"The Lawful Captive Delivered" pp. 28, 29

Returning to James Osbourn's autobiography, "A Lawful Captive Delivered," I want to examine a few of his thoughts on his experience in conversion. In part II Brother Osbourn related how he was convicted of sin and how he tried to earn God's favor with a pharisaical spirit. Naturally, the peace he experienced was temporary and deceptive and was not the production of God's Spirit (Isaiah 54:13). However, in God's time James Osbourn would experience the freedom that is found in Christ alone. As a side not, have you noticed how often christians in days past would undergo great struggles with sin's conviction and prolonged attempts to secure their own righteousness, before God mercifully revealed His grace in Christ. Powerful and radical conversions were often seen in the lives of God's people. May God be pleased to so work in our lives and in our time is my prayer!

"I may well wonder at the goodness of the Lord to me in bringing me out of so sad a condition as then I was in, as there was nothing in me that could have moved him so to act, and yet so he acted towards me; for in his own good time he dispelled from my mind that old covenant mist, and busted my pharisaical bands, and set the Lawful Captive free. Those bands would for ever have kept my soul in bondage, had not the Lord interfered in my behalf, for by them I was tied fast. Yes, I was so completely duped by this self-righteous spirit, that I really thought it was the spirit of the Lord directing me how, and in what way I should proceed so as to obtain peace and rest in this world, and in the end everlasting life; and doubtless this cheat would have proved my overthrow at last, had it not pleased God to break the snare, and to direct me to his dear Son, who 'is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,' Romans 10:4."