,transcriber's note3 ,text enclosed by underscores is in italics 7italics74 ,small capital text has been replaced with all capitals4 ,variations in spelling1 punctuation and hyphenation have been retained except in obvious cases of typographical error4 ,the word over is missing in the original3 ,the ,father has given ,him power over all flesh4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,miscellaneous ,,writings of ,c4,h4,m4 ,the ,all-,sufficiency of ,christ ,miscellaneous ,writings of ,c4 ,h4 ,,mackintosh ,volume #a ,,loizeaux ,,brothers ,neptune1 ,new ,jersey ,,first ,,edition #ahih ,,eleventh ,,printing #aiff ,,loizeaux ,,brothers1 ,inc41 ,,publishers ,a ,nonprofit ,organization1 ,devoted to the ,lord's ,work and to the ,spread of ,his ,truth #ai ,,west #ba,,st ,,street1 ,,new ,,york #aj1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america ,,contents ,pages ,,forgiveness ,,of ,,sins3 ,,what ,,is ,,it8 #c-bb ,,regeneration3 ,,what ,,is ,,it8 #c-cb ,,in ,,the ,,father',s ,,house--,poem ,,sanctification3 ,,what ,,is ,,it8 #c-bb ,,final ,,perseverance3 ,,what ,,is ,,it8 #c-bd ,a ,,sacred ,,union--,poem ,,now ,,and ,,then2 ,,or1 ,,time ,,and ,,eternity #c-cd ,,the ,,all-,,sufficiency ,,of ,,christ #c-dh ,,job ,,and ,,his ,,friends #c-gj ,,what ,,raised ,,the ,,wondrous ,,thought8--,poem ,,the ,,bible3 ,,its ,,sufficiency ,,and ,,supremacy #c-ad ,,christianity3 ,,what ,,is ,,it8 #ae-bf ,,jehoshaphat3 ,a ,,word ,,on ,,world-,,bordering #c-cj ,,life ,,and ,,times ,,of ,,josiah #c-hg ,the original numbering of these writings has been retained4 ,many of the above may be had separately in pamphlet form4 ,,forgiveness ,,of ,,sins ,,what ,,is ,,it8 ,oh1 the blessedness6 transgression forgiven--sin covered6 ,this truly is blessedness2 and without this1 blessedness must be unknown4 ,to have the full assurance that my sins are all forgiven is the only foundation of true happiness4 ,to be happy without this is to be happy on the brink of a yawning gulf1 into which ,i may at any moment be dashed forever4 ,it is utterly impossible that any one can enjoy solid happiness until he is possessed of the divine assurance that all his guilt has been canceled by the blood of the cross4 ,uncertainty as to this must be the fruitful source of mental anguish to any soul who has ever been led to feel the burden of sin4 ,to be in doubt as to whether my guilt was all borne by ,jesus1 or is yet on my conscience1 is to be miserable4 ,now1 before proceeding to unfold the subject of forgiveness1 ,i should like to ask my reader a very plain1 pointed1 personal question1 namely1 ,dost thou believe that thou canst have the clear and settled assurance that thy sins are forgiven8 ,i ask this question at the outset1 because there are many1 now-a-days1 who profess to preach the gospel of ,christ1 and yet deny that any one can be sure that his sins are forgiven4 ,they maintain that it is presumption for any one to believe in the forgiveness of his sins2 and1 on the other hand1 they look upon it as a proof of humility to be always in doubt as to this most momentous point4 ,in other words1 it is presumption to believe what ,god says1 and humility to doubt it4 ,this seems strange in the face of such passages as the following3 ,thus it is written1 and thus it behooved ,christ to suffer1 and to rise from the dead the third day2 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in ,his name among all nations1 beginning at ,jerusalem 7,luke xxiv4 #df1 #dg72 ,in whom we have redemption through ,his blood1 the forgiveness of sins1 according to the riches of ,his grace4 7,eph4 i4 #g2 ,col4 i4 #ad47 ,here we have remission1 or forgiveness1 of sins 7the word is the same in the three passages7 preached in the name of ,jesus1 and possessed by those who believed that preaching4 ,a proclamation was sent to the ,ephesians and ,colossians1 as belonging to the all nations1 telling them of forgiveness of sins1 in the name of ,jesus4 ,they believed this proclamation1 and entered on the possession of the forgiveness of sins4 ,was this presumption on their part8 or would it have been piety and humility to doubt the forgiveness of sins8 ,true1 they had been great sinners--dead in trespasses and sins1 children of wrath1 aliens and foreigners1 enemies by wicked works4 ,some of them had doubtless bowed the knee to ,diana4 ,they had lived in gross idolatry and all manner of wickedness4 ,but then1 forgiveness of sins had been preached to them in the name of ,jesus4 ,was this preaching true1 or was it not8 ,was it for them1 or was it not8 ,was it all a dream--a shadow--a myth8 ,did it mean nothing8 ,was there nothing sure1 nothing certain1 nothing solid about it8 ,these are plain questions1 demanding a plain answer from those who assert that no one can know for certain that his sins are forgiven4 ,if1 indeed1 no one can know it now1 then how could any one have known it in apostolic times8 ,if it could be known in the first century1 then why not in the nineteenth8 ,david describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom ,god imputeth righteousness without works1 saying1 ,blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven1 and whose sins are covered4 ,blessed is the man to whom the ,lord will not impute sin4 7,rom4 iv4 #f-h47 ,hezekiah could say1 ,thou hast cast all my sins behind ,thy back4 7,isaiah xxxviii4 #ag47 ,the ,lord ,jesus said to one1 in ,his day1 ,son1 be of good cheer2 thy sins be forgiven thee4 7,matt4 ix4 #b47 ,thus at all times forgiveness of sins was known with all the certainty which the word of ,god could give4 ,any one of the cases aduced above is sufficient to overthrow the teaching of those who assert that no one can know that his sins are forgiven4 ,if ,i find from ,scripture that any one ever knew this marvelously precious blessing1 that is quite enough for me4 ,now1 when ,i open my ,bible1 ,i find persons who had been guilty of all manner of sins brought to the knowledge of forgiveness2 and ,i therefore argue that it is possible for the very vilest sinner to know now1 with divine certainty1 that his sins are forgiven4 ,was it presumption in ,abraham1 in ,david1 in ,hezekiah1 in the palsied man1 and in numbers besides1 to believe in the forgiveness of sins8 ,would it have been a sign of humility and true piety in them to doubt8 ,it will perhaps be argued that these were all special and extraordinary cases4 ,well1 it matters not1 so far as our present question is concerned1 whether they were ordinary or extraordinary4 ,one thing is plain--they completely disprove the assertion that no one can know that his sins are forgiven4 ,the word of ,god teaches me that numbers1 subject to like passions1 like infirmities1 like failures1 and like sins as the writer and reader1 were brought to know and rejoice in the full forgiveness of sins2 and hence those who maintain that no one can be sure on this momentous question have no scriptural foundation for their opinion4 ,but is it true that the cases recorded in the ,holy ,scriptures are so special and extraordinary as not to afford any precedent for us8 ,by no means4 ,if any case could be so regarded1 it is surely that of ,abraham1 and yet of him we read that it was not written for his sake alone1 that righteousness was imputed to him3 but for us also1 to whom it shall be imputed1 if we believe on ,him that raised up ,jesus our ,lord from the dead2 who was delivered for our offences1 and was raised again for our justification4 7,rom4 iv4 #bc-be47 ,abraham believed in the ,lord2 and ,he counted it to him for righteousness4 7,gen4 xv4 #f47 ,and the ,holy ,ghost declares that righteousness shall be imputed to us also if we believe1--,be it known unto you therefore1 men and brethren1 that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins2 and by ,him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of ,moses 7,acts xiii4 #ch1 #ci472 ,to ,him give all the prophets witness1 that through ,his name whosoever believeth in ,him shall receive remission of sins4 7,acts x4 #dc47 ,now1 the question is1 ,what did the apostles ,peter and ,paul mean when they so unreservedly preached the forgiveness of sins to those who listened to them8 ,did they really mean to convey to their hearers the idea that no one could be sure that he possessed this forgiveness of sins8 ,when in the synagogue of ,antioch1 ,paul said to his audience1 ,we declare unto you glad tidings1 did he entertain the notion that no one could be sure that his sins were forgiven8 ,how could the gospel ever be called glad tidings if its only effect were to leave the soul in doubt and anxiety8 ,if indeed it be true that no one can enjoy the assurance of pardon1 then the whole style of apostolic preaching should be reversed4 ,we might then expect to find ,paul saying to his hearers1 ,be it known unto you therefore1 men and brethren1 that no one can ever know1 in this life1 whether his sins are forgiven or not4 ,is there aught like this in the entire range of apostolic preaching and teaching8 ,do not the apostles everywhere set forth1 in the fullest and clearest manner1 remission of sins as the necessary result of believing in a crucified and risen ,saviour8 ,is there the most remote hint of that which is so much insisted upon by some modern teachers1 namely1 that it is a dangerous presumption to believe in the full forgiveness of all our sins1 and that it argues a pious and humble frame of soul to live in perpetual doubt8 ,is there no possibility of ever enjoying1 in this world1 the comfortable certainty of our eternal security in ,christ8 ,can we not rely upon ,god's word1 or commit our souls to the sacrifice of ,christ8 ,can it be possible that the only effect of ,god's glad tidings is to leave the soul in hopeless perplexity8 ,christ has put away sin2 but ,i cannot know it6 ,god has spoken2 but ,i cannot be sure6 ,the ,holy ,ghost has come down2 but ,i cannot rely upon ,his testimony6 ,it is piety and humility to doubt ,god's word1 to dishonor the atonement of ,christ1 and to refuse the faith of the heart to the record of the ,holy ,ghost6 ,alas6 alas6 if this is the gospel1 then adieu to peace and joy in believing4 ,if this is ,christianity1 then in vain has the dayspring from on high visited us1 to give the knowledge of salvation through the remission of our sins4 7,luke i47 ,if no one can have this knowledge of salvation1 then to what end has it been given8 ,and let my reader bear in mind that the question before us is not whether a person may not deceive himself and others4 ,this would be at once conceded4 ,thousands1 alas6 have deceived themselves1 and thousands more have deceived others2 but is that any reason why ,i cannot possess the absolute certainty that what ,god has said is true1 and that the work of ,christ has availed to put away all my sins8 ,men have deceived themselves1 and therefore ,i am afraid to trust ,christ6 ,men have deceived others1 and therefore ,i am afraid that ,god's word will deceive me6 ,this is really what it all amounts to1 when put into plain language4 ,and is it not well to have things thus put8 ,is it not needful1 at times1 to strip certain propositions of the dress in which legality and fleshly pietism would clothe them1 so that we may see what they are8 ,does it not behove us1 when men stand forth as the professed and authorized exponents of a sound and enlightened ,christianity1 to test what they say by the unerring standard of ,holy ,scripture8 ,assuredly it does4 ,and if they tell us we can never be sure of salvation2 and that it is presumption to think of such a thing2 and1 further1 that the very utmost we can attain to in this life is a faint hope that1 through the mercy of ,god1 we may get to heaven when we die2 we must utterly reject such teaching1 as being in direct opposition to the ,word of ,god4 ,false theology tells me ,i can never be sure1 ,god's ,word tells me ,i can4 ,which am ,i to believe8 ,the former fills me with gloomy doubts and fears2 the latter imparts divine certainty4 ,that casts me upon my own efforts2 this1 upon a finished work4 ,to which shall ,i attend8 ,is there a shadow of foundation1 throughout the entire volume of ,god1 for the notion that no one can be sure of his eternal salvation8 ,i most fearlessly assert there is not4 ,so far from this1 the ,word of ,god1 in every section of it1 sets before us1 in the clearest way1 the privilege of the believer to enjoy the most unclouded certainty as to his pardon and acceptance in ,christ4 ,and1 let me ask1 is it not due to ,god's faithful ,word and ,christ's finished work1 that the soul confiding therein should enjoy the fullest assurance8 ,true1 it is by faith that any one can so confide1 and this faith is wrought in the heart by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but all this in nowise affects our present question4 ,what ,i desire is1 that my reader should rise from the study of this paper with a full and firm conviction that it is possible for him to possess the present assurance that he is as safe as ,christ can make him4 ,if any sinner ever enjoyed this assurance1 then why may not my reader now enjoy it8 ,is ,christ's work finished8 ,is ,god's ,word true8 ,yes1 verily4 ,then1 if ,i simply trust therein1 ,i am pardoned1 justified and accepted4 ,all my sins were laid on ,jesus when ,he was nailed to the cursed tree4 ,jehovah made them all meet on ,him4 ,he bore them and put them away1 and now ,he is up in heaven without them4 ,this is enough for me4 ,if the ,one who stood charged with all my guilt is now at the right hand of the ,majesty in the heavens1 then1 clearly1 there is nothing against me4 ,all that divine justice had against me was laid on the ,sin-bearer1 and ,he endured the wrath of a sin-hating ,god that ,i might be freely and forever pardoned and accepted in a risen and glorified ,saviour4 ,these are glad tidings4 ,does my reader believe them8 ,say1 beloved1 dost thou heartily believe in a dead and risen ,christ8 ,hast thou come to ,him as a lost sinner1 and put thy heart's full confidence in ,him8 ,does thou believe that ,he died for our sins according to the ,scripture1 and that ,he was buried and rose again the third day according to the ,scriptures8 ,if so1 thou art saved1 justified1 accepted1 complete in ,christ4 ,true1 thou art1 in thyself1 a poor feeble creature1 having an evil nature to contend with every moment2 but ,christ is thy life1 and ,he is thy wisdom1 and thy righteousness1 thy sanctification1 thy redemption1 thy all4 ,he ever lives for thee up in heaven4 ,he died to make thee clean4 ,he lives to keep thee clean4 ,thou art made as clean as ,his death can make thee1 and thou art kept as clean as ,his life can keep thee4 ,he made ,himself responsible for thee4 ,god sees thee to be what ,christ has made thee to be4 ,he sees thee in ,christ and as ,christ4 ,wherefore1 then1 ,i pray thee1 tread no more those gloomy corridors of legalism1 pietism1 and false theology1 which have resounded for ages with the sighs and groans of poor sin-burdened and misguided souls2 but1 seeing the fullness of thy portion1 and the completeness of thy standing in a risen and victorious ,christ1 rejoice in ,him all thy days upon earth1 and live in the hope of being with ,him forever in ,his own mansions of heavenly glory4 ,having thus sought to establish the fact that it is possible for one to know1 upon divine authority1 that his sins are forgiven1 we shall now1 in dependence upon the teaching of the ,spirit of ,god1 proceed to consider the subject of forgiveness of sins1 as unfolded in the ,word1 and1 in doing so1 we shall present it under the three following heads2 namely1 ,first1 the ground on which ,god forgives sins4 ,secondly1 the extent to which ,he forgives sins4 ,thirdly1 the style in which ,he forgives sins4 ,there is value in this threefold presentation1 as it gives clearness1 fullness and precision to our apprehension of the subject as a whole4 ,the more clearly we understand the ground of divine forgiveness1 the more shall we appreciate the extent1 and admire the style thereof4 ,may ,god the ,spirit now be our guide while we ponder1 for a little1 ,,the ,,ground ,,of ,,divine ,,forgiveness4 ,it is of the very last importance that the anxious reader should understand this cardinal point4 ,it is quite impossible that a divinely convicted conscience can enjoy true repose until the ground of forgiveness is clearly seen4 ,there may be certain vague thoughts respecting the mercy and goodness of ,god1 ,his readiness to receive sinners and pardon their sins1 ,his unwillingness to enter the place of judgment1 and ,his promptness to enter the place of mercy1--all this there may be2 but until the convicted soul is led to see how ,god can be just and yet the ,justifier--how ,he can be a just ,god and yet a ,saviour-,god--how ,he has been glorified with respect to sin--how all the divine attributes have been harmonized1 it must be a stranger to the peace of ,god which truly passeth all understanding4 ,a conscience on which the light of divine truth has poured itself in convicting power1 feels and owns that sin can never enter into the presence of ,god--that sin1 wherever it is found1 can only be met by the just judgment of a sin-hating ,god4 ,hence1 until the divine method of dealing with sin is understood and believed1 there must be intense anxiety4 ,sin is a reality1 ,god's holiness is a reality1 conscience is a reality1 judgment to come is a reality4 ,all these things must be looked at and duly considered4 ,justice must be satisfied2 conscience1 purged2 ,satan1 silenced4 ,how is all this to be done8 ,only by the cross of ,jesus4 ,here1 then1 we have the true ground of divine forgiveness4 ,the precious atonement of ,christ forms the base of that platform on which a just ,god and a justified sinner meet in sweet communion4 ,in that atonement ,i see sin condemned1 justice satisfied1 the law magnified1 the sinner saved1 the adversary confounded4 ,creation never exhibited aught like this4 ,there1 the creature enjoyed the manifestation of power1 wisdom and goodness2 but the fairest fields of the old creation presented nothing like grace reigning through righteousness--nothing like a glorious combination of righteousness and peace1 mercy and truth4 ,it was reserved for ,calvary to display all this4 ,there1 that grand and all-important question1 ,how can ,god be just and the ,justifier8 received a glorious reply4 ,the death of ,christ furnishes the answer4 ,a just ,god dealt with sin at the cross1 in order that a justifying ,god might deal with the sinner on the new and everlasting ground of resurrection4 ,god could not tolerate or pass over a single jot or tittle of sin2 but ,he could put it away4 ,he has condemned sin4 ,he has poured out ,his righteous wrath upon sin1 in order that ,he might pour the everlasting beams of ,his favor upon the believing sinner4 ,on ,jesus' cross this record's graved1 ,let sin be judged and sinners saved4 ,precious record6 may every anxious sinner read it with the eye of faith4 ,it is a record which must impart settled peace to the heart4 ,god has been satisfied as to sin4 ,this is enough for me4 ,here my guilty1 troubled conscience finds sweet repose4 ,i have seen my sins rising like a dark mountain before me1 threatening me with eternal wrath2 but the blood of ,jesus has blotted them all out from ,god's view4 ,they are gone1 and gone forever--sunk as lead into the mighty waters of divine forgetfulness1 and ,i am free--as free as the ,one who was nailed to the cross for my sins1 but who is now on the throne without them4 ,such1 then1 is the ground of divine forgiveness4 ,what a solid ground6 ,who or what can touch it8 ,justice has owned it4 ,the troubled conscience may rest in it4 ,satan must acknowledge it4 ,god has revealed ,himself as a ,justifier1 and faith walks in the light and power of that revelation4 ,nothing can be simpler1 nothing clearer1 nothing more satisfactory4 ,if ,god reveals ,himself as a ,justifier1 then ,i am justified through faith in the revelation4 ,when the moral glories of the cross shine upon the sinner1 he sees and knows1 believes and owns1 that the ,one who has judged his sins in death1 has justified him in resurrection4 ,anxious reader1 see1 ,i beseech thee1 that thou apprehendest the true ground of the forgiveness of sins4 ,there is no use in our proceeding to consider the extent and style until thy poor troubled conscience has been led to rest upon the imperishable ground of forgiveness4 ,let me reason with thee4 ,what is to hinder thee1 from this very moment1 resting on the foundation of accomplished atonement8 ,say1 does thy conscience need something more to satisfy it than that which satisfied the inflexible justice of ,god8 ,is not the ground on which ,god reveals ,himself as a righteous ,justifier sufficiently strong for thee to stand upon as a justified sinner8 ,what sayest thou1 friend8 ,art thou satisfied8 ,is ,christ sufficient for thee8 ,art thou still searching for something in thyself1 thy ways1 thy works1 thy thoughts1 thy feelings8 ,if so1 give up the search as utterly vain4 ,thou wilt never find any thing4 ,and even though thou couldst find something1 it would only be an encumbrance1 a loss1 a hindrance4 ,christ is sufficient for ,god1 let ,him be sufficient for thee likewise4 ,then--but not until then--wilt thou be truly happy4 ,may ,god the ,holy ,ghost cause thee to rest1 this moment1 upon an all-sufficient sacrifice1 as the only ground of divine forgiveness1 so that thou mayest be able to enter1 with real intelligence and interest1 upon the examination of the second point in our subject1 namely1-- ,,the ,,extent ,,of ,,divine ,,forgiveness4 ,very many are perplexed as to this4 ,they do not see the fullness of the atonement2 they do not grasp the emancipating fact of its application to all their sins2 they do not enter into the full force of those lines1 which perhaps they often sing1-- ,all thine iniquities who doth ,most graciously forgive4 ,they seem to be under the impression that ,christ only bore some of their sins1 namely1 their sins up to the time of their conversion4 ,they are troubled as to the question of their daily sins1 as if these were to be disposed of upon a different ground from their past sins4 ,thus they are at times much cast down and sorely beset4 ,nor could it be otherwise with them until they see that in the death of ,christ1 provision was made for the full forgiveness of ,,all their sins4 ,true it is that the child of ,god who commits sin has to go to his ,father and confess that sin4 ,but what does the apostle say in reference to one so confessing his sins8 ,god is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness4 ,now1 why does he say1 ,faithful and just8 ,why does he not say1 ,gracious and merciful8 ,because he speaks on the ground that the entire question of sin was gone into and settled by the death of ,christ1 who is now up in heaven as the righteous ,advocate4 ,on no other ground could ,god be faithful and just in connection with the forgiveness of sins4 ,the sins of the believer have all been atoned for on the cross4 ,if one had been left out1 he should be eternally lost1 inasmuch as it is impossible that a single sin1 however trifling1 can ever enter the precincts of the sanctuary of ,god4 ,and1 further1 let me add1 if all the believer's sins were not atoned for in the death of ,christ1 then1 neither by confession1 nor by prayer1 nor by fasting1 nor by any other means1 could they ever be forgiven4 ,the death of ,christ is the only ground on which ,god could1 in faithfulness and justice1 forgive sin2 and we know ,he must either do it in faithfulness and justice1 or not at all4 ,this is to ,his praise and our exceeding comfort4 ,but ,i can imagine my reader exclaiming1 ,what6 do you mean to say that my future sins were all atoned for8 ,to this ,i reply that all our sins were future when ,christ bore them on the accursed tree4 ,the sins of all believers1 for the last eighteen centuries1 were future when ,christ died for them4 ,hence1 if the idea of future sins presents a difficulty in reference to what we may commit1 if left here1 it presents just as great a difficulty in reference to what we have committed4#a ,but1 in truth1 all this perplexity about future sins arises very much from the habit of looking at the cross from our own point of view instead of ,god's--looking at it from earth instead of from heaven4 ,scripture never speaks of future sins4 ,past1 present1 and future are only human and earthly4 ,all is an eternal now with ,god4 ,all our sins were before the eye of infinite ,justice at the cross1 and all were laid on the head of ,jesus1 the ,sin-bearer1 who1 by ,his death1 laid the eternal foundation of forgiveness of sins1 in order that the believer1 at any moment of his life1 at any point in his history1 at any stage of his career1 from the time at which the hallowed tidings of the gospel fall upon the ear of faith1 until the moment in which he steps into the glory1 may be able to say1 with clearness and decision1 without reserve1 misgiving1 or hesitation1 ,thou hast cast all my sins behind ,thy back4 ,to say this1 is but faith's response to ,god's own declaration1 when ,he says1 ,their sins and their iniquities will ,i remember no more2 ,jehovah hath made to meet on ,him the iniquities of us all4 #a ,let it be remembered that all the value of the atoning sufferings of ,christ on the cross are ever before ,god1 and the soul of the believer will there find the unchanging foundation of the blessed words of ,rom4 viii4 #cd3 ,who is he that condemneth8 ,it is ,christ that died1 yea rather1 that is risen again1 who is even at the right hand of ,god1 who also maketh intercession for us4 ,let us1 by way of illustration1 take the case of the thief on the cross4 ,when he1 as a convicted sinner1 cast the eye of faith upon that blessed ,one who hung beside him1 was he not1 then and there1 rendered fit to enter the paradise of ,god8 ,was he not furnished with a divine title to pass from the cross of a malefactor into the presence of ,god8 ,unquestionably4 ,did he need anything more to be done for him1 in him or with him1 in order to fit him for heaven8 ,by no means4 ,well1 then1 suppose that1 instead of passing into heaven1 he had been permitted to come down from the cross1--suppose the nails had been extracted and he allowed to go at liberty2 he would have had sin in his nature1 and1 having sin in his nature1 he would have been liable to commit sin1 in thought1 word1 and deed4 ,now1 could he ever lose his title1 his fitness1 his meetness8 ,surely not4 ,his title was divine and everlasting4 ,all his sins were borne by ,jesus4 ,that which had fitted him to enter heaven at the first1 had fitted him once and forever1 so that if he had remained on earth for fifty years1 he would1 at any moment1 have been equally fit to enter heaven4 ,true it is1 if the pardoned sinner commits sin1 his communion is interrupted1 and there must be the hearty confession of that sin ere his communion can be restored4 ,if we say that we have fellowship with ,him1 and walk in darkness1 we lie1 and do not the truth4 ,but this is obviously a different point altogether4 ,my communion may be interrupted1 but my title can never be forfeited4 ,all was accomplished on the cross4 ,every trace of sin and guilt was atoned for by that peerless1 priceless sacrifice4 ,by that sacrifice1 the believer is transferred from a position of guilt and condemnation into a position of justification and perfect favor4 ,he is translated from a condition in which he had not a single trace of righteousness1 into a condition in which he has not a single trace of guilt1 nor ever can have4 ,he stands in grace1 he is under grace1 he breathes the very atmosphere of grace1 and he never can be otherwise1 according to ,god's view4 ,if he commits sin 7and who does not87 there must be confession4 ,and what then8 ,forgiveness and cleansing1 on the ground of the faithfulness and justice of ,god which have had their divine answer in the cross4 ,all is founded on the cross4 ,the faithfulness and justice of ,god1 the advocacy of ,christ1 our confession1 our full forgiveness1 our perfect cleansing1 the restoration of our communion1 all rests upon the solid basis of the precious blood of ,christ4 ,my reader will bear in mind that we are1 at present1 occupied with the one point1 namely1 the extent of divine forgiveness4 ,there are other points of great importance which might be looked at in connection1 such as the believer's oneness with ,christ1 his adoption into the family of ,god1 the indwelling of the ,holy ,ghost1 all of which necessarily imply the full forgiveness of sins2 but we must confine ourselves to our immediate theme1 and having endeavored to set forth the ground and the extent1 we shall close with a few words on ,,the ,,style ,,of ,,divine ,,forgiveness4 ,we are all conscious of how much depends upon the style of an action4 ,indeed1 there is frequently far more power in the style than in the substance4 ,how often have we heard such words as these1 ,yes1 ,i own he did me a favor2 but then he did it in such a way as to take away all the good of it4 ,now1 the ,lord has ,his style of doing things1 blessed be ,his name4 ,he not only does great things1 but ,he does them in such a way as to convince us that ,his heart is in the doing of them4 ,not only is the substance of ,his acts good1 but the style most charming4 ,let us have a sample or two4 ,look1 for instance1 at ,christ's touching word to ,simon the ,pharisee1 in ,luke vii4 ,when they had nothing to pay1 he frankly forgave them both4 ,now1 so far as the mere matter of the debt was concerned1 the result would have been the same whatever style had been adopted4 ,but what heart does not perceive the moral power of the word frankly8 ,who would part with it8 ,who could bear to see the substance stripped of its style8 ,the creditor might forgive with a murmur about the amount4 ,that murmur would1 in the judgment of a sensitive heart1 rob the act of all its charms4 ,on the other hand1 the frankness of the style enhances1 beyond expression1 the value of the substance4 ,again1 look1 for a moment1 at that familiar but ever fruitful section of inspiration1 ,luke xv4 ,each of the parables illustrates the power and beauty of style4 ,when the man finds his sheep1 what does he do8 ,does he complain of all the trouble1 and commence to drive the sheep home before him8 ,ah1 no6 this would never do4 ,what then8 ,he layeth it on ,his shoulders4 ,how8 ,complaining of the weight or the trouble8 ,nay2 but rejoicing4 ,here we have the lovely style4 ,he showed that ,he was glad to get ,his sheep back again4 ,the sheep would have been safe on the shoulder however it had been placed there2 but who would part with the word rejoicing8 ,who would bear to see the substance of the action stripped of its charming style8 ,so1 also1 in the case of the woman and her lost piece of silver4 ,she lights a candle1 sweeps the house1 and seeks4 ,how8 ,with dullness1 weariness and indifference8 ,by no means2 but diligently1 like one whose whole heart was in her work4 ,it was quite manifest that she really wanted to find the lost piece of silver4 ,her style proved this4 ,lastly1 mark the style of the father in receiving the poor returning prodigal4 ,when he was yet a great way off1 his father saw him1 and had compassion1 and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him4 ,he does not send out a servant to tell the erring one to turn aside into one of the out-offices1 or betake himself to the kitchen1 or even to confine himself to his own room4 ,no2 he himself runs4 ,he1 as it were1 lays aside his paternal dignity1 in order to give expression to his fatherly affection4 ,he is not satisfied with merely receiving the wanderer back3 he must prove that his whole heart is in the reception2 and this he does1 not merely by the substance of the act1 but by his style of doing it4 ,various other passages might be adduced to illustrate the style of divine forgiveness1 but the above will suffice to prove that ,god graciously recognizes the power which style has to act upon the human heart4 ,i shall1 therefore1 in closing this paper1 make an earnest appeal to my reader1 as to what he now thinks of the ground1 the extent1 and the style of divine forgiveness4 ,beloved reader1 thou seest that the ground is as stable as the very throne of ,god itself1 that the extent is infinite1 and the style all that the heart could possibly desire4 ,say1 therefore1 art thou satisfied as to the great question of the forgiveness of sins8 ,can you any longer doubt ,god's willingness to forgive1 when ,he has set before you1 in such a way1 the ground on which1 the extent to which1 and the style in which1 ,he forgives sin8 ,can you hesitate when ,he actually ,opens ,his own heart to thee1 ,and shows ,his thoughts how kind they be8 ,he stands with open arms to receive thee4 ,he points thee to the cross1 where ,his own hand laid the foundation of forgiveness1 and assures thee that all is done1 and beseeches thee to rest now1 henceforth and for evermore1 in that which ,he has wrought for you4 ,may the blessed ,spirit lead thee to see these things in all their clearness and fullness1 so that thou mayest not only believe in the forgiveness of sins1 but believe also that all thy sins are frankly and forever forgiven4 ,c4 ,h4 ,m4 ,,regeneration3 ,,what ,,is ,,it8 ,there are few subjects which have given rise to more difficulty and perplexity than that of regeneration1 or the new birth4 ,very many who are themselves the subjects of this new birth are at a loss to know what it is1 and filled with doubt as to whether they have ever really experienced it4 ,many there are who1 were they to clothe their desires in words1 would say1 ,oh1 that ,i knew for certain that ,i had passed from death unto life4 ,if only ,i were sure that ,i was born again1 ,i should be happy indeed4 ,thus they are harassed with doubts and fears from day to day and from year to year4 ,sometimes they are full of hope that the great change has passed upon them2 but1 anon1 something springs up within them which leads them to think their former hopes were a delusion4 ,judging from feeling and experience rather than from the plain teaching of the word of ,god1 they are1 of necessity1 plunged into uncertainty and confusion as to the whole matter4 ,now1 ,i would desire to enter1 in company with my reader1 upon an examination1 in the light of ,scripture1 of this most interesting subject4 ,it is to be feared that very much of the misapprehension which prevails in reference thereto1 arises from the habit of preaching regeneration and its fruits instead of ,christ4 ,the effect is put before the cause1 and this must always produce derangement of thought4 ,let us1 then1 proceed to consider this question4 ,what is regeneration8 ,how is it produced8 ,what are its results8 ,i4 ,and1 first1 ,what is regeneration8 ,very many look upon it as a change of the old nature1 produced1 no doubt1 by the influence of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,this change is gradual in its operation1 and proceeds1 from stage to stage1 until the old nature is completely brought under4 ,this view of the subject involves two errors2 namely1 first1 an error as to the real condition of our old nature2 and1 secondly1 as to the distinct personality of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it denies the hopeless ruin of nature1 and represents the ,holy ,ghost more as an influence than as a ,person4 ,as to our true state by nature1 the word of ,god presents it as one of total and irrecoverable ruin4 ,let us adduce the proofs4 ,and ,god saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth1 and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually4 7,gen4 vi4 #e47 ,the words every1 only1 and continually1 set aside every idea of a redeeming feature in man's condition before ,god4 ,again1 ,the ,lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men1 to see if there were any that did understand1 and seek ,god4 ,they are all gone aside1 they are all together become filthy3 there is none that doeth good2 no1 not one4 7,ps4 xiv4 #b1 #c47 ,here1 again1 the expressions all1 none1 no1 not one1 preclude the idea of a single redeeming quality in man's condition1 as judged in the presence of ,god4 ,having thus drawn a proof from ,moses and one from the ,psalms1 let us take one or two from the prophets4 ,why should ye be stricken any more8 ,ye will revolt more and more3 the whole head is sick1 and the whole heart faint4 ,from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it4 7,is4 i4 #e1 #f47 ,the voice said1 ',cry4' ,and he said1 ',what shall ,i cry8' ,all flesh is grass1 and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field4 7,isa4 xl4 #f47 ,the heart is deceitful above all things1 and desperately wicked3 who can know it8 7,jer4 xvii4 #i47 ,the above will suffice from the ,old ,testament4 ,let us now turn to the ,new4 ,jesus did not commit ,himself unto them1 because ,he knew all1 and needed not that any should testify of man3 for ,he knew what was in man4 7,john ii4 #bd1 #be47 ,that which is born of the flesh is flesh4 7,john iii4 #f47 ,read1 also1 ,romans iii4 #i-ai4 ,because the carnal mind is enmity against ,god3 for it is not subject to the law of ,god2 neither1 indeed1 can be4 7,rom4 viii4 #g47 ,having no hope1 and without ,god in the world4 7,eph4 ii4 #ab47 ,these quotations might be multiplied1 but there is no need4 ,sufficient proof has been adduced to show forth the true condition of nature4 ,it is lost1 guilty1 alienated1 without strength1 evil only1 evil continually4 ,how1 then1 we may lawfully inquire1 can that which is spoken of in such a way ever be changed or improved8 ,can the ,ethiopian change his skin1 or the leopard his spots8 ,that which is crooked cannot be made straight4 ,the fact is1 the more closely we examine the word of ,god1 the more we shall see that it is not the divine method to improve a fallen1 ruined thing1 but to bring in something entirely new4 ,it is precisely thus in reference to man's natural condition1--,god is not seeking to improve it4 ,the gospel does not propose1 as its object1 to better man's nature1 but to give him a new one4 ,it seeks not to put a new piece upon an old garment1 but to impart a new garment altogether4 ,the law looked for something in man1 but never got it4 ,ordinances were given1 but man used them to shut out ,god4 ,the gospel1 on the contrary1 shows us ,christ magnifying the law and making it honorable2 it shows ,him dying on the cross1 and nailing ordinances thereto2 it shows ,him rising from the tomb1 and taking ,his seat as a ,conqueror1 at the right hand of the ,majesty in the heavens2 and1 finally1 it declares that all who believe in ,his name are partakers of ,his own life1 and are one with ,him who is risen4 7,see1 carefully1 the following passages3 ,john xx4 #ca2 ,acts xiii4 #ci2 ,rom4 vi4 #d-aa2 ,eph4 ii4 #a-f2 iii4 #ac-ah2 ,col4 ii4 #aj-ae47 ,it is of the very last importance to be clear and sound as to this4 ,if ,i am led to believe that regeneration is a certain change in my old nature1 and that this change is gradual in its operation1 then1 as a necessary consequence1 ,i shall be filled with continual anxiety and apprehension1 doubt and fear1 depression and gloom1 when ,i discover1 as ,i surely shall1 that nature is nature1 and will be nought else but nature to the end4 ,no influence or operation of the ,holy ,ghost can ever make the flesh spiritual4 ,that which is born of the flesh is flesh1 and can never be aught else but flesh2 and all flesh is as grass1--as withered grass4 ,the flesh is presented in ,scripture not as a thing to be improved1 but as a thing which ,god counts as dead1 and which we are called to mortify1--subdue and deny1 in all its thoughts and ways4 ,in the cross of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ we see the end of everything pertaining to our old nature4 ,they that are ,christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts4 7,gal4 v4 #bd47 ,he does not say1 ,they that are ,christ's are improving1 or trying to improve1 the flesh4 ,no2 but they have crucified it4 ,it is utterly unimprovable4 ,how can they do this8 ,by the energy of the ,holy ,ghost1 acting not on the old nature1 but in the new1 and enabling them to keep the old nature where the cross has put it1 namely1 in the place of death4 ,god expects nothing from the flesh2 neither should we4 ,he looks upon it as dead2 so should we4 ,he has put it out of sight1 and we should keep it so4 ,the flesh should not be allowed to show itself4 ,god does not own it4 ,it has no existence before ,him4 ,true1 it is in us1 but ,god gives us the precious privilege of viewing and treating it as dead4 ,his word to us is1 ,likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin1 but alive unto ,god through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 7,rom4 vi4 #aa47 ,this is an immense relief to the heart that has struggled for years in the hopeless business of trying to improve nature4 ,it is an immense relief1 moreover1 to the conscience which has been seeking a foundation for its peace in the gradual improvement of a totally unimprovable thing4 ,finally1 it is an immense relief to any soul that may1 for years1 have been earnestly breathing after holiness1 but has looked upon holiness as consisting in the improvement of that which hates holiness and loves sin4 ,to each and all of such it is infinitely precious and important to understand the real nature of regeneration4 ,no one who has not experienced it can conceive the intensity of anguish and the bitterness of the disappointment which a soul feels1 who1 vainly expecting some improvement in nature1 finds1 after years of struggling1 that nature is nature still--ever the same4 ,and just in proportion to the anguish and disappointment will be the joy of discovering that ,god is not looking for any improvement in nature1--that ,he sees it as dead1 and us as alive in ,christ1--one with ,him1 and accepted in ,him1 forever4 ,to be led into a clear and full apprehension of this is divine emancipation to the conscience and true elevation for the whole moral being4 ,let us1 then1 see clearly what regeneration is4 ,it is a new birth1--the imparting of a new life1--the implantation of a new nature1--the formation of a new man4 ,the old nature remains in all its distinctness1 and the new nature is introduced in all its distinctness4 ,this new nature has its own habits1 its own desires1 its own tendencies1 its own affections4 ,all these are spiritual1 heavenly1 divine4 ,its aspirations are all upward4 ,it is ever breathing after the heavenly source from which it has emanated4 ,as in nature water always finds its own level1 so in grace the new--the divine--nature always tends toward its own proper source4 ,thus regeneration is to the soul what the birth of ,isaac was to the household of ,abraham 7,gen4 xxi474 ,ishmael remained the same ,ishmael1 but ,isaac was introduced2 so the old nature remains the same1 but the new is introduced4 ,that which is born of the ,spirit is spirit3 it partakes of the nature of its source4 ,a child partakes of the nature of its parents1 and the believer is made a partaker of the divine nature4 7#b ,peter i4 #d47 ,of ,his own will begat ,he us4 7,james i4 #ah47 ,in a word1 then1 regeneration is ,god's own work1 from first to last4 ,god is the ,operator2 man is the happy1 privileged subject4 ,his co-operation is not sought in a work which must ever bear the impress of one almighty hand4 ,god was alone in creation1 alone in redemption1 and ,he must be alone in the mysterious and glorious work of regeneration4 ,,ii4 ,having endeavored to show1 from various passages of ,scripture1 that regeneration1 or the new birth1 is not a change of man's fallen nature1 but the imparting of a new--a divine--nature1 we shall now1 in dependence upon the blessed ,spirit's teaching1 proceed to consider how the new birth is produced1--how the new nature is communicated4 ,this is a point of immense importance1 inasmuch as it places the word of ,god before us as the grand instrument which the ,holy ,ghost uses in quickening dead souls4 ,by the word of the ,lord were the heavens made1 and by the word of the ,lord are dead souls called into new life4 ,the word of the ,lord is creative and regenerating4 ,it called worlds into existence2 it calls sinners from death to life4 ,the same voice which1 of old1 said1 ,let there be light1 must1 in every instance1 say1 ,let there be life4 ,if my reader will turn to the third chapter of ,john's gospel1 he will find1 in our ,lord's interview with ,nicodemus1 much precious instruction in reference to the mode in which regeneration is produced4 ,nicodemus held a very high place in what would be termed the religious world4 ,he was a man of the ,pharisees1 a ruler of the ,jews1 a master of ,israel4 ,he could hardly have occupied a more elevated or influential position4 ,but yet1 it is very evident that this highly privileged man was ill at ease4 ,despite all his religious advantages1 his heart felt a restless craving after something which neither his ,pharisaism1 nor yet the entire system of ,judaism could supply4 ,it is quite possible he might not have been able to define what he wanted2 but he wanted something1 else he never would have come to ,jesus by night4 ,it was evident that the ,father was drawing him1 by a resistless though most gentle hand1 to the ,son2 and the way ,he took of drawing him was by producing a sense of need which nothing around him could satisfy4 ,this is a very common case4 ,some are drawn to ,jesus by a deep sense of guilt1 some by a deep sense of need4 ,nicodemus1 obviously1 belongs to the latter class4 ,his position was such as to preclude the idea of anything like gross immorality2 and hence it would not1 in his case1 be so much guilt on his conscience as a void in his heart4 ,but it comes to the same in the end3 the guilty conscience and the craving heart must both be brought to ,jesus1 for ,he alone can perfectly meet both the one and the other4 ,he can remove1 by ,his precious sacrifice1 every stain from the conscience2 and ,he can fill up1 by ,his peerless ,person1 every blank in the heart4 ,the conscience which has been purged by the blood of ,jesus is perfectly clean1 and the heart which is filled with the ,person of ,jesus is perfectly satisfied4 ,however1 ,nicodemus had1 like many beside1 to unlearn a great deal ere he could really grasp the knowledge of ,jesus4 ,he had to lay aside a cumbrous mass of religious machinery ere he could apprehend the divine simplicity of ,god's plan of salvation4 ,he had to descend from the lofty heights of ,rabbinical learning and traditionary religion1 and learn the alphabet of the gospel in the school of ,christ4 ,this was very humiliating to a man of the ,pharisees1--a ruler of the ,jews1--a master of ,israel4 ,there is nothing of which man is so tenacious as his religion and his learning2 and1 in the case of ,nicodemus1 it must have sounded passing strange upon his ear when a teacher come from ,god declared to him1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 ,except a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,being by birth a ,jew1 and1 as such1 entitled to all the privileges of a son of ,abraham1 it must have involved him in strange perplexity to be told that he must be born again1--that he must be the subject of a new birth1 in order to see the kingdom of ,god4 ,this was a total setting aside of all his privileges and distinctions4 ,it called him down at once from the very highest to the very lowest step of the ladder4 ,a ,pharisee1 a ruler1 a master1 was not one whit nearer to1 or fitter for1 this heavenly kingdom1 than the most disreputable of the children of men4 ,this was deeply humbling4 ,if he could carry all his advantages and distinctions with him1 so as to have them placed to his credit in this new kingdom1 it would be something4 ,this would secure for him a position in the kingdom of ,god far above that of a harlot or a publican4 ,but then1 to be told that he must be born again left him nothing to glory in4 ,this1 ,i repeat1 was deeply humbling to a learned1 religious1 and influential man4 ,but it was puzzling as well as humbling4 ,nicodemus saith unto ,him1 ',how can a man be born when he is old8 ,can he enter the second time into his mother's womb1 and be born8' ,surely not4 ,there would be no more gained by a second natural birth than by a first4 ,if a natural man could enter ten thousand times into his mother's womb and be born1 he would be nought but a natural man after all1 for that which is born of the flesh is flesh4 ,do what you will with flesh1--with nature1--and you cannot alter or improve it4 ,nothing could change flesh into spirit4 ,you may exalt it to the rank of a ,pharisee1 a ruler of the ,jews1 a master of ,israel1--and you could hardly make it higher1--but it will be flesh notwithstanding4 ,if this were more generally and clearly apprehended1 it would prove the saving of fruitless labor to hundreds4 ,flesh is of no value whatever4 ,in itself it is but withered grass2 and as to its most pious endeavors1 its religious advantages and attainments1 its works of righteousness1 they have been pronounced by the pen of inspiration to be as filthy rags4 7,isaiah lxiv4 #f47 ,but let us see the mode in which our blessed ,lord replies to the how8 of ,nicodemus4 ,it is peculiarly interesting4 ,jesus answered1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 ,except a man be born of water and of the ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,that which is born of the flesh is flesh1 and that which is born of the ,spirit is spirit4 ,marvel not that ,i said unto thee1 ',ye must be born again4' ,the wind bloweth where it listeth1 and thou hearest the sound thereof1 but canst not tell whence it cometh1 and whither it goeth3 so is every one that is born of the ,spirit4 7,john iii4 #e-h47 ,here we are distinctly taught that regeneration1 or the new birth1 is produced by water and the ,spirit4 ,a man must be born of water and of the ,spirit ere he can see the kingdom of ,god1 or enter into its profound and heavenly mysteries4 ,the keenest mortal vision cannot see the kingdom of ,god1 nor the most gigantic human intellect enter into the deep secrets thereof4 ,the natural man receiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god2 for they are foolishness unto him3 neither can he know them1 because they are spiritually discerned4 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #ad47 ,except a man be born of water and of the ,spirit1 he cannot enter the kingdom of ,god4 ,it may be1 however1 that many are at a loss to know what is meant by being born of water4 ,certainly the expression has been made the ground of very much discussion and controversy4 ,it is only by comparing scripture with scripture that we can ascertain the real sense of any particular passage4 ,it is a special mercy for the unlettered ,christian--the humble student of the inspired volume--that he need not travel outside the covers of that volume in order to interpret any passage contained therein4 ,what1 then1 is the meaning of being born of water8 ,we must reply to this question by quoting two or three passages from the ,word4 ,in the opening of ,john's ,gospel we read1 ,he came unto ,his own1 and ,his own received ,him not4 ,but as many as received ,him1 to them gave ,he power to become the sons of ,god1 even to them that believe on ,his name3 which were born1 not of blood1 nor of the will of the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god4 7,john i4 #aa-ac47 ,from this passage we learn that every one who believes on the name of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ is born again1--born of ,god4 ,this is the plain sense of the passage4 ,all who1 by the power of ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 believe on ,god the ,son1 are born of ,god the ,father4 ,the source of the testimony is divine2 the object of the testimony is divine2 the power of receiving the testimony is divine2 the entire work of regeneration is divine4 ,hence1 instead of being occupied with myself1 and inquiring1 like ,nicodemus1 ,how can ,i be born again8 ,i have simply to cast myself1 by faith1 on ,jesus2 and thus ,i am born again4 ,all who put their trust in ,christ have gotten a new life--are regenerated4 ,again1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he that heareth ,my word1 and believeth on ,him that sent ,me1 ,,hath everlasting life1 and shall not come into judgment2 but is passed from death unto life4 7,john v4 #bd47 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he that believeth on ,me hath everlasting life4 7,john vi4 #dg47 ,but these are written that ye might believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god2 and that1 believing1 ye might have life through ,his name4 7,john xx4 #ca47 ,all these passages go to prove that the only way in which we can get this new and everlasting life is by simply receiving the record concerning ,christ4 ,all who believe that record1 have this new1 this eternal life4 ,mark1 it is not those who merely say they believe1 but those who actually do believe1 according to the sense of the word in the foregoing passages4 ,there is life-giving power in the ,christ whom the ,word reveals1 and in the ,word which reveals ,him4 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,the hour is coming1 and now is1 when the dead shall hear the voice of the ,son of ,god2 and they that hear shall live4 ,and then1 lest ignorance should marvel or skepticism sneer at the idea of dead souls hearing1 it is added1 ,marvel not at this3 for the hour is coming1 in the which all that are in the graves shall hear ,his voice1 and shall come forth3 they that have done good1 unto the resurrection of life2 and they that have done evil1 unto the resurrection of judgment4 7,john v4 #be1 #bh1 #bi47 ,the ,lord ,christ can make dead souls1 as well as dead bodies1 hear ,his quickening voice4 ,it is by ,his mighty voice that life can be communicated to either body or soul4 ,if the infidel or the skeptic reasons and objects1 it is simply because he makes his own vain mind the standard of what ought to be1 and thus entirely shuts out ,god4 ,this is the climax of folly4 ,but the reader may feel disposed to inquire1 ,what has all this to do with the word water1 in ,john iii4 #e8 ,it has to do with it1 inasmuch as it shows that the new birth is produced1 the new life communicated1 by the voice of ,christ1--which is really the word of ,god1 as we read in the first chapter of ,james1 ,of ,his own will begat ,he us with the word of truth4 7ver4 #ah47 ,so also in #a ,peter1 ,being born again1 not of corruptible seed1 but of incorruptible1 by the word of ,god1 which liveth and abideth forever4 7,pet4 i4 #bc47 ,in both these passages the ,word is expressly set forth as the instrument by which the new birth is produced4 ,james declares that we are begotten by the ,word of truth2 and ,peter declares that we are born again by the word of ,god4 ,if1 then1 our ,lord speaks of being born of water1 it is obvious that ,he represents the ,word under the significant figure of water1--a figure which a master of ,israel might have understood1 had he only studied aright ,ezekiel xxxvi4 #be-bg4 ,there is a beautiful passage in the epistle to the ,ephesians1 in which the ,word is presented under the figure of water4 ,husbands1 love your wives1 even as ,christ also loved the ,church1 and gave ,himself for it2 that ,he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the ,word4 7,chap4 v4 #be-bf47 ,so also in the epistle to ,titus3 ,not by works of righteousness which we have done1 but according to ,his mercy ,he saved us1 by the washing of regeneration1 and renewing of the ,holy ,ghost2 which ,he shed on us abundantly1 through ,jesus ,christ our ,saviour2 that1 being justified by ,his grace1 we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life4 7,chap4 iii4 #e-g47 ,from all these quotations we learn that the word of ,god is the grand instrument of which the ,holy ,ghost makes use in calling dead souls into life4 ,this truth is confirmed1 in a peculiarly interesting manner1 by our ,lord's conversation with ,nicodemus2 for1 instead of replying to the repeated inquiry1 ,how can these things be8 ,he sets this master of ,israel down to learn the simple lesson taught by the brazen serpent4 ,the bitten ,israelite of old was to be healed by simply looking at the serpent of brass on the pole3 the dead sinner now is to get life by simply looking at ,jesus on the cross and ,jesus on the throne4 ,the ,israelite was not told to look at his wound1 though it was the sense of his wound that made him look3 the dead sinner is not told to look at his sins1 though it is the sense of his sins that will make him look4 ,one look at the serpent healed the ,israelite3 one look of faith at ,jesus1 who hung on the cross of ,calvary1 quickens the dead sinner4 ,the former had not to look a second time to be healed3 the latter has not to look a second time to get life4 ,it was not the way he looked1 but the object he looked at1 that healed the ,israelite3 it is not the way he looks1 but the object he looks at1 that saves the sinner3 ,look unto ,,me1 and be ye saved1 all the ends of the earth4 ,such was the precious lesson which ,nicodemus was called to learn1 such the reply to his how8 ,if a man begins to reason about the new birth1 he must be confounded2 but if he believes in ,jesus1 he is born again4 ,man's reason can never understand the new birth2 but the word of ,god produces it4 ,many are astray as to this4 ,they are occupied with the process of regeneration1 instead of the ,word which regenerates4 ,thus they are perplexed and confounded4 ,they are looking at self instead of at ,christ2 and as there is an inseparable connection between the object at which we look and the effect of looking at it1 we can easily see what must be the effect of looking in upon one's self4 ,what could an ,israelite have gained by looking at his wound8 ,nothing4 ,what did he gain by looking at the serpent8 ,health4 ,what does a sinner gain by looking at himself8 ,nothing4 ,what does he gain by looking at ,jesus8 ,everlasting life4 ,,iii4 ,we come now to consider1 in the third and last place1 the results of regeneration1--a point of the deepest interest4 ,who can estimate aright the glorious results of being a child of ,god8 ,who can unfold those affections which belong to that high and hallowed relationship in which the soul is placed by being born again8 ,who can fully explain that precious fellowship which the child of ,god is privileged to enjoy with his heavenly ,father8 ,behold1 what manner of love the ,father hath bestowed upon us1 that we should be called the sons of ,god3 therefore the world knoweth us not1 because it knew ,him not4 ,beloved1 now are we the sons of ,god1 and it doth not yet appear what we shall be3 but we know that1 when ,he shall appear1 we shall be like ,him1 for we shall see ,him as ,he is4 ,and every man that hath this hope in ,him purifieth himself1 even as ,he is pure4 7#a ,john iii4 #a-c47 ,for as many as are led by the ,spirit of ,god1 they are the sons of ,god4 ,for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear2 but we have received the ,spirit of adoption1 whereby we cry1 ,abba1 ,father4 ,the ,spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit1 that we are the children of ,god3 and if children1 then heirs2 heirs of ,god and joint-heirs with ,christ2 if so be that we suffer with ,him1 that we may be also glorified together4 7,rom4 viii4 #ad-ag47 ,it is most important to understand the distinction between life and peace4 ,the former is the result of being linked with ,christ's ,person2 the latter is the result of ,his work4 ,he that hath the ,son hath life1 7#a ,john v4 #ab72 but1 being justified by faith1 we have peace1 7,rom4 v4 #a71--;having made peace through the blood of ,his cross4 7,col4 i4 #bj47 ,the very moment a man receives into his heart the simple truth of the gospel1 he becomes a child of ,god4 ,the truth which he receives is the incorruptible seed of the divine nature4 7#a ,pet4 i4 #bc2 #b ,pet4 i4 #d47 ,many are not aware of all that is involved in thus simply receiving the truth of the gospel4 ,as in nature1 the child of a nobleman may not know the varied results of the relationship1 so it is1 likewise1 in grace4 ,i may be ignorant both as to the relationship and its results2 but ,i am in it notwithstanding2 and being in it1 ,i have the affections which belong to it1 and ,i ought to cultivate them1 and allow them to entwine themselves artlessly around their proper object1 even ,him who has begotten me by the ,word of truth4 7,james i4 #ah47 ,it is my privilege to enjoy the full flow of parental affection emanating from the bosom of ,god1 and to reciprocate that affection1 through the power of the indwelling ,spirit4 ,now are we the sons of ,god4 ,he has made us such4 ,he has attached this rare and marvelous privilege to the simple belief of the truth4 7,john i4 #ab47 ,we do not reach this position by works of righteousness which we have done1 or could do1 but simply according to ,his mercy ,he saved us1 by the washing of regeneration1 and renewing of the ,holy ,ghost2 which ,he shed on us abundantly through ,jesus ,christ our ,saviour2 that being justified by ,his grace1 we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life4 7,titus iii4 #e-g47 ,we are called sons and made heirs1 and all this simply by the belief of the truth of the gospel1 which is ,god's incorruptible seed4 ,take the case of the very vilest sinner1 who up to this moment has been living a life of gross wickedness4 ,let that person receive into his heart the pure gospel of ,god1--let him heartily believe that ,christ died for our sins according to the ,scriptures2 and that ,he was buried1 and that ,he rose again the third day according to the ,scriptures--and he there1 then and thus becomes a child of ,god1 a thoroughly saved1 perfectly justified1 and divinely accepted person4 ,in receiving into his heart the simple record concerning ,christ1 he has received new life4 ,christ is the truth and the life2 and when we receive the truth we receive ,christ1 and when we receive ,christ we receive life1--he that believeth on the ,son hath everlasting life4 7,john iii4 #cf47 ,when does he get this life8 ,the very moment he believes1--believing ye might have life through ,his name4 7,john xx4 #ca47 ,the truth concerning ,christ is the seed of eternal life1 and when that truth is believed1 life is communicated4 ,observe1 this is what the ,word of ,god declares--it is a matter of divine testimony1 not merely of human feeling4 ,we do not get life by feeling something in ourselves1 but by believing something about ,christ2 and that something we have on the authority of ,god's eternal ,word--the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,it is well to understand this4 ,many are looking in for evidences of the new life1 instead of looking out at the object which imparts that life4 ,it is quite true that he that believeth on the ,son of ,god hath the witness in himself 7#a ,john v4 #aj472 but1 be it remembered1 it is the witness of a life which is received by believing on the ,son of ,god1 not by looking in upon one's self2 and the more undividedly ,i am occupied with ,christ1 the more distinct and satisfactory will be the witness in myself4 ,if ,i make the witness my object1 ,i shall be plunged in doubt and uncertainty2 but if ,i make ,christ my object1 ,i have the witness in all its divine integrity and power4 ,there is special need of clearness as to this1 because of the strong tendency of our hearts to make something within the ground of our peace and contentment1 instead of building1 absolutely and exclusively1 upon ,christ4 ,the more simply we cling to ,christ1 apart from all beside1 the more peaceful and happy we shall be2 but directly we take the eye off ,him1 we become unhinged and unhappy4 ,in a word1 then1 my reader should seek to understand1 with scriptural accuracy1 the distinction between life and peace4 ,the former is the result of the connection with ,christ's ,person2 the latter is the result of believing in ,his finished work4 ,we very frequently meet with quickened souls who are in sad trouble and disquietude as to their acceptance with ,god4 ,they really do believe on the name of the ,son of ,god1 and1 believing1 they have life2 but1 from not seeing the fullness of the work of ,christ as to their sins1 they are troubled in conscience--they have no mental repose4 ,take an illustration4 ,if you place a hundredweight upon the bosom of a dead man he does not feel it4 ,place another1 and another1 and another1 he is wholly unconscious4 ,why8 ,because there is no life4 ,let us suppose1 for a moment1 the entrance in of life1 and what will be the result8 ,a most distressing sensation occasioned by the terrible weight upon the bosom4 ,what then will be needful in order to the full enjoyment of the life which had been imparted8 ,clearly1 the removal of the burden4 ,it is somewhat thus with the sinner who receives life by believing on the ,person of the ,son of ,god4 ,so long as he was in a state of spiritual death he had no spiritual sensations--he was unconscious of any weight pressing upon him4 ,but the entrance of spiritual life has imparted spiritual sensibilities1 and he now feels a burden pressing upon his heart and conscience1 which he knows not exactly how to get rid of4 ,he sees not as yet all that is involved in believing on the name of the only begotten ,son of ,god4 ,he does not see that ,christ is at once his righteousness and his life4 ,he needs a simple view of the finished atonement of ,christ1 whereby all his sins were plunged in the waters of eternal oblivion1 and he himself introduced into the full favor of ,god4 ,it is this1 and this alone1 that can remove the heavy burden off the heart1 and impart that profound mental repose which nothing can ever disturb4 ,if ,i think of ,god as a judge1 and myself as a sinner1 ,i need the blood of the cross to bring me into ,his presence1 in the way of righteousness4 ,i must fully understand that every claim which ,god1 the righteous ,judge1 had upon me1 a guilty sinner1 has been divinely answered and eternally settled by the precious blood of ,christ4 ,this gives my soul peace4 ,i see that1 through that blood1 ,god can be just and the justifier of him which believeth in ,jesus4 7,rom4 iii4 #bi47 ,i learn that in the cross ,god has been glorified about my sins--yea1 that the whole question of sin was fully gone into and perfectly settled between ,god and ,christ amid the deep and awful solitudes of ,calvary4 ,thus my load is taken off1 my weight removed1 my guilt canceled3 ,i can breathe freely2 ,i have perfect peace2 there is literally nothing against me2 ,i am as free as the blood of ,christ can make me4 ,the ,judge has declared ,himself satisfied as to sin by raising the sinner's ,surety from the dead1 and placing ,him at the right hand of the ,majesty in the heavens4 ,but1 then1 there comes another thing of immense value4 ,i not only see myself as a guilty sinner provided with a way of access to ,god as a righteous ,judge1 but ,i see ,god1 in pursuance of ,his eternal counsels of electing love1 begetting me through the ,word of truth1 making me ,his child1 adopting me into ,his family1 and setting me before ,him in such a way as that ,i can enjoy communion with ,him as my ,father in the midst of all the tender endearments of the divine family circle4 ,this is obviously another phase of the believer's position and character4 ,it is no longer a question of his coming to ,god in the full and settled consciousness that every just claim has been met--this in itself is ineffably precious to every sin-burdened heart--but there is far more than this3 ,god is my ,father and ,i am ,his child4 ,he has a ,father's heart1 and ,i can count on the tender affections of that heart in the midst of all my feebleness and need4 ,he loves me1 not because of what ,i am enabled to do1 but because ,i am ,his child4 ,look at yonder tottering babe1 the object of ceaseless care and solicitude1 wholly unable to promote his father's interests in any one way1 yet so loved by the father that he would not exchange him for ten thousand worlds2 and if it be thus with an earthly father1 what must it be with our heavenly ,father8 ,he loves us1 not for aught that we are able to do1 but because we are ,his children4 ,he has begotten us of ,his own will1 by the ,word of truth4 7,james i4 #ah47 ,we could no more earn a place in the heart of the ,father than we could satisfy the claims of the righteous ,judge4 ,all is of free grace4 ,the ,father has begotten us1 and the ,judge has found a ransom4 7,job xxxiii4 #bd47 ,we are debtors to grace for both the one and the other4 ,but1 be it remembered1 while we are wholly unable to earn1 by our works1 a place in the ,father's heart1 or to satisfy the claims of the righteous ,judge1 we are1 nevertheless1 responsible to believe the record which ,god has given of ,his ,son4 7#a ,john v4 #i-aa47 ,i say this lest1 by any means1 my reader should be one of those who intrench themselves behind the dogmas of a one-sided theology1 while refusing to believe the plain testimony of ,god4 ,many there are--intelligent people1 too--who1 when the gospel of the grace of ,god is pressed upon their acceptance1 are ready to reply1 ,i cannot believe unless ,god gives me power to do so2 nor shall ,i ever be endowed with that power unless ,i am one of the elect4 ,if ,i belong to the favored number1 ,i must be saved2 if not1 ,i can't4 ,this is a thoroughly one-sided theology2 and not only so1 but its one side is turned the wrong way--yea1 it is so turned as to wear the form of an absurd but most dangerous fatalism1 which completely destroys man's responsibility1 and casts dishonor upon ,god's moral administration4 ,it sends man forth upon a wild career of reckless folly1 and makes ,god the author of the sinner's unbelief4 ,this is1 in good truth1 to add insult to injury4 ,it is1 first1 to make ,god a liar1 and then charge ,him with being the cause of it4 ,it is to reject his proffered love1 and blame ,him for the rejection4 ,this is1 in reality1 the most daring wickedness1 though based1 as ,i have said1 upon a one-sided theology4 ,now1 does any one imagine that an argument so flimsy will hold good for a moment in the presence of the king of terrors1 or before the judgment-seat of ,christ8 ,is there a soul throughout the gloomy regions of the lost that would ever think of charging ,god with being the author of its