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(716) 482 - 0300 - Phone = (716) 288 - 5989 - Fax H . 3. GRACE AND TRUTH (ABRIDGED EDITION.) BY Ti. P. MACKAY, M. A. TORONTO WILLAHl) TRACT I)KPOSIT(^RY, TORONTO, ONT. A. 0. Watson, Manager. m m \,f J :i: Ml. v/ ABRIDGED EDITION O F GRACEIMTRUTH' H Y W.F. MACK AY. M. A.. HUL.L. 'Graoe ami Truth camo by Jlhtb CuniST.'— Ju/im's Oo.^im. TORONTO WILLAUD TliACT DKI'OSITUHV, TOKONTO, ON r. A. (ji. Watson, - Miiiiaijer. CDNTENTS. There is no Difference ' PAGE. Our Condemnation 1 Would You Like to be Saved? Our Justification 20 * Ye Must re Born Again ' Do You Feel. Forgiven? Work of the Holy Spirit Triumph and Conflict - Ou» Heqeneration 85 Our Assurance 62 Our Comforter - 75 Our State - • - 92 * There is no Differenced Our Condemnation. I OU are always preaching and writing tblt the vilest and most unworthy are wel- come to come to Christ, bat what of those that do not feel so very vile ? ' a sister in the Lord once said to me. This is a most important ^question, in regard to a class cf people very difficult to reach. She told me that a friend, after having heard a preacher of the gospel describing the awful state of unsaved people, and giving a solemn exhortation to be saved immediately, said, with great surprise, ' But what is it all about ? I feel as happy as a bird.* She really could not understand that anything the man had been saying had any reference to her. Such people never did anything very bad. They have been trained up under all the influences of a Christianized society. They never knew vico in its open nakedness. They never felt anything at all very evil in their hearts. They have never been hce to face with God, nor taken God's idea of sin. h) short, they know not the God revealed in Scrip- ture, I do not mean that they are idolaters or infidcis in the popular sense of these words. They A • ORACSAlfD truth: know a Kod that is a sort of being for pulpit use i t°l .l,!ris to be addressed as a matter of course andfeSou u.J at times of particular solemn^ They ha,e a few ideas, derived from ^'om^^IS2 ageing called God, but of *e God of Ho^ Scripture fhey ha,e no »"f P"""' .^I'^^.f °^J, " judges sinners they do not know ; of God s estimate of sin thev have never heard. But let me be distinctly understood as to this • „,,,nt matter Let us imagine a man wan- most important matter, i-ei u" 6 dering on the top of some high cliffs. A br gM wTrm sun is overhead, and a soft green carpet of grasT is beneath his feet. He feels very happy and ^ ,v hnt he is Eoing nearer to an awful precipice I hI is happy but he is WW. We call, we shout to uL'loZ: He turns round and says,^n*- " ^ all about? I feel as happy as a bird; but onward St 11 he goes. Would it not be love on our part to go and fake hold of him, and earnestly te 1 him that a fearful precipice lies a yard before h.m I Dear friend, this is where we see you. I have in my mind at this moment an accomplished young lady, liable, kind, and dutiful, -""-"^f^^'^y ^ "j^^J can makeUfe happy; one who has her neat Bible ^Prayer-book, iid who is seen most regulariy and ?Iligiously in her ^t in church or chapel every Lord's-day, who takes great interest in deeds of charity, vis ts the poor, and is very happy. No one ever Led to say to such an one ' You are on the broad road that leadeth to deslruction. It would be considered highly improper so to do. Perhaps thi.« siUm page may be before your eye. • THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE.' )it use, 1 >f course Dlemnity. 5 sources, of Holy God who ; estimate s to this man wan- A bright carpet of lappy and precipice I e shout to What is it It onward lur part to 1 him that I I have in oung lady, >y all that neat Bible rularly and apel every I deeds of No one 'ou are on uction.' It so to do. ; your eye, and now it would say to you, what has been 90 long unsaid, 'Stopl are you ready to meet God? where shall you spend eternity? If you were separated this moment from all the dear friends around you, and all those happy scenes, and that comfortable home, and standing before God, what have you to say ? I wish to w ' . - a little of what He thinks of you. I am not to w.ite about what your parents, your friends, your pastor, or spiritual adviser think of you. They may chink most highly of you, and most justly too, as you may be everything that could be desired from a human point of view. But I wish to place before you what God your Maker thinks of you ; yes, of you yourself, whoever you may be : the more refined, cultivated, educated, and wealthy, the more would I be in earnest to get your attention. You may be a princess or an empress, but one word expresses God's estimate of you, and that word is—' sinner.' A rich hidy one day, when she heard a person speaking of all as sinners, said with great surprise — * But ladies are not sinners!' ' Then who are ? ' she was asked. • Just young men in their foolish days.' I have not the slightest doubt but that this is a very common idea, though seldom expressed. A lady who had heard some one preaching this kind of truth called on him and said, — ' Do you mean to say that I must be saved just as my footman ? * ' Most certainly.' ' Then I shan't be saved.' Poor lady ! that wai • GRACE AND TRUTH.* her business, and this was her fatal decision. My reader, I not only wish to tell you that you are a sinmr— you, educated, amiable lady— but that in God's sight you are just the same as the vilest profligate; just the same as that man you heard about who was hanged for murdering his wife. This is most terrible, but it is true. I remember once saying it to a young man who was not like you, but who knew that he was very bad ; and he said — < I believe all are sinners, but I don't believe that all are the same/ ' Well, we have only one authority to refer to, and it is within your reach ; will you take your Bible, and remember one thing, that it is God who speaks. Turn now to Romans, the 3rd chapter and 22 d verse, and at the last clause we read, " For there is no difference ; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." This is what God has said.' « Wcli; said my friend, 'I never saw that before.' * But it was there although you never saw it.' And now, dear reader, you who are happy and amiable, this is the one thing I wish to tell you from God, 'There is no diference.' This is what you never could and never can feel : it is a thing for which you must believe God. As it is God with whom you have to do, I beseech you do not listen one moment to any that would take you from His truth. He says 'there is no difference,' He has proved that the lawless Gentile or heathen and the lawbreaking Jew or religious person are equally guilty, and that not one among either the outwardly profane or tlie outwardly decent is found righteoui THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE.* ision. My : you jure a )ut that in ; the vilest you heard wife. This ^mber once ke you, but e said — believe that refer to, and your Bible, who speaks, d 22d verse, there is no me short of lias said.' that before.' r saw it.* ? happy and ell you fi-om s what you ; a thing for is God with do not listen ou from His ce,' He has hen and the are equally he outwardly nd righteous differ- or good before Him. Of course there are ences in heinousness or degradation of sins. I need not stop to speak of this ; we all know it. I wish to tell you what you and I do not by nature know ; namely, that there is no difference as to where we stand before God. The one question is, guilty or not guilty. There are no degrees as to the fact of guilt. ' He that offends in one point is guilty of all,' and nothing less. He that offends in all points, is guilty of all, and nothing more. Therefore, while there are differences among offences, there is no difference as to guilt. Therefore, all men in the world (and you included), have been brought in guilty before God. Look at the story of the Prodigal Son in the 15th of Luke. The moment he crossed his father's threshold with his pockets full of money and a respectable dress on, he was as really guiUy, as really a sinner, as when he was among the swine in his rags. He was more degraded when keeping swine, but not more guiJty. In fact, his degradation and husks were his greatest mercies, for these led him to see his guilt. A full pocket and a respect- able appearance are the worst things a guilty sinner can have, as these lead him to think that he is rich and increased with goods, and has need of nothing, when in God's sight he is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I do not ask you, Are you a sinner in the common use of that word? because you for whom I write are not. You mean by sinner, one who is very wild, profane, disobedient, aod lawless. This is as *u«. n speak of sinners. God, • GRA CE A ND TR UTIl ' however, says that there is no difference. The only thing I ask you is this, Have you offended in ONE point — not one point of open sin, but one point in thought or word ? You confess to at least one point. God asks no more. If you have offended in one point you are guilty of all. Man would never think this nor say it. But God says it Suppose that your life were like a book that you have written, and there was only one small blot just like a pin's-point in it, whilst all the other leaves were perfectly clean, and you came and presented it before God ; He would put it beside all the blackest lives that were ever lived, the blackest histories of the vilest murderers, and thieves, and harlots, and over this collection would be written these words, ' There is no difference.* You have offended in one point. It is not a question of being a great sinner — it is this question, ' Are you perfect as the Christ of God, the perfect man?' If you had lived for fifty years without committing one sin, or having one wrong v'ish or thought, and just then you had an evil thought, and afterwards lived another fifty years and died, aged one hundred, with only this one evil thought (not even a word or an action), when you came to stand before God in judgment, He would put you beside all the offscourings of the earth, men who for a hundred years never had a good thought, and He would say, ' There is no difference.^ Of course you think this is very hard, but it is true. God will never ask your opinion whether it ought to be ^o or not. He has in grace told THERE JS NO DIFFERENCE.' ince. The offended in n, but one s to at least F you have * a/l. Man God says it )k that you lall blot just leaves were ed it before lackest lives Dries of the ts, and over Drds, ' There It is not a his questiop, the perfect ^ars without ong v.'ish or ■bought, and ied, aged one ht (not even stand before ?side all the r a hundred e would say, rd, but It is ion whether n grace told us already what He will do. You and I not knowing absolute holiness, cannot understand or appreciate such a judgment. We cou d never feel that every one is the same in God s sight as regards guilt But God says it, and tliere the matter ends. If you wish to go on, risking your chance of escapmg hell on the possibility that God has told lies, and that these words are not perhaps quite true, that ^ there is no difference; then the judgmeiu-day will declare it to you. I would rather advise you to believe God, against your own ideas and opinions, and simply because He has said it, to proceed as it in His sight ' there is no difference ' between those we call great and little sinners. « / cannot believe that all are so bad, said one, after I had been saying ' there is no difference. *But,' I added, *the Bible says, 'there u fu difference.^ . , ' But there must be greater sinners than others. * Oh yes. Most certainly. Great olTcnders are recognised in the Bible ; he that owed fifty and he that owed five hundred pence ; but as to guilt, God says, " there is no difference." ' . c- a * Well I cannot see it,' still continued my triend. ^ ^But it is in God's Word, whether you sct'itormt; and it is sufficient that God has said it, for His Word is truth. Let me give an illustration. Let us sup- pose that a bill had been stuck up in this town, say- ing that recruits were wanted for Her Majesty s Lite Guards, and that none would be enlisted but those who were tall and measured not under six feet m height. Let us suppose that many of the young men lo ^ GRACE AND TRUTH : the town were anxious to serve in this regiment, and John meets James, and says to him, 'Well, I've more chance than you, for I am taller than you ;' and they put back to back and measure themselves with one another, and indeed John is taller than James. And there continues to be much measuring in the town before the day that the recruiting-sergeant comes. They measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves among themselves, but they forget one thing — that not only tall men, but men not under six feet are wanted. One man at last says, ' Well, I've measured myself with every man in the town, and I'm the tallest man in it,' and it might be quite true. But will even he be found qualified ? The trial day comes. Each is measured, from the man five feet six inches, to the very tallest. Sup- pose he is five feet eleven inches and three-quarters. The sergeant cannot let him pass. He is short. He must take his place among the very shortest as to getting into the Life Guards. He is the tallest man in the town, but he is short of the standard, and ' there is no difference ' from the very shortest as to his exclusion from the I '"e Guards. 'There is a difference ' in height, but not in qualification. Thus it is with every sinner. He may be good, or bad, in the sight of men, but ' there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.' If any man could say, I have come up to God's standard, and this is true, then there would be a difference ; but * come short ' is written on every man's brow, therefore th^re is no difference. ^ THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE.* regiment, and 'ell, I've more )u ; ' and they ves with one Jiimes. And in the town :ant comes, mselves, and es, but they ill men, but I. One man slf with every lan in it,' and he be found ired, from the tallest. Sup- hree-quiirters. is short. He shortest as to is the tallest the standard, very shortest rds. ' There ualification. ly be good, or no difference, the glory of I come up to liere would be tten on every 'ence. Whether was Adam or Eve the more to blame ? This might afford material for a long discussion, and, at the end, the heinousness of their crime would be to us a matter of opmion. I have no doubt there might be some shade of degree as to heinoiwness ; but one thing is sure — if their offences were not \ equally heinous, they were equally driven out. The cherubim that turned every way with the flaming sword, separated both equally from the tree of life ; there was no difference. I When the rain began to fall and the waters to ' rise, after Noah had entered the ark, the people who had their houses high up might have been pitying the poor people who built low down in the valley, as they heard the screams of the drowning. By and by the water sweeps above the little hills, and then ^ those on the high hills, in turn, congratulate them selves upon their high-built villas. But the watei still rises ; it enters their ground floors ; they rush . out of their grand mansions or hovels — for there was no difference— 2iTid flee to the tops of the very high- est mountains; but only find respite for a few moments, for ' all the high hills, under the whole heaven, were covered ; fifteen cubits upward did the § waters prevail, and the mountains were covered, and all flesh died that moved upon the earth .... and every man; all in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died, and every living substance was destroyed which was upon the fece of the ground.' Under that judgment-flood there was no difference. Look across the wide level •ea, and consider the thousands of caves and I lO GRACE AND TRUTH. Stupendous mountain chains that it hides, the plains and valleys, the dens of seaweed and the fortresses of rock ; and the level sea rolls equally over all, and there is no difference. Drunkard and respectable iady the hoary-haired sinner and the infant at the mother's breast— all were under that fearful flood, for there was no dfference. If you had been there, do you think you would have been made an excep- tion of? You may be able just now to get anything that money can buy. Could money have saved you then ? Prince and beggar, strong men and weak, bad and good, were all equally swept away. There was no dfference. It has happened already, you see, and it will happen again— not with water, but with fire. *When Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out o\ heaven,' there was no dfference. All were equally destroyed ; very bad and very good shared the same fate. This fearful, unprecedented shower falling out of heaven— brimstone and fire— took every one by surprise, and destroyed every dweller there. 'He overthrew those cities and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities.' There was no dfference. When Israel was sheltered in the house of bondage from the destroying angel's hand, Mt came to pass that at midnight Jehovah smote all the first-born m the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne, unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon.' Judge and prisoner alike found themselves face to fece with death. In the palace and in the hovel the voice ot mourning was heard ; not one of all the doomed • THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE/ II ^s, the plains the fortresses over all, and d respectable infant at the fearful flood, d been there, ade an excep- > get anything ave saved you and weak, bad . There was ', you see, and , but with fire, om and upon 'ehovah out of were equally lared the same iwer falling out L every one by r there. 'He in, and all the ; no difference. )use of bondage came to pass he first-born in rn of Pharaoh rst-born of the ' Judge and e to fiace with vel the voice ot ill the doomed i 1 1 first-bom escaped. These first-born might hare been beautiful, amiable, educated, and accomplished, or they miglu have been vile, degraded, ignorant, and hardened ; but there was no difference. It is with this God you and I have to do. When Jericho's walls fell flat before the appoint- ment, the ordinance of God, in righteous judgment ' they (the Israelites) utterly destroyed ^// that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old.' The strong man and the feeble woman, the active young man and the decrepid old, were equally slain by the edge of the sword. There was no difference. The flaming sword of the cherubim, the flood of waters, the deluge of fire, the angel of death, and Joshua's sword, all preach to you and me with calm, decided voice, 'There is no difference.' These things were written for us, that wc might know what we may expect so that we might not leap in the dark. Notliing will happen which has not been told us. A brother in the Lord could never get a young lady to think about eternity until he quoted this text, ' The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations thdt forget God.* That word ^forget' seemed to haunt her. May it haunt you, dear reader ! You do not require to deny God's existence, to mock at Him, to despise Him, to reject Him, to neglect Him; all you have to do is to forget God. Do you know the God who says, * There is no difference f Have you forf^otten that he identifies you with all descended from Adam.? Have you forgotten the God driving our parents out of Eden, and placi a sword cryi*^? for blood .? Our brother Cain soon forgot, our brotha 12 * GRACE AND TliUTIV Abel remembered. Have you forgotten tlie God who swept away all in the days of Noah ? Have you forgotten that i ^e is the Judge of quick and dead, and as there was nc difference, so there is a day coming when there will be no difference. In the judgment of the quick, all the goats are equally on the left hand — ^ there is no difference.' In the judgment of the dead, * the dead, small and great, stand before God '—small and great sinners, young and old, king and serf, peer and peasant — * and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire,' for ' ihere^ is no differ- ence' Your name may have been written on the communion-roll of any or all the churches, or it may have been written in the sheets of the Newgate conviction-book for murderers, but 'there is no difference' The lake of fire levels all distinctions. There may be, there are, many and few stripes; there may be, there are, great and small cups full of wrath, but every cup, be it great or small, \^ full. The lake of fire — fearful thought— rolls its hideous sea of wrath and torment in one surging wave over all that have not been enrolled in the one book of life. In hell, and perhaps only there, for the first time, you will believe that 'there is no difference: Every one believes it there. Let me ask you to look at another picture. Three men are hung on three crosses. If you look at theM, you will see that * there is no difference.' If you listen to what they are saying, you will hear one at the one side mocking Him in the centre; and the one on the other side saying, ' Dost not thoo i ' THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE.' 13 the God who idge of quick ?, so there is Hfference. In s are equally nee' In the // and greaty inners, young easant — * and s book of life re is no differ- written on the hes, or it may the Newgate ' there is no 1 distinctions, few stripes; nail cups full • small, \sfulL lis its hideous surging wave I the one book there, foi the J no difference.* icture. Three 1 look at theM, •ence.' If you will hear one e centre ; and Dost not thoQ fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation ? And we indeedyttJ/Zy, but this man hath done nothing amiss.' The one in the centre is saying, ' Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do/ Those suffering 'justly,' and He that did 'nothing amiss,' equally suffer, for ' there is no dfftrenw.'' Those needing forgiveness, and He praying for their forgiveness, are under the same doom, for ' there is no difference.' Who are they? Those on cither hand are two malefactors, or thieves, who die by the condemnation of their law. He in the centre was proved innocent, and He is the judge of quick and dead. He has taken of his own free-will 'he load of sin upon Him, and, under sin. He cannot be cleared. Spotiess, pure, holy though He was, He cannot escape. God can by no means clear the guilty. ' He hath made Him sin for us, who knew no sin.' He is under our guilt, and 'there is no differ- ence ' between Him and the thief — He must suffer. Dear reader, does net this explain iill difficulty aboat an innocent, amiable, virtuous, accomplished lady being on the same level before God as a drunliard and a murderer ? Here is God's perfect Son — yea, the very God-man — on the same level with malefactors, not for Himself, but for us. God became man, and gave Himself for our sins. This satisfaction that the innocent made for the guilty is offered to yovj, and you may freely have it, for ' there is no difference.' If the eye of the vilest sinner in this world should perchance rest on this — an outcast from all society, one who has lost all friends and all self- respect, the tottering drunkard coming out of hit H 'GRACE AND TRUTH.