Table of Contents

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 1

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 2

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 3

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 4

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 5

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 6

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 6

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 8

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 9

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 10

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 11

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 12

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 13

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 14

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 15

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 16

Mephibosheth

Ruth

Job's Conversion

The Coming of the Lord

Charles Stanley - Volume 1 - Bread Cast Upon The Waters

Charles Stanley

This document may be found online at www.stempublishing.com

You are welcome to freely access and use this material for personal study or sending to other Bible students, compiling extracts for notes etc, but please do not republish without permission.

With the prayerful desire that the Lord Jesus Christ will use this God-given ministry in this form for His glory and the blessing of many in these last days before His coming. © Les Hodgett (contact@stempublishing.com) (2011)

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 1

"Your dying Hour"

"I have just been to the funeral of a very dear friend," said I to a merry-looking man, whilst waiting for the train. "And it is no small comfort, when a friend departs, to know with absolute certainty, that that friend is gone to be with Christ, which is far better."

"I should think," said he, "there are very few that die who have that certainty. At least not many would like to chance it, if it were put to them to-day; I mean if the question was put, Are you so sure of heaven, that you do not mind dying to-day?" I replied, "I fear even amongst those who profess to be Christians, too few would stand that test. But it was very different with my departed friend. She had only been ill a few days, and on the day before her death, knowing there was no human possibility of recovering, she calmly said, 'I would not exchange places with the Queen.' Not the shadow of a doubt passed over her happy soul. She rested not in anything she had done, but in the finished work of Christ Jesus, the Son of God. Precious Jesus! thy blood and righteousness never fail in the hour of death. Nothing can be so certain as that which God has said, 'that whosoever believeth on him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.'"

"Well," said he, "it is a happy thing when a person has such confidence; but I fear there are very few who have the happiness to enjoy it. Man is so given to sin, he has such strong inclinations to sin."

"Very true," I replied. "But you are not a man of all sin; you have not committed all sin. But God is the God of ALL grace, and that grace is seen on the cross, surpassing all your sins. Who can tell the value of the blood of Jesus as God sees it? I myself am the chief of sinners; I have not one particle of worthiness. But I tell you, if we are all killed before we reach home, I have no fear or question whatever, about my salvation. It was eternally settled by the death of Jesus."

"Ah," he said, "it seems to me a poor thing to hang one's salvation on."

"What is? Is Christ a poor thing to trust? Is God's word a poor thing to trust?"

"Oh! no, I mean it is a poor thing to hang on faith. To think that if you have faith you will be saved, let you sin and do as you like."

"Ah! my dear sir, but the man that has real faith in Christ, does not want to sin. He hates it and longs for delights in holiness; and he is the only one that gets delivered from sin. But now you try, from this day, in your way, never to sin again."

"I have tried," said he, "many a time; but still I sin in thought, word, and deed. I think I now see that to believe in Christ is the only way both to get saved, and give up sinning."

Reader, what as to your dying hour? You cannot help the thought crossing your mind at times, can you now? Your dying hour may be very near — yes, very near! Now are you prepared for that hour? What, are you going on carelessly in sin? Well may you tremble at the thought of your dying hour. Are you trusting in forms and ceremonies of human religion? Ah! these will utterly fail you in your dying hour.

But mark the blessed condition of every saved sinner: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." Is this your condition? Are you justified? Have you peace with God? Then, my reader, if you should fall asleep before Jesus comes again, yours will be a happy dying hour.

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 2

"Be Thou Clean"

Mark 1:40-45.

And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth [his] hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

What a wretched being a leper is! afflicted with a horrid disease, which no one can cure, and shut out of society, as too loathsome for the eyes of his follow-men. Sad, but true, picture of man's moral condition. Fallen — utterly fallen. The very heart filled with the loathsome disease of sin. His whole nature corrupt — incurable. This little paper may be put in the hands of one who feels the wretchedness of sin. Thou hast sinned. The leprosy has broken out; art thou trying to hide it? God knows it, and thou art wretched. Oh, how wretched! What a burden on thy heart! What is that thou wast saying? "I wish I had never been born!" Why? Oh! I see thou hast tried many physicians, but no cure. The leprosy is still there, and spreads. Thou hast tried temperance, morality, religion. Thou hast tried to amend, and tried hard, but all in vain; thy case is too bad for these remedies. God knows thy deep sorrow, thy despairing groans.

Who are those two persons there? A loathsome leper and the Son of God. Well now, look; the leper, just as he is, speaks to Jesus. He does not ask what he must do to cleanse himself. He came to Him, "beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him,If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Does Jesus say, Go and get better first? No. See! Jesus is moved with compassion; and though no other person would touch that wretched leper, Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, and said, "I will, be thou clean." What a wondrous change! That man, whom no one could cure, was in a moment healed; as soon as Jesus had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

Ah! I see your mistake. You have not yet fully seen the love of God to the ungodly in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, trembling sinner! look in the face of Jesus! See Him moved with compassion at the sight of thy leprous wretchedness. Art thou thus brought to Him just as thou art? It was God who sent Him from heaven, that thy leprosy might be cleansed with His very life's blood: and now, raised from the dead, He speaks to thee just as thou art, "I will, be thou clean."

My fellow-leper, there never was a poor wretched sinner, thus brought and given to Jesus just as he was, but that moment he heard the voice of God in the words of Jesus, and those blessed words were true of him, "and he was cleansed."

Wouldst thou rob Christ of His glory? Wouldst thou say that thou must got better before Christ can heal thee? Thou wouldst not give an earthly physician such a character. Wilt thou then say of the Great Physician, He receiveth none, and cleanseth none but those who are getting better? The blessed Jesus rejected none. Thou mayest be too great a Pharisee for Him, but thou canst not be too great a sinner.

Oh, reader! if now thine eyes are opened to see Jesus receiving thee just as thou art, and renouncing all pretensions to righteousness in thy self-believing on Jesus, thou, even thou, art cleansed, and cleansed for ever. "For, by one offering, he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." C.S.

"How bright, there above, is the mercy of God!" —

"And void of all guilt, and clear of all sin,

Is my conscience and heart, thro' my Saviour's blood."

"Not a cloud above" — "not a spot within."

Christ died! then I am clean: "not a spot within." —

God's mercy and love: "not a cloud above."

'Tis the Spirit, thro' faith, thus triumphs o'er sin:

"Not a cloud above" — "not a spot within."

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 3

"Have I repented enough?"

I do not know a more perplexing question than this, to a really anxious soul. I met a person lately who had spent years in trying to ascertain how much repentance is required before a person may be quite sure he is saved.

"Which of the two repentances have you been trying?" said I.

"Why, are there two kinds?" he enquired.

"Oh yes," I replied: "the repentance of the law, was a man trying to forsake all sin, and do all righteousness, and thus be saved. (See Ezek. 18:30.) But the repentance of the gospel is the giving up all pretensions to righteousness." The meaning of the word we translate "repentance" is simply a change of mind. The kind of change of mind depends on the connection in which it stands. It may be of sorrow, or it may be of joy, unto death or unto life. The change of mind, or the repentance of the law, was on the principle of works. The change of mind, or repentance of the gospel, is not of works at all, but entirely of grace. Sorrow for sin, and forsaking sin, and living to God — if anything are works, these are. If thus seeking salvation by works, you can never have enough of this repentance to get saved. It is a thorough mistake to think of getting saved by the good works of the repentance of the law.

You may think it a light thing to go on in sin. Oh, you can easily repent some day. Fearful, fatal, delusion. You are becoming more hardened every day.

Let me now turn to the repentance of the gospel.

God is a God of truth, and the truth is that man is a lost sinner, utterly without righteousness; as it is written, "There is none righteous, no not one." Now man's mind is in total darkness as to this. He thinks he is not so bad as to be past mending.

And there is another thing.

God loves man in this lost and guilty condition. He sent His beloved Son from the throne of glory; and with burning love for the poor, guilty sinner. He died on the cross — "the Just for the unjust." Oh look at that dying Lamb of God. See from that pierced side the blood of atonement. He bowed His head and died. All was finished. God hath raised him from the dead; and now God can meet thee through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. He does meet thee. He does love thee, poor broken-hearted sinner. God meets thee in love! Thou thoughtest He could only meet thee in deserved wrath. He commands thee in the gospel to change thy mind. What is that? To believe what is true. That thou hast nothing but sin in which to meet Him. Give up, only give up all pretensions to righteousness, and as a lost sinner I point thee to the cross; and I tell thee, as surely as thou art brought to know thyself as a lost sinner, feeling thy utter need of Christ, God meets thee through the finished work of Christ, and pointing to the cross on which all thy sins were borne, He says, There sinner! now I have nothing against thee. It is not thy meeting God with the works of thy repentance; but God meeting thee through the death of Christ.

May the goodness of God thus lead thee, my reader, to repentance, even to the full moral judgment of thyself in His presence, and the full knowledge of His wondrous love to thee, a lost sinner, and thou shalt find these glad tidings the power of God unto salvation.

By the Spirit of God thou shalt have godly sorrow for sin and power to forsake it; yea, God shall work in thee to will and to do. These things certainly accompany salvation, but are never its conditions, otherwise grace would no more be grace.

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 4

"Thy Sins be forgiven Thee"

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."

My friend, though a stranger to me, let me ask you this question: Could anything make you so truly happy, as to know for certain that your sins were forgiven? To hear those words, "Thy sins be forgiven thee?" Yes, thy sins: all of them — every sin of thy heart and sin of thy life — forgiven thee. Is it possible that this blessedness shall be thine? Compared with eternity, thou hast only a few hours to live. At the end of these few hours, what is thy prospect? What a thought! soon, very soon, thou wilt be in glory or in hell. Nothing can be more certain. Is thy foot lifted up in the paths of sin? Hold! another step, and thou mayest be lost.

Whatever had that man done to whom Jesus spake those wondrous words, "Thy sins be forgiven thee?" Let us look at Mark 2:1-12. Why, this seems strange; he had done nothing; he was too sick to do anything. He could not walk, nor even stand. He was borne of four, and they let down the bed whereon the sick of the palsy lay. What a picture of man's condition, sin-sick; so prostrate that he can do nothing! Sin-palsied; so bad, he cannot walk; cannot stand. True of you, true of me, true of all. "For all have sinned." "There is no difference." Every limb palsied every thought defiled with sin.

And they let him down to the feet of the Son of God? Have you been let down? Every sinner saved by grace has a letting down — down, down, down — and many a time, when he thinks himself let down, self has still to be let down, down.

Some are let down at once, utterly lost sinners, at the feet of Jesus, and at once are saved. It takes years to let down the self-righteous pride of others. But to be let down in the deep sense of sin and misery, fairly to sink at the feet of Jesus, and then to hear the first words of the Son of God, "Thy sins be forgiven thee," — this is blessedness indeed! Oh, my reader, have you, now, have you, been brought as a lost, helpless, hell-deserving sinner, to Jesus? Oh, have you? Hush! listen. Look at Jesus. He proposes no conditions to that helpless man. He does not say, If thou wert a little better, or if thou wouldst walk a little, or if thou wilt promise this or that. No, blessed Jesus! that would not have been like Thee; that would not have been grace. Oh, how men do misrepresent Thee, my precious, pardoning, gracious Lord! Jesus pardoned first, and then gave power to walk. And still He pardons first, and then gives power to walk in holiness before God. Is not this just what a sinner needs! To be pardoned and saved first, and that being settled, then he has divine power, by the Spirit of God, to live as a child of God, and walk in holiness.

Look again at Jesus. What are those wounds in His hands and side? Oh! they tell us He has been dead and is alive again. "Without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins." "He died, the just for the unjust." "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." All is finished. Reader, dost thou believe?

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 5

"Two Things which God hath joined together"

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24.)

There are two things joined together in this verse. These two things man tries to put very far asunder. Read the verse again. Now what are those things? They are believing and having. As we have it in another place, "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."

Sometimes a person will say, with great anxiety, "I do believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I am sure I trust in none else. I feel I am a lost sinner. I fully believe that the death of Jesus was the atonement for sin. I have no doubt that God raised Him from the dead. I know that it is only through the shedding of His precious blood that sins can be forgiven. But I cannot get to know that I have everlasting life."

If this really is my reader's condition, if you have heard the words of Jesus — if you do really trust in Him alone, then there is no question — there can, in that case, be no question whether you have everlasting life or not. I only ask, do you really trust alone in the finished work of the Lord Jesus? If so, I have no need to ask, have you everlasting life? If one of these things is true in you — namely, real faith in Christ, — I know the other is. You have everlasting life; for Jesus says, "It is most certain, it is most certain, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life." Yes, in one breath, Jesus joins these two blessed things together — BELIEVETH-HATH! The discovery of this to the soul gives perfect peace. No more perplexity; no more uncertainty. The more deeply you feel your own unworthiness, the more amazing will the love of Jesus appear in dying for your sin. Oh yes! Sin will appear more and more terrible, and the glory of the cross shine brighter and brighter; the world will be now with thee lighter than vanity, for thou, even thou, hast a home in the mansions of light. And though tempted in a world of sin, opposed by a subtle enemy, and groaning over inbred corruptions, yet still thy trust is alone in Jesus, and thou hast everlasting life.

I think I hear thee saying, Is this true of me? Trembling believer, Jesus has said it; it cannot be false. This moment, if thine ears are opened by the Spirit of God to hear the words of Jesus, and in thine heart to believe on God who sent Him, then certainly thou, even thou, hast everlasting life. And how blessed, how perfect, the salvation of God! Thou not only hast everlasting life, but thou shalt not come into condemnation. Jesus says it and He will keep His word to thee. Yea, even more still, — thou art passed from death unto life. Just as all Israel passed through Jordan with the Ark of God, so, my dear follow-believer hast thou passed with Christ from death into resurrection, and therefore into everlasting life. Open thine eyes, for thou art risen with Christ. As surely as He took thy place in death, the divine Substitute, so surely has God given thee a place with Him in spotless brightest glory. Go in peace, then, and doubt no more.

But there are two things more joined together. "He that believeth not is condemned already." Whether thou goest to the ale-house, or to church; whether thou art living in open sin, or trusting in thy strictly religious life; I tell thee, if Jesus is not thine only trust thou art condemned already; thou art waiting the execution of divine vengeance as a rejecter of Christ. "Search the Scriptures, and see if these things be so."

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 6

"Why are ye troubled?"

If living a stranger to Christ, you may well be troubled. The thought of death, and judgment to come; may well give you trouble. If this is your condition, God grant that your trouble may be greater and greater, until you find rest in Jesus.

This little paper may be put into the hands of a doubting Christian. To such an one these words of Jesus have peculiar application. (Luke 24:38, 39.) Jesus alive from the dead, speaks these words, "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet." What tender love is this! Blessed Jesus! He had said unto them, "Peace be unto you;" and it touched His tender heart that there should be trouble or a thought in their hearts! How could such deep, sincere love bear to be doubted? He had loved them unto death; His very body had been broken on the cross for them; His very blood had been shed for the remission of their sins; as their Substitute He had died the accursed death of the cross for them — the Just for the unjust. One had denied Him, and all had forsaken Him. But now God had raised Him from the dead, for their justification. And now the object of His eternal desire was accomplished — redemption was finished. His heart, overflowing with unutterable joy, had found vent in those ever-precious words, "Peace be unto you;" how could He then bear a cloud of trouble, or one doubting thought, in the hearts of those He had so loved? Oh! it makes my heart melt whilst I look at Jesus and hear those divinely sweet words, "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet."

My reader, do you believe that that agony and shameful death of Jesus, the spotless Son of God, on the cross, was for your sins — that He was delivered for your offences — and that, having endured their utmost penalty, God raised him from the dead for your justification? For this is true of every sinner that believeth. Yes, and if you are brought by the Holy Spirit thus to trust in Jesus alone, then it is true of you; and these words are written for you. With a heart still filled with joy, Jesus says, "Peace be unto you." Like Peter, you may have denied Him; or, like the rest, you may have forsaken Him; but look at Him, listen to Him; oh! what words of love — yes, love that cannot bear to be doubted; and words to you: "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?" How do you answer these words of Jesus? Do you say, I am such a vile, ungrateful sinner? He says, "Behold my hands and my feet;" now look at them, what do you think about those wounds on the risen body of Jesus? Do they not speak peace to your troubled conscience? "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." Oh! yes, my fellow-believer, Jesus feels keenly every doubting thought that arises in our hearts.

Blessed Jesus, Thy work is finished; here our souls rest. Our sins were laid on Thee; they cannot be laid on us. On our account wrath was on Thee; on Thy account it is peace, endless peace, to us.

May my reader hear the words of Jesus, "Go in peace, and doubt no more." He does not say, Look at your faith or your feeling — He does not say, Look at your sins or your failings. We might look at them in despair. But He says, "Behold my hands and my feet;" as though He had said, Is it not enough? could I love you more?

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 6

How are you to be saved?

