TEXT:ISAIAH 42:4; HEB.12:2
''He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.''
''Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.''
Unless Jesus with all that He stands for is kept before the saints' view, they shall always be fluctuating in their resolve in the pursuit of godliness: for on this side heaven, there are things to discourage the sons of men from religion than aiding the furtherance thereof. It is not with water to flow up hill, as it is with sparks to fly upward: man is of earth, his direction is earthward, so any attempt to move heaven-ward, he would not get the aid for it. The new creation man is from above, he travels heaven-ward, but because he lives in the house of clay for the time being, he finds the force of his habitation pulling him downward:(Gal. 5:17). This is a lot he must live with, but not without help from his homeland! The government and kingdom of this world, nay, the organised system of this world, is not for the encouragement of the saints, rather, it is set up to war against God and His saints. Friends, there is a dozen of encouragement and spirit in looking at and unto Jesus. There is fresh courage and life in looking away from all things unto Jesus. A saint that desires to travel the path marked out for him by God, to ever be on that path, thorns and briers thereon not withstanding, he must keep Jesus and the saints who had gone ahead of him in his eyes. He must labour to have insight into their courage in the midst of misunderstanding and privation. For fresh courage, o pilgrims, look away from all other things to Christ! When we consider what Christ endured in the way of obedience, and are taken hold of by the power of this consideration, how resolved and determined shall we constantly be in the carrying out of our purpose in life! As the brazen serpent was lifted up in the wilderness to bring healing from the bite of snakes to any who looked thereupon, so fresh life comes to the discouraged who behold Jesus in both His passion and glory. As the church in the wilderness waited for daily bread from above, so the church miliant and her children must daily look unto Jesus for the courage to endure her cross and despise the calumny put on her by the blind and confused world. Friends, if we would not fail nor be discouraged, till we have set judgment in the earth, and make the isles wait for the law of our Christ, it deeply concerns us to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.