eternal perdition8 ,ah1 no6 it is only on earth that people argue thus4 ,such arguments are never breathed in hell4 ,when men get to hell1 they blame themselves4 ,in heaven they praise the ,lamb4 ,all who are lost will have to thank self2 all who are saved will have to thank ,god4 ,it is when the impenitent soul has passed through the narrow archway of time into the boundless ocean of eternity1 that it will enter into the full depth and power of those solemn words1 ,i would1 444 but ye would not4 ,in truth1 human responsibility is as distinctly taught in the ,word of ,god as is divine sovereignty4 ,man finds it impossible to frame a system of divinity which will give each truth its proper place2 but he is not called upon to frame systems1 but to believe a plain record1 and be saved thereby4 ,having said thus much by way of caution to any who may be in danger of falling under the power of the above line of argument1 ,i shall proceed to unfold a little further the results of regeneration1 as seen in the matter of the discipline of the ,father's house4 ,as the children of ,god1 we are admitted to all the privileges of ,his house2 and in point of fact the discipline of the house is as much a privilege as anything else4 ,it is on the ground of the relationship in which ,god has set us that ,he acts in discipline towards us4 ,a father disciplines his children because they are his4 ,if ,i see a strange child doing wrong1 ,i am not called upon to chasten him4 ,i am not in the relationship of a father to him1 and as a consequence ,i neither know the affections nor the responsibilities of that relationship4 ,i must be in a relationship in order to know the affections which belong to it4 ,now1 as our ,father1 ,god1 in ,his great grace and faithfulness1 looks after us in all our ways1 ,he will not suffer aught upon us or about us which would be unworthy of ,him and subversive of our real peace and blessedness4 ,furthermore1 we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us1 and we gave them reverence3 shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the ,father of spirits1 and live8 ,for they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure2 but ,he for our profit1 that we might be partakers of ,his holiness4 7,heb4 xii4 #i1 #aj47 ,thus the discipline is a positive privilege1 inasmuch as it is a proof of our ,father's care1 and has for its object our participation in the divine holiness4 ,but then1 we must ever bear in mind that the discipline of our ,father's hand is to be interpreted in the light of our ,father's countenance1 and the deep mysteries of ,his moral government to be contemplated through the medium of his tender love4 ,if we lose sight of this1 we shall be sure to get into a spirit of bondage as respects ourselves1 and a spirit of judgment as respects others1 both of which are in direct opposition to the spirit of ,christ4 ,all our ,father's dealings with us are in perfect love4 ,when ,he furnishes us with bread1 it is in love2 and when ,he takes down the rod1 it is in love also4 ,god is love4 ,it may frequently happen that we are at a loss to know the why and the wherefore of some special dispensation of our ,father's hand4 ,it seems dark and inexplicable4 ,the mist which enwraps our spirits is so thick and heavy as to prevent our catching the bright and cheering beams from our ,father's countenance4 ,this is a trying moment--a solemn crisis in the soul's history4 ,we are in great danger of losing the sense of divine love through inability to understand the profound secrets of divine government4 ,satan1 too1 is sure to be busy at such a time4 ,he will ply his fiery darts1 and throw in his dark and diabolical suggestions4 ,thus1 between the filthy reasonings which spring up within and the horrible suggestions which come from without1 the soul is in danger of losing its balance1 and of getting away from the precious attitude of artless repose in divine love1 let the divine government be what it may4 ,thus much with reference to our own souls while under any special visitation of the hand of ,god4 ,the effect as to others is equally bad4 ,how often may we have detected ourselves in the habit of cherishing a spirit of judgment in reference to a child of ,god whom we found in circumstances of trial1 either of mind1 body1 or estate4 ,this should be carefully guarded against4 ,we ought not to imagine that every visitation of the hand of ,god must necessarily be on account of some special sin in the person4 ,this would be an entirely false principle4 ,the dealings of ,god are preventive as well as corrective4 ,take a case in point4 ,my child may be in the room with me1 enjoying all the sweet intimacies which belong to our relationship4 ,a person enters who ,i know will utter things which ,i do not wish my child to hear4 ,i therefore1 without assigning any reason1 tell my child to go to his room4 ,now1 if he has not the fullest confidence in my love1 he may entertain all manner of false notions about my act2 he may reason about the why and wherefore to such a degree as almost to question my affection4 ,however1 directly the visitor takes his leave1 ,i call the child into my presence and explain the whole matter to him1 and in the renewed experience of a father's love he gets rid of the unhappy suspicions of a few dark moments4 ,thus it is often with our poor hearts in the matter of the divine dealings both with ourselves and others4 ,we reason when we ought to repose3 we doubt when we ought to depend4 ,confidence in our ,father's love is the true corrective in all things4 ,we should ever hold fast the assurance of that changeless1 infinite1 and everlasting love which has taken us up in our low and lost estate1 made us sons of ,god1 and will never fail us1 never let us go1 until we enter upon the unbroken and eternal communion of our ,father's house above4 ,may that love dwell more abundantly in our hearts1 that so we may enter more fully into the meaning and power of regeneration--what it is1 how it is produced1 and what are its results4 ,god grant1 it for ,christ's sake6 ,amen4 ,c4 ,h4 ,m4 ,,in ,,the ,,father',s ,,house ,the wanderer no more will roam1 ,the lost one to the fold hath come1 ,the prodigal is welcomed home1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 through ,thee6 ,though clothed in rags1 by sin defiled1 ,the ,father did embrace ,his child2 ,and ,i am pardoned1 reconciled1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 through ,thee6 ,it is the ,father's joy to bless2 ,his love has found for me a dress1 ,a robe of spotless righteousness1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 in ,thee6 ,and now my famished soul is fed1 ,a feast of love for me is spread1 ,i feed upon the children's bread1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 in ,thee6 ,yea1 in the fulness of ,his grace1 ,god put me in the children's place1 ,where ,i may gaze upon ,his face1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 in ,thee6 ,not half ,his ,love can ,i express1 ,yet1 ,lord1 with joy my lips confess1 ,this blessed portion ,i possess1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 in ,thee6 ,thy precious name it is ,i bear1 ,in ,thee ,i am to ,god brought near1 ,and all the ,father's love ,i share1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 in ,thee6 ,sanctification3 ,what is it8 ,to minister peace and comfort to those who1 though truly converted1 have not laid hold of a full ,christ1 and who1 as a consequence1 are not enjoying the liberty of the gospel1 is the object we have in view in considering the important and deeply-interesting subject of sanctification4 ,we believe that very many of those1 whose spiritual welfare we desire to promote1 suffer materially from defective1 or erroneous1 ideas on this vital question4 ,indeed1 in some cases1 the doctrine of sanctification is so entirely misapprehended as to interfere with the faith of the believer's perfect justification and acceptance before ,god4 ,for example1 we have frequently heard persons speak of sanctification as a progressive work1 in virtue of which our old nature is to be made gradually better2 and1 moreover1 that until this process has reached its climax1 until fallen and corrupt humanity has become completely sanctified1 we are not fit for heaven4 ,now1 so far as this view of the question is concerned1 we have only to say that both ,scripture and the truthful experience of all believers are entirely against it4 ,the ,word of ,god never once teaches us that the ,holy ,spirit has for ,his object the improvement1 either gradual or otherwise1 of our old nature--that nature which we inherit1 by natural birth1 from fallen ,adam4 ,the inspired apostle expressly declares that1 ,the natural man receiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god2 for they are foolishness unto him3 neither can he know them1 because they are spiritually discerned4 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #ad47 ,this one passage is clear and conclusive on the point4 ,if the natural man can neither receive nor know the things of the ,spirit of ,god1 then how can that natural man be sanctified by the ,holy ,ghost8 ,is it not plain that1 to speak of the sanctification of our nature is opposed to the direct teaching of #a ,cor4 ii4 #ad8 ,other passages might be adduced to prove that the design of the ,spirit's operations is not to improve or sanctify the flesh1 but there is no need to multiply quotations4 ,an utterly ruined thing can never be sanctified4 ,do what you will with it1 it is ruined2 and1 most assuredly1 the ,holy ,ghost did not come down to sanctify a ruin1 but to lead the ruined one to ,jesus4 ,so far from any attempt to sanctify the flesh1 we read that ,the flesh lusteth against the ,spirit1 and the ,spirit against the flesh2 and these are contrary the one to the other4 7,gal4 v4 #ag47 ,could the ,holy ,ghost be represented as carrying on a warfare with that which ,he is gradually improving and sanctifying8 ,would not the conflict cease so soon as the process of improvement had reached its climax8 ,but does the believer's conflict ever cease so long as he is in the body8 ,this leads us to the second objection1 to the erroneous theory of the progressive sanctification of our nature1 namely1 ,the objection drawn from the truthful experience of all believers4 ,is the reader a true believer8 ,if so1 has he found any improvement in his old nature8 ,is it a single whit better now than it was when he first started on his christian course8 ,he may1 and should through grace1 be able to subdue it more thoroughly2 but it is nothing better8 ,if it be not mortified1 it is just as ready to spring up and show itself in all its vileness as ever4 ,the flesh in a believer is in no wise better than the flesh in an unbeliever4--,and if the ,christian does not bear in mind that self must be judged1 he will soon learn1 by bitter experience1 that his old nature is as bad as ever2 and1 moreover1 that it will be the very same to the end4 ,it is difficult to conceive how any one who is led to expect a gradual improvement of his nature1 can enjoy an hour's peace1 inasmuch as he cannot but see1 if he only looks at himself in the light of ,god's holy ,word1 his old self--the flesh--is the very same as when he walked in the moral darkness of his unconverted state4 ,his own condition and character are1 indeed1 greatly changed by the possession of a new1 yea1 a divine nature1 7#b ,pet4 i4 #d47 and by the indwelling of the ,holy ,ghost1 to give effect to its desires2 but the moment the old nature is at work1 he finds it as opposed to ,god as ever4 ,we doubt not but that very much of the gloom and despondency1 of which so many complain1 may be justly traced to their misapprehension of this important point of sanctification4 ,they are looking for what they can never find4 ,they are seeking for a ground of peace in a sanctified nature instead of in a perfect sacrifice--in a progressive work of holiness instead of in a finished work of atonement4 ,they deem it presumptuous to believe that their sins are forgiven until their evil nature is completely sanctified2 and1 seeing that this end is not reached1 they have no settled assurance of pardon1 and are therefore miserable4 ,in a word1 they are seeking for a foundation totally different from that which ,jehovah says he has laid1 and1 therefore1 they have no certainty whatever4 ,the only thing that ever seems to give them a ray of comfort is some apparently successful effort in the struggle for personal sanctity4 ,if they have had a good day--if they are favored with a season of comfortable communion--if they happen to enjoy a peaceful1 devotional frame1 they are ready to cry out1 ,thou hast made my mountain to stand strong2 ,i shall never be moved4 7,ps4 xxx47 ,but1 ah6 these things furnish a sorry foundation for the soul's peace4 ,they are not ,christ2 and until we see that our standing before ,god is in ,christ1 there cannot be settled peace4 ,the soul that has really got hold of ,christ is desirous indeed of holiness2 but if intelligent of what ,christ is to him1 he has done with all thoughts about sanctified nature4 ,he has found his all in ,christ1 and the paramount desire of his heart is to grow into ,his likeness4 ,this is true1 practical sanctification4 ,it frequently happens that persons1 in speaking of sanctification1 mean a right thing1 although they do not express themselves according to the teaching of holy ,scripture4 ,there are many also1 who see one side of the truth as to sanctification1 but not the other2 and1 although we should be sorry to make any one an offender for a word1 yet it is always most desirable1 in speaking of any point of truth1 and especially of so vital a point as that of sanctification1 to speak according to the divine integrity of the word4 ,we shall1 therefore1 proceed to quote for our readers a few of the leading passages from the ,new ,testament in which this doctrine is unfolded4 ,these passages will teach us two things1 namely1 what sanctification is1 and how it is effected4 ,the first passage to which we would call attention is #a ,cor4 i4 #cj1--;,but of ,him are ye in ,christ ,jesus1 who of ,god is made unto us wisdom1 and righteousness1 and sanctification1 and redemption4 ,here we learn that ,christ is made unto us all these things4 ,god has given us1 in ,christ1 a precious casket1 and when we open that casket with the key of faith1 the first gem that glitters in our view1 in this wisdom of ,god is righteousness2 then1 sanctification2 and lastly1 redemption4 ,we have them all in ,christ4 ,as we get one so we get all4 ,and how do we get one and all8 ,by faith4 ,but why does the apostle name redemption last8 ,because it takes in the final deliverance of the body of the believer from under the power of mortality1 when the voice of the archangel and the trump of ,god shall either raise it from the tomb1 or change it1 in the twinkling of an eye4 ,will this act be progressive8 ,clearly not2 it will be done in the twinkling of an eye4 ,the body is in one state now1 and in a moment it will be in another4 ,in the brief point of time expressed by the rapid movement of the eyelash1 will the body pass from corruption to incorruption2 from dishonor to glory2 from weakness to power4 ,what a change6 ,it will be immediate1 complete1 eternal4 ,but what are we to learn from the fact that sanctification is placed in the group with redemption8 ,we learn that what redemption will be to the body1 that sanctification is now to the soul4 ,in a word1 sanctification1 in the sense in which it is here used1 is immediate1 and complete1 a divine work4 ,the one is no more progressive than the other4 ,the one is as immediate as the other4 ,the one is as complete and as independent of man as the other4 ,no doubt1 when the body shall have undergone the glorious change1 there will be heights of glory to be trodden1 depths of glory to be penetrated1 wide fields of glory to be explored4 ,all these things shall occupy us throughout eternity4 ,but1 then1 the work which is to fit us for such scenes will be done in a moment4 ,so also is it1 in reference to sanctification4 ,the practical results of it will be continually developing themselves2 but the thing itself1 as spoken of in this passage1 is done in a moment4 ,what an immense relief it would be to thousands of earnest1 anxious1 struggling souls to get a proper hold of ,christ as their sanctification6 ,how many are vainly endeavoring to work out a sanctification for themselves6 ,they have come to ,christ for righteousness after many fruitless efforts to get a righteousness of their own2 but they are seeking after sanctification in a different way altogether4 ,they have gotten righteousness without works1 but they imagine that they must get sanctification with works4 ,they have gotten righteousness by faith1 but they imagine they must get sanctification by effort4 ,they do not see that we get sanctification in precisely the same way as we get righteousness1 inasmuch as ,christ is made unto us the one as well as the other4 ,do we get ,christ by effort8 ,no2 by faith4 ,it is to him that worketh not4 7,rom4 iv4 #e47 ,this applies to all that we get in ,christ4 ,we have no warrant whatever to single out from #a ,cor4 i4 #cj1 the matter of sanctification1 and place it upon a different footing from all the other blessings which it enfolds4 ,we have neither wisdom1 righteousness1 sanctification1 nor redemption in ourselves2 nor can we procure them by aught that we can do2 but ,god has made ,christ to be unto us all these things4 ,in giving us ,christ1 ,he gave us all that is in ,christ4 ,the fullness of ,christ is ours1 and ,christ is the fullness of ,god4 ,again1 in ,acts xxvi4 #ah1 the converted ,gentiles are spoken of as receiving forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith4 ,here1 faith is the instrument by which we are said to be sanctified1 because it connects us with ,christ4 ,the very moment the sinner believes on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ he becomes linked to ,him4 ,he is made one with ,him1 complete in ,him1 accepted in ,him4 ,this is true sanctification and justification4 ,it is not a process4 ,it is not a gradual work4 ,it is not progressive4 ,the word is very explicit4 ,it says1 them which are sanctified by faith which is in me4 ,it does not say1 which shall be sanctified1 or1 which are being sanctified4 ,if such were the doctrine it would have been so stated4 ,no doubt1 the believer grows in the knowledge of this sanctification1 in his sense of its power and value1 its practical influence and results1 the experience and enjoyment of it4 ,as the truth pours its divine light upon his soul1 he enters into a more profound apprehension of what is involved in being set apart for ,christ1 in the midst of this evil world4 ,all this is blessedly true2 but the more its truth is seen1 the more clearly we shall understand that sanctification is not merely a progressive work1 wrought in us by the ,holy ,spirit1 but that it is one result of our being linked to ,christ1 by faith1 whereby we become partakers of all that ,he is4 ,this is an immediate1 a complete1 and an eternal work4 ,whatsoever ,god doeth1 it shall be forever3 nothing can be put to it1 nor anything taken from it4 7,eccles4 iii4 #ad47 ,whether ,he justifies or sanctifies1 it shall be forever4 ,the stamp of eternity is fixed upon every work of ,god's hand3 nothing can be put to it1 and1 blessed be ,his name1 nothing can be taken from it4 ,there are passages which present the subject in another aspect1--the practical result in the believer of his sanctification in ,christ1 and which may require fuller consideration hereafter4 ,in #a ,thess4 v4 the apostle prays for the saints whom he addresses1 ,and the very ,god of peace sanctify you wholly2 and ,i pray ,god your whole spirit1 and soul1 and body1 be preserved blameless unto the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,here1 the word is applied to a sanctification admitting of degrees4 ,the ,thessalonians had1 along with all believers1 a perfect sanctification in ,christ2 but as to the practical enjoyment and display of this1 it was only accomplished in part1 and the apostle prays that they may be wholly sanctified4 ,in this passage1 it is worthy of notice1 that nothing is said of the flesh4 ,our fallen1 corrupt nature is always treated as a hopelessly ruined thing4 ,it has been weighed in the balance and found wanting4 ,it has been measured by a divine rule and found short4 ,it has been tried by a perfect plummet and proved crooked4 ,god has set if aside4 ,its end has come before him4 ,he has condemned it and put it to death4 7,rom4 viii4 #c47 ,our old man is crucified1 dead1 and buried4 7,rom4 vi4 #h47 ,are we1 then1 to imagine for a moment1 that ,god the ,holy ,ghost came down from heaven for the purpose of exhuming a condemned1 crucified1 and buried thing1 so that ,he might sanctify it8 ,the idea has only to be named1 to be abandoned forever by every one who bows to the authority of ,scripture4 ,the more closely we study the ,law1 the ,prophets1 the ,psalms1 and the entire ,new ,testament1 the more closely we shall see that the flesh is wholly unmendable4 ,it is1 absolutely1 good for nothing4 ,the ,spirit does not sanctify it1 but he enables the believer to mortify it4 ,we are told to put off the old man4 ,this precept would never have been delivered to us if the object of the ,holy ,ghost were the sanctification of that old man4 ,we trust that no one will accuse us of entertaining a desire to lower the standard of personal holiness1 or to weaken the soul's earnest aspirations after a growth in that purity for which every true believer must ardently long4 ,god forbid6 ,if there is one thing above another which we desire to promote in ourselves and others1 it is a full personal purity--a godly practical sanctity--a whole-hearted separation to ,god--from all evil1--in every shape and form4 ,for this we long1 for this we pray1 in this we desire to grow daily4 ,but then we are fully convinced that a superstructure of true1 practical holiness can never be erected on a legal basis2 and hence it is that we press #a ,cor4 i4 #cj1 upon the attention of our readers4 ,it is to be feared that many who have1 in some measure1 abandoned the legal ground1 in the matter of righteousness1 are yet lingering thereon for sanctification4 ,we believe this to be the mistake of thousands1 and we are most anxious to see it corrected4 ,the passage before us would1 if simply received into the heart by faith1 entirely correct this serious mistake4 ,all intelligent ,christians are agreed as to the fundamental truth of ,righteousness without works4 ,all freely and fully admit that we cannot1 by any efforts of our own1 work out a righteousness for ourselves before ,god4 ,but it is not just so clearly seen that righteousness and sanctification are put upon precisely the same ground in the ,word of ,god4 ,we can no more work out a sanctification than we can work out a righteousness4 ,we may try it1 but we shall1 sooner or later1 find out that it is utterly vain4 ,we may vow and resolve2 we may labor and struggle2 we may cherish the fond hope of doing better to-morrow than we have done to-day2 but1 in the end1 we must be constrained to see1 and feel1 and own1 that as regards the matter of sanctification1 we are as completely without strength as we have already proved ourselves to be in the matter of righteousness4 ,and1 oh6 what sweet relief to the suffering one who has been seeking for satisfaction or rest in his own holiness to find1 after years of unsuccessful struggle1 that the very thing he longs for is treasured up in ,christ for him1--his own this moment1 even a complete sanctification to be enjoyed by faith6 ,such an one may have been battling with his habits1 his lusts1 his tempers1 his passions2 he has been making the most laborious efforts to subdue his flesh and grow in inward holiness1 but alas6 he has failed4#b ,he finds1 to his deep sorrow1 that he is not holy1 and he reads that ,without holiness no man shall see the ,lord4 7,heb4 xii47 ,not1 observe1 without a certain measure1 or attainment in holiness1 but without the thing itself2 which every ,christian has1 from the moment he believes1 whether he knows it or not4 ,perfect sanctification is as fully included in the word salvation as is righteousness1 or redemption4 ,he did not get ,christ by effort1 but by faith2 and when he laid hold on ,christ he received all that is in ,christ4 ,hence1 it is by abiding in ,christ he finds power for the subjugation of his lusts1 passions1 tempers1 habits1 circumstances1 and influences4 ,he must look to ,jesus for all4 #b ,the divine picture of this experience and conflict is given us in the seventh chapter of ,romans4 ,for a full consideration of this subject1 see the pamphlet entitled1 ,deliverance1 ,what is it8 ,price1 five cents4--,ed4 ,all this is simple to faith4 ,the believer's standing is in ,christ1 and if in ,christ for one thing1 he is in ,christ for all4 ,i am not in ,christ for righteousness1 and out of ,christ for sanctification4 ,if ,i am a debtor to ,christ for righteousness1 ,i am equally a debtor to ,him for sanctification4 ,i am not a debtor to legality for either the one or the other4 ,i get both by grace1 through faith1 and all in ,christ4 ,yes1 all--all in ,christ4 ,the moment the sinner comes to ,christ1 and believes on ,him1 he is taken completely off the old ground of nature2 he loses his old legal standing and all its belongings1 and is looked at as in ,christ4 ,he is no longer in the flesh but in the ,spirit4 7,rom4 viii4 #i47 ,god only sees him in ,christ1 and as ,christ4 ,he becomes one with ,christ forever4 ,as he is1 so are we in this world4 7#a ,jno4 iv47 ,such is the absolute standing1 the settled and eternal position1 of the very feeblest babe in the family of ,god4 ,there is but one standing for every child of ,god1 every member of ,christ4 ,their knowledge1 experience1 power1 gift1 and intelligence1 may vary2 but their standing is one4 ,whatever of righteousness or sanctification they possess1 they owe it all to their being in ,christ2 consequently1 if they have not gotten a perfect sanctification1 neither have they gotten a perfect righteousness4 ,but #a ,cor4 i4 #cj1 distinctly teaches that ,christ is made both the one and the other to all believers4 ,it does not say that we have righteousness and a measure of sanctification4 ,we have just as much scripture authority for putting the word measure before righteousness as before sanctification4 ,the ,spirit of ,god does not put it before either4 ,both are perfect1 and we have both in ,christ4 ,god never does anything by halves4 ,there is no such thing as a half justification4 ,neither is there such a thing as a half sanctification4 ,the idea of a member of the family of ,god1 or of the body of ,christ1 wholly justified1 but only half sanctified1 is at once opposed to ,scripture1 and revolting to all sensibilities of the divine nature4 ,it is not improbable that very much of the misapprehension which prevails1 in reference to sanctification1 is traceable to the habit of confounding two things which differ very materially1 namely our standing and our walk1 or position and condition1 ,the believer's standing is perfect1 because it is the gift of ,god in ,christ4 ,his walk1 alas1 may be very imperfect1 fluctuating1 and marked with personal infirmity4 ,whilst his position is absolute and unalterable1 his practical condition may exhibit manifold imperfections1 inasmuch as he is still in the body1 and surrounded by various hostile influences which affect his moral condition from day to day4 ,if1 then1 his standing be measured by his walk1 his position by his condition1 what he is in ,god's view by what he is in man's1 the result must be false4 ,if ,i reason from what ,i am in myself1 instead of from what ,i am in ,christ1 ,i must1 of necessity1 arrive at a wrong conclusion4 ,we should look carefully to this4 ,we are very much disposed to reason upward from ourselves to ,god1 instead of downward from ,god to us4 ,we should bear in mind that ,far as heaven's resplendent orbs ,beyond earth's spot extend1 ,as far ,my thoughts1 as far ,my ways1 ,your ways and thoughts transcend4 ,god looks on ,his people1 and acts toward them1 too1 according to their standing in ,christ4 ,he has given them this standing4 ,he has made them what they are4 ,they are ,his workmanship4 ,hence1 therefore1 to speak of them as half justified would be a dishonor cast upon ,god2 and to speak of them as half sanctified would be just the same4 ,this train of thought conducts us to another weighty proof drawn from the authoritative and conclusive page of inspiration1 namely1 #a ,cor4 vi4 #aa4 ,in the verses preceding1 the apostle draws a fearful picture of fallen humanity1 and he plainly tells the ,corinthian saints that they had been just like that4 ,such were some of you4 ,this is plain dealing4 ,there are no flattering words--no daubing with untempered mortar--no keeping back the full truth as to nature's total and irretrievable ruin4 ,such were some of you3 but ye are washed1 but ye are sanctified1 but ye are justified1 in the name of the ,lord ,jesus1 and by the ,spirit of our ,god4 ,what a striking contrast between the two sides of the apostle's but6 ,on the one side1 we have all the moral degradation of man's condition2 and1 on the other side1 we have all the absolute perfectness of the believer's standing before ,god4 ,this1 truly1 is a marvellous contrast2 and be it remembered that the soul passes in a moment1 from one side to the other of this but4 ,such were some of you3 but ye are1 now1 something quite different4 ,the moment they received ,paul's gospel1 they were washed1 sanctified1 and justified4 ,they were fit for heaven2 and1 had they not been so1 it would have been a slur upon the divine workmanship4 ',clean every whit1' thou saidst it1 ,lord2 ,shall one suspicion lurk8 ,thine1 surely1 is a faithful word1 ,and ,thine a finished work4 ,this is divinely true4 ,the most inexperienced believer is clean every whit1 not as a matter of attainment1 but as the necessary result of being in ,christ4 ,he will1 no doubt1 grow in the knowledge and experience of what sanctification really is4 ,he will enter into its practical power2 its moral effects upon his habits1 thoughts1 feelings1 affections1 and associations3 in a word1 he will understand and exhibit the mighty influence of divine sanctification upon his entire course1 conduct1 and character4 ,but1 then1 he was as completely sanctified1 in ,god's view1 the moment he became linked to ,christ by faith1 as he will be when he comes to bask in the sunlight of the divine presence1 and reflect back the concentrated beams of glory emanating from the throne of ,god and of the ,lamb4 ,he is in ,christ now2 and he will be in ,christ then4 ,his sphere and his circumstances will differ4 ,his feet shall stand upon the golden pavement of the upper sanctuary1 instead of standing upon the arid sand of the desert4 ,he will be in a body of glory1 instead of a body of humiliation2 but as to his standing1 his acceptance1 his completeness1 his justification1 and sanctification1 all was settled the moment he believed on the name of the only begotten ,son of ,god--as settled as ever it will be1 because as settled as ,god could make it4 ,all this seems to flow as a necessary and unanswerable inference from #a ,cor4 vi4 #aa4 ,it is of the utmost importance to apprehend1 with clearness1 the distinction between a truth and the practical application and result of a truth4 ,this distinction is ever maintained in the word of ,god4 ,ye are sanctified4 ,here is the absolute truth as to the believer1 as viewed in ,christ4 ,the practical application of it1 and its results in the believer1 we find in such passages as these4 ,christ loved the church1 and gave ,himself for it2 that ,he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the ,word4 7,eph4 v4 #be1 #bf47 ,and the very ,god of peace sanctify you wholly4 7#a ,thess4 v4 #bc47 ,but how is this application made1 and this result reached8 ,by the ,holy ,ghost1 through the written ,word4 ,hence we read1 ,sanctify them through thy truth4 7,jno4 xvii47 ,and again1 ,god hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation1 through sanctification of the ,spirit and belief of the truth4 7#b ,thess4 ii4 #ac47 ,so also1 in ,peter1 ,elect according to the foreknowledge of ,god the ,father1 through sanctification of the ,spirit4 7#a ,pet4 i4 #b47 ,the ,holy ,ghost carries on the believer's practical sanctification on the ground of ,christ's accomplished work2 and the mode in which ,he does so is by applying to the heart and conscience the truth as it is in ,jesus4 ,he unfolds the truth as to our perfect standing before ,god in ,christ1 and1 by energizing the new man in us1 ,he enables us to put away everything incompatible with that perfect standing4 ,a man who is washed1 sanctified1 and justified1 ought not to indulge in any unhallowed temper1 lust1 or passion4 ,he is separated to ,god and should cleanse himself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit4 ,it is his holy and happy privilege to breathe after the very loftiest heights of personal sanctity4 ,his heart and his habits should be brought and held under the power of that grand truth that he is perfectly washed1 sanctified1 and justified4 ,this is true practical sanctification4 ,it is not any attempt at the improvement of our old nature4 ,it is not a vain effort to reconstruct an irretrievable ruin4 ,no2 it is simply the ,holy ,ghost1 by the powerful application of the truth1 enabling the new man to live1 and move1 and have his being in that sphere to which he belongs4 ,here there will1 undoubtedly1 be progress4 ,there will be growth in the moral power of this precious truth--growth in spiritual ability to subdue and keep under all that pertains to nature--a growing power of separation from the evil around us--a growing meetness for that heaven to which we belong1 and toward which we are journeying--a growing capacity for the enjoyment of its holy exercises4 ,all this there will be1 through the gracious ministry of the ,holy ,ghost1 who uses the ,word of ,god to unfold to our souls the truth as to our standing in ,christ1 and as to the walk which comports with such standing4 ,but let it be clearly understood that the work of the ,holy ,ghost in practical sanctification1 day by day1 is founded upon the fact that believers are sanctified through the offering of the body of ,jesus ,christ once4 7,heb4 x4 #aj47 ,the object of the ,holy ,ghost is to lead us into the knowledge1 the experience1 and the practical exhibition of that which was true of us in ,christ the very moment we believed4 ,as regards this1 there is progress2 but our standing in ,christ is eternally complete4 ,sanctify them through ,thy truth2 ,thy ,word is truth4 7,jno4 xvii4 #ag47 ,and again1 ,the very ,god of peace sanctify you wholly4 7#a ,thess4 v4 #bc47 ,in these passages1 we have the grand practical side of this question4 ,here we see sanctification presented1 not merely as something absolutely and eternally true of us in ,christ1 but also as wrought out in us1 daily and hourly1 by the ,holy ,ghost through the ,word4 ,looked at from this point of view1 sanctification is1 obviously1 a progressive thing4 ,i should be more advanced in personal holiness next year than ,i was in this4 ,i should1 through grace1 be advancing1 day by day1 in practical holiness4 ,but what1 let me ask1 is this8 ,what1 but the working out in me of that which was true of me in ,christ1 the very moment ,i believed8 ,the basis on which the ,holy ,ghost carries on the subjective work in the believer1 is the objective truth of his eternal completeness in ,christ4 ,again1 ,follow peace with all men1 and holiness1 without which no man shall see the ,lord4 7,heb4 xii4 #ad47 ,here1 is holiness presented as a thing to be followed after--to be attained by earnest pursuit--a thing which every true believer will long to cultivate4 ,may the ,lord lead us into the power of these things4 ,may they not dwell as doctrines and dogmas in the region of our intellect1 but enter into and abide in the heart1 as sacred and powerfully influential realities6 ,may we know the sanctifying power of the truth2 7,jno4 xvii4 #ag27 the sanctifying power of faith2 7,acts xxvi4 #ah27 the sanctifying power of the name of ,jesus2 7#a ,cor4 i4 #cj2 vi4 #aa27 the sanctifying of the ,holy ,ghost2 7#a ,pet4 i4 #b27 the sanctifying grace of the ,father4 7,jude #a47 ,and1 now1 unto the ,father1 and unto the ,son1 and unto the ,holy ,ghost1 be honor and glory1 might1 majesty1 and dominion1 world without end4 ,amen4 ,c4 ,h4 ,m4 ,,final ,,perseverance3 ,,what ,,is ,,it8 ,dear friend3 ,the question of final perseverance1 though in our judgment a very simple one1 has perplexed a great many2 and the questions which you introduce to our notice1 and the passages of ,scripture which you adduce1 furnish abundant proof that your own mind is not quite clear or settled on the point4 ,in seeking1 then1 to reply to your interesting letter1 we have three things to do1 namely3 first1 to establish the doctrine of final perseverance1 or1 in other words1 the eternal security of all ,christ's members2 secondly1 to answer the questions which you have given us1 and which we take to be those usually or frequently put by the opposers of the doctrine2 and1 thirdly1 to expound those texts which you have quoted1 and in which you seem to find considerable difficulty4 ,may the ,holy ,spirit be our teacher1 and may ,he give us minds entirely subject to ,scripture1 so that we may be able to form a sound judgment on the question now before us6 ,i4 ,and first1 as to the doctrine of final perseverance1 it seems to us exceedingly clear and simple if only we look at it in immediate connection with ,christ ,himself4 ,this indeed is the only true way to look at any doctrine4 ,christ is the soul1 centre1 and life of all doctrine4 ,a doctrine separated from ,christ becomes a lifeless1 powerless1 worthless dogma--a mere idea in the mind--a mere item in the creed4 ,hence1 therefore1 we must look at every truth as it stands connected with ,christ4 ,we must make ,him our point of view4 ,it is only as we keep near to ,him1 and look at all points from that one grand point1 that we can have a correct view of any point4 ,if for example1 ,i make self my point of view1 and look from thence at the subject of final perseverance1 ,i shall be sure to get a false view altogether1 inasmuch as it then becomes a question of my perseverance1 and anything of mine must necessarily be doubtful4 ,but if1 on the other hand1 ,i make ,christ my viewing-point1 and look at the subject from thence1 ,i shall be sure to have a correct view1 inasmuch as it then becomes a question of ,christ's perseverance1 and ,i am quite sure that ,he must persevere1 and that no power of the world1 the flesh1 or the devil1 can ever hinder ,his final perseverance in the salvation of those whom ,he has purchased with ,his own blood1 seeing ,he is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto ,god by ,him4 ,this1 surely1 is final perseverance4 ,it matters not what the difficulty or what the hostile power may be1 ,he is able to save to the uttermost4 ,the world1 with its ten thousand snares1 is against us1 but ,he is able4 ,indwelling sin1 in its ten thousand workings1 is against us1 but ,he is able4 ,satan1 with his ten thousand devices1 is against us1 but ,he is able4 ,in a word1 it is ,christ's ability1 not ours2 it is ,christ's faithfulness1 not ours2 it is ,christ's final perseverance1 not ours4 ,all depends upon ,him as to this weighty matter4 ,he has purchased ,his sheep1 and surely ,he will keep them to the best of ,his ability2 and1 seeing that all power is given unto ,him in heaven and on earth1 ,his sheep must be perfectly and forever safe4 ,if aught could touch the life of the feeblest lamb in all the flock of ,christ1 ,he could not be said to have all power4 ,thus it is immensely important to consider the question of final perseverance in inseparable connection with ,christ4 ,difficulties vanish4 ,doubts and fears are chased away4 ,the heart becomes established1 the conscience relieved1 the understanding enlightened4 ,it is impossible that one who forms a part of ,christ's body can ever perish2 and the believer is this--,we are members of ,his body1 of ,his flesh1 and of ,his bones4 7,eph4 v4 #cj47 ,every member of the body of ,christ was written in the book of the slain ,lamb before the foundation of the world1 nor can anything or any one ever obliterate that writing4 ,hear what our ,lord ,jesus ,christ saith in reference to those that are ,his3 ,my sheep hear my voice1 and ,i know them1 and they follow me2 and ,i give unto them eternal life1 and they shall never perish1 neither shall any 7man1 devil1 or any one else7 pluck them out of my hand4 ,my ,father1 which gave them ,me1 is greater than all2 and no man is able to pluck them out of my ,father's hand4 7,john x4 #bg-bi47 ,here1 then1 most assuredly1 we have final perseverance2 and that1 moreover1 not merely the perseverance of the saints1 but of the ,father and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,yes1 dear friend1 this is the way we would have you view the matter4 ,it is the final perseverance of the ,holy ,trinity4 ,it is the perseverance of the ,holy ,ghost1 in opening the ears of the sheep4 ,it is the perseverance of the ,son1 in receiving all whose ears are thus opened4 ,and1 finally1 it is the perseverance of the ,father1 in keeping1 through ,his own name1 the blood-bought flock in the hollow of ,his everlasting hand4 ,this is plain enough4 ,we must either admit the truth--the consolatory and sustaining truth--of final perseverance or succumb to the blasphemous proposition that the enemy of ,god and man can carry his point against the ,holy and ,eternal ,trinity4 ,we see no middle ground4 ,salvation is of the ,lord from first to last4 ,it is a free1 unconditional1 and everlasting salvation4 ,it reaches down to where the sinner is in all his guilt1 ruin1 and degradation1 and bears him up to where ,god is in all ,his holiness1 truth1 and righteousness2 and it endures forever4 ,god the ,father is its source1 ,god the ,son is its channel1 and ,god the ,holy ,ghost is the power of application and enjoyment4 ,it is all of ,god from beginning to end1 from foundation to topstone1 from everlasting to everlasting4 ,if it were not so1 it would be presumptuous folly to speak of final perseverance2 but seeing it is so1 it would be presumptuous unbelief to think of aught else4 ,true1 there are great and manifold difficulties in the way--difficulties before and difficulties after conversion4 ,there are many and powerful adversaries2 but that is the very reason why we must keep the question of final perseverance entirely clear of self and all its belongings1 and make it repose simply upon ,god4 ,it matters not in the least what the difficulties or the adversaries may be1 for faith can ever triumphantly inquire1 ,if ,god be for us1 who can be against us8 ,and again1 ,who shall separate us from the love of ,christ8 ,shall tribulation1 or distress1 or persecution1 or famine1 or nakedness1 or peril1 or sword8 ,as it is written1 ',for ,thy sake1 we are killed all the day long2 we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter4' ,nay1 in all these things we are more than conquerors through ,him that loved us4 ,for ,i am persuaded that neither death1 nor life1 nor angels1 nor principalities1 nor powers1 nor things present1 nor things to come1 nor height1 nor depth1 nor any other creature1 shall be able to separate us from the love of ,god1 which is in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 7,rom4 viii4 #ce-ci47 ,here1 again1 we have final perseverance taught1 in the clearest and strongest way possible--not any creature shall be able to separate us4 ,neither self1 in all its forms2 nor ,satan1 in all his wiles and machinations2 nor the world1 in all its alurements1 or all its scorn1 can ever separate the us of ,romans viii4 #ci from the love of ,god1 which is in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 ,no doubt persons may be deceived1 and they may deceive others4 ,spurious cases may arise2 counterfeit conversions may take place4 ,persons may seem to run well for a time1 and then break down4 ,the blossoms of spring-time may not be followed by the mellow fruits of autumn4 ,such things may be2 and1 moreover1 true believers may fail in many things2 they may stumble and break down in their course4 ,they may have ample cause for self-judgment and humiliation in the practical details of life4 ,but1 allowing the widest possible margin for all these things1 the precious doctrine of final perseverance remains unshaken--yea1 untouched--upon its own divine and eternal foundation--,i give unto my sheep eternal 7not temporary or conditional7 life1 and they shall never perish4 ,and again3 ,upon this rock ,i will build my church1 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it4 ,people may argue as they will1 and base their arguments on cases which have come under their notice1 from time to time1 in the history of professing ,christians2 but1 looking at the subject from a divine point of view1 and basing our convictions on the sure and unerring ,word of ,god1 we maintain that all who belong to the us of ,romans viii41 the sheep of ,john x41 and the church of ,matthew xvi41 are as safe as ,christ can make them1 and this we conceive to be the sum and substance of the doctrine of final perseverance4 ,,ii4 ,and now1 dear friend1 we shall1 in the second place1 briefly and pointedly reply to the questions which you have put before us3-- #a4 ,will a believer be saved1 no matter into what course of sin he may fall1 and die in8 ,a true believer will1 infallibly1 be saved2 but we consider that salvation includes1 not only full deliverance from the future consequences of sin1 but from the present power and practice thereof4 ,and1 hence1 if we find a person living in sin1 and yet talking about his assurance of salvation1 we look upon him as an antinomian1 and not a saved person at all4 ,if we say that we have fellowship with ,him1 and walk in darkness1 we lie1 and do not the truth4 ,the believer may fall1 but ,he will be lifted up2 he may be overtaken1 but he will be restored2 he may wander1 but he will be brought back1 because ,christ is able to save to the uttermost1 and not one of ,his little ones shall perish4 #b4 ,will the ,holy ,spirit dwell in a heart where evil and unholy thoughts are indulged8 ,the body of the believer is the temple of the ,holy ,ghost4 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #ai47 ,and this precious truth is the ground of exhortation to purity and holiness of heart and life4 ,we are exhorted not to grieve the ,holy ,spirit4 ,to indulge evil and unholy thoughts is not christian walk at all4 ,the ,christian may be assaulted1 grieved1 and harassed by evil thoughts1 and in such a case he has only to look to ,christ for victory4 ,proper christian walk is thus expressed in ,john's first epistle3 ,we know that whosoever is born of ,god sinneth not2 but he that is begotten of ,god keepeth himself1 and that wicked one toucheth him not4 7,chap4 v4 #ah47 ,this is the divine side of the question4 ,alas6 we know there is the human side likewise2 but we judge the human side by the divine4 ,we do not lower the divine to meet the human1 but ever aim at the divine notwithstanding the human4 ,we should never be satisfied with anything lower than #a ,john v4 #ah4 ,it is by keeping up the true standard that we may expect to raise our moral tone4 ,to talk of having the ,spirit and yet indulge in evil and unholy thoughts is1 in our judgment1 the ancient ,nicolaitanism 7,rev4 ii4 #f1 #ae71 or modern antinomianism4 #c4 ,if it be so1 then1 will not people say1 they may live as they like8 ,well1 how does a true ,christian like to live8 ,as like ,christ as possible4 ,if one had put this question to ,paul1 what would have been his answer8 #b ,cor4 v4 #ad1 #ae1 and ,phil4 iii4 #g-ad1 furnish the reply4 ,it is to be feared that the persons who ask such questions know but little of ,christ4 ,we can quite understand a person getting entangled in the meshes of a one-sided theological system and being perplexed by the conflicting dogmas of systematic divinity2 but we believe that the man who draws a plea from the freedom1 sovereignty1 and eternal stability of the grace of ,god to continue in sin1 knows nothing of ,christianity at all1 has neither part nor lot in the matter1 but is in a truly awful and dangerous condition4 ,as to the case which you adduce1 of a young man who heard a minister state in his sermon that once a child1 always a child1 and who took occasion from that to plunge into and continue in open sin1 it is only one of thousands4 ,we believe the minister was right in what he said1 but the young man was wrong in what he did4 ,to judge the words of the former by the acts of the latter is utterly false4 ,what should ,i think of my son1 if he were to say1 ,once a son1 always a son1 and therefore ,i may proceed to smash my father's windows and do all sorts of mischief8 ,we judge the minister's statement by the ,word of ,god1 and pronounce it true4 ,we judge the young man's conduct by the same rule1 and pronounce it false4 ,the matter is quite simple4 ,we have no reason to believe that the unhappy young man ever really tasted the true grace of ,god2 for if he had1 he would love and cultivate and exhibit holiness4 ,the ,christian has to struggle with sin2 but struggling with it and wallowing in it are two totally different ideas4 ,in the one case we can count on ,christ's sympathy and grace2 in the other1 we are actually blaspheming ,his name by implying that ,he is the minister of sin4 ,we consider it a very serious mistake to set about judging the truth of ,god by the actings of men4 ,all who do so must reach a false conclusion4 ,the true way is just to reverse the order4 ,get hold of ,god's truth first1 and then judge everything by that4 ,set up the divine standard1 and test everything thereby4 ,set up the public scales1 and weigh every man's load therein4 ,the scales must not be regulated by each man's load1 but each man's load be tested by the scales4 ,if ten thousand professors were to fall away1 and live and die in open sin1 it would not shake our confidence in the divine doctrine of final perseverance4 ,the selfsame ,word that proves the doctrine to be true1 proves them to be false4 ,they went out from us1 but they were not of us2 for if they had been of us1 they would no doubt have continued with us2 but they went out1 that they might be manifest that they were not all of us4 7#a ,john ii4 #ai47 ,the foundation of ,god standeth sure1 having this seal1 ,the ,lord knoweth them that are ,his4 ,and1 let every one that nameth the name of ,christ depart from iniquity4 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #ai47 ,,iii4 ,we shall now proceed to examine the various passages of ,scripture which1 as you say1 are generally adduced by those who seek to overthrow the doctrine of final perseverance4 ,but before doing so1 we deem it of importance to lay down the following fundamental principle1 which will1 in our judgment1 be found most helpful in the interpretation of ,scripture generally4 ,the principle is very simple4 ,no one passage of ,holy ,scripture can by any possibility contradict another4 ,if therefore there be a seeming contradiction1 it must arise from our want of spiritual intelligence4 ,thus1 for example1 if any one were to quote ,james ii4 #bd in defense of the doctrine of justification by works1 ,i might not be able to answer him4 ,it is quite possible that thousands1 like ,luther1 have been sadly perplexed by that passage4 ,they may feel the fullest and clearest assurance that they are justified1 and that not by any works that they have done1 but simply by faith of ,jesus ,christ1 and yet be wholly unable to explain these words of ,james--,ye see then how that by works a man is justified1 and not by faith only4 ,now1 how is one to meet such a difficulty as this8 ,he really does not understand the apostle ,james4 ,he is involved in much perplexity by the apparent contradiction between ,james and ,paul4 ,what is he to do8 ,just to apply the principle above stated4 ,no one passage of ,scripture can possibly contradict another4 ,as well might we apprehend a collision between two of the heavenly bodies while moving in their divinely appointed orbits1 as that two inspired writers could possibly clash in their statements4 ,well1 then1 ,i read in ,rom4 iv4 #e such plain words as these3 ,but to him that worketh not1 but believeth on ,him that justifieth the ungodly1 his faith is counted for righteousness4 ,here ,i find works entirely excluded as a ground of justification1 and faith alone recognized4 ,so also in chapter iii4 ,i read1 ,therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without 7or apart from7 works of law4 ,and1 again1 ,being justified by faith1 we have peace with ,god4 ,exactly similar is the teaching in the epistle to the ,galatians1 where we read such plain words as these3 ,knowing that a man is not justified by works of law1 but by faith of ,jesus ,christ1 even we 7,jews7 have believed in ,jesus ,christ1 that we might be justified by faith of ,christ1 and not by works of law3 for by works of law shall no flesh be justified4 7,chap4 ii4 #af47 ,in all these passages1 and many more which might be quoted1 works are sedulously excluded as a ground of justification1 and that too in language so plain that a wayfaring man1 though a fool1 need not err therein4 ,if therefore we cannot explain ,james ii4 #bd1 we must either deny its inspiration or have recourse to our principle1 namely1 that no one passage of ,holy ,scripture can possibly contradict another1 and so remain1 with unshaken confidence and unruffled repose1 rejoicing in the grand foundation truth of justification by faith alone1 apart from law-works altogether4 ,having called the reader's attention to the famous passage in ,james ii41 it may not be amiss to offer him1 in passing1 a word or two of exposition which will help him in the understanding of it4 ,there is a little word in verse #ad which will furnish the key to the entire passage4 ,the inspired apostle inquires1 ,what doth it profit1 my brethren1 though a man say he hath faith8 ,had he said1 ,what doth it profit though a man have faith8 the difficulty would be insuperable1 the perplexity hopeless4 ,but the important word say quite removes all difficulty1 and unfolds in the simplest possible way the point which the apostle has in his mind4 ,we might inquire1 ,what doth it profit though a man say he hath ten thousand a year1 if he have it not8 ,now1 we are aware that the word say is constantly left out in quoting ,james ii4 #ad4 ,some have even ventured to assert that it is not in the original4 ,but any one who can read ,greek has only to look at the passage and he will see the word legee 7say7 placed there by the ,holy ,ghost1 and left there by all our leading editors and biblical critics2 nor can we well conceive a word of more vital importance in a passage4 ,its influence1 we believe1 is felt throughout the entire context in which it occurs4 ,there is no use in a man merely saying he has faith2 but if he really has it1 it profits him for time and eternity1 inasmuch as it connects him with ,christ1 and puts him in full and inalienable possession of all that ,christ has done and all that ,he is for us before ,god4 ,this leads us to another point1 which will greatly tend to clear away the seeming contradiction between the two inspired apostles1 ,paul and ,james4 ,there is a very material difference between law-works and life-works4 ,paul jealously excludes the former2 ,james as jealously insists on the latter4 ,but be it carefully noted that it is only the former that ,paul excludes1 as it is only the latter that ,james insists on4 ,the acts of ,abraham and ,rahab were not law-works1 but life-works4 ,they were the genuine fruits of faith1 apart from which they would have possessed no justifying virtue whatever4 ,it is well worthy of note that with the history of four thousand years before ,him1 the ,holy ,ghost1 in the apostle1 should have fixed upon two such works as that of ,abraham in ,genesis xxii4 and that of ,rahab in ,joshua ii4 ,he does not adduce some acts of charity or benevolence1 though surely ,he might easily have selected many such from the vast mass of materials which lay before ,him4 ,but1 as if anticipating the use that the enemy would make of the passage now before us1 ,he takes care to select two such illustrations of ,his thesis as prove beyond all question that it is life-works and not law-works ,he is insisting upon1 and leaves wholly untouched the priceless doctrine of justification by faith1 apart from works of law4 ,finally1 if any should feel disposed to inquire as to the difference between law-works and life-works1 it is simply this3 law-works are such as are done in order to get life3 life-works are the genuine fruits of life possessed4 ,and how do we get life8 ,by believing on the ,son of ,god4 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he that heareth my words1 and believeth on ,him that sent ,me1 hath everlasting life4 7,john v4 #bd47 ,we must have life before we can do anything2 and we get life1 not by saying we have faith1 but by really having it2 and when we have it1 we shall manifest the precious fruits thereof1 to the glory of ,god4 ,thus1 then1 we not only implicitly believe that ,paul and ,james must harmonize1 but we can plainly see that they do4 ,having thus sought to define and illustrate our principle1 we shall leave you1 dear friend1 to apply it in the various cases of difficulty and perplexity which may come before you in the study of ,scripture1 while we endeavor to expound1 as the ,lord may enable us1 the important passages of ,scripture which you have laid before us4 #a4 ,the first quotation is from the second epistle of ,peter--,but there were false prophets also among the people1 even as there shall be false teachers among you1 who privily shall bring in damnable heresies1 even denying the ,lord that bought them1 and bring upon themselves swift destruction4 7,chap4 ii4 #a47 ,the difficulty of this passage arises1 we suppose1 from the expression1 denying the ,lord that bought them4 ,but there is1 in reality1 no difficulty whatever in these words4 ,the ,lord has a double claim on every man1 woman1 and child beneath the canopy of heaven4 ,he has a claim founded on creation1 and a claim founded on redemption4 ,it is to the latter of these two that the apostle refers4 ,the false teachers will not merely deny the ,lord that made them1 but even the ,lord that bought them4 ,it is of importance to see this4 ,it will help to clear away many difficulties4 ,the ,lord ,jesus has a purchased right over every member of the human family4 ,the ,father has given ,him power over all flesh4 ,hence the sin of those who deny ,him4 ,it would be sin to deny ,him as ,creator2 it is a greater sin to deny ,him as ,redeemer4 ,it is not at all a question of regeneration4 ,the apostle does not say1 ,denying the ,lord that quickened them4 ,this would indeed be a difficulty2 but as the passage stands1 it leaves wholly untouched the truth of final perseverance4 #b4 ,the second passage occurs at the close of the same chapter 7verses #bj and #bb7--;,for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world1 through the knowledge of the ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1 they are again entangled therein and overcome1 the latter end is worse with them than the beginning4444 ,but it is happened unto them according to the true proverb1 ',the dog is turned to his own vomit again3 and the sow that was washed1 to her wallowing in the mire4' ,the diffusion of scriptural knowledge and evangelical light may and does frequently exert an amazing influence upon the conduct and character of persons who have known the saving1 quickening1 emancipating power of the gospel of ,christ4 ,indeed it is hardly possible for an open ,bible to be circulated1 or a free gospel to be preached1 without producing very striking results which1 after all1 will be found to fall far short of the grand result of regeneration4 ,many gross habits may be abandoned1 many pollutions laid aside1 under the influence of a merely intellectual knowledge of the ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ2 while1 at the same time1 the heart has never really been savingly reached at all4 ,now1 it will be invariably found that when persons shake off the influence of evangelical light--even though that influence never extended beyond their outward conduct--they are sure to plunge into greater depths of evil1 and greater excesses of worldliness and folly than ever2 ,the latter end is worse with them than the beginning4 ,the devil takes delight in dragging the quondam professor through deeper mire than that in which he wallowed in the days of his ignorance and thoughtless folly4 ,hence the urgent need of pressing on all with whom we have to do the importance of making sure work of it1 so that the knowledge of truth may not merely affect their external conduct1 but reach the heart1 and impart that life which1 when once possessed1 can never be lost4 ,there is nothing in this passage to terrify the sheep of ,christ1 but very much to warn those who1 though they may for a time put on the outward appearance of sheep1 have never been inwardly aught but as the dog and the sow4 #c4 ,ezekiel xviii4 #bd1 #bf--;,but when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness1 and committeth iniquity1 and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth1 shall he live8 ,all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned3 in his trespass that he hath trespassed1 and in his sin that he hath sinned1 in them shall he die4444 ,when a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity1 and dieth in them2 for his iniquity1 that he hath done1 shall he die4 ,with this we may connect your reference to #b ,chronicles xv4 #b--,the ,lord is with you while ye be with ,him3 and if ye seek ,him1 ,he will be found of you3 but if ye forsake ,him1 ,he will forsake you4 ,we feel constrained1 dear friend1 to say that it evidences a sad want of spiritual intelligence to adduce such passages of ,scripture as bearing in any way upon the truth of the final perseverance of ,christ's members4 ,these1 and numberless other scriptures in the ,old ,testament1 as well as many similar passages in the ,new ,testament1 unfold to us the deeply important subject of ,god's moral government4 ,now1 to be merely a subject of ,god's government is one thing2 to be a subject of ,his unchangeable grace is another4 ,we should never confound them4 ,to elaborate this point1 and to refer to the various passages which illustrate and enforce it1 would demand a volume3 we would here only add our full persuasion that no one can understand the word of ,god who does not accurately distinguish between man under government and man under grace4 ,in the one case he is looked at as walking down here1 in the place of responsibility and danger2 in the other1 he is looked at as associated with ,christ above1 in the place of inalienable privilege and eternal security4 ,these two ,old ,testament scriptures to which you have referred us are entirely governmental1 and1 as a consequence1 have nothing whatever to do with the question of final perseverance4 #d4 ,matthew xii4 #de--,then goeth he and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself1 and they enter in and dwell there3 and the last state of that man is worse than the first4 ,even so shall it be unto this wicked generation4 ,the closing sentence of this passage quite explains the whole context4 ,our ,lord is describing the moral condition of the ,jewish people4 ,the spirit of idolatry had gone out of them1 but only for a time1 and to return again in sevenfold energy and intensity1 rendering their last state worse by far than aught that has yet appeared in their most marvelous history4 ,this passage1 taken in a secondary way1 may be very intelligently applied to an individual who1 having undergone a certain moral change1 and exhibited a measure of improvement in his outward conduct1 afterwards falls back and becomes more openly corrupt and vicious than ever4 #e4 #b ,john i4 #h1 #i--,look to yourselves1 that we lose not those things which we have wrought1 but that we receive a full reward4 ,whoever transgresseth1 and abideth not in the doctrine of ,christ1 hath not ,god4 ,he that abideth in the doctrine of ,christ1 he hath both the ,father and the ,son4 ,in verse #h the apostle exhorts the elect lady and her children to look to themselves1 lest by any means he should lose aught of the fruit of his ministry4 ,they were to form part of his reward in the coming day of glory1 and he longed to present them faultless in the presence of that glory1 that his reward might be full4 ,verse #i needs no explanation2 it is solemnly plain4 ,if one does not abide in the doctrine of ,christ1 he has got nothing4 ,let slip the truth as to ,christ1 and you have no security as to anything4 ,the ,christian most assuredly needs to walk watchfully in order to escape the manifold snares and temptations which surround him2 but whether is that watchfulness better promoted by placing his feet upon the shifting sand of his own performances or by fixing them firmly upon the rock of ,god's eternal salvation8 ,whether am ,i in a more favorable position for the exercise of watchfulness and prayer while living in perpetual doubt and fear1 or reposing in artless confidence in the unchangeable love of my ,saviour-,god8 ,we think1 dear friend1 we may very safely anticipate your reply4 #f4 ,rev4 iii4 #aa--;,behold1 ,i come quickly2 hold that fast which thou hast1 that no man take thy crown4 ,two things are here to be considered1 namely3 first1 this is an address to an assembly2 and1 secondly1 it does not say1 ,that no man take thy life4 ,a servant may lose his reward2 but a child can never lose his eternal life4 ,attention to this would remove a host of difficulties4 ,sonship is one thing2 discipleship is quite another4 ,security in ,christ is one thing2 testimony for ,christ is quite another4 ,if our security were dependent upon our testimony--our sonship upon our discipleship1 where should we be8 ,true1 the more ,i know my security and enjoy my sonship1 the more effective will be my testimony and the more faithful my discipleship2 but these things must never be confounded4 ,in conclusion1 dear friend1 you say that ,all those texts which speak of enduring to the end1 and overcoming1 are thought to mean that1 since there is a possibility of our not doing so1 we may not be saved in the end4 ,as to this1 we would merely add that we shall be most happy at any time to enter with you upon the close examination of every one of those passages to which you in this general way refer199 and to prove1 by the grace of ,god1 that not one of them1 when rightly interpreted1 militates in the smallest degree against the precious truth of final perseverance2 but that1 on the contrary1 each passage contains within itself1 or within its immediate context1 that which will clearly prove its perfect harmony with the truth of the eternal security of the very feeblest lamb in all the blood-bought flock of ,christ4 ,may the ,lord establish our souls1 more and more firmly1 in ,his own truth1 and preserve us unto ,his heavenly kingdom1 to the glory of ,his holy name6 ,c4 ,h4 ,m4 ,p4 ,s4--,paley observes that we should never suffer what we know to be disturbed by what we know not4 ,and ,butler remarks nearly the same when he says1 ,if a truth be established1 objections are nothing4 ,the one is founded on our knowledge1 and the other on our ignorance4 7,see ,jay's ,autobiography1 p4 #agj47 ,a ,,sacred ,,union ',twixt ,jesus and the heavenly race ,subsists a bond of sovereign grace-- ,a tie which hell's tremendous train ,can ne'er dissolve or rend in twain4 ,life's sacred bond shall never break1 ,though earth should to its centre shake3 ,we rest in hope1 assured of this2 ,for ,god has pledged ,his righteousness4 ,by ,him 'twas counseled1 planned1 and done1 ,wrought in the blood of ,his dear ,son-- ,the ,christ appointed to redeem ,all that the ,father chose in ,him4 ,o sacred union1 firm and strong6 ,how great the grace6 ,how sweet the song6 ,to ,god alone be all the praise ,of rich1 eternal1 heavenly grace4 ,in spirit one with ,him who rose ,victorious o'er ,his mighty foes2 ,who went on high and took ,his seat1 ,pledge of the serpent's full defeat4 ,triumphant thus o'er adverse powers1 7,for all ,he is and has is ours17 ,with ,him1 the ,head1 we stand or fall-- ,our ,life1 our ,surety1 and our ,all4 ,thus saved in ,him1 a chosen race1 ,here may we prove our faithfulness1 ,and live to ,him who for us died1 ,with whom we shall be glorified4 ,,now ,,and ,,then2 ,,or1 ,,time ,,and ,,eternity ,the principles of truth laid down in ,luke xii4 are of the most solemn and searching character4 ,their practical bearing is such as to render them1 in a day like the present1 of the deepest importance4 ,worldly-mindedness and carnality cannot live in the light of the truth here set forth4 ,they are withered up by the roots4 ,if one were asked to give a brief and comprehensive title to this most precious section of inspiration1 it might be entitled ,time in the light of eternity4 ,the ,lord evidently designed to set ,his disciples in the light of that world where every thing is the direct opposite of that which obtains here--to bring their hearts under the holy influence of unseen things1 and their lives under the power and authority of heavenly principles4 ,such being the faithful purpose of the ,divine ,teacher1 ,he lays the solid foundation for ,his superstructure of doctrine with these searching words3 ,beware of the leaven of the ,pharisees1 which is hypocrisy4 ,there must be no undercurrent in the soul4 ,the deep springs of thought must be laid bare4 ,we must allow the pure beams of heaven's light to penetrate to the depths of our moral being4 ,we must not have any discrepancy between the hidden judgment of the soul and the style of our phraseology--between the bent of the life and the profession of the lips4 ,in a word1 we specially need the grace of an honest and a good heart1 in order to profit by this wondrous compendium of practical truth4 ,we are too apt to give an indifferent hearing or a cold assent