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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent wtre filmis d des taux de rMuction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour itre reprodu^t en un seul clich6, il est film6 A partir de I'angis supArieur gauche, de gauche h droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants IMustrent la mtthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 \ V I GOD'S ETERNAL .3 , •,■'">= PURPOSE. ■; lis-. 'i' -;/>^'(t-., •v -'A i... ■ . ■ i . ^ REV. W. McOREQOR Barton, Digby County, N. S. COPYRIGHTED, * , SECOND EDITION— REVISED and ENLARGED. 1 1 ST. JOHN, N. B, PATKRSON .t CO., ELKCTRICAT, PRINTERS f * MASONIC TEMPI^R. ■-:-'A a • J . . .■ . Prefa< Introc IThe D| aJ Entered according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year 1895, by Rev. W. McGreoor, in the office of the Minister of Agriculture, CONTENTS. Preface . Introduction I The Divine Purpose. Its Plan. Its Execution. A. The Purpose. B. The Plan. C. The Execution. Chap, I. II. III. IV. V. 3 5 The Creation of Angels . . .13 The Creation of Heaven and Earth . . 16 The Creation of Mankind — Permission of Sin 25 The Revelation of the Divine Purpose . 31 The Salvation of Abel ; The Translation of Enoch ; The Preservation of Noah . . 36 The Establishment of the Worship of God . 42 The Assumption of Human Nature b)' the Saviour Second Person in the Trinity or Ivord's First Advent . . . . .48 VIIT. The Advent of the Holy Spirit, and His Work 72 VI. VII. IX. X. XI. XII. xrii. Organization of the Church. Predestination Revivals Money as Employed in Effecting the Di- vine Purpose The Word of God • as a Means of Carrying out the Dcvsign The Means of Grace. Institution of the Sabbath XIV. The Lord's Second Coming. Raising the Dead. Changing the Living. Judging the Race. Creating New Heavens and Earth XV. The Complete, Perfected, Eternal Result. 85 97 108 "5 12 134 148 / 5- C H PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION The way in which the following was appreciated when delivered in the form of sermons, with a hint that it might prove acceptable to the public, induced us to issue our first edition. The patronage accorded to it by an appriciative and generous class, has encouraged us to print a second, with an attempt to improve and enlarge. Yet in this age of books we have to condense in order to be read. We do not expect ail to endorse our views ; yet, if our, not infallible readers, and we differ, we believe they have religious prin- ciple enough to agree to do so ; piety enough to allow liberty of conscience, and wisdom enough to investigate where the error is, before pronouncing judgment Whoever conquers us with the Truth, makes us conquerors. Yet Lynch law is sometimes resorted to in the lyiterary, as well as Civil, realm. It 's very much wiser and more reasonable and Christianlike to investigate the truthfulness of one's statements than to declare them false ; professed religious, as well as scientific philosophers, have been in error, are now, and may be in the future. The book, however, is un- denominational ; but few, if any, controverted points dis- cussed. We have endeavored to find authority in "The Book of God and the god of books," for what we say. We have always had two objects in view in the acc^uisi- tion of instruction from this inexhaustible mine of spiritual wealth, as well as from other sources, viz., the benefit of otherr as well as ourselves. When we are gone, if God wills, we would leave a scrap behind that He can use for His glory and man's good. If the effort shall be blessed by the Head of the Church in sanctifying saints and sinners, to any extent, and so we be permitted to fall in line, in that degree with His Eternal Purpose, we shall be satisfied and thankful. " Here we raise our Ebenezer Hitherto by Thy help we've come And we hope by Thy good pleasure Safely to arrive 3t home." ION ted when it might : our first jpriciative a second, his age of We do not infallible LOUS prin- i to allow nvestigate Whoever rors. Yet y, as well easonable of one's religious, error, are ^er, is un- oints dis- in "The ay. i ac^uisi- f spintual benefit of !, if God n use for le Church tid so we J Eternal God's Eternal Purpose. INTKOIJ LJCXIOX. In the following pages we endeavor to take a com- prehensive, yet brief, view ofCiod's works of creation and redemption ; together with Mis superintending Providence in accomplishing His eternal purpose. God is an uncreated, self-existing, infinite IJeing. He is ever active, not only in His chief work — redemp- tion—but in upholding the stupendous fabric of creation ; and, for augliL we know, bringing other worlds, and inhabitants, into existence. " My father worketh hitherto, and I work ;"" John 5 : 17. He has not wound up the universe, as we do a watch, and then left it ; but >still, by the omnipotent energy by which He created all things, projected the planets in their orbits, and maintains the suns in their positions, sustains and reg- ulates the whole. His presence permeates immensity. We learn this, and much more, from the revelation this great an^ gracious Being has made to the inhabi- tants of this planet in the sacred Scriptures ; although He has not in tlie Bible informed us of the full exten ■ 6 god's eternal purpose. of creation, the Book being rather an account of 1 1 is redemptive than creative work. We study and pray that we may be guided by its light in the following pages. We intend, as far as God may enable us, for His glory and the good of our readers, to write of the Divine Purpose, its Plan and Execution, as revealed in its varied developments in His Word and Works, as seen in Creation and Providence ; meaning by Provi- dence, His greater work of redemption. We hope that it may prove pleasant and profitable, edifying and delightful, as we see the hand of our Maker and Benetactor in what is transpiring about us ; and while doing so, adore and worship Him in the great temple of the universe. Such employment is suited to the occasion, and worthy of man. We are apt to forget that "in Iliin we live, move and have our being." Acts 1 7 : 28. " Above, below, where'er we gaze, Thy guiding finger Lortl we view ; Traced in the midnight planet's bla/e. Or glistening in the morning dew ; What'er is beautiful or i r. Is but thine own reflection there." THE DIVINE PURPOSE, ITS PLAN AND EXECUTION'. A. The Purpose. "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the (ientiles the unsearchable riches of Christ ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus ChrivSt ; to the ^*::f?vi. ra,'>»^^'* : of His nd pra^- )llowing: for His of the ealed in )rks, as ' Provi- )pe that ng and er and d while temple to the forget )eing.'" lox. saints, ig the • make \stery. ^n hid to the (l(Jl)'S KTKRNAI^ ITHPOSK. 7 intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known, by the church, the manifold wUdom of Clod, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord : " Kph. 3:H-N From these words of inspiration we learn what (iod'a Kteruiil Purpose is, viz: To have made known unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, by or through the Church, (by in the Authorized and through in the Revised Version) the manifold wisdom of (iod ; through her, as His wisdom, in harmony with the other Divine perfections is exhibited in her complete and eternal redemption, and by her, as she now, and we believe will fonver, make this wisdom known unto them ; numilbld, becauvse it harmonizes with all the other Divine attributes, justice, power, etc. This sublime purpose includes in it, the creation of many, if not all things ; the use of means for its accomplishment ; a providential government ; and the permission of sin; Col. i : 11-16. The church will consist of an innumerable multitude of our sinful race, regenerated, sanctified and glorified in body and spirit forever, occupying new heavens and a new earth, Rev. 7:9, 2 Peter 3:13. vShe is being built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit, upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ //imse/fhrnng the chief corner stone. Eph. 2 : 19-22. We should like to say when the splendid edifice is completed, not only that we form a part of it, having while on this earth, been lively stones offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ : I Peter 2:5; but that we helped in its erection. The 8 (ion's IvTKUNAI, riUI'OSlv. finpcrors, kings and (jnccns of this world will he insignificant compared with the bnilder who has done the least. " On grovcUini^ kin/^s of varth, . With ])ity wc look (low n, A claim in virtue of our birth. A never fading crown." vSo also with the Rothschilds, (ioulds and N'ander- hilts ifthe\' employ not their wealth in building this temple. Who, how many, and what, these principalities and i)owers are ; and how many of them (iod may yet create, we may not know while in the church militant ; but to them, (lod would make known His manifold wisdom, that being the principle thing connected with His Turpo.se ; these principalities and powers, no doubt, knowing more of that than we, because it concerns them ; we knowing more of the work of redeeming love, because it concerns us. " Angels desire to look into these things" i Peter i : 12. There was a multitude of the heavenly host i)re.sent at the birth of Christ. Certainly iCC should be greatly interested ; for it is />v the church, as well as through it — and we profess to be members of it — that C.od is making these di,splays, and our eternal destinies hang on our relations to her. W^hen the work is finished, and the Christians forever shining like the sun in the kingdom of their Father, it will be known that the redemption of the Church is a greater undertaking than the creation of the worlds, they being inanimate, irrational and .senseless, while the members of Christ 's mystical body are possessed of immortality, a will, con.science and affections ; and this (loi) s i:'n:HN.\i, itki'osi:. 9 new creation of falle'* man is now heinjj^ carried on. and jjjreat as it is, the souls that are dead in sin perceive it not. This pnrpose is eternal ; it ninst have always heen in the Divine mind, for He could not chanj^e to form it ; it always will be. for He cannot chanjj^e to have it otherwise. Of how great moment it must be then. When completed, when the last .stone of the church is laid, she will be a monument of God's infinite skill forever, altogether worthy of the Divine Author. Ik- wants an intelligent unixerse to become accpiainted with these things ; and a pleasing thought connected with the whole is: "God is love," 1 John 4 : (S-16. His works declare it as well as His word. He is not justice, although just ; not power, although ])owerful. Love is the actor in affecting the jnirposc ; justice, etc.. are but the attributes of love. n. The riau. God has planned His work in the eternal councils of the Trinity, just as the wi.sdoni with which He has endowed man guides him to ])lan for house i.nilding. etc. The heather originates redemption ; the vSou procur*^ ^ it ; the vSpirit dispen.ses it ; while the ])rincipalities a.. . powers adore ; we being the recipients of the astonisli- ing grace, and joining, in .some humble measure, in the celebration of His praise. He has revealed Himself as subsi.sting in tiiree di.stinct personalities. \'et one (jod. vSt. Patrick's illUvStration ( f the three leafed clo^ er, with but one stock, serves very well to con y the idt -i. As when making man He said : Let u, make ma ; in our own image ; ' ' ;'■:.* lO god's eternal purpose. Gen. I : 26, so in our redemption, or new creation, the same triune God is engaged ; the deep design being devised and executed by the Father, Son and Holy- Spirit. From the general tenor of Scripture teaching, the plan is the following : Viewing the end from the beginning, foreseeing the guilt, moral corruption and consequent ruin of man by disobedience to his Maker, and his exposure to the Divine displeasure forever, as well as bis forfeiture of Heaven, God determined to sustain the Divine government by the ensuing method : The Father agreed to give His only Son to suffer the penalty of sin as our substitute: "God lO loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son," etc., John 3:16. He also engages to give His Son, in virtue of His work as Mediator, an innumerable multitude of the lost race, John 17:9, Rev. 7 : 9. The Father also covenants to draw them to Christ that they may be the recipients of eternal life through Him, John 6 : 44, and 10 : 28, also Isaiah 53 : lo-ii. These compose the Church hy and through which the manifold wisdom of God IS made known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places. " Hail sovereign love that first began The scheme to rescue fallen man ; Hnil matchless, free, eternal grace. That found my soul a hiding place. ' ' The Son of God .stipulates to leave the glory that He had with the Father, come to dwell upon His foot- stool, as.siime the nature of the offender, and in it expiate the guilt of our crimes by becoming obedient in life, and iinto death. He undertook to fill three H "*.*:' ,y^' (rOD'S ETKRNAIv PURPOSE. I I on, the being 1 Holy ng, the )m the on and Maker, ;ver. as ned to ethod: Fer the ed the " etc., virtue ;ude of er also be the 6 : 44, )se the iom of ^'ers in ' that foot- in it dient three offices in the interests ^^^ those the Father gave Him — a prophet to teach them, a priest to atone and intercede in their behalf, and a king to subdue them to Himself by omnipotent grace, to save and defend them from all their enemies, to reign over them, and bring them, souls and bodies, to be with Himself forever ; upon the duties of which offices He entered as soon as man sinned, John 17 : 5 ; John i : 14 ; Phil. 2:8; Deut. 18 : 18 ; Psalm no : 4 ; Psalm 2:6., etc. How amazing " That God's eternal Son should bear To take a mortal form ; Made lower than the angels are, To save a dying worm." From the way in which the Scriptures and experi- ence teach us how the Holy Spirit officiates in executing His part of the plan, the Third person of the sacred Three agreed to regenerate the hearts, renovate the nature and thus reform the lives of the redeemed, John 3 : 3-7 and 16 : 8, Titus 3:5. In Rom. 8 : r i, we learn that He vshall also quicken the bodies of the saints ; and very likely He will glorify iheni, fashioning them like unto Christ's glorious body. It will be the voice of Christ that the dead .shall hear, but it will be the Spirit who will quicken. Thus the Church shall shine forever like the vSon in the kingdom of their Father, and be the admired of the Heavenly lio.st as they behold the manifold wisdom of (iod in her glorification. " Kttnial Spirit we c(!iife.ss And sing the wonders of thy grace ; Thy power conveys our blessing down, From God the Father and the Son." Thus the plan was formed by the triune God. "J ' •--i, ■'■■ T2 (ion's KTERNAIy PUUPOSK. Divines designate it the "Covenant of Grace. " We- are saved by the grace of the Father, thf, grace of the Son and the grace of the Holy Spirit, Eph. 2 : 8. We cordially recommend the study of this epistle of Paul to the I\phesian Church to all you'^g converts ; it was penned to a newly converted people ; hence our love for it when first regenerated. Real also John's, epistle to tlie same Church, as recorded in Rev. 2 : 1-7, and be warned. The candlCvStick, — the church — is removed from ICphesus, although both these apostles had been pastors there. " Grace first contrived a way To save rebellious man ; And all the steps that grace display Which drew the wondrous plan." Through this plan God is making vicious 'ouls- virtuous, and the world should not exact anything m.orG: of Christianity ; this with its concomitants, is the great mirach of the ages. C. Ihe Execution of the Eternal Purpose. (iod has begun, is carrying on, and will complete His Purpose, 'l^liere are several steps, some of which we would trace, in the development of this glorious design : we intend to begin with the angels, whether God began there, or created the principalities and powers to wliom Ilis inlinite wisdom is being displayed. we cannot tell. Rea.son would say that the principali- ties, etc., were created first. As we proceed, let us bear in mind that this is a great chain of events, and that each event — each object one link in it ; thus, it wi each link in its own place in the chai brought into existence, is but )e more interesting. Keeps I I I n. -■-. '"-■■■■" j*^/t.-t. I 'y; COD S ICTKUNAK IMUPOSlv. ,> ice." .We ace of the : 8. ^is epistle convertvS ; hence our .so John's. V. 2 : [-7. urch — is. : apostles. ms 5ouls. ing more the great complete of which glorious whether ies and .splayed, incipali- ; us bear :ncl that i, is but . Keep* a' CHAPTER I. 7'Ai' Creation of Angels. The question naturally arises, what have angels to do in connection with the Divine Purpo.se? (iod's Purpose is : " To make known unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places His manifold wi.sdom as it is exhibited in the salvation of an innumerable multitude of Adam's race ; and the angels are mini.ster- ing .spirits to these heirs of salvation," Heb. i : 14. In bringing them into being, then, by His omnipotent creative energy, He had an eye to the accomplishment of His design. He .saw they would be very useful as officers of the Divine government in connection with the mediatorial kingdom. What are they engaged in ? for the work is now going forward. [. One means by which (iod accompli.shes the work of redemption, the work where His manifoM wisdom is most displayed, is by the ministry of His Law : The Law is our school-master to bring us to Christ, (ial. 3 : 34. The law convicts us of sin, proves us guilty, causing us to fee/ our need of Christ, the only refuge from its curse. Von and I must come to Christ in order to be saved — to obtain a righteousness hat the law will be satisfied with — "the righteousness of a man who never sinned" — and the law is the means employed by the Divine Spirit thus to bring us to Chri.st. Now it was given by the disposition of angels. Acts 7 : 53 ; moreover, " It was ordained by angels in rt-- ^m^ u god's eternal purpose. I! the hands of a mediator," Gal. 3 : 19 : so that in this respect their creation formed a link in the chain of the Divine Purpose. You and I must preach the Law then as well as the Gospel. The believer can say : *' Free from the law, Oh happy condition, Jesus has died and there is remission." 2. Again : They wait on Christ. There was a multitude of them present at the time of His birth : "Let all the angels of God worship Him," was the ■command when the first Begotten was brought into the world, Heb. i : 6. Angels ministered to Him after His temptation, Matt. 4:11. An angel strengthened Him in Gethsemane, Luke 22 : 43. They were busied at the time of His resurrection, Luke 24 : 4. They attended Him when He ascended. Psalm 68 : 17, and Acts 1 : 10. When He comes to judge the world the angels are to be there to aSvSist at the great a.ssize, Matt. 25 : 31. 3. They wait on the heirs of salvation. Angels hastened Lot out of Sodom, Gen. 19 : 15. God sent an angel to close the lion's mouths in defence of Daniel, Dan. 6 : 22. "The angel of the Ivord encampeth round about them that fear Him to deliver them." Psalms 34 : 7. Believers "angels always behold the face of the P'ather in heaven," Matt. i(S : 10. Not only in life, but in death, they wait on the saints. They carried La/.arns to Abraham's bosom, Luke 16 : 22. Doubtless they were created for these ends, and it may he others. These passages are enough for our present purpose ; indeed one such inspired text is sufiicient ; and fully demonstrates that these invisible, celestial spirits, wait upon the Redeemer and the redeemed. Their creation COn'vS RTERNAI, PURPOSK. 15 that in this chain of the is well as the ion, >> rhere was a f His birth : n," was the ight into the im after His :thened Him )usied at the ley attended I Acts 1 : 10. els are to be 31. )n. Angels rxod sent an e of Daniel, encampeth ver them." behold the Not only Snls. They ikc 16 : 22. and it may nt purpose ; and fully pirits, wait eir creation is evidently a development of the Divine Purpose, and immediately connected with it. If our reader is a believer, you have at least one of these celestial messengers attending you. How many [dangers they shield us from we may not know in this tlife ; we believe we vshall in the next. Do you not feel m affection for them? Love is God's law for all His [intelligent creatures ; doubtless they are actuated by it in the discharge of the duties of their benevolent mission. * ' He shall give His angels charge concerning thee, to keep thee in all thy ways, Psalm 91 : 11. f Mr. Scott, a pious brother of the celebrated com- ■ nientator of that name, dreamt that he sickened and I'died ; and while his spirit was gazing upon his relatives I weeping over his lifeless body, an angel took him by fthe hand and escorted him to a large mansion ; among other things he showed him a picture of an incident -that had occurred in his boyhood. He had been riding on horseback, and the horse having run away, he fell, but an angel ''aught him in his arms and prevented injury to him. When Mr. Scott awoke he recollected the incident, but of counse had no knowledge of the 4 angel's presence and assistance. i If you are not a ChrivStian may there soon be i rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over yon ^-repenting, Lake 15 : lo. I nH<-f_ ■ i6 god's kteunai, ihjrpcx-;k. CHAPTER II. T/ie Crcatio7i of the Heaven and Earth. This appears to be the second hnk in the chain of wonders necessary to accomplish the Divine Purpose. That the angels were created first is evident from Job 38 : 4-7. " Tn the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," Gen. 1:1. The}' are the amphitheatre; (iod and man the actors, principalities and powers being the spectators. We also, while performing our part, can gaze on the scene and admire. A grand panorama is being presented to those who can see it. Not every world is favored with such an exhibition of Deity as this one. May we be able to realize it ; ice may behold this wivSdom with them, as well as be re- deemed by its exercise. Probably this revelation ot the Supreme Being will subserve all the Divine purposes forever. What angels, etc. , are created for, is really more interesting than their creation ; each is great, as it forms a part, of a great whole. There is a moral pleasure in the contemplation of such a theme. Imagine the inhabitants of a planet for a congregation, the story of redemption by the grace of God being a fitting one to them ; yea worthy of being told to all the principali- ties and powers in the heavenly places forever tlie\- singing individually and collectively : "Tell me the old, old story Because I know 'tis true, It satisfies my longings As nothing else can do." ' ' And God made two great lights ; the greater light to rule the day, and the leSvSer light to rule the night. He made the stars also," Gen. i : 16. " The heaven " may mean but the fir.st, for there arc three spoken of in the Scriptures, especially as they are devoted to- cod's HTICU s'AI, prHi'osi:. u-ih. ;he chain of le Purpose, ident from eaveiis and phitheatre ; md powers arming our A grand can see it. :hibition of lize it ; ivc 11 as be re- ition ot the e purposes is really s great, as s a moral Imagine the stor\- tting one )rincipali- ver the\- ater light he night, heaven " poken of ivoted to- giving us a history of the redemption of the inhabitants of this planet, rather than a trestise on science. The other heavens are mentioned, and it is to those in heavenly places that the manifold wisdom of (iod is made known as .seen in our salvation. We have .seen that the angels were created ])rior to the heaven and the earth. From a human standpoint (iod was looking a long way ahead when the angels, etc., were brought into being. The creation of the heaven and the earth subser\e a very important preparatory part in effecting the Divine Purpose. They are the arena where the stu])end{)us drama of lunran redemption is enacted — the workshop where Cod matures the deep design. All the Divine perfections are brought into harmonious requisition in the execution of the work, while the ])rincipalities and powers in the heavenly places behold with ceaseless admiration the manifold wisdom (iod displayed therein. They are a congregation of wor- shippers, (lod is the great Architect in the creation of the gloriou.4 palace, the Church, for an habitation for Himself through the vSpirit, I'^ph. 2 : 19-22. Human beings, souls and bodies, are the material, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Him self hiixwg the chief corner stone, 1 Peter 2 : 5. /. The Creation of the Heavens. The vScriptures speak of three heavens. Paul was caught up to the third, 2 Cor. 12:2. We will now glance very briefly at their creation as links in the chain of the Divine work. (/.) Hie First Heaven, The lir.st heaven is the air surrounding our planet ; extending upwards to a distance of about 45 miles, hence the birds of heaven, Jer. 4 : 25 ; the clouds of heaven, Dan. 7 : 13 ; and the dew of heaven, Dan. 4 : 13. Also the lyord said unto Moses, when giving the law from Sinai : "Ye have seen that I talked with you from heaven, '' Kxod. 20 : 22. Man lives /;/ the first I! 18 (lOI) S KTERNAI, PURPO.SK. heaven as well as on the earth ; it is the atmosphere we breathe — indispensible to our existence. Its creation, then,, is preparatory to the work — is, so to speak, a part of the .scaffolding for the erection of the royal palace — the Church — and so included in the design. '• Let heaven arise, let earth appear, Said the Almighty Lord ; The heaven arose, the earth appeared. At His creating word." Tlic first heaven might be one of the places from- which the principalities and powers are viewing the work of (lod in the economy of human redemption, and' the work of man, as long as he remains on earth, after his regeneration. We suppose, however the manifold wisdom of Ood will shine more conspicuously in the kingdom of glory than in the kingdom of grace ; and after the completion of the whole more than any time prior to that epoch. The enemies of Christ and His Church, termed principalities, powers, etc., in Eph. 6: 12, are in the first heaven beyond a do.ibt ; satan himself being the prince of the power of the air, and the tormentor of Job, Job 1 : 7, 12, 19, and 2 : 2, 6, 7, and wh\' not the principalities, etc., spoken of in our text. The angels are here ministering to the heirs of sal vation, Heb, 1:14. The passage in Heb. 12 : 22 seems to mean that when we become identified with the Church of Christ by regeneration and baptism we have come to an innumerable company of angels, and to the spirits of the just made perfect, that is the departed Christians, who, apparently, are in the first heaven ; at least by times ; maybe particularly when we as.semble for Ood \s. worship. Thus part of the church is militant, in the body, and the other triumphant, and abvSent from it. " One family, we dwell in Him, (>ne church above, beneath, Though now divided by the stream — The narrow stream of death." 1 I !' ^^ a ; - . - ,att{. ' a eaacajr (U)D'S KTEKNAI. I'UKPOSK. ic> atmosphere we Its creation, o to speak, a of the royal the design. -d, places from- viewing the Miiption, and' 1 earth, after he manifold Hisly in the f" grace; and an any time ist and His n Eph. 6: 1 2. tan himself r. and the 2. 