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Toronto Willard Tract Depository, Toronto, Canada. w — r X x ''^^l^^ /> GRACE AND TRUTH' [t is a it mgS; Under Twelve Different Aspects, om, the of con- lundred ags, tho s. X. 91 00 76 - 60 cs. r. Anoient to the i ines, &o. bly from edition, lei Pas- rs, with Verse to here for a ove books w ;an well I'l , Canada. ada. n W. p. MACK AY, M. A. MINISTER OK THK GUSl'EI- HULI- •Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. '—/^/e>«'i Gospel. t't.REOlYPE EDITION. CHICAGO: F. H. REVELL, 148 & 150 MAdison S-ruinrr, Publisher of Evangelical Literature. TORONTO : H. R. BRIGG8 (Tokonto Willard Tuac;t Depositoky.) (Jor. Yongo ivnd Tompi^ianco 8(8. CONTENTS. 'There is no Difference.' . Our Would You Like to be Saved ? Our 'Ye Must be Born Again.' . Our Do You Feel Forgiven ? . . Our Work of the Holy Spirit. . Our ♦Heaven Opened.* .... Our Triumph and Conflict. . . Our ♦Under the Sun.* .... Our ♦ No Confidence in the Flesh.' Our The Devil • ■ Our ♦Serving the Lord.' . . . Our Judgment • • Our pao* Condemnation, . i Justification, . . 20 Regeneration, . 35 Assurance, ... 63 Comforter, ... 76 Study, .... 93 State, 106 Walk, 135 Santification, . 164 Adversary, . . . 209 Service 226 Reward, .... 244 L^'i^/J/ r* 1/ INTRODUCTION. ;y. (^~^?-Z. PAOB I 20 35 63 76 95 106 . 135 . 164 . 209 226 . 244 * The law was given by Moses : grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.' The law showed what man ought to be. Christ showed what man is, and what God is. The law ivas givcn^ but grace and trutli came. Calvary tells out fully what man's true state is, what God's truth is, and what grace means. The law is v/hat I ought to be to God- Grace tells what God is for me. The first word of law is ' Thou ;' the first of grace is ' God,' so loved ; but it is grace through truth. God has investigated everything, nothing has been looked over. The greatest sin tliat any man could possibly commit has been committed, namely, the murder of God's Son. At the same time the greatest grace of God has been manifested. Man by nature likes neither grace nor truth. He is satis- lied neither with perfcdl justice nor pcrfedl goodness. If John the Baptist comes in righteousness he is hated, and men say he is too harsh, and not human, but hath a deviL If Christ comes in love. He is taunted with being a friend of sinners. So when the righteous requirements of God's law are preached, many people are apt to turn and say, ' Oh yes, but that is too stridl ; you must allow a little mar- gin for >ur imperff^dlion.* God says, make no provision for the flesh. Alas 1 it will take far too much, but allow it nothing. When a sanctified walk, separated trom the world and all its belongings, is insisted on, a certain class arc sure to call this legal preaching. And on the other hand whcxi the grace of God is preached, man's wisdom makes it out to be toleration of evil and lawless license. Let us suppose that a convi6l, who had just finished his term of penal ser\ itude, wished to lead an honest life. He comes to a man who has a large jewellery establishment, and who requires a night-watchman. He is engaged to watch this house through the c^vdi hours of the night, when INTRODUCTIOHr. m- ' he has everything under him, and every opportunity to rob his employer. On the first evening of his watching he meets one of iiis old companions, who accosts him, ' VVhr.i are jvo« doing here?* 'I'm night-watchman.' 'Over this jeweller's shop } ' ' Yes.' ' Does he know what you are ? * 'No, no, be silent; if he knew, I should be dismissed.' ' Suppose I let it out that you are a returned convi6t.* ' Oh, I pray don't, it would be ny last day here, and I wish to be honest.* ' Well, you'll require to give me some money to keep quiet.' ' Very well, but don't let any one know.* Thus the poor man would be in sad fear and trembling, lest it should come to the ears of his employer what his previous charadler had been. He would be in terror lest he should meet any of his old friends, and lest his resources should be exhausted in keeping them quiet. Let us suppose, however, that instead of the emploj^er engaging the man in ignorance of his chara6ler, he went to the convict's cell and said, ' Now I know you, what you arc, and what you've done, every robbei*y you've committed, and that you are worse than you believe yourself to be. 1 am to give you a chance to become honest, I'll trust you ii6 my night-watchman over my valuable goods.' The man is faithful at his post. He meets old companion after old companion, who threaten to inform upon him. He asks, '■ What will you tell about me.'" ' That you were the ring- leader of house-breakers." ' Yes, but my master knows all that better than you do ; he knows me better than I know myself.' Of course this silences them for ever. This latter is grace and truth. The man had been treated in grace, Ijut on the ground that all the truth was out, that his clmrafter was known. It is thus God deals with us. He deals in grace, but He knows what He is doing, and with whom He is working, — ev^en the chief of sinners. The whole truth is out about us, and God's grace in the face of this saves, gives a new nature, and puts us down before Himself in the high- est places of confidence. Man wonders at this. A wicked companion gets converted, his old associates wonder at his boldness in preaching (like Peter who denied Christ, ac- cusing his Jerusalem hearers of having denied him). They think if his audience only knew what they know, they ^ INTRODUCTION. to rob ing he ' WlK.; er this 1 are?' iiisseJ.* ' Oh, wish to loney to know/ ing, lest Mxvious \ should lould be mployer went to ^hat you mmitted, LO be. 1 ;t you ao 2 man is after old He asks, the ring- [cnows all I know would be suspicious. God knows us better than we know ourselves, and this is our joy. Man does not know Grace. When unadulterated grace, unmixed grace, the grace of God, God's own love to sin- ners, is preached, man cannot take it in. * Oh, this is downright Antinomianism.' This is the cry that was raised ugainac Luther when he preached ' full free justification by grace through faitli without the deeds of the law ; * the cry that was raised against Paul, that he made void the law, that he told the people they might sin that grace might abound. Now, unless our Christianity provokes this oppo- sition, it is not scriptural Christianity. Unless the gospel we preach, when presented to the natural mind, brings out these thoughts, it is another gospel than Paul's. Every Christian, mark not some of thei7>, has the Antinomia?! or God-dishonouring ' flesh,' within him to be watched over and mortified ; but this is a different matter. People will readily quote ' Faith without works is dead,' ' We must have works,' and so on ; and we most certainly coincide. But follow up the argument by inquiry about the works, and you will too often find that such have very loose ideas of Chri<;- tian holiness. Such will quite go in for having a Christian name, going religiously to church, being able to criticise :i sermon and a preacher, being acquainted with good people, abstaining from all immorality, being honest and respedi- able ; but the moment we cross the boundar)' line that sep- arates respectable and easy-going make-the-most-of-Chris- tianity, into the rugged, thorny path of identification with n rejedled Christ, separation from the world's gaieties, splen- dours, and ' evil communications,' — dead to it and all thai is therein, taking up Christ's yoke, and denying self, — wc are met with the expressions, ' too far,' * pietism,' * righteous over much,' ' we don't like extremes,* ' legal preaching.' ThQ g-race of man would be this, * Do the best you can by the help of grace, and then wherein you fail grace will step in and make up.* But the first thing the grace of God does is to bring ' salvation* (Titus ii. ii,) &c. Or, again, man's grace may take this shape, ' Oh, yes, wt- believe in the blood, the precious blood of Christ ; only faitl, can save; and now we have found an easy road to heaven '- a sort of short cut in which we can live on good tern^ INTRODUCTION. with the world and worldly men, and also on first-rate terms with relijrious men. spjnd our money to make ourselves comfortiihlc. get a name, honour, or riches here, make our- selves as happy as can be in this world, just take of it what we can enjoy, and go on thus so nicely to heaven.* This is another view of the grace that ?natt knows about ; but the grace of God teaches us that, ' denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ' (Titus ii. 12). Thus man knows nothing whatever about ihe grace of God. Neither does man know truth. He does not know the truth about Grd. He could quite believe that God made the world, and that he is good to a certain extent ; but that God looks upon one sin as making a man guilty as really as ten thousand, he cannot understand. Though written as clear as writing can make it in the Book of God, he cannot perceive it. Christ brought out the truth about God, that He could by no means clear the guilty, but that he could impute guilt and impute righteousness. An inlidel said, ' Is it justice for an innocent man to die for a guilty — is it consistent with reason, either in justice to the innocent or the guilty?' ' Well, suppose it is not, and we may grant it. But what if God became miin, and put away sin by the sac- rifice of Himself — where ic your reasoning now.'' Our gospel is not an innocent man dying for the guilty merely, but the God-man made sin, and putting it away.* Nor does man know the truth about himself, that he is lost. He thinks that he may be lost, not that he is lost. He hopes, in some vague way, that it will yet be all right with him. Christ brought out the truth about man, that man was hope- lessly gone in sin, that he would kill God if he could. How few there are in hell who ever intended to be there ! ' Are you to be in heaven?^ Most will answer, '-/hope so.' 'And what right have you to hope so?' I once qufckly said to a poor woman who looked as like a good perso-' as any of her neighbours. ' If you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, why not say so and thank Him, and then begin to hope (not for pardon, there h"- no such hope in Scripture) for salvation that is to be revealed at perfected redemption ? ; INTRODUCTION. terms selves :e oiu- t what riiis is (ut the ss and 1 godly \\{\ the r Jesus latever ovv the 1 made •ut that dally as tteu as cannot xl, that c could el said, — is it )cent or jrant it. le sac- Our merely, or does He hopes, him. s hope- st. n and if not, what right have you to have such presumption as hoping to get to heaven vhen you have not believed in the Lord Jesus Christ ^"i I saw her some time after, radiant with settled joy and peace, and she si'ld, 'Yes, sir, you asked me what right 1 had to hope, and 1 was rather aston- ished, but I did not take your word about it ; 1 went home to my Bible, and there I found that if I was without God, I had to be without hope in this world' (Eph. ii. 12). This led her to discover ' the sa7id' on which she had been build- ing, and by God's Spirit she was led to ' the rock.* Look at a perfe6l illustration of grace and tnith in the case of the Gentile woman. (Matt. xv. 21-28.) ' Theft Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.' When? After he had exposed the utter hollowness of man's religion, and the character of the Pharisees' heart. In the beginning of the chapter man brought hip religion to Christ, and of course Christ showed that it wa? the heart He dealt with, and not religion. Verse S shows us ivhere the heart of man is — with his religions, his traditions of the elders, his observances, his washing of hands, cups, dishes, tables. It is ' far from God.' Verse 19 shows us what his heart has in it : 'Evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false wit- ness, blasphemies.* This is what happens when man comes to God with his religion — with what he has. 'Do you want to know where you are, and what you arcf** Bring your religion to God. But Jesus now goes away to where there is no religion, but plenty of misery ; no professions, but a great deal of need. He had shown what man's heart has in it — He now wishes to show wha*^ 's in his heart — a heart that is ' full of grace and truth.' And behold a woman of Canaan came out of «lhe same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, ' have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David ; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.' She was a Syrophcenician, a Greek, a Gen- tile outside of tlie Jewish territory, a dog in the eyes of every godly Jew. * Without are dogs.* The dog in the East, is not as here domesticated, but is more like a wolf prowling for prey outside the cities — fit emblem of tliosc dwellers by the highways and hedges of Luke xiv., the Gentiles outside the Jewish circle of blessing ; and thus we Tin INTRODVCTlOlf, are c-Ued * Gentile dogs.' She had no claim on the * Son of David.* '• He came to His own.' Her need, her desire, her heart, her faith, were in the right direction ; but she must intelligently take the right place in order to be blessed, Her in3tin(fts were right ; her apprehension of the truth was This is the reason of that wonderful next word. ' But he answered her not a word.' Many think that this wrong was merely to try her faith — certainly it was ; but God ac- complishes many ends by one means. He has to manifest not only grace^ but also truth. Had He, as ' Son of David,* blessed her. He would not have kept his true place, for *He was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers* (Rom. xv. 8). And she was 'afar ofl', an alien from the commonwealth of Israel.* He, as Son of David, * confirmed the promises;* she v/as a ' stranger from the covenant of promise ; ' and when shvj tried that door, she found it righteously shut, be- cause He is faithful and true. He could have no words with her till He got His own and only place in which He could rise above all dispensational thoughts, and let His giace flow forth. Claims of truth had to be settled firsts then the fountain of grace could flow ; but her need kept her at the footstool. She asked ignorantly, but was in earnest. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, ' Send her away ; for she crieth after us.' One or other of two courses they might suggest. Peter mjght have said, * she is a Gentile dog ; she has no right to you as Son of David ; rend her away.* This would have been truth., but at the expense o{ grace; but Jcsua was sh wing grace as well rs trutii. John might have said, ' She is a poor, needy wom»^n ; iast give her what she wants, and send her away/ This would have been gracc^ but at the expense of truth. Now Jesus was showing truth as well as grace. This is so like man — he cares for little but his owi comfort. 'She crieth after us.' ' Us* always must be co.uulted. How un- like Him who gave ' Himself foi us,* when He came as grace and truth. ' What does it matter about dispensational truths, if sinners are saved?' Such is man's talk — and it matters little to the sinner ; but what of God's claims and God's truth ? ' We do not study this or tliat truth because i tNTRODUCTIOir. Son of re, her ; must ilessed, ith was :>rd^ lat this rod ac~ lanifest David,' or ' He Sod, to XV. 8). 'aUh of mises;* ; ; ' and liut, be- \ words ich He let His d first, ;d kept was in saying, ther of re said, Son of tth, ^>"t race as , needy away.* truth. lis is so 'She ow un- irne as national -and it ms and secause it is not essential/ Essential to you or to God? The dis- ciples could not harmonize grace and truth, and therefore they had to sacrifice the one or the other, but both are to be seen. Man would either repel from God as an angry Judge, and give no good news to any sniner, or He would under- mine the pillars of His throne by giving universal salvation ; but ' grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.' He now takes occasion from the appeal of the disciples to let out a little of His mind. But he answered and said, ' I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' As ' Son of David,' He keeps by His peculiar mission. She does not belong to the lost sheep of Israel's house ; how, therefore can He speak ; to her or grant her the request she presented ? He could not deal as ' Son of David ' with a Gentile, because she was not of the ho\ise of Israel. Was this not truth, some would eve>i think, to harshness? But this is man's idea of harsh- ness. God's truth is never harsh. Grace without truth is - sentimentality. Truth without grace is harshness. All this is only^ (not to ' send her away,' as was the disciples' easy method, but) to lead her to give Him His true place, and then to take her own true place in which grace could flow to her. Why are we not blessed with God's grace? He is waiting to be gracious. How long will He wait? Till we give Him His true place, and till we take our true place be- fore Him, where He can bless us. When be speaks, she , listens, and now takes up her request again. Then came she and worshipped, saying, ' Lord, help me.' She did not say she was as good as Israel's lost sheep ; but she Icavco out the title ' Son of David,' and calls Him Lord. 'If He is but sent to Israel's lost sheep, I can't call Him Son of David, and be blessed ; but He has another and a iiigher sovereign name, and that is Lord Jehovah, who can help even me. He won't break down the dispensational wall that keeps the poor Gentile dog away from the promises of the Son ot David; but He can rise above it in a power that can reach down to help and succour me.' She gives Him now His true place. This is seen in her not using the title ' Son of David,' but only that one word ' Lord,' His true name to her as a Gentile. ' They that knov Thy name will put their trust in Thee.' But she had not auite ieacl»*»4 / INTRODUCTION.^ !l her own true place. She neefled something more than help ; but Jesus, now addressed as Lord alone, can speak to her and rc\eal a little more. She listens, believes, and always takes uj) at each step the thought of the fresh revelation, the words tliat dropped from His lips, for she was in earnest. But He ans ercd and said, 'It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs.' Here is her name ; is she prepared to take it, as well as give Him His? Well might she have said, "Me a dog, forsooth ! I know many so called children of Israel who make a greater pro- fession,, and I would not be seen with them.* This would have been natural. When man does not feel hii need, he compares himself with others. He vindicates, excuses, palliates him&elf — 'Many make more profession than I do; yet I would be ashamed to do what they do,' Very pos- sibly ; that is tlieir business ; but what of God's claims on you ? She felt that her need >"as deep, and her answer is according to it. She takes the place the Lord gives her, not what she would choose, but what He indicates. And she said, ' Truth, Lord. Yet the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table.* This is the place of power. This is tl^ place of blessing. I St. ' Truth, Lord.' Any name you please — ' a sinner,* * a dog ;' but 2d. If I am a dog, it shall be at your table ; and there 1*11 claim the dog's portion. ' Yet the dogs eat the crumbs.* We take the guilty sinner's name, ' The guilty sinner s Saviour claim. I am a great sinner I ' Truth, Lord ; ' yet the great sinner cLiims the great Saviour. I am the chief of sinners I ' Truth, Lord ; * yet the chief of sinners claims the chief of Saviours. I am ignorant ! ' Truth, Lord ; * yet Christ is my wisdom. I am unrighteous I ' Truth, Lord ; * yet Christ is my righteousness. I am unhol3' ! ' Truth, Lord ; * yet Christ is my saniflification. I am in bondage I ' Truth Lord;' yet Christ is my redemption. That 'yet* is the pleading of need from the place that truth has given. Mercy and truth are met together ; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. And now what is the answer, and what was the result? INTRODUOTION. I help ; to her always on, the nest, ike the is her II His? '. know cr pro- , would eed, he xcuses, n I do ; ry pos- lims on swer is es her, eat the is the sinner,* lere I'll lbs/ t sniner inners ! hief of I!hrist is 1;' yet Lord;* ' Truth is the esult? Then Jesus answered and said unto her, * O woman, great is thy faith ; be it unto thee even as thou wilt.' This was the answer, the very resources of Jehovah thrown open for her use. ' And her daughter was made whole from that hour.* And this was the result, ' From that hour.* What hour? The hour in which she said, 'Truth, Lord.' The hour in which she took the dog's place, and claimed the dog's portion. Is this but a crumb from His blessed table? What must the full feast be, when the Church of God, gath- ered out of Jew and Gentile, shall sit down at the marriage supper as the bride of the Lamb ; and every prayer shall have ended, because all have been answered ; and the com- bined glory of grace and truth shall shine out for ev r from the brows of all the myriads of sinners, saved by grace, who came in all their degradation and need to the feet of Jesus, ^'iving Him His true place, and taking their true place? Friend, God now waits to be gracious to you ; but you must take the dog's place. In the following papers I have tried to preserve the balance between grace and truth. * The grace of God* brings salvation, this is the truth of Titus ii. * The right- eousness of God* — God being jusi: and justifying Him that believes in Jesus, — is the truth of Rom. iii. I have endeav- ored to show the grace and truth of God : — I St. With regard to the justification of a sinner. Grace has to be seen and truth seen, each equal to the other. 2d. With regard to ihe sandlification or grov/^th in grace of a believer. Grace is seen and truth Is seen. ' Being made free from sin and becoming servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life,' Uom. vi. 22. I will here give the thread on which the papers in this volume are crystallized : — 1st. ' There is no difference^ for until a man seea this, he is not in the place v/here God can bless him. This is fundamental. 2nd. Would you like to be saved? ' Whosoever will * it pointed to the work of Christ for sinners. 3rd. ' Te must be born again * — Wherein are disr.ussed the necessity and nature of regeneration. Regeneration is tn a<5l done at the «ame time as justification — not a work, aa kn INTRODUCTION. many seem to think, confounding it with gradual sandlifica- tion. Justification gives pardon and acceptance. Regen- eration gives a new life, a new nature at the same time per- fe6t in parts but not in development, sancStification being the development of this new life. In this is discussed the ques- tion what is the water ^ of which we must be born again ? 4th. Do you feel yoicr sins foi'given? In this is pointed out that most dangerous error of confounding man's feelings with the testimony of God's word — the confounding of the eighth chapter of Romans with the fifth — the confounding of the Spirit's witness to sonship with * Being justified by faith we have peace with God ' — that we stand only on the vvrritten word * Thus saith the Lord* for our * knowledge of salvation,' as we stand only on the incarnate Word for that salvation itself. 5th. The -work of the Holy Spirit* The connedtion and difference between the work of the Spirit in me and Christ's work for me are here considered. Many souls would wish to study the work of the Spirit in them first, but only a saved man can profitably study this ; one who has come through the former chapter, ' Do you feel your sins forgiven.* The Holy Ghost is never mentioned in Romans till the fifth chapter. Misplaced truth is the worst error. 6th. ' Heaven opened^ In which we get a glimpse of the counsels ot God in the past, present, and future. Heaven is opened now for us and all that is there is ours. The epistle to the Hebrews discloses our opened heaven. 7th. Trltimph and confid come next The conflidl before was between me and God, now it is between me and myself, and this will be a life-long confli<5t, for every Chris- tian is in the world, has the flesh within and Satan against him. These are typified by Israel in Egypt, which is spiritually the world — in the Wilderness, where Amalek {ih&fesh) has to be defeated — and in Canaan, where the Canaanites {*• spiritual wickednesses*) have to be overcome. That ' Satanic trinity ' is considered in the three following papers in detail. 8th. Under the sun* Our great foe * the world * is here looked at. What is it, and how is it to be overcome ? 9th. ' No confidence in thefesh * — the believer'a beacon- dre. Here we consider what true holiness is and wUat it if INTRODUCTION. XUI ilifica- legen- le per- ng the ; ques- ain? jointed eelings of the unding tied by on the idge of for that ion and Christ's Id wish a saved through .' The he fifth pse of leaven The contli6l me and Chris- against hich is Amalek here the IS here fc? beacon* rhaX it U '< not. Not the old nature made better, but the believer as a whole, as an individual, made better by his new nature keeping the old under. In this is shown the all-important truth concerning the existence in the one individual saved man of two distin(5t natures. The one person has two na- tures, one that cannot sin because born of God, the other th.^t cannot but sin because born of Satan. Our pra<5lical holiness does not consist in assimilation, but in opposition — not in improvement of the old man, but in his mortification. Our responsibility remains in the individual person, pos- sessed of these two natures. loth. The devil. The truth so plainly shown in Scrip- ture concerning the real personal existence, and not me/e influence of the devil ; v/here he is, what he is doing, and our power over him are stated. nth. ' Servifig" the Lord* now comes in, since we arc made free from our foes, since our bands are loosened, we can now serve. * Let my people go that they may serve me.' 1 2th. yudgmcnt\% looked at as past with regard to the bclieTcv's person, present as to the believer's ways, and to come for the believer's works. Many Christians fail to see the perfedl balance here between grace and truth — grace putting us for ever beyond judgment, and truth bringing up at the judgment seat of Christ all our deeds done in the body, good or bad. In issuing a new edition, we would merely record our adoring thanks to Him whose name is Wonderful, for hav- ing in any way used these pages as the means of sending light into dark hearts, or of solving diiriculties to those who already knew His grace and trutli, and leading them more intelligentlly to wak with Himself. May the gracious Spirit whose it is to lead into all truth bless what is His own in these pages, to the glory of the ever blessed Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour. SniNOBANK, Hull, Itt January ^ 1872. W. P. M. * There is no Difference! Our Condemnation, <•>»»- OU are always preaching and writing that the vilest and most unworthy are welcome to come to Christ; but what of those that do not feel so very vile?' a sister in the Lord once said to me. Thie: is a most important question, in regard to a class of • people very difficult to reach. She told me that a friend, after having heard a preacher of the gospel describing the awful state of unsaved people, and giving a solemn exhorta- tion to be saved immediately, said, with great surprise, *" But 'what is it all about? I feel as happy as a bircU She really coald not under- stand that anything the man had been saying had any reference to her. Such people never did anything very bad. They have been trained up under all the in- fluences of a Christianized society. The}' never knew vice in its open nakedness. They never felt anything at all very evil in their hcaits. They have never been face to face with God, nor taken God's idea of sin. In short, they know not the God revealed in Scripture. I do not mean that they are idolaters or infidels in the popular sense of these words. They know a god I ^:M * GRACE AND TRUTS: that is a sort of being for pulpit use, a being that is to bead dressed as a matter of course, and re- ligious duty, at times of particular solemnity. They have a few ideas, derived from various sources, of a being called God, but of the God of Holy Scripture they have no conception. The God v^ho judges sinners they do not know^; of God's estimate of sin they have never heard. But let me be distinctly understood as to this most important matter. Let us imagine a man wandering on the top of some high cliffs. A. bright warm sun is overhead, and a soft green car- pet of grass is beneath his feet. He feels very happy and ga}^ but he is going nearer to an awful precipice I He is happ}', but he is blind. We call, we shout to him to stop. He turns round and says. * What is it all about? I feel as happy as a bird', ' but onward still he goes. Would it not be love on our part to go and take hold of him, and earnestly tell him that a fearful precipice lies a yard before him? Dear friend, this is where we see you. I have in n^ mind at this moment an accomplished young \"Ay^ jimiable, kind, and dutiful, surrounded by all that cm make life happy; one who has her neat Bible or Prayer-book, and who is seen most regularly and religiously in her seat in church or chapel every Lord's-day, who takes great interest in deeds of charity, visits the poor, and is very happy. No one ever dared to say to such an one, * You are on the broad road that leadeth to de- struction.' It would be considered highl}' im- proper so to do. Perhaps this silent page may be % • THERE IS NO DIFFERENOE.* ng that and re- emnity. various he God I. The ow; of xd. 1 to this a man iTs. A een car- ds very in awful d. We IS round s happy Would hold of recipice '-e I hav* d young ided by has her en most lurch or interest is very an one, h to de- hly im- ; may be before your eye, and now it would say to you what has been so long unsaid, *Stop! are you ready to meet God ? where shall you spend eter- nity?' If you were separated this moment from all the dear friends around you, and all those hap- py scenes, and that comfortable home, and stand- ing before God, what have you to svcy ? I wish to write a little of what He thmks of you. I am not to write about what your parents, your friends, your pastor, or spiritual adviser think of you. They may think most highly of you, and most justly too, as you may be everything that could be desired from a human point of view. But I wish to place before you what God your Maker thinks of you; 3^es, of you yourself, whoever you may be; the more refined, cultivated, educated, and wealthy, the more would I be in earnest to get your attention. You may be a princess or an empress, but one word expresses God's estimate of you, and that word is — 'sinner.' * A rich lady one day, when she heard a person speaking of all as sinners, said with great sur- prise, — 'But ladies are not sinners!' 'Then who are.^' she was asked. 'Just young men in their foolish days.' I have not the slightest doubt but that this is a very common idea, thougli seldom expressed. A lady who had heard some one preaching this kind of truth called on him and said, — ' Do you mean to say that I must be saved just as my footman } ' * Most certainly.' r • GRACE AND TRUTH* \ .1 m^ *■ Then I shan't be saved.' Poor lady! that was her business, and this was her fatal decision. My reader, I not onl}^ wish to tell you that you arc a sinner — you, educated, amiable lady — but that in God's sight you are just the same as the vilest profligate; just the same as that man you heard about who was hanged for murdering his wife This is most terrible, but it is true. I remember once saying it to a young man who was not like you, but who knew that he was very bad; and he said, — * I believe all are sinners, but I don't believe that all are the same.* ' Well, we have only one authority to refer to, and it is within your reach ; will you take your Bible, and remember one thing, that it is God who speaks? Turn now to Romans, the 3rd chapter and 2 2d verse, and at the last clause we read, "For there is no difference', for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." This is what God has said.' * Well,' said my friend, * I never saw that be- fore.' * But it was there although you never saw it.' And now, dear reader, you who are happy and amiable, this is the one thing I wish to tell you from God, * There is no differenced This is what you never could and never can feel; it is a thing for which you must believe God. As it is God with whom you have to do, I beseech you do not listen one moment to any that would take you from His truth. He says * there is no difference; ' He has proved that the lawless Gentile or heathen and the \ • TBERB IS NO DIFFERENOB.* liat was 1. My nt are a )ut that e vilest \ heard lis wife iiember not Uke ; and he 1 refer to, ike your jod who I chapter Are read, sinned, This is that be- saw it.' ippy and tell you s is what 5 a thing od with lot listen irom His He has and the law-breaking Jew or religious person are equally guilty, and that not one among either the outwardly profane or the outwardly decent is found righteous or good before Him. Of course there are ditfer- encey in heinousness or degradation of sins. I need not stop to speak of this ; we all know it. I wish to tell you what you and I do not by nature know; namely, that there is no difference as to where we stand before God. The one question \s, guilty or not guilty. There arc no degrees as to the faS of guilt. ' He that offends in one point is guilty of all,' and nothing less. He that otfends in all points isguilty of all, and nothing more. Therefore, while there are differences among offences, there is no difference as to guilt. Therefore, all men in the world (and you included), have been brought in guilty before God. Look at the story of the Prodigal Son in the 15th of Luke. The moment he crossed his fa- ther's threshold with his pockets full of money and ia respectable dress on, he was as reall}- guilty, as [really a sinner, as when he was among the swine in his rags. He was more degraded when keep- ing swine, but not more guilt}'. In fa6l, his degra- dation and husks were his greatest mercies, for Jthese led him to see his guilt. A full pocket and a |respe6lable appearance are the worst things a Iguilty sinner can have, as these lead him to think [that he is rich and increased with goods, and has [need of nothing, when in God's sight he is wretched, jiind miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I lo not ask you, Are you a sinner in the common ise of that word } because you for whom I write ( * GRACE AND TRUTH.* \U ill 1 1 are not. You mean by sinner, one who is very wild, profane, disobedient, and lawless. This is as men speak of sinners. God, however, says that there is no difference. The only thing I ask you is this. Have you offended in one point — not one point of open sin, but one point in thought or word ? You confess to at least one point. God asks no more. If you have offended in one point y'o?i are guilty of all. Man would never think this nor say it. But God says it. Suppose that your life were like a book that 3'ou have written, and there was only one small blot just like a pin's-point in it, whilst all the other leaves were perfectly clean, and you came and presented it be- fore God; He would put it beside all the blackest lives .that ever lived, the blackest histories of the vilest murderers, and thieves, and harlots, and over this colledtion would be written these words, ^ There is no differenced You have offended in one point. It is not a question of being a great sinner — it is this question, * Are you perfe6l as the Christ of God, the perfe6l man "^ ^ If you had lived for fifty years without committing one sin, or having one wrong wish or thought, and just then you had an evil thought, and afterwards lived another fift}' years and died, aged one hundred, with only this one evil thought (not even a word or an a6lion), when 3'ou came to stand before God in judgment. He would put you beside all the offscourings ol^ the earth, men who for a hundred years never had a good thought, and He would say, ' There is no difference.'' Of course you think this is very hard, but it is 1 « THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE.* is very This is ys that sk you lot one Lght or . God le ^oint r think )se that tvritten, : like a es were ;d it be- ^lackest s of the uid over words, IS not a uestion, perfc6l without wish or bought, 1(1 died, thought u came mid put th, men :hought, but it is true. God will never ask your opinion whether it ought to be so or not. lie has in grace told us already what He will do. You and I, not know- ing absolute holiness, cannot understand or appre- ciate such a judgment. We could never feci that every one is the same in God's sight as regards guilt. But God says it, and there the matter ends. If you wish to go on, risking your chance of escap- ing hell on the possibility that God has told lies, and that these words are not perhaps quite true, that * there is no difference^ then the judgment- day will declare it to you. I would rather advise you to believe God, against your own ideas and opinions, and simply because He has said it, to proceed as if in His sight, ' there is no difference^ between those we call great and little sinners. ^ I cannot believe that all are so bad^ said one, after I had been saying * there is no differeiice^ ' But,' I added, ' the Bible says, " there is no differenced ' But there must be greater sinners than others.' ^ Oh, yes. Most certainly. Great olfenders are recognized in the Bible; he tliatowed fifty and he that owed five hundred pence; but as to guilt, God says, " there is no difference,'''' ' ' Well, I cafinolsee it^ still continued my friend. * But it is ifi God'^s Word, luhether you see it or not; ' and it is suffioient that God has said it, for His Word is truth. Let me giv^ an illustra- tion. Let us suppose that a bill had been stuck up in this town, saying that recruits were wanted for Her Majesty's Life Guards, and that none would be enlisted but those who were tall and 8 • OR ACE AND TRUTH.* ih m\ \ ilil: measured not under six feet in height. Let us sup- pc e that many of the 3^oung men in the town were anxious to serve in this regiment, and John meets James, and says to him, 'Well, Fve more chance than you, for 1 am taller than you ; ' and they put back to back and measure themselves with one another, and indeed John is taller than James. And there continues to be much meas- uring in the town before the day that the recruit- ing-sergeant comes. They measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves among themselves, b..t they forget one thing — that not only tall men, but men not under six feet are wanted. One man at last says, 'Well, Fve measured myself with every man in the town, and Pm the tallest man in it,' and it might be quite true. But wiL even he be found qualified? The trial day comes. Each is measured, from the man five feet six inches, to the very tallest. Suppose he is five feet eleven inches and three- quarters. The sergeant cannot let him pass. He is short. Fie must take his place among the very shortest as to getting into the Life Guards. Fie is the tallest man in the town, but he is short of the standard, and 'there is no difference' from the very shortest as to his exclusion from the Life Guards. ' There is a difference ' in height, but not in qualitication. Thus it is with every sinner. He may be good, or bad, in the sight of men, but ' there is no differ- ence, for all have sinned and come short of the ory of God.' If any man could say, I have come • TBERE IS NO DIFFERENOE: US SUp- 2 town ».! John ; more I ; ' and nselves er than meas- recruit- es, X t and hey en, but man at :h every 1 in it, 1 he be d, from tallest, three- , lie is le very He is t of the cm the ic Life ;ht, but le good, 3 dilTer- of the l^e coinc up to God's standard, and this is true, then there would be a difference; but ^ come shoV is writ- ten on every man's brow, therefore there is fio difference. Whether was Adam or Eve the more to bl.i.me ? This might afford material for a long discussion, and at the end, the heinousness of their crime would be to us a matter of opinion. I have no doubt there might be some shade of degree as to heinousness; but one thing is sure — if their of- fences were not equally heinous, they were equal- ly driven out. The cherubim that turned every way with the flaming sword, separated both equal- ly from the tree of life; there was no difference. When the rain began to fall and the waters to rise, after Noah had entered the ark, the people who had their houses high up might have been pitying the poor people who built low down in the valley, as they heard the screams of the drown- ing. By and by the water sweeps above the little hills., and then those on the high hills, in turn, con- gratulate themselves upon their high-built villas. But the water still rises; it enters their gi'ound- floors; they rush out of their grand mansions or hovels -— for there was no difference — and flee to the tops of the very highest mountains; but only find respite for a few moments, for ' all the high hills, under the whole heaven, were covered; fif- teen cubits upward did the waters prevail, and the mountains were covered, and all flesh died that moved upon the earth .... and every man ; all in whose nostrils was the breath of Ufe, of or// that was in the dry land, died, and every living sub- lO « GRACE AND TRUTH: ill I Ml iill! i stance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground.' Under that judgment-flood there was no difference. Look across the wide, level sea, and consider the thousands of caves and stupen- dous mountain chains that it hides, the plains and valleys, the dens of seaweed and the fortresses of rock J and the level sea rolls equally over all, and there is no difference. Drunkard and respectable lady, the hoary-hsired sinner and the infant at the mother's breast — ali were under that fearful floodj for there was 710 difference. If you had been there, do you think 3'ou would have been made an ex- ception of? You may be able just now to get any- thing that money can buy. Could money have saved you then ? Prince and beggar, strong men and weak, bad and good, were all equally swept away. There was no difference. It has happened already, you see, and it will happen again — not with water, but with fire. * "When Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven,' there was no diffe^'ence. All were equal- ly destroyed : very bad and very good shared the same fate. This fearful, unprecedented shower falling out of heaven — brimstone and fire — took everyone by surprise, and destroyed every dweller there. * He overthrew those cities and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities.' There was no difference. When Israel was sheltered in the house of bond- age from the destroying angel's hand, * it came to pass tiiat at midnight Jehovah smote rt/Zthe tirst- born in the land of Egypt, from the lirst-born of \ « TBERE IS NO DIFFERENCE: II ; face of lere was vel sea, L stupen- ains and •esses of - all, and pe6table ,nt at the ful floodj en there, 2 an ex- get any- ley have Dng men [y swept happened in — not nd upon ih out of e equal- ared the shower — took ^dweller all the ' There ofbond- came to the tirst- •born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne, unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon.' Judge and prisoner alike found themselves face to face with death. In the palace and in the hovel the voice of mourning was heard; not one of all the doomed first-born escaped. These first-born might have been beautiful, amiable, educated, and accomplished, or they might have been vile, de- graded, ignorant, and hardened; buL there was no difference. It is with this God you and I have to do. When Jericho's walls fell flat before the appoint- ment, the ordinance of God, in righteous judgment *they (the Israelites) utterly destro3^ed all\h^X was in the city, both man and woman, young and old.' The strong man and the feeble woman, the a6live young man and the decrepid old, were equally slain by the edge of the sword. There was no difference. The flaming sword of the cherubim, the flood of waters, the deluge of fire, the angel of death, and Joshua's sword, all preach to you and me with calm, decided voice, * There is no differenced These things were written for us, that we might know what we may expe6l so that we might not leap in the dark. Nothing will happen which has not been told us. A brother in the Lord could never get a young lady to think about eternity until he quoted this text, * The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.' That word, ^forget ' S seemed to haunt her. May it haunt you, dear ^reader 1 You do not require to deny God's exist- ;n}' 12 * GRACE AND truth: enge, to mock at Him, to despise Him, to reje6t Him, to negle6l Him; all you have to do is to forget God. Do you know the God who says, * There is no difference'' f Have 3^ou forgotten that he identifies you with all descended from Adam ? Have you forgotten the God driving our parents out of Eden, and placing a sword crying for blood? Our brother Cain soon forgot; our brother Abel remembered. Have you forgotten the God who swept away all in the days of Noah ? Have you forgotten that He is the Judge of quick and dead, and as there was no difference^ so there is a day coming when there will be no difference. In the judgment of the quick, * all the goats are equally on the left hand — ' there is no difference.^ In the judgment of the dead, * the dead, stna/l and great stand before God' — small and great sinners, young and old, king and serf, peer and peasant — ' and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire,' for * there is no difference,^ Your name may have been written on the communion-roll of any. or all the churches, or it may have been written in the sheets of the Newgate convi6lion- book for murderers, but 'there is no difference! The lake of fire levels all distin^lions. There may be, there are, many nnd few stripes; there may be, there are, great and small cups full of wrath, but every cup, be it great or small, x^full The lake of fire — fearful thought — rolls its hid- eous sea of wrath and torment in one surging wave over all that have not been enrolled in the one book of life. In hell, and perhaps only there, TBERE IS NO DIFFERENCE.' 13 for the first time, you will believe that * there is w differenced Every one believes it there. Let me ask you to look at another pi6lure. 