to home truth4 ,we do not like it4 ,we prefer interesting speculations about the mere letter of ,scripture1 points of doctrine1 or questions of prophecy1 because we can indulge these in immediate connection with all sorts of worldly-mindedness1 covetous practices1 and self-indulgence4 ,but ponderous principles of truth1 bearing down upon the conscience in all their magnitude and flesh-cutting power1 who can bear1 save those who1 through grace1 are seeking to purge themselves from the leaven of the ,pharisees1 which is hypocrisy8 ,this leaven is of a most specious character1 takes various shapes1 and is therefore most dangerous4 ,indeed1 wherever it exists1 there is a most positive and insurmountable barrier placed before the soul in its progress in experimental knowledge and practical holiness4 ,if ,i do not expose my whole soul to the action of divine truth1--if ,i am closing up some corner or crevice from the light thereof1--if ,i am cherishing some secret reserve1--if ,i am dishonestly seeking to accommodate the truth to my own standard of practice1 or parry its keen edge from my conscience1 then1 assuredly1 ,i am defiled by the leaven of hypocrisy1 and my growth in likeness to ,christ is a moral impossibility4 ,hence1 therefore1 it is imperative upon every disciple of ,christ to search and see that nothing of this abominable leaven is allowed in the secret chambers of his heart4 ,let us1 by the grace of ,god1 put and keep it far away1 so that we may be able on all occasions to say1 ,speak1 ,lord1 for ,thy servant heareth4#c #c ,the meaning which is generally attached to hypocrisy is a false profession of religion4 ,it assuredly means this1 but it means much more4 ,a tacit assent to principles which do not govern the conduct deserves the appellation of hypocrisy4 ,looking at the subject in this point of view1 we may all find occasion of deep humiliation before the ,lord4 ,but not only is hypocrisy utterly subversive of spiritual progress1 it also fails in attaining the object which it proposes to itself2 for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed2 neither hid1 that shall not be known4 ,every man will find his level1 and every thought will be brought to light4 ,what the truth would do now1 the judgment-seat will do then4 ,every grade and shade of hypocrisy will be unmasked by the light which shall shine forth from the judgment-seat of ,christ4 ,nothing will be allowed to escape4 ,all will be reality then1 though there is so much fallacy now4 ,moreover1 every thing will get its proper name then1 though it be misnamed now4 ,worldly-mindedness is called prudence2 a grasping1 covetous spirit is called foresight2 and self-indulgence and personal aggrandizement are called judicious management and laudable diligence in business4 ,thus it is now2 but then it will be quite the reverse4 ,all things will be seen in their true colors1 and called by their true names1 before the judgment-seat4 ,wherefore it is the wisdom of the disciple to act in the light of that day1 when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed4 ,as to this1 he is placed on a vantage-ground1 for1 says the apostle1 we must all saints and sinners--though not at the same time1 nor on the same ground1 be manifested before the judgment-seat of ,christ4 ,should this disturb the disciple's mind8 ,assuredly not1 if his heart be so purged of the leaven of hypocrisy and his soul so thoroughly grounded1 by the teaching of ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 in the great foundation-truth set forth in this very chapter 7#b ,cor4 v471 namely1 that ,christ is his life1 and ,christ his righteousness2 that he can say1 ,we are manifested 1--an inflection of the same word as is used at verse #aj1 unto ,god1 and ,i trust also are manifested in your consciences4 ,but if he be deficient in this peace of conscience and transparent honesty of heart1 there is no doubt but that the thought of the judgment-seat will disturb his spirit4 ,hence we see that the ,lord1 in ,luke xii1 sets the consciences of ,his disciples directly in the light of the judgment-seat4--,and ,i say unto you1 ,my friends1 ,be not afraid of them that kill the body1 and after that have no more that they can do4 ,but ,i will forewarn you whom ye shall fear3 ,fear ,him1 which after ,he hath killed hath power to cast into hell2 yea1 ,i say unto you1 ,fear ,him4 ,the fear of man bringeth a snare1 and is closely connected with the leaven of the ,pharisees2 but the fear of the ,lord is the beginning of wisdom1 and causes a man always so to carry himself--so to think1 speak1 and act--as in the full light of ,christ's judgment-seat4 ,this would impart immense dignity and elevation to the character1 while it would effectually nip1 in the earliest bud1 the spirit of haughty independence1 by keeping the soul under the searching power of divine light1 the effect of which is to make every thing and every one manifest4 ,there is nothing that so tends to rob the disciple of ,christ of the proper dignity of his discipleship as walking before the eyes or thoughts of men4 ,so long as we are doing so1 we cannot be unshackled followers of our heavenly ,master4 ,moreover1 the evil of walking before men is morally allied with the evil of seeking to hide our ways from ,god4 ,both partake of the leaven of the ,pharisees1 and both will find their proper place before the judgment-seat4 ,why should we fear men8 why should we regard their opinions8 ,if their opinions will not bear to be tried in ,his presence who has power to cast into hell1 they are worth nothing2 for it is with ,him we have to do4 ,with me it is a very small thing that ,i should be judged of you1 or man's judgment4 ,man may have a judgment-seat now1 but he will not have it then2--he may set up his tribunal in time1 but he will have no tribunal in eternity4 ,why1 therefore1 should we shape our way in reference to a tribunal so frail and evanescent8 ,oh1 let us challenge our hearts as to this4 ,god grant us grace to act now in reference to then--to carry ourselves here with our eye on hereafter--to look at time in the light of eternity4 ,the poor unbelieving heart may however inquire1 ,if ,i thus rise above human thoughts and human opinions1 how shall ,i get on in a scene where those very thoughts and opinions prevail8 ,this is a very natural question1 but it meets its full and satisfactory answer from the ,master's lips2 yea1 it would even seem as though ,he had graciously anticipated this rising element of unbelief1 when1 having carried ,his disciples above the hazy mists of time1 and set them in the clear1 searching1 powerful light of eternity1 ,he added1 ,are not five sparrows sold for two farthings8 and not one of them is forgotten before ,god4 ,but even the very hairs of your head are all numbered4 ,fear not1 therefore2 ye are of more value than many sparrows4 7,ver4 #f1 #g47 ,here the heart is taught not only to fear ,god1 but also to confide in ,him1--it is not only warned1 but also tranquilized4 ,fear and fear not may seem a paradox to flesh and blood1 but to faith it is no paradox4 ,the man who fears ,god most will fear circumstances least4 ,the man of faith is at once the most dependent and independent man in the world--dependent upon ,god1 independent upon circumstances4 ,the latter is the consequence of the former4 ,and mark the ground of the believer's peace4 ,the ,one who has power to cast into hell1 the only ,one whom he is to fear1 has actually taken the trouble to count the hairs of his head4 ,he surely has not taken the trouble for the purpose of letting him perish here or hereafter4 ,the minuteness of our ,father's care should silence every doubt that might arise in our hearts4 ,there is nothing too small and there can be nothing too great for ,him4 ,the countless orbs that move through infinite space and a falling sparrow are alike to ,him4 ,his infinite mind can take in with equal facility the course of everlasting ages and the hairs of our head4 ,this is the stable foundation on which ,christ founds ,his fear not and take no thought4 ,we frequently fail in the practical application of this divine principle4 ,we may admire it as a principle1 but it is only in the application of it that its real beauty is seen or felt4 ,if we do not put it in practice1 we are but painting sunbeams on canvas1 while we famish beneath the chilling influences of our own unbelief4 ,now1 we find in this scripture before us that bold and uncompromising testimony for ,christ is connected with this holy elevation above men's thoughts and this calm reliance upon our ,father's minute and tender care4 ,if my heart is lifted above the influence of the fear of man1 and sweetly tranquilized by the assurance that ,god takes account of the hairs of my head1 then ,i am in a condition of soul to confess ,christ before men4 7,see vv4 #h-aj47 ,nor need ,i be careful as to the result of this confession1 for so long as ,god wants me here ,he will maintain me here4 ,and when they bring you unto the synagogues1 and unto magistrates and powers1 take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer1 or what ye shall say2 for the ,holy ,ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say4 ,the only proper ground of testimony for ,christ is to be fully delivered from human influence1 and established in unqualified confidence in ,god4 ,so far as ,i am influenced by or a debtor to men1 so far am ,i disqualified for being a servant of ,christ2 but ,i can only be effectually delivered from human influence by a lively faith in ,god4 ,when ,god fills the heart1 there is no room for the creature2 and we may be perfectly sure of this1 that no man has ever taken the trouble to count the hairs of our head2 we have not even taken that trouble ourselves2 but ,god has1 and therefore ,i can trust ,god more than any one4 ,god is perfectly sufficient for every exigency1 great or small1 and we only want to trust ,him to know that ,he is4 ,true1 ,he may and does use men as instruments2 but if we lean on men instead of ,god1--if we lean on instruments instead of on the hand that uses them1 we bring down a curse upon us1 for it is written1 ,cursed be the man that trusteth in man1 and maketh flesh his arm1 and whose heart departeth from the ,lord4 7,jer4 xvii4 #e47 ,the ,lord used the ravens to feed ,elijah1 but ,elijah never thought of trusting in the ravens4 ,thus it should be ever4 ,faith leans on ,god1 counts on ,him1 clings to ,him1 trusts in ,him1 waits for ,him1 ever leaves a clear stage for ,him to act on1 does not obstruct ,his glorious path by any creature-confidence1 allows ,him to display ,himself in all the glorious reality of what ,he is1 leaves every thing to ,him2 and1 moreover1 if it gets into deep and rough waters1 it will always be seen upon the crest of the loftiest billow1 and from thence gazing in perfect repose upon ,god and ,his powerful actings4 ,such is faith--that precious thing--the only thing in this world that gives ,god and man their respective places4 ,while the ,lord ,jesus was in the act of pouring forth these unearthly principles1 a true child of earth intrudes upon ,him with a question about property4--,and one of the company said unto ,him1 ',master1 speak to my brother1 that he divide the inheritance with me4' ,how marvelously little did he know of the true character of that heavenly ,man who stood before him6 ,he knew nothing of the profound mystery of ,his being1 or the object of ,his heavenly mission4 ,he surely had not come from the bosom of the ,father to settle lawsuits about property1 nor to arbitrate between two covetous men4 ,the spirit of covetousness was manifestly in the whole affair4 ,both defendant and plaintiff were governed by covetousness4 ,one wanted to grasp and the other wanted to keep2 what was this but covetousness8 ,and he said unto him1 ',man1 who made ,me a judge or a divider over you8' ,it was not a question of which was right or which was wrong as to the property4 ,according to ,christ's pure and heavenly doctrine they were both wrong4 ,in the light of eternity a few acres of land were little worth2 and as to ,christ ,himself1 ,he was only teaching principles entirely hostile to all questions of earthly possession2 but in ,his own person and character ,he set an example of the very opposite4 ,he did not go to law about the inheritance4 ,he was ,heir of all things4 ,the land of ,israel1 the throne of ,david1 and all creation belonged to ,him2 but man would not own ,him1 or give ,him possession4 ,the husbandmen said among themselves1 ',this is the heir2 come1 let us kill him1 and seize upon the inheritance4' ,to this the ,heir submitted in perfect patience1 but 7eternal homage to ,his glorious name67 by submitting unto death ,he crushed the enemy's power1 and brought many sons to glory4 ,thus we see in the doctrine and practice of the ,heavenly ,man the true exhibition of the principles of the kingdom of ,god4 ,he would not arbitrate1 but yet ,he taught truth which would entirely do away with the need of arbitration4 ,if the principles of the kingdom of ,god were dominant1 there would be no need for courts of law2 for inasmuch as people would not be wronged of their rights1 they could have no wrongs to be righted4 ,this would be admitted by all4 ,but then the ,christian1 being in the kingdom1 is bound to be governed by the principles of the kingdom1 and to carry them out at all cost2 for1 in the exact proportion that he fails to exhibit those principles1 he is robbing his own soul of blessing1 and marring his testimony4 ,hence1 then1 a person going to law is not governed1 in so doing1 by the principles of the kingdom of ,god1 but by the principles of the kingdom of ,satan1 who is the prince of this world4 ,it is not a question as to his being a ,christian1 but simply a question as to the principle by which he is governed in the act of going to law under any circumstances4#d ,i say nothing of the moral instincts of the divine nature1 which would surely lead one to apprehend with accuracy the gross inconsistency of a man who professes to be saved by grace going to law with a fellow-man--of one who1 while he owns that if he had his right from the hand of ,god1 he would be burning in hell1 nevertheless insists upon exacting his rights from his fellow-man--of one who has been forgiven ten thousand talents1 but yet seizes his fellow by the throat for a paltry hundred pence4 ,upon these things ,i shall not dwell4 ,i merely look at the question of going to law in the light of the kingdom1 in the light of eternity2 and if it be true that in the kingdom of ,god there is no need for courts of law1 then ,i press it solemnly upon my reader's conscience1 in the presence of ,god1 that he1 as a subject of that kingdom1 is totally wrong in going to law4 ,true1 it will lead to loss and suffering2 but who is worthy of the kingdom of ,god who is not prepared to suffer for it8 ,let those who are governed by the things of time go to law2 but the ,christian is1 or ought to be1 governed by the things of eternity4 ,people go to law now1 but it will not be so then2 and the ,christian is to act now as if it were then4 ,he belongs to the kingdom2 and it is just because the kingdom of ,god is not dominant1 but the ,king rejected1 that the subjects of the kingdom are called to suffer4 ,righteousness suffers now2 it will reign in the millennium1 and it will dwell in the new heavens and the new earth4 ,now1 in going to law1 the ,christian anticipates the millennial age4 ,he is going before his ,master in the assertion of his rights4 ,he is called to suffer patiently all sorts of wrongs and injuries4 ,to resent them is to deny the truth of that kingdom to which he professes to belong4 ,i press this principle upon my reader's conscience4 ,i earnestly implore his serious attention thereto4 ,let it have its full weight upon his conscience4 ,let him not trifle with its truth4 ,there is nothing which tends so to hinder the freshness and power1 growth and prosperity1 of the kingdom of ,god in the heart as the refusal to carry out the principles of that kingdom in the conduct4#e #d ,how often1 alas6 does it happen that people go to law to be righted of their wrongs1 and in the end find themselves wronged of their rights6 #e ,the ,christian should be governed by the principles of the kingdom in every thing4 ,if he is engaged in business1 he should conduct his business as a child of ,god1 and a servant of ,christ4 ,he should not have a ,christian character on ,lord's day and a commercial character on ,monday4 ,i should have the ,lord with me in my shop1 my warehouse1 and my counting-house4 ,it is my privilege to depend upon ,god in my business2 but in order to depend upon ,him1 my business must be of such a nature1 and conducted upon such a principle as ,he can own4 ,if it is not so1 ,i must leave the ,lord out1 and ,i am then on the same footing as the men of the world1 and left to fall into their ways and manner of doing business4 ,of course1 everything depends upon the motive which actuates the mind4 ,what1 then1 is my motive in my daily labor8 ,is it to provide food and raiment1 or is it to lay up treasures upon earth8 ,if the former1 ,god has pleasure in it1 and is with it2 so that1 if you are in the way of ,his appointment1 you have only to depend upon ,him4 ,faith always puts the soul on a totally different ground from that occupied by the world1 no matter where or what our calling may be4 ,take1 for example1 ,david in the valley of ,elah4 ,why did he not fight1 like other men8 ,because he was on the ground of faith4 ,so also ,hezekiah4 ,why did he put on sackcloth when other men put on armor8 ,because he was on the ground of simple dependence upon ,god4 ,just so in the case of a man in trade2 he must carry on his trade as a ,christian1 else he will mar the testimony and rob his own soul of blessing4 ,but some may say that it is bringing us down from the high ground of the ,church1 as set forth in ,paul's epistles1 to press thus the principles of the kingdom4 ,by no means4 ,we belong to the ,church1 but we are in the kingdom2 and while we must never confound the two1 it is perfectly plain that the ethics--the moral habits and ways--of the ,church can never be below those of the kingdom4 ,if it be contrary to the spirit and principles of the kingdom to assert my rights and go to law1 it must1 if possible1 be still more contrary to the spirit and principles of the ,church4 ,this cannot be questioned4 ,the higher my position1 the higher should be my code of ethics and tone of character4 ,i fully believe1 and desire firmly to hold1 experimentally to enter into1 and practically to exhibit the truth of the ,church as the body and bride of ,christ--the possessor of a heavenly standing1 and the expectant of heavenly glory1 by virtue of her oneness with ,christ2 but ,i cannot see how my being a member of that highly privileged body can make my practice lower than if ,i were merely a subject or member of the kingdom4 ,what is the difference1 as regards present conduct and character1 between belonging to the body of a rejected ,head and belonging to the kingdom of a rejected ,king8 ,assuredly it cannot be to lower the tone in the former case4 ,the higher and more intimate my relationship to the rejected ,one1 the more intense should be my separation from that which rejects ,him1 and the more complete should be my assimilation to ,his character1 and the more precise and accurate my walk in ,his footsteps in the midst of that scene from which ,he is rejected4 ,but the simple fact is1 ,,we ,,want ,,conscience4 ,yes1 beloved reader1 a tender1 exercised1 honest conscience1 which will truly and accurately respond to the appeals of ,god's pure and holy ,word1 is1 ,i verily believe1 the grand desideratum--the pressing want of the present moment4 ,it is not so much principles we want1 as the grace1 the energy1 the holy decision1 that will carry them out1 cost what it may4 ,we admit the truth of principles which most plainly cut at the very things which we ourselves are either directly or indirectly doing1--we admit the principle of grace1 and yet we live by the strict maintenance of righteousness4 ,for example1 how often does it happen that persons are preaching1 teaching1 and professing to enjoy grace1 while at the very moment they are insisting upon their rights in reference to their tenants2 and1 either directly themselves or indirectly by means of their agents1 dispossessing poor people1 unroofing their houses1 and sending them out1 in destitution and misery1 upon a cold1 heartless world6 ,this is a plain1 palpable case1 of which1 alas6 there have been too many painful illustrations in the world within the last ten years4 ,and why put cases8 ,because one finds such melancholy deficiency in sensibility of conscience at the present day1 that unless the thing is brought home plainly to one's self it will not be understood4 ,like ,david1 our indignation is wrought up to the highest pitch by a picture of moral turpitude1 so long as we do not see self in that picture4 ,it needs some ,nathan to sound in our ears1 ,thou art the man1 in order to prostrate us in the dust1 with a smitten conscience1 and true self-abhorrence4 ,thus1 at the present day1 eloquent sermons are preached1 eloquent lectures delivered1 and elaborate treatises written about the principles of grace1 and yet the courts of law are frequented1 attorneys1 lawyers1 sheriffs1 agents1 and sub-agents are called into requisition1 with all their terrible machinery1 in order to assert our rights2 but we feel it not1 because we are not present to witness the distress1 and hear the groans and execrations of houseless mothers and children4 ,need we wonder1 therefore1 that true practical ,christianity is at a low ebb amongst us8 ,is it any marvel that leanness1 barrenness1 drought and poverty1 coldness and deadness1 darkness1 ignorance1 and spiritual depression should be found amongst us8 ,what else could be expected1 when the principles of the kingdom of ,god are openly violated8 ,but is it unrighteous to seek to get our own1 and to make use of the machinery within our reach in order to do so8 ,surely not4 ,what is here maintained is1 that no matter how well defined and clearly established the right may be1 the assertion thereof is diametrically opposed to the kingdom of ,god4 ,the servant in ,matthew xviii4 was called a wicked servant1 and delivered to the tormentors1 not because he acted unrighteously in enforcing the payment of a lawful debt1 but because he did not act in grace and remit that debt4 ,well1 therefore1 might the ,lord ,jesus sound in ,his disciples' ears this warning voice1 ,take heed and beware of covetousness2 for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth4 ,but how difficult to define this covetousness6 how hard to bring it home to the conscience6 ,it is1 as some one has said of worldliness1 shaded off gradually from white to jet black2 so that it is only as we are imbued with the spirit and mind of heaven1 and thoroughly schooled in the principles of eternity1 that we shall be able to detect its working4 ,and not only so1 but our hearts must1 in this also1 be purged from the leaven of the ,pharisees1 which is hypocrisy4 ,the ,pharisees were covetous1 and could only turn ,christ's doctrine into ridicule 7see ,luke xvi4 #ad72 and so will it be with all those who are tainted by their leaven4 ,they will not see the just application of truth1 either as to covetousness or any thing else4 ,they will seek to define it in such a way as will suit themselves4 ,they will interpret1 modify1 pare down1 accommodate1 until they have fully succeeded in getting their conscience from under the edge of ,god's truth2 and thus they get into the power and under the influence of the enemy4 ,i must either be governed by the pure truth of the ,word or by the impure principles of the world1 which1 as we very well know1 are forged in ,satan's workshop1 and brought into the world to be used in doing his work4 ,in the parable of the rich man1 which the ,lord here puts forth in illustration of covetousness1 we see a character which the world respects and admires4 ,but in this1 as in every thing else brought forward in this searching chapter1 we see the difference between now and then--between time and eternity4 ,all depends upon the light in which you look at men and things4 ,if you merely look at them now1 it may be all very well to get on in trade1 and enlarge one's concerns1 and make provision for the future4 ,the man who does this is counted wise now1 but he will be a fool then4 ,but1 my reader1 let us remember that we must make ,god's then to be our now2 we must look at the things of time in the light of eternity--the things of earth in the light of heaven4 ,this is true wisdom1 which does not confine the heart to that system of things which obtains under the sun1 but conducts it into the light1 and leaves it under the power of that world where the principles of the kingdom of ,god bear sway4 ,what should we think of courts of law and insurance offices if we look at them in the light of eternity8#f ,these things do very well for men who are only governed by now1 but the disciple of ,christ is to be governed by then4 ,this makes all the difference2 and truly it is a serious difference4 #f ,it should be a serious question with a child of ,god1 ere he avails himself of an assurance company1 whether in the matter of fire or life1 ,am ,i hereby distrusting ,god8 or am ,i seeking by human agency to counteract divine visitations8 ,there is something sadly anomalous in a ,christian's insuring his life4 ,he professes to be dead1 and that ,christ is his life2 why then talk of insuring his life8 ,but many will say1 ,we cannot bring ,christianity into such things4 ,i ask1 ,where are we to leave it8 ,is ,christianity a convenient sort of garment1 which we put on on ,lord's day1 and at the close of that day take it off1 fold it carefully up1 and lay it on the shelf till the following ,lord's day8 ,it is too often thus4 ,people have two characters2 and what is this but the leaven of the ,pharisees1 which is hypocrisy8 ,insurance offices are all very well for the men of this world1 who should certainly avail themselves of them1 inasmuch as every thing around and within is so uncertain4 ,but to the child of ,god all is sure4 ,god has insured his life forever1 and hence he should regard insurance offices as so many depots of unbelief4 ,the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully4 ,what sin is there in being a successful agriculturist or merchant8 ,if ,god bless a man's labor1 should he not rejoice8 ,truly so2 but mark the moral progress of a covetous heart4 ,he thought within himself4 ,he did not think in the presence of ,god1--he did not think under the mighty influences of the eternal world2 no1 he thought within himself--within the narrow compass of his selfish heart4 ,such was his range2 and therefore we need not marvel at his practical conclusion4 ,what shall ,i do1 because ,i have no room where to bestow my fruits8 ,what6 ,was there no way of using his resources with a view to ,god's future8 ,alas6 no4 ,man has a future 7or thinks he has7 on which he counts1 and for which he makes provision2 but self is the only object which figures in that future1--self1 whether in my own person or that of my wife or child1 which is morally the same thing4 ,the grand object in ,god's future is ,christ2 and true wisdom will lead us to fix our eye on ,him1 and make ,him our undivided object for time and eternity--now and then4 ,but this1 in the judgment of a worldly man1 is nonsense4 ,yes1 ,heaven's wisdom is nonsense in the judgment of earth4 ,hearken to the wisdom of earth1 and the wisdom of those who are under the influence of earthly maxims and habits4 ,and he said1 ',this will ,i do3 ,i will pull down my barns1 and build greater2 and there will ,i bestow all my fruits and my goods4' ,thus we have what he thought1 what he said1 and what he did2 and there is a melancholy consistency between his thoughts1 his words1 and his acts4 ,there1 in my self-built storehouse1 will ,i bestow all4 ,miserable treasure-house to contain the all of an immortal soul6 ,god was not an item in the catalogue4 ,god was neither his treasury nor his treasure4 ,this is plain2 and it is always thus with a mere man of the world4 ,and ,i will say to my soul1 ,soul1 thou hast much goods laid up for many years2 take thine ease1 eat1 drink1 and be merry4 ,thus we see that a worldly man's provision is only for many years4 ,make the best of it1 it cannot go beyond that narrow limit4 ,it cannot1 even in his own thought about it1 reach into that boundless eternity which stretches beyond this contracted span of time4 ,and this provision he offers to his never-dying soul as the basis of its ease and merriment4 ,miserable fatuity6 ,senseless calculation6 ,how different is the address which a believer may present to his soul6 ,he too may say to his soul1 ,soul1 take thine ease2 eat1 drink1 and be merry2--eat of the fatness of ,god's storehouse1 and drink of the river of ,his pleasures1 and of the wine of ,his kingdom2 and be glad in ,his accomplished salvation2 for thou hast much goods1 yea1 unsearchable riches1 untold wealth1 laid up1 not merely for many years1 but for eternity4 ,christ's finished work is the ground of thine eternal peace1 and ,his coming glory the sure and certain object of thy hope4 ,this is a different character of address1 my reader4 ,this shows the difference between now and then4 ,it is a fatal mistake not to make ,christ the ,crucified1 ,christ the ,risen1 ,christ the ,glorified1 the ,alpha and ,omega of all our calculations4 ,to paint a future1 and not to place ,christ in the foreground1 is extravagance of the wildest character2 for the moment ,god enters the scene1 the picture is hopelessly marred4 ,but ,god said unto him1 ',thou fool6 this night thy soul shall be required of thee3 ,,then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided8' ,and then mark the moral of all this4 ,so is he1 no matter who--saint or sinner1 that layeth up treasure for himself1 and is not rich toward ,god4 ,the man who hoards up is virtually making a god of his hoard4 ,his mind is tranquilized as to the future when he thinks of his hoard1 for if he had not that hoard he would be uneasy4 ,it is sufficient to put a natural man entirely out of his reason to give him naught but ,god to depend upon4 ,any thing but that for him4 ,give him old pieces of parchment in the shape of title-deeds1 in which some clever lawyer will finally pick a hole1 and prove worthless4 ,he will lean on them--yea1 die in peace1 if he can leave such to his heirs4 ,give him an insurance policy1--any thing1 in short1 but ,god for the natural heart4 ,,all ,,is ,,reality ,,save ,,the ,,only ,,reality1 in the judgment of nature4 ,this proves what nature's true condition is4 ,it cannot trust ,god4 ,it talks about ,him1 but it cannot trust ,him4 ,the very basis of man's moral constitution is distrust of ,god2 and one of the fairest fruits of regeneration is the capacity to confide in ,god for every thing4 ,they that know ,thy name will put their trust in ,thee4 ,none else can4 ,however1 my main object in this paper is to deal with ,christian consciences4 ,i ask the ,christian reader1 therefore1 in plain terms1 is it in keeping with ,christ's doctrine1 as set forth in the gospel1 for ,his disciples to lay up for themselves treasure on the earth8 ,it seems almost an absurdity to put such a question1 in the face of ,luke xii4 and parallel scriptures4 ,lay not up for yourselves treasure on the earth1 where moth and rust doth corrupt1 and where thieves break through and steal2 but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven1 where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt1 and where thieves do not break through and steal4 ,this is plain enough1 and only wants an honest conscience to apply it1 in order to produce its proper results4 ,it is directly contrary to the doctrine of the kingdom of ,god1 and perfectly incompatible with true discipleship1 to lay up treasure1 in any shape or form1 on the earth4 ,in this1 as in the matter of going to law1 we have only to remember that we are in the kingdom of ,god1 in order to know how we should act4 ,the principles of that kingdom are eternal and binding upon every disciple of ,christ4 ,and ,he said unto ,his disciples1 ',therefore ,i say unto you1 ,take no thought for your life1 what ye shall eat2 neither for the body1 what ye shall put on4 ,the life is more than meat1 and the body is more than raiment4' ,be careful for nothing1 says the ,spirit by the apostle4 ,why8 ,because ,god is caring for you4 ,there is no use in two thinking about the same thing1 when ,one can do every thing and the other can do nothing4 ,in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to ,god4 ,and the peace of ,god1 which passeth all understanding1 shall garrison your hearts and minds through ,christ ,jesus4 ,this is the solid foundation of peace of heart1 which so few really enjoy4 ,many have gotten peace of conscience through faith in the sufficiency of ,christ's work1 who do not enjoy peace of heart through faith in the sufficiency of ,god's care4 ,and oftentimes we go to pray about our difficulties and trials1 and we rise from our knees as troubled as we knelt down4 ,we profess to put our affairs into the hands of ,god1 but we have no notion of leaving them1 there2 and consequently we do not enjoy peace of heart4 ,thus it was with ,jacob1 in ,genesis xxxii4 ,he asked ,god to deliver him from the hand of ,esau2 but no sooner did he rise from his knees than he set forth the real ground of his soul's dependence1 by saying1 ,i will appease him by a present4 ,it is clear he had much more confidence in the present than in ,god4 ,this is a common error amongst the children of ,god4 ,we profess to be looking to the ,eternal ,fountain2 but the eye of the soul is askance upon some creature-stream4 ,thus ,god is practically shut out2 our souls are not delivered1 and we have not got peace of heart4 ,the apostle then goes on1 in ,philippians iv4 #h1 to give a catalogue of those things about which we ought to think2 and we find that self or its affairs is not once alluded to4 ,whatsoever things are true1 whatsoever things are venerable 1 whatsoever things are just1 whatsoever things are pure1 whatsoever things are lovely1 whatsoever things are of good report2 if there be any virtue1 and if there be any praise1 think on these things4444 ,and the ,god of peace shall be with you4 ,thus1 when ,i know and believe that ,god is thinking about me1 ,i have the peace of ,god2 and when ,i am thinking about ,him and the things belonging to ,him1 ,i have the ,god of peace4 ,this1 as might be expected1 harmonizes precisely with ,christ's doctrine in ,luke xii4 ,after relieving the minds of ,his disciples in reference to present supplies and future treasure1 ,he says1 ,but rather seek ye the kingdom of ,god1 and all these things shall be added unto you4 ,that is1 ,i am not to seek the kingdom with the latent thought in my mind that my wants will be supplied in consequence4 ,that would not be true discipleship4 ,a true disciple never thinks of aught but the ,master and ,his kingdom2 and the ,master will assuredly think of him and his wants4 ,thus it stands1 my beloved reader1 between a faithful servant and an all-powerful and all-gracious ,master4 ,that servant may therefore be free1 perfectly free1 from care4 ,but there is another ground on which we are exhorted to be free from care1 and that is1 the utter worthlessness of that care4 ,which of you1 with taking thought1 can add to his stature one cubit8 ,if ye then be not able to do that thing which is least1 why take ye thought for the rest8 ,we gain nothing by our care2 and by indulging therein we only unfit ourselves for seeking the kingdom of ,god1 and place a barrier1 by our unbelief1 in the way of ,his acting for us4 ,it is always true in reference to us1 ,he could there do no mighty work1 because of their unbelief4 ,unbelief is the great hindrance to the display of ,god's mighty works on our behalf4 ,if we take our affairs into our own hands1 it is clear that we do not want ,god4 ,thus we are left to the depressing influence of our own perplexing thoughts1 and finally we take refuge in some human resource1 and make shipwreck of faith4 ,it is important to understand that we are either leaning on ,god or on circumstances4 ,it will not do1 by any means1 to say that we are leaning on ,god and circumstances4 ,it must be ,god only1 or not at all4 ,it is all very well to talk of faith when our hearts are1 in reality1 leaning on the creature in some shape or form4 ,we should sift and try our ways closely as to this2 for inasmuch as absolute dependence upon ,god is one of the special characteristics of the divine life1 and one of the fundamental principles of the kingdom1 it surely becomes us to look well to it that we are not presenting any barrier to our progress in that heavenly quality4 ,true1 it is most trying to flesh and blood to have no settled thing to lean upon4 ,the heart will quiver as we stand upon the shore of circumstances1 and look forth upon that unknown ocean--unknown to all but faith1 and where naught but simple faith can live for an hour4 ,we may feel disposed1 like ,lot1 to cry out1 ,is it not a little one8 and my soul shall live4 ,the heart longs for some shred of the creature1 some plank from the raft of circumstances1--any thing but absolute dependence upon ,god4 ,but oh6 let ,god only be known1 and ,he must be trusted2 let ,him be trusted1 and ,he must be known4 ,still the poor heart will yearn after something settled1 something tangible4 ,if it be a question of maintenance1 it will earnestly desire some settled income1 a certain sum in the funds1 a certain amount of landed property1 or a fixed jointure or annuity of some kind or other4 ,then1 if it be a question of public testimony or ministry of any kind1 it will be the same thing4 ,if a man is going to preach or lecture1 he will like to have something to lean upon2 if not a written sermon1 at least some notes1 or some kind of previous preparation1--any thing but unqualified1 self-emptied dependence upon ,god4 ,hence it is that worldliness prevails to such a fearful extent amongst ,christians4 ,faith alone can overcome the world and purify the heart4 ,it brings the soul from under the influence of time1 and keeps it habitually in the light of eternity4 ,it is occupied not with now1 but with then1--not with here1 but hereafter1--not with earth1 but with heaven4 ,thus it overcomes the world and purifies the heart4 ,it hears and believes ,christ's word1 ,fear not1 little flock1 for it is your ,father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom4 ,now1 if the kingdom fills my soul's vision1 ,i have no room for aught beside4 ,i can let go present shadows1 in the prospect of future realities2 ,i can give up an evanescent now1 in the prospect of an eternal then4 ,wherefore the ,lord immediately adds1 ,sell that ye have1 and give alms3 provide yourselves bags which wax not old1 a treasure in the heavens that fadeth not1 where no thief approacheth1 neither moth corrupteth4 ,for where your treasure is1 there will the heart be also4 ,if ,i have treasure on earth1 no matter in what shape1 my heart will be there also1 and ,i shall be a downright worldly man4 ,how shall ,i most effectually empty my heart of the world8 ,by getting it filled with ,christ4 ,he is the true treasure which neither the world's bags nor its storehouses can contain4 ,the world has its barns and its bags1 in which it hoards its goods2 but its barns will fall and its bags will wax old3 and then1 what will become of the treasure8 ,truly they build too low that build beneath the skies4 ,yet people will build and hoard up1 if not for themselves1 at least for their children1 or in other words1 their second selves4 ,if ,i hoard for my children1 ,i am hoarding for myself2 and not only so1 but in numberless cases1 the hoard1 in place of proving a blessing1 proves a positive curse to the child1 by taking him off the proper ground appointed for him1 as well as for all1 in ,god's moral government1 namely1 working with his hands the thing which is good1 that he may have not to hoard up for himself1 or for his second self1 but to give to him that needeth4 ,this is ,god's appointed ground for every man2 and therefore if ,i hoard for my child1 ,i am taking both myself and him off the divine ground1 and the consequence will be a forfeiture of blessing4 ,do ,i taste the surpassing sweetness of obedience to and dependence upon ,god1 and shall ,i deprive my child thereof8 ,shall ,i rob him1 virtually1 and so far as in me lies1 of ,god1 and give him1 as a substitute1 a few old bags1 an insurance policy1 or some musty parchments8 ,but why need ,i hoard up for my children8 ,if ,i can trust ,god for myself1 why not trust ,him for them likewise8 ,cannot the ,one who has fed and clothed me feed and clothe them also8 ,let not the truth be misunderstood or misinterpreted4 ,i am bound1 by the powerful obligations of the word and example of ,god1 to provide for my own2 for1 if any provide not for his own1 and especially for those of his own house1 he hath denied the faith1 and is worse than an infidel4 7#a ,tim4 v4 #h47 ,this is plain enough4 ,and1 moreover1 ,i am bound to fit my children1 so far as ,god's principles admit1 and my province extends1 for any service to which ,he may be graciously pleased to call them4 ,but ,i am no where instructed in the ,word of ,god to give my children a hoard in place of an honest occupation1 with simple dependence upon a heavenly ,father4 ,as a matter of actual fact1 few children ever thank their fathers for inherited wealth2 whereas they will ever remember1 with gratitude and veneration1 having been led1 by parental care and management1 into a godly course of action for themselves4 ,i do not1 however1 forget a passage which has often been used1 or rather abused1 to defend the worldly1 unbelieving practice of hoarding up4 ,i allude to #b ,corinthians xii4 #ad4--;,behold1 the third time ,i am ready to come to you2 and ,i will not be burdensome to you3 for ,i seek not yours1 but you3 for the children ought not to lay up for the parents1 but the parents for the children4 ,how glad people are when they get a semblance of ,scripture-authority for their worldliness6 ,in this passage it is but a semblance of authority2 for the apostle is certainly not teaching ,christians to hoard up--he is not teaching heavenly men to lay up treasure upon the earth1 for any object4 ,he simple refers to a common practice in the world1 and to a common feeling in nature1 in order to illustrate his own mode of dealing with the ,corinthians1 who were his children in the faith4 ,he had not burdened them1 and he would not burden them1 for he was the parent4 ,now1 if the saints of ,god are satisfied to go back to the world and its maxims1 to nature and its ways1 then let them hoard up with all diligence--let them heap treasure together for the last days2 but let them remember that the moth1 the canker-worm1 and the rust will be the end of it all4 ,oh for a heart to value those immortal bags in which faith lays up its unfading treasure1 those heavenly storehouses where faith bestows all its fruits and its goods6 ,then shall we pursue a holy and elevated path through this present evil world--then1 too1 shall we be lifted upon faith's vigorous pinion above the dark atmosphere which inwraps this ,christ-rejecting1 ,god-hating world1 and which is impregnated and polluted by those two elements1 namely1 hatred of ,god1 and love of gold4 ,i shall only add1 ere closing this paper1 that the ,lord ,jesus--the ,adorable1 the ,divine1 the ,heavenly ,teacher1 having sought to raise1 by ,his unearthly principles1 the thoughts and affections of ,his disciples to their proper centre and level1 gives them two things to do2 and these two things may be expressed in the words of the ,holy ,ghost--,to serve the living and true ,god1 and wait for ,his ,son from heaven4 ,the entire of the teaching of ,luke xii1 from verse #ce to the end1 may be ranged under the above comprehensive heads1 to which ,i call the ,christian reader's prayerful attention4 ,we have no one else to serve but the living ,god1 and nothing to wait for--nothing worth waiting for but ,his ,son4 ,may the ,holy ,ghost clothe ,his own ,word with heavenly power1 so that it may come home to the heart and conscience1 and tell upon the life of every child of ,god1 that the name of the ,lord ,christ may be magnified1 and ,his truth vindicated in the conduct of those that belong to ,him4 ,may the grace of an honest heart1 and a tender1 upright1 well-adjusted conscience1 be largely ministered to each and all of us1 so that we may be like a well-tuned instrument1 yielding a true tone when touched by the ,master's hand1 and harmonizing with ,his heavenly voice4 ,finally1 if this paper should fall into the hands of one who has not yet found rest of conscience in the perfected atonement of the ,son of ,god1 ,i would say to such an one1 ,you will surely lay this paper down and say1 ,this is a hard saying1 who can hear it8 ,you may be disposed to ask1 ,what would the world come to1 if such principles were universally dominant8 ,i reply1 ,it would cease to be governed by ,satan1 and would be the kingdom of ,god4 ,but let me ask you1 my friend1 ,to which kingdom do you belong8 ,which is it--now1 or then--with you8 ,are you living for time1 or eternity1--earth1 or heaven1--,satan1 or ,christ8 ,do1 ,i affectionately implore of you1 be thoroughly honest with yourself in the presence of ,god4 ,remember1 there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed4 ,the judgment-seat will bring all to light4 ,therefore ,i say1 ,be honest with yourself1 and now ask your heart1 ,where am ,i8 ,how do ,i stand8 ,what is the ground of my peace8 ,what are my prospects for eternity8 ,do not imagine that ,god wants you to buy heaven with a surrender of earth4 ,no2 ,he points you to ,christ1 who1 by bearing sin in ,his own body on the cross1 has opened the way for the believing sinner to come into the presence of ,god in the power of divine righteousness4 ,you are not asked to do or to be any thing2 but the gospel tells you what ,jesus is1 and what ,he has done2 and if you believe this in your heart1 and confess it with your mouth1 you shall be saved4 ,christ--,god's ,eternal ,son--,god manifest in the flesh--co-equal with the ,father1 being conceived by the ,holy ,ghost1 was born of a woman1 took upon ,him a body prepared by the power of the ,highest1 and thus became a ,,real ,,man--very ,god and very man1--,he1 having lived a life of perfect obedience1 died upon the cross1 being made sin and a curse1 and having exhausted the cup of ,jehovah's righteous wrath1 endured the sting of death1 spoiled the grave of its victory1 and destroyed him that had the power of death1 ,he went up into heaven1 and took ,his seat at the right hand of ,god4 ,such is the infinite merit of ,his perfect sacrifice1 that all who believe are justified from ,,all ,,things--yea1 are accepted in ,him--stand in ,his acceptableness before ,god1 and can never come into condemnation1 but have passed from death into life4 ,this is the gospel6--the glad tidings of salvation1 which ,god the ,holy ,ghost came down from heaven to preach to every creature4 ,my reader1 let me exhort you1 in this concluding line1 to behold the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sin of the world4 ,,believe ,,and ,,live6 ,c4 ,h4 ,m4 ,,the ,,all-,,sufficiency ,,of ,,christ ,when once the soul has been brought to feel the reality of its condition before ,god--the depth of its ruin1 guilt1 and misery--its utter and hopeless bankruptcy1 there can be no rest until the ,holy ,spirit reveals a full and an all-sufficient ,christ to the heart4 ,the only possible answer to our total ruin is ,god's perfect remedy4 ,this is a very simple1 but a most important truth2 and we may say1 with all possible assurance1 the more deeply and thoroughly the reader learns it for himself the better4 ,the true secret of peace is1 to get to the very end of a guilty1 ruined1 helpless1 worthless self1 and there find an all-sufficient ,christ as ,god's provision for our very deepest need4 ,this truly is rest--a rest which can never be disturbed4 ,there may be sorrow1 pressure1 conflict1 exercise of soul1 heaviness through manifold temptations1 ups and downs1 all sorts of trials and difficulties2 but we feel persuaded that when a soul is really brought by ,god's ,spirit to see the end of self1 and to rest in a full ,christ1 it finds a peace which can never be interrupted4 ,the unsettled state of so many of ,god's dear people is the result of not having received into their hearts a full ,christ1 as ,god's very own provision for them4 ,no doubt this sad and painful result may be brought about by various contributing causes1 such as a legal mind1 a morbid conscience1 a self-occupied heart1 bad teaching1 a secret hankering after this present world1 some little reserve in the heart as to the claims of ,god1 of ,christ1 and of eternity4 ,but whatever may be the producing cause1 we believe it will be found1 in almost every case1 that the lack of settled peace1 so common amongst the ,lord's people1 is the result of not seeing1 not believing1 what ,god has made ,his ,christ to be to them and for them1 and that forever4 ,now1 what we propose in this paper is1 to show the anxious reader1 from the precious pages of the ,word of ,god1 that there is treasured up for him in ,christ all he can possibly need1 whether it be to meet the claims of his conscience1 the cravings of his heart1 or the exigencies of his path4 ,we shall seek1 by the grace of ,god1 to prove that the work of ,christ is the only true resting-place for the conscience2 ,his ,person1 the only true object for the heart2 ,his ,word1 the only true guide for the path4 ,and first1 then1 let us dwell for a little upon ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,christ ,,as ,,the ,,only ,,resting-,,place ,,for ,,the ,,conscience4 ,in considering this great subject1 two things claim our attention2 first1 what ,christ has done for us2 secondly1 what ,he is doing for us4 ,in the former1 we have atonement2 in the latter1 advocacy4 ,he died for us on the cross3 ,he lives for us on the throne4 ,by ,his precious atoning death ,he has met our entire condition as sinners4 ,he has borne our sins1 and put them away forever4 ,he stood charged with all our sins--the sins of all who believe in ,his name4 ,jehovah laid on ,him the iniquity of us all4 7,isa4 liii47 ,and again1 ,for ,christ also hath once suffered for sins1 the just for the unjust1 that ,he might bring us to ,god4 7#a ,pet4 iii4 #ah47 ,this is a grand and all-important truth for the anxious soul--a truth which lies at the very foundation of the whole ,christian position4 ,it is impossible that any truly awakened soul1 any spiritually enlightened conscience1 can enjoy divinely settled peace until this most precious truth is laid hold of in simple faith4 ,i must know1 upon divine authority1 that all my sins are put away forever out of ,god's sight2 that ,he ,himself has disposed of them in such a manner as to satisfy all the claims of ,his throne and all the attributes of ,his nature2 that ,he has glorified ,himself in the putting away of my sins1 in a far higher and more wonderful manner than if ,he had sent me to an everlasting hell on account of them4 ,yes1 ,he ,himself has done it4 ,this is the very gist and marrow--the heart's core of the whole matter4 ,god has laid our sins on ,jesus1 and ,he tells us so in ,his holy ,word1 so that we may know it upon divine authority--an authority that cannot lie4 ,god planned it2 ,god did it2 ,god says it4 ,it is all of ,god1 from first to last1 and we have simply to rest in it like a little child4 ,how do ,i know that ,jesus bore my sins in ,his own body on the tree8 ,by the very same authority which tells me ,i had sins to be borne4 ,god1 in ,his marvelous and matchless love1 assures me1 a poor guilty1 hell-deserving sinner1 that ,he has ,himself undertaken the whole matter of my sins1 and disposed of it in such a manner as to bring a rich harvest of glory to ,his own eternal name1 throughout the wide universe1 in presence of all created intelligence4 ,the living faith of this must tranquilize the conscience4 ,if ,god has satisfied ,himself about my sins1 ,i may well be satisfied also4 ,i know ,i am a sinner--it may be1 the chief of sinners4 ,i know my sins are more in number than the hairs of my head2 that they are black as midnight--black as hell itself4 ,i know that any one of these sins1 the very least1 deserves the eternal flames of hell4 ,i know--because ,god's ,word tells me--that a single speck of sin can never enter ,his holy presence2 and hence1 so far as ,i am concerned1 there was no possible issue save eternal separation from ,god4 ,all this ,i know1 upon the clear and unquestionable authority of that ,word which is settled forever in heaven4 ,but1 oh1 the profound mystery of the cross6--the glorious mystery of redeeming love6 ,i see ,god ,himself taking all my sins--the black and terrible category--all my sins1 as ,he knew and estimated them4 ,i see ,him laying them all upon the head of my blessed ,substitute1 and dealing with ,him about them4 ,i see all the billows and waves of ,god's righteous wrath--,his wrath against my sins--,his wrath which should have consumed me1 soul and body1 in hell1 throughout a dreary eternity1--,i see them all rolling over the ,man who stood in my stead1 who represented me before ,god1 who bore all that was due to me1 with whom a holy ,god dealt as ,he should have dealt with me4 ,i see inflexible justice1 holiness1 truth1 and righteousness dealing with my sins1 and making a clear and eternal riddance of them4 ,not one of them is suffered to pass6 ,there is no connivance1 no palliation1 no slurring over1 no indifference4 ,this could not possibly be1 once ,god ,himself took the matter in hand4 ,his glory was at stake2 ,his unsullied holiness1 ,his eternal majesty1 the lofty claims of ,his government4 ,all these had to be provided for in such wise as to glorify ,himself in view of angels1 men1 and devils4 ,he might have sent me to hell--righteously1 justly1 sent me to hell--because of my sins4 ,i deserved nothing else4 ,my whole moral being1 from its profoundest depths1 owns this--must own it4 ,i have not a word to say in excuse for a single sinful thought1 to say nothing of a sin-stained life from first to last--yes1 a life of deliberate1 rebellious1 high-handed sin4 ,others may reason as they please as to the injustice of an eternity of punishment for a life of sin--the utter want of proportion between a few years of wrong-doing and endless ages of torment in the lake of fire4 ,they may reason1 but ,i thoroughly believe1 and unreservedly confess1 that for a single sin against such a ,being as the ,god whom ,i see at the cross1 ,i richly deserved everlasting punishment in the deep1 dark1 and dismal pit of hell4 ,i am not writing as a theologian2 if ,i were1 it would be a very easy task indeed to bring an unanswerable array of ,scripture evidence in proof of the solemn truth of eternal punishment4 ,but no2 ,i am writing as one who has been divinely taught the true desert of sin1 and that desert1 ,i calmly1 deliberately1 and solemnly declare1 is1 and can be1 nothing less than eternal exclusion from the presence of ,god and the ,lamb--eternal torment in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone4 ,but--eternal halleluiahs to the ,god of all grace6--instead of sending us to hell because of our sins1 ,he sent ,his ,son to be the propitiation for those sins4 ,and in the unfolding of the marvelous plan of redemption1 we see a holy ,god dealing with the question of our sins1 and executing judgment upon them in the ,person of ,his well-beloved1 eternal1 and co-equal ,son1 in order that the full flood-tide of ,his love might flow down into our hearts4 ,herein is love1 not that we loved ,god1 but that ,he loved us1 and sent ,his ,son to be the propitiation for our sins4 7#a ,john iv4 #aj47 ,now1 this must give peace to the conscience1 if only it be received in the simplicity of faith4 ,how is it possible for a person to believe that ,god has satisfied ,himself as to his sins and not have peace8 ,if ,god says to us1 ,your sins and iniquities ,i will remember no more1 what could we desire further as a basis of peace for our conscience8 ,if ,god assures me that all my sins are blotted out as a thick cloud--that they are cast behind ,his back--forever gone from ,his sight1 should ,i not have peace8 ,if ,he shows me the ,man who bore my sins on the cross1 now crowned at the right hand of the ,majesty in the heavens1 ought not my soul to enter into perfect rest as to the question of my sins8 ,most assuredly4 ,for how1 let me ask1 did ,christ reach the place which ,he now fills on the throne of ,god8 ,was it as ,god over all1 blessed forever8 ,no2 for ,he was always that4 ,was it as the eternal ,son of the ,father8 ,no2 ,he was ever that--ever in the bosom of the ,father--the object of the ,father's eternal and ineffable delight4 ,was it as a spotless1 holy1 perfect ,man--,one whose nature was absolutely pure1 perfectly free from sin8 ,no2 for in that character1 and on that ground1 ,he could at any moment1 between the manger and the cross1 have claimed a place at the right hand of ,god4 ,how was it1 then8 ,eternal praise to the ,god of all grace6 it was as the ,one who had by ,his death accomplished the glorious work of redemption--the ,one who had stood charged with the full weight of our sins--the ,one who had perfectly satisfied all the righteous claims of that throne on which ,he now sits4 ,this is a grand1 cardinal point for the anxious reader to seize4 ,it cannot fail to emancipate the heart and tranquilize the conscience4 ,we cannot possibly behold1 by faith1 the ,man who was nailed to the tree1 now crowned on the throne1 and not have peace with ,god4 ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ having taken upon ,himself our sins1 and the judgment due to them1 ,he could not be where ,he now is if a single one of those sins remained unatoned for4 ,to see the ,sin-bearer crowned with glory is to see our sins gone forever from the divine presence4 ,where are our sins8 ,they are all obliterated4 ,how do we know this8 ,the ,one who took them all upon ,himself has passed through the heavens to the very highest pinnacle of glory4 ,eternal justice has wreathed ,his blessed brow with a diadem of glory1 as the ,accomplisher of our redemption--the ,bearer of our sins2 thus proving1 beyond all question1 or possibility of a question1 that our sins are all put away out of ,god's sight forever4 ,a crowned ,christ and a clear conscience are1 in the blessed economy of grace1 inseparably linked together4 ,wondrous fact6 ,well may we chant1 with all our ransomed powers1 the praises of redeeming love4 ,but let us see how this most consolatory truth is set forth in holy ,scripture4 ,in ,romans iii4 we read1 ,but now the righteousness of ,god without law is manifested1 being witnessed by the law and the prophets2 even the righteousness of ,god by faith of ,jesus ,christ unto all and upon all them that believe2 for there is no difference3 for all have sinned1 and come short of the glory of ,god2 being justified freely by ,his grace through the redemption that is in ,christ ,jesus3 whom ,god hath set forth a propitiation through faith in ,his blood1 to declare ,his righteousness for the remission or passing over of sins that are past in time gone by1 through the forbearance of ,god2 to declare at this time ,his righteousness2 that ,he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in ,jesus4 ,again1 in chapter iv1 speaking of ,abraham's faith being counted to him for righteousness1 the apostle adds1 ,now it was not written for his sake alone1 that it was imputed to him2 but for us also1 to whom it shall be imputed1 if we believe on ,him that raised up ,jesus our ,lord from the dead2 who was delivered for our offenses1 and raised again for our justification4 ,here we have ,god introduced to our souls as the ,one who raised from the dead the ,bearer of our sins4 ,why did ,he do so8 ,because the ,one who had been delivered for our offenses had perfectly glorified ,him respecting those offenses1 and put them away forever4 ,god not only sent ,his only begotten ,son into the world1 but ,he bruised ,him for our iniquities1 and raised ,him from the dead1 in order that we might know and believe that our iniquities are all disposed of in such a manner as to glorify ,him infinitely and everlastingly4 ,eternal and universal homage to ,his name6 ,but we have further testimony on this grand fundamental truth4 ,in ,hebrews i4 we read such soul-stirring words as these3 ,god1 who at sundry times and in divers manners or in divers measures and modes spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets1 hath in these last days spoken unto us by ,his ,son1 whom ,he hath appointed heir of all things1 by whom also ,he made the worlds2 who being the brightness of ,his glory1 and the express image of ,his ,person1 and upholding all things by the word of ,his power1 when ,he had by ,himself purged our sins1 sat down on the right hand of the ,majesty on high4 ,our ,lord ,christ1 blessed be ,his name6 would not take ,his seat on the throne of ,god until ,he had1 by the offering of ,himself on the cross1 purged our sins4 ,hence1 a risen ,christ at ,god's right hand is the glorious and unanswerable proof that our sins are all gone1 for ,he could not be where ,he now is if a single one of those sins remained4 ,god raised from the dead the self-same ,man on whom ,he ,himself had laid the full weight of our sins4 ,thus all is settled--divinely1 eternally settled4 ,it is as impossible that a single sin can be found on the very weakest believer in ,jesus as on ,jesus ,himself4 ,this is a wonderful thing to be able to say1 but it is the solid truth of ,god1 established in manifold places in holy ,scripture1 and the soul that believes it must possess a peace which the world can neither give nor take away4 ,,part ,,ii ,thus far1 we have been occupied with that aspect of the work of ,christ which bears upon the question of the forgiveness of sins1 and we earnestly trust that the reader is thoroughly clear and settled on this grand point4 ,it is assuredly his happy privilege so to be1 if only he will take ,god at ,his word4 ,christ hath once suffered for sins1 the just for the unjust1 that ,he might bring us to ,god4 ,if1 then1 ,christ hath suffered for our sins1 should we not know the deep blessedness of being eternally delivered from the burden of those sins8 ,can it be according to the mind and heart of ,god that one for whom ,christ suffered should remain in perpetual bondage1 tied and bound with the chain of his sins1 and crying out1 from week to week1 month to month1 and year to year1 that the burden of his sins is intolerable8 ,if such utterances are true and proper for the ,christian1 then what has ,christ done for us8 ,can it be true that ,christ has put away our sins and yet that we are tied and bound with the chain of them8 ,is it true that ,he bore the heavy burden of our sins and yet that we are still crushed beneath the intolerable weight thereof8 ,some would fain persuade us that it is not possible to know that our sins are forgiven--that we must go on to the end of our life in a state of complete uncertainty on this most vital and important question4 ,if this be so1 what has become of the precious gospel of the grace of ,god--the glad tidings of salvation8 ,in the view of such miserable teaching as this1 what mean those glowing words of the blessed apostle ,paul in the synagogue of ,antioch8--,be it known unto you therefore1 men and brethren1 that through this ,man ,jesus ,christ1 dead and risen is preached not promised as a future thing1 but proclaimed now the forgiveness of sins2 and by ,him all who believe are not shall be1 or hope to be justified from all things1 from which ye could not be justified by the law of ,moses4 7,acts xiii4 #ch1 #ci47 ,if we were resting on the law of ,moses1 on our keeping the commandments1 on our doing our duty1 on our feeling as we ought1 on our valuing ,christ and loving ,god as we ought1 reason would that we should be in doubt and dark uncertainty1 seeing we could have no possible ground of assurance4 ,if we had so much as the movement of an eyelash to do in the matter1 then1 verily1 it would be the very height of presumption on our part to think of being certain4 ,but on the other hand1 when we hear the voice of the living ,god1 who cannot lie1 proclaiming in our ears the glad tidings that through ,his own beloved ,son1 who died on the cross1 was buried in the grave1 raised from the dead1 and seated in the glory--that through ,him alone--through ,him1 without any thing whatever of ours--through ,his one offering of ,himself once and forever1 full and everlasting remission of sins is preached1 as a present reality1 to be enjoyed now by every soul who simply believes the precious record of ,god1 how is it possible for any one to continue in doubt and uncertainty8 ,is ,christ's work finished8 ,he said it was4 ,what did ,he do8 ,he put away our sins4 ,are they1 then1 put away1 or are they still on us8--which8 ,reader1 say which8 where are thy sins8 ,are they blotted out as a thick cloud8 or are they still lying as a heavy load of guilt1 in condemning power1 on thy conscience8 ,if they were not put away by the atoning death of ,christ1 they will never be put away2 if ,he did not bear them on the cross1 you will have to bear them in the tormenting flames of hell forever and ever and ever4 ,yes2 be assured of it1 there is no other way of disposing of this most weighty and momentous question4 ,if ,christ did not settle the matter on the cross1 you must settle it in hell4 ,it must be so1 if ,god's ,word be true4 ,but glory be to ,god1 ,his own testimony assures us that ,christ hath once suffered for sins1 the just for the unjust1 that ,he might bring us to ,god2 not merely bring us to heaven when we die1 but bring us to ,god now4 ,how does ,he bring us to ,god8 ,tied and bound with the chain of our sins8 with an intolerable burden of guilt on our souls8 ,nay1 verily2 ,he brings us to ,god without spot or stain or charge4 ,he brings us to ,god in all ,his own acceptableness4 ,is there any guilt on ,him8 ,no4 ,there was1 blessed be ,his name1 when ,he stood in our stead1 but it is gone--gone forever--cast as lead into the unfathomable waters of divine forgetfulness4 ,he was charged with our sins on the cross4 ,god laid on ,him all our iniquities1 and dealt with ,him about them4 ,the whole question of our sins1 according to ,god's estimate thereof1 was fully gone into and definitively1 because divinely1 settled between ,god and ,christ1 amid the awful shadows of ,calvary4 ,yes1 it was all done1 once and forever1 there4 ,how do we know it8 ,by the authority of the only true ,god4 ,his ,word assures us that we have redemption through the blood of ,christ1 the remission of sins1 according to the riches of ,his grace4 ,he declares to us1 in accents of sweetest1 richest1 deepest mercy1 that our sins and our iniquities ,he will remember no more4 ,is not this enough8 ,shall we still continue to cry out that we are tied and bound with the chain of our sins8 ,shall we thus cast a slur upon the perfect work of ,christ8 ,shall we thus tarnish the lustre of divine grace1 and give the lie to the testimony of the ,holy ,ghost in the ,scripture of truth8 ,far be the thought6 ,it must not be so4 ,let us rather hail with thanksgiving the blessed boon so freely conferred upon us by love divine1 through the precious blood of ,christ4 ,it is the joy of the heart of ,god to forgive us our sins4 ,yes1 ,god delights in pardoning iniquity and transgression4 ,it gratifies and glorifies ,him to pour into the broken and contrite heart the precious balm of ,his own pardoning love and mercy4 ,he spared not ,his own ,son1 but delivered ,him up1 and bruised ,him on the cursed tree1 in order that ,he might be able1 in perfect righteousness1 to let the rich streams of grace flow forth from ,his large1 loving heart1 to the poor1 guilty1 self-destroyed1 conscience-smitten sinner4 ,but should it be that the reader still feels disposed to inquire how he may have the assurance that this blessed remission of sins--this fruit of ,christ's atoning work--applies to him1 let him hearken to those magnificent words which flowed from the lips of the risen ,saviour as ,he commissioned the earliest heralds of ,his grace4--,and ,he said unto them1 ',thus it is written1 and thus it was necessary for ,christ to suffer1 and to rise from the dead the third day2 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in ,his name among all nations1 beginning at ,jerusalem4' 7,luke xxiv4 #df1 #dg47 ,here we have the great and glorious commission--its basis1 its authority1 its sphere4 ,christ has suffered4 ,this is the meritorious ground of remission of sins4 ,without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins2 but by the shedding of blood1 and by it alone1 there is remission of sins--a remission as full and complete as the precious blood of ,christ is fitted to effect4 ,but where is the authority8 ,it is written4 ,blessed1 indisputable authority6 ,nothing can ever shake it4 ,i know1 on the solid authority of the ,word of ,god1 that my sins are all forgiven1 all blotted out1 all gone forever1 all cast behind ,god's back1 so that they can never1 by any possibility1 rise against me4 ,finally1 as to the sphere4 ,it is1 all nations4 ,this includes me1 beyond all question4 ,there is no sort of exception1 condition1 or qualification4 ,the blessed tidings were to be wafted1 on the wings of love1 to all nations--to all the world--to every creature under heaven4 ,how could ,i exclude myself from this world-wide commission8 ,do ,i question1 for a moment1 that the beams of ,god's sun are intended for me8 ,surely not4 ,and why should ,i question the precious fact that remission of sins is for me8 ,not for a single instant4 ,it is for me as surely as though ,i were the only sinner beneath the canopy of ,god's heaven4 ,the universality of its aspect precludes all question as to its being designed for me4 ,and surely1 if any further encouragement were needed1 it is found in the fact that the blessed ambassadors were to begin at ,jerusalem--the very guiltiest spot on the face of the earth4 ,they were to make the