6, 7, and n our text, f salvation, ms to mean Church of come to an i sp/n/s of ^'hristians. It least b\' ^forOod's int, in the rom it. And on/v by that narrow .stream ; or, in other words, the veil of our flesh. Our flesh is the veil that separates us. Lord help us to acquit ourselves as in the presence of this innum- erable company as well as in thine, Heb. 12:1, 22-24. ' • Behold what witnesses unseen Encompass us around ; Men once like us, with sufferings tried. But now with glory crowned." The spirits of the just made perfect are, in all probability, in the second and third heaven, ma3be most of the time. The devils besought Christ that He would not send them into the deep (hell) but suffer them to enter the .swine, Luke 8 : 26-33. Are the spirits of the departed wicked allowed to tarry in this first heaven with the evil spirits ? Would that account for some of the sights and sounds we have heard talked of? This first heaven, at least, will pass away ; and at that period be entirely clarified from the effects of sin. or a new one created, 2 Peter 3 : 10. (2.) llic Second Ueavcu. This is the firmament or expansion where the sun, moon and planets are situated ; the globe we live on being one of the latter. Gen. i ; 16, 17. In all proba- bility the other planets have inhabitants who may be some of the principalities and powers who view the a.stonishing scenes that are being enacted on this one, in the fir.st heaven ; they being in the second one beholding them. Their vision, in a sinless condition, may have telescopic power sufficient to see distinctly the events transpiring here ; or they could, and may, have abilitj' to travel space from planet to planet. If the inhabitants of this world had not sinned, they might have been glorified and possessed of the same powers. We may ha\e but little conception of the myriads of .spiritual intelligence that the Creator of all worlds may have occupying the firmament or second \\\ 2() COD s i:ti;r\ai, I'lin'osic. heaven, as well as beiii};' the space where the sun is, and where the ])lanets revolve aronrid him. The interplanet- ar\' sj^aces may be lilled with hosts of beini^s i^a/iny^ at Jehovah carryini;: out the sublime events involved in His Kternal Purjose. We are absolutely certain that the sun and moon, placed in the second heaven, are indispeiisible appendajj^es to this j^lobe ; and that in wavs so innumerable that they cannot l)e here referred to, but will readily occur to the mind of the thouj^htful reader. The second heaven, then, was formed with a view to the purpose of (iod. It is unnecessary to furnish lcnfe scale. The annual revolution of the earth around the sun corresponds to the movements (^f the hour hand ; the monthly revolutions of the moon around the earth corresponds to the movements of tlie minute hand ; and the diurnal rotation of the earth on its axis corresponds to the second hand. Thus tlie Maker of all thing's has huuii' a time-piece in the second heaven to teach us when our three score years and ten are accomplished. Hap])V they, who. in the book of 365 leaves each year furnishes us witli, write an autobiography that will prove a prayer to (iod and a sermon to men ; especially, that one day in seven — that one year in se\'en — devoted to Divine service ; so that when the world is ended we shall have our accounts ready, (ien. 1 : 14, 15. " High in heaven's resplendent arch He placed two orbs of light ; He set the sun to rule the dux, The moon to rule the night. ' ' AvStronomers say our sun, moon and stars, are revolving around Alcyone, one of the Pleiades or seven stars, a body 12,000 times larger than our sun ; hence Job 38 : 31. 'The heavens declare the glory of God, land the firmament showeth His handiwork. Psalm 19:1. What an astonitihing apparatus the Creator has for A7r<' Jesus went to prepare, John 14 : 2. lit is supposed to be where the seven stars are situated ; p)ut we are not so clearly instructed in the Word where ^o locate it us the llrst and second. In our opinion it is inhabited l)y myriads of cherubic, seraphic, angelic and far )U)Sts, adoring and serving their uncreated, ■immortal and glorious Creator ; especially His moral fpharacter as revealed in the work of redemption, finding •their felicity in so doing. The Scriptures give color to this view, Rev. 5 " '^, 13. All unite in admiring the nuinifold wisdom of God displayed in the execution of His eternal purpose of grace to His church. May be the third heaven is where the Saviour -carries on His mediatorial government, where He has gone to appear in the presence of God for us, officiating in His office of high priest in the most holy place, there making contituud intercession. In this view of it, it is a very importatit part of the universe in carrying on the great (lesign. It may be the most holy place of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man, Heb. 8 ; 3. All power in heaven and earth is given into Christ's hands. Matt. 28 : 18. ! I i -ii 22 god's eternal PL'RPOSR. It seems natural to conclude that the third heaven is the present abode of "the spirits of the just made perfect," although they may spend some time in the second and first, Heb. 12 : i, 22-24. No doubt they enjoy all that glorified spirits, according to their capa- cities, can ; the happiness will be enhanced when the body will be glorified, which the Divine purpose includes. Thus the three heavens referred to may be occupied by the departed .spirits of mankind, as well as numerous other intelligences, and may be only a tem- porary residence ; Isaiah, Peter and John inform us that there will be new heavens and new earth. Are tho.se departed spirits the new Jerusalem John saw descending on the new earth ? Rev. 21 : 1-3. The heavens and earth, in their present condition, is but a theatre — or the .scaffolding of the great i)alace God is erecting — the new heavens and earth to be eternal. Sin has disordered the whole creation, Rom. S : 22, and necessitates a new creation of all things, Rev. 21 : 5, affected by it; and the groans and travail of all things connected with time are the throes of a new birth for the univer.se ; nothing but the blood of the God-man being sufficient to remove the moral evil from it, and that accompanied by the regenerating, renovating, reforming power of the Holy Spirit. If the scaffolding is so grand, what shall the building be ? Let the principalities and powers in heavenly places inform us. We know the scaffolding has little excellency compared with the building. If Christians, we will not only see it, but own part of it, yea, be part of it, that will be worth more than the pleasures of sin. Where did CJirLst go when he ascended up far above all heavens ? Bph. 4 : 10. Yet he says, " Lo I am with you alway, even to the end of the world." "The hedven of heavens cannot contain Him, " i Kings 8 : 27, yet He condescends to dwell in the believer. GODS KTKRNAL PL RPOSK. //. The Creation of the Earth. 23 The earth is the scene on which is enacted the >?reat drama of redemption, possibly the greatest work in which the Sacred Trinity has been, or ever will be engaged ; the one by which the Divine wisdom is most conspicuously disi)layed to the intelligences of the universe ; and possibly, in a renewed condition, the eternal abode of redeemed man. " The heavens are the Lord's, but the earth has he given to the sons of men, " P.salm 115 : 16. "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth, " Matt. 5 : 5. In anticipation, Christ rejoiced in the creation of the earth, and " His delights were with lie children of men," Prov. 8 : 30-32. The earth, as v 11 as His elect, may have been redeemed by the infinit. I}- precious blood spilt on its surface; and the throne of God and the Lamb may occup\' the site where the cross stood, every place thus becoming "consecrated ground;"' and the scene of His greatest W'ork and wonderful humiliation, Imcome the home of His saints and where His own highest glory will forever shine. "The Tabernacle of God is witli men, and He will dwell with them." Rev. 1 i : 3. When tliis earth was made, the dust of Adam's body was formed, and so of the bodies of the innumer- able multitude of the saved; Christ's as well, it being in Adam's loins. Its creation, then, was a mo.st im- portant development of the purpose of God, and if the morning stars that sang, and the .sons of God that shouted for joy at the laying of its foundation, could anticipate what would transpire on its surface, no w^onder they did .so, especially if they were enabled to see the glorious consummation. Here man was created, fell and was redeemed ; here he is being created anew in Christ Jesus by the Holy vSpirit. Here the Maker of all worlds spent 33 years — God manifest in the flesh. Here, likewise, the third, as well as the second Person in the glorious Trinity, came on a mission of infinite benevolence, and is now carrying on the work of salva- t/ on, renovating human nature — God not only dwelling 24 god's ETERNAI. PURPOvSE. with, but in, HivS people. Here our bodies will be resurrected and thus created anew — from dust again as^ Adam at first — thus qualified for the new heavens and new earth. The earth, well named "mother earth, "^ also yields very much of what sustains us till we return to our native dust. The creation of the eartli, then, can readily be perceived to form an important part of the chain of wonders that are being achieved by the uncreated Creator in order to accomplish His purpose ; and where He is preparing material for a spiritual house as much superior to the visible creation as the soul is to the body ; a building He is erecting in heaven as each soul is taken there, and from which it appears it wull descend in the capacity of the New Jeru.salem, and abide on the new earth, Rev. 21 : i, 2. Thus we may accustom ourselves to view the heavens and eartli as God's work- shop, where He is carrying out His purpose ; and if redemption is His greatest work, greater things have, been done on earth and in the first heaven than any- where else. If such is true it need not be a matter of surprise if this planet on which we live, after the refining fires of the tremendous conflagration Peter speaks of,, will be the future abode of God's peopiO, as Luther, Wesley, Milton, etc., believed, 2 Peter 3 : 7, 10. Two philosophers discussing the subject of this conflagration came to the conclusion that the eartli would be completely annihilated. A little girl, \vho» had been listening, asked them where they would put the a.shes ; the}' could not answer her.. "Nothing never made vSomething." It there ever had been a time when there was no God, it must have continued so. There is a (iod, "eternity is His life time," and immensity His dwelling. He is so great that there conld not be a being great enough to create Him ; He is, therefore, uucreated and everlasting. 1^ I lies will be list again as. tieavens and her earth, '" us till we readily be- he chain of 2 uncreated ; and where ise as much il is to the is each soul ;vill descend ibide on the i accustom }od's work- ose ; and if hings have than any- matter of :he refining speaks of, as Luther. lO. ect of this the earth girl. who. would put there ever must have s His life s so great h to create ting. 'ujd's eternai, purpose. 25 CHAPTER HI. T/ie Creatio^i of Ma }i kind. The woik^^hop is completed — the heavens and earth M'ith their varied furniture are in readiness to suKserve the intentions of the Divine builder in tlie execution of the great plan. IVIankind is made. A Tabernacle is built and worshippers formed. The angels are also in attendance. God said "Let us make man in our image, " Gen. i : 26. His moral attributes are a reflex of the Divine. " Chief o'er all His works below At last was Adam made ; His Maker's image blCvSsed his soul And glory crowned his head." The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy w'hen He laid the corner-.stone ; yet it is onl}- the arena where the purpose is to be carried on, and perhaps completed — a preparation for the work of redemption. The material is now brought into being out of which the Church is formed, by and through which the manifold wisdom of God is made known to the principalities and powers in heavenly plact'S. The human nature is what God is going to dwell in forever — in Chri.st and His people. Thus we have rapidly glanced at what the Alniight\' did i^reparatory to the great work he intended. We Avould now briefly dwell upon some 'of the acts of His creatures, after which we will resume the account of the conduct of the Creator in prosecuting His design. Although mankind is the material out of which the magnificent structure — (iod's Palace — is to be constructed; the mat' /ial upon which the Divine Architect will so operate as to reveal His glory, wisdom and other perfections in such a manner that adoring hosts shall be astoni.slied forever ; the material after being thus wrought upon, who will coincide with His Maker in the accomplishment of His purpose, yet this i I I ' il 1 26 GOb'vS ETERNAL PURPOSE. material is not in the condition in which it will be when God commences the building. He could erect a Roj'al Residence cut of such material as mankind in his privStine state of innocence. He did not, however, do so. Had He, the depth af the wisdom of the Builder would not be vSeen to that perfect degree it is under existing ciicumstances. Man was placed on trial and he sinned. That act plunged him into such a condition that, in order to rescue him from the doleful consequences and reinstate him in the Divine favor, all the perfections of Deity have been brought into harmonious action, to the eternal admiration, love and astonishment of His crea- tures. God permitted this act on the part of mankind, and having foreseen it, loved us with an everlasting love, and laid his plans accordingly. We will now dwell briefly upon the re y mission of Si?i. Ciod performs His purpose by positive action on His part, and permitting the action of His creatures ; ruling and over-ruling them in effecting His design. He rested on the seventh day ; He ceased working and His creatures a])pear to have assumed the reins of government. Man was made ' ' a living soul, ' ' possessed of a will and power to do good or evil. He was placed in a lovely garden, and under only one rCvStriction : " Thou shalt not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil," Gen. 2 : 16, 17. The old .serpent, who is the devil and satan, tempted Eve. when off guard, and she ate, and gave to Adam and he ate The Almighty did not prevent them from breaking the Divine command. He did not deprive them of tlu liberty — tlie free-will that He gave them — and so by that act they incurred the Divine displeasure. She should have gone to prater. In a measure, at least, it would appear, their wills became subject to Satan ; and, acting in the capacity of the repre- sentative heads of their posterity, plunged them- H al t] A i^v..=: GOD 8 RTKRNAI, PURPOvSE. 27 t will be when erect a Ro3'aI nkind in his owever, do so. Builder would nder existing- nd he sinned, ition that, in equences and perfections of action, to the t of His crea- of mankind. 1 everlasting Ve will now ye action on ivS creatures ; His design, ^v'orking and :he reins of , ' ' possessed s was placed restriction ; idgc of good Tpeiit. Mho I off guard, ^- ate The caking- the lein of the II — and SQ lispleasure. I measure, me subject the repre- ged them- telvss and us into our present ruin ; only, so far as ^ elievers in Christ have the work of recovery begun ; land in a few cases completed. The body, and some think the soul, of the Redeemer was in the loins of ^dam at the time of the Fall — a Redeemer who has |come — and as the promised seed of the woman, is now ^ruising the serpent's head. We then, as well as they, fare unfitted for glorifying and enjoying our Maker. It |was not sin on the part of God to permit man to sin — fit was man's own, personal, voluntary act, and he alone lis to blame. God foreseen, and did not determine to Iprevent it ; but instead purposed, and so made provision ithat not all the race would remain in eternal ruin. Sin is not a necessary part of man — he had none when created — he will have none when the new creation of soul and body is completed by regeneration ; sin is abnormal, and God is engaged in removing it by the f^fwork of redemption. ^ We want to add : Sin existed in the universe prior *?to the transgression of Adam and Eve. The one who tempted them to sin was a sinner. The vScriptures. our only safe source of instruction on these points, furnish I us with the light required here. According to the I Apostle Jude, the devil, and other /^//Vv/ angels, had a 4 first estate — in the highest heaven no doubt — from -which they fell, Jude 6. John Bunyan says their sin -was contemplating the destruction of the Son of God, Their Maker permitted //lem to sin too. It was no sin on His part to do so. Paul informs ns satan fell * by his pride, i Tim . 3 : 6. Peter also gives some instruction on this point, 2 Peter 2 : 4. This Apostle, . quoting the language of the devil as recorded in the Book of fob, 2 : 2, informs us that he, as a roaring lion walketh about .seeking whom he may devour, i Peter 5 : 8. Probably it was on some such mission as this he was bent, roaming over God's fair creation full of malice and determined on revenge when he attempted the ruin of mankind, which he would have accomplished but for the Divine Purpose. .■■.•ichvi , -■■"^'■ i I' 28 god's etkknal purpose. Thus we trace, to its origin the sin Jehovah po 7nitted in the iinivervSe. Let us as guilty, corrupt am! lost creatures, find fault with ourselves, and not witli our glorious Creator and trust in Him for deliveranci from its guilt and power. We fully believe that it was better for God to make intelligent creatures than not to, or He would not have done so ; also that it was better to permit them to sin than to prevent them from it, or it would not have been so ; or as the Jews say, " What is, is best." We may not see it so yet, but we will. How could God have creatures under subjection to Him without putting them on trial ? Let us fully believe in Jesus Christ, repent of sin and obey Him, and we will rejoice forevermore. Should we not admire the manifold wisdom of God brought into harmonious requisition with the other Divine perfections in the work of redemption as w^ell as the principalities, etc., in heavenly places ? and indeed more so ; a wisdom that could not have been displaj'ed unless sin, however vile it is, had been in the world. Atonement ha; been made, it appears, for the sins of the whole world, I John 2 : 2, and it is our stubborn unbelief, impeni- tence and disobedience that keeps and leaves us in ruin, or rather, Adam's transgression plunged us in this ruin, and we endorse his act and neglect the great salvation. God's displeasure with sin and love of the sinner are as clearly, if not more clearly, seen in the work of man's redemption, than the}' could have been if he had been prevented from sinning. " Here the whole Deity is known, Nor dares a creature guess Which of the glories brightest shone, The justice or the grace." If the display of God's wisdom in connection and in harmony with His love and justice visible on Calvary, will prevent myriads of holy beings from falling into sin ; if an innumerable multitude of mankind will be saved, and if the lost will be punished only as they iin Jehovah pcf- ty, corrupt and s, and not with for deliverance lieve that it was ires than not to, at it was better hem from it, or \'ssay, "What t, but we will, ejection to Ilim is fully believe Him, and we ot admire the o harmonious fections in the :^ipalities, etc.. a wisdom that 1, however vile lent haf been whole world, relief, impeni- ^'es us in ruin, -d us in this ect the great hd love of the . seen in the Id have been c.od'vS ktkknai, purpose. 29 inection and on Calvary, falling into dnd M'ill be ly as they serve, the same justice that impo.ses the penalty not lowing the Judge to puni.sh more than their sins erit. is it wise to have permitted sin ? And in this nnection we must not lo.se sight of the astonishing ct that God became incarnate to atone for His creatures n 1 If the angels and the man who sinned had had ich a view of their Maker's moral perfection as the istory of Redemption presents, inethinks they had not lined. Would a l)eing who can love, and loz'es so well is God, have allowed tlie ruin sin brought, if He had i[ot had vSomething better than Paradise ? It i.s creation e principalities, etc., admire, but the work of human alvation — the manifold wi.sdom it exhibits. But for iin we nor they, would have not seen God's moral (Character, which is infinitely lovely, a sight of it being iiufficient to ravish tlic creature with delight. It will Se Ihi/t'f for all believers in Christ than if they had not liiined ; then let us take advantage of the redemption M'hicli is in Christ Jesus. Tho.sc who continue to rebel Against such a (rod as redemption reveals will deserve londemnation. Repent, my dear reader, if you do not. I' Him that cometh to Jesus He will by ?w means cast |)ut,"'jchn 6 : 37. If(ic)d permitted sin. He al. so pro- vided a vSaviour : although under no more obligations §0 do so than for the angels who sinned. vSin is under alls control. He subdues it by His exceeding rich %race. .'vivT " Dee]) in imfulhoiiKihle niiues Of never lailiug skill. He treiusuros uj) lli.s l>ri^ht designs Aiul works His sovereign will " The devil u.sed the tongue of the .serpent ; there are pbundant human tongues now to ])ropagate falsehood, %he means by which he deceived and deceives mankind still. Truth is the antidote God has provided; le*: us fall in line with His i)urpo.se by making it kno vn. ;Our Lord tells us that the devil is "the father of lie.^ ;" .0ohn Bunyan observes, "The human heart is the 1 ' ' I i'i l..- 30 god'vS eternai^ purpose. mother. " We have principalites and powers to wrestle! against, as well as others to make the manifold wisdom [ of God known to. We need all the armour of the. Christian. We are told ivhat the armour is in Eph. 6 : 14-17, and how to use it in the i8th and 19th verses of the same chapter. " My soul be on thy guard, Ten thousand foes arise ; The hosts of hell are pressing hard To draw thee from the skies." "Then watch and fight and pray, The battle ne'er give o'er ; Renew it boldly every day, And help divine implore. ' ' God not only permitted sin to enter the fair creation, but He allows it to continue for a time. He permits it to culminate in the death of His Son when He came to save a lost world ; that event is the means by which sin is destroyed. Sin brings death, but death takes away sin. God's wisdom and power control it. Sin will be washed away, or the sinner and it swept away. The devil is foiled by his own weapon — death. "By death Christ destroj'ed him that had the power of death, that is the devil," Heb. 2 : 14, 15. Without the crucifixion none of the race could have been saved. Was it neccessary to allow sin to continue in the world to . ring about that transaction ? If so, is the continu- ance of evil still essential for the accomplivshment of good ? for the death of Christ has been productive of more good to the universe than any event that has transpired. He was manifested to destroy the works of the devil, I John 3 : 8. So, when our first parents sinned, God in revealing His purpose sa^-s, " The seed of the woman shall bruise the vSerpents head, (ien. 3 : 15. Thus God permitted man to be tempted and to fall. Thus, too, what was permitted made way for the execution of His design, and now He is carrying it forward. " W'e are fearfully and wonderfully made, " Galen, m as Mi ^< un etc In F ■ •>"'.-r-. nOD'vS l-PEKNAL PUR1>()SE. 31 'wers to wrestle anifold wisdom armour of the armour is in 1 8th and 19th e fair creation, He permits it 2n He came to ms by which death takes ntrol it. Sin t swepf away, death. "By 3wer of death, Without the : been saved. 2 in the world ) the continu- iplishnient of -ictive of more as transpired, of the devil, sinned, Clod of the woman . Thus God Thus, too, :ution of His ade," Galen, celebrated French anatomist, who was inclined to leism, said, after dissecting a human bod}-, "there lUst be a God," and sat down and made a hymn in is prai.se. Our hearts propel from 20 to 30 pounds of ood through our system every three ninutes for a ntury by night as well as day. The lungs cease not ring that time to inhale the vital fluid and exhale e impure portion, and the digestive organs perform eir task with equal faithfulness. Surely God drives well as made such a complicated piece of machinery I ay it be His temple forever. And who can describe e spirit, the will, the affection, the conscience and the ||iderstanding ? We have much to learn, but we have ^ernity to do it in, and the Omniscient One for an Instructor; we will never become omniscient so we can lljarn forever. May you and I be in that school. ;t *. CHAPTER IV. JVie Revelation of the Divhic Purpose. (xod had the purpose before man sinned, indeed it His eternal purpose ; but there was no special need a revelation of it till after that event — it would not ave been required, as far as this world is concerned, t for sin ; and then, He might have let Adam and ve perivSh, and only do justice. If man had not sinned iC would have lieen dealt with in accordance with the pictates of infinite benexolence ; having sinned infinite Igrace is brought into requisition, and all the Divine ferfections in harnion\- with it. in executing the plan of alvation. The serpent tem])ted and man sinned, and fhe promise or prophecy that " the seed of the woman Ifhould bruise his head," was the first intimation of Sod's design. Doubtless our first parents realized that fhey had i'-"curred the Divine xlispleasure ; and, although they feared the penalty, the gospel of mercy was |)reached to them. His promises and prophecies are iimply declarations of what He intends to do. and through a revelation of them He performs it. li ri(,i l! il ! il! 1 I i| : lii lii i ; : ■ i 1 4 32 god's ETERNAIv PURIOSE. Only for the purpose of the unchangeable One t( save an innumerable host of their posterity, no doubt | the fate ol Adam and Eve v^'ould have been similar t(i I that of the angels who sinned; they deserved it. But Christ the Mediator of the covenant of grace, was in the garden of Eden immediately after, if not at the time H of, the fall, to undertake the work of redemption ; and as a prophet, revealed the Divine intention as recorded in the above quotation. Gen. 3 : 15. It was mercy ^ prevented their condemnation ; not becau e they were not guilty. The intercession of Christ, who then began to officiate as Mediator between God and man, and will continue to do vSO while time lasts, prevailed. He agreed to do so before the world was. Such an event as His death con/d have occurred before man's sin. Under such circumstances how would our first parents, and their immediate posterity, havt deported themselves? Faith, however, is efficacious in saving the soul through ChrivSt's meritorious work whether v, e look, with such an eye, backward or forward. In all probabilit}' our first parents became believers, were regenerated and instructed in the worship of their INIaker Satan's triumph if it can be called such, was short, and the deceived ones learned he was a liar, and that the I/ punished for their sin, and will continue till the second coming of our I.ord. We are not under the law, but under grace, Rom. 6 : 14. Then it is not because we are not guilty that we are not suffering the penalty of our crimes, but becau.se God is gracious, "Grace is reigning through righteousness unto eternal life, b}' Jesus Christ our Lord." Ble.ss His name, when there was no eye to pity nor arm to save, His eye pitied and His arm brought salvation. Let us seek Him while He is on the throne of grace. Our preservation was not safe in the h nds of our parents in Eden, our salvation and preservation are 1 'P hi Hi '■mim GOD S ETERNAL PURPOSE. .V) ^eable One u ■ity, no doub! een similar tc ?rvecl it. But grace, was in ot at the time ^mption ; and n as record e( t was merc\ e they were t. who then -n God and - time lasts, ? world was. curred before vv would our iterity, have efficacious in orious work 'd or forward le believers, ship of their ■d such, was s a liar, and ide of events nient. Ciod and it began heir sin, and • r.ord. We Korn. 6 : [4. t we are not ause (iod is ?hteousness rcl." Bless nor arm to : salvation, le of grace, nds of our rvation are )th safe in the hands of the I.ord Jesus. Let us yCom*^it the keeping of our souls to Him in well Ibing." How many of the principalities and powers, both good and evil, and of the inhabitants of other worlds ere prevSent on that occasion, or could see with lescopic vision the scenes transpiring in Eden, we nnot tell. Maybe the great Jehovah has the whole transaction phonographed or photographed or both ; and we may yet hear and see the story of Rden, and Mie others connected with earth's hivStory ; chiefly the %ony in (iethsemane, and the culminating development of the eternal purpose in the crucifixion. We may hear llnd .see, reprodaced, as human skill now does by means ^f the phonograph and photograph, but then manipu- ilited by the Divine hand, Adam and Ivve, the serpent, and the Lord (iod as He then appeared, and the conversation they had ; the scenes of the deluge ; the cries of the drowning multitudes, and the ark Boating serenel}' and safely on the mighty waters. We mav .hear the groans of the vSodomites and l^eliold their attempts to escape the vengenar.ce of Crod, while Lot and his daughters are hieing them over the plain to Zoar. We ma}' see and hear the transaction on Mount Mariah between God, Abraham and Lsaac ; above all ■we may seethe central and all absorbing scene of the universe, the stupendous drama of Calvar}' ; above all the other sights and sounds God f/nu' reproduce in connection with the history of this planet, you and I may see and hear the awful record of (iolgotha, the motley crowd at the foot of the cross, and the Lamb of God as He takes away the sins of the world crving, ''My God, oMy God, why hast thou forsaken me," ■words yet sounding through the universe, for the}- were uttered by Jehovah. What if this globe is an immense phonograph and camera obscura ard all can be reproduced at any time? If human skill can effect such things we may safely presume the Divine can, ' 1 wivSdom dvrell with prudence, and find out knowledge 11 III! liili i jti i; i li'l ! MM iii 34 god's eternal I'UR po.se. of witty inventions," Prov. 8 : 12. What sights an sounds may, and certainly do, await the inhabitants ( this planet as well ag the principalities and powers i the heavenly places ! In another way we could be enabled to see and he^ the history of this world. If we were placed at such distance from this planet that the reflected light i emits would not reach us till the end of time ; and our vision and hearing were powerful enough (and the | may be in the glorified state) to see and hear that far the whole drama would be seen and heard as it at fir^ occurred ; and as it may now be visible and audible t creatures residing where those rays of light and .souii have reached at the time this is being written and reac (^f course sound does not travel with the velocit}' < light, therefore it requires a longer period for it to read the same distance than the latter. Such would be , ravishing sight. The Almighty could do so in eitlic: way, Dr. Dick's idea of travelling from world to worli to behold the works of God need not be realized in ordc to do so. With Spurgeon, we can have thtt/ar gfca/a felicity in adoring Immanuel — ",The beatific vision ' — and not be deprived of contemplating His work- either. Light travels 192,000 miles a .second. It re quires 8 minutes to come from the sun ; and 700 yea.v> from Alc\'one, one of the Pleiades or seven stars, aroun(i which, it is said, our .solar system is revolving, and also supposed to be the locnlity of heaven. Of course we would require to be transported ten times as far from this globe than are the seven .stars in order to see and hear its hi.story (His .story) as time will probably last 7,000 years. Paidon me for this digression. It may be one of the ways in which the God-man may entertain His spouse in the new heaven and earth. It will simply be a repetition and continuation of Bible hi,story, and doubtless a means of rich delight. Who would not love to see and hear Pentecost, the Reformation, etc., re-enacted ? Probably it would not be out of place to remark Cii 8a th of Tl ■fet. fa ra Ik al r*. w o it V fi s t r.OD'S KTKHNAL PURPOSE. hat sights an; inhabitants r and powers i to see and he;: laced at such fleeted light - )f time ; and )ugh (and the hear that far rd as it at firs and audible I ght and souii itten and read :he velocit}- < for it to reac; :h would be , lo so in eitlie world to worl. lalized in orde ^atific vision ig His work econd. It re and 700 yeai> I stars, aroun(i evolving, and n. Of course les as far from Jer to see and probably last Jion. It may may entertain It will simply : history, and 10 would not rmation, etc., ce to remark 35 ere that njurriu^e was instituted before man fell, so iiat the secil of the woman who was to bruivSe the rpent's head, and promised at the time the Divine lurpose was partially made known, was in accord with at institution jim well as with the purpose, and was art of the ])lun. " He fruitful and multiply " was the ivine command before the fall ; so not only Christ in is human naltue, but the innumerable host of the deemed that sprang from Adam and Eve, were in ccord with that institution as well as Ciod's purpose. In still lurtlier making known the Divine design, %e read of tlu* ll)e!