'hree men are hung on three crosses. If you look at them, you will see that ' there is no differ- mce. If you listen to what they are sayings, you ^ill hear one at the one side mocking Him in the :entre; and the one on the other side saying, ^ Dost lot thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly^ but this lan hath done nothing amiss^ The one in the centre is saying, * Father, forgive them, for they :now not what they do.' Those suffering * justly,' md He that did * nothing amiss,' equally suffer, for * there is no differenced Those needing for- giveness, and He praying for their forgiveness, r — small fce under the same doom, for * there is no differ- , to reje6t do is to who says, forgotten ided from riving our )rd crying rgot; our 1 forgotten ; of Noah? Judge of ference^ so vill be no [uick, * all —' there is dead, * the nee: Who are they? Those on either hand are wo malefadtors, or thieves, who die by the con- emnation of their law. He in the centre was roved innocent, and He is the Judge of quick nd dead. He has taken of his own free-will the oad of sin upon Him, and, under sin. He cannot :onvi(5lion' )e cleared. Spotless, pure, holy though He was, iifferencel \ -le cannot escape. God can by no means clear IS. There he guilty. * He hath made Him sin for us, who and serf, not found to the lake four name lunion-roll have been pes; there new no sin.' He is under our guilt, and * there ips lull of j s no difference ' between Him and the thief — He all, \sfull \ nust suflcr. Dear reader, does not this explain )lls its hid- 11 difficulty about an innocent, amiable, virtuous, le surging ■ ccomplished lady being on the same level before lied in theftod as a drunkard and a murderer? Here is only there, prod's perfect Son — yea, the very God-man (I il li I'll iiii' !i HORACE AND TRITU: ii^ the same level with malefa6lors, not for Himself, but for us. God became man, and gave Himself for our sins. This satisfa6lion that the innocent made for the guilty is offered to you, and you maj freely have it, fr r * there is no differenced If the eye of the vilest sinner in this world' should perchance rest on this — an outcast from all society, one who has lost all friends and ali self-respe6l, the tottering drunkard coming out of his delirium tremens — I tell you as from God, this Christ is offered to you as God's love-gift, You may reckon Him yours, and proceed upon it as if He were yours as truly as I or any other person in this world do so. You have as muc^ right to claim Him as we, for ' there is no differ- ence'' in God's sight — * His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood avails for me.* Thus, my friend, for whom especially I writt this, you have to take the lost sinner's place, fo: God says, * there is no difference? As I have said before, I could know this only from God's Word. You have Deen as happy as a bird al your life, but you forget to find out what Goc thinks about you. I have tried to show you thiij from the Bible. I do not ask you if you feel it| for I am sure you never could, neither could amj one feel all the catalogue of sins in Romans i. ami iii. true against him individually; but God knowl us better than we know ourselves, and this is Hiij estimate of us. From the same word, and therefore on tW Ian fo ^o lot le: :h] lor fo( I 'e • THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE: i5 )r Himself «ame authority, and on none other, I tell you that ^e Himself feod has given you Christ. ' For God so loved the le innocent Arorld that He gave His only-begotten Son.' I do d you may lot say that you are to feel that Christ is yours, ny more than I asked you to feel all the indi6t- ice. this wrorld \ lent true against you. You are to believe that utcast from ! ids and all ninff out of < Jod. hrist is yours, as you believe the black accusa- on against you is yours, only on the authority of from God] 3ceed upon r any other ve. as mucli Is no differ- I once asked a woman, * Do you feel that yoi) s love-gift. 5 re condemned;'' an, ^ Yes,' she said. * Now,' I answered, * that is absurd. You ma) now andy^^/you are guilty, but you can only be- ieve you are condemned, because you know you Ire condemned on the authority of the judge who Jas pronounced the sentence.' So on God's authority, and on it alone, I know am * condemn ed already.' And on the same an- ally I write Aority alone I know that ' Christ is for mi:,' me 's place, foi idividually. Just because I accept God's esti- As I havt \ Kite of myself, I have a right to accept God's cs- from Godn mate of His Son forme. I believe the record ; a bird al ; lat God gave of His Son to lost sinners. It looks t what Goci cry humble to say I am too great a sinner, or ow you this; omething similar, thus comparing myself with you feel it ther sinners; h\xX.t\\Qhuviblingh'\t\sX\\^t'' (here r could any s no difference.^ )mans i. anc All arc * condemned already,' but only those God knowi /ho believe it reap the advantage of this. Ad- l this is His- antagel What advantage can there be in know- ig I am condemned already? Much, because only bre on thtjiey who believe themselves condemned can claim i6 • OR ACE AND TRUTH* m\ a Saviour. And now the ' righteousness of God is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all,^ that is to say, it is offered, in the person of Christ, equally unto every person in this world, but is only ' upon all them that believe^ for there is no difference, for all have sinned.' ^ All,' in Rom. iii. 9, are said to be ' luider sin.' So, in ver. 22, all believing ones are under righteousness. It is ^ upon all them that believe.' Righteousness is altogether and for ever outside of every man's attainment, for it must be perfe6l, and ail have sinned. Read Rom. iii. 19 to 26. ' Where sin abounded grace did much more abound.' God has proved us all equally by nature and pra6tice ' tender siit; ' He now has placed all of us who believe * under grace.' Thanks be unto God, my dear friend, though you began this paper not knowing yourself as God knows you, you may now, on God's authority, where 3'OU are, without moving, claim Christ ^ the righteousness of God ' as yours, and may rise to tell others like yourself what God thinks of us and what God has provided for us. It is in love that He will not let you alone. If we are to be * be- fore Him ' for ever, we must be * holy and without blame in love; ' and if so, it is only ' in His Son' that this can be. Virtuous or vile, decent or indecent, rich or poor, receive and rest upon God's Christ now as He is so freely offered you, and then you may be- lieve (not feel) that your sins are in the depths of the sea, that the shoreless ocean of the love of God flowing through a crucified Saviour has rolled over your millions of sins, and you can triumph- * THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE: 17 intly say, as you look at that ocean covering all that is against you, * there is no difierencc.'' If any one is to be kept out of heaven for the )eliever's sins, that must be Christ, as ' He bore >ur sins.' God laid on Him our iniquities. Clad in the skins of God's own making (type )f the righteousness of God), Adam and Eve were jqually clothed, there was no diffei-ence. Shut in by God's hand into the ark of gopher ^ood, * Noah only remained alive, and they that 'ere with him in the ark; ' but they all, gieat and fmall, man and beast, bird and creeping thing, lion ind worm, were equally saved floating nearer and learer heaven the highe." the judgment waters polled, for there was no difference. Under shelter of the sprinkled blood every liouse )f Israel was safe even in Egypt, and all equally [ejoiced around the roasted lamb, for there was \o difference. Under protedlion of the scarlet line all found Rahab's house were equally safe when all in lericho were destroyed, for there was no differ- \ftce. None of all those enrolled in the Lamb's book if life can be cast into the lake of fire. They [hall never see the second death, for in that book lere is no difference; once there, perfe6lly safe )r ever. God's salvation to lost sinners must ^Iways be through judgment. We must accept "is ordinance. What was there in skins of ieasts, an ark of gopher wood, a few diops of flood, a red cord, or in a certain book? They re God's ordinance, God's perfe6l way. It will i8 • GRACE AND TRUTH: matter little what we think will condemn or save, let us accept God's thoughts for both. God -has written out our chara6ler. Read Rom. i. 29, * Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity. Whis- perers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-break- ers, without natural affeftion, implacable, unmer- ciful.' Gal. V. 19, * Adultery, fornication, un- cleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft. Hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sedi- tions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and -such like.' But I hear some one say. — * That is the charadter of a heathen.' * Yea, friend, it is thine — these are what thy heart is made of. The}' may be kept under, but they are all there in germ, thc/ugh not necessarily developed into transgression.' ' Nay, all these are not in my heart.' ' Well, I'm sorry to hear it.' *Why?' * Because only this chara6ter will be received at Calvary. Only what God has written aboi t us will be accepted by Him; but coming to Cal; vary with this in our hands, we shall hear his voice saying, " 1, even I am lie that blotteth out: th)' transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins," and all are gone for evei,' Why does not every one believe that his heart is desperately wicked? Because it is deceitful 1 • THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE.* 19 nn or save. ornication. I :i ibove all things, and cannot bear to hear the ruth when spoken about itself. Accept the character God has given to you^ ind accept the Saviour He has provided for you* Thou just and holy God, Before Thee who can stand ? Guilty, condemned, all waiting wrath In judgment from Thy hand. One sin deserves a hell, A death that ne'er shall die ; Our sins like sands on ocean's shores In millions 'gainst us lie. Thou God of truth and grace, We praise Thee for Thy way By which the guilty may draw near— Their guilt all put away. Thy Christ who bled and died, Up to Thy Throne has gone ; Himself Thy love-gift we accept, We rest on Him alone. We praise Thee as Thy sons Before our Father's face. As o'er our every sin now roll* The ocean of Thy grace. -,our u have not rod says, if people (that is, saved people) say ley have no sin they deceive themselves. All the difference lies in this, having sin in me, and jin ON me. I once tried to put the w^ay to be saved )efore a little girl v/ho was wishing to know about It, and I think it shewed her the gospel to the laving of her soul. * How many people were crucified on Calvary?' * Three,' she replied. *Two thieves, and Jesus l^etween.' I ^W'^re both the thieves equally bad?' ,^^ ^ tv ' Yes, they suffered justly.' "'•''' ! 'Did both die alike?' ) *No.' ,-„. wr- :-//" '^ . 'What made the difference?' ■'-■ • . ,i 'One believed on Jesus, the other did not.' 'Now what about sin with regard to these three ? The one thief that did not look to Jesus, ; fed he sin in him?' :. *Yes.' ■■--■/.;,, y . ,'V:r as I have I ' Had he sin on him? ' e not to fed m, then all len you and your sins )U can never as sure of has said it. you is not r, distressed how people that if thejj / sm in theiti3 \y Yes.' * And Jesus, had He sin in Him?' She thought a little, but she answered rightly, lo.' (He was holy, harmless, no speck ever jfilcd Him, He could touch lepers and still be lean.) v, . .,.:,;, -■ , >^ '..■...■.^' :' M lad He sin ON Him?' *Ycs.' ■x:,,. ■:--,;/ :r * His own?' _ ^,- *No.' *The thief that looked to Jesus, had he sin in after he looked?' liill &8 « ORAOB AND TRUTE.* ii " *Yes.' *Had he sin on him?' This Cross still divides the world. We are al sinners, as were both the thieves. On one sid( are saved sinners, on the other unsaved sinners On the one side are those who believe God tha Jesus is theirs; on the other, those who do not On the one side are those who have sin in them but no sin on them, because they have left it oi the spotless Sin-bearer; on the other, those wb have sin both in them and on them. And all th people in the world d'/^ as those two thieves dii None ever died, or ever will die, without sin r them. The name of every man when he die will be sinner. The name of each man wa thief to the very last breath; but one died saved thief ^ the other died an unsaved thie] The one s^t of men die saved sinners, the othe unsaved sinners. The one die with sin on then sinking them down to an awful hell; the othe die with no sin on them, and are * for ever wit the Lord.' *Now, will you not be saved?' v; 'v> th *How<:^«I?' l»- * Simply LOOK.' * But I have often tried to look, and I have ofle tried to bring before my mind a pidture of Jesi hanging on the cross for me.' * Now, this is not the way at all : a vision Christ on the cross, or a dream, or a thought, not what God gives. Suppose I was laid on death-bed to-night, and, as I lay, the devil ca 10 ie < e il G ni ej il o( e WOULD TOU LIKE TO BS SAVED t 29 We are al 3n one sid ved sinnen ve God tha ivho do not sin IN their ave left it 0: •, those wh And all th thieves die thout sin r hen he die :h man wa one died isaved thie^ TS, the othe sin ON then ill; the othe for ever wit J I have ofle hire of Jesi;, : a vision a thought, as laid on e devil cai me, and tolc rne that I was not saved; sup- pose I s^id to him, "Some time ago I had a vision of Christ hanging on the cross for me." " Ah I " he would say, " that was a delusion I brought before your eyes to deceive you." " Well, but I dreamt one night that Jesus came dose to me, and said, * Thou art mine. '" " It was all a delusion." "I had a thought one day: it just flashed across me all at once, that I was saved." " Only a delusion." And I could not answer e accusing deceiver. But I will tell you what ill put him to flight. I take my Bible and I say, God says that He gave me Jesus." " How do you know that Jesus is for you ? " " Because God says that He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." '' But do you think that so great a sinner as you can be saved by simply believing Jesus is yours ? " ^ " Yes ; for God says, ' He that believeth on the ■bn HATH everlasting life.' " And the devil could . J|y nothing; for it is written, "They overcame hjm by the blood of the Lamb and bythew6>r^of their testimony." You see I would never dare to bring before him what I felt or what ideas had ossed my mind, but simply and solely w/^<^/ God lys. This is looking — this is seeing Jesus in the "ord of God? * Will you not be washed in His blood, and be de for ever clean ? ' *But how can I? What do you mean by His ood? I have ofl:en heard about it, and have often ed, while lying on my bed, to bring before my 30 • ORAOB AND TRUTH,* ^' '''Hi!! m III "liilllH eyes the sight of His blood flowing from Hii wounded hands and feet, and from His piercec side.' * Now this is another mistake : blood is a figun for lifo taken. Seeing the blood means believinc God about the death of His Son, instead of you; death. Being satisfied with Christ's death in tht room of yours, this is being washed in the blood You see no real blood, nor vision, nor pi6lure o! blood ; but in that blessed Book of God you read " He was wounded for our (faith says my) trans gressions. He was bruised for our iniquities, thi chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and witb His stripes we are healed.'' Isa. liii. ^. This ii seeing the blood. * Will you not come to Jesus?' > But how can I .? I have read in the Bible thsi He said, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;" and have often wished I had been on earth when H] was here; I wish I had seen Him pass my door,! would have watched Him, and have run to Hir and touched His garment. But He is in heave( and how can I come to Him?' *Now God has most beautifully explained this] for we have not to go up to heaven (Rom. x. 651 to bring Him down, nor to go to the grave tflpil bring Him up; but He is risen and gone to heavci f ( and He has left His Word, in which alone IliS t can now be found. This Word may be in yoi hands and in your memory, that Word which tl: Holy Ghost has written, and is now urging you 1 believe, that God so loved you as to give yo4 WOULD TOU LIKE TO BE SAVED I 31 g from Hii His piercec sus. He is asking you in that Word to believe at He is yours. This is "coming to Jesus." ow that He is in heaven, His Spirit and His d is a figurf Word, — His Word from His lips and His Spirit ms believint iij^ through, and with the Word are all that are ead of you:l^t; and will these not satisfy? Have you never death in tlittj|ought that if you saw your name written in the in the blood leavens, or on the sea-shore, and you knew that 3r pi6lure 0; t^ had been traced by God's finger, you would od you read t^en believe that you were saved; but do you s my) trans tSiink God will make another and special revela- niquities, thi^n for you.? No, no, — you must just take sal- tion as all the rest of us poor cinners have taken by believing the one Book.' *]3ut have I not to wait God's time.'*^ *God has only one time — that is, to-day. I d of to-morrow in the Bible. Pharaoh wished frogs taken from him, but to-morrow. To- rest;" andniprrow is man's time. Now, to-day, is God's. rth when Hl^you came to a stream, would you sit down and ss my door.s^, I will wait till it flows past and when it is run to HirdA', then I will cross? Men are not such fools. is in heaveG^d is waiting on you. He is calling you. He iS't)eseeching you; and this is his one request, iplained thijTlke my Son whom I have given. He cries to jry accountable and rational soul in this world, [ill you have Him?^ Oh, if I could feel a something in me telling that Christ was mine, 1 would believe it.' Quite wrong again. It is believing something kside of you, trusting Him at God's right hand, resting on His sure^ eternal IVord.^ ou wil\ not throw this aside, will you, and [im, andwitl 5-. This le Bible tha It labour an 651 grave i\ (Rom. X the me to heaver ich alone ly be in yo )rd which tl urging you to give yoi 32 « GRACE AliD TRUTH,* mm say, I like it, or I do not like it? The poor sin ner, saved by the grace of God, who writes t you cannot save you, nor can any man. Tei God what you are io do; tell God that He love you; tell God that you trust Him; tell God tha you believe Him; tell God that He has give you Jesus; tell God that you believe /^a/ also tell God that He laid all your sins upon Jesus tell God that you believe they were on Him^ an therefore are not on you ; tell God you have gor astray, but that you believe Him that your ir iquity was laid on Jesus. Thank God for ay?^ ished salvation in Christ, Tell Him how wel: ' pleased He is with Jesus instead of you; te Him that you are , 'A poor sinner and nothing at all, But Jesus Christ is your all in all.* May God Himself shew you, for His name! sake. His simple Gospel of Christ for you, beloved brother said, when coming out of tF darkness of self, * It is the simplicity that stui bles me. It is too good news to be true.' Yet if man were in it; but it is not too good wh^ we consider with what a God we have to dl You see God can overlook nothing. He ca FORGIVE anything. He can by no means eld the guilty. He can take us out of the gull Adam-standing, and put us into a new, a resu>^ re6tion Christ-standing. He can save to the ifV'fe termost the blackest, vilest sinner that acccp"i|s (simply accepts) His gift, Jesus. Will you ii receive Him? You may be in poverty, in nakeH^ WOULD YOJJ LIKE TO BB SAVED f 33 he poor sin ho writes t ^ man. Te! tiat He love tell God th le has give: ;ve that also upon Jesus on Him, an ou have gon that your ir 2od for 2ifiTi [im how well of you; te all, i all/ ss, in misery, but God presents you with Jesus. e might have created a world for every one of but that would have been nothing compared ith what He has given — Jesus. You may have hard fight here to make ends meet, but having sus it will be all the hell you will ever be in. ou may have every comfort, ana be altogether oral and good as far as man can judge, upright d religious, but without Jesus this will be all e heaven you will ever have. Religiousness, odness, kindness, beneficence, uprightness, iability, will not save you. Acceptance of d's gift alone will do so. Now, what is it to be, ere we part, perhaps, niver to converse again for ever — God's simple gospel for the meanest, poorest, weakest capacity, so that even a fool may embrace it ; or man's ways, lies, pleasures, religion, world? Jesus is offered all. Some will accept Him, and some will re- e. You make God a liar if you do not accept, u make yourself a liar, and God true, if you ept Him. Some may know all about Christ gift of God presented to them, and yet not w Himself. *'Tis eternal life to know Him.* not receiving Him, they trample under foot blood of the life-giving Prince. Others receive m and thank God for Him and are saved, ay the blessed Spirit, the witnesser of Jesus, n the eyes of every reader to see Him, incline ry fellow-sinner to believe God, and accept gift. all your heart a liavy and believe the record )r His name i for you, . ig out of tl ity that stu )e true.' Yd 00 good wh 1 have to d ig. He c means cle of the guil' 1 new, a resu- ave to the r that acce Will you n ^erty in nake»^^ only living and true God* 14 iiili! I i * GRACE AND TRUTH.' Nothing, Lord, I bring before Thee, Nothing that can meet Thy face ; But in Jesus I adore Thee, For the riches of Thy Grace, Jesus came in love from heaven. By the Father's love was given. From that death He now has risen, Which He died for me. Jesus died for the sinner, Jesus died for the sinner, Jesus died for the sinner, Jesus died for me. • Come to me,' Thy lips have spoken : As I am, O Lord, I come ; All Thy laws I oft have broken, From Thy side afar did roam. Boundless love hast Thou been showin|^ Settling every just demand ; Jesus as my own I'm knowing, ,,, Thus obey Thy great command. This the work that stand ev^, All my works are uselesa uross ; Jesus mine ! yes, nought can sever Me from Him of Calvary's cross, t ,; Precious blood of Him forsaken On that cross, in wrath, by God, Cleanses me ; His life was taken, When made sin for me He stood. • Look to me,' He said, who's risen, Jesus Christ my Saviour Lord ; Mortal eye can't enter heaven. But I see Thee in Thy Word. Trust Him, claim Him, O believe Him, All was done thy trust to gain ; On him rest, and now receive Him, And with him for ever reign. >•.-., .Mi 'Ye Must he Born Again! Our Regeneration. x^ im, jHOUGH you knew all the duties in- cumbent upon a royal Prince, this knowledge would not make you a royal Prince. You must be in a posi- fon before you can a6l under the laws of that position. This is th' natural order admitted by 11 men in human things, but quite reversed when ley begin ^o speculate on divine things. God's §rder is this — I make you sons: Avalk like sons, [an says, try to walk like sons, and after a shorter [r longer time you will be made sons. But we lust be brought out of the kingdom of darkness [efore we can take the first step in the kingdom light. Before we can enter this kingdom we lust have a nature capable of enjoying it. A [ature can be implanted only by birth; therefore re must be born again. This subject is gone illy into in John iii. Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus, id said to Him, * We know/ &c. Jesus answered him by saying, * Except a man BORN AGAIN,' &C. There is a great difference between what we lOTv and what we are; a great difference between 'Ilf' 4iii iii ill '• ' Mil ■[.iiiilli! ^1 m il'llilliii'i. it! ! i'l « 11 36 • GRACE AND TRUTH.' our attainments, education, talents, knowledge, and our standing before God, and our relation to God. Nicodemus was an inquiring man, who had been convinced of Christ's claims by external evidences, and whose conscience was now seeking after something deeper and more satisfadlory. He comes with this profession of knowledge, * Rabbi,' we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him.' (John iii. 2.) Jesu& because He knew all men, and all the thoughts of men, answered not the words but the need of Nico- demus, by shewing that all his knowledge woulc never save him or any other man; for * Except s man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom 01 God.' Nicodemus by nature, however well-in- stru6led, could never see God's kingdom. iiiitiiiiiiiniii ::ii'! T. — CHRIST NOT A TEACHER OF THE OLD NATUEE HE IS FIRST A SAVIOUR, THEN A TEACHER. In the present da^-, in certain quarters, we hea a good deal about Christ as the perfect man, tb perfect example, and the pcrfcdt teacher; bu here i^ the answer of Jesus Himself to all sucl compliments. He came not to teach the old n:; ture — nut to teach man as sprung from Adam, bu to seek and •^ive the lost, to give the new nature and to teach saved men. The policy of all wh have openly, or in thought, denied the divinity Christ, is to laud His moral teaching and his Gt like example. They bring well known and fondh cherished truths lorward, as if only they believe :^ %. • rS MUST BE BORN AOAm: 37 knowledge. • relation to man, who by external low seeking factory. He | ge, * Rabbi,' | \ from God; : thou doest 1 . 2.) Jesus, thoughts of I ied of Nico- ledse woulc | r * Except 2 I kingdom o; ver well-ii> oni. )LD NATUEE TKAOHEK. CIS, we hca 'e6t man, thi eacher; bv ■ to all sue; I the old n Ti Adam, bi ; new naUni y of all wli iC divinity ( and his Qy w and fond 1} they believe ind preached these great fadls ; but at the outset they forget this insurmountable barrier to all moral eclamation of the old nature of man, * Except a lan be born ag'ain, he cannot see the kingdom >f God; Wc find others, however, who know Christ not lerely as a teacher, but who also believe in His livinity, that He is God as v^ell as man In fact, lany in our land know every fundamental doc- •ine in the Bible; but a mere knowledge of doc- howevcr true, never introduced a son of :me, dam into the kingdom of God. Men may have arned what justification, and sanctification, and doption are; they may be able to distinguish inutely between all the creeds, isms, and heresies, they may be theoretically orthodox, may be able to judge preachers and sermons, may be very ready freely to criticise most men they hear, and gra- ciously pay beautiful compliments to their special ^vourites, as Nicodemus did to Jesus. They ma} inow, moreover, about the ntvi birth, its necessity |nd divine origin; but notwithstanding all this, tey could not dare to say, as before God, 'Whereas ewere blind, now we see,' The greatest amount theological education never yet saved a man. reed, or the beliel in a certain amount of doc- ine, has made Christendom, but nc '^r made a hristian. * Ye must be born again.' I Others again, when their consciences have been ^iached, try to get this new birth brought about, l^d begin most zealously to train and trim, to edu- ^ta and reform their old nature, quite ignorant of ||hat is meant by * born again* I r.i"- w m 38 • GRACE AND TRUTH: mm U! JM P II III I! i ! II. — THE OLD NATURE UNCHANGED AND UNCHANGEABLE. Nicodemus wondered how a man when old could be brought again into this world; but if it were possible, what better would he be? lie might have changed his circumstances by this new birth according to the flesh; but would he have changed kingdoms? He would still be in the kingdom of the first Adam; he would still be flesh; for Jesus goes on to say, ' That which is born of the flesh is flesh,' (ver. 6). Water never rose above its level: that which is produced is of the same nature as that which produces. We And people to-day who think that if they were in other circumstances they would have a better chance of getting saved. 1 he rich man thinks that if he were poor, he might have time to think of religion. The poor man, if he could get ends to meet, and had a little more money, would have more leisure to think of God. But the difliculty is not so much in what is ai'ound us, as in what is ivithiw Again, the aids of religion are called in, ir order that ^/la Jlesli may be improved ; but alu: all attempts it is found to be only religious flesh Man may have all \arieties of it; but it neve: rose to see the kingdom of God. In nature, \vi iJii speak o4' the animal kingdom and the vegetabli U kingdom. If we took a rose from the latter 0; eiil these kingdoms, and cultivated it and trained 1: Q\ and by our various arts made it produce all it |fe • TS MUST BE BORN AGAIN: 39 D AND when old i; but it" it e be? lie ces by this | t would he I still be in ould still be 4iich is born r never rose ed is of the ?. We tiiul vere in other er chance ot :s that if he k of religion to meet, and more leisure ty is not so \at is ivithh called in, ir ^d; but aile: ^ligious flesh but it neve; In nature, w the vegctabli i the latter oi nd trained it; reduce all it varieties, we never by these means could bring it into the other kingdom — into the animal king- dom. Or, again, if I take a nettle from the road- side, and bring it into my garden or my hothouse, [watch over, dress, water, and w^arm it, I may pro- uce beautiful nettles, and beautiful varieties of lettle, but I never could get apples from it; that hich is produced from the nettle is nettle. We ;an never gather grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles. Man by nature is in the kingdom of the first dam : no amount of reformation, amelioration, iultivation, civilization, or religiousness, can bring me single man into the kingdom of God. Look ;hrough Great Britain and Ireland, — what is the •bjedt of the great bulk of the religious machinery? is it not for cultivating the flesh, in order that, after leath, it may see the kingdom of God ? This is 10 guess. It is the sad confc sion of godly men all the churches — godly bi iiops, godly re6lors, ^odly pastors, elders and aeons. All unite in the ime complaint, and do tiiCii" best against it. The lajority of respectable religious p^ oplc, as good as iccuemus, a master in Israel, do not know the adlical power of this truth which stands at the |oor of God's kingdom. They put salvati ? )n at Liie d of a long series of self-improving pr< .esses — rod puts the salvation of the soul at the very begin- Ing, and all duties that in their discharge can \ nor ,im, are founded upon this fa6t. *Mai chief (1 is (not to get the soul saved, but) ^to glorify tot! and to enjoy Him for ever' — starting with sing saved lor nothing as the means to tliis end. *ORAOE AND TRUTH,* ■11m 111! i i ^ii!l III. THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY OF A NEW J. NATURE. Sp Before I can enter God's kingdom I must have ho a new nature, that can appreciate, see, live in, or and enjoy that kingdom. Ask a blind man wha; an red is. He has no idea of it because he canno! th( see, because he has not the capacity. Educate life him in the mixing of colours. Tell him that the of blue and yellow mixed make green; he may soon dti remember this, and know much more; by that s|( knowledge he never saw a colour. ii|i The questions therefore of most importance tc Qf you are not, do you know do6lrine? do you kno"w tie Christ's teaching? do you know your Bible? dc tl you know the evidences of Christianity? do yoi; know that Christ is God, that Christ is a Saviour'; that He is able and willing to save ? You ma} see know all that, and be lost for ever. But, are yoi efl born again ? Are you a partaker of a new nature m a divine nature? Are you an heir of God? L your standing now in Christ or in Adam? Tii Before I can see the kingdom of God, I musilc^ have the nature implanted that belongs to tha: kingdom. This is something more than a mertr0^ thought of sin forgiven, or righteousness obtained It is a question of capacity, of fitness to enjoy, ol likeness of nature. What an awful thought that s( many religiously educated people are lost I WhaO; a hell, where the good, decent religious sons oi Adam have to be for ever shut up with the prop fane and the dririkard, and the abominable anci% the unclean I w * TE MUST BE BORN AGAIN: 41 OF A NEW I must have see, live in, id man what ise he cannot ty. Educate him that the he may soon ore; by that mportance tc do you kno'w ur Bible ? dc tiity ? do yo^ is a Saviour I? You ma} But, are yoi 1 new nature, of God? Is dam ? ' God, I must longs to thai than a men! less obtained s to enjoy, o\' lought that St' 2 lost I Wha' ;ious sons ui- mth. the pro< jminable anci [Reader, I entreat of you, think. Think for a foment, did Jesus speak truth or tell lies? If He ^oke truth, those who have not been born again^ )wever intelligent, educated, moral, benevolent, religious, can never see the kingdom of God, id must, therefore, be swept away for ever with |e lost, for there are only two places. What a ill! Frequenters of cathedrals and frequenters 'gin-palaces, tra6l-distributors and pick-pockets, fawing-room-meeting religionists and the off- jourings of the streets I Priests who, with solemn pen, pretended to stand between the people and >d, and murderers who have been hung for ;ir crimes I Teachers who knew everything in jology, and the profane, the swearer, the blas- lemer, the infidel I These things will turn out le, whether you believe them or not. It was ;n in the days of Noah. Is it to be your bitter [perience? Hell is real. Eternal punishment real. Christ's words are true, although they ly be doubted, or denied by the majority of men. le awful fa(5t remains. Stop, therefore, high or ^, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, intel- fent or ignorant, religious man or blasphemer, spedable or profane, think and ask yourself jse questions, Am I born again? Have la life? — a life communicated by the Spirit [God through the truth — born not of llesli, but water (the word, Eph. v. 26) and the Spirit. ive r been born twice — once into this world Adam, and again into that of God ? Friend, ^ou have not this new birth, it were better that had never been born; but now as you are, iiii 42 • GRACE AND TRUTH: and where you are, whenever you are convinced of the necessity of this new birth, look and live; believe and be saved; take God at His word: He says, *Ye must be born again;' and in the same chapter it is written, * As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so musi the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever be- LiEVETH on Him should not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE.' — What God demands, God pro- vides. ill! I Itlliipitiii llilllll ' I n III ',,,11.11 ^''liliiill IV. — HOW THE NEW NATURE IS IMPLANTED. This new nature is not implanted by a process, but received by an a6l of faith. This new nature never sets aside as to adlual fa6t the old, ncverj«|£( amalgamates, never becomes incorporated with it< jj^ never improves it, but * lusts ' against it in the be-ju lie\ er, wars against it, is * contrary ' to it. And[j^ how is it implanted? Reader, this is of the[ greatest importance to you. Are you to look fori the new birth in your own frames or feelings, toj, an ordinance or an a6t of man. A mistake hercj is fatal — 'Ye must be born again.' — How? [ Jesus answers this, and gives us the three thingsj, that are divinely and absolutely essential for theg new birth (John iii. 7), seeing the kingdom (ver, 3), entering the kingdom (ver. 5), or having eternal life (ver. 15), all these being but diffcrenti aspe6ts of the same truth. These three essentialsi; are — I. Water (ver. 5). aifc Z. The Spirit (ver. 5 und 8). i^j^ c l|H!l '» " « TE MUST BE BORN AOAW* 43 3. The Son of man lifted up (ver. 14). Let us consider each shortly: — I. WATER. convinced k and live; His word: and in the s lifted up o must the < Except a man be born of water and of the soever be- Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God'' 1, but have (^er. 5). is, God pro- jt cannot in any way refer to baptism by water, the application of literal water to a man externally, a$ that would only wash his body and could not IPLANTED. touch his inner man. Some would read the text, * except a man be born of baptism,' and of course y a process, t^ this do6lrine Old Testament saints could not new nature|)5|in the kingdom of God, as they were not bap- e old, nevcr^ljej. Circumcision could not save a man.. ated with it,< Ifeither is that circumcision which is outwardi it in the be-j^ , the flesh. . . . Circumcision is that of the- to it. Andhjiii-t in the spirit, and not in the letter.' (Rom., 8, 29.) No change on a man externally can fit. He may apply much nitre and wash him- with much soap, but his leopard spots of sin remain. Nor will mere education, reforma- , cultivation, training of the old nature, turn into spirit. * That which is born of the flesh ntial for thegilesh; ' it may be decent or indecent flesh, relig- ngdom (ver.Q^ or irreligious, p^'^us or profane, but still flesh. ome seeing this, and understanding it, have asked what can the '"water'* mean.'' This been answered in several ways. Some say the same as the Spirit; others that it is the e as the blood, but ' there are three that bear ess in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and is of theii \ to look for^ feelings, toj^^ listake hercj^ -How? three thingsj^ or having but diflfcrenti, :ee essentials! 44 ORAOS ANJ> truth: Hi ..,M ;i the blood,' so that if water was only another wav jj^ of expressing either the working of the Spirit o: j^ the cleansing of the blood, there would be onh ^j^ two bearing testimony — the Spirit and the blooc /j and the water standing for either. We can solve yfi the question by asking what should have comt<'\^ into the mind of Nicodemus when Christ spokt yii of tuater? He, a master in Israel, knew of a lave: ^p^ where every priest had to wash before he couli the enter into the holy place, for no unwashed foe rjs ever trod that holy place. He, a master in Israeia^e knew the book of Ezekiel, and the promise to b unt fulfilled in a coming day to Israel. * Then will •; sprinkle clean ivater upon you, and ye shall bjn t clean: from all your tilthiness and from all youof idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also wi!evi( I give you, and a new spirit will I put withiai^c you. . . . And I will put my Spirit within yoiwat and cause you to walk in My statutes; and }tj shall keep My judgments and do them^ (EzelreJ xxxvi. 25, 26, 27.) r« A teacher in Israel should have been lookint^ for the antitype of temple and laver, and the tri water of purification sprinkled to cleanse from dt; filement. He should have been conversant wiijj the 119th Psalm, which definiteb^ explains whche| the water is (ver. 9) : ' Wherewithal shall a youiijj man cleanse his way? By taking heed accordiiC to Thy word.^ The water here spoken of by Christ and typifiiirfi in the Old Testament, is the Word of God, tl embodiment, the revelation of God's thoughts. :j Let us search the Scri[.tureh as to this: * Beii • TE MUST BE BORN AOAIN.* 45 mother way birn again, not of corruptible seed, but of incor- the Spirit o: j^ptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and )uld be onh alideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass.' nd the blooc ^| Pet. i. 23.) In our text ' flesh ' is contrasted Ve can solve ■vath the ' spirit,' here flesh is contrasted with the have comc<|^ord.' ^The seed is the Wo7'd 0/ God'' (Luke Christ spoLyiji. ii). ^ The righteousness which is of faith ew of a lave; s^aketh on this wise, . . . The Word is nigh Dre he couktfte ' (Rom. x. 6-8). ' Of his own will begat He iwashed foorjlwith the Word of truth' (James i. 18). * Ye ster in Israe a^ clean through the Word which I have spoken Dromise to \^\s^^ you' (John xv. 3). ' Then will fThese all show that the word is used by God 1 ye shall bii|ithe new birth in that place where Christ speaks Tom all youc^water to Nicodemus, but we have more direct leart also wie^dence in Eph. v. 26, 'That He might san6lify I put withi^lM cleanse it (the Church) with the washing of [ter by the Word,^ Thus, from Old Testament e, from New Testament analogy, and from di- scriptural statement in both Old and New taments, the water in the new birth is proved e the ' Wordof God: , . , .;: . . nd most important it is to see this. How am I n again by the word? Water cleanses by dis- ement. Uncleanness and water cannot occupy same space at the same moment: the water laces the uncleanness, and thus cleanses. The rd of God does not a6t by teaching ' the flesh,' by displacing all the thoughts of ' the flesh,' putting in those of God. he entrance of God's word gives light (Psalm . 130). Man was lost by hearing Satan; he aved by hearing God. Man, in his natural 4t within yoi- tutes; and } hem: (Ezei been looki r, and the tn eanse from d ^nversant wii; explains whj 1 shall a you ' leed accordii ist and typhi ID OF God, tF I's thoughts. to this: 'Bei i % 4« GBACE AND TRUTH.' "ii«i FM H. Adam-standing, is a chaos — nothing in him cai meet or please the eye of God — he is with(.'j> form and void, darkness brooding over him. When God, therefore, begins to re-create him (for ^ we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,' Eph. ii. lo), He say *Let light be,' and light is; and it is by the en- trance of His word that this is done. This word of God judges everything in man; it puts God and His requirements before man Human opinion is entirely set aside. By nature we are all apt to rest satisfied that there are mam ^\ worse than we. If I am lost, many will have i m ^ bad chance, is sometimes said, and quite true, fo ^ God's Word tells us we are all guilty, and, as w c. saw in a former chapter, * there is no difference. ^, all condemned already, equally condemned. W compare ourselves with one another, or accordini as men are estimated, bad, good, or indifferent God's word comes like water, and washes out al our thoughts and opinions. *It's my idea,' says one, Mf one tries to live good life, this is all he can do.' Of course, thi is your idea; but all our thoughts are evil, an; unless God's Word displaces our ideas we ar undone. *It's my opinion,' says another, *that we mui just do the best we can, and trust in the mercy c God.' Of course this is your opinion — but tl; a6lion of God's Word is like water to wash oi^^ our opinions. The first thing it tells me abo „TJ myself and about all of us is that we are lost, tljj^_ ^>raved, guilty, condemned. ^ • rX. MUST BE BORN AOAIN* 47 in him caii is with('i2> over hi ra. ;:reate him d in Christ , He say^ by the en- ig in man; )efore mar By nature ire are man\ will have i aite true, fo J, and, as w ) difference emned. W or accordin. • indiffereiv ashes out a ries to live, f course, thi are evil, ani deas we ai that we mu; L the mercy c ion— but tl. r to wash oi ,11s me aboi e are lost, df But more; the Word of God brings in God's lind about Himself instead of my own; it lets rod think for me, God speak for me, God a6l for le; it makes me passive, because I can be noth- ig else. Hear, and your soul shall live' (Isa. Iv. 3). ,ife is on its syllables — man begins to speak, to [ray, &c., when he wants to be saved — God says, har! God is praying to us, and should we not iswer God's prayer before we begin to pray? [e does beseech men by us (2 Cor. v. 20). His rayer is easily answered. He says, 'Will you ive my Son?' and the answer is ' Tes'' or 'iVb.' By thus hearing the Word of God, and under- standing it (Matt. xiii. 23), we receive a new life from God in which God's thoughts reside, and in which they a6l. Let us now look at the Spirit's work in regeneration. 2. THE SPIRIT. I We must be born of the Spirit — not the Spirit art from the Word — not the Word apart from Spirit — not two births — but the one divine jw birth. We see Spirit and Word as the liv- "ivater ( John vii. 38). ' He that believeth on np, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly s&ill flow rivers of living water. But this spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on llim uld receive.' This was seen at Pentecost, en the rivers of living water (read Peter's ser- n, a number of Old Testament quotations) ed out to the salvation of thousands, the words 48 ' OltAOB A!TD TRUTB: ill u of God carried home by the Spirit — hence living water; the Word is the water, but it is Ltagnant or dead without the Spirit — Spirit and Word make living" water. Again, Jesus said (JoHe vi. 63), ' the Tvords that I speak unto you the} are spirit and they are life.' Mere moral suasion, as it is called, never yet saved a man. This Wore only operates as God's Spirit applies it. Tk vehicle is the Word, but the power is the Spir* If people are famishing in a town, and we in- tend to send supplies to them, we load the van- and waggons with bread and corn, and make u[ a large train. The entrance of these waggon; be will bring life to many a famished family, to man; a dying man. Why delay, then? why is the trai: lying useless at this station where there is plenty We are waiting for that powerful engine whic! will speed it along. Screw up the coupling, makt all fast; and now not only is the feast ready, bu feast and guests are brought together. Chris Himself is the bread, the Word is the waggor and the Spirit is the engine or power that bring Christ in the Word to us poor perishing sinner: God made a great feast, and bade many (Luk xiv. 16); none came, and *none of those me: which Avere bidden shall taste of my supper,' i now what God has said. No merely invite guest ever came. We preach 'Come;' we te that all things are ready, that the feast is spreai the door open, that *yet there is room;' but t man by this mere invitation ever came: as or has said, 'God has to fill the chairs, as well asti W table.' Five yoke of oxen or a piece of groim ^y • TE MUST BE BORN AGAIN: 49 !nce living is stagnant and Word said (Johr. o you the\ )ral suasion, This Wore es it. The s the Spir^ and we in- ad the van: ad make u{ | ise waggon: | [lily, to man) J is the trail re is plenty:; ingine whicl I apling, makf | t ready, bu ler. Chris the waggor that brin-^ ling sinner: many (Luk those me y supper,' rely invite >me ; ' we te .St is spreai om;' but r, ame; as or as well astl e of grout ire of much more value to a natural man than the ["ichest feast of God. God has to provide the losts as well as the feast. If there were no Jhrist provided, there would be no feast; if lere were no Spirit working, there would be no ucsts. Te must be born of the Spirit, Like pro- luces like. * That which is born of the flesh ' is |ot merely like ^the flesh,' but is 'flesh,' and 'that rhich is born of the Spirit' is not like the Spirit, >r is it the Spirit (that would be incarnation), it ' is spirit,' and He dwells in that which He jgets. This is something quite different from 'the sh' being pardoned, then taught, then toned \vn, pervaded, and sanctified by the Spirit, e have the man, the I, the existing person with divided responsibility, 'born agai?i'' by the oughts of God a6ling in him in power, and the ind and nature of God communicated to him die Spirit; and this now is the man's life, as t|e Mlesh' was his life before. No Christian can %ve his standing 'in the flesh.' Alas, that ever a|iy of us should walk in the flesh: 'we are not ii the ilcsh;' alas, the flesh is in us still. I A boat has been sailing on the salt ocean; it has C§mc through many a storm, and, half full of the iny water, it is now sailing on the fresh water p the river. It is no longer in the salt water, but salt water is in it. The Christian has got off" Adam-sea for ever. He is in the Christ-river i^ ever. Adam is still in him, which he is to a|prtify and to throw out, but he is not in Adam. 50 GRACE AND TRUTH.* I :ii!Bf lit ( b( m w «r pe mi * IS 11 ii He has now a power, ^nd a position, and incline tion to judge himself. He know''> himself. ! was at this point that Paul exclaimed, "^I kno- that in me — that is, my flesh — dwelleth no goo thing.' He is not two persons, but in the o; person he has, and will have to his last hour her; two natures diametrically opposite, and a6liv( opposing each other. He now sees that 'ti flesh,' lusts aga'nst the * Spirit/ but the Spirit ai^ against the 'flesh,' in order that he may not \v;i as he used to ^valk; that these are c(jntrary, a; therefore never can be friends, and that he has him, and will have in him, a foe that is ik ithcr be trifled witn nor trusted, but watched, warn Tii with, and mortifled. for But his life is in his new nature, lie is nOAv has 'partaker of the divine nature,' 'born of Goi ha 'an heir of God;' and thus it is with every o. ing who is boni of the Spirit, Jew or Gentile, for Gi ii. a6ls here in sovereignty. Connection with Abr nu ham only gave thexii a fleshly standing, but a ne Hi thing is needed by the Jew as well as the Genti! Th and is as free to the Gentile as to the Jew. life The eighth verse of John iii. is a most blessiCh verse. In it we poor sinneis of the Gentiles ha li^ got in. Reader, never quarrel with the royal prcaii| rogative of God's grace; read Rom. ix., and s that if we do not let God be absolute we have can chance of salvation, for we are all equally 'ciisi demned already.' Praise His grace that haandl now appeared to every nation under heaven, th; But passing over Christ's testimony of tas Father, as given in verses nine to thirtecn^ro % * TE MUST BE BORN AGAIN: 51 and inclina himself. ! 