earliest offer of pardon to the very murderers of the ,son of ,god4 ,this the apostle ,peter does in those words of marvelous and transcendent grace1 ,unto you first ,god1 having raised up ,his ,son1 sent ,him to bless you1 by turning away every one of you from your iniquities4 7,acts iii4 #bf47 ,it is not possible to conceive any thing richer or fuller or more magnificent than this4 ,the grace that could reach the murderers of the ,son of ,god can reach any one3 the blood that could cleanse the guilt of such a crime can cleanse the vilest sinner outside the precincts of hell4 ,anxious reader1 do you1 can you1 still hesitate as to the forgiveness of your sins8 ,christ has suffered for sins4 ,god preaches remission of sins4 ,he pledges ,his own ,word on the point4 ,to ,him give all the prophets witness1 that through ,his name whosoever believeth in ,him shall receive remission of sins4 ,what more would you have8 ,how can you any longer doubt or delay8 ,what are you waiting for8 ,you have ,christ's finished work and ,god's faithful word4 ,surely these ought to satisfy your heart and tranquilize your mind4 ,do1 then1 let us entreat you to accept the full and everlasting remission of all your sins4 ,receive into your heart the sweet tidings of divine love and mercy1 and go on your way rejoicing4 ,hear the voice of a risen ,saviour1 speaking from the throne of the ,majesty in the heavens1 and assuring you that your sins are all forgiven4 ,let those soothing accents1 from the very mouth of ,god ,himself1 fall1 in their enfranchising power1 upon your troubled spirit1--,your sins and iniquities will ,i remember no more4 ,if ,god thus speaks to me1 if ,he assures me that ,he will no more remember my sins1 should ,i not be fully and forever satisfied8 ,why should ,i go on doubting and reasoning when ,god has spoken8 ,what can give certainty but the ,word of ,god1 that liveth and abideth forever8 ,it is the only ground of certainty2 and no power of earth or hell--human or diabolical--can ever shake it4 ,the finished work of ,christ and the faithful ,word of ,god are the basis and the authority of full forgiveness of sins4 ,but1 blessed forever be the ,god of all grace1 it is not only remission of sins which is announced to us through the atoning death of ,christ4 ,this in itself would be a boon and a blessing of the very highest order2 and1 as we have seen1 we enjoy it according to the largeness of the heart of ,god1 and according to the value and efficacy of the death of ,christ1 as ,god estimates it4 ,but besides the full and perfect remission of sins1 we have also ,,entire ,,deliverance ,,from ,,the ,,present ,,power ,,of ,,sin4 ,this is a grand point for every true lover of holiness4 ,according to the glorious economy of grace1 the same work which secures the complete remission of sins has broken forever the power of sin4 ,it is not only that the sins of the life are blotted out1 but the sin of the nature is condemned4 ,the believer is privileged to regard himself as dead to sin4 ,he can sing1 with a glad heart1 ,for me1 ,lord ,jesus1 ,thou hast died1 ,and ,i have died in ,thee2 ,thou'rt risen1 my bands are all untied1 ,and now ,thou livest in me4 ,the ,father's face of radiant grace ,shines now in light on me4 ,this is the proper breathing of a ,christian4 ,i am crucified with ,christ1 nevertheless ,i live2 yet not ,i1 but ,christ liveth in me4 ,this is ,christianity4 ,the old ,i crucified1 and ,christ living in me4 ,the ,christian is a new creation4 ,old things are passed away4 ,the death of ,christ has closed forever the history of the old ,i2 and hence1 though sin dwells in the believer1 its power is broken and gone forever4 ,not only is its guilt canceled1 but its terrible dominion completely overthrown4 ,this is the glorious doctrine of ,romans vi4-viii4 ,the thoughtful student of this most magnificent epistle will observe that from chapter iii4 #ba to chapter v4 #aa we have the work of ,christ applied to the question of sins2 and from chapter v4 #ab to the end of chapter viii4 we have another aspect of that work1 namely1 its application to the question of sin--our old man--the body of sin--sin in the flesh4 ,there is no such thing in ,scripture as the forgiveness of sin4 ,god has condemned sin1 not forgiven it--an immensely important distinction4 ,god has set forth ,his eternal abhorrence of sin in the cross of ,christ4 ,he has expressed and executed ,his judgment upon it1 and now the believer can see himself as linked and identified with the ,one who died on the cross and is raised from the dead4 ,he has passed out of the sphere of sin's dominion into that new and blessed sphere where grace reigns through righteousness4 ,god be thanked1 says the apostle1 that ye were once1 but now no longer are to be the servants of sin1 but ye have obeyed from the heart that type of doctrine to which ye were delivered4 7,margin47 ,being then made free from sin not merely sins forgiven1 ye became the servants of righteousness4 ,i speak after the manner of men1 because of the infirmity of your flesh2 for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity1 even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness4 ,for when ye were the servants of sin1 ye were free from righteousness4 ,what fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed8 for the end of those things is death4 ,but now being made free from sin1 and become servants to ,god1 ye have your fruit unto holiness1 and the end everlasting life4 7,rom4 vi4 #ag-bb47 ,here lies the precious secret of holy living4 ,we are dead to sin2 alive to ,god4 ,the reign of sin is over4 ,what has sin to do with a dead man8 ,nothing4 ,well1 then1 the believer has died with ,christ2 he was buried with ,christ2 he is risen with ,christ1 to walk in newness of life4 ,he lives under the precious reign of grace1 and he has his fruit unto holiness4 ,the man who draws a plea from the abundance of divine grace to live in sin1 denies the very foundation of ,christianity4 ,how shall we that have died to sin1 live any longer therein8 ,impossible4 ,it would be a denial of the whole ,christian standing4 ,to imagine the ,christian as one who is to go on1 from day to day1 week to week1 month to month1 and year to year1 sinning and repenting1 sinning and repenting1 is to degrade ,christianity and falsify the whole ,christian position4 ,to say that a ,christian must go on sinning because he has the flesh in him is to ignore the death of ,christ in one of its grand aspects1 and to give the lie to the whole of the apostle's teaching in ,romans vi4-viii4 ,thank ,god1 there is no necessity whatever why the believer should commit sin4 ,my little children1 these things write ,i unto you that ye sin not4 ,we should not justify ourselves in a single sinful thought4 ,it is our sweet privilege to walk in the light1 as ,god is in the light2 and most surely1 when we are walking in the light1 we are not committing sin4 ,alas6 we get out of the light and commit sin2 but the normal1 the true1 the divine idea of a ,christian is1 walking in the light1 and not committing sin4 ,a sinful thought is foreign to the true genius of ,christianity4 ,we have sin in us1 and shall have it so long as we are in the body2 but if we walk in the ,spirit1 the sin in our nature will not show itself in the life4 ,to say that we need not sin is to state a ,christian privilege2 to say that we cannot sin is a deceit and a delusion4 ,,part ,,iii ,from what has already passed before as1 we learn that the grand result of the work of ,christ in the past is to give us a divinely perfect standing before ,god4 ,he has perfected forever them that are sanctified4 ,he has introduced us into the ,divine ,presence1 in all ,his own perfect acceptability1 in the full credit and virtue of ,his name1 of ,his ,person1 and of ,his work2 so that1 as the apostle ,john declares1 as ,he is1 so are we in this world4 7#a ,john iv4 #ag47 ,such is the settled standing of the very feeblest lamb in all the blood-bought flock of ,christ4 ,nor could it possibly be otherwise4 ,it must be either this or eternal perdition4 ,there is not the breadth of a hair between this standing of absolute perfectness before ,god and a condition of guilt and ruin4 ,we are either in our sins or in a risen ,christ4 ,there is no middle ground4 ,we are either covered with guilt or complete in ,christ4 ,but the believer is declared1 by the authoritative voice of the ,holy ,ghost in ,scripture1 to be complete in ,christ--perfect1 as pertaining to his conscience--perfected in perpetuity--clean every whit--accepted in the ,beloved--made or become the righteousness of ,god in ,christ4 ,and all this through the sacrifice of the cross4 ,that precious atoning death of ,christ forms the solid and irrefragable foundation of the ,christian's standing4 ,this ,man1 after ,he had offered one sacrifice for sins1 forever sat down on the right hand of ,god4 ,a seated ,christ is the glorious proof and the perfect definition of the believer's place in the presence of ,god4 ,our ,lord ,christ1 having glorified ,god about our sins1 and borne ,his judgment on our entire condition as sinners1 has conducted us1 in living association with ,himself1 into a place1 not only of forgiveness1 acceptance1 and peace1 but of complete deliverance from the dominion of sin--a place of assured victory over every thing that could possibly be against us1 whether indwelling sin1 the fear of ,satan1 the law1 or this present evil world4 ,such1 we repeat1 is the absolutely settled standing of the believer1 if we are to be taught by holy ,scripture4 ,and we earnestly entreat the ,christian reader not to be satisfied with any thing less than this4 ,let him not any longer accept the muddled teachings of christendom's creeds1 and its liturgical services1 which only drive the soul back into the darkness1 distance1 and bondage of ,judaism--that system which ,god found fault with1 and which ,he has forever abolished1 because it did not meet ,his holy mind1 or satisfy ,his loving heart1 in giving the worshiper perfect peace1 perfect liberty1 perfect nearness to ,himself1 and that forever4 ,we solemnly call upon all the ,lord's people1 throughout the various sections of the professing church1 to consider where they are1 and to see how far they understand and enjoy the true ,christian position1 as set forth in the various passages of ,scripture which we have quoted1 and which might easily be multiplied a hundredfold4 ,let them diligently and faithfully compare the teachings of christendom with the ,word of ,god1 and see how far they agree4 ,in this way they will find how completely the professing ,christianity of the present day stands in contrast with the living teachings of the ,new ,testament2 and as a consequence1 souls are robbed of the precious privileges which belong to them as ,christians1 and they are kept in the moral distance which characterized the ,mosaic economy4 ,all this is most deplorable4 ,it grieves the ,holy ,spirit1 wounds the heart of ,christ1 dishonors the grace of ,god1 and contradicts the plainest statements of holy ,scripture4 ,we are most thoroughly persuaded that the condition of thousands of precious souls at this moment is enough to make the heart bleed2 and all this1 to a large extent1 is traceable to christendom's teachings1 its creeds and its formularies4 ,where will you find1 amid the ordinary ranks of ,christian profession1 a person in the enjoyment of a perfectly purged conscience1 of peace with ,god1 of the ,spirit of adoption8 ,is it not true that people are publicly and systematically taught that it is the height of presumption for any one to say that his sins are all forgiven--that he has eternal life--that he is justified from all things--that he is accepted in the ,beloved--that he is sealed with the ,holy ,ghost--that he cannot be lost1 because he is actually united to ,christ by the indwelling ,spirit8 ,are not all these ,christian privileges practically denied and ignored in christendom8 ,are not people taught that it is dangerous to be too confident--that it is morally safer to live in doubt and fear--that the very utmost we can look for is the hope of getting to heaven when we die8 ,where are souls taught the glorious truths connected with the new creation8 ,where are they rooted and grounded in the knowledge of their standing in a risen and glorified ,head in the heavens8 ,where are they led into the enjoyment of those things which are freely given of ,god to ,his beloved people8 ,alas6 alas6 we grieve to think of the only true answer which can be given to such inquiries4 ,the flock of ,christ is scattered upon the dark mountains and desolate moors4 ,the souls of ,god's people are left in the dim distance which characterized the ,jewish system4 ,they know not the meaning of the rent vail1 of nearness to ,god1 of conscious acceptance in the ,beloved4 ,the very table of the ,lord is shrouded with the dark and chilling mists of superstition1 and surrounded by the repulsive barriers of a dark and depressing legality4 ,accomplished redemption1 full remission of sins1 perfect justification before ,god1 acceptance in a risen ,christ1 the ,spirit of adoption1 the bright and blessed hope of the coming of the ,bridegroom1--all these grand and glorious realities--these chartered privileges of the ,church of ,god are practically set aside by christendom's teachings and religious machinery4 ,some1 perhaps1 may think we have drawn too gloomy a picture4 ,we can only say--and we say it with all sincerity--,would to ,god it were so6 ,we fear the picture is far too true--yea1 the reality is far more appalling than the picture4 ,we are deeply and painfully impressed with the fact that the condition1 not merely of the professing church1 but of thousands of the true sheep of the flock of ,christ1 is such1 that if we only realized it as ,god sees it1 it would break our hearts4 ,however1 we must pursue our subject1 and by so doing1 furnish the very best remedy that can possibly be suggested for the deplorable condition of so many of the ,lord's people4 ,we have dwelt upon that precious work which our ,lord ,jesus ,christ has accomplished for us1 in the putting away of all our sins1 and in the condemnation of sin1 securing for us perfect remission of the former1 and entire deliverance from the latter1 as a ruling power4 ,the ,christian is one who is not only forgiven1 but delivered4 ,christ has died for him1 and he has died in ,christ4 ,hence he is free1 as one who is raised from the dead and alive unto ,god1 through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,he is a new creation4 ,he has passed from death unto life4 ,death and judgment are behind him1 and nothing but glory before him4 ,he possesses an unblotted title and an unclouded prospect4 ,now1 if all this be indeed true of every child of ,god--and ,scripture says it is--what more do we want8 ,nothing1 as to title2 nothing1 as to standing2 nothing1 as to hope4 ,as to all these1 we have absolute1 divine perfection2 but then our state is not perfect1 our walk is not perfect4 ,we are still in the body1 compassed about with manifold infirmities1 exposed to manifold temptations1 liable to stumble1 to fall1 and to wander4 ,we are unable of ourselves to think a right thought1 or to keep ourselves for one moment in the blessed position into which grace has introduced us4 ,true it is1 we have everlasting life1 and we are linked to the living ,head in heaven1 by the ,holy ,ghost sent down to earth1 so that we are eternally secure4 ,nothing can ever touch our life1 inasmuch as it is hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,but while nothing can touch our life1 or interfere with our standing1 yet1 seeing that our state is imperfect and our walk imperfect1 our communion is liable to be interrupted1 and hence it is that we need ,,the ,,present ,,work ,,of ,,christ ,,for ,,us4 ,jesus lives at the right hand of ,god for us4 ,his active intervention on our behalf never ceases for a single moment4 ,he has passed through the heavens1 in virtue of accomplished atonement1 and there ,he ever carries on ,his perfect advocacy for us before our ,god4 ,he is there as our subsisting righteousness1 to maintain us ever in the divine integrity of the position and relationship into which ,his atoning death has introduced us4 ,thus we read1 in ,romans v4 #aj1 ,if1 while we were enemies1 we were reconciled to ,god by the death of ,his ,son1 much more1 being reconciled1 we shall be saved by ,his life4 ,so also in ,hebrews iv4 we read1 ,seeing then that we have a great ,high-,priest that has passed through the heavens1 ,jesus the ,son of ,god1 let us hold fast the confession4 ,for we have not a ,high-,priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities2 but was in all points tempted1 in like manner1 without sin4 ,let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace1 that we may obtain mercy1 and find grace to help in time of need4 ,again1 in chapter vii4--,but this ,man1 because ,he continueth forever1 hath an unchangeable priesthood4 ,wherefore ,he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto ,god by ,him1 seeing ,he ever liveth to make intercession for them4 ,and in chapter ix4--,for ,christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands1 which are the figures of the true2 but into heaven itself1 now to appear in the presence of ,god for us4 ,then1 in the first epistle of ,john1 we have the same great subject presented under a somewhat different aspect4--,my little children1 these things write ,i unto you1 that ye sin not4 ,and if any one sin1 we have an ,advocate with the ,father1 ,jesus ,christ the righteous3 and ,he is the propitiation for our sins2 and not our sins only1 but also for the whole world4 ,how precious is all this to the true-hearted ,christian1 who is ever conscious--deeply and painfully conscious--of his weakness1 need1 infirmity1 and failure6 ,how1 we may lawfully inquire1 is it possible for any one1 with his eye resting on such passages as we have just quoted1 to say nothing of his own self-consciousness--the sense of his own imperfect state and walk1 to call in question the ,christian's need of the unceasing ministry of ,christ on his behalf8 ,is it not marvelous that any reader of the epistle to the ,hebrews1 any observer of the state and walk of the most advanced believer1 should be found denying the application of ,christ's priesthood and advocacy to ,christians now8 ,for whom1 let us ask1 is ,christ now living and acting at the right hand of ,god8 ,is it for the world8 ,clearly not2 for ,he says1 in ,john xvii1 ,i pray not for the world1 but for them which ,thou hast given ,me2 for they are ,thine4 ,and who are these8 are they the ,jewish remnant8 ,nay2 that remnant is yet to appear on the scene4 ,who are they1 then8 ,believers--children of ,god--,christians1 who are now passing through this sinful world1 liable to fail and to contract defilement every step of the way4 ,these are the subjects of ,christ's priestly ministry4 ,he died to make them clean3 ,he lives to keep them clean4 ,by ,his death ,he expiated our guilt1 and by ,his life ,he cleanses us1 through the action of the ,word by the power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,this is ,he that came by water and blood2 not by water only1 but by water and blood4 ,we have expiation and cleansing through a crucified ,saviour4 ,the double stream emanated from the pierced side of ,christ1 dead for us4 ,all praise to ,his name6 ,we have all1 in virtue of the precious death of ,christ4 ,is it a question of our guilt8 ,it is canceled by the blood of atonement4 ,is it a question of our daily short-comings8 ,we have an ,advocate with the ,father--a great ,high-,priest with ,god4 ,if any man sin4 ,he does not say1 ,if any man repent4 ,no doubt there is1 and must be1 repentance and self-judgment2 but how are they produced8 whence do they proceed8 ,here it is3 ,we have an ,advocate with the ,father4 ,it is ,his all-prevailing intercession that procures for the sinning one the grace of repentance1 self-judgment1 and confession4 ,it is of the very utmost importance for the ,christian reader to be thoroughly clear as to this great cardinal truth of the advocacy or priesthood of ,christ4 ,we sometimes erroneously think that when we fail in our work1 something has to be done on our part to set matters straight between our souls and ,god4 ,we forget that ere we are even conscious of the failure--before our conscience becomes really cognizant of the fact1 our blessed ,advocate has been to the ,father about it2 and it is to ,his intercession we are indebted for the grace of repentance1 confession1 and restoration4 ,if any man sin1 we have--what8 ,the blood to return to8 ,no2 mark carefully what the ,holy ,ghost declares4--,we have an ,advocate with the ,father1 ,jesus ,christ the righteous4 ,why does ,he say1 the righteous8 why not the gracious1 the merciful1 the sympathizing8 ,is ,he not all this8 ,most surely2 but not any one of these attributes would be in place here1 inasmuch as the blessed apostle is putting before us the consolatory truth that in all our errors1 our sins1 and our failures1 we have a righteous representative ever before the righteous ,god1 the holy ,father1 so that our affairs can never fall through4 ,he ever liveth to make intercession for us2 and because ,he ever liveth1 ,he is able to save to the uttermost--right through to the very end--them that come unto ,god by ,him4 ,what solid comfort is here for the people of ,god6 and how needful for our souls to be established in the knowledge and sense of it6 ,some there are who have an imperfect sense of the true standing of a ,christian1 because they do not see what ,christ has done for them in the past2 others1 on the contrary1 have such an entirely one-sided view of the state of the ,christian that they do not see our need of what ,christ is doing for us now4 ,both must be corrected4 ,the former are ignorant of the extent and value of the atonement2 the latter are ignorant of the place and application of the advocacy4 ,such is the perfection of our standing1 that the apostle can say1 ,as ,he is1 so are we in this world4 ,if this were all1 we should certainly have no need of priesthood or advocacy2 but then1 such is our state1 that the apostle has to say1 ,if any man sin4 ,this proves our continual need of the ,advocate4 ,and1 blessed be ,god1 we have ,him continually2 we have him ever living for us4 ,he lives and serves on high4 ,he is our subsisting righteousness before our ,god4 ,he lives to keep us always right in heaven1 and to set us right when we go wrong upon earth4 ,he is the divine and indissoluble link between ,our souls and ,god4 ,,part ,,iv ,having1 in the three preceding papers of this series1 sought to unfold the grand foundation-truths connected with the work of ,christ for us--,his work in the past and ,his work in the present--,his atonement and ,his advocacy1 we shall now seek1 by the gracious aid of the ,spirit of ,god1 to present to the reader something of what the ,scriptures teach us as to the second branch of our subject1 namely1-- ,,christ ,,as ,,an ,,object ,,for ,,the ,,heart4 ,it is a wonderfully blessed thing to be able to say1 ,i have found an object which perfectly satisfies my heart--,i have found ,christ4 ,it is this which gives true elevation above the world4 ,it renders us thoroughly independent of the resources to which the unconverted heart ever betakes itself4 ,it gives settled rest4 ,it imparts a calmness and quietness to the spirit which the world cannot comprehend4 ,the poor votary of the world may think the life of the true ,christian a very slow1 dull1 stupid affair indeed4 ,he may marvel how such an one can manage to get on without what he calls amusement1 recreation1 and pleasure2--no theatres1 no balls or parties1 no concerts1 no cards or billiards1 no hunts or races1 no club or news-room1 no cricket or croquet parties4 ,to deprive the unconverted man of such things would almost drive him to despair or lunacy2 but the ,christian does not want such things--would not have them4 ,they would be a perfect weariness to him4 ,we speak1 of course1 of the true ,christian1 of one who is not merely a ,christian in name1 but in reality4 ,alas6 alas6 many profess to be ,christians1 and take very high ground in their profession1 who are1 nevertheless1 to be found mixed up in all the vain and frivolous pursuits of the men of this world4 ,they may be seen at the communion-table on the ,lord's day1 and at a theatre or a concert on ,monday3 they may be found assaying to take part in some one or other of the many branches of ,christian work on ,sunday1 and during the week you may see them in the ball-room1 at the race-course1 or some such scene of folly and vanity4 ,it is very evident that such persons know nothing of ,christ as an object for the heart4 ,indeed1 it is very questionable how any one with a single spark of divine life in the soul can find pleasure in the wretched pursuits of a godless world4 ,the true and earnest ,christian turns away from such things--turns away instinctively2 and this1 not merely because of the positive wrong and evil of them--though most surely he feels them to be wrong and evil--but because he has no taste for them1 and because he has found something infinitely superior1 something which perfectly satisfies all the desires of the new nature4 ,could we imagine an angel from heaven taking pleasure at a ball1 a theatre1 or a race-course8 ,the bare thought is supremely ridiculous4 ,all such scenes are perfectly foreign to a heavenly being4 ,and what is a ,christian8 ,he is a heavenly man2 he is a partaker of the divine nature4 ,he is dead to the world--dead to sin--alive to ,god4 ,he has not a single link with the world3 he belongs to heaven4 ,he is no more of the world than ,christ his ,lord4 ,could ,christ take part in the amusements1 gayeties1 and follies of the world8 ,the very idea were blasphemy4 ,well1 then1 what of the ,christian8 ,is he to be found where his ,lord could not be8 ,can he consistently take part in things which he knows in his heart are contrary to ,christ8 ,can he go into places and scenes and circumstances in which1 he must admit1 his ,saviour and ,lord can take no part8 ,can he go and have fellowship with a world which hates the ,one to whom he professes to owe every thing8 ,it may perhaps seem to some of our readers that we are taking too high ground4 ,we would ask such1 ,what ground are we to take8 ,surely1 ,christian ground1 if we are ,christians4 ,well1 then1 if we are to take ,christian ground1 how are we to know what that ground really is8 ,assuredly1 from the ,new ,testament4 ,and what does it teach8 ,does it afford any warrant for the ,christian to mix himself1 in any shape or form1 with the amusements and vain pursuits of this present evil world8 ,let us hearken to the weighty words of our blessed ,lord in ,john xvii4 ,let us hear from ,his lips the truth as to our portion1 our position1 and our path in this world4 ,he says1 addressing the ,father1 ,i have given them ,thy ,word2 and the world hath hated them1 because they are not of the world1 even as ,i am not of the world4 ,i pray not that ,thou shouldest take them out of the world1 but that ,thou shouldest keep them from the evil4 ,they are not of the world1 even as ,i am not of the world4 ,sanctify them through ,thy truth2 ,thy ,word is truth4 ,as ,thou hast sent ,me into the world1 even so have ,i also sent them into the world4 7,ver4 #ad-ah47 ,is it possible to conceive a closer measure of identification than that set before us in these words8 ,twice over1 in this brief passage1 our ,lord declares that we are not of the world1 even as ,he is not4 ,what has our blessed ,lord to do with the world8 ,nothing4 ,the world has utterly rejected ,him and cast ,him out4 ,it nailed ,him to a shameful cross1 between two malefactors4 ,the world lies as fully and as freshly under the charge of all this as though the act of the crucifixion took place yesterday1 at the very centre of its civilization1 and with the unanimous consent of all4 ,there is not so much as a single moral link between ,christ and the world4 ,yea1 the world is stained with ,his murder1 and will have to answer to ,god for the crime4 ,how solemn is this6 ,what a serious consideration for ,christians6 ,we are passing through a world that crucified our ,lord and ,master1 and ,he declares that we are not of that world1 even as ,he is not of it4 ,hence it follows that in so far as we have any fellowship with the world1 we are false to ,christ4 ,what should we think of a wife who could sit and laugh and joke with a set of men who had murdered her husband8 and yet this is precisely what professing ,christians do when they mix themselves up with this present evil world1 and make themselves part and parcel of it4 ,it will perhaps be said1 ,what are we to do8 are we to go out of the world8 ,by no means4 ,our ,lord expressly says1 ,i pray not that ,thou shouldest take them out of the world1 but that ,thou shouldest keep them from the evil4 ,in it1 but not of it1 is the true principle for the ,christian4 ,to use a figure1 the ,christian in the world is like a diver4 ,he is in the midst of an element which would destroy him1 were he not protected from its action1 and sustained by unbroken communication with the scene above4 ,and what is the ,christian to do in the world8 what is his mission8 ,here it is3 ,as ,thou hast sent ,me into the world1 even so have ,i sent them into the world4 ,and again1 in ,john xx4 #ba--;,as ,my ,father hath sent ,me1 even so send ,i you4 ,such is the ,christian's mission4 ,he is not to shut himself within the walls of a monastery or convent4 ,christianity does not consist in joining a brotherhood or a sisterhood4 ,nothing of the kind4 ,we are called to move up and down in the varied relations of life1 and to act in our divinely appointed spheres1 to the glory of ,god4 ,it is not a question of what we are doing1 but of how we do it4 ,all depends upon the object which governs our hearts4 ,if ,christ be the commanding and absorbing object of the heart1 all will be right2 if ,he be not1 nothing is right4 ,two persons may sit down at the same table to eat2 the one eats to gratify his appetite1 the other eats to the glory of ,god--eats simply to keep his body in proper working order as ,god's vessel1 the temple of the ,holy ,ghost1 the instrument for ,christ's service4 ,so in every thing4 ,it is our sweet privilege to set the ,lord always before us4 ,he is our model4 ,as ,he was sent into the world1 so are we4 ,what did ,he come to do8 ,to glorify ,god4 ,how did ,he live8 ,by the ,father4 ,as the living ,father hath sent ,me1 and ,i live by the ,father1 so he that eateth ,me1 even he shall live by ,me4 7,john vi4 #eg47 ,this makes it all so simple4 ,christ is the standard and touchstone for every thing4 ,it is no longer a question of mere right and wrong according to human rules2 it is simply a question of what is worthy of ,christ4 ,would ,he do this or that8 would ,he go here or there8 ,he left us an example1 that we should follow ,his steps2 and most assuredly1 we should not go where we cannot trace ,his blessed footsteps4 ,if we go hither and thither to please ourselves1 we are not treading in ,his steps1 and we cannot expect to enjoy ,his blessed presence4 ,christian reader1 here lies the real secret of the whole matter4 ,the grand question is just this3 ,is ,christ my one object8 what am ,i living for8 ,can ,i say1 ,the life that ,i live in the flesh1 ,i live by the faith of the ,son of ,god1 who loved me1 and gave ,himself for me8 ,nothing less than this is worthy of a ,christian4 ,it is a poor miserable thing to be content with being saved1 and then to go on with the world1 and live for self-pleasing and self-interest--to accept salvation as the fruit of ,christ's toil and passion1 and then live at a distance from ,himself4 ,what should we think of a child who only cared about the good things provided by his father's hand1 and never sought his father's company--yea1 preferred the company of strangers8 ,we should justly despise him2 but how much more despicable is the ,christian who owes his present and his eternal all to the work of ,christ and yet is content to live at a cold distance from ,his blessed ,person1 caring not for the furtherance of ,his cause--the promotion of ,his glory6 ,,part ,v ,if the reader has been enabled1 through grace1 to make his own of what has passed before our minds in this series of papers1 he will have a perfect remedy for all uneasiness of conscience and all restlessness of heart4 ,the work of ,christ1 if only it be laid hold of by an artless faith1 must1 of blessed necessity1 meet the former2 and the ,person of ,christ1 if only ,he be contemplated with a single eye1 must perfectly meet the latter4 ,if1 therefore1 we are not in the enjoyment of peace of conscience1 it can only be because we are not resting on the finished work of ,christ2 and if the heart is not at ease1 it proves that we are not satisfied with ,christ ,himself4 ,and yet1 alas6 how few1 even of the ,lord's beloved people1 know either the one or the other4 ,how rare it is to find a person in the enjoyment of true peace of conscience and rest of heart6 ,in general1 ,christians are not a whit in advance of the condition of ,old-,testament saints4 ,they do not know the blessedness of an accomplished redemption2 they are not in the enjoyment of a purged conscience2 they cannot draw nigh with a true heart1 in full assurance of faith1 having the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience1 and the body washed with pure water2 they do not apprehend the grand truth of the indwelling of the ,holy ,ghost1 enabling them to cry1 ,abba1 ,father2 they are1 as to their experience1 under law2 they have never really entered into the deep blessedness of being under the reign of grace4 ,they have life4 ,it is impossible to doubt this4 ,they love divine things2 their tastes1 their habits1 their aspirations--yea1 their very exercises1 their conflicts1 their anxieties1 doubts1 and fears all go to prove the existence of divine life4 ,they are1 in a way1 separated from the world1 but their separation is rather negative than positive4 ,it is more because they see the utter vanity of the world1 and its inability to satisfy their hearts1 than because they have found an object in ,christ4 ,they have lost their taste for the things of the world1 but they have not found their place and their portion in the ,son of ,god where ,he now is at the right hand of ,god4 ,the things of the world cannot satisfy them1 and they are not in the enjoyment of their proper heavenly standing1 object1 and hope2 hence they are in an anomalous condition altogether2 they have no certainty1 no rest1 no fixedness of purpose2 they are not happy2 they do not know their true bearings2 they are neither one thing nor the other4 ,is it thus with the reader8 ,we fondly hope not4 ,we trust he is one of those who1 through infinite grace1 know the things that are freely given them of ,god2 who know that they have passed from death unto life--that they have eternal life2 who enjoy the precious witness of the ,spirit2 who realize their association with a risen and glorified ,head in the heavens1 with whom they are linked by the ,holy ,ghost1 who dwells in them2 who have found their object in the ,person of that blessed ,one whose finished work is the divine and eternal basis of their salvation and peace2 and who are earnestly looking for the blessed moment when ,jesus shall come to receive them to ,himself1 that where ,he is1 they may be also1 to go no more out forever4 ,this is ,christianity4 ,nothing else deserves the name4 ,it stands out in bold and striking contrast with the spurious religiousness of the day1 which is neither pure ,judaism on the one hand1 nor pure ,christianity on the other1 but a wretched mixture1 composed of some of the elements of each1 which unconverted people can adopt and go on with1 because it sanctions the lusts of the flesh1 and allows them to enjoy the pleasures and vanities of the world to their heart's content4 ,the archenemy of ,christ and of souls has succeeded in producing an awful system of religion1 half ,jewish1 half ,christian1 combining1 in the most artful manner1 the world and the flesh1 with a certain amount of ,scripture1 so used as to destroy its moral force and hinder its just application4 ,in the meshes of this system souls are hopelessly entangled4 ,unconverted people are deceived into the notion that they are very good ,christians indeed1 and going on all right to heaven2 and on the other hand1 the ,lord's dear people are robbed of their proper place and privileges1 and dragged down by the dark and depressing influence of the religious atmosphere which surrounds and almost suffocates them4 ,it lies not1 we believe1 within the compass of human language to set forth the appalling consequences of this mingling of the people of ,god with the people of the world in one common system of religiousness and theological belief4 ,its effect upon the former is to blind their eyes to the true moral glories of ,christianity as set forth in the pages of the ,new ,testament2 and this to such an extent1 that if any one attempts to unfold these glories to their view1 he is regarded as a visionary enthusiast1 or a dangerous heretic3 its effect upon the latter is to deceive them altogether as to their true condition1 character1 and destiny4 ,both classes repeat the same formularies1 subscribe the same creed1 say the same prayers1 are members of the same community1 partake of the same sacrament1 are1 in short1 ecclesiastically1 theologically1 religiously one4 ,it will perhaps be said in reply to all this1 that our ,lord1 in ,his wonderful discourse in ,matthew xiii1 distinctly teaches that the wheat and the tares are to grow together4 ,yes2 but where8 in the ,church8 ,nay2 but in the field2 and ,he tells us that the field is the world4 ,to confound these things is to falsify the whole ,christian position1 and to do away with all godly discipline in the assembly4 ,it is to place the teaching of our ,lord in ,matthew xiii4 in opposition to the teaching of the ,holy ,ghost in #a ,corinthians v4 ,however1 we shall not pursue this subject further just now4 ,it is far too important and too extensive to be disposed of in a brief article like the present4 ,we may perhaps discuss it more fully on some future occasion4 ,that it demands the serious consideration of the ,christian reader we are most thoroughly convinced2 bearing1 as it does1 so manifestly on the glory of ,christ1 on the true interests of ,his people1 on the progress of the gospel1 on the integrity of ,christian testimony and service1 it would be quite impossible to overestimate its importance4 ,but we must leave it for the present1 and draw this paper to a close by a brief reference to the third and last branch of our subject1 namely1 ,,the ,,word ,,of ,,christ ,,as ,,the ,,all-,,sufficient ,,guide ,,for ,,our ,,path4 ,if ,christ's work suffices for the conscience1 if ,his blessed ,person suffices for the heart1 then1 most assuredly1 ,his precious ,word suffices for the path4 ,we may assert1 with all possible confidence1 that we possess in the divine volume of holy ,scripture all we can ever need1 not only to meet all the exigencies of our individual path1 but also the varied necessities of the ,church of ,god1 in the most minute details of her history in this world4 ,we are quite aware that in making this assertion we lay ourselves open to much scorn and opposition1 in more quarters than one4 ,we shall be met on the one hand by the advocates of tradition1 and on the other by those who contend for the supremacy of man's reason and will2 but this gives us very little concern indeed4 ,we regard the traditions of men1 whether fathers1 brothers1 or doctors1 if presented as an authority1 as the small dust of the balance2 and as to human reason1 it can only be compared to a bat in the sunshine1 dazzled by the brightness1 and blindly dashing itself against objects which it cannot see4 ,it is the deepest joy of the ,christian's heart to retire from the conflicting traditions and doctrines of men into the calm light of holy ,scripture2 and when encountered by the impudent reasonings of the infidel1 the rationalist1 and the skeptic1 to bow down his whole moral being to the authority and power of holy ,scripture4 ,he thankfully recognizes in the ,word of ,god the only perfect standard for doctrine1 for morals1 for every thing4 ,all ,scripture is given by inspiration of ,god1 and is profitable for doctrine1 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction in righteousness2 that the man of ,god may be perfect 1 throughly furnished unto all good works4 ,what more can we need8 ,nothing4 ,if ,scripture can make a child wise unto salvation1 and if it can make a man perfect1 and furnish him throughly to all good works1 what do we want of human tradition or human reasonings8 ,if ,god has written a volume for us1 if ,he has graciously condescended to give us a revelation of ,his mind1 as to all we ought to know and think and feel and believe and do1 shall we turn to a poor fellow-mortal--be he ritualist or rationalist--to help us8 ,far away be the thought6 ,as well might we turn to our fellow-man to add something to the finished work of ,christ1 in order to render it sufficient for our conscience1 or to supply some deficiency in the ,person of ,christ1 in order to render ,him a sufficient object for the heart1 as to betake ourselves to human tradition or human reason to supply some deficiency in divine revelation4 ,all praise and thanks to our ,god1 it is not so4 ,he has given us in ,his own beloved ,son all we want for the conscience1 for the heart1 for the path--for time1 with all its changing scenes--for eternity1 with its countless ages4 ,we can say1-- ,thou1 ,o ,christ1 art all we want2 ,more than all in ,thee we find4 ,there is1 there could be1 no lack in the ,christ of ,god4 ,his atonement and advocacy must satisfy all the cravings of the most deeply exercised conscience4 ,the moral glories--the powerful attractions of ,his divine ,person must satisfy the most intense aspirations and longings of the heart4 ,and ,his peerless revelation--that priceless volume--contains within its covers all we can possibly need1 from the starting-post to the goal of our ,christian career4 ,christian reader1 are not these things so8 ,dost thou not1 from the very centre of thy renewed moral being1 own the truth of them8 ,if so1 art thou resting1 in calm repose1 on ,christ's work8 art thou delighting in ,his ,person8 art thou submitting1 in all things1 to the authority of ,his ,word8 ,god grant it may be so with thee1 and with all who profess ,his name6 ,may there be a fuller1 clearer1 and more decided testimony to the all-sufficiency of ,christ1 till that day4 ,c4 ,h4 ,m4 ,job and his ,friends ,the book of ,job occupies a very peculiar place in the volume of ,god4 ,it possesses a character entirely its own1 and teaches lessons which are not to be learnt in any other section of inspiration4 ,it is not by any means our purpose to enter upon a line of argument to prove the genuineness1 or establish the fact of the divine inspiration1 of this precious book4 ,we take these things for granted2 being fully persuaded of them as established facts1 we leave the proofs to abler hands4 ,we receive the book of ,job as part of the ,holy ,scriptures given of ,god for the profit and blessing of ,his people4 ,we need no proofs of this for ourselves1 nor do we attempt to offer any to our reader4 ,and we may further add that we have no thought of entering upon the field of inquiry as to the authorship of this book4 ,this1 howsoever interesting it may be in itself1 is to us entirely secondary4 ,we receive the book from ,god4 ,this is enough for us4 ,we heartily own it to be an inspired document1 and we do not feel it to be our province to discuss the question as to where1 when1 or by whom it was penned4 ,in short1 we purpose1 with the ,lord's help1 to offer a few plain and practical remarks on a book which we consider needs to be more closely studied1 that it may be more fully understood4 ,may the ,eternal ,spirit1 who indited the book1 expound and apply it to our souls6 99 99 99 99 99 ,the opening page of this remarkable book furnishes us with a view of the patriarch ,job1 surrounded by every thing that could make the world agreeable to him1 and make him of importance in the world4 ,there was a man in the land of ,uz whose name was ,job2 and that man was perfect and upright1 and one that feared ,god and eschewed evil4 ,thus much as to what he was4 ,let us now see what he had4 ,and there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters4 ,his substance also was seven thousand sheep1 and three thousand camels1 and five hundred yoke of oxen1 and five hundred she-asses1 and a very great household2 so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east4 ,and his sons went and feasted in their houses every one his day2 and sent and called for their three sisters1 to eat and to drink with them4 ,then1 to complete the picture1 we have the record of what he did4 ,and it was so1 when the days of their feasting were gone about1 that ,job sent and sanctified them1 and rose up early in the morning1 and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all2 for ,job said1 ',it may be that my sons have sinned1 and cursed ,god in their hearts4' ,thus did ,job continually4 ,here1 then1 we have a very rare specimen of a man4 ,he was perfect1 upright1 ,god-fearing1 and eschewed evil4 ,moreover1 the hand of ,god had hedged him round about on every side1 and strewed his path with richest mercies4 ,he had all that heart could wish1--children and wealth in abundance1--honor and distinction from all around4 ,in short1 we may almost say1 his cup of earthly bliss was full4 ,but ,job needed to be tested4 ,there was a deep moral root in his heart which had to be laid bare4 ,there was self-righteousness which had to be brought to the surface and judged4 ,indeed1 we may discern this root in the very words which we have just quoted4 ,he says1 ,it may be that my sons have sinned4 ,he does not seem to contemplate the possibility of sinning himself4 ,a soul really self-judged1 thoroughly broken before ,god1 truly sensible of its own state1 tendencies1 and capabilities1 would think of his own sins1 and his own need of a burnt-offering4 ,now1 let the reader distinctly understand that ,job was a real saint of ,god1--a divinely quickened soul1--a possessor of divine and eternal life4 ,we cannot too strongly insist upon this4 ,he was just as truly a man of ,god in the first chapter as he was in the forty-second4 ,if we do not see this1 we shall miss one of the grand lessons of the book4 ,the eighth verse of chap4 i4 establishes this point beyond all question4 ,and the ,lord said unto ,satan1 ',hast thou considered ,my servant ,job1 that there is none like him in the earth1--a perfect and an upright man1 one that feareth ,god and escheweth evil8 ,but1 with all this1 ,job had never sounded the depths of his own heart4 ,he did not know himself4 ,he had never really grasped the truth of his own utter ruin and total depravity4 ,he had never learnt to say1 ,i know that in me1 that is in my flesh1 dwelleth no good thing4 ,this point must be seized1 or the book of ,job will not be understood4 ,we shall not see the specific object of all those deep and painful exercises through which ,job was called to pass unless we lay hold of the solemn fact that his conscience had never been really in the divine presence1--that he had never seen himself in the light1--never measured himself by a divine standard1--never weighed himself in the balances of the sanctuary4 ,if the reader will turn for a moment to chap4 xxix41 he will find a striking proof of what we assert4 ,he will there see distinctly what a strong and deep root of self-complacency there was in the heart of this dear and valued servant of ,god1 and how this root was nourished by the very tokens of divine favor with which he was surrounded4 ,this chapter is a pathetic lament over the faded light of other days2 and the very tone and character of the lament prove how necessary it was that ,job should be stripped of every thing1 in order that he might learn himself in the searching light of the divine presence4 ,let us hearken to his words4 ,oh that ,i were as in months past1 as in the days when ,god preserved me2 when ,his candle shined upon my head1 and when by ,his light ,i walked through darkness2 as ,i was in the days of my youth1 when the secret of ,god was upon my tabernacle2 when the ,almighty was yet with me1 when my children were about me2 when ,i washed my steps with butter1 and the rock poured me out rivers of oil2 when ,i went out to the gate through the city2 when ,i prepared my seat in the street6 ,the young men saw me and hid themselves1 and the aged arose and stood up4 ,the princes refrained talking1 and laid their hand on their mouth4 ,the nobles held their peace1 and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth4 ,when the ear heard me1 then it blessed me2 and when the eye saw me1 it gave witness to me3 because ,i delivered the poor that cried1 and the fatherless1 and him that had none to help him4 ,the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me1 and ,i caused the widow's heart to sing for joy4 ,i put on righteousness1 and it clothed me3 my judgment was as a robe and a diadem4 ,i was eyes to the blind1 and feet was ,i to the lame4 ,i was a father to the poor1 and the cause which ,i knew not ,i searched out4 ,and ,i brake the jaws of the wicked1 and plucked the spoil out of his teeth4 ,then ,i said1 ',i shall die in my nest1 and ,i shall multiply my days as the sand4' ,my root was spread out by the waters1 and the dew lay all night upon my branch4 ,my glory was fresh in me1 and my bow was renewed in my hand4 ,unto me men gave ear1 and waited1 and kept silence at my counsel4 ,after my words they spake not again1 and my speech dropped upon them4 ,and they waited for me as for the rain1 and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain4 ,if ,i laughed on them1 they believed it not2 and the light of my countenance they cast not down4 ,i chose out their way1 and sat chief1 and dwelt as a king in the army1 as one that comforteth the mourners4 ,but now1 they that are younger than ,i have me in derision1 whose fathers ,i would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock4 ,this1 truly1 is a most remarkable utterance4 ,we look in vain for any breathings of a broken and a contrite spirit here4 ,there are no evidences of self-loathing1 or even of self-distrust4 ,we cannot find so much as a single expression of conscious weakness and nothingness4 ,in the course of this single chapter1 ,job refers to himself more than forty times1 while the references to ,god are but five4 ,it reminds us of the seventh of ,romans1 by the predominance of ,i2 but there is this immense difference1 that1 in the seventh of ,romans1 ,i is a poor1 weak1 good-for-nothing1 wretched creature in the presence of the holy law of ,god2 whereas1 in ,job xxix41 ,i is a most important1 influential personage1 admired and almost worshiped by his fellows4 ,now ,job had to be stripped of all this2 and when we compare chap4 xxix4 with chap4 xxx4 we can form some idea of how painful the process of stripping must have been4 ,there is peculiar emphasis in the words1 ,but now4 ,job draws a most striking contrast between his past and his present4 ,in chap4 xxx4 he is still occupied with himself4 ,it is still ,i2 but ah1 how changed6 ,the very men who flattered him in the day of his prosperity1 treat him with contempt in the day of his adversity4 ,thus it is ever in this poor1 false1 deceitful world1 and it is well to be made to prove it4 ,all must1 sooner or later1 find out the hollowness of the world1--the fickleness of those who are ready to cry out hosanna to-day1 and crucify ,him to-morrow4 ,man is not to be trusted4 ,it is all very well while the sun shines2 but wait till the nipping blasts of winter come1 and then you will see how far nature's fair promises and professions can be trusted4 ,when the prodigal had plenty to spend1 he found plenty to share his portion2 but when he began to be in want1 no man gave unto him4 ,thus it was with ,job in chap4 xxx4 ,but be it well remembered that there is very much more needed than the stripping of self1 and the discovery of the hollowness and deceitfulness of the world4 ,one may go through all these1 and the result be merely chagrin and disappointment4 ,indeed1 it can be nothing more if ,god be not reached4 ,if the heart be not brought to find its all-satisfying portion in ,god1 then a reverse of fortune leaves it desolate2 and the discovery of the fickleness and hollowness of men fills it with bitterness4 ,this will account for ,job's language in chap4 xxx43 ,but now they that are younger than ,i have me in derision1 whose fathers ,i would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock4 ,was this the spirit of ,christ8 ,would ,job have spoken thus at the close of the book8 ,he would not4 ,ah1 no1 reader2 when once ,job got into ,god's presence1 there was an end the egotism of chap4 xxix4 and the bitterness of chap4 xxx4#g #g ,the reader will bear in mind that1 while it is the ,holy ,ghost who records what ,job and his friends said1 yet we are not to suppose that they spoke by inspiration4 ,but hear ,job's further outpourings4 ,they were children of fools1 yea1 children of base men2 they were viler than the earth4 ,and now am ,i their song1 yea1 ,i am their by-word4 ,they abhor me1 they flee far from me1 and spare not to spit in my face4 ,because ,he hath loosed my cord1 and afflicted me1 they also let loose the bridle before me4 ,upon my right hand rise the youth2 they push away my feet1 and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction4 ,they mar my path1 they set forward my calamity1 they have no helper4 ,they came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters3 in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me4 ,now1 all this1 we may truly say1 is very far short of the mark4 ,lamentations over departed greatness1 and bitter invectives against our fellow-men1 will not do the heart much good2 neither do they display aught of the spirit and mind of ,christ1 nor bring glory to ,his holy name4 ,when we turn our eyes toward the blessed ,lord ,jesus we see something wholly different4 ,that meek and lowly ,one met all the rebuffs of this world1 all the disappointments in the midst of ,his people ,israel1 all the unbelief and folly of ,his disciples1 with an1 ,even so1 ,father4 ,he was able to retire from the rebuffs of men into ,his resources in ,god1 and then to come forth with those balmy words1 ,come unto ,me 444 and ,i will give you rest4 ,no chagrin1 no bitterness1 no harsh invectives1 nothing rough or unkind1 from that gracious ,saviour who came down into this cold and heartless world to manifest the perfect love of ,god1 and who pursued ,his path of service spite of all man's perfect hatred4 ,but the fairest and best of men must retire into the shade when tested by the perfect standard of the life of ,christ4 ,the light of ,his moral glory makes manifest the defects and blemishes of even the most perfect of the sons of men4 ,in all things ,he must have the pre-eminence4 ,he stands out in vivid contrast with even a ,job or a ,jeremiah in the matter of patient submission to all that ,he was called upon to endure4 ,job completely breaks down under his heavy trials4 ,he not only pours forth a torrent of bitter invective upon his fellows1 but actually curses the day of his birth4 ,after this opened ,job his mouth and cursed his day4 ,and ,job spake and said1 ',let the day perish wherein ,i was born1 and the night in which it was said1 ,there is a man-child conceived' 7chap4 iii4 #a-c74 ,we notice the selfsame thing in ,jeremiah--that blessed man of ,god4 ,he1 too1 gave way beneath the heavy pressure of his varied and accumulated sorrows1 and gave vent to his feelings in the following bitter accents3 ,cursed be the day wherein ,i was born2 let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed4 ,cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father1 saying1 ',a man-child is born unto thee2' making him very glad4 ,and let that man be as the cities which the ,lord overthrew1 and repented not2 and let him hear the cry in the morning1 and the shouting at noontide4 ,because ,he slew me not from the womb2 or that my mother might have been my grave1 and her womb to be always great with me4 ,wherefore came ,i forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow1 that my days should be consumed with shame8 7,jer4 xx4 #ad-ah47 ,what language is here6 ,only think of cursing the man that brought tidings of his birth6 cursing him because he had not slain him6 ,all this1 both in the prophet and the patriarch1 contrasts strongly with the meek and lowly ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,that spotless ,one passed through deeper sorrows and more in number than all ,his servants put together2 but not one murmuring word ever escaped ,his lips4 ,he patiently submitted to all2 and met the darkest hour with such words as these1 ,the cup which ,my ,father hath given ,me1 shall ,i not drink it8 ,blessed ,lord ,jesus1 ,son of the ,father1 we adore ,thee6 ,we bow down at ,thy feet1 lost in wonder1 love1 and praise1 and own ,thee ,lord of all6--the fairest among ten thousand1 and the altogether lovely4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is no more fruitful field of study than that which is opened before us in the history of ,god's dealings with souls4 ,it is full of interest1 and abounds in instruction and profit4 ,one grand object in those dealings is to produce real brokenness and humility--to strip us of all false righteousness1 empty us of all self-confidence1 and teach us to lean wholly upon ,christ4 ,all have to pass through what may be called the process of stripping and emptying4 ,with some this process precedes1 with others it follows1 conversion or the new birth4 ,many are brought to ,christ through deep plowings and painful exercises of heart and conscience--exercises extending over years1 often over the whole lifetime4 ,others1 on the contrary1 are brought with comparatively little exercise of soul4 ,they lay hold1 speedily1 of the glad tidings of forgiveness of sins through the atoning death of ,christ1 and are made happy at once4 ,but the stripping and emptying come afterward1 and1 in many cases1 cause the soul to totter on its foundation1 and almost to doubt its conversion4 ,this is very painful1 but very needful4 ,the fact is1 self must be learnt and judged1 sooner or later4 ,if it be not learnt in communion with ,god1 it must be learnt by bitter experience in failures and falls4 ,no flesh shall glory in ,his presence2 and we must all learn our utter powerlessness1 in every respect1 in order that we may taste the sweetness and comfort of the truth1 that ,christ is made of ,god unto us wisdom1 righteousness1 sanctification1 and redemption4 ,god will have broken material4 ,let us remember this4 ,it is a solemn and necessary truth1 ,thus saith the high and lofty ,one that inhabiteth eternity1 whose name is ,holy3 ,i dwell in the high and holy place1 with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit1 to revive the spirit of the humble1 and to revive the heart of the contrite ones4 ,and again1 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ',the heaven is ,my throne1 and the earth is ,my footstool3 where is the house that ye build unto ,me8 and where is the place of ,my rest8 ,for all those things hath ,mine hand made1 and all those things have been1 saith the ,lord3 but to this man will ,i look1 even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit1 and trembleth at ,my word4' 7,is4 lvii4 #ae2 lxvi4 #a1 #b47 ,these are seasonable words for all of us4 ,one special want of the present moment is brokenness of spirit4 ,nine-tenths of our trouble and difficulty may be traced to this want4 ,it is marvelous how we get on from day to day1--in the family1 in the assembly1 in the world1 in our entire practical life1 when self is subdued and mortified4 ,a thousand things which else would prove more than a match for our hearts are esteemed as nothing1 when our souls are in a truly contrite state4 ,we are enabled to bear reproach and insult1 to overlook slights and affronts1 to trample upon our crotchets1 predilections1 and prejudices1 to yield to others where weighty principle is not involved1 to be ready to every good work1 to exhibit a genial large-heartedness in all our dealings1 and an elasticity in all our moral movements which so greatly tend to adorn the doctrine of ,god our ,saviour4 ,how often1 alas6 it is otherwise with us4 ,we exhibit a stiff1 unyielding temper2 we stand up for our rights2 we maintain our interests2 we look after our own things2 we contend for our own notions4 ,all this proves1 very clearly1 that self is not habitually measured and judged in the presence of ,god4 ,but we repeat--and with emphasis--,god will have broken material4 ,he loves us too well to leave us in hardness and unsubduedness2 and hence it is that ,he sees fit to pass us through all sorts of exercises in order to bring us into a condition of soul in which ,he can use us for ,his own glory4 ,the will must be broken2 self-confidence1 self-complacency1 and self-importance must be cut up by the roots4 ,god will make use of the scenes and circumstances through which we have to pass1 the people with whom we are associated in daily life1 to discipline the heart and subdue the will4 ,and further1 ,he will deal with us directly ,himself1 in order to bring about these great practical results4 ,all this comes out with great distinctness in the book of ,job1 and gives a wonderful interest and charm to its pages4 ,it is very evident that ,job needed a severe sifting4 ,had he not needed it1 we may rest assured the gracious1 loving ,lord would not have passed him through it4 ,it was not for nothing that ,he let ,satan loose upon ,his dear servant4 ,we may say1 with fullest confidence1 that nothing but the most stern necessity would have led ,him to adopt such a line of action4 ,god loved ,job with a perfect love2 but it was a wise and faithful love2 a love that could take account of every thing1 and1 looking below the surface1 could see the deep moral roots in the heart of ,his servant--roots which ,job had never seen1 and1 therefore1 never judged4 ,what a mercy to have to do with such a ,god6 to be in the hands of ,one who will spare no pains in order to subdue every thing in us which is contrary to ,himself1 and to bring out in us ,his own blessed image6 ,but1 beloved reader1 is there not something profoundly interesting in the fact that ,god can even make use of ,satan as an instrument in the discipline of ,his people8 ,we see this in the case of the apostle ,peter1 as well as in that of the patriarch ,job4 ,peter had to be sifted1 and ,satan was used to do the work4 ,simon1 ,simon1 behold ,satan hath desired to have you1 that he may sift you as wheat4 ,here1 too1 there was a stern necessity4 ,there was a deep root to be reached in ,peter's heart--the root of self-confidence2 and his faithful ,lord saw it absolutely needful to pass him through a most severe and painful process in order that this root should be exposed and judged2 and therefore ,satan was permitted to sift him thoroughly1 so that he might never again trust his own heart1 but walk softly all his days4 ,god will have broken material1 whether it be in a patriarch or an apostle4 ,all must be mellowed and subdued in order that the divine glory may shine forth with an ever brightening lustre4 ,had ,job understood this great principle--had he apprehended the divine object1--how differently he would have carried himself6 ,but1 like ourselves1 he had to learn his lesson2 and the ,holy ,ghost has furnished us with the record of the mode in which the lesson was learnt1 so that we may profit by it also4 ,let us pursue the narrative4 ,now there was a day when the sons of ,god came to present themselves before the ,lord1 and ,satan came also among them4 ,and the ,lord said unto ,satan1 ',whence comest thou8' ,then ,satan answered the ,lord and said1 ',from going to and fro in the earth1 and from walking up and down in it4' ,and the ,lord said unto ,satan1 ',hast thou considered my servant ,job1 that there is none like him in the earth1 a perfect and an upright man1 one that feareth ,god and escheweth evil8' ,then ,satan answered the ,lord1 and said1 ',doth ,job fear ,god for naught8 ,hast not ,thou made a hedge about him1 and about his house1 and about all that he hath on every side8 ,thou hast blest the work of his hands1 and his substance is increased in the land4 ,but put forth ,thine hand now1 and touch all that he hath1 and he will curse ,thee to ,thy face4' ,what a view we have here of ,satan's malignity6 ,what a striking proof of the way in which he watches and considers the ways and works of ,god's people6 ,what insight into human character6 ,what an intimate knowledge of man's mental and moral constitution6 ,what a terrible thing to fall into his hands6 ,he is ever on the watch2 ever ready1 if permitted of ,god1 to put forth all his malignant energy against the ,christian4 ,the thought of this is most solemn1 and should lead us to walk humbly and watchfully through a scene where ,satan rules4 ,he has no power whatever over a soul who abides in the place of dependence and obedience2 and1 blessed be ,god1 he cannot1 in any case1 go one hair's breadth beyond the limit prescribed by divine command4 ,thus1 in ,job's case1 ,the ,lord said unto ,satan1 ',behold1 all that he hath is in thy power2 only upon himself put not forth thine hand4' ,here ,satan was permitted to lay his hand on ,job's possessions--to bereave him of his children1 and despoil him of all his wealth4 ,and truly he lost no time in despatching his business4 ,with marvelous rapidity he executed his commission4 ,blow after blow fell1 in quick succession1 on the devoted head of the patriarch4 ,hardly had one messenger told his melancholy tale1 ere another arrived with still heavier tidings1 until1 at length1 the afflicted servant of ,god arose and rent his mantle1 and shaved his head1 and fell down upon the ground1 and worshiped1 and said1 ',naked came ,i out of my mother's womb1 and naked shall ,i return thither3 the ,lord gave1 and the ,lord hath taken away2 blessed be the name of the ,lord4' ,in all this1 ,job sinned not1 nor charged ,god foolishly 7chap4 i4 #bj-bb74 ,all this is deeply touching4 ,to speak after the manner of men1 it was enough to make reason totter1 to be thus1 in a moment1 bereft of his ten children1 and reduced from princely wealth to absolute penury4 ,what a striking contrast between the opening and the closing lines of our first chapter6 ,in the former1 we see ,job surrounded by a numerous family1 and in the enjoyment of vast possessions2 in the latter1 we see him left alone1 in poverty and nakedness4 ,and to think of ,satan's being allowed--yea1 commissioned of ,god--to bring about all this6 ,and for what8 ,for the deep and permanent profit of ,job's precious soul4 ,god saw that ,his servant needed to be taught a lesson2 and1 moreover1 that1 in no other way1 by no other means1 could this lesson be taught than by passing him through an ordeal the bare record of which fills the mind with solemn awe4 ,god will teach ,his children1 even though it be by stripping them of all that the heart clings to in this world4 ,but we must follow our patriarch into still deeper waters4 ,again there was a day when the sons of ,god came to present themselves before the ,lord1 and ,satan came also among them to present himself before the ,lord4 ,and the ,lord said unto ,satan1 ',from whence comest thou8' ,and ,satan answered the ,lord1 and said1 ',from going to and fro in the earth1 and from walking up and down in it4' ,and the ,lord said unto ,satan1 ',hast thou considered ,my servant ,job1 that there is none like him in the earth1 a perfect and an upright man1 one that feareth ,god and escheweth evil8 and still he holdeth fast his integrity1 although thou movedst ,me against him1 to destroy him without cause4' ,and ,satan answered the ,lord1 and said1 ',skin for skin1 yea1 all that a man hath will he give for his life4 ,but put forth ,thine hand now1 and touch his bone and ,his flesh1 and he will curse ,thee to ,thy face4' ,and the ,lord said unto ,satan1 ',behold1 he is in thy hand2 but save his life4' ,so went ,satan forth from the presence of the ,lord1 and smote ,job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown4 ,and he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal2 and he sat down among the ashes4 ,then said his wife unto him1 ',dost thou still retain thine integrity8 curse ,god1 and die4' ,but he said unto her1 ',thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh4 ,what8 shall we receive good at the hand of ,god1 and shall we not receive evil8' ,in all this did not ,job sin with his lips 7chap4 ii4 #a-aj74 ,this is a very remarkable passage4 ,it instructs us as to the place which ,satan occupies in respect to ,god's government4 ,he is a mere instrument1 and1 though ever ready to accuse the ,lord's people1 can do nothing save as he is allowed of ,god4 ,so far as ,job was concerned1 the efforts of ,satan proved abortive2 and having done his utmost1 he goes away1 and we hear nothing more of his actings1 whatever may have been his inward temptations4 ,job was enabled to hold fast his integrity2 and1 had matters ended here1 his patient endurance would only have strengthened the platform of his righteousness1 and ministered to his self-complacency4 ,ye have heard1 says ,james1 of the patience of ,job4 ,and what then8 ,ye have seen the end of the ,lord2 that the ,lord is very pitiful1 and of tender mercy4 ,had it been simply a question of ,job's patience1 it would have proved an additional ground of self-confidence1 and thus the end of the ,lord would not have been reached4 ,for1 be it ever remembered1 the ,lord's pity and tender mercy can only be tasted by those who are truly penitent and broken-hearted4 ,now ,job was not this1 even when he lay amid the ashes4 ,he was not yet thoroughly broken down before ,god4 ,he was still the great man--great in his misfortunes as he had been in his prosperity--great beneath the keen and withering blasts of adversity as he had been in the sunshine of brighter and