{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_41502/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_41502","id":"gutenberg_41502","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41502","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Religion/Spirituality","Theology"],"text":"Transcriber's note:\n\nText enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).\n\nSmall capital text has been replaced with all capitals.\n\nVariations in spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been retained\nexcept in obvious cases of typographical error.\n\nThe word \"over\" is missing in the original: \"The Father has given Him\npower over all flesh.\"\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n\n\nMISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS\n\nof C.H.M.\n\n  The\n  All-Sufficiency\n  of Christ\n\n  _Miscellaneous Writings of_\n\n  C. H. MACKINTOSH\n\n  _Volume 1_\n\n  LOIZEAUX BROTHERS\n  _Neptune, New Jersey_\n\n  FIRST EDITION 1898\n\n  ELEVENTH PRINTING 1966\n\n  LOIZEAUX BROTHERS, Inc., PUBLISHERS\n\n  _A Nonprofit Organization, Devoted to the Lord's Work\n  and to the Spread of His Truth_\n\n  19 WEST 21ST STREET, NEW YORK 10, N. Y.\n\n  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\n                                                Pages\n\n  FORGIVENESS OF SINS: WHAT IS IT?               3-22\n\n  REGENERATION: WHAT IS IT?                      3-32\n\n  IN THE FATHER'S HOUSE--_Poem_\n\n  SANCTIFICATION: WHAT IS IT?                    3-22\n\n  FINAL PERSEVERANCE: WHAT IS IT?                3-24\n\n  A SACRED UNION--_Poem_\n\n  NOW AND THEN; OR, TIME AND ETERNITY            3-34\n\n  THE ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST                  3-48\n\n  JOB AND HIS FRIENDS                            3-70\n\n  WHAT RAISED THE WONDROUS THOUGHT?--_Poem_\n\n  THE BIBLE: ITS SUFFICIENCY AND SUPREMACY       3-14\n\n  CHRISTIANITY: WHAT IS IT?                     15-26\n\n  JEHOSHAPHAT: A WORD ON WORLD-BORDERING         3-30\n\n  LIFE AND TIMES OF JOSIAH                       3-87\n\n  _The original numbering of these writings has been retained.\n  Many of the above may be had separately in pamphlet form._\n\n\n\n\nFORGIVENESS OF SINS\n\nWHAT IS IT?\n\n\nOh, the blessedness! transgression forgiven--sin covered! This truly\nis blessedness; and without this, blessedness must be unknown. To have\nthe full assurance that my sins are all forgiven is the only\nfoundation of true happiness. To be happy without this is to be happy\non the brink of a yawning gulf, into which I may at any moment be\ndashed forever. It is utterly impossible that any one can enjoy solid\nhappiness until he is possessed of the divine assurance that all his\nguilt has been canceled by the blood of the cross. Uncertainty as to\nthis must be the fruitful source of mental anguish to any soul who has\never been led to feel the burden of sin. To be in doubt as to whether\nmy guilt was all borne by Jesus, or is yet on my conscience, is to be\nmiserable.\n\nNow, before proceeding to unfold the subject of forgiveness, I should\nlike to ask my reader a very plain, pointed, personal question,\nnamely, Dost thou believe that thou canst have the clear and settled\nassurance that thy sins are forgiven? I ask this question at the\noutset, because there are many, now-a-days, who profess to preach the\ngospel of Christ, and yet deny that any one can be sure that his sins\nare forgiven. They maintain that it is presumption for any one to\nbelieve in the forgiveness of his sins; and, on the other hand, they\nlook upon it as a proof of humility to be always in doubt as to this\nmost momentous point. In other words, it is presumption to believe\nwhat God says, and humility to doubt it. This seems strange in the\nface of such passages as the following: \"Thus it is written, and thus\nit behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day;\nand that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His\nname among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem\" (Luke xxiv. 46, 47);\n\"In whom _we have_ redemption through His blood, _the forgiveness of\nsins_, according to the riches of His grace.\" (Eph. i. 7; Col. i. 14.)\n\nHere we have remission, or forgiveness, of sins (the word is the same\nin the three passages) preached in the name of Jesus, and possessed by\nthose who believed that preaching. A proclamation was sent to the\nEphesians and Colossians, as belonging to the \"all nations,\" telling\nthem of forgiveness of sins, in the name of Jesus. They believed this\nproclamation, and entered on the possession of the forgiveness of\nsins. Was this presumption on their part? or would it have been piety\nand humility to doubt the forgiveness of sins? True, they had been\ngreat sinners--\"dead in trespasses and sins,\" \"children of wrath,\"\n\"aliens and foreigners,\" \"enemies by wicked works.\" Some of them had\ndoubtless bowed the knee to Diana. They had lived in gross idolatry\nand all manner of wickedness. But then, \"forgiveness of sins\" had been\npreached to them in the name of Jesus. Was this preaching true, or\nwas it not? Was it for them, or was it not? Was it all a dream--a\nshadow--a myth? Did it mean nothing? Was there nothing sure, nothing\ncertain, nothing solid about it?\n\nThese are plain questions, demanding a plain answer from those who\nassert that no one can know for certain that his sins are forgiven.\nIf, indeed, no one can know it now, then how could any one have known\nit in apostolic times? If it could be known in the first century, then\nwhy not in the nineteenth? \"David describeth the blessedness of the\nman unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying,\nBlessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are\ncovered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.\"\n(Rom. iv. 6-8.) Hezekiah could say, \"Thou _hast cast all my sins_\nbehind Thy back.\" (Isaiah xxxviii. 17.) The Lord Jesus said to one, in\nHis day, \"Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.\" (Matt.\nix. 2.)\n\nThus at all times forgiveness of sins was known with all the certainty\nwhich the word of God could give. Any one of the cases aduced above is\nsufficient to overthrow the teaching of those who assert that _no one_\ncan know that his sins are forgiven. If I find from Scripture that any\none ever knew this marvelously precious blessing, that is quite enough\nfor me. Now, when I open my Bible, I find persons who had been guilty\nof all manner of sins brought to the knowledge of forgiveness; and I\ntherefore argue that it is possible for the very vilest sinner to know\nnow, with divine certainty, that his sins are forgiven. Was it\npresumption in Abraham, in David, in Hezekiah, in the palsied man,\nand in numbers besides, to believe in the forgiveness of sins? Would\nit have been a sign of humility and true piety in them to doubt? It\nwill perhaps be argued that these were all special and extraordinary\ncases. Well, it matters not, so far as our present question is\nconcerned, whether they were ordinary or extraordinary. One thing is\nplain--they completely disprove the assertion that _no one_ can know\nthat his sins are forgiven. The word of God teaches me that numbers,\nsubject to like passions, like infirmities, like failures, and like\nsins as the writer and reader, were brought to know and rejoice in the\nfull forgiveness of sins; and hence those who maintain that no one can\nbe sure on this momentous question have no scriptural foundation for\ntheir opinion.\n\nBut is it true that the cases recorded in the Holy Scriptures are so\nspecial and extraordinary as not to afford any precedent for us? By no\nmeans. If any case could be so regarded, it is surely that of Abraham,\nand yet of him we read that \"it was not written for his sake alone,\nthat righteousness was imputed to him: _but for us also_, to whom it\nshall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord\nfrom the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised\nagain for our justification.\" (Rom. iv. 23-25.) Abraham \"believed in\nthe Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness.\" (Gen. xv. 6.)\nAnd the Holy Ghost declares that righteousness shall be imputed to us\nalso if we believe,--\"Be it known unto you therefore, men and\nbrethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness\nof sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things\nfrom which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses\" (Acts xiii.\n38, 39.); \"To Him give _all the prophets_ witness, that through His\nname _whosoever believeth_ in Him shall receive remission of sins.\"\n(Acts x. 43.)\n\nNow, the question is, What did the apostles Peter and Paul mean when\nthey so unreservedly preached the forgiveness of sins to those who\nlistened to them? Did they really mean to convey to their hearers the\nidea that no one could be sure that he possessed this forgiveness of\nsins? When in the synagogue of Antioch, Paul said to his audience, \"We\ndeclare unto you _glad tidings_,\" did he entertain the notion that no\none could be sure that his sins were forgiven? How could the gospel\never be called \"glad tidings\" if its only effect were to leave the\nsoul in doubt and anxiety? If indeed it be true that no one can enjoy\nthe assurance of pardon, then the whole style of apostolic preaching\nshould be reversed. We might then expect to find Paul saying to his\nhearers, Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that no one\ncan ever know, in this life, whether his sins are forgiven or not. Is\nthere aught like this in the entire range of apostolic preaching and\nteaching? Do not the apostles everywhere set forth, in the fullest and\nclearest manner, remission of sins as the necessary result of\nbelieving in a crucified and risen Saviour? Is there the most remote\nhint of that which is so much insisted upon by some modern teachers,\nnamely, that it is a dangerous presumption to believe in the full\nforgiveness of all our sins, and that it argues a pious and humble\nframe of soul to live in perpetual doubt? Is there no possibility of\never enjoying, in this world, the comfortable certainty of our eternal\nsecurity in Christ? Can we not rely upon God's word, or commit our\nsouls to the sacrifice of Christ? Can it be possible that the only\neffect of God's glad tidings is to leave the soul in hopeless\nperplexity? Christ has put away sin; but I cannot know it! God has\nspoken; but I cannot be sure! The Holy Ghost has come down; but I\ncannot rely upon His testimony! It is piety and humility to doubt\nGod's word, to dishonor the atonement of Christ, and to refuse the\nfaith of the heart to the record of the Holy Ghost! Alas! alas! if\nthis is the gospel, then adieu to peace and joy in believing. If this\nis Christianity, then in vain has \"the dayspring from on high visited\nus, to give the knowledge of salvation through the remission of our\nsins.\" (Luke i.) If no one can have this \"knowledge of salvation,\"\nthen to what end has it been given?\n\nAnd let my reader bear in mind that the question before us is not\nwhether a person may not deceive himself and others. This would be at\nonce conceded. Thousands, alas! have deceived themselves, and\nthousands more have deceived others; but is that any reason why I\ncannot possess the absolute certainty that what God has said is true,\nand that the work of Christ has availed to put away all my sins?\n\nMen have deceived themselves, and therefore I am afraid to trust\nChrist! Men have deceived others, and therefore I am afraid that God's\nword will deceive me! This is really what it all amounts to, when put\ninto plain language. And is it not well to have things thus put? Is it\nnot needful, at times, to strip certain propositions of the dress in\nwhich legality and fleshly pietism would clothe them, so that we may\nsee what they are? Does it not behove us, when men stand forth as the\nprofessed and authorized exponents of a sound and enlightened\nChristianity, to test what they say by the unerring standard of Holy\nScripture? Assuredly it does. And if they tell us we can never be sure\nof salvation; and that it is presumption to think of such a thing;\nand, further, that the very utmost we can attain to in this life is a\nfaint hope that, through the mercy of God, we may get to heaven when\nwe die; we must utterly reject such teaching, as being in direct\nopposition to the Word of God. False theology tells me I can never be\nsure, God's Word tells me I can. Which am I to believe? The former\nfills me with gloomy doubts and fears; the latter imparts divine\ncertainty. That casts me upon my own efforts; this, upon a finished\nwork. To which shall I attend? Is there a shadow of foundation,\nthroughout the entire volume of God, for the notion that no one can be\nsure of his eternal salvation? I most fearlessly assert there is not.\nSo far from this, the Word of God, in every section of it, sets before\nus, in the clearest way, the privilege of the believer to enjoy the\nmost unclouded certainty as to his pardon and acceptance in Christ.\n\nAnd, let me ask, is it not due to God's faithful Word and Christ's\nfinished work, that the soul confiding therein should enjoy the\nfullest assurance? True, it is by faith that any one can so confide,\nand this faith is wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost. But all\nthis in nowise affects our present question. What I desire is, that my\nreader should rise from the study of this paper with a full and firm\nconviction that it is possible for him to possess the present\nassurance that he is as safe as Christ can make him. If any sinner\never enjoyed this assurance, then why may not my reader now enjoy it?\nIs Christ's work finished? Is God's Word true? Yes, verily. Then, if I\nsimply trust therein, I am pardoned, justified and accepted. All my\nsins were laid on Jesus when He was nailed to the cursed tree. Jehovah\nmade them all meet on Him. He bore them and put them away, and now He\nis up in heaven without them. This is enough for me. If the One who\nstood charged with _all_ my guilt is now at the right hand of the\nMajesty in the heavens, then, clearly, there is nothing against me.\nAll that divine justice had against me was laid on the Sin-bearer, and\nHe endured the wrath of a sin-hating God that I might be freely and\nforever pardoned and accepted in a risen and glorified Saviour.\n\nThese are glad tidings. Does my reader believe them? Say, beloved,\ndost thou heartily believe in a dead and risen Christ? Hast thou come\nto Him as a lost sinner, and put thy heart's full confidence in Him?\nDoes thou believe that \"He died for our sins according to the\nScripture, and that He was buried and rose again the third day\naccording to the Scriptures\"? If so, thou art saved, justified,\naccepted, complete in Christ. True, thou art, in thyself, a poor\nfeeble creature, having an evil nature to contend with every moment;\nbut Christ is thy life, and He is thy wisdom, and thy righteousness,\nthy sanctification, thy redemption, thy all. He ever lives for thee up\nin heaven. He died to make thee clean. He lives to keep thee clean.\nThou art made as clean as His death can make thee, and thou art kept\nas clean as His life can keep thee. He made Himself responsible for\nthee. God sees thee to be what Christ has made thee to be. He sees\nthee in Christ and as Christ. Wherefore, then, I pray thee, tread no\nmore those gloomy corridors of legalism, pietism, and false theology,\nwhich have resounded for ages with the sighs and groans of poor\nsin-burdened and misguided souls; but, seeing the fullness of thy\nportion, and the completeness of thy standing in a risen and\nvictorious Christ, rejoice in Him all thy days upon earth, and live in\nthe hope of being with Him forever in His own mansions of heavenly\nglory.\n\nHaving thus sought to establish the fact that it is possible for one\nto know, upon divine authority, that his sins are forgiven, we shall\nnow, in dependence upon the teaching of the Spirit of God, proceed to\nconsider the subject of forgiveness of sins, as unfolded in the Word,\nand, in doing so, we shall present it under the three following heads;\nnamely,\n\nFirst, the _ground_ on which God forgives sins.\n\nSecondly, the _extent_ to which He forgives sins.\n\nThirdly, the _style_ in which He forgives sins. There is value in this\nthreefold presentation, as it gives clearness, fullness and precision\nto our apprehension of the subject as a whole. The more clearly we\nunderstand the ground of divine forgiveness, the more shall we\nappreciate the extent, and admire the style thereof.\n\nMay God the Spirit now be our guide while we ponder, for a little,\n\n\nTHE GROUND OF DIVINE FORGIVENESS.\n\nIt is of the very last importance that the anxious reader should\nunderstand this cardinal point. It is quite impossible that a divinely\nconvicted conscience can enjoy true repose until the ground of\nforgiveness is clearly seen. There may be certain vague thoughts\nrespecting the mercy and goodness of God, His readiness to receive\nsinners and pardon their sins, His unwillingness to enter the place of\njudgment, and His promptness to enter the place of mercy,--all this\nthere may be; but until the convicted soul is led to see how God can\nbe just and yet the Justifier--how He can be a just God and yet a\nSaviour-God--how He has been glorified with respect to sin--how all\nthe divine attributes have been harmonized, it must be a stranger to\nthe peace of God which truly passeth all understanding. A conscience\non which the light of divine truth has poured itself in convicting\npower, feels and owns that sin can never enter into the presence of\nGod--that sin, wherever it is found, can only be met by the just\njudgment of a sin-hating God. Hence, until the divine method of\ndealing with sin is understood and believed, there must be intense\nanxiety. Sin is a reality, God's holiness is a reality, conscience is\na reality, judgment to come is a reality. All these things must be\nlooked at and duly considered. Justice must be satisfied; conscience,\npurged; Satan, silenced. How is all this to be done? Only by the cross\nof Jesus.\n\nHere, then, we have the true ground of divine forgiveness. The\nprecious atonement of Christ forms the base of that platform on which\na just God and a justified sinner meet in sweet communion. In that\natonement I see sin condemned, justice satisfied, the law magnified,\nthe sinner saved, the adversary confounded. Creation never exhibited\naught like this. There, the creature enjoyed the manifestation of\npower, wisdom and goodness; but the fairest fields of the old creation\npresented nothing like \"grace reigning through righteousness\"--nothing\nlike a glorious combination of \"righteousness and peace, mercy and\ntruth.\" It was reserved for Calvary to display all this. There, that\ngrand and all-important question, How can God be just and the\nJustifier? received a glorious reply. The death of Christ furnishes\nthe answer. A just God dealt with sin at the cross, in order that a\njustifying God might deal with the sinner on the new and everlasting\nground of resurrection. God could not tolerate or pass over a single\njot or tittle of sin; but He could put it away. He has condemned sin.\nHe has poured out His righteous wrath upon sin, in order that He might\npour the everlasting beams of His favor upon the believing sinner.\n\n    \"On Jesus' cross this record's graved,\n    Let sin be judged and sinners saved.\"\n\nPrecious record! may every anxious sinner read it with the eye of\nfaith. It is a record which must impart settled peace to the heart.\nGod has been satisfied as to sin. This is enough for me. Here my\nguilty, troubled conscience finds sweet repose. I have seen my sins\nrising like a dark mountain before me, threatening me with eternal\nwrath; but the blood of Jesus has blotted them all out from God's\nview. They are gone, and gone forever--sunk as lead into the mighty\nwaters of divine forgetfulness, and I am free--as free as the One who\nwas nailed to the cross for my sins, but who is now on the throne\nwithout them.\n\nSuch, then, is the ground of divine forgiveness. What a solid ground!\nWho or what can touch it? Justice _has_ owned it. The troubled\nconscience _may_ rest in it. Satan _must_ acknowledge it. God has\nrevealed Himself as a Justifier, and faith walks in the light and\npower of that revelation. Nothing can be simpler, nothing clearer,\nnothing more satisfactory. If God reveals Himself as a Justifier, then\nI am justified through faith in the revelation. When the moral glories\nof the cross shine upon the sinner, he sees and knows, believes and\nowns, that the One who has judged his sins in death, has justified him\nin resurrection.\n\nAnxious reader, see, I beseech thee, that thou apprehendest the true\nground of the forgiveness of sins. There is no use in our proceeding\nto consider the _extent_ and _style_ until thy poor troubled\nconscience has been led to rest upon the imperishable _ground_ of\nforgiveness. Let me reason with thee. What is to hinder thee, from\nthis very moment, resting on the foundation of accomplished atonement?\nSay, does thy conscience need something more to satisfy it than that\nwhich satisfied the inflexible justice of God? Is not the ground on\nwhich God reveals Himself as a righteous Justifier sufficiently strong\nfor thee to stand upon as a justified sinner? What sayest thou,\nfriend? Art thou satisfied? Is Christ sufficient for thee? Art thou\nstill searching for something in thyself, thy ways, thy works, thy\nthoughts, thy feelings? If so, give up the search as utterly vain.\nThou wilt never find any thing. And even though thou couldst find\nsomething, it would only be an encumbrance, a loss, a hindrance.\nChrist is sufficient for God, let Him be sufficient for thee likewise.\nThen--but not until then--wilt thou be truly happy.\n\nMay God the Holy Ghost cause thee to rest, this moment, upon an\nall-sufficient sacrifice, as the only ground of divine forgiveness, so\nthat thou mayest be able to enter, with real intelligence and\ninterest, upon the examination of the second point in our subject,\nnamely,--\n\n\nTHE EXTENT OF DIVINE FORGIVENESS.\n\nVery many are perplexed as to this. They do not see the fullness of\nthe atonement; they do not grasp the emancipating fact of its\napplication to all their sins; they do not enter into the full force\nof those lines, which perhaps they often sing,--\n\n    \"All thine iniquities who doth\n      Most graciously forgive.\"\n\nThey seem to be under the impression that Christ only bore some of\ntheir sins, namely, their sins up to the time of their conversion.\nThey are troubled as to the question of their daily sins, as if these\nwere to be disposed of upon a different ground from their past sins.\nThus they are at times much cast down and sorely beset. Nor could it\nbe otherwise with them until they see that in the death of Christ,\nprovision was made for the full forgiveness of ALL their sins. True it\nis that the child of God who commits sin has to go to his Father and\nconfess that sin. But what does the apostle say in reference to one so\nconfessing his sins? \"God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins\nand to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.\" Now, why does he say,\n\"Faithful and just\"? Why does he not say, \"Gracious and merciful\"?\nBecause he speaks on the ground that the entire question of sin was\ngone into and settled by the death of Christ, who is now up in heaven\nas the righteous Advocate. On no other ground could God be faithful\nand just in connection with the forgiveness of sins. The sins of the\nbeliever have _all_ been atoned for on the cross. If one had been left\nout, he should be eternally lost, inasmuch as it is impossible that a\nsingle sin, however trifling, can ever enter the precincts of the\nsanctuary of God. And, further, let me add, if all the believer's sins\nwere not atoned for in the death of Christ, then, neither by\nconfession, nor by prayer, nor by fasting, nor by any other means,\ncould they ever be forgiven. The death of Christ is the _only_ ground\non which God could, in faithfulness and justice, forgive sin; and we\nknow He must either do it in faithfulness and justice, or not at all.\nThis is to His praise and our exceeding comfort.\n\nBut I can imagine my reader exclaiming, \"What! do you mean to say that\nmy _future_ sins were all atoned for?\" To this I reply that all our\nsins were future when Christ bore them on the accursed tree. The sins\nof all believers, for the last eighteen centuries, were future when\nChrist died for them. Hence, if the idea of future sins presents a\ndifficulty in reference to what we may commit, if left here, it\npresents just as great a difficulty in reference to what we have\ncommitted.[1] But, in truth, all this perplexity about future sins\narises very much from the habit of looking at the cross from our own\npoint of view instead of God's--looking at it from earth instead of\nfrom heaven. Scripture never speaks of future sins. Past, present, and\nfuture are only human and earthly. All is an eternal now with God. All\nour sins were before the eye of infinite Justice at the cross, and all\nwere laid on the head of Jesus, the Sin-bearer, who, by His death,\nlaid the eternal foundation of forgiveness of sins, in order that the\nbeliever, at any moment of his life, at any point in his history, at\nany stage of his career, from the time at which the hallowed tidings\nof the gospel fall upon the ear of faith, until the moment in which he\nsteps into the glory, may be able to say, with clearness and decision,\nwithout reserve, misgiving, or hesitation, \"Thou hast cast all my sins\nbehind Thy back.\" To say this, is but faith's response to God's own\ndeclaration, when He says, \"Their sins and their iniquities will I\nremember no more;\" \"Jehovah hath made to meet on Him the iniquities of\nus all.\"\n\n  [1] Let it be remembered that all the value of the atoning sufferings\n  of Christ on the cross are ever before God, and the soul of the\n  believer will there find the unchanging foundation of the blessed\n  words of Rom. viii. 34: \"_Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that\n  died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand\n  of God, who also maketh intercession for us._\"\n\nLet us, by way of illustration, take the case of the thief on the\ncross. When he, as a convicted sinner, cast the eye of faith upon that\nblessed One who hung beside him, was he not, then and there, rendered\nfit to enter the paradise of God? Was he not furnished with a divine\ntitle to pass from the cross of a malefactor into the presence of God?\nUnquestionably. Did he need anything more to be done for him, in him\nor with him, in order to fit him for heaven? By no means. Well, then,\nsuppose that, instead of passing into heaven, he had been permitted to\ncome down from the cross,--suppose the nails had been extracted and he\nallowed to go at liberty; he would have had sin in his nature, and,\nhaving sin in his nature, he would have been liable to commit sin, in\nthought, word, and deed. Now, could he ever lose his title, his\nfitness, his meetness? Surely not. His title was divine and\neverlasting. All his sins were borne by Jesus. That which had fitted\nhim to enter heaven at the first, had fitted him once and forever, so\nthat if he had remained on earth for fifty years, he would, at any\nmoment, have been equally fit to enter heaven.\n\nTrue it is, if the pardoned sinner commits sin, his communion is\ninterrupted, and there must be the hearty confession of that sin ere\nhis communion can be restored. \"If we say that we have fellowship with\nHim, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.\" But this is\nobviously a different point altogether. My communion may be\ninterrupted, but my title can never be forfeited. All was accomplished\non the cross. Every trace of sin and guilt was atoned for by that\npeerless, priceless sacrifice. By that sacrifice, the believer is\ntransferred from a position of guilt and condemnation into a position\nof justification and perfect favor. He is translated from a condition\nin which he had not a single trace of righteousness, into a condition\nin which he has not a single trace of guilt, nor ever can have. He\nstands in grace, he is under grace, he breathes the very atmosphere of\ngrace, and he never can be otherwise, according to God's view. If he\ncommits sin (and who does not?) there must be confession. And what\nthen? Forgiveness and cleansing, on the ground of the faithfulness and\njustice of God which have had their divine answer in the cross. _All\nis founded on the cross._ The faithfulness and justice of God, the\nadvocacy of Christ, our confession, our full forgiveness, our perfect\ncleansing, the restoration of our communion, all rests upon the solid\nbasis of the precious blood of Christ.\n\nMy reader will bear in mind that we are, at present, occupied with the\none point, namely, the extent of divine forgiveness. There are other\npoints of great importance which might be looked at in connection,\nsuch as the believer's oneness with Christ, his adoption into the\nfamily of God, the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, all of which\nnecessarily imply the full forgiveness of sins; but we must confine\nourselves to our immediate theme, and having endeavored to set forth\nthe ground and the extent, we shall close with a few words on\n\n\nTHE STYLE OF DIVINE FORGIVENESS.\n\nWe are all conscious of how much depends upon the style of an action.\nIndeed, there is frequently far more power in the style than in the\nsubstance. How often have we heard such words as these, \"Yes, I own\nhe did me a favor; but then he did it in such a way as to take away\nall the good of it.\" Now, the Lord has His style of doing things,\nblessed be His name. He not only does great things, but He does them\nin such a way as to convince us that His heart is in the doing of\nthem. Not only is the substance of His acts good, but the style most\ncharming.\n\nLet us have a sample or two. Look, for instance, at Christ's touching\nword to Simon the Pharisee, in Luke vii. \"When they had nothing to\npay, he _frankly_ forgave them both.\" Now, so far as the mere matter\nof the debt was concerned, the result would have been the same\nwhatever style had been adopted. But what heart does not perceive the\nmoral power of the word \"frankly\"? Who would part with it? Who could\nbear to see the substance stripped of its style? The creditor might\nforgive with a murmur about the amount. That murmur would, in the\njudgment of a sensitive heart, rob the act of all its charms. On the\nother hand, the frankness of the style enhances, beyond expression,\nthe value of the substance.\n\nAgain, look, for a moment, at that familiar but ever fruitful section\nof inspiration, Luke xv. Each of the parables illustrates the power\nand beauty of style. When the man finds his sheep, what does he do?\nDoes he complain of all the trouble, and commence to drive the sheep\nhome before him? Ah, no! this would never do. What then? \"He layeth it\non His shoulders.\" How? Complaining of the weight or the trouble? Nay;\nbut \"_rejoicing_.\" Here we have the lovely style. He showed that He\nwas glad to get His sheep back again. The sheep would have been safe\non the shoulder however it had been placed there; but who would part\nwith the word \"rejoicing\"? Who would bear to see the substance of the\naction stripped of its charming style?\n\nSo, also, in the case of the woman and her lost piece of silver. \"She\nlights a candle, sweeps the house, and seeks.\" How? With dullness,\nweariness and indifference? By no means; but \"diligently,\" like one\nwhose whole heart was in her work. It was quite manifest that she\nreally wanted to find the lost piece of silver. Her style proved this.\n\nLastly, mark the style of the father in receiving the poor returning\nprodigal. \"When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and\nhad compassion, and _ran_ and fell on his neck and kissed him.\" He\ndoes not send out a servant to tell the erring one to turn aside into\none of the out-offices, or betake himself to the kitchen, or even to\nconfine himself to his own room. No; he himself _runs_. He, as it\nwere, lays aside his paternal dignity, in order to give expression to\nhis fatherly affection. He is not satisfied with merely receiving the\nwanderer back: he must prove that his whole heart is in the reception;\nand this he does, not merely by the substance of the act, but by his\nstyle of doing it.\n\nVarious other passages might be adduced to illustrate the style of\ndivine forgiveness, but the above will suffice to prove that God\ngraciously recognizes the power which style has to act upon the human\nheart. I shall, therefore, in closing this paper, make an earnest\nappeal to my reader, as to what he now thinks of the ground, the\nextent, and the style of divine forgiveness.\n\nBeloved reader, thou seest that the ground is as stable as the very\nthrone of God itself, that the extent is infinite, and the style all\nthat the heart could possibly desire. Say, therefore, art thou\nsatisfied as to the great question of the forgiveness of sins? Can you\nany longer doubt God's willingness to forgive, when He has set before\nyou, in such a way, the ground on which, the extent to which, and the\nstyle in which, He forgives sin? Can you hesitate when He actually\n\n    \"Opens His own heart to thee,\n    And shows His thoughts how kind they be\"?\n\nHe stands with open arms to receive thee. He points thee to the cross,\nwhere His own hand laid the foundation of forgiveness, and assures\nthee that all is done, and beseeches thee to rest now, henceforth and\nfor evermore, in that which He has wrought for you. May the blessed\nSpirit lead thee to see these things in all their clearness and\nfullness, so that thou mayest not only believe in the forgiveness of\nsins, but believe also that all thy sins are frankly and forever\nforgiven.\n\n  C. H. M.\n\n\n\n\nREGENERATION: WHAT IS IT?\n\n\nThere are few subjects which have given rise to more difficulty and\nperplexity than that of regeneration, or the new birth. Very many who\nare themselves the subjects of this new birth are at a loss to know\nwhat it is, and filled with doubt as to whether they have ever really\nexperienced it. Many there are who, were they to clothe their desires\nin words, would say, \"Oh, that I knew for certain that I had passed\nfrom death unto life. If only I were sure that I was born again, I\nshould be happy indeed.\" Thus they are harassed with doubts and fears\nfrom day to day and from year to year. Sometimes they are full of hope\nthat the great change has passed upon them; but, anon, something\nsprings up within them which leads them to think their former hopes\nwere a delusion. Judging from feeling and experience rather than from\nthe plain teaching of the word of God, they are, of necessity, plunged\ninto uncertainty and confusion as to the whole matter.\n\nNow, I would desire to enter, in company with my reader, upon an\nexamination, in the light of Scripture, of this most interesting\nsubject. It is to be feared that very much of the misapprehension\nwhich prevails in reference thereto, arises from the habit of\npreaching regeneration and its fruits instead of Christ. The effect is\nput before the cause, and this must always produce derangement of\nthought.\n\nLet us, then, proceed to consider this question. What is regeneration?\nHow is it produced? What are its results?\n\n\nI. And, first, What is regeneration? Very many look upon it as a\nchange of the old nature, produced, no doubt, by the influence of the\nSpirit of God. This change is gradual in its operation, and proceeds,\nfrom stage to stage, until the old nature is completely brought under.\nThis view of the subject involves two errors; namely, first, an error\nas to the real condition of our old nature; and, secondly, as to the\ndistinct personality of the Holy Ghost. It denies the hopeless ruin of\nnature, and represents the Holy Ghost more as an influence than as a\nPerson.\n\nAs to our true state by nature, the word of God presents it as one of\ntotal and irrecoverable ruin. Let us adduce the proofs. \"And God saw\nthat the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that _every_\nimagination of the thoughts of his heart was _only_ evil\n_continually_.\" (Gen. vi. 5.) The words \"_every_,\" \"_only_,\" and\n\"_continually_,\" set aside every idea of a redeeming feature in man's\ncondition before God. Again, \"The Lord looked down from heaven upon\nthe children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and\nseek God. They are _all_ gone aside, they are _all_ together become\nfilthy: there is _none_ that doeth good; no, not one.\" (Ps. xiv. 2,\n3.) Here, again, the expressions \"_all_,\" \"_none_,\" \"_no_, _not one_,\"\npreclude the idea of a single redeeming quality in man's condition, as\njudged in the presence of God. Having thus drawn a proof from Moses\nand one from the Psalms, let us take one or two from the prophets.\n\"Why should ye be stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more: the\n_whole_ head is sick, and the _whole_ heart faint. From the sole of\nthe foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it.\" (Is. i. 5,\n6.) \"The voice said, 'Cry.' And he said, 'What shall I cry?' _All_\nflesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the\nfield.\" (Isa. xl. 6.) \"The heart is deceitful above all things, and\ndesperately wicked: who can know it?\" (Jer. xvii. 9.)\n\nThe above will suffice from the Old Testament. Let us now turn to the\nNew. \"Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all, and\nneeded not that any should testify of man: for He knew what was in\nman.\" (John ii. 24, 25.) \"That which is born of the flesh is flesh.\"\n(John iii. 6.) Read, also, Romans iii. 9-19. \"Because the carnal mind\nis enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God;\nneither, indeed, can be.\" (Rom. viii. 7.) \"Having no hope, and without\nGod in the world.\" (Eph. ii. 12.) These quotations might be\nmultiplied, but there is no need. Sufficient proof has been adduced to\nshow forth the true condition of nature. It is \"lost,\" \"guilty,\"\n\"alienated,\" \"without strength,\" \"evil only,\" \"evil continually.\"\n\nHow, then, we may lawfully inquire, can that which is spoken of in\nsuch a way ever be changed or improved? \"Can the Ethiopian change his\nskin, or the leopard his spots?\" \"That which is crooked cannot be made\nstraight.\" The fact is, the more closely we examine the word of God,\nthe more we shall see that it is not the divine method to improve a\nfallen, ruined thing, but to bring in something entirely new. It is\nprecisely thus in reference to man's natural condition,--God is not\nseeking to improve it. The gospel does not propose, as its object, to\nbetter man's nature, but to give him a new one. It seeks not to put a\nnew piece upon an old garment, but to impart a new garment altogether.\nThe law looked for something in man, but never got it. Ordinances were\ngiven, but man used them to shut out God. The gospel, on the contrary,\nshows us Christ magnifying the law and making it honorable; it shows\nHim dying on the cross, and nailing ordinances thereto; it shows Him\nrising from the tomb, and taking His seat as a Conqueror, at the right\nhand of the Majesty in the heavens; and, finally, it declares that all\nwho believe in His name are partakers of His own life, and are one\nwith Him who is risen. (See, carefully, the following passages: John\nxx. 31; Acts xiii. 39; Rom. vi. 4-11; Eph. ii. 1-6; iii. 13-18; Col.\nii. 10-15.)\n\nIt is of the very last importance to be clear and sound as to this. If\nI am led to believe that regeneration is a certain change in my old\nnature, and that this change is gradual in its operation, then, as a\nnecessary consequence, I shall be filled with continual anxiety and\napprehension, doubt and fear, depression and gloom, when I discover,\nas I surely shall, that nature is nature, and will be nought else but\nnature to the end. No influence or operation of the Holy Ghost can\never make the flesh spiritual. \"That which is born of the flesh is\nflesh,\" and can never be aught else but \"flesh\"; and \"all flesh is as\ngrass,\"--as withered grass. The flesh is presented in Scripture not as\na thing to be improved, but as a thing which God counts as \"dead,\" and\nwhich we are called to \"mortify,\"--subdue and deny, in all its\nthoughts and ways. In the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ we see the\nend of everything pertaining to our old nature. \"They that are\nChrist's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.\"\n(Gal. v. 24.) He does not say, They that are Christ's are improving,\nor trying to improve, the flesh. No; but they \"have crucified it.\" It\nis utterly unimprovable. How can they do this? By the energy of the\nHoly Ghost, acting not _on_ the _old_ nature, but _in_ the new, and\nenabling them to keep the old nature where the cross has put it,\nnamely, in the place of death. God expects nothing from the flesh;\nneither should we. He looks upon it as dead; so should we. He has\n_put_ it out of sight, and we should _keep_ it so. The flesh should\nnot be allowed to show itself. God does not own it. It has no\nexistence before Him. True, it is in us, but God gives us the precious\nprivilege of viewing and treating it as dead. His word to us is,\n\"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but\nalive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.\" (Rom. vi. 11.)\n\nThis is an immense relief to the heart that has struggled for years in\nthe hopeless business of trying to improve nature. It is an immense\nrelief, moreover, to the conscience which has been seeking a\nfoundation for its peace in the gradual improvement of a totally\nunimprovable thing. Finally, it is an immense relief to any soul that\nmay, for years, have been earnestly breathing after holiness, but has\nlooked upon holiness as consisting in the improvement of that which\nhates holiness and loves sin. To each and all of such it is infinitely\nprecious and important to understand the real nature of regeneration.\nNo one who has not experienced it can conceive the intensity of\nanguish and the bitterness of the disappointment which a soul feels,\nwho, vainly expecting some improvement in nature, finds, after years\nof struggling, that nature is nature still--ever the same. And just in\nproportion to the anguish and disappointment will be the joy of\ndiscovering that God is not looking for any improvement in\nnature,--that He sees _it_ as dead, and _us_ as alive in Christ,--one\nwith Him, and accepted in Him, forever. To be led into a clear and\nfull apprehension of this is divine emancipation to the conscience and\ntrue elevation for the whole moral being.\n\nLet us, then, see clearly what regeneration is. It is a new\nbirth,--the imparting of a new life,--the implantation of a new\nnature,--the formation of a new man. The old nature remains in all its\ndistinctness, and the new nature is introduced in all its\ndistinctness. This new nature has its own habits, its own desires, its\nown tendencies, its own affections. All these are spiritual, heavenly,\ndivine. Its aspirations are all upward. It is ever breathing after the\nheavenly source from which it has emanated. As in nature water always\nfinds its own level, so in grace the new--the divine--nature always\ntends toward its own proper source. Thus regeneration is to the soul\nwhat the birth of Isaac was to the household of Abraham (Gen. xxi.).\nIshmael remained the same Ishmael, but Isaac was introduced; so the\nold nature remains the same, but the new is introduced. \"That which is\nborn of the Spirit is spirit\": it partakes of the nature of its\nsource. A child partakes of the nature of its parents, and the\nbeliever is made \"a partaker of the divine nature.\" (2 Peter i. 4.)\n\"_Of His own will_ begat He us.\" (James i. 18.)\n\nIn a word, then, regeneration is God's own work, from first to last.\nGod is the Operator; man is the happy, privileged subject. His\nco-operation is not sought in a work which must ever bear the impress\nof one almighty hand. God was alone in creation, alone in redemption,\nand He must be alone in the mysterious and glorious work of\nregeneration.\n\n\nII. Having endeavored to show, from various passages of Scripture,\nthat regeneration, or the new birth, is not a change of man's fallen\nnature, but the imparting of a new--a divine--nature, we shall now, in\ndependence upon the blessed Spirit's teaching, proceed to consider how\nthe new birth is produced,--how the new nature is communicated. This\nis a point of immense importance, inasmuch as it places the word of\nGod before us as the grand instrument which the Holy Ghost uses in\nquickening dead souls. \"By the word of the Lord were the heavens\nmade,\" and by the word of the Lord are dead souls called into new\nlife. The word of the Lord is creative and regenerating. It called\nworlds into existence; it calls sinners from death to life. The same\nvoice which, of old, said, \"Let there be light,\" must, in every\ninstance, say, \"Let there be life.\"\n\nIf my reader will turn to the third chapter of John's gospel, he will\nfind, in our Lord's interview with Nicodemus, much precious\ninstruction in reference to the mode in which regeneration is\nproduced. Nicodemus held a very high place in what would be termed the\nreligious world. He was \"a man of the Pharisees,\" \"a ruler of the\nJews,\" \"a master of Israel.\" He could hardly have occupied a more\nelevated or influential position. But yet, it is very evident that\nthis highly privileged man was ill at ease. Despite all his religious\nadvantages, his heart felt a restless craving after something which\nneither his Pharisaism, nor yet the entire system of Judaism could\nsupply. It is quite possible he might not have been able to define\nwhat he wanted; but he wanted something, else he never would have\ncome to Jesus by night. It was evident that the Father was drawing\nhim, by a resistless though most gentle hand, to the Son; and the way\nHe took of drawing him was by producing a sense of need which nothing\naround him could satisfy. This is a very common case. Some are drawn\nto Jesus by a deep sense of guilt, some by a deep sense of need.\nNicodemus, obviously, belongs to the latter class. His position was\nsuch as to preclude the idea of anything like gross immorality; and\nhence it would not, in his case, be so much guilt on his conscience as\na void in his heart. But it comes to the same in the end: the guilty\nconscience and the craving heart must both be brought to Jesus, for He\nalone can perfectly meet both the one and the other. He can remove, by\nHis precious sacrifice, every stain from the conscience; and He can\nfill up, by His peerless Person, every blank in the heart. The\nconscience which has been purged by the blood of Jesus is perfectly\nclean, and the heart which is filled with the Person of Jesus is\nperfectly satisfied.\n\nHowever, Nicodemus had, like many beside, to unlearn a great deal ere\nhe could really grasp the knowledge of Jesus. He had to lay aside a\ncumbrous mass of religious machinery ere he could apprehend the divine\nsimplicity of God's plan of salvation. He had to descend from the\nlofty heights of Rabbinical learning and traditionary religion, and\nlearn the alphabet of the gospel in the school of Christ. This was\nvery humiliating to \"a man of the Pharisees,\"--\"a ruler of the\nJews,\"--\"a master of Israel.\" There is nothing of which man is so\ntenacious as his religion and his learning; and, in the case of\nNicodemus, it must have sounded passing strange upon his ear when \"a\nteacher come from God\" declared to him, \"Verily, verily, I say unto\nthee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.\"\nBeing _by birth_ a Jew, and, as such, entitled to all the privileges\nof a son of Abraham, it must have involved him in strange perplexity\nto be told that he must be born again,--that he must be the subject of\na _new birth_, in order to see the kingdom of God. This was a total\nsetting aside of all his privileges and distinctions. It called him\ndown at once from the very highest to the very \"lowest step of the\nladder.\" A Pharisee, a ruler, a master, was not one whit nearer to, or\nfitter for, this heavenly kingdom, than the most disreputable of the\nchildren of men. This was deeply humbling. If he could carry all his\nadvantages and distinctions with him, so as to have them placed to his\ncredit in this new kingdom, it would be something. This would secure\nfor him a position in the kingdom of God far above that of a harlot or\na publican. But then, to be told that he must be born again left him\nnothing to glory in. This, I repeat, was deeply humbling to a learned,\nreligious, and influential man.\n\nBut it was puzzling as well as humbling. \"Nicodemus saith unto Him,\n'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time\ninto his mother's womb, and be born?'\" Surely not. There would be no\nmore gained by a second natural birth than by a first. If a natural\nman could enter ten thousand times into his mother's womb and be born,\nhe would be nought but a natural man after all, for \"that which is\nborn of the flesh is flesh.\" Do what you will with flesh,--with\nnature,--and you cannot alter or improve it. Nothing could change\nflesh into spirit. You may exalt it to the rank of a Pharisee, a ruler\nof the Jews, a master of Israel,--and you could hardly make it\nhigher,--but it will be flesh notwithstanding. If this were more\ngenerally and clearly apprehended, it would prove the saving of\nfruitless labor to hundreds. Flesh is of no value whatever. In itself\nit is but withered grass; and as to its most pious endeavors, its\nreligious advantages and attainments, its works of righteousness, they\nhave been pronounced by the pen of inspiration to be as \"filthy rags.\"\n(Isaiah lxiv. 6.)\n\nBut let us see the mode in which our blessed Lord replies to the\n\"how?\" of Nicodemus. It is peculiarly interesting. Jesus answered,\n\"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of\nthe Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is\nborn of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is\nspirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, 'Ye must be born again.' The\nwind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but\ncanst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one\nthat is born of the Spirit.\" (John iii. 5-8.) Here we are distinctly\ntaught that regeneration, or the new birth, is produced by \"water and\nthe Spirit.\" A man must be born of water and of the Spirit ere he can\nsee the kingdom of God, or enter into its profound and heavenly\nmysteries. The keenest mortal vision cannot \"see\" the kingdom of God,\nnor the most gigantic human intellect \"enter\" into the deep secrets\nthereof. \"The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of\nGod; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,\nbecause they are spiritually discerned.\" (1 Cor. ii. 14.) \"Except a\nman be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of\nGod.\"\n\nIt may be, however, that many are at a loss to know what is meant by\nbeing \"born of water.\" Certainly the expression has been made the\nground of very much discussion and controversy. It is only by\ncomparing scripture with scripture that we can ascertain the real\nsense of any particular passage. It is a special mercy for the\nunlettered Christian--the humble student of the inspired volume--that\nhe need not travel outside the covers of that volume in order to\ninterpret any passage contained therein.\n\nWhat, then, is the meaning of being \"born of water\"? We must reply to\nthis question by quoting two or three passages from the Word. In the\nopening of John's Gospel we read, \"He came unto His own, and His own\nreceived Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power\nto become the sons of God, even to _them that believe on His name:\nwhich were born_, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of\nthe will of man, but _of God_.\" (John i. 11-13.) From this passage we\nlearn that every one who believes on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ\nis born again,--born of God. This is the plain sense of the passage.\nAll who, by the power of God the Holy Ghost, believe on God the Son,\nare born of God the Father. The source of the testimony is divine; the\nobject of the testimony is divine; the power of receiving the\ntestimony is divine; the entire work of regeneration is divine. Hence,\ninstead of being occupied with myself, and inquiring, like Nicodemus,\n\"How can I be born again?\" I have simply to cast myself, by faith, on\nJesus; and thus I am born again. All who put their trust in Christ\nhave gotten a new life--are regenerated.\n\nAgain, \"Verily, verily, I say unto you, _He that heareth My word, and\nbelieveth on Him that sent Me_, HATH everlasting life, and shall not\ncome into judgment; but is passed from death unto life.\" (John v. 24.)\n\"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath\neverlasting life.\" (John vi. 47.) \"But these are written that ye might\nbelieve that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that,\n_believing, ye might have life through His name_.\" (John xx. 31.) All\nthese passages go to prove that the only way in which we can get this\nnew and everlasting life is by simply receiving the record concerning\nChrist. All who believe that record, _have_ this new, this eternal\nlife. Mark, it is not those who merely _say_ they believe, but those\nwho actually _do believe_, according to the sense of the word in the\nforegoing passages. There is life-giving power in the Christ whom the\nWord reveals, and in the Word which reveals Him. \"Verily, verily, I\nsay unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear\nthe voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.\" And then,\nlest ignorance should marvel or skepticism sneer at the idea of dead\nsouls hearing, it is added, \"Marvel not at this: for the hour is\ncoming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice,\nand shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection\nof life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of\njudgment.\" (John v. 25, 28, 29.) The Lord Christ can make dead souls,\nas well as dead bodies, hear His quickening voice. It is by His mighty\nvoice that life can be communicated to either body or soul. If the\ninfidel or the skeptic reasons and objects, it is simply because he\nmakes his own vain mind the standard of what ought to be, and thus\nentirely shuts out God. This is the climax of folly.\n\nBut the reader may feel disposed to inquire, What has all this to do\nwith the word \"water,\" in John iii. 5? It has to do with it, inasmuch\nas it shows that the new birth is produced, the new life communicated,\nby the voice of Christ,--which is really the word of God, as we read\nin the first chapter of James, \"Of His own will begat He us _with the\nword of truth_.\" (ver. 18.) So also in 1 Peter, \"_Being born again_,\nnot of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, _by the word of God_,\nwhich liveth and abideth forever.\" (Pet. i. 23.) In both these\npassages the Word is expressly set forth as the instrument by which\nthe new birth is produced. James declares that we are begotten \"by the\nWord of truth\"; and Peter declares that we are \"born again by the word\nof God.\" If, then, our Lord speaks of being \"born of water,\" it is\nobvious that He represents the Word under the significant figure of\n\"water,\"--a figure which \"a master of Israel\" might have understood,\nhad he only studied aright Ezekiel xxxvi. 25-27.\n\nThere is a beautiful passage in the epistle to the Ephesians, in which\nthe Word is presented under the figure of water. \"Husbands, love your\nwives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it;\nthat He might sanctify and cleanse it with _the washing of water by\nthe Word_.\" (Chap. v. 25-26.) So also in the epistle to Titus: \"Not by\nworks of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy\nHe saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy\nGhost; which He shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our\nSaviour; that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs\naccording to the hope of eternal life.\" (Chap. iii. 5-7.)\n\nFrom all these quotations we learn that the word of God is the grand\ninstrument of which the Holy Ghost makes use in calling dead souls\ninto life. This truth is confirmed, in a peculiarly interesting\nmanner, by our Lord's conversation with Nicodemus; for, instead of\nreplying to the repeated inquiry, \"How can these things be?\" He sets\nthis \"master of Israel\" down to learn the simple lesson taught by\n\"the brazen serpent.\" The bitten Israelite of old was to be healed by\nsimply _looking_ at the serpent of brass on the pole: the dead sinner\nnow is to get life by simply looking at Jesus on the cross and Jesus\non the throne. The Israelite was not told to look at his wound, though\nit was the sense of his wound that made him look: the dead sinner is\nnot told to look at his sins, though it is the sense of his sins that\nwill make him look. One look at the serpent healed the Israelite: one\nlook of faith at Jesus, who hung on the cross of Calvary, quickens the\ndead sinner. The former had not to look a second time to be healed:\nthe latter has not to look a second time to get life. It was not the\nway he looked, but the object he looked at, that healed the Israelite:\nit is not the way he looks, but the object he looks at, that saves the\nsinner: \"_Look_ unto ME, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.\"\n\nSuch was the precious lesson which Nicodemus was called to learn, such\nthe reply to his \"how?\" If a man begins to reason about the new birth,\nhe must be confounded; but if he believes in Jesus, he is born again.\nMan's reason can never understand the new birth; but the word of God\nproduces it. Many are astray as to this. They are occupied with the\nprocess of regeneration, instead of the Word which regenerates. Thus\nthey are perplexed and confounded. They are looking at self instead of\nat Christ; and as there is an inseparable connection between the\nobject at which we look and the effect of looking at it, we can\neasily see what must be the effect of looking in upon one's self. What\ncould an Israelite have gained by looking at his wound? Nothing. What\ndid he gain by looking at the serpent? Health. What does a sinner gain\nby looking at himself? Nothing. What does he gain by looking at Jesus?\n\"Everlasting life.\"\n\n\nIII. We come now to consider, in the third and last place, the results\nof regeneration,--a point of the deepest interest. Who can estimate\naright the glorious results of being a child of God? Who can unfold\nthose affections which belong to that high and hallowed relationship\nin which the soul is placed by being born again? Who can fully explain\nthat precious fellowship which the child of God is privileged to enjoy\nwith his heavenly Father? \"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath\nbestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore\nthe world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we\nthe sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we\nknow that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall\nsee Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth\nhimself, even as He is pure.\" (1 John iii. 1-3.) \"For as many as are\nled by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not\nreceived the spirit of bondage again to fear; but we have received the\nSpirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself\nbeareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and\nif children, then heirs; heirs of God and _joint-heirs_ with Christ;\nif so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified\n_together_.\" (Rom. viii. 14-17.)\n\nIt is most important to understand the distinction between _life_ and\n_peace_. The former is the result of being linked with Christ's\n_Person_; the latter is the result of His _work_. \"He that hath the\nSon hath _life_,\" (1 John v. 12); but, \"being _justified_ by faith, we\nhave _peace_,\" (Rom. v. 1),--\"having made peace through the blood of\nHis cross.\" (Col. i. 20.) The very moment a man receives into his\nheart the simple truth of the gospel, he becomes a child of God. The\ntruth which he receives is the \"incorruptible seed\" of \"the divine\nnature.\" (1 Pet. i. 23; 2 Pet. i. 4.) Many are not aware of all that\nis involved in thus simply receiving the truth of the gospel. As in\nnature, the child of a nobleman may not know the varied results of the\nrelationship, so it is, likewise, in grace. I may be ignorant both as\nto the relationship and its results; but I am in it notwithstanding;\nand being in it, I have the affections which belong to it, and I ought\nto cultivate them, and allow them to entwine themselves artlessly\naround their proper object, even Him who has begotten me by the Word\nof truth. (James i. 18.) It is my privilege to enjoy the full flow of\nparental affection emanating from the bosom of God, and to reciprocate\nthat affection, through the power of the indwelling Spirit. \"Now _are_\nwe the sons of God.\" He has made us such. He has attached this rare\nand marvelous privilege to the simple belief of the truth. (John i.\n12.) We do not reach this position \"by works of righteousness which we\nhave done,\" or could do, but simply \"according to His mercy He saved\nus, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;\nwhich He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that\nbeing justified by His grace, we should be _made heirs_ according to\nthe hope of eternal life.\" (Titus iii. 5-7.) We are \"_called sons_\"\nand \"_made_ heirs,\" and all this simply by the belief of the truth of\nthe gospel, which is God's \"incorruptible seed.\"\n\nTake the case of the very vilest sinner, who up to this moment has\nbeen living a life of gross wickedness. Let that person receive into\nhis heart the pure gospel of God,--let him heartily believe \"that\nChrist died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was\nburied, and that He rose again the third day according to the\nScriptures\"--and he there, then and thus becomes a child of God, a\nthoroughly saved, perfectly justified, and divinely accepted person.\nIn receiving into his heart the simple record concerning Christ, he\nhas received new life. Christ is the truth and the life; and when we\nreceive the truth we receive Christ, and when we receive Christ we\nreceive life,--\"he that believeth on the Son _hath_ everlasting life.\"\n(John iii. 36.) When does he get this life? The very moment he\nbelieves,--\"_believing_ ye might have life through His name.\" (John\nxx. 31.) The truth concerning Christ is the seed of eternal life, and\nwhen that truth is believed, life is communicated.\n\nObserve, this is what the Word of God declares--it is a matter of\ndivine testimony, not merely of human feeling. We do not get life by\n_feeling_ something in ourselves, but by _believing_ something about\nChrist; and that something we have on the authority of God's eternal\nWord--\"the Holy Scriptures.\" It is well to understand this. Many are\nlooking _in_ for evidences of the new life, instead of looking _out_\nat the object which imparts that life. It is quite true that \"he that\nbelieveth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself\" (1 John v.\n10.); but, be it remembered, it is \"the witness\" of a life which is\nreceived by \"_believing_ on the Son of God,\" not by looking in upon\none's self; and the more undividedly I am occupied with Christ, the\nmore distinct and satisfactory will be \"the witness\" in myself. If I\nmake the witness my object, I shall be plunged in doubt and\nuncertainty; but if I make Christ my object, I have the witness in all\nits divine integrity and power. There is special need of clearness as\nto this, because of the strong tendency of our hearts to make\nsomething _within_ the ground of our peace and contentment, instead of\nbuilding, absolutely and exclusively, upon Christ. The more simply we\ncling to Christ, apart from all beside, the more peaceful and happy we\nshall be; but directly we take the eye off Him, we become unhinged and\nunhappy.\n\nIn a word, then, my reader should seek to understand, with scriptural\naccuracy, the distinction between _life_ and _peace_. The former is\nthe result of the connection with Christ's _Person_; the latter is the\nresult of believing in His finished _work_. We very frequently meet\nwith quickened souls who are in sad trouble and disquietude as to\ntheir acceptance with God. They really do believe on the name of the\nSon of God, and, believing, they have life; but, from not seeing the\nfullness of the work of Christ as to their sins, they are troubled in\nconscience--they have no mental repose. Take an illustration. If you\nplace a hundredweight upon the bosom of a dead man he does not feel\nit. Place another, and another, and another, he is wholly unconscious.\nWhy? Because there is no _life_. Let us suppose, for a moment, the\nentrance in of life, and what will be the result? A most distressing\nsensation occasioned by the terrible weight upon the bosom. What then\nwill be needful in order to the full enjoyment of the life which had\nbeen imparted? Clearly, the removal of the burden. It is somewhat thus\nwith the sinner who receives life by believing on the Person of the\nSon of God. So long as he was in a state of spiritual death he had no\nspiritual sensations--he was unconscious of any weight pressing upon\nhim. But the entrance of spiritual life has imparted spiritual\nsensibilities, and he now feels a burden pressing upon his heart and\nconscience, which he knows not exactly how to get rid of. He sees not\nas yet all that is involved in believing on the name of the only\nbegotten Son of God. He does not see that Christ is at once his\nrighteousness and his life. He needs a simple view of the finished\natonement of Christ, whereby _all_ his sins were plunged in the waters\nof eternal oblivion, and he himself introduced into the full favor of\nGod. It is this, and this alone, that can remove the heavy burden off\nthe heart, and impart that profound mental repose which nothing can\never disturb.\n\nIf I think of God as a judge, and myself as a sinner, I need the blood\nof the cross to bring me into His presence, in the way of\nrighteousness. I must fully understand that every claim which God, the\nrighteous Judge, had upon me, a guilty sinner, has been divinely\nanswered and eternally settled by \"the precious blood of Christ.\" This\ngives my soul peace. I see that, through that blood, God can be \"just\nand the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.\" (Rom. iii. 29.) I\nlearn that in the cross God has been glorified about my sins--yea,\nthat the whole question of sin was fully gone into and perfectly\nsettled between God and Christ amid the deep and awful solitudes of\nCalvary. Thus my load is taken off, my weight removed, my guilt\ncanceled: I can breathe freely; I have perfect peace; there is\nliterally nothing against me; I am as free as the blood of Christ can\nmake me. The Judge has declared Himself satisfied as to sin by raising\nthe sinner's Surety from the dead, and placing Him at the right hand\nof the Majesty in the heavens.\n\nBut, then, there comes another thing of immense value. I not only see\nmyself as a guilty sinner provided with a way of access to God as a\nrighteous Judge, but I see God, in pursuance of His eternal counsels\nof electing love, begetting me through the Word of truth, making me\nHis child, adopting me into His family, and setting me before Him in\nsuch a way as that I can enjoy communion with Him as my Father in the\nmidst of all the tender endearments of the divine family circle. This\nis obviously another phase of the believer's position and character.\nIt is no longer a question of his coming to God in the full and\nsettled consciousness that every just claim has been met--this in\nitself is ineffably precious to every sin-burdened heart--but there is\nfar more than this: God is my Father and I am His child. He has a\nFather's heart, and I can count on the tender affections of that heart\nin the midst of all my feebleness and need. He loves me, not because\nof what I am enabled to do, but because I am His child.\n\nLook at yonder tottering babe, the object of ceaseless care and\nsolicitude, wholly unable to promote his father's interests in any one\nway, yet so loved by the father that he would not exchange him for ten\nthousand worlds; and if it be thus with an earthly father, what must\nit be with our heavenly Father? He loves us, not for aught that we are\nable to do, but because we are His children. He has begotten us of His\nown will, by the Word of truth. (James i. 18.) We could no more earn a\nplace in the heart of the Father than we could satisfy the claims of\nthe righteous Judge. All is of free grace. The Father has begotten\nus, and the Judge has found a ransom. (Job xxxiii. 24.) We are debtors\nto grace for both the one and the other.\n\nBut, be it remembered, while we are wholly unable to earn, by our\nworks, a place in the Father's heart, or to satisfy the claims of the\nrighteous Judge, we are, nevertheless, responsible to \"believe the\nrecord which God has given of His Son.\" (1 John v. 9-11.) I say this\nlest, by any means, my reader should be one of those who intrench\nthemselves behind the dogmas of a one-sided theology, while refusing\nto believe the plain testimony of God. Many there are--intelligent\npeople, too--who, when the gospel of the grace of God is pressed upon\ntheir acceptance, are ready to reply, I cannot believe unless God\ngives me power to do so; nor shall I ever be endowed with that power\nunless I am one of the elect. If I belong to the favored number, I\n_must_ be saved; if not, I _can't_.\n\nThis is a thoroughly one-sided theology; and not only so, but its one\nside is turned the wrong way--yea, it is so turned as to wear the form\nof an absurd but most dangerous fatalism, which completely destroys\nman's responsibility, and casts dishonor upon God's moral\nadministration. It sends man forth upon a wild career of reckless\nfolly, and makes God the author of the sinner's unbelief. This is, in\ngood truth, to add insult to injury. It is, first, to make God a liar,\nand then charge Him with being the cause of it. It is to reject his\nproffered love, and blame Him for the rejection. This is, in reality,\nthe most daring wickedness, though based, as I have said, upon a\none-sided theology.