< of Christ's righteousness, were those : less than the glorification of body and spirit ; and if born from above we have thai now in principle, therefore if we are living in known, voluntary, wilful vSin, we are not born of God, i John 3 : 9. vet we have sin in us, and it, at times, thinks, speaks and acts. Sin in us and by us are different things. " Sin .shall not have dominion over us, for we are not under the law but under grace," Rom. 6 : 14. We are virtually delivered from its principle, power and practice and shall be actually. In the mean time, if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, i John 2:1. If we break His laws He will visit our sins with rods and our iniquities with chasti.sements, but He will not suffer His loving kind- ness to fail, Psalm 89 : 30-37. " It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," Heb. 10 : 31 ; therefore " let us mortify the deeds of the body that we may live." If we find it as easy to sin and as hard to do good after what we call regeneration as it was l)efore, we may be assuied we are not yet born from above. The destruction of sin is the principal thing in redemp- tion, and it, as far as the Spirit's work is concerned, begins in regeneration. Those who continually sa}', "We can and do sin," and are also censuring others for sinning, lead us to doubt of their regeneration. The word is, '^ 'X:\vGy cannot sin because they are l)orn of God, " I John 3 : 9. If Adam and Eve had not sinned possibU' they would have been translated as Knoch and Ivlijah were ; of course they were sinners, but their tran.slation was in virtue of Christ's reden ptive work. CHAPTER V. The Salvation of Abel, etc. In this we have the first actual development of the Divine purpose as far as the salvation of a human H Lll inl ftij thl ht ui th til P' GOD'S KTKRNAI, PURPOSE. 37 til in him and ''• " The new lorification of we have that ig" in known, fl. I John 3 ; 9. ^inks, speaks -rent thing-s. 3r we are not M- We are r and practice if" any man Jesus Christ lis laws He quities with Jovin^r kim]- rful thin^*- to leb. 10 : 31 ; od^- that\ve 1 as hard to was I)efore, rom aljove. in redemp- concerned, iiially sa\'. ■ing- otliers ^■eneration. y are ])orn sibly tliey ijah were ; atioTi was ent of the a human in't is concerned. Although not absolutely positive f the vSalvation of Adam and Kve, we are of this vSon, eb. II : 4. Abel was first whatever. Whatever Cxod tended to give w.ien He purposed redemption he was ade a recipient of. Abel's spirit was the first of the uman race that entered the state and place where the pints of the just made perfect are. It was prepared Jroni the foundation of the world, Matt. 25 : 34 and so, ^ accordance with this purpose, was in readiness ; the ingels too, to carry his vSpirit to rest. Abel's spirit was |he first stone placed on the foundation in heaven, and tie struck the first note of redemption's song in the iin.seen world ; a song new to the principalities and bowers there, and one they could not sing — a song that filled them with great astonishment. What a Iniiracle of grace to hear and see a being singing in the palace of heaven that justly might have been in the prison of hell. The grace that forgave, and the love that determined to satisfy justice without sacrificing the sinner, were amazing ; and the wisdom that devised the method, although, not then fully revealed, filled the Ibeavenl}' hosts with admiration of their Maker. Christ, the foundation Ciod laid in the eternal councils of the Trinity, was the sure corner-stone ; and Abel, who believed in Him, was the first one in the building. Christ saved him, and all others who entered heaven before His own death, on credit in virtue of what He was going to effect — a thousand years being as one day with the Lord, it would be a credit of four days, being four thousand years from Abel till ChrivSt paid the debt. The sacrifices instituted by Christ were a kind of promissory notes on the bank of heaven ; He by them saying, " I will offer myself in the fulness of time." In sacrifices and burnt offerings for sin thou hast no pleasure; then said Christ, " Lo I come — I delight to do thy will, O God," Psalm 40 : 6-8. God had no pleasure in such because He could not forgive sin in virtue of them, nor have justice satisfied, and so the Divine government administered aright ; but wimnmi^^mm 38 (iOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE. I- i through Christ He can be just and justify the believe in Him, Rom. 3 : 26. Abel was the first martyr of the Antediluviar Dispensation. His was a fitting type of our Lord death, it would teach our weeping first parents tlii sad consequences of disobedience to God, What ; murderous heart sin gives Cain and his descendants What persecution has raged for conscience sake ! Wha a large army of martyrs ; but, ' ' TLy saints in all this glorious war, Shall conquer though they die ; They see the triumph from afar, By faith they bring it nigh." Abel's soul, the first of the spirits made perfect may be, alternately, in the first, .second and thir heavens, till the end of time ; employed, along wit. many others, by this time, as God wills. His body though mingling so long with its native dust, fror which it was taken not so very long before, and t which it so quickly returned, is watched along wit: countless others by the Master. ' ' God our Redeemer lives, And often from the skies Lookc down and watches all our dust, Till He shall bid it rise." III : ! 77ie Translatio7i of Enoch. We mention this, in connection with the Diviti ^ purpose, because it is the finst instance in which th ^^ body is saved from the ruin sin brought, it is the firs ^^ complete development of God's purpose in this respect ^^ God can, and does, save spirit and body with without death. The cross is a tree whose roots an branches reach back to Eden and forward to the end time. Its benefits are co-extensive with the dispensa tion of the world. Although God could thus save all bodies, it is Hi plan, in nearly all cavSes, to permit the divSsolution III! I e:. GOD S KTERNAL PURPOSE. 39 tify the believi e Antediluviar ; of our Lord irst parents tin God. What ; is descendants ce sake ! Wha var. s made perfect :ond and thir ed, along wit! lis. His bod} tive dust, fror before, and t led along- wit! dust, ^ith the Diviti e in which th; it, it is the firs in this respect body with i hose roots an rd to the end o 1 the dispensa •odies, it is Hi ! dissolution o e body, or what we call death. Would there have tbeen redemption without death ? Could there have en without the death of Christ ? If God had not iurposed salvation, there would not have been any paration of spirit and body, but punishment of spirit |knd body together, as it was in the case of Christ's liatisfaction to the claims of justice ; for He declared it %as finished before the separation of His spirit and i#ody ; and it will be the reunited spirits and bodies of >f)he wicked at last that will suffer the penalty of their aans. Nevertheless, Christ's spirit did vacate the body : #as it that He might conquer death and the grave for bur spirits and bodies ? To allow what we call death is God's way of new-creating the body, raising it from the dust as He did Adam's at first. Crod purposed the ifedemption of the body too ; therefore Chri.st took a ^ne body as well as a reasonable soul. " A body hast ipou prepared me," Heb lo : 5, and went to the grave ttid by His resurrection vanquished "The King of errors." All bodies could have been redeemed as iilnoch's was, Christ not needing to go to the grave, Ikut God was pleased to order it as it is. " Our inbred sins require Our flesh to see the dust ; But as the Lord our Saviour rose, So all His followers must." Our Lord could have gone to glory, soul, body and !Divinity, direct from the cross, when He said, " It is inivShed, " but He was pleased to permit His bcJy to be buried — a demonstration of His death — that He Slight rob death of its sting and the grace of its victory . Adam and Kve would weep bitterly, as man>- of their posterity have since, over the state to which their child's body was reduced ; but th^ translation of Enoch, if they lived to see it, would gladden their hearts, as well a' those of others who looked for redemption tfhrough the deed of the woman — redemption for both body and spirit. iliily 40 god's eternal purpose. , m Ml M if:!' 11 1! ii! '\ We have a specimen, in Enoch's case, of tli^^j^ change to be wrought on the saints who will be livin,|.j|^ at Christ's second advent ; we also have a demonstratioi pre of a future immortality. " Enoch walked with God ^j- and he was not, for God took him," Gen. 5 : 24 ^q Heb. II : 5. We should liked to have been in hi .j^jj place. ^, Regeneration is not completed till body and spiri; ^ are glorified. Our bodies .shall be fashioned like unti Christ's glorious body. " Death itself shall then be vanquished And its sting shall be withdrawn ; Shout for gladness, O ye ransomed, Hail with joy the rising morn." W^e presume it would be a greater surprise to tlu principalities and powers in heavenly places to set Enoch's glorified body and spirit, than Abel's vSpiril. God had a purpOvSe in the creation of the ol( heavens and earth, as we have seen ; Enoch's body is no doubt, in one of these heavens — likely where Elijal and his Master afterwards went, and probably tlu many Vjodies of the saints that graced ChrivSt's victor} at the time of His resurrection. a3n( thc| ]m be It fail I coil #a Ihi ^t ib The Preservation of Noah. The Creator of all things permitted sin, and ii; 'fei about 1 ,500 years it appeared as if this globe was goin.t; d( to be deluged by it — as if man and the devil were going to usurp (ioi's authority over it. He manifested His righteous displeasure against such ungrateful rebellion, by sweeping away nearly all the race bj' a great flood ; but not all for His purpose was not com pleted. He is unchangeable and wnll perform Hi> design true and will verify the promises and fulfil the prophecies ; and so in his providence, execute what He intended. By the prevServation of Noah, etc., the globe wa> re-peopled, the designs of evil men and devils frustrated, fa 61 t€ M\ .'-r.-jr(-.,vW?'-,u-.;,-i, ■ god's eternaIv purpose. 41 s case, of thi will be living 1 demonstratior £ed with God Gen. 5 : 24 e been in hi> 3ody and spin: ioned like unt( lished a. surprise to tlu places to set Abel's spiriL. m of the o], loch's body is y where Elijal: probably tlit hrist 's victors d sin, and ii; obe was goini; ie devil were ^e manifested h ungratefn! the race b}' r was not com perform Hi> and fulfil the cute what He le globe wa> Is frustrated, purpose of God in saving an innumerable host of t||e ruined race carried forward, and, in due time, the omised Deliverer came. Some were in heaven in ue of what He was going to do, so resolved was He |» complete it. Probably, if such a thing could be as at it would not be completed, they would not have en allowed to continue there. Col. i : 20. Thev would t have been taken there. Some were spared as Adam d Noah were ; not because they were better than ose w^ho were drowned, etc., but as an act of grace, pst as we guilty ones of the present age are. Ma\' we ife warned and seek the I^ord while He is to be found. It was a day of judgment to all but Noah and his fiimily. It appears the wicked of that age were lost, t, Peter 3 : 19, 20, they being in the prison of the cSondemned when Peter wrote his epistle. The flood is (|>type of the end of the world, 2 Peter 3 : 5-13. It is lliso typical of baptism, i Peter 3 : 20. It is a great #arning to the sinful of any age, as well as a type of ®ie fiery deluge approaching. Peter intorms us of the Idte of the impenitent at Christ's second coming as ^e\\ as of the Antediluvians, 2 Peter 3 : 5-7. Maj- we fbtain grace to fall in line with the Divine mind and purpose by exercising repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He addresses us as rational beings. He promises seed time and harvest, feut on condition that we till the soil, etc. We really do not act vSo absurdly in secular concerns as in spiritual ; we are diligent if we expect success in otir tet-'(' ,ral undertakings. If we were as neglectful in gv ' I" as in spiritual things, many of us would starve. Vv '/'fiieve in salvation by grace, and not of works; yet, with Whitfield, that 'none were ever lost that did what they could to obtain an interest in Christ. The preservation of Noah and his famih is an important link in the chain of God's purpose. He permitted the evil, but did not allow it to frustrate His design. The Flood is one of the dreadful consequences of 1 1! I i w m\ m ■jiijl IP m m i!liiit.iii m n 1 !i' 42 god's eternal purpose. si'j, and of the stupendous scenes enacted on the planttpfeJ we inhabit. What a theatre it is. f^if CHAPTER VI. 77ie Establishmeyit of God's Worship. in upc Worship, when offered to the true God, is of great bu:: importance in carrying on the Divine purpose. Indi tail viduals and families worshipped Him prior to tlit occ| period we now enter upon ; now it becomes national and thoroughlj' systematized. When we render tht prq homage of our being to God in spirit and truth, we are of changed into the Divine image, from glory to glory, as an* by the spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3 : 18, and that is what the is required h}- us, having lost that image by the fall, hei The Lord Jesus is the express image of the invisible God, and having, as a prophet, given us such a revela- tion of the Divine being as to convince us that H'^is very Ciod of very God, and so the object of worship, we preach Him as such. In order then to establish His worship and destroy idolatry, the sin of the race, in this revelation we find a number of miracles pertormed ; and this, not only at the beginning of the gospel dispensation, but MOvSaic as well. " No man hath seen Ood at an}' time ; the only begotten son, who is in the l^osom of the Father, He hath declared Him," John 1:18. In His name we preach, and our petitions apd praises are addressed to Him as God ; the "Jesus Christ of the New Testament being the Jehovah of the Old." Thus are the truths concerning the great Creator of all things brought into contact with human souls, and an experimental knowledge of Him obtained, leading to His true love, service and worship, as well as the salvation of such ; so that the worship of God, in the use of the means of grace, is a fruitful agency in carrying on the work of God. "It is life eternal to know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, " John 173. That we maj^ know Him, God the Father, angel, John Baptist, and all true mmm (.od's irncuNAL itrposk. 43 i <^n the plane achers of the gospel, have introduced Hiin to us. at the acquaintance may be cultivated and cherished, aiid the love and friendship increased, He speaks to us IB His word unceasinj^ly if we will listen to Him ; and ^rs/iip, a|id may reply to Him unceasingly in prayer as He sits „ I . - ^on the throne of grace ; yea, v.-c may transact , ^s of gre.itllpsiness of the greatest imi)ortance with Him, apper- P9^e. Indi •fining to His own glorv and eternal welfare, as He Pnor to tlitScupiesit. es national Sin does not keep us from worship, but from the render the j^oper object of it. We are very prone, since the days ruth we are ^ Adam, to forsake (lod the fountain of living waters, \ \h f -^^ ^^ ^''^ ^° ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^'^ our.selves broken cisterns — idols — h ^u ^^'^^ ^at can hold no water, (tod is holy, we are unhol}- ; ., ^- ^^^^ Ij^nce the contrariety. The flood did not teach man- tne invisible find to fear God -nothing but the holy spirit does. ,cn a revela- Jji pursuance of His design He adopts another method t&an a second deluge. He separates Abraham and his . , ,. - - i?imily from the rest of the idolatrous world, reveals stabiish His jlimself to him and them in such a way, and attends le race, in ^^ revelation with such power, that He is known to be infinitely superior to the gods of the heathen thus aecuriiig to Himself the homage of His creatures ; and by a repetition of His stupendous power, accompanied by an exhibition of His moral perfections, especially His benevolence and justice, at the introduction of the gospel dispensation, He .still commands the love and obedience of those ac(|uainted with Him, and will continue to do vSo till the knowledge of His glory covers the earth as the waters cover the vSea, Isa. 11:9. Christ is the image of the invisible God, and the Author of all the revelations God makes to man He said to Abraham, "In thy .seed," which is Christ, "shall all the families of the earth be blessed," Gen. 22 : 18. Matthew, recording the fulfilment of this promise in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and writing for the Jew8, traces His genealogy to Abraham ; , Luke, representing the gospel as destined to bless all ' mankind, traces that genealogy back to Adam. Some "s that H- IS f worship, vve in ■s performed f the gospel an hath .seen tvho is in the ired Him," >ur petitions : the "Jesu.s lovah of the the great ^'ith human ni obtained, flip, as well ^'> of God, ' agenc3^ in eternal to ^rist whom now Him, J all true ilHi il ! II I Li m'i I lliil 1; ; t1,' ill im ' I 44 god's eternaIv purpose. superhuman manifevStation is necessary by a being calling^ for worship, in order to secure such homa^i^t from beings constituted as we are We have the worship of God sysstematized in tht tabernacle and temple service. These, however, art but types of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched — the heavens and the earth — where He is worshipped in vSpirit and truth and where He is revealing His uncreated glories to the principalities and powers as He carries out His stupendous purpose of redeeming His people and erecting f/iem into a temple in which He will forever dwell. Each has its holy and most holy place. The sacrifice was slain in the holy, and and its blood taken into the most holy place ; so Christ, the great sacrifice, was slain on earth, the holj' place of the Lord's tabernacle, and then after His resurrection, for a dead priest would be of no avail, went into heaven, the mOvSt holy place of this magnificent temple, to appear in the presence of God for us ; and bj- His continual intercession there procures the gifts necessary to carry out His undertakin ■;. ' * Jesus is worthy to receive Honor and power Divine, And blessings more than we can give, Be Lord forever thine. The whole creation join in one, To bless the sacred name, Of Him who sits upon the throne. And to adore the Lamb." God's justice was but dimly .set forth in these typical sacrifices ; they give but a weak conception of the heinousness of sin. In the mirror of Christ's sufferings we see sin in its fearful demerit, and justice more conspicuously than if we saw into hell with its creature-suffering, for on the cross we behold the Creator. Doubtless the view given of God s displeasure with sin, on Ca^var^^ is greater than what will occur when this world will be wrapped in flames ; and as we lia ce it god's eternai, purpose. 45 y by a being such homage natized in the however, are :.IvOrd pitched is worshipped revealing His ind powers as of redeeming iple in which oly and most the holy, and ^ce ; so Christ, he holy place s resurrection, t into heaven, nt temple, to I and by His :ifts necessar^' ve, rth in these conception of of Christ's , and justice iell with its behold the ! displeasure t will occur ; and as we ve the greater manifestation of justice, we will ^rtainly have the other, although some do not believe These offerings did. however, serve as telescopes of ith through which to view Christ in the distant ^ture, and as mepns of confessing sin. Each offerer ^ much as said, " I am a guilty rebel deserv^ing to be crificed to justice, but if it can be accepted, I offer is lamb in my stead, " and God graciously ordered it us to be, teaching the doctrine of substitution and jointing to Christ. The sacrifice was a glass through ll^hich to look at the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, who returns without them, in order to save it. Sin must be taken away by the blood and spirit of Christ, or it will take away the sinner. ' ' My faith looks back to see The burdens Thou didst bear, When hanging on the cursed tree, And hopes her guilt was there." This subject appears to be an all absorbing one. Sometimes we do not wonder Paul said, "God forbid that I should glorv save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ," Gal. 6 : U- These offerings by which the doctrines of redemp- tion were taught, and by which Divine worship was celebrated, were instituted b\' Christ the great High Priest, n ^rel}'^ as promises that He would offer Himself in the fuluess of time, truly satisfy justice and open up a way for God to forgive ; He by them beginning to officiate in that capacity. The one shows a way of -mercy, the other secures it. Would the altar and its sacrifice typef\' the Divine and human nature of Christ and the fire the Divine wrath, and thus anticipate the incarnation and what followed it ? His Deity, as the altar sanctified ; His humanity, the gift. The temple service would keep Christ before the mind as the object of faith and worship, the source of salvation and the being to be loved and obeyed. It 46 god'vS eternal pukpose. :ii!i lliiH I! ij I jl W i \\n I i! I! In !l ! 'i :ii i 111 ! was, however, only an introductory dispensation - such a revelation as the human mind was capable of receiving — the alphabet of the science of redemption Many, notwithstanding, were regenerated by the gract of God through these means, made a part of tlu spiritual temple, and so the Divine purpose further advanced. They were saved on credit, b^- faith in what Christ had not then accomplished. That faith led them to repentance and the practice of virtue, so they were possessed of the character and conduct that qualifies the sinner for an inheritance in the new heavens and earth, God will provide for tho5»e who love and obey His dear Son. " Remember, if our faith does not save us from sinning, it will not save us from hell; if it does not produce good deeds it will not carry us to heaven." True, saving faith, gives us character and conduct, I mean faith in ChrivSt ; without Him we can be nothing, nor do nothing. Faith that justifies and saves is a living active principle ; without it works are dead. See in the eleventh chapter of the letter to the Hebrews, how it wrought in the worthies of old. The light from heaven threw the shadow of the cross away to Eden. The temple service was similar to that of the tabernacle. The fire that descended from God, at the time of its dedication by vSolomon, was not permitted to be extinguished for 488 years, night or day. May the love of God and man so glow in all our churches — in all our hearts. " Refining fire go through my heart. Illuminate my soul ; Scatter thy light in every part, And sanctify the whole." The tabernacle was ary. So we in this life moveable ; the temple station- and the one to come. " Here we have no continuing city. " " We seek one which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God ; ' ' and when He shall pitch our moving tent beyond the god's eternal pur pose. 47 ispensation - vas capable of f redemption i by the grace I part of the rpose further faith in what hat faith led irtue, so the\ conduct that in the new lose who love »ur faith does us from hell; 3t carry us to ■haracter and Him we can justifies and it works are letter to the of old, adow of the that of the Ciod, at the ot permitted r day. May churches — pie station- le. "Here : one which r is God," beyond the fiver of death, in the new heavens and earth, we shall i|6niain. " We know that if our earthly house of this l|abernacle were divSSolved we have a building of God, 0^ house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, " if Cor. 5:1. " Here in the body pent, Absent from Him we roam, Yet nightly pitch our n,oving tent A day's march nearer home." The Shekinah, or visible presence of the God of Israel, that went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, lodged in the tabernacle when they were resting from pilgrimage, and preceded ,^em when they were to go forward. IVIaybe this is %hat descended when the temple was dedicated. Is our Shekinah the Word and Spirit of Crod ? "As inany as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons "of God, " Rom. 8 14. The way to be sure that we are led b}' the Spirit is to go by the Word. We may further remark, in connection with the Establishment of God's worship, that in this same jiamily of Abraham, was a long succession of prophets foretelling more and more clearly the coming of Messiah — mak og God's purpose known. They were the stars ' — He the sun. We have the sunlight in this age — they but moon and stars. They were the teachers and preachers of their time. They preached Christ to come, and through their agency the building was advancing, the Divine purpose carried on. They, by in.spiration, wrote the history of the world before the events trans- pired ; and far more accurately than commentators interpret and record the fulfilment of their predictions. Of course Christ is the great prophet from whom all others derive their inspiration. We have a line of prophets in the New Testament also. John, Paul, Peter, etc., but as Christ, the great subject of prophecy, has come there are not so many prophets or predictions ; yet His second coming is of I i' III: III ''ici!,!:'! I. iii.!"' 