3cl, ' I kno- eth no goo : in the or 5t hour her; e« that 't! \Q Spirit al^ nay not wa! contrary, a, hat he has (prophets had prophesied, but here is God khn- self) — let us now look at 3. — The Son of Man lifted up. This, indeed, is our life. Christ said, * Ye must and a6tive be born again;' but here is another must that He mentions, 'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the ilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.' God says. Ye must^ but He also says, I must. Your Adam-life : IS luithci is forfeited, and you are under condemnation, chcd, warn *l|hc Son of man lifted up is the answer to the fcfeit. Satan, who has the power of death, and He is nov l^s every man in his power (for all have sinned), jorn of Goi |j||s been destroyed as to his power, his head hav- ith every i|^ been bruised by Christ on the cross. (Heb. mtile, for G ill 14.) But Christ is now risen, and can com- on with Ab municate His life to any one who believes in intr, but a ne Wni, He having satisfied every demand of God. e new birth is the communication of a new Christ beyond the doom of sin is that life; list incarnate before His death cannot be *our ,' because the judgment against the old life only be met in death. he * corn of wheaf ' vmst die before the fruit be produced. The rcsurre6tion-life of Christ erefore the new life preached to the sinner, implanted in him on his helieving — a life is perfe6l, impeccable, indestrudlible, eternal he Christ of God is — a life that has already ed vidorious over the cross of shame, oveT as the Genti ic Jew. I I most blesst Gentiles ha'. I the royal pr n. ix., and s ite we have :C I equally ' co' ace that ha er heaven, timony of to thirteen 52 * OBACB AND TRUTH* death's strongest power — a life that will ere long swallow up mortality. The Spirit of God applies the Word that speaks about the lifted-up Christ whom we receive and rest upon for salvation, and this is the new birth. Such a life is offered only to a sinner — what a comfort! No righteous man, no earth- wise, no rich man ever entered the kingdom of God as such — only as justified sinners. None but re- deemed sinners sing the song of that kingdom— none but those who, guilty, depraved, lost, have taken their place with roused consciences at the foot of the cross, and there seen the lifted-up Christ. All in that kingdom are ' new creatures] clothed in * the best robe,' with the ' ring,' and the * shoes,' and * the fatted calf slain. What per- fe6tion is in the Word of God I The Word tells me that unless I am born again I cannot enter God's kingdom; but the same word tells me that if I am born again (though only a babe now) ! am as sure of spending eternity with my Lord a; if I were with Ilim. No hatred of devils, nt enmity of the world, no power of the flesh, shal keep me out. We enter God's kingdom by beim born again. We have eternal life even now. \Vi have the germs of heaven even here. We do no wait for that life; but * he Jhat believeth on th Son iiATii everlasting life' (vcr. 36). We have tried to shew thus briefly what i meant by being *born of water an'd of the Spirit Read i John v. 6 — * This is He that came b water and blood, not by water only, but by wat and blood, and it is the Spirit that beareth w; ro rO 1( X lor M rut foi |e >n i 1 J ' TX MUST BE BORN AQAIN.' S3 ere long \ I'M at speaks :eive and ew birth. — what a i-wise, no )f God as e but re- ingdom— lost, have ces at the I Ufted-up creatures] tg,' and the What per- ' [VVord tells annot enter :11s me that abe now) ^ LTiy Lord a; devils, n ilesh, shiv Im by beiii. li\ now. ^^ We do ni reth on th jtlv what I [■ the Spini [iit came b, |)ut by wat Ibeareth wi ness, because the Spirit is truth. For they that bear witness are three , the Spirit^ and the water, and the blood, and the three agree in one.' (Cor- re6t translation.) - ^ The blood is for expiation ; that is, the Son of man lifted up on the cross, and His life taken for ours. ' This is He that came by water and blood' (i John V. 6). The water is for moral cleansing; that is, the ord of God applied in power to our consciences, esus *came not by water only ' (that is to say, not erely a teacher of the word), *but by water and lood' (He came certainly as the great teacher, ut also as the great sacrifice making atonement far sin) . The Spirit is the witness from the throne of od to the value of that blood in the presence of od, and the witness to our spirits by applying e word (water), and thus morally cleansing, le is also the source, the framer, and the power of expression of every new feeling, thought, affec- tion, or purpose in the new creation, ' and it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.' These three agree in one, meet in one point, ork out one thing in their testimony, and this is ^e testimony, that * God hath given to us eternal e, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the n, hath life' (i John v. ii, 12). What any sinner, therefore, has to do in this w birth is to look to Christ on the cross; and ere is he to look to Him now as crucified but the Word. He is to believe what God says •'SJT»''S®6ai 1/ 54 *QEAOB Aim TRUTHS !i«ffliilP' W- 1 1, ! « lilt 1 ! :! i ill jti^i i I 1 il !j ■1 ! II ir'M; about His Son. God says I have given you Christ (John iii. i6). I believe it: therefore I thank God. I do not ask myself do I feel it? but God says it — I appropriate it as mine — I be- lieve His Word by putting in my name v^here God puts His ^ whosoever.' In this Word of God w^e get the Spirit's w^itness — that is, God's testi- mony about His Son. God does the work: we believe the Word, Reader, are you born again? You are no: satisfied with yourself. Nor is God satisfied witl: ^i you. You are not satisfied with your estimate o: the work of Christ. Are you satisfied with God" y estimate of it.^ The Spirit has come to tell cu to us the value of that blood. Faith does not cor, ^ sist in my valuing it, but in my accepting God' |j value of it. God says, * When I see the blood, ^ J will pass over you.' ^ If you do not believe God's witness, the Spir ^ of God in the Word, about His Son, you simp! ^^ make God a liar. Now you must either ma! yourself a liar or God. Do you nut think that jj^ would be the better way ^o say, * Let God be tri q^^ and every man a liar' — myself the first liar? .j^^ man does not like to be called a liar, but Gccg says, * every man.' Until a man calls himself fj^, liar, he makes God one. ' He that belicveth iiqj., God hath made him a liar, because he bclicvcj|g not the record that God gave of his Son. Aigg this is the record, that God hath given to eternal life, and this life is in His Son.' As 1( :^^^ as you look within yourself for one idea, o^^] opinion, one thought, you are listening to a li; « TS MUST BE BORN AGAIN,* 55 given you herefore 1 3 I feel it? line— ll^e- ame where ord of God God's testi- I work: ^ve fou are no: ,atisfied witl X estimate oi d with God'i le to tell on does not cor. ;eptin God" Call your heart a liar at once and simply take God at His word, receive His Son as He has given Him to you. 4 Reader, art thou born again? There was a oment that every Israelite had between being itten and dying; that moment was given Lim to bok and live. That is thy brief moment of life, hast thou looked and lived ? God can do no more llian He has done to provide life for thee. He ared not His Son I Do not look to thy wounds, to thy sins, and ink thus to get peace. Try no longer earth's ayers, or religions, or works of righteousness, ey are but ointments to thy sores, that will ver heal, but look away from all to the serpent the pole. The question is not, whether thou st great faith or little faith. It did not depend on the length of the look, nor the earnestness the look, it was the fa(5l of looking that cured „^ I bitten Israelite. Look and live I thou hast -) y^^ simpl, ^ly Qj^g brief y^t sufficient moment of time, t either maK {^^^ how are men spending this little moment? jt think that j^^ making money, in indulging the lust of the etGodbe trig^h^ the lust of the eye, and the pride of life I first liar ? • In gathering together the dust of their condemned . liar, but Gc q^\ \^^q heaps and calling it riches I In gather- :alls himseli j^g the straws that lie in their prison, and making ,t belicvcth i crowns, and, madman-like, playing at kings while e he believc(|g|th is written as their doom; and the door of lis Son. A escape stands still open I ^ given to Qod is standing over them with this awful Son.' As l^ wm-d, < Ye must be born again,* an'. 'M I I IHHH* "i!i' 111 ifimii if!' i i !|lii Pi llllllljjljlll I niiiiiiiiiijii ill S« • ORAoa AND truth: u fi se w Wl LIFTED UP.' He delivered up His Son to death, What a holy God I What a just, righteous, truth- ful God I Vv^hen sin was lying on the sinless Christ, He could not let it pass. Do you think He will let you pass now after that awful day at Calvary? It is there that we read th<^ doom of sin. How shall we escape from Him if \vt neglect His *so grea^ salvation?' For it is not v/ith God merely as a judge we have to do; for it was His love that planned and wrought the whole redemption work. Doubly bitter will be your cup of wrath that you have spurned the sal- vation of such a God who desites to be known b) you as LOVE ; for in order that any poor sinne: might be born again, ' God so loved the worli that He gave His only-begotten Son, that who seJ SOEVER believeth on Him should not -perish^ bu wi have everlasting life.'' (John iii. i6.) Let us suppose that you are convinced of thes important realities; that you are lost; that there th fore your first need is a Saviour, not a teacher that you have not a nature capable of enjoyin 0^ God ; that the new nature is gotten by your beir pr born; born again of water (the word) and tl: ^fl Spirit, but you cannot understand how this comf ^ about. You cannot understand what is meant t looking to Christ as the bitten Israelites looke to the serpent on the pole. Let me illustrate by a conversation I had, one day, with a m & who had been hearing the gospel preachedj ai ^ with whom I had to walk some miles. I began by asking, * Have you ever thought ( the great salvation?' • TE MUST BE BORiT AQAIK.* 57 t>n to death, *Oh yes,' he replied; 'I have often thought eous, truth- about it.' ■• the sinless * * And are you saved ?' vou think I * Well, I could not say that — I don't feel as I wful day at Utould like.' 1 th<^ doom I * I quite believe that; but do you think any of Him if ^vt; % could ever feel perfe6tly right in this world? For it is not %oX are you at peace with God } ' X to do* fbi I' I never could say that I am satisfied with my- wrought the iflf litter will b J* But, my friend, I did not ask if you were. It rned the sal- W>u^d be a very bad sign if you were satisfied pth yourself But are you at peace with God?' I* Well, I never could feel that I have peace.' * But I don't ask if you feel at peace with your- pf; I hope you never will. Have you peace "thGod?' I* To tell you the truth, I am not right.' * How long is it since you began to think of pse things?' be known b] y poor sinne: d the WOELI n, that WHO ot ferish^ bu [6.) inced of thes St; that there t a teacher m About seven or eight years ago, in the north Ireland, I was tirst awakened by a minister jaching on '' 2e mast be born again^'' And (ten since that time I have been trying to feel d\s Spirit working in me.' And you never have?' No; I could not be sure.' How could ever any one be sure of what was with a mi 6^^'^-^ "^ within him, especially as our enemy ^' ^^^t^\^f^A ai^^^^^"^ 'IS an angel of light?' ^ er' thought I #J^s^s ^^'^ ^^^ one, you remember, that said, iM 6 «^g m\x^\. be born again." " f)xcept a man be te of enjoyin by your bein, ATord) and tl' low this comf lat is meant 1: raelites looke ne illustrate a >* r-^: 58 'GRACE AND TRUTff,* •;.l liii born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Now, at the end of all this conversation, Nicodemus did not know how to be saved, but only said, " How can these things be?" even when Jesus Himself was the great Teacher.' ' That's just where I am.' * Now, what did Jesus do? He took him away to the pi6lure-book for children, and showed him the picture of a dying man looking away fron himself to a serpent on a pole, and thus obtaininc life; and told him that "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Sor of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth \i Him should not perish, but have eternal life/ Now all 30U have to do is to look and live.' * But that is just what I've been trying to do, and what I don't know how to do: — what is it t( look to Christ?' * Now I can understand your difficulty; yoi cannot see Christ with the eyes of your body; yo; cannot see Him in vision; you say that you can not feel His presence within you; you cannot fee bci that you have faith.' say * ExaiSlly ; what am I to do ? ' ' Allow me to give you an illustration.' I; some such words I spoke with my friend, an gave him the substance of the following illustrs tion, which seemed to clear away his difficult} and I trust, by God's blessing, it may enable yo to receive God's simple plan, and accept God salvation for nothing. You have a rent — say £10 a-year — to pa 1 I i I a ai b< in ar io be o-fl ca wc gel asi Wh re?/ 1 III' :'Mi!lli:!li ,not entei md of all enow bow lese things the great • TE MUST BE BORN AGAIN: 59 : him away lowed him away ffoiTi s obtaining [fted up the ist the Sor beUeveth ir ternal Ufe.' d bve.' aving to maintain a large family, and having een recently in distress and out of work, you iincl it impossible to pay it. Let us suppose that I was able, knew your difficulty, took pity on you, |ind said to you, — 'John, I hear you have your rent coming on, and having had very hard times, you will never be able to pay it. Now I wish you to use your money for your most pressing wants, to get food and clothing for your wife and family, and look to me for the rent.^ You, knowing me, and hence believing me, would go away home with a burden off your mind and a happy heart. When you came home next Saturday with your wages, you would tell your wife to spend all the money in getting food and clothing. 'But, John,' she would say, 'are we not to lay wharis it t( aside something for the rent.^' J 'Oh no,' you would answer; 'I met a man If horn I know, and he said, Look to me for the ^nty and I believe him.' And thus weeks would go on, till shortly ore the rent-day a neighbour comes in and g'John, I have only got £5 gathered for my rent, Ipd I don't know what I'm to do. How much ,ve you?* None at all.' What I have you nothing gathered?' No, for a friend of mine said, Look to me for rent^ And are you not getting anxious about it?' No.' rym to do ?lculty; yoi rbody;yo |iat you can Li cannot fee itration.' I: friend, an ing illnstrs lis difficult} enable yc iccept God ;ar — to pn'; m iiiii 'ilBH!Jt!i'^ . OBAOB AND TBUTB.' 'Why?' ,. , ' Because I trust him. ^j 'Why?' ,. ■,.„» def 'Because I beheve him. ;„„ 'Why?' ,., thi: 'Because I know him. ^ ^^^^ yo^ ^ja By and by the ^^ent-da^ comes ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^ wife^egins to ^e su^P "^t Hai^ ju. you have imphcit trust in w ^^ ^^^y^ ^^ 'no difficulty in ""derstandmg -^ i_^,,^ the rent means; and so, at tni^^^^ ^^ ^ walk in and '"-^^^iTour neighbour's doubt nat to find that, agam t al you b^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^ ?|f^^t^CbHni;y:u have trusted my wo. w« Ld looked to me f.^^^f; lustration, as 1 h. «,o This is, of course, just an u ^^^^ ^, no doubt you are at the PJ^'f ^„? ;„ tlie matt,Do willing to pay your °T^^.f ^^ be wilUr.^'.aw of our^alvation though^ em ^^^ says, 'L.wa are totally unable, so the 1. ^^c to Me, and ^e ye saved. q^^,^ 3 tume Christ on the foss has ^ ^^^ ^^ ^^, f He paid the fbt for the .mne ^.^^ ^^^^ perfeaiy right t*''"^' ' r^^ chafitable purf aU Les, and ^]-'^i ^J'Zt Z^ these will ncv . but all for the wrong encl. . alvatio»;■:^^f■ Le. God -ys,;^-^i-^ti talents, mon.n then begin ° f f ?ti„ate end, to glordj G powers, for their legiL ^^^^^j^ 1 bo not try to be holy m oider ^ ^^^^ ^^,, would be like the man laym P^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^.^ he could never pay. J-oo'' * TE MUST BE BORN AGAIN.* m says God, and then be holy, because you are sure oi salvation on the authority of God. Religion hnW never save you — even pure religion. God defines pure religion in James i. 27: 'Pure relig- iop, and undefiled, before God and the Father is t^s, to visit the fatherless and w^idows in their id even you; a^i(5lion, and to keep himself unspotted from the ioubtful, bii li^rkl' By the deeds of the law we cannot be ^ vou hav! ||stified; therefore by doing all this we ^''nnot look to t}ie fc i^ saved. Religion is the life of a savea man, tinted hour, rvk- the efforts of an unsaved man to get saved, ind am happ lS|e do not try to do good in order to get a new pour's doubt aj^ure, but we try to do good because we have en a""ainst a r^eived a new nature. The work which God sted my wo' wyl accept from you is not to the cross, it is from thp cross to the crown. Jesus did all the saving- Ltion as I V^^werk. He brought the cross to our level. Get quite able atrsayed by looking to Him, and then live to God. t in tlie mattijD|> not look to the feeling of being saved — look be \villii''f-C^^^way from what is being wrought in you to what 3W says, ' 1^0 was wrought for you. We are not saved on account of the Spirit working in us, but b}' d God's justicmeans of His work — we are saved on account Men are doit>£Christ dying for us. We are not saved /br faith r livin«" niobut iJirough faith. *Look to me and be ye saved, itable purposalUthe ends of the earth.' these will nev Lie. doiun as a wounded^ helpless, ungodly r salvation^ mnner, and look away from yourself to Jesus talents, mov^^fucijied for sin. , to glorify (; u^ oo\rpfl. 1 Look unio :^fe and be ye saved — Look, men of nations all ; be saved. ) for a rent w ne and be sa Look rich and poor, look old and youiif|;< Look sinners great and small 1 62 * ORAOB AND TRUTE,' \m\ „,„....il Look unto M* and be ye saved-^ Look now, nor dare delay ; Look as you are — lost, guilty, dead - Look while 'tis called to-day ! Lack unto Me and be ye saved — Look from your doubts and fears ; Look from your sins of crimson dye, Look from your prayers and tears I Look unto Me and be ye saved — Look to the work all done, Look to the pierced Son of Man, Look to your sin all gone 1 ! would siv 'here is th paid, bi :ncc? '1 my sin i * But does it not say somewhere in Scripture at the spirit beareth witness with our spirits ? ' ' Now, from the very fa6t that you spealc so iao-uely about " somewhere in Scripture,'' I fear ;hat you do not know well what Scripture is. The ~ible is not a number of texts strung together at 'andom: it is a perfe6lly arranged whole. Truth 1 a wrong connexion is the worst kind of error. on find in Romans viii. i6,this most blessed and ondrous revelation from God, that " The Spirit self beareth witness a' th our spirits, that we are c children of God." Mark carefully, this is not iven as a ground to know that our sins are for- Sven; but comes after the whole revelation of the 5*uth concerning what we have done and what we •e, and how our responsibilities are met. it nies after the triumphant assertion of Romans I, " Being justified by faith we have peace with od," and that crowning triumph ailer every cstiun has been settled against us, *' There is no iidemnation" (Rom. viii. i). At peace with |o'l, and no condemnation, we now advance into r [)eculiar place among the creatures of God. ,11 c'ls are at peace with God and have no con- 1) nation, but they are only servants. Here is I jthing additional, ''We are sons of God." inu; laken '*. om the swine-troughs, and getting d and raiment, we would therewith be content, '1 tha^^we were in the house at all, even among servants. But higher than servants are we me, even aons. We may well pause, and is this presumption? Dare I say that all ; ;^s are mine? that I am a child, a son, an heir 66 • GRACE AND TRUTH* of God? Yes I indeed 3^ou may; the Spirit has been sent to dwell with you and to be in you, as coming from the throne revealing to your spirit (which can now discern spiritual things) that. without presumption, you may lay claim to the title, the relationship, of son of God, heir of God. and joint-heir with Christ. That Spirit is within every believer, and seals only saved ones. He quickens the unsaved. God has sent forth thii testimony, and he that is a believer has the ^'testi- mony in himself" (i John v. lo). The important point I wish you to see is this, that the IIolv Ghost is never said to bear witness to me, by anv internal feeling, that I am at peace with God. I; is after a man knows he is a saved man that tlier. there is a step further shewn him — namely, that | he is a son. He is not only out of prison : he ij set at the table of the King, whom he calls"^^ "Abba," that is, Father.' * I quite understand the distin(5lion, but I never saw it before; but if I could know that I was a peace with God I would be quite satisfied.' ^ Yes, but God would not; however, this is tht | first point for you to know — " being justified b faith we have peace with God," not by theyiY/- ing of faith.' ' But don't some people feel it while others not?' * Not at all. What I am contending for is, ths the forgiveness of sins is a thing that can be tc by no one: and, unless the knowledge of it founded on the word of God, and that alone, ev^ry one, individually, it will be sinking s;i 1.^ I'lK DO YOU FEEL TOUR SINS FORGIVEN t 67 pirit has \ you, as )ur spirit; gs) that,, m to thej r of God, is withinj nes. He| forth this I he "testi- important| the Holyj nc, by an}| ii God. lif \ that their imely, thatj ison: he ii| he calls^ )ut I never It I was a:; led.' this is M ustified b; y the/e'^^' others m for is, til' lean be le re of it alone, t' Iking sar llbr a death-bed. Scores of anxious people have )cen deluded into the idea that they knew the gos- )el when some pleasing emotion passed through their minds. When Satan sees people awakened, md that he cannot keep them quiet, he takes his stand beside the preacher of the gospel, and while le is inviting them to the rock, Satan pushes out )lanks of feeling. A drowning man will catch jit a straw, and the poor troubled one finds a little [elief in resting on some plank of quietness of [onscience, till storms rage, and then he finds imself with nothing beneath him. I am there- re suspicious when a person tells me he is " a ttle better." If he does not believe the gospel, e has no right to be any better, and if he has ken the good news to himself, he is entitled to at perfeS: peace.' 'Then you don't allow of any feeling?' * Most certainly I do : but what am I warranted feel ? If I could tell you that you were saved, d you believed it, would you not feel happy .^^^ ' Of course I would.' 'This is what I feel — whenever I say to my- If, " I'm saved," don't I feel happy? and the re I realise that my knowledge that I am saved pcnds only on God's word, the more happy I come.' * Is there nothing about this " feeling saved" in "e Bible?' ^ indeed, there is not. You can easil}' satisfy rself by turning to a concordance. Never e is the word put beside " salvation," ** for- ness," or, in fadt, anything about a man's ed TSLJJTBJ I i Itc peace with jrod. mt we find, in Luke i. 77, thai part of John s caamiission is declared to be ''t( give KNCWi-aaftGiE rf salvation," anc^ in man}' part of ScriptJire-w^e find ~ knowing our sins forgi\ on. " knowing in T;«^hom we have believed," '' know ing we have passed fi-om death to life," " know ing w^e are born of God." Did Abraham feel 1 was to have a son when he was so old ? No ! bt he knew it. And how did he know it.'* Becau; God said it. He felt glad because he knew because lie believed what God said. It is real: because people do not believe that God mea: %q^ exa(5tly what He says, that we see lo many int ligent men who cannot say whether they 1 saved or not.' *But I have often thought that I had receiv Christ and trusted in Him alone; but I find i faith so incapable of producing effects.* *But did you start saying ^^I'm saved," bcJi trying to do anything?* *Oh no I I was alw^iys waiting for fruits.' * Fruits of what ? fraits of doubt? Suppose had got the right fruits, w^ould you then have lieved you were saved?' ^OhyesI' *That is tc say, you would trust the fruits v w,pi\se an brought forth radier than God*s word — not £Sm peac your salvation, but for your knowledge of it. t%oiuiric, you must be saved, and know you arc Sw.ved, vipism an fore one aoaeptable fruit can be brought for; tilj J ]^rl^»y else the works are legal. All evangelical out f^nd J w ence is done by a fOAn who is saved, and v atijaJ]. j ^ does it because he k^ws that he is saved.' ^^^ivise '\ . 77? t^ia; o be ''t( an}' part Drgivon,' '* knoM' " know n feel 1 No! bt Becauj knew i is real! d mear my inte they a: receiv L find *" bvi ts; pose ha\c ruits y —not fit. . .ved, : t fort!: al ()l)i and V :d; DO YOU FEEL TOUn ari^a «^ _______^J^^^^^^Sms FOHQIVENf gg ^ ^"Solute y and JifPnlN? ^l- lake salvatio/exaaiy Se tW.f "^^ , ^°" «»"■"' Pe could not tur/ over f'^^°"/''« '^ross did. fvrctched leaf had been turn^^ ^^''^' '"^ '=»«' iaviour. He could not do - '", reviling his 'ere was a nail through each ^.rf', ^"^ ^°^' ^"■■ in m the way of God Wmn,^^'^' '"-' '^""'<' "ot ■a« a nai] through his feet a "^™^"''^' '"°>- there i" and realise'tha there if ""^ "?'" ^°" ^^and ^ur self-righting aa-vJv and ^"'i ^°"Sh all 'ur carnal agility and ?. f'"' *''°"&h «" 'thing, knowing That you ar?^' '^^''"'■°" fo'' ;e authority of fhe barfwo d 7f f''"P'>' ^ :vcr be saved. Wc do not I^ i ^°''' >"'" "''" J iecl, nor outward to wha ^^ '."^■■'''' '° ^^hat ^" of man lifted up Id fn T f °"~''"' *" the ¥w well He is pleZd " -^i! - ""^ ' "'•'^'"""t of 'Well T n • /^r^" ^'th Jesus.' "cil, 1 think I see wh.,t clea,. up a real difficuTtv r ^°" '"'■"""' "">' ■' ^ «ec if f y-,,/ betterS-savedV"/;^' ^^-^"■"'■'« /*./ happy; but her; is the n!fK''i'"'S''^-^'"' or am I to know it?' ^^' '''Acuity— 1,,,^ feeVcrertodTSt SerfT ' "^^^ '^^'"« to "^-^^ and m; heart Sn^S'"^ ^""'""^"'l irom peace. Then I beian?. . i^' ""'' '"'■thcr '^0'%'ical question. I Cw a! ".t' ""=^ ""'^ '^'^^ ^a- ™ and Arminianism we'^^if r,^'''^' C^'" ^ knew its contents p^t :~ ."l"-;^ "^.^^i^ie 4i 70 • GRACE AND TRUTH: *But a man cannot be saved apart from his understanding ? ' * Most certainly not, no more than he can be saved against his will; but the eyes of his under- standing must be enlightened, that he may bej made willing to receive the gift of salvation irj God's way. You see if God had made His sail vation dependent upon education or intelle6l, H| would have left the great mass without the chanq of salvation until they were tutored up to tb? requisite point; but as there is one salvation k] high and low, rich and poor, educated and igno.. rant, so there is one method of receiving it, an| of course that must be according to the standar. of the most unlearned. Hence the truth of tk remark that a friend made to me, " Intellect neve helped me to Christ, but it often hindered me." ' I was trying to explain this (which I beliei to be of the greatest importance) to some po| people, and I tried to illustrate it in this way. in travelling by rail, I had a first-class ticket could travel one part of the journey in a first-clnii carriage, another part in a second, and another a third, and the railway officials could find ' fault; but, if I had only a third-class ticket, I ni; remain in the third from beginning to end. Tli. in regard to salvation, the educated man can co: to the unviducated man's platform; the unei cated cannot rise to his: therefore it is on common platform on which all men can st that God treats concerning salvation. * This is the great difficulty; this is why many great, not many wise, and not many no n s n DO TOU FEEL TOUR SINS FORGIVEN f 71 e can be lis under- 3 maybtl Ivation ir, ; His sal- :ellea, Hi :he chanc| up to thi ^vation ibi and igni ing it, am le standai ;ruth of th ellect nevt ered me." ch I belie some po. lis way. ' .ass ticket 1 a first-ck id another )uld find: ticket, 1 iw Dend. Tlv. aan can coa ; the unecj ; it is on nen can staf n. lis is why )t many noi^ can afford to come low enough among the com- men run of people, to take a guilty sinner's place, receive a lost sinner's Saviour, and rejoice in a condemned sinner's pardon. This is why Christ taught that men had to become like little children before they could get into the kingdom of heaven.' ' I see the justice of your remarks; hut tell me, ow, how am I to get into the Kingdom?' * As you said before, 3'ou know that it is of race — that is to say, God is waiting to give it you all for nofJiing^ without a feeling in pay- ent, without a prayer as the condition of it, just the widow's friend dealt with her debt. That it might be of grace, it was made to be hy faith, ot by attainment cither in inte]le6t or feeling. his is the impression that has been sometimes left upon my mind, after having heard the gospel Itatcd — that faith is the condition which Gocl as demanded from the sinner, in order that he ay be saved — that the great Physician will heal e most wretched, sin-burdened soul, but hv ust receive faith as his fee. Now this, as you ve no doubt found, would be the most difficult all fees to procure. Feeling is hard to get up, t faith is harder. Faith is the mere apprehen- n of grace — thankfully accepting what God s already freely given. Faith puts God in th'. ief room as the giver, it being more blessed !<» vc than to receive, and lets him do everything. n being the silent and passive receiver of bless- Faith has to do, not with what I feel towar^l d, but what God feels toward me, what He done ibr me, and what He has told me. Faith 72 * ORAOS AND TRUTE: iosi does not look into its own formation — it looks out to God's provided substitute for the sinner. Faith does not tell me to yeel that I am converted, but it fixes me dovvm to the Word of Go'd. Faith tells me to take God at His vvrord. Faith has not to do with v^hat I am thinking of myself, bad or good, but it lets God think for me. * Two things are to be distinguished, "salvation'' and the " knowledge of salvation." First, How am I to get saved ? and then, How am I to know it? * First, then, my salvation depends solely and entirely upon the work, the person^ of Jesu^ Christ our Lord. (My salvation is supportec by His work; His work is supported by His person.) * Secondly, the knowledge that I am saved de- pends solely on the record, the luord^ the testi- mony of God. " He that believeth not God, hat! made Him a liar, because he believeth not tin record (testimony) that God gave of His Son, A man is saved on account of Christ having diec in his place, the moment that he accepts Christ he knows that he is saved whenever he believe the record that God gave of His Son.' ^ Well now, tell me shortly what "believingi: the Lord Jesus Christ is." Of course I believ: He is able and willing to save anybody. Hi ifas atonement is sufficient, and His offer free an m h full; but how is H'^ to become mine.? ' * What is it to believe in a man? What is: to believe in a bank? You do not believe in or who is in the blacklist — but you can look arour to t lo se (aid but d ail nn DO TOU FEEL YOUR SINS FOROIVENt 73 - it looks le sinner, onverted. rd. Faith :h has not If, bad or galvation'' 'irst, How I to know solely and , of Jesu? supported ed by His 1 saved de- L the tcsti- God, hatl cth not tilt His Son.' laving diec pts Christ le believe: believing i: t I believ: ybody, Hi ir free an What is jlieve in or look arour iind say to yourself^ " Well, I believe in so and So," and it is just the same with Christ: I believe in Him — not merely in His historical existence — mt I trust Him, I receive, I rest upon, Him alone '^r my salvation.' ^ In a word, then, what should I do ? I am qshing to take God's wa}^ and willing now to lo it. When I begin to go through trains of Ihought, I feel I get confused, and I should just like to know in a sentence what my path ought be.' J ' Take the lost sinner's place, and claim the fst sinner's Saviour!^ * Will the claim be allowed.^' * Yea, God commands thee to claim Him.' 'Can I claim Him.^*' *0nly a lost sinner can.' ^ I am allowed, urged, besought, commanded take Jesus as mine ; surely I have nothing to )se — yea. Lord, I believe Thee, Jesus is mine.' ' I take comfort from the fa6l that my sins were lid on Christ — I do not feel they were there. It God says it — "He was wounded for our knsgressions;" not for those of angels — they id none ; not for those of devils — they can laim no Saviour; but for those who take the \nne7^s place — "The chastisement of ^^ifr peace [as tipon Him." Therefore it would be unjust lay it on me believing in Him. He is a real Saviour for real sinners. My only qualification for such a Saviour is that I am such a sinner. And now I believe my sins are not on me — not because I feel them gone, for I do not, but 74 « GRACE AND TRVTH: iiii because God says they were laid on Christ' (Isaiah Iiii. 6). Robert M'Cheync says, ^We must not close with Ciirist because we feel Him, but because God has said it, and we must take God's wore even in the dark.' We do not jfeel we havc faith. We accept God's way of dealing witl sin, Man would try to settle God's claims. Got Himself has settled the claims, and offers the set- tled account for nothing. Man would try ti make his peace with God. God has come anc * 7nade -peace^ Christ Himself becoming ^ on -peace^ and now He ' -preached ■peace'' for th acceptance of all (Eph. ii. 14-17). Most anxioi inquirers seem to think that we have to fig!. against ourselves in order to be saved, wherea we tight against ourselves because we are savec We have a race to run, but it is not to the cros it is fi'om the cross. Man's way is to believ because we feel: God's way is to feel because-:, believe, and believe because God has said it. C Chalmers says, ' Yet come the enlargement wIk it will, it must, I admit, come after all throu^ the channel of a simple credence giving to t: sayings of God, accounted true and faithi sayings. And never does light and peace so t my heart as when like a little child, I take up t lesson, that God hath laid on His own Son t: iniquities of us all.' Take the lost siiinet^s place, and claim i lost sinner s Saviour, K... DO TOU FEEL TOUR SINS FOBGIVBNt IS on Christ' : not close ut because God's wore I we havt ealing will aims. Goc fers the set- ould try ti ,s come aiii oming ' oil ace'' tor tli dost anxioi tave to fig'^ ved, wherea /e are savec to the cros: is to believ ■I because z IS said it. D -o-ement wIk r^'all throu^i giving to tl and taitht i peace so t ., I take up t: s own Son t: 'f -:sf No works of law have we to boast — By nature ruined, guilty, lost, Condemned already; but iliy hand Provided what Thou didst demand: IVe take the guilty sinner's tiame^ The guilty sinner'' s Saviour claim. '^o faith we bring. 'Tis Christ alone - 'Tis what He is, what He has done. He is for us as given by Ciod, It was for us He shed His blood : We take the gailty sinner's name, The guilty sinner's Saviour claim. We do noi feel our sins are gone, But know it from Thy word alone ; We know that Thou our sins didst laj On Him who has put sin away: IVe take the guilty sinner's name. The guilty sinner's Saviour claim. Because we know our sins forgiven, We happy feel : our home is Heaven O help us now as sons, our God, To tread the vith that Jesus trod : We take the guilty sinner'' s name, The guilty dinner's Saviour claim. xnd claim i JMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 II I.I 1.25 2.5 lii|28 ■^ i^ 12.2 I hS, 12.0 1.8 14. III! 1.6 6" V] ^ /a % W ^ ''^. Photographic Sciences Corporation "O^..^'^.'^ «■ 33 WE^T MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 673-4503 4^ ^ Ms'.- '^ i i«1 ^: The Work of the Holy Spirit Our Comforter, i I J ■♦ »♦■ |j |E are not saved 07i account of the Holy Ghost's work in us; we are saved b^ means of xX.. We are saved on account ol' Christ's work for us. The more the Spirit works within us the more shall we desire that work to go on; but the work of Christ on Calvary is finished, and this is our resting-place, | our peace, our security. We never can (or never '| ought) here below to get satisfied wilh the work | of the Spirit wrought within us, but we are satis- fied with the work of Christ done for us, and this is eternal rest, this is faith. Many sadly confuse these two divine works. Anxious incinirers are^ constantly looking within to see what is going on there, instead of looking outward to what was done on Calvary. I wtoh to draw the reader's attention to three most precious operations of the Spirit of God as seen in the beginning of John's! Gospel,— ^ --,, _ First, Born of the Spirit; chap. iii. 5-8. Second, Indwelt by the Spirit; chap. iv. 14. • Third, Communicating the Spirit; ^\\2o^,\'\\.i> 'l-,'*7'; ! -\*'f^ r.^i-.'^^T? TEE WORK OF THE HOLT SPIRIT. 77 I. BORN OF THE SPIRIT. Many think that regeneration, or the new birth or quickening, is a process that goes on subse- quent to justification. This is a mistake. Regen- eration neither goes before nor comes after justi- fication, but is at the same time and is an instan- taneous a6l performed by the Spirit of God, com- municating the life of Christ to a man formerly dead in trespasses and sins and having nothing whatever in him that could be transformed into \his new creation which He implants. There are two errors against which we must guard : First, not recognising or acknowledging the Spirit's special work in regeneration; and Second, confusing or mixing this with Christ's work done for us. 1st, // ts by a special act of absolute grace I hat we are born again by the Spirit, *Thc wind bloweth where it listeth,' and so the Jcwisli Pharisee is compelled to allow God to a6t as a sovereign. What would be the use of Christ coming, living, dying for sin, rising beyond its doom, and His present intercession, unless the Holy Spirit were here applying to individuals that work, that life by the Word? It is not His influence merely, but Himself, who is now on earth. It is not His Word merely, blessed and ssential as it is, but Himself, who applies that Vord. Look at the feast in Luke xiv. If Christ ad not come and died and risen, there would ave been no feast to offer, but if the Holy Spirit 7t ' GRACE AND TRUTH,* were not here, none would come to the feast. So the parable tells us, * Compel them to come in;' and the Holy Ghost is the great compeller, making them willing. This is His special work on individuals, not His general work in the world. His work on the world is not in the way o^ mercy but o{ co7iviction. In John xvi. 8, we read, when He is come He will rep7'0ve (e/le^-^et, literally, convict by proof to its confusion) the world — (i.) ' Of sin, because the great sin of which God holds man to be guilty is the crucifixion of His Son; and the presence of the Holy Ghost is the great proof of man's refusing Christ, for the rejeScd Christ has sent the Spirit, and His pres- ence is continually crying, * where is thy brother.?' hence it is said, ' of sin, because they believe not on Me.' (2.) ' Of righteousness,^ If man is an ungrate- ful sinner, God is a righteous God, and if sinful man gave his Saviour a cross of shame, a righteous God gave His Son a throne of glory. This is the great a6t of righteousness between God and tho man Christ. * Sit thou at My right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.' Ps. ex. i. The presence of the Holy Ghost on the earth is the proof of the righteousness of God. Christ having perfectly glorified God, God glorifies Him as a matter of justice, crowns Him with glory and honour; and we see Him, not by the natural eye, for Christ is not yet manifested on His own throne, but in the interval between rejection and triumph, the Father in righteousness has set Him '»■--;„ T' -!r'\-- ~'^r.~ii'.h-7vy-''^^^ ■;"'-»'TY*'^7T',rt,jM,7^T'".j?";3",i»;y^w-T77' r^^ WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 19 p down on His throne, and sent down the Holy Ghost to testify that He is glorified; therefore it is said, ^ of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and 36 see me no more.' (3.) ' Of judgment^ because, since Satan could not hold Christ in death, a power stronger than Satan's must have appeared, whose power over death must the :re have been set aside and himself judged, for ^ through death He destroyed Him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.' The Holy Ghost has come to tell us of this great a6l of judgment; because the very fa(5l that he has come proves that Christ is risen and is in glory; and the fa6t that Christ has risen proves that Satan has been judged; and since Satan is * the prince of this world,' the world has been judged, being set aside in its chosen head; dierefore it is said, * of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.' Such is the adlion of the Holy Ghost on the world to its confusion and shame: but His work in quickening is quite a distin6l thing. He does not work on * the old man ' in me and make it better, and thus gradually save. He shews me that it cannot be mended. He shews me that I am * guilty,' * condemned already,' * lost,' * alien- ated,' ' evil only,' * continually evil,' ' without God,' * without hope,' * without strength,' *dead.' I have heard men speak of a .ejiialning spark in the bosom of the unregenwrate that required merely to be fanned into a llame by the influences of the Ploly Ghost. This is unscriptural (read Gen. vi. 5, &c.). I have heard such speak of a 8o « GRACE AND TRUTH.* '11 seed of good in every man which the Holy Ghost cultivates, and this they call the nev^ birth. This is utter confusion, and an entire misconception of the figure. Man's co-operation in regeneration is not required, because he has no pov^er to co- operate. He is dead. ^ That w^hich is born of the Spirit is spirit' The work is altogether of God. As it was God who in His own heart be- fore the foundation of the world, planned redemp- tion, and as it was God in His Son who, eighteen hundred years ago, before we were born, secured our redemption, so it is God by His Spirit who now, without our endeav )ur, apart from our effort, applies this redemption. In fa<5t, the first thing God does is to make us willing. How entirely is this work of God! He was alone in eternity; He was alone in creation; He was alone in redemption; He is alone in regeneration which is merely redemption applied. God does not find us children; He makes us children. But we must look now at another error. 2d. Confounding the -work of the Spirit in m -with Chris fs work for us. While the Spirit of God is the sole agent, the truth of God is the sole instrument which He employs. We cannot see the Spirit; we can see the Word. We cannot see His operations: we can read His record about Christ. No doubt it will be merely letters with- out meaning, until He opens the eyes; but He works only in His appointed channel. He n^^^ver tells us to look inward even to His own operations, for peace, but outward to Christ. That is the nio«t Spirit-honouring preaching of the gospel in w\ THE WORK OF THE HOLT SPIRIT, 8i which you hear most of Christ. Once I heard a very earnest man preaching to anxious inquirers, and he was dwelling continuously and exclusively upon the Spirit's work — its signs and chara6ter- istics — with the effe6t of confusing many of his hearers. For who could obtain scriptural peace with God from what he felt? We get a health- ful and heaven-born conflict by marking the Holy Ghost's operations within us, but never peace. This we get by gazing at the Lamb of God on Calvary. I thought, as I heard the preacher, ' I wonder if the Holy Ghost would preach in that way if He were standing there,' and I immediately remembered, that ' He shall not speak of (from) Himself,' * He shall testify of Me ; ' that is. He will preach Christ. * He shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you.' ' He shall glorify Me.' This is spiritual preaching, because the preaching of the things of the Spirit, and as He Himself preaches. I believe the more we are depending on the Spirit's working, the more we shall preach what the Spirit wishes us to preach about, and look to Him to apply it. When we begin to point the anxious inquirer to the Spirit's work, this is not how the Spirit Himself would deal with him. If I began to speak to a working man sitting down to his dinner, and said to him, * Do you know the muscles employed in mastication?' * What's that?' he would likely say. * Well, in eating.' ; , . .,,.;. * Indeed, I do not." - .^j . * And you do not know the nerves that supply them ? * ■k-r. *?■- 82 • GRACE AND TRUTB* * Fm sure I do not' * And the beautiful mechanism and arangement by which the food is converted into a bolus, and introduced into the stomach ?' * Now you are surely laughing at me.' ' Oh no, I'm not, but all that is most true and interesting; but tell me what do you know?' ' Well, sir, I know that I am hungry, and that this is a good dinner.' This would be the common-sense and appro- priate answer. Even the physiologist, when he is hungry, does not think much of hotv he eats. The two great points are, that he is hungry, and that he has a good dinner. Some are hungry and have not the good food, others have the food and are not hungry. But the qualification for enjoying food is not a knowledge of how to eat, but the being hungry. We do not need to know how we are born again in order to be saved. We do not need to know all or anything about the Spirit's work within us in order to get peace | (there were people, in A<5ls xix. 2, who were be- lievers, and who yet said, ' We have not so much| as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost'), but we must know about Christ's work ybriis| before we can be saved. The greatest physiolo* gist might die of hunger. We might know every- thing about the Spirit's work, and yet be lost fori ever, because Wc had not received and rested| upon Christ offered to us in the gospel. We are justified by faith, but the cxperiencel of what goes on within me is sensation, and not] faith. THE WORK OF THE HOL Y SPIRIT, H Some men seem to have a difficulty with anxious souls (believing them to be dead), to know w^hat to advise them to do. It is the Spirit that quick- eneth. Some, therefore, tell sinners at once to pray for the Spirit, thinking thus to simplify mat- ters by reducing it to common-sense — as it seems very plain, since the Spirit quickens, noth- ing is easier than to cry for that Spirit. But it is not so easy, for a dead man cannot cry. Some, again, tell them to believe the record God gave of His Son^ — to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I A dead man cannot speak, and, of course, a dead I man cannot believe, so we are in an equal diffi- jculty. Pra3ang and believing are alike impossi- ble with the unregenerate man, without the ow evciy-»is'i'"j quickening of the Spirit of God. The great point is to find out what we are commanded to do, what our duty to do. It is to tell every man the good news, and press him instantly to believe it. It is the Spirit that is the agent, but He always uses the truth as the instrument, the truth about a crucified and now risen Christ. Faith does not come by feeling, trying, nor praying, but by hear- ing. The moment I accept Christ as my own jindividual, personal Saviour who put away my in, I am warranted to believe that I am born and the Spirit in the new man will lust gainst the flesh in the old man. Peace, indeed, have with God, that is, Christ, but no peace ith myself There is a faith that is human, and faith that is Spirit-wrought. The plan is of jod; the re^lemption, the truth, and the faith, re all of God. But how can I know whether I • ■i-^ y'-if> '"^jF^'"T^~ ^' 84 * GRACE AND TRUTH.