* delirium tremens— I tell you as from C.ckI, this Christ is oaired to you as God's love-gift. You i ui> reckon llim yours, and proceed upon it as if He- were yours as truly as 1 or any other person m this world do so. You have as much right to^claim Him as we, for ' there is no difference * in God's sight— ♦His blood can make the foulest clean, HU blood avails for me.' Tlnis, my friend, for whom especially I wrivo this you have to take the lost sinner's place, for God says, ' there is no difference: As I have said before, I could know this only from God's Word. You have been as happy as a bird all your life, but you forget to find out what God thinks aliout you. I have tried to show you this from the Bible. I do not ask you if you feel it, for I am sure you never could, neither could any one feel all the catalogue of sins m Romans i. and iii. true against him i-dividually; but God knows us bL^er than we knov. uai^elves, ani this is His estimate of us. From the sann? word, and therefore on the same authority, and on none other, I tell you that God has given you Christ. 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son.' I do -: t say that you are to feel that Christ is yours, any ^Tiore th;\i. i asked you to feel all the indictment true against you. You are to believe that Christ is yours, as you believe the black accusation against you is yours, only on the autlioiity of God. I once asked a woman, * Do you feel that you are condemned ? ' YHERi': IS NO diffeuicnce: IS rom Ciod, this Tift. You I ia> Ml it as if He • person in this It to claim Him God's sight — leaii) ecially I wrive ner's place, for A.S I have said 1 God's Word. ,11 your life, but ks aliout you. I Bible. I do not ^ou never could, alogue of sins in ndividually; but ^ uaii'^lves, ani )re on the same 1 you that God 1 so loved the ten Son.' I do rist is yours, any I indictment true Lt Christ is yours, )n against you is 1. feel that you are * fes,* she said. * Now,' I answered, * that is absurd. You may know and feel you are guilty, but you can only believe you are condemned, because you know you are condemned on the authority of the judge who has pronounced the sentence.' So on God's authority, and on it alone, I know 1 am 'condemned already.' And on the same authority alone I know that ' Christ is for me,' me individually. Just because I accept God's estimate of myself, I have a right to accept God's estimate of His Son for me. I believe the record that (lod gave of His Son to lost sinners. It looks very humble to say I am too great a sinner, or some- thing similar, thus comparing myself with other sinners ; but the humbling bit is that ' there is no difference.'' All are ' condemned already,' but only those who believe it reap the advantage of this. Advantage 1 What advantage can there be in knowing I am condemned already ? Much, because only they who believe themselves condemned can claim a Saviour. And now the ' righteousness of God is by faith of Jesus Christ unto ^//,' that is to say, it is offered, in the person of Christ, equally unto every person in this world, but is only 'upon all them that believe; for there is no difference, for all have sinned.' ' All,' in Rom. iii. 9, are said to be ' under sii ' So in ver. 22, all believing ones are under rightc .usness. It is '■upon all them that believe.' Righteousnes* is altogether and for ever outside of every man'i attainment, for it must be perfect, and all haf« i6 • GRACE AND TRUTH: sinned. Read Rom. Hi. 19 to 26. ♦Where sin abounded grace did much more abound.' God has proved us all equally by nature and practice * under sin ; He now has placed all of us who believe * under grace.' Thanks be unto God, my dear friend, though you began this paper not knowing yourself as God knows you, you may now, on God's authority, where you are, without moving, claim Christ 'the righteous- ness of God ' as yours, and may rise to tell others like yourself what God thinks of us and what God has provided for us. It is in love that He will not let you alone. If we are to be ' before Him ' for^ever, we must be ' holy and without blame in love ;' and if so, it is only ' in His Son ' that this can be. Virtuous or vile, decent or indecent, rich or pooi, receive and rest upon God's Christ now as He is so freely offered you, and then you may believe (not feel) that your sins are in the depths of the sea, that the shoreless ocean of the love of God flowing through a crucified Saviour has rolled over your millions of sins, and you can triumphantly say, as you look at that ocean covering all that is against you, ♦ there is no difference.' If any one is to be kept out of heaven for the believer's sins, that must be Christ, as 'He bore our sins.' God laid on Him our iniquities. Clad in the skins of God's own making (type ok the righteousness of God), Adam and Eve were equally clothed, there was no difference. Shut in by God's hand into the ark of gopher wood, *Noah only remained alive, and they that • THERE IS NO DIFFERENCK* i: * Where sin ind.* God has practice * under believe ^ under friend, though ourself as God uthority, where ; 'the righteous- i to tell others and what God t He will not let Him' for ever, le in love ;* and is can be. It, rich or pooi, now as He is so lay believe (not ths of the sea, of God flowing Dlled over your iphantly say, as that is against F heaven for the ;t, as ' He bore iquities. making (type oi I and Eve were 'nee. e ark of gopher ;, and they that were with him in the ark,' but they all, great and small, man and beast, bird and creeping thing, lion and worm were equally saved floating nearer and nearer heaven the higher the judgment waters rolled, for there was no difference. Under shelter of the sprinkled blood every house of Israel was safe even in Egypt, and all equally rejoiced around the roasted lamb, for there was no difference. Under protection of the scarlet line all found in Rahab's house were equally safe when all in Jericho were destroyed, for there was no diff'ere77ce. None of all those enrolled in the Lamb's book of life can be cast into the lake of fire. They shall never see the second death, for in that book there is no diffperence\ once there, perfectly safe for ever. God's salvation to lost sinners roust always be through judgment. We must accept His ordinance. What was there in skins of beasts, an ark of gopher wood, a few drops of blood, a red cord, or in a certain book ? They are God's ordinance, God's perfect way. It will matter little what we think will condemn or save, let us acceptGod's thoughts for both. God iias written out our character. Read Rom. i. 29, *Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity. Whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without Datural affection, implacable, unmerciful.' Gal. v. 19. 'adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lascivtousness, ■% i8 • ORACE AND TRUTH.' idolatry, witchcraft. Hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.' But I hear some one say, ' That is the character of a heathen.* ' Yea, friend, it is thine — these are what thy heart is made of. They may be kept under, but they are all there in germ, though not necessarily developed into transgression.' ' Nay, all these are not in my heart.' * Well, I'm sorry to hear it.' 'Why?' * Because only this character will be rece^fed at Calvary. Only what God has written about us will be accepted by Him : but coming to Calvary with this in our hands, we shall hear His voice saying, '* I, even I am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for' mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins,' and all are gone for ever.' Why does not every one believe that his heart is desperately wicked ? Because it is deceitful above all things, and cannot bear to hear the truth wheni spoken about itself. Accept the character God has given to you, and accept the Saviour He has provided for you. Thou just and holy God, Before Thee who can stand ? Guihy, condemned, all waiting wnUk In judgment from Thy hand. One sin deserves a hell, A death that ne'er shall die ) THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE,* 19 ce, emulations, nngs, murders, n. what thy heart ir, but they are arily developed be rece^Yed at La about us will :o Calvary with [is voice saying, y transgressions imber thy sins,* that his heart is deceitful above the truth when> ven to yoUf and or you. Our not like sands on ocean's shorei In millions 'gaioot us lie. Thou God of truth and grace. We praise Thee for Thy way By which the guilty may draw near— Their guilt aJl put away. Thy Christ who bled and died. Up to Thy Throne has gonef Himself Thy love-gift we accept We rest on Him alone. We praise Thee as Thy sont Before our Father's face, As o'er our every sin now rolb The ocean of Thy ffact. 1? g wrath jd. s» Would You Like to be Saved ^ Our Justification. OULD you like to be sared.* 'Indeed I would.' ' And would you like to be saved in God's way ? ' * Oh 1 yes. But I can scarcely see how any poor sinner like me can know that here.' 'Well, I wish to place before you a sure road to, heaven for the unholiest of us all, and shew you how, by simply believing God, we may know that we are saved.' * I read my Bible, and I am sure I believe every word in it.' * I know there are few who doubt there is a God, or the leading doctrines of the Bible. But, by the help of the Spirit of God, 1 ^^ould try to tell you some plain truths which you may not know, or things about which you may have wrong notions — truths about God's relation tc you, yourself, personally and individually, and about your seeing, receiving, and taking for yourself God's salvation.' * Do you know that God loves you ? * *Ah! yes,' you say, 'He loves us all.' * Quite true.' But sit down and ask yourself again, 'Do I believe that God loves mh** To WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE SAVEDt 21 Saved f o be saved in how any poor a sure road to„ shew you how, )w that we are believe every :hei-e is a God, But, by the try to tell you :now, or things lotions — truths personally and receiving, and u r ?• all; 1 ask yourself es MH** To convince you of it, He says in His Bible, and one word is enough from Him—' God so loved the world; and you are part of that world. But now you say, * If God so loves me, He will be merciful to me a poor, struggling, failing sinner, if I do the best I can, and He will overlook my many Now, this is a point upon which you need sms to be set right. His name is love; but He is as just as He is merciful, as true as He is gracious, and thus ' can by no means clear the guilty.' He can overlook nothing. You know that Jesus Christ, God Him- self manifest in the flesh, came into our position, our place, under our sin, and died a great many years ago. He had no sin of His own, but put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Now, God says that He so loved us that he gave us Jesus, and all that we have to do is to believe in Him. Of course you believe that He came and died ; but did you ever believe that God gave Him to you? 'Ah!' you say, 'I wish I could /^^/ that.* But God does not ask you to feel it. He states what He has given to you, and asks you to believe Him. " God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," whether you believe it or not. When you accept God's gift you believe in Him. Jesus Himself told us this when on earth ; and surely He did not mean to deceive us. He was speak- ing about the bitten Israelites in the wilderness. They were all bitten, and a serpent of brass was put upon a pole, and every one that looked lived. This serpent was given to the Israelites whether they k>oked or not. Supposing thiit one Israelite had said, ^2 ' ORA CE A ND TR UTIJ. » I wish I could feel that the serpent is for me, wh;u would you have said ? ' Certainly: are you bitten ? " That is all you need. Are you a guilty sinner? then you have a right to believe that Jesus is yours. This is the simplicity of the Gospel, which has stumbled many great men, and which seems so foolish to the wise of this world. People, when they are ill, or begin to think they are to die, try to pray, leave off" bad habits, and be good, and do the best they can. Yet, though all these are very proper things to do, they will never save anybody. Supposing these bitten Israelites, in- stead of looking, had begun to put on poultices, and get ointments, and dressings, and mixtures, to counter- act the bites — well, that would have been very sensi- ble, men would say; but God said, look; do as I tell you : — Look to that serpent on the pole. So God's gospel is, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saver^,' ' But you may say, *I am no worse than my neigh- bours. If I am lost many will run a bad chance ; there are many worse than I am, and I only hope in God's mercy.* Now, this is all a delusion. One sin will damn any man for ever. Sin brought God's Son from heaven to become man and die. It is true many are worse than you, and that they will have a bad chance. That is the very reason I write this for you and for all, because most people are going to hell just now and do not know it. I did not make the calculation. Jesus Christ, who cannot tell a lie, said that there were two roads, a wide and a narrow, that most people go in the wi<ie WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE SAVED f 23 is for me, whui are you bitten ? ' I guilty sinner? t Jesus is yours. ;pel, which has vhich seems so in to think they i habits, and be Yet, though all they will never en Israelites, in- )n poultices, and ures, to counter- been very sensi- ook; do as I tell pole. So God's ;sus Christ and than my neigh- a bad chance; d I only hope in delusion. One n brought God's and die. It is i that they will •y reason I write nost people are know it. I did rist, who cannot ) roads, a wide go in the wi(ie one, and few go in the narrow one, that the wide one ended in endless misery, and the naiTow one in endless happiness. You have only one chance, which is to believe God who says that one sin will send you to hell. You have committed at least one sin. Now accept Christ as your own and only Saviour. Bur the great deceiver of the world, that is the devil, who tries to do all he can against God's truth, if he finds that you will not believe yourself to be worse than other people, or that still you have a rhance, will take another and an opi)osite course, for the devil's statements are like the time of a bad watch, either too fast or too slow, lie tells you that either you are too bad or not bad enough. Now Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the lost. A man who said of himself that he was the chief of sinners is in heaven long ago. The blackest, vilest, most debased, most debauched, polluted, filthy, un- clean, hard-hearted, evil-tempered, lying, covetous, thieving, murderous, grey-haired sinner that ever tottered on this side of the grave, is reached by Him who hung between two thieves for sin. God says it: that is all. We cannot understand it. Only this. He chose to do it, and now He tells us. His voice, dear sinner, is still deeper than you, ' Come unto me.' A thief that had reviled Christ after the hand of death was on him is in Paradise, we know. Why not you ? And why not be saved now ? If not now it may be never. I once met a poor woman in the south of England. I began to speak to her about heaven and Jesus. She did not understand me> I asked her if she had 24 * GRACE AND TRVTS.* ever heard of Jesus ; she said, no (most lamentable in this Christian land, so called). I told her that up above those skies Jesus dwelt, and He had so loved us that He had descended from heaven and had become a man. There was a condemned criminal lying warting execution not far from where we were, and everyone was speaking about him. I said to her, * You have heard about the man that is to be hanged.* * Ah yes/ * Suppose, as he lay in the jail, a knock the night before the execution was heard at the door, and a gentleman walked in, sat down, and said, — * " You have broken the laws." * " Yes, yes," the convict would cry. * " You have been condemned/* * ** Yes, yes, justly too." * " You are to be hanged." * " Yes, to-morrow." * " I am the Queen's son ; I have come from Windsor at Her Majesty's desire, and this is what I am to do: I will take that prison-dress which you have on and sit iu your place, and you will take my dress and sit in my place." The convict in astonishment exchanges dresses; he wonders if he is dreaming ; the Prince sits down in the convict-dress, and the morning comes ; the executioner walks in; he passes the convict; he takes the Prince dressed in the condemned man's dress ; he leads him out ; he is hanged by the neck till dead ; and the man that was condemned walks out free through the opened prison doors." The poor woman looked in astonishment at this picture i WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE SAVEDt nost lamentable [ told her that ind He had so am heaven and iemned criminal where we were, lim. I said to n that IS to be I, a knock the rd at the door, 1, and said, — ^• ave come from e, and this is lat prison-dress r place, and you Y place." The ;s dresses ; he nee sits down in ig comes ; the he convict; he mdemned man's Ted by the neck mdemned walks 1 doors." The at this oicture of what Christ had done for the sinner — defective in many points, still it impressed on her the great iruth of putting the good and innocent one in place of the bad and guilty man. ' Now,' I said, ' this is what the God that created you and me tells us of His Son in this book. Can you read ? * ' No,' she said. ' You will believe what I read from God's Word, this book, the Bible, that God has written for us. " Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." (i Pet. iii. 1 8.) " When we were yet without strength Christ died for the ungodly." " While we were yet sin- ners Christ died for us."' (Rom. v. 6-8.) She gazed in wonder — she knew she was a sinner. ' Will you believe God,' I continued, ' that He loved you and gave you His Son, the glorious Prince of princes, who once died but is now alive again.* She looked amazed, and trembling said, 'Mayl?' ' Not only have I authority to tell you that you may, but God has commanded you to do it, and you will never please God half so much, although you toiled, and wept, and prayed for a million years, as by obeying His voice and taking His gift.' This is the substance of our conversation, though by the lapse of time I may have forgotten some things and put ii. others. It seemed to be used by God; for the woman professed at once to be- lieve on Jesus, and to believe God that in Him she had everlasting life. I saw her next evening, and she had a calm joy in iier soul ; she was longing to hgax 26 GRACE AND TRUTH.' aboat that glorious Prince who had been sent to die the convict s death, to preach ' liberty to the cap tives, and the opening of the prison to tise bound. She resolved to begin to learn to read,^ so that she might know the truth for herself from the Word of God. But you may say, ' I am not so bad as she. 1 can read. I know all about Jesus. / have always believed' Yes, you have always believed about Jesus, but have you believed ti.it He is yours ? You have always believed that He is the Saviour of sinners ; but have you believed that He is yours ? If you have not, you are still condeLined, still unsaved, and, in all affection, I would earnestly entreat you, before you read another line, to lay down this book, and take God at His word, never heeding what you feel, nor whatsoever your heart may say (it is a liar) ; hut believe God that He so loved YOU (put in youi liame). that He gave Jesus to yoi' (put in your name — that is faith). You see you have not believed always that Jesus is yours, as 1 have said, bnt would repeat again, you have not to feel He is yours, but believe God that He is yours. If you thus believe Him, then all your sin is for ever gone, as between you and God you are justified from all things, your sins are cast mto the depths of the sea, you can never come into condemnation, you are as sure of heaven as if you were there, for God has said it. Certainly your wicked heart within you is not gone. I have often met with poor distressed souls who were unable to make out how people cculd knovtr they were saved, thinking that if they were '■^. TH.' id been sent to die iberty to the rap ;on to tise bound. read,^ so that she From the Word ot bad as she. 1 ;. / have always s believed about He is yours ? You ; the Saviour of :hat He is yours ? condcLined, still ! would earnestly lother line, to lay ; His word, never jrer your heart may 1 that He so loved gave Jesus to yov i). You see you sus is yours, as I , you have not to that He is yours, pur sin is for ever 11 are justified from the depths of the iemnation, you are here, for God has eart within you is th poor distressed t how people could that if they were WOULD YOU LIKE TO fiA' SAVEDf 27 saved they should never have any sin in them. God says, if people (that is saved people) say they have no sin they deceive themselves. All the dillerence lies in this, having sin in me, -.md sin on me. I once tried to put the way to be saved before a little girl who was wishing to know about it, and I think it shewed her the gospel to the saving of her soul. ' How many })eople were crucified on Calvary .' ' 'Three,' she replied. 'Two thieves, and Jesus iH'tween.' ' Were both the thieves equally bad?* ' Yes, they sutfered justly.' ' Did both die alike ? ' 'No.' ' What made the difference?' ' One believed on Jesus, the other did not. ' Now what al)()ut sin with regard to these three? The one thief that did not look to Jesus, had he sin IN him ? ' ' Yes.' ' Had he sin on him?* ' Yes.' ' And Jesus, had He sin in Him ?* She thought a little, but she answered rightly, ' No.' (lie was holy, harmless, no speck ever defiled Dim, He could touch lepers and still be clean). ' Had He sin on Him ? ' 'Yes.' ' His own ? ' No.' * The thief that looked to Jesus, had he sin in him after he looked ? ' m :8 ORACE AND TRUTH. ' Had he sin on him f t No ' <riT 11 This' Cross still divides the world. We are M sinners, as were both the thieves. «" one su are saved dinners on the °'hej tmsaved .nne- ^„^ the one side are those who bal.eve G.xl '"• Jf^"^ , theirs- on the other, those who do not. On thi one ^e are those who have sin >N <hem, but no s,u ON them, because they have left ,t on the .potles sLbearer; on the other, those who have sm botl. ,N them and on them. And all the people m the wo Id die as those two thieves did. None ever «ed or ever will die, without sm in hem. The name of every man when he dies w>l be mn^r TlTe name of each man was thuf to the very last breatHut one died a saved M.f, the other died an unsaved thief. The one set of men d.e saved s.nners, "he other unsaved sinners. The one d,e w«h s>n ON them, sinking them down to an awful hel ; th^ other die with no sin on the", and are for ever with the Lord.' 'Now, will you not be saved f 'How can I?' 'Simply LOOK.' . , , , -__ 'But I have often tried to look, and I have oflen tried to bring before my mind a picture of Jesus haneing on the cross for me.' . • _t 'Nol, this is not the way at all: a v.s.on of Christ on the cross, or a dream or a thought, is not what God gives. Suppose I was laid on my death-bed to-night, and, as 1 lay, the dev.l came to WOULD YOU LIKE TO HE SAVED 9 29 We are all On one side sinners. On id that Jesus is not. On the em, but no sin n die spotless have sin both people in the None ever ^ them. The will be sinner. ) the very last e other died an e saved sinners, le die with sin iwful hell ; the i are 'for e^er md I have often licture of Jesus all : a vision of or a thought, is was laid on my he devil came to me, and told me that I w?s not saved ; suppose I said to him, *'Some time ago I had a vis'-n of Christ hanging on the cross for me." "Ah!" he would say, "that was a delusion I brought before your eyes to deceive you." ** Well, but I dreamt one night that Jesus came close to me, and said, 'Thou art mine.*" "It was all a delusion." " I had a thought one day ; it just flashed across me all at once, that I was saved.