'fii 48 'tOD'S ETERNAIv PURPOvSE. infinite importance, and it is foretold by the Old Testament prophets, as well as the New. God's worship is to continue till time shall end ; and in some form, no doubt, through eternitj'. The tarth, in its present form, is the holy place of the true tabernacle ; and as all the people were praying without, when Zacharias went to burn incense before the Lord, llll eu to Al so should all the world worship God now, since Jesus P*' Christ has gone into the heavens for us, »^' " Waft, waft ye winds His s^ory. And you, ye waters, roll ; Till like a sea of glory, It spreads from pole to pole. ' ' No wonder the Father said, " This in my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." See what He has done to save the lost inhabitants of this planet — what acts of disinterested benevolence — how self-sacrificing, how brave. Some consider the part of the church on earth is the holy place, and that in heaven the most holj' place of the great tabernacle the Lord pitched. If this be so, they still occupy the same places as those named, for the two parts of that tabernacle are on earth and in heaven. CHAPTER VH. The Assumption of Human Nature by the Second Ferson. in the Tri?iity, or the Lord's First Advent. What was done during the 33 years of Christ's stay on earth is the event of the universe. We are able, to some extent, to grasp the idea of the creation of angels the heavens and e rth, etc., as preparator}- steps in the accomplishment of the Creator's eternal purpose ; because sin has not blinded so much the intellectual as the moral vision of the soul, but for the Infinite to stoop so low, to become incarnate, to take His rebel creatures place and atone for their sin ; this, to be full}' appreci- ated, requires a moral, as well as an intellectual grasp 'S KTgRNAI. PURPOSlv. 49 by the Old ne shall end ■ternity. The ce of the true ying without, ore the Lord, V, since Jesus 1 my beloved what He has lanet — what If-sacrificing, h on earth is St holj' place If this be so, e named, for iarth and in ^/le Second t Advent. of Christ's ^Ve are able, creation of rator}- steps al purpose ; :ellectual as ite to stoop el creatures lly appreci- ctual grasp at we will not possess in time, and but very perfectly in ctcrnitv, even with glorified bodies and Spirits. IJut blessed be His name, He was great tnough to do HO. It would require infinite capacity reali/.c the work of an infinite Being ; and ilthougli we sluill be forever developing, we shall not leconie Divine, utid, therefore, along with the princi- alities and jH)wers, we shall always have something infinitely beyond us to admire. Human redemption is \j| glorious achievement, worthy of Crod. Our hearts Require to be warm atid our intellects large to profitably -ContLinplatf sttcli a work. ^ Witlioul tliese qualifications this part of our study may not be us interesting to us as sonle other portions ; yet it ought to be more so. If the Prince of Wales would enter one of our common prisons, and exchange garments and places %ith a condemned criminal, all of which means very iuuch, it woubl l)e as much beneath what Jesus Christ :hasdoHi\ MH ii creature is beneath a Creator. How this jphould ulTect us. And yet, *' l/ook how we grovel here below, ImjiuI uf these earthly toys ; Our Houls how feebly they go, To reach eternal joys." So giecit a work must mean great things for those for whom it is l)eing accomplished. In the light of the cross we learn that it is the want of true greatness makes UH proiul and keeps us from condescending. V We are all criminals in the sight of heaven ; and one criminal cannot confer much honor on another. Heaven is below US - we go down by the vvaj' of the cross to get there. Christ made Himself of no reputation ; He did not feel the want of it, then. Let us imitate Him. '* He that is down need fear no fall. He that is low no pride ; He that is humble ever shall, Have God to be his guide." 50 (JOD'vS ETKRNAU PURPOvSK. "Christ Jesus humbled Himself, and became obed- ient unto the death of the cross ; for which cause God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, " Phil. 2 : 8, 9. In this chapter we would contemplate the Workman as well as the work. The holiness of the Saviour, the greatness of the work of Salvation together with our sinfulness, keep us from the study of the Divine purpose and plan, and seeking an interest in Christ and coinciding in the design. Yet under the tuition of the Holy Spirit we may become true disciples and workmen. Experimental knowledge is far superior to mere intellectual. "All previous history was a preparation for the advent of God's Son ; all succeeding history the result of it." Hence, "I will overturn, overturn, overturn till He shall come whose right it is to reign, and He shall have the dominion," Ezekiel 21 : 27. That is, I will overturn the Babylonian, Persian and Grecia- empires, the great world wide monarchies of antiquity then Christ, during the prevalence of the Roman power, shall come ; He has a right to reign ; He is our Creator, Preserver and Benefactor. The Holy Spirit says by Daniel, " In the days of these kings " — the Babylonian, Persian, Grecian and Roman — "shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom that vShall never be destroyed, ' ' Dan. 2 : 44. The King was born during the reign of Augustus Caesar, the Roman Emperor ; and after Pie had been annointed by the Holy Spirit at the time of His baptism, began to preach, saying, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," Matt. 4 : 17. The apostles proclaimed the same tidings, and were not to taste of death till they saw it ccme with power, which was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. No doubt but God is still overturning, and will till the kingdoms of this world shall have become the kingdom of our God and His Christ ; till the little stone cut out of the mountain without hands shall have become a great mountain and fill the whole earth, Rev. 11 : 15, f';''**:^ (U)d's kthrnai. pi'r po.sk. 51 became obecl- ich cause Go(] a name which the Workman ? Saviour, the ther with our r the Divine est in Christ the tuition of disciples and ir superior to ation for the )ry the result irn, overturn eign, and He . That is. I and Grecia- of antiquity Oman power, our Creator, irit says by Babylonian, the God of destroyed," Ithe reign of jnd after He the time of ■pent for the 17- The were not to wer, which doubt but ingdoms of lof our C*od lout of the le a great II ^5. Dan. 2 : 34, 36. "Then the mountain of the Lord's hoUvSe shall be established in the top of the mountain, and exalted above the hills, and all nations shall How unto it," Isa. 2 : 2, Micah 4:1. Christ shall rule the world through His people. "The .saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom and possess it forever, even forever and ever," Dan. 7 ; 18, 27. Messiah, Christ. Annointed mean t^? same; He v/as annointed Prophet. Priest and King when the dove-form of the Spirit came upon Him, and that was the sign by which He was to be known as such, John i : 32-34. " Hail to the Lord's Annointed, Great David's greater Son ; Hail in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun." It would be an honor ju.stly due th< One about whom we are writing if the whole material creation had been brought into existence in order to provide Hini a body, if such was necessary. Man could not ascend to heaven ; God came down to seek and save the lost. As a Divine Being He is a Foreign mi.ssionary ; as a human being He is a Home missionary. His is a mission of infinite benevolence. "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godline.ss ; Ciod was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the (ientiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." Hitherto the angels veiled their faces until the veil of mortal flesh hid, in a suitable degree, the excessive glory of God ; a glory so refulgent that a revelation of it to mortal sinful man would destroy instead of save him. He only hath immortality dwell- ing in the light which no man can approach unto ; which no man hath seen nor can see," i Tim. 6 : 16. "For man shall not see Him and live," Exod. 33 : 20. It is indeed supposed that God let Moses see Him and thus brought about his death, Deut. 34 : 5, 6. God in Christ causes all His glory to pass before us, especially on the cross • so that we have seen it as well as Moses 52 god's eternal purpose. ' * Till God in human flesh I se^, My thoughts no comfort find ; The holy, just and sacred Three, Are terrors to my mind. But if Immanuel's face appear. My hope, my joy, begin ; His name forbids my slavish fear, His grace removes my sin." - AvS a cloud hides the noon-day splendour of the sun, so human nature concealed the uncreated glories of Jehovah. Still we have the sunlight notwithstanding the cloud ; and as the intervening cloud enables us to view the sun without injury to the sight, so the love oJ God shines to us through the atoning Christ — the glories of His justice harmonises with His mercy, and we are pardoned and not destroyed. May be He was not seen by the angels till manifest in the flesh, Isa. 6:2. What displa>b of Deity we may be favored with in the future state, will probably be along the line of this one, it being necessary for our salvation and the futherin;: of His purpo.se. Now is laid, in the person of Christ and His work, the foundation upon which the apOvStles and prophets built, and upon which the superstructure shall be erected till the last stone be laid ' ' with shoutings of grace, grace unto it. " He came to atone for the sin of the innumerable multitude — to fulfill the stipulations of the covenant of grace. Since man must sink forever beneath his sins love said, Let God and man bear them ; Christ has done vSo. The divinity shines through His humanity, two natures in one person ; and will do, and be so, forever. The transfiguration gives us an idea of the way in which the Deity is concealed as well as revealed ; also John's vision of Him in Patnios. after His ascension. The seed of Mary has come to bruij e the head of the god of this world, Glory to God in the highest sing the angels ; for when He bringeth the first begotten into the world He saith, "Let all the angels of God CxOD'vS ETERNAL PURPOvSE. 53 lour of the ited glories ithstanding lables us to the love ot Christ — the mercy, and be He wa.s ^h, Isa. 6:2. with in the of this one, e futherin^ n of ChrivSt ;he apostles )erstructure aid ' ' with lue to atone o fulfill the i man must it God and lanity, two so, forever, he way in ealed ; also ascension . lead of the ghest sing t begotten els of God WofvSliip Him. " We slionld surely sing if we can; if we cannot let us in some other way serve. " The hand that rocks the cradle rocks the world. " The one that rocked Jesus' cradle rocked the rcor/ds. He is the One by whom the worlds are made, and who governs them all, Heb. 1:2. The sun arises ; tlie moon and stars of the Mosaic dispensation withdraw. No wonder a star appears, the angels come and sing and the Baptist prepares His way ; it is God incarnate. He appears or. eartli's theatre, prepared before for this amoiig uiher things, to perform the most sul)lime drama that shall ver}- possibly- ever be enacted in the universe. Is the reception lie met with as great a myst' y of inicpiity as is the mystery of godliness ? It may i-e that the inhabitants of countless worlds may be prcsened, nay confirmed, in innocence and virtue b}' the exhibition of the inflexible justice and infinite love of God displayed on the cross ; and n)ay be this is one reason among others, and the principal one, whv the principalities and powers have the manifold wisdom of God make known to them through and by the redemption of the church. " Here the whole Deity is known, Nor dares a creature guess ; Which of the glories brightest shone, The justice or the grace," His miracles as well as His love show His Divinit}'. If they had been more numerous, or of greater "lagni- :]^de, they would net have dared to crucify Him, and ihis world, and may be others, would have perished. ut sin has so deadened the soul and blinled the moral ision that we do not discern that (iod has been anifest in the flesh. We require the teaching of the oly Spirit to know it. It is a most interf..sting and itupendous thought that the Maker of all worlds Itfeii^ited this one in the capacity of the Redeemer of its abitants — God dwelling in man, shedding His blood atone for man's guilt. His body was formed of the 54 GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOvSE. substance of Mary, and so the seed of the woman, as Adam's had been of the substance of the earth ; indeed Christ's body was of the dUvSt of the earth because it descended from Adam. Thus the formation of this earth was in view of God's dwelling in clay — ciay as much refined in His glorified condition as charcoal is in the condition of the diamond, and so in accord with His plan. He is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. " In sacrifices and burnt ofiering for sin, Thou has no pleasure, but a ])0(1 y has Thou prepared me ; ' ' no pleasure because jUvSticc was not satisfied so as to enable Him to forgive the sinner ; but through Christ's offering of Himself, (Vod can be just and iustify the believer in Jesus, (iod dwells in a human being as in a temple, and through what He has done in that temple, and is doing, makes a way to dwell in the whole innumerable multitude that will compose His Royal Palace, or mj'stical body — the Church. God dwells in them as we behold the sun sparkling in the dew drop. All the righteousness of the race since the fall of man, and a vSacrifice of the whole, would not clothe a soul fit for heaven ; but Christ's blood and righteousness cleanses from all sin and robes us fit for the heavenly palace. " Jesus Thy blood and righteousness My beauty are, my glorious dress ; Midst flaming worlds m thesf arrayed, With joy shall I lift up Uiy head." " He was rich, but for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich." When He assumed our nature, it was that He might take the prisoner's place and exchange our sin for His righteous- ness. God in Christ has made a way for the exercivSe of mercy, so that the Divine Governraent, after we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, can be administered as if sin had not existed; "We love because He first loved us," and "Love is the fulfilling of the law." He did all this as our Substitute and Surefty; He -■i''-»- god's kternal purpose. 55 joined our note and paid the debt. Blessed be His name. It was just that man suffer since man sinned ; it was necessary that the atonement be of infinite value in order that the believer be saved from the eternal punishment due to the sin of the creature, and entitled to the heavenly inheritance ; the work of the God-man covered both requirements. God's love to man, man's love to God, and man's love to man are all perfectly exemplified in the life and death of Jesus Christ — just what the Divine law requires. It would have been easy for Christ to love God and man, if there had been no sin ; it was exceedingly difficult when He undertook to do so as the sinner's substitute — exquisite sufferings being then necessary. From His death flows a fountain of life enabling us to love God and man ; a character producing such conduct we require, and is included in Cod's purpose, for we are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. The God-man and His work is the foundation upon which the Church individually and collectively rests. . "The foolish builder, scribe and priest Reject it with disdain ; Yet on this rock the Church shall rest. And envy rage in vain." He would require to be God in order to sustain such a fabric, but He is immanuel — God with us. Then : ** How can we fall with such a prop As our eternal God ; Who holds the world's huge pillars up, And spreads the heavens abroad." We love, serve and worship Him as God, with our largest conception of what that means ; and we cannot, and do not want to, help it, when we realize what He has doneyi?;' and in us ; for an experimental knowledge of an interest in the atonement of Christ is attained here and now ; and if He is not God, instead of destroy- ■m 56 god's eternaiv purpo.se. ing idolatry, He thereby increases it ; but we have )io fears of this when rendering homage to Him. When all learn that He is Ciod as well as some of us have learned it, they will love and worship Him too. ' ' I know He is God becaUvSe He forgave my sins. " " Thou art Christ, the vSon of the living God. "Blessed art thou Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father." " This, this is the God we adore, Our faithful unchangeable Friend ; Whose love is as great as His power, And neither knows measure nor end." Idolatry has alwaye been the sin of the race. On account of the corruption and guilt of our nature we love not a holy God ; and, as creatures that must and will worship, we turn to idols in one form or another. God has revealed Himself in Christ for the destruction of idolatry and the establishment of His own worship. " And 1, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me ; " and He is doing so. This revelation demonstrates that He is worthy of our homage. He loves His creatures and suffers for His subjects. It is nece.s.sary for the pre.servation of His creatures lives that His excessive glory be hidden from mortal vision by the veil of humanity. INIan could never attain heaven, neither by qualifying himself for the place or state, nor could he atone for the violation of the Divine law ; biit the second Person of the Sacred Three came to this planet to do so. All His life of 33 years was meritorious — was spent in effecting salvation — becaUvSe during that period He was beneath the position and state His infinite dignity rendered Him worth}^ to occup}'. This infinite dignity added efficacy to the time of His humiliation as well as to His great sacrifice. He reacher". perfect manhood during that time, (33 years is about *^he average of human life) His manliness shining conspicuously ; and as a second Adam, removed all the obstacles the first Adam and we had placed in the way e have no 11. When if us have too. " I ' ' ' Thoii Jlessed art \ hath not GOD S ICTEHNAI, ITKPOSE. 5: thi race. On nature we t must and or another. :lestruction n worship, unto me ; ' " ^trates that s creatures ,ry for the excessive :he veil of neither by r could he but the his planet itorious — Inring that state His py. This of His rifice. He |33 years is |ss shining /ed all the the wav of eternal happiness. We appreciate Him in tnis capacity of \i'\^\\ Priest in pro])ortion as we rely upon ./'.His finished worK, and address onr petitions to Him — ■rely upon what He eiTecled on earth, and plead A'ith Him now He is in heaven. He ever liveth, and is able to save to the uttermost. He wrought out the complete robe of righteousness ro([nisHe for us to appear in, in the presence of the Father. The human nature enabled Him to suffer, the Divine gave virtue to the sufferings. Even if God was to blame for num's sin, which is not in the least true, He has fully repented in the conduct of His Son ; and because that is so we are ])ardoned. He came as low as earth to raise us high as heaven. The nature that was overcome b}- satan. sin and death. Overcame them by the indwelling God ; then He took those captives who held us in bondage, and received gifts for men. " The branches could not raise them- selves up, but the tree stooj^ecl down for them." Some divines suppose that His life was a ])re])ara- tion for His death, and in a sense doubtless it was; others, that it was the time in which the believer's vjustitying righteousness war. wrought out ; that right- eousness giving us a title to heaven, while His death savfS us from heli. However it "^ay be, both are effected bv the great Mediator. His death is very strongly em])hasi/,ed in the Old and New Testaments. it is the penalty for sin. " In the day thou eatest thereof thou shall siuel >■ die. " I )eath means separation from God ; and the separation would have been far greater as well as eternal, when man sinned, than being jkurned out of Kden, but for the eternal purpoee of (rod. ,f'"*Sin separates between us and (iod, and iniquities tfeause Him to hide His face from us," Isa. 59 : 2. Was it death for the vSon of God from the time He left His father's house till He returned? The separation of Adam and FCve, and of their posterity, from God in 4|iis life, is the first death ; eternal separation fjom God IjHII be second. The Seed of the woman has come — lias virtually, and is actually, \ ruising the .serpent's ^sasssm 58 GOD S ETERNAL PURPOSE. w MM head. Christ, that Seed, has, during, and by His life and death, in virtue of His Divinity, effected what is equivalent to a penalty of eternal separation for the creature, in virtue of which, through faith, the penitent believer becomes an heir of (xod. This second death, or eternal separation from God, awaits thOvSe living and dying in sin. The Saviour of the penitent is the Judge of the impenitent ; when the Saviour was born so was the Judge. Christmas is a day of joy for Christians only, unless the disobedient rejoice that a Judge has appeared. But the /me of judgment is not yet ; " Now is the day of salvation, " The separation of tl:e body and spirit is what 7t'e are accustomed to call death ; but Christ said, "It is finished," before that took place in His case. It was not the separation of His soul and Deity from the body that atoned for sin, then, but His separation from God, His sujferi7igs, His blood. " which is the life thereof, Lev. 17 : 11. In the moment of extreme separation from His Father and the H0I3' Spirit, He, the second Person of the Sacred Trinity said to each of the other two, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me." What exquisite agonies. Turn my soul from such a scene ; it is too dreadful to gaze on. But nay, I must see or I perish. I must see the horrors of sin, I must see the justice of God, I must see His love ; I must learn these lessons as well as the principalities and powers in heavenlj' places. The separation of the body and spirit is no part of the penalty of sin — it is instantaneous — Christ finished the atoning work before such a separation. If Adam and Eve had been punished as they deserved, which would certainl}' have been the case but for the Divine purpose, they would have been so punished without any separa- tion of body and spirit. And when the wicked are finally and forever enduring penalty for sin, it will be with soul and body united — after the general resurrec- tion. Death, then, with what precedes it, is, for the believer, a part of the work of redemption ; at that period the regenerate spirit leaves a sinful body, and god's eternal purpose. 59 the body returns to dust to be raised again and fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body, it being thereby regenerated ; for it is by the Spirit dwelling in believers that this glorious work is effected, and so the great work of regeneration is completed in the glorification of body and spirit. What we call death then is a part of the work of ledeniption. Yet, " We timorous mortals start and shrink To cross this narrow sea ; And linger, shivering on the brink, And fear to launch away, God's way of refining and remoulding the body, is to have it go to the grave and have a resurrection. We have to suffer enough to separate body and spirit ; but, " Behold, I make all things new " — the body as well as the spirit. What preceded the separation of the spirit from the body of Christ atoned for sin ; in our case it is for the mortification of sin, the crucifixion of the old Adam, the .sanctification of the soul, the humiliation of the spirit, and no doubt for chastivSement. All this may be termed repentance, corresponding in us to atoning for sin in Christ. Some think there is an eternal separation between the Fither and the Son, in coUvSequence of His assuming our nature, and because sin deserved eternal .separation from God, He undertaking to atone for it ; but although the creature would be thus separated without the atonement of Christ, yet the infinite dignity of (Tod the eternal Son would, we assume, do away with such a necessity. He effecting the atonement without such a separation. If eternal separation were necessar}- so would eternal suffering be. All the time of His humiliation would be His death, but especially when on the cross exclaiming, " My (lod, my God, why hast W\o\x foy saken me?" Union with man is not separation from God ; "I and my Father are one," was said by our Lord when in the flesh. It was a stat^ of separation ? 6o god's KTKKNAI^ PURPOvSE. during the time He was accomplishing redemption on earth, rather than a real separation forever. He prays that His people may behold the glory His Father gave Him — a mediatorial glory in consequence of His having redeemed us, in addition to His essential Divine glory which could not be either increased or decreased. He also prays that He may be glorified with the glory that He had with the Father before the world was, John 17 : 5. Then, although man. He is not at all separated from His Father. His Divine glorj' was seen at His transfiguration, and He is to come in all His Father's glory to judge the world. The infinite splendours of Jehovah were partially concealed ; or as they radiated from their uncreated source, were so modified in passing through the medium of Christ's humanity that creatures couid behold them without injury, and shall with supreme joy to eternity, but He is nevertheless as glorious as ever. He and the Father being still one. " Herein is love." Was He so much oyie person, although human and Divine, that the Divine sufiered ? A death equivalent to that meant in the words, " Thou shalt surel}' die, '* was endured by Chri.st ; and because of this death — this separation from God — we can have eternal union and communion with Him, superior to that of Kden. This union is eternal life for body and spirit. Christ's death is the fountain of life. As the branch derives life from the trunk, so the entire man from Him, No wonder great emphasis is laid upon His death — no wonder w-e designate it the greatest event ever transpired on this globe — or, we dare say, ever will here or elsewhere. It is so great that we do not realize it fully enough — hence our surprise and admiration are the less. We could wish that we did, in a greater degree, comprehend it, and so appreciate it as we ought, and reciprocate His dying love ; we shall in the future state, when with renewed, enlarged and glorified acuities, we shall be enabled to understand it as we ■■"^J- GOD S ETKRNAI, PIKPOSK. 6i now do some of the .simpler parts of the stupendous plan. No doubt but the adoring hosts of the heavens will be filled forever with astonished love to the Being whose manifold wisdom and boundless love are dis- played so gloriously. No wonder the children of God want to proclaim it in eternity as well as time. Will this exhibition of Deity preserve myriads of worlds from sinning, by filling them with holy fear of the inflexible justice rendered so visible, and irresistible love of the love so amazing ? We at least believe that it is sufficient to do vSo I It may be that each of the redeemed from amongst men may have a world to proclaim these wonders to, the Church thus making known the manifold wisdom of (iod their Maker, Preserver and Redeemer, to the principalities and powers in heavenly places. No wonder infinite love and justice awarded Christ a name above every name, and that every knee should bow to Him. " Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore thy God hath annointed thee with the oil of gladness adore thy fellows," Psalm 45 : 7. "To those who believe He is precious," i Peter 2 : 7. " Jesus the name to sinners dear, The name to sinners given ; It drives awa}' their guilty fear, And turns their hell to heaven." The justice that demanded satisfaction at the hands of the kind substitute will not permit the infliction of the penalty a second time, so the penitent, obedient believer, is free from the condemnation of the Divine law forever. " Should storms of seven-fold thunder roll, And shake the earth from pole to pole ; No thunder belt should daunt my face, For Jesus is my hiding place." Justice demands that Jesus be rewarded and the believer saved. Justice and mercy write in the acquittal of the penitent. 