CIHM ICMH Microfiche Collection de Series microfiches (l\/lonographs) (monographies) Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian da microraproductions historiquas -m^s^-":r:^m>£,.^:r Technical and Bibliographic Notes / Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change th^ usual method of filming are checked below. Q' Coloured covers / Couverture de couleur □ Covers damaged / Couverture endommag^e □ Covers restored and/or laminated / Couverture restaur^e et/ou pellicula j I Cover title missing / Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps / Cartes g6ographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black) / Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou nc I A Coloured plates and/or illustrations / D D D noire) D D Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material / Reli6 avec d'autres documents Only edition available / Seule Edition disponible Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin / La reliure serr^ peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge int^rieure. Blank leaves added during restorations may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have tieen omitted from filming / II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajout^es lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, iorsque cela ^tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 film^es. Additional comments / Commentaires suppl^mentaires: This Kem is filmed at the reduction ratio checked ImIow / Ce document est tllmA au taux de rMucUon indiqu* ci-dessoua. L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exem- plaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibli- ographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^tho- de normale de filmage sont indiqu^s ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages / Pages de couleur I I Pages damaged / Pages endommag6es D Pages restored and/or laminated / Pages restaur^s et/ou pellicul^es Pages discoloured, stained or foxed / Pages d^olor^es, tachet^es ou piques I I Pages detached / Pages d6tach6es I t/j Showthrough / Transparence I I Quality of print varies / D Quality in^gale de I'impression Includes supplementary material / Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image / Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 4t6 filmies k nouveau de fa^on k obtenir la meilleure image possible. Opposing pages with varying colouration or discolourations are filmed twice to ensure the best possible image / Les pages s'opposant ayant des colorations variables ou des decolorations sont film6es deux fois afin d'obtenir la meilleure image possible. lOx 14x 18x 22x 26x 30x J 12x 16x 20x 24x 28x 32x ^^^TT^^"*?^*?^-:® Tht COPY filmed h«r« hat t—n raproducad thanks to tha ganaroaity of: National Library of Canada L'axamplaira filmi fut raproduit grica A la g^nAroaiti da: Bibliothaque nationale du Caitada Tha imagaa appaaring hara ara tha baat quality possibia considaring tha condition and lagibility of tha original copy and in itaaping with tha filming conuact apacif icationa. Las imagas suivantas ont At* raproduitat avac la plus grand soin, compta tanu da la condition at da la nattati da i'axamplaira filmi, at an eonf ormit* avac las conditions du contrat da filmaga. Original copias in printad papar covara ara flimad beginning with tht front covar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impraa- sion, or tha back covar whan appropriata. All othar original copias ara filmad beginning on the first paga with a printad or illustratad impraa- sion, and ending on the last page with a printad or illuatrated impression. Lea exemplairas originaux dont la couvarture an papier eat imprimAe sont filmas en commencant par le premier plat at an terminant soit par la darniAre paga qui comporta une empreinte d'impreasion ou d'illustration. soit par la second plat, salon ie caa. Toua lea autrea exemplaires originsux sont filmte en commencant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impreasion ou d'illustration at an terminant par la darniAre paga qui comporta une telle ampraintc. Tha laat recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain tha symbol — ^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever appliaa. Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure ere filmed beginning in the upper left hend corner, left to right end top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrama illustrate the method: Un daa symbolaa suivants apparaitra sur la darniiro image da cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — » signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbola ▼ signifie "FIN ". Lea canaa, planchea, tableaux, etc.. peuwent etra film*s A daa taux da reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour atra raproduit en un seul clich*. il est films S partir da I'angia supOrieur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haut an baa. en prenant la nombre d'imeuea nOcaaaaire. Lea diagrammes suivants illustrant la mOthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TBST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 1^1 2^ HO "^ 1^ 14,0 2.5 2.2 2.0 1.8 ^ /APPLIED IIVMGE Ir ^~^ 1653 East Main Street S'.iS Rochester. New York 14609 JSA '-^S (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone ^S (^'6) 288 - 5989 - Fax -^^/ ^^^- ^^<>o JAMES M. SIMPSON. I GOD'S NATION HKR ANCESTRV AXI) MISSION [!V ^"^KV. j. M. SIMPSOY BIe-«-d is I he natJoti wh Who,. M. h:„,, ..os.„.. His:^; ;:;;;;:::^"7iv;:'n:t TOKONTO WFLLIAM BRIGGS 1902 IB JAMES M. SIMPSON. GOD'S NATION HER ANCESTRY AND MISSION BY REV. J. M. SIMPSON " Blessed is the nation whose God is the T «r^ • j u Who. He hath chosen n,. Hisl^ ^^^^tts^^t TORONTO WILLIAM BRIGGS 1902 Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand nine hundred and two, by William Bkiuus, at the Department of Agriculture. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. I-AOB God's purpose in founding the Hebrew nation— Call of Abram — Abram the father of a great nation Abram's native country— Gospel preached to Abram —Traits of character in Abram— Abram's new name — The nation to be a monarchy —The nation in Egypt — Growth of the nation— God's promise to Jacob- Through this nation God speaks to the world— The nation a vassal — The nation's commission — The cov- enant everlasting— The covenant the nation's law— A company of nations— Death of Abraham— Covenant renewed with Isaac— Death of Isaac— Covenant re- newed with Jacob— Promises not fulfilled in Canaan —Interests of the Church committed to the nation- Kingdom of God given to Israel n CHAPTER II. Gofl brings the nation out of Egypt— Pillar of cloud and fire— Miracles of the wilderness— Sin of Moses- Death of Moses and Aaron— Joslma succeeds Moses- Cm Tts of Israel— Bribery in high places— Anoint- ing iaul— Saul's tragic end— David chosen of God —Monarchy established— David claims the throne- Kingdom divided -Ishbosheth made King of Israel- David reigns over Judah— Solomon succeeds his father— Adonijah and Joab put to death— Solomon's reign— Two national elements in the nation 23 mwm I 6 CONTENTS, CHAPTER III. Solomon's fall — Rehoboam comes to the throne — Unset- tled state of the nation — Jeroboam's flight to Egypt — Rehoboam's mistake — Israel revolts — Jeroboam is made king - All Israel within the ten tribes — Reho- boam t . js to bring the kic^fdom back, and God stops him — The tribe of Benjamin goes back to Rehoboam — Sin of Jeroboam PAOK 40 CHAPTER IV. Captivity of Israel and .Tudah — Return of Judah — Judah is to hold the sceptre until Christ comes — Prophecies of the coming of Christ — Benjamin the one tribe promised to Solomon's son — Children of Benjamin escape from Jerusalem — Christ is called Uavid — Benjamin Christ's light in Jerusalem 52 CHAPTER V. Daniel's prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem — Titus makes a treaty with the Christians — Overthrow of the ancient capital — The nation to which the King- dom of God was given— No law making the oldest son legal heir — National birthright given to the sons of Joseph — Judah's tribal claim to the Kingdom of God given to Joseph —Children of Benjamin Chris- tians — Territory of Benjamin — Beyond Jordan — Christ with the f° ^.o of Benjamin — First disciples of the tribe of Benjamin — Paul an Israelite, not a Jew — God's investment in the Gospel — Cromwell's array— God wants an army of '• Ironsides" 60 CHAPTER VI. Remnant of Jacob— Benjamin the key to prophecy — Pentecost — Benjamin the one tribe which was given to Judah — Prophetic symbols of the Gospel . - 71 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. PAOB The nation given to the sons of Joseph— Ephraim is Gml's heir— The tree of life -Fruit that is to fill the world— The name Israel given to the sons of Joseph —Ephraim means the nation— Ephraim is to bear the fruit of the kingdom of God— Great Britain the descendant nation from the house of Israel— How England may reach the summit of glory 78 CHAPTER VIII. The Pentecostal Church— The Church persecuted— Stephen martyred— The Church scattered— God over- rules it for good— Tho nine tribes— The lost sheep of the house of Israel— Paul is commissionerl to j.reach to the children of Israel— The Church of Galatia— The First Epistle of Peter— Ps. 80: 1, 2 explained. . 85 CHAPTER IX. Israel a great nation to-day — Anglo-Saxons the descend- ants of the lost house of Israel — What Josephus says — What William Smith says — Testimony of prophecy— Far-oflF isles— The martyrs' fire— Israel in captivity prayed with their face toward Jerusalem — King Solomon's prayer — Public worship in the national church of England— How Israel became lost — Life from the dead — Israel speaking the English language 91 CHAPTER X. Israel in the Isles— Prophecy of Isaiah— Fire and sword of God — Israel means Christ — The preserved of Israel — Christ the glory of Israel — Israel is neither Jew nor Gentile— Where is lost Israel? — Queen Victoria's testimony for the Bible — Israel's isles too narrow — I CONTENTS. A multitude of natioriH — Jacob's prophecy concen..ng Joseph — Christ the stone of Israel — Righteousness the best diplomacy PAOI 100 CHAPTER XI. Israel the leading nation ot the earth — Israel lends to many nations — Discovery of America — Land of Man- aaseh — Israel loses some of his children— American independence— Israel gathered in the Briti'-h Isles — iJritish coat-of-arms — Prophecy of Moses concerning Joseph — Israel the great civilizing jMiwer of the world 110 CHAPTER XII. God's message to the nation— Israel is heir of the world — The God of Israel is to be the God of the whole earth — Anglo-Saxons the descendants of lost Israel — Christ is Israel's light— Western civilization — Israel meand the nation, not the Church— Israel's national policy— Israel is restored— Foreign labor— Legislation against foreign laborers is unchristian— .i^ll nations tributary to Israel— The nation that will not sur- render to Christian Israel shall perish — The nation must "arise and shine" — Gentiles are coming — Nations shall learn war no more 122 CHAPTER Xin. Great Britain in Egypt fulfilment of prophecy— Israel derives strength from the Gentiles— Israel saved from captivity— Native races dying— Words of the Coven- ant-Isles wait for God's law— Charter of the world's freedom in the hands of England and the United States 132 -:' ^"M^r^if-y =»:^T'«a?H I CONTENTS. CHAHI.5R XIV. 9 PAOB Israelites sent to isles a'ar off- Trilie of Dan - Irish home ruK— Adder that bites the horse heels— Fliders that fall backward — God's glory Israel's prayer- Anglo-Saxons prosecuting Israel's mission — (Jold mines in possession of Anglo-Saxons— Duty of 'British and American millionaires— Our mission to .^hine — England's grmt opportunity in Africa— The Church and nation should l>e alive to foreign mission work— Encourapng signs of the times 142 CHAPTER XV. Reign of Christ— Enemies of Christ must go under His feet— Anglo-Saxons' most dangerous foe— The rum traffic and the De ;alogue— Will the rum traffic ever be abolished ? I55 CHAPTER XVI. What will become of the Jews ?— Testimony of prophecy —How will united Israel possess Palestine? Jews will receive Christ— Where Ephraim's fruit is found —Signs of the times— Sentiments of great men 163 CHAPTER XVII. Apostasy in the Church— Itching ears— The power that moves the Church and nation— How to reach the masses— Human ami divine resources— The lenven of truth — The Bible Societies — Dangerous literature- Religious gamblers— Viper of temptatio 171 CHAPTER XVIII. Sarah chosen of God— Abram and Sarah in Lgypt— Abram's error— Sarah the covenant mother of the nation— God protects Sarah in her covenant rights- Ishmael to be a great nation— The Arabs— Death of Sarah— Abraham marries Keturah— Ishmael and the sons of Keturah have no part in the QQVW^nt. , , , , . 182 iti ■a TOi;-* 10 CONTENTS. CHAITER XIX. Kebckah chosen of (JfMl — /Miezer's mission— Tk>thuel is convinced that Kcliekah in chonen of (}o (JOns NATION. com|);is,s, oast, vvrst. mnth and .south, even to " all the uation.s of the t'artli." lint .soiii- aiv ivady to .say tliat Cliri.st. I.avin^r come of tl.escHMl of Ahral.aiu, and l.uvi.i^r ucconi- plisluM tlu' ^rreat work of mlcniption by tlio mciitko of llin..s(.