March Twenty-fifth.
BOOK OF LIFE.
"I will not blot out his name out of the book of life."—Rev. iii. 5.
WHAT a gracious promise is here given by the Lord Jesus to all those who, in the spirit of Revelation precepts, shall continue through life to fight the good fight of faith, and to overcome all those inward and outward foes which obstruct their progress in regeneration and their consequent attainment of the crown of life. The promise of not having the name blotted out of the Book of Life is only made to those who overcome. Should we desire to know what it is that we are to overcome, the answer is ready. It consists of all impure lusts, propensities, and evils, with all falsehood, hypocrisy, deceit, guile, and injustice: in a word of all things that stand opposed to good and truth in the soul. There can be no forgiveness to the sinner while the sin is loved. Sins are only remitted or forgiven when, by repentance, sincere, and fervent, they are put away and thoroughly hated; for no man can or will retain the sins he hates. Evil is said to slay the wicked, because it destroys the life of heaven in the soul, and makes the spiritual house or mind of man desolate.
But what is this Book of Life, out of which God will not blot the name of him who overcomes? Where is it? who writes in it? and where and by whom is it kept? Correct answers to these questions will prove real blessings, because they will relieve doubts, and shield us from all error. He who gave us His Word