62 god's ETERNAIy PURPOSE. Here we have the greatevSt exhibition of the greatest Being. " God is love. " Love purposed, love planned and love is performing. That there may be a photo- graph of the cross and the precious victim that hung on it indelibly stamped on the retina of the ej-e of every soul. God's heart is visible on the cross. Here we behold His glory, and His glory is His goodness and His justice, more plainly than Moses saw it. The work being accomplished by Christ is so much greater than the creation of the heavens and earth, as the house is greater than the scaffolding. Our minds may not be sufficiently clarified to discern it, but, doubtless, it is nevertheless so. Christ paid a great debt to justice — gave Himself to suffer till it was enough — He asks us to pay the easy, pleasant one of love ; and the more we love Him and His, the more intense our enjoyment. " In heaven above all is love, There'll be no sorrow there." If it be true that our felicity depends upon the degree of love we have to God and His — and love is the fulfilling of the law — what joy awaits the chosen of God when we shall forever see Jesus face — God incarnate — and all His redeemed be our associates always ? " There we shall see His face And never, never sin ; There from the rivers of his grace Drink endless pleasures in." Even on earth we hear many a report of the goodliness of that land. The grapes of the heavenly Canaan are very sweet to the weary spirit. " And if our fellowship below In Jesus be so sweet. What heights of rapture shall we know When round His throne we meet ? We too much deprive ourselves of these antepasts (iOl)'S KTKUNAI, PUKPOSR. 65 of heaven, by our unfaithfulness. O my fellow Christians Uiink of our t>blisations to Jesus Christ. What a divint' philosophy He employs in teaching us to love IIini==' Christ crucified is the wisdom of (iod and the power of Cod in this respect. We love because He loved. He m> loved as to die so as to regenerate. We ought to work for Him. He gave Himself to purify us unto good works ; and the vSpirit, if we are truly born from al)ovc. has created us unto them, r.od's plan eneourageH holiness, and discourages sin. Can we sin witli the suffering substitute on the cross ? " He that i.s l)orn of God doth not commit sin. " It is morally injpOHsi1)le. Could God devise a wiser method to induce us to begin aud continue repenting ? '• In '6>/// be done ? Ves. One of his own eyes is put out and one of his son's. Something similar has been done in the realm of Divine (lovernment, in the sufferings of tlie Ood-man. Were the two natures not so much one person tiiat we may say, extending the illustration, was there not an eye of deity and another of humanity put out ? JNIethinks so. "Oh the depth of the riches, l)oth of the wivSdom and knowledge of (iod, how unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out," Rom. I I : 33. No wonder the angels desire to look into these things ; no wonder the principalities and powers in heavenly places admire them ; and no wonder we preach and write about them ; the wonder is that mankind is ,so little affected b\' them. Christ's death is the most essential particular in order to the accomplishme'^t of (iod's purpose, in the whole plan of salvation. May we say the sinners substitute redeemed us from hell and purchased heaven by His offering ? The man who was drafted a second time to serve in defence of his countr}-, said he was dead in the person of a substitute he procured and who was shot, on the battle field. So may the true believer in Jesus say. We have died for our sins in the person of Christ. "Had I ten thousand, thou.sand tongues, Not one should silent be ; Had I ten thousand, thousand hearts, I'd give them all to thee." The Alexanders, Caesars and Napoleons waded through the blood of their fellow creatures to reach their thrones, but our King through His own ; and m 66 god's KTERNAIv purposf. i- I4t- now He sways His ransomed people by the sceptre of the cross. He got to the crown by the way of the cross as His people do. By this conduct we see that God is love; He is just and merciful — just in punishing sin — merciful in pardoning the sinner ; better government than ii man had been kept from sinning, with better results if we believe, repent nnd obey. Let us seek an interest in this precious Galvation from .sin, and thus rise hi^^^her in the scale of creation than we ever would have been if the creature had not sinned. It is evident (iod is more willing to pardon than to punish. We should much prefer Christ to reign over us to an}- other. He suft'eis rather than that His subjects should ; who else would do so ? •' Dear dying Lamb Thy precious. 1)lood Shall never lose its power, Till all the ransomed church of God Be .saved to -^in no more." "The blood is the life thereof." God's blood (Acts 20 : 28) is eternal life. To the true penitent pardon is better than Paradise. Our salvation was not safe in the hands of the first Adam ; it is in the hands of the second ; it is safe in the hands of our Prophet, Priest and King. " We love becau.se He loved. " "By death He virtually, although not yet actuall}-, destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil." He is the vSon of Mary of whom it was predicted, " He shall bruise the vSerpent's head. " " He was manifested to destroy the v.-oiks of the devil." The Jews have a tradition that Ch-ist was so highlj- appreciated by satan that he agreed to exchange all the rest of the race for him. The bargain was sealed ; but tjatan was foiled and mankind freed forever. Like Samson, however, He lost His life in the overthrow of His and our foes. He conquered by dj'ing. Thus the God-man, in executing His part of the Divine purpose died as a Substitute to satisfy the claims jUvStice had against the sinner, that we could be god's eternal purpose. 67 saved from endless woe and brought to eternal joy. Great an act as this is, it effects the minds of some but little, although the principalities and powers in heavenly places desire to look into it. We are to proclaim it from the pulpit and pew, by the pen and the press ; probably eternity will be spent along with other engagements in the delightful employ. He was buried, showing His death to be real. Our sins were laid upon Him, and crushed Him to the dust of death ; but being God — God manifest in the flesh — He vanquished the ' ' king of terrors, deposing him from his throne of skulls, " rising again and walking the earth a Conqueror as if there had been no sin, for indeed He took it away no more to return. See Him walking out of the tomb, and shortly beginning the mightiest revolution that ever shook the heart of Ihe nations, by the introduction of the powerful, Almighty pri.iciple of Christianity He triumphed over satan and death. " Great is the mysterj^ of Godliness ; God was manifest in the flesh, etc." When He shouldered our sins they brought Him very low, but they did not crush Deitj' ; if they could He would have been lost forever with ourselves, and the darkness that draped the heavens with mourning at the dread hour of the Creator's crucifixion would have continued, the sun would have shone no more. How horrible is sin ! Wherever sin is, sorrow, sadness and pain must be. May the Holy Spirit enable us to wash it away by faith in Jesus' blood ; for if we carry the cause of sorrow into the eternal world with us, we shall endure eternal sorrow. Dionj-sius the Areopagite, afterwards regenerated under Paul's preaching, exclaimed, when he observed the supernatural darkness that veiled the vsky on that memorable daj', " Tlir^ Creator must be dying, or the end of the world has come ;" he being in Egypt at the time, knowing nothing of what was taking place at Jerusalem, IS' ■•■« IS: V ,:A l-^*' M mm 68 'tOD'S KTKHNAf. PURPOSE. " Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut his glories in, When Christ the great Creator died For man the creature's sin. So might I hide my 1)lushing face Wlien His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness And melt mine eyes to tears." The resurrection of tliis glorious Lord demonstrates that the sacrifice was accepted ; He rose for our justifi- cation. He could have gone from the cro.ss to glory, but He came to redeem and create the dodv anew as well as the spirit, .so He was huried. His resurrection was, for the time being, tlie momentous event or hinge upon which all else ttirns. His death, without it, would have been the saddest of all sad news. The iSIessiali who was to con(pier sin. satan and death for a lost race has been coiuiuered ]^' them if He has not risen. But the miracle of the ages has been wrought — Christ ro.se. There is nt) event connected with human or Divine historj' can be more fully authenti- cated than that ; that bloodless body, the heart pierced with the vSoldier's si)ear ro.se again. He was .seen by twelve witnesses chosen for that express purpose, and by five hundred brethren at one time; some of whom, along with many others, sealed their testimony with their blood to propagate a falsehood if the}^ did not see the ri.sen Chri.st, which sane men and women would not do. All Chri.stendom would not be believers in such a doctrine today were it not true. Christianity and its more than human energy proves it beyond the shadow ot a doubt. He has atoned for the sin of the spirit and redeemed the l)ody ; and the gospel consists of the.se facts, He died for our sins and was buried and rose again, i Cor. 15 : 3, 4. He became the first fruits of them that slept, and His resurrection the source of ours. "The creature itself," our bodies, shall be delivered from the bondage god's eternal purpose. 69 of corruption and brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God. He could have done with all as with Enoch and Elijah, the method to be employed at his second coming with the then living saints ; biit it pleased Him to permit death, burial and resurrection instead of a change equivalent to them. " Vain were the terrors that gathered around Him, And short the dominion of death and the grave ; The burst from the fetters of darkness that bound Him, Resplendent in glory to live and to save," After their resurrection, the saints will be as though they had been changed, and had not sinned ; except it be, that through Christ the second Adam, thej" shall occupy a higher sphere in the scale of creation than that they could have done through the first Adam. " As in Adam all die, so in CLrivSt shall all (bodies) be made alive." He was delivered, according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, for our sins, and raised again for our justification. During His sojourn of forty days on earth after His resurrection. He gave many infallible proofs of that event to the apostles, the other foundation^:, with the prophets, Himself being the chief of the palace He is building. Tarry ye at Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high, was the command ; upon the reception of which power the}^ w<. ' to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature He then a.scended into heaven, leading captivity captive and receiving gifts for men, that the Lord God might dwell among them, now by faith, in the hearts of His people by and bye in the new heavens and earth forever. He went into the most holy place of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man . Then He appears in the presence of God for us, and in virtue of pleading the merits of His life and death there, the work of re- demption is carried forward here through the use of the means Divinely appointed for that purpose. , !- 70 god's eternal purpose. ' * Father forgive their sins He cries, For I myself have died ; And then He shows His bleeding hands, And pleads His wounded side." His vicarious sufferings here is what He pleads 'litre. As the High Prie.st of the redeemed He shed his blood in the holy place, and pleads its infinite virtue in the most holy, securing from justice the willing consent to pardon rebels. He vi^ent low as sin, satan and justice could put Him ; now He has ascended above all heavens. He is worthy that all the songs, hymns and psalms ever made or will be, be united in one and forever sung in the ear of the Redeemer by all the redeemed. Were the ten days between the ascension of our Lord and the coming of the Holy Spirit spent by the redeemed in heaven and the principalities and powers in irrepressible praise and adoring love, just as they were spent by the Chuich on earth in praj-er ? Rev. 5 : 6-14. In view of the exhibition of the glorious perfections of God by Jesus Christ, as well as what was effected by it in the salvation of man, the supposition seems natural enough ; especially if men and angels, and the principalities and powers, and possibh' trillions of trillions of unfallen creatures are confirmed in glory and virtue fore\er thereby. The ten daj-'s prayer would be in view of the promised Comforter and the great commission. Prayer is natural to those saved by grace, and praise to those in whom the grace is matured to glory, (xrace teaches such heavenl}' em- ployments. " They sang a new song, etc. " Jesus is worthy that all the crowns that ever will be worn by the saved should be wreathed into one and placed on His brow. ' ' O that with yonder sacred throng We at His feet may fall. Join in the everlasting song And crown him Lord o f all." god's etkunat. purpose. 71 He is preparing mansions for His chosen, so that they can say, "We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made witli hands eternal in the heavens," 2 Cor. 5:1. In some respects " The king- c'oin was prepared before the foundation of the world, " Matt. 25 : 34. It was fitted for those who were taken there before Jesus died and ascended to complete it ; just as this earth in its present condition is adapted to the state of its sinful inhabitants ; and as it may be renewed for the future abode of the saints. Or it may have done for a sinless glorified Adam and his posterity, but for tho.se of the fallen race saved b}- Christ's precious blood and the infinite grace of God, He has gone to make it better. One would have been grace, the other exceeding rich grace. He has all power in heaven and earth fi)r the completion of His purpose. " I saw one like unto a vSon of Man come with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Hays, and to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom," Dan. 7 : 13, 14. This, no doubt, refers to the ascension of the God-man, and the coming of the kingdom of God on the day of Pentecost, the organization of the Church of ChrivSt and the e.stablishment of His religion in the world. He ascended from Olivet in the clouds to His Father — the Ancient of Days. The work of the Messiah and the Holy Spirit is as much greater than the creation of heaven and earth, although we may be so deprived of spiritual vision by sin as not to discern it, as the hou.se is greater than the scaffolding u.sed in its erection ; and the Builder as much greater than the building as a man is greater than his house. We hope to see the truth of these things in the new heaven and earth ; the more clearly we now behold them with the eye of faith, for we can look at the things wliich are not .seen, the more interesting they are. In a coming day we shall fully realize that creation, great as it is, is only a preparation for redemption. May we now see that what transpires 72 god's KTERNAL .PURPOvSE. I ^f*t'" in time is only to be weighed as it affects us in eternity . Earth is only the vestibule of heaven — the place for preparation. If we see the adverse experiences of life in this light we shall appreciate them more highly than what we term prosperous. Our sufferings do us good as well as our joys. The discipline we endure is developing a character that shall be perpetual, and fit us for to be the companions of the good of all ages. The material for Solomon's temple was gotton in readiness before taken to Jerusalem ; God thus prepares His people for the New Jerusalem ; and adversity forms a part of the preparation as well as prosperity and the means of grace. The work is in progress — the purpose is not yet perfected. CHAPTER Vni. 77ie Adre7it of the Holy Spirit a?id His Work. The work to which we now invite your attention is about as wonderful as the preceding, viz., the coming of the third Person in the Sacred Trinity to continue accomplishing the Divine purpose where the Second ended ; He having finished His part of the stipulations of the covenant of grace, laying the foundations sure. The superstructure is carried forward by the Holy Spirit. He takes the stones from nature's quarry and fits them for the heavenly building. Thus God is with us still. "I will dwell in them." God, the second Person, united to the man Christ by His meritorious life and death, and bj^ His intercession opened a way for the third Person to abide in and with us forever. It appears as great an act of love in the Holy Spirit to come to renovate, sanctify and comfort the hearts of fallen man as for the Son of God to do what He has. Christ endured more pain, but the Spirit abides here longer; however, it is all the work of the one God in three Persons. In a manner the Holy Spirit is also incarnate ; "They that dwell in love dwell in God, and God dwells in them, " i John 4 : 16. The great Jehovah is carrying ..- ,^^. god's eternal purpose;. 7?> out the stupendous plan ; and in order to do it, it was expedient for Christ to leave the earthly theatre and for the Divine Spirit to come. "We must be born of the Spirit or we cannot see the kingdom of Cxod, ' ' John 3:3. This kingdom of God in the spirit of man is what raises us to our normal condition ; is what constitutes true felicity and eternal life ; what annihilates the principle, power and practice of sin ; and what we require in order to deliverance from the ruins of the Fall. We must be born from above or we cannot be received above — regenerate because we are degenerate. We need life and that comes by the new birtli. God the Holy Spirit is carrying forward the new creation, necessitated by the evils sin introduced in His work- manship, and all things will be made new before He ceases to exert His new creating energy. We do not realize His presence, although He is doing a greater work than bringing the material creation into existence — than the creation of sun, moon, etc. Ma\' He more fully clarify our moral vision. The old creation is the material and the workshop ; the new creation the building He is erecting for His habitation. He is preparing His people now, and they work out their salvation as He works in them. The regeneration of a human being is greater than the resurrection of a body, or the creation of Adam. Christ raised dead bodies, and &aid his disciples would do greater things ; it must have been the resurrection of dead souls. The Son could say when He returned to the Father, I have performed my part of the agreement. I have taken the nature and place of the guilty creature, and as Mediator have magnified the Divine law and made it honorable ; as God-man I have made the atonement that justice called for; and now regenei ite the people promised me, make them lively stones iii the heavenly temple, the Church, that by her may be made known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places the manifold wisdom of God. The unchangeable Father, true to His covenant engagements, begins the work of 74 god'vS eternal purpose. renovating human nature, and is still carrying it forward bj' the eternal Spirit. His agency is absolutely indispensable in the accomplishment of His purpose ; "Ye JHKsf be born of the Spirit, etc." Our lives become reformed because our hearts have been regen- erated — character ard conduct both being the rCvSult of this radical change. We talk of human beings making history, and we do to an extent ; but it is the Holy Spirit who makes the history most worth reading. He is the Author of all those great moral resolutions that have ennobled and elevated the race, by purifying the source of thought, word and action. Some part of our moral make-up constitutes w'hat we do, either good or bad ; it is the heart, according to Scripture ; and the gOvSpel of the grace of God takes awaj- the heart of stone and substitutes one of flesh, thus is the fountain of morals cleansed The Hoi}" Spirit applies the benefits of the atonement by which the conscience is purged from dead works to the service of the living Ciod. We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works, Eph. 2:10. He inspired men of old to record the sacred Scriptures with their doctrines, historical facts and prophetic declarations ; and now, as in by-gone, He is writing living epistles, known and read of all men ; epistles that demonstrate the efficac}' o^ Jesus' blood, the reality of the religion called Christianity and the power of God's grace, as it reigns though Jesus Christ, to turn from vice to virtue, from the Icve of sin and satan to that of holiness and God. The Church, b}- which the manifold wisdom of God is being made known unto the principalities and powers. in heavenly places, is the machinery and the Holy Spirit the impelling powder. Jesus gave Himself a sacrifice that He might purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works, and the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, creates us anew unto them, applying the blood of Christ that purges the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Idle pro- fessors, barren fig-trees, demonstrate that they are not god's eternal purpose. 75 thus created and are not coinciding with their Maker's purpose. Let us remember that we are to be co- workers with God, working out our own salvation with fe&r and trembling as He works in us, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. The manifold wisdom of God is not only displayed by His redemption of the church, although chiefly in this way, but by the practical piety of His people as they exemplify the power of godliness in their lives. The Holy Spirit communicates eternal life to the spirit dead in sin, through the preaching of the word of God, this life permeates the spirit now, and will the body at the time of its resurrection ; both, as one immortal soul, being thereby fitted for the new heaven and earth God intends to create ; for we must not look at His purpose as already accomplished, but noiv in course of comple- tion ; possibly more than half of the time necessary for that completion being past. That God-man that for a short time was lying dead in Joseph's tomb has stepped out ; and, by His word and spirit, is revolutionizing the nations ; and He will not grow weary till the people of the Most High possess the kingdom under the whole heaven ; and the gods that have not made these heavens perish from beneath them. The Church consists of those human beings begotten of God and born of His vSpirit ; the children, in primitive ages, naming the Holy Ghost their INIother, as well as God the Father their Father ; Christ, the eternally begotten of the Father, is the older Brother, and Christians the new and younger ones the one great family of God ; the whole family in heaven and earth being named after Him. May He give us grace that will enable us to live so that He will not be ashamed to call us brethren, Heb. 2 : 11. Only the Holy Spirit can make a saint out of a sinner ; a ChrivStian is a piece of Divine mechanism ; from, or of such. He builds the Church. He is now in the world carrying out the Divine plan. There is a principle in the world perme vV 76 god's eternal purpose. ating and renovating the corrupt niavSS of humanity — that principle is Christianity — is Christ, and is from heaven ; and the inhabitants of this globe can act no more wisely than by being governed by it and propagating it ; it is infinitely better for mankind than wealth, intellccrtual culture or high positions in life. Christianity is triumphing and will till the kingdoms of earth are God's. Each individual can, in some measure, communicate this leaven to its neigebour. '* The Missionary vSociety " is the name given b}' the Moravians to the Church, each member having to help support a missionary or be one. Practical piet}- is the ideal of Christianity, of the Divine purpose in connec- tion with the Church militant, and of the Divine law- love to God and man. If God had only talked of loving us we would have perished ; He acted love for us and to us. Thus should we. The Holy Spirit, in regeneratio 1, puts God's laws in our minds and writes them in our hearts — in our minds that we may not forget them, in our hearts that we may practice them. In the Sinai Covenant they were written on tables of stone ; not so in the Covenant of Grace. Sab^ation is cessation from sin, the practice of virtue ; or repentance of sins of commission and of omission. The annihilation of sin is all that is requisite — sin in principle and practice — and the blood of the God-man has been spilt and the Spirit of God sent for that purpose. Sin was no essential part of man's constitution when God made him — it will form no part of him in the new heavens and earth — it is abnormal, and man is better without it ; why should we love it ? It is so ingrained in our very being that nothing short of the radical change called sanctification, which, it appears, begins in regeneration, or a new creation, can eradicate it from the body and spirit. Sin is what makes hell and closes heaven ; and when the Holy Spirit implants an opposite principle of grace in the individual — one of holiness and obedience — we all surely escape the one and attain to the other. If (ion's KTKRNAL Pl'KPOvSE. 77 we are so cnnblt'd by the grace of God to deport our- selves, we have tlu- clmracter, and our conduct is such that we are lU for the society of heaven — the good of all past and fuUne ages. We 11 be justified in the final day of accounts by our conduct; for it evidences what our character is. Our faith will not save us from destruction if it does not .save us from sin ; it will not carry us to heaven if it does not teach us to do ■;ood. Faith it'orA's by love and without works is dead. We cannot be asHured tli it what is not a working faith is a justifying faith. Justification, or the appropriation of Christ's rightcou.sness is entirely by faith, but to be justified in professing to have the character of a .saint, works will be tli" test. Failh without wo'ks is like rowing a boat with one oar — it will go round instead of forward ; an oar on each side well plied, will take us to our desired haven ; so faith that works by love to God and man, purifies the heart and carries us to heaven. Faith without works is dead ; and works without faith must be dead. l'*ailh is the life of piet}-. This faith is the gift of the Spirit, i Cor. 12:9. In order then to the perfecting of human character and conduct we must be born of the Hpit it ; hence the vast importauce of His coming to carry out the Divine plan. The work of the Holy spirit giving us life and ability to work out our salvation makes our religion positive as well as negative teaches us to do good as well as avoid evil. The good Lord help us to be such Christians. " Who can describe the joys that rise Thn ugh all the courts of Paradise, To see a profligal return, To Hgii rut heir of glory born ? With joy the Father doth approve The fruit of His eternal love ; The Sou with joy looks down and sees Thi purchase of his agonies. The Holy Ghost delights to view The contrite soul He forms anew ; And saints and angels join to sing The growing empire of their King." 78 (iOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE. We do not consider it nnscriptural nor unreasonable to suppose that the principalities and powers in heavenly places now view with rapture the work of the Holy vSpirit in our hearts. If the iiiorning- stars .sang together, and all the vSons of God shouted for joy when the foundation of this earth was laid, it is natural to suppose they would be more likely to do so when lost man is being redeemed and new created. The unre- generate, blinded by sin and satan, may not discern that this spiritual creation is going forward. We feel His power ; He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin, because we believe tiot on Christ. Unbelief is Adam's sin transmitted to us, the sin of our sins, the root of all other sins ; it is original sin, that of Adam and Eve when they would not believe the I.ord God, but the devil, and ate the fruit. So in order to eradicate sin from our moral constitution, the Holy Spirit goes to the fountain of it when He convicts of unbelief. It is a dreadful sin ; it ruined the race ; it prevented the Jews from acrepting Jesus the Messiah ; and he that now believeth not shall be condemned. May the Hoi}' Ghost destroy it in our hearts. IrJis convincing power causes us X.o feel \.