*' "Only a delusion." And I could not answer the accusing deceiver. But I will tell you what will put him to flight. I take my Bible and I say, "God says that He gave me Jesus." " How do you know that Jesus is for you ?" " Because God says that He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." " But do you think that so great a sinner as you can be saved by simply believing Jesus is yours?" "Yes; for God says, 'He that believeth on the Son HATH everlasting life.'" And the devil could say nothing; for it is written, "They overcame hini by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.'* You see I would never dare to bring before him what I felt or what ideas had crossed^ my mind, but simply and solely what God says. This is looking— t\{\s is seeing Jesus in the Word of God.' 'Will you not be washed in His blood, and be made for ever clean V ' But how can 1 .? What do you mean by His blood ? 1 hnvo often hcml about it, and have often ^ GRACE AND TRUTH.' 3^ tried, while lying on my bed, to bring before my eves the sight of His blood flowmg from His wounded hands and feet, and from His pierced side. ' Now this is another mistake: blood is a figure tor life taken. Seeing the blood means behevmg God about the death of His Son, instead of your death Being satisfied with Christ's death in the room oi yours, this is being washed in the blood. You see ro real blood, nor vision, nor picture oi blood ; but m that blessed Book of God you read, "He was wounded for our (faith says my) transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed." Isa. liii. 5- This is seeing the blood. ' Will you not come to jesus ? ' , , „ ' But how can I ? I have read in the Bible that He said, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and 1 will give you rest; and I have- often wished I had been on earth when He was here ; I wish 1 had seen him pass my door, I would have watched Him, and have run to Him and touched His garment. But He is in heaven and how cm 1 come to Him ?' * Now God has most beautifully explained this ; for we have not to go up to heaven (Roni. x. 6) to brinjj Him down, nor to go to the grave to bring Him up ; but He is risen and gone to heaven, and He has le^tHis Word, in which alone He can now be found. This Word maybe in your hands and in your memory, tivAt Word which the Holy Ghost has written and ,s now urging you to believe, that God so loved you a.s to ^ive vou Jesus. He is asking you m that WOULt> you LIKE TO BE SAVED 1 31 •ring before my i^ing from His lis pierced side.' od is a figure for s believing God [ of your death. in the room ol )lood. You see of blood ; but in ead, "He was msgressions, He chastisement of I His stripes wc eing the blood.' be Bible that He labour and are ;st ; " and I have earth when Ht pass my door, 1 ave run to Him He is in heaven J explained this ; ■n (Rom. X, 6) to rave to bring Him saven, and He has can now be found, d in your memory, has written, and God so loved you iking you in that Word to believe that He is yours. This is * coming to Jesus.' Now that He is in heaven, His Spirit and His Word,-— His Word from His lips and His Spirit jr., through, and vAith the Word are all that are left; and will these not satisfy? Have you never thought that if yoa saw your name written in the heavens, or on the sea-shore, and you knew that it had been traced by God's finger, you would then believe that you were saved ; but do you think God will make another and special revelation for you ? No, no — you must just take salvation as all the rest of us poor sinners have taken it, by believing the one Book.' ' But have I not to wait God's time ? ' * God has only one time — that is, to-day. I read of to-morrow in the Bible. Pharaoh, wished the frogs taken from him but to-morrow. To-morrow is man's time. Now, to-day, is God's. If you came to a stream, would you sit down and say, I will wait till it flows past and when it is dry, then I will cross .? Men are not such fools. God is waiting on you. He is calling you. He is beseech- ing you ; and this is His one request, Take my Son whom I have given. He cries to every ac- countable and rational soul in this world, will you have Him ? ' ' Oh, if I could feel a something in me telling me that Christ was mine, I would believe it.* ' Qiiite wrong again. It is believing something outside of you, trusting Him at God's right hand, and resting on His sure,, eternal Word.^ You will not throw this aside, will you, and say, I like it, or I do oot like it .? The poor sinner, saved ♦ GRACE AND TRUTH.' by the grace of God who writes to you, cannot saT€ you nor can any man. Tell God what you are to do ; tell God that He loves you ; tell God that you trust Him; tell God that you believe Him; tell God that He has given you Jesus ; tell God that you believe that also; tell God that He laid all your sins upon Jesus ; tell God that you believe they were on Him^ and therefore are not on you ; tell God you have gone astray, but that you believe Him that your iniquity was laid on Jesus. Thank God for a finished salvation in Christ. Tell Him how well-plcascd He is with Jesus instead of you ; tell Him that you are * A poor sinner and nothing at all, But Jesus Christ is your all in all.' May God Himself shew you, for His name's sake, His simple Gospel of Christ for you. A beloved brother said, when coming out of the darkness of self, 'It is the simplicity that stumbles me. It is too good news to be true.' Yes, if man were in it ; but it is not too good when we consider with what a (xod we have to do. You see God can overlook nothing. He can forgive anything. He can by no means clear the guilty. He can take us out of the guilty Adam-standing, and put us into a new, a resurrection Christ-standing. He can save to the uttermost the blackest, vilest sinner that accepts (simply accepts) His gift, Jesus. Will you not receive Him ? You may be in poverty, in naked- ness, in misery, but God presents you with Jesus. He might have created a world for every one of us ; but that would have been nothing compared with WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE SAVED t ^^ a, cannot saye lat you are to God that you lim; tell God iod that you d all your sins J they were on God you have [im that your 1 for 'Ajinisheii ell-plcascd He I that you are II, ill.' is name's sake, u. A beloved le darkness of lies me. It is lan were in it ; ler with what a I can overlook ;. He can by take us out of 5 into a new, a m save to the r that accepts Will you not erty, in naked- rou with Jesus, very one of us ; compared with what He has given — Jesus. You may have a hard fight here lo make ends meet, but having Jesus it will be all the hell you will ever be in. You may have every comfort, and be altogether moral and good as far as man can judge, upright and religious, but without Jesus this will be all the heaven you will ever have. Religiousness, goodne^ss, kindness, beneficence, uprightness, amiability, will not save you. Acceptance of God's gift alone will do so. Now, what is it to be, ere we part, perhaps never to converse again for ever — God's simple gospel for the meanest, poorest, weakest capacity, so that even a fool may embrace it ; or man's ways, follies, pleasures, religion, world? Jesus is offered to all. Some will accept Him, and some will refuse. You make God a liar if you do not accept. You make yourself a liar, and God true, if you accept Him. Some may know all about G'lrisi the gift of God presented to them, and yet not know Himself. ' Tis eternal life to know Him.' By not receiving Him, they trample under foot the blood of the life giving Prince. Others receive Him and thank God for Him and are saved. May the blessed Spirit, the witnesser of Jesus, open the eyes of every reader to see Him, incline every fellow-sinner to believe God, and accept His gift. Call your heart a liar^ and believe the record of thi ^ mdj living and true God. Nothitag, Lord, I bring before Thee, Nothiog that can meet Thy face ; C 34 'GRACE AND TRUTW But in Jesus I adore Thee, For the riches of Thy grace. Jesus came in love from heafcn. By the Father's love was given, From that death He now has rittn, Which He died for me. Jesus died for the sinner, Jesus died for the sinner, Jesus died for the sinner, Jesus died for me. 'Ccrtie to me,' Thy lips have spokflis As I am, O Lord, I come; AU Thy laws I oft have broken. From Thy side afar did roam. Boundless lore hast Thou been showing Settling eTery just demand ; Jesus as my own I'm knowing, Thus obey Thy great command This the work that stands for erei^ AU my works are useless dross ; Jesus mine ! yes, nought can sever Me from Him of Calvary's ctxym. Precious blood of Him forsaken On that cross, in wrath, by God, Cleanses me ; His life was taken. When made sin for me He stood, • Look to me,' He said, who's risen, Jesus Christ my Saviour Lord ; Mortal eye can't enter heaven. But I see Thee in Thy Word Trust Him, claim Him, O believe Hii^ All was done Thy trust to gain ; Qb Him rest, and now receive Him, And with Him for ever reign. TW I heaTen* as given, >w lias riK% me. r, r. • ^ » * Ye Must be Born Again. Our Regeneration, pokes 9 X^is:^'i- m. ) showing tand erer, ros8{ lever croaa. en God, Lcn, stood. 8 risen* ord; » ord. ?lieve Hni^ gain ; e Him, ign. ] HOUGH yoo knew all the duties in- cumbent upon a royal Prince, this knowledge would not make you a royal Prince. You must be in a posi- tion before you can act under the laws of that position. This is the natural order admitted by all men in human things, but quite reversed when they begin to speculate on divine things. God's order is this — I make you sons : walk like sons. Man says, try to walk like sons, and after a shorter or longer time you will be made sons. But we must be brouglit out of the kingdom of darkness before we can take the first step in the kingdom of light. Before we can enter this kingdom we must have a , nature capable of enjoying it. A nature can be im- planted only by birth ; therefore we must be bom again. This subject is gone fully into in John iii. Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus, and said to Him, * We know,' &c. Jesus answered him by saying, 'Except a man RE BORN AGAIN,' &C. I There is a great difference between what we /^now and what we are ; a great difference betwe**n 3C> uA'.lC'A AND THUTB.' our aitaimnents, education, talents, knowledge, and our standing before God, and our relation to God. Nicodemus was an inquiring man, who had been convinced of Christ's claims by external evidences, and whose conscience was now seeking after something deeper and more satisfactory. He comes with this profession of knowl Ige, 'Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God : for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.' (John iii. 2.) Jesus, because He knew all men, and all the thoughts of men, answered not the words but the need of Nico- demus, by shewing that all his knowledge would never save him or any other man ; for ' Except a man be bom again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus by nature, however well-instructed, could never see God's kingdom. i. CHRIST NOT A TEACHER OF THE OLD NATURE. HE IS FIRST A SAVIOUR, THEN A TEACHER. In the present day, in certain quarters, we hear a good deal about Christ as the perfect man, the perfect example, and the perfect teacher ; but here is the answer of Jesus Himself to all such comoliments. He came not to teach the old nature — not to teach man as sprung from Adam, but to seek and save the lost, to give the new nature, and to teach saved men. The policy of all who have openly, or in thought, denied the divinity of Christ, is to laud His moral teaching and his God- like example. They bring well-known and fondly- yE MUST BE BOON AGAIN.' %1 \., knowledge, i our relation ing man, who 15 by external J now seeking is factory. He I Ige, 'Rabbi, ne from God : at thou doest, i. 2.) Jesus, le thoughts of need of Nico- )wledge would for 'Except a 16 kingdom of well-instructed, I OLD NATURE. TEACHER. arters, we hear jrfect man, the teacher ; but ilf to all such the old nature \ Adam, but to e new nature, icy of all who the divinity of f and his God- NH and fondly- cherished truths forward, as if only they believed ,ind preached these great facts; but at the outset I hey forget this insurmountable barrier to all moral reclamation of the old nature of man, ' Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' We find others, however, who know Christ not merely as a teacher, but who also believe in His divinity, that He is God as well as man. In fact, many in our land know every funda- mental doctrine in the Bible; but a mere knowledge of doctrine, however true, never introduced a son ot Adam into the kingdom of God. Men may have learned what justification, and sanctification, and adoption are; they may be able to distinguish minutely between all the creeds, isms, and heresies, they may be theoretically orthodox, may be able to judge preachers and sermons, may be Tery ready freely to criticise most men they hear, and graciously pay beautiful compliments to their special favourites, as Nicodemus did to Jesus. They may know, moreover, about the new birth, its necewity and divine origin; but notwithstanding all this, they could not dare to say, ?.s before God, 'Whereas we were bhnd, now we see.* The greatest amount of theological education never yet saved a man. Creed, or the belief in a certain amount of doctrine, has made Christendom, but never made a Christian • Ye must be born again.' Others again, when their consciences have been reached, try to get this new birth brought about, and begin most zealously to train and trim, to 38 GRACE AND TRUTH: educate and reform their old nature, quite igr«-raiit of what is meant by * born again' ||,.._THE OLD NATUilE UNCHANGED AN« UNCHANGEABLE. Nkodemus wondered how a tiv.in when old coultl be brought again into this world ; but if it were possible, what better would he be ? lie might have changed his circumstances by this new birth accord ing to the flesh; but would he have changed kingdoms? He would still be in the kingdom of the first Adam ; he would still be llesh; for Josus goes on to say, 'That which is born of the flesh' is flesh,' (ver. 6). Water never rose above its level : that which is produced is of the same nature as that wliich produces. We find people to-day who think that if they were in other circumstances they would have a better chance of getting saved. The rich man thinks that if he were poor, he might have time to think of religion. The poor man, if he could get ends to meet, and liiid a little more money, would have more leisure to think of God. But the difficulty is not so much in what is around us, as in what is within us. Again, the aids of religion are called in, in order that the flesh may be improved ; but after all attempts it is found to be only religious flesh. Man may have all varieties of it , but it never rose to see the kingdom of God. . In nature, we speak of the animal kingdom and the vegetable kingdom. If we took a rose from the latter of these king- doms, and cultivated it and trained it, and by our various arts m?de it produce all its varieties, we *YE MUST BE BORN AOAIN: ') , quite igr«-rani NOED AN» when old coulil but if it were He might have ew birth accord- mged kingdoms? ' the first Adam ; ; on to say, 'That jer. 6). Water iiich is produced produces. We if they were in have a better man thinks that time to think of get ends to meet, have more leisure :y is not so much within us. ailed in, in order after all attempts ksh. Man may !r rose to see the /e speak of the ble kingdom. If • of these king- id it, and by our its varieties, we never by these means could bring it into the other kingdom — into the animal kingdom. Or, again, If I take a nettle ft-om the roadside, and bring it into my g. jn or my hothouse, watch over, dress, water, and warm it, I may produce beautiful nettles, and beautiful varieties of nettle, but I never could get apples from it ; that which is produced from the nettle is nettle. We can never gather grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles } Man by nature is in the kingdom of the first Adam : no amount of reformation, amelioration, cultivation, civilisation, or religiousness, can bring one single man into the kingdom of God. Look through Great Britain and Ireland, — what is the object of the great bulk or the religious machinery ? Is it not for cultivating the flesh, in order that, after death, it may see the kingdom of God? This is no guess. It is the sad confession of godly men in all the churches — godly bishops, godly rectors, godly pastors, elders and deacons. All unite in the same complaint, and do their best against it. The majority of respectable religious people, as good as Nicodemus, a master in Israel, do not know the practical power of this truth which stands at the door of God's kingdom. They put salvation at the end of a k)ng series of self-improving processes — God puts the salvation of the soul at the very beginning, and all duties that in their discharge can honour Him, are founded upon this fact. ' Man's chief end is ' (not to get the soul saved, but) ' to glorify God and to enjoy him for ever ' — starting with being saved for nothing as the means to this end. 40 * GRACE AND TRUTH.' in.— THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY OF A NEW NATURE. Before I can enter God's kingdom I must have a new nature, that can appreciate, see, live in, and enjoy that kingdom. Ask a blind man what red is. He has no idea of it because he cannot see, because he has not the capacity. Educate him in the mixing of colours. Tell him that blue and yellow mixed make green ; he may soon remember this, and know much more ; by that knowledge he never saw a colour. The questions therefore of most importance to you iire not, do you know doctrine ? do you know Christ 8 teaching ? do you know your Bible ? do you know the evidences of Christianity ? do you know that Christ is God, that Christ is a Saviour ? that He is able and willing to save ? You may know all that, and be lost for ever. But, are you bom again. Are you a partaker of a new nature, a divine nature r Are you an heir of God ? Is your standing now in Christ or in Adam ? Before I can see the kingdom of God, I must have the nature implanted that belongs to that kingdom. This is something more than a mere thought of sin forgiven, or righteousness obtained. It is a question of capacity, of fitness to enjoy, of likeness of nature. What an awful thought, that so many religiously- educated people are lost ! What a heU, where the good, decent religious sons of Adam have to be for ever shut up with the profane and the drunkard, and the abominable and the unclean I • YI-: MUST JU-: BORN AGAIS: 41 3F A NEW I must ha?e a e, live in, and m what red is. ot see, because 1 in the mixing yellow mixed • this, and know ; never saw a portance to you u know Christ's do you know you know that ur ? that He is ^ know all that, )u bom again? a divine nature ? standing now in fod, I must have ) that kingdom. I thought of sin It is a question eness of nature, lany religiously- hel', where the n have to be for le drunkard, and Reader, I entreat of you, think. Think for a moment, did Jesus 8peak truth or tell lies? If He spoke truth, those who have not been born again, however intelligtir,, educated, moral, benevolent, or religious, can never see the kingdom of (iod, and must, therefore, be swept away for ever with the lost, for there are only two places. What a hell I Fre- quenters of cathedrals and frequenters of gin-palaces, tract-distributors and pick-pockets, drawing-room- ineetiug religionists and the offscourings of the streets ! Priests who, with solemn mien, pretended to stand between the people and God, and murderers who have been hung for their crimes 1 Teachers who knew everything in theology, and the profane, the swearer, the blasphemer, the infidel I These things will turn out true, whether you believe them or not. It was seen in the days of Noah. Is it to be your bitter experience? Hell is real. Eternal punish- ment is real. Christ's words are true, although they "nay be doubted, or denied by the majority of men. Tl^e awful fact remams. Stop, therefore, high or low, nich or poor, educated or uneducated, intelligent or ignorant, religious man or blasphemer, respectable or profane, think and ask yourself these questions, Atn I born again ? Have I a new life ? — a life communicated by the Spirit of God through the tnith — born not of flesh, but of water (the word, Eph. V. 26) and the Spirit. Have I been born twice — once into this world of Adam, and again into that of God ? Friend, if you have not this new birth, if were better that you had never been bom ; but now as vou are, and where you are. whenever you art "W 'GRACE AND TlWTlV 42__ convinced of the necessity of this new birth look and live; believe and be saved; take God at Uis word: He says ' Ye must be born again ; and in the same chapter it is written, ' A^^ Moses lilted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever BKLiKViiiu on llim should not perish, but have KTiiRNAL life.— What Uod demands, God provides. IV.— HOW THE NEW NATURE 18 IMPLANTED. This new nature is not implanted by a process, but received by an act of faith. This new nature never sets aside as to actual fact the old, never amalgamates, never becomes incorporated with it, never improves it, but ' lusts ' against it in the be- liever, war. against it, is ' contrary ' to it. And how is it iiui.lanted ? Reader, this is of the greatest importance to you. Are you to look for the new birth in your own frames or feelings, to an ordinance or an act of man. A mistake here is fatal— le must be born again."— How? le.us answers this, and gives us the three things that are divinely and absolutely essential fur the new birth, (John iii. 7,) ^^^^'^ '^''^ kingdom (ver. 3 ) enteAng the kingdom, (ver. 5,) or ^v.wmg <^ternal I fe, (ver 15 ) all these being but different aspects of the same truth. These three essentials are— 1. Water, (ver. 5.) 2. The Spirit, (ver. 5 and 8.) 3. The Son of man lifted up, (ver. 14,) Ler us consider each shortly : — YE MUST BE BOHN AGAIN: 4.1 th, look and t llis word: in the same ) the serpent of Man hv Www should -What God PLANTED. by a process, s new nature e old, never ated with it, it in the be- to it. And f the greatest for the new ) an ordinance s fatal— "Ye e three things al for the new iom, (ver. 3,) ng eternal life, aspects of the ire — . 