* have God-wrought faith? Does my faith take hold of what is going on within? That is not of God. Does my faith take hold of, is it taken up with, what was done eighteen hundred years ago on Calvary, and with Him who suffered there? This is God-honouring and saving faith. This is being born of the Spirit. The Spirit in- troduces by the truth, Christ as the life into my dead soul. This is quickening, the renewing of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost thus givcc a new nature. mmmk t II. INDWELT BY THE SPIRIT. In John iv. 14 we read of the indwelling of the Spirit ' as a well of water springing up into ever- lasting life.' This is said only of Christians. The Spirit of God dwells in none but in those whom He has quickened. And He dwells in all whom He has quickened (Rom. viii. 9). In some in greater measure than in others; but Mf any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His. Therefore, all who are Christ's have the Spirit I dwelling in them. There is a danger here in separating Christ and the Spirit in us, as there is in regeneration of confounding Christ's work for me with the Spirit's work in me. It is as linked with Christ, a son as Christ is a son, an| heir as Christ is, that the Spirit dwells in the be- liever, even as He dwelt in Christ, of course inl Him without measure. It is thus we have acc^^sJ for through Christ we have access by one Spiritl to the Father. It is thus that we can worship the! TEE WORK OF THE HOLT SPIRIT. 85 Father in spirit and in truth. This lesson he taught the poor confessed sinner at Sychar's well. It is thus that we are pra6lically sanctified^ more and more separated from evil,for He is the*^ 7ne (i.) both in Jerusalem and in all Judca, (2.) and in Samaria, (3.) and unto the uttermost part of the earth. The Holy Ghost thus fell on, 1. The Jews, when they were ivaiiing vn prayer (Acts ii. 4), in obedience to Jesus' resur- re6tion command, ' wait for the promise of the Father which ye have heard of Me.' (Acts i. 4.) They had heard of Him in John xiv. to xvi. 2. In Samaria, by the laying on of the apostles* hands (A6ls viii. 17). 3. The Gentiles, in the preaching of the Word (A6ls X. 44). And thus is the Spirit now given. In this latter method was the proper Gentile pen- tecost our pentecost. Thus it is in the preaching of the Word that we are to expe6l the blessing of the Spirit. The individual is seen in his sealing: when by believing the record of the witness he receives his emancipation, his conscious liberty and peace with God, taking his place as a son, with the Holy Ghost as the testifier, and waiting with Him as the earnest of the inheritance. 3d. Communicating the Spirit. Christ in His ministry and prophetic work com- municated the Spirit. The Church is seen communicating the Spirit, in the preaching of the apostles, at and subsequent to, Pentecost, in the Scriptures the;,' have lefl, and all colle6tive testimony from the:.' day to this, i' 90 « OR AGE AND TRUTH: that has been in accordance with the Word of God. Individuals^ In the outflow of love in our place, | in the wilderness, as evangelists, teachers, pastors, or in ay service to God. [Each of these words, Born, Indwelt, and Communicating, has its opposite severally in the three words spoken about the Spirit, Resist, Grieve, and Quench.] I. The Spirit may be resisted. A6ts vii. 51: * Ye stiff-necked and uncircum- cised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the! Holy Ghost.' This is addressed to the uncon- verted who resist Ilim as a quickener, \ II. The Spirit may be grieved, Eph. iv. 30: * Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereb)7 ye are sealed unto the day of re- 1 demption." This is addressed only to saved people, who can grieve H im as an indwelling Spirit. This shews what a friend He is to us. If you had comxnittcd some great sin, your mother would be grieved, your enemy would be rejoiced. You can grieve only a friend. What a touching ap- peal, fellow-believer! What will the consequence be? In love He will reprove. He will rebuke | our consciences, until we are consciously cleansed, and He can again dwell in us ungrieved. III. The Spirit may be quenched, I Thoss. V. 19: * Quench not the Spirit.' Manyl have been perplexed with this text, thinking that it had reference to the indwelling of the Spirit. You may grieve Him thus, but no believer can quench Him thusj *For they shall never perish;' THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. $f but the next verse, * Despise not prophesyings,' explains it. A Christian cannot quench the Spirit in himself, but by refusing to allow Him to work from a fellow-Christian, he thus may quench Him. It is thus the Spirit in His communications who may be quenched. As He can be resisted in His testimony which lis His instrument in quicke^ting, and grieved in His person as indwelling, so he can be quenched in His gifts as communicating life. If I c'^spise the humblest channel that God has formed and filled to dispense His streams of life, and put a jsluice upon their flow, I stop His testimony, I quench the Spirit. It has nothing whatever to do [with the indwelling of the Spirit. That can never jbe quenched; for the foundation of God standeth [sure. But what a solemn warning in this day of [self-seeking and pretensions ! Resist is the word ipplied to the unconverted. Grieve is that ap- )lied to the individual Christian. .Quench is that rhich has reference to the saints when gathered together, waiting on the Spirit. The sin against the Holy Ghost has often been spoken about. All sin is against the Holy Ghost. What Christ spoke about in such solemn and iwful words in Matt, xii., was ' blaspliemyixgTixnst ihc Holy Ghost,' and if the context is looked at [t will be seen that this blasphemy consisted in jiving Satan the credit of doing what was known Jo bo God's work. Bring your ignorance to the Holy Spirit, the \rcat teacher, who by his precious truth will lad you into all trutK 9» ' GRACE AND TRUTH.* No, not the love without the blood ; That were to me no love at all ; It could not reach my sinful soul, Nor hush the fears which me appal. I need the love, I need the blood, I need the grace, the cross, the grave, I need the resunection-power, A soul like mine to purge and save. The love I need is righteous love. Inscribed on the sin-bearing tree. Love that exacts the sinner's debt, Yet, in exacting, sets him free. Love that condemns the sinner's sin, Yet, in condemning, pardon seals ; That saves from righteous wrath, and yet, In saving, righteousness reveals. Love boundless as Jehovah's self. Love holy as His righteous law. Love unsolicited, unbought. The love proclaimed on Golgotha. This is the love that calms my heart, That soothes each conscience-pang within, That pacifies my guilty dread, And frees me from the power of sin. The love that blotteth out each stain, That plucketh hence each deadly sting. That fills me with the peace of God, Unseals my lips and bids me sing. The love that liberates and saves. That this poor straitened soul expands, That lifts me to the heaven of heavens, The shrine above not made with hands. The love that quickens into zeal. That makes me self-denied and true, That leads me out of what is old, ":"^"' And brings me into what is new ; That purifies and cheers and calms. That knows no change and no decay, The love that loves for evermore, Celestial sunshine, endless day. ' I 1 '// eaven Op ened! Our Study. «•>*» *So He drove out the man.* — Gen. iii. 24. HE gates have closed that guard the way to the tree of life. The flaming sword turns every way, so that no flesh can approach and live. Mar has sinned. God is righteous. Well might angels weep as they beheld such a sight. Heaven is shut. God dwells in his secret place. Thunders and light- nincrs are round about Him. Clouds of thickest darkness hide Him from man. The blood of Abel's Lamb, the rejedlion of Cain's first-fruits, attest the fa6l. Heaven is shut. The blood- sprinkled door-posts, the thousands of altars, the myriads of bleeding vidtims, the smoke ever as- cending from the fires of judgment, the unceasing priestly work, all proclaim heaven's doors are shut. ^ut promise shone through the dark cloud of judgment, and the glory of One coming to de- Hver was revealed; and while the captive Israelite sat in his desolation beside the ruins of Chebar he wrote, *The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.' (Ezek. i. i.) Thus we see heaven opened concerning, 94 ' ORAOB AND TRUTH: I. CHRIST IN PROPHECY. And it is God who opens, it is God who shews the visions. The visions were about the glory of God and his relation to Israel, the cloud, the chariot of His glory then departing as with wings and wheels from His dwelling on earth. His ancient people are seen scattered and broken, but the heavens do not close (in vision) until again the glory of God fills the temple, and besides the whole earth is filled with His glory, and heaven and earth are finally united under the righteous sway of the Prince of Peace, the coming deliverer. May He hasten that glorious day I if 2. CHRIST IN OBEDIENCE. But turn now to another scene, — Matt. iii. i6.| In Jordan's waters stands a spotless, perfe6l Man, in the place where the godly Jews confessed sinl in the baptism of repentance. Grace (not sin) has brought Him hither, that He might fulfil all righteousness, and when He came as the perfefl servant in the sinner's place, * Lo, the heavens WERE OPENED unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him* and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This| is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' This is heaven opening on Christ in obedience. Jesus Christ was the only perfe6lly obedient| man that earth has seen. Never had earth be- held such a sight, the glorious sun had neverl * HEAVEN OPENED.* 95 before risen on such a day. God is looking down from an opened heaven upon a Man, and on that Man His eye can rest with perfe6t satisfa6tion, perfe6t complacency. God declares Him to be His Son. As Man, He is anointed for His work with the seal of the Father. The Holy Ghost descends on the meek, the lowly, the obedient One. He Himself is the Person on whom the heavens open. The Father testifies of Him; the Holy Ghost testifies of Him; the eyes of the be- lieving ones are turned towards Him. On no other object in this God-hating, God-reje6ting world, could God's eye have rested. The Spirit, like the dove of Noah, looked over all the waste of waters, and found no rest but on the ark. He was the solitary witness for God in this world which He had made : so if the scene is an opened heaven and God looking down upon the earth, I the sole attraction there is Jesus, the Son of God, [the Son of man. * It is the Father's voice that cries, 'Mid the deep silence of Ihe skies, This, this is my beloved Son, In Him I joy, m Him alone.' Again, we read of heaven being opened (John i. 51) in connection with 3. CHRIST IN GOVERNMENT. Here we have an intimation of the future right- eous and peaceful government of earth united nth heaven under the Son of man — where Jesus iimself says, 'Verily, verily I say unto you, here* « GRACE AND TRUTH.' atler ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.' Nathanael, the representative of the godly Jews, had confessed Him to be the Son of God and king of Israel; and Jesus now told him that those who received Him, when He was on earth, should see yet greater things than those which had convinced him; and further, they should see heaven open, and He who had come down to be the Son of Man, the Man of sorrows, should, in that name, be the obje6t of the minis- try of God's highest creatures. This will be true in all its fulness to those of Israel whom Nathan- ael represented, in a coming day. Meantime, we see heaven open, and all the ministry between heaven and earth carried on through Him. Our I thoughts are taken back to Jacob at his 'Bethel' (Gen. xxviii. 12), where, from his pillow of stone, a ladder reached to heaven, on which angels I ascended and descended, and we see Jesus uniting earth to heaven, for He has been raised up and set at His Father's right hand; and in Him we are raised from the grave of earth to the seats in heaven, quickened together with Christ, raised up together and made to sit in heavenly places in Him. The scene is changed, but the obje6t to which all eyes are turned is the same. An opened heaven no longer looks upon the Son of God in humiliation, but upon that same Son of rnanl uniting heaven and earth, God and His creature, and on Him as the obje6t of the ministry of thel angelic hosts. Blessed time for this poor groan- ing, misgoverned earth I Then will be known thcl 'HEAVEN opened: 97 full power of the Lord of hosts, who has said that He will 'open unto you the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it' (Mai. iii. lo). Meantime, we gladly take reje6lion with Him, until He sits on His own throne, for if we suffer with Him, we shall rc'gn. Our next spe6lacle of an open heaven is the sample of what an open heaven sees now on earth, and our place here under the kings of the earth who are plotting against the Lord and His anointed. Heaven is I opened on ■ ,;,,--^ ::^ ,.■.•. ■ - /.•>- ,- j^. 4. CHRIST IN THE GLORY OF GOD. To the reje6led disciple (A6ts vii. 55). * Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, be- Ihold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Iman standing on the right hand of God.' Man [had reje6led Christ; God had taken Him to His [own right hand. Man, in his most inveterate latred of God, had sent out of the world the only ^erson in it on whom God's eye could gaze with :omplacency. Heaven can open now upon lothing on this earth. When it opens it is itself ^le scene; but the object to the mind of God, ind to the believer full of the Holy Ghost, is still [he same Jesus. Stephen was being sent after his laster. The Third Person of the Trinity in him ^as being rejected as the Second Person had )een at the cross. The Son of man would still !f^ i 98 « an ACE AND truth: stand to return, until his testimony had been reje6led; He is now set down waiting till His| enemies are made His footstool. What a glori- ous sight to the believer in testimony, in rejec- tion, in martyrdom! He sees not the stones, hei hears not the derisive shout, he beholds not the fiendish gesture, * he sees heaven opened:\ (Heaven opened o;^ Jesus; it opens to us.) So it is with us now: whatever enmity of men or devils may be around us, faith now sees heaven opened and Jesus at the right hand of God for us. It IS no longer the eye of God delighting to look through an opened heaven upon His Son on earth, it is the Christian himself looking from earth into an opened heaven, and seeing all the glory of God, and better than all the glory, and| above the highest of even God's heavenly glories, *the Son of man,^ there for him. Never before had such a sight been seen, a I glorified Man at God's right hand. Prophets had spoken of it — but here is the fa6l. Glory was native to heaven — but now we see the Son of\ man in the glory of God. What a gospel for every sinner, for every son of man, did Stephen preach, when, filled with the Spirit, he told out that heaven was opened, itnd the Son of man] there! Is my reader a weak and trembling one, and can hardly dare to think that he is saved, andl quite conscious that he has never been filled with ' the Holy Ghost? Listen to the glorious good news that God Himself has commanded to be told to every one; heaven is opened — the veil is rent — God's hand has done it; not open now for * HEAVEN OPENED.* 99 [God to look on us merely, but open for us to look jupon God. The gates of Eden have been opened Christ is the Door — and further, the Son of lan is there. As Son of God He never required to leave, and go back to, that glory; but as Son )f man He never would have been there unless fod had been vindicated — God had been glori- ied in the putting avv^ay of sin — sin that lay upon lan — the sin of the world. * It is finished.' 'his is God's good news; a quickened sinner, an )pen heaven, and an exalted Suostitute! This is ihe ground of my peace. Not what \feel — not |the suppression of God-dishonouring thoughts — lot success in the conflict — not growth in grace not the feeling of an indwelling Spirit — not a growing more like God — but the sure testimony )f God to an open heaven and the Son of man before Him. What more do we need than what Jod has done? The tombs are rent as if to show [hat the sinner is to meet God now in life, in resurredlion, therefore Stephen, a poor sinner, Stands filled with the Holy Ghost. The veil is rent to show that the way into the holiest of all Is now made manifest, therefore, heaven is open |o the believing sinner. The Lord is risen, and Is at the right hand of God, and He is there the jon of man for me. An unveiled God, an opened [omb, a glorified Son of man — what more, dear rembling soul, do you want? The natural eye las never seen \}i\\^\ faith alone, by the Holy rhost, beholds such a glory. Light from earth Jas never pierced the midnight darkness in which "»od is enveloped. The flaming sword still turns roo • GRACE AND TRUTH* every way to guard * the tree of life,' but wherel it fell* there is no entrance into Paradise but b( the Door. There is no mercy to sinners but ii Christ. The world knew not the darkness ic| which God wrapped His Son, when on the crossl He was dealing with sin. The last hour of lightl the world had was spent in wagging their headsl at, and spitting upon the Light of Life. No un{ quickened man saw Jesus in resurre6lion (Adsl X. 41). Faith alone can see Jesus thus; the selfj emptied sinner alone can rest, where God ha found rest, in the glorified Son of man. Again we see heaven opened. In A6ls x. iiJ Peter ' saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel! descending unto him as it had been a great sheet,! knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth,] Heaven is opened to explain the mystery of . • 5. THE CHURCH FORMED. The Church of God had been hid in God. Ii is not according to earthly and Jewish distin6lionsl of clean and unclean. It is not according to thel thought that the Moabite and Ammonite shoulil| not come into the Israelitish congregation of God] This was true (Neh. xiii. i) — is true, and everf shall be true. But, here is something new. Thel middle wall of partition is broken down, and there| is neither Jew nor Gentile. This was never re vealed nor prophesied about before. The Gentilel was to be blessed, but mediately through the Jewj and that will yet take place. Peter saw clei and unclean on an equality, not the unclean bene 1^ HEAVEN opened: lOI Dut wherJ se but b\i irs but iJ Lrkness iJ fited by the clean. Those that were far off, and those that were nigh, that is, the Jews, nationally separated to God, and the Gentiles outside of God's calling, all now stand equally guilty, and the crossB equally to be blessed by God. To Peter had ur of lighiB'^^ecn given the Keys of the Kingdom (not of the leir headsB Church), and he opened the door first to the No un-Bjt^^'s in his sermon in A6ts ii. at Pentecost; and tion (AdsBthen, after this heaven-given vision, to the Gen- . . the selmtiles, in the person of the centurion ( A6ls x. 44) , J God hasB^"^^ since the door has thus been opened, equally to both, no national distin6tion recognized, this A6ls X. iiB^ey ^s no longer necessary. We now have the tain vesselBHoly Ghost sent down from heaven. This i:^ rreat sheefthe vision of the true dwelling place of God on ] the earthfthe earth — the body of Christ. The middle wall ivy of God listi ing dte on f partition between Jew and Gentile was broken own, and His servants were sent to gather out f every nation, kindred, and tongue. His Church, hich is to consist of all kinds of saved sinners, at in the ages to come * He might show the ex- n6tionsB5eding riches of His grace.' May we be thus iving on Christ, and thus doing His will — part- ers in His work of ingathering now, soon to be ith Him in the glory above I For again do we ^e heaven opened on ' of and e^ lew. Thel and there! never re ■^i-. 6. THE CHURCH SEATED. Ihe Gentile! * After this, I looked, and behold a door was ••h the JeAvfcened in heaven. And the first voice which I ' saw cleanBard . . . said, Come up hither, and I will show llean bene#ee things which mast be hereafter (Rev. iv. * ' m mi ■'■■i* / 1 02 ^ar^ ACE AND truth: I, &c.) ' In the apocalyptic vision, John had seen th:btgh — His now triumphant co-heirs riding forth in vidlory, and breaking to pieces all before Him. Still the objeft is Jesus, the Word of God. For it is Christ Ilimcclf who is our study, let Him be on earth, in heaven, or joining earth to heaven, reje6led or reigning, suffering or subduing. That same pierced brow which wore the thorny crov/n is now to be decked with many crowns, for, * The crowns that are now round the false one's brow Shall be worn by earth's rightful Lord.* That same pierced hand shall draw the sword from its scabbard ; those same wounded feet shall press the snowy clouds, and * every e3^e shall see Him, and they also that pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.' God Himself breaks the silence; everything is now felt by every one to be real. The oft-re- jetted Christ is seen to be real; the scorned judg- ment is seen to be real; an open heaven is seen to be real ; an eternal hell is seen to be real ; the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God is seen to be real ; the wrath of the Lamb is seen to be real. Flee fro tn the wrath to come, and study yesm tuho has opened heaven, andtvho is all the glorj within an opened heaven. HEAVEN opened: %■'• 1^5 Heaven was opened — Jesus came; He revealed the Father's name. Took our place to bear our load, God has owned Him from above, Sent the Spirit, like a dove, Sealed Him and with Him abode; -Matt. iii. xa Heaven is opened — Lo ! we see Christ who died upon the tree Joining earth to heaven above — John i. 51. Angels, servants from the throne, Blessings bring through- Him alone : Richest tokens of His love. Heaven is opened — glorious day Jesus hath put sin away ; Men of every tongue and race, Jew and Gentile, bond and free, All are wc'^'ome equally, — Acts x. 11. All may share God's matchless grace. Heaven is opened — Christ has gone Into heaven. His work is done ; ^ Him we follow, Him alone. , . He whom men have crucified, Son of man now glorified, — Acts vii. 55. Sits upon His Father's throne. . 'f^.X* Heaven is opened — on the throne See the One whom men disown — Rev. Now the judge of quick and dead. Lo! the temple, Christ the light, ' He who by His wo.idrous might <-'i Bruised for ever Satan's head. IV., r Heaven will open yet again — Rev. xix. 11. We with Him shall judge and reign. Every eye shall see His face, Proud rebellious men shall quail, Nations, kindreds, all shall wail, All who scorned His truth and grace Triumph and ConfliSi. Our State* < •«>> ': f 1 ! S SORROWFUL, YET ALWAYS REJOICING.' — Such was Paul's experience (2 Cor, vi. 10). The saved man is a great I mystery to the unsaved; happy j^et sad;| triumphing, yet troubled; having no sin on him, and yet having sin in him; having no condemna- tion, and still having fearful confli6t. Saved now, yet working out his salvation, and waiting for sal- vation. Even among saved men themselves there I is great misunderstanding. Some are engaged | more with the triumph side, others with the con- flict side «)f a Christian's experience. We findl both most fully brought out in Scripture, each having its own place and importance. The Christian's confli6l takes rise and chara6ler from| his trinmpli. We get much instru6tion by look- ing at the illustrations of a believer's triumph, walk, and confli6l, as contr^ined in the figures of| the Old Testament; for we know that 'Whatso- ever things were written aforetime were writtenj for our learning, that v/e through patience and] comfort of the Scriptures might have hope' (Rom. XV. 4). Let us look at Israel's history.| We find the Israelites TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. 107 1. Sheltered by blood from God's hand in judg- ment in Egypt and testifying for God in the midst ofgodlessness. ^^^ ■ ■ 1^- -.'**: 2. Redeemed by power. Taken through the Red Sea by the power of God's might and living by laith in the wilderness. v- ' :^ - 3. Entered into their possessions and in Canaan fighting the battles of the Lord. Let us look at these in detail. ' - /; 'v ^ , r I. — SHELTERED BY BLOOD. ^ THE ISRAELITE IN EGYPT. The Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, * This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb. . . . Your laob shall be \v^ithout blemish, a male of the first year. . . . And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses wherein they shall eat it. . . . For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first born in the land of Eg3^pt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am Jehovah. And the blood shdl be to you for a token upon the houses where you are, and when I see the blood I will pa>is over \yoUy and the plague shall not be upon you, to destroy you, when i smite the land of Egypt.' io8 • GRACE AND TRUTH.' A (Exodus xii.) In Egypt the Israelite had thus a triumph and had also a confli6t. I . Triumph. — He rejoiced because he trusted to the blood on the lintel, and to the word of his Jehovah God,wIio had said, 'when I seethe blood I will pass over you.' So the Christian in this world rejoices, not in the thought that he is pure and sinless, but in the fa6t that Christ died for his sins. We see this fully explained in the Epistle to the Romans, iii. 21 to v. 11. God could pass over because the blood was on the lintel. The Israelite could rejoice because he believed God. Thus God can now justify the ungodly. ' When I see the blood I will * Being now justified by His piss over you ' (Exod. xii. 13). blood ' (Rom. v. 9), The believer can rejoice being at peace with God. * The blood shall be to you for a * Being justified by faith we have token ' (Exod. xii. 13). peace with God ' (Rom. v. i). Sheltered by blood, we feast upon the roasted Lamb with bitter hjrbs, unleavened bread, and in the pilgrim garb — at perfedt peace, ibr * it is Christ that died.' Heirs of salvation, Chosen of God ; Past condemnation, Sheltered by blood. Even in Egypt feed we on the Lamb, Keeping the statutes of God the I au. In the world around 'tis night Where the feast is spread Ms bright, Israel's Lord is Israel's light. 'Tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus, our Saviour from above, 'Tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus whom we Xowt, mm TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. 109 2. Conflict, — There would have been an un- scriptural conflict in Egypt, if an Israelite had tried by any and every means to put off the hand that was crying for blood, except by God's own ordained means, the blood on the linte) ; the ac- ceptance of God's estimate of the value of the blood that He himself had appointed. This uu- scriptural confli6l we find in modern times, in man's efforts by prayers and religiousness, and penances, and sorrows, to live a good lije, when God is demanding the death of the sinner for his sins. And how often do we see the sad spe6lacle of a man in a condemned world trying to get up religion or devotion, or anything else to meet the wrath of God against his sins, when he is con- demned already ! This is the state of man as de- picted in Rom. i. 18,. to iii. 20. But there is a scriptural conflict — namely, the conf^i6t against THE WORLD. The Christian presents a strange anomaly that I cannot be seen perfectly in the figure of an Israelite sheltered by blood in Egypt. He has been taken entirely out of Egypt, and yet he is jsent back to Egypt, as Jesus said to His Father in [John xvii. 18, concerning His followers, * As thou ; hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also jsent them into the world.' According to the illustration, every Christian in one aspe6l, and a [very pradtical aspe6l, is still in Egypt, that is the I world * which spiritually is called Egypt where no « GRACE AND TRUTH.' \ i also our Lord was crucified' (Rev. xi. 8). So Jesus prayed : — * I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil' (John xvii. 15). Being thus in the world and not of it, with souls saved, but with bodies '^till liable to disease and death, and all creation under the curse, ' We that are in this tabernacle do groan being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life ' (2 Cor. V. 4). And * we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption, to wit the redemption of our body' (Rom. viii. 23). These are groans which should not be stifled, but encouraged. The more that we are in harmony with the mind of God the more will these groanings be heard; not the groaning of an anxious soul to get peace, which God has already provided and presented, but the! groanings of the saint who is waiting for his body to be fashioned like unto Christ's body of glory. This is evidently quite different from fighting against indwelling corruption. We are like the Israelites waiting till all the chosen of the Lord| shall have actually had the blood on the lintel, which will be completed only when the Lord I comes. We have been sent into this world to persuade men to come under the prote6ting power of the blood of Jesus, and thus be sheltered from wrath. Meanwhile our place is described • . TRIUMPH AND CONFLIOT. Ill Intlie 17th chapter of John where we find that the Chiistian is Given to Christ out of the world (ver. 6). Left in the world (vers. 11 and 15). Not 0/ the world (ver. 14). Hated hy the world (ver. 14). Kept from the evil of the world (ver. 15). Sent into the world (ver. 18). Preaching \\i^ word to the world (ver. 20). ^God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world ' (Gal. vi. 44). .,. II. — REDEEMED BY POWER. THE ISRAELITES IN THE WILDERNESS. I. Triumph. — A quickened soul is first ex- ercised about what he has done, — that he has sinned : and then, as we have seen, he gets peace, because forgiven through the blood of Christ who died for him. But he very soon finds out a fur- ther distress, not arising from what he has done, but from what he is — a sinner. This is de- scribed in Rom. v. 12, 'As by one man sin en- tered into the world.' He has been sheltered from God's hand in judgment, but he finds he requires a new life in which to serve God. The Israelites found themselves, after having been de- livered from the death of their first-born, with rocks at either side, yb^5 behind, and the sea before. So the Christian was born a smner; his own sinful nature is unchanged and unchange- 112 « GRACE AND TRUTE: able; and the latv of God is against him — three obstacles much more terrible than those of the Israelites. Many a quickened soul in such a case is ready to cry, ' Hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?' (Exod. xiv. ii.) * Who shall deliver me?' (Rom. vii. 24.) But God does not say, * I have taken you away to die,' but He says, ''go forward^'' (Exod. xiv. 15). God is for us, and His power is exercised through death, through the territory, the last domain of law. Man's extremity is God's oppor- tunity. A way is made in the sea. * The Lord saved Israel that day out of the hands of the Egyptians: and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore ' (Exod. xiv. 30). This de- liverance points not so much to Christ dying, as to Christ ^raised again for our justification; ' not to justification by blood, but ' to justification of life,' Rom. V. 18 (in Christ as risen from the dead); ' For if when we were enemies we were recon- ciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by His life] that is His life in resurredtion. Not only are we out of the house of bondage, but we are out of the land of Egypt. Every Christian has a right to say — ' Not only has God sheltered me by blood, but He has saved my soul by His power; not only I have I peace with God, but God is for me ; not j only has God's Rand been stayed from visiting me for my sins in wrath, but God's hand has been manifested in destroying all my enemies; not only am I not condemned, but there is no condemna- tion 3 not only did Christ die for me, but my stand- TRIUMPH AND OONFLIGT. iI3 ing IS in Christ risen from the der J' (Rom. viii. i). ^ It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again.' (Rom. viii. 34.) Pilgrims and strangers, Captives no more ; Wilderness rangers, Sing we on snore. God in His power parted hath the sea, Foes all have perished, His people are free. ^ By the pillar safely led, By the manna daily fed. Now the homeward way we tread. 'Tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus, our Shepherd here below: 'Tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus whom we know. 2. Conflict. — There is an unscriptural Con- flict here also: — How am I as a sinner in the world, under law, to get out of my old standing in Adam and to get into the wilderness with God? If the Israelites had tried to scale the rocky precipices on either hand, the barriers of nature, instead of taking God's way by a new and super- natural path altogether, this would have been an illustration of a quickened sinner trying to climb this mighty obstacle * born in sin,' this mountain of his nature, instead of taking God's way out of it, as seen in Romans v. 19, * As by one man's dis- obedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.' If the Israelites had turned on the foes behind, and had tried to fight their way through, instead of standing still to see the salvation of God, this would have been an illustration of a quickened sinner trying to fight against and extirpate his evil nature, or make it better, and thus try to get de- 114 « GRACE AhD truth: m livered from the wages of sin, instead of taking God's way in Romans vi. 23, * eternal lif? through Jesus Christ our Lord.' If a quickened sinner were attempting to get deliverance from the power of the law of God and its righteous demands, by trying to make that which cannot be subje6t to the law of God a will- ing servant, he should be as the Egyptians, try- ing to get through wheie faith alone could walk, * which the Egyptians assaying to do were drcnvned^ That is the doom of man's efforts; but in Christ Jesus we have died, we have risen. Reckon therefore yourself dead indeed unto sin. It is not that we feel dead to it, or are dead to its motions ; but as Christ died to it, so we reckon ourselves dead. Instead of crying therefore when I find such a holy law inoperative in bringing my God-hating nature into subje6tion, *Who shall deliver me ?' (Romans vii. 24) and stopping there, I look back on all my foes dead on the shore. Christ's grave is empty now, and God looks at me as in Christ Jesus, and every question of sins and sin is settled for ever. Christ, my sins, and myS'Jf, were all nailed to Calvary's cross. I be- lieve diis fa6l, that Christ is risen. I accept God's I meaning which He has attached to this fadl, that| I am now not in my sins. I can now sing, in spirit, the triumph song of Moses on the wilder- ness shore of the Red Sea, and truly say, in the! language of Romans viii., * There is therefore now no condemnation to me in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made| me free from the law of sin and death.' TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. "5 But also a scriptural conflict now begins — namely, the confli6t against \, THE FLESH. " This is not a confli6t to obtain peace; not a con- flidl to get deliverance from condemnation, not even that sympathetic and God-honouring groan- ing of Romans viii. 18-28, but conflict against myself It is not the confli6t against the world. If we look at Israel as the illustration, we find that there were no Egyptians in the wilderness, only Jehovah's congregation is there. We are now shut in with God: God's enemies are our enemies; we are on His side, even against our- selves. We have been crucified and raised; we have sung the song of vi6lory; we triumph in Christ Jesus, and now we have confli6l in earnest with our own evil natures. The man who real- ises that he has got once and for ever into the standing described in Rom. viii. i, 'There is there- fore now no condemnation to them, that are in Christ Jesus,' with all his triumph, realises tre- mendous deadly confli6l, not around him, but within him, not struggling to get acceptance with God, but keeping his body under, looking at his own unchanged and unchangeably evil nature within him with something of the abhorrence of God — every day confessing his sin, every day I requiring the Advocate. After the Israelites had I sung the triumph song on the wilderness shore of [the Red Sea, after they had received the pillar I cloud to guide them, bread from heaven to fged [them, and the water from the rock to refresh ii6 • ORAGE AND TRUTH* them, ^then came Amalck and fought with Israel in Rephidim.' Does this not give us an ilhistra- tion of the lusting between the flesh and the Spirit as seen in Galatians v. 17, *The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other?' This Musting' or warfare goes on, not that we may cry, 'O wretched man, who shall deUver,' but Uhat ye may not do the things that ye would' (///.). This is a tremendous personal reality in every saved man. At the same moment that he is rejoicing in Christ Jesus, he has no con- fidence in the flesh which is still a6lually within him, and thus he has a warfare every day against himself. . Read Exodus xvii. 8-16; where we get the ac- count of the confli6l: Joshua, the captain of the Lord, fights with Amalek (son of Eliphaz, eldest son of Esau) ; Moses is on the hill-top with the rod, holding up his hands in intercession to God, supported by Aaron and Hur, one holding up each arm, for as long as his arms were held up Israel prevailed. And Joshua discomfited Ama"| lek with the edge of the sword. An altar is raised, called Jehovah my banner, for the Lord will have war with Amalek, not once for all, but front generation to generation. This is all after! the Red Sea has been crossed. This gives us an illustration of how the Spirit I of Jesus fights against the flesh. The Advocate is with the Father on high, and He is Jesus Christ th^ righteous, the spotless High Priest, making | continual intercession for us. The Spirit over- TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. 117 ♦ comes the flesh by the Word of God. This is all after we have jo3'fully sung the vi6lory-anthem recorded in Romans viii. * There is no condem- nation to them that are in Christ Jesus/ And indeed we have a specimen of the mighty sword we are now to wield by the Spirit in us in the pradlical exhortations laid down in the last chap- ters of the epistle to the Romans, commencing with chapter xii. As the Israelites found that the sword of Joshua and the prayers of Moses routed the heathen Amalek, so the Christian finds that there is noth- ing like the truth of God, the authority of God, I the sword of the Spirit, accompanied by the in- jtercession of Jesu'' on high for the unsubje(5t flesh I within him. All the wilderness confli6l has this chara6ter: 'Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee and -prove thee, to kfiow what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldst keep His commandments or not.' |(Deut. viii. 2.) Beloved brethren, * seeing then that ye are jrisen with Christ, mortify therefore your mem- jbers which are upon the earth.' We have triumph because we are forgiven. |We have conflict because we sin. We have triumph for we are saved. We have :onfli6l because wc are sinners, although saved. We have triumph over our Adam-nature, for ^ve are not in Adam, but in Christ. We have contlidl within us, for, alas 1 we often * walk as len/ • \X( ii8 * GRACE AND TRUTHS 4 m We * are not in the flesh,' therefore we have triumph. The flesh is in us, therefore we have conflidl. '' We are 'not under law,' therefore we have triumph. Jesus said, * If ye love me, keep my commandments,' therefore we have conflict. We are not {jj-o i/»,a«i/) under law, neither are we {fivaiwi) lawless, but we are (s^wv/nf) inlaived— that is, under authority, or duly subje6t to Christ. >' Christ has taken charge, not only of our saha- tion, but of our confli6t and our walk. Grace saves, but Grace also teaches. Neit »• is it by an internal power only that we are guided, I'jt by external authority or commandme.it. We do not walk in the paths of righteousness, merely because 7ve see them to be righteous, but because j God has ordered them. The former would bc| self-pleasing, the latter is God-pleasing, and if ever the question should arise between what I feel and see to be right and what God says is right, then I must obey God rather than my own feelings. Abraham did not understand h<^^v it I was right to sacrifice his son, but he b' . n^^^' God, and offered his son because God told i. As long as the Israelites were in the wiK, ness, they were seen in themselves, rf-' rv. - -■■■;-•',..," .vi.-. /•* -■^'^■^-■.M'. I. THE christian's STANDING. All Christians are by faith in the eternal calm hero, butlBof God, having everything that the work of Christ has secured. We are far above all principalities and powers in Him who is alive for evermore, who is the Living One, and was once dead. We are as near to God as Christ is, for wc are made nigh by His blood ; and we are as dear to God as Christ is, for Jesus, speaking to His Father, says, * Thou hast loved them as Thou hast loved me' (John xvii. 23). In Him we possess all the fulness of God. But as to fa6t, we find another side of the truth, which is, — lent Scrip-I up all the! er, and tlifl t-born should^ rORLD. IS by dry land,! FLESH. fter they werel for typesJ ' (i CorJ ig to the 2. THE christian's STATE. According as we look at it, all Christians are Istill in Egypt, Not an enemy is really destroyed. [The world is around us and against us. We are sheltered by blood, and still we are in a con- Idemned world. We are eternally justified, and Iby grace we are saved persons; stil.., in plain •; I 126 ' GRACE AND TRUTH: English, in Scripture language, we are just where | we were as to our surroundings. Again we are, as to fa6l, still in the Wilderness\ requiring guidance by the eye of our Father every day. As the Israelites of old had no sign-posts i nor highways in the trackless desert, and were guided by the pillar-cloud, so human wisdom and human advice can never dire6l the Christian in his heavenward journey. God's word is His light As the Israelites had to get their bread daily from heaven, marching through a barren wilderness, so the Christian gets no food for his new nature in that which his fellow-men all around him enjoy. He says, *The life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me' (Gal. ii. 20). Every day the Israelites required the water from the Rock in the dry and parched land, so the Christianl daily drinks the truth of God. Christ is his dailyl refreshment. These are for our iveariness. The! Israelites likewise had Joshua to fight, and Mosesl to pray, against their foe Amalek; so we have thel Spirit to war against the flesh, and our advocatel with the Father. Jesus presents the blood for usl on high, and daily we require our feet to bel washed from all earthly defilement. These are| God's provisions for our sin. Again, as to fa6l, we are in the Canaan con-l flidl, following our Joshua through all his w^arsJ which are our wars. Every Christian is really| as to fa6l, in Egypt, in the Wilderness, and in Canaan, at one and the same time. Different! aspe6ts may be more prominently ours at ona TRIUMPH AND GONFLWT. 127 time than at another, and this constitutes experi- ence. The experience of Christians is not always [Christian experience. 3. THE christian's EXPERIENCE. What do we find the every-day experience of I Christians to be ? According as a Christian under- stands what his standing is and what his state is, ISO will be his experience. But every Christian's experience must be * a walking with God.' He may be, as to experience, sheltered by blood, and [hardly knowing it, like an Israelite in Egypt not realizing the safety that there was under the blood-sprinkled lintel. He may be consciously at peace with God by the blood, but still trem- bling under the fear of coming into condemnation, like an Israelite not seeing the path through the sea, and trembling lest Pharaoh's host destroy [him; but he will be walking with God up to the light that he has. He ma}' be rejoicing on the [solid ground of Christ risen, having for ever done with all against him, and having God now for [him consciously, and he thus wa'ks with God, like an Israelite passed through the Red Sea, and entered upon the wilderness journey. And, Itinall}', he may be walking as in heavenly places, [like an Israelite through the Jordan and settled in Canaan. He is God's workmanship, and is [now getting into the mystery of His will (Eph. 9), having lost sight of the thought of his own iivation, and being absorbed in God — as the [aged pilgrims have told us, that for years they [had never had a thought about their own salva- 128 • GRACE AND TRUTH.* '%'± f i :i tion — as the aged Bengel said, *The same old! terms.' And it is only when in conscious experiJ ence we have been taken thus far, that we can! study God for his own sake and for what He is.| This is the furthest we can reach here. The standing' of every believer before God mi Christ Jesus, known only by faith here, is thel same, and is independent of his realising it or| enjoying it. The actual slate of every Christian upon the! earth is likewise the same. What an anomalyf any Christian is in the world! A son of Godl walking through a God-hating world, with a God-I hating devil its head, and having within him al God-hating nature; the -51 being that everyl Christian, as to confli6l c. ...i here, is in Egypt,] in the Wilderness, and in Canaan. The experience of every Christian is not thel same, but varies in different people, and in the same person at different times, according as he knows his standing before God, knows his state and walks in the Spirit. Thus we find the reason of so much seeming contradiction in Scripture/ and in the writings of God-taught men. I am sometimes confronted with a passage in a man'sj writings, and asked, * Do you believe that?' ^ Yes,' I answer; *and do you believe thatP'l — a diredlly opposite statement (seemingly), and] again I say, — * Yes,' because I find the same expressions in| God's Word. They all reconcile themselves in our own con-j sciousness, if we are submissive enough to wait TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. 