The Twenty Sixth of May.BE YE TRANSFORMED --- Romans 12:1, 2."I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." --- Romans 12:1, 2. The presenting our bodies a living sacrifice unto God, when attended with serious prayer and reading the Scriptures, is the best means of knowing the will of God. To neglect this, and use other means is tempting God, and exposing ourselves to the temptations and siftings of the wicked one. We may think ourselves to be divinely convinced by faith of the will of God, though we follow our own imaginations, and spoil the best of our actions. Self-will generally takes quick resolutions, and has a great deal of assurance: whereas, God very often leads his people blindly, and takes methods quite different from ours. "Who, therefore, believes, shall not make haste," --- Isaiah 28:16. Let every one be careful that he does not mistake self-will and plausible representaions for Divine convictions and assurance of faith, always strictly examine himself first, whether his body, soul, will, affections, are entirely offered up to the good-will and pleasure of God, for God requires the service of the whole man, even a sacrificing our whole selves to him at all times, not only in the house, but in all other places: that we do not conform to the world, but be daily transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Though lifted eyes salute the skies,
Lord, search my thoughts, and try my ways, |