14,) I. WATER. ' Except ■ man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God ' (ver. 5.) It cannot in any way refer to baptism by water, the application of literal water to a man externally, as that \vc)ul(i only wash his body and could not touch his iimer man. Some would read the text, ' except a man be born of baptism,' and of course by this doc- trine Old Testament saints could not be in the king- dom of God, as they were nor baptized. Circum cision could not save r? ' u.i ' Neither is that circumcision which is ouiward in the fk'sh. . . . Ginu.ncision is thai o{' the heart in the spirit, and not in the letter.' (Rom. ii. 28, 29.) No change on a man externally c.ui profit. He may apply much nitre and wash iiimself with much soap, but his leopard spots of sin. still remain. Nor will mere education, 1 formation, cultivation, training of the old nature, tui n flesh into sTjirit. ' That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; ' it may be decent or indecent flesh, religious or irreligious, pious or profane, but stillflesh. Some s(\'ing this, and understanding it, have now asked what can the ' water ' mean ? This has been answered in several ways. Some say it is the same as the Spirit, others that it is the same as the blood, but ' there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood,' so that if water was only anoihcr way of expressing either the working of the Spirit or the cleansing of the blood, there would be only two bearing testimony — the Spirit and the bkxxi and the water stamiing for either. We can 'GRACE AND TRUTH: solve the question by asking what should have come into the mind of Nicodemus when Christ spoke of water? He, a master in Israel, knew of a laver where every priest had to wash before he could enter mto rlie holy place, for no unwashed foot ever trod that holy place. He, a master in Israel, knew the book of Kzekiel, and the promise to be fulfilled in a commg day to Israel. * Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your iilthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit uill I put within you. ... And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes ; and ye shall keep My judgments and do them. (Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26, 27.) A teacher in Lrael should have been lookmg tor the antitype of temple and laver, and the true watei of purification sprinkled to cleiuis'^ from defilement. He should have been conversant with the 119th Psalm, which definitely explains what the water is : (ver. 9,) * Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse^ his way ? By taking heed according to Thy word: The water here spoken of by Christ and typified in the Old Testament, is the Word of God, the embodiment, the revelation of God's thoughts. Let us search the Scriptures as to this : ' Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incor- ruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass. (1 Pet. i. 23.) In our text Mlesh' is contrasted with the ' spirit,' here flesh is contrasted with the ♦Word.' 'The seed is the Word of God' (Iiuke * YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN.' 1 have come ist spoke of . laver where Id enter into jer trod that f the book of in a coming clean water am all your cleanse you. a new spirit. 3ut my Spirit My statutes ; id do tbem.^ n looking for he true watei m defilement, h the 119th the water is : ; man cleanse o Thy word.' t and typified OF God, the loughts. this: 'Being but of incor- ch liveth and is as grass.' is contrasted isted with the 'God' (Iwke viii. n). *The righteousness which is of ftuth speaketh on this wise, .... The IVord is nigh thee ' (Rom. x. 6-8.) ' Of his own will begat He us with the Word of truth ' (J.tmes i. 1 8). 'Ye are dean through the Word which I have spoken unto ''ou * (John XV. 3). These all show that the word is used by God in the new birth in that place where Christ speaks of water to Nicodemus, but we have more direct evidence in Eph. v. 26, ' That He might sanctify and cleanse it (the Church) with the washing of water by the Word.' Thus, from Old Testament type, firom New Testament analogy, and from direct scriptural statement in both Old and New Testa- ments, the water in the new birth is proved to be the 'Word of God.' And most important h is to see this. How am I bom again by the word? Water cleanses by dis- placement. Uncleanness and water cannot occupy the same space at the same moment : the water displaces the uncleanness, and thu^ cleanses. The Word of God does not act by teaching ' the flesh,' but by displacing all the thoughts of ' the flesh' and putting in those of God. The entrance of God's word gives light, (Psalm cxix. 130). Man was los. by hearing Satan, he is saved by hearing God. Man, in his natural Adam-standing, is a chaos — nothing in him can meet or please the eye of God — he is without form and void, darkness brooding over him. When God, therefore, begins to re-create him, (for ' we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,' Eph. ii. 10.) * GRACE AND TRUTH: 4^ > II Jl^ Let light be; and light is ; and it is by the .ntmnce of His word that this is done.^ ^ This word of God judges everything in man ; it puts God and His requirements before man. Human opinion is entirely set aside By nature xve are all apt to rest satisfied that there are many worse than we. If I am lost, many will have a bad chance, is sometimes said, and quite true, for God s Word ells us we are all guilty, and, as we saw m a former chapter, ''there is no difference,' all condemned ilreadv, equally condemned. We compare ourselves with one another, or according as men are estimated bad. Rood, or indifferent. God's Word comes like wa?er, and washes out all our thoughts and opinions, 'it's my idea,' says one, ; if one tries to ive a good life, this is all he can do.' Of course, this is vour idea, but all our thoughts are evil, and unless God's Word displaces our ideas we are undone. 'It's my opinion,' says another, 'that we must Uist do the best we can, and trust in the mercy oi God ' Of course this is your opinion-but the uctiJn of God's Word is like water to wash out our opinions. The first thing it tells me about myselt and about us all is that we are lost, depraved, ffuiltv, condemned. . - n- v ^ But more; the Word of (" - -iugs m Gods mind about Himself instead ^i my own ; it lets God think for me, God speak for me, God act for me; it makes me passive, because I caii be nothmg else ^ILnr and your soul shall live (Isa. Iv. 3). Life is on its syllables -man begins to speak, to Dray &c., when he wants to be saved— God says, • YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN: 47 nd it is by the • ling in man ; before man. \. By nature here are many ^ill have a bad rue, for God's IS we saw in a ' all condemned npare ourselves I are estimated, ord comes hke ts and opinions, tries to live a ■ course, this is 2vil, and unless ire undone, 'that we must n the mercy ol linion— but the :o wash out our ne about myselt lost, depraved, :.imgs in God's wn ; it lets God od act for me ; )e nothing else, e' (Isa. Iv. 3). ns to speak, to Yed — God says, Hear I God is praying to us, and should we not answer God's prayer before we begin to pray. He does beseech men by us (2 Cor. v. ^o). His prayer is easily answered. He says, ' Will you have my Son ? ' and the answer is ' Tes ' or ' No.' By thus hearing the Word of God, and understanding it, (Matt. xiii. 23,) we receive a new life from God in which God's thoughts reside, and in which they act. Let us now \rryk at the Spirit's work in regeneration. 2. THE SPIRIT. We must be born of the Spirit — not the Spirit apart from the Word — not the Word apart from the Spirit — not two births — but the one divine new birth. We see Spirit and Word as the living water ; (John vii. 38). ' He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive.* This was seen at Pentecost, when the rivers of living water (read Peter's sermon, a number of Old Testament quotations,) flowed out to the salvation of thousands, the words of God carried home by the Spirit — hence living water ; the Word is the water, but it is stagnant or dead without the Spirit — Spirit and Word make living water. Again, Jesus said, (John vi. 63,) 'the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life.' Mere moral suasion, as it is called, never yet saved a man. This Word only operates as God's Spirit applies it. The vehicle is the Word, but the power is the Spirit. If people are famishing in a town, and we intend GRACE AND TRUTH: 48 tTTend supplies to them, we load the vans and wacKons with bread and corn, and make up a large train The entrance of these waggons will bring life to many a famished family, to many a dying man. Why delay, then? why is the tram lying use- less at this station where there is plenty? We are waiting for that powerf\il engine which w^iU speed it along Screw up the coupling, make all fast ; and now not only is the feast ready but feast and guests are brought together. Christ Himself is the bread, the Word is the waggon, and the Spirit is the engine or power that brings Christ in the Word to us poor perishing sinners. G<Jd made a great feast, and bade many (Luke xiv 16) ; none came, and ' none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper,' is now what God has said. No merely invited guest ever came. We preach 'Come,' we tell that all things are ready, that the feast is spread, the door open, that 'vet there is room ;' but no man by this mere mvi- tation ever came ; as one has said, ^ God has to fill the chairs, as well as the table.' Five yoke of oxen or a piece of ground are of much more value to a natural man than the richest feast of God. God has to provide the guests as well as the teast. U there were no Christ provided, there would be no feast ; if there were no Spirit working, there would be no guests. ... Te must be born of the Spirit. Like produces 1 ke. ' That which is bom of the flesh' is not merely like * the flesh,' but is ' flesh,' and ' that which is lx)rn of the Spirit' is not Uke the Spiri^ nor is it the Spint, • YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN: 49 the vans and lake up a large ons will bring ly a dying man. ain lying use- nty? We are :h will speed it e all fast; and Feast and guests ?lf is the bread, rit is the engine e Woid to us de many (Luke hose men which er,' is now what ruest ever came. ' all things are door open, that y this mere invi- '' God has to fill ive yoke of oxen more value to a : of God. God IS the feast. If ere would be no ;ing, there would ,ike produces like, is not merely like t which is bom of )r is it the Spirit^ (that would be incarnation,) but * is spirit,' and He dwells in that which He begets. This is something quite different from ♦ the flesh' being pardoned, then taught, then toned down, per- vaded, and sanctified, by the Spirit. We have the man, the I, the existing person with undivided re- sponsibility, 'born again' by the thoughts of God acting in him in power, and the mind and nature of God communicated to him by the Spirit ; and this now is the man's life, as the 'flesh' was his life before. No Christian can have his standing 'in the flesh.' Alas, that ever any of us should walk in the flesh : ' we are not in the flesh ;' alas, the flesh is in us still. A boat has been sailing on the salt ocean, it has come througli many a storm, and half full of the briny water, it is now sailing on the fresh water of the river. It is no longer in the salt water, but the salt water is in it. The Christian has got off the Adam- sea for ever. He is in the (!lhrist river for ever. Adam is still in him, which he is to mortify and to throw out, but he is not in Adam. He has now a power, and a position, and inclination to judge himself. He knows himself. It was at this point that Paul exclaimed, ' I know that in me — that is, in my flesh — dwelleth no good thing.' He is not tv'o persons, but in the one person he has, and will have to his last hour here, two natures diametrically opposite, and actively opposing each other. He now isees that 'the flesh,' lusts against the 'Spirit,' but ftlie Spirit also against the * flesh,' in order that he may [nor walk as he used to walk ; that these are contrary, so * GRACE AND TRUTH: and therefore never can be friends, and that he has in bim, and will have in him, a foe that is neither to be trifled with nor trusted, but watched, warred with, and mortified. . But his life is in his new nature. He is now a < partaker of the divine nature,' ' born of God, an heir of God ;' and thus it is with every one who is bom of the Spirit, Jew or Gentile, for God acts here in sovereignty. Connection with Abraham only gave them a fleshly standing, but a new thing is needed by the Jew as well as the Gentile, and is as free to the Gentile as to the Jew. The eighth verse of John iii. is a most blessed verse In it we poor sinners of the Gentiles have got in Reader never quarrel with the royal pre- roeatite of God's grace ; read Rom. ix., and see that if we do not let God be absolute we have no chance of salvation, for we are all equally 'con- demned already.' Praise His grace that hath now appeared to every nation under heaven. But passing over Christ's testimony of the Father as eiven in verses nine to thirteen— (prophets had prophesied, but here is God Hifnself)-\a us now look at 3. The Son of Man lifted up. This, indeed, is our life. Christ said, 'Ye must be bom again;' but here is another must that He mentions, *As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lit ted up* that whosoever believeth on Him should not e • YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN.' 51 d that he has lat is neither tched, warred He is now a of God,' ' an ry one who is for Ood acts /ith Abraham t a new thing Licntile, and is 1 most blessed Gentiles have the royal pre- 1. ix., and see te we have no equally 'con- that hath now m. y of the Father —(prophets had ^) — let us now 'ED UP. said, * Ye must MUST that He ! serpent in the )f man be lifted Him should not en sh but have everlasting life.' God says, Yi fiiustf but He also says, I must. Your Adam-life is forfeited, and you are under condemnation. The Son of Man lifted up is the answer to the forfeit, Satan, who has the power of death, and has every man in his power (for all have sinned), has been destroyed as to his power, his head having been bruised by Christ on the cross. (Heb. ii. 14.) But Christ is now risen, and can communi- cate His life to any one who believes in Him, He huving satisfied every demand of God. The new l)irth is the communication of a new life. Christ beyond the doom of sin is that life j Christ incarnate before His death cannot be ' our life,' because the judgment against the old life can only be met in Jeat/j. The 'corn of wheat' ffiust die before the fruit can be produced. The resurrection-life of Christ is therefore the new life preached to the shiner, and implanted in him on his believing — a life that is per- fects impeccable, indestructible, eternal as the Chri.st of God is — a life that has already proved victorious over the cross of shame, over death's strongest power — a life that will ere long sw;\llow up mor- tality. The Spirit of God applies the Word that speaks about the lifted-up Christ whom we receive and rest upon for salvation, and this is the new birth. Such a life is offered only to a sinner — what a comfort I No righteous man, no earth wise, no rich man ever entered the kingdom of God as such — only as justi- fied sinners. None but redeemed sinners sing the song of that kingdom — none but those who, guilty, * GRACE AM) tuvth: 5'-* __ ik^^d, bst, have taken their place with rouse. consciences at the foot of uie cross, and there seen the lifted-up Christ. All in that kingdom arejw^ creatures: clothed in 'the best robe,' with th. < ring,' and the ' shoes,' and ' the fatted calf slam. What perfection is in the Word of God I Iht Word tells me that unless I am born agam I cannoi enter God's kingdom ; but the same Word tells mt that if I am born again (though only a babe now) I am as sure of spending eternity with my Lord a; if I were with Him. No hatred of devils, nc enmity of the world, no power of the flesh, shall keep me out. We enter God's kingdom by being Iwm again. We have eternal life even now. We have the germs of heaven even here. We do not wait for that life ; but ' he that believeth on tht Son HATH everlasting life ' (ver. 36). We have tried to shew thus briefly what is meant by being 'born of water and of the Spirit.' Read I John V. 6—' This is He that came by water and r blood, not by water only, but by water and blood, and it is the Spirit that beareth witness, becatise the Spirit is truth. For they that bear witness arc three ; the Spirit, and the ivater^ and the blooa and the three agree in one.' (Correct translation.) The blood is for expiation ; that is, the Son of man lifted up on the cross, and His life taken for ours. 'This is He that came by water and blood' (1 John V. 6). The water is for moral cieansing ; that is, the Word of God applied in power to our consciences. Jesus ' came not by water only' (that is to say, not »J^B MUST BE BORN AGAIN.* ce with roused and there seen igdom are ^neu •obe,' with th( tted calf slain, of God! The 1 again I cannoi ' Word tells me ly a babe now) ith my Lord a; d of devils, nc the flesh, shall igdom by being ?ven now. We e. We do not believeth on the i)- ly what is meant e Spirit.' Read nne by water and vater and blood, witness, bectUse bear witness art , and the blooa •eci translation.) 3, the Son of man ; taken for ours. id blood' (i John ng ; that is, the ) our consciences, hat is to say, not merely a teacher of the word), 'but by water blood' (He came certainly as the great teacher, also as the great sacrifice making atonement for sin). The Spirit is the witness from the throne of God to the value of that blood in the presence of God, and the witness to our spirits by applying the word (water), and thus morally cleansing. He is also the source, the framer, and the power of expression of every new feeling, thought, aflfection, or purpose in the new creation, 'and it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. These three agree in one, meet in one point, work out one thing in their testimony, and this is the testimony, that * God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son, hath life' (i John v. ii, 12). What any sinner, therefore, has to do in this new birth is to look to Christ on the cross ; and where is he to look to Him now as crucified but in the Word. He is to believe what God says about His Son. God says I have given you Christ (John iii. 16). I believe it: therefore I thank God. I do not ask myself do I feel it ? but God says it— I appropriate it as mine — I believe His Word by putting in my name where God puts His ' whoso- ever.' In this Word of God we get the Spirit's witness— that is, God's testimony about His Son. God does the work : we believe the Word. Reader, are you born again T You are not satis- fied with yourself. Nor is God satisfied with you. You are not satisfied with your estimate of th^ work of Christ. Are vou satisfied with God* 54 'GRACE AND Turrir estimate of it? The Spirit has come to tell out t. us the value of that blood. F.iitli does not consist m my valuing it, but in my accepting God's value ol it. God says, ' When I see the blood, I will pass over you.' , o • • If you do not believe God's witness, the Spirit oi God in the Word, about His Son, you simply make- God a liar. Now you must either make yourself a liar or God. Do you not think that it would be the better way to say, * Let God be true and every man a liar '—myself the first liar ? A man does not like to be called a liar, but God says, ' every man.' Until a man calls himself a liar, he makes God one. ' He that believeth not God hath made him a lia;- because he believeth not the record that God gavt- of His Son. And this is the record, that God hatli given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.' As long as you look within yourself for one idea, one opinion, one thought, you are listening to a liar. Call your heart a liar at once and simply take God at His word, receive His Son as He has given Him to you. Reader, art tJum born again? There was a moment that every Israelite had between being bitten and dying ; that moment was given him to look and live. That is thy brief moment of life, hast thou looked and lived ? God can do no more than He has done to provide life for thee. He spared not His Son I Do not look to thy wounds, to thy sins, and think thus to get peace. Try no longer earth's prayers, or religions, or works of righteousness. They are • YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN: 55 e to tell out t« IOCS not consist ; God's value ol 3od, I will pass ss, the Spirit of ou simply make nake yourself a lat it would be : true and every A man does not ^s, ' every man,' nakes God one. nade him a lia;- that God gave , that God hatli is in His Son.' elf for one idea, '. listening to a and simply take IS He has given There was a between being LS given him to moment of life, can do no more ? for thee. He y sins, and think earth's prayers, ness. They are but ointments to thy sores, that will never heal, bni look away from all to the serpent on the pole. The question is not, whether thou hast great faith or little faith. It did not depend upon the length of the look, nor the earnestness of the look, it was the fact of looking that cured the bitten Israelite. Look and live ! thou hast only one brief yet sufficient moment of time. But how are men spending this little moment ? In making money, in indulging the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life ! In gathering together the dust of their condemned cell into heaps and calling it riches ! In gathering the straws that lie in their prison, and making crowns, and madman like, playing at k'lgs while death is written as their doom; and the door of escape stands still open I God is standing over them with this awful word, •Ye must be born again,' and this other wondrous word, ♦ The Son of man must be lifted up.' He delivered up His Son to death. What a holy God I What a just, righteous, truthful God ' When sin was lying on the sinless Christ, He could I not let it pass. Do you think He will let you pass now after that awful day at Calvary ? It is there that we read the doom of sin. How shall we escape from Him if we neglect His ' so great salvation ?' For it is not with God merely as a judge we have to do ; for it was His love that planned and wrought the whole redemption work. Doubly bitter will be your cup of wrath that you have spurned the sal- vation of such a God who desires to be known by i 5^ GHACE AND TRUTH.' you as LOVE ; for in order that any poor sinner might Se born again, ' God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever behevcth on Him should not perish^ but have tver- lasting life.' (John iii. \6.) Let us suppose that you are convinced of these important realities ; that you are lost, that therefore your first need is a Saviour, not a teacher; that you have not a nature capable of enjoying God ; that the new nature is gotten by your being bom ; born again of water (the word) and the Spirit, but you cannot understand how this comes about. You cannot understand what is meant by looking to Christ as the bitten Israelites looked to the serpent on the pole. Let me illustrate it by a conversation I had, one day, with a man who had been hearing' the gospel preached, and with whom I had to '.valk some miles. I began by asking, ' Have you ever thought of the great salvation ? ' O yes,' he replied ; * 1 have often thought about it.* * And are you saved ? ' ' Well I could not say that — I don't feel as would like.' ' I quite believe that ; but do you think any ol us could ever feel perfectly right in this world r But are you at peace with God ? ' ' I never could say that I am satisfied with myself ' ' But, my friend, I did not ask if you were. 1 1 would be a very bad sign if you were satisfied with yourself. But are you at peace with God ? ' y poor sinner 'f WORLD that ' WHOSOEVER mi have tver- need of these tliat therefore teacher; that njoying God ; r being born ; he Spirit, but ; about. You )y looking to to the serpent a c >nversation been hearing I had to wa!k sr thought of often thought on't feel as 1 think any ol 1 this world r d with myself you were, li I satisfied with God ? ' ' TB MUST BE BORN AGAIN: 57 ♦ Well, I never could feel that T haye peace.' ' But I don't ask if you feel ^t peure with your- self ; 1 hope you never will, litve yc « peace with God ? ' *To tell you the truth, I am f ■ ::^:,at.' ♦ How long is it since you began to think of these things ? ' ' About seven or eight years ago, in the north of Ireland, I was first awakened by a minister preach- ing on ' Te must be born again.' And often since that time I have been trying to feel God's Spirit working in me.* ' And you never have ? * * No ; I could not be sure.* * How could ever any one be sure of what was going on within him, especially as our enemy comes as an angel of light/ 'Well, what am I to do, then?' 