|f.all tl.at was nimnt l.y the covenant and pronii.ses was fuinUed. JUit the caivful rea.loi- of the Scriptures will perceive that this covenant nation was not only a nation throu^di which a J)ivinc Kedeeiner and Saviour WH8 to come, hut a nation to which was com- mitted the interests of tJods church for all time, and when Judah, (^hri.sfs own trilu- and nation, proved recreant to the .sacred trust, our Lonl .said to them, " The kin^Mo,,. of (Jod shall be taken away from you and ^riven to a nation brinnrin^r forth the fruits tliereof." And we think we sliall be able to show quite clearly that it was ^rjvon to the kinjjdom of Israel. We believe the Lord still holds that nation re.sponsil)le for the publication of the ^rospel (><" our Lord Jesus Ohri.st in all the nations of the earth. ^ " For what nation is there .so jrreat, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our Cod is in all things that we call upon him for ^ " (Deut. 4:7). CIIAITI-:U JI. fij (}(tl) lUllNdS THE NATION OUT ()V KdYI'T. TnK Fjord said to .lacol), " I will j;<> down with tliL-e into K;;y|)t, and I will alno suiusly hrin^ tlioo up a<;aiii." And He did. Alter a period of four hundrfHl and tlnrty years the Lrtjrd fulfilled this promise which He liad tnado to Jacob by brinj^in^ the naticni out of Ej^ypt, and this was also the fultilinent of a promise which the Lord made to Abraham long before ((Jen. 15: 14). The Lord Iiad told Jacob that He would make of him a j^reat nation in Egypt (Gen. 4G : 3), and this promise H*; also fulfilled. When this " great nation " left Egypt under the lea!»'s NATION- "Wli.-n Urufl. of H,o I...r.l Lilovnl. Out fn.ir. tin- 1,-ukI of homing,, ctiuw, !llT fflthiTs' (Ju.| lu-fun- h.T Mlnvcl, AiKiv.ftilKnid,.. j„ H„„,kf aii.l Mam,.. " I5.V fATI()N Ol'T OF KCiVIT. 2't k»M'|.iiijr of their <,'iiriii.'ntH ami sIhm-s from woiriii;^ out : ."»), tlif H('r|tfiit of hruss 'Num. 21: U), hikI tlh' (livi(liii;r ,,f the water of tin; llivor .Ionian vvli.-n tin- hosts of Israel paNse«| over luider (he Iea-ret that bribery and corruption in high places did not pass away with the ancient theo- cracy. Good men still have cause to cry to God against this foul agency of the devil, wiiich has ever been, and still is, one of the greatest political, judicial, social and religious curses of the nations. This form of wickedness dates back to a very early period in the history of man. The devil, in order to defeat the good and wise purpose of God in the creation of man, resorted to bribery, and thereby won over to himself our first parents, bringing an awful and universal calam- ity upon their race. And he tried to win over itt-?T: GOD BRINGS THE NATION OUT OF EGYPT. 29 to himself the Divine Redeemer by the same means, in order therel)}- to defeat the Lord's wise and lovin-- purpose of redenjption. He offered the Saviour "all the kingdoms of the world and the f,dory of them," if He would fall down and worship him. Pnit the blessed Lord said to him, 'Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." If Eve had met Satan as Jesus did, it would have been a grand thing for herself and her posterity. And the old enemy of (Jod and destroyer of man is still at his old business, trying to buy over to himself the followers of Christ, by preaching to them the lying delu- sion that the world can only be possessed and enjoyed by those who bow down to him. And it is painful to see how many there are who seem to believe it. To some the tempter says, I will give you wealth if you will fall down and worship me. And down they go. And to some he says, I will give you the glory of worldly honor if you will fall down and wor- ship me. And down they go. And to others he is saying, I will give you the gratification of your lusts, and full satisfaction to your thirst for worlilly pleasure if you will fall down and worship me. And down they go. And if they do not repent of their sins and come back to I >ii it ''h 30 GODS NATION. Christ from whom they liave turned, they will forever go down. When the Jewish officials were clamoring for the Saviour's blood, there was a Judas Iscariot in the Christian camp who was heard to say, " What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you ?" And those blood-thirsty officials were ready with their bribe of "thirty pieces of silver." Thus we see that bribery originated with the devil, and it has ever been a powerful agency in his service for the accomplishment of unholy and wicked purposes. If we are competent to judge of sin and sinners, compara- tively, we would say, taking a bribe is worse than giving one. He who sells himself is a greater sinner than he who buys him. We are pleased, however, to know that in the Dominion of Canada there is K-.t little cause for complaint against the ju.lici But there are place-seeking men and pov ..-eking parties who are ever ready to adopt Satan's methods to accomplish their purposes; therefore, good men, as of old, should cry to God for deliver- ance from men and parties who would bribe their way to power, and then use that power for the special advantage of the highest bidder. From such men and from such parties, good Lord, deliver the nation. GOD BRINOS THE XATIOX OUT OF EGYPT. 31 " The advociito for him who offered iiu)st Pleaded ; tlie scribe, .iccordiiig to the hire, Worded tlie lie, julding for every piece An oatii of coiitirinatioii ; juilges raised One hand to intimate the sentence, death, Imprisonment, or fine, or loss of goods And in the other held a lusty l)ril)e Which they had taken to give the sentence wrong 80 managing the scale of justice still, That he was wanting found who poorest seemed." - li. I'ollol: CKOWNINfJ OF SAUL. This protest afjainst the corrupt administra- tion of tiie judges and the demand for a king on the part of tlie elders of Israel resulted in the change from the theocracy to the monarchy, Saul being anointed the first king of tiie monarchy of Israel. The reader will observe that Saul was the Lord's choice for the throne. 1 Sam. 9: IG. 17: "To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Phili.stines : for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom 1 spake to thee of ! this same shall reign over my people." Ch. 10:1: " Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and it M 32 GODS NATION. said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to bo captain over his inlieritance ?" Verse 24 : "And San>uel said to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord iiath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people ^ And all the people shouted, and said, God save tiie kin Ju-forc liis tiiiio n'sultnl in a (lislionoiv.l jui.l ti.i<;ic .Icitli. The .Icutli of Ahsaloiu I, .ft M vacancy as to who .should suc('(>...l Davi.I upon tiic thron«» (.f Lsraol. A(h)nijali, who was next to Ah.^^aloiu in onh'r of birth, th()u<;ht he ha.l th-st clait.i to the throne, nil. I he uuih'rtook to <;et po.ssession of it in a clan(h>stine way hefoiv the proper tini(>. hut his etloit was a failure. A yoini^^ man who is ,so an.xious to <,ret pos.sossion of his father's estate that he would tak.' it from under him in his oM aije, deserves to he disiidierited. David, however, had uuulo. a promise to r.ath.slieha that lier son Solomon s!-oul.I ho his successor: and when Adonijah had comi)leted his plan, hy whicli he expected to he i)roclaimod killer of Israel, liathsjiel.a, Solomon's mother, who was promi)ted hy Nathan the prophet, went to the kin<; and informed him of what Adojnjah wa.s doin<;, and also reminded me kin ; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel hi8 dominion" (I's. 1 14: 1). From the above passajjes the reader cannot fail to see the two distinct national elements in the kin<,'dom, and also that the dominion of Jacob was '• Israel " distinct from Judah. St. Paul says, ' " -y are not all Israel, who are of Israel." Atk. no doubt it was the Jews he referred to, becau.se the Jews certainly are of Isrr.el, but it is ocpially certain that they aie not Israel. Tlierefore, the readier needs to bear in mind that from a very early period in the history of the Hebrews, the two distinct elements were recot,Miizod in the nation known as " Israel" and "Judah," and that it was Israel that revolted a<;ainst Rehob tlu-onc of I,s,,u.| ' -^'^^t^"'- part of his rei.n, w-.s t .rr.' "I -W'^''"'l"»"r,r,,,.t.,,,,t,. ,Uli.u„.,.s«.H7,i,|,,,,, It c,.„,e t„ p,.,,s, «.|„.„ ,s„l,„„„„ ,,„, „|,| , w,v„M„,.„.,, „„,,, ,„. ..,,.„•,,, ,„;„/^„ This dopa,-t,„v 1V„,„ t|,e t,,„„ (.,,,1 ,,._,^ l"«e.I by crrupt p,ao(icc., an.l „„wi.,.. ,,„! ° ""■?';"■' ■■'"'• "■'"'^'' ™l"'i-t"l i" .no,al di.,. ,7""" »^'lfamltl,clos., of the ki„.d«„, to tlie house of David. ° liHHOIlOAM COMES TO THE Tl£KONE, Atte,. the death of Soloinon l,is son Reho- boam ca„,e to the t.,ro„e. ,vl,ieh he found to be 40 SOLOMONS FALL. 41 a ...ost u.u.isy s-ut, lor th. wl.„|,. „atiu„ was i„ astute oJ fonnent; u,,,! tj.i.s ceniiti.,,, <,1' .jis- satiMlHction un.l „nn..st Ihtu,.,.. .....n, i„t,M,.se altrr li,.|„W«);,,i. cam,. i„t., ,„nv.T for he iv- fuse,! t(. jriv,. ,1... ju«t (lenmn.ls ,,( his s.,l.ircts a l;ivorubl<. (.,„si,i.,nitio„, which was ...ost i,n- po.tic. 11. ivjecf..! the- wise counsel of the <•' to his ■H^-rvant, it uwakene.I the kin^.'s wrath ac,vinst .leroboam, who, on learnincj the fact an.l fearin^ that the km- mi;,rht slay hin., Ile.l to E^^-pt an.'l death of Solomon • an.l soon after his return he was made kinrr of Israel. * One day as Jerohoam was walkin^r out of the city of Jerusalem, he m-t the prophet Ahijah vvho intimated a desire to speak to him. As they turned aside from tiie public thorough- m ■•Ml i!t 42 god's nation. Vi fare, the prophet caught liold of Jeroboam's new garment and rent it into twelve pieces, and gave ten pieces to Jeroboam, saying, "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Beliold, I will rend the kingdom out of the liand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee " (1 Kings 11 : 31). REHoboam's mistake. Wlien King Solomon died, the people of Israel thought the time had come for them to seek certain reforms in the government and the administration of the laws of the kingdom ; for Solomon had laid burdens upon them that they were unwilling to bear any longer. Therefore, led by Jeroboam, they went to Rehoboam,' Solomon's son who succeeded his father, and asked for these desired and much-needed re- forms. After hearing them Rehoboam sent them away, telling them to come again after three days, and in the meantime he consulted the old men who had served under Solomon, his father, and they advised him to adopt a policy of conciliation and thereby win the people to himself. He also consulted the youno- men who had grown up with him, and they advised just the opposite course : that he should make the people's burdens still heavier and rule them more severely than his father had. The advice of the young men was more to hia liking Solomon's fall. 43 and disposition, so he adopted it: and when the people came the second time to lieur what the young king would say witli regard to the relief they were seeking, he said to them : " My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke : my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. Then the people said to the king, What portion have we in David ? neither have we inherit- ance in the son of Jesse : to your tents, O Israel : now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents" (1 Kings 12: 1-19). THE KINGDOM REVOLTS AND JEROBOAM LS MADE KING. Immediately after this unsuccessful interview with Rehoboam, the kingdom of Israel revolted and called Jeroboam and made him kino-. The reader will take notice that the ten tribes that were given to Jeroboam were the kingdom of Israel. 1 Kings 11:37: "And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel." The careful reader of the Old Testament Scriptures will not fail to see that the ten tribes that revolted constituted the kingdom of Israel before the revolt. As I have already shown, the two distinct elements were in the nation, viz., "Israel" and "Judah." Therefore, when the 1; f' ml I W!WB««»!5P-V 44 god's nation. Lord took the ten tribes, He actually took the whole kingdom of Israel, as He said : " I will rend the kinve prophecy of Jac'). Isa. (\ii: 1-4: " Who is this that cometh from Eon my ;^'arments and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of venj^eance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeenjed is come." This picture shows Jesus treading; in the wineprcis alone, and his gar- ments stained with the blood of j^rapes. This is symbolic of the labor of tlu' cross. Zech. !) : 9 : " Rejoice jjreatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O dautrhter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee : he is just, and having salvation ; lowly, and riiling upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an as.s." This picture shows Jesus entering Jerusalem riding upon an ass. We will also direct the reader's attention to the prophecy of Balaam. Num. 24: 17-19: "I shall see him, but not now : I shall behold him, but not nigh : there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel. . . . Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion." These beautiful prophecies all point to Him who, amid the loud hosannas of the multitude that went before, and the multitude that fol- CAITIVITY OF ISHAKl, AN'l> Jl'DAH 55 lowed lifter, iM.uK; His tuinnplml cntmncf' into .liTUsiiKiii ril»" and that was to have "dominion." This i< the kinjj Muit was to come, " lowly," brin^irjj; justice and " salvation." This is He who hoi !s the scei»tre of Israel, and to whom the " j,'athe m^ of the people shall he." "The sceptre ell lu mes His limuls ; All hejiven > iltiiiit.s n His coiuiiiHnds : His justice shrill jiverige the poor, And pride and ni^e prevail no more. " As rain on meiulows newly mown, So slmll Ho Hen Shall flow t,) nations yet unknown We have already noticed that after ti.e revolt of the house of Israel, the tribe of Henjauun returned to Rehoboam and remained with Judah durinf; their subsequent history. This wa.s the one tribe that the Lord gave to Solomon's son ^1! '..» i\ m 56 GODS NATION. Nf * The general idea, however, seems to be that the tribe of .Judah was the "one tribe "that was given to Rehoboam, as it was that tribe only that did not revolt. But it will be remembered, that when the nation divided, after the death of Saul, Israel accepted Ishbosheth, the son of Saul as their king, but the tribe of Judah stood loyally with David ; and so in the great revolt agamst Rehoboam, this same tribe remains with David's grandson. And another reason for the loyalty of this tribe to the house of David was th ^ fact that the house of David belonged to the tribe of Judah. But the Lord's promise to Solomon was that He would give his on one tribe of the kingdom of Israel, and we have already, shown that the kingdom of Israel was within the ten tribes ; therefore, when the tribe of Benjamin returned to Rehoboam, it was the fulfilment of God's promise to Solomon. The tribe of Benjamin remained with, and formed part of, the kingdom of Judah, until the overthrow of the nation by the Romans. THE CHILDREN OF HENJAMIN ESCAPE FROM JERUSALEM. At the time of or just before the destruction of Jerusalem, the people of Benjamin, in response to a prophetic cull, made their escape from the city. Jer. 6 : 1 : " O ye children of Benjamin f. 4 ''1: CAPTIVITY OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH. 57 gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem : for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruc- tion." This evil of which the prophet speaks, coming " out of the north," and which did bring great destruction, was Titus with his mighty Roman army, by whom the " city and the sanctuary were destroyed." CHRIST IS CALLED DAVID. When the Lord promised to give one tribe to Solomon's son. He said," That David my servant may have a light before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there." Now, we think it is quite evident that " David my servant," in this passage, means the Messiah. Our Lord, it is well known, was of the tribe of Judah, and of the house and lineage of David ; and He is frequently called " the son of David," and in a number of passages " David " can only be understood as applying to Chri.st, such as the following : " But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up imto them" (Jer. 30:J)); "And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed f.;:. 68 GODS NATI(>N. V • IVt :« ' at Ml them, and he shall be their shepherd " (Ezek. 34: 23); "Afterwanl shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their Cod, and David their king ; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days" (Hosea 3:5): " Incline your ear, and come unto me : hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an ever- lasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a wit- ness to the people ; a leader, and commander to the people " (Isa. ')5 : 3, 4). The above pas- sages, we think, are quite suthcient to show that, in the Scriptures, " David " and " David my servant " often mean the Messiah, and cannot be understood as applying to any other. Jacob said of Christ, " Unto him shall the gathering of the people be." The gathering of the people must surely be unto him whom the Lord has made " leader and commander." THE TRIBE OF BEMJAMIiN CHRIST'S I.ICHT IN JERUSALEM. Now, it appears quite evident that the one tribe that was given to Rehoboain, that " Christ might have a light before him in Jerusalem," w^as the tribe of Benjamin. This tribe being one of the ten that revolted, and therefore a member of the kingdom of Israel, was the tribe that went back to Judah ; and that it was the children of Benjamin that were specially :. h. ^m ■ im p j i UM Kgffff -UL JJL. »i»'*fel CAPTIVITY OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH. 59 called of God to "gather thomHelves and flee out of Jerusalem " before the destruction of that city, appears to leave no (:fround for doubt that the tribe of Benjamin was the " one tribe " that the Lord gave to Solomon's son, and that for the special purpose, as already stated, viz., that Christ might have a light before Him in Jeru- salem, the city which He chose to " put his name there." Therefore, as Edward Hine says, " they were Christ's light-bearers in Jerusalem. The Jews could not serve in this capacity; first, because they rejected Him, and secondly, be- cause they were not Israel." " Ye are the light of the world " (Matt. 5 : 14). " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven " (Matt. 5 : 16). " For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ " (2 Cor. 4 : G). " Let, there be light ! " The Eternal spoke, And from the abyss where darkness rode. The earliest dawn of nature broke, And light around creation flowed. The glad earth smiled to see the day. The first-born day, come blushing in ; The young day smiled to shed its ray Upon a world untouched by sin. — C. F. Hoffman. m itfi .1 ill 4 Mtjjf'^'.i'm* CHAPTER V m DANIEL'S PROPHECY. that the children of Benjamin were called of Orod to "gather themselves and flee out of Jeru- salem " and It is a most reasonable thing to sup- pose that they obeyed the call ; and as. we are informed by Josephus, at the time of the siege ot Jerusalem some were permitted to leave the city under truce, it is altogether likely that these were the children of Benjamin. We will now direct attention to the pro- phecy of Daniel 9 : 26. 27: "And after three- score and two weeks shall the Messiah be cut off. but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end tliereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war deso- ations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week : and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacri- hce and the oblation to cease, and for the over- spreading of abominations he shall make it 60 Daniel's PROPiiEcr. 61 desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Josephus, in his account of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, speaks of some who pled with Titus to grant a respite over the seventh day that they might observe the holy Sabbath and attend upon its sacred services without disturbance, and the request was granted. The passage we have just read from the pro- phecy of Daniel is a prediction of the crucifixion of our Lord and of the war between the Jews and Romans that soon followed. The prophet says, " Messiah shall be cut off, but not for him- self," indicating the vicarious character of His death. As 8t. Paul says, " Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." Then follows, in the second part of the pro- phocy, the destruction of the "city and the s ictuary by the people of the prince that sliould come." This prince that was to come, of whom the prophet speaks, was Titus, a son of Vespasian, Emperor of Rome, who at that time was at the head of the Roman army. The prophet tells us that this prince would " confirm the covenant with many for one week." This, no doubt, refers to the treaty that Titus made with some of the people of Jerusalem, by which he, according to Josephus, agreed to '^h 62 GOD S NATION. withdraw until after the Sabbatli, that they nji<^ht not be disturbed in the relij^ious observ- ance of CJod's holy day. And the prophet says, " In the midst of tlie week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and for the over- spreadinjj of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poui-ed upon the desolate." This foretells thq renewing of hostilities, and the awful destruction and complete overthrow that followed. Not long before the fulfilment of this prophecy our Lord had told the people of Jerusalem that those great and magnificent buildings would be thrown down, and that the overthrow would be so complete that there would " not be left one stone upon another " (Luke 21: G). Travellers who have visited the place of ancient Jerusalem, tell us that this is literally true. " Not one stone is left upon another." .1 i THE NATION TO WHICH THE KINGDOM OF GOD WAS GIVEN. Our Lord said to the Jews, " The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" (Matt. 21: 43). This leads us to inquire as to what nation the kingdom of God was given. It certainly was taken from Judah, and to say Daniel's prophecy. 63 tliat it w;is orivon to a Gentile nation would be to contradict all pnjpliccy relatintr to the mis- sion ol" Israel. If, then, th.- kinf,^loni of God was taken from Judah, and was not given to a Gentile nation, it must have been sfiven to Israel : and that it was nriven to Israel we think we have abundant proof. In the Hebrew nation there was no law makin<,' the first-born son, or any other son, the legal heir to the national estate. This the Lord reserved to Himself, to choose from time to time whom He would to stand at the head and bear the responsibilities, and wear the honors of His own nation. In patriarchal times, however, there was a custom that recognized the first-born son as having a suMerior claim by birth to the family estate, and later on in a royal family the eldest son was considered heir to the throne. But this birthright could be forfeited, sold, given away, or taken from him. Esau and Reuben are cases in proof of this. E an sold his birth- right, but in the case of F ;ube;! the birthright was taken from him on ac^-ou-.c of his sin, and given to the sons of Joseph ; and also Judah's tribal claim to the kingdom of heaven (Christ being of that tribe) was given to Joseph (1 Chron. 5: 1, 2). And we shall see a little farther on, the nation to which the Lord gave the kingdom of heaven, 'bringing forth the Mill ■I- ■ i ( I'. 1^ 64 11^ M) god's nation. fruits thereof "—the fruit of the glonous Gospel of the blessed God, the fruit of Christian sacrifice and toil. CHILDREN OF BENJAMIN CHRISTIAN.S. We will now direct the reader's attention again to the tribe of Benjamin. We learn from Josephus that just before the destruction of the city of Jerusalem by the Romans a company of people were permitted to leave the city under truce, and it is the opinion of some that those people were Christians, and no doubt they were. There appears to be no ground for doubt that they were the children of Benjamin. In Dan. 9: 27, the prophet tells us that this prince of whom he speaks would " confirm the cove- nant with many for one week." This, no doubt, was the treaty that Titus made with the Chris- tians under which they left the city. As I have stated already, there can be no doubt that they were the children of Benjamin. This, the reader will perceive, establishes the identity of the Christians in Jerusalem at that time and the people of the tribe of Benjamin. Tliese people of Benjamin had accomplished their mission as " a light before the Lord in Jerusalem," and now they answer the call to " gather themselves and flee out of Jerusalem." ^1 DAXIEl/s F'HOI'HECY, 65 IJENMAMIX'S TEKHITOKV. On thf return of the Jews from their Baby- lonish captivity the territory known as " Gil- ead " was (riven to tlie tribe of Benjamin. Obadiah 19: "And Benjamin shall possess Gilead." This is a strip of country alonjr the east side of the River Jordan, extending nortli- ward to the Sea of (Jalilee and southward to the Dead Sea, a distance of aljout sixty miles and not moio than twenty miles wide at any point. This, as the prophet tells us, became the posses- sion of the tribe of Benjamin. And it was here in Benjamin's territory that John was baptizing when Christ came to him to be baptized. " Then Cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him " (Matt. -S : 18). " Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold the same baptizeth, and all men come to him " (John 3 : 25, 26). This interview took place at Enon, which is on the west side of Jordan, and about two miles from the river. So the expression, " beyond Jordan," would naturally mean the east side of the river. Again, we read in John 1 : 28, " These things were done in Bethabara bevond 6 ^ HI" 1 66 god's nation. .4\ n Jordan, where Jolin was baptiziii;^." Bethubara is on the east side of Jordan, and at the point, it is supposed, where the Israelites crossed the river under the leadership of Joshua. And from the best authority we have, we learn that " be- yond Jordan," always means the east side of the wmiar. This territory, as I have prev lously stated, was anciently called " Gilead," but is now known as " Perea." My reason for making particular inepMon of these things is to show that when the time had come for our Lord to enter upon His public min- istry, He turned His steps toward the teiritory of Benjamin, the tribe that was to be " a light before him in Jerusalem." And it appears that our Saviour chose His first disciples from this tribe. The reader will bear in mind th;it the tribe of Benjamin belonged to the house of Israel, and not to Judah. This tribe was loaned to Judah for a special [nirpose, as already stated. It is true the children of Benjamin were known as Jews, but this was because their true relation to Judah w«,s not known. Their identity was hidden for a time even from themselves, and that, no doubt, for a wise and merciful purpose. That our Lord's first disciples were of the tribe of Benjamin appears evident from the words of St. Paul (Rom. 11 : 1-5) : "I say then, Hath God cast away his people ? God forbid. ■IP DANIEL'S PROPHEOV, 67 For I also am an Israelite, of the seel of Abra- ham, of the tribe of Benjamin, dml hath not east away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Klias ? how he nmketh intercession to God a^'ainst Israel, sayin^r, Lord, they have kill.