Jesus Faileth Never

The following was written by Stanley Smith, one of the Cambridge Seven, on his way through China on his first missionary trip.  It is taken from The Evangelisation of the World:  A Missionary Band:

"Oh ! what sweet consolation there is in those three little words—especially in such a work as is before us here :

"'HE IS ABLE.'

"It is a grand thing to change the unbelieving question of the Israelites, 'Can God? ' into

"GOD CAN.'

"And so really as we take by faith our position in CHRIST we get hold of His strength ; and when WE are

"Ephes. vi. 10, 'Strong IN THE LORD,'

"it is then we are vi. 11, 'ABLE to stand against the wiles of the devil ;

"'13,  ABLE to withstand in the evil day ;

''16,  ABLE to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.'

"I have got 'such a blessing' lately over Rom. vi., and Ephes. ii. How glorious the two 'knowings' are in Rom. vi. : 'Knowing that CHRIST being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over HIM ;' 'Knowing this that our old man is crucified with Him.' And just as CHRIST is freed once for all from the dominion of death, and is alive for ever to GOD, LIKEWISE RECKON that in CHRIST you are for ever
dead to sin, and forever alive to GOD. 'Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith CHRIST hath made you free.'"

"So the thoughts seemed to come to me ; the 'fight of faith' seeming to be this : — whether we will maintain by faith the victorious position CHRIST hath gained for us.  And what is that position ? Ephes. ii. tells, it seems to me,  so splendidly : —

"'Even when we were dead in sins, He hath quickened us TOGETHER WITH CHRIST, and raised us up TOGETHER, and made us sit 'TOGETHER in heavenly places IN CHRIST.'

"Oh ! this has come to me with such increasing power and freshness. And to simple faith the theological distinctions of 'state and standing' present no difficulty to the glorious FACT—JESUS is present, and JESUS is
precious.

"Oh ! that every young man in England knew personally Emmanuel; which is, GOD with us!

"'Distrust thyself, but trust alone
In HlM, for all— for ever;
And, joyously, thy heart shall own
That JESUS faileth never.'

"Are not these precious words ?

"I suppose the secret of the restful life is 'trust' and the secret of the restless life is'unbelief.'  But the blessed fact is that of those who 'choose the better part,' it is said it 'shall not be taken away.' He would have us without carefulness. I think one of the most blessed commands in the Bible is, 'Be careful for nothing' ;  as little children in the nursery, so utterly without care as to their food and dress—they have a father ; and does He not say 'I will be to you a GOD' ? He says more : ' I  will be to you a Father,' and ' You shall be to me a son'.

". . . I am expecting great things from GOD. When He works who shall let it ? Meanwhile, personally I have the language before me to acquire, and must learn day by day to be 'strengthened with might ' unto patience".