'Jesus was the one, you remember, that said, " Ye must be bom again." " Except a man be bom of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Now, at the end of all this conversation Nicodemus did not know how to be saved, but only said, "How can these things be?" even when Jesus Himself was the great Teacher.* 'That's just where I am.* ' Now, what did Jesus do ? He took him away to the picture-book for children, and showed him the picture of a dying man looking away from him- self to a serpent on a pole, and thus obtaining life ; and told him that " as Moses lifted up the ser- pent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of 5« * GRACE AND TRUTH,* man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." Now all you have to do is to look and live.' ' But that is just what I've been trying to do, and what I don't know how to do :— what is it to look t» Christ ? ' 'Now I can understand your difficulty; you cannot see Christ with the eyes of your body ; you cannot sec Him in vision ; you say that you can- not feel His presence within you ; you cannot feel that you have faith.' ' Exactly ; what am I to do ? * * Allow me to give you an illustration.' In some such words I spoke with my friend, and gave him the substance of the following illustration, which seemed to clear away his difficulty ; and I trust, by God's blessing, it may enable you to receive God's simple plan, and accept God's salvation for nothing. You have a rent — say £io a-year— to pay, having to maintain a large family, and having been recently in distress and out of work, you find it impossible to pay it. Let us suppose that I was able, knew your difficulty, took pity on you, and said to you — John, 1 hear you have your rent coming on, and having had very hard times, you will never be ablt t pay it. Now I wish you to use your money foi your most pressing wants, to get food and clothiii}; for yo» wife and family, and look to me for ibe refit You, know'ng me, and hence believing me, wouUi go away home with a burden otf your mind and a happy heart. When you came home next Satur- • Yf! MUST BE BORN AGAIN.* 59 lieveth in Him t coming on, and day with your wages, you would tell your wife to spend all the money in getting food and clothing, 'But, John,' she would say, 'are we not to lay aside something for the rent ? ' ' Oh no,' you would answer ; ' 1 met a man whom I know, and he said, Look to me for the rent, and I believe him.' And thus weeks would go on, till shortly before the rent -day a neighbour comes in and says — 'John, I have only got ^5 gathered for my rent, and I don't know what I'm to do. How much ha?e you ?' • None at all.' ' What ! have you nothing gathered ? ' ' No, for a friend of mine said. Look to me for the rent.* ' And are you not getting anxious about it V 'No.' 'Why?' ' Because I trust him.' ' Why r ' Because I believe him.* ' Why .? ' ' Because I know him.* By and by the rent-day comes, and even your wife begins to be suspicious and doubtful, but you have implicit trust in what I said — you have no difficulty in understanding what look to me for the rent means ; and so, at the appointed hour, I walk in and make my word good, and am happy to find that, against all your neighbour's doubts, against all your wife's fears, and even against all your own 6o 'GiiACE amj truth: . tremblings, you have trusted my word and looked to me for the rent. , This is, of course, just an illustration, as 1 havo no doubt you are at the present quite able and will ing to pay your own rent ; but in the matter ot our salvation, though we might be willing, we are totally unable ; so the Lord now says, ' Look to Me, and be ye saved.' . ^ , ^ j, • *• Christ on the cross has satisfied Gods justice. He paid the debt for the sinner Men are doing perfectly right things ; praying, living moral lives, and giving money for charitable purposes, but all tor the wrong end. All these will never save. God says, ♦ Look to Me for salvation; and then begin to use your time, talents, money, powers, for their legiti mate end, to glorify God. Do not try to be holy in order to be saved. That would be like the man laying up for a rent which he could never pay. ' Look to Me and be saved,' says God, and then h^ holy, because you are sure of salvation on the author - of God. Religion will never save you— even pure religion. God defines pure religion in James i. 27: 'Pure religion, and undefiled, before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himselt unspotted from the world.' By the deeds of the law we cannot be justified; therefore by doing ail this we cannot be saved. Religion is the lite ot a saved man, not the efforts of an unsaved man to get saved We do not try to do good in order to get a new nature, but we try to do good because we have received a new nature. The work which Goc? ivill " YE MUST Bh BORN AGAIN. 6l )rd and looked Ltion, as 1 havo e able and will e matter of our g^ we are totally ook to Me, and I God's justice. Men are doing ing moral lives, poses, but all for save. God says, en begin to use for their legiti- t try to be holy be like the man ould never pay. ;od, and then h^ lalvation on the lever save you — pure religion in undefiled, before sit the fatherless to keep himself the deeds of the fore by doing all 1 is the life of a isaved man to get in order to get a 1 because we have c which Go<J ivill accept from you is not tt thc^ cross, it is fiom the cross to the crown. Jesui dii\ all the saving-work. He brought the cross ^o o «r level. Get saved by looking to Him, and then live to God. Do not look to the feeling of being f Aved — look away from what is being wrought in you fo whit was wrought for you. We are not save^l on account of the Spirit working in us, but by ra*ans of His work — we are saved on account of CIvrist dying for us. We are not saved ^or fiiith but thrf^^h faitk ' Look to me and be ye saved, all the endf of the earth.' Lie down as a wounded, helpless, ^ngcdly sinver, and look away from yourself to yesus an^ijffi^ f^ .y> Look unto Me and he ye ioned — Look, men of nations all; Look rich and poor, look old and youn| ' Look sinners great and small ! Looh unto Me and be ye saved— Look now, nor dare delay ; i Look as you are — lost, guilty, dead-* Look while 'tis called to-day I Look unto Me and be ye saved — Look from your doubts and fears | Look from your sins of crimson dye^ Look from your prayers and teare I Look unto Me and be ye saved-— Look to the work all done, liook to tire pietcM Son of Man, Look IR your ain all goue ! Do you feel your Sins Forgiven ? Our Assurance. O you fid that your sins are all forgiven? ' Indeed I do not ; but I know they arc' ' Now, 1 cannot understand that. How can any one know it ? ' If you had wronged me, and I told you that I forgave you, would you not know it ?' ' Most certainly ; but how can you say that God ever told you that He forgave you ? Did you just feel at a certain time something that you thought was God's voice, inwardly telling you that your sins were pardoned?' ' I certainly did not.' * Then how can it be ? I have tried to get con- verted as hard as any man could ; 1 have prayed for grace, for strength, for the pardon of my sins, and for the Holy Spirit, and I do not yet feel any differ- ence, and I never could feel as I have heard some men say they have.' ' I quite understand you ; I was for years in the same condition.' ' Then how did you get out of it ? 1 know all about the plan of salvation, about the work of Christ, Forgiven ? re all forgiven? It I know they and that. How told you that 1 ■?' ou say that God ? Did you just lat yoa thought )u that your sins tried to get con- have prayed for of my sins, and iX. feel any differ lave heard some for years in the it ? 1 Imow all e work of Christ, •DO YOU FEEL YOUR SINS FOIUJl VENr Gt^ and the necessity of the Spirit ; that Wv nust hi justified by grace through faith alone without the works of the law ; that the promises are all most certainly secure to them that are in Christ ; but how am I e\(er to know whether I am in Him or not ? ' *I know that you may have heard some Christians say they feci they are pardoned, they fee/ they arc saved ; but this only tends to mislead. It did mis- lead me, and I have no doubt it is misleading you. These Christians may mean a right thing, but they state it wrongly. I fee! happy because I know that my sins are pardoned ; and I will shew you how I know that by and by ; but I do not feel that my sins are pardoned. Let us suppose a case. A poor widow has no money to pay her debts. The creditor comes demanding his righteous due. A friend steps in, and says to the creditor, " I'll pay you the widow's debt ; " he puts down the money, and the creditor hands him a slip of paper on which is written, "Received from Widow Blank the sum due, settled," with the creditor's signature affixed. The receipt is handed to the widow, and she feels very happy because she knows that hrr debt is paid. If you were to call that day, and su ^ to the widow, " Do you /^^/ that your debt is paid?" what would she say \ * *Feel it! What do you mean? There is the receipted account. I don't feel that it's paid, but 1 feel very happy became it is paid.' * Now, do you not see the difference ? The feel- ing is all right, but I do not feel my sin pardoned ' know it, and hence feel happy.' 'mm ^GJM^'E AND truth: (H__ "TBnt does it not say somcvlieic in Scrii^ture tmt (be Spirit Ix.-areth witness with our spir:tt> . 'I^>w from the very fact that you ^F'^^ s« vaniely.bour " somewhere in Scripture,' I fear to voa I nor know well what Scripture is The Bible h not a number of texts strung ^^^^^ random: it h a perfectly arranged xvhole. Tiuth u, among connexion is the worst kmd of eiTor You find hi Romans .iii. 16, this mo.. Hessed and wondrous revelation from God, that -The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God." Mark carefully, this is not| given as a ground to know that our .ms are tor liven; but comes after the whole revelation ol the uuth concerning what we have done and what we are, and how our responsibilities are niet. It comes after the triumphant assertion oi Romans v. i,l " Beine iustified by faith we have peace with God, and that crowning triumph after every q^^^^^ ^;;l been settled against us, " There is no condemnation. | T^^iii. K) At peace with God, and no conl demnation, we now advance into our peculiar place among the creatures of God. Angels are at peace with God and have no condemnations but they are only servants. Here is something i. 'onal, wt aresov.- of God." Being taVen - -n the swme trough ad getting food and T;iim nt, we woulc theriwith be content, glad t... ' we were in th. house at all, even among the sevxmis. Uut tiignt than servants are we become, even s' i .. We ma^ well pause, and say, is this presuv -.n? Dare ,ay that all things are mine ? that 1 <im a ctuKl, 7/.' DO YOU FEEL YOVti SINS FORGIVEN f ^>5 c in Scripture tbat ^r sj^ints ? ' lilt you spf^ak so ipture," I fear that cripture is. The tru'.ig together at ?d vvhole. Truth , rst kind of error, mo^^: blessed and that "The Spirit pirits, that we are refuUy, this is not ; our iins are for- e revelation of the done and what we are met. It comes „;i of Romans v. i,^ e peace with God," .J every question has § s no condemnation.' | I God, and no con- -| ) our peculiar place J \ngels are at peace nations but they are ng ;, '■ ional, " We| reii • n the swine raim-nt, we woulcl iat we were in tht? n'.rats, But highe ven o'lr".. We mii\ jsuv 'in? Dare lat 1 <tm a child, .,11, an heir of God? Yes I indeed you may; the S})irit has been sent to dwell with you and to be in you, as coming from the throne revealing to your .spirit (which can now discern spiritual things) that, v\ ithout presumption, you may lay claim to the title, tlie relationship, of son of God, heir of God, and loint-heir with Christ. That Spirit is within every believer, and seals only saved ones. He quickens »he unsaved. God has sent forth this testimony, and he that is a believer has the ' testimony in him- self (i John V. lo). The important point I wish you to see is this, that the Holy Ghost is never said to bear witness to me, by any internal feeling, that I am at peace with God. It is after a man knows he is a saved man that then there is a step further shewn him — namely, that he is a son. He is not only out of prison : he is set at the table of the King whom he calls " Abba," that is, Father.' ' I quite understand the distinction, but I never saw it before ; but if I could know that I was at peace with God I would be quite satisfied.* ' Yes, but God would not ; however, this is the first point for you to know- -"being justified by fdit/j we have peace with God," not by the feeling of faith.' ' But don*t some people feel it while others do not ? ' ' Not at all. What I am contending for is, that the forgiveness of sins is a thing that can be felt by no one : and, unless the knowledge of it is founded on the word of God, and that alone, for every one, individually, it will be sinking sand for a 66 GRACE AND TRUTH.' deathbed. Scores of anxious people have been deluded into the idea that they knew the gospel when some pleasing emotion passed through their mmds. W^hen Satan sees people awakened, and that he cannot keep them quiet, he takes his stand beside the preacher of the gospel, and while he is mvitmg them to the rock, Satan pushes out planks of feel- ing A drowning man will catch at a straw, and the poor troubled one finds a little relief in resting on some plank of quietness of conscience, till storms rage, and then he finds himself with nothing beneath him. I am therefore suspicious when a person tells me he is "a little better." If he does not believe the gospel, he has no right to be any better, and if he has taken the good news to himself, he is entitled to be at perfect peace.' ♦Then you don't allow of any feeling r *Most certainly I do : but what am I warranted to feel? If I could tell you thai; you were saved, .md you believed it, would you not feel happy ?* * Of course I would.' 'This is what I feel — whenever I say to myself, " I'm saved," don't I feel happy ? and the more I realise that my knowledge that I am saved depends only on God's word, the more happy I become.'^^ « Is there nothing about this " feeling saved " in the Bible.' ., • r * Indeed, there is not. You can easily satisty yourself by turning to a concordance. Never once is the word put beside " salvation," " forgiveness, or in fact, anything about a man's peace with God, but we fino, in Luke i. 77, that part of John's com- liiili DO YOU FEEL fOUR SINS FORGIVENI (>7 mission is declared to be " to give knowledge of salvation," and in many parts of Scripture we find " knowing our sins forgiven," " knowing in whom we have believed," '* knowing we have passed from death to Hfe," " knowing we are born of God." Did Abraham feel he was to have a son when he was so old ? No I but he knew it. And how did he know it ? Because God said it. He felt glad because he knew it, because he believed what God said. It is really because people do not believe that God means exactly what He says, that we see so many intelligent men who cannot say whether Aey are saved or not.' ' But I have often thought that I had received Christ and trusted in Him alone ; but I find \\\) faith so incapable of producing effects.' ' But did you start saying " I'm saved," before trying to do anything ? ' ' O no ! I was always waiting for fruits.' ' Fruits of what ? fruits of doubt ? Suppose you had got the right fruits, would you then have be- lieved you were saved ?' 'Oyesl' ' That is to say, you would trust the fruits you brought forth rather than God's word — not for youi salvation, but for ir knowledge of it. But you must be saved, and know you are saved, before one acceptable fruit can be brought forth — else the works are legal. All evangelical obedience is done by a man who is sav d, and who does it because W. knows that he is wed.' 'Then am I to do nothing ?' ()0 ^ GRACE A My TllUnV ' Absolutely and liierally nothing. You must take •alvation exactly as the thief on the cross did. IK^ could not turn over a new leaf; his last wretchc*! leaf had been turned in reviling his Saviour. IK' could not do any work for God, for there was a nnil through each hand; he could not run in the way of God's commandments, for there was a nail through his feet. And until ^ou stand still and n alize \\[ there is a nail through all your self-righting activity, and a nail through all y -ur carnal agility, and accept salvation for notliing, knowing that you are saved simply on the authority of the bare Word of God, you will never be savcd. We do not look inwai J to what we feel, nor outw nd to what we do — but to the Son f M.in lifted .p, and to God's account of how wel; He is pleased with Jesus.* ' Well, I think I see what you mean, and it clears up a real diF.u! y. I am mt to exar-ine to see if 1 feel better, feel saved, feel f()rgivcn, or feel hapny ; but here is the next difH ulty — how am I to know it?' * I well remember i t hen i began trying to feel converted, I fel" iy.s , becoming worse and worse, and my heart getting further and fu her from peace. Then I began to study this and that theo- logical question. I knew all about what Calvinism and Arminianism were — studied my Bible till I knew its contents pretty well, but at last 1 found I was not on the right track for salvation at all. I was thinking that salvation came intellect-wise^ and wot faith -wise.* 'But a man caanot be saved apart from hit understanding ?' DO YOV FEEL YOUR SINS FOROIVENt 69 'Most certainly not, no more than he can be saved against his will ; but the eyes of his under- standing must be enlightened, that '^e may be made willing to receive the gift of salvation in God's way. You set if God had made His salvation dependent upon education or intellect. He would have left the great mass without the chance of salvation until they weie tutored up to the requisite point ; but as there s one salvation for high and low, rich and poor, educai ' and ignorant, so there is one mtthod of receiving it, and of course that must be according to the stand'ir;] of the most unlearned. Henre the truth of the rerr irk that a friend made to me, " In- tellect never ped me to Christ, but it often hindered me." ' I was trying to explain this (which I believe to be of the greatest importance) to some poor people, and I tried to illustrate it in this way. If, in travelling by rail, I had a first-cl.iss ticket, I could travel one part of the journey in a first-class carriage, anothei part in a second, and another in a third, and the railway officials coul J find no fault ; but, if I had only a third-class ticket, I must remain in the third from beginning to end. Thus, in regard to salvation, the educated man can come to the uneducate' man s platform ; the uneducated cannot rise to his : there- fore it is on the common platform on which all men can stand that God treats concerning salvation. * This is the great difficulty ; this is why not many great, not many wise, and not many noble, can afford to come low enough among the common run of people, to take a guilty sinner's place, receive a 70 HORACE AND TliUTir lost sinner's Saviour, and rejoice in a rondcmned sinner's pardon. This is why Ciirist taught that men had to become like little children before they could get into the kingdom of heaven.' * I see the justice of your remarks ; but tell me, now, how am I to get into the Kingdom ?' * As you have said before, you know that it is of grace — that is to say, God is waiting to give it to you alifor mlbing, without a feeling in j)ayment, without a prayer as the condition of it, just as the widow's friend dealt with her debt. That it might be of grace, it was made to be by faiib, not by attainment either in intellect or feeling. This is the impression that has been sometimes left upon my mind, after having heard the gospel stated — that faith is the condition which God has demanded from the sinner, in order that he may be saved — that the great Physician wil! heal the most wretched, sin- burdened soul, but he must receive faith as his fee. Now this, as you have no doubt found, would be the most difficult of all fees to procure. Feeling is hard to get up, but faith is harder. Faith is the mere apprehension of grace — thankfully accepting what God has already freely given. Faith puts God in the chief room as the giver, it being more blessed to give than to receive, and lets him do everything, man being the silent and passive receiver of blessing. Faith has to do, not with what I icel toward God, but what God feels toward me, what He has done for me, and what He has told me. Faith does not look into its own formation — it looks out to God's pro- vided substitute for the sinner. Faith does not DO YOU I EEL YOUR SINS FORfilVENf 7 I ondcmncd Light that fore they : tell mc, mt it is of give it to jvayment, ast as the Lt it might 6, not by rhis is the upon my ited — that mled from —that the tched, sin- as his fee. )uld be the ing is hard s the mere (ting uhat ts God in blessed to ;very thing, )f blessing, ward God, has done I does not God's pro- does not tell me x.ofeel that I am converted, but it fixes me down to the Word of God. Faitli tells me to take God at His word. Faith has not to do with what I am thinking of myself, bad or good, but it lets God think for me. *Two thi ungs are to be distinguished,** salvation " and the ** knowledge of salvation." First, How am I to get saved? and then, How am I to know it? * First, then, my salvation depends solely and en- tirely upon the work, the person, of Jesus Christ our Lord. (My salvation is supported by His work ; His work is supported by His person.) * Secondly, the knowledge that I am saved depends solely on the record, the word^ the testimony of God. **He that believeth not God, hath made Him a liar, because he b( lieveth not the record (testimony) that God gave of His Son." A man is saved on account of Christ having died in his place, the moment that he accepts Christ ; he knows that he is saved whenever he believes the record that God gave of His Son.' * Well now, tell me shortly what " believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is." Of course I believe He is able and willing to save anybody, His atonement is sufficient, and His offer free and full ; but how is He to become mine ? * * What is it to believe in a man ? What is it to believe in a bank ? You do not believe in one who is in the black list — but you can look around and say to yourself, '* Well, I believe in so and so," and it is just the same with Christ ; I believe in Him — not :^l 72 • 49RAHE AND TRUTH: merely in His historical existence — but 1 trust Him, I receive, I rest upon, Him alone for my salvation.' *In a word, then, what should I do? I am wish- ng to take God's way, and willing now to do it. When I begin to go through trains of thought, I feel I get confused, and I should just like to know in a sentence what my path ought to be.' * Take the lost sinner's placCy and claim the lost sinner's Saviour I ' ' Will the claim be allowed ? * Yea, God commands thee to claim Him.' * Cin I claim Him ? ' * Only a lost sinner can.' * I am allowed, urged, besought, commanded to take Jesus as mine ; surely I have aothing to lose — yea, Lord I believe Thee, Jesus is mine.' ' I take comfort from the fact that my sins were laid on Christ — I do not feel they were there, but God says it — " He was wounded for our transgres- sions;" not for those of angels — they had none; noi: for those of devils — they can claim no Saviour ; but for those who take the sinner's place — " The chastisement of our peace was upon Him.'