-d thy proj)l„ts, and di<(;re,l down thine altars: and I am left alone, an the Ood of Abraham. Hut the Lord rolicMil the prophet's mind when He told him that He had reserved to Himself seven thousand men who had not bo»ved their knees to the imai;e of Baal. So, bad as it was, it was not so serious as Elijah supposed. Our Father above often com- forts His children by showinj^ them that matters are very much better than they suppo.sed them to be. Jacob at one time thouj^ht that Jo-seph and Simeon were lost, and if Benjamin .should go to Egypt he would never see him again, and with great sorrow of heart he cried, " All the.se things are against me " ((Jen. 42 : 3G). But a very happy chan^-e awaited the patriarch. In a very short time he was comfortably settled in the land of (ioshen, with his sons around him, and what was best of all, Joseph held the keys of Egypt's stores, and the good things of all the land of Egypt were at his disposal. "Ti'MRT y^'::s^iia^nMrtsrv>>^'mst^ IfKlj^'rr'-i.ill DANIEI.'s PROPHECY. SoiiM'tiint's ;ro(Ml nic ;;et Mivler tb»' clotn 4" diHcoMra«;einont and tuuik evfrvtliin--- is ,(r wrohfT. T!m- C'hui' h iH ^'oiiiy down and t; *- ccuntry i.s <,'oin;r wvouj;, aiul iliore i> Httl.- a^- tryiii;: to nwi!:.- matt s any lit-tk-r liisast*'!' is sure to < 'ifiu'. Poor Elijah ! Hi- seems to have fome to tli*> conc'usjon thiit all was j,'(>ne. that ht- wa.s tani only one left, and th.y wen .seekin (.!•;>.•: mv.v I 1 i have larf^e investments in worldly hey are most apt to do tiieir best i ; enterprises successful, and the i . vdd never forf^et that the if.''i' CHAPTER VI. BENJAMIN THE HEXtNANT OF JACOB. ?!■ In this chapter we shall continue to discuss the tribe of Benjamin. There is a \arv tho I'lvi fs of waters in a straight way, wherein tlt«>y shall not stumble : for I am a father to T«rae., and !"p!n-aim is my firstborn." That is, Ephi.i'm h- i. v ■ ■ ir. And the descend- ants of Ephraim, as n-e liave jn- 1 learned from the prophecy of .';icob, wei* to become a "multitude of nation •' Now, in this grea-^ covenant nation God planted the seed of promise, V\hich v>'a3 to I? :'!ir fj; ill 80 GODS NATION. H . , i " take root, and bud and blossom, and fill the face of the world with fruit." From this seed of promise came the tree of life, the leaves of which are for the " hcalinj; of the nations." "This tree of life," no doubt, is intended to symbolize the Gospel of Christ, which is to bf published in all nations, and which does brinj.^ spiritual healinijf to all people. We think the Scriptures plaiidy show that (iod committed to His own natif)n the develojment and propaga- tion of His marvellous scheme of redc^mption and salvation for the entin- race. It is true Christ came out of the trilie of Judah, which entitled that tribe to the birthnVjht of the kinirdoin of heaven, but in rejecting the .Me.ssiah they for- feited their birthrijj'it, and as the national birthright was taken from R. iiben and given to the sons of Joseph, so the birthright of the kingdom of heaven was taken from Judah and given to Jost-ph (I Chron. .') : 1, 2). The reader will remember that Jacob said of the sons of Joseph. " And let my name be named on them." Tiiis was the name that (Jod gave to him on that memorable night, when he wrestled with the angel of God until the bioak of day. And the Lord said to him, " Thy nanie .shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel : t'or as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and liast prevailed " (Gen. 32 : 28). It was this God- 1; JACOH HANDS THE NATION OVEU. 81 given name that was hanS NATION. !iil ii Hi! Israol, thou tluvt Icailost JoHcph like ii llork ; thou Unit (l\V('II(«st h( i 4 1' ti i ^ k; 94 GODS NATION, 1 !•' ■ l' ! m I: II power of Assyria, " from the hand of him that was stronger than he." This was the power that carried Israel away into captivity, and although they did not return to their native land, as did the Jews, yet they were delivered from the hand of their enemies, and are a free people and a great nation somewhere. Those "isles" of which the prophet speaks, were "far off"; that is, they were far off from Palestme, Israel's native land. It appears to be a clear indication that God had located the national fold in these " far-off isles," and that there He would gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel, whom He had scat- tered, and that He would keep them as a shep- herd keeps his flock. And before I finish these pages I hope to satisfy the reader that those " far-off isles " are the British Isles. We learn from prophecy that in these isles Israel would glorify God in the fires of martyr- dom. Isa. 24: 15: "Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Loi-d God of Israel in the isles of the sea." This, I think, may be taken as a proof of the iden- tity of the British nation with the ancient kingdom of Israel. The reader of English history has only to go back to the year 155G in order to witness the scene of the fulfilment of this prophecy, when Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop (1 if- U ''SfWUL .•.'!««r.:»-.--*«.' -^i Lif'.'*-,;.*^ ^ffis*"*.." .«if^« I ISRAEL A NATION TO-DAY. 95 of Canterbury, Hii(;h Latimer and Nicholas Ridley were burned at the stake, because they denounced tlie false do<;mas of the Church of Rome. These men certainly did " tjlorify God in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel, in the isles of the sea." We learn from sacred history that Israel in captivity prayed with their face toward Jerusa- lem, and when we read tlu^ prayer of Kin<; Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, we are led to think that he anticipated the captivity of the nation, an event that actually did follow. 2 Chron. G : 34-39 : "If thy people go out to war against their enemies by tlie way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name ; Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they sin against thee (for there is no man which sinneth not), an 1 thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before theii- enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off' or near ; Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying. We have siiuied, we have done ami^s, and have dealt wickedly: If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in •l ! ; i 'Ml '■iHI f 1 'K^i^vKmrn^^nffM 96 GOD.S NATK^N. 1;J u the land of their captivity, whithor they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city whicii thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name : Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and for- give thy people which have sinned against thee." This prayer of King Solomon was almost prophetic. It seems to have anticipated the captivity of the nation, and not only the cap- tivity of the nation, but it anticipated the return of Israel to (Jod, by repentance and prayer: and it also anticipated divine mercy in their for- giveness and the maintenance of their cause. When the enemies of Daniel had completed their plan for his destruction, that Hebrew saint went to his chamber, and there upon his knees, before his open window, with his face toward Jerusalem, prayed, and gave thanks three times a day. And the Lord heard him, and maintained his cause, and delivered him from the hand of his enemies. Now, it may be interesting to some to know that in the national churcii of England the officiating priest in the public service always turns his face to the east when he prays ; and !l: ISRAEL A NATION TO-DAY, 97 the house of worship always has an east window. In fact, the custom of turnin the end of the earth," His first work v/as to " raise up Tie tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved of Israel." My opinion is tha* " the preserved of Israel " refers to the remnant of Jacob, or the tribe of Benjamin. These, the reader will remember, were to be restored to Israel after Christ should come. And they were specially preserved of God from the awful destruction that fell upon Jerusalem and the Jews. In the thirty-third chapter of Deuteronomy we have the record of the blessings which Moses pronounced upon the tribes of Israel before he died. And these words of Moses w^ere prophetic words. " And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him ; and the Lord shall c^ver him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders" (Deut. 33: 12). This shows that the tribe of Benjamin was to be specially protected and preserved of the Lord, which they certainly were. When Simeon, in the temple, took the child ISHAEL IX THE ISLKS. 103 JesUH in his inns. ]\v sjiid : "Lord, now Ifttest thou tliy servant le, visited England, and was presented to our late beloved Queen. Having formed some idea of Britain's vealth and strength and greatness, and of the superior character of her empire, he askiid Her Majesty what tht; secret of it all was ; and that great Christian Queen took a copy of the Bible in her hand, and said to him, " This book is the secret of it all." Here in these British Isles we find the people of whom Christ is the glory, and they are the people whose ancestors "came from far" — the people who are known as " Anglo-Saxons " — and they are, we believe, the d^'scendants of the lost kingdom of Israel. We learn from prophecy that Israel, when settled in the isles, would find their possessions too small for them, that they would not have sufficient room for their increase of population, Isa. 49 : 19 : " ^^ or thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inbabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away." This territorial difficulty that Israel would experience would be when thev were far iuioved rm i\ ISHWA. IX THK ISLES. 105 from tlu'iii who " swallowed tht.'in up." We hnve lieuii toM by the Drophet Hcjsea that Israel was "swallowed up ainon^' the (ieiitiles." These "Gentiles' were the Assyrians, who carried Israel away into captivity, l>ut they are now " far away " from them. And now Israel's "waste and desolat*.' places" in these w»'stern isles are " too narrow l)y reason of the inhabi- tants." Israel s increa.se wouhl be .so <;reat that their island territory would soon become too small for them. Tliis became the actual fact with the Saxons in the British Isles, and the overflow population of Great Britain have ^one to every part of the globe, especially to the we.stern and northern wastes and wilds of the j^reat American continent, subduing the heathen and planting colonies, and building up strong, free and prosperous commonwealths. And this is not only the ca.«e upon the great north-western continent, but also upon what some are pleased to call the continent of Aus- tralasia, so that the Anglo-Saxons are to-day what ancient Israel was to become, " a nnilti- tude of nations." (Jreat Britain has her possessions in every zone. Her sceptre reaches to the four corners of the eartli, and as one \vriter has correctly said, " Great Britain's morning drum-beat is heard around the world." \i\ ■^ i-.ll ■ •m .ill 'I I it r .1 '; - f(. mmm wn 106 god's natiov. 