Some of us are communicants; and thereby we profess, before the world, that we have renounced the false principles and practices of the state of darkness, that we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and him alone, for salvation, and that we are wholly devoted to him as sinners saved by grace. Or, to use the metaphor to which I have before referred, our profession is, that, having been awakened as in the night by the power of divine grace, we are now wholly devoted to the work of preparation for the approaching dawn. The minister is distinguished from other communicants principally in this respect, that it is his office to keep others awake, as well as to maintain an awakened spirit in his own mind, and to forward the works of others as well as to fulfil his own. How does the minister then, how do his fellow communicants appear, as the light of day exposes secrets and unfolds realities? We maybe assisted in our reply to this inquiry by the experience of one whose works are known to most of us—an eminent, faithful, laborious clergyman of the church of England ; one whose works of faith and labours of love were highly valued in his day, and are still remembered in almost every country where evangelical truth and spiritual Christianity is valued—I mean the author of the "Young Cottager," and the "Dairyman's Daughter"— Rev. L. Richmond. When it was decided by the medical advisers that the pulmonary disease under which he was suffering must soon terminate his valuable life, a friend communicated to him the opinion. He was not surprised by it. "I knew it, brother," he replied, "seven months ago: I was well satisfied from whence this cough came—that it was a message from above." But observe his view of himself, and of all his works, in the light which then might be said to be opened upon him. His friend had scarcely resumed the conversation, with a remark upon the immense importance of Christian principles, when he raised himself in his chair, and with great solemnity of manner, said, "Brother, we are only half awake—we are none of us more than half awake." In an account, also, of his last moments, given by his (daughter, the clearer views of his mind in the light of that day are still more remarkably unfolded. "One morning," she states, "as I was sitting near him, he burst into tears, and said, 'O my parish! my poor parish! I feel as if I had done nothing for it—as if it had been so much neglected. I have not done half what I ought.' It was more than I could bear," she adds, "to hear him speak in this way; for I had seen him in weariness and painfulness and watchings, spending and being spent, if by any means he might win souls to Christ. I suggested to him his labours and the singular usefulness of his ministry, especially within the last two years. He would still reply, 'No thanks to me! no thanks to me! I see it so differently now, as if I had done just nothing. I see nothing but neglect, and duties left undone.' I could not help reflecting," observes his daughter, "on the different aspect things must have, when eternity is opening upon us"*.