better days4 ,job's heart was still unreached4 ,he was not yet prepared to cry out1 ,behold1 ,i am vile4 ,he had not yet learnt to abhor himself1 and repent in dust and ashes4 ,we are anxious that the reader should distinctly seize this point4 ,it is1 to a very great extent1 the key to the entire book of ,job4 ,the divine object was to expose to ,job's view the depths of his own heart1 in order that he might learn to delight in the grace and mercy of ,god1 and not in his own goodness1 which was as a morning cloud and the early dew1 that passeth away4 ,job was a true saint of ,god2 and all ,satan's accusations were flung back in his face2 but1 all the while1 ,job was unbroken material1 and therefore unprepared for the end of the ,lord--that blessed end for every contrite heart--that end which is marked by pity and tender mercy4 ,god1 blessed and praised be ,his name6 will not suffer ,satan to accuse us2 but ,he will expose us to ourselves1 so that we may judge ourselves1 and thus learn to mistrust our own hearts1 and rest in the eternal stability of ,his grace4 ,thus far1 then1 we see ,job holding fast his integrity4 ,he meets with calmness all the heavy afflictions which ,satan is allowed to bring upon him2 and1 moreover1 he refuses the foolish counsel of his wife4 ,in a word1 he accepts all as from the hand of ,god1 and bows his head in the presence of ,his mysterious dispensations4 ,all this is well4 ,but the arrival of ,job's three friends produces a marked change4 ,their very presence--the bare fact of their being eye-witnesses of his trouble--affects him in a very remarkable manner4 ,now when ,job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him1 they came every one from his own place1--,eliphaz the ,temanite1 and ,bildad the ,shuhite1 and ,zophar the ,naamathite2 for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him4 ,and when they lifted up their eyes afar off1 and knew him not1 they lifted up their voices and wept2 and they rent every one his mantle1 and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven4 ,so they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights1 and none spake a word unto him2 for they saw that his grief was very great4 7,chap4 ii4 #aa-ac47 ,now1 we can fully believe that those three men were governed1 in the main1 by kindly feelings toward ,job2 and it was no small sacrifice on their part to leave their homes and come to condole with their bereaved and afflicted friend4 ,all this we can easily believe4 ,but it is very evident that their presence had the effect of stirring up feelings and thoughts in his heart and mind which had hitherto lain dormant4 ,he had borne submissively the loss of children1 property1 and of bodily health4 ,satan had been dismissed1 and the wife's counsel rejected2 but the presence of his friends caused ,job to break down completely4 ,after this1 ,job opened his mouth1 and cursed his day4 ,this is very remarkable4 ,it does not appear that the friends had spoken a single sentence4 ,they sat in total silence1 with rent garments1 and covered with dust1 gazing on a grief too profound for them to reach4 ,it was ,job himself who first broke silence2 and the whole of the third chapter is an outpouring of the most bitter lamentation1 affording melancholy evidence of an unsubdued spirit4 ,it is1 we may confidently assert1 impossible that any one who had learnt1 in any little measure1 to say1 ,thy will be done1 could ever curse his day1 or use the language contained in the third chapter of ,job4 ,it may doubtless be said1 ,it is easy for those to speak who have never been called to endure ,job's heavy trials4 ,this is quite true2 and it may further be added that no other man would have done one whit better under the circumstances4 ,all this we can fully understand2 but it in no wise touches the great moral of the book of ,job--a moral which it is our privilege to seize4 ,job was a true saint of ,god2 but he needed to learn himself1 as we all do4 ,he needed to have the roots of his moral being laid bare in his own sight1 so that he might really abhor himself1 and repent in dust and ashes4 ,and furthermore1 he needed a truer and deeper sense of what ,god was1 so that he might trust ,him and justify ,him under all circumstances4 ,but we look in vain for aught of this in ,job's opening address4 ,job spake and said1 ',let the day perish wherein ,i was born1 and the night in which it was said1 ,there is a man-child conceived4444 ,why died ,i not from the womb8' ,these are not the accents of a broken and a contrite spirit1 or of one who had learnt to say1 ,even so1 ,father1 for so it seemed good in ,thy sight4 ,it is a grand point in the soul's history when one is enabled to bow with meekness to all the dispensations of our ,father's hand4 ,a broken will is a rich and rare endowment4 ,it is a high attainment in the school of ,christ to be able to say1 ,i have learnt1 in whatsoever state ,i am1 to be content4 7,phil4 iv4 #aa47 ,paul had to learn this4 ,it was not natural to him2 and1 most surely1 he never learnt it at the feet of ,gamaliel4 ,he had to be thoroughly broken down at the feet of ,jesus of ,nazareth1 ere he could say from his heart1 ,i am content4 ,he had to ponder the meaning of those words1 ,my grace is sufficient for thee ere he could take pleasure in infirmities4 ,the man who could use such language was standing at the very antipodes of the man who could curse his day1 and say1 ,why died ,i not from the womb8 ,only think of a saint of ,god1 and heir of glory1 saying1 ,why died ,i not from the womb8 ,ah6 if ,job had been in the presence of ,god he never could have uttered such words4 ,he would have known full well why he had not died4 ,he would have had a soul-satisfying sense of what ,god had in store for him4 ,he would have justified ,god in all things4 ,but ,job was not in the presence of ,god1 but in the presence of his friends2 who proved1 very distinctly1 that they understood little or nothing of the character of ,god or the real object of ,his dealings with ,his dear servant ,job4 ,it is not1 by any means1 our purpose to enter minutely into the lengthened discussion between ,job and his friends--a discussion extending over twenty-nine chapters4 ,we shall merely quote a few sentences from the opening address of each of the friends which will enable the reader to form an idea of the real ground occupied by these mistaken men4 ,eliphaz was the first speaker4 ,then ,eliphaz the ,temanite answered and said1 ',if we essay to commune with thee wilt thou be grieved8 but who can withhold himself from speaking8 ,behold1 thou hast instructed many1 and thou hast strengthened the weak hands4 ,thy words have upholden him that was falling1 and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees4 ,but now it is come upon thee1 and thou faintest2 it toucheth thee1 and thou art troubled4 ,is not this thy fear1 thy confidence1 thy hope1 and the uprightness of thy ways8 ,remember1 ,i pray thee1 who ever perished1 being innocent8 or where were the righteous cut off8 ,even as ,i have seen1 they that plow iniquity1 and sow wickedness1 reap the same' 7chap4 iv4 #a-h74 ,and again1 ,i have seen the foolish taking root2 but suddenly ,i cursed his habitation 7chap4 v4 #c2 see also chap4 xv4 #ag74 ,from these sentences it seems very evident that ,eliphaz belonged to that class of people who argue very much from their own experience4 ,his motto was1 ,as ,i have seen4 ,now1 what we have seen may be all true enough1 so far as we are concerned4 ,but it is a total mistake to found a general rule upon individual experience1 and yet it is a mistake to which thousands are prone4 ,what1 for instance1 had the experience of ,eliphaz to do with ,job8 ,it may be he had never met a case exactly similar2 and if there should happen to be a single feature of dissimilarity between the two cases1 then the whole argument based on experience must go for nothing4 ,and that it went for nothing in ,job's case is evident1 for no sooner had ,eliphaz ceased speaking1 than1 without the slightest attention to his words1 ,job proceeded with the tale of his own sorrows1 intermingled with much self-vindication and bitter complaints against the divine dealings 7chap4 vi4 #g74 ,bildad is the next speaker4 ,he takes quite different ground from that occupied by ,eliphaz4 ,he never once refers to his own experience1 or to what had come under his own observation4 ,he appeals to antiquity4 ,inquire1 ,i pray thee1 of the former age1 and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers4 7,for we are but of yesterday1 and know nothing1 because our days upon earth are a shadow47 ,shall not they teach thee1 and tell thee1 and utter words out of their heart8 7,chap4 viii4-x47 ,now1 it must be admitted that ,bildad conducts us into a much wider field than that of ,eliphaz4 ,the authority of a number of fathers has much more weight and respectability than the experience of a single individual4 ,moreover1 it would argue much more modesty to be guided by the voice of a number of wise and learned men than by the light of one's own experience4 ,but the fact is that neither experience nor tradition will do4 ,the former may be true so far as it goes1 but you can hardly get two men whose experience will exactly correspond2 and as to the latter1 it is a mass of confusion1--for one father differs from another2 and nothing can be more slippery or uncertain than the voice of tradition--the authority of the fathers4 ,hence1 as might be expected1 ,bildad's words had no more weight with ,job than those of ,eliphaz4 ,the one was as far from the truth as the other4 ,had they appealed to divine revelation it would have been a different matter altogether4 ,the truth of ,god is the only standard--the one grand authority4 ,by that1 all must be measured2 to that all must1 sooner or later1 bow down4 ,no man has any right to lay down his own experience as a rule for his fellows2 and if no man has a right1 neither have any number of men4 ,in other words1 it is not the voice of man1 but the voice of ,god which must govern us all4 ,it is not experience or tradition which shall judge at the last day1 but the word of ,god4 ,solemn and weighty fact6 ,may we consider it6 ,had ,bildad and ,eliphaz understood it1 their words would have had much more weight with their afflicted friend4 ,let us now very briefly refer to the opening address of ,zophar the ,naamathite4 ,he says1 ,oh1 that ,god would speak1 and open ,his lips against thee1 and that ,he would show thee the secrets of wisdom1 that they are double to that which is6 ,know1 therefore1 that ,god exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth4 ,and again1 ,if thou prepare thy heart1 and stretch out thy hands toward ,him2 if iniquity be in thy hand1 put it far away1 and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles4 ,for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot3 yea1 thou shalt be stedfast1 and shalt not fear4 7,chap4 xi4 #e1 #f1 #ac-ae47 ,these words savor strongly of legality4 ,they prove very distinctly that ,zophar had no right sense of the divine character4 ,he did not know ,god4 ,no one possessing a true knowledge of ,god could speak of ,him as opening ,his lips against a poor afflicted sinner1 or as exacting aught from a needy1 helpless creature4 ,god is not against us1 but for us1 blessed forever be ,his name6 ,he is not a legal exactor1 but a liberal giver4 ,then1 again1 ,zophar says1 ,if thou prepare thy heart4 ,but if not1 what then8 ,no doubt a man ought to prepare his heart1--and if he were right1 he would2 but then1 he is not right1 and hence1 when he sets about preparing his heart1 he finds nothing there but evil4 ,he finds himself perfectly powerless4 ,what is he to do8 ,zophar cannot tell4 ,no2 nor can any of his school4 ,how can they8 ,they only know ,god as a stern exactor--as ,one who1 if ,he opens ,his lips1 can only speak against the sinner4 ,need we marvel1 therefore1 that ,zophar was as far from convincing ,job as either of his two companions8 ,they were all wrong4 ,legality1 tradition1 experience1 were alike defective1 one-sided1 false4 ,not any one of them1 or all of them put together1 could meet ,job's case4 ,they only darkened counsel by words without knowledge4 ,not one of the three friends understood ,job2 and what is more1 they did not know ,god's character or ,his object in dealing with ,his dear servant4 ,they were wholly mistaken4 ,they knew not how to present ,god to ,job2 and1 as a consequence1 they knew not how to lead ,job's conscience into the presence of ,god4 ,in place of leading him to self-judgment1 they only ministered to a spirit of self-vindication4 ,they did not introduce ,god into the scene4 ,they said some true things1 but they had not the truth4 ,they brought in experience1 tradition1 legality1 but not the truth4 ,hence the three friends failed to convince ,job4 ,their ministry was one-sided1 and instead of silencing ,job1 they only led him forth into a field of discussion which seemed almost boundless4 ,he gives them word for word1 and far more4 ,no doubt1 he says1 but ye are the people1 and wisdom shall die with you4 ,but ,i have understanding as well as you2 ,i am not inferior to you3 yea1 who knoweth not such things as these8 ,what ye know1 the same do ,i know also2 ,i am not inferior to you4 ,ye are forgers of lies1 ye are all physicians of no value4 ,oh that ye would altogether hold your peace6 and it should be your wisdom4 ,i have heard many such things3 miserable comforters are ye all4 ,shall vain words have an end8 or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest8 ,i also could speak as ye do3 if your soul were in my soul's stead1 ,i could heap up words against you1 and shake my head at you4 ,how long will ye vex my soul1 and break me in pieces with words8 ,these ten times have ye reproached me2 ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me4 ,have pity upon me1 have pity upon me1 ,o ye my friends2 for the hand of ,god hath touched me4 ,all these utterances prove how far ,job was from that true brokenness of spirit and humility of mind which ever flow from being in the divine presence4 ,no doubt the friends were wrong--quite wrong in their notions about ,god1 wrong in their method of dealing with ,job2 but their being wrong did not make him right4 ,had ,job's conscience been in the presence of ,god1 he would have made no reply to his friends1 even though they had been a thousand times more mistaken and severe in their treatment4 ,he would have meekly bowed his head1 and allowed the tide of reproof and accusation to roll over him4 ,he would have turned the very severity of his friends to profitable account1 by viewing it as a wholesome moral discipline for his heart4 ,but no2 ,job had not yet reached the end of himself4 ,he was full of self-vindication1 full of invective against his fellows1 full of mistaken thoughts about ,god4 ,it needed another ministry to bring him into a right attitude of soul4 ,the more closely we study the lengthened discussion between ,job and his three friends1 the more clearly we must see the utter impossibility of their ever coming to an understanding4 ,he was bent upon vindicating himself2 and they were bent upon the very reverse4 ,he was unbroken and unsubdued1 and their mistaken course of treatment only tended to render him more so4 ,had they changed sides1 they would have reached a different issue altogether4 ,if ,job had condemned himself1 had he taken a low place1 had he owned himself nothing and nobody1 he would have left his friends nothing to say4 ,and1 on the other hand1 had they spoken softly1 tenderly1 and soothingly to him1 they would have been far more likely to melt him down4 ,as it was1 the case was hopeless4 ,he could see nothing wrong in himself2 and they could see nothing right4 ,he was determined to maintain his integrity2 and they were quite as determined to pick holes and find out flaws4 ,there was no point of contact whatever--no common ground of understanding4 ,he had no penitential breathings for them1 and they had no tender compassions for him4 ,they were traveling in entirely opposite directions1 and never could meet4 ,in a word1 there was a demand for another kind of ministry altogether1 and that ministry is introduced in the person of ,elihu4 ,so these three men ceased to answer ,job high time they should1 because he was righteous in his own eyes4 ,then was kindled the wrath of ,elihu1 the son of ,barachel the ,buzite1 of the kindred of ,ram3 against ,job was his wrath kindled1 because he justified himself rather than ,god4 ,also against his three friends was his wrath kindled1 because they had found no answer1 and yet had condemned ,job4 7,chap4 xxxii4 #a-c47 ,here ,elihu1 with remarkable force and clearness1 seizes upon the very root of the matter on each side4 ,he condenses1 in two brief sentences1 the whole of the elaborate discussion contained in twenty-nine chapters4 ,job justified himself instead of justifying ,god3 and they had condemned ,job1 instead of leading him to condemn himself4 ,it is of the very last moral importance to see that whenever we justify ourselves1 we condemn ,god2 and on the other hand1 when we condemn ourselves1 we justify ,god4 ,wisdom is justified of all her children4 ,this is a grand point4 ,the truly broken and contrite heart will vindicate ,god at all cost4 ,let ,god be true1 but every man a liar2 as it is written1 ,that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings1 and mightest overcome when thou art judged4 7,rom4 iii4 #d47 ,god must have the upper hand in the end2 and it is the path of true wisdom to give ,him the upper hand now4 ,the very moment the soul is broken down in true self-judgment1 ,god rises before it in all the majesty of ,his grace as a ,justifier4 ,but so long as we are ruled by a spirit of self-vindication or self-complacency1 we must be total strangers to the deep blessedness of the man to whom ,god imputeth righteousness without works4 ,the greatest folly that any one can be guilty of is to justify himself2 inasmuch as ,god must then impute sin4 ,but the truest wisdom is to condemn one's self utterly2 for in that case ,god becomes the ,justifier4 ,but ,job had not yet learnt to tread this marvelously blessed path4 ,he was still built up in his own goodness1 still clothed in his own righteousness1 still full of self-complacency4 ,hence the wrath of ,elihu was kindled against him4 ,wrath must assuredly fall upon self-righteousness4 ,it cannot be otherwise4 ,the only true ground for a sinner to occupy is the ground of genuine repentance4 ,here there is naught but that pure and precious grace that reigns through righteousness by ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,thus it stands ever4 ,there is nothing but wrath for the self-righteous--nothing but grace for the self-judged4 ,reader1 remember this4 ,pause for a moment1 and consider it4 ,on what ground dost thou1 at this moment1 stand8 ,hast thou bowed before ,god in true repentance8 ,hast thou ever really measured thyself in ,his holy presence8 ,or1 art thou on the ground of self-righteousness1 self-vindication1 and self-complacency8 ,do1 we entreat you1 weigh these solemn questions4 ,do not put them aside4 ,we are most anxious to deal with the heart and conscience of the reader4 ,we do not write merely for the understanding1 for the mind1 for the intelligence4 ,no doubt it is well to seek to enlighten the understanding1 by the word of ,god2 but we should exceedingly regret if our work were to end here4 ,there is far more than this4 ,god wants to deal with the heart1 with the moral being1 with the inward man4 ,he will have us real before ,him4 ,it is of no possible use to build ourselves up in self-opinionativeness2 for nothing is surer than that every thing of that kind must be broken up4 ,the day of the ,lord will be against every thing high and lifted up2 and hence it is our wisdom now to be low and broken down2 for it is from the low place that we get the very best view of ,god and ,his salvation4 ,may the reader be led by ,god's ,spirit into the reality of all this6 ,may we all remember that ,god delights in a broken and contrite spirit--that ,he ever finds ,his abode with such2 but the proud ,he knoweth afar off4 ,thus1 then1 we may understand why ,elihu's wrath was kindled against ,job4 ,he was entirely on ,god's side4 ,job was not4 ,we hear nothing of ,elihu until chap4 xxxii41 though it is very evident that he had been an attentive listener to the whole discussion4 ,he had given a patient hearing to both sides1 and he found that both were wrong4 ,job was wrong in seeking to defend himself2 and the friends were wrong in seeking to condemn him4 ,how often is this the case in our discussions and controversies6 ,and oh1 what sorrowful work it is6 ,in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred in the which persons are at issue1 it will be found to be very much as it was with ,job and his friends4 ,a little brokenness on one side1 or a little softness on the other1 would go a great way toward settling the question4 ,we speak not1 of course1 of cases in which the truth of ,god is concerned4 ,there1 one must be bold1 decided1 and unyielding4 ,to yield where the truth of ,god or the glory of ,christ is concerned1 would be disloyalty to the ,one to whom we owe every thing4 ,plain decision and unflinching firmness alone become us in all cases in which it is a question of the claims of that blessed ,one who1 when our interests were concerned1 surrendered every thing1 even life itself1 in order to secure them4 ,god forbid we should drop a sentence or pen a line which might have the effect of relaxing our grasp of truth1 or abating our ardor in contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints4 ,ah1 no1 reader1 this is not the moment for ungirding the loins1 laying aside the harness1 or lowering the standard4 ,quite the reverse4 ,never was there more urgent need of having the loins girt about with truth1 of having firm footing1 and of maintaining the standard of divine principle in all its integrity4 ,we say this advisedly4 ,we say it in view of all the efforts of the enemy to drive us off the platform of pure truth by referring us to those who have failed in the maintenance of pure morals4 ,alas6 alas6 there is failure--sad1 humiliating failure4 ,we do not deny it4 ,who could8 ,it is too patent--too flagrant--too gross4 ,the heart bleeds as we think of it4 ,man fails always and every where4 ,his history1 from ,eden to the present hour1 is stamped with failure4 ,all this is undeniable4 ,but1 blessed be ,god6 ,his foundation standeth sure1 nor can human failure ever touch it4 ,god is faithful4 ,he knoweth them that are ,his2 and let every one that nameth the name of ,christ depart from iniquity4 ,we have yet to learn that the way to improve our morals is to lower ,god's standard4 ,we do not and cannot believe it4 ,let us humble ourselves in view of our failure2 but never surrender the precious truth of ,god4 ,but all this is a digression into which we have allowed ourselves to be drawn in order to guard against the thought that1 in urging upon the reader the importance of cultivating a broken1 yielding spirit1 we would have him to yield a single jot or tittle of divine revelation4 ,we must now return to our subject4 ,there is something peculiarly marked and striking in the ministry of ,elihu4 ,he stands in vivid contrast with the three friends4 ,his name signifies ,god is he1 and no doubt we may view him as a type of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,he brings ,god into the scene1 and puts a complete stop to the weary strife and contention between ,job and his friends4 ,elihu argues not on the ground of experience2 he appeals not to tradition2 he breathes not the accents of legality2 he brings in ,god4 ,this is the only way of putting a stop to controversy1 of hushing strife1 of ending a war of words4 ,let us hearken to the words of this remarkable personage4 ,now ,elihu had waited till ,job had spoken1 because they were elder than he4 ,when ,elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men1 then his wrath was kindled4 ,note this3 ,there was no answer4 ,in all their reasonings1 in all their arguments1 in all their references to experience1 tradition1 and legality1 there was no answer4 ,this is very instructive4 ,job's friends had traveled over a very wide range1 had said many true things1 had attempted many replies2 but1 be it carefully noted1 they found no answer4 ,it is not in the range of earth or of nature to find an answer for a self-righteous heart4 ,god alone can answer it1 as we shall see in the sequel4 ,to all else but ,god the unbroken heart can find a ready reply4 ,this is most strikingly proved in the history now before us4 ,job's three friends found no answer4 ,and ,elihu1 the son of ,barachel the ,buzite1 answered and said1 ',i am young1 and ye are very old2 wherefore ,i was afraid1 and durst not show mine opinion4 ,i said1 ,days should speak but1 alas6 they either do not speak at all or they speak a quantity of error and folly1 and multitude of years should teach wisdom4 ,but there is a spirit in man1 and the inspiration of the ,almighty giveth him understanding4 ,here divine light1 the light of inspiration1 begins to stream in upon the scene1 and to roll away the thick clouds of dust raised by the strife of tongues4 ,we are conscious of moral power and weight the very moment this blessed servant opens his lips4 ,we feel we are listening to a man who speaks as the oracles of ,god--a man who is sensibly standing in the divine presence4 ,it is not a man drawing from the meagre store of his own narrow and one-sided experience2 nor yet a man appealing to hoary antiquity1 or to a bewildering tradition1 or the ever-conflicting voices of the fathers4 ,no2 we have before us now a man who introduces us at once into the very presence of the inspiration of the ,almighty4 ,this is the only sure authority--the only unerring standard4 ',great men are not always wise1 neither do the aged understand judgment4#h ,therefore ,i said1 ,hearken to me2 ,i also will show mine opinion4 ,behold1 ,i waited for your words2 ,i gave ear to your reasons1 whilst ye searched out what to say4 ,yea1 ,i attended unto you1 and1 behold1 there was none of you that convinced ,job1 or that answered his words3 lest ye should say1 ,we have found out wisdom3 ,god thrusteth him down1 not man4 ,now he hath not directed his words against me1 neither will ,i answer him with your speeches4' ,they were amazed2 they answered no more2 they left off speaking4 ,experience1 tradition1 and legality are all swept off the platform to leave room for the inspiration of the ,almighty--for the direct and powerful ministry of the ,spirit of ,god4 #h ,what would ,elihu have said to the recent dogma of the infallibility of a man--a dogma accepted by over five hundred rational beings sitting in solemn conclave8 ,and this is to be henceforth part and parcel of the faith of ,christians6 ,not long since1 men were called upon to believe in an immaculate woman2 now they are called upon to believe in an infallible man6 ,what is to come next8 ,surely the strong delusion must soon set in1 when men will be compelled1 by ,god's judicial dealings1 to believe a lie1 because they would not believe the truth4 ,may the eternal ,spirit put forth ,his mighty energy in the conversion of precious souls ere the day of vengeance sets in6 ,the ministry of ,elihu breaks upon the soul with peculiar power and fullness4 ,it stands in vivid contrast with the one-sided and most defective ministry of the three friends4 ,indeed1 it is quite a relief to reach the close of a controversy which seemed likely to prove interminable--a controversy between intense egotism on the one hand and experience1 tradition1 and legality on the other1--a controversy barren of any good1 so far as ,job was concerned1 and leaving all parties at the close very much where they were at the beginning4 ,still1 however1 the controversy is not without its value and interest to us4 ,it teaches us very distinctly that when two parties join issue1 they never can reach an understanding unless there be a little brokenness and subduedness on one side or the other4 ,this is a valuable lesson1 and one to which we all need to give attention4 ,there is a vast amount of headiness and high-mindedness abroad1 not only in the world1 but in the ,church4 ,there is a great deal of self-occupation--a quantity of ,i1 ,i1 ,i--and that1 too1 even where we least suspect it1 and where it is1 most of all1 unsightly1 namely1 in connection with the holy service of ,christ4 ,never1 we may safely assert1 is egotism more truly detestable than when it shows itself in the service of that blessed ,one who made ,himself of no reputation--whose whole course was one of perfect self-surrender1 from first to last--who never sought ,his own glory in any thing1 never maintained ,his own interest1 never pleased ,himself4 ,and yet1 for all that1 reader1 is there not a most deplorable amount of hateful1 unsubdued self displayed on the platform of ,christian profession and ,christian service8 ,alas6 we cannot deny it4 ,we are disposed to marvel1 as the eye scans the record of the remarkable discussion between ,job and his friends2 we are amazed to find close upon a hundred references to himself in ,job xxix4-xxxi4 alone4 ,in short1 it is all ,i from beginning to end4 ,but1 let us look to ourselves4 ,let us judge our own hearts in their deeper workings4 ,let us review our ways in the light of the divine presence4 ,let us bring all our work and service1 and have it weighed in the holy balances of the sanctuary of ,god4 ,then shall we discover how much of hateful self is insinuated1 like a dark and defiling tissue1 into the whole web of our ,christian life and service4 ,how1 for example1 comes it to pass that we are so ready to mount the high horse when self is touched1 even in the most remote degree8 ,why are we so impatient of reproof1 be it clothed in language ever so refined and gentle8 ,why so ready to take offense at the slightest disparagement of self8 ,and1 further1 why is it that we find our sympathies and our regards and our predilections going out1 with special energy1 after those who think well of us1--who value our ministry1 agree with our opinions1 and adopt our cue8 ,do not all these things tell a tale8 ,do they not prove to us that1 ere we condemn the egotism of our ancient patriarch1 we should seek to get rid of a vast amount of our own8 ,it is not1 surely1 that he was right2 but we are far more wrong4 ,it is far less to be wondered at that a man1 amid the dim twilight of the far-back patriarchal age1 was entangled in the snare of self-occupation1 than that we1 in the full blaze of ,christianity1 should fall thereinto4 ,christ had not come4 ,no prophetic voice had fallen on the ear4 ,even the law had not been given when ,job lived and spoke and thought4 ,we can form a very poor conception indeed of the tiny ray of light by which men had to walk in the days of ,job4 ,but to us pertain the high privilege and holy responsibility of walking in the very meridian light of a full-orbed ,christianity4 ,christ has come4 ,he has lived1 died1 risen1 and gone back to heaven4 ,he has sent down the ,holy ,ghost to dwell in our hearts1 as the witness of ,his glory1 the seal of accomplished redemption1 and the earnest of the inheritance1 until the redemption of the purchased possession4 ,the canon of ,scripture is closed4 ,the circle of revelation is complete4 ,the ,word of ,god is filled up4 ,we have before us the divine record of the self-emptied ,one who went about doing good--the marvelous story of what ,he did1 and how ,he did it1 of what ,he said1 and how ,he said it1 of who ,he was and what ,he was4 ,we know that ,he died for our sins according to the ,scriptures2 that ,he condemned sin and put it away2 that our old nature--that odious thing called self1 sin1 the flesh--has been crucified and buried out of ,god's sight--made an end of forever1 so far as its power over us is concerned4 ,moreover1 we are made partakers of the divine nature2 we have the holy ,ghost dwelling in us2 we are members of ,christ's body1 of ,his flesh1 and of ,his bones2 we are called to walk1 even as ,he walked2 we are heirs of glory--heirs of ,god and joint-heirs with ,christ4 ,what did ,job know of all this8 ,nothing4 ,how could he know what was not revealed till fifteen centuries after his time8 ,the full extent of ,job's knowledge is poured upon us in those few glowing and impassioned words at the close of chap xix4 ,oh1 that my words were now written6 ,oh1 that they were printed in a book6 ,that they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever6 ,for ,i know that my ,redeemer liveth1 and that ,he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth4 ,and though1 after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall ,i see ,god3 whom ,i shall see for myself1 and my eyes shall behold1 and not another2 though my reins be consumed within me4 ,this was ,job's knowledge--this was his creed4 ,there was a great deal in it1 in one sense2 but very little indeed when compared with the mighty circle of truths in the midst of which we are privileged to move4 ,job looked forward1 through the dim twilight1 to something that was to be done in the far-off future4 ,we look back1 from amid the full flood-tide of divine revelation1 to something that has been done4 ,job could say of his ,redeemer that ,he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth4 ,we know that our ,redeemer sitteth on the throne of the ,majesty in the heavens1 after having lived and labored and died on the earth4 ,in short1 the measure of ,job's light and privilege admits of no comparison with that which we enjoy2 and for this reason it is the less excusable in us to indulge in the varied forms of egotism and self-occupation4 ,our self-abnegation should be in proportion to the measure of our spiritual privilege4 ,but alas6 it is not so4 ,we profess the very highest truths2 but our character is not formed1 nor is our conduct governed1 by them4 ,we speak of the heavenly calling2 but our ways are earthly1 sometimes sensual1 or worse4 ,we profess to enjoy the very highest standing2 but our state does not comport therewith4 ,our real condition does not answer to our assumed position4 ,we are high-minded1 touchy1 tenacious1 and easily provoked4 ,we are quite as ready to embark in the business of self-vindication as was our patriarch ,job4 ,and then1 on the other hand1 when we feel called upon to approach another in the attitude and tone of reproof1 with what rudeness1 coarseness1 and harshness we discharge the necessary work6 ,how little softness of tone or delicacy of touch6 ,how little of the tender and the soothing6 ,how little of the excellent oil6 ,how little of the broken heart and weeping eye6 ,what slender ability to bring our erring brother down into the dust6 ,why is this8 ,simply because we are not habitually in the dust ourselves4 ,if1 on the one hand1 we fail quite as much as ,job in the matter of egotism and self-vindication1 so on the other1 we prove ourselves fully as incompetent as ,job's friends to produce self-judgment in our brother4 ,for example1 how often do we parade our own experience1 like ,eliphaz2 or indulge in a legal spirit1 like ,zophar2 or introduce human authority1 like ,bildad6 ,how little of the spirit and mind of ,christ6 ,how little of the power of the ,holy ,ghost1 or the authority of the ,word of ,god6 ,it is not pleasant to write thus4 ,quite the contrary4 ,but it is pressed upon us1 and we must write4 ,we feel most solemnly1 the growing laxity and indifference of the day in which we live4 ,there is something perfectly appalling in the disproportion between our profession and practice4 ,the highest truths are professed in immediate connection with gross worldliness and self-indulgence4 ,indeed1 it would appear as though1 in some cases1 the higher the doctrines professed1 the lower the walk4 ,there is a wide diffusion of truth in our midst2 but where is its formative power8 ,floods of light are poured upon the intelligence2 but where are the profound exercises of heart and conscience in the presence of ,god8 ,the rigid rule of precise and accurate statement is attended to2 but where is the true practical result8 ,sound doctrine is unfolded in the letter2 but where is the spirit8 ,there is the form of words2 but where is the living exponent8 ,is it that we do not prize sound doctrine and accurate statement8 ,is it that we undervalue the wide diffusion of precious truth1 in its very highest forms8 ,far1 far away be the thought6 ,human language would utterly fail to set forth our estimate of these things4 ,god forbid we should pen a line which might tend in any wise to lower in the mind of the reader the sense of the unspeakable value and importance of a lofty--yea1 the very loftiest--standard of truth and sound doctrine4 ,we are most thoroughly convinced that we shall never improve our morals by lowering1 the breadth of a hair1 the standard of principle4 ,but1 ,christian reader1 we would lovingly and solemnly ask you1 ,does it not strike you that there is in our midst a most melancholy lack of the tender conscience and the exercised heart8 ,does our practical piety keep pace with our profession of principle8 ,is the standard of morals at all up to the standard of doctrine8 ,ah6 we anticipate the reply of the grave and thoughtful reader4 ,we know too well the terms in which that reply must be couched4 ,it is but too plain that the truth does not act on the conscience--that the doctrine does not shine in the life--that the practice does not correspond with the profession4 ,we speak for ourselves4 ,as ,god is our witness1 we pen these lines1 in ,his presence1 in a spirit of self-judgment4 ,it is our hearty desire that the knife should enter into our own soul1 and reach the deep roots of things there4 ,the ,lord knows how much we should prefer laying the ax to the root of self and there leave it to do its work4 ,but we feel we have a sacred duty to discharge to the individual reader and to the ,church of ,god2 and1 moreover1 we feel that that duty would not be discharged were we merely to set forth the precious and the beautiful and the true4 ,we are convinced that ,god would have us not only to be exercised in heart and conscience ourselves1 but also to seek to exercise the hearts and consciences of all with whom we have to do4 ,true it is 7a truth often stated and proved7 that worldliness and carnality1 and self-indulgence in all its phases1--in the wardrobe1 the library1 the equipage1 and the table1--that fashion and style1 folly and vanity1 pride of caste1 of intellect1 and of purse1--none of these things can be talked down1 written1 lectured1 or scolded down4 ,this we fully believe4 ,but must not conscience be addressed8 ,must not the voice of holy exhortation fall on the ear8 ,shall we suffer laxity1 indifferentism1 and ,laodicean lukewarmness to pave the way for a universal skepticism1 infidelity1 and practical atheism1 and not be roused in conscience ourselves1 and seek to rouse others8 ,god forbid6 ,no doubt1 the higher and the better way is to have the evil expelled by the good1 to have the flesh subdued by the ,spirit1 to have self displaced by ,christ1 to have the love of the world supplanted by the love of the ,father3--all this we fully feel and freely admit2 but1 while feeling and admitting all this1 we must still press upon our own conscience and that of the reader the urgent demand for solemn and searching review--for deep searchings of heart in the secret of the presence of ,god--for profound self-judgment1 in reference to our whole career4 ,blessed be ,god6 we can carry on these exercises before the throne of grace1 the precious mercy-seat4 ,grace reigns4 ,precious consoling sentence6 ,should it prevent exercise of soul8 ,nay1 it should only impart the right tone and character thereto4 ,we have to do with victorious grace1 not that we may indulge self1 but mortify it all the more thoroughly4 ,may the ,lord make us really humble1 earnest1 and devoted6 ,may the deep utterance of the heart both of the writer and the reader be1 ,lord1 ,i am ,thine--,thine only1 ,thine wholly1 ,thine forever6 ,this may seem to some a digression from our special theme2 but we trust the digression may not be in vain1 but that1 by the grace of ,god1 it will yield something for the heart and conscience of both the writer and the reader2 and thus we shall be better prepared to understand and appreciate the powerful ministry of ,elihu1 to which we shall now turn our attention1 in dependence upon divine guidance4 ,the reader cannot fail to notice the double bearing of this remarkable ministry1--its bearing upon our patriarch and its bearing upon his friends4 ,this is only what we might expect4 ,elihu1 as we have already remarked1 had patiently listened to the arguments on both sides4 ,he had1 as we say1 heard both parties out4 ,he had allowed them to exhaust themselves--to say all they had to say3 ,elihu had waited till ,job had spoken1 because they were older than he4 ,this is in lovely moral order4 ,it was1 most surely1 the way of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,modesty in a young man is most graceful4 ,would there were more of it in our midst6 ,nothing is more attractive in the young than a quiet1 retiring spirit4 ,when real worth lies concealed beneath a modest and humble exterior1 it is sure to draw the heart with irresistible power4 ,but on the other hand1 nothing is more repulsive than the bold self-confidence1 the pushing forwardness1 and self-conceit of many of the young men of the present day4 ,all such persons would do well to study the opening words of ,elihu1 and to imitate his example4 ,and ,elihu1 the son of ,barachel the ,buzite1 answered and said1 ',i am young1 and ye are very old2 wherefore ,i was afraid1 and durst not show you mine opinion4 ,i said1 ,days should speak1 and multitude of years should teach wisdom4' ,this is the natural order4 ,we expect hoary heads to contain wisdom2 and hence it is but right and comely for young men to be swift to hear1 slow to speak1 in the presence of their elders4 ,we may set it down as an almost fixed principle that a forward young man is not led by the ,spirit of ,god--that he has never measured himself in the divine presence--that he has never been thoroughly broken down before ,god4 ,no doubt it may often happen1 as in the case of ,job and his friends1 that old men give utterance to very foolish things4 ,gray hairs and wisdom do not always go together2 and it not unfrequently happens that aged men1 relying upon the mere fact of their years1 assume a place for which they have no sort of power1 either moral1 intellectual1 or spiritual4 ,all this is perfectly true1 and it has to be considered by those whom it may concern4 ,but it leaves wholly untouched the fine moral sentiment contained in ,elihu's opening address3 ,i am young1 and ye are very old2 wherefore ,i was afraid1 and durst not show you mine opinion4 ,this is always right4 ,it is always comely for a young man to be afraid to show his opinion4 ,we may rest assured that a man who possesses inward moral power--who1 as we say1 has it in him--is never in haste to push himself forward2 but yet1 when he does come forward1 he is sure to be heard with respect and attention4 ,the union of modesty and moral power imparts an irresistible charm to the character2 but the most splendid abilities are marred by a self-confident style4 ,but1 continues ,elihu1 there is a spirit in man2 and the inspiration of the ,almighty giveth him understanding4 ,this introduces another element altogether4 ,the moment the ,spirit of ,god enters the scene1 it ceases to be a question of youth or old age1 inasmuch as he can speak by old or young4 ,not by might or by power2 but by ,my ,spirit1 saith the ,lord of hosts4 ,this holds good always4 ,it was true for the patriarchs2 true for the prophets2 true for apostles2 true for us2 true for all4 ,it is not by human might or power1 but by the eternal ,spirit4 ,here lay the deep secret of ,elihu's quiet power4 ,he was filled with the ,spirit1 and hence we forget his youth1 while hearkening to the words of spiritual weight and heavenly wisdom that proceed out of his mouth2 and we are reminded of ,him who spake as one having authority1 and not as the scribes4 ,there is a striking difference between a man who speaks as an oracle of ,god1 and one who speaks in mere official routine--between one who speaks from the heart1 by the ,spirit's holy unction1 and one who speaks from the intellect by human authority4 ,who can duly estimate the difference between these two8 ,none but those who possess and exercise the mind of ,christ4 ,but let us proceed with ,elihu's address4 ,great men1 he tells us1 are not always wise4 ,how true6 ,neither do the aged understand judgment4 ,therefore ,i said1 ,hearken to me2 ,i also will show mine opinion4 ,behold1 ,i waited for your words2 ,i gave ear to your reasons1 whilst ye searched out what to say4 ,yea1 ,i attended unto you1 and1 behold1 there was none of you that convinced ,job1 or that answered his words4 ,let us specially note this4 ,there was none of you that convinced ,job4 ,this was clear enough4 ,job was just as far from being convinced at the close of the discussion as he was at the commencement4 ,indeed we may say that each fresh argument drawn from the treasury of experience1 tradition1 and legality only served to stir some fresh and deeper depth of ,job's unjudged1 unsubdued1 unmortified nature4 ,this is a grand moral truth1 illustrated on every page of the book which lies open before us4 ,but how instructive the reason for all this6 ,lest ye should say1 ,we have found out wisdom2 ,god thrusteth him down1 not man4 ,no flesh shall glory in the presence of ,god4 ,it may boast itself outside4 ,it may put forth its pretensions1 and glory in its resources1 and be proud of its undertakings1 so long as ,god is not thought of4 ,but only introduce ,him1 and all the vauntings1 the boastings1 the vain-gloryings1 the lofty pretensions1 and the self-complacency1 and the self-conceit will be withered up in a moment4 ,reader1 let us remember this4 ,boasting is excluded4 ,yes2 all boasting--the boasting of ,job1 the boasting of his friends4 ,if ,job had succeeded in establishing his cause1 he would have boasted4 ,if1 on the other hand1 his friends had succeeded in silencing him1 they might have boasted4 ,but no2 ,god thrusteth him down1 not man4 ,thus it was2 thus it is2 and thus it must ever be4 ,god knows how to humble the proud heart and subdue the stubborn will4 ,it is utterly vain for any one to set himself up2 for we may rest assured that every one who is set up must1 sooner or later1 be upset4 ,the moral government of ,god has so ordered and enacted that all that is high and lifted up must come down4 ,this is a salutary truth for us all2 but especially for the young1 the ardent1 and the aspiring4 ,the humble1 retired1 shady path is1 unquestionably1 the safest1 the happiest1 and the best4 ,may we ever be found treading it1 until we reach that bright and blessed scene where pride and ambition are unknown8 ,the effect of ,elihu's opening words upon ,job's three friends was most striking4 ,they were amazed2 they answered no more2 they left off speaking4 ,when ,i had waited--for they spake not1 but stood still1 and answered no more--,i said1 ,i will answer also my part2 ,i also will show mine opinion4 ,and then1 lest any should suppose that he was speaking his own words1 he adds1 ,for ,i am full of matter2 the spirit within me constraineth me4 ,this is the true spring and power of all ministry1 in all ages4 ,it must be the inspiration of the ,almighty1 or it is worth absolutely nothing4 ,we repeat1 this is the only true source of ministry1 at all times and in all places4 ,and in saying this1 we do not forget that a mighty change took place when our ,lord ,christ ascended to heaven and took ,his seat at the right hand of ,god1 in virtue of accomplished redemption4 ,to this glorious truth we have often referred the readers of our magazine1 ,things ,new and ,old2 and hence shall not now permit ourselves to dwell upon it4 ,we merely touch upon it in this place1 lest the reader might imagine that1 when we speak of the true source of ministry in all ages1 we were forgetting what is marked and distinctive in the ,church of ,god now1 in consequence of the death and resurrection of ,christ1 the presence and indwelling of the ,holy ,ghost1 in the individual believer1 and in the ,church1 which is the body of ,christ on earth4 ,far from it4 ,thanks and praise be to ,god6 we have too deep a sense of the value1 importance1 and practical weight of that grand and glorious truth ever to lose sight of it for a moment4 ,indeed1 it is just this deep sense1 together with the remembrance of ,satan's ceaseless effort to ignore the truth of the presence of the ,holy ,ghost in the ,church1 that leads us to pen this cautionary paragraph4 ,still1 ,elihu's principle must ever hold good4 ,if any man is to speak with power and practical effect1 he must be able1 in some measure1 to say1 ,i am full of matter2 the spirit within me constraineth me4#i ,behold1 my belly is as wine which hath no vent2 it is ready to burst like new bottles4 ,i will speak1 that ,i may be refreshed3 ,i will open my lips and answer4 ,thus it must ever be1 in measure at least1 with all who will speak with real power and effect to the hearts and consciences of their fellows4 ,we are forcibly reminded1 by ,elihu's glowing words1 of that memorable passage in the seventh of ,john1 ,he that believeth on ,me1 as the ,scripture hath said1 out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water4 ,true it is that ,elihu knew not the glorious truth set forth in these words of our ,lord1 inasmuch as they were not made good till fifteen centuries after his time4 ,but then he knew the principle--he possessed the germ of what was afterward to come out in full blow and rich mellow fruit4 ,he knew that a man1 if he is to speak with point1 pungency1 and power1 must speak by the inspiration of the ,almighty4 ,he had listened till he was tired to men talking a quantity of powerless matter--saying some truisms--drawing from their own experience1 or from the musty stores of human tradition4 ,he was well-nigh wearied out with all this1 and he rises1 in the mighty energy of the ,spirit1 to address his hearers as one fitted to speak like an oracle of ,god4 #i ,let the reader distinctly understand that ,elihu1 in the above quotation1 speaks1 not of the indwelling of the ,holy ,ghost1 as believers now know it4 ,this was wholly unknown to saints in ,old-,testament times1 and was the direct result of accomplished redemption--the special fruit of the glorification of ,christ at the right hand of the ,majesty in the heavens4 ,this important truth has been repeatedly referred to and dwelt upon at other times1 and hence we shall not go into it now2 but we would request the reader to turn to ,jno4 vii4 #ci and xvi4 #g1 and meditate upon the doctrine there taught1 apart from all preconceived thoughts of his own1 and irrespective of all the opinions of men4 ,from these scriptures1 he will see distinctly that the ,holy ,ghost did not and could not come until ,jesus was glorified4 ,this is not a mere speculation--a human theory--the dogma of a certain school4 ,it is a grand foundation-truth of ,christianity1 to be reverently received1 tenaciously held1 and faithfully confessed by every true ,christian4 ,may all the ,lord's people be led to see and believe it6 ,here lies the deep and blessed secret of ministerial power and success4 ,if any man speak1 says ,peter1 let him speak as the oracles of ,god4 ,it is not1 be it carefully observed1 merely speaking according to ,scripture--an all-important and essential matter1 most surely4 ,it is more4 ,a man may rise and address his fellows for an hour1 and1 from beginning to end of his discourse1 he may not utter so much as a single unscriptural sentence2 and all the while1 he may not have been ,god's oracle at the time1--he may not have been ,god's mouthpiece1 or the present exponent of ,his mind to the souls before him4 ,this is peculiarly solemn1 and demands the grave consideration of all who are called to open their lips in the midst of ,god's people4 ,it is one thing to utter a certain amount of true sentiment1 and quite another to be the living channel of communication between the very heart of ,god and the souls of ,god's people4 ,it is this latter1 and this alone1 that constitutes true ministry4 ,a man who speaks as an oracle of ,god will bring the conscience of the hearer so into the very light of the divine presence that every chamber of the heart is laid open1 and every moral spring touched4 ,this is true ministry4 ,all else is powerless1 valueless1 fruitless4 ,nothing is more deplorable and humiliating than to listen to a man who is evidently drawing from his own poor and scanty resources1 or trafficking in second-hand truth--in borrowed thoughts4 ,better far for such to be silent--better for their hearers1 better for themselves4 ,nor this only4 ,we may often hear a man giving forth to his fellows that on which his own mind has been dwelling in private with much interest and profit4 ,he may utter truth1 and important truth2 but it is not the truth for the souls of the people--the truth for the moment4 ,he has spoken according to ,scripture so far as his matter is concerned1 but he has not spoken as an oracle of ,god4 ,thus1 then1 may all learn a valuable lesson from ,elihu2 and1 most surely1 it is a needed lesson4 ,some may feel disposed to say it is a difficult lesson--a hard saying4 ,but no2 if we only live in the ,lord's presence1 in the abiding sense of our own nothingness and of ,his all-sufficiency1 we shall know the precious secret of all effective ministry2 we shall know how to lean upon ,god alone1 and thus be independent of men1 in the right sense2 we shall be able to enter into the meaning and force of ,elihu's further words1 ,let me not1 ,i pray you1 accept any man's person2 neither let me give flattering titles unto man4 ,for ,i know not to give flattering titles2 in so doing1 my ,maker would soon take me away4 7,job xxxii4 #ba1 #bb47 ,in studying the ministry of ,elihu1 we find in it two grand elements1 namely1 grace and truth4 ,both these were essential in dealing with ,job2 and1 consequently1 we find both coming out with extraordinary power4 ,he tells ,job and his friends very distinctly that he knows not how to give flattering titles unto man4 ,here the voice of truth falls with great clearness on the ear4 ,truth puts every one in his right place2 and1 just because it does so1 it cannot bestow titles of flattery upon a poor guilty mortal1 however much that mortal might be gratified by them4 ,man must be brought to know himself1 to see his true condition1 to confess what he really is4 ,this was precisely what ,job needed4 ,he did not know himself1 and his friends could not give him that knowledge4 ,he needed to be led down into the depths2 but his friends could not conduct him thither4 ,he needed self-judgment2 but his friends were wholly unable to produce it4 ,but ,elihu begins by telling ,job the truth4 ,he introduces ,god into the scene in ,his true character4 ,this was just what the three friends had failed to do4 ,no doubt they had referred to ,god2 but their references were cloudy1 distorted1 and false4 ,this is plain from chap4 xlii4 #g1 #h1 where we are told that the ,lord said to ,eliphaz the ,temanite1 ,my wrath is kindled against thee1 and against thy two friends2 for ye have not spoken of ,me the thing that is right1 as ,my servant ,job hath4 ,therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams1 and go to my servant ,job1 and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering2 and my servant ,job shall pray for you1 for him will ,i accept3 lest ,i deal with you after your folly1 in that ye have not spoken of ,me the thing which is right1 like ,my servant ,job4#aj ,they had utterly failed to bring ,god before the soul of their friend1 and there they failed in producing the needed self-judgment4 #aj ,the reader will bear in mind that the above words were spoken after ,job's repentance4 ,it is of the very last importance to see this4 ,not so ,elihu4 ,he pursues a totally different line of things4 ,he brings the light of truth to bear upon ,job's conscience2 and at the same time he administers the precious balm of grace to his heart4 ,let us quote his further sayings1 ,wherefore1 ,job1 ,i pray thee1 hear my speeches1 and hearken to all my words4 ,behold1 now ,i have opened my mouth1 my tongue hath spoken in my mouth4 ,my words shall be of the uprightness of my heart1 and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly4 ,the ,spirit of ,god hath made me1 and the breath of the ,almighty hath given me life4 ,if thou canst answer me1 set thy words in order before me1 stand up4 ,behold1 ,i am according to thy wish in ,god's stead3 ,i am also formed out of clay4 ,behold1 my terror shall not make thee afraid1 neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee4 ,in these accents1 the ministry of grace unfolds itself1 sweetly and powerfully1 to the heart of ,job4 ,of this most excellent ingredient there was a total absence in the ministry of the three friends4 ,they showed themselves only too ready to bear down upon ,job with a heavy hand4 ,they were stern judges1 severe censors1 false interpreters4 ,they could fix their cold1 gray eye upon the wounds of their poor afflicted friend1 and wonder how they came there4 ,they looked on the crumbling ruins of his house1 and drew the harsh inference that the ruin was but the result of his bad behavior4 ,they beheld his fallen fortunes1 and1 with unmitigated severity1 concluded that those fortunes had fallen because of his faults4 ,they had proved themselves to be entirely one-sided judges4 ,they had wholly misunderstood the dealings of ,god4 ,they had never seized the full moral force of that one weighty sentence1 ,god trieth the righteous4 ,in a word1 they were utterly astray4 ,their standpoint was false1 and hence their whole range of vision was defective4 ,there was neither grace nor truth in their ministry1 and therefore they failed to convince ,job4 ,they condemned him without convincing him1 whereas they ought to have convinced him and made him condemn himself4 ,here it is that ,elihu stands out in vivid contrast4 ,he tells ,job the truth2 but he lays no heavy hand upon him4 ,elihu has learnt the mighty mysterious power of the still small voice--the soul-subduing1 heart-melting virtue of grace4 ,job had given utterance to a quantity of false notions about himself1 and those notions had sprouted from a root to which the sharp ax of truth had to be applied4 ,surely1 says ,elihu1 thou hast spoken in my hearing1 and ,i have heard the voice of thy words1 saying1 ',i am clean without transgression1 ,i am innocent2 neither is there iniquity in me4' ,what words for any poor sinful mortal to utter6 ,surely1 though the true light in which we may walk had not shone on the soul of this patriarch1 we may well marvel at such language4 ,and yet1 mark what follows4 ,although he was so clean1 so innocent1 so free from iniquity1 he nevertheless says of ,god1 that ,he findeth occasions1 he counteth me for ,his enemy4 ,he putteth my feet in the stocks1 ,he marketh all my paths4 ,here is a palpable discrepancy4 ,how could a holy1 just1 and righteous ,being count a pure and innocent man ,his enemy8 ,impossible4 ,either ,job was self-deceived1 or ,god was unrighteous2 and ,elihu1 as the minister of truth1 is not long in pronouncing a judgment1 and telling us which is which4 ,behold1 in this thou art not just3 ,i will answer thee1 that ,god is greater than man4 ,what a simple truth6 ,and yet how little understood6 ,if ,god is greater than man1 then obviously ,he1 and not man1 must be the judge of what is right4 ,this1 the infidel heart refuses2 and hence the constant tendency to sit in judgment upon the works and ways and word of ,god--upon ,god ,himself4 ,man1 in his impious and infidel folly1 undertakes to pronounce judgment upon what is and what is not worthy of ,god2 to decide upon what ,god ought and what ,he ought not to say and to do4 ,he proves himself utterly ignorant of that most simple1 obvious necessary truth1 that ,god is greater than man4 ,now1 it is when the heart bows under the weight of this great moral truth1 that we are in a fit attitude to understand to object of ,god's dealings with us4 ,assuredly ,he must have the upper hand4 ,why dost thou strive against ,him8 for ,he giveth not account of any of ,his matters4 ,for ,god speaketh once1 yea1 twice1 yet man perceiveth it not4 ,in a dream1 in a vision of the night1 when deep sleep falleth upon men1 in slumberings upon the bed2 then ,he openeth the ears of men1 and sealeth their instruction1 that ,he may withdraw man from his purpose1 and hide pride from man4 ,he keepeth back his soul from the pit1 and his life from perishing by the sword4 ,the real secret of all ,job's false reasoning is to be found in the fact that he did not understand the character of ,god1 or the object of all ,his dealings4 ,he did not see that ,god was trying him1 that ,he was behind the scenes and using various agents for the accomplishment of ,his wise and gracious ends4 ,even ,satan himself was a mere instrument in the hand of ,god2 nor could he move the breadth of a hair beyond the divinely prescribed limit2 and moreover1 when he had executed his appointed business1 he was dismissed1 and we hear no more about him4 ,god was dealing with ,job4 ,he was trying him in order that ,he might instruct him1 withdraw him from his purpose1 and hide pride from him4 ,had ,job seized this grand point1 it would have saved him a world of strife and contention4 ,instead of getting angry with people and things1 with individuals and influences1 he would have judged himself and bowed low before the ,lord in meekness and brokenness and true contrition4 ,this is immensely important for us all4 ,we are all of us prone to forget the weighty fact that ,god trieth the righteous4 ,he withdraweth not ,his eyes from them4 ,we are in ,his hands1 and under ,his eye continually4 ,we are the objects of ,his deep1 tender1 and unchanging love2 but we are also the subjects of ,his wise moral government4 ,his dealings with us are varied4 ,they are sometimes preventive2 sometimes corrective2 always instructive4 ,we may be bent on some course of our own1 the end of which would be moral ruin4 ,he intervenes and withdraws us from our purpose4 ,he dashes into fragments our air-built castles1 dissipates our golden dreams1 and interrupts many a darling scheme on which our hearts were bent1 and which would have proved to be certain destruction4 ,lo1 all these things worketh ,god oftentimes with man1 to bring back his soul from the pit1 to be enlightened with the light of the living4 ,if the reader will turn for a moment to ,hebrews xii4 #c-ab1 he will find much precious instruction on the subject of ,god's dealings with ,his people4 ,we do not attempt to dwell upon it1 but would merely remark that it presents three distinct ways in which we may meet the chastening of our ,father's hand4 ,we may despise it1 as though ,his hand and ,his voice were not in it2 we may faint under it1 as though it were intolerable1 and not the precious fruit of ,his love2 or1 lastly1 we may be exercised by it1 and thus reap in due time1 the peaceable fruits of righteousness4 ,now if our patriarch had only seized the great fact that ,god was dealing with him2 that ,he was trying him for his ultimate good2 that ,he was using circumstances1 people1 the ,sabeans1 ,satan himself1 as ,his instruments2 that all his trials1 his losses1 his bereavements1 his sufferings1 were but ,god's marvelous agency in bringing about ,his wise and gracious end2 that ,he would assuredly perfect that which concerned ,his dear and much-loved servant1 because ,his mercy endureth forever2 in a word1 had ,job only lost sight of all second causes1 and fixed his thoughts upon the living ,god alone1 and accepted all from ,his loving hand1 he would have more speedily reached the divine solution of all his difficulties4 ,but it is precisely here that we are all apt to break down4 ,we get occupied with men and things2 we view them in reference to ourselves4 ,we do not walk with ,god through1 or rather above1 the circumstances2 but on the contrary1 we allow the circumstances to get power over us4 ,in place of keeping ,god between us and our circumstances1 we permit these latter to get between us and ,god4 ,thus we lose the sense of ,his presence1 the light of ,his countenance1 the holy calmness of being in ,his loving hand1 and under ,his fatherly eye4 ,we become fretful1 impatient1 irritable1 fault-finding4 ,we get far away from ,god1 out of communion1 thoroughly astray1 judging every one except ourselves1 until at length ,god takes us in hand1 and by ,his own direct and powerful ministry1 brings us back to ,himself in true brokenness of heart and humbleness of mind4 ,this is the end of the ,lord4 ,we must1 however1 draw this paper to a close4 ,gladly would we expatiate further on ,elihu's remarkable ministry2 with pleasure and profit could we quote his further appeals to ,job's heart and conscience1 his pungent arguments1 his pointed questions4 ,but we must forbear1 and leave the reader to go through the remaining chapters for himself4 ,in so doing1 we will find that when ,elihu closes his ministry1 ,god ,himself begins to deal directly with the soul of ,his servant 7chap4 xxxviii4-xli474 ,he appeals to ,his works in creation as the display of a power and wisdom which ought assuredly to make ,job feel his own littleness4 ,we do not attempt to cull passages from one of the most magnificent and sublime sections of the inspired canon4 ,it must be read as a whole4 ,it needs no comment4 ,the human finger could but tarnish its lustre4 ,its plainness is only equaled by its moral grandeur4 ,all we shall attempt to do is to call attention to the powerful effect produced upon the heart of ,job by this the most marvelous ministry surely under which mortal man was ever called to sit--the immediate ministry of the living ,god ,himself4 ,this effect was threefold4 ,it had reference to ,god1 to himself1 and to his friends--the very points on which he was so entirely astray4 ,as to ,god1 ,elihu had declared ,job's mistake in the following words3 ,job hath spoken without knowledge1 and his words were without wisdom4 ,my desire is that ,job may be tried unto the end1 because of his answers for wicked men4 ,for he addeth rebellion unto his sin2 he clappeth his hands among us1 and multiplieth his words against ,god4444 ,thinkest thou this to be right1 that thou saidst1 ',my righteousness is more than ,god's'8 ,but mark the change4 ,hearken to the breathings of a truly repentant spirit2 the brief yet comprehensive statement of a corrected judgment4 ,then ,job answered the ,lord1 and said1 ',i know that ,thou canst do every thing1 and that no thought can be withholden from ,thee4 ,who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge8 therefore have ,i uttered that ,i understood not2 things too wonderful for me1 which ,i knew not4 ,hear1 ,i beseech ,thee1 and ,i will speak4 ,i will demand of thee1 and declare thou unto ,me4 ,i have heard of ,thee by the hearing of the ear1 but now mine eye seeth ,thee4' 7,chap4 xlii4 #a-i47 ,here1 then1 was the turning-point4 ,all his previous statements as to ,god and ,his ways are now pronounced to be words without knowledge4 ,what a confession6 ,what a moment in man's history when he discovers that he has been all wrong6 ,what a thorough break-down6 ,what profound humiliation6 ,it reminds us of ,jacob getting the hollow of his thigh touched1 and thus learning his utter weakness and nothingness4 ,these are weighty moments in the history of souls--great epochs1 which leave an indelible impress on the whole moral being and character4 ,to get right thoughts about ,god is to begin to get right about every thing4 ,if ,i am wrong about ,god1 ,i am wrong about myself1 wrong about my fellows1 wrong about all4 ,thus it was with ,job4 ,his new thoughts as to ,god were immediately connected with new thoughts of himself2 and hence we find that the elaborate self-vindication1 the impassioned egotism1 the vehement self-gratulation1 the lengthened arguments in self-defense--all is laid aside2 all is displaced by one short sentence of three words1--,i am vile4 ,and what is to be done with this vile self8 ,talk about it8 ,set it up8 ,be occupied with it8 ,take counsel for it8 ,make provision for it8 ,nay1 ,i abhor it4 ,this is the true moral ground for every one of us4 ,job took a long time to reach it1 and so do we4 ,many of us imagine that we have reached the end of self when we have given a nominal assent to the doctrine of human depravity1 or judged some of those sprouts which have appeared above the surface of our practical life4 ,but1 alas6 it is to be feared that very few of us indeed really know the full truth about ourselves4 ,it is one thing to say1 ,we are all vile1 and quite another to feel1 deep down in the heart1 that ,i am vile4 ,this latter can only be known and habitually realized in the immediate presence of ,god4 ,the two things must ever go together1 ,mine eye seeth ,thee1 ,wherefore ,i abhor myself4 ,it is as the light of what ,god is shines in upon what ,i am that ,i abhor myself4 ,and then my self-abhorrence is a real thing4 ,it is not in word1 neither in tongue1 but in deed and in truth4 ,it will be seen in a life of self-abnegation1 a humble spirit1 a lowly mind1 a gracious carriage in the midst of the scenes through which ,i am called to pass4 ,it is of little use to profess very low thoughts of self while1 at the same time1 we are quick to resent any injury done to us1--any fancied insult1 slight1 or disparagement4 ,the true secret of a broken and contrite heart is1 to abide ever in the divine presence1 and then we are able to carry ourselves right toward those with whom we have to do4 ,thus we find that when ,job got right as to ,god and himself1 he soon got right as to his friends1 for he learned to pray for them4 ,yes1 he could pray for the miserable comforters1 the physicians of no value1 the very men with whom he had so long1 so stoutly1 and so vehemently contended6 ,and the ,lord turned the captivity of ,job when he prayed for his friends4 ,this is morally beautiful4 ,it is perfect4 ,it is the rare and exquisite fruit of