Produced by Júlio Reis, Moisés S. Gomes, Julia Neufeld and
the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net





Transcriber's note:

Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).

Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=).

Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals.

Variations in spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been retained
except in obvious cases of typographical error.




  MISCELLANEOUS
  WRITINGS

  of C.H.M.


  The
  Lord's Coming


  _Miscellaneous Writings of_
  C. H. MACKINTOSH


  _Volume II_


  LOIZEAUX BROTHERS
  _New York_


  FIRST EDITION 1898
  TENTH PRINTING 1960


  LOIZEAUX BROTHERS, INC., PUBLISHERS

  _A Nonprofit Organization, Devoted to the Lord's Work
  and to the Spread of His Truth_

  19 WEST 21ST STREET, NEW YORK 10, N. Y.

  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA




CONTENTS


                                                Pages

  "GOD FOR US"                                   1-23

  "WHO LOVED ME"--_Poem_

  THE CALL OF GOD; OR, REFLECTIONS ON THE
  CHARACTERS OF ABRAHAM AND LOT                  3-60

  "THOU AND THY HOUSE;" OR, THE CHRISTIAN
  AT HOME                                        3-48

  DISCIPLESHIP IN AN EVIL DAY                    3-22

  SIN IN THE FLESH AND SIN ON THE CONSCIENCE      1-8

  GOD'S WAY AND HOW TO FIND IT                   3-16

  THE UNEQUAL YOKE                               5-38

  GIDEON AND HIS COMPANIONS                      3-56

  MY BELOVED--_Poem_

  ETERNAL PUNISHMENT                              2-8

  PAPERS ON THE LORD'S COMING                   3-111

_The original numbering of these writings has been retained. Many of
the above may be had separately in pamphlet form._




"GOD FOR US"

(ROMANS VIII. 31.)


How much is wrapped up in these few words, "God for us!" They form one
of those marvelous chains of three links so frequently found in
Scripture. We have "God" linked on to "us" by that precious little
word "for." This secures every thing, for time and eternity. There is
not a single thing within the entire range of a creature's necessities
that are not included in the brief but comprehensive sentence which
forms the heading of this paper. If God be for us, then it follows, of
necessity--blessed necessity--that neither our sins, nor our
iniquities, nor our guilt, nor our ruined nature, nor Satan, nor the
world, nor any other creature can possibly stand in the way of our
present peace and our everlasting felicity and glory. God can dispose
of all--has disposed of them, in such a way as to illustrate His own
glory, and magnify His holy name, throughout the wide universe,
forever and ever. All praise and adoration be to the eternal Trinity!

It may be, however, that the reader feels disposed, at the very
outset, to inquire how he is to know his place amongst the "us" of our
precious thesis. This, truly, is a most momentous question. Our
eternal weal or woe hangs upon the answer. How, then, are we to know
that God is for us? In reply to this most weighty question, we shall
seek, by God's grace, to furnish the reader with five substantial
proofs that God is for us, in all our need, our guilt, our misery,
and our danger--for us, spite of all that we are, and all that we have
done--for us, although there is no reason whatever, so far as we are
concerned, why He should be for us, but every reason why He should be
against us.

The first grand proof which we shall adduce is--


THE GIFT OF HIS SON.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." (John iii. 16.)

Now, we are glad, for various reasons, to commence our series of
proofs with these memorable words. In the first place, they meet a
difficulty which may suggest itself to the mind of an anxious
reader--a difficulty based upon the fact that the sentence culled from
Rom. viii. 31 evidently applies primarily to believers, and only to
such, as does the entire epistle and every one of the epistles.

But, blessed be God, no such difficulty can be started in reference to
the all-embracing, and encouraging words of Him who spake as never man
spake. When we have from the lips of our blessed Lord Himself, the
eternal Son of God, such words as these, "God so loved _the world_,"
we have no ground whatever for questioning their application to each
and all who come under the comprehensive word "world." Before any one
can prove that the free love of God does not apply to him, he must
first prove that he does not form a part of the world, but that he
belongs to some other sphere of being. If indeed, our Lord had said,
"God so loved a certain portion of the world," call it what you
please, then verily it would be absolutely necessary to prove that we
belong to that particular portion or class, ere we could attempt to
apply His words to ourselves. If He had said that God so loved the
predestinated, the elect, or the called, then we must seek to know our
place amongst the number of such, before we can take home to ourselves
the precious assurance of the love of God, as proved by the gift of
His Son.

But our Lord used no such qualifying clause. He is addressing one who,
from his earliest days, had been trained and accustomed to take a very
limited view indeed of the favor and goodness of God. Nicodemus had
been taught to consider that the rich tide of Jehovah's goodness,
loving-kindness, and tender mercy could only flow within the narrow
inclosure of the Jewish system and the Jewish nation. The thought of
its rolling forth to the wide wide world had never, we may safely
assert, penetrated the mind of one trained amid the contracting
influences of the legal system. Hence, therefore, it must have sounded
passing strange in his ear, to hear "a teacher come from God" giving
utterance to the great fact that God loved not merely the Jewish
nation, nor yet some special portion of the human race, but "the
world." No doubt, such a statement would add not a little to the
amazement felt by this master in Israel at being told that he himself,
with all His religious advantages, needed to be born again in order to
see or enter the kingdom of God.

Do we then deny or call in question the grand truth of predestination,
election, or effectual calling? God forbid. We hold these things as
amongst the fundamental principles of true Christianity. We believe in
the eternal counsels and purposes of our God--His unsearchable
decrees--His electing love--His sovereign mercy.

But do any or all of these things interfere, in the smallest degree,
with the gracious activities of the divine nature, or the outgoings of
God's love towards a lost world? In no wise. God is love. That is His
blessed nature, and this nature must express itself toward all. The
mistake lies in supposing that because God has His purposes, His
counsels, His decrees--because He is sovereign in His grace and
mercy--because He has chosen from all eternity a people for His own
praise and glory--because the names of the redeemed, all the redeemed,
were written down in the book of the slain Lamb, before the foundation
of the world--that therefore God cannot be said to love all
mankind--to love the world--and, moreover that the glad tidings of
God's full and free salvation ought not to be proclaimed in the ears
of every creature under heaven.

The simple fact is that the two lines, though so perfectly distinct,
are laid down with equal clearness, in the word of God; neither
interferes, in the smallest degree, with the other, but both together
go to make up the beauteous harmony of divine truth and to set forth
the glorious unity of the divine nature.

Now, it is with the activities of the divine nature and the outgoings
of divine love that the preacher of the gospel has specially to do. He
is not to be cramped, crippled, or confined in his blessed work, by
any reference to God's secret decrees or purposes, though fully aware
of the existence of such. His mission is to the world--the wide wide
world. His theme is salvation--a salvation as full as the heart of
God, as permanent as the throne of God--as free as the air--free to
all without any exception, limitation, or condition whatsoever. The
basis of his work is the atoning death of Christ which has removed all
barriers out of the way, and opened up the floodgates in order that
the mighty tide of divine love may roll forth, in all its fulness,
richness and blessedness, to a lost and guilty world.

And here, we may add, lies the ground of man's responsibility in
reference to the gospel of God. If, indeed, it be true that God so
loved the world as to give His only begotten Son--if "the
righteousness of God is unto all" (Rom. iii. 22)--if it be God's
gracious will that "all should be saved and come to the knowledge of
the truth" (1 Tim. ii. 4)--if He is "not willing that any should
perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. iii. 9)--then
verily is every man who hears this glorious gospel laid under the most
solemn responsibility to believe it and be saved. No one can honestly
and truthfully turn round and say, "I longed to be saved, but could
not, because I was not one of the elect. I longed to flee from the
wrath to come but was prevented by the insuperable barrier of the
divine decree which irresistibly consigned me to an everlasting hell."

There is not, within the covers of the volume of God, in the entire
range of His dealings with His creatures, in the aspect of His
character, or in the enactments of His moral government, the very
faintest shadow of a foundation for such an objection. Every man is
left without excuse. God can say to all who have rejected His gospel,
"I would, but ye would not." There is absolutely no such thing as
reprobation in the word of God, meaning thereby the consignment on
God's part, of any number of His creatures to everlasting damnation.
Everlasting fire is prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matt.
xxv.) Men _will_ rush into it. "Vessels of wrath" are fitted, not by
God, but by themselves, "to destruction." (Rom. ix.) Everyone who gets
to heaven will have to thank God for it. Everyone who finds himself in
hell will have to blame himself for it.

Furthermore, we have ever to remember that the sinner has nothing to
do with God's unpublished decrees. What does he--what can he--know
about such? Nothing whatever. But he has to do with God's published
love--His proffered mercy--His free salvation--His glorious gospel. We
may fearlessly assert that so long as these glowing and glorious words
shine in the record of God, "_Whosoever will_ let him take of the
water of life _freely_," (Rev. xxii. 17) it is impossible for any son
or daughter of Adam to say, "I longed to be saved, but could not. I
thirsted for the living water, but could not reach it. The well was
deep and I had nothing to draw with." Ah, no! such language will never
be used, such an objection will never be urged by anyone in all the
ranks of the lost. When men pass into eternity they will see with
awful clearness what they now affect to think is so obscure and
perplexing, namely, the perfect compatibility of God's electing
sovereign grace and the free offer of salvation to all--the fullest
harmony between divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

We fondly trust the reader sees these things, even now. It is of the
very last possible importance to maintain the balance of truth in the
soul--to allow the beams of divine revelation to act, with full power,
on the heart and conscience, unimpeded by the murky atmosphere of mere
human theology. There is imminent danger in taking up a certain number
of abstract truths and forming them into a system. We want the
adjusting power of _all truth_. The growth and practical
sanctification of the soul are promoted, not by some truth, but by
_the_ truth, in all its fullness, as embodied in the person of Christ,
and set forth by the eternal Spirit in the holy scriptures. We must
get rid completely of all our own preconceived notions--all merely
theological views and opinions--and come like a little child, to the
feet of Jesus to be taught by His Spirit, from out His holy word. Thus
only shall we find rest from conflicting dogmas. Thus shall all the
heavy clouds and mists of human opinion be rolled away, and our
enfranchised souls shall bask in the clear sunlight of a full divine
revelation.

We shall now proceed with our proofs.

The second fact which we shall adduce to prove that God is for us will
be found in

THE DEATH OF HIS SON.

And, for our present purpose, it is only necessary for us to take up
one feature in the atoning death of Christ, but that one feature is a
cardinal one. We refer to the marvellous fact set forth by the Holy
Ghost in the prophet Isaiah, "It pleased Jehovah to bruise Him. He
hath put Him to grief." (Chapter liii.)

Our blessed Lord might have come into this world of sin and sorrow. He
might have become a man. He might have been baptized in the
Jordan--anointed by the Holy Ghost--tempted of Satan in the
wilderness. He might have gone about doing good. He might have lived
and labored, wept and prayed, and, at the close, gone back to heaven
again, thus leaving us involved in deeper gloom than ever. He might,
like the priest or the Levite, in the parable, have come and looked
upon us in our wounds and misery, passed by on the other side and
returned alone to the place from whence He came.

And what if He had? what, reader, but the flames of an everlasting
hell for thee and me? For, be it well remembered, that all the living
labors of the Son of God--His amazing ministry--His days of toil and
His nights of prayer--His tears, His sighs, His groans--the whole of
His life-work, from the manger up to, but short of, the cross, could
not have blotted out one speck of guilt from a human conscience.
"Without shedding of blood is no remission." No doubt, the eternal Son
had to become a man that He might die; but incarnation could not
cancel guilt. Indeed, the life of Christ, as a man on this earth, only
proved the human race more guilty still. "If I had not come and spoken
to them, they had not had sin." The light that shone in His blessed
ways only revealed the moral darkness of man--of Israel--of the world.
Hence, therefore, had He merely come and lived and labored here for
three-and-thirty years, and gone back to heaven, our guilt and moral
darkness would have been fully proved but no atonement made. "It is
the blood that maketh atonement for the soul." "Without shedding of
blood is no remission," (Heb. ix. 22.)

This is a grand foundation-truth of Christianity, and must be
constantly affirmed, and tenaciously held. There is immense moral
power in it. If it be true that all the life-labors of the Son of
God--His tears, His prayers, His groans, His sighs--if all these
things put together could not cancel one single speck of guilt; then,
indeed, may we not lawfully inquire what possible value can there be
in our works--our tears--our prayers--our religious services--our
ordinances, sacraments and ceremonies--the whole range of religious
activity and moral reform? Can such things avail to cancel our sins
and give us a righteousness before God? The thought is perfectly
monstrous. If any or all of these things could avail, then why the
sacrificial, atoning death of Christ? Why that ineffable and
inestimable sacrifice, if aught else would have done?

But, it will perhaps be said that, although none of these things could
avail _without_ the death of Christ, yet they must be added to it. For
what? To make that peerless death--that precious blood--that priceless
sacrifice of full avail? Is that it? Shall the rubbish of human
doings, human righteousness, be flung into the scale to make the
sacrifice of Christ of full avail in the judgment of God? The bare
thought is positive and absolute blasphemy.

But are there not to be good works? Yes, verily; but what are they?
Are they the pious doings, the religious efforts, the moral activities
of unregenerate, unconverted, unbelieving nature? Nay. What then? What
are the Christian's good works? They are _life-works_, not dead works.
They are the precious fruits of life possessed--the life of Christ in
the true believer. There is not anything beneath the canopy of heaven
which God can accept as a good work save the fruit of the grace of
Christ in the believer. The very feeblest expression of the life of
Christ, in the daily history of a Christian, is fragrant and precious
to God. But the most splendid and gigantic labors of an unbeliever
are, in God's account, but "dead works."

All this, however, is a digression from our main line, to which we
must now return.

We have said that, for our present purpose, we shall merely refer to
one special point in the death of Christ, and that is the fact that it
pleased Jehovah to bruise Him. Herein lies the striking and
soul-subduing proof that God is for us. "He spared not his own Son,
but delivered him up for us all." He not merely _gave_ Him but
_bruised_ Him, and that for us. That spotless, holy, perfect One--the
only perfect Man that ever trod this earth--the One who ever did the
things which pleased His Father--whose whole life from the manger to
the tree was one continued sweet odor ascending to the throne and to
the heart of God--whose every movement, every word, every look, every
thought was well-pleasing to God--whose one grand object, from first
to last, was to glorify God and finish His work--this blessed One was
delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God--was
nailed to the cursed tree, and there endured the righteous wrath of a
sin-hating God; and all this because God was for us--even _us_.

What marvellous and matchless grace is here! The Just One bruised for
the unjust--the sinless, spotless, holy Jesus, bruised by the hand of
Infinite Justice in order that guilty rebels might be saved; and not
only saved but brought into the position and relationship of
sons--sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty--heirs of God and
joint-heirs with Christ.

This surely is grace--rich, free, sovereign grace--grace abounding to
the very chief of sinners--grace reigning, through righteousness, unto
eternal life, by Jesus Christ. Who would not trust this grace? Who can
look at the cross, and doubt that God is for the sinner--for any
sinner--for him--for the reader of these lines? Who would not confide
in that love that shines in the cross? Who can look at the cross and
not see that God willeth not the death of any sinner? Why did He not
allow us to perish in our guilt--to descend into that everlasting hell
which we so richly deserved because of our sins? Why give His
Only-begotten Son? Why bruise Him on that shameful cross? Why hide His
face from the only perfect Man that ever lived--that Man His own
Eternal Son? Why all this, reader? Surely it was because God is for
us, spite of all our guilt and sinful rebellion. Yes, blessed be His
Name, He is for the poor self-destroyed, hell-deserving sinner, be he
who or what he may; and each one whose eye scans these lines is now
entreated to come and confide in the love that gave Jesus from the
bosom and bruised Him on the cross.

Oh! beloved reader, do come, just now. Delay not! Waver not! Reason
not! Listen not to Satan! Listen not to the suggestions and imaginings
of your own heart; but listen to that word which assures you that God
is for you, and to that love which shines forth in the gift and the
death of His Son.

       *       *       *       *       *

In pursuing what we may truly call the golden chain of evidence in
proof that God is for us, we have dwelt upon the two precious facts of
the gift and the death of His Son. We have traveled from the bosom to
the cross, along that mysterious and marvelous path which is marked by
the footprints of divine and everlasting love. We have seen the
blessed One not only giving His only begotten Son from His bosom, but
actually bruising Him for us--making His spotless soul an offering for
sin--bringing Him down into the dust of death--making Him to be sin
for us--judging Him in our stead--thus affording the most unanswerable
evidence of the fact that He is for us, that His heart is toward us,
that He earnestly desires our salvation, seeing that He hath not
withheld His Son, His only Son from us, but delivered Him up for us
all.

We shall now proceed to our third proof, which is furnished by

THE RAISING OF HIS SON.

And in speaking of the glorious fact of resurrection, we must confine
ourselves to the one point therein, namely, the proof which it
furnishes of God's being friendly to us. A passage or two of Scripture
will suffice to unfold and establish this special point.

In Romans iv., the inspired apostle introduces God to our hearts as
the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He is speaking of
Abraham who, He tells us, "against hope believed in hope, that he
might become the father of many nations, according to that which was
spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he
considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred
years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not
at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what He had
promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to
him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that
it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed,
if we believe on Him that"--what? That gave His Son? Nay. That bruised
His Son upon the cross? Nay. What then? "That raised up Jesus our Lord
from the dead"--the very same "who was delivered for our offences, and
was raised again for our justification."

Anxious reader, weigh this great fact. What was it that brought the
precious Saviour to the cross? What brought Him down to the dust of
death? Was it not our offences? Truly so. "He was delivered for our
offences." He was nailed to the cursed tree for us. He represented us
on the cross. He was our Substitute, in all the full value and deep
significance of that word. He took our place and was treated, in every
respect, as we deserve to be treated. The hand of infinite justice
dealt with our sins--all our sins, at the cross. Jesus made Himself
responsible for all our offences, our iniquities, our transgressions,
our liabilities, all that was or ever could be against us; He--blessed
be His peerless and adorable name!--made Himself answerable for all,
and died in our stead, under the full weight of our sins. He died, the
just for the unjust.

Where is He now? The heart bounds with ineffable joy and holy triumph
at the thought of the answer. Where is the blessed One who hung on
yonder cross, and lay in yonder tomb? He is at the right hand of God,
crowned with glory and honor. Who set Him there? Who put the crown
upon His blessed brow? God Himself. The One who gave Him, and the One
who bruised Him is the One who raised Him, and it is in Him we are to
believe if we are to be counted righteous. This is the special point
before the apostle's mind. Righteousness shall be imputed to us if we
believe on God as the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Mark the vital link. Seize the all-important connection. The selfsame
One who hung upon the cross, charged with all our offences, is now on
the throne without them. How did He get there? Was it in virtue of His
eternal Godhead? No: for on that ground He was always there. He was
God over all blessed forever. Was it in virtue of His eternal
Sonship? Nay; for He was ever there on that ground also.[1] Therefore,
it could, in no wise, meet our need as guilty sinners, charged with
innumerable offences, to be told that the eternal Son of the Father
had taken His seat at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens,
inasmuch as that place ever belonged to Him--yea, the very deepest and
tenderest place in the bosom of the Father.

  [1] We rejoice in every opportunity for the setting forth of Christ's
  eternal Sonship. We hold it to be an integral and essentially
  necessary part of the Christian faith.

But, further, we may inquire, was it as the spotless, sinless, perfect
Man that our adorable Lord took His seat on the throne? Nay; as such,
He could, at any moment, between the manger and the cross, have taken
His place there.

To what conclusion, then, are we absolutely shut up, in this matter?
To that most precious, that tranquilizing conclusion, that the
selfsame One who was delivered for our offences, bruised for our
iniquities, judged in our stead, is now in heaven; that the One who
represented us on the cross, is now on the throne; that the One who
stood charged with all our guilt, is now crowned with glory and honor;
that, so perfectly, so absolutely and completely, has He disposed of
the entire question of our sins, that infinite justice has raised Him
from the dead, and placed a diadem of glory upon His sacred brow.

Reader, dost thou understand this? Dost thou see its bearing upon
thyself? Dost thou believe in the One who raised up Jesus our Lord
from the dead? Dost thou see that, in so doing, He has declared
Himself friendly to thee? And dost thou believe that, in raising up
Jesus, He set forth His infinite satisfaction in the great work of
atonement, and furnished thee with a receipt in full for all thy
debts--a receipt for the "ten thousand talents."

Here lies the gist, marrow, and substance of this magnificent argument
of Romans iv. If the Man who was delivered for our offences is now in
heaven,--in heaven, too, by the hand and act of God Himself; then,
most surely, our offences are all gone, and we stand justified from
all things, as free from every charge of guilt, and every breath of
condemnation, as the blessed One Himself. It cannot possibly be
otherwise, if we believe on Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the
dead. It is utterly impossible for a charge to be brought against the
believer in the God of resurrection, for the simplest of all reasons
that the One whom He raised was the One whom He bruised for the
believer's sins. Why did He raise Him? Because the sins for which He
bruised Him were all put away, and put away forever. The Lord Jesus,
_having undertaken our cause, and made Himself answerable for us in
every way_, could not be where He now is, if a single jot or tittle of
our guilt remained. But, on the other hand, being where He now is, and
being there by God's own act, it is impossible--utterly
impossible--for any question to be raised as to the full and complete
justification and perfect righteousness of the soul that believes in
Him. Thus, the moment that any one believes in God, in the special
character of the raiser of Jesus, he is counted perfectly righteous
before Him. This is most marvellous, but divinely and eternally true.
May the reader feel its power, sweetness, and tranquilizing virtue!
Yea, may the eternal Spirit give him the blessed sense of it, deep
down in his heart! Then, indeed shall he have perfect peace in his
soul; then, too, shall he understand how that, in raising, as well as
in bruising and giving His Son, God has declared and proved Himself to
be for us.

We had intended to bring under the special notice of the reader
Hebrews xiii. 20, but we must allow him to dwell upon that lovely
passage for himself, while we proceed to exhibit our fourth proof that
God is for us, which will be found in

THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY GHOST.

Here, too, we must confine ourselves to one point in that most
glorious event, and that is the form in which that august witness, the
eternal Spirit, descended.

Let the reader turn to the second chapter of the Acts. "And when the
day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one
place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And
there appeared unto them _cloven tongues_, like as of fire, and it sat
upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with _other tongues_, as the Spirit gave them
utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men,
_out of every nation under heaven_. Now, when this was noised abroad,
the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every
man heard them speak _in his own language_. And they were all amazed
and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which
speak Galileans? And how hear we _every man in our own tongue wherein
we were born_? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in
Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about
Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and
Arabians, we do hear them speak _in our tongues_, the wonderful works
of God."

Here then we mark one special fact--a fact of deepest interest--three
times referred to in the foregoing quotation. It is this, the Holy
Ghost came down to speak to every man "in his own dialect"--not the
dialect in which he was _educated_ merely, but "_in which he was
born_"--the very dialect in which his mother first whispered into his
infant ears, the sweet and tender accents of a mother's love. Such was
the medium, such the vehicle which the divine Messenger adopted for
the blessed purpose of making known to man that God was for us. He did
not speak to the Hebrew in Greek, or to the Greek in Latin. He spoke
to each one in the language which he understood, in the plain
vernacular--the mother tongue. If there was any peculiarity in that
mother tongue, any idiom, any provincialism in the dialect of each,
the blessed Spirit would make use of it for the purpose of reaching
the heart with the sweet story of grace.

Contrast with this the giving of the law from Mount Sinai. There
Jehovah confined Himself absolutely to one language. If persons had
been gathered there "from every nation under heaven," they would not
have understood a single syllable. The law--the ten words--the record
of _man's duty_ to God and to his neighbor was sedulously wrapped up
in one tongue. But when "_the wonderful works of God_" were to be
published--when the blessed story of love was to be told out--when the
heart of God towards poor guilty sinners was to be revealed, was one
language enough? No! "Every nation under heaven" must hear, and hear,
too, in their own mother tongue.

Reader, is not this a telling fact? It will perhaps be said that those
who heard Peter and the rest on the day of Pentecost, were Jews. Well,
that in no wise robs our fact of its charm, its sweetness, and its
power. Our fact is that when the eternal Spirit descended from heaven,
to tell of the resurrection of Christ, to tell of accomplished
redemption--to publish the glad tidings of salvation--to preach
repentance and remission of sins--He did not confine Himself to one
language, but spoke in every dialect under heaven!

And why? Because He desired to make man understand what He had to say
to him--He desired to reach his heart with the sweet tidings of
redeeming love--the soul-stirring message of full remission of sins.
When the law was to be given--when Jehovah had to speak to man about
his duty--when He had to address him in such terms as, "Thou shalt do
this, and thou shalt not do that," He confined Himself to one solitary
language. But when He would unfold the precious secret of His
love--when He would prove to man that He was for him, He, blessed
forever be His name, took care to speak in every language under
heaven, so that every man might hear, in his own dialect wherein he
was born, the wonderful works of God.[2]

  [2] The reader will note with interest a fact alluded to elsewhere,
  that in Genesis xi. divers tongues were given as a judgment upon man's
  pride. In Acts ii. divers tongues were given in grace to meet man's
  need. And in Revelation vii. the various tongues are all found united
  in one song of praise to God and to the Lamb. Such are some of the
  wonderful works of God. May we praise Him with all our ransomed
  powers! May our hearts adore Him!

Thus, then, in our series of proofs--our golden chain of evidence, we
have traveled from the bosom of God to the cross of Christ, and from
that precious cross back to the throne--we have marked the giving, the
bruising, and the raising of the Son; we have seen the very heart of
God told out in deep and marvelous love, and tender compassion toward
guilty perishing sinners. Moreover, we have marked the descent of the
eternal Spirit, from the throne of God--His mission to this world to
announce to every creature under heaven the glad tidings of a full,
free, and everlasting salvation, through the blood of the Lamb, and to
announce these tidings not in an unknown tongue, but in the very
tongue wherein each was born.

What more remains? Is there yet another link to be added to the chain?
Yes; there is

THE POSSESSION OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

It may perhaps be said that our fifth proof is involved in our fourth,
inasmuch as the fact of my possessing a copy of the Bible in my mother
tongue is, in reality, the Holy Ghost speaking to me in the language
in which I was born.

True; but still, so far as the reader is concerned, the fact that God
has put into his hand or within his reach the sacred volume--the
inestimable boon, the holy Scriptures--is an additional proof that He
is for him. For why were we not left in ignorance and total darkness?
Why was the divine book put into our hands? Why, each one may say, for
himself and herself, was I thus favored? Why was I not left to live
and die in heathen blindness? Why was the heavenly lamp allowed to
cast its precious beams on me--even me?

Ah! beloved reader, the answer is, "Because God is for thee." Yes, for
thee, notwithstanding all thy many sins--for thee, spite of all thy
forgetfulness, ingratitude and rebellion--for thee, although as thou
very well knowest, thou canst not shew a single reason why He should
not be against thee. He gave His Son from His bosom, bruised Him on
the cross, raised Him from the dead, sent down the Holy Ghost, put
into your very hands His blessed book, all to shew you that He is for
you, that His heart is toward you, that He earnestly desires your
salvation.

And mark, we pray thee, thou canst not say, nor wilt thou ever dare to
say, "I could not understand the Bible; it was beyond me; it was full
of abstruse mysteries which I could not fathom; of difficulties which
I could not solve; of discrepancies which I could not reconcile. And
when I turned to those who professed to be Christians, I found them
split up into almost innumerable sects, and divided into almost
endless schools of doctrine. And, not only so, but I saw such utter
hollowness, such gross inconsistency, such flagrant contradiction
between profession and practice, that I was forced to abandon the
whole subject of religion with a mingled feeling of perplexity,
contempt, and disgust."

These objections will not stand in the judgment, nor keep thee out of
the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. Remember this. Yes,
ponder it deeply. Let not the devil, let not thine own heart deceive
thee. What does Abraham say to the rich man, in Luke xvi.? "They have
Moses and the prophets, _let them hear them_." Why does the rich man
not reply, "They cannot understand them?" He dare not.

No, reader; a child can understand the holy Scriptures, which are able
to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
There is not one beneath the canopy of God's heaven, who possesses a
copy of the holy Scriptures, who is not solemnly responsible before
God for the use he makes of them. If professing Christians were split
up into ten thousand times as many sects as they are; if they were ten
thousand times as inconsistent as they are; if schools and doctors of
divinity were ten thousand times more conflicting than they are--still
the word to each possessor of the Bible is, "You have Moses and the
prophets, and the New Testament, hear them."

Oh! that we could persuade the unconverted, the unawakened, the
unbelieving reader to think of these things, to think of them now, to
ponder them, in the very hidden depths of his moral being, to give
them his heart's undivided attention, ere it be too late. We
contemplate, with ever-deepening horror, the condition of a lost soul
in hell--of one opening his eyes, in that place of endless torment, to
the tremendous fact that God is against him and against him forever;
that all hope is gone; that nothing can ever bridge the chasm that
separates the region of the lost from the heaven of the redeemed; that
"there is a great gulf _fixed_."

We cannot proceed. The thought is really overpowering. The heart is
crushed by the appalling contemplation. Dear, dear reader, do let us
entreat of thee, ere we lay down the pen, to turn, this very hour, to
a dear loving Saviour who stands with open arms and open bosom to
receive all who come to Him, and who assures thee that "him that
cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out." Do come and trust in God's
faithful word and Christ's finished work.

Here lies the precious secret of the whole matter. Look away from
self, look straight to Jesus, confide simply in Him, and in what He
has done for thee on the cross, and all thy sins shall be blotted out,
divine righteousness shall be thine, eternal life, sonship, an
indwelling Spirit, an all-prevailing Advocate, a bright home in the
heavens, a portion in Christ's eternal glory--yes, reader, if thou
wilt but believe in Jesus all shall be thine--Himself the best of all.

May the Holy Ghost lead thee, this moment, to the feet of Jesus, and
enable thee to cry out, in holy triumph, "If God be for us, who can be
against us?" God grant it for Jesus Christ's sake!

                                                            C. H. M.




                    "WHO LOVED ME"

                  =Galatians ii. 20.=


    Three little sunbeams, gilding all I see.
    Three little chords, each full of melody.
    Three little leaves, balm for my agony.

                       ="WHO"=

    _He_ loved me, the Father's only Son.
    He gave Himself, the precious, spotless One.
    He shed His blood, and thus the work was done.

                      ="LOVED"=

    He _loved_--not merely pitied. Here I rest.
    Sorrow may come, I to His heart am pressed.
    What should I fear while sheltered in His breast?

                        ="ME"=

    Wonder of wonders, Jesus loved _me_;
    A wretch--lost--ruined--sunk in misery.
    He sought me, found me, raised me, set me free.

    My soul the order of the words approve:
    _Christ first, me last, nothing between_ but LOVE.
    Lord keep _me_ always _down, Thyself above_.

    Trusting to Thee, not struggling restlessly,
    So shall I gain the victory.
    "I--yet not _I_, but Christ, who loved me."

                                            H. W.




THE CALL OF GOD

GEN CHAPTER XII


In a day of such widely extended profession as the present, it is
specially important that Christians should be deeply impressed with
the necessity of realizing _personally the call of God_, without which
there can be no permanency or steadiness in the Christian course.

It is a comparatively easy thing to make a profession at a time when
profession prevails; but it is never easy to walk by faith--it is
never easy to give up present things, in the hope of "good things to
come." Nothing but that mighty principle which the apostle denominates
"_the substance_ of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"
(Heb. xi. 1), can ever enable a man to persevere in a course which in
a world where all is wrong--all out of order, must be thorny and
difficult. We must feel "_persuaded_" of something yet to
come--something worth waiting for--something that will reward all the
toil of a pilgrim's protracted course, ere we rise up out of the
circumstances of nature and the world, to "run with patience the race
that is set before us." (Heb. xii. 1.)

All this is fully exemplified in Abraham, and the exemplification
receives additional force from the contrast exhibited in the character
of Lot and others who are introduced in the course of the narrative.

In the seventh of Acts, we have the following words which bear
directly upon the subject before us. "The God of glory appeared unto
our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in
Charran, and said unto him, Get thee out of thy country and from thy
kindred, and come into the land that _I shall show thee_." (Vers. 1,
2.) Here then we are presented with the first dawning of that light
which attracted Abraham out of the darkness of "Ur, of the Chaldees,"
and which shining in upon his wearisome path, from time to time, gave
fresh vigor to his soul, as he journeyed in quest of "that city which
hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." "The God of glory"
caused Abraham to see, in the light of His character, the true
condition of things in Ur, and further, to believe, as some one has
observed, _a report concerning future glory and inheritance_, and he
therefore hesitates not, but instantly girds himself up for the
journey.

However, upon a close comparison of the opening of the seventh of
Acts, with the first verse of this twelfth chapter of Genesis, we get
an important principle. From the time that God appeared unto Abraham,
until he finally gets up into the land of Canaan, an event occurs
involving much deep instruction to us. I allude to the death of
Abraham's father, as we read in Acts vii. "From thence, _when his
father_ was dead, He removed him into this land wherein ye now dwell."
(Ver. 4.) This will enable us to understand the force of the
expression in Gen. xii., "The Lord _had_ said unto Abram," etc. (Ver.
1.) From both these passages, it would plainly appear the movement
made by Terah and his family, recorded in Gen. x. 31, was the result
of a revelation made by "the God of glory" to Abram, but it would not
appear that _Terah_ had received any such revelation from God. He is
presented to us rather as a hindrance to Abram than any thing else,
for until he died, Abram did not come into the land of Canaan--his
divinely appointed destination.

Now, this circumstance, trivial as it may seem to a cursory reader,
confirms in the strongest manner the statement already advanced,
namely, that unless the call of God--the revelation from "the God of
glory" be _personally realized_, there can be no permanency or
steadiness in the Christian course. Had Terah realized that call, he
would neither have been a clog to Abram in his path of faith, nor yet
would he have dropped off, like a mere child of nature, ere reaching
the future land of promise. We get the same principle illustrated in
Laban afterward in Gen. xxiv. Laban, as some one has well observed,
was fully alive to the value of the gold and silver jewels which the
servant of Abraham had brought with him, but he had no heart to value
_the report_ concerning future things, which dropped from his lips. In
other words, he did not receive a revelation from "the God of glory,"
and as a consequence, he remained, as the same writer has observed,
"_a thorough man of the world_."

In the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, we are taught the same truth.
There were other persons with him when he was struck to the ground by
the lustre of the glory of the Lord Jesus; these persons "saw indeed
the light"--they witnessed many of the external circumstances which
had arrested the furious zealot; but as he himself states, "_they
heard not the voice of Him that spake_ TO ME." (Acts xxii. 9.) Here is
the grand point. The voice must speak "_to me_"--"the God of glory"
must appear "to me," ere I can take the place of a pilgrim and
stranger in the world, and perseveringly, "run the race that is set
before me." It is not _national faith_, nor _family faith_, but
_personal faith_ that will constitute us real witnesses for God in the
world.

But when Abram was released from the clog which he had experienced in
the person of his father, he was enabled to enter with vigor and
decision upon the path of faith--a path which "flesh and blood" can
never tread--a thorny path beset with difficulties from first to last,
in which God alone can sustain the soul. "And Abram passed through the
land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. _And the
Canaanite was then in the land._ And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and
said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: _and there builded he an
altar unto the Lord who appeared unto him_." (Gen. xii. 6, 7.) Here
Abram at once takes his stand as _a worshiper_, in the face of "the
Canaanite." The altar marks him as one who, having been delivered from
the idols of Ur of the Chaldees, had been taught to bow before the
altar of the one true God, "who made heaven and earth." In the
following verse, we get the second grand feature in the character of
the man of faith, namely, "_the tent_," denoting strangership in the
world. "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a
_strange_ _country, dwelling in tabernacles_ with Isaac and Jacob,
_the heirs_ with him of the same _promise_." (Heb. xi. 9.)

We shall have occasion to notice more fully, as we proceed, these two
important points in the life of Abraham, and shall therefore rest
satisfied for the present with establishing the fact that the tent and
the altar do most clearly present him to us as a _stranger_ and a
_worshiper_, and that as such, he was a man entirely separated from
the course of this evil world.

Scarcely had Abram entered upon his course, when he had to encounter
one of those difficulties which have a special tendency to test the
genuineness of faith, both as to its quality and its object. "And
there was a famine in the land." The difficulty meets him in the very
place into which the Lord had called him. Now, it is no easy matter
when we perceive trial and sorrow, privation and difficulty awaiting
us, while walking in "the strait and narrow way," still to
persevere--still to pursue the onward path, and especially if we
observe within our reach, as Abram did, an entire exemption from the
particular trial under which we may be smarting. The men of this world
"are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued as other
men." This feeling is still further increased by the entire absence of
every thing, as far as sight is concerned, which could act as a
confirmation of our hope. Abram had not so much as to set his foot
upon--famine was raging around him on every side, _save in Egypt_.
Could he only find himself _there_, he would be able to live in ease
and abundance.

Here, however, the man of faith must pursue the path of simple
obedience. God had said, "Get thee out of thy country ... unto a land
that I will show thee." Abram may, it is true, afterward discover that
obedience to this command will involve his abiding in a land where
nothing but starvation, apparently, awaits him. But even though it
should be so, God had not in any way qualified the command. No, the
word was simple and definite: "Into a land that _I_ will show thee."
This should have been as true and as binding upon Abram when famine
reigned around him, as when peace and abundance prevailed. Famine
should not, therefore, have induced him to leave the land, neither
should abundance have induced him to remain. The influential words
were, "I will show thee."

But Abram leaves this land--he succumbs, for the moment, to the heavy
trial, and bends his footsteps down to Egypt, leaving behind him his
tent and altar. There he obtained ease and luxury; he escaped, no
doubt, the formidable trial under which he had suffered in the land of
promise; but he lost, for the time being, his worship and
strangership,--things which should ever be dearest to the heart of a
pilgrim.

There is nothing in Egypt for Abram to feed upon as a spiritual man;
it might, and doubtless did, afford abundance for him as a natural
man, but that was all. Egypt would give nothing to Abram unless he
sacrificed his character both as a stranger and as a worshiper of God.
It is needless to observe that it is exactly so at this very hour.
There is plenty in the world upon which our old nature could feed most
luxuriously. There are the rich delights "of the flesh and of the
mind," and abundant means of gratifying the desires of the heart, but
what of all these, if the enjoyment thereof leads, as it must
necessarily do, right out of the path of faith--the path of simple
obedience.

Here then is the question for the Christian: which shall I have, the
gold and silver, the flocks and herds--the present ease and affluence
of Egypt, or the tent and altar of "the land of promise"? Which shall
I have: the carnal ease and delight of the world, or a peaceful holy
walk with God _here_, and eternal blessedness and glory hereafter? We
cannot have both, for, "if _any man_ love the world, the love of the
Father is not in him."

But, we may ask, why was it that Abram had to experience famine and
trial in the land of promise? Why did he not find a home and plenty
there? Simply because "the Canaanite and Perizzite dwelt then in the
land." (Chap. xiii. 7.) The land had not as yet been fitted up to be
the residence of God's redeemed ones. Abram's faith might have enabled
him to penetrate through the long and dreary period which should
intervene ere the promise could be consummated; but that very
principle of faith it was that made him "a pilgrim and a stranger." He
could wait for God's time, and until then remain without "so much as
to set his foot on." (Acts vii. 5.) So should it be now.


CHAPTER XIII.

This beautiful chapter shows us the man of faith recovering himself,
through the faithfulness and loving-kindness of God, who never allows
such to wander far, or tarry long away. The gold and silver, the
flocks and herds of Egypt, could not long prove a satisfying portion
for Abram, while deprived of his tent and his altar, and he therefore
once more, in the renewed energy of faith rises, as it were, from the
dust of Egypt, and retraces his steps to the land of promise. Happy
recovery! Certain evidence of a fixed and honest purpose to serve the
Lord. "The ship may be tossed by the waves and the winds, but _the
magnet still points to the north_."

But some expressions in the opening of this chapter confirm most fully
a thought already expressed, namely, that Abram gained nothing, "as
before God," by his visit to Egypt. Thus, for example, "Abram went on
his journeys ... unto the place where his tent had been _at the
beginning_, unto the place of the altar which he had made there _at
the first_." (Vers. 3, 4.) The words "beginning," and "at the first,"
prove that Abram had made no progress while in Egypt, but that, while
there, all his time was, as it were, lost. No doubt he learnt a
wholesome lesson, and it is well when by our failures we learn to
distrust our own hearts, and dread the pernicious influence of the
world. Abram learnt that there could be no tent or altar in Egypt. It
is only faith that can enable a man to raise an altar or erect a tent,
but in Egypt all is sight and not faith, and hence, the moment Abram
set his foot there he ceased to show forth the genuine fruits of
faith--yea, the very principle which led him to leave the land of
promise, led him, at the same time, to relinquish his character as a
stranger and a worshiper.

How forcibly are we here reminded of a proposal made long after this,
by a king of Egypt, to Abraham's seed. "And Pharaoh called for Moses
and Aaron, and said: Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land." (Ex.
viii. 25.) Thus, it would seem ever to have been the design of the
enemy to get the people of God, the holy seed, to defile themselves by
worshiping or sacrificing to God, _in the world_; i. e., to make their
character, as worshipers of God, accord with that of men of the
world--men holding a place in society where Christ is an outcast;
thus, of course, declaring that there is no difference between the
religion of the world and the religion of God--a truly fearful
delusion, calculated to lead many souls out of the way of truth and
holiness.

It is most sad to hear, at times, those who surely ought to know
better, in order, as they say, to manifest a _liberal spirit_,
speaking of the religion of the world in all its multiplied forms, as
if it were all right; or, as if it were a matter of total indifference
whether we remained in communion with error or not. Oh, let us not be
deceived! God's principle of separation is as strong and as binding
to-day as it was in the days of Abram or Moses. "Come out from among
them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing," must hold
good as long as the "unclean thing" exists; nor can any outward form
alter the character--the true essential character of "the unclean
thing" so as to make it "a clean thing."

Moses, then, was not liberal, in the above acceptation of the word,
for he at once refused to countenance the religion of the world. "It
is not meet so to do." Memorable words! Would that there were more
amongst us who, when invited to countenance the religion of the world,
would reply, "It is not meet so to do." Abram could not worship in
Egypt, neither could his seed.

But Abram had more difficulties than one to encounter in his course.
The path which every man of faith is called to tread lies between two
dangerous extremes. One is the temptation to return to the world; the
other, to strive with brethren by the way. Abram had just recovered
himself from the effects of the former, and we have now to behold him
buffeting the latter.

The moment Abram emerged from Egypt, he appeared in a special manner
to move under a new responsibility, namely, responsibility to his
brother to walk with him in harmony. While in Egypt, this
responsibility stood quite in the shade. The institutions--laws--
habits--luxury and ease of Egypt, would in an eminent degree tend to
do away with every such feeling. All these things would have had the
effect of erecting barriers around each individual tending to prevent
him from recognizing the fact that he was his "brother's keeper." Nor
is it otherwise now. So long as we continue in the world--the
religious world, as it is termed--we shall find ourselves completely
relieved from the difficult task of being our "brother's keeper."
Those who advocate a continuance therein may deny this fact, but it is
all in vain, for Scripture and experience alike demonstrate it. Abram
and Lot _did not strive in Egypt_, and a religious establishment
presents this attraction at least--and it is by no means a feeble
one--it effectually prevents _brotherly collision_; and, of course,
where there is no collision there can be no strife--no dispute; where
collision takes place, there must be either grace to enable us to walk
in unity of mind, or strife and contention. But Egypt saps the very
springs of grace by leading us out of a place of simple dependence
upon the Lord, (for dependence ever genders grace and forbearance) and
because she does so, she, at the same time, teaches us, or attempts at
least to teach us, that we do not need grace, by leading us into a
sphere in which responsibility to brethren is never realized, thus the
need is not felt; weakness is mistaken for strength, folly for wisdom.

When the Christian at first starts on his course, he fondly dreams of
nothing but perfection in his fellow Christians; but in this he soon
finds himself mistaken, for we have all our infirmities, and as the
apostle states, "In many things we offend all." But why, we may ask,
was there such a speedy development of infirmity upon their coming up
out of Egypt? Because they were now called to walk in the power of a
naked principle, without any of the props or barriers of Egypt. They
were called to walk by faith, and "faith worketh by love."

Now "the Canaanite," etc., "was then in the land." This should have
acted as a hindrance to any strife between "_brethren_," for the
Canaanite cannot understand anything about the infirmities of
believers, and he therefore puts all their failure down to some defect
in the principle professed.

But in every strife between brethren, there must be fault somewhere.
In the contention between Paul and Barnabas there was fault somewhere.
Nor can we be at any loss to decide where it lay. Barnabas wished to
take _his relative_ with him, but this relative had before proved
himself unfit, or at least unwilling, to "endure hardness," therefore
it could not have been with a single eye to the Lord's work that
Barnabas desired his company. The Lord Himself, too, at once takes
Paul's side of the question by providing him with a dear son and
fellow-laborer, in the person of Timothy, with whom he had "none
like-minded."

So it is exactly in the case before us. We can have no hesitation in
asserting that Lot was the man in error here. Lot does not appear to
have fully got rid of the spirit of the world, and where there is this
spirit predominating in any one he will ever find the path of faith
too strait for him to walk in, and so it was, "They could not dwell
together."

If, then, it be asked on what grounds one would pronounce Lot to have
been in the wrong? The answer is, first, Lot's subsequent conduct;
and, second, the Lord's dealings with Abram, "after that Lot was
separated from him."

What then did Lot do? "_He lifted up his eyes._" This is ever our mode
of acting when not under the direct power of faith. Whenever we lift
up our eyes without divine direction, we are sure to go wrong. I say,
without divine direction, for we find the Lord afterwards directing
Abram to lift up his eyes, but then that was totally different from
Lot's act, which was simply the suggestion of mere human wisdom and
foresight. Human wisdom and foresight, however, can never assist our
progress as men of faith--no, quite the reverse; human wisdom will
ever suggest things which, if acted upon, will lead us right athwart
the path of a man of faith. Therefore Lot, in lifting up his eyes,
could not penetrate beyond the "things that are seen and temporal."
Such was the utmost bound of his range of vision. The things on which
his eyes rested were those with which he had been conversant while in
Egypt, as we read, "He beheld all the plain of Jordan that it was well
watered every where ... _like the land of Egypt_." (10.) Here we
observe that Lot had never been really detached in heart and affection
from Egypt--he had never learnt the vanity and unsatisfactoriness of
all her resources in the light of a better order of things--he had
never contrasted her with that "_city which hath foundations_, whose
builder and maker is God"--in a word, he "having put his hand to the
plow," was now beginning "to look back," and thus to prove himself
"unfit for the kingdom of heaven."

There is a striking notice of all this afforded in the opening verse
of this chapter, "Abram went up out of Egypt and _Lot with him_." Here
we get the secret of Lot's after instability. He appears to have gone
up rather _with Abram_ than _with God_, and the consequence was that,
when he parted with Abram, he had nothing to lean upon. He had been
hitherto moving under Abram's protection and guidance instead of being
directly before the Lord, and therefore when he lost Abram he went
astray.

Now then is the moment for Abram to "lift up his eyes," at the Lord's
command, and oh, what a different range of vision was his! While Lot
could not penetrate beyond the narrow limits of the present scene,
Abram was enabled to survey the length and breadth of God's
inheritance. He soars on the strong and rapid pinion of faith, and is,
as it were, lost in the unbounded beneficence of God; while Lot, the
man walking by sight, is well-nigh lost in the deep gulf of Sodom's
corruption.

Let us then, ere we enter upon the next chapter, take a view of the
different circumstances of these two men who had started together.
"Lot lifted up his eyes," and the prospect on which they rested was,
as might be expected, such as suited his natural desires,
"well-watered plains," which, however fair in man's view, were
nevertheless, in the sight of the Lord, filled with exceeding
wickedness. (Comp. vers. 10 and 14.) Abram, on the contrary, had
allowed his eye to wander over the length and breadth of the
_promised_ inheritance--uninfluenced by all else, he viewed the
portion which God was _reserving_ for him and his seed, and took up
his position accordingly.

Thus do we find Lot in the unhallowed region of Sodom; and Abram--the
pilgrim and stranger, with his tent and altar--"in the plain of Mamre,
which is in Hebron."


CHAPTER XIV.

Here we have a very minute account of a battle fought by "four kings
with five," and we may ask, What connection had this strife between
"the potsherds of the earth," with the history of the people of God?
With Abram indeed none, in one sense, for _he_ was outside it all.
_His tent_ marked him as a stranger to all these things--it marked him
as one to whom the battle of "four kings with five" would be a matter
of very trivial moment. And then his altar marked him as one whose
pursuits were quite of another character, even a heavenly. His tent
showed him to be a stranger on earth--his altar showed him to be at
home in heaven. Happy man! Happy pilgrim! who could thus from his high
elevation, even the lofty watch-tower of faith, look down, as a
passer-by, upon the battle fields of an evil world. It mattered not to
Abram whether the laurel of victory were about to wreath the brow of
the king of Sodom, or of Chedorlaomer, king of Elam; his portion was
not in danger through their strife, because he had it in that place
"where thieves _do not_ break through and steal."

But, though it was the happy lot of Abram to have his being and his
portion in a place where wars could have no influence, yet such was
not the case with his more worldly-minded brother. His position was
such as to place him in the midst of the strife, and consequently the
issue of this battle could not fail to be of the deepest moment to
him. If the child of God will stoop so low as to mix himself up with
the world, he must calculate upon being made a participator in its
convulsions, and woe be to that man who shall have his portion in the
world in that day (now fast approaching) when all things shall be
shaken by the mighty hand of God in judgment.

I would here observe that what has ever made the history of nations
and the movements of mighty kings and conquerors, matters of interest
to the Holy Spirit, has been the connection of such things with the
history of the people of God. Beyond this they possessed nothing of
moment to Him. He could find no pleasure in dwelling upon the abstract
history of man. The busy strife and tumult of nations--the fierce
contests of ungodly tyrants grasping after power--the movements of
armies, could not attract the notice of the Spirit of peace;
nevertheless, when such things became, in the least degree, connected
with the history of a "righteous soul," the Holy Ghost can be most
minute in detailing the circumstances of a battle, as is observable in
the case under consideration.

What then were the results of this contest to Lot? Ruin to him and his
family. He was made prisoner and all his goods were taken. (Ver. 12.)
He had laid up treasure for himself upon earth, and the thieves had
broken through; and thus, while Abram was above it all, in the
power--the separating power of communion with God, _he_ found himself
a prisoner and a beggar. He had sown to the flesh, and of the flesh he
must now "reap corruption."

But this was just the moment for Abram to show himself in the powerful
activities of love. He had, as above observed, hitherto surveyed with
calm indifference these movements of "kings and their armies," but the
very same faith which had made him indifferent about the strifes of
men, made him quick to take cognizance of a _brother_ in distress.
Faith not only purifies the heart from worldly and carnal desires, but
it also "works by love," as is powerfully shown in Abram's case, for
"when Abram saw that _his brother_ was taken captive he armed his
trained servants," etc. (Ver. 14.)

Now, it is to be observed that it is in the hour of distress and
difficulty that the relationship _of brother_ gets the prominent
place. In days of unruffled peace, Lot might be known to Abram as "his
brother's son," but now he was in sorrow, and therefore the claims of
brotherhood act, and act powerfully and effectually.

We are now called to witness a deeply interesting scene. Abram himself
is about to meet a temptation--a temptation at once repulsed indeed by
the power of God in him, but nevertheless, a temptation. The king of
Sodom was about to come forth to display his treasures before the eye
of Abram, and he had by nature a heart to value those treasures.

That man knows not his own heart who could say that the world does not
present many--very many attractions to the natural heart. There is a
species of misanthropy which looks like elevation above the world, but
which, after all, is not it. The Cynic philosopher Diogenes, when he
told Alexander to get out of his sunshine, was as proud and as worldly
a man as Alexander himself. The only true and real way in which to be
separated from, and elevated above, the world, is by the knowledge of
heavenly things, and Abram was led, through the mercy of God, into
that knowledge.

But the victory obtained by Abram, was not owing to any power in
himself. He had, as I have observed, a heart to value the things which
the enemy had to give him; and, therefore, if he triumphed, it was
through the operation of a power outside himself. In all this
transaction, the One who had watched over His dear servant during the
dark season of his sojourn in Egypt, and who, moreover, had, by that
very sojourn, taught him a lesson as to the true character of the
world, was now closely observing his ways, and making preparations for
his relief; He was cognizant of the movements and designs of the
enemy, from first to last, and He therefore prepares to supply a
heavenly antidote to nullify his poison.

It is particularly worthy of observation that between the time at
which the king of Sodom went forth to meet Abram, and that wherein he
made the proposal to him with reference to "the persons and the
goods," there is a remarkable character introduced, namely,
Melchizedek. This stranger, commissioned by God, was on his way to
fortify Abram's heart at the very moment when the enemy was on his way
to attack (Comp. ver. 17, 18, and 21). Now, why did not, "the priest
of the Most High God" come to meet Abram before? Because this was the
very moment in which Abram most needed the strength which he had to
bring. The enemy was about to display his gilded bait before the eye
of the man of God, and therefore is Melchizedek at hand to display in
his view the divine realities of the kingdom. He was about to feed and
strengthen his soul with the "bread," and cheer him with the "wine,"
of the kingdom, in order that, "in the strength of that meat" he might
mount above the influence of all the allurements of the world. From
all this we may learn that it is communion with the joys and glories
of the kingdom that can alone cause the heart to reject the pollutions
of the world.

Reader, upon what are _you_ now feeding? What constitutes your
habitual food? Is it "the bread and wine" which the Lord provides, or
"the goods" of Sodom? Are your ears open to the pernicious suggestions
of the _King of Sodom_, or to the heavenly communications of the _King
of Salem_? The Lord grant that our hearts may ever choose that in
which He delights.

But to proceed, Melchizedek leads Abram's soul into present communion
with "THE MOST HIGH GOD, THE POSSESSOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH," and thus
completes the wondrous contrast between "the King of Sodom" and "the
Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth,"--"the goods of Sodom"
and the extensive possessions of heaven and earth. Blessed contrast,
which faith ever draws! It is needless to say that Abram at once
rejects the offer of the King of Sodom. The bread and wine, and the
benediction of "the priest of the Most High God," had raised Abram to
such a height that he could, in one comprehensive glance, take in the
vast possessions of heaven and earth, and further, look down from
thence upon the despicable proposal of the King of Sodom and reject
it. Melchizedek had just said, "the Most High God, the possessor of
heaven and earth," and Abram had laid hold on these words and made use
of them in his reply to the adversary. "I have lifted up my hand,"
said he, "to the Lord, the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and
earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet, and
that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say,
I have made Abram rich" (vers. 22, 23).

Abram appears to breathe the very atmosphere of the presence of Him,
"who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out
heaven with a span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a
measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a
balance, in whose sight the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are
counted as the small dust of the balance. Behold! he taketh up the
isles as a very little thing, and Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,
nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering. All nations
before Him are as nothing, and they are counted to Him as less than
nothing and vanity." (Isa. xl. 12, 15-18.)

And surely, we may say, it was only thus that Abram could triumph; and
let no one who moves not, in some measure, in the same sphere, affect
to despise the world--nothing can be more truly vain. There must be
the experimental acquaintance with _the_ better thing--the fondly
cherished hope of "_good things to come_"--ere we can obtain full
victory over present things, and our own worldly desires. "Ye took
joyfully the spoiling of your goods, _knowing in yourselves_ that ye
have in _heaven a better and an enduring substance_" (Heb. x. 34). If
we are really waiting for the manifestation of the glory, we shall be
found standing apart from everything which will be judged in that day:
and it is written, "Yet once more, I shake not the earth only but also
heaven; and this word, yet once more, signifieth the removing of those
things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things
which cannot be shaken may remain" (Heb. xii. 26, 27).

We have, in the last verse of our truly interesting chapter, a happy
feature in the character of the true man of faith. Abram would not
force others to walk according to his elevated standard. Although _he_
might be able to reject, in the most unreserved manner, the offers of
the king of Sodom, yet _others_ might not be able to do so, and
therefore he says, with regard to "Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, _let them_
take _their portion_." Our walk should ever be "according as God hath
dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Rom. xii. 3). We have seen,
in our own day, many persons led, at the outset, to give up a variety
of worldly things, and afterwards plunge still deeper into those
things; and why? Because they acted through mere excitement or human
influence, and were not able to say with Abram, "_I have lift up my
hand unto the Lord_."


CHAPTER XV.

In the opening verse of this chapter, we have a principle fraught with
comfort and encouragement to us--a principle eminently calculated to
call out into full exercise a spirit of true devotedness to the Lord.
We observe here, the Lord's grace in acknowledging and accepting the
sacrifice laid upon His altar--the willing offering of the devoted
heart of His servant. Our God is never slow in owning such things, nor
in rewarding them a hundredfold. Abram had just been manifesting a
spirit of self-denial in refusing the attractive offers of the King
of Sodom. He had refused to be enriched from such a source, and had
taken "the Most High God" for his portion and his reward, therefore
the Lord comes forth to confirm the soul of his servant with these
words, "Fear not, Abram, I AM thy shield, and thy exceeding great
reward." "God is not unrighteous to forget the work and labor of love"
(Heb. vi. 10). A similar principle is presented to us in chapter xiii.
where Abram is seen giving way to Lot, in the matter of choosing the
land. Abram's whole anxiety in that matter was about the Lord's honor,
as maintained in the harmonious walk of "_brethren_" before the
"Canaanite and the Perizzite." "Let there be no strife," says he,
"between me and thee ... _for we be brethren_." Nor did Abram desire
to suppress the strife, by _exacting concessions_ from Lot. No; he was
willing to concede everything himself--to surrender every claim--to
sacrifice every advantage, provided the strife were suppressed. "Is
not the _whole land_ before thee?" _Take_ what you please--possess
yourself of the fairest spot in all the region round about. Here, as
some one has observed, is the liberality--the unselfishness of faith.
What was land to Abram in comparison with the Lord's glory? Nothing.
He could give up anything, or everything, for that. How then does the
Lord meet this self-sacrifice on the part of His servant? Just as He
does in this xv. chapter, by coming in, in the plenitude of His
goodness, to make it up to him a hundredfold. "Lift up _now_ thine
eyes ... for _all the land which thou seest_ to thee will I give it,
and to thy seed after thee" (xiii. 14, 15). How truly gracious it is
of the Lord to enable His servant to make a sacrifice for Him, and
then reward that sacrifice by a vast increase of blessing. Such are
His ways--His ever adorable ways.

We are now called to trace in Abram the development of a feature
which, in a special manner, demonstrates the high order of his
communion with God. After all God's revelations and promises to him,
his soul still breathes after an object without which all besides was
defective. True, he had surveyed, with the eye of faith, the promised
inheritance--the magnificent gift of divine benevolence; yet,
notwithstanding all this, was there a great desideratum--a mighty
blank. He sighed for a SON. A son _alone_ could render complete, in
Abram's estimation, all his previous privileges. "And Abram said, Lord
God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and _the steward
of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus_. And Abram said, Behold to me
thou hast given no seed: and lo, _one born in my house_ is mine heir"
(vers. 2, 3). Now, we have, in tracing the path of this remarkable
man, beheld him, at times, displaying some very noble features of
character. His generosity--his high elevation of mind--his
pilgrim-like habits--all these things denote a man of the very highest
order; yet I hesitate not to say, that we find him, in the passage
just quoted, exhibiting a temper of soul, more in harmony with the
mind of heaven than anything we have met hitherto. Abram desired to
have his house enlivened by the cry of a child. He had been long
enough conversant with the spirit of bondage breathed by "the steward
of his house," but the titles of _lord_ and _master_, though all very
good in their place, could not satisfy the heart of Abram, for Abram
had been taught of God, and God ever instructs His children in those
things which He loves, and which He exhibits in His dealings with
them. And I would just observe, in connection with this, that we see
in the case of the prodigal in Luke xv., the development of a
principle very much in connection with what we have been saying. He
says, in the very midst of all his misery "I will arise and go unto my
Father, and will say unto him, _Father_." Here we have a fine feature
in the character of this poor wanderer. He had such a sense of the
grace of him against whom he had sinned, that he could yet say
"_Father_" notwithstanding his long course of rebellion and folly.

But let us observe with what accuracy Abram lays hold of the great
principle afterwards brought out by the Spirit in Romans viii. "_If
children, then heirs._" Abram felt that sonship and heirship were
inseparably connected, so much so, that without the former the latter
could not be. This is the meaning of his question, "Lord God, what
wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house
is this Eliezer of Damascus?" Abram rightly judged that to have "_no
seed_" was to have _no inheritance_, for the word is, not if _stewards
or servants_, then heirs, but "if _children_, then heirs" (Rom. viii.
17).

How very important it is that we should ever bear in mind, that all
our present privileges and future prospects stand connected with our
character as "_sons_." It may be all well and very valuable, in its
right place, to realize our responsibility to act as "faithful and
wise stewards," in the absence of our Master; still the most ample
privileges--the highest enjoyments--the brightest glories, which
belong to us through the grace and mercy of our God, stand intimately
connected with our character and place as "_sons_." (Comp. John i. 12;
Rom. viii. 14, 19; 1 John iii. 1, 2; Eph. i. 5; v. 1; Heb. xii. 5.)