"What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Who would have thought that that question, which so many ask, would have tempted Christ? It is the language of one "willing to justify himself." What shall I do? No words can more plainly show the ignorance of a fallen sinner. Whilst these words are on his lips, he knows not his lost, fallen, helpless condition.

The Lord knows the pride of the deceived heart. The religionist can repeat the law, and no doubt thinks he can keep it. "Do it," says Jesus, "and thou shalt live;" and then answers his tempting question with one of the most striking parables in the word of God. This parable of the good Samaritan is the answer to man's question, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" It describes man's condition — yours. Fallen among thieves, stripped, wounded, left half dead. What a picture! and how true! Man is not innocent — not happy; but fallen, guilty, helpless, undone. Look at that dying man by the road-side; he cannot walk a yard further, no, not a step. He cannot oven call for help. Do not you see he is dying? Is this the man to talk about doing — eh? Poor dying man, the law cannot help thee! The priest and the Levite have to pass thee by; they cannot help thee. Reader, thou art this man; this is thy spiritual state. The law cannot help thee; the priest and the Levite cannot help thee. Thine own efforts, thy resolutions, thy struggling! I tell thee there is only one that can help thee. "A certain Samaritan came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him." This is Jesus, the Son of the living God. Infinite love — mighty to save? God so loved, so pitied, fallen, helpless, naked, dying man. He saw him where and as he wad. Yes, this is the glory of the Gospel. God, full of tender compassion, rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins; yes, even then God sent His beloved Son to man, laid by the road-side fallen in sin and misery. (See Eph. 1:1-10.)

Man could do nothing: Jesus came to him where he was. What a journey of love! He came to do all for the sinner, and He has done it; it is finished. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good-will towards men."

Oh! my reader, dost thou thus know Jesus? Is it no longer what shall I do? But art thou resting on what Jesus has done on the cross? Hast thou been brought to know thy utterly lost condition by the way-side? Has Jesus come to thee — has He bound up thy broken heart, pouring in oil and wine? Has God revealed to thee Jesus, taking thy place as a sinner, and now giving thee His place in spotless purity for over. Dost thou know that it is not thy taking care of Jesus, but Jesus taking care of thee? yea, and until He comes again, that He hath committed thee into the hands of God, who keeps thee with His mighty power! yes, that He will take care of thee? (John 17:11; 1 Peter 1:5.)

If thou art a doer for eternal life, thou art a rejecter, a despiser, a tempter of Christ. But if thou knowest and believest the love of God in thus sending Jesus to thee, thou hast eternal life. It is the gift of God. Let thy work now be to show forth the praises of Him who saw thee; and saved thee, and loves thee for ever. "We love him, because he first loved us." Read the parable over seven times. (Luke 10.)

C. S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 8

Who is to blame?

Let us suppose a vessel foundering at sea. We know the vessel to be exceedingly rotten, and so leaky that it is filling — that it must shortly go down. On shore the utmost effort is made. The life-boat, with capacity to hold every person on the sinking ship, is launched. The mariners pull alongside the rotten, sinking vessel. The captain of the life-boat begs every person on board immediately to let go the old rotten ship and trust himself in his hands in the life-boat, with the certainty of being brought safe to shore. The people on board resolutely refuse the invitation. One says, "The old vessel is not so bad; she only requires painting," &c. Another says, "Away with both you and your life-boat! we have a carpenter of our own, whose business it is to mend the old ship. Who do you think is going to leave this fine old ship and trust to that poor-looking boat?" The vessel fills and sinks. And now tell me, if every fool-hardy despiser on board goes down, who is to blame? Plainly themselves. The life-boat was sent to them and they refused.

Man is that rotten ship — fallen, ruined by sin, filling fuller and fuller of sins until he sinks into perdition. Christ Jesus is the life-boat. God so loved this poor, ruined, sinking world that He sent the life-boat, "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." Did the world believe God? Oh no, they rejected oven such love, so great salvation. They murdered the Son of God. The death of Jesus was the offering of Himself, the atoning sacrifice for sin, God raised Him from the dead; and the risen Christ becomes the life-boat of every soul that trusts in Him.

But, my reader, may I ask you a home question? Where are you — in the life-boat or in the old ship? Are you in Christ or trusting to the self-righteousness of old human nature? Are you one of the redeemed? Can you say that you "have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins?" (Col. 1:14.) Or are you still in and of that world, which is guilty of rejecting and murdering the Son of God?

Perhaps you do not care for these things. Are you filling up the measure of your iniquity? You know when the old ship gets full it sinks, and when your last sin on earth shall be filled up and you sink into endless perdition, you will remember who is to blame.

But are you trusting to outward forms and ceremonies of religion? Now what good will this outside paint do? The ship is sinking, and if you stay on it, you will go down with the very paint-brush in your hand. Oh my friend! all the baptisms, and sacraments, and ordinances that man can perform will never keep one ruined sinner from sinking into hell! Woe be to your poor soul if you trust in them.

Do you say there are so many opinions — how am I to tell who is right? Whoever points you to Christ, the life-boat, is right; and whoever keeps you in the old ship, is wrong. Do you not see that?

Are you trying — no matter how — to mend the old ship; that is, your fallen human nature, called in scripture "the flesh?" Then you maybe quite certain, sooner or later, if you continue in that condition you will, as the old ship, go down. Think where! Oh the bottomless pit — and who is to blame?

Oh give up the vain attempt to mend the old ship. Own yourself a lost, undone, ruined sinner — believe the grace of God in sending you Christ the lifeboat — trust Him with all your heart — confess Him with your lips and life. You cannot be in both. If you are in the old ship, no matter how self-righteous, you are sinking fast: there is not a moment to be lost. It is indeed great presumption for any one in the old ship to say, he knows he is safe. But if you are in Christ, the life-boat, you cannot be too sure. He never did and never will lose one.

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 9

If thou knewest the Gift of God

John 4:10

"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."

A weary one sat at Jacob's well; He had left the land of the Pharisees. It was Jesus. He came in love to His own, to save them from their sins; but they received Him not. Weary and grieved was His tender heart, as He sat about the sixth hour at Jacob's well.

There is a woman coming with her water-pot to the well. She is one to whom the proud Pharisee would scorn to speak. She is a despised Samaritan, and that is not all; she is a poor wretched being, living in open sin. She little knows that she is about to meet the eye of Him who knows all that ever she did. She arrives at the well, and is astonished that Jesus, being a Jew, should ask her to give Him to drink. "Jesus answered, and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to, drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."

He did not say, If thou wert not so great a sinner. He did not say, If thou wilt reform and become a holy woman, then I will give thee living water. No! No! No! He let her know, that He knew all that ever she had done. But there was such a depth of pity, grace, and compassion in the wondrous countenance; such tender love to the sinner in those words, that it won her heart, it converted her soul. Christ was revealed to her; and leaving her water-pot she went to the city so full of Christ, that forgetting her own shame, she said, "Come see a man which told me all that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"

My reader, can you meet the eye of Him who knows every thought of your heart from childhood? All at ever you did, open and naked to His eye! And can you say that you are not a sinner? How was it, think you, that there was nothing in Jesus to repel this wretched sinner? And what can those words mean, think you — "If thou knewest the gift of God," &c.? Is this the one great thing needed by a poor wretched sinner? It is; there can be no mistake about it, for Jesus says it. Of whatever nation my reader may be; whatever the sins you may have committed, the first thing you need is not the waters of the Ganges, or the intercession of saints, or works of amendment; no, the thing you need is to know the gift of God.

Do you ask who and what is that gift of God? The same that met that poor Samaritan sinner; Jesus the Son of God: as also it is written, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "The gift of God is eternal life." "He that hath the Son hath life; he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life."

My reader, it is a gift, a gift, a gift; oh, if thou knewest this! Thou canst not buy it; thou canst not merit it. He that knows all that ever thou didst, all that thou art; sets before thee Jesus the crucified; Jesus the risen one; Jesus the glorified. Dost thou know Him, the gift of all gifts?

Dost thou say, "but my sins are heavy, they press me down, what must I do?" If thou knewest the gift of God! Yes, even though thou hast committed every sin that has been done in this dark world; yet God's gift, "redemption through his blood" abounds above it all. "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." His very business was saving just such burthened, weary, heavy-hearted sinners as thou art. Blessed be His holy name, the work is finished. May God reveal to thy soul, my reader, Christ Jesus. Change of life and holiness of life will follow. But the first thing is The gift of God.

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 10

"Repentance unto Life" — A Double Change of Mind.

There are not a few in this day who are very fond of talking about other great sinners. When a person does this, it is a sure sign of a deceived heart; by telling of the sins of others, he is merely showing how much better he thinks himself to be than they. Now some of this very sort came to Jesus, and told Him of the Galileans. (Luke 13.) Mark the words of Him who knows the heart: — "Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you, nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." He again repeats the same solemn instruction respecting the eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell.

Oh, the millions who are fast locked in this fatal mistake! "I am not so bad as So-and-so:" the drunkard says this, the thief, the liar; but above all the religious pharisee.

Is my reader one of the millions thus deceived! Do you think yourself better than others? Are you doing your best to be so? Is this the road you think leads to heaven? Without an entire change of mind about this, you also will certainly perish. Does God think you better than those Galileans or sinners at Jerusalem? He says, "I tell you NAY." And in another place, He says, "There is no difference, for all have sinned." It is true — God says it — you have sinned. May God give you entire new thoughts about yourself; even His thoughts, that you are a guilty, vile, lost sinner; for unless you know, own, and confess this, you shall likewise perish.

Well, still this change of mind about self would never save the sinner without that other — an entire change of mind about God.

In Luke 15 we get exactly man's thoughts of God, for the blessed Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, stood in their midst; "And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners." Now, why did they murmur? Why! because they had got an entirely wrong thought of God; they did not know Him. They tried to persuade themselves that they were not sinners, or at all events, not such sinners as others, and then concluded that God only received such good people as they thought themselves to be. This is man's thought of God, that He only receives and saves the righteous.

The well-known parable that follows in three parts, the lost sheep, the lost silver, the lost son, is Christ's sermon, unfolding, the character of God; and that character the very opposite of all man's dark thoughts. The work of the Son in coming to seek and to save the lost sheep; the work of the Spirit in giving the light, as the woman who took a light and sought for the lost silver; and to crown all, the unspeakable joy of the father in receiving back his long lost son, one, mind you, who could not be more unworthy, and blessed be the God of all grace, could not have been more welcome.

And now, my reader, have you got this part of repentance, this entire change of mind about God? Though you may feel as vile as the prodigal — if you never did feel so, God grant that you may know yourself so bad that you could not be more lost and undone. May your mind be for ever changed by seeing the joy of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in receiving you as a lost sinner who cannot be more unworthy, and who cannot be more welcome. "I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."

When God is thus revealed to the soul in Christ, and sin fully owned and confessed, a change of heart and life is sure to follow.

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 11

What is Good New to a Man who feel Himself Lost?

I was deeply impressed, the other day, with a sentence in a letter I received from a person at a distance, in which he states, "the Gospel as (sometimes) preached in our day, is of no use to a man who feels himself to be lost."

When a man has broken the laws of his country, and is under sentence of death, he paces the floor of his gloomy cell, looks through the iron grate and thinks of the fearful morrow. That is something like being lost, as to this world. Let us go down the dark passage, and speak to him at the iron grate. Hark! how he groans. What will you say to him? Would a lecture on morality do? Would you tell him to be a good man and keep the laws of his country? Would he not reply, You very much mistake my case; that sort of talk is no help to me at all; my life is forfeited, I am under the sentence of death. Poor lost one! Would it help him if you engaged to keep the laws of his country for him? Not in the least: the law demands his life, and the day is fixed. The only way of keeping the law for him would be to die in his stead; and the only good news that would meet his case would be the free pardon of his sovereign.

Such is the case of an awakened sinner who feels himself lost. This world to him is a condemned cell. The devil roars in his conscience, guilty! guilty! He has tried to be innocent; he has pleaded "Not so guilty as my neighbours;" he has tried "to mend;" he has tried to keep the law of God, he has broken it more and more. And now, trembling with guilt and fear, conscience, the devil's jailer, has turned the heavy bolt of the iron gate of despair. And thus, sooner or later, is every saved sinner brought to utter despair as to all help in self, or self's doing. Now what is the good news that will meet a man who has thus learnt the truth about himself, and feels himself lost? Will it meet his case to tell him to amend his life, to love God, and keep His commandments? Would he not reply, You don't understand my case at all: if I could do that, I should not be lost: I am lost, I am vile, I am condemned; I have forfeited my life, heaven, everything!

Reader, art thou the man? Have I described thy condition, — art thou one who feelest thyself lost? Then hearken; I will tell thee of One who came to seek, and to save the lost. I come not to thy iron gate to tell thee what thou must do. Nothing that thou canst do can save thee from thy dark condemned cell, nor thy future fearful doom. I tell thee, if the Spirit of God has thus made thee feel thou art lost, I have good news from heaven to thee. There sits Jesus at the right hand of the Majesty on high; that is the blessed One, who came in pity to this condemned cell, who took the sinner's place, died the just for the unjust. Hadst thou forfeited thy life? He gave up His own, even to the death of the cross. Hadst thou forfeited heaven? He left it and became a man of sorrows. Oh think of the glory of this mighty Saviour. He knew that nothing short of His very life's blood could meet thy guilty, condemned state. He gave it freely. What plenteous redemption through that precious blood! Thou hadst sinned against God, and God is satisfied, justified, glorified by this precious sacrifice. God hath raised Him from the dead, "and through Him is preached the forgiveness of sins;" free, full, everlasting forgiveness — through Him, not through thy doing: and by Him, not by thy doing, thou, and all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Thy door is open: come out, and rejoice in the gospel, that suits the man who feels himself to be lost.

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 12

What is Grace?

I remember a person once saying, "he did not like the word Grace; he thought the word Love meant the same and was much better." This is a mistake; grace goes a great deal further than love. Man loves that which he thinks is in some way worthy of love, and he thinks God is the same as himself, and therefore says he, "I must turn to God some day and try to be worthy of His love; and then He will love me." Now the grace of God is the very opposite of this human thought. I don't know anything like it in the whole world. "What is grace?" said I, the other day. "Mercy" was the reply. Well, it is true the love of God and the mercy of God are both very, very wonderful. "God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins;" and both the mercy and love of God are thus in grace; that is in pure unmerited favour. Yet this grace of God goes further, yea, far beyond the reach of all human thought.

Let us suppose a criminal, guilty of such crimes as to make him an object of the deepest abhorrence, standing condemned before the judge. Mercy would be a great thing shewn to such an one, but if it were possible in the heart of a human judge to love such an one, so utterly worthless and undeserving; that would indeed be a wonder. But what would he thought if the judge so loved the poor guilty one, as to put himself really in the place of the prisoner; bear the full penalty of all his crimes, and then take him into his own house, make him partner with himself; and say "as long as I live, all that I have is yours"? Ah! tell me where amongst the cold-hearted sons of men, where was ever grace shewn like this? No! No! The glory of this grace belongeth alone to my God. Oh, how shall I tell of His wondrous grace!

My reader, you may have heard of it by the hearing of the ear, but has this grace ever reached your heart by the power of the spirit of God? That God should thus love and pity, and shew mercy to the guilty; yes, the ungodly! the guilty! the lost! as to send His own dear Son in sweetest grace, to take the very place of the lost and guilty, in purest grace to bear all their sins in His own body on the tree! Oh look at the cross! God in grace meeting man's utmost need. Ah! Do you in your very heart believe it? Then you may cast yourself before such a God, confessing all your sins, your wretchedness, your misery; spread it all before Him. Don't try to make yourself a bit better than you are before Him. He will pardon the confessing sinner in faithfulness to the blood of Jesus. Jesus died for the purpose; that God might be just, not only in pardoning but in justifying every sinner that believeth. But oh, this is not all; God in pure grace takes the utterly unworthy sinner, pardoned and justified, into perfect partnership or oneness with Himself in the ever blessed Lord Jesus. In this grace He met the murderer Saul; from that moment Paul became the partner or joint-heir of Christ. What a change! From that day he could say, "Not I, but Christ liveth in me." Right well did he know that nothing could ever separate him from such love as this. Yes, and God by this very little paper can in the wonders of His grace, meet a murderer, a drunkard, a harlot, or worse than all, a deceived Pharisee. Yes, and from this moment the days of my partnership with Satan may be ended. Oh, God grant it. May this be thy happy portion; pardoned, justified, for ever one with Christ. This was grace, not only to take the sinner's place, but to give the guilty worm an everlasting place with Himself in resurrection glory. This salvation is wholly of God.