129 ■essions m d learn GoJ's mind. I wish that you, my hristian reader, may distin6lly see the difference etween what the Christian is in God's sight, and hat he is in this world, and also why there is 10 much difference in different Christians. There one path, and but one path, in which our God md Father would have us walk; that is the path f His own Son here in conscious sonship wit- essing for Him as if we were in Egypt, the ilderness, and Canaan, taking sides with Him ai'nst the world, against ourselves, and against e devil. This is Christian experience; but, as! this is not always the experience of Chris- aans. This may depr id upon their not rightly [ividing the word of truth, or their not seeing the ith in its many aspedls. If we draw up a few eeming contradi6lions from God's word concern- ngthe Christian in parallel columns, if we read [own one of them we shall find the experience If some Christians; if again we read down the [ther, we shall find the experience of another iass of Christians — but Christian experience die harmonious and scriptural blending of loth. (I wonder what angels think as they see jch sons of God here!) Did not Paul know iis strange contradi6tion } I saw an infidel tra6^ ie other day meant to prove the Bible to be |ilse, by drawing up in parallel columns about a 3zen contradidtions found in Scripture, such as, ^Vhosoever is born of God'sinneth not,' and, * If l^e say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,' -.; and I thought, * Are the infidels really so far ick?' so I commend the following four dozen, I30 * GRACE AND TRUTH.* instead of one, to their notice, and promise more when these are understood. The poor infidel never heard of a new creation and an old in the same man. He knows only the old, and patches it Well-I:nown. Behold we live. Always rejoicing. ' ' . Making many rich. ;, , Possessing all things. Ye have put ofif the old man. Ye have put on the new man. Who can be against us ? Who shall lay anything to our charge ? Who is he that condeninelh ? He that is born of God sinneth not. We are not in the flesh. Not under law. He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting; lite. The Lord's freemen. Being made free from sin. Accepted in the Beloved. We are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. God who always causeth us to triumph. We a: j already saved. Let us therefore as many as be perfect. Ye are comple^< in Him. Seeinff ye have purified your souls. Ye are unleavened, ' Father who hath made us meet to be partakciS of the inheri taace of the saints in liglit Yet unknown. Dying. Yet sorrowful. Yet poor. Having nothing. Put off all these. Put on therefore. World, devil, and flesh. • The Accuser accuses the breth- ren day and night. We judge ourselves. If we say that we have no sin | we deceive ourselves. As long as we are in the flesh. Keep my commandments. We live if ye sitaiid fast in the] Lord. Christ's slaves. Blood cleanseth (not has cleans! ed) us from all sin. We labour to be accepted (lui service). The flesh lusts against thel spirit, and the spirit againslj the flesh. What great conflict I have fotj you. We are working out our saiva] tion. We are waiting for salvation. Not as though I were alread]i| perfect. We pray that we may stand con\ piete in all the wiil of God. f Let every one that hath t!iii| hope in Him purify himself. Purge out the old leaven. When He shall appear we shal bv Hk$ Him. • '< I TRIUMPn AND CONFLWT. 131 Always confident. Through death He destroyed Him that had the power of death. Everywhere and in all things — To be full, and To abound, and Dead to sin. Risen with Christ. I am strong. We have an anchor sure and steadfast. They shall never perish. Why as though living in the world, I am dead. We are sanctified, justified ; Christ our sanctification. Seated in heavenly places in Christ. Bear ye one another's burdens. Your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost. i Saved from sin. I Justified by faith. Sanctified by blood and will of God. I Saints by call. I We (Christians) shall not come into judgment. With fear and trembling. The last enemy that shall be de- stroyed is death. To be hungry. To suffer need (Phil. iv. 12). Let not sin therefore reign. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. When I am weak. Make your calling and election sure. Lest I should be a castaway. The life which we now live in the flesh. Nevertheless I live. We pray that we may be sancti- fied wholly. We are in the world. Every man shall bear his own burden. I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing. Chief of sinners. Justified by works. Sanctified by the word and Spirit. Purified by progress. We (Christians) must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ All these seeming contradi6lions n^e thoroughly lexplained when one sees the ditlerencc betweeii [our standing .and our state. If I reckon my stand- ing according to my state, I am in a low and God- lishonoiiring experience. If I bring the power land chara6ler of my standing to mould my state, Ithen I shall have a happy and God-honouring Experience. , w: 132 * GRACE AND TRUTH.' The Lamb on the cross has pur- chased all. In Egypt it is the blood of the Lamb. ^ The Lamb from the thront, when He returns in power shall claim all, and actuallj take all. Romans and Galatians shewus the power that brought us out and keeps us in Egypt. Hebrews look at the Christiaiii as always in the Wilderness. Ephesians is the book of Canaan. In Amalek's fight it is the blood of the Lamb who is the ad- vocate on high, *hat is pre- sented. It is by the blood of the Lamb that the accuser of the breth- ren is overcome. Clad in God's armour we fight. Soon faith will be fa6l. May our blessed Lon grant it. Not at death will this be true of thi whole Church of God, but when He returns. Ou experience will then be both what faith and fa are; our state shall then be as our standing; oui standing shall be our state. We shall then bi 'like Him,' soul and body. Do we not long foi the time when the last of the bride shall be undei the shelter of the blood-sprinkled lintel, and \vi shall be caught up together from a doome world, — when the last confli6l with Amalel shall have been fought, and his remembranc blotted out for ever; the Jiesh for ever left; 'si and iniquities remembered no more for ever when the accuser of the brethren shall have bee| cast out of the heavenly place, and every opposi spiritual wickedness shall have been routei when our Joshua, by His judgment- warfare (Re iv. to xxii.), shall have cleared the inheritano Then, in the splendour of the Lamb on the thron| we shall be manifested as the sons of God, tl body of Christ, the bride of the Lamb. TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. 133 Fellow Christian, are you making your ex- perience the standard for your walk? This is wrong. Are you making your Ftate your standard ? This also is wrong. But God would have us make our standing our standard. This honours Him. This gives con- quering power. Our attitude now is to wait calmly for the hour when all will be ours, in fa(5t and also in experi- ence, which is now ours in faith only; when our standing shall be our state. Even the Apostle Paul has not yet all ; he is waiting with the Lord jfor what he was waiting for while here, — * not to be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.' (2 Cor. v.) This is why resurrection, not death, is our hope — why we wait for the Lord's coming >r us, and not for our going to Him. We do not wait lor happi- ness merely, we wait for hat will bring to a [close this great paradox betvveen standing' and htate^ and also terminate that unseen state of dis- lembodicd souls with the Lord in Paradise. 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus.' ' Beloved, now [are we the sons of God; and it doth not \ ot ap- pear what we shall be: but we know that when le shall appear, we shall be like IIim; for ve Ml see Him as He is. And every one lat bth this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as le is pure.' (i John iii. 2.) The voorld^ the devily and the flesh give you \onflict. The Father^ the Son, and the Holy rhosl give you triumph. prp^ 134 « GRACE AND TRUTH: Praise the Lord with hearts and voices, Gathered in His holy name ; Every quicken'd soul rejoices, Hearing of the Saviour's fame. Praise the living God who gave us, Lost and ruin'd as we lay, ' His beloved Son to save us, Bearing all our sin away. Praise the Lord for all His guiding, Snares so thickly round us lie ; We in His own light abiding, Are directed by His eye. Praise Him for His long forbearance ; How our sin His heart must pain ; Righteous is His loving-kindness, Cleansing us from every stain. Praise Him, enemies assail us, As we through the desert go ; But His sword can never fail us, It shall silence every foe. Praise Him for the manna given, Falling freshly every day ; Jesus Christ, our Lord from Heaven, Is our food through all the way. Praise Him for the water flowing. Freely in its boundless tide ; Christ the smitten Rock we're knowing. Pierced for us His wounded side. Praise Him through the desert marching, Onv/ard to the golden shore ; For our Saviour wc are watching. And we'll praise Him evermore. Under the Sun.' Our Walk. ♦ » ♦ Z".-*! ECCLESIASTES. N reading the book of Ecclesiautes I have been struck with the frequent occurrence of this expression, ' Under the sun.'' It occurs twenty-nine times in this book of ten chapters, and is nowhere else ill the Bible. ' Under the heavens ' is thrice men- tioned, and * upon the earth ' four times. I have met Christians who have been sadly perplexed by several expressions in this book ^vhich seem so contradictory to other parts of the cripture. Infidels have also exultingly brought ome of its detached sentences as san6lioning heir blasphemies. Legalists and Unitarians have uoted some of its precepts as proving their iiKui-exalting and God-dishonouring do6trines. iVorldly professors use its verses as a warrant their worldliness, and an excuse for their radices. That expression, * under the sun^ is the thread n which the whole book is crystallized. If we cmember this, we shall have not the slightest itHculty in meeting intidel opposition or world- lor 'i 136 * GRACE AND TRUTH.* hearted profession. Solomon was the wisest as he was the richest king, trying all that was * under the sun.' The Holy Spirit has, in these few chapters, wifh divine accuracy, given us his ex- perience, and * what can the man do that cometh after the king?' He had plenty of money, and all the resources where men think pleasure is to be found * under the sun' — wine, music, works, vineyards, gardens, orchards, fruit trees, water- pools, servants, possessions of cattle, silver, gold, peculiar treasures, men-singers, women-singers, musical instruments of all sorts — in short, what- ever his e3'es desired he kept not from them (chap. ii.). •A better colle6lion could not be brought together for any man ' under the sun.' And with all his enjoyment he still kept liis wisdom, as he sa3'S, * yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom.' But in such multiplied sources of pleasure did he not tarry too long at the en- joyment of one side of his nature, and leave some other corner untried? Nay; he found a season for everything. For loving, for hating, for laugli- ing, for weeping, for dancing, for mourning, fur all he had a time. He saw that after all he liad tried * mider the sun ' he was no better than n beast; for as we look at a man and a beast ' umier the sun^ a common grave shuts out the light ol' tiu- sun equally from the horse and his rider. It is ^ under the sun^ that the outward eye sees, and if the things seen are all that we are to have, there is nothing better than what Solomon says — * Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good * UNDER THE SU /. 137 of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth Him; for it is his portion.^ The things seen give eating, drinking, and enjoyment of labour as the only portion. This is the highest good, according to what was seen by the greatest philosopher as looking at things ' under the sun.'' He was also a great student. Read i Kings iv. 33. As to the higher part of man, we tind a won- derful text in Eccl. ix. i : ' No man knoweth cither love or hatred by all that is before him.' No; we have to look above us for love and hatred, not before us, that is to say, in this world. By what is before us we are asked to remember our Creator, but are never turned to our Re- deemer. Hence, ' under the sun^ we find men scarcely dare rise above the names Creator, Providence. And when we do remember this great Creator, as creatures under His sun, we find that the conclusion of all, the ultimate limit we can reach, is to know His demands upon us; as His demands in their own place and nature on a tree or an animal; His demand on us as crea- tures, — the whole duty of man, which no man ever did or can do, is to ^ fear God and keep His commandments.' This wisest and richest man found ' under the sun'' no- prolit in all his labour; nothing new; wicked men in judgment; oppression of the right; folly and wisdom going to the same end; chance seeming to regulate all; many sore evils conse- quent, notwithstanding what he says in i Kings V. 4: * The Lord my God hath given me rest on '38 ' GRACE AND TRUTH.* '.i i every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.' In short, he found the beginning vanity, the middle vanity, the end vanity. The sum of all ' under the sun^ — vanity of vanities. How complete is the change when we turn to contemplate Him who comes from far above the sun, who created the sun and the earth, and de- scended to the earth from His rainbow-circled throne. When Christ came. He did not reveal the name /Creator;' it was the name 'Father.' Christ was the last test of all ^ under the sun^ The whole world has now been brought in guilty before God. Man's duty was to receive Christ, instead of which he gave Him a cross. God is love, and God was manifest in the flesh; pcrfe6l love, perfect light. Eternal life has been here from above the sun. Hatred against sin has been seen, as nowhere else it can be seen, when, made sin for us, the sinless One drained the cup of the wrath of God. Love for the sinner has been seen, as nowhere else it can be seen, in that *God so loved the world that he gave his only- begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should riot perish, but have everlasting life.' A sister who had realized her position as wit- nessing for Jesus, and had come to v iderstand what is meant by Solomon's time for everything ' under the sun,' wrote about a marriage party at which she had to be present. After describing what happened, she said, 'We then left very early, leaving the gay party to practise Solomon.' We that have believed in the Son have got a most strange and anomalous position ' under the tt£'.'. « UNDER THE SUN.* 139 thing very got a sun^' ' As He is, so are we in this world.' As the Son of man dead, risen, and now in heaven in the fulness of His Father's love, so are we in this world. We have nothing whatever to do with what is ' under the sun^ beyond getting through this world as simply as possible. '• If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affedtion (it is literally mind^ as in the passage 'who mind earthly things ') on things above — not on things on the earth, for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.' All this is intended to draw us away from what is under the sun to what is above, even to Jesus Himself. What is the occasion of all the worldly walk of so many professing Christians ? We are not asking what the originating cause is. There is a difference between the originating cause and the occasion, sometimes called the predisposing and exciting causes. The originating or predis- posing cause is found in this, that all Christians have in them the old Adam nature, unchanged and unchangeable, which lusts against the new, which abhors the things unseen and the walk by faith, which feeds upon the things seen, feasts on and revels in this present world. But there are several occasions or exciting causes which stir this old nature into conformity with the world. Let us look at three of the chief occasions. of worldliness; 1st, Ignorance of self. ' — 2d, Ignorance of what the world is. 3d, Ignorance of what God says about that world. 140 • GRACE AND TRUTH.* I. IGNORANCE OF SELF. Christians not being' aware of the worldly- minded foe within is a very common occasion oi worldliness. They come nearer and nearer to the world, thinking themselves safcjand still doin^ nothing wrong, not knowing that it is like bring- ing gunpowder near the fire. If Christians would realise that they have a nature within them that feeds upon God's dishonour, they would be more watchful and prayerful. Every Christian has within him a traitor which loves the world, its ways and its principles, in some shape or other; a traitor which, but for the power of an ever present Spirit, would surrender the keys oi the citadel at once to the world outside; a traitor which is not subje6l to the law of God, nor in- deed can be; a traitor which is not to be trifled with, far less trusted; a traitor which is ever plan- ning and scheming for its own gratification, and which is capable of anything evil. Christian! watch and pray against this foe within, as well as against foes without. Every Christian has the flesh still within him, which is a traitor against God. II. IGNORANCE OF WHAT THE WORLD IS. When we do not know what ' the world\ is, we are very prone to slip into worldliness before we are aware. Some profess not to be clear upon what is worldly. They know, however, the mean- ing well enough of getting on in ' the world.' ' UNDER THE SUN.' 141 ■* i Some look at ^ the luorld^ as that which is glaringly wicked, or God-dishonouring in other people. The poor man speaks of the rich man in his grand house as being in the world, or the o^reat man who never thinks of God. While all tills ma}^ be true, every man has his ' -world' into wliich he is tempted to go: the meanest as well as the greatest, the most secluded as those in the centre of a great city. A pretty ribbon or a new dress, a good dinner or a nice party, may be as much * the 'world'* as the gayest and most fashion- able assembly. Often the question is asked, Is it right to go here or there? to do this or that.^ Is this of *■ the r:orld'' or not.'' God has given us a perfe6l crite- rion: ' All that is in the world .... is not of the Father, but is of the world.' This makes all plain to a child with the Father. Is- this of the Father? if not, it is of the world. How well evdy Chris- tian understands this in some measure! Does the size of your world not increase just in proportion as you know the Father? Things are now classed under the title 'world,^ that were not thought to be worldly when we started the race. The road irets narrower as this thinof and the other thine: are seen to be of ' the nvorld^ till we are walking in the lonely path with the lonely Man. Fellow-Christian, do you not see something this year to be of 'thetvorld^ that 3'ou did not bce last year? Have you been thus learning th*:* Father? Is it a sign that the Father is being known more when we hear of professing Chris- tians, yes, even deacons, elders, pastors, counte- « % I wm 142 ' GRACE AND TRUTH.' m iiancing the ^vorldly meeting, the gay assembly, or the dancing party ? And where is the harm ? is asked by many a voice. Ask at the entrance of many a fashionable gathering, * Is this of the Father? ' and you will get the contempt that your presence there deserves. For the world loves and knows its own: your presence asking such a question would be an intrusion. This spirit of the world is paralysing the whol^ of Christian energy, as it is leavening the whole of Christendom. No wonder that there is a slumber as of death over our land, an unaccount- able nightmare resting on the spirits of many Christian men, a feeling that we are just at the awful pause before some fearful explosion. Christians take the world's ways and party strifes in its politics and rule, blunting the edge of their spiritual nature, hat'ming their conscience, con- descending to mingle in the world's battles. Let the potsherds of earth strive with the potsherds thereof. Where are the garments unspotted by the world? Christians also are mixed up with the world's company, sitting at the world's table, happy with the world's joys and jokes, singing the world's songs, and their bleeding Lord hang- ing at their side, each worldly thought or a6tion doing dishonour to Him. Young disciples are especially liable to be car- ried away with the cultivated, respectable, edu- cated, quiet, polite, agreeable, pleasant, worldly companion. Young disciples, in the name of Him who hung on Calvary for you, keep no company with any unconverted person. You • UNDER THE SUN: H^ may have to meet them at school or in business, but never keep company with them. ' Come out from among them and be ye separate.' A young disciple was once asked concerning a com- panion, — ' Well, was she a friend or an enemy.'*' * In what way.f*' * A friend or an enemy to Jesus?' '• I really could not say.' * But you know that all are either friends or foes ; there is not a third company. Is she con- verted?' * I don't think so.' * Then, of course, we know to whom she be- longs. Let us be friends to all Jesus' friends, and enemies to all Jesus' enemies — loving them, praying for them, and trying to get them con- verted, but coming out from among them, and being separate.' My brother, will that cross, will that bleeding One, not draw thy thoughts, thy words, thyself, away from this cruel world? Let them quaff their wine, let them chorus the revel song, let them have their time to dance. They are ' binder the sun.'' 'Under the sun^ He died for thee. That sun was darkened when He was thinking of thee. He loved thee. Thy name, as an indi- vidual, was in His omniscient mind, when in dark- ness and agony He was forsaken of His God. Nails and a cross never kept Him there. He Himself made that iron and that wood, but love kept Him on the cross. Thou hast said, * He loved me, and gave Himself for me.' His cross, 144 ' GRACE AND TRUTH: ;iP His grave, separate thee from HhewoHd^ as they separate thee from thy sins. Dost thou realise that every unconverted man is reckoned by thy Lord as a murderer ? that this world is under the charge of murdering the Lamb of God? In this hmd, at this moment, it is difficult to knov/ the church from the world. The world, ^ of the earth earthy,' has said to the Church, the bride of the Lamo, of the heavens^ 'heavenly,' * Come a little down to us, and we will rise a little up to you, and we can shake hands and agree.' This in the present day is called /iber- ality^ charity^ large-heartedness, and he who dares to dissent is called a bigot, one of peculiar views, a man of extremes. * The world ' makes its social gathering and in- '»'iter the Christian. A compromise is efFe6led. The Christian leaves at home his peculiar testi- mony for his rejected Lord. * The world ' lays aside a little of its open worldliness, and they thus agree. ' The world ' has been raised some- what. Its tone has been elevated. The Chris- tian has come down from his high standing ground, and has lost his place as the separated one — His Lord is dishonoured, and this is modern liberality I The world and the Christian agree, and God's name, God's glory, the offence of the cross, are given up as the price of the agreement! Yea, some have shown their ignorance and heartlessness so much as to bring in Christ's ex- ample, and make his conduct a cloak for their worldliness, and the Holy Jesus a minister of sin. True, no on^. was ever such a friend to the sinner . r * UNDER THE SUN: H5 ; they galise y thy er the ult to vorld, h, the ^enly,' rise a s and liber- \ who :culiar nd in- e6ted. testi- ' lays they Isome- hris- nding larated odern [agree, f the Iment! and 's ex- their f sin. inner (r as Jesus, and no one was so separate from sinners. Did he contra6l any defilement by sitting and eating with sinners? It would be blasphemy to thiak it. Can yon perfectly manifest Jesus wherever you go ? But the rule here, as every- where, is perfe6l and simple, ' Whether, there- fore, ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God' (i Cor. x. 31). Do you keep company with that friend because it is for the glory of God? Do you accept that in- vitation to dinner because it is for the glory of God? or not rather because you will enjoy it, and perhaps meet some one you like, or some- thing else for you, and is this following Jesus? Not a word did he speak, not a thought did he think, not a step did he take, but was for God's glory. Not a company he entered, but this was his only reason for going. Is it yours ? Let conscience answer. And if you can go on with worldly people and in worldly ways, either you will reap daily and bitter sorrow, and have to come in broken and contrite spirit to the footstool of grace, or you have no heart for the crucified one. You know not the Christ whom the world crucified. You are not Christ's You are not a Christian I one. At this present day there is nothing that is leavening Christendom more evidently than this worldliness — worldly policy, worldly ways of advancing the cause of Christ, worldly principles, worldly maxims, worldly motives, worldly vindi- cations of condu6l, worldly schemes and artifices, all are employed, and worldly arguments are 146 « GRACE AND TRXJTB: finally adduced, shewing that all such are quite in proper place. The spirit of competition, which is * the life of trade,' has been adopted in those unchrist-like divisions in the Church of the living God. Artifice and trickery with world-shows, bazaars, and such- like, are used to extradt money from the pockets of willing and unwilling vi(5lims to advance God's kingdom I the Lord all the time loving the cheer- ful giver. But cheerful or not cheerful, the worldly church principle is, the money must be obtained I [Read Babylofi^s great bazaar^ Rev- elations xviii. 12 and 13 — gold at the head of the list, souls of men at the foot — not very unlike what may be seen in Christianised Brit- ain I] In the mixture of world and church of this nineteenth century in Britain, who could discern the Bride of the Crucified One? Everything goes on comfortably. There is little of the tak- ing up of *the cross;' many excuses for con- formity to this world. I heard not very long ago of one who, standing very high in * the Church' as a leading and de- voted Christian, at a marriage party publicly an- nounced that such a season was for enjoyment, and that such enjoyment should take the form of singing songs, &c.; holy hymns and such-like w^ere not appropriate. Certainly it was the time for enjoyment. And if * any man is merry, hi him sing -psalms^ But this does not suit modern mixtures of * Church ' and * world,' fashionable Christianity I r ^v. Rel spiritu for sol prayer but fo] a worl fore a channt Thi< ' Rejoi get ' i) are tlii spiritu day w joice death-1 of the In ti quietly the pn will qi strange to be { stand c TheB but a f board e is muc reader, reading will fil own. more ' • UNDER TBE SUN.* 147 Religion, with its psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, may do all very well for Sunday; for solemn times; for deaths or for funerals; for prayers, morning and night, at family worship; but for enjoyment, for merry-making, let us have a worldly song, or some foolish love-sonnet, be- fore all the means that God has ordained as the channels for our joy! This is what is called inteUigent Christianity. ' Rejoice ' is the motto of such men, but they for- get ' /;/ the Lord^ Man's songs, man's dancing, are their channels of joy — * psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,' God's channel. The judgment- day will try all. Beloved fellow-Christian, re- joice now^ as you would look back from your death-bed with satisfa6lion and say, ' 'Twas not of the world.' In travelling by rail, take out your Bible and quietly begin to read for your own instru6tion, in the presence of your fellow-passengers, and you will quickly observe that eyes are upon you in strange wonder — the eyes of those, too, who wish to be called Christians^ but who cannot under- stand any man reading the Bible for enjoyrnent. The Bible, they think, should be read as a duty; but a piece of trash, in the shape of some yellow- boarded novel, or some new article of man's folly, is much more palatable and enjoyable. Dear reader, are you getting much enjoyment from the reading of the bare Word of your Father? This will fill you with His ideas, and displace your own. This will show you that there is much more * of the world ' than perhaps you dreamt y.A 148 ♦ GRACE AND TRUTB: I 1 of; that all ^ mider the sun ' is equally vain for instru6lion or for enjoyment. This leads us to the consideration of the third occasion of this most deplorable and painful, though too common spe6tacle, of worldliness in a Christian. III. IGNORANCE OF WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT THE WORLD. God alone knows the world thoroughly. There are three words in Scripture translated world; \si^ Kosmos (xn) , which literally means a period of time, an age; and 3n/, Oikou- men^ {ov/moiizvti) ^ literally meaning the inhabited world. Especially with the two first have we at present to do. What could be more beautiful than the arrangement of this perfe(5lly ordered world — the cosmos that God brought out of chaos : The world, in this sense, in itself is not evil; but its rightful Lord has been crucified, and therefore in this age, or dispensation, or period of che world, all must be away from God. By and by all things in heaven and in earth shall be gloriously under the one head, Christ, when the cosmos, the beautiful world, will appear in purer glory than in its pristine beauty, when it shall be not the present age, but the day of the Son of man,' * the age to come' (Heb. ii. 5). Meanwhile the trail of the serpent defjles all. Its beautiful dells, and mountains, and plains, are polluted by the pres- ence of men in rebellion against a holy God, and theui on it Wl exhorj the fill bodiej this w| age. ciple Be doi cause 1 this ag of the Christ deliver the vvil cause o this pr wisdorr do not princes Chri: be Kin prince declare Matt. \y the kin the wo: know I wisdoiT its pow spirit o] (i Cor UNDER THE SUN: 149 as mgs ider the Ihan the the [rail ind "es- ind the unavenged blood of its martyred Lord is lying on it calling aloud for vengeance. When the Spirit of God begins the pra6tical exhortation to the Romans, in the 12th chapter, the first command of detail, after presenting our bodies living sacrifices, is, ' Be not conformed to this world;' that is, * be not conformed to this age.'' Until a man knows this foundation-prin- ciple he cannot go on to the other related duties. Be done with the spirit of the age. Why? Be- cause the age is under Satan, who is the God of this age (2 Cor. iv. 4). Its rulers are the rulers of the darkness of this age (Eph. vi. 12). And Christ * gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of God and our Father' (Gal. i. 4). The cause of Demas forsaking Paul was that he ' loved this present age' (2 Tim. iv. 10); and earth's wisdom is not the study of the Christian, for we do not speak ' the wisdom of this age, nor of the princes of this age' (i Cor. ii. 6). Christ our Lord and Saviour alone we own to be Kins of kinsrs, but in this age the devil is 'tj'-'j prince of this world (John xvi. 11); and he declared this to Christ, the only true King in Matt. iv. 8, when he said he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world. The Creator was in the world made by Him, and the world did not know Him, but hated and crucified Him. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, and its power weakness. 'We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God ' (i Cor. ii.). And God has chosen the foolish ISO GRACE AND TRUTE: things, the weak things, the base things of this world as His own vessels. My reader, listen to God's own word — ' Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever, therefore, will be a frieiu. of the world is the enemy of God' (James iv. 4 ). Would you not rather be on terms of friendship with that noble lord, or great man in this world; on speaking terms with those that the world loves to honour? And ha\ e you made up your mind for the guaranteed consequence? Thou art an enemy of God. * Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in llim' (i John ii. 15). A man is known by the company he keeps, by the books he enjoys. Do you not enjoy a nice worldly dinner-party, where there is nothing ver\- evil done, but all the events of the world discussed, much better than attending two or three prayer or worship meetings in a week ? Have you made choice of the alternative ? The love of the Father is not in you. *They are of the world, there- fore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them' (i John iv. 5). 'We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the wicked one' (i John v. 19). My reader, pause and think. Are you deceiv- ing yourself? Do you love the world? If, as before God, you cannot deny it, then the love of the Father is not in you. You go to church; you are very respedtable on Sundays and week-days; you are honest, and charitable, and kind; but you love 1 an al yours it. E natun fore, \ deceit before ting c the w made was t with t made their the dy Enoch Havin, let us ( IV. TH Reai Firt the wo me.^ J. tians ai gift of of the througl a man purposi Seco * UNDER THE SUN.' 151 love the world. Your feasts and solemnities are an abomination unto God. You cannot force yourself to hate the world. It is natural to love it. By your love you prove that you have not the nature in you that abhors the world; that there- fore, you have not been born again, but have been deceiving yourself I would solemnly advise you, before God, to begin from the beginning by get- ting converted. Cain was the first to try to make the world comfortable apart from God. God made him a vagabond. He built a city. He was the father of all the great world-improvers, with their harps and organs. No doubt they had made themselves very happy; no doubt they had their music and dancing; perhaps oratorios on the dying words of Abel, or the taking up of Enoch, as the 'Messiah' and 'Elijah' now-a-days. Having considered these occasions of worldliness, let us consider — teiv- |f, as e of you lays; you IV. THE PLACE OF A CHRISTIAN UNDER THE SUN. Read John xvii., and there we find, — First. At verse 9, Christ says, ' I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given me^ As given by the Father to Christ, we Chris- tians are separated from this world by the eternal gift of the Father, and by the intercessory prayer of the Son. Mingling with the world, we break through that wondrous chain that Jesus became a man to form; we do despite to the Father's purpose, we trample on the prayers of the So;:. Second, In verses 11 and 15 we are spok^if of 152 « GRACE AND TRUTH* as left in the world: * I am no more in the world, but these are in the world.' And as He is, so are we. Are we living His life, reproducing Christ here as those that are left to do so ? He was the light while here; we are the light of the world during His absence. Brother, did you ever feel lonely because Jesus was not here, be- cause you have been left? Are you mingling with the world ? You do dishonour to that heart which reckoned on your love while left here. Third, Hated by the world: * The world hath hated them,' because the world hated Him. Many Christians are persecuted for their own sake, and not for righteousness' sake. Christians may be hated for their own disagreeable ways; but are .you hated for your likeness to Christ? He said, * they hated Me without a cause.' Do they hate you because you manifest His holy name? Are you mingling with the world? If so, you are trying to escape the hatred, yea, you are silently consenting that the world did right in hating your gracious Redeemer. Fourth, ^ Not o/the world,' verses 14 and 16. This is the cause of the former. The world loves its own. We are citizens of heaven. Heaven is our Fatherland. Heaven is our home. Heaven is our metropolis. We are foreigners here. We p^e like the Abyssinian captives, while they were in the chains of the king of that country. A few moments more, and, beloved fellow-captive, the chains shall fall, and we shall neither be in nor of the world. We are not of it, just as Jesus was not of it. A homeless, lonely stranger, the great Sojourner had * not where to lay his head.' We the a\' in forr protes power we ar you m are de your c Fif kept fr evil fr Father throug and joi at the and m SU7l^ w dous e unseen it we I stant p love, c» Sixt As Chi of a pi cross t( tied to to it, t( resurre cannot Christ ' under UNDER THE SUN.* 153 We are here under protest. We protest against the awful power that the world-rulers have used in former days, and not one of whom has publicly * protested against, namely, Pilate's boast, * I have power to crucify Thee.' We glory in this, that we are identified with the murdered Mao. Are you mingling with the world? By so doing you are denying your fatherland, you are ashamed of your citizenship. Fifth, Ver. 15. While left in this world we are kept from the evil in it. Are we to rush near the evil from which our blessed Lord p)ra3^ed His Father we might be kept? Are we to break through a Father's love, a Father's watchful care, and join the ranks of the aliens ? Do we search at the broken cisterns, and thirst again for more and more of the music and dancing ''under the su7i^ while we are those that are kept? Tremen- dous evil I All the more tremendous because, unseen and unrealised, it is around us, and from it we have to be kept. Nothing but Jesus' con- stant prayer, and the Father's constant, untiring love, could keep us. Sixth. Ver. 18. We are sent into the world. As Christ was sent, so are we. We must be out of a place before we can be sent into it. The cross took us out of the world. We were cruci- fied to it. In resurre6lion-life we are sent back to it, to be here as specimens of saved sinners, resurrc(5lion-men, stranger-witnesses, men that cannot be understood, men whose life is hid with Christ in God. Are you mingling with what is ' under the sun? ' If so, you deny the resurrec- 154 « GRACE AND TRUTH.* tion of Christ, and your resurrection with Him, ;ind that you are sent into the world, and have to maintain your charadter as one who has been thus sent. Seventh, Ver. 20. We are to preach to the world. All that are to be saved will be so by the instrumentalit}^ of saved men, sinners like them- selves carrying the word of life to the dead. There is a strange infatuation in some men's minds, that because we are in the world to do the Lord's work, that therefore we must be- come somewhat assimilated to the world in order to get to its level ! But the Christian is * a light.' Light dof^s not do its work by assimila- tion with darkuv , but by opposition to it. The Christian's power in carrying the Word to a dead world is not in becoming like the dead, but in manifesting his new life, going to dead sinners with the omnipotence of God, and preaching His resurredlion gospel, and not schemes of reforma- tion, nor anything else except this gospel, know- ing that the * gospel is the power of God.' The Christian's wisdom is not that which schemes and plots for success according to worldly tac- tics, but in dire6l opposition to all; seeming to be downright foolishness. Saul's armour looks very strong; David's sling and stone seem quite con- temptible. We do our duty to the world only as we keep our Nazarite separated chara6ter. We shine brightly only as we oppose the darkness. We benefit mankind only as we glorify God and tes- tify for the Crucified One. We are despised by * UNDER THE SUN.' 155 man and chastened of God if we mingle with the world and 'blow hot and cold.' Christ spues out of His mouth the lukewarm. ' 1 am not a man of extremes,' says the beau- ideal of modern fashionable Christianity. 'I wish you were either cold or hot,' says God. Let God be true, and every man a liar.' Let us * make the best of both worlds,' says man. * If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him,' says God. * Secure friends here, and still keep a hope of heaven hereafter,' says man. ' The friendship of the world is enmity with God,' says God. 'Let us take our time for everything here '' under the sun,^'' — dancing, laughter, amuse- ments, comfort, position,' is man's creed. ' If any man will come after Me, let him deny him- self, and take up his cross and follow Me,' is what God says. As you sow you shall reap. ' Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun ; but if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment' (Eccles. xi. 7-9). — Man, who shall live for ever, giving up his eternit}' for present pleasure, giving up Christ for the world, is like one who is colour-blind, that is, like a person who can see well enough his fm 156 GRACE AifD TRtTTlt.* wi way through the world, but cannot distinguish between red and green, or any other of the beauti- ful hues that are seen in the rainbow. They that see colour in all its beauty and diversity, as God has made it, cannot but think it a great misfortune for those who cannot distinguish one colour from another. They see the crocus and the snowdrop the same as the green grass, and it again as the stone wall. Everything to them is either black or white, and the glorious rainbow is not distin- guished from the black cloud that it spans. Everything is to them like an engraving, and the lilies of the field, that we are asked to consider, have no more beauty than is derived from their shape and position. It is a misfortune, but the unfortunate one does not know his loss. How true is that saying of Sir John Herschel, referring to this colour-blindness: 'What ive never knew lue never miss I ' How true in the great realities of our existence! How many people go about this world absorbed in its business, its pleasure, or its science, and have never seen the most glori- ous sight that ever burst upon it — the perfect love of God to sinners, and the perfe6l hatred of God against sin; or rather, have never seen the most glorious Person that ever trod this earth as the sacrifice for their sin, as their propitiation, as the object to fill their hearts now and for ever! They never knew Him, and they never miss Him. If you were saying, * Christ is not in the world, do you miss Him ? ' the idea would startle many. Others would feel that they would not at all like Him to be always where they were ; « UNDER THE SUN.* 157 re; they woul^ not feel free if He were always sitting at their table, or went with them wherever they went. Have you never heard people say, when a godly man had left their company, * Well, I'm glad he's gone; we couldn't do anything before him?' How would you like Christ to be always beside you? Far from missing Him, you are really very glad He is not here. Thank God there are those who have known Him, that do miss Him, and are waiting for Him. Why does the lady of the world so enjoy company, while the pierced Christ is never missed? Because she never knew Him. Why do the men of the world enjoy their learning, their riches, or their pleasure, and do not miss Christ, God's greatest gift? Because they never knew Him. They wonder that people can enjoy prayer-meetings, gospel preachings, or Bible-readings, and always enjoy them — ready for them in the morning, at noon, or evening. They pity such. Is it not like the man who is colour-blind, pitying us as we stand in rapt enjoyment admiring the glorious rainbow? He feels the rain falling, but can see and admire no rainbow. We see the magnificent colouring of the rainbow, and forget the rain. They never knew the joy of being the Lord's, therefore they never miss it. And what is left in the world after Christ is taken away? He once was here, and God looked on Him well-pleased; but man in his blindness crucified this only worthy obje6t on earth, and what is left? God has told us * All that is in the world ' — ibt. * The Lust of the Flesh.' il >S8 ' GRACE AND TRUTH: 2d. * The Lust of the Eye,' and, — 3d. ' The Pride of Life.' There are no other motive powers in the world but these. This trinity is reigning in power to-day as in the days of John the apostle. 1st. ' The lust of the flesh.'' — This has to do with the things by which the senses, taste and touch, and all merely animal gratifications, are nourished. This is the lowest and most universal. Rich and poor equally are under its power. What shall we eat, what shall we drink? Such do not eat to live, the}^ live to eat, to enjoy themselves, to satisfy all the fleshly lusts that war against the soul. Thus we read of those that 'walk after the flesh, in the lust of uncleanness,' who serve ' divers lusts,' lewdness, wantonness. This is why tipplers and drunkards enjoy the world, till they forget name, business, wife and family, body and soul, for drink, which is the front door admitting to every other lust of the flesh. A man may be under the lust of the flesh who is not a drunkard, but who wishes to enjoy himself on this side of his nature. 7.d. ' The lust of the eye.'' — This has to do with the senses of seeing, hearing, and so on. Here the man has not only desires, but means to gratify tliem. What shall we see.^ Some new thing, some new Vanit}- Fair. The Athenians womkI listen to anything new, quite kindred to this lust of the eye. This is the second motive power in the world. What will please the eye and tickle the ear.'^ This is what flnds its craving satisfled in theatres, pantomimes, operas, concerts, senti- ' UNDER THE SUN: 159 ist in Ic ti- mental and comic songs. They are all of one class: something that will satisfy their powers of investigation as the lust of the flesh has to do with the senses of enjoyment. This is even carried into the worship of the churcli : for what is ritu- alism but the lust of the eye? Tiic lust of the eye is here gratified with gorgeous dresses, child- ish paraphernalia, sacred imitations of a panto- mime, all accompanied by the solemn notes of worship performed oa a splendid and solemn machine for making sound, worship done by proxy, to which the worshipper listens and wor- ships by another, and for which he pays. And then people, conclusively to prove it, say, ' But we so enjoy it.' Of course. The lust of the eye is just the eye gratified. ' But wasn't tne thoatre very entertaining and grand?' Of course, and whenever Satan fails to make such thini^s at- tractive, he must try something else for the lust of the eye. * Turn away mine eyes from behold- ing vanity' (Ps. cxix. 37). 3d. ' The pride of life^ — This is not what shall we eat? nor what shall we drink? nor what ;hall we see But how shall we be seen"" Wherewithal shall we be clothed? What is the modern evening-party, and even a good deal of modern church-going? Either the lust of the eye or pride of life — either the lust to see or to 1)6 seen. Hov/ can I be thought to be great? iJow can I make a noise in the world? — How \i^\A\\i\ can my parties be, and excel all others? 'j'riis .e^iuires, seeks, and obtains the opportuni- ties ioi display. How can I reach the pinnacle i6o ' GRACE AND TRUTH.' of earth's fame? How can I be a great scholar? How can I be a great preacher? How can I be an37thlng great? I know such and such great men. I know Lord so-and-so, and am intimate with Lady so-and-so. These are some of the sentences of 'the pride of life.' Bengel says this pride of life *is that which leads forth lust abroad, and diffuses it more largely into the world, so that a man wishes to be as great as possible, in goods, in dress, in plate, in furniture, in buildings, in estai-cs, in servants, in his retinue, in his equi- page, in his offices.' Is not one or other of these the key-note to the heart of every man in the world? Are these not what all your friends, relatives, and yourself, by nature have pleasure in? Perhaps they do not like one, but they will have another. How am I to get out of it? As long as I am 'of the world,' I cannot but get what is in the world. God says there is nothing in the world but these. You say you have Christ. Is he enough? If you ask such a question, you never knew Him, you do not miss Him.. Suppose the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life, were out of the world. I guarantee that its millions would miss them. Suppose good dinners, good parties, good theatres, thrilling novels, good worldly amuse- ments, and greatness in sometiiing of the world were gone, many would miss them and be mis- erable without them. But they are all doomed, and all that enjoy them. 