* There- fore it would be unju'^t to lay it on me believing in Him. He is a real Saviour for real sinners. My only qualification for such a saviour is that I am such a sinner. And now I believe my sins are not on me — not because I feel them gone, for 1 do not, but because God says they were laid on Christ.' ((.«(tiah liil 6). Robert M'Cheyne says, ' We must not close with Chriiit because we ful Him, but . «cause God DO YOU FEEL YOUR SL\S FORGIVEN 1 75 trust Him, salvation.' [ am wish- to do it. thought, I :e to know IM the lost m.' manded to ; to lose — r sms were there, but ' transgres- had none ; o Saviour ; ce — " The '* There- e believing iners. My that I am ins are not r 1 do not, 3n Christ.' not close ecause God has said it^ and we must take God's word even in the dark.' We do not feel we have faith. We accept God's way of dealing with sin. Man would try to settle God's claims. God Himself has settled the claims, and offers the settled account for nothing. Man would try to make his peace wiih God. God has come and ' made peace^ Christ Himself becoming ' our peace,' and now He ' preached peace ' for the acceptance of all, (Eph. ii. 14-17.) Most anxious enquirers seem to think [hat we have to fight against ourselves in order to be saved, whereas we fight against ourselves because we are ^aved. We have a race to run but it is not to the cross, it \%from the cross. Man's way is to belie-Je because we feel: God's way is to feel because u/e believe, and believe because God has said it. Dr Ch;i5'iers says, ' Yet Come the enlargement when it will, it must, I admit. Come after all through the channel of a simple credence given to the sayings of God, accounted true and faithful sayings. And never does light and peace so fill my heart as when like a little child, I take up the lesson, that God hath laid on His own Son the iniquities of us all.* Take the lost sinner's place, and claim the lost sinner's Saviour. No works of lam h«Te we to boast- By nature ruined, guilty, lost, Condemned already ; but Thy haod Provided what Thou didst demand: IVe take tht guilty tmiur's name. The gvihy tinner' t Saviour claim. Ho/aith we bring. 'Tig Chri?l Joo^-* Tk what He it, what He h:is done. I r4 ORtiCE AND TRUTH.' He is for us as given by God, It was for us He shed His blood : H^e take the guilty tinner' t namtf The guilty tinner/ Saviour claim. We do not feel our sins are gone, But inoiv it from Thy word alone } We know that Thou our sins did V ••• On Him who has put sin away ; IVe take the guilty tinner' t namff The guilty tinner t Saviour claim. Because we inow our sins foigiven, We happy feel: our home is Heaveu O liolp us now as sons, our God, To tread the path that Jesus trod : IVe take the guilty tinner t mime. Tbr guilty tinner t Saviour daim. The Work of the Holy Spirit Our Comforter, E are not saved on account of the Holy Ghost's work in us ; we are saved by means of it. We are saved on account of Christ's work for us. The more the Spirit svorks within us the more shall we desire that work to go on ; but the work of Christ on Calvary is finished, and this is our resting-place, our peace, our security. We never can (or never ought) here below to get satisfied with the work of the Spirit wrought within us, but we are satisfied with the work of Christ done for us, and this is eternal rest, this is faith. Many sadly confuse these two divine works. Anxious inquirers are constantly looking within to see what is go'ng on there, instead of looking outward to what was done on Calvary. I wish to draw the reader's attention to three most precious operations of the Spirit of God as seen in the beginning of John's Gospel — First, Born of the Spirit ; chap, iii. 5-8. Second, Indwelt by the Spirit ; chap. if. 14. Third, Communicating the Spirit; chap. nii. 3 7* GRACE AND TRUTH: I. BORN OF THE SPIRIT. Many think that regeneration, or the new birth or quickening, is a process that goes on subsequent to justification. This is a mistake. Regeneration neither goes before nor comes after justification, but is at the same time and is an instantaneous act per- formed by the Spirit of God, communicating the life of Christ to a man formerly dead in trespasser* and sins and having nothing whatever m him that could be transformed into this new creation which He implants. There are two errors against which we must guard: u o • %• First, not --cognising or acknowledging the bpirit » special work m regeneration ; and .,,,., Second, confusing or mixing this with Clinst s work dooe for us. i8t bu by a special act of absolute grace that we mre horn main by the Spirit. ' The wind bloweth «'We it *steth,' and so the Jewish Pharisee is compelled to allow God to act as a sovereign. What would be the use of Christ coming, living, dying (or sin rising beyond its doom, and His present mtcrcession, unless the H0I7 Spirit were here applying to individuals that work, that lite by the Word It is not His inHuence merely, but Himself, who is now on earth, k is not His Word merely, blessed and essential as it is, but Himseh, who applies that Word. Look at the feast m Luke xif . If Christ had not come and died and risen, there would havf been iio feast to offer, but if t.e THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 77 ■% 'If Holy Spirit were not here, none would come to the feast. So the parable tells us, * Compel them to come in;' and the Holy Ghost is the great com- peller, making them willing. This is His special work on individuals, not His general work in the world. His work on the world is not in the way of mercy but of conviction. In John xvi. 8, we read, when He is come He will reprove (iXiy^«/, literally, convict by proof to its confusion) the world — (i.) ^ Of sin,' because the great sin of which God holds man to be guilty is the crucifixion of His Son ; and the presence of the Holy Ghost is the great proof of man's refusing Christ, for the rejected Christ has sent the Spirit, and His presence is continually crying, * where is thy brother ? ' hence it is said, ' of sin, because they believe not on Me.' (2.) * Of righteousness.* If man is an ungrateful sinner, God is a righteous God, and if sinful man gave hit Saviour a cross of shame, a righteous God gave His Son a throne of glory. This is the great act of righteousness between God and the man Christ. ' Sit thou at My right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.' Ps. ex. i. The presence of the Holy Ghost on the earth is the proof of the righteousness of God. Christ having per- fectly glorified God, God glorifies Him as a matter of justice, crowns Him with glory and honour; and we see Him, not by the natural eye, for Christ is not yet manifested on His own throne, but in the interval between rejection and triumph, the Father in righteojsness has set Hira down on liis tlu-one, and 78 « GRACE AND TRUTH.* sent down the Holy Ghost to testify that He is Klorified; therefore it is said, 'of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no "^To * Of judgment,' because, since Satan could not hold Christ ill death, a power stronger than Satan a must have appeared, whose power over death musl therefore have been set aside and himself judged for 'through death He destroyed Him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.' The Holy Ghost has come to tell us of this great act of judgment ; because the very fact that he has come proves that Christ is risen and is in glory ; and the fact that Christ has risen proves that Satan has been judged, and since Satan is * the prince of this world th. world has been judged, being set aside in its chosen head; therefore it is said, ' of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.' Such is the action of the holy Ghost on the word to its confusion and shame : but His work in quick- ening is quite a distinct thing. He does not work on 'the old man ' in me and make it better, and thus gradually save. He shews me that it cannot be mended. He shews me that I am * guilty, con demned already,' Most,' 'alienated,' 'evil only,^ • continually evil," without God,' 'without hope, ' without strcnj:^th,* ' dead.* ^ . I have heard men speak of a remaining spark in the bosom of the unregenerate that required mcrdy to be fanned into a flame by the influences of ^ the Holy Ghost. This is unscriptural (read Gen. vi. 5, kc). I have heard such speak of a seed of good la THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 79 every man which the Holy Ghost cuhivates, and this they call the new birth. This is utter confusion, and an entire misconception of the figure. Man's co- operation in regeneration is not required, because he has no power to co-operate. He is dead. * That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.' The work is altogether of God. As it was God who in His own heart before the foundation of the world, planned redemption, and as it was God in His Son who, eighteen hundred years ago, before we were born, secured our redemption, so it is God by His Spirit who now, without our endeavour, apart from our effort, applies this redemption. In fact, the first thing God does is to make us willing. How entirely is this work of God I He was alone in eternity ; He was alone in creation ; He was alone in redemp- tion ; He is alone in regeneration which is merely redemption applied. God does not find us children; He makes us children. But we must look now at another error. 2d. Confounding the work of the Spirit in us with Christ's work for us. While the Spirit of God is the sole agent, the truth of God is the sole instrument which He employs. We cannot see the Spirit; we can see the Word. We cannot see His operations : we can read His record about Christ. No doubt it will be merely letters without meaning, until He opens the eyes ; but He works only in His appointed channel. He never tells us to look inward even to His own operations, for peace, but outward to Christ. That is the most Spirit-honouring preaching of the gospel in which you hear most of Christ. Once I 'A t 8o GRACE AND TRUTH* heard a very earnest man preaching to anxious inquirers, and he was dwelling continuoii«Iy and exclusively upon the Spirit's work— its signs and characteristics— with the effect of confusing many of his hearers. For who could obtain scriptural peace with God from what he felt? We get a healthful and heaven-bom conflict by marking the Holy Ghost's operations within us, but never peace. This we get by gazing at the Lamb of God on Calvary. I thought as I heard the preacher, *I wonder if the Holy Ghost would preach in that way if He were standing there,' and I immediately remembered, that *He shall not speak of (from) Himself,' 'He shall testify of Me;' that is, He will preach Christ. ♦He shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you.' ♦He shall glorify Me.' This is spiritual preaching, because the preaching of the things of the Spirit, and as He Himself preaches. I believe the more we are depending on the Spirit's worKing, the more we shall preach what the Spirit wishes us to preach about, and look to Him to apply it. When we begin to point the anxious enquirer to the Spirit's work, this is not how the Spirit Himself would Jeai with him. If I began to speak to a working man sitting down to his dinner, and said to him, *Do you know the muscles employed in mastication ? ' ♦ What's that ?' he would likely say. ♦Well, ineatiig?' ♦Indeed, I do not?' ♦ And you do not know the nerves that supply them ?' 'lUE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 8i * I'm sure I do not.' 'And the beautiful mechanism and arrangement oy which the food is converted into a bolus, and lAtroduced into the stomach?' ' Now you are surely Kiughing at me.* ' Oh no, I'm not, but all that is most true and interesting; but tell me what do you know?' ' Well, i,ir, I know that I am hungry, and that this is a good dinner.' This \vouId be the common-sense and appropriate vinswer. Even the ph^^siologist, when he is hungry, does not think much o\ how he eats. The two j^reat points are, that he b hungry, and that he has u good dinner. Some jure hungry and have not tho oood food, others have the food and are not hungry. But the qualification for evijoying food is not a knowledge of how to eat, bkU the being hungry. We do not need to know hno we are born again in order to be saved. We do not aeed to know all or anything about the Spirit's work within us in order to get peace (there were peoplo, in Acts xix. 2, who were believers and who yet said, * We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost"), but we must know about Christ's work for us be- fore we can be saved. The greatest physiologist might die of hunger. We might know everything about the Spirit's work and yet be lost for ever, be- cause we had not received and rested upon Christ offered to us in the gospel. We are justified by faith j but the expcr. ce of vhat goes on within me is sensation and not faith. Some men seem to have a difficulty with anxi»:)iiu 8a * GRACE AND TRUTH: souls (believing them to be dead), to know what to, adyise therato do. It is the Spirit that quickened i. Some, therefore, tell sinners at once to pray for the Spirit, thinking thus to simplify matters by reducing it to common-sense — as it seems very plain, since the Spirit quickens, nothing is easier than to cry for that Spirit. But it is not so easy, for a dead man cannot cry. Some, again, tell them to believe the record God gave of His H or; -to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. A dead » liui cannot speak, and of course a dead man canuot believe, so we are in an equal difficulty. Praying and believing are alike impossi- ble with the unregenerate man, without the quick- ening of the Spirit of God. The great point is to find out what we are commanded to do, what our duty to do. It is to tell every man the good news, and press him instantly to believe it. It is the Spirit that is the agent, but He always uses the truth as the instrument, the truth about a crucified and now risen Christ. Faith does not come by feeling, trying, nor praying, but by bearing. The moment I accept Christ as my own individual, per- sonal Saviour who put away my sin, I am warranted to believe that I am born again, and the Spirit in the new man will lust against the flesh in the old man. Peace, indeed, I have with God, that is Christ, but no peace with myself. There is a faith that is human, and a faith that is Spirit-wrought The plan is of God ; the redemption, the truth, and the faith are all of God. Rut how can I know whether I have God-wrought faith ? Does my faith take hold of what is going on within ? That is not TIIK WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Hi jf God. Does my faith take hold of, is it taken up with, what was done eighteen hundred years ago (Ml Calvary, and with Him wiio .sulTered there? 'I'his is God-honouring and saving faith. This is b'.'ing born of the Spirit. The Spirit introduces by the truth, Christ as the life into my dead soul. This is quickening, the renewing of the Holy Ghost. ■J "lie Holy Ghost thus gives a new nature. ;■* i n. INDWILT BY THE SPIRIT. hi John iv. 14 we read of the indwelling of the Spirit 'as a well of water springing up into everlast- ing life.' This is said only of Christians. The Spirit of God dwells in none but in those whom He has quickened. And He dwells in all whom He has quickened (Rom. viii. 9). In soine in greater measure than in others; but 'if any man have nor the Spirit of Clnist he is none of His.' Therefore, all who are Christ's have the Spirit dw filing in them. There is a danger here in Siparating Christ and the Sj.irit in ns, as there is in regeneration of /:o ^2/0/ WiV;^ ».'.hrist's work for me with the Spirit's work in me. It is as linked with Christ, a son as Christ is a son, an h;ir as Christ is, that the Spirit dwells in the believer, even as He dwelt in Christ, of course in Him with- out measure. It is thus we have access^ for through Christ we have access by one Spirit to the Father. It is thus that we can worship the Father in spirit and in truth. This lesson he taught the poor con- fessed sinner at Sychar's well. It is thus that we are prarticallv utnct'ifjciU more an.1 more separated MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 I.I 1.25 150 1^ 12.8 13.2 II 4.0 1.4 2.5 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.6 ^ APPLIED INA^GE Inc !^ 1653 East Main Street r-S: Rochester, New York 14609 USA ^S, (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone = (716) 288- 5989 -Fox 'M • GRACE AND TRVTW from evil, for He is the ^ Holy' Ghost, the * Spirit of holiness.* It is thus we are comforted and guided ; for Jesus said, If I go away I will send the Comforter, (literally paraclete^ which includes much more than comfort). This same word is used in i John li. i, for Christ the advocate (literally />^r^f/(?/<?), one whc looks after all our interests. And thus, as Christ looks after all our interests before God, so the other paraclete looks after all our interests as we are passing through the wilderness, the divine Servant leading us into all truth ; for here again the truth is His channel. Thus we live in the Spirit (all Christians being dead and risen with Christ) ; and the exhortation is founded on this, ' Let us also walk in the Spirit ' (Gal. V. 25), principally as being connected with Christ and the members of His body, in every mem- ber of which the Spirit dwells. We are to walk in the Spirit, in the practical exercise of brotherly love, and not be walking as men. Whatl are we not men ? No ; we are sons of God indwelt by the Spirit. Men walk in selfishness. The walk in th( Spirit is each esteeming another better than himself. Thus we are 'led of the Spirit ' (Gal. v. 18). All Christians are led. This is not an exhortation, but a privilege, ' For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God,' and all believers are sons. But though in each Chrisrian the Spirit dwells, the exhortation is given, * Be filled with the Spirit ' as with the air you breathe, so live in the presence of glory, in the light, in fellowship with e * Spirit d guided; omforter, lore than ohn ii. I, , onewhc as Christ the other we are ' Servant the truth ins being trtation is e Spirit' :ted with ery mem- ◦ walk in erly love, ? we not t by the Ik in the ter than 1 8). All Ltion, but he Spirit believers he Spirit with the 'e in the hip with THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 85 Father and Son, and thus the atmosphere will be * the Spirit.' He is spoken of as ,. J witness, (I John v. 6.). He bears true witness, He tells the truth concerning Christ, He is a witness to Jesus Christ having come by water and blood ; and every Christian has Him dwelling w.thm him, as we see also in Rom. viii., a witness that we are sons. He is the witness of love and accomplished redem^tion^^ As the goods are stamped by the purchaser after they are his own, so ^ft^r w^ be- Heve, we are sealed. Only sons are sealed The oil was put on the blood of the trespass offering. (Lev xiv 2S, 28). In the experience of many hese go^ogether ; but many, especially in Apostolic days though they knew their sins were forgiven^ dtd not know they had eternal life. A quickened soul is not necessarily an emancip^^ted soul. ^ I An earnest. He is the earnest of our inhen- tance-that is, part of it that we PO^s^f^^' /^^^^^ UrMplites cot the grapes from Eshcol whle still fth des'ert. In Ro'm. viii. .7, - are children "the Spirit bearing witness), and as -ch -ale^J 'but if children, then heirs; heirs of God and idn^h rs with Christ.' Therefore, since He as leir has not taken the inheritance, we do not ha e it but suffer now, having the earnest of the mheri- tancf^^ntil the r^demptbn of the purchased pos- essbn* Ourselves also who have the f^rst fruits of the"Spirit, even we ourselves groan -'thin our- selves, waiting for the adoption to wit the redemp- tion of the body' (Rom viii. 23)- 86 *ORACB AND TRUTB: III. COMMUNICATING THE SPIRIT. In John vii. 38. we read, ' He that believeth on Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.' Thus those who have been quickened, and who are indwelt by the Spirit, are now the channels through which He is ministered to others. The waters once flowed from a smitten rock. The water flowed from Christ's wounded side, and it is only as we are smitten, exercised, subdued, that these rivers wil' flow from us. Only as we come thus to Christ and drink, shall living w"'*»rs flow from us. Alas! how little of the Spirit w flowing from those professing to be quickened by the Spirit. Is it not because we are drawing Iktie from the great fountain-head ? ' Let him come unto Me and drink.' It is truly through saved sinners that God is now to send forth His river of life. * The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.' And this love of God we are to pour out in rivers in this arid desert as witnesses of God ; first, by carrying the gospel to our fellow-sinners, and telling of that Christ whom we know, and who is offered to them ; and, second, by ministering love to all the saints of God in building up and comforting them. And it is only as our own affections and thoughts, that is, all our inner man, is filled with the pure water from the fountain, that the rivers can flow. In connection with the three operations of the Spirit of God which we have been considering, namely, quickened, indwelt^ and commumcaiing, we THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 8? may look— ist. At Christ himself; 2d. At the Church corporately; 3d. At each individual be- liever , o • • xst. As quickened by the Spirit Christ was born of the Spirit. This was His incarnation as we read in the angel's answer to Mary in Luke i. 35. ' That holy thing which shall he born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke i. 35). The meat-offering had to be mingled with oil. (Lev. ii. 4.) . The Church corporately in the resurrection o\ (^.hrist (Ivom. i. 4 ; 1 I'^^t. i. 3). He was quickened by the Spirit, as the head of the body (i Pet. 111. 18). The individual believer; when the Spirit applies the truth to his conscience (James i. 18). 'Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth. id. Indwelt by the Spirit. Christ we see sealed with the Spirit when, at His baptism, the Spirit, as a dove, rested on Him. The meat-offering had to be anointed with oil. (Lev. ii. 4.) 'Him hath God the Father sealed' (John vi 7'7^» The Church, we see at Pentecost, not merely quickened, but formed into a temple for God on the earth: the true temple, filled with the true glory. And we see this accomplished in fulfilment of Acts 18 'Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, (i) both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, (2.) and in Samaria, (3.) and unto the uttermost part of the earth.' The Holy Ghost thus fell on, I. The Jews, when they were waiting m prayer 88 * GRACE AND TRUTH: (Acts ii. 4.) in obedience to Jesus' resurrection command, 'wait for the promise of the Father which ye have heard of me.' (Acts i. 4). They had heard of Him in John xiv. to x?i 2. In Samaria, by the laying on of the apostles' hands (Acts viii. 17). 3. The Gentiles, in the preaching of the Word (Acts X. 44). And thus is the Spirit now given. In this latter method was the proper Gentile pente- cost our pentecost. Thus it is in the preaching of the Word that we are to expect the blessing of the Spirit. The individual^ is seen in his sealing : when by believing the record of the witness he receives his emancipation, his conscious liberty and peace with God, taking his place as a son, with the Holy Ghost as the testifier, and waiting with Him as the earnest of the inheritance. 