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 13

"Hath" and "Are"

These are the words of Jesus, the Son of God —

" Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." — (John 5:24)

Can these words be untrue? Impossible! Anxious inquirer, God has blest them of late to many souls. They are most certain — most certain. Yes, it is Jesus who says them. Do you hear His word? Do you believe on God who sent Him? Then ponder these three words, "hath everlasting life." What a certainty "hath" gives. It is not, "I hope so." No, hath never hopes, but has, not only life, but everlasting life. Do you ask, How is it possible that I shall not come into condemnation? I am such a great sinner; I think no one is plagued and burdened with sin as I am. Then hearken.

These are the words of God the Holy Ghost —

"Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." — (Acts 13:38, 39.)

Blessed message of God to a sin-burdened soul! Is it true? Reader, do you believe in your heart that God thus proclaims the forgiveness of sins through Jesus alone? How simple — how certain! Do you believe God about the death and resurrection of Jesus? Then God justifies you from all things. He say so; does He not? Read it again and again. And just as surely as you believe God, just as surely you are — not shall be, but ARE — justified from all things.

Think of these two things —

"HATH everlasting life."

"ARE justified from all things."

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 14

"The Righteousness of God"

What a wondrous depth of meaning there is in the thought, that the vile, lost sinner should be clothed with — yea, made — the righteousness of God! I only know of one greater wonder than this, and that is, that God's most precious, holy Son should have been made sin, and have died the accursed death of the cross.

How very sad that this is almost forgotten in our day. It is almost forgotten that the law brought out man's sin, and proved he had no righteousness. "That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Rom. 3:19, 20.) Men forget this, and still vainly try to be righteous by keeping the law. If you try to be righteous in this way, instead of finding yourself righteous, you will find that you are in the same condemnation as the devil himself.

But there is another thing as little known, that whilst the law proved man to be without righteousness, in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed. "But now the righteousness of God without law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference: for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier him which believeth in Jesus." (Rom. 3:21-26.)

Is it not greatly overlooked, that in the salvation of lost sinners the whole transaction is of God? Man cannot do one thing, neither is he asked to do anything, but to receive, as the free gift of God, the righteousness already wrought out and accomplished by Christ. The whole thing, from beginning to end, is of God. It is not, as man would tell you, that if you keep the law and believe on Christ, then you shall be saved. No, but without law, for man cannot keep it. You cannot keep it. God has, in His own grace (because He so loved poor sinners, who were without strength to keep His law), given Christ to die for the ungodly. Christ crucified has been set forth the great propitiatory sacrifice. It was God who gave Him to die for sinners, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. It is God also, who gives faith to believe. It is God who justifies every sinner who does believe. It is God who shall finally glorify every sinner whom He has justified. The blood of Jesus has been shed, and it is God who has set it forth for the remission of sins. Is He not just, and the Justifier of him that believeth? All, all this vast transaction has been accomplished to declare His righteousness in bringing the lost sinner to Himself. I believe it. I say, fearlessly, that not only is God perfectly righteous in justifying the ungodly sinner in this His own way, but that from eternity to eternity the cross of Christ is the glory of God. Yes, when He raised our adorable Substitute from the dead, it was by the glory of the Father. Man, through sin, had sunk to the lowest depths; God, through redemption, has raised him to the highest glory. All is finished; and is not God divinely righteous? This robe of divine righteousness is "upon all them that believe."

Art thou, my reader, clothed in this wedding garment? Then thou shalt be a happy guest in the courts above. See now that thou walkest with garments undefiled.

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 15

"How can a Sinner be Justified?"

With men this is clearly impossible. Man, with all his boasted wisdom, could not devise any plan of effecting this. For instance, a prisoner stands at the bar, really guilty of the crime charged upon him; the judge may forgive, but can he say to that guilty man, you go away from this bar justified; from this time no person can lay anything to your charge?

God alone can justify the guilty, and be righteous in doing it. Romans, chapters 1-8, shows God's wondrous plan of justifying the guilty.

All are guilty, Jews or Gentiles, religious or profane. There is no difference, all have sinned. God says so. Conscience says so. You know, I know, it is so. Guilty! Guilty. "Yes," you say, "that is what perplexes me; I know I am a sinner; how then can I be justified, so that no charge can be laid to me?"

Let us see first how this cannot be done: how you cannot be justified; and then see what God's only plan is of justifying the sinner. "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight." (Rom. 3:20.) In the sight of men the believer is justified by works, as in James 2:24. But in the sight of God it is absolutely impossible to be justified by works of law; still guilty, guilty. "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." "For if righteousness come by the law, then is Christ dead in vain." (Gal. 2:16-21.) "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the works of the law is evident," &c. We have broken the law; it can only curse us. We cannot even have forgiveness by all our efforts to keep the law, much more be justified. Do you say, "We must do our best to love God and keep His commandments, and then hope He will for give us and justify us?" Where does He say, if we do our best? or where is the man that does his best? No, on the doing plan no man shall be justified. God hath said it, and it is hard to fight against God.

Let us now look at God's only way of justifying the ungodly. It is Christ that died! Oh, wondrous answer to all my sins! "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood," &c., "who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." It is God that justifies. (Rom. 3:19-28; 5:1; 8:31-34.)

My reader, let your thoughts dwell on the cross of Christ. Blessed are the eyes that see and the ears that hear God's testimony about the death of Jesus, the propitiation for sin. "God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us; much more being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Rom. 5:8.) What man could never do God has done. He hath laid our sins on Jesus; they are put away by His atoning blood. God hath raised Him from the dead. He that believeth is justified from all things. And God thus not only is just in forgiving the believer's sins, but is righteous in justifying the believer. Though once guilty, yet justified, so justified by the death of Jesus, that not one charge can be laid to him that believeth. Oh, think of it, my fellow-believer! God hath so justified you by the blood of Jesus, that nothing can be laid to your charge — all, all has been borne by Jesus. Is not this enough to give you peace? Yea, the peace of God is yours. Yes, yours for ever.

C.S.

Bread cast upon the Waters. - No. 16

"How does the Believer know that he is justified"

Certainly not by looking at his feelings. His feelings are as changeable as the wind. Nor yet by looking at his prayers, or his good works: all that he does is mixed with sin. If he looks at himself in any way, he can find nothing that will afford a sure ground of certainty that he is justified; that is, that he is so clear of sin, that nothing can be laid to his charge for ever. Can you, my reader, with eternity before you, with the prospect of standing before that Judge who knows every secret of your life, can you say that you are clear of all sin, so clear that nothing can be laid to your charge? Are you not ready to say, "How can any sinful man in this world know that he is thus clear of all sin?" You will be astonished at the believer's simple, yet certain answer. It is this — Christ is risen.

But you will ask, "What has that to do with a believer's justification?" It has everything to do with it. "If Christ be not risen, ye are yet in your sins." (1 Cor. 15:17.) A saved sinner knows and believes the love of God in sending Jesus to be his surety and representative. His eyes have been opened to see Jesus, bearing his sins in His own body on the tree. He knows that the blood of Jesus, his surety, has met every claim of Divine holiness to the uttermost. What love and mercy to lost sinners! Now the believer can say, "As surely as Jesus was condemned for me, was delivered to death for my offences; as certainly as God dealt with Him, on the cross as my surety for my sins, so assuredly did God raise Him from the prison-house of death for my justification." Now if a surety is cast into prison for the person's debt he is bound for, when that surety comes out of prison, having paid the full demand, is not the person for whom he paid it as clear of the debt as the very person who was his surety, and paid it? And he knows he is clear of every claim. Why? Because his surety is now out of prison. Just in the same way does the believer look outside himself to Christ, his adorable surety. Oh ponder this well: it was an awful engagement, when Jesus became the surety of all who through grace should believe on Him. Yet still He trusted God. He knew that God would justify Him from all these sins and guilt, as He says, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." He did not leave His soul in hell; He raised Him from the dead, completely cleared from all our sins, no more to be forsaken, but to be received up to the highest glory. Now Christ had no sin to die for of His own, therefore His death was entirely for us. Just so He had no sin to be justified from of His own, therefore His resurrection also was entirely for us; He died as our surety, He rose from the dead as our representative, so that whatever God did to Christ on the cross is reckoned unto the believer; and whatever God did to Christ at His resurrection, He did to us in Him as our representative. Christ is risen.

Is He perfectly and for ever clear of all sin? Even so doth God justify every believer — see Rom. 8:29-34, Heb. 10:14, 1 John 4:17. It is God that justifies.

Romans 8:29-34: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Hebrews 10:14: For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

1 John 4:17: Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

My reader, if thou art looking at thyself in any way, thou art far from knowing that thou art justified. If the Holy Spirit shall give thee real faith in Jesus, looking entirely away from thyself at Christ, thou wilt not ask for anything to make thee more certain that thou art justified from all sin, than this one triumphant answer — Christ is risen, who is even at the right hand of God.

C.S.

Mephibosheth

Mephibosheth, lame on both feet; or,

The Kindness of God.

Very early one morning, many years ago, I was reading the ninth chapter of 2 Samuel. After reading it once, I thought, “What a strange chapter, about a young man lame on both his feet.” I read it again, and still I could see nothing in it. After going through it a third time, my eye rested on these words, “I will surely show thee kindness, for Jonathan, thy father’s sake.” The thought suddenly flashed upon my mind, “Ah! there is a picture of the kindness of God, through Jesus Christ.” What a picture now lay before me, like some lovely landscape, at the break of morn. As years have rolled on, the beauty of this picture has only, to my mind, increased. Many times have I been led to preach Christ from it, and seldom without souls being converted to God. This encourages me, in faith, to trace over this interesting portion of the Word of God with my readers; trusting that God will use it in blessing to many souls.

In this picture, then, of the kindness of God, there are two characters — Mephibosheth, the child of grace; and Ziba, the self-righteous man. The condition of Mephibosheth, strikingly illustrates the state of a sinner when he is brought to God.

If you turn to the fourth chapter and fourth verse of this same book, you will find he was the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, both now dead; that he had fallen, and become lame; and that since his fall he had been hid, lame on both his feet, in Lo-debar; which Hebrew word means, a place of no pasture. Being of the house of Saul, the enemy of David, he concluded, no doubt, that David would be his enemy; and therefore hid away from his presence.

How very strikingly this illustrates the condition of fallen man. No sooner had sin blinded the mind of Adam, than we read he “hid himself from the presence of the Lord God, amongst the trees of the garden.” And is not this man’s very condition, to the present hour? Why is that one hurrying off to the theatre, or the alehouse? Ah! he knows not God. Being at enmity with God, he concludes that God is his enemy, and he dreads His presence. The thought of going this day into the presence of God would be terrifying. Does the thought give you alarm, my reader? Ah! it is because you know not God. Perhaps you may say, “I have sinned, and that makes me afraid of God.” True, you have sinned; and I have sinned; and all have sinned. But if you knew the price He has given, that He spared not His own dear Son, then you would see that God is the only one to whom you can go, as a sinner — and be assured, “The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth from all sin.”

But lot us now go on with the chapter. “David said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him?” And is not this the present work of the Spirit of God? Is there not yet any of the fallen sons and daughters of Adam to whom I may show the kindness of God? No matter how deeply fallen, utterly lame, lame on both feet, and truly in the place of no pasture. For, poor, fallen sinner, wherever thou art trying to hide from God, there is nothing, in this world of misery and sin, that can make thee happy. Is there, now? Hast thou pursued the phantoms of Satan, or put thy trust in the world’s fair promises, until thy poor heart is broken with bitter disappointment, and all is a dismal void? Then, listen, I will tell thee of One that will not serve thee so.

Ziba, the self-righteous man, informed the king, that Jonathan had still a son, who was lame on his feet, in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar. “Then King David sent and fetched him.” Now, this fetching is very beautiful. It tells out a grace so entirely of God. Man shows kindness to those who, as he thinks, deserve it. Or he expects to get something worth the kindness in return — not so with God. Mephibosheth had not done one thing to merit the kindness. He had not to do his part first, as some say. No! grace went to fetch him from Lo-debar, the very place where he was. And did not the Son of God come to poor sinners, just where they were? He came to fetch them, and He found them dead in trespasses and sins. And did he not take that very place and die, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God? Eternal shame on every proud Pharisee, who, after this, will say, “Man must do his part first.”

Mephibosheth was too lame to do his part first. He had to be fetched. And He who knows both man’s utter lameness, and this fetching-grace, has said, “No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” And again, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out.” Ah! if it had not been for this fetching-grace, we should have all perished, in our wretched strivings to hide away from God. “And now, when Mephibosheth was come unto David, he fell on his face.” What a picture of dread and fear. As the son of Saul, the hunter of the life of David, what had he to expect? The next moment the voice of stern justice might demand his life. There he lies — a picture of a trembling sinner, brought into the presence of God, with the fearful load of guilt and sin; he knows not God — he knows not what to expect.

Before we hear the words of David, let us turn to the covenant of love, as unfolded in 1 Samuel 20:14-17. Jonathan, the father of that young man, fallen at the feet of David, speaks in the fourteenth verse: — “And thou shalt not only while I live show me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not, but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever. . . And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him; for he loved him, as he loved his own soul.”

Did you ever visit the place of your early life, and look for the first time on the child of a dear departed friend? Then you may have some faint idea of what David felt when he looked at Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, laid at his feet. Who can tell the tender sweetness of that voice, that spoke from the bottom of his very heart — “Mephibosheth!” “Behold thy servant,” is the trembling reply. How little did he expect the unconditional grace, that was about to be shewn him. “Behold thy servant,” is the highest thought of fallen man. He ventures to offer himself as a servant to God, and hopes to be saved at last for his serving. This is the religion of every human heart.

But now hear the words of David. Like the Father, in the parable of the Prodigal, he cuts him short. “Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake; and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.” Ah! this is like God, no conditions, no bargaining. It is not, If thou wilt do this, or if thou wilt not do that. Oh, no; it is all pure grace! The kindness of God! “I will surely shew thee kindness,” and that entirely for another’s sake. “And thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.” Was it net thus in the parable referred to, where Jesus was unfolding the unknown, boundless grace of the Father’s heart? Was there one reproach? Was there one condition? No, he fell on his neck and kissed him. (Luke 15.) Is not this the kindness of God? Am I misrepresenting, or, with Jesus unfolding the true character of God? Is it thus that he receives the lost sinner? Are these his words to the wretched, trembling, hell-deserving sinner, I ask? Can he, pointing to the cross of Christ, say, Fear not, I will surely show thee kindness, for Jesus' sake? All this, too, without a single condition. All pure grace, flowing from his own overflowing heart of love.

Oh, my reader, do you thus know God? “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved,) and hath raised us up together; and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come, he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Can you say that this is your portion? Man would have sent a book of directions to the lame young man, to tell him how to repent, and how to cure his feet; and how to do I can’t tell what. But there is not a word of it here. No, he comes just as he is, nothing more was required. How could there, when David’s heart was already filled with love to him. Above all things, Satan will strive to hide this kindness of God from the poor sinner. Let God be truly known, and I need no priest on earth, or saint in heaven, to soften his heart towards me. It is already filled with love unspeakable. Are you, dear reader, feeling the burthen of sin? And have you been perplexing yourself with men’s long books of directions how you are to repent, how you are to please God and get Him to save you? Perhaps one tells you to be as opposite to Col. 2:20 as you possibly can, and that by keeping men’s ordinances and sacraments you may hope to be saved. Another, with equally deadly effect, may tell you to be deeply sorry for your sins, (they never say how deeply,) and that you must give them all up, and love God with all your heart, &c., &c.; and then you may think yourself fit to come to Christ. That is, they would fain persuade you, that you are not so utterly fallen; that you are only lame a little on one foot, and that you only need to make a crutch of Christ, and so by His help you will get on very well; and really what it comes to is, that you may merit heaven at last.

Now if you are thus bewildered and perplexed, let me beg of you to shut up, and turn away from all the schemes of men. Let your mind dwell on God, as revealed in the cross of Christ. Perhaps you may be ready to say with alarm, Then do you mean to deny repentance altogether? Far, very far, from this is my desire. And perhaps few passages of God’s Word bring out more clearly than this both what repentance is, and the true place of repentance, or that show more strikingly what produces it.

No sooner had the stream of unconditional grace been poured into the trembling heart of Mephibosheth, than “He bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?” It is thus that the goodness of God leadeth to repentance. The sinner is brought into the presence of infinite grace, and infinite holiness too. The true character of God is revealed to him in Christ Jesus. He hears the sweetest words of love divine: — “Fear not, I will surely show thee kindness.” And the effect of this is to bow self to the dust, in the sense of this overwhelming grace. This is that change of mind called repentance. But shall I tell you, my reader, that you must thus repent before you come to Christ? No, I should as soon think of asking you to feel warm first, before you come to the fire, if I saw you perishing in the cold and storm.