\n\nNow, does any one imagine that an argument so flimsy will hold good\nfor a moment in the presence of the king of terrors, or before the\njudgment-seat of Christ? Is there a soul throughout the gloomy regions\nof the lost that would ever think of charging God with being the\nauthor of its eternal perdition? Ah, no! it is only on earth that\npeople argue thus. Such arguments are never breathed in hell. When men\nget to hell, they blame themselves. In heaven they praise the Lamb.\nAll who are lost will have to thank _self_; all who are saved will\nhave to thank _God_. It is when the impenitent soul has passed through\nthe narrow archway of time into the boundless ocean of eternity, that\nit will enter into the full depth and power of those solemn words,\n\n  _\"I would, ... but ye would not.\"_\n\nIn truth, human responsibility is as distinctly taught in the Word of\nGod as is divine sovereignty. Man finds it impossible to frame a\nsystem of divinity which will give each truth its proper place; but he\nis not called upon to frame systems, but to believe a plain record,\nand be saved thereby.\n\nHaving said thus much by way of caution to any who may be in danger of\nfalling under the power of the above line of argument, I shall proceed\nto unfold a little further the results of regeneration, as seen in the\nmatter of the discipline of the Father's house.\n\nAs the children of God, we are admitted to all the privileges of His\nhouse; and in point of fact the discipline of the house is as much a\nprivilege as anything else. It is on the ground of the relationship in\nwhich God has set us that He acts in discipline towards us. A father\ndisciplines his children because they are his. If I see a strange\nchild doing wrong, I am not called upon to chasten him. I am not in\nthe relationship of a father to him, and as a consequence I neither\nknow the affections nor the responsibilities of that relationship. I\nmust be in a relationship in order to know the affections which belong\nto it. Now, as our Father, God, in His great grace and faithfulness,\nlooks after us in all our ways, He will not suffer aught upon us or\nabout us which would be unworthy of Him and subversive of our real\npeace and blessedness. \"Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh\nwhich corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much\nrather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they\nverily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He\nfor our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.\" (Heb.\nxii. 9, 10.) Thus the discipline is a positive privilege, inasmuch as\nit is a proof of our Father's care, and has for its object our\nparticipation in the divine holiness.\n\nBut then, we must ever bear in mind that the discipline of our\nFather's hand is to be interpreted in the light of our Father's\ncountenance, and the deep mysteries of His moral government to be\ncontemplated through the medium of his tender love. If we lose sight\nof this, we shall be sure to get into a spirit of bondage as respects\nourselves, and a spirit of judgment as respects others, both of which\nare in direct opposition to the spirit of Christ. All our Father's\ndealings with us are in perfect love. When He furnishes us with bread,\nit is in love; and when He takes down the rod, it is in love also.\n_\"God is love.\"_ It may frequently happen that we are at a loss to\nknow the why and the wherefore of some special dispensation of our\nFather's hand. It seems dark and inexplicable. The mist which enwraps\nour spirits is so thick and heavy as to prevent our catching the\nbright and cheering beams from our Father's countenance. This is a\ntrying moment--a solemn crisis in the soul's history. We are in great\ndanger of losing the sense of divine love through inability to\nunderstand the profound secrets of divine government. Satan, too, is\nsure to be busy at such a time. He will ply his fiery darts, and throw\nin his dark and diabolical suggestions. Thus, between the filthy\nreasonings which spring up within and the horrible suggestions which\ncome from without, the soul is in danger of losing its balance, and of\ngetting away from the precious attitude of artless repose in divine\nlove, let the divine government be what it may.\n\nThus much with reference to our own souls while under any special\nvisitation of the hand of God. The effect as to others is equally bad.\nHow often may we have detected ourselves in the habit of cherishing a\nspirit of judgment in reference to a child of God whom we found in\ncircumstances of trial, either of \"mind, body, or estate.\" This should\nbe carefully guarded against. We ought not to imagine that every\nvisitation of the hand of God must necessarily be on account of some\nspecial sin in the person. This would be an entirely false principle.\nThe dealings of God are preventive as well as corrective.\n\nTake a case in point. My child may be in the room with me, enjoying\nall the sweet intimacies which belong to our relationship. A person\nenters who I know will utter things which I do not wish my child to\nhear. I therefore, without assigning any reason, tell my child to go\nto his room. Now, if he has not the fullest confidence in my love, he\nmay entertain all manner of false notions about my act; he may reason\nabout the why and wherefore to such a degree as almost to question my\naffection. However, directly the visitor takes his leave, I call the\nchild into my presence and explain the whole matter to him, and in the\nrenewed experience of a father's love he gets rid of the unhappy\nsuspicions of a few dark moments.\n\nThus it is often with our poor hearts in the matter of the divine\ndealings both with ourselves and others. We reason when we ought to\nrepose: we doubt when we ought to depend. Confidence in our Father's\nlove is the true corrective in all things.\n\nWe should ever hold fast the assurance of that changeless, infinite,\nand everlasting love which has taken us up in our low and lost\nestate, made us \"sons of God,\" and will never fail us, never let us\ngo, until we enter upon the unbroken and eternal communion of our\nFather's house above. May that love dwell more abundantly in our\nhearts, that so we may enter more fully into the meaning and power of\nregeneration--what it is, how it is produced, and what are its\nresults. God grant, it for Christ's sake! Amen.\n\n  C. H. M.\n\n\n\n\nIN THE FATHER'S HOUSE\n\n\n    \"The wanderer no more will roam,\n    The lost one to the fold hath come,\n    The prodigal is welcomed home,\n        O Lamb of God, through Thee!\n\n    \"Though clothed in rags, by sin defiled,\n    The Father did embrace His child;\n    And I am pardoned, reconciled,\n        O Lamb of God, through Thee!\n\n    \"It is the Father's joy to bless;\n    His love has found for me a dress,\n    A robe of spotless righteousness,\n        O Lamb of God, in Thee!\n\n    \"And now my famished soul is fed,\n    A feast of love for me is spread,\n    I feed upon the children's bread,\n        O Lamb of God, in Thee!\n\n    \"Yea, in the fulness of His grace,\n    God put me in the children's place,\n    Where I may gaze upon His face,\n        O Lamb of God, in Thee!\n\n    \"Not half His Love can I express,\n    Yet, Lord, with joy my lips confess,\n    This blessed portion I possess,\n        O Lamb of God, in Thee!\n\n    \"Thy precious name it is I bear,\n    In Thee I am to God brought near,\n    And all the Father's love I share,\n        O Lamb of God, in Thee!\"\n\n\n\n\nSanctification: What is it?\n\n\nTo minister peace and comfort to those who, though truly converted,\nhave not laid hold of a full Christ, and who, as a consequence, are\nnot enjoying the liberty of the gospel, is the object we have in view\nin considering the important and deeply-interesting subject of\nsanctification. We believe that very many of those, whose spiritual\nwelfare we desire to promote, suffer materially from defective, or\nerroneous, ideas on this vital question. Indeed, in some cases, the\ndoctrine of sanctification is so entirely misapprehended as to\ninterfere with the faith of the believer's perfect justification and\nacceptance before God.\n\nFor example, we have frequently heard persons speak of sanctification\nas a progressive work, in virtue of which our old nature is to be made\ngradually better; and, moreover, that until this process has reached\nits climax, until fallen and corrupt humanity has become completely\nsanctified, we are not fit for heaven.\n\nNow, so far as this view of the question is concerned, we have only to\nsay that both Scripture and the truthful experience of all believers\nare entirely against it. The Word of God never once teaches us that\nthe Holy Spirit has for His object the improvement, either gradual or\notherwise, of our old nature--that nature which we inherit, by natural\nbirth, from fallen Adam. The inspired apostle expressly declares that,\n\"The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for\nthey are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they\nare spiritually discerned.\" (1 Cor. ii. 14.) This one passage is clear\nand conclusive on the point. If \"the natural man\" can neither\n\"receive\" nor \"know\" \"the things of the Spirit of God,\" then how can\nthat \"natural man\" be sanctified by the Holy Ghost? Is it not plain\nthat, to speak of \"the sanctification of our nature\" is opposed to the\ndirect teaching of 1 Cor. ii. 14? Other passages might be adduced to\nprove that the design of the Spirit's operations is not to improve or\nsanctify the flesh, but there is no need to multiply quotations. An\nutterly ruined thing can never be sanctified. Do what you will with\nit, it is ruined; and, most assuredly, the Holy Ghost did not come\ndown to sanctify a ruin, but to lead the ruined one to Jesus. So far\nfrom any attempt to sanctify the flesh, we read that \"The flesh\nlusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and\nthese are contrary the one to the other.\" (Gal. v. 17.) Could the Holy\nGhost be represented as carrying on a warfare with that which He is\ngradually improving and sanctifying? Would not the conflict cease so\nsoon as the process of improvement had reached its climax? But does\nthe believer's conflict ever cease so long as he is in the body?\n\nThis leads us to the second objection, to the erroneous theory of the\nprogressive sanctification of our nature, namely, The objection drawn\nfrom the truthful experience of all believers. Is the reader a true\nbeliever? If so, has he found any improvement in his old nature? Is it\na single whit better now than it was when he first started on his\nchristian course? He may, and should through grace, be able to subdue\nit more thoroughly; but it is nothing better? If it be not mortified,\nit is just as ready to spring up and show itself in all its vileness\nas ever. \"The flesh\" in a believer is in no wise better than \"the\nflesh\" in an unbeliever.--And if the Christian does not bear in mind\nthat _self_ must be judged, he will soon learn, by bitter experience,\nthat his old nature is as bad as ever; and, moreover, that it will be\nthe very same to the end.\n\nIt is difficult to conceive how any one who is led to expect a gradual\nimprovement of his nature, can enjoy an hour's peace, inasmuch as he\ncannot but see, if he only looks at himself in the light of God's holy\nWord, his old self--the flesh--is the very same as when he walked in\nthe moral darkness of his unconverted state. His own condition and\ncharacter are, indeed, greatly changed by the possession of a new,\nyea, a \"divine nature,\" (2 Pet. i. 4.) and by the indwelling of the\nHoly Ghost, to give effect to its desires; but the moment the old\nnature is at work, he finds it as opposed to God as ever. We doubt not\nbut that very much of the gloom and despondency, of which so many\ncomplain, may be justly traced to their misapprehension of this\nimportant point of sanctification. They are looking for what they can\nnever find. They are seeking for a ground of peace in a sanctified\nnature instead of in a perfect sacrifice--in a progressive work of\nholiness instead of in a finished work of atonement. They deem it\npresumptuous to believe that their sins are forgiven until their evil\nnature is completely sanctified; and, seeing that this end is not\nreached, they have no settled assurance of pardon, and are therefore\nmiserable. In a word, they are seeking for a \"foundation\" totally\ndifferent from that which Jehovah says he has laid, and, therefore,\nthey have no certainty whatever. The only thing that ever seems to\ngive them a ray of comfort is some _apparently_ successful effort in\nthe struggle for personal sanctity. If they have had a good day--if\nthey are favored with a season of comfortable communion--if they\nhappen to enjoy a peaceful, devotional frame, they are ready to cry\nout, \"Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong; I shall never be\nmoved.\" (Ps. xxx.)\n\nBut, ah! these things furnish a sorry foundation for the soul's peace.\nThey are not Christ; and until we see that our standing before God is\n_in Christ_, there cannot be settled peace. The soul that has really\ngot hold of Christ is desirous indeed of holiness; but if intelligent\nof what Christ is to him, he has done with all thoughts about\nsanctified nature. He has found his all in Christ, and the paramount\ndesire of his heart is to grow into His likeness. This is true,\n_practical_ sanctification.\n\nIt frequently happens that persons, in speaking of sanctification,\nmean a right thing, although they do not express themselves according\nto the teaching of holy Scripture. There are many also, who see one\nside of the truth as to sanctification, but not the other; and,\nalthough we should be sorry to make any one an offender for a word,\nyet it is always most desirable, in speaking of any point of truth,\nand especially of so vital a point as that of sanctification, to speak\naccording to the divine integrity of the word. We shall, therefore,\nproceed to quote for our readers a few of the leading passages from\nthe New Testament in which this doctrine is unfolded. These passages\nwill teach us two things, namely, what sanctification is, and how it\nis effected.\n\nThe first passage to which we would call attention is 1 Cor. i.\n30,--\"But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us\nwisdom, and righteousness, and _sanctification_, and redemption.\" Here\nwe learn that Christ \"is made unto us\" all these things. God has given\nus, in Christ, a precious casket, and when we open that casket with\nthe key of faith, the first gem that glitters in our view, in this\nwisdom of God is \"righteousness;\" then, \"sanctification;\" and lastly,\n\"redemption.\" We have them all _in Christ_. As we get one so we get\nall. And how do we get one and all? By faith. But why does the apostle\nname redemption last? Because it takes in the final deliverance of the\nbody of the believer from under the power of mortality, when the voice\nof the archangel and the trump of God shall either raise it from the\ntomb, or change it, in the twinkling of an eye. Will this act be\nprogressive? Clearly not; it will be done \"in the twinkling of an\neye.\" The body is in one state now, and \"in a moment\" it will be in\nanother. In the brief point of time expressed by the rapid movement of\nthe eyelash, will the body pass from corruption to incorruption; from\ndishonor to glory; from weakness to power. What a change! It will be\nimmediate, complete, eternal.\n\nBut what are we to learn from the fact that \"sanctification\" is placed\nin the group with \"redemption?\" We learn that what redemption _will\nbe_ to the body, that sanctification _is_ now to the soul. In a word,\nsanctification, in the sense in which it is here used, is immediate,\nand complete, a divine work. The one is no more progressive than the\nother. The one is as immediate as the other. The one is as complete\nand as independent of man as the other. No doubt, when the body shall\nhave undergone the glorious change, there will be heights of glory to\nbe trodden, depths of glory to be penetrated, wide fields of glory to\nbe explored. All these things shall occupy us throughout eternity.\nBut, then, the work which is to fit us for such scenes will be done\nin a moment. So also is it, in reference to sanctification. The\n_practical_ results of it will be continually developing themselves;\nbut the thing itself, as spoken of in this passage, is done in a\nmoment.\n\nWhat an immense relief it would be to thousands of earnest, anxious,\nstruggling souls to get a proper hold of Christ as their\nsanctification! How many are vainly endeavoring to work out a\nsanctification for themselves! They have come to Christ for\nrighteousness after many fruitless efforts to get a righteousness of\ntheir own; but they are seeking after sanctification in a different\nway altogether. They have gotten \"righteousness without works,\" but\nthey imagine that they must get sanctification with works. They have\ngotten righteousness by faith, but they imagine they must get\nsanctification by effort. They do not see that we get sanctification\nin precisely the same way as we get righteousness, inasmuch as Christ\n\"is made unto us\" the one as well as the other. Do we get Christ by\neffort? No; by faith. It is \"to him that worketh _not_.\" (Rom. iv. 5.)\nThis applies to all that we get in Christ. We have no warrant whatever\nto single out from 1 Cor. i. 30, the matter of \"sanctification,\" and\nplace it upon a different footing from all the other blessings which\nit enfolds. We have neither wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, nor\nredemption in ourselves; nor can we procure them by aught that we can\ndo; but God has made Christ to be unto us all these things. In giving\nus Christ, He gave us all that is in Christ. The fullness of Christ\nis ours, and Christ is the fullness of God.\n\nAgain, in Acts xxvi. 18, the converted Gentiles are spoken of as\n\"receiving forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them which\n_are_ sanctified by faith.\" Here, faith is the instrument by which we\nare said to be sanctified, because it connects us with Christ. The\nvery moment the sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ he becomes\nlinked to Him. He is made one with Him, complete in Him, accepted in\nHim. This is true sanctification and justification. It is not a\nprocess. It is not a gradual work. It is not progressive. The word is\nvery explicit. It says, \"them which _are_ sanctified by _faith_ which\nis in me.\" It does not say, \"which _shall be_ sanctified,\" or, \"which\nare being sanctified.\" If such were the doctrine it would have been so\nstated.\n\nNo doubt, the believer grows in the knowledge of this sanctification,\nin his sense of its power and value, its practical influence and\nresults, the experience and enjoyment of it. As \"the truth\" pours its\ndivine light upon his soul, he enters into a more profound\napprehension of what is involved in being \"set apart\" for Christ, in\nthe midst of this evil world. All this is blessedly true; but the more\nits truth is seen, the more clearly we shall understand that\nsanctification is not merely a progressive work, wrought in us by the\nHoly Spirit, but that it is one result of our being linked to Christ,\nby faith, whereby we become partakers of all that He is. This is an\nimmediate, a complete, and an eternal work. \"Whatsoever God doeth, it\nshall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from\nit.\" (Eccles. iii. 14.) Whether He justifies or sanctifies, \"it shall\nbe forever.\" The stamp of eternity is fixed upon every work of God's\nhand: \"nothing can be put to it,\" and, blessed be His name, \"nothing\ncan be taken from it.\"\n\nThere are passages which present the subject in another aspect,--the\n_practical result_ in the believer of his sanctification in Christ,\nand which may require fuller consideration hereafter. In 1 Thess. v.\nthe apostle prays for the saints whom he addresses, \"And the very God\nof peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit, and\nsoul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord\nJesus Christ.\" Here, the word is applied to a sanctification admitting\nof degrees. The Thessalonians had, along with all believers, a perfect\nsanctification in Christ; but as to the practical enjoyment and\ndisplay of this, it was only accomplished in part, and the apostle\nprays that they may be wholly sanctified.\n\nIn this passage, it is worthy of notice, that nothing is said of \"the\nflesh.\" Our fallen, corrupt nature is always treated as a hopelessly\nruined thing. It has been weighed in the balance and found wanting. It\nhas been measured by a divine rule and found short. It has been tried\nby a perfect plummet and proved crooked. God has set if aside. Its\n\"end has come before him.\" He has condemned it and put it to death.\n(Rom. viii. 3.) Our old man is crucified, dead, and buried. (Rom. vi.\n8.) Are we, then, to imagine for a moment, that God the Holy Ghost\ncame down from heaven for the purpose of exhuming a condemned,\ncrucified, and buried thing, so that He might sanctify it? The idea\nhas only to be named, to be abandoned forever by every one who bows to\nthe authority of Scripture. The more closely we study the Law, the\nProphets, the Psalms, and the entire New Testament, the more closely\nwe shall see that the flesh is wholly unmendable. It is, absolutely,\ngood for nothing. The Spirit does not _sanctify_ it, but he enables\nthe believer to _mortify_ it. We are told to \"_put off_ the old man.\"\nThis precept would never have been delivered to us if the object of\nthe Holy Ghost were the sanctification of that \"old man.\"\n\nWe trust that no one will accuse us of entertaining a desire to lower\nthe standard of personal holiness, or to weaken the soul's earnest\naspirations after a growth in that purity for which every true\nbeliever must ardently long. God forbid! If there is one thing above\nanother which we desire to promote in ourselves and others, it is a\nfull personal purity--a godly practical sanctity--a whole-hearted\nseparation to God--from all evil,--in every shape and form. For this\nwe long, for this we pray, in this we desire to grow daily.\n\nBut then we are fully convinced that a superstructure of true,\npractical holiness can never be erected on a legal basis; and hence it\nis that we press 1 Cor. i. 30, upon the attention of our readers. It\nis to be feared that many who have, in some measure, abandoned the\nlegal ground, in the matter of \"righteousness,\" are yet lingering\nthereon for \"sanctification.\" We believe this to be the mistake of\nthousands, and we are most anxious to see it corrected. The passage\nbefore us would, if simply received into the heart by faith, entirely\ncorrect this serious mistake.\n\nAll intelligent Christians are agreed as to the fundamental truth of\n\"Righteousness without works.\" All freely and fully admit that we\ncannot, by any efforts of our own, work out a righteousness for\nourselves before God. But it is not just so clearly seen that\nrighteousness and sanctification are put upon precisely the same\nground in the Word of God. We can no more work out a sanctification\nthan we can work out a righteousness. We may try it, but we shall,\nsooner or later, find out that it is utterly vain. We may vow and\nresolve; we may labor and struggle; we may cherish the fond hope of\ndoing better to-morrow than we have done to-day; but, in the end, we\nmust be constrained to see, and feel, and own, that as regards the\nmatter of sanctification, we are as completely \"without strength\" as\nwe have already proved ourselves to be in the matter of righteousness.\n\nAnd, oh! what sweet relief to the suffering one who has been seeking\nfor satisfaction or rest in his own holiness to find, after years of\nunsuccessful struggle, that the very thing he longs for is treasured\nup in Christ for him,--his own this moment, even a complete\nsanctification to be enjoyed _by faith_! Such an one may have been\nbattling with his habits, his lusts, his tempers, his passions; he has\nbeen making the most laborious efforts to subdue his flesh and grow in\ninward holiness, but alas! he has failed.[2] He finds, to his deep\nsorrow, that _he_ is not holy, and he reads that \"Without holiness no\nman shall see the Lord.\" (Heb. xii.) Not, observe, without a certain\nmeasure, or attainment in holiness, but without the thing itself;\nwhich every Christian has, from the moment he believes, whether he\nknows it or not. Perfect sanctification is as fully included in the\nword \"salvation\" as is \"righteousness, or redemption.\" He did not get\nChrist by effort, but by faith; and when he laid hold on Christ he\nreceived all that is in Christ. Hence, it is by abiding in Christ he\nfinds power for the subjugation of his lusts, passions, tempers,\nhabits, circumstances, and influences. He must look to Jesus for all.\n\n  [2] The divine picture of this experience and conflict is given us in\n  the seventh chapter of Romans. For a full consideration of this\n  subject, see the pamphlet entitled, \"Deliverance, What is it?\" Price,\n  five cents.--[Ed.]\n\nAll this is simple to faith. The believer's standing is in Christ, and\nif in Christ for one thing, he is in Christ for all. I am not in\nChrist for righteousness, and out of Christ for sanctification. If I\nam a debtor to Christ for righteousness, I am equally a debtor to Him\nfor sanctification. I am not a debtor to legality for either the one\nor the other. I get both by grace, through faith, and all in Christ.\nYes, all--all in Christ. The moment the sinner comes to Christ, and\nbelieves on Him, he is taken completely off the old ground of nature;\nhe loses his old legal standing and all its belongings, and is looked\nat as in Christ. He is no longer \"in the flesh\" but \"in the Spirit.\"\n(Rom. viii. 9.) God only sees him in Christ, and as Christ. He becomes\none with Christ forever. \"As he is, so are we in this world.\" (1 Jno.\niv.) Such is the absolute standing, the settled and eternal position,\nof the very feeblest babe in the family of God. There is but one\nstanding for every child of God, every member of Christ. Their\nknowledge, experience, power, gift, and intelligence, may vary; but\ntheir standing is one. Whatever of righteousness or sanctification\nthey possess, they owe it all to their being in Christ; consequently,\nif they have not gotten a perfect sanctification, neither have they\ngotten a perfect righteousness. But 1 Cor. i. 30, distinctly teaches\nthat Christ \"_is made_\" both the one and the other to all believers.\nIt does not say that we have righteousness and \"_a measure_ of\nsanctification.\" We have just as much scripture authority for putting\nthe word \"measure\" before righteousness as before sanctification. The\nSpirit of God does not put it before either. Both are perfect, and we\nhave both in Christ. God never does anything by halves. There is no\nsuch thing as a half justification. Neither is there such a thing as a\nhalf sanctification. The idea of a member of the family of God, or of\nthe body of Christ, wholly justified, but only half sanctified, is at\nonce opposed to Scripture, and revolting to all sensibilities of the\ndivine nature.\n\nIt is not improbable that very much of the misapprehension which\nprevails, in reference to sanctification, is traceable to the habit of\nconfounding two things which differ very materially, namely our\n_standing_ and our _walk_, or position and condition, The believer's\nstanding is perfect, because it is the gift of God in Christ. His\nwalk, alas, may be very imperfect, fluctuating, and marked with\npersonal infirmity. Whilst his position is absolute and unalterable,\nhis practical condition may exhibit manifold imperfections, inasmuch\nas he is still in the body, and surrounded by various hostile\ninfluences which affect his moral condition from day to day. If, then,\nhis standing be measured by his walk, his position by his condition,\nwhat he is in God's view by what he is in man's, the result must be\nfalse. If I reason from what I am in myself, instead of from what I am\nin Christ, I must, of necessity, arrive at a wrong conclusion.\n\nWe should look carefully to this. We are very much disposed to reason\nupward from ourselves to God, instead of downward from God to us. We\nshould bear in mind that\n\n    \"Far as heaven's resplendent orbs\n      Beyond earth's spot extend,\n    As far My thoughts, as far My ways,\n      Your ways and thoughts transcend.\"\n\nGod looks on His people, and acts toward them, too, according to their\nstanding in Christ. He has given them this standing. He has made them\nwhat they are. They are His workmanship. Hence, therefore, to speak of\nthem as half justified would be a dishonor cast upon God; and to speak\nof them as half sanctified would be just the same.\n\nThis train of thought conducts us to another weighty proof drawn from\nthe authoritative and conclusive page of inspiration, namely, 1 Cor.\nvi. 11. In the verses preceding, the apostle draws a fearful picture\nof fallen humanity, and he plainly tells the Corinthian saints that\nthey had been just like that. \"Such were some of you.\" This is plain\ndealing. There are no flattering words--no daubing with untempered\nmortar--no keeping back the full truth as to nature's total and\nirretrievable ruin. \"Such were some of you: but ye _are_ washed, but\nye _are_ sanctified, but ye _are_ justified, in the name of the Lord\nJesus, and by the Spirit of our God.\"\n\nWhat a striking contrast between the two sides of the apostle's\n\"_but_!\" On the one side, we have all the moral degradation of man's\ncondition; and, on the other side, we have all the absolute\nperfectness of the believer's standing before God. This, truly, is a\nmarvellous contrast; and be it remembered that the soul passes in a\nmoment, from one side to the other of this \"but.\" \"Such _were_ some of\nyou: but ye _are_,\" now, something quite different. The moment they\nreceived Paul's gospel, they were \"washed, sanctified, and\njustified.\" They were fit for heaven; and, had they not been so, it\nwould have been a slur upon the divine workmanship.\n\n    \"'Clean every whit,' thou saidst it, Lord;\n      Shall one suspicion lurk?\n    Thine, surely, is a faithful word,\n      And Thine _a finished work_.\"\n\nThis is divinely true. The most inexperienced believer is \"clean every\nwhit,\" not as a matter of attainment, but as the necessary result of\nbeing in Christ. He will, no doubt, grow in the knowledge and\nexperience of what sanctification really is. He will enter into its\npractical power; its moral effects upon his habits, thoughts,\nfeelings, affections, and associations: in a word, he will understand\nand exhibit the mighty influence of divine sanctification upon his\nentire course, conduct, and character. But, then, he was as completely\nsanctified, in God's view, the moment he became linked to Christ by\nfaith, as he will be when he comes to bask in the sunlight of the\ndivine presence, and reflect back the concentrated beams of glory\nemanating from the throne of God and of the Lamb. He is in Christ now;\nand he will be in Christ then. His sphere and his circumstances will\ndiffer. His feet shall stand upon the golden pavement of the upper\nsanctuary, instead of standing upon the arid sand of the desert. He\nwill be in a body of glory, instead of a body of humiliation; but as\nto his standing, his acceptance, his completeness, his justification,\nand sanctification, all was settled the moment he believed on the\nname of the only begotten Son of God--as settled as ever it will be,\nbecause as settled as God could make it. All this seems to flow as a\nnecessary and unanswerable inference from 1 Cor. vi. 11.\n\nIt is of the utmost importance to apprehend, with clearness, the\ndistinction between a truth and the practical application and result\nof a truth. This distinction is ever maintained in the word of God.\n\"Ye _are_ sanctified.\" Here is the absolute truth as to the believer,\nas viewed in Christ. The practical application of it, and its results\nin the believer, we find in such passages as these. \"Christ loved the\nchurch, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it\nwith the washing of water by the Word.\" (Eph. v. 25, 26.) And \"the\nvery God of peace sanctify you wholly.\" (1 Thess. v. 23.)\n\nBut how is this application made, and this result reached? By the Holy\nGhost, through the written Word. Hence we read, \"Sanctify them through\nthy truth.\" (Jno. xvii.) And again, \"God hath from the beginning\nchosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and\nbelief of the truth.\" (2 Thess. ii. 13.) So also, in Peter, \"Elect\naccording to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through\nsanctification of the Spirit.\" (1 Pet. i. 2.) The Holy Ghost carries\non the believer's practical sanctification on the ground of Christ's\naccomplished work; and the mode in which He does so is by applying to\nthe heart and conscience the truth as it is in Jesus. He unfolds the\ntruth as to our perfect standing before God in Christ, and, by\nenergizing the new man in us, He enables us to put away everything\nincompatible with that perfect standing. A man who is \"washed,\nsanctified, and justified,\" ought not to indulge in any unhallowed\ntemper, lust, or passion. He is separated to God and should \"cleanse\nhimself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.\" It is his holy\nand happy privilege to breathe after the very loftiest heights of\npersonal sanctity. His heart and his habits should be brought and held\nunder the power of that grand truth that he is perfectly \"washed,\nsanctified, and justified.\"\n\nThis is true practical sanctification. It is not any attempt at the\nimprovement of our old nature. It is not a vain effort to reconstruct\nan irretrievable ruin. No; it is simply the Holy Ghost, by the\npowerful application of \"the truth,\" enabling the new man to live, and\nmove, and have his being in that sphere to which he belongs. Here\nthere will, undoubtedly, be progress. There will be growth in the\nmoral power of this precious truth--growth in spiritual ability to\nsubdue and keep under all that pertains to nature--a growing power of\nseparation from the evil around us--a growing meetness for that heaven\nto which we belong, and toward which we are journeying--a growing\ncapacity for the enjoyment of its holy exercises. All this there will\nbe, through the gracious ministry of the Holy Ghost, who uses the Word\nof God to unfold to our souls the truth as to our standing in Christ,\nand as to the walk which _comports with_ such standing. But let it be\nclearly understood that the work of the Holy Ghost in practical\nsanctification, day by day, is founded upon the fact that believers\n\"_are_ sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ\nonce.\" (Heb. x. 10.) The object of the Holy Ghost is to lead us into\nthe knowledge, the experience, and the practical exhibition of that\nwhich was true of us in Christ the very moment we believed. As regards\nthis, there is progress; but our standing in Christ is eternally\ncomplete.\n\n\"Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy Word is truth.\" (Jno. xvii. 17.)\nAnd again, \"The very God of peace sanctify you wholly.\" (1 Thess. v.\n23.) In these passages, we have the grand practical side of this\nquestion. Here we see sanctification presented, not merely as\nsomething absolutely and eternally true of us in Christ, but also as\nwrought out in us, daily and hourly, by the Holy Ghost through the\nWord. Looked at from this point of view, sanctification is, obviously,\na progressive thing. I should be more advanced in personal holiness\nnext year than I was in this. I should, through grace, be advancing,\nday by day, in practical holiness. But what, let me ask, is this?\nWhat, but the working out in me of that which was true of me in\nChrist, the very moment I believed? The basis on which the Holy Ghost\ncarries on the _subjective_ work in the believer, is the _objective_\ntruth of his eternal completeness in Christ.\n\nAgain, \"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man\nshall see the Lord.\" (Heb. xii. 14.) Here, is holiness presented as a\nthing to be \"followed after\"--to be attained by earnest pursuit--a\nthing which every true believer will long to cultivate.\n\nMay the Lord lead us into the power of these things. May they not\ndwell as doctrines and dogmas in the region of our intellect, but\nenter into and abide in the heart, as sacred and powerfully\ninfluential realities! May we know the sanctifying power of the truth;\n(Jno. xvii. 17;) the sanctifying power of faith; (Acts xxvi. 18;) the\nsanctifying power of the name of Jesus; (1 Cor. i. 30; vi. 11;) the\nsanctifying of the Holy Ghost; (1 Pet. i. 2;) the sanctifying grace of\nthe Father. (Jude 1.)\n\nAnd, now, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost,\nbe honor and glory, might, majesty, and dominion, world without end.\nAmen.\n\n  _C. H. M._\n\n\n\n\nFINAL PERSEVERANCE:\n\nWHAT IS IT?\n\n\nDear friend: The question of final perseverance, though in our\njudgment a very simple one, has perplexed a great many; and the\nquestions which you introduce to our notice, and the passages of\nScripture which you adduce, furnish abundant proof that your own mind\nis not quite clear or settled on the point.\n\nIn seeking, then, to reply to your interesting letter, we have three\nthings to do, namely: first, to establish the doctrine of final\nperseverance, or, in other words, the eternal security of all Christ's\nmembers; secondly, to answer the questions which you have given us,\nand which we take to be those usually or frequently put by the\nopposers of the doctrine; and, thirdly, to expound those texts which\nyou have quoted, and in which you seem to find considerable\ndifficulty. May the Holy Spirit be our teacher, and may He give us\nminds entirely subject to Scripture, so that we may be able to form a\nsound judgment on the question now before us!\n\nI. And first, as to the doctrine of final perseverance, it seems to us\nexceedingly clear and simple if only we look at it in immediate\nconnection with Christ Himself. This indeed is the only true way to\nlook at any doctrine. Christ is the soul, centre, and life of all\ndoctrine. A doctrine separated from Christ becomes a lifeless,\npowerless, worthless dogma--a mere idea in the mind--a mere item in\nthe creed. Hence, therefore, we must look at every truth as it stands\nconnected with Christ. We must make Him our point of view. It is only\nas we keep near to Him, and look at all points from that one grand\npoint, that we can have a correct view of any point. If for example, I\nmake self my point of view, and look from thence at the subject of\nfinal perseverance, I shall be sure to get a false view altogether,\ninasmuch as it then becomes a question of _my_ perseverance, and\nanything of _mine_ must necessarily be doubtful.\n\nBut if, on the other hand, I make Christ my viewing-point, and look at\nthe subject from thence, I shall be sure to have a correct view,\ninasmuch as it then becomes a question of Christ's perseverance, and I\nam quite sure that He _must_ persevere, and that no power of the\nworld, the flesh, or the devil, can ever hinder His final perseverance\nin the salvation of those whom He has purchased with His own blood,\nseeing \"He is able to save to _the uttermost_ them that come unto God\nby Him.\" This, surely, is final perseverance. It matters not what the\ndifficulty or what the hostile power may be, \"He is able to save to\nthe uttermost.\" The world, with its ten thousand snares, is against\nus, but \"He is able.\" Indwelling sin, in its ten thousand workings, is\nagainst us, but \"He is able.\" Satan, with his ten thousand devices, is\nagainst us, but \"He is able.\" In a word, it is Christ's ability, not\nours; it is Christ's faithfulness, not ours; it is Christ's final\nperseverance, not ours. All depends upon Him as to this weighty\nmatter. He has purchased His sheep, and surely He will keep them to\nthe best of His ability; and, seeing that \"_all_ power is given unto\nHim in heaven and on earth,\" His sheep must be perfectly and forever\nsafe. If aught could touch the life of the feeblest lamb in all the\nflock of Christ, He could not be said to have \"all power.\"\n\nThus it is immensely important to consider the question of final\nperseverance in inseparable connection with Christ. Difficulties\nvanish. Doubts and fears are chased away. The heart becomes\nestablished, the conscience relieved, the understanding enlightened.\nIt is impossible that one who forms a part of Christ's body can ever\nperish; and the believer is this--\"We are members of His body, of His\nflesh, and of His bones.\" (Eph. v. 30.) Every member of the body of\nChrist was written in the book of the slain Lamb before the foundation\nof the world, nor can anything or any one ever obliterate that\nwriting. Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ saith in reference to those\nthat are His: \"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they\nfollow me; and I _give_ unto them _eternal_ life, and they shall\nnever perish, neither shall _any_ (man, devil, or any one else) pluck\nthem out of my hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than\nall; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.\" (John\nx. 27-29.)\n\nHere, then, most assuredly, we have final perseverance; and that,\nmoreover, not merely the perseverance of the saints, but of the Father\nand of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Yes, dear friend, this is the\nway we would have you view the matter. It is the final perseverance of\nthe Holy Trinity. It is the perseverance of the Holy Ghost, in opening\nthe ears of the sheep. It is the perseverance of the Son, in receiving\nall whose ears are thus opened. And, finally, it is the perseverance\nof the Father, in keeping, through His own name, the blood-bought\nflock in the hollow of His everlasting hand. This is plain enough. We\nmust either admit the truth--the consolatory and sustaining truth--of\nfinal perseverance or succumb to the blasphemous proposition that the\nenemy of God and man can carry his point against the Holy and Eternal\nTrinity. We see no middle ground. \"Salvation is of the Lord\" from\nfirst to last. It is a free, unconditional, and everlasting salvation.\nIt reaches down to where the sinner is in all his guilt, ruin, and\ndegradation, and bears him up to where God is in all His holiness,\ntruth, and righteousness; and it endures forever. God the Father is\nits source, God the Son is its channel, and God the Holy Ghost is the\npower of application and enjoyment. It is all of God from beginning\nto end, from foundation to topstone, from everlasting to everlasting.\nIf it were not so, it would be presumptuous folly to speak of final\nperseverance; but seeing it is so, it would be presumptuous unbelief\nto think of aught else.\n\nTrue, there are great and manifold difficulties in the\nway--difficulties before and difficulties after conversion. There are\nmany and powerful adversaries; but that is the very reason why we must\nkeep the question of final perseverance entirely clear of self and all\nits belongings, and make it repose simply upon God. It matters not in\nthe least what the difficulties or the adversaries may be, for faith\ncan ever triumphantly inquire, \"If God be for us, who can be against\nus?\" And again, \"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall\ntribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or\nperil, or sword? As it is written, 'For Thy sake, we are killed all\nthe day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' Nay, in\nall these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved\nus. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor\nprincipalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,\nnor height, nor depth, nor _any other creature_, shall be able to\nseparate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.\"\n(Rom. viii. 35-39.)\n\nHere, again, we have final perseverance taught, in the clearest and\nstrongest way possible--not any creature shall be able to separate us.\nNeither self, in all its forms; nor Satan, in all his wiles and\nmachinations; nor the world, in all its alurements, or all its scorn,\ncan ever separate the \"us\" of Romans viii. 39 from the love of God,\nwhich is in Christ Jesus our Lord. No doubt persons may be deceived,\nand they may deceive others. Spurious cases may arise; counterfeit\nconversions may take place. Persons may seem to run well for a time,\nand then break down. The blossoms of spring-time may not be followed\nby the mellow fruits of autumn. Such things may be; and, moreover,\ntrue believers may fail in many things; they may stumble and break\ndown in their course. They may have ample cause for self-judgment and\nhumiliation in the practical details of life. But, allowing the widest\npossible margin for all these things, the precious doctrine of final\nperseverance remains unshaken--yea, untouched--upon its own divine and\neternal foundation--\"I give unto my sheep _eternal_ (not temporary or\nconditional) life, and they shall _never_ perish.\" And again: \"Upon\nthis rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not\nprevail against it.\" People may argue as they will, and base their\narguments on cases which have come under their notice, from time to\ntime, in the history of professing Christians; but, looking at the\nsubject from a divine point of view, and basing our convictions on the\nsure and unerring Word of God, we maintain that all who belong to the\n\"us\" of Romans viii., the \"sheep\" of John x., and the \"church\" of\nMatthew xvi., are as safe as Christ can make them, and this we\nconceive to be the sum and substance of the doctrine of final\nperseverance.\n\n\nII. And now, dear friend, we shall, in the second place, briefly and\npointedly reply to the questions which you have put before us:--\n\n1. \"Will a believer be saved, no matter into what course of sin he may\nfall, and die in?\" A true believer will, infallibly, be saved; but we\nconsider that salvation includes, not only full deliverance from the\nfuture consequences of sin, but from the present power and practice\nthereof. And, hence, if we find a person living in sin, and yet\ntalking about his assurance of salvation, we look upon him as an\nantinomian, and not a saved person at all. \"If we say that we have\nfellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the\ntruth.\" The believer may fall, but He will be lifted up; he may be\novertaken, but he will be restored; he may wander, but he will be\nbrought back, because Christ is able to save to the uttermost, and not\none of His little ones shall perish.\n\n2. \"Will the Holy Spirit dwell in a heart where evil and unholy\nthoughts are _indulged_?\" The body of the believer is the temple of\nthe Holy Ghost. (1 Cor. vi. 19.) And this precious truth is the ground\nof exhortation to purity and holiness of heart and life. We are\nexhorted not to grieve the Holy Spirit. To \"_indulge_\" evil and unholy\nthoughts is not christian walk at all. The Christian may be\nassaulted, grieved, and harassed by evil thoughts, and in such a case\nhe has only to look to Christ for victory. Proper christian walk is\nthus expressed in John's first epistle: \"We know that whosoever is\nborn of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth\nhimself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.\" (Chap. v. 18.) This is\nthe divine side of the question. Alas! we know there is the human side\nlikewise; but we judge the human side by the divine. We do not lower\nthe divine to meet the human, but ever aim at the divine\nnotwithstanding the human. We should never be satisfied with anything\nlower than 1 John v. 18. It is by keeping up the true standard that we\nmay expect to raise our moral tone. To talk of having the Spirit and\nyet \"_indulge_\" in evil and unholy thoughts is, in our judgment, the\nancient Nicolaitanism (Rev. ii. 6, 15), or modern antinomianism.\n\n3. \"If it be so, then, will not people say, they may live as they\nlike?\" Well, how does a true Christian like to live? As like Christ as\npossible. If one had put this question to Paul, what would have been\nhis answer? 2 Cor. v. 14, 15, and Phil. iii. 7-14, furnish the reply.\nIt is to be feared that the persons who ask such questions know but\nlittle of Christ. We can quite understand a person getting entangled\nin the meshes of a one-sided theological system and being perplexed by\nthe conflicting dogmas of systematic divinity; but we believe that the\nman who draws a plea from the freedom, sovereignty, and eternal\nstability of the grace of God to continue in sin, knows nothing of\nChristianity at all, has neither part nor lot in the matter, but is in\na truly awful and dangerous condition.\n\nAs to the case which you adduce, of a young man who heard a minister\nstate in his sermon that \"once a child, always a child,\" and who took\noccasion from that to plunge into and continue in open sin, it is only\none of thousands. We believe the minister was right in what he said,\nbut the young man was wrong in what he did. To judge the words of the\nformer by the acts of the latter is utterly false. What should I think\nof my son, if he were to say, Once a son, always a son, and therefore\nI may proceed to smash my father's windows and do all sorts of\nmischief? We judge the minister's statement by the Word of God, and\npronounce it true. We judge the young man's conduct by the same rule,\nand pronounce it false. The matter is quite simple. We have no reason\nto believe that the unhappy young man ever really tasted the true\ngrace of God; for if he had, he would love and cultivate and exhibit\nholiness. The Christian has to struggle with sin; but _struggling_\nwith it and _wallowing_ in it are two totally different ideas. In the\none case we can count on Christ's sympathy and grace; in the other, we\nare actually blaspheming His name by implying that He is the minister\nof sin.\n\nWe consider it a very serious mistake to set about judging the truth\nof God by the actings of men. All who do so must reach a false\nconclusion. The true way is just to reverse the order. Get hold of\nGod's truth first, and then judge everything by that. Set up the\ndivine standard, and test everything thereby. Set up the public\nscales, and weigh every man's load therein. The scales must not be\nregulated by each man's load, but each man's load be tested by the\nscales. If ten thousand professors were to fall away, and live and die\nin open sin, it would not shake our confidence in the divine doctrine\nof final perseverance. The selfsame Word that proves the doctrine to\nbe true, proves them to be false. \"They went out from us, but they\nwere not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have\ncontinued with us; but they went out, that they might be manifest that\nthey were not all of us.\" (1 John ii. 19.) \"The foundation of God\nstandeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His.\nAnd, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from\niniquity.\" (2 Tim. ii. 19.)\n\n\nIII. We shall now proceed to examine the various passages of Scripture\nwhich, as you say, are generally adduced by those who seek to\noverthrow the doctrine of final perseverance. But before doing so, we\ndeem it of importance to lay down the following fundamental principle,\nwhich will, in our judgment, be found most helpful in the\ninterpretation of Scripture generally. The principle is very simple.\nNo one passage of Holy Scripture can by any possibility contradict\nanother. If therefore there be a seeming contradiction, it must arise\nfrom our want of spiritual intelligence. Thus, for example, if any one\nwere to quote James ii. 24 in defense of the doctrine of justification\nby works, I might not be able to answer him. It is quite possible that\nthousands, like Luther, have been sadly perplexed by that passage.\nThey may feel the fullest and clearest assurance that they are\njustified, and that not by any works that they have done, but simply\n\"by faith of Jesus Christ,\" and yet be wholly unable to explain these\nwords of James--\"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and\nnot by faith only.\"\n\nNow, how is one to meet such a difficulty as this? He really does not\nunderstand the apostle James. He is involved in much perplexity by the\napparent contradiction between James and Paul. What is he to do? Just\nto apply the principle above stated. No one passage of Scripture can\npossibly contradict another. As well might we apprehend a collision\nbetween two of the heavenly bodies while moving in their divinely\nappointed orbits, as that two inspired writers could possibly clash in\ntheir statements. Well, then, I read in Rom. iv. 5 such plain words as\nthese: \"But to him that _worketh not_, but believeth on Him that\njustifieth the ungodly, his _faith_ is counted for righteousness.\"\nHere I find works entirely excluded as a ground of justification, and\nfaith alone recognized. So also in chapter iii. I read, \"Therefore we\nconclude that a man is justified by faith without (or apart from)\nworks of law.\" And, again, \"Being justified by faith, we have peace\nwith God.\" Exactly similar is the teaching in the epistle to the\nGalatians, where we read such plain words as these: \"_Knowing_ that a\nman is not justified by works of law, but by faith of Jesus Christ,\neven we (Jews) have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be\njustified by faith of Christ, and not by works of law: for by works of\nlaw shall no flesh be justified.\" (Chap. ii. 16.)\n\nIn all these passages, and many more which might be quoted, works are\nsedulously excluded as a ground of justification, and that too in\nlanguage so plain that a wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err\ntherein. If therefore we cannot explain James ii. 24, we must either\ndeny its inspiration or have recourse to our principle, namely, that\nno one passage of Holy Scripture can possibly contradict another, and\nso remain, with unshaken confidence and unruffled repose, rejoicing in\nthe grand foundation truth of justification by faith alone, apart from\nlaw-works altogether.\n\nHaving called the reader's attention to the famous passage in James\nii., it may not be amiss to offer him, in passing, a word or two of\nexposition which will help him in the understanding of it. There is a\nlittle word in verse 14 which will furnish the key to the entire\npassage. The inspired apostle inquires, \"What doth it profit, my\nbrethren, though a man _say_ he hath faith?\" Had he said, What doth it\nprofit though a man _have_ faith? the difficulty would be insuperable,\nthe perplexity hopeless. But the important word \"say\" quite removes\nall difficulty, and unfolds in the simplest possible way the point\nwhich the apostle has in his mind. We might inquire, What doth it\nprofit though a man _say_ he hath ten thousand a year, if he have it\nnot?\n\nNow, we are aware that the word \"say\" is constantly left out in\nquoting James ii. 14. Some have even ventured to assert that it is not\nin the original. But any one who can read Greek has only to look at\nthe passage and he will see the word _legee_ (_say_) placed there by\nthe Holy Ghost, and left there by all our leading editors and biblical\ncritics; nor can we well conceive a word of more vital importance in a\npassage. Its influence, we believe, is felt throughout the entire\ncontext in which it occurs. There is no use in a man merely _saying_\nhe has faith; but if he really has it, it \"profits\" him for time and\neternity, inasmuch as it connects him with Christ, and puts him in\nfull and inalienable possession of all that Christ has done and all\nthat He is for us before God.\n\nThis leads us to another point, which will greatly tend to clear away\nthe seeming contradiction between the two inspired apostles, Paul and\nJames. There is a very material difference between _law-works_ and\n_life-works_. Paul jealously excludes the former; James as jealously\ninsists on the latter. But be it carefully noted that it is only the\nformer that Paul excludes, as it is only the latter that James insists\non. The acts of Abraham and Rahab were not law-works, but life-works.\nThey were the genuine fruits of faith, apart from which they would\nhave possessed no justifying virtue whatever.\n\nIt is well worthy of note that with the history of four thousand years\nbefore Him, the Holy Ghost, in the apostle, should have fixed upon two\nsuch works as that of Abraham in Genesis xxii. and that of Rahab in\nJoshua ii. He does not adduce some acts of charity or benevolence,\nthough surely He might easily have selected many such from the vast\nmass of materials which lay before Him. But, as if anticipating the\nuse that the enemy would make of the passage now before us, He takes\ncare to select two such illustrations of His thesis as prove beyond\nall question that it is life-works and not law-works He is insisting\nupon, and leaves wholly untouched the priceless doctrine of\njustification by faith, apart from works of law.\n\nFinally, if any should feel disposed to inquire as to the difference\nbetween law-works and life-works, it is simply this: law-works are\nsuch as are done in order to get life: life-works are the genuine\nfruits of life possessed. And how do we get life? By believing on the\nSon of God. \"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my words,\nand believeth on Him that sent Me, _hath_ everlasting life.\" (John v.\n24.) We must have life before we can do anything; and we get life, not\nby \"saying\" we have faith, but by really having it; and when we have\nit, we shall manifest the precious fruits thereof, to the glory of\nGod.\n\nThus, then, we not only implicitly believe that Paul and James _must_\nharmonize, but we can plainly see that they _do_.\n\nHaving thus sought to define and illustrate our principle, we shall\nleave you, dear friend, to apply it in the various cases of difficulty\nand perplexity which may come before you in the study of Scripture,\nwhile we endeavor to expound, as the Lord may enable us, the important\npassages of Scripture which you have laid before us.\n\n1. The first quotation is from the second epistle of Peter--\"But there\nwere false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be\nfalse teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable\nheresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon\nthemselves swift destruction.\" (Chap. ii. 1.) The difficulty of this\npassage arises, we suppose, from the expression, \"denying the Lord\nthat bought them.\" But there is, in reality, no difficulty whatever in\nthese words. The Lord has a double claim on every man, woman, and\nchild beneath the canopy of heaven. He has a claim founded on\ncreation, and a claim founded on redemption. It is to the latter of\nthese two that the apostle refers. The false teachers will not merely\ndeny the Lord that _made_ them, but even the Lord that _bought_ them.\nIt is of importance to see this. It will help to clear away many\ndifficulties. The Lord Jesus has a purchased right over every member\nof the human family. The Father has given Him power over all flesh.\nHence the sin of those who deny Him. It would be sin to deny Him as\nCreator; it is a greater sin to deny Him as Redeemer. It is not at all\na question of regeneration. The apostle does not say, Denying the Lord\nthat quickened them. This would indeed be a difficulty; but as the\npassage stands, it leaves wholly untouched the truth of final\nperseverance.\n\n2. The second passage occurs at the close of the same chapter (verses\n20 and 22)--\"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the\nworld, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,\nthey are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse\nwith them than the beginning.... But it is happened unto them\naccording to the true proverb, 'The dog is turned to his own vomit\nagain: and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.'\"\nThe diffusion of scriptural knowledge and evangelical light may and\ndoes frequently exert an amazing influence upon the conduct and\ncharacter of persons who have known the saving, quickening,\nemancipating power of the gospel of Christ. Indeed it is hardly\npossible for an open Bible to be circulated, or a free gospel to be\npreached, without producing very striking results which, after all,\nwill be found to fall far short of _the_ grand result of regeneration.\nMany gross habits may be abandoned, many \"pollutions\" laid aside,\nunder the influence of a merely intellectual \"knowledge of the Lord\nand Saviour Jesus Christ\"; while, at the same time, the _heart_ has\nnever really been savingly reached at all. Now, it will be invariably\nfound that when persons shake off the influence of evangelical\nlight--even though that influence never extended beyond their outward\nconduct--they are sure to plunge into greater depths of evil, and\ngreater excesses of worldliness and folly than ever; \"The latter end\nis worse with them than the beginning.\" The devil takes delight in\ndragging the _quondam_ professor through deeper mire than that in\nwhich he wallowed in the days of his ignorance and thoughtless folly.\nHence the urgent need of pressing on all with whom we have to do the\nimportance of making sure work of it, so that the knowledge of truth\nmay not merely affect their external conduct, but reach the heart, and\nimpart that life which, when once possessed, can never be lost. There\nis nothing in this passage to terrify the sheep of Christ, but very\nmuch to warn those who, though they may for a time put on the outward\nappearance of sheep, have never been inwardly aught but as the dog and\nthe sow.\n\n3. Ezekiel xviii. 24, 26--\"But when the righteous turneth away from\nhis righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all\nthe abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his\nrighteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his\ntrespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned,\nin them shall he die.... When a righteous man turneth away from his\nrighteousness and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his\niniquity, that he hath done, shall he die.\" With this we may connect\nyour reference to 2 Chronicles xv. 2--\"The Lord is with you while ye\nbe with Him: and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you: but if ye\nforsake Him, He will forsake you.\" We feel constrained, dear friend,\nto say that it evidences a sad want of spiritual intelligence to\nadduce such passages of Scripture as bearing in any way upon the truth\nof the final perseverance of Christ's members. These, and numberless\nother scriptures in the Old Testament, as well as many similar\npassages in the New Testament, unfold to us the deeply important\nsubject of God's moral government. Now, to be merely a subject of\nGod's government is one thing; to be a subject of His unchangeable\ngrace is another. We should never confound them. To elaborate this\npoint, and to refer to the various passages which illustrate and\nenforce it, would demand a volume: we would here only add our full\npersuasion that no one can understand the word of God who does not\naccurately distinguish between man under government and man under\ngrace. In the one case he is looked at as walking down here, in the\nplace of responsibility and danger; in the other, he is looked at as\nassociated with Christ above, in the place of inalienable privilege\nand eternal security. These two Old Testament scriptures to which you\nhave referred us are entirely governmental, and, as a consequence,\nhave nothing whatever to do with the question of final perseverance.\n\n4. Matthew xii. 45--\"Then goeth he and taketh with him seven other\nspirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there:\nand the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall\nit be unto this wicked generation.\" The closing sentence of this\npassage quite explains the whole context. Our Lord is describing the\nmoral condition of the Jewish people. The spirit of idolatry had gone\nout of them, but only for a time, and to return again in sevenfold\nenergy and intensity, rendering their last state worse by far than\naught that has yet appeared in their most marvelous history. This\npassage, taken in a secondary way, may be very intelligently applied\nto an individual who, having undergone a certain moral change, and\nexhibited a measure of improvement in his outward conduct, afterwards\nfalls back and becomes more openly corrupt and vicious than ever.\n\n5. 2 John i. 8, 9--\"Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things\nwhich we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whoever\ntransgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not\nGod. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the\nFather and the Son.\" In verse 8 the apostle exhorts the elect lady and\nher children to look to themselves, lest by any means he should lose\naught of the fruit of his ministry. They were to form part of his\nreward in the coming day of glory, and he longed to present them\nfaultless in the presence of that glory, that his reward might be\nfull. Verse 9 needs no explanation; it is solemnly plain. If one does\nnot _abide_ in the doctrine of Christ, he has got nothing. Let slip\nthe truth as to Christ, and you have no security as to anything. The\nChristian most assuredly needs to walk watchfully in order to escape\nthe manifold snares and temptations which surround him; but whether is\nthat watchfulness better promoted by placing his feet upon the\nshifting sand of his own performances or by fixing them firmly upon\nthe rock of God's eternal salvation? Whether am I in a more favorable\nposition for the exercise of watchfulness and prayer while living in\nperpetual doubt and fear, or reposing in artless confidence in the\nunchangeable love of my Saviour-God? We think, dear friend, we may\nvery safely anticipate your reply.\n\n6. Rev. iii. 11--\"Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou\nhast, that no man take thy crown.\" Two things are here to be\nconsidered, namely: first, this is an address to an assembly; and,\nsecondly, it does not say, That no man take thy _life_. A _servant_\nmay lose his _reward_; but a _child_ can never lose his eternal\n_life_. Attention to this would remove a host of difficulties. Sonship\nis one thing; discipleship is quite another. Security in Christ is one\nthing; testimony for Christ is quite another. If our security were\ndependent upon our testimony--our sonship upon our discipleship, where\nshould we be? True, the more I know my security and enjoy my sonship,\nthe more effective will be my testimony and the more faithful my\ndiscipleship; but these things must never be confounded.\n\nIn conclusion, dear friend, you say that \"All those texts which speak\nof enduring to the end, and overcoming, are thought to mean that,\nsince there is a possibility of our not doing so, we may not be saved\nin the end.\" As to this, we would merely add that we shall be most\nhappy at any time to enter with you upon the close examination of\nevery one of those passages to which you in this general way refer,*\nand to prove, by the grace of God, that not one of them, when rightly\ninterpreted, militates in the smallest degree against the precious\ntruth of final perseverance; but that, on the contrary, each passage\ncontains within itself, or within its immediate context, that which\nwill clearly prove its perfect harmony with the truth of the eternal\nsecurity of the very feeblest lamb in all the blood-bought flock of\nChrist.\n\nMay the Lord establish our souls, more and more firmly, in His own\ntruth, and preserve us unto His heavenly kingdom, to the glory of His\nholy name!\n\n  C. H. M.\n\nP. S.--Paley observes that \"we should never suffer what we know to be\ndisturbed by what we know not.\" And Butler remarks nearly the same\nwhen he says, \"If a _truth_ be established, _objections_ are nothing.\nThe one is founded on our _knowledge_, and the other on our\n_ignorance_.\" (See Jay's Autobiography, p. 170.)\n\n\n\n\nA SACRED UNION\n\n\n    \"'Twixt Jesus and the heavenly race\n    Subsists a bond of sovereign grace--\n    A tie which hell's tremendous train\n    Can ne'er dissolve or rend in twain.\n\n    \"Life's sacred bond shall never break,\n    Though earth should to its centre shake:\n    We rest in hope, assured of this;\n    For God has pledged His righteousness.\n\n    \"By Him 'twas counseled, planned, and done,\n    Wrought in the blood of His dear Son--\n    The Christ appointed to redeem\n    All that the Father chose in Him.\n\n    \"O sacred union, firm and strong!\n    How great the grace! How sweet the song!\n    To God alone be all the praise\n    Of rich, eternal, heavenly grace.\n\n    \"In spirit one with Him who rose\n    Victorious o'er His mighty foes;\n    Who went on high and took His seat,\n    Pledge of the serpent's full defeat.\n\n    \"Triumphant thus o'er adverse powers,\n    (For all He is and has is ours,)\n    With Him, the Head, we stand or fall--\n    Our Life, our Surety, and our All.\n\n    \"Thus saved in Him, a chosen race,\n    Here may we prove our faithfulness,\n    And live to Him who for us died,\n    With whom we shall be glorified.\"\n\n\n\n\nNOW AND THEN; OR, TIME AND ETERNITY\n\n\nThe principles of truth laid down in Luke xii. are of the most solemn\nand searching character. Their practical bearing is such as to render\nthem, in a day like the present, of the deepest importance.\nWorldly-mindedness and carnality cannot live in the light of the truth\nhere set forth. They are withered up by the roots. If one were asked\nto give a brief and comprehensive title to this most precious section\nof inspiration, it might be entitled \"Time in the light of eternity.\"\nThe Lord evidently designed to set His disciples in the light of that\nworld where every thing is the direct opposite of that which obtains\nhere--to bring their hearts under the holy influence of unseen things,\nand their lives under the power and authority of heavenly principles.\nSuch being the faithful purpose of the Divine Teacher, He lays the\nsolid foundation for His superstructure of doctrine with these\nsearching words: \"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is\nhypocrisy.\" There must be no undercurrent in the soul. The deep\nsprings of thought must be laid bare. We must allow the pure beams of\nheaven's light to penetrate to the depths of our moral being. We must\nnot have any discrepancy between the hidden judgment of the soul and\nthe style of our phraseology--between the bent of the life and the\nprofession of the lips. In a word, we specially need the grace of \"an\nhonest and a good heart,\" in order to profit by this wondrous\ncompendium of practical truth.