'The world passeMi away, and the lust thereof, but he thai 'luttli tJie will of God abideth for evei.' Let bounc He «•( he gc world {Tnt 1st, lust 0) 2d, ' of the 3cl, ' This \A I St, ' This w Word, every \ God.' 2d,* of the unto II wilt fal Just of slialt W( shalt th thyself ' UNDER THE SUN: l6l Let us see how man got this threefold rope bound round him, and how he Is to get it broken. He got it in the tirst Adam. It is broken when he gets into the second, then he is not of the world nor of what is in it. THE FIRST Adam's failure. {Ijitroducing the Principles of the fVo/'/d.) ist, ' The tree was good for food.' This was the tust of the fiesh. 2d, ' Pleasant to the eyes.' This was the lust of the eye, 3d, ' A tree to be desired to make one wise.' This was the -pride of life. THE SECOND ADAM's VICTORY. ( Overcoming the god of this JVorld.) ist, * Command that these stones be made bread.' This was the lust of the fesh, overcome by the Word, ' Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.' 2d, * The Devil sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and saith unto Him, all these things will \ give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me.' This was the last of the eye, overcome by the Word, * Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.' 3d, Being set on a pinnacle of the temple. *Cast thyself down: for it is written He shall give His K -' 'r'l l62 GRACm ANl -^tTTM.' angels charge comcemaig i&ee.* This was the pride of Hfe, overcaoae by that Word, * Thou shalt not tempt the L.oni thy God.' 'This is the vi6lory thait ovr — meth ihe world, even our faith/ We live uj hat is unseen. It is your time, we say to th-, a ■•Idling. Go on in the world with all it ha . tne lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pnJe of life. It is all the hea\en you will ever see. We can well bide our time, for this is all the hell we shall sec. Especiall}' to young disciples is the exhortation needed, ' Love not the world.' Their tendency is to the world; the warmth of nature, nnd the N'igour of youth, drag the young Christian down- ward. His only safety is in total separation from the world. ITe is not called to retire to a monastery. Jesus prayed not that we should be ta^en out j'i the world, but kept from the evil of the world. It is as really a sin to become a nun or a hermit as it is to mingle with the world. 1'he Christian is to be like the fishes that were clean: they must ha\c scales and fins, the scales to keep out the water, and tins to steer through it. He is not to betaken out of the world, but to go through it, ami keep from all that is in it, 'enduring as seeing Him who is invisible.' The ur>rid sees no beauty in Him; they do not mis- Him, because they never knew Him. They ai. totally bli;Yvi to what He is. Not so the Chri^ar. Mis Saviour is Christ. His life is Christ. His obje*.^ is Christ. This world is a wilderness, because all that is in it has nothing of Christ. Dear fellow-sinner, tremble at . r UNDER THE SUN.' 163 ^ your enjoyment of earth's stores. Shall you ever know the only One worth knowing? You do not know Him now: 'What we never knew we never miss.' Knoiu Him above the sun, and you will soon understand what is meant by ' under the sun.'' V- Away from communion and walking with God, Man entered his own way and death's path he trod ; * The world ' in its course to destruction rolls on, With vanity stamped on all ' under the sun.* In Eden, at Sinai, at Calvary's cross. The world has been tried ; all its glory is dross ; Man's failure at each step since time was l)egun Has brought in as guilty all * under the sun.^ Condemned by our God even now in this world, The stroke of His wrath soon 'gainst men shall be hurl'd Vet still with his dancing to wrath he will run, And try to find rest in all ' under the sun.^ But Cv>v! has determined lost sinners to s ve, To bear all our burdens His own Son He gave ; He bled fo: our sin, and the work is all done, God offers Him now to all '•under the sun.' As one with Him now we are seen on His Cross, The fame and the fortune of earth are but loss ; We dice! in the death of the crucified One, His grave severs us from all * under the sun.^ Tiie mnd world may revel in mirth o'er Him slain, For this is their heaven, their god is theii gain ; The sun clad in darkness, He died all alone, And bore all our hell when thus ' under the sun.' On Christ throned above our aflfection is set, From whence He shall come in His glory so great, The last battle fought and the victory won, Hifl saints are caught up from all ' under th* sun' 'No Confidence in the Flesh! Our Sanctification, <•»>» O you know what in a Government would deserve a vote of ivant of confix dence ? ' * Indeed, I have little to say in politics on one side or the other, but there is a govern- ment against which I would with all my heart give a vote of no confidence^ '•What is that?' * The go^^ernment of an evil heart within, which is ever striving for the reins of power.' * I agree with you; this is tirst: self-government is man's first duty.' ' I find that the evil heart, or " the flesh," as it is called in Scripture, is branded by the Holy Ghost with this mark, "No confidence.'' Look at Phil. iii. 3. Three steps may be seen in that wonderful passage — 1st, Worship God in the Spirit; 2d, Rejoice in Christ Jesus; 3d, Have no confidence in the flesh. God is seeking worshippers — those who can worship Him in spirit and in truth. This is no legal drudgery, nor the vain attempts of in\ui to get into favour with God. You hear people, con- verted worshi worshi has the and th routine preachi heartfel or in so back so ing Goc ^And ^The in Chri< ably un worship cup of j Because I know who wc and call I have c text, " R remarkci printed, I sa}^, m( as reall\ and our i My conn allov/ed manded, . dience.' *But d( NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.* i6s no to >n- verted and i:nconverted, speaking of going to worship God. How could an unconverted man worship in spirit and in truth, when he neither has the Spirit in him nor has come to the Truth? and this alone is true worship. It is no mere routine of Christian duties — singing, praying, preaching, or hearing; but it is the outflow of heartfelt adoration to God — it may be in silence, or in song or thanksgiving, but it is giving God back something, giving back His own gift, think- ing God's thoughts about Christ.' *And how can this high step be reached.^' ^The Spirit's method is by making us "rejoice- in Christ Jesus." No man can worship accept- ably unless his joy is in Christ Jesus. In fa6t,, worship is the overflow back to God of the full; cup of joy. Why is there so little true worship.?' Because there is so little rejoicing in Christ Jesus.. I know some are considered great authorities, who would hardly dare to say they are saved,, and call it presumption in those who do so; and I have often wondered what such think of this text, " Rejoice in Christ Jesus." A brother truly remarked that many Christians' Bibles should be printed, "Mourn in the Lord always; and again I sa}^, mourn." "Rejoice in the Lord alway" is as really a command as "Thou shalt not steal;" and oar blessed Lord said, "If ye love Me, keep My commandments." Hence we are not merely allowed to rejoice, but authoritatively com- manded, and if we do not we are guilty of disobe- dience.' *But do vou always rejoice?' '^!^ i66 * GRACE AND TRUTH.* * Now this is a very common way of getting away from the authority of God, by comparing ourselves with one another instead of bowing to God's demands. Alas! no, I do not rejoice always; but when I do not, I have to confess it as my sin, just as I have to confess every hour that I do not love God and my neighbour per- fcaiy.' ' Many earnest men disobey this commandment of the Holy Ghost, I am sure, because they feel the evil of their own hearts so strongly.' ' Now this is most absurd from a scriptural point of view. In fa6l, the very step on which a Christian plants his foot, and thence rises to true joy and true worship, is the total setting aside of his own evil nature, as so utterly worthless, un- improvable, and corrupt, that he determines, by God's help, he will have no confidence in it. If a man gets thoroughly into this scriptural truth about "the flesh," or rather, if it enters into him b}^ the power of the Holy Ghost, he will soon rise into the higher experience of rejoicing in Christ Jesus, and then worshipping God in the Spirit. 'We shall try briefly to note the Scriptures that give us the history, character, and relations of this terrible foe, and from Scripture we shall lind that man as man is no better and no worse that when he was driven out of Eden. Science and art have done much. Printing, railways, telegraphs, and many other inventions have appeared. Time and space, as to this little planet, have been almobt annihilated. But what about real progress God- ward } are the above obedie obedie been ^ The el in Ada innoce; subje6l acquisi depend Astr their c direftic they de forces -^ other \A one fo] Man, re innocer from G been n rcprese: fall he J whicli when h He has got the doni is cular p desolati curing ( t * NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.* 167 ward? With all man's so-called improvements, are there fewer thieves? Has honesty risen much above the level of policy? Are servants more obedient to their masters? Arc children more obedient to their parents? Development has been going on; but, Lias! what a development! The elements of all that has been developed were in Adam after the fall. Before the fall, Adam in innocence had body, soul, and spirit, with a wall subje6t to God's will. By the fall he got the fatal acquisition, "the flesh," — a self-will — a will in- dependent of God's.' Astronomers tell us that planets are kept in their courses by two forces a6ling in different dirc6lions, the resultant of which is the curve they describe round the sun. The one ot these forces would draw the planet Jrom the sun, the other would draw the planet to the sun. The one force is centrifugal, the other is centripetal. Man, revolving around God in the communion of innocence, having received the breath of life from God, making him immortal, and having been made in the image of God, a6led as the representative of God on earth below. By the fall he severed his centripetal connection, or that whicli made him seek God, so that his action when he heard God's voice was to hide himself. He has now acquired this fatal self-will. He has got the power to disobey God. The fatal free- dom is his that some planet let loose from its cir- cular path would have; and now, in his mad, desolating, destructive, rebellious, God-dishon- ouring freedom, man, as man, is rushing on to 1 68 'OUAOE AND truth: everlasting chaos, confusion, and night, ' the blackness of darkness for ever.' The least thing could sever the link that joined man in probation to God. Disobedience to one test- act did it. Man died (became separated ^rom God) the mo- ment he ate the forbidden fruit. What has been the history of the world ever since? Our modern sages tell us that it has been the education of the world, that at Babel men were divid d into classes, that under law man's educa- tion began in earnest, that Christ came as one of this great series of teachers, and now the Spirit in our day is going onto complete the education. This sounds very well, but it is only man's thought. Scripture shows us that the history of the world is the history of sin.; that man is away from God and must be (not educated, but) saved, or perish forever. The ritualist tells us that man is to be Religionised; God tells us that he is to be born again. The rationalist tells us he has been going on with his education; God tells us he is ^condemned already,' and is incapable of being educated until His grace save him (Tit. ii.). We have seen whence 'the flesh' was acquired: let us look at it — T. AS TRIED AND DESCRIBED BY GOD. There are two distinct though connected ques- .tions: First, What is the history of ' the flesh ?' Second, How is ' the flesh ' described in Scrip- ture? I ma men's 1 partly ; two qi majorit rightly with th 'Jesus is not other u which and thi but ve There ' flesh ' in whic nature, man as First A so very HI the eye satisfa6 takes o which, arsenic known then ta else to has she yond been dc would ] 'NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.* 169 I ma} state here, that there is often confusion in men's minds concerning what ' the tlesh ' is. This partly arises from the word ' flesh ' being used in two quite dilferent senses in Scripture. In the majority of cases in the New Testament the words rightly translated * flesh ' and ' fleshly,' have to do with the flesh of the body, such as * flesh and blood,' 'Jesus Christ came in the flesh,' which of course is not the evil nature which is spoken of in the other use of the word. There was an old heresy which made sin resident in the flesh of the body, and this led men to practise tortures and penance; but very few ever have such a thought now. There are about a hundred passages in which ' flesh ' has this first meaning. In the fifty others in which the word is used it refers to the evil nature, the ali':jated afu 6tions, the self-will of man as away from God. First, What is the history of the flesh? A solution of arsenic in a glass full of water is very like the water, and cannot be dete6ted by the eye. The chemist, in order to prove to the satisfa6lion of all that it is the deadly poison, takes one portion and to it adds something else, which, whenever it comes in conta6l with the arsenic in the water, makes it assume a well- known colour, showing at once what it is. He then takes another quantity and adds something else to it to confirm this, until by various tests he has shown us exa6tly what it is, and proved be- yond a doubt that it is that poison. God has been doing this with man; not, as the rationalist would persuade us, trying to impro^■e the arsenic, .r\ ^a>^-'>- ^ --V \^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) I m ^ , ^y^ J^ .V ^. ^^'> ^ o ^ / '9 Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WES MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. HSBO (716) 872-4503 %^ .*v "% ^ *5^ & >f w- ^•# 6^ 170 ' GRACE AND TRUTH: I* and make it a harmless drink — arsenic remains arsenic. A farmer, having a hundred acres of land, when trying certain manures and crops, does not require to put all the land under one trial, but may have a hundred distin6t trials on his hundred acres. God did not try man twice in innocence. He did not put two nations under law. Man is man^ all as to nature being of the same material. Let us look at some of these tests that God has been employing from age to age. .^ ist, As an innocent man, God gave him one test — a thing which in itself had no moral value. He was allowed all the fruit in the garden except that upon one tree. The simplicity of the test made it all the more important. Man chose his own way; showed his independence, that is to say, sin as to his will. God knew what was in man. It was not for Himself He tried man. He knew the end from the beginning; but that all might know it, and every mouth be stopped, man was tested. 2d, After the fall man was tried as having a will opposed to God, and a conscience that told of God's demands. Man had the knowledge now of good and evil. His conscience told him what he ought to do; he had no external laws to obey. ' Leave a man to his conscience,' we hear it said. We answer, ' He has been left,' and what do we secf* That as the one test a<5ling on inncc(int man brought out his independence or sin as to the will, so man, with the flesh in him left to con- science, manifested his corruption or depravity 'NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.* 171 of heart in lust, or sin as to the affedlions; for we read, ^God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (purposes and desires) of the thoughts of his hsart was only evil continually.' Look at these three words, '' every ^ that is without exception, not one good, rotten to the core; 'only'' unadul- terated evil, unmixed sinfulness; 'continually,^ at every moment, in so called good moments as well as bad. What a picture man, when he was left to his conscience, thus presented! God alone saw man's heart in its innate hideousness; and so, after man had been thus tested for nearly two thousand years, till sin reached its height, God destroyed all the teeming millions, in His wrath emptied out into destru6lion the earth odious in His presence, as a chemist hastens to throw out some noxious compound made between a poison and a test. We find God covenanting with Noaii, and giving His promise to Abraham, and His law to Moses. Tliis 'brings us to the third test. 3d, The law — the perfe6t rule of human right- eousness, given to one nation, as the tcgt was be- fore given to one man, and conscience had tried all the world (the whole Gentile world ])eing proved guilty by conscience and the light of na- ture, as seen in Rom. i.). What did the law do? Did it bring the nation to God? Here is Vvliat the Holy Ghost says, * Wherefore then servcth the law? It was added for the sake of {lit.) transgression' (Gal. iii. 19). What was indepen- dence, that is, sin of the will or corruption- that is, sin of lust before — was now seen to be trans- m 172 ' GRACE AND TRUTE: ^\ M gression — that is to say, sin in relation to law. 'Where no law is, there is no transgression.' We know, very well, there was sin — so much that the whole world had to be drowned; but law showed sin to be transgression. A test, before it is of any use, must be perfe6l. If the test is im- perfe(5l, the results will prove nothing; but ' God's law is perfect,' it is * holy, and just, and good;' and the moment it came in conta6t with ' the flesh ' — with sinful man — it brought out his character as radically disobedient. Making the golden calf, and thus, breaking the first words of the law, was man's reception of the law. The law was weak to make sinful men holy, not in itself, but weak through the flesh. Fouler and fouler the filthy water of the flesh is shown to be. Can anything be worse than independence (away from God), corruption, and transgression? Yes, one thing more was needed before the trial of the flesh could be completed. Passing over man's declension under kings subject 10 God, and Gen- tile wickedness in unlimited monarchy over the whole world, we come to Christ as the last test at the ' end of the world ' under trial. 4th, Christ is sien as a test of men. A servant might be very independent, or very corrupt, or break his master's commands, but he might never, with all this, have thought of taking his master's life. If the testing process had stopped short of Christ as a test, the nature of the flesh would not have been fully seen; but lie has proved what man is. We are so much accustomed to think of _ Christ as a Saviour, that we seldom think of Him NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESW 173 as coming to bring out * what was in man.' Read Mark xii. i-io. After showing man in his treat- ment of subordinate servants, the Lord says, ver. =6, * Having yet, therefore, one Son, His well-be- iloved. He sent Him also last unto them saying, "" They will reverence My Son." ' We know well what they did: the)/^ slew the King's Son, showing thus their enmity to the King. Enmity against God Himself is the b'j' est point rebel- lion can reach. This was neve: seen till Christ came; and this is the education of the world I Let us recapitulate what we have seen to be the chara6ler of man from his history. God tested him, and the very first thing recorded under each test is evil. I St, As tried in innocence, his independence was seen — that is, sin as to the ^vill. 2nd, As tried by conscience, his corruption was seen — that is, sin as to the heart. 3rd, As tried by law, his tra^isgression was ■seen — that is, sin as to commandment. 4th, As tried by Christ, his enmity was seen — that is, sin as to a person. The complete character of the poison is now seen — 'the flesh' would kill God if it could. ^Lnn in the ' flesh ' slaughtered the God-man. Friend, you have that nature in your bosom. Second, How is the Jlesh described? How does God describe it in the do6\rinal state- ments of His word? It is remarkable that it :s not until the full proof had been given of whptche flesh can do — namely, crucity Christ — that we get it spoken of and fully exposed by God, and ^ % 174 * GRACE AND TRUTH: from God get its true chara6ter. The flesh is not borne with now on account of the hardness of men's hearts, but the darkness is past, and the true Hght now shineth. In Rom. vii. i8, Paul says, ' I know that in me (that is, in my jiesJi) dwelleth no good thing.' This proves the ex- istence of two natures in the Christian as well as the fearfully depraved chara6ler of the flesh. The Holy Ghost dwelt in the new nature in Paul as He dwells in every Christian. But besides his new nature there was still the old, unchanged and unchangeable. None but a saved man can know that there is nothing good whatever in the ^ flesh.' Many moral unconverted men believe that there are many bad things in it, but none of them believe that there is nothing good. 'Even the worst have their good points' is man's esti- mate (and quite true as to human morality) ; bu< God's estimate is * nothing good.' Read Gen. vi 5. All confess they are sinners, but few that the} (as sprung from Adam) are nothing but sinners The extent of the ruin, the nature of the depravity, and the steps by which it was reached, are of com- paratively little importance, since in every uncon- verted man (as God sees him) there is no good thing. A friend who had been led to see this, thus wrote to me, * I have labelled all my feelings with God's label, '' No good thing." ' When very bad chara61:ers get converted, their friends often say, * But you see he was a thoughtless young man, and he was led away, but he was not so bad as some;' and so on with a great deal of palliation !i 'NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESIi: 175 and whining sentimentalism, instead of affixing to him God's estimate of every unconverted man, ' No good thing.* Some people think, because they understand a great deal of theological truth, that this is good. Unless the man has been born again, all his knowledge however good in itself is reckoned * no good thing ' to him. Some think that because they feel devotional amid solemn sights and plaintive pealing pipes of praising machinery, there must be some soft corner for divine things in their hearts after all, but God all the while says, ' No good ihiiig^ Hearing the ' Dead March in Saul ' played by a military band at a soldier's funeral has often moved many to tears, and I do not wonder at the most stolid being moved in their feelings; but what does mere feeling or emotion amount to ? — ' No good tiling^ Some again suppose because their consciences get disturbed at certain sins, that this is so much good. Man has nothing tc boast of in having a conscience, lot even if he followed its right lead- ings. It never gave him a new nature. Every man has a conscience, that is to say — the knowl- edge of good and evil. A man cannot make a warm day because he has a thermometer which shows when it is warm. Neither has a man any- thing good, because he has within him that which tells him what is good, and what is evil. Let us look at other Scriptures to find out a little more what the flesh is. Gal. v. 19, * The works of the flesh are manifest, m^ \f] n't 176 * GRACE AND TRUTH* which are, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, las- civiousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envy- ings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.' What a fountain of all uncleanness I In 2 Pet. ii. 18 we find what feeds the flesh: ' For when they speak great swelling v/ords of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the Jlesh? The flesh loves pompousness, it hates humility. 2 Pet. ii. 10 speaks of 'them that walk after thejlesh m the lust of uncleanness, and despise government — presumptuous, self-willed.' ' Self-will ' (that is, liking and choosing one's own way rather than God's), ' is, in fa6t, the very essence of the flesh.' Man must have what he wills, and desires, what- ever the consequences be, whatever God says; Satan, of course, at the same time blinding us as to what God's will is. The world is also in close alliance with its lusts: i John ii. 16, ' All that is in the world, the lust of the fleshy and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.' Rom. viii. 3-7 gives us 'the nature of the flesh as opposed to law^ to life^ and to God^ just as we saw it in its progressive history. Ve^. 3, * What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh;' ver. 7, 'The carnal mind (literally the mind of thefltsh) is not subject to the laiv of God, neither indeed can be.' It opposed the law, broke it, was stirred up to more evil by ic. Again, as to life: ver. 6, 'To be carnally minded (literally the mind oi the flesh) is death; ' and as to God, 'The CUifial mind is enmity against God;' ver. 8, 'So i! -- I *N0 CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.' 177 -i*- then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.' Friend, pause a minute. Are you in the flesh ? Do what you may, you * cannot please God.' Give all your time and money to the Lord, yet you 'cannot please God.' Let us now look at 'the flesh'— n. AS TO THE sinner's SALVATION. We need not dwell long on this, as we have seen what God's charadter of it is. ' The flesh ' is never san6lified nor improved. It can only be condemned. Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned * sin in theflesh^ ' The flesh ' is never forgiven. It is judged, set aside, con- demned. Though my sins were like scarlet, the precious blood has cleansed them, and I am for- given, but the flesh never is. God never improves it, and God never forgives it, neither should we. We are saved from this awful depravity and cor- ruption in which we were born, not by any pro- cess or work, any more than we are justified from our sins by a work. We get out of the flesh just as we got into it. We got into it by our birth; we get out of it by a new birth. We got into it in a representa- tive head, Adam; we get out of it in the repre- sentative head, Christ. Christ on the cross not only had our iniquities laid upon Him, but also condemned ' sin in the flesh; ' that is to say, not the guilt of sin, but sin in the nature; not the branches, but the rootj not the streams, but the fountain* r • 178 * GRACE AND TRUTTi: m ; Many are trying to improve * the flesh,' and would take much comfort if they could only feel themselves getting a little better; vvrhereas God wishes us to have no confidence in it v^hatevcr, and to * reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin^ Howr could any one by any effort of w^ill, without a new nature, subdue his flesh when it is just self- will? It would only be will against will, which is an absurdity. But if I receive God's Christ as the One dead and now risen, reckoning myself dead to sin, I bring in God's will done in Christ's work about sin, and I thus ' thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord,' and begin to walk in newness of life. And though there is still confli6t, I know that ' with the mind I myself (what God reckons as me in Christ) serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin;' but that Hhere is no con- demnation to them in Christ Jesus.' Whether are you in Christ Jesus or in the flesh? You cannot be in both. Your standing is either in Christ risen or in Adam fallen. There is no third man. Adam was the first man, and all the trial was only of the first man. Christ is the second man, and there is no third. He is the last. He is the second man, but he is the last Adam (i Cor. xv. 45, 49). ;v^ III. AS TO THE christian's LIFE. New Testament Scripture is very plain on two points : I St. The Christian is not in the flesh. Paul *N0 CONFIDENCE IN TUE FLESli: 179 could speak of himself and of all Christians thus, 'When we were in the flesh' (Rom. vii. 5), of course thus implying that they are not in it now. 2d. ' The Jicsh ' is still in the Christian. Paul said, * In me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.' (Rom. vii. 18.) If we mistake or forget one or other of these fa(5ls, we shall get into great confusion, and shall have lessened power in deal- ing with this enemy. ISt. THE CHRISTIAN IS NOT IN THE FLESH. *Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.' (Rom. viii. 9.) The Spirit of God dwells in ail Chris- tians, therefore this is true of all. ' They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.' (Gal. v. 24.) Not, * are to crucify,' or ^ ought to,' but ' have crucified.' * In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off' the body of the sins oi the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.' (Col. ii. II.) Every Christian is out of Adam and in Christ. He is sailing now in the river of life; whereas, by nature, his boat is tossing on the river of death. It is said of the children of Israel in the wilderness, so wicked and so per- verse, God * hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel.' (Num. xxiii. 21.) So when God looks at a sin- ner in Christ he sees the sinner dressed in all the beauty of Christ and sees none of the sinner's in- iquity nor perverseness, ¥"» i8o * GRACE AND TRUTH.* The Holy Spirit, by the pen of the Apostle Paul, brings out this very clearly in the second chapter of Galatians, where a line of argument is pursued similar to that contained in the sixth of Romans. In Romans, after Paul brings in ' all the world,' Jew and Gentile, * guilty before God,' and demonstrates the vi6tory of grace over sin, he goes on in the sixth chapter to shew Christ, in resurre(5lion,as the immediate and effedlive power of personal holiness. * • ■ '^ ; - In the second of Galatiansiie takes occasion, from Peter refusing to take a meal with certain per- sons, to shew the true position and standing of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. A straw shews the dire6tion of the current. If Peter could not have intercourse with Gentiles who had been cleansed in the blood of Jesus and placed in a position of righteousness that no legal observances could effeft or help him to keep and walk in, the whole "^gospel of the grace of God 'would be un- dermined. (Read Gal. ii.) , . Paul shews that both Peter and himself, Jews as they were, children of the promise, and not ^ sin- ners of the Gentiles,' had to fall into the sinner's place, and accept Christ the gift of God. ^% . Peter, in Acts xv. ii, stands up for the very same doctrine: — 'We believe that, through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we (Jews) shall be saved, even as they (sinners of the Gentiles).' Paul says, in effe6l, if the law could justify them, they had been doing wrong in preaching Christ. 3oes Christ need the law to help Him to present the believer to God? We consider it '^0 CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.' i8i sin- blasphemous to think that Christ woiikl be a minister of sin. But having been judged, con- demned, C4.rd slain by the law, do we now go b ick to be saved or helped by it' If so. we p ove by this very act that we are 'transgres- sors ;' for in that case we should never have left it at all. Crrace and law cannot help each other in our salvr.tion — the adoption of grace is the giving up of law for salvation. The Apostle, in the i8th and following verses (Gal. ii.) places himself as representing all be- liev- rs, and goes on to show that men can serve Gtxl, and live acceptably to Him — only through de>th and resurrection. 'For I throui^h the law am dead.' This, of course, cannot mean that I am morally dead to the knowledge of its de- mands; nor that I am dead in the sense of seek- uyy my justification by the old dispensation un- der law; but ' I through the law have died,' or have judicially met my doom. God said, 'In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.' The flaming sword that guarded Paradise has demanded my blood. ' I have died.' 'ihe soul that sinneth It shall die.' 'I have di- d.' The law has exacted its demands. ' The wagt , of sin is death.' These wages have been paic. *1 have died.' " But, since I through the lav/ have died, in per- f^:;ct rightousness and justice I have now died to Its every claim, and the sword cannot be bathed in blood twice for the same offence. The waofes of my sin cannot be demanded twice. The mur- derer h II gingdead at the jibbetoi justice is dea'd "i^ every demand they can bring against him. 182 ' GRACE AND TRUTH* li i ■' Daniel, by serving his God, had brought him- self under the penalty of the laws of the Medes and Persians, which said, ' He shall be cast into the den of lions.' But, sitting at the bottom of that den, with the lions' mouths graciously stopped, he could say, — ' I am dead fo the law of the Medes and Persians.' And when Darius raised liim on the morrow, he did so in perfedl righteous- ness, as far as the demands of the law of the Medes and Persians were concerned, and no enemy of Daniel, no adviser of Darius, could punish the prophet for law-breaking, nor point a suspicious finger at him as he sat with Darius — l\e could now live to Darius. ^ I through the law am dead to the law,' only, however, ' tliat I might live unto God.' — * He that has died is justified from sin' (Rom. vi. 7). This death and resur- re6lion scheme is no figure of speech, but an jivvful reality as seen at Calvary, and a reality (judicially and experimentall}^) to the sinner on believing in Jesus. We have life out of death. The 19th verse is a counterpart of the' i8th. The 1 8th, as it were, ex^^resses the truth abstractly. The 19th meets this question, — ^ What! is Saul ihe Pharisee, Saul t>ie persecutor, Saul the pro- fessor, Saul the legalist, deadF' He is; but this is where I find an end of myself — on the cross of Christ: ' I am crucified with Christ' This is ;;omctimes explained, * as Christ wascrucified^ and r.ufiered at the hands of the world, so I'll bear the cross along with 11 im.' It is indeed a blessed truth that we have fellowship with Him in His sufilrings for righteousness, and that as followers ♦ NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESE.* 183 ■ on of Jesus, we are to take up our cross and follow Him: but the truth in this passage answers to the statement in the former verse, * I through the law have died;' and to that in Romans vi. 6, ■ Knowing that our old man is (has been) cruci- fied.' * I have been crucified with Christ.' (The verb is in the perfe6l passive). The stroke of justice against me fell on Him. My cup was drained by Him; m}^ wages of sin were paid out to Him; my separation from God was in His cry, ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? ' My hell was borne by Him — the perfe(!^ly right- eous One fulfilling all law, and then bearing its penalty for me the unrighteous, condemned, dead one. ' He suifcred, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.' And, looking back on His cross, and identifying myself with Him, I can say, — * I through the ^aw am dead,^ / * I am crucified with Christ.^ No demand can be made against Christ; for, after justice had been appeased, God raised Him up from the dead by the Holy Spirit; and as there could never come one single question con- cerning sin against Him who had become the sin- bearer (after having borne sin. He had been raised in righteousness), so I, quickened into this 'newness of life,^ go free. 1 was not justified when Christ rose, but He was raised again for my justification; and on believing I reckon myself dead, and can say, — ' / am dead to the law^ * Crucified J nevertheless I livt% jS4 *GFACE Ayn teutr: r ) live in this resurrection-life, live in this life that Jesus has beyond his grave, beyond the demands of law, beyond the doom of sin, for it is 'yet not (literally r^ longer^ I, but Christ liveth in me' — no longer Saul the Pharisee — Saul the pretender to — and striver after, riorhteousness by law' but one who has submitted himself to God's right- eousness — one who has submitted himself to be put out of existence judicially — that is to say, in God's reckoning — and is now kn ;wn only as one who is living in Christ, living unto God, — ^ Thit I might live unto Ood;^ * Yet not If but Christ liveth in m$.* A man is thus made fit for living unto God, not by amendment and reformation, but through death and resurrection: the flesh might and does attempt the former, in the latter God alone can work. This Vsanctification of the spirit* is all of God. 'The life which I now live.' is in a foreiorn, un- cono-enial clime — where 1 \\ ive no friends — no food — no rest; it lives by faith,' on what will be its Hfe for ever, 'the Son of God.' This life feeds on love: for its object is Jesus, 'who loved me and gave Fiimself for me. Thus I have not only forgiveness of sins in Christ, but righteousness also ; for I could no more get righteousness by law. than I could for- giveness. But now are we ' the righteousness of God in Him.' 'For if righteousness come bylaw, Christ is dead in vain ;' but we are in Him 'who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteous- NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESff.' 1 8s ness, and san6lification, and redemption' (i Cor. i. 30). * With Christ we died to sin — ; • Lay buried in His tomb ; ; ^ ^ But quic!-ened now with Him our life, We stand beyond our doom.' Thus the apostle Paul places the believer in perfe6l acceptance before God — Christ his title — Christ his righteousness — Christ his meetness — Christ his all and in all. Made a ^ partaker of the divine nature,' the believer has now that which can enjoy God, and commune with Him. But what has all this truth to do with the Chris- tian's every-day life, one may ask ? Much, very much indeed; for there can be no real progress made by us in the Christian course until the ground of our standing before God be righteously and conclusively settled. Being born of Adam, * of the will of the flesh,' we are heirs of Adam's nature, its guilt, its a6lings, and its doom, ' by nature the children of wrath.' So having received Christ, * being born of God,' we are reckoned as one with Christ, we were crucitied with Christ, and thus met the doom of sin in Christ: and now we live to God in the life of Christ, a life in resurredtion, as truly getting a new nature at the second birth, as we got the Adam-nature at the first. God reckons us as being thus in His sight; and we believing, and thus getting into God's reckoning, have ' peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' ■*^.M " J 1 86 ' GRACE AND TRUTH* -^-- -! -I 2d. THE FLESH IS IN THE CHRISTIAN. No Christian ever lived, or ever will live, on earth without sin in him. Indeed it is after I know Christ that I really know the utter worth- lessness of the flesh, that ' in me (that is in my flesh) dvvelleth no good thing' (Rom. vii. i8). Now the opposition will be felt between this per- fectly holy nature, begotten in me in connexion with Christ risen and gone to the Father, and this perfectly sinful nature. Now it is that I know the meaning of ' sin that dwelleth in me,' which can never be uprooted here, for it dwelleth in me; not sins coming from mc, or felt by me, but sin, the innato principle, no accident nor habit,' sin dwelleth in me.' Formerly I might have assumed thfit the doctrine of in-dwelling sin was true, but now 'I know' (Rom. vii. 1 8), that is, the truth is applied to my conscience, by the Holy Ghost. Now I know, * that the disposition of the flesh (//A) is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of GTod, neither indeed can be ' (Rom. viii. 7). From the above it will be seen that salvation is something more than a mere payment of debt, a covering over of iniquity, the gift of a white robe of righteousness, a setting right of the faculties of the soul, for which out of gratitude to God, and aided by His Spirit, the Christian is now to live a holy life. There is also a new birth, the implantation of a nature which not only makes a man live to serve God out of gratitude, but which in its very essence \s>from NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.' 187 God. The spring of all true Christian holiness is the presence and operative power of the in- dwelling Spirit, working indeed through a man's natural faculties, but on obje61:s above and beyond what the Adam-life can see, apprehend, live on, or enjoy. Three very important and practical propositions arise out of the foregoing truths. 1st, The Christian has two natures in one per- son. 2 2. Hot Thei verted 1 Man3 at conv fountair power 1 fountair point is the cor streams flesh, ar nication witchcr strife, drunker taught i is purifi dividual holy, is another curably I « NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.' 189 — the gift of Christ — as the one energizing power in the new man, represented as ^ a v/ell of water springing up into everlasting life' (iv. 14). In chap. vii. we get the outflow of this Spirit, in the activities of the new man on all around him, through no new channels, no new faculties of mind, but * out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water' (ver. 38). 2. How does the Christian grow in grace f Does his old heart get better? The Spirit of God in John teaches that in a con- verted man there is a new fountain. Many Christians seem to think that all we get at conversion is a divinely given filter to the old fountain, which will gradually increase in its power until it renders the filthy waters of the old fountain clean. In Galatians v. 15-26, the whole point is stated, ^-^o fountains are spoken of in the converted man, sending out their natural streams. The streams from the old fountain, the flesh, are given at the 19th verse, ' Adultery, for- nication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings. Are we anywhere taught in Scripture that this evil nature is refined, is purified? Certainly, indeed, the man, the in- div^idual, is purified, is cleansed, made more holy, is morally sanftified; but it is in altogether another way than by trying to cure what is Mn- curably wicked.' The streams from the new 190 ' OR ACE AND TRUTH.* in- - iia^ > 'f 1' t* k y fountain — the Spirit — are given at the 22d verse, * love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; ' and we are told that the Christian's holy life is walking in the Spirit, mortifying the ' members which are upon the earth' (Col. iii. 5), keeping them in their place of death, ' not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.' This is God's way; He asks for a holy walk, and moreover has not left us powerless, as helpless slaves under the flesh, but has placed us in a position above it, as masters over it — for *the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,' also the * Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other ' (therefore they can nevei be merged the one into the other, nor. come to peaceable terms) ' in order that (literrdly) ye may not do the things that ye would.' Not, as gen- erally understood, that I should wish to do good things but cannot (we get that aspe6l of truth in the case of a quickened man under law in Rom. vii. 19, but it is another thought here) ; on the contrary, by the flesh-nature I wish to do evil things, but now I have the Spirit indwelling and a6ling, who will not let me do those evil things I otherwise would. Many Christians do not know that we get a new creation put into us at the new birth: hence they do not realise the existence in the believer of two diametrically opposite and actively oppos- ing natures. Ignorance of these things is at the root of many soul-confounding errors in do6trine and pra6lice. If salvation consisted merely in having forgive- ness, tl the wil saved f and 01 divine with C sent do as Chri of His Agai be tone by one, were t( zealous perfedti might ] know ij is writt no sin, in us.' Christie times tc know tl of sin teaching fe6tion the poss fication sin, and brings attainm( ybr me • In I *N0 CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH: 191 ^ ness, the powers of the mind being set right, and the will wrought on and san6lified, we might be saved to-day and lost to-morrow;. in Christ to-day and out of Him to-morrow. But if I get a divine life — the child's life * quickened together with Christ,' united to Christ by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven — I am as eternally saved as Christ is safe, being a 'member of His boay, (>f His flesh, and of His bones' (Eph. v. 30). Again, if my sinful propensities have merely to be toned down, so that they gradually die out, one by one, until all of them are out of existence; if I were to live long enough, and were sufficiently zealous, watchful, and prayerful, I might obtain perfe6lion as to holiness, in this moral sense, — might live without having sin at all. This we know is opposed to all Scripture teaching, for (it is written of Christians) ' If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.' It is equally opposed to all conscientious Christian experience, for while we ought at all times to walk 'in the Spirit' without sinning, we know that the unchanged and unchangeable root of sin remains till we go hence. That kind of teaching which speaks of the attainment of per- fe6lion in the walk of a Christian — that is to say, the possibility of sinless perfe6lion, perfe6l san6li- fication in the flesh, tends miserably to tone down sin, and make it a slight matter, and sacrilegiously brings down God's standard of holiness to human attainment, instead of having all in Christ: Christ for me — my Substitute : Christ in tne — my life. In I John iii. 9, we read, ' Whosoever is born Wi m 192 ' GRACE AND TRUTH.* ■3 -i; 4: of God doth not commit sin; for His seed re- maineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.' Mark very carefully that this is not written concerning a few advanced Christians who had reached a high state of perfe6lion. It is writ- ten concerning the youngest disciple: * Whoso- ever is born of God.' And would it not be strange to think that anything born of God could sin? The difficulty in the passage vanishes when I understand that the Christian has two natures, one born of God, perfe6t and sinless (God's seed is in him), the other born of Adam, imperfe6land sin- ful. Whenever a Christian commits a sin, he is not manifesting that he is born of God, but is shewing that he is born of Adam. It is not as born of God he sins, but as born of Adam. Should we not v^atch over ourselves, and pray for much grace, to enable us always to live as sons of God. and not as sons of Adam? - It is Christians who are told, in Phil. iii. 3, to have no 'confidence in the flesh.' Those who are the true circumcision of God have no confidence in any religious culture, advantages, or natural privi- leges. Paul could boast more than any man of natural trainings for the flesh. Born under and brought up in all God's ordinances, he yet had to renounce all. God's ordinance can never implant life. All our many privileges could never implant the new life. They can, and do develope the life, as the heat, sunshine, rain, and culture do a seed; but an a6l of God's Spirit is required to implant the seed. These same privileges may only the more surely seal the ruin of a man who has not * NO CONFIDENCE IN TUE FLESn: 193 been converted, and it may be impossible to re- new him to repentance. The sun hardens clay as it softens wax. Paul thought all his natural ad- vantages but loss. He had no confidence in the flesh. Two are striving for the iiiastery in every Christian, the flesh and the spirit — ^ for the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.' But we have now the upper hand, and sin shall not have dominion over us. It dwells in us, but sh.iU not reign over us. It is by opposi- tion and warfare, not by assimilation and agree- ment, that we grow in the Christian life. We are not daily san6lified by the ' flesh ' getting bet- ter or less, but by the new nature in us growing and being strengthened by the indwelling Spirit of God, and thus successfully opposing the first risings of the flesh. We cannot expel the flesh — we reckon it dead, put it ofl?", and keep it under. We mortify our members which are upon the earth. We cannot root out the vile weeds — we keep the scythe going cutting them down. All Christians would wish to be led by the Spirit: but they forget the first step, to start with a vote of * no confidence ' in the flesh. At every subsequent step there will then be watchfulness as well as looking to Jesus, who is our strength. The Christian has not so much to fear ' the flesh ' in its outwardly gross forms, as in its thoughts and desires. It is comparatively easy not to steal, not to tell lies, not^to swear, not to be a drunkard. Many moral, unconverted men are specimens of the highest external right-doing, but it is in its i if V-i if. I %< I 194 • GRACE AND TRUTH.