p. 73 | Untitled article by JOHN MATTESON

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, January 14, 1868

MEDITATION ON DELIVERANCE.

By JOHN MATTESON

Oh! how thankful we ought to be to the Lord for all his blessings. Let us thank him for every meal of victuals, every night of refreshing and undisturbed sleep. For every day that we are kindly sheltered from the cold and the storm. Soon all the cold winters will be past. Soon the last autumn leaf will fall. The chilly winds and frosty nights will be all forgotten. Then the mild and eternal summer of the blessed kingdom will be ours to enjoy forever. The sun shall scorch no more, neither shall any heat fall upon us. Hunger shall be felt no more. The tree of life shall satisfy us, and living fountains quench the thirst forever.

Oh! beautiful kingdom; when shall we reach thy happy shores, and dwell safely within thy borders? There is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. There is no tempting Devil, no fleshly lusts, no fretful temper, no lack of patience, no fear of weakness and disease, no worldly pleasures to allure, no dangers to threaten, or perils to frighten. The blessed Saviour will reign. He shall be our king. No unrighteousness shall be heard of in all his peaceful domains. Oh! what bliss, what joy, what happy subjects, to chant the songs of praise, to evermore exalt the lovely character of Jesus, to speak of his wonderful works among the children of men.

Shall we ever sing together there? Shall our voices mingle in praise there? Shall we be permitted to hear the voices of our children there? Shall old father and mother become young and swell the chorus of the redeemed? Shall the dear brethren and sisters in the scattered churches, and the lonely ones, young and old, shout the glories and hallelujahs in the heavenly country, and walk in white, and wear the shining crown of glory?

I am so glad when I think that the Lord does now hear our united prayers. I rejoice that we can now mingle our voices before his throne. We can now train ourselves for eternity. For eternity! Train ourselves for eternity! Oh! what a glorious undertaking! This world will soon perish. We need not train ourselves so much for this world. And yet how careful young men and women are to be trained and to fit themselves for the company of this world. How much money they will spend on it. How much pains they will take. How hard they will study. Should not we take more pains, and study harder to prepare for the company of Jesus, and angels, and saints? Should we not try hard to prepare ourselves to be kings and priests, and to reign with Jesus upon the earth? Ought we not to use carefully every day of this short probation, to prepare for the glorious eternity?

I am sorry that I have used my past time no better than I have. Sorry that my body and mind is weakened through my own follies, and my strength shorn wherewith I ought to serve God and worship him. Sorry that my mind has been so polluted with earth and earthly things. Sorry that the process of moulding it after the image of Jesus, and obtaining a mind like the mind that was in him, still goes so slow.

But I am glad and bless the Lord for all his tender mercies and loving kindness. Glad above all for the blessed plan of salvation revealed to us. Glad for the gathering call and last solemn message of mercy. Blessed be God who gave his dear Son to die for us. And blessed be the Lamb of God, who shed his precious blood to ransom poor rebels from sin and the grave, and clothe poor mortals with immortality and glory. He died for my sins, for your sins. Yet he lives. Lives in Heaven, to intercede for us. He certainly will hear us. He will notice us. He will smile upon us. He doth have compassion upon us. When we confess our sins before him, when we come with a broken heart, when the tear of repentance falls, when we hunger and thirst for righteousness; he doth satisfy, and comfort, and heal, and bless, and revives the living hope of an inheritance incorruptible. Blessed be God. Jesus will come. Glorious hope of immortality, soon to be realized! Shall I be there? Will you all be there? We must, we must! Though dangers rage without, and fears and temptations within, through all these fiery trials we must be purified.

The conflict is deepening. Greater trials await us. Stronger and stronger will the powers of darkness rage against the people of God. But Jesus is mighty to keep us. Mighty to save to the uttermost all that come unto him. Cast thy burdens on the Lord. He will carry all thy burdens. He healeth all thy diseases. He is the strong tower of the rock, mighty to shield against all the attacks of the enemy.

Thrice precious Jesus. Let me flee to thy bosom, as the little lamb to his kind shepherd. Let me rest my weary head upon thy breast. Behold how black I am. Wash me clean; make me white. Look at these bruises and sores. There is no physician in this world who can cure them, no balm that can heal. But thou art the Great Physician. Thou hast the all-healing balm. Thou canst make me whole and pure. Now dost thy blessing come like the gentle dew on the grass, refreshing the weary heart. Now dost thou send thy gentle, melting Spirit with heavenly peace, from the celestial regions. Yes, faithful Saviour, thou wilt lead us. Lead us on to victory. Blessed be God who giveth us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. JOHN MATTESON.