In the vision presented to us in the close of our chapter, and which
was granted to Abram as an answer to his question, "Lord God, whereby
shall I know that I shall inherit it?" we have a further illustration
of the teaching of Romans viii. Abram is taught by the vision, that
the _inheritance_ was only to be reached through _suffering_--that
_the heirs_ must pass through _the furnace_, previous to their
entering upon the enjoyment of that which God was reserving for them;
and I doubt not that, were we more deeply and experimentally taught in
the divine life, we should more fully apprehend the moral fitness of
such training. Suffering then, is not connected, in this chapter, with
_sonship_, but with _heirship_; and so we are taught in Romans viii.
"If children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ,
if so be that _we suffer_ with Him, that we may be also _glorified_
together." Again, we must, "through much _tribulation_, enter into the
kingdom of God" (Acts xiv. 22). The Lord Jesus Himself, likewise,
stands as the great illustration of the principle upon which we are
dwelling. He occupied the place and enjoyed the favor of a Son from
before all worlds, (Prov. viii.) yet ere He could lay His hand upon
the inheritance He must pass through suffering. He had a baptism to be
baptized with, and was straitened (συνεχομενος) until it was
accomplished. So also when He remembered that "a corn of wheat must
fall into the ground and die," or else abide _alone_, His soul was
"_troubled_." Now, we are to "know Him in the fellowship of His
sufferings," before we can know Him in the fellowship of His glory;
hence it is that the palmed multitude mentioned in Revelation vii. had
to pass through "great tribulation" (της μεγαλης θλιψεως) ere
they reached their peaceful, heavenly home. Passages of Scripture might
be multiplied in proof of this point, but I will merely refer to the
following, viz.--Phil. i. 29; 1 Thess. iii. 4; 2 Thess. i. 5; 1 Tim.
iv. 10; 2 Tim. ii. 12; 1 Peter v. 10.

But, in this remarkable vision, there are two points which, as they
appear prominently in the whole of Israel's after history, deserve to
be particularly noticed. I allude to "the smoking furnace, and the
burning lamp." (ver. 17.) It has been well observed, by a recent
writer, that Israel's history might be summed up in these two words,
"the furnace and the lamp." Egypt was a trying furnace to the seed of
Abraham. There the fire burned fiercely, but it was soon followed by
"the burning lamp" of God's own deliverance. The cry of the suffering
seed had come up into the ears of Jehovah. He had heard their
groanings and seen their afflictions, and had come down to display
above their heads "the lamp" of salvation. "I am come down to deliver
them," said He to Moses. Satan might take delight in kindling the
furnace, and in adding to its intensity, but the blessed God, on the
other hand, ever delighted in letting the rays of His lamp fall upon
the dark path of His suffering heirs. So, when Jehovah had, in the
faithfulness of His love, brought them into the land of Canaan, they
again and again, kindled a furnace by their sins and iniquities; He,
as frequently, raised up deliverers in the persons of the judges which
were as so many lamps of deliverance to them. Further, when by their
aggravated rebellion, they were plunged into the furnace kindled at
Babylon, even there we observe the glimmerings of "the burning lamp,"
and finally it shone out for their full deliverance, in the decree of
Cyrus.

Now, the Lord was constantly reminding the children of Israel of the
above truth. He says to them, "But the Lord hath taken you, and
brought you forth out of the _iron furnace_." (Deut. iv. 20; 1 Kings
viii. 51.) Again, "Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of
this covenant, which I commanded your fathers, in the day that I
brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from _the iron furnace_."
(Jer. xi. 3, 4.)

Finally, we may ask, are the seed of Abraham now suffering in the
furnace, or are they enjoying the lamp of God?--for they must be
experiencing either the one or the other--the furnace, assuredly. They
are scattered over the face of the earth as a proverb and a byword, a
reproach and a hissing among all the nations of the earth. Thus are
they in the iron furnace. But, as it has ever been, "the burning lamp"
will assuredly follow "the smoking furnace," for "all Israel shall be
saved; as it is written, there shall come out of Sion _the Deliverer_,
and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." (Isa. lix. 20; Rom. xi.
26.)

Thus we see how that Israel's eventful history has all along stood
connected with the smoking furnace and the burning lamp, here seen in
vision by Abram. They are either presented to us in the furnace of
affliction, through their own sin, or enjoying the fruits of God's
salvation; and even at this moment, when, as has been already
observed, they are manifestly in the furnace, we can witness the
fulfillment of God's promise, so often repeated, "And unto his son
will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a _lamp_
(margin) always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen
Me to put My name there." (1 Kings xi. 36; xv. 14; 2 Kings viii. 19;
Psalm cxxxii. 17.) If it be asked where does this lamp shine now? Not
on earth, for Jerusalem, the place of its earthly display, is "trodden
down of the Gentiles," but the eye of faith can behold it shining with
undimmed lustre "in the true tabernacle," where it will continue to
shine "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in;" and then, when
the furnace, seen in this chapter by Israel's great progenitor, shall
have been heated to the very highest degree of intensity, when the
blood of Israel's tribes shall flow like water round the walls of
Jerusalem, even then, shall the blessed lamp come forth from the place
where it now shines, and cast its cheering rays upon the dark path of
the oppressed and sorrowing remnant, bringing to mind those
oft-illustrated words, "O ISRAEL, THOU HAST DESTROYED THYSELF; BUT IN
ME IS THY HELP."[3]

  [3] I would refer the reader to the following scriptures in
  confirmation of what has been above advanced on the subject of "the
  lamp."--Ex. xxvii. 20; 2 Sam. xxii. 29; Ps. cxix. 105; Prov. vi. 23;
  xiii. 9; Isa. lxii. 1.


CHAPTERS XVI., XVII.

These two chapters give us an account of Abram's effort to obtain the
promised seed by hearkening to the voice of his wife, and also of
God's mode of teaching him the unprofitableness of such an appeal to
the mere energy of nature as that which his effort involved.

At the very opening of Abram's course we find his faith put to the
test in the matter of the famine, but here we find him tried in quite
another way, a way moreover, which involved a far higher exercise of
faith and spiritual power. "His own body now dead and the deadness of
Sarah's womb;" although, in the main, "he considered them not," must
have acted upon his mind to a considerable extent.

Now, as in the case of the famine already alluded to, Egypt was at
hand, holding out a refuge from anxiety as to present supply, so here,
"_an Egyptian maid_,"--one of those maid-servants, doubtless, which
Abram had gotten during his sojourn in that evil place--was presented
to him as a relief in the time of anxiety touching the promised seed.
"_Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai._"

But why introduce the element of bondage into his house? Why did not
Abram's mind shrink from the thought of "the bondwoman and her son" as
much as it had shrunk from the thought of "the steward of his house?"
Might not the question, "Lord, what wilt thou give me," be asked in
connection with one as well as the other? Surely it was as much
opposed to the divine economy to grant the inheritance to the seed of
"_a bondwoman_," as to a "_servant_." In either case it would be an
allowance of the claims of nature, which cannot be.

The principles involved in this act of Abram's are fully laid open to
us in the inspired commentary given in the Epistle to the Galatians.
There we read, "Abram had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other
by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the
flesh; but he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an
allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the Mount
Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is
Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is
in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free,
which is the mother of us all." (chap. iv. 22-26.)

The churches of Galatia had been led away from the simplicity and
liberty of Christ and had returned to "_the flesh_." They were
beginning to substitute religious ceremonies for the energies of the
Spirit of Christ. Hence it is that the Apostle, in the course of his
reasoning with them on their unhappy movement, refers to the matter
recorded in our chapters, and the way in which he expounds it to them
renders it unnecessary to dwell longer upon it. This step of Abram's
only "gendered to bondage;" it introduced an unhealthy and an unhappy
element into his house which, as we shall see when we proceed further
with our subject, he had to expel ere he could reach the highest point
of elevation in his course.

In chapter xvii. we have God's remedy presented to us, and most
consolatory it is to observe how the Blessed One at once comes in in
order to lead back His servant to the _simple_ yet _difficult_
position of faith in Himself--simple, because therein we have but _one
object_ with which to be occupied--difficult, because therein we have
to contend against the workings of "an evil heart of unbelief,"
leading us to "depart from the living God."

"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to
Abram and said unto him, I AM THE ALMIGHTY GOD; _walk before_ ME, _and
be thou perfect_." Here was at once the effectual cure for all
impatient anxiety. "_I am Almighty_"--I can quicken the dead--I can
call those things that be not as though they were--I can, if needs be,
raise up of stones, children unto you--no flesh shall glory in My
presence. "I am Almighty, walk before Me and be thou perfect."

It is perhaps one of the finest principles with which the mind can be
occupied, that our God desires that He may ever be learnt, in the
variety of His perfections, by the need of His people. We have already
met a striking illustration of this important principle, in the matter
of Abram's conflict with the king of Sodom, in chapter xiv. There,
when Abram was tempted by the offers of the enemy, he found relief in
the apprehension of God's character as "the Most High God, the
possessor of heaven and earth." The character of the communion into
which Melchizedek led the soul of Abram was suited to the
circumstances in which he stood. So is it exactly in this 17th
chapter. Communion with God as "the Almighty" was the sole remedy for
impatient anxiety as to the fulfillment of any promise.

Now, when once the Lord exhibits Himself in His character of
"Almighty," there can be no obstacle whatsoever to the outflow of His
grace; for, when almighty power and almighty grace combine in behalf
of the sinner, faith may count upon a rich and an abundant harvest.

The promises, therefore, with which this chapter abounds are just such
as we might have expected. "I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I
will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I
will establish my covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee
in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto
thee and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy
seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of
Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
(xvii. 6-8.) Surely these are promises which _almighty grace_ alone
could utter, _almighty power_ alone fulfill.

The above promises stand connected with "the covenant of circumcision"
which is specially important as looked at in connection with Abram's
effort to obtain the seed otherwise than by the operations of God's
own hand. It would be profitable to dwell for a little upon the
doctrine of this covenant of circumcision but my design in taking up
this history, is not by any means to handle it in a doctrinal way, but
rather to draw from it some of those valuable principles of a
decidedly practical tendency with which it so richly abounds; and
therefore I pass rapidly over chapters xvi., xvii. which contain a
mine of precious doctrinal truth quite sufficient to occupy a separate
treatise.[4]

  [4] I would observe here that the doctrine of the Epistle to the
  Galatians stands intimately connected with chap. xvi., xvii., and I
  might add, the important doctrine of Israel's future restoration. We
  also get the doctrine of justification by faith fully illustrated in
  chap. xv.

Ere closing my observations on this section of our narrative, I would
add that it is _faith_ alone which can enable one to listen, as
Abraham here does, to the promises of Almighty God, and when faith
listens, God will surely continue to speak. Abram here gets his name
changed to Abraham, and the Lord unfolds to him the future greatness
and number of his seed, while Abraham hearkens in the unquestioning
silence of faith. But when the "Almighty God" goes on to say with
reference to Sarai, "As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her
name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and
give thee a son also of her; yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a
mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her." (vers. 15, 16.)
He is at once overwhelmed by the pledges of such marvelous power and
grace to be exercised towards him. They exceeded anything he had as
yet known, and "Abraham fell on his face." This is very instructive.
Abraham with his face in the dust, overcome by the plenitude of
almighty power and grace! Surely, we may say, while dwelling upon such
a scripture as this, it is only _faith_ that can rightly entertain the
"_Almighty God_," it _alone_ can give Him His due and proper place and
honor Him as He should be honored. When the Almighty displays Himself,
_self_ must be excluded, hence we find that _Abram_ is set aside in
all this--_Sarai_ is lost sight of--"_the bondwoman and her son_" are,
for the moment, put far out of view, and nothing is seen but "the
Almighty God" in the sovereignty and fulness of His grace and power,
and the faith that could lie prostrate in the dust, in silent
adoration of such a display of the divine glories.

How different is this from the preceding chapter! There we find Abram
hearkening to the suggestion of Sarai his wife, with regard to the
bondwoman--here we find him hearkening to the voice of Jehovah, as
Almighty, who is about to quicken the dead womb of Sarah, and to call
those things that be not as though they were, that no flesh might
glory in His presence. There it is Abram and Sarai _without God_--here
it is God _without Abram and Sarai_. In a word, there it is
_flesh_--here it is spirit--there it is _sight_--here it is _faith_.
Wondrous contrast! Exactly similar to that afterwards displayed by the
Apostle to the churches of Galatia, when he sought to restore them
from the sad influence of "the beggarly elements" of the flesh and the
world, to the full liberty wherewith Christ had made them free.


CHAPTERS XVIII., XIX.

I class these two chapters together because, like those we have just
been considering, they furnish us with a contrast--a contrast most
marked and striking between the position occupied by Abraham in
chapter xviii., and that occupied by Lot in chapter xix.

The Lord Jesus when asked by Judas, not Iscariot, "how is it that thou
wilt manifest thyself unto us and not unto the world?" replied, "If a
man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and
We will come unto him and make our abode with him." (John xiv. 23.)
Again, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My
voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with Me." (Rev. iii. 20.) Now, Abraham furnishes us with
an exceedingly happy exemplification of the truth stated in the above
passages. "The Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and He
sat in _the tent door_ in the heat of the day." (chap. xviii. 1.) Here
we find Abraham again in the full exhibition of his stranger
character. _Mamre_ and _the tent_ are associated in our minds with the
day of his triumph over the king of Sodom. Abraham is still a stranger
and a pilgrim "dwelling in tabernacles." The revelation made unto him
by the Almighty God had not altered the tone of his character in this
respect, but had rather imparted fresh vigor and energy thereto. A
simple dependence upon the promise of the Almighty God was the most
effectual means of maintaining him in his stranger condition.

Now, it is, in the very highest degree, instructive to see the honor
here put upon the character and condition of the stranger. Throughout
the wide range of the world there was just _one spot_ in which the
Lord could accept the rites of hospitality and make Himself at home,
and that was in _the tent of_ "_a pilgrim and stranger_." The Lord
would not honor the sumptuous halls and princely palaces of Egypt
with His presence. No. All His sympathies and all His affections hung
around the stranger of Mamre, who was the only one who, in the midst
of an evil world, could be induced to take God for his portion.

What a season of enjoyment it must have been to Abraham while those
heavenly strangers sat with him and partook of the offerings of his
generous heart. Mark how he calls forth into action all the energies
of his house to do honor to his guests. He hastens from the tent to
the field, and from the field to the tent again, and seems to lose
sight of himself in his effort to make others happy.

Nor is it merely by partaking of Abraham's hospitality that the Lord
gives expression to the high estimation in which He holds him; He
renews His promise to him with regard to the son--He opens up His
counsels to him with reference to Sodom. "Shall I," says He, "hide
from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely
become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth
shall be blessed in him? _For I know him_, that he will command his
children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of
the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon
Abraham that which He hath spoken of him." (vers. 17-19.)

Here Abraham is seen as "_the friend of God_." "The servant knoweth
not what his lord doeth," but Abraham was made acquainted with what
the Lord was about to do to Sodom, while Lot--the one who was so
deeply interested in the solemn event--was left in profound ignorance
about it.

How then does Abraham make use of his favored position? Does he use it
to strengthen more fully, and place on a firmer basis, the future
interests of his house? Surely the natural heart would at once have
prompted him to make such a use of his present advantage in the matter
of nearness to Jehovah. Does he use it thus? Nay. Abraham had learnt
too much of the ways of God to act in a way savoring so much of the
selfishness of a heartless world. But, even had he thought of such a
thing, he had no need to utter a syllable on the subject, for "_the
Almighty God_" had most amply satisfied his heart with regard to the
everlasting interests of his house--He had fixed it upon such a
foundation that an anxious thought would have evidenced a complete
want of moral order in Abraham's soul. He therefore entertained not a
thought about himself or his house, but like a genuine man of faith,
_he takes advantage of his place in the presence of God to intercede
for a brother, whose worldliness had plunged him into the very midst
of that place which was about to be given over to everlasting
destruction_. "And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy
the righteous with the wicked?" (ver. 23.) "_The righteous!_" to whom
can he allude? Can it be to the man who had so deliberately turned
aside out of the path of faith to take up his abode at Sodom? Yes; he
speaks of Lot--he calls him "_righteous_,"--he speaks of him in the
very same terms as the Spirit in the apostle afterward speaks of him
when he calls him a "righteous soul." Abraham, therefore, was taught
of God when he could recognize in the man surrounded by all the
pollution of Sodom "a righteous soul."[5]

  [5] Although I consider Lot the principal object in Abraham's mind,
  while interceding before the Lord, I do not forget that there is
  mention made of "fifty," etc.

I doubt not it will be admitted by every one taught of God that the
conduct of Abraham in this chapter, furnishes us with one of the most
important results of a holy and separated walk. We observe in it a man
pleading with God in a most urgent strain for one who had turned his
back upon him, and selected Sodom as the place of his abode. How
completely must Abraham's soul have been lifted above "the things that
are seen" when he could thus forget "the strife" and the departure,
worldliness and evil of Lot, and plead for him still as "a righteous
soul." If Abraham appears as "the _friend_ of God" under other
circumstances and other scenes, surely he is here seen as the _child_
of God exhibiting most sweetly those principles which he had learnt in
communion with his heavenly Father.

We shall now leave Abraham, for a little, enjoying his happy place
before the Lord, while we contemplate the last sad scene in the life
of one who seems to have valued the things of this life more highly
than was consistent with the character of "a stranger and pilgrim" or
"a righteous soul."

From the time that the separation took place between Abraham and Lot,
the former seems to have proceeded "from strength to strength;" while
the latter, on the contrary, seems to have proceeded only downwards,
from one stage of weakness to another, until we find him, at the
close, making shipwreck of everything, and merely "escaping with his
life." The loss of all his goods in the battle between the "four kings
and five" does not seem to have had any effect upon the mind of Lot in
the way of teaching him the evil of being mixed up with the world;
yea, he seems to have become more deeply involved in worldliness after
that event than he had been before; for, at the first, he merely
"pitched his tent _towards_ Sodom" (chap. xiii. 12); but now we find
him sitting "in the gate" (chap. xix. 1), which, as we know, was then
the place of honor. When once a man has put his hand to the plow if he
begin to look back, we have been told by Him who cannot err, that "he
is not _fit_ for the kingdom of God." Nor is it possible to count upon
the fearful lengths to which a man may go when once the world, in any
one of its varied aspects, has taken possession of his heart, or when
once he has begun to turn his back upon the people of God. The
terrible declension spoken of in Hebrews x., which stops not short of
"trampling under foot the Son of God," has its beginning in the
apparently simple act of "forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together." How needful, therefore, it is that we should take heed to
our ways, and watch the avenues of our hearts and minds, lest any evil
thing should get dominion over us, which, however trivial in itself,
might lead to the most appalling results.

Now, it strikes me, that we have in the circumstance presented to us
in the opening of chapter xix. the full evidence of Lot's fallen
condition. The Lord Himself does not appear at all. He remains at a
distance from the unholy place, and merely sends _His angels_ to
execute His commission upon the devoted city of Sodom. The angels,
too, exhibit all the symptoms of distance and strangership--they
refuse to go into Lot's house when invited, saying, "_Nay, but we will
abide in the street all night_." True, they subsequently enter into
his house; but, if they do so, it is not so much to enjoy refreshment
as to counteract the sad effects of Lot's wrong circumstances. How
different was the scene at Lot's house from that which they had so
lately witnessed at the tent of the stranger of Mamre! The tumult of
the men of Sodom--to whom, notwithstanding all their ungodly deeds and
ungodly speeches, Lot applies the title of "_brethren_"--the evident
embarrassment of Lot at being discovered in such painful
circumstances--the shocking proposal which he is constrained to make
in order to screen his guests from the violence of the ungodly men of
Sodom--the struggle at the door, and Lot's danger--all these things
must have shocked the heavenly strangers, and stood in marked contrast
with the holy peace and retirement of Abraham's tent, together with
his own calm and dignified demeanor throughout the scene. Well might
those angels have been astonished to find "a righteous soul" in such a
place, when he could have enjoyed, in company with his separated
brother, the peaceful and holy joys of his steady and consistent
course.

But the time had now arrived for the pouring out of the cup of divine
wrath upon Sodom. "The men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides?...
bring them out of _this place_: for we will destroy this place,
because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord;
and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it." (vers. 12, 13.) The critical
moment which the Lord Jesus, in the gospel, notes by the exceedingly
solemn word "UNTIL," was now at hand for the careless inhabitants of
Sodom, who dreamed not of any interruption to their "eating, and
drinking, buying and selling, marrying and giving in marriage." A
moment's respite is allowed, during which Lot bears a message to his
son-in-law, a testimony as to the rapidly approaching judgment; but,
ah! what power could the testimony of one who had voluntarily come in
and settled amongst them, have upon those who had lived and moved from
their earliest infancy in the midst of the ungodly scene? How could
Lot expect that his _words_ would have any weight when his _ways_ had
so sadly contradicted them? He might now, with terrified aspect and
earnest entreaties, urge them to leave a place which he knew was
doomed to everlasting destruction, but they could not forget the calm
and deliberate way in which he had at first "pitched his tent toward
Sodom," and finally taken his seat "in the gate;" hence, as might be
expected, "he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law." (ver.
14.) And how, so far as he was concerned, could it be otherwise? His
sons-in-law might be, and doubtless were, responsible before God for
the rejection of the testimony; but Lot could not, by any means,
expect them to heed him much, indeed, we find that even he himself was
tardy in departing from the place; for "_while he lingered_"--while
his heart still went after some object or another that was dear to
him--"the men _laid hold upon his hand_, and upon the hand of his
wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful
to him, and _they brought him forth_ and set him without the city."
(ver. 16.) From this statement, it is manifest that, had not the men
"laid hold of, and brought forth" Lot, he would, no doubt, have
"lingered" on "_until_" the fire of God's judgment had fallen upon
him, and prevented even his "escaping with his life." But they "pulled
him out of the fire," because "the Lord had mercy upon him."

But this escape of Lot's only served to put fresh honor upon Abraham,
for we read that "when God destroyed the cities of the plain, _he
remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow_"
(ver. 29). Thus, as Abraham's sword had delivered Lot in the time of
the conquest of Sodom, his prayer delivered him in the time of its
final overthrow, "for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much." Nor does the contrast between those two men stop here.
There is yet another scene in which they stand at a great distance
from each other as to the moral condition of their souls. "Abraham gat
him up early in the morning, to the place where he stood before the
Lord" (ver. 27). Here the man of faith, the holy pilgrim, once more
raises his head amid the mighty scene of desolation. All was over with
Sodom and its guilty inhabitants, "the smoke of the country went up as
the smoke of a furnace." Sad spectacle! The din and bustle of that
once stirring city was hushed; silence reigned around--the buying and
selling--the eating and drinking--the marrying and giving in
marriage--all the intercourse of social life had been awfully broken
in upon. The solemn "UNTIL" had come at last--the only one in all
that wicked place who, notwithstanding his failure, could be regarded
as "the salt," had been removed--the measure of Sodom's iniquity had
been filled up--the day of divine longsuffering closed, and nothing
now met the eye of Abraham but misery and desolation throughout all
the plain. How melancholy! And yet it was but a type of the far more
terrible desolation which shall sweep across this guilty world when
the Son of man makes His appearance, "when every eye shall see Him,
and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn and wail because of Him."

Thus, "Abraham stood _before the Lord_," completely exempt from all
the sad effects of the recent visitation, as far as he was personally
concerned. His stranger condition which, in the days of Chedorlaomer,
had enabled him to live outside of Sodom and all its circumstances,
still kept him free, and was the means of his escape from Sodom's
unutterable woe and misery. Had Abraham, when solicited by the King of
Sodom, mixed himself up with the things of Sodom, he would have been
involved, in some measure, as was his brother Lot, in its overthrow.
He himself would have been saved, but his work would have been burnt
up. But Abraham was looking for "a city that hath foundations," and he
knew at once that Sodom was not that city, and hence he would have
nothing whatever to do with it. He would "hate even the garment
spotted by the flesh"--he would "touch not the unclean thing," and now
he was permitted to realize the blessed results of his conduct, for,
while Lot had to retreat in confusion and sorrow to a cave in the
mountains, his wife and all his possessions being lost, Abraham takes
his stand, in all that blessed calmness and dignity which ever
characterized him, in the presence of Jehovah, and from thence surveys
the heart-rending scene.

But what of Lot? How did he end his course? "Oh, tell it not in Gath!
publish it not in the streets of Askelon!" Well may we desire to throw
a veil over the closing scene of the life of one who does not seem to
have ever realized, as he should, the power of _the call of God_. He
had always displayed a secret desire for the things of Egypt or those
of Sodom. His heart does not seem to have been thoroughly detached
from the world, and therefore his course was always unsteady; from the
time he separated himself from Abraham, he went from bad to
worse--from one stage of evil to another, until at last the scene
closes with the shocking transaction in the cave; the sad results of
which were seen in the persons of Moab and Ammon, the enemies of the
people of God.

Thus ended the course of Lot, whose history ought to be a solemn
warning to all Christians who feel a tendency to be carried away by
the world. The history has not been left on record without a purpose.
"Whatever things were written aforetime, were written for our
learning," may we therefore learn from the above narrative, "not to
lust after evil things," for, although "the Lord knows how to deliver
the godly out of temptation," yet it is our place to keep as much out
of the way of temptation as we can, and our prayer should ever be
"lead us not into temptation." "The world passeth away, and the lust
thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever" (1 John
ii. 17).


CHAPTERS XX., XXI.

Lot has now passed off the scene--his sun has gone down amid thick
clouds and a gloomy atmosphere; it now remains for us to pursue, for a
few moments longer, the narrative of Abraham's ways, and God's
dealings with him.

There was one point involved in chapter xii. which I left untouched,
knowing that it would come before us again in this place.

When Abraham went down into Egypt, he entered into a compact with
Sarah his wife _to conceal part of the truth_, "Say, I pray thee,"
said he, "thou art my sister" (Chap. xii. 13). One evil ever leads to
another. Abraham was moving in the wrong direction when he went down
into Egypt for help, and therefore did not exhibit that refinement of
conscience which would have told him of the moral unsoundness of this
mental reservation. "Speak every man truth with his neighbor," being a
divine principle, would always exercise an influence upon one walking
in communion with God; but Abraham's desire to get out of present
trial was an evidence of failure in communion, and hence "his moral
sense," as a recent writer has termed it, was not as keen or as
elevated as it should have been. However, although the Lord plagued
Pharaoh's house because of his having taken Sarah into it, and
further, although Pharaoh rebukes Abraham for his acting in the
matter, yet the latter says nothing whatever about the deliberate
compact into which he had entered with his wife, to keep back part of
the truth; he silently takes the rebuke and goes on his way, but the
root of the evil remained still in his heart, ready to show itself at
any time if circumstances should arise to draw it out.

Now, it is marvelous to behold Abraham coming up out of
Egypt--building an altar and pitching a tent--exhibiting the noble
generosity of faith--vanquishing Chedorlaomer and repulsing the
temptation of the King of Sodom--urging his request for a son and
heir, receiving the most gracious answer--on his face before God in
the sense of His almighty grace and power--entertaining the heavenly
strangers and interceding for his brother Lot. In a word, I say, it is
marvelous to behold Abraham passing through such brilliant scenes,
comprising a series of years, and, all the while, this moral point, in
which he had erred at the very threshold of his course, remains
unsettled in his heart. True, it did not develop itself during the
period to which I have just referred, but why did it not? Because
Abraham was not in circumstances to call it out, but there it was
notwithstanding. The evil was not _fully brought out_--not confessed,
not got rid of,--and the proof of this is, that the moment he again
finds himself in circumstances which could act upon _his weak point_,
it is at once made manifest that the weak point is there. The
temptation through which he passed in the matter of the King of Sodom,
was not by any means calculated to touch this peculiar point; nor was
anything that occurred to him from the time he came up out of Egypt
until he went down into Gerar, calculated to touch it, for had it been
touched, it would no doubt have exhibited itself.

We never can know what is in our hearts until circumstances arise to
draw it out. Peter did not imagine that he could deny his Lord, but
when he got into circumstances which were calculated to act upon his
peculiar weakness, he showed that the weakness was there.

It required the protracted period of forty years in the wilderness to
teach the children of Israel "what was in their hearts" (Deut. viii.
2); and it is one of the grand results of the course of discipline
through which each child of God passes, to lead him into a more
profound knowledge of his own weakness and nothingness. "We had the
_sentence of death in ourselves_, that we should not trust in
ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead" (2 Cor. i. 9). The more
we are growing in the sense of our infirmities, the more shall we see
our need of clinging more closely to Christ--drawing more largely upon
His grace, and entering more fully into the cleansing virtue and value
of His atoning blood. The Christian, at the opening of his course,
never knows his own heart; indeed, he could not bear the full
knowledge of it; he would be overwhelmed thereby. "The Lord leads us
not by the way of the Philistines lest we should see war," and so be
plunged in despair. But He graciously leads us by a circuitous route,
in order that our apprehension of His grace may keep pace with our
growing self-knowledge.

In chapter xx., then, we find Abraham again, after the lapse of many
years, falling into the old error, a suppression of truth, for which
he has to suffer a rebuke from a mere man of the world. The man of the
world, in this scene, seemed, for the moment, to possess a more
refined moral sense than the man of God. "Said he not unto me," says
he, "'She is my sister'! and she, even she herself said, 'He is my
brother': in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have
I done this." But mark how God enters the scene for the purpose of
vindicating His servant. He says to Abimelech, "Behold, thou art but a
dead man." Yes, with all "the integrity of his heart and innocency of
his hands"--with all his fine moral sense of right and wrong, he was
"but a dead man," when it came to be a question, for one moment,
between him and even an erring child of God. God, in His grace, was
looking at His dear servant from quite a different point of view from
that adopted by Abimelech. All that the latter could see in Abraham
was a man guilty of a manifest piece of deception, but God saw more
than that, and therefore He says to Abimelech, "Now therefore restore
the man his wife; _for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee,
and thou shalt live_." What dignity is here put upon Abraham! God
himself vindicates him before the world! Not a syllable of
reproof!--not a breath of disapprobation!--no, "he is a prophet and he
shall pray for thee and thou shalt live." How truly consolatory it is
for the poor, weak, and harassed believer to remember that His Father
is ever viewing him through the medium of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
sees nothing whatever upon His child but the excellency and
perfectness of Jesus. Thus, while a man of the world may have to
rebuke a child of God, as in the case before us, God declares that He
values that character which the believer has received from Him more
than all the amiability, integrity, and innocency that nature can
boast of.

This reminds us of the way in which the Lord vindicates the Baptist
before the multitude, although He had sent a message to himself which
must have exercised him deeply;--"I say unto you, among those that are
born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist"
(Luke vii. 28). Thus, whatever unfavorable aspect the child of God may
wear in the world's view, God will ever show Himself the vindicator of
such. "He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved kings for
their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no
harm" (1 Chron. xvi. 21, 22).

However, as was observed with regard to John the Baptist, the message
sent from the Lord to His servant must have exercised his spirit
deeply in secret, so is it in Abraham's case. Abraham must have felt
deeply humbled in his soul at the thought of what had occurred, and
the consciousness of the fact that God would not enter into judgment
with him about it would have augmented that feeling. When Abraham fell
into the same error in Egypt we do not find that Pharaoh's reproof
produced any manifest effect. He was not humbled by it to such a
degree as to make a full confession of the whole thing. He takes his
departure out of Egypt, but _the root_ of evil remains in his heart,
ready to shoot forth its pernicious branches again. Not so in chapter
xx.; here we get at once at the root of the matter--Abraham opens up
his whole heart, he confesses that from the very first moment of his
course he had retained this thing in his heart which had twice
betrayed him into an act, which, to say the least of it, would not
bear the light. And as there is the full confession of the evil on his
part, so is there the complete renunciation of it--he gets rid of it
fully, root and branch. The leaven is put forth out of every corner of
his heart, he hearkens to Abimelech's reproof and profits by it; it
was God's instrument by which He brought out the matter, and delivered
the soul of his servant from the power of evil.

But, in addition to the point upon which we have been dwelling, there
was yet another question to be settled ere Abraham could reach the
most elevated point of his course as a man of faith. The bondwoman and
her son were yet in the house. He must put forth these from _his
house_ as he had put forth the evil from _his heart_. The house and
the heart must be cleared out. In chapter xxi. we find matters brought
to a crisis with regard to the bondwoman and her son, concerning whom
we have heard comparatively nothing until now. The element of bondage
had heretofore lain dormant in Abraham's house because not roused into
action, by anything of an opposite nature and tendency. But, in the
birth of Isaac--the son of the free woman--the child of promise--we
see a new element introduced. The spirit of liberty and the spirit of
bondage are thus brought into contact, and the struggle must issue in
the expulsion of either one or the other. They cannot move on in
harmony, for "how can two walk together except they be agreed."

Now we are invited by the Apostle, in his epistle to the Galatians, to
behold in these two children, "the two covenants," the one gendering
to _bondage_, the other to _liberty_; and further, to behold in them
samples of the fleshly and spiritual seed of Abraham, the former,
"born after the flesh," the latter, "born after the Spirit." Nor can
anything be more marked than the line of demarcation between, not only
the two covenants, but the two seeds. They are totally distinct the
one from the other, and can never, by any operation, be brought to
coalesce. Abraham was made to feel, and that painfully, this fact.
"Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman
shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac" (Chap. xxi. 10). Here
the natural result shows itself. The two elements could not mingle. As
well might the north and the south winds be expected to blow in all
their strength without exciting a convulsion in the elements.

But it was most painful work to Abraham to be obliged thus to thrust
forth his son. "The thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because
of his son;" but it mattered not, he must be put out, for the son of a
bondwoman could never inherit the promises made only to the spiritual
seed. If Ishmael were to have been retained, it would have been an
open allowance of the claims of the flesh. Abraham would have found
something "as pertaining to the flesh" and would thus have had
"whereof to glory." But no--all God's promises are to be made good to
those who, like Isaac, are the children of promise, born after the
Spirit, "not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of God" (John i. 13). Ishmael was manifestly born "of the
will of the flesh, and of the will of man," and "flesh and blood
cannot inherit the kingdom of God." The flesh must therefore be set
aside and kept under, no matter how "grievous" it may be to our
hearts. The Christian will often find it grievous enough to keep down
the old principle which ever lusts against the new, but the Lord gives
spiritual power for the struggle so that "we are more than conquerors
through Him that loves us."

But I must again remind the reader that it is not my present purpose
to pursue the doctrinal matter involved in this instructive
history[6]; were I to do so it would carry me far beyond the limits I
have prescribed for myself in this little paper, the design of which
is, as before observed, simply to direct attention to a few leading
principles put forward in the narrative. I will therefore pass on to
the next chapter which is the last of the section laid out for
consideration.

  [6] For a fuller examination and spiritual instruction contained in
  Abraham's and others' history, see _Genesis in the Light of the New
  Testament_; from the same publishers.


CHAPTER XXII.

The circumstances through which Abraham passed in chapters twenty and
twenty-one were most important indeed. An evil which had long been
harbored in his heart had been put away; the bondwoman and her son,
who had so long retained quiet possession of his house, were cast
out, and he now stands forth as "a vessel sanctified and meet for the
master's use, prepared unto every good work."

"And it came to pass _after these things_, that God did tempt (or try)
Abraham." Here Abraham is at once introduced into a place of real
dignity and honor. When God tries an individual it is a certain
evidence of His confidence in him. We never read that "God did tempt
Lot"--no, the goods of Sodom furnished a sufficiently strong
temptation for Lot. The enemy laid a snare for him in the well-watered
plains of Sodom which he seemed but too prone to fall into. Not so
with Abraham. He lived more in the presence of God, and was,
therefore, less susceptible of the influence of that which had
ensnared his erring brother.

Now, the test to which God submits Abraham--the furnace in which He
tries him, marks at once a pure and genuine metal. Had Abraham's faith
not been of the purest and most genuine character, he would assuredly
have winced under the fiery ordeal through which we behold him passing
in this beautiful chapter. When God promised Abraham a son, he
believed the promise "and it was counted unto him for righteousness."
"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was
strong in faith, giving glory to God." But then, having received this
son, having realized the truth of the promise, was there not a danger
that he would rest in _the gift_ instead of in _the Giver_? Was there
not a danger that he would lean upon Isaac, in thinking upon the
future seed and future inheritance, rather than upon God Himself who
had promised him the seed? Surely there was, and God knew that, and
therefore tries His servant in a way, more than anything, calculated
to put him to the test as to the object on which his soul was resting.
The grand inquiry put to Abraham's heart, in this wondrous
transaction, was, "are you still walking before THE ALMIGHTY GOD, THE
QUICKENER OF THE DEAD?" God desired to know whether he could apprehend
in Him the One who was as able to raise up children from the ashes of
his sacrificed son as from the dead womb of Sarah. In other words, God
desired to prove that Abraham's faith reached forth, as some one has
observed, TO RESURRECTION, for if it stopped short of this, he never
would have responded to the startling command, "Take now, thy son,
thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of
Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the
mountains which I will tell thee of" (Chap. xxii. 2.) But Abraham
"staggered not." He at once responds to the call. God had asked for
Isaac, and Isaac must be given, and that too without a breath of
murmur. He could give up anything or everything so long as his eye
rested upon "the Almighty God." And mark the point of view in which
Abraham puts this journey of his to Mount Moriah, "I and the lad will
go yonder _and worship_." Yes, it was an act of worship, for he was
about to lay upon the altar of the Quickener of the dead the one in
whom all God's promises centred. It was an act of worship--most
elevated worship, for he was about to prove, in the sight of heaven
and hell, that no other object filled his soul but the Almighty God.
Hence, what calmness! what self-possession! what pure devotion! what
elevation of mind! what self-renunciation! He never falters throughout
the scene. He saddles the ass, prepares the wood, and sets off to
Mount Moriah, without giving expression to one anxious thought,
although, as far as human eye could see, he was about to lose the
object of his heart's most tender affection, yea, the one upon whom
the future interests of his house, to all appearance, depended.

Abraham, however, showed most fully that his heart had found a nearer
and dearer object than Isaac, dear as he was; he showed also that his
faith was resting upon another object altogether, with reference to
the future interests of his seed, _and that he was as simply resting
upon the promise of Almighty God after the birth of Isaac as before
it_.

Behold, then, this man of faith as he ascends the mount, taking with
him his "well-beloved!" What a scene of breathless interest![7] How
must the angelic hosts have watched this illustrious father from stage
to stage of his wondrous journey, until at last they beheld his hand
stretched forth for the knife to slay his son--that son for which he
had so long and ardently wished, and for which he had so steadily
trusted God. Then again, what an opportunity for Satan to ply his
fiery darts! What abundant room for such suggestions as the following,
viz., "What will become of the promises of God with regard to the seed
and the inheritance, if you thus sacrifice your only son? Beware that
you are not led astray by some false revelation; or, _if it be true_
that God has said so and so, doth not God know that, in the day you
sacrifice your son, all your hopes will be blasted? Further, think of
Sarah; what will she do if she lose Isaac, after having induced you to
expel from your house Ishmael?" All these suggestions, and many
beside, the enemy might bring to bear upon the heart of Abraham. Nor
would Abraham himself have been beyond the region of those thoughts
and reasonings which, at such a time, would not fail to arise within
him. What then was his answer to all such dark suggestions?
RESURRECTION! "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac;
and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten
son, of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
ACCOUNTING THAT GOD WAS ABLE TO RAISE HIM UP, EVEN FROM THE DEAD; FROM
WHENCE ALSO HE RECEIVED HIM IN A FIGURE" (Heb. xi. 17-19).

  [7] It strikes me that we get, in Abraham's journey to Mount Moriah, a
  remarkable type of the mysterious scene afterwards exhibited at
  Calvary, when God was really providing himself a lamb. We can have no
  difficulty in losing sight of Herod and Pilate, the chief priests and
  scribes, the Pharisees and the multitude, and thus we have none
  remaining but THE FATHER AND THE SON, who, in company, ascend the
  Mount and carry out the gracious work of redemption in the unbroken
  solitude of that place.

Resurrection is God's mighty remedy for all the mischief and ruin
introduced by Satan; when once we arrive at this point, we have done
with the power of Satan, the last exercise of which is seen in death.
Satan cannot touch the life that has been received in resurrection,
for the last exercise of his power is seen in the grave of Christ;
beyond that he can do nothing. Hence the security of the Church's
place; her "life is hidden with Christ in God." Blessed hiding place!
May we rejoice in it more and more each day.

I will now draw this paper to a close. We have followed Abraham in his
course, from Ur of the Chaldees up to the Mount Moriah--we have seen
him resign, at the call of God, family and kindred, lands and
possessions, worldly ease and prosperity; and lastly, we have seen
him, in the power of faith, at the same call of God, ascend the
solitary mount, for the purpose of laying "his only begotten" upon
God's altar, and thus to declare that he could give up everything and
every one but God Himself--and that, being acquainted with the meaning
of "THE ALMIGHTY" and "RESURRECTION," he cared not though he were
called to look to the stones for the raising up of seed unto him.

On the other hand, we have followed Lot from Ur of the Chaldees also;
but alas! his path was a far different one from that of his brother.
He does not seem to have realized the power of the call of God in his
own soul; he moved rather under Abraham's influence than under that of
Jehovah; hence we find that, while Abraham was, at every step of his
journey, letting go the world, Lot was doing the very reverse; he was
grasping at the world in every shape and form, and he obtained that at
which he was grasping, but what then? What of the end? Ah, that is the
point. What of Lot's end? Instead of being a noble spectacle unto
angels, and a pattern to all future generations of the faithful,--of
what faith can enable a man "to do and to suffer" for God,--he was
just the reverse; he was led away by the enemy of his soul, who
ensnared him by means of the things of the world; he spent his days
amid the uncleanness of Sodom, and the scene closes with the sad
circumstances in the cave. All he did for God or his people was to
beget the Ammonite and the Moabite, the enemies of both.

How wondrous then is that grace, which, speaking of the history of
such an one, could say, "And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy
conversation of the wicked; for that righteous man dwelling among
them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day
with their unlawful deeds" (2 Peter ii. 7, 8).

                                                    C. H. M.




"THOU AND THY HOUSE."


There are two houses which occupy a very prominent place on the page
of inspiration, and these are, the house of God and the house of God's
servant. God attaches immense importance to His house; and justly so,
because it is His. His truth, His honor, His character, His glory, are
all involved in the character of His house; and hence it is His desire
that the impress of what He is should plainly appear on that which
belongs to Him. If God has a house, it assuredly should be a godly
house, a holy house, a spiritual house, an elevated house, a pure and
heavenly house. It should be all this, not merely in abstract position
and principle, but practically and characteristically. Its abstract
position is founded upon what God has made it, and where He has set
it; but its practical character is founded upon the actual walk of
those who form its constituent parts down here upon this earth.

Now, while many minds may be prepared to enter into the truth and
importance of all the principles connected with God's house, there may
be but few, comparatively, who are disposed to give a due measure of
attention to those connected with the house of God's servant; although
if one were asked the question, What house stands next in order to the
house of God? he should undoubtedly reply, The house of His servant.
However, as there is nothing like bringing the holy authority of
God's Word to bear upon the conscience, I shall quote a few passages
of Scripture, which will tend to show, in a clear and forcible point
of view, what are God's thoughts about the house of one holding
connection with Him.

When the iniquity of the antediluvian world had risen to a head, and
the end of all flesh had come before a righteous God, who was about to
roll the heavy tide of judgment over the corrupted scene, these sweet
words fell upon Noah's ear: "Come thou and _all thy house_ into the
ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation."
(Gen. vii. 1.) Now, it will be said that Noah was a type of
Christ--the righteous head of a saved family--saved in virtue of their
association with him. All this is fully granted; but Noah's typical
character does not in any wise interfere with the principle which I
seek to deduce from this and kindred passages, which principle I shall
here, at the outset, distinctly lay down--it is this: _the house of
every servant of God is, in virtue of its connection with Him, brought
into a position of privilege and consequent responsibility_.[8] That
this is a principle involving vast practical consequences we shall,
with God's blessing and grace, see ere we close this paper; but we
must first seek to establish its truth from the Word of God. Were we
merely left to argue from analogy, our thesis might be easily proved;
for it could never be supposed, by any mind at all acquainted with the
character and ways of God, that He would attach such unspeakable
importance to His own house, and attach none at all, or almost none,
to that of His servant. This were impossible; it would be utterly
unlike God, and God must always act like Himself. But we are not left
to analogy on this most important and deeply practical question; and
the passage just quoted forms one of the first of a series of direct
and positive proofs. In it we find those immensely significant words,
"_Thou and thy house_" inseparably linked together. God did not reveal
a salvation for Noah which was of no avail to Noah's house. He never
contemplated such a thing. The same ark that lay open to him lay open
to them also. Why? Was it because they had faith? No; but because _he_
had, and they were connected with him. God gave him a blank check for
himself and his family, and it devolved upon him to fill it up by
bringing them in along with him. I repeat it, this does not in the
least interfere with Noah's typical character. I look at him
typically, but I look at him personally also. Nor can I, under any
circumstances, separate a man from his house. The house of God is
brought into blessing and responsibility because of its connection
with Him; and the house of the servant of God is brought into blessing
and responsibility because of its connection with him. This is our
thesis.

  [8] The reader will not, I trust, imagine that the necessity for the
  work of the Holy Ghost in the regeneration of the children of
  Christian parents is denied or interfered with. God forbid! "Except a
  man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." This is as true
  of a Christian's child as of every one else. Grace is not hereditary.
  The sum of what I would press upon Christian parents is, that
  Scripture inseparably links a man with his house, and that the
  Christian parent is warranted in counting upon God for his children,
  and responsible to train his children for God. Let any one who denies
  this interpret Ephesians vi. 4.

The next passage to which I shall refer occurs in the life of Abraham.
"And the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I
do?... For I know him, that he will command his children and his
household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do
justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which
He hath spoken of him.'" (Gen. xviii. 17-19.) Here it is not a
question of salvation, but of communion with the mind and purposes of
God; and let the Christian parent note and solemnly ponder the fact
that when God was seeking out a man to whom He could disclose His
secret counsels, He selected one possessing the simple characteristic
of "commanding his children and his household." This, to a tender
conscience, cannot fail to prove a most pungent principle. If there is
one point above another in which Christians have failed, it is in this
very point of commanding their children and household. They surely
have not set God before them in this particular; for if I look at the
entire record of God's dealings with His house, I find them invariably
characterized by the exercise of power on the principle of
righteousness. He has firmly established and unflinchingly carried out
His holy authority. It matters not what the outward aspect or
character of His house may be, the essential principle of His dealing
with it is immutable. "Thy testimonies are very sure; holiness
becometh thy house, O Lord, _forever_." Now, the servant must ever
take his Master as his model; and if God rules His house with power
exercised in righteousness, so must I; for if I am in any one
particular of my conduct different from Him, I must in that particular
be wrong. This is plain.

But not only does God so rule His house; He likewise loves, approves
of, and treats with His marked and honored confidence those who do the
same. In the above passage, we find Him saying, "I cannot hide my
purposes from Abraham." Why? Is it because of his personal grace or
faith? No; but simply because "he will command his children and his
household." A man who knows how to command his house is worthy of
God's confidence. This is a stupendous truth, the edge of which should
pierce the conscience of many a Christian parent. Many of us, alas!
with our eye resting on Genesis xviii. 19, may well prostrate
ourselves before the One who uttered and penned that word, and cry
out, Failure! failure! shameful, humiliating failure! And why is this?
Why have we failed to meet the solemn responsibility devolving upon us
in reference to the due command of our households? I believe there is
but one reply, viz., because we have failed to realize, by faith, the
privilege conferred upon those households in virtue of their
association with us. It is remarkable that our two earliest proofs
should present to our view, with such accuracy, the two grand
divisions of our question, namely, privilege and responsibility. In
Noah's case, the word was, "Thou and thy house" in the place of
salvation; in Abraham's case, it was "Thou and thy house" in the place
of moral government. The connection is at once marked and beautiful,
and the man who fails in faith to appropriate the privilege will fail
in moral power to answer the responsibility. God looks upon a man's
house as part of himself, and he cannot, in the smallest degree,
whether in principle or practice, disregard the connection without
suffering serious damage, and also marring the testimony.

Now, the question for the Christian parent's conscience really is, _Am
I counting upon God for my house, and ruling my house for God?_ A
solemn question, surely; yet it is to be feared very few feel its
magnitude and power. And here, perhaps, my reader may feel disposed to
demand fuller Scripture-proof than has yet been adduced, as to our
warrant for counting upon God for our houses. I shall therefore
proceed with the Scripture-quotations. I give one from the history of
Jacob. "And God said to Jacob, 'Arise, go up to Bethel.'" This would
seem to have been addressed to Jacob personally; but he never thought
for a moment of disconnecting himself from his family, either as to
privilege or responsibility; wherefore it is immediately added, "Jacob
said unto _his household_, and to all that were with him, 'Put away
the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your
garments; and let _us_ arise, and go up to Bethel.'" (Gen. xxxv. 1-3.)
Here we see that a call to Jacob put Jacob's house under
responsibility. He was called to go up to God's house, and the
question immediately suggested itself to his conscience, whether his
own house were in a fit condition to respond to such a call.

We now turn to the opening chapters of the book of Exodus, where we
find that one of Pharaoh's four objections to the full deliverance and
separation of Israel had specific reference to "the little ones." "And
Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh; and he said unto
them, 'Go, serve the Lord your God; but who are they that shall go?'
And Moses said, 'We will go with our young and with our old, with our
sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will
we go; _for_ we must hold a feast unto the Lord.'" (Ex. x. 8, 9.) The
reason why they should take the little ones and all with them was
because they were going to hold a feast unto the Lord. Nature might
say, Oh, what can these little creatures know about a feast unto the
Lord? Are you not afraid of making them formalists? The reply of Moses
is simple and decisive--"We will go with our young ... _for_ we must
hold a feast unto the Lord." They had no idea of seeking one thing for
themselves and another for their children. They dreamed not of Canaan
for themselves and Egypt for their children. How could they taste the
manna of the wilderness, or the old corn of the land, while their
children were feeding upon the leeks, the onions, and the garlic of
Egypt? Impossible. Moses and Aaron understood not such acting. They
felt that God's call to them was a call to their little ones; and,
moreover, were it not fully carried out, they would no sooner have
gone forth from Egypt by one road than their children would draw them
back by another. That such would have been the case Satan was but too
well aware, and hence appears the reason of the objection, "Not so:
go now _ye that are men_." This is the very thing which so many
professing Christians are doing (or attempting, rather, to do) at this
present time. They profess to go forth themselves to serve the Lord,
but their little ones are in Egypt. They profess to have taken "three
days' journey into the wilderness;" in other words, they profess to
have left the world, they profess to be dead to it, and risen with
Christ, as the possessors of a heavenly life, and the heirs and
expectants of a heavenly glory; but they leave their little ones
behind, in the hands of Pharaoh, or rather of Satan.[9] They have
given up the world for themselves, but they cannot do so for their
children. Hence, on Lord's day, the professed position of strangers
and pilgrims is taken; hymns are sung, prayers uttered, and principles
taught which bespeak a people far advanced in the heavenly life, and
just on the borders of Canaan, in actual experience (in spirit, of
course, they are already there); but, alas! on Monday morning, every
habit, every pursuit, every object, contradicts all this. The little
ones are trained for the world. The scope, aim, object, and entire
character of their education is worldly, in the truest and strictest
sense of the word. Moses and Aaron would not have understood such
actings, and neither indeed should any morally honest heart, or
upright mind, understand them. I should have no other principle,
portion, or prospect for my children but what I have for myself; nor
should I train them with a view to any other. If Christ and heavenly
glory are sufficient for me, they are sufficient for them likewise;
but then the proof that they are really sufficient for me should be
unequivocal. The tone of the parent's character should be such as to
afford not a shadow of a doubt as to the real, deep-seated purpose and
object of his soul.

  [9] It will be said that there cannot be any analogy between the
  actual removal of people from one country to another and the training
  of our children. I reply, the analogy only applies in principle. It is
  perfectly evident that we cannot take our children to heaven in the
  sense in which the Israelites took theirs to Canaan. God alone can fit
  our children for heaven, by implanting in them the life of His own
  Son; and He alone can bring them to heaven, in His own time. But then,
  although we can neither fit our children for, nor bring them to,
  heaven, we can, nevertheless, by faith, train them for it; and it is
  not merely our _duty_ (a poor, cold, and unworthy expression), but our
  high and holy _privilege_ so to do. Hence, therefore, if the principle
  on which, and the object with which, we train our children are
  manifestly worldly, we do, virtually, and so far as in us lies, leave
  them in the world. And on the other hand, if our principle and object
  are unequivocally heavenly, then do we, so far as in us lies, train
  them for heaven. This, my beloved reader, is all that is meant in this
  tract by leaving our children in Egypt or taking them to Canaan. We
  are responsible to _train_ our children, though we cannot _convert_
  them; and God will assuredly bless the faithful training of those whom
  He has graciously given us.

But what shall my child say to me if I tell him that I am earnestly
seeking Christ and heaven for him, while at the same time I am
educating him for the world? Which will he believe? Which will exert
the more powerful practical influence on his heart and life--my words,
or my acts? Let conscience reply; and oh, let it be an honest reply, a
reply emanating from its deepest depths, a reply which will
unanswerably demonstrate that the question is understood in all its
pungency and power. I verily believe the time is come for plain
dealing with one another's conscience. It must be apparent to every
prayerful and attentive observer of the Christianity of the present
day, that it wears a most sickly aspect; that the tone is miserably
low; and, in a word, that there must be something radically wrong. As
to testimony for the Son of God, it is rarely--alas! how
rarely!--thought of. Personal salvation seems to form the very highest
object with ninty-nine out of every hundred professing Christians, as
if we were left here to be saved; and not, as saved ones, to glorify
Christ.

Now, I would affectionately, yet faithfully, suggest the question,
whether much of the failure in practical testimony for Christ is not
justly traceable to the neglect of the principle involved in the
expression, "Thou and thy house." I cannot but think it has much to do
with it. One thing is certain, that a quantity of worldliness,
confusion, and moral evil has crept in amongst us through our little
ones having been left in Egypt. We see many who, it may be, ten,
fifteen, or twenty years ago, took a prominent place in testimony and
service, and seemed to have their hearts much in the work, are now
gone back, lamentably, not having power to keep their own heads above
water, much less to help any one else. All this utters a warning voice
for Christian parents having rising families; and the utterance is,
"BEWARE OF LEAVING YOUR LITTLE ONES IN EGYPT." Many a heart-broken
father, at the present moment, is left to weep and groan over his
fatal mistake in reference to his household. He left them in Egypt, in
an evil hour, and under a gross delusion, and now when he ventures,
it may be in real faithfulness and earnest affection, to drop a word
into the ear of those who have grown up around him, they meet it with
a deaf ear and an indifferent heart, while they cling with vigor and
decision to that Egypt in which he faithlessly and inconsistently left
them. This is a stern fact, the statement of which may send a pang to
many a heart; but truth must be told, in order that, though it wounds
some, it may prove a salutary warning to others. But I must proceed
with the proofs.[10]

  [10] There is, I should say, a very serious error involved in a
  Christian parent's committing the training of his children to
  unconverted persons, or even to those whose hearts are not one with
  him as to separation from the world. It is natural that a child should
  look up to, and follow the example of, one who has the training and
  management of him. Now, what can a teacher make of a child, save what
  he is himself? Whither can he lead him, but to where he is himself?
  What principles can he instill, save those which govern his own mind,
  and form the basis of his own character? Well, if I see a man governed
  by worldly principles--if I see plainly, from his whole course and
  character, that he is an unconverted person, shall I commit to him the
  training and instruction of my children, or the formation of their
  characters? It would be the height of folly and inconsistency so to
  do. As well might a man who desired to make an oval-shaped bullet cast
  the melted lead into a circular mould.

  The same principle applies to the reading of books. A book is
  decidedly a _silent_ teacher and former of the mind and character; and
  if I am called to look well to the character and principles of the
  living teacher, I am equally so to look to those of the silent
  teacher. I am quite convinced that in reference both to books and
  teachers, we need to have our consciences stirred and instructed.

In the book of Numbers, "the little ones" are again introduced to our
notice. We have just seen that the real purpose of a soul in communion
with God was to go up with the little ones out of Egypt. They must be
brought forth from thence at all cost; but neither faith nor
faithfulness will rest here. We must not only count upon God to bring
them up out of Egypt, but also to bring them on into Canaan. Here
Israel signally failed. After the return of the spies, the
congregation, on hearing their discouraging report, gave utterance to
these fatal accents, "Wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this
land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be
a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?" (Numb. xiv.)
This was terrible. It was, in reality, so far as in them lay,
verifying Pharaoh's wily prediction in reference to these very little
ones, "Look to it now, for evil is before you." Unbelief always
justifies Satan and makes God a liar, while faith always justifies God
and proves Satan a liar; and as it is invariably true that according
to your faith so shall it be unto you, so we find, on the other hand,
that unbelief reaps as it sows. Thus it was with unhappy, because
unbelieving, Israel. "As truly as I live, saith the Lord, _as ye have
spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you_. Your carcasses shall fall
in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to
your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have
murmured against Me, doubtless ye shall not come into the land
concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son
of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. _But your little ones_, which
ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know
the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcasses, they
shall fall in the wilderness." (Ver. 28-32.) "They limited the Holy
One of Israel" as to their little ones. This was a grievous sin, and
it has been recorded for our admonition. How constantly does the heart
of the Christian parent reason, in reference to the mode of dealing
with children, instead of simply taking God's ground about them. It
may be said, We cannot make Christians of our children. This is not
the question. We are not called to "make" any thing of them. This is
God's work, and His only; but if He says, "Bring your little ones with
you," shall we refuse? I would not make a formalist of my child, and I
_could_ not make him a real Christian; but if God, in infinite grace,
says to me, "I look upon your house as part of yourself, and, in
blessing you, I bless it," shall I, in gross unbelief of heart, refuse
this blessing, lest I should minister to formalism, or because I
cannot impart reality? God forbid. Yea, rather, let me rejoice, with
deep unfeigned joy, that God has blessed me with a blessing so
divinely rich and full that it extends not only to me, but also to all
who belong to me; and, seeing that grace has given me the blessing,
let faith take it up and appropriate it.[11]

  [11] Very many content themselves with the assurance that at some time
  or other their children will be converted. But this is not taking
  God's ground with them now. If we have the assurance that they are
  within the range of God's purpose, why do we not act upon that
  assurance? If we are waiting to see certain evidences of conversion in
  them before we act as Scripture directs, it is plain that we are
  looking at something besides God's promise. This is not faith. The
  Christian parent is privileged to look upon his child now as one to be
  trained for the Lord. He is bound to take this ground, in faith, and
  train him thus, looking to God, in the fullest assurance, for the
  result. If I wait to see fruits, this is not faith. Besides, the
  question arises, What are my children now? They may be going about
  like idle, willful vagrants, bringing sad dishonor on the name and
  truth of Christ, and yet all the while I satisfy myself by saying, I
  know they will be converted yet. This will never do. My children
  should be now a testimony for God; and they can only be this by my
  taking God's ground with them, and going on with Him about them.

But let us remember that the way to prove our entrance into the
blessing is by fulfilling the responsibility. To say that I am
counting upon God to bring my children to Canaan, and yet all the
while educating them for Egypt, is a deadly delusion. My conduct
proves my profession to be a lie, and I am not to wonder if, in the
righteous dealings of God, I am allowed to be filled with the fruit of
my own doings. Conduct will ever prove the reality of our convictions;
and in this, as in every thing else, that word of the Lord is most
solemnly true, "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the
doctrine." We often want to know the doctrine before we do the will,
and the consequence is, we are left in the most profound ignorance.
Now, to do the will of God in reference to our children, is to treat
them as He does, by regarding them as part of ourselves, and training
them accordingly. It is not merely by hoping they may ultimately prove
to be the children of God, but by regarding them as those who are
already brought into a place of privilege, and dealing with them upon
this ground in reference to every thing. According to the thoughts and
actings of many parents, it would seem as though they regarded their
children in the light of heathens, who had no present interest in
Christ, or relationship to God at all. This is, assuredly, falling
grievously short of the divine mark. Nor is this a question, as it is
too often made, of infant or adult baptism. No; it is simply and
entirely a question of faith in the power and extent of that
peculiarly gracious word. "Thou and thy house"--a word the force and
beauty of which we shall see more and more fully as we proceed.

Throughout the book of Deuteronomy, the children of Israel are again
and again instructed to set the commandments, the statutes, the
judgments, and precepts of the law before their little ones; and these
same little ones are contemplated as inquiring into the nature and
object of various ordinances and institutions. The reader can easily
run through the various passages.

I now pass on to that truly memorable resolution of Joshua, "Choose
you this day whom ye will serve . . . . but as for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord." (Josh. xxiv. 15.) Observe, "Me and my house." He
felt it was not sufficient that he himself should be personally pure
from all contact with the defilements and abominations of idolatry; he
had also to look well to the moral character and practical condition
of his house. Though Joshua were not to worship idols, yet if his
children did so, would he be guiltless? Certainly not. Moreover, the
testimony of the truth would have been as effectually marred by the
idolatry of Joshua's house as by the idolatry of Joshua himself; and
judgment would have been executed accordingly. It is well to see this
distinctly. The opening of the first book of Samuel affords most
solemn demonstration of the truth of this--"And the Lord said to
Samuel, 'Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears
of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform
against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning _his house_:
when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will
judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; BECAUSE HIS
SONS MADE THEMSELVES VILE AND HE RESTRAINED THEM NOT.'" (1 Sam. iii.
11-13.)