But, if I mistake not, what many mean by repentance is a lifting up of self, a mending of self; and, by so doing, changing the mind of God, as though He were an angry Being, and needed our good works to turn His heart to us. Did there need a change of mind in David? No; his heart was full of love. Then how can there need a change of mind in God? What is the cross, but the expression of the love of God to perishing sinners? Now, my reader, if you knew the kindness of God to you — that nothing should ever separate you from His kindness and love in Christ Jesus — would not this instantly produce an entire change of mind in you? And the more you knew the freeness of this precious love, the more would you be humbled to the dust before Him. That which you may vainly try to work up in yourself as a preliminary to salvation, or as a title to it, would be produced the moment you believed the wondrous love of God.

And now mark the contrast of these two men — Ziba the servant, and Mephibosheth the son. David calls Ziba, and gives him commands, all of which he agrees to keep. “According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do.” The very thing Israel foolishly engaged to do at Sinai — and the very thing thousands are engaging to do in our day, who have given up Christianity and gone back to Judaism-yes, and I fear nine out of every ten who read this paper, will belong to the religion of the servant, instead of the son.

What a contrast is seen in the words of David in pure grace to the son. “I have given.” “Mephibosheth shall eat bread always at my table.” “As for Mephibosheth, he shall eat bread at my table, as one of the king’s sons.”

“So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he did eat bread continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.” Not one word of grace to the servant, and not one command to the son. The one is the service of legal bondage, the other the service of the heart’s deepest affection.

Happy thy portion, child of grace! God hath given thee eternal life. No longer a servant, but a royal son, at the table of thy Lord. Not a sacrament to help to save thee, but ever sitting at the Lord’s table, breaking and eating that bread, and drinking of that cup, that reminds thee of the broken body and shed blood of Christ, by which thou art saved. Yes, God hath given thee the bread of life, on which thou shalt always feed. Why dost thou thus continually feed on Jesus? God hath willed it. He hath said it, and it shall be done. If thou art a believer, thy condition and standing cannot possibly be that of a servant. “For to as many as received Christ, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” “And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.” (Rom. 8.)

How immensely important it is to understand this wondrous relationship. Surely you must see that there is a great difference betwixt the relation of a servant, and that of a son. A servant abideth not ever, but the son abideth ever. Thus grace brought Mephibosheth from his hiding-place of fear and enmity, and at once gave him all the privileges of sonship, and that without a single condition. We have seen its effect upon him, in an entire bowing of self, a thorough change of mind; yea, we shall find that his heart is won to David for ever.

Cold unbelief would say, “True, he was a poor, lame thing before he was brought to David, and made a king’s son. But surely he could never enjoy the privilege of sitting at the royal table, and still be a poor lame thing.” For there are not a few who would admit that it is all grace that brings a poor, lame, lost sinner to Christ, who nevertheless imagine that when brought, his continuance and final salvation somehow depend on his own walk and obedience. This is a most bewildering and tormenting mistake. If it were true, alas! who could be saved? Every believer who knows his own heart will say, Not me. If my final salvation depended on me for one hour, I dare not even hope to be saved. Dare you? But now what do we get in this divinely-inspired picture of the kindness of God? “He did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.” Precious grace!

“The grace that sought and found me,

Alone can keep me there.”

The believer is often sorely perplexed, when he finds that as to all strength in himself to stand in the hour of trial, he is as weak now as he was before. And should he for one moment, forgetting his standing in grace as a son, begin trying to walk as a servant, he would get occupied with his poor lame feet. Finding thus that, as a servant under law, he cannot please God, he would be ready to give all up in despair. My reader may have been buffeted sorely in this way. You may have looked at your poor lame walk until you have said in your heart, I surely cannot be a child of God at all! Ah! you never can get peace by looking at your lame feet. Put them under the table, and look at that with which God, in His infinite grace, has spread the table. He sets before us the remembrance of Christ. All that we are in our poor, wretched, lame, dead selves, has been judged and put to death on the cross. And God reckons our old selves dead, and buried out of His sight. He sees us now risen with Christ; yea, even in Him, sat down in the heavenly places.

Oh! yes, it is quite true, the believer is in himself as lame after conversion as he was before. He has indeed a new life — a new nature now, which he had not before; and he has the Holy Ghost dwelling in him. But still his old nature, called the flesh, is what it ever was. What is he to do then? Have no confidence in the flesh whatever; but own the grace that made him His, and keeps him His for ever. Let us put our feet under the table then, and feast on the riches of divine grace spread before us. When we have come to the end of all dependence on self, the end of all vow-making, of all our resolutions — when we really own the utter ruin of the old man — then follows that calm dependence on Christ in which we begin to realize the power of His resurrection in a holy life. But self-righteous flesh will have a hard struggle before it gives up for dead. (See Rom. 7.)

The subject of the next chapter (2 Sam. 10) is kindness shown and rejected; with the judgment consequent thereon. It is the great condemning sin. The kindness of God to a guilty world has been shown. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” What kindness! But hear these solemn words: “He that believeth not is condemned already.” If my reader should be a rejecter of the kindness of God in the gift of His Son, think, oh! think of your eternal doom.

But I would now briefly pursue the history of these two men — types, as they were, of all at this day who have either found grace and salvation in God, or who are trying to be saved by keeping His commands.

In chapter 15 we have recorded the rebellion of Absalom. David, the true king, is rejected; and as he leaves Jerusalem, it is remarkable that he crosses the same brook that the rejected Jesus afterwards crossed. “And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king himself passed over the brook Kidron.” When Jesus crossed over on the night of His rejection, the few that passed with Him failed to watch even one hour. And in the 30th verse, “David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept as he went up.” It was to this mount Jesus led his disciples, when, having been murdered by this world, and God having raised Him from the dead, He ascended into heaven — rejected by the world, but received up into glory.

Now it is when David is thus rejected, having passed this Mount Olivet, that we find the character of Ziba, the servant, brought out. (Read chap. 16:1-4.) The first thing here is a great display of service to the king — asses loaded with bread, and fruits, and wines. How is this? says the king. Where is Mephibosheth? Ziba tells the king that he is abiding at Jerusalem, trying to get the kingdom. Really this seems as if Ziba, the self-righteous man, had the best religion. Yea, and to sight, it has always seemed so. But God knoweth the secrets of all hearts. To all outward appearance, there seemed to be great zeal and devotedness in Ziba; and he had such a beautiful form of prayer. But all was hypocrisy within. The day of the return of the rejected David at last came, (Chap. 19:24-30,) and Mephibosheth goes forth to meet him. Yes, and the day of the return of the rejected Jesus will quickly come; and every child of grace, whether sleeping in the dust, or alive when He comes, will go forth to meet Him in the air. (1 Thess. 4:15-18.)

And now the true character of both comes out. Mephibosheth “had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed, until the day he came again in peace.” The kindness of David had won his heart. That heart beat with affection to the rejected king; and his affection was too deep to allow him to take any place on earth but that of a sorrowing mourner, waiting the return of him he loved.

And did not Jesus count on this on the night of His rejection? “A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again a little while, and ye shall see me. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” Alas, how little have we answered the heart of our rejected Lord! I cannot make anything of it but forgetfulness of Christ, to take any other place than that Mephibosheth took — the place of a sorrowing mourner, awaiting the return of Him we love.

But what about the fruits, and bread, and wine? “Wherefore wentest thou not with me, Mephibosheth?” And now the truth is made manifest. It was he who had provided the asses' loads of fruits. But being lame, Ziba had slipped into the saddle; and thus misrepresented Mephibosheth and played the hypocrite. And now mark the deep effect of grace. Mephibosheth says, “Do therefore what is good in thine eyes; for all my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king; yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table.” How sweet the confidence grace gives! Has my reader the settled assurance that God has given him, in pure grace, a place at His own table? Then, may you not look forward to the coming of Jesus with unmixed joy?

“And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said thou and Ziba divide the land.” Beautiful is the reply of Mephibosheth: “Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.” It was not the land he wanted; no, his utmost wish was realized. It was the person of him who had shown him such kindness.

And is it not so, where grace has really won the heart to Christ? It is not the things of the land. “Yea, doubtless,” says the Apostle, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Oh! that we were more like Mephibosheth — more like the saints at Thessalonica — “waiting for the Son of God from heaven.” Mephibosheth had received the kindness of David with the fullest confidence; in spite of all his lameness, he had never doubted the reality of David’s love, but had patiently waited for David’s return; bearing every reproach, until the time should come. The Thessalonians had also received the glad tidings of the grace of God in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance — and hence they bore with patience, and even joy, every insult and affliction from the hands of their enemies. And what was the secret power of this? They waited for Jesus from heaven. The real children of God have always been hated and slandered — yea, often burnt at the stake — by these boasting law-keepers for salvation.

But what a day is coming! Who can tell how soon He may come for whom we wait? His very last words were “Surely I come quickly; Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Did David return, and will not David’s Lord? Yes, our eyes shall soon behold Him. Oh, bright and blessed hope! Not the millennium. Not fulfilments of prophecy. These are blessed in their place — but it is Jesus Himself that the believer, who has been washed in His blood, longs to see.

This beautiful illustration stretches still further on, in chap. 21 — the day of judgment on the house of Saul. “But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan, the son of Saul.” This closes the history of this child of grace. And long after Jesus shall have returned, and His kingdom have been set up; when the Church of God shall long have enjoyed the heavenly glory of Christ, and Israel shall have enjoyed the glory of the kingdom on earth; yea, even when the great white throne shall be set, and when the fallen sons of Adam shall stand before that throne; then, not one that was numbered in the family of grace, in the counsels of eternity, no, not even one, shall be lost. But where will the careless sinners, or even the doers for salvation, appear in that day? Find me a man that professes to be a keeper of the law, that is not a breaker of the law. Can you, my reader, or can I, stand before that throne on the ground of our doings? Impossible. Surely, the man that pretends to be better than his neighbour, must be a hypocrite; for God says, there is no difference — all have sinned. No, no! it is not by works that any sinner can be saved. If you can find a man that is not a sinner, well, let him try. But a sinner needs pardon. “And without shedding of blood there is no remission.” Blessed Jesus, thou hast borne the wrath, the curse, the judgment, due to thy people’s sins; and now unhindered kindness and eternal peace are the happy portion of every soul that rests in thee. Look at the cross, my reader, and listen. Does not God speak there to thee? “I will surely show thee kindness.”

But must there be no works in return? Oh! yes, real, deep, heart-service — the fruit of saving faith. How many works that seem to be good works before men, are really nought in the sight of God! Men load themselves with heavy burdens of self-righteous doings; and yet, what are they all, but the mere rejection of the unmerited kindness of God?

The deeper thy assurance of the unchangeable kindness of God to thee, a worthless sinner, the deeper will be thy hatred of sin, and the fuller thy joy in whole-hearted devoted service to Christ; and the more earnestly, though patiently, wilt thou wait for His return from heaven. C. S.

Ruth

Ruth; or, Blessing and Rest.

“Shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?” Ruth 3:1.

My object in writing this paper is, not to, interpret the Book in its typical bearing on the ways of God with the remnant and nation of Israel in days to come; but, principally, to help the young believer to distinguish betwixt blessing of soul and the true ground of solid rest, as this distinction is illustrated in the touching history of Ruth. I would, however, first notice some solemn instruction in the history of backsliding Naomi. I say backsliding, for when there was a famine, instead of abiding in the land of the Lord, she and her husband, and two sons, went to sojourn in the land of Moab; and, what was still worse, they continued there.

It is very sad, in times of trial, when the children of God, instead of abiding with Him, go down to the world. But it is still worse when they continue there. And what did she find away from the land of Jehovah. Naomi, which means “pleasant,” was, her name, but bitterness did she find away from her God. Away from His presence, death blights her every hope. First, her husband, then her two sons died, and she was left. And full well does the backslider know it is a bitter thing to wander from the Lord.

Though she had left the Lord, He had not left her; like the prodigal, who heard there was bread enough in his father’s house, so the report reached Naomi, “how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread;” and, like the prodigal, “She went forth out of the place where she was.” Wondrous indeed is the grace of our God, who never forsakes the wanderer, but draws and restores with cords of love. Her daughters-in-law arise to come with her to the land of Judah. But dwelling in Moab had done its sad work in her desolate heart. Instead of leading them to Judah’s God, she says, “Go, return to your land and your gods.” She wished them to find rest in the house of that husband on which God had written death.

And such is the influence of every believer, either walking in communion with God and thus pointing souls to Christ; or, away from His presence, leading others to a world of sin and death.

The Lord, however, had touched the heart of Ruth, and she could not go back. And now Naomi, having lost all, returns to Bethlehem, and Ruth with her. “The city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, (pleasant,) but Mara: (bitter:) for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty.” Should these lines meet the eye of a backslider, may I not ask, Is not this your picture-true as life? You went out full, and now how empty — how desolate — what a life of bitterness. You remember the days when your name was “pleasant;” but what a change! The world tempted and promised; but what have you got? But do not say the Lord is against you. No, the Lord was not against Naomi, though she thought so. No, He hedge up her path; but it was to bring her “to Bethlehem, in the beginning of barley harvest.” She went out in the days of famine, and she returns in the beginning of barley harvest. How little did the prodigal expect the ring, and the robe, and the fatted calf!

Blessed be the God of all grace, it is always so. However far the child may have wandered — however deep the sorrow and bitterness in departing; it is always the beginning of the days of barley harvest when he returns. Desolate wanderer! The Lord restore thee to the home of His love! What blessing awaits thee: and what blessing awaited the bitter Naomi. Not only is it the beginning of barley harvest, but Boaz, the lord of the harvest, is the near kinsman of desponding Naomi.

A stranger goes forth to glean in the field. It is Ruth, the Moabitess. How like a sinner who first goes forth to hear the word of life — to glean a few ears of blessing. As a Moabitess, in herself she was an alien from the commonwealth of Israel; without God, and without hope. But something had drawn her from the house of death to the field of Boaz. It is so with the sinner, whose heart the Spirit of God has touched. Lost and guilty in himself; a stranger to God and peace; yet he is drawn to the place where the servants of Christ are reaping the field. And Boaz was there, and said unto his servant that was set over the reapers, “Whose damsel is this?” The servant tells him it is Ruth, and what she has done “from morning until now.” He knew where she had come from, and who she was. And full well does the Holy Ghost, who is set over the servants of Christ, know who every sinner is, and where from, that is brought to Christ. And now Ruth hears the voice of Boaz: “Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field; neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens.” What tender words! He did not drive her from his field as a worthless Moabitess. Oh, no! His words speak such a welcome to her stranger, desolate heart. Precious picture of Him who would not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax.

“Come unto me,” says Jesus, “all ye that labour, and are heavy-laden; and I will give you rest.” How blessed a fact this is; that, however vile and guilty, and however weak the desire after Him implanted in the heart by Him who draws to Jesus, in the presence of Jesus the sinner finds what Ruth found in the presence of Boaz — a perfect welcome. As Ruth heard the voice of Boaz, so says Jesus, “My sheep hear my voice; and I know them; and they follow me.” “Go not to glean in another field,” says Boaz, “but abide here.” And, oh! my young believer, abide with Jesus. Go not to seek pleasure in another field. Be not enticed to the ball, or the concert, to the worlds parties, or its false pleasures. Art thou drawn to Jesus? Cleave, to Him with purpose of heart. I remember a young person in Wiltshire, whose heart the Lord had touched, was persuaded to go to one more ball. She went. She danced. And she was taken from that dance, and laid on her dying bed. Her so-called friends excluded every person who might speak to her saddened heart of the love of Jesus. But they could not exclude Jesus. His is a love that changes not. It was learnt from the nurse, that before she departed she had peace with God. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Let, then, the thought of His love keep you from gleaning in another field. This tender warning is the more needed in our day, as so many seem to be with Christ one day, and with the world the next.

And Boaz said, “And when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels and drink.” How like the words of Jesus! “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.” (John. 7:37.) The prophet also crying of him said, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.” (Isa. 55:1.) And in the last words of Jesus, again, we hear, “I will give to him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.” (Rev. 21:6.) “And let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17.) Precious grace!

“Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?”

Yes, it was grace that bowed Ruth to the dust. And is it not the grace of God that leadeth thee to repentance? She said, Why have I, a poor Moabitess, found grace in thine eyes? And can my reader say,

Why was I made to hear thy voice,

And enter whilst there’s room?

Oh, why have I, so unworthy, such an outcast — why have I found such grace? It is all grace, perfect love to the guilty sinner — love that came and died for me, the Just for the unjust! Yes, when the grace of Boaz was known, that grace changed the mind and won the heart of Ruth; and no repentance is true, but that which is produced by the knowledge of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. When the poor sinner is brought really to know Him, that self is bowed to the dust — the mind is for ever changed — the heart is for ever won. “We love him because he first loved us.” What so mighty and irresistible as the love of God?