Christian friends, will not the experience of this eminent minister assist us greatly in estimating our own principles, and examining our conduct, as in the light of the day of the Lord? If such a man was thus ashamed of himself, what must our estimate of ourselves be? If such works appear as nothing in the light of eternity, what shall be said of those of which we, perhaps, have been tempted to make our boast? Have not we reason to exclaim that we are only half awake? Have we not reason to be ashamed even of our best actions, and to esteem as absolutely nothing our greatest efforts? My friends, some of us may appear to be diligent, and faithful, and zealous, and earnest, in comparison with others; nay, more, some of us may be distinguished from our fellowmen by "works of faith and labours of love;" but we are viewing ourselves now in the light of the day of the Lord, and with the understanding that we are tested by the standard of perfection rather than by the attainments of our neighbours. O, how contemptible our pride appears in this light! how utterly baseless any show of merit! What! the devotion of a life-time not meritorious? The persevering labours of a faithful man of God, shall these be accounted worthless? My friends, the light of the day of the Lord reveals the Christian standard so clearly, that his greatest attainments increase his self-abasement. And see how the rising dawn exposes our neglect, our carelessness, our worldly conformity, our unbelief, our coldness, our selfishness. These things were concealed by the imperfect light of the night season; or, if not concealed, they were justified by the laws of a spurious charity. Our neglect, perhaps, was thought to be justifiable, on account of the peculiar circumstances of our case. Our carelessness was excused by the plea that perfection was not attainable. Our worldliness was thought to be necessary for the diffusion of our Christian light, and to avoid the charge of singularity. Even our unbelief and coldness of heart and selfishness were not without their plausible arguments. But now, in the better light of the approaching day, all these vain excuses are forgotten. Every fault, every inconsistency stands out in all its naked deformity. And observe, further, how by this light the pathway through which we have parsed is illuminated, and the imperfections of bygone days are brought to view. How different everything appears! In those days, probably, we acquitted ourselves of blame; but now the truth is made manifest. See, there an opportunity might have been improved; there a habit might have been corrected; there self-indulgence was preferred to self-denial; there the heart went after covetousness, when the glory of God demanded its best efforts. O, what ingratitude to him who gave his Son for us! what disregard, too, for our own best interests! The heirs of an incorruptible inheritance, the citizens of an eternal kingdom have been wasting their time and strength upon the trifles of a moment—trifles, too, which were calculated to hinder rather than set forward their salvation! Christian friends, can you realize enough of the light to perceive these truths? But there is more, much more to be said; for the light of the day exposes other realities. The carnally-minded are now separated from the spiritually-minded, the converted from the unconverted, formalists from the true communicants, "lovers of pleasure" from "lovers of God." By the light of the night season these distinctions could not be clearly discerned ; and the rule was, "judge nothing before the time" (1 Cor. iv. 6); but now the state of the heart is revealed—now the truth is made known. And what painful disappointment, what sad exposures are the result! Christian friends, it was once the opinion of a faithful and highly-esteemed minister, who is now with the Saviour (Rev. E. Bickersteth), that he had not one unconverted communicant connected with his church. Would such an opinion, think you, be justified with respect to our small body of communicants? What does the light of the day of the Lord reveal concerning this? Remember, nothing but vital godliness will bear this light. Formalism, and every kind of self-deception, every kind of hypocrisy must be discovered, and put to shame by this spirit-searching test.

* Memoirs of Rev. Legh Richmond, p. 414.

"Have not we reason to exclaim that we are only half awake?"

Image of the Rev. Legh Richmond's engraved portrait from T.S.Grimshawe's Memoirs of the Rev. Legh Richmond found at http://www.grimshaworigin.org/WebPages/ThomShut.htm / {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}

Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schadow,FW-Die_klugen_und_t%C3%B6richten_Jungfrauen-2.JPG  / CC BY-SA 3.0 / {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}

 
By Babylon's river, my weeping soul
Over me His waves and billows roll

Sinking fast in despair and doubt
Powerless to lift myself out

In the darkness and the gloom
Dry bones motionless in the tomb

While enemy taunts came like a flood
The Spirit lifted a standard above

On my downcast soul in blustery hour
God's light and life and truth did shower

God heard my groans, He regarded my cries
A broken, contrite heart He does not despise

Looked down from His throne, holy height
Christ heard this poor man, He did arise

Stirred up His strength, girded with might
Glory descended – He came beside

Comforter's embrace, set me as a seal
The clouds parted, His smile revealed

Delivered out, lifted up in dead of night
To Mount Zion, wholly safe with Christ

Sun of righteousness rose with healing strong
Into my mouth He planted a new song

Above the tumult, divine translation
On His holy hill, celestial celebration

For my faint spirit, the garment of praise
My bonds You loosed, my voice I raise
 
O! Exceeding Joy, I taste and see
Upon my harp, my God, I will praise Thee!

Psalm 102 (ESV)
16  For the LORD builds up Zion;
he appears in his glory;
17  he regards the prayer of the destitute
and does not despise their prayer.
18  Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:
19  that he looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
20  to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,
21  that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
22  when peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.

* * *

Romans 3:21  But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22  the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25  whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

27  Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28  For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law...

Romans 4:1  What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3  For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4  Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5  And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6  just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

(A little background to the Galatians 6 reference: the new Christians were being deceived by the Judaizers and being tempted to revert to trusting in their own works to save them, rather than wholly trusting in Christ to save them.)

Romans 6:1  What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2  By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his...

Romans 8:9  You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10  But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11  If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

I had fasted, watched and prayed, and received the Sacrament so long...

Mark 7:6  And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,


8  You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

9  And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!