Here we see that no matter what the personal character of the servant
of God may be, yet if he fail in the due regulation of his house, God
will not hold him guiltless. Eli should have restrained his sons. It
was his privilege, as it is ours, to be able to count upon the
specific power of God in the subjugation of every element in his house
which was calculated to mar the testimony; but he did not do this, and
hence his terrible end was that he broke his neck about the house of
God, because he had not broken his heart about his own house. Had he
waited upon God about his willful sons--had he acted faithfully--had
he discharged the holy responsibilities devolving upon him, the house
of God would never have been desecrated, and the ark of God would not
have been taken. In a word, had he treated his house as part of
himself, and made it what it ought to be, he would not have called
down upon himself the heavy judgment of Him whose principle it is
never to separate the words, "_Thou and thy house_."

But how many parents have since trodden in Eli's footsteps! Through
an utterly false idea in reference to the entire basis and character
of parental relationship, they have allowed their children, from
infancy to boyhood, and from boyhood to manhood, in the unrestrained
indulgence of the will. Not having faith to take divine ground, they
have failed in moral power to take even the human ground of making
their children respect and obey them, and the issue has presented to
view the most fearful picture of lawless extravagance and wild
confusion. The highest object for the servant of God to set before him
in the management of his house is the testimony therein afforded to
the honor of Him to whose house he himself belongs. This is really the
proper ground of action. I must not seek to have my children in order
because it would be an annoyance and inconvenience to _me_ to have
them otherwise, but because the honor of God is concerned in the godly
order of the households of all those who form constituent parts of His
house.

Here, however, it may be objected that up to this point we have been
breathing only the atmosphere of Old-Testament scripture, and that the
principles and proofs have been only thence deduced; now, on the
contrary, God's principle of action is grace according to election,
and this leads to the calling out of a man, irrespective of all
domestic ties and relationships, so that you may find a godly,
devoted, heavenly-minded saint at the head of a most ungodly,
irregular, worldly family. I maintain, in opposition to this, that the
principles of God's moral government are eternal, and therefore,
whether developed in one age or another, they must be the same. He
cannot at one time teach that a man and his house are one, and commend
him for ruling it properly, and at another time teach that they are
not one, but permit him to rule his house as he pleases. This is
impossible. God's approval or disapproval of things flows out of what
He is in Himself; and in this matter in particular, inasmuch as God
rules His own house according to what He is Himself, He commands His
servants to rule their houses upon the same principle. Has the
dispensation of grace, or of Christianity, come in to upset this
lovely moral order? God forbid! Nay, it has rather, if possible, added
new traits of beauty thereto. Was the house of a Jew looked at as part
of himself, and shall the house of a Christian be different? Truly
not. It would be a sad abuse, and an anomalous application of that
heavenly word, "grace," to apply it to the misrule and demoralization
that prevail in the houses of numberless Christians of the present
day. Is it grace to allow the will to ride rampant? Is it grace to
have all the passions, tempers, whims, and appetites of a corrupt
nature indulged? Alas! call it not grace, lest our souls should lose
the real meaning of the word, and begin to imagine it to be what we
have called it. Call it by its proper names--a monstrous abuse--a
denial of God, not only as the Ruler of His own house, but as the
moral Administrator of the universe--a flagrant contradiction of all
the precepts of inspiration on this deeply important subject.

But let us turn to the New Testament and see if we cannot find in its
sacred pages ample proof of our thesis. Does the Holy Ghost, in this
grand section of His book, exclude a man's house from the privileges
and responsibilities attached thereto in the Old Testament? We shall
see very plainly that He does no such thing. Let us have the proofs.
In Christ's commission to His apostles, we find these words: "And into
whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy;
and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into a house,
salute it. And if the house [not merely the master] be worthy, let
your peace come upon _it_; but if it be not worthy, let your peace
return to you again." (Matt. x. 11-13.) Again, "And Jesus said unto
Zacchæus, 'This day is salvation come to _this house_, forasmuch as he
also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man is come to seek and to
save that which was lost.'" (Luke xix. 9, 10.) So in the case of
Cornelius--"Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is
Peter; who shall tell thee words whereby _thou and all thy house_
shall be saved." (Acts xi. 13, 14.) So also to the jailer at
Philippi--"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and _thou shalt be saved
and thy house_." (Acts xvi. 31.) Then we have the practical
result--"And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat
before them, and rejoiced, believing in God _with all his house_."
(Ver. 34.) In the same chapter, Lydia says, "If ye have judged me to
be faithful to the Lord, come into _my house_ and abide." (Ver. 15.)
"The Lord give mercy unto _the house_ of Onesiphorus." Why? was it
because of its actings toward him? No; but "because _he_ oft
refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain." (2 Tim. i. 16.) "A
bishop must be one that ruleth well his own house, having his children
in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his
own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?"

Now, under the term "house," three things are included, viz., the
house itself, the children, and the servants. All these, whether taken
together or separately, should bear the distinct stamp of God. The
house of a man of God should be ruled for God, in His name and for His
glory. The head of a Christian household is the representative of God.
Whether as a father or as a master, he is to his household an
expression of the power of God; and he is bound to walk in the
intelligent recognition and practical development of this fact. It is
on this principle he is to provide for and govern the whole. Hence,
"if any provide not for his own house, he hath denied the faith, and
is worse than an infidel." By neglecting the sphere over which God has
set him, he proves his ignorance of and unlikeness to the One whom he
is called to represent. This is plain enough. If I want to know how I
am to provide for and rule my house, I have only carefully to study
the way in which God provides for and rules His house. This is the
true way to learn. Nor is it here a question as to the actual
conversion of the constituent parts of the household. Not at all. What
I desire to press upon all Christian heads of houses is, that the
whole affair, from one end to the other, should distinctly wear the
stamp of God's presence and God's authority,--that there should be a
clear acknowledgment of God on the part of every member. That every
thing should be so conducted as to elicit the confession, "_God is
here_;" and all this, not that the head of the house may be praised
for his moral influence and judicious management, but simply that God
may be glorified. This is not too much to aim at; yea, we should never
rest satisfied with any thing less. A Christian's house should be but
a miniature representation of the house of God, not so much in the
actual condition of individual members as in the moral order and godly
arrangement of the whole.

Some may shake their heads and say, This is all very fine, but where
will you get it? I only ask, Does the Word of God teach a Christian
man so to rule his house? If so, woe be to me if I refuse or fail to
do so. That there has been the most grievous failure in the management
of our houses every honest conscience must admit, but nothing can be
more shameful than for a man calmly and deliberately to sit down
satisfied with a disordered condition of his house because he cannot
attain to the standard which God has set before him. All I have to do
is to follow the line which Scripture has laid down, and the blessing
must assuredly follow, for God cannot deny Himself. But if I, in
unbelief of heart, say I cannot reach the blessing, of course I never
shall. Every field of blessing or privilege which God opens before us
demands an energy of faith to enter. Like Canaan of old to the
children of Israel; there it lay, but they had to go thither, for the
word was, "Every place that thy foot shall tread upon." Thus it is
ever. Faith takes possession of what God gives. We should aim at every
thing which tends to glorify Him who has made us all we are or ever
shall be.

But what can be more dishonoring to God than to see the house of His
servant the very reverse of what He would have it? And yet were we to
judge from what constantly meets our view, it would seem as if many
Christians thought that their houses had nothing whatever to do with
their testimony. Most humbling it is to meet with some who, so far as
they are personally concerned, seem nice Christians, but who entirely
fail in the management of their houses. They speak of separation from
the world, but their houses present the most distressingly worldly
appearance; they speak of the world being crucified to them and of
their being crucified to the world, and yet the world is stamped on
the very face of their whole establishment. Every thing seems designed
to minister to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the
pride of life. Magnificent pier-glasses to reflect the flesh;
sumptuous carpets, sofas, and loungers for the ease of the flesh;
glittering chandeliers for the pride and vanity of the flesh. But it
may be said, It is taking low ground to descend to such particulars. I
reply, The daughters of Zion might just as well have passed the same
comment upon the following solemn appeal: "In that day the Lord will
take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet,
and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, the chains and
the bracelets and the mufflers, the bonnets and the ornaments of the
legs and the headbands and the tablets and the earrings, the rings and
nose-jewels, the changeable suits of apparel and the mantles and the
wimples and the crisping-pins, the glasses and the fine linen and the
hoods and the vails." (Isa. iii. 18-23.)

This was descending to very minute particulars. The same might be said
of the following passage from Amos: "Woe to them that are at ease in
Zion ... that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon
their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out
of the midst of the stall; that chant to the sound of the viol, and
invent to themselves instruments of music, like David." (Chap. vi.
1-5.) The Spirit of God can descend to particulars when the
particulars are there to be descended to. But it may be further
objected, We must furnish our houses according to our rank in life.
Wherever this objection is urged, it reveals very fully the real
ground of the objector's soul. That ground is the world,
unquestionably. "_Our rank in life_"!--what does this really mean, as
applied to those who profess to be _dead_? To talk of our rank in life
is to deny the very foundations of Christianity. If we have rank in
life, then it follows that we must be alive as men in the flesh--men
according to nature, and then the law has its full force against us,
"for the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth." Hence
this rank in life becomes a serious matter.

But, let me ask, how did we get rank in life? or, in what life is it?
If it be in this life, then we are liars whenever we talk of being
"crucified with Christ"--"dead with Christ"--"buried with
Christ"--"risen with Christ"--"outside the camp with Christ"--"not in
the flesh"--"not of the world which fadeth away." All these are so
many splendid lies to those possessing, or pretending to, a rank in
this life. This is the real truth of the matter; and we must allow the
truth to reach and act upon our consciences, that it may influence our
lives. What, then, is the only life in which we have a rank? The
resurrection-life of Christ. Redeeming love has given us a rank in
this life, and truly we know that worldly furniture, costly array,
ridiculous parade and retinue, have nothing to do with rank in this
life. Ah, no; the circumstances which comport with rank in heavenly
life are, holiness of character, purity of life, spiritual power,
profound humility, separation from every thing which directly savors
of the flesh and the world. To furnish our persons and our houses with
these things would be furnishing them "according to our rank in life."
But in point of fact, this objection does really bring out the true
principle at the heart's core. It has already been remarked that the
house reveals the moral condition of the man, and this objection
confirms that statement. People who talk, or even think, of rank in
life have, "in their hearts, turned back again into Egypt." And what
does God say will be the end of such? "I will carry you away beyond
Babylon." Yes, it is greatly to be feared that the great millstone of
Revelation xviii. presents but too true a picture of the end of much
of the sickly, spurious, hollow Christianity of the present day.

It may, however, be further urged that Christianity affords no warrant
for filthy and irregular houses. This is most true. I know few things
more distressing and dishonoring than to see the house of a Christian
characterized by filth and confusion. Such things could never exist in
connection with a really spiritual or even a well-adjusted mind. You
may set it down that there must be something radically wrong wherever
such things exist. Here, in an especial manner, the house of God
presents itself before us as a blessed model. Over the door of that
house may be seen inscribed this wholesome motto: "Let all things be
done decently and in order;" and all who love God and His house will
desire to carry out this precept at home.

The next point suggested by the expression, "Thou and thy house," is
the management of our children. This is a sore and deeply humbling
point to many of us, inasmuch as it discloses a fearful amount of
failure. The condition of the children tends, more than any thing, to
bring out the condition of the parent. The real measure of my
surrender of the world, and my subjugation of nature, will constantly
be shown in my thoughts about and treatment of my children. I profess
to have given up the world, so far as I am personally concerned; but
then I have children. Have I given up the world for them as well? Some
may say, How can I? They are in nature, and must have the world. Here
again the true moral condition of the heart is revealed. The world is
really not given up, and my children are made an excuse for grasping
again what I professed to have given up, but my heart retained all the
while. Are my children part of myself, or are they not? Part of
myself, assuredly. Well, then, if I profess to have relinquished the
world for myself and yet am seeking it for them, what is it but the
wretched anomaly of a man half in Egypt and half in Canaan? We know
where such an one is wholly and in reality. He is wholly and really in
Egypt. Yes, my brethren, here is where we have to judge ourselves. Our
children tell a tale. The music-master and the dancing-master are
surely not the agents which the Spirit of God would select to help our
children along, nor do they, by any means, comport with that
high-toned Nazariteship to which we are called. These things prove
that Christ is not the chosen and amply sufficient portion of our
souls. What is sufficient for me is sufficient for those who are part
of me. And shall I be so base as to train my children for the devil
and the world? Shall I minister to and pamper that in them which I
profess to mortify in myself? It is a grievous mistake, and we shall
find it so. If my children are in Egypt, I am there myself. If my
children savor of Babylon, I savor of it myself. If my children belong
to a corrupt worldly religious system, I belong to it myself, in
principle. "Thou and thy house" are one; God has made them one; and
"what He has joined together, let no man put asunder."

This is a solemn and searching truth, in the light of which we may
clearly see the evil of urging our children along a path upon which we
profess to have forever turned our backs, as believing firmly that it
terminates in hell fire. We profess to count the world's literature,
its honors, its riches, its distinctions, its pleasures, all "dung and
dross," yet these very things, which we have declared to be only
hindrances to us in our Christian course, and which, as such, we have
professed to cast aside, we are diligently setting before our children
as things perfectly essential to their progress. In so doing, we
entirely forget that things which act as clogs to us cannot possibly
act as helps to our children.[12] It were infinitely better to throw
off the mask, and declare plainly that we have not given up the world
at all; and nothing ever made this thoroughly manifest but our
children. The Lord, I believe, in righteous judgment, is taking up the
families of brethren, to show in them the actual condition of the
testimony amongst us. In many cases it is well known that the children
of Christians are the wildest and most ungodly in the neighborhood.
Should this be so? Would God accept a testimony at the hand of those
who have it so? Would it be thus if we were walking faithfully before
God as to our houses? These inquiries must be answered in the
negative. If only I get the principle of "Thou and thy house" firmly
fixed in my conscience, and intelligently wrought into my mind, I
shall see it to be my place to count upon God, and cry to Him, just as
much for the testimony of my house as for my own testimony. In
reality, I cannot separate them. I may attempt it, but it is vain. How
often has one felt a pang at hearing such words as these: "Such an one
is a very dear, godly, devoted brother; but, oh! he has the boldest
and wildest children in the neighborhood, and his house is a sad mess
of misrule and confusion." I ask, what is the testimony of such an one
worth in the judgment of God? Little indeed. Saved he may be; but is
salvation all we want? Is there no testimony to be given? and if there
is, what is it? and where is it to be seen? Is it confined to the
benches of a meeting-room, or is it to be seen in the midst of a man's
house? The heart can answer.

  [12] The Christian parent may ask, What am I to teach my child? The
  answer is simple. Teach him only such things as will prove useful to
  him as a servant of Christ. Do not teach him aught which you know
  would prove a positive source of defilement or weakness to him should
  he remain here. We are seldom at a loss to know what kind of food to
  give our children. We are tolerably well aware of what would prove
  nourishing and what would prove the reverse. Now, were the instincts
  of the new nature as true and as energetic in us as those of the old,
  we should, I am persuaded, be at as little loss to decide in reference
  to what we should teach our children. In this, as in every thing else,
  it may be said, "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full
  of light." If we have a deep sense of Christ's glory, and a sincere
  desire to promote it, we shall not be left in perplexity; but if our
  body is not "full of light," we may be assured our "eye" is not
  "single."

But it may be urged, Our children will crave a little worldly
enjoyment, and we must indulge them. We cannot put old heads upon
young shoulders. I reply, Our own hearts often crave a little of the
world likewise. Shall we indulge their craving? No; but judge it.
Exactly so. Do the same in reference to your children's craving. If I
find my children going out after the world, I should immediately
judge and chasten myself before God, crying to Him to enable me to put
it down, so that the testimony may not suffer. But I cannot but
believe that if the parent's heart is, from its centre to its
circumference, purged of the world, its principles, and its lusts, it
will exert a mighty influence upon his whole house. This is what makes
this entire question one of such vast magnitude and practical weight.
Is my house a just criterion by which to judge of my real condition? I
believe the whole teaching of Scripture is in favor of an affirmative.
This makes the matter peculiarly solemn. How am I walking before my
family? Is my whole course and character so unequivocal that all can
see that my one supreme object is Christ, and that I would just as
soon, if I could, unlock the portals of hell, and let my children in,
as educate them for the world, or seek the world for them?

This I feel to be a startling inquiry; yet it is one which we are
bound to follow up to the uttermost. What has called into existence,
in many cases, that awful profanity, that disposition to scoff at
sacred things, that utter distaste for the Scriptures, and for
meetings where the Scriptures are brought forward, that skeptical and
infidel spirit so sadly apparent in the children of Christian
professors? Will any one undertake to say that the parents have
nothing to do with this, in the judgment of God? May not much of this
be justly traced to the sad incongruity between the professed
principles and the actual practices of the parents? I believe it may.
Children are shrewd observers. They very soon begin to discover what
their parents are really at. They will gather this, too, much more
speedily and accurately from their _doings_ than from their _prayings_
or their _sayings_; and although the parents may teach that the world
and its ways are bad, and though they may pray that their children may
know the Lord, yet inasmuch as they are educating them for the world,
and seeking most industriously to push them on in it, grasping at and
getting in by every opening, and congratulating themselves when they
have succeeded in settling them there, it necessarily follows that the
children begin to say in their hearts, "The world is a good place
after all, for my parents thank God on getting me a berth in it, and
look upon it as a most marked opening of Providence. All that peculiar
talk of theirs, therefore, about being dead to the world, and being
risen with Christ--the world's being under judgment, and their being
strangers and pilgrims therein--all this must be rank nonsense, or
else Christians, so called, must be rank deceivers." Will any one say
that such reasoning as this has not passed through the mind of many a
professor's child? I cannot doubt it. The grace of God, no doubt, is
sovereign, and often triumphs over all our errors and failures; but
oh! let us think of the testimony, and let us see that our houses are
really ordered for God and not for Satan.[13]

  [13] I would, however, desire to remind the children of Christian
  parents that they are solemnly responsible to hearken to God's holy
  word, quite irrespective of the conduct of their parents. God's truth
  is not affected by the actings of men; and wherever one has heard the
  testimony of God's love, in the death and resurrection of Christ, he
  is responsible for the use he makes thereof, even though he should not
  have seen its sacred influence and power exemplified in the life of
  his parents. I would press these facts upon the serious attention of
  all children of Christian parents.

But it will be said, How are our children to get on? must they not
earn their bread? Unquestionably. God formed us for work. The very
fact of my having a pair of hands proves that I am not to be idle. But
I need not push my son back into that world which I have left, in
order to give him employment. The Most High God, the Possessor of
heaven and earth, had one Son, His only begotten, the Heir of all
things, by whom also He made the worlds; He did not take up any of the
learned professions, but was known as "the carpenter." Has this no
voice for us? Christ has gone up on high and taken His seat at God's
right hand. As thus risen, He is our Head, Representative, and Model;
but He has left us an example that we should follow His steps. Are we
following His steps in seeking to push our children on in that very
world which crucified Him? Surely not: we are adopting the very
opposite course, and the end will be accordingly. "Be not deceived;
God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap." As we sow, in reference to our children, so shall we also reap.
If we sow to the flesh and the world, we cannot expect to reap
otherwise. But I would not, by any means, be understood to teach that
a Christian parent ought to place his child below the level on which
the Lord has placed himself. I do not believe he would be warranted in
so doing. If my calling be a godly one, it may suit my child as well
as it suits myself. All cannot be carpenters, it is true; yet one
feels that, in an age of progress like the present, where "onward and
upward in the world" seems to be the great motto, there is a deep
moral for the heart in the fact that the Son of God--the Creator and
Sustainer of the universe--was only known amongst men as "the
carpenter." It assuredly teaches that Christians should not be found
seeking "great things" for their children.

However, it is not merely in reference to the object set forth in our
children's education that we have failed, and so marred the testimony;
but also in the matter of keeping them in general subjection to
parental authority. On this point there has been great deficiency
amongst Christian parents. The spirit of the present age is that of
insubordination. "Disobedient to parents" forms a trait in the
apostasy of the last days; and we have specially helped on its
development by an entirely false application of the principle of
grace, as also by not seeing that there is involved in the parental
relationship a principle of power exercised in righteousness, without
which our houses must prove to be scenes of lawlessness and wild
confusion. It is no grace to pamper an unsanctified will. We mourn
over our own lack of a broken will, and yet we are strengthening the
will in our children. It is always, to my mind, a manifest proof of
the weakness of parental authority, as well as of ignorance of the way
in which the servant of God should rule his house, to hear a parent
say to a child, "_Will_ you do so and so?" This question, simple as it
seems, tends directly to create or minister to the very thing which
you ought to put down, by every means in your power, and that is, the
exercise of the child's _will_. Instead, therefore, of asking the
child, "Will you do?" just tell him what he is to do, and let there
not be in his mind the idea of calling in question your authority. The
parent's will should be supreme with a child, because the parent
stands in the place of God. All power belongs to God, and He has
invested His servant with power, both as a father and a master. If,
therefore, the child or the servant resist this power, it is
resistance of God.[14]

  [14] "And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring
  them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Eph. vi. 4.)
  There is great danger of provoking our children to wrath by inordinate
  strictness and arbitrary treatment. We may constantly find ourselves
  seeking to mould and fashion our children according to our own tastes
  and peculiarities, rather than to "bring them up in the nurture and
  admonition of the Lord." This is a very great mistake, and will surely
  issue in failure and confusion. We shall gain nothing, in the way of
  testimony for Christ, by moulding and fashioning nature into the most
  exquisite shapes. Moreover, it does not require faith to train and
  cultivate nature; but it does require it to bring up in the nurture
  and admonition of the Lord.

  Some, however, may say that the apostle, in the above passage, is
  speaking of converted children. To this I reply, that there is nothing
  about conversion in the passage. It is not said, Bring up your
  converted children, etc. Were it thus, it would settle the whole
  question. But it is simply said, "_your children_," which surely must
  mean _all_ our children. Now, if I am to bring up all my children in
  the nurture and admonition of the Lord, when am I to commence? Am I to
  wait till they grow up to be almost men and women? or am I to begin
  where all right minded people begin their work, namely, at the
  _beginning_? Am I to allow them to run on in nature's folly and
  wildness, during the most important part of their career, without ever
  seeking to bring their consciences into the presence of God, as to
  their solemn responsibilities? Am I to suffer them to spend in utter
  thoughtlessness that period of life in which the elements of their
  future character are imparted? This would be the most refined cruelty.
  What should we say to a gardener who would allow the branches of his
  fruit-trees to assume all sorts of crooked and fantastic shapes ere he
  thought of commencing a proper system of training? We should doubtless
  pronounce him a fool and a madman. And yet such an one is wise in
  comparison with a parent who suspends the nurture and admonition of
  the Lord until his children have made manifest progress in the nurture
  and admonition of the enemy.

  But, it may be said, we must wait for evidences of conversion. To this
  I reply, that faith never waits for evidences, but acts on God's word,
  and the evidences are sure to follow. It is always a manifest proof of
  infidelity to wait for signs when God gives a command. If Israel had
  waited for a sign when God said, "Go forward," it would have been
  plain disobedience; and if the man with the withered hand had waited
  for some evidence of strength when Christ commanded him to stretch
  forth his hand, he might have carried his withered hand to the grave
  with him. So is it with parents. If they wait for signs and evidences
  before they obey God's word in Ephesians vi. 4, they are certainly not
  walking by faith, but by sight. Besides, if we are to begin at the
  beginning to train our children, we must evidently begin before they
  are capable of giving what we might regard as evidences of conversion.

  In this, as in every thing else, our place is to obey, and leave
  results with God. The moral condition of the soul may be tested by the
  command; but where there is the disposition to obey, the power to do
  so will surely accompany the command, and the fruits of obedience will
  follow "_in due season, if we faint not_."

"Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters
worthy of all honor, that the name of _God_ and His doctrine be not
blasphemed." Observe, it is "God and His doctrine." Why? Because it is
a question of power. The name of Christ and His doctrine would put the
master and servant on a level, as members of one body. In Christ Jesus
there is no distinction; but when I go abroad in the world, I
encounter God's moral government, which makes one a master and another
a servant; and any infringement upon that government will meet with
certain judgment.

Now, it is of immense importance to have a clear understanding of the
doctrine of God's moral government. It would settle many a difficulty,
and solve many a question. This government is carried on with a
righteous decision, which is peculiarly solemnizing. If we look
through Scripture in reference to this subject, we shall find that in
every instance in which there has been error or failure, it has
inevitably produced its own results. Adam took of the forbidden fruit,
and he was instantly thrust forth from the garden, into a world
groaning beneath the curse and weight of his sin. Nor was he ever
replaced in paradise. True, grace came in, and gave him a promise of a
Deliverer; moreover, it clothed his naked shoulders. Nevertheless, his
sin produced its own result. He made a false step, and he never
recovered it. Again, Moses, at the waters of Meribah, uttered a hasty
word, and immediately a righteous God forbad his entrance into Canaan.
In his case likewise grace came in, and gave him something better; for
it was much better, from the top of Pisgah, to inspect the plains of
Palestine in company with Jehovah than to inhabit them in company with
Israel. So also in David's case. He committed a sin, and the solemn
denunciation was immediately issued, "The sword shall never depart
from thy house." In his case too grace abounded, and he enjoyed a more
profound sense of grace as he ascended the side of Mount Olivet with
bare feet and covered head than he ever had enjoyed amid the splendors
of a throne; nevertheless, his sin produced its own result. He made a
false step, and he never recovered it.

Nor is the exemplification of this principle confined merely to
Old-Testament times. By no means. Look at the case of Barnabas. He
gave utterance to the seemingly amiable desire to have the company of
his nephew Mark, and, from that moment, he loses his honorable place
in the records of the Holy Ghost. He is never heard of afterward, and
his place was supplied with a more wholly devoted heart.[15] Hence
God's moral government is a most momentous truth. It is such, that as
surely as one does wrong, he will reap the fruit of it, no matter who
he is--believer or unbeliever, saint or sinner. Grace may forgive the
sin, and will, where it is confessed and judged; but inasmuch as the
principles of God's moral government have been interfered with, the
offender must be made to feel his mistake. He has missed a step of the
wheel, and he shall assuredly feel the consequences. This is a most
solemn but specially wholesome truth, the action of which has been
sadly clogged by false notions about grace. God never allows His grace
to interfere with His moral government. He could not do so, because it
would produce confusion, and "God is not the author of confusion."

  [15] It was nature in Barnabas that led him to wish for the company of
  one who "departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to
  the work." It was amiable nature, yet it was nature, and it triumphed,
  for he took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, his native country, where, in
  the freshness of his Christian course, he had sold his property, in
  order to be a more unshackled follower of Him who had not where to lay
  His head. (See Acts iv. 36, 37.) This is no uncommon case. Many set
  out with a surrender of earth and nature with their respective claims.
  The blossom on the tree of Christian profession looks fair, and emits
  a fragrant perfume; but alas! it is not followed by the rich and
  mellow fruit of autumn. The influences of earth and nature gather
  around the soul, and nip its beauteous blossoms, and all ends in
  barrenness and disappointment. This is very sad, and is always
  attended with the very worst moral effect upon the testimony. It is
  not at all a question of ceasing to be a saved person. Barnabas was a
  saved person. The influences of Mark and Cyprus could not blot out his
  name from the Lamb's book of life, but they did most thoroughly blot
  out his name from the records of testimony and service here below. And
  was not this something to be lamented? Is there naught to be deplored
  or dreaded save the loss of personal salvation? Most despicable is the
  selfishness that can think so. For what purpose does the blessed God
  take so much pains and trouble in maintaining His people here? Is it
  that they may be saved and made meet for glory? No such thing. Saved
  they are already, by the accomplished redemption of Christ, and
  therefore meet for glory. There is no middle step between
  justification and glory, for "whom He justified, them He also
  glorified." Why, therefore, does God leave us here? That we may be a
  testimony for Christ. Were it not for this, we might just as well be
  taken to heaven the moment of our conversion. May we have grace to
  understand this point, in all its fullness and practical power.

It is here there has been so much failure in the management of our
houses. We have forgotten the principle of righteous rule which God
has set before us, and in the exercise of which He has given us an
example. My reader must not confound the principle of God's government
with the aspect of His character.[16] These two things are distinct.
The former is righteousness, the latter is grace; but what I here
desire to bring out is, the fact that there is a principle of
righteousness involved in the relationship of father and master, and
if this principle receive not its due place in the management of the
family, there must be confusion. If I see a _strange_ child doing
wrong, I have no divine authority to exercise righteous discipline
toward him; but the moment I see my own child doing so, I put him
under discipline. Why? because I am his father. But it may be said,
The parental relationship is one of love. True; it is founded in love:
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God." But although the relationship is
founded in love, it is exercised in righteousness, for "the time is
come when judgment must begin at the house of God." So also, in
Hebrews xii, we are taught that the very fact of our being genuine
sons brings us under the righteous discipline of the Father's hand. In
John xvii, too, the Church is committed to the care of the Holy
Father, to be kept by Him through His own name.

  [16] The epistles of Peter develop the doctrine of God's moral
  government. He it is who asks the question, "Who is he that will harm
  you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" Now, some may find a
  difficulty in reconciling this inquiry with Paul's statement, "All
  that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." It
  were needless to say that the two ideas are in perfect and beautiful
  harmony. The Lord Jesus Himself, who was the only perfect and
  unwavering follower of that which is good, who, from first to last,
  "went about doing good," found, in the end, the cross, the spear, the
  borrowed grave. The apostle Paul, who, beyond all other men, kept
  close to the Great Original which was set before him, was called to
  drink an unusually large cup of privation and persecution. And to this
  moment, the more like Christ, and the more devoted to Him any one is,
  the more privation and persecution he will suffer. Were any one, in
  true devotedness to Christ and love to souls, to take his stand
  publicly in some Roman Catholic district, and there preach Christ, his
  life would be in imminent danger. Do all these facts interfere with
  Peter's inquiry? By no means. The direct tendency of God's moral
  government is to protect from injury all who are "followers of that
  which is good," and to bring down punishment upon all who are the
  reverse; but it never interferes with the higher path of ardent
  discipleship, or deprives any one of the privilege and dignity of
  being as like Christ as he will; "for unto you _it is given_, on
  behalf of Christ [το υπερ Χριστου], not only to believe on Him,
  but also to suffer for Him [υπερ αυτου]; having the same conflict
  which ye saw in me, and now hear in me." (Phil. i. 29, 30.) Here we are
  taught that it is an actual gift conferred upon us to be allowed to
  suffer for Christ, and this in the midst of a scene in which, on the
  ground of God's moral government, it can be said, "Who is he that will
  harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" To recognize and
  be a subject of God's government is one thing, and to be a follower of
  a rejected and crucified Christ is quite another. Even in Peter's
  epistle, which, as we have remarked, has as its special theme the
  doctrine of God's government, we read, "But if, doing well and
  suffering for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable to God. For
  unto this were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving
  us an example, that we should follow His steps." And again, "If any
  suffer _as a Christian_ [from being morally like Christ], let him not
  be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter."

Now, in every case in which this great truth has been lost sight of by
Christian parents, their houses have been thrown into confusion. They
have not governed their children, and as a consequence, their children
have, in process of time, governed them, for there will be government
somewhere; and if those into whose hands God has put the reins do not
hold them properly, they will speedily fall into bad hands; and can
there be a more melancholy sight than to see parents governed by their
children? I believe, in God's sight, it presents a fearful moral blot,
which must bring down His judgment. A parent who lets the reins of
government drop from his hands, or who does not hold them steadily,
has grievously failed in his high and holy position as the
representative of God, and the depositary of His power; nor do I
believe that any one so failing can ever thoroughly regain his place,
or be a proper witness for God in his day and generation. A subject of
grace he may be; but then, a subject of grace and a witness for God
are two widely different things. This will account for the sorrowful
condition of many brethren. They have utterly failed to govern their
houses, and hence they have lost their true position and moral
influence--their energies are paralyzed, their mouths closed, their
testimony hushed; and if such do lift the voice in some feeble way,
the finger of scorn is instantly pointed at their families, and this
cannot but send a blush to the cheek and a pang to the conscience.

Nor do people always take a correct view of this matter, and trace the
failure up to its legitimate source. Many are too ready to look upon
it as a natural and necessary thing that their children are to grow up
willful and worldly. They say, It is all very well while your children
are young, but wait till they grow older, and you will see that you
must let them go into the world. Now, I want to know, is it the mind
of God that the children of His servants must necessarily grow up
willful and worldly? I never could believe any such thing. Well, then,
if it be not His mind that they should so grow up,--if He has
graciously opened the same path to my house as He has opened to
myself,--if He has permitted me to select the same portion for my
children as I have, through His grace, selected for myself,--if, after
all this, my children grow up willful and worldly, what am I to infer?
Why, that I have grievously sinned and failed in my parental
relationship and responsibilities--that I have wronged my children and
dishonored the Lord. Shall I go and make a general principle of this,
and set it down that all the children of Christians must grow up as
mine have? Shall I go and discourage young parents from taking God's
ground in reference to their dear children, by setting before them my
abominable failure, instead of encouraging them by setting before them
God's infallible faithfulness to all who seek Him in the way of His
appointment? To act thus would be to follow in the steps of the old
prophet of Bethel, who, because he was in the midst of evil himself,
sought to drag his brother in also, and had him slain by a lion for
disobeying the word of the Lord.

But the sum of the matter is this: The willfulness of my children
reveals the willfulness of my own heart, and a righteous God is using
them to chasten me, because I have not chastened myself. This is a
peculiarly solemn view of the case, and one that calls for deep
searching of heart. To save myself trouble, I have let things take
their course in my family, and now my children have grown up around me
to be thorns in my side, because I trained them not for God. This is
the history of thousands. We should ever bear in mind that our
children, as well as ourselves, should be "set for the defense and
confirmation of the gospel." I feel persuaded that, could we only be
led to regard our houses as a testimony for God, it would produce an
immense reformation in our mode of ruling them. We should then seek a
high tone of moral order, not that we might be spared any trouble or
vexation, but rather that the testimony might not suffer through any
confusion in our families. But let us not forget, that in order to
subdue nature in our children, we must subdue it in ourselves. We can
never subdue nature by nature. It is only as we have crushed it in
ourselves that we are in a position to crush it in our children.
Moreover, there must be the clearest understanding and the fullest
harmony between the father and mother. Their voice, their will, their
authority, their influence, should be essentially one--one in the
strictest sense of that word. Being themselves "no more twain, but one
flesh," they should ever appear before their children in the beauty
and power of that oneness. In order to this, they must wait much upon
God together--they must be much in His presence, opening up all their
hearts, and telling out all their need. Christians do frequently
injure one another in this respect. It sometimes happens that one
partner really desires to give up the world and subdue nature to an
extent for which the other is not prepared, and this produces sad
results. It sometimes leads to reserve, to shuffling, to management
and generalship, to positive antagonism in the views and principles of
husband and wife, so that they cannot really be said to be joined in
the Lord. The effect of all this upon the children as they grow up is
pernicious beyond all conception; and the influence which it exerts in
deranging the entire house is quite incalculable. What the father
commands, the mother remits; what the father builds up, the mother
pulls down. Sometimes the father is represented as stern, severe,
arbitrary, and exacting. The maternal influence acts outside and
independent of the paternal; sometimes, even, it sets it aside
altogether; so that the father's position becomes wretched in the
extreme, and the whole family presents a most demoralized and ungodly
appearance.[17] This is terrible. Children never could be properly
trained under such circumstances; and as to testimony for Christ, the
bare thought of it is monstrous. Wherever such a state of things
prevails, there should be the deepest sorrow of heart before the Lord
on account of it. His mercy is exhaustless, and His tender compassions
fail not; and surely we may hope that, where there is true contrition
and confession, God will graciously come in with healing and
restoration. One thing is certain, that we should not go on content to
have things so; therefore, let the one who feels the sorrow of heart
cry mightily to God, day and night--cry to Him on the ground of His
own truth and name, which are blasphemed by such things; and, be
assured, He will hear and answer.

  [17] Nothing can be more melancholy than to hear a mother say to a
  child, "We must not let your father know any thing about this." Where
  such a course of reserve and double dealing is adopted, there must be
  something radically and awfully wrong, and it is a moral impossibility
  that any thing like godly order can prevail, or right discipline be
  carried out. Either the father must, by inordinate severity or
  unwarrantable strictness, be "provoking his children to wrath," or the
  mother must be pampering the child's will at the expense of the
  father's character and authority. In either case, there is an
  effectual barrier to the testimony, and the children suffer grievous
  injury. Hence, Christian parents should see well to it that they
  always appear before their children, and also before their servants,
  in the power of that unity which flows from their being perfectly
  joined together in the Lord. If, unhappily, any shade of difference
  should arise in reference to the details of domestic government, let
  it be made a matter of private conference, prayer, and self-judgment
  in the presence of God; but never let the subjects of government see
  such a manifest proof of moral weakness, for it will surely cause them
  to despise the government.

_But let all be viewed in the light of testimony for God's Son._ It is
to further this we are left here. We are surely not left here merely
to bring up families. We are left here to bring them up for God, with
God, by God, and before God. To do all this, we must be much in His
presence. A Christian parent should take great care not to punish his
children merely to gratify his whims and tempers. He is to represent
God in the midst of his family. This, when properly understood, will
regulate every thing. He is God's steward, likewise, and in order
rightly and intelligently to discharge the functions of his
stewardship, he must have frequent--yea, unbroken--intercourse with
his Master. He must be constantly betaking himself to His feet, to
know what he is to do, and how he is to do it. This will make every
thing easy and happy. It is often the desire of one's heart to get an
abstract rule for this, that, and the other thing, in the details of
family arrangement. One may ask what sort of punishments, what sort of
rewards, what sort of amusements, should a Christian parent adopt.
Actual punishment will, I believe, rarely be called for, if the divine
principle of government be carried out from the earliest date; and as
to rewards, it would be better to put them in the light of expressions
of love and approval. A child must be obedient--unqualifiedly and
unhesitatingly obedient--not to get a reward, which is apt to feed
emulation, a fruit of the flesh; but because God would have him so;
and then, of course, it is quite allowable for the parent to express
his approval in the shape of some little present. As to amusement, let
it always, if possible, assume the character of some useful
occupation. This is most salutary. It is a bad thing to cherish the
thought in the mind of a child that painted toys and gilded baubles
minister pleasure. With very young children, I have constantly found
that they derived more real, and certainly much more simple pleasure
from a piece of stick or paper made out by themselves, than from the
most expensive toy. Finally, let us, in all things, whether
punishment, reward, or amusement, keep the eye on Christ, and
earnestly seek the subjugation of the flesh in every shape and form.
So shall our houses be a testimony for God, and all who enter them be
constrained to say, "GOD IS HERE."

As to the management of servants in a Christian household, the
principle is equally simple. The master, as the head of the house, is
the expression of the power of God, and as such, he must insist upon
subjection and obedience. It is not a question of the Christianity of
the servants, but simply of the order which should ever be maintained
in a Christian household. Here, too, we must be on our guard against
the mere indulgence of our own arbitrary temper. We have to remember
that we have a Master in heaven, who has taught us to "give unto our
servants that which is just and equal." If only we set the Lord before
us from day to day, and seek to exhibit Him in all our dealings with
our servants, we shall be kept from error on every side.

I must now close. I have not written, the Lord knows, to wound anyone.
I feel the truth, importance, and deep solemnity of the points here
put forward, and also my own lack of ability to bring them out with
sufficient distinctness and power. However, I look to God to make them
influential; and where He works, the very weakest agency will answer
His end. To Him I now commend these pages, which have, I trust, been
begun, continued, and ended in His holy presence. The thought has
comforted me not a little, that at the very moment in which it was
laid on my conscience to prepare this paper, a number of beloved
brethren were actually assembled for humiliation, confession, and
prayer, in immediate connection with the testimony of God's Son in
these last days. I doubt not that a very leading point of confession
has been failure in the government of the house; and if these pages
should be used of God's Spirit to produce, even in one conscience, a
deeper sense of this failure, and in one heart, a more earnest desire
to meet the failure in God's own way, I shall rejoice, and feel I have
not written in vain.

May God Almighty, in His great grace, produce, by His Holy Spirit, in
the hearts of all His beloved saints, a more ardent purpose of soul to
raise, in this closing hour, a fuller, brighter, more vigorous and
decided testimony for Christ, that so, ere the shout of the archangel
and the trump of God are heard in the air, there may be a people
prepared to meet and welcome the heavenly Bridegroom.

                                                  _C. H. M._




DISCIPLESHIP IN AN EVIL DAY


The first three chapters of the Book of Daniel furnish a most
seasonable and important lesson at a time like the present, in which
the disciple is in such danger of yielding to surrounding influences,
and of lowering his standard of testimony and his tone of
discipleship, in order to meet the existing condition of things.

At the opening of chapter i. we have a most discouraging picture of
the state of things, in reference to the ostensible witness of God on
the earth. "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of
Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem, and
besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his
hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried
into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god; and he brought the
vessels into the house of his god." (Chap. i. 1, 2.) Here then we have
an aspect of things quite sufficient, if looked at from nature's point
of view, to discourage the heart, to damp the spirit, and paralyse the
energies. Jerusalem in ruins, the temple trodden down, the Lord's
vessels in the house of a false god, and Judah carried away captive.
Surely the heart would feel disposed to say, There is no use in
seeking to hold up the standard of practical discipleship and personal
devotedness any longer. The spirit must droop, the heart must faint,
and the hands must hang down, when such is the condition of the people
of God. It could be nought but the greatest presumption for any of
Judah's sons to think of taking up true Nazarite's position at such a
time.

Such would be nature's reasoning; but such was not the language of
faith. Blessed be God! there is always a wide sphere in which the
spirit of genuine devotedness can develop itself--there is always a
path along which the true disciple can run, even though he should have
to run in solitude. It matters not what the outward condition of
things may be, it is faith's privilege to hang as much on God, to feed
as much on Christ, and to breathe as much of the air of heaven, as
though all were in perfect order and harmony.

This is an unspeakable mercy to the faithful heart. All who desire to
walk devotedly can always find a path to walk in; whereas, on the
contrary, the man who draws a plea, from outward circumstances, for
relaxing his energy, would not be energetic, though most favorably
situated.

If ever there was a time in which one might be excused for taking a
low ground, it was the time of the Babylonish captivity. The entire
framework of Judaism was broken up; the kingly power had passed out of
the hand of David's successor, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar;
the glory had departed from Israel; and, in one word, all seemed
faded and gone, and nought remained for the exiled children of Judah,
save to hang their harps upon the willows, and sit down by the rivers
of Babylon, there to weep over departed glory, faded light, and fallen
greatness.

Such would be the language of blind unbelief; but, blessed be God! it
is when everything appears sunk to the lowest possible point, that
then faith rises in holy triumph; and faith, we know, is the only true
basis of effective discipleship. It asks for no props from the men and
things around it; it finds "_all_ its springs" in God; and hence it is
that faith never shines so brightly as when all around is dark. It is
when nature's horizon is overcast with the blackest clouds, that faith
basks in the sunshine of the divine favor and faithfulness.

Thus it was that Daniel and his companions were enabled to overcome
the peculiar difficulties of their time. They judged that there was
nothing to hinder their enjoying as elevated a Nazariteship in Babylon
as ever had been known in Jerusalem; and they judged rightly. Their
judgment was the judgment of a pure and well-founded faith. It was the
selfsame judgment on which the Baraks, the Gideons, the Jephthahs, and
the Samsons of old had acted. It was the judgment to which Jonathan
gave utterance, when he said, "There is no restraint with the Lord to
save by many or by few." (1 Sam. xiv.) It was the judgment of David,
in the valley of Elah, when he called the poor trembling host of
Israel "the army of the living God." (1 Sam. xvii.) It was the
judgment of Elijah, on Mount Carmel, when he built an altar with
"twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of
Jacob." (1 Kings xviii.) It was the judgment of Daniel himself when,
at a further stage of his history, he opened his window and prayed
toward Jerusalem. (Dan. vi.) It was the judgment of Paul when, in view
of the overwhelming tide of apostasy and corruption which was about to
set in, he exhorts his son Timothy to "hold fast the form of sound
words." (2 Tim. i. 13.) It was the judgment of Peter when, in prospect
of the dissolution of the entire framework of creation, he encourages
believers to "be diligent, that they be found of him in peace, without
spot and blameless." (2 Peter iii. 14.) It was the judgment of John
when, amid the actual breaking up of everything ecclesiastical, he
exhorts his well-beloved Gaius to "follow not that which is evil, but
that which is good." (3 John 11.) And it was the judgment of Jude
when, in the presence of the most appalling wickedness, he encourages
a beloved remnant to "build themselves up in their most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Ghost, to keep themselves in the love of God,
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."
(Jude 20, 21.) In one word, it was the judgment of the Holy Ghost,
and, therefore, it was the judgment of faith.

Now, all this attaches immense value and interest to Daniel's
determination, as expressed in the first chapter of this book. "But
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with
the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank;
therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not
defile himself." (Ver. 8.) He might, very naturally, have said to
himself, "There is no use in one poor feeble captive seeking to
maintain a place of separation. Everything is broken up. It is
impossible to carry out the true spirit of a Nazarite amid such
hopeless ruin and degradation. I may as well accommodate myself to the
condition of things around me."

But no; Daniel was on higher ground than this. He knew it was his
privilege to live as close to God in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, as
within the gates of Jerusalem. He knew that, let the outward condition
of the people of God be what it might, there was a path of purity and
devotedness opened to the individual saint, which he could pursue
independently of everything.

And may we not say, that the Nazariteship of Babylon possesses charms
and attractions fully as powerful as the Nazariteship of Canaan?
Unquestionably. It is unspeakably precious and beautiful, to find one
of the captives in Babylon breathing after, and attaining unto, so
elevated a standard of separation. It teaches a powerful lesson for
every age. It holds up to the view of believers, under every
dispensation, a most encouraging and soul-stirring example. It proves
that, amid the darkest shades, a devoted heart can enjoy a path of
cloudless sunshine.

But how is this? Because "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day,
and forever." (Heb. xiii.) Dispensations change and pass away.
Ecclesiastical institutions crumble and moulder into ashes. Human
systems totter and fall; but the name of Jehovah endureth forever, and
His memorial unto all generations. It is upon this holy elevation that
faith plants its foot. It rises above all vicissitude, and enjoys
sweet converse with the unchangeable and eternal Source of all real
good.

Thus it was that, in the days of the judges, individual faith was
manifested and achieved more glorious triumphs than ever were known in
the days of Joshua. Thus it was that Elijah's altar on Mount Carmel
was surrounded by a halo fully as bright as that which crowned the
altar of Solomon.

This is truly encouraging. The poor heart is so apt to sink, and be
discouraged, by looking at the failure and unfaithfulness of man,
instead of at the infallible faithfulness of God. "The foundation of
God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are
His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity." (2 Tim. ii. 19.) What can ever touch this enduring truth?
Nothing! And, therefore, nothing can touch the faith which lays hold
of it, or the superstructure of practical devotedness which is erected
on the foundation of that faith.

And then look at the glorious results of Daniel's devotedness and
separation. In the three opening chapters we observe three distinct
things, resulting from the position assumed by Daniel and his
companions, in reference to "the king's meat." 1, They were let into
the secret of "_the king's dream_." 2, They withstood the seductions
of "_the king's image_." And, 3, They were brought unscathed through
"_the king's furnace_."

I. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him." This is
beautifully exemplified in the case before us. "The magicians, and the
astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans," who were breathing
the atmosphere of the royal presence, were all in the dark as to the
royal dream. "The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There
is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter." Very
likely; but there was a God in heaven who knew all about it; and who,
moreover, could unfold it to those who had faith enough, and
devotedness enough, and self-denial enough, to separate themselves
from Babylonish pollutions, though involved in the Babylonish
captivity. The mazes, the labyrinths, and the enigmas of human things
are all plain to God; and He can and does make them plain to those who
walk with Him, in the sanctity of His holy presence. God's Nazarites
can see farther into human affairs than the most profound philosophers
of this world. And how is this? How can they so readily unravel the
world's mysteries? Because they are above the world's mists. They are
apart from the world's defilements. They are in the place of
separation, the place of dependence, the place of communion. "Then
Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: that they would desire mercies
of the God of heaven, concerning this secret." (Chap. ii. 17, 18.)
Here we have their place of strength and intelligence. They had only
to look up to heaven, in order to be endowed with a clear
understanding as to all the destinies of earth.

How real and simple is all this? "God is light, and in Him is no
darkness at all;" and, hence, if we want light, we can find it only in
His presence; and we can only know the power of His presence as we are
practically taking the place of separation from all the moral
pollutions of earth.

And, observe, a further result of Daniel's holy separation. "Then the
king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and worshipped Daniel, and
commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto
him." Here we have earth's proudest and most powerful monarch at the
feet of the captive exile. Magnificent fruit of faithfulness! Precious
evidence of the truth that God will always honor the faith that can,
in any measure, rise to the height of His thoughts! He will not, He
cannot, dishonor the draft which confidence presents at His
exhaustless treasury. Daniel, on this memorable occasion, realized, in
his own person, as fully as ever it was realized, God's ancient
promise: "And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called
by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.... And the
Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be
above only, and thou shalt not be beneath." (Deut. xxviii. 10, 13.)

Assuredly Daniel was, in the above scene, "the head," and
Nebuchadnezzar "the tail," as looked at from the divine point of view.
Witness, also, the bearing of this holy Nazarite, in the presence of
the impious Belshazzar. (Dan. v. 17-29.) Have we not, here, as
magnificent a testimony to the destined pre-eminence of the seed of
Abraham, as when Joshua's victorious captains placed their feet on the
necks of the kings of Canaan (Joshua x. 24); or, when "all the earth
sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his
heart?" (1 Kings x. 24.) Unquestionably; and, in a certain sense, it
is a more magnificent testimony. It is natural to expect such a scene
in the history of Joshua, or of Solomon; but to find the haughty king
of Babylon prostrate at the feet of one of his captives, is something
far beyond the utmost stretch of nature's expectation.

There it is, however, as a most striking and soul-stirring proof of
the power of faith to triumph over all manner of difficulties, and to
produce the most extraordinary results. Faith is the same mighty
principle, whether it act on the plains of Palestine, on the top of
Carmel, by the rivers of Babylon, or amid the ruins of the professing
Church. No fetters can bind it, no difficulties deter it, no pressure
damp it, no changes affect it. It ever rises to its proper object, and
that object is God Himself, and His eternal revelation. Dispensations
may change, ages may run their course, the wheels of time may roll on,
and crush beneath their ponderous weight the fondest hopes of the poor
human heart; but there stands faith, that immortal, divine, eternal
reality, drinking at the fountain of pure truth, and finding all its
springs in Him, who is "the way, the truth, and the life."

By this "precious faith" it was that Daniel acted, when he "purposed
that he would not defile himself with the king's meat." True, he could
no longer ascend to that holy and beautiful house, where his fathers
had worshipped. The rude foot of a foreign foe had trodden down the
holy city. The fire no longer burned on the altar of the God of
Israel. The golden candlestick no longer enlightened, with its seven
lamps, the holy place. But there was faith in Daniel's heart, and that
faith carried him beyond every surrounding influence, and enabled him
to appropriate, and act in the power of, "all the promises of God,"
which are "Yea, and Amen in Christ Jesus." Faith is not affected by
ruined temples, fallen cities, faded lights, or departed glories. Why
not? Because God is not affected by them. God is always to be found;
and faith is always sure to find Him.

II. But the same faith which enabled those holy men of old to refuse
the king's meat, enabled them, also, to despise the king's image. They
had separated themselves from defilement, in order that they might
enjoy a more intense communion with the true God; and they could not,
therefore, bow down to an image of gold, even though it were ever so
high. They knew that God was not an image. They knew He was a reality.
They could only present worship to Him, for He alone was the true
object thereof.

Nor did it make any matter to them that all the world was against
them. They had only to live and act for God. It might seem as if they
were setting up to be wiser than their neighbors. It might savor of
presumption to stand against the tide of public opinion. Some might
feel disposed to ask if truth lay only with them? Were all "the
princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the
counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces," sunk
in darkness and error? Could it be possible that so many men of rank,
of intelligence, and of learning were in the wrong, and only a few
strangers of the captivity in the right?

With such questions our Nazarites had nothing to do. Their path lay
right onward. Should they bow down and worship an image, in order to
avoid the appearance of condemning other people? Assuredly not. And
yet how often are those who desire to keep a conscience void of
offence in the sight of God, condemned for setting themselves up and
judging others! Doubtless Luther was condemned by many for setting
himself up in opposition to the doctors, the cardinals, and the pope.
Should he, in order to avoid such condemnation, have lived and died in
error? Who would say so?

"Ah! but," some will reply, "Luther had to deal with palpable error."
So thought Luther; but thousands of learned and eminent men thought
otherwise. So also in the case of "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,"
they had to do with positive idolatry; but the whole world differed
from them. What then? "We must obey God rather than man." Let others
do as they will; "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." If
people were to remain in error and continue to do what they, at least,
feel to be wrong, in order to avoid the appearance of judging others,
where should we be?

Ah! no; my beloved reader, do you seek to pursue the steady, onward,
upward path of pure and elevated discipleship. And, whether or not you
thereby condemn others, is no concern of yours. "CEASE TO DO EVIL."
This is the first thing for the true disciple to do. When he has
yielded obedience to this golden precept, he may expect to "learn to
do well." "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of
light." When God speaks, I am not to turn round to see how my
obedience to His voice will affect my neighbors, or to consider what
they will think about me. When the voice of the risen and glorified
Jesus fell upon the ear of the prostrate Saul of Tarsus, he did not
begin to enquire what the chief priests and Pharisees would think of
him were he to obey. Surely not. "Immediately," he says, "I conferred
not with flesh and blood." (Gal. i. 16.) "Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I
was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision." (Acts xxvi. 19.) This
is the true spirit and principle of discipleship. "Give glory to God,
before He cause darkness, and your feet stumble upon the dark
mountains." Nothing can be more dangerous than to hesitate, when
divine light shines upon the path. If you do not act upon the light,
when you get it, you will, assuredly, be involved in thick darkness.
Hence, therefore, as another has said, "Never go before your faith,
nor lag behind your conscience."

III. But, we have said, if our Nazarites refused to bow before the
king's image, they had to encounter the king's rage, and the king's
furnace. For all this they were, by the grace of God, prepared: their
Nazariteship was a real thing; they were ready to suffer the loss of
all things, and even life itself, in defence of the true worship of
the God of Israel. "They worshipped and served their own God," not
merely beneath the peaceful vine and fig-tree in the land of Canaan,
but in the very face of "a burning fiery furnace." They acknowledged
Jehovah, not merely in the midst of a congregation of true
worshippers, but in the presence of an opposing world. Theirs was a
true discipleship in an evil day. They loved the Lord; and, therefore,
for His sake, they abstained from the king's luxuries, they withstood
the king's rage, and they endured the king's furnace. "O
Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If
it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning
fiery furnace; and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But
if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy
gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." This was
the language of men who knew whose they were, and where they were--of
men who had calmly and deliberately counted the cost--of men to whom
the Lord was everything, the world nothing. All that the world could
offer, together with life itself, was at stake; but what of that?
"They endured as seeing Him who is invisible." Eternal glory lay
before them; and they were quite prepared to reach that glory by a
fiery pathway. God can take His servants to heaven by a chariot of
fire, or by a furnace of fire, as seems good to Him. Whatever be the
mode of going, it is well to get there.

But could not the Lord have preserved His beloved servants from being
cast into the furnace? No doubt. This would have been but a very small
matter to Him. He did not, however, do so: it was His will that the
faith of His servants should be put to the test--should be tried in
the furnace--should be passed through the most searching crucible, in
order that it "might be found to praise and honor and glory." Is it
because the refiner sets no value on the wedge of gold, that he puts
it into the furnace? No; but because he does. And, as some one has
beautifully remarked, "His object is not merely to remove the dross,
but to brighten the metal."

It is very evident that had the Lord, by an act of _power_, kept His
servants out of the furnace, there would have been less glory to Him
and as a consequence, less blessing to them. It was far better to have
His presence and sympathy in the furnace, than His power to keep them
out of it. What glory to Him in this! And what unspeakable privilege
to them! The Lord went down and walked _with_ His Nazarites in the
furnace into which their faithfulness had brought them. They had
walked with God in the king's palace; and God walked with them in the
king's furnace. This was the most elevated moment in the entire career
of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. How little had the king imagined
the lofty position in which he was placing the objects of his rage and
fury! Every eye was turned from the great image of gold, to gaze, in
astonishment, upon the three captives. What could it mean? "Three men
_bound_!" "Four men _loose_!" Could it be real? Was the furnace real?
Alas, "the most mighty men in the king's army" had proved it to be
real. And, had Nebuchadnezzar's image been cast into it, it would have
proved its reality also. There was no material for the sceptic or the
infidel to work upon. It was a real furnace, and a real flame, and the
"three men" were "bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats,
and their other garments." All was reality.

But there was a deeper reality: _God was there_. This changed
everything: it "changed the king's word," changed the furnace into a
place of high and holy fellowship--changed Nebuchadnezzar's bondmen
into God's freemen.

_God was there!_--there, in his power, to write contempt upon all
man's opposition--there, in His deep and tender sympathy with His
tried and faithful servants--there, in His matchless grace, to set the
captives free, and to lead the hearts of His Nazarites into that deep
fellowship with Himself for which they so ardently thirsted.

And, my beloved reader, is it not worth passing through a fiery
furnace to enjoy a little more of the presence of Christ, and the
sympathy of His loving heart? Are not fetters, with Christ, better
than jewels without Him? Is not a furnace where He is better than a
palace where He is not? Nature says, "_No!_" Faith says, "_Yes!_"

It is well to bear in mind that this is not the day of Christ's
_power_; but it is the day of His _sympathy_. When passing through the
deep waters of affliction, the heart may, at times, feel disposed to
ask, "Why does not the Lord display His power, and deliver me?" The
answer is, This is not the day of His power. He could avert that
sickness--He could remove that difficulty--He could take off that
pressure--He could prevent that catastrophe--He could preserve that
beloved and fondly-cherished object from the cold grasp of death. But,
instead of putting forth His power to deliver, He allows things to run
their course, and pours His own sweet sympathy into the oppressed and
riven heart, in such a way as to elicit the acknowledgment that we
would not, for worlds, have missed the trial, because of the abundance
of the consolation.

Such, my reader, is the manner of our Jesus just now. By and by He
will display His power; He will come forth as the Rider on the white
horse; He will unsheath His sword; He will make bare His arm; He will
avenge His people, and right their wrongs forever. But now His sword
is sheathed, His arm covered. This is the time for making known the
deep love of His heart, not the power of His arm, nor the sharpness of
His sword. Are you satisfied to have it so? Is Christ's sympathy
enough for your heart, even amid the keenest sorrow and the most
intense affliction? The restless heart, the impatient spirit, the
unmortified will, would lead one to long for escape from the trial,
the difficulty, or the pressure; but this would never do. It would
involve incalculable loss. We must pass from form to form in the
school; but the Master accompanies us, and the light of His
countenance, and the tender sympathy of His heart, sustain us under
the most severe exercises.

And, then, see what glory redounds to the name of the Lord, when His
people are enabled, by His grace, to pass, triumphantly, through a
trial! Read Daniel iii. 26-28, and say where you could find richer or
rarer fruits of a faithful discipleship. The king and all his nobles,
who, just before, had been wholly engrossed with the bewitching music
and the false worship, are now occupied with the amazing fact that the
fire, which had slain the mighty men, had taken no effect whatever
upon the worshippers of the true God, save to consume their fetters
and let them walk free, in company with the Son of God. "Then
Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace,
and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, YE SERVANTS OF
THE MOST HIGH GOD, come forth and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes,
governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered
together, _saw these men_, upon whose bodies the fire had no power,
nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed,
nor the smell of fire had passed on them."

Here, then, was a noble testimony--such a testimony as would never
have been rendered, had the Lord, by a mere act of power, preserved
His servants from being cast into the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar was
furnished with a striking proof that his furnace was no more to be
dreaded than his image was to be worshipped by "the servants of the
most high God." In a word, the enemy was confounded; God was
glorified; and His dear servants brought forth unscathed from "the
burning fiery furnace." Precious fruits, these, of a faithful
Nazariteship!

And, observe, further, the honor put upon our Nazarites. "Then
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be _the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego_." Their names are intimately associated with
the God of Israel. This was a high honor. They had identified
themselves with the true God when it was a matter of life and death
to do so; and, therefore, the true God identified Himself with them,
and led them forth into a large and wealthy place. He set their feet
upon a rock, and lifted their heads up above all their enemies round
about them. How true it is that "them that honor me I will honor!" And
it is equally true that "they that despise me shall be lightly
esteemed." (1 Sam. ii. 30.)