And now Boaz comforts the desolate heart of Ruth. “Thou hast comforted me… thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thy handmaidens.” My reader may say, I am far from being like one of the Lord’s people; but can you say you have found a comfort in the Lord’s presence that nothing else could give you? Though your heart was sad and desolate, did you not find comfort at such a meeting? or when you came to glean at such or such a preaching. Nay, when you felt as if you would sink in despair, did you not find comfort in your own closet, when none heard you but the God of all grace? You may be afraid to say you are a Christian. But are you a gleaner? Has God put a thirst for Himself in your heart? Have you found comfort in Him, when none could help? Then take courage. He that hath begun a good work in you will carry it on until the day of Christ.

And Boaz said, “At meal time come thou hither and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar.” Oh hungry soul, how free is the bread of life! “Take, eat, this is my body, broken for you.” Oh what a feast is the table of the Lord. How tenderly did Boaz reach her the parched corn. “And she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.” When the King sitteth at His own table, how satisfied the soul that feeds on Him. What unspeakable delight when the soul thus feasts for the first time with Him. I shall never forget the joy and awe I felt when I saw for the first time the table of the Lord, where there was none to preside, but Jesus Himself. Wondrously sweet is the communion of souls who thus own Him.

But still Ruth is only a gleaner. And Boaz said, “Let fall some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.” Oh! how like the ways of our God. Timid gleaner, have you never found handfuls of blessing, dropped on purpose for you? How suited such a word was to you. What a handful you picked up in such a promise. Perhaps you did not know how God had ordered all this on purpose for you.

Thus does this beautiful history picture forth, step by step, the gracious ways of our God, with many a timid soul. The first budding forth of desire after God, in the going forth to glean — the finding a little blessing amongst the stubble — then the voice of the Shepherd — thirst and the freeness of the water of life — repentance — the full moral bowing down and judgment of self in the presence of divine grace — communings with the Lord — the bread of life — the Lord Himself — the soul filled with blessing, on purpose from the Lord — the gleaning from the word, the beating and the eating. What a picture, I say, of the drawings of divine love.

And yet Ruth had not found rest. “Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?” This brings us to a deeply important and practical part of our subject. Many a dear child of God does not get a step beyond this. You may have been drawn to Christ — have found Him precious — had sweet communion with Him — thirsty, you have drank of the water of life — and hungry, you have eaten of the bread of life. You may have enjoyed all the comfort and blessing described above; and yet not have the knowledge and enjoyment of the true ground of solid rest in God. You are happy when enjoying blessing; but when trial and temptation come, you doubt whether you are really a child of God. “Shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?” God now enable me to write, and you to see, the true ground of rest.

The scene now is entirely changed. It is now no longer the gleaning and the beating. The Martha character ends and the Mary place begins. Ruth is not in the field, but at the feet of Boaz, like Mary at the feet of Christ. She no longer gleans ears of barley. Boaz himself is her kinsman; and if she got one measure, by her gleaning and beating, she now receives six, and is sent away. But six is not the perfect number, and still she has not rest. However filled my reader’s soul may be with blessing, mere blessing is not the ground of rest.

Then said Naomi, “Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.”

It is of the first importance to note this, that as Boaz thus undertook for Ruth, and could not himself be in rest until he had finished the work he thus undertook, even so our adorable Substitute (I speak of all believers) undertook for us, yea, so took our place, that he could not be in rest Himself until He finished the work that gives us rest in the presence of God for ever.

“It is true,” said Boaz, “that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.” “Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there, and, behold, the kinsman, of whom Boaz spake, came by, unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down.” He also takes ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit ye down here, and they sat down.” And lest there should be any after misgivings or complainings, he tells the other kinsman the whole case of Ruth, and gives him the first and the fullest opportunity of redeeming Ruth and her lands. The other kinsman can manage well with the land, but cannot possibly either redeem Ruth, or “raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.” “And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself, for I cannot redeem.”

Now there was in olden times a very curious custom in Israel, “concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour; and this was a testimony in Israel.” This was the end of all controversy; the very end of all claim by the other kinsman. “Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee, so he drew off the shoe.” Thus the ten men of the city were witnesses, that the claims of the other kinsman were ended. He could not redeem. He could not raise up the name of the dead. He could not give rest to poor desolate Ruth.

And who is it, and what is it, that has had the first and the fullest opportunity of saving and redeeming the poor, lost, guilty sinner? It is the law. The other kinsman could do very well with the land. And most excellent and necessary is the law, for God’s moral government in the world. But can the law, which utterly condemns the sinner, can it redeem the sinner? Impossible! it can only curse him. (Gal. 3:10.) Can it raise from the dead? Never! that would be to mar its own inheritance, for it is the inheritance of the law to kill; but not to make alive. For hundreds of years it had the fullest opportunity of saving men, but could it do so? No. As the ten elders bore witness that the other kinsman could not redeem, so the ten commandments bear witness, that, on the principle of keeping law, no man can be saved. If my reader were perfectly righteous, and continued so, in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them, then could it give you life? But is this the case? Nay, does not each of the ten condemn you? Have you not sinned in thought, word, and deed? You may hope to be righteous some day, by keeping the law. But is it not written, “If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain?” (Gal. 2:21.) How can you then find rest and life in that which is the ministration of death? (2 Cor. 3:7.) And if the plucking of the shoe, proved the ability and claims of the other kinsman to be ended, how much more when Jesus took the writing of law, and nailed it to His cross? Does He not prove both the utter end of all question of the law’s ability to save, and the utter end of its claim on the sinner also? Oh why, then, would you cling to the other kinsman? Why go back to the law, which can never redeem the guilty sinner?

What the other kinsman could not do, that Boaz did do. For he could not be in rest until he had finished the matter. The very elders were witnesses, not only that the other could not, “But ye are witnesses this day; Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.” Oh, what a day of gladness for poor Ruth! What a perfect work did Boaz finish for her that day — what a complete change for her — what perfect rest! No longer the poor, sorrowing, outcast Moabitess — no more gleaning and beating — no more coming and going — no more enjoying blessing with Boaz one hour, and away from him desolate the next hour. The stranger gleaner is now one with him forever. They two have become one, to part no more. Perfect rest! Happy Ruth! the love that redeemed thee will never part with thee — nothing shall separate thee from his love. Thou hadst nothing to bring to him. Boaz had all to give for thee. Thou art purchased to be his wife. Nobly did he undertake for Ruth, and nobly did he finish the work that day. There was joy that day in the gate of Bethlehem. All the people, and the elders in the gate, bore witness, with great rejoicings, of the perfect redemption of Ruth, and her marriage to the mighty man of wealth.

Is it not even so? What the law could not do, God has done, in the sending of His beloved Son.

Three things gave Ruth perfect rest. Redemption, resurrection, and marriage — union with Boaz. And what but these three things, in Christ, does the believer need, to give him solid, everlasting rest?

Let me repeat them — nothing short of redemption, resurrection, and union with Christ, can give the lost sinner rest.

Redemption. It is the happy, present, sure privilege of all believers to say, “We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to [not our good deserving, but] the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7.) “Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 3:24.) “There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Redemption through the death of Jesus on the cross is the foundation of everything. Beyond this, the other kinsman has no claim whatever. The law could not reach beyond the cross: there it was nailed. The death of Christ is the very end of the law’s utmost possible claim. It cannot go beyond death. And Jesus undertook for us just there. He so really took our place in death, and became a curse for us that He could not, like Boaz, be in rest Himself until He had finished the work of redemption perfectly for us. He did not merely appear to undertake for us. It was a deep reality. “Made sin for us.” Oh! my reader, ponder this well. Your doings or your feelings, had nothing to do with this. If you are a believer this vast work was undertaken for you, and finished for you, without your asking. It was the love of God.

After the kinsman had once plucked off his shoe, the case of Ruth could never, on his behalf, have a second trial; the question was settled for ever. It was so with the law. It was a schoolmaster unto Christ. But though man had a fair trial until the cross under law, it could only condemn him. “Now we know that whatsoever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” (Rom. 3:19.) And again, the apostle says, “We thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead.” Oh! let it be remembered, then, that after this, the cross, man can never be put on his trial again under the other kinsman, law. It has been once and for ever proved that he is only lost and guilty, and the law cannot give him redemption, a new life, and rest with God. Any attempt to get back past the cross, and put oneself on trial again under law, is sheer madness. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.” (Gal. 3.) This ends the question. The blessed cross is the end of the law, and the beginning and foundation of grace — the grand barrier, so that they that would pass from one ground to the other cannot. If of my works, it is no more God’s grace. Let us now pass on to resurrection.

The death of Jesus, the propitiation for our sins, could never have given rest to the guilty sinner without the resurrection. This is the very point insisted on, where it is written, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” (1 Cor. 15:17.) How this marks the deep, real responsibility Jesus undertook for us. If perfect redemption were not made by Him in the giving up His precious life, He could not rise again. If we were still in our sins, unredeemed before God, He must remain among the dead. If our sins are not purged away, He cannot be raised for our justification. He cannot be in rest Himself, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, unless He has for ever purged our sins. Now the question is this: Has God raised Him from the dead for our justification or not? Is He raised upon high, and there sat down or not? Most assuredly He is. Then this settles for ever the question of our sins. It proves beyond all doubt that they are put away by the death of Jesus for ever. So long as Jesus sits above, in that very body which hung on the tree, bearing our sins, so long is He our righteousness, and God’s assurance to our souls, that our sins and iniquities, He will remember no more. Yes, the resurrection of Jesus, gone up on high, is the answer of our conscience before God. And far more still. For whatever God did to Christ in raising Him from the dead, He hath also done to us in Him our substitute. Yea, “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved:) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” So that, just as the condition of Ruth was no longer what she was in herself as a poor outcast Moabitess, but what she was as the honoured bride of Boaz, so, the condition and standing of a believer before God, is no longer what he is in himself as a guilty, condemned sinner; and most certainly not what he is, or would be, if put on his trial again under law. No; these old things are entirely passed away, and his condition and standing is entirely of God in Christ, the Head of the new creation. Ruth had nothing to bring to Boaz. But what riches had Boaz for Ruth! The sinner has nothing to bring to Christ. But what has not Christ for the sinner? Redemption, life, and union. Just the three things that Boaz had for Ruth. She not only needed one to redeem her, but death was written on her house. We not only needed redemption, but also life, as “death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” We have redemption through His blood. And His resurrection is our life. Not the old man made alive. It was not the old dead husband of Ruth raised again to life, but a new husband. Regeneration is not the old man raised to life again, but an entirely new life — the resurrection-life. Nor are we put again under the old husband, the law; but “ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him that is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit to God.”

Surely my reader must see, that when converted, we are not married again to the law, that we should bring forth sin — that which the law always brings out. No; “We are delivered from the law, being dead to that wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” May God give my reader understanding in these things. If we are led of the Spirit we are not under law.

Why should Ruth desire to go to the kinsman, who could not redeem her; and why should the believer desire to go back to the law, which could only curse him? Beware, my young Christian reader, for many whom you little suspect would seduce you from Christ. Think not that I would teach that God has set aside His law. No, as the ten elders bare witness of the perfect redemption and union of Ruth to Boaz, so the fulfilled law bears witness. Yes, the death of Christ for His own is the great fulfilment of the law. The law demanded the life of the sinner. Jesus gave His life for the sinner, and the law sits in the gate, a fulfilled witness of the righteousness of God — not passed over slightly — no, fulfilled to the utmost.

I trust my reader now sees, that happy feelings, or the consciousness of blessing, cannot form the true ground of rest, but perfect redemption through the blood of Christ; that the certainty of this is proved by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead; and, even more than this, that every believer is now one with Jesus; that the very expressive figure of marriage is used to show this wondrous union. When the Emperor married his wife from England, she ceased to be an Englishwoman. She might still have an English nature, but her standing became French; yea, it became what the standing of the Emperor was. Her former station ceased, and became dead as it were. So with Ruth. She ceased to be the poor Moabitess, and became one with the wealthy Boaz. It is so with every believer, the moment God the Holy Ghost leads the soul to rest in the finished redemption of Christ; for ever afterwards, the former old standing in guilty self is reckoned to cease — to be dead — and marriage is marriage before God. The married woman can never again be Miss So-and-so. Is it not equally true that the Christian, now made one with Christ, can never return to the station and standing of what he is in himself? What he is in himself has been judged on the cross, and now ceases for ever before God. He, like the Empress, may still have the old nature; but the old standing of condemnation never can be his again. There is not such a thing; as it is written, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ.”

Oh, my reader, if you are a believer, however poor and unworthy in yourself, all this is true of you. You have redemption through His blood. You have His risen life in you. You are one with Christ. Nothing can ever separate you. He will not die again and leave you a widow. You never can be more united to Him than you are, and therefore your everlasting rest never can be more sure than it is. He has undertaken for you. “Who shall lay anything to your charge? It is God that justifieth; who shall condemn? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Can you not triumphantly say, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8.)

In conclusion, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Col. 3:1-4.)

All is blessed certainty. Risen with Christ — sat down with Him — perfect rest! How could Ruth ever doubt the love of Boaz? All the people and the elders were witnesses. Was, it presumption then for her to be quite sure? Impossible! How can you doubt, then, my fellow-believer? He loved you and gave Himself for you. You are His and He is yours. It is not presumption. God is witness — the elders bear witness — ten thousand times ten thousand bear witness — all creation shall bear witness. “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.”

Farewell, then, to doubts and fears. No more comings and goings — no more gleanings and beatings. Farewell to the land of Moab — farewell to a deceitful world. Thou art one, redeemed sinner, with yonder Christ in glory. That home above — that scene of love — is thine for ever. There, set thy affections. There, poor desolate wanderer, is thine everlasting rest. C. S.

Job's Conversion

Job's Conversion; or, God the Justifier.

The testimony of the inspired word respecting this man of ancient days, Job, is, that he was a genuine man of God, “perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” (1:1.) His substance was very great, for God had blessed him with earthly blessings in earthly places. It is important to notice this, before Job is put in the furnace. The genuineness of his character is a settled question, on the testimony of God.

The testimony of the word is also quite as clear respecting every child of God in this dispensation, however tried and buffeted he may be. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3.) We are not blessed in earthly places, with a substance that may be destroyed; but blessed in the heavenlies in Christ. But mark the certainty — hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter. 1:3-5.) Thus the blessing of the believer, in these two chapters, Eph. 1 and 1 Peter 1, is in very bright contrast with even the “greatest man of the East.” Job’s inheritance might fade away — not so the believer’s.

Before entering, then, on this scene of fierce conflict, let the believer be well grounded, on the testimony of God, in what is absolutely certain to him. It is most clear by the word of God that he hath redemption through the precious blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sins. His inheritance in the heavenlies could not be made more secure to him. For the Lord Jesus, who died for his sin, has been raised from the dead, and has gone up on high, to take and hold the possession of the heavenly places for him. Is it not then as sure to the believer as if he were there? That is, could he hold it more securely than Christ in glory holds it for him? Ah! it is a settled question; reserved for him in heaven. But it may be said, Though a child of God, may he not fall, so as to lose it after all? No, that is settled too, for those “who are kept by the power of God.” Thus, trembling believer, does the testimony of God’s word make all clear and certain to thee. God’s testimony of Job was, that he was “perfect and upright.” He fears God and hates evil. And again as to the standing of the believer now, how clear the testimony: “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Heb. 10.) “And ye are complete in him.” (Col. 2:10.) And is not love to God, love of holiness, and hatred of evil, the characteristic of every one born of God? (1 John 3:6-10.) Thus did the testimony of God settle, at first, the blessing and character of Job, and thus now does the testimony of the word settle the blessing and character of every child of God.

The veil of the invisible world, so to speak, is now drawn aside. Satan comes amongst the sons of God. He comes from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. This is that great adversary of whom Peter tells us, he walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The Lord, in order to let us see what an adversary we have, puts a question to Satan: “Hast thou considered my servant Job?” &c. And Satan had considered the case of Job. Ah! often when we little suspect, Satan may be watching us and considering, with all the experience of ages, what temptations may be most suited to our particular case. Your door may be shut and you may forget, but there may be watching you, with the deepest malignity, that real person, that real adversary, Satan. He would be no more real if we saw him. God hath blessed Job, and that is quite enough to fill the heart of Satan with hatred. And now begins the permitted trial of Job. There was a needs be. And never are we permitted to be sifted by Satan, but there is a needs be. With the real child of God, Satan is sure to outwit himself. God will make all work for the believer’s good.

