William Mason
William Mason (1719-1791) was a High-Calvinist author. For many years he served as a Justice of the Peace, and in 1783 was appointed a Magistrate. He served as editor of the Gospel Magazine before and after the editorship of Augustus Toplady. He is best known for a morning and evening devotional entitled, “A Spiritual Treasury For The Children Of God.”
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Obedience Is The Measure Of Friendship With Christ
It is an observation of the heathens, that if virtue was to appear in human form, men would be enamoured with her beauty. But alas, this has been proved to be an idle speculation. For that glorious man Jesus, in whom every virtue centered, who was adorned with every grace, who went about doing good, and lived as never man did, yet he was despised and rejected of men. Blindness of mind is a firstborn sin. To see form and comeliness in Jesus, is peculiar to enlightened souls. To hear, love, and obey the holy precepts Christ taught, ariseth from a renewed heart. Morality and good works are at the tongue’s end of every man. The most immoral and profligate are ever ready to applaud,…
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Gift Begetting Gifts
Deism, or a rejection of God’s revealed truth, is natural to us all. Hence some have said, ‘The religion of nature is the religion of Satan for it affects a spirit of pride and independence of God, and rebellion against his will. Why does a deist reject the way of salvation by Jesus? Truly, because it is contrary to his natural notions: he cannot reconcile it to the attributes and perfections of Deity. Upon the very same looting many professors abhor, with the utmost indignation, the scripture-doctrines of God’s everlasting love, unconditional election of sinners, and the final perseverance of his saints to eternal life, by Jesus. Now, both deists and pharisees pro ceed upon the same principles; carnal reason, pride, and self-righteousness reign in…
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Today Shalt Thou Be With Me In Paradise
Unbelief, how great its power, how strong its influence! It would for ever blind the eyes, and harden the heart against Jesus and his grace; but ‘he shall divide the spoil with the strong.’ The prophet’s prediction is here clearly fulfilled, the sovereignty of grace is fully displayed. Our Lord’s own doctrine is truly verified in these two thieves: ‘One shall be taken, and the other left.’ Matt. 24:40. Pride is the companion of unbelief. This keeps men in obstinacy; they will not see, they will not bow to God’s sovereignty. But this is a comfortable truth to self-abased souls: God’s power is their hope. But doth our Lord bring sinners to glory without faith, repentance and holiness? Doth he leave his people in their…
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Prayer And Patience Must Go Hand In Hand
Our Saviour represents God’s own elect as crying day and night to him, Luke 18:7. Sore temptations, soul-burdens, Satan’s buffetings, are peculiarly felt by them. Their crying under them is a proof of spiritual life, their crying to the Lord only is an evidence of the faith of God’s elect, their entreaties to be delivered from them show the sanctified holy disposition of their souls. Thus the Lord draws out into exercise the graces of his children. His eyes are ever upon them, his ears open to their prayers, and his almighty power and grace sufficient to deliver them. But ‘he that believeth, must not make haste.’ We must tarry the Lord’s leisure, and be strong in hope: his time is best. It is God’s…
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Behold, I Come As A Thief
Vain confidence begets spiritual sloth. Licentious principles harden the heart in sin, deafen the ear to the calls of grace, and cause the tongue to pronounce evangelical excitements to love and obedience, legal. But the faith of Jesus enlivens to duty, and inspires the soul with godly jealousy and holy watchfulness. So the members of Jesus are blessed, blessed in him with all spiritual blessings; and they enjoy a sweet sense of blessedness in obeying him. ‘Behold I come,’ saith Jesus our head. In the faith of this enable me, Lord, to watch alway, saith every living member. We know but in part; there are infinitely greater blessings to be found in Jesus, more of his Knowledge, his love, his peace, of his image, greater…
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Past Experiences Strengthen Faith
Faith, by ancient writers, has been styled ‘the queen of graces.’ As such she displays her dignity, by disdaining to consult any power below the King of saints. When she calls in reason and reflection upon past experience, it is to give all the glory to her sovereign Lord. Thus David makes confession of faith in his king. What was the gigantic size, the formidable appearance, and the haughty threatenings of his Philistine antagonist? To the eye of his faith, all were mean and contemptible; for he saw him that was invisible: he fixed his confidence on the invisible power of the Omnipotent. He considered not himself: ‘he was strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’ He had sweet experience of…