divine workmanship4 ,nothing can be more touching than to see ,job's three friends exchanging their experience1 their tradition1 and their legality for the precious burnt-offering2 and to see our dear patriarch exchanging his bitter invectives for the sweet prayer of charity4 ,in short1 it is a most soul-subduing scene altogether4 ,the combatants are in the dust before ,god and in each other's arms4 ,the strife is ended2 the war of words is closed2 and instead thereof1 we have the tears of repentance1 the sweet odor of the burnt-offering1 the embrace of love4 ,happy scene6 ,precious fruit of divine ministry6 ,what remains8 ,what more is needed8 ,what but that the hand of ,god should lay the top-stone on the beauteous structure8 ,nor is this lacking1 for we read1 ,the ,lord gave ,job twice as much as he had before4 ,but how8 ,by what agency8 ,was it by his own independent industry and clever management8 ,no2 all is changed4 ,job is on new moral ground4 ,he has new thoughts of ,god1 new thoughts of himself1 new thoughts of his friends1 new thoughts of his circumstances2 all things are become new4 ,then came there unto him all his brethren1 and all his sisters1 and all they that had been of his acquaintance before1 and did eat bread with him in his house2 and they bemoaned him1 and comforted him over all the evil that the ,lord had brought upon him2 every man also gave him a piece of money1 and every one an earring of gold4 ,so the ,lord blessed the latter end of ,job more than his beginning4444 ,after this lived ,job a hundred and forty years1 and saw his sons1 and his sons' sons1 even four generations4 ,so ,job died1 being old and full of days4 ,what raised the wondrous thought8 ,or who did it suggest8 ,that we1 the ,church1 to glory brought1 ,should ,,with the ,son be blest4 ,o ,god1 the thought was ,thine6 7,thine only it could be17 ,fruit of the wisdom1 love divine1 ,peculiar unto ,thee4 ,for1 sure1 no other mind1 ,for thoughts so bold1 so free1 ,greatness or strength1 could ever find2 ,thine only it could be4 ,the motives1 too1 ,thine own1 ,the plan1 the counsel1 ,thine6-- ,made for ,thy ,son1 bone of ,his bone ,in glory bright to shine4 ,o ,god1 with great delight ,thy wondrous thought we see1 ,upon ,his throne1 in glory bright1 ,the bride of ,christ shall be4 ,sealed with the ,holy ,ghost1 ,we triumph in that love1 ,thy wondrous thought has made our boast1 ,glory ,,with ,christ above4 ,,the ,,bible ,,its ,,sufficiency ,,and ,,supremacy ,some1 we are aware1 would fain persuade us that things are so totally changed since the ,bible was penned1 that we need other guidance than that which its precious pages supply4 ,they tell us that ,society is not what it was2 that the human race has made progress2 that there has been such a development of the powers of nature1 the resources of science1 and the appliances of philosophy1 that to maintain the sufficiency and supremacy of the ,bible1 at such a point in the world's history as the nineteenth century of the ,christian era1 can only be regarded as childishness1 ignorance1 or imbecility4 ,now1 the men that tell us these things may be very clever and very learned2 but we have no hesitation whatever in telling them that1 in this matter1 they do greatly err1 not knowing the ,scriptures1 nor the power of ,god4 ,we certainly do desire to render all due respect to learning1 genius1 and talent1 whenever we find them in their right place1 and at their proper work2 but when we find them lifting their proud heads above the word of ,god2 when we find them sitting in judgment1 and casting a slur upon that peerless revelation1 we feel that we owe them no respect whatever2 yea1 we treat them as so many agents of the devil1 in his efforts to shake those eternal pillars on which the faith of ,god's people has ever rested4 ,we cannot listen for a moment to men1 however profound in their reading and thinking1 who dare to treat ,god's book as though it were man's book1 and speak of those pages that were penned by the ,allwise1 ,almighty1 and ,eternal ,god1 as though they were the production of a shallow and short-sighted mortal4 ,it is important that the reader should see clearly that men must either deny that the ,bible is the word of ,god1 or admit its sufficiency and supremacy in all ages1 and in all countries--in all stages and conditions of the human race4 ,grant us but this1 that ,god has written a book for man's guidance1 and we argue that that book must be amply sufficient for man1 no matter when1 where1 or how we find him4 ,all scripture is given by inspiration of ,god 444 that the man of ,god may be perfect 771 thoroughly furnished unto all good works4 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #af1 #ag47 ,this1 surely1 is enough4 ,to be perfect and thoroughly furnished1 must needs render a man independent of all the boasted powers of science and philosophy1 falsely so called4 ,we are quite aware that1 in writing thus1 we expose ourselves to the sneer of the learned rationalist1 and the polished and cultivated philosopher4 ,but we are not very careful about this4 ,we greatly admire the answer of a pious1 but1 no doubt1 very ignorant woman to some very learned man who was endeavoring to show her that the inspired writer had made a mistake in asserting that ,jonah was in the whale's belly4 ,he assured her that such a thing could not possibly be1 inasmuch that the natural history of the whale proved that it could not swallow anything so large4 ,well1 said the poor woman1 ,i do not know much about natural history2 but this ,i know1 that if the ,bible were to tell me that ,jonah swallowed the whale ,i would believe it4 ,now1 it is quite possible many would pronounce this poor woman to have been under the influence of ignorance and blind credulity2 but1 for our part1 we should rather be the ignorant woman1 confiding in ,god's word1 than the learned rationalist trying to pick holes in it4 ,we have no doubt as to who was in the safer position4 ,but1 let it not be supposed that we prefer ignorance to learning4 ,let none imagine that we despise the discoveries of science1 or treat with contempt the achievements of sound philosophy4 ,far from it4 ,we honor them highly in their proper sphere4 ,we could not say how much we prize the labors of those learned men who have consecrated their energies to the work of clearing the sacred text of the various errors and corruptions which1 from age to age1 had crept into it1 through the carelessness or infirmity of copyists1 taken advantage of by a crafty and malignant foe4 ,every effort put forth to preserve1 to unfold1 to illustrate1 and to enforce the precious truth of ,scripture1 we most highly esteem2 but1 on the other hand1 when we find men making use of their learning1 their science1 and their philosophy1 for the purpose of undermining the sacred edifice of divine revelation1 we deem it our duty1 to raise our voice1 in the clearest and strongest way1 against them1 and to warn the reader1 most solemnly1 against their baneful influence4 ,we believe that the ,bible1 as written in the original ,hebrew and ,greek languages1 is the very word of the only wise and the only true ,god1 with whom one day is as a thousand years1 and a thousand years as one day1 who saw the end from the beginning1 and not only the end1 but every stage of the way4 ,we therefore hold it to be nothing short of positive blasphemy to assert that we have arrived at a stage of our career in which the ,bible is not sufficient1 or that we are compelled to travel outside its covers to find ample guidance and instruction for the present moment1 and for every moment of our earthly pilgrimage4 ,the ,bible is a perfect chart1 in which every exigency of the ,christian mariner has been anticipated4 ,every rock1 every sand-bank1 every shoal1 every strand1 every island1 has been carefully noted down4 ,all the need of the ,church of ,god1 its members1 and its ministers1 has been most fully provided for4 ,how could it be otherwise1 if we admit the ,bible to be the word of ,god8 ,could the mind of ,god have devised1 or ,his finger sketched an imperfect chart8 ,impossible4 ,we must either deny the divinity or admit the sufficiency of ,,the ,,book4 ,we are absolutely shut up to this alternative4 ,there is not so much as a single point between these two positions4 ,if the book is incomplete1 it cannot be of ,god2 if it be of ,god it must be perfect4 ,but if we are compelled to betake ourselves to other sources for guidance and instruction1 as to the path of the ,church of ,god1 its members or its ministers1 then is the ,bible incomplete1 and being such1 it cannot be of ,god at all4 ,what then1 dear reader1 are we to do8 ,whither can we betake ourselves8 ,if the ,bible be not a divine and therefore all-sufficient guide-book1 what remains8 ,some will tell us to have recourse to tradition4 ,alas6 what a miserable guide4 ,no sooner have we launched out into the wide field of tradition than our ears are assailed by ten thousand strange and conflicting sounds4 ,we meet1 it may be1 with a tradition which seems very authentic1 very venerable1 well worthy of respect and confidence1 and we commit ourselves to its guidance2 but1 directly we have done so1 another tradition crosses our path1 putting forth quite as strong claims on our confidence1 and leading us in quite an opposite direction4 ,thus it is with tradition4 ,the mind is bewildered1 and one is reminded of the assembly at ,ephesus1 concerning which we read that1 ,some cried one thing1 and some another2 for the assembly was confused4 ,the fact is1 we want a perfect standard1 and this can only be found in a divine revelation1 which1 as we believe1 is to be found within the covers of our most precious ,bible4 ,what a treasure6 ,how we should bless ,god for it6 ,how we should praise ,his name for ,his mercy in that ,he hath not left ,his ,church dependent upon the ignis fatuus of human tradition1 but upon the steady light of divine revelation6 ,we do not want tradition to assist revelation1 but we use revelation as the test of tradition4 ,we should just as soon think of bringing out a rush-light to assist the sun's meridian beams1 as of calling in human tradition to aid divine revelation4 ,but there is another very ensnaring and dangerous resource presented by the enemy of the ,bible1 and alas6 accepted by too many of the people of ,god1 and that is expediency1 or the very attractive plea of doing all the good we can1 without due attention to the way in which that good is done4 ,the tree of expediency is a wide-spreading one1 and yields most tempting clusters4 ,but ah6 beloved reader1 remember its clusters will prove bitter as wormwood in the end4 ,it is1 no doubt1 well to do all the good we can2 but let us look well to the way in which we do it4 ,let us not deceive ourselves by the vain imagination that ,god will ever accept of services based upon positive disobedience to ,his word4 ,it is a gift1 said the elders1 as they boldly walked over the plain commandment of ,god1 as if ,he would be pleased with a gift presented on such a principle4 ,there is an intimate connection between the ancient corban and the modern expediency1 for1 there is nothing new under the sun4 ,the solemn responsibility of obeying the word of ,god was got rid of under the plausible pretext of corban1 or it is a gift 7,mark vii4 #g-ac74 ,thus it was of old4 ,the corban of the ancients justified1 or sought to justify1 many a bold transgression of the law of ,god2 and the expediency of our times allures many to out-step the boundary line laid down by divine revelation4 ,now1 we quite admit that expediency holds out most attractive inducements4 ,it does seem so very delightful to be doing a great deal of good1 to be gaining the ends of a large-hearted benevolence1 to be reaching tangible results4 ,it would not be an easy matter duly to estimate the ensnaring influences of such objects1 or the immense difficulty of throwing them overboard4 ,have we never been tempted as we stood upon the narrow path of obedience1 and looked forth upon the golden fields of expediency lying on either side1 to exclaim1 ,alas6 ,i am sacrificing my usefulness for an idea8 ,doubtless2 but then what if it should turn out that we have the very same foundation for that idea as for the fundamental doctrines of salvation8 ,the question is1 ,what is the idea8 ,is it founded upon ,thus saith the ,lord8 ,if so1 let us tenaciously hold by it1 though ten thousand advocates of expediency were hurling at us the grievous charge of narrow-mindedness4 ,there is immense power in ,samuel's brief but pointed reply to ,saul1 ,hath the ,lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices1 as in obeying the voice of the ,lord6 ,behold1 to obey is better than sacrifice1 and to hearken than the fat of rams4 7#a ,sam4 xv4 #bb47 ,saul's word was ,sacrifice4 ,samuel's word was ,obedience4 ,no doubt the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen were most exciting4 ,they would be looked upon as substantial proofs that something was being done2 while on the other hand1 the path of obedience seemed narrow1 silent1 lonely1 and fruitless4 ,but oh6 those pungent words of ,samuel6 to obey is better than sacrifice4 ,what a triumphant answer to the most eloquent advocates of expediency6 ,they are most conclusive--most commanding words4 ,they teach us that it is better1 if it must be so1 to stand1 like a marble statue1 on the pathway of obedience1 than to reach the most desirable ends by transgressing a plain precept of the word of ,god4 ,but let none suppose that one must be like a statue on the path of obedience4 ,far from it4 ,there are rare and precious services to be rendered by the obedient one--services which can only be rendered by such1 and which owe all their preciousness to their being the fruit of simple obedience4#aa ,true1 they may not find a place in the public record of man's bustling activity2 but they are recorded on high1 and they will be published at the right time4 ,as a dear friend has often said to us1 ,heaven will be the safest and happiest place to hear all about our work down here4 ,may we remember this1 and pursue our way1 in all simplicity1 looking to ,christ for guidance1 power1 and blessing4 ,may ,his smile be enough for us4 ,may we not be found looking askance to catch the approving look of a poor mortal whose breath is in his nostrils1 nor sigh to find our names amid the glittering record of the great men of the age4 ,the servant of ,christ should look far beyond all such things4 ,the grand business of the servant is to obey4 ,his object should not be to do a great deal1 but simply to do what he is told4 ,this makes all plain2 and1 moreover1 it will make the ,bible precious as the depository of the ,master's will1 to which he must continually betake himself to know what he is to do1 and how he is to do it4 ,neither tradition nor expediency will do for the servant of ,christ4 ,the all-important enquiry is1 ,what saith the ,scriptures4 #aa ,what a pattern of this we have in our blessed ,lord6 who for thirty years lived here in retirement1 known by men only as the carpenter 7,mark vi4 #c71 but known by1 and the delight of1 the ,father1 as the ,holy ,one of ,god1 the perfect meat-offering of ,lev4 vi4 #ai-cc--wholly burnt upon the altar4--,,ed4 ,this settles everything4 ,from the decision of the word of ,god there must be no appeal4 ,when ,god speaks man must bow4 ,it is not by any means a question of obstinate adherence to a man's own notions4 ,quite the opposite4 ,it is a reverent adherence to the word of ,god4 ,let the reader distinctly mark this4 ,it often happens that1 when one is determined1 through grace1 to abide by ,scripture1 he will be pronounced dogmatic1 intolerant and imperious2 and1 no doubt1 one has to watch over his temper1 spirit1 and style1 even when seeking to abide by the word of ,god4 ,but1 be it well remembered1 that obedience to ,christ's commandments is the very opposite of imperiousness1 dogmatism1 and intolerance4 ,it is not a little strange that when a man tamely consents to place his conscience in the keeping of his fellow1 and to bow down his understanding to the opinions of men1 he is considered meek1 modest1 and liberal2 but let him reverently bow to the authority of the holy ,scripture1 and he will be looked upon as self-confident1 dogmatic1 and narrow-minded4 ,be it so4 ,the time is rapidly approaching when obedience shall be called by its right name1 and meet its recognition and reward4 ,for that moment the faithful must be content to wait1 and while waiting for it1 be satisfied to let men call them whatever they please4 ,the ,lord knoweth the thoughts of man1 that they are vanity4 ,but we must draw to a close1 and would merely add1 in conclusion1 that there is a third hostile influence against which the lover of the ,bible will have to watch1 and that is rationalism--or the supremacy of man's reason4 ,the faithful disciple of the word of ,god will have to withstand this audacious intruder1 with the most unflinching decision4 ,it presumes to sit in judgment upon the word of ,god--to decide upon what is and what is not worthy of ,god--to prescribe boundaries to inspiration4 ,instead of humbly bowing to the authority of ,scripture1 which continually soars into a region where poor blind reason can never follow1 it proudly seeks to drag ,scripture down to its own level4 ,if the ,bible puts forth aught which1 in the smallest degree1 clashes with the conclusions of rationalism1 then there must be some flaw4 ,god is shut out of ,his own book if ,he says anything which poor blind1 perverted reason cannot reconcile with her own conclusions--which conclusions1 be it observed1 are not unfrequently the grossest absurdities4 ,nor is this all4 ,rationalism deprives us of the only perfect standard of truth1 and conducts us into a region of the most dreary uncertainty4 ,it seeks to undermine the authority of a book in which we can believe everything1 and carries us into a field of speculation in which we can be sure of nothing4 ,under the dominion of rationalism the soul is like a vessel broken from its safe moorings in the haven of divine revelation1 to be tossed like a cork upon the wild watery waste of universal scepticism4 ,now we do not expect to convince a thorough rationalist1 even if such a one should condescend to scan our unpretending pages1 which is most unlikely4 ,neither could we expect to gain over to our way of thinking the decided advocate of expediency1 or the ardent admirer of tradition4 ,we have neither the competency1 the leisure1 nor the space1 to enter upon such a line of argument as would be required were we seeking to gain such ends as these4 ,but we are most anxious that the ,christian reader should rise up from the perusal of this little book with a deepened sense of the preciousness of his ,bible4 ,we earnestly desire that the words1 ,the ,bible3 its sufficiency and supremacy1 should be engraved1 in deep and broad characters1 upon the tablet of the reader's heart4 ,we feel that we have a solemn duty to perform1 at a moment like the present1 in the which ,superstition1 ,expediency1 and ,rationalism are all at work1 as so many agents of the devil1 in his efforts to sap the foundations of our holy faith4 ,we owe it to that blessed volume of inspiration1 from which we have drunk the streams of life and peace1 to bear our feeble testimony to the divinity of its every page--to give expression1 in this permanent form1 to our profound reverence for its authority1 and our conviction of its divine sufficiency for every need1 whether of the believer individually1 or the church collectively4 ,we press upon our readers earnestly to set a higher value than ever upon the ,holy ,scriptures1 and to warn them1 in most urgent terms1 against every influence1 whether of tradition1 expediency1 or rationalism1 which might tend to shake their confidence in those heavenly oracles4 ,there is a spirit abroad1 and there are principles at work1 which make it imperative upon us to keep close to ,scripture--to treasure it in our hearts--and to submit to its holy authority4 ,may ,god the ,spirit1 the ,author of the ,bible1 produce1 in the writer and reader of these lines1 a more ardent love for that ,bible6 ,may ,he enlarge our experimental acquaintance with its contents1 and lead us into more complete subjection to its teachings in all things1 that ,god may be more glorified in us through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,amen4 ,,christianity3 ,,what ,,is ,,it8 7,read ,phil4 iii47 ,we have endeavored to hold up the ,bible as the ,church's supreme and all-sufficient guide1 in all ages1 in all climes1 and under all circumstances4 ,we now desire to hold up ,christianity in its divine beauty and moral excellence1 as illustrated in this well-known passage of ,holy ,scripture4 ,and be it observed that1 as it was the ,bible itself1 and not any special system of theology deduced therefrom1 that we sought to present to our readers2 so now1 it is ,christianity1 and not any peculiar form of human religiousness1 that we desire to place before them4 ,we are deeply thankful for this4 ,we dare not enter upon the defence of men or their systems4 ,men err in their theology and fail in their ethics2 but the ,bible and ,christianity remain unshaken and unshakeable4 ,this is an unspeakable mercy4 ,who can duly estimate it8 ,to be furnished with a perfect standard of divinity and morals is a privilege for which we can never be sufficiently thankful4 ,such a standard we possess1 blessed be ,god6 in the ,bible and in the ,christianity which the ,bible unfolds to our view4 ,men may err in their creed and break down in their conduct1 but the ,bible is the ,bible still1 and ,christianity is ,christianity still4 ,now1 we believe that this third chapter of ,philippians gives us the model of a true ,christian--a model on which every ,christian should be formed4 ,the man who is here introduced to our notice could say1 by the ,holy ,ghost1 ,brethren1 be ye followers together of me4 ,nor is it as an apostle that he here speaks to us--nor as one endowed with extraordinary gifts1 and privileged to see unspeakable visions4 ,it is not to ,paul1 the apostle1 nor ,paul1 the gifted vessel1 that we listen1 in verse #ag of our chapter1 but to ,paul1 the ,christian4 ,we could not follow him in his brilliant career1 as an apostle4 ,we could not follow him1 in his rapture to ,paradise2 but we can follow him in his ,christian course1 in this world2 and it seems to us that we have in our chapter a very full view of that course1 and not only of the course itself1 but also the starting-post and the goal4 ,in other words1 we have to consider1 first1 the ,christian's standing2 secondly1 the ,christian's object2 and thirdly1 the ,christian's hope4 ,may ,god the ,holy ,ghost be our teacher1 while we dwell for a little on these most weighty and most interesting points6 ,and first1 as to ,,the ,,christian',s ,,standing4 ,the point is unfolded1 in a double way1 in our chapter4 ,we are not only told what the ,christian's standing is1 but also what it is not4 ,if ever there was a man who could boast of having a righteousness of his own in which to stand before ,god1 ,paul was the man4 ,if1 says he1 any other man thinketh that he hath whereof to trust in the flesh1 ,i more3 circumcised the eighth day1 of the stock of ,israel1 of the tribe of ,benjamin1 an ,hebrew of the ,hebrews2 as touching the law1 a ,pharisee2 concerning zeal1 persecuting the church2 touching the righteousness which is in the law1 blameless4 ,this is a most remarkable catalogue1 presenting everything that one could possibly desire for the formation of a standing in the flesh4 ,no one could excel ,saul of ,tarsus4 ,he was a ,jew1 of pure pedigree1 in orderly fellowship1 of blameless walk1 of fervid zeal and unflinching devotedness4 ,he was1 on principle1 a persecutor of the ,church4 ,as a ,jew1 he could not but see that the very foundations of ,judaism were assailed by the new economy of the ,church of ,god4 ,it was utterly impossible that ,judaism and ,christianity could subsist on the same platform1 or hold sway over the same mind4 ,one special feature of the former system was the strict separation of ,jew and ,gentile2 a special feature of the latter was the intimate union of both in one body4 ,judaism erected and maintained the middle wall of partition2 ,christianity abolished that wall altogether4 ,hence ,saul1 as an earnest ,jew1 could not but be a zealous persecutor of the ,church of ,god4 ,it was part of his religion--of that in which he excelled many of his equals in his own nation--of that in which he was exceedingly zealous4 ,whatever was to be had1 in the shape of religiousness1 ,saul would have it2 whatever height was to be attained1 he would attain4 ,he would leave no stone unturned in order to build up the superstructure of his own righteousness--righteousness in the flesh--righteousness in the old creation4 ,he was permitted to possess himself of all the attractions of legal righteousness in order that he might fling them from him amid the brighter glories of a righteousness divine4 ,but what things were gain to me1 those ,i counted loss for ,christ4 ,yea1 doubtless1 and ,i count all things but loss1 for the excellency of the knowledge of ,christ ,jesus my ,lord2 for whom ,i have suffered the loss of all things1 and do count them but dung1 that ,i may win ,christ1 and be found in ,him1 not having mine own righteousness which is of the law1 but that which is through the faith of ,christ1 the righteousness which is of ,god by faith4 ,and we should note here that the grand prominent thought1 in the above passage1 is not that of a guilty sinner betaking himself to the blood of ,jesus for pardon1 but rather of a legalist casting aside1 as dross1 his own righteousness1 because of having found a better4 ,we need hardly say that ,paul was a sinner--chief of sinners--and that1 as such1 he betook himself to the precious blood of ,christ1 and there found pardon1 peace1 and acceptance with ,god4 ,this is plainly taught us in many passages of the ,new ,testament4 ,but it is not the leading thought in the chapter now before us4 ,paul is not speaking of his sins1 but of his gains4 ,he is not occupied with his necessities1 as a sinner1 but with his advantages1 as a man--a man in the flesh--a man in the old creation--a ,jew--a legalist4 ,true it is1 most blessedly true1 that ,paul brought all his sins to the cross1 and had them washed away in the atoning blood of the divine ,sin-offering4 ,but1 in this passage1 we see another thing4 ,we see a legalist flinging far away from him his own righteousness1 and esteeming it as a worthless and unsightly thing in contrast with a risen and glorified ,christ1 who is the righteousness of the ,christian--the righteousness which belongs to the new creation4 ,paul had sins to mourn over1 and he had a righteousness to boast in4 ,he had guilt on his conscience1 and he had laurels on his brow4 ,he had plenty to be ashamed of1 and plenty to glory in4 ,but the special point presented in ,phil4 iii4 #d-h is not a sinner getting his sins pardoned1 his guilt cleared1 his shame covered1 but a legalist laying aside his righteousness1 a scholar casting away his laurels1 and a man abandoning his vain glory1 simply because he had found true glory1 unfading laurels1 and an everlasting righteousness in the ,person of a victorious and exalted ,christ4 ,it was not merely that ,paul1 the sinner1 needed a righteousness because1 in reality1 he had none of his own2 but that ,paul1 the ,pharisee1 preferred the righteousness which was revealed to him in ,christ1 because it was infinitely better and more glorious than any other4 ,no doubt ,paul as a sinner needed1 like every other sinner1 a righteousness in which to stand before ,god2 but that is not what he is bringing before us in our chapter4 ,we are anxious that the reader should clearly apprehend this point4 ,it is not merely that my sins drive me to ,christ2 but ,his excellences draw me to ,him4 ,true1 ,i have sins and therefore ,i need ,christ2 but even if ,i had a righteousness1 ,i should cast it from me1 and gladly hide myself in ,him4 ,it would be a positive loss to me to have any righteousness of my own1 seeing that ,god has graciously provided such a glorious righteousness for me in ,christ4 ,like ,adam1 in the garden of ,eden1 he was naked1 and therefore he made himself an apron2 but it would have been a loss to him to retain the apron after that the ,lord ,god had made him a coat4 ,it was surely far better to have a ,god-made coat than a man-made apron4 ,so thought ,adam1 so thought ,paul1 and so thought all the saints of ,god whose names are recorded upon the sacred page4 ,it is better to stand in the righteousness of ,god1 which is by faith1 than to stand in the righteousness of man1 which is by works of law4 ,it is not only mercy to get rid of our sins1 through the remedy which ,god has provided1 but to get rid of our righteousness1 and accept1 instead1 the righteousness which ,god has revealed4 ,thus1 then1 we see that the standing of a ,christian is in ,christ4 ,found in ,him4 ,this is ,christian standing4 ,nothing less1 nothing lower1 nothing different4 ,it is not partly in ,christ1 and partly in law--partly in ,christ and partly in ordinances4 ,no2 it is ,found in ,him4 ,this is the standing which ,christianity furnishes4 ,if this be touched1 it is not ,christianity at all4 ,it may be some ancient ism1 or some medival ism1 or some modern ism2 but most surely it is not the ,christianity of the ,new ,testament if it be aught else than this1 ,found in ,him4 ,we do therefore earnestly exhort the reader to look well to this our first point1 ,in ,christ it is we stand4 ,he is our righteousness4 ,he ,himself1 the crucified1 risen1 exalted1 glorified ,christ4 ,yes2 ,he is our righteousness4 ,to be found in ,him is proper ,christian standing4 ,it is not ,judaism1 ,catholicism1 nor any other ism4 ,it is not the being a member of this church1 that church1 or the other church4 ,it is to be in ,christ4 ,this is the great foundation of true practical ,christianity4 ,in a word this is the standing of the ,christian4 ,let us now in the second place1 look at ,,the ,,christian',s ,,object4 ,here again1 ,christianity shuts us up to ,christ3 ,that ,i may know ,him1 is the breathing of the true ,christian4 ,if to be found in ,him constitutes the ,christian's standing1 then to know ,him is the ,christian's proper object4 ,the ancient philosophy had a motto which it was constantly sounding in the ears of its votaries1 and that motto was1 ,know thyself4 ,christianity1 on the contrary1 has a loftier motto1 pointing to a nobler object4 ,it tells us to know ,christ--to make ,him our object--to fix our earnest gaze on ,him4 ,this1 and this alone1 is the ,christian's object4 ,to have any other object is not ,christianity at all4 ,alas6 ,christians have other objects4 ,and that is precisely the reason why we said1 at the opening of this paper1 that it is ,christianity1 and not the ways of ,christians1 that we desire to hold up to the view of our readers4 ,it matters not in the least what the object is2 if it is not ,christ1 it is not ,christianity4 ,the true ,christian's desire will ever be embodied in these words1 ,that ,i may know ,him1 and the power of ,his resurrection1 and the fellowship of ,his sufferings1 being made conformable unto ,his death4 ,it is not that ,i may get on in the world--that ,i may make money--that ,i may attain a high position--that ,i may aggrandize my family--that ,i may make a name--that ,i may be regarded as a great man1 a rich man1 a popular man4 ,no2 not one of these is a ,christian object4 ,it may be all very well for a man1 who has got nothing better1 to make such things his object4 ,but the ,christian has got ,christ4 ,this makes all the difference4 ,it may be all well enough for a man1 who does not know ,christ as his righteousness1 to do the best he can in the way of working out a righteousness for himself2 but to one whose standing is in a risen ,christ1 the very fairest righteousness that could be produced by human efforts would be an actual loss4 ,so is it exactly in the matter of an object4 ,the question is not1 ,what harm is there in this or that8 but1 ,is it a ,christian object8 ,it is well to see this4 ,we may depend upon it1 beloved reader1 that one great reason of the low tone which prevails amongst ,christians will be found in the fact that the eye is taken off ,christ and fixed upon some lower object4 ,it may be a very laudable object for a mere man of the world--for one who merely sees his place in nature1 or in the old creation4 ,but the ,christian is not this4 ,he does not belong to this world at all4 ,he is in it1 but not of it4 ,they1 says our blessed ,lord1 are not of the world1 even as ,i am not of the world4 7,john xvii47 ,our citizenship is in heaven2 and we should never be satisfied to propose to ourselves any lower object than ,christ4 ,it matters not in the least what a man's position may be4 ,he may be only a scavenger1 or he may be a prince1 or he may stand at any one of the many gradations between these two extremes4 ,it is all the same1 provided ,christ is his real1 his only object4 ,it is a man's object1 not his position1 that gives him his character4 ,now ,paul's one object was ,christ4 ,whether he was stationary1 or whether he travelled2 whether he preached the gospel1 or whether he gathered sticks2 whether he planted churches1 or made tents1 ,christ was his object4 ,by night and by day1 at home or abroad1 by sea or by land1 alone or in company1 in public or private1 he could say1 ,one thing ,i do4 ,and this1 be it remembered1 was not merely ,paul the laborious apostle1 or ,paul the raptured saint1 but ,paul the living1 acting1 walking ,christian--the one who addresses us in these words1 ,brethren1 be ye followers together of me4 ,nor should we ever be satisfied with anything less than this4 ,true1 we fail sadly2 but let us always keep the true object before us4 ,like the school-boy at his copy1 he can only expect to succeed by keeping his eye fixed upon his head-line4 ,his tendency is to look at his own last written line1 and thus each succeeding line is worse than the preceding one4 ,thus it is in our own case4 ,we take our eye off the blessed and perfect head-line1 and begin to look at ourselves1 our own productions1 our own character1 our interests1 our reputation4 ,we begin to think of what would be consistent with our own principles1 our profession1 or our standing1 instead of fixing the eye steadily upon that one object which ,christianity presents1 even ,christ ,himself4 ,but some will say1 ,where will you find this8 ,well1 if it be meant1 where are we to find it amongst the ranks of ,christians1 now-a-days1 it might be difficult indeed4 ,but we have it in the third chapter of the epistle to the ,philippians4 ,this is enough for us4 ,we have here a model of true ,christianity1 and let us ever and only aim thereat4 ,if we find our hearts going after other things let us judge them4 ,let us compare our lines with the head-line1 and earnestly seek to produce a faithful copy thereof4 ,in this way1 although we may have to weep over constant failure1 we shall always be kept occupied with our proper object1 and thus have our character formed2 for1 let it never be forgotten1 it is the object which forms the character4 ,if money be my object1 my character is covetous2 if power1 ,i am ambitious2 if books1 ,i am literary2 if ,christ1 ,i am a ,christian4 ,it is not here a question of life and salvation1 but only of practical ,christianity4 ,if we were asked for a simple definition of a ,christian1 we should at once say3 ,a ,christian is a man who has ,christ for his object4 ,this is most simple4 ,may we enter into its power1 and thus exhibit a more healthy and vigorous discipleship in this day1 when so many1 alas6 are minding earthly things4 ,we shall close this hasty and imperfect sketch of a wide and weighty subject1 with a line or two on ,,the ,,christian',s ,,hope4 ,this1 our third and last point1 is presented in our chapter in a manner quite as characteristic as the other two4 ,the standing of the ,christian is to be found in ,christ2 the object of the ,christian is to know ,christ2 and the hope of the ,christian is to be like ,christ4 ,how beautifully perfect is the connection between these three things4 ,no sooner do ,i find myself in ,christ as my righteousness1 than ,i long to know ,him as my object1 and the more ,i know ,him1 the more ardently shall ,i long to be like ,him1 which hope can only be realized when ,i see ,him as ,he is4 ,having a perfect righteousness1 and a perfect object1 ,i just want one thing more1 and that is to be done with everything that hinders my enjoyment of that object4 ,for our conversation 7or citizenship1 not 1 ,phil4 iii4 #bj71 is in heaven2 from whence also we look for the ,saviour1 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who shall change our vile body1 that it may be fashioned like unto ,his glorious body1 according to the working whereby ,he is able even to subdue all things unto ,himself4 ,now putting all these things together1 we get a very complete view of true ,christianity4 ,we cannot attempt to elaborate any one of the three points above referred to2 for1 it may be truly said1 each point would demand a volume to treat it fully4 ,but we would ask the reader to pursue the marvellous theme for himself4 ,let him rise above all the imperfections and inconsistencies of ,christians1 and gaze upon the moral grandeur of ,christianity as exemplified in the life and character of the model man presented to our view in this chapter4 ,and may the language of his heart be1 ,let others do as they will1 as for me1 nothing short of this lovely model shall ever satisfy my heart4 ,let me turn away my eye from men altogether1 and fix it intently upon ,christ ,himself1 and find all my delight in ,him as my righteousness1 my object1 my hope4 ,thus may it be with the writer and the reader1 for ,jesus' sake4 ,,jehoshaphat ,in tracing the inspired record of the houses of ,israel and ,judah1 from the period of their separation1 under ,rehoboam1 we can without difficulty recognize the marked distinction between them4 ,the line of kings from ,jeroboam to ,hosea presents only a dark and sorrowful catalogue of evil-doers in the sight of the ,lord3 we look in vain for an exception4 ,even ,jehu1 who manifested so much zeal and energy in the abolition of idolatry1 proved1 in the sequel1 that his heart was far from being right with ,god4 ,in fact1 a dark cloud of idolatry seems to have settled upon the whole house of ,israel1 until they were carried away beyond ,babylon1 and scattered amongst the ,gentiles4 ,not so1 however1 with ,judah4 ,here we find some happy exceptions--some pleasant rays from that lamp which the ,lord so graciously granted in ,jerusalem for ,david ,his servant's sake4 ,the soul is refreshed by the history of such men as ,josiah1 ,asa1 ,joash1 and ,hezekiah1--men whose hearts were devoted to the service of the sanctuary1 and who therefore exerted a holy influence on their times4 ,it is on the narrative of one of these blessed exceptions that ,i desire to dwell for a little1 trusting the ,lord to give instruction and profit in so doing4 ,jehoshaphat1 king of ,judah1 is introduced to our notice in #b ,chron4 xvii4 ,in this chapter1 we find ,god1 in ,his grace1 establishing ,his servant in the kingdom1 and the people of ,god acknowledging him therein4 ,jehoshaphat's first act was to strengthen himself against ,israel4 ,this is worthy of notice4 ,israel and ,israel's king were ever a snare to the heart of ,jehoshaphat4 ,but in the opening of his course1 in the season of his early freshness1 he was able to fortify his kingdom against the power of ,israel4 ,now1 one frequently observes this in the history of ,christians2 the evils which in after life prove their greatest snares are those against which there is the greatest watchfulness at first4 ,most happy is it when the spirit of watchfulness increases with our increasing knowledge of the tendencies and capabilities of our hearts4 ,but this1 alas6 is not always the way3 on the contrary1 how frequently do we find ,christians of some years' standing indulging in things which at first their consciences would have shrunk from4 ,this may seem to be but a growing out of a legal spirit2 but should it not rather be viewed as a growing out of a tender and sensitive conscience8 ,it would be sad if the result of more enlarged views were to be a careless spirit or a seared conscience2 or if high principles of truth did but tend to render those who were once self-denying and separated1 self indulgent1 careless1 and worldly4 ,but it is not so4 ,to grow in the knowledge of truth is to grow in the knowledge of ,god1 and to grow in the knowledge of ,god is to grow in practical holiness4 ,the conscience that can let pass without reproof things from which it would formerly have shrunk is1 it is much to be feared1 instead of being under the action of the truth of ,god1 under the hardening influence of the deceitfulness of sin4 ,the whole scene presented to us 7chap4 xvii47 is full of interest4 ,jehoshaphat not only retains the conquests of ,asa1 his father1 but goes on to extend1 by his personal exertions1 the interests of his kingdom4 ,all is well ordered4 ,the ,lord was with ,jehoshaphat1 because he walked in the first ways of his father ,david1 and sought not unto ,baalim2 but sought to the ,lord ,god of his father1 and walked in ,his commandments1 and not after the doings of ,israel4 ,therefore the ,lord established the kingdom in his hand2 and all ,judah brought to ,jehoshaphat presents2 and he had riches and honor in abundance4 ,and his heart was lifted up in the ways of the ,lord3 moreover1 he took away the high places and groves out of ,israel4 ,here was the true secret of his prosperity3 ,his heart was lifted up in the ways of the ,lord4 ,when the heart is thus lifted up1 every thing goes well4 ,in chap4 xviii41 however1 we have a very different state of things4 ,jehoshaphat's prosperity is used by the devil as a snare for him4 ,jehoshaphat had riches and honors in abundance1 and joined affinity with ,ahab4 ,we have already observed ,jehoshaphat fortifying his kingdom2 but the enemy comes upon him in a way for which ,jehoshaphat does not seem to have prepared himself2 he does not attack his kingdom1 he attacks his heart4 ,he comes not as the lion1 but as the serpent4 ,ahab's sheep and oxen are found more suitable and effectual than ,ahab's men of war4 ,had ,ahab declared war against ,jehoshaphat1 it would only have cast him upon the ,lord2 but he does not4 ,jehoshaphat's kingdom is fortified against ,ahab's hostilities1 but his heart lies open to ,ahab's allurements4 ,this is truly solemn6 ,we often make a great effort against evil in one shape1 while we are allowing it to get in upon us in another4 ,jehoshaphat had at first strengthened himself against ,israel1 but now he joins affinity with ,israel's king4 ,and why8 ,had any change for the better taken place8 ,had ,ahab's heart become more tender toward the ,lord8 ,by no means4 ,he was still the same1 but ,jehoshaphat's conscience had lost much of its early tenderness and sensitiveness3 he had come near to the evil1 and tampered with it2 he had touched the pitch1 and was defiled by it4 ,he joined affinity with ,ahab4 ,here was the evil1--an evil which1 however slow in its operation1 would certainly produce its own fruit sooner or later4 ,he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption4 7,gal4 vi4 #h47 ,the truth of this must inevitably be realized4 ,grace may triumph in the forgiveness of sin1 but the legitimate fruit will spring forth in due time4 ,the ,lord put away ,david's sin in the matter of ,uriah1 but the child died1 and ,absalom arose in rebellion4 ,so it will ever be4 ,if we sow to the flesh1 we must reap corruption2 the flesh can produce naught else4 ,in ,jehoshaphat's case1 it was not until after years that the results of his false steps began to show themselves3 ,and after certain years1 he went down to ,ahab to ,samaria2 and ,ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance1 and for the people he had with him1 and persuaded him to go up with him to ,ramoth-gilead4 ,satan knows his ground2 he knows where the seed of evil has taken root2 he knows the heart that is prepared to respond to his temptation2 he knew that the affinity into which the king of ,judah had entered with the king of ,israel had prepared him for further steps in a downward course4 ,when a ,christian enters into connection with the world1 he lays himself open to be persuaded by the world1 to enter upon an unchristian course of action4 ,david took ,ziklag from ,achish 7#a ,sam4 xxvii4 #f71 and the next step was1 to join ,achish against ,israel4 7#a ,sam4 xxviii4 #a47 ,the world will never give any thing to a child of ,god without making large demands in return4 ,when the king of ,judah had allowed ,ahab to kill sheep and oxen for him1 he would have found it difficult not to meet ,ahab's desire in reference to ,ramoth-gilead4 ,the safest way therefore is1 to be no debtor to the world4 ,jehoshaphat should have had nothing whatever to do with ,ahab2 he should have kept himself pure4 ,the ,lord was not with ,ahab1 and though it might seem a desirable thing to recover one of the cities of refuge out of the hand of the enemy1 yet ,jehoshaphat should have known that he was not to do evil that good might come4 ,if we join with the world in its schemes1 we must expect to be identified with it in its convulsions4 ,ramoth-gilead had been of old assigned as a city of refuge for the slayer 7,deut4 iv4 #dc71 and to recover this city from the king of ,syria was the object of ,ahab's expedition4 ,but behind this we can detect the snare of the enemy1 who cared little about the city1 provided he could thereby betray a child of ,god from the path of purity and separation4 ,the devil has always found religious and benevolent objects most effectual in their influence upon the people of ,god4 ,he does not come at first with something openly ungodly2 he does not tempt a believer to join the world for some wicked design1 because he knows that the sensitive conscience would shrink from such a thing2 his way is rather to present in the distance some desirable object--to cover his schemes with the cloak of religion or benevolence1 and thus insnare4 ,there is1 however1 one truth which would1 if realized1 effectually deliver the ,christian from all connection with the men of this world4 ,the apostle1 by the ,holy ,ghost1 teaches us that unbelievers are unto every good work reprobate4 7,tit4 i4 #af47 ,this is enough for an obedient soul4 ,we must not join with those who are so represented4 ,it matters not what they propose--be it a work of benevolence or a work of religion1--,scripture tells us they are reprobate1 yes1 reprobate1 though they profess that they know ,god4 ,this should be sufficient4 ,god cannot accept of or acknowledge the works or offerings of those whose hearts are far from ,him2 nor should the ,church mingle with such1 even though it be for the accomplishment of desirable ends4 ,keep thyself pure is a valuable admonition for us all4 ,to obey is better than sacrifice1 and to hearken than the fat of rams4 ,it would have been infinitely better and more acceptable for ,jehoshaphat to have kept himself pure from all contact with ,ahab's defilement than to have recovered ,ramoth from the ,syrians1 even had he succeeded in doing so4 ,however1 he had to learn this by painful experience4 ,and thus it is that most of us learn our lessons4 ,we may speak much of certain points of truth1 while we know but little of having learnt them experimentally4 ,when ,jehoshaphat at the commencement of his career strengthened himself against ,israel1 he had little idea of the way in which he would afterward be insnared by the very worst of ,israelites4 ,the only effectual safeguard against evil is1 to be in communion with ,god about it4 ,when we look at evil in the light of the holiness of ,god1 we not only look at the act1 but at the principle2 and if the principle be unsound1 no matter what the result may be1 we should have nothing to do with it4 ,but to deal thus with evil requires much exercise of soul before ,god--much spirituality1 much self-judgment1 much prayer and watchfulness4 ,the ,lord grant us these1 and also more tenderness and godly sensitiveness of conscience4 ,we have no idea of the sad consequences of a mistake on the part of a child of ,god4 ,it is not always that the full results appear to us2 but the enemy takes care to make his own use of the matter1 not in injury done to the one who makes the mistake merely1 but to others who witness and are influenced by it4 ,jehoshaphat did not only fall into the snare himself1 but he led others in also4 ,i am as thou art1 said he2 and further1 ,my people as thy people4 ,what miserably low ground for a man of ,god to take6 and what a place to put the people of ,god into--,i am as thou art6 ,thus spake ,jehoshaphat1 and well was it for him that his words were not verified throughout4 ,god did not judge of him as ,he judged of ,ahab2 here was his real security1 even in the midst of the terrible consequences of his unguarded conduct4 ,he was not as ,ahab in the close of his career1 though he had joined affinity with him for the purpose of carrying out his plans2 he was not as ,ahab when ,ahab was pierced by an arrow2 he was not as ,ahab when the dogs licked ,ahab's blood4 ,the ,lord had made him to differ4 ,but we should remember that when the ,christian joins with the world for any purpose whatsoever1 whether of religion or of benevolence1 he is just saying 7as ,jehoshaphat said to ,ahab71 ,i am as thou art4 ,let the ,christian reader ask his own heart1 ,is this right8 ,is he prepared to say this8 ,it will not do to say1 ,we are not to judge others4 ,jehoshaphat ought to have judged1 as is manifested from the language of ,jehu the prophet1 when he met him on his return from ,ramoth1 ,shouldst thou help the ungodly1 and love them that hate the ,lord8 ,how was he to know who was ungodly1 or who hated the ,lord1 if he did not exercise judgment8 ,we have certainly no right to judge those that are without1 but we are bound to exercise judgment as to those with whom we enter into fellowship4 ,nor does this in the least involve of necessity the idea of one's own personal superiority in any one particular4 ,no2 it is not1 ,stand by thyself3 ,i am holier than thou2 but1 ,i must stand apart1 because ,god is holy4 ,this is the true principle4 ,it is upon the ground of what ,god is 7not of what we are7 that we separate from known evil4 ,be ye holy1 for ,i am holy4 ,jehoshaphat1 however1 failed to maintain this separation2 and1 as has been already remarked1 in failing himself1 led others into failure4 ,in this we may learn a most solemn lesson4 ,jehoshaphat had1 we may suppose1 gained very considerable influence over the hearts of the people by his previous devotedness2--he had established himself in their confidence and affections2 and1 to a certain extent1 rightly so4 ,it is right that those who walk devotedly should be loved and confided in2 but then we must watch most jealously against the dangerous tendency of mere personal influence4 ,no one save a man of extensive influence could have said1 ,my people are as thy people4 ,he might have said1 ,i am as thou art1 but no more4 ,his extensive influence1 when used out of communion1 only made him a more efficient instrument of evil4 ,satan knew this2 he knew his mark2 he did not fasten on an ordinary man of ,judah1 but on the most prominent and influential man he could find1 well knowing that if he could only succeed in drawing him aside1 others would follow in his train4 ,nor was he mistaken4 ,many would no doubt say1 ,what harm can there be in joining ,ahab's expedition8 ,surely1 if there were any thing wrong in it1 such a good man as king ,jehoshaphat would not engage in it4 ,so long as we see him there1 we may make our minds easy about the matter4 ,but if this were not the language of some in ,jehoshaphat's day1 it certainly is of many in our own4 ,how often do we hear ,christians say1 ,how can such-and-such things be wrong1 when we see such good men in connection with them1 or engaging in them8 ,now all that can be said of such reasoning is that it is utterly false2 it is beginning quite at the wrong end4 ,we are responsible to ,god to act upon principle1 let others do as they may4 ,we should be able1 through grace1 humbly1 yet decidedly1 to render a sound and intelligent reason for whatever course of action we may adopt1 without any reference to the conduct of others4 ,moreover1 we know full well that good men go astray1 and do wrong things4 ,they are not1 therefore1 nor can they be1 our guides4 ,to his own master he standeth or falleth4 ,a spiritual mind1 a conscience enlightened by the ,word of ,god1 a real sense of personal responsibility1 together with honesty of purpose1 are what we specially need4 ,if we lack these1 our path will be defective4 ,but it may be said1 there are few1 if any1 who occupy a position in which their conduct could exert such an extensive influence as that of king ,jehoshaphat4 ,to meet this1 it may be needful to dwell a little upon a truth sadly neglected in the present day1 namely1 that of the unity of the body of ,christ1 and the consequent effect which the conduct of each member1 however obscure1 must produce upon the whole body4 ,the great doctrine of the unity of the ,church upon earth is1 it is to be feared1 feebly apprehended and feebly carried out1 even by the most spiritually minded and intelligent of the ,lord's people4 ,the reason of this is very apparent4 ,the doctrine is viewed rather in the light of the ,church's present condition1 than of her condition as presented in the ,new ,testament2 and this being so1 the unity never can be understood4 ,if we simply take ,scripture for our guide1 we shall have no difficulty about it4 ,there we read1 ,if one member suffer1 all the members suffer with it4 ,this principle did not hold good in the days of king ,jehoshaphat1 because the body of ,christ1 properly so called1 had no actual existence4 ,all the members of it were written in ,god's book2 but as yet there was none of them--they existed in the purpose of ,god1 but that purpose had not been actualized4 ,hence1 though so many were led astray by the influence of ,jehoshaphat1 it was not by any means on the principle stated in the above passage2 it was not all suffering from the act of one because they were one body1 but many being led astray by one because they followed his example4 ,the distinction is very important4 ,there is no member of the ,church1 how obscure soever1 whose path and conduct do not affect1 in some measure1 all the members4 ,by one ,spirit are we all baptized into one body1 whether we be ,jews or ,gentiles1 whether we be bond or free2 and have been all made to drink into one ,spirit4 ,hence1 if a ,christian be walking loosely or carelessly1--if he be out of communion1--if he fail in prayer1 in watchfulness1 or in self-judgment1 he is really injuring the whole body2 and1 on the contrary1 when he is walking in spiritual health and vigor1 he is promoting the blessing and interest of all4 ,it was not without a struggle that ,jehoshaphat yielded to the solicitations of ,ahab4 ,the working of conscience is observable in the words1 ,inquire1 ,i pray thee1 at the word of the ,lord to-day4 ,but ah6 how futile was prayer for guidance1 when he had already said1 ,i am as thou art1 and my people as thy people2 and we will be with thee in the war6 ,it is but solemn mockery to ask for guidance when we have made up our minds2 and yet how frequently we do so6 ,how frequently do we decide on a course of action1 and then go and ask the ,lord about it6 ,all this is wretched2 it is only honoring ,god with the lips1 while the heart is in positive rebellion against ,him4 ,instead of getting that guidance for which we profess to ask1 may we not rather expect a lying spirit to be sent forth to us8 7v4 #ba47 ,ahab was at no loss for counselors4 ,he speedily gathered together four hundred prophets1 who were ready to counsel him according to his heart's desire3 ,go up1 for ,god will deliver it into the king's hand4 ,this was what he wanted4 ,nor need we marvel at ,ahab's being quite satisfied with prophets like these4 ,they suited him well4 ,but surely ,jehoshaphat should not have even appeared to acknowledge them to be prophets of the ,lord1 as he evidently did1 by saying1 ,is there not here a prophet of the ,lord besides8 7or1 as the margin reads1 yet one more87 ,had he been faithful to the ,lord1 he would at once have denied the right of these false prophets to give counsel4 ,but1 alas6 he was giving full countenance to the religion of the world1 and to these its ministers4 ,he could not bring himself to hurt ,ahab's feelings by dealing faithfully with his prophets4 ,they were all1 it would seem1 proper men4 ,how dreadful a thing it is to allow ourselves to get into a condition of soul in which we are unable to bear distinct and faithful testimony against the ministers of ,satan6 ,we must1 it is said1 be liberal2 we must not hurt people's feelings2 there are good men every where4 ,but truth is truth1 and we are not to put error for truth1 nor truth for error4 ,nothing but a secret desire to stand well with the world will ever lead to this careless method of dealing with evil4 ,now1 if we want to stand well with the world1 let us do it at our own charges1 and not at the expense of ,god's truth4 ,it is often urged1 ,we must present truth in such an aspect as will attract1 when what is really meant is this1 that truth is to be made a kind of variable1 elastic thing1 which can be turned into any shape1 or stretched to any length1 to suit the taste and habits of those who would fain put it out of the world altogether4 ,truth1 however1 cannot be thus treated2 it can never be made to reduce itself to the level of this world4 ,those who profess to hold it may seek to use it thus1 but it will ever be found the same pure1 holy1 faithful witness against the world and all its ways4 ,it will speak distinctly1 if its voice be not stifled by connection with the practice of its faithless professors4 ,when ,jehoshaphat had stooped so low as to acknowledge the false prophets for the purpose of gratifying ,ahab1 who could observe any distinct testimony for ,god8 ,all seemed to sink down to the one common level1 and the enemy to have it all his own way4 ,the voice of truth was hushed3 the prophets prophesied falsely3 ,god was forgotten4 ,thus must it ever be4 ,the attempt to accommodate truth to those who are of the world can only end in complete failure4 ,there can be no accommodation4 ,let it stand upon its own heavenly height2 let saints stand fully and firmly with it2 let them invite sinners up to them2 but let them not descend to the low and groveling pursuits and habits of the world1 and thus rob truth1 so far as in them lies1 of all its edge and power4 ,it is far better to allow the contrast between ,god's truth and our ways to be fully seen1 than to attempt to identify them in appearance1 when they really do not agree4 ,we may think to commend truth to the minds of worldly people by an effort to conform to their ways2 but1 so far from commending it1 we in reality expose it to secret contempt and scorn4 ,jehoshaphat certainly did not further the cause of truth by conforming to ,ahab's ways1 or by acknowledging the claims of his false prophets4 ,the man who conforms to the world will be the enemy of ,christ1 and the enemy of ,christ's people4 ,it cannot be otherwise4 ,the friendship of the world is enmity with ,god2 whosoever1 therefore1 will be a friend of the world is the enemy of ,god4 ,how fully was this proved in the case of king ,jehoshaphat6 ,he became the friend and companion of ,ahab1 who hated ,micaiah1 the servant of ,god2 and as a consequence1 although he did not himself positively persecute the righteous witness1 yet he did what was as bad2 for he sat beside ,ahab1 and beheld the ,lord's prophet first struck1 and then committed to prison1 simply because he would not tell a lie to please a wicked king1 and harmonize with four hundred wicked prophets4 ,what must have been the feelings of ,jehoshaphat when he beheld his brother smitten and imprisoned for his faithfulness in testifying against an expedition in which he himself was engaged6 ,yet such was the position into which his connection with ,ahab had forced him that he could not avoid being a witness of these wicked proceedings2 yea1 and moreover1 a partaker of them also4 ,when a man associates himself with the world1 he must do so thoroughly4 ,the enemy will not be satisfied with half measures2 on the contrary1 he will use every effort to force a saint out of communion into the most terrible extremes of evil4 ,the beginning of evil is like the letting out of water4 ,small beginnings lead to fearful results4 ,there is first a slight tampering with evil at a distance2 then1 by degrees1 a nearer approach to it2 after this1 a taking hold of it more firmly2 and finally1 a deliberate plunge into it1 whence nothing but the most marked interposition of ,god can rescue4 ,jehoshaphat joined affinity with ,ahab2 then accepted of his hospitality2 after that1 was persuaded into open association with him2 and finally1 took his place at the battle of ,ramoth-gilead4 ,he had said to ,ahab1 ,i am as thou art1 and ,ahab takes him at his word2 for he says to him1 ,i will disguise myself1 and will go to the battle2 but put thou on thy robes4 ,thus1 so completely did ,jehoshaphat surrender his personal identity1 in the view of the men of the world1 that it came to pass1 when the captains of the chariots saw ,jehoshaphat1 that they said1 ',it is the king of ,israel4' ,terrible position for ,jehoshaphat6 ,to find him personating1 and thus mistaken for1 the worst of ,israel's kings is a sad proof of the danger of associating with the men of the world4 ,happy was it for ,jehoshaphat that the ,lord did not take him at his word when he said to ,ahab1 ,i am as thou art4 ,the ,lord knew that ,jehoshaphat was not ,ahab1 though he might personate and be mistaken for him4 ,grace had made him to differ1 and conduct should have proved him to be what grace had made him4 ,but1 blessed be ,god1 ,he knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation1 and ,he graciously delivered ,his poor servant out of the evil into which he had plunged himself1 and in which he would have perished1 had not the hand of ,god been stretched out to rescue him4 ,jehoshaphat cried out1 and the ,lord helped him2 and ,god moved them to depart from him4#ab #ab ,the reader will doubtless observe how the inspired writer presents ,god under two different titles in the above verse4 ,the ,lord brings out ,his connection with ,his distressed servant--,his connection in grace2 while the expression ,god shows out the powerful control which ,he exercised over the ,syrian captains4 ,it is needless to say that this distinction is divinely perfect4 ,as ,lord1 ,he deals with ,his own redeemed people1--meeting all their weakness1 and supplying all their need2 but as ,god1 ,he holds in ,his omnipotent hand the hearts of all men1 to turn them whithersoever ,he will4 ,now we generally find unconverted persons using the expression ,god1 and not ,lord4 ,they think of ,him as ,one exercising an influence from a distance1 rather than as ,one standing in near relationship4 ,jehoshaphat knew who it was that helped him1 but the ,syrian captains did not know who it was that moved them4 ,here we have the turning-point in this stage of ,jehoshaphat's life4 ,his eyes were opened to see the position into which he had brought himself2 at least1 he saw his danger1 if he did not apprehend the moral evil of his course4 ,encompassed by the captains of ,syria1 he could feel something of what it was to have taken ,ahab's place4 ,happily for him1 however1 he could look up to the ,lord from the depth of his distress1--he could cry out to ,him in the time of his extremity2 had it not been thus1 the enemy's arrow1 lodged deep in his heart1 might have told out the sorrowful result of his ungodly association4 ,jehoshaphat cried out1 and his cry came up before the ,lord1 whose ear is ever open to hear the cry of such as feel their need4 ,peter went out and wept bitterly4 ,the prodigal said1 ,i will arise1 and go to my father2 and the father ran to meet him1 and fell on his neck1 and kissed him4 ,thus is it that the blessed ,god ever meets those who1 feeling that they have hewn out for themselves broken cisterns1 which can hold no water1 return to ,him1 the fountain of living waters4 ,would that all who feel that they have in any measure departed from ,christ and slipped into the current of this present world might find their way back1 in true humility and contrition of spirit1 to ,him who says1 ,behold1 ,i stand at the door1 and knock2 if any man hear ,my voice1 and open the door1 ,i will come in to him1 and will sup with him1 and he with ,me4 ,how different ,ahab's case6 ,he1 though carrying in his bosom a mortal wound1 propped himself up in his chariot until the evening1 fondly desiring to hide his weakness1 and accomplish the object of his heart4 ,we find no cry of humility1 no tear of penitence1 no looking upward4 ,ah1 no2 we find not any thing but what is in full keeping with his entire course4 ,he died as he had lived--doing evil in the sight of the ,lord4 ,how fruitless were his efforts to prop himself up6 ,death had seized upon him2 and though he struggled for a time to keep up an appearance1 yet about the time of the sun going down he died4 ,terrible end6--the end of one who had sold himself to work wickedness4 ,who would be the votary of the world8 ,who that valued a life of simplicity and purity would mix himself up with its pursuits and habits8 ,who that valued a peaceful and happy termination of his career would link himself with its destinies8 ,dear ,christian reader1 let us1 with the ,lord's help1 endeavor to shake off the world's influence1 and purge ourselves from its ways4 ,we have no idea how insidiously it creeps in upon us4 ,the enemy at first weans from really simple and ,christian habits1 and by degrees we drop into the current of the world's thoughts4 ,oh that we may1 with more holy jealousy and tenderness of conscience1 watch against the approach of evil1 lest the solemn statement of the prophet should apply to us1 ,her ,nazarites were purer than snow1 they were whiter than milk1 they were more ruddy in body than rubies1 their polishing was of sapphire3 7but such is the sorrowful change1 that7 their visage is blacker than a coal1 they are not known in the streets1 their skin cleaveth to their bones2 it is withered1 it is become like a stick6 ,we shall now look a little at chap4 xix4 ,here we see some blessed results from all that ,jehoshaphat had passed through4 ,he returned to his house in peace to ,jerusalem4 ,happy escape6 ,the ,lord's hand had interposed for him1 and delivered him from the snare of the fowler1 and1 we may say1 he would no doubt have his heart full of gratitude to ,him who had so made him to differ from ,ahab1 though he had said1 ,i am as thou art4 ,ahab had gone down to his grave in shame and degradation1 while ,jehoshaphat returned to his house in peace4 ,but what a lesson he had learned6 ,how solemn to think of his having been so near the brink of the precipice6 ,yet the ,lord had a controversy with him about what he had done4 ,though ,he allowed him to return in peace to ,jerusalem1 and did not suffer the enemy to hurt him1 ,he would speak to his conscience about his sin2 ,he would bring him aside from the field of battle1 to deal with him in private4 ,and ,jehu1 the son of ,hanani the seer1 went out to meet him1 and said to king ,jehoshaphat1 ',shouldst thou help the ungodly1 and love them that hate the ,lord8 therefore is wrath upon thee from before the ,lord4 ,this was a solemn appeal1 and it produced its own effect4 ,jehoshaphat went out again through the people1 from ,beersheba to mount ,ephraim1 and brought them back unto the ,lord ,god of their fathers4 ,when thou art converted1 strengthen thy brethren4 ,thus did ,peter2 thus too did king ,jehoshaphat2 and blessed is it when lapses and failings lead1 through the ,lord's tender mercy1 to such a result4 ,nothing but divine grace can ever produce this4 ,when1 after beholding ,jehoshaphat surrounded by the ,syrian captains 7chap4 xviii471 we find him here going out through the length and breadth of the land to instruct his brethren in the fear of the ,lord1 we can only exclaim1 ,what hath ,god wrought6 ,but he was just the man for such a work4 ,it is one who has felt in his own person the terrible fruits of a careless spirit that can most effectually say1 ,take heed what ye do4 ,a restored ,peter1 who had himself denied the ,holy ,one1 was the chosen vessel to go and charge others with having done the same1 and to offer them that precious blood which had cleansed his conscience from the guilt of it4 ,so likewise the restored ,jehoshaphat came from the battle of ,ramoth-gilead to sound in the ears of his brethren with solemn emphasis1 ,take heed what ye do4 ,he that had just escaped from the snare could best tell what it was1 and tell how to avoid it4 ,and mark the special feature in the ,lord's character which engaged ,jehoshaphat's attention3 ,there is no iniquity with the ,lord our ,god1 nor respect of persons1 nor taking of gifts4 ,now his snare seems to have been the gift of ,ahab3 ,ahab slew sheep and oxen for him in abundance1 and for the people he had with him1 and persuaded him to go up with him to ,ramoth-gilead4 ,he allowed his heart to be warmed by ,ahab's gift1 and was thereby the more easily swayed by ,ahab's arguments4 ,just as ,peter accepted the compliment of being let into the high-priest's fire1 and1 being warmed thereby1 denied his ,lord4 ,we can never canvass1 with spiritual coolness1 the world's arguments and suggestions1 while we are breathing its atmosphere1 or accepting its compliments4 ,we must keep outside and independent of it1 and thus we shall find ourselves in a better position to reject its proposals1 and triumph over its allurements4 ,but it is instructive to mark how ,jehoshaphat1 after his restoration1 dwells upon that feature in the divine character from the lack of which he had so grievously failed4 ,communion with ,god is the great safeguard against all temptation2 for there is no sin to which we are tempted1 of