Who would have thought it possible that Satan could have such power, if God had not thus revealed it to us in this book. Job’s sons and daughters are eating, and drinking wine, like the world in this day, little thinking of the sudden destruction that awaits them. The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them — everything going on its usual way. Happy-looking world! there might be no tempting devil in thee. How quick and how well did Satan do his work. The Sabeans fell upon the servants and slew them with the sword. One servant alone escaped to tell Job. We hear of a dreaded invasion, and men talk about the emperor, and the press, and the people; but how few remember the great adversary Satan, the “prince of the power of the air,” (Eph. 2:2,) “the god of this world,” (2 Cor. 4:4,) the great mover in the last scenes of human wickedness. (Rev. 13:4.) It was Satan who brought the Sabeans to invade Job. He is a murderer from the beginning. And whilst the servant was telling him, there came another and said, “The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them, and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.” Strange as it may appear, Satan will again use this very same power. “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.” (Rev. 13:13.) “And whilst he was yet speaking, another servant came and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword, and I only am escaped to tell thee.” Fearful as all this was, yet still more fearful tidings were at hand. “While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house; and there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead, and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.” Thus, as it were, the battle began with a running discharge of musketry. Oh, what a pang it is to a parent’s heart when tidings come of the death of one child; but sad as it was to Job, and fearful as was this first part of the conflict, Satan’s heavy artillery was not yet brought up. So far Job held his ground. “The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Again, Satan, the accuser of the brethren, is seen amongst the sons of God, accusing Job. He has failed in his attack, but he has not given up considering Job, or seeking his overthrow.

God’s testimony is repeated. And, ah, it is well if we go over again the blessed testimony of the word, betwixt each onslaught of the deadly foe. It is in the very epistle, Ephesians, which shows us our glorious, secure standing in the risen Christ, that we are exhorted to take the whole armour of God; and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, must not be forgotten. “Put on the whole armour of God: that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” It is not with Sabeans, Chaldeans, fire and wind, but with wicked spirits in heavenly places, that we wrestle.

“And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; only save his life.” Very blessed is it to know this: our life is hid with Christ in God. Satan may be permitted to burn our bodies at the stake, but he cannot touch the eternal life — this can never die. It is only to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better.

“So went Satan forth, from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils, from the sole of his foot unto his crown.” Now, as Job’s blessings were earthly, in contrast to ours, which are heavenly; so his afflictions were bodily, in contrast with ours, which are spiritual. So, as Satan was permitted to act on the bodily flesh of Job, and thus plunge him in the deepest affliction and sorrow — poor man, what a picture! he scraped himself, and sat down in the ashes — in like manner, Satan may be permitted to act upon our old carnal nature, so that, spiritually, we find, from the crown to the sole of the foot there is no soundness in us, but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores. Ah, it is then that Satan brings up his heavy artillery. The first heavy blow that the adversary now aims at Job, is through the words of his astonished and irritated wife. She said, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die.” How very striking is Job’s reply. He, no doubt, saw the distress of his wife at his own affliction; and, taking the brightest side, he gave her credit for meaning better than her words implied and so he said unto her, “Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh.” He does not say, What a fool thou art. But, speakest as one. “What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” Really, was not Job a beautiful character? Surely, one of the fairest specimens of all the sons of fallen humanity. The Lord had said of him, “There is none like him in all the earth.” It is remarkable, that when the three friends of Job come, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, we hear no more of Satan. And what better weapons can Satan use, than the words of mistaken friends? To be misjudged and misunderstood by those we love; surely this is bitterness. In this respect even, what did our blessed Jesus endure, when He came to His own, and His own received him not?

But to return to Job. We may form some idea of the bitterness of his anguish, by its effect on his three friends. “They sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word to him; for they saw that his grief was very great.” Such was the grief of Job; and such do I take to be a picture of the deep anguish of heart of many a true child of God, who, like Job, knowing redemption, but not knowing the living, loving, and all powerful priesthood of Christ, and finding, it may be, after years of happy enjoyment of Christ, so far as known, that the flesh is still so fearfully corrupt, beholds, it may be in one moment, every fond hope of a mended self blighted and destroyed. Job could not put a finger on a spot that was not a running sore. And the believer, sooner or later, must find that there is not a spot in his old self in which he can rest. Ah, it is one thing to talk, it is another thing to find, that all that I am of the first Adam is withered and dead before God. Very blessed, when this is learnt, to learn also the bright resurrection-side of sorrowing Job.

Chapter 3. Job at last opens his mouth, and oh! what grief and wormwood, ending with these words, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me; I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet, yet trouble came.”

It may have been just so with my reader. The true believer dreads nothing so much as sin, and yet that which he most feared, yea, sin — to find sin, sin, sin, and to hate it, to fear it, to try hard to be entirely without it, and sometimes hope it is all gone, and still to find it turn up again, and to find oneself no better, it seems to take away all safety — no rest, no quiet, but, as it was with Job, trouble comes. I know that, until Job’s lesson is learnt, it is so with every child of God. yes, and just in proportion to your love of God, and hatred of sin, is the bitterness of your sorrow. Has not sin, since conversion, felt so loathsome? Has it not weighed down your soul until, like as Job wished he had never been born, so have not you wished almost, that you never had been converted? Ah, you might have to sit longer than seven days with your dearest friends before you could open your heart. You little expected to find that you were as bad as you find you are.

And now Satan renews the attack through friend Eliphaz. Poisoned arrows are shot through his lips, in chapter 4:3-8. “Thou hast instructed many.” It is terrible when Satan can thus fix a poor believer’s thoughts on himself. “What!” says he, “is this you? You, that profess so much — you that instruct others — you that are looked up to? Pretty dishonour you will bring upon the name of Christ, if all that you are comes out before the world. Your sin is fearful, from the very profession you make.” Yes and sometimes he would fain persuade the trembling soul, that its sin is so aggravated, by being so great a professor, that now it cannot be pardoned; and then, if that will not do, quick as thought, he gives the thrust he gave to Job, “Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same.” “By the blast of God they perish.” This is the thin end of Satan’s great wedge. It is the first insinuation that Job is a hypocrite. We shall find this wedge driven, blow after blow, as we go on in the book.

Let the believer beware of Satan’s wedge. He may insinuate, “Yes, it is all quite true for all those that are the Lord’s people. Certainly they have redemption through the blood of Christ. I do not want you to doubt that. But may I not ask,” continues Satan, “would you be so bad if you were a child of God: are you not a hypocrite, think you?” Ah! this is a piece of ground over which, where the Christian goes, he gets a sore buffeting. But it is quite true that they that sow iniquity reap the same. And it will yet be true. By the blast of God they perish. But then this was misapplied to Job. It would have been misapplied to Peter, though he denied his Lord. It would have been right, applied to Judas. He sowed iniquity. He sought opportunity to betray his Master. Not so Peter. Though in the presence of temptation, he found himself utterly without strength. This is just the difference betwixt a believer and a hypocrite. Sin is not the believer’s object: lip does not seek opportunities to betray Christ, though, like Peter in the presence of temptation, he may find himself as weak as water.

Now, it was this misapplication of truth that Satan so used in the speeches of Job’s friends. Chap. 6 shows that this gave Job a terrible shaking. “He said, Oh, that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! For now would it be heavier than the sand of the sea.” “For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit. The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.” This was a great mistake. They were the arrows of Satan. God was not against Job. If Job had but known it, God was for him.

How great is the distress of soul when Satan can thus insinuate that God is against the believer! How he will magnify every trial, every affliction! “There,” says he, “does not that show you are a hypocrite, and that God is against you? There now; He will deal with you as your sins deserve.” Yes: and how ready the unbelieving heart is to say, “It must be so. Surely no one felt such despairing feelings as I feel. The terrors of God set themselves in array against me. I thought I was such a good Christian, but now I find my sins deserve the lowest hell.” Ah! so deep was the anguish of Job under this temptation, that he desired God to destroy him. Whether asleep or awake, he finds no comfort. He finds none that understand his case. And thus he sinks in his bitterness, deeper and deeper.

And when the believer is really passing through these deep waters, how few there are that thoroughly understand his case! I only know of one such; I am going to tell about him presently.

Chap. 8. Now, friend Bildad takes his stroke at the wedge, to drive it a little farther home. “Can the rush grow up without mire? Can the flag grow without water? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God. And the hypocrite’s hope shall perish,” &c. This is all true of the stony-ground hearers; but not true of Job — and not true of the soul that sincerely trusts in Christ. The water that is in him is a well of water, springing up into everlasting life. “The hypocrite’s hope shall perish;” but the feeblest sheep of Christ shall never perish. But if he looks at his own fancied greenness — at his own boasted goodness, this will fade away; and thus Satan gets the advantage. There may be much freshness of soul at conversion — like the green flag; but beware of trusting in this; for very often the reaction is in proportion to the exuberance of joy, when the real character of the flesh is found out. Then showers of darts are sent — such as “Have I deceived myself?” “I do not feel as I did.” “Perhaps I have no root in Christ.” “The hypocrite’s hope, shall perish.” Then, oh, what darkness of soul — what perplexity! The eye is off Christ: the heart is listening to Satan. The very first question, even that of justification, is found to be unsettled. It was just so with Job at the close of Bildad’s speech. Beware, then, of Bildad’s stroke on the wedge!

Chap. 9. This chapter brings out the state of Job’s mind. He says, “I know it is so of a truth. But how should man be just with God?” He gets before God as Judge; and his perplexity is very great. He cannot answer God one in a thousand. “I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.” Poor Job! He does not know now which way to turn. And is not this the case with every believer the moment he gets before God as Judge? How can he or you be just before God? Would not one sin of a thousand utterly condemn you? Yet this is the desperate struggle of Job, and every human heart to be just before God. “If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me.” How does God know that you are innocent? Very far from that. But at conversion you hoped you would then be innocent. Has it been so? Can you look up in the face of God as Judge, and say you have been innocent since your conversion? Impossible. Then, does not the thought of standing before God as Judge make you afraid? Certainly. Job felt it was utterly impossible to stand before God as Judge and be found just! and hence he felt his deep sense of a mediator or daysman. “For (God) is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me.”

Chap. 10. The thought of God as Judge fills Job with confusion. He gets to feel as if God were against him like a fierce lion. There is also breaking and humbling before God. But all is still darkness — the very shadow of death. Whatever was the cause of all this? And much more, may I ask, whatever is the cause that many a dear child of God should he in this same darkness and uncertainty? Let us peruse the book, and we shall yet find out the cause.

Chap. 11. Job’s friend, Zophar, now speaks. He brings out the majesty of God; but it is only to crush Job. He sees that Job is wrong in seeking to be clean in his own eyes; and in his zeal he says, “Oh, that God would speak, and open his lips against thee!” But it is not with him to show Job how he can possibly be a sinner, and yet be justified. He can tell that if Job were not a sinner, then it would be most blessed with him; and that is all that Zophar, or mere human light, can do. This is human religion. I must try not to be a sinner, and then I shall be happy, and God will not be against me. Vain endeavour still, you find it, do you not? You are a sinner. How then can you stand before a holy Judge? There is the difficulty.

Job again makes his reply. He, too, can discourse well on the majesty of God in all his ways. But this cannot settle the question, How can a man that is a sinner be just before God? A man may be able to discourse well about the stars and the stones — he may be learned in all the learning of this world — and yet not be able to tell clearly how the sinner is justified before God. The dreadful thought still harassed Job, that God was against him. Oh! what can be so overwhelming as this fearful thought? To whom can you go if God be against you? The sun may shine; but, ah! it is not for you. You may try to flee from sin, but Satan pursues you, pressing it harder upon you. Job said to God, “Let not thy dread make me afraid.” This opens the way for Eliphaz to renew the attack.

Chap. 15. Eliphaz says, “Yea, thou casteth off fear, and restraineth prayer before God.” This is still a sore temptation of Satan. When the soul is passing through darkness, it often seems as if it could not pray — so different from what it was. “There now,” says Satan, “is not that a proof that you are nothing but a wicked person. Surely you must be a hypocrite.” “For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.” “The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days.” “Dear me,” says the believer, “that is just as it is with me. I do not enjoy prayer as I once did. I am filled with pain.” “Miserable comforters,” says Job, “are ye all.” And then he becomes still more desperate. The thought comes again, God is against me! Why, he hath delivered me up. “I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by the neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me for his mark.” “Oh!” says the believer, “how is it that God allows me to be thus — how is it?” And then Satan pours in a volley of infidel thoughts, not to be put on paper.

Again the longing cry for the priesthood of Christ goes up from the heart of Job. (Chap. 16:21.) “O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man for his friend!” “Lay down now; put me in a surety with thee. Who is he that will strike hands with me?”

Chap. 18. Bildad again takes his place in the contest. He means well, but his words are poisoned arrows. “The light of the wicked shall be put out.” Yes, every word is perfectly true of the wicked; but how crushing to Job! Circumstances seemed to favour the charge. “How long,” says Job, “will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?” “Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me!” Is it not astonishing that he should pass through so much, and yet have such clear light on some things? He says, (chap. 19:25,) “ For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”

This is truly a bright beam of light in the midst of so much darkness and confusion. And there may often be much knowledge of redemption and future glory, and much blessed, occasional comfort of the Holy Ghost, and still the question of justification not clearly settled. And note, this does not hinder Zophar again, in his turn, redoubling the attack.

Chap. 20. “The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.” This was a hard thrust after a moment’s relief. Job is somewhat stirred up, and gives a sharp rebut, by showing that sometimes the wicked prosper in this world. Chap. 22. Eliphaz returns to the attack with fury. He says, “Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquities infinite?” And now he strikes Job in the most tender place. He brings false accusations against him. “Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. Thou has not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.” This makes the complaint of Job very bitter. He says, “My stroke is heavier than my groaning. Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!” Again Bildad repeats the great difficulty: “How then can man be justified with God! or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?” (25.) This is no comfort, no help, for Job.

Job now gives his last speech — his greatest effort to justify himself. Yes, this was the needs be of all his trial and sorrow. His words are very touching. “Oh that I were as in the months past, as I was in the days of my youth.” &c. It is not, Oh that it were with me, but, Oh that I was. How like the mistaken longings of the soul, that is being driven from self to Christ. There is a peculiar delusive pleasure in being satisfied with oneself. Very often after conversion the thought is how much better I am now than I once was — how I do now walk in the ways of God. Some few are even so far deceived as to think the old nature is entirely changed, and that there is not a root of sin left in them. But, alas, when the time of temptation comes, all this is levelled to the dust. Now, just read chap. 29-31, and you will say, if any man could have justified himself by good works, Job was the man There is not a man in all your town that can say as much as Job said, and say it truly. As to his kindness to the poor, he was the very opposite of the lying charges brought against him. Thus he lets memory recount every good act of his life, but all fails to give rest to his troubled spirit. I, I, I, I did this, I did not do that. But it is all of no use. “Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.” Not so Job, you will speak again, and though your words may be few, they will be full of meaning. Now, if Job could not be just before God, how can you? Let memory glance back along the track of life. What sins before God? — are your words ended? — are you dead beaten? — do you say, I cannot tell what to make of it? Then let Elihu speak.

This Elihu is a wonderful person — the very one that Job had desired — the daysman — type of our Great High Priest. The false charges had brought out the self-righteousness of Job; and against him was the wrath of Elihu kindled. Why? “Because he justified himself rather than God.”

You will find the last desperate effort to justify himself occupies six chapters. And how many chapters of a Christian’s life are also spent in the vain endeavour to justify himself, instead of owning himself a lost sinner, and justifying God, in justifying him, though a sinner, consistently with His own holiness and glory. This is the grand mistake — the cause of all the believer’s darkness and confusion. Let me put it plainly before you, my reader. Have you not been occupied with the thought how you could be just before God? Has not the discovery of the impossibility of this being done, seeing that you are still a sinner, filled you with confusion and doubt? Sometimes you may have forgotten yourself and been happy in the love of God, when thinking of the work of your Redeemer, as Job did for a moment. But then, the thought has come, with a pang, I am not what I ought to be, and how am to be? I am not fit to stand before God, the Holy Judge. I am not just! It is all in vain to look over six chapters of your past experience, even if it were as good as Job’s. And you have tried so often, and been no better for trying that you have lost all heart and all hope of being really what you ought to be-of being just before God.

Now what is all this but your best endeavour to justify yourself? God says that you are a sinner. You are doing your utmost to prove it is not so; and the discovery that you are a real sinner fills you with confusion. It is most certain you cannot stand before God as a Holy Judge, and be even innocent, much more just. Of all the millions that have trod this earth, only One could stand before God the Judge; that One was the blessed Lord Jesus. The fire of God’s holiness might search Him through, and there was no sin found in Him. This only One, this Holy One, did stand before God the Judge, as the substitute of His people. The divine judgment of the Holy God has been passed upon Him for our sins. And now God, in divine righteousness, is calling poor sinners, not to stand before Him as the Judge, but as the Justifier. Oh, blessed, Holy, Holy, Holy God, this makes all the difference! I cannot stand before Thee and justify myself, but Thou canst, Thou hast justified me, through the precious blood of Jesus. Oh, what a home is Thy presence now for me.

