The soul’s meditation of Him shall be sweet. He who loves dwells in God.

“There is also an acquiescence of the heart in Him.” 

            “Return unto thy rest, O my soul.” ~ Psalms 116:7 

“But this is not felt till love has obtained, till the soul feels itself to love, and to have what it loves; to love and to be loved; to accept and to be accepted by God.  When it comes to this, then we have enough.” 

            “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” ~ Song of Solomon 6:3

“And here is the sweetness of religion, the marrow and fatness of godliness, the pleasure of love.  When I love, I can rest; when I can rest, I can rejoice; when I feel myself to love, I know I am beloved.  And what is then wanting?  Where love is a stranger, joy is not known. We can never take comfort in anything but in that which we love.  What is a friend, a wife, a child, if we do not love them?   What is society or communion where love has not first made a union?  Can two walk together unless they are agreed? With little comfort, sure; they would be better pleased if they were parted asunder.  It is love that is the pleasure of our lives.  It is love that makes heaven sweet.  There we shall have our fill of joy because there we have our fill of love.  Heaven would not be heaven, God Himself could not be the joy if He were not the love of His saints.”

“There are no feasts but love feasts.  Love is both the best dish, and the only sauce for every dish.  It is the best dish, and he who feeds on divine love will never complain of a short meal.  And love is the sauce for every dish; it is but unsavory meat that is not seasoned with love. Be the meat ever so excellent, it will not relish if it is not loved.  Love will make anything relish.  Get love for Christ, love for religion, and you will never demand, “Where is the blessedness? Where is the sweetness?”

Alleine, Richard. Heaven Opened The Riches of God's Covenant. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 2000. 163-164. Print.

Gird up the Loins of Your Mind

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;” ~ 1 Peter 1:13-15

“Gird up the loins of your minds; gird and be sober; gird and hope perfectly; gird and be obedient; gird and be holy. This girding is gathering in the strength of the heart to do its work.  Call in your hearts and hold them in; be always ready for every duty, ready against every temptation.”

“Oh, how loose we are! What loose praying, loose hearing, loose meditation, and loose walking we satisfy ourselves with! Our hearts are to seek, and instead our hearts and affections are gadding abroad; we know not where to find them, and our work is done thereafter.  We excuse our non-proficiency in religion by our many hindrances, by the difficulties of our work; but the great hindrance lies in that our loins are ungirded, and our hearts are neither united in our work nor intent upon it.   When God and the things of eternity get so deep into the heart; when there is such a deep sense of the weight and importance of the things that are eternal and abiding upon us, such as can overpower carnal objects and loose the hearts from them; when we feel the evidence and consequence of these things commanding our entire souls after them, then there is religion in earnest; then we go on and prosper.”

“Let others do what they will, run where they please, choose whom they will serve and what they will follow after; come, my soul, follow the Lord; gird up your loins and come away for the other world.  Make haste; linger not; let others loiter as they will, escape for your life.  Do not look behind; get up to the mountain and live.”

Alleine, Richard. Heaven Opened The Riches of God's Covenant. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 2000. 120-122. Print

The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of truth and direction.

 

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” ~ John 16:13

He shall guide us by His counsel, and He shall lead us in the way that we should go.

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” ~ Isaiah 30:21

He shall lead His people into all truth (to prevent mistakes) and into all righteousness (to prevent miscarriages).  Nay, more, He shall not only be their star, but their strength too.  He shall guide His people on and help them on.  They shall be led by the Spirit, bound in the Spirit, and pressed in the Spirit.  They shall be excited, assisted, and carried on in the power of the Spirit in the way that they should go.  He will cause them to walk in the statutes of the Lord.  Whatsoever your waywardness and your wanderings have been, whatever your feebleness and fickleness are, whatever false lights and false ways are before you, whatever temptations you meet with to turn you aside out of the right way, whatever doubts hence rise in your heart, if you think, “I shall one day or another perish from the way and be a lost sheep at last,” yet His conduct shall be prosperous and the event shall be sure.  He shall so guide you by His counsel that He shall bring you to glory.  He shall gather His lambs with His arm and carry them in His bosom, gently leading those who are with young.”

Alleine, Richard. Heaven Opened The Riches of God's Covenant. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 2000. 45-46. Print.

Our Lord and King

      

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee:” ~ Zechariah 9:9

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” ~ Isaiah 9:6

"God has more care of His saints than to leave the government of them on their own shoulder.  Is not her King in her? 

He is a King to gather them, a King to govern them, a King to defend and save them: to save them from their temporal enemies, the sons of violence, the men of this evil world; from their spiritual enemies, to save them from their sins.

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” ~ Matthew 1:21

It is a mercy to be under government and to be under protection.  What would become of us if there were no king in Israel?  When there is no king, all are kings; there are more kings than men.  Satan will be a king; every lust will be a lord, and there will be as many kings as there are devils and sins.  Where would our unruly hearts carry us?  How easily would our wily and potent enemies ruin us!  What tyranny would sin exercise within!  What cruelty we would suffer from without! Where we would wander! What peace, what order, what stability! Where would our counsel, protection, and salvation come, were there no lord over us?

It is a mercy to be under any government; but to be under such a government as this, to be under such a King?  Such a wise and potent King, such a meek and merciful King, such a holy and righteous King?  Oh, what a wonder of mercy!

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” ~

Zechariah 9:9   

He is just, having salvation. As a Priest He has purchased it; as a King He bestows it.  He comes not to get, but to give; not to give laws only, but to give gifts unto men. And He gives like a king, palms, crowns, and thrones.  He gives salvation to His people by the remission of their sins.  Oh, how unthankful, how foolish is this rebellious world! We are impatient of subjection! We shake off the yoke! We groan under duty and under discipline! We will not have this man to rule over us! But then who will save you?

“It is hard to be a Christian! There are strict laws, severe discipline, and no liberty! Woe is me. I am so limited and hedged in on all hands that there is no liberty left me to be miserable.  If I will be His, I must be happy.”

Is this your complaint? Let fools inherit their own folly, but let Israel rejoice in Him who made them; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King, for the Lord takes pleasure in His people and will beautify the meek with salvation.

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” ~ Psalm 24:9-10

Yea, the Lord our righteousness, He is the King of glory.  The Lord is our Judge; the Lord is our Lawgiver; the Lord is our King – He will save us.  Praise ye the Lord! 

Her King is in the midst of her; the Lord is her King, and He will save her.”

Alleine, Richard. Heaven Opened The Riches of God's Covenant. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 2000. 27-29. Print.