\n\nWe are too apt to give an indifferent hearing or a cold assent to\n_home truth_. We do not like it. We prefer interesting speculations\nabout the mere letter of Scripture, points of doctrine, or questions\nof prophecy, because we can indulge these in immediate connection with\nall sorts of worldly-mindedness, covetous practices, and\nself-indulgence. But ponderous principles of truth, bearing down upon\nthe conscience in all their magnitude and flesh-cutting power, who can\nbear, save those who, through grace, are seeking to purge themselves\nfrom \"the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy\"? This leaven is\nof a most specious character, takes various shapes, and is therefore\nmost dangerous. Indeed, wherever it exists, there is a most positive\nand insurmountable barrier placed before the soul in its progress in\nexperimental knowledge and practical holiness. If I do not expose my\n_whole soul_ to the action of divine truth,--if I am closing up some\ncorner or crevice from the light thereof,--if I am cherishing some\nsecret reserve,--if I am dishonestly seeking to accommodate the truth\nto my own standard of practice, or parry its keen edge from my\nconscience, then, assuredly, I am defiled by the leaven of hypocrisy,\nand my growth in likeness to Christ is a moral impossibility. Hence,\ntherefore, it is imperative upon every disciple of Christ to search\nand see that nothing of this abominable leaven is allowed in the\nsecret chambers of his heart. Let us, by the grace of God, put and\nkeep it far away, so that we may be able on all occasions to say,\n\"Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.\"[3]\n\n  [3] The meaning which is generally attached to hypocrisy is a false\n  profession of religion. It assuredly means this, but it means much\n  more. A tacit assent to principles which do not govern the conduct\n  deserves the appellation of hypocrisy. Looking at the subject in this\n  point of view, we may all find occasion of deep humiliation before the\n  Lord.\n\nBut not only is hypocrisy utterly subversive of spiritual progress, it\nalso fails in attaining the object which it proposes to itself; \"for\nthere is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that\nshall not be known.\" Every man will find his level, and every thought\nwill be brought to light. What the truth would do _now_, the\njudgment-seat will do _then_. Every grade and shade of hypocrisy will\nbe unmasked by the light which shall shine forth from the\njudgment-seat of Christ. Nothing will be allowed to escape. All will\nbe reality _then_, though there is so much fallacy _now_. Moreover,\nevery thing will get its proper name _then_, though it be misnamed\n_now_. Worldly-mindedness is called prudence; a grasping, covetous\nspirit is called foresight; and self-indulgence and personal\naggrandizement are called judicious management and laudable diligence\nin business. Thus it is _now_; but _then_ it will be quite the\nreverse. All things will be seen in their true colors, and called by\ntheir true names, before the judgment-seat. Wherefore it is the wisdom\nof the disciple to act in the light of that day, when the secrets of\nall hearts shall be disclosed. As to this, he is placed on a\nvantage-ground, for, says the apostle, \"we must all [saints and\nsinners--though not at the same time, nor on the same ground,] be\nmanifested [\u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03c9\u03b8\u1fc6\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9] before the judgment-seat of\nChrist.\" Should this disturb the disciple's mind? Assuredly not, if\nhis heart be so purged of the leaven of hypocrisy and his soul so\nthoroughly grounded, by the teaching of God the Holy Ghost, in the\ngreat foundation-truth set forth in this very chapter (2 Cor. v.),\nnamely, that Christ is his life, and Christ his righteousness; that he\ncan say, \"We are manifested [\u03c0\u03b5\u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03ce\u03bc\u03b5\u03b8\u03b1,--an inflection\nof the same word as is used at verse 10,] unto God, and I trust also\nare manifested in your consciences.\"\n\nBut if he be deficient in this peace of conscience and transparent\nhonesty of heart, there is no doubt but that the thought of the\njudgment-seat will disturb his spirit. Hence we see that the Lord, in\nLuke xii, sets the consciences of His disciples directly in the light\nof the judgment-seat.--\"And I say unto you, _My friends_, Be not\nafraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that\nthey can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him,\nwhich after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say\nunto you, Fear Him.\" \"The fear of man bringeth a snare,\" and is\nclosely connected with \"the leaven of the Pharisees;\" but \"the fear of\nthe Lord is the beginning of wisdom,\" and causes a man always so to\ncarry himself--so to think, speak, and act--as in the full light of\nChrist's judgment-seat. This would impart immense dignity and\nelevation to the character, while it would effectually nip, in the\nearliest bud, the spirit of haughty independence, by keeping the soul\nunder the searching power of divine light, the effect of which is to\nmake every thing and every one manifest.\n\nThere is nothing that so tends to rob the disciple of Christ of the\nproper dignity of his discipleship as walking before the eyes or\nthoughts of men. So long as we are doing so, we cannot be unshackled\nfollowers of our heavenly Master. Moreover, the evil of walking before\nmen is morally allied with the evil of seeking to hide our ways from\nGod. Both partake of the \"leaven of the Pharisees,\" and both will find\ntheir proper place before the judgment-seat. Why should we fear men?\nwhy should we regard their opinions? If their opinions will not bear\nto be tried in His presence who has power to cast into hell, they are\nworth nothing; for it is with Him we have to do. \"With me it is a very\nsmall thing that I should be judged of you, or man's judgment.\" Man\nmay have a judgment-seat _now_, but he will not have it _then_;--he\nmay set up his tribunal in time, but he will have no tribunal in\neternity. Why, therefore, should we shape our way in reference to a\ntribunal so frail and evanescent? Oh, let us challenge our hearts as\nto this. God grant us grace to act _now_ in reference to _then_--to\ncarry ourselves here with our eye on hereafter--to look at time in the\nlight of eternity.\n\nThe poor unbelieving heart may however inquire, If I thus rise above\nhuman thoughts and human opinions, how shall I get on in a scene where\nthose very thoughts and opinions prevail? This is a very natural\nquestion, but it meets its full and satisfactory answer from the\nMaster's lips; yea, it would even seem as though He had graciously\nanticipated this rising element of unbelief, when, having carried His\ndisciples above the hazy mists of time, and set them in the clear,\nsearching, powerful light of eternity, He added, \"Are not five\nsparrows sold for two farthings? and not one of them is forgotten\nbefore God. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.\nFear not, therefore; ye are of more value than many sparrows.\" (Ver.\n6, 7.) Here the heart is taught not only to _fear_ God, but also to\n_confide_ in Him,--it is not only warned, but also tranquilized.\n\"Fear\" and \"fear not\" may seem a paradox to flesh and blood, but to\nfaith it is no paradox. The man who fears God most will fear\ncircumstances least. The man of faith is at once the most dependent\nand independent man in the world--dependent upon God, independent upon\ncircumstances. The latter is the consequence of the former.\n\nAnd mark the ground of the believer's peace. The One who has power to\ncast into hell, the only One whom he is to fear, has actually taken\nthe trouble to count the hairs of his head. He surely has not taken\nthe trouble for the purpose of letting him perish here or hereafter.\nThe minuteness of our Father's care should silence every doubt that\nmight arise in our hearts. There is nothing too small and there can be\nnothing too great for Him. The countless orbs that move through\ninfinite space and a falling sparrow are alike to Him. His infinite\nmind can take in with equal facility the course of everlasting ages\nand the hairs of our head. This is the stable foundation on which\nChrist founds His \"fear not\" and \"take no thought.\" We frequently fail\nin the practical application of this divine principle. We may admire\nit as a principle, but it is only in the application of it that its\nreal beauty is seen or felt. If we do not put it in practice, we are\nbut painting sunbeams on canvas, while we famish beneath the chilling\ninfluences of our own unbelief.\n\nNow, we find in this scripture before us that bold and uncompromising\ntestimony for Christ is connected with this holy elevation above men's\nthoughts and this calm reliance upon our Father's minute and tender\ncare. If my heart is lifted above the influence of the fear of man,\nand sweetly tranquilized by the assurance that God takes account of\nthe hairs of my head, then I am in a condition of soul to confess\nChrist before men. (See _vv_. 8-10.) Nor need I be careful as to the\nresult of this confession, for so long as God wants me here He will\nmaintain me here. \"And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and\nunto magistrates and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye\nshall answer, or what ye shall say; for the Holy Ghost shall teach you\nin the same hour what ye ought to say.\" The only proper ground of\ntestimony for Christ is to be fully delivered from human influence,\nand established in unqualified confidence in God. So far as I am\ninfluenced by or a debtor to men, so far am I disqualified for being a\nservant of Christ; but I can only be effectually delivered from human\ninfluence by a lively faith in God. When God fills the heart, there is\nno room for the creature; and we may be perfectly sure of this, that\nno man has ever taken the trouble to count the hairs of our head; we\nhave not even taken that trouble ourselves; but God has, and therefore\nI can trust God more than any one. God is perfectly sufficient for\nevery exigency, great or small, and we only want to trust Him to know\nthat He is.\n\nTrue, He may and does use men as instruments; but if we lean on men\ninstead of God,--if we lean on instruments instead of on the hand that\nuses them, we bring down a curse upon us, for it is written, \"Cursed\nbe the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose\nheart departeth from the Lord.\" (Jer. xvii. 5.) The Lord used the\nravens to feed Elijah, but Elijah never thought of trusting in the\nravens. Thus it should be ever. Faith leans on God, counts on Him,\nclings to Him, trusts in Him, waits for Him, ever leaves a clear stage\nfor Him to act on, does not obstruct His glorious path by any\ncreature-confidence, allows Him to display Himself in all the glorious\nreality of what He is, leaves every thing to Him; and, moreover, if it\ngets into deep and rough waters, it will always be seen upon the crest\nof the loftiest billow, and from thence gazing in perfect repose upon\nGod and His powerful actings. Such is faith--that precious thing--the\nonly thing in this world that gives God and man their respective\nplaces.\n\nWhile the Lord Jesus was in the act of pouring forth these unearthly\nprinciples, a true child of earth intrudes upon Him with a question\nabout property.--\"And one of the company said unto Him, 'Master, speak\nto my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.'\" How\nmarvelously little did he know of the true character of that heavenly\nMan who stood before him! He knew nothing of the profound mystery of\nHis being, or the object of His heavenly mission. He surely had not\ncome from the bosom of the Father to settle lawsuits about property,\nnor to arbitrate between two covetous men. The spirit of covetousness\nwas manifestly in the whole affair. Both defendant and plaintiff were\ngoverned by covetousness. One wanted to grasp and the other wanted to\nkeep; what was this but covetousness? \"And he said unto him, 'Man, who\nmade Me a judge or a divider over you?'\" It was not a question of\nwhich was right or which was wrong as to the property. According to\nChrist's pure and heavenly doctrine they were both wrong. In the light\nof eternity a few acres of land were little worth; and as to Christ\nHimself, He was only teaching principles entirely hostile to all\nquestions of earthly possession; but in His own person and character\nHe set an example of the very opposite. He did not go to law about the\ninheritance. He was \"Heir of all things.\" The land of Israel, the\nthrone of David, and all creation belonged to Him; but man would not\nown Him, or give Him possession. \"The husbandmen said among\nthemselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and seize upon\nthe inheritance.'\" To this the Heir submitted in perfect patience, but\n(eternal homage to His glorious name!) by submitting unto death He\ncrushed the enemy's power, and brought \"many sons to glory.\"\n\nThus we see in the doctrine and practice of the Heavenly Man the true\nexhibition of the principles of the kingdom of God. He would not\narbitrate, but yet He taught truth which would entirely do away with\nthe need of arbitration. If the principles of the kingdom of God were\ndominant, there would be no need for courts of law; for inasmuch as\npeople would not be wronged of their rights, they could have no wrongs\nto be righted. This would be admitted by all. But then the Christian,\nbeing in the kingdom, is bound to be governed by the principles of the\nkingdom, and to carry them out at all cost; for, in the exact\nproportion that he fails to exhibit those principles, he is robbing\nhis own soul of blessing, and marring his testimony.\n\nHence, then, a person going to law is not governed, in so doing, by\nthe principles of the kingdom of God, but by the principles of the\nkingdom of Satan, who is the prince of this world. It is not a\nquestion as to his being a Christian, but simply a question as to the\nprinciple by which he is governed in the act of going to law under\nany circumstances.[4] I say nothing of the moral instincts of the\ndivine nature, which would surely lead one to apprehend with accuracy\nthe gross inconsistency of a man who professes to be saved by _grace_\ngoing to _law_ with a fellow-man--of one who, while he owns that if he\nhad his _right_ from the hand of God, he would be burning in hell,\nnevertheless insists upon exacting his rights from his fellow-man--of\none who has been forgiven ten thousand talents, but yet seizes his\nfellow by the throat for a paltry hundred pence. Upon these things I\nshall not dwell. I merely look at the question of going to law in the\nlight of the kingdom, in the light of eternity; and if it be true that\nin the kingdom of God there is no need for courts of law, then I press\nit solemnly upon my reader's conscience, in the presence of God, that\nhe, as a subject of that kingdom, is totally wrong in going to law.\nTrue, it will lead to loss and suffering; but who is \"worthy of the\nkingdom of God\" who is not prepared to \"suffer for it\"? Let those who\nare governed by the things of _time_ go to law; but the Christian is,\nor ought to be, governed by the things of _eternity_. People go to law\n_now_, but it will not be so _then_; and the Christian is to act _now_\nas if it were _then_. He belongs to the kingdom; and it is just\nbecause the kingdom of God is not dominant, but the King rejected,\nthat the subjects of the kingdom are called to suffer. Righteousness\n\"suffers\" _now_; it will \"reign\" in the millennium, and it will\n\"dwell\" in the new heavens and the new earth. Now, in going to law,\nthe Christian anticipates the millennial age. He is going before his\nMaster in the assertion of his rights. He is called to suffer\npatiently all sorts of wrongs and injuries. To resent them is to deny\nthe truth of that kingdom to which he professes to belong. I press\nthis principle upon my reader's conscience. I earnestly implore his\nserious attention thereto. Let it have its full weight upon his\nconscience. Let him not trifle with its truth. There is nothing which\ntends so to hinder the freshness and power, growth and prosperity, of\nthe kingdom of God in the heart as the refusal to carry out the\nprinciples of that kingdom in the conduct.[5]\n\n  [4] How often, alas! does it happen that people go to law to be\n  _righted_ of their _wrongs_, and in the end find themselves _wronged_\n  of their _rights_!\n\n  [5] The Christian should be governed by the principles of the kingdom\n  in every thing. If he is engaged in business, he should conduct his\n  business as a child of God, and a servant of Christ. He should not\n  have a Christian character on Lord's day and a commercial character on\n  Monday. I should have the Lord with me in my shop, my warehouse, and\n  my counting-house. It is my privilege to depend upon God in my\n  business; but in order to depend upon Him, my business must be of such\n  a nature, and conducted upon such a principle as He can own. If it is\n  not so, I must leave the Lord out, and I am then on the same footing\n  as the men of the world, and left to fall into their ways and manner\n  of doing business.\n\n  Of course, everything depends upon the motive which actuates the mind.\n  What, then, is my motive in my daily labor? Is it to provide food and\n  raiment, or is it to lay up treasures upon earth? If the former, God\n  has pleasure in it, and is with it; so that, if you are in the way of\n  His appointment, you have only to depend upon Him.\n\n  Faith always puts the soul on a totally different ground from that\n  occupied by the world, no matter where or what our calling may be.\n  Take, for example, David in the valley of Elah. Why did he not fight,\n  like other men? Because he was on the ground of faith. So also\n  Hezekiah. Why did he put on sackcloth when other men put on armor?\n  Because he was on the ground of simple dependence upon God. Just so in\n  the case of a man in trade; he must carry on his trade as a Christian,\n  else he will mar the testimony and rob his own soul of blessing.\n\nBut some may say that it is bringing us down from the high ground of\nthe Church, as set forth in Paul's epistles, to press thus the\nprinciples of the kingdom. By no means. We belong to the Church, but\nwe are in the kingdom; and while we must never confound the two, it is\nperfectly plain that the ethics--the moral habits and ways--of the\nChurch can never be below those of the kingdom. If it be contrary to\nthe spirit and principles of the kingdom to assert my rights and go to\nlaw, it must, if possible, be still more contrary to the spirit and\nprinciples of the Church. This cannot be questioned. The higher my\nposition, the higher should be my code of ethics and tone of\ncharacter. I fully believe, and desire firmly to hold, experimentally\nto enter into, and practically to exhibit the truth of the Church as\nthe body and bride of Christ--the possessor of a heavenly standing,\nand the expectant of heavenly glory, by virtue of her oneness with\nChrist; but I cannot see how my being a member of that highly\nprivileged body can make my practice lower than if I were merely a\nsubject or member of the kingdom. What is the difference, as regards\npresent conduct and character, between belonging to the body of a\nrejected Head and belonging to the kingdom of a rejected King?\nAssuredly it cannot be to lower the tone in the former case. The\nhigher and more intimate my relationship to the rejected One, the more\nintense should be my separation from that which rejects Him, and the\nmore complete should be my assimilation to His character, and the more\nprecise and accurate my walk in His footsteps in the midst of that\nscene from which He is rejected.\n\nBut the simple fact is, WE WANT CONSCIENCE. Yes, beloved reader, a\ntender, exercised, honest conscience, which will truly and accurately\nrespond to the appeals of God's pure and holy Word, is, I verily\nbelieve, the grand desideratum--the pressing want of the present\nmoment. It is not so much principles we want, as the grace, the\nenergy, the holy decision, that will carry them out, cost what it may.\nWe admit the truth of principles which most plainly cut at the very\nthings which we ourselves are either directly or indirectly doing,--we\nadmit the principle of grace, and yet we live by the strict\nmaintenance of righteousness. For example, how often does it happen\nthat persons are preaching, teaching, and professing to enjoy grace,\nwhile at the very moment they are insisting upon their rights in\nreference to their tenants; and, either directly themselves or\nindirectly by means of their agents, dispossessing poor people,\nunroofing their houses, and sending them out, in destitution and\nmisery, upon a cold, heartless world! This is a plain, palpable case,\nof which, alas! there have been too many painful illustrations in the\nworld within the last ten years.\n\nAnd why put cases? Because one finds such melancholy deficiency in\nsensibility of conscience at the present day, that unless the thing is\nbrought home plainly to one's self it will not be understood. Like\nDavid, our indignation is wrought up to the highest pitch by a picture\nof moral turpitude, so long as we do not see _self_ in that picture.\nIt needs some Nathan to sound in our ears, \"Thou art the man,\" in\norder to prostrate us in the dust, with a smitten conscience, and true\nself-abhorrence. Thus, at the present day, eloquent sermons are\npreached, eloquent lectures delivered, and elaborate treatises written\nabout the principles of grace, and yet the courts of law are\nfrequented, attorneys, lawyers, sheriffs, agents, and sub-agents are\ncalled into requisition, with all their terrible machinery, in order\nto assert our rights; but we feel it not, because we are not present\nto witness the distress, and hear the groans and execrations of\nhouseless mothers and children. Need we wonder, therefore, that true\npractical Christianity is at a low ebb amongst us? Is it any marvel\nthat leanness, barrenness, drought and poverty, coldness and deadness,\ndarkness, ignorance, and spiritual depression should be found amongst\nus? What else could be expected, when the principles of the kingdom of\nGod are openly violated?\n\nBut is it unrighteous to seek to get our own, and to make use of the\nmachinery within our reach in order to do so? Surely not. What is here\nmaintained is, that no matter how well defined and clearly established\nthe right may be, the assertion thereof is diametrically opposed to\nthe kingdom of God. The servant in Matthew xviii. was called \"a wicked\nservant,\" and \"delivered to the tormentors,\" not because he acted\nunrighteously in enforcing the payment of a lawful debt, but because\nhe did not act in grace and remit that debt. Well, therefore, might\nthe Lord Jesus sound in His disciples' ears this warning voice, \"Take\nheed and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in\nthe abundance of the things which he possesseth.\"\n\nBut how difficult to define this \"covetousness\"! how hard to bring it\nhome to the conscience! It is, as some one has said of worldliness,\n\"shaded off gradually from white to jet black;\" so that it is only as\nwe are imbued with the spirit and mind of heaven, and thoroughly\nschooled in the principles of eternity, that we shall be able to\ndetect its working. And not only so, but our hearts must, in this\nalso, be purged from the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.\nThe Pharisees were covetous, and could only turn Christ's doctrine\ninto ridicule (see Luke xvi. 14); and so will it be with all those who\nare tainted by their leaven. They _will_ not see the just application\nof truth, either as to covetousness or any thing else. They will seek\nto define it in such a way as will suit themselves. They will\ninterpret, modify, pare down, accommodate, until they have fully\nsucceeded in getting their conscience from under the edge of God's\ntruth; and thus they get into the power and under the influence of the\nenemy. I must either be governed by the pure truth of the Word or by\nthe impure principles of the world, which, as we very well know, are\nforged in Satan's workshop, and brought into the world to be used in\ndoing his work.\n\nIn the parable of the rich man, which the Lord here puts forth in\nillustration of covetousness, we see a character which the world\nrespects and admires. But in this, as in every thing else brought\nforward in this searching chapter, we see the difference between _now_\nand _then_--between \"time and eternity.\" All depends upon the light in\nwhich you look at men and things. If you merely look at them _now_, it\nmay be all very well to get on in trade, and enlarge one's concerns,\nand make provision for the future. The man who does this is counted\nwise _now_, but he will be a \"fool\" _then_. But, my reader, let us\nremember that we must make God's _then_ to be our _now_; we must look\nat the things of time in the light of eternity--the things of earth in\nthe light of heaven. This is true wisdom, which does not confine the\nheart to that system of things which obtains \"under the sun,\" but\nconducts it into the light, and leaves it under the power of \"that\nworld\" where the principles of the kingdom of God bear sway. What\nshould we think of courts of law and insurance offices if we look at\nthem in the light of eternity?[6] These things do very well for men\nwho are only governed by _now_, but the disciple of Christ is to be\ngoverned by _then_. This makes all the difference; and truly it is a\nserious difference.\n\n  [6] It should be a serious question with a child of God, ere he avails\n  himself of an assurance company, whether in the matter of fire or\n  life, \"Am I hereby distrusting God? or am I seeking by human agency to\n  counteract divine visitations?\" There is something sadly anomalous in\n  a Christian's insuring his life. He professes to be _dead_, and that\n  Christ is his _life_; why then talk of insuring his life? But many\n  will say, \"We cannot bring Christianity into such things.\" I ask,\n  Where are we to leave it? Is Christianity a convenient sort of\n  garment, which we put on on Lord's day, and at the close of that day\n  take it off, fold it carefully up, and lay it on the shelf till the\n  following Lord's day? It is too often thus. People have two\n  characters; and what is this but the leaven of the Pharisees, which is\n  hypocrisy? Insurance offices are all very well for the men of this\n  world, who should certainly avail themselves of them, inasmuch as\n  every thing around and within is so uncertain. But to the child of God\n  _all is sure_. God has insured his life forever, and hence he should\n  regard insurance offices as so many depots of unbelief.\n\n\"The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.\" What sin\nis there in being a successful agriculturist or merchant? If God bless\na man's labor, should he not rejoice? Truly so; but mark the moral\nprogress of a covetous heart. \"He thought _within himself_.\" He did\nnot think in the presence of God,--he did not think under the mighty\ninfluences of the eternal world; no, \"he thought within\nhimself\"--within the narrow compass of his selfish heart. Such was his\nrange; and therefore we need not marvel at his practical conclusion.\n\"What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?\"\nWhat! Was there no way of using his resources with a view to God's\nfuture? Alas! no. Man has a future (or thinks he has) on which he\ncounts, and for which he makes provision; but self is the only object\nwhich figures in that future,--self, whether in my own person or that\nof my wife or child, which is morally the same thing.\n\nThe grand object in God's future is Christ; and true wisdom will lead\nus to fix our eye on Him, and make Him our undivided object for time\nand eternity--_now_ and _then_. But this, in the judgment of a worldly\nman, is nonsense. Yes, Heaven's wisdom is nonsense in the judgment of\nearth. Hearken to the wisdom of earth, and the wisdom of those who are\nunder the influence of earthly maxims and habits. \"And he said, 'This\nwill I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and _there_\nwill I bestow _all_ my fruits and my goods.'\" Thus we have what he\n\"thought,\" what he \"said,\" and what he \"did;\" and there is a\nmelancholy consistency between his thoughts, his words, and his acts.\n\"_There_,\" in my self-built storehouse, \"will I bestow _all_.\"\nMiserable treasure-house to contain the \"all\" of an immortal soul! God\nwas not an item in the catalogue. God was neither his treasury nor his\ntreasure. This is plain; and it is always thus with a mere man of the\nworld. \"And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up\nfor many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.\" Thus we\nsee that a worldly man's provision is only \"for many years.\" Make the\nbest of it, it cannot go beyond that narrow limit. It cannot, even in\nhis own thought about it, reach into that boundless eternity which\nstretches beyond this contracted span of time. And this provision he\noffers to his never-dying soul as the basis of its \"ease and\nmerriment.\" Miserable fatuity! Senseless calculation!\n\nHow different is the address which a believer may present to his soul!\nHe too may say to his soul, \"Soul, take thine ease; eat, drink, and\nbe merry;--eat of the fatness of God's storehouse, and drink of the\nriver of His pleasures, and of the wine of His kingdom; and be glad in\nHis accomplished salvation; for thou hast much goods, yea,\nunsearchable riches, untold wealth, laid up, not merely for many\nyears, but for eternity. Christ's finished work is the ground of thine\neternal peace, and His coming glory the sure and certain object of thy\nhope.\" This is a different character of address, my reader. This shows\nthe difference between _now_ and _then_. It is a fatal mistake not to\nmake Christ the Crucified, Christ the Risen, Christ the Glorified, the\nAlpha and Omega of all our calculations. To paint a future, and not to\nplace Christ in the foreground, is extravagance of the wildest\ncharacter; for the moment God enters the scene, the picture is\nhopelessly marred.\n\n\"But God said unto him, 'Thou fool! this night thy soul shall be\nrequired of thee: THEN whose shall those things be which thou hast\nprovided?'\" And then mark the moral of all this. \"So is he,\" no matter\nwho--saint or sinner, \"that layeth up _treasure for himself_, and is\nnot rich toward God.\" The man who hoards up is virtually making a god\nof his hoard. His mind is tranquilized as to the future when he thinks\nof his hoard, for if he had not that hoard he would be uneasy. It is\nsufficient to put a natural man entirely out of his reason to give him\nnaught but God to depend upon. Any thing but that for him. Give him\nold pieces of parchment in the shape of title-deeds, in which some\nclever lawyer will finally pick a hole, and prove worthless. He will\nlean on them--yea, die in peace, if he can leave such to his heirs.\nGive him an insurance policy,--any thing, in short, but God for the\nnatural heart. ALL IS REALITY SAVE THE ONLY REALITY, in the judgment\nof nature. This proves what nature's true condition is. It cannot\ntrust God. It _talks_ about Him, but it cannot _trust_ Him. The very\nbasis of man's moral constitution is distrust of God; and one of the\nfairest fruits of regeneration is the capacity to confide in God for\nevery thing. \"They that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee.\"\nNone else can.\n\nHowever, my main object in this paper is to deal with Christian\nconsciences. I ask the Christian reader, therefore, in plain terms, is\nit in keeping with Christ's doctrine, as set forth in the gospel, for\nHis disciples to lay up for themselves treasure on the earth? It seems\nalmost an absurdity to put such a question, in the face of Luke xii.\nand parallel scriptures. \"Lay not up for yourselves treasure on the\nearth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break\nthrough and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where\nneither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break\nthrough and steal.\" This is plain enough, and only wants an honest\nconscience to apply it, in order to produce its proper results. It is\ndirectly contrary to the doctrine of the kingdom of God, and perfectly\nincompatible with true discipleship, to lay up \"treasure,\" in any\nshape or form, \"on the earth.\" In this, as in the matter of going to\nlaw, we have only to remember that we are in the kingdom of God, in\norder to know how we should act. The principles of that kingdom are\neternal and binding upon every disciple of Christ.\n\n\"And He said unto His disciples, 'Therefore I say unto you, Take no\nthought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what\nye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than\nraiment.'\" \"Be careful for nothing,\" says the Spirit by the apostle.\nWhy? Because God is caring for you. There is no use in two thinking\nabout the same thing, when One can do every thing and the other can do\nnothing. \"In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving\nlet your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which\npasseth all understanding, shall garrison [\u03c6\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5\u03c1\u03ae\u03b4\u03b5\u03b9] your\nhearts and minds through Christ Jesus.\" This is the solid foundation\nof peace of heart, which so few really enjoy. Many have gotten peace\nof conscience through faith in the sufficiency of Christ's work, who\ndo not enjoy peace of heart through faith in the sufficiency of God's\ncare. And oftentimes we go to pray about our difficulties and trials,\nand we rise from our knees as troubled as we knelt down. We profess to\nput our affairs into the hands of God, but we have no notion of\n_leaving them_, there; and consequently we do not enjoy peace of\nheart. Thus it was with Jacob, in Genesis xxxii. He asked God to\ndeliver him from the hand of Esau; but no sooner did he rise from his\nknees than he set forth the real ground of his soul's dependence, by\nsaying, \"I will appease him by a present.\" It is clear he had much more\nconfidence in the \"present\" than in God. This is a common error amongst\nthe children of God. We profess to be looking to the Eternal Fountain;\nbut the eye of the soul is askance upon some creature-stream. Thus God\nis practically shut out; our souls are not delivered, and we have not\ngot peace of heart.\n\nThe apostle then goes on, in Philippians iv. 8, to give a catalogue of\nthose things about which we ought to think; and we find that _self_ or\nits affairs is not once alluded to. \"Whatsoever things are true,\nwhatsoever things are venerable [\u03c3\u03b5\u03bc\u03bd\u03ac], whatsoever things\nare just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,\nwhatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if\nthere be any praise, think on these things.... And the God of peace\nshall be with you.\" Thus, when I know and believe that God is thinking\nabout me, I have \"_the peace of God_;\" and when I am thinking about\nHim and the things belonging to Him, I have \"_the God of peace_.\"\nThis, as might be expected, harmonizes precisely with Christ's\ndoctrine in Luke xii. After relieving the minds of His disciples in\nreference to present supplies and future treasure, He says, \"But\nrather seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added\nunto you.\" That is, I am not to seek the kingdom with the latent\nthought in my mind that my wants will be supplied in consequence.\nThat would not be true discipleship. A true disciple never thinks of\naught but the Master and His kingdom; and the Master will assuredly\nthink of him and his wants. Thus it stands, my beloved reader, between\na faithful servant and an all-powerful and all-gracious Master. That\nservant may therefore be free, perfectly free, from care.\n\nBut there is another ground on which we are exhorted to be free from\ncare, and that is, the utter worthlessness of that care. \"Which of\nyou, with taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then\nbe not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for\nthe rest?\" We gain nothing by our care; and by indulging therein we\nonly unfit ourselves for seeking the kingdom of God, and place a\nbarrier, by our unbelief, in the way of His acting for us. It is\nalways true in reference to us, \"He could there do no mighty work,\nbecause of their unbelief.\" Unbelief is the great hindrance to the\ndisplay of God's mighty works on our behalf. If we take our affairs\ninto our own hands, it is clear that we do not want God. Thus we are\nleft to the depressing influence of our own perplexing thoughts, and\nfinally we take refuge in some human resource, and make shipwreck of\nfaith.\n\nIt is important to understand that we are either leaning on God or on\ncircumstances. It will not do, by any means, to say that we are\nleaning on God _and_ circumstances. It must be God _only_, or not at\nall. It is all very well to talk of faith when our hearts are, in\nreality, leaning on the creature in some shape or form. We should sift\nand try our ways closely as to this; for inasmuch as absolute\ndependence upon God is one of the special characteristics of the\ndivine life, and one of the fundamental principles of the kingdom, it\nsurely becomes us to look well to it that we are not presenting any\nbarrier to our progress in that heavenly quality. True, it is most\ntrying to flesh and blood to have no settled thing to lean upon. The\nheart will quiver as we stand upon the shore of circumstances, and\nlook forth upon that unknown ocean--unknown to all but faith, and\nwhere naught but simple faith can live for an hour. We may feel\ndisposed, like Lot, to cry out, \"Is it not a little one? and my soul\nshall live.\" The heart longs for some shred of the creature, some\nplank from the raft of circumstances,--any thing but absolute\ndependence upon God. But oh! let God only be known, and He must be\ntrusted; let Him be trusted, and He must be known.\n\nStill the poor heart will yearn after something settled, something\ntangible. If it be a question of maintenance, it will earnestly desire\nsome settled income, a certain sum in the funds, a certain amount of\nlanded property, or a fixed jointure or annuity of some kind or other.\nThen, if it be a question of public testimony or ministry of any kind,\nit will be the same thing. If a man is going to preach or lecture, he\nwill like to have something to lean upon; if not a written sermon, at\nleast some notes, or some kind of previous preparation,--any thing\nbut unqualified, self-emptied dependence upon God. Hence it is that\nworldliness prevails to such a fearful extent amongst Christians.\nFaith alone can overcome the world and purify the heart. It brings the\nsoul from under the influence of time, and keeps it habitually in the\nlight of eternity. It is occupied not with now, but with _then_,--not\nwith _here_, but _hereafter_,--not with earth, but with heaven. Thus\nit overcomes the world and purifies the heart. It hears and believes\nChrist's word, \"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good\npleasure to give you the kingdom.\" Now, if \"the kingdom\" fills my\nsoul's vision, I have no room for aught beside. I can let go present\nshadows, in the prospect of future realities; I can give up an\nevanescent _now_, in the prospect of an eternal _then_.\n\nWherefore the Lord immediately adds, \"Sell that ye have, and give\nalms: provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the\nheavens that fadeth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth\ncorrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will the heart be also.\"\nIf I have treasure on earth, no matter in what shape, my _heart_ will\nbe there also, and I shall be a downright worldly man. How shall I\nmost effectually empty my heart of the world? By getting it filled\nwith Christ. He is the true treasure which neither the world's \"bags\"\nnor its \"storehouses\" can contain. The world has its \"barns\" and its\n\"bags,\" in which it hoards its \"goods;\" but its barns will fall and\nits bags will wax old: and then, what will become of the treasure?\nTruly \"they build too low that build beneath the skies.\"\n\nYet people will build and hoard up, if not for themselves, at least\nfor their children, or in other words, their second selves. If I hoard\nfor my children, I am hoarding for myself; and not only so, but in\nnumberless cases, the hoard, in place of proving a blessing, proves a\npositive curse to the child, by taking him off the proper ground\nappointed for him, as well as for all, in God's moral government,\nnamely, \"working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may\nhave [not to hoard up for himself, or for his second self, but] to\ngive to him that needeth.\" This is God's appointed ground for every\nman; and therefore if I hoard for my child, I am taking both myself\nand him off the divine ground, and the consequence will be a\nforfeiture of blessing. Do I taste the surpassing sweetness of\nobedience to and dependence upon God, and shall I deprive my child\nthereof? Shall I rob him, virtually, and so far as in me lies, of God,\nand give him, as a substitute, a few \"old bags,\" an insurance policy,\nor some musty parchments?\n\nBut why need I hoard up for my children? If I can trust God for\nmyself, why not trust Him for them likewise? Cannot the One who has\nfed and clothed me feed and clothe them also? Let not the truth be\nmisunderstood or misinterpreted. I am bound, by the powerful\nobligations of the word and example of God, to provide for my own;\nfor, \"if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his\nown house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.\" (1\nTim. v. 8.) This is plain enough. And, moreover, I am bound to fit my\nchildren, so far as God's principles admit, and my province extends,\nfor any service to which He may be graciously pleased to call them.\nBut I am no where instructed in the Word of God to give my children a\nhoard in place of an honest occupation, with simple dependence upon a\nheavenly Father. As a matter of actual fact, few children ever thank\ntheir fathers for inherited wealth; whereas they will ever remember,\nwith gratitude and veneration, having been led, by parental care and\nmanagement, into a godly course of action for themselves.\n\nI do not, however, forget a passage which has often been used, or\nrather abused, to defend the worldly, unbelieving practice of hoarding\nup. I allude to 2 Corinthians xii. 14.--\"Behold, the third time I am\nready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek\nnot yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the\nparents, but the parents for the children.\" How glad people are when\nthey get a semblance of Scripture-authority for their worldliness! In\nthis passage it is but a semblance of authority; for the apostle is\ncertainly not teaching Christians to hoard up--he is not teaching\nheavenly men to lay up treasure upon the earth, for any object. He\nsimple refers to a common practice _in the world_, and to a common\nfeeling _in nature_, in order to illustrate his own mode of dealing\nwith the Corinthians, who were his children in the faith. He had not\nburdened them, and he would not burden them, for he was the parent.\nNow, if the saints of God are satisfied to go back to the world and\nits maxims, to nature and its ways, then let them hoard up with all\ndiligence--let them \"heap treasure together for the last days;\" but\nlet them remember that the moth, the canker-worm, and the rust will be\nthe end of it all. Oh for a heart to value those immortal \"bags\" in\nwhich faith lays up its \"unfading treasure,\" those heavenly\nstorehouses where faith \"bestows all its fruits and its goods\"! Then\nshall we pursue a holy and elevated path through this present evil\nworld--then, too, shall we be lifted upon faith's vigorous pinion\nabove the dark atmosphere which inwraps this Christ-rejecting,\nGod-hating world, and which is impregnated and polluted by those two\nelements, namely, _hatred of God, and love of gold_.\n\nI shall only add, ere closing this paper, that the Lord Jesus--the\nAdorable, the Divine, the Heavenly Teacher, having sought to raise, by\nHis unearthly principles, the thoughts and affections of His disciples\nto their proper centre and level, gives them two things to do; and\nthese two things may be expressed in the words of the Holy Ghost--\"To\nserve the living and true God, and wait for His Son from heaven.\" The\nentire of the teaching of Luke xii, from verse 35 to the end, may be\nranged under the above comprehensive heads, to which I call the\nChristian reader's prayerful attention. We have no one else to serve\nbut \"the living God\", and nothing to wait for--nothing worth waiting\nfor but \"His Son.\" May the Holy Ghost clothe His own Word with\nheavenly power, so that it may come home to the heart and conscience,\nand tell upon the life of every child of God, that the name of the\nLord Christ may be magnified, and His truth vindicated in the conduct\nof those that belong to Him. May the grace of an honest heart, and a\ntender, upright, well-adjusted conscience, be largely ministered to\neach and all of us, so that we may be like a well-tuned instrument,\nyielding a true tone when touched by the Master's hand, and\nharmonizing with His heavenly voice.\n\nFinally, if this paper should fall into the hands of one who has not\nyet found rest of conscience in the perfected atonement of the Son of\nGod, I would say to such an one, You will surely lay this paper down\nand say, \"This is a hard saying, who can hear it?\" You may be disposed\nto ask, \"What would the world come to, if such principles were\nuniversally dominant?\" I reply, It would cease to be governed by\nSatan, and would be \"the kingdom of God.\" But let me ask you, my\nfriend, \"To which kingdom do you belong? Which is it--_now_, or\n_then_--with you? Are you living for time, or eternity,--earth, or\nheaven,--Satan, or Christ?\" Do, I affectionately implore of you, be\nthoroughly honest with yourself in the presence of God. Remember,\n\"there is _nothing_ covered that shall not be revealed.\" The\njudgment-seat will bring _all_ to light. Therefore I say, Be honest\nwith yourself, and now ask your heart, \"Where am I? How do I stand?\nWhat is the ground of my peace? What are my prospects for eternity?\"\nDo not imagine that God wants _you_ to buy heaven with a surrender of\nearth. No; He points you to Christ, who, by bearing sin in His own\nbody on the cross, has opened the way for the believing sinner to come\ninto the presence of God in the power of divine righteousness. You are\nnot asked to do or to be any thing; but the gospel tells you what\nJesus is, and what He has done; and if you believe this in your heart,\nand confess it with your mouth, you shall be saved. Christ--God's\nEternal Son--God manifest in the flesh--co-equal with the Father,\nbeing conceived by the Holy Ghost, was born of a woman, took upon Him\na body prepared by the power of the Highest, and thus became a REAL\nMAN--very God and very man,--He, having lived a life of perfect\nobedience, died upon the cross, being made sin and a curse, and having\nexhausted the cup of Jehovah's righteous wrath, endured the sting of\ndeath, spoiled the grave of its victory, and destroyed him that had\nthe power of death, He went up into heaven, and took His seat at the\nright hand of God. Such is the infinite merit of His perfect\nsacrifice, that all who believe are justified from ALL THINGS--yea,\nare accepted in Him--stand in His acceptableness before God, and can\nnever come into condemnation, but have passed from death into life.\nThis is the gospel!--the glad tidings of salvation, which God the Holy\nGhost came down from heaven to preach to every creature. My reader,\nlet me exhort you, in this concluding line, to \"behold the Lamb of God\nthat taketh away the sin of the world.\" BELIEVE AND LIVE!\n\n  _C. H. M._\n\n\n\n\nTHE ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST\n\n\nWhen once the soul has been brought to feel the reality of its\ncondition before God--the depth of its ruin, guilt, and misery--its\nutter and hopeless bankruptcy, there can be no rest until the Holy\nSpirit reveals a full and an all-sufficient Christ to the heart. The\nonly possible answer to our total ruin is God's perfect remedy.\n\nThis is a very simple, but a most important truth; and we may say,\nwith all possible assurance, the more deeply and thoroughly the reader\nlearns it for himself the better. The true secret of peace is, to get\nto the very end of a guilty, ruined, helpless, worthless self, and\nthere find an all-sufficient Christ as God's provision for our very\ndeepest need. This truly is rest--a rest which can never be disturbed.\nThere may be sorrow, pressure, conflict, exercise of soul, heaviness\nthrough manifold temptations, ups and downs, all sorts of trials and\ndifficulties; but we feel persuaded that when a soul is really brought\nby God's Spirit to see the end of self, and to rest in a full Christ,\nit finds a peace which can never be interrupted.\n\nThe unsettled state of so many of God's dear people is the result of\nnot having received into their hearts a full Christ, as God's very own\nprovision for them. No doubt this sad and painful result may be\nbrought about by various contributing causes, such as a legal mind, a\nmorbid conscience, a self-occupied heart, bad teaching, a secret\nhankering after this present world, some little reserve in the heart\nas to the claims of God, of Christ, and of eternity. But whatever may\nbe the producing cause, we believe it will be found, in almost every\ncase, that the lack of settled peace, so common amongst the Lord's\npeople, is the result of not seeing, not believing, what God has made\nHis Christ to be to them and for them, and that forever.\n\nNow, what we propose in this paper is, to show the anxious reader,\nfrom the precious pages of the Word of God, that there is treasured up\nfor him in Christ all he can possibly need, whether it be to meet the\nclaims of his conscience, the cravings of his heart, or the exigencies\nof his path. We shall seek, by the grace of God, to prove that the\n_work_ of Christ is the only true resting-place for the _conscience_;\nHis _Person_, the only true object for the _heart_; His _Word_, the\nonly true guide for the _path_.\n\nAnd first, then, let us dwell for a little upon\n\n\nTHE WORK OF CHRIST AS THE ONLY RESTING-PLACE FOR THE CONSCIENCE.\n\nIn considering this great subject, two things claim our attention;\nfirst, what Christ has done for us; secondly, what He is doing for us.\nIn the former, we have atonement; in the latter, advocacy. He died for\nus on the cross: He lives for us on the throne. By His precious\natoning death He has met our entire condition as sinners. He has borne\nour sins, and put them away forever. He stood charged with all our\nsins--the sins of all who believe in His name. \"Jehovah laid on Him\nthe iniquity of us all.\" (Isa. liii.) And again, \"For Christ also hath\nonce suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring\nus to God.\" (1 Pet. iii. 18.)\n\nThis is a grand and all-important truth for the anxious soul--a truth\nwhich lies at the very foundation of the whole Christian position. It\nis impossible that any truly awakened soul, any spiritually\nenlightened conscience, can enjoy divinely settled peace until this\nmost precious truth is laid hold of in simple faith. I must know, upon\ndivine authority, that all my sins are put away forever out of God's\nsight; that He Himself has disposed of them in such a manner as to\nsatisfy all the claims of His throne and all the attributes of His\nnature; that He has glorified Himself in the putting away of my sins,\nin a far higher and more wonderful manner than if He had sent me to an\neverlasting hell on account of them.\n\nYes, He Himself has done it. This is the very gist and marrow--the\nheart's core of the whole matter. God has laid our sins on Jesus, and\nHe tells us so in His holy Word, so that we may know it upon divine\nauthority--an authority that cannot lie. God planned it; God did it;\nGod says it. It is all of God, from first to last, and we have simply\nto rest in it like a little child. How do I know that Jesus bore my\nsins in His own body on the tree? By the very same authority which\ntells me I had sins to be borne. God, in His marvelous and matchless\nlove, assures me, a poor guilty, hell-deserving sinner, that He has\nHimself undertaken the whole matter of my sins, and disposed of it in\nsuch a manner as to bring a rich harvest of glory to His own eternal\nname, throughout the wide universe, in presence of all created\nintelligence.\n\nThe living faith of this must tranquilize the conscience. If God has\nsatisfied Himself about my sins, I may well be satisfied also. I know\nI am a sinner--it may be, the chief of sinners. I know my sins are\nmore in number than the hairs of my head; that they are black as\nmidnight--black as hell itself. I know that any one of these sins, the\nvery least, deserves the eternal flames of hell. I know--because God's\nWord tells me--that a single speck of sin can never enter His holy\npresence; and hence, so far as I am concerned, there was no possible\nissue save eternal separation from God. All this I know, upon the\nclear and unquestionable authority of that Word which is settled\nforever in heaven.\n\nBut, oh, the profound mystery of the cross!--the glorious mystery of\nredeeming love! I see God Himself taking all my sins--the black and\nterrible category--all my sins, as He knew and estimated them. I see\nHim laying them all upon the head of my blessed Substitute, and\ndealing with Him about them. I see all the billows and waves of God's\nrighteous wrath--His wrath against my sins--His wrath which should\nhave consumed me, soul and body, in hell, throughout a dreary\neternity,--I see them all rolling over the Man who stood in my stead,\nwho represented me before God, who bore all that was due to me, with\nwhom a holy God dealt as He should have dealt with me. I see\ninflexible justice, holiness, truth, and righteousness dealing with my\nsins, and making a clear and eternal riddance of them. Not one of them\nis suffered to pass! There is no connivance, no palliation, no\nslurring over, no indifference. This could not possibly be, once God\nHimself took the matter in hand. His glory was at stake; His unsullied\nholiness, His eternal majesty, the lofty claims of His government.\n\nAll these had to be provided for in such wise as to glorify Himself in\nview of angels, men, and devils. He might have sent me to\nhell--righteously, justly, sent me to hell--because of my sins. I\ndeserved nothing else. My whole moral being, from its profoundest\ndepths, owns this--must own it. I have not a word to say in excuse for\na single sinful thought, to say nothing of a sin-stained life from\nfirst to last--yes, a life of deliberate, rebellious, high-handed sin.\n\nOthers may reason as they please as to the injustice of an eternity of\npunishment for a life of sin--the utter want of proportion between a\nfew years of wrong-doing and endless ages of torment in the lake of\nfire. They may reason, but I thoroughly believe, and unreservedly\nconfess, that for a single sin against such a Being as the God whom I\nsee at the cross, I richly deserved everlasting punishment in the\ndeep, dark, and dismal pit of hell.\n\nI am not writing as a theologian; if I were, it would be a very easy\ntask indeed to bring an unanswerable array of Scripture evidence in\nproof of the solemn truth of eternal punishment. But no; I am writing\nas one who has been divinely taught the true desert of sin, and that\ndesert, I calmly, deliberately, and solemnly declare, is, and can be,\nnothing less than eternal exclusion from the presence of God and the\nLamb--eternal torment in the lake that burneth with fire and\nbrimstone.\n\nBut--eternal halleluiahs to the God of all grace!--instead of sending\nus to hell because of our sins, He sent His Son to be the propitiation\nfor those sins. And in the unfolding of the marvelous plan of\nredemption, we see a holy God dealing with the question of our sins,\nand executing judgment upon them in the Person of His well-beloved,\neternal, and co-equal Son, in order that the full flood-tide of His\nlove might flow down into our hearts. \"Herein is love, not that we\nloved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the\npropitiation for our sins.\" (1 John iv. 10.)\n\nNow, this must give peace to the conscience, if only it be received in\nthe simplicity of faith. How is it possible for a person to believe\nthat God has satisfied Himself as to his sins and not have peace? If\nGod says to us, \"Your sins and iniquities I will remember no more,\"\nwhat could we desire further as a basis of peace for our conscience?\nIf God assures me that all my sins are blotted out as a thick\ncloud--that they are cast behind His back--forever gone from His\nsight, should I not have peace? If He shows me the Man who bore my\nsins on the cross, now crowned at the right hand of the Majesty in the\nheavens, ought not my soul to enter into perfect rest as to the\nquestion of my sins? Most assuredly.\n\nFor how, let me ask, did Christ reach the place which He now fills on\nthe throne of God? Was it as God over all, blessed forever? No; for He\nwas always that. Was it as the eternal Son of the Father? No; He was\never that--ever in the bosom of the Father--the object of the Father's\neternal and ineffable delight. Was it as a spotless, holy, perfect\nMan--One whose nature was absolutely pure, perfectly free from sin?\nNo; for in that character, and on that ground, He could at any moment,\nbetween the manger and the cross, have claimed a place at the right\nhand of God. How was it, then? Eternal praise to the God of all grace!\nit was as the One who had by His death accomplished the glorious work\nof redemption--the One who had stood charged with the full weight of\nour sins--the One who had perfectly satisfied all the righteous claims\nof that throne on which He now sits.\n\nThis is a grand, cardinal point for the anxious reader to seize. It\ncannot fail to emancipate the heart and tranquilize the conscience. We\ncannot possibly behold, by faith, the Man who was nailed to the tree,\nnow crowned on the throne, and not have peace with God. The Lord\nJesus Christ having taken upon Himself our sins, and the judgment due\nto them, He could not be where He now is if a single one of those sins\nremained unatoned for. To see the Sin-bearer crowned with glory is to\nsee our sins gone forever from the divine presence. Where are our\nsins? They are all obliterated. How do we know this? The One who took\nthem all upon Himself has passed through the heavens to the very\nhighest pinnacle of glory. Eternal justice has wreathed His blessed\nbrow with a diadem of glory, as the Accomplisher of our\nredemption--the Bearer of our sins; thus proving, beyond all question,\nor possibility of a question, that our sins are all put away out of\nGod's sight forever. A crowned Christ and a clear conscience are, in\nthe blessed economy of grace, inseparably linked together. Wondrous\nfact! Well may we chant, with all our ransomed powers, the praises of\nredeeming love.\n\nBut let us see how this most consolatory truth is set forth in holy\nScripture. In Romans iii. we read, \"But now the righteousness of God\nwithout law [\u03c7\u03c9\u03c1\u1f76\u03c2 \u03bd\u03cc\u03bc\u03bf\u03c5] is manifested, being witnessed by\nthe law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God by faith of\nJesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no\ndifference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;\nbeing justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in\nChrist Jesus: _whom God hath set forth_ a propitiation through faith\nin His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission [or\npassing over] of sins that are past [in time gone by], through the\nforbearance of God; to declare at this time His righteousness; that He\nmight be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.\"\n\nAgain, in chapter iv, speaking of Abraham's faith being counted to him\nfor righteousness, the apostle adds, \"Now it was not written for his\nsake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it\nshall be imputed, if we _believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord\nfrom the dead; who was delivered for our offenses, and raised again\nfor our justification_.\" Here we have God introduced to our souls as\nthe One who raised from the dead the Bearer of our sins. Why did He do\nso? Because the One who had been delivered for our offenses had\nperfectly glorified Him respecting those offenses, and put them away\nforever. God not only sent His only begotten Son into the world, but\nHe bruised Him for our iniquities, and raised Him from the dead, in\norder that we might know and believe that our iniquities are all\ndisposed of in such a manner as to glorify Him infinitely and\neverlastingly. Eternal and universal homage to His name!\n\nBut we have further testimony on this grand fundamental truth. In\nHebrews i. we read such soul-stirring words as these: \"God, who at\nsundry times and in divers manners [or in divers measures and modes]\nspake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these\nlast days spoken unto us by [His] Son, whom He hath appointed heir of\nall things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness\nof His glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all\nthings by the word of His power, _when He had by Himself purged our\nsins_, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.\" Our Lord\nChrist, blessed be His name! would not take His seat on the throne of\nGod until He had, by the offering of Himself on the cross, purged our\nsins. Hence, a risen Christ at God's right hand is the glorious and\nunanswerable proof that our sins are all gone, for He could not be\nwhere He now is if a single one of those sins remained. God raised\nfrom the dead the self-same Man on whom He Himself had laid the full\nweight of our sins. Thus all is settled--divinely, eternally settled.\nIt is as impossible that a single sin can be found on the very weakest\nbeliever in Jesus as on Jesus Himself. This is a wonderful thing to be\nable to say, but it is the solid truth of God, established in manifold\nplaces in holy Scripture, and the soul that believes it must possess a\npeace which the world can neither give nor take away.\n\n\n\n\nPART II\n\n\nThus far, we have been occupied with that aspect of the work of Christ\nwhich bears upon the question of the forgiveness of sins, and we\nearnestly trust that the reader is thoroughly clear and settled on\nthis grand point. It is assuredly his happy privilege so to be, if\nonly he will take God at His word. \"Christ hath once suffered for\nsins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.\"\n\nIf, then, Christ hath suffered for our sins, should we not know the\ndeep blessedness of being eternally delivered from the burden of those\nsins? Can it be according to the mind and heart of God that one for\nwhom Christ suffered should remain in perpetual bondage, tied and\nbound with the chain of his sins, and crying out, from week to week,\nmonth to month, and year to year, that the burden of his sins is\nintolerable?\n\nIf such utterances are true and proper for the Christian, then what\nhas Christ done for us? Can it be true that Christ has put away our\nsins and yet that we are tied and bound with the chain of them? Is it\ntrue that He bore the heavy burden of our sins and yet that we are\nstill crushed beneath the intolerable weight thereof?\n\nSome would fain persuade us that it is not possible to know that our\nsins are forgiven--that we must go on to the end of our life in a\nstate of complete uncertainty on this most vital and important\nquestion. If this be so, what has become of the precious gospel of the\ngrace of God--the glad tidings of salvation? In the view of such\nmiserable teaching as this, what mean those glowing words of the\nblessed apostle Paul in the synagogue of Antioch?--\"Be it known unto\nyou therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man [Jesus Christ,\ndead and risen] is preached [not promised as a future thing, but\nproclaimed now] the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all who believe\n_are_ [not shall be, or hope to be] justified from _all things_, from\nwhich ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.\" (Acts xiii. 38,\n39.)\n\nIf we were resting on the law of Moses, on our keeping the\ncommandments, on our doing our duty, on our feeling as we ought, on\nour valuing Christ and loving God as we ought, reason would that we\nshould be in doubt and dark uncertainty, seeing we could have no\npossible ground of assurance. If we had so much as the movement of an\neyelash to do in the matter, then, verily, it would be the very height\nof presumption on our part to think of being certain.\n\nBut on the other hand, when we hear the voice of the living God, who\ncannot lie, proclaiming in our ears the glad tidings that through His\nown beloved Son, who died on the cross, was buried in the grave,\nraised from the dead, and seated in the glory--that through Him\nalone--through Him, without any thing whatever of ours--through His\none offering of Himself once and forever, full and everlasting\nremission of sins is preached, as a present reality, to be enjoyed now\nby every soul who simply believes the precious record of God, how is\nit possible for any one to continue in doubt and uncertainty? Is\nChrist's work finished? He said it was. What did He do? He put away\nour sins. Are they, then, put away, or are they still on us?--which?\n\nReader, say which? where are thy sins? Are they blotted out as a thick\ncloud? or are they still lying as a heavy load of guilt, in condemning\npower, on thy conscience? If they were not put away by the atoning\ndeath of Christ, they will never be put away; if He did not bear them\non the cross, you will have to bear them in the tormenting flames of\nhell forever and ever and ever. Yes; be assured of it, there is no\nother way of disposing of this most weighty and momentous question. If\nChrist did not settle the matter on the cross, you must settle it in\nhell. It must be so, if God's Word be true.\n\nBut glory be to God, His own testimony assures us that Christ hath\nonce suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring\nus to God; not merely bring us to heaven when we die, but bring us to\nGod _now_. How does He bring us to God? Tied and bound with the chain\nof our sins? with an intolerable burden of guilt on our souls? Nay,\nverily; He brings us to God without spot or stain or charge. He brings\nus to God in all His own acceptableness. Is there any guilt on Him?\nNo. There was, blessed be His name, when He stood in our stead, but\nit is gone--gone forever--cast as lead into the unfathomable waters of\ndivine forgetfulness. He was charged with our sins on the cross. God\nlaid on Him all our iniquities, and dealt with Him about them. The\nwhole question of our sins, according to God's estimate thereof, was\nfully gone into and definitively, because divinely, settled between\nGod and Christ, amid the awful shadows of Calvary. Yes, it was all\ndone, once and forever, there. How do we know it? By the authority of\nthe only true God. His Word assures us that _we have_ redemption\nthrough the blood of Christ, the remission of sins, according to the\nriches of His grace. He declares to us, in accents of sweetest,\nrichest, deepest mercy, that our sins and our iniquities He will\nremember no more. Is not this enough? Shall we still continue to cry\nout that we are tied and bound with the chain of our sins? Shall we\nthus cast a slur upon the perfect work of Christ? Shall we thus\ntarnish the lustre of divine grace, and give the lie to the testimony\nof the Holy Ghost in the Scripture of truth? Far be the thought! It\nmust not be so. Let us rather hail with thanksgiving the blessed boon\nso freely conferred upon us by love divine, through the precious blood\nof Christ. It is the joy of the heart of God to forgive us our sins.\nYes, God delights in pardoning iniquity and transgression. It\ngratifies and glorifies Him to pour into the broken and contrite heart\nthe precious balm of His own pardoning love and mercy. He spared not\nHis own Son, but delivered Him up, and bruised Him on the cursed\ntree, in order that He might be able, in perfect righteousness, to let\nthe rich streams of grace flow forth from His large, loving heart, to\nthe poor, guilty, self-destroyed, conscience-smitten sinner.\n\nBut should it be that the reader still feels disposed to inquire how\nhe may have the assurance that this blessed remission of sins--this\nfruit of Christ's atoning work--applies to him, let him hearken to\nthose magnificent words which flowed from the lips of the risen\nSaviour as He commissioned the earliest heralds of His grace.--\"And He\nsaid unto them, 'Thus it is written, and thus _it was necessary_ for\nChrist to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that\nrepentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among\nall nations, beginning at Jerusalem.'\" (Luke xxiv. 46, 47.)\n\nHere we have the great and glorious commission--its basis, its\nauthority, its sphere. Christ has suffered. This is the meritorious\nground of remission of sins. Without shedding of blood there is no\nremission of sins; but by the shedding of blood, _and by it alone_,\nthere is remission of sins--a remission as full and complete as the\nprecious blood of Christ is fitted to effect.\n\nBut where is the authority? \"_It is written._\" Blessed, indisputable\nauthority! Nothing can ever shake it. I know, on the solid authority\nof the Word of God, that my sins are all forgiven, all blotted out,\nall gone forever, all cast behind God's back, so that they can never,\nby any possibility, rise against me.\n\nFinally, as to the sphere. It is, \"all nations.\" This includes me,\nbeyond all question. There is no sort of exception, condition, or\nqualification. The blessed tidings were to be wafted, on the wings of\nlove, to all nations--to all the world--to every creature under\nheaven. How could I exclude myself from this world-wide commission? Do\nI question, for a moment, that the beams of God's sun are intended for\nme? Surely not. And why should I question the precious fact that\nremission of sins is for me? Not for a single instant. It is for me as\nsurely as though I were the only sinner beneath the canopy of God's\nheaven. The universality of its aspect precludes all question as to\nits being designed for me.