which we cannot find the opposite in ,god2 and we can only avoid evil by communion with good4 ,this is a very simple but deeply practical truth4 ,had ,jehoshaphat been in fellowship with ,god1 he could not have sought fellowship with ,ahab4 ,and may we not say this is the only divine way in which to look at the question of worldly association4 ,let us ask ourselves1 ,can our association with the world go hand in hand with our fellowship with ,god8 ,this is really the question4 ,it is a miserable thing to ask1 ,may ,i not partake of all the benefits of the name of ,christ1 and yet dishonor that name by mixing myself up with the people of the world1 and taking common ground with them8 ,how easily the matter is settled when we bring it into the divine presence1 and under the searching power of the truth of ,god3 ,shouldst thou help the ungodly1 and love them that hate the ,lord8 ,truth strips off all the false covering which a heart out of communion is wont to throw around things4 ,it is only when it casts its unerring beams on our path that we see things in their true character4 ,mark the way in which divine truth exposed the actings of ,ahab and ,jezebel4 ,jezebel would fain put a fair cloak on her shocking wickedness3 ,arise1 said she1 and take possession of the vineyard of ,naboth the ,jezreelite1 which he refused to give thee for money2 for ,naboth is not alive but dead4 ,such was her way of putting the matter4 ,but how did the ,lord view it8 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ',hast thou killed1 and also taken possession' 7in other words1 ,hast thou committed murder and robbery87 ,god deals with realities4 ,in ,his estimation1 men and things get their proper place and value2 there is no gilding1 no affectation1 no assumption--all is real4 ,just so was it with ,jehoshaphat2 his scheme which might in human estimation be regarded as a religious one1 was in the divine judgment pronounced to be simply a helping of the ungodly1 and loving them that hated the ,lord4 ,while men might applaud him1 there was wrath upon him from before the ,lord4 ,however1 ,jehoshaphat had to be thankful for the salutary lesson which his fall had taught him2 it had taught him to walk more in the fear of the ,lord1 and caused him to impress that more upon others also4 ,this was doing not a little4 ,true1 it was a sad and painful way to learn2 but it is well when we learn even by our falls1--it is well when we can tell even by painful experience the terrible evil of being mixed up with the world4 ,would to ,god we all felt it more6 ,would that we more walked in the solemn apprehension of the defiling nature of all worldly association1 and of our own tendency to be defiled thereby6 we should then be more efficient teachers of others6 we should be able to say1 with somewhat more weight1 ,take heed what ye do2 and again1 ,deal courageously1 and the ,lord shall be with the good4 ,in chap4 xx4 we find ,jehoshaphat in far more healthful circumstances than in chap4 xviii4 ,he is here seen under trial from the hand of the enemy3 ,it came to pass after this also1 that the children of ,moab1 and the children of ,ammon1 and with them others beside the ,ammonites1 came against ,jehoshaphat to battle4 ,we are in far less apprehension for ,jehoshaphat when we behold him the object of the enemy's hostilities than when we beheld him the subject of ,ahab's kindness and hospitality4 ,and very justly so2 for in the one case he is about to be cast simply on the ,god of ,israel1 whereas in the other he was about to fall into the snare of ,satan4 ,the proper place for the man of ,god is to be in positive opposition to the enemies of the ,lord1 and not in conjunction with them4 ,we never can count upon divine sympathy or guidance when we join with the enemies of the ,lord4 ,hence we observe what an empty thing it was of ,jehoshaphat to ask counsel of the ,lord in a matter which he knew to be wrong4 ,not so1 however1 in the scene before us4 ,he is really in earnest when he sets himself to seek the ,lord1 and proclaims a fast throughout all ,judah4 ,this is real work4 ,there is nothing like trial from the hand of the world for driving the saint into a place of separation from it4 ,when the world smiles1 we are in danger of being attracted2 but when it frowns1 we are driven away from it into our stronghold2 and this is both happy and healthful4 ,jehoshaphat did not say to a ,moabite or an ,ammonite1 ,i am as thou art4 ,no2 he knew well this was not so1 for they would not let him think so4 ,and how much better it is to know our true position in reference to the world6 ,there are three special points in ,jehoshaphat's address to the ,lord 7vv4 #f-ab74 #a4 ,the greatness of ,god4 #b4 ,the oath to ,abraham about the land4 #c4 ,the attempt of the enemy to drive the seed of ,abraham out of that land4 ,the prayer is most precious and instructive--full of divine intelligence4 ,he makes it altogether a question between the ,god of ,abraham and the children of ,ammon1 ,moab1 and ,mount ,seir4 ,this is what faith ever does1 and the issue will ever be the same4 ,they come1 says he1 to cast us out of ,thy possession1 which ,thou hast given us to inherit4 ,how simple6 ,they would take what ,thou hast given6 ,this was putting it1 as it were1 upon ,god to maintain ,his own covenant4 ,o our ,god1 wilt ,thou not judge them8 for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us2 neither know we what to do2 but our eyes are upon ,thee4 ,surely1 we may say1 victory was already secured to one who could thus deal with ,god4 ,and so ,jehoshaphat felt4 ,for when he had consulted with the people1 he appointed singers unto the ,lord1 and that should praise the beauty of holiness1 as they went out before the army1 and to say1 ,praise the ,lord2 for ,his mercy endureth forever4 ,nothing but faith could raise a song of praise before even the battle had begun ,faith counts the promise sure4 ,and as it had enabled ,abraham to believe that ,god would put his seed into the possession of ,canaan1 so it enabled ,jehoshaphat to believe that ,he would keep them therein1 and he therefore did not need to wait for victory in order to praise2 he already stood in the full results of victory4 ,faith could say1 ,thou hast guided them in ,thy strength unto ,thy holy habitation1 though they had but just entered upon the wilderness4 ,but what a strange sight it must have been for the enemies of ,jehoshaphat1 to see a band of men with musical instruments instead of weapons in their hands4 ,it was something of the same principle of warfare as that adopted by ,hezekiah afterward1 when he clothed himself in sackcloth instead of armor4 7,isa4 xxxvii4 #a47ac ,yes1 it was the same1 for both had been trained in the same school1 and both fought under the same banner4 ,would that our warfare with the present age--with its habits1 manners1 and maxims--were more conducted on the same principle4 ,above all1 taking the shield of faith1 wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one4 #ac ,the proud king of ,assyria was at the gates of ,jerusalem with a mighty conquering host1 and one would naturally expect to find ,hezekiah in the midst of his men of war1 buckling on his armor1 girding on his sword1 mounting his chariot2 but no2 ,hezekiah was different from most kings and captains1--he had found out a place of strength which was quite unknown to ,sennacherib--he had discovered a field of battle in which he could conquer without striking a blow4 ,and mark the armor with which he girds himself3 ',and it came to pass1 when ,hezekiah heard it1 that he rent his clothes1 and covered himself with sackcloth1 and went into the house of the ,lord4' ,here was the armor in which the king of ,judah was about to cope with the king of ,assyria4 ,strange armor6--the armor of the sanctuary4 ,what would ,sennacherib have said had he seen this8 ,he had never met such an antagonist before--he had never come in contact with a man who1 instead of covering himself with a coat of mail1 would cover himself with sackcloth2 and instead of rushing forth into the field of battle in his chariot1 would fall upon his knees in the temple4 ,this would have appeared a novel mode of warfare in the eyes of the king of ,assyria4 ,he had met the kings of ,hamath and ,arphad1 etc42 but if he had1 it was upon his own principle1 and in his own way2 but he had never encountered such an antagonist as ,hezekiah4 ,in fact1 what gave the latter such uncommon power in this contest was the feeling that he was nothing--that an 'arm of flesh' was of no avail2--in a word1 that it was just ,jehovah or nothing4 ,this is specially seen in the act of spreading the letter before the ,lord4 ,hezekiah was enabled by faith to retire out of the scene1 and make it altogether a question between ,jehovah and the king of ,assyria4 ,it was not ,sennacherib and ,hezekiah1 but ,sennacherib and ,jehovah4 ,this tells us the meaning of the sackcloth4 ,hezekiah felt himself to be utterly helpless1 and he took the place of helplessness4 ,he tells the ,lord that the king of ,assyria had reproached ,him2 he calls upon ,him to vindicate ,his own glorious name1 feeling assured that in so doing ,he would deliver ,his people4 ,mark1 then1 this wondrous scene4 ,repair to the sanctuary1 and there behold one poor1 weak1 solitary man on his knees1 pouring out his soul to ,him who dwelt between the cherubim4 ,no military preparations1--no reviewing of troops3 the elders of the priests1 covered with sackcloth1 pass to and fro from ,hezekiah to the prophet ,isaiah3 all is apparent weakness4 ,on the other hand1 see a mighty conqueror leading on a numerous army flushed with victory1 eager for spoil4 ,surely1 one might say1 speaking after the manner of men1 all is over with ,hezekiah and ,jerusalem6--surely ,sennacherib and his proud host will swallow up in a moment such a feeble band6 ,and observe1 further1 the ground which ,sennacherib takes in all this4 7,isa4 xxxvi4 #d-g47 ,here we observe that ,sennacherib makes the very reformation which ,hezekiah had effected a ground of reproach2 thus leaving him1 as he vainly thought1 no resting-place or foundation for his confidence4 ,again1 he says1 ',am ,i come up without the ,lord against this land to destroy it8 ,the ,lord said unto me1 ,go up against this land1 and destroy it4' 7v4 #aj7 ,this was indeed putting ,hezekiah's faith to the test3 faith must pass through the furnace4 ,it will not do to say that we trust in the ,lord2 we must prove that we do1 and that too when every thing apparently is against us4 ,how1 then1 does ,hezekiah meet all these lofty words8 ,in the silent dignity of faith4 ',the king's commandment was1 saying1 ,answer him not4' 7v4 #ba47 ,such was the king's bearing in the eyes of the people2 yea1 rather1 such is ever the bearing of faith3 calm1 self-possessed1 dignified1 in the presence of man2 while1 at the same time1 ready to sink into the very dust in self-abasement in the presence of ,god4 ,the man of faith can say to his fellow1 ',stand still1 and see the salvation of ,god6' and1 at the same moment1 send up to ,god the cry of conscious weakness4 7,see ,ex4 xiv4 #ac-ae47 ,so it was with the king of ,judah at this solemn and trying crisis4 ,hearken to him while1 in the retirement of the sanctuary1 shut in with ,god1 he pours out the anxieties of his soul in the ear of ,one who was willing to hear and ready to help4 7,chap4 xxxvii4 #ae-bj47--7,practical ,reflections on the ,life and ,times of ,hezekiah47 ,what a contrast between ,jehoshaphat personating ,ahab at ,ramoth-gilead1 and standing with the ,lord against his enemies the ,moabites6 ,yes1 what a contrast1 in every particular6 ,his mode of seeking help and guidance of the ,lord was different1 his mode of proceeding to battle was different2 and oh1 how different too the end6 ,instead of being well-nigh overwhelmed by the enemy1 and crying out in the depth of his distress and danger1 we find him joining in a loud chorus of praise to the ,god of his fathers1 who had given him a victory without his striking a blow1--who had made his enemies destroy one another1 and who had graciously conducted him from the dark valley of ,achor into the valley of ,berachah4 ,blessed contrast6 ,may it lead us to seek a more decided path of separation1 and of abiding dependence on the ,lord's grace and faithfulness4 ,the valley of ,berachah1 or praise1 is ever the place into which the ,spirit of ,god would conduct2 but ,he cannot lead us thither when we join ourselves with the ,ahabs of this world1 for the purpose of carrying out their schemes4 ,the word is1 ,come out from among them1 and be ye separate1 saith the ,lord1 and touch not the unclean thing2 and ,i will receive you1 and will be a ,father unto you1 and ye shall be ,my sons and daughters1 saith the ,lord ,almighty4 7#b ,cor4 vi4 #ag1 #ah47 ,it is wonderful how worldliness hinders1 yea1 rather destroys1 a spirit of praise2 it is positively hostile to such a spirit1 and1 if indulged in1 it will either lead to deep anguish of soul1 or to the most thorough and open abandonment of all semblance of godliness4 ,in ,jehoshaphat's case1 it was happily the former4 ,he was humbled1 restored1 and led into larger blessedness4 ,but it would be sad indeed were any one to plunge into worldliness with the hope that it might lead to an issue similar to that of ,jehoshaphat4 ,vain1 presumptuous hope6 ,sinful expectation6 ,who that valued a pure1 calm1 and peaceful walk could for a moment entertain it8 ,the ,lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation1 but shall we1 on that account1 go and deliberately plunge ourselves into it8 ,god forbid6 ,yet1 ah6 who can sound the depths of the human heart--its profound1 malignant depths8 ,who can disentangle its complicated mazes8 ,could any one imagine that ,jehoshaphat would again1 after such solemn lessons1 join himself with the ungodly1 to further their ambitious1 or rather their avaricious1 schemes8 ,no one could imagine it1 save one who had learned something of his own heart4 ,yet so he did4 ,he joined himself with ,ahaziah1 king of ,israel1 who did very wickedly4 ,and he joined himself with him1 to make ships to go to ,tarshish2 and they made the ships in ,ezion-gaber4 ,then ,eliezer1 the son of ,dodavah of ,mareshah1 prophesied against ,jehoshaphat1 saying1 ',because thou hast joined thyself with ,ahaziah1 the ,lord hath broken thy works4' ,and the ships were broken1 and they were not able to go to ,tarshish4 7vv4 #ce-cg47 ,what is man6 ,a poor1 stumbling1 failing1 halting creature2 ever rushing into some new folly or evil4 ,jehoshaphat had1 as it were1 but just recovered from the effects of his association with ,ahab1 and he forthwith joins himself with ,ahaziah4 ,he had with difficulty1 or rather through the special and most gracious interference of the ,lord1 escaped from the arrows of the ,syrians1 and again we find him in league with the kings of ,israel and ,edom1 to fight against the ,moabites4 ,such was ,jehoshaphat--such his extraordinary course4 ,there were some good things found in him2 but his snare was1 worldly association2 and the lesson which we learn from the consideration of his history is1 to beware of that evil4 ,yes2 we would need to have sounded in our ears1 with ceaseless solemnity1 the words1 ,,come ,,out1 ,,and ,,be ,,separate4 ,we cannot1 by any possibility1 mix ourselves up with the world1 and allow ourselves to be governed and led by its maxims and principles1 without suffering in our own souls1 and marring our testimony4 ,i would only remark1 in conclusion1 that it seems like a relief to the spirit to read the words1 ,jehoshaphat slept with his fathers 7chap4 xxi4 #a71 as we feel assured1 that he has at last got beyond the reach of the enemy's snares and devices2 and further1 that he comes under the ,spirit's benediction1 ,blessed are the dead which die in the ,lord2 for they rest from their labors1--yes1 a rest from their conflicts1 snares1 and temptations also4 ,,life ,,and ,,times ,,of ,,josiah 7#b ,chron4 xxxiv41 xxxv47 ,two thousand four hundred years have rolled away since king ,josiah lived and reigned2 but his history is pregnant with instruction1 which can never lose its freshness or its power4 ,the moment at which he ascended the throne of his fathers was one of peculiar gloom and heaviness4 ,the tide of corruption1 swollen by many a tributary stream1 had risen to the highest point2 and the sword of judgment1 long held back in divine patience and long-suffering1 was about to fall in terrible severity upon the city of ,david4 ,the brilliant reign of ,hezekiah had been followed by a long and dreary period of fifty-five years under the sway of his son ,manasseh2 and albeit the rod of correction had proved effectual in leading this great sinner to repentance and amendment1 yet no sooner had the sceptre fallen from his hand than it was seized by his godless and impenitent son ,amon1 who did that which was evil in the sight of the ,lord1 as did ,manasseh his father3 for ,amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which ,manasseh his father had made1 and served them2 and humbled not himself before the ,lord1 as ,manasseh his father had humbled himself3 but ,amon trespassed more and more4 ,and his servants conspired against him1 and slew him in his own house4444 ,and the people of the land made ,josiah his son king in his stead 7#b ,chron4 xxxiii4 #bb-be74 ,thus1 then1 ,josiah1 a child of eight years1 found himself on the throne of ,david1 surrounded by the accumulated evils and errors of his father and his grandfather--yea1 by forms of corruption which had been introduced by no less a personage than ,solomon himself4 ,if the reader will just turn for a moment to #b ,kings xxiii41 he will find a marvelous picture of the condition of things at the opening of ,josiah's history4 ,there were idolatrous priests1 whom the kings of ,judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places1 in the cities of ,judah1 and in the places round about ,jerusalem2 those also that burned incense unto ,baal1 to the sun1 and to the moon1 and to the planets1 and to all the host of heaven4 ,reader1 ponder this6 ,only think of kings of ,judah1 successors of ,david1 ordaining priests to burn incense to ,baal6 ,bear in mind too that each of these kings of ,judah was responsible to write him a copy of the book of the law1 which he was to keep by him1 and in which he was to read all the days of his life1 that he may learn to fear the ,lord his ,god1 to keep all the words of this law1 and those statutes to do them4 7,see ,deut4 xvii4 #ah1 #ai47 ,alas6 alas6 how sadly had they departed from all the words of the law1 when they could actually set about ordaining priests to burn incense to false gods6 ,but further1 there were horses that the kings of ,judah had given to the sun1 and that1 moreover1 at the entering in of the house of the ,lord1 and chariots of the sun1 and high places which ,solomon the king of ,israel had builded for ,ashtoreth the abomination of the ,zidonians1 and for ,chemosh the abomination of the ,moabites1 and for ,milcom the abomination of the children of ,ammon4 ,all this is most solemn1 and worthy of the serious consideration of the ,christian reader4 ,we certainly ought not to pass it over as a mere fragment of ancient history4 ,it is not as though we were reading the historic records of ,babylon1 of ,persia1 of ,greece1 or of ,rome4 ,we should not marvel at the kings of those nations burning incense to ,baal1 ordaining idolatrous priests1 and worshiping the host of heaven2 but when we see kings of ,judah1 the sons and successors of ,david1 children of ,abraham1 men who had access to the book of the law of ,god1 and who were responsible to make that book the subject of their profound and constant study1--when we see such men falling under the power of dark and debasing superstition1 it sounds in our ears a warning voice1 to which we cannot with impunity refuse to give heed4 ,we should bear in mind that all these things have been written for our learning2 and although it may be said that we are not in danger of being led to burn incense to ,baal1 or to worship the host of heaven1 yet we may be assured we have need to attend to the admonitions and warnings with which the ,holy ,ghost has furnished us in the history of ,god's ancient people4 ,now all these things happened unto them for ensamples2 and they are written for our admonition1 on whom the ends of the ages have come 7#a ,cor4 x4 #aa74 ,these words of the inspired apostle1 though directly referring to the actings of ,israel in the wilderness1 may nevertheless apply to the entire history of that people--a history fraught with the deepest instruction from first to last4 ,but how are we to account for all those gross and terrible evils into which ,solomon and his successors were drawn8 ,what was their origin8 ,,neglect ,,of ,,the ,,word ,,of ,,god4 ,this was the source of all the mischief and all the sorrow4 ,let professing ,christians remember this2 let the whole ,church of ,god remember it4 ,the neglect of the ,holy ,scriptures was the fruitful source of all those errors and corruptions which blot the page of ,israel's history1 and which brought down upon them many heavy strokes of ,jehovah's governmental rod4 ,concerning the works of men1 by the word of ,thy lips1 ,i have kept me from the paths of the destroyer 7,psa4 xvii4 #d74 ,from a child thou hast known the ,holy ,scriptures1 which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,all ,scripture is given by inspiration of ,god1 and is profitable for doctrine1 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction in righteousness1 that the man of ,god may be perfect 1 throughly furnished unto all good works 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #ae-ag74 ,in these two precious quotations we have the word of ,god presented in its twofold virtue2 it not only perfectly preserves us from evil1 but perfectly furnishes us unto all good1--it keeps us from the paths of the destroyer1 and guides us in the ways of ,god4 ,how important1 then1 is the study--the diligent1 earnest1 prayerful study of ,holy ,scripture6 ,how needful to cultivate a spirit of reverential submission1 in all things1 to the authority of the word of ,god6 ,mark how continually and how earnestly this was impressed upon the ancient people of ,god4 ,how often were such accents as the following sounded in their ears6--,now therefore harken1 ,o ,israel1 unto the statutes and unto the judgments which ,i teach you1 for to do them1 that ye may live1 and go in and possess the land which the ,lord ,god of your fathers giveth you4 ,ye shall not add unto the word which ,i command you1 neither shall ye diminish aught from it1 that ye may keep the commandments of the ,lord your ,god which ,i command you4444 ,behold1 ,i have taught you statutes and judgments1 even as the ,lord my ,god commanded me1 that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it4 ,keep1 therefore1 and do them2 for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations1 which shall hear all the statutes1 and say1 ,surely1 this great nation is a wise and understanding people4 ,for what nation is there so great1 who hath ,god so nigh unto them1 as the ,lord our ,god is in all things that we call upon ,him for8 ,and what nation is there so great1 that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law1 which ,i set before you this day8 ,only take heed to thyself1 and keep thy soul diligently1 lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen1 and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life2 but teach them thy sons1 and thy sons' sons 7,deut4 iv4 #a-i74 ,let it be carefully noticed here1 that wisdom and understanding consist simply in having the commandments of ,god treasured in the heart4 ,this1 moreover1 was to be the basis of ,israel's moral greatness1 in view of the nations around them4 ,it was not the learning of the schools of ,egypt1 or of the ,chaldeans4 ,no2 it was the knowledge of the word of ,god1 and attention thereto--the spirit of implicit obedience in all things to the holy statutes and judgments of the ,lord their ,god4 ,this was ,israel's wisdom2 this their true and real greatness2 this their impregnable bulwark against every foe--their moral safeguard against every evil4 ,and does not the self-same thing hold good with respect to ,god's people at the present moment8 ,is not obedience to the word of ,god our wisdom1 our safeguard1 and the foundation of all true moral greatness8 ,assuredly4 ,our wisdom is to obey4 ,the obedient soul is wise1 safe1 happy1 and fruitful4 ,as it was1 so it is4 ,if we study the history of ,david and his successors1 we shall find 7without so much as a single exception7 that those who yielded obedience to the commandments of ,god were safe1 happy1 prosperous1 and influential4 ,and so it will ever be4 ,obedience will always yield its own precious and fragrant fruits1--not that its fruits should be our motive for rendering obedience2 we are called to be obedient1 irrespective of everything4 ,now it is obvious that in order to be obedient to the word of ,god1 we must be acquainted with it1 and in order to be acquainted with it1 we must carefully study it4 ,and how should we study it8 ,with an earnest desire to understand its contents1 with profound reverence for its authority1 and with an honest purpose to obey its dictates1 cost what it may4 ,if we have grace to study ,scripture in some small degree after this fashion1 we may expect to grow in knowledge and wisdom4 ,but alas6 there is a fearful amount of ignorance of ,scripture in the professing ,church4 ,we are deeply impressed with a sense of this2 and we may as well1 at this point1 just tell the reader that our main object in calling his attention to the subject of ,josiah and his times is to wake up in his soul an intense desire after a closer acquaintance with ,god's holy ,word1 and a more entire bowing down of his whole moral being--heart1 conscience1 and understanding--to that perfect standard4 ,we feel the commanding importance of this subject1 and we must discharge what we believe to be a sacred duty to the souls of our readers and to the truth of ,god4 ,the powers of darkness are abroad4 ,the enemy is succeeding to an appalling extent in drawing hearts after various forms of error and evil1 in casting dust in the eyes of ,god's people1 and in blinding the minds of men4 ,true we have not got ,ashtoreth1 ,chemosh1 and ,milcom2 but we have ritualism1 infidelity1 spiritualism1 etc4 ,we have not to cry against burning incense to ,baal1 and worshiping the host of heaven1 but we have something far more ensnaring and dangerous4 ,we have the ritualist1 with his sensuous and attractive rites and ceremonies2 we have the rationalist1 with his learned and plausible reasonings2 we have the spiritualist1 with his boasted converse with the spirits of the departed1--and what multitude of other delusions and insidious attacks upon the truth6 ,we doubt if the minds of ,christians generally are alive to the real character and extent of these formidable influences4 ,there are at this moment millions of souls throughout the length and breadth of the professing ,church who are building their hopes for eternity upon the sandy foundation of ordinances1 rites1 and ceremonies4 ,there is a very marked return to the traditions of the fathers1 as they are called2 an intense longing after those things which gratify the senses--music1 painting1 architecture1 vestments1 lights1 incense1--all the appliances1 in short1 of a gorgeous and sensuous religion4 ,the theology1 the worship1 and the discipline of the various churches of the ,reformation are found insufficient to meet the religious cravings of the people4 ,they are too severely simple to satisfy hearts that long for something tangible on which to lean for support and comfort--something to feed the senses1 and fan the flame of devotion4 ,hence the strong tendency of the religious mind in the direction of what is called ritualism4 ,if the soul has not got hold of the truth1 if there is not the living link with ,christ1 if the supreme authority of ,holy ,scripture be not set up in the heart1 there is no safeguard against the powerful and fascinating influences of ceremonial religiousness4 ,the most potent efforts of mere intellectualism1 eloquence1 logic1 all the varied charms of literature1 are found to be utterly insufficient to hold that class of minds to which we are now referring4 ,they must have the forms and offices of religion2 to these they will flock2 around these they will gather2 on these they will build4 ,it is painfully interesting to mark the efforts put forth in various quarters to act upon the masses and keep the people together4 ,it is very evident to the thoughtful ,christian that those who put forth such efforts must be sadly deficient in that profound faith in the power of the ,word of ,god and of the cross of ,christ which swayed the heart of the apostle ,paul4 ,they cannot be fully aware of the solemn fact that ,satan's grand object is to keep souls in ignorance of divine revelation1 to hide from them the glory of the cross and of the person of ,christ4 ,for this end he is using ritualism1 rationalism1 and spiritualism now1 just as he used ,ashtoreth1 ,chemosh1 and ,milcom in the days of ,josiah4 ,there is nothing new under the sun4 ,the devil has ever hated the truth of ,god1 and he will leave no stone unturned to keep it from acting on the heart of man4 ,hence it is that he has rites and ceremonies for one man1 the powers of reason for another2 and when men tire of both1 and begin to sigh for something satisfying1 he leads them into converse and communion with the spirits of the departed4 ,by all alike are souls led away from the ,holy ,scriptures1 and from the blessed ,saviour which those ,scriptures reveal4 ,it is solemn and affecting beyond expression to think of all this1 and not less so to contemplate the lethargy and indifference of those who profess to have the truth4 ,we do not stop to inquire what it is that ministers to this lethargic state of many professors4 ,that is not our object4 ,we desire1 by the grace of ,god1 to see them thoroughly roused out of it1 and to this end it is that we call their attention to the influences that are abroad1 and to the only divine safeguard against them4 ,we cannot but feel deeply for our children1 growing up in such an atmosphere as that which at present surrounds us1 and which will become yet darker and darker4 ,we long to see more earnestness on the part of ,christians in seeking to store the minds of the young with the precious and soul-saving knowledge of the word of ,god4 ,the child ,josiah1 and the child ,timothy1 should incite us to greater diligence in the instruction of the young1 whether in the bosom of the family1 in the ,sunday-school1 or in any way we can reach them4 ,it will not do for us to fold our arms1 and say1 ,when ,god's time comes1 our children will be converted2 and till then1 our efforts are useless4 ,this is a fatal mistake4 ,god is a rewarder of them that diligently seek ,him4 7,heb4 xi47 ,he blesses our prayerful efforts in the instruction of our children4 ,and further1 who can estimate the blessing of being early led in the right way--of having the character formed amid holy influences1 and the mind stored with what is true and pure and lovely8 ,on the other hand1 who will undertake to set forth the evil consequences of allowing our children to grow up in ignorance of divine things8 ,who can portray the evils of a polluted imagination--of a mind stored with vanity1 folly1 and falsehood--of a heart familiarized from infancy with scenes of moral degradation8 ,we do not hesitate to say that ,christians incur very heavy and awful responsibility in allowing the enemy to preoccupy the minds of their children at the very period when they are most plastic and susceptible4 ,true1 there must be the quickening power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it is as true of the children of ,christians as of any other that they must be born again4 ,we all understand this4 ,but does this fact touch the question of our responsibility in reference to our children8 ,is it to cripple our energies or hinder our earnest efforts8 ,assuredly not4 ,we are called upon by every argument1 divine and human1 to shield our precious little ones from every evil influence1 and to train them in that which is holy and good4 ,and not only should we so act in respect to our own children1 but also in respect to the thousands around us1 who are like sheep having no shepherd1 and who may each say1 alas1 with too much truth1 ,no man careth for my soul4 ,may the foregoing pages be used by ,god's ,spirit to act powerfully on the hearts of all who may read them1 that so there may be a real awakening to a sense of our high and holy responsibilities to the souls around1 and a shaking off of that terrible deadness and coldness over which we all have to mourn4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,in studying the history of ,josiah and his times1 we learn one special and priceless lesson1 namely1 the value and authority of the word of ,god4 ,it would be utterly impossible for human language to set forth the vast importance of such a lesson--a lesson for every age1 for every clime1 for every condition--for the individual believer and for the whole ,church of ,god4 ,the supreme authority of ,holy ,scripture should be deeply impressed on every heart4 ,it is the only safeguard against the many forms of error and evil which abound on every hand4 ,human writings1 no doubt1 have their value2 they may interest the mind as a reference1 but they are perfectly worthless as authority4 ,we need to remember this4 ,there is a strong tendency in the human mind to lean upon human authority4 ,hence it has come to pass that millions throughout the professing ,church have virtually been deprived altogether of the word of ,god1 from the fact that they have lived and died under the delusion that they could not know it to be the word of ,god apart from human authority4 ,now this is1 in reality1 throwing the word of ,god overboard4 ,if that ,word is of no avail without man's authority1 then1 we maintain1 it is not ,god's ,word at all4 ,it does not matter1 in the smallest degree1 what the authority is1 the effect is the same4 ,god's ,word is declared to be insufficient without something of man to give the certainty that it is ,god that is speaking4 ,this is a most dangerous error1 and its root lies far deeper in the heart than many of us are aware4 ,it has often been said to us1 when quoting passages of ,scripture1 ,how do you know that that is the word of ,god8 ,what is the point of such a question8 ,plainly to overthrow the authority of the ,word4 ,the heart that could suggest such an inquiry does not want to be governed by ,holy ,scripture at all4 ,the will is concerned4 ,here lies the deep secret4 ,there is the consciousness that the ,word condemns something that the heart wants to hold and cherish1 and hence the effort to set the ,word aside altogether4 ,but how are we to know that the book which we call the ,bible is the word of ,god8 ,we reply1 ,it carries its own credentials with it4 ,it bears its own evidence upon every page1 in every paragraph1 in every line4 ,true1 it is only by the teaching of the ,holy ,spirit1 the divine ,author of the book1 that the evidence can be weighed and the credentials appreciated4 ,but we do not want man's voice to accredit ,god's book2 or1 if we do1 we are most assuredly on infidel ground as regards divine revelation4 ,if ,god cannot speak directly to the heart--if ,he cannot give the assurance that it is ,he ,himself who speaks1 then where are we8 whither shall we turn8 ,if ,god cannot make ,himself heard and understood1 can man do it better8--can he improve upon ,god8 ,can man's voice give us more certainty8 ,can the authority of the ,church1 the decrees of general councils1 the judgment of the fathers1 the opinion of the doctors1 give us more certainty than ,god ,himself8 ,if so1 we are just as completely at sea--just as thoroughly in the dark as though ,god had not spoken at all4 ,of course1 if ,god has not spoken1 we are completely in the dark2 but if ,he has spoken1 and yet we cannot know ,his voice without man's authority to accredit it1 where lies the difference8 ,is it not plain to the reader of these lines that if ,god in ,his great mercy has given us a revelation1 it must be sufficient of itself2 and on the other hand1 that any revelation which is not sufficient of itself cannot possibly be divine8 ,and further1 is it not equally plain that if we cannot believe what ,god says because ,he says it1 we have no safer ground to go upon when man presumes to affix his accrediting seal8 ,let us not be misunderstood4 ,what we insist upon is this3 the all-sufficiency of a divine revelation apart from and above all human writings--ancient1 medival1 or modern4 ,we value human writings2 we value sound criticism2 we value profound and accurate scholarship2 we value the light of true science and philosophy2 we value the testimony of pious travelers who have sought to throw light upon the sacred text2 we value all those books that open up to us the intensely interesting subject of biblical antiquities2 in short1 we value everything that tends to aid us in the study of the ,holy ,scriptures3 but after all1 we return with deeper emphasis to our assertion as to the all-sufficiency and supremacy of the word of ,god4 ,that ,word must be received on its own divine authority1 without any human recommendation1 or else it is not the word of ,god to us4 ,we believe that ,god can give us the certainty in our own souls that the ,holy ,scriptures are1 in very deed1 ,his own word4 ,if ,he does not give it1 no man can2 and if ,he does1 no man need4 ,thus the inspired apostle says to his son ,timothy1 ,continue thou in the things which thou hast learned1 and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned2 and that from a child thou hast known the ,holy ,scriptures1 which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in ,christ ,jesus 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #ad1 #ae74 ,how did ,timothy know that the ,holy ,scriptures were the word of ,god8 ,he knew it by divine teaching4 ,he knew of whom he had learned4 ,here lay the secret4 ,there was a living link between his soul and ,god1 and he recognized in ,scripture the very voice of ,god4 ,thus it must ever be4 ,it will not do merely to be convinced in the intellect1 by human arguments1 human evidences1 and human apologies1 that the ,bible is the word of ,god2 we must know its power in the heart and on the conscience by divine teaching2 and when this is the case1 we shall no more need human proofs of the divinity of the book than we need a rushlight at noonday to prove that the sun is shining4 ,we shall then believe what ,god says because ,he says it1 and not because man accredits it1 nor because we feel it4 ,abraham believed ,god1 and it was counted unto him for righteousness4 ,he did not want to go to the ,chaldeans1 or to the ,egyptians1 in order to find out from them if what he had heard was in reality the word of ,god4 ,no1 no2 he knew whom he had believed1 and this gave him holy stability4 ,he could say1 beyond all question1 ,god has established a link between my soul and ,himself1 by means of ,his ,word1 which no power of earth or hell can ever snap4 ,this is the true ground for every believer--man1 woman1 or child1 in all ages and under all circumstances4 ,this was the ground for ,abraham and ,josiah1 for ,luke and ,theophilus1 for ,paul and ,timothy2 and it must be the ground for the writer and the reader of these words1 else we shall never be able to stand against the rising tide of infidelity1 which is sweeping away the very foundations on which thousands of professors are reposing4 ,however1 we may well inquire1 can a merely national profession1 a hereditary faith1 an educational creed1 sustain the soul in the presence of an audacious skepticism that reasons about everything and believes nothing8 ,impossible6 ,we must be able to stand before the skeptic1 the rationalist1 and the infidel1 and say1 in all the calmness and dignity of a divinely wrought faith1 ,i know whom ,i have believed4 ,then we shall be little moved by such books as1 ,the ,phases of ,faith1 ,essays and ,reviews1 ,broken ,lights1 ,ecce ,homo1 or ,colenso4 ,they will be no more to us than gnats in the sunshine4 ,they cannot hide from our souls the heavenly beams of our ,father's revelation4 ,god has spoken1 and ,his voice reaches the heart4 ,it makes itself heard above the din and confusion of this world1 and all the strife and controversy of professing ,christians4 ,it gives rest and peace1 strength and fixedness1 to the believing heart and mind4 ,the opinions of men may perplex and confound4 ,we may not be able to thread our way through the labyrinths of human systems of theology2 but ,god's voice speaks in ,holy ,scripture--speaks to the heart--speaks to me4 ,this is life and peace4 ,it is all ,i want4 ,human writings may now go for what they are worth1 seeing ,i have all ,i want in the ever-flowing fountain of inspiration--the peerless1 precious volume of my ,god4 ,but let us now turn to ,josiah1 and see how all that we have been dwelling upon finds its illustration in his life and times4 ,josiah was eight years old when he began to reign 7#b ,chron4 xxxiv4 #a74 ,this tells a tale as to the condition and ways of ,god's people4 ,josiah's father had been murdered by his own servants1 after a brief and evil reign of two years1 in the twenty-fourth year of his age4 ,such things ought not to have been4 ,they were the sad fruit of sin and folly--the humiliating proofs of ,judah's departure from ,jehovah4 ,but ,god was above all2 and although we should not have expected ever to find a child of eight years of age on the throne of ,david1 yet that child could find his sure resource in the ,god of his fathers3 so that in this case1 as in all others1 where sin abounded1 grace did much more abound4 ,the very fact of ,josiah's youth and inexperience only afforded an occasion for the display of divine grace1 and the setting forth of the value and the power of the word of ,god4 ,this pious child was placed in a position of peculiar difficulty and temptation4 ,he was surrounded by errors in various forms and of long standing2 but he did that which was right in the sight of the ,lord1 and walked in the ways of ,david his father1 and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left4 ,for in the eighth year of his reign1 while he was yet young1 he began to seek after the ,god of ,david his father3 and in the twelfth year began to purge ,judah and ,jerusalem from the high places1 and the groves1 and the carved images1 and the molten images4 ,this was a good beginning4 ,it is a great matter1 while the heart is yet tender1 to have it impressed with the fear of the ,lord4 ,it preserves it from a host of evils and errors4 ,the fear of the ,lord is the beginning of wisdom1 and it taught this pious youth to know what was right1 and to adhere to it with unswerving fixedness of purpose4 ,there is great force and value in the expression1 ,he did that which was right in the sight of the ,lord4 ,it was not that which was right in his own eyes1 nor yet in the eyes of the people1 nor in the eyes of those that had gone before him2 but simply what was right in the sight of the ,lord4 ,this is the solid foundation of all right action4 ,until the fear of the ,lord gets its true place in the heart1 there can be nothing right1 nothing wise1 nothing holy4 ,how can there be1 if indeed that fear is the beginning of wisdom8 ,we may do many things through the fear of man1 many things through force of habit1 through surrounding influences2 but never can we do what is really right in the sight of the ,lord until our hearts are brought to understand the fear of ,his holy name4 ,this is the grand regulating principle4 ,it imparts seriousness1 earnestness1 and reality--rare and admirable qualities6 ,it is an effectual safeguard against levity and vanity4 ,a man1 or a child1 who habitually walks in the fear of ,god is always earnest and sincere1 always free from trifling and affectation1 from assumption and bombast1 life has a purpose1 the heart has an object1 and this gives intensity to the whole course and character4 ,but further1 we read of ,josiah that he walked in the ways of ,david his father1 and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left4 ,what a testimony for the ,holy ,ghost to bear concerning a young man6 ,how we do long for this plain decision6 ,it is invaluable at all times1 but especially in a day of laxity and latitudinarianism--of false liberality and spurious charity like the present4 ,it imparts great peace of mind4 ,a vacillating man is never peaceful2 he is always tossed to and fro4 ,a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways4 ,he tries to please everybody1 and in the end pleases nobody4 ,the decided man1 on the contrary1 is he who feels he has to please but ,one4 ,this gives unity and fixedness to the life and character4 ,it is an immense relief to be thoroughly done with men-pleasing and eye-service--to be able to fix the eye upon the ,master alone1 and go on with ,him through evil report and through good report4 ,true1 we may be misunderstood and misrepresented2 but that is a very small matter indeed2 our great business is to walk in the divinely appointed path1 declining neither to the right hand nor to the left4 ,we are convinced that plain decision is the only thing for the servant of ,christ at the present moment2 for so surely as the devil finds us wavering1 he will bring every engine into play in order to drive us completely off the plain and narrow path4 ,may ,god's ,spirit work more mightily in our souls1 and give us increased ability to say1 ,my heart is fixed1 ,o ,god2 my heart is fixed3 ,i will sing and give praise4 ,we shall now proceed to consider the great work which ,josiah was raised up to accomplish2 but ere doing so1 we must ask the reader to notice particularly the words already referred to1 namely1 ,in the eighth year of his reign1 while he was yet young1 he began to seek after the ,god of ,david his father4 ,here1 we may rest assured1 lay the true basis of all ,josiah's valuable service4 ,he began by seeking after ,god4 ,let young ,christians ponder this deeply4 ,hundreds1 we fear1 have made shipwreck by rushing prematurely into work4 ,they have become occupied and engrossed with their service before the heart was rightly established in the fear and love of ,god4 ,this is a very serious error indeed1 and we have met numbers1 within the last few years1 who have fallen into it4 ,we should ever remember that those whom ,god uses much in public ,he trains in secret2 and further1 that all ,his most honored servants have been more occupied with their ,master than with their work4 ,it is not that we undervalue work2 by no means2 but we do find that all those who have been signally owned of ,god1 and who have pursued a long and steady course of service and ,christian testimony1 have begun with much deep and earnest heart-work1 in the secret of the divine presence4 ,and on the other hand1 we have noticed that when men have rushed prematurely into public work--when they began to teach before they had begun to learn1 they have speedily broken down and gone back4 ,it is well to remember this4 ,god's plants are deeply rooted1 and often slow of growth4 ,josiah began to seek ,god four years before he began his public work4 ,there was in his case a firm ground-work of genuine personal piety1 on which to erect the superstructure of active service4 ,this was most needful4 ,he had a great work to do4 ,high places and groves1 carved images and molten images1 abounded on all hands1 and called for no ordinary faithfulness and decision4 ,where were these to be had8 ,in the divine treasury1 and there alone4 ,josiah was but a child1 and many of those who had introduced the false worship were men of years and experience4 ,but he set himself to seek the ,lord4 ,he found his resource in the ,god of his father ,david4 ,he betook himself to the fountain-head of all wisdom and power1 and there gathered up strength wherewith to gird himself for what lay before him4 ,this1 we repeat1 was most needful2 it was absolutely indispensable4 ,the accumulated rubbish of ages and generations lay before him4 ,one after another of his predecessors had added to the pile2 and notwithstanding the reformation effected in the days of ,hezekiah1 it would seem as though all had to be done over again4 ,harken to the following appalling catalogue of evils and errors3 ,in the twelfth year1 ,josiah began to purge ,judah and ,jerusalem from the high places1 and the groves1 and the carved images1 and the molten images4 ,and they break down the altars of ,baalim in his presence2 and the images that were on high above them he cut down2 and the groves1 and the carved images1 and the molten images1 he brake in pieces1 and made dust of them1 and strewed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them4 ,and he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars1 and cleansed ,judah and ,jerusalem4 ,and so did he in the cities of ,manasseh and ,ephraim and ,simeon1 even unto ,naphtali1 with their mattocks round about4 ,and when he had broken down the altars and the groves1 and had beaten the graven images into powder1 and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of ,israel1 he returned to ,jerusalem4 ,see also the narrative given in #b ,kings xxiii1 where we have a much more detailed list of the abominations with which this devoted servant of ,god had to grapple4 ,we do not quote any further4 ,enough has been given to show the fearful lengths to which even the people of ,god may go when once they turn aside1 in the smallest measure1 from the authority of ,holy ,scripture4 ,we feel that this is one special lesson to be learned from the deeply interesting history of this best of ,judah's kings1 and we fondly trust it may be learned effectually4 ,it is indeed a grand and all-important lesson4 ,the moment a man departs1 the breadth of a hair1 from ,scripture1 there is no accounting for the monstrous extravagance into which he may rush4 ,we may feel disposed to marvel how such a man as ,solomon could ever be led to build high places for ,ashtoreth the abomination of the ,zidonians1 and for ,chemosh the abomination of the ,moabites1 and for ,milcom the abomination of the children of ,ammon4 ,but then we can easily see how that having in the first place disobeyed the word of his ,lord in going to those nations for wives1 he easily enough fell into the deeper error of adopting their worship4 ,but1 ,christian reader1 let us remember that all the mischief1 all the corruption and confusion1 all the shame and dishonor1 all the reproach and blasphemy1 had its origin in the neglect of the word of ,god4 ,we cannot possibly ponder this fact too deeply4 ,it is solemn1 impressive1 and admonitory beyond expression4 ,it has ever been a special design of ,satan to lead ,god's people away from ,scripture4 ,he will use anything and everything for this end--tradition1 the ,church so-called1 expediency1 human reason1 popular opinion1 reputation and influence1 character1 position1 and usefulness--all those he will use in order to get the heart and conscience away from that one golden sentence--that divine1 eternal motto1 ,,it ,,is ,,written4 ,all that enormous pile of error which our devoted young monarch was enabled to grind into dust1 and beat into powder--all1 all had its origin in the gross neglect of this most precious sentence4 ,it mattered little to ,josiah that all these things could boast of antiquity1 and the authority of the fathers of the ,jewish nation4 ,neither was he moved by the thought that these altars and high places1 these groves and images1 might be regarded as proofs of largeness of heart1 breadth of mind1 and a liberality of spirit that spurned all narrowness1 bigotry1 and intolerance--that would not be confined within the narrow bounds of ,jewish prejudice1 but could travel forth through the wide1 wide world1 and embrace all in a circle of charity and brotherhood4 ,none of these things1 we are persuaded1 moved him4 ,if they were not based upon ,thus saith the ,lord1 he had but one thing to do with them1 and that was to beat them into powder4 ,,part ,,iii4 ,the various periods in the life of ,josiah are very strongly marked4 ,in the eighth year of his reign1 he began to seek after the ,god of ,david his father2 in the twelfth year he began to purge ,judah and ,jerusalem2 and in the eighteenth year of his reign1 when he had purged the land and the house1 he sent ,shaphan the son of ,azaliah1 and ,maaseiah the governor of the city1 and ,joah the son of ,joahaz the recorder1 to repair the house of the ,lord his ,god4 ,now in all this we can mark that progress which ever results from a real purpose of heart to serve the ,lord4 ,the path of the just is as a shining light1 which shineth more and more unto the perfect day4 ,such was the path of ,josiah2 and such1 too1 may be the path of the reader1 if only he is influenced by the same earnest purpose4 ,it does not matter what the circumstances may be4 ,we may be surrounded by the most hostile influences1 as ,josiah was in his day2 but a devoted heart1 an earnest spirit1 a fixed purpose1 will1 through grace1 lift us above all1 and enable us to press forward from stage to stage of the path of true discipleship4 ,if we study the first twelve chapters of the book of ,jeremiah1 we shall be able to form some idea of the condition of things in the days of ,josiah4 ,there we meet with such passages as the following3 ,i will utter ,my judgments against them touching all their wickedness1 who have forsaken ,me1 and have burned incense unto other gods1 and worshiped the works of their own hands4 ,thou therefore gird up thy loins1 and arise1 and speak unto them all that ,i command thee3 be not dismayed at their faces1 lest ,i confound thee before them4 ,wherefore ,i will yet plead with you1 saith the ,lord1 and with your children's children will ,i plead4 ,for pass over the isles of ,chittim1 and see2 and send unto ,kedar1 and consider diligently1 and see if there be such a thing4 ,hath a nation changed their gods1 which are yet no gods8 but ,my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit4 ,so also in the opening of chap4 iii41 we find the most terrible imagery used to set forth the base conduct of backsliding ,israel and treacherous ,judah4 ,harken to the following glowing language in chap4 iv43 ,thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee2 this is thy wickedness1 because it is bitter1 because it reacheth unto thy heart4 ,my bowels6 my bowels6 ,i am pained at my very heart2 my heart maketh a noise in me2 ,i cannot hold my peace1 because thou hast heard1 ,o my soul1 the sound of the trumpet1 the alarm of war4 ,destruction upon destruction is cried2 for the whole land is spoiled3 suddenly are my tents spoiled1 and my curtains in a moment4 ,how long shall ,i see the standard1 and hear the sound of the trumpet8 ,for ,my people are foolish1 they have not known ,me2 they are sottish children1 and they have none understanding3 they are wise to do evil1 but to do good they have no knowledge4 ,i beheld the earth1 and1 lo it was without form and void2 and the heavens1 and they had no light4 ,i beheld the mountains1 and1 lo1 they trembled1 and all the hills moved lightly4 ,i beheld1 and1 lo1 there was no man1 and all the birds of the heavens were fled4 ,i beheld1 and1 lo1 the fruitful place was a wilderness1 and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the ,lord1 and by ,his fierce anger4 ,what vivid language6 ,the whole scene seems1 in the vision of the prophet1 reduced to primval chaos and darkness4 ,in short1 nothing could be more gloomy than the aspect here presented4 ,the whole of these opening chapters should be carefully studied1 if we would form a correct judgment of the times in which ,josiah's lot was cast4 ,they were evidently times characterized by deep-seated and wide-spread corruptions1 in every shape and form4 ,high and low1 rich and poor1 learned and ignorant1 prophets1 priests1 and people--all presented an appalling picture of hollowness1 deceit1 and heartless wickedness1 which could only be faithfully portrayed by an inspired pen4 ,but why dwell upon this8 ,why multiply quotations in proof of the low moral condition of ,israel and ,judah in the days of king ,josiah8 ,mainly to show that1 no matter what may be our surroundings1 we can individually serve the ,lord1 if only there be the purpose of heart to do so4 ,indeed1 it is in the very darkest times that the light of true devotedness shines forth most brightly4 ,it is thrown into relief by the surrounding gloom4 ,the very circumstances which indolence and unfaithfulness would use as a plea for yielding to the current will only furnish a devoted spirit with a plea for making head against it4 ,if ,josiah had looked around him1 what would he have seen8 ,treachery1 deceit1 corruption1 and violence4 ,such was the state of public morals4 ,and what of religion8 ,errors and evils in every imaginable shape4 ,some of these were hoary with age4 ,they had been instituted by ,solomon and left standing by ,hezekiah4 ,their foundations had been laid amid the splendors of the reign of ,israel's wisest and wealthiest monarch1 and the most pious and devoted of ,josiah's predecessors had left them as they found them4 ,who1 then1 was ,josiah1 that he should presume to overturn such venerable institutions8 ,what right had he1 a mere youth1 raw and inexperienced1 to set himself in opposition to men so far beyond him in wisdom1 intelligence1 and mature judgment8 ,why not leave things as he found them8 ,why not allow the current to flow peacefully on through those channels which had conducted it for ages and generations8 ,disruptions are hazardous4 ,there is always great risk in disturbing old prejudices4 ,these and a thousand kindred questions might doubtless have exercised the heart of ,josiah2 but the answer was simple1 direct1 clear and conclusive4 ,it was not the judgment of ,josiah against the judgment of his predecessors1 but it was the judgment of ,god against all4 ,this is a most weighty principle for every child of ,god and every servant of ,christ4 ,without it1 we can never make head against the tide of evil which is flowing around us4 ,it was this principle which sustained ,luther in the terrible conflict which he had to wage with the whole of ,christendom4 ,he too1 like ,josiah1 had to lay the axe to the root of old prejudices1 and shake the very foundation of opinions and doctrines which had held almost universal sway in the ,church for over a thousand years4 ,how was this to be done8 ,was it by setting up the judgment of ,martin ,luther against the judgment of popes and cardinals1 councils and colleges1 bishops and doctors8 ,assuredly not4 ,this would never have brought about the ,reformation4 ,it was not ,luther versus ,christendom1 but ,holy ,scripture versus ,error4 ,reader1 ponder this6 ,yes1 ponder it deeply4 ,we feel it is a grand and all-important lesson for this moment1 as it surely was for the days of ,luther and for the days of ,josiah4 ,we long to see the supremacy of ,holy ,scripture--the paramount authority of the word of ,god--the absolute sovereignty of divine revelation reverently owned throughout the length and breadth of the ,church of ,god4 ,we are convinced that the enemy is diligently seeking1 in all quarters and by all means1 to undermine the authority of the ,word1 and to weaken its hold upon the human conscience4 ,and it is because we feel this that we seek to raise1 again and again1 a note of solemn warning1 as also to set forth1 according to our ability1 the vital importance of submitting1 in all things1 to the inspired testimony--the voice of ,god in ,scripture4 ,it is not sufficient to render a merely formal assent to that popular statement1 ,the ,bible1 and the ,bible alone1 is the religion of ,protestants4 ,we want more than this4 ,we want to be1 in all things1 absolutely governed by the authority of ,scripture--not by our fellow-mortal's interpretation of ,scripture1 but by ,scripture itself4 ,we want to have the conscience in a condition to yield1 at all times1 a true response to the teachings of the divine ,word4 ,this is what we have so vividly illustrated in the life and times of ,josiah1 and particularly in the transactions of the eighteenth year of his reign1 to which we shall now call the reader's attention4 ,this year was one of the most memorable1 not only in the history of ,josiah1 but in the annals of ,israel4 ,it was signalized by two great facts1 namely1 the discovery of the book of the law and the celebration of the feast of the ,passover4 ,stupendous facts6--facts which have left their impress upon this most interesting period1 and rendered it pre-eminently fruitful in instruction to the people of ,god in all ages4 ,it is worthy of note that the discovery of the book of the law was made during the progress of ,josiah's reformatory measures4 ,it affords one of the ten thousand proofs of that great practical principle that to him that hath shall more be given2 and again1 ,if any man will do ,his will1 he shall know of the doctrine4 ,now in the eighteenth year of his reign1 when he had purged the land and the house1 he sent ,shaphan the son of ,azaliah1 and ,maaseiah the governor of the city1 and ,joah the son of ,joahaz the recorder1 to repair the house of the ,lord his ,god4 ,and when they came to ,hilkiah the priest1 they delivered the money that was brought into the house of ,god4444 ,and when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the ,lord1 ,hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the ,lord given by ,moses4 ,and ,hilkiah the priest answered and said to ,shaphan the scribe1 ,i have found the book of the law in the house of the ,lord4 ,and ,hilkiah delivered the book to ,shaphan4 ,and ,shaphan carried the book to the king4444 ,and ,shaphan read it before the king4 ,and it came to pass1 when the king had heard the words of the law1 that he rent his clothes 7#b ,chron4 xxxiv4 #h-ai74 ,here we have a tender conscience bowing under the action of the word of ,god4 ,this was one special charm in the character of ,josiah4 ,he was1 in truth1 a man of a humble and contrite spirit1 who trembled at the word of ,god4 ,would that we all knew more of this6 ,it is a most valuable feature of the ,christian character4 ,we certainly do need to feel much more deeply the weight1 authority1 and seriousness of ,scripture4 ,josiah had no question whatever in his mind as to the genuineness and authenticity of the words which ,shaphan had read in his hearing4 ,we do not read of his asking1 ,how am ,i to know that this is the word of ,god8 ,no2 he trembled at it2 he bowed before it2 he was smitten down under it2 he rent his garments4 ,he did not presume to sit in judgment upon the word of ,god1 but1 as was meet and right1 he allowed the ,word to judge him4 ,thus it should ever be4 ,if man is to judge ,scripture1 then ,scripture is not the word of ,god at all2 but if ,scripture is in very truth the word of ,god1 then it must judge man4 ,and so it is and so it does4 ,scripture is the word of ,god1 and it judges man thoroughly4 ,it lays bare the very roots of his nature--it opens up the foundations of his moral being4 ,it holds up before him the only faithful mirror in which he can see himself perfectly reflected4 ,this is the reason why man does not like ,scripture--cannot bear it--seeks to set it aside--delights to pick holes in it--dares to sit in judgment upon it4 ,it is not so in reference to other books4 ,men do not trouble themselves so much to discover and point out flaws and discrepancies in ,homer or ,herodotus1 ,aristotle or ,shakespeare4 ,no2 but ,scripture judges them--judges their ways1 their lusts4 ,hence the enmity of the natural mind to that most precious and marvelous ,book1 which1 as we have already remarked1 carries its own credentials with it to every divinely prepared heart4 ,there is a power in ,scripture which must bear down all before it4 ,all must bow down under it1 sooner or later4 ,the word of ,god is quick and powerful1 and sharper than any two-edged sword1 piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit1 and of the joints and marrow1 and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart4 ,neither is there any creature that is not manifest in ,his sight2 but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of ,him with whom we have to do 7,heb4 iv4 #ab1 #ac74 ,josiah found it to be even so4 ,the word of ,god pierced him through and through4 ,and it came to pass1 when the king had heard the words of the law1 that he rent his clothes4 ,and the king commanded ,hilkiah1 and ,ahikam the son of ,shaphan1 and ,abdon the son of ,micah1 and ,shaphan the scribe1 and ,asaiah a servant of the king's1 saying1 ,go inquire of the ,lord for me1 and for them that are left in ,israel and in ,judah1 concerning the words of the book that is found2 for great is the wrath of the ,lord that is poured out upon us1 because our fathers have not kept the word of the ,lord1 to do after all that is written in this book4 ,what a striking contrast between ,josiah1 with contrite heart1 exercised conscience1 and rent garments1 bowing down under the mighty action of the word of ,god1 and our modern skeptics and infidels1 who1 with appalling audacity1 dare to sit in judgment upon that very same ,word6 ,oh that men would be wise in time1 and bow their hearts and consciences in reverent submission to the word of the living ,god before that great and terrible day of the ,lord in the which they shall be compelled to bow1 amid weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth4 ,god's word shall stand forever1 and it is utterly vain for man to set himself up in opposition to it1 or seek by his reasonings and skeptical speculations to find out errors and contradictions in it4 ,forever1 ,o ,lord1 ,thy word is settled in heaven4 ,heaven and earth shall pass away1 but ,my words shall not pass away4 ,the word of the ,lord endureth forever4 ,of what possible use is it1 therefore1 for man to resist the word of ,god8 ,he can gain nothing2 but oh6 what may he lose8 ,if man could prove the ,bible false1 what should he gain8 but if it be true after all1 what does he lose8 ,a serious inquiry6 ,may it have its weight with any reader whose mind is at all under the influence of rationalistic or infidel notions4 ,we shall now proceed with our history4 ,and ,hilkiah and they that the king had appointed went to ,huldah the prophetess1 the wife of ,shallum the son of ,tikvath1 the son of ,hasrah1 keeper of the wardrobe2 7now she dwelt in ,jerusalem1 in the college27 and they spake to her to that effect4 ,at the opening of this paper we referred to the fact of a child of eight years old being on the throne of ,david as indicative of the condition of things amongst the people of ,god4 ,here1 too1 we are arrested by the fact that the prophetic office was filled by a woman4 ,it surely tells a tale4 ,things were low2 but the grace of ,god was unfailing and abundant1 and ,josiah was so thoroughly broken down that he was prepared to receive the communication of the mind of ,god through whatever channel it might reach him4 ,this was morally lovely4 ,it might1 to nature's view1 seem very humiliating for a king of ,judah to have recourse to a woman for counsel2 but then that woman was the depositary of the mind of ,god1 and this was quite enough for a humble and a contrite spirit like ,josiah's4 ,he had thus far proved that his one grand desire was to know and do the will of ,god1 and hence it mattered not by what vehicle the voice of ,god was conveyed to his ear1 he was prepared to hear and obey4 ,christian reader1 let us consider this4 ,we may rest assured that herein lies the true secret of divine guidance4 ,the meek will ,he guide in judgment1 and the meek will ,he teach ,his way 7,ps4 xxv4 #i74 ,were there more of this blessed spirit of meekness among us1 there would be less confusion1 less controversy1 less striving about words to no profit4 ,if we were all meek1 we should all be divinely guided and divinely taught1 and thus we should see eye to eye2 we should be of one mind1 and speak the same thing1 and avoid much sad and humbling division and heart-burning4 ,see what a full answer the meek and contrite ,josiah received from ,huldah the prophetess--an answer both as to his people and as to himself4 ,and she answered them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god of ,israel1 ,tell ye the man that sent you to me1 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,behold1 ,i will bring evil upon this place1 and upon the inhabitants thereof1 even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of ,judah4 ,because they have forsaken ,me1 and have burned incense unto other gods1 that they might provoke ,me to anger with all the works of their hands2 therefore ,my wrath shall be poured out upon this place1 and shall not be quenched4 ,all this was but the solemn reiteration and establishment of what had already fallen upon the open and attentive ear of the king of ,judah2 but then it came with fresh force1 emphasis1 and interest1 as a direct personal communication to himself4 ,it came enforced and enhanced by that earnest sentence1 ,tell ye the man that sent you to me4 ,but there was more than this4 ,there was a gracious message directly concerning ,josiah himself4 ,and as for the king of ,judah1 who sent you to inquire of the ,lord1 so shall ye say unto him1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god of ,israel concerning the words which thou hast heard3 ,,because ,,thy ,,heart ,,was ,,tender1 and thou didst humble thyself before ,god when thou heardest ,his words against this place1 and against the inhabitants thereof1 and humbledst thyself before ,me1 and didst rend thy clothes and weep before ,me2 ,i have even heard thee also1 saith the ,lord4 ,behold1 ,i will gather thee to thy fathers1 and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace1 neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that ,i will bring upon this place and upon the inhabitants of the same4 ,so they brought the king word again 7#b ,chron4 xxxiv4 #bc-bh74 ,all this is full of instruction and encouragement for us in this dark and evil day4 ,it teaches us the immense value1 in the divine estimation1 of deep personal exercise of soul and contrition