3d. Communicating the Spirit. Christ in His ministry and prophetic work com municated the Spirit. The Church is seen communicating the Spirit, in the preaching of the apostles, at and subsequent to, Pentecost, in the Scriptures they have left, and all collective testimony from their day to this, that has been in accordance with the Word of God. Individuals, in the outflow of love in our place, in the wilderness, as evangelists, teachers, pastors, or in any service to God. [Each of these words, Born, Indwelt, and Communicating, has its opposite severally in the three words spoken about the Spirit, Resist, GRi£y£, and Clench.] THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPlRir. «V I resurrection at her which y had heard the apostles' f the Word now given, ntile pente- ching of the f the Spirit. :: when by receives his peace with Holy Ghost the earnest work com e Spirit, in )sequent to, left, and ail lis, that has 3d. )ur place, in pastors, or WELT, and rally in the it, Resist, I. The Spirit may be resisted. Acts vii. 51: 'Ye stiflF-necked and uncircumciseJ in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost.' This is addressed to the unconverted who resist Him as a quickener. II. The Spirit may be grieved. Eph. iv. 30 : ' Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. This is addressed only to saved people, who can grieve Him as an indwelling Spirit. This shews what a friend He is to us. If you had committed some great sin, your mother would be grieved, your enemy would be rejoiced. You can grieve only a friend. What a touching appeal, fellow-believer! What will the consequence be ? In love He will reprove. He will rebuke our consciences, until we are con- sciously cleansed, and He can again dwell in us nngrieved. III. The Spirit may be quenched. 1 Thess. V. 19: ' Quench not the Spirit.' Many have been perplexed with this text, thinking that it had reference to the indwelling of the Spirit. You may grieve Him thus, but no believer can quench Him thus ; * For they shall never perish ; * but the next verse, ' Despise not prophesyings,' explains it. A Christian cannot quench the Spirit in himself, but by refusing to allow Him to work from a fellow-Christian, he thus may quench Him. It is thus the Spirit in His communications who may be quenched. As He can oe resisted in His testimony which tt His instrument in quickening^ and grieved in Hii f 9c HORACE AND TRUTH: person as indwelling, so he can be quenched in Ili gifts as cnfumimi eating life. If I despise the hum blest channel that God has formed and filled k dispense His streams of life, and put a sluice t\poii their flow, I stop His testimony, I quench the Spirit. It has nothing whatever to do with the indwelling of the Spirit. That can never Ix quenched; for the foundation of God standctli sure. But what a solemn warning in this day of self-seeking and pretensions I Resist is the won! applied to the unconverted. Grieve is that applied to the individual Christian, ^tench is that whieii has reference to the saints when gathered together, waiting on the Spirit. The sin against the Holy Ghost has often been spoken about. All sin is against the Holy Ghost What Christ spoke about in such solemn and awful words in Matt, xii., was ' blasphemy against the Holy Ghost,' and if the context is looked at it will be seen that this blasphemy consisted in giving Satan the credit of doing what was known to be God's work. Bring your ignorance to the Holy Spirit, the great teacher, who by his precious truth will lead you into all truth. No, not the love without the bloo<f ; That were to me no love at all ; It could not reach my sinful soul, Nor hush the fears which me appal. I need the love, I need the blood, I need the grace, the cross, the grave, I need the resurrection-power, A soul like mine to purge and taTe. :hed in lli ;e the hum id filled t( sluice upon ]ucnch the o with the never U d standctli this day of the won! hat applied that whieii d together, often been loly Ghost olemn and ?my against ; looked at Qnsisted in s known to /, the great ad you into The lovf I need is righteous love, Inscrihod on the sin-beating tree, Lor. U^Ht extct.t the sinner'u deM, Yet, iii exacting, »et« hiin liCc Love that condemns the sinner's sin, Yet, in coTiHomning, pardon seals ; That saves from righteous wratli. and jft. In saving, righteousness reveals. Love boundless as Jehovah's self, Love holy as His righteous law. Love unsolicited, unboiight, The love pioclainied on Golgotha. This is the love that calm« my heart, Tliat soothes each conscience-])ang withtB, Tint pacifies my guilty dread, And trees me From the power of sin. The love that blottctli out each stain, That pluckct)> hence each deadly sting, That fills me with the peace of God, Unseals my lips and bids me sing. The love tliat liberates and saves, Thit this poor stiaitened soul expandi, That lifts me to the heaven of heavens. The shrine above not made witli handli The love that quickens into zeal, Tiiat makes me self-deniod and true^ That leads me out of whit is old, And brings me mto what is new. That purifies and cheers and calms, That knows no change and no dec«f l The love that loves for '.vermore. Celestial sunshine, eudless day. I i fng» y havinj still h out h amon stand: side, expel in Sc: ance. acter by lo walk Old thing learn the I. Triumph and Coji/!ict Our Siaie. S SORROWFUL, YET AIAVAYS REJOICING ' — Such was Paul's experience (2 Cor. vi. 10). The saved man is a great mystery to the unsaved ; happy yet sad ; triumph- ing, yet troubled ; having no sin on him, and yet having sin in him ; having no condemnation, and utill having fearful conflict. Saved now, yet working out his salvation, and waiting for salvation. Even among saved u.n themselves there is great misunder- standing. Some are engaged more with the triumph side, others with ih., conflict side of a Christian's experience. We find both most fully brought out in Scripture, each having its own place and import- ance. The Christian's conflict takes rise and char- acter from his triumph. We get much instruction by looking at the illustrations of a believer's triumph, walk, and conflict, as contained in the figures of the Old Testament; for we know that * Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort oi the Scriptures might have hope' (Rom. xv. 4). L*t us look at Israel's history. We find the Israelites I. Sheltered bv blood from God's hand in judg- ^GRACE AND TRUTHS mctit in Egypt and testifying; for God in the midst of j^ndlcssni'ss. 2. Redeemed by power. Taken throurr.: the Red Sea by thi- power of God's mij^dit and Uving by faltli in the wilderness. S. I'.ntered into their possessions and in Canaan fightino the battles of the Lord. Let us Ujok at these in tlctail. L— SHELTERED BY BLOOD. THE ISRAELITE IN EGYPT. The Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Iv^Tpt. saying, * This month shall be untt) you the beginning of months : it shall be the hrst month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a huTib. . . . Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. . . . And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses wherein they shall cat it. . . . For I will pass through the land ol Egypt this night, and will smite all the first born in the land of Eg>'i)t, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment, I am Jehovaii, and the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you ave, and when I see the blood 1 7viJl pass over yon, and the plague shall aot be upon you, to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.' (Exodus xii.^ In Egypt the Israelite had thus a triumph and had also a c^«fliet. 'TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT: ;hc midst : the Red g by faitli n Crinaati s look at m In the I be untt) the first to all the th day of ry man a jlemish, a ill take of its and on they shall c land of ^t born in id as^^ainst lent, I am 3r a token / str the shall .lot I the land ; Israelite I. Triumph. — He rejoiced because he trasted to tlie blood on the lintel, and to the word of his jchovah God, who had said, ' when I see the blood 1 will pass over you.' So the Christian in this world rejoices, not in the thought that he is pure and sin- less, but in the fact that Christ died for ^ sins. We see this fully explained in the Epistle to the Romans (iii. %\ to ?. ii.) God could pass over because the blood was on the lintel. The Israelite could rejoice because he believed God. Thus God can now justify the ungodly. » When I eee the b'.ood I will ' Being now juatificd by Hii pass over you' (Exod. xii. 1 3 ). blood ' ( Rom. ▼. 9). The believer can rejoice being at peace with God. 'The blood shall be to you for ' Being jistificd by faith we hare a token ' (Exod. xiu 13). peace with God' (Rom.v. i.) Sheltered by blood, we feast upon the roasted Lamb, with bitter herbs, unleavened bread, and in tin* pilgrim garb — at perfect peace, for * it is Christ tli.i' died.' Heirs of salvation* Chosen of God | Past condemnation. Sheltered by blood. Even in Egypt feod ./e on the Lan^ Kctping the statutes of God the I am. In the world aroimd 'tis night Where the feast is spread 'tis bright, Israel's Lord is Israel's light. Tis Jesus, 'tio Jesus, our Saviour from above Tis .Tesus, 'tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus whom w? love « GRACE AND TRUTH: 1. Conflict. — ^There would have been an unscrip tural conjlict in Egypt, if an Israelite had tried by any and every means to put off the hand that was crying for blooJ, except by God's own ordained means, the blood on the lintel ; the acceptance of God's estimate of the value of the blood that 1I(^ himself had appointed. This unscriptural conflict we find in modern times, in man's efforts by prayers and religiousness, and penances, and sorrows, to live a good life^ when God is demanding the death of the sinner for his sins. And how often do we see the sad spectacle of a man in a condemned world trying to get up religion or devotion, or anything else to meet the wratli of God against his sins, when he is condemned already I This is the state of man as depicted in Rom. i. 18, to iii. 20. But there is a scriptural conjlict — namely, the conflict against THE WORLD. The Christian presents a strange anomaly that cannot be seen pcrlectly in the figure of an Israelite sheltered by blood in Egypt. He has been taken entirely out of Egypt, and yet he is sent back to Egypt, as Jesus said to His Father in John xvii. 1 8, concerning His followers, ' As thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.* According to the illustration, every Christian in one aspect, auo ;^ 'Fery practical aspect, i.^ still in Egypt that is the world ' wiiich spiriiuaJiy s called Egypt where also our Lord was crucified : • TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT: n unset! p ied by any vas crying neans, the 's estimate Tiself had ^e find in ayers and to live a ath of the ive see the- )rld trying ing else to \'hen he is jf man as Linely, the )maly that m Israelite )een taken nt back to in xvii. 1 8, t sent Me : them into ion, every c\\\ aspect^ I spiriiuaJiy crucified : u- (Rev. xi. 8). So Jesus prayed: — *I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.' (John xvii. 15). Being thus in the world and not of it, with souls saved, but with bodief still liable to disease and death, and all creation under the curse, *We tb-^t are in this tabernacle do groan being burdeneu, .lot for that we would be unclothed but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life,' (2 Cor. v. 4). And ' we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but our- selves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting fo'^ the adoption, to wit the redemption of our bcc/.' (Rom.viii. 23). These are groans which should not be stifled, but encouraged. The more that we are in harmony with the mind of God the more will these groanings be heard ; not the groaning of an anxious soul to get peace, which God has already provided and presented, but the groanings of the saint who is waiting for his body to be fashioned like unto Christ's body of glory. This is evidently quite different from fighting against indwelling corruption. We are like the Israelites waiting till all the chosen of the Lord shall have actually had the blood on the lintel, which will be completed only when the Lord, comes. We have been sent into this world to persuade men to come under the protecting power of the blood of Jesus, and thus be sheltered from wrath. Meanwhile our place is described in the 17th chapter rf John where we find that the Christian ii 'GRACE AND TildTlV Given to Christ out of the world (ver. 6). Left in the world (vers. 1 1 and 1 5). Not of the world (ver. 14). Hated by the world (ver. 14). Kept from the evil of the world (ver. 15). Sent into the world (ver. 18.) Preaching the word to the world (ver. 20), * God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by. whom the world is crucified unto me and 1 unto the world' Gal. ?i. 14 'it— REDEEMED BY POWER. THE ISRAELITES IN THE WILDERNESS. I. Triumph. — A quickened soul is first exercised about what he has done^ — that he has sinned ; and then, as we have seen, he gets peace, because for- given through the blood of Christ who died for him. But he very soon finds out a further distress, not arising from what he has done, but from what he is — a sinner. This is described in Rom. v. 12, 'As by one man sin entered into the world.' He has been sheltered from God's hand in judgment, but he finds he requires a new life in which to serve God. The Israelites found themselves after having been delivered from the death of their first-born, with rocks at either side, foes behind, and the sea before. So the Christian was born a sinner ; his own sinful nature is unchanged and unchangeable ; and the lau of God is against him — tt :ee obstacles much more * TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT: ). 0- he cross world is »4- ?l. xerdsed ed ; and use for- for him. ess, not hat be is 12, ' As He has :, but he ve God. ng been rn, with t before. rn sinful the /au ich more terrible than those of the Israelites. ATany a quickened soul in such a case is ready to cry, ' Hast fhou taken us away to die in the wilderness?' (Exod. xiv. 1 1) 'Who shall deliver me ? ' (Rom. ▼ii. 24.) But God does not say, * I have taken you away to die,' but He says, "^^/orw^n/," (E.xod. xiv. 15.) God is for us, and His power is exercised tlirough death, through the territory, the last domain of la\y. Man's extremity is God's opportunity. A way is made in the sea. * The Lord saved Israel that day out of the hands of the Egyptians : and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore.' (Exod. xiv. 30). This deliverance points not so much to Christ dying, as to Christ ' raised again for our iustification ;' not to justification by blood, but * to justification of life,' Rom. v. 18 (in Christ as risen from the dead/: *For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of Hi? Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by His life' that is His life in resurrection. Not only are we out of the house of bondage, but we are out of the land of Egypt. Every Christian has a right to say—' Not only has God sheltered me by blood, but He has saved'my soul by His power; not only have I peace with God, but God is for me ; not only has God's hand been stayed from visiting me for my sins in wrath, but God's hand has been manifested in destroying all my enemies ; not only am 1 not condemned, but there is no condemna- tion ; not only did Christ die for me, but my stand- ing is VI Christ risen from the dead.' (Rom. vni l» 'a;:\rE and truth.' i). * It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again.' Koin. viii. 34. Pilgtims and strr ngers, Captives no more; Wilderness rangers, Sing we on shore, God in His power parted hath the sea. Foes all hare pcrisliod, His people are free. By the pillar safely led, By the manna daily fed, Now the homeward way we tread. 'Tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus, our Shepherd here below » 'Tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus whom we know. 2. Cofi/Iict,— There is an unscriptural Conflict here also : — How am I as a sinner in the world, under law, to get out of my old standing in Adam and to get into the wilderness with God ? If the Israelites had tried to scale the rocky preci- pices on either^ hand, the barriers of nature, instead of taking God's way by a new and supernatural path altogether, this would have been an illustra- tion of a quickened sinner trying to climb this mighty obstacle ' born in sin,' this mountain of his nature, instead of taking God's way out of it, as seen in Romans v. 19, ' As by one man's disobedi- ence many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.' If the Israelites had turned on the foes behind, ;md had tried to fight their way through, instead of standing still to see the salvation of God, this would have been an illustration of a quickened sinner trying to fight against and extirpate his eyH nature, or make it better, and thus try to get de- TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. livered from the wages of sin, instead of taking God's way in Romans vi. 23, * eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.' If a quickened sinner were attempting to get de- liverance from the power of the law of God and its righteous demands, by trying to make that which cannot be subject to the law of God a willing ser- vant, he should be as the Egyptians, trying to get through where faith alone could walk, ' which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned* That is the doom of man's efforts ; but in Christ Jesus we have died, we have risen. Reckon therefore your- self dead indeed unto sin. It is not that we feel dead to it, or are dead to its motions ; but as Christ died to it, so we reckon ourselves dead. Instead of crying therefore when I find such a holy law^ in- operative in bringing my God-hating nature into subjection, 'Who shall deliver me?' (Romans vii. 24) and stopping there, I look back on all my foes dead on the shore. Christ's grave is empty now, and God looks at me as in Christ Jesus, and every question of sins and sin is settled for ever. Christ, my sins, and myself, were all nailed to Calvary's cross. I believe this fact, that Christ is risen. I accept God's meaning which He has attached to this fact, that I am now not in my sins. I can now sing, in spirit, the triumph song of Moses on the wilderness shore of the Red Sea, and truly say, in the language of Romans viii., ' There is therefore now no con- demnation to me in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.' H • GRACE AND TRUTH: But also a scriptural coriftict now begins— namely, the conflict against THE FLESH. This is not a conflict to obtain peace ; not a conflict to get deliverance from condemnation, not even that sympathetic and God-honouring groaning of Romans viii. 18-28, but conflict against myself. It is not the conflict against the world. If we look at Israel as the illustration, we find that there were no F.gyptians in the wilderness, only Jehovah's congre- gation is there. We are now shut in with God : (iod's enemies are our enemies ; we are on His side, even against ourselves. We have been crucified and raised; we have sung the song of victory ; we triumph in Christ Jesus, and now we have conflict in earnest with our own evil natures. The man who realises that he has got once and for ever into the standing described in Rom. viii. i, 'There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus,' vvith all his triumph, realises tremendous deadly con- flict, not aroHnd him, but within him, not struggling to get acceptance with God, but keeping his body i.nder, looking at his own unchanged and unchange- ably evil nature within him with something of the abhorrence of G ,d— every day confessing his sin, every day requiring the Advocate. After the Israelites had sung the triumph song on the wilder- ness shore of the Red Sea, after they had received the pillar cloud to guide them, bread from heaven to feed them, and the water from the rock to refresh TRIUMPH AMf COSPLICT. them, * tbtn ame Amalek ind fought with Israel in Rephidim.' Does this not give us an illustration of the lusting between the flesh and the Spirit as seen in Galatians V. 17, 'The flesh lusieth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and ihese are contrary the one to the other ?' This ' Uisting ' or warfare goes on, not that we may cry, ' O wretched man, who shall deliver,' but ' that ye may not do the things that ye would ' (///.). This is a tremen- dous personal reality in every saved man. At the same moment that he is rejoicing in Christ Jesus, he has no confidence in the flesh wliich is still actually within him, and thus he has a warfare e?ery day against himself. Read Exodus xvii. 8-16, where we get the account of the conflict : Joshua, the captain of the Lord, fights with Araalek, (son of Eliphaz, eldest sou of Esau) ; Moses is on the hill-top with th(> rod, holding up his hands in intercession to God, supported by Aaron and Hur, one holding up each arm, for as long as his arms were held up Israel prevailed. And Joshua discomfited Amalek with the edge of the sword. An altar is raised, called Jehovah my banner, for the Lord will have war witli Anvl k, not once for all, but from generation to generation. This is all after the Red Sea has been crossed. This gives us an illustration ot iuw the Spirit of Jesus fights against the flesh. The Advocate is with the Father on high, and He is Jesus Christ the righteous, the spotless High Priest, making continual intercession for us. The Spirit 'OILiCE AND TRUTH.' overcomes the flesh by the Word of God. This is all after we have joyfully sung the victory-anthem recorded in Romans viii. 'There is no condem- nation to them that are in Christ Jesus.' And indeed we have a specimen of the mighty sword we are now to witld by the Spirit in us in the practical exhortations laid down in the last chapters of the epistle to the Romans, commencing with chapter xii. As the Israelites found that the sword of Joshua and the prayers of Moses routed the heathen Amalck, so the Christian finds that there is nothing like the truth of God, the authority of God, the sword of the Spirit, accompanied by the intercession of Jesus on high for the unsubject flesh within him. All the wilderness conflict has this character: ' Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilder- ness,^ to bumb/e thee and prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldst keep His commandments or not.' (Deut. viii. 2.) Beloved brethren, 'seeing then that ye are risen with Christ, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth.' We have triumph because we are forgiven. Wt have conflict because we sin. We have triumph for we are saved. We have conflict because we are sinners although saved. We have triumph over our Adam-nature, for we are not in Adam, but in Christ. We have conflict within us, for, alas ! we often ' walk as men.' We *are not in the flesh,' therefore we have TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. The flesh is in us, therefort we have triumph. conflict. We are 'not under law,' therefore we have triumph. Jesus said, 'If ye love me, keep my com- mandments,' therefore we have conflict. We are not (uTo voiJ.ov)undir law, neiiher are we (avi/io«) law- lessy but we are {tmfioi) inlawed — that is under autho- rity^ or duly subject to Christ. Christ has taken charge, not only of our salva- tion, but of our conflict and our walk. Grace saves, but grace also teaches. Neiiher is it by an internal power only that we are guided, but by external authority or commandment. We do not walk in the paths of righteousness, merely because we sec them to be righteous, but because God has ordered them. The former would be self-pleasing, the lat- ter is God-pleasing, and if ever the question should arise between what I feel and see to be right and what God says is right, then I must obey God rather than my own feelings. Abraham did not under- stand how it was right to sacrifice his son, but he be- lieved God, and offered his son because God told him. As long as the Israelites were in the wilderness, they were seen in themselves, as needy and sinful, while God was proving himself bountiful and gracious. We find a wonderful illustration of God's provision for the Christian's need very near the end of the Israelites' march. In Numbers xxi. we have a sad picture of their murmurings, and at verse 6, we read ' The Lord sent fiery serpents among the peop'^, and they bit the people ; and much people of ael died. Th-refore the people wmK ^ORACE AND TRUTH.' came to Moses, and said, we have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unvo Moses, make thee a fiery ser- pent, and set it upon a pole ; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.' As long as the Christian is in this world, he will have sin in him, and his power against it is Jesus crucified. The Son of Man lifted up on the cross is what withers up practically and daily our rebellion, waywardness and perversity, and in Him God sees no iiiiquity in Jacob and no perverseness in Israel. And if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. UI.