My beloved reader, have you found settled, divine peace for your
guilty conscience, in the perfected atonement of the Lord Jesus
Christ? Have you simply taken God at His word? Have you set to your
seal that God is true? If so, you are a child of God; your sins are
_all_ forgiven, and you are accepted as righteous in Christ; heaven,
with all its untold glories, is before you; you are as sure of being
in the glory as Christ Himself, inasmuch as you are united to Him.

Thus, everything is settled for you for time and eternity, according
to the very utmost desire of your heart. Your need is met, your guilt
removed, your peace established, your title sure. You have nought to
do for yourself. All is divinely finished.

What remains? Just this: LIVE FOR CHRIST! You are left here for "a
little while," to occupy for Him, and wait for His appearing. Oh! seek
to be faithful to your blessed Master. Be not discouraged by the
fragmentary state of everything around you. Let the case of Daniel and
his honored companions encourage your heart to seek after an elevated
course here below. It is your privilege to enjoy as much of
companionship with the blessed Lord Jesus, as if you were cast amid
the palmy days of apostolic testimony.

May the Holy Ghost enable the writer and the reader of these lines to
drink into the spirit--walk in the footsteps--manifest the graces--and
wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ!

                                                      C. H. M.




SIN IN THE FLESH

AND

SIN ON THE CONSCIENCE


It is of the utmost importance that we accurately distinguish between
sin _in the flesh_, and sin _on the conscience_. If we confound these
two, our souls must necessarily be unhinged, and our worship marred.
An attentive consideration of 1 John i. 8-10. will throw much light
upon this subject, the understanding of which is so essential.

There is no one who will be so conscious of indwelling sin, as the man
who walks in the light. "If we say that we have _no sin_, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us." In the verse immediately
preceding, we read, "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us
from _all sin_." Here the distinction between sin _in_ us, and sin
_on_ us, is fully brought out and established. To say that there is
sin on the believer, in the presence of God, is to call in question
the purging efficacy of the blood of Jesus, and to deny the truth of
the divine record. If the blood of Jesus can perfectly purge, then the
believer's conscience is perfectly purged. The word of God thus puts
the matter; and we must ever remember that it is from God Himself we
are to learn what the true condition of the believer is, in His
sight. We are more disposed to be occupied in telling God what we are
in ourselves, than to allow Him to tell us what we are in Christ. In
other words, we are more taken up with our own self-consciousness,
than with God's revelation of Himself. God speaks to us on the ground
of what He is in Himself, and of what He has accomplished in Christ.
Such is the nature and character of His revelation, of which faith
takes hold, and thus fills the soul with perfect peace. God's
revelation is one thing; my consciousness is quite another.

But the same word which tells us we have no sin _on_ us, tells us,
with equal force and clearness, that we have sin _in_ us. "If we say
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
Every one who has "truth" in him, will know that he has "_sin_" in
him, likewise; for truth reveals everything as it is. What, then, are
we to do? It is our privilege so to walk in the power of the new
nature (that is, the Holy Ghost), that the "_sin_" which dwells in us
may not manifest itself in the form of "_sins_." The Christian's
position is one of victory and liberty. He is not only delivered from
the guilt of sin, but also from sin as a ruling principle in his life.
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body
of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
For he that is dead is freed from sin ... let not sin therefore
_reign_ in your mortal body, that ye should _obey_ it in the lusts
thereof.... For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not
under the law, but under grace." (Rom. vi. 6-14.) Sin is there in all
its native vileness, but the believer is _dead_ to it. How? He died
in Christ. By nature he was dead _in_ sin. By grace he is dead _to_
it. What claim can anything or any one have upon a dead man? None
whatever. Christ "died unto sin once," and the believer died in Him.
"Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live
with Him; knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no
more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He
died unto sin once; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God." What
is the result of this, in reference to believers? "_Likewise_ reckon
ye also yourselves to be _dead indeed unto sin_, but alive unto God
through Jesus Christ our Lord." Such is the believer's unalterable
position before God, so that it is his holy privilege to enjoy freedom
from sin as a _ruler_ over him, though it be a _dweller_ in him.

But then, "if any man sin," what is to be done? The inspired apostle
furnishes a full and most blessed answer: "If we confess our sins, He
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness." (1 John i. 9.) Confession is the mode in which
the conscience is to be kept free. The apostle does not say, "If we
pray for pardon, He is gracious and merciful to forgive us." No doubt,
it is ever happy for a child to breathe the sense of need into his
father's ear--to tell him of feebleness, to confess folly, infirmity,
and failure. All this is most true; and, moreover, it is equally true
that our Father is most gracious and merciful to meet His children in
all their weakness and ignorance; but, while all this is true, the
Holy Ghost declares, by the apostle, that "if we _confess_," God is
"_faithful_ and _just_ to forgive." Confession therefore is the divine
mode. A Christian, having erred in thought, word, or deed, might pray
for pardon for days and months together, and not have any assurance,
from 1 John i. 9, that he was forgiven; whereas, the moment he truly
confesses his sin before God, it is a simple matter of faith to know
that he is perfectly forgiven, and perfectly cleansed.

There is an immense moral difference between praying for forgiveness,
and confessing our sins, whether we look at it in reference to the
character of God, the sacrifice of Christ, or the condition of the
soul. It is quite possible that a person's prayer may involve the
confession of his sin, whatever it may happen to be, and thus come to
the same thing. But then, it is always well to keep close to
Scripture, in what we think, and say, and do. It must be evident that
when the Holy Ghost speaks of _confession_, He does not mean
_praying_. And it is equally evident that He knows there are moral
elements in, and practical results flowing out of, confession, which
do not belong to prayer. In point of fact, one has often found that a
habit of importuning God for the forgiveness of sins, displayed
ignorance as to the way in which God has revealed Himself in the
Person and work of Christ; as to the relation in which the sacrifice
of Christ has set the believer; and as to the divine mode of getting
the conscience relieved from the burden, and purified from the evil of
sin.

God has been perfectly satisfied, as to all the believer's sins, in
the cross of Christ. On that cross a full atonement was presented for
every jot and tittle of sin, in the believer's nature and on his
conscience. Hence, therefore, God does not need any further
propitiation. He does not need aught to draw His heart toward the
believer. We do not require to supplicate Him to be "faithful and
just," when His faithfulness and justice have been so gloriously
displayed, vindicated, and answered, in the death of Christ. Our sins
can never come into God's presence, inasmuch as Christ, who bore them
all, and put them away, is there instead. But if we sin, conscience
will feel it, must feel it; yea, the Holy Ghost will make us feel it.
He cannot allow so much as a single light thought to pass unjudged.
What then? Has our sin made its way into the presence of God? Has it
found its place in the unsullied light of the inner sanctuary? God
forbid! The "Advocate" is there--"Jesus Christ the righteous"--to
maintain, in unbroken integrity, the relationship in which we stand.
But though sin cannot affect God's thoughts in reference to us, it
can, and does affect our thoughts in reference to Him. Though it
cannot make its way into God's presence, it can make its way into
ours, in a most distressing and humiliating manner. Though it cannot
hide the Advocate from God's view, it can hide Him from ours. It
gathers, like a thick dark cloud, on our spiritual horizon, so that
our souls cannot bask in the blessed beams of our Father's
countenance. It cannot affect our relationship with God, but it can
very seriously affect our enjoyment thereof. What, therefore, are we
to do? The Word answers, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." By confession, we get our conscience cleared; the
sweet sense of our relationship restored; the dark cloud dispersed;
the chilling, withering influence removed; our thoughts of God set
straight. Such is the divine method; and we may truly say that the
heart that knows what it is to have ever been in the place of
confession, will feel the divine power of the apostle's words, "My
little children, these things write I unto you, _that ye sin not_." (1
John ii. 1.)

Then, again, there is a style of praying for forgiveness which
involves a losing sight of the perfect ground of forgiveness, which
has been laid in the sacrifice of the cross. If God forgives sins, He
must be "faithful and just" in so doing. But it is quite clear that
our prayers, be they ever so sincere and earnest, could not form the
basis of God's faithfulness and justice in forgiving us our sins.
Nought save the work of the cross could do this. There the
faithfulness and justice of God have had their fullest establishment,
and that, too, in immediate reference to our actual sins, as well as
to the root thereof, in our nature. God has already judged our sins,
in the Person of our Substitute, "on the tree;" and, in the act of
confession, we judge ourselves. This is essential to divine
forgiveness and restoration. The very smallest unconfessed, unjudged
sin, on the conscience, will entirely mar our communion with God. Sin
_in_ us need not do this; but if we suffer sin to remain _on_ us, we
cannot have fellowship with God. He has put away our sins in such a
manner as that He can have us in His presence; and so long as we
abide in His presence, sin does not trouble us. But if we get out of
His presence, and commit sin, our communion must of necessity be
suspended until, by confession, we have got rid of the sin. All this,
I need hardly add, is founded exclusively upon the perfect sacrifice
and righteous advocacy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally, as to the difference between prayer and confession, as
respects the condition of the heart before God, and its moral sense of
the hatefulness of sin, it cannot possibly be overestimated. It is a
much easier thing to ask in a general way for the forgiveness of our
sins, than to confess those sins. Confession involves _self-judgment_;
asking for forgiveness may not, and in itself does not. This alone
would be sufficient to point out the difference. Self-judgment is one
of the most valuable and healthful exercises of the Christian life;
and therefore anything which produces it must be highly esteemed by
every earnest Christian.

The difference between asking for pardon, and confessing the sin, is
continually exemplified in dealing with children. If a child has done
anything wrong, he finds much less difficulty in asking his father to
forgive him, than in openly and unreservedly confessing the wrong. In
asking for forgiveness, the child may have in his mind a number of
things which tend to lessen the sense of the evil; he may be secretly
thinking that he was not so much to blame after all, though, to be
sure, it is only proper to ask his father to forgive him; whereas, in
confessing the wrong, there is just one thing, and that is
self-judgment. Further, in asking for forgiveness, the child may be
influenced mainly by a desire to escape the consequences of his wrong;
whereas a judicious parent will seek to produce a just sense of its
moral evil, which can only exist where there is the full confession of
the fault in connection with self-judgment.

Thus it is in reference to God's dealing with His children, when they
do wrong. He must have the whole thing brought out and thoroughly
judged. He will make us not only dread the consequences of sin,--which
are unutterable,--but hate the thing itself, because of its
hatefulness in His sight. Were it possible for us, when we commit sin,
to be forgiven merely for the asking, our sense of sin, and our
shrinking from it, would not be nearly so intense; and, as a
consequence, our estimate of the fellowship with which we are blessed
would not be nearly so high. The moral effect of all this upon the
general tone of our spiritual constitution, and also upon our whole
character and practical career, must be obvious to every experienced
Christian.




GOD'S WAY, AND HOW TO FIND IT

(Read Job xxviii.; Luke xi. 34-36.)


"There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye
hath not seen: the lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce
lion passed by it." What an unspeakable mercy for one who really
desires to walk with God, to know that there is a way for him to walk
in! God has prepared a pathway for His redeemed in which they may walk
with all possible certainty, calmness and fixedness. It is the
privilege of every child of God, and every servant of Christ, to be as
sure that he is in God's way as that his soul is saved. This may seem
a strong statement; but the question is, Is it true? If it be true, it
cannot be too strong. No doubt it may, in the judgment of some, savor
a little of self-confidence and dogmatism to assert, in such a day as
that in which we live, and in the midst of such a scene as that
through which we are passing, that we are sure of being in God's path.
But what saith the Scripture? It declares "there is a way," and it
also tells us how to find and how to walk in that way. Yes; the
self-same voice that tells us of God's salvation for our souls, tells
us also of God's pathway for our feet;--the very same authority that
assures us that "he that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting
life," assures us also that there is a way so plain that "the
wayfaring men though fools shall not err therein."

This, we repeat, is a signal mercy--a mercy at all times, but
especially in a day of confusion and perplexity like the present. It
is deeply affecting to notice the state of uncertainty in which many
of God's dear people are found at the present moment. We do not refer
now to the question of salvation, of this we have spoken largely
elsewhere; but that which we have now before us is the path of the
Christian--what he ought to do, where he should be found, how he ought
to carry himself in the midst of the professing Church. Is it not too
true that multitudes of the Lord's people are at sea as to these
things? Are there not many who, were they to tell out the real
feelings of their hearts, would have to own themselves in a thoroughly
unsettled state--to confess that they know not what to do, or where to
go, or what to believe? Now, the question is, Would God leave His
children, would Christ leave His servants, in such darkness and
confusion?

    "No; my dear Lord, in following Thee,
    And not in dark uncertainty,
      This foot obedient moves."

May not a child know the will of his father? May not a servant know
the will of his master? And if this be so in our earthly
relationships, how much more fully may we count upon it in reference
to our Father and Master in heaven. When Israel of old emerged from
the Red Sea, and stood upon the margin of that great and terrible
wilderness which lay between them and the land of promise, how were
they to know their way? The trackless sand of the desert lay all
around them. It was in vain to look for any footprint there. It was a
dreary waste in which the vulture's eye could not discern a pathway.
Moses felt this when he said to Hobab, "Leave us not, I pray thee;
forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and
thou mayest be to us instead of eyes." (Numb. x. 31.) How well our
poor unbelieving hearts can understand this touching appeal! How one
craves a human guide in the midst of a scene of perplexity! How fondly
the heart clings to one whom we deem competent to give us guidance in
moments of darkness and difficulty!

And yet, we may ask, what did Moses want with Hobab's eyes? Had not
Jehovah graciously undertaken to be their guide? Yes, truly; for we
are told that "on the day that the tabernacle was reared up, the cloud
covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony; and at
even, there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire,
until the morning. So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and
the appearance of fire by night. And when the cloud was taken up from
the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed; and
in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel
pitched their tents. At the commandment of the Lord the children of
Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as
long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle, they rested in their
tents. And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days,
then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed
not. And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle;
according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents,
and according to the commandment the Lord, and journeyed not. And so
it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the
cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed; whether it was
by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed; or
whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud
tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel
abode in their tents and journeyed not, but when it was taken up they
journeyed. At the commandment of the Lord they rested in their tents,
and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the
charge of the Lord at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of
Moses" (Num. ix. 15-23).

Here was divine guidance--a guidance, we may surely say, quite
sufficient to render them independent of their own eyes, of Hobab's
eyes, and the eyes of any other mortal. It is interesting to note that
in the opening of the book of Numbers, it was arranged that the ark of
the covenant was to find its place in the very bosom of the
congregation; but in chapter x. we are told that when "they departed
from the mount of the Lord three days' journey, the ark of the
covenant of the Lord _went before them_, in the three days' journey,
to search out a resting-place for them." Instead of Jehovah finding a
resting-place in the bosom of His redeemed people, He becomes their
traveling Guide, and goes before them to seek out a resting-place for
them. What touching grace is here! and what faithfulness! If Moses
will ask Hobab to be their guide, and that, too, in the very face of
God's provision--even the cloud and the silver trumpet, then will
Jehovah leave His place in the centre of the tribes, and go before
them to search them out a resting-place. And did not He know the
wilderness well? Would not He be better for them than ten thousand
Hobabs? Might they not fully trust Him? Assuredly. He would not lead
them astray. If His grace had redeemed them from Egypt's bondage, and
conducted them through the Red Sea, surely they might confide in the
same grace to guide them across that great and terrible wilderness,
and bring them safely into the land flowing with milk and honey.

But it must be borne in mind that, in order to profit by divine
guidance, there must be the abandonment of our own will, and of all
confidence in our own reasonings, as well as all confidence in the
thoughts and reasonings of others. If I have Jehovah as my Guide, I do
not want my own eyes or the eyes of a Hobab either. God is sufficient:
I can trust Him. He knows all the way across the desert; and hence, if
I keep my eye upon Him, I shall be guided aright.

But this leads us on to the second division of our subject, namely,
How am I to find God's way? An all-important question, surely. Whither
am I to turn to find God's pathway? If the vulture's eye, so keen, so
powerful, so far-seeing, hath not seen it,--if the young lion, so
vigorous in movement, so majestic in mien, hath not trodden it,--if
man knoweth not the price of it, and if it is not to be found in the
land of the living,--if the depth saith, It is not in me, and the sea
saith, It is not with me,--if it cannot be gotten for gold or precious
stones,--if the wealth of the universe cannot equal it, and no wit of
man discover it,--then whither am I to turn? where shall I find it?
Shall I turn to those great standards of orthodoxy which rule the
religious thought and feeling of millions throughout the length and
breadth of the professing Church? Is this wondrous pathway of wisdom
to be found with them? Do they form any exception to the great, broad,
sweeping rule of Job xxviii? Assuredly not. What, then, am I to do? I
know there is a way. God, who cannot lie, declares this, and I believe
it; but where am I to find it? "Whence, then, cometh wisdom? and where
is the place of understanding? seeing it is hid from the eyes of all
living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. Destruction and
Death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears." Does it not
seem like a hopeless case for any poor ignorant mortal to search for
this wondrous pathway? No, blessed be God, it is by no means a
hopeless case, for "He understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth
the place thereof. For He looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth
under the whole heaven; to make the weight for the winds; and He
weigheth the waters by measure. When He made a decree for the rain,
and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then did He see it and
_declare_ it; He prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man
He said, 'Behold, _the fear of the Lord_, that is wisdom; and _to
depart from evil_ is understanding.'"

Here, then, is the divine secret of wisdom: "The fear of the Lord."
This sets the conscience directly in the presence of God, which is its
only true place. The object of Satan is to keep the conscience out of
this place--to bring it under the power and authority of man--to lead
it into subjection to the commandments and doctrines of men--to thrust
in something between the conscience and the authority of Christ the
Lord, it matters not what it is; it may be a creed or a confession
containing a quantity of truth,--it may be the opinion of a man or a
set of men--the judgment of some favorite teacher,--anything, in
short, to come in and usurp, in the heart, the place which belongs to
God's Word alone. This is a terrible snare, and a stumbling-block--a
most serious hindrance to our progress in the ways of the Lord. God's
Word must rule me--God's pure and simple Word, not man's
interpretation thereof. No doubt, God may use a man to unfold that
Word to my soul; but then it is not man's unfolding of God's Word that
rules me, but God's Word by man unfolded. This is of all importance.
We must be exclusively taught and exclusively governed by the Word of
the living God. Nothing else will keep us straight, or give solidity
and consistency to our character and course as Christians. There is a
strong tendency within and around us to be ruled by the thoughts and
opinions of men--by those great standards of doctrine which men have
set up. Those standards and opinions may have a large amount of truth
in them--they may be all true so far as they go; that is not the point
in question now. What we want to impress upon the Christian reader is,
that he is not to be governed by the thoughts of his fellow-man, but
simply and solely by the Word of God. It is of no value to hold a
truth from man; I must hold it directly from God Himself. God may use
a man to communicate His truth; but unless I hold it as from God, it
has no divine power over my heart and conscience; it does not bring me
into living contact with God, but actually hinders that contact by
bringing in something between my soul and His holy authority.

We should greatly like to enlarge upon and enforce this great
principle; but we must forbear, just now, in order to unfold to the
reader one or two solemn and practical points set forth in the
eleventh chapter of Luke,--points which, if entered into, will enable
us to understand a little better how to find God's way. We shall quote
the passage at length.--"The light of the body is the eye: therefore
when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but
when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed,
therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy
whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole
shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth
give thee light."

Here, then, we are furnished with the true secret of discerning God's
way. It may seem very difficult, in the midst of the troubled sea of
christendom, to steer one's course aright. So many conflicting voices
fall on the ear. So many opposing views solicit our attention, men of
God differ so in judgment, shades of opinion are so multiplied, that
it seems impossible to reach a sound conclusion. We go to one man who,
so far as we can judge, seems to have a single eye, and he tells us
one thing; we go to another man who also seems to have a single eye,
and he tells the very reverse. What, then, are we to think? Well, one
thing is certain, that our own eye is not single when we are running,
in uncertainty and perplexity, from one man to another. The single eye
is fixed on Christ alone, and thus the body is filled with light. The
Israelite of old had not to run hither and thither to consult with his
fellow as to the right way. Each had the same divine guide, namely,
the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night. In a
word, Jehovah Himself was the infallible Guide of each member of the
congregation. They were not left to the guidance of the most
intelligent, sagacious, or experienced man in the assembly; neither
were they left to follow their own way,--each was to follow the Lord.
The silver trumpet announced to all alike the mind of God; and no one
whose ear was open and attentive was left at any loss. The eye and
the ear of each were to be directed to God _alone_, and not to a
fellow-mortal. This was the secret of guidance in the trackless desert
of old, and this is the secret of guidance in the vast moral
wilderness through which God's redeemed are passing now. One man may
say, Listen to me; and another may say, Listen to me; and a third may
say, Let each one take his own way. The obedient heart says, in
opposition to all, I must follow my Lord.

This makes all so simple. It will not, by any means, tender to foster
a spirit of haughty independence; quite the reverse. The more I am
taught to lean on God alone for guidance, the more I shall distrust
and look off from myself; and this, assuredly, is not independence.
True, it will deliver me from servile following of any man, by giving
me to feel my responsibility to Christ alone; but this is precisely
what is so much needed at the present moment. The more closely we
examine the elements that are abroad in the professing Church, the
more we shall be convinced of our personal need of this entire
subjection to divine authority, which is only another name for "the
fear of the Lord," or, "a single eye." There is one brief sentence, in
the opening of the Acts of the Apostles, which furnishes a perfect
antidote to the self-will and the servile fear of man so rife around
us, and that is, "We must obey God." What an utterance! "We must
_obey_." This is the cure for self-will. "We must obey _God_." This is
the cure for servile subjection to the commandments and doctrines of
men. There must be obedience; but obedience to what? To God's
authority, and to that alone. Thus the soul is preserved from the
influence of infidelity on the one hand, and superstition on the
other. Infidelity says, Do as you like. Superstition says, Do as man
tells you. Faith says, "We must obey God."

Here is the holy balance of the soul in the midst of the conflicting
and confounding influences around us in this our day. As a servant, I
am to obey my Lord; as a child, I am to hearken to my Father's
commandments. Nor am I the less to do this although my fellow-servants
and my brethren may not understand me. I must remember that the
immediate business of my soul is with God Himself.--

    "He before whom the elders bow,
    With Him is _all_ my business now."

It is my privilege to be as sure that I have my Master's mind as to my
path as that I have His Word for the security of my soul. If not,
where am I? Is it not my privilege to have a single eye? Yes, surely.
And what then? "A body full of light." Now, if my body is full of
light, can my mind be full of perplexity? Impossible. The two things
are wholly incompatible; and hence, when one is plunged "in dark
uncertainty," it is very plain his eye is not single. He may seem very
sincere, he may be very anxious to be guided aright; but he may rest
assured there is the lack of a single eye--that indispensable
prerequisite to divine guidance. The Word is plain,--"If thine eye is
single, thy whole body also is full of light." God will ever guide
the obedient, humble soul; but, on the other hand, if we do not walk
according to the light communicated, we shall get into darkness. Light
not acted upon becomes darkness, and oh, "how great is that darkness!"
Nothing is more dangerous than tampering with the light which God
gives. It must, sooner or later, lead to the most disastrous
consequences. "Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in thee
be not darkness." "Hear, ye, and give ear: be not proud; for the Lord
hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before _He_ cause
darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and
while ye look for light, _He_ turn it into the shadow of death, and
make it gross darkness." (Jer. xiii. 15, 16.)

This is deeply solemn. What a contrast between a man having a single
eye, and a man not acting on the light which God has given him! The
one has his body full of light; the other has his body full of
darkness: the one has no part dark; the other is plunged in gross
darkness: the one is a light-bearer for others; the other is a
stumbling-block in the way. We know nothing more solemn than the
judicial acting of God, in actually turning our light into darkness,
because we have refused to act on the light which He has been pleased
to impart.

Christian reader, art thou acting up to thy light? Has God sent a ray
of light into thy soul? Has He shown thee something wrong in thy ways
or associations? Art thou persisting in any line of action which
conscience tells thee is not in full accordance with thy Master's
will? Search and see. "Give glory to the Lord thy God." Act on the
light. Do not hesitate. Think not of consequences. Obey, we beseech
thee, the word of thy Lord. This very moment, as thine eye scans these
lines, let the purpose of thy soul be to depart from iniquity wherever
thou findest it. Say not, Whither shall I go? What shall I do next?
There is evil everywhere. It is only escaping from one evil to plunge
into another. Say not these things; do not argue or reason; do not
look at results; think not of what the world or the world-church will
say of thee; rise above all these things, and tread the path of
light--that path which shineth more and more unto the perfect day of
glory. Remember, God never gives light for two steps at a time. If He
has given thee light for one step, then, in the fear and love of His
Name, take that one step, and thou wilt assuredly get more light--yes,
"more and more." But if there be the refusal to act, the light which
is in thee will become gross darkness, thy feet will stumble on the
dark mountains of error which lie on either side of the straight and
narrow path of obedience; and thou wilt become a stumbling-block in
the path of others. Some of the most grievous stumbling-blocks that
lie, at this moment, in the pathway of anxious inquirers are found in
the persons of those who once seemed to possess the truth, but have
turned from it. The light which was in them has become darkness, and
oh, how great and how appalling is that darkness! How sad it is to
see those who ought to be light-bearers, acting as a positive
hindrance to young and earnest Christians! But let not young
Christians be hindered by them. The way is plain. "The fear of the
Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." Let
each one hear and obey for himself the voice of the Lord. "My sheep
hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." The Lord be
praised for this precious word! It puts each one in the place of
direct responsibility to Christ Himself; it tells us plainly what is
_God's way_, and, just as plainly, _how to find it_.

                                                     _C. H. M._




THE UNEQUAL YOKE


No one who sincerely desires to attain, in his own person, or promote
in others, a purer and more elevated discipleship, can possibly
contemplate the Christianity of the present day without an
indescribable feeling of sadness and heaviness. Its tone is so
excessively low, its aspect so sickly, and its spirit so enfeebled,
that one is, at times, tempted to despair of any thing like a true and
faithful witness for an absent Lord. All this is the more truly
deplorable when we remember the commanding motives by which it is our
special privilege ever to be actuated. Whether we look at the Master
whom we are called to follow, the path which we are called to tread,
the end which we are called to keep in view, or the hopes by which we
are to be animated, we cannot but own that, were all these entered
into and realized by a more simple faith, we should assuredly exhibit
a more ardent discipleship. "The love of Christ," says the apostle,
"constraineth us." This is the most powerful motive of all. The more
the heart is filled with Christ's love, and the eye filled with His
blessed person, the more closely shall we seek to follow in His
heavenly track. His footmarks can only be discovered by "a single
eye;" and unless the will is broken, the flesh mortified, and the body
kept under, we shall utterly fail in our discipleship, and make
shipwreck of faith and a good conscience.

Let not my reader misunderstand me. It is not here, by any means, a
question of personal salvation. It is quite another thing. Nothing can
be more basely selfish than, having received salvation as the fruit
of Christ's agony and bloody sweat, His cross and passion, to keep at
as great a distance from His sacred person as we can without
forfeiting our personal safety. This is, even in the judgment of
nature, deemed a character of selfishness worthy of unmingled
contempt; but when exhibited by one who professes to owe his present
and his everlasting all to a rejected, crucified, risen, and absent,
Master, no language can express its moral baseness. "Provided I escape
hell-fire, it makes little matter as to discipleship." Reader, do you
not, in your inmost soul, abhor this sentiment? If so, then earnestly
seek to flee from it, to the very opposite point of the compass; and
let your truthful language be, Provided that blessed Master is
glorified, it makes little matter, comparatively, about my personal
safety. Would to God that this were the sincere utterance of many
hearts in this day, when, alas, it may be too truly said that, "All
seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's" (Phil. ii.
21). Would that the Holy Ghost would raise up, by His own resistless
power, and send forth, by His own heavenly energy, a band of separated
and consecrated followers of the Lamb, each one bound, by the cords of
love, to the horns of the altar--a company, like Gideon's three
hundred of old, able to confide in God and deny the flesh. How the
heart longs for this! How the spirit, bowed down at times beneath the
chilling and withering influence of a cold and uninfluential
profession, earnestly breathes after a more vigorous and whole-hearted
testimony for that One who emptied Himself and laid aside His glory,
in order that we, through His precious bloodshedding, might be raised
to companionship with Him in eternal blessedness!

Now, amongst the numerous hindrances to this thorough consecration of
heart to Christ which I earnestly desire for myself and my reader,
"the unequal yoke" will be found to occupy a very prominent place
indeed. "Be ye not unequally yoked together [ετεροζυγουντες] with
unbelievers: for what partnership [μετοχη] hath righteousness with
unrighteousness [or rather lawlessness--ανομια]? and what communion
[κοινωνια] hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with
Belial? or what part hath a believer with an unbeliever [απιστου]? And
what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the
temple of the living God; as God hath said, 'I will dwell in them, and
walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'
'Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and
will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty.'" (2 Cor. vi. 14-18.)

Under the Mosaic economy, we learn the same moral principle.--"Thou
shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy
seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together. Thou shalt not
wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woolen and linen together."
(Deut. xxii. 9-11; Lev. xix. 19.)

These scriptures will suffice to set forth the moral evil of an
unequal yoke. It may, with full confidence, be asserted that no one
can be an unshackled follower of Christ who is, in any way, "unequally
yoked." He may be a saved person, he may be a true child of God--a
sincere believer, but he cannot be a thorough disciple; and not only
so, but there is a positive hindrance to the full manifestation of
that which he may really be, notwithstanding his unequal yoke. "Come
out, ... and I will receive you, ... and ye shall be my sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." That is to say, Get your neck
out of the unequal yoke, and I will receive you, and there shall be
the full, public, practical manifestation of your relationship with
the Lord Almighty. The idea here is evidently different from that set
forth in James--"Of His own will begat He us, by the word of truth."
And also in Peter--"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever."
And again in 1 John--"Behold what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." So also
in John's gospel--"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name;
which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of
the will of man, but of God." In all these passages, the relationship
of sons is founded upon the divine counsel and the divine operation,
and is not set before us as the consequence of any acting of ours;
whereas in 2 Corinthians vi. it is put as the result of our getting
out of the unequal yoke. In other words, it is entirely a practical
question. Thus in Matthew v. we read, "But I say unto you, 'Love your
enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and
pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; in order
that [οπως] ye may be the sons of your Father which is in heaven;
because He causeth His sun to rise upon the evil and the good, and
sendeth rain upon the just and the unjust." Here too it is the
practical establishment and public declaration of the relationship,
and its moral influence. It becomes the sons of such a Father to act
in such a way. In short, we have the abstract position or relationship
of sons founded on God's sovereign will and operation; and we have the
moral character consequent upon and flowing out of this relationship
which affords just ground for God's public acknowledgment thereof.
God cannot fully and publicly own those who are unequally yoked
together with unbelievers, for, were He to do so, it would be an
acknowledgment of the unequal yoke. He cannot acknowledge "darkness,"
"unrighteousness," "Belial," "idols," and "an infidel." How could He?
Hence, if I yoke myself with any of these, I am morally and publicly
identified with them, and not with God at all. I have put myself into
a position which God cannot own, and, as a consequence, He cannot own
me; but if I withdraw myself from that position--if I "come out and be
separate"--if I take my neck out of the unequal yoke--then, but not
until then, can I be publicly and fully received and owned as a "son
or daughter of the Lord Almighty."

This is a solemn and searching principle for all who feel that they
have unhappily gotten themselves into such a yoke. They are not
walking as disciples, nor are they publicly or morally on the ground
of sons. God cannot own them. Their secret relationship is not the
point; but they have put themselves thoroughly off God's ground. They
have foolishly thrust their neck into a yoke which, inasmuch as it is
not Christ's yoke, must be Belial's yoke; and until they cast off that
yoke, God cannot own them as His sons and daughters. God's grace, no
doubt, is infinite, and can meet us in all our failure and weakness;
but if our souls aspire after a higher order of discipleship, we must
at once cast off the unequal yoke, cost what it may; that is, if it
can be cast off; but if it cannot, we must only bow our heads beneath
the shame and sorrow thereof, looking to God for full deliverance.

Now, there are four distinct phases in which "the unequal yoke" may be
contemplated, viz, the domestic, the commercial, the religious, and
the philanthropic. Some may be disposed to confine 2 Corinthians vi.
14 to the first of these; but the apostle does not so confine it. The
words are, "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." He does
not specify the character or object of the yoke, and therefore we are
warranted in giving the passage its widest application, by bringing
its edge to bear directly upon every phase of the unequal yoke; and we
shall see the importance of so doing ere we close these remarks, if
the Lord permit.

I. And first, then, let us consider the domestic or marriage yoke.
What pen can portray the mental anguish, the moral misery, together
with the ruinous consequences as to spiritual life and testimony,
flowing from a Christian's marriage with an unconverted person? I
suppose nothing can be more deplorable than the condition of one who
discovers, when it is too late, that he has linked himself for life
with one who cannot have a single thought or feeling in common with
him. One desires to serve Christ; the other can only serve the devil:
one breathes after the things of God; the other sighs for the things
of this present world: the one earnestly seeks to mortify the flesh,
with all its affections and desires; the other only seeks to minister
to and gratify these very things. Like a sheep and a goat linked
together, the sheep longs to feed on the green pasture in the field,
while, on the other hand, the goat craves the brambles which grow in
the ditch. The sad consequence is that both are starved. One _will_
not feed on the pasture, and the other _cannot_ feed upon the
brambles, and thus neither gets what his nature craves, unless the
goat, by superior strength, succeeds in forcing his unequally yoked
companion to remain among the brambles, there to languish and die.

The moral of this is plain enough; and, moreover, it is, alas! of but
too common occurrence. The goat generally succeeds in gaining his
end. The worldly partner carries his or her point, in almost every
instance. It will be found, almost without exception, that in cases of
the unequal marriage-yoke, the poor Christian is the sufferer, as is
evidenced by the bitter fruits of a bad conscience, a depressed heart,
a gloomy spirit, and a desponding mind. A heavy price, surely, to pay
for the gratification of some natural affection, or the attainment, it
may be, of some paltry worldly advantage. In fact, a marriage of this
kind is the death-knell of practical Christianity, and of progress in
the divine life. It is morally impossible that any one can be an
unfettered disciple of Christ with his neck in the marriage-yoke with
an unbeliever. As well might a racer in the Olympic or Isthmæan games
have expected to gain the crown of victory by attaching a heavy weight
or dead body to his person. It is enough, surely, to have one dead
body to sustain, without attaching another. There never was a true
Christian yet who did not find that he had abundant work to do in
endeavoring to grapple with the evils of _one_ heart, without going to
burden himself with the evils of two; and, without doubt, the man who
foolishly and disobediently marries an unconverted woman; or the woman
who marries an unconverted man, is burdened with the combined evils of
two hearts; and who is sufficient for these things? One can most fully
count upon the grace of Christ for the subjugation of his own evil
nature: but he certainly cannot count, in the same way, upon that
grace in reference to the evil nature of his unequal yoke-fellow. If
he have yoked himself ignorantly, the Lord will meet him personally,
on the ground of full confession, with entire restoration of soul, but
in the matter of his discipleship, he will never recover it.

Now, in considering the terribly evil consequences of the unequal
marriage-yoke, it is mainly as bearing upon our discipleship that we
are looking at them. I say "mainly" because our entire character and
experience are deeply affected thereby. I very much question if any
one can give a more effectual blow to his prosperity in the divine
life than by assuming an unequal yoke. Indeed, the very fact of so
doing proves that spiritual decline has already set in, with most
alarming symptoms; but as to his discipleship and testimony, the lamp
thereof may be regarded as all but gone out; or if it does give an
occasional faint glimmer, it only serves to make manifest the awful
gloom of his unhappy position, and the appalling consequences of being
"unequally yoked together with an unbeliever."

Thus much as to the question of the unequal yoke in its influence upon
the life, the character, the testimony, and the discipleship of the
child of God.

I would now say a word as to its moral effect as exhibited in the
domestic circle. Here too the consequences are truly melancholy. Nor
could they possibly be otherwise. Two persons have come together in
the closest and most intimate relationship, with tastes, habits,
feelings, desires, tendencies, and objects diametrically opposite.
They have nothing in common; so that in every movement they can but
grate one against the other. The unbeliever cannot, _in reality_, go
with the believer; and if there should, through excessive amiability
or downright hypocrisy, be a show of acquiesence, what is it worth in
the sight of the Lord, who judges the true state of the heart in
reference to Himself? But little indeed; yea, it is worse than
worthless. Then, again, if the believer should unhappily go in any
measure with his unequal yoke-fellow, it can only be at the expense of
his discipleship, and the consequence is, a condemning conscience in
the sight of the Lord; and this, again, leads to heaviness of spirit,
and, it may be, sourness of temper in the domestic circle, so that the
grace of the gospel is by no means commended, and the unbeliever is
not attracted or won. Thus it is in every way most sorrowful. It is
dishonoring to God, destructive of spiritual prosperity, utterly
subversive of discipleship and testimony, and entirely hostile to
domestic peace and blessing. It produces estrangement, coldness,
distance, and misunderstanding: or, if it does not produce these, it
will doubtless lead, on the part of the Christian, to a forfeiture of
his discipleship and his good conscience, both of which he may be
tempted to offer as a sacrifice upon the altar of domestic peace.
Thus, whatever way we look at it, an unequal yoke must lead to the
most deplorable consequences.

Then, as to its effect upon children, it is equally sad. These are
almost sure to flow in the current with the unconverted parent. "Their
children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in
the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people."
There can be no union of heart in the training of the children,--no
joint and mutual confidence in reference to them. One desires to bring
them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; the other desires
to bring them up in the principles of the world, the flesh, and the
devil: and as all the sympathies of the children, as they grow up, are
likely to be ranged on the side of the latter, it is easy to see how
it will end. In short, it is an unseemly, unscriptural, and vain
effort to plow with an "unequal yoke," or to "sow the ground with
mingled seed;" and all must end in sorrow and confusion.[18]

  [18] There are many cases in which one finds persons united, who though
  they cannot exactly be said to be "unequally yoked," are, to say the
  least, very badly matched. Their tempers, tastes, habits, and views
  are totally different; and so different, that instead of maintaining a
  desirable balance (which opposite tempers, if properly arranged, might
  do), they keep up a perpetual jar, to the sad derangement of the
  domestic circle, and the dishonor of the Lord's name. All this might
  be very much obviated if Christians would only wait upon God, and make
  His glory more their object than personal interest or affection.

I shall, ere turning from this branch of our subject, offer a remark
as to the reasons which generally actuate Christians in the matter of
entering into the unequal marriage-yoke. We all know, alas! how easily
the poor heart persuades itself of the rightness of any step which it
desires to take, and how the devil furnishes plausible arguments to
convince us of its rightness--arguments which the moral condition of
the soul causes us to regard as clear, forcible, and satisfactory. The
very fact of our thinking of such a thing, proves our unfitness to
weigh, with a well-balanced mind and spiritually adjusted conscience,
the solemn consequences of such a step. If the eye were single (that
is, if we were governed but by one object, namely, the glory and honor
of the Lord Jesus Christ), we should never entertain the idea of
putting our necks in an unequal yoke; and consequently we should have
no difficulty or perplexity about the matter. A racer, whose eye was
resting on the crown, would not be troubled with any perplexity as to
whether he ought to stop and tie a hundred-weight round his neck. Such
a thought would never cross his mind: and not only so, but a thorough
racer would have a distinct and almost intuitive perception of every
thing which would be likely to prove a hindrance to him in running the
race; and, of course, with such an one, to perceive would be to reject
with decision.[19]

  [19] It is important for the Christian to bear in mind the words of our
  Lord Jesus Christ, "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be
  full of light." Whenever I am in perplexity as to my path, I have
  reason to suspect that my eye is not single; for, assuredly,
  perplexity is not compatible with a "body full of light." We
  frequently go to pray for guidance in matters with which, if the eye
  were single and the will subject, we would have nothing whatever to
  do, and hence we should have no need to pray about them. To pray about
  aught concerning which the Word of God is plain, marks the activity of
  a rebellions will. As a recent writer has well remarked, "We sometimes
  seek God's will, desiring to know how to act in circumstances _in
  which it is not His will that we should be found at all_; if
  conscience were in real healthful activity, its first effect would be
  to make us quit them. It is our own will which sets us there, and we
  should like, nevertheless, to enjoy the consolation of God's direction
  in a path which ourselves have chosen. Such is a very common case. Be
  assured that if we are near enough to God, we shall have no trouble to
  know His will.... However, 'if thine eye be single, thy whole body
  shall be full of light;' whence it is certain that if the whole body
  is not full of light, the eye is not single. You will say, That is
  poor consolation. I answer, It is a rich consolation for those whose
  sole desire is to have the eye single and _to walk with God_."

Now, were it thus with Christians in the matter of unscriptural
marriage, it would save them a world of sorrow and perplexity; but it
is not thus. The heart gets out of communion, and is morally
incompetent to "try the things that differ;" and when in this
condition, the devil gains an easy conquest, and speedy success in his
wicked effort to induce the believer to yoke himself with
"Belial"--with "unrighteousness"--with "darkness"--with "an infidel."
When the soul is in full communion with God, it is entirely subject to
His Word; it sees things as He sees them, calls them what He calls
them, and not what the devil or his own carnal heart would call them.
In this way, the believer escapes the insnaring influence of a
deception which is very frequently brought to bear upon him in this
matter, namely, a false profession of religion on the part of the
person whom he desires to marry. This is a very common case. It is
easy to show symptoms of leaning toward the things of God; and the
heart is treacherous and base enough to make a profession of religion
in order to gain its end; and not only so, but the devil, who is
"transformed into an angel of light," will lead to this false
profession, in order thereby the more effectually to entrap the feet
of a child of God. Thus it comes to pass that Christians, in this
matter, suffer themselves to be satisfied, or at least profess
themselves satisfied, with evidence of conversion which under any
other circumstances they would regard as utterly lame and flimsy.

But, alas! experience soon opens the eyes to the _reality_. It is
speedily discovered that the profession was all a vain show, that the
_heart_ is entirely in and of the world. Terrible discovery. Who can
detail the bitter consequences of such a discovery--the anguish of
heart--the bitter reproaches and cuttings of conscience--the shame and
confusion--the loss of power and blessing--the forfeiture of spiritual
peace and joy--the sacrifice of a life of usefulness? Who can describe
all these things? The man awakes from his delusive dream, and opens
his eyes upon the tremendous reality that he is yoked for life with
"Belial"! Yes, this is what the Spirit calls it. It is not an
inference, or a deduction arrived at by a process of reasoning; but a
plain and positive statement of holy Scripture, that thus the matter
stands in reference to one who, from whatever motive, or under the
influence of whatever reasons, or deceived by whatever false
pretences, has entered into an unequal marriage-yoke.

Oh, my beloved Christian reader, if you are in danger of entering into
such a yoke, let me earnestly, solemnly, and affectionately entreat of
you to pause first, and weigh the matter in the balances of the
sanctuary, ere you move forward a single hair's breadth on such a
fatal path! You may rest assured that you will no sooner have taken
the step than your heart will be assailed by hopeless regrets, and
your life embittered by unnumbered sorrows. LET NOTHING INDUCE YOU TO
YOKE YOURSELF WITH AN UNBELIEVER. Are your affections engaged? Then,
remember, they cannot be the affections of your new man; they are, be
assured of it, those of the old or carnal nature, which you are called
upon to mortify and set aside. Wherefore you should cry to God for
spiritual power to rise above the influence of such affections; yea,
to sacrifice them to Him. Again, are your interests concerned? Then
remember that they are only _your_ interests; and if they are
promoted, Christ's interests are sacrificed by your yoking yourself
with "Belial." Furthermore, they are only your temporal, and not your
eternal interests. In point of fact, the interests of the believer and
those of Christ ought to be identical; and it is plain that His
interests, His honor, His truth, His glory, must inevitably be
sacrificed if a member of His body is linked with "Belial." This is
the true way to look at the question. What are a few hundreds, or a
few thousands, to an heir of heaven? "God is able to give thee much
more than this." Are you going to sacrifice the truth of God, as well
as your own spiritual peace, prosperity, and happiness, for a paltry
trifle of gold, which must perish in the using of it? Ah, no! God
forbid! Flee from it, as a bird from the snare which it sees and
knows. Stretch out the hand of genuine, well-braced, whole-hearted
discipleship, and take the knife and slay your affections and your
interests on the altar of God, and then, even though there should not
be an audible voice from heaven to approve your act, you will have the
invaluable testimony of an approving conscience and an ungrieved
Spirit--an ample reward, surely, for the most costly sacrifice which
you can make. May the Spirit of God give power to resist Satan's
temptations.

It is hardly needful to remark here that in cases where conversion
takes place after marriage, the complexion of the matter is very
materially altered. There will then be no smitings of conscience, for
example, and the whole thing is modified in a variety of particulars.
Still, there will be difficulty, trial, and sorrow, unquestionably.
The only thing is, that one can far more happily bring the trial and
sorrow into the Lord's presence, when he has not deliberately and
willfully plunged himself thereinto; and, blessed be God, we know how
ready He is to forgive, restore, and cleanse from all unrighteousness
the soul that makes full confession of its error and failure. This may
comfort the heart of one who has been brought to the Lord after
marriage. Moreover, to such an one the Spirit of God has given
specific direction and blessed encouragement in the following passage:
"If any brother have an unbelieving wife, and she think proper to
dwell with him, let him not put her away: and if any woman have an
unbelieving husband, and he think proper to dwell with her, let her
not put him away (for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the
wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, else were
your children unclean, but now are they holy).... For what knowest
thou, O wife, if thou shalt save thy husband? or what knowest thou, O
husband, if thou shalt save thy wife?" (1 Cor. vii. 12-16.)

II. We shall now consider "the unequal yoke" in its commercial phase,
as seen in cases of partnership in business. This, though not so
serious an aspect of the yoke as that which we have just been
considering, will nevertheless be found a very positive barrier to the
believer's testimony. When a Christian yokes himself, for business
purposes, with an unbeliever--whether that unbeliever be a relative or
not--or when he becomes a member of a worldly firm, he virtually
surrenders his individual responsibility. Henceforth the acts of the
firm become his acts, and it is perfectly out of the question to think
of getting a worldly firm to act on heavenly principles. They would
laugh at such a notion, inasmuch as it would be an effectual barrier
to the success of their commercial schemes. They will feel perfectly
free to adopt a number of expedients in carrying on their business
which would be quite opposed to the spirit and principles of the
kingdom in which he is, and of the Church of which he forms a part.
Thus he will find himself constantly in a most trying position. He may
use his influence to Christianize the mode of conducting affairs, but
they will compel him to do business as others do, and he has no remedy
save to mourn in secret over his anomalous and difficult position, or
else to go out at great pecuniary loss to himself and family. Where
the eye is single, there will be no hesitation as to which of these
alternatives to adopt; but, alas! the very fact of getting into such a
position proves the lack of a single eye; and the fact of being in it
argues the lack of spiritual capacity to appreciate the value and
power of the divine principles which would infallibly bring a man out
of it. A man whose eye was single could not possibly yoke himself with
an unbeliever for the purpose of making money. Such an one could only
set, as an object before his mind, the direct glory of Christ; and
this object could never be gained by a positive transgression of
divine principle.

This makes it very simple. If it does not glorify Christ for a
Christian to become a partner in a worldly firm, it must, without
doubt, further the designs of the devil. There is no middle ground;
but that it does not glorify Christ is manifest, for His Word says,
"Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." Such is the
principle, which cannot be infringed without damage to the testimony,
and forfeiture of spiritual blessing. True, the conscience of a
Christian who transgresses in this matter may seek relief in various
ways--may have recourse to various subterfuges--may set forth various
arguments to persuade itself that all is right. It will be said that
"we can be very devoted and very spiritual, so far as we are
personally concerned, even though we are yoked, for business purposes,
with an unbeliever." This will be found fallacious when brought to
the test of the actual practice. A servant of Christ will find himself
hampered in a hundred ways by his worldly partnership. If in matters
of service to Christ he is not met with open hostility, he will have
to encounter the enemy's secret and constant effort to damp his ardor,
and throw cold water on all his schemes. He will be laughed at and
despised--he will be continually reminded of the effect which his
enthusiasm and fanaticism will produce in reference to the business
prospects of the firm. If he uses his time, his talents, or his
pecuniary resources in what he believes to be the Lord's service, he
will be pronounced a fool or a madman, and reminded that the true--the
proper way for a commercial man to serve the Lord is to "attend to
business, and nothing but business;" and that it is the exclusive
business of clergymen and ministers to attend to religious matters,
inasmuch as they are set apart and paid for so doing.

Now, although the Christian's renewed mind may be thoroughly convinced
of the fallacy of all this reasoning--although he may see that this
worldly wisdom is but a flimsy, threadbare cloak, thrown over the
heart's covetous practices--yet who can tell how far the heart may be
influenced by such things? We get weary of constant resistance. The
current becomes too strong for us, and we gradually yield ourselves to
its action, and are carried along on its surface. Conscience may have
some death-struggles; but the spiritual energies are paralyzed, and
the sensibilities of the new nature are blunted, so that there is no
response to the cries of conscience, and no effectual effort to
withstand the enemy; the worldliness of the Christian's heart leagues
itself with the opposing influences from without--the outworks are
stormed, and the citadel of the soul's affections vigorously
assaulted; and finally, the man settles down in thorough worldliness,
exemplifying in his own person the prophet's touching lament, "Her
Nazarites _were_ purer than snow, they _were_ whiter than milk, they
_were_ more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing _was_ of
sapphire: their visage is blacker than a coal; they _are_ not known in
the streets; their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is
become like a stick." (Lam. iv. 7, 8.) The man who was once known as a
servant of Christ--a fellow-helper unto the kingdom of God--making use
of his resources only to further the interests of the gospel of
Christ, is now, alas! settled down upon his lees, only known as a
plodding, keen, bargain-making man of business, of whom the apostle
might well say, "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present age
[τον νυν αιωνα]."

But perhaps nothing so operates on the hearts of Christians, in
inducing them to yoke themselves commercially with unbelievers, as the
habit of seeking to maintain the two characters of a Christian and a
man of business. This is a grievous snare. In point of fact, there can
be no such thing. A man must be either the one or the other. If I am a
Christian, my Christianity must show itself as a living reality in
that in which I am; and if it cannot show itself there, I ought not to
be there: for if I continue in a sphere or position in which the life
of Christ cannot be manifested, I shall speedily possess naught of
Christianity but the name without the reality--the outward form
without the inward power--the shell without the kernel. I should be
the servant of Christ, not merely on Sunday, but from Monday morning
to Saturday night. I should not only be a servant of Christ in the
public assembly, but also in my place of business, whatever it may
happen to be. But I cannot be a proper servant of Christ with my neck
in the yoke with an unbeliever; for how could the servants of two
hostile masters work in the same yoke? It is utterly impossible; as
well might one attempt to link the sun's meridian beams with the
profound darkness of midnight. It cannot be done; and I do therefore
most solemnly appeal to my reader's conscience, in the presence of
Almighty God, who shall judge the secrets of men's hearts by Jesus
Christ, as to this important matter. I would say to him, if he is
thinking of getting into partnership with an unbeliever, FLEE FROM IT!
yes, flee from it, though it promises you the gain of thousands. You
will plunge yourself into a mass of sorrow and trouble. You are going
to "plow" with one whose feelings, instincts, and tendencies are
diametrically opposed to your own. "An ox and an ass" are not so
unlike, in every respect, as a believer and an unbeliever. How will
you ever get on? He wants to make money--to profit himself--to get on
in the world; you want (at least you ought to want) to grow in grace
and holiness--to advance the interests of Christ and His gospel on the
earth, and to push onward to the everlasting kingdom of the Lord Jesus
Christ. His object is money; yours, I trust, is Christ: he lives for
this world; you, for the world to come; he is engrossed with the
things of time; you, with those of eternity. How, then, can you ever
take common ground with him? Your principles, your motives, your
objects, your hopes, are all opposed. How is it possible you can get
on? How can you have aught in common? Surely, all this needs only to
be looked at with a single eye in order to be seen in its true light.
It is impossible that any one whose eye is filled and whose heart is
occupied with Christ, could ever yoke himself with a worldly partner,
for any object whatsoever. Wherefore, my beloved Christian reader, let
me once more entreat you, ere you take such a tremendous step--a step
fraught with such awful consequences--so pregnant with danger to your
best interests, as well as to the testimony of Christ, with which you
are honored--to take the whole matter, with an honest heart, into the
sanctuary of God, and weigh it in His sacred balance. Ask Him what He
thinks of it, and hearken, with a subject will and a well-adjusted
conscience, to His reply. It is plain and powerful--yea, as plain and
as powerful as though it fell from the open heavens--"_Be not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers_."

But if, unhappily, my reader is already in the yoke, I would say to
him, disentangle yourself as speedily as you can. I am much mistaken
if you have not already found the yoke a burdensome one. To you it
were superfluous to detail the sad consequences of being in such a
position; you doubtless know them all. It is needless to print them on
paper, or paint them on canvas, to one who has entered into all their
reality. My beloved brother in Christ, lose not a moment in seeking to
throw off the yoke. This must be done before the Lord, on His
principles, and by His grace. It is easier to get into a wrong
position than to get out of it. A partnership of ten or twenty years'
standing cannot be dissolved in a moment. It must be done calmly,
humbly, and prayerfully, as in the sight of the Lord, and with entire
reference to His glory. I may dishonor the Lord as much in my way of
getting out of a wrong position as by getting into it at the first.
Hence, if I find myself in partnership with an unbeliever, and my
conscience tells me I am wrong, let me honestly and frankly state to
my partner that I can no longer go on with him; and having done that,
my place is to use every exertion to wind up the affairs of the firm
in an upright, a straightforward, and businesslike manner, so as to
give no possible occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully, and
that my good may not be evil spoken of. We must avoid rashness,
headiness, and high-mindedness, when apparently acting for the Lord,
and in defense of His holy principles. If a man gets entangled in a
net, or involved in a labyrinth, it is not by bold and violent
plunging he will extricate himself. No; he must humble himself,
confess his sins before the Lord, and then retrace his steps, in
patient dependence upon that grace which can not only pardon him for
being in a wrong position, but lead him forth into a right one.

Moreover, as in the case of the marriage-yoke, the matter is very much
modified by the fact of the partnership having been entered into
previous to conversion. Not that this would, in the slightest degree,
justify a continuance in it. By no means; but it does away with much
of the sorrow of heart and defilement of conscience connected with
such a position, and will also very materially affect the mode of
escape therefrom. Besides, the Lord is glorified by, and He assuredly
accepts, the moral bent of the heart and conscience in the right
direction. If I judge myself for being wrong, and that the moral bent
of my heart and conscience is to get right, God will accept of that,
and surely set me right. But if He sets me right, He will not suffer
me to do violence to one truth while seeking to act in obedience to
another. The same Word that says "Be not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers" says also "Render therefore to all their dues"--"owe no
man any thing"--"provide things honest in the sight of all"--"walk
honestly toward them that are without." If I have wronged God by
getting into partnership with an unbeliever, I must not wrong any man
in my way of getting out of it. Profound subjection to the Word of
God, by the power of the Holy Ghost, will set all to rights, will lead
us into straight paths, and enable us to avoid all dangerous extremes.


III. In glancing for a moment at the religious phase of the unequal
yoke, I would assure my reader that it is by no means my desire to
hurt the feelings of any one by canvassing the claims of the various
denominations around me. Such is not my purpose. The subject of this
paper is one of quite sufficient importance to prevent its being
encumbered by the introduction of other matters. Moreover, it is too
definite to warrant any such introduction. "The unequal yoke" is our
theme, and to it we must confine our attention.

In looking through Scripture we find almost numberless passages
setting forth the intense spirit of separation which ought ever to
characterize the people of God. Whether we direct our attention to the
Old Testament, in which we have God's relationship and dealings with
His earthly people, Israel, or to the New Testament, in which we have
His relationship and dealings with His heavenly people, the Church, we
find the same truth prominently set forth, namely, the entire
separation of those who belong to God. Israel's position is thus
stated in Balaam's parable, "Lo, the people shall dwell alone, and
shall not be reckoned amongst the nations." Their place was outside
the range of all the nations of the earth, and they were responsible
to maintain that separation. Throughout the entire Pentateuch they
were instructed, warned, and admonished as to this; and throughout the
psalms and the prophets we have a record of their failure in the
maintenance of this separation, which failure, as we know, has brought
down upon them the heavy judgments of the hand of God. It would swell
this little paper into a volume were I to attempt a quotation of all
the passages in which this point is put forward. I take it for granted
that my reader is sufficiently acquainted with his Bible, to render
such quotations unnecessary. Should he not be so, however, a
reference, in his concordance, to the words, "separate," "separated,"
and "separation" will suffice to lay before him at a glance the body
of Scripture-evidence on the subject. The passage just quoted from the
book of Numbers is the expression of God's thoughts about His people
Israel: "The people shall dwell ALONE."

The same is true, only upon a much higher ground, in reference to
God's heavenly people, the Church--the body of Christ--composed of all
true believers. They too are a separated people.

We shall now proceed to examine the ground of this separation. There
is a great difference between being separate on the ground of what we
are and of what _God_ is. The former makes a man a _Pharisee_; the
latter makes him a _saint_. If I say to a poor fellow-sinner, "Stand
by thyself, I am holier than thou," I am a detestable Pharisee and a
hypocrite; but if God, in His infinite condescension and perfect
grace, says to me, I have brought you into relationship with Myself in
the person of My Son Jesus Christ, therefore be separate and holy from
all evil; come out from among them and be separate; I am bound to
obey, and my obedience is the practical manifestation of my character
as a saint--a character which I have, not because of any thing in
myself, but simply because God has brought me near unto Himself
through the precious blood of Christ.

It is well to be clear as to this. Pharisaism and divine
sanctification are two very different things; and yet they are often
confounded. Those who contend for the maintenance of that place of
separation which belongs to the people of God, are constantly accused
of setting themselves up above their fellow-men, and of laying claim
to a higher degree of personal sanctity than is ordinarily possessed.
This accusation arises from not attending to the distinction just
referred to. When God calls upon men to be separate, it is on the
ground of what He has done for them upon the cross, and where He has
set them, in eternal association with Himself, in the person of
Christ. But if I separate myself on the ground of what I am in myself,
it is the most senseless and vapid assumption, which will sooner or
later be made manifest. God commands His people to be holy on the
ground of what He is: "Be ye holy, for I am holy." This is evidently a
very different thing from "Stand by thyself: I am holier than thou."
If God brings people into association with Himself, He has a right to
prescribe what their moral character ought to be, and they are
responsible to answer thereto. Thus we see that the most profound
humility lies at the bottom of a saint's separation. There is nothing
so calculated to put one in the dust as the understanding of the real
nature of divine holiness. It is an utterly false humility which
springs from looking at ourselves--yea, it is, in reality, based upon
pride, which has never yet seen to the bottom of its own perfect
worthlessness. Some imagine that they can reach the truest and deepest
humility by looking at self, whereas it can only be reached by looking
at Christ.--

    "The more Thy glories strike mine eye,
      The humbler I shall be."

This is a just sentiment, founded upon divine principle. The soul that
loses itself in the blaze of Christ's moral glory is truly humble, and
none other. No doubt we have a right to be humble when we think of
what poor creatures we are, but it only needs a moment's just
reflection to see the fallacy of seeking to produce any practical
result by looking at self. It is only when we find ourselves in the
presence of infinite excellency that we are really humble.

Hence, therefore, a child of God should refuse to be yoked with an
unbeliever, whether for a domestic, a commercial, or a religious
object, simply because God tells him to be separate, and not because
of his own personal holiness. The carrying out of this principle in
matters of religion will necessarily involve much trial and sorrow; it
will be termed intolerance, bigotry, narrow-mindedness, exclusiveness,
and such like; but we cannot help all this. Provided we keep ourselves
separate upon a right principle and in a right spirit, we may safely
leave all results with God. No doubt the remnant in the days of Ezra
must have appeared excessively intolerant in refusing the co-operation
of the surrounding people in building the house of God, but they acted
upon divine principle in the refusal. "Now when the adversaries of
Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded
the temple unto the Lord God of Israel, then they came to Zerubbabel,
and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, 'Let us build
with you; for we seek your God as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto Him,
since the days of Esar-haddon, king of Assur, which brought us up
hither.'" This might seem a very attractive proposal--a proposal
evidencing a very decided leaning toward the God of Israel; yet the
remnant refused, because the people, notwithstanding their fair
profession, were, at heart, uncircumcised and hostile. "But Zerubbabel
and Jeshua and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said
unto them, 'Ye have nothing to do _with us_ to build a house unto
_our_ God; but _we ourselves together_ will build unto the Lord God of
Israel." (Ezra iv. 1-3.) They would not yoke themselves with the
uncircumcised--they would not "plow with an ox and ass"--they would
not "sow their field with mingled seed"--they kept themselves
separate, even though by so doing they exposed themselves to the
charge of being a bigoted, narrow-minded, illiberal, uncharitable set
of people.