* It U_4-^ secret workings, workings that are natural to us, that we have the flesh most to dread. Our path is that of obedience and love in the footsteps of our Lord, where the righteous re- quirements of the law are 'fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit' (Rom. viii. 4), for the flesh gave us nothing in the past, and can profit us nothing for the future: thus 'We are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.' For ' If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live' (Rom. viii. i?,, 13). Our sonship cannot be taken from us, but we can have no living fellowship with God if we thus walk. * Living after the flesh ' and communion are im- possible, and cannot go together. Death is sepa- ration from God — not * ceasing to exist;' for we know that not even the lost thus perish. Death is ceasing to exist in one state or condition, and existing in another state separated from God. Take care, fellow-disciple, of getting into a deadened state of soul. We have the flesh in us, yet we have no authority, but the reverse, for living after it, * as if we walked according to the flesh' Cor. x. 2). Stamp upon it * No confi- denc ^ut ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make ovision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof ^^^om. xiii. 14). Alas! how often we make provision for it! Hov/ the flesh feasts upon praise and flattery! It likes to be flattered, and when it is not flattered, it begins to flatter. It understands nothing about being of ' no reputa- tion.' It likes to be something, or to do something. *N0 CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH: 195 * Though I be nothing ' is not in its vocabulary. Have I done something for the Lord ? Have 1 been the poor, humble channel to convey water to a soul ? The tlesh likes to know it. * Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth ' — is God's way. ' Let not only your left hand, but let every person know' — is man's way. *I did so and so. I was used in so and so.' Oh, this fearful self I This awful I! And then it, of course, vindicates itself * Oh, but it is for God's glory that I tell it! ' Yes; this may be the worst part of the whole — taking a little to self under semblance of giving all to God. '' No provision,' 'no confidence' in your own evil nature, or any other person's. Take care of being ' vainly puffed up' by the mind of the flesh (Col. ii. 18). Do not be unkind to a fellow-believer by bringing near him that which the flesh enjoys. Do not bring sparks near gunpowder. * Oh, you did well to-day! ' said one to another who had preached the gospel. ' Yes,' he replied, ' Satar told me that before I left the pulpit.' Let us not serve Satan after this sort. , . v ^ ^ . None are in greater danger than those who are used to gather in souls. I knew one who was constantly used of God in doing all kind's of good, and when he did speak, it was always about what other people had been doing. To tell faults to a friend himself is faithfulness. All that is good of him tell to others. God tells us of our faults. He stands up for us against every accuser. Another 1 knew who could speak of what self had been used in doing, but could not bear to hear of others being !i!r ill: t ig6 * GRACE AND TRUTH,* r/f .t. : used. What a God-dis^ onouring, flesh-gratifying as well as foolish course I Are we not members one of another? I heard it said of a dear Christian one day, ^ Yes, such a one lives upon praise.' Do you live upon the rejedled Lord, who made Him- self of no reputation, or on praise ? Husks that the swine live upon I . Make no provision for the flesh. ' Having, therefore, these promises (the Lord Almighty to be our Father), dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the Jlesh and spirit, perfe6^,ing holiness in the fear of God.' (2 Cor. vii. i.) You cannot be growing in grace, advancing in holiness, in these provid- ings for the flesh. While the grace of God is not to be dimmed for a moment, let us remember that we are under the righteous government of our Father, and ' he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.' Christians suffer, and suffer sadly, by sowing to or making provi- sion for the flesh. Our only safeguard is Christ. With our eye steadfastly and constantly fixed on Him — -following Him, copying Him, filled with Him — we shall be led into holiness of life, and neither into licentiousness nor into legalism. For while at the one extreme we maybi led into licentiousness or carelessness of walk by our subtle foes, we may meet another danger, which is asceticism and penance, a dishonour to the body by coming under worldly ordinances (such, as touch not, taste not, handle not), which look very like holiness and consecration to God in neglecting our bodies, bat the only etfei^i is tiiui ^ ' NO CONFIDENCE IN TEE FLESH,* 197 ' 5t i "■ they tend * io the satisfying of the flesh.' (Col. ii. 20.) For it feasts on whate'^'er is against Christ, and is satisfied with whatever takes the eye from Him. *But will not the Holy Spirit keep his own from all this?' I have been asked. *Yes; but the way He does keep us from the power of the flesh is by enabling us to give it no food, no provision, no satisfa6lion.' Whatever feeds the spirit starves the flesh. So the apostle Peter by the Holy Ghost says, * Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.' (i Pet. ii. 11.) The ways of men around arc strange ways to us. They think these advices far above human reach (and so they are) but we are living the life of Christ; and as such, we are to hate, 'even the garment spotted by the flesh.' (Jude 23.) Alas! how little watching and praying there is among Christians — how little we live on Christ I If we lived with Him ever be- fore us, ever filling us, .our only satisfaction, our joy for ever, what power should we gain over 'the flesh!' Christians learn what the 'flesh' is — ist, By experience of its unmlngled vileness be- fore conversion; or of its horrid lusts and sad sins after conversion; or 2d, By taking God's chara6ler of it from His Word. When God gives us His ' Memoirs of olden times,' He does not leave out the adlings of the flesh. When the * chronicles of the spirits of just men made perfedt' pass before u . in Heb. xi., I m 198 « GRACE AND TRUTH.* I their sins and iniquities are remembered no more. I have been much struck with the unreal life people are led into by reading memoirs of good people, where the good in their lives is tcld but not the evil; where the triumph is seen but not the conflict. It is just like * novel literature,' that gives such unreal ideas to young people, and un- fits them for everyday life. So most memoirs, by not bringing prominently forward the everyday confli6ls, the evil foe within, often do more real harm than permanent good. Read God's own histories. Many human ones would do for angels or seraphs to read, but they are not for militant saints. * Follow me,' says the Perfeft One, and * Jesus only,' is enough. Df'ar worker-for-God, Met no man take thy crown.' Take care of this foe. A brother in the Lord used to say often to himself, before going to do anything for God, as preaching, &c., ^ Now, soul, honDur bright, is this for the Mory of God?' We need a great deal more of bright, sterling hon- our between God and our souls, and also between one another. We fear the flesh most from its grad- ual uprisings. It has begun to work often before we ai e aware, and not till some text meets us straight in the facc^ do we discover that the flesh has been working. Again, our religionised and pious flesh is ofte a great snare j that is to say, we sometimes begin to think that a Christian's * flesh' is better than an unconverted man's * flesh;' but, if we do, we proceed on false grounds, and v/ill reap noth- ing but failure. First look to Jesus away from your vile, unimproveable heart, live in the Spirit, *N0 CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.* 199 and keep looking to Jesus until you see Him as He is, and then you shall be like Him, done with this evil heart, this corrupt nature, this self-willed flesh. Meantime we have to be daily, hourly con- fessing sin, and in this having the most blessed communion with God — * in light ' that makes everything maiiifest, and overlooks nothing, h % 3. T/ie Christian daily confesses his sins and is daily forgiven. A perfe6l statement of the whole position, walk, and restoration of a Christian is found in i John i. If we are to have fellowship with Sue Father and the Son, we must have that life implanted in us by the Holy Ghost, that eternal, indestru6lible, perfect life, which is capable of having fellowship with God — that nature which throbs in harmony with God's nature, for we are * partakers of the Divine nature.' (2 Pet. i. 4.) ; * We are not sons.' Our place is now in the light and in the Spirit, and thus in communion; if we were walking in darkness, in unloving ways, it would be merely saying wc have fellow- ship, and not the truth. God is now revealed as without a veil, and, wondrous truth I we saved sinners walk * in the light as God is in the light' — in the exercise of that pure and perfe6t love (Flis perfe6l commandment) that tbis whole epistle is inculcating (i John ii. 9), following in the steps of Him who could say to the vilest con- fessed sinner, when accused by Pharisees, * Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more.' He m 200 • GRACE AND TRUTH* was * the light of the vjorld^ and becomes to all such as this sinner at His feet the light of life'' (John viii. 12). Thus 'we have fellowship with ore another,' because having communion and fellowship each with God. Here shall we be able to judge our own sins ; in this very place, not when we get out of* the light,' but Mn the light,' 'the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us (believers, sons, those who have been born again) from all sin.' The blood is once applied and is of continued efficacy — not has cleansed or did cleanse but ' cleanseth us from all sin.' The ef- fect of light is not to make us believe or feel that we have no sin in us. Sin will be in every man, saint or sinner, till he goes hence; for * If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.' And how am I to do with these sins that are still uprising and which the light makes manifest, for the more light there is in a room the more the dust is seen ? Listen to God's simple plan I * If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all un- righteousness.' Confess our sins^ not our 5?'«, not merely say, * We are all sinners : God be merciful to me a sinner;' but judging the uprisings of the evil spring, according to God's standard of perfe6l holiness, which is Christ, confess all known sins, deeds, lookSj thoughts. What heart-searching this implies 1 *If we confess our sins,' not merely in words, we shall have a real individual dealing with our Father, not certainly as condemned sinners before an angry judge, but all the more close and ^NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH: 20I i» real, because we are accepted sons dealing with such a holy, gracious Father. * He is faithful and just' It is no longer a matter of love and mercy, — these have indeed provided the way: but He is ^faithful/ for He hath said it, He is *just,' on account of the blood presented there, * to forgive,' and it is inexcusable unbelief not to * confess,' confide, and believe that we are forgiven on the spot, and thus be ever walking in the light with a calm, holy joy. The first two verses of the second chapter give the apostle's pra6lical interpretation of these doc- trines. * My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not^ No lower standard is set before us than absolutely *5/;2 «(?/.' ^ Be ye holy, for I am holy' (i Pet. i. i6). Walk *in the Spirit,' in the energy of the new life, and in the light; mortifying the deeds of the old man. This is certainly our aim, but in this we fail, aiming yet not attaining. But * if any man sin, we have an advocate ' (a paraclete, literally), * with the Father, Jesrs Christ the R:ghteous^ and He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only but also for the whole world.' That is to say, if any of us Christians commit any sin as He sees sin. in His chara6ler of advocate He cleanses us from it. This is very jlessed, for while we have to confess all known sin, and thus get it off our consciences, there are many sins which we do not see; but He has made Himself responsible to cieanse us from all sin which His holy eye sees. Our advocate does not say that we, His clients, are guilty and then plead ir r ,1 I, mi' % 202 ' GRACE AND TRUTH.' k^i for mercy. And He is a righteous advocate, therefore He can by no means clear the guilty, but, wondrous wisdom I wondrous truth I won- drous grace I He took our guilt upon Him, and now points to His own death as that which cleanses us from all sin. He sees the sin --He satisfies trie Father — He is the advocate. He meets the accuser — He is the propitiation. What a perfe6l paraclete with the Father, ever keeping us clean by His b^ood before Him, as the paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom He sent, is ever keeping us clean down here by the Word, washing the feet of those who are ^ clean every whit' (John xiii.), removing from our consciences every thing that He sees would interrupt our fel- jowship and communion, by Ihe word which He whispers to us (Eph. v. 26) I Believing Brother, — You have died and •risen with Christ.' Is your afFe6tion set on those ^things which are above?' Do you think you have got into God's mind concerning your stand- ing and acceptance.? Blessed, most blessed, if you have! But does this lead you to be more holy, more Christ-like, more heavenly-minded, more anxious to walk in the way of God ? If I, as a Christian, am * not unde»* the law ' (Rom. vi. 14), I am certainly under my Lord's command- ments. * If ye love Me keep my commandments' (John xiv. 15). * For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His com- mP'^dments are not grievous (i John v. 3). * And th is His commandment, that we should believe on * name of His Son J esus Christ, and ' (having 'NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.* 203 believed — having the new life) ' love one another, as He gave us commandment' (i John iii. 23). If we read all the pra6lical dire6lions at the end of Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, &c., we shall find that Christians had to be again and again re- minded whose they were, and how they ought to walk. Two truths have to be kept in mind — the Christian is not under the law-principle — so much being exacted for so much — the task- master's whip held over his head, wilh its * do- this-and-live ' demands — but is quickened into the life from God, in subje(5lion to his Lord, * en- lawed to Christ' (i Cor. ix. 21) : and walking in this v^^ilderness, he is only too glad to get explicit dire6lions concerning the minutiae of life, as well as its higher outlines; glad, amid confusion here, to know in what diredlion his Father's finger points, so that with all his soul he may judge his own sinful flesh, and walk whither his Father dire6ls. Thus, in a very blessed way, the son delights in the law (the iorah, literally ' finger- point') of his Father; he makes it his study, day and night. Are you loving to be guided by the eye of God along the platform of His eternal love, which is based on His infinite justice? Watch against a mere do6lrinal or intelle6tual grasp of truth. Without the living power ' knowl- edge pufteth up.' Beware of the pestilential swamps of a hateful antinomianism, that spirit of the flesh, so common all around in this day, and so apt to lurk in every heart. To whom much is given of him shall much be required. God It/- Hii; iij; 204 ' ORACB AND TRUTH* %\ a "U has made you a son of such a Father-God, in that blessed, holy, separated walk, linked in eternal union with His own beloved Son. Shall we not walk like sons? This reckoning of myself as crucified with Christ, put out of existence, as it were, in the crucifixion of Christ, and now identified with the living, risen Jesus, is not mysticism, but one of God's most im- portant realities — foolishness, indeed, to the worldly-wise — a mystery, revealed by the Holy Ghost only to those who, self-emptied and help- less, listen as little children. When you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ did you not leave all your sins in the grave of Jesus (in God's reckon- ing) ? Are they not sunk into the depths of the sea, to be remembered no more ? Were you cru- cified with Christ? Then you have left the world also at Jesus' grave : the cross as truly stands be- tween the Christian and * the world,' as be- tween the Christian and his sins. *One with Christ,' in acceptance with the Father, makes you one with Him in His reje6tion by the world. The former 3/ou have by faith, the latter as a necessary consequence from the exhibited life of this faith. Do you see yourself at the cross, forgiven all your trespasses? That blessed voice that ac- quitted you says, ' Go, and sin no more.' Do you see yourself at the cross, * justified from all things,' and set down in perfe6t righteousness before God ? Know, dear brother, that you have to justify your own profession of faith before men, by the good works of faith which they can understand and And atid li^ holier longini conscii Shall y is in li •i*i \* •2fO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.* 205 a of appreciate; and also you have to justify, before men, that God who you say has acquitted you and set you down before Himself, in His own righteousness, which is Christ. Do you see yourself as one set apart by that blood which has been taken from the altar into * the holiest of all,' and reckoned by God as one whose * life is hid with Christ in God ' ? Know, dear brother, that you are to be purifying your- self, even as He is pure. Having His place of life and righteousness inside the veil, we feel it a high privilege to take His place of testimony and i-eje6tion outside the camp. In the language of faith, and regarding myself as God reckons me — once crucified, but now alive in Christ Jesus, I can say, — < So nigh, ',^0 very nigh to God, I cannot nearer be ; For in the person of His Son I am as near as He.' And the necessary consequence of knowing this, and living in the power of it, will be a closer, holier walk with God ; and my prayer and cry, the longing of my flesh-clogged soul, as I pant after conscious nearness', will ever be — ' Nearer, still nearer, Lord, my God, I long to walk viith Thee ; To know more fully Him I know, My prayer, my joy shall be ; To live more like a ransomed child, Till Christ Himself I see.' Shall we not then, knowing that our * citizenship is in heaven ' (Phil. iii. 20), with the risen Christ i it' 2o6 ' GRACE AND TRUTH: V m W -i' J V " ii as our rule, and his walk here as our example, soar upward, onward, and homeward — living above the world, the devil, and the flesh — 'strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,' having the 'joy of the Lord as our strength?' Striving one, — Are you trying to perfe6l in the llesh that which has been begun in the Spirit? Do you count it a small matter that Christ has died for you, and that you are now in Him ? What more can you have? You are conscientiously striving after holiness; but still you are constantly thinking and talking much more about th^ old man in you, than Christ for you and in you. Why is this ? You are not reckoning as God has reckoned, and hence this useless warfare. There is a light — the fight of faith, the fight I have as a saint against God's foes and mine, the world, the devil, and the flesh. This is * a good fight' There is also a most ignoble and Christ-dis- honouring fight, a fight by which I try to make the flesh better; to purify the filthy fountain; to wash the rags of the prodigal instead of accept- ing the best robe — a living perfect, entire Christ. * The just shall live by taith,' as well as be be- gotten by faith. Remember that there can be no holy walk with God unless I know that He has made me a son. God is well pleased with Christ, why are you not pleased with Him? * Ahl ' you say, * I am satisfied with Christ; but not with myself.' Will you ever be pleased with yourself? Would it be well for vou if vou were you then, 'No Whetl fall ii plead, *Bul He 'Bui Do accurs< reach lead fr( a curse 'dead tomb, where needed side in of Chr Christ \ death !^ Hec the dea one wit of my I with C Christ feeling, bending the Sor for me The for mys ^ .1 .. ] to ept- rist. be- no has « KO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESE* 307 then, at once, by faith, adopt Paul's language, 'No longer I, but Christ' — Christ for me! Whether it were Paul or Peter, he had just to fall into the poor Gentile sinner's place, and plead, ' I am a sinner; therefore, Christ for me.' \ * But I am not a great sinner,' you say. He died for all kinds of sinners. ' But I am too great a sinner,' do you say? Do you deserve to be nailed to a cross as an accursed thing? How far did Jesus descend to reach your case ? Are there any steps needed to lead from your position to His? He was made a curse for us; He lay in the tomb, and you — 'dead in trespasses and sins' — are lying in the tomb. Has he not come down to the very spot where you are? Are there any stepping stones needed between two, when both are lying side by side in the place of death? Ah, no; the gospel of Christ is — The Saviour for the sinner! Christ for me! God's way of life for my way of death \ He came down even to the grave, and became the dead One for me. I believe in Him, and, as one with Him, I leap at one bound straight out of my grave up to His throne. * I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not 1, but Christ liveth in me.' This is not a matter of feeling, but all a matter of faith, merely appre- hending the grace of God, * I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. ii. 20). The moment you lose faith in your creed — 'I for myself, and have faith in God's — * Christ foi llf: ii!;. Ij! !?[' Ii;. ^■ , ^ 208 • GRACE AND TRUTB.* » |> me,' you are *born again,' you are * crucified with Christ,' and are now living in His risen life. * Have no confidence in the fleshy and then you -will rejoice in Christ Jesus^ and worship God in the Spirit. %i With Christ we died to sin, Lay buried in His tomb ; But quickened now with Him, our Life, We stand beyond our doom ! Our God in wondrous love. Hath raised us who were dead ; And in the heavenlies, made us sit In Christ our living Head For us He now appears Within the veil above ; Accepted, and complete in Him, We triumph in His love. In Christ we now are made The righteousness of God ; As sons of God, and heirs with Christ, We follow where He trod. Rejected and despised, He bore the open shame ; PnA fellow-sufferers y journeying home, We glory in His name. Soon will the Bridegroom c :>tic, His Bride from earth to rrW '. WCf glori^ed ynith Him, shalt reign. Tin God be all in all. Rom. vi. 8. Rom. vi. 4. Eph. ii. 5. Rom. vi. 7, Eph. ii. 4. Eph. ii. 6. Eph. ii. 6. Eph. i. 22. Heb. ix. 24. Heb. vi. 19. Eph. i. 6. Rom. viii. 39. 1 Co. i. 30. 2 Co. V. 21. I Jo. V. I. Col. iii. I. Is. liii. 3 Heb. xii. 2. Rom. viii. i'/. Acts V. 41. Rev, xxii. 20. I Thes. iv. i6. Rev. . XX. 4. I Co. XV. 28. » >--. ' »-v« ^ :■ fi'f-^- ^V'i. '^; i^' -f f-s «■ •S. 1 Z^^ DevzV. Our Adversary X r ', <*»»» DO not believe in eternaJ punrr.hrrt^nt/ said a man one day to a fiiend of mine *But that does not alter the fa6l,' re- plied my friend. This remark led to the man's conversion. Is it w^ise to shut the e3^e to danger? We know best how to deal with a foe when we know all about himself, his plans, his ta6lics. Wellington became the greatest conqueror by knowing his enemies, their strength, and their stratagems. He is the skilled surgeon who has thought over all the possible dangers that may arise, and is prepared to meet them. When the builder of the Menai Bridge was suggesting vari- ous cautions, his coadjutors sometimes said to him that he was raising difficulties. *No,' he answered, 4'm solving them.' And so for every accident he was prepared. In our spiritual confli6l it is folly to despise the strength of our foes, it is wisdom to reckon on a power infinitely stronger. Many in the present day do not believe that there is a devil. They do not feel or realise any workings on their con- sciousness as of an external power. They think, Ill;;: 2IO ' GRACE AND TRUTH.* therefore, that the devil is merely a word of the theologian, an expression that may be used to deceive and frighten children, but that intelligent men in this nineteenth century are not to be so deceived. With their friends of old they *say that there is neither angel nor spirit' (Acts xxiii. 8) . But this does not alter the fact that there is a devil. Men may conscientiously, and therefore strongly, believe a lie. In fa6lwe find, in 2 Thess. ii. 10, that because men * received not the love of the truth that they might be saved, for this cause God shall send taem strong delusions that the) should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.' ,,; .,; (j Others who believe, from the teaching of Scrip- ture, that there is a devil, have little knowledge of his personality. They do not seem to realise that he is as truly a person, though invisible, as the Son of God, his great opponent. They think of Satan as a mere influence or power. They tell us that they have devil enough when they have their own evil heart. And true enougii, it is 'deceitful above all things, and incurably wicked.' But that Satan is a present, scheming, watchful, cunning being, going about seeking our destruc- tion, is realised by few; and by those few very imperfeaiy. ^^ ^,^,,H?.|.^ ,. -u .^t.;4 . iy :- ii; i<'t[C, REV. xir. In the twelfth chapter of Revelation we have depi6ted a remarkable series of his workings. May the Lord open up to our minds from this 1 » THE DEVIL. 211 passage the reality of his existence as a person, the subtlety and determination of his plans, and the power that has been provided to meet him at every step. I do not now enter into the interpretation of this graphic scene, however blessed it may be to the soul that reads and understands it; but I would rather try to glean a few practical lessons from the moral truths revealed to us in this pi6lure, which, in all its details, has yet to be fulfilled. Before adducing these, I would merely glance at the characters that figure in the scene, that in gathering these lessons we may not con- fuse the mind of the intelligent reader who is looking for a deeper and closer rendering of it. In chap. xi. 19, the temple of God is open in heaven (for Jesus and His elders are now seen as there since chap. iv.), and the ark o^ \-\.\s covenant is shown as token of His grace, and the lightning, as token of His judgment, before we are intro- duced to the great scene of chap. xii. We are told who the dragon is, verse 9, ' That old serpent, called the devil and Satan, who decciveth the whole world ' — like the aliases of a habit-and- repute criminal. The man-child, from Ps. ii.,Isa. ix. 6, &c., is evidently Jesus, ver. 5, *a man-child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.' His mother, in symbolic language, o^ course, being Israel, from whom, according to the flesh, Christ was born, seen as the faithful remnant per- secuted and preserved through the tribulation of the short 1 260 days after Satan has been cast out of heaven — where the saints have been seen 212 • GRACE AND TRUTH.* seated (chap iv.) — to the earth, where he is in great wrath, for his time is short ere he be chained in the pit. I. THE DEVOURER. Read the 4th verse of this twelfth chapter: *And the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready 'to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.' Jesus is said to be born King of the Jews in Matt. i. Look at chap, ii.: there we iind the devil's first attempt to devour Him as soon as He was born. Herod, his tool, slew *all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under,' and the weeping of Rachel is the sad witness to the devil's awful power, but through the almighty wisdom of God the young child's life is spared. Thwarted in this murderous plan, he comes with plausible temptation, trying to make Him leave the place of the Sent One and the Servant; but the Word of God made him flee for a season. In Gethsem- ane we again find Satan; but last and most awful of all, we see this great dragon, the serpent, at Calvary, bruising His heel, trying to hold Him in his- death-hold, wounding Him with his ven- omed sting. The devourer feels now sure of his prey. Jesus is in the jaws of death. Chains of hell are around him. ^ Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, shall the lawful captive be de- livered?' Yes: there is a greater power than the mighty one here, there is the Almighty. There THE DEVIL. 213 is a power higher than even that seen in Creation or Providence; there is the power of coming out from under death — laying down the Hfe and liking it up again. ' Through death He destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil.' Not only has Satan failed to devour the Prince of Life, but he has got his head bruised. This is the venomous serpent on the pole, whose power has thus been destroyed by the Son of man lifted up (John iii.) The sting has been wrenched from the serpent's jaws. The keys of death and the grave are now hung at the girdle of the H'. ^us Conqueror, who has fought the fight alone, by weakness showing Himself to be Almighty. . ' By weakness and defeat He won the meed and crown ; Trod all our foes beneath His feet, By being trodden down, * He hell in hell laid low ; '. Made sin, He sin o'erthrew ; ; Bow'd to the grave, destroy'd it so, ; And death by dying slew.' ^ r 'For th Mrrpose the Son of God was mani- fosted, ':u : Ke might destroy the works of the devil.' (i j }hn iii. 8.) The Lord is risen, yea, lie is ascended as a man, a glorified man, beyond the power of Satan. He is seated as the subject One. The servant who undertook for man has been ' caught up unto God and to His throne,' and we find that this is the deliverance that is mentioi ed in Rev. xii. 5. It is a question now to be ttkd between Satan and the God who ■'*-■ 214 • GRACE AND TRUTH.' has r£^*sed Jesus up, between the power of Satan and the throne-power of the Almighty God. Justice and power have vindicated Christ's title to bruise the serpent's head, and take His position as man, the highest in heaven on God's own throne. The serpent in Eden tempted the woman and ruined mankind. God said, * I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed.' Blessed be God, He has put the enmity, and it . .ot be taken away. What a fearful friendship . vould have been if God had left man in the friendship that Adam began with Satan! All along the stream of time Satan has been at his devouring work. To-day he is 'going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.' Do we realise this.'^ It surely means something. I believe it means far more than we suppose. By how many different ways docs he accomplish this I If he can keep people in dieir natural state of death, he is as sure of his prey as if he had them with him in everlasting burning. If he can lull them, soothe them, deceive them, blind them, he has them sure, and they will be an easy pre}^ He knows that life is communicated by the Spirit applying the word of the living God, — that word that tells of a victorious Conqueror, a risen Christ, of Him who liveth and was dead, and is alive again for evermore. That word links the believer to Him who was caught up to God's throne, and tells him that he is identified with the victorious conqueror of death, that he is ;i * TEE DEVIL. 215 united to death's master. Wherefore, Satan is very busy when the gospel of God is preached, so we read that there is a class of people that hear the word: 'then cometh the devil, and» taketh away the 'word out of i:heir hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.' (Luke viii. 12.) What a devil-like intention! Does every preacher of the gospel realise this, that such an enemy is among his audience? Does every hearer realise it, that such a seemingly simple thing may leave him in the jaws of Satan for ever? If men do not believe that they must be born again, in order to enter the Kingdom of God, Satan does. If men do not believe that the ' entrance of the word gives light,' Satan does. He takes this word away lest it save them. Satan is a clever theologian. He knows the Bible: he believes it, he can quote it, he can use it for his own fiendish ends. After the gospel is preached, he is ever ready to snatch away the word. * What did you think of that preacher?' is the common introdu6lion, after the gospel is preached, to a scries of criticisms on his merits and demerits, and a pretty sure token that in the discussion concerning the messenger the message is to be forgotten. ^ Lest they should believe and be saved I' If Satan can keep out that seed, he will let the man cultivate the field, be very attentive to it, water it, spend much time on it: in plain words, he will let men be moral and philan- thropic, be religious, and make profession, con- tend stoutly for sound orthodoxy, and clever theology, if he can keep out the seed of life. 1 1 If I' 'f 2l6 ' GRAOE AND TRUTH: m m Satan knows that there is life in a look at the crucified One, therefore he will let the wounded sinner apply ointments and plasters, and all sorts of palliatives to his sin-bitten soul ; but will use all his power to keep him from beholding the Lamb of God. A look at the brazen serpent cured those bitten by fiery serpents — a look at Him who destroyed the great serpent's power, immediately and for ever saves those who are ready to be devoured by the mighty dragon, for * as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.' By many devices the great deceiver succeeds in hiding this life-giving- cross ; for ' If our gospel be hid, it is hid to thcMii that are lost : in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God, should shine unto them.' Truly, O Apollyon, Abaddon, thou art the de- ceiver of the whole world. What fools men are! Reader, are you led captive at his will ; are you in his meshes, within the teeth of his jaws, ready to be devoured? Are you not only led captive of your lusts, but bound hand and foot by Satan? Believing -reader, in Jesus thou art safe. He is at God's throne; thou art there in Him; this is thy safety. God's throne is safe, he cannot devour it, therefore he cannot devour thee. He has done his utmost as to devouring thee; he is eternally foiled. His power is broken. The poison, the cruelty of the great dragon, that old THE DEVIL. 217 by the serpent, have been met anc overcome ' Lamb in the midst of the throne/ Is * the evil one,' * the wicked one ' thy de- stroyer? — ' The Holy One' is thy preserver. is *the angel of the bottomless pit' at thy back with his belching flame? — ' The King of Glory ' is the Captain of th}^ salvation. Is the knife of him that is * a murderer from the beginning ' w^hetted to be plunged into thy bosom? — ' The Prince of Life ' is thy life. Is ' the prince of darkness ' tr3'ing to enwrap thy soul ? — *The Light of Life' surrounds thy goings. Does Satan come as an angel of light? — We have received the blessed Spirit, by whom we can dete6t his wiles ; we are not ignorant of his devices. Let us be sober and vigilant against such a foe. We have to pick our steps. Being now in Chi'ist, soon we shall be ' caught up ' in reality, body and soul, entirely and for ever beyond his power, wiles, devices, and snares. Yes, we shall be caught up together with all the saints of Jesus, to meet our Conqueror in the air, and be ever with Him; and 'the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.' (Rom. xvi. 20.) After he is thus foiled, and cannot devour us, does he leave us? Nay I But we find Satan in this same twelfth chapter (ver. 10), as II. THE ACCUSER. * He ACCUSES the brethren before God day and night.' Michael and his angels are to cast him V. U' 2l8 ♦ GRACE AND TRUTH/ m V ,K- -l. down to the earth at the beginning of the times of great trial, but meantime he is there, not cer- tainly in the ^ light,' God's dwelling-place, in the third, the highest, heaven, but as the Prince of the Power of the Air, having power to stand be- fore God and accuse the brethren. That Satan has access into God's presence may startle some who have not thought about it; but it is the teaching of Scripture, i Kings xxii. 21, shews that a lying spirit appeared before God, to put lies into the mouths of Ahab's advisers. Again, in Job i. 6, we read — ' Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them,' to accuse Job. In Zech. iii. it is written — * He shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.' In Eph. vi. 12 — * We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.' Day and night, dear fellow-Christians, he has access to God, and accuses us before Him; sometimes truly, alas! How often does he first tempt and then accuse I How much failure of ours can he put his hand upon I and besides he is a slanderer, a false accuser. He is not the accuser of the world, but only of * the brethren,' but he ' deceiveth the whole world.' What is our strength ? ' If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,' one who never slumbers nor sleeps. We speak much, and we cannot dwell too much, upon the finished work of Jesus; but how precious is the unfinished, un- THE DEVIL. 219 tiring, unremittent work of our blessed Lord I If the accuser speaks of sin, He points to the blood, that with which, for us, He has entered into the heavens. ^ He is Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the propitiation for our sins.' The accuser has to find fault with Him, for we are in Him. Nothing short of this appeal to the presented blood will silence his insinuations and overcome his accusa- tions. So it is said (ver. 11), VThey overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.' Saints do not cast him out of heaven; angels do that, but the brethren overcome him while he is there, and is accusing them. This is before God. In my own experience of all his accusations I bring the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, apart from all my feelings and states, and say to all his accusings, as to his temptations, * It is written.' Thus Jesus overcame him when he was on earth, therefore it is said that not only * they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,' but also by ' the word of their testimony.' * Resist the devil and he will flee from you ' — for he is a coward at heart; ' neither give place to the devil.' The blood and the word shut his mouth for ever, and are the answer to his gravest accusations, be they true or false. Though our sins are as scarlet, Jesus points to the blood, and they become 'white as snow;' *red like crimson,' He says they be- come as wool. * If we confess our sins. He is faithful ' — why ? because His luord has said it — * and just ' — why ? because of the blood pre- sented — * to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse 220 'GRACE AND TRUTH* iB US from all unrighteousness.' * The blood of Jesus Christ chanseth us from all sin. Is the father of lies against us? — the living Truth is for us. Is he desiring to sift us as wheat? — Jesus is constantly praying that our faith may never fail us, for by that shield we can quench all Satan's fiery darts, meet all his accusa- tions, and, in the calm consciousness of eternal peace with God, wait upon Him, do His com- mandments, and receive the power that will make us love not our lives unto death. (Rev. xii. ii.) He cannot devour us : we are in Christ. He is overcome when He accuses us; Christ's blood is for us. Does he leave us? No. He exercises his power against us now, as III. THE PERSECUTOR. Read Rev. xi\ 13. * When the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman.' And here his cunning is taxed to its utmost; varying with times and peoples, tastes and civilisation. His manner changes, but the rank venom of his sting is always the same — the deluge from his mouth always poured upon us. He brings into his service all kinds of tools; the stake, the inquisition, the scaffold in one age; more refined but as real persecution an another; the ill-will and planning of the world, and what is worse than all, the evil-speaking and slander- ing of fellow-Christians. Individually, beloved friends, let us ask, are we washing one another's feet, or advancing Satan's work, being used as THE DEVIL. 221 his tools in speaking evil of those things that we know not? You may know what it is to be mis- understood, misrepresented, maligned, looked at with suspicion by a fellow-Christian, and may have felt it to be the direst persecution, more painful than thumbscrews; — watch and pray lest you in turn be thus used against others. We do not feel the reality of the common adversary, else we should be all more united and of one accord, continuing in brotherly love. Soldiers may have their disputes, quarrels, and even duels, when in the barracks and on home service, but on the battle-field the bitterest are shoulder to shoulder against one common foe. Against all his persecutions, what is the pro- vision? ver. 14, power for flight to the wilderness, and being fed there by God. He has given us of His Spirit the spirit of truth and sonship. He has shut us into the wilderness, and there we have found Himself our provision. A quaint old divine used to say, * the devil a6ls like a bull-dog to bark at us, and drive us closer to Christ.' The Psalms are the experience of David in the place of the poor man in the wilderness finding his all in God. What a blessed thing that Satan's, persecutions but drive us nearer to our only good I The wilder- ness is the happiest place, when we get there, from the hand of our living, loving Father, His own manna, His own drink, and the guidance of His pillar cloud. Christ is all. * In the desert, God will teach thee What the God that thou hast found, 222 ' GRACE AND TRUTE* lir I It I' . I i ir. Patient, gracious, powerful, holy, '' All His grace shall there abound. ..! '.'; :. ' Though thy way be long and dreary, Eagle strength He'll still renew ; Garments fresh, and feet unweary. Tell how God hath brought thee through.' To be alone with God — to be in the wilderness with God — to be fed by God. Is this not life? is this not joy.'* It was better to be with David on the lonely hill-side, than with Saul in his costly palaces. Manna, water, and guidance are all I need; what more could I take, for this is Jesus, God's own joy, God's own delight, God's own rest, day by day, new every day, it cannot be kept for to-morrow; yesterday's will not do for to-day. How the hatred of the devil brings glory to God' His devourings bring us to the * caught u; Christ, and are thus met by life in victory. His accusations bring us to the ' blood of the Lamb,' and are met by life taken for us. His -persecutions bring us to the wilderness provisions, and are met by life nourished. After all this we have nothing more to fear, we can fear no evil, God is with us, as above and in- dependent of all circumstance we find God for us, a table spread in the wilderness in presence of our enemies. He may still show his venom after he is thoroughly defeated, for we next find him as IV. THE BLASPHEMEli. This seen in Rev. xiii. 5, 6, in the person of the beast to whom Satan gives power. 'He '.V-. THE DEVIL. 2?.3 opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspvheme His name and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.' But blasphemies can do us little harm. We need no fortification against them. At school we have seen the big boy that used to lord it over all the little ones subdued, conquered, and on the ground. In his defeat he could only call bad names, which he knev/ could do no harm. Eveki though Satan slay the body, this touches not our life — it is hid with Christ in God. Can he devour that? It is because of the name we bear that the blasphe- mies of hell are poured upon us. There are the ' synagogues of Satan,' in which the blasphemous do6lrines of devils are taught. We fc c not the servants of Satan, though homage on all sides be paid to him by all classes, in their business and pleasure, and the crowns of earth be laid at his feet. Those whose names are written from the foun- dation of the world in the book of the Lamb slain, can listen to his blasphemies, can rejoice in the Lord, though he should slay their bodies, and they can afford to wait for their inheritance. What can I now say, unsaved sinner, to you ? You are in \\\QJaws of the devil. He is your father: is he to be your tormentor day and night for ever in that awful hell which was never pre- pared for you, but 'prepared for the devil and his angels?' Look at the judgment of the living nations, the contrast between the blessing and cursing — * blessed of my Father,' but not cursed of my Father — ' Kingdom prepared for you,' but 224 GRACE AND TRUTH,* fi if fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' One, look outward to Jesus and you are saved; not a look inward to a feeling that can give nothing but despair to the conscientious soul. God has given you Jesus, and in Him is all. Are you not satis- fied with Jesus for you ? God is. Fellow believer, rejoice in the Lord: the great- est enemy's power is broken: soon he will really and as to fa6l, as he is already judicially and to faith, be bruised beneath thy feet. Jesus is thine, and all His power and dominion, and might, and glory, and iaheritance, are thine, and, above all, His heart. His love. Himself, is thine. In Him we conquer the devourer; In Him we overcome the accuser; In Him we defy the persecutor; In Him we are beyond the blasphemer. *More than conquerors through Him that loved us.' Cofue ivith your weakness and find shelter in the all-powerful Jesus, ,,. Eph. vi. 11-18. strong in Jehovab, though hard be the fight, '11 conquer, we know, ' i the power of His might ; Be We Put on the whole irmcar of God every one, For it alone shelters till victory's won. . " Thus we sing while we march through the midst of our foes, Who stand all determined our way vj oppose ; We shall conquer their legion, our battle song raise ; The Lord is our Captain ; his name ever praise. * Thus armed we shall stand and shall meet Satan's wiles ; We know his devices, the world he beguiles ; It is not against flesh rnd blood that we fight, But powers that would fcrce us from heavenly light THE DEVIL. 