*"Sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind." Luke 8:35 *
*Look at this man, my soul, and see whether thou canst find any
resemblance to thyself. Before that he heard the voice of Jesus, he was
under the possession of the evil spirit. It is said of him, that he wore
no clothes. He dwelt in no house, but abode among the tombs. He was
cutting himself with stones. No man could tame him, neither fetters nor
chains bind him. Poor miserable creature! And yet, my soul, was not this
a true emblem of thy state; and indeed, of every man's state by nature?
Had not Satan full possession of thine heart and affections, my soul,
before that thou becamest savingly acquainted with the Lord Jesus
Christ? Did he not lead thee in the pursuit and gratification of thy
lusts and pleasure at his will? Thou mightest truly be said to wear no
clothes; for so far from having on the garment of Jesus's righteousness,
in those days of thine unregeneracy, thou wert naked to thy shame, in
the filth of nature. *
*Thou didst not dwell in the house of God, nor even delight to go
thither. And, as this poor creature abode among the dead, so didst thou
live and abide with characters like thyself, dead in trespasses and
sins. And as this miserable man was wounding himself with stones, so
wert thou; for thy daily commission of sin was giving wounds to thy
soul, infinitely more alarming than the wounds he gave his body. And
could no chains or fetters be found strong enough to bind him? So
neither did all the solemn commands and threatening judgments of God's
holy law act with the least restraint upon thine ungoverned passions. *
*Pause, my soul, over the representation, and acknowledge how just and
striking the similarity. Then ask thyself, art thou now sitting at the
feet of Jesus, clothed and in thy right mind? Yes! if so be like this
poor man, thou hast heard the voice of Jesus, and felt the power of his
grace in thine heart. If one like the Son of God hath set thee free,
brought thee to his fold, opened thine ear to discipline, and thine
heart, to grace, then art thou free indeed. What sayest thou, my soul,
to these things? Is there this change, this blessed change, from dead
works to serve the living and true God? Oh then, will not the language
of thine heart be like Jesus, and his church of old? "I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath
clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the
robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments,
and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."*
*Robert Hawker (1753-1827) *