We shall find this the burthen of Elihu’s message. It is remarkable, that the moment Elihu spake, Satan is silenced in Job’s three friends. “They were amazed; they answered no more; they left off speaking.” Oh, that the tried and buffeted believer would also remember the words that are written for his comfort. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, and He is the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 2:1.) Now, if these three men were amazed, that Elihu should stand up the advocate for Job, how amazed must Satan be when, after long tempting the child of God, he succeeds, in some unwatchful moment, to entangle him in sin. Straight he goes to accuse him before God. Yes, how amazed he must be to find in the high court of heaven that that unworthy Christian has for his advocate the Righteous One, who pleads His own blood. They opened not their mouths; and the very mention of the blood of Jesus stops the mouth of “the accuser of the brethren.” “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev. 12:11.) Believer, do think of this. Your utmost efforts to justify yourself can never stop the mouth of the accuser — it can only be stopped by the blood of the Lamb.

Elihu was for Job; but he was not for his self-righteousness. Against this was he wroth. When the blessed Jesus walked this earth, against nothing was He so wroth as against self-righteous Pharisaism. At this He was filled with indignation. You may have been deeply grieved that you could not be self-righteous, so as to justify yourself. The very attempt has grieved Him more. But though Elihu was so grieved at Job’s great mistake, yet, oh! how his heart yearned over him. He says, “Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles. I will speak, that I may be refreshed.”

Fellow-believer, high above yonder thrones and dominions, in that bright glory, there is a man whose tender human heart yearns for thee and me. Oh, brightness of the Father’s Glory! didst thou not take my nature for the very purpose of being a merciful, faithful, tender, loving High Priest? Thou art in the presence of God for us! Thine heart is refreshed in speaking for poor, unworthy me. Thy love is never, no never, weary of me. Oh! wondrous, sweet, divine love. Lord, let it fill the heart of the writer and reader!

And now Elihu opens his mouth to address Job. He says, “My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart,” &c. What a delightful change, when, wearied out with trying to find righteousness in myself, the Spirit of God sets before me the Lord my righteousness in heaven.

The object of the deep-felt need of Job was found in Elihu. “The Spirit of God hath made me… Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead; I also am formed out of the clay. Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.”

What a striking illustration this is of the real humanity of our blessed substitute, the Lord of Glory. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, yet born of a woman. The Mediator or daysman betwixt God and man, the Man Christ Jesus. Is it not most blessed that God has thus been manifested to us in the flesh? His terror does not now make us afraid. Look at Him in the midst of poor, guilty sinners, — the woman of Samaria, the sinner of the city, the dying thief. Oh! may we not come with confidence to such an one?

Elihu rebukes Job for his desperate attempt at self-righteousness: and, then, for the dreadful thought that God was against him: and then says, “Behold this, thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man; why dost thou strive against Him!” How simple the question of the believer’s conflict is when this light is thrown upon it. Thou art not just — thou art guilty — is the fact, the sentence of God’s word. There is no difference, for all have sinned. As a sinner, thou art judged in the death of Jesus; and as a judged, condemned, dead sinner, by that death reckoned dead, and set aside for ever. Thou, as a son of Adam, never canst be just, and thus every attempt to set up old self, old guilty self, in my way, is simply striving against God. God is not against thee, but God is against this attempt to justify thyself. And I will answer thee, God is too strong for thee. All must be in confusion whilst thou strivest against God. I have just been told an anecdote, that shows this very strikingly. — A dear old Christian, living here, was sorely tried before his death. All the past sins of his life were set before him in such distinctness, and the sense of guilt and shame was so overwhelming, that he almost sunk in despair. At last, Job’s lesson was learnt. He said, “I see now; if I had only been a little better man, it would have proved my damnation. If there had been anything in which I could have rested for my salvation, I should have done so, and perished in my delusion. But now it is only the blood of Christ.” Such, with every child of God, is the desperate striving of the human heart against God. Job’s lesson must be learnt. Man’s purpose is to justify himself in some way. It may be by keeping the law, or it may be his mixing up the righteousness of Christ with his own, in meeting the claims of law, and so making out his case just before God. No matter how, every attempt to justify myself before God is striving against God. It is trying to set up my old Adam-nature, which God has put down, and buried for ever. “When God opens the ears of men, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man,” then must he pass through this sore pain and affliction. It may be through some fall that all self-trust is blighted. Perhaps no believer ever really learns Phil. 3 without some fall. Ah, it is no easy matter to count all the things of my religious self loss and dung — to have no confidence in the flesh — to be found only in Christ.

God’s purpose is shown, by Elihu, to be Job’s full deliverance. And this is his purpose in permitting all the buffeting and conflict through which the believer ever passes. Yes, when he comes to the last sinking point, then, “If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness, then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom” (or an atonement).

What a mercy it is that we have a true Messenger from heaven, a true Interpreter from God, to show His uprightness. The Holy Ghost, Sent down from heaven, is the wonderful interpreter of God’s purpose in the cross of Christ. In the good news He has brought is the righteousness of God revealed. Yes, it His blessed work to show the uprightness of God — the righteousness of God in justifying the sinner — that God is, as has been said by another, “consistent with Himself, with His holiness,” in being gracious to the poor, guilty sinner. How can God say, “Deliver him from going down to the pit?” Is he just? Oh, no! Is he innocent? Oh, no! Does he not deserve to go down to the pit? Oh, yes! Then how can God be just in sparing him? “I have found a ransom;” or, as the margin reads, “atonement.”

Man is guilty. He has no righteousness. But God has found a ransom. This alters everything, and interprets everything, — I am no longer a trembling sinner before God as my Judge, but before God as my Justifier. God has found a ransom, a propitiation, in the blood of Jesus, for the very purpose of setting forth His righteousness, in freely justifying me by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Four times is this shown to be the very righteousness of God, in Rom. 3:21-26. Mark it is not that I, as a son of Adam, am just or righteous. That never can be.

Chaps. 5, 6, 7 show that I am dead, through the death of Christ, and buried. And my justified state is entirely in the risen Christ. Christ did not die for the just, but for the unjust, to bring them to God.

Now, my reader, whereabouts are you? Striving against God, trying to be just in yourself before Him, as your Judge? If so, is there any wonder that your soul should be sorely vexed with confusion and darkness? Or are you resting entirely on the value of that atoning blood, that ransom-price, which makes God just in being your Justifier? Ah! whenever your soul is cast down with a single doubt, depend upon it, you may say, “There, I am trying again to justify myself, instead of rejoicing in God my Justifier.” If God is your Judge, you cannot be saved. If God is your Justifier, you cannot be lost. “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”

It is not you who found the ransom; God found it. Satan may tell Him of all your sins, and especially of your deep ingratitude and failure since you were a child of God. God’s reply is, “I have found a ransom.”

Surely, then, this must give perfect deliverance — God my Justifier — Jesus my Advocate. Oh! what freshness of soul this gives. “His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s; he shall return to the days of his youth.” It is no longer now, “Oh! that I was as in months past.” I is now done with. It is no longer I, but Christ in me; no more wretched striving to justify I — old me. Ah, no! but my soul filled with freshness in contemplating God’s ransom, and God’s perfection in justifying me by that ransom. How sweet is prayer now with God. “He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him; and he shall see his face with joy; for he shall render unto man his righteousness.” Very wonderful! Man, who has no righteousness of his own, has now the righteousness of God rendered unto him. It is “upon all them that believe.” (Rom. 3.) What a blessing — Christ is made righteousness to believers — they are the righteousness of God in Him; and, above all, as it were, our justification in the risen Christ is the very righteousness of God. And nothing stays the full outflow of all this blessing and enjoyment, but the striving to be righteous in self. Only confess the real truth, for “He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not, he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.”

“How very simple this verse is,” some one of my readers may say. “I begin to see plainly that I never was a Christian at all. My religion has been nothing else but trusting in self.” Well, mark those words, “If any say, I have sinned.” Is this the language of your heart now? Can you cast yourself at the feet of Christ a confessed sinner? You may take that place without any fear of being a hypocrite. In owning what you are, as a sinner, before God, there is no fear of deceiving yourself, much more of deceiving God. If this is your confessed state, God shall deliver your soul from going into the pit, and you shall be enlightened with the light of the living. Rest not satisfied until you are assured “God has justified you freely through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” It is indeed a great thing for God to say in this passage; yet it must be true, it is the word of God. Not one, then, shall ever be found in the pit who has been brought to God as a lost sinner. “He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.” How important, then, is the question, Have you been thus brought in real confession before God? It is not, If any have served me, or If any have not sinned. It is, If any have sinned. “If any say, I have sinned.” Now, my reader, God marks your thoughts at this moment. What say you to God? Can you say, I have sinned?

Elihu says, “If thou hast anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify thee.” Now, surely it is a wondrous fact, that God’s very object, His desire, His purpose, in sending His beloved Son into this world, was to justify ungodly sinners. Let, then, the anxious, awakened sinner know this, that, in coming to Him, He is most ready, yea, desires to justify. Yea, the moment you believe on Him who raised up Jesus from the dead for our justification, that moment you are justified from all things. (See Acts 13:38; Rom. 4:24 to 5:1.)

Elihu now speaks to them that have an ear to hear. He shows in what Job had so grievously erred. First, in saying, “I am righteous;” and then for saying it was no use serving God. Thus self-righteousness is shown to lead to infidelity and the deepest spiritual wickedness. God is then shown to be just in all His ways. Whether man perceives it or not, there is needs be for every act of God and every permission of God, both in His dealings with a nation or with a man. “For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.” Whatever, then, may be God’s providence with the world, or discipline with His own children, be it chastisement or even removal by death (1 Cor 11:30, 31), all His ways are in righteousness and truth.

Chap. 35. Elihu applies all this to Job himself; and then proceeds to justify God. “To speak on God’s behalf, to ascribe righteousness to Him.” Yea, it is very striking how the work of Elihu is to justify God. This reminds us of the words of Jesus: “O, righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee!” The great business of Jesus, the Son, was, by His death, to glorify the Father in justifying the ungodly. It is all-important for the soul really to understand this: that God is perfectly righteous in justifying the ungodly by the blood of Jesus. And that, being thus justified, they are looked at as righteous in the risen Christ. He never takes His eyes of them in Christ. “He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous; but with kings are they on the throne; yew, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.” (Chap. 36:7.) Certainly, it must be so. If when God once sees the poor, guilty sinner righteous in Christ, and He never takes His eyes off him thus in Christ, then he must be established for ever; for Christ is established for ever. If Christ is exalted for ever, then the believer in Him is exalted for ever. I may get my eye off Christ, my living righteousness before God, and get looking at what I am. God will never do this. My fellow-believer, does not this make your heart leap for joy — at this moment God sees you righteous in Christ — established for ever. You say, “It is very strange, then, that I should pass through so much sorrow and affliction — so bound in fetters and held in cords.” Ah! Job’s lesson is not yet learnt.

The next few verses bring out God’s purpose in discipline. “And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction, then he showeth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity, If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures: but if they obey not, they shall pass away, and they shall die without knowledge.” it is most important not to confound the believer’s standing and salvation in Christ, with his walk and discipline at the hands of his Father. As to his standing in Christ, as we have seen, it is established for ever. To make that depend, in the least, on his works would be to deny the grace of God. But how much does depend on his walk with God. Not earthly prosperity — not worldly pleasures. The nearer we walk with God, the less we shall have of these. Witness the Apostle Paul, and all who will live godly in this present evil world.

But who can tell how much our spiritual prosperity how much the enjoyment of heavenly pleasures — depends on a close walk with God. Certainly the question is put very strongly here; but it is God’s word. His blessed purpose in all our afflictions — in all His discipline and chastening, is, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Oh! think what he has made us in Christ, and then say, “Though I have been afflicted, was there not a cause?” Ah! there was a tampering with some iniquity. And if God had not come in by chastening, might we not have gone on until He must have removed us by death. “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.” (Heb. 13:5-9.)

Oh! who can tell, my fellow-believer, the blessed results of an entire surrender to God? What a shame for the believer to serve the world, the flesh, or the devil. Oh! the power of that word, “And that he died for all, that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15.) May that word henceforth go to your very heart! What is to be the henceforth of your life and mine? Oh! think of the love and claims of Christ. Would you have days of spiritual prosperity, and years of heavenly pleasures? Then let go everything inconsistent with a world-rejected, but heaven-glorified, Christ. Seek whole-hearted, obedient service to Him, in simple dependence on the Holy Spirit, having no confidence in the flesh: I am persuaded it is of vast importance that you should at once seek real nearness of walk with God. You have sinned, and the fetters and cords made you cry out. And remember, the believer cannot touch sin without great bitterness of soul. Well, God uses that very bitterness in restoring the soul of the failing saint. “But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them: they die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.” (Ver. 13.) You say, “If I were a child of God, surely I should not have all this trouble and bitterness.” This word shows you, if you were not a real child of God, but an hypocrite in heart, you would not have all this bitterness, but you would go on in sin until you perished for ever.

The remaining part of Elihu’s speech is to bring out the majesty of God, and to show man’s entire dependence on Him. Then Jehovah, the Lord Himself, speaks to Job. Thus we have the order of the book: — Job — God’s testimony of him — Satan accusing and opposing, through Job’s friends — then Elihu the daysman — then God Himself. Thus we have the man of God — Satan against him — Christ the High Priest for him — then God.

Now mark the effect of Job’s being thus before the Lord Himself. Astonished that he finds himself contending with the Almighty, he then “answered the Lord and said, Behold I am vile: what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.” He had said His words were ended, and now he says he will proceed no further. Oh yes, Job will proceed a little further yet. There is in this confession the owning of what he is — vile. But in the second confession he will go much further than this.

What a solemn word to Job was this, “Wilt thou also disannul my judgments? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?” I will illustrate this. Suppose an iron-founder, employing a number of hands, has in his yard two heaps of metal; the one is utterly bad, good for nothing, and every attempt to use it is a waste of time, for no perfect article can be made of it; the other heap is exactly suited for the casting required. Now the master has a perfect knowledge of both these two heaps, and he tells the men the worthlessness of the one and the suitability of the other. They will not believe him, but go on trying to get a sound casting from the bad heap. Would not this be contending against the master? Or take another: A large farmer tells his men, who are about to sow his fields, that such a heap of seed is thoroughly bad, that there is not a germ of life in it, but that the seed in the other garner is sure to bring forth a good crop. Well, they will not believe him. They sow the bad seed, and when the summer comes there is nothing but weeds. Well, say they, we must till the land better; we must try again. Try again! would not this be striving against the farmer? After this manner God has told us, most plainly, that man is a lost, guilty, heap of sin, and that on the principle of keeping the law he never can be just; and on the other hand, that the blood of Jesus does justify every ungodly sinner that believeth on Him. (See Rom. 3:19, 25; Gal. 2:21; 3:10.) Now, suppose a man does not believe God about this, but tries to justify himself by keeping the law, or preaches justification to others by trying to keep the law; does not God say to that man, “Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?” Oh! it is a terrible thing to fight against God. If this should meet the eye of a law preacher for salvation, I tell thee, Thou art a fighter against God — a persecutor of Christ. I saw a letter yesterday, from one vested in human authority, threatening to excommunicate, from what he called the church, a person, because she had been converted from the law-keeping religion of the old man, to the perfect and everlasting salvation in Christ. Just think of a threatening letter from a professed pastor, because a poor sinner had found settled peace in Christ. May God, who revealed Jesus to the mad persecuting Saul reveal Christ to this poor, deceived striver against God. But it is not only the ministers of Satan who are trying to keep souls from Christ, and telling men that there is yet something in the old, bad heap of humanity — that it may yet be moulded and cast perfect — but God’s testimony as to man’s utter ruin in Adam, and the only redemption in Christ Jesus for lost sinners is so little understood even by the real children of God, that they spend most of their lives in trying to make the bad seed grow; that is, to find righteousness in themselves — that they are constantly finding, instead of fruit, nothing but weeds. Surely it must be so, so long as we try to be righteous in that which God has pronounced guilty. God grant that we may try no longer to be righteous in self; but, rejoicing in the righteousness of God, may we now walk in the power of the new life. God now shows to Job, under the figure of leviathan, that the power of Satan is too great for him. What a terrible one this king overall the children of pride is. This world has rejected the King of Righteousness and preferred the horrible slavery of Satan. But what could be God’s object in thus describing the power of the adversary? Surely it was to lead Job into entire dependence on himself. “I know,” says Job, “that thou canst do everything.” Now what a relief this is. The believer looked at in himself has no power to overcome Satan. Man failed before him when innocent; much less then, now he is fallen, is he able to stand. It was independence of God that opened the door for Satan at first; and it is simple dependence on God alone can shut it. May God give us a deep sense of dependence on Himself. It is very gracious of God telling us what the power of the enemy is, that we may know that our only resource is in a firm trust in Himself. “I can do all things,” says Paul: “through Christ Jesus.” “My grace,” says Jesus, “is sufficient for thee.” And now Job’s lesson is learnt. He goes a little further — he says, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee: wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

What was Job’s repentance? Was it a change of mind from paths of drunkenness and uncleanness? Was he deeply sorry for a life of open sin and immorality? Oh, no! this was not Job’s case at all. He was a true man of God; and had spent one of the most moral and upright lives on record. Like Paul, as touching his life among men, he had a blameless life, such as not one in ten thousand can speak of. Then of what did he repent? He repented of this: — his striving to establish his own righteousness. God was now revealed to him, and he abhorred himself — himself! Does my reader abhor himself? — all that exalts himself, all the religion that tries to make himself just before God as judge? I say, Do you abhor all that would set up man, as a son of Adam? And especially, do you hate this, because it would rob Christ of His excellency? Have you learnt that all this is striving against God, and, therefore, most hateful? The apostle had learnt this — yes, he had learnt Job’s lesson, and felt deeply Job’s repentance. He could look back at his whole religious life, at his zeal, and his blameless life as a Jew — a Pharisee, and whatever exalted Paul, he could trample under foot. He says, “Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,” &c. (Phil. 3:1-11.) What a complete conversion this is from the religion of self, to the righteousness of God. Has my reader thus done with self? Do you see such excellency in Christ, that you can say with Job, “Now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor myself?” I say, have you really been turned from the religious strivings of the old man against God?