So also in Nehemiah we read, "And the seed of Israel _separated
themselves_ from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins,
and the iniquities of their fathers." (Chap. ix. 2.) This was not
sectarianism, but positive obedience. Their separation was essential
to their existence as a people. They could not have enjoyed the divine
presence on any other ground. Thus it must ever be with God's people
on the earth. They must be separate, or else they are not only
useless, but mischievous. God cannot own or accompany them if they
yoke themselves with unbelievers, upon any ground or for any object
whatsoever. The grand difficulty is to combine a spirit of intense
separation with a spirit of grace, gentleness, and forbearance; or, as
another has said, "to maintain _a narrow circle_ with _a wide heart_."
This is really a difficulty. As the strict and uncompromising
maintenance of _truth_ tends to narrow the circle around us, we shall
need the expansive power of _grace_ to keep the heart wide, and the
affections warm. If we contend for _truth_ otherwise than in _grace_,
we shall only yield a one-sided and most unattractive testimony. And
on the other hand, if we try to exhibit grace at the expense of truth,
it will prove, in the end, to be only the manifestation of a popular
liberality at God's expense--a most worthless thing.

Then, as to the object for which real Christians usually yoke
themselves with those who, even on their own confession, and in the
judgment of charity itself, are not Christians at all, it will be
found in the end that no really divine and heavenly object can be
gained by an infringement of God's truth. _Per fas aut nefas_[20] can
never be a divine motto. The means are not sanctified by the end; but
both means and end must be according to the principles of God's holy
Word, else all must eventuate in confusion and dishonor. It might have
appeared to Jehoshaphat a very worthy object to recover Ramoth Gilead
out of the hand of the enemy; and moreover, he might have appeared a
very liberal, gracious, popular, large-hearted man, when, in reply to
Ahab's proposal, he said, "I am as thou art, and my people as thy
people; and _we will be with thee_ in the war." It is easy to be
liberal and large-hearted at the expense of divine principle; but how
did it end? Ahab was killed, and Jehoshaphat narrowly escaped with his
life, having made total shipwreck of his testimony.

  [20] By any means.

Thus we see that Jehoshaphat did not even gain the object for which he
unequally yoked himself with an unbeliever: and even had he gained it,
it would have been no justification of his course.[21] Nothing can ever
warrant a believer's yoking himself with an unbeliever; and therefore
however fair, attractive, and plausible the Ramoth expedition might
seem in the eye of man, it was, in the judgment of God, "helping the
ungodly, and loving them that hate the Lord." (2 Chron. xix. 2.) The
truth of God strips men and things of the false colors with which the
spirit of expediency would deck them, and presents them in their
proper light; and it is an unspeakable mercy to have the clear
judgment of God about all that is going on around us: it imparts
calmness to the spirit, and stability to the course and character, and
saves one from that unhappy fluctuation of thought, feeling, and
principle which so entirely unfits him for the place of a steady and
consistent witness for Christ. We shall surely err if we attempt to
form our judgment by the thoughts and opinions of men; for they will
always judge according to the outward appearances, and not according
to the intrinsic character and principle of things. Provided men can
gain what they conceive to be a right object, they care not about the
mode of gaining it. But the true servant of Christ knows that he must
do his Master's work upon his Master's principles and in his Master's
spirit. It will not satisfy such an one to reach the most praiseworthy
end unless he can reach it by a divinely appointed road. The means and
the end must both be divine. I admit it, for example, to be a most
desirable end to circulate the Scriptures--God's own pure, eternal
Word; but if _I could not_ circulate them save by yoking myself with
an unbeliever, I should refrain, inasmuch as I am not to do evil that
good may come.

  [21] The unequal yoke proved a terrible snare to the amiable heart of
  Jehoshaphat. He yoked himself with Ahab for a religious object; and
  notwithstanding the disastrous termination of this scheme, we find him
  yoking himself with Ahaziah for a commercial object, which likewise
  ended in loss and confusion; and lastly, he yoked himself with Jehoram
  for a military object. (Comp. 2 Chron. xviii; xx. 32-37; 2 Kings iii.)

But, blessed be God, His servant can circulate His precious book
without violating the precepts contained in that book. He can, upon
his own individual responsibility, or in fellowship with those who are
really on the Lord's side, scatter the precious seed every where,
without leaguing himself with those whose whole course and conduct
prove them to be of the world. The same may be said in reference to
every object of a religious nature. It can and should be gained on
God's principles, and only thus. It may be argued, in reply, that we
are told not to judge--that we cannot read the heart--and that we are
bound to hope that all who would engage in such good works as the
translation of the Bible, the distribution of tracts, and the aiding
of missionary labors, must be Christians; and that therefore it cannot
be wrong to link ourselves with them. To all this I reply that there
is hardly a passage in the New Testament so misunderstood and
misapplied as Matthew vii. 1--"Judge not, that ye be not judged." In
the very same chapter we read, "Beware of the false prophets: ... by
their fruits ye shall know them." Now, how are we to "beware" if we
do not exercise judgment? Again, in 1 Corinthians v. we read, "For
what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge
them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore
put away from among yourselves that wicked person." Here we are
distinctly taught that those "within" come within the immediate range
of the Church's judgment; and yet according to the common
interpretation of Matthew vii. 1 we ought not to judge anybody; that
interpretation, therefore, must needs be unsound. If people take, even
in profession, the ground of being "within," we are commanded to judge
them. "Do not ye judge them that are within?" As to those "without" we
have naught to do with them, save to present the pure and perfect, the
rich, illimitable, and unfathomable grace which shines, with unclouded
effulgence, in the death and resurrection of the Son of God.

All this is plain enough. The people of God are told to exercise
judgment as to all who profess to be "within;" they are told to
"beware of false prophets;" they are commanded to "try the spirits:"
and how can they do all this if they are not to judge at all? What,
then, does our Lord mean, when He says, "Judge not"? I believe He
means just what St. Paul, by the Holy Ghost, says, when he commands us
to "judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will
bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest
the counsels of the heart: and then shall every man have praise of
God." (1 Cor. iv. 5.) We have nothing to do with judging motives, but
we have to judge conduct and principles; that is to say, the conduct
and principles of all who profess to be "within." And, in point of
fact, the very persons who say, "We must not judge," do themselves
constantly exercise judgment. There is no true Christian in whom the
moral instincts of the divine nature do not virtually pronounce
judgment as to character, conduct, and doctrine; and these are the
very points which are placed within the believer's range of judgment.

All, therefore, that I would press upon the Christian reader is, that
he would exercise judgment as to those with whom he yokes himself in
matters of religion. If he is at this moment working in yoke or in
harness with an unbeliever, he is positively violating the command of
the Holy Ghost. He may be ignorantly doing so up to this: and if so,
the Lord's grace is ready to pardon and restore: but if he persist in
disobedience after having been warned, he cannot possibly expect God's
blessing and presence with him, no matter how valuable or important
the object which he may seek to attain. "To obey is better than
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

IV. We have only now to consider the philanthropic phase of the
unequal yoke. Many will say, I quite admit that we ought not to mingle
ourselves with positive unbelievers in the worship or service of God,
but then we can freely unite with such for the furtherance of objects
of philanthropy--such, for instance, as feeding the hungry, clothing
the naked, reclaiming the vicious, in providing asylums for the blind
and lunatic, hospitals and infirmaries for the sick and infirm, places
of refuge for the homeless and houseless, the fatherless and the
widow; and in short, for the furtherance of every thing that tends to
promote the amelioration of our fellow-creatures, physically, morally,
and intellectually.

This, at first sight, seems fair enough; for I may be asked if I would
not help a man by the roadside to get his cart out of the ditch. I
reply, Certainly; but if I were asked to become a member of a mixed
society for the purpose of getting carts out of ditches, I should
refuse--not because of my superior sanctity, but because God's Word
says, "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." This would
be my answer, no matter what were the object proposed by a mixed
society. The servant of Christ is commanded "to be ready to every good
work"--"to do good unto all"--"to visit the fatherless and the widows
in their affliction;" but then it is as the servant of Christ, and not
as the member of a society or a committee in which there may be
infidels and atheists, and all sorts of wicked and godless men.
Moreover, we must remember that all God's philanthropy is connected
with the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the channel through
which God will bless--that the mighty lever by which He will elevate
man, physically, morally, and intellectually. "After that the kindness
and philanthropy [φιλανθρωπια] of God our Saviour toward man
appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through
Jesus Christ our Saviour." (Titus iii. 4-6.) This is God's
philanthropy; this is His mode of ameliorating man's condition. With
all who understand its worth the Christian can readily yoke himself,
but with none other.

The men of the world know naught of this, care not for it. They may
seek reformation, but it is reformation without Christ; they may
promote amelioration, but it is amelioration without the cross. They
wish to advance, but Jesus is neither the starting-post nor the goal
of their course. How, then, can the Christian yoke himself with them?
They want to work without Christ, the very One to whom he owes every
thing. Can he be satisfied to work with them? can he have an object
in common with them? If men come to me and say, "We want your
co-operation in feeding the hungry, in clothing the naked, in founding
hospitals and lunatic asylums, in feeding and educating orphans, in
improving the physical condition of our fellow-mortals; but you must
remember that a leading rule of the society, the board, or the
committee formed for such objects is, that the name of Christ is not
to be introduced, as it would only lead to controversy. Our objects
being not at all religious, but undividedly philanthropic, the subject
of religion must be studiously excluded from all our public meetings.
We are met as _men_, for a benevolent purpose, and therefore infidels,
atheists, Socinians, Arians, Romanists, and all sorts, can happily
yoke themselves to move onward the glorious machine of philanthropy."
What should be my answer to such an application? The fact is, words
would fail one who really loved the Lord Jesus, in attempting to reply
to an appeal so monstrous. What! benefit mortals by the exclusion of
Christ? God forbid! If I cannot gain the objects of pure philanthropy
without setting aside that blessed One who lived and died, and lives
eternally for me, then away with your philanthropy, for it assuredly
is not God's, but Satan's. If it were God's, the word is, "He shed it
on us abundantly through Jesus Christ," the very One whom your rule
leaves entirely out. Hence your rule must be the direct dictation of
Satan, the enemy of Christ. Satan would always like to leave out the
Son of God; and when he can get men to do the same, he will allow them
to be benevolent, charitable, and philanthropic.

But, in good truth, such benevolence and philanthropy ought to be
termed malevolence and misanthropy, for how can you more effectually
exhibit ill-will and hatred toward men than by leaving out THE ONLY
ONE who can really bless them, for time or for eternity? But what must
be the moral condition of a heart, in reference to Christ, who could
take his seat at a board, or on a platform, on the condition that that
name must not be introduced? It must be cold indeed; yea, it proves
that the plans and operations of unconverted men are of sufficient
importance, in his judgment, to lead him to throw his Master
overboard, for the purpose of carrying them out. Let us not mistake
matters. This is the true aspect in which to view the world's
philanthropy. The men of this world can "sell ointment for three
hundred pence, and give to the poor;" while they pronounce it _waste_
to pour that ointment on the head of Christ! Will the Christian
consent to this? Will he yoke himself with such? Will he seek to
improve the world without Christ? Will he join with men to deck and
garnish a scene which is stained with his Master's blood? Peter could
say, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: in
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Peter would
heal a cripple by the power of the name of Jesus, but what would he
have said if asked to join a committee or society to alleviate
cripples, on the condition of leaving that name out altogether? It
requires no great stretch of imagination to conceive his answer. His
whole soul would recoil from such a thought. He only healed the
cripple for the purpose of exalting the name of Jesus, and setting
forth its worth, its excellency, and its glory, in the view of men:
but the very reverse is the object of the world's philanthropy;
inasmuch as it sets aside His blessed name entirely, and banishes Him
from its boards, its committees, and its platforms.

May we not therefore well say, Shame on the Christian who is found in
a place from which his Master is shut out? Oh, let him go forth, and,
in the energy of love to Jesus, and by the power of that name, do all
the good he can; but let him not yoke himself with unbelievers, to
counteract the effects of sin by excluding the cross of Christ. God's
grand object is to exalt His Son--"that all should honor the Son even
as they honor the Father." This should be the Christian's object
likewise; to this end he should "do good unto all;" but if he join a
society or a committee in order to do good, it is not "in the name of
Jesus" he acts, but in the name of the society or committee, without
the name of Jesus. This ought to be enough for every true and loyal
heart. God has no other way of blessing men but through Christ, and no
other object in blessing them but to exalt Christ. As with Pharaoh of
old, when the hungry Egyptians flocked to his presence, his word was,
"Go to Joseph;" so God's word to all is, "Come to Jesus." Yes, for
soul and body, time and eternity, we must go to Jesus; but the men of
the world know Him not, and want Him not; what, therefore, has the
Christian to do with such? How can he act in yoke with them? He can
only do so on the ground of practically denying his Saviour's name.
Many do not see this; but that does not alter the case for those who
do. We ought to act honestly, as in the light; and even though the
feelings and affections of the new nature were not sufficiently strong
in us to lead us to shrink from ranking ourselves with the enemies of
Christ, the conscience ought, at least, to bow to the commanding
authority of that word, "BE NOT UNEQUALLY YOKED TOGETHER WITH
UNBELIEVERS."

May the Holy Ghost clothe His own Word with heavenly power, and make
its edge sharp to pierce the conscience, that so the saints of God may
be delivered from every thing that hinders their "running the race
that is set before them." Time is short. The Lord Himself will soon be
here. Then many an unequal yoke will be broken in a moment; many a
sheep and goat shall then be eternally severed. May we be enabled to
purge ourselves from every unclean association and every unhallowed
influence, so that when Jesus returns, we may not be ashamed, but meet
Him with a joyful heart and an approving conscience.

                                                      _C. H. M._




GIDEON AND HIS COMPANIONS

Judges vi.-viii.


PART I.

In studying the history of the nation of Israel, we notice two
distinct eras, namely, the era of _unity_, and the era of
_individuality_--the period in which the twelve tribes acted as one
man, and the period in the which one man was called to act for the
twelve tribes. We may take the Book of Joshua as illustrating the
former; and the Book of Judges as a sample of the latter. The most
cursory reader cannot fail to discern the difference between these two
books. The one is characterized by external power and glory; the
other, by weakness and failure. Power is stamped on the former, ruin
on the latter. In that, Jehovah gives the land to Israel; in this,
Israel fails to take the land from Jehovah.

Now, all this is expressed in the two words which may be regarded as
the motto of the two books, namely, "Gilgal" and "Bochim." In the book
of Joshua we find the congregation always starting from Gilgal to
prosecute the war, and returning thither to celebrate their victory.
Gilgal was their centre, because there they were circumcised; and
there the reproach of Egypt was rolled away. See Josh. v. 9, 10.

But no sooner have we opened the book of Judges than the eye rests
upon the sad record, "The angel of the Lord came up _from Gilgal to
Bochim_, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought
you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will
never break my covenant with you. And ye shall make no league with the
inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars, but ye
have not obeyed my voice; why have ye done this? Wherefore I also
said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as
thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. And it
came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all
the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and
wept. And they called the name of that place Bochim, that is, weepers;
and they sacrificed there unto the Lord" (Judges ii. 1-5).

Here, then, we have, very remarkably, the contrast between the two
books of Joshua and Judges--the book of unity and the book of
individuality--the book of external power and glory, and the book of
internal weakness, failure, and ruin. Alas! alas! the glory speedily
departed. Israel's national greatness soon faded away. "The people
served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders
that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord,
that he did for Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the
Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.... And also all that
generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another
generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works
which He had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in
the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim.... And they forsook the
Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the Lord was hot
against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that
spoiled them, and He sold them into the hands of their enemies round
about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for
evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them; and
they were greatly distressed."

This, truly, is a gloomy and humiliating record. Joshua's sword was
sheathed. Those bright days in the which he had led Israel's compact
host to splendid victories over the kings of Canaan, were passed and
gone. The moral influence of Joshua and of the elders that survived
him had passed away, and the whole nation had rushed, with terrible
avidity, into the gross moral evils and abominable idolatries of those
nations whom they ought to have driven out from before them. In a
word, the ruin was complete, so far as Israel was concerned. Like
Adam, in the garden; and Noah, in the restored earth; so Israel, in
the land of Canaan, utterly failed. Adam ate the forbidden fruit; Noah
got drunk; and Israel bowed before the altars of Baal.

Thus much as to man. But, thank God, there is another side of the
picture. There is what we may call a bright and beauteous
"_Nevertheless_;" for God will be God, no matter what man may prove
himself to be. This is an unspeakable relief and consolation to the
heart. God abideth faithful. Here is faith's stronghold, come what
may. God is always to be counted upon, spite of all man's failure and
shortcoming. His goodness and faithfulness form the resource and the
refuge of the soul amid the darkest scenes of human history.

This soul-sustaining truth shines out with remarkable lustre in the
very passage from which we have just given such a depressing
quotation. "Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges, which delivered
them out of the hand of those that spoiled them." But mark the
following words, so illustrative of the individuality of the book of
Judges: "And when the Lord raised them up judges, then _the Lord was
with the judge_, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies
_all the days of the judge_: for it repented the Lord because of their
groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them"
(Judges ii. 16, 18).

In these last quoted words, we have the great root principle of the
book of Judges--the divine secret of the ministry of the Baraks, the
Gideons, the Jephthahs, and the Samsons, the record of whose ministry
occupies so large a portion of this most interesting section of
inspiration. Israel had failed--sadly, shamefully, inexcusably failed.
They had forfeited all claims to the protection of Jehovah's shield.
They were justly given over into the ruthless hands of the kings of
Canaan. As to all this there could be no possible question.
"Nevertheless" Jehovah's heart could feel for His poor, oppressed,
and groaning Israel. True, they had proved themselves naughty and
unworthy, yet His ear was ever ready to catch their very earliest
groan; yea, we are even told, in chapter x., that "His soul was
grieved for the misery of Israel."

What touching words! What tenderness! What deep compassion! How such a
statement lets us into the profound depths of the heart of God! The
misery of His people moved the loving heart of Jehovah. The very
faintest and earliest symptoms of brokenness and contrition, on the
part of Israel, met with a ready and gracious response, on the part of
Israel's God. It mattered not how far they had wandered, how deeply
they had sunk, or how grievously they had sinned; God was ever ready
to welcome the feeblest breathings of a broken heart. The springs of
divine mercy and compassion are absolutely inexhaustible. The ocean of
His love is boundless and unfathomable; and hence, the very moment His
people take the place of confession, He enters the place of
forgiveness. He delights to pardon, according to the largeness of His
heart, and according to the glory of His own Name. He finds His
peculiar joy in blotting out transgressions, in healing, restoring,
and blessing, in a manner worthy of Himself. This glorious truth
shines in the history of Israel; it shines in the history of the
Church; and it shines in the history of every individual believer.

       *       *       *       *       *

But we turn to our immediate subject, namely, "Gideon and his
companions," as presented in that portion of the book of Judges given
at the head of this paper. May the eternal Spirit unfold and apply
its precious contents to our souls!

Chapter vi. opens with a very sad and depressing record--a record only
too characteristic of Israel's entire history: "And the children of
Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them
into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed
against Israel; and because of the Midianites the children of Israel
made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and
strongholds." What a humiliating picture! What a contrast to the
conquering host that had crossed the Jordan and walked across the
ruins of Jericho! How sad, how humbling, to think of Israel crouching
and hiding in the dens and caves of the mountains, through the terror
of the uncircumcised Midianites!

It is well for us to consider this picture, and receive its salutary
lesson. Israel's power and glory consisted simply in having the
presence of God with them. Without that, they were as water spilt upon
the ground, or the autumn leaf before the blast. But the divine
presence could not be enjoyed in connection with allowed evil; and
therefore, when Israel forgot their Lord, and wandered away from Him
into the forbidden paths of idolatry, He had to recall them to their
senses by stretching out His governmental rod, and causing them to
feel the crushing power of one or another of the nations around.

Now all this has a voice and a lesson for us. So long as God's people
walk with Him in holy obedience, they have nothing to fear. They are
perfectly safe from the snares and assaults of all their spiritual
foes. Nought can, by any means, harm them while they abide in the
shelter of God's own presence. But, clearly, that presence demands and
secures holiness. Unjudged evil cannot dwell there. To live in sin and
talk of security--to attempt to connect the presence of God with
sanctioned evil--is wickedness of the deepest dye. No, it must not be!
"God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints; and to be
had in reverence of all them that are round about Him." "Thy
testimonies are very sure; holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord,
forever." If God's people forget these wholesome truths, He knows how
to recall them to their remembrance by the rod of discipline; and,
blessed forever be His name, He loves them too well to spare that rod,
however reluctant He may be to use it. "Whom the Lord loveth He
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure
chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons: for what son is he whom
the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof
all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we
have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them
reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father
of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us
after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be
partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth
to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby. _Wherefore lift_ _up the hands which hang down, and the
feeble knees_" (Hebrews xii. 6-12).

These are encouraging words for the people of God, at all times. The
discipline may be--no doubt is--painful; but when we know a Father's
hand is in it, and when we realize what His object is, we can pass
through the trial with exercised hearts, and thus reap the peaceable
fruits of righteousness. On the other hand, if we meet the discipline
with an impatient spirit, a rebellious will, an unsubdued mind, we
only render it necessary for the pressure to be continued and
augmented, for our loving Father will never let us alone. He will have
us in holy subjection to Himself, cost what it may. He graciously
takes our part against ourselves, subdues the proud risings of our
will, and crushes all that in us which hinders our growth in holiness,
grace, and divine knowledge.

Oh! what infinite grace shines in the fact that our God occupies
Himself with our very failure and follies, our waywardness and
wilfulness, our sins and shortcomings, in order to deliver us from
them! He knows all about us. He understands and takes into account all
our surroundings and all our inward tendencies, and He deals with us
in infinite wisdom and perfect patience, keeping ever before Him that
one gracious object, to make us partakers of His holiness,
and--wondrous thought!--to bring out in us the expression of His own
nature and character. Surely, then, in the presence of such abounding
grace and mercy, we may well "lift up the hands that hang down, and
the feeble knees."


PART II.

There is one truth which shines out with uncommon lustre in the book
of Judges, and that is, that God is ever to be counted upon, even amid
the darkest scenes of human history; and, moreover, faith can always
count upon God; God never fails a trusting heart--no, never. He never
has failed, never will, never can fail the individual soul that
confides in Him, that takes hold of His precious word, in the artless
simplicity of a faith that trusts Him in the face of man's deepest
failure and shortcoming.

This is most consolatory and encouraging, at all times, and under all
circumstances. True it is--alas! how true! man fails in everthing.
Trace him where you will; mark him in whatever sphere of action or
responsibility he occupies, and it is the same sad tale, over and over
again, of unfaithfulness, failure, and ruin. Let man be set up in
business, as often as he may, with the largest capital and the fairest
prospects, and he is sure to become a bankrupt. It has ever been so,
from the days of Eden down to the present moment. We may assert,
without fear of contradiction, that there has not been one solitary
exception to the dismal rule, in the history of Adam's fallen race. We
must never forget this. True faith never forgets it. It would be the
blindest folly to attempt to ignore the fact that _ruin_ is stamped,
in characters deep and broad, upon the entire of man's story, from
first to last.

But, in the face of all this, God abideth faithful. He cannot deny
Himself. Here is the resource and the resting-place of faith. It
recognizes and owns the ruin; but it counts on God. Faith is not blind
to human failure; but it fixes its gaze on divine faithfulness. It
confesses the ruin of man; but it counts on the resources of God.

Now, all this comes strikingly out in the interesting and instructive
story of Gideon. He, truly, was made to realize, in his own person and
experience, the fact of Israel's fallen condition. The contrast
between Joshua and Gideon is as striking as can be, so far as regards
the question of their condition and circumstances. Joshua could place
his foot on the necks of the kings of Canaan. Gideon had to thrash his
wheat in a corner to hide it from the Midianites. The day of Joshua
was marked by splendid victories; the day of Gideon was a day of small
things. But the day of small things for man is the day of great things
for God. So Gideon found it. True, it was not permitted him to witness
the sun and moon arrested in their course, or the cities of the
uncircumcised levelled with the ground. His was a day of barley cakes
and broken pitchers, not of astounding miracles and brilliant
achievements. But God was with him; and this was enough. "There came
an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that
pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite; and his son Gideon threshed wheat
by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the
Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee,
_thou mighty man of valor_" (Judges vi. 11, 12).

What words were these to fall upon the ear of Gideon, cowering in the
winepress, through fear of the enemy! They were words from heaven to
lift his soul above the trials, and sorrows, and humiliations of
earth--words of divine power and virtue to infuse vigor into his
depressed and sorrowing heart. "Thou mighty man of valor!" How hard
was it for Gideon to take such wondrous accents in! How difficult to
apply them to himself! Where was the might or where was the valor?
Most surely not in himself or in his surroundings. Where then? In the
living God; precisely where Joshua found his might and his valor.
Indeed there is a striking similarity in the terms in which both these
eminent servants of God were addressed. The similarity of the terms is
quite as marked as is the contrast in their circumstances. Here are
the terms to Joshua: "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a
good courage: be not thou afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the
Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." And the terms to
Gideon are: "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor."

Precious words! Soul-stirring, heart-strengthening accents! And yet
Gideon was slow to make them his own--slow to grasp them, in the
lovely appropriating power of faith, which so delights the heart of
God, and glorifies His name. How often is it thus with us! How
constantly we fail to rise to the height of God's gracious thoughts
and purposes towards us! We are prone to _reason_ about ourselves and
our surroundings, instead of believing God, and resting, in sweet
tranquillity, in His perfect love and faithfulness.

Thus it was with that dear man of God on whose history we are
dwelling. The divine statement was clear, full, absolute, and
unconditional: "The Lord _is_ with thee." There was no ground, in
these words, for any question or doubt, whatsoever; and yet mark
Gideon's reply: "And Gideon said unto Him, O my Lord, _if_ the Lord be
with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where be all His
miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring
us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us
into the hands of the Midianites" (verse 13).

Here, as is evident, Gideon reasons from his surroundings. Hence the
"_if_"--that little monosyllable of unbelief. It is a familiar remark
amongst us, "If you want to be miserable, look within; if you want to
be distracted, look around; if you want to be peaceful and happy, look
up--'look off unto Jesus.'" This is most true. So surely as we become
occupied with self, or with men and things, the circumstances which
surround us, we must be unhinged and unhappy. Our only strength, our
only comfort, our only light, is to keep the eye of faith fixed on
Jesus, and the heart firmly centred in Him. Most certainly Gideon's
surroundings were of the gloomiest character. His "sensible horizon"
was overhung with dark and heavy clouds. But there was one bright and
blessed ray which shone in upon his depressed spirit--a ray emanating
from the very heart of God, and conveyed in that one brief but
comprehensive sentence, "The Lord is with thee." There was no "if" in
this--no doubt, no reserve, no condition. It was distinct and
unqualified, and needed only one thing to make it a spring of joy,
strength, and victory in Gideon's soul, and that was to mix it with
faith. But then "if" is not faith. True faith never answers God with
ifs, for the simplest of all reasons, that it looks only at God, and
there are no ifs with Him. Faith reasons from God downwards; not from
man upwards. Faith has only one difficulty, and that difficulty is
embodied in the question, "How shall He _not?_" It never says, "How
shall He?" This is the language of sheer unbelief.

But, it may be asked by some, was there not some foundation for
Gideon's "if" and "why?" Certainly not in God or in His word, whatever
there had been in Israel and their actings. No doubt, if Gideon had
only cast his eye back over the pages of his national history, he
might have discovered ample reason for the sad and humiliating
condition in which he found himself. Those blotted pages would have
furnished an abundant answer to his question, "Why then is all this
befallen us?" But had Israel's actings dimmed the lustre of Jehovah's
mighty "miracles?" Not in the vision of faith, most surely. God had
done great and glorious things for His people; and the record of those
doings lay ever under the eye of faith, in all its soul-sustaining
virtue. No doubt Israel had failed--shamefully failed; and the record
of that failure lay also under the eye of faith, and furnished a
solemn answer to Gideon's inquiry, "Why is all this befallen us?"
Faith recognizes God's government as well as His grace, and moreover
it bows, in solemn awe, before each stroke of His governmental rod.

It is well to keep all this in mind. We are apt to forget it. God has,
at times, to stretch forth his hand and lift the rod of authority. He
cannot own what is contrary to His Name and His nature. Now, Gideon
needed to remember this. Israel had sinned, and this was the reason
why they were under the rod, of which the power of the Midianites was
the expression in Gideon's day.

Gideon, we repeat, was called to enter practically into the meaning of
all this; and not only so, but to taste the reality of identification
with his people in all their pressure and affliction. This latter, as
we know, was the portion and experience of every true servant of God
in Israel. All had to pass through those deep exercises of soul
consequent upon their association with the people of God. It mattered
not whether it were a judge, a prophet, a priest, or a king; all had
to participate in the sorrows and trials of the nation of Israel; nor
could any true heart--any genuine lover of God or His people--desire
exemption from such deep and holy exercises. This was pre-eminently
true of the only perfect Servant that ever stood upon this earth. He,
though personally exempt from all the consequences of Israel's sin and
failure--though pure and spotless, divinely holy in nature and in
life--did nevertheless, in perfect grace, voluntarily identify Himself
with the people in all their sorrow and humiliation. "In all their
affliction He was afflicted." Thus it was with our blessed Lord Jesus
Christ; and all who, in any degree, partook of His Spirit, had,
according to their measure, to taste of the same cup, though none
could ever come up to Him in this or in aught else.

But when we come to compare closely the angel's words to Gideon, with
his reply, we notice a point of deep interest, and one which
illustrates the individual character of the book of Judges. The angel
says, "The Lord is with _thee_." Gideon replies, "If the Lord be with
_us_." This is very interesting and instructive; moreover it is in
full keeping with a passage already referred to, in chap, iii.: "And
when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was _with the
judge_." It does not say, "with the people," but adds, with touching
grace, "and _delivered them_ out of the hand of their enemies all the
days of the judge; for it repented the Lord because of their groanings
by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them" (ver. 18).

There is peculiar sweetness and beauty in this. If Jehovah had to hide
His face from His people, and give them over, for the time, into the
hand of the uncircumcised, yet His loving heart was ever turned
towards them, and ever ready to mark and recognize the faintest traces
of a repentant spirit. "Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth
iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His
heritage? He retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in
mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will
subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the
depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy
to Abraham, which Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of
old" (Micah. vii. 18-20).


PART III.

Nothing can be more encouraging to the heart than the mode in which
the Lord deals with the soul of Gideon--the way in which He prepares
him for the course of action to which He was calling him. Gideon, like
ourselves, was full of "ifs" and "whys,"--those little words so big
with unbelief. The poor human heart is ever slow to take in the
magnificence of divine grace; our feeble vision is dazzled by the
brilliancy of divine revelation. It is only artless faith which can
cause the soul to feel perfectly at home in the presence of the
richest unfoldings of the goodness and loving-kindness of God. Faith
never says "if" or "why?" It believes what God says, because He says
it. It rests, in sweet tranquility, upon every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God. Unbelief looks at circumstances and reasons
from them: faith looks at God, and reasons from Him. Hence the vast
difference in their conclusions. Gideon, judging from his
surroundings, concluded that Jehovah had forsaken His people. A simple
faith would have led him to the very opposite conclusion; it would
have enabled him to see and know and remember that Jehovah would ever
be true to His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, however He might,
in His governmental dealings, have to hide His face from their
rebellious and sinful offspring. Faith always counts on God; and God,
blessed be His name, ever honors faith. He first produces it in us,
and then owns it.

But not only does God graciously honor faith; He rebukes our fears. He
rises above our unbelief, and hushes all our silly reasonings. Thus,
in His dealings with His chosen servant Gideon, it would seem as
though He heard not the "if" or the "why?" He goes on to unfold His
own thoughts, to display His own resources, and to fill the soul of
His servant with a confidence and a courage which were to lift him
above all the depressing influences with which he was surrounded.

"And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and
thou shalt save Israel out of the hand of the Midianites: have not I
sent thee?" Here we have the true secret of strength: "The Lord looked
upon him." There was divine power in this look, if Gideon could only
have taken it in. But, alas! he was still full of questions. "And he
said unto Him, O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my
family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."

Thus, unbelief turns the eye in upon self, or out upon our
surroundings. It leads us to compare our visible resources with the
work to which God is calling us. Jehovah had said, "Go in this thy
might." What was the "might?" In what did it consist? Was it great
wealth, lofty position, or great physical power? Nothing of the kind.
"Jehovah looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou
shalt save Israel." This was absolute and unqualified. It left no room
for Gideon's "wherewith?" It made it very plain that the might with
which he was to deliver Israel was not in himself or in his father's
house, but in the God of Israel. It mattered little whether his
family was rich or poor; whether he was little or great. It was God
who was about to use him? What was wealth or greatness to Him? He
could use a barley cake or a broken pitcher. Indeed we may observe
this special feature in the varied instruments taken up in the book of
Judges, namely, that "no flesh shall glory in God's presence." How
does human glory fade away before the humiliating fact that Israel's
hosts were called forth to battle under the leadership of a woman!
What a stain on human pride in the fact of deliverance coming through
the agency of a "left-handed man"!

But, on the other hand, we find that just in proportion as man's glory
fades away, the divine glory shines out. The humbler the instrument,
the more we see the power of God. What difference does it make to the
Almighty God whether His instrument be left-handed or right-handed--a
man or a woman--a dwarf or a giant? The instrument is nothing: God is
all in all. True, He deigns to use instruments; but all the power is
His, and His shall be the eternal and universal praise. Gideon had to
learn this; and so had Moses; and so have we all. It is an invaluable
lesson. We are all so prone to think of _our_ competency for any work
or service which may lie before us, when we ought to remember that of
all His works that are done upon the earth, God is the doer of them.
Our sufficiency is of Him. We can do nothing; and if we could do
aught, it would be badly done. The human finger can only leave a soil
behind. The works of men perish like their thoughts. The work of God
abideth forever. Let us remember these things, that we may walk
humbly and lean ever and only on the mighty arm of the living God.
Thus the soul is kept in a well-balanced condition, free from
self-confidence and fleshly excitement, on the one hand; and from
gloom and depression, on the other. If we can do nothing,
self-confidence is the height of presumption. If God can do every
thing, despondency is the height of folly.

But in the case of Gideon, as in that of all God's servants, we
observe two things worthy of our deepest attention. In the first
place, we have the divine commission, as embodied in those weighty
words, "_Have not I sent thee?_" And in the second place, we have the
assurance of the divine presence, as set forth in these encouraging
words, "_Surely I will be with thee_."

These are the two grand points for all who will serve God in their day
and generation. They must know that the path they tread has been
marked out distinctly by the hand of God; and, furthermore, they must
have the sense of His presence with them along the path. These things
are absolutely essential. Without them we shall waver and vacillate.
We shall be running from one line of work to another. We shall take up
certain work, go on with it for a while, and then abandon it for
something else. We shall work by fits and starts; our course will be
faltering, our light flickering: "Unstable as water, we shall not
excel." We shall never succeed at anything. There will be no
certainty, no stability, no progress.

These are weighty matters for all of us. It is of immense importance
for every servant of Christ, every child of God, to know that he is at
his divinely appointed post, and at his divinely given work. This will
give fixedness of purpose, moral elevation, and holy independence. It
will preserve us from being tossed about by human thoughts and
opinions--being influenced by the judgment of one or another. It is
our happy privilege to be so sure that we are doing the very work
which the Master has given us to do, that the thoughts of our fellows
respecting us shall have no more weight with us than the pattering of
rain on the window.

Not--be it carefully observed--that we should, for a moment
countenance, much less cultivate, a spirit of haughty independence.
Far away be the thought! We as Christians, can never, in one sense, be
independent one of another. How can we, seeing we are members one of
another? We are united to one another and to our risen Head in glory,
by the one Spirit who is with us and in us. The most intense
individuality--and our individuality should be as intense as our unity
is indissoluble--can never touch the precious truth of the one body
and one Spirit.

All this is divinely true, and most fully and thankfully owned. But,
at the same time, we must insist upon the truth of our individuality,
and of our personal responsibility. This must be maintained with all
possible energy and decision. Each servant has to do with his Lord, in
that particular sphere of work to which he has been called. And,
moreover, each should know his work, and give himself to it diligently
and constantly. He should possess the holy certainty and authority
imparted to the soul by that divine and powerful sentence, "Have not I
sent thee?"

It will perhaps be said, "We are not all Gideons or Joshuas. We are
not all called to occupy such a prominent place or tread such a
brilliant path as those illustrious servants." True; but we are called
to serve; and it is essential to every servant to know his commission,
to understand his work, and to be fully assured in his own soul that
he is doing the very work which the Lord has given him to do, and
treading the very path which the hand of God has marked out for him.
If there be any uncertainly as to this, we do not see how there can be
any progress.

But there is more than this. It is not enough to know that we are
treading the divinely appointed path. We want to realize the divine
presence. We want to have the precious words made good in our
experience, "Surely I will be with thee." This completes the servant's
equipment. The divine commission and the divine presence are all we
want; but we must have these in order to get on. With these priceless
realities it matters not who we are. The Lord can use a feeble woman,
a left-handed man, a cake of barley meal, or a broken pitcher. The
instrument is nothing. God is the workman. Unbelief may cry out, "O my
Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold my family is _poor_ in
Manasseh, and I am the _least_ in my father's house." Faith can cry
out in reply, "What of all this if God be for us? Does He want the
rich or the noble? What are riches or greatness to Him? Nothing." "Ye
see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the
flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God
hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are
despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not to bring to
nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence" (1
Cor. i. 26-29).

These are wholesome words for all of us. It is an unspeakable mercy
for every dear servant of Christ to be kept in the abiding sense of
his own utter nothingness--to be taught to realize, in some measure,
the depth, fulness, and power of that one brief but most comprehensive
statement, "Apart from Me ye can do nothing." There is not a single
branch in all the vine, however imposing or wide-spreading it may seem
to be, which, if separated from the parent stem by the thickness of a
gold leaf, can produce the very smallest atom of fruit. There must be
the abiding realization of our vital union with Christ,--the
practical, living, abiding in Him, by faith, day by day, in order to
bring forth any fruit that God can accept. It is as we abide in Christ
that the living sap circulates freely through us, and gives forth the
healthy bud, the green leaf, and the seasonable fruit.

Here lies the grand secret of power. It is abiding in the living Vine.
"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord
is; for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that
spreadeth out her roots by the river; and shall not see when heat
cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the
year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit" (Jer. xvii.
7, 8).

All this is intensely personal. We must each, for himself and herself,
cling by faith to Christ. It is of the very first importance for
Christians to bear in mind that Christianity is a thoroughly
individual thing. We are individual in our repentance, in our faith,
in our salvation, in our communion, in our service, and in our reward.
Look at the addresses to the seven churches in Rev. ii., iii. Hearken
to those pointed words, "_He_ that hath an ear,"--"To _him_ that
overcometh." What do they mean? Do they not set forth, in the most
distinct and forcible manner, that blessed individuality of which we
speak? Unquestionably. But do they touch unity? Not in the smallest
degree. They leave its sacred domain wholly untouched. "There is one
body and one Spirit." This must ever hold good, spite of all the ruin
and failure of the professing Church. Nevertheless, the writings of
John are pre-eminently individual.[22] From the opening lines of his
Gospel to the closing sentence of his Apocalypse, we trace this
feature. He shows us the Philips, the Simons, the Andrews, and the
Nathanaels coming, in their individuality, to Jesus. He tells us of a
Jewish ruler here, and a Samaritan sinner there, who were drawn by the
Father to Jesus. He tells us of the good Shepherd who calleth His
sheep by name. He tells us of the branches clinging to the living
Vine. Thus it is in John's Gospel; and when we turn to his Epistles,
we find the same principle running through them all. He writes to an
elect lady, and to his beloved Gaius; and if he once speaks of "the
Church," it is but to weep over its departed glory, and to raise amid
its ruins that warning note for individual ears, "_Look to
yourselves_." And as to the Revelation, it ends as it begins, with a
solemn appeal "_to him that heareth_."

  [22] Eternal life and its manifestations--first in our Lord, and then
  in the children of God--being the general line of truth in John's
  Gospel and epistles, is individual and personal. In Paul's epistles
  the unity of the saints as baptized by one Spirit into one body, with
  what flows from it, is brought out. [ED.]


PART IV.

The more closely we study the narrative of the Lord's dealings with
Gideon, the more we must be struck with the marvelous way in which He
prepares him for his after course. Like all God's servants, in all
ages, Gideon had to undergo a course of secret training and
discipline, ere he was fit to appear in public. The space of time
occupied in this training may vary, as may also the character of the
discipline; but of this we may rest assured that all who will be used
of God in public must be taught of God in private. It is a fatal
mistake for any one to rush into prominence without proper equipment,
and that equipment can only be attained in the secret of the divine
presence. It is in profound and hallowed retirement with God that
vessels are filled, and instruments fitted for His work.

Let us never forget this. Moses had to spend forty years at "the back
side of the desert" ere he was fit to enter upon his public career.
David had to feed his father's flock, ere he was called to rule the
nation of Israel. He slew a lion and a bear in secret, ere he was
called to slay Goliath in public. The great apostle of the Gentiles
spent three years in Arabia, notwithstanding his very remarkable
conversion and call. The apostles spent three years and a half in
companionship with their Master, and then had to tarry until they were
endued with power from on high. Thus it has been with all those who
have ever been called to occupy a prominent place in the Lord's work;
and even the blessed Master Himself--though surely needing no
training or discipline, inasmuch as He was ever perfect,--to set us an
example, spent thirty years in retirement ere He came forth in public.

All this is full of most wholesome instruction for our souls. Let us
seek to take it in and profit by it. No one can ever get on in public
work without this private teaching in the school of Christ. It is this
which gives depth, solidity, and mellowness to the character. It
imparts a tone of reality and a fixedness of purpose most desirable in
all who engage in any department of the Lord's work. It will
invariably be found that where anyone goes to work without this divine
preparation, there is shallowness and instability. There may perhaps
for a time be more flash and show in those superficial characters than
in those who have been educated in the school of Christ; but it never
lasts. It may create a momentary sensation, but it soon passes away
like the morning cloud or the early dew. Nothing will stand but that
which is the direct result of private communion with God--secret
training in His presence--the excellent discipline of the school of
God.

Let us see how all this is exemplified in Gideon's case. It is very
evident that this honored servant was called to pass through deep
exercises of soul before ever he took a single step in public action,
yea, before he ever unfurled the standard of testimony in his father's
house. He had to begin with himself, with his own personal condition,
with his own heart. Those who will be used for others must begin with
themselves. So Gideon found it. Let us pursue his history.

"And the Lord said unto Gideon, Surely I will be with thee, and thou
shalt smite the Midianites as one man. And he said unto Him, If now I
have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest
with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and
bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And He said, I will
tarry till thou come again. And Gideon went in and made ready a kid,
and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour; the flesh he put in a
basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto Him
under the oak, and presented it. And the angel of God said unto him,
Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and lay them upon this rock,
and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put
forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh
and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock and
consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the
Lord departed out of his sight. And when Gideon perceived that he was
an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I
have seen an angel of the Lord face to face. And the Lord said unto
him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die" (Judges vi.
16-23).

Here we reach a profoundly interesting stage of Gideon's preparatory
course. He is called to enter practically and experimentally into the
great and universal law for the servants of God, namely, "When I am
weak, then I am strong." This is a most precious law, and one which
forms an indispensable element in the education of all Christ's
servants. Let no one imagine that he can ever be used in the Lord's
work, or ever make progress in the divine life, without some measure
of real entrance into this invaluable principle. We hold it to be
absolutely essential in forming the character of the true servant of
Christ. Where it is not known, where it has not been felt, where it
has not been to some extent realized, there is sure to be
unsubduedness, unbrokenness, self-occupation, in some form or another.
There will be more or less of self-confidence, and various points and
angles turning up here and there, and acting as a sad hindrance to all
that is good, useful, and holy.

On the other hand, when one has learnt that great family motto quoted
above--when one has learnt, in the divine presence to say, "When I am
weak, then I am strong,"--when nature has been weighed in the balance
of the sanctuary, there you will always find a measure of brokenness,
softness, and tenderness of spirit; and not only so, but also
largeness of heart, and readiness for every good work, and that lovely
elasticity of mind which enables one to rise above all those petty,
selfish considerations, which so sadly hinder the work of God. In
short, the heart must first be broken, then made whole; and, being
made whole, be undividedly given to Christ and to His blessed service.
It is impossible to run the eye along the brilliant array of Christ's
workmen, and not see the truth of this. Moses, Joshua, David, Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, in Old Testament times; and Peter,
Paul, and John, in those of the New, all stand before us as vivid
illustrations of the value of broken material. All those beloved and
honored servants had to be broken in order to be made whole--to be
emptied in order to be filled--to learn that, of themselves, they
could do nothing, in order to be ready, in Christ's strength, for
anything and everything.

Such is the law of the household--the law of the vineyard--the law of
the kingdom. So Gideon found it in his day. His "alas!" was followed
by Jehovah's "Peace; fear not," and then he was ready to begin. He had
been brought face to face with the angel of God, and there he learnt
not only that his family was poor in Manasseh, and he the least in his
father's house, but that in himself he was perfectly powerless, and
that all his springs must be found in the living God. Priceless lesson
this, for the son of Joash, and for us all!--a lesson not to be learnt
in the schools and colleges of this world, but only in the deep and
holy retirement of the sanctuary of God.

And now let us see what was Gideon's first act after his fears were
hushed, and his soul filled with divine peace. His very first act was
to build an altar. "Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord,
and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the
Abi-ezrites." He takes the happy place of a worshiper, and his worship
is characterized by the revelation of the divine character. He calls
his altar by that precious title, "The Lord send peace." He had gone
through many and deep exercises of soul--exercises which none can know
save those who are called out into a prominent place amongst God's
people. He felt the ruin and the weakness of all around him. He felt
the fallen and humiliating condition of his beloved people. He felt
his own littleness, yea, his own emptiness, and nothingness. How could
he come forward? How could he smite the Midianites? How could he save
Israel? Who was sufficient for these things? It is all very well for
those persons who live an easy, irresponsible kind of life; who know
not the toils, the cares, and anxieties connected with the public
service of Christ and the testimony for His name in an evil day. These
know nothing of Gideon's painful exercises of soul; nothing of the
pressure upon his spirit as he looked forth from beneath the shade of
his father's oak-tree, and contemplated the dangers and
responsibilities of the battle-field. They can enter but feebly into
the meaning of those words of one high up in the school of Christ, "We
had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in
ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead."

These are weighty words for all Christ's servants; but we must be His
servants in reality, in order to enter into their deep significance.
If we are content to live a life of indolence and ease, a life of
self-seeking and self-pleasing, it is impossible for us to understand
such words, or indeed to enter into any of those intense exercises of
soul through which Christ's true-hearted servants and faithful
witnesses, in all ages, have been called to pass. We invariably find
that all those who have been most used of God in public have gone
through deep waters in secret. It is as the sentence of death is
written practically upon _self_, that the power of resurrection-life
in Christ shines out. Thus Paul could say to the Corinthians, "Death
worketh in us; but life in you." Marvelous words! Words which let us
into the profound depths of the apostle's ministry. What a ministry
must that have been which was carried on upon such a principle as
this! What power! what energy! Death working in the poor earthen
vessel, but streams of life, heavenly grace, and spiritual power
flowing into those to whom he ministered.

This, reader, we may depend upon it, is the true secret of all
effective ministry. It is an easy matter to talk about ministry; to
set up to be ministers of Christ; but oh, how has the professing
Church departed from the divine reality of ministry! Alas! the heart
sinks at the bare thought of it. Where are the Pauls, the Gideons, and
the Joshuas? Where are the deep heart-searchings and profound soul
exercises which have characterized Christ's servants in other days? We
are flippant and wordy, shallow and empty, self-sufficient and
self-indulgent. Need we wonder at the small results? How can we expect
to see life working in others when we know so little about death
working in us?

May the eternal Spirit stir us all up, and work in us a more powerful
sense of what it is to be the true-hearted, single-eyed, devoted
servants of Jesus Christ!


PART V.

We are now to contemplate Gideon called forth into action. He has
received his commission from Jehovah. His questions have been
answered, his fears hushed, his heart tranquilized, and he is enabled
to build an altar. All this had reference to his own personal
condition, to the state of his own soul, to the attitude of his own
heart as in the sight of God.

Thus it must ever be. We must all begin in this way, if we are ever to
be used of God to act on others. We must have to do with God in the
secret of our own souls, else we shall prove to be but sorry workmen
in the sequel. All who go forth in public work without this secret
training, are sure to prove flimsy and shallow. Self must be measured
in the divine presence. We must learn that nature is of no account in
the Lord's work. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith
the Lord of hosts" (Zech. iv. 6).

It was not until Gideon had gone through somewhat of this holy
discipline in secret that he was led out into service. And let us
carefully note where he had to commence. "It came to pass the same
night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock,
even the second bullock, of seven years old"--for Jehovah knew how
many bullocks Joash had, and the age of each--"and throw down the
altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by
it. And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this
rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a
burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down."

Here we see that Gideon had to begin _at home_. He was called to
unfurl the standard of testimony in the very bosom of his family--in
the very centre of his father's house. This is intensely interesting,
and deeply practical. It teaches a lesson to which we should all bend
our ears and apply our hearts. Testimony must begin at home. It will
never do to rush forth into public work while our private and domestic
ways are anything but what they ought to be. It is useless to set
about throwing down the altar of Baal in public, while the selfsame
altar remains standing at home.

This is of the very first importance. We are all of us imperatively
called upon to show piety at home. Nothing is more sorrowful than to
meet with persons who, abroad amongst their fellow men or their fellow
Christians, are marked by a high tone of spirituality--a style of
speaking which would lead one to suppose them far beyond the ordinary
level of Christians, and yet when you come to close quarters with
them--when you become acquainted with their private life and ways,
their actual history from day to day, you find them very far indeed
from bearing testimony for Christ to those with whom they come in
contact. This is most deplorable. It dishonors the Lord Jesus, grieves
the Spirit, stumbles and repulses young believers, gives occasion to
the enemy to speak reproachfully, and to our brethren to speak
doubtfully of us.

Surely these things ought not to be. There ought to be a testimony
yielded at home. Those who see most of us should see most of Christ in
us. Those who know us best ought best to know that we are Christ's.
But alas! how often is it otherwise! How often the home circle is just
the place where the lovely traits of Christian character are least
exhibited! The wife or the husband, the parent or the child, the
brother or the sister, the master or the servant, the fellow-servant
or some other companion in daily life, is just the one in whose sight
we least display the beauteous fruits of divine life. It is in private
life that all our weak points come out--our oddities and
peculiarities, our silly tendencies and sinful tempers: instead of
which it ought to be in that very sphere that the grace of Jesus is
most faithfully manifested.

Christian reader, let us not turn away from the word of reproof, of
admonition, or exhortation. It may not be pleasant; but, we may rest
assured, it is salutary. It may not be agreeable to the flesh; but it
is wholesome to the soul. We are called, like Gideon, to begin at
home, if we would prove helpful to our brethren, or act effectively
against the common foe.

No doubt there are difficulties involved in this home testimony. It is
often very hard, for example, for a child to bear witness against the
worldliness of a parent, or of the whole family; but where there is
humility of mind and simple dependence upon God, He maintains and
carries us through marvelously. One thing is certain, there is nothing
like decision. "The first blow is half the battle," yea, the whole
battle is often gained by a single blow, when that blow is dealt in
full communion with the mind of Christ.

On the other hand, where there is weakness and vacillation--playing
fast and loose with the truth of God, trifling with divine principles
and one's own conscience, a looking at consequences and a weighing of
probable results--there the enemy is sure to have the upper hand, and
the testimony altogether fails. God acts with those who act for Him.
This is the grand secret of their success; but where the eye is not
single, there is no real progress, no divine result.

Here is where so many of us signally fail. We are not whole hearted,
not decided, not thoroughly out-and-out for Christ. Hence there is no
result for God, no action on others. We have no idea of what may be
accomplished by a single devoted heart, one earnest and energetic
soul. Such an one may be used to raise up a standard round which
thousands will flock who might never have had the courage or energy to
unfurl the standard themselves.

Look at Gideon. See how he wrought for God, and how God wrought with
him. "Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord
had said unto him; and so it was, because he feared his father's
household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day,
that he did it by night. And when the men of the city rose early in
the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove
was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon
the altar that was built. And they said one to another, Who hath done
this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the
son of Joash hath done this thing. Then the men of the city said unto
Joash, Bring out thy son that he may die; because he hath cast down
the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by
it."

This is what we may call striking at the very root of the matter. The
worship of Baal is completely overturned. This was no trifle. We have
little idea of what it cost the son of Joash to do this thing; but by
the grace of God he did it. True, it may have been with fear and
trembling, still he did it. He dealt one vigorous blow at the entire
system of Baal, and it crumbled into dust beneath his feet. No half
measures would have availed. It would have been of no possible use to
pick a stone here and there out of the idol's altar; the whole fabric
had to be overturned from its very foundation, and the idol itself
degraded in the very presence of its deluded worshipers. A bold
decisive stroke was needed, and that stroke was given by the hand of
Gideon the son of Joash, God's "mighty man of valor."

There is nothing, we repeat, like plain decision--bold, uncompromising
faithfulness for Christ, cost what it may. Had Gideon been less
decided, had his line of action been less thorough, his father Joash
would not have been so perfectly won over. It needed just such a
method of dealing with Baal to convince a rational person that the
worship of such a god was a sham and a falsehood. "And Joash said unto
all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? _will ye save
him?_ he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is
yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one
hath cast down his altar. Therefore on that day he called him
Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown
down his altar."

This was very simple reasoning, "If he be a god, let him plead for
himself." Gideon's decided course had brought matters to a point. Baal
was either a reality or a most complete delusion. If the former, let
him plead for himself. If the latter, who would think of pleading for
him? Nothing could be simpler. Gideon's action was a complete success.
The worship of Baal was overturned; and the worship of Jehovah Elohim
set up instead.

Thus we see that the divine work in the soul of Gideon is making very
rapid but very real progress. He is conducted from strength to
strength. How little idea had he, when first the divine voice fell on
his ear, that, in so short a time, he would take so bold a step. If
any one had said to him then, "In a few hours you will overturn the
worship of Baal in the very midst of your father's house," he would
not have believed it. But the Lord led him along, step by step, gently
yet firmly; and as the heavenly light broke in upon his soul, his
confidence and courage grew.

Thus it is the Lord ever deals with His servants. He does not expect
them to run before they have learnt to walk; but where the heart is
true, and the purpose honest and firm, He graciously supplies the
needed strength, moment by moment. He causes mountains of difficulty
to remove, rolls away many a dark and heavy cloud, fortifies the
heart, and girds up the loins of the mind, so that the very feeblest
are armed with giant strength, and the coward heart filled with
wonder, love, and praise at the triumph of divine grace.

Having broken down Baal's altar, Gideon is now led to encounter
Midian's hosts. "Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the
children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and
pitched in the valley of Jezreel. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon
Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abi-ezer was gathered after him.
And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also was gathered
after him; and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and
unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them."

In short there was a thorough awakening. The tide of spiritual energy
rose majestically, and bore hundreds and thousands upon its bosom. The
work which had begun in Gideon's heart was extending itself far and
wide, throughout the length and breadth of the land. The Spirit of the
Lord was displaying His mighty energy, and multitudes were stirred up
to gather round the standard which the hand of faith had unfurled.

But just at this point, it would seem that Gideon's faith needed fresh
confirmation. It may be his spirit was overawed when he saw the mighty
host of the uncircumcised mustering before him; and then, for a
moment, his courage failed, and his heart craved a fresh sign from the
Lord. "And Gideon said unto God, If Thou wilt save Israel by my hand,
_as Thou hast said_"--alas! the poor heart can place its unbelieving
"if" right in front of the word of God who cannot lie--"behold, I
will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the
fleece only, and if it be dry upon all the earth beside, _then shall I
know_ that Thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, _as Thou hast said_."

How marvelous! And yet we need not marvel if we know aught of our own
hearts. Anything for the poor human heart but the naked word of the
living God. A sign, a token, something that the eye can see. The word
of God is not enough for unbelieving nature.

But oh! the matchless grace of God! His unupbraiding love! His tender
considerateness! He graciously meets the weakness of His poor servant,
for "It was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the
fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, _a bowl full
of water_." What condescending grace! Instead of severely rebuking
Gideon's unbelieving "if," He graciously confirms his wavering faith
by superabounding evidence.

And yet all this sufficed not. Gideon seeks still further
confirmation. "And he said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot
against me, and I will speak but this once. Let me prove, I pray Thee,
but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece,
and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night:
for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew upon all the
ground." Such is the abounding grace and patience of the God with whom
we have to do. Forever adored be His holy Name! Who would not trust
Him, and love Him, and serve Him?


PART VI.

We shall now ask the reader to open his Bible at the seventh chapter
of the book of Judges. Here Gideon's companions are brought before us;
and their history, as well as that of their leader, is full of
interest and profit for us. They had to be trained and tested as well
as he. Let us ponder the narrative.

"Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him,
rose up early and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host
of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of
Moreh, in the valley. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that
are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their
hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand
hath saved me."

The clear and soul-stirring blast of Gideon's trumpet had drawn around
him a very large and imposing company; but this company had to be
tested. It is one thing to be moved by the zeal and energy of some
earnest servant of Christ, and it is quite another thing to possess
those moral qualities which alone can fit a man to be an earnest
servant himself. There is a vast difference between following in the
wake of some devoted man of God, and walking with God ourselves--being
propped up and led on by the faith and energy of another, and leaning
upon God in the power of individual faith for ourselves.

This is a serious consideration for all of us. There is always great
danger of our being mere imitators of other people's faith; of copying
their example without their spiritual power; of adopting their
peculiar line of things without their personal communion. All this
must be carefully guarded against. We specially warn the young
Christian reader against it. Let us be simple, and humble, and real.
We may be very _small_, our sphere very narrow, our path very retired;
but it does not matter in the least, provided we are precisely what
grace has made us, and occupying the sphere in which our blessed
Master has set us, and treading the path which He has opened before
us. It is by no means absolutely necessary that we should be great, or
prominent, or showy, or noisy in the world; but it is absolutely
necessary that we should be real and humble, obedient and dependent.
Thus our God can use us, without fear of our vaunting ourselves; and
then, too, we are safe, peaceful, and happy. There is nothing more
delightful to the true Christian, the genuine servant of Christ, than
to find himself in that quiet, humble, shady path where _self_ is lost
sight of, and the precious light of God's countenance enjoyed--where
the thoughts of men are of small account, and the sweet approval of
Christ is everything to the soul.

Flesh cannot be trusted. It will turn the very service of Christ into
an occasion of self-exaltation. It will use the very name of Him who
made Himself nothing in order to make itself something. It will build
up its own reputation by seeming to further the cause of Him who made
Himself of none. Such is flesh! Such are we in ourselves! Silly,
self-exalting creatures, ever ready to vaunt ourselves, while
professing to be nothing in ourselves, and to deserve nothing but the
flames of an everlasting hell.

Need we marvel at the testing and proving of Gideon's companions? All
must be tested and proved. The service of Christ is a very solemn and
a very holy thing; and all who take part therein must be self-judged,
self-distrusting, and self-emptied; and not only so, but they must
lean, with unshaken confidence, upon the living God. These are the
grand qualities that go to make up the character of the true servant
of Christ, and they are strikingly illustrated on the page of
inspiration which now lies open before us.

Let us proceed with the narrative.

"The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the
Midianites into their hands.... Now, therefore, go to, proclaim in the
ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him
return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the
people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand."

Here the first grand test is applied to Gideon's host--a test designed
to bring out the measure of the heart's simple confidence in Jehovah.
A coward heart will not do for the day of battle; a doubting spirit
will not stand in conflict. The same principle is set forth in
Deuteronomy xx. 8: "And the officers shall speak further unto the
people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and
faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his
brethren's heart faint as well as his heart."

Faint-heartedness is terribly contagious. It spreads rapidly. It
withers the arm that should bear the shield, and paralyses the hand
that should wield the sword. The only cure for this malady is simple
confidence in God, a firm grasp of His faithfulness, a child-like
trust in His word, true personal acquaintance with Himself. We must
know God for ourselves, in such a way that His word is everything to
us, and that we can walk alone with Him, and stand alone with Him in
the darkest hour.

Reader, is it thus with thee? Hast thou this blessed confidence in
God--this solid hold of His word? Hast thou, deep down in thy heart,
such an experimental knowledge of God and His Christ as shall sustain
thee even though thou hadst not the support or sympathy of another
believer under the sun? Art thou prepared to walk alone in the world?

These are weighty questions, and we feel the need of pressing them
upon the Church of God at the present moment. There is a wide
diffusion of the precious truth of God, and numbers are getting hold
of it. Like the blast of Gideon's trumpet, so the clear testimony
which has widely gone forth of late years has attracted many; and
while we quite feel that there is real ground for thankfulness in
this, we also feel that there is ground for very serious reflection
indeed. Truth is a most precious thing, if it be truthfully found and
truthfully held: but let us remember that in exact proportion to the
preciousness of the truth of God so is the moral danger of trafficking
therein without a self-judged heart and an exercised conscience. What
we really need is faith--unfeigned, earnest, simple faith, which
connects the soul, in living power, with God, and enables us to
overcome all the difficulties and discouragements of the way. Of this
faith there can be no imitation. We must either possess it in reality
or not at all. A sham faith will speedily come to the ground. The man
who attempts to walk by faith, if he have it not, must speedily totter
and fall. We cannot face the hosts of Midian unless we have full
confidence in the living God. "Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let
him return." Thus it must ever be. None can go to battle save those
who are braced up by a faith that grasps the unseen realities of
eternity, and endures as seeing Him who is invisible. May this faith
be ours, in larger measure, beloved reader.

