Salvation by Grace
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I know which music I prefer. Since first I hearkened to that pardoning word, like bells at evening pealing* my soul has scorned all other strains. Ring on, ring on, sweet bells ! Again, he would boast in Paradise. Think of it! Heaven as it is, is full of perfect praise to God. Its every song is in honor of Father, Son, or Spirit. “Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.” That is the chorus of the skies, the sweet refrain of the everlasting song. “Worthy is the Lamb,” they cry, and again they say, “Halle lujah!” But were salvation by works instead of by Grace, the songs would be in praise of man. Each would laud his fellow or himself, and eternity would be spent in recounting personal virtues and victories. Oh! what a tiresome eternity that would be. Ah ! it is better as it is, with thé Lamb in the midst of the throne, and the harps all tuned to Jesus’ praise. There will be no self-admiration there, and, consequently, no compari sons and no rivalry, unless, indeed, we vie one with the other as to who shall honor Grace the most. The motto of each will be, “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” As McCheyne puts it, we shall be “dressed in beauty not our own.” That is the beauty of it ! So, salvation is of Grace, and of Grace alone. God will have no man boasting, and boast he assuredly would, were he saved, even in part, by the works of his own hands. It is admittedly a humbling doctrine. We wonder not that it is not popular. Truth seldom is. “Truth is unwelcome, however Divine.” But is it not well to be humbled ? We are not dis posed to favor any teaching which be-littles God, or magni fies man. It has been well and truly said that “the man who
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