1; i i ! ij ' 1 1 ' t i ! I 1 !.it 1 ! ! m I will now ask tliu rt'ji.ler tu rea. ".Joseph is u tVuitl'ul l.ou;;h, even a fruitful hou^'h by a well ; whos.. hmnches run oye-r the wall : The archers have sorely ;,'rieve..I him. an forth beyoinl the nntional limits iiml lorm ii«'W coiitrt'.s of national Viiv iiml stn-iij'th : hikI thi.s, it in well known, is a characteristic ftatur*! of the IJritish nation and of the An< Saxon race. We learn from this prophecy the world- wide eommisision of the nation. " I'nto the utmost IxniiuJ of the everlastin;,' hills," and we also learn from this prophecy the Christian character of the nation, " From the«K-e is tlie shepherd, the stone of Israel. " Thi.s i.s the "(;oo "■isr^T*--' ■-■ 108 II! ,tll GODS NATION. Ill J. tft recognize Christ as its foundation and chief corner-stont', is not a Christian nation, any more than a Church that does not recoirnize Christ as its foundation and chief corner-stone is a Christian Church. The Church is expected to follow the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to govern herself by those great and holy principles that He incul- cated, because she is a Christian Church ; and should not a Christian nation be expected to do the same ? The great evil that cursed Israel three thousand years ago, was this : Their rulers for- got the Lord, and departed from the ancient covenant, and bowed down to other gods. It was on this account that God took the kingdom from the house of David, and it was on this account that He permitted the captivity of Israel by the Assyrians. The people of Israel partook of the sins of their rulers, and the whole nation fell into the hands of their enemies. " For the children of Israel walked in all the sius of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them ; Until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight " (2 Kings 17 : 22, 23). The great need of the world to-day is a much higher grade of national righteousness in Chris- tian nations. It is righteousness that truly exalts a nation, and not only so, but it is the ISRAEL IN THE ISLES. 109 most effective form of diplomacy. " Opon ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in " (Isa. 26 : 2). Let England and the United States rise to a much higher grade of national righteousness, and let them put away the accursed things of national sin, and let them follow Him whom God has made " leader and commander of the people," and the gate of every Gentile nation will open to them of its own accord. For the Lord God of Israel has ordered that the "gates" be opened, that the " righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in." " Open ye the yateway, Vnd let tile natiiin in Wliich keepeth truth, and justice, Whose king ahlioiretli sin ; Swing open wide the gateways, From mountain to the sea. And liail with joy the coming Of earth's great Jubilee." '( 11] m '4 r ' rl i5l Ul III; I >4 ttAadk 'Mt ll CHAPTER XL ISRAEL THE LEADING NATION OF THE WORLD. The Scrii. ill res teach that Israel would become the leadiiif^ nation of the world, and that many nations would come to Israel to secure thei money loans, and that Israel would not be under tinancial obligations to other nations. Deut. 15:6: " For the Lord tliy Gotl blesseth thee, as he promised thee : and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow ; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee " And again, Deut. 28: 12, 13: " The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand : and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and I hou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail ; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath." Now, these promises and predictions were not fulfilled in Israel before the captivity of the nation, therefore we must look for their fulfil- ment since the nation left Palestine. Now, it is 110 ISRAEL THE LEADING NATIOX. Ill well known to all who know anytliin;,' of the history and condition of the Jews that these passages do not apply to them. It is true that some Jewish families have become great money-lenders, particularly the Rothschilds, a part of whom, at least, are British subjects. But while a part of a passage may seem to apply to a people other than the Anglo- Saxons, it cainiot be taken as proof of identity with Israel : the whole passage must apply before it can be admitted as evidence of identity. In the first passage (juoted above we are told that Isi-ael should not only " lend unto many nations," but that Israel should also " reign over many nations," and that they should not reign over Israel. The second part of this passage the reader will see at onct; has no application whatever to the Jews, but 't certainly ^. -j-tJ-'^i- ,."!.-..-.•;.-, rra J ISRAEL THE LEADING NATION. 115 Republic of the United States of America. Here we find the great people of Manasseh, the sou of Joseph. The gro\vin<» friendline.s.s and national sym- pathy that is manifested at the present time between Great Britain and the United States, is a most hopeful sign of the times. These two sections of (Jod's great nation should never have been enemies. The independence of the colonies should have been an event with England's full consent and without recourse to arms. If the Anglo-Saxons had understood their missioti and destiny, as shown in the prophetic Scriptures, there would have been no blood shed to obtain the independence of the American colonies, and it is a matter of very great importance that there be the best of understanding between these two grand divisions of God's nation. It is a matter of still greater importance that this great Anglo-Saxon race recognize their national ancestry, because w^th this i-ecognition of our Israelitish origin will come a clearer perception of our divine mission, wliich is not to light the torch of war, but to carry the lamp of light and life to all the families of the earth. The Lord said to Abrahan), " 1 will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a bless- ing." This is what God intended this great Hi 4 n - ; *• * 1 - f ^'1 Hi ri if ^s?T 116 GODS NATION. nation always to be — "a ble.ssinatriivich .laeoh, with ie;4anl to the iiatitmal estate of Israel : therefore the hlessiii-,'s which are eiuuueratetl here hy Moses, are the iinniense fortunes of the nation, the heari'hfii(l The womltT of thu lovu The forei;j;ner on coiiiiiifj to our country .should be met at the l.indin;; with a ('hristian ^reetin;^, and should be made welcome to our fields of in- dustry, an I 'I ill J, i| ■M If uo GODS NATION. ■^ if the New Helti'ides a movement for annexation to the British Empire. A petition siijiied hy a hundred and six chiefs and others has heeii for- warded to the British Government, in wliich tlie petitioners pray to be annexed to Great Britain. The petitioners say tiiey believe that under tlie British Government they would enjoy justice and peace, and that they would become ac([uainted with the En,.,jj ' »- ' . [U.L'J ' -.J.m.JIJf.-K{-,- ..-^J BWggMB^y^BMeaW^WBgWWMWi 144 aODS NATION. 11 •I < i) But Jacob'n prophecy concernin'j the tribe of Dan continues. " Dun .sliall be a serpijnt by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse lieels, HO that his rider shall fall backward." This prophecy is not by any nusans contpli- nientary to the tribe of Dan. The serpent is a s'-inbol of evil, the representative of deception, and treachery, and cruelty. He lurks by tlie wayside, and from his place of hidin<^ lie leaps upon his prey. " He bites the horse heeds." The bitten or bruised heel is a symbol of trouble, pain and sorrow, but not of conijuest. In the Lord's first promise of a Redeemer the " bruised heel " is used to syiid)()li/e all the trials, sorrow and suffering that our Saviour endured while pursuin|)^ His mission of love and mercy in the world. But the " bruised head " of the serpent syin- bolizes our Lord's (glorious conquest in His fin- ished work of redemption. Thank the Lord for that glorious con<|uest. And in connection with the aibninistration of government in Ireland, England has had many experiences of the " biting of the horse heels," notably the Pht il;i, werr «>neiuu;a to «'nch otli:;r, anil lH)tli of i( i\ v (J eneniit'H to Isivu'l. Hut Israel is a blcNUi,;; lu tlie midst of tlieiii, ansent time in South Africa, and this opportunity is infinitely more than to annihilate a cruel and degrading system of human slavery and to make all men free and eijual before the law. It is to throw the light upon them, so that tho poor down-trodden native may see his spiritual need and accept the Saviour of sinners, and rise to a higher plain of intelligence and social and moral being. It is the light, the " true light," that the Gen- tiles must see, and seeing it, they and their kings will come to the "brightness" of the nation's " rising." St. Paul, the great apostle to the (Jentiles, tells us that his commission was " to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God" (Acts 2G: 18). This noble apostolic missionary pos- sessed the quallKcations that arc of first import- ance to the Christian missionary at the present time. 1. He was thoroughly educated. 2. He was soundly converted to God— "A new creature '111- 1| #1 y U '^1. •S r k f m\ |;*-1 152 nons \ATioN. u li I* I. r in Christ." I). Ho luul jio tni.sgivin of in;; counted worthy to suffer for the name of .lesus. It is ph'asinjj and en- couraginjj to know that this licjroic spirit and apostoh'c devotion to .lesus Christ is still alive upon many of the nu'ssion fields, hoth foreign and domestic, and this spirit of Christian heroism and apostolic devotion to Jesus shouKl possess the Church and the nation at home, as well as those who are sent forth to face the giant foes of the Lord. The nation and the Church needs to be seized of a holy and intelligent en- thusiasm for Christ, and for the successful prose- cution of the nation's high commission, and when so seized we shall glory in the cross of giving and sacrificing for the name and cause of Jesus, as the consecrated missionary glories in the cross of sacrifice and toil for Christ and humanity. Why should men and women living under these flags and protected by the governments and laws of these Christian nations, and enjoy- ing the material, social anci religious luxuries of the richest, brightest and happiest civiliza- tion in the world, allow the missionary of the Cross, in his field of sacrifice and toil, to suffer E>..- i . J l .l.! ' '-■ ■ ■.J. ' ^' » l-i ll FSUAEMTKS SENT TO THK ISI,KS AFAU OFF. I'l.'i hwauHc ol" iiisufHfirnt tiiiiiiicial siip|»»rt ' And wliy shouM any part of lifailifmloni i-cinain in relij^ious daikncss for lack of nifMris to Hfinl tho lif^lit, vvhil»r thoiiHaiuls of I5riiisli and Anieftming star I Watchman, does its beauteous ray Aught of hope or joy foretell ? Traveller, yes ; it brings the day. Promised day of Israel." — Sir J. Botvrin(i. : I- CHAPTKR XV. THE REKIN OF CIIRISr. St. Paul says of Christ, " He must rei<^n, tilt he hath put all enemies under his feet " ( I Cor. lo : 25). This leaves the (juestiun as to the time when His reign will end (|uite indefinite. This " reign " of Christ of which the apostle speaks is the gospel dispensation, a period of Christian warfare against the enemies of Christ, and these enemies of Christ are all principles, organ- izations, systems, institutions and traffics that antagonize the principles, spirit and mission of the Gospel. Hence there are many mighty foes to be conquere under the Conqueror's feet. All systems of idol- atry must be overthrown, because idolatry is a mighty enemy to Christ ; but in tlie future as in the past this enemy will fall before the conquer- infr force of li<^ht, until, as the Scriptures teach, the God of Israel shall be the " God of the whole earth." The institution of modei*n slavery is one of Christ's enemies — an institution blacker than the skins of its helpless victims, a system most cruel, degrading and demoralizing. But, thank heaven, it has gone under the Conqueror's feet both in Great Britain and the United States, but not till after many hard struggles and, in the latter nation, great loss of life and wealth. Now that Israel is free from this abomination, we feel assured that all men, of every race and color, must be free wherever these flags are unfurled. Another of Christ's enemies, and one that is mightier for evil than all other antichristian systems put together, is the legalized rum traffic — a traffic that we believe is the greatest na- tional, political, social, religious and domestic curse of our times. This legalized liquor traffic appears to be the chief agency of the devil for the purpose of defeating the Gospel of Christ and destroying mankind ; and the worst feature in connection with this antichristian and man- destroying business is, it has its headquarters and ' ?! . THE REIGX OF CHRIST. 157 stronijliolds in our Christian countries, an orse than wasted on strong drink in these two THE REIGN OF CHRIST. i:)9 Christian nations, were jjiven for tlu> support of missions, the bread of life could be jriven at once to all the families of the earth. We have already stated, us an evidi'iice of our identity with the kin*,'doin of Israel, that the constitution and laws of the British nation are founded upon the ten cotuniandments, or the covenant that God made with Moses and Israel. And what, we ask, could be more unreasonable, inconsistent and suicidal than for the irovern- ment to legalize and protect a traffic that wajjes perpetual war against every stone in the nation's foundation ? For what part of the Decalogue is the rum traffic not at Wi.r with ^ It certainly turns men away from the true God : and that is the only way it ever did, or ever can turn men. For no man can enjoy the favor of God and run a liquor business, or patronize it. It has no ecpial as a fountain of profanity, especially in the use of the most sacred name. The fume of the vilest profanity that characterizes many of the liquor saloons and hotels, makes one feel that he is walking within the suburbs of the infernal regions. The rum traffic has no respect for the Lord's day, and would abolish it alto- gether, if it had the power. One of the stones in the nation's foundation is, " Honor thy father and thy mother." And everyone knows that the rum traffic is the most J . ill I If] ^l . i|:: m m 160 GODS NATION. !