It is full of instruction for the heart to notice the effect of the
first test upon the host of Gideon. It thinned his ranks amazingly.
"There returned of the people twenty and two thousand, and there
remained ten thousand." This was a serious reduction. But it is far
better to have ten thousand that can trust God than ten thousand times
ten thousand who cannot. Of what use are numbers, if they be not
energized by a living faith? None whatever. It is comparatively easy
to flock around a standard raised by a vigorous hand; but it is a
totally different thing to stand, in personal energy, in the actual
battle. Nought but genuine faith can do this; and hence when the
searching question is put, "Who can trust God?" the showy ranks of
profession are speedily thinned.

But there was yet another test for Gideon's companions. "And the Lord
said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto
the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that
of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go
with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with
thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the
water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the
water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by
himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth,
were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon
their knees to drink water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the
three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the
Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man
unto his place" (vii. 4-7).

Here then we have another great moral quality which must characterize
those who will act for God and His people, in an evil day. They must
not only have confidence in God, but they must also be prepared to
surrender self. This is a universal law in the service of Christ. If
we want to swim in God's current, we must sink self; and we can only
sink self in proportion as we trust Christ. It is not, need we say, a
question of salvation; it is a question of service. It is not a
question of being a child of God, but of being a proper servant of
Christ. The thirty-one thousand seven hundred that were dismissed from
Gideon's army, were just as much Israelites as the three hundred that
remained; but they were not fitted for the moment of conflict: they
were not the right men for the crisis. And why? Was it that they were
not circumcised? Nay. What then? They could not trust God and
surrender self. They were full of fear when they ought to have been
full of faith. They made refreshment and comfort their object instead
of conflict.

Here, reader, lay the true secret of their moral unfitness. God cannot
trust those who do not trust Him and sink self. This is pre-eminently
solemn and practical. We live in a day of easy profession and
self-indulgence. Knowledge can, now-a-days, be picked up at very small
cost. Scraps of truth can be gathered, second hand, in all directions.
Truth which cost some of God's dear servants years of deep
soul-ploughing and heart-searching exercise, is now in free
circulation and can be intellectually seized and flippantly professed,
by many who know not what soul-ploughing or heart-exercise means.

But let us never forget--yea, let us constantly remember--that the
life of faith is a reality; service is a reality; testimony for
Christ, a reality. And further let us bear in mind that if we want to
stand for Christ in an evil day--if we would be men for the crisis,
genuine servants, true witnesses--then verily we must learn the true
meaning of those two qualities, namely, confidence in God, and
self-surrender.


PART VII.

There is something peculiarly striking in the fact that out of the
many thousands of Israel, in the days of Gideon, there were only three
hundred men who were really fit for conflict with the Midianites; only
this small band fit for the occasion. This truly is a suggestive and
admonitory fact. There were hundreds of thousands of true
Israelites--truly circumcised sons of Abraham--members of the
congregation of the Lord, who were by no means up to the mark, when it
was a question of war to the knife with Midian--a question of genuine
confidence in God and self-surrender. We are safe in saying that the
men who were morally fitted for the grand crisis in the day of battle
were not one in a thousand. How solemn! Not one in a thousand who
could trust God and deny self.

Christian reader, is not this something worthy of deep and serious
thought? Does it not, very naturally, suggest the inquiry as to
whether it is otherwise at this moment? Is it not painfully evident
that we live in a day in the which little is known of the blessed
secret of confidence in God, and still less of the exercise of
self-surrender? In point of fact, these things can never be rightly
separated. If we attempt to divorce self-surrender from confidence in
God, it will land us in the deep and dark delusions of monasticism,
asceticism, or ritualism. It will issue in nature trying to subdue
nature. This, we need hardly say, is the direct opposite of
Christianity. This latter starts with the glorious fact that the _old
self_ has been condemned and set aside by the cross of Christ, and
therefore it can be practically surrendered, every day, by the power
of the Holy Ghost. This is the meaning of those fine words in
Colossians iii., "Ye _are_ dead, and your life is hid with Christ in
God." He does not say, "Ye _ought to be_ dead." No; but "ye _are_
dead." What then? "Mortify your members which are on the earth." So
also in the profound and precious teaching in Romans vi., "How shall
we that _are_ dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that
so many of us as were baptized unto Jesus Christ were baptized unto
His death?" What then? "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Here then lies the secret of all true self-surrender. If this be not
understood and practically entered into, it will simply be _self_ in
one form trying to subdue _self_ in another. This is a fatal delusion.
It is a snare of the devil into which earnest souls are in imminent
danger of falling, who sigh after holiness of life, but do not know
the power of accomplished redemption, and the indwelling of the Holy
Ghost--are not built upon the solid foundation of Christianity.

We specially warn the reader against this insidious error. It
distinctly savors of monasticism or asceticism. It clothes itself in
the garb of pietism and sanctimoniousness, and is peculiarly
attractive to a certain class of ardent spirits who long for victory
over the lusts, passions, and tendencies of nature; but, not knowing
how to attain it, are turning their back upon Christ and His cross,
and betaking themselves to the resources of a spurious religion.

It is against this most mischievous and delusive system that the
apostle warns us, in Colossians ii., "Let no man," he says, "beguile
you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels,
intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up
by his fleshly mind, and not holding the head, from which all the body
by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together,
increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with
Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the
world, are ye subject to ordinances"--such as, "touch not; taste not;
handle not; which all are to perish with the using--after the
commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a show of
wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not
in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh" (Colossians ii. 18-23).

We deem it needful to say thus much lest any of our readers should at
all mistake us on the subject of self-surrender. We desire it to be
distinctly understood that the only possible ground of self-surrender
is the knowledge of accomplished redemption, and our union with Christ
through the power of the Holy Ghost. This is the essential basis of
all Christian conduct. In short, a known salvation is the basis; the
Holy Ghost indwelling, the power; and the word of God, the directory
of all true self-surrender.

But what did Gideon and his companions know of these things? Nothing,
as Christians now know them. But they had confidence in God, and
further, they did not make their own refreshment or comfort their
object, but simply took it up by the way as a means to an end. Herein
they teach a fine lesson even to those whose privilege it is to walk
in the full light of New Testament Christianity. If they, in the dim
twilight in which they lived, could trust God, and surrender self for
the moment, even in measure, then what shall we say for ourselves who,
with all our light and privileges, are so ready to doubt God and seek
our own things?

Is it not painfully evident that, in this our day of light and
privilege, there is but little moral preparedness for the path of
service and conflict which we are called to tread? Alas! alas! we
cannot deny it. There is a deplorable lack of genuine trust in the
living God, and of the true spirit of self-surrender. Here, we may
rest assured, is the deep secret of the whole matter. God is not
practically known and habitually trusted; self is exalted and
indulged. Hence our unfitness for the warfare, our failure in the day
of battle. It is one thing to be saved, and quite another thing to be
a soldier; and we cannot shake off the painful conviction that, in
this day of widely extended profession, the proportion of workmen and
warriors would not be found a whit greater than it was in the days of
Gideon and his companions. The fact is, we want men of faith, men
whose hearts are fixed and their eyes single; men so absorbed with
Christ and His cause that they have no time for aught beside. We
greatly fear that, if the double test which was applied to Israel in
the days of Gideon, were to be applied now to those who stand on the
very highest platform of profession, the practical result would not
differ very materially.

       *       *       *       *       *

We shall only touch on two more leading points, and then leave our
readers to meditate closely upon the whole subject for themselves.

The close of Judges vii. shews us Gideon and his companions completely
victorious. "The cake of barley bread," and "the broken pitchers,"
proved a match for all the power of the Midianites, although they "lay
along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude, and their camels
were without number, as the sand by the sea-side for multitude." God
was with those represented by the cake of barley bread and broken
pitchers, as He will ever be with those who are prepared to take the
low place; prepared to be nothing, but to make Him their all in all;
prepared to trust Him and to sink self. This, let it never be
forgotten, is the great root principle in all service and in all
conflict. Without it, we can never succeed; with it, we can never
fail. It matters not what the difficulties, or what the numbers and
power of our enemies, all must give way before the presence of the
living God; and that presence will ever accompany those who trust Him
and sink self.

Nor is this all. Not only is firm trust in God and self-surrender the
secret of victory over external enemies; it is also the secret of
overcoming, disarming, and melting down proud and jealous brethren,
though these latter are often far more difficult to deal with than
open enemies. Thus no sooner had Gideon reached the point of victory
over the uncircumcised, than he was called to encounter the petty and
contemptible jealousy of his brethren, "And the men of Ephraim said
unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not when
thou wentest to fight the Midianites? And they did chide with him
sharply" (chapter viii. 1).

All this was most uncalled for and unworthy. Had they not heard the
sound of the trumpet calling Israel to the battle field? Had they not
heard that the standard was unfurled? Why had they not rushed to the
battle at the first? It was an easy matter to come in at the close and
reap the spoil, and then find fault with the one who had been God's
real instrument on the occasion.

However, we shall not dwell upon the unlovely conduct of the men of
Ephraim; but turn, for a moment, to the exquisite way in which Gideon
was enabled to meet them. "And he said unto them, What have I done now
in comparison of you?... God hath delivered into your hands the
princes of Midian, Oreb, and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in
comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him when he had
said that."

Here, Christian reader, is the true way to vanquish jealous and
envious brethren. The cake of barley bread and the broken pitcher can
vanquish jealous Ephraimites as well as hostile Midianites. A
self-hiding spirit is the grand secret of victory over envy and
jealousy, in all their odious forms. It is difficult, if not
impossible, to quarrel with a man who is down in the dust, in true
self-abasement. "What have I done now in comparison of you?" This is
the language of one who had learnt something of the real meaning of
self-surrender; and we may safely assert that such language must ever
disarm the envy and jealousy of the self-occupied and self-sufficient.
May we know more of the truth of this!

We must now look at the closing scene of Gideon's remarkable
history--a scene full of admonition for every servant of Christ. From
it we learn that it is easier to gain a victory than to make a good
use of it; easier to reach a position than to occupy it aright. We
shall quote the passage. "Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon,
Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for
thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto
them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you:
the Lord shall rule over you."

So far, this was very fine. It was in full keeping with the
self-surrender of Gideon's previous course. Every true servant of
Christ will ever seek to connect souls with his Master, and not with
himself. Gideon would not indeed displace Jehovah as the ruler of
Israel. But, alas! his great victory fills his mind, and he will make
a perpetual glory of it by an ephod (a priestly garment) of gold; and
this, simply because his self-surrender was not complete. There has
been but One whose self-surrender was, and that One must, in all
things, have the pre-eminence. "And Gideon said unto them, I would
desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings
of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were
Ishmaelites.) And they answered, We will willingly give them. And
they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of
his prey.... And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city,
even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which
thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house" (chapter viii.
22-27).

Such is man, even the best of men, when left to himself. Here we see
the very man who had led his brethren on to victory over Midian, now
leading them into dark and abominable idolatry. The earrings of the
Ishmaelites did what their swords could not do; and the love-tokens of
the men of Israel proved far more dangerous than the sharp chidings of
the men of Ephraim. The latter drew out a lovely spirit of
self-emptiness: the former proved a snare to Gideon and to the whole
house of Israel.

Reader, let us remember all this. If Gideon had refused the earrings
as well as the throne, it would have been well for him and for his
brethren; but the devil laid a snare for him into which he fell and
carried all his brethren with him. May we all take warning from
Gideon's fall, and draw encouragement from Gideon's victories. May we
remember that it is one thing to gain a victory, and another to make
good use of it; it is easier to reach a position than to occupy it
aright. May God grant to the reader and writer of these lines, more
simple confidence in Himself, and more of the true spirit of
self-surrender! May such be the result of our meditations upon Gideon
and his companions.

                                                         C. H. M.




"My Beloved"

(Cant. 5:9.)


    Oh what is thy Beloved?--they oft inquire of me;
    And what in my Beloved so passing fair I see.
    Is it the heavenly splendor in which He shines above--
    His riches and dominions, that won my heart's best love?

    Oh no! 'tis not His glories;--He's worthy of them all.
    'Tis not the throne and sceptre, before which angels fall!
    I view with heart exulting each crown His head adorns;
    But, oh, He looks most lovely, _wearing His crown of thorns_.

    I'm glad to see His raiment, than snow more spotless white,
    Refulgent with its brightness, more dazzling than the light;
    But more surpassing lovely His form appears to me,
    When stripp'd, and scourged, and bleeding, _He hung upon the tree_.

    With warmest adoration I see Him on the throne,
    And join the loud hosannas that His high virtues own;
    But, oh, most blessed Jesus, I must confess to Thee,
    More than the throne of glory _I love that sacred tree_.

    I joy to see the diadems upon Thy royal brow,
    The state, and power, and majesty in which Thou sittest now;
    But 'tis _Thyself_, Lord Jesus, makes heaven seem heaven to me--
    _Thyself_, as first I knew Thee, _uplifted on the tree_.

    Though higher than the highest, most mighty King Thou art,
    Thy grace, and not Thy greatness, first touched my rebel heart.
    Thy sword, it might have slain me; Thine arrows drunk my blood;
    But 'twas _Thy cross_ subdued me, and won my heart to God.

    Thy sceptre rules creation; Thy _wounded hand_ rules me:
    All bow before Thy footstool; I but the _nail-prints_ see.
    Aloud they sound Thy titles, Thou Lord of lords most high;
    One thrilling thought absorbs me--_this Lord for me did die_.

    Oh, this is my Beloved! there's none so fair as He:
    The chief among ten thousand, He's all in all to me.
    My heart, it breaks with longing to dwell with Him above,
    Who wooed me first, and won me _by His sweet dying love_.

                                                      J. G. DECK




ETERNAL PUNISHMENT


We have received a communication on the deeply solemn subject of
eternal punishment, from a person whose initials are "C. D. S.," and
who would seem to be the exponent of the feelings of a very numerous
class. Our correspondent does not, by any means, write as an objector,
or a caviler, but as an honest inquirer; and we are not sorry to be
called upon to bear a clear and decided testimony on a point of such
grave moment. He asks us to let him know "what the Holy Ghost has
taught us on the subject," and we cheerfully comply.

We believe the Word of God most clearly and fully teaches the eternity
of punishment. The word which is rendered "everlasting," or "eternal,"
occurs about seventy times in the New Testament. We shall give some
examples. "To be cast into _everlasting_ fire." (Matt. xviii. 8.)
"That I may have _eternal_ life." (Matt. xix. 16.) "These shall go
away into _everlasting_ punishment." (Matt. xxv. 46.) And in the same
verse, "The righteous unto life _eternal_." "Is in danger of _eternal_
damnation." (Mark iii. 29.) "They may receive you into everlasting
habitations." (Luke xvi. 9.) "In the world to come, life
_everlasting_." (Luke xviii. 30.) "He that believeth on the Son hath
_everlasting_ life." (Jno. iii. 15, 16, 36; v. 24.) "The commandment
of the _everlasting_ God." (Rom. xvi. 26.) "An exceeding and _eternal_
weight of glory." (2 Cor. iv. 17.) "The things which are not seen are
_eternal_." (_v._ 18.) "A house not made with hands, _eternal_ in the
heavens." (Chap. v. 1.) "They shall be punished with _everlasting_
destruction." (2 Thess. i. 9.) "Hath given us _everlasting_
consolation." (Chap. ii. 16.) "In Christ Jesus with _eternal_ glory."
(2 Tim. ii. 10.) "The author of _eternal_ salvation." (Heb. v. 9.)
"Having obtained _eternal_ redemption." (Chap. ix. 12.) "Who through
the _eternal_ Spirit offered Himself without spot to God." (v. 14.)
"The promise of _eternal_ inheritance." (v. 15.) "Called us unto His
_eternal_ glory." (1 Pet. v. 10.) "Into the _everlasting_ kingdom of
our Lord and Saviour." (2 Pet. i. 11.) "This is the true God and
_eternal_ life." (1 Jno. v. 20.) "Suffering the vengeance of _eternal_
fire." (Jude 7.)

Now, we are aware that the opposers of the doctrine of eternal
punishment endeavor to prove that the word "everlasting" does not mean
everlasting in the Greek; and this is one reason why we have quoted
such a number of passages in which the Greek word αιωνιος (_aionios_)
occurs, and in which the Holy Ghost applies it in such a variety of
ways. The word which is applied to the punishment of the wicked is
also applied to the life which believers possess, to the salvation and
redemption in which they rejoice, to the glory to which they look
forward, to those mansions in which they hope to dwell, and to the
inheritance which they expect to enjoy. Moreover, it is applied to
God, and to the Spirit. If, therefore, it be maintained that the word
"everlasting" does not mean everlasting when applied to the punishment
of the wicked, what security have we that it means everlasting when
applied to the life, blessedness, and glory of the redeemed? What
warrant has any one, be he ever so learned, to single out seven
instances from the seventy in which the Greek word αιωνιος is used,
and say that in those seven it does not mean everlasting, but that in
all the rest it does? They have none whatever. Men may reason as they
will about divine benevolence and goodness--about its being
inconsistent with the mercy of God to permit such a thing as eternal
punishment--as to the strange want of proportion between a few years
of sin and an endless eternity of punishment; a single line of holy
Scripture is amply sufficient, in our judgment, to sweep away ten
thousand such reasonings, even though supported by the learned dogma
that "everlasting" does not mean everlasting in the Greek. "Where
their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark ix. 46.)
Solemn statement! Let men beware of trifling with it, or reasoning
about it. Let them believe it, and flee from the wrath to come--flee
now to Jesus, who died on Calvary's cursed tree to deliver us from
everlasting burnings.

But not only is the eternity of punishment clearly laid down in
Scripture--as clearly as the eternity of God Himself, or of any thing
pertaining to Him; we believe it also flows as a necessary truth from
other truths which are generally received without a single question.
Take, for instance, the immortality of the soul. Did the fall of man
touch this question? We believe not. Man was made the possessor of an
immortal spirit, by the breath of the Almighty; and we have no
authority whatsoever to say that his fall made any difference as to
this. Immortal he was, as to his soul, immortal he is, and immortal he
must be. Yes, he must live forever somewhere. Tremendous thought! Many
do not like it. They would fain be able to say, "Let us eat and drink,
for to-morrow we die." They would like to pass away as the beasts that
perish; and this very desire, we doubt not, has been, in many cases,
the parent of the notion that punishment is non-eternal. "The wish is
father to the thought." But, ah! man must face that dreadful reality,
_ETERNITY_. Saved or unsaved, there is no escaping that. He must
either deny the immortality of the soul, or admit the eternity of
punishment.

Again, take the doctrine of the atonement. If any thing less than
eternal punishment be due to sin, what need was there of an infinite
sacrifice to give deliverance from that punishment? Could nothing less
than the peerless, priceless, divine sacrifice of the Son of God
deliver any one from hell fire, and that fire not be eternal? Did
Jesus shed His precious blood to deliver us from the consequences of
our guilt, and those consequences be only temporary? We can never
admit any such proposition. Grant us the truth of an infinite
sacrifice, and we argue from thence the truth of eternal punishment.

We attach no weight whatever to the argument drawn from the lack of
proportion between a few years of sin and an eternity of woe. We do
not believe that this is the true way to measure the matter. The cross
is the only measure by which to reach a true result; and we believe
the deniers of eternal punishment offer dishonor to the cross by
lowering it into a means of deliverance from a doom which is not
eternal in its duration.

And now, one word as to the idea of its being incompatible with the
character of God to allow such a thing as eternal punishment. Many
seem to attach great weight to this. They appear to think that eternal
misery could never comport with divine mercy and goodness. But those
who urge this plea seem to forget that there is another side of the
question, which must be looked at if we would reach a sound conclusion
on the point. What about divine justice, holiness, and truth? Are
these things not to be taken into account? Can we base an argument on
some of the divine attributes and leave others out? Surely not. We
must look at them all. The cross of Christ has harmonized them all, in
the view of all created intelligences. In that cross, God has set
forth His perfect love to the sinner; but He also has set forth His
perfect hatred of sin. Now, if a man deliberately rejects that only
way of escape--that perfect remedy--that divine provision, what is to
be done? God cannot let sin into His presence. He is of purer eyes
than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity. Will the deniers of
eternal punishment tell us what is to be done? How is this question to
be settled? They say, by annihilation,--that is, by man's perishing
like a beast. Ah, this will never do! "The Lord God breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." (Gen. ii.
7.) Was this ever revoked? Is there a shadow of foundation in the
entire book of God for the theory of annihilation? If there is, let it
be produced. We look upon it as a most miserable subterfuge--a
pitiable attempt to get rid of the awful thought of eternity. But it
will not do. Let man but cast his eye on the page of inspiration, and
there he sees that tremendous word, "ETERNITY"! "ETERNITY"!
"ETERNITY"! Let him but lend his ear to the voice that issues from the
depth of his moral being, and he will hear the same soul-subduing
word, "Eternity"! "Eternity"! "Eternity"! He cannot get rid of it; he
cannot shake it off. He is shut up to the stern fact that he must live
forever.

Well, then, what about his sin? That cannot get into God's presence.
God and sin can never be together. This is a fixed principle. God is
good, no doubt, and the proof of His goodness is the gift of His Son.
But then He is holy; and between holiness and sin there must be an
eternal separation; so that we are forced to the same solemn
conclusion, namely, that all who die in their sins--all who die in the
rejection of God's infinite provision for the forgiveness of sins,
will have to endure the consequences of those sins in the lake that
burneth with fire and brimstone throughout the countless ages of
eternity.[23]

  [23] Has the reader ever pondered Jno. iii. 36? There is marvelous
  power in it. It completely demolishes two special heresies of the day,
  namely, universalism and annihilationism. It tells the universalist
  that "he that believeth not the Son _shall not see life_," and it
  tells the annihilationist that "the wrath of God _abideth_ on" the
  unbeliever. If he "shall not see life," he cannot be restored; and if
  "the wrath of God _abideth on him_," he cannot be annihilated.

We will not argue the matter further in this paper; but we would most
earnestly beseech the unconverted reader to pause and seriously
consider this most momentous question. Let him not be deceived by vain
words; let him not hearken to a false criticism, which would fain
persuade him that "eternal" does not mean eternal in the Greek; for,
oh, most assuredly, it does mean eternal, whether in Hebrew, Greek,
Latin, or English. "Eternal" can never mean temporal, or "temporal"
eternal, in any language under heaven. And furthermore, let him not
hearken to a false sentimentality, which would fain persuade him that
God is too kind to consign any of His creatures to hell fire. God was
so kind as to "give His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
Him might not perish, but have everlasting life." But God is too holy
to let sin into heaven; and hence, instead of feeding himself with the
vain hope (if hope it can be called,) of annihilation, let him build
upon the sure Word of God, which tells him of full, free, and
everlasting salvation through the blood of the Lamb. Our God has no
pleasure in the death of a sinner. His long-suffering is salvation,
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance. There is no reason why the reader should perish. God waits
to be gracious. Mercy's door stands wide open, and the sword of
judgment is in the scabbard. But the moment is rapidly approaching
when all shall be changed, and then all who die in their sins will
prove, by bitter experience, that, notwithstanding all the arguments
founded upon a false criticism and a false sentimentality, _the
punishment of sin is and must be eternal_.

                                                         C. H. M.

       *       *       *       *       *

"_And I say unto you My friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the
body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will
forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him which after He hath killed
hath power to cast into hell;--yea, I say unto you, Fear Him._" (Luke
xii. 4, 5.)




  PAPERS

  ON

  THE LORD'S COMING

  By C. H. M.

  _Author of Notes on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
  Numbers, and Deuteronomy._




CONTENTS


                                                 PAGE

  INTRODUCTORY                                      5

  THE FACT ITSELF                                  13

  THE DOUBLE BEARING OF THE FACT                   23

  "THE COMING" AND "THE DAY"                       32

  THE TWO RESURRECTIONS                            49

  THE JUDGMENT                                     56

  THE JEWISH REMNANT                               64

  CHRISTENDOM                                      73

  THE TEN VIRGINS                                  81

  THE TALENTS                                      90

  CONCLUDING REMARKS                               98




PAPERS ON THE LORD'S COMING


INTRODUCTORY

The attentive reader of the New Testament will find in its pages three
solemn and weighty facts presented to his view; namely, first, That
the Son of God has come into this world and gone away; secondly, That
the Holy Ghost has come down to this earth, and is here still; and,
thirdly, That the Lord Jesus is coming again.

These are the three great subjects unfolded in the New Testament
Scriptures; and we shall find that each of them has a double bearing:
it has a bearing upon the world and a bearing upon the church; upon
the world, as a whole, and upon each unconverted man, woman and child
in particular; upon the church, as a whole, and upon each individual
member thereof, in particular. It is impossible for any one to avoid
the bearing of these three grand facts upon his own personal condition
and future destiny.

And, be it noted, we are not speaking of doctrines--though, no doubt,
there are doctrines--but of facts--facts presented in the simplest
possible manner by the various inspired writers employed to set them
forth. There is no attempt at garnishing or setting off. The facts
speak for themselves; they are recorded and left to produce their own
powerful effect upon the soul.

I. And, first of all, let us look at the fact that the Son of God has
been in this world of ours. "God so loved the world that he gave his
only begotten Son." "The Son of God has come." He came in perfect
love, as the very expression of the heart and mind, the nature and
character of God. He was the brightness of God's glory, and the
express image of His person, and yet a lowly, humble, gracious, social
man; one who was to be seen, from day to day, about the streets; going
from house to house; kind and affable to all; easily approached by the
very poorest; taking up little children in His arms, in the most
tender, gentle, winning way; drying the widow's tears; soothing the
stricken and sorrowing heart; feeding the hungry, healing the sick;
cleansing the poor leper; meeting every form of human need and misery;
at the bidding of all who stood in need of succor and sympathy. "He
went about doing good." He was the unwearied servant of man's
necessities. He never thought of Himself, or sought His own interest
in any one thing. He lived for others. It was His meat and His drink
to do the will of God, and gladden the sad and weary hearts of the
sons and daughters of men. His loving heart was ever flowing out in
streams of blessing to all who felt the pressure of this sin-stricken,
sorrowful world.

Here, then, we have a marvellous fact before our eyes. This world has
been visited--this world has been trodden by that blessed One of whom
we have spoken--the Son of God--the Creator and Sustainer of the
universe--the lowly, self-emptied and loving, gracious Son of
Man--Jesus of Nazareth--God over all blessed for ever, and yet a
spotless, holy, absolutely perfect man. He came in love to men--came
into this world as the expression of perfect love to those who had
sinned against God, and deserved nothing but eternal perdition because
of their sins. He came not to crush, but to heal--not to judge, but to
save and to bless.

What has become of this blessed One? How has the world treated Him? It
has cast Him out! It would not have Him! It preferred a robber and a
murderer to this holy, gracious, perfect Man. The world got its
choice. Jesus and a robber were placed before the world, and the
question was put, "Which will you have?" What was the answer? "Not
this man, but Barabbas." "The chief priests and elders persuaded the
multitude that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The
governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye
that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas" (Matt. xxvii. 20, 21).
The religious leaders and guides of the people--the men who ought to
have led them in the right way--persuaded the poor ignorant multitude
to reject the Son of God, and accept a robber and a murderer instead!

Reader, remember, you are in a world that has been guilty of this
terrible act. And not only so, but, unless you have truly repented and
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are part and parcel of that
world, and you lie under the full guilt of that act. This is most
solemn. The whole world stands charged with the deliberate rejection
and murder of the Son of God. We have the testimony of no less than
four inspired witnesses to this fact. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all
bear record that the whole world--the Jew and the Gentile--kings and
governors, priests and people--all classes, sects and parties, agreed
to crucify the Son of God--all agreed to murder the only perfect man
that ever appeared on this earth--the perfect expression of God--God
over all blessed for ever. We must either pronounce the four
evangelists to be false witnesses, or admit that the world as a whole,
and each constituent part thereof, is stained with the awful crime of
crucifying the Lord of glory.

This is the true standard by which to measure the world, and by which
to measure the condition of every unconverted man, woman and child in
the world. If I want to know what the world is I have only to reflect
that the world is that which stands charged before God with the
deliberate murder of His Son. Tremendous fact! A fact which stamps the
world, in the most solemn manner, and places it before us in
characters of appalling blackness. God has a controversy with this
world. He has a question to settle with it--an awful question--the
mere mention of which should make men's ears to tingle and their
hearts to quake. A righteous God has to avenge the death of His Son.
It is not merely that the world accepted a vile robber and murdered an
innocent man; this, in itself, would have been a dreadful act. But
no; that innocent man was none other than the Son of God, the beloved
of the Father's heart.

What a thought! The world will have to account to God for the death of
His Son--for having nailed Him to a cross between two thieves! What a
reckoning it will be! How red will be the day of vengeance! How
awfully crushing the moment in the which God will draw the sword of
judgment to avenge the death of His Son! How utterly vain the notion
that the world is improving! Improving!--though stained with the blood
of Jesus. Improving!--though under the judgment of God for that act.
Improving!--though having to account to a righteous God for its
treatment of the beloved of His soul, sent in love to bless and save.
What blind fatuity! What wild folly! Ah, no! reader, improvement there
can be none till the besom of destruction and the sword of judgment
have done their terrible work in avenging the murder--the deliberately
planned and determinedly executed murder of the blessed Son of God. We
cannot conceive any delusion more fatally false than to imagine that
the world can ever be improved while it lies beneath the awful curse
of the death of Jesus. That world which preferred Barabbas to Christ
can know no improvement. There is naught before it save the
overwhelming judgment of God.

Thus much as to the weighty fact of the absence of Jesus, in its
bearing upon the present condition and future destiny of the world.
But this fact has another bearing. It bears upon the church of God as
a whole, and upon the individual believer. If the world has cast
Christ out, the heavens have received Him. If man has rejected Him,
God has exalted Him. If man has crucified Him, God has crowned Him. We
must carefully distinguish these two things. The death of Christ,
viewed as the act of the world--the act of man--involves naught but
unmitigated wrath and judgment. On the other hand, the death of
Christ, viewed as the act of God, involves naught but full and
everlasting blessedness to all who repent and believe. A passage or
two from the divine word will prove this.

Let us turn for a moment to Psalm lxix., which so vividly presents our
blessed and adorable Lord suffering from the hand of man, and
appealing to God for vengeance. "Hear me, O Lord; for thy loving
kindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy
tender mercies. And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in
trouble: hear me speedily: draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it:
deliver me, because of mine enemies. Thou hast known my reproach, and
my shame, and my dishonor: _mine adversaries are all before thee_.
Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness: and I
looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters,
but I found none. They gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst
they gave me vinegar to drink. Let their table become a snare before
them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become
a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their
loins continually to shake. Pour out thine indignation upon them, and
let thy wrathful anger take hold of them," etc. (verses 16-28).

All this is deeply and impressively solemn. Every word of this appeal
will have its answer. Not a syllable of it shall fall to the ground.
God will assuredly avenge the death of His Son. He will reckon with
the world--with men for the treatment which His only begotten Son has
received at their hands. We deem it right to press this home upon the
heart and conscience of the reader. How awful the thought of Christ
making intercession _against_ people! How appalling to hear Him
calling upon God for vengeance upon His enemies! How terrible will be
the divine response to the cry of the injured Son!

But let us look at the other side of the picture. Turn to Psalm xxii.,
which presents the blessed One suffering under the hand of God. Here
the result is wholly different. Instead of judgment and vengeance, it
is universal and everlasting blessedness and glory. "I will declare
thy name unto my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I
praise thee. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of
Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.... My
praise shall be of thee in the great congregation; I will pay my vows
before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied; they
shall praise the Lord that seek him; your heart shall live for ever.
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord; and
all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the
kingdom is the Lord's; and he is the governor among the nations.... A
seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a
generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto
a people that shall be born, that he hath done this" (verses 22-31).

These two quotations present, with great distinctness, the two aspects
of the death of Christ. He died, as a martyr, for righteousness, under
the hand of man. For this, man will have to account to God. But He
died, as a victim, for sin, under the hand of God. This is the
foundation of all blessing to those that believe in His name. His
martyr-sufferings bring down wrath and judgment upon a godless world:
His atoning sufferings open up the everlasting well-springs of life
and salvation to the church, to Israel, and to the whole creation. The
death of Jesus consummates the world's guilt; but secures the church's
acceptance. The world is _stained_, and the church _purged_, by the
blood of the cross.

Such is the double bearing of the first of our three great New
Testament facts. Jesus has come and gone--come, because God loved the
world--gone, because the world hated God. If God were to ask the
question--and He will ask it--"What have you done with my Son?" What
is the answer? "We hated Him, cast Him out, and crucified Him. We
preferred a robber to Him."

But, blessed for ever be the God of all grace, the Christian, the true
believer, can look up to heaven and say, "My absent Lord is there, and
there for me. He is gone from this wretched world, and His absence
makes the entire scene around me a moral wilderness--a desolate
waste."

_He is not here._ This stamps the world with a character unmistakable
in the judgment of every loyal heart. The world would not have Jesus.
This is enough. We need not marvel at any tale of horror now. Police
reports, grand jury calendars, the statistics of our cities and towns
need not surprise us. The world that could reject the divine
personification of all human goodness, and accept a robber and a
murderer instead, has proved its moral turpitude to a degree not to be
exceeded. Do we wonder when we discover the hollowness and
heartlessness of the world? Are we surprised when we find out that it
is not to be trusted? If so, it is plain we have not interpreted
aright the absence of our beloved Lord. What does the cross of Christ
prove? That God is love? No doubt. That Christ gave His precious life
to save us from the flames of an everlasting hell? Blessedly true, all
praise to His peerless name! But what does the cross prove as regards
the world? That its guilt is consummated, and its judgment sealed. The
world, in nailing to the cross the One who was perfectly good, proved,
in the most unanswerable manner, that it was perfectly bad. "If I had
not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have
no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I
had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had
not had sin; but now have they both seen and hated both me and my
Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that
is written in their law, They hated me without a cause" (John xv.
22-26).

II. But we must now glance for a moment at our second weighty fact.
God the Holy Ghost has come down to this earth. It is now over
eighteen long centuries since the blessed Spirit descended from
heaven; and He has been here ever since. This is a stupendous fact.
There is a divine Person on this earth; and His presence--like the
absence of Jesus--has a double bearing: it has a bearing upon the
world, and a bearing upon the church--upon the world as a whole, and
upon every man, woman and child therein; upon the church as a whole,
and upon every individual member thereof in particular. As regards the
world, this august witness descended from heaven to convict it of the
terrible crime of rejecting and crucifying the Son of God. As regards
the church, He came as the blessed Comforter, to take the place of the
absent Jesus, and comfort by His presence and ministry the hearts of
His people. Thus, to the world, the Holy Ghost is a powerful
_Convicter_; to the church he is a precious _Comforter_.

A passage or two of holy Scripture will establish these points in the
heart and mind of the pious reader who bows in lowly reverence to the
authority of the divine word. Let us turn to chapter xvi. of John's
Gospel. "But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you
asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things
unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the
truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him
unto you. And when he is come, he will _convict_ (ελεγξει) the world
of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin, because they
believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye
see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is
judged" (verses 5-11).

Again in John xiv. we read, "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And
I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that
he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the
world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:
but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you"
(verses 15-19).

These quotations prove the double bearing of the presence of the Holy
Ghost. We cannot attempt to dwell upon this subject in this brief
introduction; but we trust the reader may be led to study it for
himself, in the light of holy Scripture; and we are persuaded that the
more he thus studies it, the more deeply he will feel its interest
and immense practical importance. Alas! that it should be so little
understood; that Christians should so little see what is involved in
the personal presence of the eternal Spirit, God the Holy Ghost, on
this earth--its solemn consequences as regards the world, and its
precious results as regards the assembly as a whole, and each
individual member in particular.

Oh! that God's people everywhere may be led into a deeper
understanding of these things; that they may consider what is due to
that divine Person who dwells in them and with them; that they may
have a jealous care not to "grieve" Him in their private walk, or
"quench" Him in their public assemblies!

We shall, if God permit, enter, in our next paper, upon the third
fact, which is the immediate subject of the series of papers which we
propose to write, namely: The coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. May God the Spirit open this most glorious subject in living
power and freshness to our souls, so that we may, in truth and
reality, be waiting for God's Son from heaven.


THE FACT ITSELF

In approaching this most glorious subject, we feel that we cannot do
better than to lay before the reader the distinct testimony of holy
Scripture to the broad fact itself, that our Lord Jesus Christ will
come again--that He will leave the place which He now occupies on His
Father's throne, and come in the clouds of heaven, to receive His
people to Himself; to execute judgment upon the wicked; and set up His
own everlasting and universal kingdom.

This fact is as clearly and fully set forth in the New Testament as
either of the other two facts to which we have already referred. It is
as true that the Son of God is coming from heaven, as that He is gone
to heaven, or that the Holy Ghost is still on this earth. If we admit
one fact, we must admit all: and if we deny one, we must deny all;
inasmuch as all rest upon precisely the same authority. They stand or
fall together. Is it true that the Son of God was refused, cast out,
crucified? Is it true that He has gone away into heaven? Is it true
that He is now seated at the right hand of God, crowned with glory and
honor? Is it true that God the Holy Ghost came down to this earth,
fifty days after the resurrection of our Lord; and that He is still
here?

Are these things true? As true as Scripture can make them. Then just
as true is it that our blessed Lord will come again, and set up His
kingdom upon this earth--that He will literally, and actually, and
personally come from heaven, take to Himself His great power and reign
from pole to pole, and from the river to the ends of the earth.

It may perhaps seem strange to some of our readers that we should deem
it needful to undertake the proof of such a plain truth as this; but
be it remembered that we are writing on this subject as though it were
perfectly new to the reader; as if he had never heard of such a thing
as the Lord's second coming; or as if, having heard of it, he still
calls it in question. This must be our apology for handling this
precious theme in so elementary a manner.

Now for our proofs.

When our adorable Lord was about to take leave of His disciples, He
sought, in His infinite grace, to comfort their sorrowing hearts by
words of sweetest tenderness. "Let not your heart be troubled; ye
believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, _I will come
again_, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be
also" (John xiv. 1-3).

Here we may have something most definite. Indeed it is as definite as
it is cheering and consolatory. "I will come again." He does not say,
I will send for you. Still less does He say, "You will come to me
when you die." He says nothing of the kind. To send an angel, or a
legion of angels, would not be the same thing as coming Himself. No
doubt it would be very gracious of Him, and very glorious for us, if a
multitude of the heavenly host were sent, with horses of fire and
chariots of fire, to convey us triumphantly to heaven. But it would
not be the fulfilment of His own sweet promise. And most surely He
will do what He promised to do. He will not say one thing and do
another. He cannot lie or alter His word. And not only this, but it
would not satisfy the love of His heart to send an angel or a host of
angels to fetch us. He will come Himself.

What touching grace shines in all this! If I am expecting a very dear
and valued friend by train, I shall not be satisfied with sending a
servant or an empty cab to meet him; I shall go myself. This is
precisely what our loving Lord means to do. He is gone to heaven; and
His entrance there prepares and defines His people's place. Amid the
many mansions of the Father's house, there would be no place for us if
our Jesus had not gone before; and then, lest there should be in the
heart any feeling of strangeness at the thought of our entrance into
that place, He says, with such sweetness, "I will come again, and
receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also."
Nothing short of this can fulfil the gracious promise of our Lord, or
satisfy the love of His heart.

And be it carefully noted that this promise has no reference whatever
to the death of the individual believer. Who can imagine that, when
our Lord said, "I will come again," He really meant that we should go
to Him through death? How can we presume to take such liberties with
the plain and precious words of our Lord? Surely if He meant to speak
of our going to Him, through death, He could and would have said so.
But He has not said so, because He did not mean so; nor is it possible
that He could say one thing and mean another. His coming for us, and
our going to Him, are totally different things; and being different
ideas, they would have been clothed in different language.

Thus, for example, in the case of the penitent thief on the cross, our
Lord does not speak of coming to fetch him; but He says, "To-day shalt
thou be with me in paradise." We really must remember that Scripture
is as divinely definite as it is divinely inspired, and hence it never
could and it never does confound two things so totally different as
the Lord's coming and the Christian's falling asleep.

It may be well, at this point, to remark that there are but four
passages in the entire New Testament in which allusion is made to the
subject of the Christian passing through the article of death. The
first is that passage in Luke xxiii. already referred to: "To-day
shalt thou be with me in paradise." The second occurs in Acts vii.,
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." The third is that most familiar and
lovely utterance in 2 Corinthians v., "Absent from the body, present
with the Lord." The fourth occurs in that charming first of
Philippians, "Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which
is far better."

These most precious passages make up the sum of Scripture testimony on
the interesting question of the disembodied state. There is a passage
in Revelation xiv. often misapplied to this subject: "Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord _from henceforth_: Yea, saith the Spirit,
that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them."
But this has no application to Christians now, though no doubt all
such who die in the Lord are blessed, and their works do follow them.
The reference, however, is to a time yet future, when the church shall
have left this scene altogether, and other witnesses make their
appearance. In a word, Revelation xiv. 13 bears upon apocalyptic
times, and must be so viewed if we would avoid confusion.

We must now resume our subject, and proceed with our proofs, and in so
doing we shall ask the reader to turn to the first chapter of the Acts
of the Apostles. The blessed Lord had just gone up from this earth,
in the presence of His holy apostles. "And while they looked
steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by him
in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye
gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you
into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven" (verses 10, 11).

This is intensely interesting, and furnishes a most striking proof of
our present thesis. Indeed it is impossible to avoid its force. Alas!
that any should seek or desire to avoid it! From the manner in which
the angelic witnesses speak to the men of Galilee it would seem like
tautology; but, as we well know, there is--there can be--no such thing
in the volume of God. It is, therefore, lovely fulness, divine
completeness, that we see in this testimony. From it we learn that the
self-same Jesus who left this earth, and ascended into heaven, in the
presence of a number of witnesses, shall _so_ come _in like manner as_
they had seen Him go into heaven. How did He go? He went up
personally, literally, actually, the very same person who had just
been conversing familiarly with them--whom they had seen with their
eyes, heard with their ears, handled with their hands--who had eaten
in their presence, and "showed himself alive after his passion by many
infallible proofs." Well then, "He shall so come in like manner."

    "He who with hands uplifted,
      Went from this earth below,
    Shall come again all gifted,
      His blessing to bestow."

And here we may ask--though it be rather anticipating what may come
before us in a future paper--Who saw the blessed Lord as He went up?
Did the world? Nay; not one unconverted, unbelieving person ever laid
his eyes upon our precious Lord from the moment that He was laid in
the tomb. The last sight the world got of Jesus was as He hung on the
cross, a spectacle to angels, men, and devils. The next sight they
will get of Him will be when, like the lightning flash, He shall come
forth to execute judgment, and tread, in terrible vengeance, the
winepress of the wrath of Almighty God. Tremendous thought!

None, therefore, but His own saw the ascending Saviour, as none but
they had seen Him from the moment of His resurrection. He showed
Himself, blessed be His holy name! to those who were dear to His
heart. He assured and comforted, strengthened and encouraged their
souls by these "many infallible proofs" of which the inspired narrator
speaks to us. He led them to the very confines of the unseen world,
just so far as men could go while still in the body; and there He
allowed them to see Him ascending into heaven; and while they gazed
upon this glorious sight He sent the precious testimony home to their
very hearts. "This same Jesus"--no other, no stranger, but the same
loving, sympathizing, gracious, unchanging friend--"whom ye have seen
go into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go
into heaven."

Is it possible for testimony to be more distinct or satisfactory?
Could proof be more clear or conclusive? How can any counter argument
stand for a moment, or any objection be raised? Either those two men
in white apparel were false witnesses, or our Jesus shall come again
in the exact manner in which He went away. There is no middle ground
between those two conclusions. We read in Scripture that, "in the
mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established;" and
therefore in the mouth of two heavenly messengers--two heralds from
the region of light and truth, we have the word established that our
Lord Jesus Christ shall come again in actual bodily form, to be seen
by His own first of all, apart from all others, in the holy intimacy
and profound retirement which characterized His departure from this
world. All this, blessed be God, is wrapped up in the two little words
"_as_" and "_so_."

We cannot attempt, in a brief paper like the present, to adduce all
the proofs which are to be found in the pages of the New Testament. We
have given one from the Gospels and one from the Acts, and we shall
now ask the reader to turn with us to the Epistles. Let us take, for
example, the First Epistle to the Thessalonians. We select this
epistle because it is acknowledged to have been the earliest of Paul's
writings; and further, because it was written to a company of very
young converts. This latter point is valuable, inasmuch as we
sometimes hear it stated that the truth of the Lord's coming is not
suitable to bring before the minds of young believers. That the
Apostle Paul did not think it unsuitable is evident from the fact that
of all the epistles which he wrote not one contains so much about the
Lord's coming as that which he penned for the newly converted
Thessalonians. The fact is, when a soul is converted and brought into
the full light and liberty of the gospel of Christ, it becomes
divinely natural for such a one to look for the Lord's coming. That
most precious truth is an integral part of the gospel. The first
coming and the second coming are most blessedly bound up together by
the divine link of the personal presence of the Holy Ghost in the
church.

On the other hand, where the soul is not established in grace; where
peace and liberty are not enjoyed; where a defective gospel has been
received, there it will be found that the hope of the Lord's coming
will not be cherished, for the simple reason that the soul is, of
necessity, occupied with the question of its own state and prospects.
If I am not certain of my salvation--if I do not know that I have
eternal life--that I am a child of God--I cannot be looking out for
the Lord's return. It is only when we know what Jesus has done for us
at His first coming that we can with bright and holy intelligence look
out for His second coming.

But let us turn to our epistle. Take the following sentences from the
first chapter: "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but
also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.... So
that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia
and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread
abroad; so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves
show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye
turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and _to
wait for his Son from heaven_, whom he raised from the dead, even
Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come" (verses 5-10).

Here we have a fine illustration of the effect of a full clear gospel,
received in simple earnest faith. They turned from idols, to serve the
living and true God, and to wait for His Son. They were actually
converted to the blessed hope of the Lord's coming. It was an integral
part of the gospel which Paul preached; and an integral part of their
faith. Was it a reality to turn from idols? Doubtless. Was it a
reality to serve the living God? Unquestionably. Well then it was just
as real, just as positive, just as simple, their waiting for God's Son
from heaven. If we question the reality of one, we must question the
reality of all, inasmuch as all are bound up together and form a
beauteous cluster of practical Christian truth. If you had asked a
Thessalonian Christian what he was waiting for, what would have been
his reply? Would he have said, "I am waiting for the world to improve
by means of the gospel which I myself have received? or, I am waiting
for the moment of my death when I shall go to be with Jesus?" No. His
reply would have been simply this, "I am waiting for the Son of God
from heaven." This, and nothing else, is the proper hope of the
Christian, the proper hope of the church. To wait for the improvement
of the world is not Christian hope at all. You might as well wait for
the improvement of the flesh, for there is just as much hope of the
one as the other. And as to the article of death--though no doubt it
may intervene--it is never once presented as the true and proper hope
of the Christian. It may, with the fullest confidence, be asserted
that there is not so much as a single passage in the entire New
Testament in which death is spoken of as the hope of the believer;
whereas, on the other hand, the hope of the Lord's coming is bound
up, in the most intimate manner, with all the concerns and
associations and relationships of life, as we may see in the epistle
before us. Thus, if the apostle would refer to the interesting
question of his own personal connection with the beloved saints at
Thessalonica, he says, "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of
rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at
his coming? For ye are our glory and joy."

Again, if he thinks of their progress in holiness and love, he adds,
"And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward
another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you; to the end he
may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our
Father, _at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ_ with all his saints"
(chap. iii. 12, 13).

Finally, if the apostle would seek to comfort the hearts of his
brethren in reference to those who had fallen asleep, how does he do
it? Does he tell them that they should soon follow them? Nay; this
would have been in full keeping with Old Testament times, as David
says of his departed child, "I shall go to him, but he shall not
return to me" (2 Sam. xii. 23). But it is not thus that the Holy Ghost
instructs us in 1 Thessalonians--quite the reverse. "I would not," he
says, "have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if
we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by
the word of the Lord, that [not they which shall be, but] _we_ which
_are_ alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
[come before or take precedence of] them which are asleep. For the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall
rise first. Then _we_ which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with
these words" (chap. iv. 13-18).

It is impossible for any proof to be more simple, direct, and
conclusive than this. The Thessalonian Christians, as we have already
remarked, were converted to the hope of the Lord's return. They were
taught to look out for it daily. It was as much a part of their
Christianity to believe that He _would_ come, as to believe that He
_had_ come and gone. Hence it came to pass that when some of their
number were called to pass through death, they were taken aback; they
had not anticipated this; and they feared lest the departed should
miss the joy of that blissful and longed-for moment of the Lord's
return. The apostle therefore writes to correct their mistake; and, in
so doing, he pours a fresh flood of light upon the whole subject, and
assures them that the dead in Christ--which includes all who had or
shall have fallen asleep; in short, those of Old Testament times as
well as those of the New--should rise first, that is, before the
living are changed, and all shall ascend together to meet their
descending Lord.

We shall have occasion to refer to this remarkable passage again, when
handling other branches of this glorious subject. We merely quote it
here as one of the almost innumerable proofs of the fact that our Lord
will come again, personally, really, and actually; and that His
personal coming is the true and proper hope of the church of God
collectively, and of the believer individually.

We shall close this paper by reminding the Christian reader that he
can never sit down to the table of his Lord without being reminded of
this glorious hope, so long as those words shine on the page of
inspiration, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup,
ye do show the Lord's death till"--when? Till ye die? Nay; but--"_till
he come_" (1 Cor. xi. 26). How precious is this! The table of the Lord
stands between those two marvellous epochs, the cross and the
advent--the death and the glory. The believer can look up from the
table and see the beams of the glory gilding the horizon. It is our
privilege, as we gather, on each Lord's day, round the Lord's table,
to show forth the Lord's death, to be able to say, "This may be the
last occasion of celebrating this precious feast; ere another Lord's
day dawn upon us, He Himself may come." Again we say, How precious is
this!


THE DOUBLE BEARING OF THE FACT

Having, as we trust, fully established, in our last paper, the fact of
the Lord's coming, we have now to place before the reader the double
bearing of that fact--its bearing upon the Lord's people, and its
bearing upon the world. The former is presented, in the New Testament,
as the coming of Christ to receive His people to Himself; the latter
is spoken of as "The day of the Lord"--a term of frequent use also in
Old Testament Scriptures.

These things are never confounded in Scripture, as we shall see when
we come to look at the various passages. Christians do confound them,
and hence it is that we often find "that blessed hope" overcast with
heavy clouds, and associated in the mind with circumstances of terror,
wrath, and judgment, which have nothing whatever to do with the
_coming_ of Christ for His people, but are intimately bound up with
"The _day_ of the Lord."

Let the Christian reader, then, have it settled in his heart, on the
clear authority of holy Scripture, that the grand and specific hope
for him ever to cherish is the coming of Christ for His people. This
hope may be realized this very night. There is nothing whatever to
wait for--no events to transpire amongst the nations--nothing to occur
in the history of Israel--nothing in God's government of the
world--nothing, in short, in any shape or form whatsoever, to
intervene between the heart of the true believer and his heavenly
hope. Christ may come for His people to-night. There is actually
nothing to hinder. No one can tell when He _will_ come; but we can
joyfully say that, at any moment, He _may_ come. And, blessed be His
name, when He does come for us, it will not be with the accompanying
circumstances of terror, wrath, and judgment. It will not be with
blackness and darkness and tempest. These things will accompany "the
day of the Lord," as the Apostle Peter plainly tells the Jews in his
first great sermon, on the day of Pentecost, in which he quotes the
following words from the solemn prophecy of Joel, "And I will show
wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood and
fire and vapor of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and
the moon into blood, before"--what? the coming of the Lord for His
people? Nay; but before "_that great and notable day of the Lord_
come."

When our Lord shall come to receive His people to Himself no eye shall
see Him, no ear shall hear His voice, save His own redeemed and
beloved people. Let us remember the words of the angelic witnesses in
the first of Acts. Who saw the blessed One ascending into the heavens?
None but His own. Well, "He shall so come in like manner as ye have
seen him go into heaven." _As_ was the going, _so_ shall be the
coming, if we are to bow to Scripture. To confound the day of the Lord
with His coming for His church is to overlook the plainest teachings
of Scripture, and to rob the believer of his own true and proper hope.

And here perhaps we cannot do better than to call the attention of the
reader to a very important and interesting passage in the second
Epistle of Peter: "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables
when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty. For he received from
God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him
from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were
with him in the holy mount. We have also the word of prophecy more
sure [or confirmed], whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a
light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the
day-star arise in your hearts" (chap. i. 16-19).

This passage demands the reader's most attentive consideration. It
sets forth, in the clearest possible manner, the distinction between
"the word of prophecy" and the proper hope of the Christian, namely,
"the morning star." We must remember that the great subject of
prophecy is God's government of the world in connection with the seed
of Abraham. "When the Most High divided to the nations their
inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of
the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the
Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance"
(Deut. xxxii. 8, 9).

Here then is the scope and theme of prophecy--Israel and the nations.
A child can understand this. If we range through the prophets, from
the opening of Isaiah to the close of Malachi, we shall not find so
much as a single line about the church of God--its position, its
portion, or its prospects. No doubt the word of prophecy is deeply
interesting, and most profitable for the Christian to study; but it
will be all this just in proportion as he understands its proper scope
and object, and sees how it stands in contrast with his own special
hope. We may fearlessly assert that it is as utterly impossible for
any one to study the Old Testament prophecies aright who does not
clearly see the true place of the church.

We cannot attempt to enter upon the subject of the church in this
brief paper. It has been repeatedly referred to and unfolded
elsewhere, and we can now merely ask the reader to weigh and examine
the statement which we here deliberately make, namely, that there is
not so much as a single syllable about the church of God, the body of
Christ, from cover to cover of the Old Testament. Types, shadows,
illustrations, there are which, now that we have the full-orbed light
of the New Testament, we can see, understand, and appreciate. But it
was not possible for any Old Testament believer to see the great
mystery of Christ and the church, inasmuch as it was not revealed. The
inspired apostle expressly tells us that it was "_hid_," not in the
Old Testament Scriptures, but "in God," as we read in Ephesians iii.,
"And to make all men see what is the fellowship [or rather the
administration] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world
hath been _hid in God_, who created all things by Jesus Christ" (verse
9). So also in Colossians we read, "Even the mystery which _hath been
hid_ from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his
saints" (chap. i. 26).

These two passages establish the truth of our statement beyond all
question, for those who are willing to be governed absolutely by the
authority of holy Scripture; they teach us that the great
mystery--Christ and the church--is not to be found in the Old
Testament. Where have we in the Old Testament a word about Jews and
Gentiles forming one body, and being united by the Holy Ghost to a
living head in heaven? How could such a thing possibly be, so long as
"the middle wall of partition" stood as an insuperable barrier between
the circumcised and the uncircumcised? If one were asked to name a
special feature of the old economy he would at once reply, "The rigid
separation of Jew and Gentile." On the other hand, if he were asked to
name a special feature of the church, or Christianity, he would as
readily reply, "The intimate union of Jew and Gentile in one body." In
short, the two conditions stand in vivid contrast, and it was wholly
impossible that both could hold good at the same time. So long as the
middle wall of partition stood, the truth of the church could not be
revealed; but the death of Christ having thrown down that wall, the
Holy Ghost descended from heaven to form the one body, and link it, by
His presence and indwelling, to the risen and glorified Head in the
heavens. Such is the great mystery of Christ and the church, for which
there could be no less a basis than accomplished redemption.

Now we entreat the reader to examine this matter for himself. Let him
search the Scriptures to see if these things be indeed true. This is
the only way to get at the truth. We must lay aside all our own
thoughts and reasonings, our prejudices and predilections, and come,
like a little child, to the holy Scriptures. In this way we shall
learn the mind of God on this most precious and interesting subject.
We shall find that the church of God, the body of Christ, did not
exist, as a fact, until after the resurrection and ascension of
Christ, and the consequent descent of the Holy Ghost on the day of
Pentecost. And further, we shall find that the full and glorious
doctrine of the church was not brought out until the days of the
Apostle Paul (compare Rom. xvi. 25, 26; Eph. i.-iii.; Col. i. 25-29).
Finally, we shall see that the actual and unmistakable boundary lines
of the church's earthly history are Pentecost (Acts ii.) and the
rapture or taking up of the saints (1 Thess. iv. 13-17).

Thus we reach a position from which we can get a view of the church's
proper hope; and that hope is, most assuredly, "the bright and morning
star." Of this hope the Old Testament prophets utter not a syllable.
They speak largely and clearly of "The day of the Lord"--a day of
judgment upon the world and its ways (see Isaiah ii. 12-22 and
parallel Scriptures). But "the day of the Lord," with all its
attendant circumstances of wrath, judgment, and terror, must never be
confounded with His coming for His people. When our blessed Lord comes
_for_ His people there will be nothing to terrify. He will come in all
the sweetness and tenderness of His love to receive His loved and
redeemed people to Himself. He will come to finish up the precious
story of His grace. "To them that look for Him shall He appear
(οφθησεται) the second time, without [that is, apart from all question
of] sin, unto salvation" (Heb. ix).[24] He will come as a bridegroom
to receive the bride; and when He thus comes none but His own shall
hear His voice or see His face. If He were to come this very night for
His people--and He may, for aught we know--if the voice of the
archangel and the trump of God were to be heard to-night, then all the
dead in Christ--all who have been laid to sleep by Jesus--all the
saints of God, both those of old Testament and New Testament times,
who lie sleeping in our cemeteries and graveyards, or in the ocean's
depths--all these would rise from their temporary sleep. All the
living saints would be changed in a moment, and all would be caught up
to meet their descending Lord, and return with Him to the Father's
house (John xiv. 3; 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17; 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52).

  [24] The clause "Them that look for him" refers to all believers. It
  does not mean, as some suppose, those only who hold the truth of the
  Lord's second coming. This would make our place with Christ at His
  coming dependent upon knowledge, instead of upon our union with Him by
  the presence and power of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of God, in the
  above passage, most graciously takes for granted that all God's people
  are looking, in some way or another, for the precious Saviour; and
  verily so they are. They may not see eye to eye as to all the details.
  They may not all enjoy equal clearness of view or depth and fulness of
  apprehension; but, most surely, they would all be glad at any moment
  to see the One who loved them and gave Himself for them.

This is what is meant by the rapture or catching up of the saints, and
has nothing to do directly with Israel or the nations. It is the
distinct and only proper hope of the church; and there is not so much
as a single hint of it in the entire Old Testament. If any one asserts
that there is, let him produce it. If there be such a thing, nothing
is easier than to furnish it. We solemnly and deliberately declare
there is no such thing. For all that respects the church--its
standing, its calling, its portion, its prospects--we must turn to the
pages of the New Testament, and, of those pages, mainly the Epistles
of Paul. To confound "the word of prophecy" with the hope of the
church is to damage the truth of God, and mislead the souls of His
people. That the enemy has succeeded in doing all this, throughout the
length and breadth of the professing church, is, alas! too true. And
hence it is that so very few Christians have really Scriptural
thoughts about the coming of their Lord. They are looking into
prophecy for the church's hope--they confound "the Sun of
righteousness" with "the Morning Star"--they mix up the coming of
Christ _for_ His people, and His coming _with_ them--they make His
"coming" or "state of presence" to be identical with His "appearing"
or "manifestation."

All this is a most serious mistake, against which we desire to warn
our readers. When Christ comes with His people, "every eye shall see
him." When He is manifested, His people will be manifested also. "When
Christ our life shall appear [or be manifested], then shall ye also
appear with him in glory" (Col. iii. 4). When Christ comes to execute
judgment, His saints come with Him. "Behold, the Lord cometh _with_
ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all" (Jude 14,
15). So also in Revelation xix., the rider on the white horse is
followed by the armies in heaven upon white horses, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean. These armies are not angels, but saints; for
we do not read of angels being clothed in white linen, which is
expressly declared, in this very chapter, to be "the righteousness of
saints" (verse 8).

Now, it is most evident that, if the saints accompany their Lord when
He comes in judgment, they must be with Him previously. The fact of
their going to Him is not presented in the book of Revelation, unless
it be involved--as we doubt not it is--in the catching up of the man
child, in chapter xii. The man child is, most surely, Christ; and
inasmuch as Christ and His people are indissolubly joined in one, they
are most completely identified with Him, blessed for ever be His holy
and precious name!