\n\nAnd surely, if any further encouragement were needed, it is found in\nthe fact that the blessed ambassadors were to \"begin at\nJerusalem\"--the very guiltiest spot on the face of the earth. They\nwere to make the earliest offer of pardon to the very murderers of the\nSon of God. This the apostle Peter does in those words of marvelous\nand transcendent grace, \"Unto you first God, having raised up His Son,\nsent Him to bless you, by turning away every one of you from your\niniquities.\" (Acts iii. 26.)\n\nIt is not possible to conceive any thing richer or fuller or more\nmagnificent than this. The grace that could reach the murderers of the\nSon of God can reach any one: the blood that could cleanse the guilt\nof such a crime can cleanse the vilest sinner outside the precincts of\nhell.\n\nAnxious reader, do you, can you, still hesitate as to the forgiveness\nof your sins? Christ has suffered for sins. God preaches remission of\nsins. He pledges His own Word on the point. \"To Him give all the\nprophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him\nshall receive remission of sins.\" What more would you have? How can\nyou any longer doubt or delay? What are you waiting for? You have\nChrist's finished work and God's faithful word. Surely these ought to\nsatisfy your heart and tranquilize your mind. Do, then, let us entreat\nyou to accept the full and everlasting remission of all your sins.\nReceive into your heart the sweet tidings of divine love and mercy,\nand go on your way rejoicing. Hear the voice of a risen Saviour,\nspeaking from the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, and assuring\nyou that your sins are all forgiven. Let those soothing accents, from\nthe very mouth of God Himself, fall, in their enfranchising power,\nupon your troubled spirit,--\"Your sins and iniquities will I remember\nno more.\" If God thus speaks to me, if He assures me that He will no\nmore remember my sins, should I not be fully and forever satisfied?\nWhy should I go on doubting and reasoning when God has spoken? What\ncan give certainty but the Word of God, that liveth and abideth\nforever? It is the only ground of certainty; and no power of earth or\nhell--human or diabolical--can ever shake it. The finished work of\nChrist and the faithful Word of God are the basis and the authority of\nfull forgiveness of sins.\n\nBut, blessed forever be the God of all grace, it is not only remission\nof _sins_ which is announced to us through the atoning death of\nChrist. This in itself would be a boon and a blessing of the very\nhighest order; and, as we have seen, we enjoy it according to the\nlargeness of the heart of God, and according to the value and efficacy\nof the death of Christ, as God estimates it. But besides the full and\nperfect remission of sins, we have also\n\n\nENTIRE DELIVERANCE FROM THE PRESENT POWER OF SIN.\n\nThis is a grand point for every true lover of holiness. According to\nthe glorious economy of grace, the same work which secures the\ncomplete remission of _sins_ has broken forever the power of _sin_. It\nis not only that the _sins of the life_ are blotted out, but the _sin\nof the nature_ is condemned. The believer is privileged to regard\nhimself as dead to sin. He can sing, with a glad heart,\n\n    \"For me, Lord Jesus, Thou hast died,\n      And I have died in Thee;\n    Thou'rt risen, my bands are all untied,\n      And now Thou livest in me.\n    The Father's face of radiant grace\n      Shines now in light on me.\"\n\nThis is the proper breathing of a Christian. \"I am crucified with\nChrist, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.\" This\nis Christianity. The old \"I\" crucified, and Christ living in me. The\nChristian is a new creation. Old things are passed away. The death of\nChrist has closed forever the history of the old \"I;\" and hence,\nthough sin dwells in the believer, its power is broken and gone\nforever. Not only is its guilt canceled, but its terrible dominion\ncompletely overthrown.\n\nThis is the glorious doctrine of Romans vi.-viii. The thoughtful\nstudent of this most magnificent epistle will observe that from\nchapter iii. 21 to chapter v. 11 we have the work of Christ applied to\nthe question of _sins_; and from chapter v. 12 to the end of chapter\nviii. we have another aspect of that work, namely, its application to\nthe question of _sin_--\"our old man\"--\"the body of _sin_\"--\"_sin_ in\nthe flesh.\" There is no such thing in Scripture as the forgiveness of\nsin. God has condemned sin, not forgiven it--an immensely important\ndistinction. God has set forth His eternal abhorrence of sin in the\ncross of Christ. He has expressed and executed His judgment upon it,\nand now the believer can see himself as linked and identified with the\nOne who died on the cross and is raised from the dead. He has passed\nout of the sphere of sin's dominion into that new and blessed sphere\nwhere grace reigns through righteousness. \"God be thanked,\" says the\napostle, \"that ye _were_ [once, but now no longer are to be] the\nservants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that type of\ndoctrine to which ye were delivered. (Margin.) Being then made _free\nfrom sin_ [not merely sins forgiven], ye became the servants of\nrighteousness. I speak after the manner of men, because of the\ninfirmity of your flesh; for as ye have yielded your members servants\nto uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your\nmembers servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye _were_\nthe servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had\nye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of\nthose things is death. But now being made _free from sin_, and become\nservants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end\neverlasting life.\" (Rom. vi. 17-22.)\n\nHere lies the precious secret of holy living. We are dead to sin;\nalive to God. The reign of sin is over. What has sin to do with a dead\nman? Nothing. Well, then, the believer has died with Christ; he was\nburied with Christ; he is risen with Christ, to walk in newness of\nlife. He lives under the precious reign of grace, and he has his fruit\nunto holiness. The man who draws a plea from the abundance of divine\ngrace to live in sin, denies the very foundation of Christianity. \"How\nshall we that have died to sin, live any longer therein?\" Impossible.\nIt would be a denial of the whole Christian standing. To imagine the\nChristian as one who is to go on, from day to day, week to week, month\nto month, and year to year, sinning and repenting, sinning and\nrepenting, is to degrade Christianity and falsify the whole Christian\nposition. To say that a Christian _must_ go on sinning because he has\nthe flesh in him is to ignore the death of Christ in one of its grand\naspects, and to give the lie to the whole of the apostle's teaching in\nRomans vi.-viii. Thank God, there is no necessity whatever why the\nbeliever should commit sin. \"My little children, these things write I\nunto you that ye sin not.\" We should not justify ourselves in a single\nsinful thought. It is our sweet privilege to walk in the light, as God\nis in the light; and most surely, when we are walking in the light, we\nare not committing sin. Alas! we get out of the light and commit sin;\nbut the normal, the true, the divine idea of a Christian is, walking\nin the light, and not committing sin. A sinful thought is foreign to\nthe true genius of Christianity. We have sin in us, and shall have it\nso long as we are in the body; but if we walk in the Spirit, the sin\nin our nature will not show itself in the life. To say that _we need\nnot sin_ is to state a Christian privilege; to say that _we cannot\nsin_ is a deceit and a delusion.\n\n\n\n\nPART III\n\n\nFrom what has already passed before as, we learn that the grand result\nof the work of Christ in the past is to give us a divinely perfect\nstanding before God. \"He has perfected forever them that are\nsanctified.\" He has introduced us into the Divine Presence, in all His\nown perfect acceptability, in the full credit and virtue of His name,\nof His Person, and of His work; so that, as the apostle John declares,\n\"as He is, so are we in this world.\" (1 John iv. 17.)\n\nSuch is the settled standing of the very feeblest lamb in all the\nblood-bought flock of Christ. Nor could it possibly be otherwise. It\nmust be either this or eternal perdition. There is not the breadth of\na hair between this standing of absolute perfectness before God and a\ncondition of guilt and ruin. We are either in our sins or in a risen\nChrist. There is no middle ground. We are either covered with guilt or\ncomplete in Christ. But the believer is declared, by the authoritative\nvoice of the Holy Ghost in Scripture, to be \"complete in\nChrist\"--\"perfect, as pertaining to his conscience\"--\"perfected in\nperpetuity\"--\"clean every whit\"--\"accepted in the Beloved\"--\"made [or\nbecome] the righteousness of God in Christ.\"\n\nAnd all this through the sacrifice of the cross. That precious atoning\ndeath of Christ forms the solid and irrefragable foundation of the\nChristian's standing. \"This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice\nfor sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God.\" A seated Christ\nis the glorious proof and the perfect definition of the believer's\nplace in the presence of God. Our Lord Christ, having glorified God\nabout our sins, and borne His judgment on our entire condition as\nsinners, has conducted us, in living association with Himself, into a\nplace, not only of forgiveness, acceptance, and peace, but of complete\ndeliverance from the dominion of sin--a place of assured victory over\nevery thing that could possibly be against us, whether indwelling sin,\nthe fear of Satan, the law, or this present evil world.\n\nSuch, we repeat, is the absolutely settled standing of the believer,\nif we are to be taught by holy Scripture. And we earnestly entreat the\nChristian reader not to be satisfied with any thing less than this.\nLet him not any longer accept the muddled teachings of christendom's\ncreeds, and its liturgical services, which only drive the soul back\ninto the darkness, distance, and bondage of Judaism--that system which\nGod found fault with, and which He has forever abolished, because it\ndid not meet His holy mind, or satisfy His loving heart, in giving the\nworshiper perfect peace, perfect liberty, perfect nearness to Himself,\nand that forever.\n\nWe solemnly call upon all the Lord's people, throughout the various\nsections of the professing church, to consider where they are, and to\nsee how far they understand and enjoy the true Christian position, as\nset forth in the various passages of Scripture which we have quoted,\nand which might easily be multiplied a hundredfold. Let them\ndiligently and faithfully compare the teachings of christendom with\nthe Word of God, and see how far they agree. In this way they will\nfind how completely the professing Christianity of the present day\nstands in contrast with the living teachings of the New Testament; and\nas a consequence, souls are robbed of the precious privileges which\nbelong to them as Christians, and they are kept in the moral distance\nwhich characterized the Mosaic economy.\n\nAll this is most deplorable. It grieves the Holy Spirit, wounds the\nheart of Christ, dishonors the grace of God, and contradicts the\nplainest statements of holy Scripture. We are most thoroughly\npersuaded that the condition of thousands of precious souls at this\nmoment is enough to make the heart bleed; and all this, to a large\nextent, is traceable to christendom's teachings, its creeds and its\nformularies. Where will you find, amid the ordinary ranks of Christian\nprofession, a person in the enjoyment of a perfectly purged\nconscience, of peace with God, of the Spirit of adoption? Is it not\ntrue that people are publicly and systematically taught that it is the\nheight of presumption for any one to say that his sins _are_ all\nforgiven--that he _has_ eternal life--that he _is_ justified from all\nthings--that he _is_ accepted in the Beloved--that he _is_ sealed with\nthe Holy Ghost--that he cannot be lost, because he is actually united\nto Christ by the indwelling Spirit? Are not all these Christian\nprivileges practically denied and ignored in christendom? Are not\npeople taught that it is dangerous to be too confident--that it is\nmorally safer to live in doubt and fear--that the very utmost we can\nlook for is the hope of getting to heaven when we die? Where are souls\ntaught the glorious truths connected with the new creation? Where are\nthey rooted and grounded in the knowledge of their standing in a risen\nand glorified Head in the heavens? Where are they led into the\nenjoyment of those things which are freely given of God to His beloved\npeople?\n\nAlas! alas! we grieve to think of the only true answer which can be\ngiven to such inquiries. The flock of Christ is scattered upon the\ndark mountains and desolate moors. The souls of God's people are left\nin the dim distance which characterized the Jewish system. They know\nnot the meaning of the rent vail, of nearness to God, of conscious\nacceptance in the Beloved. The very table of the Lord is shrouded with\nthe dark and chilling mists of superstition, and surrounded by the\nrepulsive barriers of a dark and depressing legality. Accomplished\nredemption, full remission of sins, perfect justification before God,\nacceptance in a risen Christ, the Spirit of adoption, the bright and\nblessed hope of the coming of the Bridegroom,--all these grand and\nglorious realities--these chartered privileges of the Church of God\nare practically set aside by christendom's teachings and religious\nmachinery.\n\nSome, perhaps, may think we have drawn too gloomy a picture. We can\nonly say--and we say it with all sincerity--Would to God it were so!\nWe fear the picture is far too true--yea, the reality is far more\nappalling than the picture. We are deeply and painfully impressed with\nthe fact that the condition, not merely of the professing church, but\nof thousands of the true sheep of the flock of Christ, is such, that\nif we only realized it as God sees it, it would break our hearts.\n\nHowever, we must pursue our subject, and by so doing, furnish the very\nbest remedy that can possibly be suggested for the deplorable\ncondition of so many of the Lord's people.\n\nWe have dwelt upon that precious work which our Lord Jesus Christ has\naccomplished for us, in the putting away of all our _sins_, and in the\ncondemnation of _sin_, securing for us perfect remission of the\nformer, and entire deliverance from the latter, as a ruling power. The\nChristian is one who is not only forgiven, but delivered. Christ has\ndied for him, and he has died in Christ. Hence he is free, as one who\nis raised from the dead and alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our\nLord. He is a new creation. He has passed from death unto life. Death\nand judgment are behind him, and nothing but glory before him. He\npossesses an unblotted title and an unclouded prospect.\n\nNow, if all this be indeed true of every child of God--and Scripture\nsays it is--what more do we want? Nothing, as to title; nothing, as to\nstanding; nothing, as to hope. As to all these, we have absolute,\ndivine perfection; but then our _state_ is not perfect, our _walk_ is\nnot perfect. We are still in the body, compassed about with manifold\ninfirmities, exposed to manifold temptations, liable to stumble, to\nfall, and to wander. We are unable of ourselves to think a right\nthought, or to keep ourselves for one moment in the blessed position\ninto which grace has introduced us. True it is, we have everlasting\nlife, and we are linked to the living Head in heaven, by the Holy\nGhost sent down to earth, so that we are eternally secure. Nothing can\never touch our life, inasmuch as it is \"hid with Christ in God.\"\n\nBut while nothing can touch our life, or interfere with our standing,\nyet, seeing that our state is imperfect and our walk imperfect, our\ncommunion is liable to be interrupted, and hence it is that we need\n\n\nTHE PRESENT WORK OF CHRIST FOR US.\n\nJesus lives at the right hand of God for us. His active intervention\non our behalf never ceases for a single moment. He has passed through\nthe heavens, in virtue of accomplished atonement, and there He ever\ncarries on His perfect advocacy for us before our God. He is there as\nour subsisting righteousness, to maintain us ever in the divine\nintegrity of the position and relationship into which His atoning\ndeath has introduced us. Thus we read, in Romans v. 10, \"If, while we\nwere enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much\nmore, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.\" So also in\nHebrews iv. we read, \"Seeing then that we have a great High-Priest\nthat has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold\nfast the confession. For we have not a High-Priest which cannot be\ntouched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points\ntempted, in like manner, without sin. Let us therefore come boldly\nunto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to\nhelp in time of need.\" Again, in chapter vii.--\"But this Man, because\nHe continueth forever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He\nis able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him,\nseeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.\" And in chapter\nix.--\"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,\nwhich are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to\nappear in the presence of God for us.\"\n\nThen, in the first epistle of John, we have the same great subject\npresented under a somewhat different aspect.--\"My little children,\nthese things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any one sin, we\nhave an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He\nis the propitiation for our sins; and not our sins only, but also for\nthe whole world.\"\n\nHow precious is all this to the true-hearted Christian, who is ever\nconscious--deeply and painfully conscious--of his weakness, need,\ninfirmity, and failure! How, we may lawfully inquire, is it possible\nfor any one, with his eye resting on such passages as we have just\nquoted, to say nothing of his own self-consciousness--the sense of\nhis own imperfect state and walk, to call in question the Christian's\nneed of the unceasing ministry of Christ on his behalf? Is it not\nmarvelous that any reader of the epistle to the Hebrews, any observer\nof the state and walk of the most advanced believer, should be found\ndenying the application of Christ's priesthood and advocacy to\nChristians now?\n\nFor whom, let us ask, is Christ now living and acting at the right\nhand of God? Is it for the world? Clearly not; for He says, in John\nxvii, \"I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given\nMe; for they are Thine.\" And who are these? are they the Jewish\nremnant? Nay; that remnant is yet to appear on the scene. Who are\nthey, then? Believers--children of God--Christians, who are now\npassing through this sinful world, liable to fail and to contract\ndefilement every step of the way. These are the subjects of Christ's\npriestly ministry. He died to make them clean: He lives to keep them\nclean. By His death He expiated our guilt, and by His life He cleanses\nus, through the action of the Word by the power of the Holy Ghost.\n\"This is He that came by water and blood; not by water only, but by\nwater and blood.\" We have expiation and cleansing through a crucified\nSaviour. The double stream emanated from the pierced side of Christ,\ndead for us. All praise to His name!\n\nWe have all, in virtue of the precious death of Christ. Is it a\nquestion of our guilt? It is canceled by the blood of atonement. Is it\na question of our daily short-comings? We have an Advocate with the\nFather--a great High-Priest with God. \"If any man sin.\" He does not\nsay, If any man repent. No doubt there is, and must be, repentance and\nself-judgment; but how are they produced? whence do they proceed? Here\nit is: \"We have an Advocate with the Father.\" It is His all-prevailing\nintercession that procures for the sinning one the grace of\nrepentance, self-judgment, and confession.\n\nIt is of the very utmost importance for the Christian reader to be\nthoroughly clear as to this great cardinal truth of the advocacy or\npriesthood of Christ. We sometimes erroneously think that when we fail\nin our work, something has to be done on our part to set matters\nstraight between our souls and God. We forget that ere we are even\nconscious of the failure--before our conscience becomes really\ncognizant of the fact, our blessed Advocate has been to the Father\nabout it; and it is to His intercession we are indebted for the grace\nof repentance, confession, and restoration. \"If any man sin, we\nhave\"--what? The blood to return to? No; mark carefully what the Holy\nGhost declares.--\"We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ\nthe righteous.\" Why does He say, \"the righteous\"? why not the\ngracious, the merciful, the sympathizing? Is He not all this? Most\nsurely; but not any one of these attributes would be in place here,\ninasmuch as the blessed apostle is putting before us the consolatory\ntruth that in all our errors, our sins, and our failures, we have \"a\nrighteous\" representative ever before the righteous God, the holy\nFather, so that our affairs can never fall through. \"He _ever_ liveth\nto make intercession for us;\" and because He ever liveth, \"He is able\nto save _to the uttermost_\"--right through to the very end--\"them that\ncome unto God by Him.\"\n\nWhat solid comfort is here for the people of God! and how needful for\nour souls to be established in the knowledge and sense of it! Some\nthere are who have an imperfect sense of the true _standing_ of a\nChristian, because they do not see what Christ has done for them in\nthe past; others, on the contrary, have such an entirely one-sided\nview of the _state_ of the Christian that they do not see our need of\nwhat Christ is doing for us now. Both must be corrected. The former\nare ignorant of the extent and value of the atonement; the latter are\nignorant of the place and application of the advocacy. Such is the\nperfection of our _standing_, that the apostle can say, \"As He is, so\nare we in this world.\" If this were all, we should certainly have no\nneed of priesthood or advocacy; but then, such is our _state_, that\nthe apostle has to say, \"If any man sin.\" This proves our continual\nneed of the Advocate. And, blessed be God, we have Him continually; we\nhave him _ever living for us_. He lives and serves on high. He is our\nsubsisting righteousness before our God. He lives to keep us always\nright in heaven, and to set us right when we go wrong upon earth. He\nis the divine and indissoluble link between Our souls and God.\n\n\n\n\nPART IV\n\n\nHaving, in the three preceding papers of this series, sought to unfold\nthe grand foundation-truths connected with the work of Christ for\nus--His work in the past and His work in the present--His atonement\nand His advocacy, we shall now seek, by the gracious aid of the Spirit\nof God, to present to the reader something of what the Scriptures\nteach us as to the second branch of our subject, namely,--\n\n\nCHRIST AS AN OBJECT FOR THE HEART.\n\nIt is a wonderfully blessed thing to be able to say, \"I have found an\nobject which perfectly satisfies my heart--I have found Christ.\" It is\nthis which gives true elevation above the world. It renders us\nthoroughly independent of the resources to which the unconverted heart\never betakes itself. It gives _settled rest_. It imparts a calmness\nand quietness to the spirit which the world cannot comprehend. The\npoor votary of the world may think the life of the true Christian a\nvery slow, dull, stupid affair indeed. He may marvel how such an one\ncan manage to get on without what he calls amusement, recreation, and\npleasure;--no theatres, no balls or parties, no concerts, no cards or\nbilliards, no hunts or races, no club or news-room, no cricket or\ncroquet parties.\n\nTo deprive the unconverted man of such things would almost drive him\nto despair or lunacy; but the Christian does not want such\nthings--would not have them. They would be a perfect weariness to\nhim. We speak, of course, of the true Christian, of one who is not\nmerely a Christian in name, but in reality. Alas! alas! many profess\nto be Christians, and take very high ground in their profession, who\nare, nevertheless, to be found mixed up in all the vain and frivolous\npursuits of the men of this world. They may be seen at the\ncommunion-table on the Lord's day, and at a theatre or a concert on\nMonday: they may be found assaying to take part in some one or other\nof the many branches of Christian work on Sunday, and during the week\nyou may see them in the ball-room, at the race-course, or some such\nscene of folly and vanity.\n\nIt is very evident that such persons know nothing of Christ as an\nobject for the heart. Indeed, it is very questionable how any one with\na single spark of divine life in the soul can find pleasure in the\nwretched pursuits of a godless world. The true and earnest Christian\nturns away from such things--turns away instinctively; and this, not\nmerely because of the positive wrong and evil of them--though most\nsurely he feels them to be wrong and evil--but because he has no taste\nfor them, and because he has found something infinitely superior,\nsomething which perfectly satisfies all the desires of the new nature.\nCould we imagine an angel from heaven taking pleasure at a ball, a\ntheatre, or a race-course? The bare thought is supremely ridiculous.\nAll such scenes are perfectly foreign to a heavenly being.\n\nAnd what is a Christian? He is a heavenly man; he is a partaker of\nthe divine nature. He is dead to the world--dead to sin--alive to God.\nHe has not a single link with the world: he belongs to heaven. He is\nno more of the world than Christ his Lord. Could Christ take part in\nthe amusements, gayeties, and follies of the world? The very idea were\nblasphemy. Well, then, what of the Christian? Is he to be found where\nhis Lord could not be? Can he consistently take part in things which\nhe knows in his heart are contrary to Christ? Can he go into places\nand scenes and circumstances in which, he must admit, his Saviour and\nLord can take no part? Can he go and have fellowship with a world\nwhich hates the One to whom he professes to owe every thing?\n\nIt may perhaps seem to some of our readers that we are taking too high\nground. We would ask such, What ground are we to take? Surely,\nChristian ground, if we are Christians. Well, then, if we are to take\nChristian ground, how are we to know what that ground really is?\nAssuredly, from the New Testament. And what does it teach? Does it\nafford any warrant for the Christian to mix himself, in any shape or\nform, with the amusements and vain pursuits of this present evil\nworld? Let us hearken to the weighty words of our blessed Lord in John\nxvii. Let us hear from His lips the truth as to our portion, our\nposition, and our path in this world. He says, addressing the Father,\n\"I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because\n_they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world_. I pray\nnot that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou\nshouldest keep them from the evil. _They are not of the world, even as\nI am not of the world._ Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy Word is\ntruth. As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent\nthem into the world.\" (Ver. 14-18.)\n\nIs it possible to conceive a closer measure of identification than\nthat set before us in these words? Twice over, in this brief passage,\nour Lord declares that we are not of the world, even as He is not.\nWhat has our blessed Lord to do with the world? Nothing. The world has\nutterly rejected Him and cast Him out. It nailed Him to a shameful\ncross, between two malefactors. The world lies as fully and as freshly\nunder the charge of all this as though the act of the crucifixion took\nplace yesterday, at the very centre of its civilization, and with the\nunanimous consent of all. There is not so much as a single moral link\nbetween Christ and the world. Yea, the world is stained with His\nmurder, and will have to answer to God for the crime.\n\nHow solemn is this! What a serious consideration for Christians! We\nare passing through a world that crucified our Lord and Master, and He\ndeclares that we are not of that world, even as He is not of it. Hence\nit follows that in so far as we have any fellowship with the world, we\nare false to Christ. What should we think of a wife who could sit and\nlaugh and joke with a set of men who had murdered her husband? and yet\nthis is precisely what professing Christians do when they mix\nthemselves up with this present evil world, and make themselves part\nand parcel of it.\n\nIt will perhaps be said, What are we to do? are we to go out of the\nworld? By no means. Our Lord expressly says, \"I pray not that Thou\nshouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep\nthem from the evil.\" In it, but not of it, is the true principle for\nthe Christian. To use a figure, the Christian in the world is like a\ndiver. He is in the midst of an element which would destroy him, were\nhe not protected from its action, and sustained by unbroken\ncommunication with the scene above.\n\nAnd what is the Christian to do in the world? what is his mission?\nHere it is: \"As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I sent\nthem into the world.\" And again, in John xx. 21--\"As My Father hath\nsent Me, even so send I you.\"\n\nSuch is the Christian's mission. He is not to shut himself within the\nwalls of a monastery or convent. Christianity does not consist in\njoining a brotherhood or a sisterhood. Nothing of the kind. We are\ncalled to move up and down in the varied relations of life, and to act\nin our divinely appointed spheres, to the glory of God. It is not a\nquestion of what we are doing, but of how we do it. All depends upon\nthe object which governs our hearts. If Christ be the commanding and\nabsorbing object of the heart, all will be right; if He be not,\nnothing is right. Two persons may sit down at the same table to eat;\nthe one eats to gratify his appetite, the other eats to the glory of\nGod--eats simply to keep his body in proper working order as God's\nvessel, the temple of the Holy Ghost, the instrument for Christ's\nservice.\n\nSo in every thing. It is our sweet privilege to set the Lord always\nbefore us. He is our model. As He was sent into the world, so are we.\nWhat did He come to do? To glorify God. How did He live? By the\nFather. \"As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father,\nso he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.\" (John vi. 57.)\n\nThis makes it all so simple. Christ is the standard and touchstone for\nevery thing. It is no longer a question of mere right and wrong\naccording to human rules; it is simply a question of what is worthy of\nChrist. Would He do this or that? would He go here or there? \"He left\nus an example, that we should follow _His_ steps;\" and most assuredly,\nwe should not go where we cannot trace His blessed footsteps. If we go\nhither and thither to please ourselves, we are not treading in His\nsteps, and we cannot expect to enjoy His blessed presence.\n\nChristian reader, here lies the real secret of the whole matter. The\ngrand question is just this: Is Christ my one object? what am I living\nfor? Can I say, \"The life that I live in the flesh, I live by the\nfaith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me\"?\nNothing less than this is worthy of a Christian. It is a poor\nmiserable thing to be content with being saved, and then to go on with\nthe world, and live for self-pleasing and self-interest--to accept\nsalvation as the fruit of Christ's toil and passion, and then live at\na distance from Himself. What should we think of a child who only\ncared about the good things provided by his father's hand, and never\nsought his father's company--yea, preferred the company of strangers?\nWe should justly despise him; but how much more despicable is the\nChristian who owes his present and his eternal all to the work of\nChrist and yet is content to live at a cold distance from His blessed\nPerson, caring not for the furtherance of His cause--the promotion of\nHis glory!\n\n\n\n\nPART V\n\n\nIf the reader has been enabled, through grace, to make his own of what\nhas passed before our minds in this series of papers, he will have a\nperfect remedy for all uneasiness of conscience and all restlessness\nof heart. The work of Christ, if only it be laid hold of by an artless\nfaith, must, of blessed necessity, meet the former; and the Person of\nChrist, if only He be contemplated with a single eye, must perfectly\nmeet the latter. If, therefore, we are not in the enjoyment of peace\nof conscience, it can only be because we are not resting on the\nfinished work of Christ; and if the heart is not at ease, it proves\nthat we are not satisfied with Christ Himself.\n\nAnd yet, alas! how few, even of the Lord's beloved people, know either\nthe one or the other. How rare it is to find a person in the enjoyment\nof true peace of conscience and rest of heart! In general, Christians\nare not a whit in advance of the condition of Old-Testament saints.\nThey do not know the blessedness of an accomplished redemption; they\nare not in the enjoyment of a purged conscience; they cannot draw nigh\nwith a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having the heart\nsprinkled from an evil conscience, and the body washed with pure\nwater; they do not apprehend the grand truth of the indwelling of the\nHoly Ghost, enabling them to cry, \"Abba, Father;\" they are, as to\ntheir experience, under law; they have never really entered into the\ndeep blessedness of being under the reign of grace. They have life. It\nis impossible to doubt this. They love divine things; their tastes,\ntheir habits, their aspirations--yea, their very exercises, their\nconflicts, their anxieties, doubts, and fears all go to prove the\nexistence of divine life. They are, in a way, separated from the\nworld, but their separation is rather negative than positive. It is\nmore because they see the utter vanity of the world, and its inability\nto satisfy their hearts, than because they have found an object in\nChrist. They have lost their taste for the things of the world, but\nthey have not found their place and their portion in the Son of God\nwhere He now is at the right hand of God. The things of the world\ncannot satisfy them, and they are not in the enjoyment of their proper\nheavenly standing, object, and hope; hence they are in an anomalous\ncondition altogether; they have no certainty, no rest, no fixedness of\npurpose; they are not happy; they do not know their true bearings;\nthey are neither one thing nor the other.\n\nIs it thus with the reader? We fondly hope not. We trust he is one of\nthose who, through infinite grace, \"know the things that are freely\ngiven them of God;\" who know that they have passed from death unto\nlife--that they have eternal life; who enjoy the precious witness of\nthe Spirit; who realize their association with a risen and glorified\nHead in the heavens, with whom they are linked by the Holy Ghost, who\ndwells in them; who have found their object in the Person of that\nblessed One whose finished work is the divine and eternal basis of\ntheir salvation and peace; and who are earnestly looking for the\nblessed moment when Jesus shall come to receive them to Himself, that\nwhere He is, they may be also, to go no more out forever.\n\nThis is Christianity. Nothing else deserves the name. It stands out in\nbold and striking contrast with the spurious religiousness of the day,\nwhich is neither pure Judaism on the one hand, nor pure Christianity\non the other, but a wretched mixture, composed of some of the elements\nof each, which unconverted people can adopt and go on with, because it\nsanctions the lusts of the flesh, and allows them to enjoy the\npleasures and vanities of the world to their heart's content. The\narchenemy of Christ and of souls has succeeded in producing an awful\nsystem of religion, half Jewish, half Christian, combining, in the\nmost artful manner, the world and the flesh, with a certain amount of\nScripture, so used as to destroy its moral force and hinder its just\napplication. In the meshes of this system souls are hopelessly\nentangled. Unconverted people are deceived into the notion that they\nare very good Christians indeed, and going on all right to heaven; and\non the other hand, the Lord's dear people are robbed of their proper\nplace and privileges, and dragged down by the dark and depressing\ninfluence of the religious atmosphere which surrounds and almost\nsuffocates them.\n\nIt lies not, we believe, within the compass of human language to set\nforth the appalling consequences of this mingling of the people of God\nwith the people of the world in one common system of religiousness and\ntheological belief. Its effect upon the former is to blind their eyes\nto the true moral glories of Christianity as set forth in the pages of\nthe New Testament; and this to such an extent, that if any one\nattempts to unfold these glories to their view, he is regarded as a\nvisionary enthusiast, or a dangerous heretic: its effect upon the\nlatter is to deceive them altogether as to their true condition,\ncharacter, and destiny. Both classes repeat the same formularies,\nsubscribe the same creed, say the same prayers, are members of the\nsame community, partake of the same sacrament, are, in short,\necclesiastically, theologically, religiously one.\n\nIt will perhaps be said in reply to all this, that our Lord, in His\nwonderful discourse in Matthew xiii, distinctly teaches that the wheat\nand the tares are to grow together. Yes; but where? in the _Church_?\nNay; but \"in the field;\" and He tells us that \"_the field is the\nworld_.\" To confound these things is to falsify the whole Christian\nposition, and to do away with all godly discipline in the assembly. It\nis to place the teaching of our Lord in Matthew xiii. in opposition to\nthe teaching of the Holy Ghost in 1 Corinthians v.\n\nHowever, we shall not pursue this subject further just now. It is far\ntoo important and too extensive to be disposed of in a brief article\nlike the present. We may perhaps discuss it more fully on some future\noccasion. That it demands the serious consideration of the Christian\nreader we are most thoroughly convinced; bearing, as it does, so\nmanifestly on the glory of Christ, on the true interests of His\npeople, on the progress of the gospel, on the integrity of Christian\ntestimony and service, it would be quite impossible to overestimate\nits importance. But we must leave it for the present, and draw this\npaper to a close by a brief reference to the third and last branch of\nour subject, namely,\n\n\nTHE WORD OF CHRIST AS THE ALL-SUFFICIENT GUIDE FOR OUR PATH.\n\nIf Christ's work suffices for the conscience, if His blessed Person\nsuffices for the heart, then, most assuredly, His precious Word\nsuffices for the path. We may assert, with all possible confidence,\nthat we possess in the divine volume of holy Scripture all we can ever\nneed, not only to meet all the exigencies of our individual path, but\nalso the varied necessities of the Church of God, in the most minute\ndetails of her history in this world.\n\nWe are quite aware that in making this assertion we lay ourselves open\nto much scorn and opposition, in more quarters than one. We shall be\nmet on the one hand by the advocates of tradition, and on the other by\nthose who contend for the supremacy of man's reason and will; but this\ngives us very little concern indeed. We regard the traditions of men,\nwhether fathers, brothers, or doctors, _if presented as an\nauthority_, as the small dust of the balance; and as to human reason,\nit can only be compared to a bat in the sunshine, dazzled by the\nbrightness, and blindly dashing itself against objects which it cannot\nsee.\n\nIt is the deepest joy of the Christian's heart to retire from the\nconflicting traditions and doctrines of men into the calm light of\nholy Scripture; and when encountered by the impudent reasonings of the\ninfidel, the rationalist, and the skeptic, to bow down his whole moral\nbeing to the authority and power of holy Scripture. He thankfully\nrecognizes in the Word of God the only perfect standard for doctrine,\nfor morals, for every thing. \"All Scripture is given by inspiration of\nGod, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for\ninstruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be _perfect_\n[\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2], _throughly furnished unto all good works_.\"\n\nWhat more can we need? Nothing. If Scripture can make a child \"wise\nunto salvation,\" and if it can make a man \"perfect,\" and furnish him\n\"throughly to all good works,\" what do we want of human tradition or\nhuman reasonings? If God has written a volume for us, if He has\ngraciously condescended to give us a revelation of His mind, as to all\nwe ought to know and think and feel and believe and do, shall we turn\nto a poor fellow-mortal--be he ritualist or rationalist--to help us?\nFar away be the thought! As well might we turn to our fellow-man to\nadd something to the finished work of Christ, in order to render it\nsufficient for our conscience, or to supply some deficiency in the\nPerson of Christ, in order to render Him a sufficient object for the\nheart, as to betake ourselves to human tradition or human reason to\nsupply some deficiency in divine revelation.\n\nAll praise and thanks to our God, it is not so. He has given us in His\nown beloved Son all we want for the conscience, for the heart, for the\npath--for time, with all its changing scenes--for eternity, with its\ncountless ages. We can say,--\n\n    \"Thou, O Christ, art all we want;\n      More than all in Thee we find.\"\n\nThere is, there could be, no lack in the Christ of God. His atonement\nand advocacy must satisfy all the cravings of the most deeply\nexercised conscience. The moral glories--the powerful attractions of\nHis divine Person must satisfy the most intense aspirations and\nlongings of the heart. And His peerless revelation--that priceless\nvolume--contains within its covers all we can possibly need, from the\nstarting-post to the goal of our Christian career.\n\nChristian reader, are not these things so? Dost thou not, from the\nvery centre of thy renewed moral being, own the truth of them? If so,\nart thou resting, in calm repose, on Christ's work? art thou\ndelighting in His Person? art thou submitting, in all things, to the\nauthority of His Word? God grant it may be so with thee, and with all\nwho profess His name! May there be a fuller, clearer, and more\ndecided testimony to \"the all-sufficiency of Christ,\" till \"that day.\"\n\n  _C. H. M._\n\n\n\n\nJob and his Friends\n\n\nThe book of Job occupies a very peculiar place in the volume of God.\nIt possesses a character entirely its own, and teaches lessons which\nare not to be learnt in any other section of inspiration. It is not by\nany means our purpose to enter upon a line of argument to prove the\ngenuineness, or establish the fact of the divine inspiration, of this\nprecious book. We take these things for granted; being fully persuaded\nof them as established facts, we leave the proofs to abler hands. We\nreceive the book of Job as part of the Holy Scriptures given of God\nfor the profit and blessing of His people. We need no proofs of this\nfor ourselves, nor do we attempt to offer any to our reader.\n\nAnd we may further add that we have no thought of entering upon the\nfield of inquiry as to the authorship of this book. This, howsoever\ninteresting it may be in itself, is to us entirely secondary. We\nreceive the book from God. This is enough for us. We heartily own it\nto be an inspired document, and we do not feel it to be our province\nto discuss the question as to where, when, or by whom it was penned.\nIn short, we purpose, with the Lord's help, to offer a few plain and\npractical remarks on a book which we consider needs to be more closely\nstudied, that it may be more fully understood. May the Eternal Spirit,\nwho indited the book, expound and apply it to our souls!\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThe opening page of this remarkable book furnishes us with a view of\nthe patriarch Job, surrounded by every thing that could make the world\nagreeable to him, and make him of importance in the world. \"There was\na man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was perfect\nand upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil.\" Thus much as\nto _what he was_. Let us now see _what he had_.\n\n\"And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His\nsubstance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels,\nand five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very\ngreat household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children\nof the east. And his sons went and feasted in their houses every one\nhis day; and sent and called for their three sisters, to eat and to\ndrink with them.\" Then, to complete the picture, we have the record of\n_what he did_.\n\n\"And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that\nJob sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and\noffered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all; for Job\nsaid, 'It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their\nhearts.' Thus did Job continually.\"\n\nHere, then, we have a very rare specimen of a man. He was perfect,\nupright, God-fearing, and eschewed evil. Moreover, the hand of God had\nhedged him round about on every side, and strewed his path with\nrichest mercies. He had all that heart could wish,--children and\nwealth in abundance,--honor and distinction from all around. In short,\nwe may almost say, his cup of earthly bliss was full.\n\nBut Job needed to be tested. There was a deep moral root in his heart\nwhich had to be laid bare. There was self-righteousness which had to\nbe brought to the surface and judged. Indeed, we may discern this root\nin the very words which we have just quoted. He says, \"It may be that\nmy sons have sinned.\" He does not seem to contemplate the possibility\nof sinning himself. A soul really self-judged, thoroughly broken\nbefore God, truly sensible of its own state, tendencies, and\ncapabilities, would think of his own sins, and his own need of a\nburnt-offering.\n\nNow, let the reader distinctly understand that Job was a real saint of\nGod,--a divinely quickened soul,--a possessor of divine and eternal\nlife. We cannot too strongly insist upon this. He was just as truly a\nman of God in the first chapter as he was in the forty-second. If we\ndo not see this, we shall miss one of the grand lessons of the book.\nThe eighth verse of chap. i. establishes this point beyond all\nquestion. \"And the Lord said unto Satan, 'Hast thou considered _My\nservant_ Job, that there is none like him in the earth,--a perfect\nand an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil?\"\n\nBut, with all this, Job had never sounded the depths of his own heart.\nHe did not know himself. He had never really grasped the truth of his\nown utter ruin and total depravity. He had never learnt to say, \"I\nknow that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.\" This\npoint must be seized, or the book of Job will not be understood. We\nshall not see the specific object of all those deep and painful\nexercises through which Job was called to pass unless we lay hold of\nthe solemn fact that his conscience had never been really in the\ndivine presence,--that he had never seen himself in the light,--never\nmeasured himself by a divine standard,--never weighed himself in the\nbalances of the sanctuary.\n\nIf the reader will turn for a moment to chap. xxix., he will find a\nstriking proof of what we assert. He will there see distinctly what a\nstrong and deep root of self-complacency there was in the heart of\nthis dear and valued servant of God, and how this root was nourished\nby the very tokens of divine favor with which he was surrounded. This\nchapter is a pathetic lament over the faded light of other days; and\nthe very tone and character of the lament prove how necessary it was\nthat Job should be stripped of every thing, in order that he might\nlearn himself in the searching light of the divine presence.\n\nLet us hearken to his words.\n\n\"Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved\nme; when His candle shined upon my head, and when by His light I\nwalked through darkness; as I was in the days of my youth, when the\nsecret of God was upon my tabernacle; when the Almighty was yet with\nme, when my children were about me; when I washed my steps with\nbutter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil; when I went out to\nthe gate through the city; when I prepared my seat in the street! The\nyoung men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged arose and stood up.\nThe princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. The\nnobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their\nmouth. When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw\nme, it gave witness to me: because I delivered the poor that cried,\nand the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of\nhim that was ready to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's\nheart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my\njudgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet\nwas I to the lame. I was a father to the poor, and the cause which I\nknew not I searched out. And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and\nplucked the spoil out of his teeth. Then I said, 'I shall die in my\nnest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.' My root was spread\nout by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch. My glory\nwas fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand. Unto me men gave\near, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. After my words they\nspake not again, and my speech dropped upon them. And they waited for\nme as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter\nrain. If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my\ncountenance they cast not down. I chose out their way, and sat chief,\nand dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.\nBut now, they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose\nfathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.\"\n\nThis, truly, is a most remarkable utterance. We look in vain for any\nbreathings of a broken and a contrite spirit here. There are no\nevidences of self-loathing, or even of self-distrust. We cannot find\nso much as a single expression of conscious weakness and nothingness.\nIn the course of this single chapter, Job refers to himself more than\nforty times, while the references to God are but five. It reminds us\nof the seventh of Romans, by the predominance of \"I;\" but there is\nthis immense difference, that, in the seventh of Romans, \"I\" is a\npoor, weak, good-for-nothing, wretched creature in the presence of the\nholy law of God; whereas, in Job xxix., \"I\" is a most important,\ninfluential personage, admired and almost worshiped by his fellows.\n\nNow Job had to be stripped of all this; and when we compare chap.\nxxix. with chap. xxx. we can form some idea of how painful the process\nof stripping must have been. There is peculiar emphasis in the words,\n\"_But now_.\" Job draws a most striking contrast between his past and\nhis present. In chap. xxx. he is still occupied with himself. It is\nstill \"I;\" but ah, how changed! The very men who flattered him in the\nday of his prosperity, treat him with contempt in the day of his\nadversity. Thus it is ever in this poor, false, deceitful world, and\nit is well to be made to prove it. All must, sooner or later, find out\nthe hollowness of the world,--the fickleness of those who are ready to\ncry out \"hosanna\" to-day, and \"crucify Him\" to-morrow. Man is not to\nbe trusted. It is all very well while the sun shines; but wait till\nthe nipping blasts of winter come, and then you will see how far\nnature's fair promises and professions can be trusted. When the\nprodigal had plenty to spend, he found plenty to share his portion;\nbut when he began to be in want, \"no man gave unto him.\"\n\nThus it was with Job in chap. xxx. But be it well remembered that\nthere is very much more needed than the stripping of self, and the\ndiscovery of the hollowness and deceitfulness of the world. One may go\nthrough all these, and the result be merely chagrin and\ndisappointment. Indeed, it can be nothing more if God be not reached.\nIf the heart be not brought to find its all-satisfying portion in God,\nthen a reverse of fortune leaves it desolate; and the discovery of the\nfickleness and hollowness of men fills it with bitterness. This will\naccount for Job's language in chap. xxx.: \"But now they that are\nyounger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have\ndisdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.\" Was this the spirit\nof Christ? Would Job have spoken thus at the close of the book? He\nwould not. Ah, no, reader; when once Job got into God's presence,\nthere was an end the egotism of chap. xxix. and the bitterness of\nchap. xxx.[7]\n\n  [7] The reader will bear in mind that, while it is the Holy Ghost who\n  records what Job and his friends said, yet we are not to suppose that\n  they _spoke_ by inspiration.\n\nBut hear Job's further outpourings. \"They were children of fools, yea,\nchildren of base men; they were viler than the earth. And now am I\ntheir song, yea, I am their by-word. They abhor me, they flee far from\nme, and spare not to spit in my face. Because He hath loosed my cord,\nand afflicted me, they also let loose the bridle before me. Upon my\nright hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up\nagainst me the ways of their destruction. They mar my path, they set\nforward my calamity, they have no helper. They came upon me as a wide\nbreaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon\nme.\"\n\nNow, all this, we may truly say, is very far short of the mark.\nLamentations over departed greatness, and bitter invectives against\nour fellow-men, will not do the heart much good; neither do they\ndisplay aught of the spirit and mind of Christ, nor bring glory to His\nholy name. When we turn our eyes toward the blessed Lord Jesus we see\nsomething wholly different. That meek and lowly One met all the\nrebuffs of this world, all the disappointments in the midst of His\npeople Israel, all the unbelief and folly of His disciples, with an,\n\"Even so, Father.\" He was able to retire from the rebuffs of men into\nHis resources in God, and then to come forth with those balmy words,\n\"Come unto Me ... and I will give you rest.\" No chagrin, no\nbitterness, no harsh invectives, nothing rough or unkind, from that\ngracious Saviour who came down into this cold and heartless world to\nmanifest the perfect love of God, and who pursued His path of service\nspite of all man's perfect hatred.\n\nBut the fairest and best of men must retire into the shade when tested\nby the perfect standard of the life of Christ. The light of His moral\nglory makes manifest the defects and blemishes of even the most\nperfect of the sons of men. \"In all things He must have the\npre-eminence.\" He stands out in vivid contrast with even a Job or a\nJeremiah in the matter of patient submission to all that He was called\nupon to endure. Job completely breaks down under his heavy trials. He\nnot only pours forth a torrent of bitter invective upon his fellows,\nbut actually curses the day of his birth. \"After this opened Job his\nmouth and cursed his day. And Job spake and said, 'Let the day perish\nwherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a\nman-child conceived'\" (chap. iii. 1-3).\n\nWe notice the selfsame thing in Jeremiah--that blessed man of God.\nHe, too, gave way beneath the heavy pressure of his varied and\naccumulated sorrows, and gave vent to his feelings in the following\nbitter accents: \"Cursed be the day wherein I was born; let not the day\nwherein my mother bare me be blessed. Cursed be the man who brought\ntidings to my father, saying, 'A man-child is born unto thee;' making\nhim very glad. And let that man be as the cities which the Lord\noverthrew, and repented not; and let him hear the cry in the morning,\nand the shouting at noontide. _Because He slew me not from the womb_;\nor that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always\ngreat with me. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labor and\nsorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?\" (Jer. xx. 14-18.)\n\nWhat language is here! Only think of cursing the man that brought\ntidings of his birth! cursing him because he had not slain him! All\nthis, both in the prophet and the patriarch, contrasts strongly with\nthe meek and lowly Jesus of Nazareth. That spotless One passed through\ndeeper sorrows and more in number than all His servants put together;\nbut not one murmuring word ever escaped His lips. He patiently\nsubmitted to all; and met the darkest hour with such words as these,\n\"The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?\" Blessed\nLord Jesus, Son of the Father, we adore Thee! We bow down at Thy feet,\nlost in wonder, love, and praise, and own Thee Lord of all!--the\nfairest among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThere is no more fruitful field of study than that which is opened\nbefore us in the history of God's dealings with souls. It is full of\ninterest, and abounds in instruction and profit. One grand object in\nthose dealings is to produce real brokenness and humility--to strip us\nof all false righteousness, empty us of all self-confidence, and teach\nus to lean wholly upon Christ. All have to pass through what may be\ncalled the process of stripping and emptying. With some this process\nprecedes, with others it follows, conversion or the new birth. Many\nare brought to Christ through deep plowings and painful exercises of\nheart and conscience--exercises extending over years, often over the\nwhole lifetime. Others, on the contrary, are brought with\ncomparatively little exercise of soul. They lay hold, speedily, of the\nglad tidings of forgiveness of sins through the atoning death of\nChrist, and are made happy at once. But the stripping and emptying\ncome afterward, and, in many cases, cause the soul to totter on its\nfoundation, and almost to doubt its conversion.\n\nThis is very painful, but very needful. The fact is, self must be\nlearnt and judged, sooner or later. If it be not learnt in communion\nwith God, it must be learnt by bitter experience in failures and\nfalls. \"No flesh shall glory in His presence;\" and we must all learn\nour utter powerlessness, in every respect, in order that we may taste\nthe sweetness and comfort of the truth, that Christ is made of God\nunto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. God\nwill have _broken material_. Let us remember this. It is a solemn and\nnecessary truth, \"Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth\neternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with\nhim also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit\nof the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.\" And\nagain, \"Thus saith the Lord, 'The heaven is My throne, and the earth\nis My footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me? and where\nis the place of My rest? For all those things hath Mine hand made, and\nall those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I\nlook, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth\nat My word.'\" (Is. lvii. 15; lxvi. 1, 2.)\n\nThese are seasonable words for all of us. One special want of the\npresent moment is brokenness of spirit. Nine-tenths of our trouble and\ndifficulty may be traced to this want. It is marvelous how we get on\nfrom day to day,--in the family, in the assembly, in the world, in our\nentire practical life, when _self_ is subdued and mortified. A\nthousand things which else would prove more than a match for our\nhearts are esteemed as nothing, when our souls are in a truly contrite\nstate. We are enabled to bear reproach and insult, to overlook slights\nand affronts, to trample upon our crotchets, predilections, and\nprejudices, to yield to others where weighty principle is not\ninvolved, to be ready to every good work, to exhibit a genial\nlarge-heartedness in all our dealings, and an elasticity in all our\nmoral movements which so greatly tend to adorn the doctrine of God our\nSaviour. How often, alas! it is otherwise with us. We exhibit a stiff,\nunyielding temper; we stand up for our rights; we maintain our\ninterests; we look after our own things; we contend for our own\nnotions. All this proves, very clearly, that self is not habitually\nmeasured and judged in the presence of God.\n\nBut we repeat--and with emphasis--God will have broken material. He\nloves us too well to leave us in hardness and unsubduedness; and hence\nit is that He sees fit to pass us through all sorts of exercises in\norder to bring us into a condition of soul in which He can use us for\nHis own glory. The will must be broken; self-confidence,\nself-complacency, and self-importance must be cut up by the roots. God\nwill make use of the scenes and circumstances through which we have to\npass, the people with whom we are associated in daily life, to\ndiscipline the heart and subdue the will. And further, He will deal\nwith us directly Himself, in order to bring about these great\npractical results.\n\nAll this comes out with great distinctness in the book of Job, and\ngives a wonderful interest and charm to its pages. It is very evident\nthat Job needed a severe sifting. Had he not needed it, we may rest\nassured the gracious, loving Lord would not have passed him through\nit. It was not for nothing that He let Satan loose upon His dear\nservant. We may say, with fullest confidence, that nothing but the\nmost stern necessity would have led Him to adopt such a line of\naction. God loved Job with a perfect love; but it was a wise and\nfaithful love; a love that could take account of every thing, and,\nlooking below the surface, could see the deep moral roots in the heart\nof His servant--roots which Job had never seen, and, therefore, never\njudged. What a mercy to have to do with such a God! to be in the hands\nof One who will spare no pains in order to subdue every thing in us\nwhich is contrary to Himself, and to bring out in us His own blessed\nimage!\n\nBut, beloved reader, is there not something profoundly interesting in\nthe fact that God can even make use of Satan as an instrument in the\ndiscipline of His people? We see this in the case of the apostle\nPeter, as well as in that of the patriarch Job. Peter had to be\nsifted, and Satan was used to do the work. \"Simon, Simon, behold Satan\nhath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.\" Here, too,\nthere was a stern necessity. There was a deep root to be reached in\nPeter's heart--the root of self-confidence; and his faithful Lord saw\nit absolutely needful to pass him through a most severe and painful\nprocess in order that this root should be exposed and judged; and\ntherefore Satan was permitted to sift him thoroughly, so that he\nmight never again trust his own heart, but walk softly all his days.\nGod will have broken material, whether it be in a patriarch or an\napostle. All must be mellowed and subdued in order that the divine\nglory may shine forth with an ever brightening lustre.\n\nHad Job understood this great principle--had he apprehended the divine\nobject,--how differently he would have carried himself! But, like\nourselves, he had to learn his lesson; and the Holy Ghost has\nfurnished us with the record of the mode in which the lesson was\nlearnt, so that we may profit by it also.\n\nLet us pursue the narrative.\n\n\"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves\nbefore the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said\nunto Satan, 'Whence comest thou?' Then Satan answered the Lord and\nsaid, 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and\ndown in it.' And the Lord said unto Satan, 'Hast thou considered my\nservant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and\nan upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil?' Then Satan\nanswered the Lord, and said, 'Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast not\nThou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that\nhe hath on every side? Thou hast blest the work of his hands, and his\nsubstance is increased in the land. But put forth Thine hand now, and\ntouch all that he hath, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.'\" What a\nview we have here of Satan's malignity! What a striking proof of the\nway in which he watches and considers the ways and works of God's\npeople! What insight into human character! What an intimate knowledge\nof man's mental and moral constitution! What a terrible thing to fall\ninto his hands! He is ever on the watch; ever ready, if permitted of\nGod, to put forth all his malignant energy against the Christian.\n\nThe thought of this is most solemn, and should lead us to walk humbly\nand watchfully through a scene where Satan rules. He has no power\nwhatever over a soul who abides in the place of dependence and\nobedience; and, blessed be God, he cannot, in any case, go one hair's\nbreadth beyond the limit prescribed by divine command. Thus, in Job's\ncase, \"The Lord said unto Satan, 'Behold, all that he hath is in thy\npower; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.'\"\n\nHere Satan was permitted to lay his hand on Job's possessions--to\nbereave him of his children, and despoil him of all his wealth. And\ntruly he lost no time in despatching his business. With marvelous\nrapidity he executed his commission. Blow after blow fell, in quick\nsuccession, on the devoted head of the patriarch. Hardly had one\nmessenger told his melancholy tale, ere another arrived with still\nheavier tidings, until, at length, the afflicted servant of God \"arose\nand rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the\nground, and worshiped, and said, 'Naked came I out of my mother's\nwomb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord\nhath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.' In all this, Job\nsinned not, nor charged God foolishly\" (chap. i. 20-22).\n\nAll this is deeply touching. To speak after the manner of men, it was\nenough to make reason totter, to be thus, in a moment, bereft of his\nten children, and reduced from princely wealth to absolute penury.\nWhat a striking contrast between the opening and the closing lines of\nour first chapter! In the former, we see Job surrounded by a numerous\nfamily, and in the enjoyment of vast possessions; in the latter, we\nsee him left alone, in poverty and nakedness. And to think of Satan's\nbeing allowed--yea, commissioned of God--to bring about all this! And\nfor what? For the deep and permanent profit of Job's precious soul.\nGod saw that His servant needed to be taught a lesson; and, moreover,\nthat, in no other way, by no other means, could this lesson be taught\nthan by passing him through an ordeal the bare record of which fills\nthe mind with solemn awe. God _will_ teach His children, even though\nit be by stripping them of all that the heart clings to in this world.\n\nBut we must follow our patriarch into still deeper waters.\n\n\"Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves\nbefore the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself\nbefore the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, 'From whence comest\nthou?' And Satan answered the Lord, and said, 'From going to and fro\nin the earth, and from walking up and down in it.' And the Lord said\nunto Satan, 'Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none\nlike him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth\nGod and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity,\nalthough thou movedst Me against him, to destroy him without cause.'\nAnd Satan answered the Lord, and said, 'Skin for skin, yea, all that a\nman hath will he give for his life. But put forth Thine hand now, and\ntouch his bone and His flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.' And\nthe Lord said unto Satan, 'Behold, he is in thy hand; but save his\nlife.' So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote\nJob with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he\ntook him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among\nthe ashes. Then said his wife unto him, 'Dost thou still retain thine\nintegrity? curse God, and die.' But he said unto her, 'Thou speakest\nas one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at\nthe hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?' In all this did not\nJob sin with his lips\" (chap. ii. 1-10).\n\nThis is a very remarkable passage. It instructs us as to the place\nwhich Satan occupies in respect to God's government. He is a mere\ninstrument, and, though ever ready to accuse the Lord's people, can\ndo nothing save as he is allowed of God. So far as Job was concerned,\nthe efforts of Satan proved abortive; and having done his utmost, he\ngoes away, and we hear nothing more of his actings, whatever may have\nbeen his inward temptations. Job was enabled to hold fast his\nintegrity; and, had matters ended here, his patient endurance would\nonly have strengthened the platform of his righteousness, and\nministered to his self-complacency. \"Ye have heard,\" says James, \"of\nthe patience of Job.\" And what then? \"Ye have seen _the end of the\nLord_; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.\" Had it\nbeen simply a question of Job's patience, it would have proved an\nadditional ground of self-confidence, and thus \"the end of the Lord\"\nwould not have been reached. For, be it ever remembered, the Lord's\npity and tender mercy can only be tasted by those who are truly\npenitent and broken-hearted. Now Job was not this, even when he lay\namid the ashes. He was not yet thoroughly broken down before God. He\nwas still the great man--great in his misfortunes as he had been in\nhis prosperity--great beneath the keen and withering blasts of\nadversity as he had been in the sunshine of brighter and better days.\nJob's heart was still unreached. He was not yet prepared to cry out,\n\"Behold, I am vile.