•> ■»: D' proliHc source of all that diishonors father and mother, and often crushes their spirits and breaks their hearts. Another stone in the nation's foundation is, " Thou shalt not kill." And yet the ruin traffic has slain nu)re British ami American subjects than war and pestilence combined, and it is a fact too well known to retpn're any special arijument that, both directly and indirectly the licjuor traffic has no ecjual as a cause of murder and suicidoi Another stone in the nation's foundation is, " Thou shalt not steal." But the rum traffic has always been a thief factory. The licjuor traffic itself is a system of legali/od robbery, and one of the natural results of its operations is to make thieves of men and women and children. Another stone in the nation's foundation is, " Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." And who does not know that lying and perjury are among the natural fruits of the liquor traffic ? The fact is just this : Strong drink robs a man of his manhood, and of his sense of honor and self-respect, and when these are gone he is pre- pared for anything low, false, vile and cruel. And he is the product of this devilish rum traffic that our statesmen and politicians have been trying a long time to regulate and control 1 i THE REIGN OF CHlllST. 161 by acts of parliuineiit, hut have never succeeded. Nor can we ever ho[i»' to succeed in our etibrts to regulate and control an evil tiiat we make legal. The power of the rum tndfic for »vil is in its legal status, and just as long as it ranks among the institutions that are authorized and protected by the National Government, it will continue its evil work, producing the same dread- ful res'ilts as in the past. And there are some who are saying, " The li(|Uor traffic will never be abolished. It is so deeply rooted in society, an JIIDMl MUST USITK. What wiil i.c^cmc of tli.> Jews; 'I'liis is a proper uiid io.is..ii;J)le (|U<, ->;..ii, aiul uuf tli.it w.- think is tt: My an* wen I in tlit- Scriptuns. TliJit Israel an. I Judfih i, ivo been sepunitecvcr .since the revolt ot Isnul ji<,'aiust Kehoboani, needs no argument, and the Scriptures sh<»\v HO clearly that they will ht- reunited, no one will undertake to di8{)ute it. Let us for a moment li.sten to the te.stim uy of prophecy. E/ek. 37 : lG-22 : ' Moreover ; V u son of man, takt' thee one stick, and write i , i^ it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel i.s companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ki)hraim, and for all the hou.se of Israel his companions : And join them one to another into one stick ; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying. Wilt thou not shew us what thou mean- est by these ? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of 163 fi ■m 164 nODS NAIION. 'I' ■ r •I » Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraini, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writ- est shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord (Jod ; Beheld, I will take the children of Israel from amon<( the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land : And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel ; and one king shall be king to them all ; and they shall t)e no more two nations, neither shall they bo divided into two kingdoms any more at all." If the prophecies icerning Israel and Judah are to be fulfilled, and they surely are, then these two sections of the ancient nation must surely be reunited. The simple manner oy which God represents that great and happy event, is exceedingly interesting. The " stick of Joseph," which represents the kingdom of Isiael.is in the " hand of Ephraim." This agrees with the pro- phecy of Jacob and of Jeremiali, making Kphraim the head of the nation. The other is the " stick of Judah," and these two sticks were united and became one stick in the hand of tlie prophet; and so, the Lord says, Israel and Judah shall become one in His hand. This prophecy is very ISRAEL AND JUDAH MUST UNITE. 165 explicit. "■ And I will make then, one nation. And they shall be no nion; two nations." Again, we read in Jor. .'50 : '.i : " Foi-, lo, the days con.3, saitii the Lord, that I will l.rinjr again the captivity of my people Isni.-I and Judah, saith the Lord : and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it." Now, some are ready to ask, If (ireat Hritain is the descendant nation from the lost house of Israel, how are we to understan.l their return to Palestine ^ Surely it cannot mean the rctuiu of all the people, for there would not be room even for a small fraction of them. The first thing to be noticed here is the re- union of these two sections of iUVs ancient nation. They will first become one in Gotl's hand, as shown by the prophecy of ]v/A'k\v\ ; and that will be when the Jews embrace Christ as the Messiah of Hebrew prophecy, a thing that they certainly will do. An• a . m if i 168 god's nation. ! ■.' appear the second time, which He surely will, it will be at the same place where He took His last leave of His apostles at dear old Olivet. SIGNS OF THE TIMES. But what are the ;;T^ns of the present times, pointinjj to the consummation of the ])urposes of God concerning Israel and the world ? The Lord said to Israel, " Enlarge the place of thy tent and let thetn stretch forth the cur- tains of thy habitations, strengthen thy stakes and lengthen thy cords " (Isa. 54 : 2). And this is exactly what Great Britain and the United States are doing at the present time. They are enlarging their possessions, " the place of tluir tents." Never did these two nations occupy so much of the earth as they do at the present time. " The curtains of their habitations" were never stretched forth as they are to-day. These two nations are also " strengthening their .stakes." These "stakes" are our military posts and garrisons for protection and defence. They are also strengthening the army and navy, and all this is being done at very great cost. It is a matter of very great importance that the nation be kept strong, not for war, but for national defence and peace; because it is onl}'^ when we are well prepared for war that we can command peace. H» ^^ it ISRAEL AND .JUDAH MUST UNITE. 1G9 Another most favorable si^n of the times is the mutual sympathy and <;oo(l-\vill that exists betvs'een Great Britain and the United States. Ephraim and Manasseh nuist become fully recon- ciled to each other and stand toj,'ether as brothers, which they are, before they can exert that in- fluence for goo- speaking people throughout the world, whereby we can prevent war. We want peace." At a ban(|uet in London, Eng., given in honor of Mr. Joseph H. Choate, the American Ambas- sador to England, Lord Charles Beresford pre- sided, and, in referring to the American and British navies, he said : " I hope the time will very shortly come when there will be such an understanding between the two countries that, if anything occurs disagreeable to us or affecting our honor and safety, these two fle<'ts will be together for peace." In replying to a toast, Mr. Choate said : " I express the appreciation of my countrymen for the forbearance, good-will and friendship manifested toward them so freely by the British people. It is true, gentlemen, that the first interest is peace between the United States and Great Britain. I believe that if these countries, laboring together for peace, unite their voices in demanding it, it is almost sure in every ca.se." Sucli expressions of mutual .sympathy, good- will and hope and faith, coming from the repre- .sentative men of both section.s of God's m-eat nation with regard to the future of these nations and the world, are very significant, and most encouraging to the student of prophecy concern- ing Israel, and to all Christian people and lovers of peace. CHAPTER XVII. APOSTASY IN THE CIU^UCll. In the national church of England there is a party known as " Ritualists." This party hol.ls to and advocates many of the erroneous dogmas of the Church of Rome, such as baptismal regen- eration, the real presence of the Ijody and blood of Christ in the elements of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the adoration of the Eucharist, and the authority of the priest to forgive sins. This party in the Anglican Church has made strenuous efforts from time to time to establi.sh these Romish errors in the national church ; and because they have not succeeded to their own satisfaction, some of them have gone over to the Church of Rome. In St. Paul's second epistle to Timothy he says: "The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine : but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears ; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables " (2 Tim. 4 : 3, 4). And this is the fact in the 171 It I i f, r^ : V 172 GODS NATION. ■ T : national church of En^rjand at the present time. The Ritualists are turning away their ears from the truth of the Gospel, and are turning to the fables of Roman Catholicism. It is evident the apostle was writing of people in the Church, and not of the people of the world generally. He says, "Tiie time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine." These are prophetic wofds, written with regard to a state "of apostasy in the Church at a future period. And this state of apostasy is a very serious thing. The time will come when people in the Church " will not endure sound doctrine." If the doctrine is unsound, l.r., unscriptural, not wholesome, not true, they will endure it ; but they " will turn away their ears from the truth." The mission of gospel truth is to save sinners, " turning them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." But we learn from this apostolic prophecy that the time would come when the truth would be unpopular with some people in the Church, and, turning away from it, they would resort to fables These people are in the national cliurch, and many of them are wealthy, and worldly, and sensual, and there is nothing they love so much as the gratification of their lusts. Hence they will not " endure " the plain gospel truth that uncovers and denounces their particular sins. APOSTASY IN' THE CHURCH. 17.S The dfxitrine of rt'pentance towards Go A fli 174 GOU'S NATION. ij ? but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord : for wiioni I have suf- fered the loss of all things, and do count them but (hnig, that I may win Christ ; and be found of him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is tluough the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of Cod by faith" (Phil. 3 : H, 9). Herein is the power that moves the dmrch and the nation in the right way; and herein is the most effective protest against the absurd claims, empty performances and gew-gaws of popery. There never was a time when the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ needed to be more alive unto God than at the present. Spiritual life and personal devotion to ' 'lirist and His cause are the only things that can counteract the popu- lar tendency to worldliness and an empty and dead formality. The Church may ask the (|uestion, " What can we do to reach the masses ? " The only answer to that question is. rench God. Our preaching, and praying, and singing, and giving, and every-day living must reach the heart of God, before we can hope to reach the heart of the ma.sse8. " When a man's ways p'ease the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Prov. 16: 7). " But if all prophesy, and there come in one APOSTASY IN THE CHrRCH. 175 that bclieveth not, or one unl(»nrn«'tl, lie is con- vinced of all, he is ju(l;red of all : And thus are the secrets of liis iieart made manifest ; and so falling down on his face he will worship (Jod, and report that Clod is in you of a truth" (1 Cor. 14: 2+, 2.')). Let Christian nien and womt-n evcrvwl re stand up loyally and heroically for Christ and our glorious I'rotestant Christianity, and the Lord God of I>i-ael will take the chiklren of God, they lif. in ambush, waiting an opportunity to spring their trap, and catch the honest and unsuspecting follower of Christ. St. Peter says, " Be sober, be vigilant ; beca,use your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour " (1 Peter 5 : 8). While it is true that the old destroyer some- times attacks' God's children like a "roaring lion," he more frequently attacks them like the venomous reptile that lies hidden in the grass and among the fruits and flowers that we all admire and love, and from his place of hiding springs upon them, like the viper upon Paul's hand ; and as Paul shook the beast from his hand, so may we, by the grace of God, shake the serpent from our hand, and we, too, like Paul, shall receive no hurt. The viper of temptation is present everywhere, and in almost every conceivable form. Jesus says, " Watch ye, and pray, lest ye enter into temptation " (Mark 14 : 3S). He does not^ say, " Watch ye and pray, lest ye be tempted," but, "lest ye enter into temptation." It is the entering into temptation that brings the sad results. Young men and young women who are em- ployed tn our banks and offices and mercantile APOSTASY IX THE CHTfUCH. 