But, clearly, it does not at all lie within the scope of the book of
Revelation to give us the coming of Christ _for_ His people, or their
being caught up to meet Him in the air, or their return to the
Father's house. For these blessed events or facts, we must look
elsewhere, as, for example, in John xiv. 3; 1 Corinthians xv. 23, 51,
52; 1 Thessalonians iv. 14-17. Let the reader ponder these three
passages. Let him drink into his very soul their clear and precious
teaching. There is nothing difficult about them, no obscurity, no mist
or vagueness whatever. A babe in Christ can understand them. They set
forth, in the clearest and simplest possible manner, the true
Christian hope, which--we repeat it emphatically, and urge it upon the
reader as the direct and positive teaching of holy Scripture--is the
coming of Christ to receive His people, all His people, to Himself, to
take them back with Him to His Father's house, there to remain with
Him, while God deals governmentally with Israel and the nations, and
prepares the way, by His judicial actings, for bringing in the
First-begotten into the world.

Now, if it be asked, "Why have we not the coming of Christ for His
people in the book of Revelation?" Because that book is pre-eminently
a book of judgment--a governmental, judicial book, at least from
chapter i.-xx. Hence even the church is presented as under judgment.
We do not see the church in chapters ii. and iii. as the body or the
bride of Christ; but as a responsible witness on the earth, whose
condition is being carefully examined and rigidly judged by Him who
walks amongst the candlesticks.

It would not, therefore, comport with the character or object of this
book to introduce, directly, the rapture of the saints. It shows us
the church on the earth, in the place of responsibility. This it gives
us, in chapters ii. and iii., under the head of "the things that are."
But from that to chapter xix. there is not a single syllable about the
church on earth. The plain fact is, the church will not be on earth
during that solemn period. She will be with her Head and Lord, in the
divine retirement of the Father's house. The redeemed are seen in
heaven, under the title of the twenty-four crowned elders, in chapters
iv., v. There, blessed be God, they will be, while the seals are being
opened, the trumpets sounded, and the vials poured out. To think of
the church as being on the earth, from Revelation vi.-xviii.--to place
her amid the apocalyptic judgments--to pass her through "the great
tribulation"--to subject her to "the hour of temptation which shall
come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth"--would
be to falsify her position, to rob her of her chartered privileges,
and to contradict the clear and positive promise of her Lord.[25]

  [25] We shall have occasion, in a future paper, to show that, after the
  church has been removed to heaven, the Spirit of God will act both
  among the Jews, and also among the Gentiles. See Revelation vii.

No, no, beloved Christian reader; let no man deceive you, by any
means. The church is seen on earth in Revelation ii., iii. She is seen
in heaven, together with the Old Testament saints, in chapters iv., v.
We are not told, in the Revelation, how she gets there; but we see her
there, in high communion and holy worship; and then, in chapter xix.,
the rider on the white horse comes forth, _with_ His saints, to
execute judgment upon the beast and the false prophet--to put down
every enemy and every evil, and to reign over the whole earth for the
blissful period of a thousand years.

Such is the plain teaching of the New Testament, to which we earnestly
invite the attention of our readers. And let no one suppose that our
object is to find an easy path for Christians in thus teaching, as we
do most emphatically, that the church will not be in "the great
tribulation"--will not come into "the hour of temptation." Nothing of
the kind. The fact is, the true and normal condition of the church,
and therefore of the individual Christian, in this world, is
tribulation. So says our Lord: "In the world ye shall have
tribulation." And again, "We glory in tribulation."

It cannot, therefore, be a question of avoiding that which is our
appointed portion in this world, if only we are true to Christ. But
the fact is, that the entire truth of the church's position and
prospect is involved in this question, and this is our reason for
urging it so upon the prayerful attention of our readers.

The great object of the enemy is to drag down the church of God to an
earthly level--to set Christians entirely astray as to their divinely
appointed hope--to lead them to confound things which God has made to
differ, to occupy them with earthly things--to cause them to so mix up
the _coming_ of Christ for His people with His _appearing_ in
judgment upon the world, that they may not be able to cultivate those
bridal affections and heavenly aspirations which become them as
members of the body of Christ. He would fain have them looking out for
various earthly events to come between them and their own proper hope,
in order that they may not be--as God would have them--ever on the
very tip-toe of expectation, looking out, with ardent desire, for the
appearing of "the bright and morning Star."

Well doth the enemy know what he is about; and surely we ought not to
be ignorant of his devices, but rather give ourselves to the study of
the word of God, and thus learn, as we most surely shall, "the double
bearing" of the glorious fact of the Lord's coming.


"THE COMING" AND "THE DAY."

We must now ask the reader to turn with us for a little to the two
epistles to the Thessalonians. As we have already remarked, these
Christians were converted to the blessed hope of the Lord's return.
They were taught to look for Him day by day. It was not merely the
doctrine of the advent received and held in the mind, but a divine
Person constantly expected by hearts that had learnt to love Him and
long for His coming.

But, as we can easily imagine, the Thessalonian Christians were
ignorant of many things connected with this blessed hope. The apostle
had been "_taken_ from them for a short time, in presence, not in
heart." He had not been allowed to remain long enough amongst them to
instruct them in the details of the subject of their hope. They knew
that Jesus was to return--that self-same blessed One who had
graciously delivered them from the wrath to come. But as to any
distinction between His coming _for_ His people and coming _with_
them--between His "state of presence" and His "appearing"--His
"coming" and His "day," they were, at first, wholly ignorant.

Hence, as might be expected, they fell into various errors and
mistakes. It is wonderful how speedily the human mind wanders away
into the wildest and grossest confusion and error. We need to be
guarded on all sides by the pure, solid, all-adjusting truth of God.
We must have our souls evenly balanced by divine revelation, else we
are sure to plunge into all manner of false and foolish notions. Thus
some of the Thessalonians conceived the idea of giving up their honest
callings. They ceased to labor with their hands, and went about idle.

This was a great mistake. Even though we were perfectly certain that
our Lord would come this very night, it would be no reason why we
should not, most diligently and faithfully, attend to our daily round
of duty, and do all that devolved upon us in that particular sphere in
which His good hand has placed us. So far from this, the very fact of
expecting the blessed Master would strengthen our desire to have
everything done as it ought to be up to the very moment of His return,
so that not so much as a single righteous claim should be left
neglected. In point of fact, the hope of the Lord's speedy return,
when held in power in the soul, is most sanctifying, purifying, and
adjusting in its influence upon Christian life, conduct, and
character. We know, alas! that even this most glorious truth may be
held in the region of the understanding, and flippantly professed with
the lips, while the heart and the life, the course, conduct, and
character, remain wholly unaffected by it. But we are expressly taught
by the inspired Apostle John, that "every man that hath this hope in
him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John iii. 3). And, most
surely, this "purifying" embraces all that which goes to make up our
whole practical life, from day to day.

But there was another grave mistake into which those dear
Thessalonians fell, and out of which the blessed apostle, like a true
and faithful pastor, sought to recover them. They imagined that their
departed Christian friends would not have part in the joy of the
Lord's return. They feared that they would fail to participate in
that blissful and longed-for moment.

Now while it is quite true that this very mistake proves how vividly
these Christians realized their blessed hope, still it was a mistake,
and needed to be corrected. But let us carefully note the correction:
"I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which
sleep in Jesus [or are laid to sleep by Jesus] will God bring with
him."

Mark this. He does not seek to comfort these sorrowing friends by the
assurance that they should, ere long, follow the departed. Quite the
reverse. He assures them that Jesus would bring the departed back with
Him. This is plain and distinct, and founded upon the great fact that
"Jesus died for us and rose again."

But the apostle does not stop here, but goes on to pour a flood of
fresh light upon the understanding of His dear children in the faith.
"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent [or
precede] them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with
the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first [that is,
before the living are changed]. Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in [the] clouds, to meet the
Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore
comfort one another with these words."

Here, then, we have presented to us what is commonly spoken of amongst
us as the rapture of the saints--a most glorious, soul-stirring, and
enrapturing theme surely--the brightest hope of the church of God, and
of the individual believer. The Lord _Himself_ shall descend from
heaven with a summons designed only for the ears and the hearts of His
own. Not one uncircumcised ear shall hear--not one unrenewed heart be
moved by, that heavenly voice, that divine trumpet call. The dead in
Christ, including, as we believe, the Old Testament saints, as well
as those of the New, who shall have departed in the faith of
Christ--all those shall hear the blessed sound, and come forth from
their sleeping places. All the living saints shall hear it, and be
changed in a moment. And oh! what a change! The poor crumbling
tabernacle of clay exchanged for a glorified body, like unto the body
of Jesus.

Look at yonder bent and withered frame--that body racked with pain,
and worn out with years of acute suffering. It is the body of a saint.
How humiliating to see it like that! Yes; but wait a little. Let but
the trumpet sound, and in one moment that poor crushed and withered
frame shall be changed, and made like to the glorified body of the
descending Lord.

And there, in yonder lunatic asylum, is a poor lunatic. He has been
there for years. He is a saint of God. How mysterious! True; we cannot
fathom the mystery; it lies beyond our present narrow range. But so it
is; that poor lunatic is a saint of God, an heir of glory. He too
shall hear the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, and leave
his lunacy behind him for ever, while he mounts into the heavens, in
his glorified body, to meet his descending Lord.

Oh! reader, what a brilliant moment! How many sick chambers and beds
of languishing shall be vacant then! What marvellous changes shall
then take place! How the heart bounds at the thought, and longs to
sing, in full chorus, that lovely hymn,

    "Christ, the Lord, will come again,
    None shall wait for Him in vain;
    I shall then His glory see:
    Christ will come and call for me.

    "Then, when the archangel's voice
    Calls the sleeping saints to rise,
    Rising millions shall proclaim
    Blessings on the Saviour's name.

    "'This is our redeeming God!'
    Ransomed hosts will shout aloud:
    Praise, eternal praise, be given.
    To the Lord of earth and heaven!"

Amen and amen!

How glorious the thought of those "rising millions!" How truly
delightful to be amongst them! How precious the hope of seeing that
blessed One who loveth us and who gave Himself for us! Such is the
hope of the Christian, a hope concerning which there is not a single
line from cover to cover of the Old Testament. "The word of prophecy"
is of all importance. We do well to take heed to it. It is an
unspeakable mercy for those who find themselves in a dark place to
have a bright lamp to cast its light athwart the gloom. But let the
Christian bear in mind that what he wants is to have "the day star
arising in his heart;" in other words, to have his whole heart
governed by the hope of seeing Jesus as the bright and morning Star.
When the heart is thus filled and ruled by the proper Christian hope,
then the eye can intelligently scan the prophetic chart: it can take
in the whole field of prophecy as our God has graciously opened it
before us, and find interest and profit in every page and in every
line. But, on the other hand, we may rest assured that the man who
looks into prophecy in order to find the church or its hope there has
his face turned the wrong way. He will find "the Jew" there, and
"Gentile" there, but not "the church of God." We earnestly trust that
not one of our readers will fail to lay hold of this fact--a fact, we
may safely say, of the very deepest moment.

But it will perhaps be asked, "Of what use, then, is prophecy? If
indeed it be true that we cannot find aught about the church on the
prophetic page, of what possible use can it be to Christians? Why
should we be told to take heed to it if it does not immediately
concern us?" We reply, Is nothing of any value to us save what
immediately concerns ourselves? Shall we take no interest in anything
unless we ourselves form the immediate subject thereof? Is it nothing
to us to have the counsels and purposes and plans of God laid open
before us? Do we lightly esteem the high favor of having the thoughts
of God communicated to us in His holy word of prophecy? Surely it was
not thus that Abraham treated the divine communications made to him
in Genesis xviii.: "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?"
And what was that thing? Did it immediately concern Abraham? Not at
all. It concerned Sodom and the neighboring cities, and Abraham had no
stake in them. But did that prevent his interest in the divine
communication. Did it hinder his appreciation of the mark of special
favor in his being made the honored and trusted depository of the
thoughts of God? Surely not. We may safely assert that the faithful
patriarch highly esteemed the privilege conferred upon him.

And so should we. We should study prophecy with all the interest
arising from the fact that therein we have unfolded to us, with divine
precision, what God is about to do on this earth with Israel and with
the nations. Prophecy is God's history of the future; and just in
proportion as we love Him shall we delight to study His history; not
indeed, as some have said, that we may know its truth by its
fulfilment, but that we may possess all that absolute, that divine
certainty as to the future which God's word is capable of imparting.
Nothing can be more absurd, in the judgment of faith, than to suppose
that we must wait until the accomplishment of a prophecy to know that
it is true. What an insult offered--unwittingly, no doubt--to the
peerless revelation of our God.

But we must now turn, for a moment, to the solemn subject of "The Day
of the Lord." This is a term of frequent occurrence in Old Testament
Scriptures. We cannot attempt to quote all the passages; but we shall
refer to one or two, and then the reader can follow up the subject for
himself.

In Isaiah ii. we read, "For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon
every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted
up, and he shall be brought low.... And the loftiness of man shall be
bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord
alone shall be exalted _in that day_. And the idols he shall utterly
abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the
caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his
majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth."

So also in Joel ii. "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm
in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for
the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand. A day of darkness
and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the
morning spread upon the mountains; a great people and a strong; there
has not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even
to the years of many generations; ... the earth shall quake before
them; the heavens shall tremble; the sun and the moon shall be dark,
and the stars shall withdraw their shining; ... for the day of the
Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?"

From these and similar passages, we learn that "the day of the Lord"
stands associated with the deeply solemn thought of judgment upon the
world--upon apostate Israel--upon man and his ways--upon all that
which the human heart prizes and longs after. In short, the day of the
Lord stands in striking contrast with man's day. Man has the upper
hand now, the Lord will have the upper hand then.

Now, while it is perfectly true that all the Lord's people can rejoice
in the prospect of that day, which, though it will open in judgment
upon the world, shall, nevertheless, be marked by the universal reign
of righteousness; yet we must remember that the peculiar hope of the
Christian is not the day with its awful accompaniments of judgment,
wrath, and terror; but the coming or presence of Jesus, with its
precious accompaniments of peace and joy, love and glory. The church
shall have met her Lord, and returned with Him to the Father's house,
before that terrible day bursts upon the world. It will be her
blissful portion to taste the ineffable communion of that heavenly
home, for an indefinite period previous to the opening of the day of
the Lord. Her eyes shall be gladdened by the sight of "the bright and
morning Star," long before even "the Sun of righteousness" shall
arise, in healing virtue, upon the pious portion of the nation of
Israel--the God-fearing remnant of the seed of Abraham.

We are intensely anxious that the Christian reader should thoroughly
enter into this grand and important distinction. We feel persuaded
that it will have an immense effect upon all his thoughts and views
and hopes of the future. It will enable him to see, without a single
intervening cloud, his true prospect as a Christian. It will deliver
him from all mist, vagueness, and confusion; and further, it will
divest his mind of all that feeling of dread with which so many even
of the Lord's dear people contemplate the future. It will teach him to
look for the Saviour--the blessed Bridegroom--the everlasting Lover of
his soul, and not for judgments and terror, eclipses and earthquakes,
convulsions and revolutions, it will keep his spirit tranquil and
happy, in the sure and certain hope of being with Jesus, ere that
great and terrible day of the Lord come.

See how the faithful apostle labored to lead his dear Thessalonian
converts into the clear understanding of the difference of "the
coming" and "the day."

"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I
write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord
so cometh as a thief in the night. For when _they_ [not ye] shall say,
Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail
upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren,
are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye
are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not
of the night, nor of darkness"--The Lord be praised!--"Therefore let
us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they
that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that are drunken, are drunken
in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the
breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of
salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we
wake or sleep [that is, are dead or alive] we should live together
with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another,
even as also ye do" (1 Thessalonians v. 1-11).

Here we have the distinction set forth with unmistakable clearness.
The Lord Himself shall come for us as the Bridegroom. The day of the
Lord shall come upon the world as a thief. Is it possible for contrast
to be more striking? How can any one confound these two things? They
are as distinct as any two things can be. A bridegroom and a thief are
surely two different things; and just as different are the coming of
the Lord for His waiting people and the coming of His day upon a
slumbering or intoxicated world.

Some perhaps may find a difficulty in the fact that the church in
Sardis is addressed in such solemn words as these, "If therefore thou
shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not
know what hour I will come upon thee" (Rev. iii. 3). The difficulty
will vanish when we reflect that, in the case of Sardis, the
professing body is looked upon as having a mere name to live while
dead. It has sunk to the level of the world, and can only see things
from the world's standpoint. The church has failed utterly; it has
fallen from its high and holy position; it is under judgment; it
cannot therefore be cheered by the church's proper hope; but is
threatened by the world's terrible doom. We do not see the church here
as the body or bride of Christ, but as the responsible witness for God
on the earth--the golden candlestick which ought to have held forth
the divine light of testimony in this dark world, in the absence of
her Lord. But alas! the professing church has sunk lower and become
darker than even the world itself. Hence the solemn threatening. The
exception confirms the rule.

We shall proceed with this subject as presented in 2 Thessalonians.

It is a fact full of the richest comfort and consolation to the heart
of a true believer, that our God, in His marvellous grace, ever makes
the eater to yield meat, and the strong, sweetness. He brings light
out of darkness, life out of death, and causes the bright beams of His
glory to shine amid the most disastrous ruin caused by the enemy's
hand. The truth of this is illustrated on every page of the inspired
volume, and it should fill our hearts with peace and our mouths with
praise.

Hence it is that the varied doctrinal errors and practical evils, into
which the early Christians were permitted to fall, have been overruled
of God, and used for the instruction, guidance, and solid profit of
the church to the close of her earthly history.

Thus, for example, the error of the Thessalonian Christians in
reference to their departed brethren was made the occasion of pouring
such a flood of divine light upon the Lord's coming, and upon the
rapture of the saints, that it is impossible for any simple mind that
bows to Scripture ever to fall into a similar mistake. They looked for
the Lord to come, and in that they were right. They expected Him to
set up His kingdom on the earth, and in that they were right, as to
the broad fact.

But they made a great mistake in leaving out the heavenly side of this
glorious hope. Their intelligence was defective--their faith lacking.
They did not see the two parts--the double bearing of the advent of
Christ--His descent into the air to receive His people to Himself, and
His appearing in glory to set up His kingdom in manifested power.
Hence they feared that their departed brethren would necessarily be
absent from the sphere of blessing--the circle of glory. This mistake
is divinely corrected, as we have seen, in the first epistle, chapter
iv. The heavenly side of the hope--the Christian's proper portion--is
placed before the heart as the true corrective for the error in
reference to the sleeping saints. Christ will gather all (and not
merely part of) His people to Himself; and if there is to be any
advantage--a shade of difference in the matter--it will be on the side
of those very people about whom they were mourning. "The dead in
Christ shall rise first."

But from the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians we learn that those
dear young converts had been led into another grave error--an error,
not as to the dead, but as to the living--a mistake, not respecting
"the coming," but respecting "the day of the Lord." In the one case
they feared that the dead would not participate in thy blissful
triumph of "the coming;" and in the other case they feared that the
living were actually, at the very moment, involved in the terrors of
the day.

Such is the mistake with which the inspired apostle deals in his
second letter to the Thessalonian believers; and nothing can exceed
the tenderness and delicacy, and yet withal the wisdom and
faithfulness of his dealing.

The Christians at Thessalonica were passing through intense
persecution and tribulation; and it is very evident that the enemy, by
means of false teachers, sought to upset their minds, by leading them
to think that "the great and terrible day of the Lord" had actually
arrived, and that the troubles through which they were passing were
the accompaniments of that day. If this were so the entire teaching of
the apostle was proved false; for if there was one truth that shone
forth more brightly and prominently in his teaching than another, it
was the association and identification of believers with Christ--an
association so intimate, an identification so close, that it was
impossible for Christ to appear in glory without His people. "When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
him in glory." But He must appear in order to introduce "the day."

Furthermore, when the day of the Lord does actually arrive it will not
be to trouble His people, but, on the contrary, to trouble their
persecutors. Of this the apostle reminds them, in the most simple,
forcible manner, in his very opening lines: "We are bound to thank God
always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith
groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward
each other aboundeth, so that we ourselves glory in you in the
churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions
and tribulations that ye endure: which is a manifest token of the
righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the
kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: seeing _it is a righteous
thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and
to you who are troubled rest with us_, when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking
vengeance on them that know not God [Gentiles], and that obey not the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ [Jews]" (chapter i. 3-8).

Thus, not only was the Christian position involved in this matter, but
the very glory of God--His actual righteousness. If, indeed, the day
of the Lord brought tribulation to Christians, then was there no truth
in the doctrine--the grand prominent doctrine of Paul's teaching--that
Christ and His people are one; and moreover it would impugn the
righteousness of God. In short, then, if Christians were in
tribulation, it was morally impossible that the day of the Lord could
have set in, for when that day comes, it will be rest for believers,
as their public recompense, in the kingdom--not merely in the Father's
house; which is not the point here. The tables will be completely
turned. The church will be in rest, the church's troublers in
tribulation. During man's day, the church is called to tribulation;
but in the day of the Lord all will be reversed.

Let the reader note this carefully. It is not the question of
Christians suffering tribulation. They are actually called to it in
this world, so long as wickedness has the upper hand. Christ suffered,
and so must they. But the point we want to fasten upon the mind and
heart of the Christian is, that when Christ comes to set up His
kingdom, it is utterly impossible that His people can be in trouble.
Thus the entire teaching of the enemy, by which he sought to upset the
Thessalonian believers, was proved to be utterly fallacious. The
apostle sweeps away the very foundation of the whole fabric by the
simple statement of the precious truth of God. This is the divine way
of delivering people from false notions and vain fears. Give them the
truth, and error must flee before it. Let in the sunshine of God's
eternal word, and all the mists and clouds of false doctrine must be
rolled away.

But let us, for a moment, examine the further teaching of our apostle,
in this remarkable writing. In so doing, we shall see how thoroughly
he establishes the distinction between "the coming" and "the day"--a
distinction which the reader will do well to ponder.

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by [or on the ground of] the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him, that ye be
not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by
word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of the Lord is
present."[26]

  [26] We have no pretensions whatever to scholarship; we are merely
  gleaners in the deeply interesting field of criticism in which others
  have reaped a golden harvest. We do not mean to occupy our readers
  with arguments in defence of readings given in the text; but we feel
  that there is no use in giving them what we consider to be erroneous.
  We believe there is no doubt whatever that the true reading of 2
  Thessalonians ii. is as we have given it above, "as that the day of
  the Lord is present." The word ενεστηκεν can only be thus rendered.
  It occurs in Romans viii. 38, where it is translated "things _present_."
  So also in 1 Corinthians iii. 22, "things _present_;" chapter vii. 25,
  "_present_ distress;" Galatians i. 4, "_present_ evil world;" Hebrews
  ix. 9, "time then _present_."

Now, apart altogether from the question of various readings, a
moment's reflection will suffice to show the simple minded Christian
that the apostle could not possibly mean to teach the Thessalonians
that the day of the Lord was not, even then, at hand. Scripture can
never contradict itself. No one sentence of divine revelation can
possibly collide with another. But if the reading given in our
excellent Authorized Version were correct, it would stand in direct
opposition to Romans xiii. 12, where we are plainly and expressly told
that "the day is at hand." What "day?" The day of the Lord, most
surely, which is always the term used in connection with our
individual responsibility in walk and service.

This, we may remark in passing, is a point of much interest and
practical value. If the reader will take the trouble to examine the
various passages in which "the day" is spoken of, he will find that
they have reference, more or less, to the question of work, service or
responsibility. For instance, "That ye may be blameless [not at the
_coming_, but] in the _day_ of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. i. 8).
Again, "Every man's work shall be made manifest, for the _day_ shall
declare it" (1 Cor. iii. 13). "Without offence till the day of Christ"
(Phil. i. 10). "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
_that day_" (2 Timothy iv. 8).

From all these passages, and many more which might be adduced, we
learn that "the day of the Lord" will be the grand time for reckoning
with the workers; for the divine appraisal of service; for the
settling of all questions of personal responsibility; for the
distribution of rewards--the "ten cities" and the "five cities."

Thus, wherever we turn, in whatever way we look at the subject, we are
more and more confirmed in the truth of the clear distinction between
our Lord's "coming," or "state of presence," and His "appearing," or
"day." The former is ever held up before the heart as the bright and
blessed hope of the believer, which may be realized at any moment. The
latter is pressed rather upon the conscience, in deep solemnity, as
bearing upon the entire practical career of those who are set in this
world to work and witness for an absent Lord. Scripture never
confounds these things, however much we may do it; nor is there a
single sentence from cover to cover of the holy volume which teaches
that believers are not always to be looking out for the coming of the
Lord, and eager to bear in mind that "the day is at hand." It is only
"that evil servant"--referred to in our Lord's discourse in Matthew
xxiv.--that "says in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming;" and
there we see the terrible results which must ever flow from the
harboring of such a thought in the heart.

We shall now return for a moment to 2 Thessalonians ii.--a passage of
Scripture which has given rise to much discussion amongst prophetic
expositors, and presented considerable difficulty to the students of
prophecy.

It is very evident that the false teachers had been seeking to disturb
the minds of the Thessalonians by leading them to think that they
were, even then, surrounded by the terrors of the day of the Lord. Not
so, says the apostle; that cannot be. Before ever that day opens we
must all be gathered to meet the Lord in the air. He beseeches them,
on the ground (υπερ) of the Lord's coming and our gathering together
unto Him, not to be troubled about the day. He had already opened to
them the heavenly side of the Lord's coming. He had taught them that
they, as Christians, belonged to the day; that their home and their
portion and their hope were all in that very region from which the day
was to shine out. It was wholly impossible, therefore, that the day of
the Lord could involve any terror or trouble to those who were
actually, through grace, the sons of the day.

But, further, even in looking at the subject from the earthly side of
it, the false teachers were all wrong. "Let no man deceive you by any
means: for [that day shall not come] except there come a falling away
first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who
opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God. Remember ye not that when I was with you I
told you these things. And now ye know what withholdeth that he might
be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already
work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the
way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall
consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming [or the appearing of his presence]. Even him
whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs
and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in
them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved" (verses 3-10).

Here, then, we are taught that ere the day of the Lord arrives, the
lawless one, the man of sin, the son of perdition, must be revealed.
The mystery of iniquity must rise to a head. Man shall set himself up
in open opposition to God, nay, shall even assume to himself the name
and the worship of God. All this has to be developed on the earth
before that great and terrible day of the Lord shall burst in judgment
upon the scene. For the present there is a barrier, a hindrance to the
manifestation of this awful personage. We are not told here what this
barrier or hindrance is. God may vary it at different times.[27] But we
learn, most distinctly, from the book of Revelation that ere the
mystery of iniquity culminates in the person of the man of sin, the
church shall have been removed from this scene altogether. It is
impossible to read, with an enlightened eye, Revelation iv., v. and
not see that the church shall be in the very innermost circle of
heavenly glory ere a single seal is opened, a single trumpet sounded,
a single vial poured out. We do not believe that any one can
understand the book of the Apocalypse who does not see this.

  [27] Some have considered that the hinderer or hindrance was the Roman
  empire; others that it is the Holy Ghost in the church. To this latter
  we have inclined for many years, though it may be there is a measure
  of truth in the former. This, at least, we know from other parts of
  Scripture, that ere the lawless one appears on the scene, the church
  will have been safely and blessedly housed in her own eternal home
  above--her prepared place. How precious the thought of this!

We may have occasion to go more freely into this profoundly
interesting point by-and-by. We can only now entreat the reader to
study the subject for himself. Let him ponder Revelation iv., v., and
ask God to interpret their precious contents to his soul. In this way
we feel persuaded that he will learn that the twenty-four crowned
elders set forth the heavenly saints, who shall be gathered round the
Lamb, in glory, before a single line of the prophetic portion of the
book is fulfilled.

And here we must close this paper; but ere doing so we should like to
put a very plain question to the reader--a question which can only be
answered rightly in the immediate presence of God. It is this, What
is it thou art looking for? What is thy hope? Art thou looking forward
to certain events which are to transpire on this earth, such as the
revival of the Roman empire, the development of the ten kingdoms; the
gathering back of the Jews to their own land of Palestine; the
rebuilding of Jerusalem; the appearance of Antichrist; the great
tribulation; and finally, the appalling judgments which shall, most
surely, usher in the day of the Lord?

Say, beloved friend, are these the things which fill the vision of thy
soul? Is it for these thou art looking and waiting? If so, be assured
of it thou art not governed by the church's proper hope. It is quite
true that all these things which we have named shall come to pass in
their appointed time; but not one of them should be allowed to come
between thee and thy proper hope. They all stand on the prophetic
page: they are all recorded in God's history of the future; but they
were never intended to cast a shadow athwart the Christian's bright
and blessed hope. That hope stands forth in glorious relief from the
background of prophecy. What is it? Yes, we again say, what is it? It
is the appearing of the bright and morning Star--the coming of the
Lord Jesus, the blessed Bridegroom of the church.

This, and naught else, is the true and proper hope of the church of
God. "I will give him the morning star" (Rev. ii. 23). "Behold the
bridegroom cometh" (Matt. xxv.). When, we may ask, does the morning
star appear in the natural world? Just before the dawning of the day.
Who sees it? The one who has been watching during the dark and dreary
hours of the night. How plain, how practical, how telling the
application? The church is supposed to be watching--to be lovingly
wakeful--to be looking out--to be putting forth that inquiry of the
intensely longing heart, "Why tarry the wheels of his chariot?" Alas!
the church has failed in this. But that is no reason why the
individual believer should not be in the full present power of the
blessed hope. "Let _him_ that heareth say, Come." This is deeply
personal. Oh! that the writer and the reader of these lines may
realize habitually the purifying, sanctifying, elevating power of this
heavenly hope! May we understand and exhibit the practical power of
those words of the apostle John, "Every man that hath this hope in him
purifieth himself, even as he is pure."


THE TWO RESURRECTIONS

It may be that some of our readers will feel startled by the title of
this paper. Accustomed, from their earliest days, to look at this
great question through the medium of Christendom's standards of
doctrine and confessions of faith, the idea of two resurrections has
never once entered their minds. Nevertheless Scripture does speak, in
the most distinct and unequivocal terms, of a "resurrection of life,"
and a "resurrection of judgment"--two resurrections, distinct in
character, and distinct in time.

And not only so, but it informs us that there will be at least a
thousand years between the two. If men teach otherwise--if they build
up systems of divinity, and set forth creeds and confessions of faith
contrary to the direct and positive teaching of holy Scripture, they
must settle that with their Lord, as must all who commit themselves to
their guidance. But remember, reader, it is your bounden duty and ours
to hearken only to the authority of the word of God, and to bow down,
in unqualified submission, to its holy teaching.

Let us, then, reverently inquire, what saith the Scripture on the
subject indicated at the head of this article? May God the Spirit
guide and instruct!

We shall first quote that remarkable passage in chapter v. of John's
Gospel: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not
come into judgment; but is passed from death unto life. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall
live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the
Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute
judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this; for
the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear
his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of judgment."[28]

  [28] The English reader should be informed that, in the entire passage,
  John v. 22-26, the words "judgment," "condemnation," "damnation," are
  all expressed by the same word in the original, and that word is
  simply "judgment," κρισις, the process, not the result. It
  is much to be deplored that our Authorized Version should not have so
  rendered the word throughout. It would have made the teaching of the
  passage so very much clearer. It is with extreme reluctance that we
  ever venture to touch our unrivalled English Bible, but it is, at
  times, absolutely necessary for the truth's sake, and for the sake of
  our readers. As to the rendering of verse 24, it really comes to the
  same thing whether we say "condemnation" or "judgment," inasmuch as if
  there be judgment at all, its issue must be condemnation. But why not
  be accurate?

Here, then, we have, indicated in the most unmistakable terms, the two
resurrections. True, they are not distinguished as to time, in this
passage; but they are as to character. We have a _life_ resurrection;
and a _judgment_ resurrection, and nothing can be more distinct than
these. There is no possible ground here on which to build the theory
of a promiscuous resurrection. The resurrection of believers will be
eclectic; it will be on the same principle, and partake of the same
character as the resurrection of our blessed and adorable Lord; it
will be a resurrection from among the dead. It will be an act of
divine power, founded upon accomplished redemption, whereby God will
interpose on behalf of His sleeping saints, and raise them up from
among the dead, leaving the rest of the dead in their graves for a
thousand years (Revelation xx. 5).

There is an interesting passage in Mark ix. which throws great light
on this subject. The opening verses contain the record of the
transfiguration; and then we read, "As they came down from the
mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things
they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they
kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what
the rising from [εκ, from among] the dead should mean."

The disciples felt that there was something special, something
entirely beyond the ordinary orthodox idea of the resurrection of the
dead, and verily so there was, though they understood it not then. It
lay beyond their range of vision at that moment.

But let us turn to Philippians iii., and hearken to the breathings of
one who thoroughly entered into and appreciated this grand Christian
doctrine, and fondly cherished this glorious and heavenly hope. "That
I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship
of his sufferings, being made conformable untεκo his death: if by any
means I might attain unto the resurrection from among the dead"
[εξαναστασιν] (verses 10, 11).

A moment's just reflection will suffice to convince the reader that
the apostle is not speaking here of the great broad truth of "the
resurrection of the dead," inasmuch as every one must rise again. But
there was something specific before the heart of this dear servant of
Christ, namely, "a resurrection from among the dead"--an eclectic
resurrection--a resurrection formed on the model of Christ's
resurrection. It was for this he longed continually. This was the
bright and blessed hope that shone upon his soul and cheered him amid
the sorrows and trials, the toils and the difficulties, the buffetings
and the conflicts of his extraordinary career.

But, it may be asked, "Does the apostle always use this distinguishing
little word (εκ) when speaking of resurrection?" Not
always. Turn, for example, to Acts xxiv. 15: "And have hope toward
God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a
resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." Here, there is
no word to indicate the Christian or heavenly side of the subject, for
the simplest possible reason that the apostle was speaking to those
who were utterly incapable of entering into the Christian's proper
hope--far more incapable than even the disciples in Mark ix. How could
he possibly unbosom himself in the presence of such men as Tertullus,
Ananias, and Felix? How could he speak to them of his own specific and
fondly cherished hope? No; he could only take his stand on the great
broad truth of resurrection, common to all orthodox Jews. Had he
spoken of a "resurrection from among the dead," he could not have
added the words, "which they themselves also allow," for they did not
"allow" anything of the kind.

But oh! what a contrast between this precious servant of Christ,
defending himself from his accusers, in Acts xxiv., and unbosoming
himself to his beloved brethren, in Philippians iii.! To the latter he
can speak of the true Christian hope in the full-orbed light which the
glory of Christ pours upon it. He can give utterance to the inmost
thoughts, feelings, and aspirations of that great, large, loving
heart, with its earnest throbbings after the life-resurrection in the
which he shall be satisfied as he wakes up in the likeness of his
blessed Lord.

But we must return, for a moment, to our first quotation, from John v.
It may perhaps present a difficulty to some of our readers in laying
hold of the truth of the Christian's hope of resurrection, that our
Lord makes use of the word "hour" in speaking of the two classes.
"How," it is argued, "can there be a thousand years between the two
resurrections, when our Lord expressly tells us that all shall occur
within the limits of an hour?"

To this question we have a double reply. In the first place, we find
our Lord making use of the self-same word, "hour," at verse 25, where
He is speaking of the great and glorious work of quickening dead
souls. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now
is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they
that hear shall live."

Now, here we have a work which has been going on for nearly nineteen
long centuries. During all that time, here spoken of as an "hour," the
voice of Jesus, the Son of God, has been heard calling precious souls
from death to life. If, therefore, in the very same discourse, our
Lord used the word "hour" when speaking of a period which has already
extended to well-nigh two thousand years, what difficulty can there be
in applying the word to a period of one thousand years?

Surely, none whatever, as we judge. But even if any little difficulty
yet remained it must be thoroughly met by the direct testimony of the
Holy Ghost in Revelation xx., where we read, "But the rest of the dead
lived not again till the thousand years were finished. _This is the
first resurrection._ Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the
first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they
shall be priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign with him a
thousand years" (verses 5, 6).

This settles the question absolutely and forever, for all those who
are willing to be taught exclusively by holy Scripture, as every true
Christian ought to be. There will be two resurrections, the first and
the second: and there will be a thousand years between the two. To the
former belong all the Old Testament saints--referred to in Hebrews
xii. under the title of the spirits of just men made perfect--then the
church of the firstborn ones--and finally all those who shall be put
to death during "the great tribulation," and throughout the entire
period between the rapture of the saints and the appearing of Christ
in judgment upon the beast and his armies, in Revelation xix.

To the latter, on the other hand, belong all those who shall have died
in their sins, from the days of Cain, in Genesis iv., down to the last
apostate from millennial glory, in Revelation xx.

How solemn is all this! How real! How soul-subduing! If our Lord were
to come to-night what a scene would be enacted in all our cemeteries
and graveyards! What tongue, what pen can portray--what heart can
conceive--the grand realities of such a moment? There are thousands of
tombs in which lie mingled the ashes of the dead _in_ Christ and the
ashes of the dead _out_ of Christ. In many a family vault may be
found the ashes of both. Well, then, when the voice of the archangel
is heard all the sleeping saints shall rise from their graves, leaving
behind them those who have died in their sins, to remain in the
darkness and silence of the tomb for a thousand years.

Yes, reader, such is the direct and simple testimony of the word of
God. True, it does not enter into any curious details. It does not
furnish any food for a morbid imagination or idle curiosity. But it
sets forth the solemn and weighty fact of a first and second
resurrection--a resurrection of life and everlasting glory, and a
resurrection of judgment and everlasting misery. There is, positively,
no such thing in Scripture as a promiscuous resurrection--a common
rising of all at the same time. We must abandon this idea altogether,
like many others which we have received to hold, in which we have been
trained from our earliest days, which have grown with our growth and
strengthened with our strength, until they have become actually
ingrained as a part of our very mental, moral, and religious
constitution, so that to part with them is like the sundering of limb
from limb, or rending the flesh from our bones.

Nevertheless it must be done if we really desire to grow in the
knowledge of divine revelation. There is no greater hindrance to our
getting into the thoughts of God than having our minds filled with our
own thoughts, or the thoughts of men. Thus, for example, in reference
to the subject of this paper, almost all of us have, at one time, held
the opinion that all will rise together, both believers and
unbelievers, and all stand together to be judged. Whereas, when we
come to Scripture, like a little child, nothing can be simpler,
nothing clearer, nothing more explicit than its teaching as to this
question. Revelation xx. 5 teaches us that there will be an interval
of a thousand years between the resurrection of the saints and the
resurrection of the wicked.

It is of no use to speak of a resurrection of spirits. Indeed it is a
manifest piece of absurdity; for inasmuch as spirits cannot die they
cannot be raised from the dead. Equally absurd is it to speak of a
resurrection of principles. There is no such thing in Scripture. The
language is as plain as plainness itself. "The rest of the dead lived
not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first
resurrection." Why should any one seek to set aside the plain force of
such a passage? Why not bow to it? Why not get rid, at once, of all
our old and fondly cherished notions, and receive with meekness the
engrafted word?

Reader, does it not seem plain to thee that if Scripture speaks of a
_first_ resurrection, then it must follow that all will not rise
together? Why should it be said, "Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection," if all are to rise at the same time?

In fact it seems to us impossible for any unprejudiced mind to study
the New Testament and yet hold to the theory of a promiscuous
resurrection. It is due to the glory of Christ, the Head, that His
members should have a specific resurrection--a resurrection like His
own--a resurrection from among the dead. And verily, so they shall.
"Behold I show you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all
be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put
on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have
put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O, death, where is thy
sting? O, grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and
the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the
Lord" (1 Corinthians xv.).


THE JUDGMENT

There is something peculiarly painful in the thought of having so
frequently to come in collision with the generally received opinions
of the professing church. It looks presumptuous to contradict, on so
many subjects, all the great standards and creeds of Christendom. But
what is one to do? Were it indeed a mere question of human opinion it
might seem a piece of bold and unwarrantable temerity for any one
individual to set himself in direct opposition to the established
faith of the whole professing church--a faith which has held sway for
centuries over the minds of millions.

But we would ever impress upon our readers the fact that it is not at
all a question of human opinion or of a difference of judgment amongst
even the very best of men. It is entirely a question as to the
teaching and authority of holy Scripture. There have been, and there
are, and there will be, schools of doctrine, varieties of opinion, and
shades of thought; but it is the obvious duty of every child of God
and every servant of Christ to bow down in holy reverence, and hearken
to the voice of God in Scripture. If it be merely a matter of human
authority, it must simply go for what it is worth; but, on the other
hand, if it be a matter of divine authority, then all discussion is
closed, and our place--the place of all--is to bow and believe.

Thus, in our last paper we were led to see that there is no such thing
in Scripture as a general resurrection--a common rising of all at the
same time. We trust our readers have, like the Bereans of old,
searched the Scriptures as to this, and that they are now prepared to
accompany us in our examination of the word of God as to the subject
of the judgment.

The great question at the outset is this, Does Scripture teach the
doctrine of a general judgment? Christendom holds it; but does
Scripture teach it? Let us see.

In the first place, as to the Christian individually, and the church
of God, collectively, the New Testament sets forth the precious truth
that there is no judgment at all. So far as the believer is concerned
judgment is past and gone. The heavy cloud of judgment has burst upon
the head of our divine Sin-bearer. He has exhausted, on our behalf,
the cup of wrath and judgment, and planted us on the new ground of
resurrection, to which judgment can never, by any possibility, apply.
It is just as impossible that a member of the body of Christ can come
into judgment as that the divine Head Himself can do so. This seems a
very strong statement to make; but is it true? If so, its strength is
part of its moral value and glory.

For what, let us ask, was Jesus judged on the cross? For His people.
He was made sin for us. He represented us there. He stood in our
stead. He bore all that was due to us. Our entire condition, with all
its belongings, was dealt with in the death of Christ; and so dealt
with that it is utterly impossible that any question can ever be
raised. Has God any question to settle with Christ, the Head? Clearly
not. Well, then, neither has He any question to settle with the
members. Every question is divinely and definitively settled, and, in
proof of the settlement, the Head is crowned with glory and honor, and
seated at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens.

Hence, to suppose that Christians are to come to judgment, at any
time, or on any ground, or for any object whatsoever, is to deny the
very foundation truth of Christianity, and to contradict the plain
words of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has expressly declared, in
reference to all who believe in Him, that they "shall not come into
judgment" (John v. 24).

In point of fact, the idea of Christians being arraigned at the bar of
judgment to try the question of their title and fitness for heaven is
as absurd as it is unscriptural. For example, how can we think of Paul
or the penitent thief standing to be judged as to their title to
heaven after having been there already for nearly two thousand years?
But thus it must be if there be any truth in the theory of a general
judgment. If the great question of our title to heaven has to be
settled at the day of judgment, then clearly it was not settled on the
cross; and if it was not settled on the cross, then most surely we
shall be damned; for if we are to be judged at all it must be
according to our works, and the only possible issue of such a judgment
is the lake of fire.

If, however, it be maintained that Christians shall only stand in the
judgment in order to make it manifest that they are clear through the
death of Christ, then would the day of judgment be turned into a mere
formality, the bare thought of which is most revolting to every pious
and well regulated mind.

But, in truth, there is no need of reasoning on the point. One
sentence of holy Scripture is better far than ten thousand of man's
most cogent arguments. Our Lord Christ hath declared, in the clearest
and most emphatic terms, that believers "shall not come into
judgment." This is enough. The believer was judged over eighteen
hundred years ago in the Person of his Head; and to bring him into
judgment again would be to ignore completely the cross of Christ in
its atoning efficacy; and most assuredly God will not, cannot allow
this. The very feeblest believer may say, in thankfulness and triumph,
"So far as I am concerned, all that had to be judged is judged
already. Every question that had to be settled is settled. Judgment is
past and gone forever. I know my work must be tried, my service
appraised; but as to myself, my person, my standing, my title, all is
divinely settled. The Man who answered for me on the tree is now
crowned on the throne; and the crown which He wears is the proof that
there remains no judgment for me. I am waiting for a life
resurrection."

This, and nothing short of this, is the proper language of the
Christian. It is simply due to the work of the cross that the believer
should thus feel and thus express himself. For such a one to be
looking forward to the day of judgment for a settlement of the
question of his eternal destiny is to dishonor his Lord and deny the
efficacy of His atoning sacrifice. It may sound like humility and
savor of piety to hover in doubt. But we may rest assured that all who
harbor doubts, all who live in a state of uncertainty, all who are
looking forward to the day of judgment for a final settlement of their
affairs, all such are more occupied with themselves than with Christ.
They have not yet understood the application of the cross to their
sins and to their nature. They are doubting the word of God and the
work of Christ, and this is not Christianity. There is--there can
be--no judgment for those who, sheltered by the cross, have planted a
firm foot on the new and everlasting ground of resurrection. For such
all judgment is over forever, and nothing remains but a prospect of
cloudless glory and everlasting blessedness in the presence of God and
of the Lamb.

However, it is not at all improbable that all this while the mind of
the reader has been recurring to Matthew xxv. 31-46 as a Scripture
which directly establishes the theory of a general judgment; and we
feel it to be our sacred duty to turn with him for a moment to that
very solemn and important passage; at the same time reminding him of
the fact that no one Scripture can possibly clash with another, and
hence if we read, in John v. 24, that believers shall not come into
judgment, we cannot read in Matthew xxv. that they shall. This is a
fixed and invulnerable principle--a general rule to which there is,
and can be, no exception. Nevertheless, let us turn to Matthew xxv.

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels
with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before
him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats."

Now, it is most necessary to pay strict attention to the precise terms
made use of in this Scripture. We must avoid all looseness of thought,
all that haste, carelessness, and inaccuracy which have caused such
serious damage to the teaching of this weighty Scripture, and thrown
so many of the Lord's people into the utmost confusion respecting it.

And, first of all, let us see who are the parties arraigned. "Before
him shall be gathered _all nations_." This is very definite. It is the
living nations. It is not a question of individuals, but of
nations--all the Gentiles. Israel is not here, for we read in Numbers
xxiii. 9, that "the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be
reckoned among the nations." If Israel were to be included in this
scene of judgment, then would Matthew xxv. stand in palpable
contradiction to Numbers xxiii., which is wholly out of the question.
Israel is never reckoned amongst the Gentiles, on any ground or for
any object whatever. Looked at from a divine point of view, Israel
stands alone. They may, because of their sins, and under the
governmental dealings of God, be scattered among the nations; but
God's word declares that they shall not be reckoned among them; and
this should suffice for us.

If then it be true that Israel is not included in the judgment of
Matthew xxv. then, without proceeding one step further, the idea of
its being a general judgment must be abandoned. It cannot be general,
if all are not included; but Israel is never included under the term
"Gentiles." Scripture speaks of three distinct classes, namely, "The
Jew, and the Gentile, and the church of God," and these three are
never confounded. But, further, we have to remark that the church of
God is not included in the judgment of Matthew xxv. Nor is this
statement based merely upon the fact which has been already gone into
of the church's necessary exemption from judgment; but also upon the
grand truth that the church is taken from among the nations, as Peter
declared in the council at Jerusalem. "God did visit the Gentiles to
_take out of them_ a people for his name." If then the church be taken
out of the nations, it cannot be reckoned among them; and thus we have
additional evidence against the theory of a general judgment in
Matthew xxv. The Jew is not there; the church is not there; and
therefore the idea of a general judgment must be abandoned as
something wholly untenable.

Who then are included in this judgment? The passage itself supplies
the answer to any simple mind. It says, "Before him shall be gathered
all _nations_." This is distinct and definite. It is not a judgment of
individuals, but of nations, as such. And further, we may add that not
one of those here indicated shall have passed through the article of
death. In this it stands in vivid contrast with the scene in
Revelation xx. 11-15, in the which there will not be one who has not
died. In short, in Matthew xxv., we have the judgment of "the quick;"
and in Revelation xx. the judgment of "the dead." Both these are
referred to in 2 Timothy iv., "I charge thee before God, and the Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing
and his kingdom." Our Lord Christ shall judge the living nations at
His appearing; and He shall "judge the dead, small and great," at the
close of His millennial reign.

But let us glance, for a moment, at the mode in which the parties are
arranged in the judgment, in Matthew xxv.: "He shall set the sheep on
his right hand, but the goats on the left." Now, the almost universal
belief of the professing church is that "the sheep" represent all the
people of God, from the beginning to the end of time; and that "the
goats," on the other hand, set forth all the wicked, from first to
last. But, if this be so, what are we to make of the third party
referred to here, under the title of "these my brethren?" The King
addresses both the sheep and the goats in respect to this third class.
Indeed the very ground of judgment is the treatment of the King's
brethren. It would involve a manifest absurdity to say that the sheep
were themselves the parties referred to. If that were so the language
would be wholly different, and in place of saying, "Inasmuch as ye
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren" we should
hear the King saying, "Inasmuch as ye have done it to one another,"
or, "amongst yourselves."

We would beg the reader's special attention to this point. We consider
that were there no other argument and no other Scripture on the
subject, this one point would prove fatal to the theory of a general
judgment. It is impossible not to see three parties in the scene,
namely, "the sheep," and "the goats," and "these my brethren;" and if
there are three parties it cannot possibly be a general judgment,
inasmuch as "these my brethren" are not included either in the sheep
or the goats.

No, dear reader, it is not a general judgment at all, but a very
partial and specific one. It is a judgment of living nations, previous
to the opening of the millennial kingdom. Scripture teaches us that
after the church has left the earth a testimony will go forth to the
nations; the gospel of the kingdom shall be borne, by Jewish
messengers, far and wide, over the earth, into those regions which are
wrapped in heathen darkness. These nations which shall receive the
messengers and treat them kindly will be found on the King's right
hand. Those, on the contrary, who shall reject them and treat them
unkindly will be found on His left. "These my brethren" are Jews--the
brethren of the Messiah.

The treatment of the Jews is the ground on which the nations will be
judged by-and-by; and this is another argument against a general
judgment. We know full well that all those who have lived and died in
the rejection of the gospel of Christ will have something more to
answer for than unkindness to the King's brethren. And, on the other
hand, those who shall surround the Lamb in heavenly glory will do so
on a very different title from aught that their works can furnish.

In short, there is not a single feature in the scene, not a single
fact in the history, not a single point in the narrative which does
not make against the notion of a general judgment. And not only so,
but the more we study Scripture, the more we know of the ways of God;
the more we know of His nature, His character, His purposes, His
counsels, His thoughts; the more we know of Christ, His person, His
work, His glory; the more we know of the church, its standing before
God in Christ, its completeness, its perfect acceptance in Christ; the
more closely we study Scripture; the more profoundly we meditate
therein--the more thoroughly convinced we must be that there can be no
such thing as a general judgment.

Who that knows aught of God could suppose that He would justify His
people to-day and arraign them in judgment to-morrow--that He would
blot out their transgressions to-day and judge them according to their
works to-morrow? Who that knows aught of our adorable Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ could suppose that He would ever arraign His church, His
body, His bride, before the judgment seat in company with all those
who have died in their sins? Could it be possible that He would enter
into judgment with His people for sins and iniquities of which He has
said, "I will remember no more!"

But enough. We fondly trust that the reader is now most fully
persuaded in his own mind that there is, and can be, no such thing as
a promiscuous resurrection--no such thing as a general judgment.

We cannot now enter upon the judgment in Rev. xx. 11-15 further than
to say that it is a post-millennial scene, and that it includes all
the wicked dead, from the days of Cain down to the last apostate from
millennial glory. There will not be one there who has not passed
through the article of death--not one there whose name has been set
down in life's fair book--not one there who shall not be judged
according to his own very deeds--not one there who shall not pass from
the dread realities of the great white throne into the everlasting
horrors and ineffable torments of the lake that burneth with fire and
brimstone. How awful! How terrible! How perfectly dreadful!

O! reader, what sayest thou to these things? Art thou a true believer
in Jesus? Art thou washed in His precious blood? Art thou sheltered in
Him from coming judgment? If not, let me entreat thee now, with all
tenderness and earnestness, to flee, this very hour, from the wrath to
come! Flee to Jesus, who now waits to receive thee to His loving
bosom, and to present you to God in the full value of His atoning
work, and in the full credit of His peerless name.


THE JEWISH REMNANT

We must ask the reader to open his Bible and read Matt. xxiv. 1-44. It
forms a part of one of the most profound and comprehensive discourses
that ever fell on human ears--a discourse which takes in, in its
marvellous sweep, the destiny of the Jewish remnant; the history of
Christendom; and the judgment of the nations. At the last-named
subject we have already glanced. It remains for us now to consider the
subject of the remnant of Israel, and the history of professing
Christianity, whether genuine or spurious.

And, first, let us look at the Jewish remnant.

In order to understand Matt. xxiv. 1-44, it will be needful for us to
place ourselves at the standpoint of those whom our Lord was
addressing at the moment. If we attempt to import into this discourse
the light which shines in the Epistle to the Ephesians, we shall only
involve our minds in confusion, and miss the solemn teaching of the
passage which now lies open before us. We shall find nothing about the
church of God, the body of Christ, here. The teaching of our Lord is
divinely perfect, and hence we cannot, for a moment, imagine anything
premature therein. But it would be premature to have introduced a
subject which, as yet, was hid in God. The great truth of the church
could not be unfolded until Christ, being cut off as the Messiah, had
taken His place at the right hand of God, and sent down the Holy
Ghost, to form by His presence the one body, composed of Jew and
Gentile.

Of this we hear nothing in Matt. xxiv. We are entirely on Jewish
ground, surrounded by Jewish circumstances and influences. The scenery
and the allusions are all purely Jewish. To attempt to apply the
passage to the church would be to miss completely our Lord's object,
and to falsify the real position of the church of God. The more
closely we examine the Scripture, the more clearly we shall see that
the persons addressed occupy a Jewish standpoint, and are on Jewish
ground, whether we think of those very persons whom our Lord was then
addressing, or those who shall occupy the self-same ground at the
close, when the church shall have left the scene altogether.

Let us examine the passage.

At the close of Matt, xxiii., our Lord sums up His appeal to the
leaders of the Jewish nation with the following words of awful
solemnity: "Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents,
ye generation of vipers! how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and
scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them
shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to
city. That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the
earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zecharias,
son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come _upon this
generation_. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets,
and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have
gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens
under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you
desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye
shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" (verses
32-39).

Thus closes Messiah's testimony to the apostate nation of Israel.
Every effort that love, even divine love, could put forth had been
tried, and tried in vain. Prophets had been sent, and stoned;
messenger after messenger had gone and pleaded, and reasoned, and
warned, and entreated; but to no purpose. Their mighty words had
fallen upon deaf ears and hardened hearts. The only return made to all
these messengers was shameful handling, stoning, and death.

At length, the Son Himself was sent, and sent with this touching
utterance: "It may be they will reverence my Son, when they see him."
Did they? Alas! no. When they saw Him, there was no beauty that they
should desire Him. The daughter of Zion had no heart for her King. The
vineyard was under the control of wicked husbandmen who wanted to keep
it for themselves. "The husbandmen said among themselves, This is the
heir, come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours."

Thus much as to the moral condition of Israel, in view of which our
Lord spoke those unusually awful words quoted above; and, then, "He
went out and departed from the temple." How reluctant he was to do
this we know; for, blessed be His name, whenever He leaves a place of
mercy, or enters a place of judgment, He moves with a slow and
measured pace. Witness the departure of the glory, in the opening
chapters of Ezekiel. "Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the
threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. And the
cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my
sight; when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every
one stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house; and the
glory of the God of Israel was over them above" (chap. x. 18, 19).
"Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside
them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. And the
glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon
the mountain which is on the east side of the city" (chap. xi. 22,
23).

Thus, with slow and measured pace, did the glory of the God of Israel
take its departure from the house at Jerusalem. Jehovah lingered near
the spot, reluctant to depart.[29] He had come, with loving alacrity,
with His whole heart and with His whole soul, to dwell in the midst
of His people, to find a home in the very bosom of His assembly; but
He was _forced_ away by their sins and iniquities. He would fain have
remained; but it was impossible; and yet He proved, by the very mode
of His departure, how unwilling He was to go.

  [29] Contrast with this reluctant departure His ready entrance into the
  tabernacle in Exodus xl.; and into the temple, 2 Chron. vii. 1. No
  sooner was the habitation ready for Him, than down He came to occupy
  it, and fill it with His glory He was as quick to enter as He was slow
  to depart. And not only so, but ere the book of Ezekiel closes, we see
  the glory coming back again; and "Jehovah Shammah" stands engraved in
  everlasting characters upon the gates of the beloved city. Nothing
  changeth God's affection. Whom He loves, and as He loves, He loves to
  the end. "The same yesterday, to-day, and forever."

Nor was it otherwise with Jehovah Messiah, in Matt. xxiii. Witness His
touching words, "How often would I have gathered thy children
together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye
would not!" Here lay the deep secret. "I _would_." This was the heart
of God. "_Ye would not._" This was the heart of Israel. He, too, like
the glory in the days of Ezekiel, was forced away; but not, blessed be
His name, without dropping a word which forms the precious basis of
hope as to the brighter days to come, when the glory shall return, and
the daughter of Zion shall welcome her King with joyful accents.
"Blessed is he that cometh in the name of Jehovah."

But, until that bright day dawn, darkness, desolation, and ruin, make
up the sum of Israel's history. The very thing which the leaders
sought, by the rejection of Christ, to avert, came upon them, in stern
and awful reality. "The Romans shall come, and take away both our
place and nation" How literally, how solemnly this was fulfilled!
Alas! their place and their nation were gone already, and the
significant movement of Jesus, in Matt. xxiv. 1, was but the passing
sentence, and writing desolation upon the whole Jewish system. "Jesus
went out and departed from the temple." The case was hopeless. All
must be given up. A long period of darkness and dreariness must pass
over the infatuated nation--a period which shall culminate in that
"great tribulation" which must precede the hour of final deliverance.

But, as in the days of Ezekiel, there were those who sighed and cried
over the sins and sorrows of the nation, so in the days of Matt. xxiv.
there was a remnant of godly souls who attached themselves to the
rejected Messiah, and who cherished the fond hope of redemption and
restoration for Israel. Very dim indeed were their perceptions, and
their thoughts full of confusion. Nevertheless their hearts, as
touched by divine grace, beat true to the Messiah, and they were full
of hope as to Israel's future.

Now, it is of the utmost importance that the reader should recognize
and understand the position of this remnant, and that it is with it
our Lord is occupied in His marvellous discourse on the mount of
Olives. To suppose for a moment that the persons here addressed were
on Christian ground would involve the abandonment of all true thoughts
of what Christianity is, and the ignoring of a company whose existence
is recognized throughout the Psalms, the Prophets, and various parts
of the New Testament. There was, and there always is, "a remnant
according to the election of grace." To quote the passages which
present the history, the sorrows, the experiences, and the exercises
of that remnant would demand a volume, and hence we shall not attempt
it; but we are extremely desirous that the reader should seize the
thought that this godly remnant is represented by the handful of
disciples which gathered round our Lord on the mount of Olives. We
feel persuaded that if this be not seen, the true scope, bearing, and
application of this remarkable discourse must be lost.

"And Jesus went out and departed from the temple; and his disciples
came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus
said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you
there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be
thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives the disciples came
unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and
what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world" (or
age, αιωνος)?

The disciples were, naturally, occupied with earthly and Jewish
objects and expectations--the temple and its surroundings. This must
be borne in mind if we would understand their question and our Lord's
reply. As yet they had no thought beyond the earthly side of things.
They looked for the setting up of the kingdom, the glory of the
Messiah, the accomplishment of the promises made to the fathers. They
had not yet fully taken in the solemn and momentous fact that the
Messiah was to be "cut off and have nothing" (Dan. ix. 26). True, the
blessed Master had, from time to time, sought to prepare their minds
for that solemn event. He had faithfully warned them in reference to
the dark shadows that were to gather round His path. He had told them
that the Son of Man should be delivered to the Gentiles to be mocked
and scourged and crucified.

But they understood Him not. Such sayings seemed dark, hard, and
incomprehensible; and their hearts still fondly clung to the hope of
national restoration and blessing. They longed to see the star of
Jacob in the ascendant. Their minds were full of expectancy as to the
restoration of the kingdom to Israel. As yet they knew nothing--how
could they?--of that which was to spring out of the rejection and
death of the Messiah. The Lord had no doubt spoken of building an
assembly; but as to the position and privileges of that assembly, its
calling, its standing, its hopes, they knew absolutely nothing. The
thought of a body composed of Jew and Gentile, united by the Holy
Ghost to a living and glorified Head in the heavens, had never
entered--how could it have entered?--their minds. The middle wall of
partition was still standing; and one of their number--the very
foremost amongst them--had, long after, to be taught, with much
difficulty, to take in the idea of even admitting the Gentiles into
the kingdom.

All this, we repeat, must be taken into account, if we would read
aright our Lord's reply to the inquiry as to His coming and the end of
the age. There is not a single syllable about the church, as such,
from beginning to end of that reply. Up to verse 14, He passes on to
the end, giving a rapid survey of the events which should transpire
amongst the nations. "Take heed," He says, "that no man deceive you.
For many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive
many. And ye shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars: see that ye be
not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is
not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,
in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall
they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall
be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be
offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because
iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that
shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of
the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations: and then shall the end come."

Here then we have a most comprehensive sketch of the entire period
from the moment in which our Lord was speaking, down to the time of
the end. But the reader will need to bear in mind that there is an
unnoticed interval--a parenthesis, a break--in this period, during
which the great mystery of the church is unfolded.

