Quickened!

But GOD, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us together with CHRIST (by grace ye are saved.) Ephesians 2:4-5.

My dear brethren in Christ, and thou, O my soul, one chief reason why, at any time, we have so little comfort, and are so low in joy, is, we do not enough believe and live upon the love of God. Let us never think of, or look for any mercy from God, without considering that it flows from love. Is God rich in mercy to any? It is because he loves them. Great love, everlasting, unchangeable love, is the source and spring of rich mercy. It was rich mercy, for God to give us his beloved Son to be our Saviour in time. This was because of his great love to us before time. He loved us from eternity in his Son. He loves us invariably the same through time, and under all states and circumstances. Yea, when we were forlorn, hopeless, helpless, loathsome, and desperate, even dead in sins, he loved us with great love; too great to be conceived or expressed. He manifested it, by bestowing rich mercy upon us; mercy, so rich, so free, so liberal, that it came to us unsought, unasked, undeserved. His great love to us, was the parent of his rich mercy to us. Mercy without love may be exercised by an enemy: but the mercy of God flows from the loving heart of a father. He saw our souls dead in sin; dead under his law; dead to himself. Did he leave us? No. He loved us with great love; therefore, in rich mercy, he quickened us. Quickened us! is that all? A quickened soul, some think, is in a very inferior degree of grace. It is neither justified nor sanctified. But such are great strangers to the rich mercy and great love of God; and they do not consider that souls are quickened together with Christ. There is the sweetness of quickening mercy enjoyed. Quickening souls see their sinfulness, know their poverty, feel their misery and wretchedness, and groan under a body of sin and death: but here is their glory, joy, and comfort—they are one with Christ. His life is theirs, his death is theirs, his righteousness is theirs, his holiness is theirs, his fulness is theirs. Though sin is not dead in us, yet being one with Christ, we are dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God. By grace are ye saved. Neither you nor your works have the least hand in salvation. Therefore, rejoice. It is not precarious and uncertain, whether you shall be saved. For quickened souls may be as sure of it, as if they were now before the throne. O may love, mercy, and grace be the constant theme of our souls!

We’ll sing rich mercy and great love,
To us so freely giv’n ,
By God our Father from above,
Whereby we’re heirs of heav’n.

Then let as live like saints on earth,
Tho’ we are sinners poor,
That we may prove our heav’nly birth,
And Christ our Lord adore.

- William Mason, A Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God, Volume 2, October 9