\" He had not yet learnt to \"abhor\" himself, \"and\nrepent in dust and ashes.\"\n\nWe are anxious that the reader should distinctly seize this point. It\nis, to a very great extent, the key to the entire book of Job. The\ndivine object was to expose to Job's view the depths of his own heart,\nin order that he might learn to delight in the grace and mercy of God,\nand not in his own goodness, which was as a morning cloud and the\nearly dew, that passeth away. Job was a true saint of God; and all\nSatan's accusations were flung back in his face; but, all the while,\nJob was unbroken material, and therefore unprepared for \"the end of\nthe Lord\"--that blessed end for every contrite heart--that end which\nis marked by \"pity and tender mercy.\" God, blessed and praised be His\nname! will not suffer Satan to accuse us; but He will expose us to\nourselves, so that we may judge ourselves, and thus learn to mistrust\nour own hearts, and rest in the eternal stability of His grace.\n\nThus far, then, we see Job \"holding fast his integrity.\" He meets with\ncalmness all the heavy afflictions which Satan is allowed to bring\nupon him; and, moreover, he refuses the foolish counsel of his wife.\nIn a word, he accepts all as from the hand of God, and bows his head\nin the presence of His mysterious dispensations.\n\nAll this is well. But the arrival of Job's three friends produces a\nmarked change. Their very presence--the bare fact of their being\neye-witnesses of his trouble--affects him in a very remarkable manner.\n\"Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come\nupon him, they came every one from his own place,--Eliphaz the\nTemanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; for they\nhad made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to\ncomfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him\nnot, they lifted up their voices and wept; and they rent every one his\nmantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat\ndown with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none\nspake a word unto him; for they saw that his grief was very great.\"\n(Chap. ii. 11-13.)\n\nNow, we can fully believe that those three men were governed, in the\nmain, by kindly feelings toward Job; and it was no small sacrifice on\ntheir part to leave their homes and come to condole with their\nbereaved and afflicted friend. All this we can easily believe. But it\nis very evident that their presence had the effect of stirring up\nfeelings and thoughts in his heart and mind which had hitherto lain\ndormant. He had borne submissively the loss of children, property, and\nof bodily health. Satan had been dismissed, and the wife's counsel\nrejected; but the presence of his friends caused Job to break down\ncompletely. \"After this, Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day.\"\n\nThis is very remarkable. It does not appear that the friends had\nspoken a single sentence. They sat in total silence, with rent\ngarments, and covered with dust, gazing on a grief too profound for\nthem to reach. It was Job himself who first broke silence; and the\nwhole of the third chapter is an outpouring of the most bitter\nlamentation, affording melancholy evidence of an unsubdued spirit. It\nis, we may confidently assert, impossible that any one who had learnt,\nin any little measure, to say, \"Thy will be done,\" could ever curse\nhis day, or use the language contained in the third chapter of Job. It\nmay doubtless be said, \"It is easy for those to speak who have never\nbeen called to endure Job's heavy trials.\" This is quite true; and it\nmay further be added that no other man would have done one whit better\nunder the circumstances. All this we can fully understand; but it in\nno wise touches the great moral of the book of Job--a moral which it\nis our privilege to seize. Job was a true saint of God; but he needed\nto learn himself, as we all do. He needed to have the roots of his\nmoral being laid bare in his own sight, so that he might really abhor\nhimself, and repent in dust and ashes. And furthermore, he needed a\ntruer and deeper sense of what God was, so that he might trust Him and\njustify Him under all circumstances.\n\nBut we look in vain for aught of this in Job's opening address. \"Job\nspake and said, 'Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night\nin which it was said, There is a man-child conceived.... Why died I\nnot from the womb?'\" These are not the accents of a broken and a\ncontrite spirit, or of one who had learnt to say, \"Even so, Father,\nfor so it seemed good in Thy sight.\" It is a grand point in the soul's\nhistory when one is enabled to bow with meekness to all the\ndispensations of our Father's hand. A broken will is a rich and rare\nendowment. It is a high attainment in the school of Christ to be able\nto say, \"I have learnt, in whatsoever state I am, to be content.\"\n(Phil. iv. 11.) Paul had to _learn_ this. It was not natural to him;\nand, most surely, he never learnt it at the feet of Gamaliel. He had\nto be thoroughly broken down at the feet of Jesus of Nazareth, ere he\ncould say from his heart, \"I am content.\" He had to ponder the meaning\nof those words, \"My grace is sufficient for thee\" ere he could \"take\npleasure in infirmities.\" The man who could use such language was\nstanding at the very antipodes of the man who could curse his day, and\nsay, \"Why died I not from the womb?\" Only think of a saint of God, and\nheir of glory, saying, \"Why died I not from the womb?\" Ah! if Job had\nbeen in the presence of God he never could have uttered such words. He\nwould have known full well why he had not died. He would have had a\nsoul-satisfying sense of what God had in store for him. He would have\njustified God in all things. But Job was not in the presence of God,\nbut in the presence of his friends; who proved, very distinctly, that\nthey understood little or nothing of the character of God or the real\nobject of His dealings with His dear servant Job.\n\nIt is not, by any means, our purpose to enter minutely into the\nlengthened discussion between Job and his friends--a discussion\nextending over twenty-nine chapters. We shall merely quote a few\nsentences from the opening address of each of the friends which will\nenable the reader to form an idea of the real ground occupied by these\nmistaken men.\n\nEliphaz was the first speaker. \"Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and\nsaid, 'If we essay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved? but who\ncan withhold himself from speaking? Behold, thou hast instructed many,\nand thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him\nthat was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. But now\nit is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou\nart troubled. Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the\nuprightness of thy ways? Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished,\nbeing innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? _Even as I have\nseen_, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same'\"\n(chap. iv. 1-8). And again, \"_I have seen_ the foolish taking root;\nbut suddenly I cursed his habitation\" (chap. v. 3; see also chap. xv.\n17).\n\nFrom these sentences it seems very evident that Eliphaz belonged to\nthat class of people who argue very much from their own experience.\nHis motto was, \"As I have seen.\" Now, what we have seen may be all\ntrue enough, so far as we are concerned. But it is a total mistake to\nfound a general rule upon individual _experience_, and yet it is a\nmistake to which thousands are prone. What, for instance, had the\nexperience of Eliphaz to do with Job? It may be he had never met a\ncase exactly similar; and if there should happen to be a single\nfeature of dissimilarity between the two cases, then the whole\nargument based on experience must go for nothing. And that it went for\nnothing in Job's case is evident, for no sooner had Eliphaz ceased\nspeaking, than, without the slightest attention to his words, Job\nproceeded with the tale of his own sorrows, intermingled with much\nself-vindication and bitter complaints against the divine dealings\n(chap. vi. 7).\n\nBildad is the next speaker. He takes quite different ground from that\noccupied by Eliphaz. He never once refers to his own experience, or to\nwhat had come under his own observation. He appeals to antiquity.\n\"Inquire, I pray thee, of _the former age_, and prepare thyself to the\nsearch of their _fathers_. (For we are but of yesterday, and know\nnothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow.) Shall not they\nteach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?\" (Chap.\nviii.-x.)\n\nNow, it must be admitted that Bildad conducts us into a much wider\nfield than that of Eliphaz. The authority of a number of \"fathers\" has\nmuch more weight and respectability than the experience of a single\nindividual. Moreover, it would argue much more modesty to be guided by\nthe voice of a number of wise and learned men than by the light of\none's own experience. But the fact is that neither experience nor\ntradition will do. The former may be true so far as it goes, but you\ncan hardly get two men whose experience will exactly correspond; and\nas to the latter, it is a mass of confusion,--for one father differs\nfrom another; and nothing can be more slippery or uncertain than the\nvoice of tradition--the authority of the fathers.\n\nHence, as might be expected, Bildad's words had no more weight with\nJob than those of Eliphaz. The one was as far from the truth as the\nother. Had they appealed to divine revelation it would have been a\ndifferent matter altogether. _The truth of God_ is the only\nstandard--the one grand authority. By that, all must be measured; to\nthat all must, sooner or later, bow down. No man has any right to lay\ndown his own experience as a rule for his fellows; and if no man has a\nright, neither have any number of men. In other words, it is not the\nvoice of man, but the voice of God which must govern us all. It is not\nexperience or tradition which shall judge at the last day, but the\nword of God. Solemn and weighty fact! May we consider it! Had Bildad\nand Eliphaz understood it, their words would have had much more weight\nwith their afflicted friend.\n\nLet us now very briefly refer to the opening address of Zophar the\nNaamathite.\n\nHe says, \"Oh, that God would speak, and open His lips against thee,\nand that He would show thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are\ndouble to that which is! Know, therefore, that God exacteth of thee\nless than thine iniquity deserveth.\" And again, \"_If_ thou prepare\nthy heart, and stretch out thy hands toward Him; if iniquity be in thy\nhand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy\ntabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot: yea,\nthou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear.\" (Chap. xi. 5, 6, 13-15.)\n\nThese words savor strongly of _legality_. They prove very distinctly\nthat Zophar had no right sense of the divine character. He did not\nknow God. No one possessing a true knowledge of God could speak of Him\nas opening His lips against a poor afflicted sinner, or as exacting\naught from a needy, helpless creature. God is not against us, but for\nus, blessed forever be His name! He is not a legal exactor, but a\nliberal giver. Then, again, Zophar says, \"If thou prepare thy heart.\"\nBut if not, what then? No doubt a man ought to prepare his heart,--and\nif he were right, he would; but then, he is not right, and hence, when\nhe sets about preparing his heart, he finds nothing there but evil. He\nfinds himself perfectly powerless. What is he to do? Zophar cannot\ntell. No; nor can any of his school. How can they? They only know God\nas a stern exactor--as One who, if He opens His lips, can only speak\nagainst the sinner.\n\nNeed we marvel, therefore, that Zophar was as far from convincing Job\nas either of his two companions? They were all wrong. Legality,\ntradition, experience, were alike defective, one-sided, false. Not any\none of them, or all of them put together, could meet Job's case. They\nonly darkened counsel by words without knowledge. Not one of the three\nfriends understood Job; and what is more, they did not know God's\ncharacter or His object in dealing with His dear servant. They were\nwholly mistaken. They knew not how to present God to Job; and, as a\nconsequence, they knew not how to lead Job's conscience into the\npresence of God. In place of leading him to self-judgment, they only\nministered to a spirit of self-vindication. They did not introduce God\ninto the scene. They said some _true things_, but they had not _the\ntruth_. They brought in experience, tradition, legality, but not the\ntruth.\n\nHence the three friends failed to convince Job. Their ministry was\none-sided, and instead of silencing Job, they only led him forth into\na field of discussion which seemed almost boundless. He gives them\nword for word, and far more. \"No doubt,\" he says, \"but ye are the\npeople, and wisdom shall die with you. But _I have understanding as\nwell as you; I am not inferior to you_: yea, who knoweth not such\nthings as these?\" \"What ye know, the same do I know also; I am not\ninferior to you.\" \"Ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no\nvalue. Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be\nyour wisdom.\" \"I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are\nye all. Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that\nthou answerest? I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my\nsoul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake my head at\nyou.\" \"How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with\nwords? These ten times have ye reproached me; ye are not ashamed that\nye make yourselves strange to me.\" \"Have pity upon me, have pity upon\nme, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.\"\n\nAll these utterances prove how far Job was from that true brokenness\nof spirit and humility of mind which ever flow from being in the\ndivine presence. No doubt the friends were wrong--quite wrong in their\nnotions about God, wrong in their method of dealing with Job; but\ntheir being wrong did not make him right. Had Job's conscience been in\nthe presence of God, he would have made no reply to his friends, even\nthough they had been a thousand times more mistaken and severe in\ntheir treatment. He would have meekly bowed his head, and allowed the\ntide of reproof and accusation to roll over him. He would have turned\nthe very severity of his friends to profitable account, by viewing it\nas a wholesome moral discipline for his heart. But no; Job had not yet\nreached the end of himself. He was full of self-vindication, full of\ninvective against his fellows, full of mistaken thoughts about God. It\nneeded another ministry to bring him into a right attitude of soul.\n\nThe more closely we study the lengthened discussion between Job and\nhis three friends, the more clearly we must see the utter\nimpossibility of their ever coming to an understanding. He was bent\nupon vindicating himself; and they were bent upon the very reverse.\nHe was unbroken and unsubdued, and their mistaken course of treatment\nonly tended to render him more so. Had they changed sides, they would\nhave reached a different issue altogether. If Job had condemned\nhimself, had he taken a low place, had he owned himself nothing and\nnobody, he would have left his friends nothing to say. And, on the\nother hand, had they spoken softly, tenderly, and soothingly to him,\nthey would have been far more likely to melt him down. As it was, the\ncase was hopeless. He could see nothing wrong in himself; and they\ncould see nothing right. He was determined to maintain his integrity;\nand they were quite as determined to pick holes and find out flaws.\nThere was no point of contact whatever--no common ground of\nunderstanding. He had no penitential breathings for them, and they had\nno tender compassions for him. They were traveling in entirely\nopposite directions, and never could meet. In a word, there was a\ndemand for another kind of ministry altogether, and that ministry is\nintroduced in the person of Elihu.\n\n\"So these three men ceased to answer Job [high time they should],\nbecause he was righteous in his own eyes. Then was kindled the wrath\nof Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram:\nagainst Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather\nthan God. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled,\nbecause they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.\" (Chap.\nxxxii. 1-3.)\n\nHere Elihu, with remarkable force and clearness, seizes upon the very\nroot of the matter on each side. He condenses, in two brief sentences,\nthe whole of the elaborate discussion contained in twenty-nine\nchapters. Job justified himself instead of justifying God: and they\nhad condemned Job, instead of leading him to condemn himself.\n\nIt is of the very last moral importance to see that whenever we\njustify ourselves, we condemn God; and on the other hand, when we\ncondemn ourselves, we justify God. \"Wisdom is justified of all her\nchildren.\" This is a grand point. The truly broken and contrite heart\nwill vindicate God at all cost. \"Let God be true, but every man a\nliar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy\nsayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.\" (Rom. iii. 4.)\nGod must have the upper hand in the end; and it is the path of true\nwisdom to give Him the upper hand now. The very moment the soul is\nbroken down in true self-judgment, God rises before it in all the\nmajesty of His grace as a Justifier. But so long as we are ruled by a\nspirit of self-vindication or self-complacency, we must be total\nstrangers to the deep blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth\nrighteousness without works. The greatest folly that any one can be\nguilty of is to justify himself; inasmuch as God must then impute sin.\nBut the truest wisdom is to condemn one's self utterly; for in that\ncase God becomes the Justifier.\n\nBut Job had not yet learnt to tread this marvelously blessed path. He\nwas still built up in his own goodness, still clothed in his own\nrighteousness, still full of self-complacency. Hence the wrath of\nElihu was kindled against him. Wrath must assuredly fall upon\nself-righteousness. It cannot be otherwise. The only true ground for a\nsinner to occupy is the ground of genuine repentance. Here there is\nnaught but that pure and precious grace that reigns through\nrighteousness by Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus it stands ever. There is\nnothing but wrath for the self-righteous--nothing but grace for the\nself-judged.\n\nReader, remember this. Pause for a moment, and consider it. On what\nground dost thou, at this moment, stand? Hast thou bowed before God in\ntrue repentance? Hast thou ever really measured thyself in His holy\npresence? Or, art thou on the ground of self-righteousness,\nself-vindication, and self-complacency? Do, we entreat you, weigh\nthese solemn questions. Do not put them aside. We are most anxious to\ndeal with the heart and conscience of the reader. We do not write\nmerely for the understanding, for the mind, for the intelligence. No\ndoubt it is well to seek to enlighten the understanding, by the word\nof God; but we should exceedingly regret if our work were to end here.\nThere is far more than this. God wants to deal with the heart, with\nthe moral being, with the inward man. He will have us real before Him.\nIt is of no possible use to build ourselves up in self-opinionativeness;\nfor nothing is surer than that every thing of that kind must be broken\nup. The day of the Lord will be against every thing high and lifted\nup; and hence it is our wisdom now to be low and broken down; for it\nis from the low place that we get the very best view of God and His\nsalvation. May the reader be led by God's Spirit into the reality of\nall this! May we all remember that God delights in a broken and\ncontrite spirit--that He ever finds His abode with such; but the proud\nHe knoweth afar off.\n\nThus, then, we may understand why Elihu's wrath was kindled against\nJob. He was entirely on God's side. Job was not. We hear nothing of\nElihu until chap. xxxii., though it is very evident that he had been\nan attentive listener to the whole discussion. He had given a patient\nhearing to both sides, and he found that both were wrong. Job was\nwrong in seeking to defend himself; and the friends were wrong in\nseeking to condemn him.\n\nHow often is this the case in our discussions and controversies! And\noh, what sorrowful work it is! In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred\nin the which persons are at issue, it will be found to be very much as\nit was with Job and his friends. A little brokenness on one side, or a\nlittle softness on the other, would go a great way toward settling the\nquestion. We speak not, of course, of cases in which the truth of God\nis concerned. There, one must be bold, decided, and unyielding. To\nyield where the truth of God or the glory of Christ is concerned,\nwould be disloyalty to the One to whom we owe every thing. Plain\ndecision and unflinching firmness alone become us in all cases in\nwhich it is a question of the claims of that blessed One who, when our\ninterests were concerned, surrendered every thing, even life itself,\nin order to secure them. God forbid we should drop a sentence or pen a\nline which might have the effect of relaxing our grasp of truth, or\nabating our ardor in contending earnestly for the faith once delivered\nto the saints. Ah, no, reader, this is not the moment for ungirding\nthe loins, laying aside the harness, or lowering the standard. Quite\nthe reverse. Never was there more urgent need of having the loins girt\nabout with truth, of having firm footing, and of maintaining the\nstandard of divine principle in all its integrity. We say this\nadvisedly. We say it in view of all the efforts of the enemy to drive\nus off the platform of pure truth by referring us to those who have\nfailed in the maintenance of pure morals. Alas! alas! there is\nfailure--sad, humiliating failure. We do not deny it. Who could? It is\ntoo patent--too flagrant--too gross. The heart bleeds as we think of\nit. Man fails always and every where. His history, from Eden to the\npresent hour, is stamped with failure.\n\nAll this is undeniable. But, blessed be God! His foundation standeth\nsure, nor can human failure ever touch it. God is faithful. He\nknoweth them that are His; and let every one that nameth the name of\nChrist depart from iniquity. We have yet to learn that the way to\nimprove _our_ morals is to lower God's standard. We do not and cannot\nbelieve it. Let us humble ourselves in view of our failure; but never\nsurrender the precious truth of God.\n\nBut all this is a digression into which we have allowed ourselves to\nbe drawn in order to guard against the thought that, in urging upon\nthe reader the importance of cultivating a broken, yielding spirit, we\nwould have him to yield a single jot or tittle of divine revelation.\nWe must now return to our subject.\n\nThere is something peculiarly marked and striking in the ministry of\nElihu. He stands in vivid contrast with the three friends. His name\nsignifies \"God is he,\" and no doubt we may view him as a type of our\nLord Jesus Christ. He brings God into the scene, and puts a complete\nstop to the weary strife and contention between Job and his friends.\nElihu argues not on the ground of experience; he appeals not to\ntradition; he breathes not the accents of legality; he brings in God.\nThis is the only way of putting a stop to controversy, of hushing\nstrife, of ending a war of words. Let us hearken to the words of this\nremarkable personage.\n\n\"Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder\nthan he. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these\nthree men, then his wrath was kindled.\" Note this: \"_There was no\nanswer_.\" In all their reasonings, in all their arguments, in all\ntheir references to experience, tradition, and legality, there was \"no\nanswer.\" This is very instructive. Job's friends had traveled over a\nvery wide range, had said many true things, had attempted many\nreplies; but, be it carefully noted, they found \"no answer.\" It is not\nin the range of earth or of nature to find an answer for a\nself-righteous heart. God alone can answer it, as we shall see in the\nsequel. To all else but God the unbroken heart can find a ready reply.\nThis is most strikingly proved in the history now before us. Job's\nthree friends found no answer. \"And Elihu, the son of Barachel the\nBuzite, answered and said, 'I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore\nI was afraid, and durst not show mine opinion. I said, Days should\nspeak [but, alas! they either do not speak at all or they speak a\nquantity of error and folly], and multitude of years should teach\nwisdom. But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the\nAlmighty giveth him understanding.\" Here divine light, the light of\ninspiration, begins to stream in upon the scene, and to roll away the\nthick clouds of dust raised by the strife of tongues. We are conscious\nof moral power and weight the very moment this blessed servant opens\nhis lips. We feel we are listening to a man who speaks as the oracles\nof God--a man who is sensibly standing in the divine presence. It is\nnot a man drawing from the meagre store of his own narrow and\none-sided experience; nor yet a man appealing to hoary antiquity, or\nto a bewildering tradition, or the ever-conflicting voices of the\nfathers. No; we have before us now a man who introduces us at once\ninto the very presence of \"the inspiration of the Almighty.\"\n\nThis is the only sure authority--the only unerring standard. \"'Great\nmen are not always wise, neither do the aged understand judgment.[8]\nTherefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will show mine opinion.\nBehold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye\nsearched out what to say. Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there\nwas none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words: lest\nye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not\nman. Now he hath not directed his words against me, neither will I\nanswer him with your speeches.' They were amazed; they answered no\nmore; they left off speaking.\" Experience, tradition, and legality are\nall swept off the platform to leave room for the \"inspiration of the\nAlmighty\"--for the direct and powerful ministry of the Spirit of God.\n\n  [8] What would Elihu have said to the recent dogma of the\n  infallibility of a man--a dogma accepted by over five hundred rational\n  beings sitting in solemn conclave?\n\n  And this is to be henceforth part and parcel of the faith of\n  Christians! Not long since, men were called upon to believe in _an\n  immaculate woman_; now they are called upon to believe in _an\n  infallible man_! What is to come next? Surely the \"strong delusion\"\n  must soon set in, when men will be compelled, by God's judicial\n  dealings, to believe a lie, because they _would_ not believe the\n  truth. May the eternal Spirit put forth His mighty energy in the\n  conversion of precious souls ere the day of vengeance sets in!\n\nThe ministry of Elihu breaks upon the soul with peculiar power and\nfullness. It stands in vivid contrast with the one-sided and most\ndefective ministry of the three friends. Indeed, it is quite a relief\nto reach the close of a controversy which seemed likely to prove\ninterminable--a controversy between intense egotism on the one hand\nand experience, tradition, and legality on the other,--a controversy\nbarren of any good, so far as Job was concerned, and leaving all\nparties at the close very much where they were at the beginning.\n\nStill, however, the controversy is not without its value and interest\nto us. It teaches us very distinctly that when two parties join issue,\nthey never can reach an understanding unless there be a little\nbrokenness and subduedness on one side or the other. This is a\nvaluable lesson, and one to which we all need to give attention. There\nis a vast amount of headiness and high-mindedness abroad, not only in the\nworld, but in the Church. There is a great deal of self-occupation--a\nquantity of \"I, I, I\"--and that, too, even where we least suspect it,\nand where it is, most of all, unsightly, namely, in connection with\nthe holy service of Christ. Never, we may safely assert, is egotism\nmore truly detestable than when it shows itself in the service of that\nblessed One who made Himself of no reputation--whose whole course was\none of perfect self-surrender, from first to last--who never sought\nHis own glory in any thing, never maintained His own interest, never\npleased Himself.\n\nAnd yet, for all that, reader, is there not a most deplorable amount\nof hateful, unsubdued self displayed on the platform of Christian\nprofession and Christian service? Alas! we cannot deny it. We are\ndisposed to marvel, as the eye scans the record of the remarkable\ndiscussion between Job and his friends; we are amazed to find close\nupon a hundred references to himself in Job xxix.-xxxi. alone. In\nshort, it is all \"I\" from beginning to end.\n\nBut, let us look to ourselves. Let us judge our own hearts in their\ndeeper workings. Let us review our ways in the light of the divine\npresence. Let us bring all our work and service, and have it weighed\nin the holy balances of the sanctuary of God. Then shall we discover\nhow much of hateful self is insinuated, like a dark and defiling\ntissue, into the whole web of our Christian life and service. How, for\nexample, comes it to pass that we are so ready to mount the high horse\nwhen self is touched, even in the most remote degree? Why are we so\nimpatient of reproof, be it clothed in language ever so refined and\ngentle? Why so ready to take offense at the slightest disparagement of\nself? And, further, why is it that we find our sympathies and our\nregards and our predilections going out, with special energy, after\nthose who think well of us,--who value our ministry, agree with our\nopinions, and adopt our _cue_?\n\nDo not all these things tell a tale? Do they not prove to us that,\nere we condemn the egotism of our ancient patriarch, we should seek to\nget rid of a vast amount of our own? It is not, surely, that he was\nright; but we are far more wrong. It is far less to be wondered at\nthat a man, amid the dim twilight of the far-back patriarchal age, was\nentangled in the snare of self-occupation, than that we, in the full\nblaze of Christianity, should fall thereinto. Christ had not come. No\nprophetic voice had fallen on the ear. Even the law had not been given\nwhen Job lived and spoke and thought. We can form a very poor\nconception indeed of the tiny ray of light by which men had to walk in\nthe days of Job. But to us pertain the high privilege and holy\nresponsibility of walking in the very meridian light of a full-orbed\nChristianity. Christ has come. He has lived, died, risen, and gone\nback to heaven. He has sent down the Holy Ghost to dwell in our\nhearts, as the witness of His glory, the seal of accomplished\nredemption, and the earnest of the inheritance, until the redemption\nof the purchased possession. The canon of Scripture is closed. The\ncircle of revelation is complete. The Word of God is filled up. We\nhave before us the divine record of the self-emptied One who went\nabout doing good--the marvelous story of what He did, and how He did\nit, of what He said, and how He said it, of who He was and what He\nwas. We know that He died for our sins according to the Scriptures;\nthat He condemned sin and put it away; that our old nature--that\nodious thing called self, sin, the flesh--has been crucified and\nburied out of God's sight--made an end of forever, so far as its power\nover us is concerned. Moreover, we are made partakers of the divine\nnature; we have the holy Ghost dwelling in us; we are members of\nChrist's body, of His flesh, and of His bones; we are called to walk,\neven as He walked; we are heirs of glory--heirs of God and joint-heirs\nwith Christ.\n\nWhat did Job know of all this? Nothing. How could he know what was not\nrevealed till fifteen centuries after his time? The full extent of\nJob's knowledge is poured upon us in those few glowing and impassioned\nwords at the close of chap xix. \"Oh, that my words were now written!\nOh, that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an\niron pen and lead in the rock forever! For I know that my Redeemer\nliveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And\nthough, after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I\nsee God: whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and\nnot another; though my reins be consumed within me.\"\n\nThis was Job's knowledge--this was his creed. There was a great deal\nin it, in one sense; but very little indeed when compared with the\nmighty circle of truths in the midst of which we are privileged to\nmove. Job looked forward, through the dim twilight, to something that\nwas to be done in the far-off future. We look back, from amid the\nfull flood-tide of divine revelation, to something that has been done.\nJob could say of his Redeemer that \"He _shall_ stand in the latter day\nupon the _earth_.\" We know that our Redeemer sitteth on the throne of\nthe Majesty in the heavens, after having lived and labored and died on\nthe earth.\n\nIn short, the measure of Job's light and privilege admits of no\ncomparison with that which we enjoy; and for this reason it is the\nless excusable in us to indulge in the varied forms of egotism and\nself-occupation. Our self-abnegation should be in proportion to the\nmeasure of our spiritual privilege. But alas! it is not so. We profess\nthe very highest truths; but our character is not formed, nor is our\nconduct governed, by them. We speak of the heavenly calling; but our\nways are earthly, sometimes sensual, or worse. We profess to enjoy the\nvery highest standing; but our state does not comport therewith. Our\nreal condition does not answer to our assumed position. We are\nhigh-minded, touchy, tenacious, and easily provoked. We are quite as\nready to embark in the business of self-vindication as was our\npatriarch Job.\n\nAnd then, on the other hand, when we feel called upon to approach\nanother in the attitude and tone of reproof, with what rudeness,\ncoarseness, and harshness we discharge the necessary work! How little\nsoftness of tone or delicacy of touch! How little of the tender and\nthe soothing! How little of the \"excellent oil!\" How little of the\nbroken heart and weeping eye! What slender ability to bring our erring\nbrother down into the dust! Why is this? Simply because we are not\nhabitually in the dust ourselves. If, on the one hand, we fail quite\nas much as Job in the matter of egotism and self-vindication, so on\nthe other, we prove ourselves fully as incompetent as Job's friends to\nproduce self-judgment in our brother. For example, how often do we\nparade our own experience, like Eliphaz; or indulge in a legal spirit,\nlike Zophar; or introduce human authority, like Bildad! How little of\nthe spirit and mind of Christ! How little of the power of the Holy\nGhost, or the authority of the Word of God!\n\nIt is not pleasant to write thus. Quite the contrary. But it is\npressed upon us, and we must write. We feel most solemnly, the growing\nlaxity and indifference of the day in which we live. There is\nsomething perfectly appalling in the disproportion between our\nprofession and practice. The highest truths are professed in immediate\nconnection with gross worldliness and self-indulgence. Indeed, it\nwould appear as though, in some cases, the higher the doctrines\nprofessed, the lower the walk. There is a wide diffusion of truth in\nour midst; but where is its formative power? Floods of light are\npoured upon the intelligence; but where are the profound exercises of\nheart and conscience in the presence of God? The rigid rule of precise\nand accurate statement is attended to; but where is the true\npractical result? Sound doctrine is unfolded in the letter; but where\nis the spirit? There is the form of words; but where is the living\nexponent?\n\nIs it that we do not prize sound doctrine and accurate statement? Is\nit that we undervalue the wide diffusion of precious truth, in its\nvery highest forms? Far, far away be the thought! Human language would\nutterly fail to set forth our estimate of these things. God forbid we\nshould pen a line which might tend in any wise to lower in the mind of\nthe reader the sense of the unspeakable value and importance of a\nlofty--yea, the very loftiest--standard of truth and sound doctrine.\nWe are most thoroughly convinced that we shall never improve our\nmorals by lowering, the breadth of a hair, the standard of principle.\n\nBut, Christian reader, we would lovingly and solemnly ask you, Does it\nnot strike you that there is in our midst a most melancholy lack of\nthe tender conscience and the exercised heart? Does our practical\npiety keep pace with our profession of principle? Is the standard of\nmorals at all up to the standard of doctrine?\n\nAh! we anticipate the reply of the grave and thoughtful reader. We\nknow too well the terms in which that reply must be couched. It is but\ntoo plain that the truth does not act on the conscience--that the\ndoctrine does not shine in the life--that the practice does not\ncorrespond with the profession.\n\nWe speak for ourselves. As God is our witness, we pen these lines, in\nHis presence, in a spirit of self-judgment. It is our hearty desire\nthat the knife should enter into our own soul, and reach the deep\nroots of things there. The Lord knows how much we should prefer laying\nthe ax to the root of self and there leave it to do its work. But we\nfeel we have a sacred duty to discharge to the individual reader and\nto the Church of God; and, moreover, we feel that that duty would not\nbe discharged were we merely to set forth the precious and the\nbeautiful and the true. We are convinced that God would have us not\nonly to be exercised in heart and conscience ourselves, but also to\nseek to exercise the hearts and consciences of all with whom we have\nto do.\n\nTrue it is (a truth often stated and proved) that worldliness and\ncarnality, and self-indulgence in all its phases,--in the wardrobe,\nthe library, the equipage, and the table,--that fashion and style,\nfolly and vanity, pride of _caste_, of intellect, and of purse,--none\nof these things can be talked down, written, lectured, or scolded\ndown. This we fully believe. But must not conscience be addressed?\nMust not the voice of holy exhortation fall on the ear? Shall we\nsuffer laxity, indifferentism, and Laodicean lukewarmness to pave the\nway for a universal skepticism, infidelity, and practical atheism, and\nnot be roused in conscience ourselves, and seek to rouse others? God\nforbid! No doubt, the higher and the better way is to have the evil\nexpelled by the good, to have the flesh subdued by the Spirit, to\nhave self displaced by Christ, to have the love of the world\nsupplanted by the love of the Father:--all this we fully feel and\nfreely admit; but, while feeling and admitting all this, we must still\npress upon our own conscience and that of the reader the urgent demand\nfor solemn and searching review--for deep searchings of heart in the\nsecret of the presence of God--for profound self-judgment, in\nreference to our whole career. Blessed be God! we can carry on these\nexercises before the throne of grace, the precious mercy-seat. \"Grace\nreigns.\" Precious consoling sentence! Should it prevent exercise of\nsoul? Nay, it should only impart the right tone and character thereto.\nWe have to do with victorious grace, not that we may indulge self, but\nmortify it all the more thoroughly.\n\nMay the Lord make us really humble, earnest, and devoted! May the deep\nutterance of the heart both of the writer and the reader be, \"Lord, I\nam Thine--Thine only, Thine wholly, Thine forever!\"\n\nThis may seem to some a digression from our special theme; but we\ntrust the digression may not be in vain, but that, by the grace of\nGod, it will yield something for the heart and conscience of both the\nwriter and the reader; and thus we shall be better prepared to\nunderstand and appreciate the powerful ministry of Elihu, to which we\nshall now turn our attention, in dependence upon divine guidance.\n\nThe reader cannot fail to notice the double bearing of this\nremarkable ministry,--its bearing upon our patriarch and its bearing\nupon his friends. This is only what we might expect. Elihu, as we have\nalready remarked, had patiently listened to the arguments on both\nsides. He had, as we say, heard both parties out. He had allowed them\nto exhaust themselves--to say all they had to say: \"Elihu had waited\ntill Job had spoken, because they were older than he.\" This is in\nlovely moral order. It was, most surely, the way of the Spirit of God.\nModesty in a young man is most graceful. Would there were more of it\nin our midst! Nothing is more attractive in the young than a quiet,\nretiring spirit. When real worth lies concealed beneath a modest and\nhumble exterior, it is sure to draw the heart with irresistible power.\nBut on the other hand, nothing is more repulsive than the bold\nself-confidence, the pushing forwardness, and self-conceit of many of\nthe young men of the present day. All such persons would do well to\nstudy the opening words of Elihu, and to imitate his example.\n\n\"And Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said, 'I am\nyoung, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not show\nyou mine opinion. I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years\nshould teach wisdom.'\" This is the natural order. We expect hoary\nheads to contain wisdom; and hence it is but right and comely for\nyoung men to be swift to hear, slow to speak, in the presence of their\nelders. We may set it down as an almost fixed principle that a\nforward young man is not led by the Spirit of God--that he has never\nmeasured himself in the divine presence--that he has never been\nthoroughly broken down before God.\n\nNo doubt it may often happen, as in the case of Job and his friends,\nthat old men give utterance to very foolish things. Gray hairs and\nwisdom do not always go together; and it not unfrequently happens that\naged men, relying upon the mere fact of their years, assume a place\nfor which they have no sort of power, either moral, intellectual, or\nspiritual. All this is perfectly true, and it has to be considered by\nthose whom it may concern. But it leaves wholly untouched the fine\nmoral sentiment contained in Elihu's opening address: \"I am young, and\nye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not show you mine\nopinion.\" This is always right. It is always comely for a young man to\nbe afraid to show his opinion. We may rest assured that a man who\npossesses inward moral power--who, as we say, _has it in him_--is\nnever in haste to push himself forward; but yet, when he does come\nforward, he is sure to be heard with respect and attention. The union\nof modesty and moral power imparts an irresistible charm to the\ncharacter; but the most splendid abilities are marred by a\nself-confident style.\n\n\"But,\" continues Elihu, \"there is a spirit in man; and the inspiration\nof the Almighty giveth him understanding.\" This introduces another\nelement altogether. The moment the Spirit of God enters the scene, it\nceases to be a question of youth or old age, inasmuch as he can speak\nby old or young. \"Not by might or by power; but by My Spirit, saith\nthe Lord of hosts.\" This holds good always. It was true for the\npatriarchs; true for the prophets; true for apostles; true for us;\ntrue for all. It is not by human might or power, but by the eternal\nSpirit.\n\nHere lay the deep secret of Elihu's quiet power. He was filled with\nthe Spirit, and hence we forget his youth, while hearkening to the\nwords of spiritual weight and heavenly wisdom that proceed out of his\nmouth; and we are reminded of Him who spake as one having authority,\nand not as the scribes. There is a striking difference between a man\nwho speaks as an oracle of God, and one who speaks in mere official\nroutine--between one who speaks from the heart, by the Spirit's holy\nunction, and one who speaks from the intellect by human authority. Who\ncan duly estimate the difference between these two? None but those who\npossess and exercise the mind of Christ.\n\nBut let us proceed with Elihu's address.\n\n\"Great men,\" he tells us, \"are not always wise.\" How true! \"Neither do\nthe aged understand judgment. Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also\nwill show mine opinion. Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to\nyour reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say. Yea, I attended unto\nyou, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that\nanswered his words.\"\n\nLet us specially note this. \"There was none of you that convinced\nJob.\" This was clear enough. Job was just as far from being convinced\nat the close of the discussion as he was at the commencement. Indeed\nwe may say that each fresh argument drawn from the treasury of\nexperience, tradition, and legality only served to stir some fresh and\ndeeper depth of Job's unjudged, unsubdued, unmortified nature. This is\na grand moral truth, illustrated on every page of the book which lies\nopen before us.\n\nBut how instructive the reason for all this! \"Lest ye should say, We\nhave found out wisdom; God thrusteth him down, not man.\" No flesh\nshall glory in the presence of God. It may boast itself outside. It\nmay put forth its pretensions, and glory in its resources, and be\nproud of its undertakings, so long as God is not thought of. But only\nintroduce Him, and all the vauntings, the boastings, the\nvain-gloryings, the lofty pretensions, and the self-complacency, and\nthe self-conceit will be withered up in a moment.\n\nReader, let us remember this. \"Boasting is excluded.\" Yes; all\nboasting--the boasting of Job, the boasting of his friends. If Job had\nsucceeded in establishing his cause, he would have boasted. If, on the\nother hand, his friends had succeeded in silencing him, they might\nhave boasted. But no; \"God thrusteth him down, not man.\"\n\nThus it was; thus it is; and thus it must ever be. God knows how to\nhumble the proud heart and subdue the stubborn will. It is utterly\nvain for any one to set himself up; for we may rest assured that every\none who is set up must, sooner or later, be upset. The moral\ngovernment of God has so ordered and enacted that all that is high and\nlifted up must come down. This is a salutary truth for us all; but\nespecially for the young, the ardent, and the aspiring. The humble,\nretired, shady path is, unquestionably, the safest, the happiest, and\nthe best. May we ever be found treading it, until we reach that bright\nand blessed scene where pride and ambition are unknown?\n\nThe effect of Elihu's opening words upon Job's three friends was most\nstriking. \"They were amazed; they answered no more; they left off\nspeaking. When I had waited--for they spake not, but stood still, and\nanswered no more--I said, I will answer also my part; I also will show\nmine opinion.\" And then, lest any should suppose that he was speaking\nhis own words, he adds, \"For I am full of matter; the spirit within me\nconstraineth me.\" This is the true spring and power of all ministry,\nin all ages. It must be \"the inspiration of the Almighty,\" or it is\nworth absolutely nothing.\n\nWe repeat, this is the only true source of ministry, at all times and\nin all places. And in saying this, we do not forget that a mighty\nchange took place when our Lord Christ ascended to heaven and took His\nseat at the right hand of God, in virtue of accomplished redemption.\nTo this glorious truth we have often referred the readers of our\nmagazine, _Things New and Old_; and hence shall not now permit\nourselves to dwell upon it. We merely touch upon it in this place,\nlest the reader might imagine that, when we speak of the true source\nof ministry in all ages, we were forgetting what is marked and\ndistinctive in the Church of God now, in consequence of the death and\nresurrection of Christ, the presence and indwelling of the Holy Ghost,\nin the individual believer, and in the Church, which is the body of\nChrist on earth. Far from it. Thanks and praise be to God! we have too\ndeep a sense of the value, importance, and practical weight of that\ngrand and glorious truth ever to lose sight of it for a moment.\nIndeed, it is just this deep sense, together with the remembrance of\nSatan's ceaseless effort to ignore the truth of the presence of the\nHoly Ghost in the Church, that leads us to pen this cautionary\nparagraph.\n\nStill, Elihu's principle must ever hold good. If any man is to speak\nwith power and practical effect, he must be able, in some measure, to\nsay, \"I am full of matter; the spirit within me constraineth me.[9]\nBehold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst\nlike new bottles. I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open\nmy lips and answer.\" Thus it must ever be, in measure at least, with\nall who will speak with real power and effect to the hearts and\nconsciences of their fellows. We are forcibly reminded, by Elihu's\nglowing words, of that memorable passage in the seventh of John, \"He\nthat believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly\nshall flow rivers of living water.\" True it is that Elihu knew not the\nglorious truth set forth in these words of our Lord, inasmuch as they\nwere not made good till fifteen centuries after his time. But then he\nknew the principle--he possessed the germ of what was afterward to\ncome out in full blow and rich mellow fruit. He knew that a man, if he\nis to speak with point, pungency, and power, must speak by the\ninspiration of the Almighty. He had listened till he was tired to men\ntalking a quantity of powerless matter--saying some truisms--drawing\nfrom their own experience, or from the musty stores of human\ntradition. He was well-nigh wearied out with all this, and he rises,\nin the mighty energy of the Spirit, to address his hearers as one\nfitted to speak like an oracle of God.\n\n  [9] Let the reader distinctly understand that Elihu, in the above\n  quotation, speaks, not of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, as\n  believers now know it. This was wholly unknown to saints in\n  Old-Testament times, and was the direct result of accomplished\n  redemption--the special fruit of the glorification of Christ at the\n  right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. This important truth has\n  been repeatedly referred to and dwelt upon at other times, and hence\n  we shall not go into it now; but we would request the reader to turn\n  to Jno. vii. 39 and xvi. 7, and meditate upon the doctrine there\n  taught, apart from all preconceived thoughts of his own, and\n  irrespective of all the opinions of men. From these scriptures, he\n  will see distinctly that the Holy Ghost did not and could not come\n  until Jesus was glorified. This is not a mere speculation--a human\n  theory--the dogma of a certain school. It is a grand foundation-truth\n  of Christianity, to be reverently received, tenaciously held, and\n  faithfully confessed by every true Christian. May all the Lord's\n  people be led to see and believe it!\n\nHere lies the deep and blessed secret of ministerial power and\nsuccess. \"If any man speak,\" says Peter, \"let him speak as the oracles\nof God.\" It is not, be it carefully observed, merely speaking\naccording to Scripture--an all-important and essential matter, most\nsurely. It is more. A man may rise and address his fellows for an\nhour, and, from beginning to end of his discourse, he may not utter so\nmuch as a single unscriptural sentence; and all the while, he may not\nhave been God's oracle at the time,--he may not have been God's\nmouthpiece, or the present exponent of His mind to the souls before\nhim.\n\nThis is peculiarly solemn, and demands the grave consideration of all\nwho are called to open their lips in the midst of God's people. It is\none thing to utter a certain amount of true sentiment, and quite\nanother to be the living channel of communication between the very\nheart of God and the souls of God's people. It is this latter, and\nthis alone, that constitutes true ministry. A man who speaks as an\noracle of God will bring the conscience of the hearer so into the very\nlight of the divine presence that every chamber of the heart is laid\nopen, and every moral spring touched. This is true ministry. All else\nis powerless, valueless, fruitless. Nothing is more deplorable and\nhumiliating than to listen to a man who is evidently drawing from his\nown poor and scanty resources, or trafficking in second-hand truth--in\nborrowed thoughts. Better far for such to be silent--better for their\nhearers, better for themselves. Nor this only. We may often hear a man\ngiving forth to his fellows that on which his own mind has been\ndwelling in private with much interest and profit. He may utter truth,\nand important truth; but it is not _the_ truth for the souls of the\npeople--_the_ truth for the moment. He has spoken according to\nScripture so far as his matter is concerned, but he has not spoken as\nan oracle of God.\n\nThus, then, may all learn a valuable lesson from Elihu; and, most\nsurely, it is a needed lesson. Some may feel disposed to say it is a\ndifficult lesson--a hard saying. But no; if we only live in the Lord's\npresence, in the abiding sense of our own nothingness and of His\nall-sufficiency, we shall know the precious secret of all effective\nministry; we shall know how to lean upon God alone, and thus be\nindependent of men, in the right sense; we shall be able to enter into\nthe meaning and force of Elihu's further words, \"Let me not, I pray\nyou, accept any man's person; neither let me give flattering titles\nunto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing, my\nMaker would soon take me away.\" (Job xxxii. 21, 22.)\n\nIn studying the ministry of Elihu, we find in it two grand elements,\nnamely, \"grace and truth.\" Both these were essential in dealing with\nJob; and, consequently, we find both coming out with extraordinary\npower. He tells Job and his friends very distinctly that he knows not\nhow to give flattering titles unto man. Here the voice of \"truth\"\nfalls with great clearness on the ear. Truth puts every one in his\nright place; and, just because it does so, it cannot bestow titles of\nflattery upon a poor guilty mortal, however much that mortal might be\ngratified by them. Man must be brought to know himself, to see his\ntrue condition, to confess what he really is. This was precisely what\nJob needed. He did not know himself, and his friends could not give\nhim that knowledge. He needed to be led down into the depths; but his\nfriends could not conduct him thither. He needed self-judgment; but\nhis friends were wholly unable to produce it.\n\nBut Elihu begins by telling Job the truth. He introduces God into the\nscene in His true character. This was just what the three friends had\nfailed to do. No doubt they had referred to God; but their references\nwere cloudy, distorted, and false. This is plain from chap. xlii. 7,\n8, where we are told that \"the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My\nwrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for _ye\nhave not spoken of Me the thing_ that is right, as My servant Job\nhath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and\ngo to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering;\nand my servant Job shall pray for you, for him will I accept: lest I\ndeal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of Me the\nthing which is right, like My servant Job.\"[10] They had utterly\nfailed to bring God before the soul of their friend, and there they\nfailed in producing the needed self-judgment.\n\n  [10] The reader will bear in mind that the above words were spoken\n  after Job's repentance. It is of the very last importance to see this.\n\nNot so Elihu. He pursues a totally different line of things. He brings\nthe light of \"truth\" to bear upon Job's conscience; and at the same\ntime he administers the precious balm of \"grace\" to his heart. Let us\nquote his further sayings, \"Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my\nspeeches, and hearken to all my words. Behold, now I have opened my\nmouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth. My words shall be of the\nuprightness of my heart, and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.\nThe Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath\ngiven me life. If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before\nme, stand up. Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead: I am\nalso formed out of clay. Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,\nneither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.\"\n\nIn these accents, the ministry of \"grace\" unfolds itself, sweetly and\npowerfully, to the heart of Job. Of this most excellent ingredient\nthere was a total absence in the ministry of the three friends. They\nshowed themselves only too ready to bear down upon Job with \"a heavy\nhand.\" They were stern judges, severe censors, false interpreters.\nThey could fix their cold, gray eye upon the wounds of their poor\nafflicted friend, and wonder how they came there. They looked on the\ncrumbling ruins of his house, and drew the harsh inference that the\nruin was but the result of his bad behavior. They beheld his fallen\nfortunes, and, with unmitigated severity, concluded that those\nfortunes had fallen because of his faults. They had proved themselves\nto be entirely one-sided judges. They had wholly misunderstood the\ndealings of God. They had never seized the full moral force of that\none weighty sentence, \"_God trieth the righteous_.\" In a word, they\nwere utterly astray. Their standpoint was false, and hence their whole\nrange of vision was defective. There was neither \"grace\" nor \"truth\"\nin their ministry, and therefore they failed to convince Job. They\ncondemned him without convincing him, whereas they ought to have\nconvinced him and made him condemn himself.\n\nHere it is that Elihu stands out in vivid contrast. He tells Job the\ntruth; but he lays no heavy hand upon him. Elihu has learnt the mighty\nmysterious power of \"the still small voice\"--the soul-subduing,\nheart-melting virtue of grace. Job had given utterance to a quantity\nof false notions about himself, and those notions had sprouted from a\nroot to which the sharp ax of \"truth\" had to be applied. \"Surely,\"\nsays Elihu, \"thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the\nvoice of thy words, saying, 'I am clean without transgression, I am\ninnocent; neither is there iniquity in me.'\"\n\nWhat words for any poor sinful mortal to utter! Surely, though \"the\ntrue light\" in which we may walk had not shone on the soul of this\npatriarch, we may well marvel at such language. And yet, mark what\nfollows. Although he was so clean, so innocent, so free from iniquity,\nhe nevertheless says of God, that \"He findeth occasions, he counteth\nme for His enemy. He putteth my feet in the stocks, He marketh all my\npaths.\" Here is a palpable discrepancy. How could a holy, just, and\nrighteous Being count a pure and innocent man His enemy? Impossible.\nEither Job was self-deceived, or God was unrighteous; and Elihu, as\nthe minister of truth, is not long in pronouncing a judgment, and\ntelling us which is which. \"Behold, in this thou art not just: I will\nanswer thee, that God is greater than man.\" What a simple truth! And\nyet how little understood! If God is greater than man, then obviously\nHe, and not man, must be the judge of what is right. This, the infidel\nheart refuses; and hence the constant tendency to sit in judgment upon\nthe works and ways and word of God--upon God Himself. Man, in his\nimpious and infidel folly, undertakes to pronounce judgment upon what\nis and what is not worthy of God; to decide upon what God ought and\nwhat He ought not to say and to do. He proves himself utterly ignorant\nof that most simple, obvious necessary truth, that \"God is greater\nthan man.\"\n\nNow, it is when the heart bows under the weight of this great moral\ntruth, that we are in a fit attitude to understand to object of God's\ndealings with us. Assuredly He must have the upper hand. \"Why dost\nthou strive against Him? for He giveth not account of any of His\nmatters. For God speaketh once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not.\nIn a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon\nmen, in slumberings upon the bed; then He openeth the ears of men, and\nsealeth their instruction, _that He may withdraw man from his purpose,\nand hide pride from man_. _He keepeth back_ his soul from the pit, and\nhis life from perishing by the sword.\"\n\nThe real secret of all Job's false reasoning is to be found in the\nfact that he did not understand the character of God, or the object of\nall His dealings. He did not see that God was trying him, that He was\nbehind the scenes and using various agents for the accomplishment of\nHis wise and gracious ends. Even Satan himself was a mere instrument\nin the hand of God; nor could he move the breadth of a hair beyond the\ndivinely prescribed limit; and moreover, when he had executed his\nappointed business, he was dismissed, and we hear no more about him.\nGod was dealing with Job. He was trying him in order that He might\ninstruct him, withdraw him from his purpose, and hide pride from him.\nHad Job seized this grand point, it would have saved him a world of\nstrife and contention. Instead of getting angry with people and\nthings, with individuals and influences, he would have judged himself\nand bowed low before the Lord in meekness and brokenness and true\ncontrition.\n\nThis is immensely important for us all. We are all of us prone to\nforget the weighty fact that \"God trieth the righteous.\" \"He\nwithdraweth not His eyes from them.\" We are in His hands, and under\nHis eye continually. We are the objects of His deep, tender, and\nunchanging love; but we are also the subjects of His wise moral\ngovernment. His dealings with us are varied. They are sometimes\npreventive; sometimes corrective; always instructive. We may be bent\non some course of our own, the end of which would be moral ruin. He\nintervenes and withdraws us from our purpose. He dashes into fragments\nour air-built castles, dissipates our golden dreams, and interrupts\nmany a darling scheme on which our hearts were bent, and which would\nhave proved to be certain destruction. \"Lo, all these things worketh\nGod oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, _to be\nenlightened with the light of the living_.\"\n\nIf the reader will turn for a moment to Hebrews xii. 3-12, he will\nfind much precious instruction on the subject of God's dealings with\nHis people. We do not attempt to dwell upon it, but would merely\nremark that it presents three distinct ways in which we may meet the\nchastening of our Father's hand. We may \"_despise_\" it, as though His\nhand and His voice were not in it; we may \"_faint_\" under it, as\nthough it were intolerable, and not the precious fruit of His love;\nor, lastly, we may be \"_exercised_ by it,\" and thus reap in due time,\n\"the peaceable fruits of righteousness.\"\n\nNow if our patriarch had only seized the great fact that God was\ndealing with him; that He was trying him for his ultimate good; that\nHe was using circumstances, people, the Sabeans, Satan himself, as His\ninstruments; that all his trials, his losses, his bereavements, his\nsufferings, were but God's marvelous agency in bringing about His wise\nand gracious end; that He would assuredly perfect that which concerned\nHis dear and much-loved servant, because His mercy endureth forever;\nin a word, had Job only lost sight of all second causes, and fixed his\nthoughts upon the living God alone, and accepted all from His loving\nhand, he would have more speedily reached the divine solution of all\nhis difficulties.\n\nBut it is precisely here that we are all apt to break down. We get\noccupied with men and things; we view them in reference to ourselves.\nWe do not walk with God through, or rather above, the circumstances;\nbut on the contrary, we allow the circumstances to get power over us.\nIn place of keeping God between us and our circumstances, we permit\nthese latter to get between us and God. Thus we lose the sense of His\npresence, the light of His countenance, the holy calmness of being in\nHis loving hand, and under His fatherly eye. We become fretful,\nimpatient, irritable, fault-finding. We get far away from God, out of\ncommunion, thoroughly astray, judging every one except ourselves,\nuntil at length God takes us in hand, and by His own direct and\npowerful ministry, brings us back to Himself in true brokenness of\nheart and humbleness of mind. This is \"the end of the Lord.\"\n\nWe must, however, draw this paper to a close. Gladly would we\nexpatiate further on Elihu's remarkable ministry; with pleasure and\nprofit could we quote his further appeals to Job's heart and\nconscience, his pungent arguments, his pointed questions. But we must\nforbear, and leave the reader to go through the remaining chapters for\nhimself. In so doing, we will find that when Elihu closes his\nministry, God Himself begins to deal directly with the soul of His\nservant (chap. xxxviii.-xli.). He appeals to His works in creation as\nthe display of a power and wisdom which ought assuredly to make Job\nfeel his own littleness. We do not attempt to cull passages from one\nof the most magnificent and sublime sections of the inspired canon. It\nmust be read as a whole. It needs no comment. The human finger could\nbut tarnish its lustre. Its plainness is only equaled by its moral\ngrandeur. All we shall attempt to do is to call attention to the\npowerful effect produced upon the heart of Job by this the most\nmarvelous ministry surely under which mortal man was ever called to\nsit--the immediate ministry of the living God Himself.\n\nThis effect was threefold. It had reference to God, to himself, and to\nhis friends--the very points on which he was so entirely astray. As to\nGod, Elihu had declared Job's mistake in the following words: \"Job\nhath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom. My\ndesire is that Job may be tried unto the end, because of his answers\nfor wicked men. For he addeth rebellion unto his sin; he clappeth his\nhands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.... Thinkest\nthou this to be right, that thou saidst, 'My righteousness is more\nthan God's'?\" But mark the change. Hearken to the breathings of a\ntruly repentant spirit; the brief yet comprehensive statement of a\ncorrected judgment. \"Then Job answered the Lord, and said, 'I know\nthat Thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden\nfrom Thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore\nhave I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me,\nwhich I knew not. Hear, I beseech Thee, and I will speak. I will\ndemand of thee, and declare thou unto Me. I have heard of Thee by the\nhearing of the ear, _but now mine eye seeth Thee_.'\" (Chap. xlii.\n1-9.)\n\nHere, then, was the turning-point. All his previous statements as to\nGod and His ways are now pronounced to be \"words without knowledge.\"\nWhat a confession! What a moment in man's history when he discovers\nthat he has been all wrong! What a thorough break-down! What profound\nhumiliation! It reminds us of Jacob getting the hollow of his thigh\ntouched, and thus learning his utter weakness and nothingness. These\nare weighty moments in the history of souls--great epochs, which leave\nan indelible impress on the whole moral being and character. To get\nright thoughts about God is to begin to get right about every thing.\nIf I am wrong about God, I am wrong about myself, wrong about my\nfellows, wrong about all.\n\nThus it was with Job. His new thoughts as to God were immediately\nconnected with new thoughts of himself; and hence we find that the\nelaborate self-vindication, the impassioned egotism, the vehement\nself-gratulation, the lengthened arguments in self-defense--all is\nlaid aside; all is displaced by one short sentence of three\nwords,--\"_I am vile_.\" And what is to be done with this vile self?\nTalk about it? Set it up? Be occupied with it? Take counsel for it?\nMake provision for it? Nay, \"_I abhor it_.\"\n\nThis is the true moral ground for every one of us. Job took a long\ntime to reach it, and so do we. Many of us imagine that we have\nreached the end of self when we have given a nominal assent to the\ndoctrine of human depravity, or judged some of those sprouts which\nhave appeared above the surface of our practical life. But, alas! it\nis to be feared that very few of us indeed really know the full truth\nabout ourselves. It is one thing to say, \"_We_ are all vile,\" and\nquite another to feel, deep down in the heart, that \"_I_ am vile.\"\nThis latter can only be known and habitually realized in the immediate\npresence of God. The two things must ever go together, \"Mine eye seeth\n_Thee_,\" \"Wherefore I abhor _myself_.\" It is as the light of what God\nis shines in upon what I am that I abhor myself. And then my\nself-abhorrence is a real thing. It is not in word, neither in tongue,\nbut in deed and in truth. It will be seen in a life of self-abnegation,\na humble spirit, a lowly mind, a gracious carriage in the midst of the\nscenes through which I am called to pass. It is of little use to\nprofess very low thoughts of self while, at the same time, we are\nquick to resent any injury done to us,--any fancied insult, slight, or\ndisparagement. The true secret of a broken and contrite heart is, to\nabide ever in the divine presence, and then we are able to carry\nourselves right toward those with whom we have to do.\n\nThus we find that when Job got right as to God and himself, he soon\ngot right as to his friends, for he learned to pray for them. Yes, he\ncould pray for the \"miserable comforters,\" the \"physicians of no\nvalue,\" the very men with whom he had so long, so stoutly, and so\nvehemently contended! \"And the Lord turned the captivity of Job when\nhe prayed for his friends.