This interval or break is entirely passed over in this discourse,
inasmuch as the time had not arrived for its development. It was as
yet "hid in God," and could not be unfolded until the Messiah was
finally rejected and cut off from the earth and received up into
glory. The entire of this discourse would have its full and perfect
accomplishment, although such a thing as the church had never been
heard of. For, let it never be forgotten, the church forms no part of
the ways of God with Israel and the earth. And as to the allusion, in
verse 14, to the preaching of the gospel, we are not to suppose that
it is at all the same thing as "The glorious gospel of the grace of
God," as preached by Paul. It is styled, "This gospel of the kingdom;"
and, moreover, it is to be preached, not for the purpose of gathering
the church, but "as a witness to all nations." We must not confound
things which God, in His infinite wisdom, has made to differ. The
church must not be confounded with the kingdom: nor yet the gospel of
the grace of God with the gospel of the kingdom. The two things are
perfectly distinct; and, if we confound them, we shall understand
neither the one nor the other. And, further, we would desire to press
upon the reader the absolute necessity of seeing the break,
parenthesis, or unnoticed interval in which the great mystery of the
church is inserted. If this be not clearly seen, Matt. xxiv. cannot be
understood.

But we must proceed with our Lord's discourse.

At verse 15, He seems to call His hearers back a little, as it were,
to something very specific--something with which a Jewish believer
would be familiar from the fact of Daniel's allusion to it. "When ye,
therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by
Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth let him
understand): then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.
Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of
his house: neither let him which is in the field return back to take
his clothes.... But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter,
neither on the Sabbath day. For then shall be great tribulation, such
as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever
shall be."

All this is most definite. The quotation from Daniel xii. fixes the
application beyond all question. It proves that the reference is not
to the siege of Jerusalem, under Titus; for we read in Daniel xii.
that, "At that time thy people shall be delivered;" and, most clearly,
they were not delivered in the days of Titus. No; the reference is to
the time of the end. The scene is laid at Jerusalem. The persons
addressed and contemplated are Jewish believers--the pious remnant of
Israel, in the great tribulation, after the church has left the scene.
How can any imagine that the persons here instructed are viewed as on
church ground? What force would there be to such in the allusion to
the winter or the Sabbath day?

Then, again, "If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or
there, believe it not.... If they shall say unto you, Behold he is in
the desert, go not forth: Behold he is in the secret chambers,
believe it not." What possible application could such words have to
persons who are instructed to wait for God's Son from heaven, and who
know that ere He returns to this earth they shall have met Him in the
clouds and returned with Him to the Father's house? Could any
Christian, instructed in his proper hope, be deceived by persons
saying that Christ is here or there, in the desert or in the secret
chambers? Impossible. Such a one is looking out for the Bridegroom to
come from heaven; and he knows that it is wholly out of the question
that Christ can appear on this earth without bringing all His people
with Him.

Thus, the simple truth settles everything; and all we want is to be
simple in taking it in. The simplest Christian knows full well that
his Lord will not appear to him like a flash of lightning, but as the
bright and morning Star, and hence he understands that Matt. xxiv.
cannot apply to the church, though most surely the church can study it
with interest and profit, as it can all the other prophetic
Scriptures; and, we may add, the interest will be all the more
intense, and the profit all the deeper, in proportion as we see the
true application of such Scriptures.

Limited space forbids our entering as fully as we could wish into the
remaining portion of this marvellous discourse; but the more closely
each sentence is examined, the more fully each circumstance is
weighed, the more clearly we must see that the persons addressed are
not on proper Christian ground. The entire scene is earthly and
Jewish, not heavenly and Christian. There is ample instruction
supplied for those who shall find themselves, by-and-by, in the
position here contemplated; and nothing can be clearer than that the
entire paragraph, from verse 15-42, refers to the period which shall
elapse between the rapture of the saints and the appearing of the Son
of Man.

Some may perhaps feel a difficulty in understanding verse 34: "This
generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." But we
must remember that the word "generation" is constantly used in
Scripture in a moral sense. It is not to be confined to a certain
number of persons actually living at the time, but takes in the
_race_. In the passage before us it simply applies to the Jewish race;
but the wording is such as to leave the question of time entirely
open, so that the heart might ever be kept in readiness for the Lord's
coming. There is nothing in Scripture to interfere with the constant
expectation of that grand event. On the contrary, every parable, every
figure, every allusion is so worded as to warrant each one to look for
the Lord's return in his own lifetime, and yet to leave margin for the
elongation of the time according to the long-suffering grace of a
Saviour God.


CHRISTENDOM

What varied thoughts and feelings are awakened in the soul by the very
sound of the word "Christendom!" It is a terrible word. It brings
before us, at once, that vast mass of baptized profession which calls
itself the church of God, but is not; which calls itself Christianity,
but is not. Christendom is dark and a dreadful anomaly. It is neither
one thing nor the other. It is not "the Jew or the Gentile, or the
church of God." It is a corrupt mysterious mixture, a spiritual
malformation, the masterpiece of Satan, the corrupter of the truth of
God, and the destroyer of the souls of men, a trap, a snare, a
stumbling-block, the darkest moral blot in the universe of God. It is
the corruption of the very best thing, and therefore the very worst of
corruptions. It is that thing which Satan has made of professing
Christianity. It is worse, by far, than Judaism; worse by far than all
the darkest forms of Paganism, because it has higher light and richer
privileges, makes the very highest profession, and occupies the very
loftiest platform. Finally, it is that awful apostasy for which is
reserved the very heaviest judgments or God--the most bitter dregs in
the cup of His righteous wrath.

True it is, blessed be God, there are a few names even in Chistendom
who, through grace, have not denied their garments. There are some
brilliant embers amid the smouldering ashes--precious stones amid the
terrible _débris_. But as to the mass of Christian profession to which
the term Christendom applies, nothing can be more appalling, whether
we think of its present condition or its future destiny. We doubt if
Christians generally have anything like an adequate sense of the true
character and inevitable doom of that which surrounds them. If they
had it would solemnize their minds, and cause them to feel the urgent
need of standing apart, in holy separation, from Christendom's ways,
and distinct testimony against its spirit and principles.

But let us turn again to our Lord's profound discourse on the mount of
Olives, in which, as we have already observed, He deals with the
subject of the Christian profession. This He does in three distinct
parables, namely, the household servant; the ten virgins; and the
talents. In each and all we have the two things noticed above, the
genuine and the spurious; the true and the false; the bright and the
dark; that which is of Christ, and that which is of Satan; that which
belongs to heaven and that which emanates from hell.

We shall glance at the three parables which embody, in their brief
compass, a vast mine of most solemn and practical instruction.

Turn to Matt. xxiv. 45-47. "Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant,
whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in
due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh
shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you that he shall make him
ruler over all his goods."

Here, then, we have at once the source and object of all ministry in
the house of God. "Whom _his lord_ hath made ruler." This is the
source. "To give them meat in due season." This is the object.

These things are of the very highest possible moment, and they are
worthy of the reader's most profound thought. All ministry in the
house of God, whether in old or New Testament times, is of divine
appointment. There is no such thing recognized in Scripture as human
authority in appointing to the ministry. Neither is there such a thing
as a self-constituted ministry. None but God can make or appoint a
minister of any sort or description. Thus, in Old Testament times,
Jehovah appointed Aaron and his sons to the priesthood; and if a
stranger presumed to meddle with the functions of the holy office, he
was to be put to death. Even the king himself dared not touch the
priestly censer, for we are told of Uzziah, king of Judah, that, "When
he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction; for he
transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the
Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest
went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that
were valiant men. And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto
him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the
Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to
burn incense; go out of the sanctuary: for thou hast trespassed:
neither shall it be for thine honor from the Lord God.... _And Uzziah
the king was a leper unto the day of his death_" (2 Chron. xxvi.).

Such was the solemn result--the awful consequence of man's daring
intrusion upon that which was wholly of divine appointment. Has this
no voice for Christendom? Assuredly it has. It sounds a warning note
in our ears. It tells the professing church, in accents not to be
mistaken, to beware of human intrusion upon a domain which belongs
only to God. "Every high priest taken from among men is ordained _for_
[not _by_] men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both
gifts and sacrifices for sins.... And _no man taketh this honor unto
himself_, but he that is called [not of men but] of God, as was
Aaron."

Nor was this principle of divine appointment confined to the high and
holy office of the tabernacle. No man dare put his hand to the most
insignificant part of that sacred structure unless by Jehovah's direct
authority. "The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, See _I have called_ by
name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah."
Nor could Bezaleel choose his companions in labor, or appoint whom he
would to the work, any more than he could choose or appoint himself.
No; this, too, was divine. "And I," says Jehovah, "behold _I have
given_ with him Aholiab." Thus Aholiab, as well as Bezaleel, held his
commission immediately from Jehovah Himself, the only true source of
all ministerial authority.

Nor was it otherwise in the case of the prophetic office and ministry.
God alone could make, and fit, and send a prophet. Alas! there were
those of whom Jehovah had to say, "I have not sent them, yet they
ran." They were unhallowed intruders upon the domain of prophecy, just
as there were upon the office of the priesthood; but all such brought
down upon themselves the judgment of God.

And, may we not ask, Is this great principle changed now? Has ministry
been shifted from its ancient base? Has the living stream been
diverted from its divine source? Is it true that this more precious
and glorious institution has been shorn of its lofty dignities? Can it
be possible that, under the times of the New Testament, ministry has
been cast down from its divine excellency? Has it become a mere human
appointment? Can man appoint his fellow, or appoint himself to any one
branch of ministry in the house of God?

What answer is to be returned to these questions? No doubtful one,
thank God; but a distinct and emphatic _No!_ Ministry was, is, and
ever shall be, divine; divine in its source; divine in its nature;
divine in its every feature and principle. "There are diversities of
gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of
administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of
operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all" (1 Cor.
xii. 4-6). "But now hath _God_ set the members every one of them in
the body _as it hath pleased him_." "And _God_ hath set some in the
church; first, apostles; secondarily prophets; thirdly, teachers;
after that, miracles; then gifts of healing, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues" (verses 18, 28). "But unto every one of us is
given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore
he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and
gave gifts unto men.... And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man,
unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. iv.
7-13).

Here lies the grand source of all ministry in the church of God, from
first to last--from the foundation laid in grace, to the topstone, in
glory. It is divine and heavenly, not human or earthly. It is not of
man or by man, but of Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised Him
from the dead, and in the power of the Holy Ghost (see Gal. i.). There
is no such thing recognized in Scripture as human authority in any one
branch of ministry in the church. If it be a question of gift, it is
emphatically stated to be "the gift of Christ." If it be a question of
assigned position, we are, with equal clearness and emphasis, told
that "God hath set the members." If it be a question of local charge,
whether elder or deacon, it was entirely of divine appointment, by
apostolic hands or apostolic delegates.

All this is so clear, so distinct, so palpable, on the very surface of
Scripture, that it is only necessary to say, "How readest thou?" And
the more we penetrate beneath the surface--the more we are conducted
by the Eternal Spirit into the profound and precious depths of
inspiration--the more thoroughly convinced we shall be that ministry,
in its every department and every branch, is divine in its source,
nature, and principles. The truth of this shines out in full-orbed
brightness, in the Epistles; but we have the germ of it in the words
of our Lord in Matt. xxv. 45, "Whom his lord hath made ruler over his
household." The household belongs to the Lord, and He alone can
appoint the servants, and this He does according to His own sovereign
will.

Equally plain is the object of ministry, as stated in this parable,
and elaborated in the Epistles. "To give them meat in due season."
"For the edifying of the body of Christ"--"that the church may receive
edifying." It is this that lies near the loving heart of Jesus. He
would have His household perfected--His church edified--His body
nourished and cherished. For this end, He bestows gifts, and maintains
them in the church, and will maintain them until they shall be no
longer needed.

But alas! alas! there is a dark side of the picture. For this we must
be prepared since we have the picture of Christendom before us. If
there is a "faithful, wise, and blessed servant," there is also "an
evil servant" who "says in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming."
Mark this. It is in _the heart_ of the wicked servant that the thought
originates as to the delay of the coming.

And what is the result? "He shall begin to smite his fellow servants,
and to eat and drink with the drunken." How awfully this has been
exemplified in the history of Christendom, we need not say. Instead of
true ministry flowing from the risen and glorified Head in the
heavens, and promoting the edification of the body, the blessing of
souls, and the prosperity of the household, we have a false clerical
authority, arbitrary rule, a lording it over God's heritage, a
grasping after this world's wealth and power, fleshly ease,
self-indulgence, and personal aggrandizement, priestly domination in
its nameless and numberless forms and practical consequences.

The reader will do well to apply his heart to the understanding of
these things. He will need to seize, with clearness and power, the
distinction between clericalism and ministry. The one is a thoroughly
human assumption; the other, a purely divine institution. The former
has its source in man's evil heart; the latter has its source in a
risen and exulted Saviour, who, being raised from the dead, received
gifts for men, and sheds them forth upon His church, according to His
own will. That is a positive scourge and curse; this, a divine
blessing to men. In fine, this in its root-principle, flows from
heaven and leads back thither; that in its root-principle flows from
hell and leads thither again.

All this is most solemn, and it should exert a mighty influence upon
our souls. There is a day coming when the Lord Christ will deal, in
summary justice, with that which man has dared to set up in His house.
We speak not of individuals--though surely it is a most serious and
terrible thing for any one to put his hand unto, or have aught to do
with, that on which such awful judgment is about to be executed--but
we speak of a positive system--a great principle which runs, in a deep
and dark current, through the length and breadth of the professing
church--we speak of clericalism and priestcraft, in all its forms and
in all its ramifications.

Against this dreadful thing we solemnly warn our readers. No human
language can possibly depict the evil of it, nor can human language
adequately set forth the deep blessedness of all true ministry in the
church of God. The Lord Jesus not only bestows ministerial gifts, but,
in His marvellous grace, He will abundantly reward the faithful and
diligent exercise of those gifts. But as to that which man has set up,
we read its destiny in those burning words, "The lord of that servant
shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that
he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his
portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth."

May the gracious Lord deliver His servants and His people from all
participation in this great wickedness which is perpetrated in the
very bosom of that which calls itself the church of God. And, on the
other hand, may He lead them to understand, to appreciate, and to
exercise that true, that precious, that divine ministry which emanates
from Himself, and is designed, in His infinite love, for the true
blessing and growth of that church which is so dear to His heart. We
are in danger, very great danger, while seeking (as we most surely
should) to keep clear of the evil of clericalism--of rushing into the
opposite extreme of despising ministry.

This must be carefully guarded against. We have ever to bear in mind
that ministry in the church is of God. Its source is divine. Its
nature is heavenly and spiritual. Its object is the calling out, the
building up of the church of God. Our Lord Christ imparts the varied
gifts, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. He holds the great
reservoir of spiritual gifts. He has never given it up, and He never
will. Spite of all that Satan has wrought in the professing church;
spite of all the actings of "that evil servant;" spite of all man's
daring assumption of authority which in no wise belongs to him; spite
of all these things, our risen and glorified Lord "hath the seven
stars." He possesses all ministerial gift, power, and authority. It is
He alone who can make any one a minister. Unless He impart a gift
there can be no true ministry. There may be hollow assumption--guilty
usurpation--empty affectation--worthless talking; but not one atom of
true, loving, divine ministry can there be unless where our sovereign
Lord is pleased to bestow the gift. And even where He does bestow the
gift that gift must be "stirred up," and diligently cultivated, else
"the profiting" will not "appear unto all." The gift must be exercised
in the power of the Holy Ghost, else it will not promote the divinely
appointed end.

But we are rather anticipating what is yet to come before us in the
parable of the talents, so we shall close here by simply reminding the
reader that the weighty subject on which we have been dwelling has
direct reference to the coming of our Lord, inasmuch as all true
ministry is carried on in view of that great and glorious event. And
not only so, but the counterfeit, the corrupt, the evil thing will be
judicially dealt with when the Lord Christ shall appear in His glory.


THE TEN VIRGINS

We now approach that solemn section of our Lord's discourse in which
He presents the kingdom of heaven under the similitude of "Ten
Virgins." The instruction contained in this most weighty and
interesting parable is of wider application than that of the servant
to which we have already referred, inasmuch as it takes in the whole
range of Christian profession, and is not confined to ministry either
within the house or outside. It bears directly and pointedly upon
Christian profession, whether true or false.

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which
took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom." Some have
considered that this parable refers to the Jewish remnant; but it does
not seem that this idea is borne out, either by the context in which
this parable occurs or by the terms in which it is couched.

As to the entire context, the more closely we examine it the more
clearly we shall see that the Jewish portion of the discourse ends
with chapter xxiv. 44. This is so distinct as not to admit of a
question. Equally distinct is the Christian portion, extending, as we
have seen, from chapter xxiv. 45 to chapter xxv. 30; while from xxv.
31 to the end, we have the Gentiles. Thus the order and fulness of
this marvellous discourse must strike any thoughtful reader. It
presents the Jew, the Christian, and the Gentile, each on his own
distinct ground, and according to his own distinctive principles.
There is no merging of one thing in another, no confounding of things
that differ. In a word, the order, the fulness, and the
comprehensiveness of this profound discourse are divine, and fill the
soul "with wonder, love, and praise." We rise from the study of it, as
a whole, with those words of the apostle upon our lips, "O, the depth
of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out."

And then, when we examine the precise terms made use of by our Lord in
the parable of the ten virgins we must see that it applies not to Jews
but to Christian professors--it applies to us--it utters a voice, and
teaches a solemn lesson to the writer and the reader of these lines.

Let us apply our hearts thereto.

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which
took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom."

Primitive Christianity was especially characterized by the fact here
indicated, namely, a going forth to meet a returning and an expected
bridegroom. The early Christians were led to detach themselves from
present things, and go forth, in the spirit of their minds, and in the
affections of their hearts, to meet the Saviour whom they loved, and
for whom they waited. It was not, of course, a question of going forth
from one place to another; it was not local, but moral, and spiritual.
It was the outgoing of the heart after a beloved Saviour whose return
was eagerly looked for day by day.

It is impossible to read the epistles to the various churches and not
see that the hope of the Lord's sure and speedy return governed the
hearts of the Lord's dear people in early days. "They waited for the
Son from heaven." They knew He was to come and take them away, to be
with Himself forever; and the knowledge and power of this hope had the
effect of detaching their hearts from present things. Their bright,
heavenly hope caused them to sit loose to the things of earth. "They
looked for the Saviour." They believed that He might come at any
moment, and hence the concerns of this life were just to be taken up
and attended to for the moment--properly, thoroughly attended to, no
doubt--but only, as it were, on the very tip-toe of expectation.

All this is conveyed to our hearts, briefly but clearly, by the
expression, "They went forth to meet the bridegroom." This could not
be intelligently applied to the Jewish remnant, inasmuch as they will
not go forth to meet their Messiah, but, on the contrary, they will
remain in their position and amid their circumstances until He come
and plant His foot on the mount of Olives. They will not look for the
Lord to come and take them away from this earth to be with Him in
heaven; but He will come to bring deliverance to them in their own
land, and make them happy there under His own peaceful and blessed
reign during the millennial age.

But the call to Christians was to "go forth." They are supposed to be
always on the move; not settling down on the earth, but going out in
earnest and holy aspirations after that heavenly glory to which they
are called, and after the heavenly Bridegroom to whom they are
espoused, and for whose speedy advent they are taught to wait.

Such is the true, the divine, the normal idea of the Christian's
attitude and state. And this lovely idea was marvellously realized and
practically carried out by the primitive Christians. But alas! alas!
we are reminded of the fact that we have to do with the spurious as
well as the true in Christendom. There are "tares" as well as "wheat"
in the kingdom of heaven; and thus we read of these ten virgins, that
"five of them were wise, and five were foolish." There are the true
and the false, the genuine and the counterfeit, the real and the
hollow, in professing Christianity.

Yes, and this is to continue unto the time of the end, until the
Bridegroom come. The tares are not converted into wheat, nor are the
foolish virgins converted into wise ones. No, never. The tares will be
burnt and the foolish virgins shut out. So far from a gradual
improvement by the means now in operation--the preaching of the gospel
and the various beneficent agencies which are brought to bear upon the
world--we find, from all the parables, and from the teaching of the
entire New Testament, that the kingdom of heaven presents a most
deplorable admixture of evil; a corrupting process; a grievous
tampering with the work of God, on the part of the enemy; a positive
progress of evil in principle, in profession, and in practice.

And all this goes on to the end. There are foolish virgins found when
the Bridegroom appears. Whence come they if all are to be converted
before the Lord comes? If all are to be brought to the knowledge of
the Lord by the means now in operation, then how comes it to pass that
when the Bridegroom comes, there are quite as many foolish as wise?

But it will perhaps be said that this is but a parable, a figure.
Granted; but a figure of what? Not surely of a whole world converted.
To assert this would be to offer a grievous insult to the holy volume,
and to treat our Lord's solemn teaching in a manner in which we would
not dare to treat the teaching of a fellow mortal.

No, reader, the parable of the ten virgins teaches, beyond all
question, that when the Bridegroom comes, there will be foolish
virgins on the scene, and, clearly, if there are foolish virgins, all
cannot have been previously converted. A child can understand this. We
cannot see how it is possible, in the face of even this one parable,
to maintain the theory of a world converted before the coming of the
Bridegroom.

But let us look a little closely at these foolish virgins. Their
history is full of admonition for all Christian professors. It is very
brief, but awfully comprehensive. "They that were foolish took their
lamps, and took no oil with them." There is the outward profession,
but no inward reality--no spiritual life--no unction--no vital link
with the source of eternal life--no union with Christ. There is
nothing but the lamp of profession, and the dry wick of a nominal,
notional, head belief.

This is peculiarly solemn. It bears down with tremendous weight upon
that vast mass of baptized profession which surrounds us, at the
present moment, in which there is so much of outward semblance, but so
little of inward reality. All profess to be Christians. The lamp of
profession may be seen in every hand; but ah! how few have the oil in
their vessels, the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the Holy Ghost
dwelling in their hearts. Without this, all is utterly worthless and
vain. There may be the vary highest profession; there may be a most
orthodox creed; one may be baptized; he may receive the Lord's
supper; be a regularly enrolled and duly recognized member of a
Christian community; be a Sunday-school teacher; an ordained minister
of religion; one may be all this, and not have one spark of divine
life, not one ray of heavenly light, not one link with the Christ of
God.

Now there is something peculiarly awful in the thought of having just
enough religion to deceive the heart, deaden the conscience, and ruin
the soul--just enough religion to give a name to live while
dead--enough to leave one without Christ, without God, and without
hope in the world--enough to prop the soul up with a false confidence,
and fill it with a false peace, until the Bridegroom come, and then
the eyes are opened when it is too late.

Thus it is with the foolish virgins. They seem to be very like the
wise ones. An ordinary observer might not be able to see any
difference, for the time being. They all set out together. All have
lamps. And, moreover, all turn aside to slumber and sleep, the wise as
well as the foolish. All rouse up at the midnight cry, and trim their
lamps. Thus far there is no apparent difference. The foolish virgins
light their lamps--the lamp of profession lighted up with the dry wick
of a lifeless, notional, nominal faith; alas! alas! a worthless--worse
than worthless--thing, a fatal soul-destroying delusion.

But here the grand distinction--the broad line of demarcation--comes
out with awful, yea, with appalling clearness. "The foolish said unto
the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps _are going out_" (see
margin). This proves that their lamps had been lighted; for had they
not been lighted, they could not go out. But it was only a false,
flickering, transient light. It was not fed from a divine source. It
was the light of mere lip profession, fed by a head belief, lasting
just long enough to deceive themselves and others, and going out at
the very moment when they most needed it, leaving them in the dreadful
darkness of eternal night.

"Our lamps are going out." Terrible discovery! "The Bridegroom is at
hand, and our lamps are going out. Our hollow profession is being made
manifest by the light of His coming. We thought we were all right. We
professed the same faith, had the same shaped lamp, the same kind of
wick; but alas! we now find to our unspeakable horror, that we have
been deceiving ourselves, that we lack the one thing needful, the
spirit of life in Christ, the unction from the Holy One, the living
link with the Bridegroom. Whatever shall we do? O ye wise virgins,
take pity upon us, and share with us your oil. Do, do, for mercy's
sake, give us a little, even one drop of that all-essential thing,
that we may not perish forever."

Ah! it is all utterly vain. No one can give of his oil to another.
Each has just enough for himself. Moreover, it can only be had from
God Himself. A man can give _light_, but he cannot give _oil_. This
latter is the gift of God alone. "The wise answered, saying, Not so;
lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that
sell and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the
Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the
marriage; _and the door was shut_." It is of no use looking to
Christian friends to help us or prop us up. No use in flying hither
and thither for some one to lean upon--some holy man, or some eminent
teacher--no use building upon our church, or our creed, or our
sacraments. _We want oil._ We cannot do without it. Where are we to
get it? Not from man, not from the church, not from the saints, not
from the fathers. We must get it from God; and He, blessed be His
name, gives freely. "The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus
Christ our Lord."

But, mark, it is an individual thing. Each must have it for himself.
No man can believe, or get life for another. Each must have to do with
God for himself. The link which connects the soul with Christ is
intensely individual. There is no such thing as second-hand faith. A
man may teach us religion, or theology, or the letter of Scripture;
but he cannot give us oil; he cannot give us faith; he cannot give us
life. "It is the _gift_ of God." Precious little word, "gift." It is
like God. It is free as God's air; free as His sunlight; free as His
refreshing dew-drops. But, we repeat, and with solemn emphasis, each
one must get it for himself, and have it in himself. "None can by any
means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: that he
should still live forever and not see corruption. For the redemption
of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth forever" (Psalm xlix. 7-9).

Reader, what sayest thou to these solemn realities? Art thou a wise or
a foolish virgin? Hast thou gotten life in a risen and glorified
Saviour. Art thou a mere professor of religion, content with the mere
ordinary dead routine of church-going, having just sufficient religion
to make thee respectable on earth, but not enough to link thee with
heaven?

We earnestly beseech thee to think seriously of these things. Think of
them now. Think how unspeakably dreadful it will be to find thy lamp
of profession going out and leaving thee in obscure darkness--darkness
that may be felt--the outer darkness of an everlasting night. How
terrible to find the door shut behind that brilliant train which shall
go in to the marriage; but shut in thy face! How agonizing the cry,
"Lord, Lord, open unto us!" How withering, how crushing the response,
"I know you not."

O, beloved friend, do give these weighty matters a place in thy heart
now, while yet the door is open, and while yet the day of grace is
lengthened out in God's marvellous long suffering. The moment is
rapidly approaching in the which the door of mercy shall be closed
against thee forever, when all hope shall be gone, and thy precious
soul be plunged in black and eternal despair. May God's spirit rouse
thee from thy fatal slumber, and give thee no rest until thou findest
it in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and at His blessed
feet in adoration and worship.

We must now draw this paper to a close; but, ere doing so, we shall
just for a moment glance at the wise virgins. The great
distinguishing feature which, according to the teaching of this
parable, marks them off from the foolish virgins is that when starting
at the first they "took oil in their vessels with their lamps." In
other words, what distinguishes true believers from mere professors is
that the former have in their hearts the grace of God's Holy Spirit;
they have gotten the spirit of life in Christ Jesus; and the Holy
Ghost dwelling in them as the seal, the earnest, the unction, and the
witness. This grand and glorious fact characterizes now all true
believers in the Lord Jesus Christ--a stupendous, wondrous fact, most
surely--an immense and ineffable privilege, which should ever bow our
souls in holy adoration before our God and our Lord Jesus Christ,
whose accomplished redemption has procured for us this great blessing.

But how sad to think that, notwithstanding this high and holy
privilege, we should have to read, as in the words of our parable,
"They all slumbered and slept!" All alike, wise as well as foolish,
fell asleep. The Bridegroom tarried, and all, without exception, lost
the freshness, fervor, and power of the hope of His coming, and fell
fast asleep.

Such is the statement of our parable, and such is the solemn fact of
the history. The whole professing body fell asleep. "That blessed
hope" which shone so brightly on the horizon of the early Christians,
very speedily waned and faded away; and as we scan the page of church
history for eighteen centuries, from the Apostolic Fathers to the
opening of the current century, we look in vain for any intelligent
reference to the church's specific hope--the personal return of the
blessed Bridegroom. In fact, that hope was virtually lost to the
church; nay, more, it became almost a heresy to teach it. And even
now, in these last days, there are hundreds of thousands of professed
ministers of Christ who dare not preach or teach the coming of the
Lord as it is taught in Scripture.

True it is, blessed be God, we notice a mighty change within the last
half century. There has been a great awakening. God is, by His Holy
Spirit, recalling His people to long-forgotten truths, and amongst the
rest, to the glorious truth of the coming of the Bridegroom. Many are
now seeing that the reason why the Bridegroom tarried was simply
because God was long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance. Precious reason!

But they are also seeing that, spite of this long-suffering, our Lord
is at hand. Christ is coming. The midnight cry has gone forth,
"Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." May millions
of voices re-echo the soul-stirring cry until it passes in its mighty
moral power, from pole to pole, and from the river to the ends of the
earth, rousing the whole church to wait, as one man, for the glorious
appearing of the blessed Bridegroom of our hearts.

Brethren beloved in the Lord, awake! awake! Let every soul be roused.
Let us shake off the sloth and the slumber of worldly ease and
self-indulgence--let us rise above the withering influence of
religious formality and dull routine--let us fling aside the dogmas of
false theology, and go forth, in the spirit of our minds and in the
affections of our hearts, to meet our returning Bridegroom. May His
own solemn words come with fresh power to our souls, "Watch therefore,
for ye know neither the day nor the hour." May the language of our
hearts and our lives be, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

    The dark stream of evil is flowing apace:
    Awake, and be doing, ye children of grace,
    Let's seek with compassion the souls that are lost,
    Well knowing the price their redemption has cost.
    While singing with rapture the Saviour's great love,
    And waiting for Him to translate us above--
    "It may be to-morrow, or even to-night"--
    Let our loins be well girded, and lamps burning bright.


THE TALENTS

It only remains for us now to consider that portion of our Lord's
discourse in which He again takes up the deeply solemn subject of
ministerial responsibility during the time of His absence. That this
stands closely connected with the hope of His coming is evident from
the fact that having summed up the parable of the ten virgins with
these most weighty words, "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the
day nor the hour," He goes on to say, "For as a man travelling into a
far country, who called his servants, and delivered unto them his
goods."

There is a material difference between the parable of the talents and
that of the servant in chapter xxiv. 45-51. In the latter, we have
ministry inside the house. In the former, on the other hand, we have
ministry abroad in the world. But in each we find the grand foundation
of all ministry, namely, the gift and authority of Christ. "He called
_His own_ servants, and delivered unto them _His_ goods." The servants
are His, and the goods are His. No one but the Lord Christ can put a
man into the ministry, as none but He can impart spiritual gift. It is
utterly impossible for any one to be a minister of Christ unless He
calls him and fits him for the work. This is so plain as not to admit
of a single question. A man may be a minister of religion; he may
preach the doctrines of the gospel, and teach theology; but a minister
of Christ he cannot possibly be unless Christ calls him to, and gifts
him for, the work. If it be a question of ministry inside the house,
it is "whom his lord hath made ruler over his house." And if it be a
question of ministry abroad in the world, we are told that "He called
his own servants and delivered unto them his goods."

This great root-principle of ministry is powerfully embodied in these
words of one of the greatest ministers that ever lived, when he says,
"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, _who hath enabled me_, for that he
counted me faithful, _putting me into the ministry_" (1 Tim. i. 12).

Thus it must be in every case, whatever be the measure, the character,
or the sphere of ministry. The Lord Christ alone can put any one into
the ministry, and enable him to fulfil it. If it be not this, it will
be either a man putting himself into the ministry, or his fellow man
doing it, both of which are alike opposed to the mind of God, and to
all the principles of the true ministry as taught in the word. If we
are to be guided by Scripture, we must see that all ministry in or out
of the house must be by divine appointment and divine ability. If it
be not thus, it is worse than worthless. A man may set himself up as a
minister, or he may be set up by his fellows; but it is all utterly
vain. It is not from heaven--it is not of God--it is not by Jesus
Christ; and, in the sequel, it will be made manifest and judged as a
most horrible and daring usurpation.

It is of the very last importance that the Christian reader should
thoroughly seize this grand principle of ministry. It is as simple as
it is solemn. And, moreover, that it rests on a basis truly divine
cannot be questioned by any one who bows down--as every Christian
ought--with unqualified and absolute submission, to the authority of
the divine word. Let the reader take his Bible, and read carefully
every line therein which bears upon the subject of ministry. If he
turns to the parable of the house-steward, he will read, "Whom _his
lord_ hath made ruler." He does not make himself ruler; neither is he
appointed by his fellows. The appointment is divine.

So, also, in the parable of the talents, the master calls his own
servants, and delivers unto them his goods. The call and the equipment
are divine.

We have another aspect of the same truth in Luke xix. "A certain
nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom,
_and to return_. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them
ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy _till I come_." The difference
between Luke and Matthew appears to be this: in the former, human
responsibility; in the latter, divine sovereignty is prominent. But in
both the great root-principle is distinctly maintained and
unanswerably established, namely, that all ministry is by divine
appointment.

The same truth meets us in the Acts of the Apostles. When one was to
be appointed to fill the place of Judas, the appeal is made to
Jehovah, "Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all, show whether of
these two _thou hast chosen_; that he may take part of this ministry
and apostleship."

And even where it is a question of local charge, as of deacons, in
chapter vi., or of elders, in chapter xiv., it is by direct apostolic
appointment. In other words, it is divine. A man could not even
appoint himself to a deaconship, much less to an eldership. In the
case of the former, inasmuch as the deacons were to take charge of the
people's property, these latter were, in the grace and lovely moral
order of the Spirit, permitted to select men in whom they could
confide; but the appointment was divine, whether of deacons or elders.
Thus, whether it be a question of gift or of local charge, all rests
on a purely divine basis. This is _the_ all-important point.

Again, if we turn to the Epistles, the same great truth shines in full
and undimmed lustre before us. Thus, at the opening of Romans xii., we
read, "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that
is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to
think; but to think soberly, according as _God hath dealt to every man
the measure of faith_. For as we have many members in one body, and
all members have not the same office; so we being many, are one body
in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then _gifts_
differing _according to the grace that is given us_," etc. In 1 Cor.
xii. we read, "_But now hath God set the members every one of them in
the body_ as it hath pleased him" (verse 18). And again, "_God hath
set some in the church_, first, apostles," etc. (verse 28). So also in
Ephesians iv., "But unto every one of us is given grace according to
the measure of _the gift of Christ_."

All these Scriptures, and many more that might be quoted, go to
establish the truth which we are intensely anxious to impress upon
our readers, namely, that ministry in all its departments, is
divine--is of God--is from heaven--is by Jesus Christ. There is
positively no such thing in the New Testament as human authority to
minister in the church of God. Turn where we may, throughout its
sacred pages, and we find only the same blessed doctrine as is
contained in that one brief sentence in our parable, "He called his
own servants, and delivered unto them his goods." The whole New
Testament doctrine of ministry is embodied here; and we earnestly
entreat the Christian reader to let this doctrine take full possession
of his soul, and exert its full sway over his conduct, course and
character.[30]

  [30] We do not, by any means, restrict the application of the "talents"
  to direct, specific, spiritual gifts. We believe the parable takes in
  the wide range of Christian _service_: just as the parable of the ten
  virgins takes in the wide range of Christian _profession_.

But it may perhaps be asked, "Is there no adaptation of the vessel to
the ministerial gift deposited therein?" Unquestionably there is; and
this very adaptation is distinctly presented in the words of our
parable, "Unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to
another one; to every man _according to his several ability_."

This is a point of deepest interest, and it must never be lost sight
of. The Lord knows what use He means to make of a man. He knows the
character of gift which He purposes to deposit in the vessel, and He
shapes the vessel and moulds the man accordingly. We cannot doubt that
Paul was a vessel specially formed of God for the place he was
afterwards to fill, and the work he had to do. And so in every case.
If God designs a man to be a public speaker, He gives him lungs, He
gives him a voice, He gives him a physical constitution adapted to the
work which He designs him to do. The gift is from God; but there is
always the most distinct reference to the ability of the man.

If this be lost sight of, our apprehension of the true character of
ministry will be very defective indeed. We must never forget the two
things, namely, the divine gift, and the human vessel in which the
gift is deposited. There is the sovereignty of God, and the
responsibility of man. How perfect and how beautiful are all the ways
of God! But alas! alas! man mars everything, and the touch of the
human finger only dims the lustre of divine workmanship. Still, let us
never forget that ministry is divine in its source, its nature, its
power, and its object. If the reader rises from this paper convinced
in heart and soul of this grand truth, we have so far gained our
object in penning it.

But it is not improbable the question may be asked, "What has all this
subject of ministry to do with the Lord's coming?" Much every way.
Does not our blessed Lord introduce the subject again and again, in
His discourse on the mount of Olives? And is not this entire discourse
a reply to the question of the disciples, "What shall be the sign of
thy coming and the end of the age?" Is not His coming the great
prominent point of the discourse as a whole, and of each section of it
in particular? Unquestionably.

And what, we may ask, is the next prominent theme? Is it not ministry?
Look at the parable of the servant made ruler over the household. How
is he to serve? In view of his Lord's return. The ministry links
itself on, as it were, to the departing and the return of the Master.
It stands between, and is to be characterized by, these two grand
events. And what is it that leads to failure in the ministry? Losing
sight of the Lord's return. The evil servant says in his heart, "My
Lord delayeth His coming," and, as a consequence, "he begins to smite
his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken."

So also in the parable of the talents. The solemn and soul-stirring
word is "Occupy till I come." In short, we learn that ministry,
whether in the house of God or abroad in the world, is to be carried
on in full view of the Lord's return. "After a long time the lord of
those servants cometh and reckoneth with them." All the servants are
to keep continually before their minds the solemn fact that there is a
reckoning time coming. This will regulate their thoughts and feelings
in reference to every branch of their ministry. Hearken to the
following weighty words in which one servant seeks to animate another,
"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who
shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom:
preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,
exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work
of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready
to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought
a good fight. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me _at that day_; and not to me
only, _but unto all them also that love his appearing_" (2 Tim. iv.
1-8).

Does not this touching and weighty passage show how intimately the
subject of ministry stands connected with the Lord's coming? The
blessed apostle--the most devoted, gifted, and effective workman that
ever wrought in the vineyard of Christ--the most skillful steward that
ever handled the mysteries of God--the wise master builder--the great
minister of the church and preacher of the gospel--the incomparable
servant--this rare and precious vessel carried on his work, fulfilled
his ministry, and discharged his holy responsibilities in full view of
"_that day_." He looked forward, and is still looking, to that solemn
and glorious occasion when the Righteous Judge shall place on his brow
"the crown of righteousness." And he adds, with such affecting
sweetness, "not to me only, but unto all them also that love his
appearing."

This is peculiarly touching. There will be a crown of righteousness in
"that day," not merely for the gifted, laborious, and devoted Paul,
but for every one that loves the appearing of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. No doubt Paul shall have gems in his crown of peculiar
lustre; but, lest any one should think that the crown of righteousness
was only for Paul, he adds these lovely words, "unto all them also
that love his appearing." The Lord be praised for such words! May they
have the effect of stirring up our hearts, not only to love the
appearing of our Lord, but also to serve with more intense and
whole-hearted devotedness in view of that glorious day! That the two
things are very closely connected we may see in the sequel of the
parable of the talents. We can do little more than quote the words of
our Lord.

When the servants had received the talents, we read, "Then he that had
received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them
other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also
gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the
earth and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those
servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received
five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me five talents; behold I have gained besides them
five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and
faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will
make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other
talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and
faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will
make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord."

It is interesting and instructive to note the difference between the
parable of the talents as given in Matthew, and the parable of the ten
servants, in Luke xix. In the former, it is a question of divine
sovereignty; in the latter, of human responsibility. In that, each
receives a like sum; in this, one receives five, another two,
according to the master's will. Then, when the day of reckoning
comes, we find in Luke a definite reward according to the work;
whereas in Matthew, the word is, "I will make thee ruler over many
things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord." They are not told what
they are to have, or how many things they are to rule over. The master
is sovereign both in His gifts and rewards; and the crowning point of
all is, "Enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

This, to a heart that loves the Lord, is beyond everything. True,
there will be the ten cities and the five cities. There will be ample,
distinct, and definite reward for responsibility discharged, service
rendered, and work done. All will be rewarded. But above and beyond
all, shines this precious word, "Enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
No reward can possibly come up to this. The sense of the love that
breathes in these words will lead each one to cast his "crown of
righteousness" at the feet of his Lord. The very crown which the
righteous Judge shall give, we shall willingly cast at the feet of a
loving Saviour and Lord. One smile from Him will touch the heart far
more deeply and powerfully than the brightest crown that could be
placed on the brow.

But one word ere we close. Who would not work? Who hid his lord's
money? Who proved to be "a wicked and slothful servant?" The man who
did not know his master's heart--his master's character--his master's
love. "Then he which had received the one talent, came and said, Lord,
I know thee, [?] that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast
not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed; and I was afraid,
and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is
thine. His Lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful
servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where
I have not strewed. Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to
the exchangers, and then at my coming, I should have received mine own
with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him
which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given,
and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be
taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable
servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth."

How awfully solemn! How striking the contrast between the two
servants! One knows, and loves, and trusts, and serves his Lord. The
other belies, fears, distrusts, and does nothing. The one enters into
the joy of his lord, the other is cast out into outer darkness, into
the place of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. How solemn!
How soul-subduing is all this! And when does it all come out? When the
Master returns!

     NOTE.--We may add, in connection with the foregoing remarks,
     on ministry, that every Christian has his and her own
     specific place and work to do. All are solemnly responsible
     to the Lord to know their place and fill it, to know their
     work and do it. This is a plain practical truth, and most
     fully confirmed by the principle upon which we have been
     insisting, namely, that all ministry and all work must be
     received from the Master's hand, carried on under His eye,
     and in full view of His coming. These things must never be
     forgotten.


CONCLUDING REMARKS

We must now draw this series of papers to a close; and it is with a
strong feeling of reluctance that we do so. The theme is intensely
interesting, deeply practical, and abundantly fruitful. Moreover, it
is very suggestive, and opens up an extensive field of vision for the
spiritual mind to range through with an interest that never flags,
because the subject is inexhaustible.

However, we must, for the present at least, close our meditations on
this most marvellous line of truth; but ere doing so, we are anxious
to call the reader's attention, as briefly as possible, to one or two
things which have been barely hinted at in the progress of these
papers. We should not think of recalling them were it not that we deem
them not only interesting, but of real practical value in helping to a
clearer understanding of many branches of the great subject which has
been engaging our attention.

And first, then, the reader who has travelled in company with us
through the various branches of our subject will remember a cursory
reference to what we ventured to call "an unnoticed
interval--break--or parenthesis" in the dealings of God with Israel
and with the earth. This is a point of the deepest interest; and we
hope to be able to show the reader that it is not some curious
question, a dark mysterious subject, or a favorite notion of some
special school of prophetic interpretation. Quite the contrary. We
consider it to be a point which throws a flood of light on very many
branches of our general subject. Such we have found it for ourselves,
and as such we desire to present it to our readers. Indeed we strongly
question if any one can rightly understand prophecy or his own true
position and bearings, who does not see the unnoticed interval or
break above referred to.

But let us turn directly to the word, and open at chapter ix. of the
book of Daniel.

The opening verses of this remarkable section show us the beloved
servant of God in profound exercise of soul in reference to the sad
condition of his much loved people Israel--a condition into which,
through the Spirit of Christ, he most thoroughly enters. Though not
having himself personally participated in these actings which had
brought ruin upon the nation, yet he identifies himself, most
completely, with the people, and makes their sins his own in
confession and self-judgment before his God.

We cannot attempt to quote from Daniel's remarkable prayer and
confession on this occasion; but the subject which immediately
concerns us now is introduced in verse 20.

"And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the
sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the
Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; yea, while I was speaking
in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the
beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of
the evening oblation. And he informed me and talked with me, and said.
O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
At the beginning of thy supplications the commandments came forth, and
I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore
understand the matter, and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are
determined [or portioned out] upon thy people, and upon thy holy city,
to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make
reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting
righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint
the Most Holy."

Now we cannot, in our limited space, enter upon any elaborate argument
to prove that the "seventy weeks," in the above quotation, mean really
four hundred and ninety years. We assume this to be the fact. We
believe that Gabriel was commissioned to instruct the beloved prophet,
and to inform him of the fact that, from the going forth of the decree
to rebuild Jerusalem, a period of four hundred and ninety years was to
elapse, and that then Israel would be brought into blessing.

This is as simple and definite as anything can be. We may assert, with
all possible confidence, that it is not so certain that the sun shall
rise, at the appointed moment, to-morrow morning, as that at the close
of the period above named by the angelic messenger, Daniel's people
shall be brought into blessing. It is as sure as the throne of God.
Nothing can hinder. Not all the powers of earth and hell combined
shall be allowed to stand in the way of the full and perfect
accomplishment of the word of God by the mouth of Gabriel. When the
last sand of the four hundred and ninetieth year shall have run out of
the glass, Israel shall enter upon the possession of all their
destined pre-eminence and glory. It is impossible to read Daniel ix.
24, and not see this.

But, it may be, the reader feels disposed to ask--and ask, too, with
astonishment, "Have not the four hundred and ninety years expired long
ago?" We reply, Certainly not. Had they done so, Israel would be now
in their own land, under the blessed reign of their own loved Messiah.
Scripture cannot be broken; nor can we play fast and loose with its
statements, as though they might mean anything or everything, or
nothing at all. The word is precise. "Seventy weeks are portioned out
upon thy people." Neither more nor less than seventy weeks. If this be
taken to mean literal weeks, the passage has no sense or meaning
whatever. It would be an insult to our readers to occupy time in
combating such an absurdity as this.

But if, as we are most thoroughly persuaded, Gabriel meant seventy
weeks of years, then have we a period most distinct and definite
before us--a period extending from the moment in which Cyrus issued
his decree to restore Jerusalem, to the moment of Israel's
restoration.

Still, however, the reader may feel led to ask, "How can these things
be? It is very much more than four hundred and ninety years, four
times told, since the king of Persia issued his decree, and yet there
is no sign of Israel's restoration. There must surely be some other
mode of interpreting the seventy weeks."

We can only repeat our statement, that the four hundred and ninety
years are not out yet. There has been a break--a parenthesis--a long
unnoticed interval. Let the reader look closely at Daniel ix. 25, 26;
"Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the
commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the
Prince, shall be seven weeks [49 years] and threescore and two weeks
[434 years]; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in
troublous times;" or, as the margin reads it, "in strait of times,"
that is, the street and the wall of Jerusalem were built in the
shorter of the two periods named, or in forty-nine years. "And after
threescore and two weeks [434 years from the rebuilding of Jerusalem],
shall Messiah be cut off, and have nothing" (see margin).

Here then we reach the marked, memorable, and solemn epoch. The
Messiah, instead of being received, is cut off. In place of ascending
the throne of David, He goes to the cross. Instead of entering upon
the possession of all the promises, He has nothing. His only
portion--so far as Israel and the earth were concerned--was the
cross, the vinegar, the spear, the borrowed grave.

Messiah was rejected, cut off, and had nothing. What then? God
signified His sense of this act, by suspending for a time His
dispensational dealings with Israel. The course of time is
interrupted. There is a great gap. Four hundred and eighty-three years
are fulfilled; seven yet remain--a cancelled week, and all the time
since the death of the Messiah has been an unnoticed interval--a break
or parenthesis, during which Christ has been hidden in the heavens,
and the Holy Ghost has been working on earth in forming the body of
Christ, the church, the heavenly bride. When the last member shall
have been incorporated into this body, the Lord Himself shall come and
receive His people to Himself, to conduct them back to the Father's
house, there to be with Him in the ineffable communion of that blessed
home, while God will, by His governmental dealings, prepare Israel and
the earth for the introduction of the First-begotten into the world.

Now as to this interval and all that was to occur therein, Gabriel
maintains a profound reserve. Whether he understood aught of it is not
the question. It is clear he was not commissioned to speak of it,
inasmuch as the time was not come for so doing. He passes, with
marvellous and mysterious abruptness, over ages and generations--steps
from headland to headland of the prophetic chart, and dismisses in a
short sentence or two, a lengthened period of nearly two thousand
years. The siege of Jerusalem by the Romans is thus briefly noticed,
"The people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and
the sanctuary." Then, a period which has already lasted for eighteen
centuries is thus disposed of, "And the end thereof shall be with a
flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined."

Then, with intense rapidity, we are conducted on to the time of the
end, when the last of the seventy weeks, the last seven of the four
hundred and ninety years, shall be accomplished. "And he [the Prince]
shall confirm the covenant with many [of the Jews] _for one week_
[seven years]; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the
sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of
abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation,
and that determined shall be poured upon the desolator" (margin).

Here then we reach the end of the four hundred and ninety years which
were determined or portioned out upon Daniel's people. To attempt to
interpret this period without seeing the break and the long unnoticed
interval, must of necessity plunge the mind in utter confusion. It
cannot possibly be done. Numberless theories have been started;
endless calculations and speculations have been attempted; but in
vain. The four hundred and ninety years are not accomplished yet; nor
will they have their accomplishment until the church has left this
scene altogether, and gone to be with her Lord in her bright heavenly
home. Revelation iv., v. show us the place which the heavenly saints
shall occupy during the last of Daniel's seventy weeks; while from
chapter vi.-xviii. we have the various actings of God in government,
preparing Israel and the earth for the bringing in of the
first-begotten in the world.[31]

  [31] It is, we are aware, a question among the expositors, whether the
  events detailed in Revelation vi.-xviii. will occupy a whole week or
  only a half. We do not here attempt to offer an opinion. Some consider
  that the public ministry of John the Baptist and that of our Lord
  occupied a week, or seven years, and that in consequence of Israel's
  rejection of both, the week is cancelled, and remains yet to be
  fulfilled. It is an interesting question; but it in no wise affects
  the great principles which have been before us, or the interpretation
  of the book of Revelation. We may add that the expressions "forty and
  two months"--"twelve hundred and sixty days"--"time, times, and the
  dividing of time" indicate the period of half a week, or three years
  and a half.

We are very anxious to make these matters clear to the reader. It has
greatly helped us in the understanding of prophecy, and cleared away
many difficulties. We feel thoroughly persuaded that no one can
understand the book of Daniel, or indeed the general scope of
prophecy, who does not see that the last of the seventy weeks remains
to be fulfilled. Not one jot or tittle of God's word can ever pass
away, and seeing He has declared that "seventy weeks were portioned
out upon Daniel's people," and that at the close of that period they
should be brought into blessing, it is plain that this period is not
yet expired. But unless we see the break, and the dropping of time,
consequent upon the rejection of the Messiah, we cannot possibly make
out the fulfilment of Daniel's seventy weeks, or four hundred and
ninety years.

Another important fact for the reader to seize is this, the church
forms no part of the ways of God with Israel and the earth. The church
does not belong to time, but to eternity. She is not earthly, but
heavenly. She is called into existence during an unnoticed interval--a
break or parenthesis consequent upon the cutting off of the Messiah.
To speak after the manner of men, if Israel had received the Messiah,
then the seventy weeks or four hundred and ninety years would have
been fulfilled; but Israel rejected her King, and God has retired to
His place until they acknowledge their iniquity. He has suspended His
public dealings with Israel and the earth, though most surely
controlling all things by His providence, and keeping His eye upon the
seed of Abraham, ever beloved for the fathers' sake.

Meanwhile He is calling out from Jews and Gentiles that body called
the church, to be the companion of His Son in heavenly glory--to be
thoroughly identified with Him in His present rejection from this
earth, and to wait in holy patience for His glorious advent.

All this marks off the Christian's position in the most definite
manner possible. His portion and his prospects, too, are thus defined
with equal clearness. It is vain to look into the prophetic page in
order to find the church's position, her calling, or her hope. They
are not there. It is entirely out of place for the Christian to be
occupied with dates and historic events, as though he were in anywise
involved therein. No doubt, all these things have their proper place
and their value, and their interest, as connected with God's dealings
with Israel and with the earth. But the Christian must never lose
sight of the fact that he belongs to heaven, that he is inseparably
linked with an earth-rejected, heaven-accepted Christ--that his life
is hid with Christ in God--that it is his holy privilege to be looking
out, daily and hourly, for the coming of his Lord. There is nothing to
hinder the realization of that blissful hope at any moment. There is
but one thing that causes the delay, and that is, "the long-suffering
of our Lord, not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance"--precious words these for a lost and guilty world!
The salvation is _ready_ to be revealed; and God is _ready_ to judge.
There is nothing now to wait for but the gathering in of the last
elect one, and then--oh! most blessed thought--our own dear and loving
Saviour will come and receive us to Himself to be with Him where He
is, and to go no more out forever.

Then when the church has gone to be with her Lord in the heavenly
home, God will resume His public actings with Israel. They will be
brought into great tribulation, during the week already referred to.
But at the close of that period of unexampled pressure and trial,
their long-rejected Messiah will appear for their relief and
deliverance. He will come forth as the rider on the white horse,
accompanied by the heavenly saints. He will execute summary judgment
upon His enemies, and take to Himself His great power and reign. The
kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of
His Christ. Satan shall be bound for a thousand years; and the whole
universe shall repose beneath the blissful and benignant rule of the
Prince of peace.

Finally, at the close of the thousand years, Satan shall be loosed,
and permitted to make one more desperate effort--an effort issuing in
his eternal defeat and consignment to the lake of fire, there to be
tormented with the beast and the false prophet throughout the
everlasting ages.

Then follows the resurrection and judgment of the wicked dead, and
their consignment to the lake that burneth with fire and
brimstone--tremendous and appalling thought! No heart can
conceive--no tongue can tell--the horrors of that lake of fire.

But hardly is there a moment to dwell upon the dark and awful picture,
ere the unutterable glories of the new heavens and the new earth burst
upon the vision of the soul; the holy city is seen descending from
heaven, and these seraphic sounds fall upon the ear, "Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they
shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their
God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And he
that sat upon the throne, said, Behold I make all things new."

O beloved Christian reader, what scenes are before us! What grand
realities! What brilliant moral glories! May we live in the light and
power of these things! May we cherish that blessed hope of seeing the
One who loved us and gave Himself for us--who would not enjoy His
glory alone, but endured the wrath of God in order that He might link
us with Himself, and share with us all His love and glory for ever.
Oh! to live for Christ and wait for His appearing!

    High in the Father's house above
      My mansion is prepared;
    There is the home, the rest I love,
      And there my bright reward.

    With Him I love, in spotless white,
      In glory I shall shine;
    His blissful presence my delight,
      His love and glory mine.

    All taint of sin shall be removed,
      All evil done away;
    And I shall dwell with God's Beloved,
      Through God's eternal day.




A FEW THOUGHTS

ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOLDING

PRE-MILLENNIAL DOCTRINE

AND

WAITING FOR THE SON

Rev. i. 5-7


In a day like the present, when knowledge on every question is so
widely diffused, it is most needful to press upon the conscience of
the Christian reader the vast distinction between merely holding the
_doctrine_ of the Lord's second coming and actually waiting for His
appearing (1 Thess. i. 10). Many, alas! hold and, it may be,
eloquently preach, the doctrine of a second advent who really do not
know _the Person_ whose advent they profess to believe and preach.
This evil must be faithfully pointed out and dealt with. The present
is an age of knowledge--of religious knowledge; but oh! my reader,
knowledge is not life, knowledge is not power--knowledge will not
deliver from sin, or Satan, from the world, from death, from hell.
Knowledge, I mean, short of the knowledge of God in Christ. One may
know a great deal of Scripture, a great deal of prophecy, a great deal
of doctrine, and, all the while, be dead in trespasses and sins.

There is, however, one kind of knowledge which necessarily involves
eternal life, and that is the knowledge of God, as He is revealed in
the face of Jesus Christ. "This is life eternal, to know thee the
only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" (John xvii. 3).
Now, it is impossible to be living in the daily and hourly expectation
of "the coming of the Son of Man," if the Son of Man be not
experimentally known. I may take up the prophetic record, and by mere
study, and the exercise of my intellectual faculties, discover the
doctrine of the Lord's second coming, and yet be totally ignorant of
Christ, and living a life of entire alienation of heart from Him. How
often has this been the case! How many have astonished us with their
vast fund of prophetic knowledge--a fund acquired, it may be, by years
of laborious research, and yet, in the end, proved themselves to have
been displaying unhallowed light--light not acquired by prayerful
waiting upon God! Surely the thought of this should deeply affect our
hearts and solemnize our minds, and lead us to inquire whether or not
we know the blessed Person who, again and again, announces Himself as
about to "come quickly;" else, if we know Him not, we may find
ourselves of the number of those addressed by the prophet in the
following startling words:--"Woe unto you that desire the day of the
Lord! to what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and
not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or
went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit
him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light? even
very dark and no brightness in it?" (Amos v. 18-20).

The second chapter of Matthew furnishes us with a very striking
illustration of the difference between mere prophetic knowledge and
the knowledge of Christ--between the exercise of the intellect on the
letter of Scripture, and the drawings of the Father to the Person of
Christ. The wise men, manifestly led by the finger of God, were in
true and earnest search of Christ, and they found Him. As to
Scriptural knowledge, they could not, for a moment, have competed with
the chief priests and scribes; yet what did the Scriptural knowledge
of the latter do for them? Why, it rendered them efficient instruments
for Herod, who called them together for the purpose of making use of
their Biblical knowledge in his deadly opposition to God's Anointed.
They were able to give him chapter and verse, as we say. But, my
reader, while they were assisting Herod by their knowledge, the wise
men were, by the drawings of the Father, making their way to Jesus.
Blessed contrast! How much happier to be a worshipper at the feet of
Jesus, though with slender knowledge, than to be a learned scribe,
with a heart cold, dead, and distant from that blessed One! How much
better to have the heart full of lively affection for Christ than to
have the intellect stored with the most accurate knowledge of the
letter of Scripture! What is the melancholy characteristic of the
present time? A wide diffusion of Scriptural knowledge with little
love for Christ, and little devotedness to His work; abundant
readiness to quote Scripture, like the scribes and chief priests, but
little purpose of heart, like the wise men, to open the treasures and
present to Christ the willing offerings of a heart filled by the sense
of what He is. What we want is personal devotedness, and not the mere
empty display of knowledge. It is not that we would undervalue
Scriptural knowledge; God forbid, if that knowledge be found in
connection with genuine discipleship. But if it be not, I ask, of what
value is it? None whatever. The most extensive range of knowledge, if
Christ be not its centre, will avail just nothing; yea, it will, in
all probability, render us more efficient instruments in Satan's hand
for the furthering of his purposes of hostility to Christ. An ignorant
man can do but little mischief; but a learned man, without Christ, can
do a great deal.

The verses which stand at the head of this paper present to us the
divine basis on which to found all Scriptural knowledge, more
especially prophetic knowledge. Before any one can utter his hearty
amen to the announcement, "Behold he cometh with clouds," he must,
without any question, be able to join in the blessed burst of praise,
"To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood."
The believer knows the One who is coming, because He has loved him,
and washed him from his sins. The believer expects the everlasting
Lover of his soul. The meek and lowly One who served, suffered, and
was emptied down here, will speedily come in the clouds of heaven,
with power and great glory, and _all_ who know Him will welcome Him
with glad hosannahs--they will be able to say, "This is the Lord, _we
have waited for_ him, we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
But, alas! there are, it is to be feared, very many who hold and argue
about the Lord's coming who are not waiting for Him at all, who are
living for themselves in the world, and "mind earthly things." How
terrible to be found talking about the Lord's coming, and yet, when He
does come, _to be left behind_! Oh! my beloved reader, think of this;
and if you are really conscious that you know not the Lord, then let
me entreat of you to behold Him shedding His precious blood to wash
you from your sins, and learn to confide in Him, to lean upon Him, to
rejoice in Him, and IN HIM ALONE.

But if you can look up to heaven, and say, "Thank God, I do know Him,
and I am waiting for Him," then let me remind you of what the apostle
John says, as to the practical result of this blessed hope. "Every man
that hath this hope _in him_, purifieth himself, even as _he_ is
pure." Yes, this must ever be the result of waiting for the Son from
heaven; but not at all so of the mere prophetic doctrine. Many of the
most impure, profane and ungodly characters, that have made their
appearance in the world, have held, in theory, the second advent of
Christ; but they were not _waiting for the Son_, and therefore they
did not, and could not purify themselves. It is impossible that any
one can be waiting for Christ's appearing, and not make efforts after
increased holiness, separation, and devotedness of heart: "Behold, I
come quickly; blessed is he that watcheth." Those who know the Lord
Jesus Christ, and love His appearing, will daily seek to shake off
everything contrary to their Master's mind; they will seek to become
more and more conformed to Him in all things. Men may hold the
doctrine of the Lord's coming, and yet grasp the world and the things
thereof with great eagerness; but the true-hearted servant will ever
keep his eye steadily fixed on his Master's return, remembering His
blessed words, "I will come again and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there ye may be also" (John xiv. 3).

    What a day will that be when the Saviour appears!
    How welcome to those who have shared in His cross!
    A crown incorruptible then will be theirs--
    A rich compensation for suffering and loss.

                                                 C. H. M.