What a change was this for Job, when the lesson was learnt, that there was nothing in himself but vileness. “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” If he had lost seven thousand sheep, now he has fourteen thousand; and so of the camels, and oxen, and asses. And surely the believer has got twice as much by Christ, in resurrection, as he lost by Adam in death. Human innocence is lost through sin. Divine righteousness is won in Christ through grace. An earthly garden of delight is lost. Heaven’s eternal joy is found. In a word, I is lost; Christ is found. I am dead; Christ lives. I am buried; Christ is risen. I could never be just before God; Christ is my righteousness, and God my justifier. What a calm, after such a storm. What divine comfort, after such bitter sorrow. Ah, what settled peace this gives to the soul — to give up all strivings and pretensions to be just in myself, and to know I have perfect justification and righteousness in Christ risen from the dead. Shall I not justify God in the glorious redemption He hath wrought? The more I am occupied with God’s wondrous plan of justifying me, a poor sinner, the more will my soul be filled with joy in God. Beware, then, of every effort to set up man in the flesh — Death is written upon it all. Henceforth may we know the joy and power of our resurrection-standing, so entirely in Christ. For whilst in Adam man is utterly lost in sin, and has no power for righteousness; and whilst the law only brought out transgressions, and pronounced a curse on man; yet now, the believer is not only in the risen Christ, entirely without sin and condemnation, but, being risen with Christ, and having the Spirit of God, he has now power, even the power of resurrection, and of the Spirit of God, against all sin.

Thus, if Job lost his sons and his daughters in death, he now received them, as it were, in resurrection. Their very names are full of meaning. He called the name of the first, Jemima; which means, handsome as the day. The name of the second was Kezia; which is, Cassia — one of the sweet perfumes of the sanctuary. And the name of the third, Keren-happuch, means, child of beauty. “And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job.”

Sin has indeed marred all that was so beautiful, so fair, in that old creation, of which Adam was the head. But, oh! how shall I speak of the risen Christ, Head of the new creation? Fairest of ten thousand thou! Thy beauty, Lord, and glory! ah, how spotless, fair! How holy, precious, divinely sweet! The perfume of thy name is as ointment poured forth! And have I so long vainly sought to find perfection in the Adam-flesh? Oh, let death pass upon it all; yea, have it all — all that I am, with sin so foul! I gaze upon thee, Lord of resurrection, and abhor myself! And is all that thou art, mine? Thy beauty and thy glory — the perfume of thy holy person, all mine? Is all this the portion of every sinner saved by thee? Ah, this is conversion! To let go all I am in death, and now to stand for ever in the everlasting bloom, the freshness, the sweetness, the fair beauty of thee, my risen Lord!

May God bless the henceforth of your life, my reader, as He blessed the latter end of Job! Abhorring all that is of self, with your eye fixed on Jesus, may your soul repose in God your justifier; and thus your peace shall flow like a river. Gazing in the face of the adorable Jesus, may your path be brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. C. S.

The Coming of the Lord

The Coming of the Lord, the Taking Up of the Church,

the judgments that will follow and then the millennium.

I. This line is intended to represent the past history of Israel, up to the coming and rejection of the Lord Jesus.

C. This circle represents the present period, during which the Church of God is being gathered out of the world.

M. This circle represents the period of the millennium, or kingdom.

W. This short line, the period of judgment, betwixt this present period of grace and the millennium.

S. This short line, the letting loose of Satan again, after the thousand years.

E. This beginning of a circle points to the eternal state.

A. This upright line indicates the ascension of our blessed Lord to heaven, at the commencement of this period.

T. This line shows the taking of the Church to meet Christ in the air, which closes this period.

R. This line shows the glorious appearing, or revelation, or coming of Christ to this earth.

Question. Why have you omitted to draw the line through the circle C?

Answer. The line I, W, M, S, shows the history of Israel, which is broken off during this period (C).

Q. Well, now, you make two circles C and M. You say one represents the period of taking out the Church, or the present gospel period; and the other circle (M) you say represents the period of the kingdom set up on the earth; for my part, I thought both had been one and the same. What scripture proof have you of the distinction of these two periods?

A. That is a very fair question. Will you turn to Luke 21:24, 27, You will notice in this passage, that all through the times of the Gentiles, or this period, Jerusalem is trodden down under foot, from its destruction right through the period C; and this brings us to the short period W, the distress of all nations; and then the Son of man is seen coming in a cloud with power and great glory, which event begins the period M, or the millennium. Now, contrast this with Isa. 2:1, 4, you will notice this is, what the prophet saw concerning this very same Jerusalem. Read, also, 11:1-12. Now, here we learn, that after the earth is smitten, and the wicked one slain, which does not take place during the period of grace (C), but during the short space of judgment (W), then this very Jerusalem becomes the metropolis of the whole earth. Thus the contrast is very striking. During this period (C) Jerusalem is trodden under foot, and the Jews scattered amongst all nations; whilst during the period of the kingdom, Jerusalem is exalted above all cities, and the Jews gathered from all nations. Again, during this period (C), the earth is full of wickedness. Luke 17:26-30; 2 Thess. 2:7-11; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5. But in the period to come (M), “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Now a few are taken out of all nations (Acts 15:14), then all nations shall bear the name of the Lord (ver. 17); now all nations reject Christ, then all nations shall come up to worship Him at Jerusalem (Luke 19:12, 14; Zech. 14:16); now Satan is the “god of this world;” then shall he be cast out, and “the Lord shall be king over all the earth.” (Eph. 2:2; 2 Cor. 4:4; Zech. 14:9.) Perhaps the contrast could not be put in a stronger light than it is in Romans 8. During this period (C) the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain and bondage, waiting for the glorious liberty of the children of God. Will not this be a wondrous change?

Q. Well, I had no idea that there was so much Scripture to show such a distinction. It must be very important rightly to understand what period Scripture refers to. Is it not?

A. Indeed it is; and where the dispensations are not understood, all must be sad confusion. I would point out one instance; the beautiful passage in Isaiah 61:1, 2, both periods, and the day of vengeance betwixt them, are in this verse. “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (C), and the day of vengeance of our God (W); to comfort all that mourn” (M); and to the end of the chapter the prophet describes the millennial kingdom. If you compare this with Luke 4:17, you will find the Lord shut the book in the middle of this verse. So far the Scripture was fulfilled. Little did those think, who heard Him, that before the book of wrath and vengeance should be opened (Rev. 5, 6 to 19.), this long period of more than 1800 years, of grace, should intervene. Yes, this long period lay hid in the middle of that verse.

Q. Will you now tell me what you mean by the line A?

A. I must just remind you that the line I points out the history of Israel or the Jews, up to the birth, and death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The line A, then, shows His ascension to heaven.

Q. Does the Scripture connect that event at all with His coming again?

A. Yes, it does very strikingly, to show two things that He will come in Person, and that He will come at the commencement of the period M, the millennium.

Q. I never knew that — where is it, pray?

A. That He will come in person is very clear from Acts 1:10, 11. “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven,” etc. And when is quite as plain from Acts 3:21, “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began.” Nothing, then, is more certain than that at the beginning of the period (M), or times of restitution, Christ will come again in person.

Q. This seems very plain; but why do you make the line A before the circle C?

A. Because the Church did not exist before Christ ascended up to heaven.

Q. Indeed! Why what was there, then, before?

A. First, saved individuals, as Abel, Enoch, Job, etc., and then a nation in the flesh — the Jews — called of God, and on their part professing to be keepers of His law. And this continued until they murdered the Son of God. Thus, the cross abolished Judaism, and put an end to all man’s pretensions to stand before God on the ground of works. Thus, when Christ had ascended up to heaven, the Holy Ghost came down on the day of Pentecost. All was then changed. Jesus in heaven proved the mighty work of redemption was finished. God is just, and the justifier of him that believeth. (Rom. 3:19-28; 2 Cor. 3:13, 14; Col. 2:11, 17.)

Q. I had not thought how very great the change must be from Judaism to Christianity; and still I do not think I quite know what you mean by the Church. Will you explain a little more fully what you mean, and tell me, what is the difference betwixt the Church and all the saved before Pentecost, and the saved after the Church is taken from this earth, to meet Christ in the air?

A. There are two terms used in Scripture to describe the Church, which cannot be applied either to the saved before or after the Church. The first is, “the body,” and the other is, “the bride of Christ.” You will find much about the first in 1 Cor. 12:12, 27. Is not this very wonderful, that all saved persons now are not left as before, as separated saved persons, or even as distinct societies of saved persons? But all saved persons now, by the Holy Ghost, form one body. And more, this body, a heavenly body, because joined to Christ the head in heaven — risen with Him. (Eph. 1:22, 23; 2:4-6.) To show how very distinct this is from Israel, or anything before, this wondrous mystery was not even made known in the past ages. (Eph. 3:4, 10; 4:4-12; Col. 1:18.) And then as to the second term, “the bride,” how different is the position of a wife in a family from all other persons! They may be guests, and of the same family; but their position is altogether different. Such is the wondrous distinction, the elect assembly gathered during this period (C) is destined to share with a glorified Christ for ever. (Eph. 5:23-32; Rev. 19:6-9; 21:9, 11.) But these precious truths call only be learnt by the Spirit’s teaching, leading our souls into close communion with God in His own word.

Q. I am looking at the line T. Is there anything in scripture about this taking the church to meet Christ?

A. In 1 Thess. 4:13-18 there is a very plain passage. The 17th verse states, “We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them [who were asleep in Christ] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” And also in 1 Cor. 15:51, “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” etc. In Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope (T) and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (R.)

Thus we see that the apostle, and all who “had been turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven,” not only believed in this taking up to meet Christ, but were actually looking for the blessed event. Read, also, 1 Thess. 2:19; 5:23; 2 Thess. 3:5; Heb. 9:28; 10:37; James 5:8; 1 Peter 1:7, 13; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Rev. 22:7, 12, 20. Surely this is no speculative doctrine, but a great practical truth, a solemn reality, that the Son of God may come, and take the Church this hour to meet Him in the air. Can you say this is your hope?

Q. I really feel it is a very serious question. It almost makes me tremble, the very possibility of that great event taking place this hour. Tell me what would enable me to look for Christ’s coming with joy?

A. Peace with God; the certainty that you are justified from all sin and condemnation; the certainty that when you meet Christ, you will meet Him who has loved you, and washed you from all your sins in His own blood. This certainty alone can enable you to look for this blessed hope.

Q. Ay, that is true; but how am I to get that certainty?

A. As a ruined sinner, receiving Christ as your entire salvation; believing in Him with all your heart; confessing Him with your mouth. If you have thus received Him, you are justified, you may be certain. God says it — it must be true; for God cannot lie.

Q. Well, I do think if my mind was more settled, as to the certainty of my having peace with God, I could even long for the coming of Christ. But I thought a great deal of scripture had to be fulfilled yet; if so, then how is it possible that Christ may take the Church this hour?

A. That is a difficulty, I know, with some, but the is simply this: such scriptures have not to be before the coming of Christ to take the Church, but after it. And that is just the reason why I place the line (W) betwixt the taking of the Church (T) and the coming of Christ in judgment to this earth (R). There are many passages which refer to this period of judgment, all of which have to be fulfilled. And all will be fulfilled, after the Church is taken, during this short period (W). This is very clear from 2 Thess. 2:1, 2. It appears from the persecutions that raged, and the great tribulation that these saints were enduring, some had tried to persuade them that the day of the Lord was come. The apostle shews them the impossibility of this; as they ought to have known, that before then they would be gathered to Christ. This had been implied, in the first epistle, as they were not of the night; and he had no need to write to them about the day of the Lord. So now he says, “Now, we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind… as that the day of Christ is at hand,” — or is come. He then goes on to show the fearful state of this world, when the Spirit of God, I doubt not, with the Church, is taken away. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. You may judge what the fearful character of this period (W) will be, and the coming of Christ in judgment, called the day of the Lord, which closes it, by reading the following scriptures. Psalm 88:8; Isa. 2:12, 21; 13:6, 12; Dan. 12:1; Joel 2:1-11; 3:9-16; Zeph. 1:7, 14-18; 3:8; Mal. 4:1; Matt. 24:21, 22.

The Book of Revelation, from the 6th to the end of the 19th chapter, is mostly occupied with these terrible days of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. This short period (W).

The order of this wonderful book, Revelation, may be illustrated by the diagram. Thus, after the introduction, which occupies the first chapter, the 2nd and 3rd chapters, containing the addresses to the seven churches, describe the condition of the things that are now in Christendom during the present period (C). Then 4 and 5 take us up and let us see the redeemed above with the Lord. Then the 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and on to 19, shew what will take place during the period W; and then the thousand years in the 20, or period M, after which (S) Satan is loosed a little season; and then, 20, (E) the eternal state.

Q. I hope to examine the Book of Revelation wore closely: I never could make out the order of it before. But now as to the line R; do you not make two comings of Christ; and what proof have you in Scripture that there is any difference betwixt the taking (T) and the revelation of Christ (R) at His coming to this earth?

A. There is the most clear proof of this. You remember at the taking, the sleeping saints will be raised and the living ones changed and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Now compare it with 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Jude 14, 15; Rev. 1:7. In these passages it is the very opposite of going up to meet the Lord, as at the taking (T); it is Christ coming in judgment on an ungodly world. This judgment of living nations is described in Matt. 25:31-46.

Q. Why, is not that chapter a description of the last day and the general judgment?

A. Oh, no! If you compare it with Rev. 20:11-15, you will observe it is as different as possible. So far from all nations being gathered together, and judged, and separated, which takes place at the commencement of the millenium (M), after the close of this thousand years the heavens and earth flee away, and the dead, small and great, stand before the great white throne of God at the end of the short period (S).

Q. Then during the millennium do you expect that all persons saved now will be on earth? and that Christ will also live on earth, and reign over them?

A. The Scriptures teach that the earthly kingdom of Christ will be composed first of the Jews, and Israel in their own land; and all nations then on earth brought into subjection to Israel, and to Christ, the King of kings. (Jer. 23:5-8; Zeph. 3:8-20; Zech. 14:8-21; Isaiah 2:1-4; 9:6, 7; 11:1-11; 61:4-9.) The Church, composed of all the saved during this period (C), will share and enjoy the heavenly glory of Christ. (John 14:1-3; 17:22; Eph. 1:3; 2:4-7; 3:9-11; Rev. 5; 19:7-8; 21:9-11.) The Church will also reign with Christ over this earth. See Greek of Rev. 5:10; also 1:6; 19:14.

Oh! reader, let me add one word more on the present work of God by the Holy Ghost; “in visiting the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name.” What grace is this? lost sinners are being brought to Christ. And not one that is brought can ever be cast out. Can you say from your very heart that Christ is your all? that as a sinner you have found Him to be your Saviour? Oh, wondrous message to guilty men: “Be it known unto you, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things; from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38, 39.) Justified! yes, it is God that justifies. Who shall condemn? If a believer, will you not look for, and wait for the coming of Him who loved you and washed you in His own precious blood?

Oh, can you say: “The coming of the Lord is nothing to me. What does it matter, if I only get to heaven, whether the Lord comes or I die.” Consummate selfishness! What would you think of a wife, whose husband was in a distant land, saying, The return of my husband is nothing to me. Where would be the affection of that heart that could receive a letter announcing that his return might be expected every day; and yet could lay aside that letter with indifference, saying, It does not concern me? The Spirit of God is arousing the cry, Come, Lord Jesus. A voice is heard from heaven, Behold, I come quickly. Is it possible for you to know the love of Christ, and say, That voice does not speak to me? Yes, if you are a Christian, that voice of love speaks to your very heart. It is your heart Christ wants. It is not your head filled with prophetic theories. He wants to hear, He counts on hearing the bride say, “Come, Lord Jesus.” And again He says, “Surely I come quickly.” Oh, that the whole Church of God may be aroused to cry, from their very heart, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” C.S.