\"\n\nThis is morally beautiful. It is perfect. It is the rare and exquisite\nfruit of divine workmanship. Nothing can be more touching than to see\nJob's three friends exchanging their experience, their tradition, and\ntheir legality for the precious \"burnt-offering;\" and to see our dear\npatriarch exchanging his bitter invectives for the sweet prayer of\ncharity. In short, it is a most soul-subduing scene altogether. The\ncombatants are in the dust before God and in each other's arms. The\nstrife is ended; the war of words is closed; and instead thereof, we\nhave the tears of repentance, the sweet odor of the burnt-offering,\nthe embrace of love.\n\nHappy scene! Precious fruit of divine ministry! What remains? What\nmore is needed? What but that the hand of God should lay the top-stone\non the beauteous structure? Nor is this lacking, for we read, \"The\nLord gave Job twice as much as he had before.\" But how? By what\nagency? Was it by his own independent industry and clever management?\nNo; all is changed. Job is on new moral ground. He has new thoughts of\nGod, new thoughts of himself, new thoughts of his friends, new\nthoughts of his circumstances; all things are become new. \"Then came\nthere unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they\nthat had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him\nin his house; and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the\nevil that the Lord had brought upon him; _every man also gave him a\npiece of money, and every one an earring of gold_. So the Lord blessed\nthe latter end of Job more than his beginning.... After this lived Job\na hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even\nfour generations. So Job died, being old and full of days.\"\n\n      What raised the wondrous thought?\n      Or who did it suggest?\n    \"That we, the Church, to glory brought,\n      Should WITH the Son be blest.\"\n\n      O God, the thought was Thine!\n      (Thine only it could be,)\n    Fruit of the wisdom, love divine,\n      Peculiar unto Thee.\n\n      For, sure, no other mind,\n      For thoughts so bold, so free,\n    Greatness or strength, could ever find;\n      Thine only it could be.\n\n      The motives, too, Thine own,\n      The plan, the counsel, Thine!--\n    Made for Thy Son, bone of His bone\n     In glory bright to shine.\n\n      O God, with great delight\n      Thy wondrous thought we see,\n    Upon _His_ throne, in glory bright,\n      The bride of Christ shall be.\n\n      Sealed with the Holy Ghost,\n      We triumph in that love,\n    Thy wondrous thought has made our boast,\n      \"Glory WITH Christ above.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE BIBLE\n\nITS SUFFICIENCY AND SUPREMACY\n\n\nSome, we are aware, would fain persuade us that things are so totally\nchanged since the Bible was penned, that we need other guidance than\nthat which its precious pages supply. They tell us that Society is not\nwhat it was; that the human race has made progress; that there has\nbeen such a development of the powers of nature, the resources of\nscience, and the appliances of philosophy, that to maintain the\nsufficiency and supremacy of the Bible, at such a point in the world's\nhistory as the nineteenth century of the Christian era, can only be\nregarded as childishness, ignorance, or imbecility.\n\nNow, the men that tell us these things may be very clever and very\nlearned; but we have no hesitation whatever in telling them that, in\nthis matter, \"they do greatly err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the\npower of God.\" We certainly do desire to render all due respect to\nlearning, genius, and talent, whenever we find them in their right\nplace, and at their proper work; but when we find them lifting their\nproud heads above the word of God; when we find them sitting in\njudgment, and casting a slur upon that peerless revelation, we feel\nthat we owe them no respect whatever; yea, we treat them as so many\nagents of the devil, in his efforts to shake those eternal pillars on\nwhich the faith of God's people has ever rested. We cannot listen for\na moment to men, however profound in their reading and thinking, who\ndare to treat God's book as though it were man's book, and speak of\nthose pages that were penned by the Allwise, Almighty, and Eternal\nGod, as though they were the production of a shallow and short-sighted\nmortal.\n\nIt is important that the reader should see clearly that men must\neither deny that the Bible is the word of God, or admit its\nsufficiency and supremacy in all ages, and in all countries--in all\nstages and conditions of the human race. Grant us but this, that God\nhas written a book for man's guidance, and we argue that that book\n_must_ be amply sufficient for man, no matter when, where, or how we\nfind him. \"All scripture is given by inspiration of God ... that the\nman of God may be _perfect_ (\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2), _thoroughly furnished_\nunto _all_ good works.\" (2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.) This, surely, is enough.\nTo be perfect and thoroughly furnished, must needs render a man\nindependent of all the boasted powers of science and philosophy,\nfalsely so called.\n\nWe are quite aware that, in writing thus, we expose ourselves to the\nsneer of the learned rationalist, and the polished and cultivated\nphilosopher. But we are not very careful about this. We greatly admire\nthe answer of a pious, but, no doubt, very ignorant woman to some very\nlearned man who was endeavoring to show her that the inspired writer\nhad made a mistake in asserting that Jonah was in the whale's belly.\nHe assured her that such a thing could not possibly be, inasmuch that\nthe natural history of the whale proved that it could not swallow\nanything so large. \"Well,\" said the poor woman, \"I do not know much\nabout natural history; but this I know, that if the Bible were to tell\nme that Jonah swallowed the whale I would believe it.\" Now, it is\nquite possible many would pronounce this poor woman to have been under\nthe influence of ignorance and blind credulity; but, for our part, we\nshould rather be the ignorant woman, confiding in God's word, than the\nlearned rationalist trying to pick holes in it. We have no doubt as to\nwho was in the safer position.\n\nBut, let it not be supposed that we prefer ignorance to learning. Let\nnone imagine that we despise the discoveries of science, or treat with\ncontempt the achievements of sound philosophy. Far from it. We honor\nthem highly in their proper sphere. We could not say how much we prize\nthe labors of those learned men who have consecrated their energies to\nthe work of clearing the sacred text of the various errors and\ncorruptions which, from age to age, had crept into it, through the\ncarelessness or infirmity of copyists, taken advantage of by a crafty\nand malignant foe. Every effort put forth to preserve, to unfold, to\nillustrate, and to enforce the precious truth of Scripture, we most\nhighly esteem; but, on the other hand, when we find men making use of\ntheir learning, their science, and their philosophy, for the purpose\nof undermining the sacred edifice of divine revelation, we deem it our\nduty, to raise our voice, in the clearest and strongest way, against\nthem, and to warn the reader, most solemnly, against their baneful\ninfluence.\n\nWe believe that the Bible, as written in the original Hebrew and Greek\nlanguages, is the very word of the only wise and the only true God,\nwith whom one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one\nday, who saw the end from the beginning, and not only the end, but\nevery stage of the way. We therefore hold it to be nothing short of\npositive blasphemy to assert that we have arrived at a stage of our\ncareer in which the Bible is not sufficient, or that we are compelled\nto travel outside its covers to find ample guidance and instruction\nfor the present moment, and for every moment of our earthly\npilgrimage. The Bible is a perfect chart, in which every exigency of\nthe Christian mariner has been anticipated. Every rock, every\nsand-bank, every shoal, every strand, every island, has been carefully\nnoted down. All the need of the Church of God, its members, and its\nministers, has been most fully provided for. How could it be\notherwise, if we admit the Bible to be the word of God? Could the mind\nof God have devised, or His finger sketched an imperfect chart?\nImpossible. We must either deny the divinity or admit the sufficiency\nof THE BOOK. We are absolutely shut up to this alternative. There is\nnot so much as a single point between these two positions. If the book\nis incomplete, it cannot be of God; if it be of God it must be\nperfect. But if we are compelled to betake ourselves to other sources\nfor guidance and instruction, as to the path of the Church of God, its\nmembers or its ministers, then is the Bible incomplete, and being\nsuch, it cannot be of God at all.\n\nWhat then, dear reader, are we to do? Whither can we betake ourselves?\nIf the Bible be not a divine and therefore all-sufficient guide-book,\nwhat remains? Some will tell us to have recourse to tradition. Alas!\nwhat a miserable guide. No sooner have we launched out into the wide\nfield of tradition than our ears are assailed by ten thousand strange\nand conflicting sounds. We meet, it may be, with a tradition which\nseems very authentic, very venerable, well worthy of respect and\nconfidence, and we commit ourselves to its guidance; but, directly we\nhave done so, another tradition crosses our path, putting forth quite\nas strong claims on our confidence, and leading us in quite an\nopposite direction. Thus it is with tradition. The mind is bewildered,\nand one is reminded of the assembly at Ephesus, concerning which we\nread that, \"Some cried one thing, and some another; for the assembly\nwas confused.\" The fact is, we want a perfect standard, and this can\nonly be found in a divine revelation, which, as we believe, is to be\nfound within the covers of our most precious Bible. What a treasure!\nHow we should bless God for it! How we should praise His name for His\nmercy in that He hath not left His Church dependent upon the _ignis\nfatuus_ of human tradition, but upon the steady light of divine\nrevelation! We do not want tradition to assist revelation, but we use\nrevelation as the test of tradition. We should just as soon think of\nbringing out a rush-light to assist the sun's meridian beams, as of\ncalling in human tradition to aid divine revelation.\n\nBut there is another very ensnaring and dangerous resource presented\nby the enemy of the Bible, and alas! accepted by too many of the\npeople of God, and that is expediency, or the very attractive plea of\ndoing all the good we can, without due attention to the way in which\nthat good is done. The tree of expediency is a wide-spreading one, and\nyields most tempting clusters. But ah! beloved reader, remember its\nclusters will prove bitter as wormwood in the end. It is, no doubt,\nwell to do all the good we can; but let us look well to the way in\nwhich we do it. Let us not deceive ourselves by the vain imagination\nthat God will ever accept of services based upon positive disobedience\nto His word. \"It is a gift,\" said the elders, as they boldly walked\nover the plain commandment of God, as if He would be pleased with a\ngift presented on such a principle. There is an intimate connection\nbetween the ancient \"corban\" and the modern \"expediency,\" for, \"there\nis nothing new under the sun.\" The solemn responsibility of obeying\nthe word of God was got rid of under the plausible pretext of\n\"corban,\" or \"it is a gift\" (Mark vii. 7-13).\n\nThus it was of old. The \"corban\" of the ancients justified, or sought\nto justify, many a bold transgression of the law of God; and the\n\"expediency\" of our times allures many to out-step the boundary line\nlaid down by divine revelation.\n\nNow, we quite admit that expediency holds out most attractive\ninducements. It does seem so very delightful to be doing a great deal\nof good, to be gaining the ends of a large-hearted benevolence, to be\nreaching tangible results. It would not be an easy matter duly to\nestimate the ensnaring influences of such objects, or the immense\ndifficulty of throwing them overboard. Have we never been tempted as\nwe stood upon the narrow path of obedience, and looked forth upon the\ngolden fields of expediency lying on either side, to exclaim, \"Alas! I\nam sacrificing my usefulness for an idea\"? Doubtless; but then what if\nit should turn out that we have the very same foundation for that\n\"idea\" as for the fundamental doctrines of salvation? The question is,\nWhat is the idea? Is it founded upon \"Thus saith the Lord\"? If so, let\nus tenaciously hold by it, though ten thousand advocates of expediency\nwere hurling at us the grievous charge of narrow-mindedness.\n\nThere is immense power in Samuel's brief but pointed reply to Saul,\n\"Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as\nin obeying the voice of the Lord! Behold, to obey is better than\nsacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.\" (1 Sam. xv. 22.)\nSaul's word was \"_Sacrifice_.\" Samuel's word was \"_Obedience_.\" No\ndoubt the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen were most\nexciting. They would be looked upon as substantial proofs that\nsomething was being done; while on the other hand, the path of\nobedience seemed narrow, silent, lonely, and fruitless. But oh! those\npungent words of Samuel! \"_to obey is better than sacrifice_.\" What a\ntriumphant answer to the most eloquent advocates of expediency! They\nare most conclusive--most commanding words. They teach us that it is\nbetter, if it must be so, to stand, like a marble statue, on the\npathway of obedience, than to reach the most desirable ends by\ntransgressing a plain precept of the word of God.\n\nBut let none suppose that one must be like a statue on the path of\nobedience. Far from it. There are rare and precious services to be\nrendered by the obedient one--services which can only be rendered by\nsuch, and which owe all their preciousness to their being the fruit of\nsimple obedience.[11] True, they may not find a place in the public\nrecord of man's bustling activity; but they are recorded on high, and\nthey will be published at the right time. As a dear friend has often\nsaid to us, \"Heaven will be the safest and happiest place to hear all\nabout our work down here.\" May we remember this, and pursue our way,\nin all simplicity, looking to Christ for guidance, power, and\nblessing. May His smile be enough for us. May we not be found looking\naskance to catch the approving look of a poor mortal whose breath is\nin his nostrils, nor sigh to find our names amid the glittering record\nof the great men of the age. The servant of Christ should look far\nbeyond all such things. The grand business of the servant is to obey.\nHis object should not be to do a great deal, but simply to do what he\nis told. This makes all plain; and, moreover, it will make the Bible\nprecious as the depository of the Master's will, to which he must\ncontinually betake himself to know what he is to do, and how he is to\ndo it. Neither tradition nor expediency will do for the servant of\nChrist. The all-important enquiry is, \"What saith the Scriptures.\"\n\n  [11] [What a pattern of this we have in our blessed Lord! who for\n  thirty years lived here in retirement, known by men only as \"the\n  carpenter\" (Mark vi. 3), but known by, and the delight of, the Father,\n  as the Holy One of God, the perfect meat-offering of Lev. vi.\n  19-33--wholly burnt upon the altar.--ED.]\n\nThis settles everything. From the decision of the word of God there\nmust be no appeal. When God speaks man must bow. It is not by any\nmeans a question of obstinate adherence to a man's own notions. Quite\nthe opposite. It is a reverent adherence to the word of God. Let the\nreader distinctly mark this. It often happens that, when one is\ndetermined, through grace, to abide by Scripture, he will be\npronounced dogmatic, intolerant and imperious; and, no doubt, one has\nto watch over his temper, spirit, and style, even when seeking to\nabide by the word of God. But, be it well remembered, that obedience\nto Christ's commandments is the very opposite of imperiousness,\ndogmatism, and intolerance. It is not a little strange that when a man\ntamely consents to place his conscience in the keeping of his fellow,\nand to bow down his understanding to the opinions of men, he is\nconsidered meek, modest, and liberal; but let him reverently bow to\nthe authority of the holy Scripture, and he will be looked upon as\nself-confident, dogmatic, and narrow-minded. Be it so. The time is\nrapidly approaching when obedience shall be called by its right name,\nand meet its recognition and reward. For that moment the faithful must\nbe content to wait, and while waiting for it, be satisfied to let men\ncall them whatever they please. \"The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man,\nthat they are vanity.\"\n\nBut we must draw to a close, and would merely add, in conclusion, that\nthere is a third hostile influence against which the lover of the\nBible will have to watch, and that is _rationalism_--or the supremacy\nof man's reason. The faithful disciple of the word of God will have to\nwithstand this audacious intruder, with the most unflinching decision.\nIt presumes to sit in judgment upon the word of God--to decide upon\nwhat is and what is not worthy of God--to prescribe boundaries to\ninspiration. Instead of humbly bowing to the authority of Scripture,\nwhich continually soars into a region where poor blind reason can\nnever follow, it proudly seeks to drag Scripture down to its own\nlevel. If the Bible puts forth aught which, in the smallest degree,\nclashes with the conclusions of rationalism, then there must be some\nflaw. God is shut out of His own book if He says anything which poor\nblind, perverted reason cannot reconcile with her own conclusions--which\nconclusions, be it observed, are not unfrequently the grossest\nabsurdities.\n\nNor is this all. Rationalism deprives us of the only perfect standard\nof truth, and conducts us into a region of the most dreary\nuncertainty. It seeks to undermine the authority of a book in which we\ncan believe everything, and carries us into a field of speculation in\nwhich we can be sure of nothing. Under the dominion of rationalism the\nsoul is like a vessel broken from its safe moorings in the haven of\ndivine revelation, to be tossed like a cork upon the wild watery waste\nof universal scepticism.\n\nNow we do not expect to convince a thorough rationalist, even if such\na one should condescend to scan our unpretending pages, which is most\nunlikely. Neither could we expect to gain over to our way of thinking\nthe decided advocate of expediency, or the ardent admirer of\ntradition. We have neither the competency, the leisure, nor the space,\nto enter upon such a line of argument as would be required were we\nseeking to gain such ends as these. But we are most anxious that the\nChristian reader should rise up from the perusal of this little book\nwith a deepened sense of the preciousness of his Bible. We earnestly\ndesire that the words, \"_The Bible: its sufficiency and supremacy_,\"\nshould be engraved, in deep and broad characters, upon the tablet of\nthe reader's heart.\n\nWe feel that we have a solemn duty to perform, at a moment like the\npresent, in the which Superstition, Expediency, and Rationalism are\nall at work, as so many agents of the devil, in his efforts to sap the\nfoundations of our holy faith. We owe it to that blessed volume of\ninspiration, from which we have drunk the streams of life and peace,\nto bear our feeble testimony to the divinity of its every page--to\ngive expression, in this permanent form, to our profound reverence for\nits authority, and our conviction of its divine sufficiency for every\nneed, whether of the believer individually, or the church\ncollectively.\n\nWe press upon our readers earnestly to set a higher value than ever\nupon the Holy Scriptures, and to warn them, in most urgent terms,\nagainst every influence, whether of tradition, expediency, or\nrationalism, which might tend to shake their confidence in those\nheavenly oracles. There is a spirit abroad, and there are principles\nat work, which make it imperative upon us to keep close to\nScripture--to treasure it in our hearts--and to submit to its holy\nauthority.\n\nMay God the Spirit, the Author of the Bible, produce, in the writer\nand reader of these lines, a more ardent love for that Bible! May He\nenlarge our experimental acquaintance with its contents, and lead us\ninto more complete subjection to its teachings in all things, that God\nmay be more glorified in us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n\n\n\nCHRISTIANITY: WHAT IS IT?\n\n(Read Phil. iii.)\n\n\nWe have endeavored to hold up the Bible as the Church's supreme and\nall-sufficient guide, in all ages, in all climes, and under all\ncircumstances. We now desire to hold up Christianity in its divine\nbeauty and moral excellence, as illustrated in this well-known passage\nof Holy Scripture.\n\nAnd be it observed that, as it was the Bible itself, and not any\nspecial system of theology deduced therefrom, that we sought to\npresent to our readers; so now, it is Christianity, and not any\npeculiar form of human religiousness, that we desire to place before\nthem. We are deeply thankful for this. We dare not enter upon the\ndefence of men or their systems. Men err in their theology and fail in\ntheir ethics; but the Bible and Christianity remain unshaken and\nunshakeable. This is an unspeakable mercy. Who can duly estimate it?\nTo be furnished with a perfect standard of divinity and morals is a\nprivilege for which we can never be sufficiently thankful. Such a\nstandard we possess, blessed be God! in the Bible and in the\nChristianity which the Bible unfolds to our view. Men may err in their\ncreed and break down in their conduct, but the Bible is the Bible\nstill, and Christianity is Christianity still.\n\nNow, we believe that this third chapter of Philippians gives us the\nmodel of a true Christian--a model on which every Christian should be\nformed. The man who is here introduced to our notice could say, by the\nHoly Ghost, \"Brethren, be ye followers together of me.\" Nor is it as\nan apostle that he here speaks to us--nor as one endowed with\nextraordinary gifts, and privileged to see unspeakable visions. It is\nnot to Paul, the apostle, nor Paul, the gifted vessel, that we listen,\nin verse 17 of our chapter, but to Paul, the Christian. We could not\nfollow him in his brilliant career, as an apostle. We could not follow\nhim, in his rapture to Paradise; but we can follow him in his\nChristian course, in this world; and it seems to us that we have in\nour chapter a very full view of that course, and not only of the\ncourse itself, but also the starting-post and the goal. In other\nwords, we have to consider, first, the Christian's _standing_;\nsecondly, the Christian's _object_; and thirdly, the Christian's\n_hope_. May God the Holy Ghost be our teacher, while we dwell for a\nlittle on these most weighty and most interesting points! And first,\nas to\n\n\nTHE CHRISTIAN'S STANDING.\n\nThe point is unfolded, in a double way, in our chapter. We are not\nonly told what the Christian's standing is, but also what it is not.\nIf ever there was a man who could boast of having a righteousness of\nhis own in which to stand before God, Paul was the man. \"If,\" says he,\n\"any other man thinketh that he hath whereof to trust in the flesh, I\nmore: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe\nof Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a\nPharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the\nrighteousness which is in the law, blameless.\"\n\nThis is a most remarkable catalogue, presenting everything that one\ncould possibly desire for the formation of a standing in the flesh. No\none could excel Saul of Tarsus. He was a Jew, of pure pedigree, in\norderly fellowship, of blameless walk, of fervid zeal and unflinching\ndevotedness. He was, on principle, a persecutor of the Church. As a\nJew, he could not but see that the very foundations of Judaism were\nassailed by the new economy of the Church of God. It was utterly\nimpossible that Judaism and Christianity could subsist on the same\nplatform, or hold sway over the same mind. One special feature of the\nformer system was the strict separation of Jew and Gentile; a special\nfeature of the latter was the intimate union of both in one body.\nJudaism erected and maintained the middle wall of partition;\nChristianity abolished that wall altogether.\n\nHence Saul, as an earnest Jew, could not but be a zealous persecutor\nof the Church of God. It was part of his religion--of that in which he\n\"excelled many of his equals in his own nation\"--of that in which he\nwas \"exceedingly zealous.\" Whatever was to be had, in the shape of\nreligiousness, Saul would have it; whatever height was to be attained,\nhe would attain. He would leave no stone unturned in order to build up\nthe superstructure of his own righteousness--righteousness in the\nflesh--righteousness in the old creation. He was permitted to possess\nhimself of all the attractions of legal righteousness in order that he\nmight fling them from him amid the brighter glories of a righteousness\ndivine. \"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for\nChrist. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the\nexcellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have\nsuffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I\nmay win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness\nwhich is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,\nthe righteousness which is of God by faith.\"\n\nAnd we should note here that the grand prominent thought, in the above\npassage, is not that of a guilty sinner betaking himself to the blood\nof Jesus for pardon, but rather of a legalist casting aside, as dross,\nhis own righteousness, because of having found a better. We need\nhardly say that Paul was a sinner--\"chief of sinners\"--and that, as\nsuch, he betook himself to the precious blood of Christ, and there\nfound pardon, peace, and acceptance with God. This is plainly taught\nus in many passages of the New Testament. But it is not the leading\nthought in the chapter now before us. Paul is not speaking of his\n_sins_, but of his _gains_. He is not occupied with his necessities,\nas a sinner, but with his advantages, as a man--a man in the flesh--a\nman in the old creation--a Jew--a legalist.\n\nTrue it is, most blessedly true, that Paul brought all his sins to the\ncross, and had them washed away in the atoning blood of the divine\nSin-offering. But, in this passage, we see another thing. We see a\nlegalist flinging far away from him his own righteousness, and\nesteeming it as a worthless and unsightly thing in contrast with a\nrisen and glorified Christ, who is the righteousness of the\nChristian--the righteousness which belongs to the new creation. Paul\nhad sins to mourn over, and he had a righteousness to boast in. He had\nguilt on his conscience, and he had laurels on his brow. He had plenty\nto be ashamed of, and plenty to glory in. But the special point\npresented in Phil. iii. 4-8 is not a sinner getting his sins pardoned,\nhis guilt cleared, his shame covered, but a legalist laying aside his\nrighteousness, a scholar casting away his laurels, and a man\nabandoning his vain glory, simply because he had found true glory,\nunfading laurels, and an everlasting righteousness in the Person of a\nvictorious and exalted Christ. It was not merely that Paul, the\nsinner, _needed_ a righteousness because, in reality, he had none of\nhis own; but that Paul, the Pharisee, _preferred_ the righteousness\nwhich was revealed to him in Christ, because it was infinitely better\nand more glorious than any other.\n\nNo doubt Paul as a sinner needed, like every other sinner, a\nrighteousness in which to stand before God; but that is not what he\nis bringing before us in our chapter. We are anxious that the reader\nshould clearly apprehend this point. It is not merely that my sins\n_drive_ me to Christ; but His excellences _draw_ me to Him. True, I\nhave sins and therefore I need Christ; but even if I had a\nrighteousness, I should cast it from me, and gladly hide myself \"_in\nHim_.\" It would be a positive \"loss\" to me to have any righteousness\nof my own, seeing that God has graciously provided such a glorious\nrighteousness for me in Christ. Like Adam, in the garden of Eden, he\nwas naked, and therefore he made himself an apron; but it would have\nbeen a \"loss\" to him to retain the apron after that the Lord God had\nmade him a coat. It was surely far better to have a God-made coat than\na man-made apron. So thought Adam, so thought Paul, and so thought all\nthe saints of God whose names are recorded upon the sacred page. It is\nbetter to stand in the righteousness of God, which is by faith, than\nto stand in the righteousness of man, which is by works of law. It is\nnot only mercy to get rid of our sins, through the remedy which God\nhas provided, but to get rid of our righteousness, and accept,\ninstead, the righteousness which God has revealed.\n\nThus, then, we see that the standing of a Christian is _in Christ_.\n\"Found in Him.\" This is Christian standing. Nothing less, nothing\nlower, nothing different. It is not partly in Christ, and partly in\nlaw--partly in Christ and partly in ordinances. No; it is \"Found in\nHim.\" This is the standing which Christianity furnishes. If this be\ntouched, it is not Christianity at all. It may be some ancient _ism_,\nor some medi\u00e6val _ism_, or some modern _ism_; but most surely it is\nnot the Christianity of the New Testament if it be aught else than\nthis, \"Found in Him.\"\n\nWe do therefore earnestly exhort the reader to look well to this our\nfirst point, \"In Christ it is we stand.\" He is our righteousness. He\nHimself, the crucified, risen, exalted, glorified Christ. Yes; He is\nour righteousness. To be found in Him is proper Christian standing. It\nis not Judaism, Catholicism, nor any other _ism_. It is not the being\na member of this church, that church, or the other church. It is to be\nin Christ. This is the great foundation of true practical\nChristianity. In a word this is the standing of the Christian.\n\nLet us now in the second place, look at\n\n\nTHE CHRISTIAN'S OBJECT.\n\nHere again, Christianity shuts us up to Christ: \"That I may _know\nHim_,\" is the breathing of the true Christian. If to be \"found in Him\"\nconstitutes the Christian's standing, then \"to know Him\" is the\nChristian's proper object. The ancient philosophy had a motto which it\nwas constantly sounding in the ears of its votaries, and that motto\nwas, \"Know thyself.\" Christianity, on the contrary, has a loftier\nmotto, pointing to a nobler object. It tells us to know Christ--to\nmake Him our object--to fix our earnest gaze on Him.\n\nThis, and this alone, is the Christian's object. To have any other\nobject is not Christianity at all. Alas! Christians have other\nobjects. And that is precisely the reason why we said, at the opening\nof this paper, that it is Christianity, and not the ways of\nChristians, that we desire to hold up to the view of our readers. It\nmatters not in the least what the object is; if it is not Christ, it\nis not Christianity. The true Christian's desire will ever be embodied\nin these words, \"That I may know Him, and the power of His\nresurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made\nconformable unto His death.\" It is not that I may get on in the\nworld--that I may make money--that I may attain a high position--that\nI may aggrandize my family--that I may make a name--that I may be\nregarded as a great man, a rich man, a popular man. No; not one of\nthese is a Christian object. It may be all very well for a man, who\nhas got nothing better, to make such things his object. But the\nChristian has got Christ. This makes all the difference. It may be all\nwell enough for a man, who does not know Christ as his righteousness,\nto do the best he can in the way of working out a righteousness for\nhimself; but to one whose standing is in a risen Christ, the very\nfairest righteousness that could be produced by human efforts would be\nan actual loss. So is it exactly in the matter of an object. The\nquestion is not, What harm is there in this or that? but, Is it a\nChristian object?\n\nIt is well to see this. We may depend upon it, beloved reader, that\none great reason of the low tone which prevails amongst Christians\nwill be found in the fact that the eye is taken off Christ and fixed\nupon some lower object. It may be a very laudable object for a mere\nman of the world--for one who merely sees his place in nature, or in\nthe old creation. But the Christian is not this. He does not belong to\nthis world at all. He is in it, but not of it. \"They,\" says our\nblessed Lord, \"are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.\"\n(John xvii.) \"Our citizenship is in heaven;\" and we should never be\nsatisfied to propose to ourselves any lower object than Christ. It\nmatters not in the least what a man's position may be. He may be only\na scavenger, or he may be a prince, or he may stand at any one of the\nmany gradations between these two extremes. It is all the same,\nprovided Christ is his real, his only object. It is a man's object,\nnot his position, that gives him his character.\n\nNow Paul's one object was Christ. Whether he was stationary, or\nwhether he travelled; whether he preached the gospel, or whether he\ngathered sticks; whether he planted churches, or made tents, Christ\nwas his object. By night and by day, at home or abroad, by sea or by\nland, alone or in company, in public or private, he could say, \"One\nthing I do.\" And this, be it remembered, was not merely Paul the\nlaborious apostle, or Paul the raptured saint, but Paul the living,\nacting, walking Christian--the one who addresses us in these words,\n\"Brethren, be ye followers together of me.\" Nor should we ever be\nsatisfied with anything less than this. True, we fail sadly; but let\nus always keep the true object before us. Like the school-boy at his\ncopy, he can only expect to succeed by keeping his eye fixed upon his\nhead-line. His tendency is to look at his own last written line, and\nthus each succeeding line is worse than the preceding one. Thus it is\nin our own case. We take our eye off the blessed and perfect\nhead-line, and begin to look at ourselves, our own productions, our\nown character, our interests, our reputation. We begin to think of\nwhat would be consistent with our own principles, our profession, or\nour standing, instead of fixing the eye steadily upon that one object\nwhich Christianity presents, even Christ Himself.\n\nBut some will say, \"Where will you find this?\" Well, if it be meant,\nwhere are we to find it amongst the ranks of Christians, now-a-days,\nit might be difficult indeed. But we have it in the third chapter of\nthe epistle to the Philippians. This is enough for us. We have here a\nmodel of true Christianity, and let us ever and only aim thereat. If\nwe find our hearts going after other things let us judge them. Let us\ncompare our lines with the head-line, and earnestly seek to produce a\nfaithful copy thereof. In this way, although we may have to weep over\nconstant failure, we shall always be kept occupied with our proper\nobject, and thus have our character formed; for, let it never be\nforgotten, it is the object which forms the character. If money be my\nobject, my character is covetous; if power, I am ambitious; if books,\nI am literary; if Christ, I am a Christian. It is not here a question\nof life and salvation, but only of practical Christianity. If we were\nasked for a simple definition of a Christian, we should at once say: A\nChristian is a man who has Christ for his object. This is most simple.\nMay we enter into its power, and thus exhibit a more healthy and\nvigorous discipleship in this day, when so many, alas! are minding\nearthly things.\n\nWe shall close this hasty and imperfect sketch of a wide and weighty\nsubject, with a line or two on\n\n\nTHE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE.\n\nThis, our third and last point, is presented in our chapter in a\nmanner quite as characteristic as the other two. The _standing_ of the\nChristian is to be found in Christ; the _object_ of the Christian is\nto know Christ; and the _hope_ of the Christian is to be like Christ.\nHow beautifully perfect is the connection between these three things.\nNo sooner do I find myself in Christ as my righteousness, than I long\nto know Him as my object, and the more I know Him, the more ardently\nshall I long to be like Him, which hope can only be realized when I\nsee Him as He is. Having a perfect righteousness, and a perfect\nobject, I just want one thing more, and that is to be done with\neverything that hinders my enjoyment of that object. \"For our\nconversation (or citizenship, \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b9\u03c4\u03c5\u03bc\u03b1 not \u03b1\u03bd\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c6\u03b7,\nPhil. iii. 20), is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour,\nthe Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be\nfashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working\nwhereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.\"\n\nNow putting all these things together, we get a very complete view of\ntrue Christianity. We cannot attempt to elaborate any one of the three\npoints above referred to; for, it may be truly said, each point would\ndemand a volume to treat it fully. But we would ask the reader to\npursue the marvellous theme for himself. Let him rise above all the\nimperfections and inconsistencies of Christians, and gaze upon the\nmoral grandeur of Christianity as exemplified in the life and\ncharacter of the model man presented to our view in this chapter. And\nmay the language of his heart be, \"Let others do as they will, as for\nme, nothing short of this lovely model shall ever satisfy my heart.\nLet me turn away my eye from men altogether, and fix it intently upon\nChrist Himself, and find all my delight in Him as my righteousness, my\nobject, my hope.\" Thus may it be with the writer and the reader, for\nJesus' sake.\n\n\n\n\nJEHOSHAPHAT\n\n\nIn tracing the inspired record of the houses of Israel and Judah, from\nthe period of their separation, under Rehoboam, we can without\ndifficulty recognize the marked distinction between them. The line of\nkings from Jeroboam to Hosea presents only a dark and sorrowful\ncatalogue of evil-doers in the sight of the Lord: we look in vain for\nan exception. Even Jehu, who manifested so much zeal and energy in the\nabolition of idolatry, proved, in the sequel, that his heart was far\nfrom being right with God. In fact, a dark cloud of idolatry seems to\nhave settled upon the whole house of Israel, until they were carried\naway beyond Babylon, and scattered amongst the Gentiles.\n\nNot so, however, with Judah. Here we find some happy exceptions--some\npleasant rays from that lamp which the Lord so graciously granted in\nJerusalem for David His servant's sake. The soul is refreshed by the\nhistory of such men as Josiah, Asa, Joash, and Hezekiah,--men whose\nhearts were devoted to the service of the sanctuary, and who therefore\nexerted a holy influence on their times.\n\nIt is on the narrative of one of these blessed exceptions that I\ndesire to dwell for a little, trusting the Lord to give instruction\nand profit in so doing.\n\nJehoshaphat, king of Judah, is introduced to our notice in 2 Chron.\nxvii. In this chapter, we find God, in His grace, establishing His\nservant in the kingdom, and the people of God acknowledging him\ntherein. Jehoshaphat's first act was to \"strengthen himself against\nIsrael.\" This is worthy of notice. Israel and Israel's king were ever\na snare to the heart of Jehoshaphat. But in the opening of his course,\nin the season of his early freshness, he was able to fortify his\nkingdom against the power of Israel. Now, one frequently observes this\nin the history of Christians; the evils which in after life prove\ntheir greatest snares are those against which there is the greatest\nwatchfulness at first. Most happy is it when the spirit of\nwatchfulness increases with our increasing knowledge of the tendencies\nand capabilities of our hearts. But this, alas! is not always the way:\non the contrary, how frequently do we find Christians of some years'\nstanding indulging in things which at first their consciences would\nhave shrunk from. This may seem to be but a growing out of a legal\nspirit; but should it not rather be viewed as a growing out of a\ntender and sensitive conscience? It would be sad if the result of more\nenlarged views were to be a careless spirit or a seared conscience; or\nif high principles of truth did but tend to render those who were once\nself-denying and separated, self indulgent, careless, and worldly. But\nit is not so. To grow in the knowledge of truth is to grow in the\nknowledge of God, and to grow in the knowledge of God is to grow in\npractical holiness. The conscience that can let pass without reproof\nthings from which it would formerly have shrunk is, it is much to be\nfeared, instead of being under the action of the truth of God, under\nthe hardening influence of the deceitfulness of sin.\n\nThe whole scene presented to us (chap. xvii.) is full of interest.\nJehoshaphat not only retains the conquests of Asa, his father, but\ngoes on to extend, by his personal exertions, the interests of his\nkingdom. All is well ordered. \"The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because\nhe walked in _the first ways_ of his father David, and sought not unto\nBaalim; but sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in His\ncommandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the Lord\nestablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to\nJehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honor in abundance. And\nhis heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord: moreover, he took\naway the high places and groves out of Israel.\" Here was the true\nsecret of his prosperity: \"His heart was lifted up in the ways of the\nLord.\" When the heart is _thus_ lifted up, every thing goes well.\n\nIn chap. xviii., however, we have a very different state of things.\nJehoshaphat's prosperity is used by the devil as a snare for him.\n\"Jehoshaphat had riches and honors in abundance, and _joined affinity\nwith Ahab_.\" We have already observed Jehoshaphat fortifying his\n_kingdom_; but the enemy comes upon him in a way for which Jehoshaphat\ndoes not seem to have prepared himself; he does not attack his\n_kingdom_, he attacks his _heart_. He comes not as the lion, but as\nthe serpent. Ahab's \"sheep and oxen\" are found more suitable and\neffectual than Ahab's men of war. Had Ahab declared war against\nJehoshaphat, it would only have cast him upon the Lord; but he does\nnot. Jehoshaphat's kingdom is fortified against Ahab's hostilities,\nbut his heart lies open to Ahab's allurements. This is truly solemn!\nWe often make a great effort against evil in one shape, while we are\nallowing it to get in upon us in another. Jehoshaphat had at first\nstrengthened himself against Israel, but now he joins affinity with\nIsrael's king. And why? Had any change for the better taken place? Had\nAhab's heart become more tender toward the Lord? By no means. _He_ was\nstill the same, but Jehoshaphat's conscience had lost much of its\nearly tenderness and sensitiveness: he had come near to the evil, and\ntampered with it; he had touched the pitch, and was defiled by it. \"He\njoined affinity with Ahab.\" Here was the evil,--an evil which, however\nslow in its operation, would certainly produce its own fruit sooner or\nlater. \"He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap\ncorruption.\" (Gal. vi. 8.) The truth of this must inevitably be\nrealized. Grace may triumph in the forgiveness of sin, but the\nlegitimate fruit will spring forth in due time. The Lord put away\nDavid's sin in the matter of Uriah, but the child died, and Absalom\narose in rebellion. So it will ever be. If we sow to the flesh, we\nmust reap corruption; the flesh can produce naught else.\n\nIn Jehoshaphat's case, it was not until _after years_ that the results\nof his false steps began to show themselves: \"And after certain years,\nhe went down to Ahab to Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen for\nhim in abundance, and for the people he had with him, and persuaded\nhim to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.\" Satan knows his ground; he\nknows where the seed of evil has taken root; he knows the heart that\nis prepared to respond to his temptation; he knew that the \"affinity\"\ninto which the king of Judah had entered with the king of Israel had\nprepared him for further steps in a downward course. When a Christian\nenters into connection with the world, he lays himself open to be\n\"_persuaded_\" by the world, to enter upon an _un_christian course of\naction. David took Ziklag from Achish (1 Sam. xxvii. 6), and the next\nstep was, to join Achish against Israel. (1 Sam. xxviii. 1.) The world\nwill never give any thing to a child of God without making large\ndemands in return. When the king of Judah had allowed Ahab to kill\nsheep and oxen for him, he would have found it difficult not to meet\nAhab's desire in reference to Ramoth-gilead. The safest way therefore\nis, to be no debtor to the world. Jehoshaphat should have had nothing\nwhatever to do with Ahab; he should have kept himself pure. The Lord\nwas not with Ahab, and though it might seem a desirable thing to\nrecover one of the cities of refuge out of the hand of the enemy, yet\nJehoshaphat should have known that he was not to do evil that good\nmight come. If we join with the world in its schemes, we must expect\nto be identified with it in its convulsions.\n\nRamoth-gilead had been of old assigned as a city of refuge for the\nslayer (Deut. iv. 43), and to recover this city from the king of Syria\nwas the object of Ahab's expedition. But behind this we can detect the\nsnare of the enemy, who cared little about the city, provided he could\nthereby betray a child of God from the path of purity and separation.\nThe devil has always found religious and benevolent objects most\neffectual in their influence upon the people of God. He does not come\nat first with something openly ungodly; he does not tempt a believer\nto join the world for some wicked design, because he knows that the\nsensitive conscience would shrink from such a thing; his way is rather\nto present in the distance some desirable object--to cover his schemes\nwith the cloak of religion or benevolence, and thus insnare. There is,\nhowever, one truth which would, if realized, effectually deliver the\nChristian from all connection with the men of this world. The apostle,\nby the Holy Ghost, teaches us that unbelievers are \"unto _every_ good\nwork reprobate.\" (Tit. i. 16.) This is enough for an obedient soul. We\nmust not join with those who are so represented. It matters not what they\npropose--be it a work of benevolence or a work of religion,--Scripture\ntells us they are reprobate, yes, \"reprobate,\" though they profess\nthat they know God. This should be sufficient. God cannot accept of or\nacknowledge the works or offerings of those whose hearts are far from\nHim; nor should the Church mingle with such, even though it be for the\naccomplishment of desirable ends. \"Keep thyself pure\" is a valuable\nadmonition for us all. \"To obey is better than sacrifice, and to\nhearken than the fat of rams.\" It would have been infinitely better\nand more acceptable for Jehoshaphat to have kept himself pure from all\ncontact with Ahab's defilement than to have recovered Ramoth from the\nSyrians, even had he succeeded in doing so.\n\nHowever, he had to learn this by painful experience. And thus it is\nthat most of us learn our lessons. We may _speak_ much of certain\npoints of truth, while we know but little of having learnt them\nexperimentally. When Jehoshaphat at the commencement of his career\nstrengthened himself against Israel, he had little idea of the way in\nwhich he would afterward be insnared by the very worst of Israelites.\nThe only effectual safeguard against evil is, to be in communion with\nGod about it. When we look at evil in the light of the holiness of\nGod, we not only look at the _act_, but at the _principle_; and if the\nprinciple be unsound, no matter what the result may be, we should have\nnothing to do with it. But to deal thus with evil requires much\nexercise of soul before God--much spirituality, much self-judgment,\nmuch prayer and watchfulness. The Lord grant us these, and also more\ntenderness and godly sensitiveness of conscience.\n\nWe have no idea of the sad consequences of a mistake on the part of a\nchild of God. It is not always that the full results appear to us; but\nthe enemy takes care to make his own use of the matter, not in injury\ndone to the one who makes the mistake merely, but to others who\nwitness and are influenced by it. Jehoshaphat did not only fall into\nthe snare himself, but he led others in also. \"I am as thou art,\" said\nhe; and further, \"My people as thy people.\" What miserably low ground\nfor a man of God to take! and what a place to put the people of God\ninto--\"_I am as thou art_\"! Thus spake Jehoshaphat, and well was it\nfor him that his words were not verified throughout. God did not judge\nof _him_ as He judged of _Ahab_; here was his real security, even in\nthe midst of the terrible consequences of his unguarded conduct. He\nwas not as Ahab in the close of his career, though he had joined\naffinity with him for the purpose of carrying out his plans; he was\nnot as Ahab when Ahab was pierced by an arrow; he was not as Ahab when\nthe dogs licked Ahab's blood. The Lord had made him to differ.\n\nBut we should remember that when the Christian joins with the world\nfor any purpose whatsoever, whether of religion or of benevolence, he\nis just saying (as Jehoshaphat said to Ahab), \"I am as thou art.\" Let\nthe Christian reader ask his own heart, Is this right? Is he prepared\nto say this? It will not do to say, \"We are not to judge others.\"\nJehoshaphat ought to have judged, as is manifested from the language\nof Jehu the prophet, when he met him on his return from Ramoth,\n\"Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?\"\nHow was he to know who was ungodly, or who hated the Lord, if he did\nnot exercise judgment? We have certainly no right to judge those that\nare without, but we are bound to exercise judgment as to those with\nwhom we enter into fellowship. Nor does this in the least involve of\nnecessity the idea of one's own personal superiority in any one\nparticular. No; it is not, \"Stand by thyself: _I_ am holier than\n_thou_;\" but, \"I must stand apart, because _God is holy_.\" This is the\ntrue principle. It is upon the ground of what God is (not of what we\nare) that we separate from known evil. \"Be _ye_ holy, for _I_ am\nholy.\"\n\nJehoshaphat, however, failed to maintain this separation; and, as has\nbeen already remarked, in failing himself, led others into failure. In\nthis we may learn a most solemn lesson. Jehoshaphat had, we may\nsuppose, gained very considerable influence over the hearts of the\npeople by his previous devotedness;--he had established himself in\ntheir confidence and affections; and, to a certain extent, rightly so.\nIt is right that those who walk devotedly should be loved and confided\nin; but then we must watch most jealously against the dangerous\ntendency of mere personal influence. No one save a man of extensive\ninfluence could have said, \"My people are as thy people.\" He might\nhave said, \"I am as thou art,\" but no more. His extensive influence,\nwhen used out of communion, only made him a more efficient instrument\nof evil. Satan knew this; he knew his mark; he did not fasten on an\nordinary man of Judah, but on the most prominent and influential man\nhe could find, well knowing that if he could only succeed in drawing\nhim aside, others would follow in his train. Nor was he mistaken. Many\nwould no doubt say, \"What harm can there be in joining Ahab's\nexpedition? Surely, if there were any thing wrong in it, such a good\nman as king Jehoshaphat would not engage in it. So long as we see\n_him_ there, _we_ may make our minds easy about the matter.\" But if\nthis were not the language of some in Jehoshaphat's day, it certainly\nis of many in our own. How often do we hear Christians say, \"How can\nsuch-and-such things be wrong, when we see such good men in connection\nwith them, or engaging in them?\" Now all that can be said of such\nreasoning is that it is utterly false; it is beginning quite at the\nwrong end. We are responsible to God to act upon principle, let others\ndo as they may. We should be able, through grace, humbly, yet\ndecidedly, to render a sound and intelligent reason for whatever\ncourse of action we may adopt, without any reference to the conduct\nof others. Moreover, we know full well that good men go astray, and do\nwrong things. They are not, therefore, nor can they be, our guides.\n\"To his own master he standeth or falleth.\" A spiritual mind, a\nconscience enlightened by the Word of God, a real sense of personal\nresponsibility, together with honesty of purpose, are what we\nspecially need. If we lack these, our path will be defective.\n\nBut it may be said, there are few, if any, who occupy a position in\nwhich their conduct could exert such an extensive influence as that of\nking Jehoshaphat. To meet this, it may be needful to dwell a little\nupon a truth sadly neglected in the present day, namely, that of _the\nunity of the body of Christ, and the consequent effect which the\nconduct of each member, however obscure, must produce upon the whole\nbody_.\n\nThe great doctrine of the unity of the Church upon earth is, it is to\nbe feared, feebly apprehended and feebly carried out, even by the most\nspiritually minded and intelligent of the Lord's people. The reason of\nthis is very apparent. The doctrine is viewed rather in the light of\nthe Church's present condition, than of her condition as presented in\nthe New Testament; and this being so, the unity never can be\nunderstood. If we simply take Scripture for our guide, we shall have\nno difficulty about it. There we read, \"If _one_ member suffer, _all_\nthe members suffer with it.\" This principle did not hold good in the\ndays of king Jehoshaphat, because the body of Christ, properly so\ncalled, had no actual existence. All the members of it were written in\nGod's book; but \"as yet there was none of them\"--they existed in the\npurpose of God, but that purpose had not been actualized. Hence,\nthough so many were led astray by the influence of Jehoshaphat, it was\nnot by any means on the principle stated in the above passage; it was\nnot all suffering from the act of one because they were one body, but\nmany being led astray by one because they followed his example. The\ndistinction is very important. There is no member of the Church, how\nobscure soever, whose path and conduct do not affect, in some measure,\nall the members. \"By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,\nwhether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have\nbeen all made to drink into one Spirit.\" Hence, if a Christian be\nwalking loosely or carelessly,--if he be out of communion,--if he fail\nin prayer, in watchfulness, or in self-judgment, he is really injuring\nthe whole body; and, on the contrary, when he is walking in spiritual\nhealth and vigor, he is promoting the blessing and interest of all.\n\nIt was not without a struggle that Jehoshaphat yielded to the\nsolicitations of Ahab. The working of conscience is observable in the\nwords, \"Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to-day.\" But ah!\nhow futile was prayer for guidance, when he had already said, \"I am as\nthou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the\nwar\"! It is but solemn mockery to ask for guidance when we have made\nup our minds; and yet how frequently we do so! How frequently do we\ndecide on a course of action, and then go and ask the Lord about it!\nAll this is wretched; it is only honoring God with the lips, while the\nheart is in positive rebellion against Him. Instead of getting that\nguidance for which we profess to ask, may we not rather expect a lying\nspirit to be sent forth to us? (_v_. 21.) Ahab was at no loss for\ncounselors. He speedily \"gathered together four hundred prophets,\" who\nwere ready to counsel him according to his heart's desire: \"Go up, for\nGod will deliver it into the king's hand.\" This was what he wanted.\nNor need we marvel at Ahab's being quite satisfied with prophets like\nthese. They suited him well.\n\nBut surely Jehoshaphat should not have even appeared to acknowledge\nthem to be prophets of the Lord, as he evidently did, by saying, \"Is\nthere not here a prophet of the Lord _besides_?\" (or, as the margin\nreads, \"yet one more?\") Had he been faithful to the Lord, he would at\nonce have denied the right of these false prophets to give counsel.\nBut, alas! he was giving full countenance to the religion of the\nworld, and to these its ministers. He could not bring himself to hurt\nAhab's feelings by dealing faithfully with his prophets. They were\nall, it would seem, proper men. How dreadful a thing it is to allow\nourselves to get into a condition of soul in which we are unable to\nbear distinct and faithful testimony against the ministers of Satan!\n\"We must,\" it is said, \"be liberal;\" \"we must not hurt people's\nfeelings;\" \"there are good men every where.\" But truth is truth, and\nwe are not to put error for truth, nor truth for error. Nothing but a\nsecret desire to stand well with the world will ever lead to this\ncareless method of dealing with evil. Now, if we want to stand well\nwith the world, let us do it at our own charges, and not at the\nexpense of God's truth. It is often urged, \"We must present truth in\nsuch an aspect as will attract,\" when what is really meant is this,\nthat truth is to be made a kind of variable, elastic thing, which can\nbe turned into any shape, or stretched to any length, to suit the\ntaste and habits of those who would fain put it out of the world\naltogether. Truth, however, cannot be thus treated; it can never be\nmade to reduce itself to the level of this world. Those who profess to\nhold it may seek to use it thus, but it will ever be found the same\npure, holy, faithful witness against the world and all its ways. It\nwill speak distinctly, if its voice be not stifled by connection with\nthe practice of its faithless professors. When Jehoshaphat had stooped\nso low as to acknowledge the false prophets for the purpose of\ngratifying Ahab, who could observe any distinct testimony for God? All\nseemed to sink down to the one common level, and the enemy to have it\nall his own way. The voice of truth was hushed: the prophets\nprophesied falsely: God was forgotten. Thus must it ever be. The\nattempt to accommodate truth to those who are of the world can only\nend in complete failure. There can be no accommodation. Let it stand\nupon its own heavenly height; let saints stand fully and firmly with\nit; let them invite sinners up to them; but let them not descend to\nthe low and groveling pursuits and habits of the world, and thus rob\ntruth, so far as in them lies, of all its edge and power. It is far\nbetter to allow the contrast between God's truth and our ways to be\nfully seen, than to attempt to identify them in appearance, when they\nreally do not agree. We may think to commend truth to the minds of\nworldly people by an effort to conform to their ways; but, so far from\ncommending it, we in reality expose it to secret contempt and scorn.\nJehoshaphat certainly did not further the cause of truth by conforming\nto Ahab's ways, or by acknowledging the claims of his false prophets.\nThe man who conforms to the world will be the enemy of Christ, and the\nenemy of Christ's people. It cannot be otherwise. \"The friendship of\nthe world is enmity with God; whosoever, therefore, will be a friend\nof the world is the enemy of God.\"\n\nHow fully was this proved in the case of king Jehoshaphat! He became\nthe friend and companion of Ahab, who hated Micaiah, the servant of\nGod; and as a consequence, although he did not himself positively\npersecute the righteous witness, yet he did what was as bad; for he\nsat beside Ahab, and beheld the Lord's prophet first struck, and then\ncommitted to prison, simply because he would not tell a lie to please\na wicked king, and harmonize with four hundred wicked prophets. What\nmust have been the feelings of Jehoshaphat when he beheld his brother\nsmitten and imprisoned for his faithfulness in testifying against an\nexpedition in which he himself was engaged! Yet such was the position\ninto which his connection with Ahab had forced him that he could not\navoid being a witness of these wicked proceedings; yea, and moreover,\na partaker of them also. When a man associates himself with the world,\nhe must do so thoroughly. The enemy will not be satisfied with half\nmeasures; on the contrary, he will use every effort to force a saint\nout of communion into the most terrible extremes of evil.\n\nThe beginning of evil is like the letting out of water. Small\nbeginnings lead to fearful results. There is first a slight tampering\nwith evil at a distance; then, by degrees, a nearer approach to it;\nafter this, a taking hold of it more firmly; and finally, a deliberate\nplunge into it, whence nothing but the most marked interposition of\nGod can rescue. Jehoshaphat \"joined affinity with Ahab;\" then accepted\nof his hospitality; after that, was \"persuaded\" into open association\nwith him; and finally, took _his_ place at the battle of\nRamoth-gilead. He had said to Ahab, \"I am as thou art,\" and Ahab takes\nhim at his word; for he says to him, \"I will disguise myself, and will\ngo to the battle; but put thou on thy robes.\" Thus, so completely did\nJehoshaphat surrender his personal identity, in the view of the men of\nthe world, that \"it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots\nsaw Jehoshaphat, that they said, '_It is the king of Israel_.'\"\nTerrible position for Jehoshaphat! To find him personating, and thus\nmistaken for, the worst of Israel's kings is a sad proof of the danger\nof associating with the men of the world. Happy was it for Jehoshaphat\nthat the Lord did not take him at his word when he said to Ahab, \"I am\nas thou art.\" The Lord knew that Jehoshaphat was not Ahab, though he\nmight personate and be mistaken for him. Grace had made him to differ,\nand conduct should have _proved_ him to be what grace had made him.\nBut, blessed be God, \"He knows how to deliver the godly out of\ntemptation,\" and He graciously delivered His poor servant out of the\nevil into which he had plunged himself, and in which he would have\nperished, had not the hand of God been stretched out to rescue him.\n\"Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them\nto depart from him.\"[12]\n\n  [12] The reader will doubtless observe how the inspired writer\n  presents God under two different titles in the above verse. \"_The\n  Lord_\" brings out His connection with His distressed servant--His\n  connection in grace; while the expression \"_God_\" shows out the\n  powerful control which He exercised over the Syrian captains. It is\n  needless to say that this distinction is divinely perfect. As Lord, He\n  deals with His own redeemed people,--meeting all their weakness, and\n  supplying all their need; but as God, He holds in His omnipotent hand\n  the hearts of all men, to turn them whithersoever He will. Now we\n  generally find unconverted persons using the expression \"God,\" and not\n  \"Lord.\" They think of Him as One exercising an influence from a\n  distance, rather than as One standing in near relationship.\n  Jehoshaphat knew who it was that \"_helped him_,\" but the Syrian\n  captains did not know who it was that \"_moved them_.\"\n\nHere we have the turning-point in this stage of Jehoshaphat's life.\nHis eyes were opened to see the position into which he had brought\nhimself; at least, he saw his danger, if he did not apprehend the\nmoral evil of his course. Encompassed by the captains of Syria, he\ncould feel something of what it was to have taken Ahab's place.\nHappily for him, however, he could look up to the Lord from the depth\nof his distress,--he could cry out to Him in the time of his\nextremity; had it not been thus, the enemy's arrow, lodged deep in his\nheart, might have told out the sorrowful result of his ungodly\nassociation. \"Jehoshaphat cried out,\" and his cry came up before the\nLord, whose ear is ever open to hear the cry of such as feel their\nneed. \"Peter went out and wept bitterly.\" The prodigal said, \"I will\narise, and go to my father;\" and the father ran to meet him, and fell\non his neck, and kissed him. Thus is it that the blessed God ever\nmeets those who, feeling that they have hewn out for themselves broken\ncisterns, which can hold no water, return to Him, the fountain of\nliving waters. Would that all who feel that they have in any measure\ndeparted from Christ and slipped into the current of this present\nworld might find their way back, in true humility and contrition of\nspirit, to Him who says, \"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if\nany man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and\nwill sup with him, and he with Me.\"\n\nHow different Ahab's case! He, though carrying in his bosom a mortal\nwound, propped himself up in his chariot until the evening, fondly\ndesiring to hide his weakness, and accomplish the object of his heart.\nWe find no cry of humility, no tear of penitence, no looking upward.\nAh, no; we find not any thing but what is in full keeping with his\nentire course. He died as he had lived--doing evil in the sight of the\nLord. How fruitless were his efforts to prop himself up! Death had\nseized upon him; and though he struggled for a time to keep up an\nappearance, yet \"about the time of the sun going down he died.\"\nTerrible end!--the end of one who had \"sold himself to work\nwickedness.\" Who would be the votary of the world? Who that valued a\nlife of simplicity and purity would mix himself up with its pursuits\nand habits? Who that valued a peaceful and happy termination of his\ncareer would link himself with its destinies?\n\nDear Christian reader, let us, with the Lord's help, endeavor to shake\noff the world's influence, and purge ourselves from its ways. We have\nno idea how insidiously it creeps in upon us. The enemy at first weans\nfrom really simple and Christian habits, and by degrees we drop into\nthe current of the world's thoughts. Oh that we may, with more holy\njealousy and tenderness of conscience, watch against the approach of\nevil, lest the solemn statement of the prophet should apply to us,\n\"Her Nazarites _were_ purer than snow, they _were_ whiter than milk,\nthey _were_ more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing _was_ of\nsapphire: (but such is the sorrowful change, that) their visage _is_\nblacker than a coal, _they are not known in the streets_, their skin\ncleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick\"!\n\nWe shall now look a little at chap. xix. Here we see some blessed\nresults from all that Jehoshaphat had passed through. \"He returned to\nhis house in peace to Jerusalem.\" Happy escape! The Lord's hand had\ninterposed for him, and delivered him from the snare of the fowler,\nand, we may say, he would no doubt have his heart full of gratitude to\nHim who had so made him to differ from Ahab, though he had said, \"I am\nas thou art.\" Ahab had gone down to his grave in shame and\ndegradation, while Jehoshaphat returned to his house in peace. But\nwhat a lesson he had learned! How solemn to think of his having been\nso near the brink of the precipice! Yet the Lord had a controversy\nwith him about what he had done. Though He allowed him to return in\npeace to Jerusalem, and did not suffer the enemy to hurt him, He would\nspeak to his conscience about his sin; He would bring him aside from\nthe field of battle, to deal with him in private. \"And Jehu, the son\nof Hanani the seer, went out to meet him, and said to king\nJehoshaphat, 'Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate\nthe Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.\" This\nwas a solemn appeal, and it produced its own effect. Jehoshaphat \"went\nout again through the people, from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and\nbrought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers.\" \"When thou art\nconverted, strengthen thy brethren.\" Thus did Peter; thus too did king\nJehoshaphat; and blessed is it when lapses and failings lead, through\nthe Lord's tender mercy, to such a result. Nothing but divine grace\ncan ever produce this. When, after beholding Jehoshaphat surrounded by\nthe Syrian captains (chap. xviii.), we find him here going out through\nthe length and breadth of the land to instruct his brethren in the\nfear of the Lord, we can only exclaim, \"What hath God wrought!\" But he\nwas just the man for such a work. It is one who has felt in his own\nperson the terrible fruits of a careless spirit that can most\neffectually say, \"_Take heed what ye do_.\" A restored Peter, who had\nhimself denied the Holy One, was the chosen vessel to go and charge\nothers with having done the same, and to offer them that precious\nblood which had cleansed his conscience from the guilt of it. So\nlikewise the restored Jehoshaphat came from the battle of\nRamoth-gilead to sound in the ears of his brethren with solemn\nemphasis, \"Take heed what ye do.\" He that had just escaped from the\nsnare could best tell what it was, and tell how to avoid it.\n\nAnd mark the special feature in the Lord's character which engaged\nJehoshaphat's attention: \"There is no iniquity with the Lord our God,\n_nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts_.\" Now his snare seems to\nhave been the gift of Ahab: \"Ahab slew sheep and oxen for him in\nabundance, and for the people he had with him, and persuaded him to\ngo up with him to Ramoth-gilead.\" He allowed his heart to be warmed by\nAhab's gift, and was thereby the more easily swayed by Ahab's\narguments. Just as Peter accepted the compliment of being let into the\nhigh-priest's fire, and, being warmed thereby, denied his Lord. We can\nnever canvass, with spiritual coolness, the world's arguments and\nsuggestions, while we are breathing its atmosphere, or accepting its\ncompliments. We must keep outside and independent of it, and thus we\nshall find ourselves in a better position to reject its proposals, and\ntriumph over its allurements.