of heart4 ,josiah might have deemed the case hopeless--that nothing could avert the mighty tide of wrath and judgment which was about to roll over the city of ,jerusalem and the land of ,israel--that any movement of his must prove utterly unavailing--that the divine purpose was settled--the decree gone forth1 and that1 in short1 he had only to stand by and let things take their course4 ,but ,josiah did not reason thus4 ,no2 he bowed before the divine testimony4 ,he humbled himself1 rent his clothes1 and wept4 ,god took knowledge of this4 ,josiah's penitential tears were precious to ,jehovah1 and though the appalling judgment had to take its course1 yet the penitent escaped4 ,and not only did he himself escape1 but he became the honored instrument in the ,lord's hand of delivering others also4 ,he did not abandon himself to the influence of a pernicious fatalism1 but in brokenness of spirit and earnestness of heart he cast himself upon ,god1 confessing his own sins and the sins of his people4 ,and then1 when assured of his own personal deliverance1 he set himself to seek the deliverance of his brethren also4 ,this is a fine moral lesson for the heart4 ,may we learn it thoroughly4 ,,part ,,iv ,it is deeply interesting and instructive to mark the actings of ,josiah when his heart and conscience had been brought under the powerful influence of the word of ,god4 ,he not only bowed down under that ,word himself1 but he sought to lead others to bow likewise4 ,this must ever be the case where the work is real4 ,it is impossible for a man to feel the weight and solemnity of truth and not seek to bring others under its action4 ,no doubt a quantity of truth may be held in the intellect--held superficially--held in a merely speculative1 notional way2 but this will have no practical effect2 it does not tell upon the heart and conscience after a divine1 living fashion2 it does not affect the life and character4 ,and inasmuch as it does not affect our own souls1 neither will our mode of presenting it be very likely to act with much power upon others4 ,true1 ,god is sovereign1 and ,he may use ,his own ,word even when spoken by one who has never really felt its influence2 but we are speaking now of what may properly and naturally be looked for2 and we may rest assured that the best way in which to make others feel deeply is to feel deeply ourselves4 ,take any truth you please4 ,take1 for example1 the glorious truth of the ,lord's coming4 ,how is a man most likely to affect his hearers by the presentation of this truth8 ,unquestionably by being deeply affected himself4 ,if the heart be under the power of that solemn word1 the ,lord is at hand1--if this fact be realized in all its solemnity as to the world1 and in its sweet attractiveness as to the believer individually and the ,church collectively1 then it will assuredly be presented in a way calculated to move the hearts of the hearers4 ,it is easy to see when a man feels what he is saying4 ,there may be a very clear and clever exposition of the doctrine of the second advent1 and of all the collateral truths2 but if it be cold and heartless1 it will fall powerless on the ears of the audience4 ,in order to speak to hearts1 on any subject1 the heart of the speaker must feel it4 ,what was it that gave such power to ,whitefield's discourses8 ,it was not the depth or the range of truth contained in them1 as is manifest to any intelligent reader4 ,no4 ,the secret of their mighty efficacy lay in the fact that the speaker felt what he was saying4 ,whitefield wept over the people1 and no marvel if the people wept under ,whitefield4 ,he must be a hardened wretch indeed who can sit unmoved under a preacher who is shedding tears for his soul's salvation4 ,let us not be misunderstood4 ,we do not mean to say that anything in a preacher's manner can of itself convert a soul4 ,tears cannot quicken3 earnestness cannot regenerate4 ,it is not by might1 nor by power1 but by ,my ,spirit1 saith the ,lord4 ,it is only by the powerful action of the ,word and ,spirit of ,god that any soul can be born again4 ,all this we fully believe1 and would ever bear in mind2 but at the same time1 we as fully believe and would also bear in mind that ,god blesses earnest preaching1 and souls are moved by it4 ,we have far too much mechanical preaching--too much routine work--too much of what may justly be called going through a service4 ,we want more earnestness1 more depth of feeling1 more intensity1 more power to weep over the souls of men1 a more influential and abiding sense of the awful doom of impenitent sinners1 the value of an immortal soul1 and the solemn realities of the eternal world4 ,we are told that the famous ,garrick was once asked by a bishop how it was that he produced far more powerful results by his fiction than the bishop could by preaching truth4 ,the reply of the actor is full of force4 ,my lord1 said he1 the reason is obvious3 ,i speak fiction as though it were truth1 whereas you speak truth as though it were fiction4 ,alas6 it is much to be feared that too many of us speak truth in the same way1 and hence the little result4 ,we are persuaded that earnest1 faithful preaching is one of the special wants of this our day4 ,there are a few here and there1 thank ,god1 who seem to feel what they are at--who stand before their audience as those who consider themselves as channels of communication between ,god and their fellows--men who are really bent on their work--bent1 not merely on preaching and teaching1 but on saving and blessing souls4 ,the grand business of the evangelist is to bring the soul and ,christ together2 the business of the teacher and pastor is to keep them together4 ,true it is1 most blessedly true1 that ,god is glorified and ,jesus ,christ magnified by the unfolding of truth1 whether men will hear or whether they will forbear2 but is this fact to be allowed to interfere1 in the smallest degree1 with the ardent desire for results in reference to souls8 ,we do not for a moment believe it4 ,the preacher should look for results1 and should not be satisfied without them4 ,he should no more think of being satisfied to go on without results than the husbandman thinks of going on from year to year without a crop4 ,some preachers there are who only succeed in preaching their hearers away1 and then they content themselves by saying1 ,we are a sweet savor to ,god4 ,now1 we believe this is a great mistake1 and a fatal delusion4 ,what we want is to live before ,god for the results of our work--to wait upon ,him--to agonize in prayer for souls--to throw all our energies into the work--to preach as though the whole thing depended upon us1 although knowing full well that we can do just nothing1 and that our words must prove as the morning cloud if not fastened as a nail in a sure place by the ,master of assemblies4 ,we are convinced that1 in the divine order of things1 the earnest workman must have the fruit of his labor2 and that according to his faith1 so shall it be4 ,there may be exceptions1 but as a general rule1 we may rest assured that a faithful preacher1 will1 sooner or later1 reap fruit4 ,we have been drawn into the foregoing line of thought while contemplating the interesting scene in the life of ,josiah presented to us at the close of #b ,chronicles xxxiv4 ,it will be profitable for us to dwell upon it4 ,josiah was a man thoroughly in earnest4 ,he felt the power of truth in his own soul1 and he could not rest satisfied until he gathered the people around him1 in order that the light which had shone upon him might shine upon them likewise4 ,he did not1 he could not1 rest in the fact that he was to be gathered to his grave in peace--that his eyes were not to see the evil that was coming upon ,jerusalem--that he was to escape the appalling tide of judgment which was about to roll over the land4 ,no2 he thought of others1 he felt for the people around him2 and inasmuch as his own personal escape stood connected with and based upon his true penitence and humiliation under the mighty hand of ,god1 so he would seek1 by the action of that ,word which had wrought so powerfully in his own heart1 to lead others to like penitence and humiliation4 ,then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of ,judah and ,jerusalem4 ,and the king went up into the house of the ,lord1 and all the men of ,judah1 and the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 and the priests1 and the ,levites1 and all the people1 great and small2 and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the ,lord4 ,and the king stood in his place1 and made a covenant before the ,lord1 to walk after the ,lord1 and to keep ,his commandments and ,his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul1 to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book4 ,and he caused all that were present in ,jerusalem and ,benjamin to stand to it4 ,and the inhabitants of ,jerusalem did according to the covenant of ,god1 the ,god of their fathers4 ,and ,josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of ,israel1 and made all that were present in ,israel to serve1 even to serve the ,lord their ,god4 ,and all his days they departed not from following the ,lord1 the ,god of their fathers4 ,there is a fine moral lesson in all this for us--yea1 many lessons to which we1 with all our light1 knowledge1 and privilege1 may well sit down4 ,what first of all strikes us at this moment is the fact that ,josiah felt his responsibility to those around him4 ,he did not put his light under a bushel1 but rather allowed it to shine for the full benefit and blessing of others4 ,this is all the more striking1 inasmuch as that great practical truth of the unity of all believers in one body was not known to ,josiah1 because not revealed by ,god4 ,the doctrine contained in that one brief sentence1 ,there is one body and one ,spirit1 was not made known until long after the times of ,josiah1 even when ,christ the risen ,head had taken ,his seat at the right hand of the ,majesty in the heavens4 ,but although this truth was hid in ,god1 nevertheless there was the unity of the nation of ,israel4 ,there was a national unity1 though there was not the unity of a body2 and this unity was always recognized by the faithful1 whatever might be the outward condition of the people4 ,the twelve loaves on the table of show-bread in the sanctuary were the divine type of the perfect unity and yet the perfect distinctness of the twelve tribes4 ,the reader can see this in ,leviticus xxiv4 ,it is full of interest1 and should be deeply pondered by every student of ,scripture and every earnest lover of the ways of ,god4 ,during the dark and silent watches of the night1 the seven lamps of the golden candlestick threw their light upon the twelve loaves ranged by the hand of the high-priest according to the commandment of ,god upon the pure table4 ,significant figure6 ,it was on this grand truth that ,elijah the ,tishbite took his stand1 when on ,mount ,carmel he built an altar with twelve stones1 according to the number of the tribes of the sons of ,jacob1 unto whom the word of the ,lord came1 saying1 ',israel shall be thy name' 7#a ,kings xviii74 ,to this same truth ,hezekiah had regard when he commanded that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be made for all ,israel 7#b ,chron4 xxix4 #bd74 ,paul1 in his day referred to this precious truth1 when in the presence of king ,agrippa he spoke of our twelve tribes1 instantly serving ,god day and night 7,acts xxvi4 #g74 ,now1 if any one of those men of faith had been asked1 ,where are the twelve tribes8 could he have given an answer8 could he have pointed them out8 ,assuredly he could2 but not to sight--not to man's view1 for the nation was divided--its unity was broken4 ,in the days of ,elijah and ,hezekiah there were the ten tribes and the two2 and in the days of ,paul1 the ten tribes were scattered abroad1 and only a remnant of the two in the land of ,palestine1 under the dominion of ,daniel's fourth beast4 ,what then8 ,was the truth of ,god made of none effect by ,israel's outward condition8 ,far be the thought6 ,our twelve tribes must never be given up4 ,the unity of the nation is a grand reality to faith4 ,it is as true at this moment as when ,joshua pitched the twelve stones at ,gilgal4 ,the word of our ,god shall stand forever4 ,not one jot or tittle of aught that ,he has spoken shall ever pass away4 ,change and decay may mark the history of human affairs1--death and desolation may sweep like a withering blast over earth's fairest scenes1 but ,jehovah will make good ,his every word1 and ,israel's twelve tribes shall yet enjoy the promised land1 in all its length1 breadth1 and fulness4 ,no power of earth or hell shall be able to hinder this blessed consummation4 ,and why8 ,what makes us so sure8 ,how can we speak with such absolute certainty8 ,simply because the mouth of the ,lord hath spoken it4 ,we may be more sure that ,israel's tribes shall yet enjoy their fair inheritance in ,palestine than that the house of ,tudor once held sway in ,england4 ,the former we believe on the testimony of ,god1 who cannot lie2 the latter on the testimony of man only4 ,it is of the utmost importance that the reader should be clear as to this1 not only because of its special bearing upon ,israel and the land of ,canaan1 but also because it affects the integrity of ,scripture as a whole4 ,there is a loose mode of handling the word of ,god1 which is at once dishonoring to ,him and injurious to us4 ,passages which apply distinctly and exclusively to ,jerusalem and to ,israel are made to apply to the spread of the gospel and the extension of the ,christian ,church4 ,this1 to say the least of it1 is taking a very unwarrantable liberty with divine revelation4 ,our ,god can surely say what ,he means1 and as surely ,he means what ,he says2 hence1 when ,he speaks of ,israel and ,jerusalem1 ,he does not mean the ,church2 and when ,he speaks of the ,church1 ,he does not mean ,israel or ,jerusalem4 ,expositors the students of ,scripture should ponder this4 ,let no one suppose that it is merely a question of prophetic interpretation4 ,it is far more than this4 ,it is a question of the integrity1 value1 and power of the word of ,god4 ,if we allow ourselves to be loose and careless in reference to one class of scriptures1 we are likely to be loose and careless as to another1 and then our sense of the weight and authority of all ,scripture will be sadly enfeebled4 ,but we must return to ,josiah1 and see how he recognized1 according to his measure1 the great principle on which we have been dwelling4 ,he certainly proved no exception to the general rule1 namely1 that all the pious kings of ,judah had regard to the unity of the nation of ,israel1 and never suffered their thoughts1 their sympathies1 or their operations to be confined within any narrower range than our twelve tribes4 ,the twelve loaves on the pure table were ever before the eye of ,god and ever before the eye of faith4 ,nor was this a mere speculation--a none-practical dogma--a dead letter4 ,no2 it was in every case a great practical1 influential truth4 ,josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of ,israel4 ,this was acting in the fullest harmony with his pious predecessor1 ,hezekiah1 who commanded that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be made for all ,israel4 ,and now1 ,christian reader1 mark the application of all this to our own souls at this present moment4 ,do you heartily believe1 upon divine authority1 in the doctrine of the unity of the body of ,christ8 ,do you believe that there is such a body on this earth now1 united to its divine and living ,head in heaven by the ,holy ,ghost8 ,do you hold this great truth from ,god ,himself1 upon the authority of ,holy ,scripture8 ,do you1 in one word1 hold as a cardinal and fundamental truth of the ,new ,testament the indissoluble unity of the ,church of ,god8 ,do not turn round and ask1 ,where is this to be seen8 ,this is the question which unbelief must ever put1 as the eye rests upon ,christendom's numberless sects and parties1 and to which faith replies1 as the eye rests upon that imperishable sentence1 ,there is one body and one ,spirit4 ,mark the words6--,there is4 ,it does not say there was at one time and there shall be again one body4 ,neither does it say that such a thing exists in heaven4 ,no2 but it says1 ,there is one body and one ,spirit now on this earth4 ,can this truth be touched by the condition of things in the professing ,church8 ,has ,god's ,word ceased to be true because man has ceased to be faithful8 ,will any one undertake to say that the unity of the body was only a truth for apostolic times1 and that it has no application now1 seeing that there is no exhibition of it8 ,reader1 we solemnly warn you to beware how you admit into your heart a sentiment so entirely infidel as this4 ,rest assured it is the fruit of positive unbelief in ,god's ,word4 ,no doubt1 appearances argue against this truth2 but what truth is it against which appearances do not argue8 ,and say1 is it on appearances that faith ever builds8 ,did ,elijah build on appearances when he erected his altar of twelve stones1 according to the number of the tribes of the sons of ,jacob8 ,did king ,hezekiah build on appearances when he issued that fine commandment that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be made for all ,israel8 ,did ,josiah build on appearances when he carried his reformatory operations into all the countries that pertained to the children of ,israel8 ,surely not4 ,they built upon the faithful word of the ,god of ,israel4 ,that ,word was true whether ,israel's tribes were scattered or united4 ,if ,god's truth is to be affected by outward appearances1 or by the actings of men1 then where are we8 or what are we to believe8 ,the fact is1 there is hardly a truth in the entire compass of divine revelation to which we could with calm confidence commit our souls if we suffer ourselves to be affected by outward appearances4 ,no1 reader2 the only ground on which we can believe anything is this one eternal clause1 ,it is written6 ,do you not admit this8 ,does not your whole soul bow down to it8 ,do you not hold it to be a principle entirely vital8 ,we believe you do1 as a ,christian1 hold1 admit1 and reverently believe this4 ,well1 then1 it is written1 ,there is one body and one ,spirit 7,eph4 iv474 ,this is as clearly revealed in ,scripture as that we are justified by faith1 or any other truth4 ,do outward appearances affect the saving1 fundamental doctrine of justification by faith8 ,are we to call in question this precious truth because there is so little exhibition of its purifying power in the lives of believers8 ,who could admit such a fatal principle as this8 ,what a complete upturning of all the foundations of our faith is necessarily involved in the admission of this most mischievous line of reasoning6 ,we believe because it is written in the ,word1 not because it is exhibited in the world4 ,doubtless it ought to be exhibited1 and it is our sin and shame that it is not4 ,to this we shall afterward refer more fully2 but we must insist upon the proper ground of belief1 namely1 divine revelation2 and when this is clearly seen and fully admitted1 it applies as distinctly to the doctrine of the unity of the body as it does to the doctrine of justification by faith4 ,,part ,v ,we feel it to be of real moment to insist upon this principle1 namely1 that the only ground on which we can believe any doctrine is its being revealed in the divine ,word4 ,it is thus we believe all the great truths of ,christianity4 ,we know nothing and can believe nothing of what is spiritual1 heavenly1 or divine1 save as we find it revealed in the word of ,god4 ,how do ,i know ,i am a sinner8 ,because ,scripture hath declared that all have sinned4 ,no doubt ,i feel that ,i am a sinner2 but ,i do not believe because ,i feel1 but ,i feel because ,i believe1 and ,i believe because ,god has spoken4 ,faith rests upon divine revelation1 not on human feelings or human reasonings4 ,it is written is quite sufficient for faith4 ,it can do with nothing less1 but it asks nothing more4 ,god speaks3 faith believes4 ,yes1 it believes simply because ,god speaks4 ,it does not judge ,god's ,word by outward appearances1 but it judges outward appearances by the word of ,god4 ,thus it is in reference to all the cardinal truths of the ,christian religion1 such as the ,trinity1 the deity of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,his atonement1 ,his priesthood1 ,his advent1 the doctrine of original sin1 of justification1 judgment to come1 eternal punishment4 ,we believe these grand and solemn truths1 not on the ground of feeling1 of reason1 or of outward appearances1 but simply on the ground of divine revelation4 ,hence1 then1 if it be asked1 ,on what ground do we believe in the doctrine of the unity of the body8 we reply1 ,upon the self-same ground that we believe the doctrine of the ,trinity1 the deity of ,christ1 and the atonement4 ,we believe it because it is revealed in sundry places in the ,new ,testament4 ,thus1 for example1 in #a ,cor4 xii4 we read1 ,for as the body is one1 and hath many members1 and all the members of that one body1 being many1 are one body2 so also is ,christ4 ,for by one ,spirit are we all baptized into one body1 whether we be ,jews or ,gentiles1 whether we be bond or free2 and have been all made to drink into one ,spirit4 ,again1 ,god hath tempered the body together1 having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked1 that there should be no schism in the body4444 ,now1 ye are the body of ,christ1 and members in particular4 ,here we have distinctly laid down the perfect and indissoluble unity of the ,church of ,god1 the body of ,christ1 on precisely the same authority as any other truth commonly received amongst us2 so that there is just as much ground for calling in question the deity of ,christ as there is for calling in question the unity of the body4 ,the one is as true as the other2 and both are divinely true1 because divinely revealed4 ,we believe that ,jesus ,christ is ,god over all1 blessed forever1 because ,scripture tells us so2 we believe that there is one body because ,scripture tells us so4 ,we do not reason in the one case1 but believe and bow2 nor should we reason in the other case1 but believe and bow4 ,there is one body and one ,spirit4 ,now1 we must bear in mind that this truth of the unity of the body is not a mere abstraction--a barren speculation--a powerless dogma4 ,it is a practical1 formative1 influential truth1 in the light of which we are called to walk1 to judge ourselves and all around us4 ,it was so with the faithful in ,israel of old4 ,the unity of the nation was a real thing to them1 and not a mere theory to be taken up or laid down at pleasure4 ,it was a great formative1 powerful truth4 ,the nation was one in ,god's thoughts2 and if it was not manifestly so1 the faithful had only to take the place of self-judgment1 brokenness of spirit1 and contrition of heart4 ,witness the case of ,hezekiah1 ,josiah1 ,daniel1 ,nehemiah1 and ,ezra4 ,it never once occurred to these faithful men that they were to give up the truth of ,israel's unity because ,israel had failed to maintain it4 ,they did not measure the truth of ,god by the actings of men2 but they judged the actings of men1 and themselves likewise1 by the truth of ,god4 ,this was the only true way to act4 ,if the manifested unity of ,israel was marred through man's sin and folly1 the true-hearted members of the congregation owned and mourned over the sin1 confessed it as their own1 and looked to ,god4 ,nor was this all4 ,they felt their responsibility to act on the truth of ,god whatever might be the outward condition of things4 ,this1 we repeat1 was the meaning of ,elijah's altar of twelve stones1 erected in the face of ,jezebel's eight hundred false prophets1 and despite the division of the nation in man's view4 7#a ,kings xviii47 ,this1 too1 was the meaning of ,hezekiah's letters sent to all ,israel to invite them to come to the house of the ,lord at ,jerusalem1 to keep the passover unto the ,lord ,god of ,israel4 ,nothing can be more touching than the spirit and style of these letters4 ,ye children of ,israel1 turn again unto the ,lord ,god of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,israel1 and ,he will return to the remnant of you that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of ,assyria4 ,and be not ye like your fathers and like your brethren1 which trespassed against the ,lord ,god of their fathers1 who therefore gave them up to desolation1 as ye see4 ,now1 be ye not stiff-necked1 as your fathers were1 but yield yourselves unto the ,lord1 and enter into ,his sanctuary1 which ,he hath sanctified forever2 and serve the ,lord your ,god1 that the fierceness of ,his wrath may turn away from you4 ,for if ye turn again unto the ,lord1 your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive1 so that they shall come again into this land2 for the ,lord your ,god is gracious and merciful1 and will not turn away ,his face from you 7#b ,chron4 xxx4 #f-i74 ,what was all this but simple faith acting on the grand1 eternal1 immutable truth of the unity of the nation of ,israel8 ,the nation was one in the purpose of ,god1 and ,hezekiah looked at it from the divine standpoint1 as faith ever does1 and he acted accordingly4 ,so the posts passed from city to city1 through the country of ,ephraim and ,manasseh1 even unto ,zebulun2 but they laughed them to scorn1 and mocked them4 ,this was very sad1 but it is only what we must expect4 ,the actings of faith are sure to call forth the scorn and contempt of those who are not up to the standard of ,god's thoughts4 ,doubtless these men of ,ephraim and ,manasseh regarded ,hezekiah's message as a piece of presumption or wild extravagance4 ,perhaps the great truth that was acting with such power on his soul1 forming his character and ruling his conduct1 was in their judgment a myth1 or at best a valueless theory--a thing of the past--an institution of bygone ages1 having no present application4 ,but faith is never moved by the thoughts of men1 and therefore ,hezekiah went on with his work1 and ,god owned and blessed him4 ,he could afford to be laughed at and turned into ridicule1 while he beheld divers of ,asher and ,manasseh and ,zebulun humbling themselves and coming to ,jerusalem4 ,hezekiah and all who thus humbled themselves under the mighty hand of ,god reaped a rich harvest of blessing1 while the mockers and scorners were left in the barrenness and deadness with which their own unbelief had surrounded them4 ,and let the reader mark the force of those words of ,hezekiah1 ,if ye turn again unto the ,lord1 your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive4 ,does not this approach very near to that precious truth of the ,new ,testament times1 that we are members one of another1 and that the conduct of one member affects all the rest8 ,unbelief might raise the question as to how this could possibly be--as to how the actings of one could possibly affect others far away2 yet so it was in ,israel1 and so it is now in the ,church of ,god4 ,witness the case of ,achan1 in ,joshua vii4 ,there1 one man sinned2 and1 so far as the narrative informs us1 the whole congregation was ignorant of the fact2 and yet we read that the children of ,israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing4 ,and again1 ,israel hath sinned4 ,how could this be8 ,simply because the nation was one1 and ,god dwelt among them4 ,this1 plainly1 was the ground of a double responsibility1 namely1 a responsibility to ,god1 and a responsibility to the whole assembly and to each member in particular4 ,it was utterly impossible for any one member of the congregation to shake off this high and holy responsibility4 ,a person living at ,dan might feel disposed to question how his conduct could affect a man living at ,beersheba2 yet such was the fact1 and the ground of this fact lay in the eternal truth of ,israel's indissoluble unity and ,jehovah's dwelling in the midst of ,his redeemed assembly4 7,see ,exodus xv4 #b1 and the many passages which speak of ,god's dwelling in the midst of ,israel47 ,we do not attempt even to quote the numerous scriptures which speak of ,god's presence in the congregation of ,israel--,his dwelling in their midst4 ,but we would call the attention of the reader to the all-important fact that those scriptures begin with ,exodus xv4 ,it was when ,israel stood1 as a fully redeemed people1 on ,canaan's side of the ,red ,sea that they were able to say1 ,the ,lord is my strength and my song1 and ,he is become my salvation3 ,he is my ,god1 and ,i will prepare ,him a habitation4 ,redemption formed the ground of ,god's dwelling among ,his people1 and ,his presence in their midst secured their perfect unity4 ,hence no one member of the congregation could view himself as an isolated independent atom4 ,each one was called to view himself as part of a whole1 and to view his conduct in reference to all those who1 like himself1 formed part of that whole4 ,now1 reason could never grasp a truth like this4 ,it lay entirely beyond the ken of the most powerful human intellect4 ,faith alone could receive it and act upon it1 and it is of the deepest interest to see that the faithful in ,israel ever recognized it and acted upon it4 ,why did ,hezekiah send letters to all ,israel8 ,why did he expose himself to scorn and ridicule in so doing8 ,why did he command that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be made for all ,israel8 ,why did ,josiah carry his reformatory operations into all the countries that pertained to the children of ,israel8 ,because those men of ,god recognized the divine truth of ,israel's unity1 and they did not think of throwing this grand reality overboard because so few saw it or sought to carry it out4 ,the people shall dwell alone2 and ,i1 the ,lord1 will dwell among the children of ,israel4 ,these imperishable truths shine1 like most precious gems of heavenly lustre1 all along the page of ,old ,testament ,scripture2 and we invariably find that1 just in proportion as any one was living near to ,god--near to the living and ever-gushing fountain of life and light and love--just in proportion as he entered into the thoughts1 purposes1 sympathies1 and counsels of the ,god of ,israel1 did he apprehend and seek to carry out that which ,god had declared to be true of ,his people1 though ,his people had proved so untrue to ,him4 ,and now1 ,christian reader1 we would ask you a very plain and pointed question1 which is this3 ,do you not recognize in the unity of the ,jewish nation the foreshadowing of a higher unity now existing in that one body of which ,christ is the ,head8 ,we trust you do4 ,we fondly hope that your whole moral being bows down1 with reverent submission1 to the mighty truth1 ,there is one body4 ,but then we can well imagine that you feel yourself not a little perplexed and confounded when you cast your eye around you through the length and breadth of the professing ,church1 in search of any positive expression of this unity4 ,you see ,christians scattered and divided--you see innumerable sects and parties2 and what perhaps puzzles you most of all1 you see those who profess to believe and act upon the truth of the unity of the body divided amongst themselves1 and presenting anything but a spectacle of unity and harmony4 ,all this1 we confess1 is very perplexing to one who looks at it from a merely human standpoint4 ,we are not the least surprised at people being stumbled and hindered by these things4 ,still the foundation of ,god standeth sure4 ,his truth is perfectly indestructible2 and if we gaze with admiration upon the faithful worthies of a bygone age who believed and confessed the unity of ,israel when there was not a trace of that unity visible to mortal eyes1 why should we not heartily believe and diligently carry out the higher unity of the one body8 ,there is one body and one ,spirit1 and herein lies the basis of our responsibility to one another and to ,god4 ,are we to surrender this all-important truth because ,christians are scattered and divided8 ,god forbid4 ,it is as real and as precious as ever1 and it ought to be as formative and as influential4 ,we are bound to act upon the truth of ,god1 irrespective of consequences1 and utterly regardless of outward appearances4 ,it is not for us to say1 as so many do1 ,the case is hopeless3 everything has gone to pieces4 ,it is impossible to carry out the truth of ,god amid the heaps of rubbish which lie around us4 ,the unity of the body was a thing of the past2 it may be a thing of the future1 but it cannot be a thing of the present4 ,the idea of unity must be abandoned as thoroughly ,utopian1 it cannot be maintained in the face of ,christendom's numberless sects and parties4 ,nothing remains now but for each one to look to the ,lord for himself1 and to do the best he can1 in his own individual sphere1 and according to the dictates of his own conscience and judgment4 ,such is1 in substance1 the language of hundreds of the true people of ,god2 and as is their language1 so is their practical career4 ,but we must speak plainly1 and we have no hesitation in saying that this language savors of sheer unbelief in that great cardinal verity of the unity of the body2 and1 moreover1 that we have just as much warrant for rejecting the precious doctrine of ,christ's deity1 of ,his perfect humanity1 or of ,his vicarious sacrifice1 as we have for rejecting the truth of the perfect unity of ,his body1 inasmuch as this latter rests upon precisely the same foundation as the former1 namely1 the eternal truth of ,god--the absolute statement of ,holy ,scripture4 ,what right have we to set aside any one truth of divine revelation8 ,what authority have we to single out any special truth from the word of ,god and say that it no longer applies8 ,we are bound to receive all truth1 and to submit our souls to its authority4 ,it is a dangerous thing to admit for a moment the idea that any one truth of ,god is to be set aside1 on the plea that it cannot be carried out4 ,it is sufficient for us that it is revealed in the ,holy ,scriptures3 we have only to believe and to obey4 ,does ,scripture declare that there is one body8 ,assuredly it does4 ,this is enough4 ,we are responsible to maintain this truth1 cost what it may2 we can accept nothing else--nothing less--nothing different4 ,we are bound1 by the allegiance which we owe to ,christ the ,head1 to testify1 practically1 against everything that militates against the truth of the indissoluble unity of the ,church of ,god1 and to seek earnestly and constantly a faithful expression of that unity4 ,true1 we shall have to contend with false unity on the one hand and false individuality on the other2 but we have only to hold fast and confess the truth of ,god1 looking to ,him1 in humility of mind and earnest purpose of heart1 and ,he will sustain us in the path1 let the difficulties be what they may4 ,no doubt there are difficulties in the way--grave difficulties1 such as we in our own strength cannot cope with4 ,the very fact that we are told to endeavor to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace is sufficient to prove that there are difficulties in the way2 but the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ is amply sufficient for all the demands that may be made upon us in seeking to act upon this most precious truth4 ,in contemplating the present condition of the professing ,church we may discern two very distinct classes4 ,in the first place1 there are those who are seeking unity on false grounds2 and secondly1 those who are seeking it on the ground laid down in the ,new ,testament4 ,this latter is distinctly a spiritual1 living1 divine unity1 and stands out in vivid contrast with all the forms of unity which man has attempted1 whether it be national1 ecclesiastical1 ceremonial1 or doctrinal4 ,the ,church of ,god is not a nation1 not an ecclesiastical or political system4 ,it is a body united to its divine ,head in heaven1 by the presence of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,this is what it was1 and this is what it is4 ,there is one body and one ,spirit4 ,this remains unalterably true4 ,it holds good now just as much as when the inspired apostle penned ,ephesians iv4 ,hence anything that tends to interfere with or mar this truth must be wrong1 and we are bound to stand apart from it and testify against it4 ,to seek to unite ,christians on any other ground than the unity of the body is manifestly opposed to the revealed mind of ,god4 ,it may seem very attractive1 very desirable1 very reasonable1 right1 and expedient2 but it is contrary to ,god1 and this should be enough for us4 ,god's ,word speaks only of the unity of the body and the unity of the ,spirit4 ,it recognizes no other unity3 neither should we4 ,the ,church of ,god is one1 though consisting of many members4 ,it is not local1 or geographical2 it is corporate4 ,all the members have a double responsibility2 they are responsible to the ,head1 and they are responsible to one another4 ,it is utterly impossible to ignore this responsibility4 ,men may seek to shirk it2 they may deny it2 they may assert their individual rights1 and act according to their own reason1 judgment1 or will2 but they cannot get rid of the responsibility founded upon the fact of the one compact body4 ,they have to do with the ,head in heaven and with the members on earth4 ,they stand in this double relationship--they were incorporated thereinto by the ,holy ,ghost1 and to deny it is to deny their very spiritual existence4 ,it is founded in life1 formed by the ,spirit1 and taught and maintained in the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,there is no such thing as independency4 ,christians cannot view themselves as mere individuals--as isolated atoms4 ,we are members one of another4 ,this is as true as that we are justified by faith4 ,no doubt there is a sense in which we are individual3 we are individual in our repentance2 individual in our faith2 individual in our justification2 individual in our walk with ,god and in our service to ,christ2 individual in our rewards for service1 for each one shall get a white stone and a new name engraved thereon known only to himself4 ,all this is quite true1 but it in no wise touches the other grand practical truth of our union with the ,head above and with each and all of the members below4 ,and we would here call the reader's attention to two very distinct lines of truth flowing out of two distinct titles of our blessed ,lord1 namely1 ,headship and ,lordship4 ,he is ,head of ,his body the ,church1 and ,he is ,lord of all1 ,lord of each4 ,now1 when we think of ,christ as ,lord1 we are reminded of our individual responsibility to ,him1 in the wide range of service to which ,he1 in ,his sovereignty1 has graciously called us4 ,our reference must be to ,him in all things4 ,all our actings1 all our movements1 all our arrangements1 must be placed under the commanding influence of that weighty sentence 7often1 alas6 lightly spoken and penned71 ,if the ,lord will4 ,and1 moreover1 no one has any right to thrust himself between the conscience of a servant and the commandment of his ,lord4 ,all this is divinely true1 and of the very highest importance4 ,the ,lordship of ,christ is a truth the value of which cannot possibly be overestimated4 ,but we must bear in mind that ,christ is ,head as well as ,lord2--,he is ,head of a body1 as well as ,lord of individuals4 ,these things must not be confounded4 ,we are not to hold the truth of ,christ's ,lordship in such a way as to interfere with the truth of ,his ,headship4 ,if we merely think of ,christ as ,lord1 and ourselves as individuals responsible to ,him1 then we shall ignore ,his ,headship1 and lose sight of our responsibility to every member of that body of which ,he is ,head4 ,we must jealously watch against this4 ,we cannot look at ourselves as isolated1 independent atoms2 if we think of ,christ as ,head1 then we must think of all ,his members1 and this opens up a wide range of practical truth4 ,we have holy duties to discharge to our fellow-members1 as well as to our ,lord and ,master2 and we may rest assured that no one walking in communion with ,christ can ever lose sight of the grand fact of his relationship to every member of ,his body4 ,such an one will ever remember that his walk and ways exert an influence upon ,christians living at the other side of the globe4 ,this is a wondrous mystery1 but it is divinely true4 ,if one member suffer1 all the members suffer with it 7#a ,cor4 xii4 #bf74 ,you cannot reduce the body of ,christ to a matter of locality3 the body is one1 and we are called to maintain this practically in every possible way1 and to bear a decided testimony against everything which tends to hinder the expression of the perfect unity of the body1 whether it be false unity or false individuality4 ,the enemy is seeking to associate ,christians on a false ground1 and gather them around a false centre2 or1 if he cannot do this1 he will send them adrift upon the wide and tumultuous ocean of a desultory individualism4 ,we are throughly persuaded1 before ,god1 that the only safeguard against both these false and dangerous extremes is divinely wrought faith in the grand foundation-truth of the unity of the body of ,christ4 ,,part ,,vi ,it may here be proper to inquire what is the suited attitude of the ,christian in view of the grand foundation-truth of the unity of the body4 ,that it is a truth distinctly laid down in the ,new ,testament cannot possibly be questioned4 ,if any reader of these pages be not fully established in the knowledge and hearty belief of this truth1 let him prayerfully study #a ,corinthians xii4 and xiv41 ,ephesians ii4 and iv41 ,colossians ii4 and iii4 ,he will find the doctrine referred to in a practical way in the opening of ,romans xii2 though it is not the design of the ,holy ,ghost1 in that magnificent epistle1 to give us a full unfolding of the truth respecting the ,church4 ,what we have to look for there is rather the soul's relationship with ,god through the death and resurrection of ,christ4 ,we might pass through the first eleven chapters of ,romans and not know that there is such a thing as the ,church of ,god1 the body of ,christ2 and when we reach chap4 xii41 the doctrine of the one body is assumed1 but not dwelt upon4 ,there is1 then1 one body actually existing on this earth1 formed by the one ,spirit1 and united to the living ,head in heaven4 ,this truth cannot be gainsaid4 ,some may not see it2 some may find it very hard to receive it1 in view of the present condition of things2 but nevertheless it remains a divinely established truth that there is one body1 and the question is1 how are we individually affected by this truth8 ,it is as impossible to shake off the responsibility involved therein as it is to set aside the truth itself4 ,if there is a body of which we are members1 then do we1 in every truth1 stand in a holy relationship to every member of that body on earth1 as well as to the ,head in heaven2 and this relationship1 like every other1 has its characteristic affections1 privileges1 and responsibilities4 ,and be it remembered1 we are not speaking now of the question of association with any special company of ,christians1 but of the whole body of ,christ upon earth4 ,no doubt each company of ,christians1 wherever assembled1 should be but the local expression of the whole body4 ,it should be so gathered and so ordered1 on the authority of the ,word1 and by the power of the ,holy ,ghost1 as that all ,christ's members who are walking in truth and holiness might happily find their place there4 ,if an assembly be not thus gathered and thus ordered1 it is not on the ground of the unity of the body at all4 ,if there be anything1 no matter what1 in order1 discipline1 doctrine1 or practice1 which would prove a barrier to the presence of any of ,christ's members whose faith and practice are according to the word of ,god1 then is the unity of the body practically denied4 ,we are solemnly responsible to own the truth of the unity of the body4 ,we should so meet that all the members of ,christ's body might1 simply as such1 sit down with us and exercise whatever gift the ,head of the ,church has bestowed upon them4 ,the body is one4 ,its members are scattered over the whole earth4 ,distance is nothing3 locality nothing4 ,it may be ,new ,zealand1 ,london1 ,paris1 or ,edinburgh2 it matters not4 ,a member of the body in one place is a member of the body everywhere1 for there is but one body and one ,spirit4 ,it is the ,spirit who forms the body1 and links the members with the ,head and with one another4 ,hence1 a ,christian coming from ,new ,zealand to ,london ought to expect to find an assembly so gathered as to be a faithful expression of the unity of the body1 to which he might attach himself2 and furthermore1 any such ,christian ought to find his place in the bosom of that assembly1 provided always there be nothing in doctrine or walk to forbid his hearty reception4 ,such is the divine order1 as laid down in #a ,cor4 xii4 and xiv42 ,eph4 ii4 and iv4 and assumed in ,rom4 xii4 ,indeed1 we cannot study the ,new ,testament and not see this blessed truth4 ,we find in various cities and towns saints gathered by the ,holy ,ghost in the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ2 as1 for example1 at ,rome1 ,corinth1 ,ephesus1 ,philippi1 ,colosse1 and ,thessalonica4 ,these were not independent1 isolated1 fragmentary assemblies1 but parts of the one body1 so that a member of the ,church in one place was a member of the ,church everywhere4 ,doubtless1 each assembly1 as guided by the one ,spirit1 and under the one ,lord1 acted in all local matters1 such as receiving to communion1 or putting away any wicked person from their midst2 meeting the wants of their poor1 and such like2 but we may be quite assured that the act of the assembly at ,corinth would be recognized by all other assemblies1 so that if any one was separated from communion there1 he would1 if known1 be refused in all other places2 otherwise it would be a plain denial of the unity of the body4 ,we have no reason to suppose that the assembly at ,corinth communicated or conferred with any other assembly previous to the putting away of the wicked person in chap4 v41 but we are bound to believe that that act would be duly recognized and sanctioned by every assembly upon the earth1 and that any assembly knowingly receiving the excommunicated man would have cast a slur upon the assembly at ,corinth1 and practically denied the unity of the body4 ,this we believe to be the plain teaching of the ,new ,testament ,scriptures--this1 the doctrine which any simple1 true-hearted student of these scriptures would gather up4 ,that the ,church has failed to carry out this precious truth is1 alas6 alas6 painfully true2 and that we are all participators in this failure is equally true4 ,the thought of this should humble us deeply before ,god4 ,not one can throw a stone at another1 for we are all verily guilty in this matter4 ,let not the reader suppose for a single moment that our object in these pages is to set up anything like high ecclesiastical pretensions1 or to afford countenance to hollow assumption1 in the face of manifest sin and failure4 ,god forbid6 we say with our very heart of hearts4 ,we believe that there is a most urgent call upon all ,god's people to humble themselves in the dust on account of our sad departure from the truth so plainly laid down in the word of ,god4 ,thus it was with the pious and devoted king ,josiah1 whose life and times have suggested this entire line of thought4 ,he found the book of the law1 and discovered in its sacred pages an order of things wholly different from what he saw around him4 ,how did he act8 ,did he content himself by saying1 ,the case is hopeless3 the nation is too far gone3 ruin has set in1 and it is utterly vain to think of aiming at the divine standard2 we must only let things stand1 and do the best we can8 ,nay1 reader1 such was not ,josiah's language or mode of action2 but he humbled himself before ,god1 and called upon others to do the same4 ,and not only so1 but he sought to carry out the truth of ,god4 ,he aimed at the very loftiest standard1 and the consequence was1 that from the days of ,samuel the prophet1 there was no passover like to ,josiah's kept in ,israel2 neither did all the kings of ,israel keep such a passover4 ,such was the result of faithful reference and adherence to the word of ,god1 and thus it will ever be1 for ,god is a rewarder of them that diligently seek ,him4 ,look at the actings of the remnant that returned from ,babylon in the days of ,ezra and ,nehemiah4 ,what did they do8 ,they set up the altar of ,god2 they built the temple1 and repaired the walls of ,jerusalem4 ,in other words1 they occupied themselves with the true worship of the ,god of ,israel1 and with the grand centre or gathering-point of ,his people4 ,this was right4 ,it is what faith always does1 regardless of circumstances4 ,if the remnant had looked at circumstances1 they could not have acted4 ,they were a poor contemptible handful of people1 under the dominion of the uncircumcised ,gentiles4 ,they were surrounded by active enemies on all sides1 who1 instigated by the enemy of ,god1 of ,his city1 of ,his people1 left nothing undone to hinder them in their blessed work4 ,these enemies ridiculed them1 and said1 ,what do these feeble ,jews8 ,will they fortify themselves8 will they sacrifice8 will they make an end in a day8 will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned8 ,nor was this all2 not only had they to contend with powerful foes without1 there was also internal weakness1 for ,judah said1 ,the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed1 and there is much rubbish1 so that we are not able to build the wall4 7,neh4 iv47 ,all this was very depressing4 ,it was very different from the brilliant and palmy days of ,solomon4 ,his burden-bearers were many and strong1 and there was no rubbish covering the great stones and costly with which he built the house of ,god1 nor any contemptuous foe to sneer at his work4 ,and yet1 for all that1 there were features attaching to the work of ,ezra and ,nehemiah which are not to be found in the days of ,solomon4 ,their very feebleness1 the piles of rubbish which lay before them1 the proud and insulting enemies who surrounded them--all these things conspired to add a peculiar halo of glory to their work4 ,they built and prospered1 and ,god was glorified1 and ,he declared in their ears these cheering words3 ,the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former1 saith the ,lord of ,hosts3 and in this place will ,i give peace1 saith the ,lord of ,hosts4 7,hag4 ii4 #i47 ,it is of importance1 in connection with the subject that has been engaging our attention1 that the reader should carefully study the books of ,ezra and ,nehemiah1 ,haggai and ,zechariah4 ,they are full of most blessed instruction1 comfort1 and encouragement in a day like the present4 ,many1 nowadays1 it may be1 are disposed to smile at the bare mention of such a subject as the unity of the body2 but let them ask themselves1 ,is it the smile of calm confidence1 or the sneer of unbelief8 ,one thing is certain1 the devil as cordially hates the doctrine of the unity of the body as he hates any other doctrine of divine revelation1 and he will as assuredly seek to hinder any attempt to carry it out as he sought to hinder the rebuilding of ,jerusalem in the days of ,nehemiah4 ,but let us not be discouraged4 ,it is enough for us that we find in ,god's ,word the precious truth of the one body4 ,let us bring the light of this to bear upon the present condition of the professing ,church1 and see what it will reveal to our eyes4 ,it will most assuredly put us on our faces in the dust before our ,god because of our ways2 but at the same time1 it will lift our hearts up to the contemplation of the divine standard4 ,it will so enlighten and elevate our souls as to render us thoroughly dissatisfied with everything that does not present some expression1 however feeble1 of the unity of the body of ,christ4 ,it is wholly impossible that any one can drink into his soul the truth of the one body and rest satisfied with any thing short of the practical recognition thereof4 ,true1 he must make up his mind to bear the brunt of the enemy's opposition4 ,he will meet a ,sanballat here1 and a ,rehum there1 but faith can say1-- ,is ,god for me8 ,i fear not1 though all against me rise2 ,when ,i call on ,christ my ,saviour1 the host of evil flies4 ,there is ample encouragement for our souls in the word of ,god4 ,if we look at ,josiah1 just before the captivity1 what do we see8 ,a man simply taking the ,word as his guide--judging himself and all around by its light--rejecting all that was contrary to it1 and seeking1 with earnest purpose of heart1 to carry out what he found written there4 ,and what was the result8 ,the most blessed passover that had been celebrated since the days of ,samuel4 ,again1 if we look at ,daniel1 during the captivity1 what do we see8 ,a man acting simply on the truth of ,god and praying toward ,jerusalem1 though death stared him in the face as the consequence of his act4 ,what was the result8 ,a glorious testimony to the ,god of ,israel1 and the destruction of ,daniel's enemies4 ,finally1 if we look at the remnant1 after the captivity1 what do we see8 ,men1 in the face of appalling difficulties1 rebuilding that city which was1 and shall be1 ,god's earthly centre4 ,and what was the result8 ,the joyous celebration of the feast of tabernacles1 which had not been known since the days of ,joshua the son of ,nun4 ,now1 if we take any of the above interesting cases1 and inquire as to the effect of their looking at surrounding circumstances1 what answer shall we get8 ,take ,daniel1 for instance4 ,why did he open his window toward ,jerusalem8 ,why look toward a city of ruins8 ,why call attention to a spot which only bore testimony to ,israel's sin and shame8 ,would it not be better to let the name of ,jerusalem sink into oblivion8 ,ah8 we can guess at ,daniel's reply to all such inquiries4 ,men might smile at him too1 and deem him a visionary enthusiast2 but he knew what he was doing4 ,his heart was occupied with ,god's centre1 the city of ,david1 the grand gathering-point for ,israel's twelve tribes4 ,was he to give up ,god's truth because of outward circumstances8 ,surely not4 ,he could not consent to lower the standard even the breadth of a hair4 ,he would weep1 and pray1 and fast1 and chasten his soul before ,god1 but never lower the standard4 ,was he going to give up ,god's thoughts about ,zion because ,israel had proved unfaithful8 ,not he4 ,daniel knew better than this4 ,his eye was fixed on ,god's eternal truth1 and hence1 though he was in the dust because of his own sins and his people's1 yet the divine banner floated above his head1 in its unfading glory4 ,just so now1 dear ,christian reader1 we are called to fix the gaze of faith upon the imperishable truth of the one body2 and not only to gaze upon it1 but seek to carry it out in our feeble measure4 ,this should be our one definite and constant aim4 ,we should ever and only seek the expression of the unity of the body4 ,we are not to ask1 ,how can this be8 ,faith never says1 ,how8 in the presence of divine revelation2 it believes and acts4 ,we are not to surrender the truth of ,god on the plea that we cannot carry it out4 ,the truth is revealed1 and we are called to bow to it4 ,we are not called to form the unity of the body4 ,very many seem to think that this unity is a something which they themselves are to set up or form in some way or another4 ,this is a mistake4 ,the unity exists4 ,it is the result of the presence of the ,holy ,ghost in the body1 and we have to recognize it1 and walk in the light of it4 ,this will give great definiteness to our course4 ,it is always immensely important to have a distinct object before the heart1 and to work with direct reference thereto4 ,look at ,paul1 that most devoted of workmen4 ,what was his aim8--for what did he work8 ,hear the answer in his own words3 ,i now rejoice in my sufferings for you1 and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of ,christ in my flesh for ,his body's sake1 which is the ,church3 whereof ,i am made a minister1 according to the dispensation of ,god which is given to me for you1 to fulfil the word of ,god2 even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations1 but now is made manifest to ,his saints3 to whom ,god would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the ,gentiles2 which is ,christ in you1 the hope of glory3 whom we preach1 warning every man1 and teaching every man in all wisdom2 that we may present every man perfect in ,christ ,jesus2 whereunto ,i also labor1 striving according to ,his working1 which worketh in me mightily 7,col4 i4 #bd-bi74 ,now1 this was a great deal more than the mere conversion of souls1 precious as that is1 most surely4 ,paul preached the gospel with a direct view to the body of ,christ2 and this is the pattern for all evangelists4 ,we should not rest in the mere fact that souls are quickened2 we should keep before our minds their incorporation1 by the one ,spirit1 into the one body4 ,this would effectually preserve us from sect-making--from preaching to swell the ranks of a party--from seeking to get persons to join this1 that1 or the other denomination4 ,we should know nothing whatever but the one body1 because we find nothing else in the ,new ,testament4 ,if this be lost sight of1 the evangelist will not know what to do with souls when they are converted4 ,a man may be used in the conversion of hundreds--a most precious work indeed--precious beyond all expression1--and if he does not see the unity of the body1 he must be at sea as to their further course4 ,this is very serious1 both as to himself and them1 and also as to the testimony for ,christ4 ,may ,god's ,spirit lead all ,christians to see this great truth in all its bearings4 ,we have but glanced at it1 in connection with our theme2 but it demands much serious attention at the present moment4 ,it may be that some of our readers are disposed to find fault with what they may deem a long digression from the subject of ,life and ,times of ,josiah2 but in truth it should not be looked on as a digression1 but as a line of truth flowing naturally out of that subject--a line1 too1 which cannot possibly be over-estimated4 ,,part ,,vii ,in closing our remarks on the life and times of ,josiah1 we shall in few words advert1 first1 to the fact of his celebration of the passover2 and secondly1 to the solemn close of his history4 ,our sketch of this truly interesting period would unquestionably be incomplete were these things omitted4 ,and first1 then1 as to the fact--so full of interest and encouragement--that at the very close of ,israel's history there should be one of the brightest moments that ,israel had ever known4 ,what does this teach us8 ,it very manifestly teaches us that in darkest times it is the privilege of the faithful soul to act on divine principles and to enjoy divine privileges4 ,we look upon this as a most weighty fact for all ages1 but specially weighty at the present moment4 ,if we did nothing more by writing our papers on ,josiah than to impress this great fact on the mind of the ,christian reader1 we should consider that we had not written in vain4 ,if ,josiah had been influenced by the spirit and principle which1 alas6 seem to actuate so many in this our day1 he never could have attempted to celebrate the passover at all4 ,he would have folded his arms and said1 ,it is useless to think of maintaining any longer our great national institutions4 ,it can only be regarded as a piece of presumption to attempt the celebration of that ordinance which was designed to set forth ,israel's deliverance from judgment by the blood of the lamb1 when ,israel's unity is broken1 and its national glory faded and gone4 ,but ,josiah did not reason like this2 he simply acted upon the truth of ,god4 ,he studied the ,scriptures1 and rejected what was wrong and did what was right4 ,moreover1 ,josiah kept a passover unto the ,lord in ,jerusalem2 and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month4 7#b ,chron4 xxxv4 #a74 ,this was taking higher ground than ,hezekiah had taken1 inasmuch as he kept his passover on the fourteenth day of the second month4 7,chap4 xxx4 #ae74 ,in so doing1 ,hezekiah was1 as we know1 availing himself of the provision which grace had made for cases of defilement4 7,see ,num4 ix4 #i-aa74 ,the divine order1 however1 had fixed the first month as the proper period1 and to this order ,josiah was enabled to conform4 ,in short1 he took the very highest ground1 according to the truth of ,god1 while lying low under the deep sense of personal and national failure4 ,this is ever the way of faith4 ,and he set the priests in their charges1 and encouraged them to the service of the house of the ,lord1 and said unto the ,levites that taught all ,israel1 which were holy unto the ,lord1 ,put the holy ark in the house which ,solomon1 the son of ,david1 king of ,israel1 did build3 it shall not be a burden on your shoulders2 serve now the ,lord your ,god1 and ,his people ,israel4 ,and prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers1 after your courses1 according to the writing of ,david king of ,israel1 and according to the writing of ,solomon his son1 and stand in the holy place1 according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people1 and after the division of the families of the ,levites4 ,so kill the passover1 and sanctify yourselves1 and prepare your brethren1 that they may do according to the word of the ,lord by the hand of ,moses4 ,here we have ,josiah taking the loftiest ground and acting on the highest authority4 ,the most cursory reader cannot fail to be arrested1 as he scans the lines just quoted from the inspired record1 by the names of ,solomon1 ,david1 ,moses1 all ,israel1 and above all1 by the expression--so full of dignity1 weight1 and power1--,that they may do according to the word of the ,lord4 ,most memorable words6 ,may they sink down into our ears and into our hearts4 ,josiah felt it to be his high and holy privilege to conform to the divine standard1 notwithstanding all the errors and evils which had crept in from age to age4 ,god's truth must stand forever4 ,faith owns and acts on this precious fact1 and reaps accordingly4 ,nothing can be more lovely than the scene enacted on the occasion to which we are now referring4 ,josiah's strict adherence to the word of the ,lord is not more to be admired than his large-hearted devotedness and liberality4 ,he gave to the people of the flock1 lambs and kids1 all for the passover-offerings1 for all that were present1 to the number of thirty thousand1 and three thousand bullocks3 these were of the king's substance4 ,and his princes gave willingly unto the people1 to the priests1 and to the ,levites4444 ,so the service was prepared1 and the priests stood in their place1 and the ,levites in their courses1 according to the king's commandment4444 ,and the singers1 the sons of ,asaph1 were in their place1 according to the commandment of ,david1 and ,asaph1 and ,heman1 and ,jeduthun the king's seer2 and the porters waited at every gate2 they might not depart from their service2 for their brethren the ,levites prepared for them4 ,so all the service of the ,lord was prepared the same day1 to keep the passover1 and to offer burnt-offerings upon the altar of the ,lord1 according to the commandment of king ,josiah4 ,and the children of ,israel that were present kept the passover at that time1 and the feast of unleavened bread seven days4 ,and there was no passover like to that kept in ,israel from the days of ,samuel the prophet2 neither did all the kings of ,israel keep such a passover as ,josiah kept1 and the priests1 and the ,levites1 and all ,judah and ,israel that were present1 and the inhabitants of ,jerusalem4 ,in the eighteenth year of the reign of ,josiah was this passover kept4 ,what a picture6 ,king1 princes1 priests1 ,levites1 singers1 porters1 all ,israel1 ,judah1 and the inhabitants of ,jerusalem--all gathered together--all in their true place and at their appointed work1 according to the word of the ,lord1--and all this in the eighteenth year of the reign of ,josiah1 when the entire ,jewish polity was on the very eve of dissolution4 ,surely this must speak to the heart of the thoughtful reader4 ,it tells its own impressive tale1 and teaches its own peculiar lesson4 ,it tells us that no age1 no circumstances1 no influence1 can ever change the truth of ,god or dim the vision of faith4 ,the word of the ,lord endureth forever1 and faith grasps that word and holds it fast in the face of everything4 ,it is the privilege of the believing soul to have to do with ,god and ,his eternal truth2 and1 moreover1 it is the duty of such an one to aim at the very loftiest standard of action1 and to be satisfied with nothing lower4 ,unbelief will draw a plea from the condition of things around to lower the standard1 to relax the grasp1 to slacken the pace1 to lower the tone4 ,faith says1 ,no6--emphatically and decidedly1 ,no6 ,let us bow our heads in shame and sorrow on account of our sin and failure1 but keep the standard up4 ,the failure is ours3 the standard is ,god's4 ,josiah wept and rent his clothes1 but he did not surrender the truth of ,god4 ,he felt and owned that he and his brethren and his fathers had sinned1 but that was no reason why he should not celebrate the passover according to the divine order4 ,it was as imperative upon him to do right as it was upon ,solomon1 ,david1 or ,moses4 ,it is our business to obey the word of the ,lord1 and we shall assuredly be blessed in our deed4 ,this is one grand lesson to be drawn from the life and times of ,josiah1 and it is undoubtedly a seasonable lesson for our own times4 ,may we learn it thoroughly4 ,may we learn to adhere with holy decision to the ground on which the truth of ,god has set us1 and to occupy that ground with a larger measure of true devotedness to ,christ and ,his cause4 ,most gladly would we linger over the brilliant and soul-stirring scene presented in the opening verses of #b ,chronicles xxxv1 but we must bring this paper to an end1 and we shall merely glance very rapidly at the solemn and admonitory close of ,josiah's history4 ,it stands in sad and painful contrast with all the rest of his most interesting career1 and sounds in our ears a note of warning to which we are bound to give our most serious attention4 ,we shall do little more than quote the passage1 and then leave the reader to reflect upon it1 prayerfully and humbly1 in the presence of ,god4 ,after all this1 when ,josiah had prepared the temple1 ,necho king of ,egypt came up to fight against ,charchemish by ,euphrates2 and ,josiah went out against him4 ,but he sent ambassadors to him1 saying1 ,what have ,i to do with thee1 thou king of ,judah8 ,i come not against thee this day1 but against the house wherewith ,i have war2 for ,god commanded me to make haste3 forbear thee from meddling with ,god1 who is with me1 that ,he destroy thee not4 ,nevertheless1 ,josiah would not turn his face from him1 but disguised himself1 that he might fight with him1 and harkened not to the words of ,necho from the mouth of ,god1 and came to fight in the valley of ,megiddo4 ,and the archers shot at king ,josiah2 and the king said to his servants1 ,have me away1 for ,i am sore wounded4 ,his servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had2 and they brought him to ,jerusalem1 and he died1 and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers4 ,and all ,judah and ,jerusalem mourned for ,josiah 7#b ,chron4 xxxv4 #bj-bd74 ,all this is very sad and humbling4 ,we do not wish to dwell upon it further than is absolutely needful for the purpose of instruction and admonition4 ,the ,holy ,spirit does not expatiate1 but ,he has recorded it for our learning4 ,it is ever ,his way to give us men as they were1--to write the history of their deeds1 first and last--good and bad--one as well as another4 ,he tells us of ,josiah's piety at the first1 and of his wilfulness at the last4 ,he shows us that so long as ,josiah walked in the light of divine revelation1 his path was illuminated by the bright beams of the divine countenance2 but the moment he attempted to act for himself--to walk by the light of his own eyes--to travel off the straight and narrow way of simple obedience1 that moment dark and heavy clouds gathered around him1 and the course that had opened in sunshine ended in gloom4 ,josiah went against ,necho without any command from ,god--yea1 he went in direct opposition to words spoken from the mouth of ,god4 ,he meddled with strife that belonged not to him1 and he reaped the consequences4 ,he disguised himself4 ,why do this1 if he was conscious of acting for ,god8 ,why wear a mask1 if treading the divinely appointed pathway8 ,alas6 alas6 ,josiah failed in this1 and in his failure he teaches us a salutary lesson4 ,may we profit by it4 ,may we learn more than ever to seek a divine warrant for all we do1 and to do nothing without it4 ,we can count on ,god to the fullest extent if we are walking in ,his way1 but we have no security whatever if we attempt to travel off the divinely appointed line4 ,josiah had no command to fight at ,megiddo1 and hence he could not count on divine protection4 ,he disguised himself1 but that did not shield him from the enemy's arrow4 ,the archers shot him--they gave him his death wound1 and he fell1 amid the tears and lamentations of a people to whom he had endeared himself by a life of genuine piety and earnest devotedness4 ,may we have grace to imitate him in his piety and devotedness1 and to guard against his wilfulness4 ,it is a serious thing for a child of ,god to persist in doing his own will4 ,josiah went to ,megiddo when he ought to have tarried at ,jerusalem1 and the archers shot him1 and he died3 ,jonah went to ,tarshish when he ought to have gone to ,nineveh1 and he was flung into the deep3 ,paul persisted in going to ,jerusalem though the ,spirit told him not1 and he fell into the hands of the ,romans4 ,now1 all these were true1 earnest1 devoted servants of ,god2 but they failed in these things2 and though ,god overruled their failure for blessing1 yet they had to reap the fruit of their failure1 for our ,god is a consuming fire 7,heb4 xii4 #bi74