\\(t misery sin causes and to will its destruction in us. Has He so wrought in you ? To be thus convieted of the sin of unbelief is no less than to realize that we have broken the law of God, to experience that we are exposed to His righteous dis- pleasure, to be tried and found guilt}^ of the greatest crime, except it be that of the unpardonable sin, a sin against the Spirit of God, who alone can make us Christians, and appears to be committed by the unbeliever in resisting His convictions. Let us beware ; all sin is in this dangerous direction. " There is a time, I know not when, A place, I know not where, That marks the destiny between God's mercy and despair." f /-4»-w »•' god's KTKKNAI, nUI'OSK. 79 God has set a bound to human wickedness ; when we pass that our case is hopeless. If s/n is destroyed in the soul, there is no danger but we will escape hell and enter heaven — sin is the great controversy between God and man — God is able to destroy it. It is the annihilation of sin we should be anxious about, not about escaping hell and gaining heaven. But the Holy Si^rit of God not only convicts of the sin of unbelief or Christ, our rejection of Him as the T .ophet to teach, the rrie.st to atone and intercede, and the King we should obey ; but, in order to make us true Christians, He also convicts us of righteousness ; and that, at the time when we are .sensible of our guilt, and require a way of escape ; it is a most gracious and loving work on His part ; probablj- we would never come to Christ without it. " Man's extremit}' is ('od's opportunity'." He has said, "Come unto me all ye that are wearv and heavv laden and I will give j'ou rest. " To be convicted of righteousness may mean that the sinner thus rendered sensible of guilt realizes that it would be righteous or just on the part of God to condemn him. whatever good opin^'ons he may before have enterta'ned of himself; but at. this work of the Spirit is in order to the .salvation oi" t^ ,-oul ; and as we cannot po.ssibly be saved by ^hc *av\ .f God since we are guilty of breaking it» it ci, .',b*"]v -s ;as reference to a realizing .sen.se of the fa-^t tli u. C^:n: las provided a righteoiisness for the justifi < lui f Ir , .sinner when he believes on Him ; and the iJoiy 6 [■'-.'<. in convicting of unbelief, generates faith in the soul "Therefore, being ju.stified bj' faith we have peace with ( hkI through our Lord Jesus Christ ;" and, "He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth," Rom. 5:1, and 10 : 4. Our Lord explains it Him.self, "Of righeousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more." The Father sent Him to save , a perfect righteousness was required in order to our saKation ; Chri.st in our mr 80 GODS ETERNAL PURPOSE. nature — " a man who never sinned — wrought it out by obedience in life and unto death ; and so having completed the work to the entire satisfaction of the Fathei, He returned to Him, who, no doubt, would not have recei^red Him had not this righteousness been provided ; or in other words, had He not carried out the stipulations of the covenant of grace. But He did so, and we .shall " see Him no more " — He will not have to return to complete it. "It is finivShed, " were among His dying words, John 19 : 30. Thus Christ has two coats and is able and willing to impart to him that has none, and that is every poor sinner ; and we ner.'i ^his garment to fit us for the society of heaven ; " ti:'e garments of our Elder Brother." In the Old Testament Christ is called, "The Lord our righteous- ness ; and in the New. " Our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption." He zcas prior to the incarnation a sinless God ; and always after it, a sin- less man ; and Ke wrought out maikff righteousness, hence the /wo coats. Thus the Holy vSpirit, when He convi'^ts us of our guilt, does not leave us in despair; Ho directs us to Jesus, and with the eye of faith He creates, we vSee the suffering Substitute, and are justified by His imputed righteousness, and obtain peace with God. "()f righteousness because I go to ni}' Father and >e see me no more. " Sanctification has been called the righteousness of the Holy Spirit. When He opens the eye of the .souT to see its guilt and vileness, \a o feel our need of such a righteousness, a righteous heart for the future, as well as the righteousness of Christ for the past, present and future ; yea, a righteous heart that we may have right- eous conduct. If our hearts are not changed so that we do not sin it would be useless for God to justify us to-day for it would be necessary to do so again and again ; but he that is born of God doth not commit sin ; for the seed of God remainth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God. This is God's word how- ever we interpret it. Although we do not believe in god's eterxai. purpose. 8r entire and instantaneous sanctification, we m ist not swing to the other extreme and deny the truthfulness of the above scripture ; so let us grow in grace and knowledge, by the dilligent use of the means. "The Holy Spirit is a person who can interpenetrate persons. ' ' * ' Enlightened by His heavenly ray Our shades and darkness turn to-day ; His inward teachings make us know Our danger and our refuge too," Martin Luther observes: " It is :no more unreason- able to obtain righteousness from Christ than sin from Adam. " " As by the disobedience ofo?/e (Adam) many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One (Chriv«t) shall many be made righteous ;" and that entirel}- and forever. At the sight of the cross the burden of sin that would sink us into hell falls, and we ri.se to heaven. " Drops of grief can ne'er repay. The debt of love we owe ; Here I^ord we give ourselves away, 'Tis all that we can do." He paid the debt to justice ; He asks us to pay one of love. In carrying out the Divine purpose the Holy vSpirit also convicts of judgment, " because the prince of this w^orld is judged. " The i\rst intimation of that purpose was, the prophecy or ])roniise that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. The prince of this world is that serpent — the devil and satan. Chri.st, the seed of the woman, the vSon of Mary, was manifested to destroy the works of the devil ; by death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. He said : " Now shall the prince of this world be cast out ;" also, "If I, b}-^ the Spirit of God, cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." You notice it is done by the Spirit of God, who is referred to in the passage we are commenting on. When He, the vSpirit of God, is come, ■w>^ 82 •iOD'vS ETICRNAL PURPOSE. I;.: ^B. I iff >' He will convict of judgment becau.se the prince of this world is judged. Tlie prince of this world — the devil — is judged, every time a heart is renewed b\' the Spirit of God. The God of this world, who is the same as the prince of this world, worketh in the children of disobedience, that is of unbelief; lie abso leads them capitive at his will, and blinds their minds; but when the Spirit of God turns us from darkness to light, and from the power of sin .md satan to God, the prince of this world is judged, the head of the serpent is bruised and the prey taken from the mighty. Satan, as light- ning, fell from heaven, when idolatry was overthrown and the worship of Jesus Christ became the established religion of the Roman empire, which was affected bj'- the Hol}^ Spirit after His advent on Pentecost. "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the king- dom of Ciod is come unto you." Matt. 12,28. Sowhen the kingdom of God came on the day of Pentecost, the devil was cast out of thousands — the prince of this world was judged, ])y the Holy Ghost. And now when a person is truly regenerated, the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience, the devil, is expelled. Thus we are convicted of sin, of righteousness and of judgment, not cf judgment to conic \ but of judgment because the prince of this world is /m7>/^- judged. This judgment will be going on till .satan, the prince of this world is bound for a thousand years. He will be loosed a little season afterwards, when his judgment will be finally effected in his consignment to the place pre- pared for him and his angels. The Holy Spirit is also called the Comforter, or Paraclete ; in con.secpience of the consolation He affords the saints, when witne.ssing to their pardon and son- ship ; and in sustaining them in all their tribulations. There is no balm for the ills of this world like the religion of Jesus Christ. god's eiternal purpose. 83 " Religion, what treasures untold Resides in the heavenly word More precious than silver or gold Or all that this earth can afford." It destroys sin, the cause of sorrow. When we are old enough to realize the uses of life, we ought to be old enough to carr^^ them to Jesus ; and we have not learned as much in the school of Christ as we may acquire to our advantage, if we have not learned to do so. "Call upon me in time of trouble and I will de- liver." " Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you. " What a friend we have in Jesus, AW our sins and griefs to bear ; What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer. The Hol}^ vSpirit is a Spirit of bondage when con- victing of sin ; but when we are also convicted of the righteousness of Christ, and by grace enabled to appro- priate it to ourselves. He sheds the love of God abroad in our hearts and comforts us. He also aids in the preaching of the Gospel, indeed. He only can render it effectual. "And we know not how to pra}', Ijut he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Thus the people of God have two Divine Persons making intercession in their behalf — Jesus in heaven, and the Holy Spirit in the heart. Our case is so desperate that nothing less would avail. The Holy Ghost shall also quicken our bodies at the time of their resurrection. " If the vSpirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you. He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies fy //is Spirit that dwelleth in you. " Rom, 8 ; II. We, if dead before the Lord's second com- ing, will indeed " hear His voice and shall come forth ;" and t'lat voice must be the trumphet sound Paul speaks of; but the Spirit shall quicken our mortal bodies. The lyord Himself will descend from heaven with a 84 god'vS eternal purpose. shoiit, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God. i Thes. 4 : 16. Thus the Divine pur- pose will be completed in reference to the body and spirit both. Now God will not change heaven to suit a sinful creature, so you and 1 will have to experience the work of the Spirit in order to admission there. Perhaps the .strongest proof that we need regeneration, is the fact, that the Jews and Gentiles crucified one with such a character as had Jesus of Nazareth ; and one whose character was not only without a flaw, but adorned with ever}' practical virtue that God's law inculcated ; and there is no difference between us now and them. " All have sinned." Anything else but Jesus Christ, saj'S the unregenerate heart — release Barabbas the murderer, but away with such a holy one as Christ — crucifj- Him, might Barabbas not murder again ? That matters not ; awa}' with the holy One. () the wickedness of our hearts, and the tieed of regeneration ! It would be no great recommendation for Jesus, if we, in our unregen- crac}' did embrace Him. When born of God wc do receive Him, notwithstanding His holinevSS, as our Prophet, Priest and King. I know of none who cor- dially receive, love and serve Him, who have not been thus born. " I must for faith incessant cry, And wrestle L,ord with thee ; 1 must be borne again or die To all eternity." " Christ has abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel." When Cleombrotus heard and believed the doctrine of the soul 's immortality as taught by Plato, he threw himself over a precipice and was dashed to pieces in order that he might enter upon its enjoyment. How little earnestness you and I manliest in obtaining the eternal life that has its vSource in Christ's death, and is communicated by the Holy Spirit, for both spirit and god's KTICRNAL PURPOvSE. «5 body ! How little we try to coincide with God's pur- pose of love to His creatures ? A bottle ma}- be im- mersed in water, yet corked so tight, that it connot enter ; we may be .so f\ill of self, sin and satan, that the vSp irit of God has no access to the soul. CIIArTl-:K IX. Organization of the Church. Revivals. The creation of the Church by regenerating human hearts, is an important part of that by which (Vod makes known his manifold wi.sdoni. hence its intimate connection with the Divine purpose. The Church is Chri.st's body ; He the Spirit or life. She is the object of redeeming love, in whose redemption Jehovah mani- fests the wisdom, in harmony with 1 lis other perfections. Iliat tlie principalities and powers admire ; and bv whom, as an agent or co-worker. He is now prosecuting His design. Christ's work is external, the Spirit's internal. Can we answer the questions : What has Christ done for yow ? And what has He done /// you ? (rod calls a people out of the human family to Him- self — a peculiar peo])le - Hischo.sen people and jewels, The (Vreek word for church means " called out." It is a " high calling " to be made .sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty ; princes and princesses of the royal House of Heaven. IMiil. 3 : 14. It is a "heavenly calling, "yV^?;;/ heaven and inviting us A> heaven. Hel). 3 : I. It is a "holy calling," to purit}- of heart and life. Divines designate it " effectual calling," because it effects the regeneration of the individuals and they come to Christ. The dead in sin hear the voice of the vSon of God and live. Calling and regeneration are similar. 1 ney persevere because thus called — because they are saints. Regeneration imparts a holy in- destructible principle of life — " the Divine nature " — which will live as long as Christ lives : " Because I live, ye shall live also. " John 14 : 19. Although we persevere in virtue of being saints, perseverance will never make a saint ; that depends upon getting rather 86 god's eternaIv purpose. ( than doing — getting from God the Fountain through Christ the Channel, as communicated by the Holy Spirit, whatever we may do as means in order to receive. We are troubled far more about the peresevance of the sinners than the perseverance of the saints. We are compelled to conclude that we are not saints if we are not persevering. " Called to be saints ;" what we do shows what we are. God calls and fits them for their high eternal destiny. He beautifies them in three ways. Externally he adornes them with the beautiful robe of Christ's righteousness ; internally with the lovel}' grace of the Holy Spirit, also spoken of as the righteousness of the Spirit ; He also confers gifts upon them, as well as grace and righteousness. They are i?i the world biit not of it. They are separated from sin to a great extent. Its guilt is gone for they are justified, its power is cancelled, for, "Sin shall not have dominion over them, for the\' are not under the law, but under grace." They that are born of God, effectually called, regenerated, do not commit sin ; the seed of God remaineth in them, and i\\ey cannot vSin because the}^ are born of God. It would be folly for God to pardon them, if he did not thus regenerate them. The moral corruption of the nature is not entirely re- moved, however. "He that saith he hath no sin decei vetli \. imself, and the truth is not in him. ' ' i John I : 8. Paul says : "It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth /;/ me." Rom. 7: 20. To illustrate: We are the servants of those for whom we work mOvSt of the year ; but not of those for whom we may inci- dentally labor a da\' or so. There is a great difference between hazing sin, and committing it — between what zvc do and what sin does. If the truth makes us free we shall be free indeed. If, as Chri.stians, we were more faithful in the use of the public and private means of grace, we could more full}' realize what this freedom means : we too much nourish the old Adam instead of the new One. Y«.'t we do not sin as (^<^/? , IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) i A % 1.0 1.1 1.25 ,56 |3^ SB.i^ 2.5 2.2 ! us li° hJUu [ [1.8 U III 1.6 A" o <9 ^ Vi /a '^1 <^ ^i M '/ Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREFT WEBSTER, N.Y. H380 (716) 873-4503 ^«? % 92 god's etebnal purpose. as the denominations we now have. The Head of the Church and His word teach but one form of Church government and one view of each doctrine ; and but for error creeping into the church it would have continued so. There is something wrong somewhere.. Was the primitive type of piety too heavenly for earth ? We hope the modern type will not continue long on earth. Some of us do not interpret the Word aright. Who ? Is it I ? All should be open to conviction and willing to receive truth. Professing Christians have been the greatest prosecutors of the saints ; so possible is it for fallen humanity to be in darkness and be ignorant of it. We sometimes love somethings better than truth. The sectional state of the Church of Christ may weaken His cause. Some think it has the opposite effect. Paul did not seem to think so when reproving the Corinthians for their divisions, i Letter i : 10-13. Christ prays for the union of Christians, "That //le woi'ld may believe that the Father s^nt Him.'" John 17 : 20, 21. That is an event much to be desired. We • wonder if the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace were universally held and observed by all Christians, if it would do more to bring the world to believe that the Father sent His Son to redeem it, than all that is now being done in the Ho^ne and Foreign Mission Bands for their evangelization ! We have some faith in the Lord 's plan. Has prejudice more influence some- times than the love of truth and the brethern ? Our pre-formed opinions should not prevent us from exam- ing the views of others — they may be correct — we were wrong in many things, and may be in many more. We ought not to care more for our denomination than the Church of God. We are as strong as Methodists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians ; yea, even Roman Catholics, as far as thej^ learn and practice the teach- ings of the Word of God, as they are, and they or we should not be any farther ; and all should, positively should, cherish the same vSpirit. Do you ? It is much more difficult to remove prejudice than ignorance ; and GOD S ETERNAI^ PURPOSE. 93 frequently prejudice developes in bigotry, and bigotry into persecution. The better a Christian I am, the more strongly will I hold to what is right, and the more readily relinguish what is wrong. We maintain sec- tarianism as well as religion, for we would do more for the denomination with which we are identified than any other. We talk of a basis of union for Christendom. We have nothing to do but recognize the union that has already been formed by the Holy Spirit when He re- generated us. All true believers are one in Chri.st ; but one says I am of John the Baptist, another I am of John Wesley, another of John Knox, another of John Calvin, and another of John Wickliffe ; whereas we ought all to be of John the Divine and His Divine Master ; we have only to keep the unity of the spirit that, in a measur does exist, and a bond of peace that should exist. Let us renounce sectarianism and the prejudices of educa- tion and recognize these facts. Christianity as taught in the Scriptures, and exemplified by the primitive Chiistians is all the basis of union necessary ; and a departure from this is what necessitates the leturn now. Revivals, A word on this subject, in connection with the church as Gcd 's favored instrument and agent in carrying forward His design will not be inappro- priate, we trust. There have been revivals from remote ages. Forming a large portion of the history of the Church, they must have been designed by God in His Mediatorial government ; and as only He can be the Author of them, the fact is doubly apparent. He is forwarding the great work, and, it would appear has set times to favor Zion — set times to revive His people and increase their numbers by effectually calling others into tl"=; fold. Is it because His worship and service have been neglected, that in order to carry on His work, He interposes ? and saves the church from being swal- lowed up in the world ? Instead of waiting for God's set time, if we would labor on when we are revived, it would not be in vain in the Lord. He is with His 7t' .'.Jrtl' 94 GODS ETERNAIv PURPOSE. people alway, and will complete what He has begun. Or are these seasons of apparent winter in the spiritual realm necessary as they are in the natural ? He has, it would appear, His sei times, however. We should recognize the fact, that, ' 'Without the lyord Jesus we can do nothing ;" and, " With Him strengthening us, we can do all things. ' ' Let us give Him such a cordial reception, by assigning Him the chief place in our affections, by our doctrine to His cause, and by an im- provement of our gifts and development of our graces, that He will dwell in and v;ith us. May we, through Him, be enabled to grow downwardly in humility, upward in spirituality, inwardly in holiness and out- wardly in the fruits of Christianity ; fruits that shall, and can be adduced in the great day of final accounts, as evidences of our sincerity, our faith in Christ, and love to God and man. Rev. C. G. Finney, the revivalist, says : " When a Church becomes cold and indifferent a revival is necessary. " We read of several revivals in the times of the prophets and kings in the Old Testament age. The people often forsook the worship of the true God for that of idols, and He often repeated history by raising up individuals that He employed in reviving true re- ligion, always keeping His purpose in view. What was Pentecost, for we will turn from ancient to more modern times, but the greatest revival the w^orld has known ? The Holy Spirit, through the preaching and prayers of the apostles and others, regenerated thoiisands, and organized tliem into the ChrivStian Church. The ^^formation was a repetition, in many respects, of what occurred at the formation of the Church. The revivals under Whitfield, Edwards, the Wesleys, etc., were occasions when the hand of God became visible in the history of redemption in carrying on His gracious work. He will have His worship con- tinued in the world, it matters not how frequently He may have to interpose in order to do so. And the GOD'S ETERNAL, PURPOSE. 95 Millennium will be the greatest and the longest con- tinued of thevSe exhibitions of saving power on the part of the Almighty that the people of the world shall have been acqiainted with. No doul)t but that will be a period v/hen God's purpose, in its connection with human redemption, the enlarfj^enient of the Church and the erection of the Palace of His glorious Majesty, will be advanced very .much more than during any other of the revival periods, especially if it continues 360,000 years as some suppose ; each day reckoned as a year, as is evidently the case in the prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel and John. If satan is bound 360,000 years, or even 1000, and an almost, if not altogether, universal prevalence of true religion, vital godliness and practical piety abounds, no doubt but the Divine purpose will proceed in its accomplishment very rapidly ; so much so in addition to that previously effected, that satan is to be loOvSed but a little vSeason until its completion. When satan is bound the t-eed of the woman shall have bruised the serpent's head more than at any other period during the conflict ; unless when on the cross, at which time by His death He destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil (destro3*ed him virtually although not actually) or when he shall consign him forever to the place prepared for him and his angels. Satan offered the Saviour all the kingdoms of this world (whether they were his or not ) if He would wor- ship him ; but our Lord shall have them during the Milliennitim as the gift of His Father as His own purchase. "Jesus shall reign where'er the sun Does his successive journies run." " The little stone, cut out of the mountain without bauds, shall have then become a great mountain and fill the v.'hole earth. " God purposes this for he has foretold it. It will be a glad period when enrth shall keep jubilee a thousand years. His power and provid- ence will effect it. ■it-Viv. , '-I "■"'-'' '.N 96 god's eternal purpose. ' • He sits on no pr(;carious throne, Nor borrows leave to be." I'i" ^^M Revivals purpose. are God at work accomplishing His " His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour ; The bud may have a bitter taste. But sweet will be the flower. ' ' While on this point we add : the devil, the arch enemy of God and man, who deceived our first father and mother hy falsehood, still continues to do so to the utmost extent of his power, in deluding millions of their posterity, and will while permitted ; but the time foretold in the sure word of prophecy will shortlj' arrive, where the second Adam, will, through His people, and by the chain of God's truth, bind and cast him into the bottomless pit at least a thousand years. Rev. 20 : 1-6. Wherever Christianity in its purity and power now reigns he is bound. Wherever an individual has been thoroughly convicted by the Holy Spirit of sin, righteousness and judgment because the prince of this world ( satan ) is being judged, his power is cancelled. The god of this world is reigning quite ex- tensively for a short time ; the God of all worlds will reign forever. Glory to His name. "This wrong shall not forever sway — The many toil in sorrow ; • The hosts of hell are strong to-day, But Christ shall reign to-morrow." May God help us to bind him in each comiiunity where we reside by extending, as tar as in us lies, the reign of truth ; he has many strongholds in home and foreign lands. " The lives of great men all remind us We may make our lives sublime ; And departing leave behind us Footoriuts on the sands of time." m >.> GOD'S ETERNAL PUKPOSE. 97 Doubtless, we have arrived at a period in the his- tory of Christianity, when each generation of the wicked that is swept away, not as suddenly as by the flood, yet as surely weakens the kingdom of satan ; while the cau.se ot truth is waxing stronger and stronger. CHAPTER X. l*redcstination. All the promises and prophecies, the Divine gov- ernment of the world and the carrying on, and comple- tion of, His purpose, are but developments of what God has predestined ; and as this Divine purpose comprises in it the everlavSting glorification of an innumerable multitude of the lo.st inhabitants of this planet in anew heaven and earth, it seems appropriate to try to simplify this doctrine in its application to them by a brief reference to it. It is included in the Divine purpose — forms a part of it — and refers to the salvation of the Church, individually and collectively, just as His general purpose does to ell that He designed. Let it not be forgotten that we must be taught here, by what God has revealed, as in all other things, irrespec- tive of our own desires or views — what He sa3\s and does is eternally right — He can?tot do wrong ; and if he did not bring one of the fallen, guilty and ruined descendants of Adam to a state and place of happiness, it would not be wrong ; and if, on the other hand. He brings, through the atonement of a Mediator, a very large number to happiness f rever, it is perfectly right — the violators of the Divine law are not to find fault with such a dispensation, nor to dictate to Jehovah what he ought to do under such circumstances ; and were we as humble and penitent as those who have broken the Divine law should be, and as sensible of our dependence, for salvation, on God's mercy as we really are dependant, we would not do so. We cannot alter the doctrines taught by our Maker ; and the sin th at we 98 god's eternal purpose. \i k^' r> commit in faulting them is just like the others we are guilty of; sifiners do not do anything else but sin, till they are regenerated. Every heart is wicked enough to reject Christ ; have we not till regenerated ? Are not millions now ? Then if God would not regenerate according to His purpose we would all forever perish. It matters not what we do, it derives character from the state of the heart, the heart makes what we do either virtuous or vicious. Can we alter that state of things ? Only our Maker can ; and He intends it before, and at the time. He does it. " Ye must be born again. " From the connection in which this doctrine is introduced in scripture, it does not appear to be in- tended to form any rule of duty in seeking salvation ; yet it would be very discouraging for a person to preach, or for a seeker to search, if it was not plainly revealed that God purposed the salvation of this innumerable multitude. We are to be governed by what we do know in Divine and spiritual things, instead of by what we do 7iot know ; we are so in the concerns of this life. We know that, " Him that cometh to Christ will by no means be cast out. John 6 : 37. One expressed the opinion, " If God was making a world jind a sinner cried to Him for mercy, He would leave the world and attend to the sinner's cry." We believe He would. We know He attended to our supplication, whatever He was doing ; and we have yet to hear of the first re- fusal. The soul that is as anxious about eternal things as we should be, will be governed by these tests ; an earnest soul is not long finding Christ. "When ye seek me with all your hearts ye shall find me. ' ' Jer. 29 : 13. Those who cavil about the doctrine show by doing so that they are not in earnest about their salvation. It is not inconsistent with saving conviction to realize, to an extent, that Jehovah would not do wrong if He allowed us to live and die in rebellion against Him, and damn us for so doing. Is sin our choice ? Then do not blame God. If truly anxious about your salvation let the invitation and promise of Christ be your rule of god's eternal purpose. 