179 houses, are daily r posed to temptation, : > act a dishonest part, and tiioy need to use the Saviour's prescription every day and liour as a preventive. " Watch ye, and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." If the viper of temptation seize your hand, do not delay to shake it ofi' in the name ol Christ, lest your heart and character become fatally poisoned. The viper of temptation to be dishonest and untruthful in business transactions sometimes j^ets hold of the trader's hand, and if he does not shake it off, it will poison his name, ai. '' his character, and his business. The "iper of temptation to withhold support from the cause of Christ f:fets hold of the Christian's hand sometimes, and to their irreat injury some have allowed the beast to remain on the .land, until the poison reached the heart, robbing them of their peace with God, and resulting in their separation from the Church, and possibly from Christ. Oh, how sad the ending ! The viper of temptation gets hold of God's minister sometimes, and tells him he has missed his calling, and that he would be a greater success in some other business or callint; to which he is more adapted. But tlie preacher should bear in mind this fact, that if he has missed his calling by taking to the pulpit (and Ij't Eli • I ii « ■', 180 god's nation. it is possible he has), the devil is the last one that would tell him of it. It is the man that God puts into tlie pulpit, that the devil would like to get out of it. The preacher should be sure that God has called him to the gospel ministry ; and then, no matter what tl e sacrifices that he has to make may be, he must shake off the viper of temptation that would take him from the blessed work to which lie is divinely called. i The preacher must not forget that, in calling him to the Christian ministry, the" Lord con- ferred upon him the highest honor possible for man ; and that his highest ambition should be to magnify his sacred office, make full proof of his ministry, and to honorably wear his honor, in humility and purity of life, and faithfulness to God, the Church, and the State. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man : but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able ; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10: 13). "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation : for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." (James 1 : 12). Vi APOSTASY IN THE CHURCfl. "Thou on the Lord rely, So sjife Hhalt thou y(. on ; Fix on his work thy steiitlf.ist oye, So shall thy work be done. " No i)rofit canst thou gain By self-consuming care ; To him couunend thy caupo, his vnr Attends the softest prayer." 181 I I'i' CHAl'TKK XVIII. '■If i) i'» ' • j I i ; 'f 1 iiii^ ... il SAUAII IS CIIOSEX OF (UUK This "great nation" which tiie Lord founded for Himself had not only its fathers in the persons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but it Imd its mothers also, in the persons of Sai^hli, Rebekah and Rachel. And there is no clearer evidence of the divine call of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to the hijjh and important stations which the}' occupied in succession, than there is of the divine call of Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel to the equally hi^^h and important stations which they occupied in succession. When the Lord called Abram to leave his own country and kindred, and his father's house, and go to a country liiat He would tell him of, Abram was a married man, and of course the call included his wife. And I suppose the first thing that Abram did after he received the call, was to inform Sarai, his wife, of the fact, that the great unseen and mysterious God, the God of their great ancestors, Noah and Shem, had called them to leave their native country, and 182 SARAH IS CHOSEN OF (ioD. I8;i jjo to another, \vliert> ihfy are to Im'COHU' a <;reat nation. And I fancy tliat Sarai's first (jut'stion would be, Pray, where are we to <;o, Ahrain ! And Aijrani would say, The Lord has not yet told nie where the land is that we are to go to, hut He says He will ttdl nic, and I am sure He will ; so let us j^et ready and ;jo at once. On cominjT into tln' land of Canaan they soon found that a famine prevailed in that country, so they decided to go down into Egypt and sojourn there for a time. But their stay in Egypt was shortened by a circumstance for which Abram has been very severely censured. It appears that Sarai was a very eautiful woman, and Abram feared that the Eg^ ntians would kill him in order to obtain her, and to avoid .such a calamity, he introduced her as his sister. Now, I am not disposed to offer an apology for Abram's indiscreetness, but I do not like to hear it said that Abram t(jld a falsehood, becaus(! ho did not. He said, " She is my sister," and in saying that he told tlie truth, for she was his sister. Abram and Sarai were both childi-en of Terah, but they had separate mothers, and, there- fore, they were half brother and sister. So we see that Abram's error was not in telling an untruth, but in not telling all the truth: con- sequently what he said was misleading and ■I i i II A I 184 GODS NATION, li! ' VI decidedly indiscreet. And Abraham and Sarah committed the Hame error when they dwelt in CJerar (Gen. 20 : 1-3). But wv ni.ust remember that Abraham and Sarah were just risinjj out of the obscurity of heathenism, and it would be very unfair to judge them by the clear light of Christianity. If Chris- tian people of this age lived up to the light they have as faithfully as Abraham and Sarah lived up to the light they had, we would be a much holier people than we are. When the Lord made a covenant with Abram He changed his name from Abram to Abraham, which signifies, " father of a multitude," and at the same time the Lord changed the name of Abraham's v/ife. Gen. 17 : 15, 16 : " And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her : yea, I will bles.s her, and she shall be a mother of nations ; kings of people ohall be of her." Thus we see that in founding the nation God bestowed equal honor upon Abruh-m and Sarah, showing that Sarah was chosen of God to be the mother or His nation as truly as Abraham was chosen of God to be the father of His nation. And later on, when Sarah demanded that Hagar anr her son Ishmael should be put away, SARAH IS CHOSEN OF (JOD. 185 it grieved Abraham, nnd he was not diaposof' God und why is it that she does not i« erseif of her great ancest ,1 mother St. But we will call it m oversight and In -^1 Abraham's wanderings, cind sacrifices, and ii i8hij>s we have every reason for believ- ^' 186 OODS NATION. ill-* in«^' that Sara! bore Ikt full share ; ami iti the ac'cuniulir ion of his great weaMi, no doubt, Abraham owed as »nuch to the iniiustry and economy of Sarah * . to that of himself. Tliis was only as it sjunild Ik?, because tlu; Lord created woman to be a " helpmeet " for man : and in lier sp!,, re and with e(iual otlvanta • she has ever proved herself to be luan's etjUa ' - every relation of life— in the home, the church, the lool and the State. It IS (juite evident that Abraham expected that the promises of CJod respectinjj his de- scendants would be fulfilled through Ishmael, the son of Hagar, for when the Lord intimated to him that the covenant line was in Sarah, Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said, " O that Lshmael might live before thee " (Gen. 17: 17, 18). And because I mael was Abra- ham's son God said He would ike him a ' great nation " (Gen. li : 20). But He gave no promise that through Ishmael other nations should be blest. Indeed, the very opposite has been the fact in the history of the Arabs, who are the descendants of Ishmael. The.sc people have always been a wild race of robbers, and pirates, and mui-derers. " Their hand has ever been against every man, and every man's hand has ever been against them " (Gen. 1(J : 12). But the descendants of Sarah are the covenant people. :^7;^-lfi^ SARAH l'^ 'HosKN OK (;ol>. 1S7 tiiro',j;,'h whom "all the nations o' Uh- luilli wo tv be blest." " Antl (Joil saiil, Saiali tiiy wil'o shall lifuithee a son in"Ni BB^B^'^Bff REBEKAH IS CHOSEN OF GOD. 189 the " elder should serve the younger " (Gen. 25 : 23). These words, " The elder shall serve the younger," imply superiority on the part of the younger, and are to be understood as apply- ing to the " two nations" and the " two manner of people " ; and no doubt Rebekah understood that the younger son was to be the link in the cove- nant chain of progenitors of God's great nation. Hence her great anxiety to accomplish what she believed to be the will of God, and which cer- tainly was the will of God, and that was the thing that came to pass. And if Rebekah, in her earnest solicitude for the carrying out of the expressed will of God, did use means of doubtful propriety, I think it best to suspend judgment in the case until we get the explanation in the clearer light of the world to come. When Isaac had reached the age of forty years, and about three years after the death of his mother, he decided to take to himself a wife. Then Abraham his father called Eliezer, who was his most trustworthy servant, and after giving him full instructions with regard to the mission upon which he was about to send him, and after exacting a solemn oath from Eliezer that he would faithfully carry out the instructions given him, Abraham sent him away to Mesopotamia, which was Abraham's native country, to get a wife for his son Isaac. W^iP"!P^ SP^ ili 190 GODS NATION. U'li "ii. 1 1, ■ I And Eliezer went in the name of the God of his master and with much prayer for divine guidance. It is (|uite evident that God directed his steps, for he came to the home of Bethuel, who was Abraham's nephew. Here he bowed down and gave thanks to God for leading him to the dwelling-place of his master's people. Then, in his simple manner and with great earnestness, he related to Rebekah's people how God had blessed his master Abraham and sfiven him great wealth, and had also given him a son in his old age, and that this son was soon to suc- ceed his father in the family estate, and that he (Eliezer) had been sent by his master to get a wife for this son and heir, and that God had led him to their home and chosen their daughter Rebekah to be the wife of Isaac. After hearing Eliezer's story Rebekah's peo- ple appear to have been fully convinced that Rebekah was indeed chosen of God to be the wife of their kinsman Isaac. But the final deci- sion was left with Rebekah herself, just as it should be in all cases of matrimony. So Rebekah was called, and the question was presented to her, " Wilt thou go with this man ? " and she said, " I will go." And that settled it. Eliezer knew that God had chosen Rebekah to be the wife of Isaac, for he had said to the Lord, " Behold, I stand here by the well of water ; and the daughters of if H^nn^ram mmm UEBEKAH IS CHOSEN OF fiOD. 191 1 the men of the city come out to draw water : Ami let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink ; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also ; let the same he she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master" ((Jen. 2^ : l.S, 14). On the following day, when Eliezer and Rebekah took their leave of Rebekah's people, they blessed her, and the (jccasion was r than ahumlon luH cherislpfl hope of ^ettinj,' Haclnl. It is sai's NATION. " Love strong as (loath, nay, strnnger, Lovi- mightier than tliu grave ; Broajas the earth, and longer Than ocea widest wave. T'lis is the h>ve that sought us, This is the h)Ve thit h<»ught us, This is the love that brought us To gladdest day from .Siuhlest night, From deepest sliame ta glory bright. From depths of death to life's fair height. From darkness to the joy of light." — H. Bonnr. Now we shall have to pass over a space in the history of Jacob and Rachel, and join them again on their homeward journey from Padanriram to Canaan. Here Jacob had great trouble and a wonderful experience. He was told that his brother Esau was coming to meet him with four hundred men. This was an alarming report, and Jacob became very uneasy, for he remem- bered how he had taken advantage of Esau in his absence and had deceived their old blind father, and by that meaub he had obtained the paternal blessing which his father