet consolation too, when 'a hum- ble christian, who walks .carefully. before God, is re- proached by the world for a , deceiver and a hypocrite, that he can';appeal to God, with, whom his life is hic}, ánd say, "Myrecord is;on high; though my friends, or my enemies, may scorn, or deride me, yet he knoweth the :way that I take, and the secret exercises of my hid- den life: He.. knows, my lodgings and breathings. of sou after blip, and that nothing but his love can satisfy ine

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