99 conduct, and not God's secret purpose. "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God ; but these things that are revealed belong to ms and to our children for- ever, that we may do all the words of this law. " If in anxiety about your eternal safety, it is a strong indi- cation that you are elected to eternal life. The doctrine is in the Scriptures or we would not write about it. If we are weary and heavy laden with sin, it is comforting to know that God has determined, whatever else He does, to save a countless multitude of mankind — it is not left an uncertainity, it is not dependant on the will of man " It is not of him that willeth — but of God that showeth mercy. ' ' Your per- plexity would speedily end in despair if the Bible taught that there was no certainty about sinners salva- tion. But if I am not one of the number ? I hope you are anxious enough to make the enquiry. Continue to do so cordially and prayerfully and you will soon ascertain that you are. A convicted brother went to his knees in great distress of mind ; he was perplexed about this very doctrine ; and he thanked God that 5an, the Divine one trust in (iod. " Cursed is the man that trusteth in man," but "blessed is the man that tru.^ttth in the I.ord. Jer. 17 : 5-8. We are \\(A horn again (A t/ic luill of man, hut oi OoCi/' John I : i,v It a]){jears from the teaching of the above Scriptures, and many others, that if left to ourselves, Christ vv(;iild die in vain. The hearts that are enemies cnongh to (iod to crucif}' His Son, would reject Him after lie was crucified, unless broken by the hammer of His word in the hands of His Spirit. Moreover, the will is governed by the character — by love of good or love of evil ; by the state of the heart. Only God can renew my heart the seat of my affections, and He does nut do such without intending it. Love and justice Mediator or shortly by a Judge A sister confessing her sins said, " If God had not chOvSen her before she was born she was sure He never saw anything in her afterwards to induce Him to do so. " Predestination, then, appears to be the Divine purpose in reference to the heirs of salvation individu- ally, Rom. : 8 28-30. God is not the author of sin — angels and man placed themselves where they are in that respect. Al/ the angels who sinned are left to perish forever ; not all mankind. God has provided redemption ; and those who by the grace of God are as earnest to escape eternal sorrow and obtain eternal joy as they ought to be, find a Saviour and are saved by Him ; and they have an experimental knowledge of it in this life. All penitent believers shall glorify God for His saving grace in the new heavens and earth forever. ' ' Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." If another world would sin, maybe all would be saved ; yet not without satisfaction being made to God's law ; we believe the work of our redemption will god's eternal purpose. 107 keep them from sinning — will be the means by which all other virtuous beings in the universe shall be forever confirmed in virtue — in love to their Maker and His holy creatures. Maybe this is why the angels desire to look into the mysteries of the gospel of Christ and the principalities and powers in heavenly places have its Divine wisdom made known to them. All through the alone merit of Jesus ChrivSt. What think ye of him now ? Justice had to be satisfied ; in the cavSe of the angels who vSinned, by their punishment in the place prepared for them ; in the case of man, by the same method, or in the person of a Substitute ; and the sufferings of the Son of God avails for the salvation of man ; while the^ Divine love and justice, so visible in the transaction, serves to fill all the other creatures in the universe with love to and fear of their Creator so they shall never rebel against Him we believe, We fully believe that had angels and men this sight to behold, they would have never sinned. The sin of the devil and man has been allowed to continue in this world, till it has culminated in the crucifixion of the Second Person in the sacred Trinity, in union with our nature. All this is by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ruling and over-ruling all events doing some things and permitting others, as He devel- oped His eternal purpose. ' ' O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ; how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways prst finding out," Rom. 11 : 33. Man's accountability or Arminianism. if you will, is taught in the Bible ; so is God's vSovereignty, or Calvanism, if you like. They become reconciled in regeneration. Jehovah wills to coiiquer rebel man by sovereign grace ; then man wills to serve Jehovah. Rebels must not rule ; the lawmaker must be sovereign where the laws are violated; especially if those laws are for the highest interests of the creature. Let us labor to make our calling and election sure. The wav in which Paul knew the election of the IcUiutt- -W^V> "■xp"--^if!(''i-'ii-i'*'i':''^'''i^'^ 1 08 god's eternal purpose. m Thessalonian Christians was, " By their work of faith, /ador of love and patience of hope," i Thes. i : 2-4. "We ought to be concerned enough about our eternal destiny to so act. To condemn this, or any other doctrine, without thorough investigation, is equivalent to lynching in the civil realm. We have been lynched more than once or twice ; truth has to fight its way, and prejudice is a sterner foe than ignorance. In order to impart or receive truth, we must divest our minds of prejudice. That we can be in error and yet suppose we are right, is easily seen by the millions who are so. If you over- come nie by the truth you make me a conqueror. " Truth crushed to earth will rise again, The eternal years of God are her's ; But error, wounded, writhes with pain. And dies amid her worshippers. ' ' '* If the Son make us free we shall be free indeed. " Truth blesses ; falsehood curses ; this is visible in the effects of both in the world, from the fall of our first parents till now ; and shall be till t. /"th shall univer- sall}' reign. 1! CHAPTER XI. Money as Employed in Effecting the Divine Ptapose. God uses His gold and silver in accomplishing His design. He does not manifest His infinite benevolence as much as He could, and we believe would, but the channels through which He communicates His blessings are clogged by our selfivShness ; and ChrivSt suffers in His members and cause thereby. The human will is opposed to the Divine just here. The church will not be making a jUvStifiable u.se of wealth till she accum- mulates and employs it for the propagation of the Gospel as men now amass it for secular purposes ; and by so doing, the blessings that would accrue to both doners and recipients would render it the best invest- god's eternal purpose. 109 nient that could be made ; artd doing so would not be any more love than we owe to Christ and humanity. If we glance at the effects following the Pentecostal effusion of the Holy Gho.st, we will find that almost en- tire self abnegation, in reference to earthly possessions, is one of them. ' ' The disciples sold their property and laid the money at the apostles' feet, to divide to every one as he had need." The fire of the eternal Spirit consumed the natural selfishness of the heart, taught them love to God and man, thereby filling them with sentiments of disinterested benevolence. What an example of what the Lord and Giver of life can do — how He can save ; and if all the world was thus bap- tized, what a heaven it would be. He wrote the law of God in their hearts that day, and it found expression in the consecration of themselves Jind their means to God. We feel like sinking and praying. " Come Holy Ghost our hearts inspire, Let us thine influence prove ; Source of the old prophetic fire, Fountain of light and love. ' ' ' ' They had all things common ; neither said any man that aught that he possessed was his own. " Acts 4 : 32. They were living epistles known and read of all men ; written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God ;" not in tables of vStone, as the law was wher given to Moses, a very good illustration of the hardness of man's heart since he sinned, but in fleshj- tables of the heart ; made so by regenerating grace. God says : ** I will take away their heart of stone, and give them a heart of flesh. I will put my laws in their minds and write them in their hearts. " Ezek. 36; 26. 2 Cor. 3 : 3, Heb, 8 : 10. This law is love, and it was said of them. " Behold how they love one another." " The Gospel is the law dissolved in grace," and ex- emplified in their lives. They were, in a great measure comformed to the image of Christ. "V.'ho was rich, but for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. " ■"»■' ■ ■ m '1 ,1 •'•fe-'- i, ..-; 1. IIO god's eternaIv purpo.se. " Come Holy Spirit heavenly dove With all thy quickening powers ; Come shed abroad a Saviour's love And that will kindle ours." They were actuated by the Master's spirit, it is a missionary one. As God he was a foreign missionary ; as man a home missionary. He gave Himself to live and die for mankind. He was a missionary in order to effect the Divine purpOvSe ; and we coincide with that purpose when we support the missionary enterprise or labor in it. Love should be the animating motive in all such action. We cannot "Go into all the world and preach the gospel without monev to defray expenses ; shall we ask you for it, or disobey our Lord? You reply: "Ask us." He gave us the privilege of working with Him in this respect, and so laying up treasure in heaven, aa He commands. The poor need not be denied the pleasure and the profit any more than the rich ; for a cent under certain circumstances, counts as muv'i^h in the treasury of heaven, as a dollar in others. How much ought we to keep, instead of how much ought we to give, is the most appropriate question to put to ourselves as creatures ransomed from hell and heirs of heaven. That, however, is worth but a very- few dollars a year ! With these very tew dollars the Lord is carrying out His design, and we t'.ink could do so more speedily, if they were increased to the degree the church of Christ could increase them without injury to her temporal interests, and would certainly be to her eternal reward. " hay riot up treasure on earth, " is a command many disobey. Many of the wealthy covet still, although possessed of more than they will ever require ; thus making the poor and the pious less able to procure the necessaries of life, and to carry on their philanthropic undertakings. We do not know how they will give an account for this. All our political, educational and religious enter- (iOD'S KTKRNAI. PURPOSE. I II prisCvS are carried on by money ; it i.s the oil that keeps such machinery in motion, and \ve doubt not but (iod raises up men to support the gospel in this way as well as to preach it, but we are both unfaithful. May our God give us repentance. We would much rather see our brothers and sisters in Christ, rich in heaven than in earth ; and we believe it a much better investment to lay up treasure there than any other we can make, but our faith is weak. Why should our standard of piety be lower than in less privileged ages ? W^hy is it so ? The heathen gave, and do yet, a tenth to sup- port idolatry. »>hall the children of the God of Jew and Gentile, who are out of debt, possessed of a-l the comforts of life ard putting money in the banks give I'jss? God fbrbid. What we have on earth we will soon leave ; it will shortly be with you and me as with the brother who, on his death bed, said : " All I have now is what I gave away." What we have in heaven will be ours forever — the interest of a good conscience here and the principal hereafter. Thus God is glorified and man is saved. Let us have this kind of selfishness, make our calculations for the next life instead of this one. How will our present conduct afliecL us in eternity ? Giving makes us like God ; ' ' He so loved the world that He gave His only Son. ' ' Do you wish to resemble Him ? Then give, and so fall in line with His purpose. To be a partner with such a Workman in such a work ! If all would obey Jesus Christ, in ?wt laying up treasure on earth, and the command is as authoritative as the others, poverty would cease ; alJ would be in a position to acquire an education ; and the religion of Jesus Christ that rescues and glorifies fallen humanity, could be propagated in nil the world ; that would be better than for tobacco and rum, and piling it in banks and filling the coffers of the rich ; and it could be thus employed, and will be when the devil is bound. The poor have to labor vSo hard in order to obtain a livelihood that they do not have time, energy or inclination t o :';''5-vr: 112 god's eternal purpose. g-J' improve their mutual and spiritual natures ; and this in millions of cases ; while the chariot wheels of the gOvSpel cease rolling. We wish we had means as some have ; we think we would make a better use of it than many do. " Poor and afflicted Lord are thine, Among the great and fit to shine ; But though the world may think it strange, They would not with the world exchange . ' ' If the Master was obeyed when commanding to lay up treasure in heaven, which may be done bj-^ alleviat- ing the condition of the poor and spreading the gospel, the nihilism of Russia, the socialism of German\', the communism of France and the anarchism of America would be unheard of; and soon the religious isms, as well as the social, would be unknown and the gods that have not made these heavens perish from beneath them. In principle these social isms appear to be in accord with the command, " Thou shalt love th}' neighbor as thyself," but the practice of enforcing them is grevi- ously at fault, because in doing so the laws of God and man are both violated. If apostolic piety and practice prevailed there would be none of them. " Religion ! what treasurers untold, Reside in the heavenly word ; More precious than silver or gold, Or all that this earth can afford." A universal intercommunity of goods, we presume, need not be looked for until the ^Millenium is ushered in by the power of the Holy Spirit ; that alone can, and will, destroy the selfishness of the human heart and fill it with love to God and man as at Pentecost, Let us pray for it. God's purpose, in the recovery of man from the ruins of sin, includes his restoration to the likeness of Himself — benevolent, charitable, kind — to be con- formed to the image of His Son, ' ' who is the brightness v«- GOD'S ETEi^NAl, PURPOSE. 113 of the Father's glorj'- and the express image of His person. " The actions of Jesus Christ show what man is as God makes him ; the actions of a selfish, sinful race .show what he is as he unmade himself. Although not so surprising to the principalities and powers as God's manifold wisdom, yet human wickedness niu.st be astonishing. We believe they view what is trans- piring on earth, " When He bringeth the finst begotten into the u'orld, He saith, let pU the angels of God worship Him." The work of redemption affects more than the inhabitants of this planet. ' ' Covetousness is idolatry. ' ' We love and worship self. We love ourselves with all our hearts, and our neighbor — not much. Selfishness is a sin, if not t/ie vsin of the race. W'e may judge of the amount of piety we have by the unselfishness of our lives. Tliere is enough wealth in this world for all useful purposes ; some have more than they need, others less. Let us coincide with God's purpose in the use we make of His gold and silver that He gives us ; for so much is the Christian Church dependent upon such means, that little or nothing is effected without it. This is a fact patent to all observers. See all our religious and charitable institutions, the educational department of the church's work, and the propagation of the gospel in foreign as well as home lands. It appears evident that gold and silver v.ere intended to be extensively employed as means, by the Head of the Church, in achieving the Divine ends. The wealth of Christian countries should be devoted to this object, that the heathen world might be raised to the high standard of social, intellectual and moral happiness to which we have attained ; thereby expressing our gratitude to God in a manner somewhat commensurate with our obliga- tions to Him for salvation from eternal destitution, and being made heirs of everlasting plenty. We are debtors to God and man — we owe them much. We mean that the voluntary contributions of the people be thus appropriated ; not that government aid be furnished. •v-^ 114 «^;od's eternal pirpose. li \ ^r I i i : God's purpose and the human will ii'.aj- ea.sily coincide here — God's sovereignity and man's accountability, alvSo in prayer, etc. The pietj- of the primitive, Church began to decline as soon as connection with the state was admitted cf; but while opposed b}- the power of the Roman Enipire, and ?.n brought to realize her dependence on (lod, " She was fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners, " lead forth conquering and to conquer, shaking and over- throwing the kingdom of Satan from centre to circum- ference, and making the religion of the despised ISIan of Sorrows the established one of the world. Let us not allow this world to hide the next — our money will soon be taken from us, or we from it. Two five cent pieces cover our entire vision if placed near enough to the eyes. O, there is a wiser selfishness than in grasping for this life. A gentleman observes that he never was so happy when amas.sing wealth for himself as when, after .securing a competency, he devoted nil the proceeds of his extensive business to the caui:e of Christ. " It is more blessed to give than to receive. " "But we mUvSt prepare tor a rainy day." But there's not going to be a flood. " Gen. 9:11. Then : ' ' Turn to God thy cares forego ; All earth-born cares are wrong ; Man wants but little here below, Nor wants that little long. " The Japanese bride keeps her bridal attire for her shroud ; and the Egyptians used to place a skull on the table or a skeleton in the house, to constantly remind them of death. Brethern, Jesus Christ is hungry, thirsty, naked and in debt; yet, but for Him as mediator, when the first Adam failed, we never would have had anything good, temporal or spiritual, it is through Him we are made heirs of God. The Rev. Henry W. Beecher asked for a collection one Sabbath morning for a neighboring Roman Catholic ''■ ■ .;■ 1 ;-;k god's eternal purpose. 115 )r her )n the iiriind laked first food, Imade iction Iholic who had sustained the loss of his i)ropeity by fire. A large one was taken and carried to the neighbor. That man and his family ever after worshipped with ^Ir. Beecher's congregation. What an eKect prarf/cai piety has ! If the Christian Church everywhere would do so, and then employ only what they could easily dispose of without depriving themselves of the comforts of life, we would soon see the world at the feet of Jesus, where we ought to be. All would see that we were working for God and our fellows and not for self, only so far as we would be insuring ourselves a rich reward in the day when the accounts will be closed. Many could give a tenth, and sustain no loss, indeed : " There is that Kcattereth and jet increaseth ; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet but it tendeth to poverty." Prov. 1 1 : 24. No doubt many are getting poorer in this way. " Bring the tithes into the vStore- house and try God." He will give you a blessing. If we want to help Him in His great and worthy purpose, let us give. " We are not our ov^'u, we are bought with a price ; may we glorify Him in our bodies and spirits which are His." " And shall we then go on to live At this poor dying rate ? Our love so faint, so cold to Him And His to us so great." CHAPTER XII. The Word 0/ God m this Connectio7i. We have a revelation from the Divine Being in His Word as well as in His Works. This has been named, ' ' The Book of God, and the god of books. ' ' This word has been, is and will be, very extensively employed in carrying on the Divine purpose ; we would not have received it but for His purpose of infinite grace. The word and the Spirit are essential in prosecuting the design as well as the Word made of flesh — the word preached as well as Christ crucified. The Word — the r|)ii ?•-.■—■ ', • Ii6 god's eternal PURl»OvSE. Logos — dwelt in Christ — was thus made flesh: the word — the Scripture — is spirit and life, and dwells in the ChrivStian. In every age, in order to the regeneration of man's fallen and ruined nature, it became necessary to have the truths of Ciod's revelation brought in contact with it ; they are what God the Holy Spirit employs for that purpose ; and were inspired, recorded and preserved with that intent. " Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth.'" James i : i i 122 GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE. ing God's people a monument to the principalities and powers, of His manifold wisdom. The pi ess has wonder- fully aided in disseminating the truths of Christianity by which erro»- is everywhere tottering and falling. The Bible, and other books and religous periodicals, as far as they embody the sentiments and doctrines of the scriptures, are scattering the leaves of the Tree of Life for the healing of the moral maladies of mankind ; and so, in our missionary magazines, we have a con- tinued history of the work of redemption, as we have the commencement of it in the Acts of the Apostles. All the resources of the universe are at the command of Christ, and are employed in carrying out His design, and teaching the rational intelligence of it that He is the invisible actor in the government of this as well as all worlds. Satan and his company of fallen spirits, tliopc wicked principalities and powers that we have to wrestle with, Eph. 6 : 12, no doubt pervert the press in accom- plishing their base designs, yet an untold amount of good is continually being effected by the dissemination of wholesome religious literature ; and although Vol- taire expected to destroy Christianity by his " Age of Reason " and other literary productions, the Bible is now being printed in a building where his printing establishment stood and he has failed as Julian the Apostate did when he attempted to falsify the words of Jesus Christ by attempting to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, his workman being foiled in the undertaking by balls of fire issuing from the ground. The Lord Jesus will reign. "Truth crushed to earth shall rise again, Tbe eternal years of God are her's ; But error, wounded, writhes with pain, And dies amid her worshippers." It is conjectured by some that these fallen spirits once occupied this planet, from which they were expelled for misconduct. Milton supposed they were occupants god's eternal PURPOvSE. 123 •of heaven, which one he does not say ; and that man was created to fill the positions from which they were hurled on account of pride. Hence one cause of their inveterate hatred of mankind, and especially to Jesus Christ the seed of the woman who is bruising his head. Can we reconcile these views by supposing the new heaven and earth will be the old one renewed ; John Milton believed so ? CHAPTER Xni. The means of Grace . Institutmi of the Sabbath. In accomplishing His eternal purpose God has in- separably united the means and the end ; an^l very unwise is the individual who will not unite them. What He has joined together let not man put asun^ler. The same laws obtain in the spiritual realm as in the material, in this respect ; although both have been suspended in the performance of miracles ; we mean that, as the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, etc., -were miracles in the material, so the conversion of Paul, etc., were miracles in the .spiritual world — that is without the ordinary means :; but in the general conduct of God in these things, He has man to till the soil in providing His bread, He causing it to bring forth ; and to attend to the means of grace He blesses in the regeneration of human hearts, and so in effecting His gracious design . Usually God has employed preaching, praying and praising, as means in the renovation of man 's nature to each of which we will address ourselves briefly. I. Preaching, "Go ye unto all the world and preach the gospel to every creature " is the Divine •order. Preaching \vas instrumental in ushering in Pentecost ; Peter at hat time using one of the keys of the kingdom of heav; n, and opening it to 3000 Jews ; and shortly afterwards employing the other and ad- mitting the Gentile^ ; hut it was by preaching on both occasions. The kingdom is open now. m ,-5^,'^i •V-wt-.w 'rl\ i If'' •s^' "-■^i 124 god'vS eternal purpose. Preaching is of ancient date. Enoch, the seventh from Adam was a preacher. Jude 14. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. The prophets weie more or less all engaged in this work. The Apostles were principally engaged in preaching. The Reformers did so in their day. Geo. Whitfteld was the prince, and C. H. Spur- geon the king, of preachers in modern times. By the labors of all of these God has been carrying on His great work. Indeed piety has abounded in the different ages of the church's history just in proportion as God's Word was faithfully preached. Christ Himself is the Great Preacher who makes other fishers of men. Re- ligion has always been at a low ebb when this most important duty has been neglected ; so much is it one of God's methods of doing His work. The dark ages was a resiilt of the neglect of preaching the gospel. Heathendom is what it is to-day for the want of the light of Divine truth ; and those in ChrivStian lands who do not avail themselves of the privilege of hearing the word of God as preached, are kept from sinking into heathenism only by the influence of those who give it attention. God uses human tongues and human ears in effecting His purpose. He does not ignore means. He gives character and life by regeneration and that character is exemplified by preaching and practice. There is no surer sign that we aie saved than of activity in the service of God. " They that be wise vShall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteous- ness as the stars forever and ever." Dan. 12 : 3. Let us be encouraged ; preaching is sewing the seeds of eternal life ; let us water them with prayers and tears, and God shall shine upon the means of His own ap- pointment and a harvest of souls be gathered. " ,^e shall not labor in vain in the Lord." The commission shall not have been repealed till the nations of earth are at the feet of Jesus. "His word will not return unto Him void." Our text would lead us to conclude that we shall GOD'S ETERNAIv PURPOSE. 