{"id":2783,"date":"2014-03-08T12:17:49","date_gmt":"2014-03-08T12:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2783"},"modified":"2014-03-08T12:17:49","modified_gmt":"2014-03-08T12:17:49","slug":"the-threefold-blessing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2783","title":{"rendered":"THE THREEFOLD BLESSING."},"content":{"rendered":"

THE THREEFOLD BLESSING.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lord bless you and keep you\u2013the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.\u201d<\/em> Numb. 6:24-26.<\/p>\n

How gracious is our God in Christ! His mercy overtops the heaven of heavens. Throughout the Bible-page, at every turn, it beams forth in fresh rays. Behold a signal instance. He speaks in these verses, and blessings drop from Him, sparkling as the morning dew\u2013large as Jehovah\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n

Believer, come now and listen to these sounds, as you sit calmly on your Gospel-heights. You see it is the office of the priest to bless. This introduces Jesus to the eye of faith. He is \u2018the Church\u2019s blessing Priest\u2019. The only priesthood is wrapped up in Him. The earthly office, ministered by men, long since expired. When His own hands brought His own life a victim to the altar-cross, all \u2018typical\u2019 functions were fulfilled. But now on heaven\u2019s throne He ministers. There He presents the ever-fragrant incense of His blood. There He portions out the covenanted mercies. Thence freely He outpours them. He came\u2013He lived\u2013He worked\u2013He died, that He might bless. He gave Himself\u2013the price of blessings. He rose\u2013He took His seat on high, that He might reign a Priest, forever blessed, and forever blessing.<\/p>\n

Is there a child of Adam\u2019s needy race, who covets blessings from the courts of heaven? Let him approach. There is one open way. No fiery sword drives from it. No\u2013a gracious hand is ever beckoning\u2013and gracious invitations call. Hasten to Christ. He is the home of blessings.<\/p>\n

Around the Gospel-camp, the sound unceasingly is heard. There is no moment, when the believer may not be thus cheered. Christ\u2013his Priest\u2013is always near. In every place\u2013in every work\u2013he may realize His voice, and hear the constant music of the mighty blessing, \u201cThe Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.\u201d The heavenly voice is never mute. The heavenly sun knows no eclipse.<\/p>\n

Next, the terms<\/strong> are aptly chosen to solace individual hearts. Observe\u2013these blessings are not given, as a general store. They are not cast, as handfuls to a crowd\u2013where some may gather much, and some return with none. Far otherwise. They single out each separate child of faith. They call each one alone, and say, Here is a blessing for your own bosom-need. Each one, apart from all his fellows, takes for himself a full supply.<\/p>\n

These lineaments pervade our Gospel. It proclaims special grace. It brings home direct comfort to each soul. The true believer comes apart from men; he leaves the maze of general mercies; he feels, Christ \u201cloved me, and gave Himself for me,\u201d as if redemption centered all in me. He lives in heaven, and prays at God\u2019s right hand, and fits a bright throne, for me<\/em>, as if I were His only care. I see my own name foremost on His breast. To me the words come especially, \u201cThe Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

But if there be this special mercy in the singular address, is there not threefold mercy in the triple voice? With tender love Jehovah is thrice named. Blessings are multiplied\u2013again\u2013again\u2013again. Faith quickly grasps the significance. Three glorious persons form the glorious Godhead. Doubtless they are one in undivided essence\u2013one in coequal majesty\u2013one in the singleness of unchangeable decree\u2013one in the boundlessness of love\u2013one in the exercise of might\u2013one in accomplishment of plan. But there is Trinity in this mystic Unity. One Deity is three in office.<\/p>\n

But the whole heart of the Triune Jehovah yearns over the redeemed. They all concur to save. They all combine to help. They all unite to bless. Surely the Threefold Blessing sounds this truth.<\/p>\n

Heed\u2013heed again the heaven-sent form. \u201cThe Lord,\u201d Jehovah the Father, \u201cbless you and keep you.\u201d Again\u2013\u201dThe Lord,\u201d Jehovah the Son, \u201cmake His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.\u201d Again\u2013\u201dThe Lord,\u201d Jehovah the Holy Spirit, \u201clift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our souls are now prepared to press the juice of these rich clusters.<\/p>\n

1. Open the hand wide. The FATHER<\/strong> comes to fill it. \u201cThe Lord bless you, and keep you.\u201d The first word is large, as God is large. It gives so much, that it leaves nothing ungiven. It floods the cup, so that no other drop can enter. It shows a prospect, in which there is no vacancy. \u201cThe Lord bless you.\u201d May He, who speaks, and it is done; who wills, and it must be; who holds all power in His hands; who sits on the high throne of universal rule, may He bless you!<\/p>\n

WHEN? Now and ever\u2013throughout the moments, which are and shall be\u2013when you go out\u2013come in\u2013sit down\u2013rise up\u2013through all your living space, and when the last breath flutters on your lips.\u2013\u201dThe Lord bless you.\u201d<\/p>\n