— SEATED IN HEAVENLY PLACFJ5 IN CHRIST JESUS. THE ISRAELITES IN CANAAN. I. Triumph. — Israel under Joshua got through cbe Jordan, as Israel under Moses got through the Red Sea. All Canaan was theirs, 'From the wilder- ness and this Lebanon even unto the great r.ver, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea, toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.' (Joshua i. 4.) This was the land flowing Willi milk and luMu-y ; the land in wbich they were to luive long lite and prosperity ; the land wherein they were to dwell and be fed. ^ Tiie Israelites were blessed with ;dl temporal blessings in earthly ])latcs in Canaan. Of us, as Christians, now it is said: (iod ' ha'.h blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.' Certainly, we have many blessings which we never think of, and never have thought of, but we can tliink of none which we do not have in Christ. Every Christian ha? Christ— nothing less. He may not know all: who does? We strive that we may know llim, that we may grow in grace, and in ' the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.' In Christ every Christian is blessed with every spiritual bless- ing in heavenly places. He is quickened, raised, seated already in heavenly places in Christ. Therefore, according to the^ illus- tration, he is in Canaan as to his triumph ; for as Christ is, so are we in this world. He is dead, riaeD, seated, so are we in Him. (Eph. i., ii., iii.) Canaan possi-bsoi s, Safe in till' land, Victors, confessors; Banner in liand. Jordan's deep river evermore behind, Cares of tlie desert no longer in mind. Egypt's stigma rolled away, Canaan's corn our stiengti: a-ic suy, Ttiumph we the live-long day. Tis .?csu8, 'tis Jesus, the Christ of God alone ) I'is Jesue, 'tis Jesus, 'tis Jesus whom we own. » Conflict. — There is an unscriptural conflict here, ^miUCE AND TRUTH.' »s wc haye seen in Egypt and the wilderness. TI " conflict is said to Iv (Ephesians vi. 12) 'N.i igainst flesh and blood.' There is n^ore in this simple statement than might at first appear. We are in the world ; we are not of it. Our work is ■ot to fight to put the world right. This is the mistake of all who have taken, or may take, the sword to fight the Lord's battles in this dispensa- •ioD. We are here to act in grace as children of the Father, and to sare men from the world. Our enemies are spiritual, not men in the flesh. We are not r, : ctified Jews, praying the 109th Psalm, and slaying men, women, and children. That was the right thing in Canaan ; it is the wrong thing in the places in which we stand, not only as far as bloodshed, but the principle goes down to every wrei»tling with the weapons of this world. Have I been cheated ? what is my remedy ? Go to law ? Najr. But then I shall suffer loss. Very wtll, suffer (i Cor. vi. 7 , i Pet. ii. 20). The believer is done with all * flesh and I ' ()(^ ' crnflict. He may be called a iool, a madman--ou(;' dr has no • v.erest as 2 citizen, as a politiciaii, u person of Utopian ideas and transcendental schemes. He is cont*;nt so to be styled, and moreover is not to retort His life is hid with Christ in God. All contaa with the world's ways can but defile him. ' Flesh and blood * is not the platform on which he wars. World phMTiihropists he may admire; world reformers he may be thankful for ; but he hears his Master say, * Let the dead bury their dead ' Qf decently buried, •o much the more agreeable for us), < foiJow tlicu TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. me.' But there is a scriptural conjiict, namely, the conflict against THE DEVIL. All Canaan was given to Joshua ; but we read that they had to enter in and take possession of it personally — ' every place that the sale of y ur foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you' (Joshua i. 3). They had to fight for every inch ^f the land. First Jericho fell, then Ai, until ^ xshua routed his thirty-one kings. Read Joshua xii. And after we are told that we are already raised and seated in Christ, that we already have been bksst^d with all spiritual blessings in heavenly place in Christ, the conflict is put before us in the very 1 ea- venly places where we are blessed, as Joshua's fight- ing with Canaan's kings was in Canaan. This conflict is not against the world nor t le flesh— we have considered these already — but it is against Satan the accuser, wicked spirits ruling t^ e darkness, demons that hate the light (Eph. vi. 12) I St. What are they? ' Principalities and power;* They possess strength of evil, strong wills, more powerful than ours. They originally derived strength from God, and their apostate will rises from them- selves. id. What do they do ? They have power over the world as governing it ; for it is in darkness, and they are * the rulers of the darkness of this world.' 3d. Where do they dweh They dwell 'in heavenly places,* and thus ever endeavour to obtain a religious and delusive ascendancy over us, for they 'GRA'i: D TRUTH. arc spiritual wickednesses.' And what do we rv quire for these foes who dispute our possessions ; This is not Pharaoh keeping us in bondage ; not Amalek fighting with us, but the Canaanites dis puting our own possessions. The former two wc were saved from ; the latter we have to meet hi their true attitude, as keeping us from our rightful j)lace as the redeemed of God. We fight, clad in the ar.iiour of God. ' Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of i/je clcvil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness ; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace ; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God : praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perse- verance and supplication for all saints' (Eph, vi. lo- i8). This is neither to 'get peace,' nor to avoid condemnt5tion, nor to get into ' heavenly places.' It. is not with the judgment of God, nor the law of God, nor sin vithin me. This conflict is against ill TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. the wiles of the adversary, who, day and night, tries to deprive me of all that God has given, and all that faith enjoys. Let us see how all this bears upon us. borne l.>ok upon a Christian as out of Egypt, now in the Wilderness, and waiting to reach Canaan. This may have some truth in it, but it does not convey the whole truth as to our position. Others look upon it thus :— We are m Canaan by faith : we are in the Wilderness in fact; and we may be in Egypt, Wilderness, or Canaan as to ex- perience. Again, there is truth here, but I do not think it is exactly put as subsequent Scripture war- rants. Let us shortly sum up all the above :— Heb. xi. 28-30. I --'Through faith he (Moses) kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the lirst-bom should touch them.' , . 1 1 j Exod. xii.— Rom. V. i-i I. Triumph by blood. John xvii.— Rom. viii. 22-28. Conflict with the woRU). II _i By faith they passed through tlie Red Sea m by dry land, which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. Exod xiv 15; XV.— Rom. viii. Triumph in power. Exod! xvii. 8.16-GJ. V. 17. Conflict with the flesh. I1I.__. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days.' _ Josh i — Eph. i.— Triumph in our inhenunoe. Josh, xii.— Eph. v.— Conflict with the devil. ♦ All these things happened unto them for types, and they are written for our admonition ' (i Cor. x. II) By faith, therefore, according to the above parallel, we are in Christ, who is far above all * GRACE AND TRUTH.' Egyptian judgment, all Wilderness weariness, or even all Canaan conflicts. In actual fact we are still in the world ; and in individual experience we have still clouds and sunshine, joy and sorrow, storm and calm. Thus there are three things the Chris- tian has to distinguish: ist, his Standing; 2nd, his State; 3rd, his Experience, — His sta.ding be- fore God, his state in this world, and his own ex- perience as he passes through this world I. THE christian's STANDING. All Christians are by faith in the eternal calm of God, having everything that the work of Christ has secured. We are far above all principalities and powers in Him who is alive for evermore, who is the Living One, and was once dead. We are as near to God as Christ is, for we are made nigh by His blood ; and we are as dear to God as Christ is, for Jesus, speaking to His Father, says, ' Thou hast loved them as Thou hast loved me ' (John xvii. 23). In Him we possess all the fulness of God. But as to fact, we find another side of the truth, which is — a. THE christian's state. According as we look at it, all Christians are still in Egypt. Not an enemy is really destroyed. The world is around us and against us. We are shel- tered by blood, and still we are in a condemned worid. We are eternally justified, and by grace we are saved persons; still, in plain English, in TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. Scripture language, we are just where we were as to our surrounding?. Again we are, as to fact, still in the Wilderness, requiring guidance by the eye of our Father every day. As the Israelites of old had no sign-posts nor highways in the trackless desert, and were guided by the pillar-cloud, so human wisdom and human advice can never direct the Christian in his heavenward journey. God's word is His light. As the Israelites had to get their bread daily from heaven, marching through a barren wilderness, so the Christian gets no food for his new nature in that which his fellow-men all around him enjoy. He says, ' The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me' (Gal. ii. 20). Every day the Israelites required the water from the Rock in the dry and parched land, so the Christian daily drinks the truth of God. Christ is his daily re- freshment. These are for our weariness. The Israel- ites likewise had Joshua to fight, and Moses to pray, against their foe Amalek ; so we have the Spirit to war against the flesh, and our advocate with the Father. Jesus presents the blood for us on high, and daily we require our feet to be washed from all earthly defilement. These are God's provisions tor our sin. Again, as to fact, we are in the Canaan conflict, following our Joshua through all his wars, which are our wars. Every Christian is really, as to feet, in Egypt, in the Wilderness, and in Canaan, at one and the same time. Different aspects may be more GRACS AlTD TROTS,' prominently ours at one time than at another, and this constitutes experience. The experience of Christians is not always Christian experience. 3. THE christian's EXPERIENCE. What do we find the every-day experience of Christians to be? According as a Christian under- stands what his standing is and what his state is, so will be his experience. But every Christian's experience must be ' a walking with God.' He may be, as to experience, sheltered by blood, and hardly knowing it, like an Israelite in Egypt not realizing the .safety that there was under the blood sprinkled lintel. He may be consciously at peace with God by the blood, but still trembling under the fear of coming into condemnation, like an Israelite not seeing the path through the sea, and trembling lest Pharaoh*? host destroy him ; but he will be walk- ing with God up to the light that he has. He may be rejoicing on the solid ground of Christ risen, having for ever done with all against him, and having God now for him consciously, and he thus walks with God, like an Israelite passed through the Red Sea, and entered upon the wilderness journey. And, finally, he may be walking as in heavenly places, like an Israelite through the Jordan and settled in Canaan. He is God's workmanship, and is now getting into the mystery of His will (Eph. i. 9), having lost sight of the thought of his own salvation, and beine absorbed in God — as the aged pil^DM have told us. that for years they had TRIUMPH Ayi) CONFLICT, IS, never had a thought about their own saWation— a;; the aged Bengel said, ' The same old terms. And it is only when in conscious experience we hate been taken thus far, that we can study God for his own sake and for what He is. This is the furthest we can reach here, r>^ • The standing of every believer before God m Christ Jesus, 'known only by faith here, is the same, and is independent of his realising it or en- joying it. The actual state of every Christian upon the earth is likewise the same. What an anomaly any Christian is in the world ! A son of God walking through a God4iating world, with a God-hating devil tts head, and having within him a God-hating nature ; the fact being that every Christian, as to conflict down here, is in Egypt, in the Wilderness, and in Canaan. The experience of every Christian is not the same, but varies in different people, and in the same per- son ai different times, according as he knows his standing before God, knows his state and walks in the Spirit. Thus we find the reason of so much seeming contradiction in Scripture, and in the writings of God-taught men. I am sometimes confronted with a passage in a man's writings, and asked, 'Do you believe that?' ' Yes,' I answer; 'and do you believe that f —a directly 'opposite statement (seemingly), and again I say — ' Yes ' because 1 find the same expres&ioni in God's Word. 'GlijiCE AM) TRUTH.' They all reconcile themselves in our own con sciousness, if we are submissive enough to wait and learn God's mind, I wish that you, my Christian reader, may distinctly see the difference between what^ the Christian is in God's sight, and what he is in this world, and also why there is so much differ- ence in different Christians. There is one path, and but one path, in which our God and Father would have us walk • Hiat is the path of His own Son here in conscious ^onship witnessing for Him ?.i if we were in Egypt, the Wilderness, and Canaan, taking sides with liim against the world, against ourselves, and against the devil. This is Christian experience ; but, alas I this is not always the ex- perience of Christians. This may depend upon their not rightly dividing the word of truth, or their not seeing the trutli in its many aspects. If we draw up a few seeming contradictions from God's word concerning the Christian in parallel columns, if we read down one of them we shall find the ex- perience of some Christians ; if again we read down the other we shall find the experience of another class of Christians— but Christian experience is the hrj-monious and scriptural blending of both. (I wonder what angels think as they see such sons of Sod here .J) Did not Paul know this strange con- tradiction? I saw an infidel tract the other day meant to prove the Bible to be false, by drawing up in parallel columns about a dozen contradictions found in Scripture, such as. * Whosoever is bom of God smneiti not,' and, * if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,* &c.; and I thought, 'Are the •I TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. infidels really so for back?" So I commend tlv. following four dozen, instead of one, to their notice, and promise more when these are understood. The poor infidel never heard of a new creation and an old in the same man. He knows only the old, and patches it. Yet unknown. Dying. Yet sorrowful. Yet poor. Having nothing. Put off all these. Put on therefore. World, devil, and flesh. The Accuser accusesthe breth- ren day and night. We judge ourselves. If wf say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves. As long as we are in the flesh. Keep my commandments. We live if ye sund fast in thv Lord. Christ's slaves. Blood cleanseth (not has cleansed) us from all sin. We labour to be accepted (in service). The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against flesh. Well-known. Behold we live. Always rejoicing. Making many rich. Possessing all things. Ye have put off the old man. Ye have put on the new man. Who can be against us ? Who shall lay anything to our charge ? Who is he that condemneth ? He that is born of God sinneth not. We are not in the flesh. Not under law. He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life. The Lord's freemen. Being made free from sin. Accepted in the Beloved. We are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. the God who always causeth us to What great conflict I have for triumph. y"u. We are already saved. We are working out our salva- tion. We are waiting for salvation. Let us therefore u many .-w be Not as though I were already perfect. ttrfuU OMACE AND TRUTH.* Ye are Mmflete in Him. Seeing ye have puriHed your souls. Ye are unleavened. Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheri- tance of the saints in light. Always confident. Through death He destroyed Him that had the power of death. Everywhere and in all things — To be full, and To abound, and Dead to sin. Risen with Christ 1 am strong. We have an anchor sure and steadfast. They shall never perish. Why as though living in the world. I am dead. We arc sanctified, justified; Christ our santification. Seated in heavenly places in Christ. Bear ye one another's burdens. Your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost. Saved from sin. Justified by faith. Sanctified by blood and will of God. Sainu by call. We pray that we may stand com- plete m all the will of God. Let every one that hath this hope in Him purify himself. Purge out the old leaven. When He shall appear we shall be like Him. With fear and trembling. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. To be hungry. To suffer need (Phil. it. la). Let not sin therefore reign. Mortify therefore your mem- bers which are upon the earth. When I am weak. Make your calling and election sure. Lest I should be a castaway, The life which we now live in the flesh. Nevertheless I live. We pray that we may be sane tified wholly. We are in the world. Every man shall bear his owri burden. I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelkth no good thing. Chief of sinners. Justified by works. Sanctified by the word and Spirit. Purified by progress. TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. shall We (Christians) shall not come We (Chridtians) mutt all appear into judgment. before the judgment Mat of ^ Christ. All these seeming contradictions are thoroughly explained when one sees the dilKrcnce between our standing and our state. If I reckon my standing according to my state, I am in a low and God-dis- honouring experience. If I bring the power and character of my standing to mould my state, then I shall have a happy and God-honouring experience. The Lamb on the cross has purchased all. [n Egypt it is the blood of the Lamb. In Amalek's fight it is the blood of the Lamb who is the advocate on high, that is presented. It is by the blood of the Lamb that the accuser of the breth- ren is overcome. Clad in God's armour we fight. Soon feith will be fact. May our blessed Lord grant it. Not at death will this be true of the whole Church of God, but when He returns. Our experience will then be both what feith and fact are; our state shall then be as our standing ; our standing shall be our state. We shall then be ' like Him,' soul and body. Do we not long for the time when the last of the bride shall be under the shelter of the blood-sprinkled lintel, and we shall be caught up The Lamb from the throne, wlu-n He returns in power shall claim all, and actually take all. Romans and Galatians shew 'i» the power tliat brought us out and keeps us in Egypt. Hebrews look at die Christian as always in the Wilderoesst Ephesians is the book of Canaan. 'GRACE AND TRUTH.' together from a doomed worlds — when the last con- flict with Amalek shall have been fought, and his remembrance blotted out for ever; \\\l' Jitsh for ever left ; ' sins and iniquities remembe -jd no more for ever ; ' when the accuser of the brethren shall have been cast out of the heavenly place, and eveij opposing spiritual wickedness shall have been routed; when our Joshua, by His judgment-warfare (Rev. iv. to xxii.), shall have cleared the inheritance? Then, in the splendour of the Lamb on the throne, we shall be manifested as the sons of God, the body of Christ, the bride of the Lamb. Fellow Christian, are you making your experience the standard for your walk ? This i.' wrong. Are you making your state your standard ? This also is wrong. But God would have us make our standing our standard. This honours Him. This gives conquer- ing power. Our attitude now is to wait calmly for the hour when rill will be ours, in fact and also in experience, which is now ours in faith only ; when our standing shall be our state. Even the Apostle Paul has not yet all ; he is waiting with the Lord for what he was waiting for while here, — 'not to be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.' (2 Cor. v.) This is why resurrection, not death, is our hope — why we wait for the Lord*s coming for us, and not for oui going to Him. We do not wait for happiness merely, we wait for what will bring to a close this great paradox between standing and strntCy and also terminate that unseen TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT. state ot disembodied souls with the Lord in Para- dise. *Even so, come, Lord Jesus.' 'Beloved, uow are we the sons of God ; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be : but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him ; for we shall see Him ab He is. And every one that hath this hope in Him purificth himself, even as He is pure.' (I John iii. 2) The world, the devil, and the fiesh give wh con- flict. The Father, the Son, and the HUy Ghost give you triumph. Praise the Lord with hearts and voicet, Gathered in His holy name ; Every quicken'd soul rejoices, Heaj iiig of the Saviour'.^ tame. ?raise the living God who give ul Lost and ruin'd as we lay, His beloved Sow to save us. Bearing all ou^ an away- Praiie the Lord for all H» ^^i'ding. Snares so thickly round uf lie • We in His own light abidin/j. A.re directed by His eye. Praise Him for His long forlxaranoe, How our sin His heart must |>aio| Righteous is His loving-kindness. Cleansing us from every stain. Praise Him, enemies assail us, As we tlirough the desert go { But His sword can never fail ut, It r'.viU si!>Micc evei-v ff' ( : 'GRACE AND TliUTI Praiae Hira for the manna given, Falling freshly every diy ; Ji:<u8 Christ our Lord from Heaven, It our food tlirough all the way. Praise Him for 'he water flowin;», Freely in its boundless tide ; Christ the smitten Rock we're knowing, Pierced for us His wounded si*.!'.-. Praise Him through the desert iiiurchian, Onward to the golden shore ; for our Saviour we are watciiing And we'll pi aise Him everoioi n ^."^4^