125 t If preach forever, and we do not avSk for any better employ. Mr. Spurp:eon thought so, and that there is sufficient in the Word of God to do so. May be he is now thus enj^aged. Let i,the Church, then, for it is dy /icr that the manifokl wivSdom of God is made known to the princi- palities and powers in heavenly places ; and let us remember that we r^ay nozu have them for part of our congregation ; let the Church, then, we say, proclaim Christ to the race. " He, he is the God we adore, Our faithful unchangeable friend ; Whose love is as great as His power, And neither knows measure nor end." II. I'raycr. This is one of the Divinely appointed means that (iod uses in carrying on His work of grace in thovSe who really pray, as well as in blessing others, and so carrying on his design. A portion of the ten days that elap.sed between the ascension of the Lord and the coming of the Holy Spirit, was spent in im- portunately pleading for His efmsion. God purpo.sed, predicted and promised His coming, yet prayer was necessary in order to His reception. It appears that prayer prepares us to receive the Divine blCvSsings — the change is in its, not iu (lod. May be one thing, per- haps the first thing, we should ask ior is : Lord prepare us to J'tYi'ivt' thy mercies ; and possibly it is doing this, preparing us that diiavs the atiswer more than rm\thing else. The Lord m;iy havtr great ITiessings in store for us, even in this life ; but it takes i:incli prayer to fit us to have and use thcin. Tlie dicij'ies, then, prayed in view of the promise, and the jirouiise was in view of the purpose. In answer to believing, faithful prayer, the}' received power from on high, the great qualification for their life-work ; in short the Third Person in the God- head came to abide with His Church forever, carrying on the work where Christ left it off, and will complete tlie Divine intention. A JV "i", 126 god's eternal purpose. •V. ■. -n A soul dead in sin does not realize its spiritual need, nor that of others ; but when quickened by the word and Spirit of God, and animated by the love to God and man that Christianity inspires, we plead with Him for ourselves and others " Prayer is the breath of God in man, Returning whence it came ; Love is the sacred fire within, And prayer the rising flame." God is love, and He hears and answers faithful, fervent prayer. He has made ample provision in Christ to supply all our wants out of His riches in glory. "Faithful praj^er moves the arm of Him that moves the universe." ** Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, And looks to that alone ; Laughs at impossibilities, And cries it shall be done." Although no merit, there is might, in prayer ; it is a part of His plan, we cog ourselves into the wheels of His providence by it, and so work with Him. We offer the prayer. He supplies the power. It is a most healthy exercise for the soul. Wind it up by prayer in the morning, and it will run all day. Use the life God gives us — we have praying life if we are born from above. I have no doubt that as soon as a sinner begins to pray, the Holy Spirit begins to teach him, although it may not be perceived at first. That is one object in erecting a throne of grace ; and it was done at a great cost. That is what Jesus continually intercedes for — that we may continually offer prayer. May be prayer is always ascending to God. *' Nor prayer is made on earth alone. The Holy Spirit pleads ; And Jesus on the eternal throne, For sinners intercedes. ' ' god's eternal purpose. 127 Our lives are entirelj- different Irom what they would be had we not been praj'ing people — indeed the world is very different. Prayerless souls are not acting philosophically. The blessings God gives are worth asking for, and it is a princelj' privilege to do so. We appreciate Jesus Christ as a priest just in proportion as we pray. One of the great wonders of grace in the government of heaven is the erection of a throne of mercy, the invitations to it, and the answers to guilty sinners from it, it can only be so through the merit and intercession of Christ. We have the words in Gen. 4 : 26 : "Then began men to call i.pon the name of the Lord. " Man realized the loss and woes entailed upon Him by the fall, and looked to his Maker for deliverance — and it is a wonder to be wondered at that all mankind do not ; they would, if they knew God as some of us do. Come to Him. • ' What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear ; What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer." All our wants in time and eternity are provided for in the covenant of grace, and the Lord "will be en- quired of by the house of Israel to do these things for them." Every blessing has been forfeited by original sin and continued transgression, as well as the Divine displeasure incurred ; but God has provided more in Christ than Adam and we lost ; we receive it by faith and prayer. Pray without ceasing, for Christ does so. ' ' The sons of Adam boast Of more than they in Adam lost." We will invite your attention to a few instances, quoting from sacred and profane history, demonstrating by them that prayer has been extensively instrumental in effectirg the Divine purpose, and so to be employed by all who will coincide with it. It has been a mighty agency in effecting the greatest moral revolutions that 'ill '< PI 128 god's eternal purpose. V I have been wrought amongst mankind. What wonders were wrought in Egypt, by the God of Israel, when He would destroy idolatry and establish His own worship, in answer to the prayers of Moses. And when idolatry had again become rampant in the days of Elijah what a glorious spiritual reformation followed his prayer in Mount Carmel. " Let Moses or Elijah groan, And God cries out, " Let me alone." Think of Daniel, a captive in Bab3'lon, pleading with the God of his people till he obtained the promise of the almost immediate deliverance of the Jews from their exile. Hezekiah's prayer was followed by the destruction of 185,000 A.ssyrians in one night, and the preservation of Jerusalem in consequence. The selec- tion of the Apostles of our Lord was preceded by a night of prayer on His part. This was a matter of paramount importance, in connection with the Divine purpOvSe. The Pentecostal revolution, the greatest the world has known, was prefaced by ten da3\s prayer ; a 1 evolution that overthrew satan's kingdom from found- ation to apex. Prayer was a secret, not only of the formation ot the Church of Christ at that pciiod, but of the notable ^'formation of it in the sixteenth century. See Luther on many occasions, but especialh- the night preceding the meeting of the Diet at Worms, and we will not marvel so much at the success attending the caUvSe of truth, for by prayer he harnessed himself on to the chariot of God. John Knox says in prayer : "Give me vScotland or I die ' ' and he got Scotland ; and Queen Mary declared she was more afraid of his praj-ers than an army of 10,000 men. One day he ha.stily rose from his knees and told his friends that deliverance had come, shortly after they heard of her death. "There is nothing impossible with God and them that believe." Spurgeon attributed his emnient success to the prayers of his Church ; and we know that his own w^ere often immediately answered in almost, if not altogether GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE. 129 miraculous ways. We can learn lessons from these things. Many instances, equallj- demonstrative, could be furnished, which will occur to the mind of the reader. These r.re sufficient to prove that prayer is one of the means (employed by the Governor of the world in carr}-- ing on His work . Suffice is to say : We fully believe that all true prayer is answered in one of two ways. God our Father either gives us what we ask for, or grace to endure the want of it ; we have examples in the Bible of both methods of answering praj-er. In all our prayers, we must especially remember that, " Thy will be done, " " Is the prayer of pra5'ers. " The new birth is what constitutes us Christians, and the spirit of prayer is alwa3''S an accompanying gilt. We may be confident we afe not Christians if we do not possess the spirit of praj'er. ' * Restraining prayer we cease to fight ; Prayer makes the Christian's armour bright ; Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees ; And all the powers of hell would boast, If but one praying soul were lost." Tf a church, or even an individual, is earnestlv pleading with God, you may expect a rich blessing. It is also an end as well as a means ; it operates subjec- tively as w^ell as objectivel}'. Do we feel sufficiently interested in the cause of Christ to pray in secret, at our family and church altars ? Let us be encouraged for God's promises are in accord w4th His eternal purpose ; and it is accom- plished in His ruling and over-ruling providence. ' ' Let men then pray everywhere, " for the Almighty uses us, in this way, in effecting that design. The promises already fulfilled prove this, and God is unchangeable and true. Many things occur that would not but for prayer. Let us wind the soul up in the aiorning by prayer, 130 r.OD'vS KTERNAI, PURPOSE. 'UM Hi -' m 4' I! ilfi [U '!• i M that it may run all day for Ciod ; and atniglitby praise for the mercies of the day ; for sleep is vSo much like death th's, gives ' etc., and thus God's manifold wisdom is made known' by as well as through the Church. Are we thus endea- voring to make it known to the celestial intelligences ? Eternal life is the gift of God, but rewards await our labors. Institiitio7i of the Sabbath . This is the day devoted to preaching, prayer, praise and the appropriation of our means to the spread of the gospel, and so especiallj' to carry on the sublime work of human salvation, and to answer the other great end spoken of in the text. More is done, in this respect, probably, than in the other six days of the week. It is the day on which God .said : " Let light be, and light was. " It is the day on which He shines, through His read, taught and preached Word, into thousands of benighted souls, giving them "The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Je.sus Christ." The mind, in a moral sense, is similar to the chaotic condition of this earth before God said : "Let there be light. " It is the day our Lord rose from the grave, the day on which millions have had a spiritual resurrection to eternal life, and will probably be the day on which the general resurrection will occur. I » 132 GOD'vS ETERNAIy PURPOSE. It is the day on which the Holy Spirit, came to carr}' out the Divine intention, Jesus completing the external part of the scheme on that d?y, and He beginning the internal work ; the day on which thousands are born from above. It is the day observed by the Christian Church, in all ages of her history, as the daj' of rest and worship ; a comparatively few nave kept the seventh. Ezekiel appears to have foretold the change from the seventh to the eighth, and thus to the first as there are only seven daj's in the week, in the 43rd chapter of his prophecy and 27th vense. The apOvStles observed the first day of the week. It is, thus, visible at a glance, that God in His wisdom purposed the seventh part of our time to be devoted to His service, and so the accomplishment of His design. It is re- quired for spirit and body. Mr. Moody says : "If we are careless about the one we will be about the other. " In France, when anarchj' and infidelity were rampart, and the inhabitants seemed determined to destroy the last vestige of Christianity, they abolished the obser- vation of the seventh part of time and substituted the tenth for rest ; but they soon discovered, that neither man nor beast could endure nine days labor, and so were forced to return to the Divine appointment. Let us remember then that we have a year of Sabbaths every .seven years. We could, or ought to do, much, for the salvation of souls in a year ; we could offer much prayer ; we could read much of the Word of God ; we could attend Divine ^,'orship a great deal ; and in these ways fall in line with God's plan. I hope we will not act as the beggar, who, on receiving t>ix dollars from a gentleman, knocked nim down and robbed him of a seventh he had. We act like this when we do not observe the Lord 's day. ' ' Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." The Holy Spirit le^enerated 3000 the first Sabbath kept on the first day of the week. Let us place our- selves in a position to receive the blessings of salvation l)y attending to the duties of that day. God gives us god's eternal PURPOvSE. 133 a a h six days for ourselves, and we frequently rob Him of the seventh. How will we spend the year of Sabbaths in the next seven yecv.s if we live ? Let us acquire and impart an amount of instruction, as well as attend to other duties. ' ' We cannot grind with the water past the mill;" God help us to improve the Sabbaths to come. " A Sabbath well spent, brings a week of content And strength for the toils of the morrow ; But a Sabbath profaned, whalsoe'er may be gained. Is a certain forerunner of sorrow." vSunday was the first day of the week when (lod began the old creation. For if we reckon from Sati;rday the seventh day of the week, the Jewish vSabbath, we will see that Friday w^as the sixth, Thursday the fifth, Wednesday tlie fourth, Tuesda}- the third, Monday the second, and so Sunday, the day God said : " Let there be light, " was the first. Now Jesus had not completed the wcrk of redemption hy His death, but did so by His resurrection, and rested from His toil the Jirs/ day of the week. Thus as far as /I'me is concerned, we have the first da}^ of the week for rest when being S'dved/ro;n sin as it was the first day of the week before sin. He did rest on the Jewish Sabbath from His work of ercation, but not from that of redemption, but did on the first day of the week after its completion, showing that the Jewish Sabbatli was no longer to be considered as the day of rest, and that bj- the same authority ts at first instituted the observation of the seventh. The work ',f redemption coutinued till the end oiWxe seventh day or Jewish Sabbath, then Jesus rested from it on the first. Let us improve the remainder of the year we have in ever3' seven in mental and spiritual improvment that we may, enjoy the eternal Sabbath of the saints. It is a good indication that we have a qualification for heaven when we enjoy spiritual employments on the Sabbath day. ■Hi 134 god's eternal purpose. '' Then will I set my lieart to find, Inward adornings of the niind ; Knowledge and virtue, truth and grace, These are the robes of richest dress. In these on earth would I appear, Then go heaven and wear them there.' The CHAPTER XIV. Lord's Second Coming. This is the great and final event in the h-'stor}' of this planet, when the eternal destinies of its inhabitants will be fixed ; the last until the endless state which the completion of the eternal purpose will usher in, Acts I : II, Heb. 9 : 28. The prophecies of the Old Testament concerning His first ad/ent have become history; His second coming is still in prophec}- — is yet in the future. Time, however, does not stop, and the period is approaching as fast as its w^heels revolve. A great part of it is gone ; maybe we are much nearer its end than its beginning. The history of this world will soon be an event of the past. We tremble at what is nearing. Worlds that were once visible to the telescope are now not to be seen ; their end may have come. It will soon be so with this one, ?\\ ]east iu it.s present form. Indeed the end of mi inhabitants has already come. iiL.LiiJes of ito " All levelled by the hand of death Ivie sleeping in the tomb, Till. God in judgment calls them fcAi; To meet their final doom." And we soon vsliall join "the silent majorit}-, " enter " the cit}- of the dead, " have our small space in " God's acre." Sin blasted, demoralized and blighted God's fair creation, and in order to its annihilation, and that of its coUvSequences, an entire, radical change is indispen- sible, even new -heavens, earth, body and spirit. " Behold, I make all things new, " Rev. 21 : 5. Christ's GOD SETERNAIv PURPOSE. 135 n first coming was to take awaj- sin ; none but Ciod Almighty could do it ; otherwise sin would have taken us away. His second coming will be to complete the glorious design, to usher in a better and an eternal order of things, where sin shall not be known. The curtain has dropped for a short time between His first and second advents. The one different very much from the other. His uncreated excellence was veiled in a tent of cla}^ when He first appeared ; the .second time it will be in all the glory of His Father, and that of the holy angels, first as a man of sorrows, then as the God of glory — He is the God-man, Saviour and Judge — Mediator to transact business between God and man. At His second advent there are four things in particular that He is to do in order to complete the eternal purpose of God, and bring in the golden age : To raise the dead from earth and sea, to change those living in .such a way as shall be equivalent to the death and resurrection of those who yhall have passed away, to judge all the inhabitants that shall have ever lived on this glolje, -according to their deeds, good or bad, and sentence them to a state and place suited to the character their deeds reveal, and to create new heaven and earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, where : " God's soft hand shall wipe the tears From every weeping eye, And pains and groans and griefs and fears And death itself shall die." When we speak of the coining of the Lord, we do not mean that He is not here, but a different manifes- tation of Himself; " lyO I am with you alway, even to the end of the world," Matt. 28 : 20. He manifests Himself to His people now and makes His abode with them, although not to nor with the world ; but then it will be to all, " Every e3'e shall see Him," Rev. i : 7. He is here. He is with His people in spirit — He will come in human nature as God incarnate. 1 i§ ! 11 136 god's eternai^ purpose. I. He will raise the dead. God's purpose in making known His manitold wisdom to the principal- ities and powers in heavenly places in the work of man's redemption included the body as well as the spirit. But for this purpose no doubt Adam and Eve would have suffered the penalty of their sin without any separation of body and vSpirit, just as the vSecond Adam bare our sins in His oivn body on the tree, and just as those who neglect this great salvation shall be punished after their bodies and spirits .shall have been re-united by the resurrection. Separation of body and spirit is not part and parcel of the penalty of .sin ; it is part of the process of man's redemption. At the separ- ation of body and spirit, the regenerated or new created and partially sanctified .spirit leases all its sinful polution in the body, it being consigned to the tomb to await its regeneration or new creation, when at the resurrection it will forever leave all its sinful corruption behind and be fa.shioned like unto Christ's glorious bod\'. As the tabernacle gave way to Solomon's temple, and as the new heavens and earth will super- cede the old, .so the glorified body wnll that of clay. We say then that death and resurrection are a part of the process of redemption, and that Christ is coming again to complete our salvation by raising the dead ; and it is as easy for Him to do so as to raise Adam 's body from dust when he was first formed. If, then, we are truly born from above, that is, if our .spirits have been born of the Holy Spirit we need not fear death ; f Dr although named the King of Terrors, Christ has enlisted him as a servant to help in the work of man's salvation. The resurrection of the bod\' will be its regeneration, as the new birth of the human spirit is its regeneration ; and it will be performed in the same way, for, "If the spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Chri.st from the dead shall also quicken yoyxx mortal bodies by His spirit that dwelleth in you, " Rom. 8:11. In other words, regeneration of the whole man will be ^.. '^ god's eternal PLfRPUSE. 137 completed when soul and body arc g^.orified. Christ's body, It appears, redeenied our bodit-s. His spirit our spirit ; or, God and man to^j^etlier accomplished it. But for God's purpose to redeera, Adam aud Eve would not have been allowed to remain on earth, or they would have been ])unished forever on it ; as it is, they were driven from ICden. Our trials in this life are a source of comfort too ; for ir virLue of Christ's redemptive work, and throuj^'h the a.:jency of the H0I3' Spirit, "our lij^ht afllictions, which endure for a moment, work for us a fu* more exceeding and eternal weight of glor}' ; for if tlie e.irthly house of this taber- nacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens." Diseases invade the ch.y house and the soul quits it as" an unfit abode. " Dust thou art to dust thou vshalt return. " " Yet in my flesh shall I see God " " As in Adam all die, sc in Christ shall all be made alive." And here the body is meant instead of the spirit, i Cor. 15 : 22. " Few are thy duys and full of woe, O man of woman born ; Thy doom is written, dust thou art, And shalt to dust return." " And why should the spirit of mortals be proud. " The worms shall soon devour us. These tents shall .soon be taken down, but they vShall be pitched beyond the river of death, to stand forever. Yet, " Timerous mortals start and shrink, To cross this narrow sea ; And linger, shivering on the brink, And fear to launch away," We may see the first resurrection, if it means of the body instead of the spirit — that is the resurrection before the Millennium — those alive at Christ's second coming will .see the general resurrection. Christ raised one newly dead, the nobleman's daughter ; one on the 138 god'vS eternal purpose. way to the cemeter\', the widow \<5 son ; and one buried, Lazaru.s. Many bodies of the saints arose at the time of His own resurrection — first fruits of His victory. " He abolished death and brought life and immortality to ligh'tby the gospel," 2 Tim. i : 9. Paul informs us that the gospel is, Christ's death, burial and resurrec- tion. God has propovsed to raise our bodies. " As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. ' ' The old friends, bod}- and Lpirit, shall be re-united. They labored and suffered as one, they shall be rewarded as such. "Our bodies shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father. ' ' These mortals shall put on immortality ; then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written. " Death is swallowed up in victory." I Cor. 15 : 54. . " Let faith exalt her joyful voice, ?'•^d thus begin to sing ; O grace where is th}^ triumph now ? And where O death thy sting ?" In order then to finish God's gracious design, the spirit and body will be glorified by Christ and His Spirit at His second coming. The resurrection will be the first great event that shall take place at that solemn, yet joy nil, time. n . Ne will change the living at His coming. Fkoh and blood camtot inherit the kingdom of God." i Cor. 15 : 20. The change will be similar to that wrought on Enoch and Elijah, which was equivalent to death and resurrection. Our I^ord, then, has effected already things as difficult to accomplish as v^-hat is iiecessaiy in order to complete the Divine purpose. vSin will be as efiectually destroyed by this cliange as in the other case by death and resurrection. What a vshock this mighty change will be to the human system. "In a moment, in the twinkling of an e3e, we, or those alive at Christ's .second advent, shall be changed." i Cor. 15 ; 51, 52. The life emanating from the dying (lod- man on Calvary, like the shock of an omnipotent gal- god's eternal I'UKPOSE 139 vanic batter}-, shall have communicated immortality to the spirits of the innumerable multitude of the redeemed and shall be felt in the caverns of the tomb, and arouse the sleepers there, and change the living. God's heart is visible on the Cross, and its almighty pulsations have revivified the spirits of myriads of a dead race, and will their l^odies too. The work of the Mediator, and the proclamation of it to a world dead in sin by God's ser- vants under the influence of an unction from the Holy One, has been a mighty engine carrying the Church to glory. We shall all soon experience death or this change ; which depends upon whether the Lord comes before our appointed time to die or alter. III. He luill judge the world ichen He 'comes. When the dead are raivSed and the living changed, all the luman race shall stand before the (jod-man to be judged according to the deeds done in the bod_v ; and when the sentences are passed, they shall enter upon their eternal ^vState, and God's eternal purpose shall have been accomplished in connection with the history of this sinful world and its inhabitants. The day of grace, lasting from the time Christ began His intercession in the Garden of fulen till He ceases it at the end of time, shall then be landed. This world shall not always continue as now, vice encouraged and virtue di.scountenanced ; (xod shall not always be grieved with sin, nor allow His saints to be oppressed. Rebellion against His government shall not be per- petual. It is passing strange that those who have been the greatest persecutors have boasted that they were, at the time, the people of God — .the Jews, Romanists, etc. There is a day coming in which they will ascertain that it was because the}' were not the children of God that they did vSo. Persons often fought against God when they supposed they were fighting for Him ; so easily are we deceived and so much is the carnal mind at enmity against Him. " The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked," Jer. 17 : 9. We love I40 god's eternal purpose. da'-kness better than light and do not know it. If those persecutors had turned to Dan. 7; 21-25 and Rev. 13:7, the}' would have known who the vSaints were ; but like many of us now, they were compara- tively ig:norant of the Word of God. God has a prison in His (ioniiiiicn ; and if we do not repent of sin, and -wash it away by faith in the blood of the Lamb, it vShall be our eternal abode. This world is a penitentiary -— a reformatory — may grace make us reformed penitents. His Divine being intends a day of separation — the holy and the sinful shall not always live together. Our character will decide our destiny, and our conduct our character. Two sentences shall be pronounced b\- Jesus Christ the Judge ; for when a Saviour was born so was a Judge, when we celebrate Christmas we do well to remember this. His first visit to this earth was in the capacity of a Saviour, His second will be that of a Judge as well. " Before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. ' ' Matt. 25 : 32. To those on His right hand, the place of honor, He will sa}' : " Come ye blessed of my Fa ler, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founda- tion of the world." vSome divines think that the righteous will be taken up from the earth into the air, the first heaven ; while the wicked will be left on the earth ; Christ and His throne intervening. Edwards, BOvSton, etc., thought thus. The place was prepared, although, apparentU', not ' finished, from the foundation of the world ; thus read}' for Abel and all of the spirits of the just made perfect, till they re-enter the body, and in its glorified condition occupy it forever. It does not appear to have been finished for Jesus says: "I go to prepare a place for you." Is it the new heavens and earth, which indeed are not yet finished, if the old ones, in a remodeled state , are to be the new ? " Come ye bles.sed, etc." As penitents you came to me on a throne of grace ; as worshippers you came GODS ETERNAL PURPOSE. 141 to the earthly temple ; as ignorant you came to my word for instruction ; now come and occupy the throne with me ; now come and worship in the heavenly temple ; now come and I will teach you forever ; come to ni}' home and my heart and enjoy everlasting com- munion, nearer ard S KTICUXAI, ITKPOSIv. 143 would not crir.e fn r.i beneath it 1 y lejxntiince towards (iod and faith in nie ; nay, noiwitlistandin;;- 1 was made a curse for you; for it is written, "Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Depart into ever- lastino- punishircnt. Thie sairts v, ill s i\- Amen when they Jehold the jv.^tice of tie Mnteic, anun to the damnation of an<.!^els and men, 1 Cor. 6 : 2. 3. We will emploN- an illustnitiou in order to j-crasp the idea of the jus-tice of t!ie j ei :iUy attached to the violation of the Divine law. li a soldier insults an equal iti the rank.'-, the crime is lu t considered a serious one ; if he oflends a superior ofi"i(-er it is looked ui)on as a graver offence ; if lie does so to the commander-in-chief it is still more heinous ; but if he ir.sults Her Majesty, tlie Queen, onl}- her clen^ei-c}' would ])revent the execution of the c,ilj)rit. Thus we see that the guilt, the criminality, the turpitude of an act is enhanced j/.st in proportion to tlie dignity of the per.sou ofiended. Apply this to the infinite excelltncy, honor and glory of Jehovah, and we can see, to some extent, the fearlul demerit of sin. Ti e day of accoiiiits th-.t is hastening apace, and what w.il ])e transacted on tliat memorable occasion, are necessary in order to the proper adminis- tration of the government of Ciod. () how necessary that we secure Christ to become our Adv<^cate. J-'tand up against sin now and He will tl-eii stand up for us. Probably what now most re'-embles the second coming of the lyord Jesus Christ !s (me of tliose terrific storms wb.eii the he.'U'cns seem on tire with vix'id flashes of forked lightening, and tl:e .'-(lid eaith treniLles as the l:eavens are rent with, the \h\ rider bolts ; for He is to come in the clouds and in IlaDiiiig fires, luuc'.i as it was at the giving of the Law to M.-.'-es on Sir.ai, only on a more stupendous scale, Tvlntt. 24 • 30, 2 Tlics. i : 7, 8, and Exod. 19 : t6. 144 (.CDS LTKINAL llElCfE. ' Diy of Judgment, day