WHERE? In every place, in which you tarry, or to which you move; in the closet\u2013at home\u2013abroad\u2013in still retreat, and in the busiest haunts\u2013in the publicity of open work\u2013and in the sanctity of holiest spots.\u2013\u201dThe Lord bless you.\u201d<\/p>\n

HOW? By causing all things to minister to your true good\u2013by crowning your lot with all real happiness.\u2013\u201dThe Lord bless you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps the soul, conscious of weakness, finding SELF to be a broken reed, and seeing many perils all around, sighs specially for protection. Be it so. Protection here is stretched out, as a shield\u2013help is extended, as a sustaining arm. It is added, \u201cand keep you.\u201d From WHAT? From every foe\u2019s injurious assault\u2013from every secret dart\u2013from every direct attack\u2013from self\u2013from men\u2013from evil\u2019s legion\u2013from the world\u2019s smile and frown. HOW? By the shelter of His shadowing wings. HOW LONG? Until all need is past, and danger\u2019s region is quite left behind, and heaven\u2019s safe haven is attained. Happy believer\u2013thus blest\u2013thus kept of God!<\/p>\n

2. JESUS<\/strong> comes next. \u201cThe Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.\u201d The greatest change on nature\u2019s brow is when light dawns. Gloom dwells beneath the pall of night. When clouds cast their thick shade, dark chilliness prevails. But with returning beams the landscape sparkles, the groves are melody, the fields are joy. It is so with the soul. Sad are the hours, which are not bright with Jesus. <\/em>Then sins affright, and wrath dismays, and all the future is despair. There is no misery like the absence of His look. But when His face again is seen, the heart is happiness, the lips are praise. This blessing promises the shining of His face\u2013not a brief ray, but the full blaze of concentrated love. Heaven\u2019s fullness is to see Him face to face. Heaven\u2019s foretaste, is to catch this pledge of His smile. \u201cThe Lord make His face shine upon you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here, too, a precious pearl is added. It is GRACE. The words proceed, \u201cand be gracious unto you.\u201d What wonders are wrapped up in grace! Its birth is in the heavens\u2013its fruit upon the earth. It looks on those, in whom no merit dwells. It sees them lost. But still it loves, and pities, and relieves. It drew salvation\u2019s scheme. It named salvation\u2019s sons. It raised the cross, and led the Savior to it. Apart from Christ\u2013it has no being\u2013and no admission-door to its beloved work. But now, through Christ, its visits come on sanctifying wing. The graceless become gracious, because grace works<\/em>. The gracious become glorious, because grace triumphs<\/em>.<\/p>\n

3. The blessing voice still speaks. \u201cThe Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.\u201d Can they, who have received so much, need more? But more is wondrously given. The truly blest have all the blessings of a Triune Jehovah. Hence the SPIRIT\u2019S<\/strong> favor is moreover pledged. Some covet earthly honors and applause. Some seek the bursting coffer and the large estate. But what is earth, and all its contents, compared to this possession? The Spirit\u2019s countenance converts the soul from death to life, and raises it from hell to glory. He shows its utter need, and its recovery in Christ. He teaches the vile loathsomeness of sin\u2013and the just punishment of hell. He then reveals the God-man slain\u2013the shelter of His wounds\u2013the mantle of His righteousness. He points to welcoming arms. He testifies, that none can perish at the cross. When He lifts up His countenance, the mists of ignorance, the clouds of unbelief, melt off\u2013and SELF is seen, that it may be abhorred\u2013and Christ is seen, that He may be embraced and loved. Then peace will surely follow. There is no peace in soul-blindness, in distance from Christ, in unsubdued iniquity, in wallowing in nature\u2019s mire. But when the Spirit joins the soul to Christ\u2013when He renews the nature, and sows seeds of godliness; then peace\u2013abundant peace\u2013peace always, by all means, establishes glad sway.<\/p>\n

Reader, seek Christ\u2013adhere to Him\u2013abide in Him\u2013make Him your all\u2013then will this Threefold Blessing be your crown. Hear it once more. \u201cThe Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is the gift of gifts\u2013the prize of prizes\u2013the Father\u2019s full protection\u2013the Savior\u2019s smiling grace\u2013the Spirit\u2019s countenance and peace. Reader, do you ask, Can such transcendent property be mine? Pause\u2013think. Why is it thus revealed? God speaks these blessings, not to mock, but to fulfill. Can they be mine? Oh! cast yourself without one fear on Christ, and you will quickly know.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Henry Law.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE THREEFOLD BLESSING. \u201cThe Lord bless you and keep you\u2013the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.\u201d Numb. 6:24-26. How gracious is our God in Christ! His mercy overtops the heaven of heavens. Throughout the Bible-page, at every […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-author-henry-law","category-believers-assurance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2783"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2785,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2783\/revisions\/2785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}