had intended for Esau, He also remembered that Esau was greatly enraged towards him on account of what he had done, and had threatened to slay him, and he feared that Esau was now coming to be avenged of him. So he resolved on win- nincr his brother's favor, if possible. In order \u '' .1 HACHFI- IS riloSK '>K nt hi servants. .n brfoiv him, with a viihiahle present to his l.roth.r. consisting of catnels, cows, - ats an.l sl»<,'e|) to the nmnb.'r of five hinuh-e.l u m1 ei«;hty. After these he sent his family over the For^' that God woultl l tinued all night and triumphed at Lord changed 1 which signifies " a v When a man h ■ n M Jacoh md so anxi(»us is n'i\\i t that he con- tiest pl.iiii iig with G(k1, real, of .1 v. Here (he ,♦' fi -n .III' 'h to Israel, |ueror iues -'. truest :»'m1 anxious for the salvation • ' sinm- th-it he w ul . ontmue all r.i'dit alone with G. .raver, arnestly pleading until tLe break h he may be sure that God will an wer hi> |>#Hy,r And when a sinner becomes -.o earn, -t mln^ut his own salva- tion that he I wf -st? ii (iod all night in pleading pen > nee, li ' breaking of the day * ' forgive his sins and i Christ Jesus, giving hii oil of joy for mourns t\ in* s re that by the 1 answer his prayer, •u a new creature in ,iuty for ashes, the and the garment o! praise for the spirit of ..eavines^ Upon that memorable instant of Jacobs all- night prayer, Charles Wesley . niposed the fol- lowing beautiful and sublime hymn : I i I i 'I S II i w M 200 fJOD's NATION. '* Come, () thou Trnvoller unknown, Whom ntill I hold, hut cannot nue ! My company hofore is gom?. And I am left alono with thee ; With thee all night I mean to Ntay, And wresth) till the hreak of day. " I need not tell thee who I am, My miHcry and sin declare ; Thyself haat called mo by my name. Look on thy hands, and read it there ; But who, I ask thee, who art thou I Tell me thy name, and tell mo now. •' In vain thou strugglest to get free, I never will unloose my held ! Art thou the man that died for mo ? The secret of thy love unfold ; Wrestling, I will not let thee go. Till I thy name, thy nature know. " Wilt thou not yet to me rvveal Thy new, unutterable name ? Tell me, I still beseech thee, tell ; To know it now resolved I am ; Wrestling, I will not let thee go. Till I thy name, thy natur ) know. " What though my shrinking He.sh complain, And murmur to contend so long ? I rise superior to my pain. When I am weak, then I am strong ; And when my all of .strength shall fail, I shall with the God-man prevail. " ■.™it»j3v» J jr«jar'Ji»»r.'iwiTaea»*LP»u'^v"'«T>\'^z»- •i"^swr?«»- ^nk^st RACHEL IS CHOSEN OF f:(»I). 201 Jacob's partifulur re^janl for Rachel and her son JoHopli is seen in the way h.- ilivitled his family whci lie went forward to nu-et Ksau. He sent the two handmaids, Hilhah and Zilpah, with their children, on before, and next to them he sent Leah and her children, and last of all he sent Rachel and Jaseph. This arrangement evidently was intended to afford Rachel and her son tlie best possible chance to escape, should Esau be coming to smite them. This act on the part of Jacob shows that of all his liousehold Rachel and Joseph were the most precious to him. And this was (|uite reas- onable, because Rachel was, without doubt, the wife that God chose for iiim, and she was the only wife that Jacob chose for himself. Not long after this Benjamin was born, and Rachel died, leaving two son.s, Joseph and Ben- jamin. And Jacob buried Rachel near the old historic town of Bethlehem, where he erected a monument to her honor and memory, which is known to this day as " The Pillar of Rachel's Grave." And now, behold, Josepli becomes a most interesting type of the Divine Redeemer and Saviour. He is sold by his brethren, and is taken down to Egypt, where he is made to suffer the deepest humiliation and greatest indignity on account of the sins of others, but finally i • t« I aHK^JKlf^^3L ''^'i _ir/_.' ' •.'=4£ ' .Ar-iDj 'i^iyiF- '-."-L '^ea^^Ki-'we^AZ ^^^^?9^^ffT- 1*^; III 202 god's nation. rises above all his enemies, and becomes the temporal saviour of his people. Benjamin, the younger son of Rachel, becomes a connectin<; link between Joseph and his father's house. For Joseph had said to his brethren, " Ye shall not see my face except your brother be with you " (Gen. 43 : 3). The reader will remember that the fortunes of the nation were settled upon the house of Joseph, and divided between his two sons, Eph- raim and Manasseh, the grandsons of Rachel. Benjamin, as we have shown, was the Lord's chosen tribe to be a "light before him in Jerusaleu)." And Judah's tribal claim to the kingdom of heaven, as we have also shown, was given to Joseph ; so that the entire fortunes of the nation, both political and ecclesiastical, were settled upon the descendants of Rachel ; and Rachel, we must remember, was the wife that God cliose for Jacob. It would appear that the Lord intended to confer special honor upon Rachel when He put the interests of both the nation and the church into the hands of her descendants. Another divine recognitiim of the national motherhood of Rachel is found in Jer. 31 : 15, IG: "Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah* lamentation, and bitter weeping ; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted RACHEL IS CHOSEN OF GOD. 203 for her children, because they were not. Thus saith the Lord ; Refrain thy voice from we(•pin<^^ and thine eyes from tears : for thy work sl\all be rewarded, saith the Lord; and tliey shall come again from the land of the enemy." There are some who liold tliat tiiis prophecy has reference to the captivity of the Jews and their return to Palestine, and there are others who think that it refers to a mas.sacre of the children of Benjamin or EphraiuK at the Kama in Benjamin, or in Mount Ephraim. But St. Matthew says this prophecy was fulHlled when the young children of Bethlehem and vicinity were slain under an order from Herod for the purpose of securing the destruction of the child Jesus. " Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inciuired of tlie wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, .saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weep- ing, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be -omforted, because they are not. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and I 204 GODS NATION. 'I take the young child and his mother, and pfo into the land of Israel : for they are dead which sought the young child's life" (Matt. 2: IG 20). Whether there is any ground or not for the opinion that this passage in Jeremiah refers to the captivity and return of the Jews, or to a massacre of the children of Benjamin at Rama, or the Ephraimites in Mount Ephraim, we cer- tainly are bound to accept the testimony of St. Matthew, who, after giving an account of the slaughter of the young children of Bethlehem, says, " Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet. Saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not." "They shall come again from the land of the enemy." This refers to the rei\c, a of Joseph and Mary and Jesus from Egypt, ' the land of the enemy." But the point we m ish to make prominent here is the divine recognition of Rachel's national motherhood. It was the nation that wept over the slain children, and Rachel represents the nation, God's covenant nation, in mourning. And it would seem that the Lord intended that the future succession of the nation should be of Rachel's line, as the interests of the nation RACHEL IS CHOSEN OF GOD. 205 were consolidated in tlie two houses of Josepli and Benjamin. Hence the prayer of the Psalmist to which reference has already been made. " Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us" (Ps. 80: 1,2). yp CHAPTER XXI. HOUSE OF WISDOM. i) 1i "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars" (Prov. 9:1). In discussinfj this subject I shall speak first of wisdom's house, this house of wisdom is Christian character: here is where wisdom dwells and rules ; and this is not the wisdom of the world, because the " world by wisdom knows not God," but it is the " wisdom which is from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy" (James 3 : 17). James says, " If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of Ood, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not ; and it shall be given him." And Solomon says, " Wisdom is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her." And again, " Wisdom is profitable to direct." And again, "Wisdom is the principal thing." And David says, " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." And St. Paul says, " Christ is tlu power of God, and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1: 24). Thus we understand 206 HOUSE OF WISDOM. 207 "wisdom" to mean Christianity pure and simple. And we understand wisdom's house to be a sound and symmetrical Christian character. " Wisdom is protitable to direct." Character buildinj^ is the most important kin.l of biiildiiio; with which we have to ^ signifying fulness or perfection. Hence we read of the " seven spirits of God," the seven golden candlesticks, the stone with seven eyes, and the house of wisdom with "seven pillars." From this we learn that the support of a sound Christian character is perfect. FAITH. The first pillar in wisdom's house is faith. Christian character building begins with faith in CJod, because it begins in coming to God, and " he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them who dili- gently seek him,and without faith it is impossible to please him" (Heb. 11: 6). " Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ : By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 5: 1,2). By faith we reach the landing of justification in the temple of Christian experience ; but there is a higher landing in this temple, " by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." This is the higher landing of rejoicing. It is in this higher grace that we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. This is the " unspeakable joy that is full of glory." " This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith." HOUSE OF WISDOM. 211 " A faith that shines mure bright and (^lear When tempests rage witliout; That when in danger knows n<> fear, In darkness foels no doubt : " A faith that keeps the narrow way Till life's last hour is tied, And with a pure and heavenly ray Illumes a dying bed." A man's faith decides the object of his su- preme veneration and worsliip, and it effects a connection between his moral nature and the object upon which his faith is phiced, and if that object is inferior to himself, then faith in it must be debasing. If, like the heathen, his faith is in an animal god, it will debase him to the level of the animal. If his faith is in mammon, the best it can do for him is to feed his lusts and carry him down into a wretched and eternal captivity. If his faith is in himself, he is like a man trying to lift himself by the straps of his boots. The effect of all false faith is but to debase. The highest and only proper object of religious faith is God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, and for whoso service and glory all things were created. This God oi' creation is in " Christ reconciling the world to himself." And He is the only proper object of supreme venera- tion and worship. '*■, is faith in this Divine Lord and Saviour that effects a connection between ^ \ h 212 god's nation. our moral nature and that which is true, h.onest, just, pure, lovely and divine. This is the faith that " overcomes the world ; " that removes mountains of obstructions ; that up- roots the sycanjore trees of persistent opposition, and make the impossible possible. This is the reason why Christian civilization is the only civilization that improves the race. It proceeds upon the divine plan of redemption and salvation, and thereby leads pians thought and faith back and up to God. It is only the faith that elevates man : that can develop the wonderful powers that are in him. Hence it is under the Christian faith that the discoveries and inventions have been made by which the world advances. It is faith in Jesus Christ that produces the highest type of character, becjiuse this is the only faith that reaches God. Jesus says, " No man cometh unto the Father but by me." And this faith not only comes to God, but it puts on Christ, who is the perfect pattern, and who more than fills our highest ideal character. The second pillar in wisdom's house is HOPE. This St. Paul calls an " anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil." This is the soul's sheet anchor HOUSE OF WISDOM. 213 lo(lf»e(l ill the cltft of the Ilock ol' A^jch in the mountain of Cod's holiiiess. Now I liavf f, bountUess mercy, fries." The fourth pillar in wisdom's house is TRUTH. Solomon says, " Buy the truth and sell it not." And Jesus says, " Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free " (John 8 : 32). The Apostle John says, " I have no greater joy than to hear that ray children walk in truth " HOUSE OF wisrioM. 215 (3 John 4). " I»r