\n\nBut it is instructive to mark how Jehoshaphat, after his restoration,\ndwells upon that feature in the divine character from the lack of\nwhich he had so grievously failed. Communion with God is the great\nsafeguard against all temptation; for there is no sin to which we are\ntempted, of which we cannot find the opposite in God; and we can only\navoid evil by communion with good. This is a very simple but deeply\npractical truth. Had Jehoshaphat been in fellowship with God, he could\nnot have sought fellowship with Ahab. And may we not say this is the\nonly divine way in which to look at the question of worldly\nassociation. Let us ask ourselves, Can our association with the world\ngo hand in hand with our fellowship with God? This is really the\nquestion. It is a miserable thing to ask, May I not partake of all the\nbenefits of the name of Christ, and yet dishonor that name by mixing\nmyself up with the people of the world, and taking common ground with\nthem? How easily the matter is settled when we bring it into the\ndivine presence, and under the searching power of the truth of God:\n\"Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?\"\nTruth strips off all the false covering which a heart out of communion\nis wont to throw around things. It is only when _it_ casts its\nunerring beams on our path that we see things in their true character.\nMark the way in which divine truth exposed the actings of Ahab and\nJezebel. Jezebel would fain put a fair cloak on her shocking\nwickedness: \"Arise,\" said she, \"and take possession of the vineyard of\nNaboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money; for\nNaboth is not alive but dead.\" Such was her way of putting the matter.\nBut how did the Lord view it? \"Thus saith the Lord, 'Hast thou killed,\nand also taken possession'\" (in other words, Hast thou committed\nmurder and robbery?) God deals with realities. In His estimation, men\nand things get their proper place and value; there is no gilding, no\naffectation, no assumption--all is real. Just so was it with\nJehoshaphat; his scheme which might in human estimation be regarded as\na religious one, was in the divine judgment pronounced to be simply a\nhelping of the ungodly, and loving them that hated the Lord. While men\nmight applaud him, \"there was wrath upon him from before the Lord.\"\n\nHowever, Jehoshaphat had to be thankful for the salutary lesson which\nhis fall had taught him; it had taught him to walk more in the fear of\nthe Lord, and caused him to impress that more upon others also. This\nwas doing not a little. True, it was a sad and painful way to learn;\nbut it is well when we learn even by our falls,--it is well when we\ncan tell even by painful experience the terrible evil of being mixed\nup with the world. Would to God we all felt it more! Would that we\nmore walked in the solemn apprehension of the defiling nature of all\nworldly association, and of our own tendency to be defiled thereby! we\nshould then be more efficient teachers of others! we should be able to\nsay, with somewhat more weight, \"Take heed what ye do;\" and again,\n\"Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good.\"\n\nIn chap. xx. we find Jehoshaphat in far more healthful circumstances\nthan in chap. xviii. He is here seen under trial from the hand of the\nenemy: \"It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab,\nand the children of Ammon, and with them others beside the Ammonites,\ncame against Jehoshaphat to battle.\" We are in far less apprehension\nfor Jehoshaphat when we behold him the object of the enemy's\nhostilities than when we beheld him the subject of Ahab's kindness and\nhospitality. And very justly so; for in the one case he is about to be\ncast simply on the God of Israel, whereas in the other he was about to\nfall into the snare of Satan. The proper place for the man of God is\nto be in positive opposition to the enemies of the Lord, and not in\nconjunction with them. We never can count upon divine sympathy or\nguidance when we join with the enemies of the Lord. Hence we observe\nwhat an empty thing it was of Jehoshaphat to ask counsel of the Lord\nin a matter which he knew to be wrong. Not so, however, in the scene\nbefore us. He is really in earnest when \"he sets himself to seek the\nLord, and proclaims a fast throughout all Judah.\" This is real work.\nThere is nothing like trial from the hand of the world for driving the\nsaint into a place of separation from it. When the world smiles, we\nare in danger of being attracted; but when it frowns, we are driven\naway from it into our stronghold; and this is both happy and\nhealthful. Jehoshaphat did not say to a Moabite or an Ammonite, \"I am\nas thou art.\" No; he knew well this was not so, for they would not let\nhim think so. And how much better it is to know our true position in\nreference to the world!\n\nThere are three special points in Jehoshaphat's address to the Lord\n(_vv_. 6-12).\n\n1. The greatness of God.\n\n2. The oath to Abraham about the land.\n\n3. The attempt of the enemy to drive the seed of Abraham out of that\nland.\n\nThe prayer is most precious and instructive--full of divine\nintelligence. He makes it altogether a question between the God of\nAbraham and the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir. This is what\nfaith ever does, and the issue will ever be the same. \"They come,\"\nsays he, \"to cast us out of _Thy possession, which Thou hast given us\nto inherit_.\" How simple! _They_ would take what _Thou_ hast given!\nThis was putting it, as it were, upon God to maintain His own\ncovenant. \"O our God, _wilt Thou not judge them? for we have no might_\nagainst this great company that cometh against us; neither know we\nwhat to do; but our eyes are upon Thee.\" Surely, we may say, victory\nwas already secured to one who could thus deal with God. And so\nJehoshaphat felt. For \"when he had consulted with the people, _he\nappointed singers unto the Lord_, and that should praise the beauty of\nholiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the\nLord; for His mercy endureth forever.\" Nothing but faith could raise\na song of praise before even the battle had begun\n\n  \"Faith counts the promise sure.\"\n\nAnd as it had enabled Abraham to believe that God would put his seed\ninto the possession of Canaan, so it enabled Jehoshaphat to believe\nthat He would keep them therein, and he therefore did not need to wait\nfor victory in order to praise; he already stood in the full results\nof victory. Faith could say, \"Thou _hast guided_ them in Thy strength\nunto Thy holy habitation,\" though they had but just entered upon the\nwilderness.\n\nBut what a strange sight it must have been for the enemies of\nJehoshaphat, to see a band of men with musical instruments instead of\nweapons in their hands. It was something of the same principle of\nwarfare as that adopted by Hezekiah afterward, when he clothed himself\nin sackcloth instead of armor. (Isa. xxxvii. 1.)[13] Yes, it was the\nsame, for both had been trained in the same school, and both fought\nunder the same banner. Would that our warfare with the present\nage--with its habits, manners, and maxims--were more conducted on the\nsame principle. \"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye\nshall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.\"\n\n  [13] \"The proud king of Assyria was at the gates of Jerusalem with a\n  mighty conquering host, and one would naturally expect to find\n  Hezekiah in the midst of his men of war, buckling on his armor,\n  girding on his sword, mounting his chariot; but no; Hezekiah was\n  different from most kings and captains,--he had found out a place of\n  strength which was quite unknown to Sennacherib--he had discovered a\n  field of battle in which he could conquer without striking a blow. And\n  mark the armor with which he girds himself: 'And it came to pass, when\n  Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and _covered himself with\n  sackcloth_, and went into the house of the Lord.' Here was the armor\n  in which the king of Judah was about to cope with the king of Assyria.\n  Strange armor!--the armor of the sanctuary. What would Sennacherib\n  have said had he seen this? He had never met such an antagonist\n  before--he had never come in contact with a man who, instead of\n  covering himself with a coat of mail, would _cover himself_ with\n  sackcloth; and instead of rushing forth into the field of battle in\n  his chariot, would fall upon his knees in the temple. This would have\n  appeared a novel mode of warfare in the eyes of the king of Assyria.\n  He had met the kings of Hamath and Arphad, etc.; but if he had, it was\n  upon his own principle, and in his own way; but he had never\n  encountered such an antagonist as Hezekiah. In fact, what gave the\n  latter such uncommon power in this contest was the feeling that _he_\n  was nothing--that an 'arm of flesh' was of no avail;--in a word, that\n  it was just Jehovah or nothing. This is specially seen in the act of\n  spreading the letter before the Lord. Hezekiah was enabled by faith to\n  retire out of the scene, and make it altogether a question between\n  Jehovah and the king of Assyria. It was not Sennacherib and Hezekiah,\n  but Sennacherib and Jehovah. This tells us the meaning of the\n  sackcloth. Hezekiah felt himself to be utterly helpless, and he took\n  the place of helplessness. He tells the Lord that the king of Assyria\n  had reproached _Him_; he calls upon Him to vindicate His own glorious\n  name, feeling assured that in so doing He would deliver His people.\n  Mark, then, this wondrous scene. Repair to the sanctuary, and there\n  behold one poor, weak, solitary man on his knees, pouring out his soul\n  to Him who dwelt between the cherubim. No military preparations,--no\n  reviewing of troops: the elders of the priests, covered with\n  sackcloth, pass to and fro from Hezekiah to the prophet Isaiah: all is\n  apparent weakness. On the other hand, see a mighty conqueror leading\n  on a numerous army flushed with victory, eager for spoil. Surely, one\n  might say, speaking after the manner of men, all is over with Hezekiah\n  and Jerusalem!--surely Sennacherib and his proud host will swallow up\n  in a moment such a feeble band! And observe, further, the ground which\n  Sennacherib takes in all this. (Isa. xxxvi. 4-7.) Here we observe that\n  Sennacherib makes the very reformation which Hezekiah had effected a\n  ground of reproach; thus leaving him, as he vainly thought, no\n  resting-place or foundation for his confidence. Again, he says, 'Am I\n  come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? _The Lord\n  said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it._' (_v. 10_)\n  This was indeed putting Hezekiah's faith to the test: faith must pass\n  through the furnace. It will not do to say that we trust in the Lord;\n  we must _prove_ that we do, and that too when every thing apparently\n  is against us. How, then, does Hezekiah meet all these lofty words? In\n  the silent dignity of faith. 'The king's commandment was, saying,\n  Answer him not.' (v. 21.) Such was the king's bearing in the eyes of\n  the people; yea, rather, such is ever the bearing of faith: calm,\n  self-possessed, dignified, in the presence of man; while, at the same\n  time, ready to sink into the very dust in self-abasement in the\n  presence of God. The man of faith can say to his fellow, 'Stand still,\n  and see the salvation of God!' and, at the same moment, send up to God\n  the cry of conscious weakness. (See Ex. xiv. 13-15.) So it was with\n  the king of Judah at this solemn and trying crisis. Hearken to him\n  while, in the retirement of the sanctuary, shut in with God, he pours\n  out the anxieties of his soul in the ear of One who was willing to\n  hear and ready to help. (Chap. xxxvii. 15-20.)\"--(_Practical\n  Reflections on the Life and Times of Hezekiah._)\n\nWhat a contrast between Jehoshaphat personating Ahab at Ramoth-gilead,\nand standing with the Lord against his enemies the Moabites! Yes, what\na contrast, in every particular! His mode of seeking help and guidance\nof the Lord was different, his mode of proceeding to battle was\ndifferent; and oh, how different too the end! Instead of being\nwell-nigh overwhelmed by the enemy, and crying out in the depth of his\ndistress and danger, we find him joining in a loud chorus of praise to\nthe God of his fathers, who had given him a victory without his\nstriking a blow,--who had made his enemies destroy one another, and\nwho had graciously conducted him from the dark valley of Achor into\nthe valley of Berachah. Blessed contrast! May it lead us to seek a\nmore decided path of separation, and of abiding dependence on the\nLord's grace and faithfulness. The valley of Berachah, or praise, is\never the place into which the Spirit of God would conduct; but He\ncannot lead us thither when we join ourselves with the \"Ahabs\" of this\nworld, for the purpose of carrying out their schemes. The word is,\n\"Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and\ntouch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a\nFather unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord\nAlmighty.\" (2 Cor. vi. 17, 18.)\n\nIt is wonderful how worldliness hinders, yea, rather destroys, a\nspirit of praise; it is positively hostile to such a spirit, and, if\nindulged in, it will either lead to deep anguish of soul, or to the\nmost thorough and open abandonment of all semblance of godliness. In\nJehoshaphat's case, it was happily the former. He was humbled,\nrestored, and led into larger blessedness.\n\nBut it would be sad indeed were any one to plunge into worldliness\nwith the hope that it might lead to an issue similar to that of\nJehoshaphat. Vain, presumptuous hope! Sinful expectation! Who that\nvalued a pure, calm, and peaceful walk could for a moment entertain\nit? \"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation,\" but\nshall we, on that account, go and deliberately plunge ourselves into\nit? God forbid!\n\nYet, ah! who can sound the depths of the human heart--its profound,\nmalignant depths? Who can disentangle its complicated mazes? Could any\none imagine that Jehoshaphat would again, after such solemn lessons,\njoin himself with the ungodly, to further their ambitious, or rather\ntheir avaricious, schemes? No one could imagine it, save one who had\nlearned something of his own heart. Yet so he did. \"He joined himself\nwith Ahaziah, king of Israel, who did very wickedly. And he joined\nhimself with him, to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the\nships in Ezion-gaber. Then Eliezer, the son of Dodavah of Mareshah,\nprophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, 'Because thou hast joined\nthyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works.' And the ships\nwere broken, and they were not able to go to Tarshish.\" (_vv._ 35-37.)\nWhat is man! A poor, stumbling, failing, halting creature; ever\nrushing into some new folly or evil. Jehoshaphat had, as it were, but\njust recovered from the effects of his association with Ahab, and he\nforthwith joins himself with Ahaziah. He had with difficulty, or\nrather through the special and most gracious interference of the Lord,\nescaped from the arrows of the Syrians, and again we find him in\nleague with the kings of Israel and Edom, to fight against the\nMoabites.\n\nSuch was Jehoshaphat--such his extraordinary course. There were some\n\"good things found in him;\" but his snare was, worldly association;\nand the lesson which we learn from the consideration of his history\nis, to beware of that evil. Yes; we would need to have sounded in our\nears, with ceaseless solemnity, the words, \"COME OUT, AND BE\nSEPARATE.\" We cannot, by any possibility, mix ourselves up with the\nworld, and allow ourselves to be governed and led by its maxims and\nprinciples, without suffering in our own souls, and marring our\ntestimony.\n\nI would only remark, in conclusion, that it seems like a relief to the\nspirit to read the words, \"Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers\" (chap.\nxxi. 1), as we feel assured, that he has at last got beyond the reach\nof the enemy's snares and devices; and further, that he comes under\nthe Spirit's benediction, \"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord;\nfor they rest from their labors,\"--yes, a rest from their conflicts,\nsnares, and temptations also.\n\n\n\n\nLIFE AND TIMES OF JOSIAH\n\n(2 Chron. xxxiv., xxxv.)\n\n\nTwo thousand four hundred years have rolled away since king Josiah\nlived and reigned; but his history is pregnant with instruction, which\ncan never lose its freshness or its power. The moment at which he\nascended the throne of his fathers was one of peculiar gloom and\nheaviness. The tide of corruption, swollen by many a tributary stream,\nhad risen to the highest point; and the sword of judgment, long held\nback in divine patience and long-suffering, was about to fall in\nterrible severity upon the city of David. The brilliant reign of\nHezekiah had been followed by a long and dreary period of fifty-five\nyears under the sway of his son Manasseh; and albeit the rod of\ncorrection had proved effectual in leading this great sinner to\nrepentance and amendment, yet no sooner had the sceptre fallen from\nhis hand than it was seized by his godless and impenitent son Amon,\nwho \"did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh\nhis father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which\nManasseh his father had made, and served them; and humbled not himself\nbefore the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself: but Amon\ntrespassed more and more. And his servants conspired against him, and\nslew him in his own house.... And the people of the land made Josiah\nhis son king in his stead\" (2 Chron. xxxiii. 22-25).\n\nThus, then, Josiah, a child of eight years, found himself on the\nthrone of David, surrounded by the accumulated evils and errors of his\nfather and his grandfather--yea, by forms of corruption which had been\nintroduced by no less a personage than Solomon himself. If the reader\nwill just turn for a moment to 2 Kings xxiii., he will find a\nmarvelous picture of the condition of things at the opening of\nJosiah's history. There were \"idolatrous priests, whom the kings of\nJudah had ordained to burn incense in the high places, in the cities\nof Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; those also that\nburned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the\nplanets, and to all the host of heaven.\"\n\nReader, ponder this! Only think of kings of Judah, successors of\nDavid, ordaining priests to burn incense to Baal! Bear in mind too\nthat each of these kings of Judah was responsible to \"write him a copy\nof the book of the law,\" which he was to keep by him, and in which he\nwas to \"read _all the days of his life_, that he may learn to fear the\nLord his God, to keep _all the words of this law_, and those statutes\nto do them.\" (See Deut. xvii. 18, 19.) Alas! alas! how sadly had they\ndeparted from \"all the words of the law,\" when they could actually set\nabout ordaining priests to burn incense to false gods!\n\nBut further, there were \"horses that the kings of Judah had given _to\nthe sun_,\" and that, moreover, \"at the entering in of the house of the\nLord,\" and \"chariots of the sun,\" and \"high places which _Solomon_ the\nking of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the\nZidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for\nMilcom the abomination of the children of Ammon.\"\n\nAll this is most solemn, and worthy of the serious consideration of\nthe Christian reader. We certainly ought not to pass it over as a mere\nfragment of ancient history. It is not as though we were reading the\nhistoric records of Babylon, of Persia, of Greece, or of Rome. We\nshould not marvel at the kings of those nations burning incense to\nBaal, ordaining idolatrous priests, and worshiping the host of heaven;\nbut when we see kings of Judah, the sons and successors of David,\nchildren of Abraham, men who had access to the book of the law of God,\nand who were responsible to make that book the subject of their\nprofound and constant study,--when we see such men falling under the\npower of dark and debasing superstition, it sounds in our ears a\nwarning voice, to which we cannot with impunity refuse to give heed.\nWe should bear in mind that all these things have been written for our\nlearning; and although it may be said that we are not in danger of\nbeing led to burn incense to Baal, or to worship the host of heaven,\nyet we may be assured we have need to attend to the admonitions and\nwarnings with which the Holy Ghost has furnished us in the history of\nGod's ancient people. \"Now all these things happened unto them for\nensamples; and they are written for our admonition, on whom the ends\nof the ages have come\" (1 Cor. x. 11). These words of the inspired\napostle, though directly referring to the actings of Israel in the\nwilderness, may nevertheless apply to the entire history of that\npeople--a history fraught with the deepest instruction from first to\nlast.\n\nBut how are we to account for all those gross and terrible evils into\nwhich Solomon and his successors were drawn? What was their origin?\nNEGLECT OF THE WORD OF GOD. This was the source of all the mischief\nand all the sorrow. Let professing Christians remember this; let the\nwhole Church of God remember it. The neglect of the Holy Scriptures\nwas the fruitful source of all those errors and corruptions which blot\nthe page of Israel's history, and which brought down upon them many\nheavy strokes of Jehovah's governmental rod. \"Concerning the works of\nmen, by the word of Thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of the\ndestroyer\" (Psa. xvii. 4). \"_From a child_ thou hast known the Holy\nScriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through\nfaith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration\nof God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,\nfor instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect\n\u1f04\u03c1\u03c4\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2, throughly furnished unto all good works\" (2 Tim. iii.\n15-17).\n\nIn these two precious quotations we have the word of God presented in\nits twofold virtue; it not only perfectly preserves us from evil, but\nperfectly furnishes us unto all good,--it keeps us from the paths of\nthe destroyer, and guides us in the ways of God.\n\nHow important, then, is the study--the diligent, earnest, prayerful\nstudy of Holy Scripture! How needful to cultivate a spirit of\nreverential submission, in all things, to the authority of the word of\nGod! Mark how continually and how earnestly this was impressed upon\nthe ancient people of God. How often were such accents as the\nfollowing sounded in their ears!--\"Now therefore harken, O Israel,\nunto the statutes and unto the judgments which I teach you, for to do\nthem, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord\nGod of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I\ncommand you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep\nthe commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.... Behold,\nI have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God\ncommanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to\npossess it. Keep, therefore, and do them; _for this is your wisdom and\nyour understanding in the sight of the nations_, which shall hear all\nthe statutes, and say, Surely, this great nation is a wise and\nunderstanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God\nso nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call\nupon Him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes\nand judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you\nthis day? _Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently_,\nlest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they\ndepart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them thy\nsons, and thy sons' sons\" (Deut. iv. 1-9).\n\nLet it be carefully noticed here, that \"wisdom and understanding\"\nconsist simply in having the commandments of God treasured in the\nheart. This, moreover, was to be the basis of Israel's moral\ngreatness, in view of the nations around them. It was not the learning\nof the schools of Egypt, or of the Chaldeans. No; it was the knowledge\nof the word of God, and attention thereto--the spirit of implicit\nobedience in all things to the holy statutes and judgments of the Lord\ntheir God. This was Israel's wisdom; this their true and real\ngreatness; this their impregnable bulwark against every foe--their\nmoral safeguard against every evil.\n\nAnd does not the self-same thing hold good with respect to God's\npeople at the present moment? Is not obedience to the word of God our\nwisdom, our safeguard, and the foundation of all true moral greatness?\nAssuredly. Our wisdom is to obey. The obedient soul is wise, safe,\nhappy, and fruitful. As it was, so it is. If we study the history of\nDavid and his successors, we shall find (without so much as a single\nexception) that those who yielded obedience to the commandments of God\nwere safe, happy, prosperous, and influential. And so it will ever\nbe. Obedience will always yield its own precious and fragrant\nfruits,--not that its fruits should be our _motive_ for rendering\nobedience; we are called to be obedient, irrespective of everything.\n\nNow it is obvious that in order to be obedient to the word of God, we\nmust be acquainted with it, and in order to be acquainted with it, we\nmust carefully study it. And how should we study it? With an earnest\ndesire to understand its contents, with profound reverence for its\nauthority, and with an honest purpose to obey its dictates, cost what\nit may. If we have grace to study Scripture in some small degree after\nthis fashion, we may expect to grow in knowledge and wisdom.\n\nBut alas! there is a fearful amount of ignorance of Scripture in the\nprofessing Church. We are deeply impressed with a sense of this; and\nwe may as well, at this point, just tell the reader that our main\nobject in calling his attention to the subject of \"Josiah and his\ntimes\" is to wake up in his soul an intense desire after a closer\nacquaintance with God's holy Word, and a more entire bowing down of\nhis whole moral being--heart, conscience, and understanding--to that\nperfect standard.\n\nWe feel the commanding importance of this subject, and we must\ndischarge what we believe to be a sacred duty to the souls of our\nreaders and to the truth of God. The powers of darkness are abroad.\nThe enemy is succeeding to an appalling extent in drawing hearts after\nvarious forms of error and evil, in casting dust in the eyes of God's\npeople, and in blinding the minds of men. True we have not got\nAshtoreth, Chemosh, and Milcom; but we have ritualism, infidelity,\nspiritualism, etc. We have not to cry against burning incense to Baal,\nand worshiping the host of heaven, but we have something far more\nensnaring and dangerous. We have the ritualist, with his sensuous and\nattractive rites and ceremonies; we have the rationalist, with his\nlearned and plausible reasonings; we have the spiritualist, with his\nboasted converse with the spirits of the departed,--and what multitude\nof other delusions and insidious attacks upon the truth!\n\nWe doubt if the minds of Christians generally are alive to the real\ncharacter and extent of these formidable influences. There are at this\nmoment millions of souls throughout the length and breadth of the\nprofessing Church who are building their hopes for eternity upon the\nsandy foundation of ordinances, rites, and ceremonies. There is a very\nmarked return to the traditions of the fathers, as they are called; an\nintense longing after those things which gratify the senses--music,\npainting, architecture, vestments, lights, incense,--all the\nappliances, in short, of a gorgeous and sensuous religion. The\ntheology, the worship, and the discipline of the various churches of\nthe Reformation are found insufficient to meet the religious cravings\nof the people. They are too severely simple to satisfy hearts that\nlong for something tangible on which to lean for support and\ncomfort--something to feed the senses, and fan the flame of devotion.\n\nHence the strong tendency of the religious mind in the direction of\nwhat is called ritualism. If the soul has not got hold of _the truth_,\nif there is not the living link with Christ, if the supreme authority\nof Holy Scripture be not set up in the heart, there is no safeguard\nagainst the powerful and fascinating influences of ceremonial\nreligiousness. The most potent efforts of mere intellectualism,\neloquence, logic, all the varied charms of literature, are found to be\nutterly insufficient to hold that class of minds to which we are now\nreferring. They _must_ have the forms and offices of religion; to\nthese they will flock; around these they will gather; on these they\nwill build.\n\nIt is painfully interesting to mark the efforts put forth in various\nquarters to act upon the masses and keep the people together. It is\nvery evident to the thoughtful Christian that those who put forth such\nefforts must be sadly deficient in that profound faith in the power of\nthe Word of God and of the cross of Christ which swayed the heart of\nthe apostle Paul. They cannot be fully aware of the solemn fact that\nSatan's grand object is to keep souls in ignorance of divine\nrevelation, to hide from them the glory of the cross and of the person\nof Christ. For this end he is using ritualism, rationalism, and\nspiritualism now, just as he used Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Milcom in\nthe days of Josiah. \"There is nothing new under the sun.\" The devil\nhas ever hated the truth of God, and he will leave no stone unturned\nto keep it from acting on the heart of man. Hence it is that he has\nrites and ceremonies for one man, the powers of reason for another;\nand when men tire of both, and begin to sigh for something satisfying,\nhe leads them into converse and communion with the spirits of the\ndeparted. By all alike are souls led away from the Holy Scriptures,\nand from the blessed Saviour which those Scriptures reveal.\n\nIt is solemn and affecting beyond expression to think of all this, and\nnot less so to contemplate the lethargy and indifference of those who\nprofess to have the truth. We do not stop to inquire what it is that\nministers to this lethargic state of many professors. That is not our\nobject. We desire, by the grace of God, to see them thoroughly roused\nout of it, and to this end it is that we call their attention to the\ninfluences that are abroad, and to the only divine safeguard against\nthem. We cannot but feel deeply for our children, growing up in such\nan atmosphere as that which at present surrounds us, and which will\nbecome yet darker and darker. We long to see more earnestness on the\npart of Christians in seeking to store the minds of the young with the\nprecious and soul-saving knowledge of the word of God. The child\nJosiah, and the child Timothy, should incite us to greater diligence\nin the instruction of the young, whether in the bosom of the family,\nin the Sunday-school, or in any way we can reach them. It will not do\nfor us to fold our arms, and say, \"When God's time comes, our children\nwill be converted; and till then, our efforts are useless.\" This is a\nfatal mistake. \"God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.\"\n(Heb. xi.) He blesses our prayerful efforts in the instruction of our\nchildren. And further, who can estimate the blessing of being early\nled in the right way--of having the character formed amid holy\ninfluences, and the mind stored with what is true and pure and lovely?\nOn the other hand, who will undertake to set forth the evil\nconsequences of allowing our children to grow up in ignorance of\ndivine things? Who can portray the evils of a polluted imagination--of\na mind stored with vanity, folly, and falsehood--of a heart\nfamiliarized from infancy with scenes of moral degradation? We do not\nhesitate to say that Christians incur very heavy and awful\nresponsibility in allowing the enemy to preoccupy the minds of their\nchildren at the very period when they are most plastic and\nsusceptible.\n\nTrue, there must be the quickening power of the Holy Ghost. It is as\ntrue of the children of Christians as of any other that they \"must be\nborn again.\" We all understand this. But does this fact touch the\nquestion of our responsibility in reference to our children? Is it to\ncripple our energies or hinder our earnest efforts? Assuredly not. We\nare called upon by every argument, divine and human, to shield our\nprecious little ones from every evil influence, and to train them in\nthat which is holy and good. And not only should we so act in respect\nto our own children, but also in respect to the thousands around us,\nwho are like sheep having no shepherd, and who may each say, alas,\nwith too much truth, \"No man careth for my soul.\"\n\nMay the foregoing pages be used by God's Spirit to act powerfully on\nthe hearts of all who may read them, that so there may be a real\nawakening to a sense of our high and holy responsibilities to the\nsouls around, and a shaking off of that terrible deadness and coldness\nover which we all have to mourn.\n\n\n\n\nPART II.\n\n\nIn studying the history of Josiah and his times, we learn one special\nand priceless lesson, namely, _the value and authority of the word of\nGod_. It would be utterly impossible for human language to set forth\nthe vast importance of such a lesson--a lesson for every age, for\nevery clime, for every condition--for the individual believer and for\nthe whole Church of God. The supreme authority of Holy Scripture\nshould be deeply impressed on every heart. It is the only safeguard\nagainst the many forms of error and evil which abound on every hand.\nHuman writings, no doubt, have their value; they may interest the mind\nas a reference, but they are perfectly worthless as authority.\n\nWe need to remember this. There is a strong tendency in the human mind\nto lean upon human authority. Hence it has come to pass that millions\nthroughout the professing Church have virtually been deprived\naltogether of the word of God, from the fact that they have lived and\ndied under the delusion that they could not know it to be the word of\nGod apart from human authority. Now this is, in reality, throwing the\nword of God overboard. If that Word is of no avail without man's\nauthority, then, we maintain, it is not God's Word at all. It does not\nmatter, in the smallest degree, what the authority is, the effect is\nthe same. God's Word is declared to be insufficient without something\nof man to give the certainty that it is God that is speaking.\n\nThis is a most dangerous error, and its root lies far deeper in the\nheart than many of us are aware. It has often been said to us, when\nquoting passages of Scripture, \"How do you know that that is the word\nof God?\" What is the point of such a question? Plainly to overthrow\nthe authority of the Word. The heart that could suggest such an\ninquiry does not want to be governed by Holy Scripture at all. The\n_will_ is concerned. Here lies the deep secret. There is the\nconsciousness that the Word condemns something that the heart wants to\nhold and cherish, and hence the effort to set the Word aside\naltogether.\n\nBut how are we to know that the book which we call the Bible is the\nword of God? We reply, It carries its own credentials with it. It\nbears its own evidence upon every page, in every paragraph, in every\nline. True, it is only by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, the divine\nAuthor of the book, that the evidence can be weighed and the\ncredentials appreciated. But we do not want man's voice to accredit\nGod's book; or, if we do, we are most assuredly on infidel ground as\nregards divine revelation. If God cannot speak directly to the\nheart--if He cannot give the assurance that it is He Himself who\nspeaks, then where are we? whither shall we turn? If God cannot make\nHimself heard and understood, can man do it better?--can he improve\nupon God? Can man's voice give us more certainty? Can the authority\nof the Church, the decrees of general councils, the judgment of the\nfathers, the opinion of the doctors, give us more certainty than God\nHimself? If so, we are just as completely at sea--just as thoroughly\nin the dark as though God had not spoken at all. Of course, if God has\nnot spoken, we are completely in the dark; but if He has spoken, and\nyet we cannot know His voice without man's authority to accredit it,\nwhere lies the difference? Is it not plain to the reader of these\nlines that if God in His great mercy has given us a revelation, it\nmust be sufficient of itself; and on the other hand, that any\nrevelation which is not sufficient of itself cannot possibly be\ndivine? And further, is it not equally plain that if we cannot believe\nwhat God says because He says it, we have no safer ground to go upon\nwhen man presumes to affix his accrediting seal?\n\nLet us not be misunderstood. What we insist upon is this: the\nall-sufficiency of a divine revelation apart from and above all human\nwritings--ancient, medi\u00e6val, or modern. We value human writings; we\nvalue sound criticism; we value profound and accurate scholarship; we\nvalue the light of _true_ science and philosophy; we value the\ntestimony of pious travelers who have sought to throw light upon the\nsacred text; we value all those books that open up to us the intensely\ninteresting subject of biblical antiquities; in short, we value\neverything that tends to aid us in the study of the Holy Scriptures:\nbut after all, we return with deeper emphasis to our assertion as to\nthe all-sufficiency and supremacy of the word of God. That Word must\nbe received on its own divine authority, without any human\nrecommendation, or else it is not the word of God to us. We believe\nthat God can give us the certainty in our own souls that the Holy\nScriptures are, in very deed, His own word. If He does not give it, no\nman can; and if He does, no man need. Thus the inspired apostle says\nto his son Timothy, \"Continue thou in the things which thou hast\nlearned, and _hast been assured of_ knowing _of whom_ thou hast\nlearned; and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures,\nwhich are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is\nin Christ Jesus\" (2 Tim. iii. 14, 15).\n\nHow did Timothy know that the Holy Scriptures were the word of God? He\nknew it by divine teaching. He knew of _whom_ he had learned. Here lay\nthe secret. There was a living link between his soul and God, and he\nrecognized in Scripture the very voice of God. Thus it must ever be.\nIt will not do merely to be convinced in the intellect, by human\narguments, human evidences, and human apologies, that the Bible is the\nword of God; we must know its power in the heart and on the conscience\nby divine teaching; and when this is the case, we shall no more need\nhuman proofs of the divinity of the book than we need a rushlight at\nnoonday to prove that the sun is shining. We shall then believe what\nGod says because He says it, and not because man accredits it, nor\nbecause we feel it. \"Abraham _believed God_, and it was counted unto\nhim for righteousness.\" He did not want to go to the Chaldeans, or to\nthe Egyptians, in order to find out from them if what he had heard was\nin reality the word of God. No, no; he knew _whom_ he had believed,\nand this gave him holy stability. He could say, beyond all question,\n\"God has established a link between my soul and Himself, by means of\nHis Word, which no power of earth or hell can ever snap.\" This is the\ntrue ground for every believer--man, woman, or child, in all ages and\nunder all circumstances. This was the ground for Abraham and Josiah,\nfor Luke and Theophilus, for Paul and Timothy; and it must be the\nground for the writer and the reader of these words, else we shall\nnever be able to stand against the rising tide of infidelity, which is\nsweeping away the very foundations on which thousands of professors\nare reposing.\n\nHowever, we may well inquire, can a merely national profession, a\nhereditary faith, an educational creed, sustain the soul in the\npresence of an audacious skepticism that reasons about everything and\nbelieves nothing? Impossible! We must be able to stand before the\nskeptic, the rationalist, and the infidel, and say, in all the\ncalmness and dignity of a divinely wrought faith, \"_I know whom I have\nbelieved_.\" Then we shall be little moved by such books as, \"The\nPhases of Faith,\" \"Essays and Reviews,\" \"Broken Lights,\" \"Ecce Homo,\"\nor \"Colenso.\" They will be no more to us than gnats in the sunshine.\nThey cannot hide from our souls the heavenly beams of our Father's\nrevelation. God has spoken, and His voice reaches the heart. It makes\nitself heard above the din and confusion of this world, and all the\nstrife and controversy of professing Christians. It gives rest and\npeace, strength and fixedness, to the believing heart and mind. The\nopinions of men may perplex and confound. We may not be able to thread\nour way through the labyrinths of human systems of theology; but God's\nvoice speaks in Holy Scripture--speaks to the heart--speaks to _me_.\nThis is life and peace. It is all I want. Human writings may now go\nfor what they are worth, seeing I have all I want in the ever-flowing\nfountain of inspiration--the peerless, precious volume of my God.\n\nBut let us now turn to Josiah, and see how all that we have been\ndwelling upon finds its illustration in his life and times.\n\n\"Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign\" (2 Chron. xxxiv.\n1). This tells a tale as to the condition and ways of God's people.\nJosiah's father had been murdered by his own servants, after a brief\nand evil reign of two years, in the twenty-fourth year of his age.\nSuch things ought not to have been. They were the sad fruit of sin and\nfolly--the humiliating proofs of Judah's departure from Jehovah. But\nGod was above all; and although we should not have expected ever to\nfind a child of eight years of age on the throne of David, yet that\nchild could find his sure resource in the God of his fathers: so that\nin this case, as in all others, \"where sin abounded, grace did much\nmore abound.\" The very fact of Josiah's youth and inexperience only\nafforded an occasion for the display of divine grace, and the setting\nforth of the value and the power of the word of God.\n\nThis pious child was placed in a position of peculiar difficulty and\ntemptation. He was surrounded by errors in various forms and of long\nstanding; but \"he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord,\nand walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to\nthe right hand nor to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign,\nwhile he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his\nfather: and in the twelfth year began to purge Judah and Jerusalem\nfrom the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the\nmolten images.\"\n\nThis was a good beginning. It is a great matter, while the heart is\nyet tender, to have it impressed with the fear of the Lord. It\npreserves it from a host of evils and errors. \"The fear of the Lord is\nthe beginning of wisdom,\" and it taught this pious youth to know what\nwas \"right,\" and to adhere to it with unswerving fixedness of purpose.\nThere is great force and value in the expression, \"He did that which\nwas right _in the sight of the Lord_.\" It was not that which was right\nin his own eyes, nor yet in the eyes of the people, nor in the eyes of\nthose that had gone before him; but simply what was right in the sight\nof the Lord. This is the solid foundation of all right action. Until\nthe fear of the Lord gets its true place in the heart, there can be\nnothing right, nothing wise, nothing holy. How can there be, if indeed\nthat fear is the _beginning_ of wisdom? We may do many things through\nthe fear of man, many things through force of habit, through\nsurrounding influences; but never can we do what is really right in\nthe sight of the Lord until our hearts are brought to understand the\nfear of His holy name. This is the grand regulating principle. It\nimparts seriousness, earnestness, and reality--rare and admirable\nqualities! It is an effectual safeguard against levity and vanity. A\nman, or a child, who habitually walks in the fear of God is always\nearnest and sincere, always free from trifling and affectation, from\nassumption and bombast, life has a purpose, the heart has an object,\nand this gives intensity to the whole course and character.\n\nBut further, we read of Josiah that \"he walked in the ways of David\nhis father, and _declined neither to the right hand nor to the left_.\"\nWhat a testimony for the Holy Ghost to bear concerning a young man!\nHow we do long for this plain decision! It is invaluable at all times,\nbut especially in a day of laxity and latitudinarianism--of false\nliberality and spurious charity like the present. It imparts great\npeace of mind. A vacillating man is never peaceful; he is always\ntossed to and fro. \"A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.\"\nHe tries to please everybody, and in the end pleases nobody. The\ndecided man, on the contrary, is he who feels he has \"to please but\n_One_.\" This gives unity and fixedness to the life and character. It\nis an immense relief to be thoroughly done with men-pleasing and\neye-service--to be able to fix the eye upon the Master alone, and go\non with Him through evil report and through good report. True, we may\nbe misunderstood and misrepresented; but that is a very small matter\nindeed; our great business is to walk in the divinely appointed path,\n\"declining neither to the right hand nor to the left.\" We are\nconvinced that plain decision is the only thing for the servant of\nChrist at the present moment; for so surely as the devil finds us\nwavering, he will bring every engine into play in order to drive us\ncompletely off the plain and narrow path. May God's Spirit work more\nmightily in our souls, and give us increased ability to say, \"My heart\nis fixed, O God; my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.\"\n\nWe shall now proceed to consider the great work which Josiah was\nraised up to accomplish; but ere doing so, we must ask the reader to\nnotice particularly the words already referred to, namely, \"In the\neighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, _he began to seek\nafter the God of David his father_.\" Here, we may rest assured, lay\nthe true basis of all Josiah's valuable service. He began by seeking\nafter God. Let young Christians ponder this deeply. Hundreds, we fear,\nhave made shipwreck by rushing prematurely into work. They have become\noccupied and engrossed with their service before the heart was rightly\nestablished in the fear and love of God. This is a very serious error\nindeed, and we have met numbers, within the last few years, who have\nfallen into it. We should ever remember that those whom God uses much\nin public He trains in secret; and further, that all His most honored\nservants have been more occupied with their Master than with their\nwork. It is not that we undervalue work; by no means; but we do find\nthat all those who have been signally owned of God, and who have\npursued a long and steady course of service and Christian testimony,\nhave begun with much deep and earnest heart-work, in the secret of the\ndivine presence. And on the other hand, we have noticed that when men\nhave rushed prematurely into public work--when they began to teach\nbefore they had begun to learn, they have speedily broken down and\ngone back.\n\nIt is well to remember this. God's plants are deeply rooted, and often\nslow of growth. Josiah \"began to seek God\" four years before he began\nhis public work. There was in his case a firm ground-work of genuine\npersonal piety, on which to erect the superstructure of active\nservice. This was most needful. He had a great work to do. \"High\nplaces and groves, carved images and molten images,\" abounded on all\nhands, and called for no ordinary faithfulness and decision. Where\nwere these to be had? In the divine treasury, and there alone. Josiah\nwas but a child, and many of those who had introduced the false\nworship were men of years and experience. But he set himself to seek\nthe Lord. He found his resource in the God of his father David. He\nbetook himself to the fountain-head of all wisdom and power, and there\ngathered up strength wherewith to gird himself for what lay before\nhim.\n\nThis, we repeat, was most needful; it was absolutely indispensable.\nThe accumulated rubbish of ages and generations lay before him. One\nafter another of his predecessors had added to the pile; and\nnotwithstanding the reformation effected in the days of Hezekiah, it\nwould seem as though all had to be done over again. Harken to the\nfollowing appalling catalogue of evils and errors: \"In the twelfth\nyear, Josiah began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places,\nand the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. And they\nbreak down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images that\nwere on high above them he cut down; and the groves, and the carved\nimages, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and _made dust_ of\nthem, and strewed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto\nthem. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and\ncleansed Judah and Jerusalem. And so did he in the cities of Manasseh\nand Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round\nabout. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had\nbeaten the graven images into _powder_, and cut down all the idols\nthroughout _all the land of Israel_, he returned to Jerusalem.\"\n\nSee also the narrative given in 2 Kings xxiii, where we have a much\nmore detailed list of the abominations with which this devoted\nservant of God had to grapple. We do not quote any further. Enough has\nbeen given to show the fearful lengths to which even the people of God\nmay go when once they turn aside, in the smallest measure, from the\nauthority of Holy Scripture. We feel that this is one special lesson\nto be learned from the deeply interesting history of this best of\nJudah's kings, and we fondly trust it may be learned effectually. It\nis indeed a grand and all-important lesson. The moment a man departs,\nthe breadth of a hair, from Scripture, there is no accounting for the\nmonstrous extravagance into which he may rush. We may feel disposed to\nmarvel how such a man as Solomon could ever be led to \"build high\nplaces for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh\nthe abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the\nchildren of Ammon.\" But then we can easily see how that having in the\nfirst place disobeyed the word of his Lord in going to those nations\nfor wives, he easily enough fell into the deeper error of adopting\ntheir worship.\n\nBut, Christian reader, let us remember that all the mischief, all the\ncorruption and confusion, all the shame and dishonor, all the reproach\nand blasphemy, had its origin in the neglect of the word of God. We\ncannot possibly ponder this fact too deeply. It is solemn, impressive,\nand admonitory beyond expression. It has ever been a special design of\nSatan to lead God's people away from Scripture. He will use anything\nand everything for this end--tradition, the Church so-called,\nexpediency, human reason, popular opinion, reputation and influence,\ncharacter, position, and usefulness--all those he will use in order to\nget the heart and conscience away from that one golden sentence--that\ndivine, eternal motto, \"IT IS WRITTEN.\" All that enormous pile of\nerror which our devoted young monarch was enabled to \"grind into\n_dust_, and beat into _powder_\"--all, all had its origin in the gross\nneglect of this most precious sentence. It mattered little to Josiah\nthat all these things could boast of antiquity, and the authority of\nthe fathers of the Jewish nation. Neither was he moved by the thought\nthat these altars and high places, these groves and images, might be\nregarded as proofs of largeness of heart, breadth of mind, and a\nliberality of spirit that spurned all narrowness, bigotry, and\nintolerance--that _would_ not be confined within the narrow bounds of\nJewish prejudice, but could travel forth through the wide, wide world,\nand embrace all in a circle of charity and brotherhood. None of these\nthings, we are persuaded, moved him. If they were not based upon \"Thus\nsaith the Lord,\" he had but one thing to do with them, and that was to\n\"_beat them into powder_.\"\n\n\n\n\nPART III.\n\n\nThe various periods in the life of Josiah are very strongly marked.\n\"In the _eighth_ year of his reign, he began to seek after the God of\nDavid his father;\" \"in the _twelfth_ year he began to purge Judah and\nJerusalem;\" and \"in the _eighteenth_ year of his reign, when he had\npurged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and\nMaaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the\nrecorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.\"\n\nNow in all this we can mark that progress which ever results from a\nreal purpose of heart to serve the Lord. \"The path of the just is as a\nshining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day.\" Such\nwas the path of Josiah; and such, too, may be the path of the reader,\nif only he is influenced by the same earnest purpose. It does not\nmatter what the circumstances may be. We may be surrounded by the most\nhostile influences, as Josiah was in his day; but a devoted heart, an\nearnest spirit, a fixed purpose, will, through grace, lift us above\nall, and enable us to press forward from stage to stage of the path of\ntrue discipleship.\n\nIf we study the first twelve chapters of the book of Jeremiah, we\nshall be able to form some idea of the condition of things in the days\nof Josiah. There we meet with such passages as the following: \"I will\nutter My judgments against them touching _all their wickedness_, who\nhave forsaken Me, and have _burned incense unto other gods_, and\n_worshiped the works of their own hands_. Thou therefore gird up thy\nloins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: _be not\ndismayed at their faces_, lest I confound thee before them.\"\n\"Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your\nchildren's children will I plead. For pass over the isles of Chittim,\nand see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if\nthere be such a thing. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet\nno gods? but My people have changed their glory for that which doth\nnot profit.\" So also in the opening of chap. iii., we find the most\nterrible imagery used to set forth the base conduct of \"backsliding\nIsrael and treacherous Judah.\" Harken to the following glowing\nlanguage in chap. iv.: \"Thy way and thy doings have procured these\nthings unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter,\nbecause it reacheth unto thy heart. My bowels! my bowels! I am pained\nat my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my\npeace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet,\nthe alarm of war. Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole\nland is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a\nmoment. How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the\ntrumpet? For My people are foolish, they have not known Me; they are\nsottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to\ndo evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth,\nand, lo it was without form and void; and the heavens, and they had no\nlight. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the\nhills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the\nbirds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place\nwas a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the\npresence of the Lord, and by His fierce anger.\"\n\nWhat vivid language! The whole scene seems, in the vision of the\nprophet, reduced to prim\u00e6val chaos and darkness. In short, nothing\ncould be more gloomy than the aspect here presented. The whole of\nthese opening chapters should be carefully studied, if we would form a\ncorrect judgment of the times in which Josiah's lot was cast. They\nwere evidently times characterized by deep-seated and wide-spread\ncorruptions, in every shape and form. High and low, rich and poor,\nlearned and ignorant, prophets, priests, and people--all presented an\nappalling picture of hollowness, deceit, and heartless wickedness,\nwhich could only be faithfully portrayed by an inspired pen.\n\nBut why dwell upon this? Why multiply quotations in proof of the low\nmoral condition of Israel and Judah in the days of king Josiah? Mainly\nto show that, no matter what may be our surroundings, we can\nindividually serve the Lord, if only there be the purpose of heart to\ndo so. Indeed, it is in the very darkest times that the light of true\ndevotedness shines forth most brightly. It is thrown into relief by\nthe surrounding gloom. The very circumstances which indolence and\nunfaithfulness would use as a plea for yielding to the current will\nonly furnish a devoted spirit with a plea for making head against it.\nIf Josiah had looked around him, what would he have seen? Treachery,\ndeceit, corruption, and violence. Such was the state of public morals.\nAnd what of religion? Errors and evils in every imaginable shape. Some\nof these were hoary with age. They had been instituted by _Solomon_\nand left standing by _Hezekiah_. Their foundations had been laid amid\nthe splendors of the reign of Israel's wisest and wealthiest monarch,\nand the most pious and devoted of Josiah's predecessors had left them\nas they found them.\n\nWho, then, was Josiah, that he should presume to overturn such\nvenerable institutions? What right had he, a mere youth, raw and\ninexperienced, to set himself in opposition to men so far beyond him\nin wisdom, intelligence, and mature judgment? Why not leave things as\nhe found them? Why not allow the current to flow peacefully on through\nthose channels which had conducted it for ages and generations?\nDisruptions are hazardous. There is always great risk in disturbing\nold prejudices.\n\nThese and a thousand kindred questions might doubtless have exercised\nthe heart of Josiah; but the answer was simple, direct, clear and\nconclusive. It was not the judgment of Josiah against the judgment of\nhis predecessors, but it was the judgment of God against all. This is\na most weighty principle for every child of God and every servant of\nChrist. Without it, we can never make head against the tide of evil\nwhich is flowing around us. It was this principle which sustained\nLuther in the terrible conflict which he had to wage with the whole of\nChristendom. He too, like Josiah, had to lay the axe to the root of\nold prejudices, and shake the very foundation of opinions and\ndoctrines which had held almost universal sway in the Church for over\na thousand years. How was this to be done? Was it by setting up the\njudgment of Martin Luther against the judgment of popes and cardinals,\ncouncils and colleges, bishops and doctors? Assuredly not. This would\nnever have brought about the Reformation. It was not Luther _versus_\nChristendom, but Holy Scripture _versus_ Error.\n\nReader, ponder this! Yes, ponder it deeply. We feel it is a grand and\nall-important lesson for this moment, as it surely was for the days of\nLuther and for the days of Josiah. We long to see the supremacy of\nHoly Scripture--the paramount authority of the word of God--the\nabsolute sovereignty of divine revelation reverently owned throughout\nthe length and breadth of the Church of God. We are convinced that the\nenemy is diligently seeking, in all quarters and by all means, to\nundermine the authority of the Word, and to weaken its hold upon the\nhuman conscience. And it is because we feel this that we seek to\nraise, again and again, a note of solemn warning, as also to set\nforth, according to our ability, the vital importance of submitting,\nin all things, to the inspired testimony--the voice of God in\nScripture. It is not sufficient to render a merely formal assent to\nthat popular statement, \"The Bible, and the Bible alone, is the\nreligion of Protestants.\" We want more than this. We want to be, in\nall things, absolutely governed by the authority of Scripture--not by\nour fellow-mortal's interpretation of Scripture, but by Scripture\nitself. We want to have the conscience in a condition to yield, at all\ntimes, a true response to the teachings of the divine Word.\n\nThis is what we have so vividly illustrated in the life and times of\nJosiah, and particularly in the transactions of the eighteenth year of\nhis reign, to which we shall now call the reader's attention. This\nyear was one of the most memorable, not only in the history of Josiah,\nbut in the annals of Israel. It was signalized by two great facts,\nnamely, _the discovery of the book of the law_ and _the celebration of\nthe feast of the Passover_. Stupendous facts!--facts which have left\ntheir impress upon this most interesting period, and rendered it\npre-eminently fruitful in instruction to the people of God in all\nages.\n\nIt is worthy of note that the discovery of the book of the law was\nmade during the progress of Josiah's reformatory measures. It affords\none of the ten thousand proofs of that great practical principle that\n\"to him that hath shall more be given;\" and again, \"If any man _will\ndo_ His will, he _shall know_ of the doctrine.\"\n\n\"Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land\nand the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the\ngovernor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to\nrepair the house of the Lord his God. And when they came to Hilkiah\nthe priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house\nof God.... And when they brought out the money that was brought into\nthe house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of\nthe Lord given by Moses. And Hilkiah the priest answered and said to\nShaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of\nthe Lord. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan. And Shaphan\ncarried the book to the king.... And Shaphan read it before the king.\nAnd it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law,\nthat he rent his clothes\" (2 Chron. xxxiv. 8-19).\n\nHere we have a tender conscience bowing under the action of the word\nof God. This was one special charm in the character of Josiah. He was,\nin truth, a man of a humble and contrite spirit, who trembled at the\nword of God. Would that we all knew more of this! It is a most\nvaluable feature of the Christian character. We certainly do need to\nfeel much more deeply the weight, authority, and seriousness of\nScripture. Josiah had no question whatever in his mind as to the\ngenuineness and authenticity of the words which Shaphan had read in\nhis hearing. We do not read of his asking, \"How am I to know that this\nis the word of God?\" No; he trembled at it; he bowed before it; he\nwas smitten down under it; he rent his garments. He did not presume to\nsit in judgment upon the word of God, but, as was meet and right, he\nallowed the Word to judge him.\n\nThus it should ever be. If man is to judge Scripture, then Scripture\nis not the word of God at all; but if Scripture is in very truth the\nword of God, then it must judge man. And so it is and so it does.\nScripture _is_ the word of God, and it judges man thoroughly. It lays\nbare the very roots of his nature--it opens up the foundations of his\nmoral being. It holds up before him the only faithful mirror in which\nhe can see himself perfectly reflected. This is the reason why man\ndoes not like Scripture--cannot bear it--seeks to set it\naside--delights to pick holes in it--dares to sit in judgment upon it.\nIt is not so in reference to other books. Men do not trouble\nthemselves so much to discover and point out flaws and discrepancies\nin Homer or Herodotus, Aristotle or Shakespeare. No; but Scripture\njudges them--judges their ways, their lusts. Hence the enmity of the\nnatural mind to that most precious and marvelous Book, which, as we\nhave already remarked, carries its own credentials with it to every\ndivinely prepared heart. There is a power in Scripture which must bear\ndown all before it. All must bow down under it, sooner or later. \"The\nword of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged\nsword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and\nof the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and\nintents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not\nmanifest in His sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the\neyes of Him with whom we have to do\" (Heb. iv. 12, 13).\n\nJosiah found it to be even so. The word of God pierced him through and\nthrough. \"And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of\nthe law, that he rent his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah, and\nAhikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the\nscribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying, Go inquire of the\nLord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah,\nconcerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath\nof the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not\nkept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this\nbook.\" What a striking contrast between Josiah, with contrite heart,\nexercised conscience, and rent garments, bowing down under the mighty\naction of the word of God, and our modern skeptics and infidels, who,\nwith appalling audacity, dare to sit in judgment upon that very same\nWord! Oh that men would be wise in time, and bow their hearts and\nconsciences in reverent submission to the word of the living God\nbefore that great and terrible day of the Lord in the which they shall\nbe compelled to bow, amid \"weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.\"\n\nGod's word shall stand forever, and it is utterly vain for man to set\nhimself up in opposition to it, or seek by his reasonings and\nskeptical speculations to find out errors and contradictions in it.\n\"Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.\" \"Heaven and earth\nshall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.\" \"The word of the\nLord endureth forever.\" Of what possible use is it, therefore, for man\nto resist the word of God? He can gain nothing; but oh! what may he\nlose? If man could prove the Bible false, what should he gain? but if\nit be true after all, what does he lose? A serious inquiry! May it\nhave its weight with any reader whose mind is at all under the\ninfluence of rationalistic or infidel notions.\n\nWe shall now proceed with our history.\n\n\"And Hilkiah and they that the king had appointed went to Huldah the\nprophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah,\nkeeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem, in the college;)\nand they spake to her to that effect.\" At the opening of this paper we\nreferred to the fact of a child of eight years old being on the throne\nof David as indicative of the condition of things amongst the people\nof God. Here, too, we are arrested by the fact that the prophetic\noffice was filled by a woman. It surely tells a tale. Things were low;\nbut the grace of God was unfailing and abundant, and Josiah was so\nthoroughly broken down that he was prepared to receive the\ncommunication of the mind of God through whatever channel it might\nreach him. This was morally lovely. It might, to nature's view, seem\nvery humiliating for a king of Judah to have recourse to a woman for\ncounsel; but then that woman was the depositary of the mind of God,\nand this was quite enough for a humble and a contrite spirit like\nJosiah's. He had thus far proved that his one grand desire was to know\nand do the will of God, and hence it mattered not by what vehicle the\nvoice of God was conveyed to his ear, he was prepared to hear and\nobey.\n\nChristian reader, let us consider this. We may rest assured that\nherein lies the true secret of divine guidance. \"The meek will He\nguide in judgment, and the meek will He teach His way\" (Ps. xxv. 9).\nWere there more of this blessed spirit of meekness among us, there\nwould be less confusion, less controversy, less striving about words\nto no profit. If we were all meek, we should all be divinely guided\nand divinely taught, and thus we should see eye to eye; we should be\nof one mind, and speak the same thing, and avoid much sad and humbling\ndivision and heart-burning.\n\nSee what a full answer the meek and contrite Josiah received from\nHuldah the prophetess--an answer both as to his people and as to\nhimself. \"And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel,\nTell ye the man that sent you to me, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I\nwill bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof,\neven all the curses that are written in the book which they have read\nbefore the king of Judah. Because _they have forsaken Me_, and have\nburned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger\nwith all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath shall be poured\nout upon this place, and shall not be quenched.\"\n\nAll this was but the solemn reiteration and establishment of what had\nalready fallen upon the open and attentive ear of the king of Judah;\nbut then it came with fresh force, emphasis, and interest, as a direct\npersonal communication to himself. It came enforced and enhanced by\nthat earnest sentence, \"Tell ye _the man_ that sent you to me.\"\n\nBut there was more than this. There was a gracious message directly\nconcerning Josiah himself. \"And as for the king of Judah, who sent you\nto inquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord\nGod of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard: BECAUSE THY\nHEART WAS TENDER, and thou didst _humble thyself before God_ when thou\nheardest His words against this place, and against the inhabitants\nthereof, and _humbledst thyself before Me_, and didst rend thy clothes\nand _weep before Me_; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord.\nBehold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered\nto thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that\nI will bring upon this place and upon the inhabitants of the same. So\nthey brought the king word again\" (2 Chron. xxxiv. 23-28).