225 With loins girt with troth may we stand in the fight, And righteousness placed as our breastplate so bright ; Our feet shod with sandals prepared for the war, The gospel of peace which our foes shall not mar. Above all Faith's shield we must grasp 'gainst our foes, By it we shall quench every dart Satan throws ; Salvation our helmet, bestowed by our Lord, The sword of the Spirit His conquering word. The trumpet is sounding, the trumpet of war, Not peace while we wait for our bright morning Star ; We waich where the foe would surprise or alarm. By prayer we shall nerve for the fight every arm. Lord, give us more faith thus to rtieet every foe, ■ l Thus Satan is conquered and shall be laid low ; ;| This, this is the triumph o'er earth and its gain O'er sin still within, but which never shall reign. ^ s I * A ■■» . « ♦i»>''."" ■»' rw .'•i lTi-\ -V ;:.'- ' • ; ■: *i :)■:}):'•> * Serving the Lord! \\--iv. Our Work. «*»»» WAS very much interested lately, in reading the life of Dr. Chalmers, to see how many years he preached the gospel to others, and, by his own con- fession, was still unconverted. I thought of that text, * lest preaching to others I myself should be a castaway.' Paul does not say, ' lest after being born again I should be a castaway;' we know that this is impossible. But a man may preach with the most powerful eloquence to others, and still be unsaved. Many in this Chris-, tian land begin very early to engage in some good work. At a certain time they become members of the church, as it is said; alas! how often not knowing whether they are saved or not. They then may take a young class in the Sabbath school, have a district to visit, look after the af- fairs of the church, or the necessities of the poor, become, perhaps a deacon and then an elder, or it may be a preacher, and all this time they may have never had this matter definitely, finally, con- clusively settled, * Am I saved .^' They trust they arc on the right road to be saved, which of course is the leading idea in all legalism, ritualism, * SERVING THE lord: 227 and popery, and an entire ignoring of the Bible method. Some do the best they can, and strive, it may be, with prayers and tears and resolutions and determinations, in order to get into God's favour, and thereby in the long run to receive eternal life, with the pardon of all their sins. Others work and do the best they can, and strive as the former, becaicse they know they arc accepted already — because they knov/ they have the pardon of ail their sins — because they know they have eternal life. The former is false ser- vice, the latter is true. I. FALSE SERVICE. There are those who believe in justification by faith, and other doctrines of grace, and ^^ ho j-et think that if they do their duty, and try to serve God as sincerely and faithfully as ^v can, He will, at the last, overlook their many .aihires, in some vague way or other, for Christ's saki and reward them for the good deeds which they ha\ e clone, and give them at the judgment day ever- lasting life. Now, this is quite a mistake, and arises from a total misapprehension of God's chara6lcr and man's condition. God's chara6tcr is pcrfc6t, and before 1 can be engaged in acceptable service I must be in harmony with this chara6lcr. In order to be a proper servant of God, I must start with being perfectly accepted by God. Man's position is not that of one who is only a a|. 228 ' GRACE AND TRUTH: n little out of God's mind, and who by a few sincere and vigorous efforts maybe put right; but of one who is really dead, so far as conne6lion with God is concerned. He is separated from God, and therefore from truth, from goodness, from life. In God is all truth, all goodness, all life; outside of Him there is none. Man, by nature, is born out of fellowship with God, and therefore he has not the slightest power to serve God acceptably, for he has not the life that can move in the dire6lion of God, and in which he can serve Him. The movements in Christian service of an uncon- verted man are the galvanic movements of a corpse, v/hich may seem very energetic; yet, alas, it is but a corpse that moves I All Scripture and experience tell us these two truths concern- ing God's chara6ler and man's condition. Wherefore, dear friend, unless thou hast been born again, quickened into a new life from death, thou canst not serve God acceptably. Thou may- cst strive day and night in all sincerity, but thou art dead; thou mayest visit the sick and minister to the d3nng (the holiest privileges of the saved one) ; all is vain; thou mayest comfort and assist the widow and the fatherless, and have the prayers of many an orphan for thy reward, and yet be no better as to thy standing before God than the prof- ligate and the profane; thou mayest give of thy bread to the poor; thou mayest support the cause of Christ in all its missions and churches at home and abroad; thou mayest give half of thy income to the advancement of the Lord's a ork, and not one penny stand to thy credit before God. Cain's * SERVING THE LORD: 229 sacrifice, beautiful, fair, and lovely as it was, anc? presented by a man who was at that time a pro- fessor of religion, and a sincere worshipper, was reje6led by God. And so it is still. God will reje6l you and your sacrifice unless you come as one at peace with Him through His sacrifice and not as one coming to make friends with God by your sacrifice. If you are out of Christ, your good deeds as well as your bad deeds are an abomination to God. Ail your ' righteous- nesses are as filthy rags' (Isa. Ixiv. 6), not only failing to cover you, but defiling you. ^ What- soever is not of faith is sin' (Rom. xiv. 23). You may be true to your friends; you may do your duty as parents, and provide for your own; but it is all sin: for, as saith the Scripture, ' the ploughing of the wicked is sin' (Prov. xxi. 4). Every a6t'on, however commendable in the Christian, and however much binding upon you as a moral duty, is reckoned by God, if done by you, to be a sin, because it is the a6tion of one not at peace with Him through His own peace. 'Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. xi. 6). This is God's theology, however hard it may seem, and however much opposed to your ideas, and to the prevailing ideas of the world concerning good works and their reward. ''Dead -works'' is stamped on all your deeds. Until 3'ou serve God as one who is saved, all your service will but intensify your anguish in the pit of woe, whither the Christless, the seem- ingly good and fair, beautiful and noble, are all swept, together with the vile, the loathsome, the >-.■»■ I 230 * GRACE AND TRUTH,* idolater, the profane. There are not two hells. Where will you spend eternity? ■ jj II. TRUE SERVICE. Half an hour ago you may have been serving in the dark, as an unforgiven one^ and, during the next half hour, you may pass from death unto life, and thus stand on the ground of the accepted servant. God is perfect: to meet God I must meet liim in perfection. There is no perfe6lion in me ; but He has provided the means by which each of us may at once become acceptable ser- vants^ by first becoming accepted sons* Jesus, His oniy-oegotten and well-beloved Son, eternally in the Father's bosom, took upon Him our nature, descended to our place of responsibility and service, and approved Himself to be the perfed Servant in that very place m which we had failed; became sin for us, was obedient unto death, hav- ing gone through all the billows of God's wrath, has been laised from the dead, and is now at the Father's right hand. If, therefore, we become by faith identified with Him, we can see in Him all our responsibilities under law met; we can look into His empty grave, and reckon our sins buried there: and now, as those who are beyond the doom of sin, and beyond its judgment, we can serve in * newness of life,' a resurre6lion-life. This, and nothing else, is the foundation of true service, the service of love, the service of sons; for we now stand in Christ's place of sonship as He once, in grace, occupied our place of death. * HJiJcyjijyu^ rnjn iiunv. Z31 We ask you, is this not a real vantage ground for service ? What a wretched, menial service it is to be working hard for life, and doubting whether it can ever be obtained I The true service is a v^orWmg fro?n the Cross, not to the Cross. The corpse does not bestir itself to get life, but it is the living man who works because he has WiQ. Be not deceived. This is God's plan; life^ then service. Ask yourselves now the question, ' Am I serving because I have life? because I am saved?' Then it is evident that you know you are saved — you * know that you are of God.' (i John V. 19.) . . : . , :, . - : . But perhaps some one maybe thinking, 'Well, I've been doing this little and that little, but I have never been conscious of being born again.' Stop, then, dear friend, at once, and make it sure. Turn on the spot from thy service, and get rid of thy sin by believing in Him who, as the perfect servant, bare our sins in His own body on the tree. (i Peter ii. 24.) Get into Christ — in His perfection thou canst meet and serve the living God. * But,' you may ask, * how am I to get Into Him?' Simply by knowing Him (Johnxvii. 3); by believing on Him (John iii. ^6)\ by trusting in Him (2 Tim. i. 12). God has given Him to you already. (John iii. 16.) You do not require to go to heaven to beseech God to send you Jesus to die for sin. (Rom. x. 6.) No I ^ For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son.' And Christ dieth no more. In the love- gift of God, Jesus is yours. If you go to hell, it must be over a given Christ, I 232 • GRACE AND TRUTH: When the poor men in the cotton manufacturing districts were starving, moved with pity you sent your money to the committee for distributing bread to them. Now, suppose some poor man, with his wife and children sitting in their empty room, the last of their furniture having been sold for bread — a few stones for seats, and a bunch of straw their bed; no fire on the hearth; no crust of bread in the cupboard, the last having been consumed a couple of days before; children cry- ing for bread; the mother's eyes refusing to weep; the father's skeleton hands clasped in anguish; no breatd, and no work; starvation, dire starva- tion staring them in the face! A knock is heard at the door, a man comes in with a loaf and lays it on the table, and says, * That is yours, for the people of Britain have so pitied you that they have sent this bread. Rise, eat, rejoice, and starve no more.' Suppose that poor man would neither touch the loaf himself, nor let his wife nor children taste it, but said, * How can it be mine ? I never got a pennyworth of bread but by the sweat of my brow; there must be some mistake. I cannot take this ; not having wrought for it, it cannot be mine.' Everybody would have shouted, ''Eat, man! eat, and ask no questions, for you are starving, and the messenger's word is enough. He said the loaf was yours.' Fellow-sinner, this is but a faint picture oi your condition and God^s provision. JESUS, His perfe6t provision for the soul's need, has been sent, has suffered for sin, and has gone back in righteousness to the Father. Are you not on SERVING THE LORD.' 233 the edge of eternal damnation, and do you begin to ask questions about your warrant to take Christ? He is yours in the gift of God. Yea, more, God commands you to use Him (i John iii. 23). Dare you disobey God by continuing unsaved ? How can I serve the Lord until I can say, ^ He is my Lord?' A gentleman had paid his money for the ransom of a slave, and had given her her freedom. She had been born a slave, and knew not what free- dom meant. Her tears fell fast on the signed parchment which her deliverer brought to prove it to her; she only looked at him wiUi fear. At last he got ready to go his way, and as he told her what she must do when he was gone, it did dawn on her what freedom was. With the first breath, * I will follow him,' she said: ^ I will fol- low him; I will serve him all my days;' and to every reason against it she only cried, ' He re- deemed me I He redeemed me I He redeemed me I' ^•.-,^:.' -■.--^-.' "-'■' ' ■ ■ When strangers used to visit that master's house, and noticed, as all did, the loving constant service of the glad-hearted girl, and asked her why she was so eager with unbidden service, niglit by night, and day by day, she had but one answer, and she loved to give it, — * He redeemed me I He redeemed me I He redeemed me I' ' ti ^ - Is this your motive-power for serving God — *He redeemed me?' — or is it only, 'Well, I hope I may yet be found among the redeemed, and w l|; 234 GRACE AND TRUTH.' meanwhile I do the best I can?' Wretched slavery, with the chain of death or doubt hanging on the limbs I Rather take God at His word now, and joyfully exclaim, ' O Lord, truly I am Thy servant. . . . Thou hast loosed my bonds ' (Psalm cxvi. 16). V III. A WORD TO FELLOW-SERVANTS. I would now speak a word to you who are fel- low-workers for, and fellow-sufferers with, Jesus. It is only now that we can have fellowship with Him in His service as the reje6led of earth. Let us then be instant in season, out of season.' ' lie redeemed rneP Let it be written as with letters of gold on every page of our diary. While in your mission of love you visit the poor, the sick, and the dying, may it ever be your first work to point them to Jesus. While in every way striving to alleviate misery, even if it were by giving but a cup of cold water, let the main thing be to speak of Jesus. Be careful ever to have the single e3^e, and do nothing to be seen of men. Do nothing to men; do all to God; and have no master but your Redeemer. Be bound to serve by no chain but that of love. If a great sphere be denied you, occupy the small one. If it is not yours to preach to hundreds or thousands, be like Him who spent a sultry noon under a scorching sun by the well side, that He mjght impart the water of life to a worthless woman. ' Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;' do not wait for to-morrow a d for some great oppor- SERVING THE LORD.' 235 tunity, but do the little service, whatever it may be, do it now. Draw all your strength from God, depending on Him alone. The gieat work is that which is done on indi- vidual responsibility — ' My own work.' Jesus says, ' Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name. He will give you.' (John xvi. 23.) ' What- soever^ without limit, without restraint, without bound, so that you may ask anything you please. Dear fellow- worker, do you feel as if this were too much, and say, ' I cannot have God's arm so under my will .? ' It is, nevertheless, true. What! can a creature thus prevail with the Creator ? Yes, indeed, and the reason is, that we have been made ' partakers of the divine nature ' (2 Pet. i. 4), be- cause before God we are as Jesus is — as near, as dear. We are in Him, and being in Him, every request, proceeding from this new nature, is in perfe6l harmony with the Divine Mind. We may well say with such a petition. What grace, Lord! what condescension! what love! Thou hast not spared Thy Son! Thou hast made me one with Him. Thou hast said, whatsoever I will I shall receive; and Therefore, Lord, my will is whatsoever Thou wilt, I give Thee back Thy behest. It is too much for me to bear, and now, from the very depths of my soul, I pray, 'Father, ^* Thy wJl be done!" Lead me in Thy will; may everything I do be in Thy mind; ' and then, asking will but be the promptings of that divine life in me, and receiving but the natural issue from the hand of Him who is the fountain of that life. What a service of joy! Such a life I- 1 nriiiMri ii li ifi li Hinilrtr 236 'GRACE AND TRUTH.* has no outward bustle and noise, no running hither and thither, but, like the light, it cannot be hid. Quietly it beams wherever it exists. It is calm as the gentle heat of the summer sun noise- lessly warming all around. Thus energised by the life from above, meet parent and child, friend and neighbour, rich and poor, and the brighter will be your ' crown of righteousness.' Servants faithful to their earthly masters shall receive the reward of the inheritance at the judgment-seat of Christ. (Col. iii. 24.) It will then appear that it was better to have spoken ' five words ' (i Cor. xiv. 19) for God, than to have spoken ' ten thou- sand words' to make *a fair shew in the flesh' (Gal.vi. 12), and please men; better to have been eloquent for God in the calm silence of a life pointing to Jesus, than to have made earth ring with high-sounding words and world-patching schemes. ' It was not any word that was ever spoken to me,' said an old and oft-approved servant of God to a brother in the Lord, from whom I heard the narrative ; * it was no word that wakened me up from my death of sin, but the moving of a dying man's finger. My mother had often prayed for me, and tried to lead me to Jesus; but I hated God, and when I escaped from her control grew to be a wild sinner and such a bold infidel that all her godly friends were afraid to see me; but, in the providence of God, I was left to w^atch alone by the bedside of a tailor, a poor deformed fellow, when he lay a-dying. He had often spoken to me of Jesus, * SERVING THE LORD. 237 ning nnot . It oise- ythe i and will vants e the ^at of : that : Cor. thou- flesh' i been a life :h ring tching ►ken to ant of horn I •d that 3ut the mother iad me escaped ner and friends ence of iside of he lay f Jesus, but I had never heeded him more than my mother, or anv of the others. When I was nursing him there that day, he plead with me many times to mind my soul, but I was perfectly hard; all he could say had no effe6t. But at last, when the death-rattle was in his throat, and I saw he could speak no longer, he just raised his hand and pointed with his finger to the sky. That stirred me, and I had no rest till Jesus gave me rest' The judgment-seat is coming. Fellow-Chris- tian, no question will be raised there about thy standing, about thy salvation. As to safety thou art already passed from death unto life, and wilt not come into judgment; but as to service, thy works will be judged. The judgment is by fire. Whatsoever stands that trial stands to thy credit — if nothing stands, then thy works will all be lost though thou thyself art saved as by fire. There are two kinds of works — one class symbolized in scripture under the heading of wood, hay, stubble; the other gold, silver, pre- cious stones. Every work is on one side or the other. You will observe that wood, hay, and stubble are greatest in quantity. But it is not quantity that the fire regards; a ton of hay is as easily and as surely burned as a pound. Many in our day have the greatest regard for quantity — great works, much a6tivity. How little the striving after the pure gold, the silver, and the precious stones 1 How mixed is the life-work of the best man I A layer of wood, a grain of /: 238 « GRACE AND TRUTH: mi gold, then a large quantity of hay, then a little silver, plenty of stubble, how few precious stones: but the fire sifts all! At that awful catastrophe at Abergele, where railway carriages and living men and women were burned to ashes, diamonds, gold watches, and silver ornaments were found afterwards among the rubbish. The peer could not be distirguished from the servant; wood could not be separated from bone; but the diamond was still bright, and the gold and silver still precious. What a happ3' day is coming to every Christian! He will be so glad to see in one blaze, as upon one funeral pile, all that in his life ever dishonoured his Lord, or was not done with the single eye: only that will reappear in glory, which was to God s glory here, and he, already glorified, can at that tribunal appreciate nothing but what is in harmony with glory. When at school our great ambition was to be first in the class. Who will be first then of all the class of Christians ? Very different will be God's order then from ou.* order now! The great of earth and preachers (even those who were o^ greatest eminence) perhaps giving place to soine poor old starving widow, or some little child. I am convinced that many of those who are called great and well known and honoured Christians, will in that day, as to reward for the single eye, be far behind some poor, weak, de- spised ones of earth, whose power was in the secret place ^vith God. Gc eous judiiment. judg( ight- lioai SERVING THE LORD: 2.39 to ce of all II be The who place little who oured lor the , de- III the right- Rich Christian, what of thy gold then? will it be accounted stubble in the glory? or art thou exchanging it now into the currency of heaven ? Were I to travel in a foreign land, I could not get on very well with my British money. Even in England those coming from Scotland find it dif- hcult to exchange Scotch notes. Before we go abroad w'e change as much money as we may require into the coin of that realm. Friend, this is for what thy life here is still given: '■ Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unright- eousness, that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations.' So said the Master, and many disciples have wondered and not un- derstood the passage. It is simply ' Exchange your money into the currency of heaven.' ' The mammon of unrighteousness; ' that is to say, in the Jewish economy it was a sign of a righteous man that his basket and store were full, that he had plenty of cattle, that he was rich. Now since Christ's rcje(5lion it is not so. The unrighteous have God's money in this age. The normal lot of the Christian is poverty; nowhere to la}^ the head, since there wms ' no room in the inn ' for the Master. But suppose a man with a large fortune gets converted; what is he to do with this mammon of unrighteousness? Is he to hoard it up and add to it, and die a rich man? Nay. Is he at once and heedlessly to throw it away? Nay. He is to make it his friend. Ex- change it into the coin of heaven. If he waits till he dies, none can be put into his coilin that will arise with him. But there is a method of ./ wmm 240 « GRACE AND TRUTH: sending it on before: the Lord has taught it. How many cups of cold water can it buy? These count, if given with the single eye. How many Bibles and missionaries to the heathen? Ten thousand channels are easily found when wanted. Whatever you do, make your money not your enemy, as it will be if you use it for self, but your friend, so that when you are done with money it may not be done with you, but will be standing to meet you in a new dress, in the gold and silver and precious stones at the throne, in the * Well done ' of the Master. Poor brother, thy poverty is no bar. One talent well used is more than ten abused, and money is but a poor talent. It is not an occasional or periodic earnestness that God desires, but a calm, constant life-long work. A man moving about this world with the Holy Ghost within him, prepared for anything, at every step, by ever}^ look and word, testifying for his Lord, conscious of no effort, but living in calm peace with his Saviour God, in the unhin- dered power of an inner life, in the patient hope of a glory soon to dawn, is the type of God's true servant. His service does not depend on his rank, his circumstances, his position: these are all sub- servient to what the man is. He may be the wealthiest in the world, or have to sweep a street, but his joy in the service is the same. Such will have a natural entrance into the courts above, where the servants serve their Lord day and night. SERVING THE LORD.' 241 O send me forth, my Saviour, O send me for Thy glory, Regarding not the praise of man, And trampling on the fear of man, And fighting for Thy glory. Thy glory. There is a man \rho often stands Between me and Thy glory. His name is self, My carnal self. Self-seeking self. Stands 'twixt me and Thy glory. O mortify him, mortify him. Put him down, my Saviour, Exalt thyself alone : lift high The banner of the cross, And in its folds Conceal the standard-bearer. %s- I Dear fellow-servant, get so accustomed to serve your Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone, that your entrance into glory will not be unnatural, and thus an abundant entrance will be yours. Every child of God, great and small, has a work; his or her own work. A brother in the Lord greatly surprised an old bed-ridden fol- lower of tlie Lord by coming in with a smile to her one day, and saying, — * I've got some work for you to do.' ^Mel what work! what can I do?' * Oh, there's a little district meeting to be started, and you are to have special charge of it in praying about it.' She got deeply interested in the people attend- ing the little meeting, and this work did her and them much good. I saw a young boy conlined to bed one day, and I told him he had a work to 242 « GRACE AND TRUTH: do. He had found Jesus, but he looked a little surprised. *You have to pray and preach,' I said. — He smiled in surprise. — *Yes, you have to pray for those that carry forth the gospel, and you have to lie there and preach sermons to all that come in, sermons on faith, patience, meek- ness, gentleness, adorning on your back, as we on our feet ought to do, the do6lrine of God our Saviour.' The same thought came also from the lips of another young disciple, now in the presence of the Lord, waiting the resurrection beauty in which he will be clothed with all those who have been faithful unto death — who have endured to the end. He said, ^We all must speak for Jesus,' when i*: was suggested that some might be too young to bear testimony to Jesus. Listen to what God says He has done for you^ and then begin to speak and act for God, We all must speak for Jesus, Who hath redemption wrought, Who gave us peace and pardon, Which by His blood He bought. We all tnust speak for Jesiis, To show how much we owe To Him who died to save us From death and endless woe. We all must speak for Jesus, The aged and the young. With manhood's fearless accents — With childhood's lisping tongue. We all must speak for Jesus, His people far and near, — The rich and poor on land or wave ; The peasant and the peer. ' SEE VINQ THE LORD.* 243 ittle i,' I lave and I all sek- we our rom the •lion hose bavc nust ;ome IS. you, We all must speak for JesuSy Where'er our lot may fall, To brothers, sisters, neighbours. In cottage and in hall. We all must speak for Jesus^ The world in darkness lies. With Him against the mighty Together we must rise. We all must speak for Jesus, 'Twill ofttimes try us sore, But streams of grace, to aid us, Into our hearts he'll pour. We all must speak for Jesus, Till He shall come again, Proclaim His glorious gospel, His crown and endless reign. St y udg m ent. Our Reward, * ♦ » DON'T think we can know we are saved till the judgment day.' ^ But it matters very little what we think, for God says that His Bible was written, that we may know that we have eternal life ' (i John v. 13). This is the answer to such a false and absurd statement; God's word was written that we might antedate the judgment day and know its issues now. Do you think that the Apostle Paul, after having been 1800 years with the Lord, is to stand at the judgment duy to know whether he is saved or not? This is most evidently absurd. In John V. 20-30 we get the whole point settled by infinite wisdom. If you have not * passed from death unto life ' down here below, and are thus standing in the rank of those who 'shall not come into judg- ment,' you will be damned to all eternity. As the tree falls it lies. The godly man cries, * Enter not into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified ' (Psalmcxliii.2). Through death and resurrection in Christ, as those who have been judged and justified, we are pre- pared for eternity. From the above mistake, how- ever, some are often inclined to flee to another. 244 JUDGMENT. 245 I * How can I be judged after I am saved ? ' ' But God says we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may re- ceive tbe things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad ' (2 Cor. V. 10), and this is the answer to such a statement. Perfe6lly reconcilable are these two. We shall never be judged as to whether we are saved or lost, but every deed we have done shall be judged, deeds we have forgotten, deeds we did not know we had done. Those who are in Christ shall rejoice to see all their rubbish burned. Only then shall they know what grace has done for them; then they shall receive their rewards. Those not in Christ shall be destroyed with their works. ' If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear.?' We are justified by faith; we are judged accord- ing to our works. Many, even Christians, forget this, and think that because, as to justification, judicially our sins are blotted out, that therefore there will be no judgment. This is most unscriptural. We are saved as to our persons, but we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Our every motive shall then receive its exa6l value. ^ What manner of persons ought we to be?' Is it not pra6lical infidelity on this point that leads Christians often to be careless? Beware I God is not mocked: what- soever a man sows that shall he also reap. I. THE SON OF GOD HEALING. In the beginning of John v. we see the contrast ,.: .51 "0. wmttm ■iMMMMMi M J 246 GRACE AND TRUTH* between the quickening power of Jesus and the weakness of legal ordinance, in the history of the infirm man at the pool of Bethesda, who had the desire for health, but not the power to profit by the occasional means — the angel's visit. To will was present with him, but to perform he could not. How like a man under law: 'But what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,' God did in Jesus. Jesus came to the power- less one, and by His word cured him : * Arise, take up thy bed and walk.' Strength came on the spot. Here is the life manifested now: God manifest in the flesh: the Son of God. II. THE SON OF MAN REJECTED. The Jews, thinking themselves far better than Jesus, sought to kill Him because He wrought on the Sabbath. He showed that God could not rest amid sin and misery, and that He and the Father were one. The Jews sought to kill Him. What a marvel I God manifest in the flesh could become the vi6lim of man's hatred I The Creator submitted to be killed by the creature I Yes ; for He was the Son of Man. Jesus now shows them the whole truth con- cerning the matter. He was not another God, but in full union with the Father; did * nothing of Himself (there cannot be two independent supreme Beings), 'but what He seeth the Father do ; ' and there is nothing that the Father does which He does not show the Son. Christ speaks of Himself as God. He also speaks of JUDGMENT. 247 Himself as in a position to do the Father's will, as the perfe6t servant who can he seen of men. III. JESUS, THE QUICKENER AND JUDGE. To show His glory in so doing, He speaks of two things (verses 21, 22): — 'He quicheneth whom He will ; ' and the Father hath * com- mitted all judgment unto the Son.' As Son of God He gives life; but as Son of Man he may be * rejected,' ' disallowed,' ' disowned," despised,' ' dishonoured; ' therefore, ' the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all (even His rejecters) should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.' If we do not receive Him in grace, we must honour Him by being judged by Him; and all are divided into these two classes. Men have many distindtions in society — high and low, rich and poor, old and young, good, bad, inditferent, very good, very bad; but the great division of mankind before God is into those who have been quickened by Jesus, the Son of God, or who shall come into judgment^ under Jesus, the Son of Man. To which class do you belong? There must be no mistake on this point, for a slip here is fatal for ever. God has left no doubt about the means of knowing it. He has given us a perfect test by which we may know infallibly, emphasised by a double '-verily'^ from the mouth of Incarnate Truth. 248 « GRACE AND TRUTH.* -'if I IV. EVERY BELIEVER HATH EVERLASTING LIFE. * Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth Him who sent me, hath everlasting life.' * He that heareth my word.' This is the word that brought order out of chaos, light out of darkness. This is the word that made myriads of stars revolve around their centres. This is the word that formed man and beast, and tree and rock, that formed * the sea ' and the ' dry land.' This is the word that Jairus' daughter heard as she lay on her couch in the sleep of death. This is the word that the son of the weeping widow heard at N lin's gate, as he was being carried out on his bit This is the word that Lazarus heard iis he lay rotting in his tomb, and hearing, came forth a living man. Whosoever now hears that word, and trusts that Father who sent Jesus, by believing this life-giving word, ^ hath everlasting life.^ Anxious soul, you have often said, Would that I could see Him with these eyes, I would draw from Him one v ord that would give me life. Would that I could see Him walking past my door, I would rush out and grasp His robe and be healed, as the poor woman was who touched His garment. Yes, but is His word not the same now, and far more important to us? — that blessed Word which His Spirit of truth has written about Him, and whispers into your soul con- cerning Him.? For say not in thine heart who shall ascend up into heaven to bring Christ down? He has come down; or who shall de- ii JUDGMENT. 249 scend to the grave to bring Him up ? He is risen, He is gone above. But His word is in thy mouth and in thy heart, and will it not satisfy you — His word, which is nigh to you, close to yoii, * the word of salvation which we preach ? ' ' Hear, and your soul shall live/ What a con- tradiction! Can metaphysics explain it? Can man's reason fathom it? Yet we bclieye it. Man's line is too short for man's need, but he that believeth ^ Jiath everlasting life? It is not a life on probation (as Adam's, which could be lost), but everlasting life, Jesus' own life; for it is ' no longer I, but Christ that liveth in me? It is not that he shall have, but * hath.' It is not the prom- ise of a future blessing after the last day, but the gift and present possession o( life now! Heareth, believeth, hath: what a gospel for poor dead sin- ners ! We need no longer wait at ' pools,' for Jesus has come down; ^o longer do we seek and are unable to find, for He has come ' to seek and to save ' the lost. lie has come to undertake for those that are * without strength.' What dis- honour then, can there be like doubting His * WORD I ' The devil says, Dare you believe such good news? The Holy Ghost says, Dare you doubt it? The devil says. It would be presump- tion to hear His word, as if it were for you. The Holy Ghost says that it is just for you, and it would be the highest presumption, and a resist- ing of Him, to stop your ears. V. BEYOND DEATH AND JUDGMENT NOW. - Besides having life, he that ^ heareth and be- f y mmmiMt^ 250 'GRACE AND TRUTH: lieveth ' has something more. * He shall not come into jzidgm^nt^ (It is the same word in the Greek as at verse 22, and should be so trans- lated.) Why? Because *'He is 'passed from death tmto life^ The everlasting life that we in believing get is a life in resurrection: life in a risen Christ. What a wonderful truth from Jesus' own lips! * Shall not come into judgment,' as touching my guilt, my sins, my standing as a living man descended from the first Adam, but reckoned as condemned,judged, dead, buried, and now alive ' unto God,' already in Christ, on resur- re6lion ground. This in no way interferes with our appearance as Christians before the tribunal of Christ (i Cor. v.), for judgment concerning our a6lions as believers; where we shall get reward, according to the just judgment of our Lord and Master — a most blessed, solemn, and sanctifying thought; but it places the believer, as to his standing, on new ground, bej^ond the judgment of sin, beyond its doom, beyond his death, in a new life, in which he can now serve God, in w4iich he can stand with joy at that tribunal. How different is God's religion from man's no- tions of it I Man thinks that God's religion is at best a mere preparation for death and judgment; whereas our blessed Teacher shews us, in this *word' of His, that it is a life beyond death and beyond Judg'ment ! Christian, stand up alive unto God. Start up from thy sleep a living man. Thou shalt not come into judgment, but art passed from death unto life. AH hearers of His word, who trust in Him, have this immunity, whether JUDGMENT. 251 they realise it or not. Jesus' word has settled all, and it is blasphemy to doubt it. Have you heard Him speak? You may have heard men preach the gospel. Have you really heard good new^s for yourself from God Himself.? VI. THE TW^O HOURS. Jesus in the fifth chapter of John points to two PERIODS in which His power would be mani- fested, and speaks of the two classes of people on whom that power would be displayed. * The hour is coming, :md now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the So7t of God^ and they that hear shall live.' Man was dead spiritually by sin, he is dead in sin, and Jesus came and quickened him. The hour was then^ and is going on still, in which He is causing the dead to hear His voice and live. Thousands have been saved in this hour by hearing the voice of the Son of God. For the Father hath given Jesus as the Son of God manifested here in the flesh ' to have life in Him- self; ' ' for,' said John, ' the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.' But all do not wish to receive Him, all will not hear Him; the most part reje6l, disown, cast Him out. To meet this state of things, the Father ' hath given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man' * As * Son of Man,' He was despised and dis- honoured; as ^ Son of Man,' He shall claim His MMMM MM 252 ' GRACE AND TRUTH.* kingdom; as * Son of Man,' He shall 'execute judgment upon His rejectors ; ' as ' Son of Man,' all nations shall be gathered before Him for judg- ment; as * Son of Man,' He shall break His foes with a rod of iron; as *Son of Man,' He shall * reign in righteousness;' as * Son of Man,' He shall sit on the * great white throne,' and before Him shall stand, * the dead, small and great' Grace, love, mercy, pity, pardon, life, having all been reje6led, what now \z left but wrath, de- stru6tion, vengeance, judgment, death? 'The Sen of Man ' — Jesus of Nazareth — the King of the Jews, shall then be on the throne, not on the cross; and not in Hebrew and Greek and Latin only will this be known, but all men of every tongue shall honour Him hs they honour the Father, and shall own as King pf kings and Lord jf lords this ' Son of Man.' * Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they diat have done evil unto the resurre6lion of judgment.' In the first hour, which has already lasted up- wards of 1800 years, the dead in trespasses and sins have been getting life; the other hour is not yet come, but in it two things will happen. Those that have done good shall be quickened to a resur- re6lion of life — the quickening work of the Son of God being then, and not till then, perfe6lly completed — He being * the Omega,' as well as ' the Alpha.' Those that have done evil shall also be raised, but to a resurrection of judgment JUDGMENT. 253 — which, in their case shall certainly be eternal damnation. The whole line of thoughts is judg- ment (it is the same word as in verses 22 and 24), a judgment not of two Gods but of the one God, who has but one mind, one will, one judg- ment, though a6ting in different persons. All men, saved or lost, shall rise, because Christ is risen. Reader, in which resurredlion wili thou share, that of life or of judgment? Wilt thou listen to the * Son of God,' pr dost thou await the judgment of the 'Son of Man?' ,Now is the time of passing from off the judgment ground through thy death into His life. There will be no change after thy spirit has left thy body. Now^ this moment, as thou readest this line, pause and ask, Have I passed from death unto life? If not, hear His voice at this moment; believe His Father's love-message, whilst thou hearest '-His word,' * God so loved the world"* ('a term co-extensive with its rational and accountable generations') ' that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever ' (of all the dead, ruined, God-hating siimers in it) 'bclieveth in Him should not perish, but have e\crlasting life.' * This* man receiveth si7iners^ ' a designation that miwues no one individual of the species.' That thou art not already in hell is due only to the tolerance of ^hat God ag;iinsl whom thou daily sinnest This is the hour of grace, of life, of pardon: the next hour must be the hour of vengcajice, of judgment, of wrath. Sooner or later thou wilt know these t-ealities. If you get \ J 254 • a RAGE ANB TRUTH: into heaven at all, it must be by hearing His word and believing Him. Then, why not now? Are you afraid of making sure of being in heaven too soon ? It is heaven on earth, if you knew it, to be alive in a living Christ. Why not antedate your heaven by beginning it now, even if you knew your hour would lengthen out ever so long? * In Christ all are made alive.' But what a difference in the doom of the two classes who are made alive by Him! One is made alive because His Spirit dwells in them, the other because He is the powerful judge that condemns them to the lake of fire for ever. VII. THE BOOK CLOSED AND OPENED. In Isa. Ixi. i, we read, *The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to the bound. To proclaim the ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LoRD, and the day of vengean of our God. And in Luke iv, i8, when Jesus in the synagogue applied this to Himself, He finishes with ^the acceptable year of the Lord.' He does not go on to say, ' the day of vengeance of our God;' but it is written, * He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister, and sat down.' What a gospel is in that omission I On it has been hung the for- bearance of these eighteen centuries. What love, what long-suffering, is in that word, * He closed the book, that book which spoke of ven- JUDGMENT. 255 geance. The proclamation in this hour is, *the acceptable year of the Lord' — grace, life from the Son of God ; but what a dav that will be when the book is opened, ^ the day of vengeance of our God,' the execution of the judgment of the Son of Man I In Rev. V. we see the acceptable year has re- volved, the redeemed, worshipping, praising elders are gathered around Himself, and now the book is brought forward, and one of the elders says, ' Behold the lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book^ and to loose the seven seals thereof This is the book of terrible wrath, the opening of the seals of which inaugurates fearfuh. judgment upon a Christ-rejedling world. Wilt thou be under the vials of wrath, or wilt thou hear of life ? ' The book' is closed as yet. He has handed it to His servants; He has left them to proclaim His grace. His gospel, and He has sat down waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. What a gospel ! A closed book of vengeance, an open heaven, a preached gospel, a seated Christ, life from the Son of God I What a day is coming! An open book of wrath, the door of mercy shut, no more room, a risen Christ, judgment executed by the Son of Man! Let me, in conclusion, place before you the teaching of Scripture concerning judgment as to a believer. There is, ist, THE Judgment of Sin. This was at Calvary when Christ stood in the 256 * GRACE AND TRUTH.* place of the sinner, putting away sin by the sacri- fice of Himself. He was made sin for us. baie our sins in His own body on the rree, was wounded for our transgressions, was bruised for our iniquities, when God laid our iniquities on H im. This was when He cried, ' My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me ? ' That was for us. When we believe in Him this judgment can never alight on us. If we reje6t Him, this will be our doom in an eternal hell. It is this judg- ment spoken of in the passage above that the be- liever is beyond. He is no longer a convi6t. He is a son. He has not to meet the sentence of a judge. He is under the authority and discipline of his Father, and as such he will be judged; but how great the difference! He will not be judged to see whether he is a convidt or a son; he will be judged as a son, for there is, 2d, THE Judgment-seat of Christ. * We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ' Every Christian will render his ac- count of everything he has done, every va n and idle word, every idle a6lion, ever}' deceit ne has pra6lised. Christian merchant, every trick of trade will then appear. Christian lady, every little polite lie will appear then. WhentV t lady came to see you yesterday, you remarket, v^hen you saw her coming, * Oh! here is that . - ' - able person, I wonder she comes here; ' and vvijen you went into your drawing-room, with a smile you said to her, * Oh I Pm so glad to see you.' — And you were not. — It was a lie. JUDGMENT. 257 Every one will suffer loss in as far as he has adled against his Lord's mind. Be ye holy for I am holy. Nothing will stand then but that which has proceeded from the new nature which is holy. Our wisdom, in prospe6l of that day of rewards, is to starve the old man and feed the new; tc mortify the members which are upon the earth; to reproduce Christ in our daily life, since we have received Christ our everlasting life; to walk in the exhibition of that grace and truth which we have received; to adorfi (we cannot make it true or false, but we can adorn) the dofeced us beyond judgment; truth will give exa6l re- wards to us as sons when we shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in that day of judg- ment, and made perfectly blessed in the full en- joying of God to all eternity. And then, in the 258 * GRA CE AND TR UTH. ' endless ages, the eternal day of God, when God is all and all, we shall be the brightest specimens of the righteousness and truth of God, and we shall also show in these ages to come * the ex- ceeding riches of His grace.* Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Grace and truth are now preached and ex- hibited in the conversion and walk of the Chris- tian. Grace and truth shall be fully manifested, and their power fully known to us as the glorified of the Lord, only at the glorious tribunal of Christ, and then for evermore. Stand up from among the dead, and pa- tiently work as one -waiting' for the judgment- seat of Christ, « 'Tis first the true and then the beautiful, Not first the beautiful and then the true ; First the wild moor with rock, and reed, and pool, Then the gay garden rich in scent and hue. 'Tis first the good and then the beautiful, Not first the beautiful and then the good ; First the rough seed sown in the rougher soil, Then the flower blossom or the branching wood. Not first the glad and then the sorrowful, But first the sorrowful and then the glad ; Tears for a day : for earth of tears is full, Then we forget that we were ever sad. Not first the bright, and after that the dark, But first the dark, and after that the bright ; First tlie thick cloud, and then the rainbow's arc. First the dark grave, then resurrection light. 'Tis first the night — stern night of storm and war, Long night of heavy clouds, and veil