\n\nAll this is full of instruction and encouragement for us in this dark\nand evil day. It teaches us the immense value, in the divine\nestimation, of deep personal exercise of soul and contrition of\nheart. Josiah might have deemed the case hopeless--that nothing could\navert the mighty tide of wrath and judgment which was about to roll\nover the city of Jerusalem and the land of Israel--that any movement\nof his must prove utterly unavailing--that the divine purpose was\nsettled--the decree gone forth, and that, in short, he had only to\nstand by and let things take their course. But Josiah did not reason\nthus. No; he bowed before the divine testimony. He humbled himself,\nrent his clothes, and wept. God took knowledge of this. Josiah's\npenitential tears were precious to Jehovah, and though the appalling\njudgment had to take its course, yet the penitent escaped. And not\nonly did he himself escape, but he became the honored instrument in\nthe Lord's hand of delivering others also. He did not abandon himself\nto the influence of a pernicious fatalism, but in brokenness of spirit\nand earnestness of heart he cast himself upon God, confessing his own\nsins and the sins of his people. And then, when assured of his own\npersonal deliverance, he set himself to seek the deliverance of his\nbrethren also. This is a fine moral lesson for the heart. May we learn\nit thoroughly.\n\n\n\n\nPART IV\n\n\nIt is deeply interesting and instructive to mark the actings of Josiah\nwhen his heart and conscience had been brought under the powerful\ninfluence of the word of God. He not only bowed down under that Word\nhimself, but he sought to lead others to bow likewise. This must ever\nbe the case where the work is real. It is impossible for a man to feel\nthe weight and solemnity of truth and not seek to bring others under\nits action. No doubt a quantity of truth may be held in the\nintellect--held superficially--held in a merely speculative, notional\nway; but this will have no practical effect; it does not tell upon the\nheart and conscience after a divine, living fashion; it does not\naffect the life and character. And inasmuch as it does not affect our\nown souls, neither will our mode of presenting it be very likely to\nact with much power upon others. True, God is sovereign, and He may\nuse His own Word even when spoken by one who has never really felt its\ninfluence; but we are speaking now of what may properly and naturally\nbe looked for; and we may rest assured that the best way in which to\nmake others feel deeply is to feel deeply ourselves.\n\nTake any truth you please. Take, for example, the glorious truth of\nthe Lord's coming. How is a man most likely to affect his hearers by\nthe presentation of this truth? Unquestionably by being deeply\naffected himself. If the heart be under the power of that solemn word,\n\"the Lord is at hand,\"--if this fact be realized in all its solemnity\nas to the world, and in its sweet attractiveness as to the believer\nindividually and the Church collectively, then it will assuredly be\npresented in a way calculated to move the hearts of the hearers. It is\neasy to see when a man _feels_ what he is saying. There may be a very\nclear and clever exposition of the doctrine of the second advent, and\nof all the collateral truths; but if it be cold and heartless, it will\nfall powerless on the ears of the audience. In order to speak to\n_hearts_, on any subject, the heart of the speaker must feel it. What\nwas it that gave such power to Whitefield's discourses? It was not the\ndepth or the range of truth contained in them, as is manifest to any\nintelligent reader. No. The secret of their mighty efficacy lay in the\nfact that the speaker _felt_ what he was saying. Whitefield wept over\nthe people, and no marvel if the people wept under Whitefield. He must\nbe a hardened wretch indeed who can sit unmoved under a preacher who\nis shedding tears for his soul's salvation.\n\nLet us not be misunderstood. We do not mean to say that anything in a\npreacher's manner can of itself convert a soul. Tears cannot quicken:\nearnestness cannot regenerate. It is \"not by might, nor by power, but\nby My Spirit, saith the Lord.\" It is only by the powerful action of\nthe Word and Spirit of God that any soul can be born again. All this\nwe fully believe, and would ever bear in mind; but at the same time,\nwe as fully believe and would also bear in mind that God blesses\nearnest preaching, and souls are moved by it. We have far too much\nmechanical preaching--too much routine work--too much of what may\njustly be called _going through_ a service. We want more earnestness,\nmore depth of feeling, more intensity, more power to weep over the\nsouls of men, a more influential and abiding sense of the awful doom\nof impenitent sinners, the value of an immortal soul, and the solemn\nrealities of the eternal world. We are told that the famous Garrick\nwas once asked by a bishop how it was that he produced far more\npowerful results by his fiction than the bishop could by preaching\ntruth. The reply of the actor is full of force. \"My lord,\" said he,\n\"the reason is obvious: I speak fiction as though it were truth,\nwhereas you speak truth as though it were fiction.\"\n\nAlas! it is much to be feared that too many of us speak truth in the\nsame way, and hence the little result. We are persuaded that earnest,\nfaithful preaching is one of the special wants of this our day. There\nare a few here and there, thank God, who seem to _feel_ what they are\nat--who stand before their audience as those who consider themselves\nas channels of communication between God and their fellows--men who\nare really bent on their work--bent, not merely on preaching and\nteaching, but on saving and blessing souls. The grand business of the\nevangelist is to _bring_ the soul and Christ together; the business of\nthe teacher and pastor is to _keep_ them together. True it is, most\nblessedly true, that God is glorified and Jesus Christ magnified by\nthe unfolding of truth, whether men will hear or whether they will\nforbear; but is this fact to be allowed to interfere, in the smallest\ndegree, with the ardent desire for _results_ in reference to souls? We\ndo not for a moment believe it. The preacher should look for results,\nand should not be satisfied without them. He should no more think of\nbeing satisfied to go on without results than the husbandman thinks of\ngoing on from year to year without a crop. Some preachers there are\nwho only succeed in preaching their hearers away, and then they\ncontent themselves by saying, \"We are a sweet savor to God.\" Now, we\nbelieve this is a great mistake, and a fatal delusion. What we want is\nto live before God for the results of our work--to wait upon Him--to\nagonize in prayer for souls--to throw all our energies into the\nwork--to preach as though the whole thing depended upon us, although\nknowing full well that we can do just nothing, and that our words must\nprove as the morning cloud if not fastened as a nail in a sure place\nby the Master of assemblies. We are convinced that, in the divine\norder of things, the earnest workman must have the fruit of his labor;\nand that according to his faith, so shall it be. There may be\nexceptions, but as a general rule, we may rest assured that a faithful\npreacher, will, sooner or later, reap fruit.\n\nWe have been drawn into the foregoing line of thought while\ncontemplating the interesting scene in the life of Josiah presented to\nus at the close of 2 Chronicles xxxiv. It will be profitable for us to\ndwell upon it. Josiah was a man thoroughly in earnest. He felt the\npower of truth in his own soul, and he could not rest satisfied until\nhe gathered the people around him, in order that the light which had\nshone upon him might shine upon them likewise. He did not, he could\nnot, rest in the fact that he was to be gathered to his grave in\npeace--that his eyes were not to see the evil that was coming upon\nJerusalem--that he was to escape the appalling tide of judgment which\nwas about to roll over the land. No; he thought of others, he felt for\nthe people around him; and inasmuch as his own personal escape stood\nconnected with and based upon his true penitence and humiliation under\nthe mighty hand of God, so he would seek, by the action of that Word\nwhich had wrought so powerfully in his own heart, to lead others to\nlike penitence and humiliation.\n\n\"Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and\nJerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all\nthe men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests,\nand the Levites, and all the people, great and small; and he read in\ntheir ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in\nthe house of the Lord. And the king stood in his place, and made a\ncovenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep His\ncommandments and His testimonies and his statutes _with all his heart_\nand _with all his soul_, to perform the words of the covenant which\nare written in this book. And he caused all that were present in\nJerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of\nJerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their\nfathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the\ncountries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that\nwere present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. And\nall his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of\ntheir fathers.\"\n\nThere is a fine moral lesson in all this for us--yea, many lessons to\nwhich we, with all our light, knowledge, and privilege, may well sit\ndown. What first of all strikes us at this moment is the fact that\nJosiah felt his responsibility to those around him. He did not put his\nlight under a bushel, but rather allowed it to shine for the full\nbenefit and blessing of others. This is all the more striking,\ninasmuch as that great practical truth of the unity of all believers\nin one body was not known to Josiah, because not revealed by God. The\ndoctrine contained in that one brief sentence, \"There is one body and\none Spirit,\" was not made known until long after the times of Josiah,\neven when Christ the risen Head had taken His seat at the right hand\nof the Majesty in the heavens.\n\nBut although this truth was \"hid in God,\" nevertheless there was the\nunity of the nation of Israel. There was a national unity, though\nthere was not the unity of a body; and this unity was always\nrecognized by the faithful, whatever might be the outward condition of\nthe people. The twelve loaves on the table of show-bread in the\nsanctuary were the divine type of the perfect unity and yet the\nperfect distinctness of the twelve tribes. The reader can see this in\nLeviticus xxiv. It is full of interest, and should be deeply pondered\nby every student of Scripture and every earnest lover of the ways of\nGod. During the dark and silent watches of the night, the seven lamps\nof the golden candlestick threw their light upon the twelve loaves\nranged by the hand of the high-priest according to the commandment of\nGod upon the pure table. Significant figure!\n\nIt was on this grand truth that Elijah the Tishbite took his stand,\nwhen on Mount Carmel he built an altar \"with twelve stones, according\nto the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word\nof the Lord came, saying, 'Israel shall be thy name'\" (1 Kings xviii).\nTo this same truth Hezekiah had regard when he commanded \"that the\nburnt-offering and the sin-offering should be made for _all Israel_\"\n(2 Chron. xxix. 24). Paul, in his day referred to this precious truth,\nwhen in the presence of king Agrippa he spoke of \"our twelve tribes,\ninstantly serving God day and night\" (Acts xxvi. 7).\n\nNow, if any one of those men of faith had been asked, \"Where are the\ntwelve tribes?\" could he have given an answer? could he have pointed\nthem out? Assuredly he could; but not to sight--not to man's view,\nfor the nation was divided--its unity was broken. In the days of\nElijah and Hezekiah there were the ten tribes and the two; and in the\ndays of Paul, the ten tribes were scattered abroad, and only a remnant\nof the two in the land of Palestine, under the dominion of Daniel's\nfourth beast. What then? Was the truth of God made of none effect by\nIsrael's outward condition? Far be the thought! \"Our twelve tribes\"\nmust never be given up. The unity of the nation is a grand reality to\nfaith. It is as true at this moment as when Joshua pitched the twelve\nstones at Gilgal. The word of our God shall stand forever. Not one jot\nor tittle of aught that He has spoken shall ever pass away. Change and\ndecay may mark the history of human affairs,--death and desolation may\nsweep like a withering blast over earth's fairest scenes, but Jehovah\nwill make good His every word, and Israel's twelve tribes shall yet\nenjoy the promised land, in all its length, breadth, and fulness. No\npower of earth or hell shall be able to hinder this blessed\nconsummation. And why? What makes us so sure? How can we speak with\nsuch absolute certainty? Simply because the mouth of the Lord hath\nspoken it. We may be more sure that Israel's tribes shall yet enjoy\ntheir fair inheritance in Palestine than that the house of Tudor once\nheld sway in England. The former we believe on the testimony of God,\nwho cannot lie; the latter on the testimony of man only.\n\nIt is of the utmost importance that the reader should be clear as to\nthis, not only because of its special bearing upon Israel and the land\nof Canaan, but also because it affects the integrity of Scripture as a\nwhole. There is a loose mode of handling the word of God, which is at\nonce dishonoring to Him and injurious to us. Passages which apply\ndistinctly and exclusively to Jerusalem and to Israel are made to\napply to the spread of the gospel and the extension of the Christian\nChurch. This, to say the least of it, is taking a very unwarrantable\nliberty with divine revelation. Our God can surely say what He means,\nand as surely He means what He says; hence, when He speaks of Israel\nand Jerusalem, He does not mean the Church; and when He speaks of the\nChurch, He does not mean Israel or Jerusalem.\n\nExpositors the students of Scripture should ponder this. Let no one\nsuppose that it is merely a question of prophetic interpretation. It\nis far more than this. It is a question of the integrity, value, and\npower of the word of God. If we allow ourselves to be loose and\ncareless in reference to one class of scriptures, we are likely to be\nloose and careless as to another, and then our sense of the weight and\nauthority of all Scripture will be sadly enfeebled.\n\nBut we must return to Josiah, and see how he recognized, according to\nhis measure, the great principle on which we have been dwelling. He\ncertainly proved no exception to the general rule, namely, that all\nthe pious kings of Judah had regard to the unity of the nation of\nIsrael, and never suffered their thoughts, their sympathies, or their\noperations to be confined within any narrower range than \"our twelve\ntribes.\" The twelve loaves on the pure table were ever before the eye\nof God and ever before the eye of faith. Nor was this a mere\nspeculation--a none-practical dogma--a dead letter. No; it was in\nevery case a great practical, influential truth. \"Josiah took away\n_all_ the abominations out of _all the countries that pertained to the\nchildren of Israel_.\" This was acting in the fullest harmony with his\npious predecessor, Hezekiah, who \"commanded that the burnt-offering\nand the sin-offering should be made for _all Israel_\".\n\nAnd now, Christian reader, mark the application of all this to our own\nsouls at this present moment. Do you heartily believe, upon divine\nauthority, in the doctrine of the unity of the body of Christ? Do you\nbelieve that there is such a body on this earth now, united to its\ndivine and living Head in heaven by the Holy Ghost? Do you hold this\ngreat truth from God Himself, upon the authority of Holy Scripture? Do\nyou, in one word, hold as a cardinal and fundamental truth of the New\nTestament the indissoluble unity of the Church of God? Do not turn\nround and ask, \"Where is this to be _seen_?\" This is the question\nwhich unbelief must ever put, as the eye rests upon Christendom's\nnumberless sects and parties, and to which faith replies, as the eye\nrests upon that imperishable sentence, \"There is one body and one\nSpirit.\" Mark the words!--\"There _is_.\" It does not say there _was_ at\none time and there shall be again \"one body.\" Neither does it say\nthat such a thing exists in heaven. No; but it says, \"There _is_ one\nbody and one Spirit\" now on this earth. Can this truth be touched by\nthe condition of things in the professing Church? Has God's Word\nceased to be true because man has ceased to be faithful? Will any one\nundertake to say that the unity of the body was only a truth for\napostolic times, and that it has no application now, seeing that there\nis no exhibition of it?\n\nReader, we solemnly warn you to beware how you admit into your heart a\nsentiment so entirely infidel as this. Rest assured it is the fruit of\npositive unbelief in God's Word. No doubt, appearances argue against\nthis truth; but what truth is it against which appearances do not\nargue? And say, is it on appearances that faith ever builds? Did\nElijah build on appearances when he erected his altar of twelve\nstones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob?\nDid king Hezekiah build on appearances when he issued that fine\ncommandment that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be\nmade for _all Israel_? Did Josiah build on appearances when he carried\nhis reformatory operations into all the countries that pertained to\nthe children of Israel? Surely not. They built upon the faithful word\nof the God of Israel. That Word was true whether Israel's tribes were\nscattered or united. If God's truth is to be affected by outward\nappearances, or by the actings of men, then where are we? or what are\nwe to believe? The fact is, there is hardly a truth in the entire\ncompass of divine revelation to which we could with calm confidence\ncommit our souls if we suffer ourselves to be affected by outward\nappearances.\n\nNo, reader; the only ground on which we can believe anything is this\none eternal clause, \"_It is written_\"! Do you not admit this? Does not\nyour whole soul bow down to it? Do you not hold it to be a principle\nentirely vital? We believe you do, as a Christian, hold, admit, and\nreverently believe this. Well, then, _it is written_, \"There is one\nbody and one Spirit\" (Eph. iv.). This is as clearly revealed in\nScripture as that \"we are justified by faith,\" or any other truth. Do\noutward appearances affect the saving, fundamental doctrine of\njustification by faith? Are we to call in question this precious truth\nbecause there is so little exhibition of its purifying power in the\nlives of believers? Who could admit such a fatal principle as this?\nWhat a complete upturning of all the foundations of our faith is\nnecessarily involved in the admission of this most mischievous line of\nreasoning! We believe because it is written in the Word, not because\nit is exhibited in the world. Doubtless it ought to be exhibited, and\nit is our sin and shame that it is not. To this we shall afterward\nrefer more fully; but we must insist upon the proper ground of belief,\nnamely, divine revelation; and when this is clearly seen and fully\nadmitted, it applies as distinctly to the doctrine of the unity of the\nbody as it does to the doctrine of justification by faith.\n\n\n\n\nPART V\n\n\nWe feel it to be of real moment to insist upon this principle, namely,\nthat the _only_ ground on which we can believe any doctrine is its\nbeing revealed in the divine Word. It is thus we believe all the great\ntruths of Christianity. We know nothing and can believe nothing of\nwhat is spiritual, heavenly, or divine, save as we find it revealed in\nthe word of God. How do I know I am a sinner? Because Scripture hath\ndeclared that \"all have sinned.\" No doubt I feel that I am a sinner;\nbut I do not believe because I feel, but I feel because I believe, and\nI believe because God has spoken. Faith rests upon divine revelation,\nnot on human feelings or human reasonings. \"It is written\" is quite\nsufficient for faith. It can do with nothing less, but it asks nothing\nmore. God speaks: faith believes. Yes, it believes simply because God\nspeaks. It does not judge God's Word by outward appearances, but it\njudges outward appearances by the word of God.\n\nThus it is in reference to all the cardinal truths of the Christian\nreligion, such as the Trinity, the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His\natonement, His priesthood, His advent, the doctrine of original sin,\nof justification, judgment to come, eternal punishment. We believe\nthese grand and solemn truths, not on the ground of feeling, of\nreason, or of outward appearances, but simply on the ground of divine\nrevelation.\n\nHence, then, if it be asked, On what ground do we believe in the\ndoctrine of the unity of the body? we reply, Upon the self-same ground\nthat we believe the doctrine of the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and\nthe atonement. We believe it because it is revealed in sundry places\nin the New Testament. Thus, for example, in 1 Cor. xii. we read, \"For\nas _the body is one_, and hath many members, and all the members of\nthat _one body_, being many, are _one body_; so also _is Christ_. For\nby one Spirit are we all baptized into _one body_, whether we be Jews\nor Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to\ndrink into one Spirit.\" Again, \"God hath tempered the body together,\nhaving given more abundant honor to that part which lacked, that there\nshould be no schism in the body.... Now, _ye are the body of Christ_,\nand members in particular.\"\n\nHere we have distinctly laid down the perfect and indissoluble unity\nof the Church of God, the body of Christ, on precisely the same\nauthority as any other truth commonly received amongst us; so that\nthere is just as much ground for calling in question the deity of\nChrist as there is for calling in question the unity of the body. The\none is as true as the other; and both are divinely true, because\ndivinely revealed. We believe that Jesus Christ is God over all,\nblessed forever, because Scripture tells us so; we believe that there\nis one body because Scripture tells us so. We do not reason in the\none case, but believe and bow; nor should we reason in the other case,\nbut believe and bow. \"There is one body and one Spirit.\"\n\nNow, we must bear in mind that this truth of the unity of the body is\nnot a mere abstraction--a barren speculation--a powerless dogma. It is\na practical, formative, influential truth, in the light of which we\nare called to walk, to judge ourselves and all around us. It was so\nwith the faithful in Israel of old. The unity of the nation was a real\nthing to them, and not a mere theory to be taken up or laid down at\npleasure. It was a great formative, powerful truth. The nation was one\nin God's thoughts; and if it was not manifestly so, the faithful had\nonly to take the place of self-judgment, brokenness of spirit, and\ncontrition of heart. Witness the case of Hezekiah, Josiah, Daniel,\nNehemiah, and Ezra. It never once occurred to these faithful men that\nthey were to give up the truth of Israel's unity because Israel had\nfailed to maintain it. They did not measure the truth of God by the\nactings of men; but they judged the actings of men, and themselves\nlikewise, by the truth of God. This was the only true way to act. If\nthe manifested unity of Israel was marred through man's sin and folly,\nthe true-hearted members of the congregation owned and mourned over\nthe sin, confessed it as their own, and looked to God. Nor was this\nall. They felt their responsibility to act on the truth of God\nwhatever might be the outward condition of things.\n\nThis, we repeat, was the meaning of Elijah's altar of twelve stones,\nerected in the face of Jezebel's eight hundred false prophets, and\ndespite the division of the nation in man's view. (1 Kings xviii.)\nThis, too, was the meaning of Hezekiah's letters sent to \"_all\nIsrael_\" to invite them to \"come to the house of the Lord at\nJerusalem, to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel.\" Nothing\ncan be more touching than the spirit and style of these letters. \"_Ye\nchildren of Israel_, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac,\nand Israel, and He will return to the remnant of you that are escaped\nout of the hand of the kings of Assyria. And be not ye like your\nfathers and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God\nof their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.\nNow, _be ye not stiff-necked_, as your fathers were, but _yield\nyourselves unto the Lord_, and enter into His sanctuary, which He\n_hath sanctified forever_; and serve the Lord your God, that the\nfierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. _For if ye turn again\nunto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion_\nbefore them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into\nthis land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will\nnot turn away His face from you\" (2 Chron. xxx. 6-9).\n\nWhat was all this but simple faith acting on the grand, eternal,\nimmutable truth of the unity of the nation of Israel? The nation was\n_one_ in the purpose of God, and Hezekiah looked at it from the\ndivine standpoint, as faith ever does, and he acted accordingly. \"So\nthe posts passed from city to city, through _the country of Ephraim\nand Manasseh_, even unto Zebulun; but _they laughed them to scorn, and\nmocked them_.\" This was very sad, but it is only what we must expect.\nThe actings of faith are sure to call forth the scorn and contempt of\nthose who are not up to the standard of God's thoughts. Doubtless\nthese men of Ephraim and Manasseh regarded Hezekiah's message as a\npiece of presumption or wild extravagance. Perhaps the great truth\nthat was acting with such power on his soul, forming his character and\nruling his conduct, was in their judgment a myth, or at best a\nvalueless theory--a thing of the past--an institution of bygone ages,\nhaving no present application. But faith is never moved by the\nthoughts of men, and therefore Hezekiah went on with his work, and God\nowned and blessed him. He could afford to be laughed at and turned\ninto ridicule, while he beheld divers of Asher and Manasseh and\nZebulun humbling themselves and coming to Jerusalem. Hezekiah and all\nwho thus humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God reaped a rich\nharvest of blessing, while the mockers and scorners were left in the\nbarrenness and deadness with which their own unbelief had surrounded\nthem.\n\nAnd let the reader mark the force of those words of Hezekiah, \"If _ye_\nturn again unto the Lord, _your brethren and your children shall find\ncompassion_ before them that lead them captive.\" Does not this\napproach very near to that precious truth of the New Testament times,\nthat we are members one of another, and that the conduct of one member\naffects all the rest? Unbelief might raise the question as to how this\ncould possibly be--as to how the actings of one could possibly affect\nothers far away; yet so it was in Israel, and so it is now in the\nChurch of God. Witness the case of Achan, in Joshua vii. There, one\nman sinned; and, so far as the narrative informs us, the whole\ncongregation was ignorant of the fact; and yet we read that \"_the\nchildren of Israel_ committed a trespass in the accursed thing.\" And\nagain, \"_Israel_ hath sinned.\" How could this be? Simply because the\nnation was one, and God dwelt among them. This, plainly, was the\nground of a double responsibility, namely, a responsibility to God,\nand a responsibility to the whole assembly and to each member in\nparticular. It was utterly impossible for any one member of the\ncongregation to shake off this high and holy responsibility. A person\nliving at Dan might feel disposed to question how his conduct could\naffect a man living at Beersheba; yet such was the fact, and the\nground of this fact lay in the eternal truth of Israel's indissoluble\nunity and Jehovah's dwelling in the midst of His redeemed assembly.\n(See Exodus xv. 2, and the many passages which speak of God's dwelling\nin the midst of Israel.)\n\nWe do not attempt even to quote the numerous scriptures which speak of\nGod's presence in the congregation of Israel--His dwelling in their\nmidst. But we would call the attention of the reader to the\nall-important fact that those scriptures _begin_ with Exodus xv. It\nwas when Israel stood, as a fully redeemed people, on Canaan's side of\nthe Red Sea that they were able to say, \"The Lord is my strength and\nmy song, and He is become my salvation: He is _my God_, and I will\nprepare Him a _habitation_.\" Redemption formed the ground of God's\ndwelling among His people, and His presence in their midst secured\ntheir perfect unity. Hence no one member of the congregation could\nview himself as an isolated independent atom. Each one was called to\nview himself as part of a whole, and to view his conduct in reference\nto all those who, like himself, formed part of that whole.\n\nNow, reason could never grasp a truth like this. It lay entirely\nbeyond the ken of the most powerful human intellect. Faith alone could\nreceive it and act upon it, and it is of the deepest interest to see\nthat the faithful in Israel ever recognized it and acted upon it. Why\ndid Hezekiah send letters to \"all Israel\"? Why did he expose himself\nto scorn and ridicule in so doing? Why did he command that \"the\nburnt-offering and the sin-offering should be made for all Israel\"?\nWhy did Josiah carry his reformatory operations into all \"the\ncountries that pertained to the children of Israel\"? Because those men\nof God recognized the divine truth of Israel's unity, and they did not\nthink of throwing this grand reality overboard because so few saw it\nor sought to carry it out. \"The people shall dwell alone;\" and \"I,\nthe Lord, will dwell among the children of Israel.\" These imperishable\ntruths shine, like most precious gems of heavenly lustre, all along\nthe page of Old Testament Scripture; and we invariably find that, just\nin proportion as any one was living near to God--near to the living\nand ever-gushing fountain of life and light and love--just in\nproportion as he entered into the thoughts, purposes, sympathies, and\ncounsels of the God of Israel, did he apprehend and seek to carry out\nthat which God had declared to be true of His people, though His\npeople had proved so untrue to Him.\n\nAnd now, Christian reader, we would ask you a very plain and pointed\nquestion, which is this: Do you not recognize in the unity of the\nJewish nation the foreshadowing of a higher unity now existing in that\none body of which Christ is the Head? We trust you do. We fondly hope\nthat your whole moral being bows down, with reverent submission, to\nthe mighty truth, \"There _is_ one body.\" But then we can well imagine\nthat you feel yourself not a little perplexed and confounded when you\ncast your eye around you through the length and breadth of the\nprofessing Church, in search of any positive expression of this unity.\nYou see Christians scattered and divided--you see innumerable sects\nand parties; and what perhaps puzzles you most of all, you see those\nwho profess to believe and act upon the truth of the unity of the body\ndivided amongst themselves, and presenting anything but a spectacle of\nunity and harmony. All this, we confess, is very perplexing to one\nwho looks at it from a merely human standpoint. We are not the least\nsurprised at people being stumbled and hindered by these things. Still\nthe foundation of God standeth sure. His truth is perfectly\nindestructible; and if we gaze with admiration upon the faithful\nworthies of a bygone age who believed and confessed the unity of\nIsrael when there was not a trace of that unity visible to mortal\neyes, why should we not heartily believe and diligently carry out the\nhigher unity of the one body? \"There is one body and one Spirit,\" and\nherein lies the basis of our responsibility to one another and to God.\nAre we to surrender this all-important truth because Christians are\nscattered and divided? God forbid. It is as real and as precious as\never, and it ought to be as formative and as influential. We are bound\nto act upon the truth of God, irrespective of consequences, and\nutterly regardless of outward appearances. It is not for us to say, as\nso many do, \"The case is hopeless: everything has gone to pieces. It\nis impossible to carry out the truth of God amid the heaps of rubbish\nwhich lie around us. The unity of the body was a thing of the _past_;\nit may be a thing of the _future_, but it cannot be a thing of the\n_present_. The idea of unity must be abandoned as thoroughly Utopian,\nit cannot be maintained in the face of Christendom's numberless sects\nand parties. Nothing remains now but for each one to look to the Lord\nfor himself, and to do the best he can, in his own _individual_\nsphere, and according to the dictates of his own conscience and\njudgment.\"\n\nSuch is, in substance, the language of hundreds of the true people of\nGod; and as is their language, so is their practical career. But we\nmust speak plainly, and we have no hesitation in saying that this\nlanguage savors of sheer unbelief in that great cardinal verity of the\nunity of the body; and, moreover, that we have just as much warrant\nfor rejecting the precious doctrine of Christ's deity, of His perfect\nhumanity, or of His vicarious sacrifice, as we have for rejecting the\ntruth of the perfect unity of His body, inasmuch as this latter rests\nupon precisely the same foundation as the former, namely, the eternal\ntruth of God--the absolute statement of Holy Scripture. What right\nhave we to set aside any one truth of divine revelation? What\nauthority have we to single out any special truth from the word of God\nand say that it no longer applies? We are bound to receive _all\ntruth_, and to submit our souls to its authority. It is a dangerous\nthing to admit for a moment the idea that any one truth of God is to\nbe set aside, on the plea that it cannot be carried out. It is\nsufficient for us that it is revealed in the Holy Scriptures: we have\nonly to _believe_ and to _obey_. Does Scripture declare that there is\n\"one body\"? Assuredly it does. This is enough. We are responsible to\nmaintain this truth, cost what it may; we can accept nothing\nelse--nothing less--nothing different. We are bound, by the allegiance\nwhich we owe to Christ the Head, to testify, practically, against\neverything that militates against the truth of the indissoluble unity\nof the Church of God, and to seek earnestly and constantly a faithful\nexpression of that unity.\n\nTrue, we shall have to contend with false unity on the one hand and\nfalse individuality on the other; but we have only to hold fast and\nconfess the truth of God, looking to Him, in humility of mind and\nearnest purpose of heart, and He will sustain us in the path, let the\ndifficulties be what they may. No doubt there are difficulties in the\nway--grave difficulties, such as we in our own strength cannot cope\nwith. The very fact that we are told to \"_endeavor_ to keep the unity\nof the Spirit in the bond of peace\" is sufficient to prove that there\nare difficulties in the way; but the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is\namply sufficient for all the demands that may be made upon us in\nseeking to act upon this most precious truth.\n\nIn contemplating the present condition of the professing Church we may\ndiscern two very distinct classes. In the first place, there are those\nwho are seeking unity on false grounds; and secondly, those who are\nseeking it on the ground laid down in the New Testament. This latter\nis distinctly a spiritual, living, divine unity, and stands out in\nvivid contrast with all the forms of unity which man has attempted,\nwhether it be national, ecclesiastical, ceremonial, or doctrinal. The\nChurch of God is not a nation, not an ecclesiastical or political\nsystem. It is a body united to its divine Head in heaven, by the\npresence of the Holy Ghost. This is what it was, and this is what it\nis. \"There is one body and one Spirit.\" This remains unalterably\ntrue. It holds good now just as much as when the inspired apostle\npenned Ephesians iv. Hence anything that tends to interfere with or\nmar this truth must be wrong, and we are bound to stand apart from it\nand testify against it. To seek to unite Christians on any other\nground than the unity of the body is manifestly opposed to the\nrevealed mind of God. It may seem very attractive, very desirable,\nvery reasonable, right, and expedient; but it is contrary to God, and\nthis should be enough for us. God's Word speaks _only_ of the unity of\nthe body and the unity of the Spirit. It recognizes no other unity:\nneither should we.\n\nThe Church of God is one, though consisting of many members. It is not\nlocal, or geographical; it is corporate. All the members have a double\nresponsibility; they are responsible to the Head, and they are\nresponsible to one another. It is utterly impossible to ignore this\nresponsibility. Men may seek to shirk it; they may deny it; they may\nassert their individual rights, and act according to their own reason,\njudgment, or will; but they cannot get rid of the responsibility\nfounded upon the fact of the one compact body. They have to do with\nthe Head in heaven and with the members on earth. They stand in this\ndouble relationship--they were incorporated thereinto by the Holy\nGhost, and to deny it is to deny their very spiritual existence. It is\nfounded in life, formed by the Spirit, and taught and maintained in\nthe Holy Scriptures. There is no such thing as independency.\nChristians cannot view themselves as mere individuals--as isolated\natoms. \"We are members one of another.\" This is as true as that we are\n\"justified by faith.\" No doubt there is a sense in which we are\nindividual: we are individual in our repentance; individual in our\nfaith; individual in our justification; individual in our walk with\nGod and in our service to Christ; individual in our rewards for\nservice, for each one shall get a white stone and a new name engraved\nthereon known only to himself. All this is quite true, but it in no\nwise touches the other grand practical truth of our union with the\nHead above and with each and all of the members below.\n\nAnd we would here call the reader's attention to two very distinct\nlines of truth flowing out of two distinct titles of our blessed Lord,\nnamely, Headship and Lordship. He is Head of His body the Church, and\nHe is Lord of all, Lord of each. Now, when we think of Christ as Lord,\nwe are reminded of our individual responsibility to Him, in the wide\nrange of service to which He, in His sovereignty, has graciously\ncalled us. Our reference must be to Him in all things. All our\nactings, all our movements, all our arrangements, must be placed under\nthe commanding influence of that weighty sentence (often, alas!\nlightly spoken and penned), \"If _the Lord_ will.\" And, moreover, no\none has any right to thrust himself between the conscience of a\nservant and the commandment of his Lord. All this is divinely true,\nand of the very highest importance. The Lordship of Christ is a truth\nthe value of which cannot possibly be overestimated.\n\nBut we must bear in mind that Christ is _Head_ as well as _Lord_;--He\nis Head of a body, as well as Lord of individuals. These things must\nnot be confounded. We are not to hold the truth of Christ's Lordship\nin such a way as to interfere with the truth of His Headship. If we\nmerely think of Christ as Lord, and ourselves as individuals\nresponsible to Him, then we shall ignore His Headship, and lose sight\nof our responsibility to every member of that body of which He is\nHead. We must jealously watch against this. We cannot look at\nourselves as isolated, independent atoms; if we think of Christ as\nHead, then we must think of all His members, and this opens up a wide\nrange of practical truth. We have holy duties to discharge to our\nfellow-members, as well as to our Lord and Master; and we may rest\nassured that no one walking in communion with Christ can ever lose\nsight of the grand fact of his relationship to every member of His\nbody. Such an one will ever remember that his walk and ways exert an\ninfluence upon Christians living at the other side of the globe. This\nis a wondrous mystery, but it is divinely true. \"If one member suffer,\n_all_ the members suffer with it\" (1 Cor. xii. 26). You cannot reduce\nthe body of Christ to a matter of locality: the body is one, and we\nare called to maintain this practically in every possible way, and to\nbear a decided testimony against everything which tends to hinder the\nexpression of the perfect unity of the body, whether it be false\nunity or false individuality. The enemy is seeking to associate\nChristians on a false ground, and gather them around a false centre;\nor, if he cannot do this, he will send them adrift upon the wide and\ntumultuous ocean of a desultory individualism. _We are throughly\npersuaded, before God, that the only safeguard against both these\nfalse and dangerous extremes is divinely wrought faith in the grand\nfoundation-truth of the unity of the body of Christ._\n\n\n\n\nPART VI\n\n\nIt may here be proper to inquire what is the suited attitude of the\nChristian in view of the grand foundation-truth of the unity of the\nbody. That it is a truth distinctly laid down in the New Testament\ncannot possibly be questioned. If any reader of these pages be not\nfully established in the knowledge and hearty belief of this truth,\nlet him prayerfully study 1 Corinthians xii. and xiv., Ephesians ii.\nand iv., Colossians ii. and iii. He will find the doctrine referred to\nin a practical way in the opening of Romans xii; though it is not the\ndesign of the Holy Ghost, in that magnificent epistle, to give us a\nfull unfolding of the truth respecting the Church. What we have to\nlook for there is rather the soul's relationship with God through the\ndeath and resurrection of Christ. We might pass through the first\neleven chapters of Romans and not know that there is such a thing as\nthe Church of God, the body of Christ; and when we reach chap. xii.,\nthe doctrine of the one body is assumed, but not dwelt upon.\n\nThere is, then, \"one body\" actually existing on this earth, formed by\nthe \"one Spirit,\" and united to the living Head in heaven. This truth\ncannot be gainsaid. Some may not see it; some may find it very hard\nto receive it, in view of the present condition of things; but\nnevertheless it remains a divinely established truth that \"there is\none body,\" and the question is, how are we individually affected by\nthis truth? It is as impossible to shake off the responsibility\ninvolved therein as it is to set aside the truth itself. If there is a\nbody of which we are members, then do we, in every truth, stand in a\nholy relationship to every member of that body on earth, as well as to\nthe Head in heaven; and this relationship, like every other, has its\ncharacteristic affections, privileges, and responsibilities.\n\nAnd be it remembered, we are not speaking now of the question of\nassociation with any special company of Christians, but of the whole\nbody of Christ upon earth. No doubt each company of Christians,\nwherever assembled, should be but the local expression of the whole\nbody. It should be so gathered and so ordered, on the authority of the\nWord, and by the power of the Holy Ghost, as that all Christ's members\nwho are walking in truth and holiness might happily find their place\nthere. If an assembly be not thus gathered and thus ordered, it is not\non the ground of the unity of the body at all. If there be anything,\nno matter what, in order, discipline, doctrine, or practice, which\nwould prove a barrier to the presence of any of Christ's members whose\nfaith and practice are according to the word of God, then is the unity\nof the body practically denied. We are solemnly responsible to own the\ntruth of the unity of the body. We should so meet that all the\nmembers of Christ's body might, simply as such, sit down with us and\nexercise whatever gift the Head of the Church has bestowed upon them.\nThe body is one. Its members are scattered over the whole earth.\nDistance is nothing: locality nothing. It may be New Zealand, London,\nParis, or Edinburgh; it matters not. A member of the body in one place\nis a member of the body everywhere, for there is but \"one body and one\nSpirit.\" It is the Spirit who forms the body, and links the members\nwith the Head and with one another. Hence, a Christian coming from New\nZealand to London ought to expect to find an assembly so gathered as\nto be a faithful expression of the unity of the body, to which he\nmight attach himself; and furthermore, any such Christian ought to\nfind his place in the bosom of that assembly, provided always there be\nnothing in doctrine or walk to forbid his hearty reception.\n\nSuch is the divine order, as laid down in 1 Cor. xii. and xiv.; Eph.\nii. and iv. and assumed in Rom. xii. Indeed, we cannot study the New\nTestament and not see this blessed truth. We find in various cities\nand towns saints gathered by the Holy Ghost in the name of our Lord\nJesus Christ; as, for example, at Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi,\nColosse, and Thessalonica. These were not independent, isolated,\nfragmentary assemblies, but parts of the one body, so that a member of\nthe Church in one place was a member of the Church everywhere.\nDoubtless, each assembly, as guided by the one Spirit, and under the\none Lord, acted in all local matters, such as receiving to communion,\nor putting away any wicked person from their midst; meeting the wants\nof their poor, and such like; but we may be quite assured that the act\nof the assembly at Corinth would be recognized by all other\nassemblies, so that if any one was separated from communion there, he\nwould, if known, be refused in all other places; otherwise it would be\na plain denial of the unity of the body. We have no reason to suppose\nthat the assembly at Corinth communicated or conferred with any other\nassembly previous to the putting away of \"the wicked person\" in chap.\nv., but we are bound to believe that that act would be duly recognized\nand sanctioned by every assembly upon the earth, and that any assembly\nknowingly receiving the excommunicated man would have cast a slur upon\nthe assembly at Corinth, and practically denied the unity of the body.\n\nThis we believe to be the plain teaching of the New Testament\nScriptures--this, the doctrine which any simple, true-hearted student\nof these scriptures would gather up. That the Church has failed to\ncarry out this precious truth is, alas! alas! painfully true; and that\nwe are all participators in this failure is equally true. The thought\nof this should humble us deeply before God. Not one can throw a stone\nat another, for we are all verily guilty in this matter. Let not the\nreader suppose for a single moment that our object in these pages is\nto set up anything like high ecclesiastical pretensions, or to afford\ncountenance to hollow assumption, in the face of manifest sin and\nfailure. God forbid! we say with our very heart of hearts. We believe\nthat there is a most urgent call upon all God's people to humble\nthemselves in the dust on account of our sad departure from the truth\nso plainly laid down in the word of God.\n\nThus it was with the pious and devoted king Josiah, whose life and\ntimes have suggested this entire line of thought. He found the book of\nthe law, and discovered in its sacred pages an order of things wholly\ndifferent from what he saw around him. How did he act? Did he content\nhimself by saying, \"The case is hopeless: the nation is too far gone:\nruin has set in, and it is utterly vain to think of aiming at the\ndivine standard; we must only let things stand, and do the best we\ncan\"? Nay, reader, such was not Josiah's language or mode of action;\nbut he humbled himself before God, and called upon others to do the\nsame. And not only so, but he sought to carry out the truth of God. He\naimed at the very loftiest standard, and the consequence was, that\n\"from the days of Samuel the prophet, there was no passover like to\nJosiah's kept in Israel; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such\na passover.\"\n\nSuch was the result of faithful reference and adherence to the word of\nGod, and thus it will ever be, for \"God is a rewarder of them that\ndiligently seek Him.\" Look at the actings of the remnant that\nreturned from Babylon in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. What did they\ndo? They set up the altar of God; they built the temple, and repaired\nthe walls of Jerusalem. In other words, they occupied themselves with\nthe true worship of the God of Israel, and with the grand centre or\ngathering-point of His people. This was right. It is what faith always\ndoes, regardless of circumstances. If the remnant had looked at\ncircumstances, they could not have acted. They were a poor\ncontemptible handful of people, under the dominion of the\nuncircumcised Gentiles. They were surrounded by active enemies on all\nsides, who, instigated by the enemy of God, of His city, of His\npeople, left nothing undone to hinder them in their blessed work.\nThese enemies ridiculed them, and said, \"What do these feeble Jews?\nWill they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an\nend in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the\nrubbish which are burned?\" Nor was this all; not only had they to\ncontend with powerful foes without, there was also internal weakness,\nfor \"Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed,\nand there is much rubbish, so that we are not able to build the wall.\"\n(Neh. iv.) All this was very depressing. It was very different from\nthe brilliant and palmy days of Solomon. His burden-bearers were many\nand strong, and there was no rubbish covering the great stones and\ncostly with which he built the house of God, nor any contemptuous foe\nto sneer at his work. And yet, for all that, there were features\nattaching to the work of Ezra and Nehemiah which are not to be found\nin the days of Solomon. Their very feebleness, the piles of rubbish\nwhich lay before them, the proud and insulting enemies who surrounded\nthem--all these things conspired to add a peculiar halo of glory to\ntheir work. They built and prospered, and God was glorified, and He\ndeclared in their ears these cheering words: \"The glory of this latter\nhouse shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of Hosts:\nand in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts.\" (Hag.\nii. 9.)\n\nIt is of importance, in connection with the subject that has been\nengaging our attention, that the reader should carefully study the\nbooks of Ezra and Nehemiah, Haggai and Zechariah. They are full of\nmost blessed instruction, comfort, and encouragement in a day like the\npresent. Many, nowadays, it may be, are disposed to smile at the bare\nmention of such a subject as the unity of the body; but let them ask\nthemselves, Is it the smile of calm confidence, or the sneer of\nunbelief? One thing is certain, the devil as cordially hates the\ndoctrine of the unity of the body as he hates any other doctrine of\ndivine revelation, and he will as assuredly seek to hinder any attempt\nto carry it out as he sought to hinder the rebuilding of Jerusalem in\nthe days of Nehemiah. But let us not be discouraged. It is enough for\nus that we find in God's Word the precious truth of the one body. Let\nus bring the light of this to bear upon the present condition of the\nprofessing Church, and see what it will reveal to our eyes. It will\nmost assuredly put us on our faces in the dust before our God because\nof our ways; but at the same time, it will lift our hearts up to the\ncontemplation of the divine standard. It will so enlighten and elevate\nour souls as to render us thoroughly dissatisfied with everything that\ndoes not present some expression, however feeble, of the unity of the\nbody of Christ. It is wholly impossible that any one can drink into\nhis soul the truth of the one body and rest satisfied with any thing\nshort of the practical recognition thereof. True, he must make up his\nmind to bear the brunt of the enemy's opposition. He will meet a\nSanballat here, and a Rehum there, but faith can say,--\n\n    \"Is God for _me_? I fear not, though all against me rise;\n    When I call on Christ my Saviour, the host of evil flies.\"\n\nThere is ample encouragement for our souls in the word of God. If we\nlook at Josiah, just _before the captivity_, what do we see? A man\nsimply taking the Word as his guide--judging himself and all around by\nits light--rejecting all that was contrary to it, and seeking, with\nearnest purpose of heart, to carry out what he found written there.\nAnd what was the result? The most blessed passover that had been\ncelebrated since the days of Samuel.\n\nAgain, if we look at Daniel, _during the captivity_, what do we see? A\nman acting simply on the truth of God and praying toward Jerusalem,\nthough death stared him in the face as the consequence of his act.\nWhat was the result? A glorious testimony to the God of Israel, and\nthe destruction of Daniel's enemies.\n\nFinally, if we look at the remnant, _after the captivity_, what do we\nsee? Men, in the face of appalling difficulties, rebuilding that city\nwhich was, and shall be, God's earthly centre. And what was the\nresult? The joyous celebration of the feast of tabernacles, which had\nnot been known since the days of Joshua the son of Nun.\n\nNow, if we take any of the above interesting cases, and inquire as to\nthe effect of their looking at surrounding circumstances, what answer\nshall we get? Take Daniel, for instance. Why did he open his window\ntoward Jerusalem? Why look toward a city of ruins? Why call attention\nto a spot which only bore testimony to Israel's sin and shame? Would\nit not be better to let the name of Jerusalem sink into oblivion? Ah?\nwe can guess at Daniel's reply to all such inquiries. Men might smile\nat him too, and deem him a visionary enthusiast; but he knew what he\nwas doing. His heart was occupied with God's centre, the city of\nDavid, the grand gathering-point for Israel's twelve tribes. Was he to\ngive up God's truth because of outward circumstances? Surely not. He\ncould not consent to lower the standard even the breadth of a hair. He\nwould weep, and pray, and fast, and chasten his soul before God, but\nnever lower the standard. Was he going to give up God's thoughts about\nZion because Israel had proved unfaithful? Not he. Daniel knew better\nthan this. His eye was fixed on God's eternal truth, and hence,\nthough he was in the dust because of his own sins and his people's,\nyet the divine banner floated above his head, in its unfading glory.\n\nJust so now, dear Christian reader, we are called to fix the gaze of\nfaith upon the imperishable truth of the one body; and not only to\ngaze upon it, but seek to carry it out in our feeble measure. This\nshould be our one definite and constant aim. We should ever and only\nseek the expression of the unity of the body. We are not to ask, \"How\ncan this be?\" Faith never says, \"How?\" in the presence of divine\nrevelation; it believes and acts. We are not to surrender the truth of\nGod on the plea that we cannot carry it out. The truth is revealed,\nand we are called to bow to it. We are not called to form the unity of\nthe body. Very many seem to think that this unity is a something which\nthey themselves are to set up or form in some way or another. This is\na mistake. The unity exists. It is the result of the presence of the\nHoly Ghost in the body, and we have to recognize it, and walk in the\nlight of it. This will give great definiteness to our course. It is\nalways immensely important to have a distinct object before the heart,\nand to work with direct reference thereto. Look at Paul, that most\ndevoted of workmen. What was his aim?--for what did he work? Hear the\nanswer in his own words: \"I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and\nfill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh\nfor _His body's sake, which is the Church_: whereof I am made a\nminister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me\nfor you, to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which hath been\nhid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His\nsaints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory\nof this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope\nof glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in\nall wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;\nwhereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which\nworketh in me mightily\" (Col. i. 24-29).\n\nNow, this was a great deal more than the mere conversion of souls,\nprecious as that is, most surely. Paul preached the gospel with a\ndirect view to the body of Christ; and this is the pattern for all\nevangelists. We should not rest in the mere fact that souls are\nquickened; we should keep before our minds their incorporation, by the\none Spirit, into the one body. This would effectually preserve us from\nsect-making--from preaching to swell the ranks of a party--from\nseeking to get persons to _join_ this, that, or the other\ndenomination. We should know nothing whatever but the one body,\nbecause we find nothing else in the New Testament. If this be lost\nsight of, the evangelist will not know what to do with souls when they\nare converted. A man may be used in the conversion of hundreds--a most\nprecious work indeed--precious beyond all expression,--and if he does\nnot see the unity of the body, he must be at sea as to their further\ncourse. This is very serious, both as to himself and them, and also\nas to the testimony for Christ.\n\nMay God's Spirit lead all Christians to see this great truth in all\nits bearings. We have but glanced at it, in connection with our theme;\nbut it demands much serious attention at the present moment. It may be\nthat some of our readers are disposed to find fault with what they may\ndeem a long digression from the subject of \"Life and Times of Josiah;\"\nbut in truth it should not be looked on as a digression, but as a line\nof truth flowing naturally out of that subject--a line, too, which\ncannot possibly be over-estimated.\n\n\n\n\nPART VII\n\n\nIn closing our remarks on \"the life and times of Josiah,\" we shall in\nfew words advert, first, to the fact of his celebration of the\npassover; and secondly, to the solemn close of his history. Our sketch\nof this truly interesting period would unquestionably be incomplete\nwere these things omitted.\n\nAnd first, then, as to the fact--so full of interest and\nencouragement--that at the very close of Israel's history there should\nbe one of the brightest moments that Israel had ever known. What does\nthis teach us? It very manifestly teaches us that in darkest times it\nis the privilege of the faithful soul to act on divine principles and\nto enjoy divine privileges. We look upon this as a most weighty fact\nfor all ages, but specially weighty at the present moment. If we did\nnothing more by writing our papers on Josiah than to impress this\ngreat fact on the mind of the Christian reader, we should consider\nthat we had not written in vain. If Josiah had been influenced by the\nspirit and principle which, alas! seem to actuate so many in this our\nday, he never could have attempted to celebrate the passover at all.\nHe would have folded his arms and said, \"It is useless to think of\nmaintaining any longer our great national institutions. It can only be\nregarded as a piece of presumption to attempt the celebration of that\nordinance which was designed to set forth Israel's deliverance from\njudgment by the blood of the lamb, when Israel's unity is broken, and\nits national glory faded and gone.\"\n\nBut Josiah did not reason like this; he simply acted upon the truth of\nGod. He studied the Scriptures, and rejected what was wrong and did\nwhat was right. \"Moreover, Josiah kept a passover unto the Lord in\nJerusalem; and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of _the\nfirst month_.\" (2 Chron. xxxv. 1). This was taking higher ground than\nHezekiah had taken, inasmuch as he kept his passover \"on the\nfourteenth day of _the second month_.\" (Chap. xxx. 15). In so doing,\nHezekiah was, as we know, availing himself of the provision which\ngrace had made for cases of defilement. (See Num. ix. 9-11). The\ndivine order, however, had fixed \"the first month\" as the proper\nperiod, and to this order Josiah was enabled to conform. In short, he\ntook the very highest ground, according to the truth of God, while\nlying low under the deep sense of personal and national failure. This\nis ever the way of faith.\n\n\"And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the\nservice of the house of the Lord, and said unto the Levites that\ntaught _all Israel_, which were holy unto the Lord, Put the holy ark\nin the house which _Solomon_, the _son of David, king of Israel_, did\nbuild: it shall not be a burden on your shoulders; serve now the Lord\nyour God, and _His people Israel_. And prepare yourselves by the\nhouses of your fathers, after your courses, _according to the writing\nof David king of Israel_, and according to the writing of Solomon his\nson, and stand in the holy place, according to the divisions of the\nfamilies of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the\ndivision of the families of the Levites. So kill the passover, and\nsanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, _that they may do\naccording to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses_.\"\n\nHere we have Josiah taking the loftiest ground and acting on the\nhighest authority. The most cursory reader cannot fail to be arrested,\nas he scans the lines just quoted from the inspired record, by the\nnames of \"Solomon,\" \"David,\" \"Moses,\" \"all Israel,\" and above all, by\nthe expression--so full of dignity, weight, and power,--\"That they may\ndo according to the word of the Lord.\" Most memorable words! May they\nsink down into our ears and into our hearts. Josiah felt it to be his\nhigh and holy privilege to conform to the divine standard,\nnotwithstanding all the errors and evils which had crept in from age\nto age. God's truth must stand forever. Faith owns and acts on this\nprecious fact, and reaps accordingly. Nothing can be more lovely than\nthe scene enacted on the occasion to which we are now referring.\nJosiah's strict adherence to the word of the Lord is not more to be\nadmired than his large-hearted devotedness and liberality. \"He gave to\nthe people of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover-offerings,\nfor all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three\nthousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance. And his princes\ngave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites....\nSo the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place,\nand the Levites in their courses, according to the king's\ncommandment.... And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their\nplace, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman,\nand Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate;\nthey might not depart from their service; for their brethren the\nLevites prepared for them. So all the service of the Lord was prepared\nthe same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt-offerings upon\nthe altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of king Josiah.\nAnd _the children of Israel_ that were present kept the passover at\nthat time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. And there was\nno passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the\nprophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as\nJosiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and\nIsrael that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In the\neighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.\"\n\nWhat a picture! King, princes, priests, Levites, singers, porters, all\nIsrael, Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem--all gathered\ntogether--all in their true place and at their appointed work,\n\"according to the word of the Lord,\"--and all this \"in the eighteenth\nyear of the reign of Josiah,\" when the entire Jewish polity was on the\nvery eve of dissolution. Surely this must speak to the heart of the\nthoughtful reader. It tells its own impressive tale, and teaches its\nown peculiar lesson. It tells us that no age, no circumstances, no\ninfluence, can ever change the truth of God or dim the vision of\nfaith. \"The word of the Lord endureth forever,\" and faith grasps that\nword and holds it fast in the face of everything. It is the privilege\nof the believing soul to have to do with God and His eternal truth;\nand, moreover, it is the duty of such an one to aim at the very\nloftiest standard of action, and to be satisfied with nothing lower.\nUnbelief will draw a plea from the condition of things around to lower\nthe standard, to relax the grasp, to slacken the pace, to lower the\ntone. Faith says, \"No!\"--emphatically and decidedly, \"No!\" Let us bow\nour heads in shame and sorrow on account of our sin and failure, but\nkeep the standard up. The failure is ours: the standard is God's.\nJosiah wept and rent his clothes, but he did not surrender the truth\nof God. He felt and owned that he and his brethren and his fathers had\nsinned, but that was no reason why he should not celebrate the\npassover according to the divine order. It was as imperative upon him\nto do right as it was upon Solomon, David, or Moses. It is our\nbusiness to obey the word of the Lord, and we shall assuredly be\nblessed in our deed. This is one grand lesson to be drawn from the\nlife and times of Josiah, and it is undoubtedly a seasonable lesson\nfor our own times. May we learn it thoroughly. May we learn to adhere\nwith holy decision to the ground on which the truth of God has set us,\nand to occupy that ground with a larger measure of true devotedness to\nChrist and His cause.\n\nMost gladly would we linger over the brilliant and soul-stirring scene\npresented in the opening verses of 2 Chronicles xxxv, but we must\nbring this paper to an end, and we shall merely glance very rapidly at\nthe solemn and admonitory close of Josiah's history. It stands in sad\nand painful contrast with all the rest of his most interesting career,\nand sounds in our ears a note of warning to which we are bound to give\nour most serious attention. We shall do little more than quote the\npassage, and then leave the reader to reflect upon it, prayerfully and\nhumbly, in the presence of God.\n\n\"_After all this_, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of\nEgypt came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates; and Josiah\nwent out against him. But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What\nhave I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee\nthis day, but against the house wherewith I have war; for God\ncommanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who\nis with me, that He destroy thee not. Nevertheless, Josiah would not\nturn his face from him, but _disguised himself_, that he might fight\nwith him, and harkened not to the words of Necho _from the mouth of\nGod_, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. And the archers shot\nat king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away, for I\nam sore wounded. His servants therefore took him out of that chariot\nand put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to\nJerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of\nhis fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah\" (2 Chron.\nxxxv. 20-24).\n\nAll this is very sad and humbling. We do not wish to dwell upon it\nfurther than is absolutely needful for the purpose of instruction and\nadmonition. The Holy Spirit does not expatiate, but He has recorded it\nfor our learning. It is ever His way to give us men as they were,--to\nwrite the history of their \"deeds, _first and last_\"--good and\nbad--one as well as another. He tells us of Josiah's piety at the\n\"first,\" and of his wilfulness at the \"last.\" He shows us that so long\nas Josiah walked in the light of divine revelation, his path was\nilluminated by the bright beams of the divine countenance; but the\nmoment he attempted to act for himself--to walk by the light of his\nown eyes--to travel off the straight and narrow way of simple\nobedience, that moment dark and heavy clouds gathered around him, and\nthe course that had opened in sunshine ended in gloom. Josiah went\nagainst Necho without any command from God--yea, he went in direct\nopposition to words spoken \"from the mouth of God.\" He meddled with\nstrife that belonged not to him, and he reaped the consequences.\n\n\"He disguised himself.\" Why do this, if he was conscious of acting for\nGod? Why wear a mask, if treading the divinely appointed pathway?\nAlas! alas! Josiah failed in this, and in his failure he teaches us a\nsalutary lesson. May we profit by it. May we learn more than ever to\nseek a divine warrant for all we do, and to do nothing without it. We\ncan count on God to the fullest extent if we are walking in His way,\nbut we have no security whatever if we attempt to travel off the\ndivinely appointed line. Josiah had no command to fight at Megiddo,\nand hence he could not count on divine protection. \"He disguised\nhimself,\" but that did not shield him from the enemy's arrow. \"The\narchers shot him\"--they gave him his death wound, and he fell, amid\nthe tears and lamentations of a people to whom he had endeared himself\nby a life of genuine piety and earnest devotedness.\n\nMay we have grace to imitate him in his piety and devotedness, and to\nguard against his wilfulness. It is a serious thing for a child of God\nto persist in doing his own will. Josiah went to Megiddo when he ought\nto have tarried at Jerusalem, and the archers shot him, and he died:\nJonah went to Tarshish when he ought to have gone to Nineveh, and he\nwas flung into the deep: Paul persisted in going to Jerusalem though\nthe Spirit told him not, and he fell into the hands of the Romans.\nNow, all these were true, earnest, devoted servants of God; but they\nfailed in these things; and though God overruled their failure for\nblessing, yet they had to reap the fruit of their failure, for \"_our_\nGod is a consuming fire\" (Heb. xii. 29).","title":"The All-Sufficiency of Christ. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. I","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":101435}